Imagine my delight upon arriving in Dallas last Fall to find that there's an impressive vitality to the Food and Wine scene here in the big D. I've gotten to know quite a substantial group of wine professionals, and I'm impressed by the breadth and depth of wine selections available for purchase (if not entirely so by the speed with which certain allocations make their way down here).

My first year at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek is nearing an end. It's been quite a ride! For a more complete read on our experience these past many months, click here, and read Dallas Morning News food critic Bill Addison's five star review of the new and improved Mansion.

I had tasted so few vintages of this "prestige cuvée of prestige cuvées" that it seemed a little beyond my realm of experience to speak about Pol Roger's Sir Winston Churchill at this weekend's Telluride Wine Festival. Fortunately, the great man's wine did all the talking, as the 1998 vintage provided the grande finale of an impressive line-up of Grande Marques in an early morning Champagne tasting. The Winston Churchill stunned the audience with its class and complexity. Bubbles expert Tom Stevenson has called it "...one of the greatest prestige cuvées of modern times..." and the 1998 certainly lived up to that praise. Pol Roger refuses to reveal the composition of the wine, upholding a promise made to the Churchill family when the idea of a wine made in Churchill's honor was first proposed. Since the initial 1975 vintage, little information has emerged about its contents other than its enviable 100% Grand Cru village status.

The house of Pol Roger established itself in 1849 and remains family owned to this day. Located in the city of Epernay, Pol Roger built their impeccable reputation on the Brut non-vintage, better known as "White Foil" as well as their collectible Vintage wines. This weekend's festivities also featured the 1999 rosé into which 15% still Pinot Noir has been blended giving a rosé of pale salmon hue and soft red fruits on the nose. Full-bodied and vinous while remaining fresh, this was my favorite pink wine of the weekend.

Tasting the initial release of Pol Roger's "Pure" was another revelation as this new zero-dosage bottling showed freshness, clean flavors and intense minerality, making for a perfect apéritif during the warm summer weekend.

Likely to be a Pinot Noir dominant, the 1998 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill showed incredible depth and resonance, with complex biscuity aromas and lasting chalky minerality on the finish. In a weekend of many and great wines, it was by far the most memorable wine of my entire visit to Telluride. As Winston Churchill is famously quoted: "I am easily satisfied with the best".

There is so much diversity in Burgundy's white wines, even though there is only one key grape variety represented.

Burgundy's main white grape variety, Chardonnay, is a bit of a Chameleon in that it adapts and expresses itself brilliantly within different climates and soil types, as well as through various vinification and viticultural methods. It is also affected by other factors such as vintage variations, market influences, and restrictions and limitations within different trade and legal structures.

Burgundy's northern continental climate varies from the cool temperatures of Chablis to the warmer extremes of the Macon. Throughout Burgundy, Chardonnay can be lean and steely as in Chablis, to lemony and soft in the Cote de Beaune's moderate climate, to full-bodied and rich in the warmer regions of the Macon.

Soil types remain fairly consistent in Burgundy, with most vineyards planted over a limestone base. However, the Kimmeridgian overlay in Chablis with its unique influence of marine fossils gives Chardonnay a certain chalky, mineral vibrancy. The marl/clay overlay in the rest of Burgundy (excluding Beaujolais) lends a silky softness to Chardonnay. The generally poor soil and limestone base throughout Burgundy force the Chardonnay vines to struggle to find water and nutrients. This struggle alone lends a complexity to these wines that is unique to Burgundy. Along with soil type, regional site and slope aspect influences the grape greatly. The sun-drenched midslopes along the Cote D'Or, for instance, allow the vines to struggle and benefit from maximum sunlight and excellent drainage. However, a vineyard along the lower plains may not get the same amount of sunlight and drainage, resulting in higher yields and less complex fruit. All of this can be summed up in one word-terroir. Terroir is one of the hottest topics surrounding Burgundy.

Vinification techniques can greatly influence the style of the finished wine. Chardonnay can be fermented in stainless steel, lined concrete, or oak. Depending on the fermentation or maturation vessel, the result can be anything from a clean, steely wine from the neutral vessels or a rich and creamy wine with vanilla notes from oak barrels, and of course, everything in between. The winemaker also has the choice of letting the wine go through malolactic fermentation (MLF--the second fermentation a wine would naturally go through to convert the harsher malic acid into the softer lactic acid), or not. Not allowing MLF, as in most Chablis, will result in a nervier, more acidic wine, while allowing MLF would result in a richer, creamier style wine. Other factors affecting vinification could include cold soaking to allow phenolic influence, lees stirring for a creamier texture, and temperature control in all aspects of each process.

Chardonnay holds up to many types of maturation techniques. It can be finished in stainless steel or another neutral vessel to retain a clean, fresh flavor of the grape itself. It can also be matured in new or used oak barrels, which, depending on the age and the length of time in barrel, can impart vanilla, caramel, and spicy flavors as well as creamy, viscous textures. It can also impart phenolic texture or tannins from the oak, giving the impression of fuller body and richer intensity of flavors and textures.

Vintage variation plays a major part in the characteristics of Chardonnay in Burgundy. In extremely cool vintages in Chablis, for instance, the grapes may barely get ripe enough to make good wine. Even if grapes are picked and fermented, it could be too cold to keep the fermentation going. In other parts of Burgundy, temperatures are not as extreme. However, in very hot vintages, such as 2003, much of the Chardonnay made had very low acidity and tended to be unbalanced. Obviously a cooler vintage can yield a much leaner, higher acid wine. Certain regions and specialty sites within Burgundy are able to deal with these issues better than others and adapt to the vintage variations. Aside from terroir, this is one of the main influences of varietal characteristics within Burgundy.

