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Christmas 2017

Drink Globally

When I was in the sixth grade my history class drew the assignment of âWriting the History of (fill in the rest).â I decided that since I liked War History, I would write the History of WWII. The good Sister that read my choice of subject must have gone back to the convent that evening and laughed until she was blue in the face. She finished laughing and realized she was going to have to deliver the bad news to me that a subject so big in scope cannot be explored in 900 words. The subject would have to be reduced to maybe one single event. I was crushed, but after listing to her explanation, I realized that Sister Margaret Mary was correct.

Here it is many years later and I now find myself facing a similar predicament. Not War but Wine! If Sister Margaret Mary were with us today, she would explain that since Christmas has been with us â in some form or fashion â for over 2000 years; folks from all over the planet have been drinking wine since way before that. I would wager that in 2000 plus years, all that can be said or written about wine for the Christmas Season has been said. (I would hope to lose that wager or I am out of a job.) Seriously, it has become increasingly difficult to find that one unique Christmas wine story that no one has ever heard. So what I would like to do is just talk about a few of my favorite beverages for the season, and if you try them, I hope that they will brighten your Christmas season.

Hot Spiced Wine. Gather together 2 oranges, 2 bottles of red wine (I would use a Burgundy), 1 bottle of white wine (Maybe a Sauvignon Blanc) 1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced, 3 cinnamon sticks, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1/3 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of brandy.

Use a very sharp knife or vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the oranges in stripes, being careful to remove only the orange part, leaving the pith behind. Juice the oranges into a large heavy-bottom pot.

Pour the red wine and the white wine into the pot with the orange juice. Place the stripes of orange zest, ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves and brown sugar into the pot with the wine mixture and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Cover and heat over medium-high until heated through but not boiling. Reduce the heat to medium-low and heat for an hour or longer to bring all of the flavors together.

My all time favorite wine for the Christmas Season is Cabernet Sauvignon, preferably one from the many wineries in California. This year I am going to go with a Cabernet from Trefethen for just casual drinking or to serve with Christmas dinner. I admit this wine is top shelf but it is only once each year, at Christmas time, that I ignore the budget. The wine opens up with a complex aroma of cocoa powder, tobacco, black cherries, and plum. The rich fruit features savory notes combined with these intense fruit flavors. The integration of oak and tannin from the grapes creates a mouthful that is smooth and long-lasting. I met Michael Baldini at the Trefethen Winery who gave me the above description. If you go to the winery I would strongly suggest asking to meet Michael. He is very knowledgeable and has been with Trefethen since his teenage years. Once again, this would be the wine to have with your Christmas dinner roast beef. We are matching a full-bodied wine with a heavy meat dish.

If Turkey with all of the trimmings is on your menu for Christmas dinner, I see a full-bodied Chardonnay from Cakebread Cellars from their Cutting Wharf Vineyard.This wine is a single-vineyard selection. The winemaker at Cakebread Cellars is Julianne Laks. She is presenting a wine that carries sweet apple, citrus and stone fruit aromas, augmented by subtle oak, yeast and mineral tones. The wine is rich, concentrated and beautifully structured on the palate, with a deep core of expressive fruit. The finish is long and vibrant and features bright acidity, a touch of oak spice and a refreshing minerality.

Dessert calls for Pumpkin Cheesecake served with Dolce. Dolce is a dessert wine that comes to us from Far Niente Winery. It is a classic combination of late harvest Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc. The bottle is 375 ml and the cost is $85. Use sparingly as it very rich. I would go for it. Your guests will love you.

WINESPEAK

I am well aware that I have spent all your Christmas money on Christmas dinner. Please do not hate me for it because I am going to do it again next year. I really do not feel bad because most of the time I am cautioning people to watch their costs and to shop carefully. Part of the fun in shopping for wine is discovering bargains.

Allow me to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Since relocating from Boston, I have found that Beaufort is a terrific place to be during the Holiday Season.

Cheers!

Your Thanksgiving Wine List

Drink Globally
The first Thanksgiving Dinner was held in Plymouth, Massachusetts in the year 1621. I know because I was there. In attendance were about 120 Pilgrims, and many representatives from the Native Indian Tribe known as the Wampanoag. The food served at the dinner represented native selections that the Wampanoag Indians taught the pilgrims how to grow and replenish. Among the foods were waterfowl, venison, fish, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash. The Native Indians and the Pilgrims combined to set a magnificent table complete with the best linen they could find. There was even a "kids' table." There were many and varied conversations going on at the same time because television had not yet been invented; there was no mention of football. The conversations were dominated by religion, politics and giving thanks to the Almighty for survival in the New World.
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Simply Awesome

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There must be at least one hundred ways to start this article, but I'll just come right out and say it: The Charity Dinner that I attended on October 4th at Alexander's Restaurant was Simply Awesome.
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Vinho Verde

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Since moving to the Lowcountry nine years ago, I have been made abundantly aware of the fact that the retirees here love to travel. As a matter of fact, I am right in there with them. Every once in a while I am overcome with wanderlust and before I know it, I'm on my way to the airport.
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Judgment of Paris

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Every once in a while I like to recall the story of the Judgment of Wines that took place in Paris in 1976. Using a phrase that is popular today, it was a very real "game changer." It is the story of two wines that were entered into a formal wine tasting by Steven Spurrier, a transplanted Englishman, who just happened to be a believer in the quality of California wines. TIME magazine reported on the event in their June 7,1976.

