Musings of Wine Wizards

False Bay Wines

2012-01-30T15:41:00.000-08:00

One-way ticket, please!

We are thrilled to announce the recent addition of South Africa's False Bay Wines to Wizards' offerings. A portfolio from the Waterkloof Estate, False Bay Wines are the product of biodynamic farming principles and a winemaking process driven by the creed that character is defined by terroir, quality by people, and personality by the weather. Management of the estate's Stellenbosch vineyards goes hand in hand with wine making. Winemaker Werner Engelbrecht interferes with natural processes as little as possible, relying on naturally present, wild yeasts throughout fermentation.

We have incorporated three wines into our book.

False Bay Chenin Blanc '10

Paardeberg and Riebeek Vineyard Sites

Bright acidity with apple and tropical fruit notes. Natural fermentation lent the wine's great complexity and length.

False Bay Shiraz '10

Swartland and Paarl Vineyard Sites

Dark berry and spicy flavors with silky tannins and great length. Fermented in stainless before spending six months in wooden vats prior to bottling.

False Bay Pinotage '10

Low yielding, old, un-trellised bush vines at Schapenberg

Spicy berry aromas and hints of chocolate transition to blackberry and plum flavors. Fermented in stainless before spending eight months in large oak vats, which tempers the wine's tannins and adds complexity.

False Bay Wines are now available at several Rhode Island wine shops at a very good value. If you have any questions regarding False Bay or South African wines, please do not hesitate to send us a message.

False Bay, South Africa. Anyone for a field trip?

Out in the Field: Terry Theise Portfolio Tasting

2012-01-25T17:43:00.000-08:00

The crowd at City Winery

On Tuesday, January 17th, our team hit the road to New York City for the annual Terry Theise portfolio tasting. Hosted by Michael Skurnik Wines at City Winery on Varick Street in Lower Manhattan, the tasting featured over twenty-five producers from Austria and Germany. We are fortunate to represent Theise's portfolio within Rhode Island and were thrilled to taste the most recent releases while meeting many of the winemakers.

Theise Manifesto

Beauty is more important than impact.

Harmony is more important than intensity.

The whole of any wine must always be more than the sum of its parts.

Distinctiveness is more important than conventional prettiness.

Soul is more important than anything, and soul is expressed as a trinity of family, soil, and artisanality.

Lots of wines, many of them good wines, let you taste the noise. But only the best let you taste the silence.

With Theise's manifesto in our back pockets, we spent nearly four hours tasting both new vintages of wines in our book and wines by new or unfamiliar producers. We shared this experience with a strong representation of Rhode Island store owners and buyers as well as a hundred + other national wine industry colleagues. Sharp elbows and stores of patience were generously utilized throughout the afternoon, but what's a tasting without at least one spit bucket mishap?

The crowd's better side at City Winery

Highlights from the tasting included meeting...

Johannes Leitz and tasting the 2011 Leitz "Leitz Out" Riesling

Johannes Selbach and tasting the 2011 Selbach Saar Riesling Spatlese

Bernhard Ecker and tasting the 2011 Ecker Gruner Veltliner.

Other highlights included the...

Hofer Riesling 2010

Berger Gruner Veltliner 2011

Schloss Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner "Gobelsburger" 2011

Nigl's single vineyard Gruner Veltliner "Herzstuck vom Kirchenberg" 2010

Glatzer Zweigelt "Riedencuvee" 2010 and Glatzer Blaufrankisch 2009

Ecker Zweigelt 2010.

Cornelius Donnhoff and Johannes Leitz hang out behind the table

Wizard Nick and Johannes Leitz

One of our more challenging decisions following the tasting will be to select a rose from one of the tasted producers for the upcoming season. Last year, we featured Schloss Gobelsburg in our book and received very positive feedback from our accounts. We all found the Gobelsburg Rose 2011 to be very appealing: strawberry, a bit of spice, and touch of sweetness with nice acidity. However, we were also fans of the Brundlmayer Zweigelt Rose 2011, which was a very well balanced wine. We will keep you posted on our decision!

With tired palates and mouths abused by all of the acidity, we ended our day at Frank Pepe's in New Haven. Two large pizzas--one with cheese and the other with sausage and roasted red peppers--and a pitcher of Genesee were just what the doctor ordered (well, not exactly) after our excursion out into the field.

In the News: Corison Wines

2012-01-16T07:54:00.000-08:00

We are delighted to share that Cathy Corison has been named San Francisco Chronicle's 2011 Winemaker of the Year. This exciting news was announced on the first of the year.

