Wine Beneath The Palms

Virginia wines arrive in South Florida

     Few American history classes teach it, but English settlers in Virginia established an enlightened vinocracy; a 1624 law actually required that 20 grape vines be planted for each male colonist over the age of 20.
     Still, even Thomas Jefferson wasn’t able to overcome environmental problems like mildew to establish a viable wine industry there.
     That’s changed.
     Ozzy Riverol at The Wine Shoppe, 1706 S. Red Road, Miami, is holding a tasting of Virginia wines from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fri., June 13.
      Featured are the wines of Kluge Estate Winery, including the 2004 Kluge SP Blanc de Blancs, a chardonnay sparkling wine; 2005 Albemarle Rosé, of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot and malbec; 2003 Albemarle Simply Red, of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, petit verdot and merlot; 2002 Kluge New World Red, of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc; and Nonvintage Kluge Cru, an aperitif made of chardonnay grapes fortified with brandy and aged in Jack Daniels barrels.
      Call 305-267-9921 or see www.the-wine-shoppe.com

Is there beauty in a 1967 Inglenook cab?

 

Dear Fred,

Sometime in the early seventies I went to Burdines and bought a wooden case of Estate Bottled Inglenook Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 1967. Several bottles were imbibed and the rest stored on their sides in the original case on the bottom of a cabinet. There they have remained, pretty much forgotten for lo these many years. Their seals are intact. Is is possible that they are still drinkable, do you think? If not, could they safely be used as vinegar? I'd appreciate your expertise.

Martha Scott

Dear Martha,

It’s a fascinating question. Inglenook today is known for inexpensive jug wines. And now it’s even going into box wines. But it wasn’t always the case. The winery was founded in 1879 by Finnish sea captain/fur trader Gustav Niebaum, and for nearly a century, excluding Prohibition, made some of America’s best wines. In 1971 it was sold to the drinks giant Heublein, then resold several times, and the quality decline began.

Your wine was made before the sale, so anything is possible.

I found a couple of tasting notes for the ’67 Inglenook. A San Francisco Chronicle writer tasted it in 2006 and found no fruit, but flavors of orange peel and spice. Cellartracker.com tasted it in February 2008 and found “deep stone fruit and subtle round tannins.”

Francis Ford Coppola, the film maven who bought some of the Inglenook land, says he’s found beauty in Inglenook Cabs from as far back as 1933.

So I’d suggest hosting a dinner party with roast duck or goose and popping that sucker open. Taste it right away; if it’s dead, give it an hour and try it again. It could open up.

I’d also suggest having a back-up bottle of something a lot younger, just in case.

Please let me know what you learn.

Fred Tasker

How to make friends with the sommelier

     A faithful reader has an idea for taming the wild sommelier. She writes:

Dear Fred,

     “One of my fellow gourmands and I have had recent experiences with sommeliers that were memorably good. In one, the sommelier at The Palm in Coral Gables came over to talk to us, as we'd brought a bottle of Turley to dinner there. She came over to chat about it and was incredibly cordial.

     "The entire restaurant seemed to treat us with a lot of respect and affection that night b/c of that one bottle of wine that set us apart. (We're not regulars and are not well known, so it wasn't personal.)”

Hilda Mitrani

Dear Hilda,

     Good idea. It’s true that bringing a really top bottle of wine to a restaurant can buy you some respect.  Turley Wine Cellars of California is noted for turning out cult wines –- particularly their zinfandels. And a lot of them are in the $25 to $35 range.
     But readers who want to try this should call ahead to be sure the restaurant allows patrons to bring their own wine by paying a corkage fee.

Fred Tasker

Question: Are bad sommeliers a menace to wine?

Today’s Question of the Week: Are bad sommeliers a menace to society?

     One would think so based on this article in London-based Decanter magazine titled “Christopher Hitchens launches vitriolic attack on sommeliers.”

     It quotes American wine author Hitchens: “The vile practice of butting in and pouring wine without being asked is the very height of bad manners. Not only is it a breathtaking act of rudeness in itself, but it conveys a none-too-subtle and mercenary message: ‘Hurry up and order another bottle.’ “

     Now, I love sommeliers. They’re fellow hedonists, always ready to schmooze about the glories of wine. But I have seen the occasional one going around the table filling everybody’s glass to the brim.

     This makes it impossible to swirl, and it tends to empty the bottle, pressuring the host to buy another, even if some of the diners aren’t finishing their overfilled glasses. And it’s hard to tell them to stop it without creating a fuss, which can put a damper on a nice meal.

     Wine fans, read the whole article and tell me what you think.

     Sommeliers, how do you react to this?

     Click on the "comments" icon below.

Paula & Neil's excellent New Zealand adventure

     I’ve been asking loyal blog readers to keep journals of their wine travels and report here when they return. So the rest of us can live vicariously through their eyes.

     Here’s a missive from Paula and Neil Linden, triggered when I wrote about New Zealand wines in my Thursday column (which is still posted at MiamiHerald.com/wine).

Dear Fred,
    We were in NZ last year at the end of April for 3 weeks and spent several days in the Marlborough region  (we stayed at Old St. Mary's Convent--now a B&B--in the honeymoon suite--formerly the nunnery--you figure that out!). 

