The Cork Chronicle

Tasting #23 (02/10/12) ~ Pizza Man Tribute

2012-01-25T09:42:00.005-06:00

Hosted by: Jason & Andrea
Location: Greenfield

Attended by (14): Jason, Andrea, Mike, Jen, Debby, Dan, Tad, Tiffany, Kris, Sarah, Andy, Kim, Doug, Lori.

Not Able to Attend (3): Rich, Jon, Abbey

Undecided (4): Mark, Cindy, Sam, Holly

Tastes:

--Breakfast Pizza paired with mimosa (brought by: Debby)

--Margarita Pizza (brought by: Andy & Kim)

--Thai Pizza paired with ??? (brought by: Kris & Sarah)

--Stuffed Shells (brought by: Mike & Jen) paired with a wine (brought by: Doug & Lori)

--Pinot Noir (brought by: Dan & Tad)

--TBD (brought by: Jason & Andrea)

--TBD (brought by: Tiffany)

Tasting #22 (01/13/12) ~ Go To Favorites

2012-01-13T15:09:00.010-06:00

Hosted by: Mike & Jen

Attended by (15): Mike, Jen, Jason, Andrea, Debby, Dan, Tad, Mark, Tiffany, Kris, Sarah, Doug, Lori, Steve, Barb

Theme: Thought up by Mike & Jen. "Bring your favorite go-to wine. Doesn’t matter the price, brand, varietal, etc. Since we do have a larger group for this tasting, please bring 2 bottles of your wine so everyone can get a 1.5 oz taste. If you like, bring info on it and maybe a couple of words why this is your go-to...no problem if you don’t. If you want to bring an app to pair with your wine, that is fine too."

Number of wines tasted: 8

WINE #
* Brought by: Debby
* Winery: Markus Molitor (Zeltinger Himmelreich plot)
* Grape: Spatlese (late harvest, fully ripe grapes) Reisling
* Region: Germany, Mosel Region (3rd largest by production, leading by Int'l prestige)
* Vintage: 2007
* Alcohol %: 7.5%
* Price: $10 to $16
* Purchased: Discount Liquor (51st & Oklahoma)
* Paired: Jambalya
* Description: Offers bold scents of wet stone, pineapple & melon, turning honeyed & tropical on the palate. It's sweet & lush, perfect for near-term consumption with mildly spicy Asian cuisine.

WINE #
* Brought by: Mike & Jen
* Winery: Kim Crawford
* Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
* Region: New Zealand, South Island
* Vintage: 2011
* Alcohol %: 13.5%
* Price: $15
* Purchased: Sendik's, New Berlin
* Paired: Chicken & mushroom risotto
* Description: Pale green color, finish is fresh & zesty, hints of pineapple & stonefruit & herbs, will develop over time

WINE #
* Brought by: Jason & Andrea
* Winery: Michel Picard
* Grape: Grenache (75%), Syrah (25%)
* Region: France, Cotes du Rhone region
* Vintage: ?
* Alcohol %: 13.0%
* Price: $10
* Purchased: Thief Wine (also available at Sendik's)
* Paired: not paired intentionally, but combines well with meats in sauce or grilled lamb chops served at room temperature.
* Description: From website - "... is cherry red in color & has a nose of matured red & black fruits (blackcurrent, morello cherry) and soft spices. The grapes are harvested mechanically & matured in stainless steel tanks." From Andrea - "This is a great, accessible wine to drink on its own, or with a meal. It's a light & earthy wine, but also warm fruit notes. And, the bottle has a screw top, so it's great to enjoy on the road."

WINE #
* Brought by: Mark
* Winery: Las Rocas (Bodegas San Alejandro, BSA)
* Grape: Grenacha (100%), known as Grenache in US & France
* Region: Spain (55 miles north of Madrid in the province of Zaragoza. The Calatayud DO includes 14,000 acres of vineyard in 46 small towns. Most of the vines rest at altitues of 2,500 to 3,500 feet above sea level, on diverse soils ranging from chalk to limestone, to clay & marl.)
* Vintage: 2008
* Alcohol %: 14.5%
* Price: $10
* Purchased: Thief & Ray's
* Paired: Guac & Torilla chips, but probably best with something from the Tex-Mex or perhaps something tomato-based like chili
* Description: Fruity nose, black cherry, earthy, spice-pepper, oaked less than a year

WINE #
* Brought by: Doug & Lori
* Winery:
* Grape: Merlot
* Region:
* Vintage:
* Alcohol %:
* Price:
* Purchased:
* Paired:
* Description:

WINE #
* Brought by: Tiffany
* Winery:
* Grape:
* Region:
* Vintage:
* Alcohol %:
* Price:
* Purchased:
* Paired:
* Description:

WINE #
* Brought by: Dan & Tad
* Winery:
* Grape:
* Region:
* Vintage:
* Alcohol %:
* Price:
* Purchased:
* Paired:
* Description:

WINE #
* Brought by: Steve & Barb
* Winery:
* Grape:
* Region:
* Vintage:
* Alcohol %:
* Price:
* Purchased:
* Paired:
* Description:

Tasting #21 (12/18/11) - Thief Wine

2012-01-12T09:44:00.002-06:00

Hosted by: Jason & Andrea
Location: Thief Wine, Milwaukee Public Market
Theme: Wines that are appropriate for the end of the year
Attended by: Jason, Andrea, Mike, Jen, Rich, Debby, Kim, Andy, Tiffany, Mark, Cindy, Lisa, Jason B, Barb, Doug

Tasting list to be updated soon...

FUTURE TASTINGS

2011-12-21T10:40:00.003-06:00

Wine Tastings will be the 2nd Friday of the month in most cases. Current exceptions are SEP'12 & OCT'12...

