Marquee Artisan Wines

Marquee Bites and Delights – May 2010 – Five Great Cheese & Wine Pairings!

Recently, I was given the opportunity to pair up the wines for two different charity events going on in the same city, at the same time. Both parties handed me lovely menu’s that were catered by great chefs and wanted a theme to their evenings, a lovely challenge that I was happy to rise to the occasion for.  A week after both events I had feedback from the attendees at both parties that they loved the food and wine pairings, that the wines were very well received and that they are excited to make plans for doing something similar next year (now if I can just get them to not plan the events on the same evening)!

What were the hardest items to get a handle on, not the themes, the appetizers or the entrees, the hardest part for me for sure pairing up the desserts and the cheeses. We will save desserts for another time and concentrate this month on Cheese!

In preparation for writing this blog I dug out a great gift I got from my wedding, the book “Cheese & Wine” A guide to selection pairing and enjoying by Janet Fletcher. Desserts I feel confident to handle without a lot of extra advice, but with Cheese, there is a real art to finding wines that balance in a harmonious way without being overpowering.

Let’s separate the two and start with a bit about the world of Formaggio and Vino!

PS – I may be a bit biased towards Italian Cheeses at the moment because of my recent trip to Castello Di Gabiano in Italy where I was taken on a multiple day adventure into the culinary world of Italy, but I do not forget going to the local market in Nice, France and picking out some delicious Charcuterie and Cheeses for an afternoon snack! If anyone has trip plans that bring them to Piedmonte, contact me for a tour and treat of seeing our friends making Quattro Leoni!

Two Great “Dry Cheese” and Wine Pairings

Parmigiano – Reggiano – A dry, raw cow’s milk cheese from Italy that belongs on a cheese board. This is not just a grating cheese, nor does the good stuff come in a plastic can or pizza shaker… the good stuff comes in large eighty-five pound wheels (trimmed down of course for one serving) and has been well aged (between 12 and 36 months usually). This lovely cheese gets a bit crystallized over time breaking into chunks. A couple lovely wine pairings for this are: as part of an aperitif with an unoaked sauvignon blanc based white, at the end of a meal with a rich medium bodied to full bodied red wine such as a Nebbilo based red or Zinfandel. From the Marquee portfolio I love the complexity shown with pairing either the 2008 Quattro Leoni – Monferrato Bianco or the 2006 Classy Lake County Zinfandel. We aren’t carrying one yet, but a dry amontillado sherry also makes a fine match!

Manchego – A dry, raw sheep’s milk cheese from Spain. Originating from La Mancha, this cheese does make me think of Sancho Panza ridding across the high plateaus in Central Spain with windmills in the background. At first taste this cheese usually brings up a sea-salt character that moves to a bit nutty. Some versions have very small holes in the cheese and the wheels are small and drum shaped – about four to eight pounds. If you are out and about at a local Spanish Tapas bar you will likely find this treat, a few good pairings I recommend would be a rich, Spanish Albarino or Portugese Alvarinho or at the end of your meal with a big red wine such as a Rioja or Monastrell . Try the 2008 Clemen Reserva Vinho Verde or 2007 Old Hands Organic Monastrell from Bodegas La Purisima in Yecla, Spain and you will not be disappointed!

Two French Classics and an International Favorite

Brie – A raw or pasteurized cow’s milk cheese from France. A lovely cheese that combines an interesting texture with loads of flavor when served correctly. There is not one true Brie but several and they are controlled by the AOC governing board just as stringently as wines are. Brie de Meaux is generally considered the “bee’s knee’s” and in most cases the type exported to the US are pasteurized versions (the finest raw milk Brie’s do not meet the FDA’s import regulations because they are too high in moisture and insufficiently aged to the US standards). Brie is known for it’s rich, supple inside, buttermilk flavor and in many cases a hint of mushrooms. Small and disk shaped, the wheels are generally have a white downy exterior that is aging the cheese from the o utside in. As to wine pairings with this classic, I look to white wines with some body / texture, a rich Chardonnay such as the 2008 Marquee Signature Yarra Valley Chardonnay or a Loire Valley Chenin Blanc are good choices, as well as a more full bodied Pinot Noir (one from Oregon I love is the Penner Ash Pinot Noir) or something with a medium body and lighter tannins like a mellow Syrah or Merlot are a great pair. A new wine for Marquee that also fits this bill is the 2008 Rio Real Reserva from Lisboa, Portugal; Syrah based, but it has a bit of Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz included with it for a more complex finish.

Mimolette – A pasteurized cow’s milk cheese from France. I could not write an article about wine & cheese and skip one of my favorites! This cheese is a bright orange /pumpkin in color and makes a striking statement on a cheese board! Shaped like a flattened ball this cheese comes in various sizes from five to nine pounds and is characterized by a thick, rind with small pockmark s. This cheese is semi-hard and with time brings out a bit of caramel or butterscotch that leaves a lovely finish. A great mix with apricots on a tray (note the similar orange coloration), I tend to usually only pair this wine with rich whites like white burgundy, oaked chardonnay’s or something with a nutty character like a light tawny port. My go to for under $15.00 retail is the 2008 Marquee Classic Chardonnay, the tropical flavors are a great compliment.

Blue Cheese – OK so this is a stretch category because Blue cheese is really a general classification of either cow’s or sheep’s or goat’s milk cheeses that have had Penicillioum cultures added to them to become spotted, blue cheeses I thought I would concentrate on particular cheese in this category and some wines that pair well with it. One interesting cheese that I love in this category is the “Roaring 40’s” Blue Cheese from King Island, Australia. If you ever see this cheese for sale and are looking for a treat, go for it. King Island is a small island just North of Tazmania and this is a handcrafted cow’s milk cheese made from that location. Encased in a thick wax for shipping it is noticeably sweet, mild, creamy and complex with a bit less saltiness than other well veined blue cheeses, this cheese exhibits a real nuttiness that keeps you coming back for more. After tasting this delight down in Australia over ten years ago I think the perfect companion for this wine is a smoky Australian Shiraz! Two lovely wines that take you back to Australia to compliment this wine are the 2007 Marquee Signature McLaren Vale Shiraz and the 2004 Silver Wings Old Vine Vincenzo. Both are complex wines and the spice with a smoky, rich backbone goes deliciously with Roaring 40’s.

My last bit of information and assistance with your cheese and wine pairing advice is that to spice up any cheese board or plate you are making, toast / bake a few nuts in the oven for a lovely pairing on your plate. The caramelization from oven baking on the outside of the nuts makes a delicious treat that your guests / patrons will appreciate.

~C.Cribb

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW - cjcribb@marquee.com
GM – Marquee Selections

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Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – February 2010 – Pairing wine with unique food combinations…

Over the last few weeks I have been challenged on a few different occasions as to how to find wines that pair nicely with a variety of different and spicy foods. There are a number of things that come to mind that are just plain HARD to pair with, try an artichoke or asparagus, what about things that you associate with other beverages like good beer or even milk.


On a recent trip up to the Chicago area I had a chance to eat out at two different Mexican locations; The first was the Frontera Grill, one of chef Rick Bayless’s hot spots in Chicago that is know for being 1st class authentic Mexican fare, and the second was a quaint little taco shop just minutes from Midway airport. Two very different experiences, but both lead me down this path of how do you find good wines to pair with unique food combinations.


My first impression of Fronterra was definitely a good one; a great staff, exciting atmosphere and a very knowledgeable sommelier. Sharing dinner with another wine and food professional (one of Chicago's best wine distribution companies, Artisan Beverage Company) we were excited to try different fare and ordered up three different appetizers that were not similar in profile. We started with a Mexican ceviche as our first course that needed a wine with zip to balance the lime and acidic nature of the dish; our go to wine choice was a young Albariño from Spain, the Pazo San Mauro Albariño, Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain usually a very good value wine with enough acidity to balance the zest of the appetizer. The pairing was perfect, in this case, the green apple and clean un-oaked cut and balanced the spice from the habinero, orange, and limes in the Ceviche Yucateco. Good job, batting 1000 so far on the food and wine pairing’s but as we move on to our second appetizer it was time for a change.

Our second appetizer was Tamal de Chorizo "Manchamanteles” a corn husk-wrapped tamal of fresh-ground corn masa studded with homemade chorizo and bacon. Nut-thickened fruity red chile sauce (manchamanteles), grilled pineapple (description and details thanks to http://www.rickbayless.com/). A great appetizer, but it just did not fit with the Albariño. In this instance the food and wine clunked against each other like two young kids in their first ballroom dance lesson (it wasn’t pretty).

