'Da Man or 'Da Myth

The ‘popping’ cork, the fizz and the bubbly taste, it could only be Champagne. Or should we say, ‘Merret’? For nearly three centuries, the French have fought to ensure that only the sparkling wine made in a particular part of France can be called Champagne.

Success, as the saying goes, has many fathers. So it’s not surprising that many folk claim to have “invented” champagne. Legend has it that in the 17th century a French monk named Dom Pierre Pérignon first made this wine at the abbey of Saint Pierre d’Hautvillers in the region called Champagne. “Come quickly! I am drinking the stars,” were Pérignon’s supposed words when he first tasted what we now know as champagne.

The story was probably created by the monastery’s 19th-century cellar master, Dom Groussard, trying to boost the abbey’s reputation and his own. In the 17th century, the last thing Dom Pérignon would have wanted in his wines were bubbles, because bottles in those days would usually explode from the pressure. Cellar workers wore metal masks to protect their faces from flying glass and accidentally fermented wine was known as vin du diable (devil’s wine). But the star-sipping story contributes to the mystique surrounding France’s most famous export.

If you really want to taunt a Champenois, try repeating the story popular in the region of Limoux, in Languedoc, claiming that France’s first sparkling wine, known locally as blanquette, was invented by Benedictine monks at the abbey of Saint Hilaire more than a century before Dom Pérignon was born.

There is evidence from abbey records dating back to 1531 to support that the brothers of Saint Hilaire developed a technique to create bubbles in their wine, probably by bottling it before fermentation had been completed, a technique known as the méthode rurale or ancestrale. The wines would be kept in flasks stoppered with plugs made from the bark of cork trees found in Spain. But there is little to support the claim that Saint Hilaire was a victim of espionage when the secret of sparkling wine was stolen by Dom Pérignon when he was a small friar.

Even if Dom Pérignon had stolen Saint Hilaire’s secrets it wouldn’t have mattered, because the process he is credited with inventing is the méthode champenoise, in which a sparkling wine is created by inducing a second fermentation once the wine has been bottled.

So forget the Limoux story. If you want to taunt the French a second time, claim that sparkling wine in the champagne style, the true méthode champenoise, was discovered by the English!

The evidence for that is fairly reliable, derived from a paper presented in six years before Dom Pérignon arrived in Hautvillers to the Royal Society by English scientist Dr. Christopher Merret. Merret’s paper was on winemaking practices in which he described the English custom of adding “sugar and molasses to all sorts of wine to make them brisk and sparkling”.

So sacre bleu! Is it really Merret we have to thank for the sound of a cork popping? Long before Dom Pérignon drank his stars English winemakers were starting a second fermentation in the bottle that would add carbon dioxide to their imported wine. 

In the same year of 1662 Sir Kenelm Digby perfected a glass bottle that, when stoppered with corks tied down with string, was strong enough to withstand the pressure created by a second fermentation. The stars aligned to make possible the sparkling wine we just happen to call champagne but which should—pace to the monks of Limoux—probably be called Britfizz.

Check the blog often for more news, tips, and tasting notices! 

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The Tax Man

The Tax Man

In 1966 The Beatles recorded Tax Man on the album Revolver.

If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.

I used to work at an accounting firm.  Every year, around this time, we could feel it. The sinking feeling of terror crept up your neck. That demon that rears its head this time of year and devours interns is known as The Tax Season. It’s upon us and that gives us a lot to whine about.

Taxes can be a nightmare and, although a bowl of ice cream and a comedy can ease the stress, you may still find yourself feeling more like the end of a horror film than a romance movie. So how can we find serenity? Well, perhaps instead of whining throughout the process, you can choose to be ‘wining’ and enjoying it through each sip of those fermented grapes.

In 1789, Benjamin Franklin said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Perhaps, in the 21st century, we can choose to be certain of wine consumption as well. In fact, many studies have proven that red wine can significantly reduce stress and who needs more information than that when hitting the Wine and Spirits Store?

However, with so many wines out there and so many taxes that pair well with them, how do we find the wine that fits us best and gives us the most “bang” for our post-tax buck? The best way to determine what wine suits you is to determine your price range and choose the one that pairs the best with your tax season stress.

