Food, Wine and Food Again...

Terry post:

To me it is axiomatic that wine is best when paired with food. Over my lifetime the moments of dining pleasure which are closest to my heart are those which feature fine food combined with fine wine.

At Citronelle in Washington DC, I was brought to tears by a Morel bisque with seared Foie Gras served with a Sauterne.

At Restaurant 213 in Fruitland MD it was white asparagus topped with a soft poached egg and sauce béchamel served with a French Montrechet.

And, in Paris so many years ago in a sidewalk bistro it was fresh local sausage, hard cheese, warm bread and a very ordinary red from Burgundy.

In these cases, and many more like them, there was an almost mystical combination of food and wine which reinforced the other creating a product far greater than the sum of the individual parts.

How is this?

Great food and great wine are often enjoyed in the company of friends which provides an additional dimension to the experience beyond the taste buds, beyond the nose and deeply and directly to the heart. There is a primal need to share food among friends and family. Why else are our primary celebrations enjoyed around the dinner table? Neither Christmas nor Thanksgiving would be so deeply ingrained in us were not the sharing of food, and wine, an integral part of the ritual.

The family ritual regarding food may explain why there are so many cookbooks to be found in the bookstore and the blossoming of cooking show on television. But like so much of popular culture, both the books and television shows miss the mark entirely: they are focused on the visible - the production of food and that is precisely where the ritual IS NOT.

The ritual of sharing is about the "why". It is about, "why we cook", "why we share" and, "why we love".

Cook books and television shows may show us how to cook but the utterly fail to explain why we cook.

It seems simple: we cook because we love our friends and our family. And wine. Well, wine just makes it a little more special.

~ Terry

What New Coke Has to Tell Wineries About the Wine Tasting Process

Terry post:

It was 1985 when the Coca-Cola Company introduced a new formulation of Coke. The re-formulation was an instant failure with the public. In a matter of only a couple months the Coca-Cola Company back-tracked and re-introduced the old Coke formulation as Coke Classic while maintaining the New Coke formula. The two products existed side by side until 1992 when the New Coke was dropped from the American line-up leaving Coke Classic - the old formulation - as their primary product.

How did the Coca-Cola Company make such a huge miscalculation? How is it that they were willing to sacrifice so much brand equity switching from a reliable flavor to a new, and allegedly improved, flavor? The answer: the data told them to do so.

In 1945 the Coca-Cola brand owned 60% of the domestic soft drink market. By the beginning of the early 1980s that huge margin had shrunk to a much smaller 25%. Management saw that market shrinkage as a problem - a big problem.

Management began a review of internal processes, procedures and products. The result of that review was a decision to tweak the formulation of Coca-Cola to something less acidic and sweeter, favored by younger consumers, than the long standing formulation. One of the critical pieces of information used by decision makers was the results for thousands of "sip tests" - tests which broke strongly in favor of the new formula.

There was, it seemed, a systemic fault with the testing methodology. Consumers don't buy cola to drink it a sip at a time. What tastes good in a very small sample may grow tiresome or unappealing when consumed in larger quantities. In short, the test methodology did not meet a critical criterion of testing: representing the actual user's environment. People drink cola by the can - not the 1 ounce sip. Despite strong support for the "New Coke" in the sip tests it bombed when consumed by the can.

A few weeks ago I visited several wineries while visiting my brother in Iowa and in each location I was presented with a similar opportunity to taste the wines: a cheerful wine rep pouring small, 1 - 2 ounce, samples of wine one after another while standing at a counter.

So here is something to ponder: Do wineries provide a realistic taste testing opportunities for buyers, or are they creating their own "New Coke" problems?


The Coca-Cola Company failed by relying too heavily on the results of sip-tests which were not representative of how its customers used their products.

The overwhelming majority of wine sold in the U.S. is consumed with a meal.

Wine sampling should be more closely aligned with how wine is consumed so that the customer gets a more realistic representation of the product. This is more important for places like Iowa where the local wine varietals are not known or understood. How many times have you been asked what to serve with Foch?

I could easily imagine a winery providing small, 1 ounce, serving of a food (pasta, slivers of meat, cheese, vegetables, etc) which pairs well with the wine being sampled.

