Rant: Give Respect To Hybrid Grapes

This week, I'm visiting Nova Scotia once again, with plans to visit some of the wineries of the Annapolis Valley. I'll definitely be returning home with wine, at least a case, and most of those wines will have been produced from hybrid grapes. As such, I wanted to bring back an applicable older post, with some revisions and updates, advocating for respect for hybrid grapes.

I feel sorry for grapes like Baco Noir, Frontenac Noir, Marechal Foch, Seyval Blanc and others. Though they are used to make wine, with a number of excellent examples, they often get very little respect because of their parentage. These grapes are known as hybrids, not pure vitis vinifera like Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. 

Because they are not "pure," too many people look down upon them, sometimes even shunning them. They don't give those wines a chance, rejecting them without even tasting them. Shouldn't these hybrid grapes be judged by the quality of their wine rather than the identity of their parents?

Vitis vinifera is the common grape vine and the one most used for making wine. All of the major grapes of which you are familiar are likely these types of grapes, from Pinot Noir to Syrah, from Sauvignon Blanc to Pinot Blanc. Hybrids are a cross of two or more Vitis species, such as vitis vinifera and vitis labrusca. They are often created to produce a hardier grape, especially for harsher, colder northern climates. Because they are not pure vitis vinifera, some people turn up their noses at these hybrids, refusing to believe they can produce quality wine. 

Drop that pretentiousness and judge these wines by their taste. 

Many of the wines made in Nova Scotia are made from hybrid grapes, but they are still worthy of respect. I've previously enjoyed other Nova Scotian wines, made from hybrids, and they have been delicious, and definitely wines I'd recommend. I'm looking forward to tasting more new wines in Nova Scotia, seeing what the hybrid grapes bring to the bottle. 

Sure there are poor quality wines made from hybrids, but there are plenty of poor quality wines made from vitis vinifera too. Yet there are excellent wines made from these hybrids as well, and a wine lover would be hard pressed to guess they were hybrids simply from tasting the wine. You should approach a wine without prejudices or biases, willing to taste the wine and let it stand on its own. If you do so, you will probably find plenty of delicious wines that you might never have experienced otherwise.

It has gotten to the point that some fans of hybrid grapes don't even want to use the term "hybrid," to avoid the prejudices that the term can spawn. I believe we should embrace the term, and don't try to hide what is being used. Instead, we need to fight the prejudice by getting these people to taste these wines, to understand the quality that can be found within them.

So get over yourself and stop prejudging hybrids. Drink the wine before making any judgments. Judge a wine on its taste, not its parentage. 

Šember Winery in Plešivica: Famed Sparkling Wine & More

Continuing our tour of the Croatian wine region of Plešivica, we visited the Šember Winery, located in the small settlement of Donji Pavlovčani. For seven generations, the Šember family has been producing wine, but it wasn't until 1991 that they released their first wine under the Šember label. Currently, three generations of the family are involved in the winery business, including Zdenko, their "visionary and main creator," and his wife Ivanka. It is a true family business, and the entire family lives on the estate. 

We met two members of the younger generations, including Nikola and Lucija (pictured above). Nikola is an agronomist and enologist while Lucija, who studied economics and business, engages in numerous business aspects of the winery. She states that at the winery, she "has never had the same day" which is something she loves. She also loves meeting new people, and as they have guests from all over the world, she gets the opportunity to meet many different people. Both were personable and charming, knowledgeable and down-to-earth.

In 1997, Šember produced their first sparkling wine, in the Méthode Champenoise, and they have been informed that their terroir is similar to that in Champagne. That is a common comparison for the Plešivica region, and once you taste the sparkling wines from this region, you will understand the similarities. Then, in 2011, they produced their first amphora wine, using qvevri from Georgia, which are buried on their grounds. 

They currently own 6.5 hectares of vineyards and recently purchased an additional 2 hectares. Their different vineyards are named Pavel, Bresnica, Vučjak, Starjak, and Mladina, and their ages range from 10-90 years. They are also working toward organic certification. Each year, they choose to invest some of their money, whether in the vineyard or in the cellar, maintaining a slow and steady growth. 

In their cellar, they age their Chardonnay and Rhine Riesling in 1500-3000 liter French barrels while they age their Pinot Noir in 500 liters French barrels. Some of their other wines are aged in Slavonian oak. 

