Feb16

A DIY Perfume Kit

on February 16th, 2012 at 7:53 am

Perfume is one of the most popular gifts for Valentine’s Day.  Did you get a bottle?  Did you like it?  I’ve tried that before – picking out what I thought was a nice men’s scent.  That didn’t go over so well.  Just because I like a scent in the bottle doesn’t mean it will smell good on you.

Now there’s a way to give the gift of fragrance that your recipient will like – because he or she creates it.  Instead of shopping for a fragrance at the mall, you can blend a perfume with your valentine and have a sweet smelling reminder of the day.

Sue Phillips says people are looking for an experience as a gift, especially when it comes to fragrance.  A perfume industry veteran, Sue launched a business called Scenterprises, creatiing fragrant adventures for events, parties and now for individuals at home.  ”I see that there’s more interest now than ever before in creating custom fragrance.”

“The notion of going to a department store to buy a special perfume has changed,” she says.  ”There are too many celebrity and designer perfumes that they’ve become a commodity.”  Her inspiration comes from helping people discover their own best scent.  ”Fragrance is so uplifting, people love how it makes them feel.  To create your own perfume is an experience that’s quite wonderful.”

As part of the perfume events she conducts, Sue developed a portfolio of 18 blended scents, which are collections of fragrance families such as citrus, fresh (think laundry), floral, spice and musk.  At these events she saw a growing interest in people wanting to blend their own personal perfume.  So she created the Design Your Own Fragrance kits, which are grouped into three categories of fragrances – Fresh, Floral and Oriental.  Each kit contains six vials of blends that on their own can be nice perfumes, but mixed together can be even better.  Sue says “they’ve been crafted to work together so you can actually take any of the six fragrances, a few drops of this one, one drop or two of that one and you’ve got your own perfume.”

What’s great about these mini perfumes is that you don’t have to know what makes a top, middle or base note.  There’s a chart that spells it all out for you.  You can choose one of each, but it’s ok to to make a fragrance out of just middle notes.  Another way to blend, Sue says, is by emotion.  Want to feel sexy and passionate?  A mix of the heady floral and floral floral blends may evoke those sensations for you.  ”There are no rules,” says Sue.  ”It’s whatever makes you feel and smell fabulous!”

Once you find a mix of the blends that you like, you can send the formula to Scenterprises where it will be registered into a data base.  That’s so that when you run out of your scent, you can order a refill.  In a way it’s a gift that keeps on giving.

I bought the Floral kit since I love anything with white flowers – tuberose, gardenia and jasmine.  As soon as it arrived I got together with friends to try it out.  They thought it was the coolest idea and had tons of fun playing around with the fragrances and creating their own blends.  In this kit, the six vials contain these floral elements:  aldehydic (notes that are also in Chanel No. 5), rose floral, floral floral, heady floral, balsamic and gentle floral.  You dip paper sticks, called blotters, into each vial.  Once you’ve smelled all of them you can decide what you like best.  Hold the blotters of your favorites together and smell to see if you like that combination.  Then the blending fun begins.  Using the pipettes from the kit you can extract a few drops of heady floral (jasmine and ylang ylang), mix it with balsamic (bergamot, jasmine and vanilla) and floral floral (jasmine, mandarin and violet).  Ok, that’s my fragrance.

You blend your formula in the larger glass vial that’s inside the atomizer – and then you can spray away.  There’s a feather in the kit too, a much more glamorous perfume blotter which you can spray and wave in the air to experience the perfume.  I can’t tell you how much fun my friends and I had sniffing each other’s concoctions, each one so different yet so wonderful.  One gal made a very interesting blend out of the gentle floral, with bergamot and sage notes, and floral floral scent.  It’s also fun to see how the perfumes that we created change over time.  My husband even likes my blend – so it’s a keeper.  This is my idea of a good time.

Apparantly Oprah agrees.  She put the Design Your Own Fragrance kit on “The O List” , calling it a “Singular Scent-sation.”  Sue says editors of the magazine were at a lifestyle and wellness event where she was creating custom fragrances for attendees.  ”They loved the idea of the kits.  Plus they loved the red atomizer that comes with the Oriental kit for a Valentine’s Day gift.”

I love the kits too.  They remind me of the wine tasting kits you can get from TastingRoom, which brings the winery tasting bar to you.  You can sample each wine from a mini bottle on its own, or blend it with the other wines and play winemaker for a day.  I think it’s super fun to play perfumer for a day.

What’s even better — if you get two or all three of the kits, they can be blended together in many combinations.  I’ve yet to try that – but it’s a good excuse for another scented night with friends.

The other thing I like about giving one of these kits for Valentine’s Day is that its got staying power.  Roses last a couple of days at best.  A bottle of Dom Pérignon Champagne lasts one night, or, in the rare case that you have any wine left over, it’s still ok the next night.  But that’s it.  Perfume lingers.  It evokes memories of special times you’ve shared with your valentine, whether you’ve still in that love affair, or even long after the romance is gone.

 

 

 

 

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Feb01

Uncellared: Tasting Notes on Wine and TV and a Lucky Wine

on February 1st, 2012 at 5:41 pm

I come across a lot of interesting stories that are interesting, but don’t command an 800+ word blog post.  I hope you’ll enjoy these updates in the worlds of wine, perfume and style.

All the Single Ladies

Put your hands up…and make your reservation now for a winemaker dinner featuring none other than The Bachelor himself, Ben Flajnik, who created the Envolve wine label with friends Michael Benziger (whose family owns Benziger Family Winery) and Danny Fay.  Ramekins Culinary School in Sonoma is teaming up with the trio to host a VIP reception and a sit down dinner created by Ramekins chef Doug MacFarland for Friday, February 10.  There are only 25 VIP tickets where you get to meet Ben – and maybe vie for a red rose from him.  But if you can’t get into the VIP meet and greet, there are 120 spaces at the dinner table, where you’ll be served a four course meal paired with Envolve wines.

