The Feiring Line

Orange Wine Night At Convivio

Levi Dalton, who empowers the list at Convivio, might be the high priest of wine geek sommeliers. Early his summer he had a crazy thought and posted a come hither on the wine board, winedisorder.com, a thread by the name of 'Show Me Some Skin.' He was talking about the chimerical wine category now called Orange. 'Count me in', I said. Get your mind out of the gutter. These are not orange flavored or Tang colored wines. Neither rose, white or red, they are the other. Thanks to elongated skin contact, the wines pull tint in a range of Benjamin Moore paint chips of color. But while, skin isn’t exactly this century’s barrique, you can call it a current fad. Yet, the Romans did it and the Georgians and Turks do it. From there it was resuscitated in Slovenia and Friuli, most notably Radikon, Gravner and Movia. The technique goes hand in hand with amphora fermentation and elevage. Amphora is not necessary but the vessel and skin is like peanut butter and jelly. The night came. I walked through one of those east coast, summer of 2009 cloudbursts and arrived at Convivio, ferchatted and drenched. I nodded to Eric Asimov, Kevin McKenna, a partner in the Louis/Dressner multinational, the fabulous Lee Campbell, SFJoe, and found a seat in the company of three die-hard winedisorder card-carrying members who have Virgo-trap, wine memories that put my own to shame. An old friend, the violinist and non-drinker, Joel Smirnoff used to tell me that the world is divided into scanners and focusers. I'm such a scanner, that in my myopia, I placed some delicious and gloopy buratta and tomato on my linen napkin, mistaking it for the square plate. Tabelmates, Jeff, Jim and Thor noticed. They pretended not to see it until I blew my own cover when sl I realized my mistake. Obviously, you can take the girl out of the shtettle, but you can't take the shtettle out of the girl. With my klutz out of the way before I even had a sip, I was safe for the rest of the evening to discover that thirty-six wines at dinner is too much to be professional but plenty to provide 1) a hangover 2) an impression. What I love about the wines, the best of them, is the complexity from the whole grape, the tannin and that little comes between nature and the wine. Some folk have called this technique a manipulation, but I strike that one down. Seems to me any choice in fermentation that is just man and grape, not machine and grape, not chemical and grape, is just choice. A group favorite was La Stoppa 2004 Ageno (Emilia-Romagna. There's a wild carnation quality in it, a dose of Brett perhaps, and the most shockingly tannic wine on the table Personal favorite: Frank Cornelissen 2007 MunJebel 4 Bianco (Sicily). I've heard about this guy from a friend in London (hello David!), a Dutch man who makes wine in Mt. Etna. There are wines that I drink when I say, I have to meet the person behind it. This was one. I must go. I had heard rumors that this was one of those wildly unstable babes, with dirty underwear and holes in its socks. Maybe at one time but this lass has passed through puberty to the other side. Shocking. Banded. Floral. Intense. Tannin. Deep. Talk to me. Grit. Wafting. Clover. Then she blushes and disappears, and as the night comes to a close, she was reduced to more salty brine. She became Lot's Wife. Ca de Noci 2006 notte di luna (Emilia-Romagna). I've written about this charmer before. Filled with church spice and cookies and ocean air. Massa Vecchia 2005 Maremma Toscana Bianco (Tuscany). This is like the handsome guy who walks into the room and knows he can bed everyone—man or woman. Bea 2004 Arboreus (Umbria). While I am not a great fan of the wine Giampeiro makes for the nuns, his own won me over. Zippy, blowing out candles and hot wax over my fingers. Biggest surprise of the night? Scholium Project 2006 San Floriano del Collio Rocky Hill (Sonoma Mountain) – So cherry in color, it was almost rosé. Almost 17% alcohol? This was crazy. I forgive its alcohol because it is a beast, but a rock and rolling one. For more on the evening Eric's blogThor Iverson's

