The Second Glass

The Sweetness in a Bank Holiday at home

Kit Maloney — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:14:38 +0000

I know I’m missing out on the Memorial Day grilling festivities thatI’m sure many of you are looking forward to in a few weeks time, butMay has truly arrived in London and with it has come properly warm andsunny weather and the Bank Holiday season! Two Monday’s every May theBank of England shuts its doors and as a result two Friday’s each Maypeople flee from their office buildings as early on possible and runto the local pub. The Friday before a Bank Holiday weekend being afree zone where worries of work, and more importantly of hangovers,fall away and exercising our hard earned right to get pissed becomes acommunal experience if not requirement.So I happily finished up “work” for the weekend by debating thePhoenix’s wine list (The Phoenix being the closest pub to the office’sdoors and the sister pub to my former local, meaning the list is,well, explored). I quite fancy the white and black peppery spice oftheir Malbec (Finca La Colonia, Norton, Argentina 2007) yetalternatively the sun was out and the afternoon begging for some oftheir dry and crisp Rose (Côtes de Provence 2006 , Vignerons de SaintTropez ). Decisions. Ho hum.Bollocks! Was I really going to let Alex spend his Bank HolidayFriday sitting on his lonesome at home? Had I really forgotten thathe had just had surgery on both legs and was restlessly stuck on thecouch watching golf (to be fair, a fate much worse seen through myeyes than his.) Alas, I suppose love is going straight home from workon the Friday before the Bank Holiday.Determined to bring the festivities to the couch though, I remembereda gorgeous little bottle of sweet wine my mother had brought back forus from the Loire. Perfect. The image of the bottle threw thePhoenix’s wine list in the bin and all attention was quickly focusedon what to accompany my sweet wine with (falling in line with my habitof craving a wine first and then picking the foods that go…) Onegood thing about living in St. Margaret’s (a suburb of London where Ihave recently moved to and where you will know doubt hear snidereferences about in future writing) is that there is a decent butcherand delectable fromagerie right outside the station. Two tins ofpate – check; a creamy and rich goats cheese, Roquefort, a local DevonBlue – check; flowers for the patient – check!Pretty soon, the apricots of the sweet wine danced about with thecreaminess of the cheese and pate and the acidity zinged making usready for yet another last bite. So instead of the traditional intown piss up, opting for a special wine and subsequent luxuriousnibbles proved to be all that was needed.Saturday morning I met a friend for lunch, which after a thoroughexploration of the pubs Whites, turned into a stumbling evening walkhome. Friday night might have been relatively subdued but I stillfound a way to share the two day hangover experience with the Britsand even disgracefully had to return to the pub the next for my leftcredit card. Classiness is fleeting even when sweet.

The Sweetness in a Bank Holiday at home

Kit Maloney — Wed, 14 May 2008 21:53:02 +0000

NV Perrier Jouët Grand Brut

Tyler Balliet — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:37:31 +0000

A true celebration requires authentic, genuine Champagne hailing all the way from the Champagne region in France. Sparkling wines from the US, Spain and even Argentina are great and typically these are our beverages of choice for most situations. However, sometimes you just have to say, “Screw it!” and throw down for the real thing.

For times like these, we love the NV Perrier Jouët Grand Brut because it’s light, delicate and a whole lotta fun. This is a wine that will dance across your palate with light citrus and toasty aromas. It’s worldwide, which means you’ll be able to find this where ever you live, but it is also a nice change from the ubiquitous Yellow Label.

Pairings: light brunch foods, smoked salmon, strawberries, or a beautiful woman in a smoking hot cocktail dress.

Filene’s Basement For Wine Opens in Braintree, MA

Tyler Balliet — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:31:58 +0000

The store, called Bin Ends opened in Braintree, MA, just south of Boston a few days ago. The new concept is to continually mark down bottles over time until they reach 45% off. For example a bottle of 2003 Domaine Chateau Gigondas may get marked down like this:

Compare at $100.00 Regular Price
bin ends Day 1-21 $ 74.99 Save 25%
bin ends Day 21-42 $ 64.99 Save 35%
bin ends Day 42-63 $ 54.99 Save 45%

It seems the idea is not to offer just cheap plonk, but to obtain a full range of quality wines. Operating like a discount food store, they buy whatever is available from for discounted prices and plan on handing those prices to the consumer.

