White bordeaux for me please!

Winery: Les Hauts Smith Blanc (2nd Wine of Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte)

Vintage: 2006

Appellation: Pessac-Leognan, Graves, Bordeaux

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc

Oak: Up to 20 months in 80% new.

Average Price: €20

Tasting notes: This is in some way an unusual white Bordeaux since it’s made solely (almost) on sauvignon Blanc. This Sauvignon reminds me very much of the famous Dog Point vineyards “Section 94”. Its rich, nutty and intense. The body is medium as you would expect from a Sauvignon, but the green, crisp ‘cat-pee’ (I hate to say it) notes is gone – which is a very pleasant way to enjoy this grape.

Food Pairing Suggestions: shellfish, shellfish and shellfish. I have a very memorable evening fresh in my mind at the Fisherman’s Wharf in SF with craps, lobters, scallops and what have we not, and this wine should had been our 4th party member. That’s whats wine is all about.

Winery Notes: White Bordeaux and white Rhone. Why are these areas so hopeless unfashionable? I mean, this phrase ‘terrior’ – which I don’t know to like or not - is so expressed in these wines. Im fighting for these areas to become more famous. The wines are always crisp – but not gooseberry and ‘cat-pee’ boring crisp. They have layers and layers of velvety notes and feelings just waiting to come out.
Rating. (3.5 out of 5)

Zind-Humbrecht 'Clos Hauserer' Riesling 2006

Winery: Zind-Humbrecht

Vintage: 2006

Appellation: Alsace (Clos Hauserer)

Varietal: Riesling

Oak: No

Average Price: €40

Tasting notes: Very intense ripe yellow color. This is a very classic Riesling. You pick up flowers, honey, fresh nuts and elderflower. The taste is rich with a hint of Riesling sweetness, but the overall attack is pleasantly dry. One of my favorite Rieslings in the world.

Food Pairing Suggestions: I tried this with Cauliflower crème and scallops – and it was very memorable. I think though, that I will spend the most of my summer in Kings Garden (Copenhagen) with a bottle or three, my closest friends and family – and some shellfish. If you ever come by, call me and I will invite you over.

Winery Notes: Domaine Zind-Humbrecht is a very special Domaine. This wine is made from the Clos Hauserer part of the famous Grand Cru vineyard of ‘Hengst’. The Domaine is very strict biodynamic, and all their wines are very enjoyable. Try every wine in their range – the Pinot Gris and Gewurz are also among the best in the world.

Rating: (3 out of 5) Party!

More Dessert - Please!

Winery: Castelnau du Suiduraut

Vintage: 2001

Appellation: Sauternes

Varietal: Semillon 90%, Sauvignon Blanc 10%

Oak: 12 months

Average Price: $29

Tasting notes: This wine has a deep intense straw yellow color, and a very complex nose. Covered in figs, prunes, caramel and the taste is so nice in balance. So sweet, yet so fine, fresh and delicate. This is one of the best Sauternes buys at the moment!

Food Pairing Suggestions: Grilled bananas with vanilla ice cream! Apricot pie with caramelized figs and crème anglaise. Yummy!

Winery Notes: I thought this tasting note would fit the spot just right. After the last review of “Rieussec 01” – which is one of my favorite wines of all times (!!). I wanted to give you an example of a world class Sauternes at a good price. This is the second wine of the famous Ch. Suiduraut, and what a bargain!

2007 Grüner-Veltliner 'Wachtberg, Salomon-Undho

Winery: Salmon-Undhof

Vintage: 2007

Appellation: Kremstal (Wachtberg vineyard)

Varietal: Gruner-Veltliner

Oak: No

Average Price: £22

Tasting notes: The appearance is a clear, with a lemon-green color. The nose is beautiful with the classic tones of green apples, asparagus, lychee and white pepper. The palate is dry with a medium body and intensity – good herbal length. Ooh what a beauty on that hot summer evening at the beach!

