Cool Climate Grapes, but a Warm French Soul: ALSACE

                           Alsace is one of the most under-appreciated wine treasures on the globe

This is the first of a three part series on Alsace during the month of May.  France’s smallest wine district, Alsace is located in the country’s northeast area.  This tiny wine region, which shares a border with Germany, has in fact passed ownership between France & Germany three times since the 17^th century.   Think of it as an area of cool climate grapes, but with a warm French soul.

                        Grand Cru vineyards & hilltop castles surround winemaking villages 

Some of Alsace’s grape varietals are very well known...others not so much.  Most of its grapes are of French origin, but there’s one from Italy, and yet another from Germany.  Alsatian wine remains relatively undiscovered.  This may also be due to the fact that many erroneously think all Alsatian wines are sweet.  In fact, many of Alsace’s wines are dry.  Another possible reason for its obscurity, Alsace’s wines are inexpensive (in comparison to Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone).  Pricing has nothing to do with quality; like most things, Alsatian wine prices are based on supply and demand.  

          Enchanting Hansel & Gretel storybook towns mix with France's passion for wine-making

Alsace’s Main Grape Varietals

Gewurztraminer (or as it is frequently called, Gewurz), is actually a mutation of an ancient grape from northern Italy at the base of the Alps.  Traminer, the mother grape, is named after the Italian village from where it is thought to originate.  A light red varietal, Gewurz is used to make white wine in Alsace.   The varietal is known for its exotic aromas of roses and lychees.   Gewurztraminer will be discussed in more detail later this month.

Riesling

The Riesling grape is thought to be of German origin.  This green-skinned grape was once the darling of 19^th century European royalty, commanding a higher price than both Bordeaux and Champagne.    Riesling, when grown in cool climates,  produces a floral wine with lemon-lime flavors.  Warmer weather brings out stone-fruit (especially apricot) and exotic flavors such as pineapple. 

                                   Domaine Weinbach is one of the area's many stellar producers

 

Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris & Pinot Noir

All of these three Alsatian varietals belong to the same grape family.  Even though Pinot Blanc and Gris are white varietals, they are actually mutations of the black Pinot Noir grape which is native to nearby Burgundy.  

Alsatian Pinot Blanc typically has an apple-almond profile, with a hint of spice.  Pinot Gris (known as Pinot Grigio in Italy), is more full-bodied, richer, spicier and more unctuous than it’s Italian counterpart.    Pinot Noir in Alsace used to be considered a light-bodied wine but this has changed due to global warming and better winemaking. 

                                Alsace's Christmas markets are an unrivaled experience

Wine-Knows will be hosting a trip to Alsace during its famous Christmas markets, December 6-16, 2022.  Come learn about the wines of this special French region during its most soulful time of year.

www.wineknowstravel.com

2 Roses Not to Miss---Their Origin Will Surprise!

                                                 Think out of the Provence box for Rosés !

Summer is just around the corner.  This means it’s time now to restock our wine cellar with plenty of Rosé.  I’ll be in Provence this September at Julia Child's villa* so I’ve spent the winter & spring searching for the best Provençal Rosés.   I've tasted several that received high-scores from esteemed critics, and spending as much as $30 a bottle.  I was disappointed in all of them.  The good news is that I have two magnifique Rosés for you. Neither of them, however, is from Provence.  In fact, neither is from France.

Both of these well-crafted Rosés, however, are from Europe and I sampled each one in their respective countries last autumn.  After my discouraging tasting of Provençal Rosés, I turned again to the internet for help in locating the two memorable Rosés from my latest trip.  Fortunately, I was able to locate both on the East Coast.  After allowing a couple of months to recover from shipping across the USA, another tasting was conducted to see if these two stunners were as good as I remembered.  They were.

                                       Muga's Rosado deserves one resounding Olé !

So what are the two Rosés that were heads above some of the most highly touted Provençal Rosés?   The first is made by one of Spain’s mover-and-shaker wineries,  Muga.   (Do note that Muga makes two different Rosés and it’s their Rosado that I’m speaking of, not Flor de Rosé).  Wine Knows has been fortunate to visit Bodegas Muga in the Rioja several times.  This winery has received just about every award there is.  In fact, James Suckling (Wine Spectator) has given some of Muga's wines a perfect 100 score.  

