Bordeaux Braves Yet Another NYC Blizzard

Posted on February 1, 2016 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

For the second year in a row, the annual NYC tasting of the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux was affected by a blizzard — winter storm Jonas — this time the weekend preceding the January 25th tasting; last year’s was during! While most of the wines had arrived well before the storm, many chateau owners and reps were held up by horrendous travel delays, missing the event altogether. But in true New York spirit, the show went on, with industry volunteers pitching in for the pouring. And Jonas’ aftermath did little to dissuade the wine trade from attending the show, which focused on Bordeaux’s 2013 vintage.

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Jonas at work

On the following day, the Wine Media Guild of New York (WMG) held its annual Bordeaux lunch, drafting off the Grand Cru tasting (the lunch had to be cancelled last year…due to the snow storm!), featuring the Chateaux of Malescot St. Exupery (Margaux), Prieuré-Lichine (Margaux), Phélan Ségur (St. Estephe) and Siran (Margaux).

Both events yielded valuable insights.  Continue reading →

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Culinary Heirloom: The Cricket Tea Room Cook Book

Posted on January 16, 2016 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

It’s funny sometimes how the mind works, and how certain thoughts can lead to action.

The subject of this post — The Cricket Tea Room Cook Book — was co-authored by my Great-Great Aunt, Tona Webb Perry, and served as one of the guiding culinary references for my maternal grandmother, Mary Webb Smith (“Mom”) — an excellent southern cook in her own right — and her generation of female relatives and friends (the men weren’t cooking much back then!), as well as her descending lines. In fact, the cookbook, first published in 1938, was well-known throughout the South in its time, and had numerous editions. Growing up, I often heard it cited in conversations about favorite family dishes, from home-made rolls and desserts, to salmon croquettes. And, as I recently discovered, it’s collectible, and can be found online!

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But this story actually starts with a piece of family art.

Continue reading →

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Tuscan Value: the Maremma

Posted on November 11, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

Tuscan wines, like Chianti (in its many iterations), the esteemed Brunello di Montalcino and the “Super Tuscans” (such as Sassicaia and Antinori’s Tignanello), are well-known on these shores, at least among cognoscenti.

Less familiar, but sources of distinct value, are some of the Sangiovese-based wines of the Maremma, Tuscany’s southern coastal area along the Tyrrhenian Sea. This includes the municipalities of Scansano, as well as parts of Grosseto and Magliano. Within this region, two Denominazione stand out, Morellino di Scansano DOCG and Montecucco DOCG, a relatively new appellation which is practically unheard of here, but is producing some compelling wines.

Location of the Maremma

Location of the Maremma

For the first time ever, the producer consortia of these two adjacent Maremma wine districts recently conducted a joint tour of the US, showcasing their wares to the wine trade and media. On the New York City leg of this trip, over a dinner at Aroma Café and Winebar in the East Village, I had the opportunity to taste some wines from the region. Continue reading →

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The Wine Media Guild Does…Cider!

Posted on October 16, 2015 by upstatedowntown

WMG LogoBy Christopher Matthews

It may sound a bit like “man biting dog”, but at the Wine Media Guild of New York’s (WMG) recent October tasting/lunch, the focus was on…cider!

Justifiably so.

“Hard” (i.e. alcoholic) cider is one of the hottest beverage categories in the US, with sales having tripled from 2012 to 2014 alone. Wine producers have been urged to assess the current and future threat posed by cider to their markets, in particular by the artisanal cider revival, driven by smaller craft producers whose ciders offer compelling flavor profiles that can rival fine wines (at lower generally alcohol levels).

Sponsored by WMG members Alan Wax and Carlo DeVito (who also spoke), along with special guest speaker Daniel Pucci, the cider sommelier at Wassail Restaurant on Manhattan’s Lower East Side (highly recommendable!), who gave the low-down on the process — and styles — of cider-making, the event at Felidia in Manhattan featured a top-flight line-up of cider producers from across the US (New York, New Hampshire, Virginia and California), England and France. Continue reading →

Posted in At Our Farmhouse, Beer + Cider, Hudson Valley, NY craft beverages, NYC Events, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

2015 Hudson Valley Wine & Spirits Competition: Millbrook, Robibero Share Top Honor

Posted on September 15, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

hvwga_emblemStop the presses!

For the first time since the award was originated four years ago, Millbrook Vineyard and Winery, the Hudson Valley’s perennial wine flagship, was not the sole Hudson Valley Winery of the Year winner at the 2015 Hudson Valley Wine and Spirits Competition. The co-winner this year, by virtue of multiple medals, was Robibero Family Vineyards.

