WineTime TV

I have wanted to write an article about Sparkling Wines for quite some time. Most people use the term “Champagne” to describe all wines that sparkle; only wines that are made in the Champagne region in France can legally be called Champagne. I read an article in the July 2009 issue of a popular wine magazine and one winemaker noted that consumers still perceive sparkling wine to be a drink for special occasions, and are not able to see sparkling wine as a wine to pair with meals. Well, I want to dispel that myth that is why this article is entitled, “Special People Sparkle.” The whole idea of special people sparkle is that we deserve to have a little luxury in our lives. On the eBacchus Wine Forum one of the wine friends posted a post that basically said, “LLeBeaux shows us how to really enjoy living. Much appreciated!” No matter what your situation is, we have to live, and enjoy each day of our lives. For me, sparkling wine celebrates my life, the love that I give to my family, friends, community, and to the people who read my writings.

Sparkling wine is wine that is produced in any region of the world that produces wine, except the Champagne region of France, which produces Champagne. The sparkling wines that are produced in France’s other grape growing regions are called sparkling wine or Cre’mants. The Spanish version of sparkling wine is Cava, and the Italian version is Prosecco. I want to focus on California Sparkling wines, which are made in the Me’thod Champenoise. My two favorites are Iron Horse Winery and Schramsberg Vineyards. They produce some of the best sparkling wines that can rival some French Champagne Houses in my opinion.

The idea of waiting for a special occasion or a special party with great appetizers is not the only time one should have some bubbly. I reward myself when I have the means to a bottle of sparkling wine. Even if you have to have a “secret sparkling wine fund”, which is an envelope, old wallet or empty jar that you fill with the broken change of $10.00 bills until you can afford a bottle. I say this because these are not the best of times, and there is a phrase in wine land, “trading down”, meaning purchasing less expensive wines. Why not look at the flute as being “half full versus “half empty.” In New Orleans we have a saying that goes “Treat yourself; don’t cheat yourself.”

QPR (Quality, Price, and Ratio) wines are great; you can get more wine that tastes good for a great value. These wines may fill your cellar, but not that desire for a little sparkle in your life that makes you feel special. My best way to enjoy wines, are with a friend; so why not ask them to chip in for a bottle and enjoy the wine with a great appetizer, meal or snack. Sparkling wine is a great way to entertain with a movie. You can pop popcorn and sprinkle finely grated cheese to make gourmet popcorn. Appetizers are one of my favorite foods to pair with sparkling wine. I make an oyster filling and put it in fillo shells and bake them until they are hot and delicious. These oyster appetizers or any oyster based dish would pair well with a Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine. Rose` sparklers can be paired with seared salmon, that has been rubbed with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and some Herbes de Provence; then finish with a squeeze of lemon. I make a sauce with mayonnaise, lemon juice, capers and a pinch of cayenne pepper to serve in a bowl for those who like sauces to accompany the salmon. As for sides, try some rice pilaf and grilled asparagus with sea salt and pepper as the finish. If you want to be fancy, wrap the asparagus in prosciutto. Also, turkey, roast chicken, rack of pork loin, and baked ham can be paired with a Rose` sparkling wine for a Sunday dinner or a dinner for two. Brunch is also a great time to serve sparkling wines. Joy Sterling CEO of Iron Horse Vineyards, likes to have scrambled eggs and smoked salmon with their 2004 Blanc de Blanc as well as roast chicken prepared a la Marcella Hazan. Now, I’ve just given you a food assignment to look up the cooking style of Marcella Hazan! I like to make a brunch dish that my Mama called “fish cakes”, which are Mackerel Cakes made from canned mackerel, an egg, chopped onion, parsley, and Italian bread crumbs and a dash Creole seasoning, then rolled in flour and fried in canola oil; add some biscuits and Tabasco brand pepper jelly and you have an unusual to some, but not for this New Orleanian. I want to make these and pair them with a Rose` sparkling wine.
Well, I hope that you see where I’m going with this menu monolog; sparkling wines are made from wine; so just remember it is wine, and wine is meant to be consumed anytime and almost anywhere!

The more I learn about wine, the less I know.

Structure.
Terroir.
Chewy.
Smoky.
Leather.
Mid-palate.
Malolactic fermentation.
Cult wine.
Food pairing.

