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Divine Experience, or Happy 15th Anniversary Brasitas!
A few days ago I got an invitation to attend the wine dinner at Brasitas restaurant in Stamford, in honor of Brasitas 15 years anniversary. The invitation came through by ways of the Connecticut Bloggers group, run by Wendy and Greg Limauge (if you live and blog in Connecticut, you definitely want to be a part of this group). Now, take your wild guess – do you think I accepted the invitation? Okay, that was a dumb question, so let’s move on – closer to the great food and wine.
I had been to Brasitas a number of times before, and it is safe to say that this is one of my favorite spots in Stamford. Brasitas identifies its cuisine as “Latin Fusion”, and considering the food which is served there, this is a pretty good designation. Now our dinner this time was a special event. The menu consisted of 5 dishes, paired with the special wine program (courtesy of Brescome Barton, one of Connecticut wine distributors) – so let me share that with you (but please keep in mind that this can make you hungry…).
We started our evening in style, with the Cave based version of Kir Royale:
This Codorniu Brut Cava, Penedes had a tiny drop of raspberry liquor, which didn’t change its very dry, austere character of the Cava. It is interesting to note that Codorniu family makes wines for 5 centuries (starting in 1551), and it was one of the first Cava producers in the region in 1872.
The very first dish of the day was Ensalada Catalana (Baby Spinach, Manchego Cheese, Golden Raisins, Pinenuts, Caramelized Quince, Blue Cheese and Sherry Vinaigrette):
Ensalada Catalana
The caramelized quince provided perfect support for both blue cheese and Manchego, overall creating very nice and refreshing appetizer.
Our next wine was 2012 Mar de Frades Albariño, Val do Salnés, Rias Baixas DO:
Mar de Frades Albariño
Mar de Frades means “A sea that is also a wine” in Galician. Bodegas Mar de Frades started producing wine in Val do Salnés region of Rias Baixas in 1987. The winery is located in the area where river Umia meets the sea, so you can see this sea relationship perfectly incorporated in the bottle itself. The label on this wine is also pretty unique, showing the blue ship on the label when the wine is at ideal drinking temperature (46F – 50F).
This 2012 Mar de Frades Albariño, Val do Salnés, Rias Baixas DO (100% Albariño, 12.5% ABV) had muted fruit on the nose, with nutty undertones, then it showed some white stone fruit. On the palate the wine was a little flat and acidic. I don’t know if this was really the right drinking temperature for the wine, as it showed more fruit as it warmed up. It was definitely not the Albariño I know, but I would think that it was specifically produced in this less fruity style. Drinkability: 7
Paired with Albariño was the dish called Pulpo a la Portuguesa (Roasted Portuguese Octopus, Bacalhau & Potato Cream, Charred Scallions, Chorizo, Mojo Verde):
Pulpo a la Portuguesa
The octopus was perfectly cooked it was definitely the star of the dish ( as expected). I have to honestly tell you that Bacalhau was lost for me in that potato cream, and I would probably appreciate a bit more assertive presence from the chorizo, but overall that didn’t take much out of this excellent dish. An interesting side note – this was a first encounter with an octopus for a number of people at our table – but I think they all happened to like it!
Next up was 2010 Ramon Bilbao Crianza Rioja, Spain:
This 2010 Ramon Bilbao Crianza Rioja, Spain (100% Tempranillo, aged for 14 month in oak, 8 month in the bottle, 13.5% ABV) is produced by Bodegas Ramón Bilbao, founded in 1924 in Rioja Alta region. The winery had somewhat of the turbulent past, going through the number of owners but really turning around in 1999. The wine was outstanding (note to all – 2010 was a great vintage in Rioja, make sure to stock up on those wines). Nose was amazing – luscious dark fruit, some hints of eucalyptus. The nose sensation continued on the palate – dark red fruit, soft and luscious, perfect acidity, perfect balance overall, medium long finish. Drinkability: 8
This excellent Rioja was paired with… nothing else, but fish! The dish was called Pajespo con Romesco (Monkfish, Jamón Serrano, Saummer Pea Casserole, Ramesco Sauce, Pisto and Clam Broth):
Pajespo con Romesco
How do you think the pairing was? In a word – spectacular! Earthy flavors of the sauce and nice saltiness of the fish wrapped in Jamón Serrano perfectly married the wine! I’m the first to ignore “fish with white…” rule, but in my experience this was the first truly spectacular pairing of such sort which I experienced. Bravo!
