SPARKLING WINES

BUBBLIES are ubiquitous during the Holiday season. There are huge numbers out there, some great, some good, some fair, and many dreadful.

The first sparkling wines were made in France. There is no agreement where that happened. Some swear it was in Limoux in Southern France, most carry the torch for the ancient province of Champagne, which gave its name to the beverage that so many people swoon over.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery. In no time flat, "Champagnes" were made everywhere. But count on the French to rule the roost. It took them decades, but it finally came to pass that only sparkling wines made in the Champagne region of northern France are entitled to use the magic word - CHAMPAGNE.

When in Champagne country, don't miss a tour in the cavernous cellars of one of the great Champagne houses in Reims. The town sits on a maze of man-made caverns which are used for production and storage. During your tour pay close attention to your tour leader and don't be rowdy. My elegantly dressed guide, decked out in the latest Paris fashion, gave the evil eye plus a tongue lashing to some oafs who began to chat during her tour.

A generation ago, the head of the great Champagne house of Bollinger was Lily Bollinger. When asked how she enjoyed her own product, Lily Bollinger is reported to have said, "I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty."

Sparkling wines come in so many incarnations and at so many price points that in a fashion, it's not that hard to imitate Lily Bollinger.

California has become a hotbed for French Champagne houses. Naturally, they call their products "sparkling wines," even though they use the same grape varieties (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier), the same method - "Methode Champenois," and the same nomenclature (i.e. "ultra brut" means totally dry, "brut" or "extra sec" is dry, "sec" means slightly sweet, and "demi-sec" is sweet) as they do at home in Champagne.

"Methode Champenoise" refers to the traditional laborious method of getting bubbles into Champagne by refermenting wine in its bottle. Producers in other parts of France (e.g. Loire Valley) must use the terms "methode classique" or "methode traditionelle."

RECOMMENDED CALIFORNIA SPARKLERS: Roederer from Anderson Valley in Mendocino, Domaine Carneros from the Carneros District, Napa Valley, and Domaine Chandon, Napa Valley, are all making excellent sparklers.

A Spanish outpost in California is Gloria Ferrer, whose wines are very good value.

Homegrown sparkling wines include  the excellent "J" from Jordan Estate in Sonoma, Schramsberg based in the Napa Valley and the small production Terra Savia "Blanc de Blanc" from Mendocino.

NEW MEXICO: Who would have thought? The French Gruet family produces a good sparkler that sells for around twelve dollars and is widely available.

CAVAS FROM SPAIN: "Cava" is the name of the sparkling wines that come from Catalunya near Barcelona.The method for Cava is the same as the one used in Champagne, but the grapes are all indigenous. Some great values, but the really good stuff is only now trickling into the U.S. Check out the Spanish Table for best selection.

The ubiquitous "Cristalino" at seven or eight dollars is unbeatable as a PARTY WINE.

ITALY: Prosecco is a grape as well as the word for a sparkling wine from the Veneto region north of Venice. It is popular as an aperitif. Prosecco is not made according to the Champagne method. Instead, the producers use the less expensive Charmat bulk process.

Truly great sparkling wines are made in Franciacorta, Lombardy. They follow the Champagne method. Grape varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc. Not cheap, but worth looking for.

FRANCE: Many wine regions of France produce good sparkling wines that are made in the Champagne mode and can be delightful and are much less pricey than Champagne itself. Check out sparklers from Alsace, Loire, and Bourgogne (Burgundy) for some impressive deals.

LIMOUX has a good claim to be the fountain head of sparkling wines. Blanquette de Limoux, or better yet, Cremant de Limoux, are the names of of the region's sparkling wines. Try to locate sparklers from Domaines De Fourn, Martinolles, De Flassians, and Les Caves du Sieur d'Arques. Limoux sparklers are not going to break the bank.


CHAMPAGNE: Most Champagne sold throughout the world is pretty mediocre stuff. The massive quantities that the standard brands produce make it virtually impossible to produce sparkling wines of distinction with the exception of their over priced luxury bottles.

