I had the great pleasure of tasting sake a few weeks back from one of my favorite Sake Importer Company's, Joto Sake. The tasting was so comprehensive and informative that I felt compelled to open up my tasting book and share my thoughts.

Sake is a fermented beverage made from rice, it is brewed like a beer (starch converted to sugar, sugar into alcohol) but it is served like a wine. Most people are familiar with hot sake, as was I when I first started in the business. I would drink Sake Bombs, by dropping a small ceramic cup into a tall Pint of Sapparo.  Now I know that premium sake is generally served cold or at room temperature. Sake is graded into levels based on the amount the external part of the rice is polished. The more you polish the rice, the more refined and pristine the resulting sake tastes. Honjozo/Junmai (least polished) are the fullest and fruitiest, the Gingo/Junmai Ginjo are a little fruity and medium bodied with a cleaner finish and the Daiginjo and Junmai Daiginjo are elegant and pure with less body.

Just like wine, producer influence, location, types of rice (grapes for wine), yeast and water all influence the flavor profile and nuances of sake. Here are some of my notes from the tasting

Eiko-Fuji, Ban Ryu ( means 10,000 ways b/c of its versatility with food)-honjozu, gingo style, 35% of rice is polished away-tasted like tea soaked with cherries and cloves, full flavor

Yuho (means happy rice) Junmai-from the Ishikawa Prefecture which is in the middle of the country. Yellow plums and violets, higher altitude aromas and ashy finish.

Kasumi Tsuru Kimoto, Extra Dry-tastes like an earthy white wine and pairs great with crab and smoked cheese. Additional hints of chestnuts and marshmallow with a pulpy finish

Shichi-Hon-Yari-15th generation sake kura, founded in 1540, 6000 cases produced, unfiltered, deep and earthy nose, eel and dried mushrooms. Because of the complexity of this sake, I would recommend serving it slightly warm.

Taiheikai, Tokubetsu (means special-usually lower polishing) Junmai-honeycomb and apricot, charantais melon. I imagine eating roasted duck with a sweet sauce with this sake.

Chikurin, Karoyaka, Junmai Ginjo-this kura grows its own rice, a local and special type called Yamanashiki, it is a farmers brewery, estate bottled and full flavored. They even blend in some vintage sake which adds to its 'mochi-like" texture

Yuki No Bosha, Junmai Gingo-undiluted, grilled pineapples and strawberries, hints of blue cheese.

2009 was an exciting year for me. I passed my Master Sommelier exam in February, traveled to Tuscany for my 30th birthday, and worked harvest in Austria to highlight a few things. It is only fitting that I would celebrate the final meal of the decade with my favorite find of the year; a bottle of 2006, Riesling Smaragd, Thausendeimerberg from a great wine-maker and friend, Karl Lagler. Actually it was a magnum and I also started the new year on the beach of Culebra, Puerto Rico with the 2nd magnum but that's not the point.

Karl Lagler is as fiery and spirited as a person can be. He is also one of the most talented, hard working young wine-makers you will ever meet. While visiting him, in the town of Spitz, the harvest team barely had any sleep between "Shake faces" at night with Sturm  (cloudy, freshly fermented grape juice) and picking 4000 kg of grapes during the day on the terraced vineyards of the 1000 eimerberg vineyard, 1100 ft above the Danube River. Most people are familiar with the neighboring vineyards owned by Hirtzberger of Singerriedl, Honivogl and Axpoint and while the wines are spectacular, they are usually also pricier.

I will never forget the excitement that I felt as we pulled back the leaves, looking for bunches of grapes. It reminded me of an Easter Egg hunt. Since Karl doesn't believe in using botrytis grapes in his dry wines, we separated the healthy bunches from the noble rot and our gloves, skin and hair were covered with sticky juice. My favorite part of the harvest was carrying the overflowing containers of grapes on my back up the hill. The quad work-out was amazing and Karl said I was a natural. I think he is a natural. His wines are pure, mineral laden, intense, concentrated and balanced.

If you make any New Years resolutions, make sure drinking great wine with people you love is one of them.  

I wish everyone a healthy, happy, wine-filled 2010.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled blog of day 3 of Austria to share our most recent wine class findings "What Wine to pair with Thanksgiving Dinner". Chef Matt Hughes of Blue Water Grill roasted a special Turkey for us and prepared savory stuffing, creamy maple sweet potatoes and tart cranberry sauce. I picked a handful of wines from our cellar and we tasted them with our food. Before sharing the results I have some basic thoughts to consider when pairing wine for your own thanksgiving feast.

1. Wine is made to enjoy, drink and savor. There is no point in buying wine according to my recommendation if you prefer something entirely different.

2. Considering that you will have many different palates to please at your table, it is best to choose wines that are versatile.

3. The holidays are festive and one way to keep them affordable and fun is to try esoteric grapes, lesser known wine regions or producer off the beaten path.

3. Stay away from wines with alot of tannins or wines with too much oak and alcohol. Stuffing yourself will make you tired enough so wine should be refreshing and have good acidity.

