That Perfect Wine List

That Perfect Wine List
Awright, so I haven't written dick in a year, whatcha gonna do shoot me?
So here's the pitch, I'm gonna run through the creation, formulation, and presentation of a wine list, a perfect wine list no less, to a local resto that sorely needs my golden touch. Let's go, allons!
The joint in question is the xxxx xxxx xxxxx, A revolutionary bistro. I aim to give it an All-American wine list with but a section or two for foreign interlopers. I will, for brevity's sake as well as space and money constraints, initiate a concept that will limit each subsection to just ten wines. Great, so I have a plan, let's get to it.
My first move is to grab the mother of all wine lists and start deleting. I scarfed a copy from Sommelier Anthony Accardo that he had started four years ago for RAT'S, a most intriguing resto owned by Seward Johnson, {a Johnson & Johnson heir}. Anthony, Sommelier Jeff DiMaio, and I had the joy of counting nigh on 10,000 bottles every month for inventory. Maybe joy is not the right word. After considerable deletions I add my personal favorites that I have culled from innumerable tastings. These are from the winemakers who consistently turn out excellent product and usually without the highest prices. I am attracted to lower priced wines you see? Value is a very important concept in wine service. I have received twenty-dollar tips on forty-dollar bottles of wine because the guests appreciate an affordable recommendation that kicks some ass. One learns to read guests and this helps one to satisfy their needs. And that is what we are doing in the restaurant business, no? Imagine the confidence of your staff when they can know every wine on the list has been carefully selected and that the list reflects a concern for value as well as containing those tip doubling, underground rarities as well as a few expensive trophy wines.
In any event one starts with Sparkling Wine, as that is how we expect our guests to begin their repast. This will be fun. So, I limit myself to the top ten sparklers in America, piece of cake. All of these wines are world class. Each one has character. Brut means dry. Blanc de Blancs means chardonnay. Blanc de Noirs means white wine from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, black grapes, thus the noirs. In fact, it's a lightly colored wine due to the gentle pressing and quick removal of the skins before fermentation. I love this stuff. All the bubbles and fizz with the added floral complexity due to the Pinot grapes. All right, I confess, I would no doubt have a stash of the 1985 Grande Dame Rosé or some 1990 Dom Perignon for emergencies hidden away. When a guest wants to drop $200 to $500 on a bottle of wine, it’s best to say "Yes sir, of course", or "I'll get it right away."


Sparkling Wine
101 Mumm~ Brut, Cuvée Napa, NV 35
102 Domaine Carneros~ Brut 1997 40
103 Argyle~ Brut 2000 45
104 Schramsberg~ Blanc de Blancs 1998 45
105 Roederer Estate~ Brut NV 45
106 Iron Horse Estate~ Blanc de Noirs, Wedding Cuvée 1999 48
107 Hermann J. Wiemer~ Blanc de Blancs 2000 55
108 J~ Brut 1997 55
109 Schramsberg~ Blanc de Noirs 1999 67
110 Iron Horse Estate~ Brut LD 1991 85

Okay, so the next wine Americans are apt to order is a white, most often a chardonnay. Well, here are my favorites then, ten wines within a 20-60-20 pricing scheme, more or less. That's low, mid and top tier pricing. This is a useful, formulaic way to make the most of your dollars. It should also reflect the drinking pattern of one’s clientele. These are all great chards. Sure I left out your favorite, but I'd like you to try something different. Jan Shrem, winemaker at Clos Pegase crafts a sensational chard that is a value to boot. That Fritz chard is unknown even to a lot of West Coast folk but is tremendous wine at a great price. For those of you well off and flush with cash, the Talbott is so profound I get misty just recommending it.

Chardonnay
121 Simi Winery~ Sonoma 2001 35
122 Château Souverain~ Napa 2000 35
123 Clos Pegase~Mitsuko's Vineyard, Napa 1999 45
124 Fritz Winery~ Dutton Ranch, Russian River 1999 48
125 Château St. Jean~ Belle Terre 2000 55
126 Nichols~ Paragon Vineyard, Monterey 1996 70
127 Canepa~ Gauer-Adobe III 1998 70
128 Chalk Hill~ Sonoma 1999 75
129 Talbott~ Diamond T Estate, Monterey 1998 110
130 Peter Michael~ Belle Côte, Sonoma 1999 130

The next gang of ten on my list will be the Sauvignon Blanc. Probably the most versatile and useful white wine on any list, this herbal, grassy sometimes grapefruit flavored brew is my favorite apéritif as well as a go-to food wine. My first test of any bar or resto is the house sauvignon blanc, thus my proclivity to Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, the sauvignon blanc wines of France. Remember, in France one drinks the region or village, the grape variety is implied. Without too much thought I rip off my faves for you.