This was just one of many surprises and firsts. Continue reading →

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Riesling’s New York Winning Streak Ends…

Posted on August 14, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

…but probably not for long.

Yet for the first time since 2008, and only the third time since 2000, Riesling was not the grape of the NY Governor’s Cup winner (i.e. the “Best in Show) at the New York Wine and Food Classic on August 11-12, 2015.

The winning wine was Ventosa Vineyards 2011 Lemberger, a peppery Austro-Germanic red grape (also known as Blaufränkisch), which does well in New York’s cool climates, especially in the Finger Lakes, where Ventosa is located (Seneca Lake). It was also voted Best Red Wine and Best Lemberger on its way to the ultimate award.

Ventosa Vineyards, Governor's Cup winner, 2015

Ventosa Vineyards, Governor’s Cup winner, 2015

This qualifies as an upset, given the traditional Riesling/white wine dominance of the Cup! Continue reading →

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Unexpected Plums? Clafouti!

Posted on August 4, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

Our ancient red plum tree served as an early muse here at Upstate-Downtown. And we’ve received lots of plum goodness from it over the years. It has, unfortunately, fallen on hard times recently, a victim of “black knot” plum tree disease and (likely) old age (such trees aren’t eternal), making it essentially barren. In fact, I almost cut it down two years ago, but a late burst of new growth from the lower half of the tree put off what I considered would be an eventual coup de grace.

After a brutal winter last year, however, I was pleasantly surprised by a copious bloom this spring, albeit with no expectation of a plum harvest.

Our plum tree in bloom

Our plum tree in bloom

Continue reading →

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A Serious Summer Pink (and Other Food/Wine Matters)

Posted on June 29, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

I had tarragon on the brain.

We have a perennial patch of tarragon upstate, and this summer, it has produced like no other year. Normally, I have to constrain Kathryn from pillaging the entire clump in one go, but no such worries with this batch.

Our tarragon patch

Our tarragon patch

One of my favorite summer dishes happens to be roast tarragon chicken, and this was my objective/obsession as I started my vacation week upstate, preceding the 4th of July holiday. And I already had the (notionally) perfect wine on hand: the 2014 La Porte du Caillou Sancerre Rosé from Henri Bourgeois (100% Pinot Noir), a Loire standout, imported and distributed by the estimable Monsieur Touton.

2014 La Porte du Caillou Sancerre Rose

2014 La Porte du Caillou Sancerre Rose

Continue reading →

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Ramp Fest Hudson 2015: Gone in a Flash

Posted on May 8, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

On one of the most beautiful days of the year upstate (so far), the fifth annual Ramp Fest, a culinary celebration of “the wild onion of myth and mystery”, took place last Saturday (5/2/15) at  Basilica Hudson in Hudson, NY.

Basilica Hudson

Basilica Hudson

It’s no secret that we’re big ramp fans here at Upstate-Downtown; we always look forward to the event in Hudson, which is spearheaded by Swoon Kitchenbar.

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But whether it was the stellar weather, effective advertising or a snowballing word-of-mouth, the crowd was early, large and voracious… Continue reading →

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Cali Vintners Walking the Green Talk

Posted on April 15, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

The severe drought in California is making not only headlines, but also for some tough, long-term choices.

Perhaps this is only a nasty — and lengthy — cyclical drought, and the rains will return, as they have in the past. But that’s not currently evident, and the longer historical record (across millenia) gives little comfort — drought has always been part, in greater or lesser measure, of California’s drama. Accordingly, Governor Jerry Brown has just ordered an overall 25% cut in state water consumption. The New York Times’ recent feature, “California Drought Tests History of Endless Growth”, puts this creeping disaster into stark relief, with indelible images of a verdant suburbia bordered by an encroaching desert reality.

Damon Winter/NY Times

Damon Winter/NY Times

But if California is really going to get serious about conserving water, it must tackle usage in the agricultural arena, where 80% of the state’s water is consumed. Just a small example cited by the New York Times speaks volumes: more water was used to grow California almonds in 2013 than was consumed by all homes and businesses in San Francisco and Los Angeles combined.

Agriculture naturally includes Cali’s wine industry, by far the largest in the US, and (if it were a country) the fifth largest producer in the world. But here, the story is far from dire. In fact, California has been a leader and driver in sustainable winegrowing, not least through the efforts and programs of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. To showcase some of the leading Cali wineries and vineyards committed to sustainability, which includes water conservation (among many other factors), the Alliance, together with partner organizations (California Association of Winegrape Growers, Lodi Winegrape Commission, Napa Valley Vintners, Vineyard Team and Wine Institute), has developed The California Green Medal: Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Awards. And on April 13, 2015, the first annual award winners were announced… Continue reading →

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