4. Turkey isn't the only component to consider, remember the side dishes and pair wines to complement.

Are wines were as follows:

1. Jacques Lasssaigne, Champagne NV- we liked this wine on its own but thought it had a little too much acidity. If the Turkey was deep fried with more salt, Champagne would be perfect.

2. Peter Jacob Kuhn Riesling Trocken, Rheingau 2007-This was one of our top wines. We liked the way the ripe apricot and nectarines made the turkey taste more flavorful and the earthiness in the wine was enhanced by the savory notes in the stuffing.

3. Foreau Clos Naudin, Vouvray Sec 2006-The wine was definetely enhanced by the food and became brighter and showed more grilled pineapple notes than it did on its own. We didn't choose it as one of our top favorites b/c it didn't enhance the food. We felt that it tried to steal the show a little bit.

4. Wimmer-Czerny, Gruner Veltliner Alte Reben Weelfel, Wagram 2007- This was another of our top favorites because of its versatility and uniqueness. We felt it would go great with the vegetable dishes served at thanksgving and the mandarin fruit complemented the turkey.

5. Baur, Pinot Gris, Herrenweg, Alsace 2006-This wine is great for people who enjoy Pinot Grigio as it is the same grape.  Since it comes from a warmer area in France you get more concentration of fruit to match the intensity of the sweet side dishes. Pairing with the maple sweet potatoes brought out the clove and nutmeg in the wine.

6. Remelluri, Grenache Blanc, Rioja 2005- Another great wine for serving on its own as an alternative to  Chardonnay. We just felt the oak overwhelmed the Turkey and when paired with the sweeter side dishes all you tasted in the wine was the oak. We would love to taste this with grilled lobster or buttery mashed potatoes.

7. Furst, Spatburgunder, Franken, Germany 2005- Pinot Noir from Germany was exciting to us as an alternative to a more expensive Burgundy. We liked how the ripe red fruits came to life and the acidity and lack of tannins in the wine made it a perfect pairing.  Not many guests will know that Spatburgunder is a synonym for Pinot Noir so it will be a great opportunity to share something new with them.

8. I Luberri, Finca Los Merinos, Rioja 2003- We wanted a slightly modern Rioja to pair with the maple sweet potatoes.  This one had the perfect combination of mocha and savory herbs. It had enough body for those that like rich wines with a tart acidity that made the cranberry sauce pop. Everyone agreed that this was the best red wine.

9. Tour St Michel Deux Souers, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2007- The blend of grapes in Chateauneuf-du-Pape make for  a crowd pleasing and versatile wine. The savory notes and rich figs with tart red cranberries paired nicely with everything.

10. Juan Gil, Monastrell, Jumilla 2007- This is an extremely great value with a beautiful label and a delicious wine. We loved the figs and plums and felt the finish was long and lingering yet didn't overpower the food. Anyone who likes Red Zinfandel would love this wine

While there were a lot of styles and profiles of wine that we tried we couldn't try them all and know that there are many great wines to be thankful for and to share with friends and family. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy what ever you choose.

After a long day of tasting at Leth we finished the night at the Morwald Restaurant in our hotel. www.moerwald.at

and as you might imagine from the title of my entry, we had sweet Kamptal smoked speck.

I can still taste the delicious dinner that we shared with Franz Leth and Hanz Czerny (winemaker from Wimmer-Czerny) of Avocado Ravioli with Crayfish. The Roasted Pike with spicy celery puree was the best piece of fish I have had all year. One of the most exciting parts about visiting new wine regions is experiencing the local food and understanding the culture. To make us feel right at home, the sommelier at Morwald made sure it was a late first night for us.He kept bringing "something else" every time we wanted to go home which included an older vintage (mid 80's) of Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc. This wine is normally the type that you want to consume young however the group thought it still had a decent amount of fruit.

We arrived at Wimmer-Czerny farm http://www.wimmer-czerny.at the next morning and reconnected with Hanz. His winery is a family run, Demeter certified estate (biodynamic). In addition to making superb wine, he raises a special breed of pig called Mangalitza and all of the plants and seeds he feeds these animals. Hanz says "we love our animals so much we eat them" as he sets out a plate of home-made speck and lardo. Walking through the winery and fields you can see the belief in minimal intervention from Hanz. He let's the land and earth determine the flavors of the wines and is merely an instrument in bringing these wines to us consumers in caring for the land. All wines are punched down by hand, he only uses bentonite on the juice, 6 people work the harvest and no filtering is done. The entire property operates in synergy. The house is heated with wood chips, solar water heaters are used, compost is made on property, eggs for breakfast are hatched every morning, cd's are used to reflect light in the vineyards to deter deer (high-tech pest prevention..don't think so) and the worms are considered Hanz's "most special workers" whose job is to turn the soil as supposed to using tractors.  

We sat down to an amazing tasting of Hanz's wine and a homemade lunch of wild goose, red cabbage, arugala salad and the "goose juice" which we all talked about for days. Here are some of my favorites with tasting notes.

