Nelson Mandela’s achievements have been widely and deservedly heralded, but his ability to exhibit magnanimity to people who kept him incarcerated for decades, and to the government he inherited is truly remarkable. In choosing to rise above the inclination to seek revenge on his oppressors, he also demonstrated his wisdom and practicality.

So what does any of this have to do with wine? Well, one of the beneficiaries of Mandella’s benevolence during his tenure as the first democratically elected president of South Africa was the wine industry. Like most other businesses in the country back then, wineries were part of the white power establishment and, like other enterprises, saw their exports drop significantly during the years of Apartheid.

With the defeat of Apartheid and the ascension of Mandela, the ban on South African wines was lifted, and the product began to appear ever so slowly on American wine store shelves. Here in West Virginia, we’re just beginning to enjoy the wide variety and surprising quality of South African wines.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended an event at the Bluegrass Kitchen which featured about 20 South African wines and a variety of small plate dishes created by chef Gary Needham. The wines were from importer Cape Classics and ran the gamut from lighter- styled whites to full bodied reds. The common thread among the wines was their uniform quality and incredible value.

However, my first sip of South African wine – more than 30 years ago – was not an experience I remember fondly. In fact, the red wine made from the pinotage grape (a cross between pinot noir and cinsault) tasted like something that had been aged in oil barrels. To be fair, the quality of pinotage has been improved substantially over the years, but this native South African wine is certainly not among my favorites nor was it featured at the Bluegrass Kitchen event.

There are nine principal wine regions in South Africa, and most surround Cape Town where the influence of cool ocean breezes and diverse soils combine to create ideal grape growing appellations. The most well regarded region is Stellenbosch just a short distance east of Cape Town where the best reds and whites are produced.

The other exemplary note about these wines is that they are made to be enjoyed with food with none of the overblown, high extract and stratospheric alcohol levels so popular with some new world wine makers.

While I was particularly impressed with the cabernet sauvignon blends, the 2009 Indaba Merlot ($10) is a delicious bargain with ripe plum and cola flavors and excellent balance. It would be wonderful with grilled flank steak stuffed with roasted red peppers and provolone cheese.

Dessert wine fans absolutely must try the 2005 Kanu Kia Oro Late Harvest Chenin Blanc ($20 half bottle). This wine is chock full of apricot, pineapple and honey flavors that would love to be “peared” with poached pears topped with a dollop of whipped crème.

Another wine from South Africa that is exceptional is chenin blanc. Made in a variety of styles from light and slightly sweet to round, rich and chardonnay-like, wine makers in the country know how to squeeze the best from what many consider a humble grape. Of course, the chardonnay is superb, and the riesling and sauvignon blanc are distinctive too.

The wines listed below were my favorites at the tasting and should be available at a wine shop near you. If not, ask your wine purveyor to order them. I think you’ll like them and I hope you’ll raise a glass in thanks to Nelson Mandela!

Under $15 - 2009 Excelsior Chardonnay; 2008 Buitenverwachting Riesling; 2008 Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc; 2008 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc; 2009 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose; and 2009 Indaba Merlot.

2009 Rustenberg Chardonnay ($22); 2005 Mulderbosch Faithful Hound (a Bordeaux blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, petit verdot, malbec and merlot $32); and 2006 Rustenberg John X Merriman (another Bordeaux blend $40).

Sometimes it’s laughable. Other times it makes me crazy! Please read the description below of a wine being pitched to customers by an online wine retailer. This description takes hyperbole to a new level.

“The nose is redolent of dark Bing cherries, hints of black and white pepper on meat roasting in a wood oven, memories of English plum pudding steaming at Christmas, a touch of saddle leather, warm spice and tobacco at a distance. The nose continues to build and unfold with hints of violets and Portobello mushrooms, blackberries, minerals and sweet earth. It envelops the palette, almost to the point of overwhelming, then opens up to show beautiful balance and sophistication, and an elegant, glycerol texture. Explosive on the palette, it transforms midway into every red berry you’ve ever tasted. The finish lingers uncovering a wisp of anise, blackberry honey, and golden pastry roasting in the oven…Cherry Pie. “

Holy obfuscation! How can you possibly glean anything useful about this wine from this exaggerated drivel? Saddle leather, Portobello mushrooms, explosive on the palette, plum pudding steaming at Christmas along with hints of white and black pepper on roasting meat?

