Salon Saturday December 05

Introduction

So now that turkey day is gone, except for the leftovers – turkey tetrazzini anyone? – we can focus on Christmas. After the Thanksgiving crowd left we needed to lay down some more wine for several December upcoming events. That means red, pink, white & sparkling wines, not to mention dessert wines. That’s a lot of wine to process.

Wines for Christmas

When considering wines for the holidays, the number required for parties, family dinners and that Christmas dinner suggest volume discounts or finding high QPR wines. Inflation has hit wine and spirits like everything else so shopping more carefully makes sense.

Sparkling wines:

Champagne might not be on everyone’s budget list, but consider the many alternatives that will still yield good results.

• Crémant wines from Loire, Alsace and Burgundy still provide quality French bubbles
• Spanish Cava from Penedés are also done in the traditional (Champagne) method
• Italian Prosecco wines are popular and numerous; DOCG versions even better
• Domestic sparklers, many from French producers, offer quality at the Champagne level
• Magnums of some producers can save a bit of money but Champagne houses charge premium rates for them.

Opening Champagne Safely

Optomologists will tell you the most common eye injury from a flying object is, you guessed it, Champagne corks. This would apply to any bubbly using the traditional method, with its attendant higher pressure. So bearing that in mind, don’t point the cork end at anyone; particularly the eye area, although crotch level is also not so good. Try pointing it at a vacant wall if this is your first time, and avoid chandeliers. And you thought this was just simply opening a bottle of wine. Au contraire.

Preparing and opening the bubbly: Here is your uncorking sparklers refresher.

• NV Champagne can age up to 3 years after release, cuvée de prestige much longer, so don’t feel those sparklers need to be consumed immediately.
• If storing for more than one month, keep sparklers horizontal in rack
• Start with a well-chilled bottle, not one rolling around the back seat of your car for the last hour.
• Holding bottle at 45 degrees loosen cage, 6 turns if you’re counting, but leave cage on
• Hold cork and cage firmly, turn the base of bottle, not cork
• Allow cork to slowly ease out but keep at 45 degrees for a few seconds after cork removed
• If done successfully only a tiny hiss should occur. What we professionals call the queen passing gas.
• Make sure flutes are handy if it foams and pour into glasses at 45 degrees to fill more quickly
• One can pour from the bottle by placing thumb in punt (indentation at base of bottle), less warming by hand, but more dangerous. Don’t try this with a Nebuchadnezzar (18L, 20 bottles).

Flutes versus coupé

In the 30s, 40s and 50s, the coupé was the more common glass to serve Champagne. The classic shape is reputed to have been formed from Marie Antoinette’s left breast. While the apocryphal story has a romantic ring, it’s hard to imagine this actually happening. “Excuse me, Marie, but can we borrow your breast to make some glasses?”

The advantage of the flute is that the tiny bubbles are on full display adding to the attraction of a classic sparkler. And unlike the Marie Antoinette coupé it does not lose its head quite so quickly and you don’t have to have it with cake.

White and Rose wines

These are often cheaper than their red counterparts at the low end, but not for quality wines. Some guests can only drink white or red so a number of each should be at hand.

• Chardonnay: A great all-purpose white wine. Washington State versions offer good quality at lower prices as does New Zealand and Chile.
• Sauvignon Blanc: pairs with even more foods than Chard and again Washington, New Zealand and Chile offer good value.
• Riesling: Washington State is where to look for dry to sweet versions of this grape. Many German and Austrian versions offer dry and off-dry at good prices.
• Viognier: Very popular choice, often sporting rich tropical fruit and lush mouthfeel
• White blends: blending of grapes can improve a wine’s flavor without relying on expensive single varietal wines. Check tasting notes as flavor profiles can be all over the place.
• Rose wines from Rhone Valley and Languedoc often not as pricey as Provence

Red wines for turkey and goose

These benefit from lower alcohol, low to medium weight and good balance.

