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December 2005
The Top Wines of 2005
Okay, so this is a bit of a hodgepodge. Some have detailed tasting notes, others not so much. Prices (Ohio retail) might have changed. We ain’t the Wine Spectator here, and our list DEFINITELY isn’t “Sponsored by Cadillac.â€? But here are 15 or so wines that turned my head and pleased my palate in the past year (mostly in the past few months). If you’ve got a favorite – heck, if you’ve got a whole darn list – post a comment and share with us! No tasting notes required! I limited mine to wines that have some chance of still being on store shelves, but you have no such limitation …
In totally random order:
— Allegrini Palazzo della Torre 2001, $19.99: This wine consistently receives rave reviews, and tasted at Jay’s Kitchen Door just this week, it’s easy to see why. Looking for a structured, balanced Italian red that would will improve with age for under $20? Here it is!
— Finca Allende Rioja 2001, $26.99: This combines the best of the new world Rioja winemaking – concentration of fruit and depth of flavor – with shadings of sweet vanilla oak. Not a heavyweight, just beautifully balanced and delicious.
— Leitz 2004 Dragonstone ($15.99). This wine represents all that is right about German riesling, and why this grape can produce wines that are …
… perfect as aperitifs or as an accompaniment to meals such as Thanksgiving dinner. The Dragonstone boasts sweetness of pure Riesling fruit with just the right amount of zingy, refreshing acidity to balance.
— Foreau Vouvray Brut (non-vintage): This sparkling wine’s importer and distributor, David Schildknecht, calls it “perhaps the most complex and versatile sparkling wine made anywhere in the world outside Champgagne.â€? Who are we to disagree? Made from the chenin blanc grape, which reaches its full potential in France’s Loire Valley, this sparkler has a lime-scented minerally quality and brisk acidity to cleanse the palate. $17.99
— Alban 2004 Viognier: Winery owner John Alban also serves as a nurseryman of sorts, selling cuttings of his Rhone varietal grapevines to dozens of other California growers interested in joining the Rhone Rangers. He excelled at making Viognier long before any of his fellow winemakers had heard of the grape, from which Condrieu is made in the Rhone valley. I wasn’t a big fan of this grape – until I tasted John Alban’s. $23.99
— Jean-Luc Dubois 2003 Savigny-les-Beaune “Les Picotinâ€?: Red Burgundy can be, as you know, horribly expensive. And expensive red Burgundy can, as I know, be truly horrible. This wine is none of the above. The scorching-hot 2003 vintage has delivered full, deep pinot fruit flavors to this well-regarded producer’s bottlings, but the wine retains the lip-smacking acidity to balance the cherry-like fruit. $25.99
— Melini 1999 Chianti Classico Riserva “La Savinellaâ€?: Melini was founded in 1705, making it a relative newcomer in Tuscany. In the 1800s, the Melini family was instrumental in creating the straw-covered chianti bottle called the “fiasco,â€? which we all melted a red candle over back in, um, college. It is also one of the few Chianti producers to make a single-vineyard Chianti Classico Riserva. An intense, complex and aromatic red. I’ve also tasted the 2000 vintage of this wine, and it’s just as fine. $25.99
— Robert Pecota 2001 Syrah: THIS is the style of California syrah I’ve been waiting for. It blends the lush fruit that is the hallmark of California reds with the earthy and mineral nuances that make syrahs of the northern Rhone (Hermitage, Cote-Rotie, Cornas) so fascinating and delicious. And it manages to pull off this feat without being too heavy. From a Napa Valley winemaker who found the syrah fruit he wanted in Monterey County. And I, for one, am glad he went looking. $19.99
— Portal 2003 Tinto Crianza: A beautiful Spanish red that jumped up from the tasting bar earlier this month and both Dorothy Lane Market’s Oakwood store and Cuvee Wine Bar in Bellbrook. I remember this as a fine under-$20 bargain, though my notes don’t have the price – I’m thinking it was $14.99, and if I’m wrong, I hope somebody out there will correct me (hey, I told you this was a bit of a hodgepodge …)
— MandraRossa Fiano 2003 ($7.99): I snuck out of town to Columbus earlier this year for a wine-and-food charity event and met a new grape while I was there. The MandraRossa Fiano from Italy is made on the island of Sicily from the Fiano grape, which tastes like a viognier-chardonnay blend, only more steely and intensely flavored. It’s quite a mouthful of wine for the price.
— Qupe Syrah Central Coast 2003 ($16.99): This is a grape to which I need no introduction. We’ve had a long love affair, and it’s flourishing. Here’s a textbook California syrah, not overblown and overripe, but with a solid core of fruit, intense flavors and a hint of fresh-ground pepper on the nose. You can pay more for California syrah and get a lot less.
— Vinum Cellars CNW – I’ve been a fan of this grape (chenin blanc) and this winery since it created their “Chard-No-Way.â€? And I’ve been enjoying it by the glass at Meadowlark Restaurant. I’m not sure what the current vintage is on the shelf, but I haven’t encountered a poor vintage yet. Not sure of the current retail, but it’s comfortably under $20.
— Domaine Baumard Cuvee Ancienne (nonvintage), $28: I tasted this much earlier this year at the Cincinnati International Wine Festival, but I don’t know if it ever made it to Dayton-area shelves. But who can resist a delicious wine with a fascinating story behind it? Not me. This comes from the Loire region of France, home of the best and longest-lived cheninblanc-based wines in the world. And Baumard, established in 1634, is one of the best producers of chenin, whether in the bone-dry or nectar-sweet renditions. When Florent Baumard took over the domaine from his father Jean in the early 1990s, he discovered small amounts of multiple vintages scattered throughout the cellars. So he had a little fun. This wine is a blend of 15 vintages between 1966 and 1988. The wine is ripe and semisweet, or in the demi-sec style or slightly sweeter, but it has refreshing acidity and a long, long aftertaste with a hint of the bitter-lime component that marks fine old chenins.
— Finca Flichman 2002 Vino Reserva Malbec, $12: Add this wine to the growing list of delicious malbecs coming out of Argentina. Malbec was known primarily as a nondescript blending grape variety in France’s Bordeaux region until Argentinian winemakers started making stunning wines at reasonable prices from it. This dry red has impressive concentration but drinks smooth and friendly.
— HRM Rex-Goliath “Giant 47-pound Rooster” 2002 Pinot Noir Central Coast, $7.99: You can tell the serious wine geeks from the pretenders by what they do when they enter a wine shop for the first time. Calistoga Cellars winemaker Barry Gnekow stopped in at Arrow Wine & Spirits’ Kettering store to talk business early this year, but he became so engrossed in the selections, he had to be dragged away from the shelves just to accomplish his mission. On the way out, he singled out this bottling, despite not having any financial connection to it, as a bargain, saying he knew the source of the grapes and it was far more prestigious than the price tag would suggest. It’s an old line in the wine business, but it still works.
— Almost anything by Verget in his vast line of White Burgundies
— Anything by J.L. Chave, including the Mon Couer Cotes du Rhone, the Offerus St. Joseph or, of course, the flagship-but-wildly-expensive Hermitage.
So, there’s my year-ending list. Got any you’d like to add?
Happy New Year to you, and, of course, cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Wine Tastings: Gearing Up for the New Year
This list of Dayton-area and southwest Ohio wine tastings and events comes to us courtesy of a local wine listserv, and thanks for that! Please take note of the times and closings, since many folks have adjusted their hours because of New Year’s Eve falling on a Saturday.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
(click on “continue reading” to view the list of tastings and other wine events)
Jay’s Kitchen Door
Friday, December 30, 2006 4-8 pm: NV Nicolas Feuillatte Rose, 2001 Finca Allende Rioja, 2001 Allergni Talazzo Da Tore, 2001 Chateau Hortevie, 2001 Jordan Cabernet.
Saturday, December 31, 2006 1-6 pm (Closing promptly at 6!): 2000 Bodegas Muga Reserva, 2001 Weinert Malbec, 2001 Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi, and a sparkling to celebrate the New Year!
Jay’s is offering lunch 11:30 am – 2 pm every Friday in 2006. There will be lunch features and wines by the glass.
Jay’s Italian Luncheon with Ardie Bonnano, Saturday, January 14 12:30 PM RSVP 222-2892, $60: Diver Sea Scallops with Stewed Escarole and Cannelini Beans, Mixed Greens in a Spinach Frittata Socle with White Balsamic Vinaigrette, Seafood Lasagna, Petite Grilled Veal Chop with Chianti Reduction and Roasted Baby Vegetables, Pine and Almond Shortbread with Spumoni and Espresso Chocolate Sauce.
