Farmstead Cheeses and Wines: Jeff’s Blog

Here’s an article that I wrote for Alameda and Oakland Magzanines

Malbec is King in Argentina by Jeff Diamond
Look South for Value and Quality Wine

Wines from Argentina are quickly becoming one of the hottest segments in the U.S. wine market. Why? A combination of great quality and stupendous value. Consumers can find great Argentine wines for as little as $10 per bottle, and these wines have a rich, plush and fruit-forward flavor profile.

Argentina’s wine exports to the United States have been growing by leaps and bounds, making Argentina the fifth largest wine producer in the world. According to wine importer Fran Kysela, M.S. and Kysela Père et Fils, “About 28 percent of our volume now comes from Argentine wines. Prior to 2005 this figure was less than 5 percent.”

Kysela imports more than 30 different wines from Argentina, most priced between $10 and $15 per bottle.

Before 1990, Argentina consumed more than 90 percent of the wine it produces, although much of it was bulk wine and considered unexportable. Argentine winemakers started to travel to other wine regions around the world, hiring consultants and modernizing their growing and vinification techniques. New wineries were built, and now Mendoza Province, the heart of Argentina’s wine region, is one of the country’s top tourist destinations.

For red wines, Malbec comprises the bulk of Argentina’s wine production, with more than 25,000 acres planted, followed up by Cabernet Sauvignon, Bonarda (called Charbono in the United States), Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Red wine comprises more than 65 percent of production.

Torrontés, thought to be either a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and the Mission table grape or a relative of Malvasia, is far and away the most popular white grape planted, followed by Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc
and others.

In Argentina though, Malbec is king. Malbec originally comes from Southwestern France where it is still grown. Argentine Malbec is different than its French cousin — the clusters are smaller and tighter, and the berries are smaller, producing a wine with deep color, intense fruity and sometimes chocolatey flavor with a
velvety mouthfeel.

Malbec production is centered around Mendoza Province, which has a micro climate that is phenomenal for wine grape growing. Set hard against the eastern side of the Andes in the high desert, Mendoza has little rain, high daytime temperatures and a long ripening cycle. The high elevation brings great daily temperature swings of up to 40 degrees, ideal for growing grapes; the dry climate provides less mold, mildew, insect and fungal problems than other growing areas, bringing a more consistent harvest with less reliance on chemicals.

Torrontés is mostly grown to the north of Mendoza in La Rioja and Salta provinces and produces an aromatic wine characterized by floral, fruity, Muscat-like aromas and a spicy, dry finish. Torrontés has been favorably compared to Gewürztraminer and Viognier, but with a decidedly drier finish.

Pinot Noir is also becoming an Argentine specialty, with production centered around Rio Negro and Neuquén in northern Patagonia. The wine industry in Patagonia is relatively new, with the Argentine government investing some of the income from the area’s substantial oil and natural gas reserves to create what could be called a wine homesteading program.
Here are a few of my favorite wines from Argentina:

Maipe Malbec($11) — This Malbec has a deep purple color with violet tints, complex plum, fig, strawberry, spices and floral aromas; rounded and velvety tannins, excellent length with a distinguished character. Excellent when paired with game, roasted red meats, pasta or pizza.

Tiza Malbec ($20) — Contains fruit from some of the oldest vines in Mendoza more than 150 years old. Aged in new French oak barrels for 12 months. This wine offers a great intense and complex nose of wild berries and red ripe fruit with subtle spicy notes. Superb fruit flavors combine perfectly with toasty notes providing great structure, character, and a long finish.

El Felino Malbec ($22) — Made by famed California winemaker Paul Hobbs, this deep and rich wine has a wild cherry tinged nose and gobs of flavor.

Bramare Marchiori Vineyard Malbec ($85) — Single vineyard, new French oak, long extraction; an amazing wine with great depth, length and finish.

Maipe Torrontes ($11) — A great introduction to Torrontés. Bright acidity, flowery nose and a dry finish.

Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes($18) — More concentrated nose and finish than the Maipe, this wine is one of the benchmarks for the varietal, displaying a bouquet of spring flowers, honey, and tropical aromas.

Carol and I were invited to learn about blending wine at the fabulous Handley Cellars. We visited vineyards, blended wine, and ate a fabulous meal. Afterwards, we visited The Apple Farm. For a slideshow of more photos, please click here

In June, I traveled to Galicia as part of a wine trip hosted by Olé Imports. We spent an afternoon on the Sil River, looking out and up at the incredibly steep vineyards, originally terraced by Roman slaves!

