From the monthly archives:

November 2009

Interview with Burgundian Negociant Jean-Marie de Champs of Domaines et Saveurs Collection

by Marisa D'Vari29 November 2009
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Jean Marie de Champs with her Rose Guy Charlemagne Champagne
On a recent visit to Burgundy for the Hospice du Beaune I was so delighted to meet one of its top negociants, Jean-Marie de Champs of Domaines et Saveurs Collection. If you love fine wine – yet have never been to Burgundy – your second surprise [...]

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Wine Review: Tasting Wines of BlackStone of Sonoma County

by Marisa D'Vari29 November 2009
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Blackstone Merlot
Sometimes I get so caught up in my studies of the Old World I discover it has been months since I’ve sipped wine from the new world, especially California. Winemaker Gary Sitton of Blackstone Winery in Sonoma sent me some of his new releases …

The Pinot Noir 2007 ($20) is rich and expressive [...]

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Newly Released Zinfandel from Mazzocco

by Marisa D'Vari29 November 2009
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Mazzocco New Zinfandel Releases
Talented winemaker Antoine Favero was kind enough to send his two newly released Zinfandels, both from Dry Creek Valley.

The 2007 Zinfandel from Smith Orchard Reserve
Near opaque purple, this wine has a nose of what I think of as a "purple perfume," along with some smoke, chocolate, mocha, super dark ripe fruit. [...]

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Review: Party Brunch at Bagatelle Restaurant in NYC

by Marisa D'Vari24 November 2009
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Bagatelle Restaurant
"I hear this place is like a nightclub during Sunday Brunch," a celebrated wine writer told me as we awaited festivities relating to a celebration of Beaujolais Nouveau, taking place just that minute at the Bagatelle restaurant in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking District. "People dancing on the tables, and all that."
"A club at lunch …" [...]

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For Guests: How to Choose a Thanksgiving Day Wine for Your Host

by Marisa D'Vari22 November 2009
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“Oh, how thoughtful!” says your host, looking at the bottle of wine you hold in your hand.
You stand there, in the doorway. Is that smile forced, you wonder? Or is it overly sincere, one of those “I so lucked out with this guest’s gift” types of grins?
Either way, you are offering what you think is [...]

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Tasting Wine from Frei Brothers

by Marisa D'Vari21 November 2009
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Ah, the New World!

I’ve just received box of wines from this winery and since my wine studies have been so Old World focused, always delighted to receive California wines. Here are some tasting notes. 
Frei Brothers Reserve Merlot 2007 Dry Creek Valley
Smooth and rich, with rounded flavors of plums ripening in the sun. Very balanced acid [...]

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Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau Media Lunch

by Marisa D'Vari19 November 2009
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Flower Children
"I’ve never seen so much flower power in my life!" said one guest at the "Peace, Love, Beaujolais Noveau" event that took place at the ultra hip Bagatelle restaurant on 13th street.

Flamboyant and outrageous, this hippie-era themed press "happening" and lunch has been going on for 27 years between Bill Deutsch, Mr. Georges Duboeuf [...]

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Discovering the Pleasures of Burgundy Wine During the Hospices de Beaune

by Marisa D'Vari18 November 2009
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                                   Streets of Beaune
 
Here we are at Hospices de Beaune in the beautiful city of Burgundy, one of the oldest and most prestigious wine auctions in the world. It was created in the Middle Ages, the city’s solution to helping the poor and ill. Today the auction is managed by Christie’s and attracts a glitzy [...]

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Tasting Fun at Hospices de Beaune Auction

by Marisa D'Vari18 November 2009
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Chocolate and Wine — A Perfect Match
Do you like chocolate? If so, you may be curious to know that it pairs very well with wine — especially wine from Burgundy. Here I am, on the kind of gray overcast day that makes the charming city of Beaune even more mysterious, about to attend a chocolate [...]

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Tasting Macari 2007 Dos Aguas from Long Island

by Marisa D'Vari18 November 2009
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Choosing That Special Bottle From a Wine Store Tasting …
2007 Dos Aguas

So who would have thought Bordeaux in Long Island? The trend for creating Bordeaux style varieties is not new — Chile may have been the first, California a market leading second, and now Long Island is getting into the act.

