Robert Parker goes to China. It doesn’t quite have the same geopolitical impact as Nixon goes to China, but the magnitude for the wine world may be similar as Parker heads there later this month for the first time. Jancis Robinson stopped by earlier this year too. And two big auction houses have resumed wine auctions in Hong Kong this spring after a seven year drought. The removal of the wine tax in Hong Kong has driven a “thirst for top-level wines” in the city “is growing at an exponential rate,” according an auctioneer quoted in Bloomberg.

Apparently Asian buyers are getting much more wine savvy. It wasn’t long ago that they only bought wines with 100 point Parker scores, perhaps a sign of slavish following more than connoisseurship.

But now I am wondering if the locals are waking up to the joys of pairing Riesling with the cuisine. And the quality of German Riesling just keeps getting better and better. Perhaps they now have confidence to venture away from Bordeaux and cult Cali cabs.

Actually, since I am really getting into the sublime pleasure of German Riesling, dry and off-dry, young and mature, the thought of demand from Asia is something of a doomsday scenario for me. The last thing I need is to have investors pile in and run up the price in yet another category of wine!

A small clarification about how I view value wines though. Obviously, the MAN Shiraz is no Crozes-Hermitages, but that simply isn?t the objective with a value selection recommendation. It doesn?t make it better than say, a Northern Rhône Syrah that usually sells for more. Value selections like this one are unusually interesting for the price point. That shortsighted all-or-nothing approach people have the tendency to apply to so many things in life seems absurdly inappropriate even with wine. I thought about that today when I read the latest post over at The Pour, which somewhat deals with a new book on wine reminiscent of that 20/20 segment from 2005 which relegates the value of art and art criticism (good parallel with wine) to that of upper-brow contempt for the masses. How many certifiable idiots have you overheard in a hotel lobby asking trite questions that more or less resemble ?which one?s the best, Flemish art or Florentine art? The inanity of an exchange like this swiftly reveals the poverty of knowledge, or perhaps more crucial to the matter, lack of genuine appreciation which the participants must have for art.

As someone who seriously studies literature and has a couple of degrees to back that up, I have always cringed at those book club type questions where two writers from completely different perspectives and time periods are given the old CNN Crossfire treatment, ?George Sand or Danielle Steele?? On a whole, more people would likely prefer Steele, who no doubt is an accomplished writer; her work could thus be considered better, right? No, no and no. As with artists or writers, let?s please leave wine out of that sort of thing.

At any rate, this Coastal Region Shiraz is all about straightforward flavors and food-accompanying functionality. I thought it a bit complex for the price point, with nice plum, berry, spice and smoke. Balance wasn?t too far off, with medium acidity, high body, medium-high tannin and solid fruit which stood up to the vegetal and spice flavors for three days after opening. An added bonus, considering most sub-$10 reds, was that the oak presence was never overwhelming. I?ll certainly consider the MAN Syrah and Pinotage again when looking for value-priced accompaniments to grilled meats and those ostrich burgers I have come to enjoy recently.

This fall, I’ll have the good fortune to return to Chicago. No, I won’t be contender on Top Chef though I do hope to eat in some of the city’s great restaurants or BYOBs.

Both of the trips will be anchored by classes at the University of Chicago’s Graham School. On September 6, I’ll lead a Saturday afternoon seminar called “France and America: Wine Politics and a Tasting Showdown.” We will talk about themes from my upcoming book, Wine Politics, and then have a wildly fun, blind and competitive tasting of wines from the two countries. The wine budget for these events is good and in the past we have had some excellent mature wines in a variety of sizes. All participants will receive a signed copy of the book as part of the enrollment. Details and registration.

On December 6, we’ll be talking and tasting holiday wines in another Saturday seminar. This time the discussion will be centered around my second wine book, “A Year of Wine,” which will be published in November by Simon & Schuster. As with the September event, the wines will be fun and participants will receive a signed copy of this book too. Details and registration.

Although this may seem like eons from now, apparently we get a nicer room if signups are strong early. So sign up!

