When Smoke Gets in Your Grapes

This summer, a series of wildfires swept through parts of California. Triggered by extremely dry conditions and dry lightning, the fires raged through parts of Northern California where grapes are grown. I was on the Mendocino/Sonoma border throughout this summer's fire season, and though were were tens of miles from the fires, we woke every morning to the smell of smoke in the air and that persisted all day. (photo of the fires in Mendocino by shellove)

At the time, I thought it was highly unlikely that the taste of the grapes would be affected by the smoke. It looks like I may be wrong.

In a story in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Kevin McCallum reports that growers are worrying because their fruit is giving off unusual odors. Scientists are currently analyzing the juice from Mendocino grapes to test for smoke taint. There is some concern that even low levels of smoke taint in the grapes will be amplified in the flavors during fermentation. While winemakers can use all kind of sophisticated filtering to get rid of some of the undesirable flavors out of the wine, at this point no one is clear about the extent of the problem or what--if anything--to do about it.

One of the questions I have is about how our famously subjective tastebuds will factor into this developing situation. Are some people going to taste smoke when they taste 2008 Mendocino and Anderson Valley wines? Will these tasters be in the majority? Or, like cork taint, will smoke be something that many tasters can't even detect in the wines?

It's too early to tell at this point. What I know for sure is that there's not much that will keep me away from continuing to buy North Coast and Mendocino favorites from vineyards like Navarro (which was only a mile and a half from some of the worst fires this summer). If anyone has any thoughts on this issue from a scientific, tastebud, or environmental perspective, please share them. I'm still kind of amazed that the grapes weren't able to flush any smoke that got into their tissues back out again over the course of the growing season.

Muller Thurgau? How Unexpected.

Sometimes, you just don't know what to think of a wine.

When you think "southern Italian white" maybe you think Chardonnay from Sicily. Maybe you think of a more acidic white made to be sipped with seafood fresh from the Mediterranean.

Here's what you're probably not thinking: a blend of Muller Thurgau and Gewurztraminer.

From northern Italy--yes. From Basilicata? No.

Muller Thurgau is one of the "new" grape varieties that was created in the 19th century after phylloxera devastated European grape stocks. It's a cross between Riesling and Silvaner, and as a result it has some of the qualities associated with many wines from Germany and Alsace: good fruit, a flavor profile that can fit anywhere from dry to sweet, and nice acidity. Mix it with some spicy, aromatic Gewurztraminer, and you've got a wine that's big on fruit with a distinctive character.

The only analogy I can make to the 2005 Re Manfredi is that its not unlike a dry Sauternes. ($16.99, Biondivino; between $16 and $28 from other merchants) Made from grapes grown on Monte Vulture, Basilicata's famously extinct volcano, the vines are tucked in around more widely populated Aglianico vines that produce the region's distinctive red wines. The Muller Thurgau seems to like the volcanic soil, and the warm temperatures and marine influence help to shape a wine that smelled deliciously of cocounut, pineapple, and spice. When you sipped the wine, you were bowled over by tropical fruit flavors that had a lot of acidity (so think starfruit, pineapple, and slightly under-ripe papaya). There was a juicy, pineapple-inflected finish and notes of stone and iron. Unlike Sauternes, this wine is medium-bodied so it's not as mouth-coating, nor is it as sweet. If you serve it straight from the fridge the sweetness is actually emphasized, so I would recommend letting this wine come up a bit in temperature so that you can really enjoy the aromas and flavors.

As you can imagine, this wine is a honey with spicy food--and would be especially delicious with Indian food, since its medium body would stand up to dishes made with coconut milk (like South Indian curries). We enjoyed it with some homemade Kung Po Chicken that really went well with the tropical fruit flavors. And the spice in the dish was very nice with the spicy notes that the Gewurztraminer brings to the wine.

No matter how much you know about wine, there's always a surprise around the corner. And I love when a bottle of wine's flavors are unexpected--in a good way.

Today on Serious Grape: A Week's Worth of Food and Wine Pairings

Sometimes, when it comes to picking out a week's menus and the wines to go with them, I can't get inspired.

That was before I joined up with Serious Eats. Today in my column Serious Grape over on Serious Eats, I highlight seven inspiring recipes posted on their website and discuss the wines I'd pair with them. There are no specific bottles recommended there--just the type of wine--so if you are looking for specific labels once you've decided that you have to make those Thai Beef Rolls with Sweet Chili Sauce or the Panzanella Salad, you can always head back here and look for my latest picks.

