1.12.09_________________________________________________

DIY Wine Tasting

When people ask me how I learned about wine, I always answer honestly, “By drinking a lot of it.” If you're not in the wine or restaurant business, this can be a daunting task. The way many wine professionals increase their knowledge is to form tasting groups. If you can find four or five friends that would like to improve their knowledge of wine, this is an excellent way to begin.

It is important to determine if everyone in the group has the same level of interest. In other words, you have to decide if it's a party or an actual learning situation. Wine tasting parties are fun, and can expose you to wines you have not had before, but as a learning experience, they're not very effective. Here are a few guidelines to help you put together your own wine tasting group.

First of all limit the number to no more than six. It becomes difficult to communicate if there are too many people in the group. Then decide upon an agenda. For example, will you start with white wine or red wine? It probably makes the most sense to explore several grapes of the same color, so you can compare and contrast more easily.

Let's say we're going to start learning about red wines, and we decide upon Pinot Noir as the subject of our first tasting.

You will need four bottles of wine; three bottles of Pinot Noir, and a fourth bottle of some other, distinctly different, varietal. It works best if one person purchases all the wines to avoid any overlap. What you are looking for in these three wines is what is called “varietal correctness.” There are certain wines that exhibit the most easily recognizable character of a particular grape. In other words, what you are looking for is the most Pinot-like Pinots. It would be a good idea, within these parameters, to pick wines from three different regions. That way, you can see how a different terroir can affect the grape's taste. The fourth wine should be tried after you have finished with the other three. Something like a Cabernet or Syrah would be ideal. After you have tasted three wines that are very similar, the contrast between the Pinot Noir and the Syrah or Cabernet will be quite apparent and will add to your understanding of what Pinot Noir does not taste like.(Don't try to do more than four at a time until you are much more familiar with wine, doing too many will just be confusing.) It's also a good idea to make sure you are buying at a store where the staff can direct your purchases in a meaningful way. I would recommend Silverlake wine, but that's just me.

Each guest should bring four wineglasses, and a notebook, to record their thoughts on the different wines. It would be best if all four glasses were similar in size and shape. We use the Riedel Oueverture red wine glass at our tastings and find they work well for either red or white wine. Everyone should have a glass of water and have a dump bucket available in case some people can't finish their glass.(Ha, ha) You should also have some French bread. It's best not to have cheese or any other type of food during the tasting.

Pour about an ounce and a half to 2 ounces of wine into each glass. You can easily identify the wines by putting a number on each glass. Put a corresponding number on each bottle, so you won't get confused. We mark our glasses with a sharpie. It's actually easier to take off than the residue from a sticker.

The rest is really pretty easy. Smell wine number one and try to think about what the aromas might remind you of. Then taste the wine and think about how it tastes. As you move through the wines you will begin to see similarities and differences. In the beginning, it's best to get your own ideas first and then discuss them with the group. This is because once someone says the wine smells like bananas, it will smell like bananas to everyone. Don't think about what the wine is supposed to taste like or smell like. What it smells like to you is what it smells like. Someone else may have another idea. And that's what makes the world go 'round. You will eventually learn to swirl the wine in the glass. This is not just done to look cool, it actually spreads a thin sheet of wine around the inside of the glass. As it evaporates the aroma is much more intense that wine that is just sitting still. After you taste a lot of wine you will unconsciously swirl everything in a stemmed glass.

When you read about wine tasting, there will be a certain amount of time spent on examining the color and clarity of the wine by holding the glass up to the light or against a white tablecloth. While there is a certain amount of enjoyment to be had enjoying the color of a beautiful wine, believe me, you will look like a dork if you spend any time doing this. In fact, the first sign of someone who doesn't know too much about wine is how much time they spend “considering” the wine before they drink it. As Randy likes to say, “It's all just grape juice.”

12.6.08_________________________________________________

Christmas Cocktails

Growing up a Minnesotan of Norwegian descent, there was a big emphasis on the Christmas holiday. After all, when it's that cold and dark you can see appeal of anything that smacks of light, warmth and levity. Unfortunately, in my extended family, there were a lot of teetotalers and so I had to learn some of the Scandinavian traditions from friends. One of those traditions is the Aquavit toast. In Scandinavia, Aquavit is an extremely popular beverage. Basically it is a neutral spirit flavored with caraway and herbs and is best described as Nordic Tequila. Of course, my favorite is Linie, a Norwegian distiller. This liquor is sailed across the equator and back before it is released to sell. I don't know why this would make a difference but it tastes the best to me. Scandinavian folk like to toast a lot, so a lot of Aquavit gets consumed. The bottle is kept in the freezer, or frozen in a block of ice. We pour the liquor around in shot glasses, or little stemmed glasses of about the same size. Everyone raises their glass and says “Skoal!” There is usually a beer chaser to follow. It is important to make eye contact during the toast as it is considered rude not to. Bear in mind, should you decide to blow off the eye contact, that the word “skoal” derives form the Viking practice of drinking from the defeated (and decapitated) enemy's skull.