Since my self-imposed wino education began three or four years ago in San Luis Obispo County, I feel as if I’ve immersed myself in a new world…and a new language. I carry on with my new-fangled wino terminology that continues to challenge me, forcing me to make use of handy vino books and magazines that sit quietly on my coffee table; and my resolve to stake my claim as a SLO County wine expert continues with no end in sight.

After three or four years of wine immersion in SLO County—even after dozens of winery visits, countless tastings of local varietals, booking wineries into celebrity events for an international film festival, and loads of self-wino education, I am smart enough to realize that I still don’t know a hell of a lot. But maybe that’s okay. After all, isn’t edification a part of life, each sip a stepping stone?

Perhaps I take a step forward with every taste, as I bask in the fruits of the local terroir and continue to find local vines that speak to me. My palate morphs; I find new favorites; I experiment; and I go with my wino instincts. Recently I hosted a small dinner party and frazzled a bit about finding the perfect wines to pair with a lovely appetizer course of sliced baguette that begged to be smothered in assorted cheeses (cow, sheep, and goat), tart olives, fresh farmer’s market veggies, and a zingy citrus dip loaded with fresh garlic and rich olive oil. For the main course: Drunk Chicken (smothered in an intense molé sauce brewed with rich Mexican beer). What SLO County wines could measure up to this miscellany of flavors?

I went with my instincts and headed south to find suitable wines. My first stop led me to Claiborne and Churchill Vintners in the cooler climate of the Edna Valley region (where the more delicate and cooler climate grape varietals such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir thrive). In the slightly heated summer weather, my mind and palate beckoned a cool sipping wine—I took home a bottle of 2009 “Cuvée Elizabeth” Dry Rosé. I then headed even further south to Pismo Beach, and hit up the popular new wine bar, Tastes of the Valleys, that offers myriad choices. After a tasting flight, I allowed my palate’s intuition to lead, and took off with a bottle of Cass Winery’s 2009 Roussanne (produced in San Luis Obispo’s North County).

Both the Rosé and the Roussane were well-received with the starter course, and the Roussanne morphed well into dinner. Its clean, fresh essence didn’t interfere with the rich chicken dish, leaving our palates bright. I suppose I could have relied on one of my wine books for resolved wine-pairing advice, but I’m glad that after three or four years of amateur self-imposed wino education, I know enough to experiment and go with my instincts.

I will go forward, continuing my vino-schooling—bringing my guests and readers everything I know about wine—which isn’t much. But perhaps the less I know is better. Maybe less is more. After all, too much instruction can take away from the fun, the instinctual part of you that knows. I hope you go forward in your own wine education with a bit of instruction…a lot of experimentation…and a tremendous amount of impulse.

I remember when I first developed an interest in wine and food pairing . . . my husband at the time (he’s my ex now), said to me one day, “Jodi, every meal doesn’t need to be an event.” I must have stared at him as if he had sprouted antennae on top of his head, because he never made that observation again.

In life, you have to live for the little moments and therefore, every meal has the potential to be an event. Every wine and food pairing can be special in some way.

Even though I love to cook, I do occasionally drift to the dark side of the grocery store . . . the frozen food aisle. Conveniently close to the grocery store wine aisle. I have found that the PF Chang Orange Peel Chicken is an almost perfect pairing with Cupcake Vineyards Riesling. This is tasty, affordable and more satisfying than any drive-thru disaster. This dish takes approximately 10 minutes to prepare and plate with very little intervention. Enough time to open the wine and get comfortable. Turn on some music. Light some candles. Do not turn on the television. Take the time to discover how this lively Riesling brings out all of the wonderful citrus flavors of the orange peel chicken and cuts through the sweet and spicy sauce. See, every meal can be an event.

Do you have a favorite and convenient food and wine pairing for those busy busy days? Leave a comment!

I sit in front of my laptop thinking about a lot of things this afternoon . . . should I go white or red with tonights creamy mushroom pasta . . . am I happy with tomorrow night’s outline for Wine 101 class that I am teaching as a guest speaker at WineMall . . . is the sun ever going to shine in Tampa again. But, my thoughts keep going back to a pressing engagement coming up. The upcoming engagement is a birthday party and wine dinner for someone who has recently become an important part of my life. I want the menu to be perfect (I always do).

