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Written by Jane Anson / Decanter

Published: 03 March 2013

A French study testing 300 French wines has found that 90% of 300 French wines tested  had traces of harmful pesticide residues left from the chemical treatment of vines.  Read  full story here

Pascal Chatonnet and the EXCELL laboratory in Bordeaux tested wines from the 2009 and 2010 vintages of Bordeaux, the Rhône, and the wider Aquitaine region, including appellations such as Madiran and Gaillac.

Wines were tested for 50 different molecules found in a range of vine treatments, such as pesticides and fungicides.  Some wines contained up to nine separate molecules, with 'anti-rot' fungicides the most commonly found. These are often applied late in the growing season.

‘Even though the individual molecules were below threshold levels of toxicity,’ Chatonnet told Decanter.com, ‘there is a worrying lack of research into the accumulation effect, and how the molecules interact with each other. 'It is possible that the presence of several molecules combined is more harmful than a higher level of a single molecule,’ he said.

Since 2008, France's Ecophyto national plan (involving the study of the ways in which organisms are adapted to their environment) has sought to cut pesticide use by 50% by 2018.

‘By 2012, there had been no reduction at all, even a small rise of 2.7% between 2010 and 2011,’ said Stéphane Boutou, also of EXCELL.  While EU rules limit pesticide residues on grapes to 250 molecules, there are no limits set for wine.  'Some molecules will break down during the process of fermentation, and we need more research into what they synthesise into, and more traceability in place,’ Chatonnet said.  

While in May 2012, the French government officially recognized a link between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease in agricultural workers, Chattonet said ‘But we should not forget that it is not the consumers who are most impacted by this, it is the vineyard workers who are applying the treatments.’

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Written by Simone Zarmati Diament

Published: 20 February 2013

Listen to an interview with winemaker Bernard Portet

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Written by Simone Zarmati Diament

Published: 16 February 2013

 

 

 

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Written by Simone Zarmati Diament

Published: 30 January 2013

 

Regardless of the legal requirements for labeling, the name Champagne will always be in the back of our minds, ingrained in our collective memories and triggering that Pavlov reflex when we yearn for the ultimate luxury of cold, crisp, ephemeral and elegant bubbles that only a Sparkling Wine can provide.

However, the offering beyond the universe of Champagne is vast and flexible when it comes to the many different quality productions of sparkling, the geographic diversity and the consumers’ pocket sizes.   

Here is a good choice of price-conscious, elegant Champagne stand-ins; from yeasty and fragrant sparklings from Sonoma, CA; silky crémants from Burgundy, fresh fall apple-tasting crémants d’Alsace; or crisp and fresh proseccos from Italy, all in the $ 30 to $15 range.  They are all energizing and enjoyable as aperitifs and stand up well to an entire meal, holiday or not. Cheers

  

Valdo Oro Puro, DOCG, Valdobbiadene, Veneto, Italy  ($14.00)  

Freshness, with a spicy thread of ground ginger, cardamom and balsamic weaving through tropical notes of pineapple, tangerine, white peach and a delicate almond note typical to Prosecco is what you will get from this well-balanced straw yellow Prosecco with a fine perlage, a frothy mousse and a floral finish.   A good pairing with starters, with delicately flavored dishes and seafood.

Zonin Prosecco Brut, Veneto, Italy      ($15 - $18)

A delightful fresh, fruity and aromatic nose, with hints of white peach, mineral and honeysuckle characterizes Zonin’s Proseccos —   Zonin also makes a popular "Special Cuvee". The straw yellow sparkling has a fine and creamy froth. It is dry  with soft tropical fruit and honeyed apple flavors melding with a pleasantly nutty background. The finish is long and softly complex. A Well-balanced wine made with 100% Prosecco or Glera grapes is ideal as an aperitif or throughout  a meal.  

 

 

Berlucchi Cuvée '61 Brut Rosé, Franciacorta DOCG, Italy ($17 - $20)  

In the 60’s Franciacorta in Lombardy became Italy’s sparkling wine answer to Champagne.  Berlucchi Cuveé ’61 is definitely a French-inspired sparkling wine, made in Italy and specially marketed in the US.  Made with Méthode Champenoise or Metodo Classico with 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir, it was fermented 6 months in stainless steel and 12 months in bottle before disgorging. After disgorging, the bottle was aged two more months in the cellar before release.

