Let’s give it our best shot!

running total:

131

Whew! We broke one hundred!

Snake River Valley AVA
Red Mountain AVA
Walla Walla AVA
Columbia Valley AVA
Idaho (non-AVA) – all the above from Ted Judd
Mantinia, Peloponnese, Greece – Mark and Diane Freeland
Luxembourgeoise Appellation, Luxembourg – Mark and Diane Freeland
Tennessee – Terry Sullivan
Beijing – Joe L
Franciacorta – Meri Kukkavaara
Pessac-Léognan – Gary Newborough
Porongurup, Great Southern, Australia – Darby Higgs
Gaillac – Alex Bardsley
Napa Valley – Wm Patrick Cranley
Virginia – Terry Sullivan
Central Coast AVA – Wence
Chile AVA – Michael DeMucci
Okanagan Valley, BC Canada – Bruce Johnson
Somló, Hungary – James Webb
El Terrerazo, VdT, Spain – Paul Mims
Vipava Valley, Slovenia – B&B Berry
Texas Hill Country AVA – Hunter Hammett
Texas High Plains AVA – Hunter Hammett
Northern Virginia Region – John Clark
Sicily IGT – Marc Braes
Saint Mont, VDQS – Marc Braes
Alentejo, Portugal – Jo Diaz
Nova Scotia – Peter J. Rockwell
Uruguay – Randy Cepuch
Wachau/Kremstal, Austria – MaJ
Limoux, France – Anna S
Duoro, Portugal – Bob Gregg
West Virginia – Terry Sullivan
Rocky Knob AVA, Virgina – Dave highfield
Castelli di Jesi – Peter Conway
Soave DOC Italy- Steve & Deborah De Long
Touraine AOC France – Steve & Deborah De Long
Bonnezeaux AOC France – Steve & Deborah De Long
Etna DOC Italy- Steve & Deborah De Long
Wuerttemberg Germany – Susanne Kuehne
Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT Italy – Christine Skandis
Ozark Highland AVA – Aaron Mandel
Tassel Ridge, Iowa – Aaron Mandel
Erbaluce di Caluso – Christine Skandis
Stellenbosch – Peter Conway
South Eastern Australia – Peter Conway
Mendoza, Argentina – Sheila Fruman
Jurançon, France – Sheila Fruman
Burgenland, Austria – Tim Faust
Yakima Valley AVA, WA – Chris Cary
Columbia Gorge AVA, WA – Chris Cary
Similkameen Valley, BC, Canada – Chris Cary
Snipes Mountain AVA, WA – Chris Cary
Newton, Iowa – Phil Watkins
Finesville New Jersey – Phil Ward
Getariako Txakolina DO Spain – Phil Ward
Cochise County, Arizona – Chris Herbert
Cucamonga Valley AVA, California – Chris Herbert
Yadkin Valley AVA, North Carolina, USA – Sue Harmon
Penedes DO Spain – Jackie & Bob Rogers
Cirò DOC Italy – Sassodoro
San Luis Obispo County, California – Susan Blomeley
Alto Adige, DO Italy – Peter Conway
Ile d’Orleans, Quebec, Canada – Kenneth Harris
Long Island, New York – Kenneth Harris
Wisconsin – Wm. Darrell Lee
Kansas – Jim and Patricia Breed
Prosecco – Wm. Darrell Lee
Aglianico del Vulture DOC – Rutha A
Natchez, Mississippi – Great Black Swamp Chapter
Hermann, Missouri – Great Black Swamp Chapter
Paros (Island), Greece – Great Black Swamp Chapter
Vin de Savoie Chignin, France – Great Black Swamp Chapter
Kunság, Hungary – Great Black Swamp Chapter
Savuto DOC – Mark Scholar
Albemarle County, Virginia – PDKramer
Sicilia IGT – PDKramer
British Columbia VQA – PDKramer
Sicilia IGT – PDKramer
Commandaria Cyprus – PDKramer
Rivesaltes Ambré – Stanislav Rudý
Rivesaltes Tuilé – Stanislav Rudý
Beira Interior, Portugal -Paula Sindberg
Knights Valley AVA, California -Patrick Cranley
Russian River Valley AVA, California -Patrick Cranley
Knights Valley AVA, California -Patrick Cranley
Dry Creek Valley AVA, California -Patrick Cranley
Alexander Valley AVA, California -Patrick Cranley
Ica valley, Peru -Robert Austin
Tokaji, Hungary -Jeffrey Elliott
Montstant DO, Spain -Jeffrey Elliott
Red Mountain AVA, Washington -Jeffrey Elliott
Montstant DO, Spain -Jeffrey Elliott
Chassagne-Montrachet AOC, France -Jeffrey Elliott
Cava DO, Spain -Jeffrey Elliott
Middleburg, VA -Kate-Darcy
West Connecticut Highlands AVA -Jon Haight
Navarra DO, Spain -Jon Haight
Willamette Valley AVA, Oregon -Jon Haight
North Fork of the Roanoke AVA -Greg Teese
Valle de Rapel, Chile -The WineCRU
Paso Robles AVA, California -The WineCRU
Monterey AVA, California -The WineCRU
Rioni Gorge, Republic of Georgia -Henry Weingarten
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Charmes -John Hornbeck
Chablis Premier Cru Cote de Lechet -John Hornbeck
Vinho Verde Region, Portugal -Cliff and Marla Treat
Livermore Valley AVA -Cliff and Marla Treat
Getariako Txakolina -Central Virginia Chapter
Fiefs Vendeens VDQS France -Central Virginia Chapter
Puglia IGT Italy -Central Virginia Chapter
California -Central Virginia Chapter
Washington -Marlene Rossman
Golfo del Tigullio -Jeff Grossman
Barbera d’Asti -Jeff Grossman
Slovenia -Jeff Grossman
Colli Trevigiani -Jeff Grossman
Valle d’Aosta -Jeff Grossman
Etna -Jeff Grossman
Faro -Jeff Grossman
Alto Adige -Jeff Grossman
Umbria -Jeff Grossman
Valtellina Superiore Sassella Riserva -Jeff Grossman
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer -Jeff Grossman
Taurasi -Jeff Grossman
Chambave -Jeff Grossman
Sardinia -Jeff Grossman
Veneto -Jeff Grossman
Mornag, Tunisia -Steven Moore
Pennsylvania -Mike Czerpak
Saint Bris AOC, Burgundy/France -Wendy