In many spots, the vineyards are only accessible by boat, and the terrain is so steep, that the grapes are transported down to the water by way of rails!

The wines produced here are made from Godello and Mencia grapes.

Godello – pronounced go-DAY-yo – is one of the oldest grape varieties in Spain, the Godello was documented even in Roman times, but was nearly extinct just a generation ago. Godello is not the first southern European grape to be rescued from the brink, of course, but it differs from many in that it promises to appeal to international tastes as an alternative to Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. Godello is a tricky grape to grow and vinify, but in the right hands, the wine makes a statement.

Mencia – pronounced men-THEE-ya – was introduced and cultivated mainly in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula since the days of ancient Rome. It recovered from the phylloxera epidemic disaster of the late nineteenth century that caused a severe economic crisis in its traditional areas of cultivation. Mencia is used to produce aromatic and fruity wines with intense color and with great aging capability.

Chanukkah is right around the corner – a great time to have latkes (and a glass of sparkling wine!). Here’s a great recipe:

yield: Makes 12 to 16 latke
active time: 45 min
total time: 45 min

What is the secret to making great latkes? The starchier the potato, the crisper the latke. Try Yukon Gold or other baking potatoes for the crispiest latkes!

Ingredients
* 1 pound potatoes
* 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
* Accompaniments: sour cream and applesauce

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Peel potatoes and coarsely grate by hand, transferring to a large bowl of cold water as grated. Soak potatoes 1 to 2 minutes after last batch is added to water, then drain well in a colander.

Spread grated potatoes and onion on a kitchen towel and roll up jelly-roll style. Twist towel tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Transfer potato mixture to a bowl and stir in egg and salt.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4 latkes, spoon 2 tablespoons potato mixture per latke into skillet, spreading into 3-inch rounds with a fork. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn latkes over and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt. Add more oil to skillet as needed. Keep latkes warm on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven.

Latkes may be made up to 8 hours ahead. Reheat on a rack set over a baking sheet in a 350°F oven, about 5 minutes.

Grating the potatoes, soaking them briefly in water, and then squeezing out the liquid keeps the batter from turning brown too quickly

Taste of Spain by Jeff Diamond

I’m bullish on Spanish wines. Whenever a customer asks me for a great bargain red wine, more often than not, I’ll suggest a Spanish red.
Why would I do this when we’re only a few miles from some of the best wine grape growing regions in the world? Well, for starters, Spain has more acres planted to wine grapes than anywhere else in the world; the average age of Spanish wine grapevines is more than 35 years old; and Spanish wineries are able to produce, bottle, market and ship wines to California
for a pittance.
Spain has a long tradition of viticulture and winemaking dating back thousands of years. Wines made on the Iberian Peninsula during Roman times were exported around the empire. Spanish winemaking technique suffered during the Middle Ages, and not much wine of note was made until the mid-19th century, when phylloxera decimated French vineyards.
French winemakers crossed the Pyrenees and discovered the winemaking regions of Rioja, Navarra and Catalonia and brought their expertise, winemaking skills and the 225-liter barrica, or French oak wine barrel. (Eventually phylloxera reached Spain, but its relatively slow progress was due to the fact that many of the Spanish wine regions are far from each other.)
While Spain has more than 600 varieties of wine grapes planted, most production is focused on 20 or so varieties, and many are familiar to wine-savvy Americans: Garnacha (Grenache), Monastrell (Mourvèdre), Tempranillo, Cariñena (Carignan), Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Spanish wines are regulated by a classification system similar to France, Italy or the United States, with all wine regions regulated under the Denominación de Origen, or DO, system. Red wines can be labeled as Crianza (aged for two years), Reserva (aged for three years) or Gran Reserva (aged five years or more).
Until recently, it was thought that the more time a wine spent in cask and bottle, the better it was. Some of these wines might be a bit staid for the California palate, but there are many wineries making wines that have a more modern New World approach to winemaking that produces wines that are balanced with fruit, terroir and wood.
I’ve been to Spain twice in the past three years on winery trips and have been very impressed by the passion and knowledge of Spanish winemakers, by the varying styles of Spanish wines (ranging from bargain to high end) and by the diverse terroir of the Iberian Peninsula. Spanish wines are becoming more commonplace on wine lists and in wine shops. If you don’t know Spanish wines, take the time to discover some — ask for a recommendation at your favorite restaurant, wine bar or wine shop.
Here’s a few of my favorite budget Spanish wines, available locally. The average suggested retail cost on these is under $15, and I dare you to find wines of this quality at these prices from any other wine region in the world.

