Cabernet Day could not have come at a better time.  After tasting many Rieslings in the past week on a quest for the perfect, crowd-pleasing, moderately-priced wine, I was more than ready for some red wine!

I first encountered Bodega Ruca Malen in 2005 on a trip to Mendoza with fellow blogger Eleni.  At the time, Ruca Malen was producing about 20,000 cases a year, all for export, but was having trouble breaking into the US market. We were both impressed with the wines, the commitment to quality, and the beauty of the setting and the winery itself.  Set a bit further out from Mendoza’s more established wineries, Ruca Malen has a stunning, unobstructed view to the Andes Mountains from its doorstep. Like many great wineries, Ruca Malen has a great story. It was co-founded by Jean Pierre Thibaud, the former Chairman of Bodegas Chandon Argentina, and Jacques Louis de Montalembert. According to the story, he had long wanted to make truly Argentine wines, but the executives in France wanted to continue the course. After ten years as Chairman, he left and established Ruca Malen in 1999. The name of the winery and the individual wines are a story onto themselves and tie back to the Mapuche Indians and their legend of Aconcagua.

A couple of years after Eleni and I visited Mendoza, I had the good fortune of meeting Antoine Thibaud, Jean Pierre’s son, at a wine tasting in New York. I couldn’t help but express my enthusiasm. I told him how much I liked the story of the winery. “Oh, you like the legend?,” he asked. No, I replied, I like the fact that his father had left a major international company to make wine that expressed a uniquely Argentine character and that he was doing it well. The New York tasting served to confirm the impression with which I left Mendoza: that this is an exciting winery that will continue to make great wines.

Enough of my rambling story; on to the wine! 

I admit that I was a bit hesitant about my choice for Cabernet Day.  This bottle is now six years old and purchased probably in 2007. Not that this is a problem, since Cabernet Sauvignon produces some of the longest lasting wines. However, I was worried that it may not have been stored under ideal conditions all this time and that I may be opening a bottle of vinegar.

But there was no need to worry. The color was still a relatively fresh garnet, though the big difference between the rim and the core gave away the wine’s age. The nose was classic New World Cabernet Sauvignon: red and black currant, ripe berries, dark chocolate, with cinnamon and clove. On the palate the fruit combined with smokiness and sweet vanilla. This big, dry red was a super antidote to the series of Rieslings. It is full-bodied, with high acidity, grippy tannins, and high alcohol. It finishes with notes of the dark chocolate and cedar.

A delightful choice for Cabernet Day!

Given my disappointing German Riesling tasting, I forged ahead and tried four more. For this round, I increased my price range to up to $22 (not including any case discount) hoping to find the right wine. I headed to Federal Wine & Spirits, a store I often rely upon for interesting, quality wines, and newcomer The Urban Grape in Chestnut Hill.

2009 Georg Albrecht Schneider Spätlese

Rheinhessen, Niersteiner Hipping

Prädikatswein

I asked two colleagues to try this one with me. The three of us were surprisingly unanimous in our opinion – a sweet, unremarkable wine with a short finish. The nose was very ripe red apple. One colleague described it as apple cider, but sweeter.  To their – and my – surprise Federal considered this “slightly sweet” and described the mouth as “thickish, very ripe, slate edged succulence, lean, nicely balanced.” As we pondered which part was “thickish” versus “lean,” we came to the conclusion that this would not be the wine. At Federal Wine for $14.99.

2008 Reichsrat von Buhl Maria Schneider Jazz Label

Pfalz

Qualitätswein

The nose was peach, lime juice, lemon, and some minerality. Good medium acidity, light bodied, and much leaner than the Albrecht Schneider. At The Urban Grape for $18.

2007 S.A. Prüm Blue Slate Kabinett

Mosel

Prädikatswein

Right out of the bottle, the Blue Slate was closer to what I had expected than any of the previous wines. Apricots, slate, minerality, and petrol all wonderfully balance in the nose. It is not bone dry, but the long-lasting, mouthwatering acidity offers an excellent foil to any residual sugar. The wine is well-rounded with a hint of bitterness and a very nice, medium length finish. I am getting closer! At The Urban Grape for $22.