Yes, it would cost more. Yes, it would take more time. Yes, it would be more representative of how the wine will be consumed at home. Yes, it would lead to more satisfied customers.

Bottom line: Absent silly local laws against this common sense approach wineries should make their sampling process more representative of how it is consumed at home. Sample wine with food.

~ Terry

2008 Chateau Grand Traverse, Dry Riesling, Michigan

Terry post:

Summer Wine Series.

Tomorrow marks the last day of summer, so it is time for me to squeeze in two more reviews before I start digging into my reds and ports as the nights grow longer and darker.

Over Labor Day weekend I had the privilege of driving from DC to Detroit to pick up some furniture which had belonged to my wife's grandmother. This isn't the sort of thing one passes on, particularly if domestic tranquility is important.

While there we visited a Meijers. Note to non-Michiganders: Meijers is a big box retailer along the lines of Target and Wal-Mart. We tolerate Meijers as Fred Meijers - the founder - opened his first store in Greenville, Michigan. Enough history.

I found the Michigan wines and almost everything there was a "late harvest" this or that. I did find one label which looked promising: a Dry Riesling by Chateau Grand Traverse.

My impressions: Pale yellow in the glass. Thin citrus on the nose is found after vigorous sloshing about in the glass. Citrus is prominent first across the palate with pear following closely. It finishes with an assertive acidic backbone. Very nice.

The Chateau Grand Traverse Dry Riesling is a wonderful offering from Michigan and worth a try if you can find it. With only 1,600 cases produced it is unlikely you'll find it outside of Michigan. But, if you do find it - you'll find it a pleasurable partner at dinner time.

$10.99 at Meijer "Shifty" Acres

~ Terry

2006 Willowcroft Farm Vineyards, Cabernet Franc, Virginia

Terry post:

There are nine grades of cork exported from Portugal for the purpose of stopping wine in bottles. Those grades are:

• Flor


• Extra


• Superior


• 1st


• 2nd


• 3rd


• 4th


• Agglomerated


• Colmated

I bring the grades of cork up for discussion because corks are so very important when it comes to the health of a bottle of wine. A good cork retains the labor of the winemaker while a bad cork provides a route for oxygen to invade and destroy.

The truth of the matter that bad corks are rare. Really rare. I have not pulled a bad cork in ages, until this evening. When I pushed my corkscrew into the 2006 Willowcroft Cabernet Franc, the cork moved down the neck of the bottle - I was able to retrieve the cork, but I had my concerns about the poor seal.

My impressions: Light ruby in the glass. Almost nothing on the nose, with repeated sloshings being necessary to release a hint of cherries. Moderately tannic. Short dry, herbal finish.

Second thoughts. It is my belief that a 2006 Cabernet Franc is is an old wine - likely past its prime. So, I should not be too disappointed with the results - cork problem or not.

My first bottle from Willowcroft was a surprisingly approachable Riesling with food friendly characteristics.

I has hoping that this Cab Franc would be equally pleasant. It brings me no pleasure to observe that is was not.

~ Terry

2009 Beau Chene, White Granache, Vin De Pays D'Oc, France

Terry post:

Summer Wine Series

It was a few weeks ago that I purchased a number of bottles of wine from The Wine Seller in Herndon, Virginia. Unlike my brother's experience in Iowa, Lucinda could have not been more helpful providing me several surprising hits.

I have scant experience with White Granache wine. When I think Grenache, I think of the stony vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape which produce the rich, thick and chewy reds which I so enjoy.

The idea of sacrificing a great French red for a so-so "pink" wine is, to say the least, a damn waste of grapes.

Okay. Enough griping.

My impressions: Pale salmon color in the glass. Strawberries on the nose, but not so overwhelming as to be unpleasant. Fresh and dry. Smooth. Easy to drink - not overtly sweet. There is more than a hit of acidity in the wine, so it might work with food. My thought is that it is best as an accompaniment to light lunchtime fare or by itself well chilled. Citrus and melon on a long refreshing finish. Recommended.

Second thoughts: The wine improved and tasted better on day #2 than it did on day #1. Were I to buy another bottle, I'd give the wine some time to breath before I drank it. I may not have had the wine on its best footing when I first sampled it.