Pale pink, the wine is full-bodied. Complex, fragrant and lively on the nose with wild red berry fruit and ripe stone fruit with the body, acidity and tannin of Pinot Noir for texture, the Rosé is crisp and rich with elegant bubbles and generous fragrances of apple and pear and notes of tropical fruit and spices. Exceptionally fresh with a velvety texture, well-balanced with a lively froth and elegant bubbles Rosé is festive and drinkable with a broad range of foods.

 

JCB No 39 Crémant de Bourgogne, Saint-Aubin, Saint-Romain and Saint-Véran, Burgundy, France (approx $30)  

JCB No. 39 is the quintessential marriage of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced from three renowned appellations in Burgundy: Saint-Aubin, Saint-Romain and Saint –Véran.     And there’s a romantic story behind this refined pale yellow wine in a beautiful black bottle.  The delicate and silky yet bone-dry crémant with whiffs of toast and yeast and fresh aromas of white peaches, crisp apples, with lovely bubbles and a creamy froth, has a long and elegant finish with slight honey citrus notes.  Great on its own, for a toast or an aperitif, it pairs beautifully with food.

Each JCB wine is known by a number. And each number has deep significance for Jean-Charles Boisset, the collection’s creator and namesake.  The year was 1939. Germany had just invaded Poland and France was rallying its troops to come to the aid of their ally. While this world of chaos was unraveling, a young couple had fallen in love.  They married the day before he set out to serve, and although the wait was long and painful, she knew he would return safe one day.  After three adventurous years, he returned home to the loving and faithful arms of his wife and now three-year old daughter, who he was just now meeting for the first time.  The couple is the grandparents of Jean-Charles Boisset of Boisset Family Estates.

 

J Brut Rosé NV, Sonoma CA  ($38)

The J Brut Rosé in the sexy bottle labeled with a stylized J is made with a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris from Alexander Valley and Russian Valley in Sonoma, CA where hills and benchlands provide a diversity of soils.  The soft peachy pink color leads to a crisp, dry and mellow wine with a steady stream of fine bubbles, with flavors of red berries, orange, Meyer lemon peel and hints of almond.  It is elegant and lively, perfectly balanced with a lingering finish that makes you yearn for more and more….   

 

J Cuvée 20 Brut NV, Sonoma CA  ($28)

This is another hit by J. The pale gold non-vintage J Cuvée 20 gracefully opens up with crisp lemon peel, honeysuckle and delicate yeast aromas followed by a mix of Fuji apple, grapefruit and a hint of vanilla. The mid-palate flavors are interlaced with toast, caramel, warm pear, and almond. The acidity adds just enough liveliness and the citrus zest leads to a lingering lush finish. This is the perfect celebratory wine.  

 

 

 

Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir, Sonoma ($20)

Bright strawberry and black cherry aromas with subtle vanilla highlights. Creamy cherry, lemon and cola flavors combine with a lush palate, small, lively bubbles and a persistent finish. Blanc de Noirs is predominantly made from hand-harvested Pinot Noir grapes (90%) , the hallmarks of which are a vibrant red fruit character. The creamy palate and rosy hue are a result of a small addition of Vin Gris, which was blended into the base cuvée.  

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Written by Simone Zarmati Diament

Published: 09 December 2012

Is there such a bargain as Bordeaux wines under $15?

This year, five of the "Le Wine Buffs," a team of Bordeaux Wine Council-appointed wine connoisseurs, and three guest judges, blind-tasted 300 wines submitted by importers in order to determine the final selection of the 100 wines included in Today's Bordeaux (affordable Bordeaux).

The 100 wines —red, white, rose, and sweet wines —  are priced between $9 and $35 retail and are representative of the wide range of wines produced in Bordeaux, from renowned appellations like Blaye - Côtes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur, Cadillac, Castillon -   Côtes de Bordeaux, Entre-Deux-Mers, Fronsac, Graves, Haut-Médoc, Lalande-de-Pomerol, Margaux, Médoc, Pessac-Léognan, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion, Saint-Estèphe, Sainte Foy, and Sauternes.

