Holiday gifts for the wine lover

It's that time of year again, and you've got a wine lover on your list. What should you get for them? Here are some suggestions:

Wine. Well, yeah, but which wine? Here's where a good wine merchant can help you. Give them as much information as possible about your budget and the wines that your prospective giftee enjoys, and then let them guide you. Said wine merchant knows when there are good deals to be had (for example, when a distributor is closing out a vintage of a great wine because the new vintage is in, as is the case with Mondavi's Oakville Cabernet, which can be had for $15 off right now) or when something is unique because it's, say, new to the area (Bookwalter, the fantastic producer of Bordeaux varietals from the Columbia River Valley in Washington is back in Ohio after losing distributorship a while back). If you have deep pockets, your wine merchant can also clue you in to when something is extremely scarce and will be appreciated by a collector (there are literally just 36 bottles of 2007 Bialla Cabernet that came into Ohio, and I bought some for our shop). Anyway, enough examples. Come into our shop or another in the area and you'll find the help you need. One good piece of advice that I like to adhere to is that its a good idea to buy two bottles of whatever you settle on. That way, the recipient will be able to enjoy one bottle now (perhaps, if you're lucky, with you at that Christmas party you take it to) and will still have one left to hold, allowing it's continued development.

Beer. Yes, beer. Not just any beer, though. Many wine lovers also appreciate excellent beer, and many others who don't yet will start to once they experience what's out there. I recommend the brews from Trappist monks in Belgium like Westmalle, Trappistes Rochefort, and Chimay, and some of the better microbrews like Allagash, Brooklyn, or Breckenridge.

Accessories. This can be a tricky one. Many real wine aficionadi will already have everything they want when it comes to accessories, and much that's out there is just poorly made junk. There are a few unique and useful products out there, though. Wine totes are always appreciated, especially if they are padded and insulated like the neoprene styles from Built NY. Decorative tabletop wineracks can be a good gift, as well, because no matter how much long-term wine storage one may have, it's always nice to have something that can sit on the counter and hold a few bottles close at hand. A great gift for the holiday could be a bottle chiller, as well, since sparkling wines will be flowing at many gatherings.

Those are just a few suggestions to get you going. As I said before, any reputable wine shop will be able to guide you further. Happy holidays, everybody!

The Turkey of Wine Occasions

Thanksgiving is near. There's good news and bad news. The good news is that you get to have a nice holiday with your family (I'm sure some of you are thinking that's the bad news, but you know you love 'em). The bad news is that you're supposed to bring wine and you have no idea what to get, and what's more, Thanksgiving dinner is a notoriously difficult meal with which to pair said wine. A good wine merchant can help you out, and here are a few suggestions from this one:

First up, the king of turkey wines, Riesling. Look for an off-dry style (Halbtrocken or Kabinett if the wine is German), because it will have enough acid to cut through the sweeter aspects of your traditional feast, like cranberry sauce and yams, and enough body and creamy sweetness to stand up to the more savory elements like gravy.

Best in class: Poet's Leap Riesling

Budget alternatives: Tangent Riesling, Richter Zeppelin Riesling, Mercer Riesling

Other white wine alternatives are Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and the ubiquitous Chardonnay. In the case of the latter two, you'll want a balanced wine. With Sauv Blanc, look for a French or Napa style that combines a little bit of mineral with fruit, and avoid a New Zealand style that bombards you with grapefruit and white pepper. For Chard, you'll want a full-bodied but not overly oaked wine.

Best bets: Tangent Viognier, Provenance Sauvignon Blanc, Hoopla Sauvignon Blanc, Lonen Chardonnay, LIOCO Sonoma Chardonnay

The classic red wine answer to perplexing gastronomical conundrums is Pinot Noir thanks to its versatility. Look for an elegant style with a good balance of fruit and earth elements and smooth tannic structure.

Best in class: Le Cadeau Cote Est Pinot Noir, LIOCO Carneros Pinot Noir

Budget alternatives: Anne Amie Cuvee A Pinot Noir, Waterstone Pinot Noir, Francois Raquillet Mercurey Vieilles Vignes Bourgogne

If you are a little more adventurous with your meal and end up eating duck or deep-fried turkey, or if you are just a red-wine devotee who would drink a full-bodied wine with your breakfast cereal, your best bets are Cabernet Sauvignon (or it's Bordeaux blend siblings) or Syrah. Look for fruit forward wines that aren't overly tannic.

