Rant: Labor Day's Over, Time To Sample Lots Of Wine

Labor Day has passed, and many feel it's the end of summer, although technically that's not the case.  The passing of Labor Day also presages changes in the wine world, beyond the fact it's harvest season, and consumers need to pay attention. There are opportunities now, for the next several months, that they should take advantage of, to learn more about wine, to experience different wines, and to enjoy plenty of delicious wines.

Most importantly, this is the time when wine stores will stock many new wines as their busiest season is about to begin. This will also mean that many of those wine shops will hold large wine tasting events, where you may be able to taste many different wines, sometimes as many as 100 or more wines. Most of these events will be free, providing you a perfect opportunity to experience many wines which you may not have tasted before. 

As I've said before, the best way to learn about wine is to taste it so you should definitely attend these events to expand your horizons, to delve into a wealth of diversity. You might be tempted at these events to taste only those wines which you already know and love, or which are similar to those wines. That would be a mistake. It won't teach you anything and it won't provide you a new experience. 

Instead, experiment and take chances, tasting new wines, new grapes, of which you might never have heard about. Expand your palate and broaden your horizons by tasting lots of different wines, especially considering that these tastings are free and you thus have nothing to lose. You'll learn more about wine and that will probably bring you joy. You might even find a new favorite wine, or even several new favorites. 

Sure, you probably won't like everything new you taste but that shouldn't be an issue. You're only sampling the wines, taking a sip or two, and it's free. If you dislike a wine, you can just try another wine, and that will likely help you understand what wines you will enjoy.  

At these events, with so many wines, you'll want to remember those wines which you most enjoyed. Take notes of those wines so you can recall them later, so you can find them again. If you don't want to take notes, use your cell phone to take a photo of the wine label. You can then take that picture to a wine store and they can see if they carry that wine. If you end up tasting 10 or more wines, it may be difficult to remember your favorites merely by memory. Memorializing your favorites in notes or a picture will be very helpful when you seek your new favorite weeks later. 

Take the opportunities to taste new wines, expanding your palate, and hopefully find new favorites. 

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
******************************************************
1) Starting September 27th and running throughout October 25th, Bonde Fine Wine Shop will host themed tastings on select Wednesday evenings, from 7pm-8:30pm  Bonde will share expertise, samples, and pairings with specific wine topics including:

· Wednesday, September 13 – Digging for Gold: Treasures from New Mexico
· Wednesday, September 27 - Pairing Wine and Cheese
· Wednesday, October 4 - Guilty Pleasures: Junk Food & Wine
· Wednesday, October 11 - Oktoberfest: German Pretzels and Wine
· Wednesday, October 18 - Chef Series: Vincenzo Le of Cicada Coffee Bar - Pairing Vietnamese Cuisine with Wine
· Wednesday, October 25 - 4 Poutines and 4 Wines For You

2) September is here, and Kane’s Donuts is ringing in the fall with some seasonal favorites, all which are available throughout September at all three Kane’s locations.

The Apple Cider Donut made with a real fresh local cider from Brooksby Farm, is a cake-style donut loaded with spices and apple cider, then rolled in fresh ground cinnamon and sugar. The Pumpkin Glazed Donut is a cake-style donut made with real pumpkin, nutmeg, and cinnamon and drenched in Kane’s Signature Honey Glaze. The Caramel Apple Crunch is a yeast donut filled with apple pie filling, frosted with Kane’s homemade caramel frosting, and topped with a layer of Buttercrunch.

This month, Kane’s will also provide Gluten-free and vegan options featuring the Gluten-free Pumpkin Spice, a blend of pumpkin pie spices and pumpkin fruit, coated in Kane’s signature honey glaze and the Vegan Maple Frosted, a cake-style donut that is moist and tender on the inside and golden crispy on the outside, then frosted with a maple frosting made with real maple syrup.

3) On Wednesday, September 27, at 6pm, Chef Joe Carli of A Tavola, in Winchester, will be hosting a Poggio Maestrino wine dinner, with guest Christian Trotta of Fantasy Fine Wine. This dinner will consist of Five Courses, each paired with wine.

