Mo's Wine & Spirits

How can you not be jealous – tasting wine for a living? How do you get that job? Seems easy – tilt glass, taste, swallow…repeat. Or do you really need to be able to taste all those flavors you read in the wine reviews: “eucalyptus”…“burnished leather”…“chunky black berry”…? Well, if you want to taste wine more discriminately, you need to step up and put on your own tasting. The “tools of the trade” are all there, you just need to develop them. Practice will help develop your skills, enhancing your enjoyment and appreciation for wine.

But, you say, you already enjoy wine…why bother? Look at it this way: you loan a friend your favorite book, one that you found full of drama and life, nuance and style. They return it and say “it was a good story”, not understanding any deeper elements that you appreciated. They enjoyed it, but didn’t look beyond the narrative. Like a great book, wine also presents different levels of appreciation and distinctions. It’s OK to simply enjoy a good glass of wine but if you want more, dig a little deeper yourself. Here are some basic tasting steps:

1. Color: Look at the wine in the glass against a white background. Good clarity? Cloudy? Deep rich color? Washed out? The color and clarity of a wine are clues to the varietal, the wine’s age, storage history, and even how it was produced.
2. Swirl: Swirl the wine in your glass, introducing more oxygen to the wine, bringing out flavors and subtleties. Only pour a couple ounces for tasting so you can swirl.
3. Smell: Aroma is a very important single element of tasting, as your taste abilities largely depends on your olfactory sensibilities. Be sure to put your nose right in to the glass, and remember step #2.
4. Taste: Swish the wine in your mouth so it coats all the areas of your tongue. Don’t be afraid to look a little funny when tasting! Make notes on flavors and nuances…impressions come and go quickly, so get them written down.
5. Savor: This final look at the wine is about reflection…what reactions or feelings does the wine generate? Is it complex or simple – harsh or inviting? Well balanced, too fruity or too dry? It’s important to document.

Bottom line: The way to gain wine expertise is to taste. You need experience – stretch your legs and dig deeper to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of wine.

Enjoying good times with family and friends at a restaurant with a special bottle of wine is a favorite practice with wine-lovers. However this habit is not allowed in many establishments. Policy varies from restaurant to restaurant, as will the associated charge known as the Corkage Fee.

Don’t begrudge the restaurant the Corkage fee – it covers the cost of glasses as well as the service of opening and serving the wine. And truth be told, it recoups a little lost wine revenue for the restaurant. From their perspective, a customer bringing in wine might be compared to bringing in their own silverware or favorite steak sauce. Restaurants work hard to provide excellent menus and wine lists for their patrons, and they rely on income from both; whereas food can be marked up 40 percent or more on average in a casual or fine dining establishment, wines can be marked up as much as 10 times more. These are serious financial considerations for the restaurant.

Because this is not a cut and dried issue, here are some basic rules you should respect when bringing in a special bottle of your own:

• The wine should be special, something unlikely to be on that restaurant’s wine list. It might be from a boutique winery or a bottle only available at a winery. Perhaps a quality wine that has been aging in your wine cellar.
• Always call ahead and ask the restaurant about their corkage fee and policy. Fees will vary, and while most are reasonable, some charges are outrageous. The norm is $15 to $20 for a corkage fee. (Expect to pay a higher fee for a magnum of wine).
• If you have a wine that requires chilling, bring the wine chilled in an insulated tote bag.
• For a very special bottle, consider offering the sommelier or manager a taste as well.

Bringing in your own special bottle it is not embraced universally by the restaurant industry, but it should be an acceptable practice when these basic rules are followed. Look for restaurants that have “no Corkage fee night”, usually a slower night at the restaurant. Also, some managers will waive the fee if you purchase additional wine from the restaurant. Patronize restaurants that will meet you half way, and bring in that special bottle for that special celebration!

