Starstruck: Jancis Robinson

Do you have a celebrity crush?  Back in the day, it was boy bands like New Kids on the Block that made me swoon.  Like any tween fan, I wallpapered by bedroom with pictures torn out from Teen Beat and my friends and I would endlessly debate which band member was cutest.  Looking back, I feel deeply sorry for whichever parent had to chaperone us to their concerts and endure endless hours of teengirl squealing.

Recently, Jancis Robinson, wine expert, writer and critic extraordinare, came to New York for one of her only area appearances to promote her new book American Wines. That woman is tenacious.  Not only did she write (in my opinion) the ultimate tome to wine, The Oxford Companion to Wine, she penned the massive Grapes last year, only to follow up with American Wine this year.  When I learned of her visit, I raced to buy my ticket, a good month and a half before the actual event. I did contain my shrieks of excitement, but my, how times have changed.

My wine geek crush was solidified at this talk: she is witty, spunky and incredibly intelligent. She spoke about the American wine industry and its evolution as well as wine culture in our country.

Currently, she's been really enjoying NY Finger Lakes dry rieslings and some cabernet franc and merlot wines from Long Island. She also feels Virginia wines are up and coming - definitely a region to keep an eye on.  She gave some history on Washington State's industry and how it was started by rogue French winemakers who wanted to be freed from rigid French regulations and laws. The resulting wines are growing exponentially in quality and are, I would imagine, very personal and passionate. Speaking to pure Americana, she mentioned that Chrysalis Winery in Virginia and another in Missouri are growing Norton, a native American vinifera, rather successfully and that the University of Minnesota is working on hardy winter vines designed to withstand the wintry  midwestern climate.

She believes retailers are contributing to Robert Parker's influence and feels many shops rely on his rankings to sell wine.  Rather than seeking out new and intriguing producers, they fall back on Parker's rankings, which does a disservice not only to the customer but to other producers.  She also remarked on the evolution of wine service and how there are many "celebrity" sommeliers who seem to be the tastemakers. However, the finest attribute of a good sommelier is humility as one can never know it all. She admitted that she herself is always learning.

In the Q&A session, the question was raised about the importance of knowing the winery, regions, etc., when tasting versus in a sterile room? Unsurprisingly, she believes the viti, vini and cultural factors are hugely important when examining wine.  The only time she feels a sterile room is beneficial is when tasting a small selection of similar wines, such as the tasting precluding en premier sales in Bordeaux.

I practically floated over to the tasting that followed the lecture, riding on the euphoria of hearing her speak.  In total, there were about 8 wines represented, but I was only able to capture notes on three.

So, how are American wines doing?

Gruet Blanc de Noirs, NV, New Mexico (approx $15)

This is actually a sparkling wine I've had before and I must say, it's a great value.  It's very similar in flavor profile and mouthfeel to prosecco, with the slightly buttered toast, pear and apple tones coming through on the palate.  It's easy to drink on its own but would definitely be a fantastic bellini or mimosa base.

Chateau Grand Traverse Lot 49, Riesling, Michigan (approx $21)

I wanted to like this one so much.  The Gruet guy, although not representing this wine, said it had that great slate and minerality often found in German Rieslings.  Truthfully, I tasted almost NOTHING.  I'm not just talking about the slate and mineral, I'm saying I could barely detect any flavor whatsoever.  I really had to dig in there to even detect some slight tones of fruit.  It lacked the acidity and viscosity I love in a  riesling.  Here's hoping this was just a fluke bottle.

Bookcliff Cabernet Franc Reserve, Colorado
Cabernet Franc can be a finicky sucker.  If done well it can evoke dark fruits, spice and tobacco.  This wine, unfortunately, hasn't achieved greatness yet.  It was really stemmy, green, and tasted like underripe peppers, all the markings of an underdeveloped cab franc. I think it has potential, though; maybe in a few more vintages it will really hit its stride.

