Following Wines Til Sold Out – September Cheapskate Marathon
And here we come again – one of my favorite subjects – a round up of a Wine Til Sold Out wine marathon event. This time around the event took place on Tuesday (September 10th) instead of traditional Wednesday. It also lasted for 17 hours instead of 18. For those who are not familiar with the Cheapskate Marathon, it is the event which takes place once in the few month on WTSO.com, where all the wines are priced in the fixed range of $7.99 to $18.99 and typically are sold in the quantity of 4. Also, unlike normal course of sales at WTSO, during Cheapskate the new wines are only advertized on Twitter and you need to keep refreshing the main WTSO web page in order to see the new wines coming out.
Below are the stats for the event – if you are interested in comparing with the past events, you can find three of the recent posts here, here and here.
| Time | Wine | Rating | MSRP | Price | %off |
| 11:01p | THATS ALL FOLKS! THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our #CheapskateMarathon -it’s been a blast! Hope you got some great deals! CHEERS | ||||
| 11:01p | La Fornace Brunello di Montalcino 2006 | JS93, WS93 | $78.00 | $34.99 | 55% |
| 10:52p | Bordeaux Superieur 2010 Chateau de Macard By Amelie Aubert | IWR90 | $21.99 | $10.99 | 50% |
| 10:39p | Montagny Chardonnay Louis Latour 2011 | $28.00 | $14.99 | 46% | |
| 10:36p | Super Tuscan 2007 Scopone ‘Il Bagatto’ #48 JS Top 100! | JS93 | $60.00 | $17.99 | 70% |
| 10:31p | Thumbprint Pinot Noir Erica’s Vineyard Winemakers Reserve 2012 | JHN92 | $45.00 | $18.99 | 58% |
| 10:23p | Falesco ‘Tellus’ Syrah IGT Lazio, Italy 2011 | WA89, WS89 | $21.00 | $11.99 | 43% |
| 10:08p | Vinsobres 2010 Southern Rhone Cru Dom. Constant-Duquesnoy | WS91 | $34.99 | $15.99 | 54% |
| 10:02p | Shadowood Red Blend Napa Valley 2009 | JHN93 | $40.00 | $16.99 | 58% |
| 9:50p | Rioja DOC Crianza 2007 Bodegas Baigorri | ST90 | $35.00 | $14.99 | 57% |
| 9:41p | Cremant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs Brut NV Jaffelin Grand Cuvee Speciale | JHN91 | $30.00 | $12.99 | 57% |
| 9:30p | Provenance Merlot 2009 Napa Valley | $35.00 | $16.99 | 51% | |
| 9:20p | Maxwell Creek Reserve Chardonnay 2011 Napa Valley | JHN91 | $29.99 | $14.99 | 50% |
| 9:14p | Fontegalli Vino Rosso IGT Fattoria Lavacchio 2003 | WS90 | $39.99 | $18.19 | 55% |
| 9:05p | Ribera del Duero ‘Arrocal’ Tinto Fino 2009 Bodegas Arrocal | WA90, WE90 | $19.99 | $11.99 | 40% |
| 9:01p | Merlot Reserve Meadowcroft Wines Napa Valley 2006 | $32.00 | $12.99 | 59% | |
| 8:52p | Tallulah ‘Como’ Marsanne Stagecoach Vineyard Napa Valley 2010 | JHN91-92 | $40.00 | $17.99 | 55% |
| 8:42p | Maroon Napa Cabernet Heritage Collection 2010 | $40.00 | $18.99 | 53% | |
| 8:31p | Chianti Riserva DOCG Rio Camerata 2006 Fattoria di Piazzano | WA91, ST90 | $30.00 | $14.99 | 50% |
| 8:11p | Sardinia White Wine Argiolas ‘Iselis’ Bianco Isola dei Nuraghi IGT 2012 | $28.00 | $12.99 | 54% | |
| 8:01p | Northern Rhone Syrah Saint-Joseph AOC 2010 Les Larmes du Pere Maison Alain Paret | IWR91, W&S90 | $51.99 | $18.99 | 63% |
| 7:56p | Bodegas Estefania Tilenus Envejecido en Roble Bierzo D.O. 2010 | ST90 | $24.99 | $10.99 | 56% |
| 7:51p | Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2009 Single-Vineyard Orsogna Cantina Mallorio | $25.00 | $9.99 | 60% | |
| 7:47p | Pinot Noir Reserve Robert Storey Cellars Carneros 2009 | JHN92 | $39.99 | $17.99 | 55% |
| 7:41p | Secoya Sauvignon Blanc ‘Mello Vineyard’ 2012 | $24.00 | $12.99 | 46% | |
| 7:34p | Super Tuscan 2007 AnimaLibera ‘Alma 3’ Toscana IGT By Emiliano Falsini | $32.00 | $11.99 | 63% | |
| 7:24p | Red Rhone Blend 2009 Minervois Lo Mainatge La Croix de St. Jean | WA90-91 | $30.00 | $11.99 | 60% |
| 7:11p | Chianti Classico DOCG Savignola Paolina 2010 | JS91 | $32.00 | $14.99 | 53% |
