For many wine drinkers, sweet wines represent childlike or simple flavors.  This thought can be a stigma, rising from the fact that most beginning wine drinkers enjoy sweet & light wines while long-time wine drinkers move away from sweetness toward dry and complex wines.

A Solera system of barrels used to make Sherry

Port, Madeira and Cream Sherry

Before yeast converts all the sugar to alcohol, extra grape spirits can “fortify” a wine to kill the yeast and leave some sugar remaining in the higher-alcohol result.  The Iberian peninsula is the birthplace of these full-bodied, complex after-dinner wines, where ships destined for the US and Britain were once filled with the stuff!

Each of these three selections has a different and unique production method.  Find out more about: Port, Sherry or Madeira.

Moscato & Brachetto

In Piedmont in northern Italy, Muscat and Brachetto grapes respectively create this pair of white and red semi-sparkling summer dazzlers.  Moscato d’Asti has a pear and apricot flavor profile while Brachetto delivers with Strawberry, raspberry and rose notes.  Drink them with fresh fruit and cheese platters at your next picnic.

Ice Wines

When grapes are left on the vine during the season’s first frost, the resulting juice squeezed from the frozen fruit is decadently sweet – a result of the water ice staying frozen while the sugary juice (which does not freeze at the same temperatures) flows under gentle crushing.  Canada has built a worldwide reputation for the best ice wines, which are only produced under the strictest regulations.  For more info:  Ice Wines

Botrytis Wines – Sauternes & Tokay

The Botrytis "Noble Rot" mold

Chateau d’Yquem is the most famous wine affected by the Noble Rot mold called Botrytis, yielding a complex and unique taste from the blend of late-harvested Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes in France’s Sauterne area of Bordeaux. It is the historical benchmark for similar wines produced worldwide.

Click here to learn more about Sauternes

Tokaj is a specialty of Hungary made from the Noble Rot grapes and is available in varying levels of sweetness, ranked increasingly sweet with higher “puttanyos” numbers on the label.  The Hungarian Wine Society can tell you more about this elixir.

Dried Grapes – Vin Santo & Recioto

Vin Santo is a product of Tuscany made with partially dried grapes, lending a raisiny quality to the full-bodied and nutty character.  It makes a perfect match to almond and pecan desserts. Recioto is made in the Veneto area of Northeast Italy near Venice, made from the dried  red grapes of Valpolicella.  Its flavors are deeper, richer, and more suitable for chocolate explorations.  Originally, dried-grape wines were invented by the Greeks, who coined the name Vin Santo. 

It’s time for adults to enjoy the sweet tastes

Drying grapes for Vin Santo

There are many more sweet wines on the market, which pair beautifully with salty cheeses, spicy Asian and East Indian cuisines, fresh fruit as well as sweet desserts. Don’t miss out on your opportunities to experience these complex and unique expressions of the winemaking art as part of your passage through adulthood!

Exciting news!!! The Wine House is now on Facebook. And if that’s not enough, you can also follow us on Twitter!!!

In an earlier Sunday email, I wrote something about shivering in November. I was right. My fingers feel like they’ve been forming snowballs. Thanksgiving is next week, and I am certain we all have things to do and people to share them with. Earlier today, I exchanged emails with our DJ pal Arden at KPIG radio, and she agreed with me that although it’s nice to get together with loved ones and celebrate Thanksgiving, conceptually, every day should be for giving thanks. I’m certainly thankful to have a friend like Arden who is a wealth of knowledge of all things musical and so much more, who plays a request for us almost every Saturday and gives us a shout over the airwaves. So there. Giving thanks. Every day.Something else I’ve been doing every day since sometime in late spring, is use the word “betterment”. It has made a world of difference in the way I feel each day. Better than any New Year’s resolution, my betterment campaign goes something like this: Whenever any decision needs to be made, I ask myself the question, “Is this for the betterment?” Somehow, this seems to be working. Some nights, I find myself alone in the treehouse cooking up something for dinner. But what to do regarding the wine? Opening a full bottle is not an acceptable practice if one is flying solo. As a charter member of the Betterment Society, I give thanks to the inventors of the half-bottle! Half bottles are an absolute boon to those who love wine. Even in groups, we can taste so much more and not have do deal with the excess. The betterment is not confined to what I am drinking either. Exercise and nutrition are part of the program as well, and for the latter, I routinely check out Summer Tomato. It is a blog run by a San Francisco Foodie, health enthusiast, wine loving scientist. Checking in there has been an inspiration that I am truly thankful for. Let’s just say that I never thought I would walk out of a farmers’ market with a bag of kale, let alone know how to prepare it. Don’t miss the recipes! Giving thanks.

Anyhoo. Back to the half bottle thing. We have a multitude of 375 ml bottles to choose from ranging from Sancerre, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Sauternes. I’m all over the map when it comes to these little beauties and enjoy them all. I’ll list a few of my favorites below.I can’t conclude without thanking you, our customers, for your continued patronage. We wouldn’t be here without you. It is always a pleasure helping you find those wines that put smiles on your faces. Many of you have been very complimentary regarding our write-ups, and I am always touched to hear your kind words. Giving thanks. – Peter Zavialoff Feel free to email me with any questions or comments about Thanksgiving, The Betterment Society, Half Bottles, The Upcoming Chelsea v Arsenal Match, or anything else: peter.winehouse@sbcglobal.net

2007 Domaine des Buissonnes Sancerre (half bottle) White Wine; Sauvignon Blanc; Loire; $10.99

Classic Sancerre. Great mineral lift.

2006 Domaine Herve Seguin Pouilly Fume (half bottle) White Wine; Sauvignon Blanc; Loire; $16.89

A little softer interpretation of Sauvignon Blanc than the Sancerre, with all the granite like mineral.

2006 Domaine Denis et Isabelle Pommier Chablis (half bottle) White Wine; Chardonnay; Burgundy; SALE $9.95 Reg. $16.99

Crisp, stony Chablis anyone?

2006 Chateau de la Maltroye Chassagne Montrachet Clos St. Jean Rouge (half bottle) Red Wine; Pinot Noir; Burgundy; $27.99

When in the red Burgundy mood, the Clos St. Jean is monument to complexity.

2005 Chateau Cambon la Pelouse Haut Medoc (half bottle) Red Wine; Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; SALE $9.95 Reg. $13.98

On sale! Left bank Bordeaux.

2005 Chateau Tour Maillet Pomerol (half bottle) Red Wine; Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; SALE $14.95 Reg. $18.98

When in a Pomerol mood, this one’s tough to beat.

2005 Chateau l’Archange Saint Emilion (half bottle) Red Wine; Merlot; Bordeaux; SALE $17.95 Reg. $22.98

Have loved this Chateau for several vintages.

2005 Chateau Coutet Barsac (half bottle) Sweet Wine; Semillon; Bordeaux; SALE $21.95 Reg. $29.98

By far my favorite Sauternes!!!

