Wine Tip – The first sip of the day

This is a tough one to get used to.  But you should heed this advice:

Never judge a wine based on your first sip of wine that day!

It’s natural and almost instinctive to judge a wine on first impressions, but your first sip of wine any day will always seem more acidic. 

That’s because wine IS acidic, and the first sip will be a little jarring to the senses. 

Whether you just brushed your teeth, smoked a cigarette, ate a mint or some coleslaw, or had a cup of coffee, this rule works well to “even the playing field”.   Whenever I host a formal wine tasting event, I always have a less-important “starter” wine to even out everyone’s palates before they begin judging the “real” featured wines.

 

Origins of the Corkscrew

Necessity is the mother of invention

Just like aluminum cans appeared years before the invention of the can opener, so did the bottle sealed with cork appear long before the means to open them.

Corkscrews weren’t always used exclusively for wine. The cork and the ability to mass-produce strong glass bottles appeared at about the same time in the early 17th century and was used as the standard package for beer, perfume, ointments, ink, medicines and cleaners. All of these products required the use of a corkscrew to open. Screw caps, pop-tops and bottle caps were all invented much later, well after World War I!

A gun worm

Reference was made to corkscrews in 17th century literature, but nobody knows when one first appeared. It probably was extremely similar to the standard picnic corkscrews used today; simply a steel screw with a handle, shaped like the letter T. The design was based on a “gun worm” used for cleaning stuck bullets from the barrel of guns. It was probably a gun owner’s trial and error that found this use for a spiral screw, probably for his beer!

The first improvement in corkscrew design was rewarded with a patent in 1795 and a slew of inventions have rushed forward since, each trying to improve our ability to extract the cork from the bottle without having to resort to using our teeth or a bent nail and brute force (as was done prior to the corkscrew’s birth!)

Buttons, coated worms, ratchets, springs, prongs, levers and fancy designs have been patented worldwide and have given rise to the hobby of corkscrew collecting. Online auctions have brought as much as $3500 for a single historic corkscrew. The highest bid ever was over $36,000 at a Christie’s of London annual Corkscrew Auction. A ’corkscrew museum’ has been created on the Internet (www.bullworks.net/virtual.htm) and Corkscrew collectors (called “Helixophiles” have formed associations and clubs worldwide.

Our Favorite Corkscrew

The Rialto - Our Favorite

Although corkscrews come in dozens of styles and hundreds of brands, our favorite at Salut! Wine Co. is the “Rialto” articulated corkscrew. It’s design is compact and effective in pulling corks with the least effort and without splitting the cork.  You can purchase a Rialto online at www.salutwineoutlet.com.  The trick to using this easy tool is to start with the screw at an angle…so the tip of the wire screw appears to be growing straight up from the center of the cork.  Start all corkscrews this way.  After one full turn the screw will “right” itself and proceed straight down into the cork every time if you let it.

The right way to start any corkscrew

Visit www.corkscrewnet.com for a comprehensive collection of links and reference pages if you would like to know more about these complex inventions.

 

The New Grapes in Vogue

Cabernet Sauvignon

We’ve all been introduced to Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay and Riesling.  These are the staple noble grapes of the world’s most revered wines.  While these grapes make great wines, it’s the unique qualities of other grapes that make us want to explore beyond the comfort of our habits and taste wines made from other grapes.  We identify what we would like to try next often by knowing the grape or country the wine is from…so what should you try next?  Here are a few exciting and well-known grapes creating fantastic wines.

Why some wines can be great

It is only recently in history that Science has existed in any useful form…we only discovered atoms, viruses, bacteria, and DNA mere decades ago. Only now are the relatively few wine departments at major universities (at UC Davis, in Walla Walla, France, Italy and more) studying the specific properties in different strains of grapes to match them to certain soils, climates, and production methods to determine what makes a great wine.  Once uncovered, the information must be used appropriately by the people with money, the people with time, the people with intelligence and hopefully, people with all three.   With that combination comes the possibility of great wines.

