1/2 Price Wine!

Looking for a way to beat the recession? Look no more. Half price wine at Table 301 restaurants. Here's the line-up:

Tuesday night: Soby's whole list, all night long, but only in the bar

Thursday night: The Lazy Goat, select list, all night

Sunday night: Devereaux's, the whole list, all night

(Wines pictured for illustration only, but isn't that a nice selection for an evening?)

Greenville Wine Meetup

Just wanted to let everyone know Vine & Grape remains alive and well, but a lot of my work during the first half of 2009 has been organizing The Greenville Wine Meetup.

The calendar of upcoming events that I used to post to Vine & Grape now appears on the Wine Meetup site. Click here. Moving the events to the Meetup site will create more room on Vine & Grape to discuss the wines themselves, industry personalities, emerging regions (worldwide and in the U.S.), and more.

If you haven't yet attended one of our meetings, all are welcome! Have a look at some of the events we've held (scroll down to "Past Meetups"). If you think some of the things we've been doing might interest you, then all of us in the Meetup hope to see you there! Meanwhile, cheers and very best wishes for a wonderful 4th of July.

Schug Wine Dinner & Guest Chef Virginia Willis

Wanted Vine & Grape readers to know about an opportunity coming up next week:  Virginia Willis will be in Greenville, greeting guests and signing her new cookbook, Bon Appetit Y'all.  

Winemaker Michael Cox, from Schug Winery in Sonoma, CA, will be presenting his wines paired with Virginia's food.  The dinner will be $65 per person, all food and wine included.  Tax and gratuity are in addition.  Cookbooks will be available for sale and signing by the author.  For a complete menu (and some crazy sounding recipe names, like $20,000 Rice Pilaf!), see the post on Meetup.com.

Phone Soby's (864) 232-7007 to make reservations.  If you have questions, give them a call or you can always feel free to email me!  

Happy 2009 and eCityofStyle

Happy New Year!  The holidays took their toll on Vine & Grape updates.  I apologize for being out of communication.  But I want to wish everyone all the best for 2009.  Thought Google's 2009 logo was cheerful and fitting.

Also wanted to point out a great article on Greenville at eCityofStyle.  Our town's Euphoria was included among the "Best of 2008"!

And finally, note the "Follow Me on Twitter" button, below our Greenville Wine Meetup logo.  I have found that microblogging on Twitter allows me to post more frequent updates, although not every post there will deal with wine.  But feel free to come join the party!  Just click on the link in this paragraph or the button below.

Most of all, Happy New Year!

Father of Virginia Wine

While in Virginia recently, I had the pleasure of tasting with Gabriele Rausse. Gabriele is widely regarded as the father of viticulture in Virginia (see here). More more than that, however, he is a genuinely charming man and almost unbelievably gracious in sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for wine.

My first experience with Gabriele's wines came more than two years ago, when when Kimberly Eakin of Wine Gourmet (Roanoke, VA) pointed out his wines to me. I tried one and immediately became a believer in Virginia's potential—but more specifically, in Gabriele Rausse's skills. His wines demonstrate European elegance, restraint, and balance, while remaining true to Virginia terroir and a clear testament to his own skills in the winery.

If Virginia is America's best kept secret in terms of quality wines, then Gabriele is Virginia's most extraordinary example of what is possible there.

Those of us who are wine enthusiasts, and live on the east coast, should make time at least once a year or more often, to spend a weekend in Virginia wine country. While a number winemakers there are doing an admirable job, Gabriele Rausse is in a class all by himself. Tastings are by appointment only (details here), but you can frequently find Gabriele showing his wines at local festivals and retail outlets. Don't miss his wines. And let me know if you enjoy them as much as I do.

If You're Driving Up I-81 . . .

If you are in the area around Roanoke, VA, plan to stop at Tony Pope's Bistro & Wine Bar.

On a recent trip to Virginia wine country, I had what turned out to be the great good fortune of becoming tired and hungry a couple of hours before reaching Charlottesville.

Checking my GPS for eateries, I chose a promising-sounding name on Crystal Spring Avenue. Garmin guided me to the location. But to my great surprise, next door to the eatery my GPS had suggested was a gorgeous wine bar and bistro with indoor and outdoor seating!

The meal and service were incredible. Tony Pope's wine list is exactly what a bistro's should be: short but imaginative. A glass of Grüner Veltliner gave me time to review the menu. Having just driven 300 miles, I asked Heidi, my server, if Chef Tony would just make all the decisions for me and do a tasting menu. His selection of courses and matched wines (yes, I was very careful about how much wine I enjoyed) was superb: sea scallops with shitake mushrooms, braised butternut squash, and dark, flavorful chicken jus; quail with buffalo sausage and braised Swiss chard, over polenta; and finally, sirloin slices with cubed potatoes and mushrooms. When I asked about dessert, I was brought ice cream with delightfully warm cinnamon sugar sauce and a cup of dark coffee—just the ticket for remaining alert for the remainder of the drive.

Thank you, Chef Tony, for a great experience! Thank you, Heidi, for your wonderful service. Vine & Grape readers: if you are driving up I-81, don't miss Tony Pope's Bistro & Wine Bar.

Euphoria Wine Track Is a Hit!

Wow! What can I say about the 2008 edition of Euphoria / Southern Exposure? "Fantastic," might be a good a start. Just three of dozens of seminar participants are pictured above.

Other publications and bloggers are reporting wonderfully on the food and music at Euphoria, so I'll focus on wine! This is Vine & Grape, after all! In addition to The Grand Tasting on Saturday afternoon, which featured more than 200 wines, a full afternoon of wine seminars were presented by four Master Sommeliers: Wayne Belding, Laura Williamson, Ron Edwards, and Sara Floyd.

