WINE WITH DINNER – A less expensive alternative to Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label

Choosing a good quality French Champagne, as opposed to a domestic sparkling wine, for that special Happy New Year’s Eve toast does not have to be all that expensive. Of course, you do have to accept the fact that finding the real thing (i.e., a good quality Champagne made in the Champagne district of France) for under $30 a bottle is close to impossible in today’s market.

Because Non-Vintage (NV) Veuve Cliquot Brut “yellow label” Champagne is so well known and because it is often discounted well below its $45 to $50 price, many people think that it is a “good buy” and don’t look any further. Certainly you can easily find stores that sell it for less than $40 and at Suburban we always have it on sale for $38.97 or less. But is it a good buy from a quality perspective even at that price? In the basic wine classes that I teach, we often address this question by comparing NV Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label with NV Brut Grower Champagnes, whose undiscounted retail price is lower than the Veuve Cliquot discounted price and the Grower Champagnes always win!

For those of you who are not familiar with the term “Grower Champagne,” these are sparkling wines made by individual(s) who actually own their own vineyards in the Champagne district of France, grow their own grapes there for the base cuveé, and then produce and age the resulting sparkling wine in facilities on their own Champagne estate. To learn more about Grower Champagne, you can find all the basics you will need on http://www.interactiveheet.com/bottledup/2007/12/Grower-champagne.html and once there, you will also find several excellent additional links on the subject.

So far, in our less expensive Grower vs. Veuve Cliquot NV Brut Champagne tastings held at Suburban Wine & Spirits, my classes each time have unanimously selected Christian Etienne Tradition and Charles Ellner Cuvee de Reserve as clear winners. They both are available at our store for $31.99 and $35.99 respectively. – Jay Roelof – www.suburbanwines.com

Surrendering Our Wine Badges

The boys and I were at it again last Wednesday night, giving it our best tries to stump each other with our wines concealed in brown bags. Bedford’s lovely Bistro Twenty Two was our accommodating host this time, and Lance, George and I took the opportunity to bring out some serious juice…..3 bottles of which turned out to be major league ringers! We were so off-course with some of our guesses that we’re thinking of perusing alternate careers.

If Lance’s aim was to improve his record after last session’s zero-for-two performance, then his mission was accomplished, starting with his first entry. This white, which became unanimously voted Wine Of The Night, had George and me convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that we were drinking white Burgundy. We threw out guesses like Jean Grivot and Comte Lafon. So when 2005 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren was revealed, we were instantly reduced to boys. Now, last August’s Kistler Chard was rather Burgundian, but this stuff proves that great Mersault can be duplicated in Sonoma. What a gem, and a triumph for Lance. Brilliant! And generous.

George threw one of his reds into the mix, and Lance & I instantly narrowed it down in our minds to either Italy or Spain, leaning toward Italy. The wine was clearly mature, and offered numerous Euro-style secondaries, but was all-the-more difficult to pin down. After a barrage of pitifully-inaccurate guesses, off came the bag, revealing 1994 Ridge Geyserville! Another American ringer mistaken as European. Fine job.

If this all wasn’t humiliating enough, Lance’s red contribution had George and me, yet again, eating our words like a side of fries. Examining it, we were confident that we were drinking mature Italian……clearly a Nebbiolo, if not a Sangiovese. We threw out long-shot guesses of top-flight Barolo and Brunello producers. Thus, we flipped our wigs when Lance tore away the paper from a bottle of 1989 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape! This one takes the prize as the most un-guessable wine ever bottled. Never has a Grenache blend exhibited fennel, anise, tar and balsamic in such a Piedmont-esque manner. Lance, are you sure you didn’t switch the labels? Nice work!

Beyond these three ringers, the evening included a cracked-pepper and lavender-laden Rhone Syrah/Viognier blend from Yves Cuilleron, a clearly identifiable and beautifully-acidified Pinot Noir from Hirsch Vineyards, and a brawny and youthful single-vineyard 1999 Barbaresco Riserva from Giuseppe Cortese, all of which were narrowed down nearly to producer in a 20-questions fashion. This was truly the most humbling round yet for our crew. Thanks to B22’s staff for the fantastic meal and service. Until the next one……-Michael Koehler – www.suburbanwines.com

WINE WITH DINNER – A Tasting Tour of the Finger Lakes

Fox Run Vineyard Barrel Room

From October 26th through October 29th, I was part of a select group of a dozen journalists, professional wine buyers and restaurateurs who were the invited guests of the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance for a tasting tour of about two dozen Finger Lakes wineries. We made new or renewed old acquaintances with about three dozen Keuka Lake, Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake winery owners and winemakers as we tasted and enjoyed multi-course meals together at major wineries such as Sheldrake Point Vineyard and Restaurant; Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars (where we were also given vineyard tour); Fox Run Vineyards and Barrel Room dining facility; Glenora Wine Cellars, Restaurant and Conference Center (where we attended seminars on Rieslings and other aromatic whites); Fulkerson Winery; and Red Newt Cellars Winery and Bistro. Wines of all kinds – red, white, rosé, sparkling and late harvest - were evaluated and discussed with their respective owners and winemakers, but the focus was on Riesling and other aromatic whites such as Gewürztraminer, Traminette, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Vignoles and Rkatsitelli, all of which seem to be well suited to the Finger Lakes terroir.

Owner Mark Wagner conducted a vineyard tour of Lamoreaux Landing

Riesling is without question the signature white wine grape of the Finger Lakes. Of the 11,000 acres of Finger Lakes Vineyards, over half are planted with Riesling grown mostly by small and passionate producers each of which make an average of 2.5 styles of Riesling wine a year. In the November 2008 issue of Wine Business Monthly, Nielsen Scantrack data showed that Riesling sales are up 17% by value over the past 12 months (#1 in growth value) and Riesling is up 16% by volume over the same period (#2 in volume growth behind Pinot Noir). By value, Riesling’s market share is equal to Zinfandel and by volume, Riesling has now passed Zinfandel by 11%.

