I wanted to let you all know that my site is going to be moving and taking on far more content. This past week I created SenelSlant (senelslant.com), a site:

committed to providing my readers with easy to understand, topical and informative information with the hope of allowing many to make more informed decisions while partaking in civics and life.

I will be covering everything from “Food & Wine” to the “Economy” to “Politics”. Many of the pieces will be written with a scholarly slant.

I hope you join me there!

Erol

This past weekend I celebrated 33 years with my twin, 1979 Comtesse Lalande which was still delivering a masterful experience.

Over the past few years, I’ve tried to spruce up these overlooked days by injecting a bottle of wine from my birth year. What I’ve gained out of this was a truly unique connection with the past that is in many ways indescribable.

There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a wine to for an upcoming “33” or “42” or whatever age you’re turning:

1) Choose wisely – Not all wines are able to stand the test of time, in fact very few are. I know my Napa-phile friends won’t be happy with this, but for anyone over 35, don’t even bother with California. So where to look? In my opinion, stick with Bordeaux, Burgundy and Piedmont (Barolo) and even then, favor the better wineries.

2) Cost – Although this can be a pricey endeavor, it doesn’t necessarily have to be. Sure, if you want a bottle of 1964 DRC La Tache you’re going to plop down a fortune; however if you want to venture outside of the pinnacle of wine, you can find some decent deals. I’ve personally had tremendous luck using the site WineBid.com and $75-$150 will allow you to acquire a Super 2^nd from Bordeaux pretty easily. There’s also your local higher-end wine shop that may be able to act as an intermediary and assist you in acquiring something rare without having to pay a 15% buys premium (as you must on WineBid).

Although not ideal, a crumbled cork does make for a nice picture!

3) Preparation – You’ll likely need two things to open your properly aged (which means not in the wine rack in your kitchen) wine: a Butler’s Friend and a decanter.

1. Butler’s Friend: the essential tool for opening a bottle with a cork that’s likely brittle from years of storage. The lighly curved metal prongs slide in between the inside of the neck of the bottle and the cork, allowing you to gradually disgorge the cork (see picture for what happens when you don’t have a Butler’s Friend)
2. Decanter: Do me a favor. Hold your breath for 2 minutes. What did you do immediately after the two minutes is done? You probably took a few long deep breaths to try to re-oxygenate your body. Wine does the same thing. Opening a bottle of wine is actually a pretty violent process for the juice inside. Give it an hour to catch its breath and see how it’s progressing along the way.

There’s an intimate link with history when you partake in a wine from your birth year. It’s an ethereal experience that can’t really be described. Hopefully you have the opportunity to partake at some point!

Although he’s knee deep in fermenting grape juice…literally, winemaker Tyler Thomas of Donelan Wine has been gracious enough to take a few moments to update us on the progress of the 2012 Harvest and explain why this vintage is shaping up to be something special. Thank you Tyler!

The first step of a grape from vine to wine…harvest!

What a difference a year makes!  The beauty of 2012 started with a more “normal” and warm Spring.  Rain was kept at bay during flowering which improved fruit set.  The timing of these events heavily influences the timing of harvest and we knew then that we would likely be able to bring in fruit 1-2 weeks earlier than 2010 and 2011.  This was a refreshing revelation because the later the harvest the higher the risk for rain, and the earlier rain the higher the risk for rot, and rot is not good for yields or quality!

Obsidian Syrah. Small clusters vs. normal syrah clusters, which allows for more intensity in each grape!

What was there to worry about then?  For we always must worry about something!  In California one risk during a “normal” year are heat events that can lead to rapid dehydration around harvest, increasing potential alcohols and impacting the ability to achieve perfect balance.  In 2012 we have had near perfect finishing weather, moderate to cool temperatures with no heat spells.  This has allowed for optimal flavor development and balance in the grapevines with very little risk.  While yields have been up and the last week almost too cool, there is a little more heat in the forecast and I think we’ll get to the finish line perfectly.

“Cremant” press cycle, on Donelan’s new press, which allows for the transfer of clearer juice with far less solids.

