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California Wine Classification of 2012

/ WestchesterWineGuy / 5 Comments

Recently I have been teaching a wine class along with a colleague of mine (Josh Farrell of Wine Express) and we were going over the 1855 Bordeaux Wine Classification. For those who don’t know what that is, over 150 years ago professionals from the wine industry ranked the wines of Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the most prominent grapes used) according to a certain Château’s reputation, price and of course on the quality of wine.

However there were some politics involved and many equivalent quality wines did not get the top distinction because they didn’t have the brand recognition nor did they demand the ludicrously outrageous prices. Four wines at that time (now five wines) were awarded the elite distinction of Premier Cru Classification and this system is still in tact today. After discussing this in class my friend Glenn had a great question…”so what are the Premier Cru wines of California?” That got me thinking…

While California has never classified wine this way, there are certainly a small group of wines that are considered elite. If you have ever heard the term “Cult Cab”, many of those wines would fall in that top classification category. Cult Cabs are typically an extremely low production, high quality wine that you cannot even purchase unless you wait years to get on a mailing list or go to auction and pay 2-3X what the winery retails it for. They can cost anywhere from a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars and while they are some of the best wines you may ever taste in your life, they can also be the most disappointing.

The reason being is the expectations are set so high for a wine of this nature, that it is almost impossible for it to deliver. Think about the first time you were able to afford to go to that fancy five star restaurant that you had heard so much about. By the time you finally were able to dine there, did it live up to everything you had envisioned? Usually the answer is no… how could it?! With expectations that high, unless it is an utterly life changing experience it almost has to be somewhat of a disappointment. That’s not to say these wines are disappointing, as they are arguably some of the best wines produced in the world. But when shelling out that kind of dough, it’s tough to monetize the level of enjoyment of a wine.

With all of that said,  I have listed below what I consider the “Premier Cru” Wines of California, the “Grand Cru” Wines (a small step below in terms of quality, price and a bit larger production and availability) and my “Value Cru” Wines ($20-25 wines that over-deliver on a Quality-Price Ratio, or QPR, and are consistent values every vintage). The Value Cru Wines are readily available at most Westchester wine stores as well as online.

Premier Cru

Harlan/Bond Estates Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville

Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Joseph Phelps Insignia, Napa Valley (Top Pick)

Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville

Verite, Sonoma

Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Stag’s Leap District

Grand Cru (2nd Growth)

Ridge Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains

Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville

Pride Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa/Sonoma (Top Pick)

Opus One, Oakville

BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

Duckhorn Merlot, Napa Valley

Value Cru

BV Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Rodney Strong Estate Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma (Top Pick)

Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma

Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Buehler Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Sterling SVR(Platinum) Reserve Red, Napa Valley

Some Value Bubbly Options For the Summer!

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Holy crap has it been hot! This summer has bought about heat wave after heat wave and it is just draining. Now I know what the Boca Raton Wine Guy feels like… if there is one. I always find chilled down sparkling wine to be the best option for beating the heat. I do enjoy Champagne, but who can afford to drink that all summer… not me. So below are a few bubbly options that you can enjoy on a consistent basis still have some money left over for your Con Ed bill.

If you are set on having your sparkling wine come from France, then go with a Cremant instead of Champagne. These sparklers are made in the same style as Champagne but come from different regions. The most popular is the Cremant d’Alsace and for a good reason. These wines offer tremendous value but still offer high quality in terms of production and taste. My favorite right now is the Pierre Sparr Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rose. Made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes, it offers bright strawberry and floral aromas and has a wonderfully refreshing combination of acidity and some mild tannins. For under $15 you should be drinking this all summer long!

