Kick off your Summer soirée in style with a very special Fourth of July Cocktail – the Pomegranate-Aperol Royale! This super patriotic drink is a mixture of sparkling wine, Aperol and pomegranate juice garnished with fresh raspberries. It’s incredibly tasty and features Fourth of July’s signature red, white and blue colors. Aperol is a delicious Italian liqueur with a distinct, bright orange color that calls to mind a fabulous,... Read More
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If you’d like to kick off your Fourth of July celebration in style this year, give this patriotic cocktail a try! This special edition of Cocktail Couture features the Pomegranate-Aperol Royale, an enticing mixture of sparkling wine, Aperol, pomegranate juice and raspberries. In addition to being extremely tasty, this drink also features the signature colors of this most American of holidays: a blue sugared rim; ruby red pomegranate juice mixed with the clementine color of Aperol to create a dazzling, ruby red; and the “white” of the sparkling wine.
Aperol is an Italian liqueur with a very distinct, bright orange color which calls to mind a fiery South Florida sunset. It was created by the Barbieri brothers from Italy’s Veneto region and introduced to Italians at the International Fair of Padua in 1919. This Italian liqueur is an infusion of ingredients including bitter and sweet orange and a variety of carefully selected herbs and roots. The result is a delicious concoction which is simultaneously sweet, bitter, and herbal in nature. Aperol is actually quite similar to Campari just not as bitter, and for those who find Campari a little too intense, Aperol is an excellent alternative.
Our featured sparkling wine for our Pomegranate-Aperol Royale is the fabulous Limited Edition Chandon Blanc de Noirs Brut ($20). The festive red, white and blue limited edition bottle will make a stylish addition to your Fourth of July soirée! This sparkler is made from two red grape varieties, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and is delightfully fruit-driven and full-flavored. It is also made in the same method as Champagne, Methode Traditionelle, and can be enjoyed on its own or as part of our fabulous cocktail.
In order to keep your cocktails sufficiently chilled pop the fresh raspberries in the freezer the night before your party. They make a colorful, eye-catching garnish and are a delicious treat to enjoy as you finish your drink as well!
So greet your guests with Pomegranate-Aperol Royales and kick off your Fourth of July in patriotic style! The Limited Edition Chandon Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine is available at The Wine Atelier (click here for pricing information) and we are offering free local delivery for orders over $50 in the Boca Raton/Delray Beach area and $10 shipping on any purchase of 4 bottles or more. Wishing you a very fabulous (and safe) Fourth of July weekend!
Cheers,
Fourth of July Pomegranate-Aperol Royale
Makes one drink
1 bottle of Chandon Limited Edition Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine
Aperol
Pomegranate juice
Blue sugar**
1 lime
Frozen raspberries
Put the blue sugar in a saucer or small, shallow dish. Squeeze the juice of one lime into a similar saucer or small, shallow dish. Dip the rim of the Champagne flute first into the lime juice and then immediately into the blue sugar to coat the rim evenly. Shake loose any excess.
Add one frozen raspberry to the bottom of a flute. Pour equal amounts Aperol and pomegranate juice so together they occupy 1/4 of the glass. Gently pour the chilled sparkling wine to fill the rest of the glass. Pouring gently increases the chance of keeping the red and white layers separate. Enjoy!
**To make blue sugar for the rim, add a half cup of regular sugar to a container with a tight fitting lid. Add approximately 3-5 drops of blue food coloring to the sugar in the container, fasten the lid and shake vigorously until all the sugar is colored blue. You can always add more food coloring if you feel the blue isn’t dark enough, just be sure to shake it really well to evenly distribute the color.
If your goal is to dazzle your Valentine with a delicious home cooked meal without undoing all the good, healthy eating you did in January, this menu is just the ticket!
As a big fan of Ina Garten, I was delighted to see this menu from her that’s packed with flavor yet also leans towards the healthier side of things. It includes Mustard-Roasted Fish accompanied by Roasted Vegetables followed by Coeur à la Crème with Raspberries for dessert. Sound difficult? Actually each one of these recipes is pretty darn easy, you just need to let the fresh ingredients speak for themselves.
For the Mustard Roasted Fish, pick up some fresh red snapper filets from your favorite fishmonger. The rest of the preparation involves simply mixing together the remaining ingredients including creme fraiche, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, capers, shallots and salt and pepper and spreading the mixture over the fish before baking it in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. As the fish bakes it makes its own delicious sauce and comes out looking beautiful! As long as you don’t overcook it, you’re all good.