Keep tasting, friends....

Inauguration Weekend

I think this sums up the Inauguration weekend in DC perfectly.

I'm sure Jose Andres was referring to the terroir and the history of the wine in his remark above, but wine can be transportive to a place in one's memory. Almost none of the wines I had that weekend were particularly spectacular or of note, but because of the context in which I drank them, I will relive these incredible moments when I see one of the bottles.

We started the weekend off with dinner at Bobby Van's on Friday night. With a good portion of their wine list half-price on Friday and Saturday nights, it made sense budget-wise to order a bottle (not like it really takes that much to convince me to order a bottle). We went for a Jean-Luc Colombo Croze-Hermitage Syrah 2006.  It was a very traditional Rhone Syrah, with notes of plum, black pepper, tobacco on the nose and similar spicy and herbaceous notes following suit on the palate.  Medium bodied and structured with medium tannins, it made good friends with our filet mignons.

Saturday brought us to the DC Armory for National Day of Service.  The air vibrated as thousands of people turned out to help and the rainbow population of volunteers melded together in camaraderie to create kits of grooming essentials for overseas troops.

(volunteers)

(Dr. Jill and Vice President Joe Biden making a speech at the Armory)

We spent the remainder of the day walking around the National Mall and playing tourist until it was time to get ready for the Kids' Concert at the Convention Center.

Come on now, when you hear Kids' Concert, don't you think of choirs of children singing their little hearts out?  We did, and we were wrong. So, so wrong.  Our first inkling came when Usher opened the show.  By the time the closing act, Katy Perry, sang her last song to the cheering 4-ft-tall-and-under crowd, all we could think was, damn, feels good to be a kid.

Hungry and thirsty, we ended up at Tony Cheng's for Chinese.  Prosecco seemed like a good match for the Asian cuisine and with a group of 20+ people it worked as a crowd-pleaser, so we went with Lamarca Prosecco. The lightly yeasty notes mingled with hints of peach, apricot and other orchard fruits.  The mild bubbles gave it a good mouthfeel without overwhelming our food.

Sunday found us at brunch with my college friend, her husband and new baby.  Their awesome blog, www.DMVDining.com, has been gaining quite the following and it was invigorating to talk shop (and food!) with them.

(Kennedy Center from the Georgetown Waterfront)

After, we wandered Georgetown for a bit until it was time for dinner at one of my favorite DC restaurants, Zaytinya (home of the opening blog picture).  However, after trying to coordinate with 15 people at a tapas dinner, I needed a drink - badly.  Unfortunately, I can't accurately report back on my glass of wine; I ordered an Assyrtiko but what I received lacked the stony flintiness and minerality normally associated with the grape.  Most likely, I received my neighbor's Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon/Assyrtiko blend as I noted pineapple and tropical fruits in this glass.  Still delicious, though.

Then (drumroll please)..................

Inaguration Day!

6:15am and we're downstairs, bleary-eyed but ready to start the day.  After security checks, we headed to the Capitol Building.

Everyone has been asking what it felt like to be there and the best I can say is, I felt like an atom, a tiny floating particle in a large moving object.  I was a part of something much bigger than I, but this grandness existed because of each of us present. The crowds flowed, swelled and crested with each speech and with each oath.  Never in my life have I ever felt so singularly alone yet an integral part of something.

(see the teeny-tiny monument in the background?)

(crowds)

(stage right)

We were next driven to our viewing spot for the Inaugural Parade:

(on your right, the presidential viewing box)

 (our view behind bleachers, oh yeah)

(I can't decide if I felt safe or scared with all those rifles)

Finally, onward to.... The Ball! 

(main room)

(I really wanted to show off my shoes)

(Katy Perry doing her thing)

(Dupont Circle VIP room)

So, what did we drink at The Ball?  Patriotic event = domestic wines.  Black tie event = sparkling wine.  Put those together and I'm drinking Woodbridge Brut sparkling wine from California.  It was simple and accessible: a little peachy, a little yeasty, small bubbles. But, as I'm drinking it at the Inaugural Ball, it's the finest champagne. 

