Wine

A Port for Everyone

Posted by golfkat on August 2, 2020
Posted in: Cultures, Travel, Wine. Leave a comment
Here is a rather curious word:  A portmanteau, as Humpty Dumpty describes it to Alice in “Through the Looking-Glass,” is “two meanings packed up into one word.” Or, in other words, it’s a linguistic combination of two words smashed together. If you’re headed out for a late breakfast or an early lunch, you might say you’re going to brunch (a blend of breakfast and lunch). If your laugh comes out like a snort, you might say it’s a chortle (a blend of chuckle and snort). And if you’re in the mood for a funny fake documentary, you could probably go for a mockumentary. These are just a few examples of portmanteaus, a word which originally referred to a suitcase opening with two equal halves. (A compound word, meanwhile, is a combination of two complete words, such as sunflower, bathtub, or grandmother.)
Think of European mountain ranges, and you might think first of the Alps, the famous mountains full of yodelers and scenes from “The Sound of Music.” But there are other incredible mountain ranges in Europe, including the Pyrenees, the Urals, and, of course, the Carpathian Mountains. The Carpathians wind through Central and Eastern Europe, the third-longest of Europe’s mountain ranges (after the Urals and the Alps). Romania is home to much of the range, which also runs through many other nations, from Austria and the Czech Republic in the West to Ukraine in the East and Serbia in the South. The Carpathians form a flourishing ecosystem that includes a huge portion of Europe’s native plant species, as well as its largest populations of brown bears, wolves, and lynxes. Many of these animals make their homes in the wilds of Romania, where spooky stories and real-life wilderness abound. (I was in the Carpathians just last year, on my way to Brasov, and Dracula’s Castle)
From Winespeed, some Calvados information:  Unlike its French cousins Cognac and Armagnac, both of which are distilled from grapes, Calvados (CAL-va-dose) is distilled from apples (and sometimes pears). But not just any apples. Approximately 800 or so heirloom varieties of apples grow in Normandy, the French region most famous for this drink. Of these, most producers would grow 20 to 25 different varieties, among them, Douce Moen, Kermerrien, Douce Coet Ligne, Bedan, Binet Rouge, Frequin Rouge, Marie Menard, and Petit Jaune. The apples fall into four flavor categories: sweet, bittersweet, bitter, and acidic. By distilling different kinds of apples in different proportions, the Calvados maker crafts a subtle, complex apple spirit. About 17 pounds of apples are needed to make one bottle of Calvados.
More Winespeed:  The Jurassic period occurred between 145 million and 200 million years ago and is best known as the Age of the Dinosaurs. It was named for the Jura Mountain Range, on the border between France and Switzerland, where limestone rocks of this age were first studied. The Jura skyline is punctuated by occasional limestone crags, the most dramatic of which are the reculées—steeply faced, horseshoe-shaped rock formations that form abrupt dead ends to valleys. The Jura is one of the smallest wine regions in France, known for producing wonderfully unique wines. The Jura’s most celebrated offering is Vin Jaune, or “Golden Wine,” made exclusively from the native white grape variety, savagnin. Vin jaune must be aged in oak casks for at least six years and three months, during which time it is neither racked nor topped up. As it ages, a film of yeast known as the voile (veil), forms on the wine’s surface, protecting it from oxidation. The resulting wine is golden in color with aromas of walnut, dried fruits, and toasted sourdough bread. The Jurassic period is also marked by the continued breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea, when oceans flooded the spaces between new landmasses, creating vast inland seas. One of the Jura’s four appellations, L’Etoile (the star), is said to be named for the ubiquitous star-shaped marine fossils which crunch underfoot throughout its vineyards.
Estufagem  The Portuguese term for the step in the process of making Madeira that involves heating the wine. Depending on the quality of the Madeira being produced, there are several estufagem methods. The most basic involves placing the fortified base wines in containers that are then heated to an average temperature of 113°F (with a maximum temperature of 131°F allowed) for three to six months. To make the very finest Madeiras, however, the containers may be placed in a warehouse attic, which builds up tremendous heat thanks to the intense Madeiran sun. There the Madeira-to-be may be left for twenty years or more.
More words for your ever expanding vocabulary.  Kanpai, salud, cheers, and here’s mud in your eye!!!!

