The Perfect Wines for your Super Bowl Snacks!

Looks like a northeast Super Bowl this year with the Giants and Patriots going to the big game.

As the Super Bowl heads to Indy this year, it may be time to rethink your big game party’s food and drink menu. You don’t have to think of the Super Bowl as a beer-only occasion.  According to entertaining experts, more and more people prefer to sip wine on the sidelines. WineMasters stores in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut have just what you need to enjoy the game with friends and family.
When it comes to the Super Bowl – chips, dips, pizza, chili and other pub grub are in high demand. But which wines go with buffalo wings, nachos and chili?
Here are our suggestions:
BUFFALO WINGS
Piquant and vinegary wings need white wines with a lot of acidity like Sauvignon Blanc (Rockslide Road, Sonoma CA) to stand up to the sharpness of the flavors. If the wings are exceptionally spicy, an off-dry Riesling (Jung Riesling Kabinett, Germany) works well to tame the heat.

PIZZA


With so many variations in its preparation, pizza matches well with many different wines. Keeping with the Italian theme, Chianti is a natural fit. Its tart cherry flavor and bright acidity meld well with any pizza’s tomato sauce (Florentia Chianti Riserva, Italy). Red wines from the Barbera grape, which is produced in Northern Italy’s Piedmont area (Villa Caccione Barbera d’Alba, Italy) also have a nice tang to accompany pepperoni or sausage. For a pizza emphasizing garlic or vegetables, try a Pinot Grigio (Adagio Pinot Grigio, Italy).

  
CHILI/SLOPPY JOES
  

   Try a lush, fruit-forward Zinfandel with a sloppy joe (Bliss Vineyards Zinfandel, Mendocino CA), the bright berry flavors will have affinity for the sweet, tomato flavors. With chili, a Malbec (Caoba Reserve Malbec, Argentina) works wonders, as this wine has the same earthy and meaty characteristics. 
    VEGGIES AND DIP
Crispy and crunchy crudités call for a fresh, zippy white like Sauvignon Blanc (30 Degrees Sauvignon Blanc, California) or a blended white wine (El Encanto Trebbiano/Chardonnay, Argentina). If you’re in the mood for a red, try something light and fruity like an inexpensive Pinot Noir (Adagio Pinot Noir, Italy).
   NACHOS OR QUESADILLAS
   One of the best matches for anything with corn, such as chips or tortillas, is Chardonnay. This is the case here, as Chardonnay (Orbit Chardonnay, Russian River CA) also will complement creamy cheeses and counterpoint the salsa. In the red category, Zinfandel (Vicarmont, Lodi CA) likewise accompanies spicy salsa and Merlot (Bonaventure Merlot, Napa CA) can have a cooling effect. Consider drinking the reds slightly chilled.
 

Article about WineMasters!!

Wine Straight from the Source

By T.J. Foderaro/Inside Jersey NJ.com

The WineMasters seal of approval.

Why is wine so expensive? Part of the reason, certainly, is an abundance of middlemen.

Take that $15 bottle of Bordeaux or Chianti you picked up last weekend. A good percentage of the purchase price, of course, went to the winemaker. And the liquor store, too, took a cut.

But did you realize that between the winery and the retailer, there are typically two, and sometimes three, middlemen with their hands in the till? First, there’s the importer who sourced the wine for the U.S. market. His cut: anywhere from 15 to 25 percent. Then there’s a state-licensed wholesaler who bought the wine from the importer and sold it to the retailer. Its cut: perhaps another 25 percent. In some cases, there’s also a broker who represented the interests of the winemaker and negotiated with the importer. He might have taken another 10 percent. In other words, that bottle of Bordeaux or Chianti was marked up 50 percent or more even before it reached the liquor store.

But what if your local retailer could buy directly from the winery? Theoretically, the wholesale price the retailer pays would be substantially less. And, theoretically, the store could sell it to you for a lot less.

