Fladgate Partnership Declares 2011 Vintage Port

"Port is the oil of good conversation."
--Adrian Bridge

Last month, I spoke with Adrian Bridge, the CEO of the Fladgate Partnership, which comprises the three major Port houses of Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca and Croft. During that conversation, he indicated that the decision whether to declare 2011 a Vintage or not had not yet been made but there was optimism that it would be. If it was declared, he was also unsure how much Vintage Port might be produced, though he suspected it would be a smaller amount than previous vintages.

Other Port Houses have already declared a Vintage for 2011, including Sogrape Vinhos (Ferreira, Offley and Sandeman) and Symington Family (Cockburn's, Dow's, Graham's, Warre's, Quinta do Vesuvio and Smith Woodhouse). For specific information on what led to such an excellent vintage for Port in 2011, check out the Vintage Port Site.

Fladgate Partnership has also now declared 2011 a Vintage Port year for Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca and Croft. They knew that the 2011 harvest was exceptional, but a declaration only came after they evaluated the final blends. "The blends from the three houses were carefully assessed over several weeks for quality, potential longevity and consistency of house style."

Adrian Bridge stated, "2011 has produced textbook Vintage Ports, classics in every sense.” The wines have a wonderful purity and elegance, but also plenty of structure and depth of flavor.” The Head Winemaker David Guimaraens also noted, “2011 was an excellent ripening season and produced a well-balanced crop. The 2011s stand out for the purity of the fruit and the quality of the tannins, which are silky and well integrated, but provide plenty of structure.”

This is the fifth great vintage in the past 12 years, which include 2000, 2003, 2007 and 2009. Bridge commented that, “Our 2009 declaration showed that demand remains strong for new release Vintage Ports, and we expect it to grow further as new fine wine markets develop. Wine consumers all over the world are realizing that Vintage Port continues to deliver astonishing value compared to many other classic wines.”

It is true that Vintage Port can be comparatively much less expensive than other great wines, from Bordeaux to Burgundy. Only about 2% of all Port is Vintage Port, and it is commonly said that a Vintage Port needs at least ten years of aging before it is optimally ready to drink. Some Vintage Ports can be drank earlier, but they all benefit from some aging. So be patient with your Vintage Port.

Which 2011 Ports will be available from the Fladgate partnership? First, they will produce a limited number of large formats, from all three houses, which will include double magnums and imperials. Second, the 2011 Vintage Ports from all three houses will be available later this year. Third, there will be a limited release of the 2011 Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha Vintage Port. The grapes for this special wine are selected from old vines on two terraced plots, Polverinho and Renova do Armazém, which are classified as World Heritage sites.  For more information on the Fladgate Partnership 2011 Vintage Ports, check out their website.

Will you be purchasing any 2011 Vintage Ports? If so, which producers? Do you usually purchase Vintage Port?

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Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I briefly highlight some interesting wine and food items that I have encountered recently.
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1) The Barcelona Wine Bar, a new Spanish tapas restaurant in Brookline, has a number of upcoming cooking classes which you might find of interest.

April 29, 7pm: Tapas Party in an Hour 
It's possible to plan and prep for a tapas party in an hour! We have quick, easy, dynamic, inspired tapas that can be easily prepared for a group in about an hour. Executive Chef Steven Brand will show you how to make Chorizo and Figs, Boquerones, Mushrooms a la plancha, stuffed olives, dates with almonds wrapped in Serrano ham, and more.
Cost: $29 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

May 27, 7pm: Spring Vegetable Classroom
Ramps, Morels, Favas, Peas, Asparagus. What's the home cook to do with the abundance of spring vegetables? How do we break through the doldrums of winter and come out inspired on the other side? Chef Steven has the answers.
Cost: $29 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

June 24, 7pm: Pig Roast 101 
Are pig roasts a daunting project for the home cook? We think not! See how fun and easy this process can be for the next time you have a dinner party for 12 people. Once the pig is roasting, Chef Steve will show you some ideas for side dishes that will accompany the roast, even dessert!
Cost: $29 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

To make reservations for any of these classes, please call the restaurant at 617-264-8900.

