The party's (kind of) over

From MSNBC.COM

New York's business media discovered a tangible consequence of the financial crisis last Friday: no more free drinks at their annual black-tie gala.

Unlike years past, the cocktail hour that preceded the Financial Follies dinner came with a price tag. Mixed drinks and wine cost $11. Water cost $6. The reason? The New York Financial Writers' Association, which holds the Follies at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square, could not get anyone to sponsor the $25,000 tab.

"I really think it was a sign of the times," said Jane Reilly, executive manager for the association, which holds the Follies to raise money for 10 $3,000 scholarships and to pay for the group's existence.

The loss of funding of the Follies symbolizes the crisis facing not only Wall Street but many media organizations suffering from falling advertising and, in the case of many magazines and newspapers, circulation.

Some of the financial institutions and the companies that work for them, such as public relations agencies, have disappeared. Those that survived are struggling. A number of magazines have closed or cut back, and many newspapers have reduced business coverage and fired employees.

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Letters: Seeking Terra Leone Ammos Reserva

Good day:

I have been searching for Terra Leone Ammos Reserva 2005 in Canada but have been out of luck. Do you have any contact information for people who deal with this wine?

Trevor Finch
Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority
Special Orders

Trevor:

This wine was, as you may have seen in my posting on the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, earned a Grand Gold (scoring between 96 and 100 points on a 100-point scale) in this year's event.

It's a difficult find outside Greece. I have had no luck locating it in my part of the States, but I believe you can get it online through Global Winestocks, which handles other labels from the same producer, Palivou Estate.

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This wine goes to school

You've probably heard of an "educated palate." At Cal Poly Pomona, they take the phrase seriously.

The university has just released its first private label wine, Horsehill Vineyards, which was bottled for it at a winery in Temecula, CA.

The zinfandel wine is a result of a seven-year project. Faculty and students planted and tended the vines in a pair of on-campus plots, using cuttings from plants that are up to a century old.

"This harvest is the first harvest the grapes were mature enough for winemaking," Lisa McPheron, director of communications and external relations for the Collins College of Hospitality Management, said in a statement.

The wine goes on sale Tuesday at $14 a bottle, only at the university's Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch. Proceeds from sales will be used to support future grape harvests and a vegetable garden project spearheaded by the two colleges, according to a university news release.

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Burgundy prices dropping

Burgundy lovers awaiting the results of a traditional auction that usually helps establish market prices will be happy about this year's results. Producers may not be.

The Beaune Hospices auction, held in Beaune, France, features a centuries-old tradition of bidding for the final lot until two candles flicker out. Bids there traditionally set price trends for the latest vintage. This year, the weak global economy and extensive storm damage to wine grapes in eastern France combined to lower prices.

While the United States market for Burgundy wines remains relatively strong, exports to the UK fell 16% by volume, and 10% by value, in the first 10 months of this year. Nearly half of all Burgundy wine is exported.

"We have seen prices come unstuck since September and to a lesser extent since June," Louis-Fabrice Latour, president of the federation of Burgundy wine traders and producers, told the Reuters news service. "We are worried but not pessimistic. We got through the 1991 crisis which was much worse. Now we have lower interest rates and the dollar is strengthening, which could help us."

James Thomson, a Scottish hotel and restaurant owner, had the winning bid of 50,000 euros ($63,257.50 US) for the final exhibit, a 228-liter oak barrel of Pommard Premier Cru red wine. Such a barrel, which will provide about 300 bottles, sold for 65,000 euros last year and a record 200,000 in 2006.

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Five wines for the holidays

As the holiday season approaches, selecting wines plays a big part in meal planning.

For some people, that’s a fun chore. For others, it’s a nightmare. For both ends of this spectrum, and for those in between, here’s a “five for the holidays” range of wines with markedly different styles and price points. And, since we do eat more than turkey and ham during the holidays, these choices reflect that as well.

• Chateau du Rouét 2007 Cuvee Reservee

This traditional rosé comes from a winery whose chateau was owned by the Marquis de Villeneuve, supplier of wines to the court of Louis XVI. I tried it during a lunch at the home of Jeffrey Gimmel and Nina Bachinsky–Gimmel, owners of the trendy Swoon Kitchenbar in Hudson, NY, a small riverside city just north of the Big Apple.

