Thanksgiving Wines? Consider Sherry or Saké

Thanksgiving wine recommendations are ubiquitous at this time of year.  But too many of those articles simply promote the same old type of wines, year after year.  Even when they stretch the boundaries a little, they often don't stray too far.  Sometimes this is just a lack of imagination and sometimes it stems from the fact that many wine writers are not familiar with some of the less appreciated, but still worthy wines. 

So let me be one of the few to recommend Sherry and Saké for your Thanksgiving Day feast.  Both are versatile, available in a variety of styles, and will add a unique touch to the festivities.  Lots of people will have Pinot Noir and Riesling on Thaksgiving, but how many can say they had a Junmai Saké or Amontillado with their turkey?  These food friendly selections should appeal to your guests and give them something to talk about later.  It will make for a memorable holiday.

Rather than Champagne, Cava, Prosecco or such, why not toast with a Sparkling Saké?  It is usually low in alcohol, only 6%-8%, which is lower than most other sparkling wines.  It is commonly fruity and sweet, and is a hit at Saké tastings.  Most times it comes in small, 300ml bottles so you can even try it at low cost and not worry about excessive left over Saké.  Sometimes you buy inexpensive Champagne, few actually end up drinking it, and you so end up wasting much of a 750ml bottle. 

If you start off your dinner with some appetizers, like nuts, pickles, chips and other salty treats, consider a dry Saké, maybe a Junmai or Junmai Ginjo.  If you like a sweet-style Riesling for Thanksgiving, why not consider a sweet Saké instead?  A nice Honjozo, Junmai, or Junmai Ginjo, with a touch of sweetness, would be an excellent option.  Just remember that the Junmai will probably be a richer style, while the Honjozo and Ginjo will be lighter.  If you would prefer something a bit more earthy or gamey, then try a Kimoto or Yamahai style Saké, which are a couple of my favorites styles. And for a lighter, more delicate taste, go for a Daiginjo. For dessert, try a sweet Nigori or even a Koshu, an aged Saké, which may remind you of a Port.  You don't need tiny cups for any of these Sakés, just use a regular wine glass and enjoy.

Sherry is another versatile option.  A chilled Fino or Manzanilla sherry would be an excellent choice as an aperitif, especially if you serve some pre-dinner appetizers, such as cheese, nuts, chips and olives. These dry sherries will also go well with any fried appetizers you might serve.  These two can be found in half-bottles, and thus you have potentially less waste. 

Other dry sherries, including Amontillado, Palo Cortado and Oloroso, would all pair well with Thanksgiving turkey yet they don’t often receive recommendations. I think this is mainly because sweet sherry is most commonly drunk in the U.S. Not enough people appreciate the delicious flavors of these dry sherries, and how well they match with a wide variety of foods. Their flavors, commonly including tastes like nuts, caramel, vanilla, herbs, spice, and wood, which will often match well a turkey dinner.  I will be drinking dry sherry, possibly an Amontillado, this Thanksgiving. The sweet sherries are more appropriate for dessert.  A cream sherry can pair well with fruit desserts, such as pies, or try a sweet, syrupy Pedro Ximenez sherry with a chocolate dessert, or simply pour some over ice cream.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving, enjoying the company of family and friends. Be thankful for all that you have in your lives, knowing there are many less fortunate than you. Savor all of the delicious food and drink at your table.

Has anyone had Sherry or Saké at their previous Thanksgiving dinners, or are you planning to have some this Thanksgiving?

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I briefly highlight some interesting wine and food items that I have encountered recently.
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1) Chef Caturano is dishing out the newest installment of Gravy Sundays at Prezza in the North End with four new specials for the month of November. This November, Chef Caturano will add in a weekly special to join Gravy Sundays’ carte du jour of: Pork Ribs braised in garlicky tomato and basil ($12); Chicken Parmigiano, tagliatelle and San Marzano tomatoes ($24); Meatballs and Sausage, creamy polenta and tomato ($24); Hand Made Potato Gnocchi and San Marzano tomatoes with basil ($18).

