Wines for Burning Man and Other All Terrain Occasions

Tis I, in pink pajama bottoms...

My one and only trip to Burning Man was in a friend’s  RV with refrigerator, shower, and  aircon system.  But many of my fellow Burners opted for the real deal … tents or canopies with sleeping bags,3^rd-wheel trailers, older model cars, station wagons, or just plain thumbing it.

We poured wine from real glass bottles:  nicely chilled white wines, reds kept at a reasonable indoor temperature.  Real-deal Burners opt more eco-friendly packaging, and a price point less than $10 for the bottle equivalent.

I visited Ben’s Fine Wine & Spirits’ location on Lakeside Drive in Reno to talk to Drew Craib, the Wine Manager/Buyer.  Ben’s has several locations, some of which are closer to the logical driving route.   Ben’s is on the prep list for Burning Man.

Drew actually tastes all the wine that makes its way onto his shelves.   Okay, he does draw the line at known plonk, and some box wines fit that description.

Box wines and pouched wines are eco-friendly.  They travel well.  You can pack a trailer with multitudinous boxes and know they won’t break on the way to the Burn.   Some of them are really quite tasty.   So if you head to Burning Man in August 2013, keep this list handy. There won’t be that many changes.  If you are going camping, this list applies too.  I am concentrating on reds since ice costs real money at Burning Man.  And it’s hard to find on the camping trail. 

Drew Craib of Ben's

TOP CHOICE:  The Climber, in a pouch of 1.5 liters (2 bottles equivalent).  Drew calls it  “the all terrain wine transport” system.  Made by Clif Family Winery, the same folks that brought you Clif bars, there are several varietals available.  $16.99 the pouch.  The Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.1 percent alcohol, is tasty.  The California Chardonnay, 13.9 percent alcohol, also tasty. 

SECOND CHOICE:  Black Box wines, in a 3 liter box that’s a 4 bottle equivalent.  $20.99 for the box.  The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is 12.5 percent alcohol.

THIRD CHOICE:  Corbett Canyon’s Pinot Noir, sold in a 3 liter box.  This is a mid-grade pinot, with 13 percent alcohol.  $10.99 for the box; that works out to GULP $2.25 per bottle.  You get what you pay for.

A tip of the hat to Fred Franzia, who popularized box wines.  “They fly out of here,”  said Drew.  The Franzia 5 liter box which sells for $15.99 is a 6 2/3 bottle equivalent, or $2.40 a bottle.  Best to choose one of their “Home Wine Favorites” choices. I suggest it for dire emergencies only.

How to Promote Wine in an Islamic County: Case Study

Think of this challenge:  You are the manager of a 5-star hotel.  It is located in an Islamic country.  Your guests are both well-heeled locals with petrodollars to spend, and well-heeled tourists from other parts of the world.  You cannot overtly promote your wine list.  Your wine list is really, really good. 

What’s a hotelier to do?  The answer is to rely on word of mouth, and that, in part, is what this blog is about.  If you are anywhere near Muscat, Oman, you MUST go to the Al Bustan Palace and experience their wine and their fabulous food.

Al Bustan Palace at Twilight, courtesy hotel website

Normally an American blogger would not have this opportunity, and so I give my thanks to Steven Holt, Marketing Director - Public Relations for the Ritz Carlton Hotels of Northern California.   With 2 days to spare at the end of an archaeology adventure in Oman, I emailed Steven:  “I understand the Al Bustan is now operated by Ritz.  Who do you know?”

Erika Anggreini, public relations manager, made a visit and tasting possible.  At a table set a few feet from the lapping waves of the azure waters of the Sea of Oman near the hotel’s Al Khiran Terrace restaurant, the assortment of wines presented by Mark Fagan, Beverage Manager, was simply incredible.   “Our wine list changes constantly,” he noted.  It takes a while for us to get inventory here, and our clientele like a wide variety of wine experience.”  For those who do not consume alcohol, the hotel offers sparkling date juice and other interesting beverages.

The surroundings of course were as equally incredible as the wines. 

        
This magnificent hotel is set against a majestic backdrop of rugged mountains with and oasis-like feeling amid 200 acres of lush beachfront landscaping.  It is justifiably known as one of the world’s most luxurious resorts, with a reputation as the “Jewel of the Sultanate,” and has often hosted

visiting heads of state and members of royalty.  This amazing hotel was originally built to host the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in 1985.  The hotel is owned by the Ministry of Tourism of the Sultanate of Oman and has been managed by Ritz-Carlton since mid-2011; general manager is Bernard Viola, who has a 20 year career in the hospitality industry.

Our tasting began with the 2010 Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, a popular pour at the resort, particularly with EC guests, noted Mark Fagan.  Redolent of gooseberry, lime and citrus, it is a relaxed wine perfect for beachfront dining.  13.5% alcohol.  The food pairing presented by the culinary team headed by Joergen Sodemann, Executive Chef, was scallops with passionfruit, mushrooms and fennel.

The next wine, which can be found on the hotel’s Bistro wine list is was a Blanc Fume de Pouilly 2005 Dagueneau, from a region 200 miles south of Paris near the Loire valley. Citrus and oak were the predominant taste in this wine, with a touch of pineapple at the side of the palate and a nice minerality.  12.5% alcohol.   200 OMR (Omani Real) the bottle.  (At the time of my visit, one OMR was 2.6 American dollars.)

The 2009 Spy Valley Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand, is yummy with lots of red fruit, coffee, and chocolate flavors, with nice spice and well integrated tannins.  14.5% alcohol.  Chef Sodemann paired it with a seared tuna with savory spices, and a mango salsa.

In my opinion, seconded by beverage manager Fagan, the best wine of the evening is an Amarone Classico della Valpolicella, Riserva 2003, Verona.  A blend of three types of grapes,  usually Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara,  it is sweet and dry.  “A King of Red Wines,”   proclaimed Fagan.  This was an excellent wine for the end of the meal. 16% alcohol.

Ending the evening on a sweet note, we enjoyed the 2010 Sauvion “Chemin des Sables” Rosé d’Anjou from France’s Loire Valley.  It’s a blend of  Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Pineau d’Aunis (Chenin Noir), and Grolleau.  Aroma of peach, cherry and strawberry.  Nicely acidic, and semi-sweet.  11% alcohol.

The producer’s website recommends serving this Rosé chilled with Asian foods.