Red Wines

Many clinical studies have shown that red wine can reduce stress and, during this season, what could really be better than that? Also, many red wines, even the cheapest ones, can get you drunker much faster than a white wine and last longer as well. In all honesty, a glass of red wine and time to pet my dogs are pretty much all I want in life on a daily basis, so having an excuse like tax season is great no matter which way you look at it. Still, it can be hard to navigate the hundreds of wines and prices out there effectively.

These next few choices may help you get on the right path and maybe help you to finish those taxes without a care in the world.

Fear No "Taxes Due" Line

Sometimes you just need to treat yourself and buying an expensive red wine can be the perfect way to do this during the tax season. They say democracy is for the rich and, if you’re part of the 1% that finds yourself paying less tax than the average joe, why not take that extra cash and buy a wine that screams class and ‘I may get drunk and sing karaoke all night’ all in one?

2012 Gaja Barbaresco ($199.99) PRODUCT CODE: 000044402

In Piedmont, Italy, winemaker Anthony Gaja has been creating wines that never fail to impress. Made with only Nebbiolo grapes, this wine has the best of the best involved and the aromas of licorice, smoky flavor, high acidity, and strong tannins can leave you wanting another glass and forgetting the pain of taxes in no time.

2012 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon ($171.49) PRODUCT CODE: 000034854

This wine is from the Napa Valley and is a slightly cheaper way to still get your high-class wine without wincing when you put in your credit card information. Despite it being a more modern approach to the traditional techniques used in the wineries of the region, the rich qualities and flavors can still give you that distinct sense of Napa Valley.

I Need a Break

Maybe the tax season hasn’t been too kind to you. If this is the case, there are still plenty of wines that can help you get into the red wine world without breaking your budget in the process. After all, with thousands of Americans filing for bankruptcy and trying to eliminate tax debts in the process, being careful about your spending can significantly increase your chance of not being even more miserable next tax season.

2012 Duckhorn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($71.99) PRODUCT CODE: 000042942

This wine is the poster child of Napa Valley cabernet with aromas of black raspberry, red currant, vanilla bean, and milk chocolate. It is the perfect wine to add to your collection for those particularly stressful days without having to file for Chapter 7 in the process.

2014 Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon ($79.99) PRODUCT CODE: 000044887

Cakebread Cabernet is definitely worth the eighty bucks. With a silver award from the Decanter World Wine Awards, it’s a delightful wine that truly gets you the most bang for your buck.

2011 Chateau de Beaucastel Rouge ($84.89) PRODUCT CODE: 000545269

Originating from one of the most respected estates in the region, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a wine name that is highly established and awarded for their traditional wine-making strategies. Run by the Perrin family since the early 1900’s, you can tell just by tasting it that its secrets are wide-span and its flavor, as well as its history, is rich.

I Count Couch Change

So maybe you find yourself eating at your parent’s house more than your own place, doing your laundry in quarter machines, and praying that the tiny tick on your gas tank can get you to work. If that’s your life, don’t worry, there are still plenty of wines to keep you from spending those last precious bucks just to forget your taxes.

NV Lindeman’s Bin 40 Merlot ($3.99) PRODUCT CODE: 000009080

Despite being a cheap wine overall, this red has robust tannins that can make it seem as though you’re drinking a top quality wine but without the price. After all, with the stress of doing your taxes personally, it can often be difficult to put hundreds of dollars into a drink (no matter how good it is), but luckily with the addition of some quality professional tax software and a cheap wine like this, you can kiss that stress goodbye in no time.

NV Esser Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ($16.99) PRODUCT CODE: 000569496

This Cabernet is full of very rich, peppery flavors with a price that truly can’t be beat. Most people find themselves wasting money every day on food, gas, and even water when they could be spending all of that money on this wine and enjoying the indoors a bit more in the process (mostly because you won’t have gas). Don’t be like them. Buy the wine and enjoy your freedom and kiss that stress goodbye in no time.

