SIP SOMM - Sake & Wine Tasting

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2022 Updates!

Here are some quick updates from 2022!

I’ve received the lucky chance to revive a hidden gem bar called Hotel Biron in Hayes Valley, San Francisco. This project allows me to do many cool things like curate art, create the entire wine list & menu, advertise and make awesome wine/sake events with brands and people I respect.

I also took the crazy Stage 2 MW test in the summer of 2021. I didn’t pass, but didn’t do completely awful. There is hope! I deferred this year, but have recently met a lot of great wine professionals that have inspired me to continue for the right reasons.

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I am continuing to write for Sake Times. So far, writing has been a serious challenge for me. It’s one thing to have a knack for words and language, it’s another to write in a particular voice, for a specific audience and know when to hold back or emphasize a point. It’s more of a creative process than I ever expected. I luckily have great mentors guiding me forward as I slowly, but surely learn the ropes of journalism.

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Hooray! Fifth Taste Sake School has added SSA to the curriculum, which means we are the first school on the west coast to offer the Introductory Sake Professional Course (ISP), as well as the Certified Sake Sommelier Course (CSS).

Next up: Teaching wine courses for Odyssey Wine Academy in Healdsburg, CA! I currently teach WSET levels 1-3 and had the great opportunity to develop my own sake class for the company called, ‘Kanpai! An Introduction to Sake for Wine Lovers.’ My next class is Friday, April 14th, come join us!

Sip Somm 'Fermented Gems' - March 31st, 2021

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Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen Hommage Fruited Lambic, Far West Cider Co. 'You Guava Be Kidding Me' and Brouwerij der St. Benedictusabdij de Achelse Trappist Achel 8° Blond Bier

This video was inspired by an impromptu visit to the small beer shop Ale Tales in Albany, CA. They have a lot of rare and unique beers, so it’s easy to get carried away in there! My boyfriend instigated the trip since he wanted to pick up some Original Pattern brews on our way to sunset at Albany Bulb. I wasn’t planning on buying anything, but I saw a few things that struck my fancy. One was a gigantic Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen from Beersel, Belgium. It must’ve been a magnum (1.5L) and was selling for $99. I spotted a much smaller bottle of Fonteinen Hommage quickly after and knew it was time to revisit this legendary lambic brewery.

Far West Cider Co. is one of my favorite cideries period! They source their fruit from a 4th generation farm in San Joaquin County, just east of the East Bay and ferments their products at Rigger’s Point in Richmond, CA. ‘You Guava Be Kidding Me,’ has an addition of Brazilian pink guava after fermentation.

Lastly, I picked up a bottle of Trappist Achel 8° Blond by the famous Brouwerij der St. Benedictusabdij de Achelse. I had heard recently that there are no more Trappist monks in the area. Since the abbey will now fall under the jurisdiction of the Trappist Abbey of Westmalle, the beer will continue to be brewed. There are other rules and regulations regarding Trappist products, so this brand may have to adjust the labeling and remove the Trappist wording to reflect the recent change. I was eager to grab a bottle before the classic labeling is gone.

Once I made it to the cash register, I realized that the Fonteinen had no price tag. It ended up being a whopping $29.99 for a 375ml bottle of lambic! That is similar to buying a half bottle of Champagne! I went with it considering it’s quite rare to find and I was excited to taste it. This one was Hommage which was brewed with 30% whole fresh raspberries and 5% sour cherries. When I finally opened the bottle on camera, I noticed a beautiful bright ruby/orange color and very minimal mousse. The nose was impressive with a rich scent of stewed cherries and raspberries. Surprisingly, there was no vinegary VA or brett funk. The palate is where things got interesting. I knew this was a sour beer by nature, but it was completely dry and SO sour! Maybe the most sour beer I have ever tasted. The only beer I can remember being this tart is Jolly Pumpkin’s Madrugada Obscura ‘Dark Dawn’ from Dexter, Michigan. It’s a totally different style, but the sourness hit me just the same. These beers are so intense they put Warheads to shame and it feels like they’re splitting your soul in half.

You guava be kidding me. Seriously! These jars contain the same cider from the can in the middle! Silly me did not realize I should tilt the bottle to and fro beforehand. Give it a light shake!

Putting Far West Cider Co.’s guava cider right next to one of the most celebrated and high quality lambics (that can also rip your face off) wasn’t really fair. I couldn’t assess this one accurately with such an esoteric beverage before it. The bubbles were bigger and more abrasive. There was only a hint of sweetness which complemented the guava and apple tones. When I finished the video and poured the rest of the cider into small jars to drink later, I realized that most of the guava purée had fallen to the bottom! I had two jars of cider from the same can that looked completely different. One was golden in color and the other dark pink!

When I got to the Belgian Blond, I was in beer heaven. These three beverages had such varying bubbles, it was incredible! I poured the Achel 8° Blond on its side and I still had half a mug full of foam. The foam itself was soft and pillow-like. It had very subtle aromas of malt and sugar. The malty character of this beer inspired me to suggest it to Budweiser drinkers who want to upgrade. The low hop content with beer-like essence and a touch of banana was super pleasing paired with its frothy medium body. I love this beer and I am so glad it will continue to be produced, even without the Trappist labeling! By the way, there are only five official Trappist breweries left! Those are Westvleteren, Orval, Chimay (the most famous), Westmalle (my favorite) and Rochefort (my other favorite!). Seek these gems out! They are truly amazing quality beers with reasonable craft beer price tags.

This entire video was a lesson in knowing what you are buying and why. Watch it here on Youtube and experience what it's like to pick out rare and reputable products then be surprised by them! Prost!

Sip Somm 'SPRING NAMAZAKE' Flight - March 26th, 2021

It’s my favorite time of the year! The release of seasonal namazake! Namas are made in all four seasons, but the most exciting releases are in the Spring and Autumn. Some brands are year round, but these are brewed, bottled and shipped out late winter forgoing any pasteurization (most sake are pasteurized twice before release). They are limited quantities and refrigeration is a must, so supply and demand is a real thing! Spring namas are definitely the most sought after considering they are made to express the season itself with trees in bloom and warm sunlit days. It’s a welcome change after a long cold winter! Many spring namas have fruit forward flavor profiles with a hint of sweetness to bring out the amazing aromatics. I was so excited to taste through this year’s array of offerings. Some breweries I taste yearly and new ones occasionally pop up too.

The first sake of the flight is Sakai Shuzo’s Gokyo Arabashiri Junmai Nama Genshu from Yamaguchi, Japan. Arabashiri refers to the first pressing (sake is pressed in 3 sections) and you could liken this section to ‘free run’ in the wine world. No pressure is put on the sake for the arabashiri and it is very fresh. It also occasionally has a touch of spritz to it! Gokyo is one of my favorite spring namas hands down due to its ability to truly embody that freshness. The aromas this year were full of pineapple, bubblegum and citrus. There was less of a spritz than previous years and the alcohol sharpness stuck out a bit. I love to age Gokyo, so even though that’s not what the brewer intended, I prefer more softness to my arabashiri!

I usually buy two bottles yearly, one to open fresh and one to lay down. The richness of the sake develops over time and the flavors become more flavorful. It’s pretty amazing! It also seems counterintuitive to age a sake that is recommended to drink within 4 months of the bottling date and requires refrigeration. But if you age it at fridge temps unopened, you are perfectly safe (at least based on my sake industry friends experience as well as my own!). This sake is also a genshu with a 17.5% alcohol content, making it zesty and alive as well as it having a hot rawness that adds even more complexity to the brew. The price is $39 with an SMV +1 and 1.8 acidity.

Fukucho Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu ‘Moon on the Water’ was raved about by the True Sake staff when I went to buy my yearly supply of spring nama! I was excited to find out what all the hype was about. The nose was very subtle, but the soft and well-integrated aromas with subdued alcohol content and medium + body was a match made in balance heaven. I got a bit of persimmon and savory tropical fruits on the palate, but this brew is all about drinkability.

This is high class sake if there ever was one! Miho Imada, toji and owner of Imada Shuzo Honten in Hiroshima was awarded one of the slots on BBC’s 100 Women of the Year for 2020. She is one of the most successful women master brewers in an industry that has only presently has about 30 women in the head role. She has also revitalized a lesser known sake rice called Hattanso, created her own hybrid yeast starters and has used white koji to create more acidity in her sparkling junmai called Fukucho Seaside. It’s 2021, so what better way to support women than to enjoy a bottle or two of Fukucho!

(This bottle is $46, but may be sold out for the year. Contact True Sake for more info).

Last but not least is a sake that hasn’t been imported for the past 6 years but is back in action! Kamikokoro Toukagen ‘Heart of God’ Tokubetsu Junmai Nama Genshu from Okayama. It was $39 and was in high demand, so unfortunately it is already sold out!

This sake had virtually no nose at first. I had to let it sit for a bit before it started expressing itself. Once it did, I realized it had the scent of water itself… the kind of aroma that can accumulate in a vessel if the water has distinct minerality. Slowly, more aromas arose. White cherries and poppyseed came into play, which was exciting. The sake is the sweetest of the three with an SMV of -8, making it slightly off-dry. The sake is made with yeast derived from Okayama white peaches! I didn’t get peach aromas outright, but the cherry notes seemed to represent the fruity esters. This is a fun brewery with a mascot known as Yoshimi Yoneno. She’s a cute piece of milled rice and adorns some of their merchandise. Check out this cool brewery when their products are back in stock!

