The art and science of great Champagne

One of the simplest pleasures in life is bubbles. Thank goodness they are all around us, from soap, to a delicate “Top Chef” food foam, to the beach! Remember being a kid and blowing them? You couldn’t help but smile every time you created one, and the bigger, the better. Then there was going to the beach, wading through the foam a crashed wave leaves behind and attempting to capture the remnants in your cupped hands. I still relish the smell of the ocean, transmitted as the waves crash and the mist gets picked up and sent to my nose.... But are these attributes beneficial for the enjoyment of sparkling wine, also?

Head on over to Wicked Local today to find out!

What do you love about Champagne?

September's wicked wine picks!

As much as we may hate to admit it, the smell of autumn is in the air. September offers a great opportunity to embrace wines of all shapes and sizes, regardless of a specific need to celebrate. Sometimes simply unwinding at the end of a long day is the way to go. This month we offer some bubbly for just such an occasion, as well as a cool white that could fly under the radar screen if not given proper attention and a dynamic duo of opposing, but equally enticing reds. School may be back in session, but September is absolutely not a month for “Time Out” in the wine world! Pop on over to Wicked Local for this month’s roster of recess-worthy picks.

What else are you sipp'n on this month?

local winery continues to ferment great juice

Westport Rivers Winery in Westport, MA first captured my heart 3 years ago with their 2001 Imperial Sec sparkling wine, which is made from the more exotic or a-typical varietals of Riesling and Rkatsiteli.  Tasting others from their line up, I was pleased to discover their winery was the exception to the "rule" as far as local Massachusetts wine goes.... Other folks in and around Massachusetts haven't been able to do what Westport Rivers has achieved even since then because of two reasons, as far as I can tell. First, they have a truly coastal,  cool climate location.  Second, their wines have a sense of place; each wine represents a unique terroir, (so much so that universities have trekked down yonder to take soil sample after soil sample, run tests, and discovered which myriad soils are present on their 140 or so acres. This research has helped the proprietors plant different varietals in specific soil types). Westport Rivers wines exhibit a uniquely satisfying old-world sensibility, with new world panache.

Maybe one day Westport Rivers will be able to solely produce their exceptional sparkling wines. In the meantime, interested sippers can also bring home their well-balanced Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, or Rkatsiteli among the whites, as well as Pinot Noir rose for the reds or Pineau de Pinot as a dessert wine/aperitif.

The one to catch my particular fancy this season is their rose of Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is one of my absolute favorite varietals - and I hold out every year waiting for the best possible expression of it as a rose. This year Westport Rivers delivered the goods. The nose is quiet, exhibiting just a hint of baby roses, smoke and cherry fruit. The palate delivers a crisply satisfying, dry, light package of cherry and strawberry fruit; a unique, almost saline minerality quenches your thirst - and soon enough you've put quite a dent in the bottle!

In next few and last (sadly) weeks of summer, seek out rose with great gusto. You'll probably find a few deals on the market - and if you're lucky, you'll be revived with a splash of ocean air and memories of cold-box red and berry fruits. Yum.

Which Westport Rivers wines are your favorites?

Episode 1: the love affair between food and wine

Last weekend my "Supper Swap" group met again for the first time in a while. (We try to meet at least quarterly, picking a theme to inspire our respective culinary adventures for the night and otherwise help us break out of any cooking ruts we may have fallen into.) As we sat around the table discussing our "Summer-is-coming" dishes and what changes we would make to the recipes, I realized I have gotten away from discussing food more specifically in relation to wine on the Pour Favor blog.  I've been talking wine first, then food. But most of the time we work the other way around, right? You pick your meal or what you are going to chef, and then select a bottle to accompany it. Food is important.

I mean, yeah, there is the whole sustenance factor, lol. But in seriousness, wine is meant to be enjoyed with food. There are certainly some that excel on their own; but for the most part winemakers hope their wares grace your table and, ideally, take on a whole new meaning when matched with a wonderful meal.