2008 Paul Anheuser Kabinett

Nahe, Schlossbockelheimer Koenigsfels

Prädikatswein

Apple, lemon, and spice on the nose and palate. Medium acidity. Good, but a bit short. (A side note: Paul Anheuser also makes an interesting Pinot Noir Blanc de Noir.) At Federal Wine for $13.99.

Prüm’s Blue Slate is my top choice so far, but this may require going on for round three. I’m open to suggestions, so if you have recently had a good German Riesling for under $20, please do share the name!

I was once a fan of Restaurant Week. I would eagerly await the release of the list of participating restaurants and then assiduously comb the list selecting those restaurants I would visit during RW. I had some great meals – Mistral, Radius – and not so great – Aquitaine. Yet, over the years, the thrill diminished –  RW began to seem like an overworked gimmick. And I was never able to get a reservation for a civilized dining time at the former flagship of the grupo. However, when Katrin mentioned a visit to Rocca which would also provide a chance to spend time with Rodney who was back for a brief State-side visit, I was eager to once again head out for RW. My interest in going to Rocca was sparked by Devra First’s laudatory review in “The Globe” of the restaurant and its new chef, Tiffani Faison. I knew that Tiffani had been on a food show but since my interest in food TV is confined to the classics – reruns of  ”The French Chef” and “Jacques and Julia” – I didn’t know which one, nor very much care;  the proof of a chef’s ability and palate isn’t on TV but on the plate in front of me. It was time to sample Tiffani’s talents.After a well crafted cocktail mixed by the most genial bartender in Rocca’s soaring, glass-walled bar, we were escorted upstairs for dinner. Restaurant Week provided Rocca with a great opportunity to capitalize on the review in “The Globe”, which they did. During RW, the dining room was entirely devoted to the RW menu - there was no hassle trying to get a reservation for one of the often limited number of tables other restaurants set aside for RW diners.

The menu was extensive and followed the Italian custom of antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci; yes – four courses, not the usual three. We each ordered separate dishes for a total of twelve items from which to gauge the work going on in the kitchen. I plied our server with questions about Chef Faison and she couldn’t say enough good things about her. When a hostess stopped by our table to ask about our meal, I gently interrogated her about the chef. Again, nothing but praise. And we ourselves were suitably impressed with Tiffani’s cuisine. It was a wonderful dinner – the dishes were all well thought out and executed -   restoring my interest in Restaurant Week. Visit Rocca and see for yourself that Tiffani Faison is not just a one-time contestant on a reality food show, but the real thing.

Planning events for the nonprofit at which I work can be a lot of fun – particularly when I have a chance to pick the wines! When we decided to do an Oktoberfest theme for an upcoming dinner, I was both delighted and daunted. I knew that finding a good quality Riesling at a price that would fit our nonprofit budget would be tough.

Finding the right Riesling for a group with a mixed interest in, not to mention knowledge of, wine is a challenge. Choose one with too much petrol or gun oil and risk turning people off before they have even tasted the wine. Choose one with too much residual sugar and risk having people put down their wine after one taste. Recently, I was unceremoniously reminded of a poor Riesling selection I made last year for another event. During the in-store tasting, the wine seemed like an excellent quality for the price, but at the event it was sweet and flabby. Unfortunately, I am not the only one who remembers that wine! As with rosés, some people have to be convinced that Riesling can be one of the most rewarding and wonderful wines – delicate, complex, and beautiful, and often low in alcohol.

Luckily, Glenn and Rodney were willing to help. I selected five German Rieslings for our tasting. Four of them were around $15 with one outlier on sale at $5.99. We tasted all of them blind on the first night; and I tasted them again the next day. Below are our tasting notes, in the order in which the wines were tasted.

2007 Sybille Kuntz Spätlese Dry

German Table Wine

Pale gold in color, the Sybille Kuntz has a pungent nose dominated by gun oil. Lots of minerality and slate here tempered by peach and nectarine. Glenn described it as having “an almost classic expression of Riesling in the nose.” Lime juice and stone fruits dominate the palate. This wine is not only dry, but also has some bitterness. High acidity and a long finish. This wine is still developing and could improve in coming months or even years. I enjoyed it more on the second day.

At Vinodivino for $16.00.