The Menu includes:

1) Apple and Aged Parmesan Bruschetta

Terre di Rai Prosecco di Treviso Millesimato Extra Dry

2) Fluke Carpaccio with collapsed tomato and garden herbs

Poggio Maestrino e Spiaggiole Maremma Toscana Vermentino Torresaline

3) Grape Vine Roasted Poulet Rouge, Cherries and Thyme

Poggio Maestrino e Spiaggiole Morellino

4) Mortadella Rotolo, pistachio butter, & griddled bread

Poggio Maestrino Coasta Toscano Petit Verdot

5) Berry Glazed BBQ

Poggio Maestrino e Spiaggiole Morellino di Scansano Spiaggiole

The dinner costs $115 per person plus tax and gratuity. To make reservations, please call the restaurant at 781-729-1040. I'll be attending this wine dinner as the menu and wines sound quite appealing. And I always have an excellent meal at A Tavola.

Kopke Aged White Ports: A Rare Wine Category You Should Know

As I recently discussed in The Origins & Early History of White Port, only about 10% of all Port is White Port, and aged White Ports are even rarer. When perusing local wine stores, it's very rare to see one that carries an aged White Port. Most of these stores could probably special order an aged White Port for you, but they are generally not part of their regular inventory. The last time I saw an aged White Port for sale was at a wine shop in Portland, Maine. 

Kopke is a highly regarded Port producer which truly embraces the production of aged White Port, making Colheitas and White Ports with an Indication of Age (10, 20, 30, 40 and even 50 year old White Ports!). I received some media samples of three of their aged White Ports, and they were all impressive, showcasing the complexity and quality of aged White Port. 

Kopke is also the oldest Port House, having been established in 1638 by Nicolau Kopkë. Nicolau, a German, came to Portugal in 1636, as the Consul General of the Hanseatic League. Two years later, he started shipping Portuguese wines to other European countries. Almost 150 years later, in 1781, Kopke bought a vineyard in the Douro, and started producing their own wine, eventually making Port wine their primary focus. And in 1841, they changed their name to C. N. Kopke. 

In 2006, Kopke was purchased by the Spanish-owned Sogevinus, which now owns several other Port producers, including Burmester, Cálem, and Barros. Sogevinus concentrates on Port Wine, and in 2020, about 7.8 Million bottles of their annual production of 8.8 Million were Port. In addition, their Calem Velhotes brand is the top seller in Portugal, accounting for about 25% of all Port sales. 

Kopke is also the only Port House to sell both a 50 Year Old White Port and a 50 Year Old Tawny Port. The 50 Year Old Port category was only instituted in 2022, so Kopke was quick to capitalize on this new Indication of Age. It helped that they have an extensive supply of aged Ports in their vast cellars. For example, they currently sell a 1934 Colheita Tawny and a 1935 Colheita White. 

************ 

When were Kopke Ports first exported to the U.S.? Let's explore some 19th century history, where Kopke received only a small amount of mentions. 

The earliest mention of Kopke that I found was from 1839. The Evening Post (NY), March 5, 1839, printed an advertisement for an upcoming auction of wines. This included, “Port Wines, in pipes and bottles of extra quality, selected by John Wylie, Esq. from the London dock; do Roriz, direct importations: Kopke & Co. Sweet Port.” These Ports were from the famed Quinta de Roriz vineyard, and often sold under the brand of "Kopke Roriz."

The Charleston Mercury (SC), January 3, 1857, discussed a recent sale of old Port, noting 3 bins of the 1820 vintage. The article mentioned, “...each was a rare example—different in style, but all of unexceptionable quality; it is indeed remarkable that among port wines of these ancient dates, so few decayed or even impared wines are found, and this seems to attest their general purity. Of these the Kopke’s Boriz took the lead, containing all the vigor of youth, showing substance, fruit, the highest quality, and remarkable character.” The term "Boriz" was obviously a typo and should instead be "Roriz."

There was a brief mention in the Shipping & Commercial List (NY), January 30, 1861, of, “Port Wines—Kopke Roriz, Cockburn’s and other brands.” The New York Times (NY), June 1, 1864, mentioned an auction sale, including Kopke’s Roriz old brandies of 1838, 1840 and 1848.

The Commercial Advertiser (NY), February 8, 1871, noted that James Reid & Co., located at No.49 Broad Street, New York, was the Sole Agents in the U.S. and Canada for a number of of wine/spirit companies including Kopke & Co.

