I NEED SPRING!

This winter has been relentless here in St. Louis.
We're bracing for yet another winter storm this weekend as I write this.
And … I know, it's only March and the "in like a lion, out like a lamb" stuff.
Blah…blah…blah.
I want Spring. 
I want flowers, and warmth and green.
AND BASEBALL!
So, I'm going to start "thinking Spring", and that starts with wine.
As warmer weather approaches, wine trends experience a slight, but very definite shift. I've copied a link below from Time Magazine regarding their take on how the advent of Spring affects wine trends. I don't know where they get their information. It's interesting, but doesn't necessarily track with my observations.
Here they are:
White Wines: While Chardonnay is a year round staple, it's the other whites that pick up the pace come Spring. Sauvignon Blanc, especially the crisp, refreshing styles from New Zealand really start to gain traction. Other crisp styles like Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris also emerge. I'm also very fond of the relatively unknown whites from Italy, for example, Gavi (Cortese grape), Soave (Garganega grape), Verdicchio (Verdicchio grape) and Vermentino (Vermentino grape). These Italian varietals, with their higher acidity levels, are terrifically refreshing, and excellent with mild white cheeses, lunch meats, and salads - ideal warm weather foods.
Rose' Wines: We may carry one Rose' wine at Balaban's during winter, but, as the weather warms, we expand to 3 or 4 Rose' wines - depending on the quality in a given year. These are such versatile wines, perfect to sip by themselves, but also great with all kinds of "grill" foods. Hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, chicken and barbecue all pair well with Rose'.
Producers have gotten more creative with Rose', too. They are now made from almost every red varietal, for example: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Grenache, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese. That's quite a list, and it doesn't take into account all the interesting blending that gets done with the grapes.
If you haven't done so yet, it's time to open your mind, and palate, to Rose' this season.
Red Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon always has a place as long as you're grilling steaks. But lighter reds also start to make their presence known. Zinfandel, Grenache and lighter Syrahs are ideal barbecue wines.
Red blends also become very popular. These wines can be blends of almost any red grapes - oftentimes they're just that, with 8 or more varietals in the mix. They are fruit forward, low in tannins, high in value and way up on the "enjoyability" chart.
Have a great weekend!

http://style.time.com/2013/03/07/the-world-of-wine-whats-trending-this-spring/

Tom

Don't Know What's For Dinner? You Can Still Bring The Wine With Confidence.

Ever get invited to dinner at a friend's and they don't tell you what they're serving?
Do you ever ask: what's for dinner?
Probably not.
So, if you always bring a bottle of wine, like I do, you have a bit of a dilemma.
What can you bring that will go with just about anything?
I'm going to copy a link to an article with some pretty good suggestions about this topic, but in a nutshell here is what they recommend, and I agree 100%.

1. Sparkling Wine: whether it's expensive Champagne, an $18 Prosecco or a semi-sweet Moscato, a sparkling wine is the perfect choice to kick off the evening.
2. Crisp whites like Chablis, Pinot Grigio or a Gavi will get the taste buds ready for food, plus they go perfectly with light cheeses, appetizers and salads.
3. Lighter reds like domestic Pinot Noir or Spanish Grenache offer much more food flexibility than big, bold reds like Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah. Pinot Noir is my "go to". It will compliment a steak just as easily as a pasta dish or halibut.
4. Dry Rose' is another versatile option. Unfortunately, Rose' wines are a little disrespected in the wine world because they are incorrectly associated with white Zinfandel. Rose' offers the refreshing qualities of the crisp whites with a little more body and complexity. They may not stand up to a big steak, but anything else is fair game.
5. Dessert wines. If you just can't stand the thought of not bringing the "perfect" pairing to whatever dinner might be, bring some dessert - wine. There are many choices here, but if it's me, I'm bringing Sauternes or Tawny Port.