You'll find that the recipes are all pretty easy, take advantage of the fresh foods in the markets now, and will get you out of whatever wine and food slump you may find yourself in. The best part? You can even subscribe to the Serious Eats recipe feed and get a stream of tasty treats in your reader to keep your creativity keen.

Have a great weekend--and see you back here on Monday.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #49: End of an Era?

Today's Wine Blogging Wednesday is hosted by dhonig of the wine blog 2 Days per Bottle. A Renaissance man, dhonig is part wine blogger, part cartoon artist, and part political commentator--and that's not all. But for this month, all we need to know is that he's our leader for Wine Blogging Wednesday. For his theme he's asked wine bloggers to consider the following: "What will you drink to toast the end of the Bush era?"

There were a number of ways to go with this one, and dhonig suggested several different angles in his announcement. But I decided to select a wine that that is suitable not only for this election day and inauguration, but for every subsequent election day and inauguration: the 2005 Great Whatsit Stolpman Vineyards Syrah brought to you by the good people at domaine547 ($20 on introductory special from domaine547; normally priced $25).

Let me explain why this wine was my choice for WBW #49 before I tell you about the wine.

Every four years I sit in front of a television, alone or with friends, and watch the election returns. Often, my candidate does not win. I am always shocked and somewhat horrified when this is the case, and then go through several months if not years of depression watching the news and wondering how people could have made such a colossal error.

Then, I remember that this is the entire point of this little experiment in self-governance we call America.

My family has been here a long time; a really long time. If you shake my family tree out will fall people persecuted for their religious beliefs, outlaws, rebels, poets, harborers of men who had executed a king, and heroic women who managed hardscrabble farms and families of eleven in the boondocks of Massachusetts and Connecticut in January while their husbands went off to fight in this war or that war before there was text-messaging or running water.

What they all lived and died for was their unshakable belief in the self-evident right of people to make their own bad decisions.

Bottom line is this: we never know what will happen on election day, or whether the person the majority of Americans have or have not voted into office will be an utter disaster. It's a mystery. Every election day we're left opening Pandora's Box and facing the great unkown. Who will it be? What will they bring? We never know. And that's why I chose this wine.

The 2005 Great Whatsit Syrah is a wine selected by domaine547 and made from fruit grown at Stolpman Vineyards. You can click here to find out why domaine547 called their "mystery in a bottle" wine The Great Whatsit. Kudos to domaine547 for selecting this excellent QPR wine for us ! The 2005 vintage is a little bit red (state) and a little bit blue (state) in its appearance: i.e. it's dark purple. This wine is as smooth as Barack Obama's prose, and as spunky as a hockey mom or pit bull wearing lipstick (your choice).There were aromas smoky enough to fill any room in Washington, and some rich plum and spice notes, too. I loved its cinnamon-inflected spiciness and its warm fruit flavors of blackberry, black cherry, and black plum. The wine had a nice lift as it went over your tongue, which was almost enough to lift your spirits as we head into the final 40 odd days of the campaign.

I think the wine will continue to mellow out over the next 1-3 years, or until the next presidential campaign begins (which could be as early as February). Even now it's plummy and drinkable, and perfect for pairing with burgers, bbq, or even a pizza while you watch the election returns. I loved this wine's complexity, its drinkability, and its clever packaging. If you're having an election party, what better wine to serve to your guests as you await the outcome?

Thanks also to dhonig for an excellent theme to get us thinking about wine and politics. And if you're still thinking about wine and politics, don't forget to join us for the 5th edition of the Wine Book Club in late October.

MEANWHILE: GO OUT AND LEARN ABOUT THE ISSUES.
THEN GO OUT AND VOTE.

Food and Wine's Annual Wine Issue

Every year, Food and Wine Magazine has an issue devoted to wine (and the food that goes with it). I look forward to the issue hitting my mailbox, and the October wine issue just arrived. For those of you without subscriptions, I highly recommend picking it up at the grocery store or your news-stand. It's chock-full of great articles, food pairing suggestions, and wine tips.

I loved the article on the "Best Paris Wine Bars" and Polly Evans' story of her lunch with Paolo Marzotto, who brought Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio to these shores and is now promoting Sicilian wine. Ray Isle rounds up 50+ Values from Legendary Wine Regions, which is sure to make GWU$20 readers happy with its picks for value wines from Bordeaux, Napa Valley, and other popular viticultural areas. This month's magazine is packed full of little jewels--about counterfeit wines, investment wines, and more--and of course has lots of great recipes and thoughtful pairings.

Check this issue out if you are a wine lover, and definitely buy it if your interests run to wine and food. I think that Ray Isle, Lettie Teague, and the other folks who cover wine for the magazine are some of the best in the business.