Edition 01.02
Merlot and Meg Ryan Autumn
A Letter from Maria
Hello everyone,
As temperatures settle a little lower and the full effects of Daylight Savings Time have kicked in, it finally feels like the most wonderful time of the year. Reflection and cozy vibes have been on my mind a lot, and as the year starts to come to a close, I find myself looking forward to moments of community and relaxation a little more.
While some may be starting to decorate with holly and bows, I’m starting to plan a Thanksgiving menu and get excited about turkey legs and crunchy leaves. In today’s society, it truly feels like there are two types of people, but I promise that this week’s wine and movie pairing will set you up for a cozy night in, regardless of your stance on eggnog. My Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T. is also focused on old favorites with a new spin, and don’t forget to stick around for The Last Sip that celebrates international grape varieties in a newer territory for fine wine.
As always, thank you for being here today! Take a look around, and let me know what you’re doing to embrace the hygge-ness of the season.
Wine News Roundup
The Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas has published their Five Year Strategic Plan for 2023-2027. The storied organization for beverage professionals will be focused on creating more opportunities for professional development and community building over the next five years and beyond. Read the press release here.
“This will be remembered as the harvest of the war.” Wine Spectator’s Kristen Bieler examines how the 2023 harvest in Israel, as well as Israeli-Palestinian relations between winery staff, has been impacted by the ongoing war. Read the Wine Spectator article here.
A new study examining the impact of interior design on wine tasting has released its results. Commissioned by Rioja giant Campo Viejo and executed by psychologist Lee Chambers, the study put 42 participants with a moderate amount of wine knowledge in three different drinking environments. The results? Context is still key! Read more from The Drinks Business here.
Wine Business Monthly has released their list of Wine Industry Leaders for 2023. From winemakers to wine influencers and just about everything in between, 46 people have been singled out as leaders in sustainability, consumer connection, education, research, winemaking, and the business of wine. Read more from Wine Business Monthly here.
The owners of the Napa Valley Wine Train are getting into the resort business. The proposed resort would consist of 52 rooms in several one- and two-story villas, a two-story estate house, and - you guessed it - two refurbished train cars, over 8.5 acres at Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena. Read more from the North Bay Business Journal here.
Have Hazy IPAs seen the last of their high demand? With Hazy IPAs saturating the market in recent years, many beer drinkers are steering away from the juicy heavyweights in favor of crisp lagers or more straightforward, bitter IPAs. To read more about the rise and fall of the hazy IPA, read more from VinePair here.
Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T.
Reading
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara is quickly gaining a reputation as the spiritual sequel to Danny Meyer’s Setting The Table. This has been my “purse book” for a while now, keeping me company in coffee shops and whenever I get to my blind tasting group early, and it’s been an inspiring read. Look for its cameo in Season Two of The Bear!
Eating
This will come as a surprise to absolutely nobody, but the Harvest Bowl from Sweetgreen currently has me dreaming of roasted sweet potatoes and wild rice with goat cheese and kale. I am trying to figure out a way to replicate that vinaigrette so I can eat a homemade Harvest Bowl as often as I crave it. Long live autumn flavors!
Playing
The Rolling Stones’ new album, Hackney Diamonds, is their first album of new original music since 2005, and their first album since the passing of drummer Charlie Watts in 2021. I am a Stones fan that happened to marry into a Beatles family, so to hear Paul McCartney with Mick Jagger on “Bite My Head Off” was a delightful surprise. This will be something I will happily own on vinyl, although I’ll probably play it after my husband plays Sergeant Pepper.
Obsessing
As the rest of the world has moved from Halloween directly to Christmas without passing Thanksgiving and collecting $200 in Monopoly money, I have decided to dig my heels deep into Meg Ryan Autumn by drinking a Manhattan every chance I get. My ideal Manhattan uses Bulleit rye and Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, but Anders Erickson has recently inspired me to try a Black Manhattan. Stay tuned for more.