The Baltimore Sun (MD), January 30 1892, printed an ad where the company had recently received Port wine from C.N. Kopke & Co., from the rare old vintage of 1847. The seller stated that he “..can therefore vouch for its genuineness as a reliable, delicate, dry, high-flavored old Wine, suitable for invalids requiring such a tonic.” 

So, we know that Kopke Ports have been imported into the U.S. for at least over 180 years. In the present day, it's also important to realize that Kopke sells more than 65% of the Colheita Ports, red and white, in the U.S. When's the last time you bought a Kopke Port?

************

As for Kopke and White Port, I received some information from Carla Tiago (pictured above), part of the Kopke Winemaking Team. Carla grew up in the Douro region, eventually graduating from the University of Porto with a degree in Biochemistry. In 2005, Carla did her first harvest for Sogevinus, and she found her passion in wine making. In 2007, she joined the Kopke team, working under master blender Carlos Alves. 

Carla stated, “In fact, there are no exact dates of the origin of Port wine, neither white nor red,... It is known, however, that white wine has always been made, in much smaller quantities than red, and that after the phylloxera crisis, vineyards were planted with only white varieties and these wines began to be more common.” She also mentioned that though they don't know exactly when Kopke first started producing White Port, it's believed they have been making it since their beginning in 1638. As for their oldest White Ports now in their cellars, Carla noted their oldest vintages are from 1935 and 1940. 

80+ year old White Ports! That should intrigue any wine lover. However, wine lovers, and others, should also be intrigued with younger, although still aged, White Ports, such as Colheitas from 2002 and 2005. 

The Kopke 20 Years Old White Port is made from a blend of white grapes of different vintages, with an average age of 20 years. The wine was aged in oak for a number of years before being bottled in 2022. With a 20% ABV, the wine presented an amber/golden color and an aroma of dried fruit, salted nuts and a bit of citrus. On the palate, it possessed a rich mouthfeel, with a mild sweetness and a complex blend of dried fruits, citrus, almonds, a touch of ripe plum, and subtle spice notes. It had a pleasing, lengthy finish and good acidity.  

It's recommended that this Port be served chilled, and it went very well with some blue cheese (which is one of my favorite Port pairings). 

The Kopke 2002 Colheita White Port is made from a blend of white grapes from the 2002 harvest, and it remained in oak for about 20 years, being bottled in 2022. The term "colheita" roughly translates as "harvest" or "vintage," however it's also a specific category of Port. It must be aged in the barrel for at least seven years, although it can be aged for much longer. A Vintage Port must be from an excellent "declared" vintage, so Vintage Port cannot be produced every year, but a Colheita Port can be made in any vintage. Vintage Ports seem to get the most publicity, but Colheita Ports definitely are worthy of much more attention.

I was thoroughly enamored with this White Port. With a rich amber/golden color, its aroma was more subdued, but still complex and appealing. On the palate, it was elegant and compelling, reminiscent in some ways to a fine aged Sherry. It possessed an intriguing melange of flavors, including dried fruit, honey, subtle spices, salted almonds, a light sweetness, and much more. Each silky sip brought something new to my palate. It's finish was extremely lengthy and satisfying, and overall, the wine was impressive, my favorite of the three. Everything was in perfect balance, and there seemed to be so much life remaining in the wine. This is a wine to slowly sip over the course of an evening, observing it develop over the course of the night. It's also a wine meant to be shared, to experience with good friends. 

It was also recommended that this Port be served chilled, and it too went very well with some blue cheese. 

The Kopke 2005 Colheita White Port is made from a blend of grapes from the 2005 harvest, including 50% Malvasia Fina, 15% Gouveio, 15% Rabigato, 15% Viosinho and 5% Arinto. This was the only wine where the grapes were specifically mentioned, although it's possible these grapes might also have been the ones in the other two White Ports, although maybe not in these percentages, and other grapes may have been included as well.

This Port  remained in oak for about 17 years, being bottled in 2022. This wine had a stronger aroma than the 2002, and the flavors on the palate were stronger and more intense as well. In addition, it had a richer mouthfeel, with more sweetness to it. It was less Sherry-like, but still had a nutty aspect, as well as complex flavors of dried fruit, citrus, fig, and spice. A lengthy, pleasing finish and excellent acidity. It was also recommended that this Port be served chilled, and it too went very well with some blue cheese. 

