Two weeks ago I visited CBS12 WPEC for a segment on Cork vs Screw Cap with Suzanne Boyd and Eric Roby. I find it interesting that today my good friend Cynthia from Passaggio wines tweets out a post about cork making a comeback as the wine enclosure of choice. I find the data a tad underwhelming, and I think it remains to be seen the true volume of wineries switching back to cork from screw cap. My segment, below, discusses whether or not cork or screw caps are a better seal, and whether cheaper wines use screw caps. Check it out, and let me know your thoughts or questions.

For those without the time or ability to watch the two minute video, I’ll give you my summary below the video.

I don’t think cork is a better enclosure than a screw top, and neither do some very prominent wineries. Tests have shown that in the short term, meaning 10 years and under, Stelvin screw caps were as good of a seal for wine, if not better than cork. Hogue Cellars did 30 months of studies on cork versus screw cap, and Plump Jack has done similar studies, with both showing aging wine with a screw cap for 10 years fresher fruit while still showing the qualities desirable from aging.   More data needs to be done for long term aging, of course, and technology advances in the Stelvin screw caps will help with that.

As far as whether or not cheaper wines use screw top and not cork, I can settle that quite easily. I could list off the dozens, if not hundreds of wineries of high quality, and often high priced wine that are using screw tops. However, I’ll just refer to Plump Jack who has done several rounds of testing with screw cap, and offers their 2008 Cade Cabernet Sauvignon under screw cap for $72. I haven’t visited Plump Jack since 2008, however their wines have been rated in the 95+ point category by critics in recent vintages. So, if a top tier Napa Cab can be under screw cap, why shouldn’t other wines use screw caps as well?

I find it amusing that Treehugger says the wine snobs are the ones pushing wineries to use cork again. There are millions of bottles of wine produced in France alone. Add Italy, Germany, Chile, Argentina, and the United states, and you’re approaching an absurd number of bottles. And there aren’t enough wine snobs in the world to consume them all. So, can a small minority of people really dictate what enclosures the wine industry uses? I find that hard to fathom.

Additionally, much of the red wine released into the market is consumed in a relatively short time span from it’s release and purchase. This makes the need to store those wines long term unnecessary, leaving little to no difference between the cork or screw cap enclosure. So, can it be the romaticisim of the sound of a cork popping that drives people to want cork enclosures.  Maybe. For me, I’m quite happy with my screw caps.

I know I went to Paso Robles to cover the up and coming wine region. I know I was sent there to see what California was doing with Rhone varietals and share that information with you. However one of the very exciting things that came from my trip was a new love for olive oil, and I have Pasolivo to thank for that.

I did not know there are a good number of olive tree groves in Paso Robles. A future article will cover Still Waters Vineyards, where they have 100 year old trees on the property, in addition to fantastic wine experiences. Pasolivo has 45 acres of olive trees, 12 different olive varieties in over 6,000 trees, all of which are farmed organically and sustainably. However, what struck me about Pasolivo was not only the small business success story, with a small crew of people who pick, press and pack the oils by hand, but also the large variety of oils made and knowledge that went with them.

Joeli Yaguda, the owner of Pasolivo is excited to have people in the tasting room and can’t wait to taste you on her artisan olive oils. She will explain the various flavors of the extra virgin olive oils, from grassy notes to peppery finishes. Joeli will break out the flavor wheel and explain everything that her olive oils may have to offer. Then you’ll get the chance to sample some of the infused oils such as lemon or tangerine and truly have your mind, and taste buds, blown away!

Mostly used for finishing oils, the tangerine and lemon oils are great. Infused with distilled citrus oils, they add huge flavor to salads, poultry and fish.  Plate up a delicious grilled fish or chicken breast with a nice salad, drizzle some citrus or lemon Pasolivo on top, and watch your guests eyed bug out while they proclaim you a culinary genius. Joining the “Press Club” entitles you to certain limited production oils, as well as a very well done booklet that includes recipes and ideas for using these great oils. One tip for the Tangerine oil was to rub it over turkey and season with rosemary.