I recommend serving it chilled at the side of the Sea of Oman.

Many thanks to the team at the Al Bustan Palace for hosting what is clearly the most memorable wine event of my life.   When I strike oil, I’m coming back.

Cooper's Hawk makes Wine-Food Pairings Foolproof with Good Results

Making wine accessible, inexpensive and well-paired with good food:  that’s what Cooper’s Hawk restaurants have accomplished.  And if my math is not too bad, I think they bring several million a year to the bottom line too.

My brother claims that he doesn’t know one wine from another.  He does.  He knows if a wine is red, white, pink, or sparkling.   Regardless of this claim, in fact he appreciates when wine and food pair well, and this is what Cooper’s Hawk makes easy. 

I loved the menu.  The wine list is substantial, with at least 30 wines to choose from, all made by Cooper’s Hawk from grapes trucked in from California, Oregon and Washington and a few other states. The 60,000 square foot facility in Southwest suburban Chicago will soon be expanded to 80,000 square feet with a goal of 100,000 square feet.   Current case production is 175-180,000 cases, according to Indianapolis restaurant manager Matthew Kehret.  (The website notes “over 125,000 gallons” a year.)    Indianapolis is one of 6 locations in the Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurants group; more are planned soon for other Indiana and Ohio locations. 

Rob Warren is the primariy winemaker, collaborating with owner Tim McEnery.  Warren’s chops include Kacaba Vineyards in the Niagara region of Canada, and Tarara winery in Virginia.

At the side of each wine on the menu, there is a “bin number”.   On the other pages of the menu – appetizers, main entrees, desserts – are listed brief descriptions of the items on offer, and those items also include a Bin Number.    There is also a Life Balance Menu, part of the group’s recognition of trends in healthy eating.

I chose the “custom tasting” option on the wine list ($15.99).  After my brother and I had decided on our food choices, we looked at the Bin Numbers, and then ordered the wines for the tasting according to the suggested pairings.   The pours, by the way, were generous.   Our pairings:

·         Caesar Salad.  Viognier (bin 76).  A classic new world style Viognier.  13.5% alcohol

·         Caprese Flatbread.  Sauvignon Blanc (bin 78).  A bit metallic to my taste, but not objectionable.   12.5% alcohol

·         Beef tenderloin sliders.  Cabernet Zinfandel (bin 94) .  A blend of 60% cabernet and 40% zinfandel.  Not as hearty as I would have assumed it would be, but a nice drinkable red that’s beef-friendly.  13.5% alcohol.

·         Bacon-wrapped scallops with roasted pineapple and a white rice pilaf.  Gewurztraminer (bin 73).  Nicely sweet but not over the top, and a good pairing.  13.5% alcohol.

Our server presented us with the wine club brochure at a strategic moment, that is to say, after a few glasses of wine.   The wine club has some nice features, such as the ability to earn “points” for every dollar spent at the establishment, and for 350 points you receive a $25 certificate good towards dine-in or carry-out food.   You can choose to join the wine club in four categories:  variety, red, white, sweet.

If you sign up to receive one bottle of Sweet wines each month, you’ll pay $16.99.   For the other categories, it’s $18.99.

So let’s say you join at the $18.99 price.  That’s $228 a year.  (You can cancel at any time, but why would you?  The wine pick-up parties and special events for wine club members are reputed to be great fun!)

With 4000 wine club members in the E. 96^th Street, Indianapolis, establishment alone, that’s over $900,000 in revenue yearly.   (And membership keeps growing!   This establishment has only been open for 18 months….).    Let’s say, generously, that the cost of goods sold is about $4 per bottle.  That’s $192,000 a year.     So the wine club brings down to the bottom line OF JUST THIS ONE ESTABLISHMENT, a healthy $700,000.  

Of course there are marketing costs.  But the restaurant was pretty busy and I have a hunch that that operation covers its own expenses, and then some.    The servers are not sommeliers, WSET or other high-priced labor.  There’s a lot of automation in place in assigning tables and calling diners by those vibrating devices that you are given when you check in.  There's a wine tasting area and a gift shop too.

I like this model.  They’ve got a great thing going.  You really need to see the operation for yourself.  It’s a great way to introduce a wine-shy public to the concept of food and wine pairings in a way that guarantees them a nice experience.

I hope to meet Tim McEnery in person someday.  He and wife Dana have created an impressive enterprise since opening their first winer/restaurant in 2005 in Orland Park, IL.    The website doesn’t give me a clue to the name of the enterprise, but I’ll ask him when I meet him.

In the meantime, you too can “meet” Tim virtually at http://www.coopershawkwinery.com/    Go to the PressRoom to see the short video.  Impressive. 

Everything Pairs Well with Bubblies, Even Holiday Cookies...

Holiday cookies and champagne is a perfect pairing, but then everything seems to pair well with champagne. Forty neighbors recently joined me in my San Francisco winter pied-à-terre to toast the holidays and exchange cookies and good cheer. I hadn’t yet received all the notes below from Tahoe-based wine shop owners, so I was on my own at Costco. Since I also love Prosecco, there was plenty of that affordable bubbly too. You will find many nice choices at nearby wine shops without the bedlam of a Big-Box store during this holiday season.

First, a few official definitions, provided by The Champagne Bureau. Do an internet search for more interesting information!

• Brut NV (Non-vintage) is usually a blend of wines from several years and a number of 'crus.'

• Rosé Champagne is produced by macerating the black grapes or by adding locally produced red wine to the blend.

LOCAL CHOICES:

Debby Bullentini, proprietor of the L'uva Bella Wine Gallery in the Summit Sierra shopping center in Reno recommends Brut Souverain NV, which originates in Reims, France. $53.99 the bottle.

“First of all, I love the history of Henriot, since 1808 they have passed down the tradition of champagne making,” notes Debby. “The champagne is well balanced, but delicate. Beautiful small, tight bubbles race up the side of the flute with great white flowers, citrus and acidity on the palate. This wine can be served as an apertif, or even throughout a meal. To be specific, I think it will pair really well with fish, light dishes, and maybe something topped with an apricot/mango salsa.”

Marsha Wagner of Dockside 700 Wine Bar and Grill in the center of Tahoe City notes that they sell Freixenet Cordon Negro, Spain, for $12 per bottle. This is the Number One imported sparkling wine in the world! It is crisp, clean and well balanced with a medium body. Flavors are apple, pear and bright citrus and a crisp touch of ginger. Dockside 700 also offers many wonderful food treats to accompany your festivities.

