Sunday, March 10, 2013

Warm and Cold Climate Wines


Ever wonder why you love, say, one pinot noir but find another unremarkable?  The climate where the grapes are grown could be the reason and might help you narrow your search for that "perfect" bottle.  Warm weather regions like California, South Africa and Southern France have longer growing seasons unlike cold weather regions like Germany, Oregon and Finger Lakes, NY. As a result, wines from warmer areas are able to ripen more fully than cooler areas. Typically, with warm weather regions you will get wines with higher alcohol, more body and more fruit flavors like plums, blackberry jam and licorice. The cooler regions produce less alcohol, a lighter style and delicate flavors like raspberry, strawberry and green apple. This a very broad subject and there are, of course, many more factors at play, but I hope this helps when you're thinking about trying a new wine.  For example, a California Pinot Noir can be described as dark and rich, showing toasty mocha oak flavors, with a beam of wild berry, vanilla and spice. The same wine from Oregon is light in color and texture, displays pretty watermelon and cherry flavors, and hints at mint in its finish. Same grape but very different tastes based in part on warm versus cold climate. I won't overwhelm you -- just giving you another reason to sit back, relax and savor a glass of wine.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Breuckelen Distlling: Guys who make good stuff because they love it

Breuckelen Distlling made such an impression after learning that everything they sell is made entirely from scratch on 19th Street in Brooklyn, NY. All grains are sourced from organic NY farms and the entire process takes place in a one room operation just barely over 1000 sqft. One of the great perks about working at a wine shop is that I have the pleasure of tasting through hundreds of wines & spirts. Even though its easy to get lost through this process being that I love each and every one that come to our store, some really seem to stick out amd these guys are one of them. We have their "Glorious Gin" which is amazing,elegant and a true expression of juniper, lemon, rosemary, ginger, and grapefruit. We also have "77 Whiskey" which is their wheat spirit aged in new American Oak. Absolutely amazing. 

Throwback to when I was on the cover of Beverage Media Magazine

Everything about this was fun! It was a highlight of my career in this business!