They are a small winery and annually, they produce only about 5,000 cases of wine, broken down into about 40,000 bottles of sparkling wine and 20,000 bottles of still wine (mainly Riesling and Pinot Noir).

For our wine tasting, our hosts brought our a plate of local meats, cheeses and bread. This was the norm for the numerous Croatian wineries we visited. It was all so delicious, and you wanted to eat some of it, no matter how many other wineries you had visited that day. It helped to offset the alcohol of the wine, as well as working as a palate cleanser. Plus, it was quite tasty.

Our wine tasting began with the Šember Brut Rosé, produced from 100% Pinot Noir and with a 12.5% ABV. Made in the Méthode Champenoise, it was matured on the lees for at least two years (with plans to start aging it even longer). This wine was first produced in 2005. It possessed a pleasing light pink color with an alluring aroma of red fruits and floral accents. On the palate, it was fresh and crisp, with bright raspberry and strawberry flavors, with a touch of brioche. It also possessed excellent tiny bubbles and a satisfying finish. Pure delicious! Would be great for Thanksgiving. 

The NV Šember Brut Sparkling Wine, also made in the Méthode Champenoise, is an intriguing blend of 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Bjeli (Pinot Blanc), and & 10% Plavac Žuti (an uncommon indigenous variety). This wine was also aged on the lees for at least three years before disgorgement. A fine golden color, lots of tiny bubbles, and a compelling aroma. On the palate, it was dry and elegant, smooth and crisp, with complex flavors of green apple, brioche, peach and more. Everything was well balanced, down to its lengthy and pleasant finish. This is serious bubbly, perfect for special occasions, or just a Tuesday night dinner. 

The 2018 Šember Pavel Extra Brut is their single vineyard (Pavel vineyard) sparkling wine, which is only produced in excellent vintages. The previous vintages included 2013 and 2016, and they have made subsequent bottlings in 2019 and 2020. They didn't make this wine in 2021 as frost damaged their grapes. About 5,000 bottles of the 2018 Pavel were made. Again using the Méthode Champenoise, this wine was a blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Plavac Žuti, and spent at least three years on the lees. 

This was an exceptional sparkling wine, complex and alluring, subtle and seductive. When you think of the elements of quality Champagne, this wine possesses all of them, from its tiny bubbles to its complex aromas and flavors. Each sip brought something different to my palate, and you would enjoy slowly sipping this wine over the course of an evening, seeing how it unfolded over the hours. It's also the type of wine that eludes an easy description, one that needs to be experienced to fully understand. Highly recommended. 

With these three sparkling wines, it's easy to comprehend why Šember Winery has acquired an excellent reputation for Croatian bubbly. But don't ignore their still wines!

The 2019 Šember Rajniski Rizling, produced from Rhine Riesling, is a dry style Rieling, and we were informed that basically no one in the region makes sweet Riesling. This wine was aged in large Slavonian oak barrels and had a 13.5% ABV. A nice golden color, an aroma of apples and pear, and a palate with bright fruit flavors, some minerality and a touch of petrol. 

The 2017 Šember Rajniski Rizling Amphora was produced with 25 days of skin contact and had a 13.5% ABV. I'll also point out that this wine label uses Roman numerals for this vintage, which is their common practice for the best vintages. For normal vintages, like the 2019 (for the basic Riesling), they use regular numbers. I love this style of wine and this was an impressive example of such. Smooth, clean and tannic, with a complex and fascinating palate with notes of citrus, herbs and minerality. With a lengthy finish, and a rich mouthfeel, this wine would be great for many food pairings and we were told that the local restaurants love this wine. Highly recommended! I'll also note that I was impressed with many of the orange/amber wines I tasted in Croatia.

The 2018 Šember Pinot Crni ("Pinot Noir") is sourced from young vineyards and was aged in 500 liter French oak  barrels, a mix of new and used. 2018 was another very good vintage, as we see by the Roman numerals on the label. Another excellent wine. Elegant and complex, this Pinot had bright cherry flavors, subtle spice notes, and good acidity. Delicious, food friendly, and definitely a style I enjoy very much.

