Favorite Holiday Drink Recipes Dec 2009
Season’s Greetings, every-one! Unbelievably, another year is ending. As one ages, time seems to zip along faster and 2009 flew by like Lance Arm-strong’s legs on the home stretch kicking into overdrive. (Egads, man, if aging makes time go by faster and you’re expounding rhetorical comparisons between the last 365 days and Lance’s lower extremities you must be getting really old…oops, just kidding! Revise that, editor, to "You’re like fine wine; you get better with age." Phew, that was close). Just remember, dear, you’re only a year younger.
We like to spend this time of year with friends and family huddling around fireplaces, drinking hot buttered rum (hot chocolate for the kiddies), sipping eggnog, spiced or mulled wine, and, of course, delighting in champagne or sparkling wine. We want to celebrate the season with you by sharing some of our favorite holiday drink recipes and talking a little about champagne/sparkling wine.
Without getting into too much detail, (thank goodness, we don’t want to fill the whole column with the chemistry of sparkling wines. It’s more fun just to pop the cork and fill our champagne flutes) sparkling wines, including champagnes, start off as still wines in which carbon dioxide has been dissolved or trapped. Beer and soft drinks also contain carbon dioxide but there is a difference in the way the carbon dioxide gets into the liquid.
Soft drinks are injected with carbon dioxide from gas cylinders. Carbon dioxide, however, is a by-product of fermentation in beer and sparkling wine. Beer differs from sparkling wine in that it is fermented one time. Sparkling wine is fermented twice. The first fermentation produces the "still wine" that we drink every day. This is just a wine without all the bubbles.
A second fermentation is created by adding a little yeast and sugar and then transferring this mixture to a sealed container or bottle. As the still wine goes through the second fermentation the yeast and sugar interact and give off carbon dioxide that is confined in the container. Of course, the process is a bit more complex; for example, the dead yeast or lees (the man loves talking about yeast) have to be removed from the bottle without releasing all the carbon dioxide. This is known as riddling and disgorgement (Hmm, disgorgement, eh? That’s a mental picture I could have skipped.) The process of making champagne or sparkling wine is called méthode champenoise.
The amount of sugar that is added to the second fermentation determines the sweetness level of the champagne/sparkling wine.
• Brut Natural or Brut Zéro (<3 grams of sugar per liter)
• Extra Brut (< 6 grams of sugar per liter)
• Brut (<15 grams of sugar per liter)
• Extra Sec or Extra Dry (12 to 20 grams of sugar per liter)
• Sec (17 to 35 grams of sugar per liter)
• Demi-sec (33 to 50 grams of sugar per liter)
• Doux (> than 50 grams of sugar per liter)
I’m actually making a field trip to a sparkling wine winery next month. Sounds like good fodder for an upcoming article. Here are a few recipes:
Hot-Buttered Rum
Ingredients:
1 small slice soft butter
1 tsp brown sugar
Optional spices: ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg
Vanilla extract
2 oz dark rum
Boiling water
Preparation: Place the butter, sugar and spices at the bottom of an Irish coffee glass or mug. Mix well or muddle. Pour in the rum and boiling water. Stir.
Eggnog Grog
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 quart milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup bourbon
1/3 cup dark rum
Preparation: In a large saucepan, beat together eggs, sugar and salt. Now stir in just two cups of milk. Cook this over low heat, stirring constantly, making sure to get in the corners of the pan or the eggs might curdle when they get hot.
When the mixture reaches 160 degrees or is thick enough to coat a spoon with a thin film, remove it from the heat. Mix together the bourbon and dark rum but the alcohol is optional. Next stir in the remaining 2 cups milk and the vanilla. Then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it’s thoroughly chilled.
Hot Spiced Wine
Yield: Makes 9 cups
Ingredients:
2 (750-milliliter) bottles red wine
2 cups apple juice
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons mulling spice
Preparation:
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a pitcher, discarding mulling spices. Serve wine hot. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Until next year, Gary and Sue. Send us your comments, favorite recipes and favorite stories to fromthevine@pacbell.net or write to us c/o Gold Country Times, PO Box 897, Sutter Creek, CA 95685.
"I drink champagne when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty." - by Madame Bollinger (one of the grandes dames of Champagne).
Winemaking, questions and answers Nov 2009
We have been receiving a lot of questions about various aspects of the wine making process, different styles of wines, and components that have an impact on a wine’s smell and taste. Before we start answering specific questions, we thought it might be good to review some basic winemaking facts to help explain some of the reasons wine is what it is. First, no matter what the style of wine, every grape contains sugar, acid, yeast, water, and flavor compounds. Like many fruits, the riper the grape, the more sugar it will contain. During the fermentation process the yeast converts this sugar into alcohol.
