Twitter Tuesday - 2005 Roza Ridge Cabernet - FREE Shipping

The deal:

The 2005 Roza Ridge Cabernet has been a staple at Suburban (in past vintages) for the past 3 years or so. We love it so much that when they lost their distributor in New York, we contacted the winery directly and arranged for it to be brought in just for us. We think it is a bonafide steal at $17.99. If this wine were from Caifornia...it would sell for 25 bucks!

Tasting note:

The 2005 Roza Risge Cabernet was barrel aged in French and American oak for eighteen months. Dark red in color; complex aromas with oak spice and ripe fruits of black cherry and blueberry. Integrated tannins leave this wine smooth and soft. Perfect for grilled meats and heartier dishes.

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The Perfect Martini?

First and foremost – a Martini is made with Gin, NOT Vodka! As a matter of fact, if one goes to Wikipedia and pulls up the page on the Martini, the very first sentence is “The Martini is a cocktail made with Gin and Vermouth”. Yes, the “Vodka Martini” has had a surge in popularity in the past decade or so…but make no mistake – a Martini is made with Gin, a “Vodka Martini” is made with Vodka.

Rant over…

OK..here is how I make the perfect Martini (for me). First, a little background. My Dad was a Gin drinker (he has since switched to Vodka), and for years he would have Gin when he came home from work. This got me wondering about Gin, but when I tried it in my teens, I found it quite repulsive. Then, in my mid-twenties, I found myself in a Martini bar in San Antonio, and figured…what the heck, let’s see what all the fuss is about..I ordered up a Tanqueray Martini. I have not looked back.

Over the past 20 years, I have tried just about every Gin on the market, and stylistically I have found that I prefer a clean, less aromatic gin for my Martini. Of course, this is how I like ‘em…many people love an abundance of Juniper (or other infused flavors)….I do not.

Another interesting point is that over the years I have eliminated Vermouth from the elixir….opting for strictly Gin. I find that the Vermouth takes away some of the crispness that is so alluring for me.

Anyway…here is what I do…

• Put a Martini glass in the freezer (it should be there at least ten minutes). Get big ones….why make two?

• Take your shaker and fill halfway with ice (more if you are making two).

• Pour in the Gin, seal up the shaker and give it a good shake or three

• Place the shaker on the counter and wait for 5-8 minutes. This is subjective....If I am in the mood for it stronger, I will pour it out earlier…weaker…later.

• Take out the glass and insert garnish of choice. More options here…me, I prefer olives stuffed with jalapeno. I always use olives of some kind…but NEVER use olives stuffed with any kind of cheese – it ruins the taste of the gin.

• Pour your Martini…..admire the frosty glass for a moment and then take that first magnificent sip!

Depending on my mood, I will add some of the olive brine into the glass making it a “dirty” martini (as I have in the picture above).

One last note…if you do like Vermouth, use as little as possible. I used to pour some into the glass and then, empty it out, so just a film was left.
Most importantly – enjoy!

Really nice, opulent CDR from the 2007 vintage. I am finding myself liking the '07's CDR's more and more. Can't say the same about the CDP's yet...just too thick and rich for my palate. Perhaps they will soften a bit over time. But...the real bang for the buck is in these value CDR's!!!

This one retails for less than 15 bucks and is delicious.

GF’s Hot Hundred mid summer edition

Best case scenario for whites fifteen dollars or less.

2007 Guigal Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc $13.99 Amazing quality of winemaking on the grand scale – nothing new when you consider it’s from Guigal. 2007 was a great year and this CDR blanc has splendid aromatics and mouthfeel and that makes plenty of sense considering the presence of Viognier (aromatics) and Marsanne and Roussanne (texture and mouthfeel).

2007 Jean Rosen Pinot Blanc $12.99 Jean Rosen is a second label (or is it overproduction?) from the illustrious Domaine Paul Blanck. Crisp, correct, fruit-forward, and value-minded, the Jean Rosen pinot blanc is excellent value wine from the Paul Blanck vineyards. Frequently it’s on sale for 9.97 which is practically larceny.

2007 Daniel Pollier St-Veran $14.99 2007 was a delightful vintage in the Macon and Pollier’s St Veran overdelivers. Clean, crisp and taut Chardonnay with limpid gold color, pear and apple aromas brightened by lemon zest. Light-bodied and dry, with firm citrus and orchard fruit flavors, some lees character and a broad, warm finish. Exceptional value.

2008 Chateau La Gatte Bordeaux Blanc $13.99 This Suburban favorite is distinguished by its composition – 70% of Sauvignon Gris, relatively uncommon in the Bdx blanc blend. Rich mouthfeel and texture and a nice core of pear/apple fruit.

2008 Chateau Sainte-Marie Entre-Deux-Mers Bordeaux Blanc $14.99 A more conventional blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle, this has that blindingly fresh and snappy taste profile that makes good Bordeaux blanc so delightful. Plenty of bright, but honeyed around the edges, fruit behind the upfront acids.

2007 Latitude 50 Kabinett Feinherb $14.99 Very fine rendering of Riesling sourced by specialty German importer, Savio “Southbound” Soares. Has the feinherb designation, an off-dry Kabinett style which has the residual and acidity in perfect balance.

2008 Winzer-Krems Gruner Veltliner 1.0 litre $11.99 I love the litre format and this light and brisk Gruner Veltliner has been a summer staple for Suburban for the past few years. Why would anyone drink PG when this can be had for $8.97 most of the time?

2008 Vina Leyda Sauvignon Blanc Classic $11.99 I don’t think many will disagree with me that Chile is the world’s best source for bargain Sauvignon Blanc. There are countless good examples under the ten dollar mark but this Leyda struts its stuff at a higher level. As good as the Leyda valley Pinot Noirs have been, one might think that Leyda Valley has the relatively cool climate factoring into the precision of this SB fruit.

2007 Michel Fonne Grains de Genie $13.99 Lovely Alsace blend of 50% Pinot Blanc and the balance a mix of Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer. We are seeing more and more interesting and affordable blends (perhaps inspired by Deiss? At least the interesting part…) coming from Alsace and this is a particularly fine one. The dollop of Gewurztraminer really pops in this wine – aromatically.

2008 Terres Dorees Beaujolais Blanc $14.99 In the early 1990s, Jean-Paul Brun planted 3 hectares of Chardonnay on limestone soil. He has since expanded the production of his well known and sought-after Beaujolais Blanc by contracting grapes from a small number of nearby vignerons. The clay-limestone soil that the Chardonnay grows on is perfect for the grape. The climate, which is a little warmer than the Côte d'Or enables Jean-Paul to produce a rich wine with lots of character. It is bottled completely unoaked. When young, the wine has a very fruity bouquet that becomes more honeyed as the wine matures

2007 Boccadigabbia Ribona Le Grane $14.97 no further discount Until a few weeks ago I had never heard of the Ribona varietal, much less tried one. Lance discovered this one at VinItaly and poured it at our employee picks show and I was duly impressed. It reminded me a lot of Vouvray sec or a dry Chenin Blanc from Touraine. Another feather in the Boccadigabbia cap!

2006 Peter Lehmann Barossa Valley Semillon What a pleasure to drink! Apparently Lehmann pioneered this unique Semillon style – unoaked, lively, zesty, refreshing and crisp with plenty of fruit flavour and great length – and it has proved enormously successful. So much so that it is Australia’s most popular Semillon.

- George Feaver, Wine Director

Michael In Italy: When in Piemonte…

Naturally, food is the focus during a visit to Piedmont. Nowhere else does old-world cuisine seem so exotic, and at the same time so fresh and localized. But in exploring the delicacies of a special region, pairing the local wines with what you eat can double the pleasure, and complete the gastronomical picture. What better place for this scenario to unfold than in the land of the coveted Nebbiolo grape?! You bet your sweet bippy we drank our share of it, often in mature vintages. We were delighted by the affordability of these world-class wines when ordered from restaurant lists in their home region, so in some cases, we went a little crazy. Check out some of my notes on the Nebbiolo we drank there in May, and a picture of Deborah standing next to some of the great crus of Barolo.