2012

> Jan - Fri 01/13/12 - Mike/Jen (New Berlin)

> Feb - Fri 02/10/12 - Jason/Andrea (Greenfield)

> Mar - Fri 03/09/12 - Rich/Debby (West Allis)

> Apr - Fri 04/13/12 - Dan/Tad (Downtown)

> May - Fri 05/11/12 -

> Jun - Fri 06/08/12 - Mark/Cindy (Tosa)

> Jul - Fri 07/13/12 - Dan/Tad (TBD)

> Aug - Fri 08/10/12 -

> Sep - Sat 09/15/12 - Kris/Sarah (So. Milw)

> Oct - Sat 10/06/12 - Rich/Debby (West Allis)

> Nov - Fri 11/09/12 -

> Dec - Fri 12/14/12 -

Quick Recap of first 20 tastings

2011-11-07T13:45:00.014-06:00

01 - WED - 07/01/09 - Jay/Andrea - 1st - Favorites (in)
02 - WED - 08/05/09 - Jay/Andrea - 2nd - Italian (in)
03 - WED - 09/02/09 - Rich/Debby - 1st - Grill pairings (out)
04 - WED - 10/07/09 - Mark/Cindy - 1st - Fall Beers (in)
05 - WED - 11/04/09 - Mike/Jen - 1st - old v. new world (in)
06 - WED - 12/02/09 - Jay/Andrea - 3rd - blind tasting (in)
X - JAN'10
07 - WED - 02/03/10 - Rich/Debby - 2nd - mardi gras (in)
08 - WED - 03/03/10 - Mike/Jen - 2nd - Asian pairings (in)
09 - WED - 04/14/10 - Jason - Vino 100 Tasting (road)
10 - WED - 05/12/10 - Mark/Cindy - 2nd - Spanish (in)
11 - WED - 06/02/10 - Mike/Jen - 3rd - picnic/twist-off (in)
12 - WED - 07/07/10 - Dan/Tad - 1st - champagne (in)
13 - WED - 08/04/10 - Tom/Jan - 1st - grilled kabobs (OUT)
X - SEP'10
X - SAT - 10/02/10 - Rich/Debby - Chili Dump
X - NOV'10
X - DEC'10
X - JAN'11
X - FEB'11
14 - FRI - 03/04/11 - Rich/Debby - 3rd - March Madness (in)
15 - FRI - 04/01/11 - Jay/Andrea - 4th - April Fools (in)
16 - FRI - 05/06/11 - Kris/Sarah - 1st - Blind Aerator (in)
17 - FRI - 06/03/11 - Mark/Cindy - 3rd - Patio Pounders (out)
18 - SAT- 07/09/11 - Dan/Tad - Cedar Creek (road)
19 - FRI - 08/05/11 - Tom/Jan - 2nd - Tuscan (out)
20 - FRI - 09/02/11 - Mike/Jen - 4th - Blends (out)
X - SAT - 10/15/11 - Rich/Debby - Chili Dump
X - NOV'11

Tasting #17 (06/03/11) ~ Patio Pounders

2011-06-01T18:21:00.006-05:00

Hosted by: Mark & Cindy
Hosting #3 (others were Tasting #4 in Oct'09 [fall beers] and Tasting #10 in May'10 [Spanish blind tasting])

Attended by (11): Mark, Cindy, Jason, Andrea, Mike, Jen, Dan, Tad, Andy, Kim, Tiffany

Tastings (6):

* VINHO VERDE ALBARINO/WHITE BLEND
Region: Northern Portugal
Brought by: Mike & Jen
Purchase info:
Paired with:

* STONE'S THROW FIELD BLEND WHITE
[light bodied, smooth, easy drinking, perfect for warm nights]
Region: California (grown) / Wisconsin (made)
Brought by: Jason & Andrea
Purchase info:
Paired with: chicken salad puffs

* RED BLEND
[light/med body but with flavors of a deeper red]
Brought by: Dan & Tad
Purchase info:
Paired with:

* SHIRAZ
Brought by: Mark & Cindy
Purchase info:
Paired with: beef & veggie kabobs

* TBD
Brought by: Kim & Andy
Purchase info:
Paired with:

* TBD
Brought by: Tiffany
Purchase info:
Paired with:

Tasting #16 (05/06/11) ~ Spring is in the AER-rator

2011-05-06T09:36:00.006-05:00

HOSTED by: Kris & Sarah

ATTENDED by (8 to 13): Kris, Sarah, Jason, Andrea, Rich, Debby, Dan, Tad... Tiffany? up to 4 others?

WINES/FOODS:

* Washington Gewurztraminer (2008 Columbia-Crest Two Vines, 11.5%) - paired with smoked salmon, muenster cheese & crackers (Rich/Debby)

* Pinot Noir - paired with crab rangoons (Kris/Sarah)

* French Bordeaux - (Dan/Tad)

* California Zinfandel (7 Deadly Zins, Michael David Winery, 15.0%) - paired with cocktail BBQ meatballs (Jason/Andrea)

MORE about the tasting (by Sarah): "It’ll be a bit of a blind tasting in that we will be trying each wine aerated and non-aerated to see if our taste buds can tell the difference. It’s kind of a myth-busting installment of Wine Club! For this tasting, we would prefer to have the majority of wines be red as aerating is primarily used on red wine. A few whites would be okay too, just to try and see if it does indeed make any difference, or to simply have after the tasting. Just a favorite of yours or something you’ve been wanting to try!"

Tasting #15 (04/01/11) ~ April Fools

2011-04-01T15:12:00.002-05:00

Hosted by: Jason & Andrea

Attended by (15): Jason, Andrea, Rich, Debby, Dan, Tad, Kim, Andy, Sarah, Kris, Jon, Abbey, Tiffany, Alex, Scott

Theme: In the spirit of April Fools Day, the attendees where asked to bring a wine in an attempt to "trick" the others as to what it really was. Each person blindly tasted each wine while trying to guess the grape and region. The big winner was Abbey (the pregnant one!), go figure!

