There has been no shortage of wine dinners lately. It is a good way to showcase wines that are selected to pair with foods that complement them. I came across one sponsored by WUNDERWEIN , an importer of German wines. The focus was on wines from Germany and featured a couple of wines from a grape, Silvaner, that I don't have much experience with. The dinner took place at Artisan in Southport on March 1, 2023. The opening wine was Sekt, a sparkling wine that has several quality levels and methods of production. Click here for a Wine Enthusiast Magazine article on Sekt. The Gut Hermannsberg Brut is made using the Champagne method and is 100% Riesling. It was delicious- fresh and bright, a great way to begin. Sekt is not well represented in many CT wine shops. I did a search for Sekt online and found very few available. Hopefully that will change as importers like WUNDERWEIN introduce it to the public. Achim Kirchner, Managing Director of Gut Hermannsberg presented the Sekt and a Riesling that was poured with the first course. Simon Guiot, Export Manager for Battenfield-Spanier presented his Riesling from the Rheinhessen. Christopher Catansei was in charge of the wine service. He suggested pouring two wines for each course. The first course included two different Rieslings. In my opinion Riesling is the most under appreciated wine on the market today. Riesling can be made in many styles from bone dry to dessert style. The pair for the first course were both dry and from 2020. As they were from two different producers and regions it was interesting to pick out similarities and differences. They both were fine matches for the first course. Local sea food crudo with radish, cucumber, vanilla-calamansi elixir. A great match for the wines.
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After not travelling due to Covid it was great to finally take one of the trips that had been booked but put on hold. A family trip to London and Paris in early July was just what we needed to get on with our lives. My daughter had been looking for things to do in London and came across Gordon's Wine Bar. It was just around the corner of our hotel. I checked it out briefly online and put it on my list of places to visit. When we got there one evening after dinner there was a small line to get in. I assumed from the few pics I had seen that the place was small and wondered how long the wait would be. After about 10 minutes we were led to an outdoor seating area.As glad as I was to be seated I really wanted to see the the underground cellar. After placing our order I went inside and asked if I could take a few pics. It was like going back in time.After seeing how small it was inside I was glad there was outdoor seating. Gordon's does not offer beer or spirits, just wine. The list is compact but pretty much has something for everyone. Click here for list. Since we were there after dinner we mainly ordered dessert wines. I had the Tokji and and as I was sipping I wondered what the list might have looked like in 1890. The staff was friendly and the cheese and charcuterie looked really good. Would certainly go back again.
After many years, Maltose Express and Veracious have closed. It is a bittersweet moment, I have known and worked with Mark and Tess many times over the years. They and their staff have supported and nurtured countless wine and beer makers for over 30 years and opened a successful brewery. They will be missed. Here are some images from those years in no particular order. The last canning session on May 18, 2022 12/19/2021 0 Comments A very special tastingGetting a group together safely during this time of virus risks has not been easy. For years our wine friends have shared many great bottles and enjoyed each other’s company. We have done several Zoom meets early into it so staying in touch was not a problem. Once everyone in the group was vaccinated it was time for an in person evening. Two of the group had several good things happen and wanted to celebrate. That brought us all back together after for a much needed reunion. The warm up wines Our hosts are very generous with the wines they have collected and this became an opportunity for them to share some amazing wines. When the invite says DRC will be poured how can you refuse? The wine was glorious! Black raspberries, strawberries along with other fruits, enough acidity to keep it fresh and some tannin to round it off. This is a rare wine, I felt honored to have a chance to taste it. Some DRC info- click here Roberto Voerzio is known for extremely low yields. He achieves incredible concentration and intensity. This may have been the most highly colored Barolo I have ever had. A wine at its peak with many more years ahead of it. Info here What better finale than a nice Port? Maybe a 50 year old one. The wine was a great way to end a very special tasting. Many thanks to our hosts for getting us all together and for the opportunity to to taste history in a bottle. Taylor info