Make sure to grab yourself some spring nama while they still last, bring it to the park, enjoy the shade of some cherry blossoms in perfect bloom while you enjoy the essence of Japan itself in liquid form! Kanpai!

Sip Somm 'Wines of Germany' Flight - March 8-12, 2021

This was a fun video considering the wine bug that bit me was a spätlese riesling by Maximin Grünhauser. It’s always fun to go back to your first love! Germany is well known for its white wines, particularly riesling, but is coming into its own with light bodied reds such as lemberger, pinot noir and more! This flight included 2 wines from the 2013 vintage, Darting Weissburgunder Sekt and Schnaitmann Riesling Götzenberg Grosses Gewächs. Weingut Aldinger Trollinger Trocken 2013 and the previously mentioned GG are both from Württemberg.

I was so excited to taste the Schnaitmann that I opened it about 3 or 4 days before I filmed the video. When I first opened it, it had significant petrol and lime aromas as well as some jasmine.

After opening up a day or two later, ripe pineapple and smooth crème notes were revealed on the palate. One of the most impressive things about this wine is the obvious character of ripe grapes, but with absolutely no sugar (in reality, it probably clocks in at 2-3 g/l). GG’s are required by the VDP to be dry wines from Grosse Lage (similar to Grand Cru) vineyards. Since the VDP is driven by quality and vineyard site, there is a tendency for the Prädikatswein classifications to be left off of the labels. For instance, If you want to know if your GG has grapes ripened to Kabinett level, unless they indicate it somewhere on the label, you will have to do more research. You could easily look up the Oechsle (measurement of the density of grape must) of the wine on a tech sheet, but this is less convenient for consumers. I myself am always looking for supreme Auslese Trocken styles (83-100 degrees Oechsle). This wine delivered the goods!

Darting’s Weissburgunder Sekt was made in the traditional method similar to Champagne. This is indicated on the label as, ‘Klassische Flaschengärung’ which means ‘classic bottle fermentation.’ The mousse was frothy, yet silky smooth and the palate was full of golden apples, lemon curd and vanilla pudding. Very pleasing!

Last but not least was the VDP.Gutswein red by Weingut Aldinger! This was a trocken style of the grape variety trollinger, also known in NE Italy as schiava. It was light bodied, but with a nice amount of concentration on the palate. Cherry and earth dominated, but the nose was a bouquet of purple and red flowers. Beautiful!

Sip Somm 'Ippodo Tea' Flight - March 6th, 2021

This week I took a break from booze and featured my favorite tea company called Ippodo Tea Co. They are located in the Nakagyo Ward, just south of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, Japan. They have been in business for over 300 years. Rihei Watanabe opened a tea shop called Omiya in 1717, which was then renamed Ippodo in 1846 by request of one of their Imperial family customers, Prince Yamashina. The meaning of the name is ‘preserve one’ and that’s exactly what the Prince hoped and intended. He wished that Ippodo would forever exist to bring fine teas to its customers. It is still owned by the Watanabe family today.

In this video, I focused on their One-Pot Teabag series. They were easily purchased through Ippodo’s USA and Canadian online store. Shipping is free over $39 which is a nice gesture.

I originally tasted Ippodo tea at an exquisite minimalist restaurant called Kajitsu in NYC. They feature vegan Shojin Ryori cuisine originally developed by Zen Buddhist monks in the 13th century. I have enjoyed many interesting beverages at this restaurant (their tasting menu changes with the seasons), but one of my favorite discoveries is the barley tea they offer cold brew style. I was already a big fan of mugicha since being introduced to it iced cold by a friend during a hot New York City summer. The one at Kajitsu was from Ippodo and it was otherworldy. Rich caramel and toasted barley aromas pair with a broad silky texture. The tea comes in their One-Pot style as well. Silly me didn’t buy a bag of it for this video because I wanted to check out all of their other offerings. Only a few years back I was unable to purchase Ippodo tea unless I visited Japan myself or went to their location in NYC. Now with their online store, I can have their products delivered anytime which is incredible!

The Kuki Sencha tea was all stems, but still gave off an elevated sophistication this type of tea is associated with. It was mellow, with subtle leafy vegetal notes. The Gyokuro is a green tea picked from plants that have been grown under shade which maximizes umami. It definitely had a more buttery texture than the sencha, but had less character overall. It was very pleasing and easy to drink. I made all of these teas both hot and cold brew to taste the differences. The Gyokuro was more powerful cold, but more pleasing warm.

Next was the Kuki Hojicha, all stems but roasted to perfection. Based on how the hot vs. cold brews tasted I think this tea shows much better warm. The roasted wild tea flavor with a strong earthiness matches so well to a higher temperature and is a pleasure to drink.

The last tea I tasted was Iribancha, a locally famous Kyoto tea. It is made in the large one-pot style due to high demand. Based on the instructions on the back of the back, it seemed as though it wasn’t recommended cold, which is incorrect. After reading more about this tea on Ippodo’s website, they do recommend it chilled, but you have to brew it with hot water first. When I opened the bag, I couldn’t believe the intensity of the aromas. It smells just like tobacco leaves! Anyone who has an aversion to cigarettes may have a hard time with this one. It was extremely smoky and bonfire-like. I much prefer this tea served hot! The cold rendition reminded me of watery ashtray. This is by no means a review of low quality though, quite the opposite actually! For someone who enjoys this type of tea, I can guarantee that this is one of the best of its type. It had tons of flavor and aroma, it just doesn’t suit my personal taste. I recommend trying this tea at least once to experience a historical beverage from Kyoto that’s practically unknown to foreigners!

Sip Somm 'Spirits of México' Flight - February 22-27, 2021

From the left: Rancho Tepúa Bacanora Blanco, Aconchi, Sonora, La Higuera Sotol, Aldama, Chihuahua and Yuu Baal Madrecuixe Joven Mezcal, Santa Maria La Pila, Oaxaca.

Spirit #1: The first spirit featured this week is La Higuera Sotol from Aldama, Chihuahua. The Mexican state of Chihuahua is located east of Sonora and south of New Mexico and Texas. The plant used for this spirit is a relative of agave called Dasylirion Wheeleri, more commonly known as ‘Desert Spoon’ or ‘Spoon Yucca.’ It used to be classified as agave, but due to a recent change in taxonomy, they veer off from each other at genus level. This spirit is very similar to an agave-based one on the palate. Although it has a lighter texture, it would be very hard to tell apart in a blind tasting. This elegant spirit is a little over 90 proof with aromas of unripe pineapple, green melon and spearmint.

Spirit #2: Next up is Rancho Tepúa from Aconchi, Sonora. This rancho owned by Roberto and Lupita Contreras Mayoral is nestled in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. They use brick lined pits to roast the piñas with mesquite wood, which imparts a touch of smokiness. The agave used here is called agave pacifica, which is a bit smaller than most other agave with a 4 foot height and width on average.

Bacanora can only be made in the state of Sonora and was illegal for almost 80 years. The prohibition lasted from 1915-1992. Plutarco Elías Calles, the governor of Sonora who eventually became the President of México, felt that drinking bacanora was hedonistic. He was very religious and thought this highly profitable industry was out of control. He banned all bacanora production and went as far as hanging or shooting anyone who defied his orders. People continued to produce this spirit in hiding and it became known as “Mexican moonshine” and the “Secret of Sonora.” Once the popularity of tequila and mezcal took off, these old rules were abolished. Bacanora is slowly but surely making a comeback. This one had aromas of jalapeño, fresh cut green bell pepper and lime rind. It had a richer texture than the sotol, which seems to be the main differentiation between dasylirion wheeleri and agave based spirits.

Spirit #3: Yuu Baal Madrecuixe Joven Mezcal, from Santa Maria La Pila, Oaxaca. Mezcal can be made from 8 designated regions of Mexico, but Oaxaca is the most famous and most associated with high quality. Grupo Yuu Baal is a 100% Mexican owned company that features reputable mezcaleros from Oaxaca. This one is made by Alberto Ortiz using the madrecuixe plant, also known as agave karwinskii. This type of agave is not spherical like most, but tall and cylindrical, reaching up to six feet in height. The piñas are denser and drier, which impart more floral and vegetal notes when distilled. It was fermented with wild yeast and roasted in stone hornos (above ground ovens). The most potent aromas on the nose were clay pot and roasted peanut skin. It also had a light cologne smell. On the palate there was some jasmine, grass and subtle kiwi fruit. The intensity of the aromas on both nose and palate were high and the texture was full. This is a 96 proof spirit that goes down easy!

