Thursday, January 7, 2010
Sacrebleu! Qu'est-ce que c'est? Marketing?!
"Ooh la la. The seductive aromas!"
Clearly, this woman is discovering Cahors: The French Malbec. Unfamilar? Scroll up. Look right. Visit all the sites on the blogroll. It's the ad campaign that's everywhere; a product of the Palate Press ad network.
Basically, "Cahors" is a region near Bordeaux, France. For hundreds of years, they have been making the "black wines of Cahors," made primarily with the Malbec grape. Malbec, one of the five allowable red grapes in Bordeaux, has enjoyed notoriety on the level of "the other guy in Wham!" or- perhaps more accurately- one of the people besides Waldo in the "Where's Waldo" books. In so many words, most normal folks probably didn't know what the hell Malbec was...
...that is, until the Argentine wine boom. During the 1990's, Argentina began to focus on the export markets of Great Britain and the United States. By the end of the 90's, they were exporting 3.3 million gallons of wine (source: wikipedia.org). By comparison, exports in 2010 are expected to be a whopping 4.3 million hectoliters!
...
...wait a second. Oh, here we go- conversion factor: 1 hectoliter = 26.4172052 gallons. So, with no due respect to the metric system, 2010 Argentine wine exports are expected to exceed 113 million gallons (source: http://www.calwinexport.com/node/1100)!! As Sgt. Arcot "Thorny" Ramathorn would say, "that's a lotta hooch!"
What's my point? Argentina is selling a boatload of wine, and since Malbec is the most widely planted red grape, one could further say that Argentina is selling a boatload of Malbec, and France wants a piece of the action. They've been vinifying the grape for hundreds of years. Why doesn't it sell like the South American stuff?
Ah, marketing. You sassy wench. Everyone knows what Malbec is now. Nobody knows what Cahors is. Traditionally, French wines don't show the varietal on the label. It has to do with the concept of terroir, where the "sense of place" has a much greater influence on the wine than the measly grape. To label a wine with the grape it's made out of is to spit in the face of the sacred land from whence it came.
And so the case goes with Cahors. They're hoping to ride the popularity of Argentine Malbec, and I applaud the French for swallowing their pride and putting some marketing into effect. But, will it work? While I'm confident they're getting lots of exposure to a targeted demographic, a great point was brought up on Twitter by The Atlanta Wine Guy, whose wine opinions I hold in higher regard than my personal hygiene:
Argentine Malbec is big, fruit-forward, and lush. Cahors Malbec is good...but different (here are my thoughts on a bottle). Reminds me of a time I bought some Merlot-loving neighbors a nice bottle of St-Émilion. I thought I was getting them something really special, but when it didn't deliver the big, blueberry/blackberry fruit bomb, I think they were disappointed. Old World wines are another animal, for sure. They just take a little time to appreciate, especially for the novice wino.
At the very least, maybe the Cahors marketing effort will get some more people to try something new.
photo courtesy of The Broke Wino (http://thebrokewino.wordpress.com/)
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Classic Pairings 101 - Cabernet & Steaky Akes
Sorry, no "eggy wegs" here. Homey don't play that. Yep, a (ugh, hate the term) "foodie" who doesn't like eggs. And a reference to In Living Color. All used to explain an A Clockwork Orange reference. Things could be going downhill fast.
Psyche (totally bringing that back). Why? Because when talking about food and wine pairings, the coup de gras, the "golden goose"- if you will- has to be steak and Cabernet Sauvignon. And things can never go downhill when food and wine get busy with each other. But why is this the "alpha male" of pairings? Maybe it's a combination of the food and the drink of royalty. Maybe it's the red meat and the red wine. Or maybe- just maybe- it's because they're so damn good together. The strong flavor and richness of beef are perfectly counterbalanced by the backbone and tannin of Cab...aka the "King of Red Grapes" (or the "Bono of Red Grapes"...but alas, that if foreshadowing to another post).
