Previously, the Cambridge Formaggio Kitchen wine department took care to identify the wines on its shelves that were made from organically or biodynamically farmed grapes and with no — or minimal — applications of sulfur. Remember those little ladybug icons? It was a reasonable step to take, since a significant subset of our clientele expresses a preference for wines made this way.

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Early neolithic jars from Jiahu Province, China c. 7000 – 6600 BCE. Credit: University of Pennsylvania Museum

There’s something out there called the Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory. It’s run by the University of Pennsylvania Museum and one of the things that keeps its inmates occupied is the examination of some of the oldest containers known for signs they once may have held alcoholic beverages. The idea is to determine when and where controlled fermentations were first induced and by whom. So far, the winners seem to be the Chinese for their chemically confirmed mash-up of of wild grapes, hawthorn, rice, and honey. This proto cocktail —  for such it seems to be — was either shaken or stirred sometime around 7000 B.C.E. (give or take a happy hour or two).

It’s interesting that the earliest fermented beverages weren’t solely made from wine grapes but from a promiscuous mix of anything with enough sugar to produce alcohol. Perhaps the idea was to spread a buffet for yeasts that would raise the prospects of a quick, complete fermentation. Perhaps our neolithic forebears craved variety. Maybe they just couldn’t make up their minds.

By the time writing arrives a few millennia later, we’ve made a decision: we prefer our drinks differentiated. Wine shall be one thing, beer shall be another. Spirits come along much later, of course, but when they do we treat them separately, too. By now, it’s a habit.

There are likely many reasons we determined that grapes were worth fermenting solo. One compelling factor: the very high sugar levels ripe grapes can achieve. Higher sugar levels translate into higher alcohols; higher alcohols help make a more stable (read: longer-keeping) beverage. In neolithic times, wine must have been an exceptionally fragile and transitory thing. In practice all wine eventually “goes off,” and we know that absent things like stoppered clay pots, tight barrels, and bottles with corks it goes off very quickly indeed.

Wine’s vulnerability to degrade is a clue that its making involves an interference with natural processes as much as a facilitation of them. This is because fermentation is just the first step in a more drawn-out project by which Nature intends to recycle fruit sugars not into wine, but into vinegar. From Her perspective, wine is just a stop along the way.

In one sense, the whole craft of winemaking can be seen as little more than a conscious interruption of this process – a self-serving attempt to trump Nature’s wishes and frustrate her purposes. Viewed this way, wine is merely a pause in an otherwise irresistible course of events — but one that from the beginning has engaged,  pleasured, and refreshed us.

We’ve learned how to extend the life of wine by keeping at bay the microbes known as acetobacters that rob it of its vitality, but there’s only ever been one sure way of guaranteeing that that lovely grand cru Burgundy never becomes something fit only to dress the salad …  and that is to drink it.

Stephen Meuse is a senior wine buyer at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge, and regularly talks wine on local PBS affiliate WGBH with America’s Test Kitchen Radio host Christopher Kimball.

The post Why Wine, Anyway? appeared first on Formaggio Kitchen.

I knew about the cave and had written something about it in 2012, so I was amazed when the opportunity came to visit it. I was even more thrilled to discover that our guide that day would be Professor Gasparyan himself.

To get an idea of the antiquity of the site, remember that in the fifth millennium BCE we are in the late neolithic era, still deep in pre-history, several thousand years from the invention of writing or of cities or of the kind of civilization that the discovery and development of agriculture would one day make possible.

In this period we can imagine that in some places at least, once-mobile bands of hunter-gatherers had settled down to practice a kind of proto-farming made possible in part by the development of pottery technology. Waterproof fired ceramic vessels meant grain could be safely stored from one harvest to the next and seed-stock preserved – but it also meant that fruit fermentation could be controlled and the resulting wine stored and even matured with later consumption in mind.  

Dr. Boris Gasparyan directed the excavation of the cave

The cave is not fully excavated (and will not be in our lifetimes for reasons I will explain later), but one of the first things that strikes the visitor to the site is its small size. This was clearly not a facility built with a view to making significant volumes of wine (see photo below). As Dr. G explained to our rather horrified group, the so-called winery was actually a site for the performance of fertility rituals aimed at ensuring that the cycle of agricultural activity (growth, ripening, harvest) would be repeated for another year.

