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An
exciting week back it has been for me. Thanks to all of you for
the enthusiastic response to last Friday's Argentina tasting. I
haven't seen that many people in the shop at once in a long time - that
was fun!
As cork followers surely know, I have been looking hard for a full-time replacement since Sara Shaw
left us back in July, and for once, my patience has really paid
off. It turned out London was not the right fit for Sara, so she
has returned with renewed enthusiasm for learning about wine and
sharing her knowledge with our customers. This week, we introduce
our 'new' Assistant Wine Buyer and debut the first of a regular column
where Sara will share her own wine perspectives and picks in the cork newsletter.
This Thursday, come join us for a class and tasting of the wines of Ribera del Duero, one of the top growing regions in Spain.
On Friday night, we welcome Arnaud Frennet from the Chilean winery Casa Silva.
Arnaud is flying into town to help us unveil the full lineup of wines
from this stunning winery and I hope you South American supporters that
showed up last Friday will all come back again this week for an even
more special tasting.
And This Just In: Tuesday, Oct. 23, Scott Ketterman will be cooking up a fabulous French meal at Simpatica.
This is to showcase the wines of 3 producers who will be in town
pouring their wines. Diners will be able to preorder the wines
from cork at the dinner and save 15% off the regular retail price. Included will be Lassaigne and De Sousa Champagnes, plus two wines from Manoir de la Tete of Samaur and two Roussillon reds from Clot de L'Oum, a personal favorite. They were still working up a menu and pricing while I was writing this, so go to www.simpaticacatering.com for details and to make reservations.
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SCHOOL OF CORK · Spain Series: Ribera del Duero · Thursday, October 16 · 6:30pm · $40
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 Our Spain Series of Classes continues this Thursday at 6:30pm with an in-depth look at Ribera del Duero.
Long a region known for growing Tempranillo, there is a lot of change
afoot in this historic zone. We'll discuss old-world and new
style Ribera del Duero and taste at least 6 wines from some of our
favorite Ribera producers. From Joven wines that are inexpensive
and go down easy, to Gran Reserva wines that have serious structures
and require long cellar aging to enjoy, the Ribera zone has something
for everyone. Class includes light appetizers. The cost is
$40/person (we plan to pour over $200 worth of wine) and participants
receive 15% off all in-store merchandise the night of the class, so you
can stock up on the wines you like and grab some early gifts for the
wine and chocolate lovers in your life.
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FRIDAY NIGHT FLIGHT · Casa Silva Winery from Chile · 4:30 - 8:30pm · $12 tasting fee
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My
journey to South America two weeks ago was premised on the opportunity
to explore Argentina and Mendoza. To me, the routing through
Santiago, Chile was really just a bonus and I wasn't expecting much
from the wineries we were to visit. To date, my experience with
Chilean wineries has been with large, industrial-style producers who
make serviceable wines, but nothing that makes me stay up at
night. Which basically means I was setting myself up to be proven
wrong.
So imagine my surprise when, after having toured the
immaculate vineyards of Casa Silva (the Los Lingues vineyard pictured
above grows amazing Carmenére), we pull up to a pristine winemaking
facility, that is both simple and gorgeous at the same time.
Housed inside is a lovely restaurant and a small inn with several
rooms. We were hosted by Arnaud Frennet (pictured on the right
below with Josh Sigal from Portland Importer Triage Wines).
Arnaud is the Export Manager for the winery, a Frenchman and former
Professional Windsurfer who found himself drawn to Chile's
coastline. Immediately, the wheels started spinning in my head to
lure Arnaud to Portland under the guise that he could windsurf the
Gorge, but mostly so he would come to the shop and share the wines of
Casa Silva. It seems this wasn't too hard, as he was more than
happy to rearrange his travel schedule this week for the opportunity to
get cold in the Columbia.