Dear Reader, please excuse this first but, regrettably, not final pun, but The Pigeon has pulled off something of a coup. Through some pretty weird machinations which we would prefer not to go into here, The Pigeon got our sticky beak on  a ticket to a showcase of Bordeaux’s finest hosted by Heston Blumenthal at the Hind’s Head in Bray followed by dinner at the legendary Fat Duck.

We know! What’s the world coming to when scrappy, feral fowl such as ourselves get to rub shoulders with real french people, super star chefs and people signficantly richer than ourselves? We’re not sure but we believe there maybe a hand basket involved, a downhill slope and some sharply rising temperatures.

So, there were three representatives of the Bordeaux wine world: Domaine de Chevalier- purveyors of one of Bordeaux’s finest and longest-aging whites and a none-too-shabby merlot- dominated red, Vieux Chateaux Certan- makers of an elegant pomerol and Chateaux Climens- one of the great producers of Barsac/Sauternes in Bordeaux and therefore the world.

Now, it is not a well-known fact, that The Pigeon has got a wee bit of a thing for Sauternes. They make us go a bit weak at the knee. We start to sweat in unusual places when one walks in the room. We blurt out their names when sipping other wines. We can’t stop thinking about them. They haunt our dreams.

And the Climens… oh the Climens… the pert, Lolitan freshness of the 2006; the 2002, just leaving the first flush of its youth and showing just a tiny glimpse of buttery thigh; the magnificent 1996, all honey, citrus, pear, butter, honey-suckle and then- over dinner- at the Fat Duck- a hunk of roast frois gras (sorry goosey woosey) and a 1975. 1975! The Pigeon sat there for a good five minutes without swallowing- eyes closed- wings gently rubbing together making what our companions assured us were some pretty weird noises.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

The shocking thing about Heston Blumental’s pub the Hind’s Head is its ordinariness. The ale comes out of the tap in liquid form, the lager isn’t blue and when requesting a gin and tonic one is not presented with a bowl of liquid nitrogen and a quinine pill (the nitrogen came later). It’s just a normal Tudor pub in a normal Tudor village. The only thing that gives its prestigious ownership away is the quality of the glassware, the heft of the oak tables and the relative sobriety of the  bar staff.

The tasting was held in the function room upstairs where the three producers had set up stalls and we, the punters, could flit around at will, sampling different vintages, quaffing vol e vents and chatting to wine makers, sommeliers and even Heston himself.

The Pigeon wasted no time with chat. The Pigeon was here to sample and sample we did. The ridiculously sophisticated french woman manning the Climens stall eyed the Pigeon suspiciously. And well she might. After our fourth visit she peered at us from over her million-pound designer glasses, raised a gallic eyebrow and said simply “Again?”. The Pigeon wasn’t unprepared for this eventuality. Taking  only the briefest of moments to study our cue cards we replied with our own special gallic shrug:

“Wee”

“hiccup”

“Um le meme chose mademoiselle”

Or at least that’s what we think we said.

We got a tiny pippettes worth of the 1996, a lesson in the Classical Greek laws of Hubris and Nemesis and, if it can be said that a pigeon can slink, verily, we slunk.

After tiring of slinking and having exausted both the patience and the wine of all three producers we were ushered out of the Hind’s Head, across the road to the Fat duck.

Whatever you’ve heard about the Fat Duck, its all true. Heard its the best restraunt in the world? It is. Heard its fabulously over the top and theatrical? True. Heard its a pretensious bit of wank? Also true.

Our first course involved a green tea and lime mousse poached in liquid nitrogen at the table. We know. But that’s what it was. So there. We watched the Climens woman do this first and were gratified by the whisp of steam which emerged from her nose assentuating her already strong resemblance to a dragon. The Pigeon has sensitive teeth (unusual in a bird) so this was a wee bit traumatic for us. We managed not to spit the goo out into a napkin, however,  unlike certain producers of delicious sweet wines we could mention.

Other highlights included “Mock Turtle Soup” inspired by Pigeon-favourite, Alice in Wonderland; salmon poached in liquorice with vanilla mayonnaise and served with a perfectly matching 1990 Vieux Chateau Certan; and Heston’s recreation of a Tudor recipe for tafferty tart, featuring caramalized apple, fennel, rose and candied lemon served with- wait for it- Climens 2002. The Pigeon, by now a little too deep in our Mad Hatter Tea Cups, managed to convince the wine waiter to bring us more of the 1975 so we could compare and contrast. He called us cheeky little beggars and we called him a big, dreamy, lovely, lovely man with lovely eyes and we love you. Yours our best mate right? Right. Mate… ahh.

We’ll be holding Leg 1 of our annual Champagne tasting this Friday the 20th; December 4th we’ll have the second half. Chuck Johnson of Glazer’s Midwest will be presenting the wines. Notably, this year we’ll be able to taste Veuve Clicquot’s high end bottling “La Grand Dame” 1998 vintage along with Roederer’s Cristal (probably the 2002 vintage). Both wines regularly retail for close to $200; significant discounting this year as consumers cut back on their high-end discretionary spending has pushed prices back to slightly saner levels, though both bottles are still fairly expensive. Both tastings will be worth attending if you’re interested sparkling wine at all as we’ll be tasting a full selection of excellent sparkling wines from Italy, Spain, California, and of course Champagne. More details on how to make a reservation as well as the full tasting lists are here.

I had the opportunity to taste a new dessert this week; it was the 2005 Chateau Roumieu-Lacoste, a estate outside of Sauternes in Barsac. I believe this wine to be a botrytis blend of sauvignon blanc, semillon, and muscadelle without any particular flaws. The wine is attractive, made in a light but accurate style; I found the wine to have attractive notes of candied orange, baked apple, apricot, and a quality I identify in botrytis wines as modeling clay and I rate it 8-8.5 out of 10.

We’ll be holding Leg 1 of our annual Champagne tasting this Friday the 20th; December 4th we’ll have the second half. Chuck Johnson of Glazer’s Midwest will be presenting the wines. Notably, this year we’ll be able to taste Veuve Clicquot’s high end bottling “La Grand Dame” 1998 vintage along with Roederer’s Cristal (probably the 2002 vintage). Both wines regularly retail for close to $200; significant discounting this year as consumers cut back on their high-end discretionary spending has pushed prices back to slightly saner levels, though both bottles are still fairly expensive. Both tastings will be worth attending if you’re interested sparkling wine at all as we’ll be tasting a full selection of excellent sparkling wines from Italy, Spain, California, and of course Champagne. More details on how to make a reservation as well as the full tasting lists are here.

I had the opportunity to taste a new dessert this week; it was the 2005 Chateau Roumieu-Lacoste, a estate outside of Sauternes in Barsac. I believe this wine to be a botrytis blend of sauvignon blanc, semillon, and muscadelle without any particular flaws. The wine is attractive, made in a light but accurate style; I found the wine to have attractive notes of candied orange, baked apple, apricot, and a quality I identify in botrytis wines as modeling clay and I rate it 8-8.5 out of 10.

The lovely and talented Lisa Baker, Playboy’s Miss November 1966 enjoys jazz, cheese-tasting, and a refreshingly open-minded take on afternoon snacking attire.

