Ask The Cellars

The third in a series on eco-friendly farming and winemaking practices. This time we look at the practices of Organic Farming.

Like Sustainable farmers, organic farmers strive to conserve soil and water and use renewable resources. In addition, organic standards prohibit the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, as well as chemical or sewage based fertilizers on or around crops. Growers can use approved substances to fight vine maladies. For example sulfur is allowed to fight mildew. Genetically engineered crops are also prohibited. Organic can also apply to winemaking itself. Often the most well known of the eco-friendly farming practices, the organic designation isn’t greener than sustainable or biodynamic. In the organic rules written by the U.S. government there are no requirements for using recycled glass or biodegradable packing.

A USDA accredited certifying agency must inspect the property and the vineyard must go three years without synthetic chemicals, and detailed records must be kept of all treatments. Subsequence inspections are yearly. Of the nearly 100 approved domestic and foreign certifiers the ones most commonly used in the U.S. are; California Certified Organic Farmers, Oregon Tilth, and Stellar Certification Services.

These wines may be labeled “organic” if the grapes are grown organically and the winemaking facility is also certified organic. The wines must contain at least 95% organic ingredients. No sulfites may be added as a preservative during the production, and the finished wine must contain less than 10 parts per million of sulfites. Alternate labels include “made with organic grapes” or “made with organically grown grapes”. These categories allow the addition of sulfites, but still may not exceed 100 parts per million in the finished wine. If the wine contains less than 70% organic grapes the word “organic” cannot be used.

Organic wineries include: Quivira, Benzinger, Bonterra, Daivid Bynum, Graziano, Frey, Frog’s Leap,

For more information please visit:
California Certified Organic Farmers
Oregon Tilth
Stellar Certification Services

Thad Norlinger
-Cellars Wines & Spirits

The second in a continuing series on eco-friendly farming and winemaking practices. This time we look at the practice of Biodynamic.

The development of biodynamic agriculture began in 1924 with a series of eight lectures on agriculture given by Rudolf Steiner at Schloss Koberwitz. The course was held in response to a request by farmers who noticed degraded soil conditions and a deterioration in the health and quality of crops and livestock resulting from the use of chemical fertilizers.

Biodynamic agriculture is a method of organic farming that treats farms as unified and individual organisms, emphasizing balancing the holistic development and interrelationship of the soil, plants, animals as a closed, self-nourishing system. Regarded by some proponents as the first modern ecological farming system, biodynamic farming includes organic agriculture’s emphasis on manures and composts and exclusion of the use of artificial chemicals on soil and plants. Methods unique to the biodynamic approach include the use of fermented herbal and mineral preparations as compost additives and field sprays and the use of an astronomical sowing and planting calendar. Biodynamic agriculture has its basis in a spiritual world-view known as anthroposophy as propounded by founder Rudolf Steiner.

Perhaps the most challenging part of Biodynamics is getting the landowner to see the interrelationships of everything on the farm and understand that every plant and animal is there for a reason, and nothing is optional.

The certifying body for Biodynamics is the Demeter Association. The entire farm must be certified at once, and free of artificial inputs for previous three years and under biodynamic management for previous two years. Annual inspections are required and Sulfite addition cannot exceed a total of 100 parts per million from the time grapes are crushed to the time the wine is bottled.

Biodynamic wineries include: Benzinger, Bonny Doon, Fetzer, Grgich, Patianna, Quivira, as well as others. Always check with your local retailer or the wineries website to see which of the specific wines from a vineyard are Biodynamic.

These wines may be labeled with the Demeter logo, or have the terms “Biodynamic wine”, “Demeter wine”, or “Demeter certified wine”. You may also see wines labeled “made from Biodynamic grapes”, or “made from Demeter certified grapes”.

For more information please visit;
Demeter USA
Demeter Certified Vineyards

Thad Norlinger
-Cellars Wines & Spirits

This kicks off a multi-piece story on eco-friendly vineyard management and winemaking practices. We will look at three main practices; Sustainable, Biodynamic, and Organic. With this piece we will look at the farming practice known as Sustainable; and several regional Sustainable programs including: LIVE, Lodi Rules, Salmon Safe, and Fish Friendly.

