July promises more of the same weather; hot and then more hot, followed by hot. It also means it is too early to get out those muscular reds until the cool of the evening. When we actually have a cool evening, that is. I actually look forward to beer now. But this is a wine newsletter. So instead I'll talk about the wondrous Muscat grape, Sangria and Cold Sake. Sure, now you want me to talk about beer.

The Muscat grape is perhaps the oldest Vitis Vinifera grape; or the mother grape from which all other vitis vinifera grapes sprang. It is quite prolific with over two hundred species grown around the world. It is a naturally sweet grape that is used to make wine, raisins and also table grapes. The popular Moscato wines, of course, use this grape. Many wine drinkers shy away from the grape because it is used to make sweet wines, but with good acidity and rich fruit flavors it works well as an aperitif or dessert wine.

Corrales Winery's 2011 Muscat Canelli won a gold medal and best of show in last year's State Fair wine competition. I should know, I was one of the judges that voted it in. This is a perennial favorite at my house and is fantastic with fruit-based desserts or an aperitif with Gorgonzola. It is also much less expensive than most dessert wines and possesses good acidity for pairing. And it sells out fast.

When I pretended to be a wine purist I always avoided Sangria. How could they put fruit - other than grapes - in a wine, I thought? Well that was before I came to New Mexico and learned just how many other things you can cram into a bottle of wine. Red chile, green chile, chocolate and all manner of fruits; cherries, berries and mango juice galore make it into the barrel. Sometimes they even forget to put in the grapes! With all that expertise you'd think they could do good Sangria as well, and you'd be right. Check out my wine recommendations later in this newsletter.

What are the differences between Old World and New World wines?

There are geographical and cultural differences between Old and New World wines. Europe and parts of Asia qualify as "old world" geographically. North America in the northern hemisphere and Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa in the southern hemisphere comprise the "new world" for wines. The old world is 

almost exclusively Vitus vinifera grapes, which are native to the old world.

 

While the new world also covets Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Barbera, Syrah grapes among others; Vitus riparia, Vitus Labrusca and others native to the new world have been used with varying degrees of success. There are also hybrids which are crosses of vitis vinifera and other species to handle some of the pest and weather threats to old world grapes.

 

Weather is a huge factor in the old world, from colder climates to more rain and less sun and shorter growing seasons. In the new world, while weather can also cause problems the longer growing seasons and the use of new wine technologies have permitted more consistent quality. Thus vintage is more important to old world wines, where a bad year can even signal no or little wine. This is usually less of a problem in Spain, Portugal, Italy and southern France.

 

While some wine producers in the old world cling to the same methods they have used for centuries, many are embracing the new technologies. Some are also crafting "new world" wines that are more alcoholic and more extracted to attract more customers. Conversely, some new world wineries make wine in the old world style. Since many old world wines are food-friendly and, in fact, were designed to pair with local cuisine, some new world producers attempt to achieve the same goals in their winemaking.

 

Generally, old world wines are less alcoholic because of the shorter growing season. A German Riesling is often 11% or less and Bordeaux reds range from 12% to 13%. By contrast, I recently had an Eagle Castle Zinfandel from California's Central Coast that clocked in at 16.8% which

 is nearing fortified wine levels. I can tell you I didn't try to pair that beast with seafood.

Finally, the regulatory bodies in the old world dictate what grapes can be grown in a region, yield per acre, and aging requirements, which limits what a wine producer can do with their wines. In some cases this does guarantee a certain quality, but at the expense of flexibility and experimentation. 

 

I mention all this because many wine drinkers in the US are much more familiar with new world wines and find old world wines too dry, or lacking alcoholic punch, which also affects the mouthfeel and "weight" of a wine. The aromas of earth, tobacco and leather that define many Bordeaux wines, for example can be off-putting to the uninitiated. Cross fertilization of concepts of wine making between old and new world benefit both worlds and wine lovers that embrace both styles enjoy a much broader and richer range of choices.