Prior to this era of scientific discovery, trial-and-error guided most decisions concerning what varietal grape farmers should plant in their fields.  Governments and a few expert individuals also had input, with both good and stunningly bad results.  To be expected, certain grapes found their ways to spots that seem ideally suited to their growing patterns, and world-class wines of unique appeal were created.  These wines exist today as testaments to a great pairing of soil, climate, grape, and winemaking skill.

Nebbiolo

Vineyards in Piedmont

In northern Italy, Nebbiolo is grown most notably in the Alba portion of the Piedmont region.  Here, it is used to create the powerful and complex Barolo and Barbaresco wines collected worldwide.  These wines are so concentrated that extended aging (over 10 years is recommended) is required before they are ready to drink.  Barolo is created only from Nebbiolo grapes grown at high elevations around the southwest of Alba, while Barbaresco is created from grapes at slightly lower elevations around the northeast of Alba.  A thick morning Autumn fog is distinct in the area for creating a form of natural air-conditioner, extending the growing season and allowing more powerful tannins to develop. 

Nebbiolo

Rinaldi, Gaja, Frescobaldi, and (more affordably sometimes) Boroli make wonderful and traditional examples.  Unfortunately, good Nebbiolo hasn’t found a second home in the world, yet.

Zinfandel

In California, success has been found by planting Primitivo, a grape that has floundered in Southern Italy.  Now know as Zinfandel, it has mimicked the California wine industry since it was used to create bulk drinking wines for miners during the gold rush in the mid 1800’s.  Now, more controlled production and lower yields from older vines are helping vineyards such as Rosenblum, Ridge, Hartford, Sausal and Seghesio produce world-class wines with wonderfully big fruit qualities and balanced pepper spice for added appeal and pairing against a thick steak! 

Michael & David’s Earthquake Zin is a wonderful example, as is the new Gnarlier Head Zin and Klinker Brick’s Old Ghost or Old Vines examples.

Malbec

The fifth most-important grape of the five French grape varietals used in the Bordeaux region has become the most important grape of Argentina’s wine exports.  In France, the grape was weak and succumbed easily to rot and disease without the big fresh fruit properties that saved Merlot from the same fate. By contrast, Argentina’s wines are dark although medium-bodied, with aggressive spiciness and complexity.

As the relatively new vines age, look for more balance and power to come from Argentina’s inexpensive values.  Juan Benegas and Argento’s examples spring to mind.  But also watch for the new and exciting examples from Washington, where a more upscale reputation for great malbec is being formed.  Try Washington examples from Beresan or Fidelitas.

Viognier

Viognier

Until recently, Vee-own-yay was only produced to any degree in France’s Rhone Valley, especially as a minor blending grape for Syrah.  Rarely did any wines contain a high percentage of this highly aromatic grape.  One noteable example of 100% Viognier were the wines of the small town of Condrieu, but beyond those steely and fragrant examples the grape was all but non-existent.

Lately many West Coast vineyards have become old enough to produce great wines…alas, so few do!  But when you come across a Viognier made right, your palate will be flooded with flavors of pear, apple, melon, honeysuckle and more with either a creamy full body or a striking minerality with vibrant and crisp texture.  Cougar Crest’s Viognier recently was chosen for our Best Wines on Planet Earth wine club, and an example coming from California’s Miraflores.

The Future

We are only in the beginning stages of discovery.  Greek wines changed when the Greeks started adding pitch to their barrels to discourage Turkish invaders from stealing their wines.  The Phylloxera louse once killed nearly every grape vine in western Europe.  There will be events in the future that change not only the vines, but the tastes of peoples and the production methods of winemakers.  Which grapes will still be suited to these changes, and which will have opportunities to find new homes throughout the world?