Horrifying because analysis of the pottery vats reveal that children were sacrificed here, their blood added to the pots of fermenting juice, which was then consumed by the community – or perhaps segments of it. Long, hollow reeds found at the bottom of several vats indicate that the new wine would have been sucked out soda fountain fashion via straws, perhaps while it was still fermenting– in other words, while it was still alive with CO2 gas. Sparkling wine, it seems, did not have to wait for the widow Clicquot.

Pottery vessels at the winery contained traces of wine and human remains.
The strings mark off one square meter of area.

As for the children, an analysis of their remains indicates that they were prepared for their deaths by being fed a special diet – an element with echoes in European fairy tale narratives that speak of witches fattening kidnapped children before baking them in an oven. In one, asked to present his finger as a way for the blind witch to determine whether he was fat enough to cook, a boy offered instead a chicken bone – a clever trick that bought him enough time to eventually make his escape.

There’s very likely much more to be discovered in the cave, but by virtue of an international convention among archaeologists, 30% of the site must be left unexplored. The idea is that since the technology for conducting these excavations is advancing at a rapid rate, it’s a better idea to leave some areas in virgin condition for a future generation of scientists to apply themselves to, and perhaps uncover fresh horrors.

Stephen Meuse is a senior wine buyer at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge, and regularly talks wine on local PBS affiliate WGBH with America’s Test Kitchen Radio host Christopher Kimball.

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Vincent Van Gogh believed that most of his 800 or so paintings were failures (an assessment shared by most of the art world at the time). Today, even “minor” Van Gogh pieces are prized by museums and collectors. Novelist Pearl S. Buck once remarked that “some of the biggest failures I ever had were successes.” If your ambition is something close to perfection, even your relative failures can be very good when considered on their own terms.

This notion occurred to me recently, when Jean-Francois Bourdy, the 15th-generation winemaker at the historic estate Caves Jean Bourdy, visited the shop. The Bourdy estate is in the Jura, the section of eastern France wedged between Burgundy and Switzerland, in the foothills of the Alps. Jean-Francois was good-humored and charmingly rumpled, with a wild shock of graying hair and a curled mustache. He confessed that he is more at home on a tractor than in a suit going to sales meetings. We tasted through Bourdy’s soft, impeccably made red, white, and sparkling wines, and then his vin jaune, the Jura’s signature strong yellow wine made from the indigenous Savagnin grape.

Vin Jaune

To make vin jaune, late-picked Savagnin is fermented slowly, and the resulting wine is poured into 60-gallon wood casks. Nearly all modern white wines are regularly “topped up” in barrel to avoid contact with oxygen, which would destroy its fresh fruit flavors and eventually turn it to vinegar; but no such topping up is done in the production of vin jaune. Instead, as the wine evaporates and oxygen fills the growing head space at the top of the barrel, something magical occurs: a thin veil (or voile) of yeast spontaneously blooms on the exposed surface of the wine, partially protecting it from oxidation. The wine is aged sous voile for an astonishing six years and three months, and the end result is an intense, concentrated golden wine redolent of salted nuts, dry caramel, sometimes even curry. It is one of the wine world’s true originals.

Not all barrels of Savagnin that set out to become vin jaune succeed. The microbial voile is a delicate thing, and sometimes it simply disappears three or four years into the aging process. Winemakers must carefully monitor their barrels, and if the voile dies, they must quickly bottle the wine before it spoils. But what to do with this not-quite-vin jaune? Many Jura winemakers sell it as simply “Cotes du Jura Savagnin,” usually blended with conventionally made (i.e., non-oxidized) Savagnin wine. They are often cagey about their use of wine that failed to make it to vin jaune status, sometimes insisting that the oxidative note in their Savagnin is just a flavor characteristic of the grape.

When Jean-Francois Bourdy poured us his Jura Savagnin, I made a comment about “failed vin jaune,” and to my surprise he agreed without apology that that’s essentially what his Savagnin is. “For a delicate yeast layer to last for over six years, and for the wine to not spoil in that time, is nearly unthinkable,” he said, and only the Savagnin grape has been shown to be capable of doing it. “So yes, if it only lasts for three or four years, it is in some respect a failure, but it is still a remarkable thing.” The proof was in the glass of Savagnin in my hand: it wasn’t vin jaune, but it was awfully delicious, full of character and backbone. It was just the thing, I thought, for a medium-aged version of Comté, the Jura’s signature cheese.