November “Gravy Sundays” Specials:
November 7: Tagliatelle Aglio Olio (handmade tagliatelle with garlic and extra virgin olive oil - $10)
November 14: Eggplant Rolotini (eggplant stuffed with goat cheese over lamb ragout - $12)
November 21: Little Neck Clams (stewed in tomato with grilled bread - $12)
November 28: Eggplant Parmigiano ($8)

WHEN: Sundays beginning at 5:30pm, (November 7, 14, 21 & 28)

2) Ball Square Fine Wines is hosting Greek-themed wine dinner next Tuesday, November 9 at Bistro 5 in West Medford. The event starts at 7pm and tickets are available only on-line here. The cost is $75 per person, all inclusive. Bistro 5 is certainly one of my favorite restaurants so I am sure the food will be delicious. Plus, I am a fan of Greek wines so this should be an excellent event.

Chef Vittorio's menu:

Mezes
Octopus Croquets
Salmon Mousse & Tzatziki
Crispy White Anchovies
Paired with 2009 Sigalas Asirtiko/Athiri ~ Santorini

Psari
Grilled Calamari with Kalamata Olives, Capers and Lemon
Paired with 2009 Domaine Skouras Moscofilero ~ Peloponnese

Kreas
Spiced Roasted Lamb with Oregano Yogurt, Fingerling Potatoes and Pomegranate Molasses
Paired with 2006 Alpha 'Axia' Syrah/Xynomavro ~ Macedonia

Tiria
Greek Cheese Plate with Kefalotiri, Kasseri, Caramelized Walnuts and Figs
Paired with 2006 Domaine Skouras Agiorgitiko/Cab. Sauvignon ~ Peloponnese

Gliko
Hazelnut Baklava with Carlisle Honey and Ouzo Zabaglione
Paired with Ouzo Bellini

Sutton Cellars: New Wines of Note

There are excellent value wines in California if you know where to look.  It may also make you very curious why one producer can offer artisanal, low production wines at such a good price when so many other wineries don't do so.  I don't have all of the answers, but throw my support and recommendations to those wineries offering quality wine at very reasonable prices. Especially when they are so delicious.

Sutton Cellars, owned by Carl Sutton and founded in 1996, is one such winery.  Sutton Cellars is now located in San Francisco and I have previously met Carl. You can read my previous article for more details on Carl and his winery.  In short, Sutton produces only about 3000 cases per year, half being a second label Table Wine.  The rest of his wines are produced in lots of about 100-300 cases, making them very low production wines. The wines are hand filled, hand corked, fermented with wild yeast, unfined and unfiltered. Most of the wines have less than 14% alcohol, high acidity and use less oak than many other California wines.   

Carl is down-to-earth, passionate and the type of person with which you would love to share a drink. Nick Martinelle, the wine manager and buyer at The Spirited Gourmet in Belmont, recently visited Carl's winery, tasting some of his new wines. This past weekend, Nick had Carl visit the store and present a tasting of seven of his wines, four of which are exclusively available at The Spirited Gourmet.  I attended the event, very much interested in tasting Carl's new wines as I enjoyed his previous wines so much. And I was not let down.       

We began with the Brown Label Vermouth ($17.99), a wine of which I am already a fan. This fine, dry and herbal Vermouth is excellent mixed with club soda and on ice.  Highly recommended.  Next up was the 2005 Table Wine Syrah ($14.99), with the grapes sourced from Bennett Valley (80%), Sonoma Coast (15%) and Ventana Vineyard (5%).  An easy drinking wine with a spicy finish, black fruits, restrained tannins, and good acid.  A great value and currently is an exclusive at The Spirited Gourmet.