This is a blend of grenache, mourvèdre and cinsault grapes, made by the first crush after cool skin maceration. That makes it a good accompaniment to any strongly-herbed dishes, such as the thyme-coated rotisserie poulet that was central to our meal.

Unlike the watery rosès that flooded the domestic market in the '90s and thereby ruined the category for a lot of first-timers, this is a full-bodied wine that goes well with anything from the lightness of a spring salad of lovage, chive blossoms, goat cheese and English peas to a layered potato-bacon pie.

The delicate pink color hints of the tastes to come -- lightly fruity cassis and raspberry. Not much length, but a serviceable wine for meals.

Suggested retail price: $16.

• 2007 Simonassi Malbec "1922"

Malbec was long a minor French blending grape. Some years ago some enterprising Argentinean vintners decided their high country vineyards would be ideal for the grape they thought could stand on its own. They were right, and its popularity has been steadily growing.

This bold, rich purplish wine is visually inviting. I tried it at the Vin Santo wine and tapas bar in Latham, NY, just outside the capital city of Albany, along with a series of small plates of grilled chorizo and game sausages, New Zealand lamb chop “pops” marinated and grilled and served with Israeli couscous salad, a forest mushroom strudel and an ahi tuna sashimi served with crisp seaweed, pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.

In the course of polishing off these treats, the Malbec kept opening and softening, releasing deep notes of black cherry, plum and warm spices, making it a perfect accompaniment to each item.

Suggested retail price: $19.

• Arboleda Carmenère 2006

This rich, lush wine comes from a Chilean boutique winery located in the Colchagua Valley. It is 100% carmenère, the country's major grape.

This mid-May '06 vintage was an excellent one and this particular wine is a prime example of it. It is a big, deep-violet wine, 14.5% alcohol by volume, that begins with a pleasing assault on the nose of tobacco, cinnamon and black tea.

That complexity continues on the palate with notes of cocoa and stone fruits -- plum, black cherry and the like -- and berries plus just a touch of sweetness. Touches of cedar and vanilla imparted by the cask aging also can be discerned, and the long finish develops into a drier level of the tobacco and unsweetened chocolate.

I matched it at a home dinner with a pork tenderloin roasted in a honey-mustard sauce, sided with brown rice, steamed cauliflower, and a cold, bitey side dish of diced tomatoes, cucumbers and jalapeños marinated overnight in herbs and rice wine vinegar. The wine both stood up to and complemented each dish.

Suggested retail price: $16.

• Coudoulet de Beaucastel 2003

Cotes du Rhone wines are big, bold and meaty, perfect for a flatiron prime beef luncheon I had with Dale Miller, one of those rare Certified Master Chefs, who is executive chef and general manager of the stately Inn at Erlowest on New York's picturesque Lake George.

This is a French red as big as its formal name: 2003 Château de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet de Beaucastel. It's a blend of mourvédre, grenache, cinsault and syrah grapes, unfiltered and bursting at the seams with flavor.

I particularly like the fact that the bouquet keeps opening once poured, enhancing the notes of leather, pepper and ripe fruit. It complemented not only the sliced flatiron prime, but the vegetable terrine, grilled asparagus and roasted fingerling potatoes it accompanied at the luncheon. A splash of the wine added to the steak juice reduction tied it all together.

Suggested retail price: $34.

• Bloomer Creek Vineyard 2006 Reserve White

Bloomer Creek Vineyards, located in Hector in the Finger Lakes, was founded in 1999 by Kim Engle, a veteran winery manager, and his wife, artist Debra Bermingham, and went into full production in 2004. I tried this wine with an elaborate luncheon prepared by noted Indonesian chef Yono Purnomo, owner of the prestigious Yono's restaurant in Albany, NY.

It was my first intentional sampling of this product of New York's Finger Lakes region. I had voted for it as "Best of Class: Blended White Wine" in a blind-taste judging during the 2007 New York Wine & Food Classic.

This experience was just as positive. Engle's offering is an Alsatian-style Riesling blend that is at once fruity and pleasantly acidic. In other words, a Riesling that doesn't take itself too seriously but pleases nonetheless.

Kiwi, peach and a touch of pineapple come through in the middle range, and the lingering impression paired well with the Indonesian fare I consumed along with the wine: a boldly-sauced sautéed pork tenderloin, spicy shrimp and a noodle dish with chicken, shrimp and vegetables all were beautifully complemented by the wine.

