Cote-Rotie Clusel-Roch 1999

“Wilfried Sentex is born in Bordeaux, France and for sure his passion for wine comes from his home country. At present he is working in New York, at Bar Boulud, Daniel Boulud Wine bar. For more information you can reach him at willsentex@gmail.com"

Winery: Clusel Roch

Vintage: 1999

Appellation: Cote-Rotie

Varietal: 96% Syrah, 4% Viognier

Winemaker: Gilbert Clusel and Brigitte Roch

Oak: 24 months in oak (15% new) no filtration

Average Price: N/A

Tasting Notes: With a daylight clarity, medium intensity and purple to garnet color this wine is beautiful. The nose is really powerful with the black cherry, ripe black berry and raisin scents, which combine with the leather, the black pepper and the violet scents. As the palate with a medium tannin and body, a high acidity, this wine releases some black fruits' flavours, same as the nose, the spices (black pepper, nutmeg) become more pronounced. The leather taste, with some violet and a meaty taste (bacon) comes out at the end with the long finish.

Food Pairing Suggestions: This wine could be drank just by itself, with some good friends, maybe for a special occasion, but if you would like to open it for dinner, which is also a really good idea, maybe you should start with some Jambon de Bayonne pan-seared in cider with some shallots, follow with a rack of lamb (medium) crusted with some herbs and roasted, served with some sauteed potatoes and green beans with some garlic. After, why not follow with some cheeses (a nice selection of medium to strong with peppery taste) and if you still have some wine left just finish your dinner with a chocolate souffle. Bonne Appetit!

A Cure for Pain

Tom Gannon is the playwright in residence at Rothmann's Steakhouse in New York City. He is also the sommelier and serves as America's Host. UncleLuther@gmail.com


Recently, I met with Sofia Thanisch, the owner and proprietor of Wwe. Dr H. Thanisch-Erben Thanisch to taste her 2007 Rieslings. Thanisch is one of the top producers in Germany and the main vineyard, Berncastler Doctor, has been held up as the German equivalent of Romanee-Conti. It could be considered the most expensive piece of vineyard land in the world (yes, more than Le Montrachet) based on the price paid the last time any land was sold within the vineyard (1908) when 100 gold Deutsche Marks were paid per SQUARE METER when vines were planted one to the square meter. The label may be the most iconic in all of Germany. The vineyard itself overlooks the Mosel, facing south-southwest and at more than a sixty degree slope making harvest a difficult, almost a dangerous proposition. These wines are made in varying quantities every year, between 100-700 cases, depending on the ripeness of the grapes both from the Berncastler Doctor vineyard and the surrounding Bernkastler Badstube. Just a quick comment on the "c" versus the "k" in Berncastler...the vineyard labels for Berncastler Doctor were registered in 1904 hence the "c" versus the true German "k" both in Berncastler and Doctor. This is why you see variation when the wines are written up using "k". Thanisch uses a "k" in Bernkastler Badstube. Again, German wine labels are easy...

The legend of the vineyard originates in 1360. The dying Archbishop Boemond II of Trier drank two bottles of wine made from the vines on this steep hillside after his doctor had told him there was no hope for recovery. There beings a legend, Boemond not only survived but was restored to full health. Pair this wine with scarlet rubella.


One thing to note about the property is that there was a split between the family in 1988 over (what else?) the direction of the winery and the standards to which it should be held. Sofia Thanisch is not much for compromise. German wine and our thirsty nature are better for it. Her wines are consistently the best expression of the Berncastler Doctor vineyard and the continuation of the family tradition since 1884 of a woman running the winery (the significance of the Wwe. on the label, named after the widow Katharina Thanisch, Sofia represents the fourth generation to do so). This is also true on the other side of the family but again, Erben-Thanisch is consistently better than Erben Muller-Burggraef. Erben-Thanisch is a member of VDP -Verband Deutscher Pradikats- und Qualitatsweinguter, an association of wineries devoted to strict standards and outstanding quality (apologies for the distinct lack of an "oomlat" key, I missed a few back there) while Erben Mueller-Burggraef is not. The VDP was founded in 1910, look for the black eagle clutching a cluster of grapes on the capsule of the bottles of member wineries (black eagle in Germany, black chicken in Chianti).


The wines are rare but surprisingly affordable if you can find them. This is easier in larger markets. For example, Bruce Sanderson of Wine Spectator lists the 2007 Berncastler Doctor Spatlese as Not Available (not imported into the U.S.). This is not entirely true as Sofia told me, they show the wines in a few markets to gauge how much should be shipped to their U.S. importer. James Molesworth of WS confirmed my suspicion that WS will list a wine as not imported if they can't get a rough estimate on the number of cases to be imported . With the hype of the 2007 vintage I can't say I blame them, since the demand far exceeds supply.