We’re now 1,023 members strong and growing! Included in this number are 30 Doppel Members, seven Treble Members and three Quattro Members.

Our annual celebration and challenge is once again online in recognition of the international nature of the club, but this year is going to be somewhat different. Last year we collectively tasted 314 different grape varieties, crushing the previous year’s 157 and a very impressive sum (but still short of the three Quattro Member’s lifetime grape lists!).

This year, we’re going to see how many different wine regions we can collectively taste in one day. In a way it is both easier – Bulgarian Cabernet and Chilean Merlot will both count – and more difficult as exotic 100 grape Italian wines, Portuguese cepage-monsters other mega blends like Châteauneuf-du-Pape will only count once.

Wherever you may be, please raise a glass of the most obscure wine* you can find on May 26th in honor of the club and the glory that is you. And if at all possible please post a short note about the wine you had on the Wine Century Club Site. The note can be as simple as the name of the wine and where it came from.

Hope to see you online on May 26th!

Veni, Vino, Vici!

Steve

*Only grape wines please (meadsters!) and even the smallest of subregions will count. For example, Gevrey-Chambertin will be counted separately from Gevrey-Chambertin premier cru La Perrière and Côtes du Rhône will be counted separately from Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne. And that’s just France. There are over 300 different wine regions in the US alone!

If you’ve been waiting a relatively long time for your certificate, please be assured that they will be sent out early next week.

This batch of applications has unintentionally received an extra long cave aging to ensure perfect framability. To all those who have inquired: my inbox is brimming over with the most indelicate of silent screams (IE “where the f**k is my certificate?”) weighing heavily on my heart, not unlike Fortunato’s cries of “Amontillado!”

Luchresi knows nothing of certificates. . .

To honor this sense of adventure and crazed obsessiveness, I am announcing a contest and award for the most grape varieties tasted by any one member: Le Grand Prix du Cépage!