I'd highly recommend all three of these aged White Ports. It's a fascinating category of wine, and is sure to impress your palate. In differentiating these three White Ports, the 2002 Colheita is the lightest, least sweet and most complex of the three, and reminds me in some respects of a fine aged Sherry (another of my favorite wine categories). The 2005 Colheita is richer, a bit sweeter, with bolder aromas and flavors. The 20 Year Old has much of the richness of the 2005, but is a touch less sweet, and its aromas and flavors are also a touch less bold, although still more intense than the 2002. 

I'd like to visit Kopke in October when I visit Portugal, and if so, hope to try maybe some of their even older White Ports.

Rant: A Lazy Restaurant Wine List

Last week, I dined at a relatively new local restaurant, and very much enjoyed the food. I'm looking forward to dining there again soon, to try more of their dishes. However, I was dismayed by one aspect of the restaurant: their wine list. 

The restaurant offers some intriguing cocktails, some made with more unusual ingredients, while their beer list has some good craft beers. On the other hand, their wine list is generic, and fails to mention even a single producer. Instead, for red wine options, the menu simply mentions "Merlot Red" and "Malbec Red." For white wine, there's "Chardonnay White" and "Pinot Grigio White." The menu also lists "Rosé" and "Brut." Why don't they list the producer of these wines?

Every one of these wines is priced at $8 a glass, and thus are likely very inexpensive wines, probably costing less than $10 a bottle at retail. They are probably also value brands, which producer millions of bottles of generic plonk. I very much doubt that wine lovers would find any of these wines of interest. And I don't understand why their wine list is so uninspired, when their cocktails and beers show some inspiration. 

It's a lazy wine list, taking the least amount of thought to compose, and it diminishes the restaurant, especially considering how much attention was paid to the other aspects of the restaurant. At the very least, they should have listed the producers of the wine. However, it wouldn't have taken much more effort to choose several interesting, good value wines, rather than the generic plonk they do sell. Even if the restaurant owners knew little of wine, they could have asked the distributor for better options. 

I've seen other restaurants before with similar lazy wine lists, failing to provide even the name of the producer. Sometimes, I have also seen options of "Hot" and "Cold" Sake, which again fail to mention the name of the producer. You know that these mystery wines are cheap, low quality wines. Even when their food and cocktails are tasty and interesting, a lazy wine list adversely affects the overall rating of the restaurant. 

Restaurant owners with lazy wine lists: Take a little time to improve your wine lists, and enhance your restaurant's overall reputation. 

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
******************************************************
1) Bar Vlaha, part of the restaurant group Xenia Greek Hospitality, will launch weekend brunch service this weekend on September 2.

Bar Vlaha debuted in Brookline earlier this year in March and is the first concept dedicated to honoring the Vlach people, who founded and nurtured the roots of Hellenic cooking and hospitality. The experience at Bar Vlaha is a chance to rediscover Greece, and this new brunch service is a way to rediscover brunch.

The new brunch service at Bar Vlaha continues to tell the story of the Vlachs who are a nomadic group of shepherds from the rural mountains, lakes and villages of Central and Northern Greece. The Vlachs bestowed the legendary virtue of philoxenia which is the ancient Greek art of hospitality in its purest form - the custom of offering generosity and shelter despite social class or background, and turning strangers into friends. The Vlachs are known for providing refuge, food and drink to weary travelers passing through their villages. Today Xenia Greek Hospitality lives by these same pillars of hospitality that start with a meal, kindness and conversation.

The first part of the Bar Vlaha brunch menu is centered around boukies with smaller bites to share such as the traditional staples of Tahinopita with tahini, phyllo, cinnamon, whipped cream, berries and Saganaki with fried vlahotyri cheese, Metaxa, spoon sweets and pistachio. There is a section of the menu Eggs & Breakfast which showcases traditional dishes of the region such as Sfougato which is a baked egg casserole with zucchini, kefalotyri cheese, parsley, dill and mint and Breakfast Hilopites a housemade pasta with poached egg, Metsovone, brown sugar and olive oil. 

Another section called Dikoi, which translates to trays, offers three different styles of brunch trays that are a symbol of Vlach hospitality as food and drinks were commonly shared on trays when brought to the table. The three trays are Greek Breakfast, Shakshouka and Make Your Own Gyros with chicken or lamb souvla. And it would not be a Vlach experience without Pita. The brunch menu includes the traditional sweet Bougatsa with phyllo, custard and cinnamon and also a savory Kimadopita with minced ground beef, cumin and coriander.