If you are not familiar with German wine classifications, it seems complex but is actually very user friendly and efficient. A quick search on the internet with "German wine laws/classification" will bring you up to speed on some of these terms- "Y'all hear that? We using code names..."

Kabinett
Spatlese
Auslese
Beernaulese
Trockenbeernaulese

And so, the wines made by Olaf Kaufmann...

Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch Riesling 2007
Light apple with a bit of spice and peach on the nose. A lot of minerality is present and has an impressive finish for QbA. Classic Mosel. 700 cases.

Wwe Dr. H. Thanisich Bernkastler Badstube Riesling Kabinett 2007
Bright green apple and limey nose with stony aromas and minerality dominating. A friend compared this to a hangar steak, the tasty bits surrounding the classic cuts...700 cases.

Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch Berncastler Doctor Riesling Kabinett 2007
Minerality and stone dominate with lime and peach kernal popping out. Long mineral finish. 300 cases.

Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch Bernkastler Badstube Riesling Spatlese 2007
Peachy, fresh bright apple a lighter wine that keeps going because of the structure and acidity. Showing well. 300 cases.

Wwe. Dr. H Thanisch Berncastler Doctor Riesling Spatlese 2007
Peach, apple and lime, with wet stone, the minerality shines so well and the fruit is succulent and clean because of the balance. This wine will age beautifully. Worth searching for.
250 cases.

Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch Berncastler Doctor Riesling Auslese 2007
This is stunning. Like Prince, all peaches and cream. Rich apple, a touch of clove in the mid-palate with the minerality, sweet fruit and acid almost perfectly balanced. An incredible example of Auslese. One to cellar if you can...150 cases.

So of the wines listed above I had a few choices. These are not traditional "steakhouse wines", nonetheless, we are not exactly a traditional steakhouse. The long haired sommelier may tip you off to that fact. What I decided to do is not necessarily a novel idea but I think an interesting opportunity for me and any guest who wants to try this out. I ordered (for delivery sometime in March) one case of the Doctor Kabinett, one case of the Doctor Spatlese, one case of the Doctor Auselse in half bottles and one case (6 bottles) of magnums of the 2007 Berncastler Doctor Spatlese of which they only made 70 bottles. This way, when the weather warms up and we open our sliding accordion doors onto 54th street, you can sit, watch the scene and be taken through three different levels of ripeness in the Berncastler Doctor vineyard in a classic vintage. And they will not be that expensive on the list- around $85 for the Kabinett, $115 for the Spatlese and $90 for the half bottle of Auslese. The magnums are just so rare, age so well and look so good...had to have at least six (even though the price hadn't really been settled).

These wines obviously pair well with Thai and other Asian dishes, try any of the Spatlese from Thanisch with Goong Cha Nam Pla (the Thai answer to ceviche) or even pork dishes. I would also just have them on their own, low alcohol levels and the balance of the wines make them ideal for drinking before a meal. These are some of the most versatile wines in the world when it comes to pairing.

If you have any interest at all in German wines or the riesling varietal, these are a good place to start for benchmark comparisions. As far as price to quality ratio it is difficult to beat Thanisch. It can be found. Good for what ails ya. Happy hunting.

Domaine Mardon cuvee Tres Vieilles Vignes

"Wilfried Sentex is born in Bordeaux, France and for sure his passion for wine comes from his home country. At present he is working in New York, at Bar Boulud, Daniel Boulud Wine bar. For more information you can reach him at willsentex@gmail.com"

Winery: Domaine Mardon cuvee Tres Vieilles Vignes

Vintage: 2007

Appellation: Quincy

Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Winemaker: Helene Mameaux-Mardon

Average Price: $20.00

Tasting notes: This Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley (about 50 miles west from Sancerre in France) has a nice lemon-straw color and a beautiful intensity. The nose is clear with a medium intensity. You can find some apricot, lemon and minerals notes. As the palate, it is a dry wine with a medium body and a high acidity, you will taste some citrus (lime), apricot and mineral (from the calcareoussandy soil) with a touch of bracken and a long finish.

Food Pairing Suggestions: This is a really nice wine to be drank alone, but also with a "plateau of seafood". It will be excellent with some Belon Oysters from France, or the ones you get in US (Washington, California or Maine). I love a glass of Domaine Mardon with some scallops lightly pan-seared, served over a leeks fondue. As dessert I would go for a fruit salad or a pannacota.