Tastebud Training

Today the New York Times announced it is offering an online course about California wine via the Times’ ”Knowledge Network”.  For $65 you get a four-part course about California wine with a focus on Cabernet Sauvignon.  It’s one of those self-study programs, with instructors Eric Asimov who is the Times wine critic, winemaker Cathy Corison and Master of Wine Chris Cree.  They’ll also lead a video wine tasting of six wines that you can follow.

Lucky Wine

What does wine have to do with the Chinese Year of the Dragon?  About 1000 cases if you are Iron Horse Vineyards and you make bubbly.  Joy says her family’s winery created the Iron Horse Chinese Cuveé to celebrate this luckiest of years in the Chinese astrological calendar.  She presented San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee with a bottle at City Hall on Tuesday.  ”As luck would have it, the Mayor, San Francisco’s first Chinese American mayor, was born in the Year of the Dragon,” says Joy.

The color red, which is also considered lucky, is in the yellow and red wine label.  What makes this sparkling wine special is that is a vintage wine, from  2007, so this has been in the works for five years.  According to Joy, 880 cases were shipped to Bejing for the beginning of this Chinese New Year.  That leaves 120 cases for us here in the US to get a hold of. But there’s always the next vintage.  Joy says, “We are really looking forward to the Year of the Horse in 2014.”

Rewined

Missed seeing the head honcho of Kendall-Jackson Winery on CBS’s Undercover Boss?  I have been watching this series for some time.  The stories are always tear jerkers (this episode is no exception and starts early on).  You see a direct impact on the boss and the company which is admirable. I do wonder what happens a year or so later, once the cameras are gone.  I think W. Blake Gray did an excellent write up of the show on his blog The Gray Report.  Pour yourself a glass of wine and watch it here.

 

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Jan31

Uncellared: Tasting Notes on Wine and Style

on January 31st, 2012 at 12:40 pm

 I come across a lot of interesting stories that are interesting, but don’t command an 800+ word blog post.  I hope you’ll enjoy these updates in the worlds of wine, perfume and style.

Haute Wine

If you are an avid Chanel fan you probably know Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s long time designer, is launching a a namesake collection with online retailer Net-A-Porter today. The build up to this collaboration has been nothing short of frenzied, with looks leaking out to the press, a Karl look-a-like contest and a find Karl mobile app search for the elusive designer. It’s all tongue-in-cheek good fun.

But what you may not know is that Lagerfeld’s signature will don more than clothing and sunglasses.  The fashion house best known for bottling Chanel No. 5, not wine, owns three wineries in the Bordeaux region of France, according to a Wine Spectator report.  One of these, Chåteau Rauzan-Ségla, a grand cru classé winery in the Margaux region, is celebrating its 350th anniversary by releasing its 2009 Bordeaux with a label designed and signed by Karl Lagerfeld himself.  According to a spokesperson for Chanel, Lagerfeld calls this a “one-off, a one time only” happening. It makes sense, as Chanel is very quiet when it comes to its winery holdings. Lagerfeld re-interprets Rauzan-Segla’s label, which features the chåteau on the winery’s estate.  His signature on the label is your only clue to the wine’s Chanel pedigree; there are no interlocking Cs to be found.  The wine should be available beginning March 2012 (priced $86 to $119 online) and hopefully with release parties as befit a Chanel creation.

Heard it on the Grapevine (I mean e-book line)

Getting ready to launch a wine on Facebook or Twitter?  That’s so yesterday.  In this digital age you also need an e-book.  Rusack Vineyards, a Santa Barbara area winery, announces its inaugural bottling of Island Wines from Catalina Island.  Indeed, it’s news that anyone is growing grapes and making wine on Catalina Island, off the coast of southern California.  Rusack introduces us to this with a beautiful e-book about it.  While video stories from wineries are important, this is a new item in the tool box.  Well done.

 Pillow Talk

The most highly anticpated wine book of the year 2012 will be Margrit Mondavi’s memoirs, at least in the wine world.  Along with her husband, wine giant Robert Mondavi, Margrit created America’s wine culture, establishing California and the United States as industry leaders.  Robert passed away in May 2008, and Margrit carries on the Mondavi legacy.  She gives writer Janet Fletcher a rare, open and frank view of her life with Robert.  Janet says “it’s a beautiful book.”  We all await with baited breath until the book is released in summer 2012.

 

 

 

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handfull of truffles
Jan23

10 Things You Need to Know About Truffles

on January 23rd, 2012 at 10:33 am

I spent the MLK holiday weekend in Napa Valley at the 2nd annual Napa Truffle Festival (I know, tough job right?).  This event is put on by the American Truffle Company, a business launched by Robert Chang, who fell in love with truffles at first bite.  While truffles grow primarily in France and Italy, Robert is determined to help farmers produce American truffles so that he, chefs and other truffle fans can get them fresher faster.

My main mission was to discover the best type of wine to pair with truffles, but with the 60 Minutes report on truffles airing just before the festival, it seems there’s a heightened interest to know more about truffles.  There are some facts and some myths to debunk regarding these ugly, knobby but intoxicating balls.  Will American truffles take root? We’ll have to wait about five years to find out.

1.  Truffles are not chocolates.  Truffles are edible, but they are not the dome shaped confections with flavored fillings.

2. Truffles are mushrooms.  I thought they weren’t mushrooms but tubers or spores.  I was wrong.  Don’t tell my husband.  He has an aversion to mushrooms.  I think it’s a texture thing, and truffles don’t have that typical mushroom texture. So any time we get a dish with truffles in or on it, I have to reassure him that I’m not trying to get him to eat mushrooms.  He’s still not a fan.