Here is what TIME had to say:

"Americans abroad have been boasting for years about California wines, only to be greeted by polite disbelief - or worse. Among the few fervent and respected admirers of Le vin de California in France is a transplanted Englishman named Steven Spurrier, who owns the Cave de la Madeleine wine shop, one of the best in Paris, and the Academie du Vin, a wine school whose six week courses are attended by the French Restaurant AssociationÃ¢s chefs and sommeliers. Last week in Paris, at a formal wine tasting arranged by Spurrier, the unthinkable happened: California defeated all Gaul.

"The contest was as strictly controlled as the production of a Chateau Lafite. The nine French judges, drawn from an oenophileÃ¢s WHOÃ¢S WHO, included such high priests as Pierre Tari, Secretary General of the ASSOCIATION des GRAND CRUS CLASSES, and Raymond Oliver, owner of Le Grand Vefour Restaurant and doyen of French culinary writers. The wines tasted were transatlantic cousins - four white Burgundies against six California Pinot Chardonnays and four Grands crus Chateaux reds rom Bordeaux against six California Cabernet Sauvignons.

"As the judges swirled, sniffed, sipped and spat, some judges were instantly able to separate an imported upstart from an aristocrat. More often, the panel was confused. 'Ah, back to France!' exclaimed Oliver after sipping a 1972 Chardonnay from the Napa Valley. 'That is definitely California. It has no nose,' said another judge - after downing a 1973 Batard Montrachet. Other comments included such Gallic gems as 'this is nervous and agreeable,' 'a good nose but not to much in the mouth,' and 'this soars out of the ordinary.'

"When the ballots were cast, the top-soaring red was the 1972 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, from the Napa Valley and produced by Warren Winiarski. This was followed by the 1970 Mouton Rothchild, the 1970 Haut-Brion, and the 1970 Montrose. The four winning whites were, in order, the 1973 Chateau Montelena from Napa, the 1973 French Meursault-Charmes, and two mother Californias, the 1974 Chalone from Monterey County and Napa Valley's 1973 Spring Mountain. The United States winners are little known to wine lovers, since they are in short supply even in California and rather expensive ($6 plus. Remember that this is a 1976 price. Much more in 2017) Jim Barrett, Motelena's general Manager and part owner, said 'Not bad for kids from the Sticks.'"

When Spurrier was organizing the wine tasting he remembered to invite the press. The only reporter to attend was George W. Taber from TIME Magazine. After he published the results of the tasting, an unprecedented explosion took place in the world of wine. The game changer was one simple tasting, arranged by Spurrier and carried out by highly qualified judges. The French were embarrassed and they tried to offer as many excuses as they could think of. But it was too late. The results were published for all the world to see. Overnight the wine industry in the US was changed forever and for the better. The American wines that had been entered in the Paris tasting were officially recognized and credible.

A very important point to remember here is that the Paris Tasting was repeated several more times over a ten year period. The results were always the same or close to it. Spurrier never gave up with the confidence that he had in the California wines. The results of the tastings are published online for all to see.

WINESPEAK

Two items: first a movie and second a new wine region. The movie is called BOTTLE SHOCK. It's well done and portrays the Paris Tasting accurately. The movie was released in 2016 to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Paris tasting. It was produced by the Sundance Film Festival. It should be easily obtainable.

Our second item also took place in 1976, which was a breakout year for Oregon Pinot Noir. I classify this as an amazing coincidence with what took place in Paris. Just as Steve Spurrier had confidence in his two American selections, so also did Dick Erath have confidence in his selection of Oregon as a place to grow Pinot Noir. He was convinced that the soil and climate of the Dundee Area were perfect for growing Pinot Noir grapes. He was also convinced that the close proximity to the Pacific Ocean would help to moderate the temperatures during the growing season. And the ocean effect helped to keep the temperatures warmer in the winter, which in turn kept the vines from freezing.

Dick was a pioneer and many others followed. He was granted a license to build a winery in 1976, and the rest is history. His winery flourishes today along with many others producing quality Pinot Noir.

I can only say that I wish I'd had a crystal ball in 1976.

Discovering Kenwood Vineyards

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I sincerely hope that everyone had a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July. I had a safe holiday because I stayed at home and experienced a new wine that I discovered from Kenwood Vineyards. It is called Six Ridges and was released to the market about 18 months ago.
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