We had previously ordered a bottle of the Albariño, (aka we had plenty left after the first course) and it wasn’t like I was going to pour it out just for not matching well with the delicious food (offering ½ carafe’s of wine is another blog in the future), but suffice it to say tasting these two together was not 1 + 1 = 3. Just when I had resigned myself to my water glass only during the second course, in swooped the talented Sommelier Jill Gubesch. with two glasses of Rhinegau Riesling Kabinett from Germany, Thank you Jill! (Balthasar Ress “Hattenheimer Schützenhaus” Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau, Germany)

Miss Gubesch offered a quick commentary that she thought that this wine would bring out the sweetness of the pineapple in the tamale’s and also compliment the richness of the Mexican Style Quesadillas that we had coming next! Wow, was she ever right… this wine fit well with both dishes and because of the touch of residual sugar in the Riesling and rich mid palate, it really complimented the cheese and pan fried aspect of both appetizers. Lesson well learned; acidic foods pair well with acidic wines, richer, fried foods need a richer more full bodied wine to balance out the flavor.

Our final part of the meal allowed us to enjoy an outstanding Crane Asada tacos with an elegant and soft red wine, the 2000 Bodegas Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva, this wine worked with the perfectly grilled meat because it was medium bodied and light on the palate, like a nice French burgundy. Made entirely of Tempranillo, the spices of pepper & clove came out as the wine opened up. Choosing a ten year old bottle in a restaurant might seem like a risk (or an expensive hobby), but this bottle rewarded us nicely and I must say that the last glass was definitely more complex than the first. Overall I believe this pairing worked because the dinner had the spiciness and complexity that played well with the Tempranillo, but that would have been overwhelmed with a BIG, young red. Too much tannin would have taken this part of the meal out of balance and called for a graceful and elegant red with a lighter body. The wine benefited from decanting and topped of a lovely meal.

One last note for the Frontera Grill experience, low and behold as we took our seats I glanced over to find Rick Bayless eating in his own restaurant for dinner. I was encouraged to see three wine glasses in front of him, two reds and a white because he realized, just as we did, that each dish he was having deserved a different wine pairing. I believe it is always a good sign to see the owner / proprietor eating in their own restaurant, yet on this occasion after receiving his two appetizers; he promptly picked up his seafood dish and headed straight back to the kitchen.

Yes, the owner headed straight through the kitchen doors with a Chef Ramsey style grimace on his face determined to get to the root of whatever problem he encountered (I would have loved to be a fly on the wall in the back for that visit). 20 minutes later the nights head chef, all in whites, headed out with a replacement dish for Mr, Bayless, it passed the once over and was followed with a bevy of quick bows and apologies. An interesting encounter to witness, my hats off to you Rick Bayless for a fine establishment & for expecting only the best from everyone on your time.

During the second day of my trip after traveling all around the Chicago area I got a chance to drop into the Whole Foods Lincoln Park, and I must say, WOW… what a store! You can find almost anything in this store including a full bar downstairs so you can pick up a nice glass of vino or a $2.00 premium bottle of beer to enjoy during your shopping experience. At 75,000 square feet this is the third largest Whole Foods location in the world (right behind their Austin store and the London location).

As their flagship store for the Midwest region I can definitely tell Whole Foods may be in a rapid expansion mode, but they are keeping their eye on the details with their new store role outs. On sale now at this great store we have a nice display of Staccato Malbec / Cabernet ready for eager shoppers and are planning a great event at this location in June with our winemaker, Gustavo Caligiore making a visit up from Argentina. PS – This is also a free WI FI hotspot.


As the day of sales in Chicago wound down, we had one last culinary visit in store, Zacatacos, located just minutes away from Midway airport in the Cicero area on Pulaski. A small authentic Mexican walk-up with an open fire grill with Charbroiled tacos, great prices and a loyal following. Across the street from a pet adoption center, tattoo parlor and truck driving school, I walked up to the counter and put in my order, not knowing what to think of the fare, but the location came with a good recommendation. A day zooming across the city it was time to choose a wine from the Marquee Selections bag to pair up with Mexican fare… and see if I learned anything the night before.

We had been sampling the Old Hands old vine Spanish Monastrell wines from Bodegas La Purisima, and Argentinean wines from Caligiore Organic Vineyards with accounts all day and from my experience last night I was keen to try out my taste matching skills. I got a lovely carne asda – char broiled burrito and paired it up with the Caligiore Reserve Bonarda., and BAM, I picked a winner! The red fruits and lower level of tannins in the Bonarda worked great with the burrito and the bit of extra spice from the Green Chile tomatillo salsa just helped to bring out the spicy pepper notes in the wine! Zacatacos, you may not have a very intriguing website, but you definitely find a place in my dinners, drive in’s and dives for the next visit… who knows maybe I will take that Truck drivers lesson I have been thinking about before grabbing lunch!

A few fun pairing suggestions:

Artichokes -Gruner Vetliner from Austria or Portuguese Vino Verde
Salmon – Pinot Noir or Rich Chardonnay
Dry Sliced Parmigiano Reggiano – Barbera or Mourvedre / Monastrell
Scallops – Albariño or Sauvignon Blanc
Oysters – Sauvignon Blanc or Sparkling Wine
Burgers – Syrah / Shiraz or Bordeaux Blends
Tacos - Tempranillo or GSM Grenache/Shiraz Mourvedre
Pepperoni Pizza – Syrah/ Shiraz or Zinfandel

Next week I am off to Europe for a visit to Stockholm Sweden and Northern Italy I will hypothesize to have an even more intriguing set of tales for you next month… we shall see what pairs well with Swedish meatballs or Reindeer!

Till next month, have a wonderful day and for your next party, don’t forget the Marquee!
Email me if you have any other great pairing suggestions that you would like to share for next month!

Ciao!

Today’s Cribb Note – Just announced – 2007 Quattro Leoni Barbera D’Asti – 90 Pts. – BEST BUY - from The Tasting Panel Magazine!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – January 2010 – Top Ten Marquee Selections of 2009

To all of my friends, family and fans,
Have a great holiday season & a wonderful new year!

Top Ten Wines from Marquee in 2009

1. The 2004 SilverWings Old Vines Vincenzo - 91 Points from Wine Spectator, rich and multi layered this wine is unfiltered and deserves decanting to understand its nuances! Keith Brien, Winemaker for the Marquee Collection and Silver Wings calls this wine his 5th child and we are eager to taste the new vintage later this year! PS - This wine also won Best of Show at the 2009 Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Convention.

2. The 2007 Quattro Leoni Barbera D'Asti - What a delictious wine, it pairs well with everything and has a rich and robust flavor. Marquee is proud to have added this wine to our portfolio in 2009 and are excited to hear what the critics think of our inaugural vintage - thanks Castello Di Gabiano!

3. The 2008 Caligiore Reserve Malbec - WOW, WOW, WOW - Marquee's addition to the Top 100 Wines of 2009 in Wine & Spirits Magazine, this is what Old Vine Malbec can taste like when it is brought gracefully forward with minimal use of oak. Gustavo Caligiore has an upcoming feature in Sommelier's Journal - watch for it!

4. The 2008 Clemen Reserva Vinho Verde - Yes, Vinho Verde's can be graceful and deserve the title, Reserva. A winner in several contests this year for both the 2007 and 2008 vintages, this wine has just a tiny hint of spritz to tingle on your tongue!

5. The 2007 Marquee Classic GSM - Grenache, Shiraz, and Mourvedre blended together that is much more complex than you would ever imagine for a wine that retails for under $12.00. Marquee is proud to announce this is our Number 1 selling wine for all of 2009, taste it and you will understand why!

6. The 2008 Staccato Malbec / Cabernet Sauvignon - Only with a company like Marquee setting out to find the best bargains the wine world has to offer will you be able to find an 88 Pt. gem (Wine & Spirits) like Staccato that retails for under $10.00! Medium bodied and a delicious blend with the hints of Mocha and dark berry fruits.

7. The 2006 Old Hands Monastrell - Monastrell or Mourvedre as it is know in other parts of the world is king down in the Southern Spanish region of Yecla and Marquee is delighted with our 87 Pt. Best Buy from Wine Enthusiast that delighted them enough they sent out an email blast to over 250,000 readers showing praise of this wine. A great value at $10.99, Marquee is looking for good things from our friends at Bodegas La Purisima in 2010!

