Champagne Bubblies and New Year Treats

Ringing in the New Year in the traditional champagne-toast way does not mean that you have to wring out your wallet in order to buy a decent bubbly. There are many nice champagnes and sparkling wines that can grace the Auld Lyne Syne part of your holidays and leave you exhilarated but not broke. Then, on the other hand, if you want to do a once-a-year splurge (or maybe more often?), there are marvelous “true” champagnes (see note at the bottom of the column) that will give you a tasting pleasure that is exceptional.

A basic vocabulary guide before you go shopping: Extra Dry means a little sweet. Brut means dry. Extra Brut means very dry. Blanc de Blanc is wine made entirely from Chardonnay grapes.

For good taste and good value, try the Deutz Champagne recommended (and sold) by Ron Florian at Truckee’s Florian Fine Wines & Specialty Foods. “It is a very subtle champagne, with a little bit of yeastiness,” noted Ron. At $49/bottle, it is an excellent value. Deutz has 275 acres of vineyards in the finest crus of Champagne. The wines are slowly and carefully aged in Deutz’ chalk-walled cellars far beneath the historic village of Aÿ, right in the middle of the champagne region of France. In fact, located in the village of Ay is the Musée Champenois.

Moving to a Brut Rose champagne from France will double the cost, but the Billecart-Salmon is exquisite. $117.99/bottle at Florian’s. For this bubbly, we’re letting one of the world’s famed experts speak: Stephen Tanzer. “Pale, orange-tinged pink. Vibrant, spicy aromas of orange peel, ruby-red grapefruit and floral honey. Focused and pure, with juicy orange and tangy rhubarb flavors and a lush, velvety texture. This is weightier than previous bottlings of this cuvee, but has the usual precision and lift expected by long-time fans of this rose. Finishes with juicy citrus flavors and a lite mineral jolt.”

Caroline Vogt, wine buyer for Tahoe House of Tahoe City, has a selection of champagne and bubblies that are affordable and food friendly. Gosset’s Brut Excellence Champage, a nicely layered and rich blend. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from from Grand and Premier Cru vineyards constitute 87% of this wine, with13% Pinot Meunier, give a bright finish with a hint of pear aroma. $42/bottle. An American favorite is Schramsberg’s Blance du Blanc, $38/bottle. Caroline was very enthusiastic about J Vineyards Cuvee 20, a nice dry bubbly which will go well with appetizers and desserts. $23/bottle. A very affordable “and really very nice bubbly”, said Caroline, is the Sequria Viudas Bruce Reserve Cava, a spanish sparkling wine, $10.99/bottle.

Will Clark, the very amiable owner of 49 Vines wine shop in Downieville, CA, has an enthusiastic recommendation: ”Wiebel Family vineyards in Hopland (Mendocino County, CA) makes a non-vintage almond Champagne (demi-sec sparkling wine) with an essence of almond! The very delicate almond flavor is layered over impressions of pear, green apple, and toasted vanilla. The tiny bubbles waft these flavors over the palate to create a very pleasing and unique taste sensation. Perfect for any celebration and a steal at $12.00.” Alcohol 11%. Will suggests that a perfect appetizer pairing is Thai chicken, chicken and shrimp… or pour this wine as a dessert over apricot, peaches and raspberry sorbet, and you'll have the perfect end to an everlasting meal memory .

A recent note from the Champagne Bureau and its Director Sam Heitner makes these points: True Champagne comes only from the Champagne appellation, located approximately 90 miles northeast of Paris. The Champagne region’s distinctive chalky soil, cool climate and strict regulations come together to create a unique sparkling wine impossible to duplicate anywhere else in the world. For a wine to bear the Champagne name, all the grapes used in its production must come from approved parcels and the wine must be elaborated, manipulated, stored and labeled within the appellation.

However, a loophole in U.S. law allows some domestic winemakers to continue to use the name Champagne and 15 other internationally recognized wine regions on wines that are not produced in those regions. “We are very proud to see more and more U.S. wine producers embracing the importance of location, yet until all practices change, we urge U.S. consumers to carefully review labels to insure they are not mislead,” continued Heitner. “When the time is right to pick a bottle of Champagne, it is important to remember that Champagne only comes from Champagne.” The Champagne Bureau is the official U.S. representative of the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), a trade association which represents the grape growers and houses of Champagne, France.

