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Germany 2010: Mosel - J.J. Prum
Rockss and Fruit 8 Sep 2010 | 6:43 pm
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After a long flight our only appointment for the day was with Katharina Prum, always a highlight of any trip. Graceful, intelligent, knowledgable about German wine laws (she is a lawyer) plus is very outspoken on the dreaded Mosel Bridge project. She had me absolutely convinced it was a terrible way to go and is incredibly passionate about it. She was hopeful it could not be built if they run out of money. It will be over the vineyards, on the top of the slope, but will be ghastly and huge and the worst affect in a viticultural sense would be not the proper drainage in dry years. But that argument is a tough one when you are dealing with bureaucrats. There is also an idea that the bridge can boost tourism, but who goes and sees bridges? I am sure there are bridge geeks out there but why do they think that is a large percentage of the German population? It's preposterous. I go to San Fran because its SF and the Golden Gate Bridge, a cool bridge, happens to be there. This is the Mosel. One of the coolest wine regions on Earth. Why fuck it up for commerce related issues that seem thin anyway? As my friend said on the trip, "Digging ditches and filling them back up again." Anyway, onto the wines. The '09's were simply brilliant. Prum wines are chameleons and adapt so well to whatever the vintage gives them. '09 was opulent, but not too, racy, with gorgeous, dare I say, rich minerality, clarity of site differences is top notch in 2009, and you have a wealth of generous ripe Riesling fruit. I love it. And as I have said before the sweet spot, though not that commercially viable, is Auslese. There was Low[…] -
In Memory of The Professor
McDuff's Food & Wine Trail 8 Sep 2010 | 4:33 pmLike most kids in the mid-70s suburban community I called home, I grew up with a bike between my legs. Back and forth to school, after school, especially in the summers off... we built makeshift ramps, rode through the yet to be developed corn/soy/tobacco fields, raced up and down the street and, piloting bikes not designed for any of it, crashed and burned with screaming, scabby regularity.Like most kids of my generation, high school got in the way. Music, hanging out with a wider circle of friends and all entailed by that, drinking beer, and girls (or at least the idea of girls) all got in the way. The childhood bike, more than put through its paces, went out to pasture, rusting idly in the garage.When I went off to college in '83, I came back to the bike. Living off-campus — even though I had a car through most of my undergrad years — the ten-speed clunker I picked up gave me a way to get back and forth to class without dealing with parking hassles or forking out for gas (a particular issue during my years in possession of a '70 Plymouth Fury). I'd like to think the idea of exercise figured in there but, honestly, I'm not sure it did. It was a utilitarian pursuit at heart. But once in a while I'd go hands-free, or dig in a little on an ascent, and I'd feel a flicker of the old joy.It wasn't until the start of my senior year that cycling came back, and came on, with a vengeance. I'd spent the majority of the preceding summer EuroRailing it with a good friend who just happened to have dabbled for a year or two as a bike messenger. I needed a way to earn some dough[…]
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L’shanah tovah, ya’ll!
Do Bianchi 8 Sep 2010 | 4:01 pm
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From Brooklyn (above), to Austin, to La Jolla, Tracie P and I wish you a happy and healthy new year!
Let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear…
I’ll see you in a few days… -
Making a pledge for cork
jamie goode's wine blog 8 Sep 2010 | 6:53 am
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I had a meeting this morning at Clarence House, the home of the Prince of Wales, so afterwards I wandered down to take a peek at the ‘Start’ Garden Party to Make a Difference, which is being held over the next few days here (see the website for more details).
The idea of Start is to get people to begin thinking about ways they can be more environmentally friendly. One of the exhibits, pictured above, is a set of four giant corks. The idea is to educate consumers about the environmental benefits of cork, and the sustainability of the cork forests. They are encouraged to sign a pledge for cork and stick it onto one of the giant corks (in the picture above there are only a few of these so far affixed; this is because it is the first day of the festival).
Pictured below is the pledge signed by Alan Titchmarsh. [Anyone living near him should check his recycling to make sure there are no more screwcapped wine bottles being consumed in the Titchmarsh household.]
