What's to come in 2010???

It's was my first FULL year in Milwaukee...wow.  I've transitioned into my new surroundings, and made some great new friends!  The wine business in Wisconsin was great this year, I couldn't have asked for anything more!  As for the rest of the US, we played the "price point game".  On a positive note, people are more interested as ever in wine!  France, Italy, and Australia continued to lose more ground,  but Argentina and Chile were rockstars!  The whites kept us intrigued with Riesling, Sauv. Blanc, and Torrontes.  Everybody went mad for Malbec, while Carmenere gained more interest and appeal.  Sadly, on the domestic side, Crane Lake and the $3-$5 wines showed the most growth.  Wineries, like Columbia Crest in Washington, knocked out a handful of winners!

What's in store for 2010??  Well, I don't have a magic ball, but I'll throw a few ideas out there:

1. Keep on eye on Argentina.  The malbecs will get better, and torrontes is still young (in most parts of the US).  Also, the southern part of the country near Patagonia..
   
2. Chile.  Foreign investment, and a stronger economy are driving this category.  Carmenere, Cab, and Sauv. Blanc get even better!
3. German riesling.  These wines aren't  just for "sweet" drinkers.  The Rheingau, and Mosel produce some great wines
4. Washington State...have you had a Syrah from Walla Walla.  The state continues to provide great values in Riesling & Merlot (did I just say Merlot?? yes.  it's back!)
5. Pinot Gris from Oregon...the OTHER Pinot.  Great fruit, solid acidity...balanced wine when done well!
6. Adios to Critter Brands!  Good riddance!  The kangaroos, penguins, and other barnyard animals had their day.  It's time to return to terrior and quality!
   
7. Finally, revisiting grape varietals.  Vermentino from Tuscany, Aglianico from Campania, Viognier from the Rhone, Sancerre from the Loire, and Nebbiolo from Piedmont (there's a reason why these wines have been around for generations.....they're great, and the Millennial's need to explore them!!)

Here's to 2010!!

Ringing in the New Year....

New Year's Eve is a holiday people have mixed emotions on: 

a) it's overrated, and a glorified holiday.  I'm staying in, and don't want to spend a dime!

b)  I'm hoping someone will have a house party.  I want to celebrate the New Year, but don't want to spend the big bucks

c) "I wanna go big!  $200 a ticket at the Drake...no prob.  It'll be an awesome event"

In my early 20s, my friends and I were in group (c).  We'd figure out which bar was having the best party, and pay our $100..hoping to get our money's worth in booze.  The realization is that $100 gave us major headaches the next day (well liquor, and soda.  not a great combo!)

As we grew into our late 20s, we decided the house party route.  I took the initiative and threw a party a couple years in a row.  I invited friends to bring a nice bottle of booze, or champagne, while I supplied the mixers, the beer, and the wine.  We figured people were able to enjoy themselves in the company of good friends, and good liquor...for about $25 a head! 

Champagne is always a crowd pleaser, but I'm not a fan of showing up with Moet Whitestar or Veuve Clicquot.  There are TOO many great bottles of sparkling to choose from.  A couple of my favorites include:



  Ferrari Brut NV (Trentino, IT) - 100% Chardonnay

• I'm a fan of this wine, because Italy has some amazing sparklers (Prosecco, being another).  Ferrari is the king of this region!  This wine will not disappoint!
• Price: $25-$30.00/bottle
  

Henriot Souverain NV - (Champange, France) - 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay

• Pound for pound, this will beat Veuve Clicquot anyday of the week.  I fell in love with this wine a few years back.  If you haven't tried it, pick up a bottle
• Price: $35-$40.00/bottle
  

Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose (Champagne, FR) - Blend of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay

• Rose's are still hot, and this one might take the cake.  I received this as a gift back in 2005, and became a huge fan!  If you're a Cristal Rose drinker, save some dough, and try this bottle.
  
• Price: $100.00/bottle. 

Gosset Brut Excellence (Champagne, FR) - 45% Pinot Noir; 36% Chardonnay; 19% Pinot Meunier

• The oldest wine house in the champagne region.  Gosset has been making wine since 1584 in the Ay region.  This will outshine Whitestar in any tasting!
  
• Price: $35.00/bottle 
  

If these wines aren't available at your local shop, ask the staff what they like.  I sometimes feel that bringing a Korbel, or Moet to a party is like bringing Coca Cola.  Everyone's had it, they like it, but it doesn't bring any curiosity to the table.  Be unique, do your homework, and bring something that the party will be talking about all night!