It's difficult to convey how special the designation "Master Sommelier" really is. Every Master's knowledge of wine is extraordinary; their tasting skills are exceptional; their service impeccable. Among the 300 million people in the United States, there are only 95 Master Sommeliers! Four of them were in Greenville, talking about wine with enthusiastic seminar attendees, ranging from novices to accomplished wine enthusiasts. What a treat!

Perhaps best of all, every Master subscribes to standards that include an emphasis integrity, hospitality, and humility. There is no group of professionals, anywhere, who are more warm or more gracious. If you missed Saturday's seminars, you missed a rare opportunity.

I'll post more soon. Meanwhile, Wayne, Laura, Ron, and Sara: Greenville sends her thanks!

Soby's Wine Sale Sept 4, 2008

Quick update: Soby's Late Summer Wine Sale will take place, Thursday, September 4, 2008, in The Loft (5:00 p.m. until 7:30).

Periodically, Wine Director Danny Baker reviews the cellar contents and offers overstock. Danny is also in touch with local wholesalers, so he sees a lot of new wines and has the opportunity to pick up bargains.

If you have some time free Thursday evening, after work, stop by The Loft (22 Court Street, above Soby's on the Side, in downtown Greenville). No reservations are required and there is no charge for tasting. A list of some of the wines available is located here. Under "News and Events," click on the link that reads "September 4: Soby's Late Summer Wine Sale in The Loft."

New Orleans Hospitality . . . Red Fish Style!

New Orleans is known for being gracious. However, one experience during my recent visit deserves special mention. If you don't have time to read this entire post, here's the bottom line: go eat at the Red Fish Grill on Bourbon Street, just off Canal Street.

Red Fish Grill is one of New Orleans’ many fine restaurants. Red Fish, of course, is worth special note because it is one of Ralph Brennan's establishments—which also include Bacco. My wife, Susan, and I celebrated her birthday at Bacco, while in New Orleans last week. A good number of my colleagues at The Society of Wine Educators also dined at Bacco and Red Fish, during our conference in New Orleans.

But birthdays and Bacco aren't the point. The point is extraordinary guest service! Keep reading. This is one of those rare stories with a happy ending.

Background: A cranky guest (me), who was tired and frustrated for other reasons, arrived for lunch at Red Fish Grill. We were short on time and our meal didn't arrive as quickly as it had on the previous day. There was no chance of finishing our meal and getting to the next conference session for which I was registered. Short version: we complained to the lunchtime floor manager, gave him a business card, and left. Was the problem mine or Red Fish’s? In retrospect, it was at least half mine for being short of time and in a bad mood.

Here's the happy ending: Only an hour later, I received an email from the Red Fish Grill's Assistant General Manager, Leah Magouirk. Her note couldn't have been kinder, despite my crankiness with her staff. She invited us back, assuring us Red Fish would exceed our expectations, and even provided her cell phone number if we wanted to phone her in advance.

Susan and I took Leah up on her offer. Our dinner at Red Fish, the final night of the conference, couldn't have been nicer! Leah greeted us personally, as did Ariel O'Hern. Adam Rahn also stopped by to say hello (since Susan and I had retreated from the heat and humidity earlier in the week, to enjoy margaritas at the Red Fish bar, for which Adam is responsible). Greg and Carey cared for us during dinner, with grace—thank you, Greg—and enthusiasm. Don't miss this team; ask for their section. Carey is 110% energy, knowledge, and smiles. Ask why he salts your drink napkin! And watching Carey crumb a table is like watching an artist.

Congratulations, Red Fish! This kind of guest service is all too rare.

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago on this blog (in a different context), there is a very important sense in which the customer is always right. Any of us who love good food and wine expect that to be the rule when eating out. But when things go wrong, that anxiety we feel in the pit of our stomachs always strikes. It is the anxiety that Harvard professor Shosanna Zuboff calls "the transaction crisis" . . . the fear that we will be snagged on the barbed-wire fence that surrounds too many commercial exchanges. The hotel lost your reservation; will they find you a room? The airline canceled your flight; will they rebook you quickly? Your meal at a restaurant wasn't up to expectations; does anyone care?

Red Fish Grill cares. Kudos to Ralph Brennan and his organization. And a big, big thanks to Leah Magouirk, who was the bright spot of our entire visit to New Orleans!

New Orleans Report #1

Hello again! Sorry the blog has been quiet for a week or so. I’ve been in New Orleans for some serious wine-work.

“Tough job,” some say. Oh, really? Attend a Society of Wine Educators conference. Then tell me what you think.

Conferences are great, of course. They provide an unparalleled opportunity to learn from colleagues, and to taste wines you or I might otherwise never have a chance to try otherwise. But spend eight hours trying to identify the subtle nuances that separate the world’s best wines from the “merely” very good. It’s enough to make your head hurt!

By the way, the headache is not from over consumption. When tasting seriously, wine enthusiasts spit. Yes, that’s right. Wine goes into the mouth, and then right back out again. Seems a shame, doesn’t it? But there is no other way to taste 100 or more wines per day (and survive).

Over the next week or so, I’ll bring you up-to-date on some of the most interesting ideas—and interesting wines!—encountered at the conference. Meanwhile, thanks always for your interest in Vine & Grape.

Wine 411

In our constantly connected world, there aren't very many new ideas—when we can already text each other instantly, Google almost anything we want on the Web, and phone friends overseas for pennies.

But the Spanish firm, Bodega Señorio de Barahonda, offers something that's just plain fun. On the back of the bottle of Nabuko shown at left, they include a phone number: 888 653-8466 (or, 888 OLE-VINO). Dial the toll free number, and then enter extension 131, the number for that particular wine. In return, you get a quick wine briefing on what's in the bottle!

Want to sound like an expert when you're serving wine to your guests? This is a great way to get a briefing.