The Oven Roasted Vegetables that accompany the fish include fennel, fingerling potatoes (I used purple potatoes for extra color), haricorts verts (French string beans) and asparagus. Again, you want to purchase the freshest ingredients you can find since they are the stars of the show! Be sure to start by cooking the firmer veggies (potatoes and fennel) first and adding the string beans and asparagus at the end. These more delicate vegetables only need about 10-15 minutes of roasting, any longer and they may burn or get too mushy.
As if the delicious dinner wasn’t enough, now it’s time to dazzle your sweetheart with dessert: Coeur à la Crème with Raspberries. “Coeur à la Crème” is French for “heart of cream” and this dish is made using a specially formed, heart-shaped mold which is easily found at specialty cookware stores including Sur la Table. This dessert can be made a day ahead which is always convenient and frees up your time for Valentine’s gift shopping and other important things. The “Coeur” is made from a mixture of cream cheese, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, vanilla bean and lemon zest which is combined and left to sit in the mold overnight in the refrigerator, wrapped in cheesecloth. When you’re ready to serve it, simply unmold the cream onto a plate and spoon the raspberry sauce around the base and garnish with a few raspberries and ooh la la – let the compliments begin!
If you’re looking for the perfect wine to serve with this delicious feast, I recommend a rosé sparkling wine or Champagne. Not only do these sparklers make a lovely presentation, they are also delicious and pair remarkably well with food. To see The Wine Atelier’s Valentine’s Day Recommendations, please click here. Also, to access any of Ina’s recipes, please click here.
Wishing you all a very Happy, Delicious and Romantic Valentine’s Day!
Cheers,
With your New Year’s Eve hangover in the rear view mirror and the long, winding road of 2014 laid out before you, here are 5 wine-related resolutions to help you embrace and explore the world of wine in the New Year.
1.) Mix It Up: Because the world of wine is so vast and often confusing it’s easy to just stick with the same wine, day in and day out. To break out of your wine rut, why not vow to sample a different wine every week or learn more about a specific wine making region? Find a reputable retailer who can guide you towards selections you might like or subscribe to a publication and/or website where you can learn more about a variety of wine regions around the world. Here on the blog we plan on offering an array of wine coverage in the New Year and our Explorateur Wine Club is a wonderful way to explore a different wine region every month!
2.) Start a Wine Collection: If you’ve been drinking wine long enough to have a favorite wine region and/or producer it’s probably a good time to start collecting. Collecting wine does not mean you have to commission a custom built 15,000 bottle capacity cellar – far from it! All it takes to start a collection is a small wine fridge and a few age-worthy bottles to put in it (for some age-worthy wine recs, please click here). The wine fridge is an important piece of equipment for the beginning collector. Please don’t forgo this purchase and make the mistake of storing your wines in a spare closet or on the kitchen counter. The varying temperatures and humidity levels in any home (kitchens are the worst!) are the arch-enemies of wine so be sure to protect your investment with this useful piece of equipment. Also, wine lovers invariably have a way of outgrowing wine storage units so, if your budget allows, purchase a fridge with a little room to grow.
3.) Drink more white wines that are NOT Pinot Grigio: Much like Rodney Dangerfield, white wine often “gets no respect”. I conduct many tastings where people want to skip right over the white wine and go straight to the red. Sometimes it’s personal preference but, more often than not, I think people are under the impression that red wines are somehow superior to whites, which couldn’t be farther from the truth! People are also under the mistaken impression that all white wine tastes like the bland, mass-produced Pinot Grigios we often encounter which doesn’t help white wine’s reputation. It’s rewarding to see someone’s face light up after taking a sip of White Burgundy or Alsatian Gewürztraminer and marvel at their flavor and complexity. So whether it’s Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Arneis or Chenin Blanc embrace the world of white wine but, whatever you do, stay away from the Pinot Grigio! For a selection of delicious whites from The Wine Atelier, please click here.
4.) Drink more sparkling wines: Unfortunately sparkling wines are most often associated with special occasions and New Year’s Eve celebrations, leaving the majority of the year unbearably bubbly-free. While Champagne’s price may limit it to more of a special occasion selection, there are many sparkling wines from around the globe whose price point makes them a perfect candidate for an everyday wine. Wines like Prosecco, Cava and Crémant retail for under $20 (for some examples, please click here) making them perfect for enjoying on a Tuesday night after work or when a friend stops by to visit. As an added bonus, sparkling wines have less calories and alcohol than a glass of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Affordable, delicious and figure-friendly – what’s not to love about that?
