10 Wines for Your New Year’s Celebration
What’s not to love about Champagne? It goes with every type of food, it’s perfect all by itself and it makes any occasion special. Going into the next decade of the 21st century certainly calls for a drink – of something special! Cheers!

Top 5 Best Selling Champagnes over $30:
1.    Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne – $40
2.    Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne – $33
3.    2002 Perrier-Jouët “Fleur de Champagne Belle Epoque” half-bottle – $40
4.    Krug “Grande Cuvée” Brut Champagne – $120
5.    Marguet Pere et Fils “Cuvee Reserve” Brut Champagne – $33

Top 5 Best Selling Champagnes for $30 or less:
1.    Ariston Aspasie “Carte Blanche” Brut Champagne – $25
2.    Nicholas Feuillatte “Blue Label” Brut Champagne – $25\
3.    Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne – $30
4.    Michel Loriot “Cuvee Reserve” Brut Champagne -$30
5.    Philippe Gonet “Brut Reserve” Champagne – $30

Serve with Mini Potato Pancake Appetizers

Recipe:

Mini Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:
2 russet (baking) potatoes, peeled
1 small yellow onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg beaten
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup Crisco or peanut oil for frying

1. Finely grate the potatoes and onion onto a freshly washed kitchen towel.  When all is grated, wrap the towel around the pieces holding the towel over the sink and wring out all excess liquid.

2. Place the potato pieces into a mixing bowl and add the flour, egg, salt and pepper.  Mix thoroughly.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Pan is ready when you splash cold water from your fingers into the pan and it sizzles.

4. Using a tablespoon, drop potato mixture into the pan. Cook about 2 minutes per side, until the surfaces are brown and crispy and the insides are tender and cooked through. If your pan isn’t large enough to cook the pancakes all at once, do them in batches.  Add more oil to the pan if necessary.

5. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and keep warm in 200 degree C oven while you finish cooking the rest. Serve warm with toppings of your choice.

Favorite Toppings:
Sour Cream with a sprinkling of scallions or caviar
A little granulated sugar
Applesauce
Apple/Onion Chutney – homemade or store bought

Enjoy with a glass of your favorite Champagne.

Albariño
Now that the weather has warmed up, we’ve been able to eat our meals outdoors on the patio. The photo above isn’t my patio. It’s actually Al and Tipper Gore’s patio at their new home in Montecito, CA. If it were my patio, I would be sitting there right now.

Our patio backs up to a little canyon. Hot food is always a challenge outdoors because just about the time we sit down to eat, a cool breeze always begins to picks up.

The perfect outdoor meal? A salad or a sandwich. Chicken is great for both. I picked up a fully cooked rotisserie chicken at Costco. What a deal. A perfectly cooked, 3 pound chicken for $5.

The perfect wine to go with the meal? A Spanish Albariño.

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2007 Burgans Albariño Rias Baixas
Pale gold color. Aromas of apple, pear, honey and tangerine. Flavors of peach, apple and citrus with a hint of honey and minerals. No oak. This wine is very food friendly and great all by itself. We found it paired well with our chicken salad. Widely available. We found it at Von’s for $13

Quick Chicken Salad with Dill Recipe:

Quick Chicken Salad with Dill

1 regular rotisserie chicken from the grocery store (or Costco)

½ Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more, to taste

1 Tablespoon olive oil

¾ cup mayonnaise

4 to 4 1/2 Tablespoons sour cream

1 – 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill (start with 1 Tbsp. and add more to taste)

2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1/3 cup chopped cashews

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Remove chicken from bones, discarding skin. Tear chicken into chunks or large shreds; do not finely chop or shred the chicken as this makes the salad mushy. Place torn chicken pieces into a medium bowl, along with cashews.

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, olive oil and lemon juice. Stir in dill and capers. Season to taste with salt.

Add 1/2 mayonnaise mixture to chicken and gently fold to combine. Continue adding mayonnaise mixture until it liberally coats all the chicken.
Add salt, pepper or additional lemon to taste.

Great served as a salad on top of lettuce or as a filling for sandwiches.

Makes 5 to 6 servings.