I understand his reluctance.  The first restaurant dish I tried with truffles was a white bean soup with truffle oil.  I almost spit out my first taste.  To me it had a rank, dirty off-puttiing aroma.  I sent it back, explaining I thought it was spoiled or something like that.  I am sure the kitchen had a good laugh over the clueless woman who wouldn’t eat the soup.  Since then I’ve been seduced by that pungent, earthy aroma.  I have a developed a serious truffle habit, which can be more expensive than my shoe habit.

3. Truffles grow on trees…on the roots that is. Whoever said ‘money doesn’t grow on trees’ surely didn’t know about truffles.

Truffles grow underground, about one to four inches below, on the roots of certain varieties of oak and hazelnut trees.

For eons the only way you could harvest truffles was — and still is today — with the help of pigs or dogs. Thanks to their heightened sense of smell, they can find the ripe truffles growing underground.  Pigs would not only find these gnarly things, they would eat them before the truffle hunter could get to it.  Now dogs are mostly used, trained to just find the truffles and not to eat them.

4. Truffles grow wild, but some varieties can be cultivated.  The two most well known truffles in the world are the black Perigord of France and the white winter truffle of Italy.  In good years, the harvest is plentiful, but still small compared to other crops.  In not so good years, when the summer weather is dry, there aren’t as many truffles to harvest.  Truffles need summer rain to grow.  It’s the unpredictable growing seasons that add to the scarceness of truffles and is one reason why truffle prices are so high, upwards of $850 per pound or more.

White winter truffles, also known as truffles from Alba, Italy cannot be cultivated.  Which is why the are of the charts expensive, costing $2500 per pound or more.  Perhaps Robert Chang and his team can unlock the key to that holiest grail of all truffles.

5. Many truffles grown in France are cultivated, not wild.  Say adieu to the romantic myth of  the elusive truffle growing wild in the forest.  Why?  The roots of oak or hazelnut saplings (baby trees) can be inoculated with truffles that grow once the tree is planted.  It about five years until the first crop can be harvested, but then after that, truffle farms are the gifts that keep giving, producing  for 40 to 80 years.

6. Truffles are best eaten as fresh as possible.  Think of truffles like you would any produce, from corn to peaches to heirloom tomatoes.  These are always more flavorful the fresher they are, especially if just picked.  Truffles are the same.  Their aroma and flavors diminish by half within four to five days.  If the only place you can get fresh truffles is from the harvests in Europe, and these truffles have to be shipped to the United States, it’s a safe bet more than five days have passed since the truffles were plucked from the ground.

This is one reason why Robert Chang wants to grow truffles closer to or in the U.S.  Chefs here are asking for fresher truffles, so he sees a market with an unmet need.  However, don’t expect to see the price of truffles come down any time soon, even those farmed on American soil.  Chang says truffles grown in Australia command an even higher price in that country because they’re fresher for chefs and consumers.

7. Truffles are the most profitable (legal) crop you can grow.  Robert said this several times during the weekend.  He estimates you can get up to $30,000 to $40,000 in profit per acre, once the farm starts producing truffles.

8. Truffles not only taste sublime, but they’re good for you.  Some say truffles are an aphrodisiac, and that can be a good thing.  But you can enjoy your guilty pleasure knowing there are antioxidants and even fiber (small amounts) in truffles.  I wanted to know how many calories are in truffles, but no one could answer that.

9. Older wines pair really well with truffles.  Vintner Rob Sinskey, of Robert Sinskey Vineyards, has actually planted a truffle orchard next to one of his vineyards in the Carneros region.  He says truffles work best with wines that have a “patina” to them.  After tasting a 2003 Chardonnay from Miner Family Vineyards, and Rob’s own 2000 Pinot Noir with truffles, I have to agree.

10. Many truffle oils and truffle salts are not made with real truffles.  Chefs have strong opinions about this saying truffle products are made with chemicals that replicate the truffle aroma and flavor.  When most of us buy a bottle of truffle oil, we think we’re getting the real thing because these are expensive products.  But most likely the flavors come from chemicals, not actual truffles.  There is even truffle vodka.  I don’t know about that.  Sounds like garlic wine, which is something in my opinion that shouldn’t be made.

Is using synthetic truffle flavors a culinary crime?  If you can’t get the real thing, and like the truffle flavor, why not use the oils or salts?  Just know what you are getting, and you can decide.

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Jan08

Why Don’t You… 10 Non-Resolutions for Wine Drinkers

on January 8th, 2012 at 11:13 am

I love New Year’s – a good excuse to drink bubbly, but I hate the idea of making new year’s resolutions, don’t you?  Instead I’m going to follow what fashion icon Diana Vreeland, the legendary Vogue editor-in-chief (pre-Anna Wintour) would say about fashion rules.  Prior to her years at Vogue, Vreeland wrote a column for Harper’s Bazaar titled “Why Don’t You…”  So with that inspiration, here are my top 10 suggestions (non-resolutions) for the year 2012 in wine.

1.  Why don’t you stop buying wine based on points.  Did you know some wineries (and very good ones at that)  just don’t submit their wines for reviews.  That doesn’t mean they’re not good.  You don’t need an almighty critic to tell you what to drink. Buying independent of scores can yield delicious and inexpensive surprises.

2,  Why don’t you order the least expensive bottle on the restaurant wine list.  They won’t put plonk on that list, and often the less expensive bottles are favorites of the wine director or sommelier.  No one at the table needs to know, but you can share the price once everyone has tried the wine and loves it.

3.  Why don’t you buy a wine just because you like the label.  I certainly do.  Wineries spend a lot of time and money coming up with clever names and images on the label.  For some time “critter” labels were all the rage.  Now it’s what I call “dessert” labels – wines like Layer Cake, Cupcake, Coffee Cake, etc. – all there to tempt you. Usually you discover the wine inside is pretty decent  too.