Cheers!  Have a safe and happy New Years!

Splurging on wine....

It's holiday season, and that means people dig into their pockets to shell out cash for bigger and better wines.....right??  I think this used to be the mentality of a few years ago, before our economy took a turn for the worse, the unemployment rate spiked, and Charles Shaw became the "Deal of the Year".  It's the time of year to celebrate with friends and family, which means spending a little extra on that favorite bottle of wine.  I STILL believe this to be the case.  Wine is what we call an "affordable luxury".  If you spend a little more, at certain occasions, you'll still be able to pay the mortgage at the end of the month.

I was in Florida last weekend, and spent some time with a good friend of mine (who is also a wine lover).  During that trip, we splurged and drank some great wine.  It reminded me of a question I get a lot..."Ted, what's your favorite bottle of wine??".  My answer, "Well, I can't say that I have a favorite, because there are SO many good ones out there".  I may have answered that question this past weekend:  1999 Carruades de Lafite.  Although, 1999 wasn't the best year for Bordeaux, this wine ROCKED.  Why you ask?  Well, first of all, it wasn't trying to do too much.  With some wines, the fruit hits you like a ton of bricks...throws you off a bit.  It's kind of like seeing the climax of a movie in the opening scene.  It doesn't give you much to look forward to the rest of the movie.  Also, if higher alcohol wine isn't served at the correct temperature, the flavor of the wine is completely masked.  Everything about this Bordeaux was harmonious.  In addition, it was served at 54 degrees, decanted for about 30 minutes, and served in the proper stemware (very key!).  It was one of those moments that make you realize why you love to drink wine!

The cost:  $119 (I did a Google search, and it was the lowest price I found).  A bit steep in some people's opinions.  Let me ask you this:  how much have you spent on concert, play, or sporting event tickets?  How was the outcome?  For a guy, here is how I rationalize buying this bottle: Two tickets to the Chicago Bulls game ($60/ticket...nosebleeds).  The Bulls are so awful this year (don't get me started) that enjoying a ridiculous bottle of wine it money better spent!

Go out of your way this holiday season, and splurge for something you're curious about!  Spend $50, $75, or even $100 for a bottle.  You've worked hard this year, in a tough economy, and it's time you rewarded yourself!

Find your wine style....Old World vs. New World!

What does is mean when you hear "New World" & "Old World" wines??  By definition, we can take a look at the history of wine making: which countries have been producing wine for over a  hundred years, and which have come around in the last 50 years.

Old World: France, Italy, Spain, Germany

New World: United States, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile

We can also take a look at wine making methods.  The Old World countries adhere to very strict government regulations (i.e. AOC in France, DOCG in Italy, DOC in Spain).  Basically, the terrior (grape/soil/climate/culture) is the "artist" in crafting what you have in the bottle.  In the New World, our artist is the winery/winemaker.  They're able to have more freedom in crafting their bottle.  You have less major flaws from vintage to vintage in the New World; a winemaker can "fix" a bad vintage.  If Bordeaux was too cool, and was considerable rainy...well, they're stuck!

We ALSO hear a lot about flavor profile.  If a wine is "dirty, earthy, or like sweaty sock", we say that is smells very Old World.  Conversely, if we get a lot of "fruit and oak" on the nose, we classify it as New World.

Basically, these definitions build a wall in the wine world, and create confusion.  If a friend hands you a glass of wine and says,  "Try this. It's stinky, dirty, earthy, and smells like fresh cow manure.  You're going to love it!"  Your first reply, "umm, I'll pass, but thanks..."  Hence, why more Millennial consumers choose New World wines!  I came across an article in Food & Wine magazine (January 2010), and thought it was the perfect way for newer wine drinkers to decipher what kind of wine they might like.  It goes something like this:

"Find your Wine Style"

----Which do you drink?----

1) whole milk - go for richer, more full-bodied wines - California Chardonnay, for instance

2) skim milk - you'll like lighter-style wines, such as Chablis

----Which juice do you prefer?----

1) grapefruit juice - you'll like things with high acidity - for whites that means varieties like Sauv. Blanc

2) orange juice - you'll prefer sweeter, riper flavors, so stick to Chardonnay, or Viognier

----Which would you rather have on a steak?----

1) cracked black pepper - try spicy Old World reds, like Syrah, Grenache, or Mourvedre

2) bearnaise sauce - you want a lush, smooth California Merlot

----Which sounds more appealing?----

1) black truffles - you're a fan of earthy, funky, umami flavors.  Drink Pinot Noir from Bungundy

2) blackberries - you love fruit. New World reds are your thing. Australian Shiraz, or California Zin

I'm not saying this is the formula to finding the wine that suits you.  I think it gives a good sense of how we can relate everyday food to our wine preferences.  Ultimately, trust your own pallet, but don't be close minded!  Once in awhile, take a risk, and try that "stinky" wine!

