Clear, clean, light pale-straw

Nose: candy, sherbert, fresh, lime-minerality, tinned-peaches, honey

A lot fuller – more dimension to it, broader on the entry, much fuller mouth feel, more bracing finish… would stand up to food a lot better than the Riesling-Kabinet. A bit more graceful – certainly not as lively but certainly better rounded.

Serve with: shell-fish (scallops pan-seared in chilli-infused olive oil)

or – with Thai-green curries/ Chicken Korma with pineapple and coconut

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Step in Sergio Esposito‘s Passion on the Vine: A Memoir of Food, Wine and Family in the Heart of Italy – which from the first page pulls one directly into the rental car of he and his brother Sal at the end of an epic 60 winery tour of Italy. Sergio, an Italian born New York wine retailer has embarked on a wine-buying tour of Italy with his brother who got him into the business in the fist place – and within the first pages of reading you are situated within a remarkable life, which I was utterly compelled by because suddenly the retailer I had been up against was given a face. I completely sympathise with the opening sentiments of having a job that on the surface sounds glamorous but in reality can be very gritty – however one quickly learns that Esposito has been doing this for 3 months every year for nearly 2 decades. From my part I was around the East Coast, Mid West and West Coast pushing wine to restaurants retailers and country-clubs tasting wine from 8:30 in the morning to 1am sometimes 6 days a week – and within two years I have more stories than I care to remember. For Sergio and his brother they’re diligently working through 10 wineries a day tasting through varietals and enduring long-drives in hot weather – often what sounds glamorous, and would seem like the setting for a series of Sideways style misadventures through a foreign country ends up being a lot more like work than anyone else could ever imagine. One has to take their hat off to such dedication even though amidst the work it is interspersed with tales of seductive winemakers daughters, raucous Italian weddings and personalities you’re unlikely to forget.

Passion on the Vine is an insight into a life less ordinary from one of the world’s leading wine consultants who can be found on the pages of the Wall Street Journal to the Times to the Wine Spectator itself. Esposito brings the innate raconteur nature of Italian New Yorkers, combined with a mellifluous writing style into a memoir that goes to the heart of what it means to be an epicurean. He illustrates so perfectly how passion, love and romance can go a long way to carrying someone throughout life. Ultimately this is a romance between one man and an entire region which will make you fall in love with Italy; and paints the picture of a dying breed – wine-men who actually love wine, men who excel in their jobs for more than money and people who add value not only to their families but pay their dues to those who have helped them over the years. Esposito’s is a poignant picture of optimism and love in a marketplace that is primarily having the life squeezed out of it by soulless critters.

Esposito re-introduced me to a feeling I nearly lost, and in his words I remembered a part of myself. When one is up against Little Penguin – it’s difficult to find the actual stories and vines and passion in a fuzzy cartoon character. There is no doubt that much of Western Philosophy was built on the back of wine-fueled sentiments; and from the foundation of Western culture there is no doubt that Italians built New York and have made the culture (together with the Irish) what it is today. Esposito, in a tale filled with adventure, comedy and energy has staked his claim to not only being a philosopher, a wine lover and a great New Yorker – but being an advocate and an inspiration to future wine millenials, showing that there’s no real substitute for loving what you do.

Cheerz.

Special thanks to Dianna Tingg from Italian Wine Merchants who has reached out to so many of us on the wine blogosphere, and has shared this wonderful book with us. It is a priveledge to have been given the opportunity to review such a great book.

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The dessert wines that we tasted stood out the most for me. The favorite of the group would have to be the Blueberry Port, which was served with a piece of chocolate. We were instructed to take a sip of the wine then take a bite of the chocolate and then go back and take another sip. This pairing was absolutely delicious. There is a local chocolatier who uses this Blueberry Port in one of his chocolates, oddly enough named Blueberry Port. The other dessert wines were Aphrodite, a late harvest Gewurztraminer and Boysenberry Dessert Wine.

In terms of the Reserve list, they were sold out of their Ice Wine.  Of course this saddened my heart a bit but I moved on to the Meritage, a new release, described as “A Bordeaux wine of enormous complexity. A hand crafted wine with an extremely long ageing potential.” My initial thought after tasting this wine was ‘Steak’. Now I’m not a huge steak person. Once in a while I’ll crave steak, but if I see it on the menu my mouth doesn’t water. This wine with its complex tannins, full body and long finish could definitely stand up to a nice piece of meat.

In terms of the other wines they produce, cheese is the way to go. This is especially true for the dessert wines. What cheese? It honestly doesn’t matter. If you’re cheese shy then go to your local market and choose three cheeses you’ve never sampled before and try them.  Trust me, I wouldn’t steer you wrong. In general Duck Walk is appropriately priced, so why not try a bottle or two.  Enjoy and as always, Wine Your Diet.