Orange Wine Night At Convivio

Levi Dalton, who empowers the list at Convivio, might be the high priest of wine geek sommeliers. Early his summer he had a crazy thought and posted a come hither on the wine board, winedisorder.com, a thread by the name of 'Show Me Some Skin.' He was talking about the chimerical wine category now called Orange. 'Count me in', I said. Get your mind out of the gutter. These are not orange flavored or Tang colored wines. Neither rose, white or red, they are the other. Thanks to elongated skin contact, the wines pull tint in a range of Benjamin Moore paint chips of color. But while, skin isn’t exactly this century’s barrique, you can call it a current fad. Yet, the Romans did it and the Georgians and Turks do it. From there it was resuscitated in Slovenia and Friuli, most notably Radikon, Gravner and Movia. The technique goes hand in hand with amphora fermentation and elevage. Amphora is not necessary but the vessel and skin is like peanut butter and jelly. The night came. I walked through one of those east coast, summer of 2009 cloudbursts and arrived at Convivio, ferchatted and drenched. I nodded to Eric Asimov, Kevin McKenna, a partner in the Louis/Dressner multinational, the fabulous Lee Campbell, SFJoe, and found a seat in the company of three die-hard winedisorder card-carrying members who have Virgo-trap, wine memories that put my own to shame. An old friend, the violinist and non-drinker, Joel Smirnoff used to tell me that the world is divided into scanners and focusers. I'm such a scanner, that in my myopia, I placed some delicious and gloopy buratta and tomato on my linen napkin, mistaking it for the square plate. Tabelmates, Jeff, Jim and Thor noticed. They pretended not to see it until I blew my own cover when sl I realized my mistake. Obviously, you can take the girl out of the shtettle, but you can't take the shtettle out of the girl. With my klutz out of the way before I even had a sip, I was safe for the rest of the evening to discover that thirty-six wines at dinner is too much to be professional but plenty to provide 1) a hangover 2) an impression. What I love about the wines, the best of them, is the complexity from the whole grape, the tannin and that little comes between nature and the wine. Some folk have called this technique a manipulation, but I strike that one down. Seems to me any choice in fermentation that is just man and grape, not machine and grape, not chemical and grape, is just choice. A group favorite was La Stoppa 2004 Ageno (Emilia-Romagna. There's a wild carnation quality in it, a dose of Brett perhaps, and the most shockingly tannic wine on the table Personal favorite: Frank Cornelissen 2007 MunJebel 4 Bianco (Sicily). I've heard about this guy from a friend in London (hello David!), a Dutch man who makes wine in Mt. Etna. There are wines that I drink when I say, I have to meet the person behind it. This was one. I must go. I had heard rumors that this was one of those wildly unstable babes, with dirty underwear and holes in its socks. Maybe at one time but this lass has passed through puberty to the other side. Shocking. Banded. Floral. Intense. Tannin. Deep. Talk to me. Grit. Wafting. Clover. Then she blushes and disappears, and as the night comes to a close, she was reduced to more salty brine. She became Lot's Wife. Ca de Noci 2006 notte di luna (Emilia-Romagna). I've written about this charmer before. Filled with church spice and cookies and ocean air. Massa Vecchia 2005 Maremma Toscana Bianco (Tuscany). This is like the handsome guy who walks into the room and knows he can bed everyone—man or woman. Bea 2004 Arboreus (Umbria). While I am not a great fan of the wine Giampeiro makes for the nuns, his own won me over. Zippy, blowing out candles and hot wax over my fingers. Biggest surprise of the night? Scholium Project 2006 San Floriano del Collio Rocky Hill (Sonoma Mountain) – So cherry in color, it was almost rosé. Almost 17% alcohol? This was crazy. I forgive its alcohol because it is a beast, but a rock and rolling one. For more on the evening Eric's blogThor Iverson's