Carignane

The bane of Europe’s winemaking, Carignane has given Europeans grief not only because of its propensity to experience disease but also for bitterness and lack of finesse and charm.  Ripping out these unwanted vines has become a chore.  In California, however, some success has been found by Ridge vineyards, who produce a rather uniquely nice medium-bodied red! 

Tempranillo

The main red grape of Spain has been tested elsewhere, including in Argentina and in Southern Oregon by Abacela.  Abacela’s Tempranillo is an outstanding red wine, worthy of awards but not yet discovered by many.  Abacela is also trying its hand at Dolcetto, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc wines.

The laudable efforts of Abacela to experiment with new grapes is the only way we will know if these grapes can grow and be used to make great wines in Southern Oregon.  Other countries and grapes will require similarly unique experimentation!

Carmenere, Arneis, Semillon, Petite Verdot, Mourvedre and on and on…

There are thousands upon thousands of wine grapes, but relatively few of them have reached the critical mass of plantings and popularity to achieve a reputation.  You are an important part of the process.  Taste new wines, seek out new experiences, and then let the winery know what you think.  In today’s era of the blog comments and emails, there’s no reason not to let your opinion be heard!

 

Estimating Wine & Beer Needs for Events

Deciding how much wine & beer is needed for any event is a dilema many customers asked me to solve at Salut!  The easy quidelines were seldom wrong and they’re very easy to remember! 

Here are my simple guidelines, in order, and some suggestions for using them. 

Estimating Alcohol Needs For Events

1. Allow 1 bottle of beer, alcoholic drink or glass of wine per adult guest per hour.  Multiply the number of hours by number of adults to get the number of drinks you need.
2. If beer is available, half of your guests will drink it.  Buy half the number of drinks needed in bottles of beer.
3. If hard alcohol is available, half of the remaining guests will drink it.  Buy enough ounces of hard alcohol to cover half the number of remaining drinks needed.
4. Each bottle of wine will cover 5 drinks.  Plan that 75% of wine drinkers will drink red wine, unless you know otherwise.  Buy 3 bottles of red wine for each bottle of white to cover the remaining drinks needed. 
5. If you’re hosting and providing free alcohol, increase the quantities by half.
6. Don’t order a keg unless you’re confident you can consume it within 3 days regardless of the success of your event.  Buy bottles instead.  They’re easier to serve, especially so to larger crowds.  (A standard keg serves about 80 glasses of beer).

That’s it!  If you follow these rules, you’ll probably end up with about 10% extra, unless you’ve overestimated the number of guests or how long the event will last.  I’ve rarely seen anyone underestimate how many guests will arrive (especially for a business event).

Feel free to order a bit more if you would want to take any extra home for later enjoyment.  If you don’t plan on drinking the leftovers, it’s better to stick with these figures pretty tightly, and load up on non-alcoholic punch and sodas.  If your crowd imbibes more than 1 drink per hour each, they should be switching to punch anyway!  (these figures work because there are as many over-imbibers as there are under)

Of course, if you break out the beer bong, all bets are off.

 

Wine Tip – Sword or Corkscrew?

Are you seeking out a fun and unique way to open a celebratory bottle of bubbly?

A sabre can be used to open a Champagne bottle with great ceremony. This technique is called sabrage. Sabrage does not involve a slicing motion. To properly execute, one should:

Select a sabre with a short blade and broad back

Use the back, not the cut of the blade

Hold the bottle on its low part, the wire cage removed

Touch and slide the blade alongside the bottle until it hits the swelling on the bottleneck. The jolt will break the bottle and its tip will fly away in a trajectory

Have part of the spray spill out to wash away splinters

Watch a video demonstration at YouTube.com

Do not touch the top of the bottle after opening; it is likely to have razor sharp edges

And a last bit of money saving advice…don’t do this at home, but if you decide to try, be sure to practice first on a few inexpensive bottles of Spanish Cava before you sabrage your ‘96 Krug!