Nothing Has Changed

Posted by golfkat on August 1, 2020
Posted in: Cultures, Health, Travel, Wine. Leave a comment
Some wine statistics just amaze me.  How about you??
Percentage (283) year-over-year growth in quarterly revenue booked by Wine.com, one of the nation’s leading online wine retailers. Citing the pandemic as the driver of much of this unprecedented demand, Wine.com also reports that revenue from Millennials and Generation Z (the purported “Holy Grail” consumer) increased by 121%. Wine.com offers live chats with sommeliers, as well as information about wine and wine regions.   Just amazing!
The latest (2018) wine consumption statistics indicate we drink 2.95 gallons per person, which translates to 966 gallons.  But a new survey indicates that Americans are drinking more spirits and ready to drink cocktails, like hard seltzers.  Beer sales have fallen 2.3%, which surprises the hops out of me.  Yet, craft beer sales jumped 4.1%.
The biggest growth in the adult beverage category is the ready-to-drink category, which increased 50% in the last year.  Spiked seltzers are now an $8 billion industry!  And I will readily admit, it is a nice refresher on a hot summer evening.  Easy to drink, just add some crushed ice in a glass!
During the pandemic, perhaps we are all drinking a bit more adult beverages.  I readily admit to that, though my two glasses a night is a proverbial drop in the bucket compared to most people.  Yet, through it all, wine consumption decreased by almost 1% in 2019.  Experts of course, blame the millennials, moving to healthier beverages with low or no alcohol.
So, is the wine consumption boom over?  Is it just the “boomers” who drink good wine?  What happened to all the beer guzzlers?  Are things changing that much?  Yet, wine spending increased 1.1% to $28.2 billion.  Are we drinking better wines now?
Percentage (45%) increase in weekday alcohol consumption by San Franciscans since the start of the pandemic, according to BACtrack, a Bay Area producer of  smartphone-based breathalyzer devices. The company based its assessment on the anonymous BAC (blood alcohol content) data collected from its app users before, and a month after, quarantine began. Thank you Winespeed!
Closer to home, unable to go out to nice restaurants, we are making nicer meals at home.  And the “cocktail hour” is a bigger and more important part of the daily, “Ground Hog Day” routine.  I have been enjoying by champagne, Cabernet, hard seltzers, and single malt Scotch, not necessarily in that order.  What about you??
Just an FYI for you wine fans:  South Africa is among the top 9 wine producers in the world. But while Black South Africans represent nearly 90% of the population, they represent fewer than 8% of wine producers. Elected in 1994, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was South Africa’s first Black president. Mandela’s release from Victor Verster Prison in Paarl, in 1990, after more than twenty-seven years in confinement, paved the way for the lifting of trade sanctions and the importation of South African wine into the United States. During this time, many wineries were established or taken over by new owners and black entrepreneurs saw an opportunity to enter the wine industry. In 2010, Nelson Mandela’s daughter Makaziwe and granddaughter Tukwini launched the House of Mandela wine brand, which includes a chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, and a sparkling wine. Tukwini has said: “When we started out, many people thought that House of Mandela was just a little project, a gimmick that would not last.” For the Mandela family, who are part of the royal aba Thembu lineage and the Madiba clan, honoring the ancient wisdom of one’s ancestors and honoring the earth give meaning and purpose to life. Upon the release of their wines, the family wrote, “we have chosen wine as a bridge into the future.”
Sparkling wines photographed at the Roederer Estate’s tasting room in Philo , Calif., Friday, May 25, 2018.

Pairing Wine and Cheese

Posted by golfkat on July 29, 2020
Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Wine. Leave a comment
Most of us have our favorite wine and cheese pairings.  Since I am a champagne and sparkling wine drinker, my pairings are quite easy.  For those of you with definite red or white wine preferences, here are some helpful hints.
First, here are three mistakes to avoid, per Laura Werlin, a James Beard Award winner.
Pair red wine with soft cheese:Have you ever considered why some cheeses just naturally taste better with your favorite wine? Well, there’s a science to that — kind of. As cheese ages and loses water-content, it becomes richer in flavor with its increased fat content, making it the ideal match for bold red wines. Why exactly? The fat content in the cheese counteracts the high-tannins in the wine. According to Werlin, “Red wine typically has more tannins and low acidity which can cause soft cheeses to taste chalky. Instead, reach for an equally full-bodied, flavorful cheese such as an aged cheddar if you must drink a red wine. The tannins act as a palate cleanser, making each bite and sip just as delicious as the last.”

Mismatch intensity and flavors.

This tip is the most important takeaway for creating your own pairings. “The pairing rule of “like with like” rings true when pairing wine and cheese,” says Werlin. As a general rule wines over 14.5% ABV are more intense and taste better with more intensely flavored cheeses, while wines under 12% ABV are less intense and match nicely with more delicately flavored cheeses. She says, “in general, white wines pair best with lighter, milder cheeses. This allows the fresh, often fruity notes of the white wine to enhance the sweet creaminess of the cheese. Werlin suggests pairing most cheeses with white wines. An unoaked Chardonnay pairs well with an alpine->asiago or parmesan, and Sauvignon Blanc with cheddar or gouda.”

Play it safe:

Though it may seem complicated at first, once you learn a few tips and tricks, you’ll be a wine and cheese connoisseur in no time. According to Werlin, pairing wine and cheese is “all about finding new flavor combinations and having fun.” Cheese should take you on an adventure of taste and texture. Get out of your comfort zone by trying something unique like Roelli’s Red Rock, a bright orange Cheddar Blue combination. Bubbles are very forgiving, so a sparkling wine is always a good choice for cheese wildcards. Want another unique idea? Grab some bubbly and pair it with a blue cheese for an unexpected dessert pairing after dinner. The crisp carbonation of the sparkling wine will cut the creaminess of the bold, blue cheese.

So, here are a few of mine:

Champagne with any cheese except “smoked”

Cabernet with manchego

Dry riesling with brie

Chardonnay with havarti

Pinot noir with gouda

You must have some favorites too.

Looking Through Rose’ Colored Glasses

Posted by golfkat on July 19, 2020
Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Travel, Wine. 2 Comments
So, how does brut rose’ champagne get its tint?
From Bubble and Flute:
The quick answer is they totally ignore that pesky little “pressing to avoid colour taint” rule.
All red wines are made from prolonged contact with the black skinned grapes. For rosé champagne, there are three specific ways it can be made…
  1. Blending (or “Rosé d’assemblage”) when still red wine (in varying amounts between 5 and 20%) is added to the champagne at the blending stage. The still red wine must – of course – be from champagne grapes to qualify for champagne appellation. This means rosé champagne producers need to make still red wine too.
  2. In the maceration technique, at pressing the black grapes are left to macerate in a tank – with the grape juice in contact with the skins – until the juice is the desired colour. Usually this is for about 24-72 hours.
  3. In rosé de saignée, a small percentage of juice is bled off just-crushed red grapes. The portion which is bled off (hence the name saignée) then goes through secondary fermentation in the bottle. The rest is used to make still red wine.

