Hi from Church St. on a beautiful day before Labor Day. Would like to mention a very important event for Salem Wine Imports on Thurs. Sept. 25th at the Lyceum Restaurant from 6 until 10 pm. Co sponsored by The Salem Athaeneum and Historic New England we will have over 80 wines to sample along with light appetizers and live music. A few winery owners and winemakers will be in attendance to talk about and discuss their wines and methods and to answer questions. Silver Oak, Ch. Gloria, Bollinger, Pride Mtn, and just some of the great wines available to try that night. All wines will be discounted 20% for the event and will give everyone an opportunity to fill the cellar for the winter months at great savings.
We will be getting back to regular blogs after the tasting and I apologize for lack of info recently. I've been very busy working on particulars for the tasting but I do have a lot of stored up things to bring to you. One such point of information is, to me, one spectacular value from the value capital of France, the Cotes du Rhone. Had a chance to buy the final cases of Domaine Servans, 05 CDR and it is super. Weight without being weighty, flavors that broaden and deepen, and a beautiful mineral, leather, dried fruit finish that goes on and on. This wine is perfection to me and I think you will agree. Perfection, that is, for a $11.99
wine. Very limited, come and get it.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Geography and hang time.
Hi,
Every day during the week sales people come in with wines to try and, hopefully sell. This is not a bad thing. Except for staying awake until closing, but it really is an exciting time for a wine "nut". I know, get a life but tasting wine from almost every corner of the world and the different styles and tastes is an incredible experience. The one thing that is , to me, readily apparent is the universal high quality. Do I like every wine? Certainly not but they are all worth the experience and most all are balanced and flavorful and worth consideration The "old world" have been praticing for hundreds of years and seems to have gotten it right most times.
That brings us to "new World" and their "experience" It didn't take much fooling around to know the Napa Valley was very good for Cabernet but they've wasted time and money trying Pinot Noir there. Time has shown that Carneros, Russian River and the more southern climes(Santa Barbera etc) make better Pinot's. Napa is too hot and the cooler regions allow for more hang time and consequently, better Pinot. Takes us off in a tangent but yes, the southern coast in Ca. is cooler than Napa and Sonoma, much further north. Why? The mountains. Up north of San Francisco the mountain's go north to south along the coast effectively stopping the cooling sea breezes and fog that delays ripening and dictates a longer "hang time" from reaching Sonoma or Napa. Below San Francisco the mountains go east to west allowing the afformentioned breezes to flow into the vineyards slowing the ripening and making better hang time and better Pinot. Why Carneros since it is located north of SF? Because its position close to San Francisco bay creates cooling fog most every night. With Pinot Noir, cooler is better---see Oregon So. Cal ,Burgundy,and New Zealand.
Those are my personal thoughts concerning quality and you, of course, may disagree. It makes the wine world go round.
Every day during the week sales people come in with wines to try and, hopefully sell. This is not a bad thing. Except for staying awake until closing, but it really is an exciting time for a wine "nut". I know, get a life but tasting wine from almost every corner of the world and the different styles and tastes is an incredible experience. The one thing that is , to me, readily apparent is the universal high quality. Do I like every wine? Certainly not but they are all worth the experience and most all are balanced and flavorful and worth consideration The "old world" have been praticing for hundreds of years and seems to have gotten it right most times.
That brings us to "new World" and their "experience" It didn't take much fooling around to know the Napa Valley was very good for Cabernet but they've wasted time and money trying Pinot Noir there. Time has shown that Carneros, Russian River and the more southern climes(Santa Barbera etc) make better Pinot's. Napa is too hot and the cooler regions allow for more hang time and consequently, better Pinot. Takes us off in a tangent but yes, the southern coast in Ca. is cooler than Napa and Sonoma, much further north. Why? The mountains. Up north of San Francisco the mountain's go north to south along the coast effectively stopping the cooling sea breezes and fog that delays ripening and dictates a longer "hang time" from reaching Sonoma or Napa. Below San Francisco the mountains go east to west allowing the afformentioned breezes to flow into the vineyards slowing the ripening and making better hang time and better Pinot. Why Carneros since it is located north of SF? Because its position close to San Francisco bay creates cooling fog most every night. With Pinot Noir, cooler is better---see Oregon So. Cal ,Burgundy,and New Zealand.