No need to have dinner with this wine. It is dinner: appetizer, main course and dessert all rolled into one!

I must admit I have, on occasion, let my enthusiasm for a good wine cause me to use overly flowery language to describe a particularly memorable bottle. But in the main, I try to use common taste and aroma descriptors to which you can easily relate.

For example, if I recommend a wine that has flavors of cherries and an aroma of cinnamon, just about everyone has had those sensory experiences, and can therefore relate to them in evaluating whether or not to buy the wine.

Of course, not all wine tasting experiences are positive. Just recently, I stuck my rather indelicate snout into a glass filled with wine and sniffed deeply. Mistake!

The wine smelled like the dead frog I once dissected in freshman biology class – only not as good.

In the future, I’ll try to stay away from terms like ethereal, sublime or orgasmic when describing the attributes or flaws in wine. Let me just say that the wines below are ones I have enjoyed for various sensory reasons that I hope I can describe to you in a manner you will find useful.

2009 Entrada Sauvignon Blanc ($7) Not only an unbelievable value, this wine from Argentina is a refreshing mouthful with citrus-like flavors. It has good acid balance and would be a nice porch-sipper or a good match with herb or vegetable dishes such as pasta in a basil pesto sauce.

2007 Guenoc Chardonnay ($14) Round and richly flavored with just a kiss of oak, this medium-bodied California chardonnay would make an excellent accompaniment to roasted chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes.

2006 Cantele Salice Salentino ($13) From Puglia in the heel of Italy’s boot, this is a red blend of obscure grapes that is an exceptional food wine. It has an aroma of ripe cherries and teaberry mint and flavors of plums with a subtle hint of oak. Excellently balanced, this wine would be a very nice match to grilled chicken or even stuffed and grilled flank steak.

2004 Beronia Rioja Reserva ($20) Aged for 18 months in barrels and another 18 months in bottle, this wine is quintessential Rioja with a soft and supple texture ripe and round blackberry and cinnamon flavors. Has the feel and complexity of mature Bordeaux at a fraction of the cost, and would pair nicely with grilled beef steak or pork tenderloin.

How did I do?

Tis’ the season of multiple wine related events and I can think of no better way to shed the winter blues than by enjoying the restorative power of good food and wine. In the next two weeks, you’ll have opportunities to do just that.

Bridge Road Bistro
The Bridge Road Bistro prides itself on using locally produced foods whenever possible and Chef Robert Wong is planning a gourmet meal featuring Swift Level Farms beef from Greenbrier County.

Swift Level Farms is a 150-acre property featuring historic buildings, premium lodging facilities and a working farm producing spectacular Angus beef. The farm’s natural and organic beef program is based on Angus weanling calves purchased locally which are grain fed and then placed on winter grass with hay and supplemented with kelp.

On Thursday March 4, at 6:00 pm the Bistro will present a multi-course meal with accompanying wines featuring Swift Farms Beef. Yours truly will select and discuss the wines during the dinner, which is sure to be an excellent gustatory experience.
The menu will include a Swift Level Slider, Asian Skirt Steak Roulade, grilled New York Strip Steak and & Braised Short Ribs among other culinary delights.

Price is $69 per person (plus tax and tip) and reservations are required by calling the Bistro at 304-720-3500.

Bluegrass Kitchen
The menu and wine list at this restaurant in Charleston’s East End redefines eclectic. Under the stewardship of owner Keeley Steele and the masterful culinary creations of chef Gary Needham, a meal at the Bluegrass is a tasteful adventure where you can enjoy everything from the “new” Appalachian cuisine to dishes with a distinct Indian influence. The wine list is an ever-changing palette of reasonably priced international selections all available by the glass as well as bottle.