Sparkling Spanish: These wines are called Cavas (KAH-vah) and offer methode champenoise wines (fermented in bottle) at a fraction of the price of their French counterparts, using Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada and sometimes Chardonnay for white Cavas and Grenache Noir and Mourvèdre for Rosé.

Cristallino Rosado, a pink sparkler, is well balanced and priced to sell ($9).
Gramona Gran Cuvée, made from older vine Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Chardonnay, this sparkler is aged in bottle for 24 months. Creamy and dry ($20).

White: While red wine varietals might be more familiar to American wine drinkers, Spanish white varietals tend to be a bit more exotic, like Albariño, Godello, Garnacha Blanca, Viura and Verdejo.

Valdellainos Verdejo is a yellow-green straw color with strong aromas of exotic fruits (mango), citric (grapefruit, lime), white flowers and a hint of scrub herbs. Tasty, fresh, well balanced on the palate ($12).

Las Colinas del Ebro is a Garnacha Blanca that is full of ripe peachy flavors. Nice balance and great fruit make this wine perfect for appetizers or just hanging out on the porch ($12).
Botani Moscatel Seco is at present my favorite white wine. It’s a dry Muscat from Southern Spain. Floral nose, mouth-filling palate, dry finish ($20).

Rosado (Rosé)

Muga Rosado is a blend of red and white wines is full-bodied, dry and is full of mouth-filling strawberry and watermelon flavors ($16).

Artazurri Rosado is a 100 percent old vine Grenache, deep color and nice flavors. A perfect barbecue
wine ($14).

Red

Cortijo Rioja is made by rising superstar winemaker David Sampedro. This Tempranillo-Grenache blend is sourced from the prestige area of Rioja Alavesa. A perfect food wine, matching with chicken, pork, pizza and salmon ($12).

Borsao Monte Oton Garnacha is an old, old vine Grenache. Bold berry, cherry flavors, groovy
packaging ($10).

Luna Beberide Bierzo is 100 percent Mencia, from Northwestern Spain. Blueberry, red fruits abound, soft tannins ($15).

Ludovicus Blend comes from Terra Alta (near Priorat), Grenache, Tempranillo, Syrah and Cab. This blend has great structure, minerality and balance ($13).

[caption id="attachment_674" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Tall Austrian Barrels, Raul Perez"][/caption][caption id="attachment_672" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Wake, Val de Sil"][/caption][caption id="attachment_670" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Sil Valley"][/caption][caption id="attachment_667" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Pulpo!"][/caption]

Dinner with Raul Perez was optional. Why some of us didn’t jump at the opportunity to get some face time with a groundbreaking, singular visionary winery is beyond me, but needless to say I jumped at the chance.

Raul’s red wines are confounding – sometimes they are massive, chewy, dense and aromatic; other times they are delicate, ethereal and dead ringers for a premier or grand cru burgundy. Over the course of 24 hours I had the opportunity to taste dozens of his wines. Some of them ranked with the best wines I’ve ever had, while others were confoundingly flawed.

Here’s a guy who knows each plot, each grape in the plot, and vinifies the wines according to micro terroir, climate and ripeness levels. Some whole cluster, some, with five month post fermentation skin contact, so with just free run juice, some destemmed, some not – all according to his internal compass for each plot and project. I’m calling this micro-terroir winemaking.

He makes wines in several DOs – Bierzo, Rias Baixas, Ribera Sacra – and is perhaps best known for his 98 Parker point Mencia project El Picado, from an impossible to farm vineyard in the Sil Valley of Ribera Sacra; and his Albariño that is wackily aged at 45 feet below sea level, ostensibly because of a transference of salts that occurs at that depth. Both of these wines are wine geek wines to be sure, but both were astoundingly good.

To say the Perez is singular and driven is an understatement.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

So we carpooled the few miles to a quaint restaurant-inn in an equally quaint town. About ten of us from the wine trip, joined by Raul and several of his winemaking partners and friends. We had the top floor of the rustic restaurant – exposed beams and thatching. The food was very ggod – pork and some dried beef, a great fried goat cheese with pepper sauce, pork riblets and lamb. But what was astounding was the wine.