2) On Sunday, May 5, from 5:30pm-1am, The Beehive is going south of the border in celebration of Cinco de Mayo with its annual event featuring live music and food & cocktail specials. Guests will be able to indulge in Mexican-inspired food specials from Chef Rebecca Newell while getting in the spirit with tequila cocktails made from Leyenda del Milagro Tequila, the finest small batch, artisanal mescal. A special performance by nine piece Mariachi band, Mariachi International, will keep the night going as they take over The Beehive’s stage from 6:30pm-12am. Mexican appetizers, entrées, desserts and tequila specials will be served all night long. In classic Beehive spirit there will be plenty of surprises and there is never a cover charge.

Reservations are highly recommended by calling 617-423-0069. Sombreros welcome!

3) On May 15, at 6:30pm, Legal Sea Foods in Park Square will host a wine dinner with Bethel Heights Winery. Known best for their Pinot Noir blends, Bethel Heights has been a family business since 1977 with its winery located in Oregon. Legal Sea Foods will team up with Bethel Heights’ winemaker, Ben Casteel, to host a four-plus-course dinner featuring signature cuisine paired with Casteel’s choices from their vine.

The menu will be presented as follows:

HORS D’OEUVRES
Curried Scallops, Brioche Toast Points, Cilantro Crème Fraîche
Oysters on the Half Shell, Chimichurri Vinaigrette
Shrimp Gazpacho Shooters, Micro Cilantro
Bethel Heights Pinot Gris, Oregon, 2011
FIRST COURSE
Seafood Trio Soup (Clams, Mussels, Shrimp, Coconut Lemongrass Broth, Curried Crostini)
Bethel Heights “Estate” Pinot Blanc, Eola-Amity Hills, 2011
SECOND COURSE
Pan Seared Halibut Fillet (Ratatouille Niçoise, Provencal Butter Sauce)
Bethel Heights “Estate” Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills, 2011
THIRD COURSE
Wood Grilled Faroe Salmon (Wild Mushroom Croquette, Shallot Butter Sauce)
Bethel Heights “Estate” Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills, 2010
Bethel Heights “Flat Block” Estate Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills, 2009
CHEESE COURSE
Morbier, Bijou, Camembert (Berry Compote, Buttery Toast Points)
Bethel Heights “Casteel Reserve” Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills, 2010

Cost: $85 per person (excludes tax & gratuity)
Reservations required by calling 617-530-9397

4) On April 29, at 6pm, Lucia Ristorante is presenting a four course wine dinner with a menu designed and executed by Chef Pino Maffeo. The wine is sponsored by United Liquors, a Massachusetts-based distributor focusing on wine and spirits, with guest speakers Claudio Farina of Remo Farina Winery, Don Allen of Banville and Jones Wine Co., and representatives from Pala Wines.

Chef Pino has handcrafted a menu of dishes to complement the authentic flavors of these wines. Chef will guide guests through the menu, which includes:

FIRST COURSE
Roasted Beets with a red wine vinaigrette and shaved Ricotta Salata
Pala I Fiore Vermentino
SECOND COURSE
Veal and ricotta cannelloni with wild mushrooms
Pala I Fiore cannonau
THIRD COURSE
Duck with roasted hazelnuts, brown butter
Remo Farina Valpolacella Riparsso
Remo Farina Amarone dell Valpolacella
FOURTH COURSE
Fresh berries with zambaglione

Cost: Tickets are $50 per person.
For reservations, please call 617-367-2353.

5) The Wine ConneXtion, located in North Andover, will be sampling and celebrating the arrival of Rosé on Saturday, May 18, from 1pm-5pm, during the complimentary Rosés Are Here tasting. Guests can gain a new appreciation and explore this light and refreshing wine. Rosés that have finished last in the past when the wine market was flooded with White Zinfandel look-a-likes but, are quickly making a comeback. As the summer weather rapidly approaches, wineries are releasing their best rosés to the market for optimum enjoyment. Guests will not want to miss this chance to drink this chilled wine and discover the full spectrum of flavors that Rosés have to offer.

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The Locapour Militia Rides: Will They Raid Your Restaurant?

Farm to table. Farm to fork. Seed to table. Ocean to table. Locavores. 

These terms are all the rage and restaurants across the country are touting how they rely on local ingredients. These restaurants support local farms, grow their own herbs, fruits, and vegetables, make their own salt, and more. Seasonality is also important to them. I am supportive of these restaurants, and the chefs and owners deserve kudos for their passion and dedication to the locavore cause. Unfortunately, there is a disconnect at many of these restaurants which disturbs me and others.