Tastings (6):

* Laforet Chardonnay 2007, French (13%) - Jason & Andrea
* Macon-Villages Chardonnay 2009, French (12.5%) - Dan & Tad
* O'Reilly's Pinot Gris 2009, Columbia Valley WA (13%) - Jon & Abbey
* Torres Coronas Tempranillo 2005, Spain (13.5%) - Rich & Debby
* Lan Crianza Rioja (Tempranillo) 2006, Spain (13.5%) - Andy & Kim
* Lincoln Peak Marquette 2009, Vermont (13.8%) - Kris & Sarah

For more info on each wine, please view the comments section.

Tasting #14 (03/04/11) ~ March Madness

2011-03-04T16:49:00.002-06:00

Hosted by: Rich & Debby
Attended by 11: Rich, Debby, Jason, Andrea, Tom, Jan, Dan, Tad, Kris, Sarah & Jon.

Tasting #11 (06/02/10) ~ Wines & foods appropriate for a summer picnic

2010-06-02T16:07:00.003-05:00

Tasting #11 was a summer/picnic wine tasting (theme thought of by a collabate effort of a number of people) consisting of sangria, 2 whites, 1 "red" and 1 rose. The tasting was held for the third time at Mike & Jen's house in New Berlin and attended by (11): Mike, Jen, Jason, Andrea, Kristen, Steve, Abbey, Sarah, Kris, Christine & Tom.

WINES ~

1) Sangria - (Abbey)

2) Lambrusco - paired with cold cuts (Kristen/Steve)

3) Wollersheim Winery Prairie Fume (NY grown, WI produced) - paired with Asian slaw (Sarah/Kris). According to the winery: "This is a semi-dry white wine made from NY Seyval Blanc grapes. It is crisp, fresh & bursting with citris & tropical fruit aromas reminiscent of orange & grapefruit with a hint of sweetness. This is Wollersheim's most popular wine, perfect for every occasion & every taste." Alcohol: 10.1% Ageability: enjoy young (up to 2 yrs). Purchased for $9.

4) Chenin Blanc - paired with BBQ chicken (Mike/Jen)

5) 2009 Bieler Pere et Fils Rose (Provence, southern France) ~ paired with strawberry/raspberry shortcake (Jason/Andrea). This Rose varietal is 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache & 10% Cinsault. According to the winery: "This wine is blended for generous fruit & balanced acidity. Fresh strawberry & green-apple on the palate & a clean, dry finish makes this a delicious summer refresher!" According to winegems.net: "...now in its fifth vintage... this is a great wine to usher in the spring, combining the rich flavors of a red wine with the refreshing qualities of a white. It is cranberry-red in color with a gorgeous nose of blackberry, strawberry and cassis. It is beautifully crisp & flavorful on the palate with medium body & notes of red berries & citris & no oak. The finish is long & refreshing. Matches up with salade Nicoise, roast chicken grilled shrimp & mild cheeses." Alcohol: 13%. Ageablitiy: enjoy young (up to 2-3 yrs). Purchased at Thief Wine for $11.

UPCOMING WINE TASTINGS

2010-05-13T09:59:00.002-05:00

June 2nd - Location & theme to be determined (outdoors?)

July 7th - Location & theme to be determined (outdoors?)

August 4th - Jan & Tom's backyard patio, Greenfield. Theme: make your own kabobs ~ pick your own meat/seafood, veggies & marinade and grill them ~ and appropriate wines to pair with the kabobs.

September 1st - Location & theme to be determined (outdoors?)

October 6th ~ Location & theme to be determined (in/out - weather pending)

Tasting #10 (05/12/10) ~ Spanish wines & tapas

2010-05-12T12:43:00.017-05:00

Tasting #10 was a Spanish wine tasting (theme thought of by Mark & Jason) consisting of 1 white, 1 rose, 2 reds and 1 sparkling, along with various tapas. The tasting was held at Mark & Cindy's house in Wauwatosa and attended by (10): Mark, Cindy, Jason, Andrea, Rich, Debby, Jan, Dan, Sarah & Kris.

WINES ~

1) Martin Codax Albarino Rias Baixas (Dan)

2) 2007 Care Rosado Cabernet-Tempranillo ~ Carinena, Spain (Sarah/Kris)

3) 2008 Corona de Aragon Garnacha (Mark/Cindy)

4) Vega Moragona Tempranillo (Jason/Andrea)

5) Cava sparkling (Jan/Tom)

TAPAS ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapas

1. Meatballs in a tomato sauce (Andrea)

2. Manchego cheese with bread (Andrea)

3. Olives (Mark/Cindy)

4. Shrimp in garlic sauce (Debby)

5. Pesto pizza with crabmeat & artichoke hearts (Jan)

6. Lemon Sorbet (Debby)

7. Strawberries w/ dark chocolate (Mark/Cindy)

For Wine in 2010 Expect Price Drops, Screwtops, Thirsty Chinese

2010-01-05T15:05:00.001-06:00

2010-01-05 05:01:00.500 GMT

Review by John Mariani

Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Not since the millennium folly in
1999 have I seen so much frenzy in the wine market.

Back then, with stock markets booming, auction houses setting records for wines and Champagne producers warning there wouldn’t be enough fizz for the celebration, producers were enthusiastic and bottles were getting pricier by the month.

What a difference a decade makes. With high unemployment, pared-down expense accounts and a glut of wine, it’s the consumer’s turn to make merry, with lower prices, more choice and less pretension. Those 99-point ratings don’t seem quite so requisite any more to buying good wine.

So what do I see happening in 2010?

1. Prices will continue to drop across the board, from the priciest of Bordeaux and Burgundy to cult California wines that were once available only by subscription. This goes, too, for those Italian, Spanish and Chilean producers who thought that they could easily get the same kind of money those age-old French estates used to command.

