Are Inexpensive Wines Worth the price?

April 24th, 2010 by Leonard Logan

THE WINE GUY
I conclude all of my wine tasting seminars with the following comment: “If you like a wine it is a good wine, if you don’t like a wine it is not a good wine for your pallet-regardless of what scores the wines have received from magazines, professional wine writers and shelf talkers. “
Recently, a guest at Elizabeth’s Café declined the offer of an Oregon Pinot Noir on our nightly wine dinner expressing that she “hated Pinot Noir”. She found Pinot Noir “harsh and not at all velvety smooth“as I described the wine in our wine book. In response to my questions she said that she had drunk French Pinot Noir often and just doesn’t like it. Unfortunately, she and a number of beginning wine drinkers were lured into the inexpensive wine section and drank a wine that was called pinot noir but didn’t show true varietal characteristics. This is not unusual. . When a beginning wine drinker tastes a very inexpensive wine without knowing what the varietal tastes like there is little likelihood they will recognize other varietals. Just in case you have forgotten or never knew – “Varietal” is a term describing wines made predominantly from one variety of grape and that show the grapes characteristics.
The particular wine she tried was Red Bicyclette, produced by Gallo and identified by the winery as “world acclaimed Pinot Noir from Languedoc “. Although Gallol lists the percentage of Pinot Noir, (2005 100%, 2006 85% and 2007 88%), in fact there was very little, if any, Pinot Noir in the bottles. The mislabeled wine has resulted in criminal charges against the French producers and other suits for fraud and a potential class action suit against Gallo for duping the public.
At the trial of the French producers for fraud it was proven that inexpensive Merlots and Syrah were substituted for Pinot Noir in the wine sold to Gallo as Pinot Noir. The defense said the Americans with their “gauche palettes didn’t even notice the difference. Not a single American consumer complained.” The attorney pointed out The Wine Spectator had given the 2006 vintage a score of 83 points.
It seems a little unfair for the French attorneys to blame the American Wine Drinking public for failing to uncover this fraud. Although the wine was sold to and consumed here in the United States- it was sold at a very low price which assured it would most likely not be purchased by those consumers used to drinking fine wine or at least those understanding the characteristics of varietals like Pinot Noir.
Those perpetrating the fraud relied on the inexperienced American wine buying public to fail to recognize that the wine was not a Pinot Noir as advertised. They knew they could sell mislabeled wine as long as it was inexpensive.
French authorities say that millions of gallons of wine from southern France were fraudulently sold as pinot noir and exported to the United States over the last four years.
There is a big market for inexpensive wine in the United States- it is just sad that a lot of this wine is bad and will not help encourage wine drinking by those who buy it. There are some wine buyers who don’t like wine and who would rather drink a beer and have fast food then a gourmet meal with wine. But there are good wines that are inexpensive. Maybe not $2.25 but for $10.00 and definitely there are great wines for approximately $50.00
Some of the producers offering inexpensive wine of necessity have to cut corners. Buying the inexpensiveest available grapes is one option. Thompson seedless grapes, which are bland and do not make a good wine, are often used as filler to bulk up jug wines and other low cost wines. To get oak flavors from a inexpensiveer source than the utilization of French Oak Barrels a few producers add wood chips instead of investing in expensive oak barrels. Oak chips impart intense oak flavoring quickly but do not provide the subtle oak flavors shown by wines made in oak barrels. .Money is saved since the oak chips speed up the release of the wine – saving at least one year and barrels don’t have to be purchased. Prior to 2006 it was illegal to add wood chips to wines made in France – that law has changed.
I have been told that some unnamed producers added manure to wine before filtering to give it an earthy barnyard nose. I can’t confirm this and I was told the practice was abandoned.. However, the Italian weekly L”Espresso reported, April 5, 2008, they had discovered that Italian producers of inexpensive wine had produced at least 70 million liters of inexpensive wine containing acid, manure and fertilizer.
If you experience headaches after consuming inexpensive wine it may not just be the wine. If it was Italian wine it may not have been sulfites.
At seminars and wine tastings I tell all who are interested in learning about wines that it is one of the most interesting courses you will ever take- for you are the professor and you grade the papers. Your palate controls
Everyone should buy a good wine but not everyone should buy a world class incredibly expensive wine. Unless you want to start the course for wine appreciation the inexpensive wine is not a bad buy provided it tastes good to you. There have been a number of studies tending to show that the average consumer cannot reliably tell the difference between higher and lower quality wine of the same varietal. One such study by researchers at Caltech and Stanford examined the relationship between the price of a bottle of wine and the perception of quality between the wines. Generally, the wine with the higher price was perceived as the better wine, although in some instances it was the exact same wine being tasted with just a difference in price.
There is no guarantee of excellence even for expensive wines. Some very high priced wines, such as Chateau Petrus, have been victimized by counterfeit bottles and labels. The only safe purchase of a world class renowned wine is one purchased from the producer on initial release or from their library collection. Wines sold at auction and on the internet are often fake bottles. There are several examples of wines being cellared by world renowned collectors that have been identified as fakes. Various estimates are that 50% of some world class wines are counterfeit.
I have tried in my seminars to use analogies but it is difficult. If you attempt to compare wines to automobiles there is the analogy that not everyone should buy or even drive a Lamborghini Gallardo which accelerates from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, has a top speed 199 mph and costs $220,000. Just as not everyone should buy a bottle of 2005 Chateau Petrus, a 100 point rated wine considered one of the best Petrus ever made and released at a cost of $4950.00. There has to be some common ground between these two extremes. The automobile purchased doesn’t have to be a used Yugo. Likewise; the wine doesn’t have to be plonk (a terrible tasting wine – often identified as panther pee.).
I try and think of comparison of prices instead of automobiles. Is the 2005 Petrus 500 times better than the wonderful 2003 Clark-Claudon Napa Cabernet Sauvignon? NO. Without even considering that the Clark won a blind taste testing against a number of incredible wines including a Chateau Petrus the decision to spend almost 500 times the cost of a really good wine to taste a collector wine doesn’t make sense. The Clark Claudon Cabernet Sauvignon is around $100.00 dollars.
Is the Clark Claudon 10 times better than most $12.50 wines? YES. Definitely. But if all wine tastes the same to you- the answer would be a resounding no.
My advice for all who want to get the best enjoyment for the least expense is to start keeping a wine journal. Write down every wine you try, its price and how much you like or dislike it. Write in your journal the varietal and producer from the labels, where the wine is from, and perhaps the food pairing (important later) but don’t get bogged down. Remember wine is a food wine and will offer different characteristics with different food. It is best to write down a few notes as you drink the wine. You will not be able to remember later. When you find a wine you like star it. Chances are you will like other wines of similar price, varietal and producer location.
If you want to learn about wine try and taste as many wines as you can. Go to shops or stores where you can sample wines. Look for tasting events and wine dinners. Elizabeth’s offers wine dinners every night and varietal tastings during the week. There are plenty of wine tasting opportunities o n the Outer Banks.
The Wine Guy, Leonard Logan, a wine judge and lecturer is the proprietor of Elizabeth’s Café in Duck. His blog, The Wine Guy, is available at Elizabethcafe.com send questions and comments to elizcafe@charter.net.