I also ended up tasting Sauza Silver Tequila for a comparison to the smaller production products. The aromas were not as complex, the alcohol harsher even though it’s only 80 proof and the texture was thinner. There was some interesting aroma happening…dried herbs, cotton candy and a lot of black pepper on the palate. Sauza is made with 51% blue agave and 49% other fermentable sugars. It was very obvious that this beverage was made with less agave and how much these plants can impart flavor in a spirit. That is the fun part about agave in general. Most spirits rely on purity (vodka), herbs (gin) or aging techniques (whiskey) to get flavor. But the agave provides all of it here and these products let it shine unadulterated. The smoky aspect of the bacanora and mezcal only heighten the experience of these interesting flavors.

I also brought up the issues regarding sustainabilty of blue agave clonal plantings for tequila production. Biodiversity is becoming a problem and disappearing due to high demands for agave. These plants are harvested before flowering to maintain inulin and energy in the piñas. If they were allowed to flower, some of that energy would be depleted. Bats are their natural pollinators and not allowing agave to flower is destroying the ecosystem. Trying to seek out ‘bat friendly’ tequila producers is essential for the survival of these amazing plants. Any tequila bottle with the bat friendly label devotes at least 5% of their plantings to flowering.

Supporting this project allows bats to continue thriving and pollinating agave plants naturally, which creates healthy diversity. It’s also worth eschewing agave nectar products. Agave are slow to mature plants and when harvested for nectar production, they are processed very young. It’s also marketed as a healthy sugar substitute, but nothing could be farther from the truth. It is 60% fructose and more similar to high fructose corn syrup than white sugar. Help sustain the life of these amazing species by banning agave nectar, seeking out bat friendly tequila and supporting traditional producers of mezcal, sotol and bacanora!

Sip Somm 'CRAFT BEER' Flight - February 15-19, 2021

FROM THE LEFT: Kizakura Matcha IPA, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto Japan - Fieldwork ‘Sherbet Dip’ Kettle Sour Ale, Berkeley, California - Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen, Bamberg, Bavaria Germany

Beer #1: This brew is one of a kind! Kizakura’s KYOTO Matcha IPA from Fushimi Ward in Kyoto, Japan is super high quality, but is an acquired taste! Matcha is ground green tea leaves that are steeped in water as a powder and create a rich, frothy tea. Most people who try matcha for the first time pretty much despise it. Yet, for those of us who have a long relationship with it, there is nothing like it! It is a staple ingredient in many Japanese sweets and it’s exciting to see it featured in beer form. The matcha itself is from Uji, Kyoto, which has one of the greatest reputations for matcha production. Kizakura Shuzo also brews sake, which is how I first learned about the company. When I visited Fushimi last year, I made sure to stop at Kizakura’s gift shop and restaurant complex called Kizakura Kappa Country. Their mascot is a yōkai folklore monster called the ‘kappa.’ I found myself wandering into their closed kappa museum (the door was unlocked and I can’t read Japanese!) and learned a ton about this unusual, slightly perverted and masochistic creature. They are amphibious and have an indentation on the top of their heads called a ‘sara’ which has to be filled with liquid whenever the kappa wanders onto dry land. Kappas are known for causing havoc and occasionally drowning humans, but they have some redeeming qualities. What a strange and hilarious character to represent a sake brewery! I assume it’s due to his connection to water and agriculture (if you happen to befriend a kappa, they may agree to irrigate your land).

It’s me with some of my favorite kooky brews! :D

Beer #2: The next beer comes from my favorite local brewery called Fieldwork Brewing Co. Their first location was established in late 2014 and is a short bike ride from my house. They now have 7 locations after having been in operation only 5-6 years! They do a great job with their brews to say the least. They always have a classic stout, pilsner and the like, but their talent shines with their wide array of IPAs and sour beers. The one I featured today is called Sherbet Dip. It is a kettle sour ale brewed with raspberries, oranges, limes, pineapple, vanilla and milk sugar. It also clocks in at 9% abv! Pretty crazy, it’s almost unnoticeable. It has a powerful fruit-driven nose, almost exactly like sherbet. I’ll admit I haven’t had sherbet in almost 2 decades, but it smells just as I remember. This is a highly successful brew! The sour aspect really balances the fruit notes and helps to hide the alcohol content. I could only notice the high abv when really concentrating on the slight chalky, vitamin-esque taste on the palate. Otherwise, this beer is pure perfection!

Beer #3: Rauchbier aka ‘smoked beer’ has been on my top ten list for many years now. I remember the first time I tried it and thinking, ‘holy shit, this is beer?’ It tastes like liquified campfire and smoked sausage. Located in Bamberg, Bavaria Germany, Aecht Schlenkerla is one of only two breweries left in the country that make this style. It was a nice surprise to find out that Schlenkerla actually makes a bunch of different rauchbiers. They make a Märzen, Weizen, Urbock, Dopplebock, Fastenbier, Kräusen, Hansla (low-alcohol) and Pale Lager. They also distill their beers; making smoky interpretations of whiskey and schnapps. After doing some research on this brewery, I want to plan a trip to Germany asap! I have had this country on my travel list for a long time, but the idea of visiting historic Bamberg might turn this fantasy into a reality. One disclaimer from this week’s video: I mentioned the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516. I mistakenly mentioned the only ingredients allowed were malt, hops, water and eventually yeast. This is mostly true, but the malt has to be made of barley. Wheat and rye are not allowed. Believe it or not, this law seems archaic, but is still in existence! I hope this flight opened the eyes of non-beer drinkers and nerds alike! Prost!

Sip Somm 'SPANISH REDS' Flight - February 8-12, 2021

FROM THE LEFT: Alvaro Palacios ‘Camins del Priorat’ Priorat, Catalonia 2019 - Bodegas LAN Gran Reserva Rioja 2011 - Envínate ‘Benje’ Tinto Red, Tenerife, Canary Islands 2019.

Wine #1: I tasted these wines in a different order from the picture on the right. I started with the Envínate ‘Benje’ Tinto Red 2019 from Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. I was excited to try this high elevation, terroir-driven red from volcanic island soils. It is mostly the grape Listan Prieto (also known as Mission or País) blended with a bit of Tintilla. Unfortunately, this wine reeked of brettanomyces, a spoilage yeast which at certain proportions renders the wine practically undrinkable. There are small amounts of brett in the famous syrah wines from Cornas in the Northern Rhône and it is a highly acceptable characteristic. I’d even said it’s quintessential and preferred. With Cornas, brett adds muscle and complexity. With this wine, it was the opposite. The barnyard funk was extremely powerful.

On the palate, I could pick up some savory red currant and cranberry, but not much else. This wine would be a hit with natty wine drinkers paired with some snobbish conversation, fermented pickles and weird cheese.

Wine #2: Next up was Alvaro Palacios. He was born into a famous Rioja winemaking family of 9 siblings. He studied enology and worked for Château Pétrus in Bordeaux, France. He came back to his home country but was intrigued by the old vineyards of Priorat. This one was a blend of 35% garnacha, 24% syrah, 17% cabernet sauvignon, 11% cariñena, 10% merlot and 3% other varieties. It is a 2019 vintage, so it did need a bit of air. After sitting in the glass for about ten minutes, the wine started to express a lot of aroma on both the nose and the palate. Pretty notes of grilled black plum, violets and jammy purple fruits shined with a nice backbone of tar and leather. There were some grippy tannins and a good amount of acidity, which makes me think this wine could age beautifully for 5-7 years.

Wine #3: I am on the hunt for all types of different Rioja as I continue to study for my Stage 2 Masters of Wine practical exam coming up. Rioja is something I’ll get right immediately or totally screw up. Part of that has to do with the Rioja DOCa allowing a plethora of grape varieties in various percentages to exist in the blends. Tempranillo is always the primary grape and it can even be a 100% varietal bottling legally. But usually there is a proportion of garnacha, as well as graciano, mazuelo (same grape as cariñena aka carignan) and the lesser known maturana tinta (genetically identical to the grape trousseau from Jura, France but classified as a distinct Spanish variety). I rarely see the last grape mentioned in blends… I only know about it from Rioja’s consejo regulador website. The other issue with Rioja is that it can be a generic non-aged bottling, it can be crianza, reserva or gran reserva aging levels and it can be aged in new and/or used barrels which are usually American, French or a blend of both. All of these factors make blinding Rioja extremely difficult! This wine had 94% tempranillo with 6% mazuelo. The mazuelo gave a lot of color and purple-fruited power. The blend of American and French oak gave toasty, herbal (kind of dill-like) aromas, with vanilla and some honeycomb as it opened up. The tertiary aging aromas were delicate, but there. Mostly almond and briny olives were present. This 2011 bottling could probably successfully age another 8 years or so, but is drinking well now.

Sip Somm 'SWEET SAKE' Flight - February 1-5, 2021

Yamamoto Honke ‘Yuzu Omoi’ from Fushimi Kyoto and Takachiyo 59 Junmai Nama Red Sake Yeast

Sake #1: Yuzu Omoi by Yamamoto Honke in Fushimi, Kyoto was the first sweet sake to be featured this week. It is the best yuzu infused sake available in the US market and I was excited to share it on video! The SMV is -70, so it is very sweet. But it also has an acidity reading of 11 (most sakes fall between 1-2), which balances out the intensity of the sugar and makes the yuzu pop. Think of a sweet lemonade on a hot summer’s day! On their website, they recommend heating it up in the winter, which was a new concept to me. I had only ever enjoyed this sake super cold to almost freezing. When I experimented with heating, I got it to tobikirikan (133F) and the first thing I noticed was the pungent citrus smelling steam coming off the top. On the palate, the sake became a bit less sweet and the acidity was intensified. I am happy to know I can enjoy Yuzu Omoi freezing cold in the summer, as well as pipping hot in the winter!