Jay’s 30th Anniversary Luncheon Saturday, February 18 12:30 PM RSVP 222-2892, $75: Celebrating Jay’s thirty years of great seafood and wine will be five wine representatives with their own wines and stories to tell about working with Jay. Amuse Buche – Caviar-Smoked Salmon Flutes, Saffron-Buckwheat Crepe with a Ragout of Lobster and Chantrelle Mushrooms in a White Wine Cream Sauce, Three Crab Smoked Tomato Bisque with Basil Oil and Boursin Cheese Crouton, Phyllo Shredded Shrimp with Mixed Greens, Spiced Almonds and Fried Brie with a Sweet and Sour Vinaigrette, Duo or Seared Filet and Chilean Sea Bass in a Crawfish-Morel Mushroom Sauce with Truffle Oil, Anniversary Surprise Dessert.
Arrow – Oakwood: NO TASTINGS until January!
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)Oakwood
Friday, December 30, 2006 5-8 pm: Mirabelle NV Brut, Barnard Griffin 2003 Merlot, Cafaro 2000 Merlot, Andelua 2003 Cabernet, Hess Collection 2001 Cabernet, Brown Bag!
Saturday, December 31, 2006 11-2 pm: Domaine Carneros NV Brut, Mount Eden Reserve 2002 Cabernet, Rosenblum Zinfandel, Coli de Lapio 2002 Italian Red. Beers: La Chouffe Belgian Golden Ale, Harvey’s Tom Paine Brown Ale
DLM Washington Square
Thursday, December 29, 2006 5-8 pm: Pierre Gimonnet & Files Blanc de Blancs Brut, Alexandre-Les Vignes De Montgueux Blanc de Blancs Brut, Seaview Australian Brut, Tamar Ridge Pinot Noir, Carson Peak Cabernet, Coriole Contour 4 Sangiovese Shiraz, Mystery Wine!
No Saturday tasting December 31!
DLM Springboro
No tastings Friday and Saturday this week!
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook, OH, Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm: Cuvee will be CLOSED Tuesday, January 3rd and Wednesday January 4th for inventory.
Wines beginning Friday, December 30: Schramsberg Cremant Vintage 1997, Westerland 2005 Celebration, Monmousseau Vouvray, Dreyer 2004 Sonoma County Chardonnay, Chateau Lacombe 2000 Bordeaux Haut Benauge, Abrazo Garnacha 2001, X Winery 2003 Red X, Penfold’s 1998 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon. Beer: Barrelhouse Belgian Winter Ale
www.cuveewinebar.net
B. R. Scotese
Fairfield Wine tasters! Wednesday, December 28, 2006 4:30 pm will find many of the Fairfield Wine group at B. R. Scotese! The restaurant is no smoking on Wednesdays!
SIPS - 1035 S. Main Street, Centerville (close to Kroger and Elder Beerman): Wine tasting every Saturday, by the glass tasting
Market Wine Imports, 2nd Street Public Market, Saturday 10-1 PM A variety of Sparkling Wines to toast the New Year!
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store: The Deli’s Wine of the Month: Citra Montepulciano from the Abruzzo region of Italy.
Trader Joe’s, Town & Country Shopping Center, Kettering: Special Tasting from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, December 29, 2005 (For New Year’s): Cava Monasteriolo Brut (Spanish sparkler), Mumm Napa Brut, Dr. Beckermann Piesporter-Michelsberg.
Winds Café – Yellow Springs, Ohio: WINE 101 - a class for the new wine drinker, or as a refresher course. Two consecutive Saturdays, January 21st and 28th. Call the Wine Cellar for more information. 937-767-9441.
Little Sonoma, 6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069. 513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads: Friday, December 30 5-8 pm: Mumm Napa Cuvee Sparkling Wine, Trinchero Wild Bunch White, Schmidt Sohne Spatlese Riesling, Pillar Box Red, Guenoc Cabernet Sauvignon and Rumball Sparkling Shiraz.
Saturday, December 31 4-7 pm: Sample four wines
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Decanter Magazine vs. Robert Parker: A Good Ole’ Cat Fight
There is real donnybrook brewing between British-based wine publication Decanter Magazine and wine critic Robert Parker, the American publisher of the Wine Advocate. And the brouhaha brings up a central issue: how much do critics and their scores influence YOUR wine-buying decisions?
But first, the fight. In one corner is Decanter and its stable of writers that includes the venerable British critic Michael Broadbent. In the other corner is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the wine world, whose “Parker ratings” have huge impact on wine sales and whose preference for ripe, concentrated wines has prompted winemakers worldwide to alter their techniques.
Parker’s fellow critics — especially Britons such as Broadbent and Clive Coates — disagree mightily with Parker’s palate preferences (something we touched upon a month ago in Chateau Pavie and the Great Extraction Debate, and they chafe at his influence.
Just this month, the members of a bulletin board that is part of erobertparker.com savaged Broadbent for a piece he ran in Decanter complaining about high-alcohol wines. The bulletin board participant who launched the bulletin board thread wondered whether “… Decanter is now requiring at least one of their writers to bash either American wines, Robert Parker or ripeness in every issue…”
Then the heavy punches started landing. One bulletin board participant …
… said of Broadbent:
He has written nothing credible in years and has a dwindling audience to show for it. He is, as has been previously discussed here, a dinosaur who is struggling for relevance but has none. It’s sad to watch an old man making such an effort to hold on and ‘be something’ and attacking others — with no basis for doing so — in order to acheive his goal. So sad. I can’t believe anybody would pay for something he wrote.
Ouch. (Still, my favorite reply came from a reader who, after seeing several Broadbent-bashing comments, replied that, “For a group that deplores an uninformed critic, it’s odd how many have ripped Broadbent without reading the article.”)
Within days — and I’m sure the timing was a coincidence — Decanter wrote in its “latest news” about a consumer survey conducted by Wine Opinions that suggested a supposed “backlash” against Parker’s influence.
“The survey of 403 high-end wine drinkers by website Wine Opinions found 48% of respondents cited Parker’s recommendations as having ‘no influence’ on their decisions regarding whether to purchase wine costing $20 or more,” the Decanter story says.
“Backlash?” Sure sounds like wishful thinking on somebody’s part. Consider human nature and how YOU would respond to public-opinion pollsters. Would YOU want to admit you don’t know enough about something that you spend considerable money on but instead depend upon someone else’s expertise? Wouldn’t that make you look kind of — well — stupid?
Sure, I’ll deny that Parker influences my wine-buying decisions. But then I’ll walk into a wine shop with $20 to spend and find a dozen wines in the price range I’m looking for. One boasts a Parker 90 rating, the other 11 wines have no ratings. Absent any other outside influences — I’m buying the Parker. I plead guilty. And then I’m still going to deny on a survey that Parker has any influence. Influence? On ME? No WAY!
So let’s hear it: who are you rooting for in the big heavyweight bout? And what influence — if any — to critics’ scores have on your wine-buying decisions?
Thanks, and cheers!
Mark Fisher
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And YOUR holiday dinner…?
We had a delicious Turducken that my sister-in-law bought and cooked, and I think it was the first such “trio of carcasses” (as my niece put it) for all 14 of us at the table. Trimmings included a cheesy/shredded potato dish and French-style green beans, and the apps included prosciutto-wrapped melon and brie mixed with caramelized onions and pecans, all baked in parchment paper and served with apple wedges. And 57 desserts.
The wine that disappeared first was the Leitz 2004 Dragonstone, the lip-smacking German from the Rheingau producer Josef Leitz that is also known as Rudesheimer Drachenstein Riesling (about $16 in Ohio). This wine strikes just the right balance of sweetness and acidity that makes it perfect as an aperitif or as a companion with dinner — if it holds out until dinner. We had a backup German for the table, the 2003 Kurt Darting Durkheimer Michelsberg Kabinett (about the same price as the Dragonstone, maybe a buck or two cheaper), which was a touch sweeter and a favorite with folks at the table (such as my brother-in-law) who don’t normally drink wine.
We also had a California Pinot Noir from Bacchus, a wine that I served to favorable reviews at a wine dinner many months ago at the Blue Moon Restaurant in Dayton. A 2001, the wine was holding its fruit well and paired nicely with the, um, three fowls.
So, there’s MY holiday meal. Yours?
To help prompt you, here’s the first response I received to the “Festive Holiday” solicitation Christmas morning, from ToddN, on his holiday meal and wines: (Click on “Continue Reading”)
Lots of good food and wine this weekend and it will not end until after Monday with more family. Christmas Eve was a Barolo Braised Brisket with a Tuscan wine—weird but worked. Christmas was a pork roast with pancetta, garlic, and thyme—an older Cabernet with that from mags. Tonight is a crown roast of pork and nebbiolo of some sort. After all this , I feel like it will be Skyline time for some good, simple grease—then it is veggies for a week to get back to normal. I will see you at Skyline …
Thanks ToddN, and Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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A Festive Holiday
Merry Christmas AND Happy Holidays!
