Q & A BlogI want to answer two of the most commonly asked questions we receive here at Sip…a wine store. 1. Do eco-friendly wines taste different? I have customers ask me all the time if I can taste a difference between eco-friendly wines and conventional wines. My answer is sometimes. I find that taste is the largest difference in biodynamically produced wines. These wines tend to express a truer sense of place while the flavor profiles are more interesting and full of rich fruit, spice and mineral flavors. Biodynamic is sometimes viewed as controversial. When you combine the lunar calendar, Rudolph Steiner, and organic farming you definitely get controversy. At least biodynamic farmers are not only correcting their soil, they are rebuilding eco-systems. What bad could come from that? I also taste a difference in Natural or non-manipulated wines. Once you open these wines they continue to develop and taste better two, three, and sometimes four days after you open them. I think this is the best and least expensive way to enjoy wine and Alice Feiring (a natural wine advacate) summed it up perfectly: "How did natural wine and natural food become separated at birth? Why are drinkers (buyers) willing to accept additives in their wine they'd never accept in their food?" 2. Why don’t our wines have ratings? A lot of our wines do receive ratings, some from very well known wine publications. We choose not to post the ratings in the store for a few reasons. First, wine ratings are really someone else’s opinion. Second, it is an inexact science. There have been a few studies recently that have proven expert wine tasters can taste wines differently depending on the time of day they taste and where they taste. In that scenario, the same wine could receive a different score in the morning than if tasted at night. Most importantly, however, is we enjoy answering questions for our customers and allowing them to develop their own opinions and palates. Why take some strangers suggestion, when you can learn to trust your own?! If you need a rating to buy a wine, we can look them up for you. Otherwise, I suggest you throw caution to the wind and try something new.
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My Favorite Wines of 2010My favorite thing about the end of the year is reminiscing. I love to think about what the year meant to me. I like reading magazines with their yearly round ups. There is something romantic about looking at the past. I thought it might be fun and fulfilling to look back at my favorite wines of the year. I have tasted everything in the store. Every wine is well made and serves a purpose. However, there are a few wines that really speak to me. Like a modern day 2009 Bonny Doon, Albarino, 2008 Silvio Jermann, Pinot Grigio,Venezia, Italy (Organically Grown): A sexy white that will make you think twice about Pinot Grigio being a simple wine, considering it so beautiful you might just stare at it for some time, what with its intense straw yellow and delicate shade of rose coloring. The bouquet is ample, fruity and intense with apple, melon, and banana aromas. These tropical fruit aromas lead to a full body that is mellow and well balanced, with plenty of fruit and an orange peel and pie tart aftertaste. This wine would be perfect with mushrooms, fish soup, and Crayfish sauce. $25.50 2009 Domaine de la Garreliere, “Cinderrillon”, 2009 Lioco, Chardonnay, 2009 Colli di Murgio “Erbaceo”, NV Champalou, Vouvray, Brut, 2009 Clos du Tue-Boeuf, “La Gravotte”, Cheverny (Organically Grown, & low sulfites): This is not only one of my favorites, it is a staff favorite. A truly natural wine made with indigenous yeasts and very little manipulation. This is a very pure, red-fruited Pinot. It’s bright, earthy, light but concentrated with a citrus tanginess to it. It’s 100% Pinot Noir from old, old vines, with very little sulfites added. Enjoy with roast duck or rack of lamb and wild