Pick of the Vine: This Riesling a fine summer sipper
BY TIM DWIGHT • FOR FLORIDA TODAY • May 28, 2009
View article here: www.floridatoday.com
The 2008 Kung Fu Girl Riesling from Charles Smith Wines is this week's selection.
With Memorial Day behind us, we've moved into our summer weather cycle: hot, humid and plenty of rain. Wine drinking habits invariably will change as well; time to lighten up and check out what's new in whites.
The fun and frisky Kung Fu Girl qualifies on both counts. Riesling finally has begun an inevitable comeback from varietal geek-dom, and all the stats on wine consumption say the grape is on a roll.
That's roll, as in rock 'n' roll, which fits the style -- and producer -- of this particular wine. Vintner Charles Smith returned to the wine business several years ago after spending more than a decade managing rock groups in northern Europe. His nontraditional approach to winemaking, "the modernist project," in his words, has generated quite a bit of buzz among the critics and wine press.
Smith has established his miniempire (and more on that in a future "The Grapevine" column) in the Walla Walla region of southeastern Washington State. He's sourcing grapes from throughout the best growing sites of that region as well as along the Columbia River Valley.
The Evergreen Vineyard lies along the steep cliffs above the river, and the climate allows the grapes to mature well into the season until harvest in late October.
Varietal character, similar to a classic Mosel-style riesling, is clean and fruity as fermentation and aging occur in stainless steel. The resulting wine is an intense and nervy white, with aromas of apricots, peaches and pears. Crisp with just a slight edge of sweetness from the fruit, the Kung Fu Girl will pair well with summer salads, Asian cuisine and sushi.
But this is one wine that will please poolside loungers as well; no need to go into fighting mode to enjoy this Kung Fu Girl.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Grapevine: Wine clubs make their mark
The Grapevine: Wine clubs make their mark
TIM DWIGHT | THE GRAPEVINE | FOR FLORIDA TODAY | May 21, 2009
Link to full article: http://m.floridatoday.com/detail.jsp?key=212230&full=1
These tough economic times have led many a business owner to examine all aspects of their operations in an attempt to remain profitable.
The wine business is no different.
Despite recent national sales figures that show wine consumption continues to grow by about 2 percent, there's been a paradigm shift in the buying patterns of the vast majority of customers: They're spending less.
Discounts and bargains have become increasingly important and lead retailers to explore new avenues of revenue. For me, it was the (long procrastinated-over) decision to start a retail wine club.
I quickly learned that wine clubs can be divided into two sorts: national level clubs that ship selections from a central warehouse location, and local clubs that require customers to stop in and pick up the bottles.
The basic concept of these clubs works the same; you pay a monthly membership and usually receive two bottles of wine. You also can receive a discount on additional wine purchases.
Proclaiming to be the largest wine club of its kind in the United States, the folks at Gold Medal Wine Club have a dazzling Web site with all sorts of opportunities for consumers. There's the basic gold level, two bottles for $34 plus tax and shipping each month, followed by the increasingly costly platinum, diamond and international series, which can set you back $159 to $189 per shipment. (The highest-priced selections come quarterly rather than monthly.)
The large-scale wine club at Gold Medal certainly seems to be a commendable operation, though it left me with a few nagging thoughts:
With thousands of members receiving wine, wouldn't all wine selections have to come from large-production wineries? And how does shipping work in the dog days of summer? Not a problem if you live close to the west coast, where most of the clubs originate, but it's a long way to our sunny shores in Florida.
Anyway, the folks at Gold Medal were light-years away from what I had in mind for my retail store in Indian Harbour Beach. My pubescent club efforts would be focused on local operations; no shipping needed.
I decided to contact some friends in the business in Orlando.
Tim Varan's Tim's Wine Market has been around for nearly two decades. It's on Orange Avenue with picturesque views of Lake Ivanhoe across the street. It has had a locals wine club since 2004, and with the addition of two franchise operations in Lakeland and Windemere, is now up to nearly 500 members.
"We were probably the first ones in Central Florida to have a wine club," said Steve Butler, Tim's longtime manager, "and it was just a natural extension of what we'd been doing already. And although we've grown quite a bit over the years, we're still able to focus on small production wines that we feel represent great value to our members."
Tim and his staff alternate between two reds one month and a red and white the next.
In Brevard County, WineStyles, a franchise wine operation at The Avenues in Viera, has had a wine club since its inception in 2005.
"The club structure comes with the franchise package from the parent corporation," said manager Mike Bennett. "The wine selections are made at a national level by an associated board of sommeliers and trade professionals."
But occasionally, Bennett and owners' Manuel and Maria Rosales will override the selections to focus on something they particularly enjoy.
"We've got the flexibility to go locally or smaller production when we need it," Bennett said.
TIM DWIGHT | THE GRAPEVINE | FOR FLORIDA TODAY | May 21, 2009
Link to full article: http://m.floridatoday.com/detail.jsp?key=212230&full=1
These tough economic times have led many a business owner to examine all aspects of their operations in an attempt to remain profitable.
The wine business is no different.
Despite recent national sales figures that show wine consumption continues to grow by about 2 percent, there's been a paradigm shift in the buying patterns of the vast majority of customers: They're spending less.
Discounts and bargains have become increasingly important and lead retailers to explore new avenues of revenue. For me, it was the (long procrastinated-over) decision to start a retail wine club.
I quickly learned that wine clubs can be divided into two sorts: national level clubs that ship selections from a central warehouse location, and local clubs that require customers to stop in and pick up the bottles.
The basic concept of these clubs works the same; you pay a monthly membership and usually receive two bottles of wine. You also can receive a discount on additional wine purchases.
Proclaiming to be the largest wine club of its kind in the United States, the folks at Gold Medal Wine Club have a dazzling Web site with all sorts of opportunities for consumers. There's the basic gold level, two bottles for $34 plus tax and shipping each month, followed by the increasingly costly platinum, diamond and international series, which can set you back $159 to $189 per shipment. (The highest-priced selections come quarterly rather than monthly.)
The large-scale wine club at Gold Medal certainly seems to be a commendable operation, though it left me with a few nagging thoughts:
With thousands of members receiving wine, wouldn't all wine selections have to come from large-production wineries? And how does shipping work in the dog days of summer? Not a problem if you live close to the west coast, where most of the clubs originate, but it's a long way to our sunny shores in Florida.
Anyway, the folks at Gold Medal were light-years away from what I had in mind for my retail store in Indian Harbour Beach. My pubescent club efforts would be focused on local operations; no shipping needed.
I decided to contact some friends in the business in Orlando.
Tim Varan's Tim's Wine Market has been around for nearly two decades. It's on Orange Avenue with picturesque views of Lake Ivanhoe across the street. It has had a locals wine club since 2004, and with the addition of two franchise operations in Lakeland and Windemere, is now up to nearly 500 members.
"We were probably the first ones in Central Florida to have a wine club," said Steve Butler, Tim's longtime manager, "and it was just a natural extension of what we'd been doing already. And although we've grown quite a bit over the years, we're still able to focus on small production wines that we feel represent great value to our members."
Tim and his staff alternate between two reds one month and a red and white the next.
In Brevard County, WineStyles, a franchise wine operation at The Avenues in Viera, has had a wine club since its inception in 2005.
"The club structure comes with the franchise package from the parent corporation," said manager Mike Bennett. "The wine selections are made at a national level by an associated board of sommeliers and trade professionals."
But occasionally, Bennett and owners' Manuel and Maria Rosales will override the selections to focus on something they particularly enjoy.
"We've got the flexibility to go locally or smaller production when we need it," Bennett said.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Pick of the Vine: Rediscover white wine
Pick of the Vine: Rediscover white wine
TIM DWIGHT | FOR FLORIDA TODAY | May 14, 2009
View article here: www.floridatoday.com
Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose 2008 is this week's selection for Pick of the Vine.
Temperatures have certainly heated up locally, a fact which is bound to alter our dining patterns. A little less pasta and cream, a little more fish and chicken, and what better place than out on the grill. Even red meat dishes stand a good chance of moving outdoors, and the wine to match. Well, it's a great time to rediscover white wines.
Can't quite fathom chardonnay with burgers and barbecue, but still longing for something you can chill down? Think pink. Technically, you're still drinking a red wine of course (with the skins removed before fementation), and in the case of the Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose, a wine that'll pare well with all sorts of cuisine.
The Mulderbosch winery comes from Stellenbosch in South Africa, and these folks know a bit about which wines to enjoy with warm weather food. All New World styling at 13.5 percent alcohol, this rose first grabs attention with its deep rose petal coloring. Floral and spicy on the nose, the cabernet begins to assert itself in the body and depth of the texture. Cranberry, cassis and cherry flavors have been fermented dry, and the residual sugar in this wine is minimal.
Imported by Cape Classic Imports, and distributed locally through Opici Wine Company. Local retail will be about $10 to $11.
TIM DWIGHT | FOR FLORIDA TODAY | May 14, 2009
View article here: www.floridatoday.com
Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose 2008 is this week's selection for Pick of the Vine.
Temperatures have certainly heated up locally, a fact which is bound to alter our dining patterns. A little less pasta and cream, a little more fish and chicken, and what better place than out on the grill. Even red meat dishes stand a good chance of moving outdoors, and the wine to match. Well, it's a great time to rediscover white wines.
Can't quite fathom chardonnay with burgers and barbecue, but still longing for something you can chill down? Think pink. Technically, you're still drinking a red wine of course (with the skins removed before fementation), and in the case of the Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose, a wine that'll pare well with all sorts of cuisine.
The Mulderbosch winery comes from Stellenbosch in South Africa, and these folks know a bit about which wines to enjoy with warm weather food. All New World styling at 13.5 percent alcohol, this rose first grabs attention with its deep rose petal coloring. Floral and spicy on the nose, the cabernet begins to assert itself in the body and depth of the texture. Cranberry, cassis and cherry flavors have been fermented dry, and the residual sugar in this wine is minimal.
Imported by Cape Classic Imports, and distributed locally through Opici Wine Company. Local retail will be about $10 to $11.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Pick of the Vine: Terra Andina a fruity and delightfully rich red
Pick of the Vine: Terra Andina a fruity and delightfully rich red
TIM DWIGHT | FOR FLORIDA TODAY | May 07, 2009
View full article here: www.floridatoday.com
The Terra Andina Carmenere Reserva 2007 is this week's selection for Pick of the Vine.
Malbecs from the eastern side of the Andes in Argentina have (deservedly) received quite a bit of attention during the past several years; stick with me here as we head west over the mountains to the Rapel Valley in neighboring Chile.
As malbec is to Argentina, the carmenere grape is to the mountainous growing regions of the western Andes. This latter grape represents an opportunity for the Chilean wine industry to re-establish its reputation with a unique varietal that is rarely planted elsewhere around the world.
Known sometimes as "the lost grape of Bordeaux," carmenere originated, as did malbec, in the southeastern regions of France. But whereas malbec continues to be grown in its home country, carmenere is all but extinct throughout Bordeaux and the Loire Valley.
Fortunately for wine lovers, the grape migrated during its heyday down to South America, along with the other five Bordeaux varietals: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, cab franc and malbec.
Carmenere has been thriving in the central grape-growing regions of Chile for more than 100 years, but its success as a stand-alone varietal is a relatively recent development. Imports to the United States have increased dramatically during the past decade, and carmenere is no longer a stranger to wine isles in the local market.
Terra Andina, owned by the much-larger Santa Rita winery in Santiago, Chile, produces a line of affordable carmeneres that appear with some regularity in our local area. Their "regular" bottling can be found for less than $10 a bottle, but I'd urge readers to search out this winery's "Reserva," of which 2007 is the current vintage. This upper-tier bottling will cost another $2 or so, and it's worth every penny.
For more of this article, click here.
TIM DWIGHT | FOR FLORIDA TODAY | May 07, 2009
View full article here: www.floridatoday.com
The Terra Andina Carmenere Reserva 2007 is this week's selection for Pick of the Vine.
Malbecs from the eastern side of the Andes in Argentina have (deservedly) received quite a bit of attention during the past several years; stick with me here as we head west over the mountains to the Rapel Valley in neighboring Chile.
As malbec is to Argentina, the carmenere grape is to the mountainous growing regions of the western Andes. This latter grape represents an opportunity for the Chilean wine industry to re-establish its reputation with a unique varietal that is rarely planted elsewhere around the world.
Known sometimes as "the lost grape of Bordeaux," carmenere originated, as did malbec, in the southeastern regions of France. But whereas malbec continues to be grown in its home country, carmenere is all but extinct throughout Bordeaux and the Loire Valley.
Fortunately for wine lovers, the grape migrated during its heyday down to South America, along with the other five Bordeaux varietals: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, cab franc and malbec.
Carmenere has been thriving in the central grape-growing regions of Chile for more than 100 years, but its success as a stand-alone varietal is a relatively recent development. Imports to the United States have increased dramatically during the past decade, and carmenere is no longer a stranger to wine isles in the local market.
Terra Andina, owned by the much-larger Santa Rita winery in Santiago, Chile, produces a line of affordable carmeneres that appear with some regularity in our local area. Their "regular" bottling can be found for less than $10 a bottle, but I'd urge readers to search out this winery's "Reserva," of which 2007 is the current vintage. This upper-tier bottling will cost another $2 or so, and it's worth every penny.
For more of this article, click here.
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