Photographed by either Bill Figge or Ed DeLong

Cheese looks like simple red-rind edam, alcohol looks like some kind of dessert wine, I am going to say Sauternes because I could drink that by the bottle and think it pairs well with cheese.

I like to order a cheese plate, where they give you the whole range from mild to sharp, with a glass of Sauternes at a fancy place when I feel like being hoity-toity and/or want to die from eating cheese, as I am viciously lactose intolerant and never remember to carry any kind of medicine with me. Read: if in some distant future, I am out with you, and I order a cheese plate, sex is not even remotely on my mind. The spirit may be willing thanks to the wine, but the flesh? Weak doesn’t begin to cover it.

Stomach swelling and projectile vomit notwithstanding, I am not the only girl who gets ga-ga over cute little cheese samples and suchlike. Sauternes and a cheese plate with nuts and triangle slices of that quince stuff have mellowed many a lady’s mind and made her look at her date more charitably. All the elements of a cheese-tasting spread are honestly easy to procure, and look super-posh. Believe me. Take this to the bank. We women go bananas for that kind of shit. Dessert wine, cheese varieties, almonds, and quince: write that down.

Records visible in the centerfold photo are Trini Lopez’s “Trini Lopez at PJ’s,” a live recording from 1963; the 1960 album “Hello Love” by Ella Fitzgerald; and “Playboy Presents: Once In A Blue Moon” by Johnny Janis (nice plug by the magazine).

Get it: the skis make her bunny ears. That’s kind of clever, right?

Anyway, I’ve blathered all this time about cheese and wine and LP’s mainly because I got all these pictures but very little info about Ms. Baker, other than that she was Playmate of the Year in 1967. Outside of that, her credits kind of died down around the late ’70s and they were all Playboy projects. I actually found more about her present doings than I did her past. She is currently still an active spokesmodel for products and print model available for photoshoots, appearing at conventions around the United States.

l to r: DeDe Lind (Miss August 1967), Helena Antonaccio (Miss June 1969), and Lisa Baker at Glamourcon 2006, from Helena’s official website.

Interestingly, according to the wiki, Ms. Baker now lives in Florida and rooms with fellow retired Playmate DeDe Lind, who is alleged to be one of the most popular Playmates ever, garnering the most bags of mail ever received in the magazine’s history up until the time of her appearance in August, 1967. The two travel to conventions together and appear at local events.

You keep on keepin’ on, girls. God bless ‘em!

Photographed by Patrick “Patman” Sun, DragonCon 1998. Judging from her expression and her grip on that alien, I think Ms. Lind may have been over-served at the hotel bar.

Imorse väcktes jag av ett sms från Lars- Erik som berättade att han va på väg söderut och tänkte stanna här på middag. Innan jag började fundera på middag blev det promenad med Mamma, Nicki och Felix…

Nicki gör en “snöknul”…

Mamse sparkar och Nicki fångar…

Kvällens varmrätt: Stekt kycklingfilé med ungsstekta mandelpotatisar och sky/gräddsås… Jag blev nöjd =)

Finbesöket, Lars-Erik, och Findus. Kärt återseende?

Kvällens dessert: Limemousse med jordgubbar toppat med sauternes-gelé.
Sauternes är ett fint dessertvin från Bordeaux, detta va årgång 2006.

Vi va överens om att desserten va välbalanserad mellan limemoussens syrlighet och sauternesgeléns sötma. Jordgubbar kan ju aldrig bli fel =)

Jag vill tacka Lars-Erik för en trevlig kväll och för att han gav mig en anledning att använda upp sauternesvinet från söndagens ädelostglass.

Nu ska jag knoppa med killekatterna. Imorgon ska jag börja jobba igen, konstigt men roligt =)

Kram kram, gos gos och sov så gott!

Before I became semi-serious about wines, Burgundy and Bordeaux were two words that totally confused me. Were they wines? Were they places in France? If they were wines were they white or red? I didn’t know it then but I know now the answers to each of those questions is “YES”.

Let’s start with Bordeaux, a wine region in Southwestern France known for excellent red wines. The Gironde River runs through Bordeaux and the area on either side of that river is called “The Right Bank” and “The Left Bank”. The land on the right is gravelly and suited for Cabernet Sauvignon while the land (terroir) on the right is sandy and more suited to Merlot. Both regions make some of the best wines in the world. The five First Growths are all made in the Bordeaux region as is one of the best and most expensive wines produced anywhere, Petrus. A bottle of the 2005 Petrus currently sells for about $4000.

In addition, the area known as Sauternes is home to one of the great white wines of the world, a delicious dessert wine, Chateau d’Yquem. I was fortunate enough to have sampled this several years ago in Maine. It is usually sold in 375ml bottles and a very good vintage can sell for $250 to $300 a bottle.

 The Burgundy region is an area in North-Central France. It is world-renowned for both red and white wines. The red wines of Burgundy are produced from the Pinot Noir grape. This grape is much more delicate than both cabernet and merlot and requires constant care and attention from the wine-maker to coax it to its unique,  subtle flavors. Many wine connessieurs believe that the wines of Burgundy, both red and white, are without question the best wines the world has to offer. The most famous and desirable of all of the wines of Burgundy are those of Domaine Romanee-Conti; you may often see it simplified to DRC.  They are produced from a very small and very unique parcel of land that year after year turns out wines of magnificent finesse. They are extremely rare and expensive and I doubt I will ever experience a DRC wine.

The white wines of Burgundy are made exclusively from Chardonnay. They are sometimes referred to as Chablis but that is a town in the area famous for its chardonnay grapes. A debate rages over the quality of the white wines of Burgundy versus those of the high quality areas of Napa and Sonoma. Most wine aficionados cast their vote in favor of Burgundy.

Hopefully, this brief synopsis of Burgundy and Bordeaux will inspire you to read more on the subject. It’s an area of the world that has been producing great wines for hundreds of years and makes for a fascinating subject.

Estupendo… genial… completamente perdido…. Necessito pararme i pensar  … dificil !

Great…. superbe….. completely lost.. Just need to  think more… tough !

A long day …   Friday I drived from Bordeaux to Burgos…. arrived and stopped at the first Hotel I saw… good luck: cheap, nice room and nice food & wine: Abadia de San Quirce Ribera del dueroa 2005. Woke up at 7.00 and drove to Lisboa !

Beautiful drive through Spain and some areas I never crossed : Salamanca, ..saw a few pigs eating and running in “La Dehesa”…. I was already thinking of them in my plate !!…north east Portugal…. Lisboa !

Arrival in Lisboa found quite easily the VIP Gran Lisboa… superbe & modern Hotel: VIP Gran lisboa ..feel like a star… Hermés soap, Hermés body care….. great bathroom…. I wanna stay there more !!!

Registration for the EWBC …. met my friend Oscar Quevedo… Met other people: Anthony Swift: WINE PLEASURES WORKSHOP…. Miss Vicky “herself”: Miss Vicky Wine (Photo below…) I am looking for the most important “blogger sommelier in the world”: Emmanuel Delmas, Paris..but I Can’t see him.. What a shame !!