F*CK THE FINANCIAL CRISIS: Value wines that beat recession. Part 1

Rasmus Amdi Larsen is a 21 year old sommelier. He is currently working as head-sommelier and Restaurant Manager at the restaurant Le Sommelier in the centre of Copenhagen. Administrating the 1600 bottle wine list, one of the largest in Denmark, this young sommelier is showing a lot of potential. Rasmus is also educating at the Hospitality College in Copenhagen, competing in sommelier competitions - and in the limited free time, golfing is a huge interest. To get in touch with Rasmus email him at amdi@gastrodenmark.com

The times of irrationality are over. The financially harder times are here, and I actually think this is a good thing for the food and wine industry. We have seen over the last few years wineries and restaurants open like never before. It seemed, terms like talent, skills and life long enthusiasm in our field has been in the background for money. It was no problem for untalented – but rich – ‘fools’ to start the business. If the quality wasn’t as high as the neighbours, you could always just out-PR them! But now, with everyone talking about the financial crisis, only the best will survive. Only the best and most skilled people can win – the market will always be here, and quality will beat quantity. This series of articles will guide you through my absolute favourite value wines.

Dutchke 'GHR' (God Hills) Shiraz 4 Vineyard

Winery: Dutchke
Vintage: 2006
Appellation: Barossa Valley
Varietal: Shiraz
Oak: 18 months in French and American oak
Average Price: $20
Alcohol: 14.8%

Tasting notes: Shiraz is normally not my favorite. But this big, but yet very fine Shiraz is one that stands alone. It is blackberry and cherry dominated. The taste is long and filled with dark berries. The alcohol is ‘only’ 14.8% which gives the wine more complexity than normal. It is actually quite European in the style, even though it does not hide the warmth of its birthplace.

Food Pairing Suggestions: Why not the old classic. Rip of beef, French Fries and Béarnaise sauce. Breast of duck, blackberry sauce and roasted potatoes. This wine needs heavy things, so avoid chicken and pork.

Winery Notes: This wine is from the Dutschke winery. It is actually my favorite in their large range of wines. This is the most delicate and easy drinking in the range, the others wines seem to me a bit to ‘gutsy’. It is made from 4 vineyards, one of them with 120 year old vines (!)

Organic wine & food matching: Tandem Porter-Bass Chardonnay & roasted lemon chicken

Chard, schmard… if you think all California Chardonnays taste like Kendall-Jackson’s, you’re missing out on many of the world’s greatest wines, my friend. There’s a reason why, for instance, those French judges rated Chateau Montelena’s Chardonnay better than the finest of France way back in 1976, re the in/famous Judgement of Paris (recently part-fictionalized in the film, Bottle Shock): simply put, the Chardonnay grape excels in Californian terroirs.

California vintners have advanced viticultural and oenological light years since 1976. They’ve gone so far, so fast, in fact, that the best of them today are back to where the grape started: with more authentic clones, more sustainable vineyards in cooler climates, and barrel fermenting as naturally as possible in ways pretty much like what’s been done in France for centuries.

Winemakers like Greg La Follette of Tandem Winery are highly regarded among other California winemakers precisely because he takes so many “natural” risks: starting with pristinely grown fruit, and doing as little to it as possible to extract levels of viscosity, muscle, and terroir related minerality many connoisseurs thought possible only in Burgundy where the grape originated.

Behold, the 2005 Tandem Porter-Bass Chardonnay from a mature site (planted over 100 years ago) in the coldest, far western section California’s Russian River Valley, meticulously tilled by both organic and biodynamic standards to yield wines like this: unusually floral (like white ginger and citrus blossoms) fragrances mingling with aromas of wet stones, crème brûlée, honeyed almonds and baking brioche; the creamy, mineral and citrus flavors riding on a tart edged, silken body that is neither light nor heavy, but dense, steely, sinewy in texture.

In other words, absolutely nothing resembling the soft, fluffy, weighty style of wine associated with 99% of other California Chardonnays. Okay, Tandem Chardonnays are rare and pricey ($35-$40), but it gives me an excuse to talk about how Chardonnays like this (producers such as Littorai, Au Bon Climat, Keller and DuhNah make similar Burgundian style wines) match food like nobody’s business. A French sommelier might recommend sweetbreads or chicken like Bocuse’s poulet de bresse or à l’estragon (Julia Child has the best recipe for the latter, the whole chicken rubbed inside and out with butter and stuffed with tarragon), but what about us American philistines?

The idea behind sweetbreads or roasted chicken is to give an oaky, full alcohol Chardonnay a white meat fatty or oily enough to grip. Herbs like tarragon and dill amplify the sweet, creamy notes of well oaked Chardonnays, and sage helps define both fruit and stony qualities of the grape itself. But the one recipe I’ve always found to work best with more crisply acidic Chardonnays from both France and California is Marcella Hazan’s classic Roasted Chicken with Lemon – simple, satisfying!

Organic wine & food matching: Ceago Merlot & chicken paprikas

California biodynamic pioneer, Jim Fetzer

Randy Caparoso is a longtime wine journalist and restaurant wine professional, living in Denver, Colorado. For a free subscription to his daily Organic Wine Match of the Day, visit Denver Wine Examiner.

