Full-Bodied Cinema.

Susana Balbo Malbec

Quite progressively, films about wine have adhered to public interest. That is, most people can tend to associate good cinema as being equivocal to great vintages. We’ve all been placed in front of the screen, holding the modernism of winemaking and its contemporary satires, like telescopes filled with Burgundy…am I being too poetic here ? Ok, that would be a fair estimate, but honestly, how many of you tend to leave the theatre with “wine lip” over the contours of your eyelids?  Now I’m being too surreal…Forget that, but above all, remember that moviemaking in this sort of culture, is not as popular per se, as the interest of a romantically charged, action-comedy. Genial, but somewhat dumb in portrayal, moviemaking in this respect have nearly as much farcical and insipid brands of honesty that you would see in “family-oriented” commercials about household chemicals. Forgive me again, for appearing a bit discontented, but somewhere beneath this writing hobby of mine, exists an stodgy movie critic with a visceral hatred of wasted talent. Really, you should have been witnessed to the reaming I gave such celluloid gems as: “Rock N’ Roll Frankenstein” and the second installment in the “BEEF” series, that were by all definition, honorary failures.

Write this off as you will, all I can say is that my top-rated “Wine Film” in actuality, has nothing to do with the stuff. Ever see “To Catch a Thief ?” You know, the picture where a lustrous Gary Grant portrays a suave, yet reformed, Jewel Thief who overturned his past to become an Occupational Vintner? Well, it gets better…that

Paul Hobbs Cabernet

is, when he attempts to clear his name by uncovering the identity of an effluent robber, who if at all, may land Mr. Grant in the hoosegow again if he doesn‘t clear himself of recently alleged charges. Why do I love this film? It’s because the timely rarity in which the characters enjoy a supposed piece of winemaking craft. There are two scenes in particular that leave me flummoxed. What the hell is he drinking in that one part, where he and Grace Kelly are whimsically sipping a deep, carmine-colored entry whilst overlooking the famed Côte D’Azur? Also, when character H.H. Hughson, played by John Williams, casually remarks, vis-à-vis the estate, about the specifics of good taste. Following through, both Williams and Grant, imbibe something that resembles a Sancerre Rouge. I probably won’t know for sure what the varietals were in this lifetime, but these are the things that prod me beyond waking.

If you want stark reality, “El Camino Del Vino,” or, “The Ways of the Wine,” is a docudrama awaiting release in North America, that puts notables Like Susana Balbo and Sommelier, Charlie Arturaola into focus.

Montelena Char

Stymied by the loss of his palate, Mr. Arturaola  seeks to regain what he feels is lost; that is, by accessing other gurus such as, Michel Rolland, while seeking the help of medical professionals and convening to the embrace of his immediate family. All this takes place during the “Masters of Food and Wine” event in Argentina, where the unconventional plotline starts churning. I heard “Paul Christopher Hobbs” is starring in the film too…somehow I don’t think he’s representing the unequivocal “Crossbarn” fame that the vintner is commonly associated with, but I wonder if that's worth any bit of snickering.    

Perhaps the one thing that chides me in the morning, is the fact that people tend to treat “Sideways” and “Bottle Shock” as the game-winners in this brand of cinema. No, this is not the case, mainly because Californian juice has evolved far from what certain filmmakers have been willing to evoke on-screen. Chateau Montelena’s diligent climb to the stardom of west-coast winemaking, has been portrayed with cheeky exaggerations and strangely enough, has appeared recessively underplayed at times. I will admit though, the vineyards still churn-out fantastic Chard and Cab, but I would take the potency of character analysis out of  Bill Pulman’s hands for once. I mean, Sideways is a great movie, but hoards of Merlot dodgers and Pinot enthusiasts still continue on divergent paths. One person, from having watched the film, will undoubtedly quash Merlot, when other fans will bask in its comedic quips while casually sipping, what they feel, is a “soulful” Pinot Noir. It’s a symptom of movie-going cultures that have left us with a sickening form of sentimentality that’s too far removed from the vine.

Better films have been made…the Mock-u-mentary “Corked,” left us with a good enough satire of what goes on inside and out of America‘s vine lots. Sardonic, but open-minded to the efforts of domestic craftsmanship, the film illustrates a world dominated by everyone from potential Plonk Salesmen, obsessive Vignerons and superfluous egomaniacs. All of which, unsuccessfully scrabble for the highly anticipated, “Golden Harvest Award.” Funny, but not hokey by any means, it nearly showcases our wine cultures’ real-world empiricisms, while celebrating the modesty of vintners considered to be somewhat off-beat. On the other hand, If you have a taste for blood, try “Mondovino,” a film which profiles the idyllic evils of mass-marketing and the disassociated CEO’s that operate beyond the helm of agriculture.

