The Wine Curmudgeon

High alcohol and global warming

What if a scientific study found that increases in wine alcohol levels were not related to global warming, but were a choice made by winemakers? How would that change the debate about high alcohol?

We're reasonably close to finding out. Julian M. Alston, the director of the Robert Mondavi Institute Center for Wine Economics at the University of California-Davis, is in the middle of research -- perhaps seminal research -- that could answer that question. Alston agreed to talk to me about his work with two caveats: First, that I emphasize that this is an on-going project, and that he hasn't reached any conclusions yet, and second, that he couldn't be too specific about the project because he has promised an exclusive interview to the Wine Spectator when he is finished.

Still, we had plenty to talk about. More, after the jump:

Wine review: McPherson Cellars Roussanne 2010

The on-going debate in the Texas wine business is about whether to make wine from grapes that consumers recognize, or to make wine from grapes that are suited to the Texas terroir. It's a debate that has pitted winemakers against winemakers, growers against winemakers, and critics against winemakers.

The first group argues that consumers won't buy wine from a Texas winery unless it says chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, or merlot on the label -- and that if they have to buy grapes from California to make those wines, so be it. Otherwise, there would be no Texas wine industry.

The second group, to which the Wine Curmudgeon belongs, disagrees. Our approach: What's the point of making Texas wine that tastes like California wine? Texas wine (or New York or Virginia or other regional wine, for that matter) should reflect the state's unique characteristics -- the soil, the climate, and the like.

I'm going to write more about this next week, and specifically the labeling controversy in the regional wine business -- how too many regional wineries try to convince consumers that wine made with California grapes came from their state. Today, though, it's enough to note that this roussanne ($14, sample) is a white wine that firmly, boldly and unequivocally makes the argument for terroir-driven wines. More, after the jump:

Cooking in the kitchen with the CIA

Spencer Kayser was in a zone. In one hand was a paring knife; in another was a turnip. He was going to turn that turnip (the French term for the technique is tournee), and not even the distraction caused by a visiting wine writer was going to stop him.

The Wine Curmudgeon was at the Culinary Institute of America's San Antonio campus last week, part of a media event that allowed me to participate in a 3 1/2-hour skills class. I was teamed up with Kayser, Joe Casias, and Kiali Andrus. (Full disclosure: The CIA paid my plane fare between Dallas and San Antonio.)

Our task: Prepare braised short ribs, polenta, tourneed root vegetables, and haricot verts to chef instructor Michael Katz's satisfaction. And yes, I wore a toque like the students on the left. And no, there are no pictures of me wearing it.

What we did and how we fared -- after the jump.

Wine of the week: Yellow + Blue Sauvignon Blanc 2009

The Wine Curmudgeon has long enjoyed the Yellow + Blue wines, which come in a 1-liter box (one-third more than a bottle) and offer tremendous value. So why haven't I written about the wines in almost two years? Blame it on the vagaries of the three-tier system, which has made the wines very difficult to find in Dallas (and I don't write about wines that I can't find here).

Since this post is about the wine and not the three-tier system, we'll skip the rant on the latter. Just know that the sauvignon blanc ($12, purchased) was well worth searching for. It's Chilean sauvignon blanc the way the Chileans used to make it, before they decided to raise prices and knock off New Zealand sauvignon blanc.

Look for more lime than grapefruit, with a long mineral finish. This is a very well done wine, especially for the price, and an example of what Y+B can do -- assuming it can find a way to get into stores. I drank this with a Cornish hen that had been split, marinated with olive oil and lemon juice, and broiled, and it was an excellent match.

One other thing: Matt Cain, who runs Y + B, would fuss if I did not mention that this wine is made with organic grapes and that the box is a Tetra Pak, which produces a significantly smaller carbon footprint than a wine bottle. Which are good things, of course, but wouldn't make much difference if Cain's company made lousy wine. Which it doesn't.

Winebits 187: Blog awards, screwcaps, African wine

• Wine blogger awards: The finalists for the 2011 awards, which honor the best U.S. wine blogging, have been announced. The great Randall Grahm has been nominated in two categories -- best writing and winery blog, while a couple of pals of regional wine have also been nominated -- Lenn Thompson at New York Cork Report and Virginia's Swirl, Sip, Snark. Given the Napa-centric, industry-dominated focus of most of the finalists, the last two are huge surprises. Either is a deserving winner. And Grahm? They should just give him the best writing honor and then retire the award.

• Hogue goes screwcap: Yet another major winery has given up on corks. Hogue Cellars in Washington state, owned by multi-national Constellation Brands, will move all of its wines, including high-end reds, to screwcaps. Said Hogue's director of winemaking: "[T]his study shows that wines aged under the right screwcap closure over five years were better preserved, aged well and were deemed the highest quality." This is huge news, given that the biggest wine producers are often the most reluctant to give up on corks. No word yet on whether the cork producers have made a snarky video that says that guys who buy Hogue wines have bad breath, pimples and no luck with girls.

• The African wine business: Mike Veseth at the Wine Economist blog reports from the annual meeting of the American Association of Wine Economists. One topic? The future of the African wine business: "South Africa’s markets of the future are Africa and India (not Britain and the U.S.) as wine consumption rises in these regions andfavorable wine market reforms are implemented (a particular problem in India, I believe, but probably in many parts of Africa, too). Wine markets shifting to Shanghai? That’s interesting. To Nairobi? That’s very interesting!" I wonder how the Wine Magazines would deal with that?

Happy Fourth of July 2011

The blog is mostly off today for the holiday. But that doesn't mean you won't enjoy yourself if you've stopped by. The video -- with B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and Jimmy Vaughan -- is just as amazing as you'd expect, what with three legends and one of the greatest guitar players to come out of Texas. And Clapton in shorts is worth a look, too. It's courtesy of mprwac on YouTube.

Happy July 4.

Wine review: Pillar Box Red 2008

This is yet another wine that the recession has turned into a tremendous value. When the Wine Curmudgeon first came across the Pillar Box, it was about as hot as a cheap wine could be -- an Australian shiraz blend that Robert Parker loved. And retailers weren't hesitating to charge a couple of bucks more for it than the suggested $12.

Two years later, some retailers are still selling the 2007 vintage that I tasted then (check out the comments on the first link in this post). And the current vintage, the 2008, hasn't been replaced by a 2009 or even a 2010, which should have happened in the normal course of events. But the recession, as well as the near-collapse of the Australian wine business, means there has not been a normal course of events for the past three years.

The Pillar Box ($10, purchased) remains an excellent value; especially since it cost $2 less than it did two years ago. And I bought it at a Dallas retailer notorious for higher prices -- who knows what a discounter in another part of the country might sell it for? Look for the classic shiraz bacon fat aroma and lots of rich red fruit. But this wine's flavors are balanced; it's not over the top or too simple in the way it shows its fruit, and there is some heft at the back to balance the fruit. The extra bottle age has helped, too. This is another great Fourth of July wine -- think smoked brisket or chicken.