Spirit Spotlight: Breckenridge Distillery

It’s been a loaded few weeks around here. Lots of tastings and classes that have come to an end, giving me a break to actually write again! At the end of March, I led a Bourbon/Rye/American craft whiskey session at Divine Wine, which included a whopping eight whiskeys. There is a lot to share with you from our session, which generated a lot of great conversation and debate. Today, I am going to give the pedestal to a distillery located right in the heart of Colorado’s ski resorts: Breckenridge Distillery.

Breckenridge is situated at the highest altitude of any distillery in the United States (9600 feet) and can be found as part of the Colorado Spirits Trail. The distillery was founded in 2007 by former doctor Bryan Nolt, who has (mostly) left a successful career in medicine behind to pursue his passion for spirits, and whiskey in particular. A trip to Scotland helped him adopt a Scottish mentality in whiskey production: valuing a local water source. In this case, Bryan had access to mountain snow melt that would be a major ingredient in his whiskeys. That, plus some education in distillation, has led to the creation award-winning Bourbon whiskeys. In fact, Bryan brought his distillation instructor, Jordan Via, to be his Head Distiller to help make this happen. The flagship product, Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey, is actually a blend of high-rye Colorado, Kentucky, and Tennessee whiskeys and has been well-received by the whiskey-loving community.

From there, Bryan and Jordan have experimented with different cask finishes, such as Port and PX Sherry, and he has also released a Colorado take on single malt Scotch with the Dark Arts: Whiskey Distilled From Malt Mash. Additionally, Breckenridge has a gin and a range of vodkas (which for many craft distillers represents a quick way to get product on the market and establish some cash flow) among other products like spiced rum and liqueurs.

You should know that Colorado is really beginning to take off when it comes to craft spirit production; I would not be writing about Breckenridge Distillery if the products were not readily available. Several products are available in many markets across the country.

Try this flight of three whiskeys to get a feel for the Breckenridge style and enjoy! For more information, visit their web site.

Some darn fine whiskey from our class last month.

Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey ($40): The flagship product has the caramel, vanilla, and brown sugar flavors you like to enjoy from the Kentucky Bourbons, but there is also a spicy, lively character that comes through with the high-rye mashbill and the use of some younger whiskeys in the blend. A pleasantly bitter/herbaceous edge on the finish that provides an extra layer of complexity.

Breckenridge Port Finish Bourbon Whiskey ($50): Breckenridge takes the Bourbon recipe from above and finishes the whiskey in choice Port barrels for a few months. There is an apricot and berry jelly-like fruitiness on the finish and the use of Port barrel also softens the texture, giving the whiskey a silky mouthfeel, but there is also a peppery kick on the finish.

Breckenridge PX Cask Finish Bourbon Whiskey ($50): So again, take the flagship Bourbon recipe and this time age the whiskey in PX (Pedro Ximenez) Sherry Casks. PX Sherry is a sweet style made from dried grapes, giving candied orange, date, and fig flavors. This has a very rich texture, but the spicy character of the rye in the whiskey provides balance.

Just Taste It: Portuga Red Blend

“Just Taste It” is essentially the phrase that best described my food and drink upbringing. Family members would just put something in front of me and implore me to taste it until I actually did. I am now going to do the same to you by giving you a snapshot of something I tried that I think you will like if you give it an honest shot.

So what is Portuga?

A red wine blend from vineyards near Lisbon, Portugal. Imported by Wine In Motion of Newark, NJ

Who makes it?

Casa Santos Lima, a company that owns about 1,000 acres of vines all over Portugal. They have many brands offering a massive range of styles and price points.

The beauty of many Portuguese wines is that they are transparent regarding what’s inside the bottle…producers and their importers want you to get to know them!

What’s in it?

40% Castelão: this is a grape grown all over Portugal since it is versatile in blends and easy to cultivate. It can be light and fruity (as it is in the case of this specific wine) or stand up to oak aging (adding another dimension to Port wines, especially in “Vintage” years). Its versatility reminds me most of Barbera from Piedmont, Italy

30% Touriga Franca: this is another versatile Portuguese variety, though its aromatic intensity stands out more than Castelão. While important in sweet Port wines, it also makes excellent dry red wines with blackberry and violet notes. In warm years, the wines made from Touriga Franca are full-bodied and plush, similar to Merlot without the chocolatey flavors.

15% Cabernet Sauvignon: Valued for its tannin, acid, and overall structure, Cabernet Sauvignon is typically only used in the southern regions of Portugal as the northern areas tend to stick with native varieties only.

Ruby-colored and berry-scented, the Portuga is an easy-drinking casual weeknight red wine.

