Thank you – for Italy.

It opened my eyes to an amazing culture and way of life.

Summer before my senior year of college was fast approaching. I knew my opportunity to study abroad would be lost if I did not try to go over the summer. The only program offering art classes was in Florence, Italy (Lorenzo d’ Medici). Pastels? In art Mecca? Sign me up! I filled out all the forms, and I started planning. I was still able to rush a passport, flights were decently priced, the program looked so amazing. Everything seemed to be aligning splendidly, which is always a sign that something is about to go awry. As if on cue, I went to the financial aid office to see about a loan…

“I’m sorry, but you cannot get a loan for the summer. Being on financial aid and working part time, it is probably better if you don’t go.”

I was heartbroken. I worked hard. I studied hard. I knew it would be extra money for me to pay back after college. I was prepared. The pros and cons were weighed. I knew this was my only chance, and that was more valuable to me than being done with loans a year or two early. All through college I was frugal and tried to make every-last dollar count. I split a room with one of my closest friends, and it wasn’t even big enough for two beds. I slept on a futon. I brought food from home. When I ate out – it was a $3 burrito… that I would split over lunch and dinner. I had a budget. I worked until 2am in the computer labs. Everyone in college seemed so carefree, while I was always worrying about how I was going to make my financial aid last until the end of the semester.

Italy was the luxury I wanted to give myself. More than just a “fun summer,” this was a once in a lifetime experience.

“Don’t even bother with an outside loan, either …”

Crushed.

I called home to break the news of my broken dreams. My mom tells me, maybe one day I’ll be able to go. Even still, studying abroad, immersed for long period of time is so much more meaningful than a weeklong excursion. Of course, I know there is nothing she can do. She works hard, but with two little sisters, a house, car, etc., it is difficult for someone with a high school education and little work experience to really make a substantial living.

A week later, I receive a card. “Happy Birthday,” which is strange because my birthday is not for another month. I open it up, and there is a picture of the Boot. Italia. “You will have the most amazing time. Happy Early Birthday.”

I cried.

I know it came from savings she couldn’t afford to give to me. I’m not sure if the mortgage was paid that month. In retrospect, it was so incredibly selfish of me to take her generous gift. I know there is no way I will ever be able to give her the kind of gift she gave to me. The only thing I can do, is share my experiences with her, in every way possible. Of course, nearly all of my favorite moments there involved eating, drinking, and just soaking it all in. I had to share it all with her, through dishes that she had never tried before (bruschetta), and introducing her to novel drinks (limoncello). And of course, wine. Prosecco is now her new favorite. It was the least I could do.

The morning before I was set to leave Florence (just days after my wallet had been stolen and I needed an emergency passport issued to get back home), I sat on a hill overlooking the city of Florence. Atop Piazzale Michelangelo, I watched the sun rise over the city, and a single tear formed. Not of sadness ~ but of joy and gratitude for every single moment of that summer. My life has never been the same since.

Grazie mille, Mama.

Mi hai dato piu’ dell’Italia. Mi hai dato il mondo

My letter revisited

Looking back on this letter to my mother, one inescapable truth is that her sacrifice and this trip was the VERY first of many stepping stones that lead me down a path into the world of wine.

So once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Happy Mother's day!

Guest blogger: BJHM

http://blindlyguessinggrapes.squarespace.com

In Vinport lingo, a New Discovery is a wine that has never been offered before in the US market. That alone makes a New Discovery kind of intriguing. What could be better than sharing an evening with friends when all of sudden you crack open a bottle of wine that they are almost guaranteed never to have tasted? Or sending a New Discovery to that wine friend of yours that seems to have tried everything? Or you could just hoard the novelty all to yourself and enjoy the first bottle at home before sharing the next bottle with anyone else... I do not judge.

Well, personally, I like to take it one step further to what I call the Ultimate New Discovery. The UND is not only a first release to the US, but it is also a grape, region, or technique that I have never experienced before. So trying a Chianti from a new producer never before sold in the US is a New Discovery, but earlier this year, I tried for the first time ever a grape native to Castilla-La Mancha called Bobal – and that was a UND.

