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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

That is the only conclusion that I can come to.  An extremely bad week for wine.  Particularly if the wine isn’t nearby.

Maryland’s efforts to reform their wine laws has failed for this year when HB 1262 died in committee.  They are gearing up for next year’s fight already and if you want to help you can contact Adam Borden here.

Consumers in New York lost their effort to be able to purchase wine in grocery stores even though you can already buy beer there.  This makes NO sense to me as we in Illinois can buy beer, wine and liquor in grocery stores and yet we still appear to have healthy number of liquor stores.  (maybe I should take a survey of my neighborhood vs. one in NYC to show difference…)

and as finally, as Kevin pointed out yesterday, Michigan’s new, ridiculous law regarding wine shipping went into effect.

Over all?  Not a good week for wine.  Illinois’ proposed new law is still waiting to come back out of the rules committee and to progress.  If you are interested in working to opening the Illinois wine market to  outside retailers, please come join us at the Illinois Wine Consumer Coaltion (www. illinoiswineconsumers.org).  Let’s make sure that consumers SOMEWHERE in the United States is free to buy the wine of their choice legally.

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From the Detroit News an article on impinging consumer rights…

A new tweak in the Michigan liquor laws went into effect Wednesday that makes it almost impossible for state residents to have wine shipped to them by a wine shop.

The new state law specifies that wine shops in Michigan or out of state can ship directly to consumers only in their own vehicles, not by common carriers such as FedEx or UPS.

This bill is not so much aimed at Michigan wine shops. Instead, it targets stores like Sam’s Wine & Spirits in Chicago and high-end stores in New York and Washington, D.C., which ship sought-after labels usually at savings.

“This law is trying to prevent wines from being shipped into Michigan without going through the three-tier system,” said John Lossia, owner of Merchant’s Fine Wine in Dearborn. The proposal was backed by Michigan beer and wine distributors.

There is not a need for most wine shops in Michigan to ship wine to residents, but they do use independent carriers for gift baskets, which typically contain wine.

“This law is going to hurt our gift-basket business,” said Lossia.

According to the Specialty Wine Retailers Association, the Michigan liquor distributors that pushed for this bill contributed more than $522,000 to state lawmakers in the last election cycle.

Meanwhile, Michigan craft distilleries are urging legislators to pass a new bill, State Senate Bill 427, introduced Wednesday, to allow wineries with distilleries to sell their products at satellite tasting rooms.

Most of the small distilleries in the state were started by wineries — Round Barn, St. Julian and Black Star to name a few. Under current law, these wineries can sell their distilled spirits only at the tasting room at the site where they produce it, which greatly limits their ability to sell these products. Round Barn, for example, has satellite tasting rooms in Union Pier and Saugatuck, where they cannot sell their vodka and brandies.

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By Don Holton ©
Contributing Writer

Albona Ristorante. You won’t find these dishes anywhere else in SF:

• Pork loin stuffed with sauerkraut, prosciutto, apples, plums, served with red cabbage
• Braised rabbit with onions, juniper berries, honey, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, served with soft polenta
• Filets of fried sardines with glazed onions, marinated with red wine vinegar, raisins, pine nuts

What’s so rare about these and other offerings at Albona? They’re authentic dishes from the Istrian peninsula, now part of Croatia, a gateway to the Adriatic where its food is influenced by Austria, Hungary, Turkey, and Italy.

Opened in 1988, Albona’s greatest virtue is its simplicity. There’s a single dining room, with about 10 tables (take your reservation seriously). Service is done by owners and family. The wine list is a 41-bottle mix of St. Francis whites and reds, California chardonnays and cabs, plus wines from areas close to Istiria –Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Slovenia, and Piemonte. All wines by the glass are under $10, a smart move in today’s economy.

The menu’s theme is one of quality ingredients, simply prepared. We started with Ortolana ($9), grilled slices of eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash over a bed of baby arugula in a light vinaigrette. Sounds easy, but that’s the idea. This is the kind of authentic, unadorned dish you’ll find at a seaside restaurant in the homeland, then reach for your pen to remember it later. I enjoyed the pork loin, tightly rolled around the kraut and ham, floating in thick brown gravy. Valerie chose the Strudel — pasta roll filled with prosciutto and Lappi cheese, baked in a casserole with breadcrumbs, béchamel and tomato cream sauce.

