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WINE EDITION 2013

3 Vintage style E V E N T S AT N O W F E

5 Thinking outside the bottle INTERVIE W WITH WINE E XPERT TIM HANNI

6 Wine reviews

COOL WINES FOR SUMMER

SWIZZLE: The Wine Edition 2013 www.bestofneworleans.com

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of City Grocery in Oxford, Miss., Food Network’s Aaron Sanchez and others. Tickets $250, VIP $325. Grand Tastings Grand Tastings take place Friday evening and Saturday afternoon in Hall J of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Restaurants serve dishes entered into NOWFE’s cooking competion. Also, the Louisiana Seafood Board’s Louisiana Seafood Cook-off takes place during the Saturday event. Tickets for each tasting are $99 in advance, $119 at the door.

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The Big Gateaux Show This baking and sweets competition is hosted by Food Network’s Keegan Gerhard (formerly of the Windsor Court Hotel) and Tariq Hannah, chef/proprietor of Sucre. The celebrity judging panel includes John Iuzzini of Bravo’s Top Chef Just Desserts. Competitors must create 1,000 petits fours and bonbons and showpieces inspired by a local burlesque dancer. The competition is 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Royal Sonesta. Tickets $75. Wine and Food Seminars There are seminars on wine topics from Oregon wines and sparkling wines to a survey of wines from Burgundy. Several seminars focus on Louisiana seafood, including one about the influence of Asian cooking in south Louisiana. Domenica chef Alon Shaya and visiting chef Michael Solomonov lead demonstrations and offer tastings of Israeli street food. Visit the website for a list of seminars. Ticket prices vary.

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he annual New Orleans Wine and Food Experience (NOWFE) brings together vintners and wine enthusiasts for a long weekend of culinary indulgence. Over four days, more than 1,000 wines from 175 wineries will be poured and evaluated at grand tastings, seminars, competitions and special events. More than 75 local restaurants participate in events and on Friday evening, chef Leah Chase will receive the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award. Below are some of the events at the 21st annual festival. Visit the website for details and tickets. Royal Street Stroll On Thursday, the Royal Street Stroll matches vintners with art and antique galleries on Royal Street. Patrons can browse the galleries and sample wines. There also are musicians and food vendors on the street, including both local restaurants and food trucks. Spread along the stretch will be Washboard Chaz, Leroy Jones, Robin Barnes and other performers. Participating restaurants include GW Fins, Antoine’s Restaurant, Bourbon House, Kingfish and others. Food trucks Frencheeze, La Cocinita and Foodie Call will park on the 800 block of Royal Street and Ms. Linda the Ya-ka-mein Lady will serve food as well. Tickets are $89 in advance, $109 at the event. Funkin’ It Up Saturday evening, the John Besh Foundation and NOWFE host a celebration featuring celebrity chefs, live music and an awards ceremony. Leah Chase will receive the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award, and several scholarship winners will be announced. Participating chefs include Besh, Donald Link, Susan Spicer, Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese in New York and San Francisco, Michelle Bernstein of Michy’s in Miami, John Currence

w/the purchase of a lunch entrée. Tues-Fri.

Wed. May 22

FRIday, May 24

Winemakers from around the world are paired with the city’s most prominent chefs & restaurants offering a unique dining experience.

Pastries, Champagne & Burlesque! Hosted by our local pastry pro Tariq Hanna of Sucre and Keegan Gerhard, one of the nation’s top pastry chefs. Come experience this year’s battle for the $5,000 prize!

WINe dINNeRS

Thu. May 23

VINOLa TaSTING

Our high-end wine tasting event where premier winemakers will pour their most sought after wines along with food samplings from our short list of invited chefs and live jazz.

Thu. May 23 SWIZZLE: The Wine Edition 2013 www.bestofneworleans.com

ROyaL STReeT STROLL Sponsored by Rouses

Set in the heart of the French Quarter on one of the oldest streets in the city, wine lovers will shop, sip & stroll on Royal Street all while live music & unique street performers delight the senses.

FRI. - SaT. May 24 & 25, SeMINaR SeRIeS

This year the seminar series offers tasteful twists from our local crop of chefs, visiting wineries & recognized speakers who will discuss what’s hot in wine & food!

The BIG GaTeauX ShOW

FRI. - SaT. May 24 & 25 GRaNd TaSTINGS:

A “Grand” experience for both foodies and wine connoisseurs, with offerings from New Orleans’ finest chefs and selections of wines from around the world. The 2013 Grand Tastings will feature the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off and performances by Flowtribe on Friday and the Nigel Hall Band on Saturday.

SaT. May 25

FuNKIN’ IT uP

The John Besh Foundation & NOWFE team up to bring you an all-star cast of chefs, wineries and live music performances by Kermit Ruffins, the Young Fellas Brass Band and Mia Borders. Also, two big award presentations including, the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award given to New Orleans’ great community leader, Mrs. Leah Chase.