15% Syrah: Offers similar structural characteristics to Cabernet Sauvignon, but with distinct black pepper and earthy qualities. An emerging favorite of southern Portugal.

(h/t to Wines of Portugal for helping me best describe Castelão and Touriga Franca)

How is it made?

The wine is actually fermented in concrete tanks, which helps provide a rounder texture without imparting additional flavors the way a wood barrel would. The wine then spends 4 months in a small barrel to soften the texture further.

How does it taste?

Medium-bodied, fruity (all of the berry flavors are in this wine), and rather light in alcohol (12.5% abv).

How do I serve it?

Stick the bottle in the fridge for about 15 minutes; a light chill on the wine makes the fruit and aromatics pop in your glass. It is also a screwcap, so if you don’t have a corkscrew handy, it’s OK. Drink this within a year or two.

What am I eating with this?

Classic beef burgers are the first thing that jumps to mind, but tomato salsa-based Mexican dishes would be really good here, too.

How much is it?

You should be able to find the Portuga Red for about $10 in most places. Casa Santos Lima is available in many parts of the country, but I do notice a significant concentration of their wines in the northeastern U.S.

Does Vintage Matter? Make It Matter To You

One of my goals when I write posts is to get you more connected to wine and spirits. Obviously, if you are reading my articles, you like to drink a good beverage and want to know more about what you just gave your liver to process. However, it's good to establish a real connection with your wines and spirits to gain an appreciation for them.

If you are one to pick up a publication like Wine Spectator, Decanter, or something along those lines, you will recognize a bunch of topics that are frequently discussed. The concept of terroir generates a lot of debate. "Rosé All Day" is a mantra meant to get you to enjoy dry pink wines all year round. However, the number one topic enthusiasts, experts, and retailers obsess over is vintage.

By the way, all the term "vintage" means is the year the grapes were harvested to make the wine in the bottle you purchased. That's it. Yet, vintage is a drum that gets beaten consistently, because every vintage experiences different weather conditions from its predecessor. Things like number of sunny days, rainfall, wind, and timing of these conditions in the growing season can all impact the health of wine grapes and the grapevines themselves. Each vintage will show different characteristics in the finished wines. For (very general) example, dry, sunny years give lots of potential alcohol and ripe fruit flavors. Rainy years might lead to lean, acidic wines. Cloudy years lead to green/unripe flavors. Hot years may show very little acid and full-bodied wines.

The majority of wines that hit the market are going to be drinkable, no matter what the vintage is. 95-98% of what you see is meant to be consumed within the first couple of years of the vintage. The remainder is built for long-haul aging in a cellar, and vintage matters a lot in this case. In order for a wine to go on and develop more interesting flavors over time, you need alcohol, acid, fruit concentration, tannin (in the case of red wines), and residual sugars (frequently needed in sweet white wines, but also important for Port). All of these elements help preserve a wine.

Wines made from Nebbiolo are great for cellaring; they are loaded with acid, tannin, alcohol, and fruit concentration. Talking to people helped me land these for my own cellar.

Now, I have a question for you: does any of what I wrote matter to you? If it does, cool. Find some wines ready to throw into your cellar. Barolo, Bordeaux, and Brunello are all suitable examples for you. If the answer is "no," that's good, too. You don't have the time to wait, or those styles of wine aren't your thing. You like dry unoaked white wines, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Arneis? Make sure you aren't buying a wine whose vintage is more than two years old. Same thing applies to rosé wines as both will lose the vibrant fruit with time.

Another approach: use the vintage to make the wine buying experience more personal. For our 10th wedding anniversary, The Greatest Wife In The World and I enjoyed a 2006 Brunello together a couple of years ago. This year, I picked up a 2008 Rioja Reserva for good friends celebrating their 10th anniversary. Here's something else for you: I recently found out the 2016 Port vintage is about to be a "declared vintage" (for more on what that means, see my Port guide! ). This means all three of my sons were born in Vintage Port years. I am buying a bottle from each vintage to enjoy when they turn 21; whether or not I include them in the drinking portion remains to be seen. Additionally, I already have a 2007 Barolo and 2011 Barbaresco on hand, since The Greatest Wife In The World is not a sweet wine fan, and we both adore Italian wine. In the coming months and years, get ready for the 2016 wines with aging potential to become available.

Certainly, doing some web research can help with your quest to find the right wine, but visiting your local wine shop and talking to the fine folks there, they can help you find a bottle in store or track it down through their distributors. Make vintages work for you, whether you are looking for a youthful/fresh/lively wine or one that can mature and go down velvety smooth. Need a handy-dandy vintage chart? Use this guide to help you. Note that all of what I discussed is simply a guide and not a hard-and-fast rulebook.

