Cheesy Coupling

In my opinion nothing is more opulent on the palate than a perfectly placed wine and cheese pairing. It draws me back to warm summer afternoons in France, the cheese warming on the platter under the sun, four open bottles on the table and rousting conversation about politics, religion or beliefs.
But with so many wines and so many cheeses…how do you create the perfect cheese plate? The cheese plate that will let your guests know you are sharing more than just food and drink, but creating an experience…

Have you ever considered serving both red and white wine? I know, I know…I too am an avid red wine drinker and can’t imagine watching my friends drink white wine and neglect the beautiful reds on the table. The truth is that some people prefer whites and some cheeses pair better with whites. It is best to encourage attendees to double fist! Have a glass of each and try each cheese with both red and white. It may also be fun to offer a high end beer. Beer is often an underappreciated accompaniment to cheese. Think about a Belgian brew with a nice stiff parmesan or stilton. Experiment and make your event entertaining by allowing your guest to experiment and discuss their favorite combinations. It will control an amazing conversation and draw on long lost memories.
When preparing your cheeses remember to take them out of the refrigerator in time to serve them at room temperature. Allow at least an hour for cheese to warm up before cutting and serving. I recall my experiences in France eating sun baked cheese. It stood out to me, made the cheese more flavorful and easier to eat. Serving cheese at the appropriate temperature opens up it’s flavors, just as temperature does for wine. You also will want to consider purchasing your cheese only a day or so prior to your pairing. Cheese has a new vintage everyday. It will change quickly and may not be the same cheese you tasted at the store. A quick tip on helping your cheese age well and stay fresh is to take it out of the plastic when you get home and wrap it in parchment or wax paper to store it. Make sure you tape the label to the new wrapping as to avoid confusion!
Don’t stress out about your cheese selection. Get creative. Instead of sticking to the basics find a strange cheese you have never had before. Raclette, gruyere and aged blue cheese all pair well and can be found in all shapes sizes and ages. Try two different goat cheeses infused with different ingredients. If you vary your wine or beer varieties you will be able to vary your cheeses and all will find something they enjoy.
If you are attempting to pair a specific wine you may want to research further on that particular winemaker and vintage to decide what type of cheese would best pair. But remember that everyone’s palate is different and there is no correct answer for a pairing. Cheeses will draw out flavors in whine that you did not previously taste or smell, but each cheese may do something different dependant on the palate! Don’t force it, enjoy and attempt them all.
Lastly…give a spark to your cheese pairing with fruits, jams and my personal favorite, herbs. Don’t over due it, but do offer a few extras. Bread or crackers are also a great accompaniment, not only to they make a great serving utensil for cheese, but they will help to clear your palate between pairings, wines or cheeses.
Be creative. Try something new. You may be surprised how much you learn about your own palate when you pair cheese, wine and beer.

Carmenère…The Con Artist

Originally widely grown in Bordeaux, and considered nearly the equal of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere was long considered to be nonexistent in the modern day wine world. As a grape it is phinicky and can be tricky to cultivate. The vinterners of Bordeaux used it to add complexity and gerth to their wines. In the late 1800s a fun little pest called phylloxera ate it’s way through the vineyards of Bordeaux. Due to Carmenere’s picky persona it was never resurrected in France after the replanting post phylloxera. Alas…we thought all was lost.

Chilean Carmenere

The underground world of wine has saved Carmenere. Clippings, most likely taken illegally, escaped to Chile prior to the phylloxera outbreak. The vines were mistakenly planted, cultivated and bottles labeled as Merlot until 1996. It was then that vintners began to distinguisht he difference between the two and bottles bearing the grape name Carmenere began to show up on shelves. Not only does Chile make an excellent single varietal Carmenere, but we now have evidence that it is a pre-phylloxera French vine, a gem stone to wine lovers all over the world.

Carmenere

Carmenere is a complex and devious grape, with a unique personality in the bottle. Other areas are quickly picking up on Chile’s golden nugget and attempting to cultivate cuttings of this epic find. Given it’s newness and economy of the region it hails from, Carmenere is a beautiful and complex glass that is easy on the pocket book.

Beware that not all bottle from Chile are made equal!!! Check out atleast one or two of these recommendations (by yours truly) before you judge…
Clos Apalta” wine from Casa Lapostolle Rapal Valley
Concha y Toro Carmenere Casillero del Diablo Rapel Valley (Wine Spectator 85 & Parker 85 for 2007)
Concha y Toro Carmenere Terrunyo Peumo Vineyard Block 27 Rapel Valley
Arboleda Carmenere Colchagua Valley (Wine Spectator 87 Parker 82 for 2007)
Inama Oratorio di San Lorenzo Veneto Rosso (Wine Spectator 93 & Parker 91 for 2004)

What’s in a label?