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THINKING O U T S I D E T H E B OT T L E A wine exper t rethinks wine tasting. B Y B R E N DA M A I T L A N D

im Hanni is a trained chef and Master of Wine, a certification of expertise in wine and spirits knowledge. He’s also a maverick in his approach to tasting wines, questioning the premise of objective standards in scoring systems for wines. In his book Why You Like the Wines You Like he breaks down an approach that is more like a personality assessment. Hanni embraces the subjectivity of taste and has his own system of tasting profiles. He notes that experts often disagree about wines, and that has as much to do with their own physiology as the characteristics of the wine.

Why did you write this book? Hanni: I wrote this book to disrupt the status quo. It is intended to empower wine consumers by providing a new understanding of personal wine preferences and insights into the preferences of others. Should I pay attention to critics? If so, which ones? H: There are so many critics out there, I recommend that wine consumers who want some guidance find a critic who seems to parallel their — the consumer’s — likes and dislikes.

How do the new fundamentals in your book define a wine’s balance? H: Balance is the subjective interrelationship between sweetness, acidity, alcohol, tannins or bitterness and intensity that provides the overall flavor profile of a wine. Good balance is determined by personal preferences and expectations. How can I determine what kind of taster I am? H: Sweet tasters are the most physiologically sensitive group. This group wants sweet to mask bitterness and alcohol. They add a lot of cream and

sugar to their coffee, if they even drink coffee. They use a lot of salt in food, again to overwhelm bitterness. They love sweet wines that are low in alcohol, even with steak. Hypersensitive tasters are the largest segment of the population. They live in a sensory cacophony, are often artistic, love fragrances and strong flavors, may be prone to attention deficit disorder and are sensitive to bitter flavors and an abundance of alcohol in beverages. Sensitive tasters go with flow. They like coffee with moderate amounts of cream and sugar, but will take the coffee black if those additives are not available. They are compliant to a wide range of sensations but seek balance among all components. They also appreciate complex wines and consider this an important attribute. This group is the most adventurous of the tasting groups. Tolerant tasters: This group does not understand what all the fuss is about. They like things bigger, faster, stronger. Bottom-line oriented, tolerant tasters like big red wines, as well as Scotch, cigars and cognac. They are oblivious to high levels of tannin and alcohol. If you are interested to learn what kind of a wine taster you are, take the short, free self-assessment at www.myvinotype.com.

How does one learn how to match wine and food? H: These are highly personal decisions. Smell and taste are completely separate and independent sensations. We perceive flavor, both taste and smell, simultaneously using other sensations that influence our perceptions — memories define what we can and cannot identify. Personal experiences, even emotions, contribute to the identification process. The mind uses sensory prompts, especially smells, to create an expectation for the experience to come. What you perceive is personal and cannot be replicated by another person. The aromatics of wine often remind us of foods such as fruits, herbs, spices and butter. You can create a great match by including ingredients in a dish that echo — and therefore emphasize — the aromas and flavors in wine. Given all that, you can appreciate why the best food and wine pairings have to be based on what the diner likes, maybe not some lofty opinion handed down from a third party. Why do I like the wines I like? H: Why you like what you like is determined by the coalescence of immediate sensations, pre-programmed intuitive responses to sensory stimuli and memories from our life experiences, all coming together in our brain. In the broad picture, everyone is an individual with their own tastes. We all go about the business of tasting the same way, with the overall impressions coming mainly from our sense of smell. That is followed by the limited sense of taste we individually possess in varying levels of strength. Strongly coupled with the actual act of tasting are other factors, such as what kind of a mood are we in, what types of surroundings are we in and who are we with. At a fun social surrounding, we may find a wine we are just crazy about, and a few days later at a tense business dinner try it again and wonder, “What was I thinking?”

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Should I taste blind (a tasting where the identity of the wine is unknown to the taster)? H: Blind tasting helps to eliminate many prompts that profoundly influence our perception. This exercise also introduces new influences as well. Knowing that you are participating in a blind tasting has an enormous effect on your state of mind and on your perceptions.

Tim Hanni’s new book explains wine preferences.

What’s the umami thing? H: I became known as the “swami of umami” because I consider this basic aspect of taste as important as sweet, sour and bitter. Umami taste is a savory quality and is mainly associated with Asian cuisines. Western palates struggle with this concept because we are not taught to recognize it. Think of an uncooked mushroom. Bite it. Now microwave the mushroom. It becomes softer, more approachable and more giving in flavors. The nonumami-glutamic acid is converted into glutamate, a more savory compound, and one we can actually taste. Many foods that are high in umami characteristics, such as cooked asparagus and tomatoes, become better matches with wine after the addition of salt and lemon.