Comté

Appropriately enough, something similar occurs in the development of Comté. We at Formaggio Kitchen have special fondness for Comté, especially those by master affineur Marcel Petit. Unlike most of our cheeses, which we sell at one or perhaps two stages in their develpment, we carry as many as seven different ages of Comte, each distinct from its shelfmates.

At Fromageries Marcel Petit, the cellar masters, led by the chef de cave, constantly monitor each wheel’s development. Some wheels will be sold as young as 7 or 8 months of age, when they have direct fruity flavors and a pliable texture; at this stage, Comté is one of the world’s great melting cheeses, perfectly suited for fondue or baked pasta. Other wheels will be judged suitable for cellaring for another year or two, and a select few will make it to 36 months or even a bit longer.

As Comté ages, it gains complexity, and its flavor profile shifts from fruity to savory. Instead of pears and grass, you will begin to taste onions, beef broth, and perhaps toasted hazelnuts. The texture also changes, from fudgy and pliable to hard and studded with crunchy protein crystals. Well-aged Comte is generally considered the most desirable and commands the highest price in the marketplace, but Petit’s cellar masters would bristle at the suggestion that the wheels sold young or in middle age are failures. Rather, they view each wheel in isolation; some are at their best young, while others are best with age. Like Van Gogh’s paintings, each has its own merits and charms, and even the youngest are excellent examples of the cheesemaker’s art.

Pairing the Jura’s Cheese and Wine

To pair Comté with Jura wines, follow the general rule of youngest to oldest with both:

• Sweet, fruity young Comtés, like Petit’s Trois Sapins, Melodie, and Les Granges, are best paired with wines on the same end of the flavor spectrum. The Jura’s willowy, fruity reds will do nicely, like Bénédicte and Stéphane Tissot’s unsulfured cuvée of Pinot Noir, Poulsard, and Trousseau. 2014 Tissot “DD” rouge, $24.95 (available in our Cambridge and South End locations)

• As Comté ages and becomes more savory in character — Le Fort and Fort St. Antoine are aged between one and two years — so should your choice of wine; this is where Jean Bourdy’s rich, faintly saline Savagnin shines. 2009 Caves Jean Bourdy Côtes du Jura Savagnin, $29.95 (available in our Cambridge location, and in the South End with 24 hours’ notice)

• Petit’s Grand Cru and Extra Grand Cru are aged for three years or longer, developing strong flavors of cocoa, caramelized onion, burnt sugar, and roasted nuts. They are a natural companion to powerful, nutty vin jaune, like Domaine de Tournelles’ version. 2007 Domaine de Tournelles Vin Jaune, $86.95 (available in our Cambridge and South End locations)

Mike Healan is a wine buyer and cheesemonger at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge.

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In any boutique wine shop, including the Formaggio Wine Corner, our shop-within-a-shop, you will frequently hear the sales staff speak of “family-owned” vineyards. While this term serves most obviously as a counterpoint to “corporate” viticulture and industrial-scale wine making, the implication is also one of tradition, continuity, and the repeated transmission of know-how from one generation to the next. That’s not always the case, though, nor should it be. As important as tradition is to wine culture as a whole, the introduction of new blood and new energy is equally critical. This, too, can take the form of family.

Gabriele Buondonno and Valeria Sodano (above) were city dwellers. They grew up in the gritty metropolis of Naples, and neither of their families owned any land, vineyards or otherwise. Both nursed pastoral dreams, though: they met and fell in love while in agronomy school. In 1988, the couple found the ideal farm — a wooded 20 hectare hilltop plot in the heart of Chianti, called “Casavecchia alla Piazza,” that had once belonged to Lionardo Buonarotti, nephew of the famed artist Michelangelo. By this time, Gabriele and Valeria were married with three young children, and they were living a comfortable city life. Nevertheless, the pull of the country was irresistible; they packed up their kids and belongings, abandoned Naples for Tuscany, and have been there ever since.

Casavecchia alla Piazza is a family farm in both senses. It is a farm, with olive groves and pasture covering 12 of the 20 hectares. It is also very much a family operation. If you visited the farm early on, you would have encountered a basketball hoop next to the winery, and you might have tripped over skateboards and bikes on your way to the front door. Gabriele leads the charge in the fields and the winery, but everyone lends a hand, and the couple’s eldest daughter has recently begun working in an official capacity.

