Every Thanksgiving table deserves a good Riesling. They appeal to novice and expert wine drinkers, pair well with just about any dish and are reasonably priced. We found a stellar one for Thanksgiving. Food & Wine Magazine says “Washington-state winemaker Charles Smith earned his reputation with some formidable (and fairly expensive) Syrahs, but lately, he’s been focusing on a line of quirkily named, inexpensive wines. This floral, slightly off-dry Riesling is one of the best..”

Eric Asimov from the NY Times calls the 2008 Kung Fu Girl riesling “fresh, juicy and exuberant” and “perfumed, with lively flavors of citrus, flowers and minerals.” Perhaps more importantly, he urges you to try riesling, a very versatile grape.

89 points Wine Enthusiast: “This 2008 is the third vintage for this extraordinarily popular Riesling, again showing bright, vivid, punch citrus fruit and juicy acids. Residual sugar is about 1.5% and once again it is sourced from the Evergreen vineyard. With production climbing to 20,000 cases, this should be easy to find at least until fall.” (08/09)
Single bottle $13.99/ solid case $11.89 per bottle (15% case discount on solid cases)

Zingo Munger from Cape Classics (importer of fine South African wines) and kybecca are teaming up for another Wine & Tapas Party. We hand-picked the most interesting finds from their impressive portfolio and created mouth-watering dishes to highlight the unique character of the wines.

This is a fun way to try a variety of wine and food pairings. Not to serious, lots of great people to chat with fun and engaging hosts.

Our menu is as follows:
Pairing One
Mulderbosch Sauv Blanc
Ripe Melon with Serrano Ham, Marcona Almonds, and Basil Oil

Pairing Two
Rustenberg Chardonnay
Grilled lemony shrimp on a bed of Italian Salsa Verde (Italian Salsa Verde is a parsley and basil puree that is out of this world, we dare you not to lick the plate!)

Pairing Three
Konakop Pinotage
Baked Fresh Oyster with Creamy Bacon and Leeks

Pairing Four
Rustenberg John Merriman X
Ravioli Frito in a House-Made Bison Marinara

Pairing Five
Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz
Mango & Curry Truffles

When: November 4, 7p
Where: kybecca wine bar
Cost: $50 plus tax (inclusive of gratuity)
Call 373-3338 to reserve your spot

Kunik, I have missed you so. We finally have this cheese back in stock, and the price has come down considerably (maybe the recession drove the price down, who knows) making it a semi-pricey, but completely worth it indulgence. Nettle Meadow is a creamery in upstate New York producing excellent farmstead cheeses. Farmstead cheeses are defined as having the complete cycle produced right on the farm; raising the animal, harvesting the milk and cream, and producing the cheese. Even Better Nettle Meadow pasture raises their animals making for healthful and flavorful cheeses.

Cheese lovers, if you haven’t tried the Kunik, you have yet to experience cheese nirvana. Here is how the dairy, Nettle Meadow describes this cheese:

Kunik is a unique and voluptuous triple cream cheese only made in Thurman, New York in the Warrensburg area at our small family farm. It is a white mold-ripened wheel made from goat’s milk and jersey cow cream. The blend makes Kunik far richer and more flavorful than a brie-type cheese yet more subtle and sumptuous than similarly ripened goat cheeses.

Here is what critics are saying:
“Kunik is dreamy mild-ripened cheese made from a mix of goat’s milk and fresh Jersey cream. It ranges from earthy, grassy and slightly firm to supple and unctuous and pungent, depending on its level of maturity. Kunik is delicious at any age and deserves a much coveted place in your belly.” Anne Saxelby’s Selections, Saxelby Cheesemonger, Essex Market, NYC, 2006.

“Kunik, a soft, bloomy Jersey cow and goat’s milk cheese from Warrensburg New York was killing me softly with its smooth, creamy, flavorful but not at all stinky song. Jersey cows are known for their high milk-fat output and it comes through brilliantly in the Kunik.” Grocery Guy, Chuck Klosterman’s blog. June 12, 2006.