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WINE REVIEWS Cool white wines and roses for summer. B Y B R E N DA M A I T L A N D

2012 Echo Bay Sauvignon Blanc

2010 Schloss Vollrads Kabinett Riesling

MARLBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND

RHEINGAU, GERMANY

$13 RETAIL

$20-$22 RETAIL

The Marlborough region on the tip of New Zealand’s south island possesses ideal conditions for sauvignon blanc. Ocean breezes and mineral-rich soils give this wine its distinctive expression. It is aged in barrels and undergoes malolactic fermentation. The wine is pleasing by itself, but when paired with food, its citrus and passion fruit flavors and herbaceous notes blossom. Drink it with shrimp remoulade, crab ravigote, raw oysters, artichoke and asparagus. Buy it at: Pearl Wine Co. Drink it at: Antoine’s Restaurant.

Some German wines pair well with New Orleans’ spicy, heavy and rich cuisine, and this authentic riesling, which is dry, not sweet is one. Schloss Vollrads has been making wine for more than 800 years. The bouquet offers aromas of green apple, tropical fruits, peach and mango. On the palate, taste a faint hint of sugar and a prevalent acidity. Drink it with boiled seafood and Asian, Cajun and Mexican cuisines. Buy it at: Pearl Wine Co., Hopper’s Carte des Vins and Dorignac’s. Drink it at: Restaurant August, Root, Bourbon House, Red Maple, Lakeside Seafood and Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

2012 Hogwash Rose CALIFORNIA

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$19-$20 RETAIL

Some frivolous wine names seem designed to mask otherwise unappealing wines, but that is not the case with this bottling. Winemaker Tuck Beckstoffer blends grenache grapes from two vineyards, one in cool Mendocino and the other in warmer Paso Robles. This copper-colored wine opens up with melon flavor and granite notes. The bouquet offers lemon curd, orange peel and flowers. Cold fermentation and the saignee method of exposing the wine to grape skins give the wine intense flavor but a low alcohol content. It has a bone-dry flavor profile and a clean, balanced finish. Drink it with egg salad sandwiches, fried chicken, barbecue and seafood. Buy it at: Swirl Wine Bar & Market and Whole Foods Market in Metairie.

2011 Marques de Caceres Deusa Nai Albarino RIAS BAIXAS, SPAIN $15-$16 RETAIL

There’s a hint of the sea on the nose of this albarino from Rias Baixas in northwestern Spain. Citrus notes combine elegantly with stone fruit character, and there are notes of orange, apricot, peach, green apple and tropical fruit. A strong chill doesn’t numb its flavor, and it has a bracing acid finish. Albarino is made to be enjoyed young, when the fruit is at its freshest. Buy it at: Martin Wine Cellar, Dorignac’s. Drink it at: Vega Tapas Cafe, Rue 127, Cafe Minh and Oak.

2012 Feudi di San Gregorio Ros’Aura Rosato CAMPANIA, ITALY $14-$15 RETAIL

This Italian wine is powerful yet graceful. The aglianico grape is mostly identified with big, bold red wines, but this is a more elegant expression. Although the Campania region in Southern Italy is not known for producing subtle wines, this is a classic rose. The deep pink wine has a bit of carbon dioxide, which the Italians refer to as frizzante. It is very dry but the bouquet includes aromas of cranberry, pomegranate and herbs. Its minerality leaves the senses clean and satisfied. Drink it with pasta, charcuterie plates, pizza, meatballs, cannelloni and bruschetta. Buy it at: Swirl Wine Bar & Market and Faubourg Wines. Drink it at: Iris, Borgne, Ancora Pizzeria, a Mano, Charcoal’s Gourmet Burger Bar, Renaissance New Orleans Pere Marquette and Ristorante del Porto.

2011 Harlaftis Estate White ATTICA, GREECE $13-$15 RETAIL

Harlaftis presents the proper Greek expression of savatiano, the most widely planted white wine grape in Greece. The region has been cultivated for grape growing for centuries, but this wine is produced with thoroughly modern processes, including trellising

techniques. Vinification is done entirely in stainless steel, and the wine never touches wood. It exudes strong aromas of peach, pear and honeysuckle. On the palate, it offers a unique flavor not found in other white varietals. Drink it with dolmas, phyllo cheese triangles, spinach pie, smoked salmon, feta and leek pitas and other light fare. Buy it at: Faubourg Wines and Rouses in Uptown. Drink it at: Schiro’s Cafe and Bar.

2012 Domaine de Triennes Rose PROVENCE, FRANCE $16 RETAIL

Triennes was founded in 1989 and named for the ancient Roman festival held every three years to honor Bacchus. This wine is a blend of primarily cinsaut with grenache and merlot. On the palate, taste strawberry and bits of peach and watermelon. It is punctuated with strong acidity on the finish. Drink it with sushi, boiled crabs, fried soft-shell crabs, red beans and sausage, grilled vegetables and soft cheeses. Buy it at: Martin Wine Cellars in Uptown and Metairie. Drink it at: Rene Bistrot.