I also learned two very important storage and preservation tips about olive oil. First,  extra virgin olive oil has quite a limited shelf life. Each bottle of Pasolivo, tin actually, is dated on the bottom, letting you know when it’s best used by.  Olive oil is best when used within six months of press date.  The oils you get in the grocery store may have spent a month or six in the warehouse before you had the chance to purchase, potentially impacting their taste.  Second, like wine, olive oil is light sensitive. That is why Pasolivo went through a number of bottle and tin packages, finally settling on an Italian option that best preserved the flavor of the oils. Joeli tried a number of local and US made options, but none were as effective as preserving the flavors.

Pasolivo Olive Oils have won a slew of awards, too many to mention here. The price is about $25 for a 300ml tin, representing the labor and cost intensive process to create these artisan oils. I’ve compared their prices to other producers in California, and they’re similar. While they’re more expensive than the mass produced olive oils you’ll see in the grocery store, they’re also fresher, higher quality, and a lot tastier. That said, I just finished my free sample and will order one of the citrus options, as I was so enamored by my visit.  If you try some Pasolivo olive oils, let me know what you think when your oils arrive!

Ribera Del Duero

It’s difficult to get a taste of a wine region from one, or even two different wines from that area. Luckily, the folks at Drink Ribera are hosting Grand Tastings across the country, giving you an opportunity to taste almost 100 different wines from Ribera Del Duero. I had the opportunity to attend the launch in Miami, and am glad I did.

Focused mainly on the tempranillo grape, the tiny wine region of Ribera del Duero has approximately 120 km2 of vineyards, which could fit 16 times in California’s 1,942 km2 planted area. However, the rich wine making history, going back 2,000 years as evidenced by a recently unearthed mosaic of Baccus, has a lot to offer. Recent history of Ribera del Duero wineries begins in 1848, with the purchase of the land that is now Vega Sicilia winery.

Prior to the start of the Grand Tasting, several of the attendees began with a VIP tasting of Vega Sicilia wines, both the Valbuena as well as the Unico, their premier wine. Before the tasting, we learned about the history of Ribera del Duero, including going through the 1800s and the addition of the French and Bordeaux influence to the area. We discussed the consistent quality of wines from Ribera, independent of location and proximity to the river Duero. We went over recent vintages and their “grading”, such as 2006 being a good vintage, 2007 and 2008 being very good vintages and 2009 being excellent. These grades are a function of weather and growing conditions being such that the grapes show their fullest potential to make excellent wines.

Vega Sicilia Valbeuna

When we got to discussing Vega Sicilia, we learned a lot about their selective nature. They do not bottle all of the juice their grapes produce, sending some to distillation to brandy, rather than destined for quality wine. They feel that vines are at their peak of productivity between 10 and 60 years, and do not use the vines after they reach 60.  The Valbuena wines are from vines between 10 and 35 years old, while the Unico is made from vines between 35 and 60 years. The wines go through malolactic fermentation and then rest for a year in the oak vats. The Valbuena wines are then aged for three and a half years in smaller oak casks, while the Unico are aged seven years.

However, the selective nature of Vega Sicilia goes beyond a prolonged aging process. They carefully monitor the wines, particularly the Unico, before they are released. As an example, the 1970 vintage Unico was released in 1995, after spending 15 years in oak, and 10 additional years in the bottle.  Additionally, there are vintages, many, that have been skipped as the winery did not feel the grapes produced a wine worthy of the Vega Silica name.

Tasting Vega Sicilia Wines

Tasting the 2005 Vila Sicilia Valbuena, which retails for approximately $150 shows a youthful wine. Made of 80% tempranillo and 20% mostly merlot and a little  cabernet sauvignon, the nose offers leather and meat with fine baking spices. The palate offers ripe but dark fruit, with a long finish of leather and white pepper. By contrast, the 2000 Vila Sicilia Unico, which retails for approximately $350, has a nose that was 100% spice and earth focused, with little fruit. The palate was a fantastic leather and spice with an exceedingly long finish. I likened it to siting in a well appointed leather chair smoking a fine cigar. The Unico is 80% tempranillo and 20% mostly cabernet sauvignon with some merlot as well.

