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The Grapevine
Hosted by Michael Franz
Special to the Washington Post
Wednesday, June 20, 2001; Noon EDT
Michael Franz comes to the Web for The Grapevine to talk about the art of wine and his latest column.
Franz, who says he's been "drinking wine for 20 years and intently studying it for 13 years," regularly conducts public tastings for the Washington Wine Academy. You can find his column on alternating Wednesdays in The Washington Post Food section.
The transcript follows -- enjoy the oenological banter.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Michael Franz: G'day mates! Welcome to The Grapevine, an interactive forum devoted to all things vinous. The deal here is pretty straightforward: You send questions or comments or even splenetic outbursts related to wine, and I try to respond in an informative way. Almost any issue is fair game...from how wine is made, to the workings of the trade, to issues of shipping, shopping, storge or service. Keep the questions coming...and I'll answer as many as I can in the next hour. Please don't be offended if I can't get to your question, as I'm never able to ge to to them all (despite the fact that I stoke myself to the gills with strong Indonesian coffee in order to accellarate my typing!).
As in the past, I want to offer a recommendation of a wine that you Grapevinistas should try to track down. This show's selection is a fantastic bargain from South Australia: Wynn's Coonawarra Estate Shiraz 1998, which rings up around $12 (higher in some places, and conceivably a bit lower in others). This wine had not yet hit our market when I profiled Australia's cool regions a little while back, and the excellent 1997 was running very thin at the time, so I didn't mention it in the article on Australian cool climate reds. However, it is now available, and this bottle will show that all the hubub over the 1998 vintage was not just hype! The wine is deeply flavored but not chunky or overripe (as can be the case with Shiraz from warm climtes), with delicious berry fruit and well-measured oak. You ask: "Why the heck are you recommending Australian Shiraz on a sweltering summer day?" I answer: Because Shiraz in this structural and flavor profile is delicious with grilled meats, and only an idiot would want to fire up the stove on a day like today! Give this baby a try with a couple of grilled lamb chops tonight and you'll see!
So...on to your questions!
Rochester, N.Y.:
Hi Michael, great column on one of my most favorite areas in France. In the summer og 1999 I had the great pleasure of visiting Domaine Tempier and tasting a range of their wines with the maker. I would consider them world class wines. Would you agree? Secondly the wines of Bellet were delightful, do they travel?
Michael Franz: Hi...thank you. Yes, I visited Tempier in mid-May when traveling in the area, and will have more to say about them in two weeks when I'll devote a column to Bandol. Tempier makes what may well be the world's highest expression of Mourvedre (though a couple of producers in Chateauneuf-du-Pape might take issue with that), and their Rose is so much better than almost everything else colored pink in the world of wine that it is utterly in a class by itself. Does it make sense to pay $24 for a bottle of rose? DAMN RIGHT IT DOES! (Sorry...too much coffee.) This wine is one of the absolute greatest in the world where versatility with food is concerned. So, stay tuned for more in two weeks!
Washington, D.C.:
Hi,
I am trying to find out if you know who took over the Calem Vinyards in Portugal, or if they are still producing. During the Late 80's and early 90's they produced what I thought was a great tawny port that I have been trying to either find or find a substitute for since. The Wine was wonderful, and the bottle was classic with no paper label, but a painted label instead. If you can help, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks, Bernadette of D.C.
Michael Franz: Hi Bernadette,
I'd love to help, but you've got me on this one. Can anyone out there help?
Tustin Ranch, Calif.:
Hi Michael,
Your discussions are great and please keep-up thoes under $10 recommendations. I've got a bottle of '86 Dunn "Napa Valley" Cabernet, sitting in my wine fridge since it's release. Do you have any suggestions of something simple to eat with it, like a cheese?
Jon
Michael Franz: Assuming that it is your intention to savor that baby slowly, it does indeed make more sense to enjoy it with a couple of great cheeses than to use it to wash down a steak. There are differing schools of thought on which chesses are best with which wines, but I think this whole issue is hopelessly over-legislated, and that you should just buy a couple of your very favorites. I personally like hard chesses like aged Gouda or Parmesiano Reggiano, though good quality chevre with a little age (like Boucheron) can also be great with big reds. Enjoy!