8. The 2008 Marquee Classic Chardonnay - Can I say delicious, too many times? Just landing in December this wine is outstanding for its vibrant and fresh tropical flavors with just a hint of oak aging. Well worth its $11.99 price tag, I foresee some great press on this wine in the coming months, kudos to our friends in Victoria on a smashing follow-up to the Best Buy, 89 Pt. 2006 Chardonnay!

9. The 2007 Caligiore Reserve Bonarda - Several times this year I have heard the call and explained the story of "What is Bonarda ?"This up-and-coming grape in the last five years has started to be be vinified on its own in Argentina. For the wine intellectuals this grape is said to be what in the USA is called "Charbono"; it is known for having a medium red body focused on raspberries with smooth tannins. Just our luck, the Caligiore family has vineyards of Bonarda that are over thirty years old, keep them coming Gustavo!

10. The 2006 Trapio Old Vine Monastrell - Fitting that this list should start and end with big old vines, our partners at Bodegas La Purisima found, in their vineyards, a set of vines that gave a distinguished flavor a bit different than the rest of their surrounding brethren... the difference, these vines never faced Phyloxera and are therefore on their original Monastrell rootstock! Taste the wines like they did 100 years ago by enjoying Trapio! Marquee has just sold out of our first vintage (2004) and we are hearing all of the gold medals and great scores coming in on this wine already. 90 Points in the Penin Guide to Spanish Wines, this is a blockbuster wine!

I must lament at this point that 2009 has been an outstanding year for Marquee and we are very thankful for all of our partners, fans and customers! We will keep bringing you the best wines we can in 2010 and have some outstanding vintages just on release from our wine-making teams across the world!

Have an great day!
 

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – December 2009 – Holiday Tips - The Most Useful Wine Websites!

As a wine “expert” and a confessed “techie” I thought I would share with our loyal fans a few websites I use in the wine industry on an everyday basis to make life easier. Marquee is no way related to any of the sites and my recommendation is just that, a recommendation… if anyone has other sites they would suggest, drop me an email at cjcribb@marquee.com or post a comment to the blog and we will keep adding to the collection. To keep it simple you will find below a category and then the site that I routinely use for that purpose, thanks for tuning in and remember, if you have any holiday wine needs, don’t forget the Marquee!

Wine Events in your Hometown – If you are looking to find out what is happening in the wine world for your enjoyment in your home city start with Local Wine Events. This site is based around consumer events, charity tastings, wine dinners, wine classes, etc… and is a totally free service. If you are a wine professional this is also a great tool to help get the word out about what is happening about your upcoming events. For the people that like to be fed their information instead of searching it out, their newsletter, The Juice, allows you to get an update about wine events in your city every month! This site also keeps track of the national food and wine festivals in case you want to get out of town for a great food and wine event. If you are looking for a great getaway trip, come down to the Miami Wine Fair during the fall, you will not be disappointed!

Wine Reviews and Expert Opinions – Marquee works to have all of our bottles in the hands of the top review companies and magazines with every vintage because we are confident that our selections beat and exceed our competition in terns of value for the price. I use all of these sites regularly to find out more information about the wines, to keep up-to-date on reviews/ news and over time find which wine writers have a palate that is similar to my own. If you can find a particular writer that loves the same style of wines that you love, it will really help you with stocking your cellar with wines that you want to drink! Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast (also has a good shopping site and catalog), Wine & Spirits, Robert Parker, and The International Wine Cellar are my top review sites. They all have great free content if you are not a magazine subscriber and a ton of extra content if you are a subscriber.

If you are looking for less “expert opinions” and more, peer reviews, social networking style check out Snooth, Cork’d, Cellar Tracker (see collecting software below) and The Wine Lovers Page (they are experts, but the presentation is low-key and more informal than the large magazines). I expect that there will be some new tools crop up on Facebook and Twitter shortly that help with this space as well, but for now, make sure and become of Fan of your favorite wineries and importers (like Marquee Selections!)

Wine Industry News – For the latest industry scoop I take five minutes daily and check and see what is on the wire at Wine Business Monthly. A great site that aggregates data from press releases, industry news, the top wine blogs and more in one place. Their original content that appears in the Magazine with the same name is top notch and is my most reliable source as to consumer purchasing macro trends.

Wine Collecting Software – When it comes to a website or tool for managing your own inventory of bottles, cases, differing vintages with tasting notes and tools to help keep track of your collection I utilize the Cellar Tracker website. After graduating from my Excel spreadsheet this site allows me to access my collection when out on the road, has a great price tag (normal usage is free)! There are some bells and whistles you can get if you sign on for their premium service, but the basic works just fine for me. There is a collaborative feature that allows you to share your tasting notes and read others tasting notes that is also helpful, especially with some of the older bottles that you may want to know what others think about the wines maturity level and peak drinking age.

Finding Unique Wine Bottles Online – Just read a great review and want to know where to get the wine, had a bottle out a restaurant that you don’t see in your local store but want to get a few more of, I go to Wine Searcher as the start of my pursuit of where to find a single sought after unique/esoteric bottle. If you are lucky enough to live in a state that allows wine to be shipped directly to your home you will find this option available and in most cases you will see the prices so that you can find the best deal possible.

Wine Podcasts and Audio Shows – This category for me is really a tie so I am offering up two shows that I listen to on a regular basis that come from differing perspectives to the world of wine. The first is The Three Wine Guys, a humorous collection of wine professionals based in the Chicago area that do what I do in regards to wine; have fun with it. The shows are not PG rated, but all three of the gents have a good sense of humor and know a lot about wine. If you have never heard somebody use terms like Tootsie Roll, Listerine, and Kirsch liqueur you are in for a treat with these guys! On the more educational side of things I really enjoy listening to Grape Radio, a podcast that focuses most every episode on a key interview and subject matter expert to share with the team. There list of processional interviews includes some of the greats in the wine world, and their archive is growing, if you have a vineyard, wine writer, etc… that you like, check and see if the Grape Radio team has done an episode with them, you will be impressed!

Please let me know what other great resources you use to keep up-to-date with the wine world and have a Happy New Year!

With kind regards,

~CJC

Today’s Cribb Note – Great Writeup of “Grazioso” a wonderful pick for the Holiday’s on The Kansas City Examiner!
 

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – November 2009 – Ten Tips To Build Your Personal Wine Cellar

This month I wanted to pass along to you some simple wisdom about how to build your own wine cellar. Since I was “bitten by the wine bug” almost ten years ago I have been struggling to build up my own personal wine cellar. Mistakes have been made along the way and I learned a few simple tricks that I wish someone had told me ten years ago. In no particular order have a read of these great tips and please remember to pair up some great wines with your Thanksgiving Turkey!

I also have included five of my favorite wines from the Marquee portfolio to have and enjoy with your Thanksgiving meal, Bon Apetit!

Thanksgiving 2009 Selections

Marquee Classic Riesling – A lovely pairing white with great acidity!

Clemen Vinho Verde – A hint of sweetness and slight spritz are great palate cleansers!

Pianissimo Malbec Rose – Yes, rose with turkey is a great pair!

Quattro Leoni – Barbera D’Asti – For the red lover and perfect with rich stuffing!

Marquee Signature Pinot Noir – Fall flavors, cherries and cranberries abound!

• Tip #1 – Try new things – The world of wine just keeps getting bigger and bigger and there are thousands of great bottles of wine out there (there are a few duds as well), but if you keep trying new wines you are going to find great wines to go back to.

• Tip #2 – Take a few notes – We are not talking about a Science lecture, but jotting down when you like something and when you don’t in a small notebook can really help point you in the right direction. If you can find a small wine journal to keep all of the notes in, it just makes it that much easier (and for all of you shoppers out there, Christmas is right around the corner and Wine Journals could be within a down economic budget).

• Tip #3 – Give yourself a budget – There are great bargains galore and some things that never go on sale. If you start by giving yourself a simple budget of a few dollars it makes a great game to go to your local wine retailer and come back with a case for the cellar.

• Tip #4 – Buy more reds – Ok, I am not just saying this because I might happen to really like red wines; the reality is that white wines don’t tend to age quite as well and should be only cellared for a few years. My rule of thumb is to try and keep whites in my cellar to have for less than five years from when purchased. If you end up buying a few more reds this helps you balance out your cellar and keep the whites nice and fresh.