2. More people will buy online. Consumers can go to sites like wine-searcher.com or vinfolio.com and compare prices for the same wine not just around the U.S., where many states now allow cross-state shipping, but in the U.K., Germany, and other countries. The spread can be amazing: a wine costing $40 in one store may be $75 in another. Wine stores will stock more inexpensive wines, which account for most of their profits.

3. Wine blogging will increase, mostly among those contending they’ve found spectacular bottles that will “blow your doors off” for under $15 a bottle. As with all blogging, readers should be wary of the source of such claims.

4. California, alas, will fail to back away from big, high alcohol, oaky reds and whites, because the producers believe that is the style most Americans prefer over subtlety and complexity. The problem is that cheaper wines of this style are so often dreadful, out of balance and undrinkable after one glass. California wineries talk a good game about finesse, but then they overripen their grapes and stick them in new oak for too long.

5. The tsunami of new wines from South America and Eastern Europe will ebb as the market overflows. Greek, Portuguese, and Brazilian wines have had good press in recent years, but unless they keep prices down, they won’t make much headway.

6. New Zealand wineries will be in trouble. The country’s recent prodigious harvests have glutted the market for their overly fruity punch-like style, and many fans want to move up in quality.

7. Champagne will be in serious trouble. It’s not just that prices have gotten way out of whack, with too many selling above $100 a bottle, but other sparkling-wine producers have been canny about getting their bubblies well-positioned, well-priced and well-reviewed. Champagne is reducing output and holding back product already bottled to get some balance, but it’s going to be a struggle to win revelers back from Italian prosecco, Californian sparklers and Spanish cavas. There are just too many Champagne labels out there.

8. Fine-dining restaurants will buy nominal numbers of expensive wines after trimmed expense accounts caused them to sit on their previous big capital purchases. They’ll wait until guests are telling sommeliers, “Money is no object.” Good luck with that. Fewer top-end restaurants will even open, and more modest new eateries will build wine lists with interesting, small labels from around the world and sell them at reasonable mark-ups.

9. More producers will switch to screwtops from cork stoppers in an effort to stem damage to the wines in the bottle from corkiness and oxidation as well as to make wine more accessible to the average consumer. The dirty secret is that most winemakers I talk to say they’d love to switch to screwcaps but fear buyers will think them cheap! Very dumb.

10. Americans will buy more wine at the $10-and-under level. The best bet for an expanding market is China, which is thirsty for good, inexpensive wine. And, like everything else, they’ll soon be producing that themselves.

(John Mariani writes on wine for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

TASTING #6 (12/02/09)

2009-11-30T09:26:00.003-06:00

Tasting #6 was a blind tasting of 2 Sauvignon Blancs and 2 Cabernets (theme thought of by Jason), with both comparision wines purchased at different price points. The tasting was held at Jason & Andrea's condo in Greenfield and attended by (12): Jason, Andrea, Jan, Tom, Rich, Debby, Kristen, Joe, Jen, Mike, Steph & James.

The night started with two starter wines (1 red & 1 white, depending on each person's preference) for everyone to enjoy upon arrival...

1. Folk Machine 2007 "Co-Conspirator" (Table White), California
2. Riva Rey 2006 Rioja Crianza (Tempranillo), Spain

Next, the actual tasting, complimented with grapes & a cheese plate coutesy of Jan & Tom...

3. Sauvignon Blanc #1
4. Sauvignon Blanc #2
5. Cabernet #1
6. Cabernet #2

Lastly, an Ice Wine with dessert (brought by Debby & Rich)...

7. Ice Wine, paired with a granny smith apple custard tart.

Thanksgiving wine pairings

2009-11-19T10:10:00.002-06:00

A blogger at www.jsonline.com submitted a post today about possible wine pairings for Thanksgiving dinner (turkey). The link is here... http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/70436207.html

I also added a comment about how my favorite turkey wines are the Parallel 44 Festivo and the Orchard County Semi-Dry Cherry.

TASTING #5 (11/04/09) - New World v. Old World wine tasting

2009-11-04T14:25:00.002-06:00

Wine tasting #4 was held at Mike & Jen's and featured New World wines vs. Old World wines and appropriate cheese pairings (theme thought of by Mike & Jen) and attended by: Mike, Jen, Jason, Andrea, Kristen, Joe, Rich, Debby, Kim, Andy, Sam & Holly.

UPCOMING TASTINGS...

2009-10-08T16:32:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, NOV 4th at Mike & Jen's. Theme yet to be determined.

TASTING #4 (10/07/09) - Autumn Beers

2009-10-08T15:57:00.003-05:00

Tasting #4 was actually a beer tasting (theme thought of by Jason) and was held at Mark & Cindy's house in Wauwatosa and attended by (9): Mark, Cindy, Jason, Andrea, Mike, Jen, Joe, Kristen and Kim.

The night started off with a casual Spanish grenache wine comparison...

1. TRES OJOS
Brought by: Mark

2. LAS ROCAS
Brought by: Mark

Next, we tried a German-style Octoberfest on its own...

3. HOFBRAUHAUS OKTOBERFEST
Brought by: Mark
Paired with: cheese & cracker plate (Mark & Cindy)
Also Paired with: cracker appetizer (Jen & Mike)
And Also Paired with: Bacon Breadsticks (Kristen)

Next was the blind American-style Octoberfest tasting...

4. STAGHORN OCTOBERFEST (New Glarus)
Brought by: Kristen & Joe

5. SAM ADAM'S OCTOBERFEST
Brought by: Mike & Jen

6. LEINENKUGEL'S OKTOBERFEST
Brought by: Jason & Andrea

Paired with: pork & sweet potato kabobs (made by Cindy)

Everyone commented on the beers, gave predictions and picked their favorites. The Staghorn was lightest in color and the Leinie's had the most carbonation. Everyone correctly picked that beer #2 was Sam Adam's and 7 people picked it as their favorite (without truely knowing that it was Sam Adam's). Almost everyone incorrectly picked the New Glarus vs. the Leinie's. Only Joe liked New Glarus the best and only Jason like Leinie's the best. By comparison, the voters at beeradvocate.com gave the following grades... New Glarus B+, Sam Adams B, Leinie C+.