Best bets: Jocelyn Lonen Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Bookwalter Foreshadow Cabernet Sauvignon, Bookwalter Subplot 23, Owen Roe 'ex umbris' Syrah, Baileyana Syrah, Boom Boom Syrah

Still not sure? You're in luck. Our weekly wine tasting at Bruning's is focussing on wines for the holiday. Click here for a link to this week's tasting menu.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall is upon us redux, Clocktoberfest edition

Oktoberfests are heating up all over the place. Last week, I was down in Cincinnati for the city's famous celebration of its German heritage. A great time was had by all enjoying special seasonal brews from the likes of Samuel Adams, famous German brewers Erdinger and Spaten, and Cincy's own Christian Moerlein while listening to a German band perform Jimmy Buffet classics (I'm not kidding).

Back in Dayton, this weekend will see a few Oktoberfests including the annual party at the Dayton Art Institute and our own spin on it here at Bruning's: Clocktoberfest. It should be a great time. We'll be here from 9am-8pm this Saturday with an authentic German festival. German music, food, and beer will be the order of the day. In addition to the festivities outside, we will have a German beer tasting from 12-4pm at our wine tasting counter featuring four different brews from Erdinger, followed by a German wine tasting from 4-8pm with five selections from Leonard Kreusch.

Fall is upon us!

Cooler weather and heartier food is just around the corner, so I have a couple of recommendations to help you enjoy the season.

Fall is a time for beer. Oktoberfest Marzens and other heartier, sweeter, maltier styles are coming back. I have several Oktoberfests in stock, including those from Christian Moerlein, Ayinger, Spaten, and Beck's, and a few more on the way, like those from Sam Adams, Great Lakes, Paulaner, and Bell's. Porters and Stouts are also great in cooler weather, and I recommend Great Lakes' Edmund Fitzgerald, Anchor Porter, Murphy's Dry Stout, and Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout.

One of my other favorite quaffables for Fall and Winter is Port. A fortified wine that is perfect for sipping in front of a fire after dinner, Port is rich, sweet, and, frankly, addictive. Once you learn to love it, you'll want it every night! A variety of Ports from Kopke are easy recommendations, including a 10-year aged Tawny and a Late Bottled Vintage from 2001. The oldest Port House in the world, Kopke makes every style of Port and has an unmatched quality to price ratio. The values in these wines at every price point are quite remarkable. Kopke's newest vintage offering, from 2007, which we tasted back in Spring as a cask-drawn sample and pre-ordered, will be coming sometime in October. I'll keep you posted.

Also of note in port is the Auction Reserve from respected Port House Broadbent, a great value barrel blend made up of four different vintage Ports from the the last 15 years or so. Justin Obtuse, a Port-style wine from California's Central Coast made from traditional Port varieties and Justin's specialty, Cabernet Sauvignon, is also a perfect after-dinner sipper.

Sip and swish: the fun part

Finally! We get to actually, you know, taste the wine.

After our previous adventures in wine ogling and wine agitation (see below), we're now ready to drink it. Glory be!

This part, I'm confident, we all know how to do. I'll just throw in a couple of suggestions.

First, don't drink it too quickly. You've probably only got a couple of ounces in your glass. Take your time to savor it. This is especially helpful when you run across a wine that is negatively impacted by the lingering finish of the wine you just had. Of course, if that damned wine steward (a.k.a. me) knew what he was doing, he'd have arranged them correctly so that wouldn't happen.

But I digress.

Anyway, yeah, sip it. Let it hang out on your tongue. Roll it around in your mouth. Even swish it, if you must. Try not to make any unneccessary gurgling noises, though. It's kind of a turn-off for your fellow tasters, and you wouldn't believe some of the noises I've heard experienced tasters make. It can also prove beneficial to breath in through your mouth with some of the wine still in there. This can get tricky with regards to that noise issue, but it can help open up a young wine so you can learn a little more about what it will be like after a little more aging.

