Backsberg Estate Cellars - "Seamless" wines of South Africa

Marquee Selections is proud to announce we have signed on Backsberg Estate Cellars from Paarl, South Africa to add to our green portfolio of outstanding wineries!  In this episode of InTheCellar Michael Back of Backsberg joins Bonnie Rabicoff  & Christopher Cribb in an informative video session to learn about the wines and vineyards of South Africa.  South Africa has a wine history that goes back hundreds of years; the sad fact remains that through and after apartheid  most of the world has not seem the best of their wines. Join us as we taste through both the reds and whites of Backsberg and see how South Africa is tying the string between "New World and Old World Wines"!

The idea of balance is a key to the Backsberg culture and it is brought to the consumer through seamless wines; wines that are in harmony between acids, tannins, power, and acidity.  We begin our tour of South Africa by tasting the Backsberg Premium Series Chenin Blanc, a light white wine with balanced acidity, fruit driven with a touch of residual sugar.  Green apples fill the mouth, with a touch of pear and notes of hay with honey, a lovely tasting wine.  The grape, Chenin Blanc, finds its original home in the Loire Valley of France, but was an early addition to the wine history of South Africa, making its way to the Cape region in the 1600's!.  Chenin Blanc also goes by the name 'Steen' in South Africa where it is the most widely planted varietal in the country.  Delving deeper into the white wines from Backsberg we find they also produce a light, bright and fresh Backsberg Premium Sauvignon Blanc, the Backsberg Reserve John Martin Sauvignon Blanc that spends time in oak barrels akin to many barrel aged Fume Blanc's from California.  Finishing out the portfolio is the charming, fruit driven Backsberg Kosher Chardonnay, and a small amount of the floral grape, Viognier in the Backsberg Reserve Hillside Viogner.. 

For the second tasting selection of the day we go to an award winner for Backsberg, the Backsberg Reserve Pumphouse Shiraz! Awarded 90 points from Wine Spectator as a great buy for the money, one taste of this elegant beauty and you will know why; rich, dark mulberries, milk chocolate, with hints of spice and an extra smooth finish make this wine a show stopper!  To round out the range of wines produced by Backsberg in the Marquee portfolio we have the Backsberg Premium Pinotage, the Backsberg Kosher Merlot & the Backsberg Kosher Brut.   Pinotage is a South African specialty; a hybrid cross between the Pinot Noir grape and Cinsault developed in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold, the first Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch University.  With dark skins and tastes of smoky, brambly fruit, the Backsberg Pinotage is fruit forward and delivers a touch of sweetness to the palate.   For production of Kosher wines, Backsberg has fulfilled a promise, not to just make wine that is Mevushal Kosher, but to make GREAT wines that happen to also be Kosher.  When time comes to produce the Backsberg Kosher wines, the winemakers at Backsberg in conjunction with a Rabbi from Cape Town and his helpers take over physical production of the wine once it has arrived in the cellar.  Overseen by our winemaker Guillaume Nel, the Kosher processes are followed as directed and the resulting wines display the Kosher symbols, letting the consumer know that our wines have been approved as Kosher by both the Cape Town Beth Din and the OU of the United States.

Backsberg has become the first wine producer in South Africa and one of only three in the world to gain Carbon Neutral status by sequestrating its carbon emissions. Proprietor, Michael Back, who joined the family business in 1976, is passionate about the environment, believing that each generation is the custodian of the land for a limited period of time only. "Care for the environment means care and concern for succeeding generations. As custodians of the land, it is our duty to understand and recognize potential threats, and to mitigate against them for the benefit of the next generation," says Back  The foundation for success at Backsberg is rooted in tradition, but driven by innovation.  In addition to the Carbon Neutral status Backsberg has been a pioneer in the use of the PET - Hard Plastic bottle with the introduction of their 100% recyclable bottle / series, Tread Lightly.  Marquee Selections is proud to have the Tread Lightly Sauvigon Blanc and the Tread Lightly Merlot in our global portfolio.  One box of 12 bottles of the Tread Lightly wines weighs twenty pounds lighter than the same juice in traditional glass bottles!

Backsberg currently has around 271 acres of vineyards which are located along the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountains, mid way between Paarl and Stellenbosch;  some 40 minutes from Cape Town, South Africa.. The region has wonderful climate; full sunny days in the summer and cold wet days in the winter -- a great location to 'grow' wine.  The South African wine industry benefits from the maritime effects of the convergent South Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean.  Vineyards at Backsberg rise into the higher elevations on the Simonsig Mountains with a targeted approach to grow white wines at higher elevations therefore allowing the wines a slightly cooler climate.