By the way, Aldo Morales of Advintage Distributing, who showed us this OLE VINO service recently, will be speaking at The Greenville Wine Meetup on July 15th. Click the "July 15th" link, or scroll down and click on the Meetup logo in the right column to learn more.

Save These Dates!

Southern Exposure—Greenville's food, wine, and music festival—has been renamed. See this link for an update on the third annual event!

Most important, however, save these dates: Thursday, September 11, through Sunday, September 14th. This year's event promises to surpass the excitement of 2006 and 2007.

For wine lovers, also think about attending the Introductory Course offered by The Court of Master Sommeliers. This course will be held before the festival. Wayne Belding, Ron Edwards, and Laura Williamson—all Master Sommeliers—will be teaching the Intro Course. A number of local wine enthusiasts have taken the course and raved about what they learned! The Intro Course will be held Wednesday, September 10, and Thursday, September 11.

If you have questions about either event, email me!

Update on Upstate Foodie

Last week, Vine & Grape reported on Upstate Foodie, an exciting new publication produced by Community Journals (publisher of The Greenville Journal). Upstate Foodie deserved kudos then. Their response to my original post deserves even higher praise.

In my first post, along with praise for their print publication, I quibbled about a couple of features of their web site. To Upstate Foodie's credit, their response was almost immediate. That response is praiseworthy because it shows that customers matter.

There is a very important sense in which the customer is always right. Any of us who love good food and wine expect that to be the rule when eating out. "Your steak is not properly cooked? Let me correct that, and while you wait, can I bring you a complimentary appetizer?" Or "The wine is not acceptable? No problem. Let's find something better suited to your taste."

Harvard professor, Shoshanna Zuboff, coined a term for that sinking feeling we get in situations like that. She calls it the transaction crisis, the fear that we will "be snagged on the barbed-wire fence that surrounds nearly every commercial exchange." The hotel lost your reservation; will they find you a room? The airline canceled your flight; will they rebook you quickly? The website didn't quite do what you expected; does anyone care?

Congrats, Upstate Foodie and Community Journals for cutting through the barbed wire! Love the publication and can't wait to see the ongoing improvements to your site.

Robert Mondavi Dies

Today is a sad day for all of us who respect the pioneers of California's fine wine industry. Robert Mondavi, founder of the winery that bears his name, died at age 94.

All of us who appreciate America's transition from the jug wines of the 40s and 50s, to the world-renowned wines of California today, owe Bob Mondavi a debt of gratitude.

Robert Mondavi titled his autobiography Harvests of Joy. We can pray that he is reaping such a harvest today.

For more reading, see Harvests of Joy, by Robert Mondavi, with Paul Chutkow. Photo shown here is by photographer Jose Luis Villegas, of The Sacramento Bee, as it appeared in Mike Dunne's wonderfully readable blog, when Bob Mondavi was inducted into The Vintners Hall of Fame at the Culinary Institute of America, Napa Valley, CA.

Good Reading

A member of The Greenville Wine Meetup sent me this New York Times link recently. I thought it was sufficiently interesting to point out to Vine and Grape readers. Wine critic Erik Asimov reviews two recent research studies that seek to answer the question, "Are wine consumers easily manipulated by price, pretense, and marketing hype?" Read the article and see what you think.

Only days before, Robin Garr's 30 Second Wine Advisor included this link to a fascinating report titled, "A Glimpse into the Wine World of 2058," prepared by London wine merchants, Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR). This report's conclusions are even more alarming than the studies Asimov summarizes. By the way, every wine enthusiast should subscribe to Garr's 30 Second Wine Advisor, if you don't already.

After reading BBR's predictions about volume wines, wine as big-brand booze, and world wine wars, I was so discouraged I needed a glass of, umm, wine! On the other hand, most of the negative scenarios suggested by Asimov and BBR can be forestalled by wine education. And wine education needn't be dry or difficult. Come join us at The Greenville Wine Meetup and find out how much fun learning about wine can be!

Upstate Foodie

Community Journals, publisher of The Greenville Journal, released a wonderfully useful publication this weekend: Upstate Foodie.

Regular recipients of The Greenville Journal received this new publication tucked inside their weekly Journal. Presumably, additional copies of the guide are available at pick-up locations around town where The Greenville Journal is normally available.

The Foodie guide is nicely sized for its purpose (I'll keep one in my car's glove compartment). The "Soup to Nuts" charts at the back of the guide is a great quick reference. And because wine and food go together, the guide also includes two pages on tasting techniques—one by Northampton's Richard deBondt, and a second page taken from Wine.com.

The publication has a website: http://www.upstatefoodie.com/. The above photos by T.J. Getz are only two of dozens from the rich visual parade that marches past when you connect to the site. The site is searchable and offers the opportunity to rate/review restaurants.

A couple of user interface annoyances mar an otherwise fine start: the site doesn't resize to fit your browser's width. If you don't routinely work with your browser maximized (occupying all of your screen real estate), the search box may be hidden. Worse still, "Become a Foodie" and the login link at far right completely disappear. Thankfully, once you've reached a restaurant page, although the same problem exists onscreen, the content will print properly on 8.5" x 11" paper, portrait orientation.

The search feature is the other oddity. When you type a restaurant name and hit return, a dialog box appears—requiring you to choose from Restaurants, Cuisines, or Locations. For a cuisine search (e.g., Asian), which might return multiple restaurants, the dialog box makes sense. But when seeking details for a specific restaurant, this step is confusing the first time and an annoyance afterward. Finally, be aware the search feature is rigidly literal—no helpful fuzzy search like Google, to suggest options if you don't spell something perfectly. Misspell Soby's without the apostrophe and you'll get a message, "No results found." Misspell Azia as Asia, and you'll get a list of Asian restaurants, but not the restaurant you were looking for.

April - May Wine Events

Hello everyone!

