Man o' War's vineyards on Waiheke Island

Something like 90% of the New Zealand wine imported to the U.S. is Sauvignon Blanc, which makes it easy for American wine drinkers to completely disregard the other 10%. Sure, some folks go on about Pinot Noir–the latest flavor du jour in the U.S. and New Zealand’s most prominent red wine grape–but what’s remarkable is the diversity of grape varieties now being grown in this remote corner of the world.

Despite some draconian quarantine laws on foreign plant material, innovative growers continue to introduce new varieties and resuscitate old ones. Syrah has actually been present in New Zealand for more than 150 years, but only in the past two decades has it come of age. Alan Limmer at Stonecroft deserves much of the credit for preserving the original genetic material, and continues to make a wonderfully perfumed style of Syrah (alas, not imported to the U.S.).

Because of its relatively warm climate, Hawkes Bay has become the epicenter of New Zealand’s Syrah resurgence, with solid examples being turned out by Babich, Bilancia, C.J. Pask, Craggy Range, Esk Valley, Matariki, Mills Reef, Te Awa, Te Mata, Trinity Hill, Vidal and Villa Maria. I’m sure there are more, but I’ve restricted this list to wines I’ve actually tasted.

The wines typically marry peppery spice with bright New World fruit in a unique expression of Syrah that’s worth seeking out. With only a few exceptions (Bilancia’s La Collina, Craggy Range’s Le Sol, Trinity Hill’s Homage), these are medium-bodied reds with modest tannins and great drinkability, capable of pairing with most red-meat dishes.

Although Hawke’s Bay is ground zero for New Zealand’s Syrah explosion, the interest has carried over into other parts of the country as well. Gisborne’s Millton makes a dark, almost jammy Syrah from its vineyards, while at the other end of the country intrepid wineries in Central Otago have ventured to plant it in some of the region’s warmest locales.

In between, Martinborough producers like Dry River, Kusuda and Schubert are producing dense, savory styles of Syrah, while Man o’ War’s Dreadnought Syrah from Waiheke Island is a potential classic in the making. The 2008 was a revelation at this year’s New Zealand Syrah Symposium, showcasing peppered meat, brambly fruit and plenty of richness without excessive weight.

Whether you enjoy Syrah from other parts of the world and are looking for a different take on this versatile variety, or have yet to find a Syrah you can truly warm up to, I think that if you try one from New Zealand, you’ll be hooked. If you’ve had any others you’d like to recommend, post them below and I’ll see if I can track them down here in the U.S.

The coolest kids go out on school nights. It’s common knowledge that the best nights to experience the city are weeknights: it’s less crowded and the oft-maligned untouchables of the nocturnal scene—i.e. the “bridge and tunnelers” from Jersey, Staten Island and Nassau County, Long Island—stay tucked away in their boroughs.

Most cool kids don’t have to get up in the morning. A good number of the weeknight partiers don’t keep regular hours—i.e. they’re students, models, model/actresses, socialites, socialite/model/actresses, aspiring DJs or filmmakers or other members of the creative class (and often members of the trust fund class as well) who need not be up and on for the 9 am office meeting.

Nightlife is a full-time occupation for some. I’m referring here not to bartenders, doorman and all the various nightclub/lounge proprietors and managers but to another ubiquitous NYC night creature—the promoter. These are the individuals (usually male) responsible for bringing the young, pretty party people (usually female) to certain establishments. Promoters typically can be spotted at whatever table is surrounded by the largest group of drunken girls and usually have well over 1,000 female friends on Facebook, most of whom they’ve never met.

Smoking only recently died. The infamous 2003 smoking ban, which drastically altered the city’s bar scene, only recently started to apply at certain downtown (and often subterranean) establishments.

There are two (very) general schools of NYC nightlife. There are thousands of places open on any given night in Manhattan but the more exclusive hotspots roughly fall into two broad categories: the “models and bottles” clubs and the grittier, more downtown, more hipster spots. This one will be explored in a future blog.

Wine is for earlier in the night. The bottles in the phrase “bottles and models” are typically filled with Absolut or Grey Goose. While more and more wine bars are cropping up in Manhattan, the nightlife scene is more about the hard stuff. And it’s mostly vodka with the retro-speakeasy cocktail appreciation also reserved for earlier in the night.