I first tasted Macari at [...]

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Hospices de Beaune Weekend: Part 1

by Marisa D'Vari18 November 2009

Nellie Blau Picard in center
Have you ever wondered what it is like to attend the oldest and possibly most prestigious wine auction in the history of the world? Well, I am right here at the center of action in Burgundy at the festivities leading up to the Hospices de Beaune auction.
I just finished a fantastic [...]

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Discovering Beaune

by Marisa D'Vari14 November 2009
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 “One of the challenges in the region is creating international awareness that wine from Burgundy can be enjoyed every day, not just for special occasions,” explains a representative from the region. And it’s true – though Burgundy is known for its Grand Cru wines that sell for tens of thousands of dollars a case and [...]

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Q & A about Burgundy with Peter Wasserman of Becky Wasserman Selections

by Marisa D'Vari11 November 2009
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Burgundy France
So I am off to Burgundy tomorrow to partake in the celebrations surrounding Hospice de Beaune in Burgundy, France, quite possibly the longest running wine auction in the history of the world. Funds raised are used to support the hospital (known as the Hôtel-Dieu) which received its first patient on 1st January 1452. In [...]

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Discussing Grand Cru Chablis with Laurent Drouhin

by Marisa D'Vari11 November 2009
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Laurent Drouhin
Ever wondered how to define the difference between Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir 2008 and Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2008?

Laurent Drouhin with Honora Horan (center) and Harriet Lembeck at a walk around tasting of the 2008 vintage from the Drouhin family.
At the tasting, I chatted with Mr. Drouhin and suggested [...]

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William Hill Estate Winery Chardonnay 2007

by Marisa D'Vari10 November 2009
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Chardonnay is everyone’s favorite grape … it can take on so many expessions. Increasingly, you should recognize that many old world producers, especially in Macon, are edging towards new world appellations in style while some new world producers are trying to emulate old world producers. 

So for those of us who appreciate the apple pie a la mode style of [...]

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Thanksgiving Dinner Wine Reviews and Suggestions

by Marisa D'Vari8 November 2009
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Thanksgiving Wine Reviews
Wondering what wines to pair with your Thanksgiving dinner? Of course you are. In addition to pairing wine with the turkey, you must consider the side dishes to be offered, the spices in those dishes, and how to use the wine to bring out the flavors of your cuisine.
Wines from Spain — including [...]

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Behind the Scenes at …. A Wine Shop Sales Call

by Marisa D'Vari6 November 2009
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Phill D’Ancona of Columbus Circle Wines
“I gave up selling to restaurants,” the wine representative tells me, lining up samples of wine on the cool granite counter of the upscale wine shop, Columbus Circle Wines. “Every time I’d walk in, there’s be a new wine director, even younger than the last, thinking he knew everything about [...]

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Talking Zinfandel:Tale of Two Vineyards

by Marisa D'Vari6 November 2009
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What does this steak demand?
Zinfandel is a grape with attitude! Meaning that as soon as you take a sip, it’s so powerful you are automatically thinking you need  to pair it with food. Steak … or any substantial protein such as roasted salmon or tuna, can do the trick.

I love Zinfandel for its rich, concentrated, [...]

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Feast at Felidia: Exploring the Bastianich Wine Collection

by Marisa D'Vari5 November 2009
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Wine Media Guild Members flank Lidia
Of course you know that the private dining room at Felidia is one of the best in town. And the cuisine is supurb. Yet did you know that Lidia and her son, restauranteur Joseph Bastianich also make wine?

On November 4 2009 they treated the Wine Media Guild to their collection, [...]

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Review: Food and Wine Pairing at Meadowood

by Marisa D'Vari1 November 2009

Are you a jaded diner? In today’s power-packed culinary world, many people are lucky enough to visit four and five star restaurants as a matter of course. Twenty years ago, for example, dining at a top restaurant would be because…

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