NBS 032010

THE WINE GUY
I conclude all of my wine tasting seminars with the following comment: “If you like a wine it is a good wine, if you don’t like a wine it is not a good wine for your pallet-regardless of what scores the wines have received from magazines, professional wine writers and shelf talkers. “
Recently, a guest at Elizabeth’s Café declined the offer of an Oregon Pinot Noir on our nightly wine dinner expressing that she “hated Pinot Noir”. She found Pinot Noir “harsh and not at all velvety smooth“as I described the wine in our wine book. In response to my questions she said that she had drunk French Pinot Noir often and just doesn’t like it. Unfortunately, she and a number of beginning wine drinkers were lured into the inexpensive wine section and drank a wine that was called pinot noir but didn’t show true varietal characteristics. This is not unusual. . When a beginning wine drinker tastes a very inexpensive wine without knowing what the varietal tastes like there is little likelihood they will recognize other varietals. Just in case you have forgotten or never knew – “Varietal” is a term describing wines made predominantly from one variety of grape and that show the grapes characteristics.
The particular wine she tried was Red Bicyclette, produced by Gallo and identified by the winery as “world acclaimed Pinot Noir from Languedoc “. Although Gallol lists the percentage of Pinot Noir, (2005 100%, 2006 85% and 2007 88%), in fact there was very little, if any, Pinot Noir in the bottles. The mislabeled wine has resulted in criminal charges against the French producers and other suits for fraud and a potential class action suit against Gallo for duping the public.
At the trial of the French producers for fraud it was proven that inexpensive Merlots and Syrah were substituted for Pinot Noir in the wine sold to Gallo as Pinot Noir. The defense said the Americans with their “gauche palettes didn’t even notice the difference. Not a single American consumer complained.” The attorney pointed out The Wine Spectator had given the 2006 vintage a score of 83 points.
It seems a little unfair for the French attorneys to blame the American Wine Drinking public for failing to uncover this fraud. Although the wine was sold to and consumed here in the United States- it was sold at a very low price which assured it would most likely not be purchased by those consumers used to drinking fine wine or at least those understanding the characteristics of varietals like Pinot Noir.
Those perpetrating the fraud relied on the inexperienced American wine buying public to fail to recognize that the wine was not a Pinot Noir as advertised. They knew they could sell mislabeled wine as long as it was inexpensive.
French authorities say that millions of gallons of wine from southern France were fraudulently sold as pinot noir and exported to the United States over the last four years.
There is a big market for inexpensive wine in the United States- it is just sad that a lot of this wine is bad and will not help encourage wine drinking by those who buy it. There are some wine buyers who don’t like wine and who would rather drink a beer and have fast food then a gourmet meal with wine. But there are good wines that are inexpensive. Maybe not $2.25 but for $10.00 and definitely there are great wines for approximately $50.00
Some of the producers offering inexpensive wine of necessity have to cut corners. Buying the inexpensiveest available grapes is one option. Thompson seedless grapes, which are bland and do not make a good wine, are often used as filler to bulk up jug wines and other low cost wines. To get oak flavors from a inexpensiveer source than the utilization of French Oak Barrels a few producers add wood chips instead of investing in expensive oak barrels. Oak chips impart intense oak flavoring quickly but do not provide the subtle oak flavors shown by wines made in oak barrels. .Money is saved since the oak chips speed up the release of the wine – saving at least one year and barrels don’t have to be purchased. Prior to 2006 it was illegal to add wood chips to wines made in France – that law has changed.
I have been told that some unnamed producers added manure to wine before filtering to give it an earthy barnyard nose. I can’t confirm this and I was told the practice was abandoned.. However, the Italian weekly L”Espresso reported, April 5, 2008, they had discovered that Italian producers of inexpensive wine had produced at least 70 million liters of inexpensive wine containing acid, manure and fertilizer.
If you experience headaches after consuming inexpensive wine it may not just be the wine. If it was Italian wine it may not have been sulfites.
At seminars and wine tastings I tell all who are interested in learning about wines that it is one of the most interesting courses you will ever take- for you are the professor and you grade the papers. Your palate controls
Everyone should buy a good wine but not everyone should buy a world class incredibly expensive wine. Unless you want to start the course for wine appreciation the inexpensive wine is not a bad buy provided it tastes good to you. There have been a number of studies tending to show that the average consumer cannot reliably tell the difference between higher and lower quality wine of the same varietal. One such study by researchers at Caltech and Stanford examined the relationship between the price of a bottle of wine and the perception of quality between the wines. Generally, the wine with the higher price was perceived as the better wine, although in some instances it was the exact same wine being tasted with just a difference in price.
There is no guarantee of excellence even for expensive wines. Some very high priced wines, such as Chateau Petrus, have been victimized by counterfeit bottles and labels. The only safe purchase of a world class renowned wine is one purchased from the producer on initial release or from their library collection. Wines sold at auction and on the internet are often fake bottles. There are several examples of wines being cellared by world renowned collectors that have been identified as fakes. Various estimates are that 50% of some world class wines are counterfeit.
I have tried in my seminars to use analogies but it is difficult. If you attempt to compare wines to automobiles there is the analogy that not everyone should buy or even drive a Lamborghini Gallardo which accelerates from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, has a top speed 199 mph and costs $220,000. Just as not everyone should buy a bottle of 2005 Chateau Petrus, a 100 point rated wine considered one of the best Petrus ever made and released at a cost of $4950.00. There has to be some common ground between these two extremes. The automobile purchased doesn’t have to be a used Yugo. Likewise; the wine doesn’t have to be plonk (a terrible tasting wine – often identified as panther pee.).
I try and think of comparison of prices instead of automobiles. Is the 2005 Petrus 500 times better than the wonderful 2003 Clark-Claudon Napa Cabernet Sauvignon? NO. Without even considering that the Clark won a blind taste testing against a number of incredible wines including a Chateau Petrus the decision to spend almost 500 times the cost of a really good wine to taste a collector wine doesn’t make sense. The Clark Claudon Cabernet Sauvignon is around $100.00 dollars.
Is the Clark Claudon 10 times better than most $12.50 wines? YES. Definitely. But if all wine tastes the same to you- the answer would be a resounding no.
My advice for all who want to get the best enjoyment for the least expense is to start keeping a wine journal. Write down every wine you try, its price and how much you like or dislike it. Write in your journal the varietal and producer from the labels, where the wine is from, and perhaps the food pairing (important later) but don’t get bogged down. Remember wine is a food wine and will offer different characteristics with different food. It is best to write down a few notes as you drink the wine. You will not be able to remember later. When you find a wine you like star it. Chances are you will like other wines of similar price, varietal and producer location.
If you want to learn about wine try and taste as many wines as you can. Go to shops or stores where you can sample wines. Look for tasting events and wine dinners. Elizabeth’s offers wine dinners every night and varietal tastings during the week. There are plenty of wine tasting opportunities o n the Outer Banks.
The Wine Guy, Leonard Logan, a wine judge and lecturer is the proprietor of Elizabeth’s Café in Duck. His blog, The Wine Guy, is available at Elizabethcafe.com send questions and comments to elizcafe@charter.net.