Entries are due November 12, 2010 5PM EST and the winner will be announced on November 15th.

A big help in the quest for Doppel+ membership is the expanded application and database developed by Dr. Thomas Mercer-Hursh. You can find both on his site, A Muse in the Cellar.

Our event went really well this weekend- there were 52 people and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Wines Tasted:

Vilarnau Cava Brut NV, (Penedes, Spain) [Macabeo, Xarello, Parellada]
Gran Sarao Cava Rose NV (Penedes, Spain) [Trepat]
Conde Villar Vinho Verde Branco Seco 2008 (Minho, Portugal) [Loureiro, Trajadura]
Quinta do Crasto Douro 2007 (Douro, Portugal) [Gouveio, Roupeiro, Cercial, Rabigato]
Txomin Etxaniz, Getariako Txakolina 2009 (Basque Region, Spain) [Hondarrabi Zuri]
Colli di Lapio di Romano Clelia Fiano Di Avellino 2009 (Campania, Italy) [Fiano Di Avellino]
Benito Ferrara Greco Di Tufo 2008 (Campania, Italy) [Greco Bianco]
Palazonne Terre Vineate Orvieto Superiore 2009 (Umbria, Italy) [Grechetto, Procanico]
Gini Soave Classico 2008 (Veneto, Italy) [Garganega]
Huber Zweigelt 2007 (Traisental, Austria) [Zweigelt]
Zantho St. Laurent 2006 (Burgenland, Austria) [St. Laurent]
De Angelis Lacrima Christi del Vesuvio Rosso 2008 (Campania, Italy) [Piedirosso]
El Castro de Valutille Mencia Joven 2007 (Bierzo, Spain) [Mencia]
Cavallotto Freisa Bricco Boschis 2006 (Langhe, Piedmont, Italy) [Freisa]
La Colombaia Valpolicella Ripasso 2007 (Veneto, Italy) [Corvina, Rondinella]
Cantina Anotonia Caggiano Irpinia Aglianico “Tari” 2007 (Campania, Italy) [Aglianico]
Summers Winery, Villa Andriana Vineyard Charbono 2005, (Napa Valley, Calistoga, CA) [Charbono]
Warre’s White Port NV (Pinhao, Douro, Portugal) [Arinto, Codega]

New York

Seated: Greg dal Piaz From Left standing: Greg Kozar, Peter Conway, Steve Raye, Constance Chamberlain, Karen Page, Andrew Dornenburg and Tony Fletcher.
Not pictured: Anatoli Levine

Here are the grapes we tasted:

Narince, Kalecik Karasi, Zierfandler, Dolomiti, Osalecta, Muller-Thurgau, Riesling, Silvaner, Kerner, Plousard, Romorath, Faire Sevedou, Moscofilero, Assyrtiko, Aidani, Agiorgitiko, St Laurent, 3 different types of muscat, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Touriga, Pinot Noir and Viognier, and a port (we don’t know how many grapes!)

That’s at least 30 for us! : )
-Constance Chamberlain

Also, check out Tony Fletcher’s excellent post on the event:

Grape Wines (not your usual suspects)

London

Paula Sindberg and our sole Quattro member, Tom Reagan Jr.

Paula Sindberg’s Weird & Wonderful Tasting was great fun – Paula usually scores with the goods and this was no exception. It was also a special treat that Tom Reagan, our current grape champ with 426 varieties, came to the event from Atlanta with a couple of very interesting wines.

There were lots of obscure grapes, but the two that stood out for me were the Jacky Preys 2007 Cuvée de Fié Gris Vielles Vignes “Terroir Pierre à Fusil” Touraine (white grape variety: Fié Gris) and the Lorenzo 2005 “Vigna Paradiso” Lacrima di Moro d’Alba (red grape variety: Lacrima). Not only were they new grapes for me, they were deliciously interesting wines. The Fié Gris was vaguely reminiscent of Loire Sauvignon Blanc, but with gun flint and nettles. The Lacrima di Moro was a big red powerful red, very aromatic and herbal – almost like vermouth/Campari – very unique and charismatic. Interestingly enough, several tastings throughout the world had Lacrimas – I could be the next must try red from Italy, a little like Sagrantino.

