Question: During this excessively hot Summer of 2017 I am finding it more difficult to obtain the ideal temperature for the dinner service of my whites & rosés. What are you doing?

Answer: Timely question. Yes it becomes more difficult for your wine service when the room temperature is quite high and quickly warms up your initially perfectly cool wine. Trial & error tactics seem to work best. Starting with a colder wine glass can help. In hot weather I prefer to serve the whites and roses rather colder than ideal and let them quickly warm up in the glass. I also pour a smaller amount initially and add to it from the colder bottle or decanter (held in the frig or in an ice bucket) to cool it down as you go along. Interesting routine too because you get a chance to try the wine at different temperatures – all on the cooler side – to find out exactly where you actually prefer it. Remember it always is easier to correct it if you start too cold rather than too warm. Experiment.

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By Joseph Temple

Wine and cheese parties are a great way to experiment with new pairings and flavors.  They can be as formal or informal as you want.  This is a chance to explore!

1. PROPER STORAGE

Make sure your cheese is fresh and properly stored. Once cut, all cheese has a shorter shelf life – some fresh cheeses, for example, are optimal only within the first few days after opening – even in a container filled with brine or water. Also, avoid plastic wrap as is traps moisture, which can cause mold and an off taste.
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2. SERVE CHEESE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

In order to experience the full flavor profile of a cheese, it shouldn’t be served straight out of the fridge. But don’t leave it out for more than a couple of hours or it could dry and oil-out. And remember to also serve wine at the correct temperature.
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3. KEEP IT SIMPLE

Artisan breads and crackers are all the rage and just fine for a casual eating experience, but if you want to enjoy the complete complexity of specific wine and cheese together, plain crackers or a simple baguette is the best choice for a clean pallet.
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4. CUTTING BOARDS AND THE RIGHT KNIVES

Let guests slice their own portion – a trendy slate or classic wood board is a relaxed way to enjoy the offering and share in the experience. Make sure to use the right knife for the job to avoid an embarrassing mess.
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5. HAVE FUN AND EXPERIMENT

Once all of the pairings are complete, bring out the rest of the accouterments – nuts, honey, fruit, conserves, meats, pickles, and those artisan crackers you’ve been dying to try – whatever you think might work. Have fun and see how the new additions change with the wines.

6. CATEGORIZING CHEESE

There are several ways to categorize cheese, but texture is the easiest to identify, especially for a novice at the market – soft, semi-soft, and firm. For a three course tasting, start with lighter cheeses and move towards heavier flavors. For a good variety, offer a soft, semi-soft, and firm for each course.
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7. PAIRING SOFT CREAMY CHEESES

For a soft creamy cheese, such as Brie or Camembert, serve a fruity to medium red such as Gamay Noir or a weighty, but acidic and refreshing Riesling.
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8. PAIRING SEMI-SOFT CHEESES

For a semi-soft cheese, such as Havarti or Gouda, serve a lightly oaked Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.
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9. PAIRING FIRM CHEESES

For a firm cheese such as an aged cheddar, serve an equally robust Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc.
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10. SWITCH IT UP

Remember to switch it up. There are thousands of different kinds of cheese. Try a full-flavored Merlot with salty Parmesan or a sweet and acidic Vidal Ice wine with strong blue cheese.

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By Joseph Temple

The hot days of summer bring us a bounty of fresh, local fruit.  Here are some tasty recipe ideas to inspire your summer table:

1. Freeze watermelon for a naturally refreshing popsicle
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2. Classic strawberries and cream – try soaking the berries in Champagne for an extra sparkle
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3. Blueberries beautifully top a spinach and Chèvre salad finished with a honey almond vinaigrette
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4. Blackberries, basil, and brie make a lovely crostini
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5. Red currants – preserve these little gems in a jelly to bring sunshine to any winter day
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6. Grilled plums pair well with grilled pork or poultry
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7. Fill with walnut creme, top with a honey sweetened meringue, and torch just until toasted
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8. Frozen blueberry and yogurt pops
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9. A favorite for many: homemade strawberry ice cream
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10. Simple, but classic and delicious: peach cobbler
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Question: What is your recommendation Sid for picking one style of wine to go with all dishes being served during a meal from vegetarian to fish to meat to desserts?