Prosecco is also a fantastic way to enjoy some chilled bubbles at very reasonable prices. They are made with the Glera grape variety in the Veneto region of Italy and have grown in popularity over the last decade or so. The good ones will maintain fresh fruit flavors and a crisp, clean finish while working in a semi sweet characteristic. No longer are these the sweet and fruity sparkling wines that were once similar to Asti Spumante. The pedigree on Prosecco has risen leading to its recent devoted following. The Mionetto Prosecco Brut is one of the more popular options out there, and very tasty. But my favorite is the La Marca Prosecco. Lots of fresh, clean apple and melon and minimal hints of sweetness… as I prefer sparkling wines on the drier side.

Some of the best value in sparkling wine can be found in those coming out of California. They mimic the Champagne style and are typically half the price. Lots of great names to choose from including Domaine Carneros (by Taittanger), Schramsberg, Mumm and even Korbel. However I tend to reach for the Gloria Ferrer selections. For around $15-20 they make a Blanc de Blanc (mainly Chardonnay) and a Blanc de Noirs (mainly Pinot Noir) that taste much more elegant and sophisticated than the price tag would lead you to believe. They also have some of the those biscuit and yeast flavors that Champagne is famous for, something you may not get in other value sparklers.

So save those fancy Champagnes for the big celebrations, there are plenty of sparkling wines you can drink everyday! Well, maybe not everyday but you get my drift. And because most of these value sparkling options are not really meant to age, the old adage for bubbly applies… chill it and kill it!

Salud!

What do you open to celebrate those big moments in life?

/ WestchesterWineGuy / 1 Comment

To follow up on my Father’s Day post, this week my wife gave birth to a healthy and beautiful baby girl and we couldn’t be more thrilled. It’s one of those surreal events that changes your life forever and is deserving of a proper bottle to celebrate the occasion. While it may seem like a trivial afterthought considering what a blessing it is just to have a healthy child enter the world, it’s those small yet meaningful celebrations that can stick with you for years to come. I still remember my epiphany wine (the bottle that first sparked my passion), the bottle I opened when I proposed to my wife (and she miraculously accepted), the over-sized bottle we had everyone sign at our wedding, the bottle we opened to celebrate my son’s birth and the bottle we served at his Baptism (coincidentally the same bottle from our wedding). So deciding what to open with my wife to celebrate this joyous occasion is not so trivial in my book.

Over the past day or two I have had some internal debate about the subject. My first instinct was to go with a high end Napa Cab that we acquired from one of our trips to wine country. While it would clearly be delicious and memorable, without the right meal it may be a bit overpowering. I’m not sure we are quite ready to fire up the grill and cook up some big boy steaks to pair with such a wine just yet. So I thought about a Pinot Noir from the same trip, something that may not need the meal alongside it to enjoy. But Pinot is not really my wife’s favorite and I want it to be as enjoyable for her as it is for me.

So this led me to the somewhat obvious answer… bubbles! I was thinking it really should be a Champagne for an event such as this, but at the end of the day I know my wife prefers the California sparklers which tend to be a little less yeasty. And then it dawned on me…we picked up a couple of bottles of Domaine Carneros (owned by famed French Champagne producer Taittinger) Brut Rosé Cuvée de la Pompadour on our last trip to Napa. While at the vineyard we sipped it on their outdoor veranda on a beautiful day overlooking the Carneros vineyards with two of our closest friends and of course our son running and playing around the garden. Yeah, that was a pretty good day. The idea of bringing back some of those memories and starting some new ones with that particular bottle sounds pretty good to me! Oh, and of course… it’s pink 😉

The purpose of saving those special bottles, and opening the right ones at the right time, is all about creating long lasting and meaningful memories. I am sure I’m not the only one that associates certain wines with monumental events that are relived when that same bottle is opened at a future time. Wine can encompass so much nostalgia and emotion which is one of the main reasons people (including myself) are so passionate about it. It’s not just about drinking, it’s about embracing and celebrating life with those that are closest to you.

So the next time you are in the midst of an occasion that is deserving of opening a special bottle, take some time to think about what you select. After all, it may be something you hold with you for many years to come.

Cheers!