4.  Why don’t you drink local for at least a month.  Wine is made in all 50 states.  If you live in Missouri and haven’t tried the state’s wines, you are missing out.  Yes this is harder to do in Hawaii or Alaska.  If you live in a state where it is a challenge to find the local wines, or in a state with very few wineries, then check out wine from neighboring states.  If you travel internationally you’ll find that the restaurants, especially the mom and pop places only serve local wines.

5.  Why don’t you proudly buy boxed wine.  The quality of wine in a box is improving and you can now find very drinkable wines.  The bag-in-box technology keeps the wine fresh much longer after opening, up to a month (although I’ve never gotten past two weeks).  You get the equivalent of 4 bottles in one box for a lot less money.  Great for parties or your every day house wine.

6.  Why don’t you explore a new wine region.  Instead of Napa Valley, head to Livermore Valley or Lake County in northern California.  In New York visit the Finger Lakes region.  You’ll find less crowded tasting rooms (if there even is one) and most likely you’ll get to spend time with the winemaker.  If traveling there isn’t an option, you can still pick up bottles from these regions in your local wine shop.

7. Why don’t you pop the cork on sparkling wine more often.  Why reserve bubbles for special occasions?  While Champagne is pricey, the sparkling wines Cava and Prosecco are very affordable, as are American sparklers.  Cava (from Spain) and sparkling wines from the U.S.are made by the same traditional method that is behind the great Champagnes of the world.  Prosecco (from Italy) is made by another method called Charmat, where the second fermentation that produces the bubbles takes place in large tanks, versus in the bottle as in the case of Champagne, Cava and American sparkling wines.  Seek out these bubbles as every day wines, and not just for celebrations.

8. Why don’t you have a good laugh over a wine blog.  Even wine bloggers take themselves too seriously at times.  But not the Hosemaster of Wine .  You’ve got to read Parkenstein Parts 1 and 11.  This is definitely rated R but totally funny.

9.  Why don’t you stop saying you don’t know anything about wine (especially around me).  If you drink wine and like it that’s all you need to know to enjoy what’s in your glass.  I promise I won’t quiz you about it.

10.  And if you are a wine professional…why don’t you stop making people feel intimidated by wine.  Many people in the wine biz, from winemakers to retailers and restauranteurs are much more laid back in regards to wine.  Blue jeans have replaced the more formal suit and tie uniform.  But why are drinkers, from beginners to more experienced ones still intimidated by wine?  Why don’t you make it your mission to help at least one person feel great about buying and drinking wine this year.

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Dec30

My Top 10 Wine Moments of 2011

on December 30th, 2011 at 4:03 pm

As December comes to a close we’re all reflecting back on the year that has been 2011.  Although we’re still going through challenging economic times, spirits of the vintners throughout wine country seem to be rising, as sales are slowly picking up.  There’s a feeling of hope and optimism that I haven’t seen in a long time.  So keeping that positive state of mind, here are my top 10 wine moments of 2011.

Turning my girlfriends on to Riesling.  Girls trips are great, especially when you are in New York City.  I was determined to get to the wine bar Terroir in Tribeca.  There was arm twisting involved as my friends resisted because they didn’t like Riesling. August at Terroir is the Summer of Riesling.  We almost left because Riesling dominates the wine list. Determined to change their taste buds, I enlisted our server for my mission to turn the girls on to Riesling.  I asked for samples that were bone dry (as my friends’ main complaint about this wine is that it is too sweet).  The other requirement – no aromas of petrol.  He brought us 3 samples.  Of course I can’t remember which wines, but the plan worked.  We ordered a bottle for the table.  My friends left Terroir liking Riesling.  In the words of Tim Gunn, thank you Terroir!

Discovering Virginia wines.  This summer the Wine Bloggers Conference was held in Charlottesville, Va.  I had never tried any of the local wines, but glad I had the opportunity to do so.  I left with many favorites including a sparkling Viognier from Barboursville Vineyards and a Petit Manseng (a white wine) from Horton Vineyards.  My favorite moment was tasting Virginia wines on the lawn of Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson.  I highly recommend a journey through this beautiful wine country.

There are some Chardonnays out there that I actually like.  I’ve long been a Chard no way drinker and not a fan of the sweet and oaky bottlings.  I still have a hard time believing Chardonnay is the top white wine seller in this country.  But two Chards really stood out for me this year, from Oakville Ranch and Lioco.  When I tasted Oakville Ranch’s wine I had an ephiany that California Chardonnay can be fruit forward and have good acidity.  I shared a bottle of Lioco, from Sonoma County, with my girlfriends on, yes that same trip to NYC, and it was a big hit.

The Brunello Cucinelli Trunk show at Ma(i)sonry.  A fashion event at a winery?  Oh yeah.  Ma(i)sonry, an art and wine gallery, is one of my favorite places in Napa Valley, and I’m a big fan of Blackbird Vineyard wines.  The Italian label Brunello Cucinelli has sumptous and luxurious clothing for both women and men.  And with Brunello in the label, well that gets me thinking about Brunello di Montalcino wines.  Alas, all I could do was dream about this line as it’s totally out of my budget.  But what I could afford were the elegant wines being poured, from Ma(i)sonry’s Recuerdo label, a Torrontes and Malbec, both from Argentina.  There couldn’t be a more perfect pairing, fashion and wine.  Ok, jewelry and wine or perfume and wine or shoes and wine are up there too.

Learning about aromas in wine that mean the wine is flawed.  Believe it or not, there are wines out there with aromas that tell you there’s something wrong with that bottle of wine.  I took a class at Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley where I learned to recognize the different smells that mean a wine is just not right, and wrote a blog post about it.

Spending time at Contiuum in Napa Valley with Tim Mondavi.  I’ve been producing a video series about the trade event Premiere Napa Valley.  Contiuum is one of the 15 winemaker stories, where the vintners talk about the inspiration for the one-of-a-kind wine they create only for this auction.