NBS 032010

THE WINE GUY
I conclude all of my wine tasting seminars with the following comment: “If you like a wine it is a good wine, if you don’t like a wine it is not a good wine for your pallet-regardless of what scores the wines have received from magazines, professional wine writers and shelf talkers. “
Recently, a guest at Elizabeth’s Café declined the offer of an Oregon Pinot Noir on our nightly wine dinner expressing that she “hated Pinot Noir”. She found Pinot Noir “harsh and not at all velvety smooth“as I described the wine in our wine book. In response to my questions she said that she had drunk French Pinot Noir often and just doesn’t like it. Unfortunately, she and a number of beginning wine drinkers were lured into the inexpensive wine section and drank a wine that was called pinot noir but didn’t show true varietal characteristics. This is not unusual. . When a beginning wine drinker tastes a very inexpensive wine without knowing what the varietal tastes like there is little likelihood they will recognize other varietals. Just in case you have forgotten or never knew – “Varietal” is a term describing wines made predominantly from one variety of grape and that show the grapes characteristics.
The particular wine she tried was Red Bicyclette, produced by Gallo and identified by the winery as “world acclaimed Pinot Noir from Languedoc “. Although Gallol lists the percentage of Pinot Noir, (2005 100%, 2006 85% and 2007 88%), in fact there was very little, if any, Pinot Noir in the bottles. The mislabeled wine has resulted in criminal charges against the French producers and other suits for fraud and a potential class action suit against Gallo for duping the public.
At the trial of the French producers for fraud it was proven that inexpensive Merlots and Syrah were substituted for Pinot Noir in the wine sold to Gallo as Pinot Noir. The defense said the Americans with their “gauche palettes didn’t even notice the difference. Not a single American consumer complained.” The attorney pointed out The Wine Spectator had given the 2006 vintage a score of 83 points.
It seems a little unfair for the French attorneys to blame the American Wine Drinking public for failing to uncover this fraud. Although the wine was sold to and consumed here in the United States- it was sold at a very low price which assured it would most likely not be purchased by those consumers used to drinking fine wine or at least those understanding the characteristics of varietals like Pinot Noir.
Those perpetrating the fraud relied on the inexperienced American wine buying public to fail to recognize that the wine was not a Pinot Noir as advertised. They knew they could sell mislabeled wine as long as it was inexpensive.
French authorities say that millions of gallons of wine from southern France were fraudulently sold as pinot noir and exported to the United States over the last four years.
There is a big market for inexpensive wine in the United States- it is just sad that a lot of this wine is bad and will not help encourage wine drinking by those who buy it. There are some wine buyers who don’t like wine and who would rather drink a beer and have fast food then a gourmet meal with wine. But there are good wines that are inexpensive. Maybe not $2.25 but for $10.00 and definitely there are great wines for approximately $50.00
Some of the producers offering inexpensive wine of necessity have to cut corners. Buying the inexpensiveest available grapes is one option. Thompson seedless grapes, which are bland and do not make a good wine, are often used as filler to bulk up jug wines and other low cost wines. To get oak flavors from a inexpensiveer source than the utilization of French Oak Barrels a few producers add wood chips instead of investing in expensive oak barrels. Oak chips impart intense oak flavoring quickly but do not provide the subtle oak flavors shown by wines made in oak barrels. .Money is saved since the oak chips speed up the release of the wine – saving at least one year and barrels don’t have to be purchased. Prior to 2006 it was illegal to add wood chips to wines made in France – that law has changed.
I have been told that some unnamed producers added manure to wine before filtering to give it an earthy barnyard nose. I can’t confirm this and I was told the practice was abandoned.. However, the Italian weekly L”Espresso reported, April 5, 2008, they had discovered that Italian producers of inexpensive wine had produced at least 70 million liters of inexpensive wine containing acid, manure and fertilizer.
If you experience headaches after consuming inexpensive wine it may not just be the wine. If it was Italian wine it may not have been sulfites.
At seminars and wine tastings I tell all who are interested in learning about wines that it is one of the most interesting courses you will ever take- for you are the professor and you grade the papers. Your palate controls
Everyone should buy a good wine but not everyone should buy a world class incredibly expensive wine. Unless you want to start the course for wine appreciation the inexpensive wine is not a bad buy provided it tastes good to you. There have been a number of studies tending to show that the average consumer cannot reliably tell the difference between higher and lower quality wine of the same varietal. One such study by researchers at Caltech and Stanford examined the relationship between the price of a bottle of wine and the perception of quality between the wines. Generally, the wine with the higher price was perceived as the better wine, although in some instances it was the exact same wine being tasted with just a difference in price.
There is no guarantee of excellence even for expensive wines. Some very high priced wines, such as Chateau Petrus, have been victimized by counterfeit bottles and labels. The only safe purchase of a world class renowned wine is one purchased from the producer on initial release or from their library collection. Wines sold at auction and on the internet are often fake bottles. There are several examples of wines being cellared by world renowned collectors that have been identified as fakes. Various estimates are that 50% of some world class wines are counterfeit.
I have tried in my seminars to use analogies but it is difficult. If you attempt to compare wines to automobiles there is the analogy that not everyone should buy or even drive a Lamborghini Gallardo which accelerates from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, has a top speed 199 mph and costs $220,000. Just as not everyone should buy a bottle of 2005 Chateau Petrus, a 100 point rated wine considered one of the best Petrus ever made and released at a cost of $4950.00. There has to be some common ground between these two extremes. The automobile purchased doesn’t have to be a used Yugo. Likewise; the wine doesn’t have to be plonk (a terrible tasting wine – often identified as panther pee.).
I try and think of comparison of prices instead of automobiles. Is the 2005 Petrus 500 times better than the wonderful 2003 Clark-Claudon Napa Cabernet Sauvignon? NO. Without even considering that the Clark won a blind taste testing against a number of incredible wines including a Chateau Petrus the decision to spend almost 500 times the cost of a really good wine to taste a collector wine doesn’t make sense. The Clark Claudon Cabernet Sauvignon is around $100.00 dollars.
Is the Clark Claudon 10 times better than most $12.50 wines? YES. Definitely. But if all wine tastes the same to you- the answer would be a resounding no.
My advice for all who want to get the best enjoyment for the least expense is to start keeping a wine journal. Write down every wine you try, its price and how much you like or dislike it. Write in your journal the varietal and producer from the labels, where the wine is from, and perhaps the food pairing (important later) but don’t get bogged down. Remember wine is a food wine and will offer different characteristics with different food. It is best to write down a few notes as you drink the wine. You will not be able to remember later. When you find a wine you like star it. Chances are you will like other wines of similar price, varietal and producer location.
If you want to learn about wine try and taste as many wines as you can. Go to shops or stores where you can sample wines. Look for tasting events and wine dinners. Elizabeth’s offers wine dinners every night and varietal tastings during the week. There are plenty of wine tasting opportunities o n the Outer Banks.
The Wine Guy, Leonard Logan, a wine judge and lecturer is the proprietor of Elizabeth’s Café in Duck. His blog, The Wine Guy, is available at Elizabethcafe.com send questions and comments to elizcafe@charter.net.

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Is Wine A Good Investment?

