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

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.

Asst Mayor and Mayor of Beaune with two Nantucket Selectmen

Did you know that Nantucket and Beaune are twinned?

Jumelage means twinning. It is a movement started after WWII to bring together municipalities, in hope of fostering the opportunity to learn more about the daily lives of those in other places, develop a dialogue and possibly enter into joint projects.

Hospice de Beaune

Fast-forward to 2005, and, thanks to the efforts of Denis Toner, founder of the Nantucket Wine Festival, Beaune and Nantucket are sister cities.  Dismayed at the perpetuation of “Freedom Fries”, Denis approached the Mayor of Beaune with the idea of Jumelage and ceremonies on both continents soon followed.  Inspired by the common culture–an appreciation for fine dining and wine, a respect for history and architecture and a pervasive spirit, to name a few–Denis pioneered the concept and realized it in a celebration of a lifetime over a long weekend in October 2006.

Attended by nearly 50 Nantucketers, I will never forget the moving ceremony in the Hospice de Beaune and the festivities that surrounded it.  The town rolled out the red carpet and we were feted like royalty by all the big guys:  Corton Charlemagne in the caves of Latour, a toast in the ancient-modern maze of Bouchard, another lavish dinner at Jadot, La Paulée (a tented BYOW party) they are still talking about.  Let’s just say, if there’s ever an anniversary bash, you will want to be there.

On the eve of a trip to Beaune, I thought I would post a Jumelage photo album.

Mark & Elisabeth at the 2006 Jumelage of Nantucket and Beaune

Mollydooker "The Leftys"

MORE MOLLYDOOKER!  We have had the tiniest allocation the last few years.  First a few bottles of Blue-Eyed Boy, then, a smattering of Leftys.  That was just fine, but now, we want MORE MOLLYDOOKER.  As a reputable wine store with the purest of intentions, we feel that we have been perfectly patient up until now, and with the impending release of the 09s, we are shouting to anyone who will listen that we want MORE MOLLYDOOKER!  Why?  Because the wines are awesome and Sarah & Sparky have double-handedly succeeded in making Left-Handers (ie mollydookers in Australian) super cool!

Here’s the scoop:

*For 12+ years, Sarah & Sparky Marquis (pronounced Mar-kwis) have been making award-winning Australian wines such as Marquis Philips and exclusively Mollydooker since 2005.  This dynamic duo has A.  been awarded the title of Australian Winemakers of the Year  B.  is the only husband and wife winemaking team to receive Mclaren Vale’s prestigious Bushing Award three times  C.  has had five wines in the Wine Spectator “Top 100″  D.  is responsible for crafting four of only 24 Australian wines to receive 99 points from Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate in the last 10 years  and E.  Have received more Parker 94-99 point scores than any other winemakers in the WORLD!

*Their years of combined experience have resulted in a trademarked system of watering and measuring fruit concentration, as well as their own language in discussing these terms.  The Marquis Vineyard Watering Programme™ focuses on nurturing strong and healthy vines with balanced canopy growth to achieve the most intense fruit flavors possible.  The Marquis Fruit Weight™ refers to the amazing fruit intensity achieved in the vineyard that becomes the wine.  Marquis Fruit Weight™ is the measurement of how far back on your palate you find the “velvet glove” fruit before the structure of the wine is exposed (Measured in percentages since everyone’s tongue is a different length.) The higher the Fruit Weight, the more intense and rich the flavors are in the finished wine.

*They invented the “Mollydooker Shake“.  Is that the latest dance move?  nope.  It is a little maneuver necessary because they use as few sulfites as possible in making the wines. As a result, inert Nitrogen gas, a great preservative, is used during the bottling process as a way to protect the fruit flavor of the wines in the bottle.  The only thing bad about Nitrogen is that it tends to flatten the back end of the round ball of fruit flavor in the wine. By doing the Mollydooker Shake, you release the nitrogen gas and the flavor becomes big and round again!  nitrogen is a great alternative to sulphites normally added to prevent oxidation, as so many people have allergies to sulphites.  Here is a “Mollydooker Shake” tutorial for novices:

Sarah & Sparky Show You How: Watch the Video

*Their labels are clever and fun.  eg The Leftys Series labels (The five wines intended for everyday consumption Now Available at currentVintage) are a tribute to leftys and they all include a tear-off tab so that you don’t have to go through the cumbersome label-soak, just to remember the wine.