My Top 5 UND of 2012:

1)    Bobal – Native to Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, this grape was an extremely pleasant surprise. As with most wines from Castilla la Mancha, Bobal is extremely affordable (at most $14.99, but usually $9.99), and brings lots of fruit and drinkability to the table. My favorite fun fact from the producers – it is tough to keep the wild boar away from this grape! The boar love Bobal…and so do I (draw your own conclusions).

2)    Touriga Nacional – The superstar and national pride of Portuguese dry wines, this native varietal will instantly become one of your favorites. There has been a huge amount of publicity around Portuguese wines recently, and if you try some Touriga Nacional, you will see why. I think this grape has enormous potential in the US market, and I cannot wait for Vinport to get some into the county for you to try.

3)    White Port – I have had Port before, but in April, I tried a white Port for the first time, and it kind of blew my mind. Incredible flavor and a rising star Port maker, Luisa Borges, made this white Port the hit of the wine show.

4)    White Tempranillo – If you are at all familiar with Spanish wines, you have probably heard of Tempranillo. However, chances are you did not even know a white varietal of the grape existed. According to the producer I talked to while in Chicago for a trade show, there are only a handful of producers who are offering a white Tempranillo because the varietal was almost completely wiped out by plague. Those that survived are now being replanted so that the varietal will slowly make a comeback. Keep an eye out in the next few years as more and more white Tempranillo makes its way to the market.

5)    Carménère – A native of France, this grape has become one of the staples of Chilean red wines (similar story with Malbec and Argentina). One of the fascinating attributes of the grape is the wide array of flavors it can pick up from the soil. With so many different flavors, it was difficult for me to peg this down, until I realized, there is no need to pigeonhole a varietal. My favorite from the show was a Carménère and Syrah blend from Vina Ventisquero.

The longer you are around wine and the more you try, the fewer and fewer UND there will be for you. Don’t let that slow you down though… there are more varietals out there than you can even imagine, new techniques popping up every day, and new regions around the globe planting grapes. Challenge yourself to try new things and keep looking for the next Ultimate New Discovery!

“You have Champagne taste, but beer money.”

~ A phrase my grandmother frequently told my mother growing up. ~

In our previous post from yesterday, we detailed why some wines are more expensive than others, but this increase in cost has almost no connection to the quality of the wine.

But sometimes, price IS indicative of quality... So what is different between one bottle of wine and another? It is all just fermented grape juice, right?

Today, we're going to break down some other reasons why one particular bottle might cost you more, but for good reason (not just fancy-shmancy packaging).

1)    Style: Depending on how the wine is made, sometimes the methods are not as expensive. For example if you don’t like wines with a lot of oak aging, you’re in luck (price-wise). Aging wine makes it more cost-prohibitive. Age does not necessarily mean better... It just means "different." Typically, aged wines will be rounder and more full bodied. If you like light, crisp, bright, tart (all these basically mean "acidic") wines, on average, these can be less expensive than their aged counterparts.

2)    Type of Grape: Some grapes are just harder to grow or harvest than others, and the more labor, the higher the cost! For example, Pinot Noir is most often going to be more expensive because of the constant attention it requires. (It is known as the heartbreak grape.) Other varietals, like Zinfandel, need to be harvested by hand because different bunches ripen at different times. If it is a really good Zinfandel, then people actually need to go into the vineyard and pick several different times... So, more labor, more expensive.

3)    Harvest: Hand or Machine? Anytime you have people doing things by hand, you’re going to have to pay the price for it (but the quality will be superior)! As we mentioned above, Zinfandel pretty much needs to be harvested by hand if you want it to be quality wine. The same principle applies to most dessert wine that is made by “noble rot” because these delicate grapes need to be hand picked. And again, this is an instance when the higher price is warranted, as the quality is worth the extra-splurge.