Oh those French! Just enjoy your New Year and all your many blessings.

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© 2009 Barbara Keck

For more information on dining and the wide range of activities around Lake Tahoe, see the online version of The Tahoe Weekly. This article appears in my column "It's Grape" in December 2009

Holiday Gift Ideas: What Every Wine Lover Should Have

There are a few essentials, and some frillies, that I’d put in gift wrap for anyone who enjoys wine.

The first is a bottle of Wine Away, which removes red wine stains from furniture, clothing, rugs – any fabric, pretty much. Made by Evergreen Labs, it costs about $10 for a 12 ounce spray bottle. I saw it on the shelf at Corkscrews Wine Bar in Tahoe City, but it is widely available.

Why is this important? Well, recently I was enjoying a tasting of Opolo’s wonderful wines with Kristi Snyder, Sommelier at Lone Eagle Grill at Hyatt Incline, and the sales manager for Opolo, Cary Thrasher, who was pouring their 2007 Mountain Zinfandel. Poor Cary poured the Zin right on his lap when his attention flagged for a moment. He was wearing taupe colored wool slacks. Kristi jumped up and got the Wine Away, handed it to Cary with a wet napkin. About half a bottle later (it was a BIG spill, and too bad, because the Zin was wonderful), Cary’s slacks were back to normal color.

If your wine loving friends don’t already have it, buy them a copy of The Wine Bible, authored by Karen MacNeil . A weighty paperback at 910 pages, the word “Bible” just begins to describe the importance of this book. About $20 new, and on used book sites, as low as $4. Drew Conly, wine server at the Fat Cat Café in Tahoe City, was pouring a taste of the Montepulciano they have by the glass. Out comes Drew’s well-worn copy of the Wine Bible, and we looked up a few references to Tuscan wines. Drew was so intrigued by The Wine Bible that he took it on his trip to Italy last year.

A few good wine glasses, one for reds, one for whites, are always welcome gifts. I’d recommend the Crate & Barrel “Elite” Chardonnay glass that stands 8 ¾” high and holds 22 oz. Plenty of stem to keep your warm hands away from cooling down the wine. $5.95 per glass. For the reds, a great everyday wine glass is the Spiegelau “Vino Grande” Burgundy glass, six for $52.95 at wineenthusiast.com. If your giftees already have red and white glasses, think about the Riedel “Wine Collection” Pinot-Nebbiolo glass, a set of four at $49.95 at beveragefactory.com

Taking care of your wine glasses is as important as having a few good glasses. I am a great fan of the Brushtech handled cleaner, and the small brush is fine even for big glasses. $6.95 at wineenthusiast.com, perhaps a dollar or two more at a wine shop. The manager of the La Bodega Winery shop, located in Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, TX, suggested adding a touch of bleach every few months to keep it bacteria free.

An absolute must for any wine adventurer who drinks inexpensive red wine of an untested quality: a Vinturi Wine Aerator. The standard one at $39.95 is a fine choice. Check it out at Corkscrews in Tahoe City. The explanation is this: it mixes just the right amount of air with your wine as you pour it through the device and into your glass, allowing your red wine to breathe instantly. Results are a better bouquet and flavor. The company also makes a white Vinturi wine aerator now too.

Some stocking stuffer ideas are the Epic Screwpull foil cutter made by Le Crueset. You can find it for $12.99 at epicgifts.com, or at many wine shops or kitchenware stores. Or consider the fun of “drinkware”, foam coasters for the bottom of wine glasses. Take a look at perpetualkid.com; for designs ranging from flip-flops to holiday designs to golf caddies; $15-20 for a set of 4, depending on the design.

Wine and the holidays. A perfect pairing!

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© 2009 Barbara Keck

For more information on dining and the wide range of activities around Lake Tahoe, see the online version of The Tahoe Weekly. This article appeared in my column "It's Grape" in December 2009.

