Rant: Wine Tastings Without Passion

Importers/distributors often conduct wine tastings at various wine stores, trying to garner interest in their wines, with the ultimate goal of selling more wine. I've attended many of these tastings, and was even at one yesterday afternoon. Yesterday's importer/distributor, who offered five Georgian wines for sampling, possessed a deep passion for the wines and region, and his passion was more than evident as he presented his wines to many different consumers.

Because of his passion, he excited the consumers about his wines and sold a good number of those wines. Without that passion, the tasting would have been far less successful, and could have even been a bust. I've been at those tastings too, where the importer/distributor is just going through the motions, a passionless stance, where it almost seems the importer/distributor would rather be elsewhere. Consumers notice and tend to avoid the tasting table, or if they do taste the wines don't get as excited about them. Less wines get sold.

Wine tastings are one of the best ways to get consumers interested in different wines, those they might not have purchased on their own, unwilling to take a risk on an unknown. However, those different wines also need a passionate advocate to inform and persuade consumers on the reasons they should taste and enjoy those different wines. If a importer/distributor has an unsuccessful wine tasting, maybe they should first consider whether their presenter showcased a passion for the wines or not. And if the presenter lacked that passion, it is time to choose another presenter.

When I work at the wine shop, I often see how my passion for certain wines appeals to consumers, causing them to take a chance on a wine they might never have tasted before. I've had customers eavesdrop on me describing a wine to another customer, and be so intrigued by my passion, they then ask to buy that same wine. That wouldn't happen if I was passionless in my advocacy for the wine.

Obviously, the importance of passion applies in many other fields as well, from food to books. As consumers, we understand how we are attracted to those salespeople who possess passion, who excite us about their products. Wine shops need to support passionate importer/distributors, and inform the non-passionate ones that they need to step up their game.

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events.
**********************************************************

1) Pastry Chef Robert Differ, of Bar Boulud, Boston, is celebrating the arrival of National Ice Cream Month, held in July, by bringing back the “Back Bay Sundaes.”

Available now, Chef Differ will be serving up these three ice cream beauties, which are the perfect summer treat to enjoy on Bar Boulud’s terrace among friends or in the lounge after work as a cool and creamy pick-me-up. This year’s flavors include Magically Delicious (toasted oat cereal ice cream, vanilla crumble, lucky charms, marshmallow $13), Black & White (cookies & cream ice cream, bittersweet chocolate sauce, Chantilly, BB chocolate wafers $14), and Hazelnut Rocher (hazelnut ice cream, Nutella, praline pirouettes, vanilla Chantilly, hazelnut rocher $14). A tasting version of all three sundaes is also available for $15.

Chef Differ is inspired by desserts that skillfully offer a balance and juxtaposition of texture, temperature and seasonal flavors. Why not try out his Back Bay Sundaes.

2) Ocean Prime Boston, located in the Seaport district, is rolling out its #TGISF (Thank Goodness It’s Summer Friday) Seafood Happy Hour, from 4pm-6pm, every Friday this summer. Guests can enjoy $1 oysters and $10 sushi rolls in either The Lounge or the newly-opened outdoor patio.

Sushi Rolls Include: SUSHI ROLLS INCLUDE:
o Prime Roll: Tempura Shrimp, Cream Cheese, Scallion, Beef Carpaccio
o Lobster Roll: Poached Lobster Tail, Kiwi, Pickled Serrano, Masago, and Spicy Mango Puree.
o Tuna Roll: Spicy Tuna, Avocado, Cucumber
o Dynamite Roll: Tempura Shrimp, Spicy Mayo, Sesame Seeds

To make Reservations, please call (617) 670-1345

2016 Valdespino Ojo de Gallo Palomino Fino: A Sherry-Like Still Wine

Combine the Eye of the Hare with the Eye of the Rooster and produce vinous magic!

What legerdemain am I referring to? It involves a Spanish wine region, a desirable soil, a famed terroir, and a grape commonly used in producing fortified wine. They all combine to produce an intriguing still white wine, an uncommon practice but one which might pave the way for more producers to consider this possibility.