To put it simply: Sustainable agriculture is an economically viable, socially supportive and ecologically sound process. Sustainable farms have the flexibility to choose what works best for them. They generally recycle, conserve energy and water, and use renewable resources when possible. They minimize the use of chemical products, preferring to manage nutrients with cover crops, and compost, and control insects with native birds and beneficial insects. If they need to use chemicals to deal with a problem they choose the least toxic option.

The U.S. Congress defines Sustainable Agriculture as:
Sustainable agriculture is an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having site-specific applications that will, over the long term:
• Satisfy human food and fiber needs
• Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which
the agricultural economy depends
• Make the most efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm resources
• Integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls
• Sustain the economic viability of farm operations
• Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole

There are no national standards, but there are some regional and local certification programs. In Oregon and parts of Washington certification comes through LIVE and IOBC and California vineyards are certified through Lodi Rules. Benzinger has created its own sustainability program with the goal of having all of its 50 growers certified by 2008.

A non profit group promoting sustainable viticulture, LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology) has the primary goals of:
· To see the vineyard as a whole system
· To create and maintain a high level of quality fruit production
· To implement practices that reduce reliance on synthetic chemicals and fertilizers with the goals of protecting the farmer, the environment, and communities at large
· To encourage responsible stewardship of the land, maintain natural fertility and ecosystem stability
· To promote sustainable farming practices that maintains the biological diversity of the whole farm.
LIVE is the first organization in the United States to be certified by the International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control of Noxious Animals and Plants (IOBC).

Lodi Rules is a regional program that raises the bar for vineyard health by requiring growers to use a variety of sustainable growing practices and addressing impact of pest control.
Sustainable wineries include: Domaine Serene, Ponzi Vineyards, Williamette Valley Vineyards, and many others. Always check with your local retailer or the wineries website to see which of the specific wines from a vineyard are Sustainable.

Salmon Safe is a farming process, started in Oregon and has now grown to include Washington, which encourages the minimizing of chemical products used on a farm or vineyard. Very similar to organic, but with the specific goal of having the least impact on the aquatic ecosystem of Salmon. This certification takes place primarily in the Northwest United States and is acquired by a farm or vineyard only after they have completed an in depth review of the farming practices. This review includes walk-through assessments, review of growing practices, use of synthetic and natural fertilizers and pest control, notification of changes to farming practices and/or crop changes during the year. Once a farm/vineyard is certified they are allowed to use the Salmon Safe logo. To keep their certification farms must be reviewed a minimum of once a year.

Salmon Safe wineries include: Argyle, Domaine Serene, Evasham Wood, King Estate, Sokol Blosser. Always check with your local retailer or the wineries website to see which of the specific wines from a vineyard are Salmon Safe.

Fish Friendly Farming covers the water-sheds of Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano counties in California. Each vineyard develops it’s own conservation plan that then must be approved by three governmental agencies: National Marine Fisheries Service, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the County Agricultural Commissioner. Photo monitoring of the property is set up and each property is required to recertify every five to seven years.
Fish Friendly Wineries include: Clos du Bois, Fetzer, Rodney Strong, Simi, as well as others. Always check with your local retailer or the wineries website to see which of the specific wines from a vineyard are Fish Friendly.

LIVE and IOBC wines can be labeled as such if 97% of the grapes are certified, with Lodi Rules at least 85% of the grapes are certified. On wines without certification, a description of specific farming practices may be included, such as “sustainably farmed” or “naturally farmed”.
With Salmon Safe wines you can look for there logo, with Fish Friendly Farming there currently is no logo, although a winery can use the text “we participate in Fish Friendly Farming” or “vineyards certified in Fish Friendly Farming”.

In general, Sustainable practices currently have no uniform labeling practice to indicate what farming practices are being used. The ATF does regulate what is put on a wine label and therefore if a practice is indicated on the label you know it has been verified. The many regional sustainable programs can be labeled according to their guidelines. Alternatively many vineyards and wineries may combine practices of one or more of the eco-friendly techniques and forgo labeling there wines in any way.