Portrayal is one thing, but the best film tends to be the one that coats the interior of my wineglass...

-Brian Maniotis

 Westchester Wine Warehouse Team

Visit us online @: westchesterwine.com     

Prone To The Rhône

Cayron Gigondas

I admit, there is an abundance of potential when you examine human malaise…The overall sense of listlessness, boredom and likelihood of disenchantment, tends to evolve into something objective; with the right sense of inactivity, people may eventually find wine, or something like it, that is simply “better.” I think you might already understand, but scribble me as you will, I am a figure who expects too much from vignerons, consultants, gurus, agronomists and etcetera. I have no reasonable penchant for even the most practical tools in winemaking, but I am, if anything, someone who ungainly petitions for what I know people will enjoy. Some say, I’m nothing short of a muse with an unregistered trademark for palate-profiling. Or maybe, one of few men who wade in a basin of crushed grapes, trying to suspend the notion that true varietals usually reveal three primary, but equally profound nuances. I can’t say for sure, but only theoretically and subjectively, that this is a really crazy ideal I’ve focused on. However, what I can tell you, is that with a quick swirl of my head, I shake the misunderstandings from out of my psyche and realize, “Hey wait, I love Rhône  Valley Reds !” Sorry for the lack of focus…I’m kind of going through a tough time lately with the acronym “GSM” I just don’t know how to unlock the vocabulary words this time around.

Maybe it was the Liberty-Lauber Imports Expo earlier this week, that led me to believe in my true lust for the regional goodies stemming from southern France. I think it played a large part in realizing how far production has come, or has not, for some producers in the Rhône Valley. Generally, everything at the from Châteneuf-Du-Pape, to the ever-popular Côtes-Du-Rhône, were unimpressive, despite the Valley’s long history of producing bold, heavily extracted entries that are practically Francophone in personality. Even the well-suited, 2007, 2009 vintages seemed lacking in complexities; more or less, they appeared finessed to the point of being meek and under-wrought. Though somehow, ratings were not any where near cumulative to their potential quality; more so, because 90s-to-95s seemed inappropriate even for producers who stressed “youthfulness” and “balance” in bottles young and old. Even younger, “cellar-worthy” upstarts did not appear showy enough to become future icons. It almost had the feeling of being in a Parfumerie, where the only thing permeating the air, are torrents of angry customers lashing-out over the harnessing of “human pheromones” being masked as popular fragrance. Moreover, It is why I tend to leave “wine ratings” as ill-regarded, because of the myriad of educated decisions one can make...something that can be misleading if you ever happen to feel wrong in your guesswork.
   
What I can say, is that historically, Rhône  Valley wines are powerful, nearly athletic bits of interest that tend

Beaucastel CDP

not to be the investment hogs that hail from other regions like Bordeaux or Burgundy. Keenly affordable in comparison, they have some of the most  salient savory and sweet elements that you may find in true winemaking. Depending on the appellation, or regional specialty, the principal “Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes play prominent roles, while Cinsault, Carignan and Counoise follow in the curtails of the first three varietals. Syrah dominates the North where Côte-Rôtie is made, whereas in the Southern Rhône , Grenache is usually the largest key in the “GSM” factor when producing Châteneuf-Du-Pape, Gigondas, or Vacqueyras. Personally, I can’t decide half the time which appellation produces my favorite, but what I do aim for mostly, are Chateneufs and the famed Côte-Rôtie for their ability to invoke everything from ripe plum, fig paste, truffle, cracked pepper and sea salt, to melted chocolate, anise and mushroom. Also, to be perfectly reasonable, the sensation of agreeable gaminess is something I could not do without. When basking in the economy of things, Gigondas and Crozes-Hermitage offer relief from appellations that command higher prices. However, money never has anything to do with my enjoyment, it’s the effort of the winemakers who want to keep the traditional  Rhône style alive despite the cost. Few craftsmen actually blend white and red grapes, but Côte-Rôtie is one indigenous example of a marriage between Syrah and Viognier; so, with tendencies prevailing, here you have a classically well-balanced export within your grasp.