’00 and ’01 Numero Uno Barolo Riservas 5/26/09
These new-world examples were apparently the house label of a small trattoria in Monforte d’Alba where we ordered our first meal in Italy. They were colossal wines that even after 8 years seemed drowned in their own oak. Not memorable.

’97 Costamagna Barolo Rocche del Annnunziata 5/26/09
My first experience with the producer. This had all the components that make Barolo so special….tar, licorice and rose petal notes presented with finesse over power. Fading tannins allowed the fruit to shine. Deb declared it the best example of Barolo she’s ever had, especially in the setting at Trattoria Della Posta in Monforte.

’04 Prunotto Barbaresco Bric Turot 5/27/09
Tasted at the winery in Alba. This is the wine I had mentioned in an earlier blog entry. Beautiful young-drinking Barbaresco with herb and olive aromatic notes. The tannins were in tune with the elegant texture. This is the type of Nebbiolo that draws in the Burgundy chaser.

’95 Sandrone Barolo Cannubi 5/27/09
Maturing nicely. This is distinguished and Rhone-like. Showing pepper and mineral with a resiny theme throughout. If this is the potential of aging Cannubis, then sign me up for a few bottles from each of the great producers. Paired exceptionally with rabbit braised in Nebbiolo at Giardino in Monforte.

’01 Antoniolo Gattinara Osso San Grato 5/28/09
I’ve always thought that this was the best producer in Gattinara, and I was excited to find the ’01 on the list at Albergo dell’Agenzia in Pollenza. This single-vineyard bottling drank at peak maturity. It started in classic Nebbiolo posture, with lots of tar and earth. Decanting further revealed an animal side that suggested Rhone. And finally it began to oxidize and resemble old-style Tempranillo. What a wild ride! I’ll call this one the chameleon.

- Michael Koehler

At any given moment, a wine professional can have a new favorite appear before them. We get to taste the juice of the world - good, bad and indifferent and every once in a while it’s good to pause and take stock of what speaks to you and compile it into a list - sort of an ultimate wine list that functions as a snapshot of your palate on a given day. As always, there are wines that you love for a time and they fall out of favor for whatever reason - vintage changes, price changes or a finer example comes to the fore. Therefore the Hot 100, is an ever changing thing and a fine exercise to keep your wine mind vigorous.

To keep things rational, there are no wines above the $50 mark and plenty of weight is given to value for your dollar. I have personally tasted, recommended and sold every one of these selections.

It begins with a salvo of twelve…

GF’s perfect case of reds – fifteen dollars or less

2005 Bodegas Benegas Don Tiburcio $14.99 – This Argie blend utilizing all five Bordeaux varietals utterly blew away the field in our under $15 blind tasteoff, besting 180 wines. No wine has ever finished in first by such a large margin. I gave it a monster score in the blind and sales have skyrocketed with no signs of abatement. Another indication of the awakening Argentine giant!!!

2006 Villa Malacari Rosso Conero $14.99 – Who knew Montepulciano could taste like this? This one hails from sandy limestone vineyards in Marche and has oodles of intensity and character. The flavor profile has dark cherries, spice, herbs, licorice and underbrush.

2007 Nicodemi Montepulciano d’Abruzzo $14.99 – Who knew Montepulciano d’Abruzzo could taste like this. Apparently Teremo is THE emerging sub-region for Monty of the highest quality and this bottling is the showcase. Darkly elegant, spicy and textural wine with a juniper infused blueberry quality that really pops upon your sensibilities. Clearly a producer to watch in the near future.

2006 Torre Quarto Don Marcello Rosso Puglia $12.99 – While most Puglian wines are more “rustic” than this bottling, the Don Marcello delivers what tastes to me like a far more expensive wine. The indigenous Uva di Troia is the base plus Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot - a very clever and unique blend. The vineyards are from around Cerignola (the land of my favorite olives).

2005 O’Leary Walker Blue Cutting Road Cabernet Merlot $14.99 – Another wine that won convincingly in one of our blind tasteoffs, “BCR” just might be my favorite Aussie wine pound for pound and dollar for dollar. Flavors of blueberry, spice and cedar from maturation in French oak - mouthfilling stuff with perfect acidity and tannic balance… continues to sell at a frightening clip so I am NOT alone!!!

2004 Rondan Rioja Crianza $13.99 – The 2001 was a living legend at Suburban and the supply was strong for years. Finally the vintage depleted and was followed by the equally fine 2004. Good Rioja is subtly persistent and midweight by definition and Rondan’s 2004 Crianza is the best we’ve ever found in this pricepoint.

2007 El Castro de Valtuille Bierzo Mencia Joven $14.99 – If you had said Mencia or Bierzo to a wine pro ten years ago you would have been met with a blank stare. This region has emerged quickly and is supplying us with beautiful old vine Mencia and its balanced and spicy dark fruited wines that evoke a hypothetical flavor blend between Burgundy and Chinon or Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. This example from Raul Perez Castro Ventosa is shockingly delicious and complete.

2007 Clos La Coutale Cahors $13.99 – This Kermit Lynch workhorse is arguably the best known, and most widely distributed, Cahors. It has always been good stuff but the 2007 is THE GOODS! A blend of 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot, the 2007 Coutale is deep in color and has ripe and silky tannins and a 30 second plus finish.

2005 Chateau La Baume Costieres de Nimes $12.99 – The Andreoletti’s make only one wine and they make quite a lot of it. From their estate and vineyards that are littered with ancient statuary and unearthed fountains, they assemble a spicy midweight and perfectly balanced red that incorporates Carignan, Syrah and Grenache. This is a super versatile red that worked with all the divergent foods at a luncheon at their tasting room.

2007 Les Hauts du Colombier Vacqueyras Cuvee Centenaire $14.99 - The 2006 was a prime mover and with the faerie dust of the 2007 Rhone magic upon it, this Vacqueyras has gone to the next level. At any speed, 15 bucks is a silly price for Vacqueyras. Rich earthy and spicy and Grenache driven, this will easily trump most CDRs in the pricepoint.

2008 Domaine de La Patience Merlot Vin de Pay du Gard $13.99 - Who says Merlot is passé and lackluster? A rich and complex but not oaky at all Merlot from the deep South of France. Organic and Bio-dynamic wine that has wonderful flavors of blueberry, plum, licorice and spice and some splendid earth below it all… a revelatory bottle to say the least.

NV Petit Crau Vin de Table Francois $11.99 – From Rhone negoce Patrick Lesec, the non-vintage Petit Crau is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre sourced mostly from the 2007 vintage (about 20% of the juice is from 2006). Delicious and satisfying midweek Pizza wine that is hard to put down.

