Dr Vino's wine blog

For new readers to the site, I am currently running a year long “reality”-inspired chronicle of three industry participants. The Real Wine World, as I call it, follows a wine maker, a wine importer and a local wine shop. The producer is Susana Balbo from Mendoza, Argentina, the importer is Gregory Smolik who imports rustic wines of indigenous varietals from Italy, and the shop is called Big Nose Full Body in Park Slope (Brooklyn).

In the most recent updates, the wine shop has changed hands! I went to park Slope to meet the energetic new owner, Aaron Hans, and learn about his background, the transaction purchasing the shop, and his plans. In the latest from Greg, I joined him and winemaker Walter Fabbri from Basilicata for a lunch in Chicago.

The NY Times reported a few days ago that a Chicago alderman has proposed banning the sale of foie gras in the city’s restaurants.

Um, how about they ban smoking first?!?!?!

A simmering EU-US trade dispute with 22 years of age on it has finally been resolved. The US will not allow its producers to label their wines with semi-generic place names such as Champagne, Burgundy, and Chianti. Nor will the US clamp down on European wine imports as it had threatened to do under the US Bioterrorism Act.

The EU conceded to recognize American winemaking practices, such as the use of oak chips, and American regional names, such as Napa.

Some issues remain unresolved but they will be tackled in future negotiations according to Joe Rollo of the Wine Institute, as quoted in the San Francisco Business Times. They include European tariffs that are twice the size of American tariffs, European subsidies, and governmental export credits.

American exports of wine surged 28% on the back of a weaker US dollar last year to $794 million, reports the LA Times. The EU is the largest market for American exports accounting for about two-thirds of trade. The EU exports $2.3 billion of wine to the US though exports have softened, particularly of some French wines. America is a desirable market because it is growing and will be the world’s largest wine market by 2008 according to Vinexpo. Resolving these simmering disputes should help trade in both directions.

Unfortunately for American consumers, the agreement on names only applies to new wine brands and not existing brands. Travesties such as “hearty Burgundy” and Korbel California champagne will be allowed to continue. That in my view is a disservice to the consumer as well as French growers.

E&J Gallo has reached an agreement today with the United Farm Workers who called for a boycott of the company’s wines three months ago (background). They will toast the agreement with Gallo of Sonoma wines later today reports the Press Democrat.

The new contract brings greater equality to contract workers and full-time gallo employees. Previously, contract workers had not received grievance procedures, health benefits or vacation even though they received the same wages and paid the same union dues. The new contract provides contract workers with grievance procedures and offers them a $400 bonus in lieu of health benefits according to the Post-Democrat. Sonoma workers will see their pay rise to $8.98 per hour by the end of this 30 month contract.

The story quotes UFW spokesman Marc Grossman as saying “We’re very pleased. The contract was ratified almost unanimously.”

Privately owned Gallo employs 4,400 workers and produced 58 million cases of wine in California last year. There is no comment on whether the boycott played any role in bringing the parties together.

Which wine region will you be visiting this fall? Why not discover the wines of Long Island? Since wine tends to ship as the temperatures cool, this fall represents the first shipping window when the wines of Long Island can reach states such as Illinois and California thanks to the recent legal changes. The proximity to New York City makes the area accessible for a weekend trip.

Lenn Thompson, who writes from Long Island about the wines of New York, will help us put the wines of Long Island on our radar screen this fall. Lenn will be contributing three stories about the wines of Long Island and I’ve filed the stories under travel since Lenn tackles the wines and wineries by wine routes. But for those who can’t travel to the area, the stories are also useful references for getting to know the wineries of Long Island, now more widely available.

So check out the first story, where Lenn takes us down The Great Route 48.

French supermarkets are aggressively selling some of the finest wines from Bordeaux Decanter reports today.

Last week, near the French city of Strasbourg, hundreds packed into the suburban supermarket Auchan for its annual Foire aux Vins (wine fair), where top chateaux such as Margaux, Mouton Rothschild, Sociando Mallet and Cos d’Estournel were going for a song.

Chateau Sociando Mallet 2003 was priced at €25 a bottle, Cos d’Estournel 2002 at €49, Léoville Las Cases 2001 at €61 and both Margaux and Mouton Rothschild 2002 at €95.

The article speculates that the lack of strong export markets has led producers offload their wines at home.

Regardless of the motives for favoring the domestic supermarket channel for high-end wines, the INAO has instructed quality producers to take a little wine off the table. The AP reports that production cuts for appellation wines have been put in place across France striking Bordeaux the hardest with a call for a 12% reduction. This is a further effort to remove a persistent surplus since incentives for distillation “failed” earlier this summer. According to the INAO press release, overproduction has led to this across-the-board action. Technically, the regional yields come up for approval every year and they have been allowed only at the low end of the range this year.

Maybe they need a “two euro Charles” like the Two Buck Chuck (Charles Shaw) to mop up some of the excess? Pairing supermarkets with cheap wine seems like a better match.