For more information please visit:
LIVE
IOBC
Lodi Rules
Benzinger
Salmon Safe
Fish Friendly Farming

Thad Norlinger

-Cellars Wines & Spirits

If you follow health news at all you may have heard of Proposition 65, a piece of California legislation that aims to inform consumers of the potential health risks associated with a variety of materials including Lead. Below is a portion of that legislation:

SECTION 1. The people of California find that hazardous chemicals pose a serious potential threat to their health and well-being, that state government agencies have failed to provide them with adequate protection, and that these failures have been serious enough to lead to investigations by federal agencies of the administration of California’s toxic protection programs. The people therefore declare their rights:
(a) To protect themselves and the water they drink against chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
(b) To be informed about exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
(c) To secure strict enforcement of the laws controlling hazardous chemicals and deter actions that threaten public health and safety.
(d) To shift the cost of hazardous waste cleanups more onto offenders and less onto law-abiding citizens.
The people hereby enact the provisions of this initiative in furtherance of their rights.”[1]

Why is there lead in glass?
Lead oxide is added to molten glass to give it a higher refractive index (makes it sparkle more), and to make the glass softer and easier to decoratively cut. Think of the cut crystal glassware that your grandmother had.

Is lead safe?
Lead is never safe, and certainly not when it becomes part of our food chain. Until recently it was assumed that because of the apparent hardness and stability of glass that the Lead was “locked” in. Recent studies have shown that this is not the case. In a study conducted by North Carolina State University it was learned the after only two days of storage in a Lead crystal container (24-35% lead content) port wine showed a lead level of 89 ppb. After four months lead levels were between 2,000 and 5,000 ppb. White wine doubled its lead content within an hour of storage and tripled it within four hours. To put this into perspective the EPA Lead standard for drinking water is 15 ppb.

So what does that mean for the leaded-crystal glassware and decanters you have, or may be looking to buy?
It is clear that storing any wine or other acidic beverage in leaded crystal/glass is probably not a good idea. But does that mean we cannot enjoy a wine or other beverage in a container made from leaded glass? With white wine doubling it’s lead content after only an hour, and tripling after only four hours(think about your next dinner party) of storage in a leaded glass container we leave that decision up to you. Much like California’s Proposition 65, we are only trying to make you aware of the potential risk, and let you make the decision for yourself.

Thad Norlinger
-Cellars Wines & Spirits

Posted: June 5th, 2008 in Uncategorized, General Wine Knowledge.

Austria may best be known as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s birthplace, but did you know they rank 18th in wine production and 11th in wine consumption? The current country of Austria is a result of the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain. After this event and WWI, Austria was left economically destroyed. Resorting to mass-marketed, poor quality wine, Austria made an effort to come back economically. Things continued to worsen until 1985 when a group of corrupt wine brokers tried to pass off wines with diethylene glycol (antifreeze). This is probably the best thing that could have happened to their wine making industry. The entire industry cleaned up their act, and now Austria makes the most riveting wines of central-eastern Europe. In light of this it is no surprise to learn that they also have the strictest wine laws of anywhere in Europe.

Best known for white wines made from Gruner Veltliner, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), and Riesling, they also produce some notable reds including Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir), Blaufränkisch (Lemberger) and Zweigelt.

Here is a quick overview of their white wines:

Grüner Veltliner – Peppery spice, fruity, usually dry. Productive and rather hardy, although it ripens late, the Grüner is known for producing crisp and fresh wines that have notes of pepper, spices and grapefruits. Can improve for many years in bottle when given care, sometimes taking on the exotic fruit character of an aged Burgundy.

Riesling – Elegant fragrance, fine nuances, raciness. In good vintage years the noble Riesling from Austria’s best-situated vineyards produces some of the world’s finest wines of this variety. Its attractive bouquet usually has delicate notes of peaches, apricots and citrus fruits. Because of its piquant acidity, the Riesling is very racy and long on the palate; it constantly develops and thus ages very well.

Weissburgunder – A fine combination of fragrances, powerful, racy. If the grapes have attained full maturity, the Austrian Weissburgunder is a white wine rich in extracts with a fine almond-like taste and piquant acidity. The grape variety known internationally as Pinot Blanc usually develops very well in the bottle. Because of its discreet character it is suitable for blending with other varieties and for ageing in new, small oak barrels (en barrique).

And a quick overview of their red wines:

Blauburgunder(Pinot Noir) – Discreet bouquet, elegant, soft tannins. Despite some new vineyard planting, this grape variety, which made the red wines of Burgundy famous, is still under-represented in Austria. The Pinot Noir has a very fine bouquet that is difficult to describe, best perhaps as reminiscent of raspberries or almonds. Its taste has lots of fruity charm and elegance. Despite its delicate structure it ages better than many wine-lovers assume.