After starting off on a high note, I was excited to taste through as many of the wines from Ribera del Duero as I could. I found some very nice wines from the region, and have quite a few pages of tasting notes which I’ll share in the near future. However, what I took away from the grand tasting was not the notes on the 42 of 100 wines I tasted that day. I don’t need to recount the flavor profile of each wine. What I took away, what I loved about this tasting, was meeting Vicente Penalba from Finca Torremilanos and learning about his family run winery, and tasting the passion in each glass. In a future article, I’ll discuss the wines I tasted, but also the passion and excitement with which Vicente discussed them with me.  It was his passion that made me excited about Ribera del Duero wines.

MAXIM - Skyy Spirits - WSWA Party

I am fortune enough to be covering the 68th Annual Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America convention & exposition. I’ve already found an incredible Sake for $9.99 retail, an amazing tequila I can’t wait to tell you about, an awesome vodka that’ll rock your socks off and a host of other things to share. However the first day of the conference ended with a little party hosted by MAXIM,  SKYY Spirits, and the WSWA. The DJ was pumpin out the jams and everyone was having a good time.  I’ll be giving you some fun and interesting information about wine and spirits over the next few posts. However, for now, check out the fabulous people at the MAXIM – SKYY – WSWA party and enjoy the photos.

The Lounge was Skyy Blue

MAXIM Go Go Dancers

Lovely Ladies of Maxim

Serving Shots Of America Honey

Ladies Enjoying The Party

Kissing at Maxim Party

Lovely Ladies at the MAXIM SKYY Spirits WSWA Party

MAXIM Skyy WSWA American Honeys

MAXIM SKYY WSWA Party Girls

Having Fun with MAXIM SKYY and WSWA

The Girls of MAXIM at the MAXIM SKYY WSWA Party

I’ll return you to your regularly scheduled wine, and spirits information shortly.

While I love hosting my own food and wine events, I truly enjoy going to the large events put on around Florida. The Boca Bacchanal has been tantalizing the palate of food and wine lovers for the past eight years, and this year will be no different. Guests of the event are in for a fantastic time.

Tonight is the Vintner Dinner, where chefs will pair with prized vintners creating memoral dining experiences in private residences. The event starts at 7pm, and is $300 per person.  You can Click here for more information and read the  Vintner Dinner Ticket Policy .

Saturday March 19th is The Bacchanal (feast) and Auction. A tropical Floridian wonderland welcomes guests to sip, dine and bid at this extravaganza of sensational food and great wine created with the encore participation of the Vintner Dinner Chefs and Vintners, presided over by Boca Raton Resort & Club Executive Chef Andrew Roenbeck. A delectable reception and silent auction, a multi-course feast with wine pairings, and a live auction, offering fabulous wine and lifestyle lots up for bid. The event starts at 6pm and is $250 per person or a table of 10 for $2,000.

Finally, the event I’m excited to attend, the Grand Tasting. On Sunday March 20th, you’ll get to sip, savor and stroll your way through an alfresco luncheon on the tented green. We’ll enjoy delicious by-the-bite specialties from 30 top local restaurants, an exceptional presentation of 140 featured wines, and experience the herbs, produce, specialty oils and foods in “The Marketplace.” The event starts at  12 noon and goes to to 3 p.m. The event costs $85 pre-event and $100 at the gate

You can visit www.bocabacchanal.com or call 561-395-7677 for more information.

The media team with the United Way of Broward County asked if I’d be kind enough to help get the word out about their upcoming Red & White – Wine and Culinary Delight event. I have not been fortunate enough to attend the event in the past, however any charity that’s not only doing good things, but doing them via food and wine is ok in my book. Below is the media release, with information about the event.