Here’s a list of all of the wines that we tasted:

Le Petite Chambord 200 Cour-Cheverny (white variety: Romorantin)
Ameztoi 2009 Txakolina de Getaria (white variety: Hondarribi Zuri and a little red Hondarribi Beltz even though the wine was white)
Chateau de la Mirande 2008 Picpoul de Pinet (white variety: Picpoul)
Ciu’ Ciu’ 2008 Offica Pecorino “Le Merlettaie” (white variety: Pecorino)
Cantina Valle Isarco 2006 Sudtirol Kerner (white variety: Kerner)
Domaine Jacky Preys 2007 Cuvée de Fié Gris Vielles Vignes “Terroir Pierre à Fusil” Touraine (white grape variety: Fié Gris)
Domaine Berthoumieu 2008 Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec Vieilles Vignes (white grape varieties: Gros Manseng, Courbo & Petit Manseng)
Afros 2008 Vinhão Vinho Verde Tinto (red grape variety: Vinhão)
Cos 2008 Frappato (red grape variety: Frappato)
Orovela 2004 Saperavi Rouge Georgia (red grape variety: Saperavi)
Les Cretes 2006 Torrette (red grape varieties: Petit Rouge, Mayolet, Tinturier and Cornalin)
Tiger Mountain 2006 TNT Georgia USA (red grape varieties: Touriga Nacional & Tannat)
Fattoria San Lorenzo 2005 “Vigna Paradiso” Lacrima di Moro d’Alba (red grape variety: Lacrima)
Clos Lapeyre La Magendia de Lapeyre (white grape variety: Petit Manseng)

Hong Kong

We were about 30 people, all very very much like the concept. We held the event in a wine bar called tastings (www.tastings.hk) which is a special place in that it prominently features enomatic machines and have 40 labels on offer at anyone time. We charged hkd 250 to each participant and this included a hkd 200 sampler card as well as some snacks. We had 3 distributors sponsor some wines and some participants were so eager that they also brought some unusual wines to taste. We plan to hold even every second month and most likely tastings will be the place to meet. our goal is to be informal and casual and offer anyone a chance to learn and go off the beaten path. We will emphasise grapes but also wines from unusual regions like China, Thailand, India, and the like. In the evening, we confirmed the following members:

Nellie Lee (co-founder)
Ron Taylor
Ian Symonds
Agata Meuti
Paolo Fassina

with myself, it means the we are now 6 members in hong kong!

JC Viens

Here is a list of wines tasted:

Redwood City, CA (SF Bay Area)

Last night, we toasted the Century Club at Savvy Cellar Wine Shop and Wine Bar in Redwood City, California. We tasted 3 different wines: a Bugianen Freisa d’Asti from Domenico Capello, a Castello di Verduno Pelaverga, and a Blaufrankisch, whose producer escapes me. I thought the Freisa might be tasted by someone else, but I was pretty sure the Pelaverga would not be on your list – amazingly, I guess someone tasted it last night. As of right now, a brief look through the list doesn’t reveal that anyone tried a Blaufrankisch, so maybe that’s our winning contribution!

-Marni Rubin

Hendersonville, NC

The French Broad Chapter in Hendersonville enjoyed the following on The Anniversary.Trebbiano de Lugana, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zin. Barbera, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouchet, Falanghina, Chenin Blanc, Sauv. Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Malvasia Bianca, Orange Muscat, Muscat Canelli, Vignoles, Chessalas.

Keith Dalbec

Milton, DE

WE JUST FINISHED OUR TASTING FOR THE FIRST STATE COASTAL CRU IN DELAWARE AND WE CAN ADD THE KLEVENER DE HELIGSTEIN GRAPE FROM ALSACE ONE, WE ALSO HAD A BOTTLE OF GODELLO FROM MONTENOVO AND SOME OF US STARTED OFF THE DAY WITH A BOTTLE OF BACCHUS FROM ENGLAND. WE ALSO SIGNED UP 27 NEW FUTURE MEMBERS. HAVE A GREAT YEAR!

