Dr Vino's wine blog

A few weeks ago I was at a dinner, seated across from a significant wine collector. Among other things, he proclaimed that in 1982 Mouton “muffed it.”

Well, the anonymous European buyer who just paid $1.05 million for 50 cases of 82 Mouton would no doubt disagree. I bet he would side with Robert Parker who called the wine “perfect” and scored it 100 points. Or he might not give a rip what it tastes like and could just think that in a decade, somebody will pay him $2.5 million for it.

According to a Bloomberg story, the cases were sold as one lot from Park B. Smith’s collection. Smith, a textile and fabric magnate who also co-owns the restaurant Veritas, saw rapid growth of the asset. He purchased the 50 cases of magnums and rare double magnums only in 1997 for $420,500. They have been sitting in the cellar of his weekend home ever since.

But he didn’t keep the profit. The $5 million proceeds from the auction of his wines (minus the auctioneer’s fees) went to his alma mater, Holy Cross. I’m sure they’ll drink to that.

tags: wine | wine auctions | mouton 1982

“I will make as much selling grape plants off of two acres this year as I did many years on 1,000 acres of corn and raising 3,000 head of hogs,” said Stan Olson in today’s NYT. Olson used to grow corn and soybeans on hundreds of acres in Iowa west of Des Moines. Now he supplies many of the state’s 70 wineries with vine cuttings.

I observed a similar shift in Walla Walla, Washington earlier this year. There, one apple grower had uprooted some of his orchard to plant grapes. Even though apples had a higher profit per acre at the farm gate, with the added value of making wine, grapes were the winner.

And then there’s the tourism, which is even being felt in Iowa according to today’s NYT story.

Summerset [Iowa] has also become a tourist destination, with concerts on the weekends, themed parties and grape-stomps that draw thousands. Tourists will actually pay for the privilege to stomp grapes.

With growing demand from wine consumers, producers are popping up at a staggering rate. In Iowa, there were 15 wineries in 2000, which represents a growth rate akin to an internet stock to reach the current 70. However, they join an already-crowded field that is oversupplied with wine. But they have an edge that non-descript wine from California doesn’t have: they’re local. And that seems to go down easy.

tags: wine | iowa | american wine

Lucarelli, Primitivo 2004 from Puglia. $6.97 find this wine
In the heel of the boot that is the Italian peninsula, the hot plains of Puglia have typically produced prodigious quantities of wine. Quality is creeping in now as the effects of the world wide glut are being felt. This Lucarelli Primitivo is an intersection of the two themes: good quality at a low price. These 60 year old vines yield primitivo, a grape that is a relative of zinfandel. The resulting wine is a real crowd pleaser with round fruit followed by persistent, faintly spicy finish. It’s light enough to try with pasta, but would love some grilled meat. What are you waiting for? Start searching for this value vino!

Texier, Cotes du Rhone, 2004. $10 find this wine
I pulled out this wine as a “third bottle” one evening because I expected it to be big. But it was lean. And very food friendly. I poked around the web and found this comment from the importer: “Eric Texier and his wife, Laurence, studied nuclear science in France and in Illinois.” oops, that wasn’t the important part. Take 2: “He vinifies all of his Rhones as if they were Burgundies. His touch is therefore light, and involving cold maceration of all reds…and the gentlest, non-filtered, gravity powered bottling possible.” Aha! Well, it certainly is an unusual CDR, but good nonetheless–and Texier is tres sexier at $9.99! Importer: Louis/Dressner.

Evesham Wood, Blanc du Puits Sec, Eola Hills, 2005. $13 find this wine
While I was in Oregon recently, I tried this excellent organic pinot gris. Russ Raney adds depth to the wine by blending in 15 percent gewürztraminer, which makes it a terrific aperitif wine. It has the floral notes of pinot gris with a hint of the lusciousness of gewurtz all with minerality and refreshing acidity—I’d like to taste it blind against some Alsatian whites, or forget that, with some seafood! The only bad news is the limited availability of the wine. But based on this taste, I’d be very willing to cobble together an order of his very reasonably priced wines from Russ at the winery directly. eveshamwood.com (503) 371-8478

Chateau Turcaud, Entre-Deux-Mers, white 2005. $11 find this wine
The Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux is a misnomer. It’s not between two seas, as the name states, but between two rivers. This wedge of flat land between the Garonne and the Dordogne Rivers used to produce a lot of boring wines but the economic crisis in the area is starting to invigorate the area as a whole. This dry white, a blend of sauvignon blanc (50%), semillon (45), and muscadelle (5) is great value vino from Bordeaux. Luscious notes of pineapple layer on top of crisp acidity giving the wine a great mouthfeel. It’s an excellent companion to potato-leek soup. Mmm, fall is here. Consider this a wine for between two seasons, not seas.
Importer: Fleet Street Wine Merchants

Zero manipulation, Peterson winery, California, 2003. $12 find this wine
I love the text on this label: 78% Mendocino County carignane, 14% Sonoma syrah, 8% Sonoma mourvedre. They even stick the vineyards on there too but I won’t bore you those. The point is, information! Love it! In the glass, it is a red, light color but not lacking in aromas of garrigue, leather and spice. It has good balance on the palate and is a very food friendly red for the fall. And zero manipulation, who can be against that?