We shot at Continuum towards the end of the day.  Tim (one of Robert Mondavi’s sons) spent more time with us than we expected, and is a wealth of information about the Napa Valley and its wines.  We had the pleasure of watching the sun set from this amazing hilltop vineyard overlooking much of Napa Valley.  Contiuum makes only one wine, and it is pretty amazing as well.

Turning my relatives on to Cava Rosé from Spain.  My family came to stay with me for Christmas, and we were getting ready to open our gifts.  I like to make the event festive, so we got the holiday music playing and I pulled out a bottle of Freixenet Cordon Rosado Brut and popped the cork.  My relatives had never heard of Cava and I explained that it’s made the traditional way as in Champagne, but can’t be called Champagne since it wasn’t grown and made there.  Everyone loved the wine, and I plan to stock up on it because this sparkling wine is very affordable.  This is the wine I’ll drink for ringing in the new year of 2012.

The Champagne Grand Tasting in San Francisco.  I think I died and went to heaven at this event, put on by Comité Champagne.  There were 30 Champagne houses pouring, including Pol Roger, where I tasted the same bubbly that Kate Middleton and Prince William had for their wedding.  Of course some of the well known wines were here, like Bollinger and Henroit, but I also liked wines from smaller producers, including Mailly, Gosset, Charles de Cazanove and Lanson.  There are some really nice bubblies out there that don’t carry the names and cachet, of let’s say a Krug, but are worth seeking out (and cost less too).

My favorite wine label art with good wines inside.  I’ve read about Charles Smith wines, but never tried them until I was in NYC with my inlaws at Kin Shop (first Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle’s second restaurant), and a Charles Smith Viognier was on the wine list.  I feel in love with it, so I always seek out this unconventional winemaker’s bottles not just for the wines, but his label artwork is fabulous.  For Syrah, it is called Boom Boom, with a bomb on the label.  Chardonnay is named Eve, and has an apple with a bite taken, invoking Eve in the garden of Eden.  Merlot is The Velvet Devil.  For me, the label’s cachet is not at all compromised as many of these wines are sold at Trader Joe’s and have a very friendly price point.  Gotta love it.

My favorite post of 2011 is about crowd-sourced winemaking.  Tom and Matt Johnson are owners and winemakers of Silversmith Vineyards in California’s Mendocino wine country.  The came up with the crazy idea of turning the winemaking of one of their varietals to their cadre of Facebook fans, and inspired my blog post about it.  They had more folks participating than they could have imagined.  Every decision was posted on Facebook, from which varietal to make, when to pick, and how to press and the level of dryness in their #crowdmadewine project.  It’s not too late for you to get involved, as there will be decisions to make about what barrel to use and how long to age the wine.  I still think this is one of the best examples of social media in the wine world.

To all my readers, thank you for your support and for reading my blog here on Huffington Post.  I raise a glass of bubbly to you and toast with best wishes to ring in 2012.

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glasses
Nov22

Giving Thanks for Garagiste Wines

on November 22nd, 2011 at 4:03 pm

You know the legendary stories about how Apple Computers and Hewitt Packard were created in a garage, by visionaries who broke all the rules and changed an industry.  Wine garagistes do the same thing.  What in the world is a garagiste?  Garagiste [gar-uh-zhe-stuh] is a name coined for winemakers in Bordeaux, France making small amount of high quality wines in their home garages and bucking conventional wine tradition.  That innovative spirit is alive and well in the United States, particularly on California’s Central Coast.  That’s where you’ll find Paso Robles, home to the first ever garagiste festival in the country.

Winemakers Doug Minnick and Stewart McLennan founded Paso Garagiste, a group that promotes, well, garagistes, their wines and winemaking efforts.  To be considered a garagiste, total case production must be at or less than 1200 cases a year.  That’s 144,000 bottles – not a lot of wine.  By comparison many of the big name wineries produce millions of cases.  It’s easy for these small winemakers to get lost in the shuffle just trying to get their labels out there.

L-R: Doug Minnick and Stewart McLennan with garagiste winemakers

Being labeled a garagiste is a badge of honor.  ”The original garagistes in France were breaking actual winemaking laws.  Their counterparts here in the States don’t have to worry about that,” says Doug.  ”I was laughing recently when a friend poured a blend of Syrah, Zin and Cab and I forget what else.  I told him that in France they would throw him in jail for a blend like that!”

Most of these labels don’t have a tasting room.  Limited quantities mean you don’t see these wines on many restaurant lists or on retail shelves, especially outside of their winemaking regions.  ”Most of these wineries are un- or under-distributed.”  Doug and Stewart wanted to change all that with Paso Garagiste, and created an event where wineries could pour for the general public, and where wine lovers could discover these wines.

On a recent Saturday in November, 44 wineries gathered in a horse stable on a sprawling farm in Paso Robles.  ”We had 600 logo glasses for the expected 450 attendees,” say Doug and Stewart.  ”At 3:00 pm all of the glasses were gone.”  When they put out the “sold out” sign outside the tasting, that was “evidence that this is a movement whose time has come.”  Total attendance was more like 750 people.

J Dusi winemaker Janell Dusi was one of the vintners pouring her wines for the festival goers.  She is a fourth-generation grape grower in Paso Robles, having learned by working with her grandfather in the family’s Zinfandel vineyard.  Janell also launched her own label, J. Dusi Wines.  “I definitely started out, literally, in the garage of my grandfather’s house,” says Janell.  She chose to participate in the garagiste festival, because for her 1200 case label “it is unusual and hard to showcase my small amount of wines because I have no tasting room.  Garagiste was a great event to share my wines with people.”  She poured Zinfandel and Carignane, a varietal gaining more attention in California.  “The Carignane was definitely the highlight of the day.  A Carignane revolution is forming!”