| 7:03p | Robert Oatley Cabernet/Merlot Blend Mudgee, Australia 2009 | WS89 | $20.00 | $9.99 | 50% |
| 6:56p | Gauthier Zinfandel Los Chamizal Vineyard Sonoma Valley 2011 | JHN91, WE90 | $42.00 | $14.99 | 64% |
| 6:41p | Macon-Chardonnay ‘Les Crets’ 2009 Chateau De Messey | JHN91 | $28.99 | $14.99 | 48% |
| 6:31p | Territorial Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2011 | $24.00 | $14.99 | ||
| 6:18p | Languedoc Vin Rouge Pic Saint-Loup ‘Bonne Pioche’ Domaine Clavel 2010 | WA90-91+ | $39.99 | $14.99 | 63% |
| 6:13p | Blanc de Blanc Brut Philippe Herard NV Methode Traditionalle Sparkling Wine | $22.00 | $10.99 | 50% | |
| 5:57p | 93 Pt. Eden Road Shiraz The Long Road 2010 Canberra, Australia | JH93, ST91 | $28.00 | $15.99 | 43% |
| 5:49p | Pighin Red Cuvee Terre di Risano 2008 Friuli Grave DOC | $25.00 | $9.99 | 60% | |
| 5:43p | Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Londer Estate Vineyards Calstar Cellars 2007 | CG89 | $50.00 | $17.99 | 64% |
| 5:32p | Sauternes 2010 Bastor Lamontagne Chateau Bordenave | $42.00 | $16.99 | 60% | |
| 5:24p | Rosat Cava Brut Nature Loxarel ‘999’ NV Best Buy 2012 | W&S91 | $16.99 | $9.99 | 41% |
| 5:14p | Cotes Du Roussillon Villages AOC ‘Cuvee Constance’ 2010 Domaine Thunevin-Calvet | WA90-91+ | $29.99 | $13.99 | 53% |
| 5:06p | Chianti Classico Riserva Savignola Paolina 2008 | JS92 | $45.00 | $18.99 | 58% |
| 5:01p | Petite Sirah Reserve 2010 Stonehedge Winery Dry Creek Valley | 90 | 50% | ||
| 4:46p | Kingsford Manor Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2011 Napa Valley | JHN91+ | $24.99 | $12.99 | 48% |
| 4:35p | Salento IGT Negroamaro Tenute Materdomini Marangi 2009 | $20.00 | $11.99 | 40% | |
| 4:30p | Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc ‘Valvigneyre’ 2011 Maison Alain Paret | $22.99 | $10.99 | 52% | |
| 4:14p | Orentano Pinot Noir 2009 Russian River Valley R. Buoncristiani Vineyard | $38.00 | $17.99 | 53% | |
| 4:11p | Castlebank Cabernet Reserve 2008 Sonoma County | JHN92 | $37.99 | $15.99 | 58% |
| 3:57p | Tinta de Toro Old Vine Carodorum ‘Issos’ 2010 Carmen Rodriguez Mendez | WA90 | $22.00 | $12.99 | 41% |
| 3:47p | Bella Vetta Vineyards 2008 Rockpile Zinfandel | CG92, WE90 | $34.00 | $16.99 | 50% |
| 3:38p | Bourgogne Pinot Noir Philippe Leclerc 2009 | JHN91-92 | $35.00 | $16.99 | 51% |
| 3:28p | Riesling Spatlese Urziger Wurzgarten Markus Molitor 2009 Mosel, Germany | WA90, WS90 | $30.00 | $18.99 | 37% |
| 3:22p | Malbec Reserva 2009 Bodega Clop ‘Los Clop’ Mendoza, Argentina | WA90 | $25.00 | $13.99 | 44% |
| 3:07p | Right Bank Bordeaux Puisseguin Saint-Emilion 2009 Chateau Rigaud | WS90 | $32.99 | $16.99 | 49% |
| 3:01p | Michel-Schlumberger Red ‘Coteaux Sauvages’ 2009 Dry Creek Valley | JHN92+ | $62.00 | $18.99 | 69% |
| 2:49p | Ardeche Viognier 2011 Vin de Pays IGP Coteaux de L’Ardeche Maison Louis Latour | $27.00 | $12.99 | 52% | |
| 2:42p | Burgess Cellars Merlot Oak Knoll, Napa 2007 | WRO90 | $28.00 | $14.99 | 46% |
| 2:39p | Bernabe Navarro ‘Beryna’ Alicante DO 2008 | WA92 | $55.00 | $13.99 | 75% |
| 2:24p | Friulano 2011 Terre Di Risano by Pighin & Figli | $25.00 | $11.99 | 52% | |
| 2:20p | Pinot Noir ‘Crane Vineyard’ David Noyes Wines Sonoma Coast 2008 | JHN92 | $50.00 | $17.99 | 64% |
| 2:07p | Northern Rhone Cru St.-Joseph 2011 Louis Cheze ‘Ro-Ree’ | RR91, ST90 | $50.00 | $17.99 | 64% |
| 1:56p | Quixote Petite Sirah ‘Pretense’ 2009 By Carl Doumani | $25.00 | $12.99 | 48% | |
| 1:45p | Gavi di Gavi DOCG 2012 Michele Chiarlo ‘Rovereto’ | $40.00 | $17.99 | 55% | |
| 1:39p | Chianti DOCG 2011 ‘Colle De’ Fossili’ Fattoria Piccaratico | $21.00 | $9.99 | 52% | |
| 1:35p | Dignitas Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2010 By David Stevens | JHN93 | $50.00 | $18.99 | 62% |
| 1:30p | Casa di Terra ‘Moreccio’ IGT Super Tuscan Bolgheri 2010 | JS92, ST91 | $45.00 | $15.99 | 64% |