Where is the passion for vineyard to table? Where is the support for locapours?

At the recent Drink Local Wine conference in Maryland, while riding on a bus to visit a few wineries, several of us discussed the issue of how many restaurants embrace the locavore cause yet fail to address the locapour cause. Though these restaurants will showcase locally sourced ingredients for their food, they rarely, if ever, showcase local wines. Frankly, this seems like a form of hypocrisy, advocating for the benefits of local sourcing yet failing to follow through with that advocacy for local wines. I mentioned that we needed a Locapour Milita, a passionate group of local wine lovers to confront restaurants about such hypocrisy.

It seems so simple. Vineyards are farms and wine is an agricultural product. In regard to local sourcing, there is no reason it should be treated differently than any other agricultural product. If you are passionate about local sourcing, then you should also be passionate about local wines. Then why does it happen so rarely?

Our bus discussion was continued to a degree during one of the panel discussions at the conference. The panel, entitled Drinking Local, was described as: Does locavore mean locapour? Do Marylanders appreciate their home-grown wine, and if not, how to get the message out. The panelists included Chef Jerry Pellegrino of the Waterfront Kitchen, Jade Ostner, the Director of Events of the Maryland Wineries Association and Al Spoler, co-host of Cellar Notes/Radio Kitchen on WYPR Radio. Unfortunately, the discussion ran only 45 minutes, barely scratching the surface of this topic.

Spoler's comments were directed primarily at the situation within Maryland, though similar concerns exist in many other places around the country. Sopler stated that a wine culture does not currently exist in Maryland. There is an entire generation of people who have a negative image of Maryland wines and he believes that it will take generations to improve that perception. Though many people have met farmers, have patronized local farms and understand the traditions of farming, far fewer people have visited vineyards or wineries. Most people have very limited knowledge of the Maryland wine industry. Misperception and ignorance have hurt Maryland wineries.

This is a similar situation in many other states, where the wine industries are relatively new. Though wine might have a lengthy history in such states, the modern wine industry in such regions is often much newer and still in its relative infancy. As such, many local citizens are ignorant about the status of the wineries in their home state, and their opinions are often negative, based on very limited information and experience. Before people will embrace local wine, they need to understand that locally produced wine can be quality wine, that it can be delicious and worthy of their attention.

Maryland wineries should receive a positive boost from the passing of a new law. As of June 1, wineries will be permitted to sell their products at farmers' markets. This should elevate the visibility of Maryland wines, and give more people the opportunity to taste the wines and learn of their quality. In 2010, Massachusetts passed a similar law and a report was issued in 2012 concerning the effect of this law on local wineries in 2011. Eighteen wineries participated in this program and they saw, in total, a 66% increase in overall sales. In addition, 82% of the wineries reported increased visitors at their winery and 94% reported increased recognition for their wine. More states should consider passing such a law.

Ostner mentioned how the Maryland Wineries Association has supported numerous local wines events, including the annual Maryland Wine Week in June. However, it was interesting that she indicated most people seem to attend these events more for the event itself rather than the local wine. This supports Spoler's comments, indicating that many people still do not have a positive perception of local wines. Hopefully, in time, people will learn more and start attending these events more for the wine.

Some of us were especially interested to hear Chef Pellegrino's comments on this issue. The evening before, we dined at Chef Pellegrino's Waterfront Kitchen, enjoying a four course dinner paired with Maryland wines. At the bottom of our menu was a section mentioning the sources of many of the ingredients used in our dinner. The restaurant is a "seed-to-plate" place, meaning they "purchase ingredients as locally and seasonally as possible."

However, when reviewing the restaurant's website, you will find a two page wine list and none of those wines are from Maryland. You will find wines from all over the world, and many excellent choices, but where is the love for local wines? If the restaurant is so passionate about sourcing local ingredients, then why isn't there a similar passion for showcasing local wines? We looked forward to hearing Chef Pellegrino's thoughts on this issue during the panel discussion.