Within the various trade and legal structures in Burgundy, different levels of wines are made for various markets. The top levels of Burgundy, (i.e. The Grand Crus and Premiere Crus) are made in such small quantities and generally have more labor focused on each vine, leading to a more structured, complex wine that has the capacity to age and gain complexity over many years, even decades. Generally speaking, more mass produced wines made through co-ops and negociants tend to come from vineyards with much higher yields, possibly mechanical harvesting, etc that can lead to a less complex wine that is meant for more immediate consumption and will not improve with bottle age.

Lastly, the human factor plays in to all aspects of the diversity of Chardonnay in Burgundy. Without the winemaker to decide on viticultural and vinification techniques, where to plant, when to pick, how to ferment and age the wine, to bottling and marketing strategies, there would be no diversity within Burgundy. Fortunately, there is a wealth of styles and price points of Chardonnay to keep anyone interested in Burgundian whites for a lifetime.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet my fellow SOMMS at the Napa Valley Wine Auction. I wanted to learn from them about the hottest new things in San Francisco, Miami, and South Carolina, and they wanted to know from me about the food and wine scene in Denver. I was a little embarrassed because although I've lived in Boulder for over a year, I had not been to most of the top wine and food spots on the Front Range. So, I decided to dedicate a day to discover some of the best in Denver with my wife Elizabeth. Here's some of what we found:

12:30PM
Osteria Marco
1453 Larimer
Denver, CO 80202
www.osteriamarco.com
This was my third visit to this terrific Larimer Square spot where Chef Frank Bonanno, Chef Jean-Philippe Failyau, and sommelier Ryan Gaudin have assembled a wine-lover's/foodie's dream with a breadth of wine selections in the $40 - $50 range and a serious house-cured salumi program. 2006 Feudi San Gregorio Falanghina by-the-glass made our day and the pig shined.

2:30PM
Mondo Vino
3601 W. 32nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80211
www.mondovino.net
Mondo Vino is located in Denver's trendy Highland neighborhood. The neighborhood is full of terrific foodie stops like St. Kilian's Cheese Shop and a variety of bars and restaurants. But the real gem there is Mondo Vino. Elizabeth and I were impressed by the quality of service and well-chosen selection, and it is one of the best retailers in the area. We took home the 2003 Didier Dagueneau Paradoxe, which I have no doubt you'll all be hearing about soon in a future edition of SOMMselections.

4:30PM
Novo Coffee
Denver Art Museum
Hamilton Building & Duncan Pavilion
13th Ave. between Broadway & Bannock
Denver, CO 80204
www.novocoffee.com
All good SOMMS should be able to rattle off their favorite local espresso stops within seconds. Novo Coffee is at the top of my list with two Clover machines at their Denver Art Museum location. This is a great spot to sample some single-origin South American roasts, right next to some single-origin African roasts, all while marveling at the precision of the Clover's temperature and timing dials and the baristas who have mastered them.

6:30PM
Beatrice and Woodsley
South Broadway, No. 38
Denver, CO 80209
www.beatriceandwoodsley.com
This latest creation by Kevin and John has only been open since mid-May but we were awestruck by the use of light and re-purposed materials (i.e., chainsaws and lanterns are everywhere with great affect). What we thought would prove to be gimmicky ended up being welcoming and warm while we enjoyed delicious snacks from the kitchen. Our only qualm was the lack of wine selection, but judging by the all-out assault on attention to detail, we're expecting great wine things to come from Kevin and John.

The Willamette Valley in Oregon is incredible country. Unlike some other North American wine growing areas, it is a varied agricultural community. Sure, there are carefully manicured vineyards sloping the hills, but there are also, fruit and nut orchards everywhere, Christmas tree farms, and perennial nurseries. This variety gives the area an awesome beauty and the handsome old barns as well as the swank new wineries add to the appeal.

I recently visited and tasted at some very exciting wineries. Not entirely new to me, and totally impressive, are the wines of Scott Paul. With his penchant for great Burgundy (in addition to crafting superb wines, Scott imports high-quality, small producers from Burgundy, and he worked for many years at the lauded Domaine Drouhin in Oregon). Scott produces elegant pinot noirs of finesse and complexity. Scott Paul has a new winery in Carlton and a beautiful tasting room across the street where one can taste his Scott Paul Oregon Wines, as well as some of his selections from Burgundy.

One producer that was entirely new to me is Stoller. The Stoller families are long-time Willamette Valley residents, and the current spot of the vineyards and winery in Dundee was once one of the largest turkey farms in the region. Today, the Stollers grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They have their own brand, Stoller, and they also sell grapes to some of the best wineries in the area. The Stoller's have wisely employed Melissa Burr as their winemaker, a bright, young woman with a great palate and a passion for the Willamette Valley terroir. Stoller is one of the swank, new wineries in the region- it is constructed of nearly all recycled materials and is run with solar power. They have a great tasting room, delicious wines, and are well worth a visit for anyone interested in winery design.