This was definitely the hard-to-top-off experience, but the next dish was … well, it was not better, but it was definitely on par.
First, the wine. 2008 Cruz de Alba Crianza Ribera del Duero, Spain:
Crus de Alba Ribera del Duero
This 2008 Cruz de Alba Crianza Ribera del Duero, Spain (100% Tempranillo, 15 month in barrel, 10 month in the bottle, 14.5% ABV) produced by Bodegas Cruz de Alba in Ribero del Duero region. This is relatively young winery, which came into existence only 10 years ago, in 2003. The winery web site is available only in Spanish, so just on my understanding it seems that this is a new venture of Bodegas Ramón Bilbao.
In general, the wines in Ribera del Duero are made from the same Tempranillo grapes as the wines of Rioja – but typically Ribera del Duero wines are more massive and concentrated than those of Rioja. This wine was no exception – dark fruit, structure, power, cherries, espresso and dark chocolate on the palate, perfect cut-through acidity, perfect balance. Definitely an outstanding example of Ribera del Duero wine. Drinkability: 8.
This wine was paired with probably a culmination dish of the evening – Chicharrón (Pork Belly Brined in Smoked Paprika, Cauliflower-Manchego Foam, Crispy Cauliflower, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Solera Vinegar, Pickled Cherries):
Chicharrón
This dish was a symphony of flavor and texture – succulent meat, the sauce with enough sweetness and acidity, crispy skin – all worked together perfectly. Cruz de Alba Crianza, with its sour cherries profile, was creating a delicious combination.
And then there was dessert – Torta de Aceite (Olive Oil and Rosemary Cake, Grapefruit Sorbet, Cosecha Miel Marinated Grapes):
Torta de Aceite
The dessert was paired with Licor 43, a citrus essence with the touch of vanilla, which naturally complemented the dessert perfectly. This was a great finish to the fantastic meal.
Last, but not least – Jaime Guerrero, chef and owner of Brasitas, came to talk to us, which was a great ending for the evening:
Jaime Guerrero, Chef and Owner of Brasitas, talking to CT Bloggers
There you have it, my friends – great dinner, great food, great wine, great company – life at its best. I really enjoyed meeting all the Connecticut Bloggers who came to this dinner – Denise (and Jay) from DeeCuisine, Alicia from Local Food Rocks, Bonnie from Home Place, Greg and Wendy from Connecticut Bloggers – and I hope to seem them again soon.
And we are done here. Until the next time – cheers!
Brasitas Restaurant
954 E Main St
Stamford, CT 06902
(203) 323-3176
http://www.brasitas.com/
Disclaimer: I was invited to this dinner as a guest of management. All opinions are my own.
Weekly Wine Quiz #67: Grape Trivia – Pinot Gris, a.k.a. Pinot Grigio
Pinot Gris cluster, as pictured in Wikipedia
Welcome to the weekend and your new wine quiz! Today’s subject is the grape called Pinot Gris, probably even better known as Pinot Grigio.
Pinot Gris is an old grape, cultivated since the middle ages in various regions in France. It had been shown based on the latest DNA research, that Pinot Gris is a very close relative of Pinot Noir. As you can see from the picture, the color of the grapes are somewhat of the grayish purple, and that what the “Gris”, or “Grigio” in the name stands for – Gray. It is almost a bit surprising that the white wine is made out of a grape with such a color of the skin.
Pinot Gris popularity in the world is steadily increasing, even surpassing Riesling and becoming third most popular grape in the world (I couldn’t find convincing numbers to this claim though). Pinot Gris was growing and producing great wines in Alsace since the 16th century, but it was Italian Pinot Grigio which created this world-wide phenomena in 1970s, propelling the grape from very local consumption in Italian restaurants to such a mass phenomena. I wonder if there is a book about geniuses of marketing who managed to create this Pinot Grigio revolution – this must be a fascinating read. Just to give you an interesting fact – Pinot Gris plantings in New Zealand increased 6.5 times (!) in 5 years from 2003 to 2008 – yeah, talk about popularity.