Great tasting with fortified and sweets wine:  Barquero Amontillado (dry) – Lustau Amontillado Escuadrilla – Apostoles Palo cortado – Quevedo Colheita 1994 – Barcalhoa Moscatel Roxo 1999 ( very unique !!) - Justinho’s Madeira Colheita 1995 – Sandeman Vintage 2007  ( just bottled) – Garvey’s Gran orden  PX  (pedro ximenez) !! In 2010 there is a wine show for sweet and fortified wines in Jerez de la Frontera: VINOBLE 2010.

Write it  in your agenda… Great opportunity to taste Sauternes, Jerez, Auslese, Eiswein, Icewine,Port, etc….

Responsible for Vinoble 2010 – Esteban – Ryan Opaz during the tasting of the sweet wines.

Then we had a tasting with the Douro Boys: Cristiano Van Zeller  Quinta D V. Maria – Luis Seabra from Nieeport – Francisco Fereira from Quinta Vallado – Francisco Olazabal…an old friend I toured the U.K. with 22 years ago !!

Vito Olazabal during the presentation of his Quinta in the Douro.

Studious moment….different people and Evelyne Resnick on the theme: “Blogging and the social wine brand”.

Oscar Quevedo, my friend who produce delicious Port, and “Douro still” (red )! (foto Melanie Tarlant)

A nice photo of the restaurant ELEVEN “entrance hall”  after a long day…

Great diner , good food and great ambiance, with a superb view over Lisboa……

I had the chance to taste many vintage port ( from the new release… )

Fabulous time in Lisboa meeting people from around the world: USA: The Wine Hub ,Wine Lover’s Journal, UK: Brett  The Wine Maestro ; Niamh ( passionate about food ) : eat like a girl , France (Vicky see above), Philippe Hugon (Vinternet ) , Italy, Spain etc… &  from differents businesses linked with wine.

Thanks to Adegga , Ryan and Gabriella Opaz: Catavino, and every one who was there !

IVO

Druerne ser udpræget afskyvækkende ud, og vinen lugter af det æbleskrog, du fandt i din gamle sportstaske på loftet. Alligevel er botrytiseret vin én af denne verdens mest attråede drikke

Pourriture noble, Edelfäule, muffa, noble rot eller ædelråd på godt gammelt dansk. Gråskimmelsvampen Botrytis cinerea har et navn for hvert af de lande som traditionelt har turdet binde an med dens småskizofrene personlighed og komplette utilregnelighed som samarbejdspartner i vinmarken. Sammen med meldug og vinlusen phylloxera står botrytis øverst på de fleste vinavleres hadeliste, omtrent så ønskværdig som hæmorider og mavesår, og så er der alligevel nogle der er tossede nok til at satse château og hjem på at kunne kontrollere den skæve eksistens og skabe stor vinkunst. Når det lykkes, er det noget af verdens største!

Der er noget frastødende og vulgært over den søde lugt af råddenskab, men netop derfor løfter vinen sig op i nydelsesmidlernes superliga, hvor vi finder de mad- og drikkevarer som stiller spørgsmålstegn ved vores kulturelle identitet.

Utøj

Vindruer risikerer angreb fra alskens mikrobielt utøj i perioden fra blomstring til høst. Vinavlere, som ikke frygter kommende generationers fordømmelse, sprøjter sig raskt fra de fleste af dem, mens de økologisk bevidste, og det er heldigvis ikke så få, minimerer pesti- og fungisiderne så vidt det overhovedet er muligt. Svamp i dele af vinmarken er ikke ualmindeligt, og man må være omhyggelig med sorteringen af druerne, når de plukkes, eller i en efterfølgende finsortering. Botrytis er en af de hyppigst forekommende svampe, og der findes et utal af mere eller mindre miljøvenlige metoder til at begrænse dens liv og effekt på årets høst.

Anvendt siden 1700-tallet

Blå druer mister farven under et botrytisangreb, og anvendes derfor kun kuriøst, som fx i Valpolicella, hvor avlerne ellers gør hvad de kan for at holde kalorius i ave. Til gengæld er den kontrollerede brug af svampens indvirkning på grønne druer en teknik som har fundet anvendelse i de fleste vinproducerende lande helt tilbage fra 17-1800-tallet. Særligt har tyskerne været dygtige til at forstå og udnytte botrytis’ mærkværdige egenskaber som sukkerkoncentrerende medium og unikt smagsgivende faktor, og riesling, europæisk som oversøisk, er da også et af de flotteste eksempler på såkaldt botrytiseret vin. Andre druer, som traditionelt fungerer godt sammen med svampen, er de to klassiske sauternessorter sémillon og sauvignon blanc; det er chenin blanc og, foruden riesling, gewürztraminer.

En kostbar fornøjelse

Næret af morgentågens fugt på efterårets sidste lune dage kaster botrytis sig over først en enkelt drue, hvorefter den spreder sig til andre dele af klasen. Druens skal perforeres af nogle kanaler til at suge føde igennem, og disse huller resulterer i en kraftigt accelereret afdampning af vand fra druen som skrumper ind og snart ligner en lille muggen rosin. Men det sker ikke samtidig for alle druer i en klase, og for at få optimalt udbytte af svampens angreb kan det være nødvendigt at plukke enkelte bær af klasen i flere omgange. Det er det som tyskerne kalder Beerenauslese eller Trockenbeerenauslese afhængigt af sødmegraden. En plukning kaldes også for et tri (fransk for sortering), og over en periode på op til 8-10 uger indsamles i lige så mange tris de mest brugbare druer. Intet under, at botrytiseret vin kan være en kostbar fornøjelse.

Sukker og syre

En anden væsentlig årsag til det høje prisniveau på gode botrytisvine er det voldsomt minimerede høstudbytte i mostliter. Cirka halvdelen af druens vandmængde damper af inden plukning, mens kun en tredjedel af sukkeret konsumeres af svampen. Således koncentreres sukkerindholdet betragteligt, og da op til 80 % af druens væsentligste syrekomponent, vinsyren, også går til affodring af den glubske botrytis, fremstår mosten ekstremt sød. Under vinifikationen dannes en lang række stoffer som medvirker til den færdige vins kompleksitet. Det er stoffer som glycerol, der giver en stor mundfornemmelse; eddikesyre, som spidser næsen til; fenoler fra druens skal giver et lille tannisk bid; og endelig besidder svampen en række egen-aromaer som integreres i vinen.

Vanskelig gæring

Gæringen kan være vanskelig at gennemføre pga. den høje mostvægt (sukkerindholdet), men også pga. et antibiotisk stof, botryticin, som på paradoksal vis forsøger at nedkæmpe opformeringen af gærkulturen. Det lave syreindhold gør det nødvendigt at stabilisere det mikrobielle miljø efter fuldbyrdet alkoholgæring. Hvis den bakterielle malolaktiske fermentation begynder spontant, omsættes den i forvejen nedsatte æblesyre til mælkesyre, og så kommer vinen til at virke slatten og fad. Hvor det er tilladt (men ikke kun der) justeres som regel med supplerende vinsyre fra den lokale materialist, så vinen holder sig sprød og spændstig under sit søde sul.