Suggested retail price: $12.

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Letters: When will my apple juice become wine?

Hello Bill:

I have a question and I believe you are the man who would have an answer.

I have been given some apples and I made apple preserves with some of them and with some I made homemade vinegar, like my grandmother did when I was a small child. I can't wait until it is vinegar and I can taste it. This is the first time I have done this. But, I also tried another first: wine.

With some of the apples I juiced them so they could turn to wine. I was wondering if you could tell me how long this process takes. I only made just a couple quarts. I wanted to try it so I could marinate a roast in it. A family member told me ... that gives the roast the best flavor and it is so tender.

... I have no clue when my apple juice will be wine. So, could you please tell me when I can expect this?

Thank you, and God bless you, and have a wonderful day.

-- Wanda Ridpath, Virginia

Wanda:

This question is a little tricky because I'm not familiar with (a) the types of apples you used, (b) what sort of container (wood, metal, plastic, etc.) you put the apple juice in, (c) how ripe the fruit was before crushing, and (d) how much sugar and yeast you used, among other questions.

Generally speaking, the quickest methods of making fruit wines need at least 3-5 months of aging to be sure the fermentation process has been completed. Obviously, this isn't a quick process since the aging comes only after a variety of other steps have been completed.

Your best bet, no doubt, is to get a book on fruit wine making from a book store or home brewing supply store. It will explain in detail the chemistry of the process, the hygiene you need to use, and the complete timeline for creating your own wine.

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Plan your Repeal celebration

December 5 will mark the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. Throughout the alcoholic drinks industry, parties, gimmicks and general hoopla will ensue.

If you're interested in an update on your Prohibition, Repeal or current alcohol laws information, or want to host your own Repeal Party, go to ProhibitionRepeal.com for some help.

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NYC home to world's first organic bar

You've got to love a restaurant whose motto is "Changing the world one meal at a time." That goes for its cocktail list, too.

The venue is GustOrganics, a New York City cocktail lounge and restaurant (519 Avenue of the Americas at 14th Street). It claims to be the nation's first fully certified such establishment, and has the credentials to support it:

• All dishes made only with organic U.S. Department of Agriculture certified Ingredients.
• Certified organic by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York.
• Certified green restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association.

But above all, for the purposes of what this site deals with, GustOrganics is the world’s first USDA certified organic bar.

Alberto Gonzalez (seen above), a native of Argentina, is the owner of GustOrganics. He notes that all drinks -- hot, cold and alcoholic -- are free from chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, artificial flavors and drink enhancers.

"We have only USDA certified organic spirits, wines and beers," he said. "All these products are produced according to the USDA's National Organic Program. On top of this, our cocktails are made featuring fresh organic fruits and vegetables. ...

"The only two ingredients that are not organic are the water and salt because they are minerals and by definition cannot be organic. We use sun-dried sea salt only and that means no additives. We have our pure water that is New York City water run through a UV lamp that kills all the bacteria and after that we run it through a top notch purification system that takes out all the bad metals, keeping the good minerals."

The signature cocktails at GustOrganics are priced in the $12-$14 range, typical for Manhattan drinks. Some of the top sellers:

• Dulce de Leche Martini: dulce de leche, espresso coffee and vodka.
• Pura Vida Daiquiri: strawberries, bananas and rum.
• Fresquito: fresh mangos, fresh squeezed orange juice and vodka.

What made Gonzalez decided to establish a base for his organic foodie and drinks efforts in Greenwich Village?

“New York is one of the most sophisticated societies in the world, but I didn’t like the food," he says. "It wasn’t fresh. When I used to stay here for business, I noticed I was more tired, lacked energy, and gained a lot of weight. I realized I took for granted the freshness and quality of the food in Argentina.

"I developed this restaurant with New Yorkers. They are the ones who helped shape this idea.”

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Restaurant wine industry goes digital

The latest gizmos in wine technology are found neither in the fields nor in the fermentation rooms.

They range from projected wine lists to wireless handheld devices to tablet PCs, part of the digital revolution in the restaurant wine industry, according to "The Wired Wine List," Kara Newman's cover story in the November issue of Sommelier Journal.