Caroline Vogt, wine buyer, at the Tahoe House Bakery & Gourmet near Tahoe City offers four bubblies for customers to pick up along with the wonderful appetizers, cheeses and baked goods that would go so well with holiday celebrations. Segura Vindas, a Brut Reserva CAVA from Spain, sells for $11 the bottle. It is created from a blend of reserve and non-vintage wines, and the aroma combines white fruits, citrus and tropical fruits, and light floral notes.

A California producer, J Vineyards, makes a lovely Brut Rose. At $27 the bottle, the winery describes this pinky sparkler well: “crisp, red berries, blood orange, lemon peel, concentrated flavors, perfect balance, effervescent, elegant The other J option is J Cuvee 20, which is their signature sparkling wine, made in a style that’ss both elegant and balanced. This is a blend from the fine cool-climate vineyards in the Russian River Valley. $23 the bottle.

The Piper Heidsieck Champage Brut, $39 a bottle, consistently gets high praise from Wine Spectator Magazine: "Firm and lightly toasty, this offers ripe flavors of quince paste, candied orange peel, grilled nuts and ground ginger. Shows fine balance and a pleasant juiciness that builds to the mouthwatering finish.”

Whatever you choose, your holiday will be so much more fun with a sparkling wine! Happy New Year!

LOCATIONS FOR THE TAHOE-AREA SHOPS MENTIONED:

L'uva Bella Wine Gallery, Summit Sierra Center, 13925 South Virginia St., Suite 248, Reno, NV 89511 tel: (775) 851-1110

Dockside 700 Wine Bar & Grill, 700 N Lake Blvd, Tahoe City, CA 96145. (530) 581-0303

Tahoe House Bakery & Gourmet, 625 W lake Blvd, Tahoe City, CA 96145 (530) 583-1377

Harvest Report: Oman in Arabia

Since it was near the end of the harvest in the Sierra Foothills, I decided to switch reporting locale and travel to Arabia – Oman, to be specific.

First, it is important to note that no wine grapes are harvested in Oman, nor are there any wineries. This is a Moslem country. But for the thirsty tourist, almost all hotels set aside Koranic law for us infidels and offer a wine list where you can get a vastly overpriced (and sometimes heat-cooked) bottle of French, Australian, Chilean or South African wine, or, for about 3 to 6 Omani Rial (at 2.6 US dollars to the OMR) a glass of a varietal called “red wine” or “white wine.” I seem to recall that the English have a term for these varietals, and it is “plonk”.

daily life in Muscat

This was a big eye-opener for me, fresh from the reports of great Zins and Syrahs that will result from the 2011 harvest in the Sierra Foothills. I was looking forward to some great Moscato. I mean, Muscat Oman must have something to do with Muscat or Moscato wines. You’d think.

Sadly, I informed my grown sons by email via the 1-rial-an-hour hotel business center computers that since wine was so expensive, I would not be buying any souvenirs, not even the frankincense for which Oman is famous, and would instead devote a ceramic made-to-look-old pot of OMR to the search for a decent glass of wine. This search continues.. but I have great weekend plans for the bar at the Al Bustan, the Ritz Carlton property in Muscat.

Actually, I think the best bet for a local winemaking industry in Oman would be for a date-based wine. Dates are everywhere here, with 35,000 hectares of land planted with date palms throughout the Sultanate, and there are 40-odd varieties grown in the Nizwa region of Oman alone and that’s just one growing area. There is even an historical date-crush process in place. A few hundred years ago when Omani mud-brick walled cities and forts were under siege, the protectors would rush to the date storage rooms, where bags of dates had been laid layer upon layer several meters high on three sides of the room, starting with a platform raised about 18 inches and slightly cantilevered toward the twoinside corners. Date juice would emanate naturally from the weight of the heaped dates, and be collected in ceramic pots strategically placed at those corners.



Nizwa Fort stairs

 This is where the Omanis made a grevious winemaking error. Instead of contacting Scott Labs, Lallemand, Chr.Hansen etc for the latest date-juice-fermenting yeast, they HEATED UP the date juice and poured it through slats in their fortress steps as invaders were rushing up the lower steps. Kind of like tarring and feathering, but without the feathers. It seems to have worked, since Oman stayed independent and continued its dhow building and trading even to modern times. Today most of the export trade is in oil, natural gas, copper and aluminium.

There’s a real opportunity to increase their balance of payments with a date wine industry, I think. Wake up, Your Majesty, the world awaits Omani date wine!

(Note to self, next time buy wine at duty free before getting on the plane to Muscat).

Celebrating California's Cabernet Sauvignon

I have a wine savvy friend who doesn’t like Cabernet. I can understand that – not everyone wants that tannin experience in the mouth, what is often described as “little wooly sweaters pulled onto your teeth.”


But Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the great wines of the California experience, and there is much to celebrate. That’s why, next year you might want to maker sure you are in town (San Francisco) for the yearly California Cabernet Society tasting. Get on their mailing list at www.californiacabernetsociety.com.

The 2011 tasting, held at the beautiful Bently Reserve building, featured 62 wineries from many AVAs in California, all producers of Bordeaux grapes and wines. The Bently Reserve was a fitting location for this prestigious tasting; this building at 400 Sansome Street in San Francisco was formerly the Old Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, built in 1924 with an Ionic colonnade that is pure Beaux-Arts.

Lots of wonderful Cabernet s were featured, but right away I must rave about the 2008 Napa Valley “Four Soil Melange” Cabernet Sauvignon from Sequum. The fruit of this wine is lively and integrated, with a bright flavor. The grapes for this wine are harvested from four distinct Napa Valley vineyards located in four separate appellations: Spring Mountain, Stag’s Leap,Rutherford and St. Helena. Winemaker Paul Skinner encourages the wines to express their terroir, and the result is wonderful. 325 cases of this wine were produced. 14.2% alcohol, $40 the bottle. http://www.sequum.com/