“The smaller production winemakers are the ones on the cutting edge, experimenting with new styles, blends and varietals in a way that larger wineries cannot,” say Doug and Stewart.  If there’s one thing, besides producing small batch artisan wines, that garagistes have in common is “their willingness to share with fellow winemakers.  Whether it is tools or techniques, there is a wonderful sense of cooperation between these folks, especially in Paso.”  Case in point is winemaker Victor Abascal, a one-man band operation behind his Vines on the Maycrest label.  Doug and Stewart chose him as the first recipient of the “Spirit of the Garagiste” Award.  “Victor spent most of the festival escorting attendees to taste the wines of his fellow winemakers.”

Doug and Stewart hope festival attendees left with a few wine discoveries that they might not have had the opportunity to taste outside of this venue.  That remains the greatest challenge for the garagistes – and Doug and Stewart say more can be done to help garagistes get their wines in front of a thirsty public.  They are already making plans for a second garagiste festival next year.  For Janell Dusi, participating meant gaining a new outlet for selling her wine.  “I picked up a new retail shop in Dana Point, southern California, who loves to find small producers and gets behind your brand.  I feel the event lit up some energy about small producers and Paso in general.”

These wines are absolutely worth the effort to find.  Garagistes are indeed passionate about winemaking, and that shows in the wines.  Crafting small lots of wine affords them the chance to create something truly unique.  ”They are independent artists, similar in a way to independent musicians, who want to follow their own path without the restrictions that often come with trying to please the largest possible audience,” say Doug and Stewart.  Supporting them is crucial to their survival.

Going forward, look for garagiste wines being sold through the Paso Garagiste website.  The founders are also considering taking the festival to wine growing regions outside of Paso Robles and California.  “These are the most exciting wines and winemakers in the world today,” say Doug and Stewart.  “They may be hard to find, but we are committed to seeking them out.  We love them and we know others like us will love them too, if they get a chance to taste.”

 

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Nov17

10 Wines for Thanksgiving — No Pinot or Chardonnay Allowed

on November 17th, 2011 at 5:50 pm

I know when the holidays are nearing because of the massive number of pitches, press releases and (a small amount) of wine start coming in. I’ve been getting these since before Halloween, just like the department stores putting out Christmas decorations super early. Much of the wine is Pinot Noir. I certainly understand that. It’s a safe and expected choice.

Not knocking Pinot here, but I like to introduce my guests to interesting wines, wines that you might not otherwise try with a holiday dinner. One year my pick was a Pinot Meunier, a wine that is mostly blended into Champagne. It was a big hit. So no Pinot Noir or Chardonnay here, just my top 10 recommendations to try along with the turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. All the wines, except for a big splurge on a Sauternes from Chateau Coutet (hey, it’s the holidays), sell for $25 and less.

1. Seguras Viudas Brut Rosé NV ($10). Start the holiday on a festive note with a pink sparkler.  Seguras Viudas makes some of the best value bubbles around.  This brut rosé is made from Trepat and Garnacha grapes (no Pinot Noir here!) in the Cava region of Spain.

2. Bagrationi 2007 Reserve Brut ($25). This sparkling wine hails from Georgia – not the state but the country.  Bagrationi says this is the oldest wine producing area in the world, dating back 7000 years.  This vintage bubbly is made in the traditional method used in Champagne, and is fruit forward with tiny bubbles.  It’s made from a whole lota grapes you’ve never heard of. A fun wine to try.

3. Pine Ridge 2010 Chenin Blanc – Viognier ($14). Chenin Blanc is well-known in France’s Loire Valley as the white grape that makes up Vouvray. Pine Ridge blends Chenin with Viognier and the wine is crisp, with a perfumed nose from the Viognier. The winery is also donating $1 for every bottle of any of their wines sold online, at the winery, retail shops and restaurants to Feed a Family.

4. Lioco 2010 “Indica” Rosé ($16). Lioco makes wonderful Chardonnay, but you should really try their Rosé of Carignan.  It’s fruity with strawberry and roses.  This can also be an aperitif wine instead of sparkling wine.

5. Chateau Coutet 2006 Sauternes ($75). A dessert wine for turkey and all the fixings?  Yes please.  Chateau Coutet Sauternes wines are made with botrytised Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes that develop the botrytis mold, which makes the juice much more concentrated and sweet.  The grapes look ugly but they produce a floral and honeyed liquid gold.  You’ll be surprised and pleased how well this wine goes with candied yams, cranberry sauce and roast turkey.  Keep on hand for dessert too. Note this is 750 ml so it will go a long way.

6. Dashe 2010 “Les Infants Terribles”  ($24). While Oakland, CA based Dashe is known for Zinfandel, in their hands, Grenache turns out lively and fruity, despite being named “a rebel child.”  Native yeast kick-started this wine from grapes grown in Dry Creek Valley. (Received as a sample)

7. Recuerdo 2010 Malbec ($22). I recently tasted this wine at a fashion show held at Ma(i)sonry in Napa Valley .  Recuerdo is the new label from the owners of Blackbird Vineyards and it’s made in Argentina by a team lead by Santiago Achaval, a highly regarded winemaker.  One of the little bites served with the wine was a turkey and cranberry slider; I had an aha! moment – it was a great pairing.  Recuerdo’s aromatic  Torrentes ($15) is also worth serving over the holidays.

8.  Earthstone 2009 Merlot, Sonoma County ($8.99). Behind the label of Earthstone, a small, family owned winery you find a soft and plush red wine, made with sustainably farmed grapes. Super easy drinking and sure to be a crowd pleaser.  This is one of Whole Foods Market’s Top 10 wines for the holidays and is a good value.

