Brad Ballinger

At the risk of oversimplifying, consider the U.S. experience with that of other countries that produce wine. If I go to a restaurant in Champagne, for example, I'm going to see a wine list that is predominantly Champagne. If I live in the area, I'm going to recognize many labels because I probably know or know of the person whos name is on the label. Same goes for Alsace, Loire, the Pfalz in Germany, Alto Adige in Italy, Penedes in Spain, and in Moldova, I'm going to know who made the Cricova. Of course it will be different in Paris, Rome, Berlin, and to a lesser extent Madrid. But even there, I'm probably still going to know what the wines from the different regions will be like (a nod to that terroir thing). And, if I'm a resident of Europe, I've grown up with wine at damn near every meal. And, if I'm operating a restaurant in many places (not all) in Europe, the money I'm making on wine is more from volume than margin. You want to charge me how many euro for Pierre's Champagne? Forget it. I'll go see Pierre myself. So how is it different in the U.S.? We don't have much "local" or "regional" wine. For many, there's no difference between the terms California, Napa Valley, or orisoli Vineyard. Wine isn't a normal part of a meal at home, and not even in most of the restaurants most of the public frequents. And profits from wine in U.S. restaurants are more margin-based than volume-based. And margins (and a bit of volume) are higher with wines that cost less. And those wines that cost less are being sold by the pretty and charming salesperson who works for the big wholesaler. And If I'm in the U.S. and don't like the price on the list, I can go to the retailer. But that's not the same as going to Pierre. In fact, in the U.S. Peter will charge me more than the retailer half the time. Okay, I know that's oversimplifying it. At the same time, though, it's more than firing Bubba.

I've only had the 2003 QbA from Donnhoff. IMO, it was not up to the standard of other vintages, being more monolithic and just sort of generic. I've not had any of the pradikat wines, but I've read notes from others who have been disappointed (albeit because they've come to expect more from Donnhoff).

I would agree with Mike and Craig that this is not a West Coast phenomenon. For some restaurant owners, a wine list can be a cash cow no matter what is on it. But anyone "managing" the wine list will have to consider what types or labels of wine will people buy and what they will pay for them. If the labels or types aren't recognized by Joe and Jane Diner, will the staff be knowledgeable enough to help the customer? In many instances, the pretty and charming sales rep will also offer to train the staff. There are many aspects to running a restaurant. I don't think wine is ever (or should ever be) at the top of the list -- and I know you're not saying that. For every one of us that may factor in a restaurant's wine list (or BYO-friendliness) when deciding whether or not to darken their door, there are probably 20 others for whom it's little more than an afterthought.

Sadly, there isn't much in the way of fine dining in Winona. I'm a graduate from Winona State University. When I lived there, there were two good places -- Zak's in The Hotel (neither exist anymore), and Jackson Street Cafe on the west end of town. Out of towners used to head for the Hot Fish Shop, which also closed years ago. On the list provided in AlexP's link, I would recommend pastries from Bloedow's Bakery and burgers at Shorty's Cafe (acutally Shorty's Bar). Bub's Brewing Co. may have decent brew pub fare. Not on the list, however, is probably your best bet (if it is still open). There's an Asian-themed restaurant called Winona Gardens at 62 E 3rd Street.