The 2007 Carignane "Piferro Vineyard" ($17.99) is the second vintage that has come from this vineyard, which is located in the Redwood Valley. The grapes are about 70 years old, grow on red, iron-rich soils loaded with rocks and only 268 cases were produced. I previously reviewed the 2005 Carignane, from the Trimble Vineyard in Mendocino Countyand very much enjoyed it.  This new vintage is equally as delicious, with plenty of lush blueberry flavor and mild spice notes. It is an easy drinking wine, with some character, and is perfect with burgers, pizza, or even pasta. Highly recommended.

We then moved onto the single vineyard Syrahs. The 2007 Syrah "Contango Vineyard" ($24.99) is from a small, biodynamic farm in the Petaluma Gap of the Sonoma Coast.  The wine was started in barriques and after the second fermentation was put in stainless steel for nine months.  After that, it was placed into older French oak puncheons and only 187 cases were produced. It was intended to be in the style of a Northern Rhone, and they succeeded in that regard. Complex, black fruit flavors, intriguing spice tastes with some herbal notes. It also has an interesting gamey touch to it and is currently an exclusive at The Spirited Gourmet.

The 2007 Syrah "Corona Hill Vineyard" ($21.99) derives its grapes from a sustainable farm in the Petaluma Gap of the Sonoma Coast. Three Syrah clones were vinified separately, aged separately in New American oak and older French barrels, and then finally blended together.  Only 150 cases were produced.  This wine reminded me a bit of the Carignane as it had some similar blueberry flavors, though this Syrah had more red fruit flavors as well.  There were nice spice notes, mild tannins, good acidity and a very pleasant and long finish. Another wine I highly recommend and it is also an exclusive at The Spirited Gourmet.

Another compelling wines was the 2007 Syrah Noir "Londale Ranch" ($19.99), from the Sonoma Valley.  This is the first time that Carl has used this particular clone. The wine spends its initial 12 months in barriques and then spends 6 months in puncheons. Only 150 cases were produced and Carl considers this his most age worthy Syrah.  The most prominent flavor is graphite with ripe, black fruit, and a meaty taste. The tannins are stronger and the finish is very lengthy and satisfying. A complex and interesting wine, this is also highly recommend.  It is also an exclusive at The Spirited Gourmet.

All three of these Syrahs had significant differences, but were all intriguing in their own way.  They reflect cool climate Syrah, more reminiscent of the Rhone than Australia or the warmer areas of California.  I prefer this style of Syrah and Carl is certainly producing quality and compelling wines.  And at these prices, they are good values too.

The final wine was the 2007 Vino Genoroso Syrah Noir "Londale Ranch" ($22.99), a dessert wine which has an alcohol content of 18% and about 8% residual sugar. Though it has some sweetness, there is plenty of dryness as well presenting a nice balance. It has flavors of plum, black cherry, chocolate and black pepper. It was complex, has good acidity and a intriguing taste.  This would be a good choice for the holidays.

If you are not drinking the wines of Sutton Cellars, then you should be.  In short, they are delicious wines that make you crave more and they are very reasonably priced.  What more do you need?

Stoneham Sun: Thanksgiving Wine Recommendations

My new column of "A Passionate Foodie" can be found in the November 3 issue of the Stoneham Sun newspaper. This is a weekly column that concentrates on reviews of local restaurants though it also sometimes touches on other food and wine topics.

The new column has been published today and will be available online soon. The new article, Thanksgiving Wine Recommendations, provides some suggestions and advice for selecting wines for the Thanksgiving table.  Forget the same old advice, and be willing to broaden your palate and try some new wines for Thanksgiving. Sherry, Saké, Txakoli and more are all appropriate choices for Thanksgiving, but rarely recommended. 

If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here.

Dine and drink with passion.

U.S. Wine Exports & Imports: The Underdogs

Which countries are buying the most U.S. wines?  Which countries are selling the U.S. the most wines?  And who are the underdogs in both questions?  The answers intrigue me, especially those indicating which wines are the most underappreciated. You will often find excellent values in such underdog wines, and are usually well worth checking out.  