Which is best, according to Bubble and Flute?

Honestly, it’s entirely a matter of personal preference. But let’s take a look at some pros and cons so you can make up your own minds. (You know my attitude, like what you like and who cares what anyone else says?)
  • Blending is the more commonly used technique. This is considered the easiest technique for a consistent result.
  • Macerated rosé champagnes is considered to be a more complicated technique. Rosé champagnes made this way tend to be darker in colour and have stronger fruit flavours.
  • Saignée generally produces the palest and most delicate rosés.
I actually don’t think most people could actually pick a rosé champagne in a true blind tasting (because unless it’s a blanc de blancs, all champagne contains pinot grapes and flavours), let alone be able to detect what technique was used but I still find it interesting to know about it.
All this does beg the question… if the art of champagne making is specifically designed to avoid the colour, flavour (and tannins and histamines) that come from the dark grape skins…
does intentionally ADDING them to rosé champagne create a contradiction? It is certainly a tricky wine-making process for champagne to balance the natural acidity of champagne with the red wine tannin.
My personal answer is…. if it is a contradiction, my oh my it can be a beautiful one! (And I do love me some contradiction, so I am not too surprised I am so attracted to rosé champagne.)
Rosé is becoming far more popular.. but that could be just my consumption! And you may notice it is usually more expensive.
NV Rosé can be on a par with the price of vintage champagne. Vintage rosés usually cost more than vintage champagne and cuvée de prestige Rosés also usually cost a LOT more.
This is partly because they are rarer. And they are rarer because a house creating a rosé champagne will most likely use the blending method. Which means they actually need to make a still red wine first. And making still red wine requires space, equipment, skills etc that are different from the champagne method. And that comes at a price.
There is so much diversity in rosé champagnes and among my friends it is quite polarizing when I bring a rosé to dinner.

But if you are looking for a rosé champagne to try, here are a few (actually quite a few!) which I enjoy.

(These are all blended to the best of my knowledge and research unless otherwise stated. I always ask the Chef de Caves or house reps when I meet them about the Rosé technique and the grapes blends when I try their Rosés  because I am so interested to try the different techniques).

Perrier Jouet Blason Rosé – 50% pinot noir, 25% meunier and 25% chardonnay with 12 to 15% blended red wine. Dosage – 10g/l I am pictured with a glass of Blason above. This is my good “go to” rosé champagne.

Ruinart NV Rosé – 55% pinot noir, 45% chardonnay – 19% of red is blended still wine. Dosage – 9g/l. Being Ruinart, the style is full of chardonnay. I find this lovely and crisp, almost tropical in a gentle, enjoyable way. Being a Queenslander (hot climate), this is brunch/lunch/Sunday session heaven!  (Excellent but pricey)

Billecart NV Rosé – 40% chardonnay, 30% pinot meunier, and 30% pinot noir blended with 8% red wine – from my notes taken during house visit June 2015.  (Pretty good)

Charles Heidsieck NV Rosé – 1/3 of each grape variety, 5-6% blended still red wine. A bit berry and a hint of spice, I wonder if I could pick this as a rosé in a blind tasting as it is very delicate.

Louis Roederer Rosé 2010 – These notes are for 2011 vintage but you really must try the 2010 first. 63% pinot Noir, 37% chardonnay… 22% of the wine vinified in oak casks, 13% malolactic fermentation. Louis Roederer actually combines two methods – maceration and blending. A little chardonnay juice poured into a pinot noir maceration and fermented together to achieve the perfect harmony. The unique technique, the inclusion of oak and the minimal MLF all contribute to a unique and divine champagne, true to the Roederer style which celebrates freshness in champagne. Dosage – 9g/l  (Expensive)

Pol Roger 2006 Rosé – 60% pinot noir, 40% chardonnay with 15% still pinot noir. Pol Roger only makes a vintage Rosé and they do it deliciously.  (Pretty good)

Perrier Jouet Belle Epoch Rosé 2006 – 50% Chardonnay, 45% pinot noir and 5% pinot meuniers (unusual for a cuvée de prestige but common for PJ), blended with 11% still pinot noir red wines. Dosage – 8g/l
 
Bollinger Grand Annee Rosé, current vintage 2005 – 72% pinot noir, 28% chardonnay, 5% blended red wine. I find this to be a truly magnificent rosé… apparently the only condition on which Madame Bollinger agreed to make a rosé was that it was to be extraordinary. The very high pinot nior and Bollinger’s oak fermentation make it so. Dosage – 8g/l
Some rose’ facts:
  • Rosé accounts for about 8.5% of all champagne shipments
  • Madame Clicquot, known as ‘La Grande Dame de la Champagne’ and a champagne pioneer created the first ever blend of rosé champagne.
  • Bollinger introduced a non-vintage rosé for the first time ever in 2008.

You don’t need to spend this much money to enjoy some brut rose’ champagne.  Or in my case, sparkling wine.  Bubble and Flute espouses only champagne.  I prefer not to discriminate!  I will open a bottle tonight!

Sparkling wines photographed at the Roederer Estate’s tasting room in Philo , Calif., Friday, May 25, 2018.

How About Some Port, Sport?