American consumers can  now use the Today’s Bordeaux selection on the Bordeaux.com  webpage http://www.bordeaux.com/us/wines/selection, to find affordable Bordeaux wines under $35 dollars for their holiday meal. Today’s Bordeaux wines — vibrant whites, rich reds, seductive dessert wines —  are well balanced with lively acidity. They  pair elegantly with food  from smoked salmon, turkey, leg of lamb to lasagna, creamy potatoes or even asparagus and artichokes.

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Written by Press Release

Published: 30 November 2012

 

 

 

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Written by Press Release

Published: 29 November 2012

An earthy Lodi Zinfandel, a delicate and floral Chenin Blanc from Washington State and a superb sparkler from New York's Finger Lakes were among the top winners at the 2012 American Wine Society Commercial Wine Competition held November 6-8 in Portland, Ore.

The AWS competition is one of the oldest, most respected wine competitions in the country, drawing entries from across the United States and Canada. Contrary to industry trends, this year's competition enjoyed a 20 percent increase in wines entered.

Since this year's American Wine Society national conference and commercial wine competition were held in Oregon, the spotlight was naturally on Pinot Noir. Overall, seven categories judged at the competition yielded a total of 22 double golds, requiring unanimous acclaim by the panel of judges, and 54 gold medals.

The Best of Show winner, also garnering Best Red Wine, was a 2010 Klinker Brick Zinfandel Old Vine Marisa Vineyard from Lodi, California, produced by Steve and Lori Felten – an earthy, rich, deeply flavorful old vine Zin. The 2012 Signature Award Pinot Noir winner was small producer Cottonwood Winery from Oregon's famed Willamette Valley for its 2005 Brigette Catherine, a fine example of Oregon pinot excellence.

Other category winners included:

•       Best white wine: Washington State's Kiona Vineyards Winery 2011 Chenin Blanc.
•       Best dessert wine: California's Ficklin Vineyards 10 years aged Tawny Port.
•       Best sparkling wine: A non-vintage blanc de blanc from New York's Swedish Hill Vineyards.
•       Best rosé: New York's Coyote Moon Vineyard 2011 River Run.
•       Best fruit wine: A non-vintage peach wine from Lone Star Gold of Texas.
•       Best distilled: A limoncello from Oregon's Glaser Estate Winery.

A complete list of winners, including those earning silver or bronze, can be seen at americanwinesociety.org.
The competition was held over two days at the Red Lion Riverside Hotel in Portland in conjunction with the American Wine Society's 45th annual conference. Judges included graduates of the rigorous AWS wine judging certification program along with leading wine writers and other prominent wine professionals.

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Written by Simone Zarmati Diament

Published: 15 October 2012

 

Even though it is a common Italian surname, say Ferrari and you’ll conjure images of fast and furiously expensive Italian made sports cars, symbols of luxury and wealth.

No less iconic is Ferrari Metodo Classico, an Italian sparkling wine produced at the foothills of the Alps in Trento DOC, a region in the Val d’Adige bedecked by the beautiful Lake Garda with names like Val di Cembra and Valle dei Laghi at 1000 to 2300 ft. above sea level.

The Cantine Ferrari winemaking company founded in northern Italy’s Trentino region in 1902, over a century ago,  by Giulio Ferrari  has earned a worldwide reputation as the premier source of luxury metodo classico sparkling wines from Italy.  The metodo Ferrari is essentially the same as le methode Champenoise,  with the wine being aged for four to five years.

Ferrari’s best-known wines – Ferrari Brut, Perlé and Giulio Ferrari – are blanc de blancs, meaning they are made from 100% Chardonnay, apparent in their remarkable delicacy and finesse.
A pioneer in Italian viticulture, Giulio Ferrari was the first Italian winemaker and viticulturalist to dedicate his vineyards almost entirely to Chardonnay – and by 1906 the awards had begun to roll in. Ferrari is a 22-time winner of the Tre Bicchieri award, Italy’s highest wine accolade, with the most recent honor going to the 2005 Ferrari Perlé Nero bottling in 2012.
In 1952, Giulio Ferrari, not having any children, entrusted his company to friend and local merchant Bruno Lunelli. Today, the third generation of the Lunelli family is overseeing 300 acres of prime estate vineyards in Trentino and production, in the hands of a capable team of eight winemakers, is led by chief winemaker Marcello Lunelli, four agronomists and members of the family.

These are great holiday wines that pair with anything from smoked salmon to roast turkey.

