Rosé wines–so summery, so beautiful….so DIVISIVE!  Our customers are basically divided into three camps:

1.  Those who drink little else for these three months

2.  Those who realize rosé has a lot to offer, but are still discovering regions and styles

3.  Those who ‘just say no’.

Most of us at currentVintage dwell proudly in the first category, especially when it comes to French rosé!  We asked cV Staff Member & Sommelier at The Pearl, Jenny Benzie, to share her thoughts on summer & Rosé…

Summer on Nantucket would not be complete without including a bottle of rosé wine for whatever  the occasion might be – sunset at The Galley, an afternoon picnic at Ladies Beach or brunch at The Boarding House on the weekend.   With so many fabulous rosé wine selections available,  it’s almost like taking a mini-vacation to France as you taste through the varying styles offered from the different regions…

Cótes de Provence is a large and non-contiguous rosé producing region of Southern France in the Côte d’Azur spanning several communes.  This area accounts for the largest amount of rosé production in Provence.  The wines produced are made from a blend of no more than 40% Carignan and at least 60% of Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvedre and Tibouren.  At least 20% of the rosé must be blended from wine produced in the saignée method (bleeding of the vats, removing some pink juice from red wine production).  These wines are often bottled in the traditional regional wine bottle that almost looks like a bowling pin!

Jenny Recommends:  Saint Roch les Vignes, 2010, $15

Bandol is a small region on the water located in the Provence region of Southern France and is one of the more internationally recognized wine regions from this area.  The only region based more so on the Mourvedre grape, which must be at least 50% of the blend, grenache and cinsault are used to complete the wine.  Small amounts of syrah and carignane may also be used (up to 15% if blended or 10% if used individually). Since red wine is more prevalent here, there is only a small amount of rosé wine production and even less white (check out the Domaines Ott Blanc de Blanc we have in the store made from Clairette + Ugni Blanc!).  The combination of the warm coastal climate and silicone/limestone soils create a wine that offers character and complexity

Jenny Recommends: Château Pradeaux , 2010, $27

Tavel can be found in the Southern Rhône Valley, just across the river from Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  This region ONLY makes rosé wine (that’s right, no red or white wines here) and must have an alcohol content between  11 – 13.5%.  Grenache and Cinsault are the main grapes used, accompanied by Syrah and Mourvedre.  These wines tend to have body and structure and therefore making them one of the few rosé wines that could possibly benefit from some aging.

Jenny Recommends: Chateau Trinquevedel, 2010, $20

Want to learn more about these wines?  Come buy a bottle and try it!  You can find these and many other fabulous rosés on the shelf or chilled in our cooler at currentVintage.

Jenny Benzie is the owner of Pour Sip Savor, a forward thinking wine business in which she is able to provide ‘An Assemblage of Sommelier Services’ by creating wine education opportunities for consumers, private client wine services, restaurant wine list consulting and brand ambassador to wine regions from around the world.  Her sommelier expertise has been honed by working at some of the finest establishments – Caneel Bay Resort in St. John, Michael’s in Santa Monica, Cafe Boulud in Palm Beach and The Pearl on Nantucket.

A few years ago, I was interviewed by Jen Murphy of Food & Wine magazine.  She asked me to envision several quintessential Nantucket summer occasions and suggest the perfect fashion and wine pairings–much like we do every day in the store–for FoodandWine.com.  I happily obliged and the piece was posted in June of 2009.

Two years later, currentVintage is once again featured in Food & Wine–this time in print!!  (F&W Best New Chef 2000) Amanda Lydon & Gabriel Frasca ( Straight Wharf, Provisions) were designated “Most Anticipated Opening” among a list of hotly anticipated restaurants,  for their new farm-to-table Italian eatery, Ventuno. They were kind to recommend cV as Nantucket’s  “Top Wine Store” in the July 2011 issue…

“Our friend Beth English owns currentVintage, a quirky store that sells both wine and vintage clothes. It’s sort of like chicken and waffles—until you experience it, it’s hard to believe what a great idea it is.”

It was an aw shucks moment, which led me to revisit the earlier piece…and I was delighted at how “current” it felt!  It was only two years ago, but that can be eons in the world of fashion.

Nevertheless, I thought it would be fun to update for Summer 2011.  The occasions may be the same but it’s fun to mix it up a little in what we wear AND what we drink.  The new improved list of Nantucket occasions and their 2011 “Suggested Pairings” are in PINK.  Happy Summer!

Nantucket Wine & Fashion

POSTED JUNE 23, 2009 AT 8:49PM EDT

In the vineyard with Tim Mondavi, daughter Carissa, and Bayla of Continuum

GUESS WHO’S COMING TO THE NANTUCKET WINE FESTIVAL 2011?!

