2006 Chateau Rayas La Pialade Cotes du Rhone

I stumbled across this at Bauer Wine and Spirits, it was the last bottle and there was a hand-written shelf-talker stating that it was "peaking".  Add to this situation the producer and I knew I had a bottle for the evening.  As it turns out, this was a wonderful find.  It's some seriously good juice with deft aromas of fruit, spices, intermixed with earthy elements; even lavender-like, aromas on the second pass.  Superb on the palate: light-bodied, well-balanced; nice acidity, depth, and finish.  A grown-up, seductive Cotes du Rhone and a display of the pedigree one can expect from such an esteemed producer.  

The holidays are approaching

Are you ready to truly connect with those who help you out on a daily basis this holiday season? Thank them for all that they do in a way that makes both of you look good.

“Wine is one of the few presents that makes both the giver and the receiver look good. You look like you spent a bundle on the gift (even if you didn’t) and the recipients are happy that you think they know something about wine (even if they don’t).” says Natalie MacLean, author of the bestseller Red, White and Drunk All Over.

Here's an exclusive generalized segment for you, beloved reader. If you'd like specific suggestions, please go here. Natalie's Top 10 great wine gift ideas (my suggestions are in bold):

1. Hairdresser: For the person who combines humor and optimism every time she styles your mop. Go for a light, gulpable wine like a dry rosé. It’s versatile and fuss-free—a great quaff for your coif. 2009 Château d'Aqueria

2. Psychiatrist: Of course, he’ll analyze whatever you give him so choose a wine that’s all about balance. Easy-drinking pinot noir is medium-bodied yet packed with flavor. Surprise him with a large-format bottle, like a magnum. Big thinking means big progress for you. This wine also works for psychologists, marriage counselors and bartenders. Penner Ash or Shea Wine Cellars

3. The Boss: Pick too pricey a wine and your boss will think your last raise was too much; go cheap, and she’ll think you lack judgment. Focus on a label with a lot of white space since that makes the bottle look more expensive. A castle in the distance also works, but avoid fluffy animals.


4. Personal Trainer: Think a muscular, robust red would work? Hold that position. Instead, try riesling: this light white wine pairs well with a health-nut diet of salad and seafood, plus it’s low in alcohol. You can also give it to Pilates instructors, yoga masters and Tai Chi coaches. 2009 Loosen Bros. Dr. L

5. Financial Planner: You and he both know it’s going to take decades before your portfolio recovers after the crash of 2008. With that long-term view, vintage port makes the perfect gift. This fortified wine from northern Portugal, with its long aging potential, will be around for both of you into your retirements.  Taylor Fladgate 2007 Vintage Port

6. Travel Agent: She’s been everywhere and seen everything, so go local with your choice of wine. Even better, if you live close to the winery, get the bottle signed by the winemaker.

7. Teacher: If you can’t find a suitably obscure wine with a Latin name, there’s always cream sherry. It’s the tipple of Oxford dons, not to mention the centerpiece of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story The Case of the Amontillado. Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry

8. Mail Deliverer: Go for a winery that’s consistent year after year in producing a wine that can be enjoyed in snow, rain, sleet or hail. Try an Australian shiraz or Argentine malbec.

9. Mechanic: Yes, there’s a wine called Red Truck, but try to be more imaginative. Why not give a wine made by Mario Andretti in California or Ferrari in Italy?  Randy Lewis makes wine too! (Napa)

10. Online Date: So you’re on your second or third rendezvous with the person you met on eHarmony or Dating.com. If you’re not sure yet whether marriage is a possibility, try something middle-of-the-road, like merlot. Yes, it’s the soft jazz of wine, but until you know, play it safe. Columbia Crest H3 Horse Heaven Hills

And after all that shopping, don’t forget yourself: even Santa’s little helpers need more than milk and cookies. Try something with high-alcohol like Italian Amarone or Rhone syrah: these big reds easily drown out tone-deaf caroling and pair beautifully with tired feet.

1999 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia

This was awesome! Proof that Bordeaux varietals have great potential in Bolgheri. Great fresh fruit aromas upon opening; so robust that they engulfed the room and those next to the bottle while decanting commented on the "lovely" and "sensuous" aromas wafting from the bottle. Mature, with harmonious balance between acidity and tannins, with a nice impression of both fresh and dried fruit; utterly smooth, with a caressing finish that lasts for minutes.

Eric Ripert prefers that his fridge is empty.