2010 Tangent Sauvignon Blanc EDNA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA $13 RETAIL

2010 BlackSmith Chardonnay COLUMBIA VALLEY, WASHINGTON

This new label from Forgeron Cellars is a chardonnay-heavy blend of semillon, grenache blanc, orange muscat, Marsanne and viognier. In the glass, sense aromas of crisp pear, flowers and lemon basil. On the palate, taste pineapple, papaya, green apple and a bready character, indicating time spent aging on the lees. Drink it with chicken salad, roasted pork loin, grilled white fish and pasta bordelaise. Buy it at: Swirl Wine Bar & Market.

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Winemaker Christian Roguenant coaxes everything he can from sauvignon blanc grapes. The vineyards are 4 miles from the Pacific Ocean, and the area enjoys one of the longest growing seasons in California. The vintner makes multiple passes through the vineyards during harvest, each time taking only fruit that is ripe. Early fruit provides citrus and herbal flavors and subsequent pickings add roundness and tropical notes. The approach also develops the grape’s grassy character, as well as hints of passion fruit and citrus. The high acidity makes it a good companion to fresh seafood, especially oysters. Buy it at: Rouses on Tchoupitoulas Street.

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Where the Fun Begins and ends

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a reason Hotel Monteleone is the official host hotel for several of New Orleansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; premier festivals and events. We know how to celebrate! Come meet and dine at our award-winning Criollo Restaurant. Take a spin at the famous Carousel Bar & Lounge. And as one event leads into the next, come rest in style. . . right in the heart of it all.

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BUBBLING

OVER

Alternatives to Champagne

B Y B R E N DA M A I T L A N D

A consistent medal winner, this wine is named for Pope Callistus, who was born in Burgundy and served as Archbishop of Vienne. It’s a blend of pinot gris, Chardonnay, pinot blanc and pinot auxerrois. The wine exudes heavy yeast and floral notes in the bouquet and a fresh effervescence and long finish. Find it at Swirl Wine Bar & Market. • JCB No. 21 Cremant de Bour-

Cremant

gogne. Jean-Charles Boisset is heir to the legendary Boisset wine empire of Vougeot, and his sparkling wines are designated by numerals. This wine comes from the Cote d’Or in Burgundy, and it features golden tones and inviting citrus flavors. It is a good match for cheese and charcuterie boards. Drink it at Patrick’s Bar Vin. • Charles Duret Cremant de Bourgogne Rose. Vincent Sauvestre, a fourth-generation Burgundian whose winemaking family is well-established in Meursault, began this project in 2003. It’s a blend of 30 percent Chardonnay and 70 percent pinot noir. Yeasts and a nutty component accent its flavor and it has a balanced, creamy finish. Find it at Martinique Bistro, SoBou, Poeyfarre Market, La Petite Grocery and R’evolution. • Langlois Cremant de Loire Brut Rose. Made in the Loire, this sparkler is all cabernet Franc, and it offers delicate flavors of raspberry and strawberry with nutty, yeasty notes. Find it at Dorignac’s, Boucherie, Emeril’s Delmonico, Emeril’s Restaurant and Dijon.

Cremant wines are governed by laws that regulate the process and time of storage, but they are made with the methode traditionelle vinification standards, just like Champagne. Usually, cremants are wines from well-known and established wineries within a region, so consumers can purchase a trusted label even though they are not familiar with the bottling. Cremants are made in many regions, including Alsace, Loire, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Jura. Prevalent Champagne grapes are pinot noir, Chardonnay and pinot meuniere. Other grapes used to make sparkling wines include riesling, pinot blanc, chenin blanc, cabernet Franc and gamay. Here are locally available cremants. • Pierre Sparr Cremant d’Alsace Brut Reserve. This sparkler is a blend of 80 percent pinot blanc and 20 percent pinot auxerrois. It offers strong lemon notes and has a solid acid backbone. Find it at Dorignac’s, The Wine Seller, Iris and Schiro’s Cafe and Bar. • Calixte Cremant d’Alsace Brut.

Cava Spanish sparkling wine made with methode traditionelle is called cava. When a Spanish sparkling wine is made in the charmat method, it is called vinos espumosos. Almost all cavas are produced in the Penedes area within the Catalonia region, southwest of Barcelona, using macabeo, parellada and xarel-lo grapes. • Anna de Codorniu Brut and Brut Rose. This winemaking house was founded in 1551, and in 1872, Josep Raventos invented the Spanish sparkling wine cava. Now 25 years on the market, Anna de Codorniu Brut has flavors of apple and pear. Excellent yeast aromas translate to a creamy palate feel. Buy it at Dorignac’s.