Next up was the blind pumpkin beer tasting...

7. NEW HOLLAND ICHABOD ALE
Brought by: Mike & Jen

8. LAKEFRONT BREWERY PUMPKIN LAGER
Brought by: Kim

9. SHIPWRECKED BREWERY PUMPKIN ALE
Brought by: Jason & Andrea

Paired with: pumpkin pie (made by Cindy)

Once again, everyone commented, predicted and picked there favorite. All 9 tasters blindly picked Lakefront as their favorite! Way to go Milwaukee!!! Most people blindly favored the Shipwrecked as their second favorite of the three. Beeradvocate.com gave grades of B- to both Lakefront and Ichabod, but I didn't see a grade for Shipwrecked. I seemed to be about the only one who ranked the Ichabod higher than Shipwrecked. It was fairly heavy in cinnamon and in spice and I enjoyed the initial taste/burst of those flavors.

10. CHERRY VODKA BOUNCE
Brought by: Mark (brewed by his brother Scott)

11. CHEERY WHISKY BOUNCE
Brought by: Mark (brewed by his brother Scott)

The vodka-soaked cherries are out of this world, as is the juice/marinade. I found the vodka ones to be perfect, however, as not as big of a whisky fan, I thought those seemed stronger and I know I couldn't eat many of those by comparision.

Overall, a very fun and another successful tasting! Mark and Cindy were awesome hosts and it was fun to try something a little different.

And YES, we tried a lot of booze... and YES, I still have a headache to prove it!

TASTING #3 (09/02/09) - Grilled Foods & appropriate wine pairings

2009-08-06T09:37:00.008-05:00

Wine tasting #3 was held at Rich & Debby's backyard and featured grilled foods and appropriate wine pairings (theme thought of by Jason & Debby) and attended by: Jason, Andrea, Rich, Debby, Mike, Jen, Jan, Kristen, Dan & Tiffany

1. Frog's Leap Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 (Napa)
Brought by: Mike & Jen
Purchase Info: Consumer Beverage Center (Hales Corners)
Paired with: chicken & veggie kabobs (Rich & Debby)
About the wine: http://www.frogsleap.com/pdfs/sau.pdf

2. REISLING
Brought by: Dan
Purchase Info:
Paired with: polish sausage (Kristen)

3. TRAVICELLO
Given by: Mark
Purchase Info:
Paired with: grilled meatballs (Jan)

4. CEDAR CREEK OLD MILL RED (FOCH)
Brought by: Jason & Andrea
Purchase Info: Cedar Creek Winery, $11
Paired with: sliders (Dan)

5. LAYER CAKE SHIRAZ
Brought by: Tiffany & Debby
Purchase Info: Sendik, $13
Paired with: grilled choco dessert

Italian Wines & Food Pairings

2009-08-05T16:30:00.004-05:00

ITALIAN WINES & GOOD FOOD PAIRINGS (compiled by: Dan)

Whites:
Gavi
Prosecco
Moscato D'Asti
Soave or Orvieto
Pinot Grigio
Vin Santo

Reds (most Italian reds are dry)
Dolcetto
Barbera
Primitivo (same clone as zinfandel)
Chianti
Chianti Classico
Nero D'Avola

Pairings:
Gavi - Fish (fried and/or white), pasta w/ cream sauce, pasta w/ pesto sauce, seafood (esp. soup or stew), fried or roasted vegetables.

Prosecco - almonds, asparagus, prosciutto, smoked salmon, shrimp (chilled), appetizers.

Moscato D'Asti – fruit tart

Soave or Orvietto - chicken (esp. as a salad), clams, crab, light preparation of fish (poached), polenta w/ Gorgonzola cheese, scampi, seafood, pasta w/ seafood, calamari. Also for Orvietto specifically: prosciutto w/ melon.

Pinot Grigio (Ruffino if available)- Eli's Parmesan crackers*, seafood, shellfish, goats milk or sheepsmilk cheese, chicken (fried, grilled or roasted), mussels, salmon, scallops, light seafood dishes, shrimp.

Vin Santo - biscotti (plain or hazelnut) for dipping in the wine.

Dolcetto - red meat grilled or roasted and/or served cold, grilled or roasted chicken w/ tomato sauce, pasta w/ cheese and vegetables (simple sauces), roasted tomatoes, tomato-based dishes (bruschetta), pizza bites, salami.

Barbera - full flavored cheese (pecorino), fontina cheese, grilled sausage, salami, tomatoes, grilled or roasted root vegetables, Chinese food, chili, garlic, grilled mushrooms, hamburgers with bacon and cheese.

Primitivo - strong cheese, spicy vegetable dishes, sausage, pasta with spicy meat sauces

Chianti and Chianti Classico - baked pastas (lasagna, cannelloni, manicotti), pizza bites, caprese salad (basil, buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil), Parmesan, pecorino, provolone, grilled mushrooms, beans and bean based dishes, grilled red meats.

Nero D'Avola - meatballs (and meatballs with rice), baked pastas, red meat.

TASTING #2 (08/05/09) - Italian Wines

2009-08-05T14:44:00.011-05:00

Wine tasting #2 was held at Jason & Andrea's and featured Italian wines and appropriate food pairings (theme thought of by Dan)...