As of this writing – September 23^rd – we have brought in nearly all our Pinot Noir, a touch of Chardonnay, and our warmest climate Syrah.  All near perfect!  The slightly drier spring, perfect harvest timing, and moderate weather seemed to encourage flavor development at very favorable sugar and acidity levels.  The Pinot is nearing its fermentation end and they all seem to have wonderful flavor purity, terrific delicacy, and general prettiness.  The vintage is turning out to be much like 2007 and if the rain holds off I expect to hear many of my colleagues singing its praises.  Consumers should expect great wine and plenty of it!

I’ve gotten these alerts from wineries in the past; however this is the first time I thought I’d bring it to everyone’s attention. Why?

Reason #1

I think very highly of Ray Coursen and his team’s ability to make tremendous wines. These wines consistently delivery unique and character-filled experiences, or simply put, they make terrific Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, etc and they are all wines I’d want to share with my family and friends.

Reason #2

Even without the sale, these wines represent tremendous “value.” When you look at the cost of a bottle of high-end, low-production wines, you can expect to spend $50 and up. Ray’s wines represent a far lower entry price point, while still delivering great quality. Thus, with a 25% price break, they are just that more palatable (pardon the pun)!

Please visit Elyse’s Founders Day Sale page to check out the deal and learn a bit more about this great winery.

For my picks, please refer to Elyse Winery: It’s about passion; a piece I wrote that includes my reviews on 4 of their wonderful wines.

Cheers! And please share your experiences!

The wine world is similar. Some wacky winos study obscure regions from across the globe on maps hanging in their bathrooms, others will go to the market and smell obscure fruits to create a lasting memory to refer back to, while others will devote hours a week to tasting numerous wines with the hope of training their palates to detect the slightest nuance like wet straw or bacon fat. Admittedly, I’ve been guilty of all of these things in the past. Well, except hanging wine region maps in my bathroom, I just read from the book, but I can tell you it’s all done with one thing in mind, to heighten one’s ability to appreciate wine.

With this in mind, I was having a chat with a buddy from work and he was talking about the fact that there were some very good wines under $20. Being the “one-upper” that I am, I mentioned that there are great wines to be had for around a 10er. Thus, I had a challenge! 

I set about to find 3 wines that would impress, yet would set me back no more than $35 (not including tax). After thinking about this challenge for 3 hours while driving to Albany (gotta make Albany fun somehow), I decided to come up with a name for my challenge: “The $35 Rhône Treasure Hunt!” I can’t help it; I love Syrah and the Rhône…so sue me!

So how did my trip to Empire Wine & Spirits (Albany, NY) fare? Was my acumen as good as I hoped, or have I allowed any semblance of skill slip away? Let’s find out…

#1 – 2010 Andezon, Côtes du Rhône ($10.65)

This is a very well put together wine with rich, dark purple coloring. I don’t normally comment on a wine’s color, but this one striking. Aromas were popping from the first sniff, primarily with ripe red and black fruit with hints of wildflowers. The acid was a little livelier than expected at first; however once you get around that, the flavor profile won me over. Fruit forward lingonberry and strawberry feature prominently with anise and a nice zip of menthol. Give this one a just a little more time and the acid should subdue, potentially a 90+ point wine; however terrific for the price! Senel Wine – 89 pts

#2 – 2010 Domaine les Grand Bois, Cairanne Cuvee Maximilien, Côtes du Rhône-Villages ($13.95)

Of the three this was the biggest which has much to do with it’s composition. The 50% Grenache and 35% Mourvedre (remainder Syrah) give this wine enough structure, acid and depth to be mistaken for a bottle 5x more expensive. Instead of immediate fruit, you’re hit with earthy notes of pine and underbrush. Beyond that, blue and blackfruit along with the typical spicy notes of the Rhône kick in. The palate is naughty/racy with Asian spice, white pepper and herbal notes woven into a juicy black fruit core. Very good, verging on great. I want more! Senel Wine – 93 pts

#3 – 2011 Saint Cosme, Côtes du Rhône ($10.95)

A beautiful sipper. My wife actually asked me if she could just finish the bottle tonight. Blackcurrent, All-Spice and flowers on the nose. These aroma notes transitioned to palate, especially the velvety floral notes, which were rounded out with cocoa and coffee. There’s a certain acidic zing at first; however integrated quickly with air. Playful and complex, especially for a CdR.  Senel Wine – 91 pts

3-for-3…daaaamn! Admittedly, I did overshoot my mark by a few cents; however considering what came from this challenge, I believe I’ve illustrated that terrific wine doesn’t have to set you back.