Mark your calendars for Sunday March 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm when the Bluegrass Kitchen will present an evening of South African wines and specially prepared small plates by Chef Gary to accompany them. The event is casual - what I like to call a “graze around” - where guests can try the wines with a variety of different foods.

There will be 15 to 20 wines from South Africa and a representative of wine importer Cape Classics will be around to answer your questions. The menu will include a cornucopia of small plates including such delicacies as wild mushroom strudel, ‘Spago’ pizza (with smoked salmon) and homemade country pate.

Cost of the event is $40 per person payable in advance by calling 304-346-2871 or by email to contact@bluegrasskitchen.com. Space is limited so make your reservations as soon as possible.

Annual Escoffier Dinner

You can top off a week of decadence by attending one of the culinary highlights of the year hosted by Chef Jeremy Stills of Edgewood Country Club. Joining Chef Stills in the kitchen will be some of the area’s best chefs who will create a six-course culinary extravaganza accompanied by specially selected wines.

Mark your calendars for Monday March 8, at 6 p.m. at Edgewood Country Club. In addition to the fabulous food and wine, guests can take part in a silent auction with gifts such as weekend resort getaways, private chef dinners, wine baskets, golf rounds and other goodies. All of the funds raised from the auction and a portion of the funds from the Escoffier Dinner will be used to fund scholarships in the culinary arts to West Virginia students.

Price of the dinner is $75 a ticket or $550 a table and reservations are required. Call 304-545-0802 or go online at www.wvculinary.com.

One of the leanest, most tender cuts of meat is the pork tenderloin. Today, the boy of wine is going to share a great dish with you featuring the little piggy’s tenderloin. I will also recommend a pair of absolutely perfect wines for this dish!

But first, a few thoughts on cooking pork.

As delicious as roasted pork tenderloin can be, it can also be a boring dish unless you spark it up with a good dose of seasoning, stuffing, or saucing. The recipe below will take care of this problem. However, the most common problem associated with preparing this delicate cut of meat is over cooking.

Most of us have been taught by our mothers and grandmothers that you must always cook pork until the center of the meat is completely devoid of any color. Why? Well, when mom and/or ma-ma were growing up, trichinosis, a disease contracted by eating under cooked pork, was a serious problem.

The solution was to cook the meat until it was DONE – in other words until it was stiff, dry and had the flavor and texture of leather. When I was growing up, fried pork chops could have been used as body armor.

Thankfully, times have changed. Now the pork industry is highly regulated and trichinosis is almost unheard of except in third world countries. The National Pork Board suggests cooking the tenderloin to a final internal temperature of 160 degrees.

You will need an instant read thermometer, keeping in mind that you can cook the pork to about 155 degrees and remove it from the heat allowing it to sit for about 10 minutes. While resting, the temperature of the pork will continue to increase several degrees.

However, I prefer to cook the tenderloin to about 145 degrees F and let it rest for several minutes before slicing and serving. This is a perfectly safe temperature and, while the meat may have a slight pink color in its center, the pork will be much juicer.

Okay, so let’s get to it.

Tuscan Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Will feed six adults

2 one-half pound pork tenderloins
2 Italian sausage links
1 eight-ounce box of frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry)
8 ounces of shredded mozzarella or smoked provolone
1 carrot sliced into two-inch long matchsticks
2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic
1 Small onion diced
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary stripped and chopped (about one tablespoon)
2 ounces of fresh lemon juice
4 ounces extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of kosher salt

Make a marinade of three ounces of extra virgin olive oil, two ounces of lemon juice and red wine vinegar, a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a teaspoon of garlic and half a teaspoon of kosher salt.

Cut the tenderloins lengthwise (leaving one half inch on either end) and deep enough to make a pocket without cutting all the way through. Rub inside and out with fresh ground black pepper and rosemary.

Place the meat along with the marinade into a gallon plastic bag and put in the refrigerator for a minimum of four hours or up to 12 hours.

