A Title After Our Own Hearts ....

Book Review: Heard it Through the Grapevine by Matt Skinner

There are two things I wish were more easily found in the world of wine: great bottles for under $5, and excellent introductory wine books for novice wine lovers. Although after reading his latest book Heard it Through The Grapevine: The Things You Should Know to Enjoy Wine, I'm tempted to suggest that the wine world also needs more people like Matt Skinner.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Skinner stumbled into the wine world almost by accident. As relayed in a 2005 profile in the UK's The Observer, his transformation from surf bum to celebrity sommelier sounds more like the plot to a Hollywood movie than the early career of a successful wine writer. But listen to Skinner talk about wine, and it's clear that however accomplished he may be in the wine world, he still has one foot on the surfboard, so to speak.

That attitude is the Matt Skinner angle on wine, part of his charm, and no doubt one of the reasons that Naked Chef Jamie Oliver, who cultivates a similar enfant terrible image, tapped Skinner to be the sommelier for his London restaurant Fifteen in 2002. Skinner continues to manage the wine operations for the now global restaurant group, while also making a living as a writer, consultant and educator.

Heard it Through the Grapevine is Skinner's third book on wine and his most basic to date. In every way, the book attempts to be an essential guide for the complete wine novice, and it succeeds beautifully. I've thumbed my way through a lot of "educational" wine books -- probably close to a hundred of them -- and I always come away with one of three primary complaints. These books are either too dense with information, too boring, or too poorly organized. Heard it Through the Grapevine strikes the right balance between volume and type of information, style of presentation, organization, and attitude.

FULL STORY

Heard it Through The Grapevine: The Things You Should Know to Enjoy Wine, Mitchell Beazley 2009, $17.99, (Hardcover).

Frankenwine: Turn Two Buck Chuck Into 50 Buck Frank?

Can 600 volts and a little titanium take the place of reclining in a musty cellar for years (or a tidy temperature/humidity controlled storage locker)? Keep your eyes and palate peeled for further developments in this story:

Researchers - and some vineyards - are developing electrical equipment that accelerates the aging process, turning young wine from an undrinkable bitter grape juice into a quaffable beverage fit for any table.

The system being developed in China - which has a burgeoning wine industry - works by speeding up the normal chemical reactions in wines that can take up to 20 years. According to the researchers, the results have been "striking" and have fooled some wine experts in taste testings. Even the cheapest of wines are usually only drunk after six months. Most, especially reds, take longer to achieve the required balance and complexity.

The finest can take 20 years or more to reach their peak. During aging, wine becomes less acidic as the alcohol reacts with organic acids to produce a plethora of the fragrant compounds known as esters. Unpleasant components precipitate out and the wine becomes clearer and more stable. Red wines mellow and become less bitter.

A team led by Xin An Zeng, a chemist at the South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, came up with the idea of pumping the rough wine through a pipe that ran between two titanium electrodes, connected to the mains.
For the test wine, the team selected a three-month-old cabernet sauvignon from the Suntime Winery, China's largest producer. Batches of wine spent one, three or eight minutes in the electric fields. The team then analysed the treated wine for chemical changes that might alter its "mouth feel" and quality, and passed it to a panel of 12 experienced wine tasters who assessed it in a blind tasting With the gentlest treatment, the harsh, astringent wine grew softer. Longer exposure saw some of the hallmarks of aging emerge – a more mature "nose", better balance and greater complexity.

The improvements reached their peak after 3 minutes at 600 volts per centimeter: this left the wine well balanced and harmonious, with a nose of an aged wine and, importantly, still recognisably a cabernet sauvignon.
Although Zeng cannot yet explain how exposure to an electric field alters the wine's chemistry, his results show that under the right conditions the technique can accelerate some aspects of the aging process. "Not only can it shorten a wine's normal storage time, it can also improve some lower-quality wine," he said.
Five Chinese wineries have begun trials.

Show airing Saturday, September 6, 2008

Calcareous, it's what we call limestone around here. Find out more in our interview with Dana Brown, owner of Calcareous Winery in Paso Robles and her winemaker from Australia, Damian Grindley.


