One of my pet peeves with the wine industry over the years has been their occasional practice of inventing a new term to describe an already defined word. This results in only further confusing we already bewildered American wine consumers who must regularly deal with labels in foreign languages and nonsensical descriptions of wines as being “ethereal.” Anyway, I was reminded of this recently when someone asked me to describe the difference between red wines syrah and shiraz. Well, for those of you who don’t know, syrah is the world-famous grape that has been grown and produced in the Rhone Valley of France for centuries.

Shiraz, on the other hand, is an invented word that some wine marketer decided to call the syrah made in Australia and South Africa – and now sometimes even in California. You won’t see the word syrah mentioned on any Rhone label because the wine there is identified by the producer and the place (like Cote-Rotie or Cornas) but most red wine from the region will be comprised of that grape. I mention this because if you don’t sip syrah, or even the stuff labelled shiraz, you’re missing out on wines that, while different in name, place and in the way they’re vinified, are both excellent and worthy of your exploration.

The best Rhone producers are E. Guigal, Paul Jaboulet Aine, M. Chapoutier, J. Vidal-Fleury and Delas Freres. These wines are more restrained, complex and less highly alcoholic than most of the Australian, South African and American versions of the syrah called shiraz. In the US, wine labelled as syrah was not widely available until the 1980’s when the “Monty Python” of California wine makers, Randall Graham (Bonny Doon Vineyards), was one of the first to introduce syrah and other Rhone varietals to California. If you’ve never read one of Graham’s pun-filled, semi-wine related, opera-inspired tomes, you’re missing a great opportunity to add knowledge and humorous wine education tidbits to your appreciation of the fruit of the vine. Check out his book: “Been Doon So Long.” It’s a riot!

If you would like to sample syrah from California, some of my favorite labels are Qupe, Onx, Ascent, Cayuse, Babcock, Alexander Valley Vineyards and Beckman. The Australians, particularly in the Southeastern Barossa region around Adelaide, make a fuller-bodied style of shiraz. My favorites from Down Under are Clarendon Hills; Torbreck Woodcutters Red, Penfolds Kalimna, Lindemans Bin 50, Elderton and d’Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz. Whether you call it syrah or shiraz, go out and experience the tasteful versatility of these delicious wines.

                                                                                                                    ***
I remember a time – just a couple of decades ago – when perusing a wine list in a West Virginia restaurant took about ten seconds. The choices usually included a “house” white, red and rose’ usually supplied by some mega jug wine producer in California. If you wanted a varietal like pinot noir or chardonnay, the wine list might have a “Burgundy” red or a “Chablis” white. If you wanted anything more upscale, you’d need to drive over to The Greenbrier. But thankfully, times have changed, and our state boasts some excellent restaurants that feature a wide selection of domestic and international wines. To recognize restaurants that have the most exceptional wine lists, each year Wine Spectator Magazine singles out eateries for special awards.

Congratulations to four West Virginia restaurants that have been recognized by the Wine Spectator for having award worthy wine lists. The Final Cut Steakhouse at Hollywood Casino and Racetrack in Charles Town received a “Best of award of Excellence” while three other state restaurants rated an “Award of Excellence,” including The Wonder Bar Steakhouse in Clarksburg, Bistro 112 in Shepherdstown and Sip Downtown Brassiere in Huntington.

And a special shout out to The Wine Down, Charleston’s new wine bar at 114 Washington Street West in Elk City. Open most afternoons and early evenings, The Wine Down features a rotating selection of reds, whites, sparklers and rose’s along with charcuterie plates and other wine friendly small tapas-like dishes to pair with their eclectic and always changing list. Check it out.

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

 

Once the weather moderates, some folks can’t wait to hit the pool, dust off the old golf clubs or dig in the dirt and plant things. Not me. Warm weather gets me in the mood to create delicious  salads and follow that course up with a stick to your ribs, spicy and hearty entrée of grilled meat or fish. Of course, then I get to enjoy pairing the courses with wines that further enhance the enjoyment of this summertime meal.

I’ll admit right up front that the two courses I’m suggesting you try are a bit odd (kind of like beauty and the beast), but, honestly, they really work well together. And the wines I’m recommending – both white and red – will benefit from a little chilling in the refrigerator before serving. So here we go.

Salad

The sine qui non of summer salads for this Italian American is Caprese. Visit the Capitol Market in Charleston where you’ll be able to buy the ingredients for this quintessential summer treat. Slice ripe tomatoes into quarter inch rounds and drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil like the exquisite one, Villa DiTrapano, harvested and produced by local owners. Then sprinkle the tomatoes with artisan sea salt from JQ Dickinson. Finally cover the tomatoes with fragrant basil leaves and fresh buffalo mozzarella. The etymology of Caprese translates to “of or near the Island of Capri” so I suggest pairing the dish with either of these two Italian white wines:

2022 Mastroberardino Falanghina ($23) Grown and produced in the hills above Naples. The wine features ripe apple flavors and floral notes with bright acidity, and it complements the Caprese beautifully.