Our final wine of the tasting was the Šember Pet Nat Duck, produced in the Méthode Ancestrale from Blauer Portugieser. Tasty, refreshing and with bright red fruit flavors. A fun wine, great on its own or paired with food. Why is it called "Duck?" The "Duck" is a nickname for a type of car, the Citreon 2CV, which you can see on the label. The Šember family owns a 1971 "Duck" which we saw parked on their property.

Their Duck is also an advertisement for their winery. 

The front of the vehicle also shows their love for Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones. 

And the rear of the vehicle has a nod to B.B. King.

Their friendly wine dog is named Jimi, also in honor of Jimi Hendrix.

Šember Winery was another enjoyable winery to visit, with an excellent portfolio of wines, from Sparkling Wines to Amphora ones. Croatian sparkling wine certainly needs to be better known to wine lovers, and those of Šember would be a great place to start. Croatian Pinot Noir also needs to be more well known, and the quality of those wines was a pleasant surprise to me. 

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.
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1) Bonde Fine Wine Shop, located at 54 Church St. in Harvard Square, announces its recurring, wine tasting series for the month of September, "Chef’s Table: Pairing American Wines with International Cuisine." Sommelier and owner, Bertil Jean-Chronberg will collaborate with some of Cambridge's chefs and educate participants on how to pair worldly cuisines with American wines.

Each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., a maximum of eight participants will have the chance to learn and experience food and wine pairings from around the world. Individuals will also have the opportunity to meet and taste the cuisine of the guest chefs. During the tasting, Bertil Jean-Chronberg, will provide detailed explanations for each pairing. The tasting will be available to guests from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., with tickets on sale at $85 per person. Wines consumed at the tasting are available for purchase.

For the month of September, the remaining tasting events include:

--September 14: Experience the spice-filled cuisine of China with chef and owner Jason Doo of Wusong Road Restaurant

--September 21: An evening of Persian sweets with pastry-chef and owner, Soheil Fathi, of La Saison Bakery

--September 28: Experience the cuisine of Lima, Peru with guests chef JuanMa Calderón and Maria Rondeau of La Royal and Celeste restaurants.

To purchase tickets, please visit Bonde Fine Wine Shop’s website.

2) In June, Mirena and Win of Croatian Premium Wine Imports (CPWI) visited the Bibić Winery in Croatia and had a great time exploring a collaboration. They mentioned that Alen & Filip Bibić were great people that happen to make great wine. The collaboration came to fruition and now CPWI represents the BIBICh wines in the US. 

They were able to take over a large inventory of BIBICh wine. In order to make room for new releases, they are offering these wines at substantial discounts for a limited time on their website. Following are the wines in this inventory:

Bibich R5 2017 (white blend)
Bibich Pošip 2018 

Bibich Maximilian Rebula 2011 (orange/amber wine)
Bibich R6 2017 (red blend)
Bibich G6 Grenache 2017
Bibich Babić 2016
Bibich Sangreal Shiraz 2016
Bibich Bas de Bas 2015
Bibich Ambra 2015 (Prošek)

I had the opportunity recently to taste theser wines with Mirena and Win, and I highlighted my Top Three Favorites above. All three highlight indigenous grapes, which may be unfamiliar to many wine lovers, but which they would likely enjoy very much. And as they are discounted right now, it's an excellent opportunity to experience these delicious wines. In addition, the 2015 Bibich Bas de Bas is a high quality wine, complex and intriguing, and is produced primarily from Syrah, with a small portion of Merlot. It's a splurge wine, and maybe something to buy for a gift for a loved one for the upcoming holiday season. 

Vina Josip Braje in Plešivica: From Pet-Nat to Pinot Noir

If you start your vinous exploration of Croatia in the capital of Zagreb (as I did on my recent trip), then you should next explore the wine region of Plešivica, which is located less than an hour from Zagreb. There is a small village named Plesivica and it provided its name to the wine region as well, which is located on the south side of the Vinjani Hills, near the Cetina River.

Plešivica is a continental wine region comprised of about 2,300 hectares of vineyards and around 40 wineries. Vineyards existed in this region at least since the 14th century. Most of the wineries in this region are small, almost all owning less than 10 hectares of vineyards. The vineyards mostly are planted with international varieties, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah, although you'll find some Austrian grapes as well. About 70% of their vineyards are planted with white grapes, and the grapes commonly have high acidity.