At Bar Vlaha, Beverage Director Lou Charbonneau has amassed a lively celebration of Greek spirits that embody the terroir of the region with playfully named yet seriously crafted combinations. The Bloody Melpo, a traditional Vlach name and take on a Bloody Mary, is made with Tsipouro and a house Greek style mix, and can also be served as a larger format brunch tray with lamb chop garnishes. There is also a Mimosa tray with a bottle of Vlach sparkling wine and selection of Greek juices such as mandarin, blood orange, peach, sour cherry vyssino, kiwi and banana. The Kalambaka Fog uses Stray Dog Greek gin, Italicus, Earl Gray, vanilla bean, nutmeg, oat milk and egg white which makes for a powerful brunch libation after its namesake town. Most of the dishes range from $10-$20

Bar Vlaha weekend brunch will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. To celebrate the launch, Bar Vlaha will also be open on Monday, September 4 for Labor Day. Reservations can be made online at https://barvlaha.com/reservations/.

The Menu looks quite interesting, and I'm eager to visit Bar Vlaha for their new Brunch.

2) Night Shift Brewing is raising a stein to Oktoberfests’s triumphant return! Their celebration dates have dropped so you can eat, drink and yodel at each of their spots. The annual Oktoberfest festivities have exclusive new releases and events at the Night Shift Beer Gardens, Everett taproom and Lovejoy Wharf waterfront restaurant. Night Shift’s Oktoberfest features a Stein holding competition, live music, festive bites and lots of fun for all. The brewery is also rolling out more Oktoberfest inspired releases than ever before with various styles:

Owltoberfest - German-style Helles - our clean and crushable flagship beer of Oktoberfest weekend. Brimming with notes of fresh bread, tangelo, and yellow peach. A hoot with every sip.
Prost Malone - unfiltered Munich-Style Lager that sings a smooth harmony of malty richness, toasted bread, and subtle, earthy hops. Brewed with rockstar flair and chart-topping flavor.
Chill Zwickelson - German-Style Zwickelbier that tees off with a fairway of bready malt flavor, subtle grassy hops, and a hint of citrus. A hole-in-one for your palate.
Kolsch Encounters - German-Style Kolsch that beams down a cosmic blend of crisp, light malts, and otherworldly refreshment. Hints of apple, pear, and a close encounter with deliciously fruity hops.
Dunkel John's Band - Munich-Style Dunkel that honors a legendary band with its name and label artwork. Smooth and delicious, with notes of rye bread, toasted grain, and zesty hops. It pairs best with good friends, warm blankets, and a crackling fire. This is one jam you won’t want to miss. Also, $1 from every 4-pack sold will be donated to the Community Music Center of Boston.

The Night Shift Beer Gardens at the Esplanade and Allston locations kick off the Oktoberfest celebrations on Friday, September 22, from 4-10pm. Enjoy the Oktoberfest inspired beers while you’re in the outdoors. The first 25 people at both locations will receive a free Oktoberfest t-shirt. The Allston location will also be serving One Mighty Mill pretzels.

The Everett Taproom hosts their Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, September 23, from Noon to 11pm. In addition to the exclusive beer releases, the festivities include live music from the Hofbrau Polka Band and Intergalactic Kegger Time. Alongside the new Night Shift Eats food truck, The Sausage Guy, Far Out Ice Cream, and Lobster Proper will also be on site for the party.

Tickets to the Stein Holding Competition are $30 and include a 1 Liter Night Shift Brewing Stein and pour of Owltoberfest. Night Shift Brewing Oktoberfest Steinholding Competition will abide by the Official U.S. Steinholding Association Rules and 1st, 2nd and 3rd places prizes will be awarded for both the Men’s and Women’s Competition. The event is open to the public. Tickets are available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/night-shift-brewing-oktoberfest-stein-holding-competition-2023-tickets-701032134987?aff=oddtdtcreator 

The Lovejoy Wharf Oktoberfest celebration is taking over their namesake patio on Sunday, September 24, from 11:30am-8pm. In addition to the exclusive beer releases, the Hofbrau Polka Band will be playing and The Lovejoy Wharf team will be cranking out a variety of Oktoberfest themed menu items, plentiful with brats and pretzels and more!