Resultatet af samarbejdet mellem svamp, vinavler og ønolog er et af vinverdenens mest bizarre og begærede arter. Med en nærmest udenjordisk aromaintensitet og en cremet og tonstung mundfornemmelse slynger den botrytiserede vin sine ynder efter enhver, der tør sætte munden til glasset med den farlige lugt. Der er noget frastødende og vulgært over den søde lugt af råddenskab, men netop derfor løfter vinen sig op i nydelsesmidlernes superliga, hvor vi finder de mad- og drikkevarer som stiller spørgsmålstegn ved vores kulturelle identitet. Ligger det inden for et acceptabelt sociologisk mønster at drikke rådden vin? Åbenbart. Og er du ikke til en flaske hver anden dag, kan du med god samvittighed placere weekendindkøbet på langs i kælderen, og hive et eksemplar op til dine helrunde fødselsdage resten af dine dage. Ingen uforstærkede vine er så længelevende som de botrytiserede. Og få er så betagende.

Hvad skal jeg købe?

Med sauternes som stilikon og ypperste kvalitetseksponent er udnyttelsen af botrytis’ gavnlige indvirkning på søde hvidvine støt stigende i det meste af verden. Både Spanien og Italien har været længe om at opdage svampens underværker, mens USA, Sydafrika og særligt Australien efterhånden har en veludviklet produktion af botrytiseret riesling, viognier, sémillon og sågar chardonnay. Som oftest fortæller etiketten et og andet om noble rot eller botrytised wine, men i den gamle vinverden skal man som sædvanlig lede lidt længere efter brugsanvisningen. Derfor får du her en liste med de bedste af de etablerede botrytisappellationer. De er langt fra alle med, men det giver en idé om, hvor traditionen står stærkest. Du kan få botrytiseret vin fra 75-80 kr. i alle specialforretninger og de fleste velassorterede supermarkeder.

Etablissementet

Sauternes, Bordeaux, Frankrig

Cadillac, Bordeaux, Frankrig

Mont-Bazillac, Bordeaux, Frankrig

Coteaux du Layon, Loire, Frankrig

Quarts de Chaume, Loire, Frankrig

Bonnezeaux, Loire, Frankrig

Auslese +, Rheingau, Tyskland

Auslese +, Mosel, Tyskland

Auslese +, Burgenland, Østrig

Tokaji, Ungarn

Cotnari, Rumænien

Verdens dyreste, mest berømte og måske bedste søde vin bliver til på Château d’Yquem i den franske appellation Sauternes.

Geografisk og kvalitetsmæssigt epicentrum

Fra hovedvejen fra Bordeaux er det svært at få øje på, men for enden af et par hundrede meters sirligt holdt grusvej tårner slottets sig op i al sin pragt. Som et karseklippet dukkehus a la my little pony står blomsterbede i tidens farver minutiøst kultiveret omkring den pittoreske ejendom som blev grundlagt for snart 900 år siden. Meget vin er løbet i halsen siden den tidlige middelalder, men slottet står der endnu og nyder sin prestigefulde position i landskabet og vinens verden i det hele taget. Som geografisk og kvalitetsmæssigt epicentrum for hele Sauternes vinproduktion kan Château d’Yquem bryste af sin helt egen appellation som Premier Cru Supérieur i 1855-klassifikationen. Ingen over og ingen ved siden af. En hel del under, dog, men de omkringliggende slotte ser næppe Yquem som konkurrent, så meget som stilmæssigt forbillede og kvalitetsambassadør for hele regionen. Fra sin plads på toppen af den vinøse pop kaster slottet sit velsignende lys som et gyldent skær over alle Sauternes dygtige producenter, som dog kun opnår en brøkdel af den selvkonstituerede mentors flaskepris.

Det er alligevel ikke hver dag, man ser en vinkommentator anbefale 70-80 års lagring af en vin

Forretninger

I 2004 fik Lur-Saluces-familiens 411 årige ejerskab via indgiftning i Sauvage d’Eyquem-familien en brat ende, da hovedaktionæren LVMH, som ejer et frygtindgydende antal af verdens bedste vinhuse, valgte at fyre Grev Alexandre der havde været direktør, siden han overtog efter sin far i 1968. LVMH indsatte i stedet direktøren for Saint Emilion-slottet Château Cheval Blanc, Pierre Lurton, som hurtigt viste sig at være en driftig herre med sans for en god forretning. Lurton havde kun været i virksomheden i fire måneder, da han beordrede 1999-årgangen sat til salg for noget nær den halve pris af nogen tidligere årgang. Årgangen var på ingen måde fantastisk, men prisen vakte alligevel opsigt og skabte lige præcis den omtale, som den nye direktør havde forventet. Vinen bliver stadig handlet til en rimeligt favorabel pris på auktion (1.000-1.300 kr.), til dem hvis mål det er at få en vag idé om, hvad Yquem er for noget. Alternativt kan du erhverve en halvflaske af diverse årgange fra 800 kr.. Pga. det traditionelle system til forhandling og distribution af bordeauxvin, som varetages af de såkaldte négocianter, vinkøbmænd, ender flaskerne i detailhandelen via et hav af forskellige kanaler. Google kan hjælpe med at finde forhandlere.

2001 – legendarisk in spe

Anderledes er det med monsterårgangen 2001 som blev frigivet til salg den 29. september 2005. Under stor mediebevågenhed lancerede Yquem sin bedste vin siden 1990, dryppende af point, stjerner og proptrækkere, og stensikker på at blive revet væk. Det fynske vinfirma Theis Vine kunne berette, at det tog sølle tre dage at sælge hele årets allokation af Château d’Yquem. Og den var ellers af en rimelig størrelse. Prisen var 2.495 kr. per flaske, men så fik kunden også et søm i kælderen, der kan prale af 100 rene point fra gamle onkel Bob i Amerika. Parker skrev: ”Alt er opløftet og givet et laseragtigt fokus af en forfriskende syre. Denne storladne, ungdommelige Yquem lader til at kræve sin plads blandt fortidens mest legendariske årgange, og vil ubsværet udvikle sig i 75 år eller mere. Forventet drikkemodenhed: 2010-2100+”. Det er alligevel ikke hver dag, man ser en vinkommentator anbefale 70-80 års lagring af en vin, men hvis nogen kan modstå tidens hårde tænder uden grimme bidmærker, er det Yquem. I 2004 blev en flaske Château d’Yquem 1847 solgt på en amerikansk auktion til det vanvittige beløb af 430.000 kr., den højeste sum en enkelt flaske hvidvin nogensinde har indbragt på en auktion (og i det hele taget, forhåbentlig). Historien melder ikke noget om, hvordan vinen smagte.

