Vines & Vittles

Travel Notes From Your Wandering Wino

July 27, 2007 by John Brown

So here I am sitting in this neat coffee bar in McMinneville, Oregon – the heart of the Willamette Valley – sipping coffee instead of pinot noir, and trying to clear my head enough to post this little ditty.  And, although I’ve certainly slurped my share of pinot noir, I have never ventured to this neck of the wine woods where they produce some of the best pinot on the planet. 

I arrived in town last night from Portland via the Oregon coast  (a round about,  but visually satisfying way, to get here) and enjoyed a superb  meal at the Joel Palmer House – one of Oregon’s most famous restaurants  where the emphasis is on wild mushrooms and – what else – Pinot Noir.

Owner/chef Jack Czarnecki actually wanders the hills of Oregon searching out and picking wild mushrooms, and then creates spectacular menu items using these little fungi as the centerpiece. He and his wife Heidi bought the historic Joel Palmer House in 1996 and began to create one of the most unique restaurants in the US. According to local lore, Joel Palmer was a pioneer who settled in the area in the mid-1800’s after supposedly ascending Mount Hood in the winter wearing moccasins (and I assume other clothing). He later built the house in which the restaurant is now housed.

The goal of Jack and Heidi was to match their passion for mushrooms with their love of wine – particularly pinot noir -to which the earthy nuances of the wine marry incredibly well with the woodsy flavors of all manner of mushrooms. They have succeeded and here is a case in point: my appetizer course consisted of wild morels in a rich brown sauce with flecks of chili pepper flakes accompanied by a clump of crispy Phyllo dough strings (my apologies to the chef – my clumsy description of this course does not do it justice).

The wine – suggested by a very knowledgeable (and unpretentious) sommelier – was a delicious accompaniment. With earthy, dark cherry fruit flavors and perfectly balanced, the 2004 Methven Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir is a special bottle of wine. While this wine is unavailable in West Virginia, you may call the winery (503-580-1320) and order it, but keep in mind that it is very limited. Also, while the wine is drinking well now, it should continue to improve for another decade.

Suffice it to say that the remainder of the meal was terrific and I am looking forward to sharing with you in coming posts what promises to be an interesting and tasteful weekend here in Oregon.

State restaurants lauded for their wine lists

July 19, 2007 by John Brown

Each year, Wine Spectator Magazine singles out restaurants which it rates as having the best wine lists around the country and world. The 2007 Wine Spectator “Best Restaurants For Wine” this year includes 10 West Virginia eateries.

Eight of the state establishments received an “Award of Excellence” and two others — The Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown and the Greenbrier Main Dining Room — received the even more prestigious “Best of Award of Excellence” rating. Only 76 restaurants, of the more than 4000 rated by the magazine worldwide, achieved the highest ranking “Grand Award” designation.

Obviously, each of the award-winning restaurants must also produce exceptional cuisine to go along with their well-conceived wine lists. The recognition is a tribute to the culinary skills of the winners in the Mountain State, and we lovers of the vine should do our best to patronize these restaurants. We should also encourage our other favorite restaurants to upgrade their lists and to submit them to the magazine in the future for consideration.

The Bavarian Inn (304-876-2251) has always placed an emphasis on fine wine to go along with their excellent German-inspired menu, but they have taken the list to a new level under innkeeper and wine director, Christian Asam. Christian follows in the footsteps of his mother and father who have been leaders in the hospitality industry in our state for decades. When I served a sentence as State Commerce Commissioner in the early ’90s, I had the pleasure of meeting the Asam’s on several occasions, and have always been impressed with their dedication to providing guests with superb accommodations as well as great food and wine.

What more can anyone say about the crowning jewel of the state’s tourism industry – The Greenbrier – except they have been consistently focused on improving, not only the food and wine at this world-class resort but also the accommodations. The resort recently embarked on a major renovation and facilities upgrade program which included additional dining facilities. I’m looking forward to sampling the fare and liquid nirvana at their new restaurant – Hemisphere (800-453-4858) – where diners will have the opportunity to choose from three tasting menus of either five or seven courses.

So kudos to both the Bavarian Inn and the Greenbrier for receiving the penultimate award from the Wine Spectator!

It is also no small achievement for the other state restaurants whose wine lists and excellent menus have garnered notice from the editors and critics at the magazine. The “Award of Excellence” winners are: The Chop House (344-3954) and Soho’s (720-7646) in Charleston; Lui Lui (295-8028) and Spats (800-262-2536) in Parkersburg; The Glasshouse Grille(296-8460) in Morgantown; Provence Market Café (848-0911) in Bridgeport; Savannah’s (529-0919) in Huntington; and the La Bonne Vie (387-8250) at Mountaineer Race Track in Chester.