- George Feaver, Wine Director

The Power of 2007

I’m sure by now you have heard it from someone, or have read somewhere that the 2007 vintage in California was exceptional. I always have my doubts when hearing such statements made, but now that many ‘07s are starting to show up in the market, I’ve been able to assess them for myself…..and I am now starting to believe the hype. Here are some quotes from wine critics about the 2007 vintage in California:

“I expected 2007 to be a great year for California wine, and indeed it's shaping up that way across the board for all varietals. What separates the truly great years from this best is that the top producers make grand wines, and wineries that normally produce good-to-very good wines rise up a notch or two. As the saying goes, "a rising tide lifts all boats" -- or, in this case, all wines.” – James Laube – The Wine Spectator Blog

“The 2007 vintage has yielded not just outstanding Pinots and Chardonnays, but Syrah and Zinfandel as well. With the superb 2007 growing season, California enjoyed yet another strong year, probably the most complete vintage since 2002 for the North Coast.” – Stephen Tanzer – The International Wine Cellar – Issue #144

“This has turned out to be the greatest vintage since 2001 or 2002 for the Bordeaux varietals in Napa. The wines display extraordinary fragrance and gorgeously seamless personalities, with sweet noble tannins as well as terrific concentration and length. It is a very exciting vintage, with more alcohol than 2005, but slightly less alcohol than 2002 or 2001. The wines should be approachable young because of the sweetness of the tannins.” – Robert Parker – The Wine Advocate – Issue #180

So as you can see, everybody agrees on the 2007 vintage. Now with that out of the way, here is the true first example of just how good the $20 Cabernets will taste. The 2007 Johnson Family Napa Valley Cabernet is made by Kirk Venge, who’s father, Nils Venge is the man who crafted the first ever California Cabernet to receive a perfect 100-point score from Robert Parker…..the 1985 Groth Family Reserve Cabernet.

It really just shows you how good the wines in this price are truly going to be, and just how much better the more expensive ones are going to taste. Get excited for this vintage, because as a wine consumer, this is going to be the vintage that will not disappoint while going easy on your wallet.” - Jason Fiore – Suburban Wine’s California Cabernet Wine Buyer

Tasting Note: The 2007 Johnson Family Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a big, blackberry and floral-scented perfume offering notions of creme de cassis, spice box, and luscious licorice with sweet tannins and a full body structure. Beautifully opulent, full-bodied, and forward. It is drinking so well now, so why wait? It will also age very well.

Michael in Aspen: Prestige Champagne Tasting

We had to get up pretty early if we wanted a chance to sample the impressive lineup of brut Champagne offered at the Food & Wine Magazine Classic in Aspen on June 19th. So, we drank a glass or two fewer the night before, and managed to get 2nd-row seats at New York sommelier Robert Bohr’s (CRU, Daniel, Babbo) Prestige Champagne tasting/seminar before 10am. Assisted by a panel of unfamiliar professionals, the jokey and casually-dressed Bohr rapped informally about the greatest category of bubblies on the planet, and took our questions on the subject in general. Presented were samples of 6 prestige cuvees from five different producers….3 fermented in steel and 3 in oak. Here is what I tasted, how they tasted, and how I scored them:


2000 Dom Perignon ($150):
Tight and showing high acidity. Biscuity, yeasty flavors. Not yet complex, but has quite a linger. Give this dormant DP ten more years. MK 91+ points.

1993 Dom Perignon Cuvee Oenotheque ($500+):
Recently released. Toast and nutty yeast notes are more dramatic than in the ‘00. Acidity is tame but frames the wine perfectly. Elegant and fun to drink. Has started to come into its own. MK 96 points.

1996 Pommery Cuvee Louise ($150):
Rose petal aromas are reigned in by mild acetone. Tingly acidity. Fruit-driven and uncomplicated. Tragically flawed. MK 87 points.

1999 Bollinger Grande Annee ($100):
Aromas of apple skin/clay. Flavors are primary and the wine is a bit high-toned at the moment. It will ultimately prove to be mineral and more complex with age. MK 89+ points.

NV Krug Grande Cuvee ($150):
Heavily wooded with a core palate of yeast, smoke, toast and mousse, rather than fruit. The winemaking is noticeable but the refinement so remarkable. For a big wine, the texture is elegant and precise. I would hold this NV longer. MK 92 points.

NV Alfred Gratien Cuvee Paradis Rosé ($125):
Added as the over-achieving underdog. Tasting this cuvee, it does not seem to be of pedigree. It is fruity with bright acidity, but lacks complexity. Very pleasant but overpriced. Does not belong in the lineup. MK 86 points.

Three “sleepers” were big time winners at our June New York Expo Event

This year, Suburban Wines & Spirits held two major New York Wine events, one on 6/6 featuring about 40 wines from a dozen Finger Lakes vintners and the other on 6/13, featuring about 30 wines from eight Long Island and Hudson Valley vintners. As you might expect, many of the better-known New York wines did quite well. These are premium wines made in large production quantities that are distributed nationwide to liquor stores and specialty wine merchants like us by the major wine and spirits distributors. Examples of these popular, best sellers from the Finger Lakes were: Dr. Konstantin Franc ’07 Dry Riesling (Keuka Lake Southwest), Hermann Wiemer ’07 Cabernet Franc (Seneca Lake West), and, on a smaller scale, Lamoreaux Landing ’07 T23 Cabernet Franc (Seneca Lake Northeast).

Similarly, at our Long Island/Hudson Valley event, other well-known and commercially distributed New York vintners did very well. Examples of these popular best sellers were: Millbrook ’08 Tocai Friulano (Hudson Valley West), Pellegrini ’05 Cabernet Franc (North Shore LI) and Wolffer Estate ’06 Chardonnay (The Hamptons LI).

But we also poured wines from several small, limited production, artisanal producers with whom we have developed a long-term relationship and from whom we buy direct, because their wines are not commercially distributed. These were the “sleepers” of the tasting and many of them outsold their commercially distributed peers! For example, Chateau Lafayette Reneau NV Seyval/Chardonnay (Seneca Lake Southeast) was the overall best seller for both events. At the Finger Lakes event, tiny Villa Bellangelo (Seneca Lake West – next to Hermann Wiemer) not only tied for #2 best seller with their ’06 Francesca Rosso Merlot-Cabernet blend, named after the owner’s oldest daughter, but also tied for #3 best seller with their ‘07 Bella Bianca Seyval-Vidal Blanc blend, named after the youngest daughter. And the overall best seller at the Hudson Valley/Long Island event was from yet another small family run vintner – Whitecliff Vineyards (Hudson Valley) – with their captivating ’08 Awosting White Seyval-Vignoles blend.

With over 70 New York wine labels from 20 top quality New York vintners in stock, we are proud to be able to provide our customers with excellent wines from both widely available, high-volume, premium winemakers as well as small, hard-to-find, family-owned artisanal producers. - Jay Roelof – Suburban’s New York Wine Director

Michael in Aspen - In Praise of Pork

When Iron Chef Michael Symon first opened his restaurant Lolita in Cleveland in the ‘90s, he had trouble selling a menu item titled “Pork Belly”. Partner Tom Colicchio (Gramercy Tavern, Craft) suggested he rename it “Thick Bacon”. The same dish, re-titled, sold 40 servings on the first night! This story certainly demonstrates how far Americans have come in the last 10 years toward feeling comfortable with European-style cuisine. In the picture, Michael holds up a raw pork belly during a demo at the Food & Wine Magazine Classic in Aspen in mid-June, with which he proceeded to create the ultimate carnivore’s delight…..a pork belly and bacon sandwich. Before he bit into it, he proclaimed devilishly to the crowd “This is when it sucks to be you”.
–Michael Koehler

Michael in Aspen - Farm to Fork

On the east coast, we may know Michael Chiarello best for a Zinfandel, a “consorzio” of olive oils, a “stylish” Napa catalog of artisanal goods, and an “entertaining” cooking show. But if you lived in California, you would know him better for his one restaurant, Bottega in Yountville. As head chef at this Italian-influenced farm-to-table, he is an outspoken advocate for organic farming and local produce; one could imply he is the Dan Barber of the west. He likes to say, “we vote with our forks”, meaning, the consumer can change the paradigm of cuisine by choosing where and what to eat. Michael was super-polished in his seemingly off-the-cuff presentation, and is clearly connected to the chemistry of cooking. He made fresh mozzarella right before us, as he claimed to have done many times for the ladies he had dated! One fun result is the Boccontini, which Deborah is seen sipping below. Michael pours a martini glassful of tomato water and adds grey salt, and a skewer with alternating cherry tomatoes and balls of bocconchini. Refreshing, savory and non-alcoholic. –Michael Koehler

Charles Bieler of Three Thieves / Rebel Wine Co. and BIELER Père et Fils and Charles Smith of K Vintners, Magnificent Wine Co. and Charles Smith Wines have teamed up on a delicious rose offering. Their collaborationaptly named Charles and Charleshas yielded a single vineyard dry rosé from the Wahluke Slope of Washington State.