We had our first sip of Muga's Rosado at an impressively located seaside restaurant near Gibraltar---the Mediterranean was just to our left and the Atlantic immediately to the right.  The Rosé was so compelling that we returned to the same restaurant to dine three days in a row.  Muga's Rosado is made from Garnacha (Grenache) and Viura grapes, the latter being a white grape. We have tried their 2019 and 2020 vintages and both were noteworthy.  Purchased online in a case, count on less than $25 per bottle including shipping and tax.  A real steal.

                                    Even Dionysus would love Gaia's 14-18h Rosé

The other outstanding Rosé is Greek and produced by Gaia.   Wine-Knows groups have visited Gaia several times.  Last September I was on Aegina island (an hour's ferry ride from Athens) when I spotted Gaia’s Rosé in a wine shop.  I immediately bought a bottle and opened it to serve with dinner that night.  It was stunning.  The next day we returned to the shop and bought every bottle they had. 

Gaia is one of the top quality wine producers of Greece.  The winery pushes the envelope by experimenting with different varietals and even has conducted research on aging wine on the ocean floor.   This wine is named 14-18h Rosé because the Agiorgitiko grapes are kept in contact with their skins for 14-18 hours.  We have tried both the 2019 and 2020 vintages---both were superb.   A case of this remarkable wine with shipping and tax is a phenomenal bargain at about $20 per bottle.

Highly recommend at least a case of both of these well crafted Rosés for your summer stash.   Be sure to order them well before the heat of summer arrives.

* There is ONE opening in the Julia Child Week in Provence due to an unexpected surgery.   http://www.wineknowstravel.com/julia-2022-1-itinerary-2/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Fling Veggies

                                   Spring is a wonderland for foodies who love to cook vegetables 

We’re less than a month into Spring and already farmers’ markets in southern Cali are brimming with a glorious cornucopia featuring every color of the rainbow:  carrots in yellows, reds & oranges;  verdant lettuces in boundless shades of green; cucumbers ranging from white and yellow to almost ebony;  pencil thin green asparagus at one stand juxtaposed with colossal versions in brilliant purple or white at the next vendor;  and a cacophony of fresh herbs ranging the entire green spectrum…dill, tarragon, mint, parsley, chives, lemongrass and cilantro.

To honor this splendid bounty of produce, this blog includes my homage in the form of cherished Spring recipes.  Two come from France, one from Italy, and yet another from the good old USA.

                                 Spring mint is available in every shape, size. color & smell

Fresh Peas with Lettuce & Mint:

I particularly like this version of this French classic as the peas are actually cooked in a small amount of cream.  This results in a more flavor-chocked dish:

http://www.kitchenriffs.com/2018/05/french-style-braised-lettuce-and-peas.html

 

Roasted Radishes:

In this recipe French-inspired recipe, I suggest you utilize a variety of different colored radishes (making sure, however, they are all roughly the same size.)  Also I recommend replacing the onion powder with fresh spring pearl onions, and the garlic powder with Spring’s lusciously gentle garlic.

https://www.wickedspatula.com/crispy-roasted-radishes/

 

                                     The eternal city's signature dish is an eternal delight

Spinach alla Romana:

This traditional dish from Rome is essentially a simple stir fry, but the raisins and pine nuts catapult it into something far from simple.   I recommend two changes:  use only olive oil, and then a gentle spritz of a good balsamic at the end of cooking.

https://memoriediangelina.com/2013/06/09/spinaci-alla-romana-roman-style-spinach/

 

Grilled Carrots with Mint and Avocado:

We use a combination of different colored carrots in this recipe from Bon Appetit.   The dish is absolutely divine and pairs beautifully with poultry, seafood or pork.

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/grilled-carrots-with-avocado-and-mint

Happy Spring Fling!

French Riviera's Wine Appellation

The Bellet wine appellation lies within the city limits of Nice

The hills above Nice are filled with jaw-dropping villas and bougainvillea-framed panoramas of the Mediterranean.  These hills are also home to France’s smallest urban wine appellation, Bellet.   Comprising less than 150 acres of vines with fewer than 10 producers, Bellet wine is well known to locals but unknown to the world since it rarely leaves the area---the mere 120,000 bottle production is snatched up by Riviera wine-lovers and restaurateurs in-the-know.