We have not been to the store yet but plan on making the trip soon. The website will go live in a few weeks. We wonder who they are targeting as the “Blue Laws of Massachusetts” do not allow out of state shipping.

A full report to follow.

New Zealand!

Michael Corbett — Sun, 04 May 2008 08:40:27 +0000

Needing a break from wine, our first week in New Zealand was packed full of hiking, beer drinking, and driving through the picturesque and changing landscapes of the south island. Our first wine stop was to visit a friend working a harvest in the Waipara Valley just north of Christchurch. We were greeted in the cellar with the frenzy of four forklifts shuffling grapes around, and the frantic scurrying of every employee to process the incoming fruit. We were propositioned to work on the sorting table (conveyor belt of crushed fruit used to remove stems by hand) for a few hours in exchange for a few bottles of wine. With a moment of consideration to jump into the excitement of another harvest, we simultaneously said “thanks, but no thanks - we’re on vacation now!”.

Pushing north, we came to the picturesque mountains surrounding the Marlborough region. There was a light cool breeze in the fall day to match the light wine styles Marlborough is famous for, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Noir. I came to Marlborough expecting to love its Sauvignon Blancs, and I have left wanting to taste more of its impressive Pinot Noirs. From what I tasted Marlborough seems to produce intense fruit forward Pinot’s like I have never tasted. If a glass of fresh strawberries, black berries and raspberries is your style - Try some Marlborough Pinot Noirs. The even bigger surprise was the complex and balanced Chardonnays tasted.

Our final stop in the south island is the lesser known Nelson wine region. Marlborough has put its name on the map as THE region for Sauvignon Blanc in the world, but it is the opinion of this humble traveler that Nelson’s offering has much more character. Nelson is protected by the mountains on the east and the Tasman Bay on the West leading to a temperate climate. With less variation between day and night time temperatures, Sauvignon Blanc from this region comes out with more tropical fruits on the nose, which is the sweet spot for my personal tastes. The surprise Nelson had to offer me was a new found respect for a varietal I normally ignored - Pinot Gris. In one sip, Pinot Gris transformed in my mind from the cheep, tasteless wine I drank in college to a delicate white wine that can taste like a great desert. The best example had some residual sugar balanced perfectly with baked peach flavors. In any case, if you are looking for a fresh New Zealand white wine, try out the Nelson Region.

Until next time,

Cheers!

2006 Von Buhl Riesling Medium-Dry - $17

Tyler Balliet — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:26:21 +0000

The weather in spring typically switches back and forth from warm to cold and this year is no exception. First you think it’s FINALLY spring when you bust open the first rosé of the year while sporting flip-flops and shorts in 80 degree weather. Then, only a few days later it’s 50 and you’re wondering if summer will ever come.

Even though the weather’s unpredictable, your wine doesn’t have to be. The perfect wine for hot, warm or cold weather is the 2006 Von Buhl Riesling Medium-Dry. This medium body wine has a touch of sweetness and a great, crisp, citrus-like acidity. The apple and pear aromas make this a great wine cocktail wine but it’s even better with food. Regardless of the weather, throw on some sandals and a Hawaiian shirt and grab a bottle of this great wine.

Food pairings: turkey or ham

Snarky Napkin

Tyler Balliet — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:44:20 +0000

I just received this email from my friend via iPhone:

“So my dad’s in town for business and I’m waiting for him in a bar. A bar in one of the ballerest restaurants in DC (everyone here is old). Anyway, I’m having a nice scotch when I look and read the “warning” on the cocktail napkin.”

It reads:

“Warning: continued consumption of wine may lead to sophistication, cultural awareness, worldly concerns, youthful ambiance and possibly severe happiness.”

For those of you keeping track at home, Mike is at The Prime Rib, in Washington D.C.