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That’s all I have to say, it is a region that does not need a proper introduction. South of Burgundy, here is where we start to leave the Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cabernet Franc dominated reds and move into deeper Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre and Carignan.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the big stand out in this region, as well as the way to my heart. Of course such quality and recognition is also accompanied by a prestigious price. If you are fortunate enough to be able to enjoy this treat of a wine on a regular basis, then give me a call and we’ll start hanging out. To the rest of us, there are great alternatives within the Rhône without going into debt.

Côtes du Rhône is the most popular of these alternatives and is available at a great value. A typical bottle will range form $12 to $20. A Côtes du Rhône is, generally speaking, a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and then sometimes Mouvedre and/or Carignan, but Grenache is the dominant force here. It’s centralized within the Rhône, displaying characteristics of the North and the South. Côtes du Rhône Villages are within Côtes du Rhône, but a bit more specific. French wine can never be simple; there always has to be a break down and then possibly two or three more after that.

I’m drinking a Côtes du Rhône Villages from Seguret, 2005 Domaine le Souverain. On the nose I have jammy flavors up front, but then spice evolves. The spice intrigues me though because it reminds me of mustard. Now I’m not talking about any kind of mustard, specifically the kind of mustard they put on hot dogs at baseball games. I’ll be honest; I’m not a huge hot dog fan. I usually reserve this for baseball games or Fourth of July festivities, but I could really go for one now. Interestingly enough the mustard flavor is on the palate as well. It starts off subtle, but then explodes with spice. It’s almost a bit too much. I would say to hold off on the 2005 for at least a year more. This wine has not quite reached its potential but you can taste bits and pieces. At least one more year of aging will give the wine the respect it deserves.

I’m not one for traditional wine pairing. I understand there is a basic formula out there. But I say break the rules. Every palate is different, so really what I enjoy about a wine could be completely different to what you may like about a wine. If you feel like having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with your wine, then do it. That actually sounds quite delicious. The only thing that matters is that you are enjoying what you are experiencing. It’s starting to get warmer out and I would definitely consider this wine for a barbeque.

A wine will take on different characteristic when paired with food. I tried this wine with a few different combinations. First I went more traditional with cheese, a Cousteron from the Loire. It has nutty flavors that add to this wine very nicely. Then I added hummus to the mix. Another delicious combination, you just can’t go wrong with hummus. But to prove that anything goes, I went for the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. As we all know this French delicacy is a fine pairing for juice boxes in, say, a My Little Pony or Smurfs lunch box. Being a kid at heart, I found this to be a winner. Break the rules and mix it up.

If you really didn’t dig this style of wine but are willing to give it another chance, then I would suggest trying an Australian Shiraz or Grenache. Even California is producing some interesting Mouvedre. You have the same grape varietals, but perhaps a different terroir will be more compatible. Expand your palate and try something different. If you have that favorite bottle that you just can’t part from, then don’t, but certainly try something different. The worst thing that could happen is you don’t like it, but ask yourself why. From that you might discover that you are really into wines from Argentina, Canada or even Greece. Just put down the Yellow Tail and explore. And remember to Wine Your Diet.

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Someone else also pointed out the chip dip was AMAZING. I took some photos during the easy 5 step process of making it to share with you, as we did a little tweaking to the recipe.

Step 1 – Get it together

What we used:

8 0z. Cream Cheese
8 oz. Sour Cream
1/2 Red Onion
4 Cloves of Garlic
1 Roasted Red Peppers (sliced is ok)
1 Package of Frech Onion Dip Mix
Garlic and Herb Seasoning
A couple spoons worth of butter
1/2 bottle of Freixenet Brut De Noirs

Step 2 – Before you Drink (5 minutes)

Dice the onion into small pieces (I like this guy’s way of doing it)

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Dice the garlic cloves and roasted red pepper
Set out the Cream Cheese so it will be soft.

Now that we are through with knives, start pouring yourself glasses of champagne!

Step 3 - Heat things up a bit (10-15 minutes)

Take a medium sized skillet and place over medium heat
Melt the butter in the skillet, add the garlic, and enough champagne to cover the bottom of the pan.
Cook the garlic until it starts turning white. Garlic loses its “kick” once it turns white, and considering we are cooking it in the champagne, a small piece should start tasting sweet.

Now take your chopped onions, and add them to your pan. Also, add enough champagne to almost cover the onions. We’ll let them continue to simmer over medium heat until the champagne has been cooked off. At this point, all of the onion should be light pink and slightly translucent in appearance, and have a soft texture with a slight crunch. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.

Step 4 - Mix things up (5 minutes)

We split our cooked onions and garlic into 2 batches at this point, because we did one dip with the red peppers, and one dip without. Place the onions into a mixing bowl, there will be some liquid here which will help the flavor of the dip. Go ahead and add in the packet (or 1/2 packet if your splitting it up) of French Onion Dip Mix, and the Roasted Red Peppers, Green Onions, Jalepenos, or anything else that sounds interesting.