I was asked whether I’d sign a card and make the pledge. I politely declined the offer. -
Fadsters and the Nouveau Natural Movement
John's blog 8 Sep 2010 | 6:40 amI just re-read Amy Atwood’s short interview with importer Becky Wasserman. Although short, it is certainly sweet with insight as Becky sheds light on what can go wrong with the natural wine movement. As many wine buyers know, Becky champions sustainable/organic/biodynamic methods of winemaking. She has done so for over thirty years. And she has even gone to a Rudolf Steiner school. The first thought that came to mind when I saw that she formally studied Steiner’s principles is that there must be scores of wine buyers, wine makers and consumers who don’t even know who Rudolf Steiner is. Should all wine drinkers know who Steiner is? Not necessarily, but people who stand behind biodynamic, organic or sustainably made wines without tasting them is a fool. Some of these wines, like their counterparts made in a science labs by flying consulting winemakers, taste like shit. What bothers me most about the Nouveau Natural wine movement is not that wine drinkers, buyers and consumers haven’t read up on Steiner or other natural wine pioneers, but that they have become too dogmatic extolling the virutes of a topic that they do not fully understand. Natural, sustainable, organic and biodynamic have become buzzwords for wine writers, educators and inspirers throughout the wine world. They have also become the focus of an intense debate on the merits of the Nouveau Natural craze. And while importers such as Wasserman, Kermit Lynch and Joe Dressner have been the quiet champions of the natural wine movement for decades, a few within the wine community have taken on what Wasserman calls a “certain moral superiority.” I agree with her. I believe in natural wine and sharing what I think is its importance within the wine community. I try to turn as many people away from big brands as[…]
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Wild Champagnes That I Have Loved
Brooklynguy's Wine and Food Blog 7 Sep 2010 | 8:26 pm
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I hung out with Peter Liem for a lot of the past two weeks. It's weird - when I spend time with Peter I find that I drink a lot of Champagne.-- Warning -- Laundry List to Follow --Here are the amazing Champagnes I drank in the past few weeks, along with a few notes, and I will tell you now that with the exception of the Larmandier-Bernier and the 2000 Tarlant, I drank these wines arose solely because of the generosity of others.NV Franck Pascal Cuvée Tolérance Brut Rosé, price unknown, no longer imported (JD Headrick was the importer until recently, as I understand it). As reported in ChampagneGuide.net, Franck Pascal is a rising star in the northern part of the Marne, in the village of Baslieux-sur-Châtillon where the soil is especially friendly to Pinot Meunier. This rosé is mainly Meunier, based on the regular NV cuvée with still red wine (both Pinot Noir and Meunier) blended in. I loved this rosé. Fresh and bright with fruit, and it really showed what to my taste is typical of Meunier - a round and fleshy, very broad character with something sweet and nutty like marzipan or cashew under the fruit. And despite all of that, the wine retained a classy sense of control and finesse. Very impressive, very delicious, I hope not too expensive when it makes it back to the States so I can buy some.(2002) Larmandier-Bernier Vieille Vignes de Cramant Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs, $70, Louis/Dressner Selections. Some say that this wine does not benefit from long aging. The precious few bottles I'm glad that I saved this for at least a few years (2005 is the current vintage), as it seems to be in a particularly sweet spot right now. Laser-like focus, delicate aromas and flavors[…] -
Vin de Soif
The Vulgar Little Monkey Translucency Report 7 Sep 2010 | 7:41 amHaving dinner with my friend RJ who was packing things up before closing on his house and heading out to Seattle for good. Had a light dinner of apps and charcuterie at Vin Rouge. Excellent.2002 Radikon JakotThis is my favorite of the Radikon whites for reasons I cannot fully explain. I am of the belief that these, with exceptions, gain nothing from extended bottle aging I convinced RJ to bring out his last bottle. It showed OK, but a bit more loose than previous bottles. While still a very good drop, I’ve had better bottles.2008 Foillard MorgonWhen you are in the mood, nothing else will truly suffice. Again, this was not the best bottle of this I’ve had, a bit less overt fruityness (which was sort of what I was looking for) but still able to tickle all the right spots on my palate and even spine. If you don’t like this, you really need to ask yourself if wine truly is your beverage of choice.
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A Bitter Introduction
Cherries and Clay 4 Sep 2010 | 11:10 am
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This is not a post about wine. If you have no interest in learning about something else rad, then I suggest you stop reading.
I’ve found myself in the depths of an Amaro fascination (obsession?) and feel the need to introduce my newest friend. Perhaps it grew from the city of San Francisco’s legendary love and dependence for Fernet-Branca - the bitter medicinal digestif that I forced myself to acquire a taste for and now sip regularly. Regardless, the world of Amaro has changed the way I think about alcoholic herbal concoctions and even stirred whimsical dreams of proprietoring and manning a strictly Amaro bar (Abaro? Or as suggested by S. Layton, ‘Amaro Never Dies’). The world of spirits embracing the very grown-up taste of bitterness is well worth exploring.
