Through the Wine Glass - The My Wines Direct Blog

...and it wasn't even Mardi Gras...

Last weekend was the 2nd Annual Wine Country Cajun Food & Music Festival in downtown Napa.  My hubby and I attended, along with our dog Bogie, aka Beauregard, and two Sonoma Valley friends.  Even though we hadn't attended last years event, I didn't have any trouble talking my hubby into this fete because as everyone knows, Cajun music is infectious and Cajun food even better.

As soon as we arrived, we were enveloped by the sounds of 8,000 people having a really good time.   There was a Mardi Gras-style parade, which wound through the downtown streets twice during the day.  Napa High's marching band was in attendance as was Henry Clement and the Gumbo Tribe.  Henry, dressed as his alter ego Chief Takawaka (I COULD NOT make up that name!), led the parade dressed all in feathers.   Music on multiple stages, zydeco, blues, you name it, people were dancing everywhere.  Each time the parade marched by, the colorfully-garbed attendees threw the requisite beaded necklaces to eager recipients both high and low.  Even Bogie amassed quite a few!

A party like this just wouldn't be complete without fabulous Cajun/Creole food and drink.  My friend Judy and I ordered wine, I picked a Napa Sauvignon Blanc and she chose a Sonoma Zinfandel.  The men opted for glasses of frosty Hefeweizen, an unfiltered wheat beer, from one of our local microbreweries.

When it came to choosing food, we had many options and not all of them Cajun or Creole.  Three of us went Cajun (you know, when in New Orleans...), with Judy enjoying slices of pizza, she being the most conservative diner of the group.   Randy ordered the alligator jambalaya, it's been a long time since I've had alligator, but he thought it tasted very much like chicken.  Kejay ordered the seafood gumbo which came with a big mound of white rice and sliced scallions.  I ordered the crayfish boil, which was a mess of crawdads, small red, round potatoes and pieces of corn on the cob, all cooked together in a spicy concoction. My serving was generous enough to share with my two more adventurous companions, we twisted off tails and sucked crawdad heads like New Orleans locals.  The Sauv Blanc I chose had a nice, crisp, citrusy body, which balanced out the richness and spiciness of the crayfish boil, it was a match made in heaven.

A few more hours of colorful costumes, fun music, group dancing and friendly Napans, and we were ready to head home for the evening.

The noble grape of Spain

Tempranillo, a well-pedigreed varietal responsible for some of the best wines in Spain, has had a harder time gaining ground in the US.  Christina Kelly, writing for The Chronicle, brings us up to date on this most maligned varietal.

According to Kelly, about 535 acres of Tempranillo were grown in the San Joaquin Valley in the 1960's, all produced for the jug wine market, to be blended with other varietals.  In the 1990's more acreage in California was planted, with growers hoping to produce fruit with superior qualities, due to the similarity of Spain and California's climates.  Currently, it's estimated that there are about 1,500 to 2,000 acres of Tempranillo planted in the US. Spain produces more, of course, with over 100,000 acres.

Tempranillos can be highly tannic and winemakers sometimes add Grenache, Syrah or Merlot, among others varietals, to flesh out the fruit and provide balance to the tannins.  Producers in the United States have even started an advocacy organization, called TAPAS - Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society, to promote this less known varietal.

No matter if you prefer the old-world style Tempranillo, or the more renegade style produced in California, we've got something for everyone.  Lagar Alto Tempranillo 2007 from La Mancha, Spain ($9.99), a recently added wine to our portfolio, is a medium-bodied red, with blackberry and cherry flavors.  Light on the tannins, it's finished with soft touches of earth and smoke.

Christine Andrew Tempranillo 2005, Lodi, CA ($19.99) is a more full-bodied version, with raspberry and boysenberry in the mid palate.  The nose contains hints of spice and earth.  This wine would be great with duck confit or truffled french fries, yum.

Old World, New World, you can't go wrong with either of these wonderful Tempranillos.

Wildfire smoke update

Many of you may have wondered if wine grapes were going to be affected by the extreme smoke we experienced this summer.  California's wildfires this year were legendary.  I don't remember ever experiencing such smoke-filled air for such a long period in my lifetime.

Kevin McCallum writing for the Press Democrat announces that winemakers in harvest are reporting unusual odors that might be the result of smoke taint.  Reports are coming in from Mendocino County, where wildfires were linked to the worst air quality in years.  Glenn McGourty, viticulture adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension in Mendocino said "winemakers are saying that they think stuff is smelling funny to them and they want to know what's going on."

