Issue #6 Pre and Post Holiday Fun
YOUR PRINT AND ONLINE MAGAZINE FOR THE NEW ERA OF WINE DRINKING
Easy Pairings for
Anything
on Your Table Wines for
Football Quit Your Job and Move to
Napa
SABRAGE: Open Bubbly Like a Rockstar
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le t ter from th e E DI T O R When you’re finished reading your weekly dose of The Second Glass in The Dig, be sure to head over to Ivy (49 Temple Place, Boston) in Downtown Crossing for dinner or a glass of vino. Here you will find over 50 Second Glass recommended wines all for $26 a bottle. We were brought on to revamp their wine list and revamp we did. Not to toot our own horn but Tasting Director, Chris Hallowell, put in overtime and sampled over 2,000 wines before deciding which wines to add to the list.
With this current issue, the Second Glass has officially been in print for one whole year! It still amazes me that all of this started from an idea and a quickly puttogether inaugural issue. Obviously there is no way we could have done it without our loyal following and many friends. However, before I get all sappy and sentimental I would like to announce two new partnerships:
If this was not enough, we will be working with bars and restaurants all over the city to throw more wine tasting events in 2008. If you attended our Issue Launch Party at The OtherSide Café (photos on page 8) you got a taste of what’s to come. Make sure to check our column in The Dig as well as our website for great wine tasting events at your favorite restaurants.
Last but not least, I would like to truly thank all our reader, friends and contributors who have supported us in the last year. Without your feedback and help The Second Glass never would have happened. Remember After you’ve recovered from your weeklong that we create this publication for you, so holiday hangover, it’s time to get in the habit keep the comments coming and let us of checking the newspaper boxes every know what you want hear about. Wednesday. That’s because beginning with the first issue of the new year, we Thank you for your support, will be writing a weekly wine column in Boston’s Weekly Dig. We promise not to rest until we have crammed all of the tips, Tyler Balliet tricks and wine recommendations we can Editor-in-Chief, Publisher tyler@thesecondglass.com into our column every single week.
ab out the C O V E R The two wonderful and beautiful people gracing the cover and intro to our feature section are Jason Knight and Diana Hamar. They were kind enough to get dressed up and let us ply them with bubbly while we covered them from head to toe in confetti. We will be lucky if the real New Year’s Eve is half as fun as this shoot. Cover photography as well as the intro to our feature section was provided by the fabulous Brennan Moore. You can view more of his work at his website: www.brennanmoore.com - or www. flickr.com/brennanmoore Brennan also shot the photos from our event at The OtherSide Cafe on page 8.
cover : advertisements : letter from editor :
01 02 03 so you want to be a wine maker? : 04 willamette valley, oregon and beaujolais nouveau : 05 vino viagra and the panty remover : 06 wines for football : 07 party photos from the issue launch party at the otherside cafe : 08 feature : 09 food pairings for pretty much anything on the table : 10 the expensive bottle chugger and how to pick a decent kosher wine : 11 how to sabrage and our bubbly ballerness scale : 12 advertisements : 13 recommendations : 14 recommendations : 15 advertisements : 16 Tyler Balliet Chris Hallowell Gabi Logan Ari Friedland Emily Steers Ross Evans
Jessie Pray James Laurenti Michael Corbett Amy Ullman Emily Dilling Brennan Moore Morgan First VirtualTastings.com
Editor-in-Chief, Publisher tyler@thesecondglass.com Tasting Director chris@thesecondglass.com Managing Editor gabi@thesecondglass.com Lord Photography, Editor ari@thesecondglass.com Editor, Copy Editor emily@thesecondglass.com Ad Sales Manager ross@thesecondglass.com Staff Writers jessie@thesecondglass.com james@thesecondglass.com mike@thesecondglass.com amy@thesecondglass.com Contributors Marketing, PR Consultant Partners
s oWhat’s you waUp n t to b e a W I N E M A KER? With... You’ve decided that your PASSION lies in creating a romantic beverage that people will quaff, adore, and rave about for years to come. You have a fairly good pallet, a decent knowledge of the industry, and a skill set that you think will match the profession perfectly. Now you have one last question to answer for yourself, are you HARDCORE enough to be a winemaker? What may seem like a glamorous job involving nothing but tasting and pontificating wine descriptors, is actually a super stressful job full of manual labor. Imagine this, 90% of the critical decision making that goes into your end product happens during two months of harvesting and fermentation. All it takes is one rainstorm, a fermentation gone wrong, or one piece of broken equipment and you could be in serious trouble. On top of this, all the decisions you make need to be based not on how the wine will taste today or tomorrow, but after 18 months of aging and bottling. This sleepless window of time is known as “crush”, and serves as the hazing ritual for entering the production side of winemaking. A fine wine takes countless hours of grape picking, stem pitch forking, pomace shoveling, tank scrubbing, and any other type of work that leads to dirtied, calloused, purple hands. Every year loads of aspiring winemakers like me flock
b y M i k e Corb e t t red wines (the process integral to color and tannin extraction) to scrubbing the inside of tanks. The hours are never 9-5, and all it takes is the threat of rain to bring on back-to-back-to-back 14 hour days in a scramble to get everything harvested. When things get into full swing, life becomes a blur of incoming grapes and outgoing stems and pomace, with the sweet (or stinky!) smell of fermentations in the air. It takes true passion to do nothing but smell and taste grapes, grape juice, and fermented grape juice (a far cry from finished wine) at all hours of the day. If you’re passionate about making wine, then the benefits are endless. The ability to taste throughout the process is fascinating. Suddenly the wine descriptors you’ve commonly heard (wet, jammy, juicy, spicy, etc) all start to make sense. As each varietal of grape is harvested you learn to identify the differences between each type. You get to witness winemaking first hand, a process that is one-third science, onethird art, and one-third magic and gut feeling. Add in discounts on wines, and meeting tons of winos from all around the world, and you’ve got yourself one sweet deal! The harvest experience will give you a new-found respect for every sip of wine you take.
