Marquee Bites and Delights – December 2008 – Ring in the Holiday’s!

The holiday jingle bells are ringing, Christmas music has hit the airwaves and Marquee is putting little Santa hat’s on our wine bottle’s to dress them up for the holiday’s… well, not really, but we are hard at work like little elves this time of year. For 2008 Marquee decided to make gift giving a little easier by pairing up some useful and exciting small gift items with our wine to make the perfect holiday baskets.

Click here Marquee Holiday Program 2008 to check out our gift basket selection that includes you customizing the wine selections and sending your own greeting / thank you card along with the gift baskets.

Let me give you a quick sample of the outstanding values we have with the gift basket program; our “All American Basket” includes one bottle each of the 2006 Classy Sauvignon Blanc and 2006 Classy Zinfandel paired up with one of the best BBQ sauces on the planet, the Haywards Pit BBQ sauce and Hayward’s own special blend of spices. The Zinfandel should pair very nicely with a set of Smoked BBQ ribs and the best part is the mouth-watering package price, only $39.95!

My two holiday tips for the month…

1) Plan for everything to take twice as long as you think it will and you should be sitting pretty! This time of year things tend to slow down a bit more than everyone expects, if you start off by planning for things to take longer than you think you will be pleasantly surprised when you finish early. What does this do with wine, nothing specifically, I just think it’s a good tip for this time of year!

2) BOTTLE EXCHANGE - If you want a fun activity for a holiday party, think about doing a gift bottle exchange. It can either be a challenge to find the best wine under a price point (say $15.00) and have all of the participants bring a bottle to the exchange (wrapped of course), or you can do it as a traditional “white elephant” exchange where everyone is challenged to bring a white elephant bottle / gift that is “just for fun”. I love both ideas because they allow for a bit of inexpensive fun for a holiday party and let everyone take home something unique that they otherwise would never have seen / tasted.

Marquee thanks our partners participating in the 2008 Holiday gift program, Hayward’s BBQ, The Roasterie Coffee, Indigo Wild and is proud to say we can ship to almost any (some states are still behind on this) US location with these gift baskets and are happy to customize them for you.

Please contact Marquee Cellar Master Craig Skopec if you want any additional information on the Holiday Program at cjcskopec@marquee.com and have a safe and happy holiday season!

Cheers!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G Your Wine Dollars

Stretching Your Wine Dollars

I really don’t think it matters much if you are in shipping, tourism, politics, stock brokerage or the wine business, the world’s economic woes are being felt in most every direction. With a big election coming up in November in the US, retailers already talking about how there are “only” 80 shopping days left until Christmas and much more, I thought this would be a good time for me to pass along a few gems of information to help your wine dollar S-T-R-E-T-C-H just a bit further.

Idea # 1 – When in a restaurant with more than three people, talk with your tablemates and order a bottle…

Most restaurants drop off at least $5.00 or more per bottle when they add a wine to their bottle list vs. the By-The Glass (BTG) pours. Don’t get me wrong, I love exploring wines on BTG lists, but if you are out with a couple people this is a great way to save a few dollars and also have a wine that you all can enjoy + discuss the nuances of. If you choose wines that are versatile for food matches, you can still compliment the fare and have enjoyable wines in the process; great examples might be a Grenache Blend (Mmmm possibly the Marquee Classic GSM), Spanish Tempranillio’s, or an Oregon Pinot Noir.

Idea # 2 – Find a good local wine store and use their case discount program…

One of my favorite wine buying activities is choosing a local wine shop that I know has a good selection and stopping in to buy a value case of wines to try. Many great shops offer discounts on cases that range from 5% to 10% and even up to 17-20% if you buy a full case of 12 wines at a time. Sure, the idea of choosing 12 wines and spending $15.00 per bottle on each of them sounds like you aren’t going to save money, but make a game out of it. OK, you splurged and chose a single-vineyard Chardonnay for $20.00, round it out by getting a bargain bottle of Riesling on sale for $10.00 and ask the staff for a couple suggestions. In the end you will have a unique box of 12 wines to try and choose your favorites from plus you saved yourself another $1.50 on each bottle. Every little bit counts and if you want to get picky about it, you may have also saved a few more dollars by not going to the liquor store three times in one month.;)