Posted by golfkat on July 18, 2020
Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Travel, Wine. Leave a comment
Once upon a time, in a land not far away, I became a port wine sipper.  Perhaps it was the golf trip to Portugal after 9-11 with my golf buddy, Mike.  Or maybe it was the port gently washing down the dark chocolate in a family run bistro in Vilamoura.  Whatever it was, the two of us chased down hardy and wholly, to find vintage bottles of port on the Algarve and beyond.  It was a search where the journey was just as rewarding as the destination.  How often can you say that?

The proper terminology for port wine is Vinho do Porto, but commonly called Port.  It is a fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern area of Portugal.  Most of the time, it is a red, sweet wine served often as a dessert or after dinner wine by rather refined individuals.  I knew nothing of port as a young drinker, other than Gallo had a cheap port that caused horrendous headaches.  It comes as white, dry, and semi dry versions in not only Portugal, but here in the US, as well as Australia, Argentina, South Africa, Italy and Canada.

Only the product from Portugal can officially be called Port or Porto, under the European Union Protected Designation of Origin guidelines.  But wines from elsewhere may be labeled port due to various complications.  Port is produced solely from grapes produced in the Douro region of Portugal, north of Lisboa.  The wine is fortified by the addition of a neutral grape spirit, called arguadente, to stop the fermentation process.  The residual sugar in the wine allows it to ferment and boost the alcohol level.  The fortified spirit is sometimes referred to as brandy, but does not resemble brandy in commercial products.  Then it is aged in barrels, often in a cave, before being bottled.

Douro Valley

The wine originally received its name from the seaport city of Porto, at the mouth of the Douro River.  Most of the region’s Port is brought to this area before being shipped around the world.  The Douro region is a protected appellation since 1756.  It is the third oldest defined and protected wine region after Chianti and Tokaj.  In fact, we had a trip planned to Porto a few years back, but cancelled due to a family illness.

The Douro River valley has a microclimate  that not only supports grapes, but also almonds, and olives.  The actual region is around Pinhao and Sao Joao de Pesqueira, the very center of Port production.  Yet over a hundred varietals are sanctioned for Port production, although only five are widely cultivated.  Touriga Nacional is commonly considered the most highly desired Port grape, but is difficult to grow and has a small yield.  Touriga Francesa is the most widely planted grape.  Did you know that white Ports are produced in the same way as red Ports, except they use white grapes.

It was the famous Quinto do Noval, planted back in 1925, that produces the most expensive vintage Ports. That said, Port is usually sweeter, richer and heavier than most red wines.  The most common cheese served with Port is stilton.  I prefer dark chocolate, even though I am not a chocoholic.  Beyond this, there are two main ports, barrel aged, and bottled aged.

Vintage Ports

Among the barrel aged are the Tawny port, Colheita, and Garrefeira.  The bottle aged ports are Ruby port, Reserve or vintage character port, Pink port, White port, Crust, and Late Bottled Vintage (LBV).  The most prized is the Vintage Port, made entirely of grapes from a single, declared vintage year, accounting for only 2% of yearly production.  Vintage ports are aged in barrels for a maximum of two and a half years before bottling.  And then it sits in a bottle for another ten to thirty years before it is considered drinkable.  Vintage Ports retain the dark red color and fresh fruit flavor.  They become more complex with age, and taste magnificent decades after being bottled.

Mike and I both bought some Vintage Ports on our trip to Portugal.  We were waiting until either one of us got a hole in one (he did), or one of us had a child graduate from college (I did).  When we get a group of our friends together, we will open a real Vintage Port!

Best California ports:

1.  Geyser Peak Winery, 2006 Henry’s Reserve Shiraz Vintage Port (Geyserville)

2.  California Cellars, 2007 Petite Sirah Port (Isleton)

3.  Bogle Vineyards, 2006 Petite Sirah Port (Clarksburg)

4.  Heringer Estates, 2006 Petite Sirah Port (Clarksburg)

5.  Pedroncelli Winery, Port Four Grapes Dry Creek Valley Estate 2004 (Geyserville)

6.  Cinquain Cellars, 2007 Touriga and Tinto Cao (Paso Robles)

7.  Rios-Lovell Estate Winery, 2006 Port (Livermore Valley)

8.  Belo Wine Company, 2002 Port (Napa Valley)

9.  St. Amant Winery, 2006 Vintage Port (Lodi)

10.  Pessagno Winery, 2002 Hames Valley Port (Salinas)

Best World Wide Ports, Best Value:

1.  Fonseca Porto 10 Year Old Tawny Port

2.  Cockburn’s Twenty Year Old Tawny Port

3.  Sandeman Porto Founder’s  Reserve Port Blend

4.  Dow’s Ten Year Old Tawny Port

5.  Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Porto

Mine is a 1997 Quinto do Noval, Mike’s is a 1963!!!!  Both will be superb with or without chocolate.

Locally, the Quady Winery port was voted the best on the West Coast for 2014. Quady is located less than 20 miles from where we live.  I would encourage each of you to support our local growers, particularly since their ports are so uniquely flavorful and interesting.  From their website:
Quady Winery started when Andrew and Laurel Quady made their first Zinfandel port in their car port in 1975. Lucky for the Quadys the house they bought in Madera was bonded as a winery!

Each vintage of this era was truly artisanal, made with old equipment, a lot of elbow grease, and unforeseen challenges.

In 1977 the Zinfandel was crushed in a 1940s vintage Valley Foundry Crusher Stemmer and a small Vaslin press. The port was fermented in stainless steel tanks kept cool by spraying water chilled by a fan onto the outside of the tanks whilst circulating the juice over the pumice with a pump. The juice was transferred to 50 gallon oak barrels for aging.

