WBW#69: 2009 Yellow+Blue Rosé

Today is WBW #69, Animal Cruelty. But do not worry, as no real animals were harmed in any way for this WBW. I simply chose the theme to be wines made primarily from the Mourvedre grape, sometimes also known as Estrangle-Chien, the “dog strangler.”

For my choice of a wine for this theme, I was fortunate to recently receive a sample of one that I had been very interested in tasting. This was the 2009 Yellow+Blue Rosé ($12-$13).

Yes, this wine comes in a Tetra Pak, kind of an adult juice box, and that is one reason to like this wine. Tetra Paks are better than bottles for the environment in a number of ways. They are made from 75% paper harvested from responsibly managed forests. For shipping purposes, they are lighter and less bulky than bottles. A case of bottled wine weighs about 40 pounds and holds 9 liters of wine while a case of Yellow+Blue only weighs 26 pounds and holds 12 liters of wine. In addition, the Tetra Paks actually hold one liter of wine, as opposed to the usual 750ml bottle. Tetra Paks are very portable, without the danger of broken glass, and are perfect for camping trips, boat trips, and more.

Another reason to like this wine is that Y+B Wines is very environmentally conscious. Even their name, Yellow and Blue (which combines to make Green) is indicative of their values. Their wine makers only use certified organically grown grapes as well as traditional, natural winemaking processes.

I have enjoyed the Y+B Wines before, and really loved their 2008 Rosé so was excited to try the 2009 vintage, hoping it would be at least as good. The 2009 Rosé comes from the Alicante region of Spain and is a blend of 65% Monastrell and 35% Syrah, which is a different blend from the 2008, which was 80% Monastrell and 20% Syrah.

The wine had a rich pink color, and a very fruity nose, lots of lush strawberry and watermelon. On the palate, the red fruit flavors were very dominant though it was still dry, and more Old World than New. It was crisp and had a very pleasant finish. I opened it for a BBQ, on a bright sunny day, and it made for a very good pairing, especially as it tasted very refreshing. What seemed different from the 2008 vintage, was that the fruit flavors seemed more prominent in the 2009 and I did notice any citrus flavors as I did in the prior vintage.

It was a delicious Rosé and we quickly finished off the Tetra Pak with dinner. At the price, especially when you get a liter of wine, this is an excellent value and I highly recommend it.

I must also give my highest recommendation to Rosés in general. These "pink" wines can be excellent, are very food friendly, and both men and women should be enjoying them. Though many people only drink Rosé in the summer, I drink it year round. But it does make a fine summer drink, dry, fruity and refreshing. Don't ignore Rosé when shopping for wine.

Stanhope Grille: Father's Day BBQ

This Father’s Day, Stanhope Grille invites you to tie one on with Dad at their outdoor all-you-can-eat barbeque prepared by Executive Chef and Grill Master Raymond Southern. Let Dad ditch his customary station behind the coals and treat him to endless hot dogs, hamburgers and all the barbeque fixings. Three lucky Dads will also win a pair of tickets each to an upcoming Red Sox game!

Chef Southern’s Father’s Day barbeque spread will feature the following:

The Salad Bar
farmers market green salad
caesar salad
freshly cut and prepared condiments and dressings
black bean and roasted corn salad
spicy house made Slaw
marinated foraged mushroom salad

Cheese and Charcuterie
selection of local and imported artisan cheeses, meats, and pâtés

Burgers, dogs, Italian sausage, Atlantic salmon, all natural New England flank steaks
smoky bbq sauce, red wine glaze, Vermont maple mustard glaze,
smothered peppers, onions and mushrooms

Breakfast Too…
freshly prepared waffles, with Vermont maple syrup, coddled cream, and spring berry compote
freshly prepared omelets made to order by our omelet chef
choose from a variety of fresh condiments

The Oyster Bar
fresh shucked oysters on the half shell
Bloody Mary shaved ice, fresh lemon, hot sauce

Dad’s Brunch Bar
penne “primavera”
fresh spring vegetables, new England farmers cheese
Blue Maine Mussels
white wine, chorizo, grape tomatoes, baby fennel
summer time corn on the cob
Burbank potato wedges, with cob bacon, chopped scallions, and sour cream

The Sweets
selection of pastries and sweets from Aroa Chocolates

WHEN: Sunday, June 20th from 12:00pm – 5:00pm

COST: $30 per adult; $15 for children twelve-and-under (prices exclude tax and gratuity)

For reservations, please call 617-266-7200

TasteCamp 2010: Overall Impressions

TasteCamp East 2010 is over yet I am sure we will be talking about it for some time to come. This was the second TasteCamp, the first having been held last year on Long Island. This year, we explored the Finger Lakes region of New York and the crowd of wine bloggers and their significant others was a bit larger, around 35 or so people. That was still a very manageable number.