Sake #2: The next sake is a semi-sweet Junmai Nama with a pale red color. It’s called 59 Takachiyo ‘Red Sake Yeast’ from Minamiuonuma, Niigata. The yeast is a mutation of kyokai kobo #10, where a compound develops inside the yeast cells which then oxidizes and changes the color of the sake. Pretty cool! There were aromas of vanilla bean, steamed rice and papaya on the nose, with some peaches on the palate. This is an interesting sake, but it lacks complexity and dimension. It is also unpasteurized, which I didn’t even notice while tasting it. The semi-sweet character with some elevated acidity (not as high as the yuzu-shu) was what stood out the most. I was hoping for a more fulfilling experience, as this sake costs $47 for a 500ml bottle!

Four of the 7 kitkats featured in my video! From the left… Masuda Shuzoten Masuizumi Karakuchi Sake KitKat, Niizawa Sake Brewery Yogurt-Shu KitKat from Niigata, Hamakawa Shoten Yuzu-shu KitKat from Kochi and Heiwa Shuzo Umeshu KitKat from Wakayama.

Secret Video: Sweet sake week ended with a surprise video. The theme was… sake KITKATS! While doing some research, I realized that since the first sake kitkat was released in 2016, there have been six more styles and 5 of them are brewery specific! The original sake kitkat seems to no longer be produced. It’s a sad fact, because that was my favorite of them all! It had a white chocolate coating, with sake flavor between the wafers with some banana notes. Oh well! The new basic sake kitkat comes from a brewery called Masuda Shuzoten from Toyama Prefecture. They use sake from their Masuizumi brand and it is actually karakuchi, which means it’s a dry sake. The kitkat was still sweet, but the sake taste was more severe. Next up was Niizawa Sake Brewery’s yogurt-shu. This one smelled like mozzarella, tasted like sweet fresh cream and then got very tangy, bitter and acidic. I think they were trying to replicate that authentic yogurt flavor. Not my favorite, but very complex and I think it could grow on me! The remainder of the kitkats were yuzu-shu from Hamakawa Shoten in Kochi, ume-shu by Heiwa Shuzo in Wakayama and a Daiginjo style kitkat by Sakura Masamune in Hyogo. One of the six was not brewery specific, and that was the Sakura Sake kitkat made for hanami, aka cherry blossom viewing season. I threw in a ‘sparkling wine with strawberries’ kitkat which was probably my least favorite of all. I think it’s nearly impossible to replicate the flavor of sparkling wine in a candy, so this was kind of a fail. It had pleasing strawberry aromas, but the wine part just tastes weird and off. Check out the video here: Sake KitKats!

Sip Somm Sparkling Flight - January 25-29, 2021

From the left: Treveri Riesling ‘Demi Sec’ Sparkling Wine, Columbia Valley, Washington - Mio Sparkling Sake, Nada, Japan - Gruet ‘Sauvage’ Blanc de Blancs, New Mexico, USA.

Sparkling #1: I was happy to begin sparkling week with an outstanding rendition of riesling from Yakima Valley AVA in Columbia Valley, Washington. It is made by Treveri Cellars, one of the only sparkling wine houses in the state. Jürgen Grieb, head winemaker and owner, studied riesling winemaking and traditional method sparkling wine in Trier, Germany before moving to Washington in 1982. He has been working in the USA ever since and founded Treveri in 2010. They make a wide array of sparkling wines, but the riesling is my absolute fave. Pretty aromas of apples, flowers and citrus fill the nose, then the palate pleases with stone fruit (peach) and continues on with orchard notes (pear, apple etc). There is fresh acidity and lots of sweetness, but all the elements of this bubbly are perfectly balanced. This sparkling wine is only $17 a bottle and can be ordered directly from the winery. Pairings ideas include classic German dishes like schnitzel with braised cabbage or sausage and sauerkraut. For an American option, I’d do homemade mac and cheese! Speaking of cheese, a pungent Gorgonzola Dolce or a soft buttery La Tur would pair beautifully. For dessert, I’d match it with panna cotta, flaky apple tart or just drink it by itself! Try a bottle and see what you think!

Sparkling #2: MIO Sparkling Sake Sho Chiku Bai Shirakabegura from Nada, Japan was our second bubbly of the week. This is a very easy sake to find in stores across the USA, which is why I chose to make a video with it. Takara Shuzo in Fushimi, Kyoto is the mother company, but this sake is brewed in their facility in Nadagogo; a famous sake production region known for its mineral rich Miyamizu water. MIO is definitely a sake for beginners. It has an ample amount of sweetness, with aromas of fresh dough, rice and vanilla. The sweetness is balanced by a sour-like acid. There is a touch of fruitiness too, but it is hard to pinpoint specifically. The MIO brand like to market itself as a sake you can drink anytime, with friends on Zoom (pandemic friendly!), during sporting events and on glamping vacations. Mio is fresh and fun, with an alcohol content of only 5%. Its purpose is to grab consumers from other beverage categories and get them into sake. Taste the gateway drug known as MIO!

Sparkling #3: First off, today is Friday, January 29th and it is my 35th birthday! It is the last birthday I can openly admit to (it’s all downhill from here! …kidding). To honor the occasion, I picked a racy blanc de blancs from New Mexico called Sauvage. This wild, bone-dry sparkler exceeded my expectations! It is chock full of bright citrus aromas, with some very delicate white flower notes and a touch of toasted bread. The mousse is aggressive, but refreshing. It is classified as a zero dosage style meaning it has no added sugar before release. Therefore, its searingly high acidity was showcased splendidly. It really does taste like a bone dry blanc de blancs from Champagne proper! That could be because the Gruet family is originally from Bethon, France, just west of the Côte de Sezanne. This is such a great example of New Mexico’s potential. It gave me inspiration to go visit this small wine producing state and see what else its 50+ wineries have to offer! New Mexico is one of the first states to grow Vitis Vinifera, the vine species most commonly associated with wine production. In 1629, Spanish missionaries smuggled in Pais, aka the ‘Mission’ grape from their home country for sacramental wine. There is rich history here. One of the other cool aspects is that most of the vineyards are grown at very high elevation. The vineyards Gruet works with are planted between 4,245 - 5,110 feet. This kind of elevation provides hot days and cool nights which ripens grapes, yet maintains acidity. Their sandy loam soils promote drainage and sweeping winds that flow through the vineyards naturally keep pests at bay. Grab this sparkling in your local wine shop! It is available in every state in the nation and is super affordable for such incredible quality. Try it with oysters on the half shell!

Sip Somm 'NAMAZAKE' Flight - January 18-22, 2021

(from the left) Akishika Shuzo ‘Super Dry’ Okarakuchi Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu, Yucho Shuzo’s Kaze no Mori ‘Wind of the Woods’ Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu, Takenotsuyu Shuzo’s Hakurosuishu Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama Genshu. What a lineup! : )

Sake #1: Our second full week of Sip Somm videos started with the glorious Okarakuchi ‘Super Dry’ Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu by Akishika Shuzo from Osaka Prefecture. It is brewed with locally grown Yamada Nishiki, from contracted farmers that do not use any additives or chemical pesticides. The sake is unpasteurized (nama) which means live enzymes, microorganisms and some yeast still exist in the bottle and have not been subdued by heating. The brewery does not charcoal filter (muroka) and this sake is not diluted with brewing water (genshu), leaving the alcohol content at 18%. The Sake Meter Value (SMV or Nihonshu-do) clocks in at an epic +18! That is a super dry sake for sure! The flavor profile on this brew is so singular and unforgettable. Aromas of fresh dough, cacao nibs and vanilla frosting exhilarate the senses then combine with the crazy dry and acidic palate, that has those same flavors with a touch of sea salt. This sake is the ultimate food pairing partner! It can go with very flavorful, spicy, salty and even sweet dishes. Almost everyone says to never pair a dry beverage with a sweet dessert, but in this case I beg to differ!

Sake #2: Next up… Kaze no Mori ‘Wind of the Woods’ by Yucho Shuzo. This brewery is located in Nara Prefecture and utilizes locally grown rice and fresh brewing water. Their brand Takacho is made using the bodaimoto yeast starter sourced from Shoryakuji Temple where the technique originated. Very few breweries receive this moto, so quantities of Takacho sake are extremely limited. That’s where the brand Kaze no Mori steps in and provides a more modern and innovative take on sake production. This sake is a Junmai, with a 60% milling rate and only kome-koji, rice, yeast and water used during brewing. It is muroka, so it hasn’t been charcoal filtered and is considered nama genshu, just like Sake #1. One major difference is the SMV. This one is +2.5, so it’s still in the dry realm but it is much less dry than the previous. The acidity level is also lower at 1.8, so the viscosity as well as the perceived sweetness is a bit higher. That is a plus, because this sake is rich in tropical fruit and pear aromas, which continue onto the palate with flavors of fruit cocktail, papaya and light umami. It is medium bodied and has a quintessential spritz (some Co2 left after pressing). This brand is a cult classic and is sought after in Japan and beyond!