“…this tart tangy triple creme made of pasteurized goat milk, but enriched with fatty jersey cow cream. The blend makes for a sumptuous, thick buttery taste that retains the kick of fresh chevre.” Murray’s Cheese, NYC, 2006.

“It doesn’t make you tired like other cheeses… This, you want to have more. It is very inviting. You could eat this with a spoon, it is very addictive.” Joseba Encabo, Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY.

Friday I decided to hang out at the wine bar after work and socialize a bit with some friends and patrons. The place was buzzing and I got the luxury of getting off work a little early, hooray! Even better I was invited to make a wine selection for the group. As I was perusing our racks trying to figure out what everyone would like, a light bulb went on and I thought, how about picking something I like? While I enjoy making pairings for customers and matching wines to their preferences it is a rare treat for me to be invited to pick a wine purely based on my desire to drink it. My preferences tend toward food-friendly (good acidity), low alcohol, subtle, elegant wines that don’t coat your mouth with huge fruit, and preferably naturally made.

I happen to be a huge fan of Gamay. Not the Beaujolais Nouveau sort (we carry the best of the lot, but even the best Bojo Nouveau is not great), but the kind made by Loire, Burgundy and Beaujolais producer who coax this grape into aromatic, beautiful wines. Looking through our racks I settled on the the 2008 Clos du Tue-Boeuf Cheverny Rouge. Absolute heaven, I nearly cried I love this wine so much. It instantly made me think about driving through the Loire with Kyle so many years ago. We ate, we drank, we had a ball and the wines were reminiscent of the earth, flowers and berries. They taste like they came from a place, and this little Cheverny Rouge is just such a wine. It is a mixture of Pinot Noir and Gamay made by the super talented Puzelat brothers (they are rock stars in the natural wine world and you can read about them here) who are pushing the boundaries of how wine is made, bringing back forgotten varietals and making one kick-ass wine after another.

This Cheverny is light to medium bodied (but unfiltered so it has a wonderful cloudy appearance) and very lively with flavors of raspberry, cherries, and wild fruits. It also has herbal aromas that carry over on the palate as well as earthy notes. Excellent on its own, this wine will pair much better with food than most reds. Chill this wine a little bit before serving.

Please excuse our dust at the downtown store while we take in all
kinds of new cheeses. We are in the process of expanding our cheese
selection with a bug emphasis on American farmstead cheeses available
nowhere else in the area.

The other day I was having a casual conversation with a friend who used to own a pizza restaurant about places that still use real cheese on their pizzas. Since he was in the business I thought he would be a good source; he couldn’t think of one fast-casual pizza restaurant that used 100% real cheese around here (that is by no means the final word, there may places we hadn’t thought of). The giveaway is apparently the oil that develops on the top of the cheese when melted. Makes sense, in order to reduce the cost of cheese food producers substitute soy oil and partially hydrogenated fats for the more expensive milk fats in real cheese. Now that I am in the restaurant business I am amazed at the crap you can buy to cut corners. One food rep was surprised that we used extra virgin olive oil in our food, quote “nobody does that”. Most places use a mixture of low grade olive oil mixed with soy oil, cheap and tastes vaguely of olive oil. In my view disgusting and not real food. Even food that is made in beautifully presented “prepared food” sections at the grocery store is loaded with ingredients that act as fillers, and low quality oils you would never use at home.

The whole thing begs the question, what happened to food?
We can blame big corporations for their clever switcheroos and constant hunt for cheaper alternatives (don’t even get me started on chocolate) but we also have to take stock of what we as consumers are allowing to happen and encouraging with our constant search for rock-bottom prices. If price is the determining factor for purchasing then businesses have an incentive to cut corners or lose customers. Places that use real ingredients and make the food have the highest food and labor costs and therefore have to charge more. The benefit to the consumer is a better product, support of real food and its producers, and good wages for skilled workers. The challenge for all of us is to recognize it when we get it and support it.

