What to they mean by 'The Body' of a wine? Let's talk a little bit about it...

Oh, that wine has a good Body! ...There something about 'The Body' in that wine... What in the world are they talking ??? Let's talk about the very basic stuff.

Wine has a Body?

Yes!!!

The Body: Is the real impression of “weight” of a wine in your mouth, That’s generally attributable essentially to a wine’s alcohol. You can classify a wine as light-bodied, medium-bodied, or full-bodied. But really, a wine's body describes the "weight" and texture of a wine in your mouth — how a wine feels around your tongue. It’s called a “mouthfeel”.

Wines don't really have different physical weights and aren't really thicker or thinner than each other, so the sensation we describe as body is a subjective impression. This "mouthfeel" of a wine is produced not by it's mass or viscosity, but rather by it's alcohol content, extracts, glycerol, and acidity.

…and another important term to mention and it is the balance there is between alcohol on the one hand, and acidity and astringency on the other. This is obviously most relevant to red wines. But it’s there in some interesting whites. It's another sensation that you feel in the mouth.

That's when more descriptors start to conjure...But that's another world altogether.

So, let's say generally, too little alcohol will cause acidity and astringency to dominate, making the wine harsh and thin. Too little acid and astringency will cause a wine to taste overly soft, heavy and flabby, with the spirity quality of the alcohol playing too much of a role.

•a wine tolerates acidity better when its alcohol content is higher

•a considerable amount of tannin is more acceptable if acidity is low and alcohol is high


Well there you go and that's a start!

 

 

The Answer is Yes! Great Australian Cabernet Sauvignon! So let’s get on with the Key Australian Cabernet Sauvignon Regions!

The kinship that Cabernet Sauvignon has with a maritime climate is understood due to history of Bordeaux’s Medoc region. Cabernet Sauvignon’s origins can be traced back to France’s Bordeaux region.

Over the past 15 years or so there have been many articles written by proponents of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon such as James Halladay, Oz Clarke, Robert Parker Jr and James Suckling and I agree that these wines are authentic, terrific and dynamic.

Cabernet Sauvignon reaches its highpoint (although Napa Valley may beg to differ these days) on the gravel soils of the Medoc, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary where it is widely blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot. Within the Medoc are the famous communes, which produce some of the world’s best red wines.

Okay…so, it is fairly obvious that most (but not all) of Australia’s top quality cabernets come from regions with climates similar to Bordeaux (noticeably Coonawarra and Margaret River) which have a closeness to the sea and without any mountainous regions. Cabernet Sauvignon is a somewhat low yielding varietal, with small berries and thick skins, which give off high color, flavor and tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon ripens late, and has firm tannin structure that guarantees that it’s capable of producing wines with good potential to improve with cellaring.

Cabernet Sauvignon has been in Australia for a very long time. Early records show that by the end of the 19th century it had spread to South Australia’s Clare, Barossa, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra regions as well as in Victoria. Today Cabernet Sauvignon is really considered one of Australia’s great red wines and is widely grown all over the country, from the cool climate of Tasmania to some first-rate vineyards in Western Australia.

 

So let’s get on with the key Australian Cabernet Sauvignon Regions!

 

Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

The fine strip of red ‘terra rossa’ soil over a limestone base produces Cabernet Sauvignon of distinction and refined structure, with the best wines merging sophistication and power. There’s this chocolate intermingled with the fruit and cedary oak. Lingering flavors are focused by dusty fine tannins that jog my memory to Rutherford California ...Coonawarra Estates has some fine Cabs as does Phoenix Estate. Penfold 169 is a high end...there is also Penfolds 407 which is a blend of several regions including a good dose of Coonawarra. 

 

Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The Barossa Valley has been an important source of Cabernet Sauvignon, largely as a blending partner with Shiraz. The Barossa Valley makes terrific Shiraz. There are vines of Cabernet Sauvignon in the adjacent Eden Valley also but are of smaller quantity, but fit well with the warm Barossa material. Elderton Estate is one that I like as well as Peter Lehman's wines.

 

Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon

Margaret River has fashioned some of Australia’s finest Cabernet Sauvignons over the past 25 years and is praiseworthy just like Coonawarra. Their best vintages are hardly ever green, and have ripe black fruits, earth and spicy characters. The majority of Margaret River and Western Australian Cabernet Sauvignons, totally benefits from the blending Merlot. The Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignons vintages of late have been outstanding. There have been last six have been good to excellent vintages from 2007 to ’10 decidedly so and ’11 and ’12 to showing well too.

 

Mt Barker Cabernet Sauvignon

This West Australian region is known for some outstanding red wines. The overall climate and terroir is restrained enough to foster Cabernet Sauvignon to full ripeness with abundant structure and the capacity to develop into great wines.