| 1:14p | Ridgeline Cabernet Franc Napa Valley 2010 By Mark Beringer | JHN91 | $35.00 | $15.99 | 54% |
| 1:00p | Rioja Reserva 2004 Diez-Caballero Vendimia Seleccionada | WA91+ | $38.00 | $16.99 | 55% |
| 12:44p | N.Z. Sauvignon Blanc Spy Valley Wines Marlborough 2011 | WA89, WS89 | $20.00 | $12.99 | 35% |
| 12:29p | Maremma Toscana Syrah Pieve Dei Monaci 2010 Cantina Pieve Vecchia | ST90, WE90 | $20.00 | $12.99 | 35% |
| 12:22p | Robert Storey Red Alexander Valley 2010 By Nick Goldschmidt | $37.99 | $12.99 | 66% | |
| 12:14p | Cotes-du-Rhone Cuvee Prestige 2011 Auguste Ravier | $15.99 | $9.99 | 38% | |
| 11:56a | Southern Rhone Cru ‘Rasteau’ 2010 Domaine Fond Croze By Philippe Cambie | WS91, RR91 | $35.00 | $17.49 | 50% |
| 11:47a | Napa Red Blend Verismo ‘Stella’ 2007 | JHN92 | $36.00 | $15.99 | 56% |
| 11:34a | Vionta Albarino 2010 Limited Release Rias Baixas, Spain | WE89 | $18.00 | $9.99 | 45% |
| 11:26a | Morellino di Scansano AnimaLibera 2009 By Emiliano Falsini | $30.00 | $9.99 | 67% | |
| 11:14a | McCrea Cellars Syrah ‘Cuvee Orleans’ 2006 Yakima Valley | WE91 | $40.00 | $16.99 | 58% |
| 11:08a | Barrister Red Wine Sonoma County 2010 By Zach Long | JHN92 | $35.00 | $14.99 | 57% |
| 11:01a | Spanish Red Wine Arrayan Petit Verdot 2007 | WA91+ | $34.00 | $17.99 | 47% |
| 10:56a | Maroon Napa Cabernet Heritage Collection 2010 | $40.00 | $18.99 | 53% | |
| 10:49a | Black Stallion Chardonnay Napa Valley 2010 | $32.00 | $14.99 | 53% | |
| 10:44a | Bordeaux Rouge 2011 Chateau Lucat | $15.99 | $7.99 | 50% | |
| 10:38a | Chianti Classico Riserva Castello di Bibbione 2008 | JS92, WE91 | $35.00 | $17.99 | 49% |
| 10:30a | Valley Gate Chardonnay Versada Vineyard Napa Valley 2010 | JHN92+ | $39.99 | $13.99 | 65% |
| 10:19a | d’Arenberg Shiraz / Viognier 2009 ‘The Laughing Magpie’ McLaren Vale | WA91, ST91 | $30.00 | $18.99 | 37% |
| 10:16a | Cabernet Reserve 2011 Mockingbird Hill Winery Napa Valley By Reed Renaudinrating | 92 | 58% | ||
| 10:09a | La Tribu Red Wine 2010Bodegas El Angosto | WA90 | $16.99 | $8.99 | 47% |
| 10:02a | Estate Sauvignon Blanc Ant Moore 2012 Marlborough, NZ | $20.00 | $11.99 | 40% | |
| 9:56a | Russian River Pinot Noir David Noyes Wines 2008 | JHN91+ | $50.00 | $16.99 | 66% |
| 9:52a | Castlebank Zinfandel O.V. Giulia’s Vineyard 2010 Dry Creek Valley48% | JHN92 | $25.00 | $12.99 | 48% |
| 9:39a | Bodegas Olarra Anares Rioja Reserva 2006 | WS92 | $22.00 | $12.99 | 41% |
| 9:34a | Super Tuscan 2005 Vitanza ‘Quadrimendo’ Toscana | WE90 | $32.00 | $14.99 | 53% |
| 9:30a | Arger-Martucci Cabernet Napa Valley 2006 | $40.00 | $16.99 | 58% | |
| 9:15a | Cotes de Bordeaux 2009Chateau Lafitte-Marcellin | IWR89 | $20.00 | $10.49 | 48% |
| 9:09a | Fitch Mountain Cabernet Alexander Valley 2010 By Optima Winery | $40.00 | $15.99 | 60% | |
| 9:00a | Napa Chardonnay 2010 Mockingbird Hill Winery By Mark Beringer | JHN91-92 | $30.00 | $14.99 | 50% |
| 8:50a | Valpolicella DOC Classico Superiore 2010 Caterina Zardini | WE90 | $35.00 | $16.99 | 51% |
| 8:35a | Cotes de Provence Rose Vieilles Vignes 2012 Dom. du Garde Temps | $25.00 | $10.99 | 56% | |
| 8:23a | Rioja Gran Reserva Vendimia Seleccionada Diez-Caballero 2001 | WA92 | $44.99 | $17.99 | 60% |
| 8:17a | Muir-Hanna Vineyards Estate Muir’s Heritage Bully! Red Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley Red Blend 2008 | $24.99 | $10.99 | 56% | |
| 8:11a | Barbaresco DOCG 2007 Fontanafredda ‘Varej’ | $60.00 | $18.99 | 68% | |
| 8:00a | Gigondas AOC 2009 Cotes du Rhone Cru Domaine du Pradas | WE91 | $40.00 | $17.99 | 55% |
| 7:55a | Saddlers Peak Zinfandel Napa Valley 2009 | JHN90-91 | $32.00 | $13.99 | 56% |
| 7:49a | Villa Romanti Pinot Grigio Venezie IGT 2012 | $10.00 | $9.99 | 50% | |
| 7:45a | Red Burgundy 2009 Chassagne-Montrachet Chateau Chassagne de Montrachet | JHN91-92 | $50.00 | $18.99 | 62% |