• Tip #5 – Buy at least two bottles – Once you have found a wine that you are interested in adding to the cellar, perhaps it would be the Silver Wings Mourvedre/Shiraz from Australia, if you buy at least two bottles, you are setting yourself up to enjoy one earlier and then to be able to enjoy a second with additional aging for comparison. With buying the two bottles you are also giving yourself an instant backup if there was anything wrong with the first bottle.

• Tip #6 – Talk to your retailers – If you go to a local wine shop frequently, you will find that there is a plethora of information available from a likely source, the staff. If you start to talk with them about what you liked and disliked, take a few recommendations and even find out what is on sale you can be in for a real treat. Use this fountain of knowledge and will be thankful!

• Tip #7 – Figure out a way to stay organized – In an electronic world, spreadsheets, pictures from your iPhone, or great sites like www.cellartracker.com are wonderful resources for you to list what you have in your cellar + to connect with great tasting notes from others. In my case I started with a simple Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and that is working fine for me. My advice, find a nice way to keep organized and then when you are looking for additions, that special bottle, etc… you will be in a better place.

• Tip #8 – Sign up for a wine magazine – Grab a nice issue of Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Robert Parker, etc… as something to help you find out the best vintages, new information about upcoming wine regions, food and wine pairings, etc… They are all great in one way or another, but just a bit of reading before your trip to the store will help you in the long run.

• Tip #9 – Travel and Ship – One of the most rewarding parts I find to wine collecting is actually visiting a vineyard, talking with the winemakers, sampling wines in their tasting rooms and more. If you take advantage of the fact to buy wines during these travels these will be some of your most prized possessions in a great wine cellar. Most wineries, importers and even many retail shops will ship wine directly to your door to ease the travel burdens. It is a welcome present on the front door when you return.

• Tip #10 – There are no rights or wrongs – Buy and collect what you enjoy, yes, wines have a value and if you buy the right wines at the right times they might go up in value, but truly the idea behind a good cellar should be to enhance your wine experience. There is no right or wrong wines to buy, just have fun along the way and after a few short years opening that bottle that you have been savoring will be a delicious treat!

Thanks!

~CJC

Today’s Cribb Note – Check out what the Premier Guide to Miami had to say about the Miami Wine Fair and Marquee...

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – October 2009 – Tips for Cool Weather Cooking and Hearty Wines

When the weather gets cold, it is the perfect time to warm yourself up from the bottom of your toes with hearty food (and wines)!  

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – September 2009 – Wines for Fall

In September, the kids have headed back to school, football is back in action across the US and everyone is anticipating the start of the fall season. The nights get shorter and as days pass a chill begins to catch on after the sun goes down.  As for foods, the choices moves from summer fun like barbecues, corn on the cob and watermelon to fall themes like pumpkins, squash and a good hearty roast.  I personally find myself better off cooking indoors, rather than on the grill (yes, a man did say this).  As summer comes to an end I reluctantly grab my grill cover and put down tongs, but this does open the door for more rich, earthy and food friendly red and white wines with body.  In the spring and in summer I like my wines a bit lighter with lower alcohol and a crisp acidity.  Room temperature is bound to bring out the alcoholic heat on a hot summer day, but it doesn’t punish us as harshly on a cool fall evening.

Think about what the foods that you like to warm up your nights in the fall. It is harvest time in many places so look for fresh apples, pears, raspberries and blueberries.  You are likely to see pumpkins not only around All Hollow’s Eve, but multiplying in your grocery store with gourds, squash and even some cranberries.  The fresh tomatoes from the summer garden are now being put to good use in homemade salsa and spaghetti – Bolognese sauce.  Peppers are in season and spicy food, hearty chili and pasta comes back into favor.  Meat and potatoes reappear to help fill up the healthy fall appetite while the richness of Italian inspired meet and cheese dishes open your door to two great wines to pair with fall flavors:

1)    The lovely Barbera grape (mostly from Italy)
2)    Its spicy cousin know in Italy as Primativo and in the US as Zinfandel

Two great examples of these wines that offer delicious parings with many foods are the Quattro Leoni 2007 Barbera D’Asti from Piedmont Italy and the 2006 Classy Zinfandel from Lake County, California.  Two distinctly different wines these both offer a rich palate to complement the complexity in their fall dish partners, but also an earthy component that goes quite nicely with the more hearty vegetables and fruits of the fall.


This Barbera has a lean texture with a long finish and lots of raspberry fruit.  Hailing from the northern Piedmont region of Gabiano, the Quattro Leoni Barbera D’Asti pairs wonderfully with a rich and hearty Italian red sauce, but equally can complement Lasagna or even a hard Italian Parmigano cheese.  A bargain at only $15.00 a bottle, you will sing the praises of this wine to all of your friends.

Several years ago scientists set out to find the origins of what most wine consumers consider “the American Grape” Zinfandel and low and behold a few DNA tests later it was proven to be the identical grape as the Italian Primativo grape.  U.S. winemakers have adopted this variety as their own, and make bold and spicy Zinfandels all across the state of California that are worthy of taking notice of…. My cellar keeps a place for Rosenblum, Ridge, and a few others, but for a more moderately priced wine, the 2006 Classy Zinfandel offers blueberry, currant and spice notes that make it a winner to pair with pot roast, flank steak, and a rich Osso Bucco.

Wow, all of these great fall flavors have left me ready to head home, pop the cork on a bottle of wine and turn the kitchen into a lovely cooking show.   We all may not be Bobby Flay, but pairing your wines correctly, can at least turn you into the star of your own party!
 

Cheers!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – August 2009 – Avoiding The Pitfalls of Wine Shipping & Storage – Part One - Temperature

Sorry folks, parks closed (a little National Lampoons humor)… really I do apologize for my lapse on the blog front, I went and just took a month off in the Caribbean and married a wonderful woman (thank you Megan)!  What a great setting and place to have a special occasion, the sunset on our wedding night was amazing and after our fantastic wedding week stay on Water Island in the USVI, we got to go island hopping on the British side of the Virgin Islands (BVI’s).  At times it felt like the paradise that the team of LOST lived in, but more often it seemed like paradise found.   Either way you are in a great place, one just has a little more conveniences than the other… which brings me back around to wine and the point of this column.  While down in this lush environment, it was HOT, like boil an egg on your engine block hot, and I observed a great number of things being done to wine that really should not have been.  This inspired me to produce and share info as to the main ways you can provide a safe environment for your wines and avoid the unnecessary pitfalls. 

Winemakers across the world want you to taste what their bottle was intended to taste like, not a damaged version. 

TEMPERATURE

1.    WATCH THE HEAT – Heating up or “cooking” wines by having them sustain temperature levels above roughly 85 degrees Fahrenheit / 30 Celsius is rough on wine and can even be disastrous.  OK, disastrous is a harsh word, but leave a big red wine in your car on a hot summer afternoon for a couple hours and you might just have a new Burgundy colored interior.  In the interior of a parked car on a hot day the temperature can easily reach 120 degrees and will cook your wine.  The heat pushes the cork out and up out of the bottle, sometimes all the way for a really big mess.  Leaving a bottle for a few minutes when you are running into a store should be fine, just don’t leave it there too long. 

Heat can also happen in your house, in a warehouse, in shipping, really the ideal setup is to not have your wines exposed to strong heat levels and look for the warning signs when purchasing or opening wines.  The easiest ones to spot are when corks are pushed up out of the bottle, when you see any leakage in the case, on the capsule or along the side of the bottle, and when you open a wine (red is easier to spot) if it has a long red line of wine stain up the side of the cork instead of just on the bottom of the cork that should have been in contact with the juice.  The resulting flavors or effect of “cooking a wine” varies; in most cases the wine actually tastes cooked or baked.  The fruit aspect moves toward a stewed/jammy fruit flavor instead of fresh flavor and you might find some roasted, burnt or caramel notes.  In a number of cases this process can also have an effect on the color of a wine, changing it from a deep red to a brownish or bricked red coloration. 

Heat during the storage process can prematurely age wines.  As aging is an organic process it stands to scientific reason that if you have twice the heat, you literally will age the wine twice as fast.  Be wary about locations that you don’t think about that get hot, a few examples to watch are:  a garage or shed with little insulation that heats up during the summer, we already mentioned the car, but this can also happen in trucks, suv’s or your RV headed to the lake (a bit overboard here), avoid storage next to furnaces or major appliances that get hot, and finally watch out for storing in a spot that gets heated up during the day by a tone of extra sunlight (window light/heat).