However, there are some well-known houses whose sparklers I would happily drink in the Lily Bollinger fashion, some pricey, some not. Ayala, Deutz, and Lanson are reasonable.  Gosset, Henriot, Joseph Perrier, Philipponat, Pol Roger, and Pommery occupy the middle ground while Bollinger and Krug roost in the realm of luxury Champagnes.

Importers are now bringing in Champagnes from small houses who usually grow all or most of  their own grapes, unlike the mass market brands, and their quality is often excellent. Prices are quite fair.

French law dictates that every Champagne label must carry an acronym of the producers status followed by a  six-digit license number. The acronyms are in such tiny print that they require a magnifying glass to decode them, but they can mean the difference between getting rot gut or excellence .

N.M. (Negociant-Manipulant - dealer/producer):   quality excellent to less than inspiring.
C.M. (Cooperative-Manipulant - co-op producer): quality decent to poor.
M.A. (Marque d'Acheteur - buyer's own brand):    don't touch  
R.M. (Recoltant-Manipulant - grower/producer):    quality excellent to very good.

Final words on Champagne: It seems to be part of the French genius to make silk purses out of a sows' ears. Non-sparkling wines from Champagne are usually dreadful, especially Pinots. The growers and producers turn it into Champagne, the ultimate status wine, and reap huge profits in the process.

TREAT YOUR FRIENDS AND YOURSELF TO SPARKLING WINES IN MAGNUM (equals two bottles) WHICH ARE REASONABLE AND TASTE GREAT:

Sommariva Prosecco - $32. Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley

Roederer Estate "Brut" - (one of California's best sparklers) - $45. The Wine Club, San Francisco

MISCELLANEA

JUST OPENED: Premier Cru Wines on University and Sixth Streets in Berkeley, California. It has been part of the East Bay (SF Bay) wine scene for a long time. They now occupy their own building, conveniently located near the freeway. The show room looks fabulous and prices are reasonable. Seek advice from the knowledgeable and friendly sales staff.

BUMPER STICKER SPOTTING: "Live long enough to become a burden for your kids." appears to be the secret wish of some aging baby boomers. Moderate wine consumption might just be the the ticket to success.

"MODERATE WINE CONSUMPTION" (1 to 2 four-ounce glasses of wine) promotes longevity (Journal of Gerontology, 2007). Wine drinkers have a 34%  lower mortality rate than beer or spirits drinkers. Finally, drinking wine slows brain function decline (Neuroepidemology, 2006).












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BEAUJ-OLÉ

Now that the 2010 “Le Nouveau Beaujolais Est Arrive" madness is over where we paid more for a bottle of  “Nouveau” ("because it's air freighted"), than the vastly superior 2009 regular Beaujolais, it's time to talk about the treasures that the '09 Beaujolais vintage delivered.

Incidentally, I happened to be in a wine store on the evening before the official release date of the “Nouveau” which is set by the French authorities for the third Thursday in November.  I asked the clerk whether I could have a bottle of “Nouveau” and was told in no uncertain terms that that would be a violation of French law. Huh? Since when do we abide by French law?
   
Beaujolais is part of Burgundy and vintages are highly variable, just as they are in Burgundy. The grape of Beaujolais is called Gamay.

Beaujolais is one of the best food wines on the planet because of its great fruit and acid balance. It even works with fish. Also, Beaujolais is perhaps the only red that can cool the burn of spicy dishes. It’s  the ultimate guzzling wine as well.

Once upon a time, long before the Wall came down, I was living in West Berlin. As often as possible during fall and spring we escaped from Berlin's frigid clime and dashed down to sunny Provence.
On one of those trips I wanted to explore St. Louis in Alsace, where my father was born. There wasn't much to see and finally we stopped at an inn, went inside and were greeted with a handshake by a young woman in native costume. We sat down and I asked her about the contents of the kegs that sat on the counter. “Why, it’s Beaujolais, “ she answered with a sweet smile. From the moment we tried Beaujolais, we were hooked. We slept well that night, under the stars of Alsace, snug in our sleeping bags in a field outside St. Louis.

BEAUJOLAIS QUALITY LEVELS:

“BEAUJOLAIS” is the cheapest and “simplest” level in the Beauj hierarchy. Prices range from eight to fifteen dollars. An excellent choice would be the Depardieu (imported by Kermit Lynch in Berkeley) for about fifteen dollars.

"BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES” are wines that come from the northern and better part of Beaujolais. Depending on producer or negociant (dealer), these tasty wines retail from about twelve to fifteen dollars.
A good example is the Chateau de Piron, imported by Beaune Imports in Berkeley

The best (and sometimes age-worthy) Beaujolais wines come from ten villages (e.g. Morgon) but you will NEVER see the word “Beaujolais” on these bottles, which are referred to by the wine savvy as “Cru Beaujolais.”

"CRU BEAUJOLAIS" refers to ten villages that have earned this special quality designation. They are  FLEURIE, ST-AMOUR, JULIENAS, CHENAS, MOULIN-A-VENT,  CHIROUBLES, MORGON, REGNIE, COTE DE BROUILLY, and BROUILLY.

Wines from these villages may be be bottled by huge producers like Georges Duboef or artisans like Marcel Lapierre, Guy Breton and Jean-Paul Thevenot (the latter all imported by Kermit Lynch, Berkeley) and many other wineries.

Crus Beaujolais start from about fifteen dollars. I bought the tasty Maison Loius Tete "Morgon" for fifteen dollars and the same firm's "Moulin-a-Vent" for sixteen dollars at K&L Wine Merchants in San Francisco. At these prices you can experiment and it's worth it, but you may encounter some Crus Beaujolais that are quite a bit pricier.

Beaujolais is an ideal wine for holiday feasts with all their different dishes because it's so food-friendly. And yes, Beaujolais always tastes best when slightly chilled, say to about fifty-five degrees.


MISCELLANEA

It's the season....to think about your impecunious friends who love wine and perhaps want to learn more about them.

BOOKS THAT COVER THE WINES OF THE WORLD:

Hugh Johnson's  Pocket Wine Book 2011- $15. Updated yearly, with input from experts around the globe. A handy reference which fits into your hand bag or coat pocket. Excellent cheat sheet for restaurant and wine shop visits.

Hugh Johnson, The World Atlas of Wine - $50. Demonstrates the close relationship between geography and wine. Indispensable for wine aficionados who want to get a grasp of the vast world of wine.


CALIFORNIA AND PACIFIC NORTHWEST:

Bob Thompson, The Wine Atlas of California and the Pacific Northwest. Does pretty much for the American West Coast what Johnson does for the world. In addition, it lists wineries and gives travel info. Out of print, but worth searching for.

Matt Kramer's New California Wine - $25. Great survey of the current California wine scene.

REST OF THE WORLD:

Mitchell Beazley's Pocket Guides: Champagne and Other Sparkling Wines, Wines of Australia, Wines of Bordeaux, Wines of Burgundy, Wines of the Loire, Alsace, and the Rhone, Wines of New Zealand, Wines of Spain. Wines of Italy, etc. Individual guide books, discussing wine regions and their producers and recommending regional restaurants.

Under the auspices of Hugh Johnson, the British Publisher Mitchell Beazley puts out a series of Wine Atlases, focused on the wines of specific countries (e.g. Stuart Pigott, The Wine Atlas of Germany). These atlases are treasure droves of information about the wines. The also double as travelers guides.


Willie Gluckstern, The Wine Avenger - $12. Off-beat and provocative.

LIQUID GIFT IDEAS:
Magnums (with a content of 1500ml=two bottles) look impressive and wine often tastes better from large format bottles. If no purveyor is mentioned go to www.winesearcher.com

MAGNUMS FOR THE HOLIDAYS:
REDS:'08 Clos de la Coutale-Cahors (Southwest France - Malbec country) $32 - Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, California

'05 Chateau St. Eulalie - "La Cantilene" (Languedoc, Southern France - mostly Syrah with the rest Mourvedre and Grenache, great vintage) $41 - DeeVine Wines, Pier 19, the Embarcadero, San Francisco

'00 Paramo de Guzman - Crianza (Ribera del Duero, Spain - Tempranillo from a great vintage) $45 -  DeeVine Wines

'05 Chateau Lanessan, Haut-Medoc (Bordeaux - mostly Cabernet Sauvignon from a great vintage)  $70 -  K&L Wine Merchants, San Francisco

