After much practice, I’m finally to that point where I can at least get half the cork out of the bottle before it breaks (sigh). The most important tip I’ve learned so far: Anchor the hinged arm and keep it there with your thumb (just like the photo above).
If only I had discovered this great step-by-step guide from the folks at The Kitchn blog sooner! So I’m posting it here for my own reference and as a public service announcement to those who fumble like me.
The only piece of advice that’s not included in their guide: If you’re short like me, find a lower surface than a kitchen counter (or a high-top bar) to stabilize the bottle.
I’m doing my best to diversify this tumblr as best I can, but when Lettie Teague of the Wall Street Journal keeps churning out one interesting column, after another, it’s hard not to share.
Just like any good wine lover, when I hear the word Burgundy, my ears perk up, my eyes widen and my tongue may even start to salivate. Its reputation, its history, the delicate winemaking and strict rules it must adhere to – it has all the romance and passion that’s wrapped into the story of wine.
So when I received an invitation to try a line-up of 2012 Burgundies from MacArthur Beverages, it didn’t take long for me to agree – especially since I’ve had limited exposure to it. Not just this vintage, but Burgundy in general. (And yes, I warned them I was an extreme amateur before accepting the invitation!)
The tasting – which took place in the back corner of the store with the bottles resting on a shelf held up by wine barrels – was on a Monday night and very casual. Phil poured from six wines, ranging in price from $22 to $220. But it wasn’t the tasting of different price points which excited me. It was the opportunity to comparatively taste all the traditional classifications of the AOC against each other: From regional, to village, to Premier Cru, and up to a bottle of Grand Cru. (And yes, I realize the wines will most likely go up in price depending on its classification – but that’s not the point of my excitement here.)
The lineup of wines poured at MacArthur Beverages on April 20, 2015 | Photo by itswinebyme.
Here’s my takeaway: All six wines were beautiful in their own right. There was nothing offensive about them and I’d be happy sharing any of these bottles with anyone. (But then again, I’m sure they were chosen because they were fine examples of the vintage and terroir.) I’m not well versed in vintage variations, so I can’t say how these compares to other years. It was interesting (to me) that I didn’t get that typical “Burgundy funk” on the nose until I reached the last two wines (we tasted in order of classification, but for fun – I then tasted in reverse order as a way to revisit some of the pours). This won’t be a traditional review – I’ll leave that to the other moreexperienced palates who were there.
These are the wines we tasted (the photo above is this order from left to right):
* 2012 Joseph Faiveley, Bourgogne ($22): A beautiful, bright floral, fruit-forward nose. As a California girl, it reminded me a bit of Sonoma Coast’s Littorai (and while I realize that Littorai emulates Burgundy – not the other way around, it’s where my wine journey started, so inhaling this wine took me to that experience). At $22, it’s a wine that’s easy to share with anyone – whether they understand wine or not.
* 2012 Joseph Drouhin, Cote de Nuits – Villages ($25): My very limited note taking during the tasting has the words “meaty” and “pepper” written down, next to this wine. Unlike the first wine, there was a bit more structure. Of all the wines, this was the least memorable to me. I didn’t taste this a second time like I did the others. Is that saying something about this wine? Maybe.
* 2012 Domaine Joblot, Clos du Cellier aux Moines, Givry Premier Cru ($45): This appeared to be a crowd pleaser, or maybe just everyone was curious enough to keep going back to it. For my inexperienced Burgundy palate, this was the first wine that seemed more like traditional Burgundies I’ve tasted before. The wine appealed to my love for earthy qualities, and it was significantly deeper than the first two.
* 2012 Louis Jadot, Domaine Gagey, Beaune Les Greves Premier Cru ($50): Compared to the Joblot, I didn’t taste much of a difference. When Phil asked my impressions, the first thing I blurted out was “chewy tannins,” which overtook much of the fruit. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. And it’s one of those wines, I’d love to put in a decanter and sip over the course of the evening to watch it evolve. (Remember, if you’re itching for more traditional reviews from the same tasting, go here and here.)