Recommending
In light of the news that infamous wine counterfeiter Rudy Kurniawan is alive and well and making fake versions of baller bottles for billionaire parties, I went back to the documentary Sour Grapes (now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video). To paraphrase sommelier/winemaker Rajat Parr in the movie, to know wine is to taste wine, and this documentary is an engaging look at how “the Gen X Great Gatsby” used his finely tuned palate for personal profit.
Treating
Anti-PSL people need to make their way to Kaleidoscope Coffee in Point Richmond for a Briar Rose Latte ASAP. This seasonal latte is infused with rose and orange blossom with a good kick of cayenne pepper, resulting in a wonderfully aromatic cup of coffee. The cayenne truly makes itself known here, leaving a little spicy tingle with every sip, but it makes for a delightful sip while walking through the quaint downtown area or taking in a show at Masquers Playhouse next door.
Wine and Movie Pairing
As previously mentioned, I am fighting the urge to drink Peppermint Mochas every day by doubling down on all things cozy and fall-like. In the spirit of Meg Ryan Autumn (and maybe just a nod towards those who are indeed ready for the holidays to start), we have a feel-good wine and movie pairing that will appeal to both sides of the “what holiday comes first” debacle: Sleepless In Seattle x 2020 DeLille “D2” Bordeaux Blend.
Widely regarded as the film that made writer/director Nora Ephron a household name, Sleepless in Seattle is a romantic comedy that both pokes fun at the genre and sends a love letter to the great film romances of times past. Baltimore-based journalist Annie Reed makes the impulsive decision to meet Seattle-based widower Sam Baldwin at the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day after she hears his son, Jonah, call a radio show looking for a new mother. The script sparkles with wit, the 90’s fashion is oversized and warm, and the Affair To Remember references are plentiful.
In a 2018 interview with producer Gary Foster, actor Meg Ryan talked about Nora Ephron, saying, “She really did a movie like she did a dinner party. She directed like a writer… like somebody was secretly listening from The New Yorker and was gonna quote her. She’d always have these beautiful chocolate covered cherries to give you, and then you go, ‘Oh, I know what she’s talking about’.”
It only made sense to pair a movie largely based in Seattle with a Washington wine, specifically a hearty Washington red that was crafted to drink nicely both upon release and many years later. For me, the plush, velvety tannins and the ample ripe fruit in Washington Merlot are unequaled, and demand to be sipped and enjoyed in the coziest of environments.
Founded in 1992 (just a year before Sleepless In Seattle’s theatrical release), DeLille Cellars is now widely known for making high quality Bordeaux-style blends from some of Columbia Valley’s most prized vineyards. The first vintage for DeLille Cellars offered two wines: a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend known as Chaleur Estate, and a Right Bank-inspired Merlot-forward blend called “D2”. Both red blends received high critical accolades upon release, but it is D2 that has now emerged as the most sought-after label at DeLille Cellars.
I believe that Nora Ephron would be the first to find aromatic notes of chocolate covered cherries in this wine, as they are often found in American Merlot. The 2020 vintage of “D2” showcases abundant chocolate covered cherries and chocolate covered blueberries - two tasting notes that seem “M.F.E.O.” - as well as other ripe red fruits like red apple, pomegranate, and lush raspberries. Baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg make for warm supporting characters that provide structure (and maybe a scene-stealing sip or two).
The 2020 vintage of DeLille “D2” is sold out, but the 2021 vintage is now available on the producer’s website for $55 before tax and shipping. You can also look for it at your local wine store.
Sleepless In Seattle is currently available to stream on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu. You can purchase the 25th Anniversary Edition of the Blu-Ray for $25 here, or shop your local bookstore.
The Last Sip
Master of Wine Joshua Grainer has won the 2023 Quinta do Noval Award, given to the best research paper from a new MW. Grainer, who works as the managing director and winemaker for RdV Vineyards in Delaplane, Virginia, wrote 9,771 words about the future of Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, and Merlot plantings in Virginia. You can download and read the paper here.
That’s all for now. Until next week, cheers!
Maria Banson