5.) Wine-related Travel: Next time you’re booking a Spring or Summer getaway why not head to your favorite wine region? Nothing will give you an appreciation for what’s in your glass more than standing in the vineyard where the grapes are grown and talking to the people who make the wine. Whether you’ve collected for some time or are new to enjoying wine, traveling to different regions can be a lot of fun and facilitate your passion for the subject. Start with a region you’re interested in and plan from there. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the wineries directly, they’re usually very happy to hear from you. Of course here at The Glamorous Gourmet we’re always happy to assist you with wine and food related travel so please don’t hesitate to reach out. Here’s a link to some of our travel-related articles.
I hope these suggestions help you make it through 2014 with a renewed passion for all things vinous! If you have any other wine-related resolutions we’d love to hear about them, please tell us in the comment section below.
Cheers,
With New Year’s Eve only a few days away, do you know your Champagne from your Crémant? If not, never fear, here’s your guide to sparkling wines from around the world along with six of our favorites available at The Wine Atelier.
First things first…
In any discussion about Champagne and sparkling wine it’s important to note only a sparkling wine from the 9,900 square mile Champagne region of France can actually be called Champagne. Even if a sparkling wine is made in the same method as Champagne but is from outside the region, it must be called something else. Other sparkling wines from around the world include Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain, Sekt from Germany, and Crémant from other regions in France (i.e. Crémant d’Alsace). So remember, while all Champagne is sparkling wine, not all sparkling wine is Champagne.
Methods of Production
As discussed, sparkling wines are made in many winemaking regions around the world utilizing a vast number of different grape varieties. However, all sparkling wines, regardless of where they’re from, must undergo a secondary fermentation in order to get their bubbles. This process follows a primary fermentation and blending of still base wines to create a cuvée that is then ready to undergo the bubble-making process. The method by which a wine undergoes its second alcoholic fermentation is critical in determining a sparkling wine’s flavor, quality, ageability, and ultimately its price. Here are three of the most common methods:
1.) Invented in Italy, the Charmat Method requires a wine’s secondary fermentation take place in stainless steel tanks, not in individual bottles. Grapes such as Glera, used to make Prosecco, are well suited for this method which produces wines that are light, fruity and meant to be consumed while young and fresh. This method is very cost effective and produces sparkling wines which usually represent great values, making them perfect for “everyday” enjoyment and more casual occasions. Sparkling wines like Prosecco are also great choices for making sparkling wine based drinks such as Mimosas, Bellinis and Rosemary Pomegranate Royales, a Glamorous Gourmet favorite!
2.) In the Transfer Method, sparkling wine undergoes its secondary fermentation in individual bottles much like the classic Méthode Traditionelle, however, once the secondary fermentation has completed, the wine is transferred into stainless steel tanks where it is combined with other wines to undergo filtration and dosage. Dosage is the process which determine a sparkling wine’s level of sweetness (i.e. Brut, Demi-Sec). The sparkling wine is then put into new bottles and shipped out for sale. This method allows for complexity to be achieved in the final wine and also helps to keep bottle to bottle variation in check.
3.) Last, but definitely not least, is the Méthode Champenoise, also known as the Méthode Traditionelle or Traditional Method. This method of production requires that the wine’s secondary fermentation occurs in the same bottle the wine is later served from. While the aforementioned methods allow the wine to be filtered and even undergo dosage in stainless steel tanks, sparkling wine made using the Traditional Method must undergo the process of riddling to remove the sediment, a normal byproduct of secondary fermentation, from each individual bottle.
During the riddling process, the bottles are inserted into an A-shaped rack, also known as a “pupitre“, so they are parallel to the floor. Over time, they are gradually inverted in order to coax the sediment into the neck of the bottle where it is later removed through the process of disgorgement. Riddling can be done either manually by hand, or mechanically by gyropalette. Prestige cuvées are usually done manually which takes about three months while less expensive sparklers made in this method are done mechanically which takes approximately one week. As you can see, the Méthode Champenoise is more time and labor intensive than any of the other methods discussed, which generally translates to both higher quality and price. The Traditional Method is used to make Champagne, Cava and many sparkling wines from New World wine regions as well. Sparkling wines made using this method will usually have it prominently displayed on the label.
Serving & Glassware
Which glassware you use when serving sparkling wine will depend on the type of sparkling wine involved as well as the occasion. If you’re drinking a Prosecco or other reasonably priced sparkler for a festive occasion or even brunch, by all means break out the flutes! These elongated glasses make a festive presentation and are perfect for toasting a special occasion. If you’ll be enjoying a pricier sparkler such as a nice non-vintage Brut or vintage Champagne with some age, by all means reach for your White Burgundy glasses. The tulip shape of these glasses is perfect for appreciating the complex aromas and flavors of these wines. For older sparklers and Champagnes, you may also want to serve them slightly warmer than the recommended 45 degrees for most sparkling wines. As these wines warm up (i.e. 50 degrees), the more their aromas and flavors are able to be savored and enjoyed.