During the panel, Chef Pellegrino indicated that their small wine program is essentially arranged by producer, about 28 in all, and that they carry approximately 200 wines on their list. Though they are not mentioned on the website, he indicated they carry about 10 Maryland wines. It seems that he too suffers from misconceptions about the Maryland wine industry. He admitted that he hadn't been able to keep up with the Maryland wine industry and that he was lagging behind in knowledge. It was obvious he didn't understand all of the quality wines that were being produced in his own state.

I have encountered such ignorance before in other restaurants and wine shops. The owners often do not study and research their local wines, to discover which wines were worthy of inclusion in their establishments. Far too often they assume the wines are not good enough, but that perception is based on extremely limited knowledge. Yet these same individuals will invest great time and effort in researching local foods and ingredients. Why don't they invest that same passion in researching local wines too? If they are so committed to sourcing as local as possible, then there is absolutely no excuse why they shouldn't extend their efforts to local wine too.

Chef Pellegrino also noted that he generally purchases wines from local wineries at a higher price than the wholesale prices he pays for most other wines. Thus, the local wines are placed on his list at a higher price than other comparable wines. Is that really necessary? High wine mark-ups at restaurants are a pet peeve of mine, and I have said before that restaurants should have low mark-ups on more unique wines in an effort to persuade consumers to take a chance on them. To get more consumers to purchase Maryland wines, a restaurant should not significantly mark up those wines but rather should make them appear to be more of a bargain. With only ten Maryland wines on his list, Chef Pellegrino wouldn't have a significant hit to his bottom line if he lowered the mark up on those wines. In fact, he might make more money through more purchases of those wines.

I was more dismayed when Chef Pellegrino mentioned that he thought you should keep the Maryland name off wines on the list, placing them by the type of the grape instead. He asserted that "ignorance is bliss," that customers would be more likely to order Maryland wines if they did not know their actual origin. That seems contrary to the philosophy of his restaurant, a celebration of local sourcing, where he seems otherwise proud to mention the farms he patronizes. He wouldn't hide the name of a local farm which was the source of his meat or produce, so he shouldn't hide the fact that a wine is locally procured. If the wines are good enough to be on your list, then be honest about their source.

I don't expect a locavore restaurant to only carry local wines but I feel they should carry a representative selection of the quality local wines that are available. Their locavore philosophy should extend to being locapour as well. Adding local wines to their restaurant list would show a true passion for being local in all regards. The local wine industry could use the support as well, creating more advocates who can educate consumers about the advantages of local wine.

Join the Locapour Militia, and encourage your local restaurants to carry local wines.

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Graffigna Winery & A New Riedel Malbec Glass

"We make loudspeakers for wine."
--Georg Riedel

What a cool way to think of wine glasses. Riedel creates a diverse selection of wine glasses, including many crafted for specific grapes. The goal is to make those wines speak the loudest and clearest, to best represent their aroma and flavors. On its face, many might find it silly that there is a different glass for grapes like Syrah, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Does the size and the shape of a glass really make a difference, especially for specific grapes? Or is it merely a marketing gimmick?  

In conjunction with Graffigna Winery, Riedel has now designed a glass for Malbec wines. I was a media guest at an event intended to showcase this new glass, pitting it against two other glasses to determine whether the new Malbec glass had an effect or not. Based on this limited test, I have to conclude that the shape and size of the glass made a significant difference in the aroma and taste of the Malbec wines we tasted. Everyone I spoke to at the event had a similar experience.

The event was led by Federico Lleonart, the brand ambassador for Graffigna Winery. This winery was founded in 1870 by Santiago Graffigna, an Italian immigrant, and was the first winery established in the San Juan region of Argentina. In 1980, the winery was sold to Allied Domecq and then in 2005, it was acquired by Pernod Ricard. For the last ten years, the winemaker at Graffigna has been Gerardo Danitz.

The San Juan region, located north of Mendoza, currently produces about 20% of the wines of Argentina. It is generally hotter and drier than Mendoza, though their Malbec wines are fairly similar, dependent on comparisons of similar altitude wines. San Juan, with about 49,500 hectares of vineyards, is broken into five basic wine regions, including Calingasta, Ullum-Zonda, Tulum, Perdenal, and Jachal. Located in the foothills of the Andes, the altitude of the vineyards ranges from 2,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level.

Federico notes that Malbec in Argentina is less tannic than in the Cahors region of France. To him, "smooth and sweet" tannins are the key to Malbec in Argentina, making them approachable even when they are young.