My thanks to all of you for reading and supporting “Uncorked” during its first three months of existence. I’m certainly having fun writing this humble little wine blog, and I hope you’re having fun reading it!
I’m off to the in-laws Christmas morning to experience my first Turducken. Taking along a couple of German rieslings and California pinot noirs. I’ll post a comment about dinner; please share with us your holiday meals and wines! I’ll post your comments after I return to full computer access late Monday.
Thanks, and cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Yanking the Welcome Mat from Wine Tasters
Okay, I understand the reasoning behind the decision by some local wine shops and grocery stores to cancel their regular wine tastings this time of year. If I’m operating the business and have only a limited number of parking spots to accommodate the holiday rush, perhaps I would do the same thing. Who wants to lose business because a potential customer can’t find a place to park?
But a little tiny voice inside of me wants to ask: If we are your valued customers for 50 or 51 weeks out of the year, why do we get the welcome mat pulled out from under us for one or two weeks out of the year? Just because our cars spend more than 10 minutes in your parking lot? We buy wine too. Just not as efficiently.
So I’m thinking that when those stores that have chosen to yank the welcome mat resume their regular tastings, they should — at the very least — offer up some pretty good wines to woo us back. A couple of special food offerings would help stroke our bruised feelings, too.
Just a thought.
Now, on to this week’s scheduled wine tastings and other upcoming wine dinners and events, courtesy of a local wine listserv. Worhty of note are the three first-growth Bordeaux being offered up in possibly limited quantities at Jay’s Kitchen Door tonight (12-22-05). Read on:
Jay’s Kitchen Door
Friday, December 22, 2005 4-8 pm
Taittinger La Francaise
2001 Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere
2001 Chateau Lafite
Limited bottles of: 1988 Chateau Mouton, 1990 Margaux.
Saturday, December 23, 2005 1-6 pm (Closing promptly at 6!):
White Star
1999 Silver Oak Alexander Valley
2000 Silver Oak Alexander Valley
2001 Silver Oak Alexander Valley
Jay’s is offering lunch 11:30 am – 2 pm through December 23. Wines by the glass will include 1999 Alexander Valley Silver Oak Cabernet and Rombauer Chardonnay. Fresh Salmon Burger, Jambalaya, Pumkin Seed Mahi Mahi, Crusted Cod with Crab Imperial Spoonbread and Mustard Sauce will be lunch features.
Italian Luncheon with Ardie Bonnano, Saturday, January 14 12:30 PM RSVP 222-2892 $60
Diver Sea Scallops with Stewed Escarole and Cannelini Beans, Mixed Greens in a Spinach Frittata Socle with White Balsamic Vinaigrette, Seafood Lasagna, Petite Grilled Veal Chop with Chianti Reduction and Roasted Baby Vegetables, Pine and Almond Shortbread with Spumoni and Espresso Chocolate Sauce
Jay’s 30th Anniversary Luncheon!!! Saturday, February 18 12:30 PM RSVP 222-2892 $75
Celebrating Jay’s thirty years of great seafood and wine will be five wine representatives with their own wines and stories to tell about working with Jay. Amuse Buche – Caviar-Smoked Salmon Flutes, Saffron-Buckwheat Crepe with a Ragout of Lobster and Chantrelle Mushrooms in a White Wine Cream Sauce, Three Crab Smoked Tomato Bisque with Basil Oil and Boursin Cheese Crouton, Phyllo Shredded Shrimp with Mixed Greens, Spiced Almonds and Fried Brie with a Sweet and Sour Vinaigrette, Duo or Seared Filet and Chilean Sea Bass in a Crawfish-Morel Mushroom Sauce with Truffle Oil, Anniversary Surprise Dessert
Arrow – Oakwood
Saturday, December 23, 2005 11-4 pm NO TASTINGS until January!
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)
DLM Oakwood Friday, December 22, 2005 5-8 pm Raventos Cava Robert Mondavi Napa Chardonnay 2003 Cuvaison Pinot Noir 2003 Hare Chase 2004 Red Blend A nice Barolo Brown Bag!
Saturday, December 23, 2005 11-2 pm Aubry Champagne Nickle and Nickle Truchard Vineyard 2003 Northstar Merlot 2001 Estancia Meritage 2002
Beers: Clipper City Heavy Seas Below Decks Barley Wine Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock
Don’t forget - Wednesday, December 28 5:30 – 8:30 pm DLM Oakwood will be tasting champagnes, champagnes from the Holiday Show and others!
DLM Washington Square Thursday, December 15, 2005 5-8 pm Prosecco colli Trevigiani 2003 Talley’s Rosemary’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2004 Mauro Molino Barbera d’Alba 2000 Coppola Edizione Pennino Zinfandel 2002 Paolletti Bella Novello Cabernet Mystery Wine!
Saturday, December 23, 2005 12-5 pm
No Saturday tastings December 24 or December 31!
Dorothy Lane Springboro
No tastings Friday and Saturday this week!
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook, OH
Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm. Wines beginning Friday, December 22, 2005:
Robert Sinsky Abraxas 2004 White Table Wine
Menetou-Salon 2004 White Sancerre
Kaesler 2003 GSM
Sterling 2004 Pinot Noir
Wellington2002 Chardonnay
Las Rocas 2003 Garnacha
I Tres Figli Silver Vineyards (Red Table Wine)
Beer: Barrelhouse Belgian Winter Ale
www.cuveewinebar.net
B. R. Scotese
Fairfield Wine tasters! Wednesday, December 28, 2005 4:30 pm will find many of the Fairfield Wine group at B. R. Scotese! The restaurant is no smoking on Wednesdays!
SIPS - 1035 S. Main Street, Centerville (close to Kroger and Elder Beerman) Wine tasting every Saturday, by the glass tasting 7:30 am – 3 pm.
Market Wine Imports 2nd Street Public Market Saturday 10-1 PM Rosa di Rosa Sparkling Italian Red Brut Dargent Chardonnay, Blanc de Blancs Henry Varnay Vin Mousseux Blanc de Blancs Nicolas “Peche Imperiale”
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store The Deli’s Wine of the Month: Citra Montepulciano from the Abruzzo region of Italy.
Winds Café – Yellow Springs, Ohio WINE 101 - a class for the new wine drinker, or as a refresher course. Two consecutive Saturdays, January 21st and 28th. Call the Wine Cellar for more information. 937-767-9441.
Little Sonoma, 6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069. 513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads
Friday, December 23 - Tramonte’s Top Four, Saturday, December 24th – Christmas Eve – open until 4 pm
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Color Change in Wine Sold at Trader Joe’s Was Intentional, Italian Winemaker Says
I have received an e-mail from the winery owner and winemaker of the Chiaro del Bastardo, the Italian white wine I wrote about earlier on these pages, most recently in a posting entitled Trader Joe’s Pulls Italian White Off Store Shelves Nationwide. In the e-mail, the winemaker says the change in color was intentional, but that he did not inform the wine’s importer of the change in winemaking techniques that resulted in the different-colored batches of wine. Here is the full and unedited text of the e-mail, followed by a few questions left lingering by this very international affair:
Dear Mr. Mark Fisher,
I am the owner of the winery which produces Chiaro del Bastardo. I read your article posted on the Dayton Daily News with extreme concern and would like to clarify certain misunderstandings about our wine and clarify the regrettable change of blend which was enacted upon in good faith. I have asked my winemaker: Dr. Zuliani to briefly detail below exactly what happened:
“Mr Fisher, having read your article and relevant follow ups, I am pleased to clarify previous perceptions and/or misunderstandings about the wine Chiaro del Bastardo I hope my writing this will finally lay to rest the quality myth about my wine.
1) Why is there an intense color difference between the two bottles?
When we decided to launch “Chiaro del Bastardo we wanted to create a wine with an identity with personality and character, a wine which could be understood for its good alcoholic gradation, loaded color, elegant body and softness on the finish. In structuring this wine, I added 15% of garganega passito (passito is a vinifiaction process also known as appassimento whereby the grapes are left on the vine for additional drying). The wine was subsequently launched. The initial reaction was huge at the beginning of the year when it first appeared on the market. Sales steadily increased and all was well this same blend has been sold referred to by many as the “Darker yellow� wine has been selling consistently up until recently. However, after reports in August from the USA that the intensity of the yellow may be perceived as being defective in some way, it was decided then of to reduce the percentage of passito by 10% to ease the color. Decreasing the amount of passito gave way to more of a fragrant bouquet with a pale straw-like color. None the less an equally great wine.
I recognize my mistake in not having asked permission to do this and especially not having informed our importer so they could advise Trader Joe’s this is common sense. The result of my action was both blends ending up side by side on the shelf at Trader Joe’s.
