I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know a friend of a friend via the interwebs, Mr. A.J. Rathbun. He is a swell dude chock-full of cocktail knowledge, with videos and books to prove it! I was so impressed with his mixology skillz that I decided to make him the very first “Guest Swiller”. [Click his name above for a bio.]
Being a wino, I just love his book, Wine Cocktails. Since the Summer season is upon us, there is no better time to start experimenting with your wine. I hope you enjoy this lil’ Q & A session. Happy Drinking!
1. What are some trends you’ve been seeing in the use of wine in cocktails in the United States?
I think there’s been an influx of creativity in the usage of wine in cocktails and other drinks, which has been leading to both more interesting drink menus, and ones that include more wine cocktails.
Until the last, oh, ten years in most spots the only drinks with wine on most menus would be Sangria and traditional Champagne and sparkling wine drinks such as the Mimosa and Bellini. But now, drinks that use wine and its relatives in shaken cocktails both as the base and as a secondary ingredients are popping up everywhere. Also, more home bartenders are serving up wine cocktails and an increased range of Champagne drinks.
2. What types of wine are being used more frequently? White, red, sparkling, sweet and dessert wines, aromatic and other fortified wines, etc.
Sparkling and aromatic wines (I’m putting the vermouth family in here, as well as things like Lillet and Dubonnet) are used more often, as they’re more traditional and in more classic drinks, and also a little safer for both pro and home bartenders. But, on a percentage basis, the increase is across the wine family and perhaps even larger in those wines traditional drank solo: white, reds, desserts. Those wine family members haven’t been used a regularly, and now are being used more, even ones seen rarely in the past, such as port and sherry. I think when weighing out red and white, white may have a larger % increase, just because it wasn’t used hardly at all in mixed drinks and bartenders are now realizing how versatile it can be.
3. How are different types of wine used in cocktails? Why do mixologists use a specific wine rather than a liqueur or other spirit or another wine?
As mentioned briefly, I think wines are being used both as a base spirit, so the main ingredient in a drink, and then mixed with fruits juices (always great with wine), other mixers such as ginger ale, as well as liqueurs and more. Also, wines are being used more as a secondary ingredient, mixed with gin, vodka, rum, and other bases. Champagne and sparkling wine also fit into the above, sometimes being the main player in a drink, but more and more being used to add that touch of sparkle and flair to a drink. As far as why a mixologist or bartender would use a specific wine, I would hope that in most cases it would be for taste reasons (as opposed to because they’ve been given a bottle, or think the name is catchy, etc) and for mixability and seasonality reasons. For example, when creating a summertime drink, white wines tend to go well both because they have a lighter, but flavorful taste, that won’t weigh you down but will still bring flavor to the shaker. So, as an example, take the C & C, from Wine Cocktails. I knew I wanted to create a drink that worked well with late summer favorites fresh raspberries and fresh mint, and wanted it to be a drink that was ideal for summer afternoon soirées. I picked a white French Chablis to play around with, because I thought would be light enough to play with the fresh fruit and herb, while not getting overwhelmed. After experimenting, I also added a touch of simple and syrup and Chambord (doubling up on the raspberry taste), and voila! Summertime deliciousness. I think that most good drink creators go through much the same process when using wine in cocktails.
4. What are some traditional ways wine is used versus new ways to incorporate it?
I think in the past (and I touched on this a bit) it was usually solely used as a base spirit, and usually in built drinks (so, no shaken but either made in a pitcher or over ice)—unless you jump back to the first cocktail renaissance, when wine was used in a wider variety of drinks (I’m thinking late 1800s, early 1900s here). Today, wines and wine cousins are being used in shaken drinks, as accompaniments as well as main ingredients, and to add a touch of flavor in smaller amounts. Also, more of those older drinks alluded to are being re-discovered, which then influences new drinks.
5. What are some classic wine cocktails that are popular?
There are a number of sparkling and Champagne cocktails that almost all cocktail lovers know, such as the Mimosa, the Bellini, and the Kir and Kir Royale, and then a few wine drinks such as the Sangria. If you move away from the States though, there are more wine-based drinks in regular rotation. For example, in Italy, the Spritz (which is a combination of Aperol and sparkling wine Prosecco) is known even in small hill town cafes and bars. Really, throughout Europe wine has been mixed with fruits juices, liqueurs, and more forever. This has been another influence on the American wine cocktail resurgence, as more cocktail creators are traveling, and are being influenced by international drink menus.
Region: Russian River Valley in Sonoma, California
Vintage: 2007
Fritz Chardonnay
The Fritz Chardonnay
Golden glowing in my glass
Lemony smooth love
This wine is so delightful that it made me write a haiku. Remember writing haikus in school? I loved it. What a great exercise to tell a story within a concise 5/7/5 phrasing. I believe the haiku once was the Japanese equivalent to Twitter.
I could wax on and on about this but instead, let me introduce you to one of my favorite wines. First, a disclosure: I’m not a huge Chardonnay drinker. Perhaps this is why I hold this special wine so near and dear to my heart. Second, I don’t know ONE person who doesn’t love this wine. I’d even go so far as to say that this wine was the impetus to start this whole Savvy Lush endeavor!
Flashback almost three years ago, I was perusing the St. Anthony Village Municipal’s (aka “The Muni” or “SAV”) aisles when I saw wine sale signs proclaiming, “Only store in Minnesota who has this wine!”. (Insert car tire screech sound effect.) Hmmmm… $14. Go out of my $10 comfort zone, and for what? A bottle of *gasp* Chardonnay? Hey, you gots to roll the dice sometimes, folks.
