Question: Liked your informative post on probiotics in yogurt with new trends Sid but what about using frozen yogurt instead?

Answer: Yes frozen yogurt is very popular and usually is a healthier choice than ice cream. However please keep in mind that that the heating or freezing of it does adversely affect those valuable probiotics found in regular yogurt. Check out the process used. Really are entirely different products but enjoy them both in moderation.

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Still like me a daily consumer of yogurt? Posted a blog here on it back on January 20, 2014. Focused last time mainly on fat levels and additives including artificial sweeteners. The buzz for health benefits of probiotics (live micro-organisms) has been well documented including help for your large intestine, cholesterol levels, blood sugars, plus flu & colds. The yogurt industry has been on the move recently with many success stories such as Turkish immigrant Hamdi Ulukaya starting his Chobani (“shepherd”) brand in 2007 reaching now over $1 billion in annual sales for his Greek yogurt. Most consumers are not aware that yogurt has sugar in confusing amounts and sometimes quite high levels. My usual 3 go to 0% fat yogurts are the lowest priced Astro Balkan Plain (5 grams sugar/125 grams), local Olympic Natural Plain (7 grams/175 grams) and my fav Liberte Greek Plain (6 grams/175). The newest product is Liberte Skyr Icelandic style advertising less sugar and no sugar added. Oikos has Triple Zero (Artificial Sweeteners, Preservatives, and Fat) as well as Organic. Non-Dairy yogurt are expanding too using almond, coconut, and soy for lactose intolerant, vegan, dairy allergic and all of us. There does seem to be a trend to a more natural product with less sugar which is good news. Still it is somewhat of a nightmare shopping for yogurt with so many choices but some much better than others. What is your preferred yogurt?

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By Joseph Temple

In last week’s blog entry, we traveled back in time to the era of Prohibition, looking at the rise of Alicante Bouschet, a grape that experienced a tremendous boom due to a clause in the Volstead Act. Allowing citizens to make “non-intoxicating” fruit juice and ciders for “home use,” this legal loophole led to an explosion in amateur winemaking, causing consumption to go from 60 million gallons annually in 1919 to 150 million gallons. But just as important was another loophole that kept a few lucky wineries alive during the “noble experiment” – a loophole that allowed wine to produced and sold for sacramental purposes.

And taking immediate advantage of this clause was Georges de Latour, owner of Beaulieu Vineyard in the Napa Valley who moved quickly to acquire a license to produce sacramental wine. So during this thirteen-year period which saw the number of wineries nosedive from around 700 in 1919 to just 130 before repeal in 1933, Beaulieu Vineyard actually thrived by cornering the market on sacramental wine.

Arriving in the United States in 1883, de Latour, a wealthy French chemist who made his fortune by developing tartaric acid would buy four acres of land in Napa—land that consisted of wheat fields and orchards until his arrival.  Incorporating it into Beaulieu Vineyard in 1904, the land became known for its Cabernet Sauvignon as one of Napa’s 120 wineries. However, unlike most of his competition, de Latour adapted to the new reality as National Prohibition took effect on January 16, 1920.

Described as “one of the best known families in San Francisco” by one newspaper, the de Latour’s used their connections in the Catholic community to become “The House of Altar Wine.”  After receiving his license to make sacramental wine in March of 1920, de Latour received what historian Daniel Okrent described as “the key to a fortune” by winning approval of the Archbishop of San Francisco to supply altar wines. Of course, having two Catholic priests on the first board of directors for Beaulieu Vineyard played a huge role in getting this business—especially since one had a direct connection to the archbishop.

Soon thereafter, de Latour piled up endorsements from other religious figures across the country as the go-to source for sacramental wine. With an office in New York City, Beaulieu Vineyard had key distributors in seven eastern and Midwestern cities by 1922, resulting in the construction of a brand new facility four years later to produce a vintage in the neighborhood of 600,000 gallons. As Okrent explains, schmoozing the clergy played an important role in building his business: “de Latour’s most brilliant marketing gesture was the construction of a guest cottage for visiting clerics and a standing invitation to any who wished to visit Beaulieu and the test the wines on the spot.”

