Dr Vino's wine blog

Brian Van Flandern recently answered my cocktail questions. Now he’s back and responds to yours.

Anonymous asked:
Has there ever been a decent cocktail made with still wine?

Brian:
Absolutely. There are many great cocktails that use wine as an ingredient. I myself have created several recipes that are greatly enhanced by the presence of wine. Sangria is made with wine and brandy for example. Try making a classic mojito (fresh lime juice, simple syrup, aged rum and Muddled mint) then add a modest splash of Pinot Noir. The result… a Burgundy Mojito. It tastes like a mojito up front with a pleasant slightly tannic sangria finish.

Kim asked:
How can I make my own Tonic Water?

Brian:
You stated that you are allergic to High Fructose Corn Syrup. This is not an uncommon allergy. I am NOT a doctor, so please make sure that you are not if fact allergic to quinine!

To make your own tonic, simply add a 16th of a tea-spoon of quinine powder to your base spirit (less is more) along with fresh lime juice and simple syrup. Shake this concoction vigorously WITHOUT ICE. The glycerin in the alcohol with dissolve the powder so that it does not clump or float on top.

Now fill a highball with ice and pour the mixture up to 50% full. Fill the rest of the glass with your favorite sparkling water. I use TyNant from Wales. It has smaller bubbles.

Finally, toss back and forth a couple of times and garnish with a lime. As always think ACID, ALCOHOL & SUGAR. Taste the drink and adjust it slightly by adding the component that will bring it into balance (i.e. add sugar if to tart, lime juice if to sweet, more gin if not enough booze, etc.) ENJOY!

Anne said:
Is a vodka – 7Up with two limes a balanced drink? If not what would you suggest is a good ratio for balance?

Brian:
Yes it is. There are many factors in determining ratio vs balance. Bottom line…Approximately 1 1/2 of alcohol, the juice of one lime and fill with 7-UP then TASTE. Follow the rules of balance (see KIM’s question) and you can’t go wrong. Remember…ACID, ALCOHOL & SUGAR. Balance, balance, balance.

SGSalerno said…
Thoughts on ice’s impact on cocktail making:

Ice is EXTREMELY important. The smaller the cubes the more dilution. It is GENERALLY desirable to have bigger cubes. Get the oversized ice cubes tray for home (like granny use to have). The quality of the water is also very important. Don’t fill up straight from the tap. Use filtered or bottled water. It makes a difference. There are applications for smaller cubes and crushed ice (the Mint Julip for example), however those are exceptions to the rules and are meant to be consumed quickly. Good luck.

If you have further question you may contact me at:

Brian Van Flandern
Creative Cocktail Consultants Corp.
www.MyMixologist.com

A dress made out of wine? Wow, I thought ethanol was a bad fate for the wine glut. But this might be even more, um, creative.

Gary Cass who works at the MicroBe project at the University of Western Australia “noticed that when oxygen got into the vats and turned the wine into vinegar, a slimy, rubbery layer grew on top.” Apparently, Cass saw that and thought “dress!”

The picture to the right shows the “cavewoman” cut of the dress (no word on whether the Goth face paint and wig are also obligatory). “It’s the bacteria that are weaving all these fibers together,” says Cass. “We’re not using any machines, sewing machines and so forth.”

One catch is that it has to be kept wet–wow, wet wine waste dress contests! Just in time for spring break…

“News in Science: Bugs make dress smell like old wine” [abc.net.au]

tags: wine | fashion | fabric

John Lindner likes wine. He also likes blogs. Put those passions together and you get “Blography,” an interview show in podcast form that is currently doing a tour of the wine blogosphere. John is a veteran reporter with the Baltimore Sun and he was kind enough to invite me on his show.

John asks great questions. We chatted about wine politics, how to get the best wine in a restaurant, the costs and ethics of blogging, and the rise of wine democracy! Sound exciting? OK, maybe not as exciting as actually drinking wine. But hey, slap on this audio stream while you’re doing some drudgery such as preparing your taxes maybe it will even make that better. Maybe?!