Blaufränkisch – Dark berry notes, astringent-spicy, medium tannin levels. The name Blaufränkisch (literally “blue Franconian”) probably dates from the time of Charlemagne, when all high-qualities varieties were classified as “Franconian” (fränkisch) while those of lesser value were called “Hunnic” (heunisch) and eliminated. In its youth this Austrian speciality is an impetuous, deeply fruity red wine, which with ageing becomes more velvety and supple, gaining additional facets.
Zweigelt – Despite being bred from a crossing of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent in 1922, Zweigelt is now the most widely planted red grape in Austria. Hardy, vigorous and productive, Zweigelt (or Blauer Zweigelt and Rotburger as it is also known) buds late and ripens early, which are very useful traits in the cool Austrian growing regions. Though it is at its best when yields are low, Zweigelt can be counted on to consistently produce medium bodied reds that have a nice mix of currants, herbs and tannins. From better sites and low yields some very rich and tannic reds can be produced that can take well to both barrel and bottle aging.

The Cellars features outstanding wines from the following producers: Loimer, Domaine Wachau, and Neckenmarkt. For some really interesting wines try the Pinot Noir from Claus Preisinger, a 28 year old winemaking marvel truly in tune with his terrior. You may also want to try the Weissburgunder from 20 year old vines from Judith Beck.

Thad Norlinger
-Cellars Wines & Spirits

Have you ever stopped by your local Asian restaurant for dinner, and ordered sake off their menu? Was it enjoyable? Did you ask yourself ‘How can anyone drink this?’ If you did you probably tried what is known as commercial sake. These sakes are often drunk warm, are produced by large commercial factories, and often contain large amounts of distilled alcohol. May I suggest that next time you find a restaurant that serves premium sake! Premium sakes are served chilled, and come from any of the over 1,700 sake breweries in Japan. Each sake brewery produces a range of sakes resulting in around 10,000 different sakes being made!

Premium sakes like those available at The Cellars are referred to as “Ginjo” sake. Made from only four ingredients; water, sake rice, koji mold, and yeast. Sake is brewed like beer, not fermented like wine. As with beer, water is a very important ingredient. Each sake brewer is located near a very pure water source such as a spring, well, or stream. Special strains of rice are used and are hand harvested. There are 9 basic types of sake rice with a total of about 65 varieties. The Koji mold is introduced to the rice to help convert the starch in the rice from an unfermentable sugar to a fermentable sugar. Yeast, much like in beer production, is a closely guarded secret and each brewer works with their own strain. The yeast has a large impact on the aroma of the sake.

The simplified process of sake production is as follows:

Sake rice is milled to remove the outer husk and impurities. The more milled the rice, the more pure the remaining starch. The rice is then washed, soaked, steamed, and then cooled. A third of the rice is mixed with the mold to form a starter. The yeast is pitched into this mixture and allowed to ferment. This mixture is then added three times to the remaining rice over a period of four days. The final mixture (mash) is allowed to ferment for 18-32 days. The liquid (now sake) is pressed from the mash and pasteurized for the first time. The sake is then filtered and diluted with water to the final alcohol content, pasteurized a second time and bottled.

Sake is graded into five types: Honjozo-shu, Junmai-shu, Ginjo-shu, Daiginjo-shu, and Namazake. Each grade polishes the rice more than the previous grade. Honjozo-shu polishes away 30% of the rice kernel and adds a small amount of distilled alcohol. The remaining types add no alcohol and are considered pure sakes. Junmai-shu polishes away 30% of the rice kernel. Ginjo-shu polishes away 40% of the rice kernel, Daiginjo-shu polishes away anywhere from 50%-65% of the rice kernel. Namazake is sake that has not been pasteurized. For those who are enjoying the greener side of life you should note that sake is free of sulfites, additives, and preservatives. Other types of rice products that you may hear being talked about include:

Infused Sake – an infusion of fruits or nuts gives sake an even more fruitful character, and often times adds some color as well.

Mirin - a kind of rice wine similar to sake, but with less alcohol and considerably sweeter. It is often used in grilled or broiled fish dishes to add a bright touch. It is sometimes used to erase the fishy smell.

Shochu - a distilled spirit made from barley, sweet potatoes or rice. Shochu is often described as having a nutty or earthy character.