Albona is a few blocks from Fisherman’s Wharf, but not part of it. From Powell St. take the cable car ($1.50), check the map and get off while clanking along Columbus Ave. at Francisco St. Walk the neighborhood two blocks east. Taxi back to Union Square, $10.

Albona is not high style, but a gentle family place that embraces its traditions, food and wine. Wine List: 16/20. Food: 17/20. Service: 20/20. The Feeling: a welcomed break from downtown, with proud owners, happy staff, a good value. http://albonarestaurant.com/

Kuleto’s. When planning a trip, I often call the hotel’s Concierge in advance and ask for local dining ideas, routinely dismissing any food option in the hotel itself. How foolish this time, for when we checked in the Hotel Villa Florence, a block off Union Square, we strolled to the Front Desk and looked left to see a packed house for lunch at Kuleto’s, the Italian restaurant, just off the lobby. A convention going on? No, this is not a hotel for big meetings. We were witnessing pure market demand for the imaginative Northern Italian cuisine at Kuleto’s, with the same phenomenon occurring each night for dinner, well past 9 pm.

Our first taste at Kuleto’s was at breakfast the next day. Egg Benedict? Warm eggs, proscuitto on muffins with real-thing hollandaise. Check. Lunch the next day after a morning appointment: creamy risotto with spicy shrimp, crusty bread bathed in olive oil, and a small salad. Check again.

The hotel lobby and Kuleto’s share a classical interior (one part was a small theater years ago, someone said), with high ceilings, columns, separated by glass panels and tall drapes. We highly recommend the hotel (modest-sized rooms, but all renovated, many under $190 and worth it).

On our last day, our return flight departure to Chicago was delayed to 6 pm, so we looked at each other and stepped directly to a comfy booth at Kuleto’s. Lunch at 2:30, winding down, and now, in slow motion with time on our hands, we shared a huge bowl of fresh-made raviolis stuffed with smoked salmon, covered with an elegant white sauce, garnished with orange zest. Heaven, pure heaven, with a Syrah/Merlot, “Suyrage” from Mara, California. By 4 pm, we were set up for a mellow ride on the BART to the airport. http://www.kuletos.com

Wine List: 18/20. Food: 20/20. Service: 19/20. The Feeling: Milanese actually, with brainpower, creativity, and talent in the kitchen. One of the top hotel restaurants in our 40 country travels.

Biking the Bridge: Terror on a Sunny Afternoon

How does riding a bike on the Golden Gate Bridge relate to wine? Be patient. Alone for the day, I rented a bicycle at Fisherman’s Wharf, intent to ride four miles west to the Golden Gate, where cyclists are permitted on the west walkway of the bridge for a ride across to Sausalito. It was a sunny day, 65 degrees — a superb scene riding along the shore through Crissy Field and the huge Presidio park, birds soaring, kayakers out beyond the breakwater, joggers, skaters, kite flyers, you name it.

It took me a full hour to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, where a path takes you under the south end of the bridge and circles back up a hill to the roadbed. But look out! The bike lane is a superhighway of Lance Armstrongs blasting down the incline toward you. Either you get in the flow one direction or another or just get out of the way. With a low railing, a 500-foot drop to the sharks below, and an east wind building, I cruised up for several hundred yards then came back to the sidelines and a safe place. Seriously, I thought I was going over the edge. Maybe next time.

My return to the Wharf was a 1 1/2 hour glide, culminating at Alioto’s bar for a bowl of clam chowder and a glass of wine. There’s the wine.

For a day in the park, visit:
http://www.presidio.gov/experiences/trails.htm

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By Don Holton ©
Contributing Writer

Flying to San Francisco brings the most pleasant anticipation: you sense that – if you’ve planned things right – unique food and wine experiences may await you.

So it was with our recent trip there. No Napa/Sonoma wine cruising. This time, the city only. We stayed near Union Square for five days and struck it rich in and around this commercial and tourist part of town.

Our restaurant finds were Jardiniere, Gitane, Albona Ristorante, and an Italian surprise in our hotel, Kuleto’s.