Oh, how we love the Nantucket Wine Festival…the annual ritual of welcoming old friends and making new ones—meaning, of course, people AND wines.  We’ve made many friends at the NWF through the years, and brought other friends to the event, both luminaries and patrons.  This January, Mark and I had the distinct honor of meeting Tim Mondavi and luring him to be the Nantucket Wine Festival Luminary of the Year.   His legacy as the winemaker for Robert Mondavi is laudable as is his impressive new label, Continuum Estate, and its commitment to excellence in winemaking.  Continuum makes “a single red wine produced with clarity of focus at the highest quality level”, a blend of varieties from the cabernet family, and aspires to the level of a first growth Bordeaux.

We have in stock or can order wines from any of these producers, including Continuum Estate.  Our selection is all the more compelling due to the inclusion of  these esteemed makers.  Offered here are some photos of the many friends of currentVintage–on both our turf and theirs.

Lunch with Tim and Carissa Mondavi

Alex Gambal in Beaune

Sean Larkin in currentVintage

Jack Larkin of Jack Larkin in cV

with Don & Joanne of Shibumi Knoll

John Arns and Sandy Belcher in currentVintage

with Ray Coursen at Elyse

Sonoma Coast lunch with David Hirsch

Maria and Rob Sinskey

Tyler Thomas, Donelan winemaker, at Cyrus

Michael & Fiona Ragg of Mischief & Mayhem at cV

Michel Anglada of Anglada-Deleger, in Beaune

Domaine Comte Senard in Aloxe-Corton

with Kristen at Newton Vineyard

Hourglass

Seminar with Elton Sloane of Robert Craig Winery

Andy Peay pouring for me and Ziggy the Wine Gal

Magnificent Palmaz winery

Big Bottles at Miner Family

Cesare Casella, Chef-Owner Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto, NYC

*Napa*Sonoma*San Francisco*Carmel*Santa Barbara*Ventura*Pismo Beach*Santa Monica*Palm Springs*LA*Boston*New York* *Montreal*Greenville*Charlotte*Asheville…

60+ Days on the fly!

vintage finds, wine discoveries, dining, family, friends, fun

We know, we’ve been there.  The invitations are pouring in and you haven’t a clue what to wear–or even how to decipher the dress codes:

“Festive”, “Cocktail”, “Holiday Casual”…

Take a page from Teka’s style book and look right on, whether you decide to go swanky or casual or uptown or down.

Only one month to go in 2010, but the year is already overflowing with wonderful times, great adventures, fabulous memories.  The last eleven months have been filled with annual traditions (Daffodil Day, Nantucket Wine and Film Festivals) as well as travel, friends and new experiences.

cV continued to get a lot of press and was featured in a gorgeous 6-page spread in Cape Cod Life.  There were numerous trips…California, NYC, St John, France…and we launched our signature cV wines, including our 2008 currentVintage “Boschetti Vineyard” Pinot Noir.  There were wine tastings, photo shoots, and VIPs–the store practically  pulsated with energy and inspiration!

Most importantly:  I got engaged (!), then, currentVintage had its first store engagement (he proposed to her in cV!) and, our little Rosie (*star employee*) got married.

Here’s a look at a few highlights…

Our first proposal at cV!

She said "I do"! Congrats Brendan & Kate!

Rosie & Ivan got married!

Getting engaged at the Wauwinet...

...on our 8th anniversary!

11th Annual Lingerie Fishing Tournament

Wendy Schmidt & Co at Petticoat Row

Dominique Demarville of VCP!

Content at Caneel Bay

Stylist Julie Biondi (ctr) & friends

cV models in Cape Cod Life

MLK Jr Day at Glide in San Fran

B-52s Kate Pierson in cV

modeling Cheryl Fudge (who just opened a store in Santa Monica)

Actor Sarah Fraunfelder modeling for cV

Burgundy:)

Many a Grand Cru...

with LA Lifestyle Chef & "Food to Flowers" Author, Lulu Powers

Meursault & Margaux

NFF Party with Kim Corkran of Cape Air, Kate Brosnan & Tom Scott of Plum TV, Caterer Susan Warner

going to The Bazaar in LA, Pre-Grammys

La Superica in Santa Barbara

with Dan Kosta of Kosta Browne

cV Signature Wines launch at Nantucket Wine Fest

Michael Ragg of Mischief & Mayhem, Burgundy

Daffodil Day

at The Vanderbilt in Newport

From a humble Croque Madame to a hearty Boeuf Bourguignon to the rarefied offerings of Michelin-starred temples to Haute Cuisine, Burgundy is a gourmand’s mecca.  Here are some of our favorites…you can see why.  Connoisseur’s tip:  When doing the Michelin restaurants, think lunch, not dinner.  They’re often a remarkably good value in comparison.

If you need a bottle of Auxey-Duresses or a Puligny-Montrachet before you can get to Puligny, head to cV for a selection of white & red Burgundies to delight the senses.