Don’t YOU want MORE MOLLYDOOKER?!

2009 “The Violinist” Verdelho, $29

WA:  90 points The current Mollydooker collection begins with the one white wine, the medium straw-colored 2009 Verdelho “The Violinist”. It was partially barrel-fermented and aged on its lees in barrel and tank. It gives up fragrant aromas of toast, baked apple, mango, and other tropical aromas. Creamy textured, round, ripe, and concentrated, this long, tasty wine can be enjoyed over the next 2 years.–Jay Miller, www.erobertparker.com

2008 “The Boxer” Shiraz, $29

WS: 91 points & “Best Buy of the Week”
‘Bright and jazzy, offering an effusive mouthful of cherry, pomegranate and spice flavors that are as aromatic as they are long and vivid. This has density without great weight, and the finish keeps on going…’ – Harvey Steiman, www.winespectator.com

2008 “Two Left Feet” Shiraz/Cabernet/Merlot Blend, $29

WA: 90 points
‘A glass-staining opaque purple color, it emits an enticing aromatic array of sandalwood, Asian spices, incense, blueberry, and blackberry preserves. Dense, sweet, and layered on the palate, it is surprisingly light on its feet despite its size. Concentrated, lengthy, and full-flavored, this wine is all about pleasure…’– Jay Miller, www.erobertparker.com

2008 “The Scooter” Merlot, $29

WA: 90 points
‘..an alluring perfume of cedar, spice box, plum, mulberry, and black currant. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it delivers intense flavors that are already revealing some complexity…’ – Jay Miller, www.erobertparker.com

David Hirsch

David Hirsch in vineyard

Lunch with David and Jasmine Hirsch

The Nantucket Wine Festival Who’s Who:  Alex Gambal, Bertrand Ambroise, Michel Anglada, John Arns, Alis Arrowood, Beaux Freres, Jack Bittner of Cliff Lede and Franz Hill, Chateau d’Esclans, Donelan, Ray Coursen of Elyse, Kristine Ashe Vineyards, Sean Larkin of Larkin, Jack Larkin & Tinknocker, Hall, Hirsch, Hourglass, Jordan, Justin Baldwin of Justin, Carissa Mondavi, Miner Family, Eric Munson of Dancing Bear Cellars, Jorge Ordonez of Fine Estates from Spain, Damaris Colhoun of Landmark, Martin Estate, Michael & Fiona Ragg of Mischief and Mayhem, Pride Mountain, Regan Wines, Comte Philippe & Beatrice Senard, Robert Sinskey, Bill ‘DANCING BEAR’ Bishop of Steele & Shooting Star, Tariquet, Dominique Demarville of Veuve Clicquot, Villa Sparina, Wishing Tree…

These are but a few of the all-star cast that is the 2010 Nantucket Wine Festival, but they, in particular, are near and dear to our hearts.  Some of them you hear about a lot, others fly under the radar.  Most, we sell their wines;  some, we just admire.  All will contribute to a stellar 4-day wine experience–I know, because I’ve spent time with almost all of them!

Just this winter, I was in Sonoma, lunching with David Hirsch and his daughter, Jasmine, at their new home on the rugged Sonoma Coast.  It is a 2+ hour drive from Sonoma, over hill and dale, and thus, we named it “Outward Bound” day.  It was a treat hanging with David, a pioneer of this appellation.  Hirsch makes pure, Burgundian-style Pinot Noir and sells his grapes to others such as Littorai, Failla and Siduri.  His Saturday seminar on “The True Sonoma Coast” will be very worthwhile.