Metodo Classico, Italy Italy produces large quantities of sparkling wine known as Prosecco, created in the namesake region from the namesake grape. But other places like the region of Trentino, in the northeast, follow different production methods. Cantine Ferrari produces an array of Italian sparkling wine styles, and the Ferrari Brut is at the head of the pack. The first vintage was released in 1902 after Giulio Ferrari introduced the winemaking process he had learned in Epernay, France — in the Champagne region. It is made with Chardonnay grapes. The winery also makes a lovely rose from a blend of pinot noir and Chardonnay. Find Ferrari Brut at Swirl Wine Bar & Market, Maximo’s, the Ritz-Carlton and Ceasar’s Restaurant.

Sparkling Wine The New World labels bubbly wines as sparkling wine. Those wines created in the classic style are designated methode traditionelle. • Selby Sonoma County Sparkling

Carnival – Susie Selby is a fan of New Orleans and Carnival, hence the name for her first sparkling wine. Buy it at Dorignac’s and Elio’s Wine Warehouse. • Domaine Carneros Vintage Sparkling Wine. This outpost of the renowned Champagne house Taittinger dates all of its sparkling wines with the year of the harvest. Located in the cooler, southern areas of Napa and Sonoma counties, the ideal growing conditions for pinot noir and Chardonnay are on full display in the glass: balance, creaminess and flavors of lemon, pear, apple and berry fruit. Domaine Carneros Rose is equally impressive. Find both wines at some Rouses, Matassa’s Market, Schiro’s Bar and Cafe, The Wine Seller, Vieux Carre Wine & Spirits, Dorignac’s, Swirl Wine Bar & Market, Lakeview Grocery, Langenstein’s in Metairie, Roberts Fresh Market, Martin Wine Cellar and Acquistapace’s Covington Supermarket. • Scharffenberger Brut Rose Excellence. Founded in 1981, this winery is considered one the premier wine operations in the U.S. Brut Rose Excellence is a salmon-hued blend of 54 percent pinot noir and 46 percent Chardonnay. On the palate, raspberry jam flavor gives way to strawberries and cream. Buy it at Martin Wine Cellar and Dorignac’s. • Mirabelle Brut. From the famous Schramsberg winery, founded in 1862, this popular multi-vintage wine is made from fruit grown in northern California’s Anderson Valley, Carneros and the Sonoma and Marin coastal areas. The wine contains up to 20 percent of aged base-wine lots and is aged for two years at the winery. It’s a blend of pinot noir and Chardonnay. Find it at Dorignac’s, Rouses in Uptown and Acqistapace’s Covington Supermarket. • Roederer Estate Multi-Vintage Brut. This American extension of the classic Champagne house in France places its sparkling wine in barrels to punctuate the pretty fruit with a bit of oak. This blend of Anderson Valley pinot noir and Chardonnay is further blended from the results of several harvests. Buy it at Martin Wine Cellar, Dorignac’s and most Rouses. • J Cuvee 20 and J Brut Rose. These bottlings get beautiful bubbles from grapes grown in the cool climate of Russian River Valley vineyards, and the wines have great style and finesse. Find them at Dorignac’s, Elio’s Wine Warehouse, Vieux Carre Wine & Spirits, most Rouses, Lakeview Grocery, Hopper’s Carte des Vins, The Wine Seller, Martin Wine Cellar, Breaux Mart, W.I.N.O., Robert Fresh Market, Langenstein’s, Prytania Liquor Store, Saia’s Super Market and Acquistapace’s Covington Supermarket. • Graham Beck Brut NV. South African wineries create sparkling wines with the same methods used in Champagne, and they call the technique “cap classique.” Graham Beck produces this brut with pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes, but the two varietals are fermented separately, blended with reserve wines and then rest on the yeast for up to 18 months. This yields lime aromas and flavors and a creamy texture. But it at Rouses in Uptown and Dorignac’s.

www.bestofneworleans.com SWIZZLE: The Wine Edition 2013

lmost everyone loves Champagne and the excitement of popping a cork. But Champagne can be costly. Fortunately, there are many good Champagne alternatives. To be labeled Champagne, the wine must come from the region of Champagne, but sparkling wines are produced in other regions of France as well as Italy, Spain, the U.S., South Africa and myriad other places. They have different names and characters, and many cost less than $30. When comparing labels, note that some identify the grapes used and the method to make the sparkling wine. Methode traditionelle (formerly methode champenoise) means there is a second fermentation in the bottle, which gives the wine its bubbles. There also are terms to identify the amount of sugar in the final iteration of Champagne or sparkling wine. Extra brut, sometimes called brut naturale, means little to no sugar was added during the final step of creating the wine, the dosage. Brut is the most popular sugar level. Extra dry has a higher amount of sugar and is sweeter. Sec contains more sugar than extra dry, and the next level is demi-sec, the next sugar level up. And douze is a sweet wine.