| 7:40a | Red Heads Studio ‘The Moonlighters’ Cabernet Blend 2010 South Austrailia | WS91 | $22.00 | $12.99 | 41% |
| 7:25a | RustRidge Winery Napa Valley Estate Bottled Chardonnay 2009 | JHN91 | $30.00 | $14.99 | 50% |
| 7:17a | Turn 4 Cabernet 2010 By Bennett Lane Winery | $25.00 | $10.99 | 56% | |
| 7:08a | 93 Pt. Ribera del Duero Reserva Bodegas Balbas 2001 | WS93, IWR92 | $50.00 | $18.99 | 62% |
| 6:53a | Regnie Cru du Beaujolais Vignes de 1918 Domaine Dupre 2010 | WA90 | $23.00 | $11.99 | 48% |
| 6:48a | Sonoma Mountain Cabernet 2008 Peters Family Winery | WE86 | $55.00 | $18.99 | 65% |
| 6:36a | Maxwell Creek Rose Napa Valley 2011 | JHN89 | $21.99 | $8.89 | 60% |
| 6:28a | Vina Aljibes Red 2009 Tierra de Castilla Bodegas Los Aljibes | WA90 | $15.99 | $8.99 | 44% |
| 6:15a | Conundrum (by Caymus) California Red Blend 2010 | $28.00 | $18.99 | 32% | |
| 6:00a | Brancott Pinot Noir Marlborough, NZ 2011 | $14.00 | $8.99 | 36% | |
| Marathon STARTS NOW! GO!!! and Good luck! #wine #deals #free #shipping #until11PMEST #online #mayham #MoveQuickorEndUpThirsty |
Weekly Wine Quiz #73: Grape Trivia – Sémillon
Sémillon grapes affected by noble rot, as shown in Wikipedia
Welcome to the weekend and your new wine quiz!
We are continuing our grape trivia series, still focusing on the white grapes, and today’s subject is Sémillon.
Sémillon is a white grape, once considered the most planted grape in the world. One interesting fact is that the origin of Sémillon is not easy to pinpoint – while working on this quiz, I went through quite a few articles on Internet and even books, and it is hard to find any historical data outside of the fact that Sémillon was very popular in the early 19th century throughout the world. In the early 19th century, over the 90% of all grape plantings in South Africa was Sémillon – considering its popularity, it was simply called Wyndruif, the “wine grape”. Today, Sémillon occupies roughly 1% of the grape plantings in South Africa. It is still the most planted white grape in Bordeaux, where it is used in the production of most of the white wines, from dry wines of Pessac-Léognan, Graves and Entre-deux-mers, to the spectacular dessert jewels of Sauternes and Barsac. Sémillon plantings exist in many other winemaking countries – Australia, Chile, Italy, New Zealand, California and Washington in US – but you rarely hear about Sémillon, as it is mostly used as a blending grape. Well, this might be changing – but we will not be talking about it in the quiz.
The issue with Sémillon is that under normal growing conditions, it tends to produce plump and dull wines, the wines which are not showing much of the aromatics and have very low acidity. When the grape is forced to work hard, it can produce amazing wines. In Sauternes, Sémillon is typically affected by Botrytis cinerea, the noble rot, which leads to the shriveling of the grapes which concentrates the sugar – dessert wines produced from such shriveled grapes are some of the best in the world (Châteaud’Yquem, anyone?) – they also make some of the longest living wines in the world, being capable of ageing for 100 years and beyond. In Australia’s Hunter Valley region, the grapes are exposed to the harsh climate with the high level of humidity, which leads to the grapes accumulating high level of acidity. Hunter Valley Sémillon is known to age very well, and the wines also improve with age quite significantly.
And now, to the quiz!
Q1: Name a grape, primary blending partner of Sémillon
Q2: Below is the list of years. There is something common between all of them (and of course it has a relationship with Sémillon) – do you know what is common among those years?
1930, 1952, 1964, 1974, 2012
Q3: Ture or False: Sauternes produces only sweet wines
Q4: Name a key factor for the great tasting dry Sémillon wines
Q5: What is Semageddon?