 The Bellet area has been making wine for < 1500 years

Formed in 1941, the tiny Bellet appellation has a unique terroir.  At an altitude varying from 600-1,200 feet above sea level, vines often cling to the hillsides in terraced vineyards.  Manual harvesting is the only possibility in these inhospitable conditions.  Soil, washed down from the Alps for millenniums, a mix of sand and rocks, provides a perfect drainage system for grapes.  Furthermore, Bellet is less than three miles as the bird flies from the Mediterranean so this allows its vines to  recuperate at night when the marine influence brings coolness to the hot, dry daytime temperatures.

                 Wine-Knows will be visiting Bellet this autumn....there is only one spot available!

Bellet produces red, white and rosé wines.  White grape varieties include Chardonnay and Rolle (aka Vermentino in nearby Italy).  These two are often blended together creating a spectacular white not seen elsewhere in France.  For reds, Grenache  (one of southern France’s greatest grapes, e.g. Chateauneuf du Pape), is mixed with unknown native Riviera varietals such as Braquet and Folle Noire.   

"I love cooking with wine....sometimes I even put it in the food."   Julia Child

Wine-Knows will be visiting the Bellet appellation during its Week in Provence at the villa where Julia Child wrote her masterpieces, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.    There is only one seat remaining.  For more information about this special “Julia” trip, visit our website:

http://www.wineknowstravel.com/julia-2022-1-itinerary-2/

Tantalizing Turmeric

                                               Turmeric is the root of a flowering plant

Google turmeric and you’ll be presented with 62 million articles in a nano second.   Turmeric has recently been widely touted as a food supplement for its supposed anti-inflammatory properties.   This article, however, looks at turmeric solely from a culinary standpoint.

                                                   Ginger & turmeric are cousins 

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family.  It’s easy to see the familial resemblance between these two as fresh turmeric root looks similar to ginger root.  However, once peeled, the interior of these two is quite different in that turmeric is bright orange.   Most likely native to India, turmeric is what gives curry its vibrant yellow-orange color.

Turmeric is actually the quasi root of a flowering perennial plant.  It requires warm temperatures and lots of water.  The hot and humid weather of India and South Asia offer perfect conditions and turmeric grows wild in their forests.   It’s no wonder that the cuisines of both India and the countries of southern Asia are replete with recipes that utilize turmeric.   However, turmeric is also widely used in Middle Eastern cooking and North African recipes.

 

                             Many different turmerics are available in this Istanbul market 

Most turmeric is used in the form of a dried, ground powder to impart an intense color.  It is the principal ingredient in curry powders.  Turmeric gives not only color but provides a pungent earthy, mustard-like flavor.   Although used mostly in savory dishes, it is also used in sweet dishes such as ice-cream and baked products like cakes.  Similar to its cousin ginger, turmeric can also be used fresh in items such as Asian pickles.

                         This crowd pleaser, Chicken tikka masala, is the turmeric bomb*

My favorite use of turmeric is in one of my most beloved recipes, chicken tikka masala:

 https://cafedelites.com/chicken-tikka-masala/

*compliments of TripAdvisor 

Best Buys on Expensive Wine Lists

          This Michelin 2 star restaurant in Sicily provided an unforgettable evening for Wine-Knows

The best value on a pricey wine list is always a wine you bring from home (we’ve paid as much as $75 for corkage, but it’s been worth it to us to enjoy a bottle of an older red that has been decanted for a couple of hours.)   However, that isn’t what this article is about.   Instead, the article addresses those times when bringing a bottle to a fine dining experience isn’t feasible (e.g. European restaurants don’t allow).  How does one quickly peruse a 50 plus page wine list to find the reasonable hidden gems?  I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to help.

 

First, however, if you’re looking for a varietal such as Cabernet Sauvignon, you can stop reading this article now.   Cabernet is one of the most expensive items on a wine list regardless of its country of origin.   The same goes for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Instead of varietal, change your vision to style of wine.  If you want a big bold red, then my method can help you.   If you want a complex white, my experience can also assist you to find the perfect alternative white, often for considerably less.

3 Michelin star George Blanc's list in the 1980's had 10 pages of Burgundian reds

I can help you find both well-crafted white and red wines, but you have to know where and how to look.   All upmarket wine lists are laid out differently.   In Europe the format is more homogenous.  Typically, for example, a European Michelin star sommelier has his/her wine listed by geographical area (e.g. Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Tuscany, Rioja).    In New World fine dining, the wine list can in the same regional order used in Europe, or wines can be listed by varietal.  This means that red Bordeaux appears together with Cab from California and with the Super Tuscans from Italy.    Or that white Burgundies & California Chars are all listed under Chardonnay.