When you ask someone who’s familiar with wine history, “When did American wine become relevant?” the most common response would typically be the Judgment of Paris. Typically, blind tasting of wines are nothing of note and this event started out in the same nondescript fashion.

George Taber worked for Time Magazine at the time and was the only journalist to cover the now famed “Judgment of Paris”.

Back in 1976, Steven Spurrier, a British ex-pat living in Paris decided to put on a wine tasting to assist in promoting his struggling wine shop. With the American Bi-Centennial coming up, he thought it the perfect opportunity to showcase the wines of California versus their obviously superior French counterparts. Who can blame him? Sounds like something interesting and fun.

What no one, including Spurrier, could have imagined was that two American wineries (Stag’s Leap and Chateau Montelena) bested the Frenchies in both the white and red categories. Wait…WTF?! On top of that, they bested some of the best houses in Bordeaux and Burgundy, France’s bastions of wine excellence.

Now those who make the argument for the Judgment of Paris being the seminal moment have a strong case. This I’m not disputing; however the one reality that is oft overlooked is that this event, although an awesome story that lent itself to a cute movie (Bottle Shock), is not quite as resonating as many think. Think of it this way, it’s like having a PB&J with just the jelly…it’s good, but it’s missing something.

Now it’s time for the peanut butter. In my opinion, an equally significant event took place 63 years earlier with the birth of Robert Mondavi. I’m not here to retell the provocative journey of son of Italian immigrants who went on to become Napa’s most iconic figure (however, if you want to know more about Robert Mondavi, I recommend the book The House of Mondavi…it’s damn awesome). Rather, I’d like to speak to two of the aspects that made this man iconic. First, he was California’s ambassador of wine and did more than anyone to promote the high quality of the wines coming from the fledgling NapaValley. From wine shop owners and to restaurantuers from NYC to Chicago to presidents and dignitaries, everyone heard about the exciting things happening not just at Charles Krug, and later Robert Mondavi Winery, but across Californian wineries in general.

A playful moment with two icons of the wine world: Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild

The second aspect of Mondavi that made him unique was his early vision and embrace of Globalization and business. We could speak of his marketing exploits or his numerous joint ventures with Old and New World wine houses; however it’s a joint venture with a famed Bordeaux chateau that’s worthy of our attention. In 1979 Robert Mondavi teamed up with infamous Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton-Rothchild (who was soon survived by his daughter Baroness Philippine), to create Opus One.

Opus One is the most significant wine in America. You know it, I know it and the guy down the street that pounds Old Milwaukee knows it. It’s not because it’s the best, although in some vintages it’s been damn near perfect. Rather, Opus One represents the first time that the Old World and Americans alike recognized us as equals in the wine. It’s the single wine worthy of having Bordelaise royalty on the same wine label with Napa royalty. Up until that point, California (and Napa more specifically) had been viewed as a backward, hick village that made some nice table wines. That all changed in the early autumn of ’79 when legendary winemakers Lucien Sionneau and Tim Mondavi teamed up to create the first vintage of Opus One.

This union represents something very significant, as not only did Europe’s perception of American change, but America’s view of American wine changed. Dating back to Thomas Jefferson, Americans have always looked across the Atlantic for their wines. Outside of Californians and to a slightly larger extent the West Coast, most Americans had largely shunned the wines from the “sticks”.

