Bring on the Bubbly! Taste of Atlanta VIP Champagne Tasting

The event was entitled,“The Lowdown on Blanc de Blanc, Blanc de Noir, and Wines NOT found in Any Rap Song,” presented by Don Hackett, certified specialist of wine, and Senior Wine Educator at Sherlock’s Wine Market.  We certainly got the “lowdown” on the production and selection of champagne. The region of Champagne is the perfect bubbly brewing location, providing proximity to the sea and allowing enough warmth for the grapes to barely ripen and reach the perfect level of acidity for that just right sparkle.  The major grape varieties for Champagne include Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (reds), and Chardonnay (white).  The keys to champagne production are yeast, sugar, age, and of course the bubbles (carbon dioxide)! The grapes should be hard, making them high in acid.  Champagnes that yield higher yeast content are aged longer.  There are five different styles of champagne:

·         Vintage Champagne- made from the best grapes in years when the chef de cave of a specific house feels the grapes are better than average. Vintage champagnes must be aged at least three years.

·         Non-Vintage Champagne- blended from grapes from 2 or more years.  These are usually made in the “house style,” and must be aged for a minimum of 15 months.

·         Rose Champagne- generally made my adding a small amount of red wine to the cuvee.  Can also be made by extracting colors from the skins through maceration.  Usually full-bodied and full-flavored.

·         Blanc de Noirs- made entirely from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunir

·         Blanc de Blanc- made entirely of Chardonnay

      Sweetness Levels

Brut Nature, Sans Dosage- no sugar added

Extra Brut- very dry, less than .6% sugar

Brut- dry, less than 1.5% sugar

Extra Dry- off dry, 1.2% to 2% sugar

Sec- slightly sweet, 1.7% to 3.5% sugar

Demi-Sec- semi-sweet, 3.3% to 5% sugar

Doux- sweet, more than 5% sugar

I sampled four different blends: Pierre Moncuit Blanc de Blanc Hugues de Coulmet; Barnaut Blanc de Noir; Veuve Cliquot Brut NV; and Veuve Clicquot Brut Vintage 2002.  The Veuve Vintge 2002 had a fresh floral taste and smell that awakened my senses, with a refreshing tingle.  It had a mix of red and white grapes for the perfect buildup of acidity.  The Brut NV contains all red grapes, and my favorite, the Blanc de Blanc contains all white grapes.  It burst with citrus flavor and strong remnants of the white grape. After this tasting, I'm inspired to return to France and take a trip to the Champagne region!

And I learned a new trick!  I actually did this too! Take a look....

Taste of Atlanta: Food Fun and Winemaking Secrets Unveiled

The fun-filled foodie festival drew a crowd of over 45,000 people in just two days this past weekend.  Over 80 restaurants from all over Atlanta participated in the festivities.  The festival featured old favorites: Barcraft Competition; Inside the Food Studio; Family Food Zone; and a fabulous VIP experience.  Some new treats offered at the Taste included: The Big Grill block party; Best Sommelier Competition; Global Flavors International Stage; and the Top Chef Kids Competition. My top food picks of the day included the juicy tender meat from BOTEKIM Brazilian Bistro, the spicy fusion of Indian tapas from Bhojanic, perfectly crusted and topped with cheese fried green tomatoes from Lenox Grill, and  a to die for oreo cheescake from Intermezzo's Cafe.  Needless to say, I was quite full at the end of the day!

I had the special privilege of attending a VIP Pinot Noir Clone Tasting Seminar, presented by Davis Bynum winery.  Hosted by Gil Kulers, Education Director of the Taste and Sommelier, this seminar was a definite crowd pleaser; and a palate pleaser as well! The clone seminar was entitled, "So you want to be a winemaker?"  Robert Larson was the key speaker, enlightening the baffled but attentive audience about just exactly what a clone wine is. He explained to us that grape clones provide flavor and diversity for winemaking.  A secret to winemaking is that within each grape variety, there can be several sub-varieties, known as the "clones."  The varieties add complexity to the final wine.  The clone grapes grown at Davis Bynum come from the Russian River Valley, where there are various soil types for specific cone planting.  The Valley offers cool fog, which results in longer hang-time for rich development and bright acidity.

We tasted 6 out of 9 clone grapes of the 2010 vintage produced at the winery. A clone is a group of identical genes, cells, or organisms derived from one single ancestor.  According to the experts at Davis Bynum, grapevine clones are those that have been propagated and grown from cuttings of one single "mother," and were found to have interesting or superior qualities.

Take a look at the clones we sampled, and pay attention to their various colors, textures, aromas, flavors, and acidity:

Some clones that made my tongue smile were Clone 115 Dutton Ranch, which had a fragrant floral aroma, and slightly reminded me of Welch's grapejuice.  Wadenswil 2A Backbone Vineyard, also caught my attention with its distinct smell, and its dark, funky, and earthy taste.  My favorite, however, was Clone 667 Dutton Ranch.  This particular clone was kind of like a mouth orgasm! It almost had a chocolately taste and aroma, like a red velvet cake!  It is produces using French barrels, and runs around $3800 per ton.  Absolutely addictive taste! Finally, attendees were challenged to make their own combination of clones, in an attempt to make the perfect Pinot Noir.  I mixed Clone 777, 115, and 114, and it was......very "interesting."  Not quite a winemaker yet, but I sure can indulge!

Test of Knowledge: Sommelier Competition Finals

The Sommelier Competition finals took place this Thursday at Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse.  The competition was hosted by Sommelier Gil Kulers, Director of Education of the Taste of Atlanta, and Michael McNeil, the only Master Sommelier in Georgia. The four finalists were Jacob Gragg of Aria, Joone Lim of Kevin Rathbun Steakhouse, Matt Bradford of Canoe, and  Davio's own, Robert Evans.  The level of pressure in the room was high, as the contestants were held to extremely high standards and expected to display the utmost degree of professionalism.

Contestants had to compete in four different areas: Decanting of wine, stating the proper storage temperature, age, cellar, and separate the wine from sediment; Food and Wine pairings, giving very specific tastes, flavors, and sauce pairings which would bring out specific elements of the food and wine taste.  Next, the experts had the opportunity to display their knowledge of regions, production, and origins of specific wines  Finally, the Sommeliers had 2 minutes to complete a Wine ID test.  They had to do a blind tasting, identify grapes, region, Appalachian, etc., based on taste, smell, and appearance.  Levels of extract, color, and flavor profiles were given in this impressive display of wine knowledge. Here are some of the far out questions asked of the Sommeliers:

• What is the most planted white grape in Argentina?
• When was the Chilean wine law established?
• What is the most planted grape in the Champagne region?
• What style of wine is made in the foothills of Greece?
• What are the parent grapes of Pinot tage?

Do you know any of these answers!??

Highlights of the competition included the very impressive food and wine pairings, where contestants effortlessly rattled off pairs such as: foie gras with infused cookie crumble, accompanied by stone fruit apricot maple syrup and a fine wine from Finland.  Another great pairing included paco crusted cod with seasonal veggies, and a harmony of earth tones to blend with an Austrian wine.  There were too many favorable combinations to count! Another exciting portion of the event was hearing the contestants' favorite wine descriptors, which included: Luck Charm rouge and tancic and black currant.  Such intense descriptions should entice any drinker!  After much scrutiny, Matt Bradford of Canoe was named runner-up, and Joone Lim of Kevin Rathbun Steakhouse emerged victorious as Best Sommelier!

The Best in Show! Sommelier Competition Preliminary

In lieu of the Taste of Atlanta festival taking place this weekend, the Sommelier Competition kicks it off right! Nine of Atlanta's top Sommeliers compete for best in show, but only 4 lucky contestants will move forth to the finals.  The proper definition for Sommelier is a wine steward, a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, who specializes in all aspects of wine service, as well as wine and food pairings.

The competitors are experienced professionals in the restaurant business.  They were first given a written test, one hour long, of various wine knowledge; production, pairing, taste, origins, etc.  This test was definitely not for your average wine drinker, it requires fine tuned skills! Take a shot!

This is only one of about ten pages!

Next, the competitors participated in a series of 4 live presentations, of 7 minutes each.  They are scored on a scale of 100pts at each table.

• Spirit ID: use your senses to taste, observe, smell, and identify specific spirits; ranging from wine, champagne, brandy, cognac, whiskey, and more!
• Dining Scenarios: Sommeliers are given a specific serving scenario and are asked to assess wine service based on guests, service style, approach, host style, food pairings, and recommendations.
• Wine Identification: competitors are given the opportunity to explain the origin, age, production, and region of specific wines presented to them
• Presentation: Service based exercise, where the Sommeliers "verify wine" by decanting about vineyard designation and vintage, while engaged in a typical table service. 

In order to be successful in this competition, Sommeliers must not only have a wide knowledge of wine, but also the charm and poise to wow guests and judges.  They must engage their clientele, and also be very perceptive of what their guests wants and needs may be.  This is truly an art form! 

Gil Kulers, Education Director for the Taste of Atlanta, explained to me that Sommeliers are educators, philosophers, and professors of sociology and history.  They are service professionals with a vast knowledge of not only wine, but top notch service, spirits, cocktails, glassware, and even cigars.

Wine Down Wednesdays @ Urban Flats

Each and every Wednesday, in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, you can kick back after work and enjoy a fab wine tasting at Urban Flats!  The fun starts at 5pm and "wines down" around 9pm.  The cost is $20 which includes 8 wine tastings (4 reds and 4 whites) and some yummy eats; Urban Flats famous flatbread pizza, delish! The whole wheat flatbread pizza crust is seasoned to perfection and the toppings get rather quirky; shrimp, meatballs, pears, eggplant, or even fig jam!  Be sure you're in a fun mood to try to creative flatbread pizza creations.  As for the wine, you can choose which names you want to graze your palate first.  Choose wisely!

First, I sampled one of my first loves; Shiraz.  The label was Shoo Fly and comes from the down under, Australia.  It has a sharp, strong taste and would pair well with beef or steak meals, but NO spicy foods allowed!

I moved on to the Petit Pinotage, which is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut, made uniquely in South Africa.  It has an earthy, oak taste.  The flavors are rustic and smokey, with burst of wild berry aromas.  It is a lighter tasting red than the Shiraz and may pair well with a chicken dish, or flatbread pizza!

Next on my hit list was the Relative red table wine, hailing straight from sunny California.  This table wine is a mix of Zinfandel, Caberet Sauvignon, and Syrah.  It is fun and sassy, not sweet but not bitter.  Relative Red put a smile on my face, and the Zinfandel twist gave it hints of fruit flavors.

The most conservative of the bunch was SKN Savignon Blanc. It was a plain, crisp taste and could probably pair well with a spicy dish.

My favorite tasting was the Matua Valley Savignon Blanc.  My face lit up, and I think my taste buds did a dance when the wine touched my tongue.  The first thing that came to mind when tasting it was grapefruit! It boasts very prominent, pleasant aromas of fruit.  It was pleasant and passionate. Yummmm!!

I know that was only 5, but I left the tasting with 3 tickets left; holding out for some goodies next week like this mysterious Choco Vino.....details coming soon!  Definitely visit the bar, and ask Gene to make you his famous white gummy bear or chocolate covered strawberries shots.  They are to die for! And Haywood can answer all of your tasting questions at the wine table. If you're not in Atlanta, make your way to the liquor store asap and pick up these delicious spirits! If you are here....see you next Wine Down Wednesday! ;-)

A Thanksgiving Day Dining Experience

With the upcoming holidays, wouldn't it be great to have a list of wines that pair wonderfully with your holiday meal?  Below you will find a hand picked collection of dishes from famous celebrity chefs and an excellent selection of complimentary wines.You'll be sure to WOW your dinner guests with a great dining experience!!

Appetizers
Pumpkin and Apple Soup with Chestnuts
Ricotta Fritters
Wine: Grey Sands Pinot Gris 2000

Entree
Roasted Turkey Rubbed with Roasted Jalapeno, Fresh Sage & Orange Butter
Wine: Chandon Blanc de Noirs

Sides
Cranberry-Pear Relish
Watercress and Orange Salad with Black Olive Vinaigrette
Mashed Potatoes with Buttermilk and Dill

Dessert
Chocolate Cinnamon Mousse
Wine: Chateau Chantal Cerise Cherry Port

Get a head start on your holiday festivities with this splendid menu combination.  Enjoy family, friends and wonderful food and of course don't forget the wine!

Ciao Bella!

The Worldly Wine Tour continues! Andiamo a Italia! The gamut  of wines offered throughout Europe surely give one another a run for their money. Italy is most known for its great variety of wines, and of course its upscale taste. Italians take much pride in eating and drinking, as highly social affairs.  You would be hard pressed to see an Italian with wine in hand and no food, or food on the table without wine; they're a package! 

The Northeastern region of Italy is famous for its use of modern technique and wine preparation.  It is also the location of the world's largest vine nursery. Central Italy, with six different wine producing regions within, produces approximately one fifth of Italian wine. Southern Italy produces almost 20% of Italian wine, and some of the best selling brands of Italian red wine. The Southern region is also a great tourist attraction for vineyard visiting, tours, and tastings.

When I was in Italy, I could not avert my gaze from all of the gargantuan, ancient historical landmarks. The wine too, is known for its classic tastes and traditional production.  Among my favorites was a wine introduced to me by my close Italian friends, Lambrusco.  The slightly sparkling wine is highly underrated.  Lambrusco grapes date back to ancient Roman times.  It has a taste of acidity and berries, and is famous for dry reds, but also has rose and white which both have a touch of sweetness. Lambrusco is perfect for a picnic or a light meal, and even a midnight toast.  I love the slight twinkle of Lambrusco because it is delightfully refreshing, and bursts fruity flavor. Secco is dry, while Amabile means sweet.  I love them both. Scan your local spirits vendor for Lambrusco along the shelves and you're sure to be pleased.  Check out this NY Times article about the little known love for Lambrusco! http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/dining/18pour.html?pagewanted=all

Buon Appetito! Ciao!