A small gathering last night. I missed the Old Rioja Tasting the previous evening. So thanks to Lee Short for having something more low key at his place the following night. 1989 Knoll Loibner Kreutles Gruner Veltliner Federspiel. My WOTN. Initially, there was a heavy dose of sulfur that needed to blow off. After it did, the nose of this wine was a lovely combination of white pepper, wet stones, and some herb accents. In the mouth, the wine is lively, bright, mineral-driven, and nowhere close to seeming like a 16-year old wine. Shows white pepper, a small amount of citrus, strong mineral. This has years ahead of it yet. 1994 Tresy Chateau Chalon. This is a very unique style of wine (vin jaune – yellow wine) made from savagnin grapes grown in the Jura. The wine is like sherry, and is produced in a somewhat similar style – with a yeasty by-product covering similar to a flor in sherry production, six years aging in wood during which it is not topped off. But the wine is a vintage wine. It is not fortified (although the alcohol on this one was 15%). It has an oxidative and nutty character similar to sherry. This was my second experience with the wine, and we were discussing that it takes four tries to warm up to it. I guess I’m halfway there. Nose of roasted nuts, some smoke, and an oxidative resin-ish quality. It has a nutty flavor, and a very nutty finish. The finish had some decent length and was not unpleasant. There’s a flavor like dried figs if one could remove all the sugar from them. 2001 Benito Ferrara “Vigna Cicogna” Greco di Tufo. I’ve had this wine a number of times in varying vintages, and have always had it with food. On its own (and after the Chateau Chalon), it’s a different animal. There’s some rain water character, some lemon oil, a little nut/spice combo. But the wine seems a bit tired tonight. Revisiting it later with a larger wine glass, it had more to offer, but still wasn’t as good as others I’ve had in the past. 2002 Kistler Chardonnay, Kistler Vineyard, Sonoma County. “Ahhh, a Kistler that’s a single-vineyard wine. We don’t see many of those in Minnesota. Well, let’s try this chardonnay” Then the bottle, upon removal of the cork, uttered, “Butter.” “No,” I said, replacing the cork, “Kistler Chardonnay.” “Butter.” “Chardonnay.” “Butter.” “Chardonnay.” “Butter.” I poured, swirled, sniffed, and sipped. “Hmmm. Creamy and rich. Melted butter on toast, popcorn, sweet corn. Maybe it is butter. Okay, butter.” “Chardonnaaaaaayyy.” (But it was really butter butter butter.) 2002 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay Premier Cru. The grapes used to produce this wine don’t come from one particular premier cru vineyard. Rather, there are a handful from this one, a handful from that one, etc, all of which are premier cru vineyards. For quite a while, this wine was too tight to really evaluate. After much air and vigorous swirling in showed beautiful black cherry fruit, almost as if the cherries were being crushed at that moment in the glass. Then some bacon fat showed along with some spice. Very balanced in the mouth. It’s not showing a whole lot, but all the components are there and in balance. 1993 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay Premier Cru. Much more, obviously, complex and layered than the 2002 right now. Smoky, leathery, earthy. The tannins are still hard at work, but manage to let enough of the black fruits shine – particularly on the finish. The acidity is lively. There’s a pleasant mushroom secondary note. It’s quite delicious on its own, and I think it still has some improvement ahead of it. 1994 Ridge Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains. 73% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot, 9& petit verdot, 3% cabernet franc. Color is damn near black. Initally, the nose gave a jab of toasted oak. Recovering from that, there was the classic eucalyptus character associated with this wine. In the mouth, there’s a core of blackcurrant and cherries, with sweet tannins, some vanilla, and toasty oak. A bit more acidity would bring it closer to being in balance. 1995 Chateau Sergant Lalande-de-Pomerol. Put this wine in the category of “smells better than it tastes.” I think part of that would’ve been alleviated if we were tasting this wine three years ago, which I also had the pleasure of doing. Tonight, the nose had the lovely Bordeaux funky, poopy quality with some herb and spice. There is still a nice structure to the wine, but inside that structure is fruit that has gone past its prime. It’s okay in a mature wine kind of way, but nothing you’d remember an hour later.