Avanceret perfektionisme

Slottet producerer i omegnen af 120.000 flasker om året. Heraf er langt størstedelen den klassificerede Sauternes, men hvis frugten ikke helt besidder det kvalitetsmæssige potentiale, som kræves til kongen af sødt, vinificeres druerne til den tørre Y (y hedder ygrec på fransk, og udtales som et i – også i navnet Yquem [i’kæ:m]). Y produceres kun i særlige årgange, og opnår ligesom sin storebror svimlende priser. Enkelte år har Yquems perfektionistiske ledelse besluttet at deklassere hele høsten pga. kvalitetsproblemer. Der findes hverken Château d’Yquem 1951, 1974 eller 1992. Frugten dyrkes pertentligt på ejendommens 113 hektar, hvoraf 12 altid ligger brak ifølge et sindrigt rotationssystem der sikrer, at der altid er materiale fra både yngre og ældre stokke tilgængeligt for produktionen. Gennemsnitsalderen er 40 år. Vinmarkens mange forskellige parceller administreres med omhu af en personligt ansvarlig medarbejder, hvis opgave det er at kende sit jordstykke ned til mindste regnorm, for herigennem at optimere kvaliteten af frugten. En meget avanceret metodik i et område der traditionelt har ønsket at hælde flest mulige liter i topcuvéen uden tanke for jordloddernes individuelle karakteristika.

Et glas per vinstok

Der sidder sémillon på 80 % af Yquems vinstokke; de sidste 20 udgøres af sauvignon blanc. De høstes fra oktober til december af 140 specialtrænede plukkere, som må lide den tort at trave de samme planter igennem mere end 10 gange hvert år. Ved hver passage plukkes kun de bær som er perfekt modne og fuldstændigt angrebet af den ønskværdige gråskimmelsvamp Botrytis cinerea (læs mere om botrytis her). Det er en af de faktorer som er medvirkende til Yquems tårnhøje produktionspris. En anden er det voldsomt undertrykte høstudbytte. Flere gange om året beskræres stokkene skånselsløst for at minimere frugtsætningen til nogle ganske få klaser per plante. Hver stok må således koncentrere hele sin samlede formåen i en mængde most så lille, at der ender med kun at blive et enkelt glas! 900 liter per hektar vrider Yquem ud af marken, og det er noget af denne jords mest massive frugtighed, der kan opleves i resultatet. 360 gram ud af hvert kg ugæret druemost er ren sukker, hvilket svarer til et potentielt alkoholindhold på 20 %. I løbet af to til seks ugers gæring er sukkerindholdet omdannet til cirka 125 g/l og 13,5 % alkohol. Her standser fermentationen automatisk pga. væskens ekstreme mættethed. Gæringen foregår på spritnye 225-liters-fade som toppes to gange om ugen for at modvirke oxidering af vinen. Samlet tilbringer de kostbare dråber 42 måneder på ny eg, i løbet af hvilke de stikkes om 15 gange, så fadene kan blive renset, og vinen ganske let filtreret.

Den største søde

Nu kunne sidste afsnit godt remse alle fortrinlighederne ved denne klodens mest berømte søde vin op, og prise producenten for sit hundredårige og til fuldkommenhed gennemførte kvalitetsfokus. Der kunne skrives sange om de aromatiske rigdomme som åbenbares ved det beåndende møde med Yquems storhed. Om vinens sensuelle kraft og forførende personlighed, der ikke til trods for, men netop på grund af myriaderne af små ridser i kvalitetens blanke guldlak er en inkarnation af menneskets bedste tilnærmelse til den perfekte nydelse. Man kunne fremhæve Yquems uudgrundelige dybde og astronomiske kompleksitet, og beundre vinen for sine mere subtile ynder som kun belønner tålmod og gengældt respekt. Andre ville hæfte sig ved den visuelt æstetiske nydelse som en flaske af dette ambrosia bibringer enhver stund og ethvert selskab, og hævde, at nektarens blotte tilstedeværelse skaber en fortættet atmosfære af magi og ære. Sådan kunne et sidste afsnit i en artikel om Château d’Yquem godt lyde. Og det bør det!

Colore dorato intenso e denso bouquet di miele d’acacia, marmellata d’arance e albicocca matura, il Sauternes ‚ un vino quanto mai adatto per essere proposto durante i più raffinati cenoni. Ecco alcune indicazioni per servirlo al meglio.

per i vini più giovani, dove l’anidride solforosa, sostanza conservante immessa al momento dell’imbottigliamento, può farsi sentire, provocando in alcune persone fastidiosi mal di testa, ricorrere, come nel caso dei vini rossi invecchiati, alla decantazione in caraffa che fa ” respirare ” e ossigena il vino;

una volta versato il Sauternes in caraffa sarà estremamente piacevole e coreografico portarlo in tavola ponendo la caraffa o decanter in un ampio piatto di portata sopra un letto di ghiaccio;
seguendo questo accorgimento la temperatura di servizio sarà quella ideale e cioè tra gli otto e i dieci gradi;

non sprecare i Sauternes o i Barsac ( vini similari per concezione ) servendoli su dolci e dessert, ma abbinandoli ad un preparazione preziosa come il foie gras al naturale o ” en brioche “, a paté vari ( anche tartufati ), al Gongorzola e ai formaggi di capra, oppure centellinarli da soli a fine pasto.

Fonte: www.winereport.com

I had a craving for crème brûlée on Saturday and in the process of satisfying it ended up at Sycamore Restaurant twice. And really, the crème brûlée was excellent. As was the new dessert, with a ginger pastry cream, candied ginger, and apples poached in red wine. But what I wanted to write about tonight were the afterdinner drinks we enjoyed.

Sycamore, unlike most restaurants, has a really well thought out selection of afterdinner drinks. I particularly am grateful that they pour the 2005 Sauternes from Chateau Gravas by the glass; sauternes is one of my two favorite styles of wine (champagne is the other).  Sauternes is a style of wine made in the Bordeaux region of Sauternais where they grow sauvignon blanc, semillon, and muscadelle; in the fall, the grapes are attacked by a fungus named botrytis cinerea. Botrytis is known more colloquially by winemakers as the ‘noble rot’ because the changes it induces in the grape produces a thick, viscous juice that when fermented yields a wine of great distinction. Typically, Sauternes are sweet, viscous wines that have enough acidity to pair brilliantly with a variety of foods and crème brûlée in particular. The French also identify Sauternes with romance and seduction (anyone remember the rooftop diamond scene in Ocean’s Thirteen?).

Unfortunately, sauternes is rarely cheap; the botrytis process reduces vine yields significantly. An extreme example is the vineyards of Chateau d’Yquem, the greatest and most expensive sauterne producer. At d’Yquem, the harvest is conducted in several passes throughout the late fall; workers hand harvest specific grapes and bunches, selecting only those that are most affected by botrytis. The labor costs alone of harvesting in that fashion are so high it would be commercial madness for any other estate to attempt to replicate and I think the vine yields at d’Yquem are equivalent to about a glass per vine. For comparison, vines being cropped for ordinary wine production can yield enough grapes for as many as 9 bottles, though that figure can vary widely depending on grape varietal and other viticultural parameters.