Star Lane Vineyard, located at the far eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley, featured two wines. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. The winemaker’s notes: “Licorice accented black cherry and cassis fruit gives way to sweet herb and mocha shadings. On the palate the wine is full yet fresh, and there is a vibrancy to the fruit character that is unique to the ’06 vintage. A very tightly wound, high-strung wine upon bottling, the 2006 Star Lane Cabernet has opened itself up into a fresh and striking mouthful that begs both immediate enjoyment and long term cellaring.” 15.1% alcohol. $42 the bottle. 
The 2006 Star Lane Astral Cabernet Sauvignon tasted a bit rough at this time, but will cellar for later use very well. The blend is 52% Cabernet Franc, 28% Petit Verdot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The mountain fruit really shines through here (the vineyards are at 1600 feet elevation) and this wine is herbaceous like many Santa Ynez Cabs, full-bodied and rich, with nice tannins, and flavor of cherries, chocolate and cedar. 15% alcohol, $80 the bottle. http://www.starlanevineyard.com/

Kenefick Ranch Winery, Calistoga, poured its 2007 Cabernet Franc, Caitlin’s Select. Only 747 cases of this wine were made, and its composition is 100% estate grown fruit, with 91% Cabernet Franc, 6% merlot and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. The aroma is dark chocolate, Maraschino cherry and fresh raspberries. Black cherry comes through on the palate, with a bit of vanilla. Robert Parker gave this wine 91 points. 15.2% alcohol, $52 the bottle. http://www.kenefickranch.com/

Justin Winery poured their 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, a new release. Their website tasting notes echo my experience with the wine: “offers a merge of red and black fruits, delicate spiciness from carefully selected American oak barrels, and deep brooding opaque color. A meaty entry gives way to a generous back palate of supple but not shy tannins, a graceful flow across the palate, and a fine, debonair finish.”  14.5% alcohol, $26 the bottle. http://www.justinwine.com/

The California Cabernet Society seeks to expand worldwide regard and appreciation for California Cabernet varietals. For more information, call 707 252 6229 or visit their website at www.californiacabernetsociety.com

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© 2011 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 "Wine Adventures" in July 2011.

Book in Process: "Mountain High Wine: The Sierra and Its Foothills".

CHAMPAGNE TOASTS THE WEDDING SEASON

With the wedding season in full swing, here’s a guide to finding the a perfect Champagne for every wedding celebration. Sharing Champagne with your family and friends is a wonderful way to enjoy all your wedding festivities. Nothing symbolizes celebration more than a quality Champagne. Whether choosing a romantic wine on your honeymoon or celebrating with friends before the big day, the happy pair deserves the perfect pairing.


First, some quick definitions, provided by The Champagne Bureau:

Brut NV (Non-vintage) is usually a blend of wines from several years and a number of 'crus.'

Vintage Champagne is produced exclusively from the wines of a single harvest. As a result, producers will only declare a vintage in exceptional years.

Rosé Champagne is produced by macerating the black grapes or by adding locally produced red wine to the blend.

Special Cuvée is made from the most subtle and distinctive wines, whether vintage-dated or not.

Demi-Sec Champagne does differ from Brut in its slightly sweeter taste.

Blanc de Blanc is made from a blend of white grapes only, Blanc de Noir is a blend of black grapes only.

OCCASION: The Bridal Shower – Everyone there will enjoy the pink color and light, fruity flavor of a delicious rosé Champagne. Rosé pairs perfectly with subtle cheeses, smoked salmon, and fruit salad, as well as many other hors d'oeuvres. Plus, a half bottle makes a lovely party favor.

OCCASION: The Bachelor or Bachelorette Party – For your last night in singledom, liven up your celebration with a rich, full bodied Blanc de Noirs style Champagne. This Champagne is made using only black grapes and pairs well with full-flavored foods—perfect to get the party started!

OCCASION: The Rehearsal Dinner – It can be hard to please a room full of family, but a non-vintage Brut Champagne pairs well with almost anything and can help the evening go smoothly.

OCCASION: The Reception – On the wedding day, Blanc de Blancs Champagne is a perfect wine for your toasts. The name literally means “white of white,” a perfect complement to your gown. This delicate Champagne is made from only Chardonnay grapes and has a light, dry flavor, just right for when you want to dance all evening. Make sure to save a bottle to drink on your first anniversary!

OCCASION: The Honeymoon – When the happy pair is finally alone, make sure there is a a rare Vintage Champagne to share. It’s only made in years that produce the highest quality grapes, and just as love grows over time, these wines have been aged for a minimum of three years before they are released.

Champagne is produced exclusively from the grapes of Champagne, France, under strict rules designed to ensure quality. There are many other wonderful sparkling wines made around the world, but true Champagne only comes from Champagne.

The distinctive natural components of the terroir of Champagne — a unique combination of soil, sub-soil, climate and grape varieties unlike anywhere else in the world — are the underlying factors which account for the uniqueness of the wines of the Champagne region. The harshness of the northern climate is fortunately tempered by two particularities: a deep chalk sub-soil that allows easy drainage, and the way in which the grape vines are planted on slopes where they can receive the most sunlight. Under these conditions, the vineyards can yield their best grapes.

Thanks to the Champagne Bureau for their information! It’s 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. “Whichever Champagne you choose, make sure it is genuine,” says the Bureau. For more information, go to http://www.champagne.us/.

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© 2011 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 "Wine Adventures" in June 2011.

Book in Process: "Mountain High Wine: The Sierra and Its Foothills".

Using Leftover Champagne

I can’t bear to throw it out. Leftover champagne can be good for a few days, and in more than one way, so here are a few ideas.

First, hold a Hair-of-the-Dog party and invite your friends on the afternoon of January 1 (or after the next big event where champagne is the dominant drink… Valentine’s Day? Wedding? Bachelor Party? ) to bring their leftover champagne. You can provide the aspirin. That’s what happened at my place on January 1 and it was great fun! A lot of leftover holiday food appeared too, so everyone was happy to ring out the old year and make room in the ‘fridge for the new.

Of course, you might just want to drink any leftover champagne from the event yourself. So make sure you preserve it well. There’s no way the cork will go back into the bottle, by the way.

And forget the silver-spoon-in-the-neck myth. If you want to read a funny dissertation on an experiment done by a truly inventive if somewhat whacky guy that debunks that myth, go to http://www.straightdope.com/ and search for “silver spoon”. Cecil Adams, writer of that dissertation, started his research by asking the Champagne News and Information Bureau in New York and Paterno Imports, a champagne importer in Chicago, about preserving open champagne.

Conclusion: a reusable stopper made of stainless steel is your best bet for preserving the bubbly for a few days. But leaving the bottle open and upright in the refrigerator works pretty well too.

