Grape Thinking » Tayloe

Tastevine, a new beginning for something not so new

Tayloe — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:16:12 +0000

Image by Polifemus via Flickr

I’ve been cruising around the wine world for a year and a half now. While I know more about wine than I did when I started I still have been unable to quantify what I’ve learned, am I any closer to understanding wine? Perhaps, but I still feel that I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface, which might be its allure.

I can differentiate the varied sections of Burgundy, but then there’s the Loire Valley and after that there is some other place or grape. Shakespeare once wrote, “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” This quote not only reminds me of my foolish roommate, but also those who decide to take wine too seriously. Don’t get me wrong a healthy enthusiasm for knowledge is great but mastery does not come when you have finished every book known to man about wine, nor after visiting ever major wine region. There are still those diamonds in the rough that make the journey through wine even more rewarding. A great example is the Tannat coming from Uruguay.

I never want to feel like I know everything there is to know about wine because then where would I go, its almost as absurd as conveying a complete understanding of life, preposterous. And while Tastevine will hopefully never be able to fully explain wine, we hope that it will give its users a tool in which to explore, to let wine’s mysteries draw you in as it has me. Cheers all of you fellow quaffers. And remember to share your experiences with friends so they can share the joys too.

Paris’ Prosecco

Tayloe — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:05:42 +0000

Late Night TV — It was 12:15pm EST last Friday, July 11, and David Letterman’s Late Show had just gone to a commercial. You might wonder the relevance especially related to Grapethinking? But I feel I must tell you about the absurdly ridiculous guest I saw pitching a product that deserves to be shunned and whose creator/promoter deserves to be sent to one of the deeper rings in Dante’s Inferno. Her name is known throughout the Internet and entertainment circles like any STD in a free walk-in clinic, haven’t guessed yet? Its Paris Hilton, a woman who I attribute the downfall of what is left of American Culture and in this instance it is no different, it is probably even more apparent. Ms. Hilton in all of her infinite wisdom has thought it would be a good idea to market the brand RICH Prosecco (an Italian grape used to make sparkling wine) in a can because it’s sexy. Don’t get me wrong I get the whole new age sexy marketing idea, it’s a damn good one, but putting sparkling wine in a can is like drinking Don Perignon out of a Dixie Cup… not to mention the hangover that will surely follow. I can’t imagine what the Italians think of this blatant slap in the face; some poor smuck (pardon my Yiddish) who has never made it in the world of wine probably got offered a lot of money to sell out. Of course the next product she presented was on the go hair extensions called clipin go. David was sarcastically heckling her the whole time… gotta love him.

What do you think about this change in wine marketing? Does a can make wine more sexy and appealing in a club atmosphere?

Beyond this diatribe of what I like to call the dumbification of wine, I changed the channel to Jay Leno and saw one of best performances on Late Night TV in a while. “In January 2007, an unlikely pair teamed up for two nights of concerts in New York City: Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis. Or maybe not so unlikely: Mr. Marsalis and Mr. Nelson came together to celebrate and play the blues, a musical tradition with ties to both jazz and country.” They played Bright Lights, Big City which was amazing not only because Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis are two of the most accomplished musicians of our time, but because it was done in a traditional jazz style where each player: guitar, trumpet, saxophone, harmonica, keys, and drums, all got to solo. Check the album out!

Pinot Grigio to Pinot Gris: Italy, France and Oregon

Tayloe — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:29:03 +0000

The summer months have come upon us and hopefully you, like I, have ventured into the realm of light white wines, namely Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris (same grape, French style). In Italian Pinot Grigio is light and crisp notably different from the creamier minerality and fruitier nature of Pinot Gris in France and Oregon. Alsatian Pinot Gris has a heavier viscosity like that of a Riesling, as Alsace borders Germany and at one point was part of the German Republic. Last week I had the opportunity to drink Villa Dugo Pinot Grigio, O’Reilley Pinot Gris (a Oregon Pinot Gris done in the French style) and Cleebourg’s Alsatian Pinot Gris, all great yet different examples of this light white varietal.

Villa Dugo is Fiegl’s second label, their Pinot Grigio is indicative of this Italian varietal with a nose and palate that are light with hints of fruit yet crisp, leaving a refreshing finish on the back end. The farming company Fiegl, active primarily in the field of wine products, is located in Oslavia, a village on the gentle slopes north of Gorizia. This light and crisp Pinot Grigio would go well with fresh shellfish and lighter fare.