One of the questions often posed is what makes a wine sweet or dry. (Not to be confused with "fruity"). A wine is either sweet or dry depending on the level of residual sugar left after fermentation. The more sugar, the sweeter the wine. Less sugar makes for a dryer wine. A fruity wine has less to do with sugar than it does with the flavor compounds in the grape and it can be either sweet or dry.
Another question often asked is what determines the alcohol content of a wine. The fermentation process is somewhat self-regulating; yeast cannot survive once the alcohol level reaches 15% or so. Grapes harvested at low sugar levels or brix will generally result in lower alcohol wines. Conversely, grapes harvested at higher brix will generally result in higher alcohol wines. However, because of the behavior of the yeast, most wines won’t be over 15% alcohol. (There are, of course, exceptions like ports which are fortified – we’ll talk about that another time). Yeasts are critical to making wine. As mentioned above, they convert the sugar in the grapes to alcohol. Fermentation could not occur without yeast.
However, the yeasts naturally occurring on the grapes can be hard to manage. There are many different strains and they can be unpredictable. While some winemakers prefer to use the native yeasts, many prefer to avoid this unpredictability and kill these yeasts with sulfur dioxide (SO2). By the way, sulfur dioxide is used at various stages of the winemaking process to protect the wine from bacteria and the risk of oxidation. A reasonable assumption is that white wine comes from white grapes and red wine naturally comes from red grapes. Seems logical. (Like white milk comes from white cows and chocolate milk comes from brown cows. Of course, both white and brown cows eat green grass, so where is the logic in that?) Bear in mind, however, that grape juice is primarily clear, no matter if the grape it comes from is white or red. Here are some general differences between making white and red wines.
Grapes that are used for making white wines and roses are usually pressed rather than crushed. The reason is a wine’s color comes primarily from the juice’s contact with the grape skins. Since it is desirable for a white wine to be clear to straw colored and roses to be pink to light red, little to no skin contact is required. Red wines, on the other hand, need the skin contact to develop color and so they are normally crushed and allowed to sit on the skins during the primary fermentation.
Fermentations can take from a few days to a couple of weeks or more depending on the desired sugar and alcohol levels. The winemaker will determine when the fermentation is finished or should be stopped and the must pressed. The press will separate the skins and seeds (pips) from the juice. The juice, depending on the style, will be pumped into stainless steel tanks, vats, or oak barrels for a second stage of fermentation called malolactic fermentation. (Incidentally, wine that comes out of the press is one of two types "free-run" – this is juice that passes right through the press without it actually squeezing the must and the other is "press wine" that results from the squeezing of the must in the press and usually has more color, flavors and tannins than "free-run").
The length of time between fermentation and bottling varies. In between fermentation and bottling, the barrels or tanks will be kept topped so that contact with oxygen is kept to a minimum (oxygen allows bacteria to grow and spoil the wine) and racked (wine is transferred from tank to tank or barrel to barrel) periodically to keep the wine from getting stale. There is much more that goes into making a fine wine but these are the basic principles. Unfortunately, we are out of space for now. We can talk more about wine-making and answer more questions another time.
Until next time, Gary and Sue. Send us your comments, favorite recipes and stories to fromthevine@pacbell.net or write to us c/o Gold Country Times, PO Box 897, Sutter Creek, CA 95685. "[Wine is] poetry in a bottle." - Clifton Fadiman Nov 09 Back to Top
Storing your wine collection
Has this happened to you recently? You’ve just purchased a bottle or, for truly long range planners, a case, of your favorite Sierra foothills wine. You happily drive home to find your once so understanding housemate giving you the eye. Unfortunately, the look is not the lovingly indulgent one. It’s the "Oops, you’ve been caught red handed smoking behind the football bleachers by the Assistant Principal" eye. (Sound familiar anyone?)
The unimaginable has happened. Your wine collection has outgrown its allotted pantry shelf, is burgeoning beyond the ornamental iron rack your Aunt Edna gave you last Christmas, and its bottles are ominously close to toppling from the guest bathroom closet. Well, we would like to help but, sorry, we are neither licensed general contractors able to contribute to your home remodeling nor licensed clinical social workers likely to smooth out sticky family situations.
However, we can provide assistance with questions about the proper storage of your wine. (Thank God we can make some little contribution to the betterment of mankind!) There are five basic factors to keep in mind when deciding where to store your treasures from the vine: lay them down, maintain an even temperature, keep them in the dark, provide a reasonable humidity, and isolate them from strong odors.
Wine, especially young California wine, will continue to age in the bottle. White wine can be expected to maintain its quality for from one to two years. The fresh, fruity flavor of light red wines also starts to decline after a couple of years. Big red wines can store nicely for several years. Great red wines will still be improving after a dozen years-if, that is, they are stored and cared for properly. (Hey, big fellah, the cared for properly part of that statement applies to spouses as well, right?) The only good cork is a wet cork and laying the wine bottle on its side will keep the cork wet. This will prevent air from filtering into the bottle and turning up the speedometer on the aging process. If your wine bottle has a plastic cork it isn’t necessary to lay the bottle on its side. Plastic corks do not dry out. (Neither would plastic scrambled eggs, but I wouldn’t want any bouncing around next to my bacon and biscuits.)
The worst thing for stored wine is high temperatures. Wine begins to suffer and taste cooked or tired at about 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Lovely clear or golden hued white wines will turn an ugly brown color. The crisp taste will deteriorate. (Think of your first sleepover when your best friend forgot to snap the lid back on your bottle of Mountain Dew. In the morning your soft drink and the friendship were not the same.) Red wines kept at too high a temperature will look pale and taste flat.
Constantly fluctuating temperature is also a bad storage practice. As the temperature of the bottle changes, the wine inside the bottle expands and contracts much like a black-smith’s bellows. This pumps air through the cork and oxidizes the wine inside the bottle. The ideal temperature to store your wine is somewhere between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wine does better when stored in the dark. Sitting in the sun all day is just as bad for Pinot Grigio as it is for pretty lasses. (If only the dermatologists had told us that forty years ago!) Your Petite Syrah will taste more like stewed grapes. (Yuc!) This won’t happen overnight, but after a few weeks of sunbathing, your wine will start to deteriorate.
Humidity is good for your wine the same way it is good for your wooden furniture or your own skin. Low humidity can cause a cork to shrink at one end even if the bottle is lying on its side. (Why does he persist in looking my way while talking about drying up and shrinking away? Must be time to moisturize)
A humidity of around 75 percent is said to be ideal. Central heating and air conditioning can dry and work against your wine bottles unless you are using a humidifier. Bear in mind, however, that humidity is not the same as dampness. Even though your wines may not suffer, the labels won’t hold up as well, and you could find yourself guessing about what wine is inside the bottle. Musical chairs is fantastic for children’s birthday parties but not for satisfactory wine choices. (I don’t know about that. Choosing wine that way might be like sticking your pinkie into all the assorted See’s chocolates. Pop a cork and announce, "No, that’s not it. Have to try another bottle. Nope, that’s not it." That could make for a perfectly lovely afternoon.)
Keep your bottles away from persistent bad smells. Even though it hasn’t been proven that bad odors will affect the wine inside the bottle, a bad aroma will cling to the outside of the bottle and definitely subtract from the presentation you want to make to your friends and family. (How about the presentation you make to your significant other there, stinky boy?) Risk it if you must, but after stealthily slipping another bottle into the house, I’m not going to. Until next time, Gary and Sue
Send us your comments, favorite recipes and stories to fromthevine@pacbell.net or write to us c/o Gold Country Times, PO Box 897, Sutter Creek, CA 95685. "Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used; exclaim no more against it." Shakespeare, Othello Oct 09 Back to Top
When are grapes ready to harvest?
Whew! In case you haven’t been forced to dawdle down Highway 49 behind a tractor pulling bins heaped high with grapes, harvest is upon us once again. This is yet another year when harvest jumped up and bit me in the proverbial "buttocks". We harvested our Sauvignon Blanc grapes on August 24th and its just beginning. This is our 5th year in business and one would think I wouldn’t have been so surprised. It seems like harvest is coming earlier every year.
Harvesting for all the growers for all their varieties is coming fast and furiously. (So that means I will find myself stuck behind your Kubota or Massey Ferguson once again chewing my fingernails and popping Tums to control an overproduction of stomach acid?) Growers and winemakers alike will be working non-stop for the next 2-3 months bringing in grapes, crushing, pressing and barreling. (Not to mention soaking up the suds, grilling grizzly bear size servings of beef, and keeping late hours with the boys?) Ah, yes, harvest, one of my most favorite times of the year.
We seem be asked this every autumn: "How do we know when the grapes are ready to harvest?" Still a good question …Once the grapes go through verasion (change of color in the grape berries) we start testing the grapes for sugar, pH, and TA levels and of course, taste. Sugar levels are measured in degrees brix. An instrument called a refractometer is used. It looks something like a small telescope with an eyepiece on one end and a glass window on the other. There is a scale mounted on the inside of the eyepiece that reads the degrees brix in the juice. The grower and/or winemaker walk the rows and randomly select from throughout the vineyard individual berries from a variety of grape clusters. This is considered a random berry sample. Some winemakers prefer whole cluster tests. In this case, a random sample of entire clusters of grapes is pulled from through-out the vineyard. Regardless of which sampling technique is used, the berries are crushed and a few drops of the juice are dropped onto the glass window of the refractometer. A reading is taken.