2023 Bisci Verdicchio di Matelica ($25) Vinified in eastern Italy between the mountains and the Adriatic Sea. This delicate white wine has fresh, bright citrus flavors with a distinct nuance of almonds. A bit rounder than the Falanghina, it’s also a great accompaniment to Caprese.

The Entree

Baby back (pork) ribs are my favorite meat to barbecue on an outdoor grill. And I prefer to use charcoal when grilling baby backs because of the smokiness it imparts to the meat. You can also get good results by using a metal smoking box filled with wood chips that is placed inside a gas grill. Either method will give you good results. Here’s my recipe for grilled baby back ribs that’s easy to prepare and delicious to eat. Purchase a rack or two of baby backs General Steak and Seafood  and Johnnie’s Meat Market -both in Charleston – are my go-to purveyors.

Next, make a dry rub consisting of one tablespoon each of cumin, chili powder, kosher salt, coarsely ground black pepper, brown sugar, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Rub this onto both sides of the ribs and then slow cook the ribs indirectly (placing them away from direct heat) for three hours. About 15 minutes before the ribs are cooked, baste both sides with a store bought or homemade barbecue sauce. Here’s my recipe for a delicious sauce: Combine a cup of ketchup with half a cup of white vinegar in a cooking pot. Add a bottle of pilsner or light beer into the pot along with a tablespoon each of brown sugar, molasses, dried mustard and bring the sauce to a boil. Allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes before basting it on the ribs.

Oregon pinot noir and Cotes Du Rhone from France wines are my choices to accompany just about any barbecue, and especially grilled baby backs. Try either (or both) of these wines:

2023 Argyle Pinot Noir Willamette Valley ($27) This Oregon pinot noir has spicy, bright red cherry flavors and excellent acidity that balances and enhances the richness of the baby backs.

2022 Saint Cosme Les Deux Albion ($23) – This southern Rhone red is a blend of mostly syrah and grenache that is fermented in open cement vats and then aged briefly in stainless steel. What you get are pure, deep, dark fruit flavors with freshness that marry exceptionally well with the sweet and smoky baby backs.

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

On May 24th, American wine lovers should raise a glass to celebrate the most momentous occasion ever for American wine. I’m referring to “The Judgement of Paris” where a gaggle of California wineries were pitted against the greatest French wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy in a blind tasting in the ‘City of Light.’ On that day, the all-French tasting panel awarded first place for both the red (1973 Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon) and white wine (1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay) to these California wineries. The results of that tasting conferred worldwide credibility to the nascent California wine industry.

I’ve often poked fun at the French for their superior attitude, especially when it concerns anything to do with wine. However, it’s important to acknowledge the tremendous contributions France has made in producing some of the greatest wines, and for their vineyard and cellar innovations over the past several centuries. Today, I’ll give you quick primer on the major wine -producing regions of France and tell you about the principal grape varieties that grow there.

There are several distinct wine appellations in France and hundreds of smaller sub-regions within those broader areas, but here are the most prominent ones.

Alsace – In the eastern part of the country,Alsace  is known for its full-bodied and food-centric white wines such as are pinot blanc, pinot gris, riesling, gewürztraminer, and sylvanner. The only red grape produced is there (and in very small quantities) is pinot noir.

Bordeaux – In this most famous of all wine regions, you’ll find the most famous of all red wines such as Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Petrus. The reds are usually blends of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec. The white wines of the region, sauvignon blanc and semillon, are often blended.

Burgundy – When I first started drinking wine in the last century, most Americans thought Burgundy was a hearty red wine in a big green jug. Of course, Burgundy is a very renowned French wine region where some of the world’s greatest wine is produced. In northern Burgundy, red wine is made from pinot noir, and the white is principally chardonnay with lesser plantings of pinot blanc and aligoté. Beaujolais, in southern Burgundy, is made from the red grape gamay.

Champagne – Interestingly, two-thirds of the grapes that produce Champagne are reds pinot noir and pinot meunier. The white grape of the region is chardonnay that is blended with the two reds to make this world-famous sparkling wine.

Languedoc Roussillon – Located in south central France along the Mediterranean coast, this warm region produces surprisingly excellent wines at value prices. The reds are made from carignan, syrah, grenache and cabernet sauvignon while the main white grapes are chardonnay, chenin blanc, muscat and picpoul.