* 2012 Domaine Heresztyn-Mazzini, Gevrey-Chambertin Les Champonnets Premier Cru ($100): Finesse. At this point in the tasting, I had pretty much resigned myself to only jotting down one word per wine to help me remember it. As I put my nose in my swirled glass, that Burgundy funk reared itself for the first time. But when I took a sip, despite lots of bursting complexity, I took a deep breathe and realized the difference with this wine was it had a very elegant melding of its flavors. About 10 minutes later, I overheard Phil also describe the wine with the word finesse while talking to someone else – so don’t just take my word* on it. (*Note: I’m 95 percent sure he was referencing this same wine. Either way, I’ll stand by my impression.)
* 2012 Domaine Faiveley, Corton Clos de Cortons Faiveley Grand Cru($220): Phil was quick to point out that this is the only Premier Cru that includes its Domaine’s name on the wine. Is it a sign of confidence? Is this wine that special or different? Is it a marketing ploy? I failed to ask those questions. As the only Grand Cru in this lineup, it’s rich complexity was to be expected. What I didn’t expect was the wine tasted backwards on my palate. On first sip, it seemed slightly flat, but then the backend literally bursted in my mouth and the finish went on and on and on. I knew I was tasting something special, I only wish I had the experience to know how this wine would evolve with age.
Somehow my little tumblr was noticed and MacArthur Beverage invited me to a wine tasting of 2012 Burgundy. I’ll write up my impressions in a larger post soon, but in the meantime it was fun tasting through all the classifications. #wine #winesofinstagram #burgundy #wineporn #grandcru (at MacArthur Beverage)
The fun part of making new friends who also have a deep appreciation and joy for wine is finding out how they realized their passion. Did they taste something special? Was there wine on the table from the time they could sit up in their own chair? Or did they travel to a far off wine region and not want to return? The fun in learning the answer lies in the ability to immediately relate to or yearn for whatever their experience was: That perfect glass, the wonderful experience of sharing a bottle with someone special, an incredible trek through Burgundy vines.
So last night as I was getting to know a new friend, I found myself recalling key points in my own journey. Usually when I’m asked this question, I can’t necessarily point to a single bottle of wine that made me say ‘Wow!,’ or an event that put me on this path. But as we chatted, I began recalling some specific moments that led me in this direction.
These were some of the sign posts I remembered:
* Something was brewing in 2004/2005. All I knew about wine was that I enjoyed drinking it. But the best wine I could point to was a Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. I was going through an awful divorce and one of the vivid memories of the many cries to my close friends was: “The next guy better be willing and able to share a bottle of wine!” Obviously, that’s not what split us up. But there was something telling in that moment – the very simple bonding by the act of sharing – that I knew was important to me.
* Sometime soon after, I visited one of my best friends, who lives in Livermore, Calif., a wine region unto itself, but a very easy 45-minute car ride from Napa. She and her husband took a Friday off from work; we called up a driver who agreed to take us around in his town car all day; loaded it up with cheese, salami, and some rustic bread from Trader Joe’s and we were on our way. We tasted at five or six wineries along Rt. 29 and the Silverado Trail, and eventually stopped in Yountville for lunch, where we discovered Hope & Grace. Without gushing too much, this was my aha moment in the difference between a nice glass of Pinot Noir and an amazing (in my limited experience at the time) glass of Pinot. Their welcoming winery in a quaint village shopping center was helpful in feeling a sense of ‘this is where I should be.’ If I had to pick the moment of when I understood what it meant to appreciate wine, this would be it.
* At the end of December, 2013, an opportunity to head west came my way. So I did what any wine-loving girl would do and planned a wine trip before and after the event I was attending. By now, I had gained a fair amount of knowledge about wines. I planed the first few days in Napa, and the last part of my trip was spent in Sonoma. That trip, which I’ll most likely discuss in greater detail at a later time, solidified everything for me. I came home with a clarity and energy about wine that I never knew existed. Mentors and friends literally stopped me in my tracks when I would start talking about wine. They couldn’t believe (nor could I) the enthusiasm not just coming out of my mouth, but lighting up my whole face. They even encouraged me to start a blog. I ached to learn more, taste more and understand the differences and unique attributes that not just make a great wine, but creates the fabulous culture that transcends traditional cultures.
So those are my moments. There are many other smaller experiences that certainly answer the question of how I got to this obsession, and are important to this journey, but these are the biggies.