7 Sparkling Recommendations
Here are 6 of our favorite sparklers perfect for ringing in the New Year and enjoying throughout 2014!
Mionetto Prosecco Brut, Treviso, Italy, NV ($14): This wine is made from 100% Glera using the aforementioned Charmat Method. It is fermented entirely in stainless steel and has fresh and fruity aromas of citrus and green apple and on the palate is very dry and light-bodied. Prosecco is the perfect bubbly to enjoy on its own as an aperitif, or as a delightful complement to appetizers such as prosciutto or mild cheeses. It is best consumed fresh and young and will not benefit from additional aging. It’s also the perfect sparkling wine to use as a base for Mimosas, Bellinis or other sparkling wine-based cocktails like Pomegranate-Rosemary Royales.
Simonnet-Febvre Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc, Burgundy, NV ($20): Like Champagne, this Crémant is made using the Méthode Traditionelle, however, since it is from France’s Burgundy wine region, it is referred to as a “Crémant,” not Champagne. This wine is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir from 20 year old vines grown on clay and limestone soils – typical of the Chablis region. The result is a wine with fine bubbles, that is fresh on the nose with aromas of ripe yellow fruits. Drink this wine chilled as an aperitif, paired with a variety of hors d’oeuvres, or with a main course including rich seafood such as lobster and/or scallops.
Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs, North Coast, California, 2009 ($34): This domestic sparkler is made primarily from the red grape Pinot Noir, resulting in a complex, medium-bodied, brut sparkling wine. Schramsberg pioneered the Blanc de Noirs style in the US, releasing the first such American sparkler in 1967. Barrel and malolactic fermentation of particular wine lots add richness and body to this wine which is also made using the Méthode Traditionelle. The Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs is perfect for pairing with a variety of foods, including nutty cheeses, macadamia nut-crusted halibut, and roasted pork tenderloin. This wine will continue to age gracefully in the bottle for many years.
Gramona Gran Reserva Brut Nature III Lustros, Penedès, Spain, 2005 ($45): At Gramona, sparkling wines receive the longest average ageing time of any other cava and are never released until they are deemed ready. This Cava is named III Lustros because originally it was released to the market 15 years after harvest; however, currently it is aged 5 years prior to release. This wine is a blend of 70% Xarel-lo and 30% Macabeo that spends 7 years on the lees and is dosaged with 100-year-old Solera wine. This wine has aromas of oyster shell, citrus lemon, wet limestone and white flowers. The palate is well-balanced with a racy acidity on the entry, and subtle notes of apricot, lemon curd and quince that lead to a long, lingering finish. Drink now-2018 (95 points Wine Advocate)
Taittinger Nocturne Sec Rosé, France, NV ($70): While this offering easily wins the prize for most festive looking bottle, it also represents the latest release from one of Champagne’s most well-known houses. This wine is the partner to Taittinger’s existing Nocturne, a “sec” Champagne which has sweetness to it. The new Nocturne Rosé is a blend of 30% Chardonnay and 70% Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier from about 30 different vineyards, aged for 4 years prior to disgorgement. With 17.5 g/l of sugar the wine is slightly sweet but pleasantly so and balanced by a cleansing acidity. Notes of ripe red berries make this wine delightful to enjoy on its own or paired with a variety of cuisines.
Laurent Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut Champagne, NV ($75): In the 1960′s, making a non-vintage rosé Champagne was virtually unthinkable but Bernard de Nonancort, charismatic Chairman and CEO of Laurent-Perrier was just the man to make it happen! The Cuvée Rosé Brut was launched in 1968 in an elegant bottle inspired by those made in the time of French King Henri IV. On the nose are aromas of fresh strawberry, raspberry and black currant while fruit dominates the palate which is lively and well-rounded with admirable structure and a long, lingering finish. This wine pairs wonderfully with foie gras and red currants, roasted chicken with mushrooms and beef tenderloin.