Both of these events took place within a couple years of each other and the momentum they created led to the US Wine Industry as we largely know it today. It wasn’t that one was more significant than the other (although that’s certainly a fun debate), but rather the confluence of these two events running simultaneously that made this period so significant. In many ways, the Judgment of Paris was only possible due to the unabashed promotion and increased quality ushered in by Mondavi (and his colleagues). On the flip-side, the potential of a venture such as Opus One was made possible by the success of Napa’s wines at the Judgment of Paris tasting. Thus, these events and figures are equally important, not only to American wine, but to each other. Imagine if neither had happened…

Most people know that drinking too much is not good for their health. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to liver damage, an increase risk of coronary heart disease, and a higher propensity of developing certain cancers. While this may sound bad news for the avid wine drinker, in fact, regular, moderate consumption of wine is actually good for you. Wine has some remarkable health benefits, and In combination with a healthy lifestyle, it can increase longevity and protect from potentially fatal diseases.

Ever since Serge Renaud (above left) coined the term “French Paradox” and brought it to light on TV’s “60 Minutes”, there have been innumerable studies that have confirmed wine’s many health benefits.

The French paradox

The first suspicion that wine may have had health benefits came as a result of scientists studying the so-called French paradox. Compared to their European cousins, the French have traditionally consumed a diet high in artery clogging saturated fats and have historically been heavier smokers than the rest of Europe. However, the death rate from coronary heart disease among French people has always been far lower than in countries such as Britain or Germany, and now scientists realize why.

In a 1992 study, researchers put down the low rates of heart disease in French people to the amount of wine consumed, in particular, wine consumed with meals. Similar findings were discovered in other parts of southern Europe, where people consume wine regularly with food. However, what was unknown was whether it was the moderate consumption of alcohol that caused these lower rates of heart disease, or the actual ingredients in the wine itself.

Moderate alcohol consumption

It has since been discovered that in fact both factors play a role. Those people that regularly drink a moderate amount of any alcohol not only have a reduced chance of developing heart disease, but also have overall better health. While the reasons for this are still unclear, people who regularly consume alcohol tend to live longer than abstainers do. Furthermore, drinkers are statistically less likely to develop potentially fatal conditions such as cancer.

Of course, people who drink excessively do have higher risks of developing disease or dying early, although people who drink heavily also tend make other poor lifestyle choices, such as smoking, which can skew the statistics. Smoking is by far the worst lifestyle choice for our health. Smokers have a much higher chance of dying prematurely than non-smokers or even than former smokers who have been free from smoking for several years. Furthermore, other lifestyle choices influence on longevity and health statistics too. Not eating enough fruit and vegetables, consuming too much saturated fat, and not exercising regularly, all increase the risk of developing cancers and heart disease. However, even taken these factors into account, among nonsmokers, who eat well and exercise regularly, moderate alcohol consumption has been show to have clear health advantages, and for people who drink wine, these advantages are significant.

Positive health effects of wine

Wine has several ingredients not present in other forms of alcohol and scientists now realize these have great benefits to people’s health. Powerful antioxidants, known as flavonoids, which are particularly abundant in red wine, have been shown to be highly effective at combating diseases such as cancer, dementia, and osteoporosis.

Furthermore, both red and white wine grapes contain resveratrol, which is another powerful antioxidant that not only protects against cell degeneration that causes the diseases mentioned above, but also helps reduce the amount of cholesterol in people’s blood, further reducing the risk of developing heart disease.

As part of a healthy lifestyle

While wine has clear health benefits, excessive wine drinking will have detrimental effects, and it is quite a fine line as to what is too much. However, drinking one or two glasses a day, particularly with a meal, can significantly reduce the risk of developing heart disease and other potentially fatal conditions, so long as wine drinking is part of an overall healthy lifestyle, such as eating the right foods.

This is something else the French and those that live in southern Europe have got right too. The Mediterranean diet, which consists of fresh vegetables, fish, olive oil, and of course wine, has been shown to have considerable advantages over the average American diet. Furthermore, many of the dishes served around the Mediterranean belt, such as Greek salad, risotto, pasta, couscous, spaghetti and meatballs, paella, fish and various seafood dishes, all go really well with wine too, so you can enjoy your food and drink, and reap the reward of a long and healthy life.

Lily writes on behalf of an ethical online health provider. Diet and health are her main interests particularly debunking popular myths and helping people understand their choices.