Admittedly, it doesn’t matter if it’s from “Guigal, Domaine Du Cayron,” or, “Château Beaucastel.” Keep the tradition alive and I’ll keep drinking. The Rhône  whites are for me, just as bold and equally encompassing to my personal tastes. Should I save them for another critique? Why not?  I’ll surprise you sometime soon, maybe around August. I know that’s a bit tricksy, but I’ve had to indignantly sort out why some vintners stress the importance of “creating” balanced, minutely extracted vintages. I thought the whole point of this business was to enjoy something brash and unapologetically carnal.

I would say, “It is, what it is,” but tiny little suggestions are just not sexy enough. 

-Brian K. Maniotis
 
Westchester Wine Warehouse Team

Visit us online @: westchesterwine.com

Dreamscapes: "Arak"

Massaya Arak

Fennel…a vegetable simultaneously affected by the disregard and reverence that common produce would not be experienced to. I love it…but  I’m no picketer, calling for a wild, almost untamed bulby vegetable to somehow, elicit its own sense of change. However, the same white and green bastion of licorice and various cooking staples, is owed more spectacle than up-tempo frittatas and Indian cuisine. The seeds, my fellow mixologists are going to, or may, put you out of work someday. The cultural splendor of cocktails may nearly be over when “straight” drinking makes a vegetal comeback. I forsee something more than scotch, bourbon, or tequila reassurging. I appear to have liquor laden dreams emphasized by little green seeds, or the starry pods that contain them…but I do not see pods or seeds. Confused ? Well, dreams don’t have to make sense. All you have to do is imagine yourself somewhere in the lone expanses of the Bekaa Valley, where not only wine, but spirits come, as if to eagerly wave anise fronds over the contours of your nose. Try the lamb and beef Kofta while you’re taking part in this. I know that I would. Especially if I could be anywhere in the world at this very minute, I think I would be sipping Arak for countless hours in Lebanon’s most famed agricultural site to-date.   

Obedi grapes make the base, but the fennel is the most attractive player in the bid to make “Arak,” a traditional century-spanning aperitif that is often compared to other spirits such as Ouzo, Raki, Sambuca and Aquavit. With a little uncertainty, most people do not realize the difference between all of them, which clouds the popularity of Lebanon’s most highly regarded spirit. Similar in some sense, it bolsters the idea of what something like an anisette can be, but retains more purity and finesse. Firstly, the white Obedi grapes are harvested like any other, then pressed and fermented. Additionally, a tertiary distilation using macerated aniseed is performed before the final ageing process, which is a bit lengthier. Traditionally, copper stills are used in the distillation, while clay “amphorae” pots are used for the remaining four-month coaxing period. What you receive, is a generous dollop of fennel, with a natural sweetness completely withdrawn from products that would appear saccharine in taste. Served chilled, it’s a common release from the hard days’ work that probably, you, or many Lebanese craftsmen endure, trying to keep annual grape vintages up to par. After consistently brushing the manifold sweat away from my forehead during the summer, I could verily enjoy a cold, crispy glass of Arak by myself, and contemplate the work I’ve done; or, I am about to partake in. The trick is, to have a plate of blanched asparagus with tahini and lemon nearby.

EFE Turkish Raki

Some think I am too obsessed with food and drink, but they’re probably right. Nothing would rightly compel anyone to believe that I am not a fan of Middle Eastern and Mediterreanean fare, even if Ouzo was forcibly introduced to me; accompanying such things as: “Feta Pie” or meaty “Sambusak.” What is revealed, are my own extracurricular motives and typical trains of thought; in that, I personally see potential freedoms in elongated shot glasses filled with Arak…but which one ? El Massaya…more than likely, the best I’ve had thus far without embarking to Beirut. Again, I speak of clear, focused purity that suggests the most  profound essence of the fennel seed. The aroma is equally prevalent when compared to the taste, which is a good sign for those patiently waiting to take the first sip. Manners are important though, because the palate may require some fine tuning in order to receive such a bold extract. College students and first-timers must be wary of any inclination to treat it like a barroom gamepiece. It’s something that requires a little conversation between you and everyone else whose enjoying it.

I would not forget at least, to save some for coffee, or espresso. It does the unilateral culinary dance that Sambuca always seems to mis-step. Think about a bowl of mussels, or seared lamb being deglazed and prepped for further cooking. I have to get on a similar ballot, now that all this brouhaha over Arak is enabling me to miss the entirety of personal gastronomy. It’s nearly the middle of the afternoon, and I have nothing but stale Cattarato and leftover hummus in my fridge.