to Napa Valley to do this work for from places as exotic as Chile, Spain, Italy, France, and…Somerville, Massachusetts. Working a harvest is the best way to gain experience in the wine industry. You will find yourself doing things anywhere from tasting fermentations for hydrogen sulfide (by-product of a mal-nourished yeast that smells like rotten eggs), to pumping over
Interested in hearing more about working a harvest? Check out www.thesecondglass.com/blog to read more about my first hand experience. If you’re interested in working a harvest, the U.S. season typically runs from late August through November and jobs can be found at www. winejobs.com. If you’re feeling adventurous, harvest in the southern hemisphere typically starts in February and www. wineindustryjobs.au is a good resource for jobs in Australia and New Zealand.
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b eWhat’s tter kn ow r eg ion . ... W IL L A M ET T E VA L L EY , O REGO N Up aWith...
Portland
Salem
Eugene
Burgundian, earthy, Pinot Noir seems like the perfect fit for any holiday where you serve a big bird. Unfortunately, most Californian Pinots are just a little too ripe and juicy. However, you do have something to be thankful for this holiday season: the Willamette Valley (pronounced wil-AM-met). This AVA has more than 55% of its vines planted to Burgundian clones of cherry-fruited, earthy, cinnamon-infused Pinot Noir. It’s even on the same exact latitude as Burgundy, giving their grapes the same amount of daylight during ripening season. Though Oregon Pinots bear many similarities to their French counterparts, and new-world wine making technology has made their wines unique. So much so in fact, that Riedel Crystal actual commissioned a glass specifically for Oregon Pinot Noirs. If reds aren’t your thing, the second most planted varietal in the Willamette Valley is Pinot Gris,
wh at’s upUp w ith .... BE AU J O L A IS N O U VE A U What’s With...
Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé, but what Medford Ashland do the FRENCH think? Mention Beaujolais Nouveau to your average French person, and their first reaction will probably be disgust. Beaujolais Nouveau is to the French what TEQUILA is to the rest of us; the mere mention of it brings back memories of a youthful night of overindulgence and the legendary HANGOVER that was to follow. Their second reaction will also be disgust, but of a different nature. Most French agree that the annual release of this rather unremarkable wine is shameless marketing, turning the third Thursday of November into a sort of Hallmark Holiday created purely for financial gain. The event is the brainchild of the Beaujolais wine maker Georges Duboeuf, who wanted to bring Beaujolais to the world and in doing so has brought a significant amount of revenue to his pockets. One can understand the personal affront taken by the French when you consider that the Beaujolais Nouveau media frenzy not only honors and profits off of a mediocre wine, which is simply unacceptable to the French, but has also marred the credibility of an entire region of winemakers, each capable of making much better bottles. Unfortunately, the Beaujolais Nouveau event overshadows more pleasing bottles produced in the region. Despite the general distaste for this interna-
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tional public relations scheme, it seems to be working. Every year, sales boom in the U.S., Germany, China, and Japan- the latter being one of the three biggest consumers of Beaujolais Nouveau, after France. The problem is, though the idea of a ready-to-drink wine seems fit for release in a season whose swiftness adds to its sweetness, do we really want a wine that is a passing pleasure on our palette? Should we rely on wine to be more than that, something to be savored and appreciated? Maybe we want more than just a pretty bottle. Pretty bottles do fly off the shelves as well as court the budding wine market in Asia. In many parts of the continent, especially China, wine is advertised as a healthy alternative apéritif or a means of imitating Western ways and lifestyle. In brief, wine remains a sort of novelty item that Asian consumers are experimenting with. So it makes sense that the kid-in-a-candy-shop sort of marketing, offering brightly colored bottles and passing fancy, is so attractive to this demographic. The potential problem is that introducing Asian customers to a media craze and
turkey’s other soul mate. This mutation of the Pinot Noir grape makes for a soft, subtle, perfumed white that will impress even the most elitist dinner guests.
wineries to CHECK OUT... Pinot Noir Bergström Benton-Lane
Pinot Gris Montinore Solena
b y Em i l y Di l l i ng quantity over quality doesn’t necessarily encourage further experimentation. The French are rightfully worried that their wines are being sold short and also risk missing an opportunity to see increasing sales much longer in the East. However, the French are not ones to break with tradition, and they will gather in brasseries, bars, and at home to celebrate this Fête, only you won’t find Beaujolais Nouveau on their dinner table. In its place will be Borgogne, Bordeaux, or any number of other great full-bodied reds. Take the Beaujolais out of the day, and you still have a reason for a party, it turns out. On this particular Thursday in November, families and friends get together to celebrate a new season, of not only reds, but of the oranges and eventual browns of autumnal leaves. A season of roasted chestnuts and open fires. A fleeting season, which allows just enough time to look around at those you love and to appreciate all you have, without the horrible hangover afterwards.