9.  2009 Decoy Merlot, Napa Valley ($25). This Merlot, from Duckhorn Wine Company, is a bit of a splurge, but is even more hedonistic and plush but most appropriate for sharing with friends and family.  It’s time Merlot gets the recognition it deserves as a holiday wine. (Received as a sample.)

10.  2010 Pacific Rim Vin de Glaciere ($14 for 375 ml). This is a sweet end to a fabulous meal.  For Pacific Rim’s dessert wine, Riesling grapes were frozen after picking, then pressed while still frozen.  Like a Sauternes, the frozen Riesling delivers a slightly sweet floral and honeyed wine.  It’s dessert in a glass.  A little of this concentrated nectar goes a long way.

 

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The Haul from Sniffapalooza Fall Ball
Nov15

A Scentsational Weekend with Sniffapalooza

on November 15th, 2011 at 8:48 am

 

I recently returned from a weekend in New York City with Sniffapalooza. Sniffa what? How do you spell that? Funny name. Indeed, most people I know or meet have never heard of Sniffapalooza. They think it’s a word I made up. No, it’s actually a group of perfume lovers who get together to sniff out the latest and greatest fragrances from around the world. What has this got to do with wine? Read on.

Sniffapalooza was launched in 2004 by two scent obsessed women, Karen Dubin and Karen Adams. What started out as a small group going to fragrance events (perfume launches and private master classes) has become an international phenomenon.  In the summer of 2010 I went with the group on a perfume odyssey through Grasse, France. Sniffapalooza gets amazing behind the scenes access at perfume labs and with the noses themselves (nose=perfumer in industry talk). “The Karens” are known around the world.

I had so much fun on that trip and learned a lot, especially seeing how perfume is so similar to wine, from how raw ingredients are sourced to the equipment used to make the juice (industry jargon for perfume), right down to the bottling and labeling line. So when Fall Ball 2011 was announced (a weekend in October filled with perfume events jammed into two days), I signed up immediately. The goodie bags are legendary (see top photo of my haul). They also do a Spring Fling weekend, which I have not been to (yet).

Day 1

Registering early and signing up for the Bergdorf Goodman breakfast is a must. Imagine 50 perfume lovers in a private room in Bergdorf’s at 8 am. Some of us flew in (me), some drove up from Virginia, Florida. All to hear and try out the new offerings from perfume houses big and small. Seeing old friends and making new ones is a big part of this event. We all have the mad love of perfume in common, and it’s so nice to be with people who not only get that but share in your passion too. Reps from the major fragrance houses — Annick Goutal, Chanel, Prada, Creed, Guerlain, Jo Malone to name a few – presented their newest fragrances.  We had something like 30 presentations; this was speed spritzing.

Many companies now launch new fragrances to Sniffapalooza.  Why?  We’re a dedicated and passionate audience, always willing to try the next new perfume.  We tweet aabout perfume, blog about it and Facebook it too.  Sniffapalooza is recognized industry wide for its incredible influence.

We then decended on the Bergdorf perfume department; just look at the size of our crowd. Sniffapaloozas are super smellers. I tried at least 8 to 10 scents, covering my hand, wrist, mid arm, elbow and upper arm, on both sides. Most people would be overwhelmed by four scents. Not Sniffas. I am convinced we are like super tasters in wine, with finely tuned noses. Makes sense for me, I swirl, sniff and sip countless wines on any given day.

On to  Henri Bendel, where Christophe Jouany was on hand to launch his perfume label Jouany to Sniffapalooza.  He’s a fashion photographer, and his travels around the world shooting beauty and fashion inspire his scents. There are two perfumes; my favorite is Marrakech.

 

I also met perfumer Neil Morris, who is quite personable and makes great juice.  I walked away with Scrumptious which is truly scrumptious and smells good enough to eat.

Neil signed the bottle. This made me think of going to wine country and meeting the winemakers instead of the tasting room staff. Although they may be competent, the pourers don’t and really can’t exude the passion of the vintner. There’s such a difference when the perfumer makes the presentation, or greets you at the perfume counter. I think there is a correlation between what I fell in love with scentwise and meeting the master nose. I now have a connection to that fragrance. It tells a story to me. Just like meeting the winemaker, you then have the story behind the label.

A visit to Krigler was next. I’d never heard of this fragrance house, whose only U.S. location is in the shops at the Plaza Hotel.

Ben Krigler is utterly chaming, carrying on a family business that launched in Russia in 1904. Krigler boasts many famous fans, including Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Audrey Hepburn.  Scent No. 55, Lovely Patchouli, is stellar (Jackie O wore this).

Day 2

We were ready to keep on sniffing.  We had a “master class” with Molton Brown.  This was very cool because Molton Brown, known for their fragrant and colorful hand and body washes, was launching their first ever fine fragrance line and they chose to debut it exclusively to Sniffapalooza.  We learned about the inspiration behind the scents, a journey along the Silk Road.  We all got to take a lab sample home plus a little goodie bag.

Next, MiN New York.  This fragrance apothecary in NoLita stocks hard to find perfume lines.  One of my all time favorites is Nobile 1942 from Italy, and they also have Frapin, which are Cognac inspired scents.  Once again a niche perfume line debuted to Sniffapalooza.  Carner Barcelona launched three scents created by Sara Carner, including D600 eau deparfum, which I absolutely love.

At lunch we had more presentations from indie perfumers.  Carlos Huber created Arquiste, a line just launched at Barney’s New York.  He’s really an architect focused on historical preservation.  Hearing how he was inspired to create fragrances that are a snapshot in history is just great and we all want to own a few of his scents, including Flor y Canto and Anima Dulcis.  We learned about Technique Indiscrete from Belgian perfumer Louison Libertin that launches soon in the U.S., and I can’t wait!  Of course this Sniffapalooza Fall Ball is the label’s American debut.

For our last stop on the perfume trail, we converged on the Sephora Sensorium in the Meatpacking District.