Alexandria, Va.:
Are local wine distributors supposed to be helpful in finding the retail stores that sell the wines you're looking for? I've been searching for an Oregon wine (Chehalem) that I'd had at a restaurant and found on their web site the name of a local distributor. But when I called, they said they couldn't tell me which stores had it and (get this) I should check Giant or Safeway first, if they didn't have it they could order it for me! Maybe I'm cynical, but I hesitate to think how a request like that would go over in a grocery store. Why can't they just tell me the names of the retail stores that they DO distribute this particular brand to? Isn't it in their best interest that their products move off the retailer's shelves?
Michael Franz: Hi Alexandria,
Tasted 2000 Chehalem Pinot Gris last night and boy, was it good! So, for starters, I can understand your motivation as well as your frustration. Are local wine distributors "supposed" to be helpful with a search such as yours? No, not really. Would it be smart of them to do so, and would this be good for their business as well as their relations with producers and retailers? Absolutely. Is it technically feasable? I suspect that it is, and I know for a fact that many distributors track who has pruchased which wines from them. In any case, there isn't much that you can do if the distributor doesn't want to help or if he/she gives stupid advice like what you received (Chehalem is decidedly not a supermarket brand) except to try a neighboring jurisdiction. Two suggestions: Call the MD/DC distributor (Bacchus; 410-633-0400) and also try MacArthur Beverages in upper Georgetown, where Allen Murphy is something of an expert on Oregon wines. Good luck!
Arlington, Va.:
Ok, perhaps I'll try the $24 rose, but in the meantime, can you recommend some under-$10, or at least under-$15, roses? Thanks!
Michael Franz: You bet! I'll need to ask you to do a bit of leg work (more precisely, finger work), though, since I won't be able to check the wine myself while answering questions. However, last summer I published a story on Roses, and one of the wines right behind the Tempier was an astonishing bottle for about $8, and as I recall it was imported by Jocelyn Cambier and distributed by Franklin. So, go to this site's home page, click on "FOOD," and look to the archive for the "WINE" column. You'll find teh story without much trouble, and I'll bet the current vintage of that wine is a dynamite bargain.
Vienna, Va.:
Michael I was lucky enough to be in Australia recently for a small holiday. I was surprised to see how popular sparkling red wine was with the locals. It seemed to be a common site, served chilled with many different food types for their warm summer. All of the sparkling
reds I have tried haven't been that good, however I quite enjoyed drinking them there. So, since it starting to get warmer here, is there anywhere I can buy Australian Sparkling Shiraz in the D.C. metro area?
Michael Franz: I don't know of a specific store that stocks the stuff, but I can say that I share your impression of sparkling Shiraz: Fun idea, but none of them are actually very good! I rather suspect that this is a fad and nothing more, though I grant that there is a strong subjective element in all such issues, and it may simply be that the stuff just doesn't line up well with my palate. (Trying to sound magnanimous there...fact is that I think these things are bizarre and disgusting...oops, there goes the coffee again!) You'll surely be able to find a bottle if you make enough calls, and then you'll be able to tell us whether your enjoyment of them while down under was a function of general vacation revelry or whether the wines are actually drinkable!
Baltimore, Md.:
Dear Michael, Just got back from a trip to Napa Valley; lots of good wines to taste. I was quite impressed by Mason Sauvignon Blanc, quite acidic and very Cloudy Bay-like. Do you know if it is distributed locally? I tasted it at Napa Wine Company, where it is crushed and fermented. Thanks for the tips in today's Post--looking forward to Bandol!
Michael Franz: Yes, I know (and admire) the wine, and know that it is available in the area. Wine Source was selling it in D.C. a year ago...you might give them a call to see if they'll help you track some down, and you might ask any MD retailer to look up the distributor in MD for you in the Beverage Journal (where all wines available in the state are listed, with wholesale prices indicated).
Cheap/Good Rose:
I thought us surfers could help out Arlington while you answer Q's!
Prieure Saint-Hippolyte Coteaux du Languedoc 1999 ($8, France): Packed with flavor but without any trace of sweetness or bitterness, which is very difficult to achieve. (Jocelyn Cambier/Franklin)
Michael Franz: That's the one! Thank you!
Calem Port:
I am pretty sure that was the brand of one of the many bottles of port we lugged back from Portugal last year. I haven't had to look for it here yet, but hope it's available. As I recall, it was also very reasonably priced.