$12 at The Wine Seller

~ Terry

2008 Esperto, Pinot Grigio, Delle Venezie, Italy

Terry post:

Summer Wine Series

We carried the Esperto Pinot Grigio at Restaurant 213 from the grand opening onward and it is still on the wine list today. It has been a steady seller popular with those who prefer a dry white wine with floral characteristics.

My impressions: Pale, diluted straw-color in the glass. Faint floral note when first poured opening slightly to citrus as the wine warmed. Moderate bodied and dry. Not nearly as fruity as I have experienced with other Italian Pinot Grigios - more American in style. Recommended.

Good acidity. Food friendly. I paired the wine with a Watermelon-Feta Cheese salad - and it was perfection.

Imported by Moet Hennessy USA. 13% alcohol.

$13 at retail.

~ Terry

2007 Trimbach Riesling, Alsace France

Terry post:

Summer Wine Series.

Customers are always right and when I was Wine Director at Restaurant 219 we selected several Riesling wines for the list to suit the wants, needs and desires of our diners. We had some that were overly sweet and some which were just right.

Visiting the Restaurant again a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of sampling the 2007 Trimbach Riesling. In a word: fantastic.

Where Riesling too often has the reputation of being overly sweet and abundantly fragrant, Trimbach provides a graceful and understated contribution to the genre.

My impression: Light golden in the glass. Apple, peach and citrus on the nose. Crisp. Clean. Not sweet at all, holding with a moderately acidic backbone to make for a food-friendly wine. Enduring long finish with apples and peaches. Highly recommended.

Second thoughts: Rieslings are often done poorly with vintners bowing to the temptation to create an overly sweet and overly floral offering. It is the restraint and the grace of this wine which rewards the drinker and for which I find so appealing. There is a lot of great stuff going on here, and it is not at all loud or clumsy in the process.

This is the wine equivalent of Audrey Hepburn descending the stairs in the movie, "Breakfast at Tiffany's". And, like all things Hepburn, it is not to be missed.

$18-$20 at retail.

~ Terry

What Goldman Sachs Can Tell us About Aggregating the Sale of Iowa Wines

Terry post:

It is nearly impossible to pick up a newspaper or watch the evening news without the alleged misbehavior of Goldman Sachs being pushed into our faces. They, it seems, were able to play the market and make money on the sale of real estate tranches without regard if the market value increased or the market value decreased. Sweet.

Absent from all reporting which I have read has been any mention of how challenging that proposition truly is. Most investment bankers take positions on one side and hedge the other: it appears that Goldman was "all in" on both the puts and the calls.

The wine industry operates in a challenging patchwork of state and federal rules, regulations and laws. The three-tiered marketing channels (distributor, wholesaler & retailer) act as a filter to limit broad market access by smaller vintners as economies of scale are required at the distributor level. Without sufficient inventory to spread over the distributors territory they won't give you a second look. Small wineries suffer most under this marketing schema.

Investment bankers such as Goldman Sachs don't always own the product which they are selling: that is one way to hedge risk. Wineries, on the other hand, almost always own the product that they sell: all risk is carried on the shoulders of the vintner and his/her family. A good year can be wildly profitable while a bad year can be disastrous.

How than can small wineries in Iowa replicate the financial success of Goldman Sachs - and avoid jail time for that matter?

Think of scale. Small wineries have to find a way to look and act big. Think of the aggregation which Goldman Sachs performed with the real estate which they bundled and sold. The took lots and lots of small mortgages and packaged them into something large which appeared to have low risk and high profitability.

What then is the wine analogy? Aggregate and self-representation.

If I were an Iowa vintner I would create the wine equivalent of the real estate tranche:

1. I would create a corporation to bundle and represent Iowa wines to distributors. This would be the corporate entity which could, by aggregation, create the volume of wines which are interesting to the distributors.
2. I would select a handful of wineries careful to choose a focused array of varietals and regions within the state. Iowa still hasn't identified it's trademark wine. The selections in the wine tranche needs to be wide enough to cover the state, yet narrow enough to maintain quality.
3. I would also direct-market the product in a similar fashion to the California Wine Club. Establish a two-bottle monthly distribution to those who have visited tasting rooms of the wineries in the aggregation.

Bottom line: As long as small wineries think small they will remain small. Growth will require innovative marketing practices acting in parallel with the development of high quality products.

