Tag: drink
Make Spirits Bright With These 5 Cocktail, Wine-Themed Books

Make Spirits Bright With These 5 Cocktail, Wine-Themed Books

By Fred Tasker, Tribune News Service (TNS)

Every year about this time I write a column of mini-reviews of wine and spirits books as suggestions for holiday giving. I’ve come across some good ones this year. So let’s get right to it.

Wines of South America: The Essential Guide by Evan Goldstein (University of California Press, 2014, $30 hardcover). Sure, we know that Chile and Argentina make fine, often inexpensive wines. But have you ever sipped a Colombian riesling, a Paraguayan grenache or a Bolivian muscat? They all trace back to the Spanish conquistadores, who brought the grapes not for the natives, but to embolden their armor-bearing troops who were subjugating them. Goldstein, master sommelier and wine author, takes us through 10 winemaking South American countries with interesting statistics and colorful descriptions. I learned things I hadn’t known; I believe you will too.

Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2016 (Mitchell Beazley Publishing, $16.99 hardcover). Slim enough for your shirt pocket, the 39th edition since 1977 gives descriptions, tasting notes and vintage ratings for 6,000 wines. Regions include America, Europe, Russia, China and others. Johnson is the iconic wine author whose classic “The World Atlas of Wine” (now co-authored by wine maven Jancis Robinson) is in its seventh printing. A true classic, though you might want a magnifying glass.

Gin: The Manual by Dave Broom (Mitchell Beazley Publishing, 2015, $19.99 hardcover). Why do gins differ so? Gin is alcohol flavored by a bewildering variety of “botanicals,” including juniper berries, coriander, angelica, orris root, citrus, licorice root, almond, aniseed, cardamom, cubeb berries, ginger and at least nine other substances. Spirits author Broom tasted 120 of them by themselves, then in classic drinks like gin-and-tonic, negroni, martini and such. And lived to write a compelling, nicely illustrated book about it. You can win a thousand bar bets after reading it.

Vermouth: The Revival of the Spirit that Created America’s Cocktail Culture by Adam Ford (The Countryman Press, 2015, $24.95). If gin is trending these days, it’s followed closely by vermouth, a red or white wine flavored with aromatic herbs and used in cocktails. Author Ford, founder of Atsby New York Vermouth, has helped put vermouth in every trendy bar these days. He details its fall and rise in America and tells how to make such classics as the Dry Martini, the Manhattan and the Hanky Panky.

Experimental Cocktail Club: Paris, London & New York by Romee de Goriainoff, Pierre-Charles Cros, Olivier Bon and Xavier Padovani (Mitchell Beazley Publishing, 2015, $29.99): In 2006, three childhood friends teamed to open a trendy New York bar in Paris called the Experimental Cocktail Club. They hit it big and now have bars in Paris, London, New York and Ibiza, plus a new partner, Padovani. Here they present 85 of their cocktail recipes such as the Mezcal Mule, a blend of lime juice, cucumber slices, mescal, ginger beer, passion fruit puree and agave syrup stirred with ice and a piece of candied ginger. I think that covers all the food groups.

(Fred Tasker has retired from the Miami Herald but is still writing about wine. He can be reached at fredtaskerwine@gmail.com.)

©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Photo: Arnaud 25 via Wikimedia Commons

 

Ease Into White Wines With 6 Under $10

Ease Into White Wines With 6 Under $10

By Michael Austin, Chicago Tribune (TNS)

Surely color has a lot to do with why most people think of white wines as lighter and easier to drink than reds. Whites are usually served at lower temperatures, too, and that does something to increase the refreshing factor.

Whites often work better as aperitifs than reds, but just so no one relegates whites to cocktail status, let’s not forget that whites can be serious and essential accompaniments to food. Anyone who has had raw oysters or a smear of goat cheese with the right sauvignon blanc would testify to this. The same is true for anyone who has experienced the sympathetic cohesiveness of crabcakes with a rich, cream-based sauce and a medium-bodied, lightly oaked chardonnay.