There is nothing wrong with answering even only one question from the quiz – your participation is always appreciated! Also, without any regard to the questions, please share your personal experiences with Sémillon wines.
Good luck, enjoy the quiz and your weekend! Cheers!
Bar Q – Good Beer, But The Food Can Be Improved
Beer list at Bar Q
It seems that one of the unwritten rules of the blogosphere is that everybody tends to share positive experiences, and for everything else – well, that is what critics are for. Yes, we rant from time to time, but more to discuss a general problem, and not for any particular reason. Thinking about it, having a true picture is important. If someone provides mediocre product or service, we often just “vote with our feet” – instead, providing some criticism could be the best thing to do, as this is the only way for someone to find out that improvements are needed. As you already got my point, this post is about experience which could’ve being better.
We went to the Bar Q BBQ & Grill in Stamford during the restaurant week (a couple of weeks ago). This was our second visit – we were there last year at about the same time (also during the restaurant week), and we had a very tasty experience, so we were very much looking forward to visiting the restaurant again.
As you can guess from the name, Bar Q is focused on serving the American barbecue. Their wine list is very limited, but the draft beer selection is excellent (and the beer is more appropriate for the BBQ anyway). Also, the menu offers to create a beer tasting flight – 3 oz of beer, 4 beers in the flight, all for $9.
Beer flight at Bar Q
Our flight included Allagash White, Belgian style wheat ale – perfectly refreshing, Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat – had a bit more weight compare to Allagash, still quite refreshing, Woodchuck Amber Draft Cider – very dangerous to have in the presence of kids, as in appearance it is not any different than Ginger Ale – light, fizzy taste with some sweet notes – perfectly quaffable. The last beer was Blue Point Toasted Lager, which is in the category of so called Red Lager – it had some bitter notes, medium weight on the palate – quite enjoyable as well.
So the beer flight was great, the service was also very good – friendly and prompt, but the food – not so much, unfortunately.
We always like to try different things, so we ordered 4 different appetizers.
Appetizers round at Bar Q
Out of Truck Stop Queso Dip, Pig in a Blanket, Chipotle Meat Sliders and Potato Pig Skins, only Queso Dip was tasty, and the sliders were okay. The potato skins were mushy and had no taste, and the pig in the blanket was a tasting disaster.
Our “main course”, a variety of BBQ items, was not great either.
We took pretty much everything from the BBQ “small plates” menu which was not a poultry – St. Louis Cut Sticky Ribs, Classic Pulled Pork, Sliced Beef Brisket, Beef Burnt Ends, House Smoked Kielbasa Sausage, Grilled BBQ Shrimp, Smoked Pork Belly and Memphis Dry Rubbed Baby Back Ribs. Most of the dishes were okay, but none of them was at the “wow” level. “Burnt ends” dish was a disappointment by comparison – last year we couldn’t get enough of it – it was so flavorful and delicious. This time, it was only “well, okay”. And the smoked pork belly was a disaster – a blob of dribbling fat, smothered in the BBQ sauce. Yes, it was cooked, but the piece itself was such that in my opinion it should be never served in the restaurant as a dish (may be only used as a cooking fat). The sides dishes were [unfortunately] the best part of the meal.
To conclude, I wouldn’t put this as a “terrible experience” – it was an okay food experience, and drinks and service were excellent. But the problem is, this restaurant is no longer on my “I would love to do it again” list. No, I’m not asking for an absolute perfection – but, there should be at least one “wow” moment, an anchor which will pull us back – and this time around, Bar Q clearly didn’t have one. I hope it might be different in a future, and I will be glad to give Bar Q another try – but someone will have to convince me that it is well worth it.
Bar Q BBQ & Grill
261 Main St. (Behind Black Bear)
Stamford, CT 06901
PHONE: 203.316.0278
http://www.barqstamford.com
Wednesday’s Meritage – Wine Quiz Answer, Oh No, Don’t Lose The Bottle, Wine Prices, Reminders and more
Donna Paula Torrontés
Meritage time!
First, let’s start with the answer for the wine quiz #72, grape trivia – Torrontés.
In the quiz, you were supposed to answer 5 questions about white grape called Torrontés. Here are the questions, now with the answers:
Q1: Name three varietals of Torrontés growing in Argentina
A1: Torrontés Riojano, Torrontés Sanjuanino, and Torrontés Mendocino
Q2: Wine Spectator calls wines rated in 90-94 range Outstanding. True or False: there are no Torrontés wines with Outstanding rating?
A2: True. The highest rated Torrontés from Bodega Colomé has a rating of 88 points.
Q3: As established by DNA analysis, Torrontés is a cross of two grapes. One of them is Muscat of Alexandria. The second grape played an important role in the early days of winemaking in the United States. Do you know what grape it is?
A3: Mission. Torrontés is a cross of Muscat of Alexandria and Mission grape, which used to be widely planted in California in the 1800s.
Q4: Most of the Torrontés is growing in pretty unique conditions, for most of the plantings being at a high altitude. Name one problem which needs to be controlled for the production of the high quality wines.
A4: Overproduction. Torrontés enjoys almost ideal growing conditions, with dry mountain air, no diseases and plenty of water – but that doesn’t allow grapes to concentrate the flavor and produce high quality wines.