We tasted tested two different wines, the 2010 Graffigna Centenario Malbec Reserve ($12) and 2010 Graffigna Grand Reserve Malbec ($20).

The wines were poured into three different glasses, which from left to right include a Pinot Noir glass, a typical restaurant wine glass and then the Riedel Malbec glass. The Malbec glass was designed to complement its fruit forwardness, sweet & smooth tannins, freshness and silky tannins. They wanted a larger bowl to provide more aroma, and the glass is taller than the others, almost egg-shaped, with a larger stem base. The glass is also designed to focus the wine to the center and sides of your tongue.

In each of the two flights, the Malbec glass provided the best showing of the wine, giving a more balanced and compelling taste. They were both tasty wines, with delicious, deep fruit flavors, silky tannins and elegant spice notes. The two other glasses provided more oak notes and seemed to emphasize the spice more than the fruit. Compared to the Malbec glass, the other two glasses did not present a balanced view of the wine. The restaurant glass actually performed the worst, which doesn't speak well for the basic wine glasses used at many restaurants.

Neither of these wines were high-end wines, but were rather good value wines. It was intriguing that even these types of wines showed better in certain wine glasses than others. Many of us don't think about our glassware for these types of wines, caring far more about the glasses we use for more expensive wines. However, it is clear that these type of value wines can benefit from the proper glassware as well. It has made me reconsider how I serve these value wines.

I would like to see a different taste testing between similar Riedel glasses that were designed for different grapes. For example, their Syrah glass is also recommended for Malbec, so it would be fascinating to compare the Syrah & Malbec glasses to determine whether there is a significant difference between the two. That might be a better test for whether all of these different grape glasses are necessary or not. The Graffigna test indicates that glassware makes a difference in aroma and taste, but it did not answer the question whether a Malbec specific glass makes a difference in comparison to similar grape specific glasses like Syrah.

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Rant: Dining In The Dark

Restaurants with special dining in the dark events are currently popular. In Boston, you can check out Dining in the Dark, where you are blindfolded for dinner, forcing you to rely more heavily on your senses other than sight. These type of restaurants extend back to Germany in 1999, where blind and visually impaired servers were used in pitch dark restaurants. Similar restaurants have sprouted up across the world.

However, I am not ranting about these type of restaurants. Instead, I am talking about restaurants which intentionally keep their lighting far too dim, but not because they are offering a "dining in the dark" experience. In recent weeks, I have dined at two restaurants, The Gallows and Boston Chops, where I had issue with the lighting. I dined there on weekday evenings and still do not understand why they chose to make it so dark.

It was so dim that I could not read the menus without using some form of extra light to illuminate the menu details. Should I really need to use the flashlight app on my iPhone to see a restaurant menu? No, I shouldn't. Not ever. How does a restaurant expect you to make your menu selections if you can't see those choices? Are they trying to hide the prices on their menu?

In addition, the dimness prevents you from adequately viewing the food you order. You won't get a proper view of the presentation, the colors of the food, the visual textures of the dish. All you will see is a mass of shapes and shadows, which can cover many errors. If a mistake is made on your dish, you might not be able to determine it immediately, if at all.

For example, at The Gallows, I ordered one of their special poutines, asking for it without asparagus. When the dish came to my table, there was asparagus in it, though it took some time to discover that as it was too dark for me to easily see it in my dish. I will note that the restaurant very satisfactorily handled the mistake and that is not an issue. I just wish I had the ability to completely see what was on my plate.

Is the darkness a sign of the time of the evening? Does a restaurant think it should be darker the later in the night? At Boston Chops, the lighting started off fine when I arrived around 7pn, but it seemed that by 8pm, the lighting had progressively dimmed until it was impossible to read the menu and difficult to see my food. At the Gallows, I arrived around 7:30-8pm, and it was already too dark to see the menu. Why? Why? Why?

Restaurants, people want to be able to clearly see their menu and food. It might seem cool to make it dimmer at a bar, where people care far less what their drink may look like, but doing so at a restaurant helps no one. Spend a bit more on your electric bill and shine some light in your dining room. You might get more satisfied customers.

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Gustave Lorentz: More Alsatian Wine Treasures

Charlie Sheen, oysters, white blood, bäckeoffe and Riesling.

