Category: Wine competition
Posted by Sandra Silfven on Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 6:32 PMWineries in the East take Golds in San Francisco
The San Francisco International Wine Competition, which bills itself as the largest and most prestigious wine competition in America, recently announced its results for the 2008 contest.
Wineries east of the Rockies took two of the 12 "Best of Varietal" winners: Best Vignoles: 2007 Lucas Vineyards Finger Lakes $12; Best Cabernet Franc: 2006 Rappahannock Cellars Virginia $22. These wines also were voted Double Gold, meaning the judging panel unanimously voted it gold.
It took 45 judges three days to judge 4,240 wines from 1,205 wineries during the 28th annual competition, which was staged at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco.
Under the direction of wine and food authority Anthony Dias Blue, the competition examined wines from 23 states and 23 countries.
I combed the results and counted nine golds for the East, including two Michigan producers, St. Julian and Two Lads:
Gray Ghost Vineyards 2007 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc Adieu Virginia $23
Barboursville Vineyards 2005 Nebbiolo Reserve Virginia $35
Goose Watch Winery 2007 Traminette Finger Lakes $12
Goose Watch Winery NV Diamond Finger Lakes $9
Rappahannock Cellars 2007 Viognier Virginia $22
St. James Winery 2007 Vignoles Vintner's Select Missouri $9
St. Julian Wine Co. NV White Heron Lake Michigan Shore $9
Stone Hill Winery 2007 Vignoles Missouri $16
Two Lads Winery 2007 Pinot Grigio Old Mission Peninsula $15
It's notable that Silver medals went to three Michigan wineries: Black Star Farms 2007 Late Harvest Riesling Arcturos Old Mission Peninsula $17; Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery 2007 Riesling Old Mission Peninsula $16; and Two Lads Winery 2007 Rose of Cabernet Franc Old Mission Peninsula $17.
Category: Wine event
Posted by Sandra Silfven on Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 10:08 PMLeft Foot Charley tastes through vertical of Rieslings
Bryan Ulbrich of Left Foot Charley Winery in Traverse City, one of Michigan's top Riesling producers, is not attending the Riesling Rendzvous with his peers at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington state (because he and wife Jen are awaiting the birth of their second child), but he is throwing his own Riesling event. Ulbrich, who has dominated the winner's circle at the Michigan Wine & Spirits Competition in the new millennium, will present a vertical tasting of Rieslings from 5 to 7 p.m. on July 24 t his Left Foot Charley Winery at Grand Traverse Commons. (A "vertical" tasting is the name for consecutive vintages of a single wine.)
"We are opening the last magnum of the 2004 Dry Riesling, our inaugural release," Ulbrich says. Admission is $20 and includes samples of six wines and a plate of bread, cheese, olives and fruit, with local jazz artists providing music. Tickets are $20. Space is limited. Call (231) 995-0500 for reservations.
Visit Left Foot Charley for all the details.
Category: Wine event
Posted by Sandra Silfven on Wed, Jul 9, 2008 at 11:36 AMEpicurean Classic in Traverse City draws stars of food, wine and cookbooks
The 2008 Epicurean Classic, a two-and-a-half extravaganza of cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and dinners on Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City, Mich., is Sept. 11-13. The literary Guest of Honor will be Kim Sunee, author of "Trail of Crumbs," and the food and wine celebs will include notables such as James Beard Award winner Joyce Goldstein and Michigan chef Brian Polcyn and Master of Wine Bob Paulinski. (See the full list below.)
New this year, the organizers will offer a Day Pass for $129 to streamline registration. Catch all the details at the Web site.
Featured guests are:
Joey Altman, Food Network host, James Beard Award winner, chef and author of "Without Reservations: How to Make Bold, Creative, Flavorful Food at Home"
Joyce Goldstein, San Francisco Bay area restaurant pioneer, James Beard Award winner and chef and author of "Mediterranean Fresh: A Compendium of One-Plate Salad Meals and Mix-and-Match Dressings"
Matthew Kenney, chef/proprietor of several New York City restaurants, James Beard Rising Star Award nominee and author of "Everyday Raw"
Leonardo Curti, executive chef/co-founder, Trattoria Grappolo, Santa Ynez, Calif., and author of "Trattoria Grappolo: Simple Recipes for Traditional Italian Cuisine"
Jennifer McLagan, James Beard Award winner, author of "Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes"
Diane Morgan, author of 12 cookbooks including the newly released "Grill Everyday"
Laura Werlin, James Beard Award winner and nationally acclaimed cheese expert, and author of "Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials"
Danyel Couet, executive chef, Michelin-starred restaurant Fredsgatan 12 in Stockholm, Sweden, and author of "The Paris Neighborhood Cookbook: Danyel Couet's Guide to the City's Ethnic Cuisines"
Raghavan Iyer, former IACP Teacher of the Year and author of "660 Curries: The Gateway to Indian Cooking"
Martha Foose, executive chef at the Viking Cooking School and author of "Screen Doors & Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales from a Southern Cook"
Wendy Rahamut, TV host of "Caribbean Flavors," consultant and author of "Modern Caribbean Cuisine"
Cree LeFavour, author of "The New Steak: Recipes for a Range of Cuts plus Savory Sides"
Don Yamauchi, recipient, America's Best New Chefs award and executive chef of Forte in Birmingham, Mich.