Answer: IMHO no right or wrong answer to a tough question. Trendy these days to say that popular Rosé is your best choice. However I am not the biggest fan of pairing a charming dry (or sweeter) Rosé with red meat. Chilled Gamay (or Cru Beaujolais) or an aged Riesling sometimes is a good alternative for overall pairing with diverse dishes. However my go to choice is usually Sparkling (with Champagne preferred at the higher price point). Those fascinating bubbles seem to give fresh vibrancy and a welcoming refreshment to the palate between bites that makes the matching with most foods really quite magical. Enjoy.

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By Joseph Temple

Way back in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, there was one wine that was all the rage. A wine so popular that some of its biggest fans included Frederick the Great of Prussia, King Louis Philippe of the French, and Catherine the Great of Russia. Novelist Jane Austen once remarked that it had magical healing powers that could even cure a broken heart. And Napoleon Bonaparte drank so much of this particular brand while living in exile on the island of Saint Helena that he refused any other wine as he lay on his death bed. With a plethora of endorsements from Europe’s most powerful monarchs and rulers, one might easily think that this wine came from a famous estate in Bordeaux or Burgundy. However, if that was your first guess, you would be wrong; this world famous wine was produced just outside of Cape Town on the estate known as Groot Constantia.

As mentioned in last week’s blog entry, South Africa’s wine industry was born in the 1650s as an outpost to fill the thirsty needs of Dutch sailors as they headed towards the Orient. But with the arrival of French Huguenots, a more sophisticated level of expertise arrived in Cape Town—and just in time as Simon van der Stal, an early Dutch governor had his 1,850 acre estate sold and divided. Named after van der Stal’s wife Constance, the vineyards that became Groot Constantia fell into the hands of a German named Hendrik Cloete, who eventually made a wine that became the Cape’s hottest export.

Planting a combination of Frontignac (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains), Pontac and some Chenin Blanc, “Constantia Wyn” became a rare exception amongst the lackluster wines made around the Cape. Although records are sparse and incomplete, some speculate that Cloete left the grapes on the vines long after ripeness, which achieved a shrivelled but not botrytized concentration.

Whatever the secret may have been to Constantia’s success, there was no denying that it was a smash hit from London to Saint Petersburg. In The Oxford Companion to Wine, Jancis Robinson writes, “Their [Constantia’s] fame was never matched by any other New World wines and their height they commanded more prestige, more fabulous prices, and enjoyed more crowned patronage than the most celebrated wines of Europe (with the possible exception of Hungarian Tokaji).” While praised by author Charles Dickens and poet Charles Baudelaire, its most famous customer Napoleon had 297 gallons shipped in wooden casks to his home every single year.

Unfortunately, by the 1860s and into the 1870s, Constantia was no longer in vogue. Due to a number of reasons that included the collapse of the export market for Cape wines and the fact that sweet wines had become unfashionable in Europe, the vineyard fell on hard times. Along with low yields which drove up expenses, by 1885, the estate went bankrupt and was purchased by the government, bringing things to a painful end.

When looking back on the legacy and impact of Constantia, its stunning success proved that wines harvested in the New World could compete with the very best of France. One hundred and fifty years later as remarkable vintages from California, Argentina, and Chile are sold across the world, they all owe a debt of gratitude to this special fortified wine!

Sources:

Alexander, Patrick. The Booklovers’ Guide to Wine: A Celebration of the History, the Mysteries and the Literary Pleasures of Drinking Wine. Coral Gables: Mango Media Inc., 2017.
Estreicher, Stefan K. Wine: From Neolithic Times to the 21st Century. New York: Algora Publishing, 2006.
James, Tim. Wines of the New South Africa: Tradition and Revolution. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2013.
MacNeil, Karen. The Wine Bible. New York: Workman Publishing, 2015.
Robinson, Jancis. The Oxford Companion to Wine, 4th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.
Schoonmaker, Frank. Encyclopedia of Wine. New York: Hastings House, 1964.

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