Q5: True or False: Torrontés produces both dry and dessert wines
A5: True. Santa Julia, Susana Balbo and number of others produce Late Harvest Torrontés wines.
Talking about the results, I was glad that there we people who said that they had Torrontés before and they like it. And of course there were those who said that they never had it before – I hope this quiz will make at least one person curious enough to go and find a bottle of Torrontés to try – this shouldn’t be difficult at all. We have only one person who attempted to answer the questions – while Linda from Foxress didn’t answer all the questions correctly, she definitely gets an honorable mention for attempting to solve the quiz.
Now, to the interesting stuff around the vine and the web!
Boy, there are lots of things to talk about. First, I came across an interesting article by Chris Kassel, who writes an outstanding blog called “Intoxicology Report” – if you enjoy the high level of language sophistication almost to the point of reading challenge (for me it is), read Chris’s blog, I promise you will not regret. In this article, Chris shared his view on the latest series of commercials themed “Lose the Bottle” and produced by Black Box Wines. I don’t want to take away from your pleasure of reading Chris’s hilarious comments, so I recommend you will read the article first, and then watch the commercials.
Next, Steve Heimoff ponders at the high prices of the brand new wines in their first release (here is the link to the blog post). Steve is talking about new Central Coast wine made by Raj Parr (famous sommelier at RN74 in San Francisco) and released at measly $90/bottle; he is trying to figure out the logic and reason behind such a high introductory price. My personal view on the price of wine is that any price is possible, but in the free market, you have to have enough people willing to pay the money, and if you do – good for you, and if you don’t – you are out. The post is definitely an interesting read, and make sure to read through the comments, some of them being quite interesting.
Another post from Steve Heimoff is an excellent set of instructions for the perfect day in Napa Valley. I like his take on the tasting at the most of Napa vineyards nowadays (“slurp 3 of something for $25”), so if you are planning a Napa getaway, make sure to read this post which will help to improve the experience.
Now, a friendly reminder: you need to possess your possessions – the Monthly Wine Writing Challenge #3 with the theme “Possession” is still on, with the deadline for submissions on September 23rd. Get possessed and write. All the rules and other important information can be found here.
Do you like Spanish wines? Do you live in New York City or in a close proximity of? Don’t miss Spanish Wine Festival 2013, taking place on October 4th at The Metropolitan Pavilion. This will be your great opportunity to experience Vega Sicilia, Emilio Moro, Clos Mogador, Clos Martinet, multiple Rioja verticals and many other outstanding wines. Click here for all the details.
And the last update for today. I changed my Top Wine Ratings page ( I mentioned it in the post yesterday), and I also added the menu links for my top dozen wines for 2010, 2011 and 2012 – for all of you who likes the lists, these are a few more to play with.
That’s all I have for you for today, folks. The glass is empty – but refill is on its way. Until the next time – cheers!
Simplicity, Brisket and Wine
I recently came across the post by The Food and Wine Hedonist, where he was talking about the fundraiser party he cooked for. One of the dishes he made was beef brisket sandwiches (I think the name “pulled beef brisket” should be the most suitable). In the comment to that post, I mentioned that beef brisket is one of my favorite dishes to make, and promised to share the recipe in the near future.
Beef brisket is one of the traditional dishes on the menu for Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year which we celebrated a few days ago, hence I took the opportunity to take a few pictures and share the recipe.
One of my favorite things about cooking beef brisket is simplicity (this is why “simplicity” is a part of the title). The simplicity is associated with the cooking of beef brisket in many ways – it is both simple to prepare and simple to cook, with virtually no possibility of ruining it.
The recipe I’m talking about here is a dry rub based (there are many ways of cooking the beef brisket, of course). Basically, the cooking consist of a few simple steps – rub the brisket with spices ( anything goes!), wrap in foil, refrigerate overnight, take it out, put it in the oven for 6-7 hours at a low temperature, get it out and enjoy. That’s it. If you want a bit more details, here it is
- Prep time – 10 minutes, cooking time – 3 – 6 hours
- Beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat, any size – size will only be essential for the cooking time
- Dry rub spices – anything your heart desires – garlic powder, chipotle, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, etc – again, the amount should be proportional to the size of brisket
- Dry fruit – dried apricots, figs, prunes
- optional – baby carrots,
- 1/2 to the whole bottle of red wine (can be replaced with broth or just water) – amount depends on how much brisket you are cooking.
- cooking time – 45 min per pound, 300F
Cooking instructions: Take brisket, trim excessive fat. Rub with any spices or spice mixes you desire (see picture below – yes, I know, I went a little too far), wrap in the foil, refrigerate overnight. Take the brisket out of the fridge about 2 hours before cooking, just to let it warm up. Preheat oven to 300F. Take a cooking pan, put dried fruits and carrots (if using) on the bottom. Unwrap the brisket and put into the pan, fat side up. Add wine ( or any liquid you are using) – you need it to prevent brisket from drying up during the long cooking time. Cover baking dish with foil and put into the oven. Cook for about 45 minutes per pound. Take out of the oven periodically and braise the brisket with cooking liquid. When done, let it rest for 10 minutes. Cut brisket across the grain with the sharp knife. Serve with boiled potatoes or any other starch of your choice. Additionally, if you made too much brisket, you can use leftovers to make pulled brisket sliders – break it apart using fork or fingers, add BBQ sauce and put it on the buns.