-Bernie Knowllinger

Aiken, SC

The Aiken, SC Wrath of Grapes chapter of the Wine Century Club had an impromptu meeting of four members. The evening started with Ironstone Vineyards SYMPHONY 2005 paired with pimento cheese spread. The next course was bacon-wrapped shrimp, accompained by Perrier Jouet NV Brut (assumed to be PINOT NOIR & CHARDONNAY with other grapes in too small a percentage to take credit for). The meal of pork loin medallions in mushroom sauce was paired with Picchetti TEROLDEGO 2007 and Linne Calodo “Cherry Red” 2007 (ZINFANDEL, MOURVEDRE, SYRAH). Dessert was fresh Aiken county strawberries, lightly marinated in Brachetto D’Acqui, accompanied by (of course) Pineto BRACHETTO D’ACQUI DOCG 2007. Dishwashing was made more pleasant with a half bottle of Quady Elysium 2007 (BLACK MUSCAT).

Cheers and Happy Birthday!

Columbus, OH

Happy 5th… here are some more varietals… not adding the ones already reported… Bukettraube (South Africa), Roscetto (Italy – even though the bottle turned out to be corked!), Tocai Friulano, Verdicchio, Traminette… but wait a minute… didn’t anyone have Lambrusco & Champagne( Pinot Meunier) to celebrate the Anniversary?

Here’s the summary in alphabetical order. I’ve pruned as many synonyms out as possible but there may be a few remaining. Some of the varieties listed are probably clones instead of distinct varieties, especially from the 152 grape wine, and will require a closer look. Even so, I think we’ve easily jogged past the 300 grape marker.

Veni Vino Vici!!!

Through the generosity of Tom Reagan (our reigning champ with 426 varieties) I was able to try the 2005 Giribaldi Cento Uve Lange DOC a wine that our sole Indian member, sommelier Subhash Arora, has written about.

Obviously this wine poses a problem for the Wine Century Club. Since we allow all the grapes in a blend to count towards our totals, it makes things far too easy – one sip and Bob’s your uncle – wham-bam welcome to the club. Where’s the adventure in that? Something must be done!

I convened an emergency executive committee meeting where we came up with a ruling: the 2005 Giribaldi Cento Uve Lange DOC can not count for initial membership in the club but the grape varieties in it can count towards higher levels of membership (ie Doppel).

Whew!

So how was the wine?

It’s about 50% Nebbiolo which is interesting since Nebbiolo is rarely blended with other grapes and some would say that, like Pinot Noir, it’s a grape that shouldn’t be blended. Initially it was fairly closed and not very interesting, but opened up into a very aromatic and enjoyable wine – floral, roses and violets along with a big splash of Dr. Pepper with cocoa and cherries coming out on the palate. The tannins were abundant and chewy but also drying which would usually indicate that it needs a few more years in the cellar, however in other ways it already seems fully matured. I wouldn’t wait, especially if you’re working on your Doppel level! It was perfect with grilled sirloin.

Although most of us will not commence our preparations for Christmas until the beginning of Advent, without doubt we are already being bombarded with the shops and other commercial operations via TV, newspapers, the mail, and the Internet, all trying to attract our attention to but this and that since the beginning of November, and some even earlier.

The preparation for this religious festival and the season of goodwill has changed dramatically since the end of WW2

Then, cakes, puddings, mincemeat, pickles and even decorations were more often ‘home made’ from October onwards with only the final touches left to the week leading up to the ‘big day’. Oh yes, how we of mature years remember! But that is history and unlikely to return.

It is time to look ahead to the festivities in this, the 8th (or is it the 9th.) year of the new millennium. What preparations can we, or should we, be making NOW?
Presents are one of the priorities, but they are more of a personal item. Selection should be left to the individual and the influence of the sales staff concerned and not from the interference of this newsletter. Cards are mainly an Anglo-American habit, but with rising postal costs, postal strikes etc. may well decline this year in favour of the Internet (unless you are a famer in the heart of rural Wales, Scotland or the American outback).