Loire – The Chateau country of the Loire Valley is a beautiful region where white wine is more prominent than red. The whites, chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc, are the dominate varietals. The most famous red wine in the Loire is called Chinon and is made from cabernet franc.

Provence – Directly to the east of Languedoc, much of Provence lies along the French Riviera. Rose is the most famous wine of the region and can be made from a variety of grapes, including grenache, syrah, and mourvedre. The whites are comprised of ugni blanc and clairette.

Rhone– The Rhone Valley begins just south of Lyon and extends to near the city of Avignon. The reds of the Rhone are comprised of syrah, grenache, mourvedre and carignan. The most famous wine of the Rhone is Chateauneuf Du Pape. The principal white grapes of this large region are clairette, grenache blanc, marsanne, rousanne and viognier.

The Southwest -The wines of the Southwest are comprised of the sub-regions Dordogne, Bergerac, Garone, Gascony, Bearn and the Basque country. The main varietals are reds such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc and whites made from sauvignon blanc and semillon.

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

Taming my ravenous appetite is always a work in progress, but a chance glance at my profile in the hallway mirror made it clear to me that something must be done to reconfigure my …figure. Last time in this space, I mentioned my plan to switch from the heavier foods of winter to less hearty fare, and to accompany these meals with lighter styled wines.

So, rather than go cold turkey (I’m not a fan of turkey anyway), I’ve decided to gradually introduce lighter and more healthy foods into my daily meal regimen. I’ll also select less intense wines to accompany these meals. But hey, that doesn’t mean I can’t eat and drink well. As a matter of fact, the recipe I’m suggesting you try below is a perfect example. And either of the two white wines I’m recommending to accompany the meal will make the food and wine experience something special.

It may be surprising to you, but there are pasta dishes that are light, healthy and packed with delicious flavors too. Today’s recipe combines asparagus, lemon, parmigiano, bread crumbs, olive oil and white wine to sauce a light and filling penne rigate (pronounced Pen-neh Ree-gah-tay) pasta dish. Penne rigate has a tubular shape and is about one inch long with ridges while pasta simply called penne has a smooth surface. The advantage of penne rigate is that the ridges allow the sauce to adhere to it better.

And either of these two wines I’ve chosen to accompany the recipe can also serve as the bottle you sip with the meal.

2023 Fillaboa Albarino ( $28) From the Rias Baixas region in northern Spain, this crisp white has flavors of stone fruit with hints of citrus and herbs. It is refreshing and clean, with excellent acidity to balance the piquant notes of the lemony penne dish.

2024 Bisci Verdicchio de Matelica ($22) – This golden wine from central Italy has ripe green apple flavors with a mineral quality that also features light, tropical fruit nuances. Its subtle richness enhances and rounds out this citrusy pasta dish.

Albarino or Verdicchio pair perfectly with this dish 

Lemon Penne Rigate

Ingredients:
One pound of penne rigate
One pound of asparagus trimmed and sliced about ¼-inch thick
Three ounces of extra virgin olive oil
Four ounces of white wine
One quarter cup of chopped Italian parsley
One teaspoon lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice 
One cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
One half cup of panko or bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
One teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
One-half cup of reserved pasta water

Preparation:
Cook one pound of penne rigate in salted water until al dente (save one cup of pasta water)
Add the asparagus to the pasta water two minutes before the penne is done
Transfer the cooked pasta and asparagus to a sauté pan
Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic and wine in a bowl and whisk
Add the mixture to the pan with the pasta and add the reserved pasta water
Mix the ingredients together in the sauté pan and cook at medium heat
Add half the parmesan along with the panko or bread crumbs and mix
Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and serve, adding more cheese to each plate

*To honor the season of Ramson, I plan to garnish my lemon penne rigate with a few ramp leaves!

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine – has just been released and is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

Spring is about to bloom (I hope) and this is a time of year that I tend to transition from the fuller-bodied reds of winter to lighter style white wines that are more suitable to the foods we consume in the warmer months. What I love about wine- among the most obvious sensory pleasures it provides– is the diversity of experiences it offers to us if we are adventuresome. I suppose the essence of wine appreciation, then, is variety.

Unfortunately, when most of us discover a wine that is pleasing to our palates, we stick with it as if there are no other alternatives. It’s almost as if you’re stuck in a wine rut and find it difficult to abandon that tried-and-true bottle of chardonnay, pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc you’re accoustomed to selecting.

I’ll use myself as an example. I truly do enjoy chardonnay in all its stylistic permutations from austere and unoaked to rich and full-bodied. I’ve sipped chardonnay from Australia to France, from Italy to California, and even from those vintners over the mountains in (East) Virginia. However, I hope to convince you to wander outside your wine comfort zone and discover the pleasures that abound in the wide world of wine.