When I visited the Jerez region, one of my visits involved Grupo José Estévez, a Spanish wine company with roots back to 1809 when they aged Sherry and Brandy. For more background on this company, please check out my prior post about this visit, Bodegas Grupo Estevez: Music For the Flor. As an interesting aside, the Bodega plays music for the Sherry in their barrels, hoping to positively impact the flor. The Grupo owns several other bodegas, including Sherry producer Bodega Valdespino.

Bodega Valdespino may be the oldest sherry bodega in the region, and the family has been producing sherry for over 700 years, extending back to the 13th century. Once King Alonso the Wise retook the Jerez region from the Moors, he awarded his loyal knights with land and vineyards. One of those loyal knights was Alfonso Valdespino, and his descendants carried on in the wine business.

With its holdings, Grupo Estévez owns about 800 hectares of vineyard in the Marco de Jerez, with 256 hectares situated in the famed Macharnudo Pago, located about 5 kilometers northeast of Jerez. Sometimes called the "Montrachet of Jerez," this region has a high elevation, about 135 meters above sea level, and its soil is Albariza, pure chalk limestone, giving its wines a distinctive chalky character. Albariza is considered the best and most desirable type of soil in the Jerez region. Within the Macharnudo Pago, there is also a sub-area known as Macharnudo Alto ("High Macharnudo"), which is located at the highest elevation of that estate.

The main grape in this region is the Palomino Fino, which is used primarily to produce Sherry, from Manzanilla to Palo Cortado. It is known by a number of other names, including Ojo de Liebre ("eye of the Hare"). For more information on this intriguing grape, please check out my prior article, The Mystery of Palomino. As I noted in that article, Palomino Fino is sometimes used to make still wines, but that remains rare. So, when I recently found a new still wine, made from Palomino Fino, I was intrigued.

The 2016 Valdespino Ojo de Gallo Palomino Fino ($15.99), a Vino de la Tierra de Cadiz, began as an experiment, as Valdespino spent about five years vinifying Palomino Fino from various parcels in the Macharnudo Pago, trying to determine which parcel might produce the best still wine. Eventually, they decided that the Ojo de Gallo ("Eye of the Rooster") parcel, in the Macharnudo Alto, was the best. The Palomino Fino vines, cultivated organically, are about 20-25 years old, and harvesting is done by hand. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts, and then it is aged for about 6 months on the fine lees.

The Ojo de Gallo, with a 12% ABV, has a nice golden color and the nose reminded me immediately of a Fino Sherry. On the palate, it also was reminiscent of Fino Sherry with a bright salinity, citrus flavors, a strong minerality backbone and savory notes. It was crisp and very dry, with a lengthy and pleasing finish. It was fresh, elegant and complex, an intriguing wine that certainly shows the potential for Palomino Fino in still wines. Highly recommended!

I picked up this wine at Beacon Hill Wine & Gourmet in Melrose and you too can find it there, at least until it sells out. 

Rant: Boston-Area Restaurants, Embrace Sake

There is some good news for local Sake lovers. 

There are two new restaurants, owned by two skilled local chefs, which should hopefully open later this year and both will showcase Sake. Kamakura, owned by Chef Youji Iwakura, and Momi Nonmi, owned by Chef Chris Chung, will offer Japanese cuisine, the first more of a Kaiseki-style spot while the second more of an izakaya. Both restaurants won't merely have a few Sakes on their menu, but will celebrate a passion for Sake. Sake will be a focal point in their drinks program and that is compelling. I eagerly look forward to the opening of both restaurants.

There is some bad news for local Sake lovers. 

The problem is that Sake, in the Boston-area, is being largely confined to Asian restaurants, especially those offering Japanese cuisine. We need more non-Asian restaurants willing to embrace Sake, to showcase it in their drinks program, to pair it with their non-Asian cuisine. Currently, the Tasting Counter is the only local, non-Asian restaurant which has shown a true passion for Sake.  With your dinner, you have the option of 10 Sakes pairings with your multi-course meal. Why don't more non-Asian restaurants see the value in adding Sake to their menus?