Review of Two Popular Westchester Restaurants…Flames and Il Sorisso

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This week I had the good fortune of eating out at both of these well known Westchester dining establishments. They are very different in style, cuisine and even location. But quite frankly I find that most people just won’t read a full restaurant review, so I figured I would consolidate and do a 2 for 1. But the overall consensus on both places is that they are worth attending, as long as you are aware of a couple of subtle flaws.

First, Il Sorisso in Irvington. A large group of us went on Saturday night for a Birthday celebration. We were about 16 people and they put together a great package dinner menu. For around $50 a person it included salad, pasta an entree and all the beer, wine and coffee you could drink. They also let us bring in a few bottles to start with for a minimal corkage fee which I am always a fan of. Team Bruno killed it and graced the table with a Pride Cab, a Mondavi Oakville Cab, a Jordan and the Anderson Conn Valley Right Bank blend… all fantastic! However the Pride Cab they brought was the 09 which would still be a bit young, so I swapped them out with my 03 that I have had stored for about 5 years. Holy crap was that drinking well!! But I digress…

While the food was all really solid (I had the Penne with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage and a “Homemade” Veal Parmigiana) and the service was great, I still left the restaurant with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth… and it was not from the food or the wine. My wife and I were the first to get to the restaurant and Game 7 of the Ranger vs. Caps series was being played night. There is a flat screen TV over the bar that had a rerun of Sportscenter on. I asked the bartender if he could put on the game instead, but he said the owner had to make the call on that. I figured it would be an easy enough call, but boy was I wrong. I asked the uninterested owner if he could put on the game, but the combination of the restaurant being a bit busy and the remote control being ALL the way in the basement just made it impossible to put on the game. Seemed a bit odd to me, but I am not a huge Rangers fan, so I kind of let it go. But I informed him I was part of a large group that was going to be spending a good amount of money in his restaurant and there were about 6 big Ranger fans coming in that would certainly have the same request. His answer… a very nonchalant “OK”. So he was prepared to shoot down another 6 requests for the game, which he basically did. I mean, we had to harass the guy for the 45 minutes we were waiting for our table to get the game on. And of course by the time he finally caved, our table was ready.

So I guess my end take on Il Sorisso is this: The dishes were all fresh and well prepared and the pricing is somewhat reasonable. The staff was very attentive and moved us through the meal wonderfully. However the owner has not quite grasped the whole “customer experience” concept which makes it a tough place for me to frequent, especially when there are so many solid Italian restaurants in Westchester that are the exact opposite.

Next up, Flames Steakhouse in Briarcliff. This is arguably one of the best steakhouses in all of Westchester when it comes to the beef, depending on the night. We had a work function on a Thursday night and when we all discussed the meal the next morning, everyone had different opinions on the steaks based on which cut they ordered. Those of us who got the NY strip thought it was fantastic, while the ribeye fans thought it was a little too fatty…even for ribeye. The filet was solid too, but not of the same caliber as the strip. The issue is if you go on another night it can be the exact opposite. Obviously the quality of the cuts the restaurant is getting from their meat distributor has a lot to do with this, but for the price of their steaks you would expect a little more consistency across the board.

Flames also mixes in a good amount of Italian fare into the dining experience. Again, we went with a large group so we were able to order a bunch of small apps to start. The eggplant rollatini may be the best in town and the lobster ravioli literally melts in your mouth. But it’s tricky to pull off this Italian restaurant and steakhouse combination, almost like the restaurant has an identity crisis at times. We ate in the wine cellar, which I would highly recommend, and they have a nice secluded outdoor patio section as well. But the interior is sort of a retro throwback to the 70’s and again, its tough to tell whether you are in a steakhouse or Italian restaurant. Personally, I like that throwback and somewhat “wiseguys” kinda feel…but I have a feeling I am in the minority on that one. But unlike Il Sorisso, Nick (the owner) will make you feel right at home and is looking to make your dining experience as pleasurable as possible.