Wine Recommendation Time

Here's an assortment of wines (first three from Savio Soares, importer) that have me hanging on to the bottles. All are organic in reality, if not in certification (chianti does have cert). L'insoumis du Village winemaker Reynald Heaule 100% velvet, pinot meniuer, seemed, inspiring, almost pineau d'aunis in its zingery (though not peppery) quality. certainly fooled me in a blind tasting. Absolutely charming wine, made by supposedly crazy winemaker 16 k south west of Orleans. And if my memory serves me, the importer Savio Soares said Reynald, who works with some obscure grapes, studied with naturalist, Julien Courtois. Somewhere around $30? Torelli Monferrato Magno Rubens Rosso 2006 Another Savio Soares Selection and for some reason one I can't get out of my head. I almost have an obsession with N. piemontese pinot nero. The Torelli's are in Bubbio. I did not write this down, but I keep on staring at the bottle. It has a barbera like acidity, pinot noir like perfume. Under $30, but have no idea how much under $30. Needs time to open. Love that Savio Soares is bringing in the Beaujolais producer, Chamonard , and while I'm ga ga over the Morgon, the Fluerie was a charming addition, more backward, better on the second day when it sheds it's slight funk. $26 Temps des Cerise's winemaker Axel Prufer in the Languedoc seems to be a bit of a winelist darling. This one, the 2007 Fou du Roi, a VdT, was particularly compelling to me. In vin naturel style, the fizz came and went and then really went. Then a great big dollop of poop faded into white chocolate, kicking up kirsch and spicy flecked purity and a jumpy but long finish. This will set you back $28 or so. Can't find out too much about this Julienas producer, Vincent Audras, of Clos de Haute Combe (any where from $18-$25), but I tooled around, seems like old, trad, gnarly vines on a lot of slate and granite, and.......I kept on coming back to an inkwell flavor that I adored. 2001 Chianti Riserva 2001 Terra D'Arcoiris from Paolo Bernardi, who told me this would need days to open. We only let it roll for three hours. But look at the impression it made. (for me? I was curious, had that pine forest smell of chianti, fresh with forest honey. Looking forward to spending more time with it. This is my friend Linda St. John (author, painter, designer, proprietor of D.L. Cerney on east 7th street, next to McSorley's. An original for sure, she also provides 30-50's vintage style for men and women as well as Bruce Springsteen's band and various Bway shows.

Wine Recommendation Time

Here's an assortment of wines (first three from Savio Soares, importer) that have me hanging on to the bottles. All are organic in reality, if not in certification (chianti does have cert). L'insoumis du Village winemaker Reynald Heaule almost pineau d'aunis blend (pinot men. cabernet franc) in its zingery (though not peppery) quality. certainly fooled me in a blind tasting. Absolutely charming wine, made by supposedly crazy winemaker 16 k south west of Orleans. And if my memory serves me, the importer Savio Soares said Reynald, who works with some obscure grapes, studied with naturalist, Julien Courtois. Somewhere around $30? Torelli Monferrato Magno Rubens Rosso 2006 Another Savio Soares Selection and for some reason one I can't get out of my head. I almost have an obsession with N. piemontese pinot nero. The Torelli's are in Bubbio. I did not write this down, but I keep on staring at the bottle. It has a barbera like acidity, pinot noir like perfume. Under $30, but have no idea how much under $30. Needs time to open. Love that Savio Soares is bringing in the Beaujolais producer, Chamonard , and while I'm ga ga over the Morgon, the Fluerie was a charming addition, more backward, better on the second day when it sheds it's slight funk. $26 Temps des Cerise's winemaker Axel Prufer in the Languedoc seems to be a bit of a winelist darling. This one, the 2007 Fou du Roi, a VdT, was particularly compelling to me. In vin naturel style, the fizz came and went and then really went. Then a great big dollop of poop faded into white chocolate, kicking up kirsch and spicy flecked purity and a jumpy but long finish. This will set you back $28 or so. Can't find out too much about this Julienas producer, Vincent Audras, of Clos de Haute Combe (any where from $18-$25), but I tooled around, seems like old, trad, gnarly vines on a lot of slate and granite, and.......I kept on coming back to an inkwell flavor that I adored. 2001 Chianti Riserva 2001 Terra D'Arcoiris from Paolo Bernardi, who told me this would need days to open. We only let it roll for three hours. But look at the impression it made. (for me? I was curious, had that pine forest smell of chianti, fresh with forest honey. Looking forward to spending more time with it. This is my friend Linda St. John (author, painter, designer, proprietor of D.L. Cerney on east 7th street, next to McSorley's. An original for sure, she also provides 30-50's vintage style for men and women as well as Bruce Springsteen's band and various Bway shows.