Gourmet Live is quickly becoming one of my favorite websites when it comes to food. Here is an interview with Eric Ripert, the acclaimed chef of Le Bernardin, who recently celebrated a couple of rare events: earning 3 Michelin stars and 29 from Zagat.

Gourmet Live: What 10 ingredients are always in your fridge?

Eric Ripert: Honestly I don’t think I have 10 ingredients in my fridge, but I always have butter, yogurt and marmalade. We buy for the day and almost nothing goes into the fridge. I like to buy the right amount of food so there’s no waste. I just bought an apartment and it came with a very big fridge, but I gave it back to the building and asked for a smaller one because I don’t want to store a lot of things. I want to eat fresh, so really, the fridge is empty.

Gourmet Live: What 5 ingredients are always on your shopping list?

Eric Ripert: Shopping or not, I make sure that I always have salt, pepper, olive oil, butter and Herbes de Provence.

Gourmet Live: How would you describe the perfect dinner party?

Eric Ripert: When the host and guests are equally having fun. When the food and wines are delicious and ultimately at the end of the night everyone has a smile on their face. I think it’s always important to have a mix of things you can share. And very often when I throw a party, I break the ice by having drinks and intermezzos to share. Or I mix guacamole and everyone is dipping, so everyone’s sharing. And when we sit down, I plate individually.

1995 Château Léoville-Poyferré

Unfortunately I tasted this only after it had been decanted. That being said, it was very aromatic upon opening and still held a deep reddish-purple core with only mild signs of age at the edges. A smooth, well-balanced, and mature wine. As for pedigree, In Frank Schoonmaker's eyes, Poyferré is the best vineyard in St. Julien and "perhaps a little fuller-bodied than the other Léovilles, and generally brings a slightly higher price" (1976). If you want something more like Pauillac, go for Léoville Las Cases which is near Château Latour on the border of St. Julien and Pauillac. This leads me to some words of wisdom I picked up along the way, if you like a particular winery and don't want to pay out of the nose for it, it'll pay to find one of their neighbors. Perfect example: Provenance of Rutherford gets a significant amount of their grapes from Beckstoffer's Georges III vineyard, which happens to be adjacent to Caymus. Try out the Provenance if you like Caymus and tell me I'm wrong. I have to credit this snippet of advice to the man who also recently shared his opinion about the 1995 vintage in Bordeaux. Frankly, the point was that 1995--while a notable vintage--is perfect with food due to their unique structure and notable acidity. So, if you're dining out and want to splurge on Bordeaux, 1995 Bordeaux is definitely a good choice.

P.S. I thank the accidental billionaires for making it possible for me to taste this wine.

Jancis Robinson rediscovers Savennières

I caught her link on Twitter (@JancisRobinson) this morning. The article can be found here and has a few suggestions for you to try. Sadly, she does not note the prices for the wines; one particular wine, Joly's Coulée de Serrant (apparently meaning, "Casting of Tightening"), was recently listed in Wine Spectator's advanced newsletter as retailing for $100 (2007). To put that into perspective, a particularly renowned French restaurant in Boston's Back Bay (@LEspalier) carries the 2005 vintage (reviews) for that price! By the way, it's currently my favorite white wine and it has retained its #1 ranking for well over a year now.

Value hunting does pay off; foodies and their friends can enjoy a bottle at Silvertone, and also if you frequent this seafood giant at any of their Massachusetts locations, you'll find it there for a even better bargain. If you find it retail, try it out with a Margherita pizza (I recommend Regina's, medium basil, with a crisp crust).

I once purchased a bottle of the 2005 Nicolas Joly Coulée de Serrant at an undisclosed location of the aforementioned seafood giant and after having a glass with a good friend, I took the remainder of the bottle home. It lasted me over the course of 7 days and was stored at room temperature throughout the entire time. I tasted the wine every day at approximately the same time on each day and recorked it immediately after pouring; by the 7th day, the wine was still showing nicely. Additionally, I had another enlightening experience tasting the 2005 Coulèe de Serrant with a group of French winemakers and Erik Johnson, a person I consider as one of my many mentors in the industry and the one who first introduced me to the term Cork Dork. The wide range of opinions that emanated from that group amazed me, some went so far as to say that the wine was oxidized. Ultimately, that moment demonstrated the beautiful, completely subjective nature of wine in general. After all, subjectivity is fundamentally based on one's taste and I always try to stress the subjectivity of tasting notes and emphasize the use of them as a supplemental guide in developing your own palette. Think of it this way, if wine professionals can adamantly disagree over the characteristics of a wine and how one could realistically achieve such results via the winemaking process, this proves subjectivity because it ultimately relies on the winemaker's taste. This is one of the many reasons why everyone can and should enjoy what merely amounts to fermented grape juice.

Joly actually disputes the oxidation claim:

Chenin gets its complexity only when it is fully ripe – deep yellow. And only healthy, sustainable farming can guarantee this without grey rot.

For this reason, all our grapes are picked in four or five passes as each parcel begins to raisin and form botrytis - thereby allowing the mineral flavors of Chenin to achieve their fullest intensity.

Once opened, wines made in this way continue to improve – and are in no way oxydized.
To be sure that the color is not oxydation you can make the test yourself by tasting each day a glass over several days without putting the bottle in the fridge just recork. You will see the wine improving the first days even sometimes over more than a week. If the wine would be oxydized it would be undrinkable.

Snooth.com provides this bit of information on chenin blanc:

Classic descriptors for the flavors of Chenin Blanc include peach, honey, lanolin, marzipan, and quince jelly though the dry style from South Africa, where the wines are known as Steen, often exhibits more tropical fruit notes that recall pineapple and guava.

1997 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Classico Riserva

This wine is drinking beautifully on day 3. A stellar vintage makes this effort quite the success as it is deftly aromatic, with scents of flowers, spice, and dark fruits. The back label actually provides you with this little gem about where the grapes come from:

Judicious blend of Nebbiolo grapes from the finest hillside sites in the commune of Barolo (Liste, San Pietro, Cannubi, Cannubi Boscis and Brunate. It has great substance and is intended to age for many years to arrive at the ultimate goal of balance and harmony. Alcohol, acid and tannin fuse together to form a ful-bodied (sic) structure and the bouquet shows great complexity. An elegant Barolo with true presence: an important wine for important occasions.

Upon opening the bottle a couple days ago, it showed brilliantly with a meal of monster-sized steaks; specifically a porterhouse and a bone-in New York strip, accompanied by sauteed broccoli, a medley of sauteed mushrooms and onions, and some onion rolls. I added some 2005 Barolo to the medley and used the rest of the juices to make into a sauce with more wine and butter to serve on top of the steaks and also added some to the broccoli. A nice little trick I learned from years in the industry is to add some of the wine (same varietal, ideally from the region) you plan on drinking to your sauce.

This is so well-balanced and food-friendly it's making me hungry just tasting the wine, a lovely dance between acidity, fruit, and tannins. A steal at $60. Wine Spectator ($) gave it 94 points in 2007 at a 1997 retrospective tasting:

Ruby-garnet. Aromas of strawberry, lilies and plum. Opens up beautifully. Full-bodied, with very soft and round tannins. Viscous and tannic. Still needs time to polish the tannins. Very concentrated.--1997 Italian blind retrospective. Best after 2010. –JS

Dom des Terres Falmet Cinsault 2007

Are you on Twitter? You should be so you can follow me @sigwang along with other people like @JancisRobinson, and Gary Vaynerchuk. I found Jancis because I was curious as to who owned the name @CorkDork, so a hat tip to a fellow CorkDork.

Her entry on Cinsault is a delight inspired this post, plus I know where you can enjoy her recommended wine, Dom des Terres Falmet Cinsault in Boston, all thanks to this man. The floral and red fruit aromas are followed by a caressing softness on the palate and a decent amount of acidity leaves your mouth longing for another bite of food.

Yves Falmet majored in biochemistry, but when it comes to wine, he is self-taught. He established the domaine himself after having spent time in New Zealand. The vines are over 40 years old and the wine is unfined, unfiltered, and unoaked.

As for Cinsault, Robinson cleverly explains a bit about its history, like the fact that its progeny include Pinotage, of South Africa fame:

Cinsault is most commonly encountered in South Africa. In fact, having been known there originally as Hermitage, it is one of the parents, along with Pinot Noir, of the Cape’s signature grape Pinotage (geddit?). In South Africa it is often dismissed as a suitable ingredient for rosé, but it can yield lovely, early maturing reds too. (Remember the time when winemakers thought Grenache was good for nothing other than pink wines?)

Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut MV

Acclaimed as the "world's best selling rosé Champagne", this is a delicious piece of work made from 100% Pinot Noir. I'm enjoying this with a plate of pork potstickers and steamed dumplings.