That night will forever go down in history as “The evening I fell in love with Fritz”.
What did I fall in love with? This is a superlatively balanced Chardonnay: not too citric, not too oaky, not too buttery, but a solid bit of all three! Aromas of lemon zest, hints of guava, and the a minor touch of vanilla keeps this wine smooth and supple whilst magic carpeting your ass to Happy. Where is “Happy”? I don’t know, but when you’re already floating on a magic carpet, and you’ve got Fritz in tow, it’s always around the bend. Oh, and it never hurts to throw Javier Bardem in there somewhere.
I rushed out the next day, bought another couple bottles, and took one to a dinner party that night. My friends loved it so much, the host called a week later asking about it. Not long after, I bought another bottle and took it to yet another dinner party. They fell similarly smitten, and called up the next day to ask where I purchased it. In fact, they loved it so much, they bought a whole damn case of it! The REAL coup de tat was with crab legs on my b-day. I have trouble discussing that experience without fits of nostalgic tears. Salty, buttery tears.
And so, this love affair continued for a few months, until one day, The SAV Muni sold out of it. I found out from the friends who bought a case, and who wisely bought the remaining bottles. Even though they brought us a bottle, it seemed like the end of an era. (BTW, that bottle sat in the fridge gathering ogling glances for almost two years! That is the longest a bottle has sat in my house.)
A wine this good surely would show up at some other fine spirit peddling establishment, right? But alas, I could never find it. Finally,curiosity and pure longing prompted me to contact the winery. They sent me to the distributor. The distributor told me about a couple restaurants that _may_ be serving it. Ugh, no. This is not working for me. So, I turned to the social media airwaves, calling upon the [cyber] Wine Gods for anyone local to please, please stock the Fritz Chardonnay! My pleading call to action was answered by Byerly’s in both Ridgedale and Eagan.
Three years later this wine runs for $23.99, but it is sooooo worth it. I’ve gathered that there’s going to be a slight shortage of premium California wines from this vintage. Rodney from Byerly’s Ridgedale made me privy to this article: http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/46591/Wine Spectator
The evil trifecta of lackluster crops, depleted vines and increased consumption will likely result in increased prices. In the meantime, Byerly’s Ridgedale stocked up so there is Fritz Chardonnay for everyone to enjoy! Pick up a couple bottles. Enjoy one now and save one. Head down to Sea Salt Eatery in Minnehaha Falls Park with a bottle in tow. For a mere $5 corkage fee, sip it alongside some fish tacos and a crab cake sammie, or perhaps some salmon (the other pink meat).
Where buy now: Everywhere, if you hit a great sale, this baby can get as low as $5!
Grapes: 100% Tempranillo
Region: La Mancha, Spain
Vintage: 2009
Protocolo
So, I was in a conundrum last Friday night. A friend, we’ll call him “Matt” (because that’s his name) was coming over and insisted he pick up some wine en route. Yes! Unexpected wine donation! Predictably, though, I was then asked, “Well, what should I get?”.
Ugh, that all-important question. Where do I even start? “What store are you hitting?” “What’s your price range?” “Are you going for quality, quantity, or both?” “What other wines are we going to follow up with?” I hemmed and hawed. I sighed and stammered. [Awkward!] Decisive wine selection is a crucial skill, as trying to come up with _the_ perfect_wine_ inevitably leads to disappointment. If only there was a simple, inexpensive, yet gratifying wine, ideal for most any situation.
Well, I’ve found it.
Let me introduce you to one of THE best inexpensive red wines out there: Protocolo Red. An unassuming Spanish table wine, this is a quintessential “Skank” (but only in good ways- not in a “you need me to stick a Q-tip _where_?!?!” kind of way), and often my ace in the hole. [Oooh, poor choice of wording, there.]
I first bought Protocolo Red from Solo Vino years ago. Short on cash, and with 3 other bottles already in tow, I saw this baby for $6 and swiped it up. My expectations were low, but after one sip, I knew I’d found a winner. Was this just the mystique of low expectations at work? I saw it again and again at different stores and bought it, again and again. This wasn’t just a fleeting fancy, nor a coincidence. This is typically one of the bottles I grab when money is tight, or if I just want “one more bottle”.
This wine is very easy to drink, a solid table wine that can be paired with many types of foods. Like so many of my favorite reds, this one sports a dark cherry fruit redolence, a little earth, a bit of oak. With it’s mild-medium finish and pleasant amount of dryness, it isn’t trying to be anything other than what it is, which is key.
What makes this wine so inexpensive? I did some digging (well, I went to my human wine encyclopedia, Jason). Check out what he and his compadres are doing: http://www.thewinecompany.net/The Wine Co He informed me that a major reason we are seeing consistently delicious Spanish wines with an affordable price tag is because they have more vineyard acreage than any other country. Protocolo hails from the dry highlands of Central Spain, known as La Mancha. Surprisingly, this small region produces more wine than the entire country of Australia! However, Spain isn’t number one in wine production, or even number two- those top spots go to France, then Italy. This is because the old vines in Spain produce less fruit, and therefore, lend themselves to higher quality wine. This page explains it well: http://www.wineanorak.com/struggle.htm/Wine Anorak
Are you seeing a pattern here? I am: Win/Win!
“He likes it! Hey Mikey!” By gosh, the kid dug it and that made me grin. (Perhaps I shouldn’t call him a kid, as he’s only slightly younger, and recently referred to himself as a “grown-ass man”.) I’m tickled he is digging on wine right now, and knew Protocolo would serve as a proper gateway vino.
Wine for Slobs, Snobs & Swells | The Savvy Lush welcomes the Twin Cities' Sippers & Swillers