Next, search the internet for drink recipes using champagne. Mimosa (champagne and orange juice, equal parts) is a given. But champagne has a nice acidity that can enhance cocktails in a refreshing citrus-juicy way. The best I found, on the site tastingtable.com, was created by a mixologist at Death and Company, a cocktail lounge in Manhattan’s Lower East Side:

Doc Daneeka Royale
Makes 1 drink

2 ounces Plymouth gin
1/2 ounce Grade B maple syrup
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce Champagne or other sparkling wine
One 1-by-2-inch piece of grapefruit peel

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, maple syrup and lemon juice and shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass and top with the Champagne. Twist the grapefruit peel over the drink and discard. Serve immediately.

Many food recipes use leftover champagne. One that will enhance the dessert table just requires mxing, chilling, and serving over fruit. It will also do wonders poured on leftover fruitcake.

CHAMPAGNE CREAM SAUCE
Yield: 1 Servings

1/3 c Sugar
5 Egg yolks
2 tablespoons Whipping cream
3/4 c Champagne

Or for that après-ski experience, how about a fondue made with champagne? This recipe was created by Tessa, a food blogger from South Carolina who posts on the site copykatchat.com.

Three Cheese Fondue with Champagne

4 t. cornstarch
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 c. dry (brut) Champagne (NOTE: do not use Asti..)
1 large shallot, chopped
2 cups coarsely grated Gruyere cheese (about 7 oz)
1 1/3 cups coarsely grated Emmenthal cheese (about 5 oz)
1/2 cup diced rindless Brie (or Camembert) (3 oz)
Generous pinch of ground nutmeg
Pinch of white pepper

1 French bread baguette, cut into 1 inch cubes

Stir cornstarch and lemon juice in small bowl until cornstarch dissolves; set aside.Combine Champagne and shallot in fondue pot or heavy medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat 2 mininutes, remove pot from heat. Add all cheeses and stir to combine. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Return fondue pot (or saucepan) to medium heat and stir until cheeses are melted and smooth and it thickens and boils - about 12 min.
Season with nutmeg and white pepper.
Serve with bread crumbs.

Remember, Keep Tahoe Green. Do not pour leftover champagne down the sink!

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© 2011 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 January 2011.

Book in Process: " Mountain Wineries of the Sierra and Its Foothills".

Boxed Wines at Tableside.... oh really?

I love dining in New York City, and exploring new restaurants means exploring wines too. But I was shocked to be served wine from a box at the table. Right out there in the open. Another "what's with that?" reaction from prissy little me.

The restaurant was Hearth, located in the East Village. The wine was a Malbec from Mendoza, specifically the 2008 Yellow and Blue Malbec. And the package, according to the website http://www.ybwines.com/ is eco-friendly. In my opinion it is probably shelf friendly, ship friendly, cost friendly, refrigerator friendly ... but excuse me, I don't think it is tableside friendly.

It's not like Hearth could serve this wine any other way. Okay, they could put it in a carafe. But it's a busy place and I understand that the East Village is edgey and all that. It was just a bit of a shock.

Regardless, it paired well with the main dish in their prix-fixe $35 Cucina Provera menu's main item, which was a grilled house-made pork sausage served with rapini, garlic and cranberry beans. The wine pairing was an additional $15, and featured two other wines ... poured from bottles.

My dining companions were a late 20's financial guy, a late 30's customer service database expert, and an early 40's brilliant computer guy.

I was the only one who flinched at the wine in the box.

Gotta get over that.

What's with the Short Pour? Is a 5 oz glass really standard?

It was bad enough that American Airlines dumped me in Dallas-Fort Worth due to weather delays, and I was in a foul mood anyhow. Then the dining room at the Hyatt Regency DFW made me really annoyed with a 5 ounce pour of wine.

"Of course I want another glass," I said as nicely as I could muster to my waitperson. "And it would be nice if the next glass was a full pour."

My remarks came to the attention of Pascal Castiau, the Assistant Food & Beverage Director. I guess it is not every guest who takes photos of a glass of wine on the table... (Gotta love camera phones, a blogger's good friend!)

The wine was nice enough, at $9 for the glass of 2007 De Loach Pinot Noir, Winemaker's Blend. This must be a special blend sold to the restaurant trade, because I was interested in knowing what it would have cost for a full bottle at a wine shop, but no joy on the internet search.

Pascal said that 5 ounce is their standard pour. I guess that is a bit less than 5 glasses per bottle, but still....

So I pondered this, and then turned on my email (love my new Droid phone) and zipped a message to my friend Bruce Nichols, a wine consultant in Naples FL whose resume includes years as Director of Food and Beverage for a huge international hotel chain. His remarks:

"Interesting... I'm always amazed at the inconsistency of pours. With the array of glassware sizes used, it's hard to say. It used to be they'd use a 6 oz glass and pour it to the rim. You knew what you were getting in terms of the portion, but it didn't allow for swirling the wine, which truly does improve the aromatics and flavor profile by introducing some oxygen, hence the move to larger stemware.

What I often see in hotels, who generally are much more cost control oriented, is providing a large glass and serving the wine in a small carafe = the best of both worlds perhaps."

Nicely, Bruce commiserated on the situation too... whatta guy... "Air travel is deteriorating terribly. It's the only industry that the customer has no recourse whatsoever and it's getting worse. Sadly, little options if you want to visit the world. So, have another "short" glass of wine and enjoy. Hope the wine was good at least!"

It was okay and I got the first flight out the next morning.

Why Costco Rules the Wine Retailing World: One reason is Brian Ellis

In his first three months at the Costco in Castleton, Indiana, Brian Ellis increased wine sales 80%. He did it by simply hanging out in the wine section of this store in the Northeast suburbs of Indianapolis, extending a handshake to anyone who got close to a bottle of wine, having a ready smile, and asking customers his well-honed key question: “What’s the last wine that you drank that you really liked?”

These are great tips for successful wine salesmanship – but there may be only one Brian Ellis. If there are more, Costco is hiring.

Blessed with a remarkable sense of smell and a memory for the essence of every wine he’s ever tasted, Brian is a cornerstone of this store. When he joined Costco a few years ago, he managed to imbue all the other Castleton managers and staffers in the store with his enthusiasm about wine.

I feel privileged to have spent 90 minutes with him today. And Costco is probably glad too. I came in determined to buy only two more bottles for my Indianapolis-brother’s wine rack. Six bottles later, I am really happy.