The greatest thing, is this journey will most likely never end: There’s still so much I can learn, and people to meet, and experiences to share, and wines to taste, and places to visit. I could go on and on.
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for being a part of my journey. Tell me about yours! Cheers!
Delicious food, wine and conversation at The Red Hen tonight! Georgian red #wine, rigatoni with fennel sausage, spinach paccheri with duck leg sugo, white port to go with dessert (mocha budino). Great idea, @nycreba!
Comparing two Kutch wines at the IPOB conference in New York on Feb. 23
Today is the annual In Pursuit of Balance conference in San Francisco and here I am at my desk, fidgeting, stalking #IPOB on Twitter and Instagram, and wishing I was there – even though it was only a couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to attend the New York event.
I heard Ted Lemon give his Keynote on the history of California wine, followed by a seminar on how winemakers try to achieve their goals of “balance.” A few hours later, I took full advantage of the public tasting with 33 California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers.
As a non-industry participant, it was fascinating to hear winemakers talk about their decision-making processes, and then taste the wines that corresponded to their achievements and falters. It was as if I was eaves-dropping on their private club. Those who have followed IPOB know that the entire industry does not necessarily embrace this group, and as Food and Wine Magazine Wine Editor Ray Isle teased in his introduction to the panel discussion, he thought he was coming to the “IPOB Church” and it was “nice to know this was a discussion and not a cult,” which gained laughter from the audience.
The “Getting It Right” panel moderated by Food and Wine Magazine Wine Editor Ray Isle (left), winemakers Andy Peay, Bradley Brown and Jamie Kutch, and Sommelier Raj Vaidya (right).
Rajat Parr, the famed sommelier and winery owner who hosts the event with Jasmine Hirsch of Hirsch Vineyards, was clear to point out prior to the panel that the purpose of IPOB is to have a “discussion among friends” and it’s about “learning from each other… It’s not a fight against someone, not a ‘we’re better, they’re bad,’ it’s not that.”
As a first-timer here (these events began in 2011), I believe they were successful in that. Here are 33 winemakers who all have similar goals. This is not just an opportunity for them to have internal dialogues and market their wines to the industry, but a very approachable way for enthusiasts like myself to learn. Follow this up with the opportunity to taste and have individual conversations with the winemakers during the tasting portion of the event and you can’t deny it’s a fun experience for your mind and your taste buds!
The group has posted videos of their seminars on its website. If you’re a fan of these wines, it’s worth the watch.
A magnum of the 2014 Red Car Rosé is chilled during the IPOB tasting in New York.
There are certain wines you drink that once you finally agree to stop inhaling their wonderful aromas inside the glass and actually succumb to tasting, they will envelop your inner soul. Sure, the palate springs to life with a dance of almost-balanced acid and tannins while big bold fruit and subtle earth wrap themselves around your tongue. But this wine is still a baby. A 2012. I don’t have a cellar, or a wine fridge or a cold basement for that matter, so for the time being, drinking my wines young is probably my smartest move. And while I’m more than pleased I opened this bottle of Bedrock Pagani Ranch Heritage on this frigid Friday night, I’m quite jealous of those who will get to drink this several years from now. It’s a good thing I still have another bottle.
About three months ago, I wrote down some immediate thoughts following the WSET 2 exam, and while I have known my results for the past two months and posted them on othersocial media outlets, I failed to do so here.
I wanted it to feel official, so I patiently waited for my certificate to arrive. And then I waited a little longer. But today I have no excuse to keep waiting. It’s really official: I passed. And not only did I pass, I did so with “distinction.” For some icing on the cake, I did much better than I expected: a 96 percent (which means I only missed two questions).
I realize that this is considered an easy course, and many folks (especially those in the industry) don’t even bother with it before jumping into level 3, but as a girl with a passing interest that turned into a passion, I’m really quite proud. And excited for where this journey will take me!
The winemaker has a quick cameo (but I assume a much larger role) in this preview for the new documentary: SOMM: Into The Bottle (a follow-up to Somm). I’ll let the trailer speak for itself, but let’s put it this way, Summer 2015 can’t come fast enough! Both Eater and Wine Folly have details!
It's Wine By Me! 
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