“In the beginning, all our winery made was port. In 1975, the idea was to make Vintage Port (the “holy grail” of port making) from old Zinfandel vines in Amador County. Today, although we make more of the other types, (blends of different years, and late bottled wood ports), we take the vintage styles very seriously.” (Quote from Andrew Quady)

Ficklin Winery, also located in nearby Madera, is California’s oldest portmaker, founded in 1946.  Turns out 1946* was a vintage year itself.  The Ficklins (Walter and Mame) started farming back in 1918 with fruit and raisin grapes.  Sometime after WW2, they transitioned to wine grapes.  Coincidentally, UC Davis started experimenting with grapes that were grown in Portugal.  The San Joaquin Valley showed promise, and Walter Ficklin was there.
The Ficklins would only produce port, in the great tradition of the vineyards in Portugal’s Duoro Valley. They used only the finest grape varieties from Duoro.  Walter Jr. obtained twenty cuttings from UC Davis, and rafted them to their hearty root stock.  This marked the beginning of the finest Portuguese grape varietal vineyards in America.

IPA, the Orange, and Iced Tea

Posted by golfkat on July 18, 2020
Posted in: Cultures, Wine. Leave a comment
Today, let’s learn about some of our favorite adult beverages, kind of my version of a public service announcrment.
India Pale Ales — better known as IPAs — were not brewed in India. In fact, back when this kind of beer was invented in the 1700s, brewers didn’t have a good way to brew beer in such a hot climate. Beer had to be imported instead, and that meant that London brewers needed to come up with something that wouldn’t spoil on the long trip around the horn of Africa to British India. Their solution was to make beer with lots of hops and a higher alcohol content, which helped preserve the beer on the voyage and ensure that it was in peak drinking shape upon its arrival. IPAs became popular not just in India but back home in England, too. But before you start thinking that IPAs are a quintessentially British beer, there’s more to the story. IPAs grew less popular in the UK and altogether disappeared from English pubs around the turn of the century. They owe their current popularity to brewers and drinkers in the United States, where changing laws in the 1970s led to an explosion in small brewing operations. Home brewers and small breweries love IPAs because the high hop content in these beers allows for distinctive and creative tastes — and the fact that strong, bitter hops help hide inconsistencies in the brewing process probably doesn’t hurt, either.  In general, the only time I have an IPA is at the ballpark.
Which flavor is added to Grand Marnier,  Curacao, and Triple Sec?
(Winespeed)  These orange liqueurs appear in classic cocktails like the Margarita, Sidecar, Long Island Iced Tea, and Cosmopolitan—no respectable home bar should be without at least one. Liqueur is not the French spelling of “liquor” but a combination of a liquor (a distilled spirit such us vodka or brandy) with added sugar and flavorings. Curaçao was first made by Dutch settlers on the island of Curaçao in the 19th century. A traditionally rum-based liqueur, it ranges from 15-40% abv and is made with tropical oranges. Avoid cheap versions appearing in artificial orange, blue, and green hues—true Curaçao is clear. Grand Marnier was created in 1880 by Frenchman Louis-Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle from a mix of Cognac, distilled bitter orange essence, and sugar. At 40% abv, Grand Marnier is the incendiary ingredient in Crêpes Suzette, the quintessential French dessert made by dousing a crêpe, or buttery pancake, with it and flambéing briefly. Triple sec is a drier style of orange liqueur, whose name is thought to be a translation of the words “triple dry.” The drink was first released in 1875 and is made using a mix of sweet and bitter orange peels and sugar beet alcohol. Cointreau claims to be the world’s first triple sec producer and is 40% abv.  If you have never tried any of these over ice, I suggest trying it for a refreshing change of pace.
How much tea is sipped cold?  Eighty five percent of all tea consumed in the U.S. today is sipped cold, according to the U.S. Tea Association. The first “iced teas” in America were alcohol bombs concocted during the Colonial Era. But the simple, summer, “on the rocks” beverage that we enjoy today wasn’t even possible for any but the very wealthy until the mid-19th century. Advances in extraction, refrigeration, and shipping lowered the price of ice (which at the time was cut from frozen lakes in winter) sending its demand through the roof. My personal favorites are the fruit flavored iced teas.
And as an added bonus, cognac lesson:Unlike virtually all wines, most Cognacs are expected to be consistent year after year. Cellar masters achieve consistency by a complex and continual process of blending different lots of brandy, each of which may be a different age. Cognacs are classified according to the age of the youngest oak-aged brandy (or eaux-de-vie) in the blend. So, the average age of a Cognac is usually considerably older. The original age designations of Cognac are in English because Cognac has been exported for centuries, and the first importers were English. Today 96% of production is sold outside of France. Dozens of other nicknames in both English and French have joined the lexicon, making Cognacs labels notoriously difficult to decipher.  (Remember Hazel?)

The official aging classifications used most often:
VS – Very Special, 3 Etoiles, ***, Sélection, De Luxe                                           minimum of 2 years
VSOP – Very Superior Old Pale, Réserve, Vieux, Rare, Royal                            minimum of 4 years
XO – Extra Old, Hors d’âge, Extra, Ancestral, Ancêtre, Or, Gold, Impérial      minimum of 10 years
XXO – Extra Extra Old                                                                                            minimum of 14 years

Other aging classifications:
Supérieur, Cuvée Supérieure, Qualité Supérieure                                              minimum of 3 years
Vieille Réserve, Réserve, Rare, Réserve, Royale                                                   minimum of 5 years
Napoléon, Très Vieille Réserve, Très Vieux, Héritage, Très Rare, Suprême      minimum of 6 years

Thanks to Winespeed for their research.  I only drink the stuff.