Of course, if you really get stuck, then please...reach out to me! I'm happy to get you turned on to a great wine from any vintage and price bracket. Make the vintage special to you.

The Obligatory Wine With Halloween Candy Post

It's that time of year! Get ready for (if you haven't seen them yet) the blitz of articles about pairing wine and other booze with Halloween candy.

Before I get into the meat of this topic, let me start with this: Halloween is quite the production in my neighborhood. Everyone around here understands we have a window of time to celebrate and generally just have a good time. When it's done, it's done; people have jobs to get to and life to deal with the next day. During that time, however, the neighborhood has fire pits and music. Some houses have some tasty beverages for the adults to sample while kids get the traditional range of "fun size" candies, along with a sprinkling of full-size confections from the really awesome houses.

So whether you end up enjoying Halloween with the neighborhood for a few hours, or end up coming back from trick-or-treating with the kids to knock down a beverage or two, there's always one thing to remember if you are going to pair your booze of choice with candy:

Make sure your drink is (or seems) sweeter than the candy you are eating.

I can't stress that point enough. Dry wines and light beers are going to taste very thin and harsh with just about any type of candy, whether it is fruit flavored, chocolatey, peanut buttery, or anything else. Sorry, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and many Italian white wines...you are out. IPAs and (Insert macrobrew here) Lite? So are you. High-tannin or light-bodied red wines? Brutal. Your beer and wine will just taste astringent and tart. These are all mighty fine adult beverages and I love them all...just not today.

However, there are some ways to get around this rule of thumb when it comes to drinking with candy, especially if you just don't like sweet wine or other alcoholic beverages. Sometimes playing around with flavor composition, illusions of sweetness, and texture can help make a pairing work.

Less than an hour away from home, Two Roads has always delivered on just about any beer I have had from them. The Oktoberfest is no different.

Let's start with the beer-drinkers. While most beers aren't necessarily sweet, there is a component of a brew that can give you the impression of sweetness on your palate: malt. That's right...most malty beers feel full-bodied and creamy with a caramel/chocolate/toffee flavor profile. These are all the aspects of a malty beer that can play nicely with your Twix, Kit-Kats, and Butterfingers. Newcastle Brown Ale and other English Brown Ales work nicely with these candies. Additionally, go for what is readily available at this time of year: Oktoberfest/Märzen style beers. These are a little lighter and not quite as malty as a Brown Ale, but has some of the sweet fall baking spice notes. Whether you go with the ubiquitous-but-steady Sam Adams or a local craft brewery, you can't go wrong (assuming you like the style, of course). If you prefer to steal the fruity candies like Starbursts and Skittles from your kids, try a Fruit Lambic; Lindemans tends to be the most readily available of this style and finishes sweeter than other producers.

Now, what do we do about wine? If you are not a sweet wine lover, then we need to find wines that are full-bodied, fruity, and assertive. Oaked Chardonnay does the trick with the bold, tropical fruit flavor, butterscotch and cream (the byproduct of malolactic fermentation), and sweet spices. Look no further than the outwardly named "Butter" by JaM Cellars. It's going to have all of that for about $15. Great for popping the candy corns or even milk chocolate.

Fruit-forward, full-bodied reds can work wonders with candy.

For a "dry" red, Australian Shiraz and California Zinfandel can be so ripe, full-bodied, and jammy, the wines will leave you with a sweet sensation on the finish. Yalumba Y Series Shiraz ($15) or Bogle's Old Vine Zinfandel ($10) keeps things simple and straightforward. The red fruit bomb that is the Zinfandel and the raisiny/figgy/peppery character of the Shiraz will each give you what you need for dark chocolate candy.

A little off the beaten path, but worth trying if you find it. Alvear offers terrific value with all of their products.

For the sweet wines, Port and dark chocolate has long been an essential pairing; the complexity of each feeds off of one another. You can also consider the syrupy, chocolatey, and mouthcoating Pedro Ximinez ("PX") Sherries; PX can be poured over ice cream for some serious indulgence if rummaging through Halloween candy isn't good enough. It will just overwhelm any confection you throw at it, though it will play well with a Snickers or Reese's since Sherry generally has a nutty character to it. Bodegas Alvear's Solera Cream ($18) is made with 100% PX grapes in the region of Montilla-Moriles, a production area more inland with a hotter climate than the traditional Sherry regions. As a result, the wines are less expensive.