Imagine opening any bottle of wine and having the ultimate drinking experience. Total sensory enjoyment. The winemaker’s craft will be realized to the full potential. How about reducing or even eliminating  those pesky headaches possibly caused by red wine? But wait! In just minutes you can also improve the flavor of your coffee, water, beer and spirits as well!  A secret mix of no less than 11 semi precious gems along with other earth elements that are set in clear epoxy.  Our Catania Wine Enhancer is 4 1/2″ in diameter and 3/4″ high and encased in stainless steel. Resonant sound waves and earth elements will work together to make young and any wines approachable within minutes.

Robert Catania is a graduate of the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, NY. Dr Masura Emoto is a Japanese research scientist. Emoto discovered that sound frequencies can heal and affect water. Catania studied Emoto’s research and applied the idea that energy fields make liquids better for the body to his Catania Wine Enhancer. The Enhancer claims to make our beloved wine safer and even more appealing to drink! All we needed now was someone to try the darn thing.

A test couple who is the  core of  Mo’s inner sanctum volunteered. I’ll call them Priscilla and Elvis. Priscilla is a no nonsense business woman. No amount of Enhancer hype would sway her logical mind even in a blind trial. Elvis is a professional businessman and an oenophile. His  exceptional palate world be needed for this experiment. The couple took the Enhancer and  selected the Anderson’s Conn Valley 2005 Right Bank for the trial.

Red and I waited for the phone to ring at Mo’s. What would Priscilla and Elvis think of the Enhancer? Why would you want to change the natural order of the wine world? Many questions were volleyed between us. Finally the call we were waiting for. The surprise in Elvis’ voice was evident as he gave us the results of the trial.( the Enhancer gives you specific instructions with time guidelines to not over enhance your wine) Both Priscilla and Elvis could taste a difference in the enhanced and un-enhanced wine in the 6-8 minutes using the Enhancer. The wine had gone through a transformation of sorts, smoother, less tannins making it more approachable. Priscilla had tasted the two samples blind with Elvis as the control.

The Wine Enhancer sits on the desk in the box that it came in. We haven’t spoken much of the Enhancer other than making a few jokes about trying it on a weary back or knee. I own a wine enhancer, It’s  the area of my basement I made into a wine cellar. You can call me Scully if you want to. I’ll put on some Jimi and wait for my wine to enhance the old fashioned way. As the winemakers intended their wine to be…

Cheers, Sharon

Through the middle of the 20^th Century, there was little question as to where the greatest wines were made – it was France. Although some California wineries had been producing wine since the 19^th century, the French still had the best wines in the world. Even the White House served only French wines right up through the 1960s. It was then that the decree was made: only American wines would be served at the White House. It was thought to be a nice gesture but not a great culinary one. However this perception changed radically in 1976, with a wine tasting in Paris that caused an earthquake across the Wine world.

This famous tasting event is highlighted in a new film called Bottle Shock (as well as a second film called Judgment in Paris, which is still in development). Bottle Shock looks lovingly at winemakers in Napa Valley in the early and mid-1970s, highlighting the creation of the great Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that shook the wine world. The movie is a treat for wine lovers; gorgeous cinematography of Napa and wine country, and the inside story on making great wine. It builds up nicely to the 1976 Paris tasting that was a remarkable upset by Napa wines over French. Organizers had assumed that the French wines would easily win. They didn’t.

It’s important to know that all of the tasters of this legendary event were French wine experts, wine-makers and culinary writers, and included the secretary general of the Association des Grands Crus Classes. This was a blind tasting, so they didn’t know what was being poured. After the judging for the White wines, the event’s organizer Steve Spurrier, (brilliantly played in the Film by Alan Rickman) knew that the California whites had won, and against decorum informed the French tasters: not only had they chosen a California wine for the top prize, but that 3 out of 4 of the top white winners were Californian. In preparation for the Reds, the tasters were determined to choose a French winner, as they made remarks about “lesser quality US” wines. When the Red Wine tasting results were in though, the winner was from Napa Valley!

This historic event provides the highlight of Bottle Shock which was enthusiastically received at the Napa Valley premier in July, and is now in limited release. Comparisons to the great wine film Sideways are inevitable, but whether Bottle Shock reaches that wide an audience remains to be seen. They are radically different films, but Bottle Shock has all the important elements of a great movie – drama, challenges, family, love, and of course, lots of wine!