Idea # 3 – Put a little gas on it, take a little off, or just let it develop and test the results…

I am not going to speculate as to what the best option is, but the fact of the matter is that there are several market solutions available to help you preserve the wines you have tasted one day, but did not consume the entire bottle. I find that many wines actually improve with a bit of time being opened and exposed to air. My advice is to have a couple options in your wine “toolkit” and test out what works well with the style of wines you are used to drinking. One option, that I routinely use is the vacuum pump wine seal… you literally are pumping out additional air to keep a wine sealed more tightly. Other people prefer the use of an inert gas that is sprayed into the bottle and because it is heavier than oxygen, it settles below normal “air” and on top of the wine creating a barrier to wine oxidation.

Frankly I don’t use these techniques all of the time, because in many circumstances I taste/consume the wines in the next day or two where they have still retained freshness, but also have been allowed to breathe and develop secondary flavors. It may come as a surprise to some, but one of Marquee’s newest wines is a light, lively Sauvignon Blanc, that I really like at first sip, but ADORE after having put the bottle away and opening it on day number two. Have a taste of the 2006 Classy Sauvignon Blanc and you will understand perfectly!

OK, I hope I stretched your dollar a bit further and will keep my fingers crossed that the markets bounce back before we start hearing Christmas carols~Email me any helpful hints and tips at cjcribb@marquee.com!
Cheers!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW
GM - General Manager
Marquee Artisan Wines - www.marquee.com

The Backyard BBQ and Wine Pairing

A recent beautiful weekend allowed my culinary side to shine; courtesy of my old reliable BBQ Grill. Yes, I am by no means a gourmet, but grilling is great fun, and most men (and women) can play a good chef if the grill is involved. Summer can be melt your shoes hot at times, but thankfully this day allowed for a perfect 85 degree high and a graceful arc that took many hours to turn day into night.

I fired up the grill, got the coals roasting, and took a quick peek down the stairs into the cellar to find a couple good wines to pair up with my fare. On the menu;
grilled corn on the cob, a fresh summer salad with mandarin oranges and roasted almonds, and the centerpiece, a juicy Kansas City Strip steak. Make of it what you like, but I am a big fan of bringing a couple wines to the table to taste with a nice dinner. One red and one white allows you to have more versatility to match up the wines with your meal and not sip on flavors that are just not meant to go together.

For tonight’s affair I couldn’t resist a nice Aussie Chardonnay that would go great with the citrus flavors in the salad and also handle the rich and buttery notes from the sweet corn on the cob. (Hint here – pick corn that isn’t huge kernels all the way to the end of the shucks because those ears are usually “overripe”, you want to see a few small kernels at the top of your choices). Winning great awards recently and being selected as a Vintages release by the LCBO, the 2006 Marquee Signature Chardonnay from Yarra Valley was a great hit with the corn and salad. The smart and balanced use of some oak aging and good acidic backbone brought out notes of lemon zest with the salad and creaminess with the corn; two different sides of the same wine, flexing its style to match the foods.

I must confess, I love steak, not quite sure exactly why… but I do. I usually don’t use steak sauce, I rarely do much with rubs or spices before grilling, and think there are only three items a good steak needs to turn out nicely; One/Two a bit of salt (sea salt is nice) and fresh cracked pepper before grilling and a nice red wine paired up for the meal. Just released to the general public, I had my eye on trying the 2006 Classy Zinfandel from Lake County, California with dinner and was well rewarded for my choice. The KC strip steak is not quite as lean as some other cuts, yet I love the way the fat content in this cut of steak cooks off into an almost caramelized exterior that locks in the juicy interior contents. Classy shows a great bouquet of rich raspberries, with spicy hints of cloves and dried roses, the wine has very smooth tannins and a medium/full body that allowed the fruit to shine, but with a less aggressive mouth feel than some other big reds (that I also happen to enjoy, aka King Cabernet). Final summary, the taste was a great match because it was also not “hot feeling” from having an uber high alcohol content (there are several 17% Zinfandel’s out on the market if you are looking around), try it with your next grill party and you will be impressed!