O’Reilly Pinot Gris is a classic Oregon Gris done in the French Style – plenty of limey aromas with rich guava-like flavors, heavier in fruit than the former Pinot Grigio. Hallmark acidity will preserve this white in your cellar for up to five years. The grapes were harvested from a few diverse sites in the Willamette Valley. This ripe and flavorful Pinot Gris is delicious with fresh shellfish and a variety of light fare.

Cleebourg Alsatian Pinot Gris resembles a more German style of wine making. Alsace is located in France on the Rhine River. The name “Alsace” derives from the Germanic Ell-sass, meaning “Seated on the Ill,” the Ill is a river in Alsace. First appearing in the area in the 1700s and probably the most complex of all the Alsatian wine varietals, this grape is particularly well adapted to the soils of the Cléebourg area. It has a golden hue with a higher viscosity than either of the previous Pinots, due to higher sugar content. This Pinot Gris grape produces a heady, full-bodied wine with a rich bouquet. It goes well with dark meats, foie gras and wild game.

The magic is in the juice

Tayloe — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:33:40 +0000

When I started working in the wine business in the summer of 2007 I knew a few things about wine. First it was exponentially better to drink than the Natural Light my contemporaries were imbibing at the time. It provides a great way to meet women and convince them you’re more sophisticated than you actually are. And finally there was something I desired to learn about wine culturally, historically and socially; anyone can order a martini and look good doing so but in the world of wine you are constantly finding out new and interesting things. Yet for all the knowledge I thought I had gathered nothing was more humbling than going to work in a wine store, where the people above you spent most of their lives buying, selling and learning about wine. From my time with them I’ve learned a lot about spotting good wines.

First of all, labels mean absolutely nothing, so when you go to buy wine don’t even look at the front label ignore it, there is more useful information on the back like a good importer. In this era of opulence and visually stimulated purchasing, Louis Vutton and Cadillac, take a more refined and dare I say classier approach. I am reminded of the movie Tommy Boy with the late great Chris Farley. Tommy is selling Callahan Break Pads; one of his retailers says there isn’t a guarantee on Callahan’s box. Tommy says you can put a guarantee on shit and its still shit, same thing with wine – creative picture means the winery spent all the money on a design and not the juice. Like a guarantee vs. the actual product. There can and often will be a cute picture on the bottle but the juice, more times than not, is still absolute Swill (a colloquialism used to describe wine not worth drinking).

Best quality indicator – a good importer. While there still are names in wine worth buying anytime you see them there are also many wineries out there that have sold the names to bigger corporations to take advantage of consumer’s name recognition. Cakebread is a great example of a wine that once was a great wine for a good buy and now its just expensive and not much to talk about, one can find better for half the price. Importers on the other hand like Robert Shadderdon, Kermit Lynch, John David Hendrick and Neil Rosenthal, use discretion when picking wines to promote and have built up a strong reputation based on their names.

In closing, to all those wine creators, make sure your brand is innovative, but when it comes down to it, build a rep for finding kick ass juice… easy enough

Champagne – A New Year Tradition

Tayloe — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:08:32 +0000

When buying a bottle of Champagne, if the label says from “Champagne, France“,â€œmethode traditionelleâ€, or â€œMÃ©thode Champenoiseâ€, the wine is in fact truly a “Champagne“. All other wines are “Sparkling Wine”. While this does sound somewhat snobbish and aristocratic, it does serve a good purpose in protecting the brand of the area. Another example of this type of “rule” that you may be more familiar with is the Vidalia Onion, which you can easily cook with champagne, or sparkling wine, to create some great hors d’oeuvres for this New Year.

You have to check out these Champagne Onion recipes we found over at The Gilded Fork. I’m going to make them tomorrow, and have a good idea at the different flavors I can create by using different combinations of sparkling wine and onions. I figured we would make these 3

“Sweet Vidalia Champagne Onions” – This recipe will make a great chip dip. We’ll cook the onions and some freshly minced garlic in Andre Blush Pink Champagne (a $4 bottle of delicious sparkling rose), and then add sour cream, chives, fresh ground pepper, and some sour cream and onion dip mix.
“Purple Champagne Onions” – We’ll cook the onions with Hardys or Leasingham (both are a sweet sparkling Shiraz from Australia) or Leasingham then mix with cream cheese, and maybe a little roasted red pepper for spice. Put some sun-dried tomatoes and smoked salmon on a piece of toasted baguette along with a dollop of our extremely colorful sauce, maybe even garnish with a sprinkle of green onion.
“Champagne Braised Cipollini Onions” – This recipe got me thinking about an entrÃ©e , like this beef tenderloin. We’ll cook the onions using Freixenet Spumante (a fruity, dry Cava from Spain) or Mionetto Prosecco Brut (a light Italian Prosecco), then slice them thinly and pour the reduced sauce over them. We’ll either cook a small tenderloin, or grill a filet, then thinly slice it; make sure you let it for 5-10 min. before slicing so it stays tender and moist. On each slice, place some onion sauce and horseradish cream (horseradish and sour cream). If I have a hard time finding Cipollini Onions, I’m sure the Vidalias would also work great.