Sauvignon Blanc
151 Morgan~ California 2001 30
152 Waterbrook~ Columbia Valley, WA 2001 35
153 Franus~ Napa 1999 35
154 Sebastiani~ Santa Barbara 2001 40
155 Babcock~ Eleven Oaks 2000 40
156 Martinelli~ Russian River 2000 40
157 Château Ste Michelle~ Horse Heaven Vineyard, Columbia Valley 1999 45
158 Fritz Winery~ Poplar Vineyard, Russian River 1998 63
159 Duckhorn Vineyards~ Napa 1999 69
160 Araujo Estate Wines~ Eisèle Vineyard, Napa 1997 72

With the basics out of the way, I can look to expressive wines like Gewürztraminer, Viognier or a Pinot Gris to round out my white list. These wines are great food pairs and often work better than a chardonnay. I look for features like minerals and spices in balance with pure fruit flavors.
I have become a white wine aficionado as of late and will gladly begin every meal with a white wine. Still looking for an American Arneis…These are the wines responsible for me drinking 50%`less red wine. Once one decides to love the Gewürztraminer grape, then nothing else will do when the craving for a wine redolent of melons and lychee arises. Pinot Gris will open up the spice box, and Viognier could be made of pressed flowers if one believed one's nose, and then there are the Rieslings of Hermann the German. Less than thirty bucks and one can sip a work of art. For a 'fitty', you get a Rembrandt.

Other Whites
181 Gewürztraminer~ Handley Cellars, Anderson Valley 2001 24
182 Johannisberg Riesling~ Hermann J. Wiemer, Finger Lakes 2001 25
183 Pinot Blanc~ Daniel Gehrs, Santa Barbara 2001 29
184 Viognier~ Cambria~ Tepusquet Vineyard, Santa Maria 2001 33
185 Gewürztraminer~ Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma 2000 35
186 Viognier~ Renwood, Amador 2001 36
187 Marsanne~ Cline, Los Carneros 1998 36
188 Pinot Gris~ Ponzi, Willamette Valley 2002 41
189 Johannisberg Riesling~ Hermann J. Wiemer, Reserve 2001 50

So now I get to stretch and reach for all those gems that are lost or hidden in humongous wine lists. The tutti-frutti aromas of the Tocai Friulano are a tease as the wine is as dry as a Midwesterners’ humor. Very subtle flavors for a super value wine. Albariño is the Spanish answer to Sancerre. Distinctive yet not overly fruity, this is next summer’s wine, believe me. Grüner Veltliner is a gift from Austria, nutty, savory and one of those wines you are just going to have to try one day. The remaining are wines that simply must be included in any great wine list. Perhaps one could live well without ever tasting the Rolle of La Courtade, but I find it to be a bone dry Mediterranean white with the power to transport the drinker to a warm and sunny café with a view of the sea. Not bad for forty dollars, methinks. The Pecorari is a real Pinot Grigio with minerals and herbs and all. What!? Never had Cloudy Bay? Tsk, tsk. Pur Sang is a monument to Sauvignon Blanc. Burgundy values topped by a gorgeous Rhône star complete this expanded section.
International Whites
201 Pinot Blanc~ Herrenweg/Turckheim, Vignobles Baur 2002 FR 27
202 Tocai Friulano~ Vigna del Lauro, Coser 2001 Italia 30
203 Gewurztraminer~ Herrenweg, Vignobles Baur 2001 France 33
204 Soave~ Classico Superiore, Leonildo Pieropan 2001 Italia 36
205 Albariño~ Pazo de Señorans, Rias Baixas 2002 España 38
206 Grüner Veltliner~ Heiligenstein, Hirsch 1998 Österreich 38
207 Sancerre~ Pascal Jolivet 2002 France 39
208 Pinot Grigio~ Pecorari 2002 Italia 40
209 Rolle~ La Courtade, Côtes de Provence 2002 France 40
210 Sauvignon Blanc~ Cloudy Bay 2001 New Zealand 48
211 Pessac-Léognan~ Château La Louvière 1999 France 60
212 Riesling~Spätlese Wehlener Sonnenuhr, J.J. Prum 1999 Deutschland 60
213 Pouilly-Fumé~ Pur Sang, Didier Dagueneau 1999 France 85
214 Chablis~ Les Clos, William Fevre 1997 France 90
215 Chassagne-Montrachet~ Henri de Villamont 1997 France 95
216 Hermitage, Chante Alouette, M. Chapoutier 1999 France 127