2.    FREEZING ISN’T GOOD EITHER – It doesn’t happen as frequently as when wine gets cooked, but in reality exposure to extreme cold is also a very bad thing.  Wine can freeze, if you put a bottle in your freezer for a long period of time, it can quickly tell you how cold your freezer actually is.  Wine freezes below 32 Fahrenheit / 0 Celsius at roughly half of its alcoholic strength (usually about 20 Fahrenheit / -6 Celsius.  I still will always use and love the tip “to get a wine chilled quickly, stick it in the freezer for just ten minutes”, it brings the wine down in temperature to a perfect level for immediate consumption.   The key to good use of this tip, be sure not to forget about your bottles.  If a wine freezes, the same effect happens to the warm bottles where the liquid expands and it pushes its way out of the bottle, breaking a screwcap seal or pushing a cork up and out of the bottle.  For safety’s sake (especially in cool climates buying wines from the outstanding importer Marquee Selections), again watch storage in shed’s/garages that are unheated, left outside or in a car on extreme cold evening, and your icebox.

3.    JUST PERFECT – THE RIGHT STORAGE TEMPERATURE – Not too cold, or too hot is the key, wine is a hearty beverage and if exposed to a lot of shaking, some mild heat, etc… given a period of rest before consuming (could be a week to a couple months) damage to wine seems to wear off and the beverage bounces back to taste like the winemaker intended.  The ideal storage temperature and the common rule for cellar storage and room temperature dates back hundreds of years (yes, even before air conditioning).  In the 1800’s and 1900’s houses, castles, and wineries did have a cellar on the property, the location all wine was stored, safely underground.  A few feet underneath the earth’s surface it cools nicely and provides a stable environment with light humidity in which wine can age gracefully over long periods of time.  The normal cellar temperature to age wines to be consumed during your own lifespan is between 50 Fahrenheit / 10 Celsius and 60 Fahrenheit / 15 Celsius.  A few degrees higher and lower than the suggested temp matter very little (unless you plan to age wines for a number of years before consumption). 

Personally my cellar is not separated and cooled more than any other part of my house, but I intentionally have it in the basement (below ground) to avoid temperature changes and to provide a bit more humidity.  I do realize that not all houses have basements across the country (shout out to my friends in Florida), but several alternative locations do exist that provide a dark, cool area such as interior closets or refrigerated wine storage units.

4.    SERVING/TASTING TEMPERATURE - Now that we have made sure our wine is stored in a great location, have avoided the heat and cold in transit and our wine is ready to be consumed, we need to serve this tasty beverage at the optimum temperature.  Serving wines at the right temperature is not a real science, but instead is an application of common sense, insight about the wine, and knowing the tasters palate.  Long ago wines were brought up from the cellar at 55 Fahrenheit / 12.5 Celsius and allowed to gracefully warm up to room temperature for serving.  In today’s world not everyone has a cellar, but we do have the advantage of refrigeration!  Here is my cliff notes version of what I serve and why.

•    Serve Tannic/Big Reds at room temperature in many places around the globe; 70-75 Fahrenheit / 22-24 Celsius.  This is achievable and simple, some suggest that chilling down to a bit colder level would be the optimum, but I find that it rather hard to ensure you achieve and a bit impractical.  The palate is a sensitive creature and with the big reds you want to be cognoscente of a few key items. One, at higher temperatures it is easier to find sweetness, and two, warm wines effect the tannin perception making the wine taste hot or alcoholic.  Please be aware that room temperature outside in Las Vegas during summer, is nowhere near the same as summer in Quebec.  Vegas would need a definite chill down before going outside. 

•    Serve Lighter Reds with a slight chill, just a touch under room temperature 70-75 Fahrenheit / 22-24 Celsius.  Wines with a lighter/fruitier structure such as Pinot Noir or Beaujolais benefit from a slight chilled touch because it brings out more complex tannins and allow you to find more of the good (and bad things aka wine faults) in your reds.  Taking a light red and putting it for 10 minutes in the refrigerator before serving is a common practice I use.

•    Serve Complex Dry Whites at with a chill, but allow them to warm up after the first pour to 55-65 Fahrenheit / 13-18 Celsius.  The right chill makes wines in this category taste refreshing, while still showing off the subtleties necessary to pair more rich foods.  I like to have my bigger whites like Chardonnay, Semillion, and Alvarinho chilled in a fridge/cellar environment and then put out on the table in a normal environment for 10 minutes to warm up a bit before serving.  After pouring the wines will warm up in your glass, therefore I advise putting the bottle into a chilled location again until you are ready for more (ice bucket, fridge, etc…)

•    Serve Lighter Whites, Sparkling & Roses at the coldest temperature 50-55 Fahrenheit / 10-13 Celsius.  Crisp is my favorite word for light whites and roses served at the right temperature.  The coldness/chill allows the wines to show their acidic backbone without making you pucker.  Avoid serving the wines TOO cold, because you may rob them of the nose and taste that were intended (alternatively if you have wines with off flavors, flaws, or aromas serve them cold to mask this quality).   If you serve sparkling wines TOO warm, you are increasing the amount of Carbon Dioxide produced and they can appear fizzy or frothy when consumed.  Serve straight from the fridge or ice bucket and return there.

For all of those that made it to then end, I applaud you and your reward is a Cribb Note about two exciting scores on our Caligiore Organic Wines…

Cheers!

~CJC

Today’s Cribb Note – Watch out Malbec Producers…  Caligiore Organic Wines from Mendoza, Argentina was just awarded an amazing 91 Points – “Best Buy” from Wine & Spirits Magazine for the 2008 Caligiore Reserve Malbec and 88 Points “Best Buy / Extreme Value” for the equally fetching 2008 Staccato Malbec / Cabernet Blend, outstanding scores for wines that retail for $14.99 and $9.99 respectively. 

Keep up the great work Gustavo, you are truly making artisan, organic wines!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – May 2009 – The Magic of a Long Finish

One of my favorite things about the world of food, wine, coffee and desserts is the unique and pleasurable experience that occurs when your palate is left with an ever-long, smooth and lasting finish. The experience doesn’t happen all of the time and quite frankly it doesn’t happen enough, but when it does, with a great flavor, it is a true joy. Recently I found a couple items that highlighted the magic of the “long finish” and I thought I would take a couple minutes to share them with you. Three experiences, three different items (very literally), but they all shared in common a long and magical finish…

Silver Wings 2004 Vincenzo Old Vine Mourvedre / Shiraz Blend - Estate grown just outside the town of Shepparton in Victoria, Australia, the Vincenzo is a great tribute to Old Vine Aussie fruit complexity that has been hand-crafted by Marquee’s head winemaker Keith Brien. As Keith will tell you, the Vincenzo, is like his fifth child because he puts in all of the extra time and effort necessary to work and age this wine so that it has been cared for delicately from its youth through its long barrel aging and extend bottle aging. A hot year (another in the record of drought years in Victoria), this wine gives you a beautiful balance of dark fruits (raspberries, blackberries and currants) and rich spicy mocha tones. It has a bit of white pepper, but what I keep coming back to when tasting this wine is that its long, drawn out finish has a dark chocolate and licorice fade that lasts for 30 or 40 seconds… Wow, it is ever a delight and a fun wine to share with friends!

Marquee is proud to announce that at the 2009 WSWA (Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Association) Convention the 2004 Silver Wings Vincenzo O.V. was awarded the Best in Show prize for the new entrant brand, Rhone Varietal or Blend! I am sure the long, luxiourious finish of the Vincenzo is what won over these judges just as Keith has been wining over our palates with Marquee for years. To have a small house like Marquee wine this prestigious awarda at a huge convention with all of the world’s biggest brands present, Marquee and Keith in particular continues to outdistance the competion by overdelivering on quality! Kudos mate!

Tea Forte – White Ambrosia – OK, so coffee is usually my thing, but I do also really like a good cup of tea, and the folks at Tea Forte know what they are doing. With their signature “tea infusers” and great flavors I usually jump at a chance when I can grab one of these cups if they are in the room. My latest Tea Forte experience was at home on a chilly Saturday morning that just didn’t strike me as a coffee day. Instead of the joe, I picked the biggest cup in my kitchen; got the water boiling, seeped my infuser and when I had my first sips I was amazed at the elegant flavors and aromas, mmmm… wow was this some great stuff or what! Warming my hands on the edge of the mug on the cold day helped as well, but the most memorable part was the long, coconut infused white tea flavors that tingled on my taste buds for an eternity from sip to sip. If you like mild teas, try this one it’s worth the time.