Roast or microwave the Italian sausage links, remove the skins and chop finely.

For the stuffing, sauté onions carrot matchsticks and spinach in one-ounce of olive oil and allow the mixture to cool. Stir in the egg, cheese and sausage and add the breadcrumbs.

Place the stuffing into the pork tenderloin and either tie with butcher’s string or use toothpicks to close the opening.

Roast the tenderloins in the oven at 400 degrees (or on a grill) for about 20 minutes or until the inside temperature reaches 145 F - or more if you desire.

Wait about 10 minutes, remove the string or toothpicks, slice into half-inch circles and serve with cheesy polenta or orzo.

The delicate and savory flavors in this Tuscan Stuffed Tenderloin marry incredibly well with sangiovese. My suggestions are the 2006 Bodega Benegas Sangiovese from Argentina ($23) or the 2006 Monte Antico from Tuscany which is a blend of sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and merlot ($14).

Last week I discussed a recent blind tasting I conducted where tasters were asked to evaluate six cabernet sauvignons (or cabernet blends). I suggested that you might wish to sip a few of the wines and judge for yourself before I revealed how our group viewed the order of preference.

So far the only feedback I’ve gotten has come from a few disgruntled wine lovers who have taken me to task for not letting you know which wines were judged best.

Okay, okay, I get the message. Here are the results along with the country of origin and the retail price:

1. 2006 Marques Casa Concha (Chile $19)

2. 2003 Falcor Le Bijou (Napa Valley $32)

3. 2007 El Portillo Cabernet Sauvignon (Argentina $14)

4. 2006 Larose De Gruaud (Bordeaux, France $35)

5. 2007 Guenoc Victorian Claret (California $15)

6. 2007 McWilliams Hanwood Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Australia $11)

As I mentioned, all of the wines were enjoyable with none eliciting serious criticisms. In fact, wines four, five and six were pretty much in a dead heat. My own evaluations tracked right along with the group except my number one choice was Le Bijou and second was the Casa Concha. Le Bijou and the Guenoc Claret were wines which had various other tradlitional Bordeaux blending grapes such as merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot.

I generally prefer the cabernet blends to 100 percent cabernet since they seem to have more layers of flavor and are less “in your face” than full throttle cabernet sauvignon. I must admit, however, that the Marques Casa Concha is an excellent wine and will continue to improve with a few years of bottle age.

From time to time, I have the opportunity to attend or conduct a tasting where the wines are evaluated before anyone is shown what they’re tasting. These events are known as “blind” tastings.

Don’t get the wrong idea. We’re not talking about drunken parties where the tasters are blind from overindulgence. Rather, since the identities of the wines are kept hidden from the participants, the wines are being tasted “blind.”

Why? Well, tasting wines blind takes away the bias you may have toward a particular label because of past experience with the wine, or because of the reputation or price of a specific product. Without any idea of the wine’s identity, you’ll find you’re also better able to concentrate on the qualitative aspects of the wine such as color, aroma and taste.

I encourage you to attend one of these events or, better yet, conduct your own blind tasting with a few friends at home. It’s pretty simple. Just ask everyone to bring a bottle of wine which has been covered with a paper bag (be sure to tape the bag around the neck of the bottle).

I suggest using a specific type of wine such as zinfandel or sauvignon blanc so that you’re comparing different wineries’ versions of the same varietal. Most grape varieties, regardless of where they are grown around the world, produce wines that have defining aroma or taste characteristics that are universally recognizable.

Take cabernet sauvignon for example. Cabernet produced in such geographically diverse regions as the Napa Valley in California, Bordeaux in France or the Barossa Valley in Australia share varietal characteristics with which most wine drinkers can identify.

Some of the aroma and taste characteristics I find in cabernet are cola, leather, eucalyptus, tobacco, mocha, currants, green pepper and green olives. I don’t mean to suggest that every cabernet sauvignon has all of these components, but I can usually detect one or more of them in this world famous wine.

I had the pleasure of conducting just such a tasting recently where cabernets and cabernet blends were tasted blind. The blends are wines with cabernet and/or other traditional Bordeaux blending grapes (merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec).