Some Prices are Starting to Going Up
If you haven’t noticed, prices continue to creep upward. A quick trip to the mall for a sale will have you asking, “This is on sale? This is the same price it was a few months ago!”

Price increases are most noticeable at the grocery store. Coffee, eggs, bread and produce are at least 10% higher than they were last year at this time.

Wine price increases haven’t gone unnoticed by this consumer. We had a nice drop in wine prices for the past 6 months, but they’ve stopped dropping and, in some cases, are starting to edge upward.

There are several reasons. Because of the loss of jobs, or fear of losing one’s job, consumers are buying less expensive wines. Twisting Vines talked about this in February.

Here in California, and to a lesser extent, Oregon and Washington, it’s starting to take it’s toll. Many newer winemakers and growers purchased land at inflated prices, and unless they have unlimited funds, can’t keep up with expense of producing wine.

Some have gone out of business already. Some are frantically working to downsize and streamline operations. Some are raising prices. There will reach a point where wine drinkers will decide that they would rather switch to a less expensive wine or simply drink less often.

Here at Twisting Vines we will continue to search for those “diamonds in the rough” wines – so you won’t have to.

2 Great Value Wines

Saint Clair Family Estate Vicar’s Choice Pinot Noir 2008
From New Zealand’s Marlborough region. Bright ruby color. Aromas of raspberry, strawberry and red cherry. Medium-bodied. Well-balanced acidity, supple tannins. Cherry and raspberry dominate the palate with hints of red currant. A smooth, long finish. Pairs well with red meat or pasta. At Wine Exchange for $12

2008 Pascual Toso Malbec Maipu Valley
From Argentina. Dark ruby color. Aromas of ripe plums, wet stones and a hint of toast. Flavors of dark cherries and berries with a hint of pepper. Full bodied. Acid balanced with ripe tannins. Drink now or hold 2 or 3 years. Perfect pairing with a cheeseburger! At K & L for $10

Rainy Day Wines
It’s been raining, on and off, for a couple of days, and for some reason rain and soup just seem to go together. They had some nice leeks at the store so I decided to make leek & potato soup. It’s pretty simple to make and goes perfectly with European style chardonnays. With a rotisserie chicken and  some crusty bread, we had a great meal while watching the rain. (The soup recipe is after the fold.)

Two wines that go well with the meal:

Louis Latour 2008 Pouilly Fuissé
Light golden color with a touch of green. Aromas of peach and apricot. Flavors of pear, lemon and green apple with slight minerality. The balance is good with a smooth, satisfying finish. Drink  now or hold a few years. Excellent value. Costco has it for $16

Laetitia Estate Chardonnay 2007
This wine was chosen by the Wall Street Journal as one of their 12 best wine buys of 2009.
Golden yellow color. Aromas of lime and orange with hints of pineapple and cantaloupe. Flavors of pear, pineapple and lemon with the slightest hints of oak and melon. Buttery texture, good balance. Smooth medium finish. Another great value. Wine House on Cotner Ave. in west LA has it for $11

Leak & Potato Soup Recipe:

Leek & Potato Soup
Ingredients:
•    ½ lb leeks
•    2-3 medium Russet (or other starchy) potatoes
•    2 Tbsp unsalted butter
•    1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
•    1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
•    ½ cup dry white wine
•    1 qt chicken broth – canned or homemade
•    Kosher salt, to taste
•    Ground white pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Cut white part of leeks into half inch slices

Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces about the same size as the leeks.

In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat the butter over a low-to-medium heat.

Add the onion, garlic and leeks and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.

Add the wine and cook for another minute or two or until the wine seems to have reduced by about half.

Add the broth and the potatoes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft enough that they can easily be pierced with a knife. Don’t let them get mushy, though.

Remove from heat and purée in a blender, working in batches, using pulse mode.

Note: Make sure lid is on blender and don’t fill with more than 1/3 with hot liquid.

Pour puréed soup into another pot and bring to a simmer again, adding more broth or stock to adjust the thickness if necessary.

Season to taste with Kosher salt and white pepper.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

3 Wine Price Points – One Great Winemaker
While searching out the next “diamond in the rough” of good, affordable wine, it’s best to take in two considerations: the land the grapes are grown on and the style of the winemaker. One of the top winemakers in the world is 71 year old Aubert de Villaine.

