Tasting ... Farnum Hill ciders

Earlier this year I convened a four-person panel to sample a selection of ciders from a New Hampshire maker who uses old European apple strains and methods. The results seem particularly timely in this season of celebrating traditions.

Aussie winemaker becoming upbeat

One of Australia's largest winemakers says the nation's beleaguered wine industry is showing signs of recovery despite hideous weather conditions.

David Clarke, CEO of McGuigan Simeon Wines Ltd., told The Age newspaper, "The industry is returning to balance. As a result, the overhang of wine stocks is clearing and we are seeing improvement in margins at McGuigan Simeon."

The industry has estimated a 2008 vintage of between 800,000 and 1.3 million tons. Export sales of branded wine increased by 20% per cent in the first quarter at the highest margin the group has achieved "in some time," Clarke noted.

"Additionally, we are capturing higher margins in Australia, although there is still very aggressive pricing from some winemakers, particularly at lower price points."

McGuigan, Australia's No. 3 winemaker, previously had forecast fiscal 2008 to be a challenging year for the group.

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Champagne sharing made easy

'Tis the season for pouring champagne. But sometimes it's difficult to get it just right, particularly if you're unsure just how frothy the particular bubbly you bought will be.

Something called the Fair Share Fountain will equally distribute one bottle of champagne into six glasses and entertain while it's doing it.

The set of six handblown Pyrex glasses (purchasing details here) has a graduated stem size from tallest, into which you pour the champagne, to smallest. All but the smallest has a flared lip that allows the poured wine to trickle into the next-smallest glass, thus creating equal distribution.

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The best of the sakes

Three entries took the top category trophies and 10 gold medals were awarded by judges in the inaugural International Sake Challenge, held in Tokyo. Two of the golds went to rice wine products from the Kamotsuru Sake Brewering Co.

The trophy winners:

• Daiginjo Trophy: Nanbu Bijin Daiginjo sake from the Nanbu Bijin Co.
•  Junmai Daiginjo Trophy: Garyubai Junmai Daiginjo sake from the Sanwa Shuzou Co.
•  Junmai Ginjo Trophy: Isojiman Junmai Ginjo from the Isojiman Premium Sake Brewery Co.

The gold medalists:

Daiginjo Category
• Kamotsuru Soukaku, Kamotsuru Sake Brewering Co.
• Kamotsuru Tenrin, Kamotsuru Sake Brewering Co.
• Kozuki, Daishinshu Breweries Inc.
• Nanbu Bijin Daiginjo, Nanbu Bijin Co.

Junmai Daiginjo Category
• Garyubai Junmai Daiginjo, Sanwa Shuzou Co.
• Shichiken Kinunoaji Junmaidaiginjo, Yamanashi Meijo Co.
• Taiheizan Tenko, Kodama Jozo Co.

Junmai Ginjo Category
• Hamachidori Junmaiginjou Ginginga, Hamachidori Co.
• Isojiman Junmai Ginjo, Isojiman Premium Sake Brewery Co.
• Yuki No Bosha Junmaiginjo, Saiya Shuzouten Co.

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Drought puts Aussie growers in dire straits

While much of the U.S. wine grape-growing areas are reporting moderate (California) to spectacular (New York's Finger Lakes) crops this year, much of Europe and Australia are quite the opposite.

Record bad weather across much of Europe either ruined crops or caused them to ripen early and with decreased tonnage.

Now, Australian growers hit by lengthy drought conditions are sounding the alarm with a harvest expected to fall well below average. Industry experts are saying that may cause some growers to go out of business.

Past vintages have averaged about 1.9 million tons, but because of the drought the 2008 vintage was unlikely to reach 1.3 million tons, according to Mark McKenzie, executive director of the Wine Grape Growers Council of Australia.