This isn't to say we should always strive for the perfect pairing. Nonsense! Rather, we should be mindful that the components which make a wine a wine - fruit, acidity and tannin - are elements that, by nature, are designed for food. On that note, let's start talking about the union of food and wine over the next few weeks, shall we?

Supper Swap dish #1:  Watermelon, mint salad.

Apparently this dish was inspired by the Mustard Seed restaurant out in Davis, CA. Now their (online) recipe calls for cucumber, watermelon, mint and feta - but my friend recalled it with red onion, watermelon, mint and feta. Either which way you slice it, this salad was terrific. A true summer crowd pleaser. Fresh, healthy and delicious. And there is literally nothing more to it than dicing up the ingredients and tossing them together.

What wine would pair? This dish is incredibly versatile. But my instinct is to go for a terrific, DRY, rose - still OR sparkling! Rose tends to have terrific strawberry, raspberry or watermelon characteristics. One with more minerality (typically French offerings from areas such as Provence) or a more spice-nuanced flavor profile would be best because of the mint, bite of onion and slight richness to the feta.  You can certainly try one with more fruit-forward flavors.  But the watermelon on its own is so delicious, I'd want something nuanced in other ways to draw out it's more subtle, secondary (et. al.) flavors.

White varietals to consider would be Spanish Albarino or Txakoli or lesser known/sought French offerings like Muscadet, Gros Manseng and Picpoul.  Sauvignon Blanc might be an easier grab-and-go choice that would certainly work.  Simply think crisp, refreshing, minerality.

Prefer red? Try a fruity, ligher-styled, dry summer red. You don't want to upstage the juicy watermelon on your plate!

What wine(s) would you pick for this dish?

What to do with leftover bubbly

Graduation season is in full swing throughout the country. No doubt corks are flying as years of hard work are celebrated and new adventures anticipated. But what to do with left over bubbly? We often think of sparkling wine as a special commodity not for everyday buying. So when purchasing a bottle (whether actual Champagne, a domestic effort or some other country's fine offering) we are remiss to waste it. But we all know sparkling doesn't hold up so well overnight. The wine simply cannot deliver the same experience on Day 2. Or can it?

Pop over to Wicked Local today to learn all about what to do with your leftovers this celebratory season. You certainly don't want to miss what Rachel Nason from Brookline-based D'Lish Intimate Catering has up her sleeve!

Then, chime in here with your own ideas!

Good old fashioned, mezmerizing Wine writing (and more)

I tried to write a novel a few years ago. Unfortunately I discovered I don't have the patience to develop characters in that special way that sucks you in and devotes you to their trials and tribulations and celebrations as if they were your real-life friends. Any wine writer who can do that to me is Prime Rib, or perhaps more appropriately, a glass of truly tremendous Growers Champagne. I've had the uncommon pleasure of "drinking" my Growers Champagne, if you will, at the pen of two different writers, given two very different wine context in the last week and a half alone.

The first are the fabulous duo from the Wall Street Journal, Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher. True, this is not the first time I have sung their praises. But usually I talk about their content, not their writing style. This week I read just the first few lines of their article and had to save it for later - like a much anticipated dessert. If you have not yet read their "Rails, Romance and Really Good Wine" article, you must. Romance, indeed. I aspire to such greatness.

The second is Deborah Haro, of the absolutely amazing Taberna de Haro of Brookline. If you want a good read, simply get your hands on her wine list. There are other truly savory things about Taberna de Haro, but I'll be getting to that in a future Wicked Local article. In the meantime, hussle over to Taberna to enjoy another tantalizing read (and meal!).

For those of you less interested in the romance of wine reading, but perhaps intrigued by broken hearts (or is that hearts rewarded? tough to say...) check out what Parisians have been up to to keep economically afloat. Bitter sweet, I suppose....

Which wine lists have you encountered that are simply a lovely read?