But a good restaurant like Sycamore or a good wine retailer will find the good buys in Sauternes; for a Sauterne like Chateau Gravas, you can expect to pay $20-$25 for a half bottle; by comparison, d’Yquem starts at around $150 a half bottle. For me, this puts Sauternes in the category of wines I’ll buy if I plan on cellaring them for a while or wines that I’d buy for dinner parties and special occasions.

EDIT: This post from Marisa DVari discusses pairing Sauternes with spicy Indian food, which is something I know from experience is a fantastic idea.

Ingredients

1 – Store bought pizza dough

6 oz – German Baker’s Chocolate 45-50% cocoa (finely chopped)

4 oz – Semi-Sweet Baker’s Chocolate 50-65% cocoa (finely chopped)

2 tbs – Sugar

3 tbs – Brown Sugar

2 tbs – Butter

1 cup – Coconut

1 cup – Fresh Raspberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll the pizza dough to desired shape and size on a floured cooking sheet. Put dough in the oven for 4 minutes.

While the dough is in oven, melt the butter and then combine with sugar and brown sugar. Remove pizza dough from oven and brush the entire surface with the butter and sugar mixture. Once all of the mixture is applied, cover the pizza with the German and semi-sweet chocolate. Before returning to the oven, sprinkle the 1 cup of coconut evenly across the top of the pizza. Return to the oven for 6 more minutes.

Remove the pizza and then, using a butter knife, spread the melted chocolate evenly across the surface of the pizza, leaving the outer crust exposed.

Apply the fresh raspberries and enjoy!

5 minutes later enjoy your sugar rush and subsequent sugar coma!

Matthias Martens verführt seine Besucher in die Genusswelt der Cigarre.

Neben Publikationen zum Thema Cigarre findet der interessierte Leser umfassende Informationen.

“von individuellen Cigarrenbanderolen, was man schon immer Wissen wollte über den Cigarren Knigge u.v.m.”

die Cigarre

Buch- Websiteempfehlung mit cigarrophilen Grüße oder man fragt den Cigarrensommelier

Anleitung zum Glücklichsein …

Erschienen: CIGARRE & CO – Cigarren und ihre Begleiter

Matthias Martens und Dieter H. Wirtz
Edition Fackelträger
Erschienen: September 2008

Sehr zu empfehlen sind Exklusive Verkostungen des cigarrensommelier.

___________________

http://www.cigarrensommelier.de

A reputação da vinícola Château Liot, por produzir fantásticos vinhos de altíssima qualidade, é conhecida mundialmente. Essa vinícola pertence à família David há cinco gerações. Hoje, Jerry David se ocupa da produção dos 20 hectares de vinhedos. Sua propriedade está localizada no platô de Haut Barsac, uma região que aproveita ao máximo o micro clima de Sauternes.

O momento de colheita de suas uvas é um assunto a parte. Seus funcionários não medem esforços para selecionar, de uma forma rigorosa, uma seleção de grãos nobres, que é seguida de uma vinificação ligada aos métodos tradicionais. Essas uvas colhidas passam por um processo de sobremaduração, visando extrair o máximo de sabor de cada grão. Para isso, é utilizado um fungo, chamado Botrytis Cinerea, que termina por fornecer o famoso sabor “tostado” perceptível nas garrafas mais envelhecidas.

O processo de produção dos vinhos pode levar muito tempo para ser concluída, quando comparada a produção de vinhos normais. Contudo, segundo o proprietário, a missão da vinícola é sempre produzir o melhor vinho possível. Esse lema pode facilmente ser comprovado com o tinto Chateau Liot Sauternes 2004. Este vinho possui uma coloração amarelo ouro brilhante, aroma intenso a maçã em compota, canela e mel. Seu sabor é exuberante, doce, equilibrado por uma acidez incrível. O final na boca é longo com nota de mel. Um toque de nobreza e elegância no seu paladar. Essayer! http://migre.me/5yiY

Noble Rot Such a great name for a fungus, huh? Noble is defined as being ‘impressive in appearance,’ which would explain this perfectly. It’s impressively disgusting to look at in fact. So disgusting that grapes that are affected by noble rot in regions that are not familiar with it will discard it. Imagine if the folks in Tokaji did that, oh, my heart! I think a single tear just ran down my face. Ok ok, enough drama, let me explain what all this is about.

Noble Rot is caused by a fungus named Botrytis cinerea, often abbreviated as botrytis. Of all the different fungal diseases out there, this one has the greatest potential effect on wine quality, whether good or bad. When it’s bad, viticulturists can literally watch their crop rot right in front of them. If the botrytis affects unripe, damaged berries, it will turn to Grey Rot, the evil form of this. Grey rot will form in wet and humid climates, especially when there’s rainfall right around harvest time. Grey Rot also affects red skinned grapes – it will affect the pigment, turning the wine a grey-ish (off-black if you will) tint with foul odors of rot coming through. Really appealing, I know.

However, when the conditions are right, and the right grapes are affected, Noble Rot will prevail. What are the conditions you ask? Ah, great question. First of all, any light-skinned grape can work, but traditionally Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Furmint are used and are particularly sensitive to botrytis. Second, the grapes also have to be ripe and undamaged. The last is that the weather conditions must be just right. This is super important and also super difficult to control, seeing as weather is a tricky little bitch. A temperate climate with humidity in the early morning mists, followed by warm, sunny afternoons that dry the grapes out is almost always necessary. This will allow the development of the fungus in the morning, but restrain it from spreading everywhere. Now comes another tricky part. The botrytis fungus does not spread evenly – usually. It can spread from grape to grape in different parts of the vineyard at different times, which is why harvesting will take several passages, or attempts at picking single grapes. The infected bunches, or parts of them, are picked just at the right infection levels while the grapes affected with grey rot are discarded. As you can see, it’s pretty labor intensive and is one of the factors of the scarcity and high price of these wines.

So now that we have harvested these gross, almost brown raisin-y looking grapes, you may be wondering how in the world these come to make such wonderfully golden hued, silky textured, delicious wines. It’s pretty interesting because it’s not that this fungus just dessicated and dehydrates the grapes of water, but leaves all the sugars intact and extra concentrated, it actually changes the chemical composition of the grape. We could go on and list everything it does, but it gets a little dry…notice the pun, so I’ll just leave it at it changes/forms various chemical compounds resulting in botrytized grape juice that is very different then regular grape juice. Fermentation of this grape juice can also be different because it can last way longer. In fact, it can last years! Of course, this can lead to a second fermentation, so care must be taken that this does not happen. Once safely in the bottle, assuming that everything has gone correctly, these wines can be aged for an extremely long time – we’re talking decades here, not just a few years. So cool.

Now that we have procurred a rare and precious bottle of the wine, perfectly aged and ready to go, what can you expect from the glass? Well, pure delight, of course! Actually, often botrytisied wines can be described as having a honeyed, nutty character to them, but botrytis is very distinct and once you smell it, you’ll understand. The regions most famous for these wines include Sauternes, France; Tokaji , Hungary; and Germany (usually labelled Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese). Feel free to stop by and check out the selection we have – anywhere from some nice Tokaji, to a German Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslaese to Barsac, Sauternes. Be sure to keep your eyes open for all those people that are experimenting with botrytizied grapes too! In fact, we have a great example of a California wine made with partially botrysied grapes – the 2005 Austin Hope Roussanne. Stone fruit and honey flavors cover your tongue with golden flavors, and as you swallow, zippy minerality gives this off-dry wine a nicely balanced structure and leaves you yearning for the next sip. Yummm.