“Yeah, you need to specify ICED tea!”

Little Ado About Nothing

Posted by golfkat on July 17, 2020
Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Sports, Travel, Wine. Leave a comment
Today is about nothing, much like “Seinfeld” which was a show about nothing, according to George Costanza and Jerry.
How did google get its name?  The world’s top search engine takes its name from the mathematical expression of 100 zeros trailing after the number 1. This name is especially apt since binary code, which is used for all computer processors, uses ones and zeros. Google’s goal was to rank pages on the World Wide Web according to importance using Google metrics, with the ultimate mission being “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Who knows if Google would have caught on if its founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, had stuck with its original name: Backrub.
How many bones in the human ear?  There are three small bones in the human ear: the malleus, incus, and stapes. They’re also known as the hammer, anvil, and stirrup, respectively. Together, this trio helps move sound waves into the inner ear and in conjunction with a few equally small muscles, work to control the volume of the sound we hear. The next time you’re blasting music on your headphones, you have the three smallest bones in your body to thank for the sound.
How much of the population is left-handed?  Those penmanship lessons in grade school didn’t exactly create a level playing field, as 10% of the world’s population is left-handed. While scientists still aren’t sure what causes someone to become left-handed, it is theorized to be related to some combination of genes and environment, though no set of genes have been identified as being specifically lefty. Even so, this small population boasts some high-profile members: six U.S. presidents were left-handed!  I am left-handed, as well as numerous other famous lefties.
What is hodophobia?  (Answer below)
It’s common to clink glasses and exchange whatever the regional version of cheers is around the world, but not in Hungary, where toasts with beer glasses are still considered taboo. It’s popularly believed the superstition dates back to 1848, when Hungary’s revolution was defeated. The victorious Austrian soldiers are said to have celebrated by clinking their beer glasses in a toast, causing Hungarians to vow never to toast with their beer for 150 years. While the timeframe has long passed and it is considered an outdated custom, many still abide by the rule today. Wine drinkers, however, are free to clink as they please.
I am sure Mike and I clinked beer glasses, wine glasses, champagne glasses, and tokaji glasses!!!
How much blood do you have?  The next time you’re lugging around a gallon of milk, just picture 0.2 to 0.5 gallons more—that’d be all the blood in your body! That’s right: the average adult human weighing 150 to 180 pounds has 1.2 to 1.5 gallons of blood in their body. This obviously can vary depending on several factors including weight, sex, and even diet. In comparison, the average eight-pound newborn has just 0.07 gallons of blood. Women see a spike in blood volume while pregnant, increasing between 30 and 50 percent. While you do contain a hefty amount of blood, blood loss is a real danger and can send the body into hemorrhagic shock easily.
Invented by pharmacist John Pemberton in 1886, Coca-Cola was originally advertised as a brain tonic to relieve headaches and exhaustion. It contained ingredients from the kola nut, including caffeine, and also cocaine – but not as much as people think. There were only nine milligrams per glass and it was removed in 1903.  Coca-Cola makes a big deal about its recipe being a closely guarded secret, going as far to say that it’s locked in a high-security vault in Atlanta. But in 2011, This American Life published what it believed to be the recipe, found in a 130-year-old notebook belonging to the inventor’s best friend. The drink’s 15 ingredients include cinnamon, neroli, cilantro and nutmeg oil. Coca-Cola insisted, if anything, this was an old recipe.  Is it true that it makes a good toilet bowl cleaner?
The world-famous Dead Sea — a salt lake between Jordan and Israel at the lowest point on Earth — is fed by another famous body of water: the Jordan River. Flowing from the north, the 186-mile river supplies the sea with almost all its water, aside from a small amount that flows from perennial springs. The Jordan River also has the lowest elevation of any river in the world. It originates at Mount Hermon, between Lebanon and Syria, before running southward and connecting the Sea of Galilee (also known as Lake Tiberias) to the Dead Sea. The Abrahamic religions — Jews, Muslims, and Christians — all consider the river sacred, with one of its main biblical events being the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.  But nobody answered my question, “is the Jordan River chilly and cold?”
Alcohol does not give wine its antiseptic properties.  It’s actually the polyphenols in grape skins, not ethanol (the type of alcohol in wine), that give wine the antibacterial and antioxidant properties to kill pathogens and prevent infection. (As an aside: isopropyl rubbing alcohol, 2x more toxic than ethanol, will disinfect most germs). During the Middle Ages, physicians of the time believed wine could cure most ills, but it was principally used to clean wounds. Because red wine has spent more time in contact with grape skins, accumulating more polyphenols, it was preferred over white. As the medieval water supply was often contaminated, doctors would also use wine to clean their surgical instruments. Hospitals often accepted vineyard plots as payments and made their own supply of medicinal vino. A number of hospitals (hôpital or hospice in French) in Europe built impressive cellars to store this pharmacopeia, and a few now operate as museums.
And finally, should pink be a color?   whether or not pink should qualify as a real color. According to the explanation, because pink is just a mix of the two colors that appear at the outer edges of a rainbow — violet and red — it’s impossible for it to exist anywhere in nature, since these colors would never combine together. However, not everyone agreed — “Scientific American” published a response that called the original author’s logic “confused,” “muddle-headed,” and “absurd.” The counter-argument is that since all colors in nature are really just sensations from our brains reacting to different wavelengths, if pink doesn’t exist, neither does any other color.
Enough, already, have a nice day!!