Relais & Châteaux L'Abbaye de la Bussière

Grounds of L'Abbaye de la Bussière

L'Abbaye de la Bussière

Escargot at l'Abbaye de la Bussière

Hostellerie de Levernois

Michelin One-Star in Levernois

Restaurant Le Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet

Denis at Restaurant Le Montrachet

The beloved fromage course

There are certain must-dos in Beaune:  A glass of wine at Bistrot Bourguignon, Dinner at Ma Cuisine, The Saturday market, un café at Baltard, a tasting with Alex Gambal…and for me, a visit to Marie-Pierre Vintage.  Imagine our surprise when we popped in and discovered that a friend of ours was working there!

When you get to that point when you are done with butter, cream and jambon persillé, consider the Indian-inflected cuisine of Via Mokis and a pint at Pickwick’s Pub.

I just had the most amazing week in Burgundy.  I won’t tease you with the names and nuances of every Grand Cru we savored, but here is a little photo log.  Eat your heart out.

Mahogany Duck, Gourmet January 1991

Many in the food and wine world are mourning the closing of  Gourmet magazine after more nearly 70 years of publication.  What does that mean for the cerebral epicurean?  How does that reflect on the populist palate?  What does it bode for the future of print media?  How could they do that to Ruth Reichl?!  For me, it is more sentimental…

By chance, Gourmet magazine changed my life.

I found my reluctant self in Clemson, SC in January1989.  I had taken a couple of years off from school while playing around in Nantucket, and now it was time to return, finish courses and graduate.

I was in a somewhat ideal living situation.  The apartment at 8 Lakewood Terrace was nothing to brag about, but the location was great and I shared the space with two absentee roommates.  The $88 each/month was such that my girlfriends didn’t mind paying just to have a place for the two weekends a year their parents came to visit.   So there I was, alone in my capacious cinder block 3 bedroom apartment, wondering how I was going to abide a year in this small college town.

My friends and I were a few years older than the average student and having ‘been there, done that’ with the party scene, we were searching for entrée into a new social context.  We liked to go to restaurants but, other than Los Hermanos (the local favorite Mexican place where I worked in a peach tiered ruffle Mexican dress), there were few options beyond boiled peanuts and beer.  An invitation came to me in the form of a subscription renewal card to Gourmet, intended for the previous tenants.  I had never heard of Gourmet magazine, but as the proud owner of the Silver Palate cookbooks and having dined at 21 Federal, et al on Nantucket, I was certain that the “Magazine of Good Living” was for me, ie, I had a lot to learn.

Without hesitation, I checked the box, wrote my check for $10 and mailed it in.  In retrospect, I’m surprised I did not overnight it, so electrified as I was at the thought of possibilities the magazine would bring…(probably because there was no overnight delivery back then.  Think about it—in 1989 there were no cell phones, pc’s–or even affordable cashmere sweaters.)

Gourmet, July 1991

I cannot remember the first issue exactly, but I know I read it cover to cover.  The Paris Journal, The London Journal. Salzburg, Bangkok, Sydney and Maui.  Guides to all of these places I had not yet been. I struggled through Gerald Asher’s Wine Journal and memorized reviews of Gotham Bar & Grill. This was not always enjoyable, given my lack of worldly experience with fine wine and New York dining, but I must have had a sense of foreshadowing, given what a big part both play in my life today!

“Gastronomie sans Argent”—that was more my style—and I always looked for the little clock symbol, indicating a quick preparation, since the reality was that even those recipes would take me hours to complete.  From fondue parties to New Years Eve feasts, Gourmet represented the lifestyle I wanted to lead.

50th Anniversary Issue, January 1991

Although I had no knife skills—or even knives–I had a party to test my kitchen prowess, and my new friends loved it.  We made it a regular event;  I spent all of my tips on cooking ingredients and my guests brought bottles of Taylor and, if they were feeling spendy, Gundlach Bundschu, to drink.

I subscribed to Gourmet all through the 90s and continued my self-taught education as a home cook.  Thus, it is not surprising that Gourmet recipes were a big part of  my portfolio when I was hired to open a ‘gourmet’ sandwich & coffee shop on Nantucket in 1994.  I continued to mine the Gourmet files when I joined another restaurant, Provisions, and, less than a decade after the first subscription, began my Provisions Catering business.

From the beautiful photography to the exotic destinations to the lofty musings to the black & white restaurant ads for La Cote Basque and Le Perigord in the back, I relished it all.  Eventually, I got to many of the restaurants and destinations that Gourmet had first introduced me to, but more importantly, I came to understand the essential Gourmet message:  the appreciation of ‘good living” as a way of life.  At Provisions, good living included our homemade cookies, soups and fresh bread, as well as the most esoteric hors d’oeuvre I could dream up.  It includes organic produce, fresh sushi and abstaining from jug wine.  It has resulted in a greater appreciation for Bartlett corn, South Carolina peaches and Juice Bar ice cream.  It has led to pleasures of the table I may have never known.

These days, I own currentVintage,  a wine & vintage boutique, and spend several months a year traveling to interesting destinations all over the US and beyond, particularly New York.

Yes, Gourmet magazine changed my life.

Well-tested recipe for Mushroom Croustades, Gourmet 1990