Archive for June, 2009

Summer is finally here, and with the hot sunny days and warm nights ahead we’re all looking to stock up on our favorite thirst quenchers. Of course, I have my stash of wheat beers, crisp lagers and homebrewed pale ale ready to go for any outdoor social gathering requiring beverages to be served, but I have discovered a new favorite to add to the usual mix: cider. 

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Around two years ago, when I first traveled to Australia, I was struck by the number of winemakers asking my opinions regarding Robert Parker. Not the famous mystery writer–whose books never seem long enough to last me through an entire trip–the other one, who has made a 30-year career out of dispensing vinous advice to consumers.

On the one hand, I was a little taken aback. Although most folks brought up the topic diplomatically enough (“We’re not trying to make a huge, Parkerized style…” followed later by “So what do you think of his tastes, anyway?”), it was still somewhat disconcerting, being asked to comment on another critic’s critiques and preferences.

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There was a time when I despised flavored vodkas, in theory and in practice. In practice, most of the flavors of the ones I tried, whether it was peach, lemon or vanilla, came across as bubblegummy. Fake and awful. I didn’t see the point, since bartenders can work wonders with syrups and nectars. And in theory I hated them because…why? Why clutter the retail shelves with them and shove perfectly good bottlings to oblivion? Then came the rumors of flavored Tequilas—Tequila being a personal favorite—and I really did a Munch scream: why?!

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Even as the big corporates continue to slash their vineyard holdings and small growers find it increasingly difficult to sell their grapes at worthwhile prices, new avenues are being explored for getting more of Australia’s wine grapes to market.

One of them exploits the longstanding European tradition of distillation. For decades, the EU has paid grape growers–mainly huge cooperatives–to distill surplus wine into industrial alcohol. The Down Under twist to this story is that that their wine grapes are being turned into vodka. Although I am not sure what makes these products vodka rather than brandy, except the perceived sales potential, there’s no denying the handsome packaging and slick Web sites of Bombora and CooranBong.

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I am not a craft brewer, but I sure do wish I was. Maybe that was part of the reason for my recent foray into the homebrew world, as all of the information and reading in the world can’t directly translate into the lessons learned through real-life experience. I’ve been enjoying craft brewers’ fabulous, widely varying concoctions for years now, and yet still, every time I take that first sip of a well-made sudsy libation, I smile and think to myself gosh, do I ever love and respect those folks. The care and integrity that they put in to each and every bottle of their finest is so clearly apparent to those that enjoy their offerings, like an exquisite oil painting or a beautiful sonnet to be thought upon, deconstructed, and savored. Is that too much? Did I mention that I like beer? A lot?

Well, for those of you who are ready to point your finger and laugh at the over-appreciative beer geek, do I have a video to share with you that’s sure to bring you over to the dark, losery side! 

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I spent four wonderful days in Belfast recently, walked the streets for hours, and only when I returned home did it occur to me that in that time I didn’t see, or at least register seeing, a single policeman. What reminded me? On the flight home an old Irish duffer, apparently inexperienced in modern travel, lit a cigarette, and four beefy New Jersey cops met him at the door on arrival. And why do I mention it? Because if you’re planning to travel to Ireland and Belfast is not on your itinerary, rethink.

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You think cooking is a cute job, eh? Like Mommy in the kitchen? Well, Mommy never had to face the dinner rush while the orders come flooding in . . . every second counts and you cannot be mommy. –Colette, Ratatouille (2007)

A lot has been written about sexism in the wine and food (specifically restaurant) industry; we tackled the topic ourselves in our October 2008 “Bottle of the Sexes” issue. It came up again for me last November in Philadelphia as I sat on a “Breaking Through the Cork Ceiling” panel discussion with influential women of the wine industry like Martine Saunier and Cristina Mariani-May.  The good news in the wine world at least? Most of us agreed that if you’re smart, hardworking, and take what you do seriously, you’ll get ahead, regardless of the occasional old-boy boneheads who scowl at you when you crash their Victorian frat parties.

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Last weekend, I had the immense pleasure of returning to Washington, DC for the Brewers Association’s second annual SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience.  Given my victory at the salon I participated in last year called “Cross Drinking Without Social Stigma,” I was invited back to defend my winner’s title in a “Craft Beer and Cheese Pairing Taste Off!”  Invitation aside, I would have jumped at the chance to attend SAVOR again, given the exciting beers poured, thoughtful food pairings, and opportunities to meet some of the rock stars of the brewing world.  Sure enough, SAVOR did not disappoint.

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What is it about human nature that pushes us to rate and classify our experiences and objects? I cannot begin to guess how many times I have been asked, “What’s your favorite wine?” My stock answer–and I repeat it here in the hope that at least no one who reads this blog will ask me again–is that it depends.

One of the things I enjoy most about wine is the sheer diversity of it. Given a wide enough selection, I can generally find a wine to please me regardless of the situation, whereas I have yet to find the single wine that will please me all of the time–nor do I particularly want to.

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