UNITED WAY OF BROWARD COUNTY INVITES YOU TO INDULGE IN 

“RED & WHITE – WINE AND CULINARY DELIGHT”

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL – (February 11, 2011) – Sample delectable foods prepared live by Fort Lauderdale’s top chefs and exquisite wines from all over the world at United Way of Broward County’s “Red & White – Wine and Culinary Delight”, presented by Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, Inc. and Premier Beverage Company. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six on February 11 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Crystal Ballroom, with a VIP reception from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Pier top.  

Guests will have the opportunity to participate in a raffle and silent auction featuring fabulous prizes while watching live cooking demonstrations performed by Chef Miguel Santos of Pier Sixty-Six, Chef Jason Connelly of Sea Level, Chef Bil Mitchell of Publix Apron’s Cooking School, Chef Lenore of Lenore Nolan-Ryan Cooking School and Catering.

“Red & White” is United Way of Broward County’s 10^th annual food and wine event, and will benefit United Way of Broward County’s Community Investment Fund to improve the community by providing human services to those who need it most.

VIP individual reservations are $100 and general admission reservations are $60 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at www.unitedwaybroward.org. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, please visit www.unitedwaybroward.org or call Dianne Maddalena at 954-462-4850 ext. 119.

About United Way of Broward County

United Way of Broward County is a volunteer driven, community-based, non-profit organization with a mission to focus and unite the entire community to create significant lasting change that positively impacts people’s lives. UWBC is the catalyst for change and convener of partnerships that unite the hearts, minds, and resources within the Broward community. For more information, visit www.unitedwaybroward.org.

New Air 12 bottle wine fridge

When the good folks at Air and Water Inc asked me to review a wine refrigerator, I was very hesitant. I wanted to be sure that if I was not crazy about the unit, I could pass on the review. Instead, they were so confident that I’d be satisfied with the 12 bottle wine refrigerator they sent me, they told me to simply write honestly, regardless of my opinion. I admired that, and agreed, especially since I have friends asking me to recommend wine storage units all the time. This compact unit fit on my kitchen counter, which is a huge feat in a tiny house from 1940. The video below gives you nearly everything you need to know about the wine refrigerator and if it’s the right unit for you.

This unit may not be not the cheapest 12 bottle wine cooler you’ll find online, though that should NOT be your main criteria for buying a unit like this. The wine refrigerator I reviewed costs $159.99 from Air and Water, with a $30 price break right now making it $129.99. Additionally, using the code GOODTIME will help you save 10% if you decide to purchase the unit. The $30 price break has been online for about three weeks now, and an email from their marketing department stated the price for the unit is $129.99. As always, buyer beware, so check the price before you order.  I also checked the Better Business Bureau, and they are a BBB A rated company, and have been in business since 2001.

I liked the look of the unit, black with a stainless steel front. The temperature controls are simple enough, with an up and down button and a digital readout. I can’t vouch for their construction, and whether or not they’ll be able to go the distance. However, I recommend setting the unit at 55 degrees and leaving the controls alone.  Using multiple thermometers, I concluded that the temperature outside read 55 degrees while inside it read 51 degrees. Being a few degrees off won’t be detrimental to your wine, as this cooler is really meant for storing wine for serving, not long term storage. There was little to no vibration, and the fan was relatively quiet. Perhaps a little louder than a computer fan.

If you’re looking for a wine refrigerator, this may work for you. Again, I wouldn’t recommend it for long term storage for a variety of reasons. First, there’s no way to control the humidity, which is important for long term wine storage. Additionally, for long term storage I would want to be sure the temperature was at a constant 55 degrees with little to no chance for fluctuation. As the video noted, there was a quite a variation in temperature during my demonstration.  However, if you are looking to keep wine on hand, whether to get and keep it it at serving temperature for a party, or to always have a bottle ready to go when company pops over, then a wine refrigerator like this is perfect.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to ask them below. I’m quick to reply to comments, and appreciate them greatly. I threw out a lot of concepts at the end of this post, including temperature, vibration, long term storage. I’ll have to follow up, soon, with why those matter to your wine.