While these awards probably won’t change the barefoot and toothless image some snobby outsiders have of us (particularly those flatlanders who think a West Virginia seven-course gourmet meal consists of a six-pack and a chili dog), I think it’s evident we have some pretty good places to sip and sup!

 

Serving wine: Room temperature ain’t what it used to be!

July 10, 2007 by John Brown

wine222.jpg
Here is a universal and unfortunate truth: White wine is served too cold and red wine too warm.

When summer temperatures soar, many discerning beverage consumers choose cooling liquids to soothe their heat-induced misery and slake their mighty thirsts. Personally, after hydrating with water, I prefer sipping (surprise) wine. However, my vinous choices are decidedly lighter whites and reds which I cool to a pleasing temperature before drinking.

So today’s sermon, boys and girls, deals with the absolute necessity of serving both red and white wine at the proper temperature. This is so they will be not only pleasantly cool to the taste, but also to insure that the wine will provide a pleasing counterpoint to the heat of the food with which it is paired.

Here is a universal and unfortunate truth: White wine is served too cold and red wine too warm. In my estimation, the culprits are refrigeration and the propensity on the part of wine drinkers and restaurants to be confused by the definition of “room temperature,” particularly as it relates to serving red wine.

Let’s start with white wine and the almost fervent belief that if we have the capability to make something cold, then we should therefore serve our liquids – including white wine – at Arctic temperatures. I’ve had whites served to me at temperatures so frigid they’ve needed a de-icing truck to render them drinkable. The good news here is that if you wait 10 or 15 minutes, the wine will warm to the proper temperature.

Continue reading…

RECIPE: Pesto Pasta and Sauvignon Blanc

July 5, 2007 by John Brown

basil.jpg

When my herb garden begins to yield bunches of fragrant and delicious sweet basil, I know it’s time to prepare one of my favorite summertime meals. With this lovely herb as the centerpiece, I created a wonderful -yet simple- meal that you may want to try sometime soon. Not surprisingly, I also have a few wine suggestions for these basil-infused dishes. So here goes. Many folks use basil as a seasoning for salads and one of my favorites is an old family recipe. Today, I’ll provide you with this salad recipe and also with one of my favorite summertime culinary masterpieces: pesto pasta.

First the salad.

Continue reading…

WINE TALES: Falcor Building “Boutique” Winery in Napa

June 28, 2007 by John Brown

When Napa Valley lawyers and winery owners Mike Bee and Jim Peterson wanted to start their own winery in the valley, a lot of folks scoffed at the idea. After visiting Napa and talking to many people in thefalcor_wine_bottles.jpg trade, the men were encouraged to modify their idea of building a full-fledged winery and decided to take a more modest approach.

First, they set about finding the right wine maker which led them to Ray Coursen, then the winemaker at Napa Valley’s Whitehall Lane. Coursen, a giant of a man with a prodigious appetite for red wine (more about this later), was not only a fine winemaker, but had worked many years in the vineyards so he was aware of where the best grapes were being grown. After some coaxing, Coursen took on the task of producing Falcor wines and produced the first vintage in 1996 with a Burundian-style Napa Valley Chardonnay.

Continue reading…

Whine-ing about beer

June 26, 2007 by John Brown

winebeer.jpg

A reader asked me where he could find the wines I had suggested in the June 24 Gazette-Mail “Main Ingredient” piece. Good question. The majority of wines I recommend for your sipping pleasure can be found either in local wine shops or grocery store wine areas. When I’m reasonably sure the wines are not available in the area, I will let you know that fact. In that case, you have a couple of choices to get the particular wine.

First, you can ask your local wine merchant to order the wine for you. State wine distributors (wholesalers who sell the wine to your retail outlet) have access to thousands of labels and can probably get the wine to your wine shop. If you don’t want to wait the weeks (or possibly months) it will usually take to get the wine, you have the option of ordering it – via phone or Internet – from a wine shop or winery out of state.

Yes, West Virginia is one of the more progressive states when it comes to wine laws. Thanks to some wine-bibbing legislators several years back who passed a good consumer-oriented law, you are legally permitted to order up to two cases of wine per month from out of state retailers or wineries. Simply “Google” the wine in question and voila! (that’s pronounced ‘Vi-ole- lah!’ where I come from), a dad-gum passel of opportunities to purchase the stuff will be presented to you.