Brian Polcyn, chef/owner of Five Lakes Grill in Milford, Mich., author of "Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Preserving Artisan Foods," and a James Beard Award nominee
Bob Paulinski, Master of Wine and former chief wine and spirits buyer at Sam's Club
Deborah Schneider, chef and author of "Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta"
Carlyn Berghoff, chef of 17 West at the Berghoff in Chicago and author of "The Berghoff Family Cookbook"
Brian Smith, professor of Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America and author of "Wine Wise"
Jacquy Pfeiffer, chef/founder of The French Pastry School in Chicago
Mark Molinaro, executive chef at the New England Culinary Institute and co-author of "A Master Class: Sensational Recipes from the Chefs of the New England Culinary Institute"
Ted Reader, award-winning chef and food entertainer, and author of "Napoleon's Everyday Gourmet Grilling"
Category: Winery videos
Posted by Sandra Silfven on Mon, Jun 23, 2008 at 9:42 AMGoldeneye offers much to taste and see
Goldeneye is the name of the special Anderson Valley winery owned by the prestigious Duckhorn Wine Co. in Napa Valley. It's dedicated to cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir in California's northern-most wine region, Mendocino County.
The 2005 Goldeneye Pinot Noir is now out in the ninth vintage, and the seriousness of this venture is obvious: intense cherry aromas and flavors, velvet tannins in the mouth, good acidity for structure and longevity.
It's still tightly wound, but gives you insight into the long life expectancy of this wine. It has the complexity to really make you stop and say, "Is this French or not?"
The grapes for this wine come from four estate vineyards planted to 19 clones and 11 rootstocks on an array of soils.
Goldeneye provides wonderful video discussions of the wines from this estate. Check out what winemake Zach Rasmuson has to say here.
Riesling sales soar as producers set meeting in Washington
Riesling is the hottest white varietal in the U.S.
During the 12-month period ending May 3, it was the fastest-growing white wine and second-fastest growing of all wine types, behind Pinot Noir, according to AC Nielsen data.
Nielsen goes on to say that sales have increased 54 percent over the past three years!
Thanks to sweet, boring Liebfraumilch, it used to be you couldn't give it away, but the popular styles today are dry, crisp and palate-cleansing, like Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.
Chateau Ste. Michelle has been a leader in Riesling production in this country and will once again host a summit meeting, the Riesling Rendzvous, on July 27-29, with vintners and media from around the world gathering in Washington state for tastings and discussions.
Participating from this part of the U.S. are Chateau Grand Traverse and Shady Lane Cellars from Michigan; Anthony Road Winery, Fox Run, Sheldrake Point and Dr. Konstantin Frank from New York; and Unionville from New Jersey.
2 New York wineries and Chateau Ste. Michelle big winners at competition
The International Eastern Wine Competition, so named because it draws heavy participation from Eastern U.S. wineries in addition to wineries around the world, announced the results of this year's competition.
The big winners were Chateau Ste. Michelle in the state of Washington and two New York state wineries -- Casa Larga and Rooster Hill, both in the Finger Lakes.
This competition includes the "Riesling Championship," the only such contest devoted to a single varietal.
Here are the Riesling Championship winners:
Riesling Champion and Best Semi-Sweet Riesling: Chateau Ste. Michelle, 2007 Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley (Wash.) $22
Best Dry Riesling: Chateau Ste. Michelle, 2007 Dry Riesling, Columbia Valley (Wash.) $12
Best Semi-Dry Riesling: Rooster Hill Vineyards, 2006 Riesling, Semi Dry, Finger Lakes (New York) $15.99
Best Sweet Riesling: Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, 2006 Riesling Ice Wine, Okanagan Valley (Canada) $59.99
Here are the sweepstakes winners in the International Eastern Wine Competition:
Best White Wine: Chateau Ste. Michelle, 2007 Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley (Wash.) $22
Best Red Wine: Viansa Winery, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast (Calif.) $21.00
Best Fruit Wine: Three Sheets/Holmberg Orchards, NV Apple Wine (Conn.) $10.99
Best Dessert Wine: Casa Larga Vineyards, 2005 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine, Finger Lakes (New York) $34.99
The competition is sponsored by Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine.
