I attended San Francisco tastings for two years sponsored by Wines of Germany  / German Wine Institute and private importer Terry Theiss before being invited to Germany.

I accepted the invitation, not for a free trip to Germany but because I wanted the “real” scoop.  At industry events, I prefer in-depth interviews/ conversations with winemakers to tasting 100+ wines; however, the whirlwind environment doesn’t support the drawing of a solid picture.

Stateside, I had been told two things that I wanted to check out for myself: 1) German wine making was environmentally friendly and 2) there is a movement for modernizing German wine labels. Like a journalist on the hunt, I looked for signs indicated truisms, partially true or false.

I am a proponent of all grape growers being responsible stewards of the environment and I prefer my wine to be made in a style that treats the wine gently with little or no additives or industrial processing.

In Germany, I visited a dozen wineries in three regions and attended a tasting of approx. 350 German wines. (329 at the formal tasting, and the rest at the party the night before.) I received literature from the German Wine Institute as well as the wineries. Bottom line, the picture was not unlike the US. Some wine makers are very dedicated to natural wine making, including adhering to the principles of organic farming, while others don’t discuss it. For me, I found it disturbing that large amounts of sulfur are added to many Rieslings. This goes against my preference to let grapes express themselves with minimal interference. *

On the label issue, I would like to see exported German wines with interesting and understandable labels so that more Americans would pick up a bottle and try it. German wine labels are written in German, i.e., Pinot Blanc is Wiessburgunder. Additionally, the labels sport highly complex legal and traditional descriptions, making it impossible for an untutored consumer to figure out who made the wine and where it was made.  No English translation (even of the grape) and too many references re: villages, regions, dry, off dry, and sweet add up to…lower sales of German wines in America.

There was good news/bad news on the export front.  Apparently some distributors are advising wine makers not to translate their labels for the US market and they are not importing their best wines. For example, I tasted two relatively nice Pinot Noirs from a winery that exports, yet he only sends the cheaper, non-reserve to the US at the advice of his distributor.  I met several wine makers in the same boat.

The good news is that I believe there is an exciting movement among modern German wine makers who are more than willing to make their wines more accessible, by translating, simplifying, being environmentally responsible and making natural wine.

There are so many wine enthusiasts and wine drinkers in the US who would love to try foreign wines (e.g., Australia, South America, South Africa).  It’s true we are not getting the best of what those countries make (yet), but I can only imagine that the next export step will be higher-end wines.

In conclusion, a BIG thank you (Danke!) to the German Wine Institute for inviting me and being wonderful hosts.

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Some birthdays involve big trips, lovely parties, friends or family, but this year, I’m resting.  My spirit says, give yourself the gift of quiet time. I made no plans except to care for myself.  As I happily played in my garden, I opened a beer and turned on the radio.  A Reggae tune came on, transporting me back to college…good times, good friends and a decidedly slow pace on weekends. (Was it a sign?)

When I give someone a birthday card I always wish them a fabulous year ahead.  Last year was packed with parties/events, wine tasting, work, and unfortunately some personal crises.  Frankly, if the next 12 months are a little calmer, I’d love it.

So this year, all I have planned is a trip to Germany (as a guest of Wines of Germany) & Paris (my gift to myself), a reasonable work-pace and of course, the best gift in the world will be an improvement in my Hubby’s spinal injury.  Keeping my fingers crossed and a positive thought, and making a big wish when I blow out  my candles.

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Using pretty glasses turn a plain table into something festive. For a casual meal with friends, I didn’t decorate the dining room table. I just dressed it up with a wine glass, a fancy water glass (middle) and the Waterford crystal ready for the dessert course.

I like simple pleasures.

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Sign at Oxbow Market in Napa

Jim Moore was one of the first winemakers I personally met that helped me “get started” in the wine industry. He was a mentor by providing encouragement & being available, even when he was busy getting his label started.  I wrote a few posts about Jim & his wine in 2008.

While visiting the Wine Merchant at Oxbow Market (on the Riverfront in Napa), I was excited to see several of Jim’s wines available.  I picked up the Vermentino for less then $15. It’s fabulous & next time, I’m buying a case.

The reviews on CellarTracker describe the wine well; although I caution paying any attention whatsoever  to the points given by strangers.  TIP: If you follow folks long enough on CellarTracker & taste the wines they review & find you have a similar palate, then their points will be useful to you.

*This winery is so small, they haven’t gotten around to finishing their web site.  But, the good news is, the wine is amazing, affordable and available at several retailers.

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At a recent party at Palmaz, we were talking about the Napa Valley Mustard Festival kick-off party (in photo) and someone asked, “so where are the best parties?”

My favorite has always been casual private al fresco dinners with 6-12 people at someone’s Napa, Marin or Sonoma home.  We all bring food or wine to share. Sometimes they have a theme, like bring a Rosé. Other times the hosts provide sumptuous food & we open lots of wine.  Surprisingly, wine is not the topic of conversation usually, of course there is some industry gossip, but mainly it’s an opportunity to escape from our careers & talk about everything else that’s important in life.

I learned a long time ago that it’s not where you go, but who you travel with; the same goes for parties, it’s the people that make it fun.

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I attended a superb Wine Club Lunch at Paradise Ridge.  We were greeted at the Barrel Room by enthusiastic smiling women in Hawaiian dresses, and handed a lei and a glass of champagne (Blanc de Blanc!)  The party started at 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday and I hadn’t eaten yet so I was thrilled to find some fruit and sliced bakery items to go with the champagne.  I also was delighted to find a table with a game on it.  (Name that varietal – smell various scents, name the descriptors & then match it to a varietal.)