This is an interactive journey through perfume.  Sephora and fragrance giant Firmenich created the exhibit.  It’s a great way to learn about the history of fragrance, and to experience it in new ways, other than sniffing bottled scents.

Perfume bottle chandelier at the Sensorium

Did you know some people loose their sense of smell?  You get to experience that.  At the end you sit at the Fragrance Bar and sniff perfumes in “flights,” much like wine tasting flights.  It’s smelling blind as opposed to tasting blind.  I discovered some scents I really liked that I would never have tried.  This exhibit in New York runs through November 27th, 2011.

At that point I think all of us were sniffed out.  We must have tried a heady 200+ fragrances in two days.  Our noses needed a rest.  But I can’t wait until Spring Fling!

 

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Nov04

Turning Winemaking Over to Facebook Fans

on November 4th, 2011 at 2:19 pm

“Harvest is complete!!! Our Cabernet Sauvignon has been picked and crushed, and the yeast strain and fermentation tannins YOU selected have been added.”  This was the declaration posted Thursday morning, November 3, on the Silversmith Vineyards Facebook page.  ”They did not pick the yeast that I normally use,” winemaker Tom Johnson says.  ”It’s a new experience for me.”

The “they” refers to Silversmith’s Facebook fans, 797 of them, who are voting on winemaking decisions for the 2011 vintage.  ”I thought Matt was crazy when he came up with this idea,” says Tom.  ”I thought no one would be interested and no one would participate.  Boy was I wrong.”

Matt Johnson is Tom’s son and sales and marketing director for Silversmith Vineyards. His idea: crowd-source all the decisions in the winemaking process to the winery’s Facebook fans who “like” the winery’s page.  They’re calling it the Crowd-Made Wine Project.  Other wineries have used crowd sourcing for things like naming a wine or choosing a label design, but not to decide on things like which strain of yeast or how far apart the rollers are on the grape crusher.  ”We wanted to remove all the barriers and pull back the curtain on winemaking, to make it accessible and open the door to as many decisions as possible,” Matt says.

Silversmith is a small family owned winery (producing about 1200 cases), located in Mendocino County’s Redwood Valley in northern California.  They grow and make estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah.  The first decision was which of these three varietals would be the crowd sourced wine.  Votes came in from seven countries on four continents.  ”The crowd chose Cabernet,” says Tom, although he hoped it would be Petite Sirah.

This is the first time I’ve heard of a winery inviting outside participation in crafting a wine. Until now Tom viewed winemaking as a solitary affair.  It was a little tough for him to let go and have decisions made for him by people he doesn’t know.  Tom and Matt are brave men.

Tom’s not too worried that the crowd will steer him wrong.  ”This process forces us to re-examine all of our winemaking decisions.  Since we are explaining each step of the process through social media, it’s like a refresher course in winemaking for us.”  For each decision to be made, Matt makes a short video about the choices.  He and Tom direct, shoot and edit these, including this one explaining the crowd-made wine process.  I see it as a great educational platform.  At other wineries I’ve helped pick and sort grapes during harvest,  but I certainly wasn’t aware of all the decisions that have to be made even before the grapes make it into the crusher.  I am enjoying learning about the process. I sense that Silversmith’s Facebook fans do too.

One decision that did not follow the Facebook vote was when to pick the grapes.  Brix is a measurement of the sugar level in grapes, and it’s an indicator of ripeness.  The crowd vote was tied – to pick at 23 and 24 degrees brix.  Because the 2011 growing season has been cooler than normal, the grapes are taking longer to fully ripen.  But this week mother nature stepped in and with rain on the horizon the Johnsons couldn’t wait to pick at 23 or 24 brix.  They harvested at 22.5 brix, but they got the grapes in before the rain, which could have left mold or other problems in its wake.

The lower sugar means other choices in winemaking, says Matt.  ”We see this as an opportunity for another potential decision down the road about our post fermentation options.  ”That could include adding grape juice concentrate to get a higher sugar level or making the wine at a lower alcohol level.  Tom says, “we’ve opened the secret Houdini basket and we’re letting out all the secrets.”  Brave indeed.

“We had 150 to 200 Facebook fans when we started this,” says Matt.  Now it’s closer to 800 fans.  ”We didn’t have Twitter at all.” Now Silversmith has 442 followers.  The Johnsons see social media as a way to connect with people by getting them involved in the process.  The goal is to bring more people to wine and help them feel more informed about it instead of being intimidated by it.  ”We can tell through the comments we get that some people have lots of winemaking experience, but for some it’s clear this is their first rodeo,” Tom says.  And that’s OK.

The decisions don’t stop at the end of harvest.  ”This is just the beginning of the process.”  The first post-harvest decision is already on their Facebook page:  when to press the wine off the must (the fermenting mixture of grape juice, skins and seeds from the grape crusher).  I’m voting for complete dryness, when all the sugar has been converted to alcohol.

Up next, what pressure to use to press off the wine, when to rack wine and type of barrels for aging.  This is a long term project that will go all the way through label design, what type of cork and capsule to use and how long to bottle age before releasing the wine for sale.  That date will be a crowd decision, which could be anywhere from a year to two years from now.  Will the Facebook crowd be dedicated enough to stay engaged for that long?  It’s all part of the experiment of this crowd-made wine.

There’s plenty of time to join in.  You don’t have to pay a thing to take part, you just need to “like” Silversmith’s Facebook page.  The hope is the crowd will want to buy this wine.  ”We will open up and pre-sell first to our Facebook participants,”  says Matt.  It will be interesting to see if the wine sells out before it is released.

This may be the best use of social media in the wine world.  Tom and Matt do their own Facebook posts and tweets.  It’s just the two of them taking on this crowd-sourced wine project.  It doesn’t get any more authentic or real than that.

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