Tonight, it was iron skillet filet mignon, pan roasted yukon gold potatoes, and brussel sprouts w/ pancetta. Nothing earth-shattering or Iron Chef worthy, but I guarantee those starving kids in China my mom always talked about as a kid would eat it. The brussel sprouts- especially if you remember them as a dreadful hurdle of the childhood table- were wicked good. Onions, garlic and sliced sprouts fried in pancetta fat, then steamed with white wine. But let's cut to brass tax: the best part was the meat, simply seasoned with sea salt, cracked pepper, and olive oil, and seared in a hot skillet. Luckily, there's a butcher shop across the street from my house (yes, in Woodstock, GA), so having a good quality cut never hurts. I mean, look at that meat. You want to kiss it, don't you? C'mon. Don't be shy. I won't tell anyone. "Hey, I ain't just a piece of meat!" says the filet. Silly filet. You can't talk.
And while you can have the meat as your own, why not bring a third into the mix? It's not kinky, because it's meant to be. I did. Cabernet Sauvignon and steak go together like Tom and Roseanne Arnold, without the messy divorce. I had a darn good one too (disclosure: given to me as a sample). The 2004 Jacob's Creek St. Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon was clearly well-made: a balance of fruit, acidity, tannin, and alcohol. Lots of Australian Cabs can tend to be overly fruity and massive with alcohol, but this one came in at a reasonable 14.5%, and while it was fruit-forward (being true to the typical Aussie style of wine), it displayed some really nice notes of subtle green pepper, dark chocolate, graphite, and spice under all that dark fruit. No mouthful of oak, no fake, fruit punch flavors. The tannins, fruit, acid, and alcohol busted a move together well in my mouth. Also true to the Australian style, the tannins didn't dry my mouth out like I ate one of those packets that say "silica gel: do not eat" you find in your new shoes (don't ask). They were pretty smooth, but added enough structure to make it feel like a Cab. Overall, a nice match to filet mignon, which is not known as the most flavorful of steaks. A smooth steak for a smooth wine. And my belly. 'Twas the kind of threesome a mother-in-law wouldn't be shocked to read about on your blog (I think...we'll see). Anyway, the Jacob's Creek folks say to lay this one down for 10 years. I think it's good to go now (6 years after harvest), and I could see you squeezing 5 more years if you want to hang onto it as a "sorry I offended you, mother-in-law" gift down the road.But enough about me and my pal Jacob. What's your favorite steak (cut, preparation) and Cab pairing? It's nothing original, but between the variations of meats, cooking methods, seasonings, and especially areas where great Cabernet Sauvignon is made, surely it's an interesting question. And if you don't answer, you might be subject to a bit of the "ol' ultraviolence."
I kid.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Is it chili? Is it pot roast?
In an effort to come up with something original, I tried to impart more flavor into my chili by slow cooking chuck roast in beef stock (with some goodies like dried peppers, etc.), similar to a pot roast (and then cooking down the braising juices into a concentrated gravy to reintroduce to the chili). Also used mirepoix instead of just onions (cooked in pancetta), smoked paprika, chipotle peppers in adobo, and dark Rogue beer.Did it work? I can't divulge that info...there may be a chili cookoff around the corner.
Here's hoping 2010 brings a new camera (however, I'm told some of it is user-error. I ain't buyin' it):
Monday, January 4, 2010
Greeting 2010 with a massive headache
The pregnant wife. The neighbors with kids. The tight budget. The need for sleep.
All a recipe for a quiet evening on New Year's Eve. Maybe a sip of Champagne, a kiss at midnight, and in the bed soon after.
Okay...harmless enough. Started the evening with dessert: a Murphy's Irish Stout float, with a scoop of vanila ice cream dropped into the murky delight. I'd seen this in the past, on the menu at a local pub (The Grange Public House), and most recently HERE on Dale Cruse's tidy Boston Wine/Food/What-Have-You blog, Drinks Are On Me. I challenged the notion of ruining a perfectly good stout with ice cream, but at prodding from multiple sources, I went for it. The verdict? Didn't like it, but not for the reason you may think. I can totally see the appeal. But, if you have a colorful history of college nights soaked with Irish Car Bombs, this tastes exactly like sipping something that you're predisposed to slamming down your gullet as quickly as possible. If you haven't burnt yourself out on the boilermaker of the green-eyed and red-bearded, then you will probably be all over this. I'd like to try it again with a chocolate or oatmeal stout.