Lots of other interesting New York wine statistics were given out as well. Did you know that New York is the 3rd largest wine grape producing state following California and Washington? Or that the Finger Lakes viticultural area is New York's largest wine producing region, and it is the second largest in the United States behind California’s famous Napa Valley? To get an idea of the incredible growth in winemaking taking place within our state (10%-15% in each of the past 10 years), did you know that in just the past 30 odd years, New York State has grown from only 9 wineries to 220 – 102 of them in the Finger Lakes and 60 of those on Seneca Lake? It’s time for you to give New York wines another try, especially the aromatic whites from the Finger Lakes - Jay Roelof - www.suburbanwines.com

The Per Se Experience

I now refer to it as the Per Se “sexperience”, since few things are more enjoyable. For those of you who are not tuned-in to the New York restaurant scene, Per Se, the sister restaurant to Thomas Keller’s French Laundry in Napa, is widely considered to be the finest dining experience in New York, and one of the finest in the world (Michelin 3 stars and New York Times 4 stars). After the extended wait for reservations, I finally sat down at the Columbus Circle hot spot with my lady Deborah last Sunday afternoon anticipating the feast of a lifetime. And that is exactly what we got.

Sparing you most of the decadent details (as to assuage any inadvertent jealousy), I’ll abridge the experience for you with the following assessment…..This 5 ¼ hour gastronomic marathon was a sheer delight for all of the senses (for instance, no music was playing in the background and many courses featured specialized utensils, all to heighten the effect of the cuisine). We sat in an elegant, minimalist dining room overlooking Central Park while the city’s most meticulous and professional wait staff presented to us a seemingly-endless 18-course lunch with 9 world-class wines to match. Put simply…..to work your way through the Per Se tasting menu is to enjoy oysters, sablefish, poached lobster, caviar, 3 types of foie gras, black truffles, white truffles, duck pastrami, pork shank, Wagyu beef, Himalayan sea salt, olive oil ice cream, homemade chocolates, Zind-Humbrecht Riesling and René Rostaing Cote Rotie all in the same sitting (whew!). Not to make a blanket statement about everything I ate, but there was a common thread of extraordinary textural refinement throughout, and a fundamental sense of ümamí that I have yet to uncover in European fare. This meal will rate as one of my top 5 to date, and is the only one of those 5 to be consumed in the U.S!

I won’t tell you how much the “sexperience” costs, but I will declare that, for the passionate foodie, it is one of those endeavors that are painfully expensive but worth every penny (I think we’ll start saving now for the winter menu). I want to extend kudos to the brilliant Per Se staff, warm gratitude to Alice and Stanley for generously making it all possible, and my love to Deborah for picking me as your chow mate. Cheers, all! –Michael Koehler - http://www.suburbanwines.com/

WINE WITH DINNER – Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival

Earlier this month, I drove up to Rhinebeck, NY to attend the eighth annual Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival, not only because I love New York wines, but also because I am Suburban’s New York wine buyer. Over the years, the Festival’s attendance has grown to such an extent that it had to be moved last year to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds! Close to 20,000 people were expected to attend this year’s September 5-7 weekend wine and food event. More than 50 wineries participated - representing New York wine regions from the Finger Lakes to Long Island - and food was prepared and served by over 20 local restaurants.

The Hudson Valley is the oldest winemaking region in the country - it was first planted by French Huguenots in the 1600’s and is still the home of New York’s oldest continuously producing vineyards. There are now at least 33 wineries in the Hudson Valley. In Suburban’s New York wine section, I have chosen Millbrook Vineyards & Winery to represent the 10 wineries on the East side of the river and, indeed, their wines showed well at the Festival – especially their 2007 Estate Tocai Friulano, which was a best seller at our June 21st New York Wine Expo. Tocai Friulano is the most widely planted white wine grape in the Friuli region of northeastern Italy. It produces a dry, but fruity, wine that has no connection whatsoever with Tokay d’ Alsace or the great Tokaji dessert wines of Hungary. It is the signature white wine for Millbrook, and very few other domestic vintners even grow this grape!

Of the 23 wineries on the West Side, I have always had a particular fondness for Benmarl Vineyard in Marlboro and I knew its original owner and winemaker, Mark Miller, who died this month on September 9th at the age of 89.

A recent New York Times article about him said, “He was widely regarded as the father of the winemaking renaissance in the Hudson Valley … although he was not the first modern winemaker in the region, he was for decades the best known, becoming a highly visible public advocate for small artisanal wineries, known as farm wineries. Praised by critics, Benmarl wines were featured at prominent restaurants, including the Four Seasons and the Quilted Giraffe in New York City.”
In honor of all that he did to promote New York wines, Mark was awarded New York State Farm Winery License No. 1. In 2006, he sold his vineyard, which he bought in 1957 (originally planted in the early 1800’s) to Victor and Barbara Spacarelli. They renamed it Benmarl Winery at Slate Hill Vineyards and continued the winery’s tradition by hiring as their winemaker Kristop Brown. Kristop apprenticed under Eric Miller, who was the former winemaker at Benmarl and, yes, was Mark’s son. Kristop also worked at Millbrook for a year (small world!). Eric is currently owner and winemaker at the Chaddsford winery in Pennsylvania.

So, Benmarl represents the west Hudson River wineries at Suburban and we currently stock their 2007 Estate Seyval Blanc. This inexpensive, dry white wine showed well at the Festival and also was a best seller at Suburban’s June 21st New York Wine Expo. The Seyval Blanc grape is a well-known, winter-resistant, French hybrid that is widely grown in Canada, the Finger Lakes and the Hudson Valley. – Jay Roelof - www.suburbanwines.com

Coming Clean on Kistler

If you have been reading our blog you know that I had both of my blind wines pegged (almost perfectly) at a recent outing. I wanted to take a minute to write about one of those wines, the 2004 Kistler Vine Hill Chardonnay. I thought the wine was fantastic.

Truth be told, I have never been a fan of Kistler wines. Having tried several different bottling’s on half a dozen occasions, they left me quite uninspired. I had the ’04 Vine Hill in my cabinet and was actually planning on selling it because I did not think I would enjoy it. When we planned on this dinner, I thought…let’s bag it and see what happens.

My past experience with Kistler has always led me to believe that it was really just another overdone California chardonnay. Way too much oak…so much of it in fact that the fruit was nowhere to be seen. No true of the ’04 Vine Hill…yes, there was oak (and a fair amount of it). But it was perfectly integrated and not over the top at all. The other two people at dinner that night thought it was Grand Cru White Burgundy, and I would have agreed with them if I was tasting it blind.