-Thad Norlinger

Cellars Wines & Spirits

Dear Mrs. Bryce,

I was pleased to hear that you enjoyed the Riesling that you picked up last week.  I thought that it would be a nice transitional wine for moving into white wines from the blush wines you have had in the past.  I recalled that you were talking about making a spicy Asian recipe.  Spicy foods can have a tendency to bowl over many wines so pairing a wine that is also somewhat spicy compliments the dish quite nicely.  I’d like to recommend a Gewürztraminer (pronounced ‘ga-VERTZ-trah-MEE-ner’) as it works well with “hot” spiced foods.  The grape is originally from Germany, but now there are plantings in the U.S., Australia, France, and other countries.  The word actually means “spice grapes”.  Now that you have experienced a Riesling, this will be similar in sweetness but a little more zestful and lively and of course carries a tanginess of spice.  There are often lychee and melon aromatics.   I often find pear, honeydew melon, honeyed apricots & peach flavors in many that I come across.  Some of the best come from the Alsace region of France and they tend to drink a little drier than their American cousins.  Gewürztraminers will work very favorably with Thai, Indian (especially curry dishes), Szechuan and Mexican fare such as enchiladas in a white cream sauce with green chilies.  It is a delightful sipping wine so it doesn’t have to go with a meal at all.  A very solid “Gavertz” that is perennially a best seller is the Fetzer Vineyards.  We have been selling a tremendous amount of the Macher Gewurztraminer Spatlese from Germany as well.  The ideal drinking temperature is about 45 degrees so consider putting it in the refrigerator for eight hours and then pulling it out about a half hour before serving.  I think this would be the perfect pairing for your dinner plans

Rod Olson
The Cellars Wines & Spirits

Dear Mrs. Bryce,

You had mentioned that your friend was having some issues with the red wine she was drinking to help her with her heart condition and I thought I could lend some insight.

The “60 Minutes” story that the two of you were trying to recall was “The French Paradox.” In that segment, they were talking about how the French eat higher fat food, drink wine daily, smoke cigarettes like chimneys and get less exercise than their American counterparts yet they have far lower cases of heart disease. The research showed that the wine was what was doing the trick. Wines, particularly red wines, are a source of resveratrol. This substance has been linked to longevity and cancer prevention. Right after that show was aired in the early 90’s, we saw a huge increase in wine sales that has yet to drop off. Estimates are that red wine consumption jumped 44%! Doctors started prescribing red wine to lower cholesterol. The problem that came about was that they were recommending dry wines like Cabernets and Merlots so some of the good people of Minnesota that weren’t used to drinking much red wine couldn’t stand the stuff. We always try to catch the people and get them to drink softer red wines like Pinot Noir or Beaujolais or something similar because the tannins are softer. I wasn’t clear on what your friend was having issues with in particular, but if it is taste, have her try Westrey Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. It is biodynamic so it is free of chemicals and displays lush fruit with notes of cherries. It is somewhat limited in availability. If that doesn’t fit her taste, I could suggest many others that might be more to her liking.

If she is getting headaches, they have found that 50% of people that take a single aspirin before drinking can avoid that problem. I have told numerous people about the aspirin trick and I would say 60% say it helped them.

If the problem is sinus related, it may be histamines that are the problem. Sometimes drinking organic or biodynamic wines (of which we have many to offer) can ease that problem.

I hope this is of some help. Have her call me anytime if she has further questions.