Jardiniere (French/American). A 10-minute taxi ride just west of the Civic Center lands you at the classical front of a landmark building. Inside, a spectacular bar with a two-story oval atrium rises to the main dining room on the second floor. The wine list: a diverse mix of Old World and New, organized by Wine Director Eugenio Jardim. Strong French representation: red and whites from Burgundy and Bordeaux, six Chablis, 14 choices from Meursault and Corton. Wines from Italy, Spain, Portugal, and up and down the West Coast. The list hits a satisfying note: six “Villages” wines, obviously Jardim’s picks for taste and affordability, including Olivier Leflaive, Bourgogne “Les Setilles” 2005 for $65. And down the list, look, there they were — my measure of a thoughtful Euro carte – 14 choices from Alsace and Germany, two categories often ignored by unfounded fears of “sweetness.”

The food? Excellent. My wife, Valerie, and I shared a mixed greens and citrus salad (these days, restaurants rarely deny a request to “split”, except a snobby waiter last week in Scottsdale; times are tough, reservations easy, don’t you find?), then lamp chops, filet mignon, both very nice. Dessert: Banana Cream Pie – good to very good, but needs more cream filling. Choose from an a la carte menu or a tasting menu at $125. Check out the new Monday night fixed price menu for $45, including wine pairings; given the quality here, a real value.

Our wine choice: from a list deep in California blends, pinots and cabs (up to Screaming Eagle, 2004, $1800), we sought a name unknown to Sam’s or Binny’s. The winner: Kathryn Kennedy Meritage “Lateral,” Santa Cruz, 2005, a smooth cab/merlot blend that’s just the kind of small lot discovery you hope for – light, layered, different. Sorry, their ’06 is sold out at the vineyard, making our dinner all the more special. Look for their next release. Wine List: 19/20. Food: 17/20. Service: 19/20. The Feeling: organized, a clear zeal for the grape, food worthy. http://www.jardiniere.com/

Gitane (Franco/Iberian, etc). How could you resist a restaurant that describes itself as: “modern, funky, and artistically bold … drawing inspiration from Spain, France, and Portugal … exotic tastes and sensations with sherries, cavas, madieras, hand-crafted cocktails and small-estate wines … interior decors from Mr. Important Design (really), vibes from Euro-themed 50s, Hippie-Driven 60s and Big Bling 70s … artwork from Turkey and the UK, Goya-esque photography.”

Well, of course, you’ve got to try such a place! And it’s only a few blocks walk east of Union Square, downhill on Sutter and a left on Claude Lane (trust me, this is an alley with its own street sign). But maybe SF is a place where you can sit at one of four outside tables, under heat lamps and an awning — in an alley — and think it’s cool. But inside? There’s the cool. The place feels like an exotic private club. Warm greeting, nice people, small dark entry area, but peek around the corner – a colorful, hip, but low-keyed bar scene, high ceilings, giant bulbous chandeliers, two-story high draperies, soft lights, tapestries. Best yet, walking by, and no one looks over his or her shoulder to check you out. But maybe you want that.

Most at the bar are dining “a la placemat.” The bar is full, but it’s … quiet. A smooth and orderly beat going on here, at least at 8 o’clock.

Our table, like most, was up the stairs. Breathless at the top, ah, this is cool too: weathered brick walls, covered with glass, bricks flooded with light (shining up from lights in the floorboards, whoa), a moody/mysterious room, enameled black tables, effective use of mirrors to enlarge the space, red/orange light shades. But where are we? This could be that hidden gem down the hill from the Alhambra or somewhere in the back streets of Alfama. Cue the Fado and the handkerchiefs.

Ever had a Pimm’s Cup? It’s a cocktail for old guys like me. I used to knock them down in London just to feel that Park Lane thing, but there it was on Gitane’s drink menu, bringing back memories of Robert Morley in “Halfway Up A Tree” at the Strand. I ordered one, and the result was a soft sweetness, mildly herbal, refreshing — Pimm’s Cup No. 1, with assorted berries and ginger beer on the rocks. Could have had one of 20 sherries or other inventive cocktails from the list, but we went to the wines.

The list is straightforward, 31 whites on the left – Spain, Portugal and France. On the right, 34 reds from those three countries. Great balance all around, tilted toward Spain – Riojas, Alicante, Priorate from Castilla y Leon, North-Central, Catalonia, and one from Mallorca. From Portugal, Vinho Verde, the national jug wine, and some familiar friends from France – Corbieres (Domaine St. Eugenie, Languedoc), and Coteaux du Languedoc, Mas Julien. One in four wines is available by the glass, some in half-bottle carafes. Not a huge list, but one that forms a clear link with the restaurant’s theme and cuisine. I also like how Gitane chose French wines produced from regions that nestle close on the map to the Pyrennes.