The daytime can be party time too. Brunch has long been a NYC ritual though in 2009 the “wild brunch” concept took hold with more New Yorkers realizing the first half of the day was an untapped reserve for potential partying. The two general versions—“the Meatpacking District’s “Bottles and Brunch” and the LES more budget approach—will also be explored in a future post.

Many beloved cocktails have earned their place in our hearts with thanks due to the incredible, edible egg. Classic drinks like the Ramos Gin Fizz get their special frothy texture and creamy meringue flavor from egg whites. So I was floored when I read in the New York Times, that the New York City Department of Health had been cracking down on the use of egg whites in drinks at popular cocktail establishments. While raw egg whites may make some precious sippers squeamish, the drinks simply wouldn’t be the same without them.

The issue occurred at Pegu Club, which serves a drink called the “Earl Grey MarTEAni” made with earl grey-infused gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and raw egg white. The ingredients are clearly listed on the menu, with a warning. Nevertheless, the Department of Health issued Pegu a violation requiring a court appearance, because the bartender failed to explicitly inform the customer about the raw egg whites. Pegu immediately stopped serving a drink they’d served for years, though nobody had ever gotten sick. Other bartenders chimed in with the same reports of serving egg-white- laden drinks for years, with nary a sick patron.

I’d prefer to have laws of full disclosure than to have these beloved concoctions banned entirely. But are they necessary?  How would you feel if you consumed raw egg without your knowledge? The stats say that only 1 in every 20,000 eggs is contaminated with salmonella and some argue that the alcohol in the drink knocks it out before it could cause harm. And it’s not just drinks that use raw egg whites, plenty of sauces do too. What’s next, a hollandaise hysteria?

The issue at Pegu Club made me think about some of the proposed new laws regarding wine labels.  New labeling laws may require wineries to disclose the products used in fining be they egg whites, bentonite, animal gelatin or anything else. This is already the case in Australia, where all allergens are listed on the label.

On the one hand, transparency is a good thing. People with dietary restrictions appreciate having the knowledge to make an informed buying decision. On the other hand, I sympathize with the winemaker who resists sharing too much. Wine is confusing enough to consumers, do we want to scare them away? Plus, changing the labels is expensive.

I’m not sure what the answer is, but I imagine the issue is here to stay. Where do you side? The more info, the better? Or is ignorance bliss?

But when I mentioned that my wife and I annually join as many as ten other couples for a Chinese New Years banquet on Mott Street in New York’s Chinatown, a colleague suggested I think about Amarone; its raisiny accent and plum flavors might be an excellent match for Peking duck served with a plum sauce. I had my doubts; Amarones can be tannic and that is definitely not what you want with spicy food. But I was curious if it would work.

I leave it to you to explore this pairing, because it didn’t happen for me.

I’ve been to wine dinners with friends where everyone brought bottles and everyone got a small taste to match with each course. Discussing each wine’s attributes and its suitability to the food is all part of the fun. Polite, polished fun.

This was not one of those occasions. This was chaos.

On a Saturday night in Chinatown; at the tail end of the New Years celebrations there; with 14 people at our table all talking at once; with the dishes coming out of the kitchen rapid-fire; people pouring wine and beer while serving food family-style (stuffed scallops, fried shrimp, vegetable dumplings, orange beef, spicy noodles, fish soup, Peking duck, bok choy, serve, pass, eat, drink, next!) and yakking with people at neighboring tables—this is not an occasion for the wine geek to fuss over the wines, monitoring pours to be sure everyone gets some and that it’s served during the appropriate course. I think we can all agree: stab that man with a chopstick.

Wine is all about fun and ease, and this was pure, chaotic, bacchanalian fun. I never did have Amarone with my duck, but I did have a sip of a slightly stewed Argentinean Malbec and it didn’t work in the slightest—for me. Down the table, people gave it the thumbs-up. I winced at a sip of a dry Pinot Grigio while the woman across from me raved. There you go. Fun and ease.

For me, the stellar wines of that meal were a Weingut Johannishof 2008 Johannisberg “V” Riesling Kabinett from the Rheingau, and the Loosen Brothers 2008 Dr. L Riesling from the Mosel.