An increasing number of wine shops, and even some restaurants, are putting that theory into practice. Take, for example, WineMasters — a consortium of 45 stores, including 22 in New Jersey — which buys directly from wineries in Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand, as well as California. The WineMasters portfolio currently numbers about 250 labels, ranging from $7 to $200 a bottle. These aren’t the only wines the stores sell, but the pitch to customers is that they offer the best possible quality-price ratio.

“Winery direct allows us to say we’re selling this item at the lowest price in the United States,” says Kevin Roche, a veteran New Jersey retailer who founded WineMasters a decade ago with Jim Treanor.

Roche’s family operates Queen Anne Wine and Spirits in Teaneck, while Treanor owns Valley Wines and Spirits in Wayne. But both men spend much of their time scouting for new sources of wine that can be marketed exclusively through the WineMasters consortium.

One of their discoveries is Casa al Vento, a vineyard in Italy’s Chianti region. Treanor was vacationing in Tuscany when he happened to stay at the winery. Turned out the winemaker hadn’t yet found a U.S. importer. Soon, Roche and Treanor were making the necessary legal and logistical arrangements to buy Casa al Vento’s wines directly.

The end result: WineMasters offers 2007 Casa al Vento “Foho” Chianti Classico Riserva through its website (winemasters.com) for $24.98 — a low-end price for reserve-level Chianti. If the wine had been imported via traditional channels, the price would be more like $32 or $33, according to Roche.

In other cases, WineMasters might contract with a winemaker who already sells to the New Jersey market but happens to have a surplus of wine. Roche and Treanor will negotiate to buy a big chunk of the surplus, then bottle it under a proprietary label. This way, they can offer the same quality as the vintner’s own label but at a reduced price. This type of product is known in the trade as a “private label” wine.

WineMasters may be among the most active New Jersey retailers involved with “winery-direct” buying and “private label” wines, but they’re not alone.

In South Jersey, Moore Brothers has been at it since the mid-1990s. And while WineMasters affiliates carry all the mainstream brands in addition to the consortium’s selections, Greg and David Moore offer only wines they source themselves.

“We’re like Apple Computer,” quips David Moore. “Or they’re like us.”

Moore Brothers, with stores in Pennsauken, as well as Wilmington, Del., and New York City, has relationships with 120-plus winemakers in France, Italy, Germany and a few other regions. “We go to Europe ourselves and find the producers with whom we want to work,” David Moore says. “It’s all about the person and the place and the culture.”

The Moore brothers are fanatical about quality — to the point where they guarantee their wines are temperature-controlled from the time they leave the vineyard to the time they reach the consumer. The stores themselves are kept at a constant 56 degrees. “We have fleece vests all over our stores,” David Moore explains.

Gary Fisch, owner of Gary’s Wine and Marketplace in Bernardsville, Madison and Wayne, purchases wine directly from some of California’s top vintners, then bottles it under his own labels: Going Forward, Go Figure and Grand Finale (all variations on his initials). Fisch said he takes advantage of the fact that winemakers typically grow or purchase more grapes than they know what to do with.

“I go with my wine-buying team and we meet with the winemaking team,” he says. “They bring barrel samples and we taste through them.”

The Going Forward line comprises a Sonoma Coast chardonnay and pinot noir priced in the $14 to $16 range. The same wines are sold by the winemaker under his own label for more like $20 to $30 a bottle, Fisch says.

So why don’t all New Jersey wine merchants buy directly from the source? For one thing, it’s logistically complicated. First, a retailer has to establish relationships with winemakers thousands of miles away. Then, they have to arrange for the wines to be shipped and cleared through licensed importers and wholesalers. As a rule, only larger retail operations have the wherewithal to pull it off.

“It’s a minimum of a six-month process from when we find someone we like until we bring it into the market,” says WineMasters co-founder Treanor.

There are exceptions, however. Nicholas Harary, owner of Restaurant Nicholas in Middletown, occasionally offers his customers “shiner wines.” These are wines from exceptional growers who end up producing more than they can sell in a given vintage. When they do, they’ll set aside a portion of their output in unlabeled bottles — hence the term “shiner” — and find someone like Harary who’s willing to take the surplus off their hands.