We haven't touched on enough wine to drink with your fruity candies. Go big or go home, I say, with the Hungarian sweet wine known as Tokaji [toe-KYE]. Royal Tokaji Wine Company Red Label Tokaji is peachy, citrusy, and full of honey. There is always Ice Wine from Canada, the Finger Lakes, and Austria that are delicate, fruity, and sweet, but with plenty of acid to prevent the wine from feeling sticky sweet on your palate. Inniskillin is a well-known Canadian producer as is Nigl of Austria. If you are willing to spend $40 for a 500mL bottle, dive in (then save whatever is left in the bottle to enjoy with fruit tarts and cakes on a later date).

A mere ounce of this stuff instantly boosts the flavor of any beverage. Feel free to go inexpensive on the vodka. I won't tell.

Now, what if you are into spirits? Well, one of the easiest things you can do is hook yourself up with a flavored vodka of choice, mix with lemonade, and be on your way to gorging on Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, Jolly Ranchers, and Gummi Bears/Worms/Other Creatures. One concoction we enjoy in the summer is blueberry vodka with lemonade, and honestly you can get away with that year round. Or, grab the magic Cognac and raspberry liqueur known as Chambord ($35-ish) and add that to your flavored vodka. No Twizzler stands a chance.

Here are some others you can work with as well in the spirits department: Bailey's Irish Cream and a Milky Way, El Dorado 12 Year Rum with any caramel candy (or even those banana Laffy Taffy things), and Champagne and pretzels (there will be pretzels in the candy bag, I promise you...and that's a good reason to drink Champagne).

Hey, have fun with this. I have seen some posts out there on the topic that give zero explanation as to why any of the pairings work. Hopefully, I make some sense with my line of thinking, but I would also love to hear what you enjoy with the Halloween haul. Just remember this: alcohol and sugar dehydrate you. Consume both for long periods of time without some water or other food in-between shoveling in the sweets can lead to some wretched hangovers. Enjoy the evening in moderation and, of course, be safe!

Building A Case...For A Few More Dollars

Earlier this week, I shared with you an easy strategy for building a case of wine that sought value and quality. Today, we take it to a different level. Assuming you have saved up your schillings, received a bonus, or just feel like spending money on wine, well I have a "version 2.0" guide for you when you are looking to find 12 tasty bottles. Whether you are dropping $10 or $100 a bottle on wine, I am always going to steer you to something that delivers high a quality-to-price ratio.

When you have extra money on-hand for that case, new doors open up not just at higher price points, but it gives you access to regions and styles that just aren't widely available in the $10 range. Here are some points of interest to consider when buying a mixed case of wine when money is less of an object, but not growing on trees by any means.

New Zealand has the highest average selling price per bottle of wine of any winemaking country. While there are some large brands that you can find in the $10-$12 range, there are many that exceed $15. Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Gewurztraminer can all cost you. However, if you like the bold tropical zestiness of Sauvignon Blanc, or the clean, aromatic fruit in Gewurztraminer, now is the time to include a New Zealand wine.

Austrian wines command high prices with the precision and balance that shows in their wines. Grüner Veltliner has become quite popular and doesn't really grow anywhere else in the world, so again while there are some good entry-level wines in the $10-$12 neighborhood, go for a wine from a small producer that has complex citrusy/minerally/peppery flavors.

Wines from Burgundy can be very expensive, partially due to the fact that vineyard land is some of the most expensive in the world. Prime sites in many villages make long-lived wines, but there are also more accessible examples that don't require you to empty your bank account if you want to dive into Burgundy. Try Chardonnay wines from the Mâcon region in the south. Additionally, seek out the wines from a négociant to try any Burgundian region's typical style. Louis Jadot, Joseph Drouhin, and Bouchard Pere et Fils are just a few of the larger examples that you should be able to find for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Oregon makes some outstanding wines, with Pinot Noir being the superstar of the Willamette Valley. Finding a good Pinot Noir in the sub-$20 range can be a challenge and many examples from Oregon start at about $20. Oregon tends to strike the right balance of fruitiness and earthiness.

Wines from Napa Valley aren't cheap, and if you like your red blends to be a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend a la Bordeaux, there are plenty to be found in the $20 and over range. If you had been purchasing some "everyday" Bordeaux reds in the $12 price point, shoot for the wines with a defined geography such as "Medoc" or "Saint-Emilion", which will cost a few dollars more, but it will give you a sense of what a wine tastes like when grown from vineyards within a smaller parcel of vineyards.

In the Rhone Valley, it's up to you if you want to shoot for Chateauneuf-du-Pape or Hermitage, as each of those wines will hit you for $40 and way upward in many cases. However, if you reach for some of the lesser-known subregions like "Gigondas" or "Crozes-Hermitage," you will pay a fraction of the price of their more expensive brethren. This is where chatting with your friendly local wine merchant will help you a lot.