Despite what that fellow Miles might have said about it, there is still a very good reason why you should drink ultra-premium California Merlot, which is the same reason why some of the state’s most prestigious winemakers – like Bruce Neyers and Selene’s Mia Klein – still specialize in the grape: it makes wine that can enthrall the senses the way Keira Knightley eats up a camera. Resistance is senseless.

Here’s another reason: the 2006 Ceàgo Camp Masut Merlot (about $25) is biodynamically grown, on top of being totally delicious; its classic red berry/black cherry Merlot aromas enhanced by pretty, floral, violet-like perfumes; and on the palate, round fleshy, finely polished textures punctuated by the luscious berry flavors and buoyed by soft yet sturdy tannins. Textbook.

Ceàgo, as it were, was founded by Jim Fetzer, former president of the same Fetzer Vineyards that was among the pioneers of organic grape growing in California. After the Fetzer family sold their winery and vineyards in 1992, Jim immediately set out to establish vineyards in Mendocino falling within even stricter biodynamic guidelines monitored by Demeter International. In fact, one of the best explications of the why’s and how’s of biodynamics can be found on the Cèago Vinegarden Web site.


Chicken Paprikas

“The ‘perfect marriage’ of food and wine,” said the late Roy Andries de Groot, “should allow for infidelity.” While the standard choice is red meat, my all-time favorite match for a full, lusciously fruited Merlot is something white (or rather, reddish): the classic, Hungarian style of csirkepaprikas, or chicken paprikas. Mr. de Groot (the blind Esquire food and wine author who, incidentally, was also the first critic to use a 100 point wine scoring system – not Robert Parker! – in the late 1960s) once proclaimed his recipe for paprikas – browned with goose fat, then braised with onions, garlic and, finally, a sauce pigmented by generous doses of the mildly spiced paprika chile before thickened in the end with sour cream – as one of the most glorious dishes in the world, and I cannot disagree.

Over the years I have taken some liberties with de Groot’s original recipe (I don’t, for instance, usually have the goose fat on hand); and of course, the variations come every time the bird hits the pot. This is, however, a close approximation:

1 whole 4-5 lb. chicken, disjointed (thighs and back necessary for flavor)
3 tbs. unsalted sweet butter
1 lemon
2 large sweet onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
6 large white mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 thin slices pancetta (or two strips thick bacon), sliced in squares
½ cup white wine
¾ cup chicken stock
Half bunch Italian parsley, chopped
Hungarian sweet paprika
Olive oil
Ground peppercorns and salt to taste
1 pint sour cream
10-12 oz. wide egg noodles

Rub chicken pieces with salt and juice of halved lemon, and set aside. In a large pot (preferably cast iron or Le Creuset), brown pancetta or bacon with drop of olive oil over medium heat. Add butter, and when melted sauté the onions and garlic until wilted. Add paprika (2 to 3 tbsp.) and stir into onion mix until it attains a fiery red color. Immediately add chicken pieces two or three at a time, browning them until both sides are impregnated with the paprika. Add sliced mushrooms, followed by white wine (burn off some alcohol), and then chicken stock. Lower temperature, cover pot with lid, and let it simmer for about 45-60 minutes, smelling the wafting perfume while enjoying your glass of Merlot and some sensuous vocals like Diana Krall or Madeleine Peyroux.

Remove chicken pieces, and stir in sour cream until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency, adjusting seasonings to taste. Add back chicken pieces, stir in most of chopped parsley, and over low temperature let pot stew for final ten to fifteen minutes while egg noodles are boiled al dente.

When noodles are drained, place in large, wide bowl and coat with half of paprika cream sauce; lay chicken pieces over noodles and top with rest of sauce. Garnish with rest of chopped parsley, and serve.

Giorgio Quinto Olmo Antico 2005

Federico Vincenzi is an Italian sommelier and a wine writer with the Masters Degree in Economics. He has been consulting top restaurants in Italy and Switzerland and has received many awards, including ‘Sommelier of the month’ and 'Meilleur Formateur en Vin de Champagne'. Federico lives in Milan where he founded OENOGOURMET www.oenogourmet.com

Brand: GIORGIO QUINTO

Winery: OLMO ANTICO

Vintage: 2005

Appellation: PROVINCIA DI PAVIA ROSSO IGT

Varietal: 100% Merlot

Winemaker: Alberto and Paolo Baggini

Oak: maceration and fermentation in 50 hl steel vats. It rests in 35 hl bay oak barrels for two years, only 10% of it is transferred to barrique for 12 months. Then the assembling in big barrels takes place and it stays there for another 12 months
Alcohol: 13,5%
Average Price: € 20

Tasting Notes: From the Oltrepò Pavese district – quality growing in the last few years – “Giorgio Quinto” has a deep and concentrated ruby red on the eye; still purple highlights. The olfactory analysis brings us scents of red fruits (blackberry, strawberry and plum), plus balsamic hints. After few seconds of oxygenation, aromas of juniper and liquorice.
On the palate it is definitely a Merlot: nicely fresh, harmonically balanced by alcohol. Tannins are not aggressive, giving a feeling of smoothness, elegance and persistency.
Drink now through 2015.