The story begins this way:

"It’s Thursday afternoon at the Time Warner Center on New York’s Columbus Circle. Up on the fourth floor, where high-end restaurants such as Per Se and Masa reside, tourists and shoppers are starting to circle the wagons, dinner on their minds. They take laps around the floor, inspecting the menus encased behind glass. When they reach the 10-foot-high wall of light boxes that encloses Clo, a tiny, free-standing wine bar in the middle of the area, each one stops, straining mightily to peer inside.

"At 3 p.m., an hour to opening time, Clo doesn’t look like much. A long, communal table spans most of the space, cluttered with open wine bottles, half-empty glasses, handbags, laptops, and the remains of someone’s lunch. But by 3:30 p.m., the transformation begins: the table is cleared, everything is secreted behind cabinets built into the walls, and the staff wipes down the surface, now identifiable as pristine white Corian.

"With the visual clutter removed, it’s easier to notice that the walls are lined with Enomatic wine-dispensing machines, where customers can self-dispense wine by the glass, Automat style, using prefilled purchase cards. The illuminated slots for the Enomatic cards pulse with light, and the backlit wine bottles glow softly, resembling a quieter version of Atlantic City’s slot machines.

"3:55 p.m.: Five minutes to opening. The lights are dimmed, and a projector from above is flipped on. Up close, I can see pictures of tiny wine bottles projected on the communal table. Owner Andrew Bradbury shows me how it works: holding one finger above a wine-bottle graphic opens a larger display, revealing the label and information about where the wine was made, the grape varieties, and a few notes on style and taste. He skims along the tiny pictures, like a pianist running his hand across a keyboard, and the bottles obligingly whisk aside to show another array of tiny bottles.

"Is this the future of wine bars and wine lists: everything computerized and automated, from arrival to order? The answer is yes— and no."

[Go here for the complete story.]

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7 golds may have decided MD's best winery

Quick. Name the best winery in Maryland.

OK, name any winery in Maryland.

While the state isn't among the powerhouse wine producers, and thus has relatively little recognition outside its own borders, it has been producing some very respectable wines in recent years.

The results of this year's Maryland Governor's Cup Competition puts forth at least two candidates for the unofficial title of Maryland's best.

Black Ankle Vineyards of Mt. Airy, about an hour's drive west of Baltimore, took the top prize, its Crumbling Rock 2006 red blend securing the Governor’s Cup Award after winning the "best red" gold medal. The wine, which retails for $40, is a blend of 38% Cabernet Franc, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. There were 525 cases produced.

However, Black Ankle may have to take a backseat to Boordy Vineyards, which pulled down golds with seven different wines: Cabernet Franc 2006, Chardonnay 2007, Eisling 2007, Petite Cabernet 2006, Riesling 2007, Seyval Vidal Chardonnay 2007 and Tango Peach 2007.

Boordy (seen above), a 230-acre facility, is located in Hydes, which is a mere 15 minutes north of the Baltimore Beltway in the Long Green Valley. It was established in 1945 by the R.D. Deford family, which makes it the state's oldest family run winery.

The other class winners:

• Best White: Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Pinot Grigio 2007
• Best Rosé: Elk Run Vineyards, Gypsy Rosé
• Best Off-Dry: Elk Run Vineyards, Gewurztraminer 2007
• Best Fruit: Boordy Vineyards, Tango Peach NV
• Best Dessert: Boordy Vineyards, Eisling 2007
• Best Specialty: Loew Vineyards, Country Classic NV

Other gold medalists:

• Basignani Winery, Erik’s Big Zin 2006
• Bordeleau Vineyards & Winery, Merlot 2006
• Cove Point Winery, Pinot Noir NV
• Cygnus Wine Cellars, Cabernet Franc 2006
• Elk Run Vineyards, Gewurztraminer 2007
• Elk Run Vineyards, Gypsy Rosé
• Fiore Winery, Riesling NV
• Frederick Cellars, Riesling NV
• Loew Vineyards, Country Classic NV
• Loew Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc 2007
• St. Michaels Winery, Pinot Grigio 2007
• Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
• Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Chardonnay Reserve 2006
• Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Merlot 2006
• Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Pinot Grigio 2007
• Woodhall Wine Cellars, Cabernet Franc 2007
• Woodhall Wine Cellars, Sangiovese 2007

Go here for the full list of all medal winners.