Plešivica is sometimes referred to as "Croatia's Champagne," as the region is famed for its sparkling wines and its calcareous soils resembling those found in the Champagne region. In addition, you'll find some wineries that have been experimenting with the use of amphorae, creating compelling orange/amber wines.

It's a beautiful region, with great natural scenery, and is beginning to boost its appeal to tourists, especially wine tourists. One of the major attractions of the regions is the Plitvice Lakes National Park, which possesses sixteen different lakes, and has various hiking trails through the forests and along the lakes. The park is also filled with many different animals and plants, and even has the largest number of the endangered arctic hares in all of Europe.

During my trip, I visited several of the wineries in Plešivica, and was impressed with what I tasted, from killer Sparkling Wines to delicious Pinot Noir, as well as a few more unique wines. You won't regret visiting this wine region.

Early one morning, our first stop of the day was Vina Josip Braje, situated in the tiny settlement of Lokošin Dol. It's a small winery, with about 5 hectares of vineyards, growing 5 different grapes, and producing approximately 20K-25K bottles annually. They are trying to make their winery more attractive to tourists, including with a restaurant for special dinners. Interestingly, one of their latest problems, which threatens their vineyards, are American crickets, which are fluorescent yellow, and have to be hunted before they can do damage to the vines.  

Back in 1921, the owner's grandfather produced wine, but wasn't selling it legally. It was more a "blackmarket" wine, and their grandfather decided at one point o enter the wine in a competition in Zagreb, curious how the wine would fare against others. His wine was fine enough to win 3rd place in the competition, but the grandfather ran into problems because it was a blackmarket wine, and he ended up spending two weeks in jail. In 1929, he would get a degree from the University of Zagreb (pictured above), and continue producing wine. 

Before we started wine tasting, and even though it was still early in the morning, Robert Braje (pictured above) offered us some home-made grappa. We certainly weren't going to refuse such an offer, and got to taste two different grappas. The first was made from local pears, and possessed a pleasing pear flavor, a bit of sweetness, and wasn't too potent. My preference was the second grappa, made from a blend of 70% Blauer Portugieser and 30% Syrah, with the addition of raspberries. It was smooth and delicious, with bright red fruit flavors. 

We then started our wine tasting with two Pet-Nat wines. The first Pet-Nat was made from a base of Roter Veltliner, an Austrian grape which I'll discuss more below. This is a more natural wine, using yeast from the vineyard and without the addition of any sulfur. There is sediment in the bottle, making it cloudy in the glass, and it's very fizzy. We were told that the Pet-Nat is produced more for the tourist market as many Croatians see it as "unclean." With a 10.5% ABV, it was light, dry, and refreshing with bright lemon and citrus flavors. 

The 2021 Pet-Nat Rosé, made from Pinot Noir, has an 11% ABV, and it too was crisp and dry, with pleasing red fruit flavors and plenty of bubbles. Refreshing and light, it would be a fun summer wine.

As a snack for our wine tasting, Robert's wife, Sandra, made us Soparnik, a Dalmatian speciality which is essentially a savory pie made with Swiss chard and young cheese. This dish has been declared an intangible cultural heritage of Croatia and the European Union has also issued it a protected designation of origin. This soparnik was also made with nettles, and it had a nice, flaky pastry, herbal accents, and was quite delicious. 

The 2020 Veltlinac Crveni is produced from 100% Roter Veltliner. You might think this grape is related to Grüner Veltliner, but it's not. Roter Veltliner, which is also known as Roter Muskateller and Roter Reifler (among many other synonyms), is an ancient grape whose parentage is unknown. "Roter" means "red" though the grape actually only has a pinkish tinge and it makes white wine. "Veltliner" refers to the Austrian village of Veltliner. Even though the grape has existed in the Plešivica region for over 300 years, Braje may be the only winery in the Plešivica region currently growing this grape, and it is rare throughout Croatia. 

The 2020 Veltlinac Crveni, with a 12.5% ABV, is a white wine, which sees only stainless steel, and which is crisp and dry, with delightful fruity aromas. On the palate, there are tasty flavors of pear and melon, with herbal notes, and good acidity. They believe this wine can easily age for at least ten years due to its acidity. They call this a "summer wine" and it certainly would be excellent as such, but as it would pair well with a variety of foods, this wine would be fine year round. Highly recommended. 

