Clos Fantine grenache/syrah/mourvedre/carignan (Faugeres, France)
This heart-warmingly good South of France red blend is my favorite go-to wine, it's made by three siblings-- they have grown the grapes (super biodynamic) for 30 years, but have been bottling their own label for about 10 years now. 

Graf v. Shonborn grauer burgunder aka pinot gris (Franken, Germany) 
This juice is it! It's picked around auslese brix levels then fermented to dry. The result is a crazy rich aroma, and a dense, concentrated palate that is breathtaking and transcendent, while still remeniscent of  good ol' familiar pinot gris. 

The Negroni
Industry cliche, I know, but it's just soooo good. 
Everyone has their trick, and mine's a 'lil different, but here's my favorite way: 
1/2 oz Bols Genever
1.5 oz Carpano Antica
1 oz Campari

Maine Beer Company "Peeper Ale" (Maine)
Hands down one of the best beers I've ever had. 

Chateau Jiahu, by Dogfish Head Brewery (Delaware)
This is a very cool drink that I wrote about earlier in the year. Chateau Jiahu is a fermented beer-like recipe made from honey, grapes, rice, barley, and hawthorne. The beverage is an attempt to recreate what people were drinking in China 9,000 years ago, based on residues found in pottery. 

I recently got the chance to catch up with Josh Bergström of Bergström Winery. He's a neat guy; thoughtful, charming and down-to-earth, and it was great to hear him expound upon the ins and outs of Oregon winemaking. Bergström Wines was founded by Josh's parents (John & Karen Bergström), and they see their business as an extension of the farm-to-table movement in Portland, where much of the community has rallied in support of local products (everything from vegetables and coffee, to wine). 

Josh is now the general manager/winemaker/vineyard manager of the family business, and together they make a chardonnay, several single vineyard pinot noirs, and a pinot noir blend. 

They have a strong commitment to organic and sustainable farming. Josh has worked several vintages in Burgundy and is influenced by some of the organic winemakers there. He told a story of when he first started out as a vineyard owner, he once used some common, industry-standard chemical treatments on the vines during a difficult vintage, and he hated how the vines suffered, and how the insect and bird life in the vineyard ceased. "A chemical-filled vineyard is a quiet vineyard." The experience hit home, and he has never done it since. 

Instead, he focuses on composting all of the grape skins and cuttings and planting cover crops. Healthy vines and soils are stronger than chemically farmed vines, and he has found that by raising healthy, organic vines, they have a natural resilience in difficult years. 

The Cumberland Reserve  (pictured on the left) is Josh's pinot noir blend. It's a mix of 5 vineyards in different appelations. As such, he considers it a "true Oregon wine." The Cumberland Reserve is his top cuvée, his first priority. He makes this blend first, and then bottles the remaining single vineyards.

Vintages and Climate Change

Josh suspects that climate change seriously affects Willamette. It doesn't make the region hotter, per se, but "it makes the weather freakier, which results in some unusually hot years." 

2001- a good but not classic vintage, drinkable early
2002- dense, dark structure to the wines from this year- a great year
2003- heat wave. when this heat came, "they hadn't seen hot temperatures like that since 1983." 
2004- a good but not classic vintage, drinkable early
2005- dense, dark structure- a very nice vintage
2006- another hot year, but after '03, "people were more prepared for it"
2007- a good but not classic vintage, drinkable early
2008- one of the best vintages in Oregon's winemaking history (on par with '02)
2009- This was a "true heat wave vintage," when the temperature hit 108F, people rushed out to pick their grapes before they "shriveled to amarone."
2010- incredibly low yields due to bird damage. The grains in the region were harvested early, so when the birds came they ate all of the grapes. aromatics & juicy acidity- this will do well in the bottle
2011- dense & dark structure- good wines came from this year despite a cool,wet growing season and late harvest

Read his more detailed thoughts about the vintages here. 

The Lineup

Bergstrom "Sigrid" chardonnay, 2010 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
In 2010, birds ate 70% of their chardonnay, and Bergstrom ended up with just 19 barrels of this. This spends 12 months aging in barrels. "Sigrid" is Josh's grandfather.  