In Italy, you can start checking out the great grape of Nebbiolo, famous in the Piedmont region and most notably in the sub-region of Barolo and Barbaresco. Like the two Rhone wines above, they can cost you plenty, but wines labeled "Nebbiolo d'Alba" or "Langhe Nebbiolo" will often encompass vineyards outside of the Barolo and Barbaresco communes, giving you something lighter in body, but more approachable in youth (which means you don't need to stick them in the cellar to evolve and harmonize).

Spanish wine's most popular export to the U.S. is wines from Rioja. Now is a great time to go for the wines with some extended oak aging. Look for wines labeled "Crianza," "Reserva," and "Gran Reserva," all of which will increase in price thanks to the amount of time spent in barrel. The great news about Rioja is that wines are always released ready to drink, needing no further aging if you don't want to stash them in the cellar.

Let's not forget the sparkling wine here, too! I'm not saying you have to shoot on up to Champagne, which is truly a delicious sparkling wine that deserves the recognition it gets. However, if you seek out "Crémant" wines, which are sparkling wines made in non-Champagne French regions the same way they are made in Champagne. A Crémant can be found for roughly half the price of a large Champagne house's flagship non-vintage wine for regions like Burgundy (Bourgogne), Limoux (Southern France), Alsace, and Loire.

If you are a Port or Sherry fan, go for a nice bottle of one of your favorite fortified wines. If you need something versatile to cook with as well as drink, an Amontillado Sherry is a nice buy here. As we approach fall, if you enjoy time in the kitchen there will be some recipes calling for a Port sauce. A Ruby Port is fiery and fruity enough to add flavor, but also a nice warming beverage on a chilly night. You can typically find an example of each Port and Sherry style for around $15. Each style also gives you a good baseline of what to expect from an individual producer if you were to venture into their other styles.

So here's what that case looks like if we take the items discussed above into account with specific products. Additionally, we will refer back to the Value Case we did earlier this week and use that as a springboard into other wines.

Marie-Pierre Manciat Crémant de Bourgogne ($23): A fine sparkling wine made from 100% Chardonnay in sustainable vineyards. Floral with orange and lemon peel aromas, peachy on the palate, and very lively with persistent bubbles. Killer value.

Weingut Loimer, Grüner Veltliner Langenlois ($19): Grüner Veltliner's peppery character is on display, with green apples, minerals, and soft herbs, along with a creamy texture. Finishes dry and refreshing! 

Dog Point Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($20): We have been seeing the price of the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc reach the $18-$19 price point over the last few years. For a buck or two more, it is worth your time and money to try this New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, whose passionfruit and grapefruit character gets a boost of 

Cave de Lugny, Mâcon-Villages La Côte Blanche ($15): The thing I love about the Mâcon region is how it can be a great way to introduce you to Old World Chardonnay, while retaining riper stone fruit and tropical fruit flavors.

Fairview Cape Granite White Blend ($16): I can't help but be an advocate for South African wine. You tried the Tormentoso Chenin Blanc from the Value Case. For a few dollars more, try a white blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier, and Grenache Blanc for a full-bodied, wildly aromatic wine experience.

Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir ($25): Fresh red cherry fruit and red plums, with herbs, baking spices, and a touch of smoke. This is a great way to get introduced to an Oregon Pinot Noir if you haven't tried one before. If you have tried one, this has been a consistently good product from vintage to vintage.

Château Lanessan Haut-Medoc ($25, 2014 vintage): Bordeaux feels the impact of vintage variation more than most winemaking regions with its marginal climate. After a string of leaner, more traditional Bordeaux vintages (2011-2013), this 2014 from a solid property located in the upper Medoc peninsula gives you a wine loaded with black cherries and pipe tobacco, thyme, a touch of woody character.

Scavino Langhe Nebbiolo ($20): Nebbiolo's inherent flavors of red cherry fruit and roses are complemented by eucalyptus and tobacco. Nebbiolo can be forceful despite the pale ruby color; it is loaded with tannin and acid meant for long-haul aging, but in this more approachable version, the structural components are as intense thanks to shorter skin contact during fermentation. A great entryway to get to know Nebbiolo from a traditional producer. 

Martin Cendoya Rioja Reserva ($21): Dark berry fruit with earthiness and a noticeable oak component, which smooths out some harsh edges you can get from Tempranillo when it is young. Vanilla and a slight toffee note help illustrate the impact of 14 month barrel aging and additional time in bottle before being released to the market, ready to drink now.