Some white wines simply rev up our appetites, or warm up our palates and get them ready for the bigger flavors that are on their way. Other whites make food better than it would have been without wine, and certainly better than it would have been with red. You probably don’t want to drink a glass of malbec with crab ceviche, but that’s not because of the old red/white rule. Red wine with meat, white wine with fish? Puh-lease. If you’re still on that program, I have to ask you something: Who delivers your ice? Because I might come across someone who needs a block or two when my time travel machine finally kicks in and does what it’s supposed to.

There are classic pairings, and there are unconventional pairings that somehow work, but no matter where your dinner or wine-drinking evening is going, white wine is almost always a great place to start. Begin light, and progress into weightier more flavorful styles; that’s a good plan for both food and wine.

For the most part, whites don’t age as well as reds, so if you find a white you like, buy a few bottles instead of a case of 12. It’s never a bad idea to have some crisp white wines on hand. Use them to kick off a social gathering or to accommodate those who shy away from reds — the people I will be doing my best to persuade otherwise. Meanwhile, here is something to consider in the white-versus-red debate: Just about every ounce of juice that has ever been squeezed out of a wine grape is basically clear, or what we identify in a bottle or glass as “white.” Wine professionals have mixed up “red” and “white” in true blind tastings (i.e., with their eyes covered, not just the bottle covered).

White is not always the lesser wine or the easier wine. But there are plenty of whites that are made for easing you in. Once you’re eased in, there are whites that will raise your food up higher than it could ever go on its own. Don’t cling to white, but don’t shun it either. Drink it for what it is. Yes, buying an inexpensive white can be dicey. You don’t want it to taste like water, and you don’t want the other extreme: corn syrup. So here are half a dozen to try, each at a price that will be hard not to like.

In the 2014 Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio ($9), tropical fruit aromas co-exist with citrus flavors, walking hand-in-hand to an instant, crisp finish. A well-balanced, clean wine from northeastern Italy, this would work well as an aperitif or with light seafood.

Like the New Zealand rugby dudes who do that group dance before games, the 2014 Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc ($10) is not shy. It packs all of the expected grapefruit aromas and flavors of a New Zealand sauvignon blanc into one zesty, entertaining experience. It might even make you want to dance.

Also from the Southern Hemisphere but an ocean away in Chile, the 2014 Cono Sur Bicicleta Sauvignon Blanc ($9) is a little more reserved than its Kiwi cousin. Bicicleta has a fuller body and suggests subtle pear and peach rather than the no-two-ways-about-it grapefruit.

The 2014 La Vieille Ferme Blanc ($8) is a blend of white grapes from France’s Rhone Valley that is made by the famous Perrin family. A lime-and-lemon-curd treat with a soft mouthfeel and stony dry finish, this wine would be great with roasted chicken or just on its own.

Hailing from Washington state, the 2013 Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay ($10) is for anyone who likes some vanilla and buttery notes. The richness is not over the top, but if you want stone, steer clear. If you like medium body with enough acidity to stand up to food, buy two bottles.

The 2012 Beringer Chenin Blanc ($6) is fun because it smells like a dew-dropped prairie and, when it hits your tongue, it offers mouth-coating lime and melon. Serve this one well chilled, and take a pass if you don’t like a little sweetness in your glass. Drink it with moderately spicy Asian food.

©2015 Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Photo: For less than 10 bucks, you can have one of these easy-drinking white wines. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

Uncorked: Great Wines For Less Than $15

Uncorked: Great Wines For Less Than $15

By Bill St. John, Chicago Tribune (TNS)

For a St. John, I love Passover each year. I go back to my hometown of Denver and attend a couple of Seder meals at homes of Jewish friends.

But the kicker is that they ask me to conduct a tasting of kosher wines during the Haggada, the hours-long text that sets forth the order of the Seder — and during which each participant is obliged to sip from at least four cups of wine. We just use the good stuff, not Manischewitz.

