DISQUS

Ryan,

Interesting topic. Let's look at it in a slightly different context. We'll substitute vocation for professional and avocation for amatuer. In those terms, it is obvious that you are a "professional" even if you don't get paid for your expertise. The wine business is your livelihood. You are also fortunate that your vocation is your avocation. How many people can really say that? Coming back to the money for tasting discussion, you should damn well better aspire to getting paid for it! There is nothing wrong with charging for your expertise.

Part of the difference today is that the critics you mention above cut their teeth using "conventional" print media to do so. With the competition for these sorts of jobs, the professional definition is pretty much a foregone conclusion. Your situation (and that of other bloggers) is how do you define professional? And what does it take to get paid in this business?How does the cream rise to the top? Maybe that's what you are getting at.

Bill

G,

The composition of this wine sounds interesting. Has Ryan rigged up a tarp over the grill? Or have you moved on to indoor comfort food already?

BB

Too bad you didn't get this kind of response for the August Wine of the Month tasting!

Portuguese-style Blues (or even some Country and Western).

Don't forget Dulce Pontes. For a similar feel, Cesaria Evora sings fado-inspired songs of Cape Verde.

I must say I experienced a physical sensation the first time I heard Dulce Pontes. I have extolled her virtues as a singer on this blog in the past.

While it is nice that Spanish wines are starting to get more ink, it probably means that the prices are going to increase. With the dollar recently at it's lowest rate to the Euro, it's a double whammy.

I still owe you reviews of four wines. I've been busy, blah, blah, blaf, arf, arf , so haven't had time.

Ryan's suggestion to try Solovino in St. Paul was right on! They've got some very interesting wine, including a large Portuguese wine section. Thanks, Ryan. And for those of you readers in the Twin Cities, it's well worth the time to check it out.

G,

Very informative article. Both wines sound wonderful.

Bill

It's funny, but I seem to recall the Mateus bottle from the 70's as being even more squat, with lower shoulders than your photo. Maybe I'm thinking of a different brand?

Like Richard, I was a Lambrusco fan in the mid to late 70's, only I preferred Zonin.

Thanks for the tip, Ryan. I will check them out.

You must have read my mind. Ross and Nancy are coming over this weekend for a round of Portuguese reds (which will appear in the tasting notes section). I'm looking for simple yet tasteful ways to highlight the wines, which actually may or may not be made with Touriga Nacional. Lamb does look good. I'm thinking skewered kabobs with marinated leg of lamb and beef tendorloin and a small rack of pork ribs.

There are REALLY LIMITED options for Portuguese wines in Mpls. Looking on-line, France and 44 has four reds, Surdyk's has four or five reds and Byerly's website is too complicated or they don't list wines on-line. I'm leaning towards a 2001 from Evel. Any knowledge of that producer?

Beef, Lamb or Pork?

Vine ripened tomatoes are among the best things about August in Minnesota, along with sweet corn. Mixing the two together IS the best thing, especially on the grill. We like to soak our unhusked sweet corn in water for an hour or so before putting it on a medium grill for 1/2 hour to 40 minutes. Add a little butter or olive oil, and some salt and pepper, consume ala Heckle and Jeckle.

The tomatoes will be consumed in a variety of ways. My favorites include Caprese, with our own fresh basil and mozzarella; or stuffed with a cous cous concoction, covered with goat cheese and grilled until the cheese is gooey; or squished over grilled bread (a trick I learned in Barcelona, believe it or not). Yes, they are great straight as well.

The wine will depend on the main course, and tomatoes are so versatile that they pair well with most wines.

What about the rest of the year? Well, we are fortunate to have a large hydroponic growing facility within a hour of the Twin Cities. The tomatoes aren't perfect all year round, but they are better than they used to be. I eat a tomato every day, so we always have a few on hand, ripening away. "A tomato a day keeps the doctor away", that's my motto.

Really enjoyed your article Ryan.

Ryan says "let the market decide". I agree with that statement. But, how does the "market" determine what to drink? As Tim alludes, they listen to wine critics. Let's just cut to the chase and NAME the man, Robert Parker. This man has almost single-handedly manipulated wine makers around the world into the "International style" of wine. What we are seeing is the logical extension of Parker's preferences. If big and bold is good, why not go bigger and bolder? Fortunately, as Ryan says, there are many, many choices.

Personally, I too prefer lower alcohol wines, and do make that a consideration when contemplating a purchase. The thing is, that what used to be the norm, 12.5%, is getting harder and harder to find. The new normal seems to be around 13.5%.

Having said that, would I prefer to see more lower alcohol wines available at my local wine shop? Absolutely. At the end of the day, I'm looking for some finesse, complexity and finish, not fruit bombs that fry the tongue (and the brain).