* * * *

UPDATE:
Decanter reports on violent protests in the Macon (Burgundy) as a result of the lower allowable yields.

Long Island wines may be America’s best kept wine secret. Or they might be America’s most overrated and overpriced regional wine east of the Rockies. This fall, you can decide for yourself either by visiting in person this scenic countryside or by having the wines shipped to you out of state for the first time thanks to recent legal changes in direct wine shipping. By special arrangement, Lenn Thompson, an expert on Long Island wines, compiles three itineraries and notes on the best wineries and their wines. –Dr. Vino

Great Route 48 — Exploring the Northern Route in Long Island Wine Country

By Lenn Thompson

Wineries in New York State crank out about 200 million bottles of wine every year, making it the nation’s third-largest wine producer behind California and Washington. And while producers in the Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley regions have longer histories of making wine, it’s the wines of Long Island that many feel hold the most promise.

Long Island is relative newcomer as a wine region with the first commercial vines planted in 1973 (see a map of LI wineries). New winemakers are popping up almost every year and the few long-standing wineries are starting to hit their strides. The region’s well-drained soil and climate tempered by Long Island Sound, Peconic Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, it is ideal for growing vinifera grapes and making refined, balanced wine.

Bordeaux serves as a reference point for the grape varietals, particularly for the reds with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and particularly merlot in abundance. There is a movement afoot to really focus on merlot and position Long Island as “merlot country” much the same way that Oregon used to push pinot noir. Many wineries have already invested heavily in the vines, which may explain why they’re keen on it – or maybe it is just an act of defiance against the popular movie “Sideways” (where the lead character humorously trashed merlot).

On the white side of wine, chardonnay is the most planted variety and it’s made in a variety of styles, as well as used for blending. But, there’s also some increasingly good sauvignon blanc being made too. The style is less fruity/tropical than California versions, but less aggressively herbal and grassy than New Zealand bottling. They can be thought of as the best of CA and NZ together with hints of Graves minerality and definitely thirst-quenchingly drinkable. There’s also riesling, pinot noir, some syrah, malbec, petit verdot and (on the South Fork) some other diverse varieties that we’ll explore in a future story.

Post-Labor Day is a great time to visit. Not only have the summer crowds subsided but the harvest enters full swing grapes as well as pumpkins. The scene is very picturesque and winery tasting rooms are filled with the enticing aroma of just-picked grapes as they are pressed and then fermented.

Long Island wine country is divided into three unofficial wine trails. The Hamptons on the South Fork and Route 25 and Route 48 on the North Fork. To help you get the most out of your foray into Long Island wine country, I’m writing a three-part series, which each focusing on one of Long Island’s wine trails. We begin with the northernmost trail, Route 48.

Route 48, which is also known locally as North Road, is sometimes a forgotten wine trail. While Route 25 (just a block south) runs right through the North Fork’s many quaint villages, and right by some of Long Island’s most revered, not to mention well-marketed, producers, Route 48 a decidedly different flavor than the other two trails, with its bucolic, rural feel.

There are nine tasting rooms sprinkled along 13 miles of Route 48, with the must-stops being (from west to east):

Roanoke Vineyards. Owned by Richard and Soraya Pisacano, Roanoke Vineyards is one of the Island’s newest producers. Rich is the vineyard manager at Wolffer Estate Vineyards (on the South Fork) and has been working with vines since high school. The wines are made at Wolffer by winemaker Roman Roth and you can also sample the wines of Atwater Estate in the Finger Lakes, which are made by former Roth assistant Vincent Aliperti. Wolffer Estate wines are also available.

Must-taste Wines: Roanoke Vineyards 2000 Merlot, Roanoke Vineyards 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Atwater Estate Vineyards 2004 Dry Riesling

Macari Vineyards & Winery. Stop at Macari to enjoy your picnic lunch on their beautiful deck, which offers some of the East Coast’s best vineyard views. The wines are made by Austrian Helmut Gangl and Paola Valverde a native of Chile. It’s also a favorite spot for wedding receptions or other affairs.

Must-taste Wines: Macari Vineyards Block E 2003 Ice Wine, Macari Vineyards 2005 Early Wine (late fall release), Macari Vineyards 2001 Bergen Road (a merlot-heavy blend)

Lieb Family Cellars. Russell Hearn produces Lieb Family Cellars’ wines at The Premium Wine Group, a custom-crush facility located in Mattituck, NY, that he is part owner of. Their small tasting room is located in a building adjoining the winemaking facility. Lieb is well-known for making some of the best pinot blanc this side of Alsace.