White and Sparkling Wines

White wines are another great alternative to keep in mind this tax season especially if red wine is not for you. White wines have been proven to help achieve weight loss, improve vascular performance, and even make you happier overall which is great when you’re spending most of your time bored and bitter!

Also, the carbon dioxide associated with sparkling white wines and champagnes can actually get you drunker faster due to the increased rate in which the alcohol is absorbed in the blood stream (thank you, science). So, really, the only thing left is to choose the price range that best suits you, buy the bottle, and get to your salvation during the apocalypse immediately.

No Problem, Mon

Okay, so maybe right now you’re not sitting in your bungalow in Mar a Lago, drinking a refreshing summer beverage, waiting for your financial manager to come back from a round of golf, and deciding which granite kitchen countertop best fits your luxurious ski lodge in Vail that you can get installed with the money you have left over from your taxes. Despite that, let’s just pretend you’re stressed out over the tax season and need a sophisticated wine to match your sophisticated style. The question is which wine suits your highly advanced palate? Perhaps one of these three might tickle your fancy.

2006 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut ($120) PRODUCT CODE: 000570798

Although this one is champagne, there is much to say about its smooth and silky mouthfeel as well as its unique aromatic aftertaste. This champagne is certainly something worth the talk and guaranteed to make you look like a pro at life any day.

2011 Johann Joseph Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Gold Cap Riesling Auslese ($129.49) PRODUCT CODE: 000039931

No one can turn down a good Riesling and this one in particular happens to be very good. Originating in Germany, this delicious wine has a history that matches its complexity. The estate in which the winery originated from has been in the same family since the 1700’s and it’s no surprise that this Riesling has gotten much acclaim for its flavor and its unique background.

I’m a Middle Shelf Kind of Person

Maybe you’re done putting hundreds of your hard-earned bucks into something you can drink in one night and that’s totally understandable. If you spend more time at Walmart than Sur La Table, then maybe this list is the right one for you and won’t break your heart as it hits your account. Who doesn’t like a few extra bills in their wallet while still getting loaded?

2016 Prager Gruner Veltliner Federspiel Hinter Der Burg Niederoesterreich ($30.99)

PRODUCT CODE: 000586104

This delicious wine is a wonderful addition to any wineaux’s list and its complexity coupled with its aromatics is exactly why spending thirty one dollars on it doesn’t seem all that bad. It has a full, light, lemony flavor with just a hint of pepper and arugula (I guess that counts as your salad in, right?).

2016 Hanzell Sebella Chardonnay Sonoma ($34.89) PRODUCT CODE: 000590432

Often, this chardonnay is referred to as the Gold Standard of California Chardonnay due to its lively and vibrant nature as well as its distinct hints of apple and citrus. For anyone looking for a light and fancy chardonnay while wanting to spend less than a hundred dollars, this is the perfect one for you.

The Dollar Store Is More My Style

Who doesn’t want useless garbage for cheap? However, perhaps you’re tired of box wines and making up excuses to go over to your friend’s house to raid their wine cellar and, if so, then maybe these wines can help you get on the path to cheap thrills and the difficulty of a tax season when you know you’re the in the other 99%.

2016 Elsa Bianchi Mendoza Torrontés ($10.99) PRODUCT CODE: 000586741

In the Sub-region of Mendoza, San Rafael, this wine is a star. With its orange blossoms and mineral notes, this wine has both class as well as complexity while still giving you a taste of the region overall.

2014 Place in the Sun Sauvignon Blanc South Africa ($2.95) PRODUCT CODE: 000035011

This weird wine is a wild yeast fermented wine that takes a very modern take on the traditional grape usage that is involved with wine. Let’s just say this wine gets the best of both worlds combining some of the density of a red with the lightness of a good white wine with ease.

This season can seem like a nightmare and sometimes finding hope in all this chaos of being an adult can really be difficult, however grabbing a bottle of good wine, sitting down and taking it one step at a time, and learning to let loose despite it all can be a great way to tackle the Tax Season demon without dying along the way.