Why was this bottle different than what I have seen in the past? I have come to the conclusion that perhaps Kistler needs some time in the bottle for the oak to integrate. In any event, I have been talked off the edge and am now looking forward to trying another appropriately age Kistler to see if I can duplicate the experience. – Lance Cerutti – www.suburbanwines.com

Wine With Dinner – The Finger Lakes Wine Festival

Over the July 18 weekend, I attended the 2008 Finger Lakes Wine Festival held for the past dozen years at Watkins Glen International on the southern end of Seneca Lake. Once a year, this huge racing complex is transformed into the Finger Lake’s largest tasting room. The 2008 event hosted a record number of 89 New York State Wineries – there are over 100 in just the Finger Lakes, which is the largest wine producing region east of California. Wineries from Long Island to Lake Erie were also in attendance. Festival goers, numbering in the tens of thousands, paid $40 ($35 advance sale price) for the weekend tasting and were given a souvenir wine glass and a 130-page Tasters Guide to help navigate them through the 500+ wines poured at this huge event.

I was reminded of the first annual Finger Lakes Wine Festival, which I attended back in 1994. It was held on the grounds of the New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls and was also a weekend program with, at that time, a record breaking attendance of about 8,000. We tasted wine in three large tents manned respectively by 30 Cayuga Lake, Seneca Lake and Keuka/Canandaigua Lakes vintners. Nevertheless, the program was basically the same as it is today. There were booths set up featuring the work of local artists and artisans plus purveyors of gourmet and ethnic foods. Live music was featured as well by several bands and there was an Education Tent, in which I gave wine & food seminars along with several other featured speakers. All this for a single admission price for the two-day event of only $15 ($12 advance purchase price).

The Festival was conceived by, planned for, promoted and put on by a local vintner couple, Doug and Suzie Knapp, with the help of a few fellow vintners and close friends, all of whom believed in the project. It took at least a year to put together and Doug and Suzie even designed the logo themselves (which the current logo quite closely resembles). I knew Doug and Suzie for many years prior to this event, through my various trips to the Finger Lake that I made for local newspapers for whom I wrote wine articles. So, I helped staff the education tent and my wife, Georgia, joined a group of Suzie's local friends selling tickets at the main entrance.

But we all ended up doing more than one thing. Georgia, and I drove up on the Friday before to help with the set up. We pounded in tent pegs, ran water lines, strung up signs and, in general, joined the other willing volunteer workers in doing whatever we could to help Doug out. I recall seeing young Amish children in their severe black attire, pitching in with the adults in a myriad of chores. It was refreshing to see how these children of local farmers were able to take time away from their farm chores to help the vintners out getting this show up and running.

There was a "barn raising" atmosphere that day. Whenever one vintner was struggling to get something right with his tent, several other vintners dropped what they were doing to give him a hand, making jokes and laughing all the while. It was a beehive of activity and, like a beehive, everyone was working, not only for themselves, but for the Festival as a whole.
This was truly a grass roots project, led by a leading Finger Lakes vintner with a vision for what the Finger Lakes could eventually do for New York and the New York tourism industry. Doug and Suzie sold their Knapp Vineyard and Restaurant to Glenora Wine Cellars eight years ago and are now happily retired. – Jay Roelof - www.suburbanwines.com

Pour Lance

This was classic stuff. Lance, George, a friend Mark, and I showed up last Wednesday for the Pratt’s Inn BBQ-bring-yer-own, and we poured our wines blind. Lance added an element of competition to the festivities, and suggested that anyone who guessed someone’s wine, right down to the producer, vintage and single-vineyard would have his dinner paid for by the rest of the group.

Lance poured his white first, and we immediately began to brainstorm. Most of us thought Burgundy, but I came to the conclusion that I was sipping California Chard. I entered a guess of Kistler Vine Hill Road Chardonnay ’05, a wine I’ve never tasted, but suspected tasted like this. Poker-faced, Lance attempted to discourage my guess, but ultimately revealed the ’04 vintage of that very wine! A near miss, but an impressive enough attempt as to concern Lance about how guessable his red would be.

Half an hour later, confident and poised for success, Lance poured his blind red. Smelling it, it seemed mature and had us all stumped. This could have been anything from Malbec to Brunello. After about 3 minutes of cold silence, as if he were directed by Rob Reiner, George randomly uttered “I’m gonna go with Leonetti ……’97…...Sangiovese”. Now, although this was a wine he knew Lance to have recently acquired, it was still a clever and more-than-educated guess. And when I saw Lance’s I-don’t-wanna-play-anymore gesture, I nearly flipped. Out of the paper bag came the ’97 Leo! Ding, ding, we have a winner.

Lance, I think we have your number. Next time, you might as well bring your wines wrapped in Ziploc bags. A good sport, you are. Overall, it was a great night with some generous wines. Nice job, guys. –Michael Koehler - www.suburbanwines.com

Michael In Austria, Part V

Austria’s Pride & Joy: These terrassen, or “terraced” vineyards famous in the Wachau are farmed by Lagler, and are located a stone’s throw from the Danube. Wachau is also the only wine region in Austria to have its own wine classification system, in addition to the national classification rules. The Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus divides Wachau wine into 3 qualitative categories: Steinfeder indicates basic quality and at least 10.7% alcohol, while Federspiel guarantees at least 11.5% alcohol and is roughly on par with Germany’s Kabinett. Smaragd, named after the emerald-colored lizard that dwells in the Wachau vineyards, is evidence of top-quality, exhibiting at least 12% alcohol and less than 9 grams per litre of residual sugar. Often, the Smaragd-level wines of the Wachau are amongst the best Austria has to offer.

Getting Cozy in the Wachau: I spent the night at this charming estate in the village of Spitz of the Wachau region. It is centered on the property of Weingut Lagler, where the Lagler family has lived for 200 years. Karl Lagler tends old Gruner Veltliner, Riesling and Neuberger vines and creates some of the most world-renown wines of the Wachau. Amongst all of his cru wines, the centerpiece is the great multi-vineyard Gruner Veltliner Elisabeth, of which I sampled the ‘06. Harvested by 8 women named Elisabeth, this stone fruit and wet stone-laden Gruner is dry but potent and thick, and will probably mature for 30 years. - Michael Koehler - http://www.suburbanwines.com/

It's A Tough Job

People often envy me for the environment I work in. I get to taste great wines all the time. I sniff, swish, swirl, sometimes gurgle and spit out (most of the time). Many times I sit in front of 15-25 wines that I must evaluate. Aroma, taste on palate, longevity, finish, sense of place, uniqueness, price, availability, competition, anticipated customer appeal, – all considerations whether to purchase.