The first few dates with a new girl are tricky. You don’t want invite her over for dinner, cook salmon and later find out she hates salmon. You don’t want to take her to the aquarium only find out she’s deathly afraid of eels and peers around every corner fearing the inevitable encounter. You especially don’t want to make the joke, “What? Do you have lupus or something?” when she coughs only to find out she actually DOES have lupus. (These things all happened to people I know) Thankfully, when she asks you to order her a glass of wine or bring a bottle to her place, you can breath easy. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: all women love Caymus Conundrum. This is a miracle wine designed to get guys out of sticky situations. It is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, and Muscat Canelli from all over California. The latter two of these four grapes give the wine a full body and great floral aromas while the former give it a perfect natural acidity. At $30 a bottle the Caymus Conundrum isn’t cheap, but it can be the ace up your sleeve. Pull it out when you’re at a nice bar, hanging out with her roommates or meeting her mother. You will score points.
PA NTY re mo v e r
Oh, yes, you heard me right, ladies and gents, fridge. That’s because you’ll want to keep your bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc appetizingly chilled. I know what you’re thinking, white? For dudes? In the winter? Just like how a shiny red Lamborghini doesn’t fool us into overlooking any, cough cough, shortcomings, neither will a big Riedel bowl of bonecrunching, heart -stopping, redmeattaming cabernet. C’mon, this is the guy who spends more on hair care products than beer and “had something in his eye” during the final scene of Titanic. He likes a good, crisp white, just as much as you and I! Especially this deelish dish from Marlborough, New Zealand. Grassy with notes of tropical fruit and a honeyed after tastes, its the perfect companion for lighter fare, and does double duty as a fantastic sipping wine. So, girls, get that pink shirt he’s been secretly dying to wear out of the depths of his closet, light some candles and enjoy. After all, you don’t need to count on a red wine to keep you warm this winter, that’s his job.
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v i n o V I A GRA by Jess i e Pra y
It’s cold outside, you’ve lit a fire, you’re snuggling close to your beloved under a well-worn quilt when you brave the cold wood floor to sashay confidently over to your fridge and pull out this month’s Vino Viagra selection.
foWhat’s ur wi n esUp forWith... FO O T BAL L Between the Patriots’ drubbing of their opposition, the hopeful St. Urbans-Hof Ockfeiner Bockstein resurgences of the Bruins and Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany Celtics, and the Drinking white wine while watching sports is a lot like wearing a pink shirt at a club. Some guys continuation of think it’s ludicrous, but some have the cajones arguably the best and the attitude to pull it off. (Popped collars college hockey are another story). If you’re up to challenging rivalry in the country this quasi-taboo, I highly recommend you grab (BU and BC fansa bottle of white that has some zippy acidity -you know what and a good dose of sweetness--like this St. I‘m talking about!), Urbans-Hof‘s Riesling. It might look wimpy in there’s a lot to get a glass (it’s about as clear as water), but its excited about. No sweet mandarin orange, honey flavor will nicely match the spiciness of the two hundred buffalo wings and five pounds doubt, even if you of nachos you just had delivered to your apartment. Plus, guys, having don‘t go out of a bottle of this can be a great bargaining chip when there’s a time your way to watch conflict between your game and a new Grey’s Anatomy episode. sports, at some point you will still find yourself ordering greasy delivery and enjoying the Cantina Bruni Morellino di Scansano, game over a few drinks with Tuscany, Italy With sports it’s often easy to succumb to infectious, intense friends. While fanaticism and become emotionally inexpensive involved in every game. But a lot of brew is typically people just want to have a peaceful ubiquitous evening where they can kick back, on these relax, and casually enjoy the athletic competition over some delivery pizza. occasions, For occasions like these you should certain wines go with a food-friendly red table can make wine that isn‘t so heavy in alcohol--like Bruni’s Morellino di Scansano. suitable Despite, the unusual name, you’re probably more familiar with this kind alternatives, or, of wine than you realize. Grown just south of Chianti from the same grape (Sangiovese), it tastes quite similar to that more famous Tuscan depending on wine, but it’s less tannic and showcases some riper plum and cherry the scenario, fruit. If you’re still apprehensive that replacing beer with wine on game might even night might sully the sacrosanctity of the evening, this flexible, everybe more occasion bottle might be the one to change your mind. appropriate.
The Audible
The Away Game
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The Comeback Kid Paringa Sparkling Shiraz, Australia
If Randy Moss catches a game-winning touchdown with seconds left in the fourth quarter, you’re going to need to celebrate. And, with the exception of doing body shots of Patron off a Patriots’ cheerleader, what better way is there to get a party started than by popping some sparkling wine? Paringa Sparkling Shiraz is a solid choice. First of all, practically speaking, it’s full body, ample acidity, and slightly sweet finish will pair well with your leftover pizza and wings. Even better, not only is this wine tasty and suitable, but, unlike most bubbly, the color isn’t some elegant shade of pink or yellow; it’s gnarly crimson red. This combined with its dark cherry, blackberry fruit and lingering slightly smoky taste make this wine a perfect testosteronefueled cocktail that is widely available and extremely affordable.
The Hail Mary Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Dry Creek*, California
My editors have told me that if I include this wine, it has to be asterisked. No, it’s not that Dashe Cellars* has come under suspicion of using unscrupulous vinification “enhancements.” It’s to make you readers take notice that this isn’t your typical 13.5% alcohol, mediumbodied , ruby-colored wine. When trying to consume this bottle, you and your liver will need a high threshold of pain and a little bit of insanity. Just the color of this wine, an opaque purple darker than the soul of my ex-girlfriend, is enough to make the average man wince. Still, if you feel like testing your mettle, you should consider trying this wine on game night over some pulled pork and ribs; it’s black pepper and clove spice taste will work well with the grub. There’s no shame in sharing; this wine is so concentrated in flavor you might need a few people to get through a bottle.