So, I went on the lookout for some well-made kosher wines again this year and ran across some surprisingly delicious bottlings from the Spanish producer Terrenal, available at Trader Joe’s for a scant $5 a bottle. Come now, you’re saying to yourself, $5 for a decent bottle? Much less, of kosher wine?

Well, Terrenal’s cabernet sauvignon and its tempranillo, both of which I bought, were terrific wines for the money, kosher or not.

Which leads me to note some other well-priced wines that I’ve come across recently and wish to recommend.

They’re ordered by price. All are available nationally for $15 or less a bottle. You may find a couple above that price in certain markets, but the national average is $15 or below.

Whites

2013 Cousino-Macul Sauvignon Gris Isidora, Maipo, Chile: The grape is a cousin to sauvignon blanc and very much resembles it with its grapefruit-y cast; dry, slightly spritzy, and extremely refreshing. $13

2012 Dr. Loosen Dry Riesling Red Slate, Mosel, Germany: Dry riesling can be a bit hard, austere, and in need of food, but this has a lot of fruit to it (apple, pear, lemon) and a full, rich texture. $14

2013 Inama Soave Classico, Veneto, Italy: Creamy, peachy, very soft on the tongue (almost as if it had been polished), but with just enough acidity to spark-plug the next sip. $15

2011 Koenig Vineyards Viognier, Williamson Vineyard, Snake River Valley, Idaho: Yep, Idaho, and from one of the state’s better producers; full-on viognier, with all the peach and apricot you’d expect, and that chamois-like texture that makes the grape so seductive. $15

2013 Mt. Beautiful Sauvignon Blanc, Canterbury, New Zealand: In a sea of recipe-driven Kiwi sauvignon, this stands out for its subtleness, richer-than-usual body, and very long finish. $15

2013 Weingut Fred Loimer Gruner Veltliner Lois, Kamptal, Austria: Great gruner, with all the citrus, white pepper, lentil, celery, and herbal notes you could ask for, as well as a more generous texture than in previous years. $15

Reds

2012 Cellaro Nero d’Avola Luma, Terre Siciliane, Sicily, Italy: Simple, straightforward, deeply-pigmented red, all dark cherries and earth and herbal accents. $10

2013 Mark West Pinot Noir, California: I served this blind, in opaque glassware, next to a $90 Russian River pinot from a famous producer and half the group preferred it; nothing spectacular, but you don’t find spot-on pinot at this price every day. $10

2012 Bogle Merlot, California: How these Bogle folk turn out their terrific $10-$12 bottles of white and red, I do not know, but this is all-merlot: dark red fruit, plush texture, soft tannins, delicious. $10-$12

2012 Elena Walch Schiava, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy: The most popular wine variety in its home region because it is so adaptable for the range of foods of the area; light-bodied, highly perfumed, great acidity, low tannin. $13

2012 Tormaresca Primitivo, Puglia, Italy: Earthy, even tarry, with nice spice notes; a true Italian zinfandel (no surprise, same grape, different name); pizza wine par excellence. $15

2012 Chateau Ste Michelle Syrah, Columbia Valley, Washington: Beautiful scents of red cherry and spice in a plush, richly rendered version; equal to Rhone syrah costing nearly twice as much. $15

2012 Seven Falls Merlot, Wahluke Slope, Washington: Proof again that Washington State is the anti-“Sideways,” the rescuer of America’s merlot; dark fruits, plump feel, long finish; pin-point merlot. $15

2008 Bodegas Franco-Espanolas Rioja Bordon, Rioja, Spain: A favorite Rioja for the price; nothing fancy or deeply layered, just juicy cherrylike fruit, accents of wood and time, and nice cleansing acidity to make dinnertime tastier. $15

2011 Kaiken Terroir Series Red Blend, Corte Mendoza, Argentina: This is a midnight-black blend of malbec, bonarda, and petit verdot from primo vineyards near Mendoza; fat with flavor, texture, perfume of dark fruits and earth; your go-to for beef. $15

