Bordeaux-Left Bank

So, if after last week's posting you were all confused about Bordeaux, relax, it will NOT get easier. If you scored anywhere close to 1500 on your SATs and you are a member of Mensa then you might make some sense of the craziness. If not, pour yourself a beer, and listen up.
The Left and Right Bank actually refer to the banks of the river Gironde, which flows through Bordeaux. As the two areas have very different soils, the wines are very different. The Left Bank, which is the bigger area, is mostly gravels and the wines tend to be dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. The more important appellations are Pauillac, Saint Estephe, Saint Julien, Margaux, Medoc and Graves, and some of the big names like Lafite, Latour, Margaux and Mouton are on this side of the river. Some of these guys have been making wine for centuries, but lately they are harder and harder to find. Not, that there is a Black Friday rush for them. For the last few years or so, it seems that the Chinese market, backed by A LOT of cash, has a tendency of swallowing all of them. I don't know when they became such wine aficionados, but they manage to completely change the market.
There is one big thing to remember about Bordeaux. The wines are always blended using Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot, sometimes all of them, sometimes just a couple, but never just one type. Bordeaux wines are about marrying different grapes, and not like California where if you buy a bottle of Cabernet you get a bottle of Cabernet. That is why, sometimes you hear the term in California of Bordeaux blend. They are meant to age, sometimes for decades.
Left bank pairings? The Food Network recommends duck with pan juices, whatever the hell that means. Because of the blending, the wines are very complex and hard to pair with just one item. But since they are Cab dominated, I still think they go with a big, juicy hunk of beef. You don't have to spend crazy cash on the wine, go buy a bottle of Chateau Larose Trintaudon for around $20, sprinkle some salt and pepper on a sirloin and throw it on the grill. Let the meat rest (this will give you some time to keep sipping on the wine), and enjoy. The way these amazing wines are meant to be enjoyed. I think I'm getting hungry.

I finally figured out how to add a pic to the blog, so here it is, a map of Left Bank.
Next week, Right Bank. More confusion.

Bordeaux. Week 1 of madness

Bordeaux wine. Left bank, right bank, phylloxera, Yquem, $5 bottles, $20k bottles, claret, st. emillion, margaux, holy crap how difficult can it get? To us, the regular guys on the street slash wine drinker, really difficult. I have been reading and studying about Bordeaux for over 10 years and I am still just scratching the surface. There is no way to explain the mess that is Bordeaux in one blog posting, so I think I'm gonna dedicate a few posts to it. Plus, we are talking about some of the greatest wines in the world, so trust me, it's worth it.
So, here is what I am gonna do. Today, I am gonna ramble about a general look at the region. Than, I am gonna have a left bank entrance (gonna explain later what this means), a right bank entrance (ditto), definitely a dessert wine, and the last one will be about the greatest wines from Bordeaux.
A high percentage of the juice made in the region is red. Most of the red wine is blended using Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. There is no rule about percentages, everyone is on their own. And since they are French and don't want us to know what is going on, they don't put the blends on the labels. See, French appelations are based on the regions. If you go to your local store and get yourself a bottle of St. Emillion (if you never did, go get one, it's delicious), that means the wine is from the village of St. Emillion. Or if you buy Pomerol it's from Pomerol. You think you get it? You don't get it. Then, you have Chateau appellations. Then, you got regions. Then you talk about Crus, and it starts getting difficult.
What is a Grand Cru? Or a Premier Cru? What is a second label? Or a third? Fourth? Classee? I am gonna try and explain them the easiest I can. In 1855, a bunch of drunk, French wine officials got together and after spending a week in a tavern came up with "Bordeaux Wine Official Classification". Every few years this classification gets updated. In a particular appellation, let's say Pauillac, they decided which particular plot of land best represents the region. In this case Chateau Latour. So this is the first growth. Then, they decided which are second best and called those Premier Cru. And so on. Now, when you think you get it they come up with second labels. See, a Chateau who is a Grand Cru (or first growth), sometimes buys another plot of land, which happens to be right across the street, but since they can't sell that as Grand Cru, they tweak the label a little bit and sell it as a second label. For example Chateau Margaux's second label is Pavillion Rouge du Chateau Margaux. And if they make some money selling it, and believe me they do, they buy another plot of land and make a third label. Sometimes a fourth and a fifth.
Here is an interesting little known fact about Bordeaux. Between 1875 and 1892, Bordeaux vineyards were wiped out by a little, sap-sucking bug called phylloxera. The French bought vine roots known as rootstock from America, and literally all the vines that exist today are a product of the those American roots. How about  that? That fact always cracked me up.
So, maybe this will make Bordeaux a little easier. The wines are some of the best in the world, some of the oldest and with most tradition. They should be enjoyed by every wine lover in the world, but sometimes their price doesn't allow us to. I once had a chance to try a glass of Chateau Petrus 1982. That's it, I can't think of anything to compare that with.
Next week, left bank. Phew