4)    Terrain: Yet another instance in which cost of labor will factor into the price of your delicious fermented grape juice. If a vineyard is on a jagged, steep hill, it might make some fabulous grapes, BUT it takes a lot more effort, time and money to maintain and harvest. In general, if your wine comes from grapes grown on a valley floor, labor costs will be notably less than those grown on a steep incline.

5)    Cork/Screwcap: In a future post, we'll further debunk the myth that screwcap = inferior wine (NOT true!), but for now, we just wanted to point out that our beloved cork actually costs more than screwcap. Almost all cork comes from Portugal, and while it is really helpful for age-worthy wines, the cost-benefit ratio for everyday drinking wine (which is 90-95% of all wines made) is just not worth the extra cost.

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, but we hope it helps you figure out what goes into the price of a bottle (and ALL the hard work that goes into your delicious wine)!

~ A phrase my grandmother frequently told my mother growing up. ~

Unfortunately, I seem to have inherited this knack for finding the expensive in a crowd of reasonable. I routinely walk into stores and unknowingly select the most expensive item. Without. Fail.

However, at a recent Spanish Wine Tasting, I rated my wines prior to finding out the price (a full post to come on price’s influence on our preferences). Amazingly, given my track record in always selecting the most wallet-emptying option, my two favorite wines were not nearly as expensive as those at the top. (Luckily, many other professionals agreed with my top picks.)

Wine seems to be one area where you can get amazing quality without breaking the bank. Why is this so? There are a few instances in which the cost is warranted (check back tomorrow for the full list of what actually makes wine cost more, but for good reasons), and others where price is not indicative of quality of the wine (detailed below).

• Marketing/Fancy Packaging: This is one case where price is not indicative of the quality of the wine. When a winery spends money on making the bottles look fancy and pretty advertisements, it makes their product more expensive and therefore, YOU need to pay! However, despite the eye-candy, the price is not always indicative of the QUALITY of the WINE itself. You are reaching into your pocket and paying for stuff other than what is in the bottle, and to be honest, there is no need for that!

• The Name Game: We’ve all heard of Champagne, but unfortunately, it comes with a hefty price tag. But, have you heard of Cremant? It is a sparking wine, made in the same method of Champagne, but it can’t be called Champagne, because it is not from that region of France. Of course, it will taste slightly different because it is not grown on exactly the same soil/climate, but the quality can be amazing, and the price is even better. This is definitely one way you can have Beer money, but enjoy the taste of Champagne.

Another example: Rioja is a famous wine making region in Spain known for making rustic, earthy, delicious age worthy red wines. The down side: these wines are not cheap… You will be paying for the name “Rioja”!

Yet, all over Spain, they are making fabulous wine in other regions as well. One such region, Castilla La Mancha, is a part of southeastern Spain that has not been known for making great wines in the past; however, some progressive wine makers are using new techniques to really make some stand-out wines. You have to look a little harder (like through a sale-rack), but there are always gems to be found.

HOW VINPORT CAN OFFER AMAZING, HIGH QUALITY WINES AT GREAT VALUES:

At Vinport, quality is the most important aspect when making wine selections.  Yet, there are a few key elements to getting fabulous wine at a great price.

1. We’re not afraid to try wines from regions you might not expect… Not only is it fun to explore, but this is where the real values can be found.
2. Even within some well-known wine producing regions, we aim to find the smaller, lesser-known Vineyards and Wineries who don’t mark up the price of the wine without regard to quality. Even in places like Champagne, you can still find fabulous wine that won’t break the bank.
3. We also work closely with importers to cut out as many of the extra-middlemen as possible (legally), to once again, offer the best prices possible.

Overall, you’ll get the best value when you have passionate wine makers who put all their effort into making amazing quality wine, without wasting resources on details that do not help improve the wine. We pass this enthusiasm, and savings, on to you. We know how important it is to get amazing wine, but at a fair value.

Every penny and every sip counts. Even with beer money, you can still enjoy the taste of Champagne.

Does this mean women should go have a glass of wine when they are feeling sad?

Not necessarily!