I recently did a tasting for tasting for a group of medical professionals. Jeff, the host, contacted me and we worked together to set up an event to celebrate with his team. As we worked on details Jeff mentioned he went to a tasting and the presenter spent some time going over food pairings that can have a negative effect on the way a wine is perceived. So we incorporated some pairings that demonstrated good and bad examples of wine and food matchups. As we got close to the date of the tasting I mentioned some pairings from the book Big Macs and Burgundy by Vanessa Price with Adam Laukhuf. The book matches up many of the everyday foods we eat with a specific type of wine. While some of the reviews of the book I have seen concentrate on the junk food pairings there are quite a few of the classic pairings as well. What I was glad to see is the author makes a point of giving background on the wine suggested and what it is about the pairing that makes it work. When you read about the white-cheddar popcorn pairing with white Burgundy you get a concise but very clear lesson about Burgundy. You also get some suggested wines at various price points with icons that let you know more about the wine mentioned. Besides the pairings there is information on the components of wine, how to taste, the science behind pairings and much more. This is a book I recommend for beginners and experienced wine folks alike. August 21, 2021
Carpene Malvolti 1868 Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Italy Thomas Labaille Sancerre L’Authentique 2020 France Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc 2020 South Africa Baron De Ley Rioja Reserva 2015 Spain Substance Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 Washington Castelnau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2016 France Chianti Classico has been one of my favorite wines for quite a while. There is something about the Sangiovese grape, that makes up most and sometimes all of a Chianti Classico wine, that keeps me coming back to them again and again. When I came across an offering for I Fabbri Chianti Classico Lamole 2018 bottled in fiasco I was intrigued. A fiasco is the name of the iconic straw covered bottle that has been in use for centuries in Italy. The straw covering helped make the bottle better suited for being transported. During the 1970’s fiaschi were often seen in Italian restaurants and college dorms as a candle holder. The sad fact is that the wine in those bottles was not always very good. More on that later. Before I placed an order for the I Fabbri I did some research as I had not had any experience with the producer. The more I read about them the more interested I got. The estate has been in the Grassi family since the 1600’s. Wine was produced there along with a blacksmith operation. The blacksmith term would later provide the name for the I Fabbri winery. Over time the vineyard was abandoned. Daughter Susanna Grassi had spent time away from the estate and worked in the fashion business. By the end of the 1990’s Susanna decided to return to the estate and began the rebuilding of the of the family wine business. In 2000 I Fabbri was born. There was quite a lot of work needed to bring the property to where it is today. By 2002 the ancient stone terraces were restored. In 2003 integrated pest management began, part of the move to be sure the vineyards are grown using sustainable practices and is now fully organic. They also began using recycled cardboard for packaging.
Back in the 1980s my friend Tony and I decided to try our hand at making wine. We had both been getting into wine over the years and this seemed like a good way to learn more about it. We had a lot to learn. For our first vintage we went to the fruit and veggie whole-sellers at Long Wharf in New Haven. Without knowing what to ask for we ended up with grapes we had never heard of. Ruby Cabernet, a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan and Carnelian, a cross of Grenache and the cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan. Both were developed to thrive in a warm climate such as California's Central Valley.
When we inquired about getting yeast an old timer told us, "Yeast is for bread, not wine." So off we went to crush the grapes using a $3 fruit crusher I found at a tag sale. Without knowing it, we were making "natural wine." No additives were used at all those first few years. We did not know that most grapes are loaded with natural yeasts and after being crushed fermentation can start by itself. 5/4/2020 0 Comments Virtual Wine tastingNow that we are practicing stay at home routines and social distancing there is only one way to do a safe tasting. Through Zoom and many other platforms we can connect to each other remotely. I have started doing virtual tastings and have enjoyed them, as long as everyone sips along with me. With a little bit of preparation a group can find wines that are part of the theme chosen, even if we may not have the exact same wine we can still taste and discuss what we have in the glass. In this case our theme was South African wines. Chenin Blanc was one of the types of wines I suggested everyone should try. The group was pleasantly surprised with it. Most had not had a Chenin before this but said they would buy it again. A couple that shopped at the same store as I used was able to get the exact same wine as I did. Thanks Kevin at Kindred Spirits in Shelton! That was the only wine that more than one of us had. The groups' Chenins shared some of the same qualities as the Secateurs so it was easy to see a common thread. The Sauvignon Blancs were also enjoyable. Somewhere between a Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc and a New Zealand version. They had a similar characteristics but not an overwhelming grapefruit component. One couple tracked down the Southern Right Pinotage that I have yet to find but want to try. They specialize in just Sauvignon Blanc and Pinotage. More of the wines that were included. These were available in Santa Monica. The Cabernets and Cab blends were very well received. The Stark Condé was the same bottling as the one from Santa Monica but a 2 year vintage difference.