Sometimes when I am preparing a special wine dinner we first select the dish that we want to be the centerpiece of the meal. Sometimes we pick a theme and do more of a progressive style dinner. This time, however, we have selected the wine first and we are building the rest of the meal around the wine.

Which wine holds the place of honor at this meal? Molly Dooker Carnival of Love Shiraz 2006. I am thinking that with this Shiraz we are going to need something pretty big, meaty, able to hold up to all the flavors and intensity that I am certain this wine will offer. I am thinking some Braised Lamb Shanks over Creamy Polenta.

The other showcase of this dinner is dessert. You can’t argue with the philosophy “save the best for last.” Over the last few months, I have to un-modestly state, that I have become quite the amateur pastry chef. I also have to admit that it is truly one of the higher joys in life to make dessert for someone who appreciates it. Since this a birthday dinner, the birthday guest of honor got to pick the dessert . . . whatever you want to make is fine . . . so long as its chocolate cake. So, I have picked a recipe that has a dark chocolate cake with four layers, fleur de sel caramel between each layer and covered with chocolate ganache. It simply has to be the Yalumba Museum Reserve Muscat. I know this wine quite well. It’s one of my favorites for desserts, especially chocolate.

As I sit here daydreaming, when I should be working, it occurs to me that the only problem is that dinner is still two weeks away. Damn it! The waiting really is the hardest part.

Secrets. We all have them.

I’m about to share some of my wine secrets. These are not secrets about my wine expertise. I have none. I am inspired to talk about this by a current discussion over at the Wine Whore’s blog. Don’t worry, he won’t get mad. He chose that name.

The discussion topic comes from a recent study that finds that people are more likely to enjoy a wine if a wine expert reviews it favorably.

I don’t buy it. In my humble, non-expert opinion, I think it’s 6th grade all over again. We all see it in our daily lives. For example, does anyone think Ugg boots look good? Of course not!

I have two pair. They’re comfortable, ok?

As far as wine goes, I no longer waste my time drinking wine I don’t like. On a vacation to Napa, one vineyard’s wine expert made a great proclamation that I have carried with me ever since.

There are two kinds of wines: Wines you like and wines you don’t like.

Since my humble beginnings as a Wine Nerd, I’ve taken this advice. Over the years, I learned that I dislike white wine and recently set white wine aside entirely. I have evolved into a full-bodied, red girl. And don’t go reading too much into that statement.

While I make this assertion, I am guilty of a few indiscretions.

The Wine Whore correctly and delicately pointed out to me that some people may use the wine scores because they don’t know how to select a good wine. I think this is more of the same issue: back to the 6th grade. Like pretending to get the joke when you don’t, people want to look knowledgable about wine when they’re not. They are afraid to admit that they don’t know which wine to serve at dinner and have to feign knowledge like a kid who doesn’t know the difference between Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.

I am that kid sometimes. The wine nerd, who, I am sad to say, still has insecurities about my ability to choose a good wine. I’ve resorted to eavesdropping at wine stores which has turned out not to be the best of ideas. I also try to discreetly take note of the labels on the bottles other diners are enjoying at our favorite BYO. It brings new meaning to the term wine thief. I do this with books titles at the beach too. I freely admit to being a book snob but that’s a topic for another time.

Now my wine secrets are out and I feel better about them. In sum, the only advice I can give you is to stop keeping secrets. Be bold, ask questions and allow yourself to make mistakes when choosing wines. That’s how I became a proud wine nerd instead of a pretentious wine snob.

No body and I mean nobody can Hobnob like my current guest, Wine Pro and Foodie Tanya Melillo. The Wine Time TV series continues with Part 2 (of 3 or 4 clips) of my then live Skype interview with one if the new stars of PBS’ The Winemakers Season 2, where I learned of Tanya’s exciting encounters with French Laundry’s Thomas Keller, top chefs Gary Danko and Traci des Jardins, retired Playboy and current Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom and more!

Thanks for reading!
Kamary

Given that Wine Time TV is currently a low to no budget production, what do you do when you really want to involve some amazing talent in the show but they live 7 hours away by car (LA -> SF) or even 12 hours by plane (Hamburg -> SF) and you can’t simply travel to meet each other for an hour or two to have an engaging interview?


You use SKYPE!


That’s what my next guest (Tanya Melillo) and I managed for a first time attempt. She’s a terribly interesting Wino with lots to talk about. Yes, that’s a compliment! Tune in October 1st for Wine Time TV Webisode #5!