Raul brought out library wines – some of which he had made, some made by friends – a 1989 Godello, a 1968 Mencia, as well as exemplars from his 2001-2003 bierzo mencia cuvées. The Godello was past its prime to be sure, but still had fruit and structure. The same can be said for the 68 mencia – brick brown, but it still had some of the compelling aroma that makes mencias so good.

His more recent cuvees seemed massive to me – perfect with the food, but I would have guessed that the grape was syrah, not mencia!

After the dinner, I caught a ride back with Raul. He drove like a madman! He deciede to have a drink at a local bar and my colleagues and I were “stuck” there – not an unpleasant experience really – for a few hours, drinking with his pals.

But it was 3:00 a.m. before I made it home!

The next day we piled into the bus for what was to be our last vineyard trip – eastwards into Ribera Sacra to taste more wines from Raul Perez. It was a beautiful drive – if you like stunning views and curvy roads. Each turn revealed a roadcut hundreds of feet high, or a serene river far below, rugged cliffs, lakes, and after a while, vineyards -impossibly perched vineyards, clinging to the hillsides.

After about an hour, we pulled over, to be met by Raul and some of his partners. We were perched high above a canyon, and a vineyard stretched above us as far as the eye could see.

Raul poured a Godello Treixadure blend from this vineyard – the Treixadura adding great lemony acidity to the floral Godello. It sure was refreshing on this sweltering and bright bay.

The we proceeded to hike up the vineyard along a dirt path for about fifteen minutes. It was hot, and there was lots of elevation, but I sure was glad to be getting some exercise! Nine days in a bus was starting to get to me and I relished the idea of moving about a bit.

This was a very steep vineyard, and we had trouble imagining how anuyone could tend the grapes here. Little did we know that this was nothing – we were about to see vineyards that make those in Condrieu and the Mosel look like putting greens!

We piled back into the bus and drove about an hour down to the Sil Rivel, where we boarded a large pleasure craft for snacks and a guided tasting of Raul’s wines – Sacrato Blanco, Sacrato, El Picado, Sketch, A Trabe, and Godello, as well as some Moterrrei wines that he had a hand in Gorvia and QDM, based on the local Bastardo grape.

You could have told me that we were drinking Côtes de Nuits cru burgundies! These mencia based wines were feminine, delicate and not the fruit forward wines I’d had in the states. These were wines for contemplation, and contemplate I did!

As far as his Sketch Albariño was concerned, I was a skeptic -wines finished 45 feet below sea level. What an absurdity – but, he had something going on. The wine had a pleasant saltiness and depth that I hadn’t experienced before in an Albariño before. Too expensive for the shop, but not too expensive for my cellar.

Then came the big boy – El Pecudo – picked from an impossibly steep vinyard of pure old mencia vines. Deep, rich, complex. Wow!!

Did I mention that we were on a boat? The Sil river valley is stupendously beautiful – a steep rocky valley with vineyards – originally planted by slaves in Roman times(!!!) – terrassed and laddered from river level up about four hundred feet.

We saw an occasional person tending the vines, but being the hopttest part of the day, most folks were taking a siesta.

I returned below deck for Tapeo – Joselito Jamón, barnacles, pulpo al la gallega, empañadas, and tortilla. Mmm, another pound and a few points on the cholesterol, but how often to you see food like this?!?!

The boat ride lasted another hour or so, then we piled back to the bus to visit Raul’s winery – a garage at the edge of a shabby industrial area outside of a small Mencia town. The winery was dominated by large Autrian oak vertical barrels and a few barriques. This was a guy who belived in oak, but neutral, dialed back, unobtrisuve oak.

We tasted through barrel samples of more of his wines: Vico (a $20 wine that will be in the shop before too long), Muti, ST Jacques Claudina, Valtuille – amazing wines with grace, depth, terroir and true individual winemaking.

Then Raul did something amazing – he started pouring barrel smaples of wines that he thought didn’t work – a barrel fermented Gewurz, a riesling, some old Godello. These were flawed wines, and here we were, witgh a world class winemaker, who was showing us wines, warts and all!

Then it was back in the bus, then off to a last night dinner in Bierzo with Raul – where he poured some of his personal library wines – a de Montille Volnay, some old Nierpoort ports. Wow!