Christopher Elbow Artisinal Chocolates – Christopher Elbow is a small artisan chocolate maker based from my home town, Kansas City, with an international reputation for divine quality chocolates that are both delicious and works of art. Recently I was involved in the March of Dimes fundraiser at Union Station, Winefest pouring wines in benefit of this great cause and had a chance to sneak over to the artisan chocolate makers table and sample a bit of the requisite fair. Lovely these delicious treats are and on another occasion I think I would tell you my favorite is the Passion Fruit, but this evening I tasted the Venezuelan Spice that has a dark ganache base that is infused with a chili spice blend. Oh, my it was a treat and the long crescendo of a finish was at the same time sweet and hot with the chili adding just enough punch to make you not reach for another piece, but savor the long finish of the last before moving on to a sip of vino.

In the same light these chocolates and this one in particular were a great compliment to a number of the lovely wines in the fundraisers Premier Room, I loved pairing the C. Elbow Russian Tea with Dark Ganache and hints of Black Tea, Citrus and Spices with the Caligiore Reserve Malbec, mmm, good stuff, a complimentary batch of Dark Berry flavors and spices.

Yes, you can pair red wines with chocolates, just do so carefully!

Keep searching out those foods, wines, teas, coffees and more that bring a long finish and pass me back some details.

These three are a real treat in that area, but thousands more are out there, we just have to find them and share with good friends!

Cheers!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – March 2009 – Fifteen great wines under $15.00 Retail

Take the list for what it’s worth, great value wines from my own personal experience. You will find wines I produce on the list; I included them because I can honestly tell you these are wines I consider a “top value”

Cheers!

~Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Sparkling Wines

NV Gruet Blanc de Noir Sparkling Wine – New Mexico, USA
$13.99 Retail – Yes, New Mexico, but Bubbles for Under 15$
Crisp, beautiful and easy to drink sparkler!

White Wines

2007 Veramonte Reserva Sauvignon Blanc – Casablanca Valley
$10.99 Retail – Product of Chile
91 Points – Top 100 Values of Year – Wine & Spirits 2008

2007 A to Z Wineworks Pinot Gris – Oregon, USA
$12.99 Retail - 87 Points – Wine Spectator 2008
Aristocratic Wines at Democratic Prices

2007 Clemen Reserva Vinho Verde – Product of Portugal
$11.99 Retail – (50% Trajadura / 50% Alvahrino)
90 Points – BTI World Wine Championships

2007 Sterling Chardonnay – Central Coast Collection, CA, USA
$9.99 Retail – Great value for CA Chard that tastes very ripe.
88 Points – Wine Spectator. Great Value!

2007 McManis Vineyards – Viogner – California
$10.99 Retail – Product of California
A great value grower, all of their wines are very solid!

Rose Wines

2007 Les Vignerons Des Tavel – Les Lauzeraies – Tavel
$13.99 Retail – Product of Tavel, (Southern) France
88 Points – Wine Spectator 2008

Red Wines

2006 House Wine Red – Magnificent Wine Co. Cabernet Blend
Washington State, USA - Cabernet Blend w/ Merlot, Syrah, Sangv., Malbec & Cab Franc
$9.99 Retail - Famous Winemaker Charles Smith, K - Vintners

2007 Marquee Classic GSM (Grenache / Shiraz / Mourvedré Blend)
$11.99 Retail - Product of Australia
4 Vintages in a row 87+ Points Wine Spectator

2005 Concannon Petit Syrah Limited Release
$11.99 - $13.99 Retail Central Coast, CA, USA
85 Points – Robert Parker “Big, Bold and only will get better with a bit of aging/time.”

2007 Hogue Cabernet Sauvignon – Washington, USA
$9.99 Retail – Columbia Valley, Washington, USA
89 Points Wine Spectator – Juicy and Delicious!

2007 Castle Rock Pinot Noir – Sonoma County, CA
$12.00 Retail – Castle Rock makes several good value Pinot’s this happens to be the largest production. 86 Points – Wine Spectator.

2007 Bodegas Ateca – Garnacha De Fuego Old Vines – Spain
$6.99 to $8.99 – Old Vine Grenache from Spain
89 Points – Wine Spectator – Buy a Case – Only 7500 Made!

2007 Caligiore Reserve Malbec – Mendoza, Argentina
$14.99 Retail – Product of Mendoza, Argentina
100% Organically Grown from over 75+ Yr. Old Vines

2007 Red Truck Red Wine Blend – California
$9.99 Retail – Blend of Syrah, Petit Sirah, Cab. Franc & More
Food & Wine Magazine – Best values under $15.00

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – February 2009 – Heading to Portugal

My fiancιe is big into white wines (great for her, but also good for me)!

Megan's love of white wine also challenges me to reach out for new wines and push the red wine till later in the evening. Why do I tell you this... because I have a LOVELY white wine just added to our portfolio that is going to knock your socks off.

Last year I became aware through a mutual friend about a group of winemakers in Portugal that have teamed together to start a worldwide export group... that group is called Saven and more information can be found about them by checking out Wines & Winemakers By Saven. Marquee has only started with one wine from this group, but it is a knockout wine and a real treat to bring to the US market.

Our first wine imported to the US from Saven is called "Clemen" and is a Vinho Verde made from two different grapes, Tradjadura and Alvarhino. This wine is crafted by winemaker Anselmo Menedes and has a bright acidity and rich palate that is hard to find in un-oaked white wine. Mr. Menedes has taken to using Alvarhino from this Northern Portuguese region as the backbone for an outstanding set of wines. Just last month from the heart of Spain (the location of Albarinho which happens to be the same grape as Alvarhino), the famous wine writer Jose Penin of Sibaritas Magazine was praising what Anselmo has been doing with Alvarhino in Portugal. Penin wrote that "Anselmo was crafting from Alvarinho, wines of superior quality to most of the Albarinio from the Rias Bias region in Spain" (simply put one heck of a compliment)!

This wine is absolutely refreshing, has a long and complex finish, and is one wine that will leave you wanting to go on your own quest to Portugal. We received a few hundred cases of the 2007 vintage which has already "sold out" worldwide and are getting in line for our allocation of the 2008 vintage.

Check out the Clemen Vinho Verde if you are ready to impress your white wine drinking fans, I know that Megan was impressed!

Cheers!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – January 2009 – Let’s Kick off 2009 with a Spanish Fiesta!

I got my fill of holiday parties, cheese balls, and mixed nuts over the last month and am happy to now be signing my checks 2009 without having to scratch out 2008 first. With the start of the new year comes new year’s resolutions, a clean slate to keep score on and more and more snow (at least for some parts of the world).

Kicking off 2009, I am proud to let all of my partners know that Marquee has added a great new lineup of wines to our portfolio from the region of Yecla, Spain. Yecla is located in Southern Spain, in the state of Murcia and is home to some of the highest vineyards on the entire Iberian Peninsula. After a long search we found our partner, Bodegas La Purisima doing wonderful things with Monastrell (one of my favorite varietals), producing a number of wines in the certified organic methodology and making crisp white wines from high elevation Sauvignon Blanc.

What is high elevation in this region; good question, the simple answer is that a large amount of the La Purisma vineyards are located at elevations over 3000 ft. above sea level that produce warm days with abundant sunshine and cool evenings. With the start of the New Year we have introduced the:

2007 Old Hands Sauvignon Blanc

2007 Old Hands Organic Monastrell

2006 Old Hands Monastrell

2004 Trapio Old Vine Monastrell

Each of the Monastrell wines has a unique and rich flavor that is accented with the use of oak aging to show lush smoky tones over the top of a dark berry & cherry base. Hints of cocoa and bits of spice keep these wines interesting and true to their old vine roots.

The 2004 Trapio is the star of this showcase, coming entirely from un-grafted Monastrell vines, the winemaker gives you a unique view into what this grape varietal tasted like before the behemoth phyloxera wiped out most European vineyards and made grafted vines the norm for modern “old world “wines. Not to be outdone, the Sauvignon Blanc has a restrained, yet racy acidic back bone and tons of bright peach fruit. The heat of the regions also brings forward the passion fruit and apple notes in our Sauvignon Blanc, you will be impressed!

Spain is a country that can over deliver on value if you know the right producers, and I am happy to have these exciting new wines as a part of the Marquee portfolio.

Cheers!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – December 2008 – Ring in the Holiday’s!