Now, below are the same cooking instructions in the form of pictures:
Beef brisket, excessive fat trimmed
Spices for dry rub – anything you have in your pantry
Brisket in the foil, covered with rub
wrap completely in foil and refrigerate overnight
prepare the pan with dried fruit on the bottom
Put in brisket, add dried fruit on top. Add wine
6 hours later …done! Brisket is ready for your enjoyment
I don’t know what you think, but this is a really simple recipe as far as I see it.
And of course there was wine:
Recanati and Vitkin
Twice a year, my wine selection conundrum ( what to open, what to open) is resolved with ease – for Passover and Rosh Hashanah, the choice is simple – it should be an Israeli wine. This year I opened two bottles, from two well-known producers – Recanati and Vitkin.
2008 Recanati Red Wine – I don’t read Hebrew, and this wine came directly from Israel, so there is not a thing I can tell you about the grape composition of this wine. Red fruit on the nose, a touch of warm spices on the palate, some blackberries and plums, tannins are barely noticeable, medium finish. Okay wine, but really nothing special. Drinkability: 7
2006 Vitkin Cabernet Franc (14% ABV, 86% Cabernet Franc, 14% Petite Verdot, aged 14 months in small oak barrels) – outstanding. You know, some wines you define as “a lot going on”. And some wines demonstrate singular perfection. This Cabernet Franc wine had this singular perfection – Cassis all the way. A perfect bouquet of Cassis on the nose. Same on the palate – luscious, soft and rolling mouthfeel (this wine is unfiltered), pronounced Cassis notes with an addition of dark chocolate, supple tannins, firm structure and cutting acidity in the back, perfectly balanced, with the long finish. Definitely belongs to the “dangerous wines” category. Drinkability: 8+
And we are done here! While the wines might be difficult to find in the US (but Vitkin is definitely worth asking for by name), I hope that at least you can put a brisket recipe to good use. If you will decide to make it, drop me a note – I will be really curious to know what do you think. And until the next time – cheers!
Weekly Wine Quiz #72: Grape Trivia – Torrontés
Torrontés grapes, as shown in Wikipedia
Welcome to the weekend and your new wine quiz!
We are continuing our grape trivia series, still focusing on the white grapes, and today’s subject is Torrontés.
How often do you drink Torrontés? Do you know at least what country it is coming from? Yes, I understand that my choice of the grape for today’s quiz might be questionable – Torrontés is not a mainstream grape by all means. But as we are continuing with the white grapes, and the last white grape we talked about was the spanish grape called Albariño, the choice of Torrontés as a subject for today’s quiz is almost automatic for me.
Torrontés has a relatively short history, first appearing under its name in the second half of the 19th century in Argentina. Originally it was thought that Torrontés came from Spain, where there is a grape with the same name, but it appears that the two have nothing in common. While Torrontés plantings only amount to the 10% of total grape plantings in Argentina, it yields about 20% of the total wine production. Torrontés today is mostly growing in Argentina with some small plantings appearing on the other side of the Andes, in Chile. Torrontés wines typically have very expressive aromatics, more of a floral nature, coupled with crisp acidity on the palate, which makes them a great accompaniment to the wide variety of dishes. Best Torrontés wines come from the regions of Salta and Cafayate, where grapes are growing at the altitude of 5,000 ft (~1700 m) above sea level.
And now, to the quiz!
Q1: Name three varietals of Torrontés growing in Argentina
Q2: Wine Spectator calls wines rated in 90-94 range Outstanding. True or False: there are no Torrontés wines with Outstanding rating?
Q3: As established by DNA analysis, Torrontés is a cross of two grapes. One of them is Muscat of Alexandria. The second grape played an important role in the early days of winemaking in the United States. Do you know what grape it is?
Q4: Most of the Torrontés is growing in pretty unique conditions, for most of the plantings being at a high altitude. Name one problem which needs to be controlled for the production of the high quality wines.
Q5: True or False: Torrontés produces both dry and dessert wines
Even if you don’t feel like answering the questions in the quiz, I’m curious to know if you had Torrontés wines, and if you did, what do you think of them.
Good luck, enjoy the quiz and your weekend! Cheers!
Wednesday’s Meritage – Economics of Wine Collecting, Wine in Numbers, WTSO Marathon, and more
Meritage Time!
Today we don’t have the quiz to talk about, so let’s get right to the interesting stuff around the vine and web.
An interesting article by Mike Veseth, who writes an excellent Wine Economist blog, is on the subject of wine collecting. Mike just started writing a new column for Wine Searcher online wine magazine, analyzing the world of wine collecting. While the article is pretty technical, it still makes a thought-provoking read, whether you are the wine collector or not.
W. Blake Gray published interesting numbers regarding volume of wine imported into the United States from different countries. Which country do you think is a number one importer? And then which country will take lead if you will disregard “big brands”? Check it out here.
