Robust Wine Vine

Taking a Look at The Wines of Tuscany

Federico Rostagno via Ladue News

 

I have a passion for Italian wines and was fortunate to travel throughout Italy and experience some of the best food and wines the beautiful country has to offer. The people are rich in heritage and embrace the simple yet fundamental values focused on family, food, wine and "the good life." If you ever get a chance to visit Italy, I encourage you to jump at it. It is everything and more than you can imagine.

Until then, here's a little look into the wines of Tuscany, through my latest column in Ladue News, The Wine Life: The Fruit of the Tuscan Sun.

CHEERS!

Stanley Browne 

 

Wines from the "Other" New World: A Taste of South America through The Wine Life

Mendoza - Argentina Wine Country with the Andes Mountains Back Drop

 

Greetings Friends of the Vine!

I've been thinking a lot about South America - the culture, the food, the landscape, the history and most particularly, the wines.

Here is my latest "The Wine Life" column in Ladue News in which I encourage readers to taste something from the "other" New World - South America.

This Side or That Side of the Andes? Click here to read the full article.

CHEERS!

Stanley Browne, CS, CSW

Potato or Potahto...Syrah or Shiraz? What's the Difference?

There seems to be a bit of confusion when it comes to Syrah and Shiraz. In my latest column, "The Wine Life", in Ladue News, I give you a little insight.

Check it out and join me in a glass. It's all a matter of taste.

The Wine Life: Syrah or Shiraz? CLICK HERE

CHEERS!

Stanley Browne, CS, CSW

Maybe it's A Matter of Region?

Ever hear the phrase "ABC...Anything But Chardonnay"?

The Chardonnay grape varietal has many faces. And the region from which the the grape originates makes all the difference in taste.

Check out Robust Owner and Certified Sommelier Stanley Browne's latest article in Ladue News, "The Wine Life: Exploring Wine Regions" for a little more insight.

CHEERS!

Arlene Maminta Browne

 

Spice Is Where It's At: Syrah and Shiraz

Check out this post by Robust Wine Director and "Vino Virtuoso" Jayce McQuerter:

Tertiary aromas and flavors are all the rage. 

Syrah is a perfect example. The best manifestations of Syrah integrate juicy fruit overtones with savory spice and earth subtleties, developing a polish that begs for food, wine and more wine. Syrah is all about bringing together seemingly antithetical flavors with harmonious resolve.

Wines made from Syrah are labeled in one of two ways: the first is Syrah (as expected), and the second is Shiraz. Syrah and Shiraz are wines made from the exact same grape, but often signify two different styles of wine. It’s beneficial to notice which name is being used on the bottle, as the spellings can sometimes give you clues as to which style of wine to expect.

Syrah has historic ties to the Rhône Valley in France. In the northern end of the valley, the steeply sloped communes of Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie (where up to 15% of the white grape Viognier is allowed to be blended in) create some of the most complex and special Syrahs on the planet. These wines are prized for their elegance, usually show a perfect restraint of fruity components, and possess a gentle smoky quality that slips into violet perfumes. Subtle raspberry, spices, dried fruit, mocha and wild flowers are all pronounced in perfect accent. 

Shiraz is Syrah on steroids. Under the blistering sun of Australia, the dried, cracking mud develops Shiraz into an unctuous, full-flavored and fruit-forward wine. The warmer climate usually converts the smoky undertones (of the French style) to full-on black pepper piquancy. The fruit is strikingly riper, the tannins seem lighter, and the finish can often leave a slightly sweet impression.

I get excited when a wine manages to fuse the two different styles into one. Paso Robles, between Los Angeles and San Francisco, is producing incredible Rhône-style wines with a California twist. The warm Californian climate (sometimes up to 100 degrees in Paso) ripens grapes into uber-ripe berries, pushing Syrah to behave like Shiraz. The Calcareous soils (full of fossilized sea-shells from millions of years ago) of the region, though, temper the extreme ripeness of fruit and assure a perfect balance of minerality. It’s heaven for creating world-class Syrah that pairs wonderfully with food.