April 24th, 2010 by Leonard Logan

THE WINE GUY- IS WINE A GOOD INVESTMENT?
During these difficult economic times investment gurus are discussing in economic and trade magazines different ways to make money and recommending wise investments. One direction they are pointing is investing in fine wine.
For the past twenty years I have been asked if acquiring Wine is a good investment. The economic magazines are now beginning to write about the advantages of investing in wine explaining their interest with statistics that wine has appreciated more than almost anything- - fine art, stocks, bonds,, precious metals,. Decanter.com has reported that fine wine has outperformed stock indexes in Britain and the United States.
It is apparent this would be a perfect time to explore wine as an investment.
I certainly have invested in wine for my restaurant, Elizabeth’s Café & Winery in Duck. Our wine list has garnered the most awards of any restaurant in the South East. However, my investment is for our restaurant wine cellar to give guests a plethora of one of a kind world class wine selections to accompany their dinner.
Decanter, an English Wine Publication reports “In the last 20 years fine wine has also outperformed a number of equity and fixed income indices including the FTSE 1000. For long term investors (as opposed to shorter term speculators) a well chosen and balanced wine portfolio should provide annualized returns of 10-12% per annum. Wine is less volatile than stocks and shares, making it a less risky investment.” Felixsalmon.com quoting Decanter’s wine investment guide. See also, Dave Sokolin’s book INVESTING IN LIQUID ASSETS and the book by Evelyn Resnick, WINE BRANDS
PLUSES FOR INVESTMENT
Arguments may certainly be made favoring investment in wine, by citing historic examples of significant appreciation of wine purchases. An example described in www.wineeducation.com as a best case scenario is the 1961 Chateau Latour, a French wine from Bordeaux. “On release in 1961 dollars, it cost $3.00 to purchase. Currently it is selling at auction for approximately $500… This is a return on investment of just over 15% annually for 35 years!” This is an unusual example. The author uses another example of a Chateau Latour from the 1975 vintage. Released at $20 it would only garner $75 at auction. A ROI of 6.5%.
Last May the London Financial Times featured a special section on Wine Investment. It seems the Chinese in Hong Kong have begun to invest heavily in wine and wine futures. Wine futures involve the purchase of un-released wines based primarily on reviews by wine writers scoring wines based mostly on tasting barrel samples. The Financial Times claimed there had not been a five year period in the past 20 years where fine wine would have yielded a negative return. The Chinese were attempting to corner the fine wine market to artificially increase demand.
Example
Salon 1996 was essentially cornered by “Big Boy” Bob Rosania which artificially increased the price to record levels. A normally very difficult to obtain allocated wine it became almost impossible to obtain. Elizabeth’s always had a sizeable allocation but the price increase was so great that I refused to purchase all my allocated wines. I do have some but the price is obscene- although the Champagne may be the best Salon ever and after awhile the price will catch up to auction prices that people are willing to pay to have the pleasure of drinking this exceptional wine, it was still over-priced at release..
“It is understandable that those who have a passion for wine turn cold at the thought of wine investment, an activity driven by very different values. But even they should reflect on the ever-present need for the financing of long term wines as they mature. A century ago it was the Bordeaux merchants who bought barrels of young wine and aged them in quay-side warehouses to mature, and of course to acquire value. Forty years ago the baton passed t importing merchants to hold large stocks over many years, and to reap the rewards from so doing. In the last two decades individuals have had greater access to fine wines in their youth, in large part because producers choose not to finance the stock themselves. Whether you buy two and sell one, or buy ten and sell ten, you are contributing to this process.”
“The complaint is frequently heard that fine wines are consumed too young. Making mature wine available in the market place is the final outcome of the investment process,” Hugo Rose Master of Wine Decanter .com
Many became “accidental” wine investors. Those consumers who bought more wine than they planned to consume, with the intention of selling the remaining bottles to help finance their wine purchase.
See also: “Wine as a medium term investment vehicle” Walter C. Labys and Bruce C. Cohen West Virginia University Oxford Journals And, WINE INVESTMENT FOR PORTFOLIO DIVERSIFICATION: HOW COLLECTING FINE WINES CAN YIELD GREATER RETURNS THAN STOCKS AND BONDS by Mahesh Kumar Hardcover July 2005. Professor Kumar asserts that wine prices aren’t influenced by the same sort risks that affect stocks and bonds, recession, inflation, etc., and are far less volatile
I had been a proponent of investing heavily in a chosen wine discovered at a private tasting. I would often buy the entire North Carolina and Virginia allocation of an exceptional limited availability wine. When the selected wine was ready to drink I would make it available to our guests who understood they were drinking a wine generally unavailable in their local wine market. My investing has changed because of price fluctuations and the variable maturity time for certain wines. We are now seeking reasonably priced wines that are forward and drinkable when placed on our wine list.
We have sufficient investment level wines in our cellar for the serious wine collector or guest. Most guests are like me. When I look at a restaurant wine list I want a reasonably priced wine that will be an excellent example of the varietal. For a very special occasion I want the best wine I can afford at the time.
PROBLEMS
Wine may not increase in value- remember, it is only worth as much as someone is will to buy it from you.
The wine collectibles market is not easy to understand. Who or what is causing a wines value to go up or down.
Wine is for drinking- this is a given.
American Wines are not necessarily priced by value but by the demand for the wine. Demand can be created by high ratings by wine reviewers.
It often takes up to 10 years to determine if a wine is truly exceptional.
There are rules prohibiting the sale of wine by unlicensed individuals.
Currency fluctuations, market conditions and other economic conditions affect the wine price.
There is a sizable cost to properly store and preserve wines.
A FALLING MARKET
On January 15, 2009 The Wine Spectator reported that wine value estimates have been reduced by 30 to 40 percent in the aftermath of the world-wide financial crisis. James Suckling wrote on his Wine Spectator Blog December 19, 2008 how the Bernard Madoff scandal could hit the wine investment industry. There is tremendous speculation on the 2005 Bordeaux, considered the finest vintage in recent history. There are wine funds in the United Kingdom that have invested tens of millions of dollars in top Bordeaux wines. There are supposed to be thousands of cases representing the investments. There have been some fraud cases but what if all those wine owners decide to sell their wine back to the French negociants because of the decline of the pound against the euro. Does that wine really exist? I would rather know I can hold the bottle of wine I purchase and can display it for a guest at Elizabeth’s than be told it is being held for me in Europe
It is now apparent Hong Kong investors now own 15 to 20 percent of the world’s total of fine wines. But did their attempt to corner a share of the worlds market help or hurt wine prices? Wine prices may not be immune to the world’s financial health as we had been led to believe. In October 0f 2008, Bordeaux took a 25 percent drop on the Liv-ex , the leading fine wine exchange, followed by a 5.5 percent drop in November. However, this was a small drop compared to the 43 percent drop for the Nikkei 225 and the 60 percent drop for the Hang Seng, Hong Kong’s benchmark index.
PROBLEMS AND ADDITIONAL COSTS
Professionally managed storage is of paramount importance for bottles intended for investment, whether the wine is owned by a wine fund or an individual collector. Bottles cellared in a personal storage space may lose potential market value, because verifying their provenance becomes more difficult. Paul Sullivan, Food and Wine, October 2008.
Other problems:
Counterfeit bottles and labels is an increasing problem. The best most expensive wines are targeted. The Wine Spectator’s article on counterfeit wines featured Chateau Petrus- the most expensive of red wines and almost impossible to obtain. WE buy our Chateau Petrus directly from Christian Moiex, the owner and wine maker.
Corked wine- All bottles that are sealed with corks can be susceptible to corking. Usually that cannot be discovered until the bottle is opened.
Cooked wine- Wine that has been exposed to excessive heat is a continuing problem. Especially when wine restaurants are failing and their improperly stored wine become available on distributors lists or wine shop shelves.
Oxidation- caused by faulty wine making or bad cork- oxygen comes into contact with the wine. Can’t be discovered until the bottle is opened.
No sediment- in older vintages is a clue that the bottle may have been refilled with a lesser wine.
IS WINE a GOOD INVESTMENT- NO if you are purchasing it for re-sale. YES, if you are going to eventually drink it.
IN MY OPINION- although wines that are carefully selected for purchase have a good chance of increasing in value, wines should be purchased for eventual consumption. Just be happy that you are able to drink a great wine that you purchased at a reasonable cost even if that wine has increased in value. A fifty dollar bottle of wine that has increased in value to two hundred dollars is still, for you, a fifty dollar bottle of wine. Enjoy it and tell your friends who are sharing the wine with you - your story of how astute you were to select that wine and how lucky you all are to be able to drink the two hundred dollar bottle of wine together.
A good goal might be the motto of The Croaker Wine Society, organized by some friends of Elizabeth Café, “I will die with no good wines in my cellar” Drink up.
THE WINE GUY is Leonard G. Logan, Jr. The proprietor of Elizabeth’s Café & Winery of Duck
Elizabethscafe.com; elizcafe@charter.net;

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New Year’s Eve Celebration - December 31, 2009

December 19th, 2009 by South Park

On New Year’s Eve, Elizabeth’s turns 21. It is hard to believe that Elizabeth’s has been featuring food and wine pairing dinners for twenty full years. Elizabeth’s began as a wine-friendly restaurant concept from opening night and was one of the first restaurants in North Carolina to prohibit smoking inside the restaurant–which was not as popular then as it is now.  The philosophy has been to select wines first and then create pairing food utilizing the best and freshest ingredients available.

Elizabeth’s always does something special for New Year’s Eve. This year, there are two seating times available, 7:15 PM and 8:30 PM. The entire restaurant will ring in the New Year with a toast. Enjoy Perrier Jouët  Brut Champagne, noise makers, and stupid hats at midnight.

See our New Year’s Eve menu’s and make your reservations before it’s too late by calling (252) 261-6145.

Happy New Year!

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Thanksgiving Feast 2009 Menu

October 19th, 2009 by Leonard Logan

Scarborough Faire Shoppes, Duck, NC

(252) 261-6145

Thursday, November 26, 2009 Seatings 1:00, 4:00, and 7:30 pm

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

This meal is similar to a luxury cruise line feast - order as much as you like - but please no doggie bags.

Everything, except the turkey, candied yams, corn pudding, stuffing and giblet gravy (prepared all Wednesday night by Brad- Leonard is too old sore and tired to do it any more) will be cooked to order. Our kitchen size will require us to prepare appetizers first and then follow the menu order – we can’t backtrack. Sorry, we can’t serve any sauces on-the-side.

INITIAL CELEBRATORY WINE
Perrier Jouët Grand Brut Champagne

APPETIZERS (1 or both)

Our Flame Grilled Bar-B-Que Shrimp served with Mango Chutney
Smoked Mozzarella Raviolis with white truffle cream sauce
Dopff & Irion 2007 Alsace Pinot Blanc

SOUP COURSE (1 or both)

Elizabeth’s Scallop and Brie Bisque with Granny Smith Apples
Sweet Potato Bisque with a Frangelica Crème Fraiche
Dry Creek 2008 Chenin Blanc Clarksburg California

TURKEY COURSE

Roasted Fresh Tom Turkey Carved to order and served with:
Leonard’s Famous Stuffing
Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
Giblet Gravy
Baked Candied Yams
Corn Pudding
Green Beans
Joseph Drouhin 2009 Beaujolais Noveau

ENTREES (1 or both)

Chardonnay Poached Salmon topped with a Lobster Cream Sauce
A Chardonnay selected by Leonard from the Cellar for each Seating

And / or

Chateau Briand - the finest Prime Aged Tenderloin (cooked medium rare to medium) carved
And served with a Courvoisier Shiitake Mushroom Sauce
A Cabernet Sauvignon, Meritage or Merlot selected by Leonard from the Cellar for each seating

And/or

Clark Claudon 2003 10th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon (upgrade $15.00)

VEGETABLES

Yukon Gold Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onion

BREADS and RELISHES

Our Bread Basket and Butter, Muffins, Homemade Corn Relish and Mother’s Cranberry Relish

DESSERTS
Our Traditional Assorted Home-baked Desserts - created for this dinner

Prix fixe: $95.00 includes wines, $65.00 without wines - $25.00 children under eight

- Tax and a 20 percent service charge will be added

THREE SEATINGS 1:00 to 3:45 - 4:00 to 7:00 - 7:30 to ?

Phone 261-6145 for reservations (which are required)

Leonard G. Logan, Jr., Owner – Brad Price, Executive Chef and resident artist

Please remember our seating times. We need to clear the restaurant no later than 15 minutes before the next seating.

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Restaurant Wine Pricing and a few more quotes

August 4th, 2009 by Leonard Logan

Restaurant Wine pricing.

 

In our current economy restaurant patrons seek bargains when selecting wines.