Today I’m going to tell you about a white wine that offers a tasty alternative to the ‘same old same old.’ I hope you’ll give this wine a chance because it’s an especially good alternative to chardonnay. Recently, I was shopping for a white wine that would pair well with the filet of grouper that I intended to grill and drizzle with lemon and butter for dinner that evening. Resisting my tendency to grab a bottle of chardonnay, I chose instead a pinot blanc from Alsace in eastern France. I was not disappointed!

Pinot blanc is a grape that produces an excellent, medium-bodied, crisp white wine. It can also exhibit a creamy texture with rich, ripe apple flavors. The grape thrives in regions with cool climates and long growing seasons like Alsace. It also does well in northern California and in Oregon. In Alsace, the wine has a quality to the taste which I can only describe as slate. No, it doesn’t taste like a blackboard. But it does have a mineral nuance that differentiates pinot blanc produced in Alsace from the stuff made anywhere else. In the US, pinot blanc shows less minerality, but it still offers crisp and round flavors, especially from grapes grown and vinted in California and Oregon.

Pinot blanc is a perfect match to oysters on the half-shell or to broiled white fish such as sea bass, halibut or grouper. It is also a delicious accompaniment to delicate veal or chicken dishes, and it holds up well to cream sauces. I’ve often used it to accompany turkey at Thanksgiving, and I’ve even featured it as an aperitif with hors d’oeuvres. My favorite Alsatian pinot blanc producers are Marcel Deiss, Lucien Albrecht, Domaine Schlumberger, Hugel, and Trimbach. Most Alsatian pinot blanc is priced between $20 and $40 a bottle.

The wine is also made in northern California as well as in Oregon. In California, I suggest you try Bouchaine from Carneros, Dutton-Goldfield from the Russian River Valley and Handley Cellars from Mendocino County. In Oregon, look for bottles of Elk Cove, WillaKenzie Estate and St. Innocent priced from $30 to $45.

You can find these lovely pinot blancs at the Wine Shop at Capitol Market and at other local wine retailers.
Enjoy!

 

In honor of President’s Day, I thought it would be fun to take a look at what wines US presidents sipped, and how some used the fruit of the vine as a diplomatic lubricante. Let’s start with George Washington.

President Washington is said to have had a special affinity for Madeira – a Portuguese fortified, dessert wine that he drank throughout his life. He also attempted to plant vines at his estate at Mount Vernon, but that agricultural venture was interrupted by the Revolutionary War. Later, during his presidency, Washington also enjoyed Champagne and he often used it at state dinners.

John Adams supposedly started every day with a pitcher of hard cider. He apparently enjoyed other alcoholic beverages,including wine, and supposedly finished each day with glasses of Madeira.

Thomas Jefferson was probably the most astute wine connoisseur of all the presidents and his love, particularly of Bordeaux, is well documented. According to National Public Radio, Jefferson drank mostly Port, Sherries and occasional red wines before he was sent to France in 1784 to get that country’s assistance during our fight for independance. There, he developed a life-long love of French wines, including the aforementioned Bordeaux as well as Burgundies, Champagne and Rhône wines.

James Monroe apparently liked wine a little too much and his administration was scandalized when more than one thousand bottles of imported wine were billed by him as congressional furniture. James Buchanan and Ulysses S Grant were perhaps the most prolific drinkers among all the presidents, and wine may have taken a back seat to whiskey and other spirits.

Fast forward to the administrations of presidents in the 20th and 21st centuries. Wine has often played an important role in international diplomacy. President Richard M. Nixon used the growing credibility of the California wine industry to diplomatic advantage. When Nixon established diplomatic relations with communist China in 1972, he toasted the Chinese Premier with Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs from Napa Valley.

President Ronald Reagan, a resident of the Golden State, really enjoyed and promoted California wine. One of his favorite wines was Beaulieu Vineyards (BV) Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. He also was the first president to use zinfandel (up until then considered an inferior grape) at a White House dinner. When First Lady Nancy Regan expressed her approval of Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, sales of that wine went through the roof. And President Regan reportedly toasted the end of the Cold War with Russian president Gorbachev by lifting a glass of Iron Horse Sonoma County sparkling wine.

While three of the four 21st-century presidents—George W. Bush, Donald J.Trump, and Joe Biden—are teetotalers, they all continued to use wines made from American grapes at White House functions. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama also used wine extensively at celebrations and for state dinners. President Obama often used Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington state. 

So, wine lovers, no matter what your political affiliation, you can rest assured that your favorite president joins you in the appreciation of wine. Unless you’re a fan of Bush, Biden or Trump.

•