My friend found the Loosen for $9.50. “I win” is the motto of the Year of the Tiger.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out here that my business-class tickets were provided by the respective wine boards of these two countries, where I had intense schedules of vineyard visits, conferences and seminars lined up for virtually every hour. But regardless of how I got in the front of those planes, once there, I was seriously impressed by the range of vinous offerings.

These airlines take their wine programs seriously, publishing booklets detailing the wines you might choose from while on board (the Qantas version is available online). The selections range from sparkling wines to dessert wines, with reds and whites in between, focused primarily on their home countries, but making some minor allowances (on my flights, for example, Air New Zealand’s fortified red was a Port).

Both airlines utilize panels of respected experts to choose the wines. In the case of Qantas, it’s an all-winemaker team of Tom Carson (Yabby Lake, Mornington Peninsula), Vanya Cullen (Cullen, Margaret River) and Stephen Pannell (S.C. Pannell, McLaren Vale). Air NZ taps winemakers John Belsham (Foxes Island, Marlborough) and Kate Radburnd (C.J. Pask, Hawkes Bay), plus wine judge Jim Harre.

The normal advice regarding jet lag suggests abstinence is the better part of valor, but I sipped a few tastes of nearly every wine on offer during my flights–all in the name of research, of course. All, from the Deutz sparkling wine (New Zealand) to the Geoff Merrill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (McLaren Vale-Coonawarra), were solid and characterful wines I’d be happy to serve to guests.

Although the food–despite the best efforts of celebrity culinary consultants Neil Perry (Rockpool, Sydney) and a trio of Kiwi chefs–was still airline food, the high quality of the wines made the meals seem much more satisfying.

How about you? Do you have any airline food/wine stories to share?

I’ve been contemplating all week what to drink for Valentine’s Day this year. Sure, sure, typically most people go to their favorite retailers in search of a sparkler or some sort, but if that’s not your bag (which, typically, bubbly is not mine) then where to turn? A lush, rich red wine? A decadent, buttery, full-bodied white? A dry, Champagne-esque bière brut á-la-DeuS? Decisions, decisions!

Since Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, most people have the opportunity to make two beverage choices (I know I will): one for brunch (a necessity for ANY Sunday holiday) and one for dinner. After much deliberation, here’s what I have planned for the big day:

Brunch – While I may not be a huge sparkling wine fan, I will rarely turn down a delicious brunch cocktail, and on the top of my list are Bellinis. When made with freshly made peach purée, there’s truly nothing like it. Add to the purée a small handful of raspberries and you have a brilliant (and unbelievably festive) pink hue to dress-up the drink. But definitely think Cava or the more traditional Prosecco on this one; Champagne’s a bit too heavy and rich for the light, fruity flavor of the Bellini.

Dinner – For my special dinner with my special someone, I’m going to bring a bottle of Speri 2001 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico from my cellar to the restaurant. My honey doesn’t really like wines that are tannic and drying or light on flavor, so with a little bit of time and the naturally ripe and concentrated flavors of Amarone, this should be agreeable to us both. And, it’ll go perfectly with the hearty Northern Italian fare on the menu.

And, most importantly, what about dessert? Well, with their vibrant red colors and immensely concentrated and divinely decadent flavors, I have to have some red-fruit Lambic on Valentine’s day. It’s definitely a personal necessity. So, to end our special night this year, I’ll have a bottle of Lindemans Framboise at home, with some chocolate-covered strawberries, waiting to be consumed. Pretty good plan, huh?

So, what are your plans for V-day this year? Have something special in mind, or are you going to celebrate having some time all to yourself? What will you do this year to spread the love?

The problem is, these can be  hard to find. Most wine shops carry a maximum of five kosher wines, often from the big producers. So I’ve provided links to find them online.

Whether kosher wine is relevant to you or not, these are worth seeking out:

Carmel 2006 Old Vines Carignan “Appellation Series”, Upper Galilee, Israel $28- Israel is becoming known for producing great Bordeaux varietals, but Carmel Winery is breaking the mold here with this cherry-laden Carignan from 40-year-old vines.  Keep an eye out for more Carignan from Israel. Though Spain is more often associated with Carignan, it may emerge as Israel’s signature grape. Find it

Covenant 2008 Chardonnay “Lavan” Russian River, Sonoma, $37-  Many of the kosher Chardonnays at the show  were clunky on the oak but this new bottling from Jeff Morgan and Leslie Rudd is elegant and refined. It is creamy and lush, completely unfined/unfiltered. Lavan is a pedigreed vineyard in RRV. Find It.

