Mountain Wines from Napa and Sonoma

Posted on March 10, 2014 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

Bacchus amat colles — Bacchus loves the hills.WMGlogo

This piece of wisdom comes from antiquity, when the ancient Greeks, then Romans, figured out that hillside vineyards, despite greater degrees of difficulty (challenging topography, labor intensity, erosion, etc.), often produce more compelling wines. Better sun exposures. Better drainage (both soil and air). More vine stress. Cooler nights. Lower yields. Higher quality fruit.

At the March 2014 Wine Media Guild (WMG) lunch, held recently at Felidia’s in Manhattan, members and guests were treated to some modern-day examples of this received wisdom, from the “mountain wineries” of (mostly) Napa Valley and Sonoma County, including: Jericho Canyon (Calistoga), Laurel Glen Vineyard (Sonoma Mountain), Smith-Madrone  and Philip Togni Vineyard (both Spring Mountain), Vinoce Vineyards and Mount Veeder Winery (Mount Veeder), Summit Lake Vineyards and Cimarossa (Howell Mountain) and Wise Acre Vineyard and Castello di Amorosa (Napa Valley Appellation).

Jericho Canyon (and Winery)

Jericho Canyon (and Winery)

As one might surmise, most of the wines, both at the walk-around tasting preceding the lunch, and those offered at the table, were Cabernet Sauvignon or Cab-based blends. Nevertheless, the standout wine for me at the tasting was a white: Smith-Madrone’s 2012 Riesling.  Continue reading →

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Chinese Chili for the Year of the Horse

Posted on February 12, 2014 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

Chinese New Year is something we observe by way of a home-cooked Chinese meal, now guided by Kathryn’s “clean Chinese” adaptations of some of her family’s favorite recipes, like her mother’s roast pork (Char Siu), her father’s Sichuanese “strange taste chicken” (Guai Wei Ji) or other random favorites, like steamed fish with ginger and scallions.

Last week I got into the spirit of the Year of the Horse myself, inspired by, of all things, the New York Times’ weekly wine feature, this one on Syrah from California. At the end of each column, there is always a food pairing offered by Florence Fabricant; her choice for Cali Syrah? Chinese chili. Intrigued, I clicked on the recipe, and saw lots of flavor potential — Five Spice powder, Sichuan peppercorn, fresh ginger and chili peppers. I immediately started doing a makeover in my head. A project for Saturday took shape…

Chinese Chili Ingredients

Chinese Chili Ingredients

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Bargain German Pinot Gris: Villa Wolf

Posted on January 23, 2014 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

I’m always looking for quality, inexpensive wines…with some character (which is the tricky part).

And, truthfully, I have found quite a few such bargains at Sipperley’s Grog Shop, a somewhat disorganized, but bustling shop in the center of Red Hook Village (Dutchess County). My most recent find there is probably not front-of-mind for most — Pinot Gris from Germany’s Pfalz region. But at $11.00, the 2012 Pinot Gris from Villa Wolf, a line of value-priced varietal wines owned by Ernst Loosen (of Mosel Riesling fame), is worth seeking out.

VWPG3

2012 Villa Wolf Pinot Gris

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Heritage Zin and Shiner’s Holiday Cheer: A Few of my Favorite Things

Posted on December 28, 2013 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

“Heritage” is a word that’s tossed around a lot these days, especially during the holidays — heritage recipes, heritage x-mas cards, heritage turkeys…etc.

But one piece of heritage I’m comfortable with, whether during the holidays or not, is Dry Creek Vineyard’s Heritage Vines Zinfandel.

2011_heritage_zinfandel

DCV’s 2011 Heritage Vines Zinfandel

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Beaujolais Nouveau? OK, But Do a “Cru” for Thanksgiving

Posted on November 14, 2013 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

I’m not here to bury Beaujolais Nouveau — many have tried to do that already, and to little avail — but I’m not here to praise it, either.

Designed for immediate gulping to celebrate the Beaujolais harvest (internationally), the cheap and cheerful Nouveau does have its place, despite all the marketing hype, and especially as an excuse for a party (hangover guaranteed!). Depending on the producer and vintage, it can be a decent quaffer or aperitif, best slightly chilled. But given the timing —Thanksgiving is exactly one week after Beaujolais Nouveau’s annual official release — and coupled with its wide availability, the Nouveau is considered by some a Thanksgiving thing, similar to, say, a Butterball turkey (yikes). And hey, at $8.99 a bottle, why not?

This is where I take a stand. Beaujolais (and its Gamay grape) is a savvy choice to accompany the Great American Feast, but please, skip the dumbed-down Nouveau version.

Gamay Noir, the grape of Beaujolais

Gamay Noir, the grape of Beaujolais

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What Wine with Rabbit Pappardelle? A Mercato Test

Posted on October 4, 2013 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

Last week was completely exhausting for me — and for many others, too.