Image courtesy Corison Wines

Cathy has made 25 vintages of her heralded Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Her tastes and techniques set her apart from her neighbors and colleagues soon after her move to Napa in 1975. As the SFC article explains, Cathy Corison is "Napa valley's unofficial voice of restraint.... After three decades of making wine, she shows that it's still possible to make a complex, restrained Cabernet that honors California's best traditions." With pronounced depth, fruit flavors, and smooth tannins, Corison Wines possess a modest alcohol level compared to the 14%+ levels of most Napa Cabs. As Cathy puts it, "A wine that just jumps out of the glass and punches you in the nose often doesn't have much more to say."

Cathy in her St. Helena winery. Image by John Storey, Courtesy SFChronicle

Cathy is a proponent of organic farming and has practiced organic techniques since acquiring her Kronos vineyard in 1995. She also recognized the impact and significance of terroir quite early in her career. As she explains, "Everyone was running over to France and coming back with a beret on, and trying to do exactly what they did in France. In Europe, riper was better. Here we have the opposite issues. We have sunshine and heat."

No berets here! Image by John Storey, Courtesy SFChronicle

In a statement on the Corison Wines website, Cathy explains, "My philosophy is to make complex wines that walk the fine line between power and elegance. I employ time-honored winemaking techniques, using only small French oak barrels sourced from several forests for complexity. Mine is a hands-off approach to winemaking; it is my job to let the vineyards speak."

Image courtesy Corison Wines

Cathy has held true to her tastes and visions in her vineyards and winery. She persevered not only as a woman in a male-dominated winemaking industry but as a skeptic of popular outlooks, opinions, and techniques assumed by her classmates, colleagues, and peers. She truly deserves the Chronicle's (and others') accolades. We wish her our congratulations!

Please contact your Wizards rep regarding the Corison Wines currently represented in our portfolio, including the Corison Cabernet Sauvignon "Kronos" from 2005 and Corison Cabernet Sauvignon from 2007.

Irresistible: St. Cecilia Society Punch

2011-12-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since our last post, a length of time in which we've been kept preoccupied by plans and preparations for the holidays and the close of 2011. December is traditionally a crazy time in the wine and spirits industry. We're encouraged by reports from our colleagues and hope that this holiday season is a very successful one for Rhode Island businesses.

The plan is to upload a holiday themed Fa la la la la post toward the end of this week or early next. Today, though, I wanted to share a delicious punch recipe that may come in handy should our readers be hosting a festive gathering over the next few days, weeks, months, ect.. The recipe is for a St. Cecilia Society Punch (although attendees of the Wine Wizards holiday party on December 4th will remember it as something quite different) and it came to me from Darby O'Shea and, through her, Fine Cooking.

According to Wikipedia, the St. Cecilia Society was founded in Charlestown, South Carolina in 1766. Established as an organization for patrons of music, the society flourishes today as one of the oldest and most exclusive social institutions in the South. Apparently it is best known for hosting elegant dances, and what's a ball without a generous bowl of punch?

So, without further ado, here is our highly recommended punch recipe for your next festive gathering, which can be easily doubled.

St. Cecilia's Society Punch

2 medium lemons, thinly sliced
3/4 cup brandy
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tea bags green tea
3/4 cup dark rum
1/2 small pineapple, peeled, cored, sliced 1/2 inch thick, and cut into small wedges
1 750-ml bottle dry sparkling wine, such as Le Berceau Blanquette de Limoux from the Wizards' portfolio, chilled
6 cups sparkling water, chilled

Put the lemon slices in a large bowl and pour the brandy over them. Let macerate at room temperature overnight.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Discard the tea bags and let the syrup cool.

At least 3 hours and up to 6 hours before serving, combine the lemons, brandy, syrup, rum, and pineapple in a large pitcher or bowl. Chill in the refrigerator.

Just before serving, pour the punch into a large chilled punch bowl with a block of ice. Add the sparkling wine and sparkling water, and gently stir.

... and then toast your nearest and dearest and enjoy your holiday celebration!

William Holbrook Beard (American, 1824-1900), “Santa Claus,” ca. 1862

oil on canvas, 24 1/8 x 36 1/8 in., Jesse Metcalf Fund,

Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence

What We're Drinking: Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T06:54:00.003-08:00

Photo courtesy KHZ

The year has turned its circle,

The seasons come and go.

The harvest all is gathered in

And chilly north winds blow.

Orchards have shared their treasures,

The fields, their yellow grain,

So open wide the doorway,

Thanksgiving comes again!

unknown author

Photos courtesy BCZ

In addition to the baking, roasting, mashing, and zesting that occurs here on Thanksgiving Day is the ever important pouring. Although we are likely to offer more than these selections on Thursday, we wanted to share a peek of our libations menu with you before being swept up in all of our last-minute preparations both in the office and the kitchen.