Taste a wine now – wait an hour and taste it again – store it and taste it the next day. Wines are ever-changing and often surprising. Just when you think that you can identify the wine; it changes again.

One of the more interesting events at Suburban is our blind tasting. Each year we cycle through a series of wines to determine the best deals by varietal, category and price. We are supplied with between 75 – 250 wines in a category and set up several flights for evaluation. Each bottle is bagged and numbered to insure impartiality. With the ever growing small wineries making their debut it’s rare to see a wine make our top 12 a second time (there are some exceptions).
Time to go, another flight has been set up (now, where did I leave my glass!!). – Fred Horowitz – www.suburbanwines.com

WINE WITH DINNER – Sparkling Wines and Summer Meals

Most people prefer white wines with their meals during the hot summer months, or an occasional rosé - rather than a heavy red wine. That makes a lot of sense to me. But, I find it interesting that many relatively knowledgeable wine consumers still consider sparkling wine as something to enjoy only on “special occasions” when a formal toast is in order. That’s too bad, because brut (i.e., “dry”) sparkling wine is probably the most universal food wine you will ever find!

But, you say, Brut Champagne is so expensive! Yes, dry sparkling wines from the Champagne district of France are expensive – and, by the way, they are not just for toasting, but are and always will be a terrific dinner beverage! But the important point here is that there are a lot of less expensive sparkling alternatives out there to go with your summer meals. French Champagne is not the only game in town.

For example, as I’ve said before, I am partial to serving Prosecco (a light, Italian, low-alcohol sparkling wine) before dinner and as a luncheon wine, because it is so inexpensive and goes so well with light foods and appetizers. There are many to choose from in the $9 to $15 range. With dinner, there are a whole host of similarly low-priced sparkling wines from which to choose, such as Spanish Cava and bargain-priced California sparkling wines.

Of course, in the $15 to $25 range, the number of brut sparkling wines available really becomes impressive. However, as wide as the assortment becomes, it will, unfortunately, not yet include any examples of good quality French Champagne, which now costs over $30 a bottle and, hence, is out the everyday meal category altogether.

So what? From just this short introduction, you probably have already stopped thinking of sparkling wine solely as expensive “Champagne” to be used only for special occasions and, instead, are ready to consider it as an affordable, refreshing summer dinner beverage. If you have, I guarantee that you will be pleased to discover how many affordable sparkling wines there are out there to enhance your meals …. and you will be doubly pleased to see how they will turn those meals into special occasions! - Jay Roelof – www.suburbanwines.com

A Day In Paris

So, my flight was leaving at 9am from Paris to New York…I am ready, heading out the door of the hotel when my cell phone rings. It’s my wife, calling to tell me that Delta just called the house to inform her/me that the flight has been delayed until 6PM that evening. So here I am, dressed and ready to go with a full day in front of me (I had arrived the evening before so did not get an opportunity to sightsee). So immediately I hop on my laptop and go to the website for the Louvre Museum to see what the hours are. I have time for breakfast and then decide to go and see the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo (among other treasures).

After breakfast, I head down to the concierge and ask for walking directions to the Louvre. I make the mistake of mispronouncing the word “Louvre” (I pronounced it “loov”). The concierge stares at me blankly and tells me he does not understand what I am looking for. We clear that up, and I head on my way. For what it’s worth, the people outside of Paris are truly wonderful, friendly and gracious.

Anyway, I walk over, and the place is truly massive. It would take days, if not weeks to truly take advantage of everything that the museum has to offer, but I am on a mission and head straight for the Mona Lisa. Well, here she is. It’s funny, I have always heard that it is much smaller than one might think, but I did not find that to be true. It was surrounded by people and security and you were kept at an arms length by ropes, but everyone got a chance to see what they came to see.

Then off to the Venus de Milo, which seemed like about a 3 mile walk! I wanted to see the Eiffel tower as well, so I was short on time….more soon. – Lance Cerutti – www.suburbanwines.com

Michael In Austria, Part IV

I’m seen here with Wilma Tinnacher of South Styria’s Lackner-Tinnacher. She and her husband Fritz create dozens of different varietal wines in their state-of-the-art winery, which is seated neatly into a duct-like section of their hilltop property. They have done remarkable things with grapes like Muskateller, Grauburgunder, Roter Traminer and Morillon, and their wines were amongst the most urbane of the entire trip. A superb equilibrium of fruit, terroir and varietal character is what they exhibit, and if I were to choose my desert island Austrian wine, it would be one of their bottlings.

A view of Lackner-Tinnacher’s spaceship-like winery…..a marvel of modern European architecture. Everything from sensor lighting to massive gliding doorways make this polished , sterile facility self-contained. Even their product packaging is cutting-edge…..they have successfully adopted the Alcoa Vino Seal glass insert as a closure for all their wines, and I have to say that I’m totally sold on it. It is more expensive than cork and screwcaps, and will potentially require a recycling campaign, but it’s the purest, most functional and most elegant alternative, and is the prime candidate for the future of wine bottle closure. - Michael Koehler - www.suburbanwines.com

WINE WITH DINNER – A practical use for leftover red wine

Just as I serve wine with all of my evening meals, so do I also regularly cook with it. For example, instead of adding a few tablespoons of water to the frozen veggies I am microwaving, I substitute some leftover white wine from the refrigerator. Even when I thin out salad dressing, I do it with wine – white with cream dressings and red with ketchup-based dressings. Red or white wine, whether leftover or from a bag-in-the-box, is such a versatile cooking ingredient, that I would no more cook without it than I would without salt or pepper.

For instance, one great use of leftover red wine is to add flavor to meat dishes and help get rid of fat. Next time you are frying up some ground beef or sausage for an Italian meal, start off with olive oil, onions and garlic, add mushrooms if you like, and then dump in the meat. Fry until the meat is almost done and the onions translucent. Then add a cup or two of red wine. Bring just barely to a boil (to evaporate the alcohol and infuse the meat with wine color and flavor) and then strain everything into a large Pyrex measuring pitcher. Dump the strainer full of meat and veggies back into the pot and proceed with whatever you are making while letting the fat rise to the top of the Pyrex container.