Food Pairing Suggestions: I’ve recently learned something new. Gruner Veltliner is excellent with creamy soups! Try them in all sorts, the crisp, but still good bodied wine matches the structure of the soups just perfect. Gruner is also excellent pair to dishes with a lot of herbs – examples could be 'moules marines' or baked fish with creamy sauce flavored with your favorite herbs.

Winery Notes: The winery is very old – 1792 – and has been in family hands ever since. Today, Erich and Bertold Salomon are making the wine and controlling the vineyards. The wines are VERY affordable, so avoid the ‘lowest’ range of their wines, they seem a little to cheap, lack of fruit etc, but the singe vineyard wines are an excellent buy.

F*CK THE FINANCIAL CRISIS: Value wines that beat recession. Part 2

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

‘Were not gonna take it!’ Its time for great wine that won’t break your wallet. Here’s the second episode on my series of wines that you can drink a case of and still be able to call your bank the following Monday. It is time to party.

Winery: Alta Vista (Blend)

Vintage: 2004

Appellation: Mendoza

Varietal: Malbec, Cabernet, Syrah, Tempranillo, Petit Verdot

Oak: 12 months in French oak.

Average Price: $14

Tasting notes: Deep ruby colored, beautiful clean. The nose is intense and, as you would expect covered with fruits like blackcurrant, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry and leather, tobacco and wood. It is a very honest wine, really expressing every grape in the Blend. Its very balanced and, despite all the ‘heavy’ notes still has a very good and crisp acidity.

Food Pairing Suggestions: Steak of beef with onion compot, potatoes and mushroom vinaigrette. Breast of duck with cabbage and apricot/jalepenos sauce (make sure the jalepenos give to the sauce the ‘hot’ taste, NOT to your tongue).

Winery Notes: Alta Vista is run by Jean-Michel d’Aulan, a famous Chateaux owner in St-Emilion and the former owner of the champagne house Piper-Heidseick. He was given the title of the ‘winemaker of the year’ not less than two times.

Rating: 3 out of 5 for an outstanding value wine.

2005 Pommard, Vincent Girardin

Winery: Vincent Girardin

Vintage: 2005

Appellation: Pommard

Varietal: Pinor Noir

Oak: 16 months 33% new French

Average Price: $32.00


Tasting notes: This ruby-coloured Cote de Baune is a very delicate and fruity experience. The nose is filled with red and dark berries, and the overall feeling of the wine is that this one is a very nice drinker. Be careful when opening one of these, it will lead you to drink more than one bottle. A good long finish with soft tannins and strong fruits covers your tongue for several minutes.


Food Pairing Suggestions: I want poultry with fruit and nuts-salad and thyme potatoes. Pork and beets. And of course - do I have to mention - fried foie gras with your favorite adding.


Winery Notes: Vincent Girardin is a fairly new producer, but he already owns parcels everywhere in Burgundy. He makes excellent soft, long lasting, easy drinking and easy enjoyable wines. His wines are always good priced, so take a closer look at the wines from this serious producer.


Rating: 3,5 for an excellent wine. Share this with your friends or sit down and enjoy on a Thursday night.

Chateau Cantemerle 2006

Winery: Chateau Cantemerle

Vintage: 2006

Appellation: Haut-Medoc

Varietal: 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc

Oak: 18 months new and old French oak

Average Price: $20.00


Tasting notes: This is a pretty dark Haut-Medoc. The nose shows hints of menthol and dark berries. Cantemerle did not used to be my favorite claret, but with this 2006 vintage the Chateau is becoming quite strong. Good length on the palate, good fruity structure, velvety tannins and excellent depth. Drink this wine now and over the next 12-15 years. This is a wine to party with!

Food Pairing Suggestions: I had a good experience with this combination: Culottes of veal with haricoverts, pearl onions, fried potatoes and sherry sauce. I wouldn't cry either for a course with Breast of duck, pommes anna, mushrooms, brussels sprouts and a good strong red wine sauce. Yummy!