McGourty held a workshop a few weeks ago in Ukiah, CA to give winemakers Australian research on this subject.  He stated that "there were 120 fires in Mendocino County and there were fires on all sides of the wine grape areas."  Wine labs, like Vinquiry of Windsor are seeing grapes and juice samples coming in for tests to identify smoke taint.  When detected, winemakers can use filtration tools to eliminate some off flavors, which is good news, but some researchers have suggested that smoke taint can't necessarily be determined by tasting unfermented juice or grapes.  The compounds that cause smoke taint might not be fully released until fermentation.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see.  2008's harvest may bring a few surprises.  We can only hope they're good surprises.

The art of tipping

Having been in the food and beverage business for as many years as I have, I've always felt it important to tip well.  I've been on the other side of the proverbial table and I know how much work it is to serve your fellow man on a daily basis.  I read a great column about this very issue the other day in Bon Appetit, by The BA Foodist, Andrew Knowlton, and by the way, is he ever easy on the eyes!  You may have seen him as a guest judge on Iron Chef America.

How many times have you been out to dinner with a friend or family member who insisted on picking up the tab, only to give the wait staff a measly ten percent tip?  And for whatever reason, you couldn't add more money to the tab, for fear of major hurt feelings and permanent relationship damage.  (That friend or family member, you know who I'm talking about!)

The best part of Knowlton's piece had to do with whether or not doubling the tax would be sufficient.  Nope.  A big nope.  According to him, that's just being cheap.  I know a number of people who like to use this method and I'm mostly embarrassed when I'm dining out with them.

Me, I try to stick to tipping about twenty percent.  I figure, the people who are working the hardest are the wait staff, including bussers and sommeliers and a little bit extra in the tip goes directly to these deserving folks.  If they're really friendly and professional, I go higher.  Befriend your servers, especially at restaurants you frequent often.  They'll remember you, they'll go out of their way to accommodate you, they'll occasionally comp you drinks or dessert, you can't go wrong by taking care of these guys.

And finally, if you bring your own bottle of wine to the restaurant, remember to tip on the value of the wine.  The theory is that the restaurant offers this service as a favor, but the wait person is the one to lose out sometimes.  They're opening the bottle for you, serving it to you, occasionally decanting, and chilling it if it's a white, it's common courtesy to make sure they're taken care of, since the cost of the beverage is not on the tab.

I know a few friends and family members I'll run Andrew Knowlton's column by, I'm sure everyone has a few friends they'd like to give it to as well.

All the colors of the rainbow

Once in a while, I get reminded of what an interesting place the Napa Valley is.  Sometimes, it's easy to forget how beautiful your living environment is.  It's easy to take it for granted.  I think they call it "eye fatigue."  One stops seeing the rolling hills covered with vineyards, the verdant green valley floors, the historic buildings.

Driving to work last week, coming over the Maxwell Bridge, in south Napa, this was the sight that greeted me.  And man, were my eyes wide open.  And awake.  We generally don't see balloons inside the city limits, at least not on the ground.  I've never seen a balloon in this location, so I'm sure I wasn't the only gawker.  Once off the bridge I pulled over and took a picture.

Wish I would have been going off for a ride in that colorful thing, but alas, I was driving to work.  Oh well, another time...

Much tastier than a flu shot...

Well, I'm not advising anyone to forgo their annual flu shot, but I do like the idea that a glass of red wine can help ward off the flu, don't you?

Jacob Gaffney writing for the Wine Spectator has the story everyone is interested in.  Researchers at the University of South Carolina say that a chemical found in red wine, onions and apples can help protect from the flu virus, even after workout when our bodies are more susceptible to infection.

Quercetin, an anti-inflammatory found in the skins of fruits and vegetables, has long been thought to reduce lung inflammation and help inhibit the growth of prostate cancer.  According to the South Carolina study, vigorous exercise is thought to increase the body's susceptibility to the flu, due to stress to the body caused by the high level of activity.  The researchers wanted to see if exercise increased the chance of getting the flu and if quercetin could reduce that risk.

The study was conducted on mice, with four test groups of approximately 25 mice each. Two groups drank water and two groups had tang with quercetin.  One group from the water side and one group from the quercetin site were exercised for three days, then all four groups were infected with the flu virus.  The researchers found that the mice that were not given quercetin but were exercised were more likely to develop flu symptoms.  Additionally, the number of mice who died from infection were lower among the two quercetin groups.

I don't know about you, but I don't need much reason to pour myself a good glass of Syrah.  The news that it might help me ward off the flu just makes me enjoy the wine more!

The first day of Autumn

Monday, September 22nd is the first day of Autumn, or so says the calendar on the wall above my desk.  Changing seasons are not so bold and obvious here in California, especially when you compare California to the East.  The Eastern states are veritably known for their Autumn, with its beautifully dramatic, changing colors and change in temperature.

And yet it does feel like we're transitioning info fall.  Harvest is continuing, leaves are starting to turn red, including the grapevines, and the squirrels are digging huge holes in my potted plants, frantically trying to hide their stolen nuts.   While Autumn is not my favorite season, (I'm a summertime girl, remember...) I absolutely love to make hearty, bone-warming, home-spun meals.