Our first selection is Cuilleron Viognier from France's northern Rhone Valley. Established in 1920 by current owner and winemaker Yves Cuilleron's grandfather, the estate consists of a cellar in Verlieu and vineyard holdings in Condrieu, Saint Joseph, Côte-Rôtie, Saint-Péray, and Cornas. Yves' vinification principle? "Faire le plus simple possible." Keeping things as simple as possible includes incorporating local traditions at Caves Cuilleron, thus all of the grapes are hand-picked and sorted and natural yeasts are allowed to instigate fermentation. In the case of the Viognier, the grapes are pressed, allowed to settle with the must for 24 hours, and then moved into temperature controlled stainless steel vats, where alcoholic and malolactic fermentations take place. The wine is then aged sur lie for six months in French oak barriques and stainless steel.

The 2010 vintage is described as having a varietally appropriate nose of apricots and peaches with a well-balanced fresh and fruity palate and finish. Served chilled, Cuilleron Viognier will be lovely with our Thanksgiving meal.

Our second selection is a Copain Pinot Noir from California's Sonoma Valley. New to the Wizards' portfolio, Copain Wines are made by Wells Guthrie to be firmly rooted in California but with sensibilities from the European wine traditions he so admires. Robert Parker has remarked in The Wine Advocate, "One of my favorite California wine producers, Wells Guthrie, like a champion truffle-hunting dog, seems to unearth top vineyards for his wines." Josh Reynolds of International Wine Cellar has said, "These were among the most vibrant and precise wines I tasted during my Sonoma tour."

Copain offers a range of varietals at three different levels: Tous Ensemble Blends, Les Voisins Blends, and Single Vineyard Wines. Our Thanksgiving selection will be Les Voisins Pinot Blend with a medium-light body, crisp acidity, and red fruit notes on the palate with low tannin.

And for our third selection... cider! If The New York Times' Eric Asimov says he's going to have Farnum Hill Extra Dry at the ready on Thursday, you know it's a great choice. You can read about Asimov's other alternatives to wine for Thanksgiving here. Please visit our October 6th blog entry to learn more about Farnum Hill and our excursion there in August.

Photo courtesy KHZ

We hope that these suggestions have been interesting and helpful.

Photo courtesy KHZ

We wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving!

Irresistible: Nocino della Cristina

2011-11-14T08:00:00.001-08:00

Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is just over a week away. Hints have been dropped by the turning of our calendar pages to "November" and a few fleeting moments of seasonably appropriate weather, but you're certainly not the only one feeling caught a bit off guard. So if we may, let us suggest something delicious to add to your holiday menu and sip along the way. Nocino della Cristina is sure to make your planning process highly enjoyable!

Nocino della Cristina is a walnut liqueur from Napa Valley's Oak Knoll district. 100% natural with no artificial colors or ingredients, this Nocino has been described by Wine Enthusiast Magazine as "stately, concentrated, luxurious," delicious enough to earn a Superb/Highly Recommended rank with 90-95 points.

Monteverdi Spirits makes this artisanal liqueur with distilled Napa Valley grapes and walnuts then infused with carefully selected ingredients sourced from producers in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Enjoy on its own or as an accompaniment to dessert, especially those with a fruit and/or cream component. Our colleague poured Nocino della Cristina over simple vanilla ice cream and I found myself in heaven. Mmmm!

Nocino also adds silkiness and complexitiy to cocktails and coffee drinks. Here are a couple of cocktail recipes developed on the West Coast for your walnut liqueur pleasure...

NEGRONI UMBRIA from Angele in Napa

1 oz Nocina della Cristina

1 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin

1 oz Campari

Stirred with ice. Serve up or on the rocks with an orange twist.

CRISTINA by Gary Regan at the San Francisco Chronicle

2 oz Nocino della Cristina

1/2 oz Belvedere Cytrus Vodka

Stir on ice and serve up.

209 HARVEST by Press in St. Helena

1 oz Edge Hill Port

1 oz Nocino della Cristina

1 oz No. 209 Gin

Muddle with orange wedge and shake over ice.

Serve in a martini glass with orange wheel garnish.

Please ask your sales rep for additional recipes.

Our suggestion for you: Nocino della Cristina

Feeling better about the next week? We certainly hope so!

In the News: Errázuriz

2011-10-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

Will Lyons of The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted Chile's Errázuriz wines in an article entitled "Cultivating Pinot Noir." The feature began with a quick discussion of pinot noir, including the requisite reference to the film Sideways (who here's ready for a new movie about wine?). Lyons then quickly shifted into a profile of Viña Errázuriz's winemaker Francisco Baettig and the additional varietals cultivated by the estate in the Valle de Aconcagua.