The evening culminated with a private dessert reception at the Biden residence.  More wine, hors d'oeuvres, dessert, a dance floor, live band....

(our gracious after-party host)

....and a late-night performance by Darren Criss from Glee.

I'm grateful for wine.  I'm grateful because serves as another source of memory.  Beyond seeing pictures, beyond hearing songs, it's another sensory experience that can bring me back to this particular moment in my life.

Keep tasting....

The Home Depot of Tasting Flights

In general, I'm not very DIY.   I'm in awe of the Etsy culture and the general level of skill many people possess when it comes to crafting.  Woodwork, jewelry making, print making - definitely not my forte.  The expansion of store chains like Lowes and Home Depot has me confounded.  Home renovation projects?  Forget it.

However,  one of our favorite neighborhood bars offers various tasting flights that rotate on themes throughout the year.  Even better?  They offer all their wines by the glass as a "taste" pour, which lets me build my own tasting flights. Now THIS is definitely something I can create.  Am I feeling like I want to dig deeper into New World whites?  I can build a flight for that!

Side observation: In general, flights are built around a tasting of three different wines.   I find it rather funny and also ponder why,  given the opportunity to build my own flight, I stay within the psychological constraints of three tastes, even though the options are limitless. However, I'm not aware of any standards regarding the number of flights I order (I jest, I jest).

On this visit, I didn't have any particular agenda in mind and built my flights based on whatever looked intriguing:

Flight #1
Dirler-Cade,"Cuvee Vielles Vignes" Sylvaner, Alsace, France, 2010 -  Strong notes of minerality, slate, pear and citrus announced themselves on the nose and followed through on the palate.  Refreshing amounts of acid gave this opener some zing. This was a great start to the flight.

Cantina Ericina, "Erice," Nero D'Avola, Sicily, Italy, 2009 - Blueberry and other berry fruits came through, along with earth and black pepper spice.  Tobacco notes  finished off this medium bodied southern Italian red.  I think this one will really shine with a little bit of aging.

Cadence, "Coda," Bordeaux Blend, Red Mountain, Washington, 2009 - Concentrated with deep berry fruits and intensely earthy, this was definitely a heavy-hitter. Along with all the soil,  black cherry and almost Robitussin-like notes came through on the lengthy finish.  I'm fascinated that  this blend came from Washington State and wish I had a French Bordeaux for a compare-and-contrast exercise.

Flight #2 
Jean-Philippe Fichet, Bourgogne Aligote, France, 2011 - Aligote is a minor player in the Burgundian landscape and is often used to produce sparkling wines rather than flat wines.  Seeing one on the menu definitely piqued by interest.   Slate, minerals and citrus all shone in the palate.  It was actually reminiscent of the Domaine Faiveley Montagny I wrote about previously and although there was something a bit simpler about the Aligote, it was still highly enjoyable.

Katogi Averoff, Thessaly, Xinomavro, Greece, 2007 -  Red berries were countered with twiggy notes and a little bit of ash, but the berries flowed throughout the entire sip.   Medium body with a bit of acidity, this showcased how Greek wines are truly evolving in quality.

Mourre du Tendre, "Classique," Rhone Blend, Cote du Rhone, France  2005 - Still on a Cote du Rhone kick, I had to add one to the flight.  It was a classic Rhone with blueberry, raspberry and plum fruits. Earthiness and green pepper  rounded out this medium-bodied, easy drinking wine.

Bonus
Lingot-Martin Cerdon de Bugey, Savoie, France, N.V.   This one was actually part of my boyfriend's flight, but I couldn't resist writing a note about it. This sparkling wine was a ruby color and rich, mousse-y bubbles were in the Champagne style of sparkling wines.  What immediately came to mind?  Yep, Ruinart Rose. On the palate, however, this was a completely different wine.  It was akin to eating a basket of raspberries and instead of finishing dry, a fruit sweetness lingered.  I see this as a good apertif to a meal.