• Marcel Martin Cremant de Loire. This bottling is one of the estate’s best and is labeled a “tete du cuvee.” It’s a blend of 70 percent chenin blanc, 20 percent Chardonnay and 10 percent cabernet Franc. It has a lovely effervescence, crisp acidity and complex flavors. Buy it at Dorignac’s and Swirl Wine Bar & Market.

SOMMELIER SELECTIONS AT ROUSES We carry highly rated wines and unique spirits from all over the world, not to mention the best craft and local beer selection of any market. But don’t be intimidated by the choices; our in-store sommeliers and wine experts are there to help you make the perfect selection for every occasion.

JOIN US AT THE NEW ORLEANS WINE & FOOD EXPERIENCE THE ROYAL STREET STROLL SPONSORED BY ROUSES ON THURSDAY, MAY 23TH The Most Unique Wine Tasting In The World!

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A definitive evening event bringing together New Orleans’ greatest gifts: rare antiques, fine art, live jazz, stunning historic architecture, our top restaurants and the world’s outstanding wines.

MAY 22-25

GRAND TASTINGS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, MAY 24TH - 25TH Look for our booth at the this truly “Grand” experience for both foodies and wine connoisseurs, which features tastings from more than 75 of New Orleans’ finest chefs and a selection of 1,000 wines from around the world.

Get your tickets for both events at www.nowfe.com

“

We put so much effort into our wine department because we believe an extraordinary wine department enhances an extraordinary grocery store the way an extraordinary wine enhances an extraordinary meal. - Donny Rouse

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BOOZER F R I E N D LY

Gadgets and finds for the winer things in life. B Y K AT H L E E N A L L A I N

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Your wine doesn’t have to be the only great vintage. This vintage cork ice bucket is a funky find, $32 at Caravan (The Shops at 2011, 2011 Magazine St., 504-525-2240; www.theshopsat2011.com).

Drink at your own risk with this skull-andcrossbones double old-fashioned glasses and decanter, $30 per glass, $90 for the decanter at Hazelnut (5515 Magazine St., 504-891-2424; 2735 Hwy. 190, Mandeville, 985-626-8900; www.hazelnutneworleans.com). Serve liquor on this Gulf Coast map tray and display it on the wall when it’s not in service, $155 at Gentry. Put a natural twist on opening wine bottles with this root corkscrew, $64 at Caravan. Don’t fear, this lovely emergency kit is here, to erase your red wine smear. It contains two purse-sized bottles that can take care of an unexpected spill away from home, $10.50 at Gentry. These king and queen goblets have us royally flushed, $65 at Mignon Faget (The Shops at Canal Place, 333 Canal St., 504524-2973; 3801 Magazine St., 504-8912005; Lakeside Shopping Center, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 504835-2244; www.mignonfaget.com).

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Complete with a muddler, reamer, jigger and zester, a 10-in-one bar tool will never leave you scrambling through kitchen drawers, $50 at Gentry (6047 Magazine St., 504-899-4223).

shop our stores 829 Chartres St. 2048 Magazine St. shop online www.trashydiva.com

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Tips for pairing wine and food. B Y B R E N DA M A I T L A N D

With pizza, keep it simple with a mediumbodied red like a chianti, she says. For Mariza’s salumi pizza, which features housecured meats, she recommends “a nice, brusque, fruity lambrusco — either chilled or at room temperature — such as our Rosenere Lambrusco from Emilia-Romagna.” For chicken cacciatore lovers, Casebonne suggests an Italian sangiovese or montepulciano or a fullboded chardonnay. For a dish like lamb osso buco, Casebonne says, “I love merlot or zinfandel with lamb, or an Italian red would work perfectly, too.” With Mariza’s lamb belly dishes or lamb meatballs served with a poached duck egg, Casebonne points to Fratelli Revello Dolcetto d’Alba. For the braised lamb belly with polenta and tomato, she offers Livio Felluga Vertigo Merlot, a cabernet sauvignon blend from Italy’s delle Venezie, available by the bottle or glass. Casebonne says several of Mariza’s hearty dishes call for big reds. Short ribs rigatoni with wild mushrooms and olive mascarpone goes with Saggi’s sangiovese, cabernet and syrah blend from Washington state’s Columbia Valley. In revisiting her Italian experiences, Casebonne recalls a cheese plate that when paired with a nutty Recioto di Soave Classico was a complete knockout. Mariza offers daily cheese plates as well as daily house-cured charcuterie plates. “Our house-cured meats are constantly changing,” she says. “I would choose to pair a nebbiolo such as the Damilano or

At Annunciation, A.J. McAlear pairs wines with contemporary Creole dishes. PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER

palate it just kind of cleansed everything.” He says that sparkling wines can pair well with just about anyting, including salty meats, potato chips and cheeses. McAlear recommended a good sparkling wine with one of the area’s favorite dishes, fried chicken bonne femme with raw garlic. “There’s lots of strong flavors, but it really works on so many levels. A taste of the fried chicken, then a sip of the Champagne. Those beautiful bubbles really refresh your palate,” he says. Manning prepares a variation on chicken bonne femme by crisping the chicken in a pan and then roasting it in the oven with the garlic, and serving it over brabant potatoes, mushrooms and lardons with Marsala-based chicken stock reduction.