Now, I have not gone back and read the original article, but I’m sure they don’t make this grandiose claim that drinking (on its own) seems to mitigate depression risk. What people often times get caught up in is the “cool” findings, but there are likely other factors that are ASSOCIATED with wine drinking that might be more important than the wine/alcohol drinking itself!

For example, those women who drink moderately might be more social (and we know that having friends is important in reducing depression risk).

Or, it could be a personality factor: Those women who drink moderately have a more “laid-back” or easy going attitude in general, and therefore would be less likely to develop depression.

Also, this study was conducted in Spain, where attitudes about drinking are different than those here in the States. There, drinking wine with dinner is almost a way of life- or expected. So perhaps it is merely an indicator that something really truly is wrong if you are not drinking like most of your peers. It might even be a money thing (those who can’t afford to drink would also likely be more depressed).

So, just a little something to think about instead of taking this report at face value!

You all are probably saying, “WHY are you crushing my dreams?! This was the perfect excuse to drink more!”

That all said, there seems to be something interesting going on here...

Merely advocating for you to think a little outside the box (or bottle).

Guest Blogger - BJHM (MetaWine - our resident Cognitive Psychologist)

Which means, time to start making Holiday Cocktails!

Now, I normally just drink wine (or beer), but I was feeling quite festive before heading to a friend’s Holiday party. There was an open bottle of Gewürztraminer in the fridge that needed to be enjoyed within the next couple of days…

This was actually a Gewürztraminer from Alsace, France, a region known for making spectacular whites. This particular Gewürztraminer was not too spicy, as sometimes it can be from Germany, but it has all the lovely aromatic qualities you would normally get from this wine. It was quite honeyed, almost syrupy, with notes of apricots and white flower blossoms. Really a lovely wine.

So what did I do with the left-overs?

Put it in a blender with some ice, a little milk, & honey. Poured it into a pretty flute and topped it off with a splash of my favorite fruit of the season, pomegranate juice. This is completely out-of-the blue for me…I have NEVER made a blended wine-cocktail before, but…

It was exactly what I wanted. Creamy & cool, just a little sweet, and amazingly delicious. And of course, festive.

Holiday Season: Here we come. Cocktails in hand.

Frosty Poinsettia (2 servings)

3/4 cup Gewürztraminer (Off dry- Riesling would work as well)

3 TSP Honey (Or to taste – I threw in an extra couple of Splenda packets, but I have a serious sweet tooth)

1.5 cups ice

½ cup milk (I used skim, but hey, it’s the holidays, whatever you want!)

Splash of pomegranate juice (to top off each glass)

Put everything except for the Pomm juice in the blender & pulse until smooth. (TIP: I also used 1/8 tsp Xantham gum, a gluten free binder that makes shakes more creamy… If you have some great! Can easily be found at Whole Foods. If you don’t have it, no worries. Not essential. Your drink will still be delicious).

Pour into glasses and put a small amount of pomegranate juice on top!

Cheers & Enjoy!

Guest Blogger - BJHM (MetaWine)

No matter how much you know about wine, there is always more to learn! So at Vinport, despite our oenological prowess, we try to attend every seminar we can, so that we can stay on top of our game. A couple of weeks ago, we attended a seminar and tasting about Rías Baixas and were so impressed, we wanted to pass along the information to you!

Rías Baixas is a DO (Denominacion de Origen – just read as “officially recognized wine zone”) in the northwestern most region of Spain, Galicia. View Rias Baixas on a GoogleMap!

It is broken down into 5 non-contiguous sub-regions:

Val do Salnes, Condado de Tea, O Rosal, Ribeira do Ulla, Soutoaior

While each of these sub-regions has its own unique characteristics, Rías Baixas on the whole is heavily influenced by its location along the Atlantic Ocean. Despite the common notion that the weather in Spain is hot, hot and hotter, the cool breeze of salty air in Galicia is one of the major contributors to the unique growing conditions in the region.