Must-taste Wines: Lieb Cellars 2001 Blanc de Blanc (sparkling pinot blanc), Lieb Cellars 2003 Pinot Blanc, Bridge Lane Chardonnay (their 2nd-label), Lieb Cellars 2002 Merlot Reserve

Shinn Estate Vineyards. Shinn Estate Vineyards is owned by David Page and Barabara Shinn, who also own the cozy Home restaurant in Manhattan’s West Village, where David is executive chef. Technically it’s on Oregon Road a block north of Route 48, but go on a weekend take you on a tour of their vines and learn about sustainable grape farming and the organic and biodynamic techniques they employ in the vineyard. The wines are made by Roman Roth.

Must-taste Wines: Shinn Estate Merlot Vineyards 2003, Shinn Estate Vineyards 2002 Six Barrel Merlot

Castello di Borghese. Formerly Hargrave Vineyards (Long Island’s first), Castello di Borghese was purchased by Marco and Ann Marie Borghese in 1999. Since then, they’ve expanded the vineyard and hired Stan Schumacher as winemaker. With vines that date back over thirty years, CdB offers wines that are as close to “old vines” as one can find on Long Island. This is truly the birthplace of the Long Island wine industry.

Must-taste Wines: Castello di Borghese 2004 Founder’s Field Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Castello di Borghese 2002 Reserve Pinot Noir, Castello di Borghese Novello (a Beaujolais noveau-style red released in the spring)

Waters Crest Winery. One of the area’s smallest producers, home winemaker turned professional winemaker and winery owner Jim Waters’ wines are far from minuscule. Charming and engaging, you’re virtually guaranteed to meet Jim and his wife Linda in the tasting room where they pour wines and share their story. They’ll even take you in the back and show you their whole operation, from crusher to stacks of French oak barrels.

Must-taste Wines: Waters Crest Winery 2003 Cabernet Franc, Waters Crest Winery 2004 Private Reserve Chardonnay, Waters Crest Winery 2004 Gewurztraminer

If this sounds like plenty for this leg of your trip, then here are a few B&Bs to rest until we hit Route 25 together. Stay tuned!

– Ellis House
– Harvest Inn
– Homeport

Breaking news: on August 9th Patricia Savoie sold Big Nose, Full Body to Aaron Hans. Pat has decided to pursue wine writing full time. We will catch up with her later to hear from her directly. Meanwhile, I went to Park Slope to meet Aaron, new proprietor of the shop…

Aaron Hans is so bursting with ideas and energy that is small wonder that his close-cropped blond hair stands straight up. But this thirty-something new owner of Big Nose Full Body has plans to tweak the shop, not give it a wholesale makeover. The clever name, the exciting range of wines, the handsome interior space, and the free tastings on Saturdays will all stay the same. But there will be minor changes including staying open seven days a week and even adding some apparel items.

Perhaps the biggest change for Aaron personally is his commute. As a sales representative for Frederick Wildman’s wine distribution he had taken as many as 10 subway trains a day to visit his accounts, both restaurants and shops. BNFB was one of his accounts and when he learned that Pat was thinking about selling he made her an offer. The five block commute for this long-time resident of Park Slope was undoubtedly a factor in his thinking.

“I’ve always wanted to own something,” he told me yesterday in the shop. An early stint in restaurants followed by a stint at a wine bar confirmed to him that he didn’t want to include food in his business. The shop seemed a good fit from that perspective too.

“You’re not going to get rich but you get to do something you really, really enjoy. I’m not stuck in a cubicle all day,” he said.

The store stocks wines from Wildman and Aaron is familiar with those. He hasn’t tasted through all the wines in the shop yet but any new wines that he adds, he will taste. He added a wine from Ridge to the store already, one that he knows and likes. The store currently gets wine from 22 distributors and he doesn’t plan on adding any more. “That’s a lot already,” he says.

I wondered, how do you value a wine shop? Aaron explained that when he purchased the shop from Pat in early August, he paid one price for the business, one price for the inventory, and the rest was thrown in as “good will.” That included odds and ends in the shop such as the racking and the computer-and even the staff. Larry, the assistant manager who was within earshot, joked that that was a lot of good will. “The staff are all great and we have no plans for changes,” said Aaron smiling.

With the busy season kicking in, he will however be buying a new computer to speed up the bookkeeping the current sluggish computer and to help with checkout. Last Saturday evening, there was a line the entire length of the shop.

In order to cope with this busy last few months of the year, Aaron has added opening hours on Sunday. Originally it was 12-6 but he said the last two hours were very busy and he felt badly turning people away. So now the Sunday hours are 12-9. Aaron says that he could easily work 80 hours a week but has limited himself to five days a week in the shop. He has to spend some time with his wife and kids after all.

Kids are clearly on Aaron’s brain. He interrupts our talk at one point to help a woman with a stroller into the shop. Given the demographics of the neighborhood, Aaron will be working with a designer to introduce Big Nose Full Body t-shirts—and baby apparel such as onesies and toddler tees.

“Who knows maybe you’ll come back next year and we’ll be making all our money in t-shirts?” he said. It’s an exciting time for him with lots of opportunities. And yes, he has agreed to continue to participate in The Real Wine World. That’s good for us!