Check the blog often for tips, news, and tasting notes!

http://aws-pittsburgh.blogspot.com/

When Good Wine Goes Bad

When Good Wine Goes Bad

At the recent AWS Pittsburgh Wine Conference and Competition, our good friend Kym Antonelli presented sessions entitled Evaluating Wine: Like a Wine Judge.  We received great responses to her presentation and information. Kym explained and demonstrated several of the wine faults that judges find in competition wine.

Statistics suggest that one in every twenty bottles of wine produced in a single year is corked and even more have been damaged by improper handling, storage or through flaws in production. Yet many of us are unaware of the faults their wine may be suffering from and can’t identify these defects when they present themselves.  

If you hand someone a carton of bad milk you get a “Yuk, no thanks!” But when good wine goes bad it’s not always simple and straightforward. Maybe the wine was hanging out on the bottom shelf with some hoodlum screw tops. Maybe it grew up in a bad environment. There are lots of different reasons that good wine goes bad.

Many of us just aren’t familiar enough with wine flaws to diagnose what’s wrong. And it can be scary to speak up since the world of wine is still an intimidating place. Knowledge is power, so below are six common wine faults and tips on how to identify them.

BRETT

What it is: Brett is short for Brettanomyces, a type of yeast that frequents wineries. It likes the phenols that make up red wine and leaves an earthy aroma to the wines when it comes in contact with them. This is one of the trickier flaws since some people enjoy a touch of Brett, and there are wineries that work with the quality rather than fight it.

How to spot it: Most commonly noticed by the smell of barnyard or Band-Aids. The University of California, Davis has tested dozens of strains of Brett and discovered that about a quarter of them add good flavors, including meaty, floral, and fruity notes. At the other end of the scale, it can add notes of rotten meat, sewer gas, and burned beans. A hint of leather or bacon might not be a bad thing, but a full hit of dog park probably means it’s time to send the bottle back.

COOKED

What it is: This flaw is just what it sounds like. The wine has been allowed to overheat. In the process it’s either lost some of its power or become stewed tasting, like over-brewed tea. This can be caused by a number of factors, like sitting on a loading dock in hot temperatures, or being stored in a basement next to the water heater. Most wineries try to avoid cooking their wines by not shipping in the summer or by using package inserts that register when temperatures go above tolerance levels. But overall, the average consumer is still pretty much at the mercy of suppliers.

How to spot it: Sometimes it’s easy. The cork might stick out from the neck of the bottle slightly, having been forced out as contents heated and expanded. Other signs include streaky wine stains on the sides of the cork. If the damage is not severe you might simply detect raisin-like, stewed fruit aromas in the wine.

CORKED

What it is: A big problem and one that’s also easily misunderstood. After all, aren’t most wines corked, as in sealed with a cork? When used to describe a flaw, however, “corked” means that the wine has come into contact with a chemical known as TCA (short for 2,4,6-trichloranisole). This chemical forms when natural fungi come into contact with chlorophenols in plant matter. Exposure to TCA is harmless at low levels, but it will wreak havoc on wine. Although it can contaminate barrels and bottling lines, it is most closely associated with use of natural cork. Estimates vary on the amount of contamination exists today in the global supply of cork stoppers. The commonly quoted figure is 3%, although other estimates are higher.

How to spot it: Despite what you may have seen in old movies, you’re not going to detect cork taint from sniffing the cork. It also has nothing to do with little pieces of cork that crumble into the wine. You’ll detect it by sniffing the wine and noticing a smell like wet, musty newspapers, wet cardboard or moldy basement. It doesn’t take a lot of TCA to make an impact; most people can smell it at 10 parts per trillion. (For reference, one part per trillion is like mixing one drop of red dye into 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.)

OXIDATION

What it is: This is another one of those “good news - bad news” issues. Oxidation is what happens when you cut up fruit and leave it out on your kitchen counter. Some wines are improved by oxidation, and in fact their style is meant to be oxidized (think Madeira and Sherry). Also, older wines are transformed by the tiny bit of oxygen that has passed through the cork during long storage and bottle age. But a wine like a young Sauvignon Blanc will definitely suffer if it has gotten too much air.

How to spot it: Color is a common tip-off to oxidization. Reds turn brick-red or brown; whites turn amber or gold-brown. In terms of aroma, white wines can smell like apple cider or Sherry. Red wines will smell flat and sometimes have a caramel quality.