Consequently, I have work to do…then maybe, some day-dreaming.

-Brian K. Maniotis
 
Westchester Wine Warehouse Team

Visit us online @:westchesterwine.com

Searching Within The Namesake.

Sarmenti Primitivo

It’s a Puglian dream. A brooding varietal that generously grows across the reaches of southern Italy. You could say it’s an inkfish’s conception of delectable wine, more or less, because of its color, and for everyone who would choose to write about it. Still, I’ve taken too much time in misunderstanding a grape that harbors so many questions for people who can’t define it. As my imagination will endure, I myself picture the precariously regarded fruit as being the subject of many cave drawings, or rather, described in glyphs that date back to the Pharaonic ages. Let’s say that we’ve stumbled upon an old parchment that has a spherical object emphasized on-cover. Clearly, if we’re willing to believe that this spheroid, or its own legacy, is somewhat primitive, we could see it as being exactly that. Well, it isn’t. Not for me at least, because no matter what brand of archeological evidence, or scientific relationships can be recorded, grapes in kinship are no better examples to their family, than what they can rightly prove in a drinking glass. Sorry if I led you to believe that Primitivo did in fact, date back to Egyptian times, or represented the central focus of Cromagnon winemaking. Who am I to say if the annals of history could lay claim to this? Ah, but so much of history is unforgiving...so let’s talk about wine.

You might think “Crljenak Kasteljanski” was the frontman behind an early nineties Europop trio from Croatia, but he’s not. In reality, it is the fundamental grape that has skewed our knowledge of Primitivo and respectively, Red Zinfandel. Now, you have been witness to my displeasure over the social ambiguity of “The Big Zinny,” but there’s more to this melodramatic rangle of birthrights, lineage and overall impressions of taste. There’s a lot of conversation over “Crljenak” being the ulimate parent of ‘Primi-Zinto,’ but some would say this paternal image is still a bit vague for those who bring varietals like “Plavac” and “Dobricic” into thought. DNA tests show that Plavac is the son of Crejenak and Dobricic, but is Dobricic responsible for the rift between Primitivo and Zinfandel? Scholarly advice tends to indicate that the split between ‘P’ and ‘Z’ happened sometime when Crljenak was met by other grapes traveling from Greece or Albania. Basically, the linkage is insufficient, but somehow, there’s one grape, or many, that have a huge sense of bravado within this genetic playground. There are a trove of similar Eastern European varieties; in lieu, their names garnished with too many accents and special characters to note. Besides, how could I prove any familial lineages by their sheer mention?

What I am amused by though, more relevantly, is the rich, banquted allure of a Primitivo. Typically pitchy in
color, but endowed with everything from dark chocolate to subtle gaminess, they offer something to me that is more visceral, more comforting; then say, a canoe ride down a stream of jammy, more effeminate juice. I take it upon myself to say there’s an obvious allure in something antiquated here, as you could define for yourself, if you’ve wandered somewhere inside the geographic bootheel of Italy. Notwithstanding, vineyards

Layer Cake Zin or Primitivo ?

in “Apulia” have diligently produced sensible, luscious reds that are fiscally manageable; lucky for us, since great wine is still associated with luxury in the 21st century.

Schola Sarmenti is my sought-after producer, with their “Critera” being the one I typically vouch for in an argument over similarly-priced reds. I would be so brash to mention chocolate again, but why not ? It seems to envelope my palate with that confectionary note, while being very specific in mentioning cherry, damp earth and anisette. For less than twenty Lira, I would say the bottle’s presence on any table, should be strictly peninsular.

Although it remains conspicuous in origin, Primitivo and Zin are falling into lawfull scrutiny and labling specifics that are more indoctrinating, if not obligatory. Regardless of mapping the bloodlines, or even the travel routes; terrain, traducers and consumers are the real players when it comes to the underlying “ZPC” (Zinfandel-Primitivo-Crljenak) conflict. Be it father, mother, or sibling rivals, the overarching problem represents itself within a family of grapes that are not on speaking terms...no terms which are significantly human.  

Hey kids, get in the living room, it’s time for a meeting…

-Brian K. Maniotis
 
Westchester Wine Warehouse Team

Visit us online @: westchesterwine.com