Domaine du Terme Gigondas ($28): I picked this up for my birthday back in December. It is my favorite French red wine region. Neighbor of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas is based on Grenache, with small percentages of Syrah and Mourvedre added to the blend. Gigondas has offered more stability to me in terms of quality and price, whereas Chateauneuf-du-Pape can be all over the map. Fresh blackerry fruit, violets, and Herbes de Provence, show up in this wine that I really enjoyed on my big day.

Domaine Bousquet Mendoza Malbec Reserva ($16): You got the introductory Malbec in the value case. Go back and get the Reserva, which spent 12 months in oak barrel and see what's different!

Quinta do Noval Fine Ruby Port ($17): A single estate Port (compared to a blend of estates produced by the larger companies), this is an easy one to carry in the cellar if you are a Port fan. Raspberry and blackberry fruit, but warming and well-balanced.

So total is $245. With a 10% discount and Connecticut sales tax, this is a $234.50 case, roughly twice the cost of our Value Case earlier in the week. If you had these 24 bottles lined up in your wine fridge/cellar, I think you are off to a heck of a start! Stay with me as we keep exploring. Send me feedback...let me know if you tasted ANY of these wines as I would love to know what you think.

Until next time...

The Obligatory Valentine's Day Wine And Chocolate Post

Tuesday is Valentine's Day, a date on your calendar that can be met with a mix of emotions. Some people love it and go all out with the stereotypical package of flowers, candy, and dinner out at a nice restaurant. Others loathe it believing it is some made-up "Hallmark Holiday" or perhaps do not have someone to share the day with, and therefore it becomes a depressing day. Some will do their best to just make a Tuesday night extra special for a loved one.

The mix of emotions is understandable. After all St. Valentine, who the holiday is named for, is quite the complex character in history. He performed Catholic marriages against the wishes of the Roman Emperor Claudius II, so Valentine was subsequently beaten, stoned, and beheaded for his actions in the year 269. Oh, what fun! Also, over time St. Valentine became the patron saint of love, but also the patron saint of beekeeping, epilepsy, and plague. My goodness...love is in the air!

And whether you view Valentine's Day as a time for love or the plague, chocolate will always be associated with this day. If you are a wine lover (which I assume you are, because you are here reading this post), then you will inevitably see the articles about "Best Wine & Chocolate Pairings This Valentine's Day" or something of that ilk smattered about the Interwebs. So let's get this out there immediately:

Unless you like sweet wines, stop pairing wine with chocolate.

This is not some hot take. It's fact. Chocolate has a complexity unlike any other food out there. Chocolate comes in flavors that are salty, milky, caramelized, bitter, fruit-filled, but the actual chocolate itself is a combination of sweet, savory and umami. This bold array of flavor needs wine with just as much character and has to be sweeter than the chocolate. The only wines that come to mind are Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage or aged Tawny Port wines. Other sweet wines like Late Harvest Riesling and Ice Wine are too delicate. Sauternes and Tokaj can be dominated by chocolate's character, despite bringing the requisite sweetness and richness levels.

Now, I am sure there is a group of you who might be saying something like, "Hey, Jerky Mr. Know-It-All...I have chocolate-covered strawberries and cherries for dessert. What do you say to that?"

Glad you asked! I have two suggestions, each of which will cost you around $20.

Look for Banfi's Rosa Regale, an Italian lightly sparkling low-alcohol wine bursting with cranberry, strawberry, and raspberry flavors. This is a home run with chocolate-covered strawberries. 

Gerard Bertrand's Banyuls (a Port-like wine made in southern France from Grenache grapes) has a deep, dark black berry jam and cherry fruit character. This is what you want with your chocolate-covered cherries. 

Now with such a challenge posed to the range of sweet wines, why are the dry wines going to be even more difficult? The popular and romantic association has been the ubiquitous Cabernet Sauvignon and dark chocolate pairing, but here's what happens: Cabernet's flavors go hollow when chocolate is introduced. All you are left with is a mouthful of acid, tannin, and alcohol. It's not a pleasing experience, and you want satisfaction on Valentine's Day. Pinot Noir also has a misguided presence here, too. Yes, it is fruity and silky-smooth when done well, but it is delicate and low in tannin; chocolate overwhelms any affordable Pinot Noir. 

My suggestion to you this Valentine's Day is to drink those dry red wines with your kick-ass dinner, or maybe enjoy the wine as an "intermezzo" after dinner and before dessert. Your senses will thank you.

Take Your Medicine: How To Choose And Drink Port

We are at the point in the wintertime where you really start to feel the effects of season. Christmas was a month ago and you have been in your normal routine for some time now. Of course, the usual day-to-day activity can also be interrupted by cold and flu season (which is why I am several days late in getting to this post). But along the way if you are giving yourself something to focus on for yourself, you can get out of any funk, including these gray days of winter.