Ciao for now!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW
GM - cjcribb@marquee.com

3 Things I Learned In Vermont - 2008

After a three day adventure in the mountains of Vermont I am ready for an escape back to my own bed!

For its third year, Sante Magazine - http://www.santemagazine.com/ held a wonderfully informative and engaging Restaurant Symposium. The caliber of attendees was a strong group of food and beverage professionals that are into food, wine, spirits, education and FUN!

Sante has done a great job each year increasing the depth of its attendee roster as well as highlighting new trends in the culinary arts (aka mixology for one).

Three great things that I learned from the symposium that think all of my friends should know:

1) With great, fresh ingredients, you can make wonderful and exciting food! On attendee at the event was The Chef's Garden, a true eclectic farm that has taken small batch artisan greens and vegetables to a true art. Its not readily apparent in all environments, but when you use the best in quality (just as with wine) you get VIBRANT flavors. The farm is located in Huron, Ohio and it is well worth the visit for any foodie or wine lover alike.

Check them out on the web at http://www.chefs-garden.com/.

2) Mixology is really coming into its own as a culinary science and art form that will continue to grow and grab up an ever larger share of the pie with each coming year.

3) Morel mushrooms are Great! I was unsure about these tasty treats before from other preparations, but cooked with the right background ingredients they offer a tasty distinct flavor that is only paired with their unique texture.

Long story short, Vermont might not seem like a place to unveil culinary experiences, but my friends at Sante do know what they are doing when they put together a great room of PROFESSIONALS.

Cheers and I'll get back to more wine info soon!

PS - Bottling of the first vintage "Classy" wines from Lake County, CA has just occurred!

Ode to Blind Tasting

I recently completed a Sommelier Course that included a great piece on blind tasting and using a systematic approach to review wines. Coming from a computer background I am the first to tell you that anything can be broken down into a "system" if you try, but this approach was well presented and allowed for a new experience for me in the wine world; having 75 people in one room looking at the same wine without any pre-conceived notions about it.

Without the bottle to look at, without your frame of reference as to where you purchased it, without your normal peer group to influence you, the reality brought you home with exactly what your senses could tell you and thereafter, what your mind tied it back to.

One wine took me back to a medicine cabinet in the Nurse's office at elementary school, another made me think of a banana peel and the time I tried to see if I could get my sister to slip on it just like I had seen in many cartoons. ;) By bringing the blind aspect into the wine tasting experience it made my senses flex and reach back into my personal history to allow for a frame of reference.

Next time you want a challenge, get 3 friends to each bring a bottle for a round table tasting, four different wines, put them in the bags and try the tasting blind... use a simple and honest approach (As my training would attest I prefer the Court of Master Sommelier's, http://www.mastersommeliers.org/), but whatever your approach just make sure that you allow objectivity and the time to review the look, smell, taste and essence of the wine.

I am putting this on my list of things to do during the next month and if anyone else in the Kansas City area would like to join me, please drop me a line and I will let you know where the group is going to put down our roots.

All my best,

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW
GM - Marquee Artisan Wines
cjcribb@marquee.com

Bring On The Whites!

Bring on the Whites!

When I think of Spring time, I think of green grass, flowers blooming, and in general the outdoors. After a long and cold winter in Kansas City (Marquee headquarters), I am ready for some good weather and some nice light white wines to pair with it. From a taste perspective, lighter white wines have a tendency to show many of the same flavors that Spring itself brings about… some of my favorites are: freshly cut green grass, the floral scent of lilac, mint, basil, dill, and even the smell of dandelions.