Krug Grande Cuvée Brut Champagne, NV ($180): The indisputable Chanel suit of Champagne, each bottle of Krug’s Grand Cuvée is a study in meticulous attention to detail. The Grande Cuvée is a blend of approximately 120 wines from 10 or more different vintages, some of which may reach up to 20 years of age. Blending many vintages creates the desired symphony of aromas and flavors which exudes complexity and elegance. The full-bodied Grande Cuvée delights with enticing aromas of toasted brioche and marzipan, and complex flavors of citrus peel, hazelnuts and spice. It coats the palate with its richness, yet remains poised and elegant through the long, luxurious finish. While delightful on its own, this wine makes an excellent pairing for dishes from an extra mature Parmesan to a dish of turbot à la truffe. (97 points Wine Spectator)
I hope this guide to Champagne and sparkling wine helps you navigate the New Year in style. The Glamorous Gourmet & The Wine Atelier would like to wish you a very Happy New Year and we look forward to sharing more food and wine fun with you in 2014!
Cheers,
Following a fabulous evening at the Library Wine Dinner at Meadowood the night before (read more about that by clicking here), it was nice to get a slightly later start the following day. After breakfast we hopped back on the buses and headed towards the winery in Calistoga.
Day two began with a tour of Schramsberg and its caves given by Hugh Davies himself. He explained that the estate, a registered historic landmark, has been painstakingly restored by his family when they purchased it in 1965. The Victorian house, the lower winery, the barn and the caves remain largely unchanged since Jacob Schram’s days. He also informed us of Schramsberg’s sparkling wines at historically significant Presidential functions including President Nixon’s “Toast to Peace” in 1972 with China’s Premier Zhou Enlai in Beijing China which featured their Blanc de Blancs. Schramsberg’s sparkling wines have also been served at official State functions by every U.S. Presidential administration since. As we entered the caves at the winery he explained they were dug mainly with pick axes and shovels in the 60′s. He also shared the details of a harrowing incident immediately prior to the release of the Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs. The press broke and his parents Jack and Jamie Davies had to stomp the grapes with their feet in order to keep production underway to meet their deadline!
As we made our way deeper into the caves, we reached an opening with multiple rows of riddling racks full of inverted sparkling wine bottles (above right photo). Here, Hugh introduced us to a gentleman by the name of Jesus who’d recently took over as Chief Riddler for Ramon who’d been working at Schramsberg since the 1970′s. Of Schramsberg’s total production of sparkling wines 80% is riddled mechanically using a gyropalette and 20%, consisting of their more expensive cuvées, is done by hand. Riddling is a very labor and time intensive process which is very important in the production of sparkling wine. By gradually displacing and inverting the bottle, the dead yeast cells generated by the wine’s secondary fermentation move towards the neck of the bottle where it is later removed via a process called disgorgement (see video below). Jesus was kind (and patient!) enough to give us all a lesson on how it’s done. He had a way of making it look effortless however upon trying it myself I realized it definitely took years of practice to master.
After Riddling 101 we sat down to a Blanc de Blancs Progression Tasting with Schramsberg winemakers Keith Hock, who specializes in sparkling wine, and Sean Thompson, who makes Schramsberg’s still wines. During the tasting we had the opportunity to sample a variety of wines in various states of evolution ranging from a 2012 Base Wine to a 1990 Library Wine. The exercise was very enlightening and beautifully demonstrated how these wines evolve and develop over time. At the beginning of the spectrum, the 2012 Base Wine exhibited aromas and flavors of tart green apple and citrus while the 1990 Library Wine was at the complete opposite end of the spectrum featuring notes of hazelnut, pastry dough and honey. It was a valuable lesson in what time can do to sparkling wines and the complexity that can be achieved through proper aging.
This exercise led up to perhaps the most exciting and hand on exercise of the trip: we got to make our own unique bottle of Schramsberg sparkling wine to take home with us. Well, maybe not from the very beginning but were able to disgorge a bottle of Blanc de Blancs and select the dosage level, which determines the final level of sweetness of the wine, to suit our own personal taste. We donned our protective goggles for the disgorgement process but thankfully we had winemaker Keith Hock supervising us so nothing went wrong. I am happy to report my disgorgement went smoothly and when it came time to select the dosage level I decided to attempt to approximate the wine Schramsberg custom produces for the The French Laundry, a low dosage sparkler meant to pair perfectly with oysters and shellfish. After adding the dosage to the wine, I got to cork and label my very own bottle: I’m really looking forward to enjoying the one and only bottle of Cuvée Miskew!