Dinner with a couple of couples last night. We all like to cook. The men are more wine geeky than the women. 2002 William Fevre Chablis. I didn't take any notes for this wine. It was the glass handed out as we walked in the door. It was incredibly dry, crisp, acidic, and tart. It was also a bit too cold. Warming up, it's "bite" withdrew a little. 2002 Dr. Deinhard Deidesheimer Maushohle Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken, Pfalz. AP 510632702103. Not very forthcoming on the nose. A stony, chalky mineral character on the nose. Some apple skin and lime in the background. On the palate, the wine is very well balanced. There is a mineral core that is accented with some lime and carambola flavors. The wine is mouthfilling, but delicately so. Not much sweetness at all. Clean, long finish. Nicely parie with zwiebelkuchen. 2004 James & Nicholas Paget Touraine Azay-le-Rideau Rose. This wine is 95% mineral and 5% fruit. So rockheads like me dig it. Initially, there was an off-putting aroma that I could only describe as spit valve. Those of you who've ever played a brass musical instrument will know what I mean. This did blow off, however, after about 10-15 minutes. Again, there is a strong mineral profile here -- copper, iron. What fruit one might find is on the tart side, perhaps cranberry-like. Very earthy, almost moreso than the green lentil soup it was served with. (Before someone calls me hypccritical for having wine with soup, let me disclaim that I was a guest, and not the host). 1997 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Herrenweg Turckheim Pinot Gris. And my "I just don't get, nor do I like Z-H" trend continues. Smoky and soapy on the nose, with a burnt sugar component. In the mouth, I found the wine thin and linear showing an initial sugar-based attack, which quickly gives way to a lean, flat, dead liquid. There's little acidity here to carry the wine from attack to finish. Hell, it never even reaches the midpalate. The only thing that constitutes a "finish" is that I could lick a film of sugar off my teeth after swallowing. There was some discussiong that maybe it would show better once we were served the Thai shrimp bisque. It didn't. Well, not for me at any rate. 1997 Camus Latricieres-Chambertin. The initial whiff of this wine was all oak. Fortunately, the subsequents whiffs detected less of it. In the oak's place were pleasing aromas of plums, some smoke, allspice. In the mouth, the wine is fairly straightforward spice accented black cherry, and a little weak in the acid department. As with the Zind Humbrecht, there's some abuptness and shortness of finish, but not as severe. Burned a tiny bit. 1995 Teofilo Reyes Ribera del Duero. One of our dining party commented that he didn't think he'd ever had this wine. I told him to close his eyes, take another sip, and he would conclude that he has indeed had this wine more times than he may like to admit. Although the nose had an intriguing "crawl space" aroma to it, on the palate the wine was pretty modern-tasting and nondescript. Extracted dark fruits, some tobacco, soft tannin, vanilla, oak. A tiny bit of smoke to keep it interesting. It's a fine enough wine, but also a forgettable one.

I'd go for Virginia, but it would have nothing to do with her wine knowledge. On the whole, I think there is a whole lot more to bring two people together, keep them together, and have them grow together than wine. When I was first dating my wife, she didn't share my interest in wine. Still doesn't. If you ask her if she likes wine, she'll say something like, "I like what Brad picks out for me," and that will be about it. But for our first Christmas, when we were dating, she gave me a bottle of B&G Merlot. No, not the best wine. But I was touched nonetheless.

It depends (of course). Apple what? How tart? How sweet? A general rule of thumb with pairing a wine with a dessert is that the wine should be sweeter than the dessert. Otherwise, the sweetness in the dessert can make the wine seem more astringent/less sweet than it might otherwise appear on its own. Moscato/Muscat comes in fizzy (e.g. Moscato d'Asti) and still styles. I don't know what style you were thinking. But there are many late harvest options you can consider, including riesling, chardonnay, semillon, sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, pinot gris, viognier. In general, you get more volume for your money with Moscato d'Asti. And it is usually lower in alcohol. One of my favorite producers is Elio Perrone, who makes a Sourgal (bottled shortly after harvest, lighter in style) and a Clarte (bottled later, a bit more depth).

There's a thread here on the broader topic of marketing wine to women. I always thought most wine was marketed to women anyway. What this effort by Beringer Blass, and many marketing gimmicks by others, show is that, as with many commodities, it's more about marketing than you think. It doesn't matter to many what is in the bottle as much as what they think is in the bottle.

Nope. You're not. In fact, I don't really prefer any wine with chocolate. I prefer coffee. But if I am forced to have wine with chocolate, I'll opt for Banyuls, Maury, or Late Bottled Vintage Port. Some also like Muscat with chocolate, but for me that would depend on how dark/strong the chocolate is.

I'd want #1. I'm not a fan of wine with soup. I know, I know. I'm a wine prude.