Mix well, then add in the sour cream and cream cheese. Again, I am using half the cream cheese and sour cream in this picture, because I split the onions into 2 batches. Add the garlic and herb seasoning and fresh ground pepper to taste. Place in a container and chill for about an hour

Yes, that is what turned out to be a wise purchase of Chaser Plus in the top right of the above picture. At this point, it was actually 8:23, and the rest of the bottle of champagne was already gone. I’ll have to tell you about Champong, beer pong but with champagne… loads of fun…. which brings us to Step 5

Step 5 - Enjoy (all night long)

Other Ideas:
Cook some extra onions and garlic, and mix with sun-dried tomato and/or hummus to serve with toasted pita bread.
Chill the onion mixture, and add in cilantro and lime and mix with cocktail sauce for shrimp or oysters.
Use the leftover ingredients to make an omelet.

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1.) Initially buy a wide assortment of varietals: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz (not Yellow Tail), Chianti, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. A wide array allows for people to differentiate between varietals. Or concentrate on one red or white wines or even several wines within a specific varietal.

2.) Buy munchies-Cheese, Crackers, Sausage

3.) Invite Guests, equal gender numbers are good

4.) Chill Whites open Reds to breath

5.) Arrange wines as mentioned above

White Wine: Riesling is the sweetest white wine, notice lightness and acidity as well as citrus or apple taste. Sauvignon Blanc is abrasive and earthy. Pinot Grigio is often a simple, light, crisp wine. Chardonnay has big flavors-vanilla and butter to mention a few, a lush full-bodied wine.

Red Wine: Pinot Noir is the most flavorful, overarching red wine with silky textures and erotically earthy aromas. Shiraz is rustic, manly, and yet elegant-in Australia it is Syrah but Australians know it as Shiraz. Chianti is an Italian red mix with plum and cherry flavors with a touch of salt and spice. Merlot has flavor and aromas that include blackberry, cassis, baked cherries, chocolate, and sometime leather. Cabernet is known for its quality, structure, and maturity; blackberry, eucalyptus, cedarwood, leather and plum often abound within Cabernet.

When your guests arrive be as cordial as possible this is a time for you to gain greater insight into the people you are interacting with everyday, network and in the most rare of instances meet the future misses.

6.) Begin Tasting

a. Important Note: experience has shown small sampling pours allow each individual to sample the whole breadth while remaining somewhat sober.

Give everyone enough time to really taste the wine, let them ponder the tastes in the juice and its texture, as this will help them on their journey to Wine Nirvana. Tastings are good for getting a little buzz afterwards if one wishes to continue down the holy path of inebriation call a cab and head to the nearest up scale watering hole, preferably one that serves wine so that if one wished, he or she could continue to drink wine while remaining respectably buzzed at the same time allowing those friends who haven’t quite got the self control thing down yet to let loose.

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My first glass of wine came from one of the really cool people. This guy was in town golfing with a couple friends, and they had polished off quite a few bottles of wine. They capped the evening dinner with a bottle of ’97 Silver Oak Cabernet, asking me if I had ever tried it. After explaining that the Silver Oak had never made it onto the tasting table, (keep in mind I was 17/18, and had actually never enjoyed a glass of wine) they graciously offered me the last half-a-glass. I swirled it around in the glass, very amateurishly I’m sure, and then slowly took a sip. This guy starts drilling me on the flavors… can you taste the tobacco.. thats all I remember, but I swear he must have said it 5 times. The wine was good… didn’t taste like I would imagine $30 should taste like, but it was definitely good. I remember thinking that it seemed a little strong for me at the time, and now I personally feel that it was much overrated. Needless to say, it was the beginning of a new adventure.

I have since had many different wines, most of which I have enjoyed. I find it amusing however, that the three I have enjoyed most are: 2004 Estancia Pinot Grigio ($12), 2005 Cloudline Pinot Noir ($17), and Dr. Loosen Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 2005 ($11). So why is it that I enjoy these better than the $120 wine? Is it because my pallet isn’t $120 sophisticated, or is it because I appreciate wine mostly for chilling out with my friends, relaxing, and talking about the funny movie last night, world issues, and our dreams/goals? I’m definitely not a wine expert in any sense of the word. I’m just a 23 year-old aspiring entrepreneur who enjoys trying new wines. Look out for my coming review on the Estancia Pinot Grigio.

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I brought a bottle of this home the other night, opened it, poured two glasses, left them in the kitchen and stepped in to have a shower. When I emerged I found that my wife had come home. She was sitting on the couch in the living room with a glass of the Can Blau in her hand- she smiled, looked at me and raised the glass saying ‘I didn’t know cheap wine could be like this.’ To be honest this wine is like nothing I’ve ever experience before (I’m only 23, but I’ve had my share of wine) it’s colour and texture are like deep velvet, the nose boasts raspberry and mulberry richness which follows through into a sour-cherry entry and a seamless, lingering finish. I have to agree with my wife, except I remove the ‘cheap’ part. I never knew wine could be like this.

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