After lunch we explored the Future and Sparkling Wine on our Tables led once again by the fabulous Holly Peterson which expanded on the pairings we had studied the day before. The wines featured this time were the Schramsberg 2009 Brut Rosé and the 2005 Schramsberg Reserve. To pair with our wines were samples of Beef tatake with a variety of sides and sauced including lime wedge, ginger beurre blanc, tomato concasse, yozu koshu spicy sauce, marjoram infused olive oil and Béarnaise sauce. Some surprising favorites of this class included the brut rosé paired with the beef and lime wedge as well as the tomato concasse and basil. My favorite with the 2005 Reserve was the beef and ginger beurre blanc and the Béarnaise sauce. Prior to this exercise I had always personally enjoyed sparkling wine with beef but it was interesting to take the time to figure out which combinations make the best pairings.
Once we had completed this tasting we were faced with a challenge! We were divided into teams and each one had to come up with a 5 course tasting menu to pair with a selection of Schramsberg wines. We had alot of fun in the process and their were some extremely creative pairings and when it came time to reveal the winning team – I’m happy to report we came in second place!
Following the competition, our last official Camp activity, we all said our goodbyes as some Campers headed to the airport and others headed to other vinous destinations. Camp Schramsberg was an amazing experience I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys sparkling wine. 2013 marked the 18th year they have been hosting the Camp and they’ve really developed an excellent program that can accommodate any level of wine knowledge – just come hungry to learn! For those of you who live in South Florida I’m also happy to report I’ll be hosting a dinner with Hugh Davies at 32 East in downtown Delray Beach on Tuesday, November 12th. Come enjoy a selection of Schramsberg’s sparkling wines as well as their critically acclaimed J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon paired with a mouth watering menu prepared by the fabulous Chef Nick Morfogen. For more information or to make reservations please click here.
Cheers,
Earlier this month I had the pleasure of participating in Camp Schramsberg, a two day, education filled experience encompassing all aspects of sparkling wine production at Schramsberg Vineyards, aka “America’s House of Sparkling Wine.” This very special “camp” is offered twice a year, in the Spring and again in the Fall, to both consumers as well as individuals in the trade, and offers all attendees the opportunity to participate in and observe the seasonal happenings at the winery. September marks the beginning of harvest, an exciting time to be in California wine country. Before we embarked our two day adventure, campers were welcomed with dinner among the vineyards at Schramsberg in Calistoga, about 25 miles north of Napa.
We arrived at the winery at sunset and followed an inviting path under a canopy of olive trees to a clearing where we were greeted by Hugh Davies, President and CEO of Schramsberg Vineyards. The welcome dinner took place in the J. Davies vineyard, named in honor of Hugh’s father, Jack Davies, patriarch of the family who, with his wife Jamie, put Schramsberg Vineyards on the map as a world class sparkling wine house and ran it for over thirty years. The J. Davies vineyard is planted entirely to Cabernet Sauvignon from which the eponymous wine is made. We also had the pleasure of meeting Hugh’s wife Monique (the two were married in this vineyard) as well as their three children who climbed trees and explored the vineyard while we sipped bubbly and got to know one another.
We were welcomed with chilled flutes of Schramsberg’s two single vineyard sparklers, the ’08 Hyde Vineyards Napa Valley Carneros Brut and the ’08 Jones Vineyard Napa Valley Carneros Brut. These delightful wines were perfect for quenching my thirst following a cross country flight and two hour drive up to wine country from San Francisco. They also paired beautifully with a variety of delicious hors d’oeuvres including Beef Tartare, Wild Salmon Crostini and, my personal favorite, Duck Confit “Chicken” Wings which provided a nice contrast to the crisp, sparkling wines. During the dinner we also had the chance to meet other key players at Schramsberg including Sparkling winemaker Keith Hock; Still Winemaker, Sean Thompson and Chef and Instructor for the weekend, the delightful Holly Peterson.
Once we were seated for dinner, the wine focus shifted to Schramsberg’s still red wines, relatively new additions to the portfolio of this predominantly sparkling wine house. What better way to introduce them than to pair them with a delicious menu? The first course consisted of a beautiful La Quercia Speck Wrapped Quail with Creamed Corn, Trumpet Mushrooms and Pinot Noir Verjus paired with a duo of 2010 Davies single vineyard Pinot Noirs from the Londer Vineyard in Anderson Valley and the Nobles Vineyard from Sonoma Coast. The 2010 vintage represents the second vintage of the winery’s still wines made from Pinot Noir. Both wines were lovely yet different: the Londer Vineyard Pinot was characterized by notes of ripe red and black fruit, licorice and spice while the Nobles Pinot exhibited notes of dried fruit and earth as well as firm tannins. Both wines paired nicely with the quail though I was partial to the Londer Vineyard Pinot with its plusher fruit and mild tannins.