2008-Gruner Veltliner Fumberg-iron and rich smoky component, more concentration as the vineyards are in the middle of the slope

2007-Gruner Veltliner Fumberg-developed, intense fruit aromas in addition to the smoky minerals, mandarin oranges and grilled pineapple

2007-Gruner Veltliner Weelfel Alte Reben-tastes like loess (from yesterday when i tasted it from the cliff) along with concentrated pure fruit, pure liquid minerals, like jumping in the lake in Maine. ***my favorite***

2007-Gruner Veltliner Reserve Felserberg- middle of slope, butterscotch, pineapple and candied apple, fattier and richer as it was aged in oak.

2008-Traminer Mitterweg-milk chocolate, for those people who say traminer doesn't have acid they need to try this, smells like asian food, long seductive finish.

In addition to these tasting notes, I found a few quotes from the charming and talented Hanz that I felt best described his personality and wine making style.

Hanz on Mc Donalds "They have really clean toilets", "Our pigs are happy because they have only one job; to grow", "When you filter, you tear apart his heart, yeast need to survive"

I can't wait to visit Hanz again. In the meantime, you can find his Roter Veltliner by the glass at Primehouse or try some Gruner Veltliner from the list at Blue Water Grill.

I have been on the road again. After 3 weeks in beautiful, sunny Florida opening our new hotel Postcard Inn on the Beach, I had the great pleasure of being invited to Austria to work harvest by Domaine Select Wine Estates.http://www.domaineselect.com/main.cfm. It was one of the best experiences of my career and I highly recommend that anyone in the wine business or with the desire to be in the wine business seeks out the opportunity to be in the vineyards to learn first hand what vignerons do. In the meantime, I will take you on a virtual tour of my experience via a series of posts.

Austria is a country of about 48,500 hectares of wine with over 32,000 producers. There are 4 major regions with about 19 wine areas. Our first stop after a melange (light frothy milk and espresso) was to the Wagram district. This area, 1 hour north of the Danube river and Vienna, east of Kamptal near Klosterneuburg (which is home to famous enology and viticulture school) was formed by ice-age glaciers and looks like a small Burgundian hill. It is known for its elegant and well structured wines from grapes such as Gruner Veltliner, Pinot Noir, Weissburgunder, and Zweigelt as well a high proportion of organic viticulture.

We dropped off our luggage at Hotel Katarina in the town of Fels and headed to our first visit with Franz Leth. He took us on a tour of his vineyards and explained the Loss soil to us by letting us taste it. It tastes like chalk. It formed a hill-like structure but fell apart like dust when Franz touched it. This soil is perfect for retaining minerality and acidity in wine and forces the vine to dig deep to extract moisture and nutrients which aids in concentrating the wines. The vineyards are terraced on the banks of the Wagram River. Rolling green beautiful hills provide a back drop that even on a foggy day was a great vista for seeing Austria for the first time.

Franz discussed his production of 300,000 btls of which 85% is bottled in screwtop with us over his wife's homemade noodle soup and weiner schnitzel which was so crispy and delicious with tons of air pockets from being fried in sunflower oil. We refreshed our palates with the 2008 Brunnthal Gruner Veltliner which is a single vineyard that translates to Burning Terraces.The vines are 25-40 years old and show flavors of caraway, lentils and rice pudding. It was mineral laden and peppery as a good Gruner Veltliner should be with the creaminess coming from old oak barrels. Of course we decided that it would be a good idea to start a rock band called Schnitzel and Burning Terraces after consuming the bottle......

After a hunk of Zucchini bread with chocolate, it was time to get to work in the cellar. (Harvest was finished the week before). Our first order of business was to pump one of the freshly fermented tanks into another barrel. After that we went to the barrel room and were all given a row of barrels and some wine to top off the barrels; this is necessary to ensure that the wine doesn't get too much oxygen and stays fresh. We blasted U2 and raced to see who could finish first and I have to say I was the winner.

After we tasted many of Franz's Zweigelts (indigenous grape that tastes a lot like Syrah from France) from our barrels to learn about all the different oak and coopers that Franz works with and how these components will eventually be used in his "tete du cuvee" wine Gigama (means gigantic aromatics). Most of my notes say opaque, peppery, black earth, rich concentrated, with hints of sassofrass. Amongst the different barrels we had Taransaud oak, Vicard, Sylvain and Nadalie and when we tasted the final blend we listened to Bruce Springstein

Born in the u.s.a., I'm a long gone daddy in the u.s.a.
Born in the u.s.a., born in the u.s.a.
Born in the u.s.a., I'm a cool rocking daddy in the u.s.a. Born in the u.s.a.,

I guess that's what motivates an amazing man like Franz to make kick ass wine. My notes on the final blend say roasted meats, smoky, peppery, juicy blue fruits, tastes the loss, ashy, chalky, beautifully complex. I am going to be purchasing some of these wines for the restaurants as I truly believe Franz is doing amazing things with the Zweilgelt grape.

Stay tuned for day 2