Sake #3: The last sake of the flight is truly one of my top 5 favorite sakes EVER! This nama is available year-round (as are all of these, while supplies last!) and hails from Yamagata Prefecture in Tohoku. It is a blend of Dewasansan and Miyamanishiki rice varieties. They use a blend of local yeast strains and are very proud of their soft water which flows down from the three Dewa mountains which surround the brewery. The SMV is +1 and acidity 1.4, so automatically there is more of a plump texture and perceived sweetness here. It is not like drinking a -3 sake where there is obvious sugar existing, more of just an essence of sweet, kind of like a light powdered sugar that gives life to the rest of the flavor profile. On the nose, there are candied cherries, lemon rind and fresh peach. On the palate, all of those flavors are present plus some orchard fruits and black sesame. I love the umami aspect and how the sake finishes dry. All of that power and intensity, but your palate is refreshed by the end and not weighed down. I could drink this sake all day! If you would like to try these cool brews, check out truesake.com for current availability. Kanpai!

Sip Somm 'Italy & France Flight' - January 11-15, 2021

Sip Somm’s first ever wine flight! Guided Tasting videos post every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!

As I mentioned in my most recent article, I have just started a fledgling Youtube channel focused on viewer interaction and guided wine & sake tasting. Three French and Italian wines were featured last week and though I had various lighting issues, the video content came out pretty good!

Wine #1 - Domaine Ostertag Riesling ‘Clos Mathis’ Alsace, France 2018. I was very excited to pop this cork even though I knew this wine had major potential for aging. 2018 was a wet vintage early in the year, but turned out to be quite warm overall. That enhanced ripening of other varieties in the region, but resulted in softer acidity for Riesling bottlings. The mellower expression made it much easier to drink at a young age. Notes of lime peel, jasmine and unripe stone fruit dominated, with a refreshing, yet lush texture that gave the wine dimension. I decanted the wine for 3.5 hours and aromas of meyer lemon, acacia honey, lavender and garrigue emerged! Such a splendid wine. I easily drank the entire wine myself.

Wine #2 - Chateau Feuillet Fumin Valle d’Aosta, Italy 2018. This wine was exciting because 90% of the blend was made from a obscure native grape called Fumin (the other 10% was Syrah). It is grown in northwestern Italy, in the small mountainous region of Valle d’Aosta. The vineyards are 700-900m in elevation and receive ample sunlight and warmth during the day, with cool temperatures in the evening. These conditions provide the grapes with powerful anthocyanins, ripeness and acidity all rolled into one! The color of this wine was a deep reddish purple with a bright magenta rim. The wine was medium bodied, but the staining on the glass was very noticeable due to the rich pigments providing lots of color. Aromas of black plums, blackberries and earthiness dominated with a touch of pepper coming from the 10% syrah. The palate showcased the wine’s fresh acidity and juxtaposed flavors of cranberry and sour cherries. This wine tasted great for 3 days after opening… I highly recommend it!

Wine #3 - Domaine Maestracci ‘Clos Reginu’ Corse Calvi, Corsica 2019. This wine is sourced from the Reginu granite plateau in the foothills of Monte Grossu in Calvi, Corsica. Calvi is located in the northwest corner of the island and this red blend is dominated by the top 3 grape varieties in the region: 30% Niellucciu, 30% Grenache, & 15% Sciacarellu. It also includes 15% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% Carignan. It was light and elegant, with a touch of natural wine tang; as well as notes of roasted strawberries, black fruit and nutmeg. It had a soft texture with minimal tannin and an interesting flavor profile. The wine was made from the youngest vines on the property, it was vinified and aged in stainless steel and was not filtered before bottling. For $18, it is a true winner and a exuberant example of what Corsican terroir can express in a very easy drinking wine meant for immediate consumption.

Next week, we will be featuring one of my favorite sake categories: namazake! They are all unpasteurized and sourced from my favorite San Francisco sake distributor, Fifth Taste. See you next week!

Sip Somm: A New Tasting Channel for Wine & Sake

Hello Readers!

I know it has been eons since my last blog post, but I promise to keep the content flowing on my website from this day forward!

I am happy to announce the arrival of my new wine and sake tasting channel on Youtube! Guided tastings will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I will reveal the bottles a few days in advance with some advice on where they can be purchased (so you can taste along!)

Please follow me on Instagram at SipSommKJ and subscribe to my channel Sip Somm to be notified when new videos post! Cheers and Kanpai!

Jupiter's Pumpkin Beer Festival!

First off, let's talk about pumpkin beer. As many of us know, pumpkin beer is a seasonal offering made by commercial & craft breweries. Most beer connoisseurs have very strong opinions about pumpkin beer, many being negative. I am a sucker for the autumn season, especially since moving to Northern California. I am now deprived of a proper New Jersey/Pennsylvania season, with beautiful colors, farm visits and pumpkin-flavored everything.  Although an avid foodie, I am the person that will purchase Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin Spice coffee, knowing that it's commercially produced using nature-identical flavorings and god knows what else. Despite my love for garish pumpkin flavor, I want to say that the pumpkin beer festival I recently attended was quality-driven vs. grotesquely pumpkin associated!!

Jupiter, the famous beer garden located in Downtown Berkeley last Sunday hosted their annual Pumpkin Beer Festival despite the cloudy, wet weather. It was awesome to say the least! I purchased a ticket online for $25, which included 6 - 8oz pours of various pumpkin beers with a souvenir Jupiter beer snifter. They featured 21 beers, all varying in style and ingredients. One way or another, all of the beer was flavored and/or brewed with pumpkin and spices. 

I took this photo from Jupiter's website. It's a great shot of their outdoor space and where the festival took place.

Some of the breweries featured.

The staff was nice enough to serve small tastings before deciding on a full 8oz pour (redeemable with small red tickets). I had no idea that $25 would get me so much beer. I tasted almost everything, but didn't finish the full pours, mostly to maintain a sober state. Later on in the event, I met a new friend and proceeded to finish off the last 4 - 8oz pours which led me straight to Drunksville. My notes were cryptic at best, but became worse as the event continued.  I have included Jupiter's reviews on each beer in italics and my opinions are in bold: 

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1st table lineup - 6 selections

Drake's - Orbiting Gourd: 4.4% abv - "Made with a variety of winter squash, this beer is a simple blend of Mild ale malt, with a touch of caramelized malted oats. The gourds are roasted in-house, charred and caramelized for extra flavor. A cuvee of spices is added to the brew with a light hand. This was the 2nd beer I tried. This beer and the Jupiter "Goodbye Pumpkin Pie" were the most reminiscent of pumpkin pie and autumn flavors. Make sense that Drake's and Jupiter's beers were similar since the two are sister companies. 

Drake's - Pungent Pumpkin: 4.9% abv - "Aged in Cabernet barrels with a house sour culture for one year, this beer drinks dry and fairly tart with the sour notes playing off of the slight malty flavors. The aroma showcases spicy floral and citrus notes with a hint of pumpkin. This beer was super sour and almost vinegar like. I assume the vinegar notes come from aging the sour in cabernet barrels. This was a great brew for a sour/acidic beer lover.

Midnight Sun - T.R.E.A.T.: 7.8% abv 30 IBU "This mesmerizing potion of a beer won Gold at GABF in 2007! T.R.E.A.T. Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter is loaded with cinnamon, cocoa bibs, cloves and nutmeg." If I had tried this beer blind, I would never have realized it was brewed with pumpkin. It tasted more like a dry chocolate stout. I liked it, but it wasn't pumpkin-y. 

Midnight Sun - Trickster: 7.0% abv 28 IBU "Trickster is a frivolous concoction of earthy pumpkin, comforting malt and lively spices. The "magic" is actually mischievous Belgian yeast at play with cardamom, nutmeg and coriander." I don't remember having an opinion on this one after briefly tasting it. I assume I didn't find it that appealing. 

Half Moon Bay - Pumpkin Harvest: 5.1% abv "The pale ale has pumpkin in both the mash and boil. The pumpkin flavor is noticeable but subdued, so the beer remains balanced. Normal hop aromas and flavors have been reduced in order to allow the pumpkin character to shine." This one had very subtle pumpkin notes. This brew didn't stick out to me. 

Jupiter - Goodbye Pumpkin Pie: 5.84% abv 25 IBU "Made with 100% pure pumpkin, this brew truly captures old-fashioned pumpkin pie flavor. There are no additional spices to speak of! The backbone comes from 2-row and Vienna malts, with subtle spice notes from flaked rye and Weyermann special W malt."   This was the first beer I tried at the fest. I thought it had a nice malty lager base with a decent amount of spices and sweetness. I felt this was the most pumpkin pie like of all of the beer at the fest and it was a really great example! I loved it.

Jolly Pumpkin - Los Vivos y Los Muertos: 4.7% abv 22 IBU "The Quick and The Dead" This autumnal sour ale is brewed with pumpkin and lime. The beauty of contrasts, of opposites and the shores on which they clash, is the inspiration behind this beer." 