The main course of our vineyard dinner was a carnivore’s dream featuring two different styles of succulent ribs: Slow Smoked Long Meadow Ranch Beef Ribs and Slow Smoked St. Louis Ribs with Memphis-style Barbeque Sauce, which ignited a rib rivalry among the Campers! I have to admit both types of ribs were mouth-wateringly delicious and paired well with the fruity and approachable 2009 J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon from the Diamond Mountain District. My tablemates even made an agreement early on in the meal that it was perfectly acceptable to use our hands in lieu of utensils so we were all in virtual Hog Heaven – pun intended!
After our BBQ feast, we were treated to a cheese course featuring Fiscalini Cheddar, Point Reyes Toma and Shepherdista cheeses accompanied by black mission figs, apples and almonds. It was difficult not to consume all the delicious food and wine over the course of the evening, however, upon advice from Matt Levy, our fearless Camp Counselor, we were careful not to indulge too much in anticipation of the early morning ahead – buses were scheduled to leave Meadowood at 7:30am sharp. A good night’s sleep was mandatory!
The next morning, we boarded the “Schramsberg Express” bus and headed towards Carneros. We were very fortunate to have Hugh Davies himself as our tour guide and enjoyed a 45-minute narrated drive to our destination getting the inside scoop on the beautiful landscape that unfolded before us. Highlights included the impact of the recent heat spike and its effect on various microclimates; who’s Zinfandel vines were just being replanted; and the details of Jack and Jamie Davies’ foray into the Cognac business with Remy Martin in the early days. Before we knew it we arrived at the Tognetti Vineyard where we were greeted by none other than Jack Tognetti himself, one of the spriest 9o-something-year-olds I’ve ever met. He was joined by Schramsberg sparkling winemaker Keith Hock and Jaime, a Vineyard Manager who has been with Schramsberg since 1968!
Jack Tognetti worked in the steamship business for twenty years but always thought of himself as a “farmer at heart.” Tognetti purchased his vineyard and started planting Chardonnay grapes in 1980 and while he initially sold his grapes to the Swanson family, since 1998 he’s been selling his Chardonnay exclusively to Schramsberg. He describes the climate as “cool and consistent: perfect for growing grapes for sparkling wine, ” and about his working relationship with Schramsberg, “I try to give them nice fruit otherwise they bitch!” The vineyard produces approximately 80 tons of fruit consisting of a variety of clones including Monticello, the one we would be harvesting today. Beneath the vineyard soil is a pan of clay which is good at retaining water, making for very vigorous vines. The vines are grown on a quadrilateral trellis system and the grapes are picked between 17-21 Brix, the ideal range according to Keith Hock who gets a call from Tognetti at the appropriate time saying, “Keith, my damned vines are ready – pick ‘em!”
After our introduction to Jack and his vineyard we donned our gloves and grabbed our secateurs and headed down the vineyard rows, plastic bins in hand. Our challenge was to harvest as close to one ton of fruit as we could so everyone quickly got to work – no pressure! While initially unsure of exactly where to snip each cluster of grapes, with some instruction from Keith and Hugh I found my rhythm and was soon harvesting away. The clusters were large and heavy and the ripe Chardonnay grapes tasted like candy. Before I knew it, my bin was full and I just kept on harvesting until I had completed three whole bins. Everyone was really getting into the task at hand and before we knew it, all the grapes were harvested. The next step was to take the grapes we had freshly harvested back to the winery for pressing.
Back at Schramsberg, fueled by our success in the vineyard as well as the coffee and doughnut holes on the bus ride back, we were excited to taste the fruits of our labor. In addition to the freshly pressed juice from the Tognetti vineyard, which was sweet and grapey, we also tasted through a variety of wines in various states of fermentation. The samples in the bottles resembled murky, opaque lemonade, orange or cranberry juice and tasted like apples and citrus with yeasty overtones which we happily spat out onto the concrete floor. These wines were definitely not what you’d want to drink a whole glass of but a necessary step along the way to becoming a fabulous Schramsberg sparkler. First we tasted samples from the tanks and then from barrel, the latter being more bitter and difficult to tolerate and while unpleasant tasting, it was very interesting to experience the various stages of the fermentation process and experience first-hand the evolution of sparkling wine. Following the vinous assault on our palates, we were bussed off to Meadowood for lunch – the timing couldn’t have been more perfect!