Bieler has been making rosé in Provence, France with his family since 1992 and was one of the early champions of the category in the US. In the late 90s it was only top tier shops that would carry any rosé at all, says Bieler, and it took serious explanation to convince people that in fact not all pink wine was sweet. Now, every good restaurant and retailer loads up on at least a few for the warmer months. Weve come a long way, baby.

With the long growing season and more moderate climate of the Wahluke Slope in the Columbia Valley, Charles & Charles has blended fruit for the same bright, fresh profile that has made European rosés popular for generations.

Smith made this 2008 rosé of syrah from the Talcott Vineyard from the Wahluke Slope (AVA) in the traditional Provencal way. He harvested the grapes at the early edge of ripeness, sent straight to the press without any extended cold soak, and fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks at cooler temperatures. New World fruit, Old World methods!

"I didn’t expect C & C Rose to be this good. Very crisp and refreshing and driven by an under-ripe but rich strawberry type of fruit profile. I’d be curious to taste a full on Syrah from the Talcott Vineyard judging by the quality of the rose. Distinctive, delicious and dry American rose for your 4th of July BBQs." - George Feaver - Suburban's Washington Wine Director

Because Suburban has the largest selection of New York wines in the NY Metropolitan area, we are able to attract small, artisanal New York vintners who do not choose to have their wines distributed by the major wine distributors, but are willing to deliver their wines to us to offer to our customers. They know that our customers understand and appreciate good quality New York wine! One such New York vintner with whom we have a personal delivery arrangement is Lieb Family Cellars, located on the North Shore of Long Island in Mattituck.

Their signature wine is their Reserve Pinot Blanc, the 2007 vintage of which was recently favorably reviewed by both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. In his write up, NY Times chief wine critic, Eric Asimov, said, "I got a bottle of superb 2007 pinot blanc, made by Lieb Family Cellars on the North Fork of Long Island. What a delicious wine! It was dry and creamy with a captivating texture and a mere 12.5 percent alcohol."

We have felt that way about Liebs flagship wine for quite a while now and are pleased to offer this now famous 2007 vintage to you for significantly less than you would pay for it at the vineyard! - Jay Roelof - Suburbans New York Wine Director

Interested? Click here ---> http://bit.ly/24u76

Michael In Italy - Slow Food and more

A sneak glimpse of Osteria Boccondivino, the famous restaurant where the Slow Food movement began 20 years ago, in the city of Bra. Currently under construction, the restaurant and its gastronomical philosophies have inspired the preservation of traditional food preparation customs in over 100,000 venues worldwide, and have resurrected the concept of eco-friendly gastronomy, perhaps in protest of the “fast food” cultures that had risen to prominence in the late 20th century.



The amuse bouche at Albergo dell’Agenzia, the Slow Food-associated restaurant in the lovely hotel in Pollenza (5 minutes from Bra) where we stayed and dined (that is a raw cased seasoned sausage!). The estate is also the home of a gastronomical university, and the newly-established Banca del Vino…..a cellar/museum that stores several cases of every great wine made in Italy, and will continue to do so with every future vintage. –Michael Koehler

My bride and I shared a bottle of the2008 Donnas Valle d’Aosta Nebbiolo Rose last night with a baby Arugula salad. Yeah I know…enough about freakin’ rosé….we get it….you like it….

Fine…I will be brief then…just a quick tasting note…

2008 Donnas Valle D’Aosta Nebbiolo Rosé

I am a huge fan of this co-operative in Valle D’Aosta region in NW Italy, just north of Piemonte. As a matter of fact, their 2005 Valle D’Aosta (nebbiolo) was my “Wine of the Year” last year….great stuff all around at terrific prices. As for the rosé, it is a bit darker in color than many of the ones that your will see from France (nebbiolo will do that), but the darker color also offers up a bit more in terms of layers and complexity. Red berries and an herbal quality are noted and a gorgeous richness is present throughout. Good stuff and a bit beefier than some of the ones I have been enjoying to date…

- Lance Cerutti – www.suburbanwines.com

For those who are interested, many of the gorgeous Italian whites I tasted during my trip to Italy in March have arrived. These are the perfect wines for Summer-time drinking….some grilled shrimp out on the deck…mmmm

Here is a list of what is in so far:

Ambra Trebbiano 2008

Boccadigabbia "Le Grane" 2007

San Pietro Pinot Bianco 2008

Palazzone Grechetto 2008

Boccadigabbia "Garbi" Bianco 2008

I Campetti “L’Accesa” Malvasia 2008

Cantine del Taburno Coda di Volpe 2008

Tavignano Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi 2008

Camporosso Gavi 2008

Notte di Luna Vernaccia 2008

ALL of these delicious wines sell for less than 15 bucks…ALL of them! Here’s how it works…I go to VinItaly (one of the largest wine shows on the planet), taste through hundreds of wines, and bring back a select few to share with our customers. The above list is a sampling of the whites that made their way onto our shelves. Enjoy! – Lance Cerutti

When in France....

I have been preaching about how great rosé is this time of year to anyone who will listen. While there is no doubt that we have seen a huge increase in how much rosé has sold each year, I often wonder why it is not even more. The wine and fresh and lively…and inexpensive. Rosé goes great with a huge variety of different foods, or is delicious all by itself. While in France last week, I found myself drinking it every day...perfect with lunch or a light dinner.

So, I ask you, why are not more people drinking rosé? I have come to the conclusion that some people might look at the bottle and think that it is a sweeter wine, like white zinfandel. Well, my friends, nothing could be further from the truth. The vast majority of them are dry, and are simply delicious expressions of their region. The light pink color comes from regular old purple grapes that are left to sit in their skins (where the color comes from) until the desired level of “pinkness” is achieved. The result is a fabulous drink that teeters between white and red…rosé.

So, I will say it again…if you are not drinking rosé this Summer, you are missing out…no kidding.

So, I will say it again…if you are not drinking rosé this Summer, you are missing out…no kidding.

Yes…I meant to say that twice…It bears repeating. – Lance Cerutti www.suburbanwines.com

Michael in Italy - Lunch with Prunotto

The most thorough wine experience of my visit to Piemonte in May was my tasting with Prunotto, a veteran Barolo and Barbaresco producer with a state-of-the-art winery in downtown Alba. The lovely Tizianna Gallo hosted me on an exclusive tour of the facility, which has been Prunotto’s headquarters since 1972. She then generously opened more than half-a-dozen wines to taste, the highlights of which were an ’05 Barbera d’Asti Costamiole….a fat, sweet-fruited red with serious stature, and an ’04 Barbaresco Bric Turot, which was already drinking perfectly, showing distinctive olive and herb notes. The sampling was followed by a delightful lunch in Alba at Enoclub Ristorante, where we enjoyed such local delicacies as cheek of beef, and Vitello Tonnato….a carpaccio of veal with cold tuna sauce. –Michael Koehler


The ’04 Bussia slowly becoming the beautiful wine that it will be.


Tizianna (left) and Miss Deborah discussing the nuanced flavors of cru Barolo.

Lunch with Uccelliera

We drove over to the Uccelliera estate for lunch. What a treat, as they had prepared a home-cooked meal for of Ribollita (a rustic Tuscan bean and bread soup, pictured below), roasted rabbit and chicken and some potatoes. The food and company were incredible…and the wines weren’t so bad either!