The family may not have a historical connection to this land, but their respect for the soil and the area’s traditions are strong. They have farmed organically from the start, and their wines adhere stylistically to the traditional Chianti template. This may be family farming at its newest, but it’s also family farming at its best.

2014 Rosso Toscana IGT – Made from the family’s youngest Sangiovese vines, this Rosso sees a brief maceration and a scant 6 months’ aging in older oak barrels to preserve its bouncy fruit flavors. Fresh and floral, with soft, barely noticeable tannins. We like it with pizza, lasagna, or mid-week leftovers.

Mike Healan is a wine buyer and cheesemonger at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge.

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90-year-old Grenache Vines

The vine that produces wine grapes is native to only one place on earth—the Caucasus mountain range, an area that today is comprised of parts of Georgia, Armenia, and eastern Turkey. Without exception, all the varieties of vitis vinifera (the true wine vine’s botanical name) we know today are descended from these original vines.

Some very few of these varieties are well-known the world over, but there are hundreds you would never​ ​encounter​ ​unless you went and paid them a visit in their native habitats. Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary, for example, have rich patrimonies of hyper local grapes—many we’ve never heard of and some ampelographers (experts in the study and classification of cultivated varieties of grape) have yet to document.

What about the world travelers we call international varietals? Their names are familiar to almost everyone no matter how casual a drinker. Any short list would have to include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and at this point maybe Tempranillo, Sangiovese, and Nebbiolo as well.

These grapes​ ​all came of age in Europe but are now planted far afield, in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and of course the United States.

Sauvignon Blanc Grapes

There are lots of ways one variety gets uprooted and transported far from home. Probably the greatest grape immigration in history occurred when Europeans colonized the New World. One of the very first things these intrepid interlopers did everywhere they landed was plant vines. Of course they would have done this with vinestock brought from the Old World for the purpose.

Wars and the migration of various ethnic groups have played roles, too. Then, in the 20th century, a tribe of peripatetic consulting enologists (so-called flying winemakers) brought both vine material and skills from their home vineyards wherever they went. Enology (also oenology) refers to the science and study of all aspects of wine and winemaking except vine-growing and grape-harvesting, which form a subfield called viticulture.

What makes it possible for a grape to make the leap from local hero to international celeb? Well, a vine has to show itself to be hardy and adaptive. If it can only make a successful wine on its native ground, it’s not likely to be a smashing hit in new territories.

Also, to build a global reputation, a grape has to be capable of making wine with which mass-market consumers can connect. Malbec is a fine example of this. It’s a relatively obscure red grape from southwestern France that became a star in its own right in Argentina, where the conditions were right for it to make an unusually ripe, cushy wine with soft, sweet tannins.

Today, an allegiance to either international or indigenous varietals divides the wine world, with consumers of well-known commercial brands preferring the former and nests of geekier types devoted to the stay-at-homes​ ​and hoping they stay that way.​​ Count me among the latte​r.

Stephen Meuse is a senior wine buyer at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge.

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A wide range of rose wine hues from Bergerac, The Rheingau, Irouleguy, The Loire Valley, and Liguria.

Pink wine: we’re crazy about it. Whether it’s a French “rosé,” an Italian “rosato,” or a Spanish “rosado,” we can’t get enough pink wine! Did you ever wonder, while sipping your frosty glass of rosé on the roof deck, why it’s pink? What makes rosé different from a white wine or a red wine? Here’s a simple three-point explanation you can use to impress your rosé -loving friends.

1. Almost all wine grapes have white juice, even the red ones.

The grapes that do have red juice are few and rare, like Alicante Bouschet and Grand Noir de la Calmette. Ignoring those for the moment, when we press grapes to make wine, the juice is always white to start. It’s the grape skins that contain pigments and tannins (the thing that makes your mouth feel dry), as well as other flavor compounds.

2. The longer the juice sits on the grape skins, the more color and flavors it will extract.

To make a rosé , a winemaker will allow the grapes’ skins to sit in the juice for a short period of time, where they release just enough color to make the resulting wine turn pink, as in a salmon-colored Beaujolais rosé made from Gamay grapes. Macerate/steep the same grapes’ juice and skins longer, and the winemaker can make a red Beaujolais. Some rosés are macerated for as little as 8 hours, some for a few days. Darker grapes and longer maceration times will make darker rosés.

3. Some rosés are made to drink young, but many age well.

There’s nothing like a glass of crisp, light Gobelsburger or Commanderie Peyrossal rosé on the first warm day of spring. There is also nothing like a glass of dark Bisson Ciliegiolo rosato with a plate of grilled mushrooms on a snowy day in January. Plus, those wonderful Bandol rosés from Provence just keep getting better and better, we like to save them at least a year before partaking (Think Chateau Pibarnon or Domaine Tempier)

In conclusion, within the spectrum of shades of pink wines, there are just as many flavor profiles as there are colors. When you taste a rosé you really enjoy, think about why you like it. Is it fruity? Minerally? Tart or juicy? Where is it from and how dark is it? With a few of these qualities in mind, we can direct you to other cool rosés you may not have tried before. Also let us know what you’re planning on eating with the wine. We have favorites for different foods, whether it be Sancerre rose and salmon, or Loire Valley Touraine Rose with fresh, young goat’s milk cheese. Spend your summer drinking rosés, but don’t forget to save a few for those dark days of winter, when you’re wishing it was a sweltering summer day.

Julie Cappelanno is the General Manager and Wine Buyer at Formaggio South End.

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Richard Kzirian of Violette Wine Cellars

Violette Wine Cellars is the importer, distributor, and retailer for natural and biodynamic wine where Richard Kzirian, long time friend of Ihsan and Valerie Gurdal, has challenged the wine scene for decades. Valerie reached out to chat with the wine pioneer himself about the industry and his perspective on how it has evolved in the last few decades.

Ihsan and I have known Richard Kzirian for over 30 years since he first opened Violette Wine Cellars, then on Mass Ave. We used to go into his stores and order a mixed case of wine – we would tell him if we were having a big party or a lamb dinner for two and Richard would pull together some wine for us. We grew to trust his choices as he learned what we liked and didn’t like in a bottle of wine. So when the South End location first opened and we received our first wine and beer license, I naturally looked to Richard for guidance. His palate and patience in educating are immeasurable and I will always be grateful for his support and have the utmost respect for him. I look forward to all of Richard’s new finds and can’t wait to see where he and Violette will be taking us in the future. Hope you all join me for the ride. -Valerie

Valerie: Obviously most people know you as a wine importer and merchant, but why don’t you tell us how you got started in the food business.

Richard: I was studying engineering, going to school, and working in restaurants. Soon food took over everything. So I decided to go to Madeline Kamman’s cooking school in Newton.

Valerie: What year was that?

Richard: It was in the late 70’s. Madeline was hard nose, old school. I applied for a job at her restaurant (she had a restaurant next to the school) where everyone who got a job had to start at the bottom washing dishes, peeling potatoes, opening oysters, and learning knife skills – even though I just graduated from her school. I got the Garde Manger position and then after about a year, her Sommelier gave notice, and Madeline asked me to take over. I said, “Madeline, I don’t know anything about wine.” She said, “meet me here Monday morning to go over the wine list.” Back then there were only two fine wine vendors: Classic and Branded Wines. She told me what she was looking for in a Pouilly-Fuissé, Sancerre, a Burgundy, and even an Italian Barolo. I got the bug and started educating myself, and what you see today is that whole process of all I’ve been learning.

I went on to cook at Maxwell Plums in San Francisco so I could be close to wine country and keep meeting people, tasting and learning. Madeline then opened a school in Annecy, France, and offered me a teaching job. I would go to the markets and do all the shopping there. We served only wines from the Savoie: the sparkling Ayse and Mondeuse.

Valerie: When did you start Violette?

Richard: 1984. I brought in Ravenswood Winery and Sky Vineyards. Business was booming.

Valerie: How did you get started in organics and biodynamics? In my book, you were the one who really introduced organic and biodynamic wines to the Boston area…

Richard: I had been in business for about 15 years at that time, and for about three years I kept getting these invitations to go to a show in Southwest France called Millésime Bio, and it struck my interest so I decided to go. I was tasting organic wines for the first time, and it clearly tasted different to me. I kept going back to this one producer Allain Guillot – I still carry his wine to this day. At that time, I wasn’t carrying Ravenswood anymore and had a small portfolio. I welcomed this new challenge of selling these organic and bio-dynamic wines I knew nothing about, but found so exciting.