The responsibility is ours alone. Once again, please accept my deepest sincere apologies. I will remain at your complete disposal for any further clarifications that you may need.” Dott. Flavio Zuliani
I thank all of you out there that have enjoyed our wine and will hope you will support us in this difficult moment. It is because of you and Trader Joe’s we are able to offer such great wine at good value for money and we sincerely hope you will continue to buy our wines and trust our partners as you have always done.
With esteemed gratitude,
Giorgio dal Bianco, Producer, Chiaro del Bastardo
So there you have it. My oh my, we sure have come a long way from the Trader Joe’s corporate public relations manager telling me that there is “no difference in the wine” and that the only difference came from one batch of clear-glass wine bottles as opposed to a second batch of tinted-glass wine bottles, haven’t we?
Does this explanation mean we’ll see the Chiaro del Bastardo wines back on Trader Joe’s shelves soon?
And some overarching questions that I invite any of you to ruminate on: What does a wine label on a bottle mean, anyway? Does it mean that it should taste identical to the identically labeled bottle on the shelf next to it? Or the identically labeled bottle purchased from the same wine shop six weeks later, or from a wine shop in a different state? To what degree, if any, should we expect consistency in two bottles of the “same” wine?
My thanks, by the way, to my fellow wine blogger in Italy, Aristide Blog di viaggio nel vino, for looking into this topic further in Italy and for alterting me to the e-mail from the Chiaro del Bastardo winery owner.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
Photos by Jim Witmer
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Europeans Turn Up Noses to American Winemaking Techniques
The Europeans opened their markets a bit more to American-made wines, but some folks didn’t seem too happy about some aspects of the agreement, and in fact called for a “purity law” to protect against certain U.S. winemaking practices, according to an Associated Press story in the Washington Post’s online editions.
Wonder what the Europeans would think if they had thought of the wood-chips idea first? Or whether European vintners would be willing to give up the practice in some parts of the continent of adding sugar to fermenting grape juice? (The sugar is turned into much-needed alcohol during fermentation in cool-weather vintages in which the grapes didn’t ripen all the way.)
As part of the agreement, according to the AP, “The U.S. administration is to ask Congress to change the status and limit the use of 17 European names on American wines such as Burgundy, Chablis, Champagne, Chianti, Sherry and Tokay that until now have been considered ‘semi-generic’ in the United States.” This is a subject we explored a couple of months back in Stealing a Wine’s Place of Birth.
Think we’ll ever see the day when Gallo abandons the “Hearty Burgundy” name on its label to appease the French?
Nah, me neither.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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The Lighter Side of Wine
— A t-shirt only us wine geeks could love (or at least understand): “Robert Parker Drinks Wine Coolers.” And I’m not making this up — well, at least not about the t-shirt, anyway.
— I found the most recent post from my fellow blogger Jens down at Cincinnati Wine Warehouse a hoot. It helps to know that a certain Russian won a heavyweight (and then some) championship bout last week … but it works either way. By the way, if you want to surf through a handful of other wine blogs from around the country, I’ve added links to the right-hand side of this page. Just scroll down a bit, settle in and take a tour. Lots of fun stuff.
— I posted an entry a couple of months back entitled Behold the Awesome Power of the World Wine Web.
Little did I know.
Check out Aristide Blog di viaggio nel vino for the entry on Chiaro del Bastardo.
I do not speak Italian, so loyal Uncorked reader Cathy ran Aristide’s post through Google Language Translator. Based on the results, I submit to you that this technology could use a bit of refinement. Here’s what the cyber-translater came up with (LOVE the first five words …):
Unconscious of the linguistiche thinnesses, the journalist Mark American published Fisher who blog the Uncorked (for the Dayton Daily News), adventure to buy near a point sale of the alimentary chain Trader Joe’ s of Kettering, Ohio, one bottle Clearly of the Bastard, a italico white man, to dollars 6,99 (approximately 5,80 Euro). … Our Mark has been found of forehead to two groups of bottles on the same shelf and the same product, but of remarkablly different color … After the publication on just blog of the vicissitude, and a driven in correspondence with the responsibles of Trader Joe’ s, a reader has reported in a comment in the blog to have found the same disadvantage in other store of Luck, in California: to this point, the chain Trader Joe’ s has been looked at forced to completely withdraw from all the storees the Luminosity of the Bastard. …
Good heavens, if this is what online translators do to Italian, what must they do to Arabic or Chinese?
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Trader Joe’s Pulls Italian White Off Store Shelves Nationwide
Trader Joe’s — which had pulled its Chiaro del Bastardo Italian white wine from the shelves of its Ohio stores after “Uncorkedâ€? raised questions about two apparently different batches that were bottled under the same label — has expanded that action to all of its stores nationwide, a TJ’s spokeswoman said Thursday.
The action came two days after a Ventura, California reader of “Uncorkedâ€? found what he identified as “two distinctly different-colored Bastardos exactly as the article describedâ€? on the shelf of his local Trader Joe’s in Ventura. The reader’s comment was posted on “Uncorked” Tuesday morning (12-13-05).
“We thought the issue was isolated to the Ohio market and that is why we started there,� said Trader Joe’s spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki said in an e-mail response to questions. But now, she said, “the wine has been pulled in all markets.�
Reached by telephone Thursday afternoon, Mochizuki …
…declined to say whether the action is temporary or permanent or what prompted it, saying she would not comment beyond her e-mailed responses. When Trader Joe’s initially pulled the wines from its Ohio stores a week ago, a company vice president suggested the action was temporary until the company could gather information from the wine’s supplier in Italy.
“What we found is that the blend of grapes of the darker colored Chiaro del Bastardo Bianco is not what we initially approved, although there is nothing wrong, qualitatively, with the darker blend …,â€? Mochizuki said in her e-mail.
Trader Joe’s operates more than 200 stores in 19 states and has emerged as a national leader in retail wine sales in part because of the popularity of its line of Charles Shaw “Two-Buck Chuck� wines.
By the way: In its “Fearless Flyer” catalog that touts the Chiaro del Bastardo, Trader Joe’s points out that Chiaro “means light or clear in Italian.”
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
Note: for an update on what the winery owner and winemaker who made the Chiaro has to say on this topic, check out this follow-up entry on Uncorked.
Photos by Jim Witmer
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This Week’s Wine-Tastings: Our Rewards from the Horrors of Holiday Shopping
A glass of bubbly to celebrate the final holiday gift? Methinks you’ll find something in the following list of local wine tastings and events, which comes to us courtesy of …
…a local wine listserv:
Jay’s Kitchen Door
Friday, December 16, 2005 4-8 pm
NV Bollinger
Three vintages of Caymus: 1999, 2000, 2001
Saturday, December 17, 2005 1-6 pm
2001 and 2003 Gevrey-Chambertins, 2001 Vieux Telegraphe, Taittinger La Frances
Jay’s is offering lunch 11:30 am–2 pm, December 1 – December 23. Wines by the glass will include 1999 Alexander Valley Silver Oak Cabernet and Rombauer Chardonnay.
Italian Luncheon with Ardie Bonnano, Saturday, January 14 12:30 PM RSVP 222-2892 $60
Diver Sea Scallops with Stewed Escarole and Cannelini Beans, Mixed Greens in a Spinach Frittata Socle with White Balsamic Vinaigrette, Seafood Lasagna, Petite Grilled Veal Chop with Chianti Reduction and Roasted Baby Vegetables, Pine and Almond Shortbread with Spumoni and Espresso Chocolate Sauce
Jay’s 30th Anniversary Luncheon, Saturday, February 18 12:30 PM RSVP 222-2892 $75
Celebrating Jay’s thirty years of great seafood and wine will be five wine representatives with their own wines and stories to tell about working with Jay.
Amuse Buche – Caviar-Smoked Salmon Flutes, Saffron-Buckwheat Crepe with a Ragout of Lobster and Chantrelle Mushrooms in a White Wine Cream Sauce, Three Crab Smoked Tomato Bisque with Basil Oil and Boursin Cheese Crouton, Phyllo Shredded Shrimp with Mixed Greens, Spiced Almonds and Fried Brie with a Sweet and Sour Vinaigrette, Duo or Seared Filet and Chilean Sea Bass in a Crawfish-Morel Mushroom Sauce with Truffle Oil, Anniversary Surprise Dessert
Arrow – Oakwood NO TASTINGS until January!
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)
DLM Oakwood
Friday, December 16, 2005 5-8 pm
Gruet Blanc de Noir La Poule Blanc 2003, Todd Norman Syrah 2003, Teira Zinfandel 2003, Brown Bag!
Saturday, December 17, 2005 1-6 pm
Duval-Leroy 1996 Brut, Hess Collection Chardonnay 2003, Stump Jump GSM 2004, Mauro Molino Barolo 2001, Vintage Port, Bonus Bottle!
Wednesday, December 28 5:30 – 8:30 pm: DLM Oakwood will be tasting champagnes!