Monsieur de Villaine’s wine-making philosophy emphasizes, above all else, that great wine is made in the vineyards and that the winemaker’s role is to do the minimum necessary to produce the finest fruit consistent with total respect for the individual terroir of each appellation.

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti estate in Burgundy, France is considered to be among the world’s greatest wine producers. The wines are also among the world’s most expensive.

In 2001, a lot of seven bottles of Montrachet 1978 from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was sold at Sotheby’s in New York for $167,500, or $23,929 per bottle – an extraordinary price for a white wine, even in the rarified world of wine collecting. At the time it was the most expensive wine ever sold in America. What happened was that two avid collectors were bidding against each other and got carried away, each refusing to yield as the price rose through the stratosphere.

Today, the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is Co-Owned and Co-Directed by Aubert de Villaine. Aubert’s father and grandfather were both Directors of the Domaine. Because he was raised at the Domaine and had intimate familiarity with the day-to-day operations of the winery, he was a natural to become the Co-director in 1974.  Learn more:  Read

A & P de Villaine
When he isn’t making wine for the great Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Aubert de Villaine and his wife own and run a domain in nearby Bouzeron called A & P de Villaine. This domaine is extensively  planted with Aligoté – a white grape used to make dry white wines – similar in style and fruit characteristics to Pinot gris. Aligoté is considered the second most important grape in Burgundy – after Chardonnay.
See: Website

Domaine A et P De Villaine Bouzeron 2007
From the golden Aligoté doré grape, which gives lowers yield and more aromatic wines than its cousin, the Aligoté vert. A lively, fruity wine, but it also has a finesse and roundness. These qualities lend it great versatility. To best appreciate the freshness and fruit, it would be drunk young, within two or three years. To allow the wine to fully develop fullness and “fatness”, age it for up to ten years. It should be served chilled, at about 54°F, as an apéritif, with seafood, or with a number of cheeses (goat cheese, Cantal, Beaufort, Parmesan, Roquefort). $20

Hyde de Villaine “HdV”
If you thought running two wineries would be enough to keep the de Villaines busy, Aubert and Pamela are also involved in Hyde de Villaine (HdV), a highly regarded winery in California’s Carneros District.
See: Website

2006 Hyde de Villaine “HdV” Carneros Chardonnay
“Showing all of the richness and layered complexity that we have come to expect from HDV, this head-turning offering is at once fairly powerful but comes with an uncommon sense of finesse. It smells of well-ripened apples, sweet toast and wisps of roasted grains, and its deep, full-scaled flavors unfold with elements of minerals and spice lifting it above simple fruitiness. Full-bodied and slightly fleshy in feel with optimal acids affording it very fine balance, it is a serious Chardonnay that will take to aging, but it is wholly fascinating now.” – 93 points Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine. $56

2005 Celler de Capcanes “Mas Donis” Barrica Montsant
Wine from old vines grapes grown on volcanic slopes in north eastern Spain. The life span of a grape vine is about 120 years, and the Granache and Syrah used in this wine come from vines that are over 80 years old and over 30 years old, respectively. The region is known for producing high quality red wines at affordable prices.

Dark ruby color. Aromas of black cherries and dark berries with a hint of smoked meat, licorice and clove. This is a medium bodied wine with rich flavors of dark cherries and berries and hints of mineral, spice and oak. Good balance of acidity and tannins. A long, fruit forward finish. Robert Parker gave it 91 points. Drink now or hold a year or two. A great value at $10

Pairs well with grilled, marinated, thin cut pork chops.

Time to Stock Up on Champagne
According to the New York Times wine critic, Eric Asimov, there are now some pretty good Champagnes in the $30 to $40 range. A panel of experts, including Asimov, set up blind tasting of 20 Champagnes under $40 and found some seriously good wine. This is quite a change from last year.

What has changed? As James Carville said back in 1992, “It’s the economy, stupid.”

When the bottom fell out of the economy, it took the wine industry with it. In 2007 shipments of Champagne were at close to 22 million bottles. In 2008 they fell to 17 million bottles. This year, as previously noted here at Twisting Vines, Champagne shipments dropped more than 41%.