Jim Prosser, the affable proprietor and winemaker of J.K Carriere Wines near Newberg, did not, I suspect, want to build a swank, new winery. His style is much more Old Oregon, as he put it. Jim makes his wines in a beautiful, old barn, where old beams and old barrels harmonize with the aromas of the highest quality pinot noirs.
The J.K Carriere wines are exquisite- they have sibling-like similarities of concentration, depth, and complexity. J.K Carriere also produces a special white pinot noir (rose) called GLASS, and if you can find it, I suggest you get it. And drink it.

All three of these outstanding wineries are small production operations, although Stoller seems capable of significant growth. It is for this reason that I did not list the specific bottlings- these wines are simply hard to find. But they are so fine and worth seeking out. If all else fails, take a trip to the Willamette Valley- you will not be disappointed. Beautiful scenery, world-class wines, fresh produce, and nice people-
What more could one want in life?

From Southern Burgundy it took us a healthy two and half hours to shoot down to the southern Rhone Valley in our rental car. On the sides of the road we saw gigantic rock formations which looked like dilapidated castles, which made one think of a time where jousts, duels, knights, peasants, were commonplace...

The orange sun sank into the night, when we unfortunately arrived in the walled ancient city of Avignon. I drove into the small city of tiny cramped streets where locals drove so fast like it was the 105 freeway in Los Angeles. After two hours of lost driving, we found our bed and breakfast within the enclosed ancient walls and cobblestone streets. Tired from driving, we went to bed early.

The next day my wife and I woke up early and arrived at Chateau Beaucastel in Courtezon which is a about fifteen minutes away from Avignon and
Chateauneuf du Pape. When we a arrived were greeted by a very kind man, who was a former sommelier at a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia. He talked with such passion, I thought his head was going to explode from sheer joy. Gregarious, energetic, with a smile from ear to ear, our tour guide took us outside in the chilly January air to look at the vineyards. For an hour he showed us where the mourvedre was planted, the Grenache and the syrah. He pointed to a distant tree and showed us where the roussanne was planted for the Beaucastel blanc. He pointed to a vineyard that looked like it was a little less than a mile up the road. He told us it was the sandy soil of Chateau Rayas. I dug my hand into the chilly soil and touched the large rocks called, “galets.” Out tour guide told us that the rocks at Beaucastel were much larger than the most of the vineyards in the area. He took us inside and we were handed a cup of hot boiled water with garlic and toast. He told us it an old Provencal recipe that was used to warm the soul and cleanse the palette.

He took us into the cellars where we tasted through a sampling of Perrin family wines 2002 Vaqueras, 2002 Gigondas, 2001 Vinsobre, Chateaneuf du Pape from 1980, 2001, 1989 and 1997 Homage. The smoked, licorice, jasmine, cherry finish on the 1980 Chateauneuf du pape left a lasting imprint on my palette for the next month.

The tour had gone on for three hours. Our tour guide took us to the other side of the Domaine to the kitchen. We met the personal chef for Chateau Beaucastel, who looked like Edward Norton and sounded like Latka on Taxi. He was given an unlimited budget to create whatever he wanted to based upon the flavors of the wine the Chateau had to offer. He cooked seven sumptuous courses for us. One course stood out, the red mullet fish course cooked in pastry dough that he shaped like fish, the loaves were cooked on top of hundreds of tiny galets. Tableside, he cut the fish out of the pastry dough and served it to us on our plates. He placed a piece of fennel and black truffle on top of the fish and sprinkled with a touch of sea salt. We drank the 2002 old vines Roussanne, marveleous! What a great tasting.

Why my cell phone displayed “January 1981” for the two weeks I was in St. Barths during May 2006 I’ll never know. Since my life is so wine focused the initial fear that hit me after I checked the time on my phone was that St. Barths would be a quality wine supply time warp...

I pictured wine lists featuring HOUSE WHITE and HOUSE RED with no listed producer, vintage or region. I envisioned bottles of wine sitting in direct sun on sauna-like wine shops’ shelves, with young white wines the color of ice tea. I was wrong. St. Barths is a wine destination for those looking for interesting wine choices, mostly from France, in a tropical setting.

The point of this blog is not to focus on great wine restaurant destinations in the Caribbean. That has been written about quite a bit. Instead I hope to highlight that St. Barths is a solid wine retail destination in the Caribbean. Initially you might think this is a niche or irrelevant topic, but ask yourself these questions as you plan your next tropical vacation:

Will I be renting a villa or private home (or staying as a guest in one) entertaining myself—well, that’s a must—and/or my guests with wine as part of the equation?

If I stay at a hotel, will I want to spend time in my room, on the patio and/or on the beach with some wine to enjoy?

Do I like to picnic with wine in tow?

Will I be arriving by boat/yacht with need to restock on wine at my port of call?

If you answered yes to any of those, St. Barths might be a good place for you if you enjoy refreshing, young French roses, Cru Beaujolais, Champagne, Cerdon de Bugey, Loire whites, serious Burgundy and Bordeaux, and a peppering of international wines. You’ll probably stumble across some new world goodies as I did: Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc at the same price in Manhattan even with the sad dollar to Euro exchange rate, Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir, Diamond Creek Cabs from the 1980’s, and much more.