1987 Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

The noticeably clear edge transitioned into the classic brick color of a mature red, yet the color of core remained dark red. A lovely, mature Cabernet with 13.2% ABV that, upon opening, displayed rich amounts of black fruits (dried black currants or cassis come to mind), earth, and a distinct herbaceous character. On the palate it was smooth, caressing the taste buds with a slight touch of acidity and well-integrated tannins. I thought it could last for a couple more years, but Maitre'd Scott Crain felt it displayed some classic characteristics of aged Bordeaux, and should be drank soon.

The second day proved Crain correct in deeming that this wine is indeed peaking. Fruit flavors have faded drastically, but they linger before the flavors sweep to a sort of leather-like earthiness, dried herbs, and a touch of eucalyptus.

From the Archives: Big Reds, Perrier-Jouet, and a Chardonnay

Probably one of the more extravagant pours for a retail tasting, but certainly worth the crowd. This tasting at the Spirited Gourmet featured Perrier-Jouet's 1999 Fleur de Champagne and also their 2002 Rosé, followed by 2005 Patz & Hall Durell Vineyard Chardonnay from Sonoma.

1999 Perrier-Jouët Fleur de Champagne, Epernay
Founded in 1811 by Nicolas-Marie Perrier and his wife Adele Jouët, this was beloved by English royalty.  50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier sourced from grand cru vineyards in the Cote de Blancs and the Montagne de Reims.

2002 Perrier-Jouët Fleur de Champagne Rosé
55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay from grand cru vineyards make this dazzling salmon-pink sparkler that calls for a celebration.  First released in the U.S. in 1976.


2005 Patz & Hall Durell Vineyard Chardonnay
Two friends, one a winemaker formed Patz & Hall in Sonoma. Two clones here--Dijon (aromatics) and Wente (weight)--yield a ripe, opulent wine with a nice touch of acidity.

2005 Gaja Sito Moresco (Langhe)
Gaja was first to implement the use of varietals other than nebbiolo in single vineyard bottlings around Barbaresco. Estate grown vineyards, equal parts Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Super silky and glistening with plummy and black cherry fruit and only touches of oak. Gains momentum and building on the palate, it literally explodes with red berry fruit on the finish.

2004 Terlato Episode Red (Rutherford)
CA Bordeaux blends are "plumper and showcasing different flavors and textures due to terroirs of the regions". Rutherford is very unique and known for "Rutherford Dust" and it's cocoa-like flavor and texture.

2003 Rubicon Estate Cask Cabernet Sauvignon
Organically-certified vineyards adjacent to vines that produce Rubicon, which is built for the long-haul, offering gobs of dark fruit, Cask is more approachable in the near term and showcases red fruits. Ripe plum, bing cherry, dark chocolate coate the palate along with a touch of neutral oak providing a nice framework.

2004 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley icon. Georges de Latour founded the winery over 100 years ago. Flagship wine, estate grown. Inky purple, inviting nose of toasty oak and super-ripe red and black fruits. Rich, intense, and textured mouth feel.

2005 Franciscan Stylus Red (Napa Valley)
Franciscan also makes Magnificant, a juicy Bordeaux blend from Oakville and Cuvee Sauvage, a Chardonnay made with wild, uncultured yeasts.  This is the first vintage of Stylus.  Full-bodied, ripe and generous, displaying great dark cherry, tobacco, and cocoa notes.

Holiday hiatus.

The holidays are upon us and as you may have noticed, I haven't been blogging much. This is not to say that I haven't been tasting some lovely wines or expanding my knowledge to someday share with you, dear reader.

No, my day job has been taking up a great portion of my time, combined with extended time at the restaurant amongst other obligations, has left little extra time to blog. So, I'm making it official: I'm announcing a temporary hiatus, but not before tossing in this link on the Dry Creek Valley and a short rebuttal to a friend--with great taste in shoes--about why anyone would ever want to use Twitter, which is where the hat tip goes out to (HT: WineTwit).

Karen MacNeil's The Wine Bible identifies Dry Creek Valley as home to the Ridge's Lytton Springs Zinfandel, one of my favorites alongside their Geyserville bottling (Anderson Valley) and York Creek (Spring Mountain). Although, I must say I'm also quite the fan of Grgich Hills, but that's not from the Dry Creek Valley. Everyday, more affordable Dry Creek Zinfandels come from Mauritson, Four Vines' The Sophisticate, and Alderbrook owned by Terlato, owners of Episode, the yummy meritage showing the classic cocoa flavors people associate with the "Rutherford Dust"; and Chimney Rock in the Stags Leap District). All of these wines have a nice fruity, jammy flavor profile--some are fruit bombs, loaded with alcohol--perfect for those soon-to-arrive summer nights around a fully loaded grill with a cool breeze blowing through your hair. For the winter: think, warm fire, steaks, and great company, followed by some chocolate.

Speaking of food, here's a recipe from Alderbrook, found in the linked article:

BRAISED POT ROAST RAGOUT WITH POLENTA (serves 8)

6 pounds chuck roast

5 carrots, diced

5 parsnips, diced

2 small yellow onions, small diced

6 stalks celery, small diced

8 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons picked thyme

1 pound button mushrooms

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 pounds hickory smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 cups zinfandel

10 cups veal stock (beef will do if necessary)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 bay leafs

1/3 cup slurry (potato or corn starch and water mixture, mix into a thin paste)

Cut chuck roast into 1-inch pieces. Brown all pieces in a large stockpot with olive oil. Deglaze pan with zinfandel and reduce by half, set aside. In the same pan sauté the vegetables -- onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, and garlic for about five minutes, add thyme, and then set aside. In a separate pan render the bacon. After cooking, strain the bacon fat. Use a small amount of fat to sauté the button mushrooms and add to the vegetable mixture. In the large stock pot add the tomato paste and veal stock and bring to a boil for five minutes, then add the beef and wine mixture. Cover with lid and simmer for one hour. Then add vegetables, bay leaves, bacon and mushroom mix. Slowly simmer covered for 45 minutes or until meat is falling apart. Add slurry to thicken the stew and simmer for about five minutes.

For the polenta:

4 cups chicken stock

4 cups whole milk

2 cups corn meal

½ cup butter

1 cup parmesan cheese

Bring chicken stock and milk to a simmer. Add corn meal slowly and stir every five minutes to prevent from sticking. Continue to stir until mixture has thickened to a smooth consistency. Add butter and parmesan cheese.

Serve the ragout over the polenta.

Words of wisdom

Frank Schoonmaker's Encyclopedia of Wine, 6th New Revised Edition (1976) provides this hilarious entry for the word dull:

A dull wine is like a dull person--perhaps honorable and sound, but not very interesting and certainly not much fun. Such a wine may be dry, full-bodied and have other qualities; it should certainly be cheap.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006 Château de Puligny-Montrachet Monthélie

This delightful Pinot Noir shows an exotic spiciness along with red fruits and earth followed by a nice touch of acidity, smooth tannins and a long finish. Delicious. On Monthélie (map):

Monthélie is the smallest village on the Côte de Beaune, with Volnay to the northeast, Meursault to the south and Auxey-Duresses to the west. The monks from Cluny planted the first vines here around the year 1000, but traces of human settlements go all the way back to Gallo-Roman times and beyond.

The Monthélie premier crus were extended as recently as 2006; going from eleven to 15 in number when Les Clous, Le Clos des Toisières, Le Clou des Chênes and La Barbière were promoted from village status to premier cru. Nine of the premier crus are located east of the village; being an extension of the Volnay premier cru Clos des Chênes. The Monthélie wines are often described as lesser Volnays, but at more reasonable prices. Most of what is produced in Monthélie is red; white wine only accounting for four or five percent.

This would be perfect with the spices often seen at Oleana (BostonChefs.com on Oleana), where Theresa Paopao has assembled a great wine list.  My choices for the evening:

• NV Sparkling Gruner Veltliner, E. Gruber ‘Punkt Genau,’ Weinviertal, Austria
  
• 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault (plus another Rhone varietal), Chateau Musar, Bekka Valley, Lebanon (My first Lebanese wine!  Have you ever had Lebanese or Israeli wine?  Please share in the comments.)
  

Right now, I'm thinking of the delicious fried mussels with hot peppers and Turkish Tarator sauce--the crunchy romaine lettuce underneath worked great from a textural standpoint with the sparkling Groovy--and also THE LAMB steak, cooked rare with fava bean moussaka...yum, especially delicious with the Chateau Musar.

Thanksgiving Wine

Affordable wines, as recommended by The Second Glass, for Thanksgiving.  If you have time, you might want to check out their Crash Course events.

As for his recommendations, I must say, great choice with the Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco, this easy drinking sparkler consistently receives acclaim from critics.  That being said, it's ultimately up to you to decide whether you like a particular wine.  Wine critics are guides, not prophets.

Thanksgiving Wine

In preparation for the season, Gary Vaynerchuk makes his Thanksgiving wine recommendations.  More on that subject later. 

2005 Clos de la Coulée de Serrant

This delicious, absolutely hedonistic chenin blanc is truly worthy of having it's own AOC within Savennières.  This wine is magnificent (and it's been open for several hours, long before my first glass).  I'm buying a case.

Sweet aromas of honey with an essence of quince. Finishes dry with great balance.  Lovely sweet notes move into fruit and then finish dry;a monumentally long finish, 2+ min.

Stay tuned for a review of an older vintage of this.

Also tasted that night was 2006 Auxy-Duresses White Burgundy, Deux Montille; and 2001 W. Gisselbrecht Gewurztraminer VT.

From the Archives: 2001 Rocca delle Macie "Primo Volo"

I tasted the 2001 Rocca dell Macie "Primo Volo" on 1/11/2008 alongside several other wines.

This wine brings together three different powerhouse regions: Tuscany, Piedmont, and the Veneto. Made of equal parts Sangiovese, Barbera, and Merlot, with an additional 10% from the best region for that particular vintage.

In the case of the 2001, an additional 10% Sangiovese was included in the batch, making the final composition 40/30/30 respectively. It's a unique wine because it's the debut vintage and it's not classified; it's table wine. Story has it that the winemakers met on a plane and began talking, and probably drinking, together...by the end of the flight, they'd decided to make a wine together. This is the product of that collaboration. The barbera adds acidity and the merlot provides backbone to the delicate brawn of the sangiovese. 2001 was a great year in Tuscany.

Brilliant ruby colors with aromas of flowers and fruit; on the tongue flavors of cherries, plums, blueberries, and spice with nice acidity and a gracefully lingering finish.

More on the collaboration and process:

Sergio Zingarelli of Rocca delle Macie contributed the Sangiovese, Andrea Faccio of Villa Giada contributed the Barbera and Giordano Emo Capodilista of La Montecchia contributed the Merlot. Each batch was vinified separately at their respect place of origin and aged in French oak for 12 months before blending and bottling.

On Vodka: Belvedere & Chopin

Found an old slice of paper that's now resting in my recycling bin. It's from a "training session" back in the day over the differences between Belvedere & Chopin Vodkas. Knowing what I know now, or should I say, who I know now, could probably go on for days about the different flavors and types of vodka. In fact, that might be a great idea for a guest blog post. He'll be opening up this place (Woodward Tavern in the Ames Hotel), next Friday. He's what I like to call a Liquid Chef, AKA mixologist. Go see him: English Bill.

Belvedere
Presidential Palace in Poland
Century-old distillery in the small town of Zyrardow, just west of Warsaw
Handcrafted in small batches to ensure superior quality
100% Dankowskie Gold Rye, only successfully grown in Mazovia, Poland
Unusually high percentage of starch, 65% by volume
2.2 pounds of Dankowskie Gold Rye go into every 750 ml bottle
Water used is drawn from their own artisan wells providing great purity
Distilled 4 times
Filtered 3 times
Bottles cleaned, filled, and inspected by hand
Every bottle goes through 33 quality control tests

Chopin
Named after Frederic Chopin, Poland favorite son
Distillery located near the town of Kzresk in the heart of the Podlasie (po-LASH-ee), region of Poland
Podlasie potatoes from small, practicing-organic farms of 250 acres or less that use only natural growing , fertilization, and harvesting methods
Most potatoes contain 12% starch; Podlasie contains 17-25% resulting in a richer, more flavorful vodka
Approximately 40 potatoes go into every 750ml bottle of Chopin, it's gluten and carb free
Water is pulled from 300 ft. deep artisan wells at the foot of the distillery
Distilled 4 times
Filtered 5 times

On Greek wine

A wonderful friend of mine is a huge fan of Greece, especially Santorini, I really can't blame her and while reading about 2009 Boston Rising Star Theresa Paopao, sommelier at Oleana (yummy), speak on Greek wine, I couldn't help but think of my friend's smiling face. Cheers!

I think it's overlooked and underrated and we often associate Greek wine with Retsina, which is aged with pine resin, a flavor is off putting to a lot of people. I’m really into the whites from Santorini. The soil is all chalk and limestone and it’s notoriously windy, so the grapes are actually trained into little baskets so they don't blow away. It’s visually stunning. The two white grapes, Assyrtiko and Athiri are sometimes blended together are so bright and crisp and I've turned drinkers onto that right away.