Yes, I am actually writing about the fun and ever present yellow flowers that magically turn into a white and wispy seed. At one time or another we have all been tempted to blow the seeds off these fun forms of nature’s beauty… When the weather turns warm and the grass wakes up from its winter slumber, one week behind the grass (at least in my yard), are these hearty yellow flowers that if you pull one and rub it on a piece of paper leaves a vibrant splash of color. When gardening last weekend I managed to pull a ton of these little yellow creatures out of my lawn, my hands had a bit of a green tinge and I was at once hit with a smell that was both recognizable and different, dandelions.

I thought back to my wine portfolio at Marquee Selections and in my head ran the mental list of wines to find any association that fit. I checked the cellar and, it hit me; our newest white wine, Grazioso, a blend of un-oaked Chardonnay and Torrontes, the floral white grape most well know in Argentina, has just a little bit of that fresh dandelion smell that makes me think of Spring! Grown at high altitudes in the Northern part of Mendoza , the roots of this fun association likely stem from the Chardonnay grape that makes up 60% of this white blend.

I pulled the cork a few minutes later and sure enough, whether by association or coincidence, the flavor stuck out just as if you had taken iceberg lettuce in your normal salad and switched it with wild greens. The smell and flavor is both tangy and savory at the same time. The wines acidity lets this flavor come out while still being nicely balanced by the more luscious and floral aromas in the Torrontes. Floral notes were there, but not overpowering like you find in a potpourri, they are more mellow, understated and clean as in a tulip. Delicious, thirst quenching and a delight to enjoy as the sunset closed on my back porch.

My challenge this month for you is to let me know of your next “common scent” the everyday average smell that you enjoy so that I can associate it back to the fun world of wine. Whether it’s the scent of laundry fresh from the dryer, or the cherry smell that is not bing or maraschino, but sure enough it’s cherry cough syrup… send me a line at cjcribb@marquee.com and I will share it with more friends.

Till next month, cheers to the coming of spring!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Wine & Chocolate Mmm...

WINE & CHOCOLATE MMM...

When it comes to talking wine and chocolate, my mind immediately drifts to dark chocolate and deep red wines… but that could be because "most" of my favorite wines are large, bold red wines. ;) To ring in the grand month of February on this leap year, let's take a deeper look into pairing wines with Chocolate and other sweets.

Wine Myth - Red wine pairs perfectly with chocolate

Some red wines go well with chocolate but the rule doesn't guarantee wonderful results with many wines. Try to consider that you want your wine to be a hint sweeter what you are paring it with. Chocolate that contains a ton of sugar can make the wine it's being consumed with seem too bitter. Opt for dark chocolate with a high cocoa content (more than 50 per cent) and choose a wine with lots of sweet fruit or oak characteristics, such as a Bordeaux blend of Merlot & Cabernet, or a good example from the Marquee portfolio is the Marquee Signature Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine spent over 18 months aged in new American Oak and therefore has a innate sweetness that pairs beautifully with a deep, dark Chocolate.

New Idea – Chocolate covered strawberries & Champagne or Riesling

Well maybe its not that new of an idea, but it is definitely a good one!. Having nice, ripe strawberries dipped in both dark and white chocolate are a delight in and of themselves, but choosing a demi-sec sparkling and or an off-dry Riesling to pair with them allows the strong acid backbone in the wines to pair wonderfully with the juicy strawberries. You could go the traditional route and just do strawberries and Champagne, yet why add a new touch to an old classic. The just released 2007 vintage of the Marquee Classic Riesling would pair wonderfully!

For the Adventurous – Dessert wines and Desserts with Chocolate

On this, I love to either pick a flavor profile in my wine and then try and match it in the dessert, or to pick my wine and use it to help concoct the actual dessert. For the first style, take the Marquee Signature Dessert Chardonnay, it is brimming with apricots, pear, and marmalade flavors… pear is a bit hard to find in the chocolate world, but a brief look around finds many citrus infused chocolates…The hint of citrus in the chocolate is a fun match to the wine, or this beautiful wine is also great to pour over ice cream and garnish with a white chocolate square. Two minutes and you have a beautiful, classy dessert! Whatever your flavor for the month, enjoy it with style and let me know about your new and interesting subjects in the wine and sprits world.

Till next month, Cheers!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW