Interviewing Sussex Wines & Spirits

Posted by | Posted in Interviews | Posted on 01-25-2012

Sussex Wine and Spirits

A couple years ago, I realized the value of building personal relationships with wine store staff. In addition to the friendships I’ve built, they’ve opened my eyes to producers and regions that had once been off my radar. It’s now common that I get a text message or email from one of them giving me a tip about a new producer in Jura, or a recently received shipment of pre-phylloxera wines from the Loire.

The role of your local wine shop clerk has never been more important as the quantity and quality of wine coming into our country has never been higher – while the increased selection and quality is great news for consumers, it also presents us with more decisions than ever about who to buy.

One wine professional that I listen to is Jeremy Block at Sussex Wines and Spirits. I’ve never been to the shop and have never met Jeremy in person, but still consider him an invaluable wine guide. I came across Sussex while shopping for some 2009 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette Cuvée Tardive and was impressed with their selection of many esoteric and harder-to-find wines (they feature a lot of Neal Rosenthal selections) that they had. Over the past year, he’s invested time to understand my stylistic preferences and now proactively reaches out to me now with off-beat suggestions, or tips on new items he’s about to stock. Needless to say, I’ve found myself shopping there more and more.

I reached out to Jeremy the other day with some questions about his wine background, current muses, and vision for Sussex wine – his answers are below. Read the rest of this entry »

Daily Wine News: Antiquated Wine Laws

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 01-25-2012

In my latest Wines.com column, I explain how antiquated liquor laws hurt wine consumers.

“Natural wines offer an ideal — many ideals — that have influenced the world of wine, no matter how much they irritate. Far better to absorb and consider rather than stamp a foot in annoyance.” In the New York Times, Eric Asimov explores the natural wine movement.

“Wine once was a simple beverage — the product of fermented grape juice. But… recently it has gotten more complex than ever.” In the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, Dan Berger outlines some of the (many!) ways wine has become increasingly complex.

According to Alder Yarrow, when politicians talk about “tort reform,” they should look to the recent judgment against Gallo and Constellation as an example.

Dave McIntyre suggests we “welcome the Year of the Dragon by raising a glass of sherry.”

Draft Magazine highlights the nation’s “100 best beer bars.” (H/T: Eric Asimov.)

“Let’s just hope they don’t get cutesy and put a merlot macchiato on the menu.” Mike Steinberger comments on Starbucks’ plans to begin offering wine and beer at select locations.

Margrit Mondavi has announced that her memoirs will be published soon — and her publishers “promise full and frank revelations about her life with Robert Mondavi.”

USA! USA! There are now 7,345 wineries in America.

Ray Isle thinks we drink too much Chardonnay, and plenty of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio. So he’s urging Americans to expand their wine horizons by trying five fun grapes.

A reminder: Terroirist has partnered with Uncorkd to give away two free bottles of wine! All you need to do is send out a single tweet!

 

Wine Consumers’ Grape Expectations

Posted by | Posted in White's Wines | Posted on 01-24-2012

As regular readers know, I write a free, twice monthly wine column that’s distributed to newspapers across the country. All the columns are housed at Wines.com, the fastest growing wine portal on the Internet.

If you don’t see my column in your local newspaper, please send an email to your paper’s editor and CC me (David- at -Terroirist.com).

My latest column — which looks at antiquated liquor laws that impact wine consumers — went out this morning.

Wine Consumers’ Grape Expectations

Imagine if your state legislature, in a bid to protect mom-and-pop bookstores, barred Amazon.com from shipping into your state. Or if your town council, worried about local dairy farmers, prohibited grocers from selling milk. Or if lawmakers banned the sale of potato chips and candy bars on Sundays in an effort to shrink our waistlines.

Such moves would be infuriating. But wine consumers face such restrictions daily.

Check out the full piece at Wines.com!

Website Updates & A Tip Jar!

Posted by | Posted in Terroirist | Posted on 01-24-2012

Sharp-eyed Terroirist readers may have noticed a few changes this morning.

First, we now have a link to our Facebook page. Please consider clicking “like” when you visit!

Second, we’ve upgraded our comment system. For me, it’ll cut down on the amount of spam to moderate. More importantly, it enables Facebook Connect, so you can simultaneously post your Terroirist comment to Facebook (if you’re so inclined).

Finally, we’ve added a “tip jar” under a “donate” header. As you may have guessed, the site costs money — programmers and web hosts aren’t free! The Paypal button leads to a simple donation form. If you’d like to schedule a recurring donation, I’ve set up two “subscription” buttons, at $6 and $12 per month. If Terroirist has become an important part of your wine reading, please consider supporting us!

Daily Wine News: Binge Drinking

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 01-24-2012

In the Financial Times, Jancis Robinson issues her judgment on the 2010 vintage in Burgundy.