You might be raising an eyebrow questioning how wine is shipped and stored in St. Barths, for very good reason. Randy Gurley, co-owner of the iconic St. Barths restaurant, Maya’s restaurant (his wife is Maya, the chef), told me that “the few distributors of wine in St. Barths take temperature control very seriously from the time a wine leaves the winery to its shipping conditions, to transport from the port to the truck to the wine shop or restaurant on the island.” Randy should know. He’s been buying wine for Maya’s for over twenty years, and all the wines I tasted with him were fresh and lively, regardless of the fact that I was enjoying them in a tropical setting.

All of the wine shops (there are about a dozen) I visited in St. Barths illustrated Randy’s point. The shops were air-conditioned cool and the bottles I purchased and enjoyed later at my villa were in perfect condition.

Feel comfortable knowing the wines you buy in a shop will most likely be in good condition. But make sure you crank up the AC in your car as you drive back to your tropical paradise getaway.

St. Barths is a small island, part of the French Wes Indies. You can drive around the perimeter of its main roads in less than a couple of hours. Here are some of the wine shops I visited and recommend. You’ll undoubtedly stumble across them as you discover the island.

Cellier du Gouverneur
Across from Le Carré d'Or in Gustavia
Tel: 590 590 27 99 93
(Note: I scored a bottle of 2001 Didier Dagueneau, Pouilly-Fume “Pur Sang” for the equivalent of about $50.00. It was drinking perfectly,

Le Gout du Vin
Rue Oscar 11
Tel: 590 590 27 88 02

La Cave de St. Barths
In Marigot
Tel: 590 590 27 63 21
(As a sidenote: you’ll encounter quite a few older vintages here for wines that shouldn’t be enjoyed with bottle age. Stay with vintages and producers that you know are good. A few bottles I tasted were past their prime, not because of storage conditions, but because they should have been sold years ago when they were meant to be enjoyed.)

Absolutely Wine
In Grand Fond
Tel: 590 590 52 20 96

Often times, in fact many times, consumers ask me at table side when reading the menu, "is such and such wine really worth the money?" I have to answer, "it depends." This is a loaded question because wine is a luxury item and in my opinion beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Take for example the topic of art. There are many versions from cheap and cheerful to ultra luxurious. The same rules hold true for wines. There are wines in the cheap and cheerful to extremely expensive categories. I am often asked by guests who read my wine list, "...is that wine really worth $17,000 and have you ever tasted it?" Without mentioning the particular wine, I reply, "it depends and yes I have tasted it."

I have one frequent guest, a former dot-com'r, who loves older wines and rarely orders anything under $10,000. If you ask this person they will tell you yes it's worth it, and of course economics do not enter the equation. I have tasted many older wines with a price tag exceeding 5 digits. As a student of wine I say it's a special treat to experience and a privilege to taste them and learn. In short, as an educator it is worth it to taste them. My pocket book doesn't budge enough to enjoy them as a consumer, much less at retail value.

There is good news, however. I share with my clientele the philosophy that if I had an expense account ranging between $10,000 - $15,000 I would allocate half to building a nice and well programmed wine cellar in my home while the balance rested on stocking it with my favorite wines from around the world. To me that would have more value than spending the same amount of money on just one bottle. Most people tend to prefer this approach, but then again most people don’t have that much disposable income to dedicate to wines.

In the end it only matters to the one who will enjoy the wine. If you have the cash and don't mind spending it on one bottle of wine, then like art you should go crazy and enjoy as much as you can. In the end, you don't take memorabilia with you, just memories.

Most people would probably agree that there is no place on Earth like Las Vegas. While some despise Las Vegas, others love it and live for it. Rarely is there an indifferent inbetween. Me, well, I am mostly fascinated by Las Vegas. I feel like the tiniest person in the world when I am there; it is all just so outrageous and overwhelming. I abhor the lack of natural environment, the loud, bad music, the smoking permitted inside, the rampant commercialism and incessant consumerism. On the other hand, I admire the creativity, the entrepreneurialism, and the sheer gall of the place. Las Vegas is freedom and capitalism at its best and you've got to respect that. Most of all, however, I love the restaurants. Indeed, the casino and resort hotels on the Las Vegas strip house some of the finest restaurants in the world. I don't go to Vegas to gamble; I go there to eat and drink.

In fact, there is so much fine dining in Las Vegas that one would have to spend a week there to just scratch the surface. Recently, I spent a few days. Here are some of my picks. Craft Restaurant at the MGM Grand is a total dining experience- great food and service, and an exceptional wine list.
Also in the MGM is Seablue, a beautiful restaurant aimed toward the health-conscious diner.
And although I live in San Francisco, I once enjoyed a superbe meal at Nob Hill, also in the MGM.
At Mandalay Bay, it is pretty much all about Aureole, for any serious wine lover. It is a must. If you have a hard time choosing a wine, ask for Master Sommelier William Sherer, he is charming and not the least bit pretentious. Similarly, at Bellagio, although there are many great establishments in the resort, the best is Picasso. Master Sommelier Robert Smith presides over an epic wine list, and the room is stunningly beautiful. At Caesars Palace, the best is Restaurant Bradley Ogden, one of the most talanted chefs in town. And at the still-new Wynn, there are many great choices. In the mood for French? Go to Bistro Daniel Boulud. Looking for fine Italian? Bartolotta is the place to be. The specialty is fish and seafood, and they have one of the finest menus I have ever seen. For the perfect pairing, ask for sommelier Claudio Villani; he has incredible knowledge of unusual wines.
And for the all-out glamorous splurge, go to Alex at the Wynn. It is over-the-top beautiful and the wine list is amazing. I am proud to say that it even reminds me of a wine list I once worked with... Sante!