Restaurant Nicholas will then create a private label and sell the wine for a fraction of the regular price, typically as part of the restaurant’s “wine of the month” retail program via its website (restaurantnicholas.com).

“One of the wines we sold last year, the winery sold for $50 under their own label,” Harary says “But under our shiner label, it was $20.” 

Think outside the bottle!

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOTTLE

NEW YEAR’S WINE RESOLUTIONS

A new year brings new beginnings…and without fail, resolutions. Are you embarking on a health kick (along with the rest of the world) or are you thinking outside the…bottle this year? As you contemplate ways to better your mind, body and soul during these upcoming weeks, WineMasters has one mission for you: to spice up your wine repertoire. With these mini motions, we guarantee that you will not only follow through with your New Year’s resolution past February, but will still enjoy the wine you drink come this time next year. 

Resolution #1: Set an Attainable Goal

            This is Goal Setting 101, but there is a very good reason that is the first tip for any resolution. When you have an end point in mind and can envision yourself down the road, you are more likely to stick with it. Think about what you want to achieve. Is it to discover new wine? Learn all there is to know about Chardonnay, or the region where your favorite Pinot Noir is from? Regardless of your specific goals, dive right in, take the first sip and see where it leads you. 

Resolution #2: Pick a New Destination

It’s all about location, location, location. Take a step outside of your comfort zone because there are several new regions that are bottling up some delicious, affordable options such as New Zealand and Argentina. Also, if you know you love Chardonnay from Mendocino County in California, start small and try one from Napa Valley, then one from Monterey. Before you know it, you will be well on your way to becoming a wine connoisseur.

Resolution #3: Take Notes

            Have you heard of the old weight-loss trick of writing down everything you eat? Well, keeping track of the wines that you have tried will not only help jog your memory of what you like and what you are not the biggest fan of, but will be a valuable tool the next time you would like to try something new. Things to think about: style, region, varietal and sweetness level will be key assets when choosing your next selection because you will begin to figure out what qualities you look for in wine.

Resolution #4: Go Green

           If you haven’t jumped on this bandwagon just yet, ease into it with organic wine selections! There is no question that “going green” isn’t just a trend, but a lifestyle change that is here to stay. Our favorite certified organic wines include the Casa al Vento FoHo Chianti Classico and Costa al Sole Montepulciano. 

Resolution #5: Try a New Varietal

            Do you have a go-to varietal? What about one that you ALWAYS stay away from? Try that one! Unless you have had a very bad experience recently, you may surprise yourself.  As your taste-buds develop and you acquire a taste for different sweetness, body and acidity you can venture out of your comfort zone. If you like soft, silky flavor try a Pinot Noir like Orbit Vineyards. For sweetness with a clean finish try a Riesling like Jung Riesling Spatlese or if you are into bold flavors try a Zinfandel like Vicarmont Vineyards

Resolution #6: Pop the Bubbly on a Tuesday

  

Move away from the notion that champagne is to only enjoy on special occasions. There are so many options in varying prices ranges that you can sip on this non-traditional choice any day of the week and not feel guilty. We love Eugene Deybach Cremant d'Alsace Sparking Rose and Gimonnet-Gonet Brut Sparkling White. However, if you over-indulged at the stroke of midnight, may we suggest trying this a little later in the year…