This adventure with Brian at Costco started out when I went to update my membership card and figured out it was easier to do that while visiting Indianapolis than to wait in a line of 80 in San Francisco. Mark, the membership services guy at the counter, showed the usual Midwestern openness and asked what brought me to Indy. I told him briefly about the videotaping I’d done for the Hoosierwinecellar blog and the plan to go to the Indy International Wine Competition event. Mark brightened, and said, “Oh, too bad Brian is not here today. You really ought to meet him.” Mark explained that Brian was a wine steward at the store. Wine steward –AT COSCTO? Business card at the ready, I asked Mark to please have Brian call me.

We met at that fine dining establishment, the white formica tables in front of the “Polish Sausage and Soft Drink, $1.50” sign. Trained as an electrician, Brian said he switched careers after an accident on the job many years ago. Deciding what to do was easy, since he discovered fine wine in the late 1970’s. He’s been drinking and learning about wine, and collecting it too, for almost 25 years now. Brian’s first wine industry job was as a wine salesman for Midwest Wines, a promoter. He did an event at the Castleton Costco, and sold so much wine during the event that the store manager asked him to consult with them. After doing that for a few years, he signed on full time in 2008.

Brian has two secret weapons: his outgoing personality, and his wine memory. “All I have to do is taste a wine once, and I can remember it,” he says. His eyes got that distant sensory-experience look, as he recalled the 76’ legendary German Rieslings of his early wine loving years.

In his spare time, Brian does educational tastings for civic and professional groups. He has a few first-principles he imparts to beginners: “You need to know European wines before you know any others. Start with French wines, then learn Italian wines, then Spanish.” “Pinot is such a difficult grape to grow; of course it is expensive. But when it is good, it is the best. When it is bad, it is the worst.”

He does some home winemaking in order to keep learning about the process. Along the way, he found this out: “Most winemakers decide in advance what the wine will be like. Then they just help nature along.” Brian tries to make truly classic vinifera style wines using what Indiana has most of: fruit. His best so far is a cherry/plum blend where he said the fruit simply transcended itself. He thinks that adding sugar to a wine after the fermentation is done is cheating, and he won’t do it at home and he won’t recommend a commercial wine where that’s been done.

Recommending wines to customers at Costco has its limitations. Those limitations have to do with the constraint on numbers of wines that the regional buyers supply to the stores. But after a few years of steadily nudging the office in Chicago to stop tilting toward California wines so much, Brian has been able to secure a good selection of European, South American and Australia/New Zealand wines, even the occasional South African wine. No customer of Brian’s ever walks away disappointed!

Brian sees his main job at Costco as that of educating customers. “Trust is the currency I have with my loyal customers,” he says. Those customers have his personal e-mail and cellphone number, and ask him for advice frequently – most often around the holidays, he notes. “True wine people are always looking for something different. I try to move the customer who is used to buying by brand name to a more experimental outlook.”

It’s easy to experiment with wines from Costco. I’d bought a Cline 2007 Ancient Vines Zinfandel there for $11.99. Just for curiosity’s sake, I’d done an internet search on this wine on http://www.wine-searcher.com/, and the best price I saw was $12.80. The median price was around $14.00. “Costco negotiates prices,” explained Brian. “That, of course, plays a huge role in what’s distributed to the stores. But the good news is that it is corporate policy to sell wine at only a few margin points of profit. Customers benefit tremendously.”

What’s the worst thing about working at Costco, I asked.

“Walking through the detergent section,” Brian replied.

He then tapped his nose...

HE MADE ME BUY THEM, HONESTLY HE DID….!

I have these wine conversations with my brother the doctor every evening when I visit him. I cook; it’s my way of repaying his hospitality since his busy physician’s schedule in Indianapolis doesn’t give him much time to visit me in California. I’m not a great chef, but he’s grateful for a hot meal at the end of his 11 hour days.

He’s been pleased to see a glass of wine at his place on the dinner table, and he usually says the same thing as he sits down: “I hope you didn’t pay more than $7 a bottle for this, it all tastes the same to me.” This week, thanks to Brian’s help, he’s learned differently. I think. As my sibling, he’d never confess it, if so.

Brian’s choices under $30 (available at Costco in Castleton IN, mid-June 2009)

Chateau Olivier 2005 Grand Cru Classe de Graves, Pessac-Leognan, France $26.99

Pio Cesare 2006 Barbera d’Alba, Italy $15.79

Santa Rita 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Reserve, Medalla Real, single estate D.O. Maipo Valley-Chile $14.99

Luigi Bosca 2006 Malbec, Reserva – Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza- Argentina $12.99

Etim Seleccion 2006 Montsant, Spain $9.99

Bodega Tamari 2008 Torrontes, Reserva, Mendoza-Argentina $9.99



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How to taste—and judge-- 3000 wines in 16 hours

I was wrong. Make that 3064 wines. From all over the world! The tasting and judging action at the Indy International Wine Competition surely qualifies for Seinfeld’s Feats of Strength category. There are many unsung heros in the wine judging world, and many untold stories, and more than a few rude comments about our favorite elixir. But as a “guest judge”, let me give you a guided tour to what’s behind the curtain.

When you enter this hangar-like Blue Ribbon Pavillion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, there is a barrier reef that you must navigate. The long long table contains gatekeepers who make sure you are who you say you are. Once you verify that you are in fact judge-worthy (wine writers and bloggers are judge-worthy), then Jeanette Merritt, the marketing specialist for the Indiana Wine Grape Council/Purdue University, leads you to the lab coat rack. A lab coat! Not since I toured the re-industrialized brewery at Kirin in Yokohama have I had a chance to wear a lab coat!

But it’s a good thing. So many wines. So many colors. So much spitting. A lab coat is a good thing.



Unlike the judges, I was allowed in the staging area, which I like to think of as a war room for a wine competition. There, arrayed on dozens of tables, were the 3064 wines. Two bottles of each. Each labeled as to whether they are amateur or commercial wines, noting residual sugar content, year of vintage, and whether or not they contain significant amounts of Indiana juice (those wines are eligible for a special set of awards… after all, this is INDIANA and taxpayers here support the wine industry via taxes on each bottle.)