But will it chill a six pack? Actually, they've had similar things for wine bottles for a number of years.

rhone and rhone like? which part of the rhone are we talking about here buddy? cote du rhone? (i hope not). cote rotie? chateaneuf du pape? syrah and oxtail is really conservative pairing.... but usually when oxtail is around, a steak is too. oxtail and gnochi is always nice...... or oxtail and root vege. and a fruity oaky cab would be fine. or a priorat, or a gran riserva rioja, or even australian shiraz. its not black and white, its not always "oxtail and syrah", "lamb and merlot", "ny strpi and cabernet" "lobster and chardonnay". c'mon now. ← I meant syrah-based and some grenache-based like Chateauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas (or, as you mention, Priorat). And Abra has asked for no miss options since there is only once chance to get it right. With the particular cabernet wine in question, the oxtail pairing would not be the no miss choice needed. If you've ever had Leonetti wines, you'll know what I mean. As far as your black and white rant, you will find several places in this forum and others where I write something like "drink the wines you like with the foods you like." I believe there are no rules. Abra's client, however, likely doesn't ascribe to that philosophy and is looking for something to -- in his mind -- showcase his trophy wines and enlarge a portion of his anatomy. This isn't time to educate the unenlightened; it's time to be conservative and get some repeat business.

Is this a play on the Muscovy duck and duck confit references?

Solid rec on the Crown Roast of Lamb for flavor and ooh ahh. I don't think David Bruce makes an Anderson Valley Pinot, but I'm not totally sure.

Yep. Which is why we are not making it taboo by demonizing it or eliminating it. Rather, we are trying to teach and model responsibility. And all the professionals we're working with tell us we're doing the right thing. But I'd bet the cellar she's going to drink at the first party that presents her with an opportunity. I can't do anything about that. But I can show her that there are more than two alternatives (abstinance or drunkenness), and can teach her about the production of the beverage and so on. And we've talked about people who can stop after a certain number of drinks, and people who can't stop -- and how she will have to face that herself soon enough if she chooses to drink. On one side of her coin, she's proclaimed she will never drink, and has made comments about being bothered by seeing the wine in the wine cellar. It now has a solid door with a lock to (hopefully) create an out-of-sight, out-of-mind, out-of-temptation effect. On the other side of her coin, she's pretended to be drunk after one sip of communion wine (thinking it's funny), she's asked to have a glass of wine, and she's bragged about drinking wine coolers in the past. She needs to be handled delicately. I know her tastes, and she's not going to like wine anyway (unless it's Bugey Cerdon). She's going to go for the sloe gin, blackberry brandy, peach schnapps, etc. If she had been my daughter since birth, I probably could do many of the excellent things mentioned in this thread. But her birth mother dumped her off with birth father because raising a toddler was cutting into her partying lifestyle. Birth father would drink beer and get abusive. On both sides of my family going back two generations I am the only male who is not addicted to alcohol. My two grandfathers abused alcohol until their deaths. My only male uncle abused it but has been sober for years now. My father committed suicide by drinking himself to death. My brother can't handle alcohol, and has been sober for over ten years. This also includes all my male cousins, but I don't need to go into their stories. I'm not trying to be preachy or to hijack this thread. But what I am saying is that there are a number of different ways to teach children about wine (and other alcoholic beverages). And they are watching us more than we may think.

A couple of comments here. Braised oxtail would be a great dish. IMO, however, not a great dish with a Leonetti Cabernet. Braised meats are terrific with Rhone and Rhone-like wines, and would probably go better with pinot noir than a Leonetti Cab. I think you'd be much better served with an "in your face" dish to go with the Leonetti. Regarding David Anderson Pinot Noir, I googled it and found nothing. So let's assume it's a domestic wine (probably California) under a different name. Duck confit would be an okay match. Seared or grilled salmon might be better. But the confit is something you could have mostly done ahead of time.

