Vin Rouge, Vin Blanc

I subscribe to an email newsletter called My Little Paris, a once-a-week missive about happenings in the City of Light. (Who doesn't need a little escapism these days?) I was intrigued by the one I received this week (see below), because I thought that picking the right wine was just part of a French person's DNA. Apparently they need help, too! It's kind of a relief to know that they don't necessarily know everything. Maybe they're just better at faking it.

Wine tasting 101
November 26, 2009
Why they always ask you to taste the wine, you have no idea. Every single guest at the table is staring at you, waiting for you to take a sip. Can’t they tell that you are completely clueless when it comes to wine? You take a shot : “it’s perfect, thank you”. And then you pray to Dionysus, the god of wine, that it is indeed at least drinkable.
This is not a nightmare, it happens to the best of us. And thanks to Joël, it won’t happen again. Built like a rugby player, he shows up in the middle of your dinner party at home and teaches you the ultimate French skill: wine tasting. For Joël, it’s all about plaisir. From his mysterious briefcase, he extracts tiny aroma bottles that he gently slips under your ignorant nostrils. Delightful fleeting sensations appear on the tip of your tongue. The lesson begins. A sweet buttery flavor in your mouth? A Chardonnay from Bourgogne. The smell of honey, honeysuckle and acacia? A great Chablis. Enough inhaling, let’s move on to the serious stuff. Tasting. Cold cuts and selected wines from small producers from all over France.
You now have a real nose for wine.

Joël:00-33-6-13-17-45-58
Association Terra Vitis
Price : from 30 to 60€ per guest depending on the number of participants and the number of wines that you wish to taste

Film Plus Feast

Bobby and I met up with our newly unemployed friend Patrick the other night. First we saw "A Serious Man," the latest from the Coens. It is seriously worth seeing: a vivid story, economically told, with great dialogue and an amazing ending.

Afterward we dropped in at one of our favorite Hell's Kitchen spots, Five Napkin Burger. That eponymous dish has become Bobby's No. 1 burger in the city, even beyond Peter Luger's. Patrick and I both got the veggie burger, which I've had on several occasions. It is huge and tasty; FNB always has the ripest tomatoes, even in the winter -- a rarity in these parts. The burger itself has little structural integrity (I have been known to describe it as "fall-y apart-y" -- they're not kidding about the five napkins), but it is extremely satisfying. The fries are crisp perfection, too.

So what did we drink? I ordered a 2005 Zuccardi Tempranillo (Mendoza, Argentina) that had a note of raspberry and a slightly smoky quality. It was well-balanced and full-bodied (14 percent alcohol). And, at $38, not bad for Midtown.

Wine Rules

I had an amusing email exchange with my sister the other day regarding the proper season for certain wines.
Her: Is it wrong to drink rosé wine in winter?
Me: I don't think wine should have rules. Anyway, it's not winter yet!
Her: I had a darn fine dry Spanish rosé tonight at Arline's. It was up
there with this one, which is my fave rosé:
http://www.erobertparker.com/newSearch/pTextSearch.aspx?wine=Chateau%20Grande%20Cassagne%20Rose%20Costieres%20de%20Nimes

It reminded me of Kevin Zraly's strict rules for drinking port, in which you must be sitting in a big, comfy chair by a crackling fireplace, with snowflakes falling outside the window of your country home and your golden retriever at your feet. I just thought, heck, I would never have the chance to enjoy port if I followed his rules since I have no fireplace, dog or country home. I think people should just follow their fancy and drink whatever they feel like having at the moment. Sometimes, that boils down to whatever's in the wine rack.

Paris Style

Bobby had been wanting to check out the new steak frites place on the East Side, Le Relais de Venise, at 52nd and Lexington. So we went last week with a big group (eight of us strolled right in and sat down at 9:30 on a Wednesday night).
It's an outpost of the original location in Paris, and it's a pretty simple formula. They serve everyone the same salad (greens with a dijon dressing, topped with walnuts), then steak and fries. Dessert and wine are separate, but the main meal is $24 a person, which isn't bad for Manhattan. For me, the only non-meat-eater, there was an extra salad and a cheese plate.
We ordered a red and a white for the table: a 2003 Vincent Lataste Bordeaux Blend 55 (55 percent merlot and 55 percent cabernet sauvignon); this girlish red had notes of apple, and it was a hit around the table. The other bottle was a 2008 Château Caillou du Haut, a white Bordeaux (100 percent sauvignon blanc), which was slightly flowery but had a nice zing. Both were extreme bargains, under $25.
My summary judgment: The food was good, not great; the wine was what it should be, an enjoyable accompaniment to the meal; and the waitress was a crackup, a bossy young thing with a look that shouted Madonna circa 1986 (bleached hair, dark eyebrows). Don't ask for ketchup or she will smack you down.