“The first step to finding better deals is understanding the formula behind most restaurant wine pricing. The standard restaurant markup is about three times the wholesale cost, or about twice the retail price. In most restaurants, the markup decreases as the wholesale price of the bottle increases. An inexpensive bottle might be priced three to four times its wholesale cost, while a pricy wine may be marked up only 1.5 times. This so-called progressive markup helps sell more expensive wines.” Juliet Chung, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, Life & Style, August 15, 2008.

        This is not the formula we use at Elizabeth’s- our wines are more reasonable, however, this is a good quote to consider when comparing restaurant wine lists.

When comparing wine prices consider the additional expense a restaurant must spend to store and properly serve the wine. Wine should be stored in temperature controlled cellars or cool areas of a restaurant and when it is served in expensive glassware, like Riedel, there is a significant breakage expense. There is, for the best restaurants, an expense of training and tasting for servers. The really good restaurants have a serving staff that can perfectly pair a wine to the menu and the restaurant guarantees their recommendations  ( taking back a bottle the guest doesn’t like.)

Becoming familiar with wines at your local wine store, or by trying a wine dinner where food is paired with wine, is a perfect way to begin your training. A few restaurants will have the best examples of varietals on their by the glass program and they will give you a sip to help you in your wine selection. Unfortunately, most restaurants select inexpensive wines to serve by the glass and charge enough to pay for the bottle from the first glass pour. We have never done that. Well, we drink open unsold bottles and we want to only drink really good wine. Life is too short to drink bad wine.

When comparing by the glass wine lists look at the size of the glass pour. If the pour is 4 ounces the restaurant can get 6 glass pours from a bottle, if the pour is 6 ounces, the restaurant can only get 4 pours from a bottle. As an example,  at Elizabeth’s we select the best example of a varietal we can obtain which is often a highly allocated wine, change the glass list daily, serve the wine in appropriate Riedel glasses and use a six ounce pour.

Articles are appearing in Wine and restaurant magazines recommending prix fixe wine dinners as a way to increase wine sales. We, at Elizabeth’s, have been offering prix fixe wine dinners nightly for  almost all of the twenty years we have been open. Look at the wines being offered and compare the price of the wine dinner with the wine list and menu.

       

          When shopping in wine shops try to take advantage of tastings offered by your shop to fine tune your palate and wine knowledge to assist you in selecting wines you like. We offer tastings and flights of wine at our wine bar. You should be able to taste a wine when you are purchasing a quantity.

        Once you have selected your wine for you and your guests you should raise your glasses in a toast.

 

Cultural Toasts
Chinese: Ganbei! (dry your cup)
Dutch: Prost! (health)
English: Cheers!
French: Santé! (health)
German: Prost! (cheers)
Hebrew: Le’chaim! (to life)
Irish: Sláinte! (to your health)
Italian: Per cent’anni! (for one hundred years)
Italian 2: Salute (health)
Japanese: Kanpai! (dry your cup)
Russian: Vashe zdorovie! (to health)
Spanish: Salud! (health)
Welsh: Iechyd da! (health)

 

Americans don’t tend to have a single word toast. They normally toast to something in particular - friendship, love, the person at the event, and so on.  Elizabeth’s By the glass list contains a note: THIS IS NOT A RECESSION it is “A pre-boom”- Celebrate with a glass of Champagne and The Traditional Toast at Elizabeth’s: “May all our Pains be Champagnes”

 

Wine Quotes

In one blog I listed some famous wine quotes. Here are a few more, from Benjamin Franklin.

“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.”
– Benjamin Franklin

Long version:
“We hear of the conversion of water into wine at the marriage in Cana as of a miracle. But this conversion is, through the goodness of God, made every day before our eyes. Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, and which incorporates itself with the grapes, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy.”
– Benjamin Franklin

Short version:
“Wine is sure proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
– Benjamin Franklin

Not from Benjamin Franklin but appropriate:

In victory, you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need it.
Napoleon

Drink a glass of Champagne- not Sparkling wine, but real Champagne. You will be glad you did.

Leonard Logan, Proprietor of Elizabeth’s Cafe & Winery in Duck North Carolina for its entire 20 years , is a wine judge, wine writer and wine consultant. He can be found sipping Champagne or Clark-Claudon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at Elizabeth’s with new and old friends almost nightly. If Leonard sits at your table when he makes his rounds  towards the end of the evening  the chances are you will sip some extraordinary wine. If you have any questions or comments or ideas contact Leonard at elizcafe@charter.net or elizabethscafe.com

 

Posted in Pricing Wine, Wine, Wine Service, Wines By-The-Glass | 2 Comments »

Wine Guy Musings at a National Conference

August 4th, 2009 by Leonard Logan

Musings at a National Conference in 1998

 

This is a slightly different blog – but I will touch on some wine issues that are important to retailers, wholesalers and the wine buying public.

This is an interesting year for restaurants and wine and guests and for everyone who has to balance a budget and buy gas. I have recently returned from the Santé National Restaurant Conference in Vermont hosted by Santé’ Magazine, The Magazine for Restaurant Professionals. I was a panelist on three panels and presented an improve teaching on wine server training.

The gist of the conference and remarks by all attendees is that this is a difficult time for restaurants. I would be reluctant to try and begin a new restaurant during the present economy. At Elizabeth’s we have remained successful because of guests who return year after year and refer their friends to us.

I have been preaching at all these conferences for years that restaurants must change their attitude towards their wine list and by-the-glass list. For twenty years we, at Elizabeth’s, have tried to offer the best example of varietals we could find at a reasonable mark-up. Finally, other restaurants are beginning to understand that the wine aficionados visiting their restaurant are educated concerning the best wines and reasonable prices for these wines. I have explained on panels that offering great wines at fair and reasonable prices is the best way to assist the novice wine drinker to understand both the simple tastes and complexities of wine. This may seem contradictory but wine is really history, geology and a food all wrapped up in a beverage. It isn’t rocket science- and need not be hidden behind phrases of taste profiles that have no meaning to most people. There are hints of flavors that can be pleasurable and make wine a perfect accompaniment to food. We also want to provide a perfect dining experience for the guests who have experienced the marvels of pursuing their personal wine education. There is no better course you can take because you are the teacher, your palate grades the wine. If you taste a wine you don’t like - it isn’t a good wine for your palate. It doesn’t matter what the wine reviewers and anyone else tells you. Your palate should control the selection of the wines you drink.

Historically,  a number of restaurants offered by-the-glass wines selections as an after-thought. Selecting inexpensive wines and marking them up three to four times as a huge money maker. These wines were not stored properly, were mediocre to begin with and became worse with improper storage. It is no wonder people didn’t trust wine by –the- glass. At Elizabeth’s  the entire staff s involved in the wine selection process. We choose the best example of a varietal for glass pours and the price is not inflated because it is being offered by-the-glass. At the conference I explained that bottle pricing at Elizabeth’s has always been reasonable - considering the fact that some wines are highly allocated and others are only available if the restaurant buys a substantial quantity of other lesser allocated wines offered by the winery. Our guests recognize we offer incredible wines at a fair price. Accordingly, we make up the difference in our lower wine prices compared with most other restaurants, by selling a greater quantity of wine at a lower price. 

Bottles open for by-the-glass service should be properly stored. We utilize an argon system of our own invention- for your wine at home there are small cans of spray that are offered by most wine shops. Oxygen is the enemy of wine after it has been open and a wine can quickly loose it flavors in time. An inert gas can provide a barrier so the oxygen doesn’t come in contact with the wine.  If you are attempting to keep a wine for a full day after it has been open do what we do- use it for cooking.

Restaurant wines are generally but not always higher than wine shop prices. This is because a restaurant can acquire more highly allocated wines that are more expensive and must store these wines in temperature controlled environments. Many allocated wines must be purchased upon release and often stored for years before being ready to drink. Sometimes a restaurant will offer wines it does not place on its list at shop prices from non-temperature controlled shelving-  Restaurants that serve and store red wines in heated areas adjacent to kitchens and serve white wines at near freezing temperatures are becoming fewer as the guests expect and demand better wine experiences.

Most restaurants and people serve white wines too cold and red wines too warm.  A person’s perception of a wines taste is affected by the temperature. We taste by our tongue only sweet, sour, salt and bitter. The real taste of wine and food is obtained from vapors that reach the upper nasal cavity by inhaling or from vapors rising from behind the palate after swallowing.

A very cold wine will release few flavor vapors. At 60 to 65 degrees most wines are capable of releasing their full flavor components. As a wine is chilled it tastes crisper, fruitier and drier but looses fullness and complexity. Above 65 degrees ethyl alcohol is released and as a wine warms the alcohol dilutes the flavor components and numbs the nerves.