1. Orvieto
Brought by: Mike, Jen & Jeff
Purchase info:
Paired with: proscuitto & melon

2. Soave
Brought by: Jan & Tom
Purchase Info: Sendik Greenfield
Paired with: proscuitto pinwheels

3. Barbera
Brought by: Jason, Andrea & Kari
Purchase Info: Thief Wine
Paired with: Parmigiano-Reggiano & Italian bread http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmigiano_reggiano

4. DaVinci Chianti (2006)
Brought by: Kim & Andy
Purchase Info:
Paired with: Lasagna (brought by Debby & Rich)

5. DaVinci Chianti Classico (2005)
Brought by: Kristen & Joe
Purchase Info: Woodman's Oak Creek ($18)
Paired with: Lasagna (brought by Debby & Rich)

6. Moscato D'Asti
Brought by: Dan & Tad
Purchase Info:
Paired with: fruit tart
Review: Saracco’s Moscato is perfumed with notes of fresh lychee, pear and white flower floating from the glass. On the palate, the fruit is lifted by the sparkle, and touches of residual sugar add candied essence to the fresh fruit. Saracco’s Moscato can be enjoyed as an aperitif. Or at the end of the meal, Saracco will refreshingly match with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Also - this wine has tiny, bubbles in it, not as large as the bubbles in Champagne. The Italians call wines with these little bubbles "frizzante". Frizzante wines have small bubbles that offer a refreshing tingle while helping to mask the wine’s sweetness. Italians call wines with larger Champagne-size bubbles "spumante".

TASTING #1 (07/01/09) - Random Favorites

2009-08-05T14:40:00.004-05:00

Wine tasting #1 was held at Jason & Andrea's and everyone was asked to bring a favorite random wine of theirs and to pair it with a food they liked to drink it with (theme thought of by Jason)...

1. Cedar Creek Vidal, WI
Brought by: Mike & Jen
Purchase Info:
Paired with: brushetta

2. Reisling
Brought by: Debby & Rich
Purchase Info:
Paired with:

3. Chardonnay
Brought by: Kristen & Joe
Purchase Info:
Paired with: chicken alfredo linguinie

4. Pinot Noir
Brought by: Dan & Tad
Purchase Info:
Paired with: mushroom caps

5. Stone's Throw Big Mouth Red, WI/CA
Brought by: Jason & Andrea
Purchase Info: Discount Liquor
Paired with: pizza

6. Stone's Throw Big Mouth Red Reserve, WI/CA
Brought by: Mark
Purchase Info: Stone's Throw winery

Wine Specials in Milwaukee

2008-12-09T13:39:00.012-06:00

Balzac

1/2 off flights (Mon, 3 to close)
1/2 off selected bottles & glasses (Mon to Fri, 3 to 7)
1/2 off selected bottles & glasses (Sun, 3 to close)

Buckley's Kiskeam Inn - 1/2 off bottles (Wed)

Roots - $5 glasses (M-F, 4-6)

Sake Tumi - 1/2 off bottles (Sun & Mon)

Thief Wine - $4 select glass (Fri)

Trocedero - $10 flights of French wine (Wed)

Twisted Fork - 1/2 off bottles (Wed)

Door County Wineries

2008-11-28T09:48:00.007-06:00

I recently did an internet search of 'Simon Creek Winery' to compare my review of the winery to other's. I stumbled upon a very interesting blog from someone who currently lives in California and who visited Door County for the first time. The author of the blog describes himself as... "a sommelier, consultant, collector, writer, traveler, and all around wineophile." With his permission, here is his blog posting about his Door County experience from earlier this year. His blog can be found at http://www.eatdrinkordie.com/palmnut.

DISCOVERING THE TERROIR OF WISCONSIN (...WISCONSIN?)
By: Palmer Emmitt

In June, late on a Friday evening, or rather early on a Saturday morning, as I was driving at ludicrous speeds north from Green Bay towards Bailey's Harbor, Wisconsin for a friend's wedding, I noticed a peculiar billboard touting the Winery of Door County. Wine? In Wisconsin? How odd... How intriguing... How exciting!!!

As I drove deeper into Door County, more omens of a coming wine adventure began to emerge - first another billboard, this time for the Door Peninsula Winery, and then a little sign beckoning me towards Simon Creek Winery. I began to ponder what grapes could be grown on this little sliver of land in the middle of Lake Michigan, and what sort of wine they could make from this obviously fertile soil yet probably unfavorable climate. I was determined to discover the nature of Wisconsin's terroir. When I informed various people gathered for the wedding of my intentions, I was met with plenty of skepticism. "The wine here is terrible," said the groom.
"They import the grapes from California," said the bartender at the hotel. "Let's play another round of golf," said my father. But I was undeterred. If there was one wine in Wisconsin made from homegrown grapes, I was going to find it and taste it, no matter the quality. If it was quality I was interested in, I would've sat at the Top Deck bar all weekend ordering consecutive bottles of Sea Smoke Ten for $105 (an outright steal...). No, I wanted to taste the product of the local earth and see what it had to say for itself. Alas, no one else shared my enthusiasm for this foolish quest. So on Sunday morning, after a hearty breakfast of flapjacks and meatballs at Al Johnson's Swedish Pancake House, I set out in my rented Nissan Sentra, alone but for my trusty GPS Betty.