When it comes to the taste, it is interesting to note that there is a very substantial range of expression in the Pinot Gris wines. A lot of Italian mainstream Pinot Grigio has almost water-like consistency both in the taste and appearance (this is why many people presumably like it, and this is also why this type of wine is never served in my house – sorry for the sidetrack). But even in Italy, when you go further north to the Alto Adige region, the wines will show a lot more substance, with nice acidity and minerality. Then you got Oregon Pinot Gris, which typically have a perfect combination of white stone fruit and acidity, and going all the way back to Alsace, Pinot Gris makes luscious, opulent, full bodied white wines.
Now, let’s get to our quiz, shall we?
Q1: Name Italian Pinot Grigio wine which is considered a golden standard of Pinot Grigio in the United States (people really ask for it by name).
Q2: Name two famous regions in France which used to make wines out of Pinot Gris, but not anymore
Q3: When do you think Pinot Gris was first planted in Oregon?
a. 1947
b. 1966
c. 1978
d. 1990
Q4: Wine Spectator calls wines rated in 95-100 range Classic. True or False: there are more classically rated Pinot Gris wines than Sauvignon Blanc?
Q5: During early 2000s, producers in Alsace had to change the way the Pinot Gris wines were typically labeled (you can still find the old name on the bottles from 1990s and before). Do you know what was changed and why? As an added bonus, please explain the origin of the old name.
Have fun, enjoy your weekend and cheers!
Wednesday’s Meritage – Wine Quiz Answer, Wine Blogging Wednesday Returns, New Wine Writing Challenge Announced, And more
Meritage time!
Let’s start with the answer for the wine quiz #66, Grape Trivia – Chardonnay. In that quiz you were supposed to answer 5 questions about probably most popular white grape in the world – Chardonnay.
Here are the questions, now with the answers.
Q1: Name the producer of the most expensive Chardonnay wine in the world. As an added bonus, please also provide the name of the wine.
A1: Domaine Romanee-Conti (DRC), which is probably the most famous in the world producer of red Burgundy wines also makes a tiny quantity of the white Burgundy in Montrachet. This wine is impossible to find, but if you will, it will set you back by at least $3,000.
Q2: Chablis used to be the bustling Chardonnay producer in France, supplying most of the wine in Paris and beyond, until it came to the severe decline during the beginning to the middle of the 20th century. Do you know what was one of the biggest factors which led to that decline?
A2: The time periods in this question should be slightly adjusted – it should be really late 19th century, not beginning to middle of the 20th. Nevertheless, the quick answer here is … railroad. Until the railroad was built in France in 1850s, Chablis held near monopoly on Parisian wine market, being able to easily supply the wine by the river. Railroads allowed easy access for much cheaper wines of South of France to the lucrative market, which shook Chablis’ dominance. Then there were other factors, such a philloxera, but it all started from the railroad…
Q3: Name 3 main flavor descriptors of the *big* California Chardonnay
A3: Vanilla, butter and oak – read the description of any “big” California chard, and most likely you will find all these words.
Q4: Judgement of Paris of 1976 was instrumental in bringing California Chardonnay onto the world-class wine map. Do you know which California winery we need to thank for that?
A4: Chateau Montelena was the one!
Q5: As with many other grapes, various clones had being developed for Chardonnay, to adapt better for the particular region and/or resulting wine style – for example, there is a number of so called Dijon clones of Chardonnay, which can be used by anyone wishing to produce a classic Burgundy style wine. One of the clones was developed in California in the middle of 20th century, and it is still a very popular choice among many California Chardonnay producers to the date. Can you name that clone?
A5: Wente clone. It took about 40 years to create the Wente Chardonnay clone, which became a popular choice among winegrowers in California in the 1940s – 1950s. You can read this article for more details.
Looking at the results of this quiz, I have to tell you that I actually anticipated higher success rate – but it seems that outside of the question 4, which was answered correctly by all, the rest of the questions came up to be rather difficult. We don’t have a winner today, bu the honorable mention goes to Asueba, who correctly answered questions 1 and 4, and was quite close with the answers for the questions 2 and 3.