Jolly Pumpkin - La Parcela: 5.8% 22 IBU "Packed with real pumpkins, hints of spice and a gentle kiss of cocoa to liven the soul. An everyday easy way to fill your squashy quotient."  I have to admit, I was afraid to try the Jolly Pumpkin brews. This brewery makes some mouth watering sours.. ones that my tastebuds really can't handle. That being said, I enjoyed this one due to distinct apple notes. I didn't get any spice or cocoa like the review advertises.

Almanac - Pumpkin Pie de Brettaville: 7.0% abv "This beer is a magical mix of barrel-aging and rich flavors of autumn. Heirloom pumpkins from Bodega Bay are roasted whole to create deep, sugary caramelization. This is added to a Brett-fermented base in oak casks with a selection of pumpkin pie spices." This one was incredibly interesting. I didn't pick up on any pumpkin flavor, but it had a lot of complexity.

Jolly Pumpkin - Black Parcela: 7.5% abv  "La Parcela may have been Jolly Pumpkin's first gourd-infused ale, but Black Parcela is their most creative! Also packed with real pumpkins and hints of spice, this dark sour is bold yet subdued."  This beer reminded me of a black IPA, but a sour version. It was as sour as some of the others in this lineup, but seemed richer and more bitter. It's possible I associated the color to "bitterness." If this beer was pale gold in color, I wonder if I would still perceive those flavors. Who knows!

Uinta - Funk'n Patch: 8.0% 35 IBU "Part of Uinta's wild ale program, this spiced pumpkin brew is fermented with Brettanomyces for great barnyard funkiness. The combination of sweet malts and pumpkin spices makes this beer go well with anything." 

Shipyard - Smashed Pumpkin: 9.0% abv 26 IBU "A big bodied beer with a light coppery-orange color and pleasing aromas of pumpkin and nutmeg. Pale Ale, Wheat and Light Munich malts combine with the natural tannin in pumpkin and the delicate spiciness of Saphir and Hallertau Hops to balance the sweetness."

Anderson Valley - Fall Hornin': 6.0% 20 IBU "The deep copper brew has inviting aromas of caramelized malt and baking bread with highlights of cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin and seasonal spices. The pleasantly creamy mouthfeel embraces sweet caramel flavors, with hints of spice that end in a smooth finish."  I loved this one! Super yummy, dark in color with spices and ginger notes. One of my favorites.

Anderson Valley - Pinchy Jeek Barl: 8.5% abv 20 IBU "Aged for 6 months in Wild Turkey barrels, this bourbon barrel-aged pumpkin ale is pleasantly creamy with a silky body and sweet caramel flavor. The aging process imparts notes of coconut, vanilla and oak to complement the tang of spices and hint of hops."  The best beer in the entire lineup!!! When this beer was poured, it had 3 layers of flavors. The head was frothy and tasted just like fluffy vanilla icing! The next layer of flavor was rich in coconut notes and the last was spicy & dark. This beer was aged in Wild Turkey bourbon barrels, which explains the coconut and vanilla notes. The best thing about this beer is that when it's first poured, frothy and cold, the layers of flavor are distinct. Once the brew warmed up, the essence of previously used bourbon barrels was much more obvious. This beer was amazing!!! 

The Breury - Autumn Maple: 10% abv 15 IBU "Brewed with 15lbs. of yams per barrel, this is a different take on the "pumpkin" beer style. Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses, maple syrup and traditional Belgian yeast strain, make this bold and spicy beer perfect for a cold autumn evening."  This beer is rich and sweet-esque. It is quite malty and almost one-dimensional. It's interesting, but expensive. I bought a bottle of this beer last year and wasn't crazy about it. We ended up baking maple beer bread out of it! (The beer was much tastier that way!)

Sours:

Almanac - Dark Pumpkin Sour 2014: 7.0% abv "A rich and toasty dark sour ale brewed with organic heirloom pumpkins and spices and aged in used red wine barrels for a year."  A dark sour... I wasn't into it. No noticeable pumpkin flavor. Great for sour lovers. 

Cascade - Pumpkin Smash 2014: 11% abv  "A blend of select Quad ales aged in bourbon and brandy barrels for up to 22 months. Made with house-roasted pumpkins, this NW-style sour ales features robust pumpkin and spice flavors, ending with rich, warming finish."  This one tasted like spiced vinegar. It was interesting, but again I am not a sour lover. I think sour lovers would be into it.

Tried & True:

Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale: 7.0% abv 28 IBU "A full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar. This beer is brewed with pumpkin meat, brown sugar and spices. As the season cools, this is the perfect beer to warm up with." Dogfish Punkin always disappoints! Every year I try it, it just tastes grainy with the tiniest hint of some unidentifiable spice. Boring! (Sorry Dogfish, I usually love you).

Uinta - Organic Punk'n: 5.0%  "This sessional pumpkin ale is brewed with real pumpkin and a medley of nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice." 

Boulevard - Funky Pumpkin: 5.8% 28 IBU "This brew is an eccentric one, with pumpkin flavor scarcely present, upstaged by cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger. Brewhouse souring lends a subtle, pleasant tartness putting the "unk" in "funky."   This one was great. It was sour, but in a smooth, subtle way. I liked the apple notes and I did notice some pumpkin in there.

Coronado - Punk'in Drublic: 8.0% 35 IBU "Taste autumn in the land of eternal sunshine with this Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Brewed with brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and plenty of would-be jack-o-lanterns, this beer delivers Fall's trademark flavors along with West Coast character.  The first thing I tasted was something chalky and acidic... I first thought "Tootsie Roll," but then my reference got more distinct. This beer reeks of Flintstone vitamins! My friend Megan figured it out when I said it tasted like something medicinal from our childhood. The girl pouring the beer also agreed. If you used to loved chewing on vitamins as a kid, this brew is for you.

Souvenir glass... which I conveniently forgot to take with me!  -_-

Overall, this event was awesome. Despite going alone and braving the wet weather, I enjoyed it completely. The selection was way bigger than I imagined and the amount of beer served for $25 was insane! It averaged to $4 per 8oz beer with a free etched glass to take home. The crew working the event mentioned they host a cider festival yearly, which I'm really looking forward to! Here is a great article about how pumpkin beer usually sucks, but is on the up and up. My last bit of advice is, don't drink all 6 glasses of 8oz beer and don't forget your souvenir glass! Guess who did? -_-

Porto & Douro - International Wine Tasting NYC 2014 (Recap)

I meant to review this awesome tasting of vintage port two years ago at the Metropolitan Club in NYC, but life has been a whirlwind! Here is a recap of this informative tasting that helped me get through my WSET Diploma Unit 6 exam on fortified wines.

A bit of history included in the program:

"The Port Wine was in the source of the first Demarcated Region (1756). It germinates in absolutely stunning mountain vineyards, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, between steep terraces carved into the nature by generations of sacrificed men, a continual challenge of viticulture, where the human hand is a gem, year after year. Time tames the brute force of a single wine, assigning it a number of hues, aromas and palate capable to withstand decades and survive for centuries. The Portuguese wine critic Rui Falcão presents labels that crosses the centuries XIX, XX and XXI."

Speaker of Tutored Tasting - Master Blender of Rozés

The beautiful room where we enjoyed the tutored tasting.

(I have left my notes the way they were written during the flights & lecture. It comes off as more organic, but I understand them and hopefully they will be appreciated here).

Featured Port & Tasting Notes

Quinta do Vale Meão Vintage 2011: Bramble, herbs, dried & ripe dark plums, blackberries, med + acidity, med + tannins (needs age), anise, vegetal, med pepper 2011- AMAZING & one of the best vintages. Elite of the Douro Valley (producer). Not as well known for port. Only started producing port 11 years ago. Ruby port- best of ruby styles (bottle btw 2-3rd year). 100+ grams residual sugar. VERY GOOD! Not for long term - 40 years max. Blend of varieties.

Rozés 40 Year Old: *WINNER!* (AMAZING!) caramel, toffee, golden raisin, white pepper. Nuts on palate, hint of oxidation similar to Madeira --> SO TASTY! Flavors like fino sherry, but sweet! LONG finish. Blend of different ages of wines (another similarity to sherry). Blend must be exact - tough for producer! --> Starting with different wines (need a master blender). 200 bottles total/difficult to make (some are more than 100 years old - 2% or less).

Quinta do Portal 40 Year Old: Rye seed, apricot, caramel. Smoke/mineral on palate, orange rind. Very caramelly on palate. Light sherry notes. Nose more interesting than palate. Eh.

Poças Colheita 1976: Musty, robitussen/golden raisin, apricot on palate. Longer finish than previous port. 35-40 years noticeable bottle age = 1 year barrel age. Delicate, seems like white wine.

Dalva Golden White 1963: Oldest colheita on market. White port! Can't tell by color. Anise, golden raisin, A little fino sherry on finish. Good! 20% abv. Seemingly youthful & flowery.

Graham's Single Harvest 1969: Rich, caramel flavor, lacks complexity on palate. (Better than the next port!)