The degrees brix translate into the amount of potential alcohol the finished product will have...the higher the brix the more alcohol. We like to pick our grapes when the brix is between 23.0 and 25.0. But this is only one test and not necessarily the most important. (So, if it might not be the most important test, why do you suppose he started his explanation with it? I vote for the word "brix". That word is just so "French", so "in the know", and so sensuous. Besides, it rhymes with "kicks" and we all want to get those, right!)
The next test that is run is for pH (potential for Hydrogen). A pH meter is used. A probe is placed into the juice sample and a reading is taken. In general terms, optimal pH is between 3.20 and 3.60; pH is a fundamental element of wine-making and affects the color, oxidation, biological and chemical stability of the wine. Lower pH amounts are easier for the winemaker to deal with than higher (>3.65).
We’ll talk about some of the affects another time. (Good, eyeballs were starting to glaze over out there.) Another test is for TA (titratable acidity). The pH meter is used with a reagent that is added a drop or two at a time to a measured amount of juice sample until the meter reads 8.2. As with pH, TA is important to wine production. It accounts for the crispness and tartness found in wine. One can argue what is optimal but in general, the optimum TA for red wines is 0.60 to 0.80 and 0.65 to 0.85 for whites. (Now tell me, aren’t you glad you asked?)
The most subjective test is taste. All things being equal, taste is the final deciding factor as to when the grapes are ready to be harvested. Alcohol, pH and TA can all be adjusted during the wine making process. Many would argue that taste, too, can be adjusted through blending. (For technophobes and non-chemistry majors, tasting and blending are a lot more fun, too.)
So, to get back to 'how do we know when to harvest'. When all of the entire field readings are within optimal ranges (and Jupiter aligns with Mars) that is the ideal time to pluck and press. It would be great if nature co-operated and everything always met the optimal criteria. Unfortunately, that seldom, if ever, happens. It is more common to find only one or two of these elements at their prime point at the same time. This is when the winemaker’s skills come into play and magic hap-pens. Then, it’s Showtime, boys and girls. Get out there and make it happen! Until next time, Gary and Sue. Send us your comments, favorite recipes and favorite stories to: fromthevine@pacbell.net or write to us c/o The Gold Country Times, PO Box 897, Sutter Creek, CA 95685.
"Who loves not wine, women, and song, remains a fool his whole life long!" Johann Heinrich Voss. Editor's Note: Congrats to Frog's Tooth Vineyards, 2009 CA state fair medal winner: Pinot Grigio Silver 91 Sierra Foothills 2008, Tempranillo Silver 91 Sierra Foothills 2006, and Meritage Bronze 86 Calaveras County 2006. Sept 09 Back to Top
Wine Aromas and Memories
We hope you all had a safe and sane 4th. I know Sue and I did. We’re just a couple of old fogies, I guess. We worked in our tasting room all day Saturday and then had a pleasant dinner out at Murphy’s Grille followed by a leisurely stroll through downtown Murphys. The only fireworks we experienced were those bursting off our taste buds while we were sharing a slice of Chef Reza’s New York Cheesecake. (Hey there, big fellah, I always see fireworks when I gaze into your baby blues over a serving of fresh salmon topped with spirited fruit compote.)
So, how many wineries did you visit during Calaveras Wine Alliance’s Passport Weekend on June 26 - 28? Frog’s Tooth stayed with the seafood category and served Alchemy’s delicious shrimp paella and my very own special recipe barbecued shrimp with aioli sauce. Lots of delighted partakers passed through our tasting room door, sipped the wine, sampled ol’ Neptune’s finest, and left smiling. If you missed us, we hope to see you next year!
One of Frog’s Tooth’s special treats for our guests this Passport was a Wine Sensory Evaluation by Tom Bender, wine instructor at Columbia College and wine steward for O’Brien’s Market in Modesto. Tom opened our eyes (I think you mean our noses) to many of the common wine aromas. Tom did this by pouring a neutral white and a neutral red wine into several glasses and then adding differing aromatic oils to each glass. Everyone could take a turn walking around the table to sniff the fragrances and identify various aromas they might experience during their day’s wine tasting. Each person smells wine components differently. Tom reminded us in his presentation that there is a benefit to describing wines by using recognizable aromas. Think of the times you have heard a wine described as having the aroma of peach. That sweet fruity smell is common to Riesling, Muscat, and some Gewurztraminer (easy for you to say). After smelling Tom’s "black pepper" sample, you can identify more with those people who discuss this distinctive smell found in our local Cabernets and Petite Sirahs. Plus it’s fun to be able to pick up the raspberry aroma in your favorite Grenache or the Citrus in your spouse’s must have Chardonnay. (Just remember to pick up the tab for our next night out and this spouse will be happy.)