Some of the traditional preparations have been resurrected due to necessity, like the making of the pudding and making of mincement, and even cakes which may be difficult to obtain in some areas. (Recipes are readily available -. The United Kingdom BBC Good Food website is well worth a look)

Possibly the largest headache is in selection of the main course – what to have and with what to accompany it to make a memorable Christmas feast. To cover all the possibilities would need the writing of yet another book on food. Even in Europe, – country, regional and even area variations abound, so where to begin?

This year the proposal is a change from the traditional turkey to – ROAST GOOSE. Goose was the vogue in many parts of the United Kingdom long before turkey was introduced and became commercially available.

This year our suggested Bill of Fare for 2009 consists of:-

Aperitif –
Nuts (salted cashews, peanuts, walnuts or other types of nut), partnered by Brut Champagne NV. It makes the ideal accompaniment but can be expensive. Any Brut Traditional Method (once called Methode Champenoise) is acceptable. A good choice here is Crémant d’Alsace (Chardonnay- Pinot Blanc blend) from France or one of the many Traditional Method Italian sparklers.

Starter – a choice of two -
1.Fois Gras – ours will be from Alsace and not the traditional South West of France
Accompanied by:-
Gewurztraminer Tradition 2006 – Hugel
Although fairly expensive, an aromatic, rich, spicy, and lasting wine is necessary to accompany the locally produced fois gras from this region.
Website – www.hugel.com (available in English)
or.
2. Oysters -
Accompanied by:-
Gros Plant du Pays Nantais or Muscadet sur lie. My favourites are from Château du Cléray – Sauvion et Fils.
Website.- www.sauvion.fr (available in English)

‘Fat’ oysters – is one of the few dishes that make the highly acidic Gros Plant remotely drinkable. Many people refer to this wine as ‘the nearest thing there is to paint stripper’ It is surprising that when partnering ‘fat’ oysters it is perfect.
With oysters the wine partner must be both dry and fairly acidic. Whilst the Muscadet grape (Melon de Bourgogne) is excellent, Sauvignon Blanc from a cool climate is also very acceptable.

Main Course –

Roast Goose – There are many recipes on offer for making the most of a Christmas goose, but the art of preparing and cooking it is seldom included. Reading the magazine ‘The Poultry Keeper’ a year ago, Melanie Daniels’s article, gave a no fuss, traditional, old fashioned, but simple set of instructions on how to prepare and cook a goose. To her I am very grateful – it works!!! Here it is. The only item missing was the plucking of the bird; my advice – let the supplier do it for you.

Preparation –
Goose produces a huge amount of fat and therefore the roasting dish MUST have a draining tray to catch this fat and enable it to be drained off (and reserved) from time to time.
1. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the inside of the bird.
2. Pinch and prick the skin (Do not stab the meat). This helps with the running off of the fat.
3. Rub the skin with sea salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence.
Cooking –
As geese come in many sizes, the following instructions are quoted in minutes per kilo (2.25 pounds)
1. Place the prepared bird in a large dish (or double casserole). Place it into the pre-heated oven at 220 degrees C (440 degrees F) for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Reduce to 190 degrees C (370 degrees F) and cook for a further 25 – 30 minutes per kilo. (This will make for a ‘medium’ cooked bird. If you like the meat ‘well done’ a few more minutes will be necessary).
3. Remove the bird about every 30 minutes and drain off the fat. (The fat should be retained for cooking the potatoes). Baste the bird at the same time.
4. At any sign of scorching, cover that part with foil.
5. At the end of the cooking period, allow to rest for 30 minutes turning the bird upside down to allow for the breast meat to remain moist.

Stuffing and Accompaniments –
Keep them simple, roast goose is very rich and is best shown to perfection when not overwhelmed with too many side dishes.
Parsley and thyme stuffing – home made adding in some of the giblets, finely chopped, and a little goose fat to bind. Cook separately from the bird or it may go soggy.
Redcurrant jelly, apple sauce, or whole cooked chestnuts could also be considered.
Finally, (and in my opinion a MUST)
Potatoes – roasted in the oven in goose fat until golden brown.

This is a main dish to satisfy a king.

Wines to accompany
This is a rich meal; therefore the wines need to have flavour, depth and acidity.