The 2021 Pinot Sivi is made from 100% Pinot Gris, and was kept on the less for one month. With a 12.5% ABV, it was crisp and dry, with nice pear and peach flavors, and a rich mouthfeel. Easy drinking and pleasant. 

The 2020 Rajnski Rizling, made from 100% Rhine Riesling, has a 12.5% ABV and spent a time in large Slavonian oak barrels. This is a dry-style Riesling, with crisp acidity, citrus and stone fruit flavors, and a backbone of minerality. Definitely my preferred style of Riesling. I would find other Riesling wines during my time in Croatia and most of them were in this style. 

The 2018 Pinot Crni, which is made from 100% Pinot Noir, was an eye-opener as I wasn't expecting Croatian Pinot Noir to taste so good. This wine, with a 13.5% ABV, spent about 12 months in Slavonian oak; and had a medium red color with a pleasing nose of fruit and floral elements. On the palate, it was smooth and elegant, with bright and tart cherry notes, a hint of earthiness, and other subtle flavors, creating a more complex taste. It possessed a lengthy, satisfying finish, and overall was a compelling wine. It tasted much more like Burgundy rather than California Pinot. I would taste other excellent Pinot Noir during my time in Croatia, which was quite a surprise. In general, they all were more like Burgundy in style. Highly recommended.

Within Croatia, all of these wines were also excellent values, priced from about $9-$15! They would have been good values even if the price was doubled. I wish I could have shipped a couple cases of these home with me. I was glad to have visited Vina Josip Braje, experienced their hospitality and tasted their wines.  

And it was nice to meet their friendly "wine dog."

Rant: Would You Eat A Rat?

Would you eat a rat? 

Back in 2014, I first met Chef Bun Lai, formerly of Miya's Sushi in Connecticut, and found him to be a genuine person, down-to-earth, and extremely passionate. He truly is concerned with doing his part to make the world a better place, from helping those in his community to setting an example for others. He is devoted to sustainability, and trying to educate others on that vital issue. Yet he remains humble, and that humility is definitely sincere. 

Recently, he hosted a farm-to-table dinner titled Why Not Eat Rats? On Facebook, he stated, "I’ll be serving wild and farmed rats three ways: a recipe inspired by the Musahar of India, a marginalized and suppressed group of desperately poor people forced to eat rats, a food that both defines them and separates them from the rest of Indian society; and a couple of preparations of rat that are American classics that usually feature beef, pork, or poultry. It’s worth noting that most of the world that eats rats chooses to, even considering the meat to be gourmet."

For most Americans, the idea of eating rats might disgust them. However, others around the world eat and enjoy rats. Why don't Americans do so? This revolves around a greater question: Which animals are acceptable to eat and which are not? And why? 

Americans primarily eat three animals: cows, pigs, and chickens. Approximately 10 billion animals are slaughtered in the U.S. annually, and almost 9 billion of them are chickens. Most Americans have boring palates, restricting most of their consumption to such a limited choice. A far smaller amount of Americans eat lamb, goat, rabbit, deer, seafood, and other such animals. 

A hundred years ago or so, Americans were more adventurous with their palates but that has been changing over time. We need to return to that prior time, and consumer a greater variety of animals, especially those which are more sustainable. It's a very arbitrary decision as which animals are acceptable for consumption, one which changes over time. It has a cultural element as well, although that can be overcome if you are willing to do so.

Rabbit is very sustainable and nutritious, as well as tasty and versatile. However, many people have a psychology aversion to consuming rabbit, as they see it more as a pet than a dinner item. The same with guinea pigs, which are hugely popular in Peru, but in the U.S., it's a rarity, generally found only in Peruvian restaurants. Insects are another sustainable and nutritious food, and which used to be available at Miya's Sushi. Insects don't remind people of pets, but the idea of eating them seems disgusting. I love rabbit, and have also enjoyed guinea pig and insects. 

I've never eaten rat, but would be willing to try it. How about you?

People should break through their psychological barriers and try some of the less commonly eaten animals, especially if they are concerned about sustainability. Many of these proteins are not only delicious but also good for you, good for society, and good for the environment.