     Love them or not, many people will agree on this this subject.  When it comes to wine, nobody does it better than the crew over in France. History  speaks for itself. So do the many fans of  the Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone and Champagne.
     I enjoy sparkling wines from various parts of the globe. When I have a special occasion or really want to tickle my taste buds, I open a bottle of the real deal from Champagne France.

     Champagne can only be made in the 370 villages in northeastern France, about 90 miles north of Paris. France has very strict laws governed by the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine ,or I.N.A.O. for short.

     Champagne is unique from all other sparkling wines. One reason is the location on which it is grown. The white chalky soil and ever changing climate make her grape growers utilize their unique growing skills to thwart mother nature when she yet again tries to sabotage their crops.

     Often copied, Champagne must be grown in Champagne, France to be called ”Champagne”. People from all over the world pay a premium for her wares. This is why we have a Champagne shortage! We need to have more Champagne produced to keep up up with the demand. 150 million bottles were exported last year from France. I’m sure my consumption helped contribute to the shortage.

     This March, the I.N.A.O. has decided, after a century, to expand the region of the Champagne vineyards, and allow in 40 more communities. This will ease the global Champagne shortage. Land in Europe is measured in hectares. Before  the expansion a hectare of land was worth about three thousand dollars. That same hectare if you are lucky enough to be part of the Champagne expansion is worth over one million dollars! 

     A toast to the Champagne expansion! No more nightmares about a Champagne shortage! Maybe the price will go down! There are just some things that certain people do well…and others do SO much better!

                                                                   Cheers, Sharon    

Entertaining with wine doesn’t have to be intimidating. Whether you’re searching for advice on a theme or basic how-to’s, a number of on-line resources provide the tips you need for a successful wine party.

Like the Wine Weekly blog which bills itself as “for the Non-Snob.” There, Vino Joe discusses the importance of having a theme. He suggests choosing a particular country or region to organize your event around.

When choosing your theme, consider using vertical or horizontal tasting. According to Greg Meserole of DamnGoodWine.com, vertical tasting features wines from several different vintages that were produced by one winery. “A nice example of this,” he says, “would be tasting Cabernet Sauvignon from Joseph Phelps Winery spanning the “90,” “91,” “92” and “93” vintages. This would let the tasters see how each vintage compared to the next.” Horizontal tasting, by comparison, features wines from the same vintage or year, but produced by different wineries.

Who springs for the wine? Vino Joe says “there are two ways you can do a wine tasting; either YOU can buy all the wine, or all of your guests bring a bottle or two each.” If you chose the latter, follow Meserole’s advice and “fill [guests] in on the price range you have chosen.”

With the question of wines covered, what food do you serve? Matthew Amster-Burton, writing for MSN Lifestyle, suggests avoiding foods that “require last-minute fussing … This is a good time to pull out the stereotypical matches,” he states. Pairings like “oysters and Muscadet, pinot noir and salmon, port and chocolate.” His last word?  “Avoid classic wine enemies like artichokes and pickles.”

What wine best accompanies a main course of lamb? Or ham? Whether you’re entertaining or ordering, you want to get it right. Luckily many no-cost guides are available online to help you steer clear of a flavor mismatch.

The popular Food Network web site makes the perfect pairing quick and easy with a chart that features a multitude of entree categories, from “Asian” to “Vegetable.” Then for each entree it lists two wine varieties along with suggested brand choices in each of three price categories.

Food & Wine takes a different approach with guidelines the reader can apply to an unlimited number of wines. Author Ray Isle, for instance, advises that “tannins pair well with fat.” He then explains why the pairing works; “the astringency of the tannins cuts through the viscosity of the fat.”

The site Gourmet Sleuth provides yet one more resource, combining fundamental rules and general advice with an in-depth chart for an exceptionally comprehensive guide. Taking it one step further, the site features links for pairing wine with cheese or with chocolate!

With so much great advice available, there’s no longer any reason to fret over flavor. The perfect pairing is just a click away.