DLM Washington Square
Thursday, December 15, 2005 5-8 pm
2003 La Tour Saint-Martin Menetou-Salon, 2003 Bocquenet Nuits St. Georges, Dievole Simply Sangiovese, 2003 Yalumba Shiraz Viognier, 2001 Marengo Bricco Viole Barolo, 2002 Darioush Cabernet, Mystery Wine!
Saturday, December 17, 2005 12-5 pm
2003 Basa Blanca, 2004 Marquis Philips Shiraz, 2003 Chateau Le Cone Merlot, 2004 Altos Las Hormigas Reservera Malbec, 2001 Sanctus St. Emillon, Ruinart Brut, Mystery Bottle!
Dorothy Lane Springboro
Friday, December 16, 2005 3-7 pm
2004 O’Brien Chardonnay, 2003 Sophenia Malbec, 2003 Marcarini Barbera D’ Alba, 1999 Ristow Cabernet Sauvignon.
Saturday, December 17, 2005 12-5 pm
2003 Luna Pinot Grigio, 2002 Blackjack Pinot Noir, 2003 Sparkling Shiraz, 2002 Kamen Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook, OH
Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm
Wines beginning Friday, December 16, 2005
Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Demi Sec, Lingenselder 2002 Bird Label Riesling, Lockwood 2004 Sauvignon Blanc, Kistler 2004 Chardonnay, Chateau Bianca Pinot Noir, D’Arenberg the Ironstone Pressings 1998, Merryvale Profile 1999, Augsburger Christkindlmarkt Gluhwein.
Beer: Christian Morlein
www.cuveewinebar.net
B. R. Scotese
Fairfield Wine tasters! Wednesday, December 21, 2005 4:30 pm will find many of the Fairfield Wine group at B. R. Scotese! The restaurant is no smoking on Wednesdays!
Scotese’s will be open for lunch during December starting Monday, December 5 with entrees such as Flank Steak with sweet and sour onions and gorgonzola. The wines they will be pouring by the glass are Pacific Peaks Chardonnay, Biso Pinot Grigio, Straccali Chianti, and Parducci Red Zinfandel.
SIPS - 1035 S. Main Street, Centerville (close to Kroger and Elder Beerman)
Wine tasting every Saturday, by the glass tasting 7:30 am – 11 pm.
Franciscan 2002 Cabernet, Evans and Tate Margaret River Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, Tim Berens and Dan Faehnle – Jazz on Saturday night.
SIPS Wine Dinner - Monday Dec 19th, 6:30 - 9:00 pm
French wines from the portfolio of Frederick Wildman and Sons. Presented by Allied Wines. Dinner will be accompanied by LIVE music from Smooth Renditions
The night begins with Viognier accompanied by seared scallops on a pillow of ginger potatoes served with asparagus spears.
Followed by a spicy Rhone Rose paired with blackened tilapia, pan-fried peppers and artichoke hearts.
Next, a Chateauneuf-de-pape served with mushroom and goat cheese risotto on a fluffy pastry crust.
The fourth course will be N.Y. strip spattered with a red wine reduction sauce served with red Bordeaux from Paulliac.
Brut Champagne served with a butternut squash soup topped with cinnamon and toasted pistachios. Coffee will be served, along with their house-made dark chocolate espresso truffles after the meal.
$50. That includes tax and gratuity. RSVP (937) 434-7477
Market Wine Imports
2nd Street Public Market
Saturday 10-3 PM
2003 Piesporter Michelsberg Kabinett, 2004 Flagstone Noon Gun White Blend, Bacchusfeuer Gluhwein (Hot Spiced Winters Treat), 2002 Firestick Shiraz Cabernet Blend.
Trader Joe’s, Town and Country Shopping Center Wine tastings: Sunday 4:00 to 7:00, Tuesday 5:45 to 8:00.
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store The Deli’s Wine of the Month: Citra Montepulciano from the Abruzzo region of Italy.
Winds Café – Yellow Springs, Ohio
WINE 101 - a class for the new wine drinker, or as a refresher course. Two consecutive Saturdays, January 21st and 28th. Call the Wine Cellar for more information. 937-767-9441.
Little Sonoma, 6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH, 513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads.
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Of Wine, Football and ‘66 First-Growth Bordeaux: Why I May Learn to Love the Cleveland Browns
Okay, so maybe it IS a little unusual to mix NFL football with well-aged Bordeaux. But that sure don’t make it wrong.
I had just returned from a friend’s “Old Bordeaux and Browns” party when I linked to my blogging colleague Tom Wark’s Fermentation site and read the following excerpt:
I can say with a certain amount of confidence that among many men, wine is viewed as a “girls drink”; a drink that makes a man seem either weaker of more feminine. … I still know people who, when in a group of other like-minded “guys” watching football or barbecuing would never pick up a glass of wine..
Well, I can testify there were NO such misgivings at THIS particular gathering of rabid Browns fans (I was — ahem — rooting for the Bengals.) In fact, the host shared a great story of attending the previous week’s game in Cleveland and about how, in a vast ocean of beer-swilling Browns fans tailgating outside the stadium, a lone wine enthusiast discovered their wine-themed tailgate and nearly wept with joy. He was so excited he …
… ran back to his car to grab some decent stemware and abandoned his buddies to join his fellow wine aficionados.
But I digress.
Here are some tasting notes on the wines that we manly men (and a couple of womanly women) swirled, sniffed and slurped as we watched the division-leading Bengals eke out a last-second victory over the Browns:
1966 Ch. Mouton-Rothschild: Still very much alive and kicking, with a graphite-and-mineral-laden nose accented with cassis. Fruit carries over into the flavors, and the wine is smooth and well-balanced. Medium-length finish. Thoroughly enjoyable.
1966 Ch. Latour: Nose is muted, featuring iodine with a faint hint of fruit. This wine tasted better than the nose would suggest. Broad, fruity flavors that are smooth and velvety in the mouth. Finishes a bit thin.
1966 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild: Nose was musty, with dried leaves and mushrooms and a hint of cigar box. Flavors were thin and washed out, with a short finish.
1975 Lafite-Rothschild: Toasty, cassis-laden nose. Broad, deep, complex flavors of fruit, cedar and spice. Still plenty of fruit in this 30-year-old wine, and it’s likely at or approaching its peak.
1967 Ch. Calon-Segur: Aromas of mushrooms and forest floor, with fruit and a hint of oxidation. The palate boasts a core of fruit mingling with earthy flavors. Solid, pleasant finish.
1966 Ch. Fourcas Hosten: Nose is muted, with some iodine and toasty aromas. Fruit is fading but not gone.
1971 Ch. Figeac (St. Emilion): The most perplexing wine of the day. Quite tasty but very un-Bordeaux-like. Raisiny aromas dominate the nose; flavors are sweet, very ripe and harmonius, though bordering on raisiny. One taster summed it up as, “If red wine could be a Sauternes, this would be it.”
The wine enthusiast who contributed the ‘66 first growths said these were the last of their kind in his cellar. “I don’t think they’re at their peak,” he said.
Still, a fascinating experience, unlike any I’d had before. No one was complaining — at least, not until Shayne Graham hit the winning field goal for the Bengals. At that point, I poured Champagne.
And THAT’S how real men watch a Browns game.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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New Twist in the Trader Joe’s Wine-Buying Saga
I just posted the most recent comment to the “Uncorked” entry entitled “A Trader Joe’s Wine-Buying Experience,” and it may be the most intriguing one yet.
It comes from a reader in Ventura, CA who who describes himself as a 30-year wine industry pro and who doesn’t seem to have an axe to grind with Trader Joe’s: He says he shops there two to four times a week and praises TJ’s wine department as “above the average for chain stores.”
But he found his local Trader Joe’s wine shelf in California chock full of the Chiaro del Bastardo Italian white wine, and, “lo & behold, there were the two distinctly different-colored Bastardos exactly as the (Uncorked) article described!”
“How is that two distinctly unique bottles end up on the same shelf at the same time … at more than one location??” the reader asks. “This is not an acceptable response in every respect to the consumers interest!”
One question left unanswered in “Trader Joe’s Response” from last week, when a vice president for the company admitted TJ’s “kind of goofed,” was this: Why was the decision to pull the Chiaro Bastardo white limited to its Ohio stores? Last week, prior to receiving the Ventura CA comment, I e-mailed that very question to the Trader Joe’s vice president who had given me the corporation’s response a few days earlier.
I did not immediately hear back from her. I think I’ll renew those efforts.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Wine Gift Ideas for the Holidays — Mine AND YOURS!
Sure, you all have your holiday shopping done, right?
Well, this is the time of year that I start thinking about holiday shopping. And I suspect I’m not alone.