Bergstrom "Cumberland Reserve" pinot noir, 2010 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
This is a blend of 5 different appellations and this definitely shows in its complexity. 
complex aroma and taste; cherries, green herbs, earth and meat

Bergstrom "Gregory Ranch Vineyard" pinot noir, 2010 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
Gregory Ranch Vineyard is a 26 acre vineyard in the Yamhill Carlton area. It sits just behind Elk Cove winery and has marginal weather. This leads it to be a late-harvested site, and, so far, it produces wines that are floral and bright. The 2010 is the inaugural vintage, made from 4 yr vines. 
rose petals and fresh cherries on the nose; black fruits, plum skin and zippy acid on the palate 

Bergstrom "Shea Vineyard" pinot noir, 2010 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
Bergstrom is the largest producer of the Shea vineyard. They hold a longterm contract with the owners for 14 acres made up of 5 plots from lower elevation to higher elevation. Josh likes this site "for its sheer power." 
earth, meat, and oregano on the nose, spicy lush fruits and soft tannins on the palate

Bergstrom "De Lancelotti Vineyard" pinot noir, 2010 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
This vineyard is a 21 acre site in the Chehalem Mountains with deep sandy soils that sit over a 15 million year old ancient riverbed. This region is known for producing wines with spicy perfume. His sister owns this vineyard, and the animals onsite include cows, pigs and bees. 
a rich and smokey, wet-earth aroma on the nose, very spicy on the palate

Bergstrom "Bergstrom Vineyard" pinot noir, 2010 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
Planted in 1999, this is Josh's special vineyard. It's built on 7-10 million year old lava flows, and produces wines with an iron-like quality. This is a classic, high-quality, Oregon pinot. 
cherry skins, iron, meat

There is nothing quite like super old Vin Santo, and a while back I got to try this beauty-- a Barbi 1978.  It was ridiculous. When my birthday rolls around, this is what I want: old Vin Santo! Looking for souvenirs to bring back to your friends on your next trip to Italy? Do us all a favor and bring us back some old Vin Santo! Do you work at wine shop in Manhattan and have some of this on your shelf? Let me know and I'll come buy all of your old Vin Santo! I cannot get enough...

Vin Santo is an Italian dessert wine made from dried grapes. The grape bunches are either hung on hooks to lose their water content, or dried on straw mats. This process concentrates the sugars, some of which gets left behind after fermentation. Vin Santos range in their RS levels, and sometimes you will get one that tastes quite dry. But they always have a delicious nuttiness that is intoxicating. 

This bad boy had a bit of sediment, so we decanted, and look at how pretty the color is!
There will be a Vin Santo study trip to Italy somewhere in my future, and I look forward to reporting more to you at that time. 

Recently I had the chance to catch up with Blair Walter, winemaker at Felton Road winery in Central Otago, New Zealand. We tasted through the selection of his 2010s (plus we got to try a bonus 2011 chardonnay). 

Blair Walter & His Wine Making Philosophy
Blair is a thoughtful guy-- from talking to him I really got the feel that he takes his job extremely seriously and has a profound connection with his vineyards. He studied at Lincoln & Oregon State University and worked in several wine regions before settling in Central Otago. In the vineyards he farms everything organically and biodynamically (Demeter certified). He uses cover crops and makes organic compost to keep soil balance in tact and microbe health at optimum levels. His winery is designed around gravity flow, and he uses only indigenous yeasts. Ultimately, his winemaking philosophy revolves around minimal intervention. All of Blair's wines are under screwcap to avoid TCA and oxidation. He tests his older vintages side-by-side with cork and screwcap, and the wine aged under screwcap is always preferable to his tastes. 

Central Otago
He makes his wines in Central Otago, an incredibly unique wine growing region for multiple reasons. Central Otago is dominated by the Southern Alps, a huge mountain range that creates a rain shadow over the wine growing region and makes this one of the driest wine terroirs in the world (averaging 400mm annually). The semi-continental climate has extremely hot summers and extremely cold winters. The arid environment contributes to a great diurnal temperature flux that helps grapes maintain their acidity. 

The southern hemisphere is closer to the sun during the growing season than the northern hemisphere. This, combined with the depleted ozone hole and clear atmosphere, causes this region of the world to be inundated with intense UV radiation. In fact, this latitude in the southern hemisphere gets 11%more UV radiation than its northern hemisphere counterpart. Sunscreen is not optional for vineyard workers, and skin care is a major human concern. The grapes can also suffer from the UV rays, and a great deal of Blair's time and energy funnels into canopy management. 

Felton Road "Bannockburn" riesling 2010 (Central Otago, New Zealand)

This riesling clocks in at a whopping 56 grams/liter of RS. 

The Line Up: 

Chardonnay "Bannockburn" (Central Otago, New Zealand) 2011
Blair ferments his chardonnay in barrel (from Burgundian coopers, and always just a small amount of new oak- 10-15%), where it undergoes a natural yeast fermentation. Malolactic happens naturally in the spring. He stirs the lees regularly. 

Riesling "Bannockburn" (Central Otago, New Zealand) 2010
Whole bunch pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and lees-aged for several months. 56 g/l RS, 8.8 TA, 2.95 pH. 
This drinks like an auslese with loads of RS and balancing acidity. Classic peachy fruit characteristics. 

Pinot Noir "Bannockburn" (Central Otago, New Zealand) 2010
The Bannockburn pinot noir is a blend of 3 different properties, 10 different clones, 6 different rootstocks, and several different soil types. Spent 11 months in barrel. 
This wine was smooth, slightly complex, with a purity of fruit that was refreshing, soft tannins, and great balance. 