I'll pass on a Rosé section at this time as this is a hard sell here in America. I will always include a rosé or two on my By-The-Glass list so chill, okay? Let's go to the reds now, starting with the lightest in a semi-progressive list, it's Pinot Noir to start. Perhaps the most versatile red wine due to the lighter body that usually accompanies the diverse flavor profiles of the grape. Truly reflective of terroir, or taste of site, the flavors of a pinot noir can range from red fruits like strawberries and red raspberries to dense and deep blue and black fruits like plum, and black raspberries. The grape can carry essences of herbs and bark as well as earthy minerals and an over ripe quality referred to as 'barnyard'. Damn, I love this grape. Oregon is now a suitable replacement for the over-priced product of Burgundy. Ms. Patty Green can re-create the silky voluptuous feel of a Volnay at half the price. Ken Wright can out muscle a Pommard with the right vineyard. Dick Ponzi can replace an Echézeaux with his reserve bottling any day of the week. Do you get the drift here folks? This juice is world-class wine and this is but the tip of the iceberg. Drink up.

Pinot Noir
301 Torii Mor~ Willamette Valley 2001 39
302 Saintsbury~ Carneros 2001 57
303 Cambria~ Benchbreak, Santa Maria 1999 61
304 Rutz~ Grand Cru, Russian River 2000 65
305 Fiddlehead Cellars~ Willamette Valley 1998 70
306 Torii Mor~ Amelia Rose, Yamhill Valley1999 90
307 Chehalem~ Rion Reserve, Willamette Valley 1998 100
308 Panther Creek~ Shea Vineyard 1998 102
309 Ken Wright Cellars~ Shea Vineyard 1998 115
310 Sine Qua Non~ Veiled 1998 150

The Syrah grape is fast becoming an All-American favorite as it has found wonderful, expressive sites from Southern Cali to western Washington State. This wine is the perfect foil for lamb dishes and simply prepared beef dishes. As there is usually plenty of sweet fruit in Syrah, one must be careful not to team it with too complex a dish. Daniel Gehrs crafts a straightforward well-balanced value, good thinking D.G. At Simi Winery, Nick Goldschmidt, a kiwi, makes a full throttle wine in the down under style and so names it Shiraz. Qupé will always be a highly extracted, jammy wine. That's how they do it there, enjoy. Remember Jeff DiMaio? He turned me on to the Dunham wine. It's from the dry side of Washington State, try it.

Syrah
321 Daniel Gehrs~ Paso Robles 2000 33
322 Cline~ Sonoma 2000 36
323 Simi~ Shiraz, Sonoma 2001 45
324 Selby~ Sonoma 1999 45
325 Qupé~ Bien Nacido Vineyard 2000 57
326 Sorcery~ Hidden Cellars, Mendocino 1999 65
327 Ojai~ Bien Nacido 1998 90
328 Dunham Cellars~ Columbia Valley, Washington 2001 97
329 Ojai~ Thompson 1998 120
330 Sine Qua Non~ E-Raised 1998 195

Folks not willing to commit to the herbaceous, overly tannic and over-priced world of the cabernet sauvignon grape are advised to tarry a while at the Merlot bin. While it seems no one is crafting a soft or subtle merlot any more, I have dug up a few winners from the myriads of merlot makers. Markham, for one, is a solid standby kind of wine. Havens makes outstanding wine, try one. Luna is not too well known but always a good bet. Rutherford Hill will do you right, and the Leonetti is there because the wife says so.