I found some of the answers in a new article, US International Wine Sales by Country So Far in 2010, written by Daniel Workman and compiled from documents of the United States International Trade Commission. The stastistics deal with the first seven months of 2010, and only list the top 15 countries in both categories.  Plus, the statistics are compared to the similar period in 2009.  And I found the information quite fascinating. 

First, the U.S. imports far more wine than it exports, a trade deficit of $1.74 billion, which is 1.6% more than the same period last year. We are importing approximately $2.3 billion in wine from all over the world, which is 7% more than the same period last year.  So we are drinking more foreign wine but what are we drinking?  Which countries are receiving that money?

Second, the top three importers of wine to the U.S. are Italy (up 11% over last year), France (about even with last year) and Australia (down 4% over last year).  Combined, those three countries constitute about 54% of all wine imports to the U.S.  That is not too surprising, and shows the strength of Italian wines in the U.S. My own wine collection has a significant number of Italian wines, especially from some of the smaller, artisan wineries. I have a fair share of French wines but only a handful of Australian wines, and mainly slightly older ones.

What was more surprising though were the identities of the #4 and #5 importers, Argentina (up 23% over last year) and Chile (about even). I thought that other European countries would be higher on the list than these two regions, but that is not the case. It could be because Argentina and Chile have been pushed for the last couple years as up and coming regions with good value wines.  Though maybe it also has to do with that those regions are producing wines more in a New World style. I only have a handful of wines from these regions too.

Spain comes in at #6, up 14% from last year, while Portgual is #9, up 37.5% from last year. Seems Iberian wines, and especially Portuguese, have been getting a significant boost lately, probably again because they do produce some very good value wines.  For me, I think Portugal is producing some of the best under $10 wines in the market. I have a fair share of Iberian wines in my cellar.

One of the biggest surprises is the Netherlands, at #12, which had an incredible increase of 749% over last year.  Where are all those wines, as I have not seen them locally?  Maybe they are concentrated in a different part of the U.S.  The Netherlands rank higher than Austria, Greece and Canada, though all three countries have seen increases since last year. Those three countries are underdogs, but all produce very worthy wines that you should taste.  I am especially fond of Greek wines, preferring those made from indigenous Greek grapes. Even Israel wines, at #11 and up 41% over last year, does better than these three countries. Those three countries really need more promotion.  And has anyone seen wines from the Netherlands?

And who is buying U.S. wines?

Third, the top three export markets for U.S. wines are Canada (up 23% over last year), the United Kingdom (up 22%), and Hong Kong (up 117%).  Japan comes in at #4, up 2.6% over last year, and China is #6, up 101%.  So, it seems true that the Asian market for wine is increasing significantly, and has lots of potential.  Asians are buying far more than just expensive French wines. Considering the large wine trade deficit, the Asian market may be where the U.S. can work at cutting that deficit. Though part of the issue may also be is that the U.S. does not produce enough wine to balance the deficit.  Overall though, total exports are up 27%, which is a very positive sign.  More and more countries are seeing the value of U.S.wines.

It is interesting to compare some of the import/export figures for specific countries, namely the top three countries we import. Consider Italy, where the U.S. imports $709.6 million but Italy only buys $38.3 million from the U.S.  As for France, we import $511.6 million but France only buys $6 million from us.  And for Australia, we import $363.7 million but they are not even part of the top 15 countries that receive wine exports from the U.S., meaning they import less than $6 million in U.S.wine. Those three countries are the main reason for our wine trade deficit.  How can we get them to purchase more U.S. wine?  Or do they have so much of their own wine that they don't want ours?  Or should we ignore these three and concentrate instead on the Asian market?

It would have been nice to have more detailed information, such as a breakdown of imports by price, wine region, wine style, etc. That might help us see the trends, whether inexpensive wines have been increasing or not.  It might also help indicate why some countries export more wine to the U.S. 

How do you own wine collections stack up to these import/export statistics?