Some quick tasting notes:

2007 Rosso di Montalcino – Ripe and fresh, it sees a bit of wood and is forward on both eth nose and palate. Quite good…big fruit with some grip. They get the grapes from different places and the goal with the Rosso is “freshness”. Nice work!

2006 Rapace (70% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot, 10% Cabernet) – A great example of the 2006 vintage. Ripe, forward and powerful in every aspect of the experience. The oak is integrated beautifully.

Below is a picture of Andrea Cortonesi, owner of Uccelliera, standing in front of his home.

We also enjoyed with the meal (and in the cellar):

2004 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino
1999 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino
2007 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino
2008 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino
2006 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino
2008 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
2008 Rosso di Montalcino

One of the vineyards where these fabulous wines come from:

Lance Cerutti – www.suburbanwines.com

Suburban Blind Taste-off - White Wines under $10

Goal: Taste blind as many ten-dollar white wines from around the globe as we can and isolate the best ones in the bunch.

# of Wines Tasted: 88

Panel: 8 acid-resistant palates from the Suburban Staff

Scoring: 4-10 points, averaged, with highest and lowest scores for each wine dropped

In the top 12, we see wines almost exclusively from the southern hemisphere with an emphasis on Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Chenin. Ironically, yet eerily common in our blind taste-offs, the #1 wine is the categorical exception in the lineup….it’s from the northern hemisphere and is made from a different noble white grape. Tap into any of this year’s players and you’re guaranteed a seriously-satisfying bottle of white!


#1: 2007 Sterling Cellars Vintner’s Collection Riesling $8.99
The wines of Sterling keep pushing their way back onto our shelves. There’s a reason why Suburban customers always ask for Sterling Cellars wines…..they’re just plain good! The VC Riesling—dynamite! Some sweetness, as you would expect, and a superb acid structure to serve as a base for the fruit and mineral side.

#2: 2008 Beyond Sauvignon Blanc $9.99
A playful and very obvious New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Smells just like a pepperoncini! Zesty, full-flavored and very long on the finish. This wine is hot stuff!

#3: 2008 New Harbor Sauvignon Blanc $9.99
Another aromatically-potent NZSB. Grass and jalapeño notes (no kiddin’!), and all the stuffing that makes them so popular.

#4: 2008 Ken Forrester Petit Chenin $9.99
This is not only very Chenin, but it is very Stellenbosch South Africa as well. Smoke and mineral nuances were a dead giveaway. Simply lovely.

#5: 2008 Excelsior Chardonnay $8.99
A chunky South African Chard this is not about oak. Excelsior is a repeat performer in this contest.

#6: 2008 Maipe Sauvignon Blanc $8.99
A rather classy Sauvignon here, coming out of Argentina. This could easily be taken for a Bordeaux Blanc.

#7: 2007 Oxford Landing Chardonnay $8.99
Balance is key! The Ox is a clean and seemingly oakless Chard, showing nice restraint for a new-world wine. This has officially appeared in the top ten more often than any other wine!

#8: 2008 Indaba Chenin Blanc $7.99
Gutsy and surprisingly fat in texture, this South African is exceptionally refined for its price.

#9: 2008 Los Vascos Chardonnay $9.99
Much more European-tasting than Chilean. The Rothschild family never ceases to impress. Dry, mineral and anti-oak with nice balance.

#10: 2008 Fair Valley Chardonnay $9.99
Clean with persistent fruit and an extended finish. A note of banana.

#11: 2007 Santa Carolina Chardonnay Reserva $9.99
A dense and oily Chilean. How about a Chardonnay with a real palate presence?

#12: 2008 Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc $9.99
One word to describe this Chilean SB…..Sassy! Errazuriz continues its impressive run of great showings in our taste-off results.

Rosenblum Wines at Pratt’s Inn

Last Friday evening, the 8th of May, nearly 60 of you joined us for the Suburban Wines dinner event of the season. If you were not one of them, we regret that you missed Kent Rosenblum of Rosenblum Cellars graciously presenting to us ten selections from his impressive armada of California wines, including several of his top bottlings, paired nicely with multiple carnivorous courses at Peter Pratt’s Inn. If you were one of the attendees, you may or may not agree with me when I state that his wines are more balanced and sophisticated than they’ve ever been! I’ve been a quiet follower of Rosenblum wines since I tasted a ton of them back in the spring of ’01 with former winemaker Jeff Cohn at one of his storage facilities near Oakland. Back then, I found the wines to be fun, delicious and very Californian, if not assertively-oaky, sweet and high in alcohol. But what I tasted (drank) last Friday proved to me that Kent has been heading in a whole new direction, whether or not he let on about such a paradigm shift. His ‘05 Pickett Road Petite Sirah, for example, exhibited shocking purity and enough restraint to pique the interest of fans of Super Tuscan-style reds or modern-styled Spanish, for instance. There’s no shortage of “guts” in the wine, but the glop factor has been drastically reduced. The same goes for his ’05 Maggie’s Reserve and St Peter’s Church Zindandels, both of which were majestic and absolutely breathtaking to drink.

Thank you, everyone, for your interest and/or participation in the dinner, and for enduring Kent’s interesting jokes! I, like most, had a ball that evening, as is proven in the picture posted below. Also, a link to some more pictures! Enjoy them. –Michael Koehler

See more pictures here - http://bit.ly/mjKNF

Livio Sassetti (Pertimali) Visit

Busy day today…off to Pertimali this morning, and then lunch with Uccelliera. Walked to the Pertimali Estate on a gorgeous morning….

Some notes on what was tasted at the Pertimali Estate:

2007 Pertimali Rosso di Montalcino – Tank aged/no oak. Fresh, lovely fruit on the nose, and lively fruit on the palate as well. Has a bit of grip…this is made from young vines and the second selection of Brunello grapes. Aged for 12 months in stainless steel. Really nice, but probably not worth the $30 price tag.


2005 Istricia - La Querciolina - (Maremma) – 80% Sangiovese, 20% Ciliegiolo. Really nice purity and minerality with a lovely fresh quality and a bit of grip and tannin on the finish. Lively and fresh not, and over the next few years, the tannin should integrate quite nicely. Well done.

2004 Pertimali Brunello – Reserved and closed on the nose, giving off only subtle hints of leather with some underlying fruit. Full mouth-feel, but still relatively closed. Everything is integrated quite nicely, it just needs some time to evolve. Pertimali is consistently one of my favorite producers, and the 2004 Brunello is another winner.

2006 Pertimali Brunello (Barrel Sample) – The wine was sampled from a 76 year old barrel. Surprisingly, it is more forward on the nose than the 2004…softer and more approachable. As great as the ’04 is, I think that the 2006 will eventually turn out to be a nicer wine for me.


By the way, If you like Brunello, there is a string of excellent vintage coming up. Five in a row, as a matter of fact. The Brunello Consorzio rates each vintage on a 1 to 5 “star” system.

Only the very best vintages get 4 or 5 stars…

2004 5 stars
2005 4 stars
2006 5 stars
2007 5 stars
2008 5 stars

What a great time to be a lover of Brunello!

Back To The Future

Got together with some wine geek friends last evening, and below are some pictures of the damage we caused. Forgive the quality of the pictures...camera phone+shaky hand= mediocre photographer.

The 1959 Bertani Amarone was opened last without a decant. Definitely very much alive and offering up excellent Amarone texture and flavors. Personally, I would rather drink this that most of the Amarone that is produced today.

The 1978 Pio Cesare Riserva was right up there in the discussion for Wine of the Night. It was extremely youthful and still loaded with rustic Nebbiolo fruit. All of the ear markings of great Barolo were there. What a treat.
The 1988 Pertimali Brunello showed very well, and was right up there among some of the best Brunello I have ever had. Great vintage...great producer, the wine is in a great place right now and drinking beautifully.
This wine had extremely high expectations coming in. Evidently it is a combination of several of the greatest producers in Piedmont, selecting the finest the have to offer of that vintage (the legendary 1978) and then bottling it separately. Overall, a disappointment...perhaps it was stored poorly over the years, but the wine seemed over the hill and was lacking on the finish.
The 1982 Ceretto Brunate was also right up there in the discussion for Wine of the Night honors. Should have been decanted for a lot longer than it was, it was still very much a baby. But once it opened up...WOW. This was nebbiolo at its finest. Yummy.

Thanks to good friends for a great evening! - Lance Cerutti

Just a quick stray entry

Just a quick stray entry (off topic, I might add). I had the opportunity to play poker last week with Phil Gordon (professional poker player, see him here http://www.philnolimits.com/) at a charity event. A friend of mine bid on an evening with Phil for charity and won the auction. The result was an evening of poker with the man himself.

Maybe you play poker, maybe you don’t. I play pretty often, and while hardly at a professional level, I do ok. Playing with someone of Phil’s caliber is a completely different ballgame. He knew exactly what to do at exactly the right time EVERY time.

He took money from everyone at the table (except for me). For the record, I did not win any money from Phil, I just happened not to lose any to him.

He was also extremely gracious and helpful. At the end of the evening, he took his winnings and gave them to our host (who had paid for the event through his charitable donation), and asked him to give the money to charity (it was a relatively sizable sum). A great night. – Lance Cerutti

Suburban Goes to Italy 2009 - Part Three

So we start this wonderful 2 hour plus drive from north of Pisa to Montalcino. Five men (plus luggage) were crammed into an Alpha Romeo station wagon. We were riding low to the ground! Turns out that one of the guys brought his GPS with him, so we fire it up and off we go.

Everything is running very smoothly until we get about 3 miles outside of the town of Montaclino. The actual town is nestled on the top of a hill, literally carved into the mountain. Anyway, after several wrong turns and u-turns, we find our way onto the road that leads us directly into town. It is a dirt road, about the width of the car, with a drainage channel on either sire. By this time it is 8pm and pitch black outside. Oh, by the way, I neglected to mention that the road was well worn in, with two grooves for your tires, and a lovely hump in the middle. Five men + luggage + dirt goat path = sparks flying off the bottom of the car.

I was driving, and let me tell you, everyone is a critic. Trying to avoid the water channels, and avoid bottoming out the car was quite an adventure. At night. In a strange place. Uphill about 2 miles, with no possibility to turn around. Fun stuff. Only a dozen pieces of the car fell off by the time we got to the top, made our way around the narrow streets of Montalcino, and found our hotel.

Checked in, had a quick shower and then downstairs to dinner. Had a lovely dinner where the highlight was a Tuscan pasta dish called “Pinci”. I posted a picture of it below, as it truly was delicious. It’s kind of a thick spaghetti tossed with breadcrumbs, olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper.

Needless to say we drank some wine as well. The evening’s selections were:

2007 Terre Dorre Fiano
1991 Biondi-Santi Brunello
1993 Soldera Brunello

Just for fun, I have also posted a picture of my room at the hotel. Have been to Europe once or twice, I have become used to the smaller size of rooms there, but this one was the smallest yet. No worries though, as I was only using the room to sleep in! More next time as I will review our visits to Pertimali and Uccelliera. – Lance Cerutti – www.suburbanwines.com

Suburban Goes to Italy 2009 - Part Two

Or is it really Day 1? I left yesterday, but just got here? Time difference if a killer, but I am good to go and feel like a million bucks! When we last met, I was on my way to Giorgio Rivetti’s Tuscan Estate. Normally at this juncture, I would share so fabulous pictures with you. But, when we finally found the winery (travelling in Europe without a GPS is FUN!), we had to walk a bit and I had left my camera in the car, I did take some pictures with my phone (the quality is not as great, but it's better than nothing!). Fear not, however, as I had it by my side for the remainder of the trip. Anyway, I digress, he gave us a tour of the new building. The winery is very modern in style (much like his wines), and carved into the side of a mountain. A picture of the some of the vineyards is below.

The entire operation is state-of-the-art, and brand spanking new. Without question, Giorgio’s Tuscan offerings have seen dramatic improvement since they were initially introduced 3 years ago. After we tasted through his new releases, Giorgio says “We are going to go to lunch at my favorite place, it’s only about 20 minutes North of here”. I hop into his car and away we go. A full hour later, driving at 200 kilometers an hour we arrive. But it was worth the trip, at least after my heart stopped racing!

Lunch itself was an amazing experience, at a restaurant called “Lorenzo” in Forte dei Marmi, just north of Pisa (picture below).



Giorgio, as always was the perfect host, rolling out an amazing assortment of wines (all served blind):

Philliponnat Brut as a starter
01 Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
05 Coche-Dury Meursault AC
04 Spinetta Barbaresco Valeirano
08 Spinetta Moscato Biancospino

Killer lunch…great wines…wonderful company. Thank you Giorgio!

We finished up around 4pm, when Giorgio stood and told us that he needs to leave because he is hosting a dinner that evening…in Rome! A three hour drive away! He has boundless energy and is truly one of the best in the business!

We were full, a little jet-lagged, and in desperate need of another coffee. We took a walk around this gorgeous coastal town, grabbed a coffee (picture below) and jumped in the car for the 2 hour drive down to Montalcino…..where my brother…and another fabulous meal was waiting! More on that next time!

- Lance Cerutti - www.suburbanwines.com

Suburban Goes to Italy 2009 - Part One

The few weeks before my annual buying trip to Italy is always met with a hearty mixture of angst and excitement. The angst comes from leaving my family and business for such a long period of time (this year - 12 days). The excitement, clearly, comes from the opportunity to travel to Europe and visit (and re-visit) the places that make the wine and the wine business so special.

This year, the whirlwind tour took me through all of Tuscany, parts of Emilia-Romagna, and Veneto. Starting in Pisa and looping through Montalicno, Sienna, and Florence, this was the first leg of my journey. Lessons were learned every step of the way. I hope to share my experiences with you through my next batch of blog entries, so please be prepared to either be bored to tears, or skip over large amounts of text. The choice is yours…personally, I would opt for a mixture of reading until you get bored, then, skipping the remainder of the paragraph.
First, a bit about me. I love to go places, but I hate to get there. Flying is not a fun experience for me, and an overnight flight is the worst possible scenario. Cramped quarters, bad food, surly service, and the wine choices….not so good. Having said that, Delta has a lovely flight directly into Pisa which really put us in the thick of it all right away…..boarded the plane (empty I might add), took off at 8:30pm; and landed in Pisa before 10:30am local time. Luckily, as I mentioned, the plane (a 767), had only 88 people on board. Certainly a better scenario that I had anticipated and it made for a much more pleasant flight (although the surly service and bad food was still there).

I ate (you don’t want to know), watched “Eagle Eye” (decent movie….I would give it a “7”), and caught about 3 hours of sleep (not as much as I would like, but enough for me to get by). Before I knew it, I was on the ground in Tuscany. Went through customs (which is a breeze compared to the US), grabbed my luggage and headed outside to pick up the rental car. We rented an Alpha-Romeo station wagon (there were 5 of us). Hopped in and headed straight to our first appointment, meeting Giorgio Rivetti at his Tuscan estate, where he makes Sangiovese based wines.

Giorgio is best known for the “La Spinetta” wines from Piedmont, but he spends a few days a week in Tuscany overseeing the operation there. The Tuscan operation is really something to behold. I will go into more detail in my next entry. I am hoping to give you a day-by-day accounting of the trip, and shorter snippets like this are clinically proven to prevent nodding off. Until next time – Lance Cerutti – www.suburbanwines.com

WINE WITH DINNER – What does “unoaked” on a wine label mean?

I prefer unoaked Chardonnay with my meals, unless I’m having barbequed white meats or fish. But even Chardonnays with “unoaked” on the label can taste as if they have spent some time in oak. Why is that? To find the answer, I recently put the question to several vintners I know and people in the wine industry with whom I deal. Everyone I spoke to agreed that the term "unoaked" whether it appears on the front label or in the "poetic" descriptive material on the back label, allows the vintner quite a bit of leeway, since "unoaked" is an unregulated term.

One vintner explained, "..sometimes a wine is originally meant to be unoaked, but the winemaker finds it to be lacking in acid, richness and overall complexity. In order to counter that flatness he/she might blend back a little of their oaked Chard." This idea was further elaborated on by one of our major California wine distributors, who said, "... I would say that it is very common for California vintners to ferment the wine in tank and then move it to old barrels for 4-6 months to give it texture and some oxygen. Really not “unoaked”, but by California standards it is considered to be. There are almost no Chardonnays, or even Sauvignon Blancs from California that don't see any oak."

As to the difficulty of even deciding whether an "unoaked" label is truthful or not, one vintner posited, “... If a producer makes a Chard that is fermented primary in oak and then puts it through malolactic fermentation in oak again (so that it has a huge oak character), and also makes another Chard which is 90% stainless, …well by comparison the second is unoaked. So while it is possible that the label police could come after the producer, it's not likely."

But if the wine is truly unoaked, how can it taste oaked? A few vintners said that leaving Chardonnay on the skins (or the lees) for an extended period would allow for more phenolics than you might expect from a Chardonnay. One vintner said, "…these phenolics from the skins could form phenolic aldehydes, which are normally contributed to whites through the breakdown of oak lignin. So, that could explain some vanilla or spice aroma."

Another vintner highlighted the need to distinguish the "buttery" aspect of malolactic fermentation from the "vanillin" aspect of barrel aging. "Many tasters will attribute any buttery character to oak, but the buttery aromas are mostly diacetyl -- which is a metabolic by-product of malolactic fermentation. Diacetyl, by the way, is the chemical used to flavor microwave popcorn. Vanillin can be found in oak, and I have noticed that some tasters will confuse vanillin with diacetyl."

What I've learned from this exercise is that I shouldn't put much stock in the term "unoaked" on a wine label other than to regard it to mean "minimally oaked, if at all" – Jay Roelof – www.suburbanwines.com

Another indulgent evening at PPI

This month, it almost didn’t happen. Several cancellations (including my own) had George poised to call the evening off. But Lance convinced me, last minute, to keep it alive. And boy am I glad I didn’t miss this one……a quiet Wednesday night at Pratt’s allowed Jon to join us in assessing a kickin’ batch of juice that included an armada of samples from Argentina, and some more serious picks from our own cellars.

Amongst the various Malbecs and Malbec blends, there were few wines to speak kindly of. But amongst our special contributions, there were no slouches this time. Neither Mark’s ‘00 Jean Grivot Nuits-St-Georges les Roncieres nor my ‘06 Pierre Matrot Puligny-Montrachet les Chalumeaux were served blind, so there was no guessing game here. While the Grivot needed an hour in a decanter to reveal its supple texture, forward minerality and reserved, classic ‘00 personality, my Matrot was hot-to-trot right outta the gate, with a creamy, generous Chardonnay profile and a gorgeous pear/nut/mineral interplay. Both were picture perfect and consumed at the right time.

George and Lance’s contributions kicked it up a notch, as they were both celebrated bottlings from older vintages, again consumed at a perfect point in their evolution. Our guesses pinned it down to region on both, but Lance’s detective work maneuvered him to within one vintage of George’s very wine. It unleashed a rustic, aromatic attack of tobacco, Balsamic, soy, fennel and underbrush that screamed, what else……. Nebbiolo! The wine was clearly mature, but depending upon producer, it could have been anywhere from 10 to 30 years old. Lance settled on the halfway point, and guessed ’93 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia. Turns out it was the ’94.

Lance’s wine, at first, seemed over-the-hill, but upon one-hour’s decant, blossomed into what appeared to be a Burgundy of considerable depth and expression. Subtle herb, game and wet stone aromas jostled the olfactory instincts, preparing the palate for a sophisticated and surprisingly-sweet delivery of sexy, maturing Pinot. We’ll call this one the cougar! After some group deliberation, Lance tore away the paper bag on his bottle of ‘89 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos St Jacques, certifiably the Wine of the Night!

An honorable mention is in order for a supplemental wine that Lance threw into the mix. I was only able to guess its identity after multiple juicy hints. An ‘06 Pride Sangiovese from Sonoma was fat, fleshy, satisfyingly-sweet to the core and very good at being what it is, but was intrinsically-unable to impress this group of old-world wine fans. Great ringer, Lance, and a nice finish to a particularly-delicious evening for our group. Here’s to many more! -Michael Koehler – www.suburbanwines.com

WINE WITH DINNER – How Many Bottles Do You Buy For a Dinner Party?

When planning a dinner party, the first thing to ask yourself is, “How many people will there be at the table and do they all like wine?” Not everybody enjoys wine with their dinner, so it’s a good idea to have some sparkling water, fruit juice and soft drinks on hand, just in case.

Assuming everybody likes wine, how many bottles will be needed for a dinner party of six? For planning purposes, one bottle of wine will fill six wine glasses sufficiently, so that everybody gets a decent amount. Since most wine glasses hold 10 to 12 ounces, that means the glasses will be about 2/5ths to a third full, which is about right for a single glass of wine to really enjoy the wine’s bouquet. But there won’t be enough wine for second helpings, so you might want to have two bottles on hand (or serve two different wines side-by-side, which really adds another dimension of interest to your meal!). Two bottles for six people is about right, especially if everybody has a glass of water at their place setting as well, which health conscious people nowadays think is de rigueur for any dinner table setting.

You can stretch out one bottle to eight glasses, but there won’t be much in each glass when you have finished pouring. A regular bottle of wine holds 750 milliliters, which is about 25 ounces. So, eight glasses will only have about three ounces of wine in each, which is not very much - unless you are serving two different wines side-by-side or have an extra bottle of the same wine on hand to take care of refills. If you are not serving two different dinner wines, two bottles for eight almost requires that you have a third (unopened) bottle on hand, just in case.

If you are serving wine before dinner with appetizers and plan on spending some time socializing, you should buy three bottles for six to eight people (but don’t open the third until you need to), because the first wine of the evening usually gets the heaviest demand placed upon it.
In summary then, for a dinner party preceded by a social hour wherein hors d’oeurves are served, you should end up buying a total of five bottles for your dinner party for six and five or six bottles for your dinner party for eight (depending on how many wines will be served for dinner). If you do this, you are not likely to run out of wine, and may even have an unopened bottle left over to enjoy with a future meal.
And, from an alcohol moderation point of view, I have found it a good practice to serve at least one bottle less than the number of people who are being served over the entire evening - Jay Roelof – www.suburbanwines.com

On the misconceptions of cooking with wine

The following is one man’s opinion on cooking with wine. And considering that I don’t often cook, this opinion might not hold much water. The idea to post this gibberish owes its genesis to 8 years of collective inquiries from my customers at Suburban about how to choose a wine to cook with.

My favorite requests to fill involve wines for cooking specific dishes. The true “foodies” amongst you are adventurous and often take my advice on wine type and style, even when the selection costs a few bucks more than you had expected. This brings to mind the deeper issue…….just how much should one spend on a cooking wine? My answer is almost always “not a lot”. But then again, you should not spend too little, either. The following should guide you in making the distinction for your self:

-First, stay away from any wine or wine section labeled “cooking wine”. This is your first indication that the quality of the juice is substandard, and not worthy of your discerning palates.