Issue Launch PARTY at The OTHERSIDE Cafe
Ph ot os b y B re nna n M o o re
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the launch party for our fall issue highlighting organic, sustainably farmed, and bio-dynamic wines. The OtherSide Cafe served their signature Bread, Fruit and Cheese plate along with new Raw Food items, and we poured some of the great wines reviewed in the latest issue of The Second Glass. See these pictures and many more from the Issue Launch Party at The Otherside Cafe and the Menu and Wine List Launch Party at Ivy Restaurant at www.thesecondglass. com. Also, join us for The Second Glass’s 1st Birthday Party coming up this January. Stay tuned for more details on our website. See you there!
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WINTER SUCKS... but your WINE doesn’t have to HOW TO.... Match Wine with Your Holiday Meal Deal With the Expensive Bottle Chugger Be the Biggest Badass this New Years Pick a Kosher Wine
wine pai rin g sWith... for AN Y H O L ID A Y D IS H What’s Up
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From family to family, holiday dinner traditions tend to vary quite a bit. Some like ham, some like turkey, and others don’t ever get beyond eating omelets and sausage in their bathrobes. However, regardless of your dining option (with maybe the exception of the eggnog and rum diet), you’re going to need some wine. With so many possible scenarios, we here at The Second Glass, have decided to come up with a quick cheat sheet to get you through the holidays. Because we recognize this might be a splurge occasion for many people, each pairing comes with two suggestions: one fairly inexpensive stand-by bottle that won’t disappoint, and a pricier alternative that will undoubtedly impress even your girlfriend’s overprotective father. CHINESE Not everyone celebrates Christmas dinner with their extended families, and many just want to keep the evening simple. What better way to stop stressing about your Christmas dinner than by ordering some Chinese delivery? Choosing the perfect wine shouldn’t be a troubling decision either. Although a soft, velvety red can work with many dishes (think: California Merlot or Valpolicella Ripasso from Italy), you cannot go wrong with a semi-sweet or sweet white wine. Just remember, the richer the dish, the sweeter your wine should be. Charles Schleret Pinot Gris ($20), an elegant white from Alsace, France has just a touch of residual sugar, works impressively with seafood or lighter vegetarian options. If you’re more of a sweet and sour pork or General Tso’s chicken kind of person, you might want to kick up the sweetness a notch and grab something like August Kesseler Spatlese Riesling ($33).
whether they’re white, red, or even pink--like Rose de Calon ($15) from Bordeaux, France, a dry rose from the makers of Calon Segur (a far more pricey red wine). Pinot Noir, in particular, pairs especially well since it’s a relatively light-bodied red that more often than not has ample fruit and complementing cinnamon and clove spice flavor. Lemelson Thea’s Selection Pinot Noir ($40) epitomizes this sort of wine.
parents to calm my enthused child-like Christmas spirit by spiking my eggnog.
RED MEAT
If you just want to keep things simple and maybe make some mimosas, try Michel Olivier Blanc de Blancs ($10).
Whether it’s steak, beef tenderloin, or even Mom’s famous meatloaf, you’re going to want something full-bodied and flavorful. This is also a great opportunity to try some wines which, when drunk by themselves, tend to be a bit rough and astringent because the tannins of these wines will be mellowed out by the meat’s protein. Pascual Toso Cabernet Sauvignon ($12) from Chile, with its vibrant black cherry fruit and firm tannic finish, is one reliable example.
VEGETARIAN
If you’re in the market for something that will make jaws drop and don’t mind dropping the cash, look for Capanna Brunello di Montalcino ($50), which is made in Tuscany from the Sangiovese grape.
If you’re blindly picking the wines because you have no idea what your host is cooking, don’t panic; just keep a few guidelines in mind.
To enhance how baller this bottle is, pour the wine into a carafe or decanter at least an hour before the meal to allow its mocha and leather aromas open up a bit.
First off, remember that not all wine is vegetarian (or vegan). If your hosts are hardcore veggies, DO the research yourself (average wine store employees rarely know) so you don’t serve them wine that’s been exposed to boiled cow bones. Secondly, play it safe. Choose red or white wines that aren’t extremely light or heavy, subtlety flavored or intensely jammy, or especially cloying or tannic. McGuigan Black Label Merlot ($14) from Australia would be a safe choice (as will most Merlots outside California and Bordeaux)--as would Lynar Russian River Pinot Noir ($36) from Sonoma, California.
HAM When finding the right wine to go with your Christmas ham, keep a couple things in mind. Most importantly, remember, ham is freakin’ salty. Whatever wine you choose, it must have lots of acidity (i.e. no flabby oaky Chardonnays). Also, although ham has a lot of rich flavor, the meat is pretty lean. You don’t want to overpower the meal with a red that is too full-bodied or tannic. Beyond this, you have quite a bit of flexibility with your pairing. Dry and semi-sweet wines that have fruit flavors will work,
BIRDS/POULTRY Turkey or any other roasted bird is always a great standby entree when you’re setting the table for more than just your immediate family. With so many people coming to dinner, you might want to show some sensitivity to everyone’s tastes. Luckily for you, when it comes to pairing the meal with wine, you have a lot of flexibility. Both fuller white wines that have aged in oak (like Californian Chardonnay), and red wines, which aren’t overly tannic, should work fine. As far as the latter goes, Portuguese red wines like Casa de Santar Tinto ($15), work phenomenally and provide a solid value. If you want a flavorful, oaky white and California Chardonnay isn’t your style, check out Chateau Carbonnieux from Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux ($45). While most white Bordeaux tend to be fairly light with lots of clashing citrus and grassy flavor, this one has the body and depth of vanilla and toast flavor to make the meal work.