McKenzie told reporters the drought could force as many as 1,000 of Australia's 7,500 wine grape growers to exit the industry. Many are awaiting the election result before deciding their future, he said

"We have no reason to believe that (1,000) is not the figure," McKenzie said. "I'm not surprised that we haven't seen a lot of people necessarily avail themselves of an exit package yet, and one of the major reasons is because they are waiting to see what the incoming federal government's attitude might be to entering the water market.

"If some of these growers are to exit, a major part of their financial plan is going to be what they can expect to get in terms of retiring their water rights, and secondly, what the taxation treatment of that might be. People will see what, if anything, they can get in terms of revenue, where they stand in a financial sense at the end of vintage ... because quite clearly, people are sailing close to the breeze."

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Cheers to Walt Disney World Resorts

It was a Disney world when the editors of Cheers, the beverage industry magazine, released its 2008 Cheers Awards for Beverage Excellence.

The awards are widely considered the adult beverage industry's highest honor for beverage program operators in chain and multi-concept restaurant companies.

They are divided into 12 categories, two of which were won by Walt Disney World Resorts. Each award is given based on the innovation and creativity of an establishment's beverage program and its impact on the sales and profitability of the establishment. Additional consideration is given to the level of operator support of the program, such as a high level of staff training or unique marketing efforts.

The winners:

• Best Overall Chain Beverage Program: Walt Disney World Resorts
• Best Signature Drink: Walt Disney World Resorts
• Best Chain Hotel Beverage Program: Hilton Hotels
• Best Chain Wine Program: Carrabba's
• Best Chain Beer Program: Buffalo Wild Wings
• Best Chain Spirits Program: Bennigan's
• Best Beverage Merchandising Program: Hard Rock Cafe
• Best Beverage Menu: Outback Steakhouse
• Best Drink Program: Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
• Best Adult Non-Alcohol Drink Program: ESPN Zone
• Best Responsible Alcohol Service Training Program: Applebee's
• Best Multi-Concept Beverage Program: Back Bay Restaurant Group

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Constellation snaps up Fortune Brands' wines

Constellation Brands, headquartered in Fairport, NY, has purchased Fortune Brands Inc.'s wine business.

Constellation, the world's biggest winemaker, announced it is paying $885 million for the U.S. wine business of Fortune which owns the Clos du Bois, Wild Horse and Geyser Peak brands, five California wineries and more than 1,500 acres of vineyards in the state's Napa, Sonoma and Los Carneros grape-growing regions.

The deal increases Constellation's percent of the market by one point to 20%. It has about 5% of the highly-fragmented global wine market.

Constellation owns more than 300 brands run from jug wines to high-end California reds such as Ravenswood and Estancia, beer imports such as Corona and St. Pauli Girl and liquors such as Fleischmann's vodka, Skol gin and Black Velvet Canadian whiskey.

It has been on a buying spree in recent years, acquiring Australian vintner BRL Hardy Ltd. in 2003 for $1.1 billion in cash and stock in a deal that made it the world's largest wine business. It then bought Robert Mondavi Corp. for $1.3 billion. Last year, it bought Canada's Vincor International Inc. for nearly $1.1 billion.

"This portfolio is an excellent fit and furthers our strategy of exceeding consumer expectations and expanding our presence in the growing high-end segments of the wine market," said Chief Executive Rob Sands.

"One of the advantages we have is because we have critical-mass volume, we have some economies of scale and also the breadth of distribution that helps us gets more brands to more markets," said company spokesman Mike Martin. "That helps ensure that many of our brands are available just about anywhere a consumer would want to go, whether it's a grocery store, a liquor store or a wine specialty store."

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Pride of New York an excellent adventure

PHOTOS BY APRIL L. DOWD

COLONIE, NY -- The annual Pride of New York Harvest Fest at The Desmond, the Williamsburg-style resort/convention complex just outside the state capital of Albany, is a great opportunity to try a wide array of wines and foodstuffs produced all across New York State.