Most home refrigerators are chilled to approximately 38 degrees to keep milk icy cold. Only the poorest jug wines should be served directly from a home refrigerator. These wines have little complexity or acidity and cold makes them appear crisp and thirst quenching while at the same time hiding their flaws.

An outstanding rich and complex Chardonnay will release best flavors between 50 and 60 degrees. For those used to wines served palate numbing directly from the refrigerator wines served at a proper temperature may appear “warm.” However, each wine has an ideal temperature which enhances the complexity of the wine while at the same time maintaining a refreshing tartness. We attempt to serve wines at Elizabeth’s as close as possible to this ideal temperature. Rieslings, Chenin Blanc, and some other white wines are meant to be served colder. We serve these wines and our wines by the glass at a cooler temperature. If wines are served too cold at a restaurant simply cup your hand around the glass and the wine will warm to a proper temperature at your table in a few minutes.

From the earliest days Red Wines were served directly from the wine cellar at “Room Temperature”. However, “Room Temperature” in days of castles and manor houses with wine cellars is not remotely similar to our present day central heatpump homes and restaurants. The term “room temperature” means 60 to 65 degrees to most wine makers. As an example, our wine cellar at Elizabeth’s stores our fine wines at 57 degrees which enables us to serve red wines at this recommended  “room temperature”.

The conference emphasized the need for server training and the importance guests place on service in the dining experience. This is something that involves time and training must include wine tasting. 

There is a growing green movement involving  alternatives to bottled water.  After the conference I became convinced each restaurant should do its best to eliminate bottled water yet continue to offer quality clear water. Elizabeth’s has invested in a state of the art five stage reverse osmosis water purifying and filtration system for our drinking water.  This is the same type of  system that was invented to provide fresh drinking water for submarine and naval vessels.  The benefits of purifying water on site are obvious. The elimination of shipping, moving, storing and disposing of thousands of glass bottles has a positive impact on the environment and reduces use of petroleum. Yes, it is costly, but the health benefits of providing completely pure water is worth the investment. And the water tastes really good- or in actuality has no taste- which is what you want..

French wines are expensive. Not all but most. The Euro value compared to the falling dollar makes French wine particularly expensive in this country at this time. Wines from Australia and New Zealand and many wines from South America are available at extremely reasonable prices. Always try a wine before buying more than a few bottles.

Wine dinners, wine flights and the experience to taste a number of wines in smaller quantities is now a growing trend. We have offered wine dinners nightly at Elizabeth’s for nineteen years. Almost all of the conference attendees questioned me as to how we do it and how it has become so successful. The answer is really simple: offer great wines, select the wine first and create the food for the selected wine, buy the best ingredients you can find for the food and then try to not mess up the wonderful ingredients. Generally, on any given evening at Elizabeth’s over one-half of the guests order and enjoy a wine dinner.

Many restaurants are offering “small plates” with cocktails, wine flights or by-the-glass selections. This involves a bar area with appetizer size servings. We have recently changed the Wine Gallery by adding the incredible award winning paintings by our Executive Chef, Brad Price, to the “Gallery at Elizabeth’s” where guests can enjoy the small plate wine and cocktail experience. We still have seating on the porch or at the bar for drinks.

Enjoy a glass of Champagne today- every day we are here should be a reason to celebrate.

 

Leonard Logan is the proprietor of Elizabeth’s Café in Duck. He has traveled extensively to wine producing areas, has been a guest judge and lecturer at wine festivals and seminars and has hosted wine dinners for twenty years. Elizabeth’s Café has been awarded innumerable prizes including The Wine Enthusiast’s Top Award, the second most prestigious award from the Wine Spectator and recognition as the Best Fine Dining Wine Restaurant in the United States. Leonard can be found at the restaurant or e-mail him at elizcafe@charter.net.

Posted in Dining, Pricing Wine, Taste, Wine Preservation- Argon, Wine Service, Wines By-The-Glass, temperature | 1 Comment »

Question: Wine flavors

August 4th, 2009 by Leonard Logan

The Wine Guy - Questions

Leonard G. Logan, Jr.

 

I continue to receive questions about wine.

“How does a wine have flavors that we can identify as being a certain fruit, or mineral, or leather or chocolate, among so many other flavors?”

I have written in previous blogs that wine is just a food made from grapes. More particularly it is just fermented grape juice. But, oh what great grape juice can be created.

The varied aromas, taste and flavors that can come from the same varietal depending upon its location is incredible.  I have been asked if wine makers insert flavoring in a wine, like tropical fruit in a California chardonnay or cherry in an Oregon pinot noir. The answer is an emphatic no. Legitimate wine makers do not add flavor. (Some very inexpensive kool-aide type wines add flavor but that can’t even be compared with real wine.)

Wine gets its taste and flavor from

(1.) the grape varietal (varietals like Chardonnay, chenin blanc. Sauvignon blanc, Riesling,  pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, syrah,- each have distinctive flavors) ,             

2)the terrior (the grape varietals from different vineyards and parts of the world have distinct tastes- depending upon where and how the vines are grown) Consider a merlot from California contrasted with Chateau Petrus from Bordeaux. Same varietal but entirely different taste, and

(3)the wine making process. When grapes ferment the sugar in the grapes is eaten by  yeast resulting in carbon dioxide, alcohol and over 200 aromatic compounds called esters. One identifiable ester is Ethyl Acetate which gives wine a sweet and slightly fruity nose. Esters also add complexity to wine.

We tend to use aroma, taste and flavor interchangeably when we describe wine, however, that is inaccurate.

Aroma is an identifiable scent from an aromatic compound. An example is coffee. We can smell coffee and know it is coffee.

Taste is what the tongue detects in identifying sweetness (sugar), sourness (acidity), bitterness and saltiness. The tongue can also detect heat from alcohol, astringency from tannin and creaminess from milk.

                Flavor is what the brain tells us we are tasting from components in the wine - what we smell through the nose, taste with the tongue and feel in the mouth. Without having to see it, we know bacon from the smell, taste and mouth feel.

 

What wine do you recommend for oysters?

Although this doesn’t answer your question, my favorite accompaniment to oysters cooked outside on my son’s deck is a beer. Champagne will work, but the best wine pairing is Muscadet produced in the Loire region of France. Look for wines from Muscadet de Sevre-et-Maine AC. These wines are soft, creamy and have citrus notes. I have also enjoyed Pinot Blanc and dry Riesling with oysters.

 

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BLOG: Que Syrah, Sirah? Or Shiraz?

June 29th, 2009 by Leonard Logan

 

BLOG: Que Syrah, Sirah? Or Shiraz?

 

Wine writers have for the past decade extolled Syrah as the “new” popular red varietal. While Syrah   is anything but “new” it is refreshing to see wine lovers venturing into new realms of wine pleasure. Syrah, a full flavored grape is renowned for producing strong, long aging, sturdy wines of deep purple color. To most wine lovers Syrah means France’s Rhône Valley. To understand Syrah we must begin a world-wide travel beginning in France’s 125 mile long Rhône Valley from Avignon in the south to Vienne) in the north with a few side trips to areas producing great white wines.

Wine has been produced in the Rhône for over 2,500 years.

In the sixth century B.C. Phocaean sailors, Greeks from Asia Minor, established a settlement at the mouth of the Rhône at Massalia, now known as Marseille. Trade immediately began and included earthenware vessels  of wine made from vines planted along the banks of the Rhône.  It is unknown if the Phocaeans or the native Celts  planted and cultivated the first vines. The hearty sailors polled their flat boats loaded with wine and other goods up the Rhône to what are now the cities of Arles, Orange and Avignon.

The Rhône wines gained popularity when the papal court moved to Avignon. Pope Clément became Pope in 1309, during a time when relations between the King of France and the Roman Papacy were severely strained. As a native Frenchman from Bordeaux he decided it would be better to remain in France and moved the Papacy to Avignon where it remained until 1378. This period was known as  the Great Schism.

 In the early 14th century Pope Clément V would regularly travel from Avignon by mule to the small village of Châteauneuf to inspect his vineyard. Clement was already an accomplished wine grower, having planted his own vineyard in the Graves region of Bordeaux known as Château Pape-Clement.

 But while he did have a few vines near Avignon it was his successor, Pope John XXII who was responsible for the development of Châteauneuf du Pape  as a world renowned wine-producing region. It was also John XXII that built the papal summer residence (to escape the heat and bustle of Avignon) in the small village of Châteuneuf. Pope John used the 10 hectares that came with the Chateau but found he needed much more wine for his papal feasting in Avignon   As a result, to maintain his wine life-style,  he contracted for an annual delivery of 1,550 liters from the village of Bédarrides, which is part of the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation today.