BRUNCH Christmas brunches come in all shapes and sizes. For a lot of families, it’s a big, cozy affair involving the whole extended family. For mine, it was an opportunity for my
Regardless of the mood, as with any brunch, you should always have some sparkling wine on hand. Bubbly is not only extremely refreshing, but it’s also among the most food-friendly of wines, which is perfect when you have a smorgasbord of options at brunch.
However, if you’re looking to sip on something with a bit more creamy elegance, Bollinger’s Special Cuvee ($45) has consistently been a personal favorite.
SEAFOOD In From Russia with Love, James Bond, when thinking about his betrayer‘s poor wine pairing, mutters, “Red wine with fish... Well that should have told me something.” With few exceptions (namely meals done in red sauces), you should share this sentiment. If you’re doing a traditional Italian seven fish Christmas Eve dinner or just having your grilled favorite, you should select a white that matches the richness and flavor of your fish. For calamari, flounder, or sea bass, try something on the lighter side like Casa Alle Vecchie Vernaccia from Tuscany ($15); albeit an esoteric grape, Vernaccia is delicate enough to complement these beautifully. If you’re having something a bit heavier like swordfish or anything done in butter sauce, you might want a Chardonnay instead. One of the most impressive examples I’ve recently encountered is Marc Morey Chassagne Montrachet Blanchots from Burgundy ($55).
DESSERT If you’re going to finish the meal with some dessert, you should grab a bottle of intensely sweet wine. It can either complement your mom’s famous bread pudding or, if no one is up to making dessert, it can often stand alone as the final course. While it’s often incredibly hard to find bargains in this genre, Grande Maison Cuvee Mademoiselle’s Monbazilliac ($25/750mL bottle), is a solid value. Done in a style similar to Sauternes, this wine pairs admirably with fruit platters, meringue pies, and other lighter-flavored desserts. Willing to go to greater lengths to satisfy your sweet tooth? Check out Castello della Paneretta Vin Santo ($45/375mL) from Chianti Classico. Made from indigenous Italian grapes, it has a rich orange and nutty flavor that works nicely with crumb cake, pecan pie, or even just a plate of biscotti.
s cen ari o: Up th e With... ex p en s iv e B O T T L E CH U G G ER What’s
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Since you’ve become high and mighty and developed “standards,” your family has nominated you to supply the wine for this year’s festivities. Your family only gets together once in a blue moon so you want to get something special. There’s only one problem-- your uncle. Every family has one, he’s the uncle that pours his glass a hair from the top and still manages to drink more full glasses than everyone else with their half glass pours. His palate is burnt out from 2040 years of chain-smoking and will go through a $40 bottle the same he would a $9 jug. While this is a totally manageable problem, you have to strike preemptively, or else you’re playing Russian roulette with your nice wine. RECONNAISANCE You need to know what he likes. You’ve probably already watched in scorn as he drank through a bottle of his personal preference, so this should be easy. Also, it doesn’t hurt to be familiar with wines he won’t drink, as that might be your saving grace.
PLAN A: KILLING HIM WITH KINDNESS Make him feel like he’s the star of the show. Keeping his tastes in mind, run through the recommendations section and pick a reasonably priced, fitting bottle. When everyone sits down to dinner tell him you were reading The Second Glass and read a recommendation that instantly reminded you of him. Give him a copy of the mag with the wine circled and hand him his very own bottle of wine. Open whatever you want for yourself, but don’t hype it up within his earshot.
PLAN B: PLAYING TO HIS DISLIKES Fortunately enough, people with low wine standards are often very picky. No, I didn’t stutter, they might not have any qualms about drinking their wine from a 3-liter box but it better be red and it better be dry. So pick an off dry white for your special bottle. A bottle of Vinoptima Gewürztraminer would be perfect. The varietal name ‘Gewürztraminer’ will instantly dissuade him from touching it and the combination of spice and a slight sweetness makes it the perfect pairing for most holiday meals. The Vinoptima is perfect because it has a little more alcohol and body than a typical Gewürzt to stand up to richer meals.
PLAN C: PLAYING THE WAITING GAME So your uncle proves a more crafty adversary than you had planned for. No worries, just play the waiting game. Save the good stuff for later. A bottle
of wine to the face is one of the more powerful sedatives known to man. That combined with Tryptophan and a 45 minute explanation of what your grandmother did differently with the stuffing this year will put even the most dedicated drinker out like a light, leaving you free to drink whatever your heart desires.
CHRIS’ POST - UNCLE PASS OUT PICK OF THE YEAR: 2006 Bergström Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon ($50) This is a fantastic bottle of Pinot with cherry fruit and a bit of orange peel. It also shows some incredible spice to it including clove, anise, and cinnamon before a long vanilla finish. It has great acidity for taking on anything at the table.