So, what exactly does Syrah pair well with? Stews and braised meats love to bathe in Syrah, as does Steak au Poivre—the pepper encrusted meat can slosh around with the peppery notes in Syrah for hours. And Syrah’s pairing ability goes much further.

Stop in and sample one of our numerous Syrahs that we carry by the bottle. None will disappoint, and all work incredibly well with many of our tasting plates.

—Jayce

Wine Tasting Series 5: A Dance with Dolcetto D'Alba from Piedmont

Greetings Friends of the Vine!

Many of you know I love Italian wines. So when Arlene and I visited Piedmont, known best for their regal reds Barolo and Barbaresco, and their amazing food (which included fresh shaved truffles and the finest hazelnuts everywhere!), you could say, we were in heaven.

Dolcetto d'Alba has also made a decisive contribution to the region's reputation. 

Check out the tasting video below of the Paitin Dolcetto D'Alba and then come in and taste it yourself.
Paitin is a great, high quality producer and the wine retails for $16.

Definitely worth a try.

Cheers,

Stanley

Wine Tasting Series 2: Roussanne Rhône goes to Lake County

Hi Friends of the Vine!

Here is my latest video blog on 2007 Writer's Block Roussanne, Lake County.
Writer's Block wines are made by Jed Steele's (Steele Wines) son, Quincy, and can sometimes be difficult to find. This particular wine falls under our category Robust Factor 3: MELLOW.

We serve this wine by-the-glass and it is also available in our shoppe for $16. It's definitely worth a try.

Cheers!

Stanley

Prague: Wine or Beer?

Our trip to Prague and the Czech Republic offered us the opportunity to explore and experience the best food and beverages the region has to offer. There are a lot of tourists in Prague now, coming to discover this beautiful city that somehow managed not to get destroyed in either World War I or II. So the unbelievable, breathtaking architecture is all still intact, and you can see the continuity of all the different periods throughout the city. But I digress....let the search for good food and wine begin!

We arrived on Tuesday night around 6pm at our Hotel Maximilian (our new son is named Maximilian) and were tired from the 3 planes and 18 hours of traveling. So not being too adventurous, we went to a neighbourhood restaurant, Cerveneho Kola, which features traditional Czech food. Molly had a soup which was beef noodle, broth-based, and it was quite tasty. Then we had a a Pork dish served with traditional dumplings which were extremely heavy. I felt they would sit in my belly forever, so I only ate 2 of the 5 dumplings. For drinks, I opted for a Pilsner Urquell beer and Arlene tried the local white wine, which was very basic, not a favorite.  (Beer: 1 Wine: 0)

Our days of site-seeing were always intermittently broken up with morning coffee breaks or beer and wine afternoon beverage stops. The local cafés and bistros were perfect for people watching and the weather was beautiful. So sightseeing was the top of list the first day: Our hotel was maybe 5 mins from the Old Town Square which, like most European cities, is the central heart beat of the city. Here many, many tourists from all over the world are coming to discover Prague, since it is no longer part of the Eastern Block countries, but now part of the E.U. community. We took a small tour bus around the city center, which we feel always helps acclimate newcomers like us. We got to see some famous places including: Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, the Astronomical Clock and all the great sites of Prague.

The Astronomical Clock in Old Town Square

The entrance to the Charles Bridge

Prague Castle

Lots of cafés and restaurants are all over the city, mostly promoting the Czech food. We tried some more traditional Czech food, which I would describe as more comfort food, rather than gourmet. Some were very tasty items, like the street carts in Wenceslas Square that sell an assortment of delicious sausages. Again it seemed that the local beer worked best with the local fare. (Beer: 2 Wine: 0)

On Molly's birthday we met up with the reason we came - Molly's nanny, Hana, and her groom-to-be, Tomas. They chose an Italian restaurant, which seem to be very popular. This was run by Ambiente Restaurant Group, with the focus on Italian food and wine, but they also highlighted Czech wine. Each restaurant has a Sommelier on staff that does the wine bottle service for each table. We were very curious about Czech wine, which had not been great up until now, and we needed some advice. Here was our chance to ask the resident expert!