Galicia, Spain - Picture by Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez

So how does the cool, salty air affect the grapes, vines, and growing conditions?

-Due to the all of the moisture, mist and fog in the area, the vines are highly susceptible to mildew, which would bring unwanted yeasts, bacteria and mold. As a result, growers in Rías Baixas typically trellis their vines high off the ground (~8ft). So you can imagine what harvesting grapes that high off the ground entails…

-The cool moist conditions also make it difficult to properly grow and ripen red grapes. So as expected, over 99% of all the grapes grown in Rías Baixas are white grapes.

-Growers favor stone pergolas, as the conventional wooden pergolas would be highly likely to rot and need frequent replacement.

-The cooler temperatures prevent the grapes from becoming overly ripe, thus leaving them more acidic and with lower levels of sugar.

Albariño

Albariño is by far the most popular grape and the best-suited grape in Rías Baixas. Over 90% of all planting in the region is Albariño. Meaning “White Rhine” in Spanish, early viticulturists believed that this grape was related to the white grapes found throughout the Rhine Valley in Germany. However, we now know that Albariño is native to Galicia.

Bunch of Albarino Grapes

One of the main reasons that Albariño has become the superstar of Rías Baixas is that the skin of the Albariño grape is very thick. This both helps to prevent mildew and gives the wines a piercing aromatic quality, creating undoubtedly complex and unique wines.

While Albariño is clearly at home in Rías Baixas, it can also be found in Portugal (known as Alvarinho), especially in the northern wine regions. This is not particularly surprising since Rías Baixas and northern Portugal are literally separated only by the Miño (or Minho) River. Albariño is one of the more well-known grapes used in Portgual’s renowned Vinho Verde, but can also be found as far away as California and Oregon.

Common Profile for Albariño:

-Notes of Peach, Apricot, Citrus, Apples, Minerals, Almonds

-Highly aromatic

-High acidity

-Clean, Bright, Fresh, Zippy

-12%-13% alcohol

-Pairs well with Seafood, and also some of the spicy dishes throughout Asia (See Video)

Last but not least, check out this video from one of the world's experts on the wines of the Iberian peninsula, Doug Frost. Feel his passion and go find yourself some Albariño from Rías Baixas!

Over 3,000 thirsty New Yorkers would be descending upon the 69^th Regiment Armory for two days of wine tasting, a rocking DJ, temporary tattoos, a funky photo booth, and expert-led informational sessions. (If we had not been working at the event, we probably would have gone for fun!)

As always, we wanted to make sure our table stood out from the other 50 or so tables at the event, so we decided to bring 9 of our most popular wines, our own temporary tattoos, and a “Guess the # of Corks” game with a Vinport gift certificate on the line. We had a busy table both days, to say the least!

Peter sets up the Vinport table at Wine Riot

Complete with temp tattoos and discount cards! 

We had heard people talk of Wine Riot almost as a fabled, mythical event that combined everything we could ever want in event: tons of young wine lovers, people interested not only in tasting the wines but learning about them, a fun and funky atmosphere, and an enormous room full of great wines from around the world. We were not disappointed.

Guess the Number of Corks in the Fish

Everyone LOVES the Vinport tattoos

Are you showing off the tattoos or flexing?

One of the most exciting features at Wine Riot is the mobile app that goes along with it. For the tech-savvy among the crowds, they can walk around and rate each of the wines they taste. Not only is that great for them to keep track of everything, but it lets us know which wines were the crowd favorites (from most likes to least):

White Wines

Beachball Vinho Verde

Terre d’Aione Beneventano Falanghina

AC/DC Hells Bells Sauvignon Blanc

Polkadraai Chenin/Sauvignon Blanc

*Vinchio Vaglio Valamasca Moscato d’Asti

Red Wines

Santa Cruz Albarroble Crianza

Los Clop Malbec

Scoiattolo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

AC/DC Highway to Hell Cabernet Sauvignon

*Not included on the app, so we are not sure how many votes it received.

More Malbec please!