I have so much catching up to do and so much to write about.  Last week being spring break, I did not take the time to sit down and type at the computer.  The weather was beautiful and I was out in it!  Check out my photo site for pics from the Dallas Arboretum!  megangracephotography.smugmug.com

I read up on a few medical things related to red wine.  Resveratrol, which is the active ingredient in Red Wine that is full of anti-aging antioxidants, is being used in an anti-aging serum made by SkinBontanica that is supposed to smooth out lines and firm skin.  The serum is called 100% Pure Red Wine Resveratrol Hydrate Concentrate and also includes numerous botanical extracts and vitamins, like Acai Berry and Vitamin C.  Check out SkinBontanica.com for more info.

There is also a recent study out about the correlation of a woman’s weight and moderation of alcohol.  It’s the new red wine paradox: Women of normal weight who drank a moderate amount of alcohol – especially red wine – were less likely to gain weight than women who didn’t drink at all, despite the calories in wine, beer and liquor.  The correlation is weak, but I suspect that there may be an underling correlation of happiness with moderate drinkers that also lends to better weight moderation.  Int eh study 20,000 healthy women age 38 and older answered questions yearly about their weight and alcohol consumption.  After 13 years, 41% of the women became overweight and 4% obese.  Women who did not drink gained the most weight and the amount gained slid lower as the amount of alcohol consumed climbed.  In the study is was found that women who had one to two drinks daily had a 30% lower risk of becoming overweight.  Red wine accounted for the strongest association.  I don’t think this is reason to start drinking daily, but it is a perplexing paradox that I hope will have further study.

Now on to our real topic today..wine labels.

Have you even purchased a bottle of wine solely because the label caught your attention.  We’ve all done it…strolling down the wine aisle at world market something jumps out at us and we can’t help but laugh, smile or blush.  Those labels stick with you.  Is it good marketing, or a cover up for a lack of memorable liquid inside?

Kathie Retelle, owner of Savoir Faire on the Capitol Square, sells wines that catch the eye.  Her wines may have festive closures with helmets and decorations, interesting titles like “Broke Ass” and “Old Geezer, or be in odd shaped bottles.  “Sometimes it doesn’t even matter if the wine is any good,” Katie told the Capital Times in a interview.  Umm…wrong.  Why would anyone purchase wine just for the bottle.  Stores like Pier 1, Crate and Barrel and Ikea sell cute little bottles in all shapes and colors that are much less expensive and easily customizable.  Why bother with the grape juice if it’s just decoration.  Retelle argues that the best sellers are those that lend themselves to gift occasion.  So where is the line on over the top marketing?  Is there a happy balance for both or should all good wines come in generic bottles with generic labels?

My personal opinion is split.  I am completely turned off by old world wine who are trying to look contemporary.  Know your shelf, you place and your dignity old world.  Don’t look like the 40 year old house frau whose flirting with the pool boy.  But, for new world wines I find that there is need for unique and creative marketing to have your bottle be seen.  This does not mean I believe in naming it something  stupid, but investing your marketing dollars in classy, tasteful and informative marketing is needed.  People want the whole package in wine.  It needs to look beautiful, inspiring and intriguing on the rack or table, smell and look sexy in the glass, and then taste satisfactory on the palette.  Finn Berge, co-owner of Barriques wine stores comments that “If a customer enjoys the bottle, (the label is) what’s going to help them remember it each time they come in.”  Thus we come to the balance of the wine bottle.  I always consider it a feel.  Much like jazz music wine has an overall aroma, feel and attitude that varies bottle to bottle.  Good marketing plays up a total attitude and markets to the person looking for that feel, may it be something spicy to pair with thai, supple to go with chicken cordon blue or bold to match a stinky cheese homemade pizza!

I have a definite prejudice against over the top wine marketing.  I am of the mind that wine should sell itself.  If you are spending tons of money on marketing you are spending less on production quality, and you surely must be compensating for lack of quality!  Coming up with a cheesy name or catchy label does not change the quality of the slop you fill the bottles with.  And it accosts me that anyone would design a label without varietal, vintage or location on the front.  That is just bad wine etiquette!  When it comes to wine labeling there are two ideas that seems to fight for balance.  memorable and stylish labeling versus quality.