Here’s a teaser…

Since the last few webisodes of Wine Time TV have covered Sommelier James King, I thought it appropriate to share a little information I originally found (by accident) at SFSommelier.com. Good stuff and should give everyone yet another understanding of the role a Sommelier might play on the ‘wine stage’.

What is a sommelier, let alone a Master Sommelier, and how do you become one? The dictionary’s definition of a sommelier is a bit lame. However the the job of a sommelier is no secret within the industry; To manage the wine selection, purchasing, receiving, storage, sales and service for a restaurant, club, hotel or other institution. Did you know there is no legal requirement in the U.S. to be certified for this position? However, there is one internationally recognized organization for certification; The Court of Master Sommeliers which was founded in London in 1977. The organization conducts general education and testing for restaurant wine professionals. There are at least 3 levels of certification within the organization: introductory, advanced and Master Sommelier Diploma (MS).

The Introductory Course is a two day educational seminar. It covers wine regions of the world, viticulture, viniculture, appellation rules for various countries and regions, production methods for beers and spirits, cigars, food and wine pairing, service and blind tasting techniques. At the end of the seminar is a multiple choice exam for which a score of 60% is required.

The Advanced Course is a big step up from the Introductory. It covers all of the same material but with far greater detail. The pace is also faster as it is expected that you are prepared for the exam before you get there. The seminar is also one day longer than the Introductory Course. The biggest difference is the test itself. It is a two day test split in to three sections.

The first section is theory. It is an 82 question test with 20 multiple choice and 62 short answer questions. One hour is allowed for completion.

The second section is blind tasting. Which personally I would suck at beyond differentiating between a Chard and a Merlot! The candidate enters a room with a table with six glasses of wine on it and two Master Sommeliers sitting on the opposite side of the table. They listen as you swirl, sniff, taste and comment about each wine. You have 25 minutes total to identify all the varieties set before you. These wines may be from anywhere in the world thogh sticking to classic examples. Points are given for your analysis and deductive reasoning as well as your identification of the wines.

The final section is the toughest of all; Restaurant service. Master Sommeliers judge your skills at opening still and sparkling wines, decanting, cigar service, freehand pouring, wine and food pairing, proof reading of wine lists, setting tables for a variety of menus, conversing with the guests and even complaint resolution. You can also expect test questions which need to be answered correctly during all of this. A passing score of 60% is required on all three sections.

The final test is by invitation only. You are also required to wait at least one year between passing the Advanced and your first attempt at the Master. The test is the same as the advanced but the theory portion is verbal instead of written, with far more detailed answers needed as well as a 75% passing score. An example of the difference between an Advanced question and a Master question might be: name six of the Anbaugebiet (high quality wine regions) in Germany for the Advanced versus name all 13 Anbaugebiet for the Master.

Though very few people pass it on their first attempt the pass rate for this exam is approximately 4%. As of the first 29 years of testing, only 142 people in the world had completed the Master Sommelier (MS) level. It’s likely safe to assume that 2 years later (now) there are still less than 150 Master Sommeliers on the planet.

Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Kamary

Welcome back to Wine Time TV.net! And as you can see we’re still milking our great interview with Sommelier James King from King’s Group Events and with much success! Thanks for the tremendous number of hits to the blog and content.

If you had only one case of wine with you while stranded on an island somewhere, what would be in it? Got an answer I can share on the show? Shoot! I know, not an easy question for many. James King managed to share his dream case with us and much more! Tune the heck in!

*Music by Sir Charlie London’s “A Forest Might Be Black” and “Zimpala” edits.

Though this piece doesn’t focus on Wine particularly, I felt the need to support it since the host of the clip is Tanya Melillo. You might remember her from the early days of Murphy-Goode Winery’s now infamous A REALLY GOODE JOB campaign, where she was in the Top 50 and for damn good reasons. Hell, I even pegged her in part 2 of my own three-part Top 10 Show as a big winner.

How wrong was I. Then again, the guy who actually won the dream job, Hardy Wallace, I’d only given an honorable mention. Doh! I guess I just didn’t ‘get’ his video.

So, have a look a Tanya Melillo’s interview with TOP CHEF’S Jamie Lauren. Thanks Tanya for the submission and keep up the great work!