Not All Strawberries and Cream

Posted by golfkat on July 15, 2020
Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Travel, Wine. Leave a comment
If you have been to Wimbledon, as I have, you know there are many choices of adult beverages.  Pimm’s Cup, beer, ale, and wine, along with my favorite, champagne.  It is one of the grandest sporting events I have attended. But did you know?
Twenty-eight thousand bottles of Champagne consumed during Wimbledon are served at the world’s oldest tennis tournament. The celebrated annual fortnight would have featured its Singles Championships this weekend, but was canceled due to COVID.  Despite strict rules of etiquette for observing the tournament, several matches each year are disrupted by popping corks.  Other quintessential Wimbledon comestibles consumed with abandon are an average of 235,000 glasses of Pimm’s and 142,000 portions of strawberries.
How many of us know about the Wimbledon Pimm’s Cup?  Per the Wine Enthusiast:  The Pimm’s Cup’s origins date back to 1832, when London oyster bar owner James Pimm started offering guests a gin-based beverage containing quinine and a secret blend of spices. The elixir was dubbed as a digestion aid, and served to patrons in small tankards known as “No. 1 Cups”. The drink’s popularity quickly grew, and by the end of the 19th century it was ubiquitous all over the United Kingdom. The first Pimm’s bar opened at the 1971 Wimbledon tournament, and today over 80,000 pints of Pimm’s and lemonade are sold there to spectators each year.
Needless to say, I had to try the Pimm’s, along with other English staples like Fish and Chips.  And I must say, everything I tried was quite (contrary to British stereotypes about their food) good!  Just a little pricey.  So, what might be in the Pimm’s Cup?  Is it the precursor to the famous Mint Julep of Kentucky Derby fame?
The classic recipe calls for one-part Pimm’s to two parts lemonade—the Brits’ version is clear and carbonated, and if you can’t find it, you can substitute lemon lime soda. Modern variations endlessly tinker with the classic recipe, replacing the lemonade with ginger beer or tonic, and departing from the classic topper to decorate the glass with orange twists, pineapple slices or passion fruit. Any way it’s mixed, the fizzy, tea-hued sip is served with ice in a tall glass and artfully garnished.

Pimm’s was so popular at the oyster bar that James Pimm started selling it around London for “three shillings a bottle” in the 1800s. Commercial distribution followed in 1865, as did other “cup” variations including ones made with Scotch, rum, brandy, rye whiskey, and vodka. Of those, only the brandy-based version, originally called Pimm’s No. 3, now known as Pimm’s Winter, and the vodka-based Pimm’s No. 6 remain (though the latter is currently only available across the pond.)

Pimm’s caught on with the British and became popular at prestigious events like the Chelsea Flower Show and the Henley Royal Regatta, along with becoming the go-to drink at British university garden parties. A Pimm’s bar first popped up at the 1971 Wimbledon tournament, and now more than 300,000 glasses of the recipe are served to spectators every year.

Yes, I made it to Centre Court on several occasions.  I roamed the grounds all day long, and saw most of the stars, tennis and others.  And I made some lifelong friends along the way!

So, take your pick:  a beer, a glass of champagne, or a Pimm’s.  Or, as I did, all three, and on the same day, of course!!!

PS:  The strawberries and cream were a bit of a disappointment.  But the Pimms and champagne?  Never!

Wine Blogs and Other Stuff

Posted by golfkat on July 7, 2020
Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Wine. Leave a comment
I do not really have a wine blog per se, but I do like to share wine and sparkling information with you.  I feel I have other things to say and share.  But, with wine, people are fanatics.
There is an estimated 1700 wine blogs worldwide in 2019. One of the original wine blogs—Alder Yarrow’s Vinography—began in 2004, and by 2009 there were over 700.  Today, the vast majority are penned by so-called “citizen bloggers,” versus winery or press blogs.  Of these citizen blogs, 60% are in English with the rest divided among other languages including Italian, French, Catalan, Portuguese, Czech, German, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese, Hungarian, Norwegian, and Indonesian.
This is just great, invented by a wine lover with too much time on his or her hands.Rosé the Robot is an innovative robotic butler that offers a touchless experience when delivering wine to your room. The helpful robot can effortlessly glide onto elevators and find rooms, without human interference, while flashing a digital message, “I’m on a guest delivery.” So focused.  Of course, the wine is part of the reason the robot butler is named Rosé — but it can also deliver snacks, extra towels, toiletries, and basically anything you might require during your stay.

And here is a good blog for champagne:

Sally Hillman’s love affair with champagne is longstanding as is her knowledge and enthusiasm for this intriguing and diverse French wine, in particular the lesser known, exclusive grower- producers.

Paired only with champagne our bespoke luncheon, dining or soirée experiences feature seasonal menus with exquisite dishes to showcase the individual nature of the selected champagnes. Sally Hillman takes guests on a journey through champagne which is memorable and fun for all.

Sally Hillman’s depth of knowledge was recognised in 2018 when she was chosen as a finalist in the prestigious Vin de Champagne Awards, organised by the Australian Bureau du Champagne (a representative of the Comité Champagne).

So, I took a champagne quiz (I scored 18 points) from the fine folks and “Bubble and Flute” to find out my true champagne style.
Here it is:  Power and pinot noir make your day. Brave and bold… a red wine lover in disguise so you need a champagne that packs more of a punch. Your perfect match is Bollinger Special Cuvée – 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Meunier. 8 to 9 g/l dosage, majority reserve wines and 100% aged on oak. Powerful champagnes which are higher in pinot noir or reserve wines or fermented on oak are your pick. And they are often well suited to colder nights and nearly always deserve food… you can drink these all the way through your main course and a cheese platter which is more than likely your kind of dessert.
I think this was a fairly accurate portrayal of my champagne (or sparkling wine preferences and habits).  They also recommend three others that fit my profile:  Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, Piper Heidsieck Cuvee’ Brut, and Philipponnat Royale Reserve NV.  I have tried the first two, but not the last one.
Bonzai!!
Sparkling wines photographed at the Roederer Estate’s tasting room in Philo , Calif., Friday, May 25, 2018.