The key to marketing wine is creating that feel.  The Capital Times article sited a red blend by Oreana that scores high marks and is labeled with a big orange question mark.  While I have issues with the lack of varietal, location and vintage information, I do believe this is fairly ingenious marketing.  It’s simple, memorable and intriguing with a palatable glass waiting inside.

Another wine label that I find well balanced yet intriguing is Bogle’s Phantom.  It caught my eye one day in a small store in New York.  Bogle is a big name, but this bottle had a totally different atmosphere.  It as dark, mystic and ominous.  The front label told me all the pertinent info while grasping my attention with it’s mysteriousness.  The wine inside matched the quality of it’s marketing and the story and reasoning behind the naming and making of Phantom ties up the entire concept!

Another wine mentioned in all this label debate is Think Pink, which I believe to be an abomination of the word wine.  It is housed in an aluminum bottle with a note about recycle/be cool at the bottom.  Is glass not recyclable anymore?  It’s a screw cap rose that does not match the amount you paid for the cool bottle that encourages you to love your planet!

Lastly…It just wouldn’t be a rant about labels if I didn’t at least mention Chateau Mouton-Rothschild.  Though they fall in the old world “stick to your guns with the classic label” category for me they win the wine label contest world wide.   It was Baron de Rothschild who first began to estate bottle wines in Medoc Bordeaux.  Previous to 1924 wines were sold in casks to merchants who then were responsible for maturation, bottling and sales.  Rothschild revolutionized the label, giving it new importance and function.  In 1945  Rothschild commissioned the young painter Philippe Jullian to produce a graphic design for the label to dedicate it to the liberation of France, it was to be based on the “V” sign made famous by Winston Churchill during the war.  From 1946 on a contemporary artist has been commissioned to create a unique label for each vintage.  The most famous include 1973 by Picasso, 1975 by Warhol and 1958 by Dali.  You can view the entire gallery of works at  theartistlabels.com.  It truly is art on and inside the bottle.  Beyond Perfect!!

Quake Resonates Across the Wine World

If you are living, breathing, news watching human being you have no doubly heard about the now four major earthquakes around the pacific tectonic plate.  They are tragedies that most of us cannot begin to grasp.  Countries that already suffered from plights of economic, social and military nature have now been faced with some of the greatest devastation mother nature has to offer.  As I watched in awe the news footage of broken families, dilapidated houses and destroyed infrastructure during the first quake I was thankful that here in Texas I only worry about Tornados.  Then the news broke of the Chilean quake.  As I watched the first few hours of coverage it never occurred to me that my connection to Chile may be affected.  I have a special place in my heart for Chile because of the fabulous, bold and tantalizing wine produced in various regions of the country.  It never occurred to me that the quake would affect the wineries.  Surely some shaking can’t hurt grapes too bad right?!?! 

As I paroozed CNN this weekend I found devastating information for true oenophiles …Chile’s wine production has been spoiled by the quake. 

This last weekend was scheduled to be the three-day long harvest celebration in Santa Cruz, near the Calchagua Valley wine region.  The festivities were all cancelled after the destruction was discovered in the wine cellars of the area.  It was unfortunate that the quake affected the celebration, but luckily for wine growers it is time to harvest, which will save some of their crop.  Bisquertt Winery, a 1400 acre vineyard, reported cracked tanks, bursting barrels and shattered bottles that released approximately 20,000 liters of red wine.  CNN reported five days after the quake that the 300-foot-long road to the winery still sour and slushy with the red torrent that streamed down the road and into the vineyards.  Another winery in the area, Montgras, estimated loosing 30,000 liters of wine.  Many more wineries in the valley, as well as the well-known central-south region which is responsible for 70% of the wine production in Chile, were hit by the magnitude 8.8 earthquake.  The Vinos de Chile, Chile’s largest wine growers association, estimates total losses at $250 million and estimates 12.5% of current production has been destroyed.  Chile exports $1.3 billion or approximately 70% of total production.  The United States is only the second biggest buyer, Europe being the biggest, importing about $250 million of the exported production.  Santa Cruz, which is the largest city in the Colchagua Valley, provides about 20% of its employment from the local wineries.  A winery near the town of Peralillo, Ureta Winery, has posted a sign for temporary day laborers to assist in harvesting their vineyards that are swamped with the spilled and souring red wine.  Ureta estimated needing 30 individuals, but CNN only reported 9 workers showing up.   U.S. wine importers are concerned about shortages in the Chilean supply, but Chilean wine growers say that Chilean people are familiar with overcoming adversity and feel that through hard work and dedication they will be back on their feet in no time.  One wine importer, Greg Livengood, was reported by CNN as saying “The feeling is that we will ride out the storm with Chile” this referring to a question about whether importers are looking to competing regions to fill up the potential lack of Chilean supplies.  Wine is a part of local culture and pride in these regions of Chile.  It is my hope, and most likely the hope of the entire wine world, that Chile’s wine makers not only rebound, but gain strength through this adversity. 