Kosher wines have come a long way in short time

 THURSDAY DECEMBER 15, 2011

BY JOE IURATO

SPECIAL TO THE RECORD

THE RECORD

Admittedly, the closest I've come to celebrating Hanukkah is watching Adam Sandler in "Eight Crazy Nights." I am a Christmas-observing Catholic, one who's never experienced the Festival of Lights in his home, but I'm also a wine enthusiast. And wine, like love, is a beautiful language that knows no boundaries. It doesn't discriminate or separate. Wine brings people together. For as long as I've been interested in fermented grape juice, my knowledge of culture and geography has expanded and my eyes have been opened to worlds I may not have otherwise known. Now, with Hanukkah beginning Tuesday night, I'm on a mission to learn about kosher wines.
Where do I go to learn about the world of kosher wines without simply perusing the Web for morsels of most likely false information? One of the top stores in the country for kosher wines is located in Teaneck— Queen Anne Wine and Spirit Emporium. While the kosher wines selection in most wine shops is limited, Queen Anne offers an estimated 600-plus bottles to choose from. I talked with Kevin Roche, the store's owner and co-founder of WineMaster's — an association of retailers who are also sommeliers. It turned out to be an hour of enlightenment.

"Let me begin here," Roche says. "The confusion people have is that they think they have to pay more for a kosher wine that's inferior to other wines at the same cost. For a long time this may have been true, but over the past five to eight years especially, Israeli wineries have seen a shift. Kosher wineries like Shiloh and Segal's have been setting a very high bar for outstanding wines offered at competitive price points. Now everyone else is rising up to meet that bar."
The higher prices that have long been associated with Israeli kosher wines are a case of supply and demand more than anything else, according to Roche. "The kosher wine world is a finite world. It's expanding, but it will never become mainstream," he says. "Production vs. demand has always been the dilemma. Kosher wineries make up only a tiny sliver of the wine world, and for the Sabbath-observant it's their only option. How much wine can Israel turn out? They just can't produce enough juice alone."
Now other countries are also beginning to produce world-class kosher wines — Spain, New Zealand and the United States, to name a few — Roche explains. With supply beginning to meet demand, "we're seeing some really good wine being offered at great prices," he says with a smile.
And what exactly is it that makes a wine kosher?
"Rabbinical supervision is the most important factor," Roche says. "From the vine to the bottle, only Sabbath-observing people can have a hand in making it." There are also other factors involved, such as how the winemaker filters the wine and the use of flash pasteurization.
I can't leave without finding a few bottles to sample. So I let the expert lead me into the aisle for wines that'll fare well with Hanukkah's traditional brisket and potato latkes. There's no hesitation as he selects two wines by Israeli producer Segal's, and two others from New Zealand and Spain. "These are good examples of what's going on in the kosher wine world," Roche says as he hands them over. And I can't get home fast enough to find out.
Joe Iurato is a certified sommelier, wine consultant and lecturer, and a working fine artist. For questions and comments, e-mail him at features@northjersey.com.

2010 Goose Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, South Island, New Zealand

• Goose Bay exhibits a pale straw color and intense aromas of grapefruit, lime zest and grass. It's a classic good New Zealand sauvignon blanc through and through. Right on down to its vibrant, clean, citrusy fruit on the palate, surrounded by food warranting acidity.
• Pair it with: Chilled seafood, salads with lemon vinaigrette, soft cheeses, grilled vegetables
• How much: $16.99

2009 Segal's Chardonnay "Special Reserve," Galilee Heights, Israel

• I could easily put this in a blind tasting alongside notable California chardonnay producers, and I'm sure it would do quite well. Stylistically, it has California written all over it. It's a rich and creamy full-bodied wine, brimming with pineapple and banana, caramel, vanilla, butterscotch and toasty oak. Nicely balanced acidity and mineral notes carry on through a lasting warm finish.
• Pair it with: Potato latkes! It's usually recommended that a lighter, acidic white or a sparkling wine goes well with these potato pancakes, but I'm going against the grain. The weight of the potatoes and olive oil needs a wine with substance, and the creamy texture of this chardonnay will do the trick.
• How much: $13.99

2009 Elvi Wines X Bodegas Castillo De Sajazarra, "Mati," Rioja, Spain

• 100 percent tempranillo, this medium-bodied red shows cherry, licorice and hints of cocoa and tobacco. It's a young Rioja that's fruit-forward and easy-drinking, with a finish that repeats fresh cherries.
• Pair it with: roast chicken, burgers, semi-soft cheeses
• How much: $15.99

2007 Segal's Cabernet Sauvignon "Special Reserve," Galilee Heights, Israel

• A medium- to full-bodied cab with notes of blackberry, cherry, chocolate and anise. Very faint undertones of leather and smoke appear on the finish and linger alongside smooth tannins. It's easily approachable now, but you could also lay it down for a few years.
• Pair it with: This one's for the brisket!
• How much: $16.99

Wines to pair with your Thanksgiving Day feast!!