What do all five of these have in common?  I would learn that fascinating answer on a recent Monday evening as I drank some Alsatian wines with dinner.

At Island Creek Oyster Bar, I dined with Pascal Schiele, the Export Director of Gustave Lorentz, and Matt Demers of Quintessential Wines.  It was a fun, tasty and informative experience as I got to sample and learn about the Alsatian wines of Gustave Lorentz winery. This winery is making a new marketing effort in Massachusetts, and based on what I tasted, these are wines that you should place on your radar and seek out. For some background on Alsace, please check out my prior post concerning an Alsatian wine dinner.

The Gustave Lorentz winery, with a history extending back to 1836, is situated in the village of Bergheim in central Alsace. It remains a family winery, now in its sixth generation, and they currently have about 85 acres of vineyards on the hills of Altenberg de Bergheim, 4 acres planted on the hills of the Grand Cru Kanzlerberg and 30 acres in the Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim. The winery also purchases grapes from other vineyards, mainly in Bergheim.

Interestingly, the average cost of a vineyard in Alsace is the second highest in France, lower only than Champagne. Alsace vineyards, on average, are even more expensive than those in Burgundy or Bordeaux. Despite this high expense, Alsatian wines are not unduly expensive and you will find plenty of good values. Maybe certain regions in California, with expensive vineyard land, could take some lessons from Alsace in this regard.

As of 2012, Lorentz now has a significant portion of their vineyards certified organic and will soon be releasing a number of organic wines. Approximately 50% of their production is sold within France, mostly to restaurants, but that is going to change as French wine consumption continues to decrease. In response, the winery has been seeking markets elsewhere, to boost their exports. To bottle their wines, they use a combination of corks and screwcaps, and their high end wines use only cork as they don't feel they have sufficient experience with screwcaps for those wines. Their corks cost $1 each so definitely are not cheap.

They export to about 55 countries, making them the second largest Alsace exporter in the world. At this time, they sell about a dozen wines in their portfolio in the U.S., and 7 of those are available in Massachusetts (a few never before having been available here). Overall, their wines can be found in about 30 states and they are continuing to expand their distribution. Their U.S. distributor, for the last three years, has been Quintessential Wines. In the near future, they may start selling some of their Single Vineyard and Grand Cru wines in Massachusetts.

Pascal Schiele, pictured above, was born in Alsace and has deep roots in the wine industry. His great grandfather and grandfather were winemakers and two of his uncles are still winemakers. Pascal has desired to join the wine industry since he was a young boy. He never wanted to do anything else and his passion for wine was deeply evident at dinner. Pascal began in the wine exporting business in 1996 and joined the Gustave Lorentz winery in 2001.

During the evening, I asked Pascal what question that no writer had ever asked him before, and which he wishes they would, and his response was quick: "What color blood do I have?" An odd question to be sure, yet the answer resolved much. Pascal stated that his blood is white, because he has Riesling running through his veins. That is his favorite wine, that which most excites him. He certainly enjoys many other wines, but Riesling bears a special place in his heart...and in his veins.

I also asked him about some of his favorite Alsatian foods and three dishes came to mind. Choucroûte, the traditional dish of sauerkraut with meat and potatoes. Bäckeoffe, a casserole with meat & potatoes, often a winter meal. Escargot, a dish made by his beloved grandmother who was born in 1912. Over the course of the evening, Pascal told a couple stories about his grandmother and it was clear how important family was to him.

One of Pascal's favorite aspects of wine is that it "makes everyone on the same level." People of different social and economic classes all become equals while drinking wine. Consuming wine together, they share the same experience, which brings them together in a convivial atmosphere. It creates a positive bond, uniting people from diverse backgrounds. What a special aspect of wine!

Dinner was of course excellent, which I expected from Island Creek Oyster Bar, one of the best seafood restaurants in the city. We started with a dozen raw Oysters, four different types, and then I moved onto a bowl of Clam Chowder. The chowder was creamy, without being overly thick, and full of rich clam flavors with plenty of potato pieces, a bit of smokiness and delicious biscuit croutons. For my entree, I chose the Seafood Casserole, a hearty and tasty dish containing lobster, scallop and haddock. For dessert, I thoroughly enjoyed the Honey Crisp Apple Fritters with a Bourbon Caramel sauce. The wines and the food paired very well together, and I was pleased to have the opportunity to taste the wines with food rather than simply on their own.