I personally prefer Chilean Cabernet to almost any other California production.  You can almost taste the culture, hard work and innovation they put into each bottle.  In my wine buyers mind Chile’s greatest competitor is Argentina, whose Mendoza valley is creating world-class reds like Malbec.  CNN sites more commercialized Australia as the largest competitor.  Either way you can’t beat the price on a bottle of Chilean Cab, it will present bold flavors and a rich tradition unmatched by the common glass.  My thought are with you Chile.  May your wine soaked streets, devastated housing, and grieving people teach the world how dedication, passion and love will keep you strong.  To the wine makers of Chile, please continue to give us your best…the wine world supports you 100%.

Seeing Red

Thomas Arvid…painter, sculptor and wine aficionado.  It’s a natural jump for the connoisseur of fine living, art plus wine must equal success.  Thomas Arvid discovered exactly that.  Often being credited with launching a major trend in art, Thomas was always inspired by all things red.  Though he started out painting various unrefined commodities, wine stood out.  ”Every time I tried to do a red wine painting, somebody would buy it off my easel,” he told the Associated Press. “It took me about four or five attempts before I realized maybe I was onto something.”  Thomas Arvid now has a 4 year wait list for original work and has expanded to include other mediums.  His most recent undertaking was a sculpture of a Silver Oak cork entitled “Cork Envy”.  Thomas is an extremely gifted artist, his works tell a story and seem to jump off the page to capture your intrigue.  They fooled me at first…he is such a realistic painter that he could often be mistaken for a photographer.  His paintings will certainly inspire me to shoot from a few different angles.  Visit his website www.ThomasArvid.com to view his creations, read more about the man behind the art and learn about his next showing near you!

Does Wine Pair Well with Dog?

In a recent interview with CNN Jancis Robinson, author of The Wine Atlas of the World, reveled some very shocking truths about wine consumption in China. Most Americans are unaware of the cultural misgivings in China with regards to wine. We seem to only be caught up on their consumption of furry friendly creatures, their bike riding, busy streets and communism, but they too have a wine culture all it’s own.
Unfortunately purchasing wine in China is more outrageous than the mark up on cold beer in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium! This means that wine becomes a status symbol and not a beloved hobby or connoisseurs passion. It’s interesting to think that one of the most successful countries in the world is unable to understand a culturally expansive piece of art like wine. As I read the interview with Ms. Robinson one thing stupified me…Wine + Coke?!?!?! Yes, the Chinese have such bad wine taste that they will purchase big expensive French wines and have to mix in coke to choke them down. I am not only dry heaving at the thought of that taste, but also weeping for the waste of good wine. “I’ve heard that some people with a lot of money here buy very expensive French wine, but don’t really like the taste, so they pour something like Coca Cola or Sprite into it. That’s not how the wine was meant to be enjoyed.” – Jancis Robinson (http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/drink/interview-jancis-robinson-first-lady-wine-387623)
China…you may win gold at the Olympics, but the rest of the world is kicking your butts at Oenology!! Get on the ball, or glass should I say?!?!

The article also mentions Grace Vineyards as an excellent Chinese Wine selection…they are all dissonant with the wine world.

Tasting Notes

Let me start with a big…I’m Sorry… I have been lacks on adding some tasting notes…this is after all a wine and photo blog.  I will be adding quite a few today…mostly things I found worthy of writing down in my tasting book…and mostly things I have found here locally for decent prices.  May I note that it is very difficult to find what I consider worthy wine in this area without paying for a big name bottle.  Unlike back in College Station, where we have the wonderful Spec’s stores that carry an array of wines from all over the world in all different price ranges and you stand on the Bordeaux aisle (yes it has it’s own…not just a “france” section) deciding between 3 grand crus in your price range.  Upstate seems to have one of three things; 1. Common cheap California, “France” and Italian Labels…2. Expensive French Wine with huge names like Chateau Margeaux (and they want your first born for it) or 3. Uncork New York (New York State wines…fairly good if you like whites and only judge it compared to other NYS wine or Jersey wine, etc).  So I have struggled to find what I consider writing worthy wine, I was truly spoiled back in Texas and was even more spoiled in France where I stood next to the grapes and tried 3 different vintages of the same label to pick out tiny differences in vintage maturation, climate and plant growth.  So please understand this about my wine tasting…