Now, to the interesting stuff around vine and web!
Well, I don’t even know where to start – lots of interesting things are happening!
First, the newly minted queen of the Wine Writing Challenge, Kirsten, a.k.a. The Armchair Sommelier, announced the new trouble theme for the 2nd Monthly Wine Writing Challenge. Why “trouble theme” you ask? That’s just the name of the theme – Trouble. You can read all the details here, and start getting in trouble. Oh yes, and if you are a creative type, we are also looking for the cool loge for this Monthly Wine Writing Challenge exercise – get your creative juices flowing! The submission deadline is August 17th – summer days are flying fast, don’t get in trouble and don’t miss your chance to steal the crown…
Now, I have to tell you that Wine Blogging Wednesday is back!!! For those of you who missed it ( which will probably be quite a few people), this was a popular monthly wine blogging exercise. Every month a new theme was announced, like Cabernet Sauvignon, or Viognier, or Single Vineyards and so on, with various bloggers playing role of the host. This was not a competition, but rather a thematic submission with the host producing a summary blog post after the wine blogging Wednesday, or #WBW, would take place. These #WBW events stopped for almost a year – and I’m glad to see them come back. The theme for the Wine Blogging Wednesday #80 (#WBW80) is Dry Rosé, and the #WBW80 event will take place on August 14th. For all the details on the #WBW80 and previous 79 #WBW events, please visit Wine Blogging Wednesday web site.
It is hot. It is the summer. But – 31 days of Riesling event is in full swing! Nothing cools you off better than nice and refreshing glass of Riesling. The 31 Days of Riesling event is going on until the end of July – check the event web site for the participating restaurants, stores and tons of interesting stuff about Riesling.
When was the last time you tasted Chenin Blanc wines? Lettie Teague, the wine writer for the Wall Street Journal, calls Chenin Blanc a “delicious underdog” in her recent article. You might want to read it, and then may be even grab a bottle or two based on her recommendations – you might be in for a delicious surprise, as I was with Field Recordings Jurassic Park Vineyard Chenin Blanc.
Last but not least, I want to bring to your attention a rant by Duff Wines about the way we taste the wines and live our lives. It will worth your time, so I highly recommend it.
That’s all I have for you, folks. The glass is empty – but refill is on the way! Until the next time – Cheers!
Daily Glass: Simplicity and Value
There are times when you really value simplicity in wines. What? No, I don’t mean single-dimensional excruciatingly boring wines which can be called wine only by association “well, if the bottle says wine, then it must be wine…”. By simplicity I mean more of a convenience. For instance, when the bottle is easy to open – like in the case of a screw top. Or when you just need one glass, and moreover, you might be on the go – and don’t want to carry the glass around. As it is in the case of the wine I’m about to present to you – enter Fetzer Crimson and Quartz.
Fetzer Crimson and Quartz
If you are surprised by the look, it is okay – I was too. When Zak told me “this is a good wine”, I was going with “yeah, right, come on, today ain’t April 1st”. My experience with another wine, called Copa, similarly pre-packaged in the plastic, was outright terrible (while I didn’t write the blog post about it, you can find full rendering of the experience in the post by Kirsten at The Armchair Sommelier). Thus I was not inclined to really experiment – but at the price of $3.99 per “glass”, it sounded like it was still worth trying.
And I’m glad I did. No, neither one of the wines was earth-shuttering. But they were solid, drinkable and enjoyable(!) wines – and a clear reminder that wine snobbery always has two sides, and you can’t judge the wine before you will actually try it. For what it worth, below are my notes, and you can find all the detailed wine information at the Fetzer’s web site (which also looks quite stylish).