Viña Errázuriz was founded in 1870 by Don Maximiano Errázuriz with the finest clones from France and a great deal of vision and perseverance. One hundred thirty years later, his descendant Eduardo Chadwick has steered the winery into the twenty-first century while upholding long-standing estate traditions. "From the best land, the best wine," a philosophy scribed by Don Maximiano, rings true with Errázuriz's vineyard and winemaking practices today.

Hola, Don Maximiano!

Hola, Francisco!

Will Lyons was especially impressed with Errázuriz's 2009 Single Vineyard Carménere and profiled it in the "Drinking Now" section of his column. In his words, the wine "really shone, with a deep, luscious character, bags of fruit and the sort of complexity one wants from a wine at this price." Deep ruby with a lusciousness in the nose, Errázuriz's Carménere stands up well to the stews and red meats that we all gravitate toward as the temperatures drop in the Northeast. As Lyons remarks, it is "a suberb wine for those cold nights ahead."

Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

Single Vineyard Carménere

Wild Ferment Chardonnay

Stephen Tanzer has also favorably reviewed the 2009 Single Vineyard Carménere. In his tasting notes he remarked, "packs a solid punch but this wine is quite elegant and seamless." He bestowed a 90 point score upon the wine as well as 90 point scores for the 2010 Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc and 2009 Wild Ferment Chardonnay.

Incorporating the twenty-first century into the 130 year history of Errázuriz

Please visit The Wall Street Journal online to read Will Lyon's full article and contact your Wine Wizards rep or favorite wine shop for more information about these delicious, appealingly priced wines.

Land to Hand, Vineyard to Bottle: The Wines of Charles Smith

2011-10-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

We are absolutely thrilled to have recently added the wines of Washington-based Charles Smith to our portfolio. Food & Wine's 2009 Winemaker of the Year, Charles epitomizes the opposite of what we have come to expect in the industry. With a deceivingly cavalier attitude and colorful past--one of his former pursuits includes managing rock bands in Scandinavia--he has become a force on the international market. The cult following that has developed around Charles makes perfect sense when you consider his portfolio of wines. 90+ scores are consistently bestowed upon them by the likes of The Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits, Food & Wine, Stephen Tanzer, and Robert Parker. Oh, and did I mention he's self-taught?

I, for one, love his logo.

In the words of Gastrotommy, September 2011:

"What I also discovered along the way was that Charles was not simply a guy with crazy hair that likes to get down like he’s going to prison tomorrow (really). He is really smart. He has a tremendous amount of respect for the great old world wines from Europe. He understands and executes marketing strategy as well as anyone in the world. Furthermore, he never compromises his values to gain favor. Ever.... So, you are looking for something that totally rocks that you can find anywhere? Check out Charles Smith’s wines."

From Charles Smith Wines:

Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2010 - A Wine Spectator Best Value at 90 Points

100% Riesling, Evergreen, Columbia Valley

Described as "vivid, distinctive, and immensely appealing for its juicy Winesap apple, apricot, and citrus flavors, finishing with zing to balance the sweetness" in Wine Spectator's Advance 11/30/11 Issue.

Boom Boom Syrah 2010 - Just Released!

The Velvet Devil Merlot 2009

90.6% Merlot, 9.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley

Described by Charles Smith as "pure velvet: milk chocolate, wild blackberry, baking spice, rose oil... beautifully perfumed Washington in a glass."

Eve Chardonnay 2009

100% Chardonnay, Columbia Valley

Described by Charles Smith as having "aromas of rose petals, lavendar, and wet stone.... Stonefruit, honeyed ripe apple, sophisticated and pure with nice acidity and a hint of mineral on the soft finish."

Chateaux Smith Cabernet Sauvigon 2008

82% Cabernet Sauvigon, 12% Petite Verdot, 6% Syrah, Columbia Valley

Desribed by Charles Smith as "super smooth [with] cedar, Rainier cherry, dark rose. A Washington Cabernet with a real sense of place."

Wine Wizards also represents the K VINTNERS portfolio and SECCO, a collaboration with Charles' wife and her sister of sparkling white and rose blends from the Prosecco region of Veneto, Italy. More on those in a future post.

Charles Smith's wines are easily identified and are making their way through the Rhode Island market. We hope that you will get behind the brand, join the movement, embrace the black and white... in our opinion, the wines are worth it.

Images and background check courtesy Charles Smith Wines.