(image of the bean)

I can't hold Thai food entirely responsible for making me uproot my life and move halfway around the world to Sydney, Australia. But it did play a role. In Sydney, incredible Thai restaurants are as ubiquitous (and about as affordable) as burrito joints in San Francisco. But no matter how authentic the cooking, it's hard to beat paying 20 baht (about 50 cents) at a bustling Bangkok market for curry that's bursting with tangy lime; tempered by the salt of fish sauce and the caramel of palm sugar; and followed, ideally, by a bold aftershock of chili. I decided a long time ago that if I couldn't eat out that way every day, the next best thing was knowing how to make it. Having cooked up many a dish of Tom Khai Kai, Mee Khrob, and Massaman Curry, I thought I was pretty well versed in the cuisine for a Western chef. But it wasn't until a culinary tour of Thailand, including an amazing cooking course in Chiang Mai, that I really felt like I "got it." Whether fiery hot or comparatively mild, when it comes to Thai, harmony's the guiding principle. Overpowering spices are toned down by pungent fresh herbs, like lemongrass and galangal. Salty sauces are tempered with sugars and offset by acids, such as lime. Moreover, rather than being served in courses, a Thai meal is presented all at once, so diners can enjoy the juxtaposition of contrasting flavors. Yet despite the apparent complexity of Thai food, many dishes are surprisingly easy to concoct. Much of the art lies more in the prep work than in employing tricky techniques. In fact, you'll often find that having the ingredients lined up and ready to go is half the battle. Of course you can just go to a restaurant or buy ready-made curry pastes and sauces, but trust me, Thai is almost certainly easier to master than you realize. And if you can't afford to travel, cooking this marvelous cuisine is the next best thing to a trip to Thailand. Or Sydney. Wine & Thai Food When choosing a wine to accompany a Thai meal, the same thought should be given to equilibrium as it is in cooking Thai. Riesling and pinot noir are probably your two best bets for spicy hot dishes: a good rule of thumb being that the spicier the food, the sweeter the wine. For example, pair a slightly dry number with a tangy but mild lemongrass and coconut chicken soup. But use a more sugary vintage to tone down the fire of a curry. The German Auslese style rieslings are excellent and reasonably priced. Two U.S. producers, Bonny Doon (whose Pacific Rim is marketed to serve with Asian cuisine) and Hogue, both make good, affordable rieslings. As for pinots, their delicate flavors, which can be smothered by heavy steak or barbecue, are enhanced by hot and spicy food. Remember that spicy food exaggerates the tannin and natural bitterness in wine. The addition of salt and sour flavors will help counteract this effect, as they make the wine milder, fruitier and less bitter. Thus, if you're drinking a merlot or cabernet sauvignon with duck in red curry, the addition of fish sauce to the curry - or salt to the duck - will help counteract the chilies. Similarly, the addition of lime juice to a green mango salad will offset the spiciness and pair nicely with a sauvignon blanc/semillon blend. For a moderately spicy, ginger-rich dish, a good gewurztraminer makes an excellent contrast. Another thing to consider is the method of food preparation. Generally speaking, grilled or pan-roasted foods will be better matches with your wines than those that are deep-fried. For example, Kai Yang (chicken marinated in garlic, pepper and lemongrass, and then grilled) is delicious with a crisp white wine or a fruity red. Tips and Tricks Never cut kaffir lime leaves, as too much oil will come off on the knife and diminish the strength of the flavor. Tear them gently instead. When kaffir zest is unavailable, substitute lemon peel rather than lime, as the latter is too bitter. Ginger, in smaller quantities, can be used as a substitute for galangal (also known as ginza or laos powder). When making large quantities of curry paste to store in the fridge or freezer, it's best to fry it first in oil, and then store both the oil and the paste. This helps retain better color and flavor. Dried chilies provide a better color in paste than fresh ones. Always add lime juice after the heat has been turned off. Mung beans should be stored in salt, not water, to keep them crunchy. Don't fry garlic and shallots together, as the garlic will cook quicker and turn brown. Shallots soaked in water for 10 minutes won't make you cry when cutting them. Use a tablespoon of coconut milk as a garnish for curries to provide an attractive color contrast. To separate coconut cream from milk, refrigerate it for 10 minutes, then skim off the top. Milk, cucumber or tomato will stop the burning sensation from chilies; water will amplify it. When stir-frying, always preheat your wok at least five minutes, until it's smoking hot. Add your oil and wait 10 seconds before beginning to add meat and vegetables.