Those are my personal thoughts concerning quality and you, of course, may disagree. It makes the wine world go round.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thanks
First of all I want to thank the few or the many who nominated us for "Best of North Shore", wine shop in the "North Shore" magazine. Although we did not get best from the magazine we got enough votes to be one of the "Readers Choice" best and the only one in Salem. Thanks. Next year the magazine will see it's error.
Just booked the "Lyceum" restaurant for our first annual "Salem Wine Expo" on Thurs., Sept. 25th. We hope to get winemakers, importers and maybe an owner or two, to be there. Regardless we will be pouring upwards of 100 wines from all around the world and all with SWI's guarantee of quality. Grazing food as well as some light entertainment will be there so we should have a great time. Please tell your friends and make it a night to remember in your wine life. We have decided to charge (ugh) for this event but only after much consideration concerning the need for "great" wines to be available. A modest $20 pre pay or $25 at the door. Further info will be forthcoming as more details. Thanks
Just booked the "Lyceum" restaurant for our first annual "Salem Wine Expo" on Thurs., Sept. 25th. We hope to get winemakers, importers and maybe an owner or two, to be there. Regardless we will be pouring upwards of 100 wines from all around the world and all with SWI's guarantee of quality. Grazing food as well as some light entertainment will be there so we should have a great time. Please tell your friends and make it a night to remember in your wine life. We have decided to charge (ugh) for this event but only after much consideration concerning the need for "great" wines to be available. A modest $20 pre pay or $25 at the door. Further info will be forthcoming as more details. Thanks
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Rain, Rain go away
Seems like it's been raining for a week straight and I believe everyone is getting quite fed up with it. What to do? Well, you know what I'm going to recommend---Take home a different wine tonight and feel the excitement mount. Wash away those rainy day blues and experiment with a totally unknown entity. Expand you horizons. Well, I guess that's enough, but seriously, or semi-seriously wine experimenting is fun for the adventuresome and for people like myself who believe that it's better to be disappointed than bored. Buy a Brachetto from Piedmontese and after chilling a bit open and discover. Discover what? A sweet, sparkling, low alcohol red wine that is delightful alone or after dinner with chocolate or other sweet things. Will you appreciate a "sweet, sparkling red? If are open to new tastes, then yes, I believe you will. If you refuse to try sweet then try a Montefalco Rosso from Umbria that contains a bit of the Sagrantino grape and is dry and rich at the same time. Want something in between then step up to the incredible Zind Humbrecht, Herrenweg Gewurtztraminer from the 02' vintage. No one squeezes more flavor from a grape than ZH and you can darn near taste the sun even if you cannot see it.
Some ideas for a rainy day.
Some ideas for a rainy day.
Friday, June 27, 2008
bloggers block
I know you can get writers block,I think I have bloggers block. I love wine and I love to talk about it so what's the prob? I think I'll just start out like this and see---Lambrusco, aha just looked up and saw the new Lini Lambrusco that we tried at Tues. tasting. Remember Lambrusco from years ago, well forget about that. It's been years before a reputable producer of this grape decided to export the real thing---ie dry. Lini has been making dry "Labrusca" since 1910 and it shows. They make a white, rose and red, all priced around $16.00 per and well worth a try. The red, my favorite, is bright fruit flavors with good acidity, low alcohol (11%) and a gentle sparkle that is just perfect with rich foods like tagliatelle alla bolognese or the regional Prosiutto di Parma. The Labrusco Bianco, my daughters favorite, is clean, fresh, racy, and an ideal aperitif. Recommended food--Prosciutto with cantalope.. Wow. The rose was sold out so I cannot give any info but if it were around I would buy and try. Funny thing about both red and white, they were very controversial. I would say about 1/3 did not like either but the other 2/3 loved them. Never seen such a strange phenomenum. Usually I find about a 80-20 split one way or the other on most wines. Getting to be a "sample" expert here with my cruvinet. When people try the wines it's always interesting to see reaction to different styles. No wine gets 100% approval, no matter how good but that is to be expected. Too dry, too acidic, too flat too full, too whatever, wines are a unique and personal sensation and God bless that. Do you like it? then it's good. Pure and simple. Long live all the different styles we can choose from to please and accentuate all of our eating, social and life's adventures.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Open anything