REDUCTION

What it is: This is the opposite of oxidation. The wine hasn’t gotten enough exposure to oxygen during its production and cellar and bottle aging, usually due to wine making techniques aimed at reducing oxidation flaws.

How to spot it: A reduced wine has an odor of sulfur, like burnt matchess. It can sometimes be fixed by decanting the wine. Another trick to fix a reduced wine is to drop a small piece of copper, even a (clean) pre-1980s penny, into the wine. The copper binds with the sulfur and makes it unavailable to your nose and tongue.

VOLATILE ACID

What it is: Volatile acid, known as VA, occurs naturally in wine and is usually caused when bacteria create acetic acid, the substance that gives vinegar its flavor. In small quantities it’s not a problem. But if particularly strong bacteria take hold and the VA gets out of control, watch out.

How to spot it: You stick your nose in the glass expecting to smell wine. You get a sharp whiff of nail polish. Often the wine will also taste like vinegar.

BONUS

There’s one more very common, but strange, thing that can happen to wine. Sometimes crystals will form in the bottom of a bottle that has been in the refrigerator for a day or two. These crystals form when potassium and tartaric acid naturally occurring in the wine combine and sink out of solution. A good winemaker will stabilize the wine so it’ll withstand typical refrigeration temperatures without forming these crystals. But if it does happen, don’t worry. This flaw is harmless (they’re basically Cream of Tartar) and happily, it’s one that won’t affect wine’s taste.

Check the blog often for more tips, news, and tasting notes!

http://aws-pittsburgh.blogspot.com/

He Blended Me with Science

Well, there wasn’t much science.  A snow storm kept our presenter, Dr. Gordon Gribble, stuck in New England.  However, what we lacked in science we made up in enthusiasm!

We welcomed more than two tables of guests, thanks to our Membership Chairperson, Santina “Bella” Balestreire!  Brava! 

The FANTASTIC wine and food were arranged by our Secretary, Bev Wise.  Bev is a former jammer who played for the San Francisco Bay Bombers Roller Derby  team  where she earned the nickname “The Secretary of Skate”.

Here is a listing of the wines tasted.  Ya shoulda been there!

Mumm Napa Blanc de Blancs 000008553 $19.99 

Gloria Ferrer Brut 000006575 $18.99* 

2016 Maison Nicolas Merlot 000002305 $9.99** 

2014 Chateau de Paillet-Quancard “Cadillac” Cotes de Bordeaux 000006368 $11.99 

2014 Umberto Cesari Sangiovese Romagna Reserva 000004774 $18.99*** 

2011 Poggio Stella Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 000078771 19.99

*Favorite Sparkling

** Favorite Merlot

*** Favorite Sangiovese

Join us next month on April 11 at 7:00

as we present “Bubbles and Blades”

Check the blogspot often for tips, news and tasting notices!

http://aws-pittsburgh.blogspot.com/

IMPORTANT UPDATE

Due to inclement weather, Dr. Gordon Gribble will not be presenting our tasting "He Blended Me With Science" on Wednesday, March 14, 2018.

Thom Harding will present the wines, and Bev Wise will fill us in on the food.

We apologize for the change, but you can't fool Mother Nature.

Sláinte!

“It’s Magically Delicious!”

St. Patrick’s Day Wine and Food Pairings

St. Patrick’s Day is coming. When most people think of St. Patrick’s Day they think of March Madness and green beer. If you’re fond of drinking beer colored with Fast Green FCF, the most commonly used dye in green beer and in most green foods that you’ll find on St. Paddy’s day, you can stop reading now.  However, we’re the American WINE Society, so here are pairings for traditional Irish food and a wee bit o’ wine.

Through researching this article we found what appear to be five of the most popular traditional Irish dishes and tried to find the best varietals to pair with these dishes. We hope that you’ll consider making one or more of these dishes paired with these wine recommendations and let us know what you think.  You can post a comment below.

Corned Beef and Cabbage: The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in both Dublin and New York City in 1762. Irish immigration exploded over the following century. Irish immigrants were considered outcasts in the US along with Jews, Italian, Polish, etc.