Last Wednesday night, I delivered a "Port 101" class at the store, a topic I had never taught before except for an informal tasting with my parents and uncle when I studied the fortified wine unit of WSET school. This was definitely something to keep me focused as I spent a lot of time reacquainting myself with the subject. Truthfully, Port does not occupy a large space in my "wine cellar," because most times my wife and I are not consuming any alcohol until after the children have gone to bed. After one glass of humble dry French White or Italian red wine, we are tired. Not much time for Port, but if the window of opportunity is there on a night I am not in the mood for whiskey or Cognac (gasp!), I reach for this as a nightcap.

What is "fortified wine" you ask? Simply put, make a wine and add brandy or neutral grape spirit to the fermentation vat during (to make a sweet wine) or after (to boost alcohol in a dry wine) the process is complete. And what is Port? Port is a wine made from grapes grown in the Douro Valley of Portugal, fortified during fermentation to kill yeasts and leave residual sugar behind to make a sweet, fiery, fruity wine.

The concept came from ye olden days of European conflict, when England stopped trading with France and decided to head south for a visit with its friends in Portugal. When the English discovered and enjoyed the Douro Valley's red wines, they added brandy to have the haul survive the journey back home by boat. Later, the English discovered monks were adding the brandy during fermentation to make the wine sweet (in the process mentioned above). They loved this version so much, the English merchants set up shop in the city of Vila Nova de Gaia, across from the larger city of Oporto (where Port takes its name from). This is why when you go shopping for Port wines, many are named after those English merchants who settled in the area. See below:

So these English "Port Shippers" controlled all of the production, contracting with individual farms (a.k.a. "Quintas") for grapes and wine. Grapes were grown further inland up the Douro River. Wine was also made here, then wines were shipped by barrel to the blending and aging warehouses in Vila Nova de Gaia.

However, when Portugal entered the European Union in 1986, the requirement to age wines in Vila Nova de Gaia was lifted and with technology grants given to improve facilities in the remote inland regions, Quintas could now bottle their own products. Rather than the usual blend of harvests typical of many Ports, individual Quintas would bottle a single harvest. Port Shippers that owned these quintas would bottle under its own label. In the example to the left, the Symington family owns Quinta do Vesuvio.

By the way, over eighty grape varieties are approved for Port production, with all varieties being native to Portugal. Grapes named Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barocca and Tinto Cao are the "Big Five" when it comes to making quality red Port wines. Each brings something to the party: acid, tannin, body, alcohol, fruit intensity. Oftentimes, you won't see the proportions of grape varieties broken out on a label, but that's OK. The thing you will be concerned with most is the style of Port you are choosing.

You have a ton of options. You may have noticed that these labels show many different terms on them. Below I will spell them out for you, and it will give you an idea of what to expect inside the bottle. Anything listed below can be enjoyed immediately on purchase and needs no decanting. Call these the "Instant Gratification Ports":

• Ruby or Fine Ruby Port: This is your least expensive option. These wines are typically aged 2-3 years in bulk. Stainless steel or neutral wood tanks might be used. After blending, filtering, and bottling, the result is a fiery, fruity berry-flavored wine. This is the most medicinal of the options, but it also makes a great choice for making a sauce with to glaze on an herbed roast pork loin.
• Reserve Ruby Port: Better-quality grapes used to make the Fine Ruby above. Has more color and depth of flavor.
• White Port: This exists! Made like a Ruby, but with white grapes instead of red. Often unaged, but aged examples can go as long as 18 months.
• Tawny or Fine Tawny Port: Usually a blend of Ruby and White Port
• Reserve Tawny Port: A Port wine that has aged in barrel for at least seven years
• Tawny Port with Age Indication (10, 20, 30, or Over 40 Years): These Ports don't necessarily reflect minimum amount of time in barrel, but rather reflect a style. In other words, these wines taste like they have spent 10, 20, 30, or 40 years in barrel, but are often a mix of vintages and ages to get to an "average" age.
• Colheita Port: a "Vintage Tawny," or Tawny Port from a single harvest. Minimum of seven years in barrel, but often aged much longer.