The advance preparation of the flights, based on organizing wine by varietal and a number of other factors, takes weeks. Wines have been arriving at Purdue for months. They’ve been catalogued and entered into a program designed by Phil Rawles, a professor in the Department of Computer and Information Technology at Purdue. At the end of this competition, the program takes in the information from the judging sheets and determines the award-winning wines and the overall best-of-show.


Back out at the front of the hall, 16 panels of judges each are presented with flight after flight of wines, each wine in a glass that has only a number hand-written in marker on the base. The head judge at my table was Steve Somermeyer, assistant winemaker at Chateau Thomas Winery (Plainfield, IN – near Indy). Although each judge’s opinion is considered equal in determining the final score for a wine, Steve can call for a further consideration of a scoring. Of the 32 wines that I tasted (12 Sangiovese, 13 Nortons, 7 Cabernets – some of which were vineyard designates) , only 3 wines were re-considered.


My fellow judges were (left to right) Mark Wenzel, winemaker at August Hill Winery; Marie Silberstein, formerly of Olinger Distributing and now an industry consultant, Michel Pascal, co-owner of Carroll Company Distributors; and Samantha Kollar, from the Southern California office of Vinquiry. Head judge Steve is seated. I'm in the lab coat on the right...



The judging sheet guided us to consider the following attributes of each wine: clarity, color, aroma, taste, aftertaste. The competition used to award points for cellarability, but doesn’t do that any longer. We were told the vintage of each wine, but nothing else. After each attribute was considered, a numerical score was tallied, and the results could be “No Medal” “Bronze” “Silver” and “Gold”. (At first this seemed overly generous to me, but an amazing number of No Medals are awarded, so consumers can in fact rely on the guidance suggested by the awards.) At the end of each flight, each judge is polled for their opinion, and the average score is used to determine the award. Or the no-award.

The remarks are honest and free-flowing. Here are some that caught my ear:
“I liked the freshness of it.”
“This is a wine that has been fixed – sugar was obviously added to overcome deeper flaws.”
“The issue with this wine is the vintage; it’s not yet finished.”
“It’s gone – there is no aroma – there are only tannins left.”
“A seriously flawed wine – smells like fingernail polish.”
“This wine has no flaws. Practically perfect for the varietal.”
“When I say a-hint-of-barnyard in the aroma, I mean that odor of straw and earth. It’s like the aromas that reach out to you when you walk through a farm.”
“If I had any criticism at all, it would be that it is over-oaked.”
“It has a bit of SO2 but not objectionable.”
“It’s really tight. It will be good in a few years.”


As interesting as this all was, it is important to give a tip of the hat to the unsung heros.


Those are the folks in the “Pit Cru” who poured all the wines to be tasted, and those others who washed over 15,000 dirty wine glasses. Without them, no awards. None at all.

The Indy International Wine Competition began in 1973. The 2009 competition judged wines from 42 states and 10 countries. 82 wine experts – winemakers, wine journalists, wine educators, wine marketers, and knowledgeable wine consumers -- each judged approximately 120 wines per day. In a few days, we’ll know the results. I’ll post a link and there will also be a guest-blog by a head judge that’s a what-to-buy guide. Stay tuned!





© 2009 Barbara Keck

Is San Francisco the Epicenter of the Wine Business?

By definition, blogging can get personal, so here’s a doozy for you. I’m apprehensive about moving from San Francisco because it seems to be the epicenter of the wine business. A couple of things lead me to think this epicenter thought. Factoid: a recent winejobs.com ad for a marketing position noted that the work could be done anywhere (thank you, internet) or the San Francisco Bay Area. Factoid: Wine 2.0 held its first big event here. I could quote factoids and more factoids about other massive wine events held in Fog City.

When I moved to San Francisco four years ago, I was in the middle of an unexpected divorce. I hoped to learn more about wine, enjoy city life, and perhaps stumble across someone who’d combine the both in a romantic sort of way. Two out of three ain’t bad. I’ve enjoyed city life and learned a lot more about wine and the wine industry.

Now I hear the fog horns blowing as I sit in the middle of enough Lake-Tahoe-bound packing boxes for six months of life on the mountain and I wonder: is San Francisco the epicenter of the wine business? The place where things move and shake and new wine industry ideas, brands, concepts are born? Is the rest of the wine world simply an also-run?

Over the past years of my journey to learn more about the wine business, in Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, New York, Texas, Florida, Colorado, British Columbia, Washington-Oregon, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa, among other places, I confess that I’ve met wine industry people who are just as passionate about this elixir as is anyone who lives or works near the Golden Gate. But no matter where I’ve traveled, once you say you live in California, and specifically San Francisco, the conversation seems to shift a bit toward enhanced credibility. Is this my rampant imagination at work?

I confess I’ll miss the foghorns… but they’re being replaced with the raucous morning calls of Stellar Jays, the Alpenglow, and deep gulps of clear mountain air. Once I get the wine column established for The Tahoe Weekly, I’m turning my attention to building-out a concept of managing wine brands more efficiently and inexpensively via the use of social networking tools. There’s also a lot of pent-up poetry to write, maybe a wine industry book or two to draft. Bikes to ride, hikes to take, fish to catch. The world of wines is close by via the shops and restaurants around the lake. And… it’s only 205 miles to San Francisco.



(Photo Credit: Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy)

Have You Got Them on Your (Wine) List? These Ideas Should Not Be Missed!

With restaurant visits down, it makes sense to raise the tab by selling more wine to each and every patron. I’m sure there is consumer behavioral science involved in creating the optimal wine list, and certainly knowledge of wine, but my sense is that most restaurateurs and wine bar owners simply do it their own way. So here are a few thoughts on making a wine list more attractive and consumer friendly.

• First Principle: Readability PLEASE! No patron should need to pull out reading glasses to see what’s on the list… kind of destroys the romance, I think. So if you can print your wine list in 11-pt type or above, you’ll be ‘way ahead of the competition. There really should be no compromise on this principle. Use more pages. Or feature fewer wines.
  
  
• Intrigue the customer. I really enjoyed the list at Six Peaks Grille, the fine dining restaurant at the Resort at Squaw Valley. Rose Chehade is in charge of the wine selection there. She divided the list by the usual categories – white wines, red wines, and then added a separate category for small formats and large formats of each. Who could resist looking at Ms Chehade’s selections called Particularly Diverse Whites, and Diverse and Extraordinary Reds? Ka-ching!
  