We met Sommelier Ondrej and he recommended a wine from southern Moravia where the weather is warmer and the better wines are made. He chose a 2008 Pinot Blanc by winemaker Ilias, see the video clip  This was a nice clean well made wine, and much better quality than what we had before. (Beer: 2 Wine: 1)

 

Since we had experienced some good Czech wine, we decided to look at their Italian selection.  I found a couple of wines I had not tried before. One was a Chardonnay from the Valle D' Aosta region - the very most N.W. part of Italy, and very nice. The other was by Jermann Winery who is renowned for it's whites.  I found one by him I had not seen before called Vinnae, a blend of Ribolla Gialla Friulano and Riesling from from Venezia.  (Beer: 2 Wine: 2)

The most important part of our trip was the Wedding.  To get to the Wedding we rented a car and drove 3 hours to the town in which Hana grew up, Hranice. That night we met Hana and Tomas' families and friends. And this is where we first got introduced to Becherovka - a  digestive liquor used for toasting at family functions, general celebrations, and drinking in general.

The wedding the next day was a small, beautiful ceremony and then on to the gallant reception. It started with a 3-course meal which began with all kinds of sweets on the table (Molly and I liked this!). We toasted with a straight up Martini Bianco and then continued with an open, self-serve bar - including mineral waters, beers, and carafes of white and red wine. The full meal started at 6pm and before the meal ended, our hosts told us "the buffet" opened at 8pm, carried on until 1am, and to "help one self whenever you feel like it." It was quite a spread, with a lot of traditional foods including a ham carving station. We truly enjoyed the tradition, culture and delicious foods.(Beer: 2 Wine: 2 Becherovka:1)

We went back to Prague for a couple of days of sightseeing, shopping and grazing. Another popular trend in Prague are the Argentinian/Brazilian restaurants, Churrascarias, with grilled meats and mojitos; so we had to join in. The 4 of us got a bucket (or 3) of mojitos and 4 big pink straws, followed by Becherovka shots. Oh what fun!! (Beer: 2 Wine: 2 Becherovka: 2)

Mojito Bucket at La Casa Argentina

Ice cold Becherovka shots!

Ok we came in search of wine...and we finally found some quality Czech wine. Italian wines were well represented, only limited and expensive French wines were available, and no signs of California. Beer has a long and big presence with Pilsner Urquell and Budweiser Budvar (the Original Czech Bud, not AB) and shots of Becherovka, schnapps, etc. play a big role in their culture.

OK anyone want to taste Becherovka? Reply to this Blog and we will set up a small complimentary sampling.

Na zdravi! [nostravi]

Stanley Browne 

Becherovka: Bottoms Up!

 

After a day or two in Prague you will quickly realize how important alcoholic drinks are to the Czech culture; it's a part of their lifestyle. From Pilsner Urquell and Budweiser Budvar to southern Moravian wines, vodka and the most celebrated liquor in Czech history, Becherovka, the Czechs really love their drinks!

Becherovka is an orginal Czech liquor that intrigued us the most on our visit. It reigned at the top of every drink menu and welcomed us many times at the pre-wedding festivities; it even said "Ahoj!" (a familiar Czech word for "Goodbye") to us on our last night in Prague.

The history of Becherovka is quite interesting and even a little mysterious. Produced in Carlsbad (a famous spa area in West Bohemia), its herbal and spicy blend of aniseed, cinnamon and approximately 32 other herbs, alcohol and spring water, is a secret recipe known to only 2 persons in the world. It's a digestive drink and was originally created to help cure common digestive ails. No wonder it was so easy on the tummy!

It is served ice cold and usually as a shot, although some drink it as a cocktail with tonic water and lemon. We drank it in its traditional form; at first taste, it has quite an herbal bite, but it ends clean, smooth and somewhat refreshing. But watch out, it's 38% alcohol by volume (76 proof) so it's not a spirit to be taken too lightly.

Our introduction to Becherovka was quite memorable since we enjoyed it with good friends, both old and new, and of course, each other, in the magical city of Prague. We're now big fans of the celebratory drink and you may even call us Becherovka enthusiasts.