Merlot
351 Wild Horse~ Paso Robles 1999 35
352 Markham~ Napa 1999 40
353 Havens~ Napa 1998 50
354 Whitehall Lane Winery~ Napa 1999 55
355 Luna Vineyards~ Napa 1998 65
356 Woodward Canyon~ Columbia Valley 1999 70
357 Newton~ Epic, Unfiltered 1999 80
358 Havens~ Reserve, Carneros 1998 95
359 Rutherford Hill~ Reserve, Napa 1997 120
360 Leonetti~ Walla-Walla 1999 150

Ahh, Zinfandel, that teeth staining, berry-flavored almost All-American working class wine. I believe the Zin is none other than the Primitivo of Puglia and will encourage you to taste for yourself what I claim. That aside, it is a most fruit forward full-bodied joy inducing wine that needs no cellaring and can be enjoyed with any excuse. Happy Wednesday, have some Zin! Ravenswood VB is the lightest styled wine on the list. On the restrained and sedate side is the Sparrow Lane. More fruit and extraction as one moves up the price scale to the Rabbit Ridge, a burly fruit driven opus. The Fiddletown from Renwood is a medium-bodied fruit and spice extravaganza that must be tasted. Martinelli, made by Turley and the Earthquake Turley are show-stopping monsters that deserve their place here.

Zinfandel
381 Ravenswood~ Vintners Blend, Napa 1999 30
382 Cline~ Ancient Vines, California 1998 30
383 Rosenblum~ Richard Sauret Vineyard, Paso Robles 1998 40
384 Sparrow Lane~ Napa 1998 45
385 Topolos~ Ultimo, Sonoma 1999 50
386 Rabbit Ridge~ Hedin Vineyard 1997 55
387 Ravenswood~ Big River 1999 65
388 Renwood~ Fiddletown, Amador 1999 70
389 Martinelli~ Jackass Vineyard, Russian River 2000 120
390 Turley~ Earthquake Vineyard, Napa 1998 150

Now we arrive at the pinnacle of American winemaking, the Meritage, the close approximation of a Bordeaux assemblage. A chance to blend five noble varieties in order to create a sublime and complex wine that is a distinctive statement of the winemaker, the house, and the vineyards from which the grapes were taken. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot blended to perfection. That said Rocks and Gravel is a Rhône blend as is Icon. Siena is a Cal-Ital blend and Isoceles utilizes but three of the five. I find these blends alluring because of the added complexity and layers of flavors that emerge over time in the glass. A grown-up interpolation of my early fondness for Côtes-du-Rhône I'm thinking. These wines are serious wines for serious occasions. Like a sundown, or a reward for toiling through another day. And then again, I wouldn't just pop open a Quintessa. One should pause to enjoy a truly profound moment.

Meritage, Blends & More
401 Rocks and Gravel~ Edmunds St. John, Sonoma 1999 55
402 Siena~ Ferrari-Carano, Sonoma 1999 60
403 Isosceles~ Justin Vineyards, Paso Robles 1996 85
404 Icon~ Ravenswood, Sonoma 1998 90
405 Homage~ Clos Pegase, Napa 1997 120
406 Cinq Cépages~ Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma 1997 125
407 Quintessa~ Napa 1997 150
408 Profile~ Merryvale, Napa 1997 175
409 Les Pavots~ Peter Michael 1997 190
410 Dominus~ Napa 1997 225

The cult of cabernet will be aptly served by my ten selections. From the affordable to the absurd one can certainly find something to one's taste. St Francis will not let you down, plenty of fruit to balance the tannins. The Souverain Reserve proves the pundits wrong about the 1998 vintage. This wine kicks ass and was deeply discounted. I love reserve wines, especially for Cabernet as this grape needs ten years to show its best stuff. Go on Chappellet. Montelena is always a crowd pleaser. Caymus just might be the cab for me. Diamond Creek is nice whenever you can get it.

Cabernet Sauvignon
421 St. Francis~ Sonoma 2000 35
422 Simi Winery~ Alexander Valley 2000 55
423 Château Souverain~ Winemaker's Reserve, Sonoma 1998 75
424 Chappellet~ Reserve, Napa 1990 85
425 Pride Vineyards~ Napa 1997 88
426 Robert Craig~ Howell Mountain 1999 91
427 Chateau Montelena~ Napa 1996 99
428 Shafer~ Napa 1997 105
429 Caymus Vineyards~ Napa 1999 145
430 Diamond Creek~ Red Rock Terrace 1997 270

That out of the way, we are now able to list the wines of the future. These are the lesser-known red wines that are now being noticed for their quality as well as their novelty. The fact that Italian grape varieties have found a new home in the warm Cali climate should be no surprise to the thoughtful. What is surprising is the inability of marketers to connect good wine with the right people. Brother, let me tell ya' "the right people" is everybody as wine knows neither of demographics nor statistics. Missing is Petite Sirrah I know, but I can't say I've ever had an excellent one. Besides, I have East and West Coast Cabernet Franc represented not to mention the Bouriquot, a Cheval Blanc hommage. Norton is an honest-to-goodness American grape. It has been successfully raised in Virginia, enjoy.