Food Pairing Suggestions: Marrow-bone with risotto is very typical. Try it also with medium matured cheese, and red meat in general.

General rating: 92 points
Vintage Overview: Merlot from Oltrepò Pavese (Lombardy) saw a very interesting season in 2005; never excessively hot, it gave wines with the correct level of acidity and great opportunities for the aging.

Tasting date: January 28th 2009

Organic wine & food matching: Vertvs Tempranillo & Hawaiian beef stew

Randy Caparoso is an award winning wine professional and journalist, living in Denver, Colorado. For a free subscription to Randy's Organic Wine Match of the Day, visit the Denver Wine Examiner. Contact Randy anytime at randycaparoso@earthlink.net.

There’s a memorable story in Cervantes’ Don Quixote, told by the faithful Sancho Panza, of the great wine judges in his lineage; particularly, two on his father’s side who were once challenged to identify a wine from a barrel. The first one brought the wine to the tip of his tongue, and declared the flavor of iron. The second one just needed to pass it under his nose before declaring a stronger flavor of cordovan leather. The owner of the wine protested, however, saying his wine was perfectly clean, with no trace of iron or leather. Days later, though, after the wine was sold and the barrel emptied, cellarers found a small iron key at the bottom of the barrel, hanging by a thong of leather.

The story of these men from La Mancha took place at the start of the 1600s, during the same period of time Cervantes wrote his epic tale. Sometimes we forget how old the fine arts – like literature, wine judging, and great winemaking – really are.

There are written records from the court of King Pedro I of Castilla in Spain, for instance, dating Bodegas Iranzo back to 1335. Evidently, the family of Iranzo Perez-Duque is still going strong after over six hundred years, as our organic wine of the day – Iranzo’s 2003 Vertvs Tempranillo Crianza (about $14) – is as bright, rose petal fresh, raisiny ripe and round as any red wine in the world. Doing justice to the Spanish connoisseurs of olde, Doug Frost MW/MS goes further by describing it as “layered and vibrant… soft… a little grippy… red raspberry, cooked cranberries, blueberry hints…” and whom, bodacious mis amigos, am I to argue?

The vineyard plantings of Bodegas Iranzo – in the region of Utiel-Requena, made up of lime-crusted sandy soils in hills some 2,700 ft. in elevation, just off the Mediterranean coast near Valencia – are also fortunate enough to be located in the middle of a National Reserve Park, and for centuries were cultivated naturally, without the use of modern day chemicals or fertilizers. So it was simply natural for this estate to attain, in 1994, one of Spain’s first EU/Agricultura Ecológica certifications; and the first in all of Spain to receive USDA National Organic Program accreditation as well.

Bodegas Iranzo’s fertilizers, as it were, are derived from sheep manure from extensively farmed flocks within the district; and the family has encouraged further biodiversity, since the 1950s, by maintaining a program of reforestation on some 75 acres of surrounding land with native woodland species, as well as the establishment of a nearby flora micro-reserve.

Hawaiian Beef Stew

But all this is beside the most important point for us: the wine makes damned good drinking; full flavored, yet soft and warming on the palate. It’s this kind of wine, in fact, that always makes me think of soft, warming dishes like Louisiana style red beans and rice, or Mexican machaca (shredded beef). But since I’m from the Islands, I have to say that it may be even better with a luscious tomato, carrot and beef studded Hawaiian beef stew, which comes in as many variations as Islanders who cook. This recipe -- adapted from Muriel Miura and Betty Shimabukuro’s What Hawai’i Likes to Eat -- is pretty much basic, but guaranteed deliciousness:

2 lbs. lean stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup flour
¼ cup canola oil
2 medium sized sweet onions, wedged
1 clove garlic, pressed
5 cups water
2 bay leaves, broken in half
½ cup red wine (or dry sherry)
2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
¼ tsp. black pepper
2 cans (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (13.5 oz.) whole or stewed tomatoes
4 carrots, about ¾ inch chunks
4 potatoes, pared and quartered
1 cup sliced celery

Dredge beef in flour; brown lightly on all sides in hot oil. Add onions and garlic; brown lightly. Add water and bay leaves; simmer 1½ hours, or until beef is tender. Add remaining ingredients; simmer additional 30-60 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. If desired, thicken stew with flour water mixture. Serves 6-8, and strongly recommended with steamed white Japanese rice.

