Ripasso

Some of us still remember how a few years ago Valpolicella used to be that cheap stuff you bought in jugs. Restaurants used it for cooking, you could have not found one on a wine list, and most stores couldn't even spell it on their price tags. Oh, how times have changed! Most producers from the Veneto area offer one in their portofolios along old staples like Amarone.
Amarone della Valpolicella is a very complex wine made using three different grapes: Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. Italians like to take a lot of breaks, so after they pick the grapes, they lay them on straw mats outside and let them dry. Then, they open a bottle of wine, cut some cheese and prosciutto, get stuffed and take a long nap. Meanwhile the grapes dry up like raisins, which concentrates the sugars. A few days later, they squeeze the grapes and put the juice in barrels. After that, they open another bottle of wine, eat some truffles and take another long break.
The problem with Amarone is that it's very expensive. So, around 1968, they decided to start bottling Valpolicella. The difference is, that after they pick the grapes, they only have a couple of espressos, and get back to work squeezing the grapes. The wines are lighter, fruitier and they can be released after a few weeks just like a Beaujolais Nouveau. In most cases they are aged for around 9 months in barrels. But the wines are cheaper, and the owners couldn't get that new Vespa their neighbor had.
So, in traditional Italian enterprising spirit, they found a niche. Ripasso. Which literally means repassed. The skins left after the fermentation of Amarone, are  added to the  batch of Valpolicella juice. The fermentation boosts the alcohol level, adds body and complexity. The wines age longer then Valpolicella (in my cellar they don't have time to), are medium priced, so they are a great alternative to an expensive Amarone.
They became an official appellation only a couple of years ago,since it takes Italians a bit longer to get moving. Most restaurants carry at least one, in some cases you can even find them by the glass. In the stores, you should pay around $22-23 for the current vintage. Some online merchants offer older vintages, up to $30, and if you find a 1997, give me a call, I will be more then happy to help you drink it.
Pairing? If you are in Venetto, do what the Italians do. Prosciutto, aged cheese, maybe some truffles if they're in season. Then definitely take a nap. If you're home, throw a couple of lamb chops on the grill, open up a bottle, drink it, and THEN take a nap.
Next week, I'm going back to whites but staying in Italy. Grillo.

week 2

Pouilly Vinzelles

So, what is Pouilly Vinzelles? Well, here is an easy way to figure out burgundies: if it's white it is always chardonnay. and if it's red it's always pinot noir. That is pretty easy isn't it? That is the one and most important thing you need to know about burgundy. And people are afraid of them.
You know how afraid they are? I went to a store the other day (in Dallas), to buy a bottle of red burgundy. There were none on the shelf, so I asked the "wine expert" how come they don't sell any. He told me people don't buy french, because they can't figure them out. You are a f@#$ wine expert dude. You know what you are suppose to be doing? EXPLAIN IT TO THEM!!! My reaction was, why don't you put it on the shelf, and instead of selling it as marsannay or santennay or whatever it is, sell it as pinot noir. I guarantee you, that you will sell it, especially after somebody buys it, they will come back. Jeez, rocket science.
So, how do the french write their labels? According to the law, instead of them writing what kind of wine it's in the bottle (they are French after all, and they like to make things difficult for the rest of us), they write the appelation. In some cases that is the name of the village, in some cases the name of a parcel of land. One of the jewels of Burguny, Corton-Charlemagne it's a hill. The appelation of Pouilly Vinzelles is actually two villages (Vinzelles and Loche) together. Easier?
So, what is Pouilly Vinzelles? It is an amazing, $15 bottle of chardonnay. There are only about 120 acres of this appelation, so chances are you will not find it in every Costco out there. Which, if you ask me, it's a great thing. When you buy a bottle, try and see what you taste in it. If you taste peaches, you are already better than the "wine expert" mentioned above. It has been in stainless steel containers, so you will not taste any oak. It's aromatic and it has the roundness and fullness that you expect from a good burgundy.
Pairing? Whatever floats your boat. Whatever YOU like better. One of my good friends in New York, an accomplished master sommelier, recomends it with steak. And you thought cabernet is the way to go! I had it with steak, and you know what? The guy is right, amazing! Complements the beef just as well as a rounded, full bodied cabernet or bordeaux. Best part is, that if you overdo and have a couple of bottles (which I did plenty of times), you will not wake up the next day with a headache. Try that with KJ, you will be like the guy in the Advil commercial, two every four hours.
It finally cooled down in Dallas, so even though I don't agree with the old saying "hot weather white wine, cold weather, red wine", next week I will tell you about an Italian awesomeness: ripasso

Introduction

After working in New York City as a sommelier for over 13 years, I decided to move to Dallas, my wife's hometown. In the beginning it seemed like a great idea. Big house, pool, lots of space. After living in a NY shoebox for all this years it looked like a great idea. Glass of wine by the pool, steak on the grill, suburbia.

Then, I went to a wine shop. It all came crushing down. You know how they say that everything is bigger in Texas? Well, this was the biggest wine shop I have ever seen. As big as a Wal-Mart. And just like Wal-Mart, full of stuff that I don't understand who spends money on. I mean, only big brands. And by big brands, I mean KJ, Simi, Jam Jar, Beringer and a whole section of labels with yellow kangaroos. Why buy this stuff? And who in his right mind, buys it over and over again? Really people?

Here is my first suggestion: don't buy the same bottle of wine twice a year. I don't care how much you like your Menage a Trois, stay away from it. Why spend your money on stuff that sucks? You don't have to max your credit card on a good bottle of wine. I won't name it just yet, but my all time most favourite bottle of cabernet costs $13.99 on the shelf. Expand your horizon, try something new all the time, especially stuff you never heard of before. Here's an idea, try something you can't pronounce. Why not? You would be surprised how many "wine experts" can't pronounce some of the labels. After all, if you take a wine course they won't teach you a foreign language.

Try a rose. Five years ago, stores couldn't give this stuff away, and now they can't keep it on the shelf. One of my favourite stores in NYC carried 52 different roses. Best part was that only 6 of them were from Loire. Try an Italian one, or even Spanish or South American. Most of the time, they will be less expensive and better. I am not bashing the French, they are masters at this craft, in fact, my first suggestion will be French.

If you buy a bottle of Italian wine, please DON'T buy Chianti. Stay away from Rufino and Santa Margherita. Get something different. Try a Morelino, a Vino Nobile and hey! if it's a special occasion (like Tuesday night dinner), get a bottle of Sagrantino. i guarantee you that next time you see a bottle of Rufino, you will walk across the aisle.

Here is a good one! Lately, a lot of people in the industry use the term "boutique wine". Don't let that scare you, all it means is that is produced by a small winery who only makes a few thousand bottles. So you can't find it at Wal-Mart, because then it won't be "boutiquee" anymore.

On my next posting, I will introduce you to a white gem from Burgundy. Pouilly Vinzelles. So much for KJ chardonnay.