If you have a wine enthusiast on your list — or you are one and are looking to plant suggestions with your honeybunny — “Uncorked” is the place for you. But not just for what I suggest. I invite YOU to “post a comment” to this entry (see below) to suggest your own wine-related gift ideas. C’mon, help us out! Here are a few things I’d recommend:
— Looking for a really good …
… wine appreciation DVD? Look no further than the “Get Real Wine Series: Napa & Sonoma Harvest,” created by Dayton’s own master blues guitarist and wine shop owner Eric Jerardi and his manager, Allen Farst. The 74-minute DVD is based on a four-day visit to wine country during the 2005 harvest, when Jerardi visited and chatted with Napa and Sonoma wine folks from Markham, Honig, Steltzner and more. This DVD does a fine job demystifying wine; it will make those who watch it enjoy wine more, and will make more people enjoy wine. I think every wine shop in the country that offers a Wine 101 class should buy a copy of this DVD and show it to kick off the first class. An added bonus: Jerardi’s music on the soundtrack. The DVD is hot off the presses, and is available by sending a check or money order for $21.99 to Niche Productions/Get Real Wine, PO Box 90383, Dayton OH 45490. It’s also available at Amazon.com for preorder for shipping after Dec. 27, according to Amazon’s web site.
— Wine Report 2006 by Tom Stevenson ($15, DK): There are many pocket-guide style wine books on the market — Oz Clarke and Anthony Dias Blue have updated theirs for 2006 — and all have their strengths. But Stevenson brings together a first-rate team of contributors who add their expertise to the mix. Contributors include Masters of Wine Clive Coates, David Peppercorn and Serena Sutcliffe, among others. All deliver solid reports and express opinions on every wine region in every nook and cranny of the world, and on the wine issues of the day. A satisfying package. Besides, how can you not like a book with an introduction entitled “No sex please, we’re British”?
For something a bit heftier to put on the coffee table and impress your friends, Stevenson also authors The Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia: The Classic Reference for the Wines of the World ($50, also DK). The updated 4th edition has just been released.
— Usually, the wine gift catalogs that clog my mailbox are filled with overpriced gift baskets and assorted other lame stuff. But here’s one item that caught my eye: Wine.com “100 Years of Port” (item #83104) that consists of one 375 ml bottle each of four different Presidential Porto ports: 10-year, 20-year, 30-year and 40-year-old Tawny Ports (100 years, get it?), for $149.99. I’m not familiar with the producer, and unfortunately, the web site seems to suggest this item is not available in Ohio but is available in California, among other states. In any event, I give this an “A” for creativity — and for math.
— Speaking of Ohio, if you’re looking to explore Ohio wineries and wine country, Ohio Wine Country Excursions by Patricia Latimer ($25, Emmmis Books) is a great place to start. It’s chock full of vital statistics on Ohio’s wineries and explores the history of winemaking in the Buckeye state. Order this book and start planning some winery visits after the thaw.
Just a smattering of suggestions to start the crunchtime shopping season. If you have suggestions, pleae post a comment and let us know about YOUR gift ideas!
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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At Brennan’s Restaurant, Hurricane Katrina Claims 35,000 New Victims
(If you’re looking for the posting entitled “Trader Joe’s Responds” or the original posting of “A Trader Joe’s Wine-Buying Experience,” simply click on the links in this sentence.)
As horrendous as the human toll was from Hurricane Katrina, now comes news that will give pause to wine enthusiasts everywhere. See the Associated Press story entitled “Renowned Wine Cellar Goes From Vintage to Vinegar.” Ouch.
Stay warm, enjoy the Saturday tastings, and cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Sing It from the Mountaintop — This Is What WE’RE Tasting This Weekend in Dayton, Ohio
Okay, so, we’ve got a little ice and snow, while it’s 55 degrees in Sonoma, as a former colleague of mine rubbed in via e-mail earlier today. But does he have this many wonderful wines available for sampling within easy skidding distance this weekend? I think NOT.
Oh, that’s right. He’s in Sonoma. Well, we’ve got more variety. So THERE.
I’m tardy, and I apologize that my post missed the Friday night events (I blame the damn day job), but here’s the list, courtesy of a local wine listserv (Click on “continue reading”):
Jay’s Kitchen Door
Friday, December 9, 2005 4-8 pm
200o Speri Amarone
2001 Corino Barolo
2001 Mauro Molino Barolo
2001 Marengo Barolo
Saturday, December 10, 2005 1-6 pm: Red Burgundies - TBA
Jay’s is offering lunch 11:30 am – 2 pm, December 1 – December 23. Wines by the glass will include 1999 Alexander Valley Silver Oak Cabernet and Rombauer Chardonnay. Fresh Salmon Burger, Jambalaya, Pumkin Seed Mahi Mahi, Crusted Cod with Crab Imperial Spoonbread and Mustard Sauce will be lunch features.
Italian Luncheon with Ardie Bonnano, Saturday, January 14 12:30 PM RSVP 222-2892 $60 Diver Sea Scallops with Stewed Escarole and Cannelini Beans, Mixed Greens in a Spinach Frittata Socle with White Balsamic Vinaigrette, Seafood Lasagna, Petite Grilled Veal Chop with Chianti Reduction and Roasted Baby Vegetables, Pine and Almond Shortbread with Spumoni and Espresso Chocolate Sauce
Jay’s 30th Anniversary Luncheon! Saturday, February 18 12:30 PM RSVP 222-2892 $75 Celebrating Jay’s thirty years of great seafood and wine will be five wine representatives with their own wines and stories to tell about working with Jay. Amuse Buche – Caviar-Smoked Salmon Flutes, Saffron-Buckwheat Crepe with a Ragout of Lobster and Chantrelle Mushrooms in a White Wine Cream Sauce, Three Crab Smoked Tomato Bisque with Basil Oil and Boursin Cheese Crouton, Phyllo Shredded Shrimp with Mixed Greens, Spiced Almonds and Fried Brie with a Sweet and Sour Vinaigrette, Duo or Seared Filet and Chilean Sea Bass in a Crawfish-Morel Mushroom Sauce with Truffle Oil, Anniversary Surprise Dessert
Arrow – Oakwood
NO TASTINGS until January!
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)
DLM Oakwood Friday, December 9, 2005 5-8 pm
Yves Boyer 2003 Meursault
Argyle Reserve Pinot 2003
Fritz Dry Creek Zin 2002
Barnwood Red Trio 2001
Marquis Phillips 2004 S9 Shiraz
Brown Bag!
Saturday, December 10, 2005 1-6 pm
Jacobs Creek Brut Sparkling
Pierre Peters Brut Grand Cru
Torbreck 2004 Woodcutters Semillon
Gypsy Dancer Avenue Estate Pinot 2003
Portal Spanish Tinto 2003
Gambert De Loche 2001 Hermitage
Bonus Bottle!
Beers: Clipper City Heay Seas Winter Storm Summit Beer Winter Ale
DLM Washington Square
Thursday, December 1, 2005 5-8 pm
Mumm Joyesse Champagne
2001 Joseph Drouhin Puligny Montrachet
2000 Roseblum Holbrook Mitchel Trio
2002 Louis Jadot Pommard
2000 Veraison Cabernet
Mystery Wine!
Saturday, December 10, 2005 12-5 pm
2004 Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc
2002 Domaine Oliver Bourgogne
2002 Boglietti Dolcetto d’alva
2001 Renteria Cabernet (Napa)
1997 Mt. Veeder Cabernet
1998 Duval Leroy Blanc de Chardonnay
Mystery Bottle!
Dorothy Lane Springboro
Friday, December 9, 2005 3-7 pm
2004 Verget Macon Villages
1999 Amador Foothill Carignane
2003 Todd Norman Syrah
1995 Clos du Bois Briarcrest
Saturday, December 10, 2005 12-5 pm
2003 Tandem Chardonnay
1999 Frank Family Cabernet
1998 Chateau Pichon Longueville
1998 Penfolds Grange
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook, OH
Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm
Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm
Wines beginning Friday, December 9, 2005
It’s Cynthia’s birthday and she has to work so Friday will have special wines to celebrate the occasion!
And also there will be
Laetitia Brut
Bisci 2002 Verdicchio
Hofer 2004 Gruner Veltliner
Hanzell 2001 Chardonnay
Bernard Griffin 2002 Merlot
Gordon Brothers 2003 Syrah
Portal 2003 Tinto Crianza
Derbies Les Pinots 2003
Beer: Christian Morlein
Also-
Cuvee Bubble Bash will be Saturday, December 10 at 7:30 PM
Champagnes, Sparklings and Chef Chris’ delights.
Todd Nikolai of Vintner Select and Sara Staloch of Vanguard Wines will be helping the Cuvee gang.