Then it's time for the dinner of your dreams with Liz Zimmerman, co-owner of Dream Dinners in San Luis Obispo. We also have a chat with Tina Porter, who makes dreams come true for parents with her company, SLO County Sitters.

Master Sommilier Tips Restaurants

I promised on our last show to post these tips for our restaurant owner listeners by Laura DePasquale, MS, VP of Fine Wine Development, Palm Bay International.

So, at long last, here they are. Details on the Sommelier Spiral Decanter are found at the bottom of this post. ---------------------------------------
Source: iSante Magazine
Gone are the heady days of wine and roses pricing as the competitive landscape dramatically intensifies. Customer loyalty, repeat diners and guest satisfaction have taken on monumental new meaning critical to the success or failure of many restaurants. Here are six simple, savvy techniques that I've observed in my business travels that will keep your guests coming back for more.

1. Focus, Focus, Focus. Wine and beverage programs that meander all over the place cost more money and result in confused customers. Have a point of view and choose wines and cocktails that reflect that point of view.

2. Did I mention value? It’s top of mind for every guest today. The days of high mark-ups (3-4 times) on wine are over. Successful wine programs have scaled back on percentages and offer “discounted nights” or “end of bin” values.

3. Tap into off-beat varieties. There’s great value to be found in premium quality wines made from lesser-known varieties or hailing from non-traditional regions. Look to Carmenère, Malbec and Sauvignon Blanc from South America and Albariño from Spain for interesting, delicious and budget-friendly by-the-glass pours.

4. Champion indigenous varieties. I’ve seen a major trend in successful establishments towards the classics – wines that are familiar, reflect a point of origin and actually taste like what they are. Great examples include Nebbiolo from Piedmont, Chianti and Sangiovese from Tuscany, Syrah from the Rhone, Riesling from Germany, and so on.

5. Create food & wine pairing gurus. Your entire team of servers should be well-versed in specific wines across price points and styles that pair well with each menu item. The "sell" becomes much more authentic and accurate. An excellent first step is increased collaboration between the sommelier and/or wine buyer and the chef in selecting wines that reflect the cuisine. Next step? Staff education and tasting sessions!

6. Have an open mind, and know your customer. Quite simply, successful sommeliers are listening to their customers much more in choosing wines and not just asserting their own preferences into the list.

If you have a question for the Master Sommelier, email info@palmbay.com.

The Ravenscroft Sommelier Decanter in the photo is from 125West.com and is handcrafted by European craftsmen. They are available in shapes and sizes to meet the needs of the world of fine wine. These breathing decanters combine a long neck for oxidation during the decanting process with a broad, shallow reservoir for further aeration while the wine rests before serving.

Grapevine Radio Show airing Saturday, August 23, 2008

An exciting show that opens with internationally known author and TV-Radio show host (Nat Decants) Natalie Maclean.

Followed by David and Beth Nagangast winemaker/owners of Paso Robles newest winery, Cinquain Winery.

For dessert we have Chef Tom Fundaro of Villa Creek Restaurant in Paso. His handmade shortbread black pepper crackers alone have left patrons swooning.

Winemaking Not for Amateurs

Or... "Don't Try This at Home, Part Deux"

Jane Anson in Bordeaux
October 23, 2008 – Two amateur winemakers died last weekend treading grapes for home-made wine.

Daniel Moulin, 48, and Gérard Dachis, 50, of Roiffieux, northern Ardeche died from carbon dioxide poisoning. They were crushing grapes in the traditional manner with their feet, in a vat that was approximately four square metres in size.

The grapes belonged to a small-scale winemaker who had recruited three friends to help vinify his 2008 vintage. The wine was intended purely for personal use. It is thought that, with inadequate ventilation, they were rendered unconscious by the carbon dioxide fumes that are produced during fermentation. The two men did not regain consciousness, despite attempts to resuscitate them.

The owner of the estate, and the other friend who was helping with the winemaking, survived.
A fireman and the third friend were also treated for inhalation of carbonic gas in a hospital in Annonay. An autopsy to confirm the cause of death is due to be carried out this week, Le Post newspaper reports.