So what’s a fan of Burgundian-styled, terroir driven wines to do?

The best alternative and better value lies in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Although Oregon is the fourth largest wine producing state in the US, it’s still highly under-appreciated.

Our friends out west benefit from a warm climate during the growing season with a majority of their rainfall ideally coming between November and April. Much of this weather in influenced by the fact that Willamette is flanked by three mountain ranges that form a natural U-Shape: the Oregon Coast, Cascade and the Calapooya. Due to these conditions, they produce wines that are not overripe, are well balanced and possess wonderful acidity.

Over the past decade, Oregon has enjoyed a spectacular string of vintages.  Most notably of these have been 2004-2006 and 2008.  However, even in ‘07 & ‘09 there were wonderful wines made, just of a different, more delicate style (which is widely underappreciated by critics).

If you compare these factors to that of Burgundy, you will see that there’s far more consistency in terms of climate and weather in Willamette. This translates directly to the vinification process and has afforded Willamette winemakers a flattened learning curve in terms of what it takes to make a great wine in the region.

An understanding of the microclimates and terroir has translated into wonderful, artisanal-made wines for many producer and recognition of what makes them “Willamette”. This recognition of regional personality has led to some Burgundian wine houses to set-up shop, most notably Domaine Drouhin.

Some of the best and most consistent producers in the region will still cost you a pretty penny. Most of the Willamette greats are in the range of $50-100 for their high-end, single vineyard lines rather than $250-500+ for the same in Burgundy. The best part is, you are giving up very little if anything in terms of quality.

There are quite a few wineries to keep an eye out for, in terms of producing terroir-driven wines.  In my opinion, the following wineries do a wonderful job capturing this essence with both their entry level and high-end wines: Beaux Freres, Carlo & Julian, Chehalem, Domaine Drouhin, and Elk Cove (which boasts one of the greatest top to bottom line-ups). These wines, as well as some others, will show you the true Burgundian “ideal” of winemaking, allow the wine to speak of the terrior from which it originated.

Anytime you notice a spirit or wine lover evaluating their drink of choice, it’s important to understand that they aren’t posturing, but rather they put value on experiencing the sensual experience their drink of choice provides. But what is it that they’re actually doing?

To properly taste food and beverage, we utilize four of our five senses: sight, smell, touch and taste. We taste in order to have a sensory evaluation of what’s in front of us. That sensory evaluation would then lead to a sensory memory of a particular subject which would then leads us to recognition, identification and future reference. 

All this sounds complicated; however with practice, it’s very enjoyable and adds to the overall experience. Additionally, training our senses can further enhance your vocabulary, memory and knowledge of wine and food.

How we taste is important, as these are the means by which we have to employ in order to evaluate what is in the glass. Here are the important points that I usually bear in mind when tasting spirits:

Sight

Through the process of distillation, spirits start off as colorless. The colors of spirits come from mainly three sources:

1. addition of artificial colors (Apple Pucker anyone?),
2. added caramel or sweetening agents,
3. time in wood.

For the quality category, the color is usually the result of the latter 2 factors. Unlike wine, spirits rarely change color through oxidation. For white spirits, they are usually clear, watery or platinum in color and to a certain degree; one might be able to notice the “grayation” in the slight glisten of the colorless tone. The color is typically an indication to the type of distillation and quality of the spirit. Spirits that have been subjected to a pot still might have a duller shade compared to one that has gone through continuous distillation. Just like wine, the “legs” or “tears” indicate the level of alcohol and sugar in the spirit.

Smell:

It’s all about the sensory experience!

Unlike smelling wine where we would typically take the “Nose Dive” into the glass, aromatics from spirits can be easily detected just by waving the glass in front of our nose. Due to the higher alcohol content of spirits, our sense of smell might be overwhelmed if we stick our noses straight into the glass and start inhaling (nevermind that your eyes will start to water). The alcohol content of a spirit acts as a platform which pushes aromatics forward. High-quality spirits, aromas wafting off gently without us having to dive our noses into the glass, while lower-quality spirits typically offer aromas with a rough edge.