WHITES:
'09 Muscadet Clos de La Papiere, "VV Clos des Briards, $38

'07 Weingut Erben von Beulwitz "Kaseler Nies'chen" Riesling Kabinett (classic, off-dry German Riesling) $46.75 - DeeVine Wines

'09 A. J. Adam, "Dhron Hofburg"Riesling Kabinett (off-dry German Riesling) $55

THE RIESLING CONUNDRUM

THE RIESLING CONUNDRUM

Folks, before you completely go bonkers over the Nouveau Beaujolais (release date is Thursday, November 18) and then go into hibernation, only sucking down brooding Reds, Wine Meister has an issue to bring forth that is very dear to his (German) heart.

When I reported in an earlier blog on the pleasures of shopping for wine in a small store in my neck of the woods, Ludwig’s Tobacco and Liquors in San Anselmo, Marin County, California, USA, I was shocked that the store didn’t carry a single bottle of German Riesling. Dolefully, owner Magid Nazari revealed that nobody buys them because people don’t understand them.

Imagine this. Sommeliers at the finest eateries all over the country have been extolling the virtues and versatility of Riesling for years now and it's still not catching on with wine drinkers.

Don't worry, I don’t want to put you through the same ordeal as the famed NYC sommelier and restaurateur Paul Grieco did with his customers at his two wine bars called “Terroir” (www.wineisterroir.com). Beginning last June 21 until September 22, the only “by the glass” selections were Rieslings. Mr. Grieco called it “The Summer of Riesling.” All other wines had to be purchased by the bottle.

Believe it or not, German Rieslings were America's most popular wines before they were pushed aside by overoaked Chardonnays. Ask your grandparents, if you doubt the Wine Meister's words.

SOME BACKGROUND

Germany is the northernmost wine growing country in the world. Before the onset of global warming, this often meant that bringing grapes to total maturity was almost impossible. To boot, Riesling is one of the grape varieties with naturally high acid levels. The German wine maker (Kellermeister) would balance the high acidity by either adding a small amount of sweet, unfermented grape juice, or more traditionally, s/he would stop fermentation before all the sugar in the must had been converted into alcohol. This accounts for the fact that traditionally made German Rieslings are extremely low in alcohol (7.5% - 9.5%) and are wines which are light, fresh, fruity, and easy to enjoy by themselves or with many foods.

With rising demand in Germany for dry Rieslings, wineries after global warming brought riper grapes, responded and are now also producing dry-style Rieslings by making sure that the must is wholly fermented. German winemakers have recently turned out very good examples of this new style. In my own experience however, Americans who continued to be fans of the traditional style Rieslings (containing some residual sugar) from way back, often reject the new, dry style Rieslings coming out of Germany.

That’s what I call the Riesling conundrum. Most wine consumers now display what one could describe as a "sweet wine phobia" and often confuse "fruity" with "sweet" when it comes to German wines. On the other hand, the "traditionalists" reject the dry style German Rieslings, which means that you won’t find many dry German Rieslings on the shelves of wine stores in the US. Even the homegrown (often inferior) versions usually follow the slightly sweet German style.

It turns out that German Riesling is the wine that really goes superbly well with all Asian cuisines and when that Asian cuisine turns up the heat, only Riesling with a bit of residual sugar can “stand up” to it. It's the low alcohol and the residual sugar in these wines that do the trick.

WHAT SHOULD I BUY AND WHERE DO I GET IT?

The least expensive bottle would be a "QbA" from a recent vintage. But you must make sure that it comes from a top German producer (e.g. ’08 Kesseler “R”or Dr. Loosen “Dr. L,” both available for $15 at the Wine Club (www.thewineclub.com) in San Francisco). Actually, for a dollar more you can climb  into the next quality category, called “Kabinett,”and get their ’08 St. Urbans Hof “Ockfener Bockstein” Riesling Kabinett.

2009 was another successful vintage in Germany and a good choice would be the ’09 Moenchhof “Uerziger Wuerzgarten” Riesling Kabinett, sold for $18 at K&L in SF.