Here's the link:

http://www.thekitchn.com/5-styles-of-wine-to-bring-to-a-dinner-party-when-you-have-no-idea-what-will-be-served-199925

Tom

Tannin and Acid in Wine

Tannin, acid and alcohol. There's much more of course - like fruit. But without these three major components, you really don't have wine - just juice.
The difference between tannin and acid always confused me.
They both suggest "negative' sensations in the mouth.
So what's the difference, and what's the good and the bad of each?
Acid.
In the mouth, think "salivating". It's like sucking on a lemon or lime. It gets your palate ready for food.
The good: wines with balanced acidity are ideal for drinking with food. Think Chianti with pizza or an Italian red sauce, or, Chablis with soft white cheeses. Or, Champagne with anything.
The bad: overly acidic wines can seem sour or overly tart - like that lemon you just sucked on. It may have gotten you ready for more food, but, you're not planning on eating the lemon.
Tannin.
In the mouth, think "drying". Although all good wines have some tannin, they are most prominent in your big, bold reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux and Barolo.
Tannins provide structure and complexity to wine. When red wines are young, the tannins can be overwhelming and make a wine difficult to drink. Foods high in fat like hard cheeses or a well marbled steak can temper tannin and make the wine very palatable.
The good: With the right food pairings, tannic wines can very be very exciting. They are typically big and bold with good fruit and long finishes. After these wines age, the tannins soften and can become "silky" and elegant. A young tannic wine can be totally transformed after 3-5 years of aging.
The bad: When tasting an overly tannic wine, it feels like the inside of your mouth is being sucked out. Your mouth feels completely dried out and almost "gritty".
Doesn't that sound pleasant?
Bottom line: tannin and acid are good, and they are absolutely critical in the composition of any great wine.
Have a great weekend!

Tom

Five Great Cabs Under $25

Finding high quality, value priced Cabernet Sauvignon is the biggest challenge we have here at Balaban's
Cabernet is still king! We sell more Cab than any other varietal, so we spend the most amount of time tasting through value priced Cabernet to find wine worthy of recommending to our customers.
Of course the concept of "value" is a moving target too - moving upward.
I believe that if you can find high quality California or Washington State Cabernet for under $25, you're doing pretty good.
I also shouldn't forget the fine Cabernet being made in Chile and Argentina. They have a little different personality than our domestics, but, they can still be excellent.
I'm very pleased with Cabernets that we've recently brought into the shop. These taste like $30 - $40 wines in my opinion. Check them out next time you're in and need some everyday Cabs.

• 2011 Penalolen, Chile - $18
• 2010 Vina Robles, Paso Robles - $19
• 2009 The Table, California - $20
• 2011 Joeseph Carr, Napa County - $21
• 2009 Wellington, Sonoma County - $22

If there are other "under $25" Cabs I should be checking out, please let me know.

Tom

Balaban's: Fine Dine - Fine Wine

You know, I get so caught up writing these blogs about wine, I sometimes take for granted that I am working for one of the best restaurants in the St. Louis area.
Every day, Balaban's delivers outstanding lunches and dinners, and on Sunday, you can enjoy one of the best brunches in St. Louis.
We offer wonderful specials every day, and we create special menus for those special occasions.
Take, for example, this weekend.
In addition to our regular menu, we have a special 3 course Valentine's day menu on both Friday and Saturday evening.
And then. On Sunday. The Cakebread Wine Dinner.
Once a month, usually on Sunday evening, we have a five course dinner paired with carefully selected wines.
Last month was Duckhorn wines and this Sunday we are featuring Cakebread.
I can go on and on about how great the wine dinners are, but, you really need to come to one to appreciate the whole experience.
Of course, I have nothing to do with the food here except when I'm eating it.
The credit goes to Chef Scott Phillips, his staff and owner Steve McIntyre.
I've copied links to the Valentine's and Cakebread menus so that you get an idea of what I'm talking about.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Have a great weekend!
Tom

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1c5BdIZcuK3TGtVamtZemhqQ0U/edit

http://balabanswine.com/all-things-wine/wine-dinners/

Can You Show Me Your Missouri Wines, Please?

