| Wine Picks |
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Pierre Peters "Cuvee de Reserve" Brut, N.V., Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France;
100% Chardonnay grown in chalk hills. Dry with a touch of lime and lemon and the minerality of the terroir. $75.
Gaston Chiquet "Tradition" Brut, N.V. Valée de la Marne, Champagne, France; (45% Meunier, 20% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay) a smooth refined wine. $65.
Marc Hebrart "Special Club" Brut, 2004, Valée de la Marne, Champagne, France. The Club is a growers association which showcases the 'tête de cuvée' - top wines from each producer. If you see any wines with the Special Club designation, be assured they are quality. (60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay) $104.
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Our Cookbook |
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Coho Receives Recognition for Wine List |
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Savor the San Juans
$3 for $35
Each Night At Coho |
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Greetings!
Greetings from Friday Harbor!
Today is the last outdoor farmer's market of the season. The air has that musty smell of fallen leaves. The sky is blue and the air crisp. The late afternoon sun casts that unmistakable glow that signals the days are getting shorter. It seemed like yesterday we were celebrating the first berries of the season and looking forward to the summer bounty. And before we knew it, we enjoyed the last of the stone fruit, summer squash and beans. Now, our new fall menu celebrates the fall harvest with Carnival, Sunshine and Delicata squash, kale and chard, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, celeriac, beets and turnips.
So it is time to turn our attention to holiday menu planning and our wine list. (Speaking of list, we are thrilled to announce that we were awarded a 2009 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.) We just came back from a Grower Champagne seminar. It opened our eyes to the complicated economics and politics surrounding the production of Champagne.
Champagne is divided into five regions - Côte des Blancs, Valée de la Marne, Montagne de Reims, Côte des Bars and Côte de Sézanne. Each region is a bit different geologically, but most are characterized by a chalky subsoil. There are 261 Champagne houses that own 12% of the grapes. They produce 70% of the total output of Champagne sold under 1,300 different labels. On the other hand, there are 19,000 growers. Only 5,112 sell Champagne under their own label and only 2,214 make what they sell. In 2003, the top-three Champagne brands accounted for 63% of U.S. sales. The top 18 brands sold in the US had 85% of the market share as compared to Grower Champagnes which only have single digit market penetration.
Small growers hand craft their wines so that they express the subtleties of terroir (how differences in soil effect the taste of the grapes). They carefully select the grapes and typically work with half the yields of fruit and pick only when their grapes are fully ripe. They use cultured or ambient yeasts and ferment slowly at cool temperatures. They use a minimal amount of dosage (added sugar) which highlights terroir characteristics. These practices are similar to fine wine production but are generally not the norm in Champagne. Growers pay for grapes based on weight rather than quality of the fruit - so unripe grapes yield more money. Large houses blend wine from all over the region instead of by sub-region and then use large amounts of dosage to cover up any deficiencies in the wine. Things are slowly changing, similar to what happened in Burgundy in the 1930's. We should note that several of the large houses including Krug, Bollinger, Roederer and Dutz have always maintained their high standards.
Was there a significant taste difference?
Absolutely! We tasted grower Champagne from the different regions to understand terroir. Then we did a blind tasting. The three that were unanimously favored were grower Champagnes. We were all shocked when we saw the labels from the three we did not like. I have to admit that I had two of the three on Coho's list.
So the moral of the story is?
Artisanally produced Champagnes are superior in quality at basically the same price. Next time you purchase Champagne ask about Grower Champagne. Learn which sub-region the wine is coming from. We have included a few of our favorites from the tasting in our wine picks. We will also add a few more to our wine list so that we can have offerings from each of the five sub-regions.
We look forward to sharing news about food and wine from the Islands and we hope to have the pleasure of hosting you for dinner.
Best,
Anna Maria & Dave
Coho Restaurant's Owners |
Coho will present a traditional holiday dinner with all the fixings. Your choice of Roasted Pork Belly with a Potato Pancake and Cranberry Marmalade or Corn Fritters with Wilted Mizuna & Maple Syrup for appetizers; Roasted Yam Soup and a Mixed Green Salad; Smoked Turkey, Turkey Confit or True Cod all served with Oyster Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy; and for dessert - Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie or Dutch Apple Pie with Cinnamon Ice Cream. Six Courses with optional wine pairing (five wines). Dinner $45/person and $25/person for wine pairing. Check out our menu for details. Dinner Served 3 - 8:30 p.m. Seating is limited. Reservations Recommended.
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Coho's Fall Hours
Serving Dinner from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.
October (Thursday - Monday) - closed Tuesday & Wednesday
November (Wednesday - Saturday) - closed Sunday - Tuesday
Thanksgiving Week Holiday Hours
Thursday - Sunday 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Thanksgiving Day - Serving Dinner from 3 - 8:30 p.m.
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