Other Reds
451 Sangiovese~ Andretti Winery, Napa 1997 27
452 Barbera~ Renwood, Amador 2000 29
453 Norton~ Horton Vineyards, Virginia 2001 30
454 Cabernet Franc~ Castoro Cellars, Central Coast 1999 32
455 Nebbiolo~ Renwood, Amador 1999 33
456 Dolcetto~ Santerra Cellars, Sonoma County 2001 35
457 Pinot Meunier~ Domaine Chandon, Carneros 1998 44
458 Cabernet Franc~ Gristina Vineyards, North Fork 2001 65
459 Sangiovese~ Benessere, Napa 1999 72
460 Bouriquot~ Havens, Napa 1998 99

Talk about cherry picking. I've got all my favorites here from every region imaginable. Sam Plunkett has crafted a dynamite Pinot Noir growm in the cool spot of Australia, Victoria. The pinot doesn't like to get baked like the syrah (Shiraz). The Crianza from the Briego family is a proud wine that quenches the soul while it slakes one's thirst. The house of Chapoutier is a stand out and a steady performer on all levels, enjoy. The finest Italian wines I have ever tasted are here. At the basic level the late Dr. Cosimo Taurino is represented by Notarpanaro, his rustic wine made from the Negro Amaro and the Malvasia Nero. The Chianti Nipozzano is a thick syrup of sweet Sangiovese, incredible. Elio Gasse has made the benchmark Barolo, brilliant! Can't get enough Shiraz? The Dead Arm is a magnum of flavor in a 750ml. bottle.

International Reds
480 Pinot Noir~ Blackwood Ridge 2000 Australia 31
481 Lalande de Pomerol~ Château Haut Brouard 1996 France 34
482 Notarpanaro~ Cosimo Taurino 2001 Italia 37
483 La Stèle~ Mas de la Dame, Les Baux de Provence 1998 France 40
484 Chinon~ Clos d’Isoré, J-M Raffaut 1997 France 45
485 Ribera del Duero~ Crianza, Bodegas Briego 2000 España 48
486 Malbec~ Don Miguel Gascón, Mendoza 1996 Argentina 54
487 Hermitage~ La Sizeranne, M. Chapoutier 1998 France 60
488 Shiraz~ David Traeger 1998 Australia 65
489 Rioja~ Reserva, Granja de Remmelluri 1997 España 71
490 Châteauneuf-du-Pape~ La Crau, Domaine LeVieux Télégraphe 1998 France 76
491 St Émilion~ Château Quinault L'Enclos 1997 France 80
492 Chianti~ Nipozzano, Riserva 1999 Italia 115
493 Côte Rôtie~ Les Bécasses, M. Chapoutier 1998 France 126
494 Barolo~ Elio Gasse 1997 Italia 145
495 Shiraz~ The Dead Arm, D’Arenberg 1998 Australia 150
496 Hermitage~ La Chapelle, Paul Jaboulet Ainé 1989 France 300


© 2004 all rights reserved The CYBER SOMMELIER™




Sweet Things
501 Vin de Glacière~ Bonny Doon 2001 35
502 Essensia~ Quady Winery 2000 37
503 Elysium~ Quady Winery 2000 39
504 Dolce~ Far Niente 1997 65
505 Delice du Semillon~Joseph Phelps 1999 67
506 Johannisberg Riesling~ Ice Wine, Pindar Vineyards, North Fork 85
507 Johannisberg Riesling~ TBA, Hermann J. Wiemer, Finger Lakes 1999 250




Porto
521 Warre’s~ Late Bottled Vintage 1990 35/7 glass
522 Quinta do Infantado~ Ruby 41/10 glass
523 Graham’s~ Six Grapes 43/10 glass
524 Ramos Pinto~ Late Bottled Vintage 1995 45/10 glass
525 Fonseca~ 20 year Tawny 65/15 glass
526 Quinta do Infantado~ 1985 Vintage 85/18 glass

©2004 All Rights Reserved. The Cyber Sommelier™
So, just a little outdated, but entertaining none the less, non?