Like last year's event, it was another fun weekend, filled with some excellent wine and food as well as great people and conversation. Plus, it was informative and educational. Lenn and Evan of the New York Cork Report were the primary organizers, though they had assistance from a number of people, and deserve recognition for putting together a well-run and exciting event. I think this year's TasteCamp ran smoother than last year.

I cannot forget to give special thanks go to all the wineries, wine makers, winery owners and others in the Finger Lakes region who showed such great hospitality to all of us. We were warmly greeted everywhere, made to feel welcome, and treated with respect.

It was also a pleasure to meet the other wine bloggers who attended, some who I met last year, and others who I met for the first time. We shared much wine and food, plenty of stimulating discussions and lots of laughter. They are good people, and they made TasteCamp even more enjoyable. I hope to see some of them again next month at the Wine Blogger's Conference.

I left for TasteCamp at 1am early Friday morning, to avoid traffic and to get there at a reasonable time. It is about a 6 1/2 hour ride, plus I figured on stopping for breakfast somewhere on route. It is a fairly direct and easy route, and if you wanted to vacation in the area it would not be difficult to get there.

I stayed at the Watkin's Glen Harbor Hotel, and above you can see the view from my hotel room. It was a very nice hotel, and the rooms were roomy and comfortable. It seems to be one of the better hotels in that area, within easy walking distance of downtown Watkins Glen. It is also a good location for exploring both sides of Seneca Lake. The weather was also very interesting over the weekend, from 70 and sunny on Friday to snow flurries on Sunday.

So, based on my experiences during TasteCamp, what are my general thoughts about Finger Lake wines, the region and their wine industry?

I should preface my comments, noting that I had tasted maybe 40 or so Finger Lakes wines prior to visiting the region. I encountered a number of them at previous Boston Wine Expos and also participated in some Twitter Taste Live events that involved wines from the Finger Lakes. This prior experience gave me a generally positive view of the wines from that region so I was curious whether my new experiences would conform to my old ones or not.

Plus, I wanted to know how the Finger Lakes stacked up against Long Island. Were these two New York wine regions similar, or were there significant differences between the two? I expected the answer to be in the middle, with both similarities and differences. And I eventually found my expectations to be accurate.

First, a similarity. Like Long Island, the Finger Lake wineries are producing some excellent wines, both reds and whites, including some very impressive wines. The region also contains a nice diversity of wineries, wine makers, philosophies and styles. It is definitely an area that deserves exploration by wine lovers.

Second, a difference. For the most part, the Long Island wineries are close together and it is very easy to visit them within a short time period. But, with the Finger Lakes wineries, they are spread out across a few different lakes so there is more travel time involved in checking out the wineries. That just means you need to devote a bit more time to visiting the region than you might Long Island. But, as the area is beautiful, and there are many other activities available to do, you can easily fill that extra time.

Third, another similarity. Like many Long Island wineries, those of the Finger Lakes often embrace more of an Old World style than they do a California style. Alcohol contents are rarely above 14%, and often are closer to 12-13%. As I generally prefer Old World style wines, this really pleased me.

Fourth, a similarity and difference. As much of Long Island appears to have embraced Merlot as their signature grape, so does the Finger Lakes have their own signature grape, though it is Riesling. It almost seemed like every winery felt obligated to make some Riesling, and I definitely had a Riesling tasting overload. As I have said before, I think wineries should move beyond a single grape, and try to produce a nice variety, experimenting with many grapes to see how they all do in the region.

Fifth, another difference. In Long Island, I found some good value wines but also felt there was a significant number of higher priced wines that were just not worth the price. In the Finger Lakes, I felt the pricing in general was more reasonable. Yes, I found some wines that I felt were overpriced, but not to the extent I found in Long Island. And I think there were many more value wines in the Finger Lakes than in Long Island.

Sixth, a similarity. The food seemed equally as good in both wine regions, and I was glad to see a reliance on local and sustainable foods in several of the restaurants. But, I would have liked to see more farm stands in the Finger Lakes region. Though maybe it was just too early in the season for them. When traveling from winery to winery, there often were few places you could stop in between and it would have been nice to have a few farmstands or farmers' markets to visit.

As for the Finger Lakes specifically, what stood out to me?

Despite all the attention given to Riesling and other white grapes, the region is making some killer reds too. From exceptional Pinot Noir to more unique grapes like Sereksiya, it was probably the reds that most impressed me. Yes, I enjoyed plenty of delicious white wines, but finding such high quality reds, and often for a reasonable price, really thrilled me. Though the best reds seem to be made by small, passionate producers who work very hard at handcrafting high quality wines. It takes much time and effort to produce a great wine.