Ferrari Brut, non-vintage (100% Chardonnay, $25. 12.5% vol.). Medium bodied, soft and creamy with an appealing yeasty toast aroma on the nose with  hints of fresh and dried fruit, wild flowers and minerality balanced by a lively acidity with a touch of pineapple and a faint taste of fresh crusty bread in the mouth.  It pairs well with appetizers, light pastas and seafood.

Ferrari Perlé 2004 (100% Chardonnay, $35. 12.5% vol.).) This is a vintage Blanc de Blanc made with handpicked chardonnay grapes harvested by hand. This wine has spent 5 years on yeast and exhibits a particular intense and delicate bouquet with scents of almond blossom, ripe apples, a faint spiciness and a hint of freshly baked bread.  In the mouth it is well rounded yet crisp and elegant with fruity notes of fresh apples, a touch of citrus and the aromatic flavors typical of Chardonnay.

Ferrari Perlé Rosé 2004 (70-80% Pinot Noir; remainder Chardonnay, $75).

Ferrari Perlé Nero 2005 (100% Pinot Noir, $90).

Giulio Ferrari 2001 (100% Chardonnay, $100).

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Written by Simone Zarmati Diament

Published: 15 October 2012

 

Marius, a wine as good as the stories about it

Marius 2010 Blanc by Michel Chapoutier, Le Pays d'Oc, France

For over 200 years the house of Chapoutier has been producing prestigious wines in the Rhône Valley, wines like Hermitage, Côte Rôtie, Chateauneuf du Pape, Saint-Joseph, Crozes Hermitage.

So I never thought much of opening a bottle of white called “Marius” with an odd-looking label depicting a man from the turn of the 20^th century, originating in the generic appellation of Pays d’Oc.

The blends stated on the label, Vermentino and Terret, the screw cap, the name Marius evoking the robustly regional naïf novels of Marcel Pagnol, spoke to me of an easy little white wine to quaff one’s thirst on a hot summer day under a canopy of vine leaves, preferably with good company. So I put it off.

But after all it was a Chapoutier product, so on a whim I decided to open the wine which I first used in a hearty tomato and anchovy sauce for a pasta I was going to have to dinner.  Then I cooled the wine and sat down to taste…

Marius 2010 Blanc by Michel Chapoutier, Le Pays d'Oc, France ($13.99). I was amazed. I could hardly believe that a wine with a pale yellow color with green tints and 12% alcohol could yield such enticing aromas of fresh citrus and ripe fruit and present such an elegant and fruity attack on the mouth balanced with a good minerality, a good acidity and complex hints of rich ripe fruit and a long and elegant finish.

The blend Vermentino and Terret is not your everyday occurrence. Chapoutier chose the Terret for its vivacity and the Vermentino for its smoothness and elegant and floral aromas to express all the warmth and richness of the South of France.

Marius advises to serve this wine between 52 and 54°F as an aperitif or with a meal . I had the wine at 60F and it was perfect with just about anything I had, from the pasta with the robust sauce to later a grilled chicken breast.

Go to  www.mariusbymichelchapoutier.com and enjoy the stories, funny and very well written in the vivid style of the buoyant 19^th century. You will know how the Chapoutier Father and Son felt when seeing the Tour Eiffel at the 1900 World Fair in Paris where they were showing their wines, and much more…

 

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Written by Simone Zarmati Diament

Published: 28 September 2012

I don’t know why one has to wait for the holidays to open a bottle of good amaretto!

The distinctive bittersweet almond taste (although it contains no almonds or nuts) of this liqueur is intriguing and almost addictive and the amber color is beguiling in cocktails as well as on the rocks.  Amaretto's "secret formula" is unchanged since 1525, and its production remains in Saronno, Lombardy, in Northern Italy where the famed Amaretti biscuits come from.

Disaronno has been in production since about 1900 and the company describes its amaretto Disaronno Originale — it was called "Amaretto di Saronno" (Amaretto from Saronno) until a copyright issue on the name Saronno, forced the company to rename it — as an infusion of "apricot kernel oil" with "absolutely pure alcohol, burnt sugar, and the pure essence of seventeen selected herbs and fruits"; the product does not contain any almonds or other nuts. The amber liqueur is presented in a unique square faceted Murano glass decanter with a distinctive stopper.