Organic wine & food matching: Gemtree Shiraz & Korean style barbecued shortribs

Randy Caparoso is an award winning wine professional and journalist, living in Denver, Colorado. For a free subscription to Randy's Organic Wine Match of the Day, visit the Denver Wine Examiner. Contact Randy anytime at randycaparoso@earthlink.net.

left, Gemtree's Melissa Buttery & Mike Brown

While organic or biodynamic wines coming out of Australia have been far and between, the movement does exist Down Under; and certification agencies such as Australian Certified Organic (ACO), Demeter in Australia’s Bio-Dynamic Research Institute (BDRI), and National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia (NASAA) have recently stepped up activities, with a number of leading producers (such as Henschke, Burge Family, Elderton, Noon, Wirra Wirra and M. Chapoutier Australia) making the transition to chemical-free, sustainable grape growing as we speak.

In the meantime, a perfectly delicious, biodynamically grown Australian red – the 2007 Gemtree Tadpole Shiraz (about $16) – has been popping up in markets across the U.S., and it has all the deep, black, bouncy, lush fruitiness Shiraz lovers look for in their reds; including an intense nose, suggesting raspberry liqueur, boysenberry jam and a veneer of vanillin oak, plus a soft medium-full body underlined by easy tannins, allowing the Shiraz fruit to gush forth and pleasure the palate.

The intensity of the Gemtree Shiraz is part and parcel of its McLaren Vale terroir; and indeed, for many years the stellar grapes from this 330 acre estate went into cuvées bottled by top brands like Rosemount. The transition from grower to producer started in 1994, when Melissa Buttery, daughter of founders Paul and Jill Buttery, joined the family business as a viticulturist, followed a few years later by Melissa’s boyfriend-turned-husband, Mike Brown, who happened to be an accomplished winemaker.

Always the keen environmentalist, it was Melissa who turned Gemtree towards organic and biodynamic viticulture. Not stopping there, in 1998 she initiated Gemtree Wetlands: taking twenty-five acres in the middle of the property and establishing it as a wetlands preserve in joint venture partnership with the nonprofit group, Greening Australia (South Australia). This arduous, long term project has involved the planting of some 20,000 native trees and shrubs, and the building of six interlinking dams to help regenerate the region and establish a haven for native frogs, birds and animals, while contributing to the self-sustaining aspects of the vineyard.

Korean Style Barbecued Shortribs (Kalbi)

The biggest plus about a good, sturdy, juicy Shiraz is that its dense fruitiness always lends itself to Asian style barbecued meats like no other wine can. A perfect match every time, for instance, is the Korean style of barbecued beef shortribs known as kalbi. In Hawai’i, where I grew up, no self-respecting hibachi homeboy or local take-out joint can make it without mastering the art of Korean barbecue. The good news is that it’s not that difficult, it can be done anywhere, and the fact that this toothsome cut of beef, in moderately sweetened, garlic and sesame seasoned, soy sauce based marinades, tastes absolutely delicious with a lusciously spiced Shiraz.

Everyone in the Islands has his/her own variation (or “secrets”) of kalbi, but here is a good, basic recipe to start with:

3 lbs. English cut (thick) beef shortribs, scored

Marinade:
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup sesame oil
¼ cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
3 stalks green onions, minced
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

Combine marinade ingredients and pour over shortribs in zip-lock plastic bag (or in shallow Pyrex sealed with plastic wrap); marinate overnight in refrigerator. Broil (or grill) 8-10 minutes on each side until desired doneness.

Modus Operandi 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

“David Grega is a certified sommelier and wine consultant living in the Napa valley. In addition to consulting and wine writing David made wine for his own label “Bellum Cellars” in 2008. E-mail davidg@wine16.com for more information.”

Winery: Modus Operandi
Vintage: 2006
Appellation: Napa Valley AVA
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker: Jason Moore
Oak: 100% French Oak
Average Price: $65

Winery Notes: Jason Moore is a young winemaker with copious amounts of talent and passion for winemaking. Moving to northern California from Dallas Texas on nothing more than a prayer, Jason set out to make luscious full flavoured wines, just the kind he loves to drink. Through hard work, many sacrifices and years of apprenticeships in Napa coupled with wine classes at UC Davis; Jason created Modus Operandi and released his first wines in 2004. Keep this young man on your radar screen and pick up a bottle of his extremely limited production wines. Go to www.moduswines.com for more information.

Tasting notes: The 2006 Modus Cabernet Sauvignon shows warming aromas of cinnamon, huckleberry, black cherry and baked blueberries, with a touch of caramel, soft leather and sweet oak to round out a truly hedonistic nose. Luscious, full, and loaded with well balanced flavours, the palate maintains rich dark fruit flavours from the nose as well as a delicious meaty spice note, and hints of toasted caramel to complement a long and satisfying finish.