Thanksgiving is coming up! What wine should you drink with dinner?

If the thought of selecting a wine for your Thanksgiving dinner causes a panic attack, here’s some simple advice. For every five people at your table, select two different wines. Now if you have ten people coming for dinner, you will need to choose four wines. With that in mind, you’ll have something for everyone. The big question - which wine or wines to go with the variety of tastes, textures and aromas that uniquely present themselves on Thanksgiving Day? Should you choose one wine to carry you through appetizers to desserts - a tough request, but certainly doable. Or should you choose several wines to accent different components of the meal
and cater to a variety of guests' palates? The choice is entirely up to you, but here are some options to get you started.


Here are some suggestions to pair with...

Turkey

30 Degrees Chardonnay 

Lion’s Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 

JR Joachim Ress Riesling

Brutocao Pinot Noir 

Rockslide Road Zinfandel

 Orbit Pinot Noir

Ham

Jung Spatlesse Riesling 

Rockslide Road Sauvignon Blanc 

Volpi Il Dolce Moscato

Beef

Orbit Alexander Valley Cabernet 

Brutocao Merlot 

Finca Los Lorios Malbec 

Lion’s Ridge Meritage

Have a great holiday!!

Synergy Cabernet

There is a turning point in every life.

The day Picasso mastered a squiggle. The day the Ramones got in the elevator. The day Madonna bought her first bra. And that lunch back in 1999, when Vic Bourassa met Robert Mondavi and brought out a bottle of his own homemade wine.

Of course, Mondavi has been considered by many as the godfather of California wine, so his encouragement was worth more than the cost of the entree and two desserts. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why Vic Bourassa continued his hobby, and turned those few homemade bottles into the Bourassa Vineyards in Napa Valley, which is where Synergy Cabernet Sauvignon was born.

Remember that story when you begin to enjoy the aromatics of sweet cherry and flowery herbs, the palate full of rosemary, black currant and cinnamon, the firm oak flavors and the long, lovely, enjoyable finish. The Synergy Cab is surely a well-made wine, but without that first encouragement, would Vic Bourassa have continued in the same direction? Maybe instead he’d have given up in frustration, turning to root beer or perhaps even salt water taffy. What a loss that could have been!

Thankfully, Bourassa and Mondavi were in the right place at the right time, and their moment together led to this delicious wine.

SIPS & DIPS FOR ON THE SPOT ENTERTAINING!

NO FUSS DIP RECIPES TO PAIR WITH YOUR HOUSE WINE

 It happens to everyone; that friendly unannounced drop by, neighborly pop-in and all- too-familiar play date pick-up that turns into an afternoon social call. Don’t leave your guests high and dry, hungry or thirsty with these quick and simple dip recipes that are sure to complement any sip selection. All that’s needed is an open mind, decorative dish and a reminder that you don’t have to serve “everything but the kitchen sink” to be an elegant (panic-free) host. 

Fruit Dip: Using an electric mixer, blend an 8 ounce package of softened cream cheese and a 7 ounce jar of marshmallow cream until mixed thoroughly. Great served with strawberries, apples, pineapple and melon.

Recommended wine pairings:

2007 Volpi Moscato; $12.98

Made by winemaker Federico Riolfo, this wine has the delicate aroma of Muscat grape with a very elegant bouquet reminiscent of orange-blossom, peach and honey. Pleasantly sweet, aromatic, round and a creamy sensation on the palate, it offers an excellent balance between the natural grape sugar and the acidity.

2009 Jung Spatlesse Riesling; $15.98

Geisenheimer Mauerchen Riesling Spatlesse has an intensive aroma with a fruity bouquet, an elegant sweetness combined with great minerality; very mouth-filling with a long aftertaste. 