The legend of DISARONNO dates back to 1525, when Renaissance artist and Leonardo da Vinci pupil Bernardino Luini was commissioned to paint a fresco in Saronno. To portray the Madonna of Miracles, he chose as his muse a beautiful local innkeeper. She repaid the honor by giving the artist a flask of a fragrant and delicate amber liquor known as amaretto.

Disaronno can be served on the rocks, in shots, as part of a cocktail ( check out the DiSaronno cocktail competition in LA http://lacocktails.com/2012/05/25/disaronno-mixing-star-la-regional-competition/ ) or with a Cola drink or apple and cherry juice.  I love to mix it in cookie dough and cakes.

But here are cocktail recipes for the coming holidays:

SMASHING PUMPKIN

Place all ingredients into a mixing glass. Dry shake (shake without ice so as to 'whip' the ingredients together). Then shake again with ice. Strain into a rocks glass without any ice. Top with freshly grated cinnamon.

 

A BLOODY GOOD TIME

1 ½ ounces Cazadores Añejo.
1 ounce DISARONNO
1ounce fresh blood orange juice
2 ginger dials (muddled)
½ ounce lemon juice
¼ ounce simple syrup
soda
In mixing glass muddle ginger dials with lemon juice. Add simple syrup; blood orange juice, DISARONNO, and Cazadores Anejo tequila.  Shake and strain into a highball over fresh ice.  Top with soda, fold & stir into cocktail. Garnish with lemon wedge.

 

Just on time for the holidays:  the DISARONNO2012 Holiday Gift Set with two Italian-designed glasses etched with the iconic DISARONNO bottle image and logo packaged alongside a 750ml bottle of DISARONNO and a list of signature cocktail recipes. The limited-edition set is available nationwide throughout the holidays for approximately  $25.99.

http://www.disaronno.com

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Written by Simone Zarmati Diament

Published: 11 September 2012

 

This week, as I was inspecting the contents of the back of my little wine refrigerator to check on what I had in the Bordeaux Red Blends shelf, I found the last bottle of a stash of St. Supéry Elu Red Meritage 2000, Napa, CA.  
Needless to say, I opened it right away to see if it was still as good as I remembered it.
Without even letting breathe I poured myself a glass and immediately was amazed by the brilliant deep garnet/violet red color and by the aroma that pervaded the room.
As sensory memories tend to do and in typical Remembrance of Things Past style, the first sip took me back to St. Supéry in Napa where a few good years ago I had stopped to visit and have lunch with the then director-vintner Michaela Rodeno.
We had tasted the St. Supéry Elu line of wines, red and white, among them the Red Meritage 2000 (80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot – all estate grown), at a delightful luncheon after which we visited the art gallery from which came all the labels.
Today, in 2012, the wine was younger and more expressive with a wonderful harmony and intensity in the aromas of cherry-vanilla, rose petal and cassis. It was fresh and lively in the palate with juicy blackberry, red currant and black cherry notes mingled with subtle mint and spice, ripe and supple tannins well balanced with an elegant acidity. The wine was delicious and rich without being overpowering and the finish was long and lingering.  
Michaela is no longer at St. Supéry  — she is now at the Board of Marin Bank — and the 2000 vintage is sold out, but this outstanding wine with great balance which was so lovely when we first tasted it gives full meaning to the mention “will only improve over the next few years or should age nicely…”

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Written by Michael Dietsch - Serious Eats

Published: 20 August 2012

The Serious Eats Field Guide to Orange Liqueur

 

Not all orange spirit is curaçao, or Cointreau…  What is triple sec?  Which is the best orange liqueur or triple sec?

Excellent guide to the much maligned orange liqueurs.

Read more...

 

 

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Written by Simone Zarmati Diament

Published: 06 August 2012

On a tour to Europe that culminated in France, dancer Rodney D. Strong’s glittering leaps across the stage dazzled the audiences.  But upon returning to the US in 1951, he confessed that the highlight of his four years of dancing in Paris as member of choreographer George Balanchine’s troupe and the American School of Ballet was his experience with French food and wine. He went on saying that rather than become an old dancer, he’d much rather become and old winemaker… He did; finding in Sonoma county friends, love, marriage to a former ballerina and the versatility he needed as an artist and as a serious winemaker.