From France – I would suggest –
Brouilly or Cote de Brouilly from the Beaujolais.
Château Thivin en Beaujolais 2006 or 7. Their Brouilly and Cote de Brouilly have all the flavour of the gamay grape plus good acidity. Both are produced on the granitic soils of the area with the Cote having a hint of volcanic heat on the palate. Mount Brouilly is the site of an ancient and now extinct volcano.
The Geoffrey family have been making wines here for 5 generations.
Contact – Claude Geoffrey, 69460 Odenas
Website – www.chateauthivin.com (English available)

or

St. Estephe or Haut Medoc from Bordeaux
Côte de Nuits from Burgundy.
Try to avoid the softer wines from Southern France.
In the United States and Canada, the Pinot Noirs from Oregon and Washington State are highly recommended
From Italy – The Piedmont family of wines from the Nebbiolo grape (Barbaresco, Barolo etc.) or a quality DOC Barbera also pair well with the goose.

Cheese and Dessert

Cheese – If you are having a cheese course, select your cheeses to match the wines chosen to accompany the goose.
Blue cheeses – Stilton and Roquefort are rich and tasty but need to be accompanied with a sweet botrytised wine (or Vintage Port).
The Loire – Coteaux de Layon (again available under the Sauvion label) is not only botrytised but also, with the cooler climate, has better acidity

Dessert – Although many Brits will insist on their Christmas pudding at this stage and continuing with the port, the more weight conscious may prefer fresh fruit to clean the palate.
With the latter and again as a real refresher, the recommendations are:-
Brut or Demi-Sec Champagne
Asti (Moscato grape) from Italy (ideal as it in lower in alcohol – circa 7.5% abv)
Eiswein from Canada or Germany – (pricey, but well worth it – normally in half-bottle)

Digestif
Coffee with Armagnac or a VSOP cognac.

Author’s Note on Availability of Wines

The wines specifically mentioned ABOVE are available in the UK, the USA and Canada, but naturally not everywhere. A quick look at the web for any of them, or at the site of the company itself, may give a satisfactory answer.
As stated in previous articles I prefer to search out my wines from small independent growers, not just from the super- and hypermarkets; the latter cannot be expected to stock lines that may have a production of a few hundred bottles. For example in the Beaujolais alone there are more than 400 producers. Some produce under their own label but the majority sell wine or grapes or both to the ‘larger’ companies throughout the whole of Burgundy. They, in turn, blend the producers wine, or make the grapes to suit their own house style.
This has led to one well known wag of a grower referring to Beaujolais wines blended and bottled in the Cote d’Or around the town of Beaune as BEAUNE-JOLAIS.

From our family to yours wherever you are

Happy Christmas – Joyeux Noel

Lisa Donneson, having gained her Wine and Spirit Education Trust Diploma in 2006, set up Bouké wine to promote the wines of Long Island NY. Yes you have it correct – Long Island (NY) wines, – from internationally known vitis vinifera grape varieties. In French terms Lisa became a négotiant – éleveur (a person who buys grapes, – it could be wines, but not in her  case -, for the purpose of making and selling wines under her own name) With many of the French major red and white vine varieties represented (as they are grown commercially in the area around Long Island), what better name for her company than a play on the French word ‘Bouquet’ for the name of her company.

The wine making expertise comes from Giles Martin (no relation to yours truly) who hails from the Rhône Valley in France and honed his expertise with the likes of Roederer and Delas Frères. Together they select the grapes from the local growers and then produce some excellent quality wines.

Due to the complexity (and I put it mildly) of the US state and national wine laws, most of the wines are sold within New York and New York State, although some representation has been negotiated with merchants outside of this region.

Promotion and advertising of her wines is mainly through hotels, restaurants, and specialist functions – often allied to the fashion industry. Full details of these events can be found on her website (www.boukewines.com).

I only wish that I had the opportunity to attend some of these promotions, especially those that are food related. That is not possible as I live in a small village situated in the Hautes Alpes region of France. Lisa and I go back in time to her study days when I was given the task of marking some of her ‘dummy’ essays from past WSET Diploma papers. It was obvious from the research she made before going into print with her essays that it was only a matter of time before she became fully involved with wine. Her strength of character was also indicative of ‘going it alone’ rather than be involved in some multi-national operation.