Just returned from glorious Alsace, wrapped in its autumnal beauty. Slightly overcast skies didn’t cast any heavy shadows on the richness of the wine, nor the generosity of its vintners. Aromas of fermentation hung in the air as we bopped down the Route de Vin, taking note of the old ladies wrapped in bright scarves against the gray skies and browning leaves, stooped to pluck grapes from the famed vineyards...

Alsace reminds me a bit of Piedmont in its austerity. The people are friendly yet reserved. For their fine clothes, food and wine, they are not showy, nor dowdy. They are farmers with a great respect for the land and all that the land produces, mindful of not wasting vineyard space, an animal part, or precious energy. The landscape reflects the influences of a history full of so many invading peoples in its language, architecture and foods.

The heart of Alsace is Strasbourg, a small, beautiful city, overrun with boxes of flowering geraniums, providing a splash of red against the ancient stone buildings. The food is incredible. Tarte flambee appears in every patisserie, its layers of rich cheese, local ham or bacon and onion nestled in buttery pastry. The fall heralds the arrival of the first charcroute of the season: pork sausages, ham shanks, root vegetables on beds of sauerkraut so delicate, I was convinced I was eating tagliatelle. Foie gras made its appearance in a variety of ways; the most memorable of which was a foie gras crème brulee served with thick slabs of toasted bread studded with nuts and figs. I still fantasize about that dish. And what of the liver dumplings at once decadent in flavor but as light as the finest gnocchi? Or how about the bag of seven different varieties of the most delicious apples purchased from an orchard farmer that communicated only through smiles and gestures?

Our first stop was the brother and sister team of Domaine Ostertag. We then found our way to the charming winery of Marcel Deiss and finally would up at the comparably aristocratic Domaine Weinbach. All of the wines were astoundingly beautiful. Each winemaker spoke not about varietals (as we Americans are so accustomed to hearing), but about Alsace’s unique terroir and how that is expressed through each wine.

Domaine Ostertag: Established in 1966 by Adolphe Ostertag, his children have now taken over the reigns producing a modest 6,000 cases. Winemaker Andre and his sister, Annie, welcomed us warmly, tasting through more than a dozen different wines and giving us a tour of their Epfig property. A devout believer in biodynamic farming practices, Ostertag’s wines are on the cutting edge. His acids scream, his wines are clean, pure and full of flavor. Seems that Andre’s fervent belief in organic vineyard practices have ruffled a few feathers in the conservative hills of Alsace, but which visionary has had it easy?

Domaine Marcel Deiss: This charming winery is located at a bend in the road in Bergheim, dead center in Alsace. Winemaker Jean-Michel Deiss was born into a long-established family of winegrowers living in Bergheim since 1744. The property consists of 52 acres of hillside vineyards spread over 9 communes and is farmed biodynamically. Deiss oenologist Marie Helène Christofaro took us through a tasting of more than a dozen wines, speaking of the specific terroirs designed by geology, pedology, and climate. What is truly unique about Deiss wines is that they do not speak of a particular varietal, but rather of the region. In fact, the wines are often blends of several different varietals, which is uncommon, if not heretical in Alsace. Further, the wine estates in Alsace label the wines with the varietal, as is legal to do. Deiss labels his wines with the name of the vineyard. Indeed, he is a maverick. Marie Helène spoke of the fact that the vines are severely cropped, thus displaying the unique character that is Alsace. She continued that the larger the crop, the less identifiable the terroir. Deiss wines are rich and delectable and indeed, purely Alsatian.

Domaine Weinbach: We drove down the long gravel driveway to the main house, large and slightly imposing. We knocked on the huge, front door, unsure if it was a tasting room or private home. As I reached for the latch, the door swung open and we were greeted by the elegant Catherine Faller who, along with her sister Laurence and her mother, Colette, run the domaine. The aromas of hearty foods were incredibly pervasive, as they were cooking the daily lunch for 30 hungry grape pickers. “They don’t eat lamb,” she remarked. She showed us into a salon, the walls hung with family photographs. The property dates back to 890 AD when the Empress Richarde bestowed the land to the Abbey of Etival, who left it to the Capuchin monks. Named after the ‘wine brook’ that meanders through the site, Domaine Weinbach was established in 1612 by those same monks. Catherine explained the land was acquired in 1898 by the Faller brothers who left it to their son and nephew Théo, a prominent figure in Alsace winegrowing, Since his death in 1979, his wife Colette and her daughters have overseen Domaine Weinbach. We spent several hours with Catherine. Laurence made her introduction, but excused herself, explaining that the late-harvest grapes sitting in bins in the driveway needed her attention. Colette kept coming into the salon to whisk away bottles of wine after we had tasted them. A truly remarkable group of wines produced by three amazing women.

Whenever I'm asked about restaurant experiences on my travels to wine-producing regions of the world, I have to harken back to the Auberge de L'Ill in Illhausern, France , in the heart of Alsace, for one of my most memorable meals.