OMG, given all this, what must the food be like? The menu has three parts: appetizers (did not say tapas), entrees and sides. We liked Piquillo ($13), peppers stuffed with fresh crab salad. Bastilla is one dish that competently showcases the restaurant’s diverse cultural intent — a sweet and savory pastry with duck, chicken, raisins, almonds, Moroccan spices and orange gastrique. A pop-in-your-mouth winner.

My half-order of Ribs ($12, $23 full) featured natural pork, soy glazed, with parsnip puree and Brussels sprouts (please cook a little longer to release the bitterness or douse them with balsamic vinegar). Rich molasses-type sauce on the ribs, very meaty. Valerie’s Sea Bass ($23) was not distinguished, but it was her fault, as she was influenced by the asparagus.

We recommend Gitane, a great concept, its multi-national theme creatively integrated, from wine, to spirits, to food and décor. Wine List: 17/20. Food: 17/20. Service: 18/20. The Feeling: fun, funky in a friendly and textured environment, with memorable spicy hits. http://www.gitanerestaurant.com/

Next up… more food and terror!

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve, Editor

The discussions about whether or not wine should be sold in New York State grocery stores have been circling the blogosphere with increasing ferocity.  I have been reading the posts with the interest of someone who visits New York every years, but can’t help wondering what the hoopla is about.  People for the right to buy wine say that it will add more players to the arena, create jobs, increase competition which will increase the selection of wine available to consumers and decrease the price.  People against it say that it will make the liquor stores go out business, children will become raging alcoholics and the local wine industry will have no place to sell their products.

When I was a girl growing up in New York.  No, not NYC, aka the Center of the Universe, the rest of the state.  And yes, there IS a rest of the state.  Syracuse. Buffalo.  Niagara Falls. Rochester. Lockport.

Anyway,  when I was a girl, it seemed obvious that one went to the liquor store for wine and liquor and I never gave it second thought.  Nor did I think about why it was acceptable to be able to purchase beer in the grocery store.  or the convenience store.  or the gas station (ok.  That one did stump me.  If it is wrong to drink and drive why would you sell beer at a place that is exclusively about driving?).  You couldn’t buy wine after 1o:00pm or before 9:00am.  And don’t even think about buying it on Sunday.  Shouldn’t you people be in church?

Then, I moved to Chicago.  Wine, beer and liquor were available for sale at the grocery store.  The  convenience store.  The liquor store.  The Stop and Rob (aka bodega in the center of the universe, or a corner store anyplace else).  Even the drug store.  Walgreens was our favorite place for buying liquor in those days.  They had the best specials.  I was sorry when they stopped having a liquor section.  But that was for economic reasons (aka THEFT).  The hours that you could buy liquor were different too.  In a grocery store you can buy any kind of liquor from 7:00am until midnight.  Though to keep you jerks going to learn about God, liquor sales are restricted until 11:00 on Sunday.  You get your wine before 11:00 at Mass, you Pagans.

And then we (and by we, I mean Kevin and I) rented a house in Hawaii for vacation.  The next morning, we drove up the road to the grocery store to provision.  It was early.  7:00 am-ish.  Interestingly, the first part of the grocery store was not the produce section, but the liquor department.  There was no gate pulled across, like I was used to at home.  Instead, just the beer guy re-stocking.  So I approached him and asked, “Excuse me, what is the legal time to purchase liquor?”  The beer guy looked at me as if I had three heads,  “You can buy liquor anytime of day”.  And I stood in wonder for a moment before I started loading up on beer and Mai Tai fixings.  (Sorry, this portion of the story is not wine related.  It was Hawaii.  Mai Tais were an absolute requirement.  Frankly, though, wine was equally available to us.  Even the crappy pineapple wine (which will never improve if we don’t try it, which is my personal VV motto.)).

Does this tale have a point?  Indeed it does.

The stories we are told when we are trying to change the status quo are wrong.  There isn’t crazed alcoholism in Hawaii because you can buy liquor all day and night.  The surfers have to be sober early in the morning to hit those tasty waves and they need something mellow to do in the non-sunshine hours – hence beer and other drinking.  In Chicago we manage to have plenty of liquor stores even though you can buy liquor at the grocery store (though you can’t buy beer at the gas station (FINALLY some sense)).  People in New York are not more virtuous than Illinoisans because they have less access to wine and liquor.  Oh, and our children not any more likely to get their hands on liquor because wine is in the grocery store.  Mostly because there is already alcohol in New York grocery stores (beer, remember?).  Any temptation to drink will confront them in their very own homes, in the beer, wine and liquor we keep in our own homes.  I have teenagers.  Trust me on this.

So, I hope that New Yorkers make the right decision and ok wine in grocery stores.  Because it is always better for us to have access for more wine then less.  At least that is what we in Illinois think!

Other thoughts on the topic:

Lenndevours
The Pour

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I love science and learning how stuff works.

But sometimes, I am surprised that certain questions had not been asked sooner.

Red wine increases the female sex drive

This fell into the realm of duh. After all, hasn’t this been the male philosophy for several millenia?

The study, itself followed nearly 800 Italian women aged 18-50 (when apparently sex ends)

Women who drank one or two glasses of wine each day were more likely to be more sexually active and more likely to lower inhibitions.

Which once again says, duh to me.

Unfortunately the articles regarding the study are unclear. Were the women offeredanything other than red wine? How did women who drank other things fare?

Still, the story inevitably reinforces the stereotypes of virtually every man I know. So for that I was a little disappointed.

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve, Editor

I will admit to being a history dork (No sniggering allowed).

Yes, I am guessing if you have read any of my posts that this is not exactly news to you. I have learned to have a love/hate relationship with the history channel. Mostly because in the old days it was primarily all Nazi all the time. It is less so now.

But still everyone once in you still get Nazi stuff.

And strangely enough, they keep finding new and surprising  Nazi facts.  And that is what  keeps me watching. I mean really, WWII has been over for 64 years. What else is there to find?

So imagine my surprise when I saw this headline:

“Rare wines hidden from Nazis sold at UK auction”

Dang! Those crazy Nazis are at it again!

Apparently when the Nazis

overran the Channel Islands during the war, the owners of Bucktrout & Co. on the island of Guernsey (like the cow) hid away some of their fine wines including eight bottles of 1928 Mouton Rothschild and two bottles of 1934 Chateau d’Yquem sauternes.

The collection remained there until the owners decided to move to a smaller shop.

The collection sold for £50,000.

Indiana Jones would be pleased.  He always liked to thwart the Nazis.

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We moved!

You might have noticed that.

Can you believe that I got the website to forward? Yeah, me neither. But for the moment it works.

Given that I am stunned by this, I suggest you bookmark us just in case this miracle of technology undoes itself.

In the meantime, I am off to have a glass of wine.

I know. A shocker!

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

This is wicked cool, but honestly I am constructioned out. Plus it probably costs a fortune. How can I tell? Well, there is earth moving involved and nothing on the website even comes close to mentioning the price.

However, you can’t help but admire the ingenuity of this. An in-ground wine cellar that is constructed in mere days. The width of the construction is standard. What varies is the depth. And I loved the methodology to determine what was the ideal size for YOUR cellar. You calculate it by how much you drink! I get the feeling that this might be the best way for Kevin and I to grow a collection. Bury it in the ground!

The company that creates these cellars is called Spiral Cellars and are working on a system created by Georges Harnois. The cellars are installed over a five day period and once complete require no additional energy of maintenance. The U.S. company handling installation is: S & K Cellars, LLC, 1-800-598-7530, usa@spiralcellars.com.

Thanks to Tim Steil for forwarding me this! You knew I wouldn’t be able to resist.

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

You know what happens when you stop drinking wine for a week and then have a bottle um, two bottles, er a glass of wine to celebrate your husband’s new job?

You get totally looped. Really. Who would have guessed that I could get that out of practice that quickly.

To try to feel better yesterday I drank strong tea, canned soup and a tuna salad sandwich. Sometimes I enjoy a McDonald’s sausage biscuit with cheese and a Diet Coke bigger than my head (Yes, I am aware of the incongruity of this combination, but I believe Diet Coke is a far more efficient caffeine delivery system).

What do you eat to cure (or at least soothe yourself while suffering through) a hangover?

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