Each year, my friend and wine judging colleague Fred LeBrun and I offer "Bill & Fred's Excellent Adventure," our one-hour workshop on hosting and enjoying your own wine events. Our adventure is our wine-centric traveling here and abroad.

Here are some images from today's workshop:

FRED LeBRUN (LEFT) AND BILL DOWD CHECK THE WINES TO BE TRIED DURING THEIR ANNUAL WINE APPRECIATION WORKSHOP CALLED "BILL & FRED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE."



MEANWHILE, DESMOND STAFFERS DOLE OUT THE WINES TO BE DISCUSSED WITH THE CROWD.













ART HUNT (CENTER), OWNER AND WINEMAKER OF HUNT COUNTRY VINEYARDS IN THE FINGER LAKES, JOINED BILL AND FRED TO ADD COMMENTARY FROM A FIRSTHAND POINT OF VIEW.

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One fuehrer for the road

The resemblance is uncanny in some photos, but the intent was purely unintentional.

The pub sign in a soon-to-open UK watering hole in a place called Rock Ferry, Wirral, is supposed to be an homage to poet John Masefield, according to the pub chain JD Wetherspoon.

Unfortunately, the image of Masefield (right) looks a lot like one A. Hitler, late of Berlin, Germany. A lot of customers and neighbors have begun calling the pub The Adolf. They are asking the chain management to change the sign before the pub opens for business.

Says manager Seanie Walsh, 55: ''We must admit he does look a bit like Hitler on the sign, but that didn't occur to us until after we put it up. We've got lots of pictures of John Masefield inside from different stages of his life and we hope people come down and learn more about him while having a drink.''

Masefield, who died in 1967, is perhaps best known for his poem "Sea Fever," which begins: "I must go down to the seas again ... ."

At least this faux pas wasn't on purpose, unlike one in India in which a restaurateur decided to post a swastika over the store and call it Hitler's Cross. As the headline on my blog entry said about that one, "Perhaps the Hitler Youth menu was over the top."

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Banfi, Emiliana expanding U.S. offerings

PHOTOS BY WILLIAM M. DOWD


James W. Mariani is fond of analogies.

He likens his family's Banfi wines to writing, the basics available to anyone but the finest expressions of both created only through imagination and meticulous efforts.

He also likens the differences in those expressions to the differences in dance styles, comparing the impact of one bold wine to Gene Kelly's muscular style and the nuances of another to Fred Astaire's etheral moves.

If that sounds like a charming fellow who gives much thought to his craft and products, it is. Mariani, a New York-educated (Colgate and Cornell) Long Islander who is co-CEO of Castello Banfi with cousin Cristina Mariani-May, spends much of his time traveling from market to market to proselytize for their wines.

In the industry, of course, not a lot of proselytizing is necessary. Castello Banfi has been named "International Winery of the Year" an unprecedented four times at VinItaly's International Enological Concourse, which also named it "Italy's Best Wine Estate" 11 times since 1994.

I spoke with Mariani before a wine luncheon for the trade at Tuscan's Grill in Clifton Park last week.

"I'm as proud of our certifications as I am of our wines," Mariani said, displaying certificates attesting to Castelo Banfi's completion of rigorous international examinations in the areas of sustainable agriculture, environmental responsibility and, unique among wineries, social accountability.

The Mariani family can accurately use the word "unique" in a number of instances.

After living in Italy during his teen years, John Mariani Sr., born in Torrington, Conn., founded the company in New York in 1919 as a wine importer, just before Prohibition hit. He and his partners were able to maintain some income during those years by bottling and selling a 20-proof "laxative."

He named the company after an aunt, Teodolinda Banfi. She was the hospitality manager to the cardinal archbishop of Milan, Ambrogio Ratti, and, to the consternation of many clergy, maintained that position when he was elected Pope Piux XI, the "between the wars pope" who served from 1922 to 1939.