Of course, one of the most fun aspects about pouring wines at events with so many people is trying to help them figure out what they like and don’t like. For the most part, navigating customers through a HUGE variety in flavors and landing them on their new favorite is what we are here to do at Vinport!

Just like food, there is SO much variety in wine, and not everyone is going to love the same wine. We’d pour a wine for one person, and they’d say… “Oh no! WAY too powerful for me…” and the next person would say, “Oh my! I LOVE the bold flavors!”

Until next year! Thank you Wine Riot!

After an exciting twelve hours of pouring wine, Vinport made some new friends in New York, and we cannot wait to see you all back at future events.

Let us know what you thought of the wines at Wine Riot! We always love feedback!

We poured wine at two events this past month: the Cook n’ Scribble Longhouse Food Writer’s Revival (Sept 14-15) and Second Glass’s Wine Riot NYC (Sept 21-22). One was an intimate, countryside gathering of food writers from around the country, while the other was a rocking revolution of wine tasting for thousands of thirsty New Yorkers. Let’s see how we fared…

Cook n’ Scribble Longhouse Food Writer’s Revival (Sept 14-15)

When Vinport was asked to pour wine at this event, the words “Mexican Pig Roast” really made the decision easy. The fact that influential food writers from the around the country would be there tasting our wines was an added bonus. So in the middle of September, we packed up the car full of wine and headed to Rensselaerville in upstate New York. Never heard of Rensselaerville? This is really all you need to know to get an idea of the area we were in:

This is farm country, no doubt about it. But that was the whole point of the Revival, to get out into the rustic wilderness and discuss what is happening in the food writing world. At the end of the day though (and for most during the day too), food writers need food. Imagine that.

Vinport was there to pair some of our wines with the grand finale of the weekend, a Mexican Pig Roast, which included a 220lb pig done three ways, salsas, guacamole, chips, grilled and stewed vegetables, and an apple pie cook-off for dessert.

Naturally, we were set up next to the pig pit on the first night and then moved to the barn for the second night (probably to keep us from stealing pieces of pig as it roasted).

So, at this point you are probably dying to know… what wines did we bring?!

Night 1 (VIP dinner – Autumn Rooster Stew over Polenta)

Polkadraai Chenin/Savignon Blanc from South Africa – light, refreshing and pleasantly tart – this was one of the favorites of the night.

Terre d’Aione Beneventano Falanghina from southern Italy – medium body with lots of character and flavor – something new for most of the diners.

Monte del Fra Bardolino from northern Italy – a light and fruity red that bursts with cherry and strawberry flavors – easy drinking all night!

Bodega de Los Clop Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina – sweetly spicy with plenty of fruit and a smooth finish – kept everyone warm on a cool evening.

Night 2 (The Mexcian Pig Roast)

The Polkadraai and the Malbec were served both nights, but the newcomers to the evening:

Vinchio Vaglio Moscato d’Asti from northern Italy – light, sweet and sparkling – something to cool down the palate after the spicy pig and salsas

Bodega Santa Cruz de Alpera Albarroble Crianza from southeastern Spain – a blend of three grapes with tannins up front and a great fruity finish – probably the most popular wine of the evening!

A big shout out and thank you to Will Levitt at Cook n’ Scribble for having Vinport at the event. We had a great time and met a lot of great people! Check out some of the fine folks we met at the event:

Cook n’ Scribble – Will Levitt

www.cooknscribble.com

Three Many Cooks – Maggie Keet

www.threemanycooks.com

My Madeleine – Molly Birnbaum

http://mollysmadeleine.blogspot.com

Chef Steph – Stephanie Deihl

www.1familymeal.com

The Gay Gourmet – Michael Munoz

www.hesthegaygourmet.com

A Thought for Food – Brian Samuels

www.athoughtforfood.net

Hungry Rabbit NYC – Ken

www.hungryrabbit.nyc

Stay tuned for our next blog post – Wine Riot NYC!

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If you think Vinport would be a good fit at your next event, please email us at info@vinport.com to discuss how we could help make your event special!