So while I can’t give either restaurant a glowing review,  I can tell you that I really enjoyed my meal at both Il Sorisso and Flames. Are they my top choices to go to for Italian food or Steak respectively in Westchester? No. But if they are in your neck of the woods and you haven’t been yet they are both worth a shot. Just be sure there are no important sporting events you are planning on watching at the bar that night 😉

What to pair with your Easter Dinner

/ WestchesterWineGuy / 1 Comment

As Good Friday has arrived, it’s time to start thinking about a lot of things for Easter Weekend….. where to hide the Easter eggs, which masses to hit (preferably the ones that aren’t like 3 hours) and what wines to buy that will complement the Easter feast you have planned. Not to fear…WWG has a few easy recommendations to help make your meal a hit! I should mention that even though I am Westchester based, I am always happy to have new followers that live in other areas too (yes, even out in Massapequa, LI… you know who you are!)

The two most popular meats that people cook on Easter are ham and lamb. So let’s start with a ham pairing. As far as meats go, ham is a little light and usually has some form of a sweet glaze on it. Even though I almost always prefer a red, a hearty Riesling or Gewürztraminer will really enhance the flavors of the ham.  Chateau St. Michelle in Washington has the best value for either (around $7-8) and Dr. Loosen has an entry level Riesling called Dr. L which runs about $10. Very well made wine from the best area in Germany for Riesling, the Mosel region.

If white is not your bag, you may want to try a Pinot Noir. Castle Rock makes a wonderful Pinot Noir from Mendocino County for under $10, and one of the least expensive Pinots that I have found and enjoy with meals is from Pepperwood Grove. It usually is under $8! As far as California goes, any Pinot from the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Carneros or Anderson Valley will be solid. If you are willing to move up to the $20-25 range, Cambria Julia’s Vineyard from the Santa Maria Valley is a no brainer…. It received the #1 Wine of the Year from Wine Enthusiast!

Oregon Pinots have been all the hype the last few years, and with pretty good reason. They are putting out some of the best Pinots around every year. The problem is they tend to be a bit pricey so there are not a whole lot of “deals” out there. However, one that I enjoy is the Cloudline Pinot from the Willamette Valley. Almost every Pinot from that area is going to be delicious, but will typically run over $20. Cloudline runs around $13-16 and drinks as well as some of the more expensive ones. But if you are spending the bucks, grab any Pinot from Domaine Serene…. They will all knock your socks off!

Let’s move onto the lamb. Wines from the Bordeaux region are really made to drink with this type of meat. The earthy and subtle fruit components in your typical Bordeaux bring out all the juicy and mildly gamey flavors of the lamb. And if you use the green mint jelly, as we do in my family, the herbal, almost eucalyptus characteristic that some Bordeaux wines have will provide a very pleasant experience.

 Chateau Greysac from the Medoc region in Bordeaux is probably they best value on the market. You can find it as low as $10 on sale at some places, but it usually runs between $12-15. Chateau Arnauton from the Fronsac area will be a little more expensive, but still under $20 and is a very well crafted wine that will be delicious with the lamb. Of course if you are spending over $30 a bottle, anything from the Margaux or Pauilliac region, especially from the 2005 vintage, will be an excellent match.

I know there are some, like my brother, who don’t want to bother with the old world style of Bordeaux and want the “fruit bombs” with their meat! Understood…. And if that is so I would probably go Zin or Merlot. You can certainly go Cab with any type of meat dish, but with the lamb it may be a bit overpowering. There are just too many good options to mention, but on the value side I have been enjoying all of the Merlots from the Columbia Valley in Washington lately. Pretty tough to find a bad one and they are very reasonable.  As for the Zins, as I have mentioned before, the Dry Creek and Lodi regions produce the best ones year in and year out. Anything from Ravenswood, Rosenblum or Rancho Zabaco will fit the bill.

Lastly, I would just like to wish you and yours a very Happy Easter filled with family, friends, love and of course good eatin’ and drinkin’! Cheers.