I soon realized that Betty too was leaving me high and dry on this journey, as none of the local wineries were in her directory, nor were the roads on which they resided. But no matter, I trudged on, remembering vaguely where I had seen that little white sign for Simon Creek Winery heading the other direction at 2 am two nights before. Luck was on my side as I found Simon Creek without incident. There were indeed grape vines on the property, although somewhat sickly looking and oddly trellised - an inauspicious start for my opinion of Wisconsin viticulture. But the winery looked nice enough and I kept an open mind as I approached the tasting room bar. The first offering was the 'American Viognier' which had a nice attack of citrus, but a hollow mid-palate and a very light body for a viognier. "Is this grown here?" I asked hopefully. "No. We import these grapes from California," came the reply. Bummer.
Next I tried the 'American Gewurztraminer' which was shockingly sweet (I wasn't ready for that...) and a little cloying, but undeniably delicious. Alas, this too was made from imported grapes, so I asked if they had anything made from Wisconsin grapes. I was told that the winery was only 5 years old, and that their vines were not yet producing fruit capable of making wine. Two red wines from imported grapes were poured next, the 'American Merlot' and the 'Untouchable Red,' both of which were heavy on oak and fairly dull. But the story of this winery and the Wisconsin terroir had at least begun to reveal itself to me, so I was unbothered by the sub par wine. First, I found out why the vines out front looked so sickly - a long cool winter had only recently broken, with the vines awakening from dormancy to sprout leaves on only the first weekend of June. With such a short growing season, the traditional grape varieties will never be able to ripen in Wisconsin, so it's necessary to plant hybrid cool climate varietals. The owners at Simon Creek did their research into what varietals were growing well in similar cool climates (such as Michigan and New York's Finger Lakes) and planted 20 of them - many of which I'd never heard of - on the property. The black grapes planted there include Marechal Foch, Frontenac, Leon Millot and Baco Noir, while Seyval, LaCrosse, Chembourcin and Espirit were among the 13 white varietals.n My palate was in need of a pick-me up, so I opted next to try the 'Door County Cherry Wine,' grown "about 2 miles down the road," said the pourer excitedly. Door County is known for their cherries and their cherry wine didn't disappoint either, with a really pleasant and delicate mouthfeel, a smooth and not overly sweet mid-palate, and the unmistakable taste of Cinnaburst - a gum which ironically a friend and I used to age in my father's cellar. Seriously. I bought a bottle and was on my way to the next winery, happy to have tasted something new and unique, but still hoping to find a wine made from native grapes.

Not far down the road was the Door Peninsula Winery, an amusement park of local food and drink products. 50(!) wines were on offer here, mostly of the fruit variety, but when I asked for a locally grown grape wine my prayers were answered! First, I tried the 'LaCrosse,' a well-balanced white wine with decent acidity that danced across my palate with a kind of dirty grapefruit flavor - not the best thing I've ever tasted but not a bad start either. I'd rather drink it than nearly all of the mass-produced pinot grigio I've had in my life. Next I sipped the 'Marechal Foch' - another varietal that I'd first heard of at Simon Creek. This light bodied red wine was just not capable of withstanding the ample dose of oak that it was subjected to: it was dry and basic with a little vanilla bean being the only standout flavor. While that was it for Wisconsin grown varietal wines, there were a couple of unique blends that certainly sounded like good representatives of the terroir - the 'Peninsula White,' a blend of 75% seyval blanc and 25% apple; and the 'Peninsula Red,' a blend of 60% "red grape" and 40% cherry. The white tasted like liquid applesauce, while the red showed hints of cinnamon (there it is again...) and was well balanced but ultimately unspectacular. I initially hoped that the "red grape" was a Wisconsin grown varietal, but later detective work proved it to be imported cabernet sauvignon and merlot - 'Peninsula Red' was something of a misnomer. Having exhausted the local grape wine selections, I figured I'd see if Door Peninsula's cherry wines could stand up to the one at Simon Creek. First I tried the 'Dry Cherry' which was refreshingly crisp and reminded me of strawberry shortcake. It would be a nice alternative to rosé on a summer afternoon. I ended my visit to Door Peninsula Winery with what ended up being my favorite of their wines by a long shot, the 'Cherry Port,' which tasted like a good LBV Port infused with Luden's Wild Cherry cough drops. Mmmmmmm!!! Very tasty, very unique, and very Door County.

Though I had little time to spare before my groomsman duties commenced, I felt my quest was still incomplete, and that Wisconsin's terroir had something more to offer me. I stumbled upon Lautenbach's Orchard Country Winery & Market and snuck in for one last quick tasting. Here too were a smorgasbord of fruit wines, but again to my delight a couple of Wisconsin grown grape varietal wines were mingled into the extensive list. I started with the red 'Audrey Grace,' made from a blend of estate grown Marechal Foch and Frontenac. It was light bodied but lively on the palate, with some really complex, earthy flavors - fairly impressive. Next came the 'Nathan John,' an off-dry blend of Marechal Foch, Frontenac and 10% cherries. It was pinot noir-like in its approach and had a long, delicious finish. Orchard Country Winery: 2 for 2!
While that was the last of the estate (and state) grown grapes, I was encouraged so much by their quality that I thought the fruit wines must be special as well. The 'Natural Dry Cherry', made from 100% Door County Montmorency cherries, seemed like a good enough place to start. Now when a place starts naming cherry varietals, you know they're serious about their fruit wines. This particular effort had a really intense nose of my mother's wood burning stove around Christmas time - she boils a concoction of clove, cinnamon stick and orange peel in an old teapot - and had more body weight than the others I'd tried earlier in the day. It was bone dry, palate coating but not syrupy, and was interesting despite surprisingly lacking fruit flavors.
I went for the 'Autumn Harvest' next, a medium sweet blend of cranberries and apples that smelled not surprisingly of an apple orchard during harvest. The flavors were straightforward as well - cranapple juice but exceedingly fresh and pure, with a long perfectly balanced and delicious finish. Then the 'Swedish Lingonberry' called to me, partially because I had tasted my first lingonberry juice at Al Johnson's that morning, and partially because it seemed 'authentic.' It smelled like raspberries flambé and tasted rich and exotic - another winner. I finished off with the super sweet 'Raspberry Lyte' which blended raspberries with chenin blanc. In a weird coda to the day, this smelled and tasted of another favorite chewing gum from my past, this time Red Raspberry Bubblicious. Awesome!

I ended up with a half case of Wisconsin wine products that I'd somehow have to figure out how to fit into my checked luggage, some great memories of my awkward lonely quest, and a slight hangover. So what did I learn about Wisconsin's terroir? Well, I think that much of the region is making exceptional wine products from local cherries, but that they're just starting to learn how to make decent grape wine. At it's best, it will be capable of producing light bodied wines from cool climate hybrid varietals, whose best expressions contain earthy flavors, cinnamon, and, of course, bubble gum...