Then use a gravy separator to get rid of the fat, which you can pour into small containers and freeze in the wintertime for the birds. If you follow this procedure when making spaghetti sauce, a stew, or a soup, you can add back all of the liquid you separated to give some added flavor to what you are preparing and you will end up serving a very tasty, but relatively low fat meal! - Jay Roelof - www.suburbanwines.com

Michael in Austria, Part III

Picture Perfect: A few hours after visiting Graz, I found myself motoring through the countryside of South Styria, a groomed and visually-striking wine region with countless vines tucked into steep hillsides. Green rolling hills, topped with manicured homes, are divided into crus planted exclusively to white varieties in Austria’s southern-most viticultural zone. The shapes of the hills are irregular with erosion, indicating that the region was once under ocean…..it is said that there is still salt and shell lime in the soils. The geological-uniqueness and intense visual breadth of South Styria are, to me, second only to that of Spain’s Priorat.


Into the Eclectic: Ever hear of a grape variety called Rotgipfler? How about a Zierfandler? Neither had I until being introduced to them by Florian Alphart, assistant to his father, the owner and winemaker at K.Alphart in Thermenregion. This family is perhaps single-handedly responsible for maintaining the status of these and other noble, indigenous varieties. The terroir and other conditions in Thermen are known to be similar to that of Burgundy, and the character shows in the wines, young and mature. Needless to say, Alphart also cultivates Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with astonishing results. I tasted through a hefty flight of ‘06s, which included all of these varieties in addition to Gruner Veltliner and Neuberger, and preferred the classiness and complexity in the local Rotgipflers and Zierfandlers to the monolithic style of the others. In this photo, Florian (22) takes me through a vineyard (July 22, ’07) that has also suffered the consequences of erratic and atypical weather patterns. He explained that 30% of the ’07 crop had already been lost due to hail damage. –Michael Koehler- www.suburbanwines.com

WINE WITH DINNER – “Wine & Cheese” … is it always a good combination?

Mention wine and cheese to most people and they will no doubt agree with you that this is a marriage made in heaven and that one of the best ways to really enjoy a truly great wine is to serve it with cheese. But, at the risk of sounding a bit like a wine curmudgeon (which I am not), I would make the following observation.

While it is true that serving cheese with flawed wines makes a lot of sense, it is only because the cheese tends to mask the faults in the wine (just like chilling it does). Hence the success of so many neighborhood (jug) wine and cheese parties and dinners served with small glasses of cold Chianti in inexpensive Italian restaurants!

But serving cheese with really good wine, especially top-of-the-line reds, does not make much sense to me (with the possible exception of the classic, time honored combination of vintage port with Stilton cheese). Why? Because cheese not only masks a wine’s flaws, it also hides many of the qualities that make great red wines worth their price. That's why cheese is often served with great Bordeaux that is really too young to enjoy - not because it highlights its qualities, but because it masks its unpleasant tannins. There is sound logic behind the old French vintner’s axiom, “Buy on apples, sell on cheese”

In general, I have found that beer goes better with cheese but, if you want serve a really good wine with your cheese course, then I would suggest a fruity white, rather than most reds. But, even here, the field is fairly narrow with gewürztraminer leading the pack and brut Champagne close behind – Jay Roelof – www.suburbanwines.com

Michael In Austria, Part II

The Heat is On: A cluster of Zweigelt grapes in Burgenland are literally sun-burned, a new and unfortunate condition in the region, according to young winemaker Anton M Iby of the world-class and exclusively red wine-producing IBY. Anton indicated that the climate is clearly beginning to change in this area, and it’s no longer unusual for spring temperatures to exceed 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) for extended time. This heat, combined with new rainfall trends which mimic Southern Spain, were not what his family had in mind when they planted the sensitive and somewhat vulnerable variety decades ago. His father, Anton Sr, has been cultivating in the region for 25 years, and appears to be convinced that global warming is real and closing in fast on this part of Europe.

Down Time: The view down a leisurely street in a commercial section of Graz, the second-largest city in Austria. This clean and colorful place has a feel that reminds me of a larger-scaled Hudson River town, complete with shops, cafés, bicyclists, students and esoteric goings-on. Yeah, I could live here.

Michael in Austria, Part I

As part of an educational program launched by the staff at Domaine Select Wine Estates, importer and distributor of scores of fine European wines, I spend 5 days in Austria last summer exploring wine and food. My host was DSWE’s German/Austrian wine director, the genuine, tireless and well-immersed Daniel Hubbard, who reintroduced me, along with 4 of his regional reps, to the vinous wonders that emerge from this part of the world. This posting will be the first of many documenting my experience.

The producers that Daniel single-handedly discovered are true artisans, many of whom are responsible for stirring worldwide interest in the Central European wine paradigm at the dawn of a new century. Most of them produce wine in tiny amounts, focusing on cru and indigenous grapes, while remaining loyal to the winemaking practices developed by their ancestors. A modern trend of returning to the organic farming techniques of centuries past is widespread in the region, and many winemakers are passionate about keeping it that way.

All in all, this was a thorough trip with very little down time. I had the opportunity to sample better than 200 wines made from 20 different grape varieties, 85% of them white, and many of them mature to the tune of 15-35 years! What I experienced astounded me, and my outlook on the wines of this part of Europe has radically transformed. The wines of Wachau, Wagram and Styria, for instance, have proven to be some of the most place-specific in the northern hemisphere, varying broadly in degrees of minerality, textural density and sugar content at the digression of both the winemaker and his/her terroir.

Many thanks go out to Daniel and Co. for their hard work toward making this brilliant experience happen for me. Look for more postings about my specific experiences in the coming days and weeks. -Michael Koehler - www.suburbanwines.com

Impressions from a Southern Rhone ramble.

Our own George F returned last week from a week of tasting in France’s Rhone Valley and Provence. Clearly his visit to Paul Vendran’s La Ferme Saint Pierre estate in the Cotes du Ventoux made the biggest impression of the dozen or so winemaker visits he made.

“Paul Vendran showed the best array of wines I encountered on this trip.
I’m always impressed by winemakers who make a range of terrific wines. Anyone who can make a delightful rose, a stunning Viognier, and three separate exceptional and sharply priced bottlings of Cotes du Ventoux – each one with depth of character- gets a gold star in my ledger.