2007 Toad Hollow ‘Eye of the Toad’ Rosé

Tyler Balliet — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:19:00 +0000

Sonoma County, California - $12

The votes are in and we’re calling it officially rosé season!

We’ve decided to celebrate the fact it was 86 degrees in Boston yesterday with the 2007 Toad Hollow ‘Eye of the Toad’ Rosé. It’s made from 100% Pinot Noir from Sonoma County. This is a French-Style, bone dry, rosé with a gorgeous color. It smells of violets and rose pedals and has a fantastic strawberry flavor. It’s a steal to find a 100% Pinot Noir rosé for this price. Grab a few bottles with your sushi or spicy Thai takeout and sit on the deck/grass/stoop and get ready for summer!

Disclaimer:
If you weren’t around last year, please take note that rosé wines are NOT white zinfandel. These wines are NOT sweet, syrupy, “I just turned 21 and don’t like wine yet” wine. They are the real deal, not a Happy Meal. This style is light, sometimes fruity, and, most importantly, dry.

Trust us. Buy this wine and you’ll never look at pink wine the same way again!

I sold my car for Champagne!

Michael Corbett — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:20:52 +0000

Since wireless has been sparse, and its hard to impossible to find an Internet café that lets you use USB ports, my posts are going to be limited. So the new plan is to write as I go, and post everything I have whenever I can!

The road trip from Adelaide to Melbourne was successful, and Australian wine was drank at every stage along the way, from a bottle of Coonawarra shiraz at the top of a mountain in Grampians National Park, to a bottle of Halls Gap Cabernet Sauvignon while overlooking the coast line on the Great Ocean Road, to a bottle of Australian sparkling wine to celebrate my 26^th birthday. The Halls Gap appellation was an interesting one, a vineyard in the valley floor of a mountain range producing mostly shiraz (of course) and cabernet sauvignon.

A last moment car sale gave us few options, so yesterday me and my friend sold our 1985 Nissan Pulsar to a junk yard for $100, and promptly spent the money on a 1997 bottle of Laurent-Perrier Champagne. With the car sold we flew off to New Zealand today, and have arrived on the south Island in Christchurch. No wine news today, as it was a much needed break from vino with some pints of beer in an Irish pub. Tomorrow we hit the road for mountains, a hike on a ice glacier, and of course — Sauvignon Blanc!

Road Trip Update #1: Coonwarra Wine – If you find it, buy it!

Michael Corbett — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:15:56 +0000

Quick Facts:

From Adelaide, South Australia to Melbourne, Victoria.

The People: One American, one Italian, and one Frenchman – All Winos.

The Cars: 1985 Nissan Pulsar and a 1980 Holden Cruiser Van.

The Arsenal: 60 bottles of wine from Margarette River, Langhorne Creek and Coonawarra.

Just over 24 hours into the road trip to Melbourne, and nestled into tonight’s hotsel in the Grampians National Park. Yesterday’s adventure included wine tasting in Langhorne Creek, a night in the pub in Robe, South Australia that ended up with a late night dinner at the home of an Austrlian-Italian chef with some homemade wine. After eating some muscles with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc for lunch today, we pushed west through wine country and into Grampiens National Park.

And the highlight of today’s drive (aside from almost hitting a kangaroo) was most certainly the Coonawarra wine region. Coonawarra is cool climate wine region in South Australia, and is regarded as one of the top growing regions for Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. It is the home to just over 20 wineries, all settled along the Riddoch highway, giving it a minature Napa Valley feel – Without the pretentiousness.

The highlight of the trip was tasting at Patrick T Wines, a producer of premium reds at not so premium prices. Their 2004 Shiraz is the best Shiraz I have tasted in Australia thus far, and is only $18 a bottle. Unfortunately they do not export to the US yet, but between what I tasted today I will go as far as to strongly suggest picking up a Coonawarra Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon if you happen to see one in the liquor store. The wines I have tasted here show a character and complexity that I have yet to see in Australian wine until today, but at very reasonable prices.