Most people will go out this holiday season and buy bottles of Andre and Cook’s, both from California, which are a great and inexpensive way to bring in the New Year. The Cava, Prosecco, and Sparkling Shiraz mentioned in the recipes are also great imported wines for toasting a New Year, plus I don’t think any of them are over $20.

So go out during the Holidays and buy any bottle of Champagne or Sparkling White Wine, pop the cork if you feel the need because whatever you find enjoyable whether it be a loud or soft pop, is your preference. If hanging out with a cultured crowd the flamboyant procedure might not be advised. Sit back and let the bubbles tickle your throat and get jazzed about a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Quick Lesson: Champagne is a wine region in France located about 100 miles east of Paris. It is legally divided into 5 wine producing ‘districts’: the Aube, CÃ´te des Blancs, CÃ´te de SÃ©zanne, Montagne de Reims, and VallÃ©e de la Marne. Champagne/Sparkling Wine is generally marked as Extra Brut, Brut, Extra dry, Sec and Demi-sec, depending on how sweet they are. Extra bruit is extremely dry, while demi-sec is the sweetest.

Tastevine – Wine Tasting

Tayloe — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:57:36 +0000

For all of you who have missed my recommendations lately here is one that will truly benefit all. Go out and buy a bottle of wine! Its the middle of the work week, spice it up. Once you’ve drank that wine log-on to tastevine.com and rate it. The fall is truly here with colder temperature moving across the south, this is how I know its fall. Neauvo Beaujolais is produced this season and varies year to year but generally produces a crisp red wine. Check out grapethinking.com for other recommendations from wine correspondents around the world. Cheers!

Da Vinci Chianti/Ravenswood Zinfandel

Tayloe — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:44:51 +0000

I have have been in Charleston, SC all weekend doing wine tastings and I have two great recommendations to get everyone on their way to discovering their tastes in wine.

Da Vinci Chianti is a reasonably priced and easily accessible Chianti from Italy. Chianti is Italy’s most famous red wine, which takes name from the eponymous traditional region of Tuscany. It used to be easily identified by its squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called fiasco (”flask”); however, the fiasco is only used by a few makers of the wine now; most Chianti is bottled in traditionally shaped wine bottles. Low-end Chianti is generally fairly inexpensive, with a basic Chianti running less than US$10 for a bottle. More sophisticated Chiantis, however, are made and sold at substantially higher price points.

And Ravenswood Zinfandel, a great Zin from California. Typically, Zinfandel wine tastes spicy and fruity. Vintners use Zinfandel grapes to produce a wide range of wine styles including sweet White Zinfandels, light-bodied reds reminiscent of Beaujolais nouveau, full bodied dry reds, sweet late harvest dessert wines, and port-style wine.

Deck Party – RTP, NC

Tayloe — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:37:11 +0000

We helped sponsor the Deck Party in Research Triangle Park, NC and had an awesome time. We’re going to do it again in Atlanta next weekend, so come join us for some fun!

The Big Easy

Tayloe — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 19:34:44 +0000

Wow, we just had a blast partnering with NeoSemantics to throw a party at the Big Easy in Downtown Raleigh, NC. You can also check out the pics on flickr.

Why Twist Tops Rule!

Tayloe — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:30:23 +0000

Most traditionalist look at twist tops with disdain and perceive them to be uncouth. Forget those snobby bastards, Twist Tops Rule, not only do the provide an environmentally friendly alternative to corks, which must be manufacture by cutting down cork tree and processing them in large manufacturing plants. They can be more easily recycled; the bottles are easier to open, especially when inebriated; and lets not forget, look really cool!

Jip Jip Rocks is an Austrailian Winery that has a great Cabernet Shiraz out for around 15 dollars with this modern marvel (the twist top) of human engineering and has a great taste that I would urge anyone who has a chance to buy. Wine Spectator has given in at 90 out of 100 pt ranking. So go and flock to the store, buy your wine and enjoy today.

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