This tasting consisted of six wines hailing from California, Bordeaux, Chile, Argentina and Australia. To make sure I was unaware of the order of the wines, I asked a person not in the tasting to bag and number the ones we were going to sip.

The wines ranged in price from around $11 to $35 a bottle and I asked the assembled group of wine lovers to taste each wine against all of the others and then to rate them. You may be surprised to know that the number one rated wine was far from the most expensive. In addition, I can honestly say that I would buy any of the wines we tasted and be happy with them.

So what were the wines and the results? Well, I’ll list the wines, but you’ll have to conduct your own tasting to determine which you prefer. After all, that’s what wine appreciation is all about – your preference after careful consideration. Incidentally, all the wines are readily available in wine shops around the state.

The wines tasted blind (in alphabetical order): 2007 El Portillo Cabernet – Argentina ($14); 2003 Falcor Le Bijou – Napa Valley ($32); 2007 Guenoc Victorian Claret – California ($15); 2006 Larose De Gruaud – St. Julien, Bordeaux ($35); 2006 Marques De Casa Concha Cabernet - Chile ($19); 2007 McWiliams Hanwood Estate Cabernet – Australia ($11).

Let me know what you think of the wine (s).

Over the millennia, wine has proved to be an able and essential substitute for water. The Romans would regularly send troopers to plant vines and make wine years in advance of their invading armies to insure that they would have a safe and plentiful supply of wine (which is comprised mainly of water).

Remember the Biblical parable about the wedding feast where the attendees very quickly drank up all the hooch and one very special guest saved the day by changing large vats of water into wine?

Well, several years ago , I was a judge– now get this – at a water contest. Seven hours of drinking and judging municipal tap water, bottled water and sparkling water left my indelicate stomach even more distended than normal. Between frequent trips to the restroom, I longed for a miracle similar to the one performed 2000 years ago.

But really folks…. the town of Berkley Springs in the Eastern Panhandle puts on a first-class event that not only showcases waters from around the world, but also provides visitors with a hospitable experience second to none.

In a former life where I had the privilege of promoting West Virginia tourism, the good folks of Berkley Springs were a passionate group, always touting the virtues of the town, the springs and water that have made the place a magnet for weary travelers for hundreds of years.

I am happy to say they continue that passionate commitment and have transformed the town into a Mecca for spa enthusiasts who descend upon the community seeking the healing waters and a good massage. The Winter Festival of the Waters is the last full weekend in February and is truly a fun event in a lovely little eastern panhandle town.

Anyway, I enjoyed tasting many fine waters from around the world that long ago weekend, but I must declare, that for all its benefits, water is still an incomplete liquid! Fermented grape juice (or wine) is the perfect beverage, providing not only life-sustaining hydration, but also qualities that can transform an ordinary meal into something special or a dullard into a poet.

One liquid that is not incomplete is cabernet sauvignon – particularly this time of year when we’re looking for a wine with warmth, depth and body to accompany the hearty dishes of winter.

I recently had the pleasure of tasting the new release of the 2005 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley. Silver Oak Cellars produces only cabernet sauvignon and its two wines are produced from grapes grown in the Alexander Valley of Sonoma County and from those grown in Napa Valley. The 2005 vintage for cabernet in California is highly touted and the Alexander Valley clearly demonstrates the quality of this wonderful year.

Silver Oak wines are aged in American oak barrels for about 30 months and then bottled and aged for another 15 to 27 months before being released for sale. The 2005 Alexander Valley cabernet was released last summer to rave reviews and you can count me among those touting the wine.

The Napa, however, is a different wine. It will be released next month and is usually a more backward wine in its youth than the Alexander Valley. The Napa, if it follows tradition, will be fuller-bodied, deeper wine and should continue to improve in the bottle over the next decade.

The Alexander Valley retails for about $65 a bottle and while that’s a hefty price to pay for any wine, this one is worth it for that special occasion. Wines of this quality from the 2005 vintage are (believe it or not) fetching two and three times this price.