     A Wine-Knows client poses with the sommelier in a Michelin star restaurant near Bordeaux

So, the first thing you must do is to quickly peruse the sizeable wine list to ascertain how it is laid out:  wine region or grape?   This should only take a minute or two.  Once you understand the format, you’re ready to get down to business.

Below are often times the two best white values on a Michelin-star level wine list:

Alsace’s Whites:

First, be aware that this eastern area of northern France produces both dry and sweet wines.  Make sure you confirm with the sommelier which one is which.

Alsace makes several whites.  I suggest you tell the sommelier what you’re ordering for dinner and ask for his/her help in selecting which varietal will pair best with your meal.  If the wine list is formatted by grape, check out Pinot Gris (or if you’re ordering a spicy dish, try Gewurztraminer or Riesling).

  Pinot Gris or Gruner would have paired beautifully with this Michelin star seafood appetizer in Spain

Austria’s Gruner Veltliner:

The star of Austria’s show is the Gruner Veltliner grape.  Don’t worry about pronouncing it, just enjoy it.  Gruner Veltliner (often referred to as simply “Gruner”) is the darling of many sommeliers because of its food-friendliness and its significant quality/price.   This dry wine might become one of your new value faves.

       Michelin star dining will be featured on Wine-Knows' Christmas market tour December 6-16

For the two best red values on a Michelin-star level wine list consider these:

Bierzo, Spain’s Mencia:

Bierzo is a small wine region in northern Spain near the Portuguese border.  Mencia is its super-star red grape.  This is a powerhouse red is chocked full of flavor and structure.  If you’re looking for a complex medium body red, look no further.  You’ll be stunned at the favorable price.

                 Wine-Knows enjoy a pre dinner aperitif at 3 star Auberge de Ill in France

Argentina’s Malbec:

Malbec is one of the five grapes allowed by law in the blend of Bordeaux’s red wines.   In Argentina, however, Malbec is often made as its own varietal---although it can also be blended.   Regardless if it’s blended or not, Argentina’s Malbec deserves your attention.  Some of the more expensive ones are aged in oak and can offer an alternative to a pricey Bordeaux for meat lovers.

Remember to think out of the box.  Regardless of the number of pages, every wine list has gems to be snagged....you just need to find them.

Germany’s Wine Renaissance

                         Germany is now the world's 3rd largest producer of Pinot Noir

The last few decades German wines have changed dramatically.  In the mid 1980’s  I attended an intensive one week course at the illustrious German Wine Academy on the Rhine River in Geiseheim.   During that course I was exposed to some of the best wines made in Germany.   Most of the wines were sweet whites.  There were a few dry whites, and reds were an after-thought.   Not true today in the least.

                     This well regarded 17th century winery is now focusing on dry whites

Significant changes in German wines have shifted the industry on its axis.  First,  the most striking change has been from sweet to dry wines.   German wines today are more in line with the modern day trend of dry, food-friendly wines.  Second has been a switch to higher quality.  Many German wines produced in the last quarter of the 20^th century were insipid, overly processed and overly sweet.   Riesling, one of the world’s greatest varietals, got a very bad name from poorly produced German wine.  The new high quality German wines have no relationship to the past.

             Germany's modern more healthy cuisine pairs with both dry white & red wine

There are many reasons contributing to Germany’s new wine approach.  A warming climate has allowed Germany to make fuller-bodied, more complex wines.   Next, the newer generations of winemakers who are well aware of the global trend for dry wine,  are equally quality focused.  Lower quality varietals like white Muller-Thurgau are being replaced with the Mercedes of red grapes, Pinot Noir.   This Pinot may the country's sleeping giant as the varietal, known locally as Spatburgunder, is garnering international recognition.

                         Pinot Noir was brought to Germany from nearby Burgundy, France

Germany is on the move and is increasingly becoming a player on the world-wide market of quality dry wines, both white and red.  Last year, for example, Germany changed its wine laws and introduces a hierarchy for dry wines that closely parallel the EU system that is based on terroir.  

            Many modern day yuletide traditions such as the Xmas tree come from Germany

Wine-Knows will be conducting its first trip to Germany for the country’s world famous Christmas Markets December 6-16.  We’ll be visiting several German wineries to learn about their new trend for producing high quality dry wines.   Come learn with other Wine-Knows about these new wines that are winning world-wide awards. 

www.WineKnowsTravel.com