Lunch with the Arrowoods

We (meaning Denis Toner of the Nantucket Wine Festival, our friend David Kuhn, Mark Donato and I) also lunched with Alis & Dick Arrowood of Arrowood and Amapola Creek in Glen Ellen.  The Arrowoods are a true wine country success story, in that they built up their label Arrowood, sold to Kendall Jackson (who retained Dick as winemaker), and now they’ve started a boutique label, Amapola Creek.

Ray Coursen & Kristine Ashe

We had dinner with Ray Coursen (Elyse) at Michael Chiarello’s Bottega in Yountville and again enjoyed his company at a winter feast in his home with veteran winemakers Sandy Belcher and John Arns, plus newbie Kristine Ashe.  On other nights, we dined with the Donelan Family team at Cyrus in Healdsburg and had a glass of wine with Carissa Mondavi of Continuum.

I’ve visited many beautiful properties, large and small, and having some of these wineries come to Nantucket brings back wonderful memories.  The vineyards and state–of-the-art caves at Hourglass and Hall are stunning and Justin is by far the most luxurious winery to spend the night in (except for, perhaps, Jordan!).  Pride Mountain is also a special property–Its high elevation, straddling Napa and Sonoma Counties offers terrific views and yields tremendous wines.  And in November, we’ll be back in Beaune to see old friends like Alex Gambal, Michel Anglada and the Senards.

With Michel Anglada at La Ferme de Rolle in Burgundy

Several luminaries I have had the pleasure of hosting at currentVintage.  Eric Munson, Jorge Ordonez and Robert Sinskey have all done store tastings in the past, and this year, we welcome Michael & Fiona Ragg of Mischief & Mayhem and Dominique Demarville, Cellarmaster of Veuve Clicquot.  The Raggs have the distinction of being British winemakers in Burgundy and Demarville made history as the youngest champagne Cellarmaster ever at age 36.

I am such a fan of Bertrand Ambroise and Jack Bittner that I selected the Ambroise Cremant and a Zinfandel from Franz Hill for a spring dinner pairing in a recent issue of Nantucket Today.  Jack is the General Manager of Cliff Lede (where all the parcels are named after rock bands and albums, eg Dark Side of the Moon) and Franz Hill is his own project.  Wines from Shooting Star, Wishing Tree and Domaine de Tariquet are among the value gems of the currentVintage wine collection.

Yes, it’s an all-star cast–Don’t miss these wineries and winemakers at the NWF next week…!

Alex Gambal

Alex Gambal is a festival favorite–As an American in Burgundy, he seems sort of like a hometown hero, even though he’s from D.C.  Here is a bit on Alex from a previous cV Lifestyle post:

http://currentvintage.com/blog/2009/09/27/alex-elyse-a-love-story/

Napa dinner with Kristine Ashe, Ray Coursen, John Arns & Elisabeth English

Ray Coursen of Elyse Winery is another NWF regular and was also featured in the above post.  Ray was deservingly honored as NWF Luminary of the Year in 2009.  I had a couple of excellent dinners with Ray in Yountville this winter, including this fun evening with fellow winemakers Kristine Ashe, maker of Entre Nous and John Arns, maker of outstanding cabs from Arns Winery .

Tasting Amapola Creek wines with Alis & Richard Arrowood

Elisabeth at Cyrus with winemaker Tyler Thomas and Tripp and Joe Donelan of Donelan Family Wines

Eric Munson of Dancing Bear Cellars & Eos with Andy Peay of Peay Vineyards at currentVintage

Elisabeth with Jorge Ordonez (Founder, Fine Estates from Spain) at currentVintage

http://currentvintage.com/blog/2009/09/17/ode-to-jorge/

Hourglass vineyards

Sean Larkin of Larkin Wines

http://currentvintage.com/blog/2009/05/27/six-degrees-to-sean-larkin/

Luxurious suite at Jordan Winery

Amapola plates 2

Amapola plates 1

Jorge Ordonez with Ateca "Atteca" Garnacha

Pioneer. Visionary. Legend.  These words are so overused (often by me)…so what do you call someone who really is a PVL?  In this case, I’ll call him a rock star, because just as a rock star is more than a musician and the president is more than a politician, Jorge Ordonez is more than a wine importer.  He is a rock star of the wine industry, and we’re not simply talking limestone and schist.