The Truth behind Drink Lists.....

My goal is to make the wine industry more transparent, hence me writing a previous blog on the "Scoring System".  I'm not going to call myself the Perez Hilton of the wine industry, but want to make people aware of what goes on "behind the scenes".

In these recessionary times, people are dining out less and less.  We like to call restaurants "FIFO" (First In, First Out), when times are good and bad.  It's usually the first thing to be cut from the household budget.  "Honey, let's stay in tonight and make a frozen pizza.  We need to save money."  I love to go out to eat, like most people.  Sometimes I would prefer not to cook, but I think restaurants are made to provide unique EXPERIENCE.  When people speak of a restaurant's quality, they refer to the food.  "I went to XYZ restaurant last night, and the salmon was cooked perfectly....it melted in my mouth"   I agree, good food will keep people coming back, but in these tougher times we need to take a look at all components (i.e. service, appearance, and drink lists).  Don't get me wrong, it's awesome walking into a dive, and have a mouth watering dish for only dollars.  If the restaurant is dirty/outdated, the service is lazy/slow, and they offer only Miller Lite...it makes the "experience" below average.  The converse is true as well.  If the service is top-notch, ambiance is perfect, the wine list is 200 selections deep (by-the-glass), but the food is cold, dried out, and uninteresting....we get another sub-par performance.  The goal is to find a place that fires on all cylinders, and gives you the best of all worlds!  These places are harder to come by than one might think.

As I digress from finding the "perfect" restaurant, let's brake down one of the crucial components.....the drink list.  First of all, wine always gets the bad wrap on drink lists.  Everybody complains that they mark it up way too much.  I say to that, "Really?  Are you fully educated on the business operations of a restaurant?" Here is an "insider" breakdown of what you're really paying when you order drinks at a restaurant (the costs are roughly estimated, but pretty inline):

Beer - Imported (Heineken)

Wholesale cost: $.80/btl

Drink list: $5.00/btl (in most metropolitan restaurants)

Mark up: 525%

Beer - Domestic (Miller)

Wholesale cost: $.20/draft

Drink List: $3.50/glass

Mark up: 1650%

Vodka - Absolut martini

Wholesale - $.80/shot  (20 shots/bottle. Bottle @$16.00)

Drink List: $8.00/drink (appletini)

Mark up: 900%

Wine - Chardonnay (Kendall Jackson)

Wholesale - $1.60/glass (5 glass/bottle.  Bottle @ $8.00)

Drink List - $7.00/glass

Mark up: 337%

Wine gets overlooked because of the price.  It is usually the most expensive item on a drink list.  By-the-glass can go up to $20!  Take a look at how much money is made on draft beer!  This is the cash cow of any bar.

When I lived in Chicago, after I graduated from college, my friends and I used to go to "All you can drink for FREE" bar parties that lasted 2 hours.  We were right out of school, and anything FREE was golden! What a great marketing tool/lure!  How many draft beers can somebody put down in 2 hours?  I would imagine 4-6 is a fair number (Although, some of my friends had healthier drinking habits!)  The bar is spending about $1.00/head to get you in.  They assume that after those drafts, you'll buy a round of shots, or mixed drinks.  This then will put the bar "back in the black" on you as a patron (please refer to the above entitled "Absolut martini").

Obviously, people are a little more thrifty with their spends at restaurants.   I would suggest this:  forgo the appetizer/dessert/espresso, and splurge for a decent bottle of wine.  You, generally, order what you want/desire for an entree.  It's the main component of a meal.  Pair that entree, with a great glass of wine, to complete the overall "experience".  Also, if the restaurant has a sommelier, or wine steward, partake in their services.  Most often, these guys aren't trying to upsell you, or try to "talk above you".  A common misconception is that they speak in the "wine lingo", and don't understand the need of the common person.  They're conscious of your budget, and are sometimes great allies when told specifically what you're looking for.