First, let me correct any misconceptions you might have about Sake and food pairings. Sake is not just for Asian cuisine. In fact, it is extremely food friendly and there is a Sake that will pair with everything. Check out my article, The Science of Sake & Food Pairings, to understand many of the reasons why Sake works so well with various cuisines. You can also read some of my related, and more specific articles, on Sake pairings, including: Sake For Thanksgiving, Slurping Oysters & Sipping Sake, Pairing Sake & Cheese, and Sake, Seafood & Lobster Anywhere. I've done Sake pairing dinners at Italian and French restaurants, and at home, I've paired Sake with so many different foods. There isn't a Boston-area restaurant which wouldn't benefit from adding Sake.

Many restaurants want to be on the cutting edge of the drinks world, offering wine from hot new regions, local beer from new micro-distilleries, and intriguing new spirits. Well, Sake is on that cutting edge, with thousands of years of history behind it, but there are also plenty of new brewers embracing the future. With so few non-Asian restaurants showcasing Sake, it would be a great way to make your restaurant more unique.

One of the main obstacles to adding Sake to the menus at non-Asian restaurants is probably a lack of knowledge about Sake. That is simple to remedy, as all you need to do is educate yourself. There are Sake classes you can take or Sake consultants you can speak to. Sommeliers spend time learning about new wine regions, so why not just extend that education to Sake? Look at it as a new challenge to face, to learn more about this fascinating beverage, and see how well it pairs with a myriad of cuisines.

Boston-area restaurants, especially non-Asian ones, please embrace Sake!

Sparkling Rosé from Kir-Yianni: Greece For The Win

"The best kind of wine is that which is most pleasant to him who drinks it."
--Pliny the Elder

Drink some Xinomavro this summer! Maybe you're not sure what Xinomavro is, but I hope you're willing to learn. Xinomavro (which roughly translates as "acid black") is an indigenous grape in northern Greece and often is compared to Nebbiolo. Xinomavro is difficult to grow and usually provides mild color, strong tannins and high acidity. Because of those characteristics, it ages very well. While young, the wines tend to be dominated by red fruit flavors and as the wine ages, it starts to show more savory notes, such as tomato and olive. Though it can make impressive red wines, it can also be used to produce compelling Rosé wines.

In Greece, there is a single Appellation of Origin for Rosé wine, the Amyndeon, located in northern Greece in Macedonia. All of the wines from Amyndeon must contain at least 85% Xinomavro. One of the most well known wineries in this region is Kir-Yianni, which means "Sir John" in Greek. The winery was founded in 1997 by Yiannis Boutaris, who had left the Boutari Wine Group. Though their first vintage was in 1990, it was not until the 1995 vintage that the wine was bottled under the Kir-Yianni name. More than half of their labels are single vineyard growths on the eastern and western slopes of Mt. Vermio in Macedonia. They grow indigenous Greek grapes, like Xinomavro and Assyrtiko, as well as some international ones such as Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc.

Last night, I chose to open a Greek Sparkling Rosé, made from Xinomavro. I received a media sample of the 2016 Kir Yianni Akakies Sec Sparkling Rosé ($19.99), which is made from 100% Xinomavro. The vineyard for these Xinomavro grapes is located in the viticultural zone of Agios Panteleimon within the Amyndeon appellation in Florina, in northwestern Greece. The vineyard is located at a high altitude of about 600 meters. This Sparkling Rosé spent about 3 months on the lees and has a low 11.5% ABV.

With a light red color and tiny bubbles, this Sparkling Rosé possessed an alluring nose of bright red fruits. On the palate, it was crisp, dry and full bodied with a refreshing effervescence, a mild creaminess and rich flavors of strawberry and cherry. It has a pleasingly long and delicious finish, with hints of savoriness at the end. I paired this Rosé with garlic & parmesan sausage and rice pilaf, and it was a tasty pairing, the fruit meshing well with the herbs of the food. This Rosé would also pair well with a variety of other foods, from seafood to burgers, pizza to roast chicken. Or you could enjoy it on its own, sitting outside in the summer sun, toasting a special occasion, or savoring it at home some evening.

I often recommend people drink Greek wine and you should explore my Ten Reasons To Drink Greek Wine, which I hope will motivate you to explore the diversity and wonders of Greek wines. The 2016 Kir Yianni Akakies Sec Sparkling Rosé would be an excellent choice to start your sampling of Greek wines.

This summer, drink Greek!