“I think a lot of the importers got very nervous and this fall lowered prices for the big houses, especially in November and December,” said Lorena Ascencios, wine buyer for Astor Wines and Spirits in Greenwich Village.

Asimov said he was the most excited by the smaller producers who make Champagne from grapes they grow themselves. 4 of the top 10 were selections were from small producers.

The Winners:
The Falmet Brut Tradition
The top-rated wine in the tasting. “We found it full of lively energy, with complex flavors of flowers, minerals, citrus and herbs, and with more finesse than you generally find in Champagnes dominated by the pinot noir grape.” $30

Brut Tradition from Christian Etienne
No. 5 bottle in the tasting, was rich, round and full of fruit, yet beautifully balanced. $30

NV Grande Cuvée from Moutard
No. 8 Champagne showed its 100 percent pinot noir character in its rich, full-bodied texture and ripe fruit flavors. $30

Les 7 Crus from Agrapart & Fils
Rated best value was  another grower-producer. Agrapart is in the Côte des Blancs, which is chardonnay country, so naturally this was a blanc de blancs, made entirely out of chardonnay. It is fresh and balanced, with just the sort of finesse you would expect to see in a good blanc de blancs. A great deal at $28.

From Asimov: “Personally, I love the individuality and distinctiveness I find in many grower-producer Champagnes. But I recognize that unless you live near a wine shop with a deep Champagne selection, or have access to one through the Internet, these labels can be hard to find. Fortunately, some of the bigger names did very well, too.”

Louis Roederer Brut Premier
The No. 2 bottle. “It is a perennial favorite of mine, though this is the first time in a few years that I’m seeing it for under $40. It was ripe and rich, yet showed the balance and elegance I’ve come to expect in Roederer Champagnes.” $35

Henriot Brut Souverain
No. 4 bottle was full, rich and creamy, with surprisingly ripe tropical fruit flavors. Yet it was dry and balanced. $34

Taittinger Brut La Française
No. 7 bottle was from Taittinger, an often underrated producer. It was both fine and elegant, if that’s not redundant, with a mellow mineral and citrus flavor. $35

The Nicolas Feuillatte Brut
No. 9 bottle. It’s by no means a complex Champagne, but it was fresh and lively. $30

Pol Roger Brut Réserve NV – White Foil
The No. 10.” It’s a far cry from a vintage Pol Roger, but a decent bottle nonetheless, with lightness and elegance.”
Notes: A cuvée, with gold straw yellow hue, fine bubbles, a bouquet of floral and fruity aromas. Ripe and thirst-quenching on the palate, with a superb taste of brioche. $36

2006 Water Wheel “Memsie” Shiraz-Cabernet-Malbec Bendigo Victoria
The 2006 Memsie red is a ruby-colored Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec blend. The nose exhibits black currant, plum and raspberry aromas.

A balanced, full-bodied wine with rich, dark fruit and berry flavors, with hints of savory spice and anise. The smooth, chalky tannins carry through to a lingering finish. This wine received 90 points from Robert Parker and Stephen Tanzer.

Best drinking between 2009 – 2012. It is an ideal match for pasta, lean red meat dishes and cheese. A great value. $11

2007 Greg Norman Estates Santa Barbara County Chardonnay
The 2007 vintage proved to be a stellar year for Santa Barbara County Chardonnay. The fruit came in evenly ripe, with luscious, up-front tropical flavors. This Chardonnay begins with the aromas of pineapple and lemon zest. Forward tropical fruit flavors greet the palate and are highlighted by notes of vanilla and hints of spice. The mouthfeel is smooth and luscious and the wine finishes clean and refreshing. $13

2007 Alondra Middleridge Ranch Mendocino Chardonnay
Alondra is Spanish for Skylark, the wine company established by John Lancaster and Robert Perkins, who run the wine program at Boulevard Restaurant in San Francisco. Their 2007 Chardonnay from Middleridge Ranch Vineyard in Mendocino is a cool customer with a bracing mineral bent, a beautiful balance and a seductive scent of ripe pear and tropical fruit. No oak gives this Mendocino County Chardonnay a light, lean profile, which makes it wonderfully versatile. Serve with chilled shrimp, steamed clams or grilled fish. $16

2007 Bergstrom Winery Dr. Bergstrom Willamette Valley Riesling
From Wine Spectator: “Soft and off-dry, with peach, mineral and floral-spice aromas and flavors, lingering on the gentle finish. “Dr. Bergstrom” Riesling marries fruit from four different vineyard sources. The resulting wine’s rich perfume displays lychee, quince, toasted marshmallow and citrus aromas. In the mouth, the wine is ripe and viscous, with the tropical and citrus fruit at the forefront, lifted by bright acidity and just a kiss of sweetness. Great with spicy dishes and seafood. $26

2006 Tablas Creek Vineyard Paso Robles Cotes de Tablas Blanc
A blend in the style of French Cotes du Rhone whites, using four estate-grown white Rhône varietals: Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc. Spicy aromas of herbs, stone fruits and minerals are followed in the mouth by apricot flavors, rich texture, bright acidity, and a long, clean peachy finish. As with all Tablas Creek wines, the grapes for their Côtes de Tablas Blanc were grown on their 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard. $18

2007 Chateau Ste Michelle – Dr. Loosen “Eroica” Riesling
The 2007 Eroica Riesling, made in collaboration with the Dr. Loosen estate in Germany’s Mosel region, is light to medium straw-colored with fragrant aromas of spring flowers, mineral, and honeysuckle. Crisp and just off-dry, in a Kabinett style, it delivers flavors of melon and pineapple. The wine is balanced and vibrant and may well evolve for several years in the manner of a top German Mosel Kabinett. It can be enjoyed now and over the next 5-7 years.” 91 Points from Robert Parker and a Smart Buy designation. $20

2006 Saint M Riesling, Germany
Chateau Ste. Michelle is the largest producer of Riesling in the world, has commissioned 85,000 cases of Riesling to be made in Germany by its partner, Dr. Ernst Loosen, one of the most respected names in German wine production. The wine, called Saint M, is made by Loosen in the warm Pfalz region. This is a well-made, straightforward off-dry wine with lots of fresh fruit flavors — tart and sweet ripe peaches with a hint of apple. It has only 11 percent alcohol, making it a good cocktail wine, as well as a fine choice for light dishes and soft, mild cheeses. $12

2006 Beringer Single Vineyard Stanly Ranch Vineyard Napa Valley Chardonnay
One of Carneros’ landmark properties and site of Louis Martini’s early experiments with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Stanly Ranch remains a top source for those varieties. Beringer has approached it with a clean, straightforward style: fresh citrus and golden apple with a moderate weight and a pleasing lift from the cooler, wetter 2006 harvest. Well-made single-vineyard Chardonnay at a reasonable price. $18

Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes 2008
Medium straw color with a hint of peach, white pear, flowers, and orange citrus fruit aromas – similar to Viognier. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with enticing fruit flavors and plenty of body for a wine that shows such delicate aromas and flavors. Fruity, floral and yet still quite dry, this wine has to be tasted to be believed. On the palate the wine is dry, smooth textured, and layered. This nicely balanced wine features a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. Best enjoyed in the next 2 years. A wonderful pairing with smoked meats, mild to medium-strong cheeses, and seafood – especially cold crab.The Crios de Susana Balbo label has rapidly become synonymous with great value. $13

2007 Valminor, Albariño
A light yellow gold color. Fruity aromas of apple, apricot and melon, with a hint of citrus. Fresh flavors with a dry, rounded acidity, resulting in a balanced wine that boasts an opulent taste with elegant aromas. Great with rich foods or just by itself.International Wine Cellar gave it 88 points. $17

Von Kesselstatt Piesporter Goldtropfchen Kabinett 2006
A tasty Riesling from Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany,  a fruitbomb of exotics such as pineapple, banana and peach. Laced with guava, papaya and pineapple notes. Backed by a firm structure. Picks up stone and pepper accents by the finish. Fine length.
Pair with smoked salmon or trout, Asian spiced dishes with a light soya sauce, chicken dishes with a creamy sauce, pasta with shrimps or fish with a creamy sauce or a beurre blanc. Drink now through 2022. $20

Next time: Part 2