Winery Notes: Cantemerle has improved quite a lot over the last few years. The Chateau has never been in the expensive end of clarets, but I think with the 2006 vintage they nailed an excellent value claret! An instant favorite of mine. Avoid the 2005 vintage from Cantemerle, it is a bit too expensive, the 2004 is also excellent, but with the price tag at $20 for 2006, why bother?

The Young Connoisseur part 3

“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."

A few rays of natural sunlight peer through the partly closed window blinds of an office at The Professional Culinary Institute (PCI) in Campbell Ca. The light almost seems to dance across the gleaming hard wood floors that wrap around the modern curves of this food and wine Mecca. I don’t believe I should be in this part of the building; I kind of snuck in when someone opens the electronically locked door. Curiosity has gotten the best of me I suppose. I knew even then, before my training had begun, that there was something special about this place. I had a feeling that my life would be changed here forever. I felt as if I had finally found what I always knew I was searching for. Class at PCI would begin for me in a week, but I felt a little reconnaissance was in order. Just then the door to the cellar and wine classroom opened. Out came David Glancy a Master Sommelier and wine department chair at PCI. I introduced myself and asked to take a quick peak at the classroom where I would be learning how to become a sommelier. The room was amazing to say the least. Three rows of seating where each student had his or her own sink and tasting station equipped with under lighting built into the desks. Flat screen TV’s hung on either side of the classroom and a giant projection screen in the middle. Facing the students on the opposite side of the classroom was a giant glass wine cellar that looked to hold at least a thousand bottles. This was going to be home for the next few months, this is where I would learn the art of the sommelier.

In any profession or craft it is important to seek out the very best mentors to learn from. To be the best you have to surround yourself with the best. At PCI a Master Sommelier David Glancy oversees the sommelier program. I opted for the night classes because I was driving from Sacramento to San Jose every week to get to class and wanted to make time for traffic etc. The primary night class instructor was a Master Sommelier as well, Catherine Fallis. Both Catherine and David are outstanding instructors who really seemed to be dedicated to the proper training and preparation of their sommelier students.

So what was a normal day like at PCI? Classes were broken up into modules, each module covered a separate area or region of wine i.e wines of Germany, wines of France. Those modules were divided up into smaller sections focused on important sub regions etc. Each day we began with a few hours of lecture on a particular sub region we were focusing on. These lectures were very interactive and entertaining to say the least. The hard data we needed for our studies was provided along with fun and interesting stories from our Master Sommelier instructors that added the comical and real dimension to learning. After the lectures were over, the class would run through practical trials of wine service. Opening Champagne bottles properly, decanting old wines from sediment using a candle and decanter according to the court’s standards and proper service of both. The day would end with a tasting of 8-12 wines from the focused sub region we were reviewing that day. The Master Sommelier instructors would walk us through the tasting and discuss classic characteristics of the wines and what made them standard representations of their respective regions. At the end of each module a final exam was given along with a blind tasting of any classic wine from any classic wine region. Upon completion of the final exam the students (which numbered around 20 per class) would sit down together and enjoy a meal prepared by the expert chefs and students at PCI’s culinary school. These meals would consist of the cuisine from the module we had just completed. As an added bonus the students were allowed to open any wine they wanted from the cellar to drink with dinner! Wine was certainly not the only focus of the program at PCI. All together we spent nearly four weeks studying liquors, spirits, beers and cigars. A sommelier must have a working knowledge of all these beverages and luxuries. The learning did not just happen in the classroom. We took a trip to both Cooper-garrod winery in Saratoga and Testarosa winery in Los Gatos. The winemakers were sure to give us a hands run through the wine production from the vineyards to the final product, as well as barrel tastings. Needless to say spending three days per week for 5 and a half months attending these classes was a pure immersion into the world of the sommelier. As part of an agreement with the Court of Master Sommeliers and PCI, the Level 1 and 2 exams were given to all students one after another at the end of the program. Thus is how I received my certified sommelier pin. I view PCI as a sommeliers boot camp in a way. The relationships I built there have continued to grow and benefit as the time goes on, from a networking point of view PCI is priceless for the young connoisseur.

