Alpha Estate: More Greek Wines For Summer

"Where there is no wine, there is no love."
--Euripides

During the summer, it's best to have a variety of wines on hand, including some White, Red and Rosé.  Each has its place, pairing well with the different foods of summer, from fresh seafood to grilled burgers. Some of these wines will also do well on their own, offering a refreshing and delicious beverage while you sit outside, hanging with family and friends. Let me recommend three Greek wines, one of each wine type, for your summer needs.

Alpha Estate, imported by Diamond Importers, is located in the heart of the Amyndeon, a wine region in the Northwest of Greece. Their vineyards cover over 160 acres situated on a plateau around 2,000 feet above sea level. The winery is led by Angelo Iatridis, "...considered by many to be Greece's most promising winemaker." Alpha is also considered "...one of the most cutting edge producers in Greece and has established the most technologically advanced vineyards in the viticulture world." I received media samples of three of their wines, and each was delicious and interesting, and would be excellent for the summer, or any other season.

The 2016 Alpha Estate Rosé ($19.99) is made from 100% Xinomavro, which spent two months on the lees, and has a 13% ABV. With a bright pink color, this wine has a delightful fruity nose and on the palate, it is crisp, dry and fruity, with tasty flavors of strawberry and cherry and subtle floral notes. It has a medium-body, with a lengthy, satisfying finish. This is the type of Rosé I really enjoy, and it was a pleasure to enjoy poolside. It also paired very well with some grilled chorizo. This would certainly be a food-versatile wine, from oysters to burgers, roasted chicken to pizza. Though sipping it on its own, while relaxing poolside, is quite the pleasure as well.

The 2016 Alpha Malagouzia Turtles Vineyard ($15.99-$17.99) is made from 100% Malagouzia, a grape that was nearly extinct until being revived in the late 20th century. The Turtles Vineyards is a sub-region of the Amydeon, located at an altitude of about 660 meters, with northwestern orientation, facing Voras mountain. The wine was fermented in stainless steel, spent about two months on the lees and has a 13% ABV.

The wine has a yellowish-green color with an aromatic nose of herbs and tropical fruits. On the palate, it has an intriguing and complex melange of flavors, including spices, herbs and fruit. I could detect notes of citrus and melon, rosemary and mint. It was dry and elegant, with a pleasing acidity and a lingering finish. Each sip seemed to bring something new to my mouth and I was quite taken with it. This wine would go well with seafood, from haddock to shrimp. Or you could sit in the backyard on a summer evening, savoring each sip as you watch the stars.

The 2014 Alpha Xinomavro Hedgehog Vineyard ($19.99-$21.99) is made from 100% Xinomavro, from the Hedgehog Vineyard which is a sub-region of the Amydeon, located at an altitude of about 690 meters, with north orientation, facing Petron Lake and Voras mountain. The wine, with a 14.5% ABV, spent eight months on the lees and was aged for 12 months in French oak with an additional 12 months in the bottle.

It has a deep red color with an alluring nose of red and black fruits, accompanied by some spice notes. On the palate, it possesses a complex blend of flavors, including ripe plum, black cherry, raspberry, vanilla, pepper and other spices. The tannins are well integrated, it has a nice acidity, and a lengthy, pleasing finish. This is an excellent wine for grilled meats, including burgers, ribs, and steaks. It would probably also work with roasted chicken, salmon, and pizza. On a summer evening, with a cool breeze in the air, you could sip this on its own, and think of the grilling delights you enjoyed earlier.

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. All three of these wines from Alpha Estate would be excellent choices to start your sampling of Greek wines.

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.
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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!