Blography archive here

Cut straight to the mp3 file here

tags: wine | podcast

We’re fans of the box around here. No shame in that. In theory, it’s convenient, fresh and brings the per glass costs down to levels low enough to make you generous, even with your neighbors. I wrote an open letter to Jorge Ordonez and told him to hop on it. Sadly, no word from him and his importing empire.

Box wine theory does not often meet reality in America. The quality of many almost all box wines found on our hallowed shores is enough to give them a bad reputation. Oh wait…So for inspiration, let us turn to France. They get it after all.

Domaine Sorin: I had the Cotes de Provence 2005 rose last summer (find this wine). At 25 euros, it was double the price of another box we bought, which might make it seem expensive. But the 5L box meant that it was five euros ($6 give or take) per liter putting it in the realm of gulp-tastic pricing. Domaine Sorin is made without chemical fertilizers or pesticides in the vineyard. The blend comprises of four classic grape varieties from the region and is vinified and aged in vats. Sadly it is only available in France. Perhaps another letter is in order? Dear Domaine Sorin importer…

For some worthwhile and no doubt more attainable box wines, check out boxwine.org for the round-up from this Wine Blogging Wednesday.

tags: wine | Wine blogging Wednesday 31

The FBI may be targeting the big boys, but does Eric Asimov sound the death knell for winecommune.com and winebid.com?

Ordinary wine lovers, even those who buy a few cases of great wines each year, are unlikely to be affected by scammers, unless they buy old wines or buy their wines from secondary sources, like brokers or through Internet auctions. [NYT]

Also:

• Wine Cops, on the Case [Newsweek]
• Winemakers Deploy Chips, Codes to Battle Fake Bottles [Elin McCoy, Bloomberg]
• What You Need to Know When Buying Wine at Auction [John Mariani, Bloomberg]

Geography is now less of an excuse for not taking a wine class with me this spring!

Critiquing the critics, University of Chicago, 4/14, 2:30 – 6:30
We review different styles of wine evaluation culminating with YOU being the critic in our tasting. Details and registration

Red, white, and green wine, University of Chicago, 5/12, 2:30 – 6:30
While organic food is all the rage, organic wine has arguably lagged behind. We assess the various shades of “green” wine and then put our knowledge to the test and see if we can taste the difference. Details and registration

Wine emergency! How to navigate a wine list, NYU, 3/22 6:30 – 8:30
The business dinner. The big date. Avoid making them a wine emergency as we navigate wine lists–and taste!–with confidence. Details and registration

I hope to see you at one of these one-day sessions! News of a Chicago meetup forthcoming…

tags: wine | wine classes

What is your caption for this photo? Post your comments below!

Image credit: AP

tags: wine | Nascar | jeff gordon

Wine by the jug
Ernest Gallo, wine salesman, dies at 97. Jon Bonne writing in the SF Chron is my obit pick since he mentions the word “controversy.” His predecessor Linda Murphy sounds like she has some provocative thoughts in her piece “No Hall of Fame for Gallo.” But since it is behind a subscription barrier on jancisrobinson.com, we’ll never know without paying.

Wine by the glass
Alternative closures may be getting attention, but what about tin foil? Yes, pre-filled wine glasses will be on sale this summer in the UK, sealed with tin foil. Mmm, wild flower aromas with hint of aluminum? [Gaurdian]

Wine by the class
Stephen Dubner, of Freakonomics fame, reports on a “whole new spin on college drinking.” California State University at Fresno is the only university in the country with a license to bottle and sell its own wine. Seems like easy alumni marketing for reunions–providing it is as age-worthy as the alumni.

Wine by the magnum
In Moscow, “the petrodollar classes no longer drink vodka (so lower-class) but very expensive red wine.” [Vanity Fair]

Sauternes shocker
State Senator Pamela Althoff, announced two bills last week that would ban the manufacture, sale and consumption of foie gras in the entire state of Illinois. The sales ban in Chicago has been widely scoffed and mocked. But would State Sen. Althoff also rely on citizens’ arrest? [NW Herald via Ethicurean]

tags: wine | foie gras