Wine is also an alcoholic beverage, and it's up to parents to determine if there will be any adverse consequences to letting children sample alcohol. Not to be prudish, but my daughter won't be served wine or any other alcoholic beverage in our house until she is 21. She is currently 15. My wife and I adopted her one year ago. Her birth parents both abused alcohol, and she is likely at risk for doing the same. We are attempting to teach and model responsible behavior with respect to alcohol, which includes wine. As parents, we have three choices -- 1) remove it from the house, never let her see us imbibe, preach alcohol is evil; 2) model responsible behavior, and take advantage of opportunities to teach about responsibility and decision-making; 3) get hammered and not care. I know the dangers of her viewing alcohol as taboo. And she has seen firsthand the dangers of abuse. She has never seen responsible behavior with respect to alcohol. I only have six more years to teach her -- one instance at a time. In two weeks, I'm hosting a wine tasting in our home. Our daughter has asked if she can taste. I've told her she can take part in the wine tastings when she is 21. I also told her it's a wine tasting event, and not a wine drinking event, and I will be regulating how much each person has to drink (the wines will be all mine). I've told her I'd pay her if she wanted to help serve, but that will be the extent of her "getting started."

Your client seems to love oak. For the Leonetti, I'd only recommend a big ass steak with lots of marbling. Nothing subtle. You can go surf and tuf with lobster and take care of the Kistler as well. If the Kistler is meant for a different course, I'd do something scallop-like with a rich sauce. John Ash's Scallops with Vanilla-Scented Sauce is a recipe I've made a number of times, and was created for rich California Chardonnays. I've never heard of David Anderson Pinot Noir.

Jim, Perhaps you have knowledge that the particular bottle in your possession is a dessert sparkler. But not all of them are. And I'm not a fan of dry bubbly with dessert. But I'm just one person. Is this one labeled "demi-sec" or "doux"? For others reading the thread who may not know it, Blanquette Methode Ancestrale is a type of sparkling wine produced in the south of France. Most come from Limoux. Blanquette is the name of the grape (also known as Clairette), and Methode Ancestrale (also known as rural method) is the process by which the wine gets its bubbles. Depending on who you read, Limoux has been credited with being the first region in the world to produce sparkling wine. Wines made using the rural method have their fermentation stopped by chilling the temperature. The as yet undeveloped wine is then bottled and the fermentation continues. This differs from Methode Champenoise where yeast and a sugar/wine solution is added after the base wine is bottled to produce a secondary fermentation. Some, but not all, of the wines produced using the rural method are not filtered, and, as a result, are cloudy in their appearance.

At a shop in Minneapolis called Surdyks. Edited to add: I should also mention the wine is imported by Kermit Lynch. So whichever wholesaler(s) have the Kermit Lynch portfolio can probably get it.

By "wine you've never tried before" I assume you mean exclusively producer/varietal/appellation you've never tried before. Otherwise, many of us could squeak by on a technicality by simply trying a vintage we've never tried before of a producer's wine we've sampled many times.

2004 Charles Joguet Chinon Rose. With the weather in Minnesota turning more chilly and damp (it will be time to fire up the furnace soon), I figured I should hurry and drink up this bottle of pink still wine. While it is a wine that would indeed be a joy on a sunny summer day or evening, this is no mere deck-sipping pinky. Lovely pink color that leans more on the lavender/vin gris side of pink than the salmon/rose side of pink. The nose showcases floral (think violets) and mineral aromas along with wild strawberry. In the mouth, the wine is dry dry dry. It's mineral at the core with some floral, herb, spice, and tart berry fruit. Some people may find the wine too tart while others will relish it for that. Finishes with a stony minerality nuanced with strawberry and citrus. This would be a good accompaniment to many fish and shellfish dishes.

Damn. Seeing that can of Tuborg Green Label is both pleasing and frustrating. Carlsberg is not the same. Tuborg Gold is not the same. But I wonder if it would be the same if it had to go through any alterations in production in order to be imported into the U.S. I mention this because I've drank two bottles of Poland's Zywiec side by side -- one imported into the U.S. and sold at retailers, and the other "imported" into the U.S. by a friend returning from there. I had pleny of Zywiec (and Okocim) when I was in Poland, and loved them. But the stuff you can buy here just isn't the same. So that might happen with Tuborg Green Label. I don't know.

I've had a stash of these for years. I like to crush them and press them onto various meats that I either grill of pan sear. They are very good on venison steaks and chops.