mushrooms. $32.99 2008 X-winery, Red Blend, 2006 Wild Hog Cache Creek Vineyard, Petite Sirah, 2006 Domaine Rivaton, “Gribouilles” 2008 L’Aventure, Optimus (Biodynamic Farming Practices and & Dry Farmed): The best Cabernet Blend in the store! It is soooo delicious, I can hardly handle selling it as I want to keep it ALL for myself. The wine is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Syrah, 24% Petit Verdot and 100% of lusciousness. Integrated aromas of fir, graphite, and acacia make an excellent nose. A focused attack of crushed flowers, geranium oil, cherries, black currant, and plums wash over the palate, yet the finish is velvety and lingers with notes of orange peel and toast. Really the best Cabernet Blend in the store. $55.50
2009 Stolpman “ La Coppa” Sangiovese, (Biodynamic Farming Practices): An amazing wine that will make any Italian wine fan think twice about Chianti. Dried cherry fruit balanced with silky tannins, it is the most elegant new world Sangiovese benefitting from aging 30 months in French Oak Puncheons. Blood orange and pomegranate flavors hang on the periphery of the lifted, elegant cherry fruit. With such small yields in 2007, the Estate will go fast. The soft, integrated fruit profile maintains a food friendly finish. (Only 333 cases produced.) $22.99
2007 Paul Dolan Pinot Noir, Mendocino (Biodynamic): This was not only my favorite value priced Pinot Noir this year, it was loved by the whole staff. Delicate with scents of rose, turned earth and strawberries. The flavors were long, savory and bright. It was like a bottle of springtime. But, like spring, it too has to end. We only have 2 bts left. Our distributor is Sold Out! Hopefully the 2008 will be awesome. $18.00
2008 Radio Coteau “Le Neblina” (Biodynamic): Spanish for “fog,” la neblina rolls in from the Pacific Ocean to blanket and cool the coastal Pinot Noir vineyards of western
Holiday Help!There once was a Jolly Old Man, who had himself a gift plan. Find the prefect wine, to take when he dined. Nothing too sweet, he already had some holiday treats. Something with body, he was sure he would be naughty. It had to be great, he was already late, but were could he find such a gem? His favorite wine store had everything and more. He just needed a gift bag and a holiday tag and he would be out the door. The holidays are a time for fun and festivities. Stressing over that perfect fermented gift is not fun and can put a damper on any festive event. Try to relax and remember these three simple words 1. Bubbles 2. Baubles and 3. Beer Bubbles are always festive and make people feel special. Whether you like red, white, pink, sweet or dry, the perfect bubbles exist.If you like Chardonnay, try NV Diebolt-Vallois, Blanc de Blanc Brut, If you desire red wine like Pinot Noir or Merlot fill those stockings with NV Gran Gesta Brut Rose. Made from 100% Trepat grapes with ripe strawberry and mulberry flavors. $16.50 If sweet wines make you smile then a Moscato d’Asti will make you cheer. Our favorite is Bera, Moscato d’Asti. It is like sitting in a field of honeysuckle and peach trees. $22.50 Finally, if you want a value wine to pour for large parties, get a few bottles of NV Nardi Giordano Prosecco. A yummy glass of bubbles that smells like crisp apples and white peaches. $11.99
Baubles and wine accessories are great for that wine fan that has Foodies and wine fans alike enjoy unusual vinegars and high quality olive oils. Consider a bottle of Benimousu Purple Sweet Potato Vinegar $38.25, 5 year old Banyuls Vinegar $17.00, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Fattoria di Felsina $28.99 and Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Therapni $14.99. Yummy. And if you have a fan of art, what about a tea light holder or serving tray made from an old wine barrel stave. They come in three stains and look great on mantels and dining tables. They range in price from $35.00 to $45.00 dollars.