The holiday jingle bells are ringing, Christmas music has hit the airwaves and Marquee is putting little Santa hat’s on our wine bottle’s to dress them up for the holiday’s… well, not really, but we are hard at work like little elves this time of year. For 2008 Marquee decided to make gift giving a little easier by pairing up some useful and exciting small gift items with our wine to make the perfect holiday baskets.

Click here Marquee Holiday Program 2008 to check out our gift basket selection that includes you customizing the wine selections and sending your own greeting / thank you card along with the gift baskets.

Let me give you a quick sample of the outstanding values we have with the gift basket program; our “All American Basket” includes one bottle each of the 2006 Classy Sauvignon Blanc and 2006 Classy Zinfandel paired up with one of the best BBQ sauces on the planet, the Haywards Pit BBQ sauce and Hayward’s own special blend of spices. The Zinfandel should pair very nicely with a set of Smoked BBQ ribs and the best part is the mouth-watering package price, only $39.95!

My two holiday tips for the month…

1) Plan for everything to take twice as long as you think it will and you should be sitting pretty! This time of year things tend to slow down a bit more than everyone expects, if you start off by planning for things to take longer than you think you will be pleasantly surprised when you finish early. What does this do with wine, nothing specifically, I just think it’s a good tip for this time of year!

2) BOTTLE EXCHANGE - If you want a fun activity for a holiday party, think about doing a gift bottle exchange. It can either be a challenge to find the best wine under a price point (say $15.00) and have all of the participants bring a bottle to the exchange (wrapped of course), or you can do it as a traditional “white elephant” exchange where everyone is challenged to bring a white elephant bottle / gift that is “just for fun”. I love both ideas because they allow for a bit of inexpensive fun for a holiday party and let everyone take home something unique that they otherwise would never have seen / tasted.

Marquee thanks our partners participating in the 2008 Holiday gift program, Hayward’s BBQ, The Roasterie Coffee, Indigo Wild and is proud to say we can ship to almost any (some states are still behind on this) US location with these gift baskets and are happy to customize them for you.

Please contact Marquee Cellar Master Craig Skopec if you want any additional information on the Holiday Program at cjskopec@marquee.com and have a safe and happy holiday season!

Cheers!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – October 2008 – Stretching Your Wine Dollars

I really don’t think it matters much if you are in shipping, tourism, politics, stock brokerage or the wine business, the world’s economic woes are being felt in most every direction. With a big election coming up in November in the US, retailers already talking about how there are “only” 80 shopping days left until Christmas and much more, I thought this would be a good time for me to pass along a few gems of information to help your wine dollar S-T-R-E-T-C-H just a bit further.

Idea # 1 – When in a restaurant with more than three people, talk with your tablemates and order a bottle…

Most restaurants drop off at least $5.00 or more per bottle when they add a wine to their bottle list vs. the By-The Glass (BTG) pours. Don’t get me wrong, I love exploring wines on BTG lists, but if you are out with a couple people this is a great way to save a few dollars and also have a wine that you all can enjoy + discuss the nuances of. If you choose wines that are versatile for food matches, you can still compliment the fare and have enjoyable wines in the process; great examples might be a Grenache Blend (Mmmm possibly the Marquee Classic GSM), Spanish Tempranillio’s, or an Oregon Pinot Noir.

Idea # 2 – Find a good local wine store and use their case discount program…

One of my favorite wine buying activities is choosing a local wine shop that I know has a good selection and stopping in to buy a value case of wines to try. Many great shops offer discounts on cases that range from 5% to 10% and even up to 17-20% if you buy a full case of 12 wines at a time. Sure, the idea of choosing 12 wines and spending $15.00 per bottle on each of them sounds like you aren’t going to save money, but make a game out of it. OK, you splurged and chose a single-vineyard Chardonnay for $20.00, round it out by getting a bargain bottle of Riesling on sale for $10.00 and ask the staff for a couple suggestions. In the end you will have a unique box of 12 wines to try and choose your favorites from plus you saved yourself another $1.50 on each bottle. Every little bit counts and if you want to get picky about it, you may have also saved a few more dollars by not going to the liquor store three times in one month. ;-)

Idea # 3 – Put a little gas on it, take a little off, or just let it develop and test the results…

I am not going to speculate as to what the best option is, but the fact of the matter is that there are several market solutions available to help you preserve the wines you have tasted one day, but did not consume the entire bottle. I find that many wines actually improve with a bit of time being opened and exposed to air. My advice is to have a couple options in your wine “toolkit” and test out what works well with the style of wines you are used to drinking. One option, that I routinely use is the vacuum pump wine seal… you literally are pumping out additional air to keep a wine sealed more tightly. Other people prefer the use of an inert gas that is sprayed into the bottle and because it is heavier than oxygen, it settles below normal “air” and on top of the wine creating a barrier to wine oxidation.

Frankly I don’t use these techniques all of the time, because in many circumstances I taste/consume the wines in the next day or two where they have still retained freshness, but also have been allowed to breathe and develop secondary flavors. It may come as a surprise to some, but one of Marquee’s newest wines is a light, lively Sauvignon Blanc, that I really like at first sip, but ADORE after having put the bottle away and opening it on day number two. Have a taste of the 2006 Classy Sauvignon Blanc and you will understand perfectly! OK, I hope I stretched your dollar a bit further and will keep my fingers crossed that the markets bounce back before we start hearing Christmas carols~

Email me any helpful hints and tips at cjcribb@marquee.com!

Cheers!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Meet Keith Brien Chief Wine Maker for Marquee Artisan Wines

Dear Friends of Marquee,

I wanted to pass along a brief note letting you know about the great events and plans we have in the next few days while Marquee & Silver Wings "Rockstar" Australian winemaker Keith Brien visits the KC area. I would love to have you drop in to say "G'day" to Keith + support Marquee at these wonderful events if you get an opportunity. This year we are headed all around town with events, up-north, out-south, and in my new home territory, Prairie Village. :-)

Back to the good stuff, here are the events happening with Keith over the next few days:

• Thursday Sept 4th @ WBJ (Wines by Jennifer) in Parkville, MO 5-8pm
• Friday Sept. 5th @ Lukas Liquors (MO Location on 135th & State Line) 6-8pm
• Sat. Sept 6th Listen to "The Wine Cellar" with Marshall Rimann on News Radio 980AM from 1PM until 2pm with a bottle signing and tasting @ Rimann Liquors in Prairie Village from around 2:30PM-4:00PM.

Feel free to pass along the word, the more the merrier!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – August 2008 – The Backyard BBQ and Wine Pairing

A recent beautiful weekend allowed my culinary side to shine; courtesy of my old reliable BBQ Grill. Yes, I am by no means a gourmet, but grilling is great fun, and most men (and women) can play a good chef if the grill is involved. Summer can be melt your shoes hot at times, but thankfully this day allowed for a perfect 85 degree high and a graceful arc that took many hours to turn day into night.

I fired up the grill, got the coals roasting, and took a quick peek down the stairs into the cellar to find a couple good wines to pair up with my fare. On the menu; grilled corn on the cob, a fresh summer salad with mandarin oranges and roasted almonds, and the centerpiece, a juicy Kansas City Strip steak. Make of it what you like, but I am a big fan of bringing a couple wines to the table to taste with a nice dinner. One red and one white allows you to have more versatility to match up the wines with your meal and not sip on flavors that are just not meant to go together.

For tonight’s affair I couldn’t resist a nice Aussie Chardonnay that would go great with the citrus flavors in the salad and also handle the rich and buttery notes from the sweet corn on the cob. (Hint here – pick corn that isn’t huge kernels all the way to the end of the shucks because those ears are usually “overripe”, you want to see a few small kernels at the top of your choices). Winning great awards recently and being selected as a Vintages release by the LCBO, the 2006 Marquee Signature Chardonnay from Yarra Valley was a great hit with the corn and salad. The smart and balanced use of some oak aging and good acidic backbone brought out notes of lemon zest with the salad and creaminess with the corn; two different sides of the same wine, flexing its style to match the foods.