The ultimate purveyor of German Riesling in the San Francisco Bay Area, if not the whole West Coast, is Dee Vine Wines (www.dee-vine.com). They are located at Pier 19 on the Embarcadero in  San Francisco and they carry Rieslings going back to 1862. Yes Sir, top quality Rieslings are almost immortal, a bottle of which would set you back by only $15,000. For about 0.1% of that, try the 2008 Josef Rosch “Leiwener Klostergarten for $15.50. I’ve tasted Rosch wines on numerous occasions and he is one of my all-time favorite producers.

RIESLING MISCELLANEA

If you want to know more about other quality levels of German Rieslings (Spaetlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese (don’t you love the poesy of endless German words) and Eiswein, I’ll be more than happy to oblige.

For potential or actual collectors,  Rieslings are a must. Top German Riesling is the only White (perhaps a top, late harvest, Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley in France comes close) that ages and improves fantastically.

Speaking of the longevity of German Riesling, the bottle in the picture above is of a 1983 "Maximin Gruenhaeuser Abstberg" Auslese. 1983 happens to be the birth date of my beloved daughter and this bottle was consumed at her birthday this February. It had gotten much drier than when I first bought it for her future wine stash in 1985 and it was simply superb.

MISCELLANEA

You just met Riesling, one of the great vitis vinifera (wine-bearing) grapes. Others are the Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, the Burgundy grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and Gewuerztraminer from  South Tyrol (Alto Adige) in Northern Italy. They are called “great," because they originated in Europe, but eventually succeeded in the far corners of the earth. All are of Eurasian origin.

Thomas Jefferson and other gentlemen farmers attempted to grow vitis vinifera grapes from Europe in the United States, but the vines soon withered and died.

This riddle was only solved when European vineyards were virtually wiped out in the second half of the 19th century by a pest dubbed phylloxera, accidentally imported from the United States. Phylloxera is an aphid that attacks the rootstock of the vine and kills it.

European vintners flooded their vineyards (if they were flat) and tried a variety of bizarre schemes to get rid of the pest, but to no avail. Finally it dawned on the people searching for a cure, that native American grapes (called “vitis,” such as the Concord grape, source of the great Manischewitz wines) were immune to the pest and American rootstock, with vitis vinifera  budded  upon it, became the salvation of European vineyards.

News from the boonies: “123 Bolinas,” Marin County’s great new wine bar in Fairfax, (www.123bolinas.com) will host an oyster extravaganza (Hog Island Oyster Company) on Sunday November 21, from 4 – 7 pm. Reserve your oysters by e-mailing them at oysters@123bolinas.com.

WINE MEISTER’S CREED

SWABIAN ROOTS AND THE WINE MEISTER'S CREED

Some of my devoted fans expressed sticker shock after reading my very first blog. I reported on a Spanish tasting (price range $18 to $99) by the “Uptown Tasting Group". That’s exactly the point of belonging to a tasting group. You average out the expense of the wines. I love tasting highfalutin wines, but being a cheapskate is in my blood.

Frugality is as German as Mercedes Benz or BMW. Their owners race along the Autobahn, screech to a halt at a rest stop during lunch time, and munch on their Wurst sandwiches, which Mutti had made earlier at home.

Let’s dig deeper into the German soul. Germans identify with their dialect groups or tribes.

Bavarians love beer, weisswurst, lederhosen, oompah music, and rough play.

Swabians, like the Wein Meister, drink wine, love spaetzle, grouse, and make fun of their peculiar outlook on life.  "Schaffe, schaffe, Haeusle baue, verrecke" (Toil, toil, build your own four walls, kick the bucket) is our central creed. The Swabians are a laconic lot. We are notorious for our penny pinching ways.

A recent story in the New York Times looked into this thriftiness business that helped Germany weather the global financial melt down. The reporter ended up talking to the Hausfrauen of Memmingen, where the Wine Meister spent the first ten years of his life.

Has the Wine Meister street cred for bargain hunting or what?

BARGAIN HUNTING

The Wine Meister lives in Marin County and the greater San Francisco Bay Area is where his happy hunting grounds lie. Until further thorough research, I can only give you thumbnail sketches of the places that wine consumers in Marin County think of as bargain stores and then some.

Trader Joe's:

Regrettably, I belittled “Two Buck Chuck," when I threatened people with a subscription to the “Two Buck Chuck” wine club, should they refuse to read my blog.

These $1.99 bottles are marketed under the name “Charles Shaw Wines,“ and for obvious reasons became known as "two buck chuck." They are exclusively sold at Trader Joe’s.

The man who brings us these super bargains is Fred Franzia of Bronco Wine Company. Fred has long been a thorn in the tender side of Napa producers. They forced him to abandon an earlier bargain brand called “Napa Ridge.” Its grapes didn’t necessarily come from Napa and thus besmirched the image that clings to everything grown on the hallowed grounds of Napa Valley.

Fred Franzia, though, had the last laugh. He purchased the name of the defunct Charles Shaw winery, built a huge bottling plant at the entrance to the Napa Valley and prints on his back labels “bottled in Napa and Sonoma” both names associated with high quality California wines.

The Larkspur Trader Joe's has a small, but well organized wine department with a staff person on hand to advise customers. As in all Trader Joe's wine departments, the ubiquitous pile of Two Buck Chuck is displayed on the floor. There are other "super bargains" galore. However, despite my better judgment, I bagged the last bottle of a high end Pinot for $20, that usually sells for twice as much.

Barolo and Barbaresco are some of Italy’s most prestigious wines. They come from the Piedmont region and are both made from the native Nebbiolo grape.  Normally, prices start at around $30. The Trader offers ‘05 Barbaresco for $13 and '05 Barolo for $14.  Both are labeled “La Loggia.” The Barbaresco was exactly what I had expected a good Barbaresco from a fair vintage to be like. Bravo! I found the Barolo less appealing, but still good.

Cost Plus:

Small, but decent selection, handsomely displayed, with very helpful staff on the floor. Lots of “bargains” from obscure producers.

Beverages and More (BevMo):

Lots of “bargains,” and massive numbers of wines from all over the world. The ones I am most familiar with are not cheap. No staff person was on hand. How are you supposed to decide whether to buy this $80 bottle of Bordeaux or that $79.99 California Cab as a gift for wine savvy Uncle Bill?

I got the feeling that BevMo is one of those “loss leader” shops. There are indeed some good deals. They have the excellent Naveran Brut Cava (Spanish sparkling wine ) at $12, but then the Deutz Champagne that I see around for $35 costs $58.

Wine Meister’s delicate system doesn’t deal well with hard liquor. Still, I gave the hard stuff a cursory glance and spotted a bottle of German brandy for $35 that I saw later at Ludwig’s for $20.

Ludwig's Liquor and Smoke Shop:

This shop has been a San Anselmo institution for decades. When you enter the handsomely appointed store with its faint, sweet, tobacco smell, you don’t expect this to be a bargain hunters paradise, but it is. The affable owner, Magid Nazari, tastes everything that he sells. His selections from high end to bargain basement specimens are all good values in their class. Emphasis is on California wines, but there is plenty of esoteric foreign stuff around. I bought a very tasty bottle of '99 Valpolicella ($10) that stood me in good stead during Halloween and the Giant's victory in Game 4.

Further issues will deal with bargain hunting in San Francisco and in the East Bay.

MISCELLANEA

Photo above: Wine Meister during a visit to Chateau La Louviere (Bordeaux). The chateaux produces excellent reds and whites. The owner, Andre Lurton, makes bargain wines at his other properties, Ch. Bonnet, Ch. de Cruzeau, and Ch. de Rochemorin.

What did Thomas Jefferson and Richard Nixon have in common? They were both fond of Chateau Margaux. At White House dinners for assorted dignitaries, Nixon would serve his guests ordinary red swill and instructed his server to pour him Margaux on the sly (and you always wondered why they called him “Tricky Dick”). Then again, maybe he was just trying to balance the budget.

PINOT ENVY?

“SIDEWAYS”, PINOT ENVY, AND THE CREATION OF  "LE VIN DU JOUR"

Goodness gracious, what has Hollywood wrought? Here we have an amusing, low budget movie called "Sideways", in which a nerd bad-mouths Merlot (one of the world’s most celebrated wines is Château Petrus – 95%, Merlot,  5% Cabernet Franc – pre-arrival price for the 2009 is $2,475 dolares per bottle).

In a moment of deep depression, the protagonist drinks a bottle of ’61 Château Cheval Blanc (60% Cabernet Franc and 37% Merlot) from a foam cup. Throughout the movie he extols the virtues of Pinot Noir, while he “treats” himself to a fabulous bottle of wine with a goodly amount of Merlot in it. Thanks to Hollywood ignorance, a new industry was born. Pinot became king and every winery worth its salt has to make one.

Wine Meister's Recent West Coast Pinot Noir Tastings:

I. Saturday, October 2, 2010: San Francisco Wine Club
As a rule, their tastings cost $10 for 10 tastes and take place from 2:00 to 4:45.

My favorite bottle was the Central California Coast ’08 Foxen (Santa Maria Valley) at $30, closely followed by the ’07 Lynmar Estate (Russian River Valley) for about the same price .

II. Saturday October 16, 2010: Solano Wine Cellars in Emeryville, California
Solano Cellars had recently sent me an e-mail, expressing “fear”,  that Pinot may soon lose its exalted status. The e-mail came with (fake) photographs (see example above) of Pinot lovers holding up signs, defending their beloved Pinot.

At the Solano tasting, Oregon Pinots came out on top. My favorite wine was the ’08 Cooper Mountain Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon for $27. Even less pricey and almost as good was the '08 Amity Pinot Noir “Amity Cuvee” at $21.

The nicest surprise of the whole California bunch was the “second wine” of Talley Winery, the 2009 Bishop’s Peak Pinot Noir, San Luis Obispo, at $19.  It had that typical Pinot stink that I love. (In Burgundy, they say “ça sent la merde” or “ça sent le purin” – it smells of shit or manure. Us sensitive souls over here prefer to call it “barnyard” smell.)

BEAUJOLAIS ALERT

What? Yes, wine lovers, good Beaujolais is one of the greatest quaffing wines in the world. The region also produces more serious stuff that benefits from a few years in the cellar.

With a suicidal marketing ploy called “Le Nouveau Beaujolais Est Arrivé,” celebrated around the world in November, the Beaujolais growers have besmirched their image and now most everybody thinks of Beaujolais as the insipid drink that "Nouveau Beaujolais" usually is.

’09 was a fabulous year in Beaujolais and wonderful wines were made at every level, starting with the lowest category, simply called "Beaujolais". All bottles that I’ve tried were scrumptious, some costing as little as seven dollars.

Make sure you lay your hands on some “Morgon” Beaujolais from Marcel Lapierre when it hits the shelves at Kermit Lynch in Berkeley and at other wine stores. Last year’s edition was $22. Sadly, Monsieur Marcel Lapierre, a true pioneer of the “Beaujolais Improvement Society”, died recently.

MISCELLANEA

Thomas Jefferson, my hero, collected Lafite, Margaux, and d’Yquem, besides TBAs  (fabulous dessert wines) from the Rhine, while he was U.S. ambassador in Paris.

Rumor has it that he fathered several children with the slave lady Sally Hemmings, a claim which now seems to be backed up by DNA. The Wine Meister is dying to know whether our third Presidente had the decency to share his precious first growth bottles and TBAs with the beautiful Sally.  Jefferson scholars, please contact me.

By the way, the so-called "Jefferson Bottles", who supposedly survived the author of the "Declaration of Independence", are still hanging around with the likes of the Forbes family and a certain Mr. Koch, who is suing the guy who sold him the bottles, claiming that they are fakes.

News from the Boonies: Believe it or not, funky Fairfax in Marin County, California, has now a classy wine bar called “123 Bolinas” (www.123BOLINAS.com). Naturally, this being FX, the furniture is made from recycled wood, the wines are mostly organic or biodynamic, and the food is locally grown or produced. Your congenial host and manager is Jason Rupert. The small but superb menu is created by Chef Jeremy Goldfarb.

Cheapskate alert: Two friends of mine, Vernon Jacobs and Anna Maria Knap, wrote a great wine book called “The Cheapskate’s Guide to Wine”. The book shows you how to get and enjoy the best wines for less. What a novel idea.