Beer is not a typical holiday gift, but it should be. There are so many awesome seasonal beers now. May I suggest, Bells Christmas Ale $1.89, The Duck Rabbit Wee Heavy Scotch Style Ale $2.20 and Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve Ale $2.25. If you want something with a little more cheer, try a 750ml of Mother Earth Organic Silent Night $18.50. Imperial ale aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels. Give me a big HO,HO, HO. Cheers and have a Great Holiday Season! |
Sour GrapesSour Grapes? Not so much! A few weeks ago I took a much needed weekend trip with some girlfriends. Boston was the destination and I was very excited. Not just because I would get to sleep in and get ready in the morning without someone tugging on my towel. I was excited that I would get to visit another eco-friendly wine store owned by a woman. The Wine Bottega in Boston is owned and run by Kerri Platt and the stores inventory is amazing. Lots of fun, esoteric imports, a few tasty domestics, and a handful of fun wine spirits and dessert wines. I saw a number of wines we carry, and few I’ve never seen. Most of the wines I hadn’t seen before came from wine importer Savio Soares. I had to purchase a few of these unknown labels to see if it was worth hunting down the importer. I purchased 6 wines and 3 of the ones belonged to Savio. The most interesting was a cool looking French red that had a black and white cat on the label which was very graphic, similar to a tattoo. I purchased an “ornage” colored wine from the Jura Region and made from the Poulsard grape. I decided after the first Sip… I had to find this importer of natural wines and quickly. When I got back to NC I added Savio Soares to my “To Do” list, knowing I would have no time to speak with them as I was preparing for an organic and biodynamic event in Chapel Hill that Saturday. Terra Vita was the event and I was very excited about sharing a table with my favorite French Wine Importer, Thomas Meunier. Thomas was pouring 2007 Moreau Naudet, Petit I was pouring 2009 Oko, Pinot Grigio, Italy, 2007 Millton, “Te Arai Vineyard”, Chenin Blanc, New Zealand, 2007 Baileyana, “Firepeak Vineyard”, Pinot Noir, Edna Valley, CA, 2009 Chimango, Tempranillo, Argentina and 2008 Cantine Ceci, “LaLuna”, Lambrusco, Italy. Before leaving that morning I knocked my computer bag off the counter and my “To Do” file spilled on the floor. As I cleaned it up, I noticed my last listing…Savio Soares. I definitely had to find this importer. Anyway, setting up a table for a tasting event is usually very easy, but this one took a little more work. I had to fit 8 wines, 2 ice buckets, 2 store displays with information, tasting notes and discount cards with two people behind a 6 foot table. Boy, was it tight. When I was almost finished, I noticed the table next to me was staffed by some wine distributors I’d never meet. I might not know every wine rep in town, but I know the distributors names. Sour Grapes was the name of this distributor. Suddenly I noticed a label that he pulled out of his bag…The Tattooed Cat! Ohh, I gushed like a silly school girl with a crush. Who were these guys, when did Savio Soares selections arrive in town and how do I get them. Turns out they are from Ashville and have only been in business a few months. This was their first visit to the triangle. There names are Devon Price and Lyndon Smith and Savio Soares rep was there too, his name was Michael Nelson. Lyndon was so sweet, he held his young daughter the whole tasting. The little girl just smiled and was perfectly happy. As a working mom, who sometimes brings her girls to work, it was nice to see another working parent making the best of what life is like…complicated, but joyful. Devon is tall, very funny and also a daddy of a 2 year old girl. He showed me a video of his daughter saying I love you to him on his I phone. So sweet and he was very proud. My only regret was that everyone was going to get to taste these amazing wines and I wanted to be the first one in town to carry them. Well, you can’t always be selfish….I guess. A week later I tasted through Sour Grapes Portfolio. I didn’t buy the Tattooed Cat, yet, but I did buy some great value wines and our first Red Burgundy. Everything I sampled was amazing, Natural, Organic and Biodynamic wines that not only tasted great, but had a wonderful since of place. This visit helped me fill in some holes in the