Smell memories help us remember individual wines and experiences from our pasts. The Green Apple sample was readily identifiable by almost everyone. (He’s giving me the eye, friends, to me that one smelled like a stink bug I encountered once as a little girl. The other participants said green, fresh, and bright. I said green, biting, and scary.) The Brown Spice was delightful. You will find this aroma in ripe and aged reds as well as dessert wines. Ripe Cabernets and Tempranillo can release a chocolate aroma that is always appealing.
Wineries do not add aromas directly to wines. This important part of the wine experience occurs naturally as a result of viticulture (I think he means all the components that are part of the grape growing process such as soil types, watering practices, which side of the vine the grape was attached to, what day of the week the grapes were harvested. No, forget those last two. I was just seeing if you were paying attention.), fermentation, aging process, and blending. (Now that is one long sentence. I hope we didn’t lose anyone there.)
Two smells you never want to encounter in your wines are oxidized and cork taint. Oxidized means the wine is spoiled or old. (Yuck!) Cork taint is a stale and off smell of wet cardboard that is a result of a spoiled cork. (Double Yuck!) Creating the "right" aroma in one’s wines requires a meticulous attention to details and timeliness. Winemaking is the ultimate Zen project: it is part science and part art. All the elements and techniques need to be kept in balance to create wines that are as pleasing in their aroma as they are in their tastes. Until next time, Gary and Sue. Send us fromthevine@pacbell.net, your comments, favorite recipes and stories or write to us c/o Gold Country Times, PO Box 897, Sutter Creek, CA 95685. "[Wine is] poetry in a bottle." - Clifton Fadiman JULY09 Back to Top
Vineyard Spring Chores
Where is this year going, friends? Can you believe we have already sped through half of 2009? It seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating the end of harvest and tucking the vineyard in for its winter rest. I must have fallen into a Rip Van Winkle extended nap myself and then awakened to lush green tendrils in the vineyard pushing out of their own Lazy Boys.
Blossoms have come and settled to the earth and berries have begun to set. Unfortunately for me, (and slap your hands, you naughty boy) I still have work to do in the vineyard that should have been done a couple of months ago. The weeds are as tall as the vines in some areas; mowing, spraying and moving wires have all caught up to me. (What’s a poor boy to do?) Well, you got half of that right…I am poor. You’ve heard it before: the way to make a small fortune in the winery business is to start out with a large fortune. As far as still being a boy goes, I put aside my Hot Wheels and Yo-Yo some time ago. Physically, my boyhood is gone. Mentally, I’m still that snot-nosed kid who thinks he knows everything. (Humility is such a Zen thing, isn’t it?)
Now, let’s back away carefully from philosophy and troop back to the vineyard. In addition to doing the early spring chores, such as mowing and strip spraying, now is the time to take care of shoot thinning (if you haven’t done your pruning yet, guess what, it’s too late…luckily, my vineyard manager, Mark, tries to keep me on my toes). There is also suckering, tying and, if you installed movable wires in your vineyard, moving those wires to tuck in the vines. This is also the beginning of Sulfur sprays to control mildew and fertilizing to encourage our precious grape commodity to do its thing and grow, baby, grow. As we move into June and July there is no lack of work to be done in the vineyard. Many vineyards have already begun irrigating. An important step (although a boring and occasionally frustrating one to those with a plumbing phobia) prior to the first irrigation of the season is to check the drip lines.
In our vineyard, I open the ends of each drip hose and flush out the line to rid it of any chemical and mineral build-up. Then I inspect the lines for leaks and to ensure that each emitter is working properly. We use a timer on our pump and it always seems to be necessary to recalibrate the water cycle from the previous year. (Beats balancing barrels of water drawn from the river and carting them on your head while singing "Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen". Hey, if you can be maudlin, so can I!) Your watering pattern will depend on your soil type but with ours we start with a couple of hours of water two or three times a week. Over the next several weeks and as temperatures rise, we will increase the number of watering hours per day and the frequency per week.