Powers,
cabernet sauvignon, Washington State, 2002. $11 find this wine
If some entry level cabernets have too much raw tannin, then, ironically, this wine called Powers is a way to throttle back. A blend of cab from four vineyards in Washington State, the wine maker also added a gob of syrah and a blob of merlot from organically farmed vineyards. With a little age on it now, the resulting blend is smooth yet substantial and a good match for the beefy side of this fall’s dishes.

Vinho Verde, Fâmega, NV $4.49 find this wine
I have always thought of vinho verde as something of a wine curiosity since it’s neither green as the name would imply nor a still wine because of slight effervescence. Heck, it’s hardly even a wine by today’s standards since it has only 9 percent alcohol! But after years of scoffing at vinho verde I tried this one—not of my own free will, of course, but it mysteriously ended up in a case of wine that I ordered on line. I’m glad it did. It is a fantastically easy drinking aperitif wine with a sort of bluish hue, bubbles, and good acidity. With the low price and low alcohol, you could really put some of this away. And at under $50 a case—too bad summer is almost over! Importer: Admiral Wine Imports, Cedar Grove NJ.

Lafazinis, St. George, Pelopennese, 2004. $10 Find this wine
Greek wines have come a long way. This light summer quaffer hails from the blazing sun of the Pelopennese. Made from the Agiorgitiko grape (chalk up another one for the wine century) with no oak, the light bright red fruit shines through followed by a slightly tannic finish. Try chilled with anything you’re eating al fresco. Importer: Sotiris Bafitis.

Los Planos, Syrah, D.O. Carinena, 2003 $8 Find this wine
These planes of Spain may become known mostly for their syrah. This 6,000 case offering from the team behind the old-vine grenache of Las Rocas, has a similar unctuous, big style. Leather and dried herbs on the nose and blackberries on the palate, this syrah is going to be a huge crowd pleaser-and at this price, you can afford to pour it for a crowd. To make it fit better with the summer weather, try and chill it a few minutes before pulling the meat off the grill. Importer: Eric Solomon.

This list is updated weekly.
See the previous complete list of ten wines under $10.

Wines over $12 that are still good values:
Il Corzanello, $14. A delicious white wine from Tuscany. Read more.
Gerard Boulay, Sancerre, Chavignol, 2005. $21 find this wine

I have assigned the book Fast Food Nation to political science undergrads. Eric Schlosser’s non-fiction account about “the dark side of the all-American meal” really makes political economy theories about labor and markets seem much more relevant and grounded. Heck, even if you’re not a polisci student it is still a great read, weaving together compelling stories that may change your eating habits forever.

So it was with great relish (but not ketchup) that I attended an advance screening of the new movie “Fast Food Nation” yesterday with director Richard Linklater and Eric Schlosser in attendance. The movie is a fictional account–written by Linklater and Schlosser–that weaves in much of the material from the original book. Even though the material is dark, it’s got a lot of great acting and terrific characters, most of whom journey from innocence to cynicism–or just started off cynics anyway.

Since it has little relevance to wine despite being very worthwhile I’ll leave the reviews to the pros. Check here for AO Scott’s review in the NY Times. Or get a roundup of reviews over on metacritic.

But I did record the Q&A with Linklater and Schlosser so I will put that up here. You can learn about how they got access to slaughterhouses, their thoughts on potential lawsuits, and just how much Bruce Willis got paid for his excellent cameo.

Audio here (35 minutes)

Check out the movie, which opens in 321 theaters today.
Fast Food Nation, official site
NY Coalition of Healthy School Lunches, screening organizer

tags: wine | Fast Food Nation | eric schlosser | richard linklater

Two weeks ago a team of American researchers promised what the New York Times story called “guilt-free gluttony” through resveratrol, a component found in red wine.

Now, in a scientific detente, French researchers are doing them one better: cardiovascular-improving sloth. To wit:

“Resveratrol makes you look like a trained athlete without the training,” said Dr. Johan Auwerx of the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in Illkirch, France who led the study. [Read full story]

This is going to be serious competition for the ab toning belt.

We all know that red wine can cause pinot envy. So only four deadly sins to go! What will resveratrol create next? Humble pride? Gentle anger? Generous greed? Platonic lust?!?

Related:
“Lose weight on a red wine diet”–with video of lab mice! [Daily Telegraph]

I recently crossed light-sabers with Chef Homaro Cantu who had a recipe in Wired magazine for “caramelaserizing” wine. In short, he zaps a vanilla bean with a laser beam to fill the overturned wine glass with smoke, then upends it and pours in the wine. For the details see my earlier post where I put Chef Cantu on notice for such a practice.