"She was the first woman given Vatican City citizenship," Mariani said, "and in 1938 was the first woman to be buried in the Vatican. She dealt with all the Pope's banquets, special events, and hosting dignitaries. My grandfather took his inspiration about food and wine and hospitality from what he learned from her while he was living in Italy."

When Mariani's sons, Harry and John, took over the company, they became the importer of Riunite Lambrusco, the top import to the U.S. market for a remarkable 26 years, thanks in great measure to a taste for Italian wines developed among GIs during World War II. But, they wanted to upgrade the quality of wine they thought would sell even better. Unable to interest Italian winemakers, they bought land in Tuscany, broke ground for their first plantings in 1978, and in 1984 dedicated the Castelo Banfi Estate.

Extensive research into various types of grapes and a planned reduction of the many clones to a core of three helped the company's development. It now is run by John and Cristina, although their fathers serve on the firm's advisory board.

The business has expanded to include Castello Banfi the castle, as well as at Castelo Banfi the brand. The castle, located on a hilltop in Montalcino, Tuscany, is used as an upscale hotel with restaurants and a glass museum, and the winery is nearby. The company's world headquarters, however, are located in a 60-room manor located on a 127-acre estate and vineyard in Old Brookville, Long island.

Castello Banfi's signature wines include the likes of single-vineyard reserve Poggio all'Oro and cru Poggio alle Mura Brunellos, three proprietary cuvees -- ExcelsuS, SummuS and Cum Laude, and single vineyard varietals Tevernelle Cabernet Sauvignon, Colvecchio Syrah and San Angelo Pinot Grigio. I particularly enjoy their Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva, a sangiovese-based, elegant oak-matured wine.

However, several wines new to the American market are quickly winning me over. Mariani is banking on both wines from Banfi and from the Mariani family's partnership with the Guilisasti family -- who have been involved with Concha y Toro -- in the Emiliana winery in Chile. Emiliana, like Banfi a very eco-conscious company, has been marketing wines to the U.S. under the Walnut Crest brand name but is expanding its line.

Although I enjoyed virtually everything tried at the lunch, I was particularly taken by one wine from each winery.

• 2001 Brunello de Montalcino DOCG: Any wine that can hold its ground with steak forno is a big, bold wine. This 100% sangiovese is such a beast. It is aged at least two years in wood, primarly French oak but also Slavonian oak, then further matured in the bottle for an additional 8-12 months before release. Deep garnet color, soft and velvety mouthfeel yet intense and alive with spice, stone fruit notes and a hint of licorice that melded with the spices, tomatoes and cheese in the bold steak dish.

• 2005 Emiliano Coyam: I am normally skeptical about any blend of more than four grapes. It takes a wonderful palate and a deft hand to make such a marriage work. Winemaker Alvaro Espinoza has both as shown by this blend of 45% syrah, 27% cabernet sauvignon, 14% merlot, 11% carmenere and 3% petit verdot. Both French and American oak is used to mature the wines ("coyam" means oak in the language of Chile's indigenous Mapuches people), The finished product looks syrupy with its bold color, but flows cleanly and wraps the tongue in a pleasant coverlet of fruit flavor, the wood nuances subtle. Coyam has been selling for three years in Europe and South America but is new to the U.S. market this year, at a suggested retail price of $30.

Go here for a full rundown on the Banfi and Emiliano wines samples at the luncheon.

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Newman's Own -- wine

What's missing from this shopping list?

Pasta, steak sauces, salad dressing, lemonade, salsa, lettuce mixes, spinach, carrots, pretzels, cookies, popcorn, candies, olive oil and vinegar, dried fruit, fair trade coffee and pet food.

If you guessed wine, you'd be in agreement with film star and entrepreneur Paul Newman whose Newman's Own line of food and drink items has donated more than $200 million to charity since its inception in 1982.