It was one of my first-ever experiences with a Michelin three-star establishment, and while the dinner took place over a decade ago and the details of food and wine selections have grown faint, I'll never forget the quality of the reception and service, and refer to it often as a benchmark for the level of quality those of us in the business ought to aspire to.
In spite of the fact that our group of 15 or so was running late, and grew increasingly likely to run up against the latest possible reservation time, we were greeted at the door by a phalanx of staff whose smiles seemed as genuine as their eagerness to please, and we proceeded to enjoy our aperitifs of Cremant d'Alsace without the slightest hint of consternation or rush.
The head sommelier, a legend by the name of Serge Dubs, was calm and professional, accommodating the myraid, often competing demands of our group of noted American chefs and wine pros, and the results were compelling, often magical combinations of flavors, colors, and aromas. The terrine de foie gras truffee with a Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Cuvee Laurence goes down in my annals as an all-time knockout.

Dinner played itself out over better than three hours and nine courses, after which we were encouraged to retire to a beautifully lit patio on the banks of a willow-draped brook where the estimable M. Dubs prepared cigars, digestifs, and coffees for us to enjoy at our leisure, as the rest of the world seemed to float on by. Upon our departure, it seems the entire retinue of eager staff which greeted us as we arrived were standing at attention at the door, a chorus of "Bonsoir, Messieurs Dames" ringing out as we staggered into the parking lot.

I was lucky to be one of three New York sommeliers flown to Germany by the German Trade Counsel to attend the VDP trade fair in Mainz, and to visit wine regions nearby. Joining us were sixteen sommeliers from Europe, Canada and a rather large and jovial man from Russia! This was in contrast to the “domestic” sommeliers, mostly from the east coast, that I get to meet and work with at events in the United States.

It was fascinating to hear about these sommeliers managed their wine programs, what their customers preferred, what was and was not available, how they were (under) paid, treated by the ownership, the hours they worked and the lives they lived. Wine laws and taxes were one of the big topics. It made me realize how fortunate I am living in New York City and what a wide variety of wine that is available. All the tastings, lunches, dinners and events I am invited to that I sometimes groan about…

We visited wineries in the Rheinhessen, Rhinegau and the Nahe regions, enjoying fantastic local cuisine on the way, gorging on white asparagus sometimes twice a day, ending one meal with strawberry rhubarb tart and an aged Eiswein.

On our last day we had a memorable luncheon at Robert Weil and were treated to his outstanding wines and fantastic food, starting with an amuse-bouche of millefeuille of goose liver and brioche with apple salad and a prune sauce, served with Robert Weil’s 1976 Kiedrich Grafenberg, Riesling Spatlese. The first course was a crème of white asparagus soup garnished with a shrimp scampi samosa served with a 1983 Kiedrich Grafenberg Riesling Kabinett. The main course was duck breast with sautéed leek, mango and ginger noodles with a Kiedrich Grafenberg Riesling, Erstes Gewachs, 2003, a younger wine with tangier and drier notes to go with the pungent ginger in this superb dish. We ended with a parfait of rhubarb coated in chocolate with raspberry coulis and a banana ragout, served with a 2002 Keidrich Grefenberg Riesling Auslese “Goldkapsel” !!

Amazing and fascinating to experience the same Producer, vineyard and village site, yet in different years and classifications. They couldn’t have been more diverse. Traveling to wine regions is a true highlight of my vocation.

La Paulee de New York 2005. Wow. I went to La Paulee in 2001 and 2003 and I was wowed then, but I was really, exceptionally wowed in 2005. As John Kapon, President of Acker Merrall Condit, wrote of the recent, magestic event, "...Daniel Johnnes... brought the glory of La Paulee back to New York City earlier this month with a weekend of decadence, excess and camaraderie unsurpassed in the wine world." I couldn't agree more. For me, the camaraderie I felt with the producers and the collectors was special and genuine, but the friendships deepened in the back room, the "wine staging room", where 50 of the nations best sommeliers pulled corks, sniffed rare bottlings, and decanted double-magnums of legendary wines. In fact, many of the Vintrust sommeliers were there, and surely they remain as stary-eyed as I do about the event. Likely, there will be more than one entry on this site about La Paulee de New York. Even if we all wrote about it, we couldn't possibly convey its true glory.

In a sea of VIP collectors, producers and foodies, more than 300 of them, the Cadets de Bourgogne sang their hearts out while guests tasted some of the finest Burgundies in the world. (Daniel brings over to NYC not just the producers, but the celebrated, Burgundian mens singing group.)
At my table alone, I pourred wine for Dominique Lafon, Daniel & sally Johnnes, Robert Parker, Pierre-Antoine Rovani, Anne Colgin & Joe Wender, Eric Asimov, Greg Linn, and many, many others. In fact, they all brought such epic wines that mt sommelier team never stopped moving for a minute. Thank goodness I had super-star sommeliers Richard Betts (The Little Nell, Aspen), Patrick Cappiello (Tribeca Grill, NYC) and Tim Kopec (Veritas, NYC) to pour from all of the large format bottles at our grand table. In addition to pourring our own large table, we were constantly directed to go and pour a taste for the likes of R.W. Apple, sitting across the room, or Allen Meadows in the middle, or Jim Clendenon, on the other side of the room, or for Jean-Pierre de Smet, who, when the Cadets de Bourgogne sang their well-rehearsed rendition of "New York, New York" got up on his chair and sang right along with them. As did nearly every other person in the grand ballroom; it was a sight to see and hear!
And the wines...? Too numerous to mention. Just try to imagine every great vintage from every legendary vineyard from the world's sui generis wine region: La Bourgogne.