A lot of wine activity is going on at Table 301 restaurants during late April and May. So, here's a quick rundown of the events:

• Wednesday, April 30: Villa Maria Wine Tasting, Restaurant O Patio. Come and enjoy being outdoors, weather permitting! Most of all, try some wonderful New Zealand wines. Stu Devine from Villa Maria will be presenting the wines. Light hors d'oeuvres will be served, too. Call Restaurant O at 864 331-0007 for reservations.
• Tuesday, May 6: Rombauer Wine Dinner, Devereaux's Restaurant. Getting the inside scoop on wineries is great fun! Alan Cannon (National Sales Director for Rombauer and Founder of Professional Friends of Wine) will talk about about Rombauer's wines, as well as the winery and folks who make Rombauer so special. Call Devereaux's at 864 241-3030 for reservations.
• Friday, May 30: JRE Wine Dinner, Soby's Restaurant. John Eppler, the winemaker at JRE in California, will be presenting an assortment of Zinfandels from his private collection, accompanied by special dishes prepared by Soby's Chef Shaun Garcia. Danny Baker will be on hand to host all guests! $60 plus tax and tip, for dinner and wines. Call Soby's at 864 232-7007 for reservations.

Hope to see you at one or more of these events! As always, if you have questions, email me and I'll be happy to help.

Clive Coates in Greenville!

Pardon the exclamation point in the title of this post, but a rare opportunity is coming up soon in Greenville.

Clive Coates, MW (Master of Wine) and Burgundy expert, is hosting a wine dinner at Restaurant O on Saturday, April 5, 2008. Mr. Coates, who resides in France, is author of more than half a dozen books, which are considered definitive works on Burgundy, Bordeaux, and the Domains of France. His newest book on Burgundy will have just been released prior to the dinner and copies will be available for purchase.

Chef Jesse Thompson has created a stunning menu. Wines have been paired with care, including at 2005 Alex Gambel Echezeaux. This vintage is widely thought to be among the finest in recent memory.

Please don't miss this opportunity, if you are interested. Make your reservations now by calling Restaurant O at 864 331-0007, or (during the day) Table 301's central reservations line 864 232-7007.

The dinner and wines are offered at $175 per guest. When compared with $1,499 for Mr. Coates March 2008 Burgundy Workshop in NYC, Restaurant O is not only offering a fabulous menu, but an incredible value, as well. Book now, to ensure availability. Several wine groups have already made their reservations, but seats remain as of the date of this post.

Swanson Wine Dinner

Mark your calendar and make your reservations now! Winemaker Chris Phelps of Swanson Vineyards, Napa, will be at Restaurant O on Tuesday, February 26th.

This is a very special opportunity for Upstate SC wine enthusiasts. Chris studied enology and French at UC Davis and after graduation in 1981 entered the Institute of Enology at the University of Bordeaux. In addition to an intensive wine-tasting program, his requirements included practical experience: He served as winemaker at Château des Laurets in Puisseguin-St. Emilion during the blockbuster 1982 harvest.

He was then invited by Christian Moueix of Château Pétrus to join a new Napa Valley winery, Dominus Estate. Following six months of intensive training at Pétrus, Chris served as winemaker at Dominus from 1984 through 1995. Caymus Vineyards recruited Chris in 1996 for several winemaking projects; he served as red winemaker for Caymus from 1999 to 2003 and was responsible for production of both the Caymus Napa Valley and Special Selection cabernet sauvignon bottlings.

Call Restaurant O for reservations: 864 331-0007. This is an opportunity not to be missed!

Drink Local

Winter is a wonderful time to visit wineries. Tourist traffic is lighter. In the East, it's too cold to be in the vineyards. In the West, it's too rainy. The staff has more time to talk, so a lot can be learned while wandering around inside and tasting their wines!

You see a picture of fermentation tanks, at left. These tanks are at Shelton Winery, in Dobson, NC. Shelton is only a three-hour drive from Greenville. Shelton's tours make the visit well worth your time. Even closer to home is Victoria Valley Vineyards, near Table Rock, about forty-five minutes from Greenville. Ask for a tour of their barrel wine and "drink in" the wonderful aromas of wine aging in oak! Then go back on a warm Spring afternoon and sit on the terrace, drinking in the views. It's the next best thing to being in Tuscany.

In the 21st century, it's easy to buy wine from California, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. But for centuries, wine was made locally and consumed locally. The notion of a wine business was unimaginable. Wine was something your family, or your neighbor's family, made so that everyone could enjoy it with meals.

So, go visit these "neighbors" this winter. Wander around with a glass of wine in your hand. Ask lots of questions. Drink local . . . and enjoy!

Upcoming Events

Happy New Year!

A lot is going on at Table 301 restaurants during January and February. We'll get back to "wine talk" soon, but I didn't want to miss updating those who have subscribed to our feeds about events over the next 60 days.

• Tonight, January 18th: Civil Twilight CD Preview Show at Restaurant O. This trio of South African Alternative Rockers will play a show at Restaurant O to preview the album that they have spent the last year recording at Edwin McCain’s studio in Greenville. The show starts at 10 PM so show up early to get a seat and enjoy a great evening of music and drink specials! Visit http://www.restauranto.com/ for more details or call 331-0007.
• Thursday, January 31st: Soby's Cookbook Dinner at Terra in Columbia, SC. Chef Rodney will be guest chef at Terra, working alongside Chef Mike Davis to create a multi-course menu featuring several dishes from the Soby’s Cookbook. If you’re in Columbia, headed there or have friends there – let them know about this great gourmet evening. See http://www.terrasc.com/ for more information or call 232-7007 locally.
• Friday, February 8th: Foie Gras Dinner at Restaurant O. A multi-course menu featuring a variety of foie gras preparations and paired wines. To see the complete menu, please visit http://www.restauranto.com/ and check out the “Coming Attractions” section. Or, call 331-0007. Seating is limited.
• Tuesday, February 12th: Hall Wine Dinner at Devereaux's. Multi-course menu featuring the wines of Hall Winery in Napa Valley. Stay tuned for more details or phone 241-3030 in Greenville.
• Thursday, February 14th: Valentine's Day! It’s not too early to make your plans. All of the restaurants will be doing some special features for the holiday celebration, so check all of the restaurants on the Table 301 website (http://www.table301.com/) for details.