Source: www.decanter.com

The photo is a Wine Spa in Japan, containing real red wine. The huge wine bottle is 3.6m tall. Bathing in wine is a rejuvenation treatment for the body, and it has been said that the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra loved to bath in wine.
There are regular performances of pouring real wine into the spa a few times a day.
Come San Luis Obispo County wineries, let's build one of these!

The Spice Girls and Boys Invade U.S.

I'm dreaming of dinner at Thai Palace with a bottle of Wolff Vineyards dry Riesling. Heaven.
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By Sarah Hills, 02-Oct-2008

The Hispanic and Asian influence on the US food and beverage market is growing stronger as ethnic flavors become mainstream and the spending power of these cultural groups increases, according to an industry expert.

Asians and Hispanics are no longer a minority in large cities across the US and census figures predict that they will form a majority by 2050, according to John Corella, spokesman for the Expo Comida Latina and All Asia Food industry event which will take place this month.

The result is more food and drinks specifically targeting these groups, as well as capturing a wider market of consumers who enjoy their culinary influence.

Corella said: “There are a lot of products coming out that are uniquely flavored to address the cultural shift.

“The US is becoming spicier”

He gave the example of lime flavored products with chili, which is typically Hispanic. There are also more fresh and frozen vegetables of Asian origin and the ingredients used in products can also target certain markets.

READ MORE ...

Grapevine Radio Show airing Saturday, August 16, 2008

One this show we meet Steven Hagy, self proclaimed "cork dork," and author whose second book, Faces in the Fog has just been published.

Steve works weekends in the Doce Robles Winery tasting room, whose owner Jim Jacobson is our second guest. Jim and his wife Meredith are third generation Central Coast growers and lean a bit about their history and how the heck they sell their premium boutique wines as such affordable prices.

Then we get to hear an incredible tale of moving 2,000 century old olive trees from Oroville to Creston, CA from Frank Menacho, owner of Olivas de Oro olive orchard. Plus a live report from Shannon at the 17th Annual Basil Festival in Paso Robles.

I've Seen Some Crappy Wine Labels but ...

... this one take the, er, cake. From the www.vinography.com blog

One doesn't normally don't look to French winegrowers for a source of amusement -- they are a famously unfunny lot -- but apparently desperate times have brought out some humor in some wine producers in the Languedoc.

Faced with low demand for their cooperative produced wines in the face of their region's reputation for producing plonk, a group of winemakers have decided that they might as well meet the consumer's expectation.

So they've produced a wine labeled "Vin de Merde." And for anyone who didn't learn any French swear words when they got the chance in Fifth Grade, that means "Shit Wine." Or as the ever so proper BBC commentator puts it: "Crap wine." The rest of the text on the label says: "The worst signifies the best."

Here's a little piece from the BBC on the brilliant new label, which just happens to be selling faster than they can get it into shops.

Don’t Try Cooking This at Home. No. Really. Don’t.

England – This research just in from the Brits; 10 percent of their population – six million people – have had a kitchen accident trying to copy a celebrity chef.

No wonder real chefs are made of iron!

A United Kingdom insurance company (Esure Home Insurance) took a poll that showed that although 73 percent of the respondents described themselves as “amateur,” “novice,” or downright “useless” in the kitchen, that didn’t dissuade 75 percent of them from attempting a complex culinary technique, risking injury to themselves, to others, to their pets, and to their homes (I made up the pets part).

Damage estimates were in the $9 billion range! Makes the Bush Bailout look appetizing by comparison.

Numerous hazards were sighted from fast chopping to deep frying, but the chart toppers were creme brulees and roasted peppers. The prime culprit? Industrial strength blow torches.

A large percentage of injuries seem to be related to budding gourmets attempting complex culinary techniques in “real time,” dashing between the cooking show on TV in the other room and the kitchen. Slippery when wet!

And these “recipes for disaster” afflict women and men in nearly equal proportions with 83 percent of men and 87 percent of women, who although they claim “no cooking experience,” still fearlessly attempt these gourmet acrobatics.


Source: A “Front Burner” story by Julie Mautner for Food Arts Magazine, October 2008

Wine Whisperer Nominated!