Taylor's Single Harvest 1964: Musty, not much complexity. One of Taylors 1st vintage tawny release. Eh! (Bought small producers & got tawny stock). Driest of whole tasting. 

Kopke Colheita 1937: Oldest producer of Port. Strong alcohol on nose. Interesting, yet unusual nutty flavor on palate. Sherry oxidation very good. (Aging very important in Port).

Sandman Vintage 1945: Sour, smoky nose, musty. STRONG mineral notes, golden raisin caramel, high alcohol. Seems unbalanced. 1945 - one of best vintages! Not appealing, but interesting! 99-100pt rating. 

Ramos Pinto Vintage 1924: Peaty scotch note, whisky scent. Tastes like sweet, high alcohol whisky! 90 years old! Not as great a vintage as 1945, but still 98-99 rating. Flew yesterday! Usually it's best to wait one week after plane travel to feature old wines. It could have shown better.

Niepoort VV: Super high alcohol, strong intensity on palate. Very rich & sweet. High acid, fresh. Hot alcohol. Long finish. Rich caramel, golden raisin, bright. VV=old wine. 1863! 1973 barrel. 

Notes in the margins: Vintage port - considered the best in US, but not always in the Douro. Aged in Gaia - lighter/less rich. Porto - hot, wilder. Ports can last up to 120 years. English beverage for over 35 years. All wines submitted to Port wine institute for tasting appropriate styles (for approval). Robotic lagares an option, but not traditional. 48-72 hour fermentation - then fortified. Still use foot treading (best extraction). Most ports are made from vineyards of different estates. Sometimes 20-30-40+ varietals in 1 bottle. (The law) always blend Portuguese varietals (many local varietals) only. Very steep slopes. UN Heritage sites, beautiful landscapes. Olives/vineyards only. Only allowed to sell 2/3 of stock. Ports never filtered. Older --> less decant time. (young) 30-40 years - decant for a few hours. *Older vintages 25-30 years develop crust. Vintage port 8-9 years until 15th year shuts down and doesn't show! 9 months freezing cold, 3 months scorchingly hot region. Challenging climates very little rain (sometimes 0 in a year, no irrigation). Douro River and other rivers flow through.

Private Wine Tasting Events

As many of you might know, I have begun hosting private wine tasting events! Mostly for groups under 20 at this point.  The number may be small, but I can provide specific and detailed purchasing advice & service as well as work the event personally.  Here are some recent photos from a very successful evening in Damascus, PA!

The theme of the tasting was "Summer Wines."  Featuring some of my favorites:  Joh. Jos. Prüm Spatlese 2010 Riesling, Durigutti 2012 Bonarda, Valle Dell'Acate 2012 Frappato and COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria 2011 (Nero d'Avola/Frappato blend).

Hippie garb somm style seemed appropriate for this outdoor event (notice the fancy birks).  :D

I'm obviously raving about how cool Frappato is. 

Cerasuolo di Vittoria! The only DOCG in Sicily! (ask me what that means later!)

Happy patrons/friends.

Cheers to a magical evening! Thank you to Colette Ballew for hosting, as well as all her wonderful friends for the food and company!

If you would like to visit me at my full-time gig, please attend one of my Beverage Tastings at the Hotel Fauchère! The themes and dates are listed below.  Please make a reservation at (570) 409-1212 or visit the website: www.hotelfauchere.com

August 6, 2014 - Sparkling Wines - $50pp

Pinnacle Ridge, Brut, Blanc de Blanc M.V.; Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label; Moet y Chandon, Nectar Imperial Rose; Jean-Noël Haton Brut Classic NV

August 13, 2014 - Craft Beers - $20pp

Julius Echter; Duchesse de Bourgogne; Lindeman's Pêche Lambic; Ayinger Celebrator; Rochefort 10

August 20, 2014 - Mezcal & Mexican Chocolate - $40pp

Monte Alban Mezcal; Del Maguey, Albarradas; Del Maguey, San Luis de Rio; Del Maguey, Tobala

August 27, 2014 - Local Pennsylvania Wine - $30pp

Galen Glen Grüner Veltliner; Pinnacle Ridge Dry Vidal Blanc; Vynecrest Chambourcin; Blair Vineyards White Blend; Karamoor Estate Merlot

Sake Tasting at the Japan Society, NYC.

One of my more exciting outings this year has been to the Annual Sake Tasting and Lecture led by John Gautner at the Japan Society in New York City.  Eleven brewers came from Japan to show off 32 labels of the highest quality sake available. The Japan Society is one of my top five favorite places in NYC and has been for years.  The space is gorgeous and the programs offered are worth checking out.  Lots of theater, film, language classes and business/cooking/zen buddhist lectures.  But this blog is not about the Japan Society! It's about Sake!! 

Here is John Gautner, one of the only English & Japanese speaking Sake experts in the world. Known as the "Sake Evangelist" and/or "Sake Samurai."

All the featured sake brewers come up to the stage to take a well deserved bow!

Love the 70's Japanese Zen chic architecture… by Junzo Yoshimura. (He is also known for his creation the Shofuso Japanese House & Garden in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia).

The ultimate party space, lecture hall, art gallery… and many other things! Sake tastings! Halloween Oni and Obake parties!

I wasn't sad about not being served food once I tried this sweet and salty cracker mix with wasabi peas. (The Japanese do snacks best!)

Seimaibuai or "rice milling" is the degree in which the rice husk, proteins and fats are polished off before brewing.

The process of creating sake is similar to a mixture of wine & beer, with a few unique steps all its own.  In beer there are the 3 M's... Milling, Malting and Mashing.  In sake production, we have our seimaibuai or "milling" step.  Malting does not exist to extract sugars from rice as it does with barley due to the lack of germination.  In short, malting does not work for a grain such a rice, so sake brewers use a seemingly magical fungus, Aspergillus Oryzae to break down the dense carbohydrates.  This fungus is more commonly known as "Kōji."  Kōji, like yeasts in beer, impart most of the aromatic flavors in this special beverage.  It gives sake the flavorful allure of banana bread, papaya, cucumber, honeydew, citrus and more.  Kōji is also used in the production of Shōchū, which is a distilled spirit (made from barley or sweet potato) with a higher alcohol content than sake (around 25%) but with very similar aromatics.  Kōji is what prepares sake rice for brewing by making them into fermentable sugars.  Go Kōji!

Specific types of rice and water will determine the style and flavor which will result in the final product.  The percentage of excess outer layers of sake rice milled away also determine how pure and flavorful it will be, and how many imperfections or impurities will exist.  The levels are as follows:

Junmai Daiginjo/Daiginjo: 50% or less remaining rice. (Only 3% of all sake made)

Junmai Ginjo/Ginjo: 50-60% remaining rice. (Only 4% of all sake made)

Honjozo: 70% or less remaining rice.

Junmai: No milling requirement.

Futsu (“Table Sake”): Also no milling requirement. (74% of all sake made!) This is probably what your drinking served hot at your local Japanese restaurant.

Featured Sake #1: Fukucho Junmai-shu "Forgotten Fortune," by Imada Sake Brewing Co. (Hiroshima Prefecture). For this sake, I wrote in my notes: Full, yet soft and textured, with a smooth overall mouthfeel. Noticeable flavors of light papaya and creamy umami. My 3rd favorite of all 32 sake labels (yes, I tried them all!)

Now that we know a bit about sake production, I can mention this very unusual heirloom rice varietal produced by Imada Sake Brewing Co. after more than 100 years of disappearance.  The "Forgotten Fortune" refers to the heirloom varietal of sake rice called Hattanso.  It is native to Hiroshima and discovered in 1875.  This rice had an important impact on the original style and flavor of sake brewed in Hiroshima and gave the region their excellent reputation.  Through Imada's kind revival, we can all enjoy this historic rice varietal and all it has to offer the sake world and its consumers!

The Hattanso rice are the taller rows of rice on the far left. On the right is Hattan Nishiki which was developed based on Hattanso's character, but with more efficient and easier cultivation. The result was the disappearance of Hattanso until Imada took it back under its wings.

Featured Sake #2: "Dassai 39" Junmai Daiginjo by Asahi Sake Brewing Co. (Yamaguchi Prefecture). This sake's rice has been milled down to 39% of its original size! This was my ultimate favorite of the entire tasting and my notes were: "THE BEST! Favorite! So fruity! Peaches, plums and complex floral aromas!"

Featured Sake #3: Happo Nihonshu "HOUHOU SHU" by Marumoto Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. (Okayama Prefecture). A sparkling sake lower in alcohol and much different from the average sake. Alcohol is 8% and the bubbles are attained by a second fermentation in the bottle. This was my guilty pleasure!! This is a beverage I can drink a ton of without a second thought! My notes: "So awesome! Tastes like milky ice cream! Rose hips, hibiscus and strawberries! Like a more acidic strawberry Dannon yogurt." I was shocked that a beverage like this even exists. It combines the best of all worlds.. bubbles, berries, cream, flowers and alcohol! (Not to mention the beautiful, girly pink bottles!)

I <3 Sake... and lack of spit cups. :D !