 

The next time someone complains about the "stinky" nose of an old world wine, realize their palate may be attuned to new world aromas. Then again it just might be a bad wine.

Jim's Picks of the Month   

Last month I covered Riesling wines and these are still high on my list now that summer is in full swing, but Muscat-based wines are also lighter and refreshing. I mentioned the Corrales Winery Muscat Canelli above and the Muscat and Riesling wines of Guadalupe Winery. Below are two NM wineries you should be checking out.

There are three ways to do Sangria, purchase them ready-made, make them with bargain-based red and white wines, or chose a wine you already like that would make good Sangria. I don't recommend doctoring an unacceptable wine with a bunch of fruit to make it palatable, but it is your choice. White Sangria wines are less common, but also very refreshing and lighter than red-based Sangria. There are many recipes available online for either choice, and for a large party, it is the best and least expensive way to enjoy them. These are all best served with plenty of ice.

Rio Grande Vineyards & Winery - Las Cruces, NM: Peach and cherry Sangria with 5% residual sugar: $14 each. I tried the cherry Sangria at this year's NM Wine Competition. Very well done.

Vino Del Corazon - Santa Fe. This is a charming little winery and the tasting room is just off the plaza. Even more charming is the hostess, Erica Hart. Their Riesling is also very good.

Beso Blush - white wine blend. Beso is a sweet tender kiss and this wine does that with watermelon, strawberry and red berry flavors.

Heart & Sol - Red Chili Cabernet Sauvignon. Yes, this one has red chile additive, but it all works, particularly with southwest cuisine.

Santa Fe Siesta Red - This is a full blown Sangria. Erica helped her mother make Sangria back in California when she was a child and the experience shows. As I wrote about this in my Wines of Enchantment book; "<this> Sangria is much better than it has any right to be."

My mainstay for consistency and value is Momokawa, which is made in Oregon, but by experienced Toji brew masters.  I favor the Momokawa Diamond Junmai Ginjo Sake, and also use it as a substitute for Vermouth in my vodka martini, which I call Big Jim's Diamond Martini (see Albuquerque: the Magazine July 2012 for the recipe)

Ozeki (Champion) Karatamba (Dry Wave) Sake is another popular, richly-flavored sake available in many Asian cuisine restaurants. I recently had a bottle at Hana Sushi in the Baltimore area.

 

Kurosawa Kimoto Junmai is elegant, dry sake in one of my go-to sakes. Kimoto refers to the method used to make it.

 

Correction to the previous wine tip column

Wine Aerators: the Vinaera™. 

When I wrote this up last month, I incorrectly called the aerator/pump, Vinaer, but I left out an "a", so my apologies on that mix-up. I did learn that the Vinaera will aerate 250 bottles on one set of batteries. The price is expected to be around $130. The producer claims the unit will aerate better than the Vinturi, so I plan to do another test, but this time with my local winemakers, and in true blind tasting fashion. I'll prepare the wines but the judges will not know which is which. The problem with doing your own blind tasting is, unless you are groping around blindfolded, you know what is in each glass and that, of course, will bias the results. So stay tuned for the results of this tasting. Assuming one can stay tuned to a newsletter. 

July Events

The beginning of July will see me in Cape May, NJ for a family reunion. In fact, I'm writing part of this newsletter from there. I will comment later, on wining and dining in Cape May.

July 11 & 25: 

Road Scholar Class at Doubletree by Hilton Santa Fe.

I do a number of these for Road Scholar, which is a great group to check out. These classes are only open to registered attendees. However I also do PowerPoint wine classes for other groups and can do one for your group as well. These two classes focus on Santa Fe Opera. Wine and arias, what could go better?

July 15: 

Loma Colorado Book Signing and Wine Presentation

I will be selling and signing books at the Loma Colorado library in Rio Rancho and doing a wine presentation and wine aroma workshop. This is a big and well-designed library and there are lots of seats available so come and see my PowerPoint presentation and have fun. The event will run from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. 

"Wines of Enchantment the Centennial Edition"