  
• Educate the customer. It’s nice to help your patrons understand the AVA or region that the wine is from, but that information can take up a lot of space on a wine list, threatening readability. One clever way around this conflict is the solution used by Bistro Ralph in Healdsburg, CA. They’ve abbreviated those terroir designators and put the index to abbreviations at the end of their list with only the abbreviations next to the winery-vineyard-varietal-year information. For example, AV – Alexander Valley, CH – Chalk Hill, DCV – Dry Creek Valley, and so on.
  
  
• Offer a good selection of 375 ml bottles. This probably goes without saying, but it’s one way to offer fine wines at an affordable price point.
  
  
• Make your list a souvenir. Giving a copy of your wine list to your customers just makes good sense … it’s more powerful as a marketing tool and more compelling for repeat or word-of-mouth business than that dinky business card. And why not offer your customers a pencil to make notes directly on that give-away list, nothing what they liked about the wine they chose?
  

Feedback, anyone? Comments welcome on your favs and gripes about wine lists!

Stimulus Pricing Eludes Wine by the Glass

It's a confusing economic world that we live in right now. I admire the spunky restaurateurs in the up-and-coming Mission area of San Francisco, and appreciated the bravado of the "Stimulus Dinner" sandwich-board sign at the corner of 22nd and Guerrero. This French restaurant offered a delicious 3-course meal for $29. What they didn't offer was a Stimulus Wine-by-the-Glass list. The least expensive offering, their house Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, was $8. It was almost enough to make you order tap water as the beverage of choice.

I don't really understand wine-by-the-glass pricing, so I'd like some commentary here. I've heard folks say that a glass of wine should be priced so that it pays for the cost of the whole bottle. If I've heard that, you can bet that other wine drinkers and Joe/Jane-average-consumer have heard it too. It doesn't exactly make you feel warm and fuzzy at the thought; in fact, it kind of feels like price gouging.

On-premise sales are suffering as belt-tightening keeps more consumers dining at their own tables. A chat with LJ Brimfield at Piazza Market in North Beach on Sunday afternoon confirms that; their sales of value-price Italian wines are 'way up, and he attributes that to the dine-at-home movement; he gets asked a lot what wines will go with the "I'm preparing a chicken dish" course.
So if restaurateurs want to offer a Stimulus-Pricing glass of wine, just how do they price that? Is it 25% of a 3-course meal? Seems high to me. That glass of tap water just might be a serious contender for a value beverage...

Why I need an iPhone, or, BOSTON RESTAURANTS NEED MORE FREE WIRELESS

It’s not really my son’s fault that he forgot to give me all the keys to his new apartment in Boston. But there I was on the Thursday before Easter, having to trudge down Tremont Street near Dartmouth in the South End and find a place to work on my blog. HORRORS, turned on my laptop, went to log onto blogspot, only to find out that Stephi’s on Tremont did not have free wireless! What’s with that?

My first instinct was to check my wireless connection stuff, since blankety-blank Vista on my new Lenovo laptop keeps shutting it off. My next action was to talk to the manager and ask how to sign onto the Stephi’s network that did finally show up as a wireless option. The last action was to camp onto the low-bar LinkSys available from the not-so-high-toned-but-obviously-very-with-it deli across the street.

I could have moved. But why? The wine-by-the-glass list is good and reasonably priced. Frei Brothers (Russian river) 2007 Chardonnay, $8. Martin Codax (Spain) Albarino 2007, $8. Macmurray Ranch (Sonoma) Pinot Noir 2006, $11. (Okay, that’s a bit high for recessionary times…but good). L’Oca Ciuca “The Drunken Goose” (Tuscany) Sangiovese Blend, $7.

The booths by the window – open, and it was indeed lovely weather for a BoSox game !—were big enough for a few glasses, a Panini, my papers and my laptop. It was all good. Except for the internet problem. I spoke to the day manager, who was actually a bit huffy that I’d even ask to be given the password to use their network. Something about “what other restaurants do this?” Well, let me tell you, my Beantown Buddy, this is a crux of the East Coast-West Coast divide. And I’m not even a millennial who needs to be connected all the time.

But, that’s why I need an iPhone. So I can visit the less developed countries of the world and continue to do my thing. So, stay tuned. .. or maybe it’s “connected” or “friended” or “followed”, in today’s social media jargon?

And okay, just to keep the record straight, it WAS my son’s fault. And it is my motherly duty to tell him so.

HAPPY EASTER, GUT YONTIF, and take time to smell the flowers and sip the wine.

Wine Snobs Don’t Necessarily Keep a Wine Bar in Business

I pitied the wine bar proprietor when my Haahvaaard friend took him to task for his wine list, after the jazz band finished. “Look,” she said, “I’m a wine snob, and if you really want to appeal to the NPR market, you’ve got to do better than this.” Sadly, she missed the point – the wine bar owner had upscaled the EXPERIENCE, and that’s good business anytime.

Like many wine bars in recession-challenged cities like San Francisco, Café Royale (Leavenworth @ Post) has reformatted and reformatted again. Owner Les Cowan has put together an incredible list of events: live music many nights, always Jazz (no cover charge) from 6-8 p.m. Sundays, comedy acts, artists’ receptions. Something for everyone!

Last Sunday, the Gregory James Quartet was playing mellow jazz. My friend knew the girlfriend of the lead guitarist – that‘s why she was there. Join us, was the text message. And so, I did. It was great until those well-toned taste buds spoke up. Not mine – hers.

I’m not a wine snob. I’m a wine fan. I’m also a proponent of this great American (and worldwide) business of wine, and my taste buds are obviously not up to Harvard snuff (although my student loans were…). But I liked Les’ list. Good tasty wines at wine-by-the-glass prices that keeps the place open, and accessible to a local clientele. And those regular locals are the folks who keep a wine bar in business.

Café Royale’s list features a respectable 20-or-so wines. It is varied and affordable. In the reds, a Torres Tempranillo 2004 is $9/glass, $34/bottle. Monte Vina Zinfandel 2003 at 8/30. In whites, a Benvolio Pinot Grigio 2006, 8/26. Norton Torrontes 2005, 8/30. Jekkel Gewurtz 2005, 8/30. And to tickle the sweet tooth, Warre’s Optima tawny port 10 year, $10 a glass.

Check it out. Oh, and check the wine-snobbism at the door when you enter. Put on your party hat and tip it a bit for the wine bar owners who make it possible for us commoners to enjoy art, performance and music with a nice glass of wine in our hands.