This was an awesome time! If any of you are interested in really jumping into sake culture, subscribe to the first ever sake magazine published in English! It's called Sake Today and the 2nd issue is coming out soon! Or go visit Sakaya in the East Village, NYC.  I intend on doing both very soon.  Mata ne!

Rhône Odyssey "A Sensorial Exploration"

This past Wednesday I drove into the city early to attend an event featuring wines from the Rhône Valley, hosted by the Rhone Valley Wines of France in a large event space on Mulberry St.  On the email invite, it was explained obscurely as a "journey of the senses" and something about a "3D Box."  The weirdness of the invitation made it a gamble to take the 1.5 hrs drive that day, but luckily my gut was dead on.  The event ended up being the most bizarre and fantastic experience i've ever had as a professional in the wine industry.  The fact that it was free was icing on the cake!  (｡♥‿♥｡)

It started out very mysteriously as a dark room with curtains.  A man led me through to a white room or shall I say.. "box" with intense red lighting.  It felt eerily like the last episode of Twin Peaks, sans the pimped-out midget.  All the boy staff at this event were definitely male models working a banquet gig! I was given a pashmina and red sunglasses for no apparent reason.  I took a seat at our rectangular dining table and waited curiously.

I felt a little like him at the beginning of all of this...

The mysterious "3D Box."

Here is where we all realize their are massive projectors on the outsides of these white "walls" which were actually enormous screens surrounding us.  The fun begins!

Our yummy cultural clash of a menu… Their plan was to take us on a tour of each season in various nations, paired perfectly with Rhône wines to show their versatility as wine pairings with many different cuisines.  Mexico/Summer was my favorite!! 

It's snowing in Scandinavia! (We were all wondering what that wet basin on the floor was for…)

Mountains and houses surround us as we enjoy our amuse bouche and the first course.

Scandinavia/Winter: On the plate below are the amuse bouche.  They are Rye and Bulgar crisps with fat, butter and ash.  Also malted wheat dirt with pickled Brussels sprouts.  The first course (above) was a perfectly poached egg with parsnip, nettle whey and farmsted cheese.  These were paired with Luberon, Maison M. Chapoutier, La Ciboise, 2013 (white) and Costières de Nimes , Michel Gassier, Michel Gassier-Nostre Païs, 2011 (Red). The latter of the two wines had a funky, cheese like scent that overpowered everything else about the wine, but once paired with the egg and farmstead cheese, the wine was happy and at home… the funk settled and the complementary pairing worked wonders.

I am so in love with these gorgeous cherry blossoms! As well as the classic NYC lady facing the camera. 

This photo catches the sakura blossoms fluttering away in the wind.  These were not just static projections of pictures… these were full on animations (2 scenes per country/season) that go from morning to evening with the help of lighting and snow/rain machines.  !!!

It's raining in Kyoto.  Ahhh! :D

Japan/Spring: For this course, they presented the dish beautifully on circular textured plates with chopsticks.  They featured Kombu Cured Tuna, Rice, Egg, Pickled Vegetables, Nori, Smoked Kombu Broth, and Fermented Tofu.  The wine was Côtes du Rhône, Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Parallèle 45, 2011 (Red) and Crozes-Hermitage, Vidal Fleury, Lavau, 2012 (Red).  These wines both went particularly well with the pickled vegetables and grapes.  Matching the higher acid components to the acid in the wines helped them to express themselves aromatically a bit more.

The rain and dark lighting in Kyoto segued into a bright summer's day in Mexico.  Don't you love all these industry snobs chilling out in their red sunglasses?

Mexico/Summer: My favorite course of all!  (And Chef Russell Jackson's speciality).  Deconstructed Mole: Poultry Roulade, Smoked Grains and Seeds, Rose Petal Mole, Tcho Bitter Chocolate, Pepper Raja and Chèvre Tamale.  Served with Gigondas, Louis Mousset, Les Trois Couronnes, 2011 (Red) and Lirac, Ogier, Notre Dame de Cousignac, 2012 (Red).  This was the best dish of the entire menu and the Louis Mousset Gigondas was the tastiest wine of them all.  Although the wine/food pairing here did not knock my socks off, both the Gigondas and this dish sang so splendidly on their own I didn't mind the lack of pairing prowess.

Ahhh… beautiful! Fall in NYC! I was busy socializing as lovely leaves fell in the middle of the room, so I was only able to catch the vivid backdrops and the wet leaves floating after the fact… 

NYC/Fall: Yum! So glad they decided to create dessert for my favorite season.  No pumpkins! But some bourbon soaked apples were reminiscent of the season!  The 3 dessert sections (From left to right) consisted of Modern Apple Pie - Wood's Hudson Bourbon Barreled Maple Brandied Cured Apples, Cinnamon Crumble, Malt Vinegary Creme & Citron Confit.  Then a SCDNYC Almond Black & White Cookie and lastly the Modern Cheese Cake with Cheese Cake Curd, Vanilla Bean Gel, Graham Cracker Dust & Dehydrated Custard.  Paired with Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Fenouillet, 2012 (White).  These desserts were OUTRAGEOUSLY good!! The Muscat was the obvious sweet Rhône wine to pair with this dish, although it left me snoring.  This combo didn't wow me, but the desserts alone did, so ultimately it was a success!

This unbelievable, painstakingly planned and EXPENSIVE production was an honor to be a witness of! This is part of a campaign funded by the European Union to emphasize and heighten our awareness of the quality of Southern Rhône wines (mostly Southern Rhône wines were featured, but no Châteauneuf-du-Pape).  I suppose the Northern Rhône has already proved itself, with heavy hitter AOC's such as Côte Rôtie, Cornas and Hermitage.  With this kind of effort to thrill and impress us wine buyers, we can't help but spread the word about how excellent and diverse Rhône Valley wines really are.  But hey, when has pomp and circumstance ever failed to impress?

http://www.rhone-wines.com

Coffee Seminar at the Wythe Hotel

I had the great fortune of discovering my first ever coffee lecture & tasting at the hip Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn yesterday while perusing Scene mag and Vogue.  It was presented by George Howell of George Howell Coffee company.  I wasn't sure if this would be worthwhile or just advertising for a coffee product I had no idea about, but I woke up today with a good feeling about it and considering it was only $15, I had not much to lose!

I started my morning at Blue Bottle Coffee company and ordered an Ethiopia Sidama Homacho Waeno au lait style.  First thing I noticed was there was no station with stirrers or sugar packets, so I did without.   I noticed this coffee had a smoothness to it that exposed its higher quality, but it lacked intensity and character.  I wasn't sure what was so interesting about this coffee until I hit the seminar later in the morning.

George spoke for 3 hours, guided by a highly detailed slideshow about coffee regions, production, roasting, etc.  The team presented coffee from 6 different regions, as well as washed vs. natural beans, ripe vs. unripe and new, stale and old.  What I noticed the most was that the stale coffee had a corn like aroma, where the old had a distinct flavor of pretzels.  I didn't mind either really.  Which made me realize that I (and probably most people) are used to darker roasts from lower quality beans.  The concept of the bean being complex all on its own is brand new to me.  To really embrace that truth, I feel these coffees should be drank black and not maimed by the addition of sugar or milk.  But i'm not sure that i'd go for a black aromatic coffee over a refreshing cup of tea, with much more potent characteristics.  George at one point quoted, "How many times are you served stellar food in a restaurant, but are then served sludge at the end?"  as well as "How many times do food critics comment on the decor of the bathroom before the coffee? That is outrageous and needs to change."  

From a sommelier point of view, I am not sure that introducing more complex options towards the dessert course or after would be interesting for the guest or overkill.  It would definitely compete with my dessert/after dinner drink sales and possibly tire my guests out if I am to recite yet another list of pretentious facts.  

George also mentioned that its our choice as a society to consider coffee as a noble beverage, or not.  Obviously elevating the image of fair trade coffee and sourcing sustainable single origin beans would help support the farmers and would be beneficial to the entire industry.  It does seem to me that every other beverage we consume regularly wants to be on the pedestal wine is (coffee, beer, mineral waters).  But is it really necessary? 

I'm not sure about the clean cut, overly scientific image of Blue Bottle Co. vs. a classic cafe where one orders a doppio, bunkers down and enjoys a good book.  I'm not sure about making coffee which is such a ritualistic part of our day as Americans into a complex tour of aromatics and countries.  Should it be so overcomplicated? Many of us see it as a morning refresher (aka caffeine).  Most of us are not awake enough before it to make serious decisions, especially not on beverages.  

There is much to think about considering the world of coffee is becoming more and more refined and complex. Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed the seminar! It was an amazing value and practically a generous donation by the George Howell Coffee company to host such an educational lecture/tasting for only $15.  We all received a free bag of Colombian coffee to go home with as a bonus. Also… baristas have this tasting technique that sounds like a serious throat sucking noise.  I will admit, I was curious about it but did not take part.  Maybe next time.  ;)

For anyone who took the time to read this, what are your thoughts?  What coffees do you enjoy and why?  What is it about the coffee experience that you like?  How should we market and represent coffee in this country and is their room for more than one image?  Your input is greatly appreciated!!

My favorite was the El Salvador… had more of the darker, complex flavors i'm used to in coffee.  The others were interesting but had higher acidity and floral/fruity notes.