2011 Fetzer Quartz California White Blend (12% ABV, $3.99) is a blend of 35% Chardonnay, 23% Riesling, 18% Gewürtraminer, 14% Pinot Grigio,7% Muscat and 3% other grapes. Refreshing, zesty, with lots of citrus notes, such as lemon and grapefruit, touch of pineapple, very balanced. Of course a great value. Just to pet myself on the back, my notes said “definitely has some Moscato, probably with Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer”. Drinkability: 7+
2010 Fetzer Crimson California Red Blend (13.5% ABV, $3.99) is a blend of 32% Zinfandel, 32% Syrah, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petite Sirah, 1% Petit Verdot, 2% other grapes. Nose was unimpressive, but body was very good, medium to full, oak is not fully integrated and well noticeable, but overall wine was still perceived as balanced. Touch of cinnamon and black fruit on the palate. Later on, sweetness became more apparent, as well as alcohol (which is strange at 13.5% ABV). Overall, quite enjoyable. Drinkability: 7.
There you have it, my friends. These wines were yet another perfect example of “don’t judge the wine by its bottle” life comedy. Next time when you will need a convenient glass of wine – you might know what to look for. Cheers!
Weekly Wine Quiz #66: Grape Trivia – Chardonnay
Chardonnay grapes after harvest, as presented in Wikipedia
Welcome to the weekend!
Here we are, continuing our wine quizzes now with the (dare I say it) most famous white grape – Chardonnay!
Seriously, is there another grape which receives equal amount of attention? Not as a fad, but as a constant center of attention all the time, with new winemakers offering their own personal take on the grape, coming from all over the world, competing for supremacy with producers who boast hundreds and hundreds years of “prior experience”? Is there a winemaking country in the world *not* making wine out of Chardonnay – I doubt so…
Origins of Chardonnay go all the way back to the 12th century, starting (of course, where else) in France in Burgundy region. Today, Chardonnay is one of the most planted grapes in the world with 400,000 acres planted worldwide (and about quarter of that in California alone). Part of such a wide success of the Chardonnay can be attributed to the fact that Chardonnay is very adaptable, and can be successfully grown in various conditions, including climate and soils. Additionally, Chardonnay is very “malleable” in the hands of the winemaker and can be used in variety of styles both with and without oak, and successfully ranging in the expression from sparkling to light and acidic white wines, going all the way to the heavy, big and monumental wines and then continuing on to the dessert wines (Australian “sticky”s come to mind). As you can imagine, such a popularity with the wine makers leads to the overproduction of boring and indiscreet wines, which generates periodic consumer backlash and creation of the self-proclaimed ABC clubs (Anything But Chardonnay). Nevertheless, anyone who had ever experienced great Chardonnay – coming from France, California, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Hungary and many other places, will always come back for more.
Now, to the quiz!
Q1: Name the producer of the most expensive Chardonnay wine in the world. As an added bonus, please also provide the name of the wine.
Q2: Chablis used to be the bustling Chardonnay producer in France, supplying most of the wine in Paris and beyond, until it came to the severe decline during the beginning to the middle of the 20th century. Do you know what was one of the biggest factors which led to that decline?
Q3: Name 3 main flavor descriptors of the *big* California Chardonnay
Q4: Judgement of Paris of 1976 was instrumental in bringing California Chardonnay onto the world-class wine map. Do you know which California winery we need to thank for that?
Q5: As with many other grapes, various clones had being developed for Chardonnay, to adapt better for the particular region and/or resulting wine style – for example, there is a number of so called Dijon clones of Chardonnay, which can be used by anyone wishing to produce a classic Burgundy style wine. One of the clones was developed in California in the middle of 20th century, and it is still a very popular choice among many California Chardonnay producers to the date. Can you name that clone?
Good luck, have fun, enjoy your weekend and cheers!
Few Videos For This Hot Summer day
Too many things to do, not enough time; too hot; too disorganized – yep that too; Anyway, while I’m still trying to get my head around all the “must do”s…
…I just realized that I didn’t post a wine video in a while (here is the link to the older posts). It is not easy to find a decent short wine video which I would be happy to share with my readers (yeah, I’m picky) – so I managed to find only two.
First, Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages commercial:
And now, Montana Winery Marlboro Sauvignon Blanc (the original?):
But this is not all. Now I want to share two of the “influenced” videos. The first one is a trailer to the Casillero del Diabolo movie, as influenced by an excellent post from Kirsten, a.k.a. The Armchair Sommelier, about her encounter with the Devil (actually this post was presented in TheWinegetter blog, as part of the interesting project run by the TheWinegetter himself, Oliver). Here is the trailer:
The last video was influenced by the blog post by SavorEncyclopedia, where she is talking about visiting the cheese store and tavern in Wisconsin; one of the people at the table got adventurous and ordered limburger cheese – which brought in the memory of a wonderful clip from Abbott & Costello show, sent to me a while back by my friend Emil. Oh yes, and you don’t know what the limburger cheese is – watch the video. Here it is, enjoy:
I’m not asking you to rate the videos, but all the comments are always most welcome! Stay cool and cheers!
Wednesday Meritage – Wine Quiz Answer, Some Useful Twitter Rules and more
Meritage time!
Let’s start with the answer to the wine quiz #65, Grape Trivia – Sauvignon Blanc. In the quiz you were supposed to answer 5 questions relevant to the Sauvignon Blanc, one of the most popular grapes in the world.
Here are the questions, now with the answers.
Q1: Name the characteristic smell of (usually French) Sauvignon Blanc wine (hint – it is not the fresh cut grass)
A1: Cat pee, of course! If you don’t own a cat, find a friend who does… Well, you can figure the rest. Or just take my word for it. This is what classic Sancerre smells like…
Q2: Name [probably] the most famous wine in the world which contains Sauvignon Blanc as part of the blend.
A2: Chateau d’Yquem. In this question, I was not looking for the region, I was looking for one specific wine which stands head and shoulders above the rest. And yes, Chateau d’Yquem, the most famous Sauternes in the world, uses 20% of Sauvignon Blanc grapes as part of the blend.
Q3: Which one doesn’t belong and why?
a. Graves, b. Pouilly Fuisse, c. Pouilly Fumé, d. Sancerre, e. Touraine
A3: Pouilly Fuisse is an appellation in Burgundy, which grows Chardonnay – the rest of the appellations grow Sauvignon Blanc.
Q4: One person played a crucial role in making Sauvignon Blanc one of the major California white wines. Can you name that person?
A4: Robert Mondavi with his Fume Blanc wine almost single-handedly put Sauvignon Blanc on the California wine map.
Q5: Below is the list of great Sauvignon Blanc wines and equally great producers. Do you know which producer made which wine?
| 1. Alteni di Brassica | a. Mara |
| 2. Poggio alle Gazze | b. Peter Michael |
| 3. White Grass | c. Campo di Sasso |
| 4. L Apres Midi | d. Ornellaia |
| 5. Mount Nelson | e. Gaja |
A5: The correct answer is 1e, 2d, 3a, 4b, 5c.
I’m glad to report that we do have a winner this time! Jeff, a.k.a. The Drunker Cyclist, got all 5 questions correctly! He gets unlimited bragging rights as a prize. Barbie gets an honorable mention for really pushing her point through (and she was right in what she was saying, however, it was still not the right answer – read the comment chain in the original post). Actually, I would like to acknowledge all the people who made an effort to answer the quiz – VinoInLove, WineAndHistoryVisited and EatWithNamie – please keep trying, there will be more quizzes to answer!
Now, to the interesting stuff around the vine and the web.
Quite honestly, I don’t have a lot to share. I guess it is the heat wave on East Coast. Or just me being pathologically lazy. Or something else. No matter. So the only interesting post I want to bring to your attention is the one by W. Blake Gray, where he explains the 6 rules he applies to Twitter. It actually makes perfect sense, but I can’t say, unfortunately, that I follow the same 6 rules. Well, read it for yourself and then decide – again, I think those rules make a lot of sense.
And yes, it is too hot, so I don’t have much else to share with you. Hope the heat wave will pass soon – 102F is way (way way way) past my liking.
Stay cool, drink something refreshing and cheers!
Leaving Cape Cod
All the good things come to an end. So was our stay on Cape Cod. I don’t know exactly what makes me feel differently when I’m visiting Cape Cod. I love vacations (who doesn’t!), but I typically want to avoid going to the same places over and over again. However, not when it comes to Cape Cod.