Marquee and InTheKitchen give a big "thank you" to Michael Back and the Backsberg Winery for joining us on InTheCellar - more information about Backsberg is available on their website http://www.backsberg.za!

In the Kitchen and Marquee sends out a special thank you to our friends at Wines By Jennifer Boutique wine shop in Parkville, MO http://www.winesbyjennifer.com/ for participating in this exciting show and transporting us back to the vineyards and fields of South Africa from a quaint house along the Missouri river! Sharing the knowledge of culture, atmosphere is always great with Jennifer and I highly suggest if you are in the Parkville area, stop in for a visit, they always have great wine selections open on the tasting table and a helpful staff to pour and chat with!!

Marquee Selections has partnered up with the award-winning chef focused program " In The Kitchen with Bonnie" (http://inthekitchenwithbonnie.com) to produce an exciting new wine segment entitled "In the Cellar" with Marquee Selections . During each episode we will unravel the wine world one grape at a time! Each week we invite you to join us for an engaging conversation for our food and wine lovers to see why wine has been a worldwide tradition for centuries and how learning more about it can help bring the stories and flavors to life. Learn more about exciting regions, new wine types, varietals, how to pair wines with food, decanting, proper serving temperature, what wine goes best with pizza and more! 

A great 10 minute break from your day to learn and "wet" your taste buds for more"!

Cheers!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW

Marquee Selections - Green, Global, Grapes

InTheCellar - The Art of Choosing the Best Wine Glass & Decanting

Why is the White Wine glass smaller than the Red Wine glass? The table next to us had their wine decanted, should we? Simple answers about different wine glasses, decanting and a few sommelier tips as Christopher Cribb from Marquee Selections and Bonnie Rabicoff from In The Kitchen With Bonnie go InTheCellar to explore wine glassware and gadgets.



For the 1st set of wines today we selected two white wines to showcase why you choose different style and shape wine glasses for each. In our smallest glass for surface area with a taller more narrow bowl similar to a champagne flute, we showcase the Marquee Classic Riesling. The majority of our glassware for today's tasting comes from an industry leader, Riedel Glassware, that was a pioneer in creating wine glasses specialized for different wine types and styles. The Riedel Riesling Grand Cru glass we are using is slender to concentrate the floral and bright acidic aromas of Riesling, we love the lime, passion-fruit and hints of sweetness in this off-dry Aussie. Moving ahead we next taste the Marquee Classic Chardonnay, a tropical fruit inspired white wine that we have in a slightly shorter and winder bowled glass, the Riedel White Wine / Chablis /Chardonnay Glass. The surface area difference in this glass allows additional oxygen to the wine and the shape ensures the wine is delivered to the palate at the best possible location for the wine type.


Moving ahead with our red wine setup we showcase an outstanding Bordeaux style red from Spain, the 2005 Aljibes Red Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc from Fincas Los Aljibes. In an effort to showcase the effect the wine glass can have on a particular wine we taste the Aljibes from 1st - from a plastic tumbler (better than a styrofoam cup or coffee mug, but not ideal, 2nd - from s smaller Riedel Red Wine Glass - The Chianti / Zinfandel, that allows more swirling in the bowl & delivers the wine effortlessly, but as with the tumbler, the nose still seems a bit closed and 3rd - from the Riedel Bordeaux / Cabernet Wine glass, a much larger red wine glass that allows the nose / bouquet to open up and showcase itself as a big, bold beautifully aromatic wine. Hands down, the Bordeaux glass that is specifically made for the Cabernet / Merlot / Cab. Franc blends was the best of these three at showcasing the wines best qualities; as Bonnie describes, "I can't believe that's the same wine!"


Our final tip and showcase in this episode is on decanting and to do so we are using the same red wine we have just tasted, the 2005 Alijibes Bordeaux Blend and decant it first using a classic open mouth decanter and second decanting this wine through a personal wine aerator called the Vinturi - Essential WIne Aerator. For this selection we would recommend decanting this red wine as it is a 2005 vintage that has been properly stored on its side in a cool environment and we are drinking it at seven years of aging. You decant the wine to reduce and eliminate that particulates and sediment that naturally occurs in a wine and also to open the wine up for more air. In some instances with a big young red wine we would also suggest decanting, the 2010 Caligiore Reserve Malbec for example gets more complex and smooth even though you will likely not find any issues with sediment.