• Beaujolais Village, Pinot Noir prices go from $10 to $100 so careful selection is required.
• Also check Barbera, particularly Shenandoah Valley/Gold Country) and Dolcetto (locally)
• Most red blends tend to be heavier-weighted.

Beef and lamb

This category works with a wide range of wines so it’s hard to mess up, but be careful of high alcohol wines such as Napa Cabs and Zinfandel. Anything over 14.5% ABV can have pairing problems.

• Washington State Cabs are generally cheaper and with less alcohol than California Cabs, but many wine lovers want a big, meaty red.
• Zinfandel wines are quite varied and can range from 14% to over 16%. Claret style are lighter, crisper and more balanced
• Syrah and Shiraz wines: French wines are lighter, more balanced and Australian versions are bigger, meatier and higher in alcohol. The same grape but when listed as a Shiraz expect it to be bigger.
• Don’t forget Spanish reds, which still are affordable at high quality

The etiquette of a guest bringing wine

When bringing wine to a party or dinner, bring what you like to drink as it might be the only wine you can drink. Do not be upset if no one else likes your selection; it means you get to drink more. However bringing a cheap wine and then drinking all the good stuff is not a good idea and might leave you off next year’s Christmas list and put coal in your stocking.

• Bringing a gift bottle means you leave it there; even if it’s unopened by the host.
• If you are bringing a special bottle to share, make sure the host knows it
• Knowing what the main course will be can help you decide what type to bring
• I usually tell my guests to bring what they like to drink, it takes the pressure off

Top Wine Lists of 2022

It’s that time of year when Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiasts and other magazines puts out their lists of the best wines and best buys as well as best wines to cellar. The lists also encompass the best beers and spirits. The Wine Enthusiasts lists include downloadable PDF files of each if you are away from your computer. Actually, with smart phones these days you never are far away from your computer.

Wine Enthusiasts Vintage Charts

If you log on to Wine Enthusiasts, and we do this regularly, you will find excellent wine vintage charts for every country and wine region. The charts list when to hold, when to drink and when to fold. Clear, consistent and easy to read, we encourage you to check these out. Although Old World wines can vary dramatically from year to year so can many New World wines if not to the same degree.

Wine Enthusiasts 100 Best Wines to Cellar

A perfect complement to WE vintage charts is the 100 best wines to cellar. We are assuming you have a cellar, or are building one, or have one of WE’s wine cabinets. These picks, starting with Louis Roederer 2014 Cristal Champagne at No. 1, and the original Super Tuscan, Tenuta San Guido’s 2019 Sassicaia at No. 2, offer a hint for what’s in store for those that store wines. Think about it; a sparkler that’s 8 years old and still not ready!

Books for December: Memory Man

Memory Man by David Baldacci 2015 Columbus Rose Ltd.

I’ve read a number of Baldacci’s novels, but that did not prepare me for this explosive work with one of the most memorable characters I’ve encountered. To say this novel is hard to put down is an understatement. I might as well have had it glued to my hands as hard as was to put down so I could do this review!

Amos Decker’s life changed after a near life-ending tackle that rewired his brain so that he never forgets anything he has witnessed, read or seen. It also makes him a great detective for the Burlington Police Department. The second life-changing event was coming home to find his family had been massacred by a diabolical foe that will stop at nothing to destroy him.

This is the first of six Decker novels Baldacci has written and who could blame him when he has such an irresistible main character. Do start with the first one, however, to learn how Decker, then memory man was created. As before, I’m listing movies based on an adaptation of his novels. I’d love to see a movie based on this oversized 350 pound character, but they’ll probably get Tom Cruise to play him . . . sigh!

• Absolute Power (1997 film), starring Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, and Ed Harris.
  Career thief Luther Whitney (Clint Eastwood) witnesses a horrific crime involving U.S. President Alan Richmond (Gene Hackman). Eastwood also directed, screenplay by William Goldman
• King & Maxwell (2013 TV series), starring Jon Tenney and Rebecca Romijn.
  Two Secret Service agents fall out of favor with the service, leave, and decide to partner as private investigators. Most series are available for streaming and binge watching.
• Wish You Well (2013 film), starring Mackenzie Foy, Josh Lucas, and Ellen Burstyn.
  A young girl and her brother come of age at their great-grandmother’s house in Virginia during the 1940s. Screenplay by Baldacci from his best seller novel. Available on Amazon Prime.