Valerie: Did you encounter any resistance when you first brought in your organic and biodynamic wines?

Richard: I lost retail customers as fast as can be. Nobody gave a shit – they thought the prices were to high, and as we no longer had Ravenswood, they basically walked away from us. Formaggio Kitchen South End and Cambridge were some of the only retail customers I had.

Valerie: Now there are so many “natural wine” distributors out there! Has this affected your own shift toward going natural?

Richard: I avoid saying that I’m going all natural. It’s not printed on our list, it’s just a shift I’m doing. I’m shifting because that is what my palate is telling me. I keep adding and subtracting producers. Some smaller growers have so little wine that they don’t even want to sell to me, but I convince them I’m happy with the amount they can sell me and I don’t need a lot. To sell these wines it takes a lot of hard work, and you need to educate. It takes a buyer to taste and understand.

Valerie: Another first I credit you with is quality box wine. What made you take a chance on box wine 15 years ago?

Richard: When we went to a grower, it was clear that he had a box wine in his cellar that he served us at lunch. It can’t be classified as a Côtes du Rhône because it has other grapes in it – alicante and all these other grapes in it. It was so delicious that I said I wanted to bring some in.

Valerie: Where do you think the world of wine is going?

Richard: In Europe, I only see a strong, strong, strong movement towards the natural wines. In the United States, I see New York. San Francisco, and Los Angeles as power centers, with some movement in Chicago and Boston. There are so many good wines in the restaurants in New York, and here. Restaurants I think have fearless wine lists include Sycamore, Tapestry, Craigie on Main, the Formaggio Kitchen retail locations, and Forage.

Valerie: What’s next for you?

Richard: I’ve been looking at some dessert wines from Pantelleria and some for Southwest France and Sauterne, not because anyone has asked for this, but because I tried them and was blown away. I thought, “what the hell are you doing here and why doesn’t the whole world know?!” At this point of my career, I don’t need another Chianti. I need the inspiration from the work.

Valerie Gurdal is the owner of Formaggio Kitchen South End in Boston, MA.

This post is part of our Friends and Family Interview Series. Read our last interview with Matt Jennings and stay tuned for the next one!

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Over the summer, Chris Kimball and Stephen Meuse recorded their final radio spots for America’s Test Kitchen, in which they discussed wine. Starting soon, they can be heard under Kimball’s new brand, Milk Street Kitchen.

The very last spot recorded featured a pop quiz on wine facts that Stephen sprung on Chris to see how much he learned in the last five years. Stephen reports that Chris did a creditable job on it. There were a few answers on which the two disagreed.

You might well do better.

For each question, choose which response is most correct: true, false, mostly true, or mostly false. You’ll get full credit for a correctly answered true or false – whether with the qualifier ‘mostly’ or not.

How many questions did you answer correctly? Do you disagree with any of our answers? Let us know in the comments – we’d love to hear from you! Also be sure to subscribe to Stephen’s wine emails – through these you’ll learn about specific winemakers and learn which bottles we’ll be sampling in the shop.

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We’ve described it as natural, happy, delicious and (yes) perfect. Why? Because in the 2015 vintage this hits all the pleasure points: bright, juicy fruit, just-right acidity, plush tannins and a scoop or two of that lovely Beaujolais earth.

The source of the fruit is Domaine du Tracot, in the Dubost family since 1902, situated in the heart of the region 10km south of Mâcon. Yields from the 40+ year-old Gamay vines were a scant 36 hectoliters per hectare in ’15 – well below the permitted 52 hl/h. Production is a very modest 3000 cases annually. The farming follows biodynamic principles, fermentations are effected with native yeast populations only, and, with the exception of a tiny squirt of SO₂ at bottling to keep everything steady, no additives of any kind are resorted to.

The Dubost family makes fancier wine from its holdings in the cru villages of Brouilly, Morgon, Fleurie, and Moulin à Vent — and they are very good indeed — but in a recent tasting of the portfolio it was this entry-level charmer that took our breath away.

We’re reminded daily that we live in an imperfect world. But that doesn’t mean that just occasionally one perfect little thing can’t come our way. This is one of them.

2015 Jean-Paul Dubost “Tracot” Beaujolais Villages, $17.95.  

Available at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge, or for pick-up at Formaggio Kitchen South End with one day’s notice.

