Echezeaux

Good news...at least it won't be corked! And you can sip it through a straw or direct, so no needd to wash your Riedel glasses....

For "good value" California Pinots: Olivet Lane 2001 Russian River ($20) La Crema Russian River or Sonoma Coast (both under $25) Ramspeck 2002 North Coast $17 Acacia Carneros $20 From Oregon: Ponzi $25 Can't think of many "good value" wines from there.... From France: Charlopin Fixin $22 Charlopin Marsannay $24 Guyon Vosne-Romanee $20 Guyon Chorey-Les-Beaune $14 Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet 2001 Monthelie $20 Henri Pelle Menetou-Salon Rouge $17

I'm just glad he's not cloaked in gobs of fruit. The man does a nice job in evaluating Bordeaux. But his reviews of many other wine regions don't "work" as well for me. What about all y'all?

Gross is one of the more highly regarded Muskateller guys in the Steiermark. Theirs is, perhaps, a tad finer than the Tement (who's the meister of Sauvignon Blanc). Another lovely dry Muscat can be had from the Bolognani winery in Lavis (Trento/Italia). And in the Val d'Aosta, the winery called La Crotta di Vegneron makes a delicious Chambave Muscat... And, yes...pity those poor souls who drink Cabernet, Merlot and/or Chardonnay with virtually everything.

Carema's correct in that there's sort of a "macho" thing in being able to taunt your friends with the fact that you own a particular bottle and they don't. A friend of mine is a home-winemaker and has a good palate. He buys nice wines but nothing extravagant. A buddy of his is absolutely wed to the notion of following slavishly the various reviews of wines. He used to buy wine at the same wine shop as my friend, but they don't cater to folks who insist upon buying "by the numbers." (And they have great wines, but they try to engage customers in conversations which can allow them to find wines which will suit the palate of the purchaser...) So, the home winemaker buys a nice bottle of a $15 Rhone...while the Slave brings a highly-rated $40 bottle to an event. The Slave opens his bottle, telling one and all about how this is a rare bottle and how it was awarded a certain high numerical score. The home winemaker opens his bottle, not saying a word. Everyone in attendance, even the Slave, says they prefer the Rhone. It really pissed off the Slave to be one-upped with a wine which costs about one-third the price of his and which has NO CRITICAL ACCLAIM. The home-winemaker returned to the wine place to buy a few more bottles of the Rhone, one as a gift for the Slave. He even asked them to leave the price tag on the bottle, just to rub it in. The point is: good wine doesn't have to cost a fortune. It doesn't have to have a high numerical score. It doesn't have to be famous.

I don't find Heitz 2001 Rose at $29 to be a bargain! I might consider ordering their 2002 at this stage, but can't say $29 is a "deal" for a $12-$13 retail bottle of wine. It's that sort of pricing that has me looking at ordering a beer. I am not impressed by wine lists that are more like a phone book or those lists which don't match the cuisine.

I would urge you to bring back only wines you've tasted and enjoyed. There are many top small estates and large Champagne firms represented in the U.S., so finding some wines you like from smaller houses and more obscure properties is more sensible. I'd suggest scouting wines in various wine bars or large stores with a Champagne "bar"...I've carried back numerous bottles in my backpack as carry-on baggage...and packed some bottles in boxes in my luggage. No problem. Just pack them carefully. And keep in mind, Paris is only a short drive from Champagne. You could even rent a car and go visit a few houses directly. A good NV Brut will set you back about fourteen to eighteen Euros. And, if you're going during the week, you could dine at Le Vigneron, a famous establishment in Reims (all the bigwigs with the large firms lunch there). Bon chance!

One of the common "rules" of wineries selling wine is the "farther away from the winery the customer is located, the more the winery wants to sell them their products." Of course, in France many wineries are thrilled to have customers from other countries come to buy their wines. Same for Californian wineries. They love to make a small sale of wine to France or Italy, especially. While the thrill of that sale is a "rush' for vintners, what most don't realize is their wines are put on display where the gather dust until they're discarded. Or, if the bottle is finally sold, it only serves to confirm what people thought: Those wines are no good! I've seen good shops around Europe with a few bottles of relatively "ancient" wines which only served as window dressing. What a shame. Anyway, a nice "score" with your Spanish wine!

Someone must have a broken calculator as the wine sells for around 16-Euro dollars in Spain! Must have gotten it confused with some other wine.

In the realm of Pinot Noirs, I would be hard-pressed to have a wine from Calera on either a short or long list of "must haves". But everyone, as you note, should buy and drink wines which "work" for them. I, for one, have found many really strange wines from Calera. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

I would say Mr. Camp's palate was in neutral if he believes his assertion that Josh Jensen makes "great" Pinot Noirs. Of course, this opens the discussion to defining what makes "great Pinot Noir." I have not found very many great wines in the Calera portfolio since the winery's inception in the mid-1970s. The wines are certainly a bold statement, frequently. Whether or not one likes those statements is another issue. Most Burgundy wines don't have the alcohol levels of Calera Pinot Noirs. Further, they often have a backbone of acidity. Many vintages of Calera have had odd, funky, herbal, weedy and gamey notes. Few upper echelon Burgundian vintners would be proud to have in their bottles the wine Mr. Jensen has in his. Note to Carema: please pour that Viognier in a highball glass and be sure to have a wedge of pineapple in it. But be careful not to poke yourself in the eye with the little umbrella toothpick.

A vendor of winery equipment told me he had visited a certain producer. This winery had just signed up with a particular firm to market its wines nationally. They estimated, since this firm was prominent in participating in various Shanken & Company events and sponsorships, that would "enhance our ratings by about four or five points." Sure enough, whether by good fortune, good wine or good will, their wines have achieved great numerical scores and they've gotten a wine or two, since, placed on the vaunted "Top 100" list. What an amazing coincidence!!! In speaking with a Napa Valley vintner, I inquired if there wasn't "subtle pressure" to advertise in the Wine Spectator to get their wines noticed or reviewed. The reply was succinct: "It's not subtle." But the plain fact of the matter is various wine journals accept advertising dollars from the people whose products they claim to critique objectively. Further, these same "consumer oriented" publications accept samples from wineries. Isn't that a little bit like the restaurant critic giving the dining establishment a "heads up...I'm coming to review your place"? And many restaurants already recognize the various critics, whether they're in disguise or not. Yet wine reviewers don't seem to wonder if the samples they're offered are legit or not. The amazing thing about the Spectator's list is the number of people who then begin the "hunt" for various wines. Even if the wines are of a style or flavor profile that's not particularly attractive to that consumer. --- Using their "excitement" factor in evaluating wines, perhaps a Charles Shaw-labeled wine should be on the Top 100 list since so many people have been buying that crap and excusing its lack of quality since it's "only $1.99." --- I visited a California winery where the man "holding court" in the tasting room would pour a wine and spout off its numerical score from the Wine Spectator or Parker. Being a provacative fellow, I asked the man "Who's Robert Parker and why should I care?" Everyone in the room laughed. He poured another wine and told of its grand performance on Mr. Parker's scale. "Who the hell is this Parker chap and why should I care?" I again asked. Since I was really attempting to draw out something more intelligent than a mere numerical score, the fellow told one and all how severe of a critic both publications are and what a grand honor it is for them to have scored so highly. I then said "Yes, but I have my own palate and shouldn't I buy wines which PLEASE ME? Why should I buy wines that someone else likes when I may not care for them at all?" And, further, since I am paying you for the privilege of tasting your wine, what if I like it and Mr. Parker doesn't or vice versa? Isn't the purpose of your TASTING ROOM to allow people to come to their own conclusions? (Hopefully a positive reaction to these products...) For if you are only going to sell wine based on what Mr. Parker says, why not simply hand each visitor Mr. Parker's reviews and let them chose which wines to buy from his say-so? You wouldn't have to wash some many wine glasses for one thing! One sad feature about wine is that so many people are afraid to ENJOY something if it doesn't have the requisite score or rating. And, of course, there are so many people who can't ENJOY a wine UNLESS it has a certain minimum score or review. Pity.

I'd also consider the type of wood you're using for smoking the fish, for one thing. For another, I would consider the intensity of the smoke and how dry or moist the Char will be when it gets to the table. If your Char is more intensely smoked, then a "woodsy" sort of red wine might be suitable. If your particular fish is rather oily, then a more acidic red such as Barbera might be suitable. A more trout-like Char would be best with a more delicate red such as a Beaujolais, a lighter-styled Loire Valley red. I'd suggest starting the guests off with a nice Champagne to prepare their palates...then you can proceed from there. You didn't mention how the Char is eventually being brought to the table or the side dishes accompanying it. These might also influence the selection of a suitable red wine.

As the Wine Spectator is a journal that claims that wine's quality can be measured using a numerical scale, it IS interesting that their listing of wines included on the Top 100 "Most Exciting" (not best quality) often has the highest scoring wines somewhere down the list. This should cause readers and pundits to question the Spectator staff's ability to operate a calculator (much less a corkscrew). They claim availability is sometimes an "x" factor in assembling their list of wines. {A wine of large production with a fairly high score will beat out a 500-case wine of higher score. What is interesting in this instance, of course, is knowing whether or not the Spectator ever goes out to BUY a bottle of wine to verify that what is being SOLD commercially is identical to the wine in the sample bottles sent to them directly by the producer.} And the e-gullet crowd is certainly aware of the impact a wine brand may have when advertising dollars (that may be the "y" factor) come into play, but the general public is not.

You know the world is going to hell in a handbasket when wine-tasters are looking around to have a sniff of everything, be it a skunk, squirrel, sparrow or camel. I'm not sure I need THAT much detail in a wine description.

As long as we're talking apples, oranges, Pomerol, etc. in response to a Chateauneuf question, I thought I'd add more confusion. The firm of Guy Mousset made a Clos du Roi wine back in the 1970s. I am not sure if they sold that vineyard or what, but can tell you the Chateau Gigonan today makes a Chateauneuf-du-Pape known as Clos du Roi . Whether or not they're the same vines, I cannot determine at this time. I was in Chateauneuf earlier in the year and had the chance to taste some wines from the 1978 vintage. Certainly they are "old" and a nice bit of history, too.

I like to list the wines by producer or brand name, vintage and then type of wine with any special designation following that. I would, then, list the Muscadet as Domaine de la Pépière 2002 Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine sur Lie Clos des Briords "Cuvée Vieilles Vignes"... Domaine Saint-Vincent: It's correctly spelled "Saumur". On the Moscato: La Spinetta or Rivetti would be fine for the brand name/label, with 2002 Moscato d'Asti following that, followed by the bottling or vineyard, in this case Vigneto Biancospino.

For a nice range of prices and styles, I would suggest: 1. Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve (about $30)...fabulously toasty, quite dry and full-bodied. A connoisseur's Champagne and somewhat of a benchmark for serious quality non-vintaged wines. 2. Henri Billiot (about $37 for the non-vintage and the 1996 is about $50) This is a wonderful "grower's" Champagne. 3. Roger Pouillon "Fleur de Mareuil" ($40)...might be hard to find, but a wonderful Champagne. The base wine is wood-fermented and the Champagne is very rich, creamy and dry. The NV Brut of Vilmart would be an "okay" substitution, but not as grand. 4. Roederer Estate "L'Ermitage" (about $38) One of the few California bubblies that really comes close to the style of French Champagne. 5. Domaine Carneros Brut (about $20) A Typically one of the most effervescent bubblies and a nice example of California wine. 6. Yering Station's Yarrabank 1996 Brut ($31) A leading Australian bubbly of serious quality. 7. Bellavista 1997 Pas Opere Gran Cuvee ($45) One of Italy's top sparklers from the Franciacorta denominazione. Chardonnay and Pinot, of course. 8. Wildcard Suggestions: You might consider a Prosecco (Aneri is a top brand which actually has some yeast autolysis), Sparkling Vouvray or Montlouis, Cremant d'Alsace, German sekt (estates such as George Breuer or Von Buhl make bottle fermented wines from Pinot grapes)...or you might find a South African bottle-fermented...Spanish Cava (Segura Viudas Brut Heredad is nice)...or, Nyetimber makes really good bubbly in England ( ) and that would be one your guests would not be expecting... Good luck!