With Annunciation’s version, McAlear suggests a Spanish white wine from Priorat, Cellar Cal Pia Mas D’en Compte, or a French Bourgogne blanc, Domaine Maroslavac-Leger Puligny Montrachet. He’s also fond of the Bussola Ca’ del Laito Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore with the dish. Looking at some other Louisiana specialties, McAlear recommends pairing an off-dry Riesling Kabinett with crawfish or shrimp etouffee. “The wine’s good acidity marries with the richness of the dish,” he says. At the restaurant, McAlear chooses a white Italian Masseria li Veli Verdeca from San Marco to serve with etouffee. He even has recommendations for the most common lunchtime staples, like red beans and rice with sausage. McAlear says roses such as Cabernet d’Anjou or a southern Rhone rose are a perfect match. He also likes pairing either a valpolicella or pinot noir. With chicken or duck and andouille gumbo, McAlear likes a Priorat red because the wine is big enough to stand up to the dish, he says. “Rhone reds also pair well with game birds, and I can see a Gigondas or another southern Rhone with the dish, perhaps from Rasteau or the new Vinsobres AOC.” Thinking of what to serve with shrimp remoulade, McAlear noted that the vinegar base makes for a more difficult pairing, and he suggests a light, clean Vouvray chenin blanc or a gruner veltliner, albarino or muscadet. With turtle soup, the sherry presents yet another issue, but McAlear again suggests reaching for an Austrian gruner veltliner, a dry riesling or even a chablis. “I also like the idea of a light red — a cru Beaujolais, a Fleurie or Moulin-a-Vent would pair well,” he says. “The crus are not super fruity and have more depth and character than the village-level wines,” McAlear adds. A popular appetizer at Annunciation is Manning’s fried oysters topped with sauteed spinach and melted brie. McAlear pairs it with Eidosela Albarino from Rias Baixas or Marcel Deiss vin d’Alsace. Oysters Rockefeller is another dish combining oysters and a rich topping. “With the traditional Oysters Rock, I would go with a muscadet from the Loire Valley,” McAlear says. “It’s a good bet because the herbsaint in the spinach mixture makes it hard to find a good match.” With fried trout and other local fish, especially when topped with crabmeat or meuniere, McAlear recommends any white Burgundy or a well-balanced chardonnay, preferably one without too much oak influence. “A viognier would be a good choice as well,’ he says. For Annunciation’s crusty fried, wild Des Allemands catfish, McAlear’s choice is clear, “Champagne! The Henriot Brut Souverain, Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage or Barnaut Grand Cru Brut Rose would suit the dish just fine,” he says.

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hef Ian Schnoebelen and wife Laurie Casebonne own Iris in the French Quarter and Mariza in Bywater. He presides over the kitchens and she serves as general manager, wine buyer and sommelier for both restaurants. They decided to open Mariza on a return flight from a vacation in Italy. Casebonne recalls one of their most memorable meals was a whole fish they devoured in Venice that was paired with a refreshing white wine, “A Gavi, I think,” Casebonne says. “It was such a delicious pairing. The dish provided the inspiration for the ‘whole fish of the day’ on Mariza’s menu.” Mariza opened in January in a stylish space in the National Rice Mill Lofts and features a wide selection of Italianinfluenced dishes. Casebonne familiarized herself with Italian wines and tasted hundreds of them to create Mariza’s 50-bottle list. Gambit asked Cassebonne and Annunciation’s A.J. McAlear to share their recommendations for pairing wine with popular local dishes as well as dishes at their restaurants. Casebonne has many suggestions for pairing Italian wines with common Italian dishes. For something like eggplant parmigiana, she suggests a light Italian red with a touch of sweetness like an amarone or ripasso, or a dry rose from southwestern France such as Domaine de Nizas. For hearty pasta dishes like lasagna, “Just about any Italian red would make a good companion: chianti, sangiovese, barbera, Barbaresco and montepulciano,” Casebonne says. At Mariza, Schnoebelen prepares vegetarian lasagna with vegetables from a farmers market and roasted garlic Italian cream. For this version, Casebonne recommends a light Italian red such as Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico or a white wine such as Domine de la Croix Senaillet Chardonnay from Saint-Veran in Bourgogne. For another local favorite, veal scallopine, a light Italian red like Barbera d’Asti would make a good companion, she says. A dish with earthy flavors, like mushroom risotto calls for an earthy pinot noir, Casebonne says.