Have a great week,

Rod Olson
The Cellars Wines and Spirits

Without question German wine labels appear to be the most confusing, over-text’d, and hard to read labels of any wine.  However, if you take five minutes with us we can clear the confusion and open up a whole new world of wine for you.  Let’s start with the label shown here.  First on the label is the producer/winery.  In this case Selbach-Oster.  Next we see the vintage listed, 2006.  On the next line we see two words: Zeltinger Schlossberg. Zeltingen is the town (Germans add an ‘er’ to the end of many words to indicate ‘from’.Zeltingen is the largest town in the Mittel(middle)Mosel.  Schlossberg refers to the actual vineyard the grapes come from.  In this case Schlossberg is 124 acres of vineyards in the town of Zeltingen above the Sonnenuhr(sundial) with fairly heavy blue Devonian slate soil.  On the next line we see two more words: Riesling Kabinett.  Riesling refers to the grape variety used in this wine. Kabinett refers to the level of ripeness of the grapes in this wine.  It indicates that the grapes used for this wine were the first ones picked in the fall.  Additional ripeness levels include, in order; Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein, Trockenbeerenauslese.  Next we see Qualitätswein mit Prädikat which refers to the quality level of the wine.  In this instance it is the highest level, translated as Quality wine with Attributes.  These attributes are the ripeness levels mentioned above.  Gutsabfüllung Weingut Selbachoster tells us that this wine was ‘Bottled at the Winery of Selbach Oster.  The A.P. number is the number assigned to this specific wine including vintage.  It indicates that the wine has been brought before a panel of tasters for approval.  Mosel-Saar-Ruwer is the appellation of origin.  It tells you where the vineyard and winery are located.  Similar to our ‘county’ designation, there are thirteen appellations in Germany; Ahr, Mittlerhein, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Rheinghau, Nahe, Pfalz, Rheinhessen, Franken, Hessische Bergstrasse, Württemberg, Baden, Saale/Unstrut, Sachsen.  Last are the alcohol content 9.5% and the bottle size 750ml.

Dear Mrs. Bryce,

It has been a while since we last spoke. I hope all is well. I was sitting here thinking about spring and I remembered that the last time we spoke you were beginning to make plans for an Easter luncheon. As soon the holiday shall be upon us I thought I would drop you a note with some wine suggestions I have put together that will pair beautifully with an assortment of traditional Easter foods.

First, may I suggest that you consider starting your party with a sparkling wine? A small glass of bubbly is always a great way to bring a celebratory mood to any gathering or occasion. I have two wines in mind for you.  The first is nice bubbly from Washington called Domaine Ste Michelle Frizzante. At around $11 it is a great starter bubbly.  Excellent depth, good nose, and a light sweet fruit component that gives it broad appeal.  The second, and more unique, is a sparkling wine by the name of Paul Zinck Cremant d’Alsace.  At around $16 this is a truly exceptional example of both the wine makers skill and quality of wines available from Alsace.  A stellar blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, it is both light and full-bodied with a biscuity bouquet and notes of apricot on the palate.

As for dinner if you are serving the traditional American ham I would highly suggest either of the following wines.  From a small, family run estate near the town or Orange (in France), comes a fabulous example of Syrah.  Chateau Beauchene Les Sens de Syrah at around $14 a bottle is one of those hidden gems you don’t often come across. It has incredible depth and structure, something uncommon in wine at this price.  My second choice for you is a Riesling which exemplifies the fine grapes that come from Bernkastel, Germany. The Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler Riesling at around $17 a bottle is an amazing Riesling from a very old producer. It has amazing fruit flavors with incredible depth to the nose and palate, offering up just the right amount of sweetness balanced by sleek minerality and hints of chalk.

Perhaps you are serving a baked chicken dish or turkey instead, may I suggest the Sacha Lichine La Poule Blanc at around $11 a bottle?  This tasty cuvee makes great use of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier for an outstanding wine with great body and fine aromatics. It also has balance and complexity which allow it to complement many dining choices.  My second offering has to be the Santa Barbara Winery Chardonnay at around $16 a bottle.  A well balanced wine that showcases the great fruit aspects of a Chardonnay combined with the great acidity and weight typical of wines from Santa Barbara Winery.

I am sure that you will be finishing your meal with some great sweets. If you are still planning to serve Kulich, or Hot Crossed Buns I would have you try something a little different.  I think an inspiring Belgian beer named Gouden Carolus Triple at around $9 would pair very well with the dried fruits and sweeter notes of these traditional Easter breads.  If you’re serving some decadent Belgian chocolate then I would serve the Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon currently at the hot price of $15 a bottle, or a Smith Woodhouse Lodge Reserve Port for $20 bottle.  A fruit tart or pie which would certainly be in keeping with the spring aspect of Easter would pair nicely with Palladino Moscato d’Asti at $14 a bottle or the Franz Karl Schmitt Niersteiner Pettenthal Riesling Auslese, at $14 for a half bottle, would be great for a smaller group.

As always I appreciate the opportunity to provide you with some great matches for the foods that will be gracing your table. If I or any of our staff can help you in the future, please let us know.

Thanks again, Thad Norlinger