Hope to see you at one or more of these events soon! As always, if you have questions, email me and I'll be happy to help.

Lucky Thirteen

Most of us aren't superstitious about the number thirteen. But even if you are, chances are you'd have overcome any fears to join Danny Baker tasting thirteen years of Napa Valley history—history that was "read" through the lens of Heitz's Napa "Trailside Vineyard." And if you had reservations about thirteen wines on the table, you could simply add your welcome wine (the classically-styled Heitz Chardonnay) to thirteen Cabs and count the total as fourteen.

Danny opened the evening with a conference call with David Heitz, winemaker since 1974 and son of the famed founder Joe Heitz. Southern Wine & Spirits representative, Bill Berry, interviewed David about the thirteen vintages, learning that the 1989 and much of the 1990 fruit was from pre-phylloxera vines—before the vineyards were ripped out and replanted. (Southern is Heitz's local distributor to restaurants and retail stores. Table 301 and Vine & Grape express thanks to David Heitz and to Bill for helping make this a very special evening.)

Then the real fun began: tasting! It's impossible to report on thirteen years of seriously made Cab in a post of any reasonable length, but here are highlights from the vintages about which the tasters were mostly in agreement:

• 1989: Starting to show maturity, but opened up remarkably in the glass over two hours, showing more structure and complexity after two hours than upon opening.
• 1990: Gorgeous fruit in the nose. Some rated this #1 of the tasting after the first pass through the flight; a few continued to feel it was best after two hours.
• 1991: Huge, upon opening. It fell behind other vintages after being in the glass for some time, but some tasters believed this will continue to improve with age.
• 1993: Remarkable elegance and balance. Some maturity showing, but even after two hours this wine was a standout in the glass.
• 1995: Best of the night! This wine was almost universally acclaimed as the star of the evening and Heitz's own tasting notes call it "one of the best to date from Trailside."
• 1996: Ready now. With lots of silky mouthfeel and lusicious fruit, this vintage appears to be at its optimum drinkability.
• 1997: A strong contender for best of the night. Many tasters simply sighed, "Gorgeous," and kept this glass aside to compare to all the rest.
• 1999: With the 1995 and 1997, all were stellar wines. Hold the 1999. The tannins, while not overwhelming, give this Cab at least a decade more to improve.
• 2001: The "sleeper" over the evening—and this vintage is still available! Some ranked the 2001 in their top three overall. Rich chocolate overtones distinguished it from other vintages. Don't hesitate to drink now, but patient cellaring should be rewarded.

Tasting Napa's History

If you missed the Heitz Vertical Tasting on June 11, you missed the opportunity to taste an incredible slice of Napa history from 1989 to 2001. Vine & Grape knew this event would be a remarkable tasting. See this April 6, 2007, Vine & Grape post announcing the Heitz tasting.

Certified Sommelier Danny Baker opened The Loft at Soby's to ten very privileged guests—all of whom were immediately attracted to thirteen glasses at each place setting, along with a full-color package describing the Heitz family's 45 year history in Napa. Heitz lapel pins and corkscrews were among the additional gifts guests received.

As guests gathered, they chose from among Chef Rodney Friedank's carefully chosen starters (including three artisan cheeses perfectly matched to the crisp, very lightly-oaked Heitz Chardonnay). And most in attendance could hardly wait to try the venison tenderloin—the flavor and tenderness of which proved to be a showstopper.

But the main attraction at an event like this is inevitably the wine... and what wines these were: every vintage of Heitz "Trailside Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon from 1989-2001! See the post "Lucky Thirteen," if interested in tasting notes. And if you just can't bear to read about what you missed, see this post for upcoming events you won't want to miss!

Southern Exposure 2007

In the spirit of keeping you up-to-date on important wine events, put September 14-16 on your calendar now!

This three-day experience in Greenville, SC, will showcase wine, food, and music through programmed tasting events, wine dinners, musical performances, and celebrity chef-hosted culinary demonstrations.

Proceeds from this event will support the 501 (C)3—Local Boys Do Good—started by restaurateur Carl Sobocinski and platinum selling musician Edwin McCain to benefit Upstate non-profit organizations.

On Saturday, the Grand Tasting will return once again. Those of you who were there last year remember the incredible assortment of wines available. Master Sommelier Wayne Belding will be teaching on the Wine Stage, as well as offering the Introductory Sommelier Course and Exam (more on that in a separate post).

If you attended Southern Exposure last year, you know what a hit it was. If you didn't, don't worry. This year's second annual Southern Exposure promises to be at least twice as good!

Dates You Won't Want to Miss

Between now and September, a lot will be going on for wine lovers around Greenville. We'll keep you posted here at Vine & Grape. Here are just a few dates you'll want to put on your calendar—or call us for a reservation (864 232-7007).

June Wine Events:

• Monday, June 25: JRE Wine Dinner at The Loft at Soby's (formerly the Soby's Corporate Apartment). Join us for a multi-course dinner featuring the wines of JRE and hosted by owner and winemaker, John Eppler. The event begins at 7:00 pm and the cost is $75, plus tax and tip, per person. Chef Rodney Friedank is working on creating a fantastic menu to pair with the wines
• Thursday, June 28: 100-Point Wine Dinner at The Loft at Soby's. We have wanted to do this dinner for a long time. Finally, the wines are assembled and Chef Steven Devereaux Greene will be preparing an innovative menu to match the wines. We'll welcome you with 98-point bubbly (not officially part of the dinner), 1995 Krug Champagne. That will be followed by six wines, all rated 100 points by Wine Spectator or Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. Given the rarity of these wines, seats are extremely limited and are offered at $496 per person, gratuity and tax included. See the Soby's website for a complete listing of wines to be served. Click on the link in the black box that says, "Soby's Wine Events."

What's New at the Restaurants

For Vine & Grape readers who also are guests of Soby's, Restaurant O, and Devereaux's, watch your favorite restaurant's wine lists for new arrivals!

Sommeliers Danny Baker, Justin Tilley, and John Mitchell recently had the opportunity to attend a showing of Eric Solomon wines in Chicago, IL. Mr. Solomon, who is based in Charlotte, NC, is among America's foremost importers. He also has the distinction of being married to Daphne Glorian-Solomon, the winemaker at Clos Erasmus, in the Priorat region of Spain. Her wines are among the most difficult to obtain (and the most expensive), but worth the effort.

Be sure to ask Danny, Justin, and John what they liked—and what they added to their lists from this trip!

More from Italy

These photos show a wine-lover's view of Italy—and you probably wouldn't be reading Vine & Grape, if that doesn't describe you!

John and Danny came back with these photos (and a couple of hundred others). The photo of the mature vine at the top provides a glimpse of terroir and trellising. The photo in the center is an even older olive tree. Olive trees can live several hundred years. The trees in this photo are not that old, based on their trunk sizes. But several trees in Jerusalem are thought to date back to the time of Christ. Others in Crete and Croatia have been determined through ring analysis to be 1,600 to 2,000 years old.

Finally, the gorgeous vineyards are from the Barolo DOCG in northwest Italy. As you can see from the photo, the views—as well as the wines—are fabulous. Too many Americans travel to Tuscany and think they've seen the heart of Italian wine country. While Tuscany's Sangiovese-based wines are well worth our attention, don't forget the noble Nebbiolo that serves as the basis for many red wines from the Piedmont region!

Wine is Fun

Who says touring the world and tasting wines can't be fun? If further proof is necessary, we offer this photo of Danny Baker, Soby's long-time sommelier, taking a break with a friendly kangaroo during a tasting trip to Australia.

This long-sought photo was recently forwarded by a friend (well, at least it has been long-sought by those of us who had heard they story of Danny relaxing with a kangaroo!). Couldn't resist sharing it with readers of Vine & Grape.

Advance Notice

Here's just one benefit of reading Vine & Grape regularly: advance notice on upcoming wine events!

On June 11, Danny is planning a twelve-year vertical tasting of Heitz "Trailside Vineyard" Cabernets, 1989-2000! Seating for this is very limited, as a result of the scarcity of these wines. If you're a Heitz fan, you won't want to miss this. The 1989 was the first Cabernet Sauvignon Heitz made from the Trailside Vineyard, so you'll be tasting the history of the Heitz family's wines from this special site. Talk with Danny while you are at Soby's, to determine whether seats are still available.

Congratulations Aimee and Justin!

Congratulations to Aimee Maher (Soby's) and Justin Tilley (Devereaux's), who recently qualified as Certified Sommeliers!

To achieve Certification, a candidate must first pass the Introductory Level examination administered by The Court of Master Sommeliers. That exam covers all major wine regions of the world, as well as providing extensive tasting experience.

However, to go beyond the Introductory exam and qualify as a Certified Sommelier, Aimee and Justin had to demonstrate their wine knowledge and service skills to the satisfaction of a three-person Examiner's Panel. To achieve Certified status, the candidate must pass another written exam—as well as a blind-tasting test to identify grape varietal, place of origin, and vintage of the wines presented. Finally, candidates are also required to actually serve a Master Sommelier seated at a table, who is carefully watching their service proficiency, while asking questions about food-and-wine pairing, wine recommendations, and more.

Aimee and Justin join Danny Baker (Soby's), John Mitchell (Restaurant O), and Richard Peck (Wine Educator, Court Square Restaurant Group) in having achieved the Certified Sommelier designation. Congratulations, Aimee and Justin!

Danny and John Return

Certified Sommeliers Danny Baker (Soby's and The Apartment) and John Mitchell (Restaurant O) have just returned from Italy. If the photos look like they had fun, they did! On the other hand, you might not want to ask about their rental car experience.

Here you see Danny exiting from one of the many osterias, enotecas, and wineries they visited. John is enjoying a glass of vino in yet another spot. More on their trip in upcoming posts. Welcome home, Danny and John!

Paso Picks

If you're a fan of Rhone blends, then Paso is your place. The absolute hit of the trip was SummerWood's GSM 2004 (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre blend). If you can find it, you won't be disappointed if you like rich, velvet-textured wines. Fabulous balance, despite deep extraction and 15%+ alcohol.

SummerWood's website isn't up-to-date, so the label you are seeing is not for the 2004 GSM. But here's a link so that you will have basic info on the winery.

I'm not generally a fan of the new overly ripe, high-alcohol wines. Attaining good balance is extraordinarily difficult. Manipulation is often necessary (e.g., acidification to get the wine back into balance). But the SummerWood 2004 GSM showed absolutely no flaws. Nothing stuck out; there was no alcohol on the nose, and nothing on the palate that would have indicated the wine was 15%+.

Other producers worth watching: Adelaida Cellars, Denner, Stolpman, and Saxum. And when in Paso, or at your favorite wine store, don't pass up the wines of Robert Haas and the Perrin Family (Chateau de Beaucastel). Their story is too long to tell here, but this link will take you to their site.

Paso Report

OK, friends, we promised a report on the recent travels. Court Square Restaurant Group's team of Certified Sommeliers have been on the prowl in early 2007, for some new wines and great new finds.

The gorgeous photo is some of the newest vineyard land in the Paso Robles area, belonging to a friend of mine. This vineyard sits west of Highway 101 in the hills, as you can see. Look at the stony soil, visible particularly around the posts for the trellis system. These vines are just reaching early maturity and I'm looking forward to trying some of the Cab produced here.

You may have read recently that a group of vintners submitted a proposal to divide the Paso Robles AVA into eleven new American Viticultural Areas. That's a good thing for all of us who love the area. The current Paso AVA is so large as to be almost meaningless. The climate and topography is different east and west of Highway 101, but also from north to south. See the comments in this excellent article in WineBusiness.com, if interested. The Westside (where this photo was made) has terroir suited to produce outstanding wines. But don't make the mistake of automatically ruling out flatter Eastside properties, where a lot of serious winemakers are doing a good job with appropriate varietals and vinification.

On the Road

Yes, it's tough duty, but someone has to do it!

Several times each year, your Vine & Grape bloggers hit the road to sample the latest vintages at their source. Certified Sommeliers Danny Baker and John Mitchell will be leaving for Italy later this month. Meanwhile, yours truly is in California for a whirlwind tour of Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, the Central Coast, Napa, and Sonoma.

More to come, from the road. But if you're asking, "Where's the cellar in the photo?" that's a well kept secret. During a fabulous weekend on the way to California, friends in Phoenix generously opened the doors to their cellar and invited us to try whatever we liked. With more than 5,000 wines in their total collection, that was quite an invitation! Thank you, Keith & Mary.

Stay tuned. More to come, while "on the road."

Don't Miss These Events!

If it looks like these folks are having fun, they are! So, don't miss your chance to do the same. January begins a whole new year of wine events at Soby's and Restaurant O. More soon on the rest of the year, but mark these dates now:

• Thursday, January 25: Chateau St. Jean Wine Dinner, with Chateau St. Jean's Wine Educator, Tammy White.
• Saturday, January 27: Red Cross Wine Auction, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. This is a great event, one we support enthusiastically. Meet us there for a wonderful evening.
• Sunday, January 28: "Women Rule!" Wine Dinner, presented by Master Sommelier Laura Williamson. Wines from the world's top women winemakers.

We could go on and on with details, but we'll keep this short! Call (864) 331-0007 or email richard@restauranto.com, for more details and reservations.

A Quick Technology Note

Do you wish you could get Vine & Grape posts by email? Then this post is for you!

But a word of warning: if you hate technology and don't mind saving Vine & Grape as a Web "Favorite," just skip this post and go to the next one. We needed to include this post to make things easier for wine enthusiasts who are also techno-geeks (hey, I'm one, too!).

Now . . . if you're still reading this post and you know a little about blogging, then you probably already know a "news reader" will bring you the posts from any blog—as soon as the post is made. You don't have to go to the blog. You don't have to wait. If you don't have a news reader, why not install one now to receive Vine & Grape news-feeds?

One of the best news readers is NewsGator, just because it integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook. If you use Outlook for your email, go here. Click on "Create Account" below the word "Free," and follow the steps.

If you don't use Outlook, you may want to install a generic news reader to collect posts from the blogs you read. Go here for a selection of news readers that don't require Outlook.

And whether you read Vine & Grape using a news reader or by visiting us daily, don't worry! A news reader is optional. You don't have to have one. See you at the next post.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to Vine & Grape.
C'mon in! After Southern Exposure, we took a break at Vine & Grape to get set for 2007. But we're back and eager to tell you about January's events.

This photo of the Chateau St. Jean gardens is just a hint about upcoming opportunities for wine enthusiasts. But stay tuned! There's much more to come.

And we want to hear from you! Remember, you can add a comment to any post on Vine & Grape. All posts are emailed to us, as well as appearing online. We'll answer all questions right away. Meanwhile, other members of the Vine & Group community can add comments of their own.

Best of all, to "join" the Vine & Grape community, you don't have to do a thing. Just visit often, read the blog, and post whatever comments you have for Carl, Danny, me—or for the entire Vine & Grape readership! So, welcome back. It's going to be a great New Year!

So You Want to Be a Winemaker?

Thursday, September 28—yes, this Thursday—Restaurant O is offering a unique opportunity.

Mark Fine from St. Supéry winery in Napa Valley will be in the Wine Cellar at Restaurant O to help 20 guests make their own world-class Cabernet blend (will yours compare to St. Supery's red meritage, Élu?). We'll also enjoy a generous selection of Chef Rodney Friedank's favorite hors d'oeuvres—no one will go away hungry. But all the wine blending equipment doesn't leave room on the table for a conventional dinner setting.

"OK," you're asking, "Why didn't you guys tell us about this sooner? Well, we did, if you've checked the Restaurant O web site. But we know not everyone has time to check all of their favorite web sites once a week. So, real soon we're gonna talk about how to subscribe to Vine and Grape.

Meanwhile, call to make your reservation for Thursday night's "dinner." If you've never blended wine, don't miss this chance to see what it's really like to be a winemaker. Call or email, if you have questions? Love to see you Thursday night. You try my blend and I'll try yours?

Thank You, Greenville!

Thank you, Greenville, for your wonderful support of the First Annual Southern Exposure!

Right now, as I write this on Sunday afternoon, the Jazz Brunch is about to close. We'll do a longer report later in the week, when more photos are available. But everyone who participated in Southern Exposure agrees this event offered three special days of food, wine, and music.

Since Vine and Grape focuses on the "wine" part of "food, wine, and music," we want to send a special thanks to our wine partners, Master Sommeliers Robert Bath and Laura Williamson, and most of all, to everyone who attended a seminar, a wine dinner, or Saturday's Grand Tasting.