KOSHER w in es
b y Ch ri s Ha l l ow e l l
When Kosher wine is mentioned, our minds go straight to the gutter. It conjures up images of mammoth Manischevitz bottles and it seems you can taste the cloying sweetness and syrupy texture. Basically, it’s the antithesis of Pavlov’s theory. These sacramental wines are called kiddush wines and they have not only given kosher wines a bad wrap, but they represent a very small percentage of the kosher wines out there. Kiddush wines were developed when Jewish immigrants came to New York and only had access to Concord grapes. These grapes made a wine so high in acid the winemakers needed to add sweetness to make it palatable. Thus starting a long tradition of sugary kosher wines. Though these wines are a staple at most holiday dinners, many wine producing countries are putting forth much better Kosher wines.
WHAT MAKES A WINE KOSHER? A Kosher wine can be made in any style by any decent grape, anywhere. There are just two basic requirements (except in Israel where the farming must conform to biblical agriculture laws); the wine can’t be fined by animal or dairy derivatives and the wine can only be handled by orthodox religious Jews. Though only orthodox Jews can handle the wine, a non-Jewish winemaker is allowed to give orthodox workers advice on how to make the wine. This
also means as soon as a bottle of kosher wine is uncorked and handled by a non-orthodox Jew, it is no longer Kosher. The only exception is Mevushal, meaning Pasteurized, wine that anyone can handle after opening. If you’re not worried about a wine being handled by a non-orthodox Jew, you might want to stick to nonMevushual wines. As it might surprise you to know, wines that aren’t boiled and pasteurized tend to be better.
PERSONAL FAVORITES: Barkan Cabernet Sauvignon Galil, Isreal $13 Medium-bodied with great berry fruit, vanilla, and oak. It’s an all-around nice, easy drinking cab with smooth tannins for next to nothing. Teal Lake Chardonnay Australia $14 This Mevushal offering is very fruit-forward with lots of pear and tropical fruit.
GOING ALL OUT: 2004 Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, CA ($80) This is exactly what you would expect from a Napa Cab in this price range. It’s big and rich with ripe cassis and raspberry fruit, tobacco, spice, and oak. Plus its name is TOTALLY badass.
+
= Sabrage by Chris Hallowell
Want to be the topic of conversation when everyone wakes from their drunken stupors on New Year’s Day? Sure you do. Sabrage is an age-old practice started by Napoleon’s officers when they would ride into town after laying the proverbial ‘pimp-hand’ upon their opposition. The town’s people would reward them with a bottle of Champagne. While still riding his horse, the officer would simply draw his sword and lop off the top of the bottle. So from Napoleon to your living room, here is a step-by-step approach to Sabrage.
champagne and the BPR scale by Chris Hallowell
The staff here at the Second Glass doesn’t believe in numeric systems for rating wines. They think it is ludicrous to influence someone to buy a 90-point wine over an 89-point wine when their own tastes could be completely different from the taster that rated the wine. However, I feel that a numeric system can be a good thing, just not the 100-point scale. Allow me to present the BPR scale (Ballerness to Price Ratio). This scale takes the level of opulence and luxury and divides it by the price, giving you a tangible number defining how awesome you really are whilst drinking the rated wine. Sparkling wines naturally have a higher BPR, so it only makes sense to inaugurate the BPR scale with all sparkling wines.
ARMAND de BRIGNAC +1: Actual Champagne +73: THE BOTTLE IS GOLD +49: It has a GOLD Ace of Spades for a label + 57: It IS in rap videos +3: It’s nearly impossible to get +300: Did I mention that THE BOTTLE IS GOLD? BPR: 483/$300= 1.61
Step 1: Grab a bottle of bubbly.
CRISTALINO +2: Countless Second Glass Recs +5: Best sabraging bottle +3: It’s easy to cover the ‘ino’ in ‘Cristalino’ with duct tape BPR: 10/$9= 1.11
SORELLE BRONCA Extra Brut Prosecco
Step 2: Remove all the foil covering the cork.
Step 3: Unscrew and remove the muselet (wire capsule around the cork)
+5: Exceptional Prosecco +2: Organically farmed -1: Hippie organic farmers don’t care about Ballerness ratios BPR: 6/$17= .375
SIMMONET-FEBVRE Crémant de Borgogne +1: Made near Champagne (sans the price tag) +1: Made the same way as Champagne +1: Uses the same grapes as Champagne BPR: 3/$14= .214
DUVAL - LEROY BRUT (Paris Bottle) +1: Actual Champagne +2: Awesome Painted Bottle +1: Great green apple and ginger flavors +3: A few more points for how tasty it is BPR: 7/$45= .155
CRISTAL Step 4: Find one of the two seams running the length of the bottle. Align the blade of a moderately heavy knife with the seam pointing the blunt end of the knife forward.
Step 5: Thrust the knife towards the point where the lip of the bottle and the seam meet (the weakest point of the bottle), follow through, and await your accolades from your adoring fans as the top of the bottle shears off cleanly.
+1: Actual Champagne +1: Was in Rap Videos -4: Is now shunned by the rap community -10: Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems BPR: -12/$280= my calculator says ERROR
wine REC O M M E N D AT I O N S FRENCH WHITE:
2005 Chateau l’Ermitage ‘Via Compstelle’
2005 Schoenheitz Pinot Gris
Costières de Nîmes, Rhone, France $13
Mmm… Delicious Pinot Gris. For some reason the holidays always call for them, so give in. This is an extra-rich, off-dry bottle that has ripe peach, fruit cocktail, and tangy lemon fruit with some hay and slight rubber aromas. The full-bodied bottle is almost too crisp despite its weight making it, well…impressive.