Though the Irish preferred pork in Ireland, in the US they found corned beef to be a delicious and less expensive alternative. Therefore, although this dish is to Ireland as apple pie is to the US, this dish was actually created by Irish Immigrants in New York City.

Wine pairing suggestions: Because this dish is often boiled it’s light and delicate in nature; so you want to be careful to select a wine that doesn’t overpower the dish. A California Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley or Santa Rita Hills would make an excellent pairing.

Bangers and Mash: This dish is simply sausage and mashed potatoes. It was created somewhere in the United Kingdom and is popular all over the UK. The term banger dates back to 1919 and is believed to have been coined from the sausages containing high levels of water to further food rationings during WWII causing them to occasionally “explode.” It is a simple dish of roasted sausage paired with mashed potatoes; the type of sausage used today is really up to you.

Wine Pairing Suggestions: This one is a little tricky to pair because the wine selected really depends on the type of sausage you chose for the dish. If you prefer a spicy sausage, a wine equal in spice and boldness is required. Wines that would stand up but not overpower a spicy sausage include Spanish Tempranillo or Australian Shiraz. Just be sure to select sausage and wine with similar boldness so they’ll pair well.

Fish and Chips: This dish is mostly associated with England which is where it originated. It consists of battered and fried mild white fish like cod or haddock served with wedge cut fried potatoes. It’s believed this dish came to Ireland in the 1880’s when an Italian Immigrant accidently stepped off an American bound ship from Queenstown in Ireland and began selling this meal outside Dublin pubs for a food cart. Today this dish is found in restaurants all over the world.

Wine Pairing Suggestions: There are many wines that would pair well with this dish! A good pairing is sparkling wine (Champagne, Prosecco, Cava or a US sparkling wine). When you pick a sparkling wine be sure to select one with high acidity, fresh citrus and crisp minerality. Nothing pairs better with fried food than bubbles! If you prefer another pairing try dry Pinot Grigio from Trentino-Alto Adige Italy or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Irish Stew: People have been stewing food since the beginning time. When the Celts invaded Ireland in the seventh century they brought with them bronze cauldrons used to cook food over an open fire. Irish stew consists of any meat cooked in the cauldron along with any available root vegetables. Traditionalists believe only mutton, onion, potato and water are to be used in Irish stew. Others believe carrots, turnips and pearl barley can be added to this dish. Today it’s made from either lamb or beef and a variety of vegetables are added. Furthermore, today it’s a must that Irish stew contains Irish beer, most popular Guinness.

Wine Pairing Suggestions: This is hearty meal with flavors of lamb or beef, lots of fresh herbs and the deep flavors of Guinness. We recommend pairing this dish with a bold wine. One suggestion is an Italian Barolo. Barolo, the “king of wines,” comes from Nebbiolo grapes from the Piemonte region of Italy. In buying a Barolo make sure it has some age (5+ years) and open it a few hours before serving. A good Barolo is not inexpensive but if you buy one with age and give it time to open it will be an excellent pairing with this stew. Another option is an Argentinian Malbec. It’s a rich, full wine with round acidity and tannins.

Traditional Irish Shepard’s Pie: This is a dish that dates back to the 18^th century. It’s hard to image what the Irish would have eaten before the discovery of the potato! It’s believed to have been created by a peasant woman who layered leftovers into one dish to reheat and serve to her family. This dish is also called “Cottage Pie.” It consists of minced meat and simple vegetables topped with mashed potatoes.  

Wine Pairing Suggestions: This is another fairly hearty dish that can be made with beef, lamb or even turkey for a non-traditional variation. In its traditional form this dish would also pair well with a hearty, full body, earthy wine. Two recommendations are California and Chilean Carmenere.

A Song Suggestion: We all know the Irish know how to drink, and since St. Patrick’s Day is often more observed with over-indulgence than with spiritual reflection we thought that a song expressing that aspect of the Irish culture was appropriate.

Please enjoy Seven Drunken Nights by The Dubliners.

 https://youtu.be/5CWIIoSf4nw