“It began at dinner with a group of friends in a popular restaurant. What followed was a series of wines paired to dishes, including some rather unusual wine selections by our very talented sommelier. I became a bit tipsy but, after nearly four hours, delightful conversation, and an amazing meal, what I felt most was satiated.” In TheAtlantic, Derek Brown confesses to binge drinking.

In the Napa Valley Register, a nice obituary for John Wright, founding president and chairman of Domaine Chandon.

“The wine programs at some of New York’s most celebrated restaurants, Le Bernardin, Monkey Bar, The Breslin, and Lure, have more than just good taste in common. They are also all run by women.” In the Daily News, a wonderful article on New York City’s top female sommeliers.

Jeff Siegel visits Denver to lay “some groundwork for DrinkLocalWine’s fourth annual conference” at the end of April and finds “complete and total enthusiasm.” (On a related note, I’ll be visiting Denver for the conference!)

Ray Isle thinks that Dolcetto could “use some love.”

According to the Wine Harlots, “a glass of red wine might be just what the doctor ordered” if you’re looking to reduce your breast cancer risk.

A reminder: Terroirist has partnered with Uncorkd to give away two free bottles of wine! All you need to do is send out a single tweet!

Weekly Wine Roundup: Montelena, Rivers-Marie, and Others!

Posted by | Posted in Wine Reviews | Posted on 01-23-2012

The terroirist crew really got around this week. Check out our impressions on a slew of wines from around the globe!

David White
On Monday, I got together with a small group of friends to open some rock star California Cabs from the 1990s, along with a 2008 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines. In case you missed my tasting notes, you can check them out here.

On Wednesday, I attended an 11-vintage vertical dinner of Chateau Figeac. The dinner was hosted and organized by Panos Kakaviatos, and Figeac owner and winemaker Eric d’Aramon flew in for the event. Attendees included fellow Terroirist Rebecca Canan, some DC wine geeks, John GilmanDave McIntyre, master sommelier Kathy Morgan, and many others. My full notes will be published later this week, but well-known taster Kevin Shin has put up his notes on CellarTracker, and Panos has written about the event (and put up a video) on his site.

Over the weekend, I opened a 2008 Two Hands Cabernet Sauvignon Some Days Are Diamonds; a 2008 La Follette Chardonnay Lorenzo Vineyard; and a 2009 Talty Winery Zinfandel Filice Connolly. The Two Hands wine needs a boatload more time. It was a pop-and-pour, and only started to come together as anything beyond a gigantic Napa Cab after about an hour. The La Follette Chardonnay, sadly, was a dud — too much movie-theater popcorn. The Talty Zin, as always, was delicious. More raisiny than I would have expected, but bright and lively nonetheless.

Matt Latuchie
My highlight of the week was a 1990 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate that was a going away gift from Ian Lipner when I left DC. This was elegant from beginning to end with a dusty red fruit profile that is so characteristic of older Napa Cabernets. The Estate bottling from Montelena continues to be a favorite of mine (their Napa designated Cabernet is FAR more hit-or-miss) from the region.

Later in the week I had a spectacular young Cabernet Franc from Bernard Baudry. His exciting 2006 La Croix Boissée is fresh, vibrant and built for superstardom. Talk about a young wine, though. It took a couple of hours for this to become expressive but showed beautiful “forestal spice” throughout with beautifully silky red fruit underneath. This wine from Baudry can be found under $40 and is one of the better value red wines in France.

The wines of Jacques Puffeney continue to interest me and I opened his racy 2009 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Cuvée Sacha and the elegant 2008 Jacques Puffeney Poulsard Arbois “M”. The Cuvee Sacha is a Chardonnay blend as has vibrant roasted nut notes with incredible minerality and structure. The Poulsard is one of my favorite cuvees from the Jura – so lithe, so elegant and so complex. Beautiful cranberry notes mix with dried rose petals and fresh herbs. These are intellectual wines that will challenge you.

Over the weekend I wanted to check in on some 2009 German Rieslings so I opened a 2009 Schäfer-Fröhlich Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Spätlese and a 2009 Dönnhoff Schloßböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Felsentürmchen Spätlese. I was more impressed by the Schafer-Frohlich with its energetic character it seemed to run laps around the more plodding, rounder Donnhoff. Both were enjoyable, but the acidity and structure on the former impressed me. Read the rest of this entry »

Daily Wine News: Buying Burgundy

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 01-23-2012

KJ president Rick Tigner.

Thanks to rising demand, Will Lyons worries that the 2010 Burgundy vintage may be the last one of “exceptional quality that remains within the boundaries of affordability.”

This coming Sunday night, television viewers will meet Rick Tigner, president of Kendall-Jackson, the CBS reality series “Undercover Boss.” The 50-year-old executive will shed “his three-piece suit for a Stetson and a pair of cowboy boots to pose as Jake, a good-old-boy grocery store manager from Plano, Texas. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the show.