Vendran’s vineyards are in a gorgeous area of gently rolling hills that lead up to the base of the imposing Mont Ventoux. Many of his vines are grizzled veterans of 45 years or more, particularly the Carignan and Grenache. During a tour of the estate in his minivan he explained his approach to viticulture, which is essentially bio-dynamic – ground cover between rows, no chemicals used etc etc.

Back at the cellar (really an aluminum pull barn) , we were all amused by the chaos and disorganized tangle of crushers, fermenters and palleted wines that makes up the top floor. There was even a small scale bottling and labeling unit in the midst of everything – evidence of a one man show to be sure. His barrel room downstairs was much more orderly and negotiable…

The wines we tasted were all wonderfully precise and joys to drink, which was not the case everywhere we stopped. The Cuvee Juliette rose should arrive in late June but Suburban has the 2007 Viognier (think Condrieu at ½ price), the 2007 Cotes du Ventoux Rouge (think CDR with lovely mouthfeel and texture) and the 2005 Cotes du Ventoux Cuvee Roi Faineant (rich and unique in flavor bringing to mind certain CDPs and Rasteaus) currently in stock. These are food friendly and delicious wines that should please just about anyone. Don’t miss them.” – George Feaver – www.suburbanwines.com

WINE WITH DINNER – Dining out?

I’ve noticed that more and more people today are cutting back on the number of drinks they order when dining out. Some may do it to save money in this tight economy, but I suspect that others want to cut back on the total alcohol they are consuming, and I am now one of them. My alcohol tolerance is fairly low, so, when I have a Scotch before dinner, I now just order a wine by the glass with dinner, rather than ordering a whole bottle to split with my wife. Or I start off with a glass of Prosecco (my favorite) with the appetizer and then my wife and I either split a bottle of wine with dinner or order wine by the glass. Also, we drink more water with our meals than we used to and, more often than not, we skip having any after dinner drinks.

If you share my concern about consuming too much alcohol with dinner, here’s another tip when ordering a bottle of wine to go with your meal. When the wine steward or waiter brings the bottle for you to check the name on the label and the vintage year before it is opened, note the alcohol percentage printed on the label as well. Most dinner wines run between 12% and 14% alcohol. But some of them can be 15% or 16% or higher, which is more than what is found in many Fino Sherries! In this regard, be wary of the heavier-bodied Australian reds, California Zinfandels, Italian Amarone and French Chateauneuf-du-Papes. When presented with such wines to inspect, if you think that the alcohol percentage on the label is too high for you, just ask for something similar, but lower in alcohol. Bon Appétit! – Jay Roelof – www.suburbanwines.com

Creative Editing

Customers often envy the fact that as a wine taster I get to taste all the great wines of the world. There is another side –a tale from the dark side…..

As a professional I evaluate aroma, taste on palate, consistency, weight, and finish. Recently I had the misfortune to taste a wine that not only had strange things floating in it but also,
Had the aroma of exhaust fumes from a 1954 pre-catalytic converter Buick LeSabre,
Had the initial taste of aged road kill on a deserted road,
Had the consistency and color of a 10-50 weight used motor oil,
Had the finishing taste of blackberries with freezer burn,
And finally the finish of shellac that stayed with me the rest of the day.
I have to say that this was the worst wine I have ever tasted.

After turning over my comments to our editor I gratefully moved on. The next day my review read

“A unique, one of a kind full-bodied, unfiltered red wine with a smoky, meaty bacon-filled aroma and is loaded with rich dark fruit. You can look forward to a long lingering finish that will complement its uniqueness. Not to be missed.” – Fred Horowitz – http://www.suburbanwines.com/

CARMENERE

I am a BIG fan of the Carmenere grape. Grown in Chile and almost nowhere else, this classic grape is loaded with dark fruit and soft tannins. Ask how long one can store a good Carmenere and everyone shrugs their shoulders.

Once a significant player in French Bordeaux wines in the 1800’s, then wiped out by the phylloxera outbreak and not replanted, the grape was thought to be extinct for many years. In the 1990’s however, in an effort to find out why some of the Chilean Merlots were of poor quality, analysts discovered that many of the Merlot grape vines were in fact Carmenere. Requiring and getting 3 weeks longer to ripen and blessed with a longer growing season than in France, Carmenere has found a home in Chile and Chile has found a national grape.

A good Carmenere can be found in the $9-12 range. A really good Carmenere and carm-blends can be had for $15-25. Great Carms from $30+. Buy a great one and store it away ---but don’t ask me for how long. – Fred Horowitz – www.suburbanwines.com

WINE WITH DINNER – A Special Wine for Special Dinners

For me, every dinner at home with my wife, family or friends is a special dinner. A time to slow down and enjoy good cooking paired with an appropriate wine…a time to savor a nice meal and, more importantly, the good relationship(s) present at this special event.

But, some dinners - because of the occasion or the nature of the food served and/or the people present (or all of the above) - are more special than others. So, a more expensive wine in the $30 to $40 range is appropriate. But what kind to serve? Certainly, a meat dish like braised lamb or a pasta dish with a hearty marinara or Bolognese sauce, might call, respectively, for a full-bodied Bordeaux or Tuscan red. On the other hand, many fish, poultry and “white meat” meals might call for an elegant white Burgundy (although, sometimes a soft red wine might work as well). But, when considering white wines for a special meal, have you ever thought about Brut Champagne – the real thing?

There are many sparkling wines (and most of them also go well with a wide variety of foods), but there is only one special class of sparkling wine that can truly be called “Champagne” and that is the sparkling wine from the Champagne district of France…and Champagnes are not just for toasting, they are terrific, all purpose, dinner wines!

True Brut Champagne is something really different, in a class by itself. There are several Grande Marque (or “big brand”) Champagne houses as well as small, artisanal, “Grower” Champagnes that can be purchased for less than $40. But, for my money, the Grower Champagnes offer much more value to those who can get beyond the label and into the quality of the wine inside the bottle. You will find several of them on our website where we list about 30 Grower and Grande Marque Champagnes.