I have the training; I have the pin on my lapel, now what to do? Dive into a sommelier position at a restaurant, right? I very well could have gone that way but I felt like there was still something more out there for me to learn. I felt that even though I had so much great training something was still missing. I wanted to learn more about the production of wine, something I knew little about. A friend of mine and a mentor Jason Moore of Modus Operandi wines in Napa asked me if I would come work a harvest for him after completing my sommelier certification. Without a second thought I said yes and moved to the Napa Valley. I haven’t looked back since. My time in the Valley as a young connoisseur has been full of beautiful moments, tasteful adventures and above all else food, wine, and the pursuit!

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Barolo 2004, Renato Corino

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

Winery: Renato Corino

Vintage: 2004

Appellation: Barolo (La Morra)

Varietal: Nebbiolo (Spanna)

Oak: N/A

Average Price: $45.00

Tasting notes: Deep red color. Very open nose, showing floral hint like violets and roses and berries like blackcurrant. The palate is very delicate, smooth, easy drinking like you would expect for a modern-style La Morra producer. Drink this ‘standard’ (but outstanding) Barolo while you have Renato’s ‘Rocche’ and ‘Arborina’ cellaring a couple more years. (Be careful how long you cellar, some might drink them before you)!

Food Pairing Suggestions: I remember a very special night I had some months ago. The setting is my favorite Italian restaurant in Copenhagen (contact me for details) and this wine. The menu goes: Cheese risotto with fresh truffles. T-bone with green beans and potatoes. Selection of the finest Italian dry cheese. Remember to have at least two or three bottles in backup!

Winery Notes: Renato Corino is trained by the famous Elio Altare! Renato makes a more delicate and smooth style of wine, with flowers and fruits dominating than his master. Renato makes this ‘standard’ Barolo, a Rocche, an Aborina, a Dolcetto and a Barbera. The Barbera is also really worth trying out.

Vintage Notes: 2004 is an instant classic piedmontese. Some compares this vintage with the huge ’90. Most producers ‘standard’ Barolo and Barbaresco’s are so smooth and nice right now, but please, store the single vineyards just a couple more years.

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 (!)

Alion 2004 Ribera Del Duero

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

Winery: Alion

Vintage: 2004

Appellation: Ribera Del Duero

Varietal: Tinto Fino (Tempranillo)

Oak: 15 months in oak (100% new)

Average Price: $80.00

Tasting notes: This is a untraditional Tinto Fino. The pale almost tawny color is not normal for a Tempranillo this young. The nose is covered with red fruits and floral hints. Strawberry, redcurrant and light red cherries. The nose develops as the hours in the glass go by, so the list is very long. The palate is fruity and has a extraordinary depth. This is one red to decant when the snacks is served - and to enjoy when Dean Martin is playing and your love one is around you.

Food Pairing Suggestions: Let’s grill a chop of lamb! Let’s serve lamb shoulder with courgettes, white beans and truffle sauce. Fried Foie gras (Yes, try something else than Pinot Noir) with beetroot, mandarin and port sauce.

Winery Notes: Maybe some of you guessed that this is a very special Tempranillo. Alion is owned by the winery Vega Secilia – which needs no further introduction. Vega Secilia makes, in my opinion, the absolute best, most delicate Tempranillo in the whole of Spain. Alion is physically separated from the Vega Secilia winery, but it is the same hands that make these golden wines. Alion is simply the best value for money in Spain. Try to open a bottle and drink a glass every hour to see it develop. Thats my favorite Sunday!

Vintage Notes: 2004 was a good year in most of Spain. Despite high temperatures in September the harvest was plentiful, and the best producers made wines to store for many years.