Usually the Costières de Nîmes produce Grenache heavy blends, but the Via Compostelle breaks the mold with 100% Syrah. This medium-bodied bottle with well-integrated tannins is a cool alternative to the plain ol’ Cote du Rhone. It has blackberry and blueberry fruit and a touch of mocha on its relatively short and unobtrusive finish.
Alsace, France $20
Domaine de Rouquefort Clairette
Côtes de Provence, France $15 This bottle exudes sophistication, beauty, and class. Plus, there are boobies on the label! In all seriousness though, this is the coolest bottle I’ve come across this issue. This Biodynamic Clairette comes in a gorgeous bottle that is indicative of its taste. The aroma starts off with pungent with pears and apples then becomes smooth and more floral. In addition to the fruit, it has a savory almond note. By the way, this is the last year THE MAN will let this bottle come in to the US with its current label, so get it now.
FRENCH RED: 2005 Domaine Grès ‘St. Vincent’ Côtes du Rhône-Villages, France $13 This bottle has a totally saturating palate with dark cherry fruit, licorice, and earth. It has ridiculous concentration and acidity and it is sustainably farmed. This one is a real crowd-pleaser; literally no one dislikes this wine. That makes this the greatest gift wine ever considering it pairs with almost anything and the recipient will think you’re more generous than you actually are!
2003 Domaine des Fouques ‘Cuvée de L’Aubigue’ Côtes de Provence, France $16
Looking over the vineyards at Domaine des Fouques, you can barely see any vines. The place is bursting with life from the rosemary, to the palm trees, to the trillions of chickens and ducks they breed, and finally to their Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault vines. It just stands to reason that this fertile biodynamic vineyard would produce happy grapes that turn into a tremendous wine. There is cherry and blackberry fruit with aromas of hay and pine on this fullbodied red.
AMERICAN WHITE: 2006 Hayman & Hill ‘Interchange’ Santa Barbara, CA $14
Don’t try to remember all the grapes that go into this bottle, just enjoy it. This blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Malvasia, Semillon, and Gewürtztraminer is slightly off dry with big citrus, tropical fruit, and a slightly floral nose. Pair this one up with herbed poultry.
2005 Writer’s Block Zinfandel
ITALIAN WHITE:
Frequently utilized in the Second Glass conference room, the Writer’s Block is on the lighter side for a Zin. Some cherry liquor and vanilla flavors make for an uncomplicated but absolutely enjoyable, warming, red wine. This is perfect for a Pats game and a sausage or eggplant pizza.
Umbria, Italy $8
California $16
SPANISH WHITE: 2005 Orballo Albariño Rias Baixas $20
‘Tis the season for cooking spicy food to warm yourself up or burn out the cold you’ve had going on 2 weeks. This is the bottle to pair with that food. It has a Muscat-like perfume and is supercrisp with its citrus and peach fruit. It would be especially good with a spicy shrimp dish.
SPANISH RED: 2005 Hook & Ladder Gewürztraminer
Russian River Valley, Sonoma, CA $15 Here’s an awesome, slightly off-dry Gewürzt from one of my favorite California white producers. It has tons of apple and a touch of lychee fruit with spice and flowers to spare. It’ll be perfect to pair with your holiday bird or next Chinese takeout.
AMERICAN RED: 2006 Montinore Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon $18
This is a great, best of both worlds, Pinot Noir. It has some ripe cherry fruit, medium body, with earth, pepper. On the palate the cherry fruit takes on a liquor-like taste and is joined by broccoli rabe.
2001 Rotllan Torra Reserva
Priorat, Spain $21 I
love
Priorat. Better yet, I love good $20 Priorat! In a world seemingly made up of only $40-$60 Priorat, the Rotllan breaks through. This classically styled blend of Grenache, Carignan, and Cabernet has little or possibly no oak influence. It has really vibrant cherry and raspberry fruit with tons of spice, anise, and pine.
2005 Castaño Monastrell Yecla, Spain $9
Here’s an oldie but a goodie. The 2005 Castaño Monastrell. Monastrell being Spanish for Mourvedre. I was first introduced to Castaño with the 2003 vintage. It was incredible and only 6 BUCKS! Since then its popularity has increased and now it’s $9. Even with the price increase it is so worth it. In fact you should be ashamed of yourself for only paying 9 dollars. We wish there was some sort of digital, Paypal tip jar for the farmers in Yecla, Spain that have enabled us to get rich, juicy, blackberry, chocolaty, meatiness in a medium bodied bottle of red for $9!
2006 Vignarco Orvieto It’s not often that I feel like I should be paying more for wine. Some one picked these grapes, crushed them, fermented the juice, and bottled it. They then sold it to an importer. That importer paid to have a negociant pick it up and ship it before they sold it to a distributor. That distributor sold this Orvieto to a store and that store marked the wine up by 50-70%. So at the end of the day, the makers of this beautiful $8 bottle of peach fruit with hints of flowers and pistachios get what? A buck-fifty?
2006 Accattoli Verdicchio di Matelica Marche, Italy $15
Every year my family has seafood bisque on Christmas Eve. This is the wine I’ll be bringing. This perfect companion to seafood has a sweet floral and slightly smoky scent with bright peach, melon, and nutty flavors.
ITALIAN RED: 2004 Solatione Chianti Classico Tuscany, Italy $19
This is a mind-blowing value Chianti combining new world and rustic styles to delicious Tuscan perfection. It has full-bodied raspberry and cherry fruit that saturates your palate, but at the same time, has enough acidity to make it feel light and not overbearing. As you keep sipping, notice its flowery aroma and rich vanilla flavors.