~ Terry

2008 Teldeschi White Zinfandel, California

Terry post:

Summertime truly is the time to relax with one's friends and what goes better with friends and summertime than a nice quaffable wine?

For many wine drinkers, White Zinfandel is the perfect summer drink. Easy to find. Easy to buy and easy to drink.

White Zinfandel is also the Rodney Dangerfield of wines as it doesn't get any respect. Many WZs are one-dimensional quaffs with overwhelming fruit (usually strawberries) on the nose, moderate alcohol and a low price.

When a WZ comes along and pushes the boundaries: that is something worth talking about.

My impressions: Medium pink in the glass. First in the glass my immediate impression was CHARDONNAY. As it opened up the initial predominant Chardonnay nose softened to crushed raspberries with a hint of flowers. Slightly tannic - think of crushed grape seeds. Moderate acidity on the ripe-berry finish. Recommended.

Second and Third Thoughts: Much, much more interesting than the Beringer White Zinfandel which I sampled a few weeks back. Decent acidity - some food pairing options here. There is a hint of woodiness here which is most noticeable on the finish and I don't know if this is a result of the wine spent any time in oak. One day after tasting I begin, I see this wine as more of a Rose than a WZ.

I think you'd find this an interesting alternative to the too-sweet, run-of-the mill White Zinfandel's.

$9.95 at The Wine Seller in Herndon, VA.

~ Terry

NV Dolin Vermouth De Chambery, Blanc, France

Terry post:

Everything I know is wrong.

Or, so that is how things seem this afternoon after sampling a French Vermouth served over ice.

Earlier in the day I drove over to The Wine Seller and put myself in the hands of Lucinda. I told her I was looking for light summertime wines to sample and that I didn’t want to limit myself to only White Zinfandel.

She went to the racks and returned with several bottles of wine - the most surprising being a French Vermouth. I know what you are thinking: Vermouth, are you freakin’ kidding me! Stay with me on this one.

Like most people I see Vermouth as a cheap sweet wine with practical limitations at softening the rough edges of gin/vodka in a Martini. Vermouth is a drink that is reserved for the shuffleboard set. Vermouth is everything in a wine which I hold in distain: it is sweet, it is one dimensional, it is boring.

Like I said before: everything I know is wrong.

Ever see the movie, “Charade”? There is a scene at the beginning of the movie, where Cary Grant meets Audrey Hepburn. Hepburn is sitting outdoors at a ski resort enjoying an adult beverage with the Swiss Alps laid out before her. I imagine that Ms. Hepburn is sipping a cold Dolin Vermouth De Chambery as Cary Grant approaches her. I don’t know what she is drinking, but it SHOULD be this drink.

My impressions: Clear in the glass. Herbal. A walk in a cool pine forest at dawn. Sweet but balanced with the herbs. A rumor, just a rumor, of bitterness on the lingering finish. Highly recommended.

Second thoughts: This wine stands on its own two legs. While it would blend well in any drink of distilled spirits, I sampled it on its own over ice and did not find it wanting.

A perfect after dinner aperitif.

16% alcohol by volume

$15.99 at The Wine Seller

~ Terry

2008 Rock Rabbit, Sauvignon Blanc, California

Terry post:

Summer Wine Series

It is true that I spend too much time drinking red wines and not enough time sampling the lighter fare such as Sauvignon Blanc.

I don’t have too much to say about the Rock Rabbit brand. We carried it at Restaurant 213 as a lower-priced Sauvignon Blanc and it sold well.

My Impressions: Pale straw color in the glass. Stone, grass, modest fruit and a hint of spice (10% Gewurtraminer) on the nose and across the palate (The Gerwurtraminer was not co-fermented with the Sauvignon Blanc - I suspect the wine maker hoped to soften its razor-sharp edges). Unabashedly tart, with fruit under-represented resulting in an off-balanced wine. Lingering tart finish. Recommended with conditions: 1) Not a pool-side quaffer and not the sort of wine you’d want to sip on without food, 2) Would recommend with hard cheese (think Parmigiano-Reggiano) and other hearty nibbles, and 3) It might work with grilled white meats.