SEE KRONG TORD GRATIUM (Fried Spare Ribs with Garlic) (serves 4) Although Thai people eschew appetizers in favor of eating a variety of dishes all at once (proving yet again that it's the harmony of opposing forces that define this cuisine), for us Western cheats, this makes a great appetizer that can serve as a prelude to a wide range of main courses. 4 cups pork spareribs cut into 1-inch pieces Enough oil to deep fry 3 cups chicken stock or water 1/2 cup oil 1/2 cup chopped garlic with skin on SAUCE 1/2 cup chopped garlic 1/4 cup roughly chopped coriander root and stem 1 t crushed white peppercorns 2 T oyster sauce 1 T light soy sauce* 1 T soy sauce 1/4 t sweet soy sauce *You can easily cheat and just use 2 tablespoons of regular soy sauce. But try to get the sweet soy. In a pinch, just add a little palm or brown sugar instead. Mix the spareribs together with all sauce ingredients, then put them in a pan along with the stock. Simmer 20 minutes. Drain the stock, and set the ribs aside. Put 1/2 cup oil into a wok. When it's hot, add the unpeeled garlic, and cook on high heat until the garlic starts to turn brown. Lower the heat, and keep stirring until the garlic is crispy (about 2-3 minutes). Drain the oil, and put the garlic on some kitchen paper. Put the oil for deep frying into a wok. When it's hot, fry the spareribs until golden brown (4-5 minutes), then drain. To serve, put the ribs on a plate, and sprinkle with garlic.

GAI HOR BAI TOEY (Chicken in Pandanus Leaves) (serves 4) If you can't get pandanus leaves or don't want to fry the chicken, this dish is also excellent when the marinated chicken is baked, covered, for about 30 minutes. If you do use leaves, be sure to remove them before serving, as they aren't edible. 1 cup chicken breast cut into 20 equal-sized pieces 20 pandanus leaves 4 T roasted sesame seeds 1 t ground black pepper 1 cup of oil SAUCE 1 T light soy sauce 1 T tapioca flour 1 T sesame oil Put chicken in a bowl, add sauce ingredients and mix well. Marinate at least 10 minutes. Then add the sesame seeds and pepper, and mix well. Wrap each piece of chicken in a pandanus leaf, cutting off the ends if too long. The chicken can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to fry. Put oil into pre-heated wok, and turn to medium heat. When oil is hot, add chicken pieces, frying until cooked through - about five minutes. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately (ideally with a sweet chili dipping sauce). NAM JIM GAI (Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce) (serves 4) This sauce makes a fantastic accompaniment to most Thai dishes and is added like salt and pepper. Once cooked this can be stored in a bottle for about one month at room temperature. 3/4 cup finely chopped coriander root 5 cups chopped pickled garlic 7 finely chopped big, red chilies 3 1/2 cups sugar 2 cups white radish, cut into thin strips 1 1/2 cups vinegar 1/4 t salt Put all ingredients into a pan, and simmer on low heat about 20 minutes, until sauce is thick. Stir occasionally. Recipes adapted from A Passion For Thai Cooking by Sompon and Elizabeth Nabnian.

At the recently completed 2008 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, 2,350 wines were entered, from nearly 500 wineries, spanning 39 states,...

If you are into Spanish wine, it is likely you are aware of the oldest Bodega in the Rioja. Founded in 1852, Marqués de Murrieta concentrates on making Reserva and Gran Reserva, each spending multiple years in large oak barrels. The Castillo de Ygay is their Gran Reserva, and is produced only in exceptional years. Incredibly, the current release of this wine is 30 years old! The 1978 vintage was not bottled until 1998, after spending 212 months in oak!

Join us as we sit with Vicente Dalmau, President of Marqués de Murrieta winery. Vicente (who is also the Conde de Creixell) discusses Tempranillo, La Rioja, and an exciting new property in the Rias Baixas area of Galicia, where they are producing Alberiño.

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I somehow weaseled my way into a Vegan cooking class this weekend to give a talk about organic wines. Shameless self/company promotion? Why do you ask!

SO, if you have nothing to do between 1:30 and 3 on Sunday, December 2nd, feel free to register to learn how to cook all sorts of yumminess (which is, apparently, a heavily-used wine descriptor) sans animals or animal by-products. I don't claim to be vegan (as the mountain of cheese in my belly can attest) but I do agree with the principles of it all.

Anys.

Come to Shakti Yoga Studio at 220 Lexington Ave this Sunday to hear me and to get your vegan feedbag on. I think it's $20 per person. Call 716 884 YOGA to register. I'll be the one with a cork in my hand stinking of butter.