 

Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Some of Australia’s top Cabernet Sauvignon-based reds come from the Yarra Valley, from nicely situated vineyards with great terroir. These wines are low in extraction, supple in texture, with lean blackcurrant flavors backed by hints of Eucalyptus and Black Olives.

 

Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

One of the mainstays for Cabernet Sauvignon many years, there are some of the oldest vines and areas of superior soil in Langhorne Creek that make very rich, substantial and earthy wine. That is offset by notes of cedar with hints of cardamom, tobacco and licorice spice.

Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The Clare Valley produces very deep, concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon of power and elegance. This region should not be overlooked. These are wines that possess great aromatics that can have good structure that are medium to long-term propositions in the cellar.

 

Other Australian Cabernet Sauvignon regions

The above regions are the prime areas that produce Cabernet of renowned quality. Other notable Cabernet Sauvignon regions include Central Victoria, South Australia’s McLaren Vale region, the famous Mudgee and the Hilltops in New South Wales.

Some of my favorites are from Mclaren Vale...seek  Mitolo Jester, Two Hands and Kangarilla Road.

There is a wide range of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon styles and regional characters, from elegant, medium-bodied examples through to full-bodied reds full of intense black fruit flavors, with oak to match and firm tannins. Australian Cabernet Sauvignons are generally versatile, rich and well structured, and usually benefit from further age in bottle, so it’s also well worth cellaring them for a year or two.

Australian Cabs also can be decanted as an option! Use a nice big 750ml glass…

By the way…Grilled Steaks and Burgers with Dijon Mustard, Slow Roasted Shoulder of Lamb with Fresh Mint Sauce, BBQ Ribs in a spice rub or sauce are great place to start for food pairing as well.

How do I find a wine I like? How do I find the winners?.. because budget wines are hitting a quality level that is worth seeking!

Over the past 15 years at least a couple of major things have changed. A lot more people are enjoying wine and budget price wines have been improving over the years. Technology has a lot to do with it; but so does the fact that winemakers have been replanting vineyards with grapes that make better wine. Just like plant breeders go all-out to offer more robust, more fragrant roses for gardeners, grape scholars and scientists have helped winemakers improve their vines.

So basically winegrowers are learning how to get more flavor from the grapes they grow by careful timing of watering and pruning. Money matters too. When wines cost $7 or $8 a bottle and above, winemakers can afford to use the better-quality grapes than they used too.

These changes probably mean that today's under $10 wines would have cost $15 five years ago. Or your $15 wines are hitting a quality level that is worth seeking. Then apply that to a $20 bottle and so on.

Just to think that the price for a high quality Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon or French Bordeaux is roughly $50.

But we are talking the budget wines here… and their advancements!

When you walk down the wine aisle will you will see dozens upon dozens of sensibly priced wines on the shelves, yet picking one amongst the often-whacky labels—including everything from funky monkeys to long-tailed eagles—can be a royal pain. In regards to the style or the appeal of the wines in the bottle can be night and day.

So how in the heck do I find a wine I like?!? How do I find the winners?!?

Here are a few tips to follow to find a really decent wine of good quality.

Choose a grape you previously tasted but this time from a country you've never tried. For example some of the best budget or value wines have recently come from Argentina (try Chardonnay or a Malbec) , Chile (try its Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay too). In Spain lower-priced wines from Rioja make good-value (usually the classic Tempranillo grape). Also, South Africa (Chenin Blanc, also known as ‘Steen’ sometimes) are a great opportunity to enjoy.

In the same way; try up-and-coming grapes and wine styles now before they take off in appreciation and reputation (and price). If you enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon style, try a Malbec—those again from Argentina are good values. Vinho Verde is a light, refreshing white wine from Portugal that's famously inexpensive.

Also, just because it’s pink does not mean it is White Zinfandel.

Don’t pass over rows of massively unrecognized and underpriced rosé wines—many of that are enjoyably dry and crisp. Just so you know…this wine generally goes really great with lightly seasoned fish or chicken dishes.

Riesling, too, is so under-appreciated and that the price remains low for many of these well-designed and delicious wines. Riesling is very versatile. It can be bone dry, semi-sweet or very sweet. So have fun with that.  Remember hot and spicy food goes great with Riesling

By the way…A quick very basic food pairing hint…match ‘Power with Power’

You can't really judge a quality of a wine by its label, but the label might tell you a bit about the style of wine inside If you see a wine label with a beautiful pastel collage of flowers on it, it’s not going to be a big, heavy concentrated red wine…but you never know… Likewise, a wine with a huge red or dirty old truck on it is unlikely to be anything too light-bodied or sweet.