Last night we had a good group of 9 people to sample some extraordinary wines on our open anything night. We invite any and all to come and for a nominal fee of $20 we pool our resources and discuss which wines to buy and open. We had a nice kitty of $180 (including myself) and decided to open David Clarke's Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire from 05' and the irrepressible 04 Stags Leap Wine Cellars, SLV. First the Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire, a very seldom seen appellation in Burgundy near Clos Vougeot. Farmed organically David cuts his yield per hectare to a very low 30hl and neither filters or fines his wines. This wine was incredibly wound up and tight but with a potential to unleash a terrific product given time. Most tasters found it too acidic but with the intensity of fruit involved, I believe,this will bode well for the future. Big, but not heavy, this 100% Pinot will be a star in a few years. What doesn't need any time is the super smooth, velvety Stags Leap. Long, rich, elegant and refined, this cabernet is quintessintial Stags Leap District wine. An "iron fist in a velvet glove" as Warren Winiarski often opined, it truely lived up to its billing. Firm and complex with cedar, raspberry, spice with firm but soft tannins. It finish is beautifully long for which we were very grateful. This vineyard was the actual winner of the famous or infamous, depending "Judgement at Paris", tasting of 1976. You can see why in this bottle, a world class expression of farming and winemaking at its best.
We also opened a bottle of 1997 St. Laurent from Pretterebner in Austria to discuss and found it to be pretty interesting. Well matured, it was not yet over any hill but displayed good fruit, if a bit earthy,(not negatively) and balance with a good grip and intensity.
Just some of the wines we can and will open if we get some interest. The more the better. If we get enough we will open two of each. Every Thurs. at 6:30 except next Thurs. Next Thurs. we will be having a free tasting of some of Ca. and Italy's best. From 5:00-8:00. Special discounts apply. Ramey, Richie Vineyard, Ramey, Russian River Chard. Landmark, Chard., Chappellet Cab. and Gaja's Tuscan project, Ca' Marcanda. Try and come by and taste. Buy if you want or don't buy. We would just like you to enjoy.
We also opened a bottle of 1997 St. Laurent from Pretterebner in Austria to discuss and found it to be pretty interesting. Well matured, it was not yet over any hill but displayed good fruit, if a bit earthy,(not negatively) and balance with a good grip and intensity.
Just some of the wines we can and will open if we get some interest. The more the better. If we get enough we will open two of each. Every Thurs. at 6:30 except next Thurs. Next Thurs. we will be having a free tasting of some of Ca. and Italy's best. From 5:00-8:00. Special discounts apply. Ramey, Richie Vineyard, Ramey, Russian River Chard. Landmark, Chard., Chappellet Cab. and Gaja's Tuscan project, Ca' Marcanda. Try and come by and taste. Buy if you want or don't buy. We would just like you to enjoy.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Fire in the hole
Hi,
Long time no blog. If you haven't heard, my entire stock was destroyed two weeks ago by a raging thermostat. I am now, reluctantly, the N. Shore's resident expert on cooked wine. Upon entering store Monday morning, two weeks past, I realized I was cooked as well. Temp. was about 90-95 and that is not good. Fortunately my insurance was paid up and on the money as everything was covered. Trying between 80-90 different wines I thought I'd share my perceptions. First of all, the tannic reds were worse than worthless. Nothing but bitter, dry dusty flavors on the finish. Surprisingly the nose and entry were fine on all wines. It was the middle and finish that was devoid of fruit. The white wines were "drinkable" as my daughter opined so I gave her six bottles and trashed the rest. I wouldn't drink and thought them dull and lifeless but in a sangria?? It was tough to throw out some expensive favorites but one has to be brave in times like these. Actually I've saved some wines too difficult to trash and try 1 or 2 per evening hoping to salvage one. No luck. Ch. Monbousquet, Silver Oak, Matrot Volnay, Ruinart, what a pity. My favorite, Felsina 04' reserva--the last of the vintage--oh well. We are all restocked with fresh, new product and all is well again.