In the southern Rhône, syrah is used to contribute flavor and structure to the multi-variety wines from the Châteauneuf-du-pape and Côtes-du-Rhône. But it is in the northern Rhône that has made Syrah famous.

Thought to have originated in the Middle East, the ancient Syrah grape has been grown in the Rhône valley at least since Roman times. In the northern Rhône Syrah is the principal grape of the esteemed wines from Cornas, Côte-Rôtie , Crozes-Hermitage , Hermitage  and Saint-Joseph. When young these wines are deep colored and tannic, with strong tar, spice and pepper qualities. Syrah wines are long-lived, and as they slowly mature, they take on the characteristics of sweet blackberries, black currants and plums with hints of smokiness.

            The first Syrah wine area in our travels to visit is Cornas, where some of the most tannic and powerful wines in the world are produced.  The wines are Syrah grown in heat retentive soil. The word Cornas  is derived from the Celtic word for “scorched earth” and the wines produced from these grapes have been called rustic, brutal, with savage tannins - certainly not a wine for the timid. As these wines age they remain robust but begin to show cassis, chestnut, truffle, licorice and black currant notes. They are the most powerful of all Syrah and if all Syrah was like Cornas  it is doubtful if Syrah would have gained the world-wide fame it enjoys today.

As we procede north we reach some of France’s greatest wines - The great wines of the Hermitage appellation, which is located in the northern portion of the Rhône region south of Lyon. Hermitage, produces both red and white wines. The vineyards are thought to have been cultivated as far back as the Roman occupation of the area.

The name Hermitage is attributed to a knight, Gaspard de Sterimberg, who, after fighting in the religious wars in the early 1200s retired to this hill as a hermit to tend his vines and meditate. Accolades for Hermitage wines go back centuries, at least to the 1600s, when Louis XIV reigned. The vineyards are planted on the very steep, sun-drenched hillside above the town of Twain-l’Hermitage across the Rhône river from Tournon.

Syrah is the red grape of the Hermitage. The white varieties Marsanne  and Roussanne  are used both in the white wines and in the blend for the robust red wines. Hermitage red wines are deep colored, full flavored, full-bodied and intense but can be brash and tannic when young. Those from the best vintages can take up to 15 years to soften and can age for 30 to 40 years or more.

Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards is one of the great Hermitage wines praised by reviewers. Although reported by reviewers as being unavailable in the United States and worth a trip to Europe to seek one out, Elizabeth’s has had a vertical of these incredible wines and has featured them at New Year’s Eve dinners.

The powerful white wines from Hermitage are capable of lengthy aging as well, some as long as the red wines. The Marsanne white wine grape that is widely grown in France’s northern Rhône region is the principal grape in the white wines of Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and Saint Joseph.

The largest appellation in France’s northern Rhône region is Crozes-Hermitage. The vineyards of the eleven villages that make up Crozes-Hermitage surround the more famous Hermitage vineyards. Crozes-Hermitage produces red wines from syrah and white wines from marsanne and roussanne. The wines from the area vary considerably in quality because some of the vineyards are located in the superior hilly areas, while others are situated on the less-desirable flatlands.  The better Crozes-Hermitage wines bear a resemblance to those of the Hermitage AC, but usually without the concentrated flavors and richness.  The wines are rich, full bodied and have nice floral, spicy and ripe fruit notes.

  St. Joseph is a large area, about 40 miles, along the Rhône River producing wines which receive mixed reviews. Wines produced from vines with southern exposure are excellent, medium bodied with cherry/berry flavors. The better wines can usually be identified by price.

South of Lyon and about five miles south of Vienne is the village of Ampuis home of the rare and renowned wine Côte-Rôtie –  . Its name means roasted slope and it consists of slightly more than 150 acres of  steep hillside sun-baked vineyards. The vineyards are built on terraces so narrow and steep that tending and harvesting must be done manually. Some of the terraces are only wide enogh for three or four rows of vines.  Vineyard workers annually carry tons of soil up to the various terraces to replace soil washed away by rains.

 There are two sections that produce the best wines – one with lighter-colored soil, limestone, chalk and sand, called Côte Blonde and one with darker iron rich clay soil called Côte Brune. Legend has it that Maugiron, a nobleman in the area, gave one of the two sections to his blond daughter and the other section to his brunette daughter and that over time the two sections took on the traits of their respective owners. Côte Rôtie produces only red wines made from Syrah with up to 20 percent of the white grape Viognier in the blend. The wines are noted for their exotic fragrance, deep color, rich, spicy flavor, and full body. Most of the better Côte-Rôtie wines will easily age for ten or more years – many for fifty years.

As we proceed further north we arrive at Condrieu a 25 acre Rhône appellation located near the village of Condrieu, located south of Côte Rôtie in France’s northern Rhône region.  The grape variety in Condrieu is Viognier, a dry rich white wine with perceptible spiciness and aromas and flavors reminiscent of apricots, peaches and pears. This wine is quite expensive due to  quality and rarity.

Our next travel following the Syrah grape takes us to Australia. Amazingly Australia has no native grapevines and hybrids and vinifera crossings have never been planted. Consequently, Australia’s wine industry is virtually 100 percent European vinifera-based from cuttings brought over the years by immigrants. Shiraz, as Syrah is called in Australia, made its way there in 1830’s and is now that country’s most widely planted grape. The most famous Shiraz is the incredibly fruit-rich, full bodied and complex Grange Hermitage, produced by Penfolds, a wine that can age for 30 to 40 years.

In California the Petit Sirah grape was long thought to be Syrah but some enologists now believe it actually may be the Durif variety. True Syrah, sometimes called Sirah,  has been planted in California over the years and there are now many wines made from these plantings. A group of California wine makers, knick-named the Rhône Rangers, have successfully grown Rhône varietals in the warm California climate. Among California producers who make excellent Rhône style wines are: Bonny Doon, Cline, Concannon, Geyser Peak, Guenoc, Marietta, McDowell, Joseph Phelps, R.H. Phillips, Qupé, Ridge, Swanson and Zaca Mesa.

As an aside, Hermitage is a name used by South Africans for the grape variety Cinsault. It is not Syrah.

In summary, our travels following the Syrah grape have taken us from the Rhône Valley, to Australia to California. The enjoyment however, is in the wines themselves. Do yourself a favor and try a Syrah from France’s Rhône Valley to understand the underlying reason why Syrah wines are so spectacular, and then begin your own personal travel.

© Leonard G. Logan, Jr.

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WINE TASTING- Volume 3 CHAMPAGNE

June 24th, 2009 by Leonard Logan

BLOG- Wine Tasting-Champagne
A primer Volume 3
By Leonard G. Logan, Jr.
This blog is a continuation of two previous blogs on wine tasting posted here.
A recap- The three essential and different steps to tasting wines, your evaluation of a wine’s appearance, smell and taste were previously discussed. We now proceed to particular varietals.
Technically a sparkling wine produced in areas other than the French region of Champagne, even those produced by the méthode champenoise (The traditional method of making sparkling wine developed in France’s Champagne Region, a region of France located northeast of Paris.), should be called sparkling wine and not Champagne. True Champagne comes from the Champagne province of France, a region that produces grapes in a shorter season with a higher acidity than other regions. Acidity gives Champagne its incredible freshness and contributes to its longevity.
Champagne bubbles and premier sparkling wines are the result of secondary fermentation in the bottle occurring when a small amount of yeast, with a combination of sugar and wine, is added to the initial still wine. The yeasts eat the sugar forming more alcohol and discharging carbon dioxide gas which is trapped in the bottle.
The bottles rest in cellars for at least a year but cannot be released because the sediment from spent yeast makes the wine cloudy and gritty. To remove the sediment the bottles are placed in A-frames called pupitres where professionals called rémueurs or riddlers slightly turn and upend the bottles a fraction. When the bottles eventually are moved to an upside down position all of the yeast will collect in the bottle’s neck.
The neck is placed in a brine solution which freezes the contents of the bottle neck. When the bottle is quickly turned upright and un-capped the frozen plug of yeast shoots out - a process called dégorgement. A liquid of wine and sugar is added to fill the missing plug space in the neck intended to bring the sugar level up to the desired level. Most other sparkling wines are made in tanks and later transferred to bottles.
There is a reason Champagne and premium sparkling made by the Méthode Champenoise is more expensive. It takes many years to make Champagne or a premium sparkling and only a few months to make a low cost sparkling.
There are “famous” luxury Champagnes such as Salon, Bollinger Grand Anne, Dom Perignon, Cristal, Veuve Cliquot Grand Dame, Krug and vintage Champagnes produced during premier years. While these luxury and vintage Champagnes are exceptional and would be an excellent selection for a really important dinner, I wouldn’t recommend them for a reception or large dinner- unless you have recently won the lottery and want to impress the peasants.
The choice instead should be a non-vintage Champagne or a sparkling wine made by the Méthode Champenoise process. Non-Vintage Champagnes are more typical of the house style than vintage Champagnes and are much less expensive.
Over 75 percent of all French Champagne is non-vintage. The choices are great with some exceptional wines available.
Champagnes are identified by their degree of sweetness. Extra Brut is the driest followed by Brut, Extra Dry, Sec, Demi-sec and Doux, from drier to sweeter. I always recommend a medium bodied Brut which usually is liked by most people. If all your guests like sweet wines such as white zinfandel buy the cheap sparkling and provide guests with plenty of aspirins.
The most common Champagnes are made from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. Small productions of Blanc de Blancs Champagnes made entirely from Chardonnay are produced by a few houses. The best are produced by Tattinger, Krug and Salon (who invented the process.) Salon’s Le Mesnil and Krug’s Clos du Mesnil are considered the most extraordinary of all Champagnes and should be tried at least once in every Champagne aficionado’s lifetime. Rosé Champagnes are considered by wine writers as the crème de la crème of all Champagnes. Very rare, comprising only about 3% of all exports, Rosé is made by either allowing the wine to come in contact with the pinot noir red skins or adding a small amount of pinot noir prior to secondary fermentation. These wines are rich and full-bodied.
There are excellent non-vintage Champagnes at reasonable prices and hosts should seek them out and resist the temptation of serving a cheap sparkling wine. There is no other way to let your guests know that they are important than to serve Champagne.
Less than ten percent of sparkling wines in the United States are made by the Méthode Champenoise process. A few sparkling wines we recommend are Iron Horse 1998 Russian River Cuvee Brut Sparkling, Argyle 1996 Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Knudsen Vineyard, Schramsberg 1998 Blanc de Blanc, 1997 Blanc de Noir, 1995 Brut Reserve, and an incomparable 1996 J. Schram.
Elizabeth’s offers over 60 different Champagnes - come try a bottle or glass on the porch or in the garden or join us for dinner where we begin our wine dinners with Perrier-Jouet Champagne.

© Leonard G. Logan, Jr.

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Wine Tasting- Taste

June 18th, 2009 by Leonard Logan

Wine Tasting Volume 2 TASTE

By Leonard G. Logan, Jr

This article is a continuation of an Article on wine tasting printed in my recent blog.        There are three essential and different steps to tasting wines – these steps are your evaluation of a wine’s appearance, smell and taste.

            Last blog we directed you to observe the wine’s overall appearance and then smell the wine.

            Now we can begin to actually taste the wine.

            Science has taught us for several hundred years that we taste by our tongue only sweet, sour, salt and bitter flavors. The real taste of a wine and food is obtained from vapors that reach the upper nasal cavity by inhaling or from vapors rising from behind the palate after swallowing.

            The tip of the tongue is particularly sensitive to sweetness. If there is any sweetness in the wine you will taste it immediately at the first sip. The sides of the tongue and cheek area identify acidity most commonly apparent in white wines. The back of the tongue most accurately detects bitterness. Tannins are identified in the middle to back of the tongue. Tannins are mostly found in red wines or some white wines aged in wood.

            Tannins can dry the palate to excess if the wines are too young or out of balance. The result is a cottony mouth feel. Fruit and varietal characteristics are tasted in the middle of the tongue.

            In the past twenty years a newly discovered taste was identified by a Japanese scientist as umami – which is responsible for the deliciousness of some Asian foods. Briefly, unami is a savory taste of glutamic acid which occurs naturally in many foods, but is difficult to detect except in ripe tomatoes, parmesan cheese, cured ham, mushrooms, some meat and fish.

            The wine should be tasted at a proper temperature. Generally, most restaurants and people in the United States serve white wines too cold and red wines too warm. Temperature affects our perception of a wine.

            A very cold wine will release few flavor vapors. At 60 to 65 degrees most wines are capable of releasing their full flavor components. As a wine is chilled it tastes crisper, fruiter and drier – but looses fullness and complexity. A wine warmer than 65 degrees releases ethyl alcohol and as the wine warms the alcohol dilutes the flavor components and numbs the nerves.

            Most home refrigerators are chilled to approximately 38 degrees to keep milk icy cold. Only the poorest jug wines should be served directly from a home refrigerator. These wines have little complexity or acidity and cold makes them appear crisp and thirst quenching while at the same time hiding their flaws.

            An outstanding rich and complex Chardonnay will release best flavors between 50 and 60 degrees. For those used to wines served palate numbing directly from the refrigerator, our wines served at Elizabeth’s may appear “warm.” However, each wine has an ideal serving temperature that enhances the complexity of the wine while at the same time maintaining a refreshing tartness. We attempt to serve wines at Elizabeth’s as close as possible to this ideal temperature. Rieslings, Chenin Blancs, and some other white wines are intended to be served colder. We serve these wines and our wines by the glass at a cooler temperature. If these wines are too cold they will reach drinking temperature at your table in a few minutes.

            From the earliest days red wines were served directly from the wine cellar at “room temperature.” However, “room temperature” in days of castles and stone manor houses with wine cellars is not remotely similar to our present day central heat pump homes and restaurants. The term “room temperature” means 60 to 65 degrees to most wine makers. Our wine cellar at Elizabeth’s stores our fine wines at 57 degrees, enabling us to serve red wines at a recommended “room temperature” of 60 to 65 degrees.

Your First Taste

            Take a small sip. To get the wine all over the tongue’s taste buds you should gently swirl the wine around in your mouth. Some people also bring a little air into their mouth after the first sip to help release all the flavors of the wine. (Don’t gargle.) Hold the wine in your mouth for about 10 to 15 seconds and try to identify the following.

            A Bad Wine: is usually immediately apparent. You generally will have discovered a bad wine when you sniffed it in the glass. You may sip a tiny amount of the wine to confirm your nose of the wine that is corked, has become oxidized or materized (all discussed in the previous article), or become vinegary. 

            Body and Mouth Feel is the weight and texture of the wine in your mouth.  Weight -light to heavy and variations in between- an extremely important sensation when we discuss wine and food pairing in subsequent articles. (Think of a glass of skim milk contrasted to a John’s Drive-in Milk Shake.) Mouth feel- Textural impressions – velvet, satin, harsh, (also has an influence on our perception of balance.)

            Taste and flavors: Your sip may confirm or expand your initial discovery of fruit and spices identified when you smelled the wine. Try and identify a few fruit tastes.

            Acidity and tannins: Identify the level of acidity for white wines and the strength of the tannins for red wine. Is the acidity light, too much or just right?  Are the tannins non-existent, strong, astringent, or pleasing for your palate? The identification of acidity and tannins in the wine will become really important when you begin pairing food with wine.

            The Balance is one of the most important elements in a wine. Does every taste and mouth feel seem to be in balance – with nothing predominating when you taste? If so the wine is balanced for your palate. When we later discuss wine and food pairing sometimes a wine that may appear at first sip to be out of balance can create a good pairing with food.

            The Finish – Identifying how long the flavors linger after swallowing.

            Now for the most important decision – did you like the wine? If so, it is a good wine. Check the price to see if it is a wine you would drink often or only on special occasions. A future blog will attempt to assist in wine buying and cellar selection.

            You should purchase a notebook, any size will do, to record your immediate impression of the wines you taste. This will help in later ordering or acquisition of wines you like.

            Many restaurants are now offering wine dinners. Elizabeth’s was one of the first, twenty years ago, and now is one of the few restaurants in the United States to offer  prix fixe wine dinners nightly. Wine dinners are a way for you to taste a number of different wines without having to buy a bottle.

            Wines by the glass can offer a chance to taste different varietals however, check the glass list. At Elizabeth’s we try and place the best examples of a varietal on the list and often offer these wines at a less expensive price than one would pay for an equivalent number of glasses from a single bottle of the same wine. We want our guests to have the opportunity to taste a number of incredible wines that will help them discover the wines they like.

            Remember the admonition – Ignore ratings and other people’s opinions about a wine. If you like a wine it is a good wine for your palate – if you don’t like a wine it is not a good wine for you.

We will continue our discussions in the next blog, Santé.

© Leonard G. Logan, Jr.

Posted in Tasting Notes, Wine, tannins, temperature | 1 Comment »

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