Overall rating: 90+ points

Food Pairing Suggestions: The complexity of the 2006 Modus Cabernet allows for a much wider range of food pairings. Traditional grilled or BBQ meats are always a great idea to pair with a powerful Cabernet but this wine will drink well with wild bore, pheasant and other full flavoured game. For desert try a glass with a few pieces of 50-60% Cocoa artisan chocolates.

Organic wine & food matching: Chidaine Montlouis & wild mushroom pie

Randy Caparoso is an award winning wine professional and journalist, living in Denver, Colorado. For a free subscription to Randy's Organic Wine Match of the Day, visit the Denver Wine Examiner. You can reach him at randycaparoso@earthlink.net.

There’s a chalky flintiness everywhere in Montlouis, a long under-appreciated region in France located across the Loire River from the Vouvray AC; the latter better known around the world for its soft, flowery fresh, demi-sec (“half-dry”) styles of whites made from the Chenin Blanc grape.

Montlouis is also planted exclusively to Chenin Blanc; but because its best whites are probably its dryer ones, flinty or chalky sensations seem more pronounced in Montlouis; the understanding of which doesn’t require much of a leap after you see its whitish soils, which consist of almost no clay, but rather a predominance of silex (finely ground flint), sand and limestone.

Not to say that each sip of the 2006 Francois Chidaine Montlouis Clos du Breuil (about $23) tastes like wet rocks The terroir is a subtle undertone in this wine, which exudes more of a succulent, melony fruitiness in the nose, tinged with a wildflower honey, a whiff of bread yeast, and even tropical suggestions (like caramelized banana). On the palate, the honeyed fruit sensations mesh with a pointedly green apple tartness in a medium-full body, and the wine finishes as dry as, well, rocks.


If you take the trouble to seek out and appreciate this wine, you might go further and taste more of Chidaine’s cuvées (he bottles several each year, the Clos du Breuil from one of his oldest plots, and usually among the driest); illustrating what many connoisseurs believe to be as compelling a testament to the link between low-intervention, biodynamic winemaking and purest possible expression of grape and terroir as you can find anywhere in the world. Most certainly, the naturally perfumed character of the Chenin Blanc and the lime crusted quality of the soil contribute to that.

When matching food with such unique wines, I like to highlight the attributes, which also rounds them out. Because of the tartness, for instance, slightly sharp, earthy cheeses like fetas and chèvres make sense, smoothing out the wine’s sharper edges. If you choose a smoked chèvre, the smokiness plays up the wine’s flinty, minerally qualities, and you begin to better appreciate the complexity of good Montlouis (combining chèvre with, say, smoked salmon or wood grilled oysters would achieve the same effect).

When it comes to dishes: yes, saline flavored foods that like tart edged whites (oysters, crab, bouillabaisse, etc.) make sense. Or, you could emphasize both the flinty and fruity qualities of the Montlouis by this recipe for a wild mushroom pie; teeming with aromas of woodsy earth, while a creamy béchamel underlines the luscious, tropical notes of the wine.

Cascina Adelaide Barolo 2004

Federico Vincenzi is an Italian sommelier and a wine writer with the Masters Degree in Economics. He has been consulting top restaurants in Italy and Switzerland and has received many awards, including ‘Sommelier of the month’ and 'Meilleur Formateur en Vin de Champagne'. Federico lives in Milan where he founded OENOGOURMET www.oenogourmet.com

Brand: BAROLO 2004
Winery: CASCINA ADELAIDE
Vintage: 2004
Appellation: BAROLO DOCG
Varietal: 100% NEBBIOLO
Winemaker: Sergio Molino
Oak: 2 years in oak barrels, then 2 months in stainless steel, plus 6 months fining in bottle.
Alcohol: 14%
Average Price: € 32

Tasting notes: On the eye it reflects the typical “nebbiolo red” in its youth: ruby-red, quite transparent, with attractive reflections. The nose analysis reminds us to an intense bouquet of violets harmoniously blended with red plumy fruits. The taste is full and wide, properly tannic; very long in persistency. Freshness is of course dominant, but elegance is already enjoyable.
Drink now through 2015.

Food Pairing Suggestions: Truffle-based menus, strong and aged cheese. Perfect with Barolo-braised lamb.

General rating: 90 points
Vintage Overview: The just-released 2004 was great for Barolo and Piedmont in general. After an excessively warm 2003 and a rainy 2002, this is a vintage to invest in.

Organic wine & food matching: Maysara Jamsheed Pinot Noir & Szechuan baby back ribs

Randy Caparoso is an award winning wine professional and journalist, living in Denver, Colorado. For a free subscription to Randy's Organic Wine Match of the Day, visit the Denver Wine Examiner. You can reach Randy anytime at randycaparoso@earthlink.net.