Wines with Style

Ever been wary of a "Wines by the Glass" list? Been dubious the wines were opened two days prior to your debut at the bar? Or better yet, ever been overwhelmed by a list that's a real list, offering an ample array of wines you've never heard of?  The bars/restaurants that take their glass pours seriously are a rare and wonderful breed. The trick is navigating their list with style and grace. Not always an easy task! The Achilles Project/Persephone here in Beantown offers more than 20 different wines by the glass. To me, this is the first indicator they are serious about wine. The second indicator is that a good number of the wines on their list are "nerdy" (read: boutique offerings you don't see everyday). Like the boutique shop they run up front, they are focused on being fashion-forward, offering something new for folks to try. And because they are serious about glass pours, they also tend to be on the lookout for any wine that is past its prime, giving customers a greater opportunity to enjoy a "fresh" experience.  Sign me up!

Today I thought it would be fun to go through their "Wine By The Glass" list and pick out a handful of grapes that might cause a customer or two to scratch their head - when really they should be doing a little jig and embracing the list's fabulous uniqueness. Buckle your seat belt!

Lambrusco: This red wine varietal from Emilia Romagna, Italy is something else... Lightly sparkling (frizzante, as the Italians like to say), this wine offers smart red berry fruit flavors, often with just a touch of sweetness eminating from the ripe grapes they pick for this elixir. Think antipasto or anything with a touch of saltiness or lightly fried (calamari anyone?) as a perfect pairing. Or sip it on it's own! It's a real charmer.

Assyrtiko/Asirtiko: This white grape varietal may have different spellings, but to me they say the same thing: crisp, citrus deliciousness. The closest "mainstream" varietal I can reference for new Assyritko drinkers would be Sauvignon Blanc. But Assyrtiko brings additional minerality and even a hint of smoke to the table. This is a probably one of the most well respected varietals in Greece, with its real home in Santorini. Unique, bright goodness in your glass.

Scheurebe: This is one of Germany's best known hybrid varietals, yet it is still somewhat of an orphan.... DNA tests prove that this grape's dad is Riesling, but Mom is still unknown (though previously thought to be Sylvaner). Gotta love a freak! This wine typically offers tremendous floral aromatics and a touch of residual sugar (RS).  Tasting the wine out on the town can be a bit of a gamble, but your bartender should be able to guide you on just how sweet it is (though often enough you'll find they err on the drier side). Very much worth the experimentation, I've found. Often a great match for slightly spicy Asian dishes.

As for the Reds on their list, well.... some of these may be better paired with food than as a "cocktail wine" but it is certainly not everyday you see Austria's own delicious and lightly refreshing test-tube varietal Zweigelt on the roster, let alone a Mencia or a even a Monastrell (the Spanish name for the grape Mouvedre, which is better recognized in French wines). Nero d'Avola is up and coming, thought to be a pseudo Syrah with additional notes of currants, clove and vanilla; I find them more often distinct in their own right and offering far less oomph than Syrah can. But they are often just the thing to scratch the itch at a very reasonable price. Carignane can be wonderful, but I prefer to enjoy it when dinner's up, rather than at the bar with friends. I find it too dry, earthy and edgy without a bit of food on hand.

Any which way you look at it, the key thing is context. Do you want to sip something easy like a bit of Zweigelt while you chat with friends? Do you prefer something more familiar but still adventurous (like an Assyritko) to take the edge off a long day? Or do you crave a bit more body in your wine as you snack throughout the evening? If you're unsure you can either start with a bit of bubbly or white wine to get the ball rolling - and you can always ask your bartender for a recommendation to suit your mood!

