Edition 01.05
CDP and Saltburn
A Letter from Maria
Hello everyone,
Have you recovered from all things turkey yet? How many of you are still enjoying leftover turkey soup, turkey tacos, and waffles made from leftover stuffing or sweet potatoes? It took a while for me to shake off the tryptophan, but it’s now full speed ahead for life on the restaurant floor and watching all the new movies.
The Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T. will talk about what I ate last week, and what I’m enjoying now to transition into “holiday season bites”. Be sure to stay through The Last Sip for a quick profile on a great new announcement for one of the wine world’s leading writers. And this week’s Wine and Movie Pairing deals with one of the most talked-about movies this season.
As always, thank you for being here today!
Wine News Roundup
The future of one of Jura's most sought-after estates is in jeopardy. Aaron Ayscough writes about the recent troubles at Domaine Ganevat, and gives ideas for a few potential outcomes for the estate. Read more from Not Drinking Poison here, and don’t forget to subscribe to their Substack!
Valle de Guadalupe has blown up as Mexico’s premiere wine region, but not without drawbacks. Cindy Carcamo has written a feature article in the Los Angeles Times examining the burden and the impact wine tourism has placed on local winemakers and the vines they tend. Read the article here (note that there’s a paywall in place).
A new recycling program for the California beverage industry will begin on January 1, 2024. One of the most pressing concerns in the wine world has been the use of glass, specifically heavy glass for bottles that can’t be easily recycled. The new regulations will govern recycling and labeling procedures for all California winemakers. Read more from The Crush here.
The Wine Data Researcher has summarized some major takeaways from last week’s Financial Wine Symposium. Held at the CIA Copia in Napa Valley, the Financial Wine Symposium encourages discussion and analysis regarding the correlation between the wine business and the global economy. Take a look at the highlights here.
Kimberlee Marinelli has been named the new Assistant Winemaker and Viticulturist at Opus One. Ms. Marinelli joins the mostly-female winemaking team at one of the most prestigious labels in Napa Valley after working at Opus One as an intern in 2021. Read the press release from Wine Business here.
Dorothy Tchelistcheff, the widow of California wine pioneer Andre Tchelistcheff, has passed away. Mrs. Tchelistcheff passed on Thanksgiving Day (November 23) at the age of 99, 26 years after the passing of her husband. Read her obituary, as published in Signature Wines, here.
Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T.
Reading
VinePair comes through again this week with this think piece on après ski culture on the verge of exploding in popularity in the United States.
Eating
Well, I hate to admit that like everyone else, I too will be eating Thanksgiving leftovers for a few more days. My favorite dishes of the year? A sourdough stuffing that will make you say, “I can’t believe it’s gluten free!” and a maple orange cranberry sauce that I have used as a side dish and a mimosa enhancer.
Playing
Finally! I can share the wonderful new Christmas album from Samara Joy that has been receiving a lot of play lately! After last year’s runaway success of “Warm in December”, Samara Joy fans have been clamoring for a holiday album. A Joyful Holiday gives a new spin on holiday classics, with Samara Joy using her warm and agile voice to its fullest extent. My favorite? A beautifully restrained take on “O Holy Night” that acknowledges Joy’s gospel roots and incorporates multiple generations of her own family.
Obsessing
Let’s be real, if you’re anywhere even remotely near wine-related topics on Instagram, Shitty Wine Memes is a regular part of your social media diet. This pin perfectly captures the subversive humor seen all over the meme page, and I want one in every color. Check out this pin and the rest of the online store here, and don’t forget to check out Shitty Wine Memes’ new Substack!
Recommending
Who doesn’t love a delectable chilled red? I’ve been very into aperitivo hour wines and snacks recently, and Freisa has been rising to the top of my list for easy breezy wines to start the evening. A naturally light-bodied grape coming from the same region as Barbera, Dolcetto, and the mighty Nebbiolo, this aged Freisa d’Alba from Tenuta Olim Bauda (from 2015, one of my favorite vintages for Piemontese wines) is complex, earthy, and grounded in dried herbs while remaining light and chuggable - the very definition of a “glou glou” wine.
Treating
This bruschetta made from sun-dried tomatoes is so packed with flavor that I would call it my indulgence of the week. Combined with sea salt crackers, red wine-based salami, and a semi-soft gouda? Heaven in a bite.
Wine and Movie Pairing
It is finally time to talk about one of the most hotly debated movies of the year... Let’s take a look at Saltburn x 2007 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Saltburn is the sophomore film for writer/director Emerald Fennell, whose debut movie - Promising Young Woman - earned her an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. This is usually about the time when I summarize the plot, but like her previous film, Saltburn is best experienced with as little information as possible. Imagine a cross between Brideshead Revisited and The Talented Mr. Ripley set in a Rowing Blazers commercial in the mid-2000’s and you’ve got a good idea for what to expect.
While the screenplay has been hotly debated by critics and audiences alike, there has been universal praise for the direction of the film, the expert cinematography by industry legend Linus Sandgren (American Hustle, La La Land, No Time to Die), and the performances of the ensemble cast. Barry Keoghan is engaging at every turn, vacillating between the world-weariness of a much older man and the child-like awe of a boy much younger than the student he depicts. Jacob Elordi shines here as well, once again using his charismatic screen presence to buoy an otherwise unlikeable protagonist. Rosamund Pike takes an uncharacteristically comedic turn here, as does Carey Mulligan (a favorite “lucky charm” actor for Fennell).
For the wine pairing here, I wanted to peek into the mind of a production designer. What is a likely bottle that would be served at a typical “dress for dinner” estate with a long standing reputation? The upper crust of English has long enjoyed serving Bordeaux, but I wanted to take a nod to the Catholic roots in the original Brideshead Revisited by taking a look at one of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s most legendary estates in a prime vintage: 2007 Château de Beaucastel.
The history behind Châteauneuf-du-Pape as a wine region is directly tied to that of the Catholic Church and French opulence from a bygone era. The soil is marked by a type of stone called “gobelet”, allowing for proper drainage and an appealing, iron-like mineral quality to the wines. Once you see the film, you’ll understand the role that stones play in the plot, but for now, I’ll be sipping this equally ripe and layered CDP at my next costume party (antlers not included). The wine is great on its own, or with a prime cut of beef dusted with Herbes de Provence.
The 2007 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape is available at your local wine store for approximately $139. Please call ahead or chat with your local wine store staff about this specific vintage, or another favorite CDP.
Saltburn is currently available in movie theaters nationwide. Stay tuned for news on a streaming release date and platform.
The Last Sip
Master of Wine Jeannie Cho Lee has replaced Master of Wine Jasper Morris as a Sotheby’s consultant for the annual Hospices de Beaune Charity Wine Auction, effective this year. Jasper Morris MW will be focusing on his full-time work with his website, titled the same as his award-winning book, Inside Burgundy. Jeannie Cho Lee MW became the first ethnic Asian Master of Wine in 2008, and has since made a career as a sought-after author, critic, and educator (amongst many other accomplishments). The 163rd edition of the Hospices de Beaune wine sale, held on November 19, raised €23.3m, the second highest total in the auction’s history. Read more about the staff change from Harper’s UK here.
That’s all for now. Until next week, cheers!
Maria Banson