When Oregon’s “Papa Pinot,” the recently departed David Lett of Eyrie Vineyards, planted his first vineyard in 1965, he settled in the Dundee Hills just south, towards west, of Portland, where deep, red clay soils on bedrocks of basalt have yielded the type of gentle yet generous, red berryish, fruit driven red wines that have come epitomize Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.

During the past twenty-five years, a number of other little pockets of Willamette Valley have been successfully planted by winemakers, five of which have been identified as sufficiently unique to merit their own official AVA (American Viticultural Region) designation. Among those “other” regions: the McMinnville AVA, located a good twenty miles southwest of the Dundee Hills AVA; closer to the Pacific’s maritime influence, and tucked into coastal mountain hillsides where slightly dryer weather and brighter days are offset by cooler nights and significantly shallower soils than that of Dundee.

From this emerging AVA, McMinnville’s 2006 Maysara Jamsheed Pinot Noir (about $27) stands out as a slightly “different” style of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir: more aggressive, slightly steelier in acid, and more structured in terms of tannin and glycerol than the pretty, fruit driven Dundee Hills wines of old. Yet this is still a cold climate Oregonian, and so the Maysara shares the plump, juicy, wild berry traits of the finest Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs. The meager soils, however, also yield a more pronounced anise and clove-like spiciness in the nose; in the '06, becoming more pepperminty and green leafy/herbal on the palate, intertwined with muscular tannins and almost sweet, marionberry jam-like flavors.

While the Maysara’s intensity is a direct reflection of McMinnville’s terroir, another major factor is the low-impact winemaking and biodynamic viticulture practiced with great devotion by Maysara proprietor, Moe Momtazi (Moe's daughter, winemaker Tahmiene Momtazi, pictured right). It was, in fact, the attraction of staking out a somewhat remote, 532 acre, abandoned wheat farm, free from chemicals for at least seven years, that first attracted Momtazi to the Maysara site in 1997. Explaining why he opted for the holistic approach of biodynamics on the Maysara Web site, Momtazi says that “while organics share the biological agriculture background and methods, it stops short of the dynamic processes, or life force of the farm… biodynamics recognizes and responds to the life force of the living farm, considering the farm a living organism.” Hence, the increased sense of place you can’t help but taste in a Maysara.

Maybe it goes back to when I was a kid and loved to crash my O-gauge Lionel train through redwood Lincoln Log walls, but what I like to do with Pinot Noirs like the Maysara, with its collision of wild, zesty flavors, is match it with Asian or fusion styles of dishes with their own collisions of sensations; like the following reworking of Chef Roy Yamaguchi’s Szechuan style baby back ribs. Don’t sweat the hoisin and chili paste – the hot, vinegary, sweet spices actually accentuate the fruit and star anise-like spiciness of the Maysara, and there is plenty enough tannin in the wine to absorb the fattiness of the ribs and the char from the grill. Have fun…

4½ lbs. baby back ribs (3 slabs)
2 cups hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. minced ginger
2 tbsp. Sriracha (Thai chili sauce; available in all Asian grocers)
½ cup honey

Cut rib slabs in half and place in a large pot of boiling water. Slow boil 90 minutes, or until tender (meat will shrink down from top of bone to at least half inch). Remove from water and let stand 10 minutes.

To make marinade, combine remaining ingredients and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 450 degress. Brush ribs on both sides with marinade. Place on a rack on top of a cookie sheet in the oven. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until shiny. Remove and cool. Cut into pieces and brush with more marinade. Grill on a hibachi or charcoal grill until hot. Serves six, and is particularly great with fresh, steaming white rice!

Food and Wine coupling

A tasteful meal and a fine wine are a match made in heaven. Even the best of meals, devoid of a company of a first-class wine, or even worse, paired with a wrong wine, looses so much of its quality. Even the most luxurious tables look poor enough without a fine bottle of wine. If a delightful first-rate wine is served at the wrong moment, both wine and meal are at a loss, and even the best of meals can easily go unnoticed. It is therefore extremely important to compliment every meal with a proper wine, so the combination of the two can bring out the best in both food and wine.

When pairing wine and food, there are a few general rules to follow:
• Light dishes pair well with light wines
• Heavy dishes pair nicely with strong wines
• Sour dishes pair nicely with sour young wines
• White meats and boiled fish pair well with white wines
• Crabs and shellfish match beautifully with neutral white wines
• Dark meat dishes, game and fried fish make a perfect match with red wines
• Sweet desserts pair nicely with dessert wines or sparkling wines
• Coffee pairs well with liqueurs, wine brandies and the like

When the meal has several courses, white wines should be served first, followed by the rosé or "blush" wines, and only then comes the red wine.

As a general rule of the thumb, young wines should be served before the ripe and aged ones. The wines with less developed bouquet should be served before those with pronounced bouquet and aroma.

True character of any wine will be revealed only if the wine is served properly chilled, that is warmed.