Continue reading…

Que Syrah, Syrah …

June 18, 2007 by John Brown

syrah.jpg
Syrah grapes on the vine. Wine made with the same grapes is designated Shiraz in Australia.

Most grape varieties, regardless of where they are grown around the world, produce wines that have a defining aroma or taste that are universally recognizable. Take Cabernet Sauvignon, for example. Cabernet, produced in such geographically diverse regions as the Napa Valley in California, Bordeaux or the Barossa Valley in Australia, share varietal characteristics with which most wine drinkers can identify.

The same is true of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc’s sensory attributes. Sauvignon Blanc produced in New Zealand seems to emphasize more of a melon or ripe fruit component while those made in California can exhibit more of a citrus nuance, yet both seem to share an herbal or grassy quality

WINE TERMS: ‘Varietal’ –(in U.S. winemaking) designating a wine made entirely or chiefly from one variety of grape. (from dictionary.com)

Zinfandel is another wine that is pretty easy to identify if you drink the wine on a regular basis. I am a “zin-fanatic” so I tend to obsess over the variety and I can usually identify (in a blind tasting) not only that the wine is indeed zinfandel, but sometimes the area of California where the grapes were grown.The list could go on and on with the majority of wines – at least the ones we seem to consume on a regular basis – sharing one or more common characteristics regardless of their viticultural appellation. However, there is one wine that, for me anyway, proves the exception to the rule.

Shiraz, which is the name the Aussies have given to Syrah, shares no common bond with the wine produced in the most famous place the grape is grown – which is the Rhone Valley of France. Ditto, the Syrah produced in the US: it bears no resemblance to French wine made from the same grape.

Australia has been making Shiraz for over a hundred years. As a matter of fact, one of the greatest wines of Australia, Penfold’s Grange Hermitage, is made from Syrah and pays homage to the Rhone by its very name. But that’s where the similarities end.chateauneuf_du_pape.jpg

In the Rhone, Syrah is the most highly valued of all the red varietals. The most famous wine of the Rhone is Chateauneuf Du Pape. Grown in the very southern area of the Rhone, this wine is a blend of as many as 13 grape varieties with Syrah added to give it character and aging potential.

Surprisingly, the most sought after Syrah is produced in the northern Rhone and particularly around the towns of Cote Rotie, Hermitage and Cornas. The wine produced here is a tannic “full throttle” whopper with black pepper, tar and leather aromas and ripe plum and other dark fruit taste characteristics.

Nowhere on the label will you see the word Syrah, but any red wine from the above-mentioned villages will be predominately made from the grape. Some of the best producers are E. Guigal, Paul Jaboulet Aine, M. Chapoutier, J. Vidal-Fleury and Delas Freres.

So how do Syrah from the Rhone and the Shiraz from Australia differ? While the Rhone can be a backward and very tannic wine in its youth, Shiraz is full-bodied, but usually very forward and easy to drink when it is young. With rich, ripe berry flavors, Shiraz, to me at least, has more in common with zinfandel than the Syrah grown in France. The best of these wines are grown and produced in the Barossagregnormanshiraz2003.jpg Valley of southeastern Australia. Some of my favorite Shiraz producers are: Longview, Clarendon Hills, D’Arenberg’s Laughing Magpie, Greg Norman’s Limestone Coast, Torbreck Woodcutter’s Red, Elderton; Fox Creek Reserve; Kay Brothers Hillside and Rosemount Balmoral.

Syrah produced in California is just as rich and unctuous as the stuff made Down Under. As a matter of fact, these wines can be “fruit bombs” with sometimes stratospheric alcohol levels. Many of the most sought after are produced along California’s central coastal areas such as the Santa Maria Valley and Santa Barbara County. These latter two wine regions were featured in the movie “Sideways.”

To be sure, California Syrahs share more common taste components with thefessparker.jpg Aussies than with the French, yet there are still some differences. Here are some of my California favorites: Melville, Qupe; Babcock; Blackjack Ranch; Sanford; Fess Parker; RH Phillips; Alexander Valley Vineyards; Beckman; Frei Brothers; and, locally owned, Falcor.

I guess you’ll just have to pick your favorites. As the French say: “Que Syrah, Syrah…”

West Virginia Wine Events This Summer

June 11, 2007 by John Brown

wineimage.jpg
Below are a couple of worthy wine events around West Virginia this summer that combine vino and victuals.