Water probes placed under the vines in various locations in the vineyard are useful in determining appropriate watering patterns for your vines. ("As long as they are working properly", says the little voice of Doubting Thomasina in the corner.) Most, if not all of us, in the foothills require deer fencing to protect our vineyards from, what else, deer…they cannot resist the lush, tender, green tendrils of young grape vines. Now is a good time to check the fence line for gaps and holes. Believe it or not, these critters can belly under a
12" gap between the ground and the bottom of the fence line. Rodent activity is also increasing. (Someone has to feed their children, dear!) Squirrels and rabbits love to chew on the drip lines for water. (Or maybe they just get bored or perhaps as a substitute for Danish warm from the oven to enjoy during the morning coffee klatch.) Owl and hawk boxes placed in the vineyard are a good natural control for these varmints as well as those pesky gophers and voles. (Gardeners, everyone can make the sign of the cross here or shout ‘Amen’ depending on your denomination.) Ridding or controlling these pests early can prevent vine loss in the future.
Now that you’ve finished your first day’s work…just kidding! Over the next several months there will be more mowing, sulfur spraying, tying, tucking, fertilizing, varminting (whoa, hold on a minute there cowboy-"varminting?" Spell check perked right up on that one). Yes, you know, controlling those little critters that want to steal the water and fruit from our vines. (Oh, okay, just remember, I am supposed to be the one to take liberties with the English language.) So, happy farming to one and all.
You won’t want to miss the Calaveras Wine Alliance’s Passport Weekend June 26, 27 and 26. Participating wineries will be offering barrel samples and pre-release wines, music, food, "how to" seminars, and other special events to passport holders. This is always a fun event and the wineries go all out to create a memorable experience. Contact the CWA 209-728-9467 or visit www.calaveraswines.org. Until next time, Gary and Sue.
Send us your comments, favorite recipes, and stories fromthevine@pacbell.net or write to us c/o Gold Country Times, PO Box 897, Sutter Creek, CA 95685. A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover.
- Clifton Fadiman JUNE09 Back to Top
2nd Annual Winegrape & Gourmet Titillates
By Susan Grant
On March 4 the Calaveras Winegrape Alliance invited gourmands and connoisseurs to titillate their palates at the second annual Winegrape & Gourmet Celebration at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds in Angels Camp. The guests were given a First Class pampering by a combination of sixty foothill wineries, restaurants, sponsors, UC Davis extension Master Gardeners, local markets, craftsmen, artists, and artisans. Such a kaleidoscopic swirl of colors, conversations, tactile stimulation, and enticing aromas and flavors cannot be duplicated by words alone. Here are a few highlights.
Celebration attendees were tantalized with gourmet creations such as Tallahan’s Chef Tony Fabbro’s Scampi wot prawns in a spicy Ethiopian sauce paired with Frog’s Tooth Vineyards ’07 Fume Blanc and Solomon Wine Company’s ‘04 Composition. Camps Restaurant at Angels Camp piqued appetites with its Firecracker Salmon nestled between Chatom Winery’s ’06 Sauvignon Blanc and Ironstone’s ’06 Reserve Chardonnay.
On the other end of the tasting wheel ,Chef Kevin Casey of Creekside Dining in Bear Valley melded his Chilean Empanadas and Cilantro Tomato Coulis with Vina Moda’s ’06 Syrah and Twisted Oaks ’06 Spaniard. Another robust presentation was Noto’s Ravioli di Fungi with Portabella, Spinach, and Roasted Garlic simmering alongside Zucca’s ’06 Barbera and Chatom’s ’04 Merlot. In the same "tradizioni" Tanner Vineyard’s Wine Club brought the "home cooking" concept to the Celebration with their do-it-yourself ravioli demonstration. Between munching on Bistro 49’s colorful Foccacia breads and savoring Chef David Boothe of Ground’s chicken stuffed with brie and asparagus participants could enjoy wine industry exhibits such as Wayne Wood’s Organic Products or Lafitte Corks featuring a four-foot wine bottle constructed from, what else, corks?
Across the way Umpqua Bank cheered celebrants with its sign that advised "Sip, Sample, Savor. Bank like you live." Local artisans added to the excitement with offerings such as Sentimental Silver’s jewelry fashioned from antique silverware or "Slumped Bottles" by Jan Mangili. Quyle Kiln Pottery added sparkle with its glazed ceramics. Calaveras Photography, Fireside Laser Arts, and Deezine Art shared their striking works. The most unusual offering was found in the Calaveras Grown booth: 100% Pure Gold Rush Llama Poop. Men, women, and beasts alike contributed to the success of this event.