Waiting for us on the lawn at Meadowood was our Instructor for the rest of the afternoon, the delightful Holly Peterson, a renowned Chef who helped the Davies family conceive of and develop the Camp Schramsberg program 18 years ago. Peterson has quite an impressive resume including a degree in enology from the University of California, Davis and the Grand Diplome de Cuisine from the famed La Varenne Cooking School in France. She has shared her talent and passion for pairing food and wine in restaurants and venues around the world yet she and her family are very much a part of California wine history and community. Her father Richard Peterson is a California wine country pioneer and sister Heidi Peterson Barrett is a winemaker known for producing such well known California cult collectibles as Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle and Paradigm to name a few.
We sat down to a lovely three course lunch paired with Schramsberg’s sparkling wines featuring Squash Consomme with Fresh Burrata, White Anchovies, Garden Herbs and Basil Blossoms paired with the 2005 J. Schram Rosé which continued to flow into the second course of Grilled Halibut with Roasted Baby Beets, Horseradish Creme Fraiche and Tempura Avocado. The rosé paired remarkably well with the various flavors and textures of the halibut dish especially the tempura avocado, the wine’s natural acidity cutting through the rich, creamy texture. Our delightful lunch ended with one of my favorite pairings of the weekend: a Peach Cobbler with Anise Ice Cream paired with the 2008 Schramsberg Cremant Demi-Sec. The anise ice cream synergized with notes in the wine creating that elusive and oh so special 1+1=3 effect! Needless to say there’s wasn’t a crumb left on my plate.
After our decadent, delicious lunch, we gathered around Peterson on the lawn as she taught us the art of sabrage, a technique for opening a bottle of Champagne using a sabre, a practice initially made famous by Napoleon who usually did so following a victory on the battlefield while on horseback. “The bottle consists of three components,” Peterson instructed, “the two halves of the bottle and the collar, which sits on top of the neck of the bottle and holds the cork.” She demonstrated the technique by holding a bottle of bubbly in one hand at a 45 degree angle with the seam facing up. Holding the sabre in the other hand, she ran the blade, tentatively at first, along the seam of the bottle then using enough force to hit the collar and cause the seam to “pop,” shooting the collar off of the bottle in grand fashion with the cork still in it. Sounds easy enough, right? Actually it’s not nearly as hard as it sounds or looks, you just need to “pop the seam,” a phrase which would become our mantra as, one by one, each camper tried their hand at this age old tradition.
Peterson offered us two weapons of choice to practice our sabering skills, a Laguiole Champagne sabre as well as a genuine antique sabre she procured from a French vintage shop that looked as if it may have belonged to Napoleon himself! As a practitioner of sabrage with my own Laguiole sabre at home, I looked forward to using the vintage saber when it came time to decapitate my bottle. It was quite heavy and much larger than the sabre I was used to using and as I grasped it I had a fleeting feeling of being on the battlefield then realized I’d much rather be on the lawn at Meadowood about to open a bottle of sparkling wine. The larger sabre made the process much easier due to its weight and momentum and before I knew it, the cork was shooting across the lawn and I was victorious!
We finished the day with a lesson on pairing sparkling wine with food, focusing on “The Classics.” On the tasting mats before us were three glasses of Schramsberg bubbly: the 2010 Blanc de Blancs, 2006 Extra Brut and the 2005 J. Schram. Peterson guided us through a tasting of the sparkling wines and we acquainted ourselves with the nuances of each one before any food was introduced. After this arduous task we were presented with a platter of delightful selections from the sea to pair with the sparklers including raw oysters, Oysters Rockefeller and a selection of caviar and associated accoutrements.
Over the remainder of the day we experimented with various pairing combinations, challenging some conventionally held beliefs and discovering some new favorites. The raw oysters (Miyagi oysters from the Pacific Northwest) with mignonette were brilliant paired with the 2010 Blanc de Blancs as one might expect. The Oyster Rockefeller on the other hand paired best with the 2005 J. Schram, the Schramsberg tête de cuvée, with its rich, nutty profile. The caviar pairings also revealed some surprises such as the significant difference the toppings make. Truffled Tiger-Eye Whitefish Roe topped with egg yolk was utterly delicious when paired with the 2006 Extra Brut; however, when the yolk was swapped for egg white the result was nowhere near as pleasing. By the end of the seminar we had experimented with a variety of options and learned a lot about the nuances of creating the “perfect pairing.”
As our first day of Camp drew to a close, we were blissfully weary from all the harvesting, sabrage and sparkling wine and food pairing (can you hear the violins?). The day was not entirely done, however, because just a few short hours after our last class was over the Schramsberg Library Wine Dinner would begin and you know there’s no way I was going to miss that! Stay tuned for “Part Two” of my Camp Schramsberg adventures.
Cheers,