Producing sacramental wine until 1978, this market allowed Beaulieu Vineyard to survive Prohibition as hundreds of vineyards fell by the wayside. “The House of Altar Wine” as Beaulieu was described had survived in tact, earning dividends that today would be worth more than a million dollars!

Sources:

Clarke, Oz. The History of Wine in 100 Bottles: From Bacchus to Bordeaux and Beyond. London: Pavilion Books, 2015.
Okrent, Daniel. Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. New York: Scribner, 2011.
Taber, George. Judgement of Paris: California vs. France and the historic 1976 Paris tasting that revolutionized wine. New York: Scribner, 2005.
Weber, Lin. Prohibition in the Napa Valley: Castles Under Siege. Mount Pleasant: Arcadia Publishing, 2013.

California Digital Newspaper Collection

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Question: What is Torrontés?

Answer: Unique white wine from Argentina. I like the definition by @LauraCatena (managing director of Bodegas Catena Zapata & Luca Winery) in her fun book Vino Argentino by Chronicle Books:

“A white grape varietal and the only truly native Argentine varietal. Torrontés smells like an ultra-ripe Riesling and tastes like a slightly sweeter version of Pinot Grigio. The best Torrontés comes from Salta, a province in the northernmost part of Argentina.” Laura also includes a recipe for Helado de Torrontés that has “the flowery perfume of Torrontés wine, and the creaminess and grainy texture of home-made ice cream.”

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Your scribe is a longtime admirer of and collector of Barbaresco wines from the Produttori co-operative. Founded as a Cantine Sociali by Domizo Cavazza President of the Alba Enological School back in the late 1890s it ceased in the mid twenties but was revived in 1958 and since 1998 is under the direction of the extraordinary Aldo Vacca. Now some 50 grape grower family members totalling around 100 hectares (250 acres – nearly 20% of the DOCG) provide 3 levels of only Nebbiolo grapes for Langhe (younger vines earlier drinking since 1975), Barbaresco (flagship blend of vineyards since 1958) and in only the best years Riserva (“Produttori Crus”) since 1967. Admire the decision that even though 2010 is a great Barolo vintage that it did not show enough body and structure in their Barbaresco crus to bottle as Riservas. They carry on as shown on the bottle back labels: “Only in the very good vintages the best grapes from historical crus (single-vineyards) of the Barbaresco appellation are vinified separately. They are released after 4 years of ageing, as Riserva.”

The nine crus are on steep slopes with classic clay-limestone-marl soil mixes usually rich in calcium. They are each distinct and a joy to taste every vintage while admiring the differences they bring. A concise one word description given by Aldo Vacca for each cru is actually well thought out and often is quite apt:

ASILI: Austere, MONTEFICO: Austere,  MONTESTEFANO: Powerful,  MUNCAGOTA: Floral,  OVELLO: Lively,  PAJE: Bright,  PORA: Approachable,  RABAJA: Complete,  RIO SORDO: Elegant.

Since 1990 onwards my favourites for collecting have been in rising order of preference: Ovello (full fresh fruit drinkable younger), Asili (quintessential Barbaresco balanced complete), Rabaja (warmer site higher elevation usually shows complexity on the nose great finesse with elegant finish) and Montestefano (south facing powerful tannic more Barolo-like styling). Recently enjoyed several of the delicious 1990 vintage and the classic 1996 vintage Montestefano in magnum. The latter was all young firm energy powerful evolving intense fruit of the best kind. No rush especially in that format. Contrast 1996 Pora with much softer tannins on the finish. Even 2004s are still youthful with Asili rather tight but showing outstanding breeding there and Montestefano built for longevity with intense colour & fruit with a full very long tannic finish. However with global warming my thoughts on the 9 Crus are changing somewhat. The weather now can be hot enough recently without the need for full south facing vineyards. Hard to generalize but still feel Muncagota & Rio Sordo are slightly simpler terroirs with the last one south-west facing though elegant. Two crus I am now more excited about are Montefico (can age) and especially Paje. The latter has had a really amazing transformation in 2013 and has reached a much higher level of fruit ripeness in spite of the beneficial cooler winds off the river Tanaro still bringing that wonderful brightness to the wine. Love the amazing balance. A winner! In fact all their 2013s are impressive and good value. Recommend you buy some to cellar.

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