Travelling through Australia this past summer as one of a group of Americans accompanying Grateful Palate importer Dan Phillips, I learned to expect the unexpected. At one wine estate in the Barossa Valley, we were greeted with a roaring morning bonfire (since it's winter there), and Bloody Mary's to take the chill off. At another, we were invited along on a midnight bush tour, where from a fleet of pickup trucks careening through the open fields and dense forests, we "spotlighted" scores of terrified kangaroos fleeing their menacing pursuers, and even spotted a lone emu loping crazily through the woods to escape the fracas.

So it shouldn't have surprised me when, on a trip-ending sojourn out to Wild Duck Creek Estate in Victoria, we capped off our tasting of some of the most dense and powerful shirazes on the planet with, you guessed it, Duck Muck sundaes! But I get ahead of myself.

Wild Duck Creek is the brainchild of David 'Duck' Anderson, a self-taught winemaker whose full-throttle Cabernets and Shirazes have been among the darlings of critic Robert Parker for a number of years now, and it's easy to see why. We tasted a 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve aged in New french oak which was saturated with fruit, scented with eucalyptus, and flavored with mocha and chocolate, with finely grained tannins that lasted on the palate for minutes. We tasted a more European-style Yellow Hammerhill 2001, Anderson's Shiraz Malbec blend, all redolent of manure, hummus, tobacco and smoke. We tasted Duck Muck Shiraz "sort of", from the 01 vintage as well, poured from magnum, which came from the middle five rows of the estate vineyard; a truly "sick bird" in the words of one member of our group.

We even did a fascinating assay into the issue of Stelvin closures (screw caps to the non-geeks among you), tasting side-by-side two bottles of the 2002 Springflat Shiraz, one bottled with cork and the other with the controversial cap. I preferred the earthier, more nuanced, and decidedly less fruit-forward of the two wines - naturally assuming that must be the cork closed bottle. I was aghast and just a little flummoxed by the revelation that my preferred bottle was actually the Stelvin version, but then I was gratified when, by a margin of about two-to-one, the rest of the group seemed to agree with me.

Then, as a final surprise, the irrepressible Duck, grinning from ear to ear, introduced his wife and assorted helpers as they strode forward bearing trays of ice cream sundaes, topped off with generous globs of $300 a bottle Duck Muck Shiraz. We were aghast, amused, and well, hungry! So down the hatch they went, the most expensive sundaes we're ever likely to slurp. And you know what? They were absolutely delicious!

Ever notice how good food tastes and how sublimely the wine pairs when visiting the country of origin? I have just returned from traveling in Spain on a fantastic wine trip and wanted to share some of the experience.

We landed in Jerez de la Frontera, and toured the famed sherry houses. Such an amazing history to this area, going back as far as the early Phoenicians! To finally see the solera system demystified. Endless rows of barrels stretching off into the cool dimness of the bodega. The freshest fino and manzanilla were perfect with the local, crisp, fruity olives, the jamon, the incredible shellfish, the langoustines and shrimp.

We were able to catch the La Copa Jerez, an International sherry and food competition attended by 8 countries, mostly European, the USA and Japan. That is when the cutting edge, almost unthinkable sherry matches were unveiled! Imagine, roast loin of venison with artichokes and asparagus puree with an Oloroso! An absolutely perfect pairing of poached dense fig cake and coffee crème brulee with sweet Oloroso de Pedro Ximinez, amazing!

Our next stop, Ribera del Duero, where frost covered the vineyards with a furry white glaze and the fog was so dense; you could barely see your hand held in front of you! Ah, but the wine, dense and chewy and admirably suited to the chuletillas (lamb chops) and botillos (roast pig). We enjoyed some great wines in the local restaurants, Pesquera Gran Reserva 1995*, Valtravieso Gran Reserva 1994*, and on one of our many winery visits, sampling the 2003 Flor de Pingus and Pingus in barrel was surely a highlight!

In Villafranca del Bierzo, a little town nestled in the foothills of the Montes de Leon, we had our first taste of Mencia, purportedly related to Cabernet-Franc. The high altitude vineyards here are on some of the steepest slopes in Europe. Not for the faint-hearted! These wines were complex, fresh and very rewarding.

Our trusty little Fiat barely made it over the mountains into Galicia, where even in mid-winter, the verdant greenness brings to mind the rolling hills of Ireland. Here we visited Ribeiro, the land of the castles, and Rias Biaxas on the Portuguese border. For the first time in Spain we were to see the locals drinking white wine! And why not, the area is justifiably famous for the quality and sheer variety of its seafood. In the famed pilgrim city of Santiago di Compostela, we spent an unforgettable day walking through the medieval cobblestone lanes admiring the ancient architecture before relaxing in a tapas bar and gorging on gambas, spiny lobster, crab, cockles, and percebes (barnacles), all washed down with crisp, delicious albarino or ribeiro.

Our last two days were spent in Madrid ending with an incredible dinner at the famed restaurant Sanceloni, where we were royally treated by Sumiller (Sommelier) David Robledo. The classic food was delicious, the overall enthusiasm and knowledgable wine service made our dining experience.

The Spanish people, whether it was asking for directions (we were constantly lost), or being shown around the vineyards or cellars, were so incredibly hospitable. It is, all of it, a memory to savor.

*reviewed in this month’s wine picks

Tasting my first empanada on a roadside with the Andes as a backdrop while impatiantly waiting for my first gulp of Malbec almost made me forget the nightmare that it was to get here.
Where? Mendoza, Argentina.
How fortunate I felt later that day to be on horseback, breathing the crisp clean air that blows from the snow-capped moutains while tasting the magnificent wines crafted in such extreme conditions.