     For my 60th birthday (says Neil), we had dinner in the only 5 star restaurant in NZ, at the Hans Herzog Vineyard.  We visited several of the vineyards you featured.  We were somewhat surprised you did not mention Cloudy Bay for their Sauvignon Blanc (admittedly we are somewhat partial as our daughter-in-law works for LVMH, which owns the brand).  We had a private tour of their vineyard which was delightful.  They are actively marketing a Pinot Noir as well.

     You list Mt. Difficulty pinot noir---this is a great wine and it lives up to its name because we can't find it anywhere!  Do you have a source?  Also, it was quite pricey there, over $100 in restaurants.  Wine shops in NZ complained they couldn't get enough product.

     Finally, we spent an incredible day on Waiheke Island, off Auckland, and had lunch at the Mudbrick Vineyard, pictured above.  Their 2006 Reserve Chardonnay was delicious.

     Thanks for bringing back very fond memories of three of the best weeks we've spent!

Paula & Neil

Dear Paula and Neil,

     Sounds like a great time. I haven’t been to New Zealand yet, but it’s on my list. And I’m definitely a fan of Cloudy Bay’s wines.

     A number of readers have said they can’t find Mt. Difficulty wines. I’m checking with the distributor, and I will let everybody know the answer. Or, if anybody knows, message me.

  Cheers, Fred

Buying wine in hard economic times

      Advice for hard times from Michael Bittel of Sunset Corners Fine Wine & Spirits: “In a highly competitive wine market, with the dollar continuing to sink against the Euro, Spain continues to offer the biggest bang for the buck when compared to all of the world's great wine regions. At the bargain level there are literally hundreds of great values priced at $20 or less.

       “In the $20 to $35 dollar range, Spain blows the competition away. Add to the mix that the last three years of 2004, 2005 and 2006 vintages are all good to excellent in quality and the consumer has the perfect storm of great wines, great values and immediate satisfaction.”

     Michael is holding a free tasting of six Spanish wines from noon to 4 p.m. on Sat., May 17, at his shop at 8701 Sunset Drive, Miami. But even if you can’t make it, he says you can come to the shop and buy the wine or e-mail him at mbittel@sunsetcorners.com and he’ll hold it for you. Phone is 305-271-8492.

     The wines: 2006 Martin Codax Albariño, Rias Baixas, $12; 2005 Bodegas Alto Almanzora Este, Valle del Almanzora, $11; 2005 Bodegas Castano Solanera Vinas Viejas, Yecla, $16; 2005 La Cova del Vins Ombra, Montsant, $18; 2004 Celler de Cantonella Cervoles Tinto, Costers del Segre, $30; 2005 Mas Doix Salanques, Priorato, reg. $45, sale price $36.

Wine festival season winding down on Las Olas

     Fella named Eddie Zubric e-mails all the way from Vienna to say:
      Hi Fred. My sons and I are going to be in South Florida in May. We’d appreciate information about some nice wine festivals there. Thanks a bunch.

     Eddie, you’re just in time. The outdoor wine festival season is winding down quickly as hurricane (sigh) season approaches.

     But there’s a good one on Thur., May 1. The Las Olas Wine and Food Festival takes place from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Las Olas Boulevard between Southeast Eighth Avenue and Southeast 11th Avenue, with 44 wine and spirits tables and 57 restaurant tables. Price is $75.

     And there’s a VIP Reception from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Las Olas and Eighth Avenue. Price is $200.

     “We’re cutting off attendance at 2,000,” says event director Paula Ettline. “There won’t be any feeding frenzies.”

     Tix must be purchased in advance. See www.lasolaswineandfood.com or call 954-524-4657.

Reader finds a good cabernet franc

     Reader Chris Noble, whose question prompted the item below about cabernet franc, found a good one. He writes:

      "I was at a wine tasting at my local shop last night; the owner had just returned from a California trip and was sharing some of his favorites.

       "We tried a Lang & Reed Cab Franc that was quite nice.  Apparently they are committed to making the best CA Cab Francs around.  They have 3 tiers or price point bottles, and this was the "good", but at $25 retail I thought it was well worth it."

Look! I found another local wine blog!

       It turns out that, despite my fears, there are some other wine blogs in South Florida. I will be describing them to you over the next few days.

       Today’s group began several years ago when a local wine fan and lawyer, Leo Bueno, started a wine blog. Over time it evolved into a the Miami Meet Up Group and the Yahoo Miami/Wine group, including Bueno’s friend, Kevin Jones.

       It’s not exactly a blog –- it’s a coordinating group for wine parties and a listing place for local wine shops to announce their upcoming sales, wine dinners and other events.

       Then the two hooked up with Miami graphic designer Teena Calderon -- that's Teena and Kevin in the picture -- and they centralized their groups into Miamiwinetasters.com. This group also organizes wine dinners, specializing in those that benefit charities.

       On Thur., April 24, Miami Wine Tasters is teaming with VINO Miami, the Loews Miami Beach Hotel and artist Melanie Rosen for a wine party to raise money for a charity called Modest Needs.

         And on May 16 they’re planning a social event at a new Brickell Key wine bar about to open called Cavas.

       “We have about 500 members,” says Jones – “mostly professionals in their 20s and 30s, but also some in their 50s and 60s. We started it because so many of the events are put on by wine reps, and the focus is to sell wine. We thought it was a good idea just to have good wine and food.”