Some interesting news for June 12th. One of my suppliers and I have conjured up a high end wine tasting and sale for that night, Thursday 5:00-8:00. He will bring some very special wines from California and Italy for your sampling and purchase. All wines will be discounted 15% / bottle for that night and 20% for a case. Wine are--Drums please
1. Landmark 05 "Overlook" Chardonnay. reg. $32.00 Bottle $27.00 case $25.60
2. Ramey 06 Russian River Chardonnay $44.00 $37.00 $35.20
3. Ramey 05 "Richie" Vineyard Chard. $75.00 $64.00 $60.00
4. Chappellet 05 Napa, Cabernet $50.00 $42.50 $40.00
5. Ca'marcanda(Gaja)05' "Promis" $50.00 . $42.50 $40.00
6. Ca'Marcanda (Gaja)05' "Magari" $84.00 $71.40 $67.20
Ca'Marcanda is a Gaja project in Tuscany and bears his indisputable genius. Mark it on your calendar. It's time to live it up.
Finally, you all know how I like to name drop so I would be remiss if I didn't mention a nice visit from my old friend Matteo Ascheri from Piedmont, Italy. Matteo stopped by last week when I was re stocking and amidst hugs and pledges of great friendship we tried his wines. I know you are going to say I'm not an objective taster but regardless, all his wines shone. Perfect Gavi, excellent Arneis, friendly Dolcetto, lip smacking Barbera and sublime Barolo. I bought some of his 04 Sorano vineyard Barolo and when it comes in, Barolo fans, you must buy. Again, sublime. A case of very good man making very good wine. It's nice when that happens. See you again soon Matteo.
Long time no blog. If you haven't heard, my entire stock was destroyed two weeks ago by a raging thermostat. I am now, reluctantly, the N. Shore's resident expert on cooked wine. Upon entering store Monday morning, two weeks past, I realized I was cooked as well. Temp. was about 90-95 and that is not good. Fortunately my insurance was paid up and on the money as everything was covered. Trying between 80-90 different wines I thought I'd share my perceptions. First of all, the tannic reds were worse than worthless. Nothing but bitter, dry dusty flavors on the finish. Surprisingly the nose and entry were fine on all wines. It was the middle and finish that was devoid of fruit. The white wines were "drinkable" as my daughter opined so I gave her six bottles and trashed the rest. I wouldn't drink and thought them dull and lifeless but in a sangria?? It was tough to throw out some expensive favorites but one has to be brave in times like these. Actually I've saved some wines too difficult to trash and try 1 or 2 per evening hoping to salvage one. No luck. Ch. Monbousquet, Silver Oak, Matrot Volnay, Ruinart, what a pity. My favorite, Felsina 04' reserva--the last of the vintage--oh well. We are all restocked with fresh, new product and all is well again.
Some interesting news for June 12th. One of my suppliers and I have conjured up a high end wine tasting and sale for that night, Thursday 5:00-8:00. He will bring some very special wines from California and Italy for your sampling and purchase. All wines will be discounted 15% / bottle for that night and 20% for a case. Wine are--Drums please
1. Landmark 05 "Overlook" Chardonnay. reg. $32.00 Bottle $27.00 case $25.60
2. Ramey 06 Russian River Chardonnay $44.00 $37.00 $35.20
3. Ramey 05 "Richie" Vineyard Chard. $75.00 $64.00 $60.00
4. Chappellet 05 Napa, Cabernet $50.00 $42.50 $40.00
5. Ca'marcanda(Gaja)05' "Promis" $50.00 . $42.50 $40.00
6. Ca'Marcanda (Gaja)05' "Magari" $84.00 $71.40 $67.20
Ca'Marcanda is a Gaja project in Tuscany and bears his indisputable genius. Mark it on your calendar. It's time to live it up.
Finally, you all know how I like to name drop so I would be remiss if I didn't mention a nice visit from my old friend Matteo Ascheri from Piedmont, Italy. Matteo stopped by last week when I was re stocking and amidst hugs and pledges of great friendship we tried his wines. I know you are going to say I'm not an objective taster but regardless, all his wines shone. Perfect Gavi, excellent Arneis, friendly Dolcetto, lip smacking Barbera and sublime Barolo. I bought some of his 04 Sorano vineyard Barolo and when it comes in, Barolo fans, you must buy. Again, sublime. A case of very good man making very good wine. It's nice when that happens. See you again soon Matteo.
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