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Grandpa Einar's Christmas Gløgg

I had a couple of requests for this recipe from last year's December newsletter so here it is.
As mentioned above, there was not much alcohol consumed in my family. I got a taste for Gluehwein (hot, spiced wine) during a couple of winter visits to Berlin and decided to look into Gløgg, the Norwegian equivalent. I experimented with a few recipes that were good, but then on a visit to my mother's house, I was looking through a box of family relics and found an old notebook that had belonged to my grandfather, Einar Joakim Olsen. It was in Norwegian so I couldn't really read it, but at the top of one of the yellowed pages was the word Gløgg. (It has been referred to, obliquely, that Einar was not completely against alcohol. In fact, when he wanted to have a little bump, he had to go down in the basement so as not to bring shame upon the family.)
My mother helped me out a bit with translating the notes. The good thing was that there were a few ingredients that made this recipe unique, such as juniper berries. There were no exact proportions so I did a little tinkering on my own. Here is the result.
You will need:

One bottle of medium bodied red wine
8oz. Port
4oz. Vodka (optional)
2 cinnamon stick broken into pieces
4 cloves
6 juniper berries
4 black peppercorns
4 cardamom seeds
2 wide strips of orange zest (make sure to trim off the white stuff next to the peel)
Raisins and blanched almond slivers
Tie the spices in a piece of cheese cloth.
Heat the wine and port until it just starts to boil and then reduce heat until the mixture is just steaming. Add the spices and orange zest. I usually let this sit for about 20-40 minutes. Taste and see if you would like it sweeter. If so, add white sugar to taste.
Add the almonds, raisins and vodka and leave on the heat for another 10 minutes.
Put a tablespoon or so of raisins and almonds in a demi-tasse cup. Ladle in the Gløgg. Traditionally this is served with a small spoon to eat the raisins and almonds.

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The Mystique of Eggnog

I was in big demand at Christmas parties for a few years, because I developed a skill at making eggnog from scratch. Although I professed my recipe was a secret I think I got it from a magazine. The process is slightly involved and if you can do it with aplomb in front of a crowd, it will win you much admiration. You can also do it ahead of time with the excuse that eggnog needs to rest a day to get the best flavor. (This is actually true!) For your first time I suggest you make a practice batch, as there are a few tricky parts dealing with adding the spirits to the eggs properly.

12 eggs
3 pints heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg (don’t be lazy, get a whole nutmeg and grate it yourself)
1 cup Joshua Brook Bourbon
1 cup Matusalem Rum
2 oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and lemon colored. This will take some time so use an electric mixer if you have one. Add the liquor slowly, while beating at slow speed. Put the egg yolk and liquor mixture in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
After the mixture is ready, beat the egg whites until they form a peak that bends slightly. Whip the cream until stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the yolk mixture, then fold in the beaten egg whites. Chill one hour. When ready to serve, sprinkle the top with freshly grated nutmeg.  Keep a whisk handy because unlike supermarket eggnog, this will separate and will need to be mixed up from time to time.


Feel free to appropriate this as your secret recipe. I will mention that the reason people liked my version so much, was that it was mightily fortified with spirits, and ultimately, this is the element that will make even the most stressful family gathering bearable, and the most awkward office party fun.

http://www.insiders-slovenia.si

http://www.insiders-slovenia.si/files/File/Insiders%20wine%20tour.pdf

7.5.08_________________________________________________

Simple Cocktails

The resurgence of interest in cocktails has become quite apparent at silverlake wine.
We are constantly researching new and existing spirits in order to bring you the unique, high quality products you have come to expect from us. This process, grueling and time consuming as it may be, is part of our pledge of excellence.

For example, a few days ago I had surgery on my foot and am under doctors orders to stay off it. While this might be disheartening to some, my philosophy is: “When life gives you lemons, make a Tom Collins!” I decided to buckle down and use my time wisely. Today I must have tried five different gins, ten tequilas, an absinthe and three rums. Not to mention bitters, cocktail onions, maraschino cherries...well, the list goes on and that's only today.

A lot of the cocktail cannon goes to exotic and complicated drinks with arcane ingredients and complicated procedures. These drinks are fun and certainly have their appeal, but for many of us, they are better left to the pros, i.e., “I like to watch movies, not make 'em.”

In that spirit, here are two simple drinks that anyone can make.

The Dry Gimlet

When I moved to Los Angeles I tried to immerse myself in some of the history of the place. I re-read some Raymond Chandler novels and a biography, as a stepping off point. I would drive around looking for the sites where his novels took place, his favorite haunts, etc. One thing I ran into in a biography was that he had a fondness for gimlets. I had always hated the drink. Too sweet and you couldn't taste the gin, but I figured if it was good enough for Chandler... I began experimenting with using less Rose's lime. Beefeater was my gin of choice so I naturally used that. The dry gimlet was better, but still not exciting. Then one day I was picking up some gin and the store was out of Beefeater. I had never tried Boodles so I took a bottle of that instead. I liked it a lot in gin and tonics but not so much for martinis. Then I used it for the dry gimlet and it was perfect. The heavier texture and exotic aromatics were heightened, rather than stomped on, by the Rose's. A "gimlet" is a sharp tool used to drill small holes. Keep that sharpness in mind while making the drink.

You may have your own theory about which gin goes with what drink. That's part of the process. A drink can be made in exact proportions with alternate brands and it will be completely different.

2 ½ oz. Boodles Gin
1 tbs. Rose's Lime

Stir in a mixing glass with ice and strain into a martini glass. You can garnish this with a lime wedge but I like it without a garnish. I think it distracts from the visuals. You should have to look closely to perceive the pale, greenish tinge. (pictured above)

The Half and Half Vermouth

This is a very simple aperitif that is excellent to have before a dinner where you may be consuming a special bottle of wine. Cocktails can sometimes numb the palate with their sweetnes and high alcohol. The half-and-half vermouth is a tasty drink which is not too sweet and lower in alcohol than your average cocktail. I like Noilly Prat, sweet and dry for this drink.

1 ½ ounces dry vermouth
1 ½ ounces sweet vermouth

Pour over ice in a small rocks glass, add twist of lemon and stir gently.

5.16.08_________________________________________________

3.8.08_________________________________________________