Out in the Field: Farnum Hill Ciders

2011-10-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

Farnum Hill Ciders at Poverty Lane Orchards

Our team hit the road to New Hampshire one late-summer Friday. Our destination was Poverty Lane Orchards in Lebanon, home to Farnum Hill Ciders. The setting there is classic New England: large white farmhouse, a series of clapboard barns, and fruit laden trees in mowed orchards. The picturesque setting was the perfect backdrop for meeting the team behind Farnum Hill, tasting their critically acclaimed products, and absorbing the history and techniques of cider making.

In the orchard

Farnum Hill Cider fulfills the true meaning ofthe word "cider:" an alcoholic beverage fermented from apples,exactly as "wine" is fermented from grapes. So don't expect these ciders to taste like apples, just as you don't pour a glass of wine with the expectation that it will taste like grapes. With 6.5-7.5% alcohol, Farnum Hill Ciders tend toward the dry, sharp, fruity, and bountifully aromatic. These are not the sweet,artificially-flavored, mass-produced ciders of supermarket infamy. Theyrepresent a return to the craft and horticulture of distinctive Americanorchard-based cidermaking.

Proprietor Steve Wood has been at Poverty Lane Orchards since 1968. He has passionately studied the history and techniques of cider making while experimenting with his orchards and processing line. His dream is to see cider consumed with the thoughtfulness and enthusiasm dedicated to wine and craft beers. As he and other members of the Farnum Hill team mentioned throughout our visit, they strive to overcome the preconceived notions of cider as a sweet and appely autumn beverage and work hard to present Farnum Hill cider as a seasonless beverage with complexity, acidity, and palette appeal.

An apple not for eating, but for pressing, fermenting, and drinking

The influences of terroir are embraced by the Farnum team. They strive to make ciders that take on the character of the 80 acres of Poverty Lane orchards. In the words of Farnum Hill: A four-month growing season, heavy glacial soils, extreme temperature swings in Fall between day and night all, along with October frosts, contribute to intensification of flavors here. In general we find most concentrated, nuanced flavors come from the later-picked varieties, harvested late October. We believe that frost injury to the spur leaves of the fruit causes a sudden rush of photosynthates into the apple flesh, just before harvest. Meanwhile, a few earlier-ripening varieties seem to enjoy our compressed growing season, and produce juice with consistently admirable character.

Apple varietals with the occassional Odd Ball

Apple varietals such as Kingston Blacks, Foxwhelp, Medaille d'Or, and other heirlooms are carefully cultivated. In fact, during our tour through the orchards, Steve whipped out his clippers and began pruning the tree that we were discussing.

Our tasting that afternoon took us through many of these varietal ciders. While feasting on hearty cheese sandwiches in the barn, we tasted from glass beakers to breakdown the ciders' various elements before taking the opportunity to blend the different beakers into our glasses. We also tasted from barrel and bottle. As Farnum Hill explains, Very few cider apples will make a satisfying finished cider on their own. Diversified orchards and expert blending are critical to doing cider right.

Howard Mahady, Farnum Hill's Steve Wood, Nick Zeiser,

Bob Goulet & Don Murphy

We enjoyed a very full afternoon at Farnum Hill. Please visit their website for more information or talk to one of us. We hope that you will pick up a bottle or two of Farnum Hill Cider on your next trip to your favored wine/beer/spirits shop!

Joe Dressner: 1951-2011

2011-09-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

It is with heavy hearts that we reflect upon the death of Joe Dressner, a close colleague and friend of Wine Wizards. Joe was a highly regarded wine importer with a focus on wines from the "Old World," including France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. The wines imported by Louis/Dressner Selections are generally made by small producers who do not incorporate chemicals or additives to their practices in the vineyard, winery, or cellar. Producers represented in our portfolio include Château d'Oupia, Domaine de la Pépière, and Quinta do Infantado.

Please visit the following sites to learn more about Louis/Dressner Selections and the legacy that Joe has left behind:

Diner's Journal

The New York Times, Business Day

Louis/Dressner Selections

The Amazing Misadventures of Captain Tumor Man

At the Start

2011-09-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to launch this blog at the start of the autumn season and on the eve of our fall portfolio tasting. Our hope is that Musings of Wine Wizards will serve as a source of information and support for our clients and, in turn, their customers and the culture of wine within the state of Rhode Island. Tasting notes, thoughts on the industry, documentation of our time in the field, and links to articles will appear in the near future. We hope that you will engage with us and enjoy.

Cheers to the start of the season!

Members of the Trade: We look forward to seeing you at our warehouse tasting on

Monday, September 26th from 2-6pm.

Please contact your account manager or the Wine Wizards office (401.624.3710) with any questions and for directions.