I tasted a Chardonnay & Pinot Noir in barrels.  Not only was the wine maker hosting the barrel tasting, notes were posted on the barrel. This detail gave me more time to understand each wine which increased my anticipation of its bottling.  They were also pouring two new releases and had plenty of small bites to go with it.

One of my favorite parts of the event’s first stage was the introductions of the family & the winery team.  They all seemed so friendly and accessible!  Summoned by the bell (silverware on a wine glass) we proceeded to the winery for lunch.

Assigned seats were labeled with our names on pretty envelopes.  Inside, a thank you note from Amanda McLain, the Wine Club Manager reminded us of past and future events including pairings with local produce from the Paradise Patch, sunsets in Paradise, the 2nd P.R. tasting room in Kenwood.

Lunch was first-class with lots of wine glasses and sparkling silver. I especially appreciated the Chef speaking.  (I love it when the Chef  comes out of the kitchen.)

I found Paradise.  Have you?

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Picking up wine from Michel Schlumberger & Quivira in Dry Creek Vally, Sonoma County.

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I’ve always been interested in fine wine and low prices. As my palate is maturing with experience; inexpensive and great wine is harder to come by.  I’ve found that reading, learning and tasting is the quickest route to success.  Here’s what I look for:

• What countries or appellations are up & coming?
• Is the region consistently getting great reviews?
• Are flying winemakers with established reputations settling in and investing their time & energy in a certain appellation?
• What is the terrior like?

Some regions have fairly distinct goals (although there are always dissenters–bless them).  It’s my belief that Australians want to make palatable table wine for the masses. Like their casual attitude towards food & fun, for them wine is simply a good beverage to be enjoyed without a lot of fuss. My experience with New Zealand wines leads me to believe that they strive for a very distinctive, New Zealand flavor profile and their image is easy-going as opposed to complex (unlike France which is distinctive with an image of complexity).

Wine regions like Chile are attracting flying winemakers & established winery owners that love the terrior, the relatively low price of entry and the potential for huge international sales. This is the region that I’m really into at the moment.  South Africa is a close second. Chilean wines are fun to experiment with food or without.

I’m also interested in newer or less well-known wine regions closer to home like Livermore (Northern California), Pope Valley (east of Napa), Mt. Veeder (above Napa Valley) to name a few.  But alas, this regions don’t have the price points that the overseas wineries do.

If you want to learn, keep your eye out for articles like this one, read Wine Enthusiast online or Google a country/region and the word wine. Attend tastings offered by distributors and wineries, but avoid trying to learn too much at one tasting.  Taste 7-8 wines over 4 hours and spend the majority of your time asking questions, looking at maps of the region and getting a sense of the terrior, grapes and winemaking style.

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This is an easy sauce that you can serve with any fish or shellfish.  The picture shows a breaded scallop (with egg, milk & Panko) but I would just pan fry the scallops in olive oil next time. I didn’t make enough sauce either; the recipe below will give you more sauce. Serves 2.

Cilantro Sauce

• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 scallions
• 1 jalapeno (no seeds)
• 1-2 tbs olive oil

Finely chop the cilantro & scallions. Put in a bowl.  Add lime juice and finely chopped jalapeno.  Add olive oil to create the sauce texture you want–not too thick or thin. (You can use a food processor, but it is not necessary in my opinion.)  Mix and refrigerate while you make the rest of the meal.

Scallops & Angel Hair Pasta

• 7-10 large scallops
• angel hair pasta for 2
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup white onion
• EVOO
• salt & pepper

Put the pasta water on to boil.  Chop the white onion and place it in a small bowl of water (takes the edge off). Defrost the peas in the microwave.  After the water is boiling, add salt*, make it like the Mediterranean.

Remove Cilantro Sauce from fridge; bring to room temperature.  Drain the white onions. Microwave the peas in a small bowl.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan.  Add scallops. Salt & pepper to taste. Gently cook them for 3-4 minutes depending on the size.  Remove from heat.

When the pasta is done, drain and add peas, onions and add a little EVOO for texture.

Place the scallops on the pasta, generously dollop the scallops with the Cilantro Sauce.

Pairing

I paired it with Cono Sur Sustainable Agriculture Sauvignon Blanc, San Antonio Valley, Chile, 2008, ($13 or less)  Find it at places like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or specialty shops that carry organic wines.  If you can’t find this wine and want to try another Chilean SB, look for one from the Casablanca region which includes the San Antonio Valley.

Tips

• Stainless steal pots can be ruined by salt sitting in them.
• I recommend coated cast iron frying pans because they cook evenly.  Ikea seems to have the best deals.
• Scallops: undercooked is best, overcooking turns them to rubber.

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I am quickly falling in love with the idea of visiting Chile.  It is a sliver of a country bordered by Peru, Argentina and Bolivia, and an amazing climate for growing grapes.

The Atacama Desert to the north, The Andes Mountains to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Patagonian Ice Fields to the south define the limits of of this beautiful and geographically diverse land we call Chile.  They also influence the climate and help make this one of the most ecologically friendly places on earth to make wine. (Excerpted from a map produced by Wines of Chile)

Look for Wines from Chile at your local wine shop or online.

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