The whole area around Mendoza would still be a high-altitude desert if it wasn't for the canals built so many centuries ago to capitalize on the melting snow and irrigate this magical valley.
Rested against the Andes and closer to Santiago, Chile than to its capital Buenos Aires, Mendoza is the center of a booming wine producing region with magnificent wineries, luxurious hotels and spas, fantastic restaurants and very hospitable people.
The hard work of five generations of the Catena family and the curiosity of wine consultant extraordinaire Michel Roland has brought international attention and investments to the area.
Contrary to many famed wine producing areas, the joy here is not to find older vintage wines but, rather the newest, because the industry is still in its infancy and leaping forward with each new harvest. Amazingly enough throughout our stay there, the newer the wines the more sophisticated and deliciously decadent they seemed.

The western side of the Mediterranean's largest island, Sicily, is profoundly beautiful. At the same time, it is rustic, industrial, and mysterious. The imposing slopes of the Mt. Etna volcano fall down to villages scattered along the pristine coastline.

After my flight, I found myself in the seaside town of Catania, just as the daily fish market was coming to an end. I feasted on stuffed sardines and squid ink pasta. Later as I drove up the winding roads of the Etna, I wasn't sure which was blacker: the lava soils dominating the landscape or the squid ink pasta...
The reason for my visit to Sicily was to visit a new winery on Mt. Etna. A well known Tuscan producer had bought a property and was replanting the abandoned terraced vineyards and restoring the old, decrepit winery. (And he isn't the only one investing in Sicily these days.)
Andrea Franchetti isn't just betting on Sicily, he believes resolutely in the potential for quality in Sicilian wines. He believes that like the Sicilians themselves, with their diverse backgrounds and their passionate outlook on life, that his Sicilian wines have soul. He blieves so strongly in it, in fact, that he flies to Sicily nearly weekly to check on the vines and the wines.
Franchetti's property in Sicily is called Passopisciaro, named after they tiny village it is near.
Passopisciaro translates roughly to "the path of the fish seller" and when one stands on the slopes of Mt. Etna near the winery, one can imagine the daily fish seller making his way up from the sea to sell his fresh catch.
The red wine is made from the local grape, Nerello, blended with up to 10% Petit Verdot to give it Bordeaux-quality structure. Although the vineyards are young, the wine shows great depth and intensity. This is a bold, but bright wine with dark red fruit flavors, medium acidity, and balanced oak.
The production is very small, and tiny quantities are imported into the USA, but if you love Italy, or even if you just love red wine, Passopisciaro is one to keep in mind for the future.
Or better yet, if you travel to Sicily, look for it on restaurant wine lists. Not surprisingly, they want to keep it all for themselves.

I love Willamette Valley! The wines, the producers, the beautiful vistas and mixed agricultural lands are always a huge treat to witness. July is a beautiful time to visit, as the blueberries and raspberries are ripe, the honey producers put out there local wares (the jars are kept in glass bins on the side of the road, and the prices are labelled. There is a little box for the money. The honey is amazing.) Oregon is one of the largest producers of filberts, or hazelnuts, in the world. The orchards are lovely.

IPNC takes place in mid-July in Willamette Valley, the heart of Oregon's wine growing region and is held on the campus of the lovely, leafy Linfield College. Pinot producers from all over the world participate, pouring and discussing their wines, their climates, their terroirs, their clones. Allan Meadows, of Burghound, a well respected reviewer/chronicler of Burgundy, gave an impassioned lecture one morning on the trials and merits of his favorite Pinot producing region.

The foods are always amazing. On the last evening of the event, the IPNC organizers host a slamon bake. Locally line-caught salmon are filleted, strapped to plank boards, which are then strapped to long stakes. A huge, roaring fire is made and the salmon stakes are set near the flames. Incredible match with Pinot. Bottles are laden on the tables, winemakers pull special wines from their cellars, and collectors bring outrageously incredible wines - DRC, Musigny, Dujac, Y'quem...

One of the more memorable moments for me came off-campus. Tony Soter, wine guru extraordinare, and his lovely wife, Michelle, invited me to their home for lunch. Tony has been making incredible wines at amazing properties for his entire, illustrious career. He is soft-spoken, literate, kind and generous. It is always a huge treat to see him or heaqr him lecture on wines. He is now consulting with Etude in Napa Valley, (the winery that he started and sold), and making his own label, Soter, in Oregon. He makes a great sparkling rose, and Pinot of great finesse and depth. The 2002 had beautiful deep aromas of blue fruit, spice and warm earth. The palate was lush and long-lasting. Tony led the way to his new winery, which was quite literally an old cow barn. He mentioned that it took them quite some time just to dig the cow dung out from the floor. He had a wonderful cave dug into the side of a hill and that is where he tasted us on several different blocks that comprise his 2003 vintage Pinot Noir. Each component was memorable and will bring something unique to the blend.

This gentleman is at the pinnacle of his career, and there is no better place for him to be fulfilling his dreams than the Willamette Valley.

I could spend days writing about wine regions that I have visited, winemakers that I have tasted with, proprietors that I have met, viticulturists that have walked me through their vineyards. And in the evenings? The small restaurants, enotecas, dark bars and backrooms that I have frequented. This is the place to do it!