What Is Non-Vintage Champagne?

Posted by golfkat on July 5, 2020
Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Travel, Wine. Leave a comment
According to Winespeed:  Non-vintage Champagne (designated NV on the wine’s label) is a blend of wines from different years’ harvests and from different vineyards and villages (crus) within the Champagne region. Non-vintage Champagne wines represent the vast majority of Champagne wines produced. (By contrast, vintage Champagne represents a little less than 6% of exports). Non-vintage Champagne wines are valued for their consistency year to year. By blending multiple vintages, each Champagne maker can maintain a “house style” that consumers can depend on. Amazingly, in some cases, the range of vintages in a non-vintage Champagne can span up to 20 years. By law, non-vintage Champagne wines need to age on the yeast lees for at least 15 months, although most are aged longer. The minimum aging for a vintage cuvée is three years on the lees.
Don’t judge a Champagne by its cover:  Prestige cuvée Champagne bottles may come dressed in finery, but it is what’s inside that earns them the title. These are the finest (and most expensive) wines that a producer makes, from the best grapes in the top, highest-rated crus or vineyards of Champagne. The French refer to these singular offerings as têtes de cuvée, a term that can be loosely translated as “top batch.” Prestige cuvées are almost always vintage-dated, and are made only in exceptional harvests, on average 3 times per decade. One reason for this is that Champagne is one of the most northern wine growing regions in the world—at roughly the same latitude as the U.S.-Canadian border—with an inherently cool climate where the grapes struggle to ripen. Prestige cuvées are aged longer than other vintage Champagne wines (on average 10 years versus 3 years) and continue to develop in the bottle for another decade.
Why I Drink Champagne Every Night (Karen at Winespeed)

It’s true. I drink a glass of Champagne every single night. A bottle lasts me several days (after pouring a glass, I use a Champagne stopper to keep the bubbles in). I don’t find it to be an extravagance–just my own one necessary indulgence. Why do I do it?

o    Because I like the snappiness, raciness and energy of Champagne.

o    Because it’s full of mineral flavors. And minerals are like micro explosions
on the palate.

o    Because it doesn’t have new oak flavors.

o    Because it goes with virtually every food imaginable.

o    Because it’s sleek and taut on the palate—not heavy.

o    Because there’s a purity and precision to Champagne that so few other wines possess.

o    Because it separates day from night. A demarcation. I like it when every evening has its own beginning.

Truth be known, I have been copying her for years, though I do branch out to some Cabs, Sauvignon blanc, Single Malt Scotch, and beer.
​My French is terrible, since it is non-existent.  So, here is some help from Winespeed:

How’s Your French?

Here are some tips on pronouncing some (often mispronounced) Champagne brand names.

Moët et Chandon—Mo-ETTE ay Shan-DON
The “t” in Moët is indeed pronounced.

Pol Roger—Paul Roe-ZHAY
Winston Churchill reportedly drank a glass of this every morning.

Nicolas Feuillatte—NEE-co-la FOY-yat
Easy to say and easy to drink.

Taittinger—TET-taun-zhay
Although the British fondly pronounce
it TAT-in-jer.

Mumm—MOOM
Not your mum; more like the sound
a cow makes.

Pierre Gimonnet—Pee-AIR ZHEE-mon-ay
Known for their lacy fresh
blanc de blancs.

Perrier-Jouët—Pear-ee-AY zhoo-ETTE
Like Moët, the “t” is pronounced.

Billecart Salmon—BEE-ya-car Sal-MON
No “t” sound. Their rosé is especially
well-known.

Marc Hébrart—Mark Hey-BRA
One of our favorite Grower
Champagne wines for their
consistently delicious wines.

Ruinart—Rue-NAR
Often mistakenly pronounced RUE-in-art.

Heidsieck—ED-seek
This French brand, whose name is German in origin, is not pronounced
the German way.

Collet—COH-lay
No “t” sound we’re afraid.

Veuve Clicquot – Vuhv klee-KOH
Not pronounced “voov,” the word means “widow” in French.

Now the bubbles themselves:  One million bubbles in a glass of Champagne, according to the calculations of Gérard Liger-Belair, a professor on the “Effervescence Team” at the Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne in France. The bubbles begin as clusters of carbon dioxide molecules dissolved in the wine. They collect on tiny dust particles inside the Champagne glass until they are big enough to race to the surface. Bubbles are not just textural; they also influence flavor.
​What exactly do the bubbles do?

The bubbles (all one million of them in every glass) certainly give Champagne an extra dimension of texture and make it super lively on the palate. But bubbles also contribute to the overall flavor by magnifying a Champagne wine’s aroma. (Flavor is the unified perception of smell and taste). As bubbles rise and burst at the surface of the liquid, tiny droplets of wine are released into the air, projecting the wine’s aroma to your nose. Even when the wine is on your palate, the bubbles help project its aromas to your retronasal passages, thereby amplifying the wine’s smell, and hence its flavor.  (Thank you, Karen at Winespeed)

No matter which one(s) you drink, I offer you a hearty “Bonzai” and stay well.

Sparkling wines photographed at the Roederer Estate’s tasting room in Philo , Calif., Friday, May 25, 2018.