For those who could drag themselves away from the wine and delicacies, four seminars were given. Judy Creighton told us that cheese is one of the four oldest foods in the world. Bread, beer, and wine complete the list. She advised us to avoid serving heavily oaked wine or wines that have descriptors such as "tobacco" or "charcoal" with one’s favorite cheese. Mike Kristoff and Aimee Reed from Camp’s at Green Horn Creek entertained attendees with a lively glassware presentation. They told us that the optimum pour is one-third of the glass for white wine and one-third to one- half for red wine.
Steve Collum provided guidance to backyard wine grape growers. Steve outlined the basic requirements for a small vine-yard, chemical needs, cost estimates, water management, and varmint control. Steve’s most effective and highly amusing recommendation for gopher control is a "22" and a six-pack. Lastly, Tom Bender, expert wine steward for O’Brien’s Market and instructor at Columbia College presented an Aroma Appreciation 101. After discussing the importance of and contributing factors to the distinctive "bouquet" of a wine, Tom challenged the audience to measure their Aroma IQ by inhaling identified fragrances from two dozen sample glasses and then proceeding to the test table to sniff and correctly categorize the wines that awaited. Lively discussions and fun were the rule for all.
Participants, named and unnamed, volunteers, and attendees alike declared the 2009 Calaveras Winegrape & Gourmet Celebration a success. They applauded the openness of the venue, the pairing of exotic foods with sumptuous wines, the pertinent and lively seminars, and the variety of intriguing goods.
The key to the Celebrations success was the word "pairing". The coming together, the convergence, of event organizers, of wine lovers and food lovers, of artists and teachers who wanted to share their expertise with those who wanted to learn; of food industry and wine industry folk who wanted to give their time and handwork, united the many pieces of the kaleidoscope and shaped a luminous, vibrant event that was enjoyed by all. APRIL09
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The Wine Decision Process for Men
I read an interesting article recently that reviewed the "Industry", the wine industry, that is. The article discussed wine demographics and how the wine industry should broaden its market to reach beyond core consumers. The part of the article that caught my attention concerned gender preferences.
According to the article, although women below 30 tend to drink more beer, American women ages 30 and up choose wine as their preferred drink. Nearly 50% of all women aged 30 to 49 say they most often drink wine; women aged 50 to 64 drink wine 55% of the time and women 65 and older drink wine 62% of the time
Interesting statistics, but what really stood out is that less than 20% of men report wine as their preferred alcoholic beverage. It’s not a real surprise that younger men would be less likely to choose wine but it was surprising that men, as a whole, were much more unlikely to drink wine than women were. Yes, there are cultural issues such as beer and football, guys getting together, etc, but one key reason seems to be that the wine industry intimidates its customers. Wine seems to be about status. Many men never feel they know enough about wine nor have enough confidence to choose a wine in a social situation. They have a fear of loosing face or being embarrassed by making the "wrong" choice. So, men tend to choose beer and liquor brands that make them look "cool" and score high in the fun factor (TV commercials, anyone?).
This column hopes to ease the wine decision process for men. Here’s the setting…you’re in a restaurant with friends; the waiter brings the wine list, and you are given the honor of ordering wine for dinner. You take the leather-bound wine "tome" from the waiter and realize there are no less than 100 different wines listed. You see white wines, red wines, roses, dry, sweet, different brands, different regions, different varietals, and on and on.
What to do? What if you choose the wrong wine? It’s easy to be intimidated and confused. Here are a few tips:
1) The first thing to do is ask your friends what kind of wine they prefer.
2) If the restaurant has sommeliers (a fancy name for a wine steward) don’t be afraid to ask him or her for a recommendation. They know about the wines being served and are there to help you.
3) The sommelier will make a recommendation but don’t feel that you have to agree. Know your budget. If the suggested wine is more than you want to spend, ask for a recommendation in your price range.
4) Decide and order the wine.
5) The waiter or sommelier will show you the wine bottle. Make sure it’s the one you ordered.
6) The bottle will be opened and you will be given the cork to examine. Look at the inside end of the cork. Is it moist and intact? A dry or cracked cork may indicate the wine was not properly stored. You can smell the cork to detect any off odors but it’s not necessary. If the cork is dry or cracked or if there is an off odor, don’t be afraid to send the bottle back.
7) If the cork passes, taste the wine. You will be given a small amount to try before the wine is served to the rest of your party. Swirl the wine to open up the aromas and flavors. Next smell the wine and then taste. Check for off flavors and smells. Usually, the wine is fine but once in awhile a bottle is bad.
8) If you’re not sure if the wine is good, ask the server what he or she thinks. They may try it or, in most cases, they will just replace the wine.
9) If all is good, let the server fill the glasses-ladies first, yours last. Enjoy the wine.
10) You can also choose wines from wineries you know or have heard about.