Keep in mind, too, please, that the Loire is capable of producing stylish Pinot Noir. I tasted one from a fellow who produces, mostly, Pouilly-Fume and this was incredibly good. It is not in commercial production, but demonstrated there is potential for Pinot Noir in France outside of the Cote d'Or. There are good Sancerre Rouge wines, of course and a vintner or two in Menetou-Salon offers juicy, cherryish Pinot Noir with a bit of wood.

The A-Mano wine so highly praised in the Chronicle article is a wine with a substantial amount of residual sugar. This is not noted in the description of the wine. I find the sweetness to be a flaw in the wine, unless you're looking for something to pair with chocolate pasta, perhaps. No thanks! The article appears to be written with the author having done a minimum of homework. Looks like more of a puff piece sponsored by a couple of wine importers/distributors than the work of someone looking to suggest really good value wines from Italy, given the SF Bay Area has a good number of small importers specializing in Italian wines.

One possible suggestion is to bring the customer an empty glass but a small decanter or carafe filled with the 6 ounce serving. This allows the customer to pour the wine themselves and have a "full" serving. I liked these suggestions: Pedroncelli Rose Dry Creek and Murphy Goode Sauvignon Blancs Bonny Doon and Regaleali Roses Bonny Doon Riesling Joesph Drouhin Beaujolais Seghesio Zin Guigal Rhone ......as they show a certain amount of sophistication without having huge price tags.

No. An enologist printed a scholarly book on the details involved in making wine and felt this was an edition which would have broad appeal. It did not.

Taking the mystery out of wine is a good idea and I applaud all who work to accomplish that. A friend who's wine column has broad readership was annoyed at seeing a "textbook" on wine and wine appreciation which the publisher hoped would get good reviews and gain distribution. He pointed out "I don't have to be a cinematography expert to be able to go to the movies and enjoy a film. It's a shame some people think you have to be a wine expert to enjoy a glass of wine."

Keep in mind, y'all, that Ms. Immer is the official "sommelier" for a chain of department stores called TARGET. Some of the Target stores actually have a wine aisle and Andrea Immer is their consultant. From an official Target publication come these pairings of comestibles and wine. While I am capable of satire, I assure you these are the suggestions of Ms. Immer. CHOCOLATE & SHIRAZ "Think of chocolate-dipped berries and you'll understand the appeal of this luscious match. Try Fetzer Valley Oaks Shiraz with Dove Dark Chocolate Promises." POPCORN & CHARDONNAY Buttery, toasty popcorn loves the buttery, toasty taste of Chardonnay with a kiss of tropical fruit flavors. Pair Orville Redenbacher's Butter Gourmet Popping Corn with Gallo of Sonoma Chardonnay." SALTED NUTS & PINOT GRIGIO The racy refreshment of Pinot Grigio is the perfect complement to a nutty, crunchy, salty snack. Planter's Deluxe Mixed Nuts and Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio are terrific together. CORN CHIPS & SAUVIGNON BLANC Sauvignon Blanc tastes like a fresh squeeze of lime--delicious with the toasted corn crunch of chips. Tostitos Tortilla Chips are great with Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. The question is not, then, can she be "bought" or "Is she for sale?" but "How much?"

Here are some current reviews: More "x's" means a higher "rating." XX. Covey Run 2002 Gewurztraminer Washington State $7 Well, tie me to the mast and flog me, sailor! X. Pepi 2002 Pinot Grigio Oregon $13 Gettin' high with a trust fund babe - floral, herbal, a little tart but rich and tasty. Close to XX. XX. Red Knot 2002 Shiraz McLaren Vale - Australia $11 Better than sharin' a love seat with Michael Vartan on a first class flight to sin city - spiced almonds, warm fruit and the wine just flowin' and flowin' and flowin'! XX. Avery Lane 2001 Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Valley $7 More grass and acid than a Pink Floyd reunion tour! XX. Yellow Tail 2002 Shiraz The Reserve - South Eastern Australia $13 I'm just a sweet transvestite, from transsexual, Transylvania. Close to XXX. I'm all for "taking the mystery out of wine," but I'm afraid I need some sort of translation for most of their reviews.