Enjoyed this new article at DivineCaroline about women's physiology vis a vis that of men and how this impacts our ability to compete with guys in, oh say, a drinking contest. The results aren't in our favor (sorry, ladies) unless you happen to be a very buff woman paired off to compete with a fat guy of roughly your same height. Here's a brief excerpt from the piece, and link to check out the rest:

"Winning a drinking contest, or just being able to gauge how many drinks you can have while still remaining vertical, depends on numerous factors, including regularity of drink, that day's food and sleep intake, and genetics. But based just on gender...,

Photo Credit Simone Van Den Berg | Dreamstime.com

The somewhat recent revelation that it is technically illegal for home winemakers in California to hold public tastings and even competitions of their wines is one of those instances where a truly out-dated law of little or no value, previously unnoticed, comes to light and makes folks chuckle, shake their heads and get on with getting rid of it for the sake bringing laws and rules into line with reality and good sense.

The move to change the law licketty split is under way. Family Winemakers of California and State Senator Pat Wiggins have joined forces to introduce SB 607, a law that would allow winemaking competition among amateur winemakers.

It's an easy fix to a pretty stupid law and both FWC and Senator Wiggins should be commended for moving it forward.

Changing stupid laws like this is not always so easy, however, Take for example the CA law that makes it a crime for a an out-of-state retailer to ship wine to a CA resident. This one went into effect in 2005 and was supported by Family Winemakers of California, The California Wine Institute, The California Association of Wine Grapegrowers, Napa Valley Vintners and a number of wineries. The bill was opposed by a number of CA retailers who realized that not only was the law unconstitutional as it discriminated against out-of-state retailers, but that it would encourage other states to lock out CA retailers from shipping to their state residents.

There has been no enthusiasm by California's winery organizations, Free the Grapes, or any politicians to change this other example of a stupid law, though they all are well aware of the law. One wonders if it will be "discovered" in a few decades and quickly reversed by legislation because it no longer has any value, rhyme or reason.

It turns out this law is actually on hold because retailers sued the state of CA and were able to get an agreement from the state not to enforce it until the end of 2008. However, that time is quickly approaching. One hopes that consumers, wine organizations and politicians will feel an equal urgency to fix one more stupid law when it comes to light.

Well I popped up to the Hunter the other week and of course no visit is complete without a quick hop in to the Boutique Wine Centre. As usual big Garth Eather got me in an ear-lock but before I escaped he slipped a bottle of this into my box. I don’t generally keep many tasters at home but this one was handy..and as the old saying goes..’If you can’t be handsome, be handy’…although of course everyone knows that I am very handsome so this does not apply to me.

Aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, BBQ sauce, mint, toasted coconut, lemon, cedar and tobacco. A curious smelling wine but most certainly an attractive and engaging one. On the palate medium to full bodied with blackcurrant, blackberry, spicy BBQ sauce and more earthy tobacco flavours. Tannins are fine, dry and lightly grainy and there is a slight citric acidity that adds freshness. Finishes with spicy tangy blackcurrant flavours. Packed full of flavour and interest. This is a highly slurpable and very tasty wine.

Marking the first anniversary of the 24 hour drinking licence laws, a 'rescue remedy' called Dink has been released.

It is supposed to mitigate the ill-effects of binge-drinking with ingredients that mop up free radicals produced by the liver when it is processing alcohol. It is also cheap and readily available.

It is being marketed to "people who like to get merry". Presumably because they feel it is unwise to market it to people who like to get smashed out of their skulls every Friday night and throw up partially digested burgers on street corners. I think we know who it is actually aimed at.

I must admit that my first thought was "great idea", sounds so useful. But while I'm no Catholic I do think the pain of hang-overs is justly deserved and should reflect any excess. The sparkle generated by a few drinks with friends too easily degenerates into boorishness  and incapacity beyond a certain point. There are very few elegant drunks.

And aren't we supposed to be cutting down binge drinking, as a society? We need a cultural shift that comes collectively - social evolution if you like, of the kind we've seen with smoking, drink driving and wearing seat belts.

Most Friday-nighters, though by no means all, are young people with their whole lives ahead of them and of course there is a natural protective urge to want them to stay healthy. The price that many of them pay for their excesses can be heart-breaking. Blaming them as being responsible for their own actions is ridiculous if the message they absorb is that getting really drunk and doing stupid things is clever and/or funny.