$65.00 per person. Reservations required. More details to follow.
www.cuveewinebar.net
B. R. Scotese
Scotese’s will be open for lunch during December starting Monday, December 5 with entrees such as Flank Steak with sweet and sour onions and gorgonzola. The wines they will be pouring by the glass are Pacific Peaks Chardonnay, Biso Pinot Grigio, Straccali Chianti, and Parducci Red Zinfandel.
Grapes of Ruth
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 6-8PM
GASTON CHIQUET BLANC DE BLANC BRUT
RENE GEOFFROY CUVEE SELECTIONEE BRUT
JEAN LALLEMENT BRUT
L. AUBRY FILS BRUT
A. MARGAINE CUVEE TRADITIONELLE BRUT
CHARTOGNE-TAILLET ROSE BRUT
SIPS - 1035 S. Main Street, Centerville (close to Kroger and Elder Beerman)
Wine tasting every Saturday, by the glass tasting 5:30 am – 11 pm.
Thorne- Clarke Sparklinjg Wine 50% Pinot-50% Chardonnay
Thorne Clarke Shotfire Ridge Shiraz
Thorne -Clarke Shotfire Ridge Cuvee
Wolfberger Gewurtztraminer
Market Wine Imports
2nd Street Public Market
Saturday 10 AM-3 PM
Monte Volpe Primo Bianco
Louis Martini 2002 Cabernet
Dacchusfeuer Gluhwein (spiced winter treat)
Trader Joe’s, Town and Country Shopping Center — wines tastings
Sunday 4:00 to 7:00
Tuesday 5:45 to 8:00
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store
The Deli’s Wine of the Month: Citra Montepulciano from the Abruzzo region of Italy.
Winds Café – Yellow Springs, Ohio
WINE 101 - a class for the new wine drinker, or as a refresher course. Two consecutive Saturdays, January 21st and 28th. Call the Wine Cellar for more information. 937-767-9441.
Little Sonoma, 6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069. 513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads
Friday, December 9 ~ Special Wines for Special Occasions ~ Drop-in tasting from 5-8 pm
Jocelyn Cabernet Sauvignon
Frank Family Leconfield Sparkling
Kelham Sauvignon Blanc
Frizzante Prosecco
Saturday, December 10th ~ Winter Reds ~ Casual tasting from 4-7 pm
A Cabernet Sauvignon, a Sangiovese, a Merlot, a Zinfandel and a Port.
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Trader Joe’s Responds
The folks at Trader Joe’s have responded to the 12-2-05 Uncorked posting on “A Trader Joe’s Wine-Buying Experience,” an entry that triggered more than four dozen spirited comments and replies.
You’ll recall that the upshot of the original posting was that a Trader Joe’s spokeswoman in California was telling me that two wines on the TJ’s shelf here in Dayton, Ohio, were the same color, and that any difference in hue that I perceived must be from the tint of the bottle.
A photo we included in the 12-2 posting of the two wines side-by-side in identical stemware (see below) seemed to suggest otherwise.
“We kind of goofed,” said Audrey Dumper, Boston-based vice president of marketing for Trader Joe’s east coast and midwest stores.
Trader Joe’s has investigated the two versions of identically labeled 2003 Chiaro del Bastardo Italian white wine and concluded that …
… yes, they seem to be two different blends, Dumper said. And they’ve pulled all of the Bastardo whites off the shelves of all of the Trader Joe’s stores in Ohio while they try to figure out what caused the inconsistency.
All wines that go into TJ’s stores have to go through a tasting panel, Dumper said. “When we approved it, we only approved one” version, she said. “We’re dismayed that we had two different blends on our shelves, but now, everything’s pulled.”
Trader Joe’s folks had taken the word of a supplier when they passed along the “It-must-be-the-tinted-bottle” explanation.
“We weren’t trying to dupe you or anything,” the TJ’s VP said.
So sayeth Trader Joe’s.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
Upon further review, Trader Joe’s has determined that these two wines are indeed different. (Photo by Jim Witmer)
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Wine Blog Wednesday: Judge a Wine By Its Cover
First, if you’re looking for the “Trader Joe’s Wine-Buying Experience� post and accompanying comments, or the post about the Wine Spectator Cadillac-sponsored Top 100 Wines of 2005, simply click on the links in this sentence.
But it’s “Wine Blog Wednesdsay,� when wine bloggers from around the country and beyond pick a theme, choose a wine and review it. This month’s eclectic theme: “Judge a Wine By Its Cover,� in which we were asked to pick out a wine with a pretty label and check it out.
So I did just that, a wine that just showed up on the shelf in recent weeks here in Dayton, Ohio:
Lulu B. 2004 Syrah (Vin de Pays D’Oc), $8.39 Ohio retail:
This creative label is apparently the brainchild of French vigneron Louis Bernard, leader of a Rhone-based negotiant/winemaking cooperative who informs us on the back label that Lulu B. is his daughter. “After studying in France, Lulu …
…toured the world’s wine regions and has now returned home to the family estate. Inspired by tradition and innovation, Lulu B. created this wine with you in mind.”
She also apparently created a pinot noir and chardonnay with just me in mind too. Very considerate of her.
The syrah has impressively deep color and a nose of gamay-like candy-apple and fruit-cocktail fruit. In the mouth, it delivers jammy fruit and sufficient acidity, followed by a slight medicinal note on the finish. All in all, this is a well-priced and satisfying quaffer.
Just one nagging question about the artsy label: how DO French women fit their feet into those tiny little shoes?
Derrick at the “An Obsession with Food (and Wine)� blog is hosting this month’s Wine Blog Wednesday and will be posting a roundup at his site sometime this weekend, he tells me in a comment posted below. Check his site to find out what other wild labels bloggers found.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher Uncorked www.daytondailynews.com/wineblog
(Photo by Jim Witmer)
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Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines ‘Proudly Sponsored by Cadillac’
First of all, if you’re looking for the wildly popular “Trader Joe’s Wine-Buying Experience” posting, with its 47-and-counting comments, click on this “Uncorked” Trader Joe’s entry link.
But, alas, we move on. Well now, this certainly caught my eye: 
The tear-out sheet of Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines for 2005, “Proudly sponsored by Cadillac,” with a full-page ad on the back customized for wine enthusiasts (A Caddy is described as “Bold and Intense, with Aromas of Burl Wood …”).
Okay, here’s my question for you blog readers: Who in the world came up with the idea of selling a sponsorship in a magazine’s top wines of the year listing, and was that idea:
(a) Fiendishly brilliant
(b) Thoroughly disgusting
(c) Wildly lucrative, or
(d) All of the Above.
I was going to praise the magazine for at least selling the sponsorship to a non-wine-related company, but then I noticed …
… on the Spectator’s web site that the web version of the top 100 list is “Sponsored by D. Sokolin & Company, America’s Premier Wine Merchant Since 1934,” which purports to “sell the world’s top 100 wines every day.”
Hmmm. How very odd. (Hey, didn’t I write that sentence in the preceding Trader Joe’s entry?)
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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A Trader Joe’s Wine-Buying Experience
Editor’s note: Two weeks after this blog entry was published, Trader Joe’s pulled all of this wine off of its shelves nationwide.
Do these look like the same wines?
Well, they don’t smell or taste the same, either, even though they’re labeled identically. What to make of it? A simple matter of bottle variation? Perhaps…
Here’s the story behind these two bottles of wine:
I walked into my local Trader Joe’s in Kettering, Ohio on Monday night (11-28-05) …
…to shop for a few things I had seen in the Trader Joe’s Holiday Guide catalog. I was particularly intrigued by a wine mentioned in the TJ’s “Fearless Flyer” — a Chiaro del Bastardo Italian white wine that costs $6.99 in Ohio — in part because it came “from the same folks who brought us the very popular Bastardo Red,‿ the catalog said. I had tried the red, an Italian Nebbiolo described on the label as a close relative to Barolo and Barbaresco, and it was quite fine for $9.99.
There were 30 or so bottles of the Italian white on Trader Joe’s shelf, but something was clearly amiss. About two-thirds of the bottles were what I’d expect to be the color for a 2003 dry white: straw/pale green. The other one-third were deep golden; they looked more like 15-year-old Sauternes. The bottles sat side by side, labeled identically. I picked up one bottle of each color, found a guy I assumed to be a manager sitting in the corner of the store near the wine department doing paperwork, held up both bottles and suggested to him that something might be wrong with some of the bottles, probably the golden-colored ones. He looked up at the pair of bottles I was holding, acknowledged and expressed some surprise at the color difference, and said he’d be sure to check it out. He then quickly went back to his paperwork.
I dropped by the following afternoon (11-29-05), and found the situation on the shelf unchanged, the deep golden-hued bottles sitting side-by-side with the others. This time, I bought one of each, and popped the corks that night to compare.