So, let the lemmings follow Parker, et al. I will continue on my quest with my own palette (and some assistance from friends like Ryan). By the way, Ryan, I should say that I haven't YET had any Sherry that I like. Is that better? A little more open-ended at least.

I'd recognize those cotellettes d'agneau anywhere!

Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay? What a strange pairing. Do you have the percentages for each varietal?

What about Sangria?

If you get a chance to hear Dulce Pontes, go for it.

It's ironic that you should post such an article on the same day I received the following e-mail:

News for Wine lovers

Wal-Mart announced that, effective January 1, 2008, it will begin offering customers a new discount item - Wal-Mart's own brand of wine.

The world's largest retail chain is teaming up with Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery of California to produce the spirits at an affordable price, in the $2- $5 per gallon range.

Wine connoisseurs may not be inclined to throw a bottle of Wal-Mart brand into their shopping carts, but "there is a market for inexpensive wine," stated Kathy Micken, Professor of Marketing at the University of Arkansas, Bentonville. She said: "But the right name is important." Customer surveys were conducted to determine the most attractive name for the Wal-Mart wine brand.

The top surveyed names in order of popularity are:

1 Chateau Traileur Parc
2 White Trashfindel
3 Big Red Gulp
4 World Championship Riesling
5 NASCARbernet
6 Chef Boyardeaux
7 Peanut Noir
8 I Can't Believe it's not Vinegar
9 Grape Expectations
10 Nasti Spumante

The beauty of Wal-Mart wine is that it can be served with either white meat (Possum) or red meat (Squirrel).

Now, what does this (obviously fake) press release say about wine and class? As I started reading this, I was thinking, great, anything that gets people to start drinking wine is a good thing. A rising tide floats all boats, and the more capital available to a winery, the better chances of rising the overall quality of the wines. Of course, the joke was on me (I hope), as you can see by the house brand names. and the menu recommendations.

Please continue to demystify wine. It's a wonderful beverage. I can't wait for Catavino's house wine to be introduced some day!

With apologies to the Beatles. . .

"And curse Ray "McDonalds" Kroc, he was such a stupid get -- all the fatties sing - Hey Burger Man, Ray, what do say, Burger Man Ray"

Of course, we can't simply toss off a little ditty about fast food and fat people. Diet is only one aspect of a lifestyle. Fast food alone doesn't make people fat. To me, it's a choice, which implies responsibility. Meaning, people have a responsibility to make the right food and lifestyle choices if they want to maintain the medically determined "normal" body weight.

Gabriella, we have talked on this subject at great length in the past and you have written numerous posts related to this issue. It really saddens me to hear the overweight and obesity statistics you mention for Spain.

I have more to say on this subject. But, I need to return my attention to the other computer screen, where I earn my bread (literally).

Viva La Mediterranean Diet!

Your friend's name isn't Mickey is it?

Seriously, I must confess to being in the "I don't like Sherry camp" even with very limited exposure. But, I did buy a bottle of Sherry and I will try it.

Ryan,

I really enjoyed the article.

Bill

Loved the videos, Ryan.

On a more serious note, thank you for a very thoughtful and well executed cheese tasting. Cheese #2 looks great and I hope I can find some in Mpls.

Good thing you're in training!

Nothing like the privilege of a Michelin starred dining experience. Glad you enjoyed it! How was the service?

I was leaning towards Gabriella's argument until arithmetic reared it's ugly head in the discussion. It is absolutely true that 'F' is not a number and therefore "flawed" bottles would not be included in any calculation of the relative merit of a wine (regardless of whose fault it is). It is imperative that the flawed bottle be included in any overall rating of that wine.

We also need to consider the wide range of people that will use the scale, and their differing levels of wine tasting experience. A newcomer may taste a bottle and know that something is wrong, but may not know why. Therefore, instead of having to make a judgment that "the wine is corked", they can simply rate the wine as a 1. Since wine tasting is so subjective, why add yet another level of complexity by requiring the declaration of a corked bottle with a separate designation? The whole point of collective wine rating is to average the subjective reflections of the myriad tasters into a shared construct of the wine's overall rating. If the wine is flawed, do as Ryan suggests and be specific about the flaws in the tasting notes.

To me, the only issue I have with the scale is that it's more difficult to slot wines into a specific order of preference. That is where the 100 point scale is more effective. It allows the best wine to be on top numerically. So, if I drink 5 3 Grape wines, the only way to distinguish one is by awarding another 1/2 Grape to one. But what if two of the wines deserved another 1/2 Grape, but I enjoyed one more than the other? Putting that preference in the tasting notes is not sufficient, in my opinion, because of the flood of wines that will come after. There is no arithmetic way to compare that written preference to the next set of wines that come along.

Best wishes on your new career from Tami and I. We are excited for you and Ryan.

Once upon a time
Ryan and Gabriella
Started a business!

BB and TP