A Matter of Taste

I just got back from another trip to Missouri. I am associated with a nascent winery out there called Casa de Loco. It is not exactly a Missouri winery, since it sells California wines, but it is built on the site of an old insane asylum.

I could go on and on about how cool the place is going to be when it is finished (it is still under construction) but I will save that for my next trip out. Let it suffice to say that it is going to be worth visiting, especially when I am out there teaching seminars. Instead I want to talk about something else Missouri taught me: taste.

I am a pretty big snob, and there are some snobby things I could say about the state of food and wine in Missouri, but ultimately it is a question of taste. I had some great dinners, and some not so great, but the one dinner that really made a big splash, was the one I cooked.

I invited the owner of the winery, his banker and their spouses. I also hosted the managers of the winery, who have been to Aspen to take my course. I wanted to challenge myself by preparing a Classic French seven course meal. This means that the foods all had to be gathered from close at hand. They also had to follow this order: Swims, flies, and then grazes.

I kept the menu simple (and I will share it with you below) but I probably could have been more adventurous. I had no problem at all in gathering the ingredients I needed, and since I brought my own knives and pots and pans, I was set.

I am a trained chef. I spent several years in a classic French style apprenticeship out here in Aspen. But then there are plenty of trained chefs in the world, and not all of them cook to my taste. This is the key, I cook to my taste.

Therefore, it was with some surprise that my meal was heralded as "the best food I ever tasted." Sure, it was good, and I am usually pretty hard on myself, but I never expected that sort of reception.

Could it be that these people had never been out to dinner in their lives? No, they are well traveled beyond the confines of Lake of the Ozarks. Then what was it about my dinner that made it so well received?

Taste. Or more exactly, my taste.

When I cook for guests I go out of my way to meet the needs for each of them. If there is a vegetarian (or in this case someone with allergies) I never hesitate to prepare a special dish or a substitution for them. But for all the accommodating, I still make the food to my taste.

Restaurants too often try to cater to all tastes. This is of course impossible, so they usually err on the side of being inoffensive. This leads to food that is designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

I cook for me, to my taste, to the way I think it should be. If you like it great, and if you don't, no offense taken. I can get away with it, i am playing host, and not taking your money. But would this work for a restaurant?

Many years ago I worked in an exceptional little restaurant that was daring. It had a new menu every night, and there were always items that took risks. For some of the patrons this was exciting and they flocked to our doors. For others it could be summed up in one of the more memorable comments "this food has too much flavor."

Eventually the restaurant gave in to the prevailing winds, and toned down the fare. For a time it worked and the average diner was happy. But eventually the adventurous customers gave up on it, and they stopped telling their friends to dine there, and in time it just became another watering hole without much to recommend it.

Wine makers have to make a similar decision: Do they make wine for the masses, or wine for the discerning? As one who is discerning I prefer the latter, but it is the safer former that makes money. I have hounded this point to death over the years.

My taste is not better than yours, or anyone else's, it is just mine. It turns out that some people share my taste, but don't know it until they have the opportunity to be exposed to it. Now my tastes are their tastes.

This is why I have been writing a newsletter for almost two decades. Not because my wine reviews are "right" or "accurate" but because there are those that share my taste. This is the key, find restauranteurs, winemakers, and above all wine reviewers that share your taste.

Of course, don't forget to explore. You may not know what is to your taste if you never get a chance to try it.

So what did I cook for dinner? (sorry, I don't have the notes to get the wines exactly right)

Cilantro BBQ Shrimp
- Moscato Allegro

Corn/Lobster Chowder with a Lobster Quenelle
-Paraiso, Pinot Noir

Chicken Breast in a Cherry Reduction with Candied Orange Zests
-Jadot, Echezeaux

Refreshment of Frozen Moscato Allegro with Tarragon

Tenderloin of Beef stuffed with Wild Mushrooms and Several Cheeses topped with a light Hollandaise sauce
Served with Asparagus with a ribbon of Maltaise sauce (orange hollandaise) and Potatoes au Gratin
-Beckman, Syrah

Assorted Cheeses with fruits and nuts
-Late Harvest Zinfandel

Cheesecake topped with Balsamic Strawberries and fresh cracked Black Pepper
-Justin, California Port

It took me about 6 hours to prepare the meal because there were a lot of courses, but honestly, behind all the fancy names, this is a relatively simple (and evidently successful) dinner.

While I am certain that there are any number of you out there that would have enjoyed this meal, there are many that simply would not have cared for it.

A great meal or great wine can spoil you, but more importantly it can open you up to a world of possibilities. Better to have tasted and to not taste again, then to have never tasted at all - or something like that.

VineBots to Be

I have heretofore used this soapbox to speak of those things that are. Occasionally, I speak of how I wished things would be. Today, I venture into the realm of how I think things may become.

Robots have been a part of our lives for the greater part of a generation. Not the kind of robots from the Jetsons, but robots none the less. The dishwasher in your kitchen is a prime example. A machine designed for a single task which it performs autonomously.

I propose now a future vine tending robot. Like your dishwasher, this will be a machine with a single purpose, to produce the best possible wine grape. This will not be a mobile mechanized vineyard manager, it will be in charge of a single vine.

This will be the age of the VineBot (you heard the term here first according to Google). A machine that can respond to the needs of an individual vine and its grapes.

There was a time when an entire vineyard was treated the same way. Then we learned to tailor treatments to the needs of sections of vineyard. When GPS came along, it dramatically improved our ability to treat a single vineyard as many small sections.

The VineBot will be the apogee of this trend. Not only will the robotic nursery be able to treat vines individually, it will be able to ascertain the needs of individual grapes.

Why would we benefit from this level of scrutiny? Because a bunch of grapes that are of a consistent quality will create wines that are of a higher consistent quality.

This is according to Mark Greenspan, Ph.D. of Advanced Viticulture, LLC. While Dr. Greenspan has published evidence to support his claim, it resonates with my own common sense.

Better grapes, better wine.

The VineBot will be able to measure an individual grape's progress by using lasers to determine color and sugar levels. It will be able to manipulate the vine so that it can ripen more evenly than would ever be possible now.

It will be able to administer appropriate nutrients or pesticides to just one vine, so there will be no need to spray great quantities of chemicals around a field. This will greatly aid in sustainable viticulture.

Harvest will be completely automated. A small vehicle will travel the rows, receiving the bunches of grapes that are ready to be picked. The system can work at night, it can be incredibly selective, and it doesn't require skilled workers.

This is the key. It cost a lot of money to hire skilled pickers, and the number of pickers decreases every year. Ask any California farmer, and you will hear an ear full.

Eventually, it will become uneconomical to employ people to do the job that a machine should be doing, and thus the VineBot.

There is already mechanical harvesting, and as I mentioned GPS has really helped cut down on the over use of chemicals, but the VineBot still seems inevitable. The ability to consistently grow high quality fruit is a strong lure, and it is sure to drive research in this direction.

Perhaps vineyards of the future will be hydroponic, the several story long root systems replaced with tendrils in a nourishing gel, but I wouldn't bet on it.

That the vineyards will be more mechanized? That they will have even greater control over the vines? That there will be robots of some sort? I would call that a sure bet.

Sipping in the Sun

Summer is around the corner, and it is bringing the party season with it. Over the next four months or so you are likely to be challenged with finding the perfect wine in a hurry. Perhaps you receive a last minute invitation, or it is an impromptu picnic, but chances are, you are going to wish you had some wine on hand.

Most people do not have a wine cellar at their disposal, so the question becomes which wine, and how much? Events to plan for range from BBQs and pool parties, to more formal dinner parties and even sunset conversations. You are going to need a bit of variety, but you want to watch that budget, and for most of us, storage space is almost as big of an issue.

Lets start at the obvious place for Summer wines, Light Whites.

Riesling is great for picnics and pool parties. It can range from dirt dry to very sweet. The Germans make it easy to tell which is which, but for those of you that haven't read my book yet, an Auslese is a little sweet and perfect for a hot Summer's day.

Gewurztraminer, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc need to be on your list too. All of these go great with food and the summer heat. For those of you lucky enough to dine on fresh crabs all summer, Sauvignon Blanc is your wine, with Viognier for variety.

Red Wines are problematic in the sweltering heat, but great for the cooler evenings.

Zinfandel is still my choice with BBQ sauce, but if your grill is covered with hot dogs, and hamburgers you can trot out your favorite medium bodied wines, like Merlot and Syrah. Pinot Noir is perfect for grilled salmon and pretty much anything.

For sitting, sipping, chatting and watching the sun drop below the horizon, you can offer up your Chards and Cabs. Since this article is about wines you are buying to drink now, look for a lighter styled Cab. If you do have a cellar, this is a great time for the perfectly aged Cab.

Mediterranean foods often make an appearance when the weather grows warmer, and it is the perfect excuse to explore the wines of Spain. Like most Old World wines, the Spanish selections tend to be structure forward, meaning hey are better with food than just sipping on their own.

Speaking of Spain, I am going to share one of my secrets with you. A good Sangria is hard to beat in the heat. What makes a Sangria good? Follow my recipe and decide for yourself. It is a question of taste, but here is how I make mine:

1 Bottle Inexpensive Red Wine (shoot for tart and fruity)
Thawed Concentrated Orange Juice
Thawed Concentrated Tangerine Juice
Fresh lime
Spanish Brandy (it is sweeter than most)
1 spiraled orange peel for garnish
Sugar to taste
Serve ice cold

I haven't given amounts because it depends on the wine, and your taste. Experiment, but the first key is the concentrated juices (thawed, previously frozen concentrate). These add intense flavor, and since they have minimal water, they don't thin out the wine. The second trick is the brandy. It not only makes the concoction more potent, but a sweet brandy gives Sangria its distinctive taste. If you can't find Spanish brandy, look for Mexican, it is made in the same style.

Some of you are wondering how I, a professed snob, could be recommending Sangria right along with buying fine wine. The answer is simple, tradition. While wine coolers may seem to be a modern invention, Sangria and its kin have been around as long as wine has. It started as a way to hide the spoiled taste in wine, but has developed into a refreshing alternative to quaffing beer.

Oh, and about beer, go ahead and get some. Even wine snobs like me love an ice cold one now and then.

So how much wine do you need? In the heat of day you will drink more than in the evening, so you may go through more whites than you think. Figure that you will go through a full bottle a person during daylight events, instead of the usual half.

At large get-togethers, the ratio is usually more like 1/3 bottle per person since people will also be drinking beer and water and such. Again, this is doubled if the event is in the hot sun.

For reds, it depends on how many parties you go to, and what your habit it, but I usually bring two bottles. So figure out how many times you brought wine to someone's house last year, and then double it to be safe. Otherwise the amounts are the same as above.

Now that I have you buying all this wine, where do I propose you store it? Most of it you are going to drink pretty quickly so there are no real requirements, except to keep it out of direct sunlight. For an inexpensive short term solution, I suggest an ice chest. In fact, splurge, buy a new one, and use your old wine to store wine.

General suggestions are all well and good, but where are the specific wines to buy? Readers of my newsletter have access to a data base which contains hundreds of recently tasted wines. The newsletter, the data base, and even a report on buying wine, are all FREE. Sign Up Here.