There is a genuine tranquility in that Cape Cod lifestyle. Little shops which are made out of the old houses. Little bakeries, which make cookies to die for. Little motels and inns, none of them more then two stories high. Lighthouses and water towers being the tallest structures around. The low tide on the beach, which allows you to walk and walk for hours. The beach which is never crowded. The waves in the sand which water leaves behind when it descends. The abundant flowers and greens of all kind. The special smell which is constantly in the air. There is something magical in the Cape Cod air, which lures you back…
We are back home now, so here are a few (okay, a lot) of the pictures I want to share with you. There will be more posts coming – we visited local Cape Cod winery, called Truro Vineyards, so I will talk about this experience, but for now, I just want to leave you with these little impressions of Cape Cod. Enjoy and cheers!
Quintessential Cape Cod
Dream on…
Cape Cod freedom
imagine the air…
busy bee
more flowers
flower!
Alpaca from Marta’s Vineyard
Curious Alpaca
Baby Alpaca
JT’s – Excellent seafood in Brewster, right across from our resort
JT’s entrance
Warm lobster roll at JT’s
And Lobster Roll zoom in
Whole fried clams at JT’s – Yum!
Fish and chips at JT’s – delicious!
Lucky Hank’s in Edgartown. Don’t know about Hank, but we enjoyed the food
Local Marta’s Vineyards beer – excellent amber ale, light, touch bitter and sweet, very refreshing
Black Dog Tavern in Vineyard Heaven. Unfortunately, only fish and chips were tasty…
Butterfly on the sand…
One of the few operational Lighthouses on Cape Cod. This one is located in Chatham
lighthouse in Edgartown – picture perfect
I just can’t get enough of this lighthouse…
Roses zoom in
and more zoom in
Yes again picture perfect lighthouse on Marta’s Vineyard
I always wanted to take picture of these waves in the sand…
and again quintessential Cape Cod (for me, at least)
What are you waiting for?
Weekly Wine Quiz #65: Grape Trivia – Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc grapes, as presented in Wikipedia
Welcome to the weekend!
We are continuing our white grapes explorations with this new wine quiz. In the spotlight – Sauvignon Blanc.
Sauvignon Blanc is definitely one of the major white grapes in the world. Literally every wine-producing country is making wines out of the Sauvignon Blanc – France, New Zealand, Chile, California, Italy and many others produce wine in variety of style – from unoaked, light, perfectly summery wines to the barrel-aged, round wines with lots of substance and going all the way to some of the best in the world dessert wines.
Sauvignon Blanc originated in Bordeaux, and spread out around the world in the 19th and mostly in the 20th century. The interesting fact is that while Sauvignon Blanc universally retains its acidity and some fresh cut grass notes, the resulting wines are definitely unique based on the region where the wine is made. French Sauvignon Blanc boast fresh cut grass and acidity, both Chile and New Zealand have lemon/lime/grapefruit as cornerstone of their flavor profile. Sauvignon Blanc wines in US typically show those fresh cut grass notes, but have a lot more fruit all around. Italy at the same time is taking Sauvignon Blanc to the totally new level of expression which have to be experienced. All in all, Sauvignon Blanc produces wines worthy every bit of attention.
Now, to the quiz!
Q1: Name the characteristic smell of (usually French) Sauvignon Blanc wine (hint – it is not the fresh cut grass)
Q2: Name [probably] the most famous wine in the world which contains Sauvignon Blanc as part of the blend.
Q3: Which one doesn’t belong and why?
a. Graves
b. Pouilly Fuisse
c. Pouilly Fumé
d. Sancerre
e. Touraine
Q4: One person played a crucial role in making Sauvignon Blanc one of the major California white wines. Can you name that person?
Q5: Below is the list of great Sauvignon Blanc wines and equally great producers. Do you know which producer made which wine?
| 1. Alteni di Brassica | a. Mara |
| 2. Poggio alle Gazze | b. Peter Michael |
| 3. White Grass | c. Campo di Sasso |
| 4. L Apres Midi | d. Ornellaia |
| 5. Mount Nelson | e. Gaja |
Good luck, have a great weekend and cheers!
Wednesday’s Meritage – Wine Quiz Answer, Transportation Challenge Round Up, Cabernet Day, Can We Resurrect #WBW?