Your Soft Spoken Seeker of Sommelier Secrets has been nominated for "Best Profile Pic" on the great wine industry social/business blog site, Wine 2.0.

So for those of you who mocked the Caped Purple One for donning the elaborate get-up for a weekly radio appearance ... put a cork in it!

Show Airing August 9th, 2008

Another jam packed show. We open with author William Ausmus talking about his new book, Wines & Wineries of the Central Coast.

Then Phillip Krumal, winemaker-owner of Asuncion Ridge Vineyards & Inn describes the wines (including one of Jan's favorite Pinot Noirs) and the Inn on Paso Robles westside.

Finally Chef Robert Root tells us about the 16 day Pallet to Palate events with featuring area chefs pairing with San Luis Obispo County’s farmers to create delicious, gourmet dinners ... with local wines, of course!

Free the Grapes. Send in Capt. Terry

Our very own Terry Speizer, founder of Domaine Alfred, the world renowned winery he recently sold, was instrumental in bringing this issue to the U.S. Supreme Court. And yet, the battle rages, as the post-Prohibition fiefdoms struggle to maintain their control... and money.

Here's the latest installment of the saga by David Kesmodel from www.iSante.com, Santé Magazine's online edition.
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Alison Light and her husband fell in love with several small California wineries this summer while celebrating their wedding anniversary. But when Ms. Light tried to have bottles shipped to her Norfolk, Mass., home, she was miffed to discover that her state effectively barred most such shipments.

So she -- joining about 8,000 other Massachusetts residents -- became a member of Free the Grapes, a Napa, Calif., advocacy group for wineries and wine drinkers. Ms. Light, a 46-year-old university financial-aid worker, has written state lawmakers, urging them to overhaul the state's direct-shipping rules.

READ FULL ARTICLE

In the meantime, if you're trying to help friends and relatives who are wine touring on the Central Coast ship wines back home, check out our friends at www.SafeHavenWineServices.com.

Roll Over Guy de Muapassant

It's like a modern day retelling of, The Necklace, Guy's well known short story first published in 1884. Maybe we're seeing the beginnings of wine journalism's version of reality shows.
First the news of the faked review in Wine Spectator and now Food & Wine writer Lettie Teague pulls a fast one at a dinner party all in the name of a good story. I wonder if her name is a nom de plume, because it sounds suspiciously close to the name of Monk's assistant in the popular USA-TV series.

Wine Scams: A Counterfeiter Confesses

F&W’s Lettie Teague—feeling glee, then guilt—explores the growing problem of wine fraud by attempting to dupe her friends with a fake bottle of 100-point Bordeaux.

By Lettie Teague

Almost every woman I know (including myself) has knowingly purchased a fake designer handbag at one time or another. I know it’s wrong—that counterfeiting can cost legitimate companies a great deal of money, and that it can harm the unwitting purveyors of fakes as well. For example, eBay was recently ordered to pay $60 million to LVMH, owner of the Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior brands, for selling fakes on its site.

Of course, fancy handbags aren’t the only luxury goods considered worth copying these days; as the price of fine wine escalates, so, too, has the quantity of imposter bottles on the market. The number has reached into the hundreds of thousands, as in Tuscany, where Italian authorities found quite a few Brunello producers making their fancy wine with cheap, non-Brunello grapes. (The government’s fraud-fighting tactics are quintessentially Italian: They began training policemen as undercover sommeliers.)

READ FULL ARTICLE

What To Do With Empty Wine Bottles

Gives new meaning to a "well balanced" wine. I've done this same trick with boxed wine!

Local German Beer - Oxymoron or Ompah in a Glass?

Believe it or blow foam on your friend standing next to you.... an adventurous brewing entrepreneur has launched an authentic German style brewery right here in SLO.

EINHORN BEER Founder, Douglas Martin, a Chicago native who spent nearly two decades in Germany studying the craft. The results are a new microbrewery that makes beer in the German tradition.
“Germans really believe they make the best beer in the world,” he said. “Americans brew good beer, too,” Martin granted, “but it’s an entirely different style.