shop and all of you will have a chance to taste these amazing wines THIS SATURDAY, November 13th from 3 pm to 7pm. We will be sampling: Zum Martin Sepp Weinviertel, Gruener Veltliner Domaine St. Felix VDP D'Oc Blanc (60% Vermentino 40%Sauv. Blanc) Domaine Valensac VDP D'OC Chardonnay Zum Martin Sepp Weinviertel Zweigult Remi Jeanniard Bourgogne Pinot Noir Schloss Muhlenhof Dornfelder Trocken Domaine De Boissan Côtes du Rhone Cuvée Prince D'Orange(50%Grenache 40% Syrah 10%, Mourvedre) Three of these wines are liter bottles and every one of them will be great at your thanksgiving dinner. We will be sampling some light appetizers all day as well. See you all Saturday. What should I drink for Thanksgiving?What should I drink for Thanksgiving? Isn’t this always the question? Normally I like to pick a wine I want to try and then I plan a meal around the wine. At Thanksgiving I have to dump this idea out with the old wine. Thanksgiving is the time of year to cook with spices, vegetables and herbs we don’t use on a daily basis; sage, marjoram, thyme, clove, allspice, pace, turnips, rutabagas and parsnips. Then we combine all of these choices with some of our family favorites; cinnamon, garlic, onions, chives, citrus, honey, sweet potatoes, green beans, collards and cranberries. With all these spices, Thanksgiving can turn into a wine buyer’s nightmare. However, there are a few easy ways to handle this project, quickly and easily: 1. You can either choose an ABC wine, 2. Pick an un-oaked version of your favorite Chardonnay or a Cabernet blend or 3. buy a grape variety you have never heard of. Each of these tricks work very well. 1. ABC Wine: An ABC Wine is “Anything except Chardonnay or Cabernet”. That’s right! Your old favorite is not always the best choice for Thanksgiving. They tend to have oak nuances, high alcohol and are too dry to pair well with such a cornucopia of food choices at Thanksgiving. You want to stick with popular, but less common choices, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Each of these varietals have a nice balance of flavors, pleasant acidity levels to cut through a lot of the fatty foods we serve at Thanksgiving, and they tend to pair well with lots of sweet and savory spices and herbs. My favorite choices are: Zinfandel: 2008 T-Vine Zinfandel or 2008 Clif Bar “The Climber” Red. 2. Unoaked Chardonnay or Cabernet Blend: Your favorite Chardonnay or Cabernet might taste great with your best roast chicken recipe or that perfectly grilled steak. Sweet potatoes with marshmallows or green beans sautéed with mushrooms, almonds and crisp onions will make them taste metallic and alcoholic and trust me that is not a flavor profile you want in your mouth. If the idea of giving up your favorite variety is just too much to deal with try an un-oaked Chardonnay or a Cabernet blend. Un-oaked Chardonnay’s have much more mellow flavors and they have really nice balanced acidity and a great rich finish. My favorite choices are: 2009 Corvaide, "Mirth", Chardonnay, Washington or 2007 Marimar Torres, Don Miguel Vineyard, Sonoma, Chardonnay 3. What did you call that?: When I hand a bottle of Gruner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, Dornfleder or Beaujolais to a customer, most people either say “Bless you”, “Excuse me” or “What did you call me Willis?” These varietals might sound funny, but they are truly polite at the dinner table. Gruner Veltliner needs to have similar characteristics to Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Bright aromatics, lovely citrus tones, medium weight mid-palate and a long slightly creamy finish. As such, we suggest: 2009 Zum Martin Sepp Weinviertel,Gruener Veltliner
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Beer Powered Road TripI’ve been on a road trip to Black Mountain in search of a great beer. My travel companion and I left Monday morning at 9:45 and were back in town by 7pm. I might have been tired, but my car was full of Pisgah gold. That’s beer geek talk for great beer. Steve Kruger, owner of Purple Abbot Distributing and President of Triangle Beer Meet-up group drove with me. I like to drive, but I always seem to be more alert when someone talks to me. Who better to take on such an adventure with (outside my husband)? Not only could he tell me all about the beers, but we talked about wine and the many obstacles we both had to overcome to get our businesses going. The drive was