And now we are giving them the tools to avoid hangovers. I like drinking and sometimes I drink more than I should, but I also know that my body hates it when I do. It's a natural defense mechanism to show us our limits and should not be overlooked as a preventative.

If we no longer have any medical consequences we will push our bodies over the limit as a matter of course. But often the real trauma of binge drinking is the wider physical and emotional damage caused by violence, bravado, promiscuity or recklessness . Can we  develop a pill for that too?   

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TO: wine shop managers and their webmasters
FROM: Dr. Vino
RE: adding importer information to e-shops

I was surfing the sites of a few online wine retailers today looking for some specific imported wines when I should have been working. Some of the sites generated other imported wines suggestions that sounded good but I hadn’t heard of the producers. Since you already list tons of information about the wine including the producer, region, vintage, possibly grape variety, and a critic’s opinion, how hard would it be to add a field to list the importer as well? I, for one, would be more likely to throw a bottle in my virtual shopping cart if I knew it was from one of my favorite importers. If I am in a shop I can look at the back label, which provides that info, but not online…

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http://nomerlot.com/reviews/red-wine/2008/01/30/good_pinot_noir_that_doesen_t_suck

In response to : Good Pinot That Doesn't Suck:

Well I agree. There are many so so Pinots out there. I expect to pay $40.00 on up for a good American Pinot noir, though there are some exceptions. Look for Gary Farrell from the Russian River area of Sonoma and from the Southern Central Coast area, try Sanford, Fiddlehead Cellars, Foley even the Hitching Post's "Cork Dancer" and their top of the line Pinot "Highliner", Foxen also makes a great Pinot noir.

Look for vineyard specific Pinots also like Santa Maria's Bien Nacido vineyard. They produce grapes for Foxen, Hitching Post and quite a few other top Pinot producers in the Central Coast and in the napa Sonoma area.

There are actually so many really good Pinots out there right now it's hard for me so sometime make a decision. Good luck with your hunt. That is half the fun! Michael

The Great One Has Gone

I’m racking 2007 Sauvignon Blanc from barrels now. In these photos, you can see the clean wine that I’m racking from the lees, and then the lees being poured from the barrel into a bucket. 50% of this wine was fermented in old french oak barrels and the other half was fermented in tank. I can take and post all the photos I want of this process, but it’s hard to convey the aromas that fill the winery at this time. This is one of the most hedonistic times, at least for me.

The lees are the dregs, the “bottom of the barrel”, and largely viewed as waste but in a winery they can be useful and wonderful. Lees is composed of grape solids, yeast bodies, nutrients, bacteria that have settled out of the wine during aging, but it is also a way to “diagnose” or ascertain the condition of the wine itself. Sweet, clean, ethereally aromatic lees is the sign of healthy grapes, a good fermentation, a clean wine.

I do this process myself because I want to make sure we get a very clean wine from this racking as it will not be filtered. So, all of the barrels are “racked in place”, ie, the barrels are not moved or disturbed until racking. That’s a rule for all of the wines we produce here, but it is particularly critical with the Sauvignon Blanc as it is packaged in a clear bottle!! I will probably fine it with a little bentonite to make sure it settles out as much as possible before bottling.

As I’ve blogged here many times, I think wineries who are not involved in social media are missing something important. Not only is it less expensive than more traditional outreach, the results are often better from a brand and customer loyalty point of view. What social media gives you is that personal connection with the customer online, like you get in the tasting room.

So I’m going to talk about how wineries can take advantage of blogs, podcasts, wiki’s and social networks on my next trip to California later this month. Although there will be some slides involved, this will not be “death-by-Powerpoint” but an interactive talk in the vein of BarCamp. It’s open to anyone who whats to learn more about social media or who wants to share their learnings. I will prepare about 40 minutes of material and see what develops as we talk about this topic.

If you are interested in attending, just head over to my company wiki and add your name and winery or company. If you no hable wiki then just send me an email at acanmedia (at) gmail (dot) com and I’ll add you to the list.

The seminar will be held from 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29th at the Sonoma Wine Library in Healdsburg, CA. Here’s a map to the location. Special thanks to Patrick from Iridesse who arranged to get the room reserved and Josh from Pinotblogger for his advice.

Hope to see you there; so who’s with me?

"I bought my house 19 years ago on that particular block because there were no bars"

The state's first urban winery could soon get its own zoning designation, allowing for similar uses throughout the City of Frederick.