Should you not notice the same flavors as the schmuck next to you, don't worry about it. Everybody has varying degrees of sensitivity to different aromas and flavors. So if you taste strawberries when somebody else tastes raspberries, don't let yourself think you are wrong. If you can't pick out any distinct flavors, that doesn't really mean anything, either. You'll get more and more comfortable as you taste more wine. Remember that the ultimate goal is to try to learn what you like and then enjoy the wine. The more wine you taste, the easier it will be for you to identify what flavors and aromas and textures you enjoy.

Now, the big question: should you spit? If you find yourself at a tasting where there are, say, four or five wines, then by all means swallow. You'll thank me for this advice. I'll tell you, though, that sometimes, like when you're at a big event and you have dozens of wines to taste, you have to spit unless you want to be rushed to the hospital before the fun really even starts. Even then, I try to swallow a tiny bit of any wine that I think will be worth knowing more about. There are flavor receptors in the back of your throat that will respond differently to wine.

Anyway, I guess that should about wrap it up. Let me re-inforce, one last time: it's about having a good time. Don't take it too seriously; enjoy yourself.

Michael Adelsheim in the house!

Just a quick note of the "Save the Date" variety. The next two weeks will see some pretty sweet tastings here at Bruning's. On Wednesday, August 26 and Saturday, August 29, we'll be exploring France's Rhone Valley with wines from Louis Bernard. I personally love Rhone wines. They're probably the most consistently enjoyable of all French wines, for me. We'll have a white Cotes-du-Rhone and a red Cotes-du-Rhone, a Vacqueyras, and a white Chateauneuf-du-Pape and a red Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Wednesday, September 2nd will see us with a special guest at our usual wine tasting. Michael Adelsheim will be here with a special sampling of wines from Adelsheim Vineyard, one of the pioneering producers from the Oregon Pinot Noir movement.

I'm really looking forward to this. As something of a Pinot Noir nut, I've been an admirer of the Adelsheim ethos for a while now. Their releases are truly outstanding examples of what can be accomplished with top quality winemaking in the Pacific Northwest. If you're not a regular, try to make it to this one. It'll be a good time!

We taste every Wednesday night from 5-8PM and every Saturday from 3-6PM at our shop on Fairfield Rd. in Beavercreek.

Swirl and Sniff...or Sniff and Swirl and Sniff?

Next up in the absurdist world of alliterative wine tasting methods, we have the (I've decided) inseperable brothers Swirl and Sniff. Again, the idea is simple: take a moment to learn what the wine in your glass smells like before you pour it down your throat. This is an important step, because so much of what you taste in wine is in its aroma (also called its "bouquet" or, ridiculously, its "nose").

Swirling the wine around in your glass before you smell it, as forcefully as possible (without spilling!), helps. The idea is to get some oxygen in there, which will force some of the aroma to "bloom" into the glass. Personally, I like to sniff, and then swirl, and then sniff again, but only because I like to discover how the character of the wine changes as it "opens up". Take deep breaths, and really get your nose into the glass for full effect.

When you follow these suggestions, you can learn some interesting things about the wine you're holding: basic things like what flavors will be prominent in the wine, but also more complicated things like how well-integrated the alcohol is and how mature the wine is.

That's right, it's time to talk about another sign of a too-young wine!

If the wine smells of green pepper, it's either too young to drink, or was made from unripe fruit and will never be ready. Or, it could mean that it's Chilean, but winemakers there like to refer to "jalapeno" to avoid the stigma of a young wine (I, personally, like to roll my eyes at this). If the green pepper not isn't too overwhelming, just giving the glass some time to open up will help. This can be accomplished with more swirling, or by decanting (pouring the wine into a wider, shallower container so there is more surface area in contact with the air) for a while before serving.

Another thing you can learn by sticking your nose in your glass is that the bottle is bad. Now, I don't mean that the wine isn't good, but rather that something has gone wrong with this particular bottle. Usually, this has to do with the cork, either from a common bacteria that taints some cork and can ruin a wine, or from an incomplete seal, which causes oxidation. Both of these things are bad for wine. Really bad. You'll know it when you smell it (though you can see oxidation in some wines in the form of a "browning" of the color.)

Sometimes, a bottle can go bad from a secondary fermentation if a tiny bit of residual sugar and live yeast make it into a bottling. If a bottle is supposed to be still but has fizz, don't drink it!