-Second, aside from including the right type of wine in your dish, you should always cook with wine that you would also consider for drinking. When trying to decide how much that should cost, consider the price and quality of the other ingredients in the dish. I doubt that any of you would be using poor, stale or tainted ingredients in your cooking, and the wine you include should be no exception. Spending as little as $5 or $6 on a bottle may be a mistake, as would be spending as much as $100.

-Finally, the better quality the wine, the potentially tastier your dish. But like everything else, this has its limits. I recall an article in Decanter Magazine a few years back wherein a columnist wrote about her experiment with using high-end wine in her cooking. She prepared several different dishes using mature first-growth Bordeaux. She concluded that her coq au vin was indeed the best she had ever prepared, but only by a subjective margin of 10%. So, does that justify spending 2,000% more on the wine? The lesson is: be sensible with your cooking wine choices, but avoid being chintzy.

Most of the wines I end up recommending for cooking cost between $15 and $25/bottle, with some exceptions in either direction. Essentially, what you’ll want is a wine that will match with, as well as enhance the flavors in your dish, rather than one that competes with your dish or stands out as an obvious component. For specific recommendations, I welcome your inquiries anytime, either in person, or by email at michael@suburbanwines.com.

As a footnote, after you have picked your poison, treat is as you would any other ingredient. What I’m getting at specifically is that you should always smell and taste a wine before cooking with it. You all have had that unpleasant experience of discovering your drinking wine is corked, oxidized or otherwise flawed. Your cooking wine may be one of those, and you wouldn’t want to ruin your beautiful dish by inadvertently pouring spoiled wine into it. –Michael Koehler- www.suburbanwines.com

Well, here we are right smack in the middle of February. Things sure have changed over the last year or so! Everyone has been affected by the economy. Last year it seemed like the “perfect storm”…downturn in the economy, weak dollar abroad…wholesalers (the people we buy wine from) and wineries raising prices across the board. It was tough for everyone. As a store, it makes us work even harder to find the value that is out there. We held the line and did not raise many prices, absorbing the increases.

But from the customer standpoint, there seems to be alight at the end of this tunnel! The dollar is getting stronger, and the wholesalers have lots of unsold wine that we are making great deals on. About a week or so, I sat down and decided to put into writing some of the things that makes Suburban different from some of the other stores out there. What you may not see behind the scene here is that we literally taste hundreds of wines each week…constantly looking for value. Our team is scouring every possible buying option finding those hidden gems that are out there. We work hard, and I hope that it shows.

I would also like to thank each end every one of you for your continued patronage. Without all of you, there is no Suburban, and we are eternally grateful.

What makes Suburban different?

· We taste hundreds of wines per week, selecting new items based on delivering more value for your dollar.

· NO NEW ITEM graces our shelves unless we have tasted it and approved of it first.

· We host large-scale tasting events at least twice per month. AND, we open wine for you to taste every Saturday!

· Membership in our wine club allows you to get up to 30% or more off the items you purchase from us. Are you a member yet?

· We are always happy to special-order any item that we do not already carry.

· Need wine help or advice? We have a team of “wine geeks” ready to help with whatever you may need.

· Many times we find that big “name brands” simply do not deliver quality based upon their cost. Remember… their advertising budget comes from your pocket! We specialize in finding small-production wines from people who put their heart and soul into the bottle, offering a product that costs less than it should!

WINE WITH DINNER – The Missing Ingredient

So here we are right in the middle of the coldest part of the winter and what would be more natural than an article about some great wines to go with hefty winter soups and stews? ………But, when I got to thinking about it, I wondered how many of you know what goes into the making a really great soup or stew? Of course, the answer to that question is a great stock. Basic Soup Cooking Rule No. 1 - It is really hard to make a bad soup (or stew) out of a great soup stock.

So, I’m one step away from where I started. Hmmm, but how many of you know what the missing ingredient is in most stocks? It’s not anything that you cut up and drop into the pot. It’s not even the water that you use (although fresh well water is better than chlorinated water). In fact you don’t even start with water! You start with a base vegetable stock.

So, now I’m two steps away from where I started. Well, it’s too late now. Let’s talk about base vegetable stock and how easy it is to make. All you need is a little freezer space, a large plastic Ziploc bag and a little discipline. It’s really quite simple. Just don’t throw away your eggshells, vegetable trimming and peelings, onion skins, carrot and celery scrapings, etc. and tired veggies that you sometimes find in the bottom of the vegetable bin. They all go into the zip lock bag instead. The only veggies or veggie parts that don’t go into the bag are anything from the cabbage family. You’ll be surprised at how fast the bag will fill up.

When the bag is full, pour it into the top of a double boiler, cover well with water, add a little salt, a quarter cup of white vinegar and slowly bring it to a boil. Then let it simmer for an hour or so and turn off the heat. When the liquid cools down, remove the upper part of the double boiler and throw out the contents. Now pour what’s left in the bottom of the double boiler throw a fine strainer and into large freezer containers. Cool them in the refrigerator over night and the next morning put them (labeled) into your freezer.

Now you’ve got hearty vegetable stock ready to go whenever you want to make a hefty soup or stew. I never use water when I cook; I even make rice using base vegetable stock! But, alas, I’m out of space and still two steps away from where I started. Oh well, maybe next time I’ll get into making great soups and stews. Jay Roelof – www.suburbanwines.com

Suburban’s Staff Unwinds

The holidays are busy times for wine retail, so our staff tradition is to wait until early January before collectively kicking back with some food, wine and celebration, Suburban style. This year, Lance set us up at Peter Pratt’s for the festivities. A private room awaited us, as usual, and an empty table provided us with the space for the numerous bottles we brought. As the corks flew, that table quickly became a sampling space, wherein each of us tried to taste as many of the 2-dozen wines as possible before settling on our favorites to drag with us to the dinner table. Hors d’oeuvres came, and opinions filled the room about whose contributions faired the best. It was difficult to really choose a winner, since most of the wines were “heavyweights”. But in the end, we broke it down this way:

The purists or “traditionalists” among us agreed that George W’s contribution of an organically-farmed 2001 Lirac by Domaine de la Mordoree was the king, with its high tones, striking minerality and beautiful delineation of classic Rhone flavors, while the new-world hounds preferred Jason F’s 2002 Sherwin Family Napa Cabernet, an assertive wine with an aromatic attack of blackcurrants, charcoal, pen ink, and toasty American oak, finishing with outrageous chewy tannins. Both of these made fine complements for the ensuing carnivorous feast which included sirloin steaks, pork shanks, braised duck breasts and waygu beef burgers.

Other wine highlights included Kevin’s controversial yet delightfully-mature ’86 Chateauneuf-du-Pape from a negociant none of us had heard of before, a peppery and Cornas-like ’98 Brokenwood Shiraz Graveyard Vineyard, the white pepper and eucalyptus-laden ’96 Jim Barry Shiraz Armagh, an elegant, floral and pretty 2000 single-vineyard old vines Carignane from Porter Creek of Russian River Valley, a slightly past-peak but intriguing and licorice-laced ’89 Chateau Montelena Cabernet in magnum, a buttery, textured and extremely rare ’06 Gratis Chardonnay from Sea Smoke, the wine that started it all off…..a rich and precise ’98 Champagne Egerie de Pannier, and the wine that ended it all…..the dazzling, absolutely stunning 2000 Tokaji Ezencia by Dereszla, which is a dessert wine made from free-run juice that blew our minds with its dead-ringer apricot and green tea aromatics, and never-ending finish.

Kudos to Pratt’s for the amazing meal and the vino-friendly atmosphere. And thanks to Lance for the generosity. Here’s to a prosperous 2009! -Michael Koehler- www.suburbanines.com