Want to learn more about Grower Champagne? Here’s a good blog on the subject with links to other sources on the Internet that I ran across recently: http://www.interactiveheet.com/bottledup/2007/12/Grower-champagne.html - Jay Roelof

Suburban Goes to Italy and France - Part Four

Today I have a mission. I am searching for some Dolcetto. The 2006 vintage offers many things to like and I am glad to be able to taste through many of them in one sitting so I can make my selections. The above picture is an example of how these tastings work. They set up a table and line up about 20 different Dolcetto’s. Then…we taste and make notes. Now, this is a special table set up so that one can taste through all of the 2006’s at once. If you choose to, you can taste them all individually and speak with the winemaker for each of the bottles (and taste the rest of their line). I did plenty of that as well, but since I was looking for Dolcetto, I decided that this would be a good place to look.

This is my opportunity to taste through the wines, review pricing, see what type of quantities are available, and get an overall opinion of the vintage. I usually find myself craving Dolcetto this time of year. No logical explanation for this, but I think it could be related to the start of “eating outdoor season” (I just made that up). I really enjoy lighter pastas and grill inspired pizza outside in the spring, and Dolcetto is a perfect match….. – Lance Cerutti – http://www.suburbanwines.com/

WINE WITH DINNER – Leftover Red Wine

Last month I was talking about buying bag-in-a-box wine for cooking as a way to keep the number of opened bottles of wine down in your refrigerator. But someone pointed out that, like dandelions, miscellaneous bottles of opened wines still seem to constantly pop up from time to time. Leftover white wines don’t present much of a problem, because there are many times when you just want a small glass of cold white wine. Not so with leftover red wine.


Sure you can use it if you’re cooking something that calls for red wine. But another solution that I use, especially when more than one opened bottle of red wine ends up in my refrigerator, is to use the leftovers to make wine-soaked Kalamata olives. If you love black olives, you should try this trick. Next time you’re at the deli counter at your local store, buy a small plastic container of Kalamata (or your favorite kind of) imported black olives (make sure they are not "oil-cured") – but not the pitted kind. Domestic “jumbo” black olives have not worked as well for me.


When you get home, dump the olives in a strainer and wash the salt off of them in the sink (you may want to omit this step, but you still need to strain the olives). Place the strained olives back into the plastic container and cover the olives in the container with leftover red wine from the refrigerator. Put a sticker on the container top with the current date on it, firmly reattach the top and put it in the back of your refrigerator. It can stay there for weeks or even months and the olives just get better and better! – Jay Roelof – www.suburbanwines.com

WINE WITH DINNER – Prosecco

All of my basic wine classes at Suburban start out with a glass of Prosecco. Why? Because Prosecco is just a great way to start off an evening and that is why more and more people at restaurants are eschewing the perfunctory glass of Chardonnay as an opening beverage and, instead are asking for a glass of Brut Prosecco (like Champaign, Prosecco is also made in a slightly sweeter style called Extra Dry). They’ve grown tired of Chardonnay and are looking for something new and also in keeping with new trends in dining. Similarly, more and more hosts are serving Prosecco at home to their dinner guests to accompany hors d’oeuvres of most any kind.

Actually, Prosecco has been poured as an aperitif in Italy for generations. The best examples are from the DOC region of Conegliano Valdobbiadene in the Veneto region of north east Italy and cost between $10 and $20 at most retail wine stores (they cost more, of course, in restaurants, which is too bad – but that’s another topic). Brut Prosecco is a clean, crisp, refreshing white sparkling wine, made from the prosecco grape. It is made by the Charmat process which produces less bubbles than does the more expensive méthode champenoise and is relatively low in alcohol (below 12%) - the perfect way to start off an evening where other wines are to follow. – Jay Roelof – www.suburbanwines.com

Israeli Wine

How does one categorize wines from Israel? Do they warrant a dedicated section in a wine shop? Or are they forever viewed as a seasonal event brought to the forefront only during Passover? Is there non-kosher Israeli wines? Are there great tasting kosher wines or does that remain the ultimate oxymoron?

Each year I have been tasked with tasting and purchasing kosher wines that is to be enjoyed (or at least tolerated), during Pesach. Recently my eyebrows have been raised on several occasions. From the Cabernets and Merlots that are growing in the volcanic soils in the hills of the Golan Heights to the Chardonnays of the thin lime and stony soil of the Judean Hills, I no longer have to look for kosher wines from around the world. Israel has arrived.

There are quite a few wines that I could recommend but exploring on your own in your price category would be the most fun. This year I looked forward and to enjoying the 4 cups of wine during Seder and poor Elijah finally benefited from the land of milk and honey.

Except for a few large producers like Carmel or Barkan most of the 200 or so wineries in Israeli are small and the wines are in short supply. If you like to explore there’s a whole new world available.

OK, you win; a few wines that impressed me are,

Kadesh Barnea Merlot 2004
Teperberg Silver Merlot 2006
Tevel Cabernet/Merlot 2005
Tishbi Chardonnay 2007Yogev Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay 2006

Were there others? You bet’ cha, but I can’t give away all my secrets. Meanwhile I have to find room in my wine cellar for a new country. – Fred Horowitz – http://www.suburbanwines.com/

Suburban Goes to Italy and France - Part Three

Is the pizza really that much better in Italy? Having grown up in New York, I have been exposed to some of the best pizza that this country has to offer (feel free to argue this point, but it is simply a fact). I have come to the conclusion that a big part of the difference is the setting in which one is eating (or in this case, devouring) the pizza. The pizza itself was quite good, but the fact that it happened to be sunny, 70 degrees, and we were sitting in spectacular Piazza Bra in Verona certainly added to the enjoyment. One thing I will say about most of the food I ate while abroad is this…there is nothing processed, frozen, bagged or canned about anything. Only fresh ingredients will do, and it makes a big difference.

Nothing overly spectacular about the rest of the day. After the pizza break (and some gelato, of course) we went back to the fair for another 4 hour round of tasting. Switched to red for the afternoon and concentrated on Southern Italy and Tuscany. Went though another 60 wines or so and then off to dinner. We ended up on our own for dinner that night and it was difficult to find an open table anywhere. We ended up in a small hotel restaurant that was certainly serviceable but nothing worthy of sharing here. – Lance Cerutti – http://www.suburbanwines.com/

Suburban Goes to Italy and France - Part Two

Sure, being in Verona is great. It is a beautiful city and it would be wonderful to be able to be a tourist for as few days. But my time there is short and there was work to be done so….off to the fair! The scene is like this – hop into a cab and get to the convention center (Verona Fiere). Then once you get through the turnstiles you begin to see how big this event really in (the above picture is helpful, but really doesn’t give you an idea of the scale). The pavilions are separated by regions (Piedmont, Tuscany, Veneto, etc). My plan for the day is to head to a designated place in Piedmont. Oh, by the way, that’s a 20 minute walk.