There was an interesting dichotomy between wine makers who did a lot of manipulation to their wines in the winery, and those who adopted a more hands off approach. Some of the wine makers freely admitted to all sorts of winery techniques for crafting exactly the type of wine they desired. Other were more willing to allow the grape to speak for itself, to nurture the grape rather than make it conform to their desires.

My favorite event of the weekend was the tour and tasting at Heart & Hand Wine Company and my least favorite thing was that we were unable to arrange a poker tournament. Hopefully next year we will be able to do so. It might also have been good to have less Rieslings because after awhile, they started to all blur together.

Though I once had disdain for Cabernet Franc, I have had to change my mind as I have found too many wines made from this grape which I have enjoyed. At TasteCamp, I actually tasted several delicious Cabernet Franc wines from the Finger Lakes. But, I also acquired a new vinous nemesis, the Noiret grape. This is a hybrid grape, officially released in 2006, which has a prominent green pepper flavor (which I dislike). The green pepper seems to be an integral aspect of the grape so I am doubtful I will find any wines made from this grape that I will ever enjoy.

In the near future, I will go into more details about the wineries we visited, the wines we tasted and the food we ate. Plus, you can go to the TasteCamp website and check out the posts from all of the other attendees.

I had a great time in the Finger Lakes and recommend it to all wine lovers as a vacation spot.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse: Father's Day Brunch

If you want to celebrate with your father on Father's Day, consider brunch at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Boston. On Sunday, June 20, from 11:30am-3pm, you can select from their special Father’s Day Brunch Prix Fixe Menu. Their regular menu is also available all day and evening

Special Gift: To give Dad another reason to celebrate, Fleming’s is offering him a complimentary $25 dining card to use for a future evening at Fleming’s.

Cost: Three-Course Brunch Prix Fixe Menu is available for $29.95 per person

MENU:

Choice of One Starter:
Fresh Fruit Salad or Wedge Salad

Choice of One Entrée:
--Beef Tenderloin and Vegetable Frittata, hash brown potatoes and green beans
--Berry Stuffed French Toast, turkey sage sausage
--Smoked Salmon and Toasted Bagel, sliced red onion, cream cheese, sliced tomato, and fried capers
--Lump Crab, Asparagus and Swiss Cheese Frittata, hash brown potatoes and green beans
--Smoked Ham Chop, hash brown potatoes and green beans
--Filet Benedict, on buttermilk biscuits with hash brown potatoes and green beans

Choice of One Dessert:
New York Cheesecake, Crème Brûlée or Walnut Turtle Pie

For reservations, please call 617-292-0808.

Rant: White Males Only?

Last week, I attended the Skinner Wine Auction in Boston with my friend Dale. There were about 500 lots up for bidding, though I only stayed for the inital 1/3 of the auction. It is a fun event, though I have yet to actually win anything but then again I also bid very rarely.

The lots included plenty of Bordeaux plus some Burgundy and high-end wines from Australia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and the U.S. Two of the lots sold for over $30,000 each. Guess the rough economy is not affecting everyone in the same way. Almost nothing sold for under $200, though you could get some good values if you had the money. But what most struck me was the make-up of the attendees.

About 95% of the attendees were white males so there was very little diversity. That is essentially the same as the prior Skinner auctions I have attended. But why is that the case? Where is everyone else and why don't they attend such auctions? Is wine collecting primarily a hobby of wealthy white men?

Back in May 2008, there was an article in Decanter magazine called "Collecting: It's A Man's World" by Rosi Hanson. The basic premise was that men are the wine collectors in the world and that few women take on that role. The article begins: "Men collect, women appreciate--discuss." Though there are exceptions, it seems that wine collecting is primarily a male hobby. There is even a psychologist quoted who states that collecting in general is a male thing. There are then quotes from several other people, all giving support to Rosi's premise.

But is that changing? Are more women getting into collecting wine? There are certainly plenty of women now writing about wine, but do they also collect wine? Or are they mainly buying wine to drink, not to save or invest?

And what about non-whites? Are they too buying wine primarily to drink rather than to collect? Is it a financial matter, where wealthier people, white or non-white, collect wine? Boston certainly has a diverse enough population so that there easily could have been more diversity at the wine auction, though there was not.

Is Skinner primarily marketing to white males? How many people even know they have wine auctions twice a year? Do others, besides white males, feel intimidated by wine auctions?

I would like to see more diversity at such events, but I think we need to understand some of the reasons for the lack of it before we can effectuate proper change. What are your thoughts?