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!

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.

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.

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!