Look, If you see the brand..Barefoot, Robert Mondavi, Jacob’s Creek, Lindeman’s, Beringer, Kendall Jackson, Echo Domani, Chateau St, Michelle, Yellow Tail, Concha Y Toro, Gallo…even Joseph Drouhin brand is in the budget price game now. Those wines are standardized uniform and consistent, regular- even unvarying.

While it's tempting to stick to your "same old same old," usual’s… it's worth rolling the dice to find a new favorite at a low price. It's great to know that with all the good wines out there at this price range, the odds are now better than ever that you'll find winners.

 

Wines for the Thanksgiving season are Excellent with Turkey, Chicken and Fish dishes.

The Thanksgiving reds are the reds of Beaujolais, France.  These consist of of fruity (not to be confused with sweet) light to medium-bodied reds made from the Gamay grape. Excellent with Turkey, Chicken and Fish dishes. While Beaujolais Nouveau is the most popular, there are actually much higher quality Beaujolais Cru wines from this region. For light-bodied sips:

•Brouilly

•Mouin-A-Vent

•Fleurie

 

In Beaujolais, France there are also delicious white wines that are made from the Chardonnay grape as well in a crisp lighter style. If you find one, make sure you pick it up.

 

Light-bodied and tangy whites are excellent for Thanksgiving as well.

 

Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand can be great, but it’s got unflinching acidity.  he same grape bottled as Pouilly-Fume or Sancerre from France’s Loire Valley is much softer. These whites are still acidic, tangy and herbaceous just like you crave from S.B., but with a subtler sip full of fresh green apples.

 

Medium to full-bodied whites are great for the fall/winter holiday…

Grapes like Gerwurztraminer and Riesling are often perceived solely as sweet. Not so fast!

For drier versions of these two, head north to Alsace. Gewurztraminer is a spicy white, while Riesling is more floral. Riesling is actually among the most diverse grapes from bone dry to sugary sweet in styles.

For an eye-opening white wine experience:

•Trimbach

•Albrecht

•Hugel

 

Burgundy whites almost strictly made from Chardonnay grapes, but they will not be oaky or buttery whites – they’re leaner and elegant with hints of flint, chalk and minerality.

 

Here is America ‘Chablis’ lost its social status when it became the preferred name for jug wine in the U.S., however this classy white is far from a flat, bland bulk wine. Also made from 100% Chardonnay, it has little and most often no oak, boasting crisp, mineral-spiked sips.

Other whites from Burgundy include Pouilly-Fuisse and the lesser-known and thus less expensive Macon-Villages. Both are lighter than New World styles and show off Chardonnay’s subtleties without the interference of oak.

 

Another great one is Viognier which is often called Chardonnay’s sexy sister. They are similar in look and body but this glass of white from the Rhône region will surprise you. It’s very aromatic. Viogniers are not abundant, so drinking will cost you, but these striking floral whites are a really good pick for Thanksgiving time.

Quick Tips for Restaurants and staff on Training and Selling Wine to your eager Guests!

Because our industry attracts a diverse workforce, we cannot expect a universal level of wine knowledge from our employees.  With so many wine training programs – what approach is best?

Because the world of wine is so broad and can be intimidating for many, wine training works best as a continuing process, broken down into small, easily digestible bites.  

A “boot camp” approach,  that is a lengthy and intense training session, may work for new hires already conversant in wine, but will be overwhelming for a novice, and probably soon forgotten. 

"Boot camps" do nothing to reinforce the knowledge of long time employees.

Try this...

By incorporating ongoing training into the weekly or bi-weekly routine, information is more easily retained by the staff.  A great time to do this is during pre-shift meetings.  

By focusing on specific subjects, and doing controlled, limited tastings (small pours and spit cups required!), your staff will remember concrete talking points that they can relay to the guest and can use to sell your list.


Also, enrolling wine wines classes taught by one with some experience such as the FDRP, WSET, SWE or CMS is a plus. An outside tutor for example. Establishing a relationship with a wine expert that can be a conduit to your staff. And don’t forget to see if your vendor(s) can host a session on upcoming wines!
Certification should be encouraged as incentive for higher earning potential. Especially if it results in the extra 2 or 3 bottles sold nightly.  Everybody wins! The restaurant wins, the server wins and of course... the customer wins too!

So... selling wine properly is not only very profitable to the business. It keeps your existing customers base happy and it attracts new customers constantly. It really does! ...and it helps when you take the small rewarding steps with thoughtful training.

We often lose track of the fact that the service staff is also the sales staff and arming the staff with knowledge is the smart thing to do.

Some California Reds have provided Sheer Greatness in a relatively Short period of time!

California has an endless amount of excellent red wines and a lot of them are as either as good or more legendary than Old World French Bordeaux, Italian Chianti and Barolo's and Spanish Tempranillo and Garnacha. In many cases the Old World knowledge has lent it's ways to the California Terroir; but most of the time it's been sheer greatness in a relatively short period of time.