Half the fun of wine is where you  are, what you're doing or who you are with. It's worth a touch of experiment; don't you agree?

new era, fresh thinking: inauguration celebration wines

Whether you are in the majority for or in the minority against our next President, chances are you are getting a bit wrapped up in the fervor that surrounds us. Almost everyone I know - correction: everyone I know - is ready for change in 2009. And we're bound to see some soon enough! Where wine and the Inauguration is concerned, a few things have been on my mind lately...  First, when we were looking at our post-New Year's bubbly stock at the store last week, we had to decide if we had enough depth and range to satisfy our customers' demand on Inauguration day; bubbly is a natural, but truth be told, the festivities really start over breakfast. Will people be drinking that early on a weekday? Second, is bubbly too 'just-done' (with the holidays just behind us) such that folks will be looking for something else special to open later that night?

And then, last Wednesday, my fellow wine bloggers took on a challenging topic for Wine Blogging Wednesday: Wines for Breakfast Foods (no bubbly and no rose!).  Things were too nutty after the New Year for me to participate in the fun, but I was intrigued by the challenge. Eggs are considered one of The Hardest food/wine pairings, and bubbly is the given answer - but that wasn't allowed.

Since I'm always a proponent of trying something unknown and since we're about to take on the world from a different perspective (Obama's), today it seemed natural, with just a few hours left under the old world order, to get us thinking outside the box about our Inauguration Celebration wine.  And since Inauguration festivities will begin tomorrow morning, it's only appropriate to start with breakfast.... Below I'm going to link up a few of the posts from last week's Wine Blogging Wednesday and another article or two I've come across lately. Hopefully this will give you enough time to think about where your plans will take you tomorrow  - and to get to your local shop to pick out something special to accompany them!

For those of you starting early, here are a few WBW Breakfast Wines...

Three fun reds? Who knew. It's a Twisted Breakfast(s) extravaganza!

Having a party? Pairing wines for each (breakfast) course. Too much fun.

Anyone who thinks to describe a wine's texture "like wearing some kind of tasty satin underroos for your tongue" deserves a closer look-see, I'd say. Definitely outside of the box thinking on that one!

Or...

If you want to stay domestic in your celebratory sipping, while taking it outside the box (aka NOT California) and giving yourself a real treat, check out the musings of Gaiter and Brecher.... Those two know where it's at.

Are you toasting over breakfast? Which wine do you have in mind?

Entertainment in a bottle: a few fun headlines from over the holidays

You know you're back from vacation when it takes you at least 2 or 3 times the amount of time it normally would to undertake just one, every day, item on your list.  Yes, I've been trying to get caught up on all of my wine industry news,  sifting through the virtual paperwork to bring you a few headline highlights this Friday.  A few winemakers have passed on (too depressing to write more about in the New Year, but you can hop over to Wines & Vines to learn more); several wineries are set to open or expand their lands; and there's been some 'action' in Bordeaux (Ch. Latour is on the market again and there is on-going banter about who is In and who is Out as far as their Classification system goes).

But today, since I'm not quite ready to give up the New Year celebrations, I bring to you two headlines about bubbly that happened to grab me for personal reasons....

Christmas morning I was determined we would not only have our traditional breakfast feast, but we would also enjoy lovely mimosas with it. The trick to a good mimosa is not necessarily good bubbly... it is, in fact, a noteworthy float of Grand Marnier. But I digress. In choosing a bubbly, I usually opt for a basic Cava; in this case, my Mom's local store had an ample supply of Freixenet Brut.  Perfect.

I know many women are afraid to actually open a bottle of bubbly. I am not one of these women. I have only had success in gingerly coaxing the cork from the bottle, with only a few occasions when the temperature of the wine or too much giggling in the car set the stage for a bit of overflow upon opening. Of course, we can't always be perfect - and you are even less likely to be so when you most want to avoid additional scrutiny from the likes of your nudging siblings. Suffice to say, I nearly took my brother's eye out as I readjusted the (too thick) towel I was using and the cork (not one that moved at all while I was attempting to "coax" it out, mind you) flew out across the room into my mother's (inactive) fireplace.  Sigh... You win some, you loose some. I heard about it after for days. Fortunately, I have a sense of humor about such things. And it certainly got the festivities in motion!