Amaro, meaning ‘bitter’ in Italian, is essentially a family of potable bitters created in every province throughout Italy and most often sipped as an after dinner digestif. The guarded recipes usually involve macerating a shopping list of herbs, roots and botanicals in a neutral spirit or wine, sweetening to some degree, and aging. I love the distinct range in styles, from the fruity and obviously bitter Ramazzotti made in Milano, to the thicker, raisiny, and more mildly bittered Sicilian creation, Averna.
Here are a few of the main Amari that you will see in Vancouver:
Fernet-Branca (pictured at the top)
Fernet is a sub-variety of Amaro - much drier and more intensely bitter. Fernet-Branca tastes like liquid Ricola (the Swiss herbal cough drops) or an extreme and complex Jägermeister. Think of a medicinal blend of licorice and mint. It isn’t for everyone, but once you gain an appreciation, it can be quite rewarding. The ultimate method of enjoying Fernet may still be sipping it from a shot glass with a[…] -
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saignée 31 Aug 2010 | 11:44 am
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There i am, standing in line at Oakland’s Beer Revolution staring confusedly at the board. This is a place where the draught board changes daily, and out of the ten beers listed i can maybe pick out 3 producers i know. Alongside the name of the beer, quite prominently, is the alc. % of the beer, going anywhere from 4% all the way to 9%. i choose something on the lower end of the scale, but at the last minute i decide to ask the proprietor instead. i ask for something light.
“What do i mean by “light?” He responds.
Well what do i mean? Low-alcohol? Not heavy? Not overly hopped?
“Not overly hopped.” i wager this is what i actually want, since i can’t fucking stand beers that smell like pine-cones.
Oh, ok. He pours me a tiny glass of beer. Perfect. Not overly hopped. He knows his stuff. Chapeau-bas.
6% Alc. Higher than what i picked. That’s what i get for trusting a number.
i slowly remembered this when i saw this tweet on Eric’s Asimov’s twitter feed (i believe both “tweet” and “twitter feed” have entered the Ap stylebook, as much i despise having to say “tweet”). At first i agreed. And then i remembered. When i think of quality of wine alcohol percentage is at the very periphery. Lower alcohol is nice, but there are so many factors that come before it that once you get to low alcohol it becomes moot. i thought of the beer. Here i was ready to buy a beer on alcohol content alone when there was someone standing in front of me that knew so much more than me that i sort of felt stupid for even considering not asking.
Of course i’m a wine geek, not a beer geek,[…] -
A Vignerons Barbecue
Wine Tasting, Vineyards, in France 30 Aug 2010 | 1:54 pmWineterroirs will be on the road for a few weeks... Laurent & Noëlla with a friend Pouillé, Loire Photo story - First festive gathering at la Boudinerie : Noella Morantin and Laurent Saillard invited friends, among whom many artisan vignerons,...
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Arnaud Erhart Celebration in Loir-et-Cher this Weekend
Captain Tumor Man 27 Aug 2010 | 4:56 am
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My God....is 360 Van Brunt still closed?
Arnaud Erhart is celebrating a major birthday this weekend somewhere in the Loir-et-Cher. Lots of people in America talk about natural wine these days, people even write books, but it was Arnaud who really started the movement in America.
Arnaud is a native of Alsace, worked in various restaurants in France and New York and launched 360 in Red Hook some eight years ago. Its been closed now for three years and Arnaud has moved on to a new career in Oceanography based in Puerto Rico, partnering with Dr. Tania Puell (the niece of Dr. William Meyers of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego).
But we all sorely miss Arnaud. It wasn't so long ago that the only place to get a natural wine in an American restaurant was in Red Hook or in Fort Greene at ICI. Arnaud was the innovator who introduced a whole range of vigernons to America. More than that, he is a great friend, perhaps even a great human being.
This weekend's celebration is going to be a serious evaluation of the man and his work.
Rumor has it that many movers and shakers in the wine business will be attending:
posted by: Joe Dressner at 8/27/10 6:56 am -
Profile of the Winemaker Jean-François Fillastre
Diner's Journal » Eric Asimov 25 Aug 2010 | 7:52 amEric Asimov profiles a traditional winemaker in the Medoc area, just north of the city of Bordeaux.
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