Michael Franz: Okay, that's a start. Can anybody else help us zero in on this?
Washington, D.C.:
Hi Michael,
You're right on with the shiraz recommendation above. I brought some to a party recently where we were served grilled meat and the wine went quickly.
I hope you will be able to recommend a good vinho verde I can purchase locally. The few I have tried here do not come close to those I enjoyed last summer in Portugal. It can be a good refresher in this sultry weather.
Thanks!
Michael Franz: I swear I'll get to work on Vinho Verde...wait 'till August when it is REALLY sweltering here, and I'll publish a story with recommendations.
Looking for wine:
. . . in all the wrong places, apparently. I wrote two weeks ago about a saumur I tried at a restaurant and really liked. Anyway, I haven't been able to find it at the couple of wine stores I've visited. How do you track down a wine you've tried and liked when you don't know the distributor? I love these chats, thanks!
Michael Franz: I know that a couple of retailers look in on this show...can anybody help this poor soul?
Fairfax, Va.:
You are so right! Humble little boucheron is a very versatile cheese for wine. I had it as the mildest entry in a Galileo cheese plate alongside a fully mature (but singing) 1993 Spanna IGT (forget the producer) and it was by far the best match with the wine.
Michael Franz: Drink enough wine, eat enough cheese, and an epiphany will occur eventually! This is my approach as a wine lover of Swiss descent who must have both wine and cheese each and every day! Thank you for the corroboration!
To Chehalem drinker:
Go to www.wineaccess.com - I searched on Chehalem and the Daily Planet in Alexandria and Calvert Woodley in D.C. both have the Pinot Gris. Furthermore, MacArthur Liquor (www.bassins.com) has a suite of wines from Chehalem to include Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Still, it's best to call before you go.
Michael Franz: Hey...thanks for the assist!
Arlington, Va. and Rehoboth:
Michael: A couple weeks back you suggested I look for the Challero Jumilla (sp?) to stock up our group beach house. I did, and boy were you right. I finally found it at Fresh Fields. It's a wonderfully European-tasting red that goes well with grilled meats and veggies. Any similar suggestion for a buy-in-bulk white wine?
Michael Franz: Sure. I happen to love crisp, zesty New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs in summer, and a really exceptional one for $12 (or a little less, which is a whole lot cheaper than most) is Nobilo 2000. Give it a try...and don't forget the steamed clams!
Washington, D.C.:
Good Aternoon: We store our wine in our basement against the wall, which abuts the earth in our backyard. The room stays cool in the summer and we’ve rigged it so that bottles are shielded from light from the window. Since all the rains, I’ve noticed a slight musty smell in the basement and in particular, that room since it’s usually kept closed up and used mainly for storage. The musty smell isn’t new to us, but I’m concerned about the wine. I remember reading
in “The Wine Avenger” about a case of wine the author kept in his mother’s laundry room. When they went to drink it, the wine tasted like laundry detergent since odors can permeate the cork. Do odors permeate the corks and do I need to worry? (My husband thinks that most (true) wine cellars have a musty smell.) Thanks.
Michael Franz: I wouldn't lose any sleep over this. Many cellars do indeed harbor musty aromas, and if subtle smells could penetrate corks, this would be a widespread and well-known problem. I surely wouldn't keep my wine in teh presence of strong, acrid odors, but I really wouldn't worry about subtle smells. Anybody out there disagree?
Takoma Park, Md.:
Michael,
What can you tell me about Vouvray wines of the Loire Valley -- decent priced labels and how to pair this wine with food?
(As a junior in college, I spent a semester in Tours, France in the heart of the Loire Valley. While there, my classmates and I were treated to several visits to very small wineries. Of course, we probably enjoyed the novelty of the experience and the alcohol much more than the wine itself! Now almost 15 years later and appreciating wine much more, I am seeking out Vouvray again. Is this wine any good, or is it the joy of youth that I remember?)