Parallel to that “American in Paris”- returning-to-California story is the saga of the Klein family who migrated to San Francisco from New York City at the beginning of the 20^th century to be decimated by the earthquake and rebuilt itself through the surviving children and grandchildren.  The latter, who had been involved in California agriculture for four generations, added business acumen to the art of winemaking and are since 1989, in charge of the remarkable Rodney Strong Winery in Sonoma county.   Their passion for sustainable farming practices, solar power and other green business practices have led them to become Sonoma County’s first carbon neutral winery and the producer of exquisite wines.

Vintner Tom Klein captured the elegance of Bordeaux and the exuberance of the Pacific Coast  in the two splendid wines from the Alexander Valley Collection he recently released:  Symmetry 2009, a Bordeaux-style Meritage, and Alexander’s Crown 2009, a Bordeaux-style Cabernet,  while claiming Bordeaux as their style, express the terroir where they come from, the vegetation and the diversity of Alexander Valley’s agriculture.

Rodney Strong Symmetry Alexander Valley, Sonoma 2009 ($55) They call this Bordeaux-blend a Meritage. 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec, 6% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, have all been hand-harvested, sorted and fermented separately and aged in French oak for 6 months before being graded and selected for Symmetry.  The blend is then assembled and the wine is aged from 12 to 18 months before bottling. The result is a harmonious, concentrated, and elegant full-bodied wine with an opulent bouquet of blackberries, currants, sweet spices, and a hint of violet blossom, which unfolds on the palate with layers of black fruits, dark chocolate and spice. Rich and silky in texture it delivers a long and powerful finish. It definitely has the backbone for years in the cellar and promises an interesting evolution in the bottle.  15.5% alcohol content.

Rodney Strong  Alexander's Crown, Alexander Valley, Sonoma 2009 ($75) . 100% cabernet sauvignon. Established in 1971 and recognized as the first vineyard in Sonoma County to produce a single vineyard cabernet sauvignon, Alexander's Crown is perched on a hill rising to about 350 feet in the south-center of the Alexander Valley just west of Jimtown.   The top of the hill, block 1, is red in color, and produces the most intensely flavored wine.  Harvested on the morning of October 5 at the end of a perfect growing season, and after 23 months in French oak barrels — 40% new — The Crown is definitely an opulent wine, with floral notes and intense depth, ripe flavors centered on red fruit, and rounded tannins superbly balanced with a fresh acidity which adds brightness to the sumptuous and long finish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Written by Simone Zarmati Diament

Published: 01 August 2012

 

At a recent tasting* of a few 2011 Beaujolais wines, 79-year-old Georges Duboeuf, thin and straight in a formal blue jacket and tie contrasting with a grown, but well-combed mane of grey hair, enthusiastically proclaimed: ”2011 was a fabulous year. It was already hot by April and we had to harvest on August 22, instead of in the middle of September as we normally do.”

And when asked about the effect of intense heat that the change in climate in bringing about in Beaujolais, "the King of Beaujolais"  smiled cryptically and said: “Gamay loves heat. The hotter it gets, the more sun there is, the more concentrated and better the wine gets.”

And indeed, from the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Village 2001 and the Georges Duboeuf  Morgon Jean-Ernest Descombes 2011 to the Moulin à Vent, Domaine des Rosiers and the Georges Duboeuf Juliénas Château des Capitans 2011, the northernmost property in Beaujolais which Dubeouf owns with his partner of 30 years, Bill Deutsch of Deutsch Family in the US, all the wines we tasted were full-bodied, aromatic and complex and all under $20.00!

The grape Gamay is very versatile as it acquires the properties of the terroir where it is grown, whether at 200 meters above sea level to relatively flat land. “The wine’s quality depends on the talent of the winemaker and the attention to detail of the wine growers,” explained Mr. Duboeuf as he described the close relationship he keeps with his wine associates.

Born in a family of winemakers in Pouilly-Fuissé in the Loire Valley, Georges Duboeuf started his own business in  1957 with a group of 45 producers and went on to become a négociant in 1964, with the company Les Vins Georges Duboeuf.  Today, the company works with over 20 wine co-ops and 400 growers in the regions.

Passionate about Gamay, Duboeuf feels that Beaujolais and its 10 grand crus (premium lands producing top wines--  from north to south, the ten Cru Beaujolais are Saint Amour, Juliénas, Chenas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnie, Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly) is producing wines that compete with the more expensive wines of its more exclusive neighbors in the Rhône valley. The Crus are a few dollars more than Beaujolais village per bottle, but  all of these wines are very good values.