Cheers, KC

När jag besökte Bordeaux häromsistens blev jag bjuden på små parmesankakor till ett sött vin. Vinet har jag glömt men kakan var speciell. Kocken delade glatt med sig av receptet som var löjligt lätt att komma ihåg; 150 parmesan, 150 vetemjöl och 150 smör (eller de löjligt enkla propoprtionerna 1-1-1 enligt ratio-tesen).

Idag kom jag mig för att pröva receptet. Eftersom jag aldrig vill/kan följa ett recept till punkt och pricka ville jag pröva på en annan smaksättning. Parmesan kan ju få en lätt kräkton som inte uppskattas av alla även om en liten touch av spya inte stör mig. Beslöt mig för citron och basilika/tomat.

150 gram parmesan revs fint och blandades med 150 gram(cirka 3 dl) vetemjöl och 150 gram mjukt smör. Arbetades ihop med händerna till en smidig deg. Klumpen delades i tre lika delar. En klump smaksattes med fint rivet skal från en liten citron. I den andra blandades mycket fint hackad basilika och en liten bit soltorkad tomat. Den tredje och sista fick vara naturell. Degklumparna formades till rullar med en diameter som en femkrona, packades in i gladpack och fick vila i kylen för att bli fasta i konsistensen. Ugnen värmdes till 200°, rullarna skivades ett par millimeter tjocka och bakades i cirka 20 minuter tills kakorna fick fin färg.

Kakorna får en rik parmesansmak och en mjäll, fet konsistens som blir knaprigare ju tunnare de skivats. Citruskakan blev en personlig favorit med fin arombrytning och en liten syra. Tomat- och basilikavarianten blev smakrik och fint balanserad. Den naturella tilltalade kära hustrun som tydligen gillade den lite fräna smaken. Tilläggas ska att hon är en hängiven ostbågekonnässör.

Kakorna är perfekta små tilltugg till många olika typer av viner. Den naturella fungerade jättefint till en söt bordeaux, citruskakan lyfte det vita vin vi drack ikväll och det är nog ingen djärv gissning att de går till många röda viner. Rullarna kan förvaras i kylen i flera dagar och du kan skära upp och grädda efter behov.

Detta är säkert ett känt recept men det var nytt för mig. Kul är det i alla fall och lätt att variera.

Tom Stolpman celebrating his 60th with friends in his vineyard.

As my friends know, I am a huge fan of Stolpman wines.  Way back before Stolpman had its own label and was just a grower, my boyfriend Jason (now husband) and I would look for the name of the vineyard on wine.  Smart winemakers were buying up the outstanding fruit and turning it into exquisite wine.  When Stolpman started bottling its own wine, we immediately joined the wine club and started attending special events.  We even purchased all the red and rosé wine for our wedding from Stolpman.   Last year we shared a private dinner with Tom and were entertained all evening listening to his stories.  Suffice it to say this wine and winery are very special to me.   Fast forward to 2009 – Jason and I are thrilled to attend Tom’s 60^th birthday party in the vineyard.  Tom & wife Marilyn’s son, Peter, put together a birthday bash for Tom complete with live music, wonderful food, bottles and bottles of outstanding wine and friends to share it all.

Peter Stolpman hamming it up for the camera

Jason and I made our way to the vineyard admiring the gorgeous vines along the dusty road to the clearing where party was happening.  As you might imagine Tom’s friends enjoy great wine and food.  After getting a glass of the Stolpman La Coppa Blanc (a blend of Roussanne and Viognier) we struck up a conversation at the cheese table with John from Palos Verdes.  He introduced us to an unbelievably buttery French cheese that he brought up from the Beverly Hills Cheese Shop.  As always our conversation turned to wine and then John said he had a Rafanelli in the car – and we “have to” try it.  I love it when people say things like this to me!  This bottle, a lovely Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon made by a 4^th generation winemaking family, was a good indicator of what was in store for us that evening.  John invited us to sit at his table that evening where he proceeded to introduce us to some wonderful wines.  We tasted a 2004 Williams Selyem Bucher Vineyard Pinot Noir (flavors of white pepper, black cherries and cola) and the 1997 Forman Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (nose of violets and anise with flavors of dark plum and spice).

Some of the wines that John pulled from his cellar for the party.

Then John opened up an old bottle from his cellar.  It was a 1970 Chateau Latour (Bordeaux – blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot).

1970 Chateau Latour

I’ve tasted a handful of wines from the 70’s but they’ve always been disappointing – this wine was a wonderful surprise.  In spite of its age (nearly 40 years old) the wine was well balanced with flavors of cedar, spice and leather and a soft mouth feel.

After the 1970 Chateau Latour, John opened up a 2001 Chateau de Malle Sauternes.

2001 Chateau de Malle Sauternes

The wine was the color of honey and sunshine.  With flavors of pineapple, honey and custard it was sweet, but not that cloying, viscous sweetness that is found with many dessert wines.

9 liter bottle of 1997 Tonto Cuvee (one of a kind)

John wasn’t the only one who was opening up fabulous wines!  Tom Stolpman brought a one of a kind, salmanazar bottle of 1997 Tonto Cuvee.  A salmanazar is 9 liters – that is equivalent to 12 standard sized bottles.  The Tonto Cuvee (50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Syrah) was made specifically to be auctioned off at the Central Coast Wine Classic.  This wine was a cooperative effort between McKeon-Phillips winery utilizing Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from Rusack Vineyard and Jaffurs Wine Cellars with Syrah fruit from the Stolpman Vineyard.   This wasn’t the only large format bottle – Peter Stolpman managed to open – with help from his father and a couple friends) a large format bottle of of sparkling wine – perfect for toasting Tom
and a picture perfect day in his vineyard.

Waiting for the sparkling wine to be opened...

Can Tom pop the cork?

Maybe if all three of us try?

Peter and Tom Stolpman were eventually able to pop the cork.

Jason, Tom & Marilyn share a final toast of the evening

Botrytis: a fungal disease that can affect grape vines, particularly in warm, moist, humid conditions. The bad form of the disease is also known as ‘grey rot’ because it turns the grape bunch a dull grey colour. The benevolent form of the disease is known as ‘noble rot’ because even though the fungus attacks ripe white grapes, it does not impart a bad flavour to them. In fact, by making holes in the grape berries, water from the grapes is able to evaporate, leaving only concentrated, sweet grape juice, from which extremely sweet (or dry, robust) wine can be produced.

Wines produced from botrytis-affected grapes tend to have a rich, marmalade/orange-peel nose with confected citrus and honeyed aromas. Dry wines can sometimes be produced from botrytised grapes. Sauternes is an example of a style of wines produced from botrytised grapes.