Yatir 2005 Forest Bordeaux Blend $99- This Cabernet-based blend is ripe and decadent in dark fruits. From a unique microclimate: a forest on the edge of a dessert.   Find It.

Domaine du Castel 2007 Blanc du Castel, $41- One of my favorite kosher wines is the Bordeeux blend, Domaine du Castel Grand Vin, and their 100% Chardonnay shows their dedication to quality, across the board. Find It

Chateau La Fleur Jonquet 2005- This was my favorite Bordeaux of the tasting. It has nice structure and supple black fruits. A kosher ’05 Bordeaux might come at a hefty price point though. Find It

When I first started learning about wine while living in Sonoma, I was surprised at how often the stories of plucky and innovative daughters, wives and sisters popped up in relation to the founding and early days of iconic California wineries. Simi’s story was especially powerful: Founded in 1876 by two Italian brothers, Giuseppe and Pietro Simi, the winery was taken over by Giuseppe Simi’s daughter, Isabelle, in 1904, and she continued to helm the brand throughout Prohibition, ensuring its survival. The pioneering continued in 1973, when Maryann Graf, the first woman to graduate from an American university with a degree in oenology, joined the winery. And Zelma Long, one of California’s most important winemakers, added to Simi girl power in 1979. All of these women, especially Isabel were anomalies in their own time.

Across the pond a century before in 1805, 27-year-old Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot gained control of late husband François Clicquot’s banking, wool trading, and Champagne production in a time when female business owners were essentially non-existent. Using funds from her father-in-law, “Veuve (widow) Clicquot” focused the company completely on Champagne production, developed an early Champagne technique called riddling and impacting the future of all Champagne styles and production. She also helped catapult the brand to success and it’s still one of the most important names in the wine world to date.

These are just a few of the stories that solidify women’s roles in the wine world—they were integral in paving the way for a new era in which women are prominent at all levels of wine business. Female sommeliers, wine directors, winemakers, buyers, owners—even wine editors like me—owe it to these great ladies for their bravery, skill and strength. Today, the trend continues, with stars like Helen Turley, Jancis Robinson, Karen McNeil and Baroness Philippine de Rothschild carrying the noble torch.

The next time you pop the cork on a great sip, don’t forget the women behind the wine. And let me know who I’ve missed!

Every year, I review Israeli wines for the April issue of our magazine. I do this because the majority of wines from Israel are Kosher, and a lot of Kosher wine is purchased and consumed in the month of April for the Jewish holiday Passover (September is also a busy season for the category with the High Holy Days including Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur). Every year, I have noticed an improvement over the previous vintage, and marvel at the fact that some fabulous winemakers are creating beautiful stuff that too many people are unfamiliar with.

Enter Gil Shatsberg. Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with one of the most prominent Israeli winemakers, Mr. Shatsberg, and his beautiful wife Tamar. Shatsberg, who has been the winemaker for Recanati since 2008, has also managed and produced the wine for seven years at critically acclaimed Amphorae Vineyard. After studying Viticulture & Enology at UC Davis, graduating with honors in 1993 and working as assistant winemaker for Jordan Winery in California, Shatsberg decided to relocate back to Israel. He spent six years as winemaker at Carmel, then joined Amphorae, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Established in 2000, Recanati is the realized life-long dream of Lenny Recanati, an international banker and wine lover from childhood, when his parents produced wine from grapes grown in their backyards in Israel. Today, as one of the largest wineries in the country and an international standard for quality Israeli wines, Recanati is one of the most established Israeli brands here in the states.

During dinner, I had the opportunity to taste through some of the newest releases from the winery, including the exquisite 2008 Reserve Chardonnay (a single-vineyard wine) and the vibrant 2007 Petite Sirah-Zinfandel. Both remarkably balanced and showing exceptionally well, they were fantastic food-friendly offerings that left me wondering how many people would even know that these wines were Kosher. Soft, approachable and immensely enjoyable, how many people’s minds would I blow if I showed up to their Passover seder with a bottle of these wines as opposed to the sweet stuff so many are accustomed to suffering through?