Pass the Turkey by SkyySpirits

Today, we’ll make a Thanksgiving holiday cocktail created by Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer called Pass the Turkey. The recipe will be after the short video below, where I make it with you.  It contains Wild Turkey Bourbon 101, and some other Thanksgiving related ingredients.

Bourbon, which was declared as a “distinctive product of the United States” in 1964, has mysterious origins dating back to the late 18th century. Some attribute it to a Baptist Minister Elijah Craig, others to Bourbon County, KY distiller Jacob Spears. Regardless of it’s origins, bourbon is a spirit with very strict guidelines to make it that distinctive US product. It’s believed that some 90%+ of the world’s bourbon is indeed distilled and aged in Kentucky, though it can be made anywhere it’s legal to distill spirits.

Bourbon is made of at least 51% corn, though typically the mixture is 70% corn and the remainder being wheat and/or rye and malted barley. The distilled mixture is typically 80% alcohol, or 160 Proof, and it must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. What ends up in the bottle has been aged for various lengths of time in the oak, which gives it the color and flavor, and is always a minimum of 80 proof, or 40% alcohol.

Bourbon is of course, a whiskey, similar to Scotch, and is identified with the US as Scotch is identified with Scotland. Bourbon has a variety of taste characteristics ranging from apple and brown sugar to leather, smoke and even acetone. The length of aging and many other factors affect the taste of the bourbon, and the drinks they make.   Bourbon can be enjoyed alone (neat), on ice, or with a variety of different ingredients to form your favorite cocktail. I’ll try to create these and more in the coming months, and have you saying Pour Me Another!

Wild Turkey Bourbon Manhattan

All wine and no cocktail makes Matt a dull boy.  And variety is the spice of life. So, I’m interrupting our regularly scheduled wine post for one or two about cocktails for the holidays.

The good PR folks that represent Wild Turkey sent me a sample of their Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon. Not afraid to mix a cocktail, I pulled up a recipe for a Wild Turkey Bourbon Manhattan. I selected this cocktail based on the fact that I had all of the ingredients in the house, and I happen to enjoy Manhattans! I’ll list the recipe below the video, where I show you how easy it is to make. It’s a great Thanksgiving Cocktail, or a cocktail to pair with a cigar, or just drink on it’s own.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you like bourbon? Have you tried wild Turkey? Did you try the Manhattan? What cocktails would you like to see me post? Wishing you and your family Happy Holidays. Until next time, Pour Me Another!

What do you want?

Writing doesn’t come easy for most people. I’m sure you can recall dreading writing for your English class as a student, and sympathize with your children as they go through the same thing now. I, on the other hand, love to write, and have thoughts and stories swirling around my head 24/7. Sadly, I rarely find the time to get them down on paper (or a computer screen). I started blogging to get the voices in my head on paper a few years ago, but even that has gone by the way side lately.  However, I’m about to change all that.

I started my wine blog with the intention of making wine fun and approachable. All too often people are intimidated by wine snobs or overwhelmed by choices, and either skip the vino all together, or pick the well marketed or popular wine by default.  Somewhere along the way, I veered from that, allowing the wine geek in me to take over, and sometimes delving too deep into topics of biodynamics or terroir that perhaps most of you don’t care much about.  Again, I’m about to change all of that.

I would like to know what you’d like to read about.  I plan on continuing my “reviews” and recommendations of wines, whether for meals or sipping on with friends, or even Thanksgiving recommendations.  I also continue working with friends and chefs, to prepare meals, pair with wine, and explain both processes.  However, what would you like to see? Should I try exotic grapes and discuss them and wines made by them? Should I focus on specific wine producing areas? Perhaps a wine tasting trip around France, then Italy, and focus a few months worth of posts on each area?  Or something completely off the wall, which you’ve always wanted to see done, but no one had the nerve to do it?

Leave a comment, or connect with me via twitter or facebook.  I have, sadly, closed my mmwine twitter account, but you can find me there as mmwine2 – new and improved, upgraded so to speak. I already have a few items in the hopper, including a review of a compact wine cooler, but really, what do you want?