If you’re looking for wines that have some of the same type flavors for a more reasonable price, try these cabernet sauvignon-based wines: 2006 Franciscan Vineyard Napa Cabernet ($25); 2006 Sebastiani Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon ($18); 2007 Marques De Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon ($19); and 2007 El Portillo Cabernet Sauvignon ($14).

It’s almost 2010 wine lovers! As you get ready to toast the New Year, I have some last minute sparkling suggestions to help you celebrate the end of the first decade of the new millennium in style.

Sparkling wine and Champagne are delicious and appropriate wines to sip as you bring in the New Year and today I’ll share with you some of my favorite bubbly picks. While many sparkling wines are made in the Champagne method, none can be called by that famous moniker unless they are produced from grapes grown in region of Champagne in northern France.

If you recall, the Champagne method (or methode champenoise) is a process where still wines (traditionally pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier) are blended and then put in a bottle to which yeast and a small amount of sugar are added. This causes the wine to go through a secondary fermentation and the result  is a bubbly wine like Champagne.While Champagne is regarded as the gold standard, many other countries produce excellent sparkling wine using this method.

So here are a few of my favorites you might consider sipping New Year’s Eve and any time you get a hankering for a little bubbly:

Champagne under $40:  Perrier Jouet Grand Brut; Moet & Chandon Imperial; Veuve Clicquot Brut; and Michel Arnould Grand Cru Brut.

Sparkling wines under $25: 2005 Domaine Carneros Brut; Vigna Dogarina Prosecco; Roderer Anderson Valley Brut; 2005 Vilarnau Brut Nature (Spain); Parxet Cuvee 21; Domaine Chandon Brut Rose; and Gloria Ferrer Brut.

Happy New Year!!

Well, here we are again faced with that most enjoyable of all dilemmas: what wine to get for that loved one, friend or you this holiday season.

Normally, the pressures of holiday shopping are both frustrating and exceedingly difficult for me, but not when it comes to wine gifting!  Why?  Well, for me, securing a quality selection of top wines for the holidays is a labor of love and today I’ll share my top picks that should meet just about every budget.  

Let’s start, though, with some non-vinous gift recommendations for those in need of wine accoutrements (that’s French for “stuff”), or other goodies that are not liquid.   

I just finished reading and really enjoyed ”The Billionaire’s Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine” by Benjamin Wallace.  This real life mystery story  (which is still raging) recounts the alleged fraudulent sale of several bottles of 200- year old Chateau Lafite Rothschild to a billionaire who is bent on exacting pain from those he feels are responsible for the sham.  

The other book I suggest for your reading pleasure is “Wine and War:  The French, the Nazi’s and the Battle for France’s Greatest Treasure” by Donald and Petie Kladstrump.  This book recounts numerous stories of how individual French wine makers and their families fought to save their vineyards and wines from the invading Nazi’s. 

Both books are available in paperback and hard cover and can be found at local bookstores or ordered online.

There is nothing more pleasurable than sipping good wine from crystal stemware. You can spend a lot of money on wine glasses from renowned companies such as Riedel, or you can get similar quality by purchasing your wine glasses and crystal decanters right here in West Virginia. 

Masterpiece Crystal in Jane Lew  (96 Trolley St.) produces magnificent handmade lead-free crystal wine glasses and carafes.  Buy right from the showroom or go to masterpiececrystal.com and get them online. You may also place your order by phone (800-624-3114).   

Now to the good stuff.  The following wines are among my favorites and should be available in wine shops around the state.