2009 St. Urbans-Hof

Mosel

Qualitätswein/VDP

Pale, with a light green hue, the nose of the St. Urbans-Hof was odd, with some chemical odor that none of us could place. While the nose was off-putting, the odor appear on the palate, which was exotic with notes of ripe peach, lime, and a hint of petrol. Some residual sugar was evident here, giving the wine a medium plus body. It has a long-lasting, mouthwatering acidity. Glenn, Rodney, and I liked this wine, and ranked it in the top two of the tasting.

At WineNation purchased on sale for $14.99.

2007 Studert-Prüm Kabinett

Mosel, Graacher Himmelreich

Prädikatswein

Of all five wines, the Studert-Prüm had the most petrol on the nose, with ripe fruit. But on the palate it was restrained, bordering on boring. Medium plus body due to the residual sugar, which was not balanced out by good acidity. It had a short finish.

At Martignetti’s for $17.99.

2008 Stone Fruit

Pfalz

Qualitätswein

This wine was partly why I decided to do this tasting blind. I was curious to see how it would compare to the higher priced wines in the tasting, but didn’t want any of us to be influenced by its price or bulk wine appearance. To my surprise, it was well-received. Glenn called it a “pretty little wine.” It is restrained. Glenn and Rodney both liked this one. When I tried it on the second day, I found it unremarkable. Restrained is an understatement, but it probably would go well with food since it is pretty dry and has decent acidity.

At Julio’s Liquors purchased on sale for $5.99 ($7.99 regularly).

2008 Weingut Dr. Heyden Kabinett

Rheinhessen, Oppenheimer Kreuz

Prädikatswein

On the first day, the nose was restrained, with floral and stone fruit notes. But it started to open when I tried it the second day and found slate, minerals, smoke, and tropical fruit on both the nose and palate. It is fairly dry, with modest residual sugar, and a peach pit bitterness. The mouthfeel is rich and it has a lasting finish. This was my favorite of the five on both days.

At Vinodivino for $15.00.

Unfortunately, none of these wines match what I am looking for and I just would not excited about serving any of them. It comes back to worrying about the pungency of some and the sweetness of others. If I were able to increase the budget to $25 per bottle, I am confident that there are German Rieslings that would match my expectations. Since I would rather not be reminded next year of a poor Oktoberfest selection, I will be heading back to the wine shop for round two.

90+ Cellars has been mentioned on Wine Dine With Us at least a couple of times in recent months. It is a concept that intrigues Glenn, Rodney, and me on different levels.  To me, it’s a win-win for both the winery and the consumer. The winery sells its excess inventory of quality wines at lower, no-name prices without sacrificing reputation or the wine’s price point in the future.  The consumer has an opportunity to purchase a high-quality wine at a lower price. And who doesn’t like that in these recessionary times?

However, the wines do require some explanation.  Having purchased 90+ Cellars wines for events that I organize for my nonprofit organization, I have seen a number of people approach the wines with a quizzical look that asks “Have budget constraints forced Katrin to serve us some anonymous plonk akin to box wine?” Certainly after trying a great wine like the Malbec Lot 3, that thought is dispelled.

This week I tried the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Lot 2, despite Rodney’s earlier lackluster review. I found it well beyond “adequate.”  It is unmistakably New Zealand and totally unapologetic for being obvious.  It is exactly what we all have come to expect from New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc… and that’s ok!  Grapefruit, lime, gooseberry, and herbs filled my nose immediately.  My mouth was watering expectantly before even tasting the wine.  The palate was all that citrus plus melon, with high acidity and a touch of bitterness. It is wonderfully refreshing and flavorful and worth a try!

Even as I was dining at Myers+Chang during the August Mystery Meet, I was already planning my return. When, a few days later, a friend called and wanted to do lunch stipulating that it would be my choice, I had already chosen. Would my impressions of the restaurant from my first visit be borne out, or in the light of day, be found wanting? In the light of day, I was much better able to appreciate the decor of the restaurant with its funky hip diner vibe. My friend was taken with the retro white plastic upholstered chairs, while I had my eye on the pink molded plastic stools at the food bar. Also, the charming tchotchkes, like the large golden Lucky Cat, were more apparent. As on my first time there, the service was friendly, in a very genuine way. And the food? We chose four dishes. All were excellent but two were treasures. The first to arrive was the Pork Belly Buns. I had expected a filled bun but this was actually a sandwich. Tender steamed dough was wrapped around luscious, melting pork belly, finished with some greens, pickles and hoisin sauce. And the second treaure was the Dan Dan Noodles – soft noodles dressed with a peanut and chili sambal sauce, served on a salad of romaine, cucumbers, celery and cilantro leaves. Both dishes were outstanding and my initial impression of Myers+Chang was not only verified but strengthened. As I finished my glass of “Dreamy Clouds”, I wondered, what other treasures will I discover here?