Meritage Time!
Let’s start with the answers for the wine quiz #64, Grape Trivia – Riesling. In that quiz, you were supposed to answer 5 questions regarding Riesling grape.
Here are the questions, now with the answers:
Q1: Riesling is a very popular grape in US and Canada, growing in many regions. Considering the plantings of the Riesling in the regions, can you sort the list below from the biggest area plantings to the smallest?
a. California, b. New York, c. Ontario, Canada, d. State of Washington
A1:correct sequence is Washington, California, Ontario, New York
Q2: Have you heard the term “noble rot”, which is often associated with certain types of Riesling? Can you explain what this term means and to which Riesling wines it is typically applicable (at least in Germany)?
A2: Noble Rot is actually a grape fungus, officially called Botrytis Cinerea, which affects a number of different grapes and leads to subsequent shriveling (drying) of the grapes while on the vine. This drying of the grapes tremendously concentrates sugars, which allows for the grapes to be used in production of the sweetest of all Rieslings – Trockenberenauslese.
Q3: Riesling is known for sometimes developing a specific aroma which has typically nothing to do with the wine – but it is not a fault. Do you know what aroma is that?
A3: Petrol. Believe it or not, but many Riesling wines (in some rare cases, even Riesling wines outside of Germany) can develop this petrol aroma. It is usually perceived only on the nose, and it doesn’t give you a feeling of being at the gas station – it is just a light hint, but when it is present, you can safely guess your wine being Riesling even in the blind tasting.
Q4: Name one major(!) wine producing country which doesn’t produce any Riesling wines.
A4: Spain. Spain is a home to the plenty of wonderful white grapes – but it doesn’t produce any Rieslings at all.
Q5: If you look at the bottle of German Riesling, you will typically see the word such as Kabinett or Spatlese written on the label. Such words typically indicate the level of sweetness you should expect from wine – even though this is not a precise definition, as these words only indicate sugar amount in the freshly pressed grape juice – the level of sugar in the resulting wine can be quite different depending on the way the fermentation is done. Can you sort the following list of these key indicators from the lowest sugar content to the highest?
a. Auslese, b. Berenauslese, c. Eiswein, d. Kabinett, e. Spatlese, f. Trockenberenauslese
A5:The correct line up is Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Berenauslese/Eiswein, Trockenberenauslese (if you need full level of details, you can always go to Wikipedia).
It seems that the first question proved to be most challenging of all, as nobody was able to provide the right answer – as the result, we don’t have a winner this week. At the same time, The Wine Getter and Foxress both get an honorable mention with 4 correct answers out of 5.
Now, to the interesting stuff around the vine and web!
First of all, I want to bring to your attention a roundup of a Monthly Wine Blogging Challenge started by Jeff (a.k.a. The Drunken Cyclist). About a month or so ago, Jeff announced a wine blogging challenge based on the theme, similar to the challenges which are popular among photography bloggers. The first theme was Transportation, and the idea was to write the wine blog post which would relate to the designated theme. 10 wine bloggers participated in this challenge, and you can find links to all the blogs posts in this round up. I think this is a great idea and I hope more wine bloggers will participate next time.
Who remembers the Wine Blogging Wednesdays (#WBW)? Similar to the challenge I mentioned above, the WBW events had a theme, which in the most cases was a grape, a type of wine or a wine region, and they also had a host. The host was typically the one who suggested the original theme, and also it was the host’s job to provide a roundup of all the submitted blog posts. These #WBW events had a very good run of almost 8 years, and there was a dedicated web site which is still somewhat accessible. I think it might be cool to bring the #WBW events back – in case you experienced any of them, feel free to comment – do you think Wine Blogging Wednesday events should be resurrected?
Last but not least – the Cabernet Day is coming! Well, not tomorrow – but August 29th is the day. And you know how it works – the summer will be over in a blink, so it is never to early to prepare for celebration of such a noble grape as Cabernet. Here is the link to the invitation I received for the this Cabernet Day – join the festivities!
That’s all I have for you for today, folks. The glass is is empty – but more Meritage is coming. Cheers!
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