Thirty years ago at a trattoria on the isle of Capri, Bill Ward had a lusty homemade red that rocked his world. Ever since this "so that's what wine's all about" moment, he has been seeking similar experiences, always aiming to approach wine with an innocent eye. He's been writing about travel, food and wine for more than a decade and won a James Beard Award in 2004 for a series on Italian regional cuisine. His column, Liquid Assets, runs every Thursday in Taste.

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A real fine man (and winemaker)

Posted by Bill Ward

Last update: March 18, 2010 - 5:16 PM

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Fess Parker left us Thursday. And while most folks knew him as Davy Crockett and/or Daniel Boone -- and a fine facsimile of them he was -- many of us had a deeper appreciation for his later career at the winery that bore his name.

Some of the the Fess Parker vineyards abutted a little estate called Neverland, but all of them produced some dandy juice. I am a particular fan of his syrahs, especially "The Big Easy." His pinots and chardonnay are tasty, too.

So it's time to don that coonskin cap and quaff some of Parker's wine, to "Fess up," if you will. His delicious $12 blend called Froniter Red will do just fine. What a dream-come-truer was he!

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Southern heads north

Posted by Bill Ward

Last update: March 18, 2010 - 5:04 PM

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The times, they will be a-changin', and probably fairly soon. Word arrived this week that Southern Wine & Spirits, the nation's largest distributor, has made Minnesota the 30th state in its empire.

Southern just joined forces with J.J. Taylor, which to this point has been solely a beer distributor in this market. But J.J. Taylor has a license to distribute spirits and wine, and now that is certain to be happening at its 600,000-square-foot Minneapolis warehouse.

As one manager of a local wholesaler told me Thursday, Southern is "the real 800-pound gorilla [and] will be changing the dynamic of the wholesale business here." In short order, we can expect to see brands and at least portions of the portfolios from conglomerations such as Foster's, Diageo and Constellation (though not necessarily those particular ones) coming to Southern.

To a degree, that's inside baseball, with perhaps minimal effect for the consumer. But Southern's M.O. in other states, if followed here (as it almost certainly will be), would have more profound impacts. The company consistently has brought to bear major lobbying clout in getting wine sold in grocery stores and in allowing alcoholic beverages to be sold on Sundays.

I am on record as being against grocery-store wine sales for myriad reasons, not the least of which is that the current system not only allows such stores to sell wine via a separate entrance, but the overall situation works just fine for virtually all concerned. I don't feel as strongly about Sunday sales, but they would have a much more widespread effect, not least on those outlets that now sell that nasty concoction known as 3.2 beer.

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Answers, they have answers

Posted by Bill Ward

Last update: March 18, 2010 - 1:29 PM

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Over the years since I tumbled into the world ot the Interwebs, I have found at ask.com site extraordinarily useful for all manner of things. It's a reliable source for trivia or detailed info not unlike an encyclopedia.

The folks there have passed along their 10 most-asked questions about wine. Some are uber-simplistic/d-u-m-dumb, but I actually learned a thing or three from this list:

1. How many calories are in a glass of wine?
It all depends on the wine, but around 125 is usually a pretty safe guess.

2. How do I make wine?
With grapes and love. The basics - crush grapes and combine with yeast, sugar, and water. Once a day, the mixture is stirred. Over a month or so, the fruit ferments and creates wine.

3. What is Port?

Port wine is a sweet red wine that originated in the Douro Valley of Portugal. It is most often used as a desert wine and is available in several different varieties.

4. How many bottles of wine are in a case?

A standard case of wine contains 12 bottles.

5. What is Marsala wine?

Marsala wine is wine that comes from Marsala, Italy, and made with white skin or dark red skin berry grapes. Marsala is located in the western section of Sicily.

6. What wine goes best with chicken?

A chardonnay or pinot blanc are traditional, but we’re of the belief that you should drink what you like!

7. Who is the god of wine?

Despite popular belief, it’s not Lindsay Lohan. Dionysus holds that honor!

8. How long does wine last once opened?

Well, it depends on who’s drinking it! Just kidding – a wine’s open shelf life depends heavily on the type of wine and container stored in, but three days is generally considered the rule of thumb.

9. How do I remove red wine spills from carpet?

Prayer. Or…blot, club soda, blot, baking soda, blot, distilled water…blot.

10. What is the best way to open a bottle of wine?

Patiently.