Where to go for the Holidays? Italy – but locally

Those little hidden ristorantes in Italy beckon, but they are not so very far away. Walk into Pianeta Ristorante in Truckee’s old Commercial Row area downtown, and you are there! Owners Robyn Sills and Ed Coleman have painstakingly created a fresco-laden, welcoming and wine-loving place right here in Tahoe.

With more than 50 years of experience in fine dining between them, Robyn and Ed have worked to coordinate wine and food in Pianeta to create an evening that’s unrushed and fun. Their extensive wine list, which has been cited as one of the area’s best, features (of course) many Italian wines.

One of those good Italian wines on their list is La Vis Pinot Grigio, from the Trentino region of Italy. This wine is delicious, with bright fruit flavor, a soft floral aroma augmented by a bit of spice, and as it opens up in your glass, you can taste tangerine, almond, apricot and citrus on the finish. $7/glass. There are several good food pairings on the Pianeta menu, and all of them went well with this Pinot Grigio – bruschetta, olive tapenade with goat cheese on toast triangles, and a caprese served on a pool of fresh basil and olive oil.

If those pairings intrigue you, try an Italian red wine with them too. The Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona, an Italian Chianti, is aromatic with tones of cherry, and features soft tannins on the finish. Not so earthy as many Tuscan wines, and medium acidity made it a great food wine.
$8.50 per glass

“There are so many Italian varietals available now,” noted Robyn. “A problem is that prices for Italian wines have been rising due to the Euro-dollar exchange rate. But we have sought out the hidden gems because we are dedicated to making wine accessible and offering many price points for every budget. We’ve also built the wine list to support our Italian cuisine.”

The Tormaresca “Neprica” is a blend of Cabernet (30%), Primitivo (30%) and Negromaro (40%) and it is a hidden gem indeed! At $7 the glass, it paired fantastically well with the carpaccio, and the house-made Salcica served on poleta with roasted pepper. Often called a Super Tuscan, this wine is rich and complex, is well balanced with lots of fruit, and a nice structure with medium tannin. 13.5% alcohol.

The house made pasta dishes at Pianeta are many, and all of them are fabulous. There is a daily special ravioli that is always excellent, Good wine pairings from the Pianeta wine list are many, but two good ones are the 2005 Leonetti Sangiovese and the 2007AntinoriBianco.

The Leonetti hails from Walla Walla, WA, and is a blend of 76% Sangiovese, 13% Syrah, 11% Cabernet. It is a bright ruby red, and the aroma is redolent of red currant, berry, spice. Taste carries the spice through with some floral tones. On the finish, a hint of sweetness, chocolate. A nice acidity.

The 2007 AntinoriBianco is in Pianeta’s “More Adventurous Whites” section on the wine list, and it is a lovely Tuscan white. It is crisp, a blend of four grapes, dry and yet the tropical fruit overtones lead to a very enjoyable wine with medium finish and a citrusy aftertaste.

The favorite wine/food pairing of the owner? Ed would sit down anytime to their ribeye steak, topped with gorgonzola cheese & balsamic grilled onions. His wine choice is the 2005 Avignonese, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which Wine Spectator awarded 92 points. A beautiful garnet red in color; it’s intense in flavor, a teasing scent of violet, and dry taste of black cherry and licorice, with a hint of tannin. It’s perfect for serving now, and Ed likes its understated style and good balance.

Pianeta Ristorante is located at 10096 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee, CA 96161. (530) 587-4694. Try their daily special pasta!

What oh What to Pair With Chocolate? TAHOE Festival Answers This Important Question!

The Chocolate, Wine and Roses Festival, held in November 2009, answers the important question for wine aficionados and chocolate lovers: what wines to pair in order to extend the sumptuousness of chocolate.

This event is another instance of the do-good, taste-wine, eat-well opportunities that Tahoe neighbors and visitors can experience each year at the lake. Benefitting Tahoe Women’s Services and Project MANA, the Festival held at the North Tahoe Event Center, Kings Beach, should go on your calendar next autumn.

Ta-Dum! A new winery debuts at this Festival – the Big Woody Wine Company, located in Incline Village at sailing coordinates 39° N, 120° W. Alan Richards, president (who owns a goodsized vintage wooden Chris Craft boat, thus the winery’s name) poured his 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from Lake County. This is similar to a vin de pays from the Southern Rhone, with the raisinated fruit of a village wine. 13.7% alcohol. $15/bottle. The 2007 Chardonnay from Sonoma is akin to southern-Rhone white - think Granache Blanc/Viognier with some floral aromatics and backbone to stand up to foods. 13.0% alcohol. $15/bottle.

The Big Woody wines were wonderfully paired with a dozen different chocolates hand made by Aaron Zendner, chocolatier extraordinaire of Mr. Z’s Micro-confectionary, based in Incline Village. My favorite of Aaron’s array was an amazing chocolate covered toffee sprinkled with chopped nuts. This is NOT for the calorie-conscious.

Truckee River Winery, which has just opened a tasting room, has expanded its offerings. They poured their 2008 El Dorado County Pinot Gris, very flavorful , an unfiltered wine with the characteristic Pinot Gris coming through nicely, with a crisp finish, 13.4% $12/bottle. This wine was awarded the People’s Choice Award at the Chocolate-Wine-Roses Festival.

On the way to taste the wines presented by Joseph Nase of Moody’s/Baxter’s Northstar, we took time to watch Brooke and Thomas McCarthy, owners of Bite Catering of Incline Village, put together a wonderful Choco Taco, comprised of a slice of ripe persimmon, topped with house made Ghiradelli Fudge and finished with pomegranate and fresh fruit tidbits.

This could be a difficult pairing to make, but Nase recommended two very different wines, both of which went beautifully. The 2007 Banyuls by M Chapoutier is a classic with chocolate. Somewhat prun-ey in the nose, but then delights the palate with raisins, nuttiness, molasses, black raspberry. Made from very old Grenache vines, 16% alcohol. About $20 for a 500 ml bottle.

The second wine, a Lot XIII Charles Krug Napa Valley Zinfandel Port is a limited release wine that presents a toffee-delight to the nose and carries through in taste. There are oak aromatics at play here too, and berry jam. “Crafted in the spirit of the Solera style, thirteen vintages create a seductive history of our Port in one glass,” notes the Krug website. “This elegant and weighty Port lingers on the palate, slowly drifting to a chewy, yet supple finish.” Yes it does. It is a delight with chocolate. 18.1% alcohol, $35 for a 375 ml bottle.

The 2007 Gold Note Zinfandel, Fair Play (southern El Dorado County) CA, is an amazing wine from Kevin Foley, winemaker at Gold Note. This Zinfandel keeps winning awards. Foley characterizes it this way: “an aromatic fruit nose rich with strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry flavors. This gold-medal Zin is smooth, powerful, and full-bodied with a well-balanced dry finish with notes of caramel and spice.” 16.9 % alcohol. $30/bottle

Nevada City Winery offered their Late Harvest Zinfandel as their chocolate pairing wine. Sourced from grapes in the Sierra Foothills, it is richly flavored with, a mildly sweet taste counter-balanced with crisp, fruity flavors. 14.8% alcohol. $18/ 500 ml bottle
Dawn Bertsch, one of our favorite young sommeliers in the Lake Tahoe area, poured two wonderful chocolate-pairing wines on behalf of Chambers & Chambers Wine Merchants. Dr Loosen 2007 Riesling Kabinett is not only a great aperitif wine, but a dinner wine due to a fine lingering aftertaste and a spicy, tangy minerality. It’s low alcohol, 8.5%, makes it very refreshing . $20/bottle.

The Cossart Gordon Madeira Bual was aged 15 years in Oak, to reach its 19% alcohol level it is an inviting wine, fruity, and with well rounded fruit, touch of cinnamon, and a lasting finish. $38/ 500 ml bottle.

Although it will be another year before this benefit is held, please remember that these charitable organizations deserve and need your support year-round.

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© 2009 Barbara Keck

For more information on dining and the wide range of activities around Lake Tahoe, see the online version of The Tahoe Weekly. This article appeared in my column "It's Grape" in November 2009.

Tired of Waiting

It will pay to sit up straight and think about this quote : "Defining a new normal and acting on that is more prudent than waiting for the old normal to return." That's a note from Rob McMillan, founder of Silicon Valley Bank's Wine Division and author of their Annual State of the Wine Industry Report. Of all the prelims, this is the most important lesson.

I haven't been blogging a lot this year, because the paradigm shift initiated by the current recessionary economic environment has been confusing to all. I've been hesitant to write about the old order and best business practices to maintain that order, and it just hasn't seemed appropriate to be a booster of techniques and terms of the "old normal".

Now, my prognosis is that the shake out is almost done. The owners of cult wineries fueled by the excess money earned in Silicon Valley are twisting and turning and trying to survive, and these wannabe winmakers have learned -- or should have learned -- that their $120 cabs and $80 chards are just not going to sell beyond their own personal rolodexs. The big guys got bigger (Foley, an excellent example) by buying low and smartly are using the synergies that come from centralizing management functions to reduce G&A and other fixed costs and stay profitable.

So maybe 2010 will bring some structure to the industry, and the "new normal" -- yet to be defined and quantified -- will provide grist for the blogger mill once again.

I'm really looking forward to the Unified Symposium to schmooze and get the skivvy. One of the nice things about survival mode, I've observed, is that the best and brightest people are more willing to share... or at least to drop a few veils.

$45 Winery Sustainability and Design Education Series Online from VT

"In early 2008 the Virginia Tech wine department organized a very successful Winery Sustainability and Design program covering many winery sustainability issues. Because of the success of this event and the importance of the subject, Dr. Bruce Zoecklein posted an Adobe Presenter version of this Online.

The subjects included in these audio and Power Point slide presentations are as follows:
 Sustainability in Winery Design
 Sustainable Winery Architecture
 Why Solar, Why Now
 Gravity Flow Design, Principles and Practices
 Cellars, Caves and Earth-Sheltered Design
 Winery Construction and Sustainable Building Materials

Each presentation is approximately 45 minutes long. Topics are discussed by some of the most respected winery architects, engineers, and winery planners from California and the Pacific Northwest.

This password-protected program is available for a donation of $45 to the Enology-Grape Chemistry Group at Virginia Tech. These funds will be used to support graduate student education. Check it out at: http://www.vtwines.info/ "

This info from Iowa State's Michael L White. who produces a fantastic bi-weekly newsletter called Wine-Grower-News: issue #104 October 9, 2009

Tasting Opolo by Lake Tahoe's Shores (What could be better?)

One of the most talented sommeliers at Lake Tahoe is Kristi Snyder, who buys wine and makes diners feel very welcome at the fantastic lakeside Lone Eagle Grill at Hyatt Regency Incline. She's the kind of wine professional who you just want to visit time and again. No wonder this is the highest ranking Hyatt in the world in terms of bottle sales of wine!

Kristi pulls everyone together in a spirit of education, fun and food. Today's treat (November 10, 2009) was happening onto a tasting of Opolo wines, and 7 bottles of wonder from this Paso Robles vineyard and winery were open and being gently paired with the Grill's great cuisine.

"We've become known as a Zinfandel house," said Cary Thrasher, Sales Manager of Opolo Vineyards. He was pouring their 2007 Mountain Zinfandel. No sense in mincing words, this is a fantastic wine, a great value at $28 per bottle, and there's a good chance you will find it on the Hyatt Incline's wine list soon. The Opolo website description says it all: "Always an Opolo favorite, we are particularly proud of this wine. Possibly the best vintage yet, the '07 Mountain Zinfandel is loaded with gobs of boysenberry, wild cherry and blackberry. Rustic anise and ripe velvety tannins on the finish are the perfect ending to this fantastic wine."

Regardless of the Zin-house reputation, Nevada sales rep Gabri Fogliani of Encore Beverages encouraged me to try the Opolo 2006 Viognier. It is absolutely wonderful. Grapes come from 300 acres that Opolo has in Paso Robles. It's big-bodied, tones of apricot and melon and a bit of spice, and it has a great long and rich finish. 14.9% alcohol, $22.00 a bottle.

Frankly, the Viognier is one of the best wines I've tasted since I started writing the weekly wine column for The Tahoe Weekly newspaper in April 2009. That says a lot -- it's been almost 1000 wines.

Might be the perfect wine for your Thanksgiving feast!