In India, where the liquor market is “dominated by whisky… a leisurely glass of wine from a vineyard in France, California or Australia, not to mention enjoying wine with food, has a long way to go to catch on.”

In the Wall Street Journal, Lettie Teague offers “a brief guide to some essential stops for American wine lovers in Paris.”

Over at Vinography, Tim Patterson reviews Wine Wars by Mike Veseth.

In Leadership Intelligence Bulletin, “four of South Africa’s leading winemakers talk about the art of producing iconic wines that stand out on the global shelf.”

On February 1, American Airlines will start offering free wine and beer on most overseas flights.

A reminder: Terroirist has partnered with Uncorkd to give away two free bottles of wine! All you need to do is send out a single tweet!

Weekly Interview: Jamey Whetstone

Posted by | Posted in Interviews | Posted on 01-20-2012

Each week, as regular readers know, Terroirist poses questions to a winemaker. This week, we’re featuring Jamey Whetstone – the winemaker and owner of Whetstone Wine Cellars; the CEO and co-founder of Manifesto! Wines; and a consulting winemaker for JT Wines.

While working in the restaurant industry in the summer of 1998, Whetsone jokingly told a friend that he’d do “just about anything” to be a winemaker. Shortly thereafter, he landed a job with Ehren Jordan at Turley Wine Cellars — starting as cellar rat and working his way up to assistant winemaker. He’d work with Jordan for just over six years – only leaving for a bit in the summer of 2001 to work at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy.

Jamey’s wines have garnered quite a bit of praise – they’ve been highlighted by Food & Wine, the New York Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle. I’ve only tasted the 2007 Whetstone Phoenix Ranch Syrah, and it was absolutely fantastic. Check out our interview with Jamey below the fold. Read the rest of this entry »

Daily Wine News: Pay Attention!

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 01-20-2012

Pinotage!

“The uncomfortable truth is that great Bordeaux and Burgundy almost always needs at least twenty-five years of cellaring to be worth your while, sometimes more.” In a provocative post, Keith Levenberg contends that most wine drinkers aren’t comfortable recognizing that their most compelling experiences come with really old bottles.

In the San Francisco Chronicle, Jon Bonné outlines five things he’ll be paying particular attention to this year.

Joe Roberts urges his readers to “stop hating on Pinotage.” The reason? “Pinotage is not bad; it is simply different. And if you don’t like this oft-maligned but more-oft-misunderstood South African cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut, that’s your prerogative. Just stop drinking it and shut [up] about it, already.”

Jean-Marie Guffens, the winemaker and owner of Maison Verget in Burgundy, releases a 26-minute video explaining why France’s wine bureaucrats have convinced him that the nation is “a banana republic.”

I’m a bit late, but a couple weeks back, cult Pinot Noir producer Jamie Kutch appeared on the Today Show!

If you’re a fan of the natural wine movement, check out Tom Natan’s latest blog post – in which he offers suggestions for natural wine labeling.

At a Christie’s auction on Thursday, a wine cooler that once belonged to George Washington and Alexander Hamilton fetched a whopping $782,500.

In the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Dan Berger explains why more and more winemakers are switching from corks to screwcaps.

Remember the Red Bicyclette scandal? A California judge has “tentatively approved a class-action settlement entitling many wine drinkers to a refund.”

Winemaker, wine blogger, and Terroirist friend Hardy Wallace is officially a “super goon for hire.”

A reminder: Terroirist has partnered with Uncorkd to give away two free bottles of wine! All you need to do is send out a single tweet!

Daily Wine News: Giuseppe Quintarelli

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 01-19-2012

In the New York Times, Eric Asimov remembers Giuseppe Quintarelli. On the Wall Street Journal’s wine blog, Jay McInerney pays tribute to the Italian vitner, who died at his home this past Sunday. As McInerney explains, “Quintarelli raised the bar for the wines of his native Valpolicella.” (In November, we interviewed Luca Fedrigo, a protégé of Quintarelli.)

The Los Angeles Times reports that “U.S. wine exports hit record levels in 2011, helped by soaring demand from Asia and a weak dollar that made American wines more affordable.”

There’s lots to terroir. In New Zealand, researchers have proven for the first time that wine yeasts vary from region to region.

According to Eric Pfanner, when Robert Parker downgraded the 1998 Beaucastel from 96 points to 92 points, it “suffered the equivalent of a Moody’s downgrade.”

Ever wonder what high-alcohol wines do to your blood alcohol level? In Wine Review Online, Michael Apstein — a gastroenterologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and an assistant professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School – explains.

At wine auctions across the world, Bordeaux prices appear to be leveling off.

A reminder: Terroirist has partnered with Uncorkd to give away two free bottles of wine! All you need to do is send out a single tweet!