Michael Franz: Vouvray can indeed be very good, though I have no doubt that your fondness was heightened by the circumstances! I spent a semester in Japan, and thought that hot, cheap sake was ambrosia straight from the gods. Vouvray is made from Chenin Blanc grapes, which are used for cheap plonk in California's central valley, but which are nevertheless capable of making noble wine. Vouvrays vary quite widely in both quality and sweetness, so you'll need to experiment to find what suits your current tastes. As for foods, successful pairing will depend so much on sweetness levels that I hesitate to offer a recommendation. Vouvray is an excellent aperitif, so try it well chilled and bring some light hors d'oevueres into play to see what works...good luck and happy memories!
Port Lead:
The poster may wish to check out this site: http://www.calem.pt/english/
Michael Franz: This is great! My very own support staff after all these years of flying solo! Thanks again!
Glover Park, D.C.:
Hi Michael. Here's a "trade" question for you. I am interested in pursuing a career as a sommelier. I currently have a lay knowledge of wine, and am engaging myself in self-directed research to improve my knowledge of wines and the wine/service industry.
I know if I wanted to be a lawyer, for example, there is a certain accepted, prescribed method of achieving that.
I get the feeling one does not simply "go to sommelier school." How would you proceed in my situation? What would be your strategy?
Michael Franz: Somebody in D.C. was offering classes for this very purpose a while back. Let's do this: If anybody can find who it was, send it to me by e-mail at mfranz@loyola.edu and I'll pass it along to you in two weeks if you write in again.
Washington, D.C. 20016:
About wine odors: I agree with you Michael. If there were real problems with wine picking up odors, we would certainly here more about them. I have even heard anedoctally (in Italy) that cedar in a wine cellar will taint the wines, but I regard that advice very very skeptically.
Michael Franz: Thanks...
Richmond, Va..:
Michael regarding your question last week about the Hofstatter Lagrein wine. The wine is in D.C. and will be in Va. very soon. My name is Gary and I am the new Va. rep for Vinifera we are the distributor. Please ask for the wine at your local shop.
Michael Franz: Great...thanks for the info...I hope that questioner will pick this up. I tasted at Hofstatter about 4 years ago and was quite impressed.
Watertown, Mass.:
Hi there --
My question has to do with wine and moving. Although I don't have an imminent move, my previous strategy of transporting my only handful of nice wines in the car with us as we drove across country isn't going to be feasible next time around.
What do people do with their wine cellars when they move?
Thanks. David
Michael Franz: I'm certain that one can rent trucks with refrigeration units, and would guess that the yellow pages will show this to be the case. Caterers, seafood companies, and the like must use such services during their busy season. Right?
Missouri Norton:
Great article today. Your reviews recently have certainly expanded the wine spectrum from CA Chardonnay and Bordeaux to a whole new world of quality, especially at reasonable wines.
I have the opportunity to go to Valentino's in LA soon, who supposedly has the best Italian wine list in the country. If I wanted to splurge on a Barolo or "Super Tuscan", how much bottle age or vintage should I be looking for since I could not decant it for 24 hours? What are some good years that are ready to drink now?
Graci
Michael Franz: Hi, Hope you're well. Thanks for the kind words...I guess you've noticed that one of my prime motivations is to help people break away from the herd and find their way to the thousands of amazing wines off the beaten path....
I assume that you're prepared to drop a few bucks that evening, and I'd say 1990 is the year to look for. The wines are wonderful, and will have had enough time to soften. If all the 1990s are too expensive, try 1993 for Barolo or Barbarasco (which were pretty good but got no press) or 1995 from Tuscany. Hope it is a great experience!
Potomac, Md.:
I will be visiting Seattle and Portland in a few weeks. Do you have any recommendations for wineries to visit in both areas? Thanks.
Michael Franz: Yep! From Portland you're less than an hour from some very fine wineries such as Ponzi (arguably the state's best). There is an outfit called the Oregon Wine Advisory Board that can probvably help you with a map if you call or find their web site.
From Seattle, you are again about an hour from some very fine wine in Woodinville (sp?), which is home base for Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia, and DeLille (three very important producers), all of which are quite close together. Call Ste. Michelle for directions, drive safely, and don't forget to spit!
Michael Franz: Sorry to say, folks, that we're out of time! Sorry if I couldn't get to your question...please try again when we next crank up the Grapevine in two weeks...on July 4...which shows how fast the summer is flying by. Maybe we can chat a bit about the state of American wines, as well as teh state of wine in America's culture. In any case, until then, cheers!
washingtonpost.com:
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discussion.
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