In this example; the Alijibes tasted after decanting from the glass device was proved to be more smooth, as if a slight edge was taken off the red wine tannins. Our final piece of today's discussion focuses on a stocking stuffer Christmas present for the wine lover, a personal aerator. The model we selected, the Vinturi retails for around $40.00 and is great for the person that knows a wine needs air to open up, but doesn't want to put half or all of the bottle into a traditional decanter. The Vinturi lived up to its name and opened the wine up, but it was a toss up as to whether it or the classic decanter was overall a better choice. In either case these always make great presents for your wine lover (a nice classic decanter can be picked up for around $25.00, but go well up into the hundreds with Riedel's beautiful collection of art glass).

In the Kitchen and Marquee sends out a special thank you to our friends at The American Restaurant, http://www.theamericankc.com/ for participating in this exciting series of shows and in this particular show for allowing us to take a look at their impressive decanter collection! As always it is a treat to work with a crown jewel and institution for Kansas City; Hallmark; and the Hall Family!

Marquee Selections has partnered up with the award-winning chef focused program " In The Kitchen with Bonnie" (http://inthekitchenwithbonnie.com) to produce an exciting new wine segment entitled "In the Cellar" with Marquee Selections . During each episode we will unravel the wine world one grape at a time! Each week we invite you to join us for an engaging conversation for our food and wine lovers to see why wine has been a worldwide tradition for centuries and how learning more about it can help bring the stories and flavors to life. Learn more about exciting regions, new wine types, varietals, how to pair wines with food, decanting, proper serving temperature, what wine goes best with pizza and more! A great 10 minute break from your day to learn and "wet" your taste buds for more"!

Cheers!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW
Marquee Selections - Green, Global, Grapes

InTheCellar - Pairing Wines with Hearty Winter Comfort Foods

InTheCellar - Pairing Wines with Hearth Winter Comfort Foods!

With a fire roaring in the hearth, a bubbling stew on the stove or some homemade Mac & Cheese in the oven, what wines are you going to be reaching for? Join Marquee Selections and Bonnie Rabicoff as we go In the Cellar to find the best pairings for hearty winter fare and our favorite comfort foods and a few tips on cooking with wine!

We wanted to get your mouth watering during this episode so let's off the Blog with a great recipe from our friends over at The Food Network, a cookbook we love - The Barefoot Contessa sharing - Lobster Mac and Cheese with one of our favorites "Gruyere"!

In our lucky thirteenth episode of In the Cellar, the first wine we review is the versatile 2010 Capa Rota Macabeo from Yecla, Spain. Macabeo is a grape type (varietal) indigenous to Spain that falls in the flavor spectrum on the light to medium side between a Pinot Grigio and a lightly oaked Chardonnay. For good service, you want to make sure the wine is chilled down to show off its tropical notes and we paired this wine up today with your traditional homemade Cheddar Mac & Cheese (maybe even a little bacon in with it)!



The second wine we focus on in this episode is the 2008 Quattro Leoni Barbera D'Asti from Castello Di Gabiano in Piedmont, Italy. With root vegetables making the winter fare list we choose the Barbera to show off this delicious red varietals versatility in pairing as something that could go with a rich OssoBucco with a parsnip puree or even be a hit alongside your traditional red beef chili! Barbera is the 2nd most grown grape in all of Italy & Castello Di Gabiano last year was awarded the prestigious "Best Barbera" medal at VinItaly and focus its red wines on this signature grape. If you happen to be in the northern Italian wine county we highly suggest you stop by this picturesque vineyard and property that was originally growing grapes in 1108 AD!

In the Kitchen and Marquee sends out a special thank you to our friends at The American Restaurant for participating in this exciting series of shows! As always it is a treat to work with a crown jewel and institution for Kansas City and Hallmark!

For more information about using tools like the VacuVin Wine Preservation system to take the oxygen away from your wine for wine storage materials at your local retailer and here as an education resource Vacuum Wine Preservation Products.

Marquee Selections has partnered up with the award-winning chef focused program " In The Kitchen with Bonnie" (http://inthekitchenwithbonnie.com) to produce an exciting new wine segment entitled "In the Cellar" with Marquee Selections . During each episode we will unravel the wine world one grape at a time! Each week we invite you to join us for an engaging conversation for our food and wine lovers to see why wine has been a worldwide tradition for centuries and how learning more about it can help bring the stories and flavors to life. Learn more about exciting regions, new wine types, varietals, how to pair wines with food, decanting, proper serving temperature, what wine goes best with pizza and more! A great 10 minute break from your day to learn and "wet" your taste buds for more"!

Please enjoy this web-episode of In the Cellar with Marquee and additional details are available below for more information on Marquee Selections! I am a bit new to the HD Camera, so please bear with me as I get my sea legs as an action reporter ( with today's technology you can find the grey hairs if you look) :) and thank you so much for tuning in and supporting Marquee Selections!