Allright, so now we're at the point of pulling in the reigns a bit again. If all of this sounds overwhelming, or too fussy, or just plain weird, don't worry about it. Just have fun, and try to find some new bottles to add to your list of favorites! You'll become more accustomed to this absurd behavior as you go.

See: examining the visual examination process

In my little list of alliterations from the earlier post's title, the first step in wine tasting is "See". The idea is simple: take a look at what's in your glass before you pour it down your throat. Many wine experts can tell you why. They'll say it can tell you many things about the wine, including how old it is.

"Wait a minute," you're thinking. "I can see the vintage right on the bottle!" In this case, however, age is a reference to the maturity of the wine, not just the length of time that has elapsed since the fruit was harvested. Every wine will mature at a different rate. And I mean every wine. Sure, there are some rules of thumb: a Cab will take the longest to mature, sometimes 10 years or more, while a Sauv Blanc or a Pinot Gris can be delicious a few months after bottling. But within each varietal, there will be a wide range of "ages" even among wines that were bottled on the same day, due to myriad factors such as the soil and weather in the area they were harvested and different winemaking techniques.

Okay, back to tasting.

Generally speaking, red wines get lighter in color as they age, while white wines get darker. Another thing to look for with regards to the age of the wine is how dense the color is at the edge of the glass. If the color fades at the edge when you tilt your glass while holding it in front of a white piece of paper (anything white will work), then it is a more mature wine. There will be a distinct ring near the edge with almost entirely clear liquid on the outside. If the color goes all the way to the edge, and again depending on the wine itself, it may be too young to drink. We'll get into some other signs of immaturity in later posts.

This is good information to know, if you're going in with some knowledge of the specific wine you are looking at. For example, if you've had the same wine from the same producer from multiple vintages but never this year, you may be familiar enough with the wine that this information can benefit you. Due to all the factors that are involved however, as I intimated before, this won't really do anything for you if you don't know this particular wine. A mature Cab from one producer may look like a young Cab from another, and vice versa.

Another item of interest in the "See" category is the much-ballyhooed idea of "legs" in a wine. If you can see how the "age" thing might be somewhat useful in the right circumstance, let me unequivocally state that the legs issue is total and complete bunk. Some wines are thicker than others and have more glycerides and residual sugar in them, so they coat the glass and leave sticky trails of themselves streaming toward the bottom of the bowl after you swirl it around. So what? Some of the finest wines of all time leave no perceptible trail, while others leave tree-trunk sized legs. It doesn't mean anything when it comes to quality.

Next up, Swirl...and maybe Sniff. I'm not sure I can seperate those two. So it may be a long one. :)

See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip, Swish, Spit?

A few weeks back we did something a little different on our tasting. It was a focussed horizontal comparison of the kind that you might find in a much more structured, formal environment. The wines were all from Schug Carneros Estate and were all from the 2007 vintage. We tasted two Chardonnays and two Pinot Noirs, the two varietals having one example each from two different AVA's (American Viticulture Areas) in California.

This got me thinking. Normally, in an effort to avoid some of the "wine snob" pitfalls associated with tastings, we go for a more laid-back drop-in style. A "come on in any time between (x hour) and (y hour) and try whatever you like from this week's selection" kind of a thing. This can be both hugely beneficial, but there are limitations. Likewise, the more structured tasting I mention above has it's own sets of plusses and minuses.

If you Google "wine tasting", you may very well come up with some instructions on the "proper" procedure. You may even find a clever collection of alliterative language to help you remember how to act. Most of this kind of stuff is hooey. I mean, would you rather find a wine that you genuinely enjoy that you can remember in the future, or impress some snobby "connoisseurs"?

At any rate, think of this post as a rambling pre-amble to a series I'll post over the next couple of days that will attempt to de-mystify some wine tasting tradition. Before we get started, let me give you one simple idea to always keep in mind when you're tasting: it's about learning what you like. No matter what anybody says about a bottle of wine or what it costs you, it's worth nothing if you don't enjoy it.

New (and old) in the shop this week

I've brought in a couple of really special new things in the past few weeks, and a few old favorites are back, as well. Some of these are special because, well, they're really, really special. Some of them are notable for being great values. Some are both.