Believe it or not, but the Wine Til Sold Out (WTSO) is doing it again! Free up some space in your cellars, and get ready for next Tuesday, September 10th – WTSO Cheapskate Marathon is coming! The rules have not changed – starting 6 AM Eastern time, WTSO will be offering new wines every 15 minutes or sooner if sold out. The only notification mechanism is Twitter (no e-mails), all the wines are priced in $7.99 – $18.99 range, free ground shipping on the orders of 4 or more. Marathon will continue until 11 PM Eastern time. Featured wines will include (among many others) Maroon Cabernet 2010, 2009 Red Blend from Shadowood, 2010 Valley Gate Chardonnay, Diamond Ridge Pinot Noir, Redheads Moonlight Cabernet, Sacoya Sauvignon Blanc. Make sure your account has all the right information ready, as the wines will be gone in a blink…
Steve Heimoff ponders at an interesting question – what will happen with the wine writing going forward? While he doesn’t offer any radical predictions, I’m sure many of you have the same question in mind from time to time. Check it out for yourself.
Last but no least – an article by Alder Yarrow talks about name protection gone too far. As you might know, the new Apple iPhone line will include new colors, one of them being champagne. Now the Interprofessional Committee for Champagne Wine (ICCW) is now getting concerned with Apple’s use of the word Champagne as a color descriptor and wants to have them stopped. Talk about complete waste of money and lawyers not having anything better to do…
And I think we are done here. Happy Rosh Hashanah to those who celebrates, and happy Wine Wednesday to all of you! Until the next time – cheers!
Weekly Wine Quiz … Break!
Grapes!
It is Saturday, the weekend is ahead of us, and it is typically the time for the new wine quiz (I even have a tiny glimpse of selfish hope that may be you even “expected” one). Thereare plenty of grapes we can still talk about in meaningful ways, but for today, I want to take a little break, and just reflect back on our Grape Trivia series run.
Below you will find the list of the grape trivia quizzes included into the series so far. There are links for both quiz and the answer, feel free to play with them any way you want. And as always, any thoughts, comments and suggestions will be most appreciated!
The quizzes will resume next Saturday. Enjoy your weekend and cheers!
Red grapes:
WWQ #53 – Cabernet Sauvignon – Answer
WWQ #55 – Pinot Noir – Answer
WWQ #60 – Sangiovese – Answer
WWQ #61 – Tempranillo – Answer
White grapes:
WWQ #65 – Sauvignon Blanc – Answer
WWQ #66 – Chardonnay – Answer
WWQ #67 – Pinot Gris – Answer
WWQ #68 – Chenin Blanc – Answer
WWQ #70 – Gewurztraminer – Answer
Cabernet Day 2013: 1996 Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon
I’m glad we have all those Grape days – Grenache Day, Chardonnay Day, Cabernet Day, Tempranillo Day (it is also great when those grape days are not overlapping, as Cabernet Day and Tempranillo Day had in 2011). Not that we need an extra reason to have a glass of wine – no, we don’t. But when you have a Grape day to celebrate, that greatly helps with the difficult oenophile issue – what do I open tonight? What do I open, what do I open… Shiraz? No, just had it two days ago… Rioja? Well, may be, but I have only a few bottles… Zinfandel? Not in the mood for… Okay, I’m sure you got the point, and being there, done that uncountable number of times.
When you plan to celebrate a “grape day”, you are done with a good half of the problem – you know what type of wine it should be. As today is a Cabernet Day, my decision was very simple. Need a good bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, preferably ready to drink. I actually have very few bottles of Cabernet which I consider to be ready to drink (my criteria – 10+ years of age). My choice for today? 1996 Burgess Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Library Release.
Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon
Burgess Cellars is located on outskirts of Howell Mountain in Napa, and it had being producing wine since 1972. In 1980, the winery started a Library program for its Cabernet Sauvignon wine – each year, a 500 cases or so are put aside in the wine cellar, to let the wine age in the ideal conditions. The wines are released to the consumers after 10 or 15 years of ageing, when they are actually ready to drink. The wine we opened for the Cabernet Day was the part of this exact Library Release.
Before I will share the tasting notes with you, let me lament for a moment about the wine being an amazing memory facilitator. We shared the bottle with my wife, as we usually do, and once we looked at the label, one of the first thoughts was “ahh, 1996 – this is when we first met!”. My own recollection later on was of an exciting discovery of Wine Til Sold Out (WTSO) – this was one of the very first wines I ordered from WTSO in 2010 at an amazing discount (MSRP: $69, WTSO price: $22.50). Wine’s capability to tune you into the “memory lane” is nothing short of spectacular and truly fascinating. Now, let’s get back to the wine.
1996 Burgess Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Library Release Nape Valley (13% ABV; 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc) – Wine was poured into the decanter, but rather to prevent sediment from getting in the glass, not so much for breathing. Dark ruby color, bright enough for 17 years old wine. Dark fruit, some dust and plums on the nose, raspberries and cherries on the palate, high acidity, tannins on the finish. Doesn’t show as typical California Cabernet, rather closer to the Claret style, with high pitch acidity and dialed back fruit. As the wine was breathing, it showed a bit more of the fruit with the warm notes. Drinkability: 8-
There you have it, my friends – my Cabernet Day experience. What was yours? Cheers!
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