”After working for a mineral water distributor in Germany, Martin attended Doemens Beverage Academy in Munich, one of three German colleges specializing in all aspects of the wine, mineral water, juice, and especially the beer industries.
After graduating from Doemens, Martin went to work for Scottish & Newcastle one of the top-ten macro-breweries in the world, responsible for such famous cold-ones as Fosters, Newcastle, Strong Bow, and Baltika.

All of our full-bodied brews are made with the best raw materials available, brewed just the way you might discover on your travels in and around Germany.

You will find them true to their heritage - yet unique the way one expects from a California craft beer. The century-old traditions behind these hand-crafted brews guided us in their creation, but we have chosen to remain free with our own interpretation of the Germanic beer culture. Prosit!
Try the best German style beers available on California's Central Coast - 2 great events are approaching fast!

Check out their brews at LEVEL 4 RESTAURANT & LOUNGE in Paso Robles for OCTOBERFEST on Friday October 3rd or at the MORRO BAY HARBOR FEST on Saturday & Sunday October 4-5 ! You won't regret it !

Podcast of Show from August 2, 2008

We are thrilled to welcome another Central coast wine pioneer to the show; Gary Eberle, founder/owner Eberle Winery in Paso Robles.
Gary is well known for his community involvement and on this show he tells us about the college scholarship fund that benefits from an event he and Toby Schumrick from Tobin James Winery concocted; The 10th Annual Winemakers Cook Off in Paso Robles. Probably one of the wildest of all the area's wine events!

Then Melanie Blankenship joins us to discuss local, sustainable and organic food products that she's featured for the past seven years' at her store, Nature's Touch in Templeton, CA.

Wine Nuked for Thomas Jefferson... a Job for the Pink Panther?

One of Britain's top rare wine merchants and nuclear scientists have jointly unveiled a 21st-century tool for unmasking counterfeit vintage wines.

The technique consists of zapping bottles with ion beams generated by a particle accelerator.

The beams are directed at the glass, not the wine, and can distinguish how old the bottles are and, roughly, where they originate.

"We compare the suspect bottles with those that we know come from the chateaux," explained Herve Guegan, a researcher at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Bordeaux.

"The chemical composition of glass used to make bottles changed over time and was different from place to place," he told AFP.

The Antique Wine Company in London, which asked Guegan's Centre for Nuclear Studies to develop the fraud-busting technology, handles more than 10,000 bottles of rare wines every year for thousands of customers around the world.

"We sell bottles every day for between $US2000 and $US10,000," said the company's managing director, Stephen Williams, noting that the exceptional grand cru can fetch up to $US100,000.

At these prices, "counterfeiting is something we have to be very diligent about," he said by phone.

France's most prestigious Burgundy and Bordeaux chateaux are notoriously reluctant to discuss fraud or its prevalence, but wine experts say it is a growing problem.

In a recent and spectacular case, American collector William Koch sued a German wine dealer, claiming four bottles - allegedly belonging to US President Thomas Jefferson - he had purchased for $US500,000 were fake. The case has yet to be settled.

D'Anbino Winery & Old Vienna Restuarant

Show airing Saturday, July 26, 2008

Show could be subtitled, Cool Jazz & Hot Accordions.

A musical show this week. First we talk to Carmine Rubino and his son Mike of D'Anbino Winery & Vineyards. A fascinating professional musical family with a tasting room in Paso Robles that features a full blown nightclub stage!



Then Chef Mike (and heavy metal guitarist) Mosier from the Old Vienna Restaurant, Bar & Beer Garden tells us what's new on the menu and events calendar (including their "Squeezebox Square Off") at this third generation owned restaurant in Shell Beach.

Sudden Rise of "Sliders" and "Mini Burgers," Explained!

I'm sure I can't be the only one whose observed the addition of so called gourmet "sliders" to tony restaurants throughout the land.
Followed shortly by the addition of "mini burgers" and sandwiches to chain operations.

We sent our Grapevine Radio investigative reporter out in the field to discern the reason behind this latest "small is beautiful" trend.

The story is shocking! The forces behind this phenomenon is a cult like association dedicated to the breeding of "mini cattle."

I swear on my limited edition DVD of, "The Island of Dr. Moreau" that I'm not making this up.

This could also explain those little cartons of "mini moo."