First are a couple of wines from Sonoma, California's Schug Carneros Estate.

The 2007 Schug Carneros Chardonnay was oaked in the traditional Burgundian manner. Now, I know what you're thinking. "But I don't like oaky!" If it's any consolation, I don't either. But this one worked, because the quality of the fruit was so high and the balance was just right. The oak didn't overwhelm the fruit, and the result was a subtle, elegant expression of the king of white wines. This one is perfect for dishes with creamy sauces: this wine will work miracles with pasta, foul, and veal.

The 2007 Schug Carneros Pinot Noir was an even bigger hit. Again produced in the style of a Burgundy, this one hits all the buttons for traditional Pinot fans. A subtle and complex wine, it displays earth with hints of cherry, berries, and oak on the nose. The palate is pure Burgundy, with cherries, currants, strawberries, and smoky earth, all followed by a silky smooth finish. This one has a few years of ageability, but is drinking tremendously well right now, and will pair nicely with just about any meal.

Back again is the Emeri Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc. You may have read about this one in Mark Fisher's wine blog a few weeks ago after we and a few other shops in town had poured it at tastings. Mark's enthusiasm matched many others who have tried it. After getting beyond the novelty of a sparkling Sauv Blanc, you'll find an extraordinarily crisp and refreshing value.

Anybody for a beer? I've been harping on Trappist beers for months on end, but here's another worth talking about: The Trappistes Rochefort 6. The 6 uses the same recipe as the more widely available 8 and 10, but is a lighter expression of it due to it's shorter distillation times and lower amounts of candied sugar and yeast. This one has the lowest alcohol of the three and is the most drinkable during the summer and with a wider variety of foods. The Rochefort monks make this recipe only once a year, and it accounts for less than 1% of their production. So when this is gone, it's gone.

Enjoy!

Wouldn't you rather have a beer?

Sometimes, it's okay. In fact, most of the time. With the proliferation of fine imported and hand-crafted American beer, there's really no reason that you can't enjoy the same level of satisfaction that you might with a proper wine pairing. In fact, the possibilities are as endless and rewarding as with wine.

I've been on a major Trappist kick lately. These beers are actually made by Trappist monks in Belgium and in Netherlands, and the brothers seem to know something the rest of the world doesn't. A few favorites are the beers from Westmalle and those from Trappistes Rochefort, both from Belgium.

Perhaps another style of beer which deserves some spotlight right now are the deliciously light and refreshing but flavorful summer beers from America's top craft brewers. Two of my current favorites that could have you in a blissful mood on your patio with a barbecued chicken are Oberon, from Bell's Brewery in Michigan, and Anchor Summer, from San Francisco's Anchor Brewery.

So the next time you're cooking a nice dinner, reach for a beer. And when you find yourself at a restaurant that has a nice selection, ask about one you're not familiar with. Snooty Sommelier be damned!

A Baby Brunello that will knock your socks off!

We've been tasting a Rosso di Montalcino this week. A Rosso is essentially the same thing as a Brunello di Montalcino, without the baggage that a reputation brings with it. The grapes are the same, 100% Sangiovese Grosso. The only difference in the winemaking is the aging process. By the laws of the Brunello DOC, the wine must be aged on oak for a minimum of four years. Rosso di Montalcino only requires two years on oak before bottling.

The upshot of this is that you get a slightly friendlier, more fruit-forward wine, at a comparitive bargain, to boot! Instead of shelling out $50 or more for a bottle of Brunello, this particular bottle, the 2005 Capanna Rosso di Montalcino, will set you back only $30. After a promising tasting on Wednesday night, I took about a half a bottle home and enjoyed it with some primavera. It's earthy aroma and cherry-dominated palate really shone when paired with the kinds of bright flavors you find in the springtime Italian classic.

This stuff is ready to drink now, but probably has a few good years left in it.

Inaugural post, musings free

Welcome! This is our first post in what promises to be a fun series. As of now, I plan three posts a week, one of which will feature new or interesting wines and beers in the shop. The balance of posts will be of a more general nature, offering some random thoughts on our beloved hobby as beer and wine aficionadi.

So watch us here beginning next week for what I hope will be a good read for wine and beer lovers in Beavercreek and our big brother Dayton and its surrounding areas.