2013 Tinto Negro Malbec, Uco Valley, Argentina: This stands out in a crowd of so-so chocolate-and-cherry malbec for its crisper-than-usual acidity and slight tannic grip, making it better at table than alone by the glass. $15

2013 Mas Carlot Costieres de Nimes Cuvee Tradition Rouge, Rhone, France: Everything about this is dark, brooding and, hence, very seductive: the black fruit aromas and flavors; the accents of licorice nib, espresso and baker’s chocolate; the scents of dried wild herbs; an extraordinary value in complexity, depth and flavor richness for the money. $15

If your wine store does not carry these wines, ask for one similar in style and price.

Photo: Robert Neff via Flickr

Oxfam Prods 10 Largest Food And Drink Firms On Climate Change

Oxfam Prods 10 Largest Food And Drink Firms On Climate Change

By David Pierson, Los Angeles Times

Few companies are potentially more vulnerable to climate change than the world’s biggest food and beverage brands.

Droughts are diminishing agricultural yields, and severe cold snaps like the one that crippled parts of the U.S. this year resulted in weeks of lost production.

Disruptions like that could raise the price of popular cereals like Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and General Mills’ Kix cereal as much as 30 percent in the next 15 years, said Oxfam, an international advocacy group.

The group sought to spell out the many worldwide costs of climate change in a report it released Monday calling on the globe’s 10 largest food and beverage companies to intensify their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Failing to do so could lead to more poverty and hunger, as the world’s population is expected to grow by one-third to 9.6 billion by 2050, the group says.

“If we’re going to feed 9 billion people sustainably and avert a climate catastrophe, then these companies driving demand for billions of dollars’ worth of agricultural products have to be major actors,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. “There’s not only a moral reason for them, there’s also good business reasons why they should care about this.”

The report is the latest in Oxfam’s Behind the Brands campaign, which scores the 10 companies in social and environmental responsibility.

The brands included Coca-Cola, Danone, General Mills, Kellogg, Mars, Nestle, PepsiCo and Unilever.

The companies emitted 263.7 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2013, Oxfam said. If the group of companies were a nation, it would be the 25th most polluting country in the world, Oxfam said.

“They have the economic power to drive the required transformation of the food system and to influence the direction of the wider global economy,” the report said. “Their vested interests coincide with the world’s need for a cleaner and more equitable global food system and a sustainable energy system.

“But they are not properly acting upon this coincidence.”

The report said the food industry is responsible for a quarter of the globe’s greenhouse gases. (That figure is 10 percent in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency.)

Agricultural emissions include the nitrous oxide released from fertilizers and methane from livestock, as well as indirect emissions caused by deforestation and the production of raw materials.

The report isn’t all bad. Oxfam lauded most of the companies for refusing to buy palm oil produced on deforested land and noted that all 10 companies had recognized some need to reduce agricultural emissions.

In most cases they also measure and report all their agricultural emissions each year to an independent third party organization called the Carbon Disclosure Project.

Two American companies do not go that far. Kellogg and General Mills don’t fully report to the Carbon Disclosure Project some Scope 3 emissions, which is pollution caused indirectly through a company’s supply chain, Oxfam said.

In an emailed statement, General Mills said it has done much to combat climate change. It set a goal of 2015 to reduce emissions in the company’s direct operations 20 percent and reduce transportation fuel usage rates 35 percent. Last month, General Mills joined Wal-Mart to promote sustainable farming through the nonprofit organization Field to Market.

“There is more to be done, of course. But General Mills is mischaracterized in this report” by Oxfam, the company said.

Kellogg said through a spokesman: “We are working on multiple fronts to further reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and waste, as well as the energy and water we use.”

Oxfam is encouraging the 10 companies to disclose the most polluting suppliers and begin setting emission reduction targets for them.

©afp.com / Mario Tama