I have a love for all wines.  It is important to understand all areas of the subject.  You cannot judge a wine solely by how good it is in comparison to every bottle you have ever tasted.  I tend to judge simple bottles based within a category.  When I taste New York wines and say they are good, I am commenting based on the other wines from the region that I have tasted.  A bottle can be judged on a broad scale, but I do not serve a purpose for doing that…if that was the case I would be spending half a million a year on wine just to keep me happy.  Also understand that I am in all truth-i-ness a Bordeaux drinker.  My knowledge was gained in country and it is my utmost passion in life.  Because of this nature I also enjoy hearty Argentinian, Chilean and South American wines.  I do not limit myself, but as all humans do, I have a preference.

I hope this helps you with a frame of reference for my tasting notes.  Though you will not see a Bordeaux listed as of the moment, you will notice the likeness in varietals, color, tannin and depth in the wines I choose to drink.

Wine Tasting Notes….

Pascual Toso Reserve – 2006

Malbec – Las Barrancas Vinyards – Mendoza, Argentina

Purchased at Clayton Wine and Spirits March 2009 ($20.00)

Drank March 20, 2009 (with Ryan)

Ruby red color that is thickly transparent, I am able to see shadows of figures through it, but unable to distinguish detail.  The edges tend to gain transparency quickly.  Aromas of deep fruits, like cherry, and a mild vanilla can be detected before agitation, mint seems to emerge with agitation.  The wine begins with a strong vanilla flavor up front and the tannin sets in with a mild puckering flavor as it matures in your mouth.  The fruit is sweet, but balance out by the spicy nature of the grape.  The finish consists of strong pepper accents, creamy dry texture and a lingering fruit in the center of your tongue.  This is an excellent example of a malbec, fruity, spicy yet tender enough to drink nightly.  I do not feel it would age well, due to it’s weak color and bitterness after extended opening.  This winery is one of the oldest and most respected wineries in the area.  It was founded in 1890 by a Italian immigrant, Pascual Toso, who discovered the potential in the region.  They have the capacity to produce 6 million litres per year at the Barrancas winery (there is a second non-estate winery), whose wine production area was the original home of Toso.  They are equipped with state of the art machinery from France and create wine based on old vineyard principals.

Sailboats on Saturday

As I stepped out my back door to the porch I was ready to investigate the weather.  I was unprepared for the suprise I had been readily awaiting since I moved to our new apartment.  Sailboats!  I noticed this week that some had begun to be docked out in the bay, but had forgotten in the morning haze about my excitement of the potential boats.  As I looked down toward the bay there was a flock of sailboats floating around the channel.  It was quite an odd site, they looked much like a flock of birds wandering the water.  Some seemed to move while others stood still, I could see people talk to each other from boat to boat.  I bashed inside to grab my trusty stead, the Nikon, and quickly snapped a few shots.  The clouds were just subsiding from all the rain we have had in the last few days and the sun was coming out for the first time since Tuesday.  It was in all consideration a perfect moment.  The only thing I wished for was Ryan to be home so we could take the boat out closer to them, I don’t drive the boat!   My pictures came our fairly well with no edits…here are a few.  I’ll work on editing…check back for more.

Sticking out in the crowd this boat appeared to be the big cheese

Sailboats flocking together like less frightening seagulls

Thought it was strange how they all were in the same area of the channel, like a flock.

inspi.re

inspi.re is a new beta site that hosts photography forums and competitions.  I enjoy that it affords me the chance for others to see my work and critique my technique or eye.  It is a wonderful way for me to grow as a photographer and to gain perspective by seeing how other interpret the subjects.  I will be sharing some of my inspi.re images with you, as well as sharing ones that I feel showed exemplary status in portraying the theme.

The first competition was in my beginners group.  The theme was domestic art…a picture of something you have around your house in a new light.  I contributed the guitar shot I shot a few days ago.  It is funny that when I shot that I was attempting to shoot something here at home in a new point of focus.  Guess it was destiny.

Guitar Lessons

These are not perfect compositions, but I was working with my new filters to gain control over a focus point.  I have chosen my favorite of hte guitar photos, but again is a work in progress.  I like that the strings appear to vibrate when out of focus…perhaps something I can work with.  Next week I will be shooting for a magazine here in the Thousand Islands…pictures promised once edited!

Working with focus points