Gustave Lorentz produces gastronomic wines, intended to accompany food, and they best can be described as fresh, clean, well-balanced and mostly dry. The six wines I tasted all conformed to that description and I often marveled at their clean taste, which I was later informed is the signature of Lorentz wines. These are also wines intended to reflect the terroir of Alsace and their vineyards.

We began our evening with two sparkling wines, Crémant d'Alsace. The term "crémant" basically means "creamy" and originally referred to sparkling wines that were produced with less pressure, which tended to make them taste more creamy than effervescent. They can offer excellent value, being less expensive than Champagne.

The NV Cremant D'Alsace Brut ($24.99) might be labeled as non-vintage, but the winery does not blend vintages so all of the grapes in this wine are from the same vintage. The Cremant is a blend, in equal proportions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc. It spends 14-24 months on the lees, is disgorged three times a year, has an alcohol content of 12% and only 4000 cases are produced annually. It has a pleasant, fruity aroma of with a creamy, bubbly taste up front which finishes crisp and clean. There are appealing tastes of green apple, peach and melon. This is the type of sparkling wine that is going to appeal to many bubbly lovers.  

The NV Cremant D'Alsace Rosé ($24.99), as per law, must be produced from 100% Pinot Noir. It spends about 15 months on the lees, has an alcohol content of 12% and only 1500 cases are produced annually. It will be available in Massachusetts in early May. Vintage matters greatly for their Pinot Noir, and they need low yields for the best fruit. 2005 and 2009 were very good years for their Pinot. I was enamored though with this Cremant, relishing the alluring red fruit aroma. On the palate, it was crisper, and not as creamy, as the Brut with a dry taste of various red fruits, from strawberry to cherry. A fine sipping bubbly, I would enjoy this on its own or with various foods. Simply delicious and highly recommended.

My love affair continued with the 2012 Rosé of Pinot Noir ($18.99). The winery once was not strong in Rosé but as the general demand for Rosé wines increased, they chose to raise their production levels. The wine has an alcohol content of 12.5% and only 2500 cases are produced annually. With a bright pink color, the Rosé has a more subtle nose, subtle hints of red fruit, and on the palate, it is dry, clean and crisp with bright red fruit flavors. Refreshing and tasty, I couldn't get enough of this wine. This was my favorite wine of the evening and again it is something I could enjoy on its own or with food. As there are very few Alsatian Rosés in the U.S. market, this is a more unique wine. Highly recommended.

The 2010 Pinot Blanc Reserve ($18.99) is a blend of 90% Auxerrois and 10% Pinot Blanc, with an alcohol content of 12.5%. Pascal stated that Pinot Blanc is a "wonderful introduction" to Alsatian wines and is a "pure pleasure" wine. From its delightful melon aroma to its crisp, clean taste with pleasing flavors of melon, peach and citrus, this was an easy drinking, crowd pleaser. It has enough character to keep it from being too simple, and I would agree with Pascal that it is an excellent introduction to Alsatian wines, one sure to lure in wine lovers. And once you lure them in, they will likely stay for the rest of the Alsatian wines.

The 2008 Pinot Gris Reserve ($22.99) is made of 100% Pinot Gris. There is an Alsatian legend that in the 16th century, Baron Lazare de Schwendi traveled to Hungary where he found and enjoyed the sweet Tokay wines. He brought back a number of vines and they supposedly turned out to be Pinot Gris. Most likely though, the truth is that Pinot Gris vines were brought to Alsace from Burgundy. Unlike many cheap Pinot Grigio wines, this Pinot Gris possesses plenty of character and complexity. It has a richer mouthfeel, with prominent peach flavors, a streak of minerality and nice acidity. Delicious and worth seeking out.

The 2010 Gewurtztraminer Reserve ($24.99) is made of 100% Gewurtztraminer, with an alcohol content of 13.1%. The aroma is enticing, and you won't mistake it for anything else except Gewurtztraminer. On the palate, it possesses very bold and strong, spicy flavors and aromatics, including ginger, lychee, and floral notes. Though I liked this wine, and would have enjoyed trying it with some spicy Asian cuisine, it was my least favorite of the six. There was nothing wrong with this wine, but my personal preference would have been for the flavors to have been slightly less bold.