11) Another safe play is to order the house wine. Normally there will be a white and a red to choose from.
12) One last tip, you don’t have to stick to the old rule "white wine with fish and chicken, red wine with red meat". Usually, white wines pair better with lighter foods and reds with heavier foods but it’s not critical.
Guys, I hope that helps. Remember this: unless someone in your group is a real wine aficionado (they will probably want to order the wine anyway), your group is just as intimidated as you are, so any decision you make is going to be fine. A good standby is to go with a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Dry Riesling for a white and a Pinot Noir or Zinfandel for a red as these wines tend to go with just about everything.
Until next time, Gary and Sue. Send us your comments, favorite recipes and stories to fromthevine@pacbell.net or write to us c/o Gold Country Times, PO Box 897, Sutter Creek, CA 95685. "From wine what sudden friendship springs!" - John Gay "The Squire and the Cur," 'Fables' Back to Top
The Alicante Bouschet Story
Welcome fellow Grape Geeks and Wine Lovers, You are invited to join with us as we explore the Sierra Foothills in search of one of the underdogs of the grape and wine industry. Similar to guards and tackles who are the backbone of a football team and help make the quarterback and wide receivers look good, so too do some grape varietals support and contribute to the color and excitement of their less "Rubired" cousins. The Alicante Bouschet grape is one of these under appreciated team members.
The Alicante Bouschet story (Oh goody, wait just a moment, please, while I rearrange my blankie and snuggle up with Teddy) begins in 1824. If you have been consistent readers of the column, you will recall that the great majority of wine grapes when crushed produce clear juice. No one wants to drink only white wine.
In an effort to liven things up, Louis Bouschet de Bernard crossed the most widely planted grape (Don’t tell me. It was also color challenged, right?) in France at that time, Aramon, with an ancient red-juiced vinifera variety, Teinturier du Cher. Mr. Bouschet named the result of his labor Petit Bouschet. In 1866 Louis’s son, Henri, followed his father’s lead by crossing Grenache and Petit Bouschet to create Alicante Bouschet. (Hmm, this is beginning to sound interesting and sumptuous. Yet, all that discussion of crossing makes me wonder. Hush now; he’s giving me the look.) The word "Teinturier" literally translates as "dyer" and explains the most common use of Alicante Bouschet by the wine industry. It is cultivated mainly to add color to wines that are made from varieties that produce lighter colored juice.
Alicante Bouschet is widely planted in southern France and in North Africa. It was very popular in the Central Valley of California during Prohibition (for use by home winemakers, I’m sure. Of course, Elliot Ness was quite busy chasing after Al Capone, so I could see a few liters weaseling their way out of the trunk of a ’32 Plymouth and onto the dinner table of someone not lucky enough to have his own vineyard and barrels. If we ferment it, they will come).
Alicante Bouschet is a very productive vine that can produce as much as 12 tons per acre of fruit (That’s every grower’s fantasy, you know, since they are paid by the ton for the grapes.) In addition to its red flesh and juice, the Alicante grape has thick and tough skins. The grape shipped well and its intense color could stand dilution with water and sugar (Yuck, nasty words for today’s impeccable vintner and demanding wine connoisseur.) Production could more than double the normal wine gallonage per ton of grapes. Not surprisingly, plantings in California reached nearly 30,000 acres by the 1940’s but have since declined to less than 5,000 acres.
Wine produced solely from Alicante Bouschet grapes can be tricky. Sometimes the wine will lack distinction in character and have a texture that is somewhat coarse. This grape is not one for the beginning winemaker. Although color is its main asset, unless skillfully handled during the entire process, Alicante Bouschet wine can be unstable, browning, and precipitating easily.
Now that you have been cautioned about the potential hazards of buying your Alicante Bouschet wine from moonshiners and amateurs, where does one go to taste and purchase a superior product? Well, you merely need to hop into your car and drive over to Cooper Vineyards in The Shenandoah Valley region of Amador County.
Their 2005 Alicante Bouschet took a Gold Medal from the California State Fair, a Gold Medal from the Amador County Fair, and a Bronze Medal from the El Dorado County Fair. Not bad for a grape that started out as a filler for more popular fruit.
That is also not bad for one of our Sierra foothills neighbors. Hats off and glasses raised to Cooper Vineyards. Until next time, Gary and Sue. Send us your comments, favorite recipes and favorite stories to fromthevine@pacbell.net or write to us c/o Gold Country Times, PO Box 897, Sutter Creek, CA 95685. "Who loves not wine, women, and song, remains a fool his whole life long!" Johann Heinrich Voss Back to Top
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From the Vine 