White Wine  (under $20 a bottle):  07 d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab; 07 Pertinace Roreo Arneis; 06 Domaine Patient Cotat Sauvignon Blanc; 2008 Alexander Valley Chardonnay; Montinore Estate Almost Dry Riesling; 07 L’Ecole 41 Semillon; 07 Cakebread Chardonnay ($50); 07 Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay ($35); and 07 Talley Arroyo Grande Vineyard Chardonnay ($30);

Red Wine (under $20 a bottle) 07 Martin Codax Rioja; 06 Las Rocas Vinas Viejas Garnacha; 07 Ancient Peaks Zinfandel; 07 d”Arenberg The Stump Jump; 08 Castle Rock Pinot Noir (Mendocino); 07 Guenoc Petite Sirah; 07 Falesco Vitiano Rosso; 06 Monte Antico Rosso; Delas St. Esprit Cotes Du Rhone; 05 Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon; 06 Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee ($45); 05 Falcor Sangiovese ($35); 05 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($65) and 01 Banfi Brunello Di Montalcino ($67).

Here’s wishing you the happiest of holiday seasons, Cheers!

After rummaging around my very disorganized cellar for a suitably mature wine to pair with a celebratory meal, I came upon a bottle  which had obviously been lying in repose for quite some time. After blowing the dust off the label, I was incredulous to discover that the wine was a 1947 Borgono Barolo!

Say what?  That’s older than … Howdy Doody! (By the way, there is no truth to the rumor that Howdy Doody was the illegitimate result of a union between Little Orphan Annie and Pinocchio).

Anyway, it turns out my brother, who had prompted me to look in that particular area of the cellar and with whom I share a passion for the fruit of the vine, had years before slipped the Barolo into a nook instead of a cranny, and I was unaware I possessed this museum piece.   

I had actually consumed one other wine from that ancient vintage and, according to the  wine cognoscenti, it is perhaps the greatest Bordeaux ever produced. The 1947 Chateau Cheval Blanc was undoubtedly the best wine I had ever consumed, but I wasn’t expecting this wine (from the Piedmont region of Italy) to be anywhere near the quality of that legendary Bordeaux.

However, my recollection of Borgono Barolo is that I had uncorked a 1978 version of the wine a couple of years ago and had been surprised by its youthful flavors and amazing aging potential. But this wine was more than 30 years older than that wine. 

Since the wine actually belonged to my brother, I magnanimously sought his advice about when we should open it, knowing full well that we would need to stand the wine in an upright position for several days to assure that decades of sediment would settle to the bottom of the bottle. 

In its youth, Barolo is a purple monster with huge dollops of mouth-puckering tannin and searing acidity which can completely mask the earthy, rich flavors hidden underneath. There are some Barolo producers who are now making wines which are more approachable in their youth, but wines produced in the old-world style like the Borgono can improve for decades.  And so I had some hope that there would be something more than vinegar left in the bottle.

On the appointed day, I began to gingerly open the bottle with a traditional waiter’s corkscrew.  Mistake! Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, the cork began to disintegrate as I attempted to pull it from the bottle. In fact, I was forced to push a hole through the cork so I could get to the wine. 

I should have used an “Ah-So” which is also known as a  “Butler’s Friend” to remove the cork.   The Ah-So is a twin-pronged device that is placed on either side of the cork and then rocked back and forth until the prongs grip the cork along the sides of the bottle. Once inserted, you pull and twist the Ah-So until the cork is removed.

Pouring the 1947 Barolo through a coffee filter!

 My unsatisfactory solution to the cork debris problem was to insert a coffee filter into the decanter and then pour the wine through it.  The problem here is the filter just might also strip out any flavors left in the wine. Also, as I poured the wine ever so slowly through the filter into the decanter, I was immediately concerned by the brownish-orange liquid that came out of the bottle.

I quickly poured myself a few ounces of the wine and put it to my nose.  At first, the Barolo had a pungent, almost unpleasant raisin/beet nose that slowly- over 15 minutes - morphed into an aroma redolent of earth, mint and prunes.  In the mouth, this amazing wine still had life with layered flavors of cola, caramel and spice with a solid acid backbone.  It was also silky smooth and continued to develop over the next hour that it took us to savor and consume the wine.

What a remarkable experience and one that I’ll always remember. It also reminded me of the reason we age wines from great regions in exceptionally good vintages.  In the meantime, you can enjoy that glass of ready-to-drink wine while both you and your special bottles mature.