It was the annual madness of the United Nations General Assembly Ministerial Week, where a record number of world leaders descended on Manhattan’s Turtle Bay, bringing heavy security (and traffic jams), and discussing issues like Syria, Iran’s nuclear program, achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 (and what comes after), climate change and global counter-terrorism, among many others. I was in the thick of it all week, chasing Presidents, Ministers and media; when Friday arrived, I couldn’t leave NYC soon enough to head up to the country.

And my immediate destination for a restorative repast? Mercato Osteria & Enoteca, our go-to boite upstate.

Mercato Osteria & Enoteca

Mercato Osteria & Enoteca

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Gold Galore at 2013 Hudson Valley Wine & Spirits Competition

Posted on September 13, 2013 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

hvwga_emblemLast weekend I had the honor once again to be a judge at the Hudson Valley Wine and Spirits Competition. The tasting started early on a gorgeous September morning at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, where the golden sunshine outside was matched by the copious gold medals awarded in the 2013 competition.

This year’s contest featured more wineries, more entries and, proportionally, much more Gold and Double Gold winners than in recent years. In fact, over 35% of the 2013 medal winners were either Double Gold (15%, and certainly a record number) or Gold (20.5%), compared with 19% in 2012 — a welcome sign that the quality of wine-making in the Hudson Valley is on the rise.

That was also my own impression from the wines tasted in my panel, as well as from fellow judges at this year’s competition. “I found that there were a lot of wines I would like to take home with me,” said one of my panelists. High praise, indeed! Apparently, local efforts via the Hudson Valley Wine and Grape Association to raise the region’s wine quality, including rigorous peer review of wines (aiming to identify faults) before they are released, are paying off. And a better vintage in 2012 across New York State, compared with the 2011 “Irene” vintage, probably didn’t hurt either. (Many Hudson Valley wineries source fruit from other New York regions; demand for local grapes exceeds supply.)

While the number of Gold (and Silver!) medals was a surprise, the winner of the Best Overall Hudson Valley Wine (made with Hudson Valley fruit) was not: Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, for its 2012 Tocai Friulano Proprietor’s Special Reserve.

Millbrook's winning 2012 Tocai Friulano

Millbrook’s winning 2012 Tocai Friulano

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Mosel Pinot Noir? Aber Ja (from Stein)!

Posted on August 30, 2013 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

Germany is rightfully known for its Riesling. Not only is Germany by far the world’s biggest producer of the noble grape; it’s also the international benchmark for Riesling styles and excellence — from delicate, shimmering off-dry Kabinetts and complex, dazzling dry versions, to mind-bending dessert wines. And, arguably, the apex of German Riesling is in the cool-climate, slate-rich Mosel region.

Mosel vineyards

Mosel vineyards

Around 60% of Mosel production is Riesling, and some 91% is white wine. Reds are clearly not the priority along the steep river banks of the meandering Mosel River. But despite  the small quantities, a tip from the wine geeks at Crush Wine and Spirits  — my go-to wine shop in New York City — showed that, in the right hands, Mosel reds, specifically Mosel Pinot Noir, can be compelling. The wine?  The 2011 Stein Spätburgunder trocken (dry Pinot Noir).

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Accolades Pour in for The Dead Rabbit

Posted on July 30, 2013 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

Sometimes we call it right here at Upstate-Downtown.

Occasionally, we hit a home run.

Last February, we predicted big things — and highly recommended — The Dead Rabbit, a recently opened tri-level, 19th century-style Irish/New York drinking establishment on Water Street in the Financial District.

Featuring a first floor “standing bar” and an upstairs “parlor”, where 72 meticulously researched, historically accurate drinks from the 1800s are on offer (including flips, slings, toddies, juleps and, of course, cocktails), the Rabbit has wowed both the critics…and the guests I’ve invited down for a friendly libation.

But now, after being open less than six months, the industry awards are also rolling in: at the recent Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards in New Orleans — the Oscars for mixologists and the cocktail set — The Dead Rabbit scored a trifecta of “Best of..” awards.

DeadRabbitExt_z

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Sublime Savennieres: Baumard’s 2001 Clos Du Papillon

Posted on June 28, 2013 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

Imagine an “Open that Bottle Night” — a dinner where you open a special wine that you’ve been meaning to drink, yet never do. Now imagine: the crowd that has gathered is composed solely of wine writers, serious wine collectors, wine geeks and wine industry folks.

It would be an intriguing event: amazing wines from storied vintages, lots of sharing, bonhomie and yes, some competitive bragging rights. Such a Bacchanalia does, in fact, exist: the Wine Media Guild of New York’s annual dinner, when members and guests bring prized bottles from their cellars to celebrate their common muse.

1958 Barolo, still vibrant, a dinner highlight

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