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Village 2001 ($9.99) – a brilliant purple color and aromatic complexisty with blackcurrant, cherry, peach and subtle floral notes. It is rich, fleshy, round and elegant and was perfectly paired— as were the next two wines — with the robust tastes of a Mediterranean  dish of grilled pork loin topped with a fragrant salsa verde, akin to a garlicky pesto, with Greek-style farro salad spiked with crumbled Feta cheese, Kalamata olives and lemony diced tomato and cucumber salad.                 Photo © Jean-Luc Mège

Georges Duboeuf  Morgon Jean-Ernest Descombes 2011 ($15.99) Brilliant garnet in color this full-bodied wine exhibits an aromatic nose of violet and black fruit notes with cherry scents. Well-structured, its robust tannins are tamed by the lively acidity and the concentrated fruitiness of the wine ending with a lingering finish.

Georges Duboeuf Juliénas Château des Capitans 2011 ($18.99) A tamed wine with vanilla and roasted coffee on the nose, it deployed in the palate hints of raisins and dried fruit stew with a finish of dark fruit and spices.

Georges Duboeuf  Moulin à Vent, Domaine des Rosiers 2011 ($17.99) Solid garnet color with notes of black fruit and subtle aromas of vanilla, this full-bodied wines is seductive, elegant, sophisticated and with a good tannic structure. This wine was splendidly paired with an über hamburger in a brioche bun as well as a masterful dessert of chocolate fudge topped with sea salt, olive oil, a sourdough crostini and accompanied by a deep tasting espresso parfait.

* the tasting was held at Michael's Genuine Food & Drink restaurant in the Design District, Miami.

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Written by Simone Zarmati Diament

Published: 20 July 2012

It’s no wonder KAPPA Pisco recently won the prestigious Double Gold Medal at the 2012 San Francisco Spirits Competition.  It was also awarded a Double Gold Medal in the “Packaging” category for its stunning and strikingly sober midnight blue bottle designed by the renowned designer Ora-Ito http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/oraito.html.

Kappa is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet and is at the source of many scientific names — in mathematics, the kappa curve is named after this letter and in astronomy, Kappa Crucis, HD 111973) is a star in star cluster NGC 4755.  It is at the same time a giant, aggressive salamander in the Japanese folklore; a hairy, scary legendary creature in the Finnish folklore, and the name of another giant; Frank Kappa, photographer of the great wars of the 20^th century — whose works I recently saw at an exhibition in Verona, Italy; just to mention a few acceptations.

The Kappa we’re talking about is a pisco named after the star in the Southern Cross constellation,  produced by The House of Lapostolle — of the Marnier Lapostolle family who produces the famed orange liqueur Grand Marnier. This is an ultra premium pisco coming from the Elqui Valley in Chile, made from two varieties of aromatic Muscat grapes:  Moscatel Rosada and Moscatel de Alejandría, grown in Lapostolle-owned vineyards.

The pisco industry in Chile — a bone of contention with their Peruvian neighbors who have long claimed that pisco is theirs — has grown both in quality and in quality in the past few years.   The many pisco distilleries are now going through more elaborate double and even triple process of distillation, aging in wood barriques for longer periods of time to obtain more complexity and depth of flavors.

In Kappa, the double process of distillation and the techniques of vinification used in Cognac results in a smooth  85% proof pristine liquid with subtle fresh citrus flavors,  delicate notes of honeysuckle and rose petal flavors in the mouth, and a menthol and verbena finish.

Just out for the summer, Kappa is great for making refreshing fruit cocktails and of course the classic Pisco Sour. Just like Cognac it is great with tonic water, a few drops of lemon and a couple of mint leaves.

Classic Kappa Pisco Sour:

• 2 fl oz (8 parts) Kappa Pisco
• 1 fl oz (4 parts) Lime juice
• 1/2 fl oz (2 part) Simple Syrup
• 1 egg white
• 1 dash bitters (get creative here, try Fee Brothers celery or barrel aged whiskey bitters) -Shake hard or blend with ice and strain into glass. Top the Kappa Pisco Sour foam top with the aromatic bitters.

$34 to $36 / kappapisco.com