I must confess, I love steak, not quite sure exactly why… but I do. I usually don’t use steak sauce, I rarely do much with rubs or spices before grilling, and think there are only three items a good steak needs to turn out nicely; One/Two a bit of salt (sea salt is nice) and fresh cracked pepper before grilling and a nice red wine paired up for the meal. Just released to the general public, I had my eye on trying the 2006 Classy Zinfandel from Lake County, California with dinner and was well rewarded for my choice. The KC strip steak is not quite as lean as some other cuts, yet I love the way the fat content in this cut of steak cooks off into an almost caramelized exterior that locks in the juicy interior contents. Classy shows a great bouquet of rich raspberries, with spicy hints of cloves and dried roses, the wine has very smooth tannins and a medium/full body that allowed the fruit to shine, but with a less aggressive mouth feel than some other big reds (that I also happen to enjoy, aka King Cabernet). Final summary, the taste was a great match because it was also not “hot feeling” from having an uber high alcohol content (there are several 17% Zinfandel’s out on the market if you are looking around), try it with your next grill party and you will be impressed!

Ciao for now!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – JUNE 2008 – 3 Things I Learned in Vermont

After a three day adventure in the mountains of Vermont I am ready for an escape back to my own bed!

For its third year, Sante Magazine - http://www.santemagazine.com/   had a wonderfully informative and engaging Restaurant Symposium. The caliber of attendees was a strong group of food and beverage professionals that are into food, wine, spirits, education and FUN!

Sante has done a great job each year increasing the depth of its attendee roster as well as highlighting new trends in the culinary arts (aka mixology for one).

Three great things that I learned from the symposium that think all of my friends should know:

1) With great, fresh ingredients, you can make wonderful and exciting food! On attendee at the event was The Chef's Garden, a true eclectic farm that has taken small batch artisan greens and vegetables to a true art. Its not readily apparent in all environments, but when you use the best in quality (just as with wine) you get VIBRANT flavors. The farm is located in Huron, Ohio and it is well worth the visit for any foodie or wine lover alike.

Check them out on the web at http://www.chefs-garden.com/

2) Mixology is really coming into its own as a culinary science and art form that will continue to grow and grab up an ever larger share of the pie with each coming year.

3) Morel mushrooms are Great! I was unsure about these tasty treats before from other preparations, but cooked with the right background ingredients they offer a tasty distinct flavor that is only paired with their unique texture.

Long story short, Vermont might not seem like a place to unveil culinary experiences, but my friends at Sante do know what they are doing when they put together a great room of PROFESSIONALS.

Cheers and I'll get back to more wine info soon!

PS - Bottling of the first vintage "Classy" wines from Lake County, CA has just occurred!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – MAY 2008 – Ode to Blind Tasting

I recently completed a Sommelier Course that included a great piece on blind tasting and using a systematic approach to review wines;   I highly encourage anyone that enjoys wine to put this on your “to-do” list. Coming from a computer background I am the first to tell you that anything can be broken down into a "system" if you try, but this approach was more than just a system, it was well presented and allowed for a new experience for myself in the wine world; having 75 people in one room looking at the same wine without any pre-conceived notions.

Without the bottle to look at, without your frame of reference as to where you purchased it, without your normal peer group to influence you, by stripping away all of the outer layers the blind tasting experience helps you mind to find ways that it can relate and understand the curious beverage in front of you.  Every experience is different, but these tastings helped to take me back to previous experiences in my own history…

One wine took me back to a medicine cabinet in the Nurse's office at elementary school; another made me think of a banana peel and the time I tried to see if I could get my sister to slip on it just like I had seen in many cartoons. ;) By bringing the blind aspect into the wine tasting experience it made my senses flex and reach back into my personal history to allow for a frame of reference.

Next time you want a challenge, get 3 friends to each bring a bottle for a round table tasting, four different wines, put them in the bags and try the tasting blind... use a simple and honest approach (As my training would attest I prefer the Court of Master Sommelier's, http://www.mastersommeliers.org/, but whatever your approach just make sure that you allow objectivity and the time to review the look, smell, taste and essence of the wine.

I am putting this on my list of things to do during the next month and if anyone else in the Kansas City area would like to join me, please drop me a line and I will let you know where the group is going to put down our roots.

All my best!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – APRIL 2008 – Bring on the Whites!

When I think of Spring time, I think of green grass, flowers blooming, and in general the outdoors.  After a long and cold winter in Kansas City (Marquee headquarters), I am ready for some good weather and some nice light white wines to pair with it.  From a taste perspective, lighter white wines have a tendency to show many of the same flavors that Spring itself brings about… some of my favorites are: freshly cut green grass, the floral scent of lilac, mint, basil, dill, and even the smell of dandelions.

Yes, I am actually writing about the fun and ever present yellow flowers that magically turn into a white and wispy seed.  At one time or another we have all been tempted to blow the seeds off these fun forms of nature’s beauty…  When the weather turns warm and the grass wakes up from its winter slumber, one week behind the grass (at least in my yard), are these hearty yellow flowers that if you pull one and rub it on a piece of paper leaves a vibrant splash of color.  When gardening last weekend I managed to pull a ton of these little yellow creatures out of my lawn, my hands had a bit of a green tinge and I was at once hit with a smell that was both recognizable and different, dandelions.

I thought back to my wine portfolio at Marquee Selections and in my head ran the mental list of wines to find any association that fit.  I checked the cellar and, it hit me; our newest white wine, Grazioso, a blend of un-oaked Chardonnay and Torrontes, the floral white grape most well know in Argentina, has just a little bit of that fresh dandelion smell that makes me think of Spring!  Grown at high altitudes in the Northern part of Mendoza , the roots of this fun association likely stem from the Chardonnay grape that makes up 60% of this white blend.

I pulled the cork a few minutes later and sure enough, whether by association or coincidence, the flavor stuck out just as if you had taken iceberg lettuce in your normal salad and switched it with wild greens.  The smell and flavor is both tangy and savory at the same time.  The wines acidity lets this flavor come out while still being nicely balanced by the more luscious and floral aromas in the Torrontes.  Floral notes were there, but not overpowering like you find in a potpourri, they are more mellow, understated and clean as in a tulip.  Delicious, thirst quenching and a delight to enjoy as the sunset closed on my back porch. 

My challenge this month for you is to let me know of your next “common scent” the everyday average smell that you enjoy so that I can associate it back to the fun world of wine.  Whether it’s the scent of laundry fresh from the dryer, or the cherry smell that is not bing or maraschino, but sure enough it’s cherry cough syrup… send me a line at cjcribb@marquee.com  and I will share it with more friends.

 Till next month, cheers to the coming of spring!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Bites and Delights – FEBRUARY 2008 – WINE & CHOCOLATE MMM...

When it comes to talking wine and chocolate, my mind immediately drifts to dark chocolate and deep red wines...but that could be because "most" of my favorite wines are large, bold red wines. To ring in the grand month of February on this leap year, let's take a deeper look into pairing wines with Chocolate and other sweets.

Wine Myth - Red wine pairs perfectly with chocolate

Some red wines go well with chocolate but the rule doesn't guarantee wonderful results with many wines. Try to consider that you want your wine to be a hint sweeter what you are paring it with. Chocolate that contains a ton of sugar can make the wine it's being consumed with seem too bitter. Opt for dark chocolate with a high cocoa content (more than 50 per cent) and choose a wine with lots of sweet fruit or oak characteristics, such as a Bordeaux blend of Merlot & Cabernet, or a good example from the Marquee portfolio is the Marquee Signature Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine spent over 18 months aged in new American Oak and therefore has a innate sweetness that pairs beautifully with a deep, dark Chocolate.

New Idea – Chocolate covered strawberries & Champagne or Riesling
Well maybe its not that new of an idea, but it is definitely a good one!. Having nice, ripe strawberries dipped in both dark and white chocolate are a delight in and of themselves, but choosing a demi-sec sparkling and or an off-dry Riesling to pair with them allows the strong acid backbone in the wines to pair wonderfully with the juicy strawberries. You could go the traditional route and just do strawberries and Champagne, yet why add a new touch to an old classic. The just released 2007 vintage of the Marquee Classic Riesling would pair wonderfully!

For the Adventurous – Dessert wines and Desserts with Chocolate
On this, I love to either pick a flavor profile in my wine and then try and match it in the dessert, or to pick my wine and use it to help concoct the actual dessert. For the first style, take the Marquee Signature Dessert Chardonnay, it is brimming with apricots, pear, and marmalade flavors… pear is a bit hard to find in the chocolate world, but a brief look around finds many citrus infused chocolates…The hint of citrus in the chocolate is a fun match to the wine, or this beautiful wine is also great to pour over ice cream and garnish with a white chocolate square. Two minutes and you have a beautiful, classy dessert!

Whatever your flavor for the month, enjoy it with style and let me know about your new and interesting subjects in the wine and spirits world. Till next month, Cheers!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW