Between The Wines november 2023
Hidden Treasures
hidden Treasures Thoughts & observations
Those reading this that were in the wine trade in the 70’s and 80’s (which, by the way, would mean you are old) will remember well what a dynamic, crazy, anything goes time it was for California wineries. It was a vinous gold rush of sorts, when a regular Joe could start a winery without millions of dollars and watch it grow the Apple’s stock price. Many, many iconic brands were started then: Silver Oak, Far Niente, Duckhorn, Matanzas Creek, Groth, Forman, Pahlmeyer, and dozens of others…one of which was Patz & Hall. Founded in 1988 by Don Patz & James Hall—while they were both working at a different young winery.
Both were drawn to Burgundy, What's New hence Patz & Hall focused on Pinot Noir & Chardonnay. Their wines were an instant hit. As they grew, there were among the earliest producers that focused on single-sites for the Pinot & Chardonnay—again, inspired quotation of by Burgundy. Names like Hyde the Month: Vineyard, Dutton Ranch, Ritchie Vineyard, Pisoni Vineyard, & Alder “With wine and Springs are all ‘Grand Cru’ vineyards hope, anything is and Patz & Hall make wines from all possible.” of these great sites. As was the case for many (most?) of Spanish these independent vintners that proverb rode this wave, ultimately, big money showed up and like many of their peers, Patz & Hall sold in 2016. The amount was not disclosed, but based on other sales, it was for many millions. Good for them. Though the wines can be described as ‘classic’, like most American wineries (and most of the world) they’ve toned down the oak & alcohol. The wines are all rich, but balanced. The tip of the hat to Burgundy continues…
Between The Wines november 2023
Thoughts & Observations The Reign of Spain? We have mentioned here previously that as inflation has caused price increase on virtually everything, wine is no exception. It wasn’t that many years ago that in most ‘mainstream’ restaurants, $12 a glass was sort of the ceiling. More recently, $15 to $16 a glass is where we see most restaurants top out at. But with things like Cabernet and Pinot Noir and Macon-Villages averaging above $20 a bottle cost lately (at least for pretty good ones), and even Sancerre averaging around $25, some operators are looking for alternatives. To that we say: look to Spain. Spain has undeniably joined the ‘fine wine’ world, making lots and lots of incredible, high-end, limited production wines such as Bodega Numanthia, Pingus, Clos Martinet to name a few. However, much of what we sell from Spain are super values. Super. We sell an absolutely delicious oldvine Garnacha for $9.75 a bottle. A worldclass Godello from Valdeorras (Godello Heaven) for $14 a bottle. A mega-value Ribera del Duero for $12. And many very delicious Rioja Crianza for $11 to $15.
Add to this that wine drinkers love ‘discovery wines’, so you can help your customers ‘discover’ some super delicious, super value wines from one of the oldest wine producing countries in Europe! We’re here to help you grow your business…
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“With wine and hope, anything is possible.” Spanish proverb
Between The Wines November 2023
More Blandy’s Madeira ‘Have some Madeira my Dear’ was the name of a song from the 50’s which, shall we say, has not aged well. On the other hand, Madeira wines themselves age better than any other wine in the world; this writer recently had a 1799 Terrantez that tasted as fresh as a daisy. For the uninitiated, Madeira is a fortified wine from the island of Madeira, some 500 miles west of the African continent. Though Madeira is part of Portugal, its very unique persona is inextricably linked to America; for a certain period, one could only drink what we know as Madeira in America, since it was the journey here that created it. Note by the way that the signatories of the Declaration of Independence toasted with a glass of Madeira. As trans-Atlantic shipping became increasingly more important, by the 16th century Madeira was an important stop on the trade routes. Typically picking up supplies, including pipes of Madeira wine (fortified to help with the journey), the ships continued to the southern Cape of Africa for additional goods, before continuing to the Americas.
During these voyages, these ships crossed the equator twice, which of course heated the holds of the ships and the wine within. Though heating a wine is usually a recipe for disaster, in the case of these fortified, high-acid wines from the island’s unique grapes, the wine metamorphosized into a magical beverage. At first, it wasn’t clear what made this happen: The heat? The rocking of the ship? Indeed, it was quite common for businesses in America to have a pipe of port (bottled wine was rather rare then) suspended on ropes in their offices and it was obligatory for all passersby to give the pipe a push. Ultimately it was determined it was the slow heating of the wine that made the magic happen, so today’s Madeira are produced in warehouse with steam pipes running through them; much more dependable and predictable! We happen to represent one of THE historic houses in Madeira—Blandy’s— and we now offer a nice range of types and styles: 5 year old and/or 10 year old versions of all types: Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, & Malmsey (all grape types) as well as the famous ‘Rainwater’. Dry, medium-dry, sweet, or very sweet and are all, frankly, wonderful.