But why then, I wonder, when you say the word “Israeli wine” to most people, do they automatically retort, “Oh, Kosher wine? Like Manischewitz?” Why have so many people not explored the wines of the country as a whole, delegating the offerings only to when specific holidays arise where Kosher wine is required? There are not many areas of the industry that define a wine by the technique in which it was made as opposed to the place from which it came.

It’s a tricky segment of the industry that has its pros and cons. On one side, of course Israeli winemakers want to be known as producing world-class wines, not just Kosher wines, that could stand proudly next to some of the most established and sought-after wines. On the other hand, they certainly are not too quick to dismiss or even downplay the fact that their wines are Kosher, as they know they have a dedicated base that constantly relies on their product for religious purposes and would not want to detract from that consumer group. So, the question is how to get the best of both worlds.

“We’re far from defining what Israeli wine is,” notes Shatsberg. “It’s a long process. We’re now defining where we want to go. A major change occurred when the industry stabilized, making good industrial wine without flaws… now we have to make it significant. People are more exposed and demand better; the audience has a major role in creating the way for the industry.”

And indeed, the wines keep getting better and better, and hopefully one day people will understand the true merit of Israeli wine without regard to its religious affiliation.

Thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d present a “point, click, drool & buy” guide to chocolate. To that end, I contacted my former colleague and co-writer on chocolate and pastry books, Tish Boyle. She is still very much immersed in that world. Her blog offers recipes, kitchen tips and news for all things chocolate and pastry, gooey and crunchy, sweet and salty.

[I miss the chocolate world, especially the way the women dressed for work, as seen in the photos below.]

[That is a big fat lie. These are chocolate fashions, as displayed at the Chocolate Show, which exhibits at several cities over the year. Yep: clothes made of chocolate. Tasteful comments are welcome.]

Tish was happy to share some of the quality chocolatiers she’s discovered relatively recently.

Antoine Amrani
Black Dinah Chocolatiers
Hedonist Artisan Chocolates
Michael Mischer Chocolates
2 Chicks with Chocolate

Last time I wrote on this subject, I made some recommendations of old favorites and offered tips on how to evaluate chocolate quality. Here are some of the classic, and new classic, elite chocolatiers, because no list should do without.

La Maison du Chocolat
Francois Payard
Jacques Torres
Vosges Haut Chocolat
Garrison Confections
Knipschildt Chocolatier

Norman Love Confections

Most of the abovementioned companies offer some combination of chocolate pieces and bars, filled chocolates and truffles as well as bark, toffee, clusters, cocoa mixes, all made from the purest and highest quality ingredients. Some will offer spicy chocolate accents, savory flavorings, tea flavorings.

Presentations are elegant, and some chocolate masters play with color: they can add lovely color and patterns to the chocolates without compromising on ingredients, through brightly colored cocoa butters and transfer sheet designs. You can expect gorgeous gift packaging too.

If you just want chocolate bars, from white to milk to the darkest dark, the companies above offer them, but also consider Valrhôna and ScharffenBerger.

Expect all of the above to be somewhat pricey.

Now, some of you may not love your Valentine quite that much or may be too busy contemplating your cuticles to plan this far ahead. So:

A bit more homey and goofy, but top-quality nonetheless, is Sweet Bliss. You’ll find chocolate-covered potato sticks, moos; kaplunks and even pumps and purses made of chocolate.

Godiva is often taken for granted or even dismissed for being commercial, but their chocolates, while not artisan, are pretty good and sensually presented. Cakes, too. Along the same lines, don’t forget Leonidas.

TCHO is a fine chocolate, now available at some Starbucks.

A word on fleur de sel caramels. Fleur de sel (“flower of the salt”) is a hand-harvested gourmet sea salt beloved of pastry chefs. If you love caramel and in your search you come across caramels that have this stuff sprinkled or incorporated, take notice.

Finally, if you screw up big time; have no chocolate with which to seduce your inamorata; really must have something packaged for long shelf life and found in any drug store, I recommend Lindt Truffles. Chocolaty and gooey as can be.

Happy Valentine’s Day.