The pale straw-colored wine had a distinct floral note in the nose, decent fruit and balancing acidity, and was a bit thin – about what I would expect, and not disappointing considering the price. The deep golden-colored version was not, as I had suspected, oxidized; it did not smell like sherry as I thought it would, based on its appearance. But it had no floral note in the nose, showed little fruit and had bracing acidity, and was more viscous than its identically labeled “companion‿ wine.
There was one other difference: the two wines had different corks. The pale straw-colored version had “Chiaro del Bastardo‿ printed on the cork, while the golden-hued and identically labeled version had “Messo in Battiglia Nelle Proprie Cantine‿ printed on the cork.
How very odd.
The following day, 11-30-05, the two different versions of the wines were still on the shelves.
I bought one more of each. And I started asking questions.
Alison Mochizuki, a spokeswoman for Trader Joe’s, responded to my inquiry about the wines with a voicemail late Thursday afternoon (12-1-05).
Trader Joe’s “is absolutely aware about this wine,” Mochizuki said. “There is no difference in the wine or the quality of the corks. It’s just that the glass in the first lot is 100 percent clear, and the second one is off-white glass. That’s the only difference. It’s the same product, same quality cork, just different glass. That’s why you see a change in color, but it actually isn’t a change in color. I hope this explains everything for you.”
Oh, so that’s it. Mystery solved. It was just the tint of the bottle.
Funny thing, though. The bottles sure looked the same. So I poured each wine into identical stemware, and …
Hmmm.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
(Photos by Jim Witmer)
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Happy Holidays to US! Wine-Tastings and Much More
Just a couple of quick things involving wineries in our neck of the woods before we get to the big list: Nancy Bentley, co-owner and managing partner of Kinkead Ridge Estate Winery in Ripley, Ohio, will present five of her wines at Arrow Wine & Spirits Centerville store Saturday (12-3-05) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. And Valley Vineyards in Morrow is having its Third Annual Light Up Valley holiday celebration from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesday (12-7-05). Champagne, spiced honey mead, food and entertainment, and the lighting of the Christmas tree. Cost is $28, reservations required, call (513) 899-2485 or (513) 702-0897 for more information.
Now without further ado, may I present to you…
… courtesy of a local wine listserv, the tastings and wine events of the Greater Miami Valley!
Jay’s Kitchen Door, Oregon District, downtown Dayton
Friday, December 2, 2005 4-8 pm, Saturday, December 3, 2005 1-6 pm: Pine Ridge Wines both Friday and Saturday. Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Napa Cabernet, Stag’s Leap Cabernet.
Pine Ridge Wine Luncheon, Saturday, December 3 12:30 PM RSVP 222-2892 $60: Wild Mushroom Strudel with Smoked Salmon, Lobster-Pumpkin Bisque, Oven-Roasted Pear Salad with Bleu Cheese and Walnut Tartlets, Braised Short Ribs with Truffled Cauliflower Puree and Cranberry Relish, Macerated Bing Cherry Tart with Toasted Hazelnuts and Mascarpone.
Italian Luncheon with Ardie Bonnano, Saturday, January 14 12:30 PM $60: Diver Sea Scallops with Stewed Escarole and Cannelini Beans, Mixed Greens in a Spinach Frittata Socle with White Balsamic Vinaigrette, Seafood Lasagna, Petite Grilled Veal Chop with Chianti Reduction and Roasted Baby Vegetables, Pine and Almond Shortbread with Spumoni and Espresso Chocolate Sauce.
Jay’s 30th Anniversary Luncheon!!! Saturday, February 18 12:30 PM $75: Celebrating Jay’s thirty years of great seafood and wine will be five wine representatives with their own wines and stories to tell about working with Jay. Amuse Buche – Caviar-Smoked Salmon Flutes, Saffron-Buckwheat Crepe with a Ragout of Lobster and Chantrelle Mushrooms in a White Wine Cream Sauce, Three Crab Smoked Tomato Bisque with Basil Oil and Boursin Cheese Crouton, Phyllo Shredded Shrimp with Mixed Greens, Spiced Almonds and Fried Brie with a Sweet and Sour Vinaigrette, Duo or Seared Filet and Chilean Sea Bass in a Crawfish-Morel Mushroom Sauce with Truffle Oil, Anniversary Surprise Dessert.
To RSVP for the specialty luncheons, call 222-2892. Jay’s is also open for lunch for the month of December. Call for reservations.
Arrow – Oakwood
Saturday, December 3, 2005 11-4 pm: This is the last Saturday tasting for 2005! 2001 Ansgar Riesling, 2003 Jadot Bourgogne Blanc, 2004 CL Pinot Noir, 2003 Domain Dragon “Cuvee Saint Michel�, 2002 Chessler.
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)
DLM Oakwood
Friday, December 2, 2005 5-8 pm: 2004 Torbreck Viognier Marsanne Roussane, 2003 Columbia Crest Reserve Syrah, 2001 Terra Valentine Cabernet, JC Cellars Frediani Petite Sirah, 2001 Reignac Bordeaux.
Saturday, December 3, 2005 1-6 pm: 2002 Napa Cellars Chardonnay, 2003 Patricia Green Estate Pinot Noir, 2001 Allende Rioja, 2001 La Spinetta Pin Nebbiolo/Barbera, 1989 Perrier Jouet Brut Rose.
DLM Washington Square
Thursday, December 1, 2005 5-8 pm: 1997 Egley-Ouriet Champagne, 2000 Talbott Diamond T Estate Chardonnay, 2002 Chateau St. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon - Cold Creek Vineyard, 2001 Treana - Central Coast, 2003 Pride Merlot - Mountain Vineyards, 2001 Chateau la Couspaude Bordeaux - Saint Emilion Grand Cru.
Saturday, December 3, 2005 12-5 pm: 1996 Duval Leroy Brut Champagne, 2003 Ethos Chardonnay, 2003 Gypsy Dancer Pinot Noir, 2002 Justin Cabernet, 2003 Columbia Crest Reserve Syrah, La Pigeade Muscat.
Dorothy Lane Springboro
Friday, December 2, 2005 12-7 pm: Napa Cellars Chardonnay, Hitching Post Generation Red, Vinum Red Dirt Red, Clos du Bois Marlstone.
Saturday, December 3, 2005 12-5 pm Ramey Chardonnay, Delectus Petite Syrah, Penfolds R.W.T., Joseph Phelps Insignia.
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook, OH Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm Wines beginning Friday, December 2, 2005: Laurens Cremant de Limoux, Mulderbosch 2005 Sauvignon Blanc, Seghesio 2004 Arneis, Lighthouse 2004 Chardonnay, Casali Rosa di Rosa Sparkling, Domaine Les Pallieres 2001 Gigondas, Hastwell & Lightfoot 2000 Shiraz, Cakebread Cellars 1999 Benchland Select Cabernet, Christian Moerlein Select Dunkel.
Also — Cuvee Bubble Bash will be Saturday, December 10 at 7:30 PM: Champagnes, Sparklings and Chef Chris’s delights. Todd Nikolai of Vintner Select and Sara Staloch of Vanguard Wines will be helping the Cuvee gang. $65.00 per person. Reservations required. More details to follow.
B. R. Scotese
Fairfield Wine tasters! Wednesday, December 7, 2005 4:30 pm will find many of the Fairfield Wine group at B. R. Scotese! The restaurant is no smoking on Wednesdays! Wednesday, December 7, 2005: Coppola Wines – Merlot, Claret, Rosso, Bianco, Chardonnay.
Scotese’s will be open for lunch during December starting Monday, December 5.
SIPS - 1035 S. Main Street, Centerville
Wine tasting every Saturday, by the glass tasting 7:30 am – 11 pm. Greg Norman Estates, California Wines - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet
2nd Street public Market
Friday and Saturday: Duck Pond Cellars “Clos d’ Pond”, 2002 Taft Street Merlot, 2004 Casillero del Diable Carmenere, 2004 Rosa di Rosa Sparkling Dulce Red.
Trader Joe’s, Town and Country Shopping Center, Kettering
Sunday 4:00 to 7:00, Tuesday 5:45 to 8:00: Comtes des Galeyran Blanquette de Limoux (sparkling), Black Mountain Painted Ridges Pinot Noir, Morgado 10-Year Tawny Port.
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store
The Deli’s Wine of the Month: Citra Montepulciano from the Abruzzo region of Italy.
December 7 6-9 p.m. Wine dinner with Chef Deiter — Please RSVP 298-5053
Calamari Picante
Buillabaisse with Lobster and Shrimp
Oso Bucco Milanese with Risotto
Mindy's Special Holiday Desert
Winds Café and Wine Cellar, Yellow Springs, Ohio, 937-767-9441 (Wine Cellar)
Friday, December 2 at 7:00 pm, Champagne Tasting: Taste the new sparklers chosen for the 2005 holiday season. Accompanied by holiday fare from the Cafe’s kitchen.
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