Pinot Noir "Calvert Vineyard" (Central Otago, New Zealand) 2010
The Calvert Vineyard covers 10.1 hectares and has heavy, cement-like silt soils. The soils here retain water, which is helpful in the arid climate. The vines here are 10 years old, and the roots are already 2.5 meters deep. Blair says "They're off down there, exploring..." The wine spends 11 months in barrel followed by racking. 
This wine, like the Bannockburn, has beautiful purity of fruit, plus an almost cereal-like aroma that reminded me of cheerios. I wrote in my notebook: "Transportative, this is a fine wine..." 

Pinot Noir "Cornish Point" (Central Otago, New Zealand) 2010
Cornish Point covers 7.6 hectares and has a light top layer of fluffy silt that sits on top of ancient river pebbles. The vines were planted in 2000, and are a mixture of 18 different clones and rootstocks. Blair makes the Cornish Point and the Calvert Vineyard identically, and when you taste them side-by-side you really get a feel for the different terroirs within Central Otago. The Cornish Point is more fruit forward and lighter, where the Calvert is denser and meatier in comparison. 
This wine tasted fruity and toasty, like cherry frangipan.  

Pinot Noir "Block 5" (Central Otago, New Zealand) 2010
Block 5 is one of the older vineyards in the region, with 20 year old vines. Block 5 has varied soils, including a clay band that runs through it. It's planted with Pommard clones. The wines from this block inevitably have more power and structure, so Blair gives this wine a bit more barrel aging-- 17-18 months in barrel. 

Pinot Noir "Block 3" (Central Otago, New Zealand) 2010
Block 3 is adjacent to Block 5. Block 3 has the same soil throughout, planted with 20 year old vines. 
This wine tasted of raspberry candies and fresh green herbs, and there was a spicy meatiness that reminded me of charcouterie. This spends 11 months in barrel.  

I wrote the last post soon after Hurricane Sandy hit, but so many amazing new things have happened over the last few days. Diners have been so awesome-- coming out to support restaurants that were hit hard or couldn't open for days without power; and restaurants have been incredible too, helping each other out and doing what they could to help people in devastated areas. On Saturday morning I caught a stroke of luck and got the first 6 train that ran down lower Manhattan after the subways opened up. As I walked to work (to help in the clean-up efforts), I saw workers at just about everywhere along the way doing the same thing: sweeping up, wiping the windows down, and trying to get deliveries so they could open for business. Here is a brief update of some of the cool things restaurants have been doing for New York, hurricane victims, and each other:

NYTimes food critic Pete Wells posted this today, encouraging diners to eat downtown. 

Eater put up this Hurricane Relief Restaurant Guide, guiding diners to restaurants that are collecting donations or running specials to help relief efforts. 

Twitter Campaign: #EatDownTipUp This campaign encourages eaters to eat downtown to support the restaurants that lost the week of business, and to tip double to help the waitstaffs that made no money last week. People take a picture of their bill & the tip- it's sweet. 

Thomas Keller tweeted this:
"Please support your local restaurants and workers who have not had power for the last few days in downtown Manhattan"
with a link to this article and encouraged people to eat downtown to help the restaurants there get back on track. 

Rouge Tomate- Pascaline Lepeltier put a cocktail on the menu at Rouge Tomate, and all proceeds go toward charities that are helping with Hurricane relief efforts. Union Square Cafe followed suit and are donating the proceeds of their cocktail "SoPo" to hurricane relief efforts. 

Public and our sister restaurant Saxon & Parole-- naturally I am a bit biased since I work at Public, but I was touched when I heard that, despite losing a week of sales from being closed due to power outages, our owners are donating Saturday & Sunday night's profits to help rebuild Governor, a restaurant in Dumbo that was destroyed by the hurricane. Governor is owned by some folks who used to work at Public, and the spirit of kindness is pretty overwhelming. 

Telepan, Park Avenue Autumn, and Aldea all had special private dinners that raised funds for hurricane relief. 

Shake Shake has a special cookie they are selling to raise money for the Red Cross.

The Meatball Shop is collecting blankets and giving out free meatballs for anyone who brings in a blanket. 

Though his own lower Manhattan chocolate shops were closed without power, Jacques Torres took a truck to Staten Island and gave out hot chocolate to anyone who needed a warm drink. 

On November 2nd when downtown had no power and no transportation, Barraca had a generator & projected movies onto the side of a refrigerated truck, and Vagabond Cafe was offering grilled cheese, tomato soup, hot tea, cold beer & live music by candlelight.

A restaurant in Boston delivered 600 pizzas to the Rockaways. 

A cool wine sales rep I know delivered candles, flashlights, and pizza on her bike to wine shops who stayed open without power.

It's been a special week....