December Music: Jazz Christmas

The holidays have been celebrated with jazz probably since its inception. Some Pop music also has jazz roots or is shared between Pop and Jazz artists. I have about 250 jazz albums and several that are Christmas-inspired. Some of my favorite albums are:

• A Merry Jazzmas by Blue Note: Let it Snow, Winter Wonderland, The Christmas Song by Mel Tormé, but first recorded by Nat King Cole
• GRP Christmas Collection Vol I, II, III: Great compendiums of jazz artists from Dave Grusin & Larry Rosen, check out Merry Christmas Baby by B.B. King
• Jazz to the World: Fourplay, Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Dave Koz
• Mannheim Steamroller: Christmas Symphony, Xmas in the Aire, Xmas Song and Xmas Celebration are just some of the Christmas albums this group had produced. They are synonymous with the holidays. Mannheim Steamroller was at Popejoy earlier this month.
• Ray Anthony Dream Dancing Christmas: Big band songs that will take you back to the 40s & 50s.
• Tex Beneke Christmas Swing: We can’t forget swing for the holidays, a jumping collection.

The Wine Report: Wines worth Having

Hess Collection Allomi/Napa Valley 2019: $30 to $40

I picked this wine up from Costco to pair with my wife’s birthday dinner of Steak Diane en flambé and it went perfectly. This is a classic Bordeaux blend: 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petite Sirah, 5% Malbec, 4% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Well, almost classic; the Petite Sirah would have been Cabernet Franc, but the end result was a dependable easy-drinking wine that paired perfectly with the steak. The Allomi vineyard Hess wines have always delivered and this 90 to 92 point wine at a bit over $30 was a great deal. The purple label reflects the deep purple color of the wine.

Winemaker notes: The combination of steady heat and well-drained clay loam soils in our Allomi Vineyard allows fruit to ripen evenly, gaining welcomed complexity and layers of flavor. The Allomi Vineyard consistently delivers fruit of the highest quality, and this vintage was no different. On the nose, our Allomi Cabernet offers enticing aromas of currant, blackberry and elegant expressions of lavender. These aromas are complemented by layered flavors of juicy black fruit, most notably black cherry and black plum. Plush, well-integrated tannins provide a round, delicious mouthfeel, and lead to elements of espresso supported by a subtle oak spice, adding to the personality of the wine and reminding us why this is one of our most popular Napa offerings.” – Dave Guffy, Director of Winemaking

I’d pair this wine with prime ribs, filet mignon as I did, NY strip, rib eye or Porterhouse and lamb roast.

Dominic Hentall 2020 Sangiovese/Negroamaro 14.0% ABV: $19.99 (Angels: $12.99)

This is another very good wine from the Naked Wines portfolio. The wine is an IGT from Puglia in the Italian boot, comprised of 60% Sangiovese and 40% Negroamara. The restrained tannin and ripe fruit flavors make for a delightful wine that is at home with many Italian-inspired meals. Good balance with crisp acidity in a mid-weight and lively wine.

Negroamaro is a red grape that grows in abundance in Puglia but almost nowhere else; producing wines with rich black fruit flavors with a distinct finish of dried herbs. (Means black-bitter in Italian)

Torciano 2019 Sangiovese 100% “Monogram TT” Red Wine, ABV 13.5%, $32
Sangiovese IGT Toscana – from Tuscany, Italy: AWS has done two tastings of Tenuta Torciano. I served it with Turkey Italiano, red sauce, peppers, mushrooms over Fusilli pasta. The wine is rich, dense with tons of fruit and a high HDI.

Winemaker notes: Ruby red color tending to purple with an intense and complex olfactory range. A set of red flowers, plum and berries. In the mouth it is powerful, warm and extremely round.