Well, Chef Cantu, founder of Moto restaurant in Chicago is clearly a cutting-edge chef who says he’s “changing the way humans perceive food.” He prints his menu on edible paper, cooks his sea bass sous vide, bakes his bread from the inside out, and serves frozen pancakes at -273 degrees.

However, his wine service has been less publicly analyzed than the food. We know it is progressive (no word on cork screws). And the chef himself is so progressive that he even posts comments on blogs. Such as this one. To wit, here are his previous comments in defense of caramelaserizing wine:

Utilizing pure light does not add nor take away any artificial or natural aromatic characteristics of the item being “caramelaserized”. Another advantage is low energy consumption per glass altered and the pinpoint energy and directional control of a laser. A water based vapor would impart a different mouthfeel into the glass as well as implement bitter qualities. Also, I can impart qualities not associated with edible foodstuffs, like laserizing real leather into a glass of scotch. Now you can allow your imagination to run wild with descriptive characteristics because they are now a more robust reality, not just a subtlety.

I wrote Chef Cantu and said I would be in Chicago over Thanksgiving. He has invited Mrs. Vino and me to be his guests on Saturday the 25th. So for you, dear reader, I will go and try his vanilla beans and laser beams and issue the definitive report! Does smoke blend with wine? Or is it post-modern smoke and mirrors? Stay tuned!

Related
“Who’s threatening us now: Homaro Cantu” [Dr. V]
“Weird Science” Fast Company magazine.
Moto restaurant

tags: wine | food and drink | homaro cantu | molecular gastronomy

Test this
Are you a lactating mom worried about transmitting too much pinot grigio to your infant? Well, the Dept. of Preying on Parental Fears now brings you a device to test breast milk for alcohol! $25 for six tests. Lactation consultants say it’s overkill for most moms. [$WSJ]

Drink this
Rachel Weisz, Academy Award winning actress, is causing a tempest in her chardonnay glass by saying that it is “fine” for pregnant women to drink wine. “Personally I do. They say not in the first three months though, but I think that after that it’s fine. I mean in Europe they drink it, ” she said. Cue uproar. [SAWF]

Not much
“I mean, how much lagrein is there? And how many people have heard of it?” That’s Martin Hofstatter from Alto Adige talking to Matt Kramer about lagrein, a deep red that Kramer describes as “one of the world’s most inviting red wines.” That’s fine. Except that Kramer criticized wine blogs earlier this year for writing about wines that are too hard to find. Ah, the irony! [NY Sun] thanks, Jack!

Ticked Ott
In his NYT review of Jay McInerney’s new book, a collection of his wine columns for House & Garden, Frank Prial rightfully points out McInerney’s expensive taste. Case in point: Domaine Ott rose, which McInerney recommends. Prial says “Domaine Ott is a rip-off.” Love it! You heard it here first!

Voted down
Massachusetts voters decided they like buying their wine from package stores and not grocery stores. Or was it convenience stores? This analysis of the campaign shows how the YES campaign lost a 2-1 lead in the final two weeks of the campaign. Oh well. You can’t say I didn’t try here or here!

Shouted down
Wine woot, an online retailer, offered a four pack of Sierra Club chardonnay that included a donation to the environmental preservation fund. Was it the election week? Or the wine talking? Either way it generated over 200 comments! hat tip: Mark

Star struck
Where are you if one week from today you are at a wine auction presided over by Charlotte Rampling and Jonathan Nossiter? If you answered Burgundy for the annual Hospice de Beaune charity auction, you’re right! I wonder if Nossiter, director of Mondovino, will leave his camera at home.

Red wine and teeth, are they a good blend?

A new medical report published last week says no, confirming my fear that going to all those tastings can’t be doing my teeth any good. Roll the tape from Wines & Vines, a trade publication:

Dr. Sami Youakim, a consultant with Occupational Disease Services, WorkSafeBC (British Columbia’s worker compensation board), published a study of wine industry health hazards in the October edition of BC Medical Journal. In addition to well-known problems including musculoskeletal disorders, asthma caused by mite exposure, illnesses caused by exposure to pesticides and other chemicals, and confined-space risks, Youakim singled out the potential for dental erosions from frequent wine tasting by winemakers and other staff, noting that the pH of wines ranges from 3.2 to 3.8 and demineralization of enamel commences at a pH of less than 5.7.

Heh. A wine blogger’s occupational hazard! I’m calling OSHA!

But this finding from British Columbia clashes a previous finding from medical researchers in Quebec who found that a red wine rinse can prevent gum disease!

Canadian scientists believe the polyphenols can block production of free radical molecules, high levels of which can damage gum tissue.

Yikes, how confusing! Canada on Canada action! Sacrifice enamel or stimulate gums? The researchers will have a brush-off for supremacy.

tags: wine | teeth | Canada