Maybe it's something in the water.

Na zdravi! [nostravi] Cheers!

Arlene Maminta Browne

Happily Ever After: A Moravian Wedding in the Czech Republic

 

Tomas, Hana, Me, Stanley and Molly

Love speaks a universal language and a celebration of love in the Czech Republic is truly an affair we will never forget.

Over the past 4 years, we were very fortunate to have met two wonderful people who had a very important impact on our little Molly's life - Hana and Tomas from the Czech Republic. Hana had been Molly's nanny from when she was 6 weeks old until she was nearly 3. Tomas was an added bonus since he and Hana were a dating couple and we were happy to befriend him, as well. We adore them both and consider Hana and Tomas a part of our family.

Molly had the honor of being asked to be Hana and Tomas' flower girl in their upcoming wedding. The joyous event recently took place in Hranice, a beautiful village in Moravia, the central part of the Czech Republic. We were happy to oblige!

Hranice is approximately 3 1/2 hours southeast of Prague and after an eventful road trip with some crazy Czech drivers, we arrived safely in Hana's hometown.

The wedding began with a trip to the Bride's family home. Guests were welcomed by Hana's father, Jano, with a traditional shot of very strong apple-based schnapps. And because it would be disrespectful not to take one, we quickly downed the liquid fire and off we went! Guests gathered outside as we started the wedding processional - a parade of ribbon-decorated cars blasting their horns through the streets of Hranice - which ended at the Chateau Hranice.

The ceremony was lovely. I wish I could tell you more, but it was spoken in Czech - a language Stanley and I found extremely difficult,for the most part, but eventually we picked up a few words here and there. ( By the way, Molly made us very proud; she was the perfect flower girl!)

The reception, on the other hand, was an amazing cultural experience full of heartwarming tradition. No need for much translation here, just a joyous celebration with lots of food, drink, music, and dancing - all inspired by family, friends and love. Now this was something to which we could really relate!

Here are a few traditions and highlights of the evening we thought might be of interest:

The Wedding Banquet: The happy bride and groom preside at the head of the table.

The Traditional Wedding Soup: a lovely, delectable broth with noodles and liver based meatballs. Delicious! 

The wedding band played traditional Czech folk music mainly the waltz and polka. There was lots of Polka dancing all around! Note the traditional instruments including the cymbal (on the right) a Czech dulcimer native to Moravia.

Dancing! The traditional first dance for Hana and Tomas. We all danced around them in a large circle, holding hands.

A Daddy and Molly polka dance! (Note the wine cooler full of Moravian wines in the background!)

While the drinking and dancing continued, a traditional food buffet was revealed to us around 8 pm and continued all night long. The gorgeous spread covered three rooms of an underground wine cellar and there were huge platters and bowls of delicious Czech delicacies: Artisan breads, cheeses, traditional meats, sumptuous sausages, delectable dumplings and potato dishes, fresh salads, fruits, salmon, pastries and sweets. It was a mouth-watering sight and sensational experience.

Did I forget to mention this was all after a full sit-down dinner at the beginning of the evening? Needless to say, no one went home hungry after this wedding...Let's just say we were all fat and happy!

Later in the evening, Hana and Tomas lit this heart shaped balloon which sailed into the air as a symbol of their love and and new life together. It was breathtaking as we watched it fly into the gorgeous Moravian starlit sky...

The evening of endless food and drink and dancing went on until 1am apparently cut shorter than most Czech weddings, which we heard can run until 6am the next morning!

It was a wonderful celebration and truly the heart and soul of our trip to the Czech Republic.

Special thanks to Hana,Tomas and their families for making us feel so welcome. (And an extra special thank you to Jano, Hana's father for introducing us to some wonderful Moravian wine!)

It was an honor and a privilege to celebrate with all of you.

Hana and Tomas: We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!

Na zdravi! [nostravi] Cheers!

Arlene and Stanley

P.S.

Stay tuned for upcoming blog entries on wine, food and drink from our visit to Prague. Sorry for the delay, but this jet lag has been a little challenging...