As I have written before, Alsatian wines don't seem to be on the radar of the average consumer. They need greater publicity to make consumers aware of their quality, value and excellent taste. Restaurants and wine stores need to work on hand selling these wines, recommending them to consumers who are open to expanding their palates. Wine writers need to highlight these wines, to speak of their virtues. The wines of Gustave Lorentz would be a fine introduction to consumers of the wonders of Alsatian wines.

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Buy American Seafood: Four Excellent Choices

It is disturbing that Americans currently import 91% of their seafood, up 5% from 2010. Less than 10% of the seafood we consume is from our own country. That is a disheartening statistic and I previously Ranted about this issue, imploring Americans to eat more domestic seafood. Paul Greenberg, a writer, speaker and author of Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food, understands this issue and he too strongly recommends that we should purchase more American seafood.

In the new issue of Food & Wine (May 2013), Greenberg wrote an article, Sustainable Seafood: The Good News, offering four excellent and sustainable seafood choices for Americans. These options include Pacific Spot Prawn, Northern Porgy, Atlantic Sea Scallop and Gulf of Mexico Bycatch. Look for these seafoods on restaurant menus, in the supermarket, at farmers' markets and other spots where you purchase seafood.

Though Pacific Spot Prawn is a specific species (Pandalus platyceros), two related species are also sometimes marketed as spot prawn, including Sidestripe Shrimp (Pandalopsis dispar) and Coonstripe Shrimp (Pandalus hypsinotis). They can be found in the Pacific Northwest, British Colombia and Alaska. These are highly sustainable, significantly because of the method of catch. Most other shrimp are caught by trawl nets but spot prawn are captured in small pots, reminiscent of lobster traps. These pots have very little bycatch and cause little, if any, environmental damage. One intriguing fact about spot prawn is that they are protandric hermaphrodites, meaning that they begin their life as a male and later transform into a female for the rest of their life.

These large shrimp can grow to nearly 12 inches in length, which might bring to mind a lobster, and they taste delicious. They can be grilled, steamed, baked or even served as sushi. Greenberg claims that they taste so rich that eating more than a dozen causes a "spot prawn coma." Previously, most spot prawns were sent to Japan but American restaurants and fish markets are starting to see the benefits of spot prawns. Keep an eye out for them!  

Northern Porgy, also known as Scup, are located in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean and they are an example of how fisheries can bring back endangered fish. During the 1990s, porgy was considered endangered due to overfishing so tough regulations were put into place to hopefully bring back the species. This was a great success and in 2009, the species was considered officially rebuilt and stocks are now high. One of the problems had been that squid trawlers caught too much porgy as bycatch so changes to the squid fisheries helped greatly limit this from occurring.

Porgy are available year round, and the fish itself is small, generally weighing around two pounds. They have a mild, but compelling taste, and a fluffy texture, making them versatile in cooking. They can be a good substitute rather than tilapia or flounder.  However, they are still an underutilized species which needs to be promoted more by restaurants and fish markets.

Scallops are a popular seafood but people should realize that Atlantic Sea Scallops are a sustainable choice. Like Porgy, Atlantic Sea Scallops were endangered back in the 1990s but the industry has rebounded and by 2001, the industry was once again sustainable. One beneficial side effect of these new fishing regulations is that many of the scallops are larger than they once were, as the trawling nets have large openings, allowing smaller scallops to remain in the sea. I love scallops and encourage people to seek out Atlantic Sea Scallops.

Greenberg's final recommendation is not a single species but an entire category, Gulf of Mexico bycatch. He mentions that seafood distributor Louisiana Foods created a program, Total Catch, which is a means to sell bycatch from Gulf fishermen. Though some might consider some of these bycatch species to be "trashfish," chefs and home cooks can easily make delicious meals from these varied species. Unfortunately, the Louisiana Foods website has little information, or little easily found, on their Total Catch program beside a listing of seafood. They apparently have a bycatch market at their retail space, and it appears they can also sell these bycatch species all across the U.S. as they do the rest of their seafood. Selling bycatch is certainly an intriguing and sustainable idea, which simply requires consumers to be more open to the types of seafood they will consume.

Eat more domestic seafood, and I hope these four recommendations from Paul Greenberg help motivate you.

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