With the function of our olfactory factor (the receptor in our nasal cavity that converts the esters in alcohol into a smell for our brain), 80% of what we taste is what we smell. The nose of the spirits will prepare us and lay down the basic flavor components to look for when we actually taste the spirit. With different spirits, there are different elements to look for when we are assessing the nose. Herbaciousness might be more pronounced in Tequila than Vodka. Saltiness might be more prevalent in Scotch from Islay than Speyside.

Taste

The palate is the only organ that has direct connection to our brain with smell and tastes as chemoreceptors. When paying attention to taste, there are two main components that we seek out:

1. Texture: light, rich, full bodied, velvety, chewy
2. Flavor: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, Umami, and astringency

Astringency is very important when we taste spirits, as a good spirit has to have a good balance of dryness, purity as well as the astringency. Astringency is important as it makes our mouth salivate thus refreshing the palate and makes us ready to drink or eat more. It’s also important as a building block for creating cocktails. In wine tasting, we can tell a lot about a wine just from nosing it. However, with spirits, it is essential to taste so to make judgments on texture and astringency.

When tasting spirits, one should taste twice. The first taste is to rinse our palate and condition the mouth. It’s also important for us to be able to identify the different locations of the predominant taste receptors on our tongue. Sweet on the tip, salty on the front, sour to the sides, Umami on the mid-tongue and bitter to the back

As alcohol is sugar, and we can taste sweetness or the sensation of alcohol on the front tip of our tongue, it is essential that with the second taste, one should roll the liquid over the palate to coat the entire mouth, with a quick inhale to open things up and enhance the receptors on the soft palate in the back of the tongue. A good spirit should leave a menthol sensation on the tongue with a slight waxy coating of the lips after being spit out. After spitting, it is also recommended to breathe out through the nose again with lips closed to assess the finish and the complexity.

Sometime when tasting spirits, especially with Whisk(e)y , it’s popular to add water to dilute the alcohol so as to expose more aromatics and characteristics of the spirits. Personally, I find this to be very practical especially when trying to evaluate spirits for use in a cocktail.

Touch

The different characteristics of spirits, at different temperature, are also essential in tasting spirits. Two important points to keep in mind: how the spirits would behave when served warmed or chilled and at what temperature should it be served to maximize the enjoyment. To illustrate this, think of how the same Bourbon would taste different in an old-fashioned vs. a Hot Toddy. As a Mixologist, I always taste spirits at different temperatures to decide how to best incorporate them into cocktails, especially those that are more seasonal.

With the trend of molecular gastronomy and “Bar Chefs”, spirits are now being utilized, more than ever, in the kitchen. Chef Paul Stella (Culinary Institute of America) has created a cucumber-mint granita with organic Crop Cucumber Vodka to top oysters on the half shell. Other delicious examples also include Grand Marnier in a Crepe Suzette, Banana Fosters flambéed with Cognac or Rum, Penne Alla Vodka…who’s hungry/thirsty now?!

Good spirits should have a harmony of flavors and textures. They should be good representations of these three main components: the raw materials and their quality, the quality of distillation, and the maturing process that the spirits have been subjected to.

Since we taste to arrive at sensory evaluation, group sessions and discussions are beneficial and fun. They provide us with a wider range of descriptions, adjectives and associations, which in turn can enhance our relationship with what we consume. It’s human nature that we have preferences towards certain tastes and flavors. To be a good taster is to have an open mind and try to find, develop and accept the flavor profiles that have been suggested by the others. Dill pickle in Tequila, sawdust in gin, cheese curd in vodka…sounds ridiculous, but you’ll be surprised with what you come up with yourself.

It’s time for a drink…or maybe at least a taste!

Noon Inthasuwan is a certified Sommelier with the International Sommelier Guild and the US chapter of Court of Master Sommeliers, Certified Wine and Spirits Specialist with the Society of Wine Educators and a BarSmarts certified Mixologist course graduate with teaching stints at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Boston. She is currently active in the Restaurant & Hospitality industry and also the founder of the blog on thoughtful imbibings at www.properlydrunk.com.