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Linked in

Posted by Bill Ward

Last update: March 16, 2010 - 8:04 AM

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I scour the Interwebs so you won't have to. Here are some links of recent note:

I'm a big fan of lower yields in the vineyard, but I'm not entirely sure this is the best way to go about it.

Can a chart be not the least bit surprising but still interesting? It can if Jancis Robinson has glommed on to it. Here's the Well-Duh-But-Hmm... entry

As expected, the Red Bicyclette pinot noir scandal is not over yet.

As expected, the Green Movement has hit a bit of a speed bump.

And finally, there might be some serious bargains out there for Bordeaux lovers, at least at most consumers' price range.

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Om, my

Posted by Bill Ward

Last update: March 10, 2010 - 12:26 PM

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Reporters are supposed to be utterly impartial. But we would have lost our humanity if we did not occasionally "root" for certain people or enterprises, however furtively.

So I'm (not so furtively now) really hoping that Om restaurant is a big success for years to come. Besides believing that it's a good thing for the Cities to have a different kind of Indian restaurant, and admiring the food mightily, I'd like to see Raghavan Iyer and Randy Norman do well.

Iyer is among the kindest, most gracious people I have met, professionally or personally, and Norman is just a class act. Iyer's cooking is extraordinary, and Norman has long been justifiably ensconced in the top tier of local front-of-the-house guys.

So it came as no surprise recently to see that they have put infinitely more thought and work into their beverage program than most local high-end eateries that have opened recently. Before last fall's launch, Norman said, "we spent a whole lot of time developing cocktails." With delights such as the Bollywood, Monsoon and Karma, the names might sound a bit cliched but the flavors are anything but.

They also put together a well-focused beer list, to which they recently added Taj Mahal to fellow Indian mainstays Flying Horse and Kingfisher.

There aren't any Indian wines on the list -- a local distributor is working on that, Norman said -- but it beautifully pairs with the myriad flavors on the wide-ranging menu. The goal: "To me the wine has to have that diverse draping," Iyer said.

Mission accomplished. Focusing on wines with floral aromas, softer tannins and a raft of flavors, Norman crafted a list that has little connection to his steakhouse background. "Not the big cabs tha punch me in the mouth," he said with a smile.

Instead, there are a lot of blends: the Sokol Blosser Evolution at $10 a glass and the Pine Ridge Chenin/Viognier at $8 are great choices, as are the bottlings from Steltzner being featured this month. Steltzner's Claret is one of Napa's very best lesser-priced Bordeaux blends. Owner Allison Steltzner will be on hand for a six-course wine dinner on March 24; call 612-338-1510.

Om has no shortage of promotions, including cocktail list specials under $10, half price on selected wines on Wednesdays and street-food-laden Mumbai Nights one Saturday a month.

And street food might be in the offing more often soon. With the Twins playing a few dozen daytime games at nearby Target Field, Iyer and Norman are looking into opening for lunch on game days, with a focus on small plates. For yours truly, the Twins won't be the only entity in the neighborhood worth rooting for.

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Surly, he isn't

Posted by Bill Ward

Last update: March 14, 2010 - 6:41 PM

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I've been remiss about covering beer and spirits, but that's about to change. Which was part of the reason for finally catching up with Omar Ansari, whose Surly Brewing Company has developed a cult-like following regionally and even nationally.

Ansari, a 1992 Macalester graduate who could pass for a 2002 grad, was pouring four of his Brooklyn Center-brewed offerings at the Golden Valley Byerly's. His manner is as friendly and low-key as his beers are hearty and high-octane.

The Bender is as classic a ~~porter~~ brown ale [My mistake in the first rendition: BW] as you're likely to find, thick and focused and long. Perhaps because I'm not a coffee drinker, I wasn't quite as fond of the Coffee Bender. The Surly Furious nails the hops (sometimes overdone in rival IPAs) and coats the palate with thick, smooth flavors and texture.

I loves me some Belgian farmhouse ales, and, as with the Furious and Bender, Surly's Cynic is right in the zone for the genre. (Wine geeks would say it is varietally correct, so I'll say that, too.) It's seriously yeasty and seriously yummy.

Ansari said his seasonal Baltic Porter should hit the local shelves -- but not for long, if history is any indicator -- later this month.

As craft beers get better and better, anyone who likes wine should be checking them out -- especially with Surly, Summit, Lift Bridge and others brewing up a local storm.

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