Got all that? Good. Now here are the styles that require some good old-fashioned time and patience. You may need to stick in the cellar, or purchase older vintages of to make them truly enjoyable, but there is no law that says you can't open these right away if you like, especially with the third style listed:

• Vintage Port: An extremely high-quality Port made in special years, which are declared by the IVDP (the governing body that regulates Port production). Ages two years in barrel then bottled, unfiltered. These wines are loaded with tannins, acids, alcohol, fruit concentration, and residual sugar...all components necessary to preserve a wine for decades. You can drink these early if you choose, but the components may not have harmonized enough for your palate to enjoy, so beware. These wines also have heavy sediment, so be sure to decant Vintage Ports before drinking.
• Single Quinta Vintage Port: Just like Vintage Port above, but all the product of a single quinta or farm. Think of this as Single Malt Scotch to Vintage Port's Blended Scotch. You will taste more of the individual character of one location.
• Late Bottled Vintage Port: can be a confusing term. A Port wine is aged in barrel for four to six years (rather than two in Vintage Port), then bottled after being filtered (for a modern style) or not (for a traditional style). The unfiltered versions can spend time in the cellar and get better with age, but you can also drink these right away if you choose.

So there you have it! A somewhat of a crash course in Port. Use this as a quick reference, or write me and ask questions. Want to know what we drank on Wednesday night so you can customize your own flight? Here's what we had...

Azul Portugal White Port ($15): Azul Portugal is a cooperative, so multiple vineyards send their grapes to the cooperative to make one style of wine. In this case, it's a white Port, and a great way to get introduced to the style. Floral and delicate, this also works well in a cocktail with tonic water and lime.

Graham's Six Grapes Ruby Reserve ($23): I feel this sits at the top end of the Ruby Reserve category, with deep dark berry fruit and baking spices. The fire is tempered by a rich texture that borders a Late Bottled Vintage Port.

Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Port 2009 ($26): A great bargain for a traditionally-styled LBV Port. Bottled after four years in barrel, this is like drinking chocolate-covered cherries and berries. It is unfiltered, so be sure to decant this or pour very slowly.

Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Tawny Port ($55): To me, the 20 Year style gives you the best value for your dollar if you are wondering where to start on the spectrum of Tawny with Age Indicated. Taylor Fladgate's example has flavors of orange marmalade, peach jam, caramel, and walnuts, along with plenty of acidity to give this wine great balance with the sweetness.

Quinta do Noval Colheita Tawny 2000 (about $90): According to their web site, Quinta do Noval ages their single harvest expressions for ten to twelve years prior to bottling. There is a lot going on in here: fruitcake, roasted nuts, honey, toffee, and candied citrus. The flavors linger on the palate for a very long time. Enjoy a piece of salted caramel dark chocolate with this for maximum pleasure.

Dow's Vintage Port 2000 ($100+): This is an explosion of blackberry, blueberry, black cherries, cocoa powder, and coffee. Yes, this is going to cost you, but Vintage Port is built for the long haul in your cellar. While this could still use much more time in the bottle to let the tannins integrate with the other components more. If you have 70% dark chocolate or your favorite cigar on hand, go ahead and open it now for a real treat.

New In Town: Wine, Food, Music & More

After a little time off, I'm back with lots to share. With each passing day, I learn more and more about how vibrant my shore town is in the winter time. I am also fortunate to have landed at a great shop that isn't all about itself, but rather cultivates partnerships throughout the community to put on some fantastic events. 

This is a loaded week, and the Nor'easter will be out of here by the time we get started. If you are in the area, come by and see me or any of our great people in town!

Photo of the Douro Valley from the IVDP web site

Wednesday, January 25th, 7:00pm: I'm teaching a Port 101 course at the Divine Wine Emporium classroom! Port wine's fruity and fiery character makes it a great way to end a meal or enjoy as a nightcap. You will learn everything to do with Port from vineyard to bottle, and we are tasting six different styles (including a Vintage Port). All of this for just $20 per student. You can call us at the store, 860-691-1053, to register and make payment.

Thursday, January 26th, 6:30pm: Flanders Fish Market & Restaurant Food & Wine Series - Spanish Edition. Last week's Italian session welcomed 62 guests! Can we top that number this week? Ken Turcotte, Owner of Divine Wine Emporium, and Olivia Formica, Head Chef of Flanders Fish, will present four small plates and five wines for just $35 per person. Call Divine Wine to make your reservation. We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback about these evenings, and we can't wait to bring it to you again on Thursday. Can't make it? No problem...next week's final session will be a French theme.

Friday, January 27th, 7:00pm: Chris Leigh, Director of the Mystic Blues Festival and Owner of the String Theory School of East Lyme, joins us for a concert in the classroom! He will be joined by another unbelievable local musician, Josi Davis, who has performed for us several times in the past. $10 payable at the door, all proceeds will go toward this summer's Mystic Blues Festival! Call the store to make your reservation!

Friday, January 27th-Sunday January 29th: Mohegan Sun Wine Fest. It's a huge show; I have never been, but possibly going on Sunday. Details are included right here for you!