No big deal. One drink. I'll be up at 6 AM doing jumping jacks-
-phone rings. "C'mon over! Casino games," say the neighbors. Okay, maybe 7 AM jumping jacks.
First bottle: Charles D'Embrun Champagne Brut NV. I was a little wary. Never heard of it. The bottle was going out of its way to tell me it was "Champagne." Priced too-reasonably at $25.99. Certainly nothing to sneeze at, but pretty darn cheap for real French Champagne. Too cheap? The big names: the Roederers, the Taittingers, the Möet et Chandons, the Bollingers, et al start more around $40. And while I usually prescribe to the notion of "paying for what you get," a little gremlin always tells me that this is going to be the diamond in the rough.
Not quite. While the nose had nice biscuity, yeasty, and lemon-y smells (the former two a product of the wine being aged on the lees, or dead yeast cells in the bottle), the bubbles were very large (I swear larger than my wife's glass of sparkling cider). This is a sign of low quality. Furthermore, in the mouth, it went dead...no finish. Some quick flavors, and then POOF! Gone. Easily, a textbook example of a short finish. Overall, not terrible, but (why didn't I go with my instinct?) "you pay for what you get." Paying $26 and getting "meh" was disappointing.
Getting loopy. Next bottle: Arthur Metz Crémant D'Alsace Brut Millésime 2007. "Crémant" is a term used in France for any sparkling wine not made in the Champagne region (you may sometimes see "Mousseux" instead of "Crémant"). In this case "D'Alsace" would mean "from the Alsace region". This 100% Pinot Noir rosé offered just a faceful of strawberries and cherries, with a nice fizz and dry finish. No yeasty and biscuity flavors, but at $14.99, a pretty good deal. This would make a dang good chaser for a pork BBQ sammich. Chaser for another bottle of bubbly? Trouble brewing...
By the time we got to bubbly bottle 3 (there was some still wines mixed in somewhere), clarity of mind was touch-and-go, at best. However, we were eager to compare the crémant of Alsace versus the Louis Bouillot Crémant de Bourgogne (Burgundy) Brut Rosé. This one, likely Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and (maybe) Aligoté was a full-on slap to the face. It smelled (confirmed by 3 others) exactly, I mean EXACTLY, like an old tent. As if you hadn't been camping in a while, and unfurled the tent and the sleeping bags in the garage. Sadly, although we were amused by the sheer familiarity of the scent, I'd have to say this one was clearly corked (learn more about that in this post). A shame, but at this point in the evening, I'm pretty sure it was consumed anyway...
...I say "pretty sure", because I vaguely recall curling up on the floor shortly after, dreaming hazy dreams of a prosperous 2010, and contemplating the unlikely prospect of those morning jumping jacks.
Happy New Year, everyone.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Organization: The Necessary and Essential Bane of My Existence
'Tis the season for absurd amounts of optimism. Funny that January- being in essence just another month full of days in a linear sequence of time- is always a season of purge, of change, of resolution. Perhaps the copious feasting and bacchanalia of the prior few months dictate such change. Take me, for example: 10 lbs. heavier than pre-Thanksgiving, with the energy level of a drugged 3-toed sloth (unless 2-toed sloths are lazier, then, one of those). I'm pretty sure typing this is making me sweat. It's time to make the annual habit change in diet and exercise.But weight loss and diet change are things I've never had a problem adjusting come the optimism of a new year. However, I've always had a terrible time with organization. Seemingly the key to success in all marts of life, I find the lack of spontaneity in planning a bore. However, like any endeavor, the blog needs more direction and (sigh) organization, so I'm proposing the following weekly schedule for your consumption. In the end, this site is all about entertainment for the visitor. My readership consists of everyone from the most versed of wine appreciation and knowledge to the Lite beer-swilling compadres who I've shared more life experiences with than anyone. So, I'd like to cover all the bases:
*Mondays - Wine Experiences and storytelling (since the prior weekend should lend itself to that)
*Tuesdays - Video (food, wine, whatever)
*Wednesdays - Pairing advice and discussion (beer or wine)
*Thursdays - Food post/beer/miscellaneous
*Fridays - Wine education, most likely in cartoon-form
*Weekends - Nothing! Nothing, I tells ya!