Three words are consistently associated with Jorge:

Quality.  Influence.  Charisma.

Before Jumilla was a household word, there was Jorge Ordonez, ambassador of the Spanish wine world.  In the 1980s, Jorge recognized that the Spanish wine trade needed an intervention.  The vines were there, the wines were there, but that wasn’t what was making it into the households of the American consumer.  The good wines were often not so, by the time they were shipped across the Atlantic in un-refrigerated conditions.  Grapes from the oldest vines in the world were being lumped in with new stock, resulting in mass-production plonk.  For the winemakers who were making great wines already, Jorge organized controlled shipping and distribution so that what went into the bottle in Spain was what arrived on our shores.  Recognizing the value in Spain’s pre-phylloxera vine heritage, Jorge championed the potential for low-yield, highly concentrated wines and guided these wines into bottle and ultimately, the international marketplace.

His quality standards from the vine to the restaurant are such that he has raised the level of the entire Spanish wine industry, as others must now compete on the field he has groomed.

Mark Donato & Jorge Ordonez at Cinco restaurant, Nantucket

Jorge’s aggressive management style has influenced every aspect of Spanish wine production from the vineyard to the bottle label.  Some bemoan the modernization of old world wines, but Jorge maintains that he is merely an adviser and only intervenes when asked or needed.  Nevertheless, modern technology has come to Spanish regions that were mere backwaters 20 years ago and dozens of indigenous varietals have reached a wider audience, while outside varietals, eg chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon have been introduced.

Jorge has developed some interesting and influential projects in the last decade.  In addition to importing and consulting, he is now highly regarded producer and his collaborations as well as his own projects have proved extraordinarily successful, in case you haven’t heard…El Nido,  a joint venture with Australian wizards Chris Ringland and Dan Phillips has been called the greatest wine ever to come out of Jumilla.  The “El Nido” is generally 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Monastrell and has received 93-99 points from Robert Parker every year of it’s brief existence since 2002, with it’s cousin Clio not far behind.  That is impressive even to those who pretend they don’t care about points.  These are modern wines:  big, extracted, fruit-forward mouthfuls of wine showing their Australian influence and appealing to an American palate.

Jorge has also endeavored to celebrate the Moscatel of his native Malaga through Jorge Ordonez & Co. a joint venture winery with the late Austrian, Alois Kracher, and his son, Gerhard.  Their original and aromatic Botani Moscatel Seco (high elevation, hand-harvested, air dried) is a revelation in dry Moscatel and the sweet moscatels are superior as well.

Lastly, this leaves charisma.  Just because you can sing doesn’t mean you’re the next Madonna.  You can be the most knowledgeable wino on the planet or represent the best wine in the world, but words will fall on deaf ears without personality and passion behind them.  Jorge’s demanding and dynamic style combined with unflagging determination have brought Spain much recognition and prosperity in just twenty years.  He represents nearly 50 Spanish wineries (which could easily be doubled), holding them each to his exacting standards, regardless of price, and he continues to bring his own innovative and quality wines to the market.  Considered the Martha Stewart or Oprah of the Spanish wine world, vineyards that are not meticulous don’t make the cut and there is a long line of wineries waiting to take their place.

In a nutshell,  since 1987, Jorge Ordonez has saved the Spain’s old vines from the tractor, brought them to their true potential, and then educated the world of their value.  It is exciting to think what the next twenty may bring…!

Jorge Ordonez wine tasting at currentVintage:

5-7 Monday, September 21, 2009

508.228.5073

Nantucket Food Pantry dinner at Cinco

Featuring Jorge Ordonez and wines of Fine Estates from Spain

6:00 Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Watch Jorge Ordonez interview on The Wine Library

Bottom two photos Courtesy of Gene Mahon, www.mahonabouttown.com

top photo courtesy of www.elephantjournal.com