Here are some of my California favorites...Including one from Washington State that is on my mind and fits the mold...

Dominus Estate Napa Valley Red (CA) Christian Moueix's California legend shines by sheer density.

Hall Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon  (CA)Big, dense, juicy raspberry-driven fruit

CADE Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain (CA) familiar to Napa's presitigious PlumpJack winery in Oakville full and intense

Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (CA)Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon brings big, brawny flavors

Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon  (CA)  From Napa's prestigious Stags Leap District, well-integrated intensity and opulence.

Col Solare (WA) Col Solare, Italian for "shining hill," offers an amazing Cab-based blend sourced from some of (namely Red Mountain, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope and Horse Heaven Hills)

Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (CA) This Grgich Hills Cab has got plenty of power, yet boasts both beautiful balance and richness

Signorello 'Estate' Cabernet Sauvignon (CA) Napa Valley - If Italian Cabernet got lost on its way home

Robert Craig 'Mt Veeder' (CA) Cabernet Out of the Mt. Veeder wilderness comes this marvelous mountain wine

Blankiet Cabernet Sauvignon Paradise Hills Vineyard (CA) - Almost La Mission Haut-Brion-ish in its character

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 (CA) full-bodied and opulent personality is profound

Ramey - Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (CA) from valley floor known for creating rich, smooth Cabernet Sauvignon

PlumpJack - Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville (CA) Engaging red despite its richness and obvious size

Ridge Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Red(CA) limestone, which is not found in Napa is unique and important

 

Seek these out, Try them...Cellar them. In fact these wines listed are good to lay down. But there's one thing about great California wines...They can be hard to put down.

 

 

Delicious Cheese is great! Where do you start?...you can find them at the supermarket! Yep..Go ahead and experiment. It's so good!

Cheese is great. It's a great appetizer and it's also a fulfilling meal in itself. There are so many to choose from. Where do you start. It's not an easy question to answer but these days there are so many restaurants, Bistros and Pubs jumping on the cheese bandwagon that it's getting easier to dabble, learn and enjoy.  And you can find them at the supermarket!

There are some delicious cheeses that can be found in the local market such as Whole Foods, Publix, Kroger, Hyvee, Costco and Trader Joe's.

Listed are 8 relatively accessible cheeses that I like along with a little bit of a story to illustrate how interesting it all can be especially when you start pairing cheese with wine.

 

1.            St. Armour Triple Cream (French) – Rich and buttery, Soft and ripened; a heavenly cheese with angelic façade that’s straight-up sinful – Cow’s milk

2.            Cotswold (British) – legendary, made in Gloucestershire England; the cream is skimmed twice; blended with chives and spring onions farmed in the English Country - cow’s milk

3.            Wensleydale (British) a Yourkshire cheese once made by French Monks from the Roquefort region who settled in Wensleydale; cheese has been made here since 1150 AD; this one is infused with cranberry. – cow’s milk

 

4.            Spicy Gorgonzola Blue (Italian) – Originating from Milan; this is silky, savory and luxurious makes white chocolate seem brash and salty. Adding fruit or even a fruit-tinged beverage might be essential or a robust beer; unbelievably versatile… Pears, Apples, drizzled honey (tempers the sharp inflections), walnuts! – cow’s milk

 

5.            Manchego  (La Mancha, Spain) - where Don Quixote hailed. This cheese has hay and nutty flavors with a semi-firm compact distinct buttery texture not too strong or creamy that can be aged anywhere between 60 days and two years; great after taste…great with tapas and small plate like chorizo cheese –Sheep’s milk

6.            Goat Cheese Log (French)  - This snow-white, tangy cheese has been made for years, especially in the Loire valley in France; stored in a coolness it softens when exposed to heat to reveal a wonderful tantalizing savory treat that’s tart and fresh often with garlic and/or herbs with amazing results.

7.            The Camembert wheel (French/seasonal) – from Normandy is a soft creamy cow’s milk cheese with a bloomy edible rind; fuller and creamier…not to be confused with Brie that’s from Ile de France – Cow’s Milk

8.            Grana Padano (Italy) – One of the most popular cheeses in Italy; an artisan semifat hard cheese that’s fragrant, dry, grainy and delicious; made in copper kettles. It competes and is similar but less crumbly than it’s relative the king of cheeses Parmigiano Reggiano.

…selected Table Crackers, Baguette or Bread. Butter. A selection of sliced prosciutto and Serrano/lomo ham or chorizo, pork rinds along with fig, honey, raspberry, Red/black currant jellies or jams. Presentation on
a wooden cutting boards or on long serving platters pair-able with wine. Pick your favorite wines. Mix and match.

These are just a few of the ideas. Go ahead and experiment. It's so good!

 

...Enjoy!!!