More soon . . . but if you took part in any of the events this weekend, be proud of yourself—and pleased!—that you were part of the very first Southern Exposure. And thanks! We look forward to seeing you again next year for the South's premier food, wine, and music event.

Just Do It—Southern Exposure

Nike's "Just Do It!" is an advertising slogan familiar to most of us.

But if you haven't secured your tickets for Southern Exposure in Greenville, Friday September 22 through Sunday September 24, then you need to "just do it" today. Call the Peace Center ticket office: 864-467-3000 or 1-800-888-7768.

Events begin 7:00 p.m. Friday night at Wyche Pavilion (behind the Peace Center) with Taste of the South. Great food and live music! And if you're coming from out of town, Greenville's weather has turned wonderfully Autumn-like—as if on cue, just for this event. Don't miss this relaxing Friday night along the Reedy River.

Saturday's events are too numerous to list. Festivities start at 10 a.m. in Falls Park and continue throughout the day on three different presentation stages: Food, Wine, and Music. Events on each stage begin at 10:00, 11:30, 1:00, and 2:30. Then at 3:30, cross the street to the Wyche Pavilion again and tast more than 130 wines provided by Southern Exposure's wine partners! Danny Baker and I will see you there, and will be happy to answer wine questions or put you in touch with the wine experts on site for this event.

Sunday caps the weekend's opportunities, with an outdoor jazz brunch from 10:00 until 2:00. Again, like all events, call the Peace Center for tickets.

Hey . . . a blog can't possibly do justice to all that's happening at Southern Exposure. If you haven't visited the website, have a look (click here). Have a look. Get your tickets.

Just do it—but do it now. Call 864-467-3000 or 1-800-888-7768. See you along the River this weekend.

Wine Lovers

Wine lovers . . . you and I have a fantastic opportunity coming, so mark your calendars.

Monday September 25, and Tuesday September 26, Master Sommeliers (MS) Bob Bath and Laura Williamson will be in Greenville to teach the introductory level MS course. As mentioned in this post, this class has never been offered in Greenville and only occasionally is conducted in Charleston. You'd normally have to go to New York, Washington DC, or San Francisco, etc.

That's why I wanted to be sure to highlight this opportunity. If you have any serious interest in wine, you cannot afford to miss this seminar. No, you do not have to be part of the wine or hospitality industry (nor do you need to have plans to become a sommelier!).

But if you complete this two-day course, you'll find your confidence in tasting and discussing wine will reach an all-time high. And which of us hasn't wanted to be more comfortable discussing what we're tasting? Wanted the right vocabulary to describe the bouquet we're smelling? Wanted to be comfortable choosing wines we aren't entirely familiar with?

Click this email link and I'll gladly answer questions or provide more details. But mark your calendars now!

Where in the World is Danny Baker?

Where is Danny Baker? Well, if he's not quite home yet, he's at least on the way home from almost three weeks in Australia!

Danny had the opportunity to tour Australian Wine Country, ranging from the historic Barossa Valley to the hottest new wine regions in Victoria and New South Wales.

So if you've missed Danny (and we all have!), just wait until he gets back with his great stories and fabulous wine ideas from Down Under.

Welcome home, Danny! And we can't wait to hear what wine ideas you've brought us.

Why Don't We Drink More Whites?

The lovely white wine in this photo was sitting beside our pool in Tuscany, waiting for lunch to arrive (more on Italian whites in another post).

Ignore the Pinot/Burgundy bowls. We didn't purchase every glass shape for the villa where we stayed. But in the warm dry weather, we also quickly moved toward 8-ounce thrist quenching servings of our whites. That meant the 20-ounce Pinot bowls were just fine for spill-free swirling!

But that leads to today's question: why don't we drink more whites, especially during summer in the South? Low-alcohol Italian whites are an especially refreshing way to make any meal special.

Click the "comments" link below and voice your opinion on summer whites, and why we don't drink more of them? And see you again soon with some suggested Italian whites, for those eager to try!

Greenville's Southern Exposure

A gorgeous park, a stunning footbridge across the Reedy River Falls, fabulous food, fantastic wines--and all in your hometown!

If you haven't already secured your tickets for Southern Exposure, click the underlined link and then head for the Peace Center ticket office.

And a special bonus for wine lovers (not on the Southern Exposure site) is that Bob Bath and Laura Williamson—both Master Sommeliers—will be offering the Introductory Level Master Sommelier class and exam on Monday, September 25, and Tuesday, September 26, at the Westin Poinsett Hotel. This class has never been offered in the Upstate and only occasionally in Charleston. You'd often have to go to New York, Washington, or San Francisco.

Email us for more information. We don't mean to sound like every "limited time offer." But none of us will have this opportunity again in the Upstate for a while. If you want to learn tasting and wine identification skills, the major wine regions of the world, and have a great time while doing so, register now.

About Vine and Grape!

A Little More about Vine and Grape

We've designed this blog to give friends of Court Square Restaurant Group one more way to suggest favorite wines to each other (and to us!), or to argue the merits of New World versus Old World styles and offer each other helpful hints. Those hints can include pointers to great wine finds, info about local events, or just opportunities to learn more about wine.

Whatever . . . if it's about wine, there's a place for it here. So, c'mon. Get a glass, tell us what you're drinking and why, or just post a note to say "Hello!"

Welcome!

Welcome, friends!

This blog is operated by the wine lovers at Soby's, Restaurant O, and Soby's on the Side in Greenville, South Carolina. We decided it was time to make a place on the Internet for loyal friends of our restaurants—as well as wine-lovers on staff—to hang out and talk wine. After all, that's what we do during the evenings, at wine dinners, and at special events, isn't it?

So pull up a chair and your keyboard. Get a glass of wine, while you're at it. And let's talk Vine & Grape!