It is these ‘boutique’ operations that keep variety, quality, and variation in this wonderful world of wine and for those of us that enjoy, without wine snobbery entering the lists, long may it continue. Personally I try to avoid branded wines, produced at a price point, and launched through every major supermarket group.

Tasting Notes on Bouké wines
There are 4 wines currently in the range – a red, a rosé, a white and a white dessert wine that is fortified. By keeping the individual wine varieties separate, the blender can adjust them to suit not only the style of the wine but also the variations in the growing conditions from year to year. It is here that the true ‘art’ of the wine maker comes into its own.

Bouké – White -  2007 – Carefully selected grapes, well blended produce this excellent wine (What a change from just another Chardonnay). The make up here is Chardonnay (of course) but with substantial contributions from Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and to give a hint of spiciness, 7% Gewurztraminer. Faintly aromatic, crisp and well balanced, make this wine  the perfect aperitif. It will also match with poultry and fish dishes, provided the latter is not too bland.

Bouké Red – 2007 – A blend of the Bordeaux grape varieties with the addition of 15% Syrah. The latter adds depth to the colour and a hint of spiciness and liquorice to the taste. Using the produce of vines around 15 years of age ensures that there is a maturity in the wine from the onset. Full bodied, around 13% by volume alcohol, makes it a perfect marriage with full bodied red meat dishes, and venison. I accompanied it with a mutton, fruit curry with Caribbean vegetables – the recipe based on a traditional goat meat and fruit curry from Barbados (see photo) was accompanied by okra, plantain, sweet potato mash and Basmatti rice.

Bouké Rosé – 2008 – With the huge revival in the popularity of rosé wine, production of such a wine has become a necessity rather than a fad. Bouké rosé combines both accepted methods of producing ‘pink’ wines – purpose made – short term skin contact and the ‘saignée’ (bleeding) method that is so popular in France. (Taking away some of the juice at an early stage allows more colour to develop for the red wines).
Made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot – the major constituents of the Bordeaux blend – , Bouké rosé is salmon pink in colour, with soft summer berry fruits on both nose and in the taste. It is an ideal aperitif, but also pairs well with barbecued fish and chicken, crab or fish cakes and the lighter styles of cheese.

Bouquet Dessert Wine – NV – 17% by vol alc – (37.5cl bottles) – This is a true bit of innovation. Using Gewurztraminer, mellowed with a small percentage of Chardonnay, fortifying the wine to stop the fermentation (Port style) with chardonnay based grape spirit, the result is a delightfully sweet, spicy wine that still retains a crisp acidity (one advantage of the cool temperatures of Long Island).

Ideally, this is a wine to accompany the ‘petits fours’ at the end of the meal, but try it with ‘fois gras’ (if you like it and can get it!)

If you are around the New York area contact Lisa for her list of up and coming events, or ask for your nearest stockist. Failing that, contact Bouké Wines on their website. (www.boukewines.com or email  – lisa@boukewines.com)

Grahame Martin AIWS
October 2009 ©

California Wine Dinners at Union Square Hospitality Group Restaurants in NYC

The Modern
Tuesday, September 15, 7:00 PM
The wines of Napa Valley, Mendocino, Amador County, and Lodi
Four courses (including a California cheese course)
Nine wines
$150 per person (not including tax and tip)
Address: The Museum of Modern Art, 9 West 53rd Street (bet. 5th & 6th Aves.) NYC
Reservations: Call 212-408-6645
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MENU AND WINES

Eleven Madison Park
Tuesday, September 15, 7:00 PM
The wines of Sonoma County and Santa Barbara
Three courses (including a California cheese course)
Eight wines
$130 per person (not including tax and tip)
Address: 11 Madison Ave. (at 24th St.) NYC
Reservations: Call 646-747-2583
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MENU AND WINES

Tabla
Tuesday, September 15, 7:30 PM
The wines of Paso Robles and Monterey
Three courses (including a California cheese course)
Eight wines
$110 per person (not including tax and tip)
Address: 11 Madison Ave. (at 25th St.) NYC
Reservations: Call 212-889-0667
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MENU AND WINES