Ironically, just two days prior to this "incident", a fabulous little piece on this very phenomenon - cork speed - was issued. A German scientist actually clocked a cork at nearly 25 mph. Impressive! (Granted, it was a shaken bottle, but still... I believe it!) Check out additional details here.

Once back in Beantown, I was back in the shop to help with New Year's Eve madness. The boys brought in a new, easy-drinking, dry little bubbly from Italy - an Italian Chardonnay Brut by the folks at Borgo Maragliano (they make one of my favorite Moscato d'Asti's, "La Caliera"). It was retailing for only $9.99 - even better! This little wine ended up being our top seller, no doubt because the price was so good and it is decent juice after all. But in checking out headlines, it seems like Italian Sparkling is on the minds of more than just greater Boston residents.  Better-known sparklers like Prosecco, Moscato d'Asti and Brachetto d'Asti are responsible, but it is interesting to see Italian bubbly gaining serious momentum in the European market... Read more here!

Did you let a few corks fly over the holidays? How fast do you think they were moving?

a bit (more) on bubbly: marketing musings

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed a great bit of bubbly - whether Cava, Prosecco, Champagne, domestic sparkling or what have you - to ring in 2009. I have to admit, I'm a little sad the holidays are behind us. I did quite some damage enjoying bubbly from almost every wine-producing continent throughout December. And in so doing, I rejoiced in and fully celebrated just how great, food-friendly and versatile it is. My New Year's resolution might just include drinking at least one bottle each month of the year (not necessarily by myself or all at once, mind you). Ah, yes... I like this idea! What with all my bubbly enjoyment these last several weeks I couldn't help but muse the Marketing Giant that is the word, the region, and the renowned sparkler: Champagne. Just think of it! No other wine region in France, or really elsewhere, has the panache that Champagne does. No other wine seems to have inspired so many other styles of or takes on sparkling. No other wine says "sophistication" like Champagne. How does such a small-production entity (only 12% of sparkling wine worldwide) manage to capture the hearts/minds of so many people worldwide?

The short answer is History. Champagne got its real start via endorsements from royalty. In one example, Cristal was actually created for Czar Alexander II of Russia 1876 by Louis Roederer. Back then Russia was one of the highest export markets for the House. Of course, when the Czar found out he was drinking the same bubbly as his court he was a little peeved. Cristal became a special bottling, so named for the special lead crystal bottle it was distributed in. Meanwhile, an emerging middle class seeking a taste of how the other half lived, became more active consumers (albeit, not of Cristal, per se). And so it goes... Today, we simply seek out satisfying Champagnes to toast (and sip).

As someone who appreciates and enjoys many of the offerings coming from throughout France (and elsewhere), I can't help but wonder if any other region in the world will develop such a following. What will drive that new success? How about bizarre or clever tools now at play in the trade as a whole? Are they 'enough' to put a small producer or small producing region permanently on the map?

While I was contemplating this particular question, my stream-of-consciousness reminded me of a trade professional who tried to convince me of the marketability of aluminum last summer. I'm sorry to say, you may be able to drop the can of wine on the floor and merely dent it, but I don't think this will be the next great thing. I can even subscribe to the box wine phenomenon because of it's environmentally conscience and common sense-driven design. I'm largely a fan of screw caps. But aluminum? I'm sorry. No.

Over the holidays, my general musings about bubbly and marketing came full circle when I saw the biggest offender I've found on the market thus far: Francis Ford Coppola's Sophia Blanc de Blanc "mini"s. While this may be the wine of choice for sweet wine-interested consumers, could we please not sell it in a "convenient" can? Come on. A straw? For bubbly? This just hurts my feelings. It hurts history/tradition. For heaven's sake, there's no cork to pop! It only gets points for being offensively American. (If I were Madame Clicquot, I would actually turn in my grave.) Gnarly sweet and over-worked to boot, this wine gets my lowest rating: Humph!

Do you agree? What wine (marketing) faux pas did you encounter last year?