Here are two wines they might have mentioned had they been available at the time when they published their book:  ’09  Targovishte Traminer and ’09 Vini Vidi Vici Sauvignon Blanc (www.BULGARIANWINE.COM).  Both wines were tasted at Woodlands Market in Kentfield/Larkspur and cost about ten bucks, mas o menos.

One last thing before I down my foam cup of ’61 Château Cheval Blanc, vines have been cultivated in Bulgaria for three millennia.

In vino veritas

Travel Notes:
Who is this beautiful women in the photo, shooting the breeze with the Wine Meister? None other than Karen Turner, cellar master (mistress?) of renowned Languedoc  (France) estate "Le Prieure St. Jean de Bebian."
Karen graduated from the University of Adelaide, Australia with a degree in Enology, then worked for Hugel & Fils in Alsace, France. ("They did exactly the opposite of everything that I had learned in Adelaide.").
One of  Hugel's interns was Emmanuel (Manu) Pageot, a drop-out master sommelier, who had worked in the British wine trade and then decided to become a wine maker.
For Karen and Manu it was love at first sight. "We kissed for the first time behind the world's oldest, continuously used oak foudre," purred Karen, describing their romance.
After roaming the globe making wine, they finally settled in Languedoc where Karen continues to work for “Le Prieure St. Jean de Bebian,” while she and Manu are building up their own biodynamic estate in the appellation of Coteaux de Languedoc. Stay tuned about Turner-Pageot.

Tasting Notes:
The Uptown Wine Aficionados: I kid you not, this group has met once a month for 37 years and has managed to survive over 400 (blind) tastings. The wines for each tasting are selected by a volunteer.

In our most recent tasting, wines were selected by the Wine Meister. All wines were purchased at “The Spanish Table” in Berkeley, California. The theme was 2005 Rioja vs. Ribera del Duero. (Both regions produce mostly Tempranillo-based wines.)

"Aalto," Ribera ($60.00), was the group favorite, closely followed by "Lan - Edition Limitada" Rioja ($50.00).
"Pesquera," who put modern Ribera on the map, came in a close third with its "Reserva" bottling at $55.00. It was my #2 choice
"Montecastro" ($49.00) Ribera, my personal favorite, got fourth place.
"Artadi -  Pagos Viejas," Rioja ($99.00) only made it to fifth.
"Contino Reserva," Rioja ($50.00) and "Izado Crianza," Rioja ($18.00) were in a six/seven dead heat.
"Federico Crianza," Ribera ($32.00) brought up the rear.

Group consensus: Not a single dog in the entire tasting. Their plentiful fruit and good acidity make them great food wines and indicate aging potential.

Dessert Wine from Spain: Malaga, once considered the producer of one the greatest dessert wines in the world, fell victim to powdery mildew and phylloxera at the end of the 19th century and most of the vineyards were wiped out. Many small holders abandoned their vineyards and emigrated to South America. Recently, wine making has been revived by the likes of Jorge Ordonez, with the legendary Austrian Alois Kracher as his consultant. The result is the stunning Moscatel-based 2005 "Jorge Ordonez - Victoria" bottling ($25.00).  It was the perfect foil for our dessert, a "Lindsey's Almond Tart," (adapted from the "Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook”).

Miscellanea:
Benefits of Alcohol Consumption: A recent study by the Association of Norwegian Wine Growers revealed the following: The first to die are teetotalers, six years later it's time for alcohol abusers to kick the bucket After an addtional six years, time has come for the moderate drinkers to say "adieu." (Caveat: number of research participants: three.)

Great deals:
Good news for wine lovers with the wolf at the door. Navarro Vineyards offers declassified Pinot Noir ("smoke damage" from the '08 wild fires) and has a fantastic "Wildfire Offering.”

(707) 895-3686 or 1-800-537-9463
sales@NavarroWine.com
www.NavarroWine.com

Innocents Abroad:
If you  can still afford to travel in Europe at the current $/E exchange rate, here is a survival tip for Americans traveling there, issued by a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State “Even in hot weather, don’t wear shorts, sneakers, and baseball caps which would identify you immediately as non-European. Get rid of all American flags on clothes and luggage.”