Keep sipping....

Birthday Bubbles

Saturday was my S.O.'s birthday and for once, I wasn't completely stressed out about the day.  Normally, I send myself into a tailspin trying to find the perfect gift; debating if some type of activity, such as a play or a massage, should be a part of this day; finding the ideal spot for pre-dinner cocktails, etc.  My biggest stressor?  Finding the PERFECT place for dinner.   To  his credit,  he has told me multiple times, at various times during the year, that IT DOESN'T MATTER; as long as it's delicious he's happy.  I, on the other hand, want restaurant nirvana and often spend weeks looking for spots, then have day-of anxiety and doubt my choice, where I then proceed to looking online and call around to see if any magical last-minute reservations at this mythical restaurant have appeared.  Do I know this is crazy?  Absolutely. Do I do it annually?  You bet.

This year, though, I was ON IT.    I bought his present weeks ago (huge sense of relief there) and had a solid game plan for pre-drinks.  In addition, I was taking his talk to heart and not going to worry (too much) about where we go to dinner.  Did I still call that call-one-month-to-the-day-if-you-dare-to-even-dream-of-getting-a-reservation Restaurant in hopes of any last-minute cancellations?  Yes, yes I did.  But, overall, I was feeling pretty good about the evening.

So, how'd it go?

Dinner exceeded even my expectations and we had a great meal enhanced by some fantastic wine.  (Osteria Morini in case you are wondering.  Go.  Seriously, go).  However, we eschewed a bottle for a celebratory glass of sparkling wine, followed by a lambrusco tasting flight.  What better way to celebrate a birthday than with an all-bubbly dinner?

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Spumante “Per Lugo”, Pievalta, NV (Marche) 
As I've previously mentioned, we have a tradition of calling ahead and arranging for two glasses of sparkling wine to be brought out upon arrival during special occasion dinners.  For this meal,  I was intrigued by a rare sparkling verdicchio.  On the nose, the wine indicated notes of pear, kiwi and citrus.  After a few sips, the same fruit notes remained present but the wine finished with delicious almond nuttiness.  This was fairly medium-bodied for a sparkling wine and maybe it was the wide-bowled, stemless glass they served it in, but this wine wasn't very effervescent.  Regardless, I really enjoyed this meal opener.

Lambrusco di Sorbara, Francesco Vezzelli, 2011 (Emilia Romagna)

This was the lightest of the lambruscos. Tart cherry and cranberry appeared on the nose and right away on the palate, along with pronounced acidity and quite a bit of efferevence. The effect was of drinking a sour patch kid, but not in an unpleasant way.  Overall, though, this was my least favorite.

Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro "Gibe", Tenuta Pederzana, 2011 (Emilia Romagna)

Cranberry was the main player in this lambrusco and danced all over the glass. With every sip, I felt as if I was drinking a sparkling glass of Ocean Spray . Less acidity than the first one, this was one smooth, easy drinking lambrusco that finished dry.  There were some soft tannins that gave this one a little more heft than the first one and paired well with our dishes.  I found myself trying to sip and savor this one through the entire meal.

Lambrusco dell'Emilia "Il Mio", Camillo Donati, 2010 (Emilia Romagna) 

This lambrusco was the closest to a flat red out of the three. It has the least amount of sparkle and texturally was heavier than the the other two. Tons of black cherry and fig wafted up from the glass, comingling with earthiness on the palate.  This is a great gateway lambrusco for red drinkers who don't understand what a lambrusco is all about.   I also really enjoyed this one and found myself debating which one should be the favored last sip: this one or the Gibe.

We finished with (copious amounts) of dessert and headed out of this dinner feeling very festive.  Happy Birthday!