This is a personal bias of mine: I like some fruit in my wine. The major flaw of this offering is its overly tart nature combined with the thinness of the fruit. There are plenty of acidic wines which I have enjoyed - each having a level of fruit holding the whole package together.

It's not a great wine and it's not a terrible wine. With all of my complaining about many wines lacking a backbone - the 2008 Rock Rabbit Sauvignon Blanc has a cold-steely, razor-sharp backbone of immense proportions. My only caveat: the wine drinker had better be ready to pucker up.

90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Gewurtraminer in a handy screw-top bottle

13.5% alcohol.

$8.99 at retail.

~ Terry

2008 Beringer California Collection, White Zinfandel, California

Terry post:

Summer Wine Series

As I have said many times before, "If you like it - it is good wine". And, that axiom also includes summer quaffers such as the Beringer White Zinfandel. Adding to that: don't let wine snobs stop you from drinking something that you like at the dinner table, poolside or at a picnic.

There IS a place for easy drinking wines and the wine buying customer can drink whatever they choose recognizing that there are limits to any wine - including those consumed poolside.

My impressions: Pink in the glass. Strawberries and a hint of raspberries on the nose when first poured. Strawberries (again) and soft citrus across the palate with a long syrupy-fruit finish. Its overly sweet character makes it nearly impossible for food pairing as the sweet strawberries will overwhelm almost anything with which it is served. Best enjoyed COLD - served alone before or after a meal. Recommended.

Second thoughts: This wines needs to be served COLD. As the wine warmed in the glass the fruit characteristics disappeared leaving only an indistinguishable muddle of fruit on the nose and medicinal finish. Not food-friendly as it will obliterate any other competing elements in the meal to which it accompanies.

$7.00 at Cheers

~ Terry

2007 Beringer, California Collection, Chardonnay, California

Terry post:

Summer Wine Series

The first thing you need to know about any Beringer wine is that the brand has multiple product lines from which to choose, including:

· Private Reserve

· Knights Valley

· Napa Valley

· California Collection

This means that the consumer should be mindful of which product line the wine originated. The Private Reserve are the small-batch, hand-crafted product while the California Collection is their mass market product.

My impressions: Straw in color. Subtle buttery-oakiness layered with floral notes in the glass. A quickly passing hint of acidity at the finish. Easy drinking quaffable wine. As their low priced offering, this Beringer Chardonnay under-promises and over-delivers. Recommended.

This wine would fit nicely as a slightly-formal summer wine which would pair well with grilled chicken, cheese tray or even fresh fruit. Would not recommend it alongside any cream or butter-sauced entree.

A California Chardonnay at a reasonable price. Similiar to the Smoking Loon Syrah which I reviewed earlier, this wine fits comfortably in a value-niche. Neither the Beringer Chardonnay nor the Smoking Loon Syrah had any significant flaws (or outstanding characteristics, for that matter) and were very reasonably priced: this equals VALUE for the wine consume

$7.99 at the Giant Supermarket

~ Terry

2007 Smoking Loon, Syrah, California

Terry post:

Smoking Loon is another one of those brands for which I have had a great deal of experience with and with which I am favorably disposed.

For a medium-priced wine they have generally provided me excellent value for the price - a good wine at an even better price. Smoking Loon usually scores well on my quality-price continuum.

I was then a little disappointed when I popped open a bottle of their 2007 Syrah Wednesday evening. I did not get the fruitiness which I have come to expect with a California Syrah. What I got was something different: something not quite Syrah lacking the "oomph" and intensity which I crave in this varietal. Maybe Smoking Loon is test marketing Syrah-lite?

My impressions: Medium red in the glass. Cherries followed by pepper, smoke and spice box on the nose. Fruit and noticeable tannins nicely balanced across the palate. Food friendly. Light bodied for a Syrah. Brief finish with spice box again. No fatal flaws. No outstanding characteristics, either. Recommended.

Second thoughts: I know that if you read the words above you'll wonder why I still recommend the wine. Well, it is price-quality continuum thing. While not living up to expectations of a Syrah, it's price point over-rides that consideration. Were this a $19.99 bottle I would not recommend it. At $5.99 it is a great value and I am willing to overlook a technical shortcoming or two.

Smoking Loon web site here.

$5.99 on sale at Giant Supermarket.

~ Terry