About time, we have always loved Rieslings and have a fantastic
collection.

From The New York Times:
WINES OF THE TIMES: Riesling Gains a U.S. Foothold

Just how good is American riesling? To answer that question, the wine
panel recently tasted 20 bottles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/dining/reviews/30wine.html

It’s no big secret that the price point selling well right now in wine is the under $10. Blame the recession, trading down, and just to be fair wine’s improving quality for this shift in spending. The good news is people have not stopped drinking, the bad news is that this shift spells disaster for many family producers who couldn’t possibly make a profit on wines retailing in this category.

Here is the real rub: these producers tend to make the most interesting, well-made and fairly priced wines. Wines that speak of the land that produces them, interesting varietals that embrace new flavors, and (for the most part) sustainable agriculture practices are from small producers who generally retail their wines from $15-$25. There is this idea among many consumers (perpetuated by mass-marketers) that spending more on a bottle of wine is for fools. Sorry, it’s just not true (well, with some exceptions). For the most part spending just a bit more gets you a lot more and if budget is an issue then drink less. I know that last bit in unconventional advice from a wine retailer but its what I do to afford the wines I want. Buying from smaller producers will reward you with wines that tastes unique and delicious with subtle nuances that just can’t happen with bigger production-lower cost wines. Plus it supports an alternate economy of family wineries, distributors and retailers who care about the product and its impact on our environment more than the bottom line.

Here is my pick for just such a wine: Inama Vin Soave 2007, $17.99

This is a great wine for lovers of Italian white wine. You won’t find something like this in California. Rather than the bland, mass produced style that too much Soave has become, this example is aromatic and packed with flavor. Aromas of lemon zest and flowers give way to flavors of honey almond with some citrus background. Good body without being too heavy. This is the perfect wine to enjoy with prosciutto and other hors d’oeurves or with seafood dishes.

Here is what The Italian Wine Blog had to say about this wine.

It’s not surprising that most people have never heard about Pineau d’Aunis. It’s an obscure little varietal that comes from the Loire Valley in France, a region mostly known for its whites (think Sancerre and Vouvray). It is also called Chenin Noir and was popular among French Nobles during medieval times. My first introduction to this grape was last Thanksgiving when Matt raved about a new wine we had brought in by my favorite French producer Thierry Puzelat called La Tesniere. It was a revelation. The wine had a light to medium body very much like a Pinot Noir but instead of the delicate (or ripe ones these days) fruit flavors this wine had warm flavors of cinnamon and dark prune all balanced by mineral and earth flavors normally stripped away from wines these days.

This wine was different, food-friendly and didn’t wear out my palate with a syrupy texture or huge alcohol. Needless to say it was a hit among everyone present and a testament to a more restrained style missing so often from retailers shelves. It’s the kind of wine that has a subtle beauty that reveals itself with each sip; so unlike most of the wines consumers normally seek out which try to impact the palate as heavily as possible right from the get-go. Do I sound bitter? Only a little. I wish we sold more of these wines than huge Aussie Shirazes, but if we can just develop a few more fans for these wines that would be OK with me.

Our newest Pineau D’Aunis is from another talented producer Christian Chaussard. This one is blended with a bit of Cot (Malbec) for richness and sells for the insanely low price of $21.99. I know $22 is not an inexpensive bottle of wine, but it is for this wine. If you are curious about it we have it in the Enomatics right now. Oh and both of the wines I mentioned are grown under strict organic and biodynamic standards, naturally made and have minimal sulfites added.

2006 Coteaux du Loir Rouge ‘La Dérobée’
From around 90% Pineau d’Aunis with Côt. Polished. Deep appearance. Youthful ruby red. Dense fruit character on the nose, although not obviously Pineau d’Aunis on first sniff. Broad, creamy, vanilla flavours on the palate. Soft tannins and well structured. Pepper and spice to finish. The small proportion of Côt adds density. Drinking now, but could be expected to age further. (12/08)