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Letters: What's my '26 Boyd-Cantenac worth?

Mr. Dowd:

I’m trying to find out the value of a bottle of wine I have and cannot seem to locate the value anywhere. Hopefully, you may help.

It’s a 1926 France Chateau Boyd-Cantenac, Margaux. It was shipped by Hudes & Fils Vintners and also on the bottle is Proprieters: Fernand Ginestet.

I think this is all but was wondering if I should hold on to it or enjoy it! Thank you.

-- Margaret Buatte, Richmond, VA

Margaret:

You're fortunate to have come into possession of such a wine, assuming it has been protected from extremes of temperature and light since it was bottled 80-plus years ago.

Bottles of this vintage Margaux have been selling for anywhere from $325 to $400, to the best of the data I've been able to uncover.

Chateau Boyd-Cantenac is an old name in the French wine industry. It was named for Jacques Boydi, a nobleman who lived in Bordeaux. He purchased the property in 1754. The chateau has had only a few owners since then. Since 1932 it has been owned by the Guillernet family, which also owns Chateau Pouget. It has had a winery separate from Pouget since 1982.

Despite its age, Boyd-Cantenac wines are respectable but not among the upper echelon.

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Letters: What are some cider tasting terms?

Mr. Dowd:

Some friends and I want to hold a cider tasting. I've looked on the Internet for ideas and found your site. Very interesting.

What I've been looking for is a list of terms that could be used to describe cider. Can you help me? I've used similar lists for beer and wine, and they help the tasters describe what they are experiencing.

Thanks.

--Tom King, Clemson, SC

Tom:

For any cider tastings I've held or participated in, there are several key terms to enjoying/judging such an event. Among them:

• Acidity: The "tang" of the cider tells a lot about the particular apples used, the alcohol produced in the maturation process, and the smoothness of the filtration (if any).

• Purification: Some ciders are unfiltered, some are filtered one or more times. Depends on one's taste which one is the preferred method. However, if a cider is filtered, its clarity of color and mouthfeel should be judged.

• Pairing: Does the cider go well with foods and, if so, what types?

I assume you've read some of the things I've written about ciders. Here are several links in case you haven't: (1) and (2).

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International panel picks Bulgaria's best

Photo provided

Bulgarian wines don't take up a lot of space in most shops, but the ancient Eastern European nation has a fairly strong wine industry.

Bacchus, the Bulgarian wine and gourmet culture magazine, convened an international panel of wine experts to rate the country's wines. Emil Koralov, Bacchus special projects director and one of the originators of the competition, said “These top 10 wines, as rated yesterday, are the best, according to us, at the moment. Ultimately, dégustation is a subjective process.”

Of the three white wines and one dessert wine that made it into the top 20, none figured in the top 10.

“Bulgaria is still a red wine country,” said Bacchus wine editor Julia Kostadinova. “We hope that that will change for next year.”

She noted that for most of the international members of the jury, the evaluations were their first experience with Bulgarian wine. Their consensus was that Bulgaria winemakers would do well to emphasise the native grape varieties such as Melnik, mavrud and rubin -- the reds -- or dimyat and misket, the whites.

Here are the top 10, in alphabetical order, selected from among more than 250 wines sampled from Oct. 15, 2007, to Oct. 15 this year:

• Enira Reserva 2006 (Bessa Valley)
• Maxxima Private Reserva 2003 (Maxxima Cellars)
• Nobile Rubin 2006 (Logodaj)
• Question Mark 2007 (Katarzyna Estate)
• Roto 2006 (Terra Tangra)
• Santa Sarah Privat 2006 (Santa Sarah)
• Solitaire Elenovo merlot 2006 (Domaine Boyar)
• Terra Tangra Cuvee 2006 (Terra Tangra)
• Terra Tangra Grand Reserva 2006 (Terra Tangra)
• Vinissimo American Barrel 2006 (Rachev & Son)

According to the Sofia Echo, Bulgaria's capital city English-language newspaper, the roots of the nation's wines can be traced back in history to ancient Thrace and the Greek god of wine Dionysus.

"The territory occupied by Bulgaria today was one of the regions where many wine traditions were founded during this period of the Hellenistic world. The cultured vine is said to have first been grown in Central Asia. The earliest traces of its origin within what is now Bulgaria go back 3,000 years."

You can get the full story here.

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