We all had a great time and I'll have to say that even when my part was done I stayed on for a while to chat. I enjoyed meeting such a warm and friendly family. They made it easy for me. Thanks to Eileen and Maura for including me in the event which was done for a recently married couple that was not able to take a honeymoon in South Africa due to the the current conditions. Cheers! Recently, I came across an article in the New York Times by wine writer Eric Asimov. He regularly lists his favorite 20 wines under $20. I always like to see if I can get my hands on some but not every wine available in NY is available in CT. A friend of mine sent me an offering from Flat Iron Wines in NYC. They tracked down many of the wines with a description of them and all were priced below $20. I made up an order of 6 different wines with an eye out for wines from grapes I have not had or that were from old vines. With the mild winter we are having here in CT I felt OK with having them shipped during February. The 2019 Luyt Pipeno Famila Ernesto Soto Carrizal is made with 100% Pais from 250 year old vines. The grape, also known as Mission and others was brought to Mexico, California and South America by the Spanish in the 1500s. It was once the mostly widely planted variety in Argentina. I have been on a kick lately and have been seeking out wines from very old vines. See previous blog posting about this topic here. Many of the old vines are ungrafted, meaning they are on their own original roots and not grafted onto different root stock. Most of the world's vines are on grafted roots due to phylloxera. Phylloxera is the organism that was inadvertently brought to Europe from North America and eventually wiped out many of the vineyards in Europe and the rest of the world. The only cure was to graft on North American grape roots that were resistant to phylloxera. The Pais vines have a tendency to produce an abundance of grapes but older vines generally have smaller yields which lead to more concentrated flavors. In the hands of Famila Ernesto Soto, who produce this wine and others from some even older vines, we get a lighter colored, fruity wine with a tannic backbone. Photo courtesy VinePair
I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Mark and Tess since the early days of their wine and beer supply shop. Maltose Express is now in its 30th year of operation. Together we got the idea to do a staff party/wine tasting. On January 29, 2020 we assembled in the tap room of their Veracious Brewing Company, which is right next door to Maltose. Catering was done by Chef Deane Moss, the Executive Chef of Brownson Country Club. He did an amazing job of pairing his dishes with the wines I chose. Every course was delicious. We started with a Greek wine, an Assyrtiko from Santorini. What a nice wine, I visited Domaine Sigalas last year and was able to find the 2014. It was drinking very well. Next up was a Tannat from Uruguay, a juicy version from Garzon the went well with the foraged mushrooms.
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Thank you Jon, everyone enjoyed the wine tasting and we were all elated with your knowledge and insight into wine education. Just a wonderful experience. 3/24 Bristol Thank you so much for a great night, we had the best time! Wilton 1/24
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Testimonials
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Hi Jon, know that all of us greatly appreciated the experience you created last weekend. I have also shared your Sauv Blanc recommendations with Meredith and the rest of the group, for which they were thankful. Thank you again and don’t be a stranger.
Manchester 5/23 Just wanted to say thank you. Everyone enjoyed your presentations and the wines. There is only 1 unopened bottle! Greenwich 12/22 Jon, thank you so much for an informative and fun presentation! We all loved ALL of the wines! Thanks a million for being part of a wonderful night! 7/24/21 J.W. Trumbull Jon,
Thank you again for everything you did for making my husband's party a wonderful experience. I am especially thankful for the manner in which you handled the size and complexity of the party. The feedback I got was positive and everyone enjoyed the wines. They definitely will be looking out for some of the new favorites.. JV Oxford For several years the community at Waterview Landing in Shelton has sponsored an annual wine tasting afternoon held at our gazebo. It’s an informal event; everyone brings one or two bottles of their favorite wines and some munchies. Our resident wine expert, Jon Haight, moderates the event, and always makes the experience both educational and enjoyable. Jon is extremely knowledgeable about wines, both domestic and foreign. Typically Jon will rank the wines by white and red, and by maturity. Since he does not know beforehand what wines will be available it is impressive to watch his skill in sorting the wines. As the tasting progresses Jon describes the nuances of each wine and does so in terms that are easily understood. We learn, we enjoy, and a good time is had by all. Speaking for the folks at Waterview Landing, we are thankful that Jon is resident, and would hope that others can benefit from Jon’s knowledge and skills. He is excellent at what he does and has a great sense of humor to boot. Alan W. Morton President, Waterview Landing Homeowners Association Dear Jon, I wanted to drop you a note to say thank you for providing our Lions Club with a very educational and entertaining evening on October 27, 2010. The presentation you did on the basics of wine tasting combined with that of a general knowledge of Chilean Wines and Ports provided us with a very informative program that our membership enjoyed. Maybe we could consider doing this on an annual event. Thanks again. Joe Charbonneau President, Manchester Lions Club |