Soho Crush

It was my first visit to City Winery in Soho.
It was a chance to have a small part in winemaking.
It was me, paying $50, for the privilege of doing some manual labor on Sunday afternoon (only in New York!). Of course, my parting gift was a bottle of their Downtown White (chardonnay with some muscat, light and pleasant, thankfully unoaked), and next year, a bottle of the wine from the grapes that came through that day.
We were a group of about 20 people helping to process two-and-a-half tons of pinot noir grapes from California. I worked for a couple of hours, loading grapes into the sorting machine and removing debris at the sorting table. It was a bit dizzying, so many grapes (they're pretty small, the size of blueberries), but we finished processing the whole shipment. The grapes were not actually crushed that day; the winemaker, David Lecomte (right), says they sit in the maceration tank for a number of weeks before crushing. The winery was also processing two-and-a-half tons of zinfandel grapes later that day, so they're pretty busy this time of year.

Loading the clusters into the sorting machine.

The sorting table, a popular spot.

The conveyor belt to the maceration tank.

Emile pours excess juice from the sorting table into the tank.

Grapes in the tank, soon to be a liquid delight, we hope.

I take a load off in the City Winery restaurant. A tiring but exhilarating afternoon!

Two on 21st

I love summer, but when it's over I get to see a lot more of Laura, who finally stays home on a weekend once in a while. Hanging out at her place in Chelsea, we had great thin-crust pizza from Waldy's last weekend, along with a rosé she's fond of, the 2008 Chateau Montaud Cotes de Provence. It was light pink, with a scent of pear and a minerally finish (12 percent alcohol). A great value: $11.99.
And last night was another girls' night in Chelsea -- we finally went to see The September Issue (fascinating for us media types, although Anna Wintour scares the bejesus out of me) -- and a veggie-packed dinner at her apartment: shaved zucchini salad with olive oil and parmesan; tomato salad with goat cheese; veggie burgers; and corn on the cob. She opened a 2007 Mark West pinot noir (Central Coast, California); it had medium body (13.8%) and contained notes of straw, tobacco and black cherry ($9.99). A very friendly wine.

Message From the Guru

I got the following e-mail today from my wine guy, Kevin Zraly. I'm telling you, if you have the slightest inclination to take his course, do it *now* ... as he said during the spring term, he is teaching it only five more semesters. It's expensive but worth every penny.

Dear Wine Students,

I hope you are all doing well and drinking only great wines!! Looking forward to the fall, below is the list of latest events and information.

Upcoming Events:

Windows on the World Wine School

Mondays, October 5 through November 23, 2009 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel

As alumni, you can attend any class at the discounted rate of $100 per class.

Don’t forget to tell your wine friends. Please have them visit our website at www.kevinzraly.com

or call the office at 845-255-1456 for the full fall class schedule.

Saratoga Food and Wine Festival – September 12 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga, NY. I will be the auctioneer on Friday night and Saturday and also presenting my One Hour Italian Wine Expert on Saturday. Please visit www.spac.org for more information and to purchase tickets to the event.

New York City Wine & Food Festival – October 10 at the Javits Center in New York City.

This is a great refresher for alumni and a great opportunity for friends to have a mini Wine School experience.

One Hour Wine Expert hosted by Kevin Zraly
Hours: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Price: $85

For more information, visit http://www.nycwineandfoodfestival.com/2009/

Sante Restaurant Symposium - This year at the Sagamore, Bolton Landing, NY. I will be the keynote speaker on Tuesday, October 20. For more information visit their website at http://www.isantemagazine.com/symposium.html

WineFuture 2009 - November 10-12, I will be a featured speaker along with Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson, and Oz Clarke in Rioja, Spain. Visit www.winefuture.es for more information.

Holiday Ideas:

The 25th anniversary edition of the Windows on the World Complete Wine Course book will be available this fall. Over the past year I have visited 15 countries and over 100 wine regions to update the 25^th anniversary edition of the Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. Retail price is $27.95; alumni discount is $22.00.

NEW - The Wine Journal, Kevin's latest book, has a 64-page introductory section includes details on wine basics, tasting, and buying; Vintage Best Bets from the top wine regions in the world; and Frequently Asked Questions About Wine. The actual journal contains a fill-in area for jotting down tasting notes and for saving your favorite wine labels. Retails for $14.95; alumni discount is $12.00.

NEW - Kevin Zraly's line of wine charms ($18.95), wine stopper ($9.95), and corkscrew ($12.95) will be available.

In the Press:

Delish.com - look for Kevin's videos, quizzes, and food and wine combinations under Recipes & Menus then Essential Wine Guide for more information.

The Tennis Channel during the US Open will be featuring a segment with Andrea Robinson. Kevin is featured in her interview.

I look forward to seeing you!

Kevin

Kevin Zraly
Wine Services International
P.O. Box 847

New Paltz, New York 12561
(845) 255-1456
FAX: (845) 255-2041
kevin@kevinzraly.com

www.kevinzraly.com