2005 G.D. Vajra Langhe Rosso Barolo Piedmont, Italy $12
This wine comes from the high-rent district of Barolo but the good people at G.D. Vajra have gotten this bottle to America for a cool 12 bucks. This field blend of Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, and Pinot Nero (and probably some others) makes a nice, light strawberry fruited wine with coffee, spice, and enough acidity to make it almost refreshing.
wine REC O MME N DAT I O N S 2003 Poderi La Collina Dolcetto di Dogliani Piedmont, Italy $18-30
Here’s a great opportunity for Bostonians to get an amazing deal in Italian red. Dolcetto is an early maturing wine and this particular bottle is at its peak right now, much longer and it’ll be going downhill. That’s why its MA purveyor has it on closeout. This wine originally retailed for about $30 but can be found around town now for as low as $18. It’s an amazingly smooth, medium-bodied, slightly spiced red with caramel oak and barely any traces of the tannins it once had.
2005 Martilde Bonarda Oltrepo Pavese, Italy $13
This is a pretty wine with a little bit of edge. It shows some soft blueberry fruit with a little vanilla cream. It is a super clean, mediumbodied red with some unexpected loss of innocence with firm tannins. This is a wine for pasta with light oil or butter sauces with salty cheese.
PORTUGAL: 2005 Quinta de Ventozelo ‘Vinzelo’ Douro, Portugal $8
Portugal’s wineries are in some serious need of good marketing people. For some reason, when Port producers make Port with their grapes it sells for about $100, but when they take the same exact grapes and use them to make a fantastic dry table wine, it sells for $8. Vizelo uses classic Port grapes; Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Barroca to make this grapey, plum, maraschino cherry- fruited wine with hints of carrots, thyme, vanilla, and cedar.
2003 Castas de Santar Portugal $8
With office holiday parties coming up, you either need deep pockets or a wine that will stand up to scrutiny until your co-workers black-out. For less than a single c-note you can bring a case of this stuff to work. Its straightforward plum fruit is agreeable to everyone and the gravel notes will impress the wine snob in the department.
CHILE:
2004 Poliziano Rosso di Montepulciano
De Martino ‘Legado’ Carmenere
Here is another tasty Tuscan food wine. It’s a showy wine with really vibrant cherry, blackberry, and some surprising minerality coming from 80% Sangiovese and the rest Merlot. This full-bodied bottle with chewy tannins would be perfect with anything red from the grill.
There’s one problem with being an avid Carmenere fan; no one will drink it with you. Carmenere is typically a pretty green and vegetal wine that people aren’t used to. This bottle however, bridges the gap between Cabernet and typical Carmenere. It has raspberry and currants with a slight, sweet-scented herbaceousness.
Tuscany, Italy $19
ARGENTINA: 2006 Trapiche Pinot Noir ‘Oak Cask’ Mendoza, Argentina $11
Let’s get something straight… Pinot Noir does not belong in this price bracket. However, if you need Pinot and you’re strapped for cash, this is your bottle. Its almost sweet fruit-forward cherry flavors are joined by a slight earthiness, spice, and the faintest tinge of oak.
2005 Peñalolén Cabernet Sauvignon
The holidays are upon us and you know what that means…Parties. Office parties, holiday parties, family gatherings, and countless repetitions of Bing Crosby’s rendition of “White Christmas” all call for heavy drinking. For this issue I’ve scouted out a hell of a lot of unbelievable deals. There’s everything from everywhere! There’s even a drinkable Pinot for $11! I’m not saying I’d drink it regularly, but I’d be stoked to see it poured at work. Then there are a bunch of wines that are a little more serious for family or friends. The focus was still nicely priced wines that don’t break your budget after money is spread too thin this time of year. Remember, a wine doesn’t need to be expensive to be the perfect fit for a meal or a gift. Drink wine for what it is, not for how many hours you need to put in to be able to afford it. Also, coming this January we’ll be writing an article in the Weekly Dig. So keep your eye out, and let me know what you’re drinking. We’re going to need a lot of wines if we’re going to be recommending various wines weekly. Have to go (my Beaujolais is starting to spoil). Chris Hallowell Tasting Director chris@thesecondglass.com
WINE LOVERS NEEDED The Traveling Vineyard
Maipo Valley, Chile $17
This Cabernet has the most amazingly clean and distinguishable flavors. Boat loads of black currant over a fleshy textured, full-bodied Cab with toasty oak. Also, I don’t know exactly what the label is, but I do know that it looks badass.
DESSERT:
2006 Anton Bauer ‘Gmörk’ Grüner Veltliner
2005 Haut Charmes
This is a delicious, cost-effective Grüner that pairs with nearly anything. It has pretty apple and orange fruit with a classic white pepper finish. If you’re making artichokes, this might be the only wine that’ll work.
Hey Guys,
Maipo Valley, Chile $15
AUSTRIA: Niederösterreich, Austria $14
le t t e r fr om t he TA STI NG D I RECTO R
Sauternes, Bordeaux, France $17 (375ml) Let’s begin with the price… Sauternes for $17… embrace it! Sure it’s tighter than a whale’s ass right now, but there’s a lot more to this little bottle than meets the eye. In fact, this bottle is so baller that we legally can’t print how baller it is. I’m serious. So drop me a line, I’ll beat around the bush until you figure out why it’s something you need to check out.
CONNIE LOVETT Independent Wine Consultant (617) 921-7627 www.myttv.com/constance10581
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