Guacamole: Mash 3 avocados with 1/2 cup minced red onion and 1-2 minced jalapenos. Stir in 1 diced tomato, 1 bunch of chopped cilantro and a splash of lime juice. Season with salt and voila!

Recommended wine pairings:

2008 Lion’s Ridge Chardonnay; $15.98This

"Un-Oaked" Chardonnay from Monterey County utilizes hand-picked grapes, to provide you with the rich, natural fruit character of Chardonnay. The wine opens with strong aromas of freshly cut green apple, melon, and pear. A crisp, satisfying, Chardonnay with refreshing and lush tropical fruit flavors that carry through the finish

2010 30 Degrees Sauvignon Blanc; $11.9830 Degrees Sauvignon Blanc was carefully selected from vines that have historically produced some of California’s finest examples of this varietal. Hints of citrus, gooseberry, and freshly cut grass highlight this wine. This 30 degrees wine can be enjoyed on its own or with many of your favorite meals.

Hummus: Drain one 16 ounce can of chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine 3-5 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 ½ tablespoons tahini, 2 cloves of garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in blender. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas and blend for 3-5 minutes until thoroughly mixed and smooth. For a spicier hummus, add a dash of cayenne pepper. Serve immediately with toasted pita bread or pita chips.

Recommended wine pairings:

2009 Rockslide Road Sauvignon Blanc; $13.98 

This wine from winemaker Bill Knuttel has aromas such as grapefruit, citrus, and honeydew melon. A few more swirls of the glass reveal a wonderful depth and concentration in the wine. On the palate, tropical fruit characters abound, such has white peach and pineapple. Honeysuckle elements from the Sauvignon Musqué linger, creating a rich mouth feel without any cluttering oak characters. A long and lingering finish culminates the progression of this dynamic and beautiful Sauvignon Blanc.

2010 Domaine de Saint Serrin Cotes du Gascogne; $9.98 Beautifully balanced, refreshing and festive. Fruity nuances with grapefruit as the dominant feature on the nose. The taste is a lively mouthful of citrus fruit. Blend of 65% Colombard, 20% Gros Manseng, 15% Ugni blanc. 

Spinach Dip: Boil 1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach and 1 ½ cups thawed, chopped frozen artichoke hearts in 1 cup of water until tender and drain. Discard liquid. Heat 6 ounces of cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute or until hot and soft. Stir in ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon of garlic and serve hot.

Recommended wine pairings:

2010 Lys Royal Cotes du Rhone Rose; $9.98 

This wine has a brilliant and vivid colour with very aromatic aromas of red fruits including cherry and strawberry. In the mouth, it is well-rounded with a good freshness but without excessive acidity.

2009 Olivier Thierriaz Sancerre; $19.98 

This crisp, mineral-intense Sancerre has exceptional verve, clarity and precision on the palate. This wine, from producer Olivier Thierriaz, has wonderfully fresh and mouth-watering citrus notes.

Spicy Cheese Dip: Combine 1 cup of Cheddar cheese with 1 tablespoon salsa and microwave for 30 seconds, then stir in 2-3 tablespoons milk. 

Recommended wine pairings: 

2008 Orbit Cabernet Sauvignon; $17.98 

2008 was such an excellent Merlot vintage in Alexander Valley, winemaker Alison Crowe couldn’t resist adding a touch of Peterson Vineyards Merlot (15%) into the Cabernet blend. The Merlot completes the mouth-feel of the Cabernet and makes the wine more accessible at a younger age.  French and American oak impartied oak tannins for complexity and to complement the wine’s fruity aromas.

2007 Gonnet Cote du Rhone Rouge; $13.98 

This Côtes du Rhône, by winemakers Jean and Michel Gonnet, is a tasty blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault. This Cote du Rhone is a great, fun drinking wine to enjoy with friends! Its bouquet of ripe red fruit and spices will delight the taste buds.