The Millennial generation is all about learning.  Google is a tremendous tool we use to bargain shop for cars, and electronics.  The next time you're out to eat, please keep the above information in the back of your mind.  Go ahead, give a wine-by-the glass a try, and leave the draft Miller product for the guy who hasn't done their research!

What's in a score??

This is a question I get all the time: what did the wine score? It used to drive me nuts. Am I a walking encyclopedia of wine scores? Do you expect me to give you my Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man reply? "Oh yeah, definitely 88 pts, definitely" HA! It's out there, and sometimes the easiest question to ask. Below are my ideas on the "pros" and the "cons" of scoring wine:

Pros: It's like buying a car. When you don't know a lot about cars, and don't feel like getting talked over by a salesperson, you turn to Car and Driver, Consumer Reports, Kelly Blue Book. It's independent research that gives YOU a better idea of what you want.

In the wine world it's Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and Wine & Spirits. I will say that wine publications are like "Wine Buying for Dummies". Check out the back of the magazine (where the scores are). Figure out how much you're willing to spend, and jot down the names of a few wines. This, actually, works out really well with the "value" wines. It allows people to not spend a ton of money, and test their pallet to see what they like. If you're seeking out 90pt+ rated wine, here is a good rule of thumb: you "typically" won't find one for under $10. It's always entertaining to talk to people who are searching for this "Holy Grail" of sorts. It would flaw the rating system if they did that. A great score for an $8 wine is 88 pts, because most "Best Buys" score 85/86 pts.

Cons: The most widely circulated publication is the Wine Spectator (or the Wine Dictator, for those out there). The Spectator is flawed. It operates like any other publication: it needs to sell ad space to generate revenue. So let's say I just submitted my Cunneen Single Vineyard Malbec (I'm super hot on malbec right now, and will get to that in a later blog) to the Spectator for rating. I also happen to have an extra $100K in the bank, allocated for marketing, which I offer up to the magazine (I'm throwing all my eggs in one basket!) Whether my wine is good or not, I'm going to tell you that the magazine is going to figure out how to spin some positive PR for my wine in that publication. If they were to omit, or sandbag my wine, there is no way in hell I'm spending a single nickel with them ever again. It would be in their best interest to provide me with a good score, or nice write up. I'm not saying this happens ALL the time, because they have to have some integrity in order to sell magazines. I'll tell you that their ad space isn't cheap. We're looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars for page ads. The Mom and Pop winery doesn't have that kind of budget. When you get down to lesser publications, space is cheaper. This means a few "no namers" make their way into ad space, and their wines are rewarded with good scores. I'm always a fan of word of mouth, or recommendation. It's like anything, if you trust your friend's judgement, you'll probably feel 'safe' buying the wine they suggest.

If I were had just started getting into wine, here's my plan of attack:

1. Pick up the Wine Spectator, and purchase 2 bottles each month in their "Best Buy" section. I use the Spectator, because they review more "mainstream" wine. You'll actually be able to find them.
   
2. Go to your local wine shop, and ask an educated (key word there!) store associate for his/her suggestions on 2 bottles of wine within your budget.If your local shop has an email blaster, those usually will provide good wine at a good value. Make sure you sign up for one!
   
3. Ask a friend, or two, for a recommendation on a wine they had recently.

You can't go wrong with this approach. It gives you multiple opinions/outlets, and allows you to ultimately be the judge. Consumer tastings are always great to attend. Even though they are sometimes pricey, you get to taste a bunch of different wine. It's a solid investment.

Question: Who/What do you trust when it comes to your wine purchases? For me, I trust my peers. I'll occasionally ask my distributor, "what's new? what do you like?" (so it's a bit unfair. I work w/ sommeliers, and certified specialists of wine).

Pioneer of Spanish wine: Senor Jorge Ordonez

I thought I would give you a few more wines to check out. Jorge Ordonez is a stud. Period. The guy was a distributor in Spain in the early 80s. He moved to Boston in the late 80s, and needed a form of employment. At that time, NOBODY was talking about Spain. He began to import some of his producers, and lived "paycheck to paycheck" his first 7 years. In the mid-90s, Spain started hitting the wine scene hard. Robert Parker (Wine Advocate) was saying phenomenal things about the country. When Parker gets excited, most of the American wine drinking population does too! In the late-90s/early 2000s, we saw Spain explode onto the wine scene. Ordonez was integral in that movement. I could go on and on, but I figured I'd give you a few wines to check out:



Volver La Mancha (Tempranillo)
- This wine retails for around $12-$15, but I think it rocks. It's from the La Mancha region (refer to map below). As I said earlier, there are some tremendous values coming from this region. Check it out!