It feels a little strange to be writing a review of a wine from Bordeaux when one of our fellow Wine Dine With Us bloggers is working in Bordeaux right now. No doubt the selection and quality of wines available to Rodney are far beyond what our Boston area stores can get on their shelves, and I’m hoping that in the near future he will send in more reports of what he has been enjoying! (Nudge, nudge…)

Nevertheless, I was inspired to write about the Château du Champ des Treilles Vin Passion. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle, the Vin Passion is from the relatively unknown appellation of Sainte-Foy Bordeaux. Winemakers Corine and Jean-Michel Comme adhere to both biodynamic and organic principals and an argument could be made that this natural approach has resulted in a wine that conveys purity. The nose is full of minerality, green apple, and lime.  It is taut with intense acidity, a medium body, and a long finish. What I like most about the Vin Passion is that it tastes unadulterated and unprocessed, allowing the strength of the grapes shines through.

Available at Gordon’s Fine Wine for $15.99.

I am amazed by how quickly this year is passing and how a bottomless to do list has distracted me from doing more writing this spring and summer. I am happy, though, to have checked off one major long-term goal: completing the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Advanced Certificate course.

Admittedly, I approached the 15-week course with a sense of confidence. After all, I thought, I had passed all four levels of Boston University’s two-year wine education program. This should be a breeze – a necessary stepping stone for starting the WSET Diploma program. As it turned out, a four year lapse since the end of the last course is long enough to start forgetting some finer details, especially since I don’t have a day job that is focused on wine.

WSET, with its rigid, British, rote approach to learning was a shock initially. The materials and the exam structure were so different from the way Bill Nesto and Sandy Block had taught the BU program that I wondered whether I had made a mistake taking the course. But as the weeks passed, I began to appreciate the structure and succinctness of the reading materials and classes. Still, I continued to struggle with the check-list approach to the wine tastings, where we check off characteristics matching the appearance, nose, and palate of the wine, as well as our conclusions on quality, price, and age-ability.

I prepared for the final exam with diligence, but as the date approached, I became increasingly nervous that I would blank on chunks of information. Our instructor, Adam Chase, offered some words of advice before we started the tasting portion of the exam. “Here’s the wine.  It’s red, as you can see.  It is one of the following:  Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rioja DOCa, Valpolicella, or South African Pinotage. Trust your instinct.  Don’t second guess yourself. Good luck!”

The bottle circulated. As I poured some into my glass, I thought, “Hm. Gamey, smokey notes. Ripe red fruits. They wouldn’t possibly give us a Pinotage!”

Hm. Gamey, smokey, red berry.

Can’t possibly be a Pinotage. Why would they do that?

Hm. Red berry, gamey.

No way it’s a Pinotage. Definitely not Valpolicella.  Definitely not Rioja.

No….

Nah….

Never….

Hm.  Berry.

I tasted it.  “It’s good!  Definitely not Pinotage!!”  Pinotage is one of the few wines that I just do not like, but this… this wine was pretty good. Well balanced and fruity. High alcohol, but plenty of acidity, tannin, and flavor to balance it off.

Process of elimination + nerves = poor decision-making. I concluded that the wine was a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, putting it in the “Premium” price category.

I was (and still am) upset that I had not listened to Adam’s wise words, that I actually had talked myself out of going with my gut reaction. It was a Pinotage!

Overall, I really enjoyed the WSET program and the tastings and do recommend signing up for the WSET Intermediate or Advanced Certificate course.  And, if you live in Boston or Northern California, you can consider yourself very fortunate to have Adam as your instructor. (Check out The Grape Experience to see the dates of upcoming courses.)

As for me, among the many things I learned from Adam and WSET, trusting my initial instincts might be the most important. Luckily, despite the disappointing tasting, I did pass the exam and am happy to able to say that I am now “WSET Certified.”