The Westport, CT-based company is adding wine to its product list with a December bottling of a California chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon in a partnership with the Rebel Wine Co. Rebel itself is a collaboration between Trinchero Family Estates, whose brands include Sutter Home, and Three Thieves, a company that buys grapes and finished wine to sell under its name.

"Wine was the only thing missing at dinner time. Now the meal is complete," Newman said in a statement issued by his company on Tuesday.

The wines will have a suggested retail price of $16.

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EU wine definition may not be too restrictive

Fears among some European fruit wine producers that the European Commission would side with those who wanted only grape wines to be called true wine can breathe a bit easier.

An EC diplomat has been telling journalists that ""The Commission will probably allow berries and apples to be included" in the definition.

And, Michael Mann, spokesman for European Union Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel (above), has been hinting that a deal could be made by year's end. Mann said at a news briefing, "We will do everthing we can to come to a compromise which is acceptable to everyone and is pragmatic. We are involved in a political negotiation so of course we listen to opinions from important wine-making countries."

Under Boel, the EC is attempting to make widespread changes in the EU's wine policy. Large cash incentives to dig up vines to help reduce Europe's "wine lake" surplus has been an ongoing device.

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A rosé by any name is contentious

Excerpted from Drinks International:

Arguments between winemakers over a new rosé wine brand in Provence have forced France's national fraud office to intervene.

Provence’s largest AOC union, Côtes de Provence, has accused local firm PGA Domaines of “stealing” the region’s name for its new Rosé de Provence wine. Rules prevent wine brands in France from using any part of an existing AOC name. The feud is the latest example of a power struggle between France’s wine appellations and a new wave of brands, as the sector battles to regain ground in foreign markets.

Quarrelling over the new PGA Domaines brand became so bad that French fraud police, more accustomed to handling high-level corruption cases, were called in to investigate the dispute earlier this year.

They have since sided with PGA Domaines, but lawyers for Côtes de Provence remain on standby to sue the group if France’s national appellation body, INAO, refuses to accept the Rosé de Provence brand.

James de Roany, head of PGA Domaines, told Drinks International: “If unfortunately INAO was not to agree on our brand, we will not stop using it.”

Surging rosé wine sales in the key UK market have heightened competitive tension in Provence, where 80 per cent of wine produced is rosé, according to union figures. De Roany said he would have no problem with other regional wineries printing "rosé de Provence" on their labels to simplify their offering for foreign consumers.

“We believe that Provence rosé wines are far too weak in export markets and that they are not profiting enough from the boom in this category of wines. Provence producers claim that they are the world leading rosé producers but this is not true if they only export 10% of their production.”

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EU subsidy cut plan assailed

The 270-nation European Union has been on an ambitious pace in recent times to change the face of the alcoholic spirits industry.

The latest flap is over an EU proposal to ban crystal sugar from European wines and end subsidies for concentrated grape juices, both of which are currently used to raise alcoholic content in wines unable dued to various agricultural conditions to rise to the needed level on their own.

The EU wine industry has been plagued by increasing competition from the U.S., Australia and South America along with its own overproduction causing lower retail prices. EU economists say sugar and subsidized juice, widely used particularly in northern Europe where cooler temperatures don't create as much sugar in the grapes, spur overproduction.

EU Farm Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel says that if EU policies continue unchecked, excess wine production would reach 15% of output by 2010. Currently, the EU spends $700 million of its $1.9 billion wine budget to get rid of unwanted wine.

Not unexpectedly, opposition is strong in areas that would be most affected.

Friedlinde Gurr-Hirsch, state minister for Baden-Wuerttemberg in Germany, told Business Week magazine, "This is an important issue for us. ... Let me be honest: This is a very difficult area. Everyone has to share both the pain and the gain."

Luxembourg Farm Minister Fernand Boden, whose country has a healthy sugar-induced wine industry, has rejected the plan, telling the magazine, "We do not understand that the Commission relentlessly comes back to this when there is a clear majority of member states that have repeatedly spoken against this."

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