THURSDAY, JULY 19: “Wine and Roses”

Join me and about 100 other thirsty wine lovers at the third annual Roark-Sullivan Lifeways Center (RSLC) Wine and Roses event. Wine and Roses will be held indoors at the Capitol Market from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 19. Partnering with RSLC is the Capitol Market, Soho’s and the Wine Shop at Capitol Market.

I’ll be selecting a whole passel of wines which are once again being donated by area Wine Distributors. If you find something you like, you can purchase it immediately from the nice folks at the Wine Shop. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. You can call RSLC at 304/414-0109 and give them your credit card or send a check to: RSLC, P.O. Box 8957, South Charleston, WV, 25303

Continue reading…

WINE ON THE WEB: Natalie Maclean

June 5, 2007 by John Brown

As I’ve almost evangelistically proclaimed over the years: “Brothers and Sisters, you got to drink that wine with victuals. Say hallelujah!” Both the wine and the food are enhanced and your sensory pleasure is doubled. One of the best websites I’ve found to get up-to-date information on matching food and wine is: www.nataliemaclean.com/matcher.winebook3.jpg

Natalie MacLean, awawrd-winning author of the website, is also author of “Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass.” The link above is not just a place to find special occasion food and wine matches. MacLean’s says her matching tool pairs wines with everyday meals, as well as challenging fare, such as vegetarian cuisine, egg-based sauces, cheese, TV dinners, and even dessert, including Jell-O and fudge (for those who like to layer their vices).

Check it out.

It’s Tare-WAH, Bubba!

by John Brown

vineyard.jpg
‘Terroir” as it relates to a wine’s creation starts with the place where the grapes are grown and rapidly expands to include anything and everything related to a wine’s evolution.

Scanning the national wine blogs and columns provides an interesting perspective on what the wine cognicenti are yapping about. Without getting into the technical details of these mostly pedantic exchanges, suffice it say that there is a modicum of intelligent dialogue taking place on a variety of aspects related to grape growing and wine making.

One such “inside baseball” argument examines the whole experience of creating a wine – from the soil to the sky. It is worth recounting if only for the residual humor it provides as we try to understand the complexities and nuances of the debate. It begins with one of my pet peeves: the almost criminal (and many times hilarious) misuse of language — mainly French — by the domestic wine industry.

To be fair, though, this abuse of the King’s English is ubiquitous. In fact, I see the Americanized version of English as a moving target full of constantly changing buzz words, acronyms and words borrowed from other languages. (Can’t you just visualize a meeting at Webster’s New World Dictionary where pointy-headed etymologists gather in a dark room and grudgingly grant official English language status to words such as goober, nerd and bootie?) However, one of the worst offenders of this indiscriminate and abusive practice is the American wine industry.

Take, for example, the confusing issue of terroir. At first glance, you might wonder why there is so much written about the terrier<co > as it relates to wine. Are these grape watchdogs, or what? You might also have misread the word as terror and become quite concerned that an anti-wine terrorist group might be planting IED’s in vineyards and wineries.

Fear not, my friends. There are no terrorist plots (I hope) related to wine. However, terroir (pronounced tare-WAH — I think), is one meaningful word! I wouldn’t even bother explaining this word except that some knowledgeable wine folks contend that understanding the complex definition of terroir really is important in appreciating the qualitative differences among wines. But terroir’s meaning in the wine lexicon is so loosey-goosey (now there’s a good non-word for you) that defining it as “all-encompassing” would be too restrictive.

Okay, so what does it mean? Well, terroir starts with the place where the grapes are grown: the vineyard location, its slope, topography and angle toward the sun, as well as its longitude and latitude. In addition, you add in the soil, climate, average rainfall, fog and temperature, as well as the type of vine or clone of a particular grapevine — these are all part of terroir.

But wait, I’m not finished. Terroir is also affected by the agricultural practices of the grower and the techniques, including the application of technology used in the cellar by the wine maker. And others in the debate consider culture and social mores of the wine-producing region as a component of terroir. See what I mean? This is where the debate, like a misguided space probe, veers toward infinity.

So, in practical terms, how can terroir help you select the correct bottle for that special dinner or enhance your overall enjoyment of wine? It probably can’t. But if you’re as wine-obsessed as I am, exploring the issue in detail can offer an interesting academic exercise, and just maybe provide a little intellectual pleasure to the sensory and visceral pleasures of drinking wine.

So the next time someone asks your opinion of a particular wine, just look them straight in the eye and proclaim: “It’s obviously the tear-wah, Bubba!” Then, turn and quickly leave so you won’t have to tell them what it means.