beautiful and actually very easy. Thank goodness for GPS. I would have been lost in a warehouse district of Black mountain, had the GPS not suggested I turn right on this small side street. As we drove back into a forest of metal warehouse, we happened upon a picnic area. Filled with Adirondack chairs, wooden picnic tables and 2 awesome grills, with 5 green portable potties near by, we knew beer Mecca had to be near buy. Another right turn and we found the “RED DOOR”. I was surprised at how excited I was entering this large warehouse and happening upon a lovely wooden bar with at least 10 Pisgah brews on tap. I don’t know if it was the excitement of knowing I’d be the only store in the triangle with Pisgah or if it was the wonder of what all the hype was about. After introducing myself, I was offered an opportunity to taste the 3 beers we were picking up. I knew I couldn’t say no. Steve took the opportunity to taste every other beer on tab and enjoy a glass of his favorite. Ohhh, the joys of being the passenger on such an enjoyable day trip. The first beer I sipped, was the Pale Ale. Pale in color, almost light blond, it had amazing character; soft citrus and floral aromas with spicy notes. I was impressed with how much flavor was inside this light colored brew. The Solstice, a Belgium tripel, was even more impressive. It had a great head with lively aromas; yeasty and spicy with juicy fruit notes. Coriander and clove tickle your tongue when drinking this awesome beer, so much so I wish I had bought more. The Solstice was my favorite until I tasted the Porter. Sorry, solstice, but that sun has set. The Porter was like my favorite cup of coffee. Dark and compelling with coffee, cinnamon, chocolate and blackberry notes. Can we say yummy? Did I mention all of Pisgah’s brews are certified Organic. I think I just heard a bunch of tree huggers drop their recycling and start their cars. You better hurry, we don’t have much, but we will be getting more in November.
Lioco & LangaThe wine world is very small. Once you meet someone, you have to be careful. You will meet them again. They might be selling to you today, but tomorrow you will be schlepping wine to them. Now I’m not going to say I’ve always been an angel, I sell wine for goodness sake. I do try to remember that my actions can come back and bite me where I don’t taste wine. Wednesday, August 26th Sara Marston with Juice Wine Purveyors planned on stopping by with another winery representative. The wine is Lioco and I already had plans of bringing in 3 cases of their old Vine Carignan blend. This is why Sara wanted me to meet the owner. In walks a tall, nicely coiffed man with a backpack instead of a briefcase. Can we say The wines have a voice. Distinct and flavorful, living somewhere on the fringe. These are not over extracted, jammy or over manipulated wines. If they were in a blind tasting, you might think they were Alsatian, anywhere but 2009 Lioco, Chardonnay, I was almost nervous to taste the rest of the line-up. I knew it would be inspiring. Each wine was amazing and distinct. This is the kind of day every wine a store owner longs for. I love being reminded of why I’m open. The final wine in the line up was the red I had already committed. I tasted the 2008 Lioco “Indica” Old Vine Carignan at a warehouse show about 2 weeks ago and I was looking forward to selling it this fall. The fact it was mostly Carignan made me taste it, the back story made me fall in love and the finish told me to commit to it. The vines are old, we are talking grandparents old and for I want to thank Matt Licklider and Lioco for proving, I tasted 3 of their wines, but only selected 2 of them for the store. The 2006 Bodegas Langa, Garnacha is a wonderful value. A beautiful cherry red color that looks bright and smells amazing. Ripe, spring cherries, raspberry and cinnamon tickle your nose. If I could I’d pour this wine on my yogurt in the morning. On the palate it is generous, harmonious and sumptuous, filled with more red fruits and a chewy finish. A great deal at $9.75. The wine arrives, Friday Sept 3rd. We also selected their 2006 Bodegas Langa Petit Verdot. First of all, it’s almost impossible to find Petit Verdot bottled solo and if you do, it usually cost over $20.00. This bottling is 95% Petit Verdot with 5% Tannat. I’ve been looking for a Petit Verdot for the store, but never thought I’d find one from Cheers, to a great tasting day! |