Casa Silva Winery is a family
affair. The Silva family are fifth generation winemakers at the
estate, which was founded by French wine pioneer Emilio Bouchon in
1892. Mario Silva heads the family today and has pushed toward a
focus on Carmenére, the lost French varietal that had been mistaken for
Merlot in Chile until 1994. Mario's sons handle marketing and
vineyard management, and spend their spare time competing on the
National Polo Team, complete with a practice Polo field on the winery
property.
 Polo
and windsurfing aside, most surprising is the breadth of wines that
Casa Silva produces and how good they are. We have only had
access to the basic Carmenere, Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc and we were
impressed with what we were missing out on. To correct that
problem, Arnaud is flying to Portland Friday, along with all of the
wines, to formally introduce you to what I am sure is one of the top 10
estates in the Southern Hemisphere. For now, let's keep that our
secret so the International press doesn't force the prices of these
great deals out of reach. Monsieur Parker, btw, has given the
regular Carmenere 90 points and the Gran Reserve 91 points, so it isn't
as if these wines have gone completely unnoticed.
Join us from
4:30 to 8:30pm as we pour 8 wines from Casa Silva. The line up
includes 3 whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris - a must try!,
Quinta Generacion White) and 5 reds (2 Carmenére, Merlot, Petit Verdot
and the Quinta Generacion Red). The cost to taste all of the
wines is only $12. We will be taking special orders for any wines
not currently available in Portland, only for cork customers at the
event on Friday. Be there.
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Sara's Corner  I have returned! After a three month sabbatical from cork
and gallivants through Alaska, England, and Turkey, I have been
welcomed back into the shop's loving arms. And just when you
thought
it couldn't get any better, not only will I be around to help educate
you and fill your homes and bellies with fabulous wines, I will also be
filling this little space weekly with my very
own wine musings! Hurrah! As I grow into my new Assistant Wine
Buyer
role, I will be tasting wines regularly with Darryl and our
suppliers. Since we all have different palates, which is what
keeps wine so
interesting, this column will feature a couple of my recommendations
each week that I am really excited about. So here we go.
2005 Innocent Bystander Shiraz-Viognier
· $18 ($16.20 cork club price) · Having freshly returned from my
travels, I wandered into the shop to check out how the digs had
changed, and the very first wine that caught my eye was the Innocent
Bystander leaning coolly off his sleek,simple label. Mostly Shiraz with
a touch of Viognier for depth and oomph, this rambunctious little gem
smells lightly of violets and tastes of blueberries and white pepper.
It lacks the super-jammy character that Australian Shiraz can have
(Yeah!) and expresses some of the slaty quality that French Syrah often boasts
(Yeah! Yeah!). Slam it on the table next to a meaty fall meal and
enjoy.
Ahhh, Vin Santo.
With the seasonal shift in full swing, there is one honeyed favorite
that I keep stocked in my fridge for finishing off an evening. Whether
in front of the fire or buried in a book in the recesses of the sofa, a
little Vin Santo paired with fresh chocolate chip cookies or pumpkin
ice cream reminds me of the joys of the coming winter, rain or shine. I
once had a Vin Santo with persimmon sorbet and came seriously close to
sensory nirvana. We have a few to choose from, but I am partial to the 1998 Felsina
($37.50 or $33.75 cork club price) because it comes in a larger 500ml
bottle which gets me through at least a few days of nightcaps. Delish.
I look forward to greeting you all on your next visit to the shop. It's good to be back. - Sara
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This
past Saturday, I crushed about 2 tons of Sangiovese fruit from
Walla Walla that I had lined up for the resurrection of my wine
label, Viola Wine Cellars. While it will be a couple years before
I
have anything to sell, it's still exciting to see and taste the
fruit when it comes in and to be back involved with hands-on
winemaking.
My mornings will be filled with punchdowns and lab tests for the
next month, so if I appear a bit more tired than usual, rest assured
it's all in the pursuit of great wine. And speaking of new wines,
watch your inbox next week as we unveil the next Alberta Wines release
for the holiday season.
See you soon,
Darryl and the Cork Crew.
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