Once in Piedmont, one of the distributors that we deal with has a large area set up with offerings from all over Italy. On day one I concentrate on the whites. Most of them are 2007’s that are either just bottled of tank/barrel samples. I truly loved the 2006 whites, and find an awful lot to like about the 2007’s as well. After tasting though about 50 assorted whites…it’s time for some lunch.
Back to the Piazza for some pizza….. – Lance Cerutti – http://www.suburbanwines.com/

Eating Out

I went into a restaurant the other day for a nice dinner and a bottle of wine. The dialogue with the waiter went something like this (some paraphrasing),

Hi, I’m looking for a good Gamza.
Huh!
OK, how about an Auxerroix!
What?
Maybe a Bobal? Or an Alicante Bouschet?
(Raised eyebrow)
Maybe I should go with a white ---do you have an Rkatsiteli? Or a Moscophilero?
(There goes the other eyebrow)
Fine….I’ll have a good Axina.
(Waiter just closed his eyes and began shaking his head.)
OK. What do you recommend?
(Now the waiter brightened up.) We have great Burgundies from California and New Jersey.
Burgundy from New Jersey?
Yeah, and its good stuff.

I looked at my wife for help.
She looked at the waiter and said, “What kind of beers do you have?”
Now the waiter smiled. Before he could answer though, my wife added, do you have Duval?
How about Dinkle Acker? Or maybe Ommegang?
With a deep sigh the waiter finally interrupted and began, “Bud, Bud light, Miller,…..

Finally, I looked at the waiter and said, “Hamburger, fries and coke, no ice”. My wife chimed in, “I’ll have the same.”
The waiter responded, “Good Choice.”

If there’s a moral to the story, I can’t find it. – Fred Horowitz – http://www.suburbanwines.com/

A Vinous Seder

I attended my 2nd ever Passover Seder on Sunday, and it may have been the most progressive and uncommon Seder ever held. But what less could one expect when the host is a Master of Wine? The 7-hour Brooklyn, NY event was attended by 20 people, mostly from the wine trade, only 4 of whom were Jewish. Woven in between an acoustic guitar folk song session, a reading of Dr ML King’s famous March on Washington speech, and the singing of a humorously-novel song about the 10 Plagues of Egypt set to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas, was a feast like none other. In addition to gefilte fish that tasted like it was served at a Michelin restaurant, and Matzoh ball soup that had Italians begging for the recipe, there was a lineup of knockout, non-kosher wines that some people would have paid to just taste. Feel free to let me know if anyone’s Seder featured 2001 Armand Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin 1er Les Cazetiers, 1997 LeClerc Gevrey-Chambertin 1er La Combe aux Moines, 1996 Giacoma Conterno Barolo, 2004 Argentiera di Bolgheri, 1994 Pesquera Reserva, and 1992 Vintage Niepoort, not to mention 15 other 750ml thrillers. I’m glad I took the train! Thanks, Lisa and Sandy for the generosity, hard work and good humor. –Michael Koehler – http://www.suburbanwines.com/

WINE WITH DINNER – Cooking Wine

Customers ask me occasionally to help them select an inexpensive cooking wine that can also be enjoyed on its own. We have plenty of them, but my favorite (and I cook with wine a lot) is a good quality “bag-in-a- box” wine. Sound odd to you, coming from a wine merchant with one of the largest selections of wine in Westchester? Well, the reason is quite practical.

I used to buy inexpensive wines in the bottle for cooking, but pretty soon my refrigerator was starting to overflow with partially filled bottles of leftover wines from various sources, including cooking wine purchases. Box wines don’t have to be kept in the refrigerator and they have a convenient faucet on them that allows you to draw off just what you need for cooking. The 3-Liter box is quite compact, so it doesn’t take up much room wherever it is stored (preferably not in an area that gets hot).

My favorite white box cooking wine is Hardys Stamp of Australia Chardonnay, which I keep in the refrigerator, and my favorite red box cooking wine is the Hardys Shiraz, which I keep down in the basement. When I want to draw off some white wine to cook with, I just open the refrigerator, glass in hand, and there it is! Some goes into the cooking and some goes into the cook! I usually draw my red cooking wine from the basement into a small carafe.

Now comes the good part. Each box holds the equivalent of four 750 ml bottles, so, at a cost of $18.99 per box, that means my cooking wine is costing me less than $4.75 per bottle! And, since no air gets into the bag inside the box when you draw off the wine, the wine, if stored in a cool place, stays fresh for a month or longer!

Life is a compromise and I’ve found this one to be perfect for a person like me who cooks a lot with wine. - Jay Roelof

Suburban Goes to Italy - Sidenote....

There is something about the coffee in Italy that simply cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world. Our group arrived in Venice after a very long overnight flight and the very first thing we did was get coffee in the airport. Even in the airport the coffee is better than almost anywhere here....

The picture you see was taken in Verona at an outdoor cafe on my first day there prior to heading to the fair for a full day of tasting. Few things are finer. After my time in Italy was over, I headed to France. The coffee is almost undrinkable, but France has other charms...more on that later. - Lance Cerutti

Suburban Goes to Italy and France - Part One

Each year, I go to Verona at the end of March/beginning of April for the Italian wine fair known as VinItaly. It is something that really would be extremely difficult to describe. Over 150,000 wines are available for tasting in an area that is roughly the size of 10 football stadiums. Thousands of ornate booths are set up to display just about every wine made in Italy. It’s kinda like the Grand Canyon; sure I could describe it to you, but until you have seen it, you can’t really know how big it is….

My goal each year is to taste as much as I can and buy some terrific wines for the store that we can make available for the rest of the year. This year was more challenging than ever before, mostly because of the weak dollar. Wines I had purchased for many years that were great values have become so pricey that they are no longer interesting for the price. But undaunted by this, I was able to find 20 or so wines that are tremendous values even with the current exchange rates! - Lance Cerutti - www.suburbanwines.com/

Welcome to our Blog!

For quite some time we have been posting notes and thoughts on our site for you to read. We have finally decided to make it official! Now you can tell us what you think! Our goal is for this to be update weekly with tasting notes, best buys, store happenings, and random interesting thoughts.

We hope you will check back often!