Nope. Sorry

We get asked this question just about every week. 

Balaban's is serious about wine, which means we only sell wines made from the Vitis vinifera grape species. What types of grapes are Vitis vinifera? Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo are some Vitis viniferagrapes. The world's greatest wines are made from these grapes.

And unfortunately, they don't grow in Missouri.
Some common grapes used to make Missouri wine are, Seyval Blanc, Vignoles, Chardonel, Chambourcin and Norton. These are grapes of a different species or are hybrid grapes that have been crossed with Vitis vinifera so that the grapes can withstand Missouri's brutal summers and cold winters.
Hey, I mean no disrespect to Missouri wines. Judy and I frequently enjoy going to the wineries here on a nice day to listen to live music and sip on some local vino. 

Many Missouri wines can be very pleasant, and the quality improves every year.

But when someone comes into Balaban's looking for Missouri wines, we point them in the direction of the Dierberg's, across the parking lot.

Tom

Ice Wine

This year, most of the country is experiencing its worst winter in decades.
Ice...snow...cold - ice...snow...cold seems to be the general pattern.
So let's stick with the winter theme and talk ice wine, or icewine, or Eiswein if you're in Germany.
Ice wine is one of the world's great dessert wines. It is very sweet, but the sweetness is nicely balanced by acidity in the better made ice wines.
It is similar to Sauternes in taste, but the process of making ice wine is completely different. Sauternes is infected with Botrytis, also known as "noble rot". The botrytis causes the grapes to shrivel and become raisined, thereby concentrating the sugars in the grapes and the wine.
With ice wine, the producers have to wait for ripe grapes to freeze. Here, the water in the grapes freezes leaving the concentrated grape juice like with the Sauternes.
Making ice wine can be risky and quite expensive. if the grapes stay on the vines too long before the frost, they will begin to rot - not a "noble' rot either.
If the frost does come at the right time all of the grapes need to be picked within a few hours of the first morning's frost. Even with a large labor force to pick the crop, yields are still typically small.
Thus, the high price tag.
Oh, but a good ice wine is divine.
In the New World, i.e., not Europe, the best ice wines are made in Canada, and probably the best Canadian producer is Inniskillin. Their wines typically cost $50 - $75 for a half bottle and are made from the Vidal Blanc grape, which is hardy enough to grow in colder climates.
Ice wine is a great dessert all by itself, but it also pairs nicely with salty nuts, Foie Gras and fruit based desserts.
Have a great weekend! Stay warm.

Tom

Winery Focus: Beringer Vineyards

You know that commercial where the guy sits around a little table with a bunch of kids, and they decide that "bigger is better"?
In winemaking bigger is usually, but not always, "not better".
Beringer, founded in 1876, is definitely one of the behemoths in winemaking. This is not a quaint little family run business, but a huge corporation.
And their ubiquitous White Zinfandel is probably in every grocery store and gas station in the country.
But, there is so much that is good about Beringer.
Once you get past the White Zinfandel level of wines, the quality of winemaking is exceptionally high. The Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay have a long history of high ratings from both Robert Parker and Wine Spectator.
Recently, the Knight's Valley series of wines, which sell for $25-$30 a bottle, are also garnering great press for their high quality.
I have been a Beringer wine club member for years so that I could have access to their single vineyard bottlings and older vintage wines that are only available through the winery. As a club member, I also get a 15% discount on anything I buy.
Beringer certainly doesn't need a commercial from me, but, there has always been this perception of Beringer as mass production and low quality because of the White Zin.
One more thing about Beringer.
If you ever make it to Napa, Beringer is a must see.
The estate is impressive, the grounds are pristine and the tour is one of the best in Napa.
Here's another "one more thing" about Beringer.
They continue to be creative in their winemaking.
Beringer recently introduced the Luminus series of wines. The Luminus Chardonnay received a 93 point rating from Wine Advocate and was featured  in one of our recent newsletters.
The wine is delicious!
$35 at Balaban's.

Tom