Thanksgiving Day Wines

So, the big day is around the corner, You probably already started planning for it (I know my wife did), the menu is the same every year, so that's easy. You called your cousins, your uncle, your friends, and everybody got the message, they all know what time to come, and what to bring. But, what about the booze?
Traditionally, in the week before Thanksgiving, more wine is sold than any other holiday. All the stores stock up by the front door the stuff they couldn't get rid of through the year, everything is on sale, and every sales person has a different opinion. And you are confused! What do do, what to do...
Because Thanksgiving has such a complex menu, it is really hard to pair the entire meal with one type of wine. And unless you are going to have one of those fancy meals where every dish is paired with a different wine, in a different glass with a different fork next to it, you will not be able to pair it. See, the turkey demands one wine, the buttery mashed potatoes another, the cranberries, forget about it, and the pumpkin pie... Jeez.
The New York Times writes an article about it each and every year. This way Eric Asimov gets to bash another wine producer that nobody ever heard about it. And act like he does. After one of his tastings, he recommends for Thanksgiving dinner a Verdejo, "prized for its subtle fruit and mineral flavors", blah, blah, blah. Man, does that guy likes to hear himself talk.
Here is my suggestion about what to drink. If you read my blog, chances are that you are interested in wine. And if you are interested in wine, you must have some favorites. Go buy those bottles, and don't worry about what you should be drinking. But if you have to have an idea, try a Pinot Noir. Even better get a bottle of red Burgundy. They are very aromatic, great flavors that range from red berries to black cherries (will go great with your turkey) with great tannins but not overwhelming. And make sure to have a bottle of chardonnay handy, just in case that pesky, annoying, cork-dork uncle of yours won't complain about your wine choices.
If I would have my way (and the stores in Big D decide to carry them), I will get a few bottle of Santennay. Or hey! I like Barolo, so that's what we'll be drinking this year. Take that NY Times.
Next week, Bordeaux. Entire libraries have been written about it, so one week only might not do it.

Grappa

Shut the F...ront door!!! Grappa... my all time favorite after dinner drink! Nothing like a big, juicy steak, a glass of cabernet to go with it, but it would not be complete without an espresso afterwards and a good grappa to finish it off. Ahhh.... Grappa.
What is Grappa? Originally made centuries ago in the town of  Bassano del Grappa, where it gets its name, it is made by distilling pomace. Pomace is what it's left after making wine, a by-product. Composed out of grape stems, seeds and skins, it was originally discarded off. Until an Italian genius, figured out that was losing money by throwing it away.
Up until about 30 years ago, Grappa was made from all sorts of different grapes mixed together. The first single grape Grappa that I know of, was distilled by the Nonino distillery using the Picolit grape. The idea was, that Italians wanted to compete with the French and their eau-de-vie.  And man, did they compete!
Today, you can find all sorts of delicious grappas, from barolo to brunello grappas, from apricot flavor to cherry to pears to apples. It is produced in Oregon, California, South Africa, Australia and upstate New York. But even though a lot of these producers are coming out with some amazing Grappas, there is nothing like the original.
Grappa is around 40 to 45 percent alcohol, or 80-90 proof. The genius of making a good grappa, has to do with the distiller. The pomace is slowly heated, and the distiller has to find the perfect temperature. By law, you can not add water to the pomace, so methanol is released, which will kill you. So the distiller releases those vapors. Grappa is usually clear, but lately, producers age some in oak barrels, so you have light yellow to a dark brown Grappas, depending on the barrels used.
Buying grappa is where it gets a little tricky. You can find them anywhere from $10 to over $100 a bottle. Try staying around $50. Since they are so different, find one that you like based on the wine you like. Since, I've already told you I love Barolo, I buy Barolo Grappa. If you are a big Amarone fan, try that. Don't want to bash other producers, but buy Italian. There is way to much good Italian Grappa to waste your hard earned cash on South African Grappa.
Pairing? Friends and family. That's all you need. And you don't have to wait for after dinner. I just finished lunch, i think I'm gonna pour myself one.
Next week, wine for Thanksgiving.

Barolo

As far as I'm concerned, they should change the name of this amazing wine to Liquid Crack. Or Liquido Cracko, whatever it's in Italian. I'm telling you, Italians don't know what they have in these bottles. I get a high every time I drink it, and I don't even have to shoot it up.
What is Barolo? It's made using this amazing little grape called Nebbiolo, grape that is also responsible for Barbaresco, Gattinara, and a whole slew of other amazing wines. Barolo is grown in the region of Piedmonte, particularly around the villages of Barolo (hence the name), and Alba. Never mind that it took a Frenchman named Louis Oudart, to develop the wine as we know it today. Oudart, who was hired by the Marchesa di Barolo, made such an amazing wine, that other producers followed his techniques, leading to the lush, earthy, spicy wine that we drink today. It is one of those rare, amazing wines that taste differently every time you take a sip.
The very first time I visited Italy, I went to Venice, and like every other lost tourist, I went to Piazza Dei Doggi, and sat down at the main cafe in the square. I ordered a $22 glass of red wine from the Romanian waiter(sic), and took a sip. Five  minutes later I found out the wine was Barolo and six minutes later, I decided that spending the rest of my life as a lawyer, is not gonna cut it for me. I moved to NY, became as a sommelier, and have been in the wine business ever since. They say that drug addicts look for that first high every time they shoot. Luckily, I get that high every time I take a sip of this amazing, moderately priced wine (except in Venice). The only difference is that I don't change careers anymore.
Every once in a while, you are gonna see on the labels things like Canubis, Serralunga and so forth. Screw it. Barolo is Barolo, and no matter which village or side of some hill it comes from, it's amazing every time. Don't let it intimidate you, buy the bottle and thank the Frenchman who taught Italians how to make good wine.
Pairing? If you have truffles, have them. If you don't, use truffle butter, truffle salt, truffle honey, truffle soap or truffle liquid detergent. Or anything that has to do with truffles. Or wild mushrooms. A big plate of grilled portobello mushrooms with a little garlic and parsley, a glass of Barolo and you might also change careers. At the very least you will become an addict. See you at Barolo Anonymous.
Next week? Grappa. I promise I won't skip another week.