Check my Thursday wine column for showings by Michigan wineries (you'll be surprised) and those in other states in the region.
Top brands say bye-bye to glass wine jugs
If you are still buying those 3- and 4-liter glass jugs of Inglenook and Almaden, you may be in for a shock. They are being replaced by more eco-friendly Bag-in-Box packaging. The announcement was made today by The Wine Group, which purchased both brands in February from Constellation Wines U.S.
Box wines weigh significantly less than glass and require far less fuel to be transported. And you'll probably love them because they take up much less space and are easier to handle.
Just follow the directions to pinch out the packaging around the spout.
"The positive impact to the environment from making the shift to BIB packages will be huge, simply because the volume of these two brands combined account for 10 million cases of production," notes David Kent, CEO of The Wine Group.
"We believe that making this change with two such venerable brands is an important step forward for the environment and for consumers who appreciate quality, value and the lessened impact on the environment."
Category: Wine and Food
Posted by Sandra Silfven on Tue, May 27, 2008 at 9:11 AMDreamy summer combo: Sauvignon Blanc and Oyster Shooters
Hess Collection Winery in California produces a stunning Lake County Sauvignon Blanc -- tart-crisp and bone-dry -- at a reasonable $11, which grabbed my attention. But just as interesting is a cool summer treat to pair it with -- oyster shooters -- or bite-size appetizers served in a shot glass. This recipe was created by Hess's executive chef, Chad Hendrickson. See if it doesn't grab you, too. It's for four people. And you'll want to pair it with Sauvignon Blanc.
Citrus Oyster Shooters
12 shucked oysters (3 per person)
1 cup cucumbers, peeled, seeded and small dice
1/2 cup red onions, small dice
1 avocado, small dice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1-2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 cup equal parts orange and lime juice
Salt and pepper
Method: Place oysters, cucumbers, onion and cilantro in bowl. Mix the citrus juices together with the hot sauce and pour over the oysters and season with salt and pepper. Gently fold in the avocado. Divide among 12 shot glasses.
Support your local Chambourcin
Chambourcin is a hybrid grape popular in the Mid-Atlantic states, along with Ohio and Michigan. It makes deep-colored, aromatic, fruity wines. It's the grape that Michigan's St. Julian uses for Catherman's Port.
In Ohio for Mother's Day, I dropped by the Winerak in Zanesville, which has an amazing variety of wines and beers for a small town.
Owner Mike Alfman always carries Ohio wines, including a selection from nearby Terra Cotta in New Concord and Flint Ridge near Newark.
Looking for something dry and red, I picked up the 2006 Terra Cotta Chambourcin, $12.99, and 2005 Debonne Chambourcin, $9.99.
The Terra Cotta was not as big and rich as the previous vintage, which won awards in Ohio last year, but still pleased tasters, while the Debonne from up on Lake Erie was spot-on.
Chambourcin is a versatile grape, as entries in the recent Great Lakes Great Wine Competition showed. We tasted a rose, ice wine, port and traditional dry table wines made from it.
If you don't know the grape, don't be afraid to give it a try.
Great Lakes Wine Competition showed strengths of the region
The 15th annual Great Lakes Great Wine Competition held Thursday at Oakland Community College in Farmington Hills, Mich., had a record 500 entries. Judges who ranged from sommeliers at top restaurants to a winemaker, wine writers and other wine-industry professionals sniffed, sipped and evaluated the entries from the seven states and one Canadian province that border the Great Lakes.
Yours truly was one of the judges, and I can only speak for the wines at our table, but they showed some interesting trends:
Syrah is definitely a red grape that shows promise in these parts.
Proprietary white and red blends were wonderful, and gave wineries the license to do some creative blending for the best results.
Rieslings and other whites from the hot 2005 vintage did not always hold up, but the reds were spectacular.
Chambourcin, as port, a dry red or even ice wine, is a viable grape.
Aged reds, meaning previous to the 2004 vintage, held up nicely overall.
Creative fruit wines, such as the spiced apple I tasted with lots of cinnamon and nutmeg, are delightful. And they're great assets in cooking.
Cabernet Franc, Merlot and even Cabernet Sauvignon are certainly viable grapes in parts of the region, too. They are Bordeaux in style -- certainly not California.
See my new column May 15 for a list of the Double Golds and Golds and some insight into the competition.