even a crisp, light, slightly fruity glass of prosecco such as our Terriero Brut.” At the Warehouse District restaurant Annunciation, McAlear serves as general manager, wine buyer and sommelier. Annunciation features contemporary Creole cooking by chef Steve Manning, who served as executive chef at Clancy’s for years. Asked about a memorable wine and food pairing, he recalled a Champagne experience. “Although I can’t recall every detail, I do remember that the wine was a 1985 Champagne Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill,” he says. “And, I was eating fried chicken. “It was so amazing,” he says. “The crispy skin and the fatty, succulent meat of the chicken were the perfect opposites in texture but a great combination. Then I’d take a sip of this extraordinary Champagne and as the bubbles burst on the

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Exploring new regions and their wines. B Y B R E N DA M A I T L A N D

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reece is one of the oldest wine-producing regions on Earth, and grapes have been cultivated throughout the mainland and its many islands for more than 6,000 years. But its wines are relatively new to many American wine drinkers. American wine shops and restaurant wine lists have long been packed with wines from California and Old World producers in France and Italy. It’s only in the last two decades that they’ve expanded to include broader selections from other wine regions, including both ancient and newly developing areas. People with adventurous palates have ever more regions, varietals and wines to explore, including Greek wines, increasingly popular Portuguese exports and new wines from countries like Chile that already have a foothold in the American market. Much has changed since Americanmade wines first gained international acclaim in the mid-1970s. American wine palates matured and the U.S. became the world’s largest wine-consuming nation. Interest in new flavors and styles was aided by advancements in shipping and storage that have made it easier to import wines from far-flung producers. Overshadowed by its neighboring wine-producing heavyweights, Portugal is best known for its blended wines, which match well with a variety of foods. Portuguese producers are working to

increase familiarity with its indigenous grape varieties. Portugal has great soils, plenty of sunlight, excellent climate and a well-established system to make aged, sweet-but-structured ports. The grapes used to make port also were used to make Portugal’s finest red wines, which only recently have begun to rival highquality reds from other regions. The grape touriga nacional is different than touriga Francesa, although they likely are related and both are used in port and blended to make velvety, flavorful red wines. Touriga nacional has claimed a distinguished place in the production of red wines. This aromatic grape provides wines that are laden with black fruit flavors, but yields are low. Vineyards are primarily located in the Douro, where ports are made, and the Dao, northwest of Lisbon. In Greece, grape growers have to cope with incredible heat spikes and arid spells. Sometimes, winemakers minimize the grape’s rougher qualities by using it to make rose — softening the tannins found on the skins but taking full advantage of the sugars in the fruit. A recent tasting of 2012 Avidagos Rose from the Douro showed a subtle,

A Chilean vineyard produces grapes at a high altitude, hemmed in by Volcano Aconcagua in the background.

dry, pale-hued wine with minerality that equaled roses from France’s Provence. Made from traditional grapes — touriga national, tinta Roriz and tinta barroca — the wine is good alone or with food. The primary grape used in Greek white wines is assyrtiko, which has a flavor profile often compared to German Riesling. Assyrtiko has a strong backbone of acid as it matures, and with the maritime influences of its home on Santorini, it is a good white wine to pair with fresh seafood and game. Agiorghitiko, translated as St. George’s grape, is Greece’s premier red wine varietal. It has been used to produce soft, velvety red wines that are full of body and flavor, and it has some aging potential — about five years depending on the vintage and acidity, which this vine has trouble producing. The other red grape of note is xinomavro, which translates to “sour black,” and it grows best in valleys surrounded by mountains — some of the most picturesque vineyards in Greece. Most Greek red wines are blends, because vintners attempt to raise acid levels and reduce troublesome tannins. Like neighboring Argentina, Chile has made a splash on the American wine scene. The nation has produced delicious, well-priced, approachable wines marked by fine aromatics. Chile’s main red grape, carmenere, however, has been the source of some

confusion. In the early 1980s, the Chilean wine industry undertook a major push to produce and export more wine. There were already ample established vineyards, so they were ahead of the game. Wine production facilities and practices were improved, including installation of irrigation systems and full arrays of modern, stainless steel vinifying equipment. Chile was on its way to sending quality wine products to the world. Many vines were identified as merlot, and the wines were well-received, winning awards at wine competitions. But the vines were not merlot; they were carmenere, a French blending grape from Bordeaux. Chilean carmenere came from vines that were never attacked by phylloxera, a root louse that caused extensive damage to French vineyards. Every vine in France was replanted following a series of phylloxera attacks. Chile never suffered an infestation because of its mountain barriers and proximity to the coast. Chile’s carmenere exhibits merlotlike qualities of deep red color, spice and red and black fruit flavors, a long smooth finish and excellent acidity. Although carmenere is capable of producing a stand-alone bottling, the varietal truly sings in blends with cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah. It joins Chile’s sauvignon blancs and pinot noirs in hitting high notes and gaining international attention for quality.

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BURGER

F R i E S w i t h

1/2 LB