Swig & Thief Wine

2008-11-07T09:20:00.007-06:00

Last night I attended the first wine tasting at the relocated Swig (which is now in the Third Ward). The host of the tasting was Phil Bilodeau, co-owner of Thief Wine, which is located at the Milwaukee Public Market. Phil has spent the last five years in Napa & Sonoma Counties working for several vineyards. Prior to that, he was a wine distributor in Minneapolis. He is a certified sommelier (one who orders & maintains wines sold in a restaurant and who has extensive knowledge about wine and food pairings). Phil is very knowledgeable about all things wine and his wine store has access to every wine distributor in Milwaukee and thus if he doesn't have it in stock, he can most likely special order anything for you! Stop by his store at the Public Market for a tasting, to see his selection and to have any questions answered that you may have.

UPDATE (11.12.08): I received my first email from Thief Wine about a wine they just got in stock (The 2007 vintage of The Prisoner, by Orin Swift Cellars). So, I went to check out Thief Wine in person for the first time. I met the other owner, Aimee. She too is very knowledgeable and helped convince me that The Prisoner was worth the money (err, investment). The store and wine bar look very nice and I look forward to going back for more recommendations from both of them.

Survey ~ Milwaukee's Best Wine List

2008-10-28T13:14:00.003-05:00

During the month of October, Onmilwaukee.com is revealing the results for the best dining options in the Milwaukee-area as voted by their readers. They just recently announced the results for the top restaurant wine lists...

1. Balzac
2. Bacchus
3. Dream Dance (editor's choice)
4. Eddie Martini's
5. Sanford
6. Water Buffalo
7. Carnevor
8. Mo's
9. La Merenda
10. Osteria del Mondo

Here is the complete article... http://www.onmilwaukee.com/dining/articles/bestofwinelist08.html

Wisconsin Winery Review ~ Parallel 44

2008-10-24T14:01:00.000-05:00

coming soon.

Wisconsin Winery Review ~ Red Oak

2008-10-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

coming soon.

Simon Creek Winery

2008-10-21T19:17:00.006-05:00

Simon Creek Vineyard & Winery is a family-run business located in Door County, about three miles east of Carlsville and is open year-round. It's a relatively new winery, having opened for business in 2003. Simon Creek boosts that they are Wisconsin's largest vineyard at 30 acres, however they haven't sold any bottles with their own grapes as of yet. They hope to accomplish this within the next 2 to 3 years as their vines mature. When this happens, their goal is to reach a peak production capacity of 15,000 cases of wine per year. In the meantime, they ship in juice from California and New York. The Simon Creek Winery tour is personal and informative. The tour guide actually takes you down into the lower level where the fermentation and bottling occurs. On the day I went, the guide was the actual wine-maker, who is the son-in-law of the owners, who left his day job in the finance industry a few years ago to join the family business. Before or after the tour, the winery offers a free tasting of five wines. The pours were very disappointing; especially compared to the other three wineries I visited in October. The bottles all have stoppers and I could barely get one good taste in before it was gone. Because of this, I didn't really get a good feel for their wines. Additionally, the selection from which to choose from was fairly thin; three reds, four whites and four dessert wines. Their most popular wines are: the "Untouchable Red," which is a ruby cabernet, an American Gewürztraminer and a Door County Cherry fruit wine. On the day I visited during October, I simply settled for a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon as my lone wine purchase, which I thought was just an average cab. From experience, Simon Creek wines are hard to find around Wisconsin and they admit to doing well over half of their sales directly from their winery store. The store has a very nice, new feel to it, but the merchandise and souvenirs were expensive, just as the wines are probably a little more than they're worth. Overall, I liked the tour of the production process and the chance to speak with the actual wine-maker the best. However, I wasn't thrilled with the tasting, the store prices or the wines themselves. I do look forward to their vines maturing and hopefully being able to sample an Estate wine, when they are able to produce one. In conclusion, I think Simon Creek is a nice place to visit when you are in Door County, but just don’t have too high of expectations for the actual wine.

Wineries of Wisconsin - Map

2008-10-08T10:47:00.018-05:00

I found this map on the Wisconsin Winery Association website. It would be nice to have a write-up about each of these wineries on this blog. If you've been to any of these places, please feel free to submit a review to me and I will post it.

Southeast
(5) AeppelTreow, (9) Apple Barn Orchard, (36) State Fair Wine Garden, (8) Vetro, (24) Mason Creek, (6) Cedar Creek.

Southwest
(22) New Glarus Primrose, (25) Wollersheim, (17) Spurgeon, (21) Weggy, (34) Vernon, (23) Burr Oak.

Northeast
(12) Kerrigan Brothers, (14) LedgeStone, (15) Trout Springs, (19) Parallel 44, (1) von Stiehl, (13) Captain’s Walk, (30) Red Oak, (31) Simon Creek, (29) Door Peninsula, (2) Stone’s Throw, (10) Orchard Country.

North Central
(20) Woodland Trail, (32) Three Lakes, (26) Lil’ Ole Winemaker Shoppe, (33) Brigadoon, (35) Munson Bridge.

Northwest
(4) Tenba Ridge, (11) Seven Hawks, (28) Maiden Rock, (7) Autumn Harvest, (27) St. Croix Croix.

Far North
(16) Hook Stone, (18) White Winter, (3) Bayfield

Introduction

2008-10-07T11:22:00.014-05:00

Thank you for taking the time to visit my new wine blog. I'm not an expert by any means, but I do enjoy going to wine tastings and having an occasional glass with dinner. My hope is that this blog will serve as a journal of my experiences and that you will contribute to it with yours as well. Please let me know if you have any favorite wine websites, if you've read a good article, or if you would like to share a list of wines that you like or have tried. Together, we can create a nice wine journal (err, cork chronicle) to guide us and to help satisfy our love for wine.