It's time for stew made like my mother taught me, with beef or lamb and tasty vegetables, in a brown gravy, not the tomato-based version some swear by.  My personal modification to her method is adding savory mushrooms and red wine.  I might use pearl onions if they're available, along with potatoes, celery, carrots and garlic.  After simmering for hours, the added Syrah or Zinfandel layers another element of flavor onto this rustic dish AND you can enjoy a glass while you're doing the prep work!

Chile, the way my husband makes it, from an Emeril Lagasse recipe, is another seasonal favorite.  The secret is the 3 bottles of dark beer in it, tons of spices, beans and meat and a touch of cinnamon.  Top it with a dollop of sour cream (go light if you must), grated cheddar and finely chopped chives.  I like to pair this with our Laughing Raven Barbera, the soft, rounded fruit in this wine, with a bit of a backbone, goes well with this crowd pleasing meal.

Soups are also a favorite choice this time of year.  Choices abound with soup, I love to dig out my old recipes, recipes I make and play with every fall but I also like finding new soup discoveries.  Soups as simple yet satisfying as chicken broth with fresh Italian parsley and home-made tortellini.  I even make an eggplant supper soup which has been influenced by the Middle East (nutmeg, ground meat, bold flavors) which goes great with Tempranillo.

Take time this Autumn to enjoy the change of seasons.  Be creative in your kitchen and remember to always enjoy wine with your meals, it's the one "spice" you shouldn't forget.

And you thought English white wine wasn't good for much...

Actually, I don't know that I've ever consumed English white wine, so the title is a little bit tongue-in-cheek.  Prince Charles, known for being environmentally progressive, has reduced his motoring emissions by running this 21st birthday present from the Queen, on fuel made from English wine.  I first heard about this amazing car at www.telegraph.co.uk.

Prince Charles drives the 38 year old Aston Martin Volante Convertible during the summertime and puts about 300 miles a year on the car.  Many of his cars have been converted to run on 100 percent biodiesel made from used cooking oil.  Way to go, Prince Charles!

The wine-based fuel comes from a company called Greenfuels and is made from surplus white wine and cheese, go figure.  They boil off the wine's 11 percent alcohol, condensing and removing water, which results in 99.8 percent pure ethanol, finished off with alcohol extracted from fermented whey collected from regional cheesemakers.  After changing the car's carburetor balance to allow more fuel into the engine, the car now runs on a mixture of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol.

Gotta love it.  I wonder if when driving behind him and smelling his exhaust, you find yourself experiencing an undeniable urge to get yourself to a wine tasting, post-haste?

Another cork masterpiece

On September 4th, artist Saimir Strati completed the world's largest cork mosaic.  This artwork is called the "Guitarist" and is built from approximately 230,000 corks.  It was confirmed as the world's largest by Guinness Book of World Records adjudicator Carlos Martinez.

Gordon, our friend who's been trying to make a small cork memo board for about a year, would be jealous.  I wonder how long it took Saimir to collect all those corks...

What an award is really worth...

A while ago, I read the most interesting article in Wines and Vines, by Peter Mitham.  During the American Association of Wine Economists conference held last month in Portland, Oregon, author Robin Goldstein made a presentation which has rocked some in the wine industry.

Goldstein wanted to find out whether the value of a wine correlates with consumer appreciation of a wine's intrinsic qualities.  His research indicated not necessarily, but it was his creation of a faux restaurant in Italy and the Wine Spectator's award of excellence that gave him his most compelling data.

Goldstein, along with a colleague in Italy, wanted to find out what it takes for a restaurant's wine list to win an award of excellence from the Wine Spectator.  Consumers consider the magazine's ratings to be a sign of quality and Goldstein wanted to find out how much value that award rating was really based on.

The collaborators set up a virtual restaurant in Milan, Italy, with its own website.  They submitted a fake wine list which included some of the Spectator's worst-rated wines and vintages of recent decades.  Some of the wines, however, did come from important Italian producers and were priced from 80 to 300 euros per bottle and there was a ringer included, a 90 point wine from Sassicaia.  They paid the $250 application fee and in the Spectator's  August 2008 issue, their non-existent restaurant, Osteria L'Intrepido, was one of 22 Italian restaurants to receive an award of excellence.

Read the entire article to get the complete story.  I found it slightly entertaining because for years, wine industry folks have referred to the Wine Spectator as the Wine Speculator or the Wine Expectorator.  It was a commonly held opinion that in order to get press, or even receive good ratings for your wines, you'd need to pay their exorbitant advertising fees.

Well, this study seems to give credence to the idea that money spent may buy good reviews and nice awards.  At least where the Spectator is concerned.  We'll see how the fallout from this experience might affect change.  Maybe good, needed, important change for the better.  I'll keep my fingers crossed.