It's ambitious, but this is the time for ambition. If there's something I need to be talking about, or I'm not doing, or there's something you've seen in my "voice" that is being neglected, I'd love to know.
In addition to having a (sigh again) schedule, there are a few things I'd like to accomplish in 2010:
1) Accept (and ask for) more samples. I think tasting a wine is much easier when it hasn't been bought. Most of the good bottles I have are squirreled away, and I don't want to taste and spit them out. I want them to be popped and poured with friends, and when I'm having wine with friends, the last thing I want to do is analysis and note-taking. So, if you would like to send me samples (I may review them, I may enjoy them with friends, I may use them for pairing purposes, but I will probably write about them), slide me an email at joe@suburbanwino.com. I do have a credential (see below), but don't expect friggin' Shakespeare and a bunch of fruits that no one has ever seen before in the descriptions.
2) Continue my education. I earned by Certified Specialist of Wine from the Society of Wine Educators in 2009, and I'd like to pursue Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, Certified Wine Educator, Advanced Wine & Spirit Education Trust, or something comparable in 2010. I've noticed the key to staying on top of knowledge is to be constantly learning and studying.
3) Read more trade publications (even consumer ones, like Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast). I'm always impressed by the bloggers who can make profound statements about the industry. They can do this because they read up and draw conclusions. While I'd like to be more versed in what's going on (being outside of the industry), I'll probably leave most of such discussion to the likes of Tom C. Wark and Joe Roberts, among others.
4) Do more with the small, tight-knit food and wine community in Atlanta. This city- I'm convinced- is the next big culinary destination in the U.S. I look forward to sharing/collaborating/working with the fun and brilliant folks at Wine Tonite!, Atlanta Wine Guy, Atlanta Wine School, Decatur Wine and Food Dude, Rowdy Food, Savory Exposure, Foodie Buddha, Hopeless Foodie, Eat It Atlanta, Dirty South Wine, Montaluce Winery, Wolf Mountain, Eat Buford Highway, The Georgia Wine Guy, The Hungry American, Take Thou Food, Running with Tweezers, Two Friends Imports, The Food Abides, Wine and I, Random Oenophile, @biskuitATL, @atl10trader, and any others who I've yet to meet (or accidentally left off this list)
5) Have fun, and bust my ass to make this the most entertaining food and drink blog out there. I'll never be the most knowledgeable, drink the best stuff, or be incredibly profound, but I'd like to think I can make people laugh, and if wine and food are really- at the basest form- about enjoyment, then why would I ever try to do anything otherwise? I do hope to educate and demystify wine for those who seek that end, but I vow to NEVER take any of it too seriously.
6) Learn all the Megaman 2 bass riffs. I figured out "Crash Man" last night. Okay, this has little to do with anything, but I promised my musically-inclined brother-in-law (who's too young to even legally read this blog) that I would so we could rock them out in an incredibly nerdy acoustic jam session.
Okay, if you made it through my manifesto, I will try my best to 7) make some damn t-shirts and distribute them to folks. No harm in some shameless self-promotion, especially when I 8) redesign the site, which has gotten very busy. Any web developers out there who want to barter design for a wine tasting host? Let me know!
One thing I promise to continue, though, is to toast my readers. You guys make it all worthwhile! Cheers, Sláinte, L'Chaim, Salud, Prost, Skål, Konbe, Kampai, and Laissez les bon temps rouler!
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