Bodegas Luzon Jumilla (Syrah/Monastrell)
- Another exciting region called Jumilla. Jumilla is know for the Monastrell grape, from which Mourvedre is name in France. This wine packs a ton of flavor, and the wine trade loves it! Tremendous value, which you can find for under $10. Ordonez has a few projects from this area, at a higher price, and they disappoint.


Paso a Paso Castile-La Mancha (Tempranillo)
- Surprise surprise...La Mancha. Can't stress it enough. If you're looking for a wine to enjoy on a weekday night, without breaking the bank, here's another from Jorge's portfolio to put into your cart. Again, we're looking at under $10.




Ultimately, when you're looking in the Spanish section, this is the logo you're looking for. It's Jorge's importing logo. 9 times out of 10, you can't go wrong. I should note that many of Ordonez's wines come off very New World (Fruitty over Dirty Earth). If you're looking to taste/smell "sweaty leather saddle", these won't be the wines for you. Also, check out Garnacha (also known as Grenache). This grape performs extremely well in many of the Spanish terriors.

Please feel free to share comments thoughts on these wines, or the producer!

Wine regions of Spain

I'm a very visual person. When I first started learning about wine, I liked to see the geographical layout of a region.

Working your way into Spain...

This is one of my favorite vineyard shots, so I figured I'd start out my blog with it. I traveled to Spain in the fall of 2000, and spent 3 months studying abroad thru the Universidad de Valencia. It was in Spain, when I first started to drink wine. It was $.50 in the grocery store, and the cheapest alcohol to buy. My friends and I also discovered that when you mix red wine with Coca Cola, it taste a little bit like Cherry Coke. For a poor college student, this became instantly popular! Later, we learned this was also the choice drink for bums...

Spain is one of the oldest wine regions in the world. Archeologist date wine production back to 3000 BC! Today, Spain has the most "land under vine", but is third in production behind France and Italy. There are 4 main regions in Spain: Rioja, Ribero del Duero, Priorat, and La Mancha. There are a few others that are gaining recongnition: Penedes (Cava), Jumilla, Monstant. If you look at the picture above you'll notice the soil. They're like your kickball field in elementary school. Very sandy, dirty, and somewhat rocky. This makes for excellent drainage, and makes the vines really dig deep for its water source! They call this 'stressing the vine'. It makes for a more complex grape.

In keeping with the Spanish them, I opened a bottle of tempranillo last night. Occasionally, after doing events, I'll "trade" wine with other vendors. I hadn't had anything from Spain in awhile, so I figured I'd give it a whirl! I cracked open a 2006 Volteo Tempranillo. 100% Tempranillo, with a few months in oak. It comes from the Castilla region, which is just outside of Madrid (in La Mancha). I would consider this one of the "bulk" regions in Spain (like Langeudoc is to France). Reds from this area tend to be more New World (brighter, more concentrated fruit), than Old World (terrior driven, dirty, leathery, earthy. Here's what I got:

Nose: simply put, it's like sticking your nose into a jar of raspberry jam. Other than that, I don't get much. Maybe a little bacon fat nuance. It doesn't excite me

On the palate: I got "nice" sour cherry notes, but it lacked any dimension. You get a little in the front palate, and then it just dies. No finish at all.

This is the kind of wine that you want enjoy while watching TV, and eating Doritos. It's got a cool package that intriged me. It has one of those "cold activated" labels. It turns blue when it's ready to be drank. Retails on this wine range between $8 - $10. I wouldn't pay much higher than $7.99 for this wine. I represent a wine from La Mancha: Condesa de Leganza Crianza. Retails for $8.99. I find this to be a similar offering, but has more depth on the palate. La Mancha actually has some tremendous values in the market. If you're in your local wine shop, pick up a few bottles. You, generally, will not pay more than $10 for a bottle. If you're interested in Spanish wines, but don't like the "dried fruit notes" that you get from Rioja, this region is a great gateway into building your palate!

Question of the blog: have you tried La Mancha/Castilla wines? if so, which ones? what were the favorites?