– Stephen Meuse, Wine Buyer at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge 

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Headed for the Cape, Islands, mountains or beach house this weekend? We’ve got just the thing to bring along: a Wine Weekender “suitcase” from Formaggio Kitchen. This sturdy, lightweight, reusable and recyclable tote packs three bottles of wine from our renowned value shelves. Your pre-packed suitcase comes with either three dry, crisp white wines or three lively, summer-weight reds.

Whatever your destination — even if its just your own backyard — you’ll show up bearing delicious, food-friendly, seasonally-appropriate and conscientiously-made wines. Even the price is distinctly welcoming: just $39.95 for the three – 10% less than if purchased individually.

Wine Weekenders

A Wine Weekender suitcase (or two) makes the perfect hostess gift, and we remove all price labels so you don’t have to give that a thought. Grab & Go just went a step further. Now it’s Grab & Go & Give. Don’t leave for the weekend without one.

Formaggio Wine Weekender “Crisp, Cool Whites” 3 wine Suitcase – $39.95
Formaggio Wine Weekender “Summer-weight Reds” 3 wine Suitcase – $39.95

Wine Weekender

Wine Weekenders are available at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge and at Formaggio Kitchen South End with one day’s notice.

Don’t forget to visit us in Wine Corner every Thursday and Friday!

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Judging from the questions I field every day in the wine corner here at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge, food and wine pairing continues to be a major cause of uncertainty and, frankly, anxiety.

My sense is that a significant part of the problem is a too-fussy approach to the topic in general. Your home is not a restaurant. While it’s sensible to try to make the best choices you can, attempting to accomplish what a sommelier and a chef can do with their generous resources will likely be an exercise in frustration. Also, it’s worth remembering that in those places where wine is made, people get by just fine by matching what’s available from local vineyards with whatever’s on the table.

All of  this is relevant when it’s time to choose wine to pair with seafood. To get started, let’s review the basic techniques professionals use to make successful food and wine pairings. There are really only three approaches, and they’re easy to remember. I use my own made-up terms to describe them.

1. Blood Relations. This is shorthand for the “if they grow together, they go together” technique. This just means that if you’re serving a dish that has a strong regional identity, pair it with a wine that comes from that same region.

2. Old Friends. This covers those pairings that share no regional connection but enjoy a relationship long hallowed by tradition. Example:  Chablis and oysters.

3. Happy Hook-ups. No blood relationship or long-established friendship here—instead, some fortuitous discovery has brought the two together. You might have encountered the pairing at a restaurant, uncovered it for yourself, or received the recommendation from a friend. Somehow, it just clicks.

Four of Stephen’s Favorite Wines for Seafood

Let’s start with the first, the “if they grow together, they go together” category. Here are three wines that are all made in vineyards that edge the North Atlantic and have grown up together with the cuisines of those coastal communities.

• Vinho Verde. From Portugal, mostly from vineyards on its Atlantic coast. Light and superfresh, with lots of lively acidity and, often, a bit of spritz. Alcohol content rather low. Its classic pairing is with grilled sardines. You’ll love it with any sort of oily fish: sardines, mackerel, bluefish.  Our current fave: Nortico Alvarinho ($14.95).

• Vermentino. Also known as Favorita or Pigato, the grape is most widely planted along the coastal rim formed by Tuscany, Liguria, Corsica and Sardinia and is consumed in hundreds of cafes and fish shacks through the area. Enjoy with whole grilled branzino.   Think Bruna Pigato, $18.95.

• Muscadet. The vineyards of this French region lie in the area where the Loire empties into the North Atlantic. The style is light, dry, and tangy; many people detect a whiff of salty air in the glass. Pair with soft-shell crab and Ipswich clams —the small, tender mollusks New Englanders know as “steamers.” Try 2015 Domaines Landron “Amphibolite” Muscadet de Sevre et Maine, $18.95.

Now for a couple of examples of wine and food pairings from category two, those that don’t owe their connection to growing up side by side but enjoy a long-standing relationship.

• Chablis. The Chablis region isn’t near any ocean, but there’s a long tradition of pairing its cool, racy whites with oysters. If we’re roasting a perfect piece of dry-fleshed white fish, such as halibut, haddock, or sole, this is likely what I’m reaching for. Head straight for the 2015 Domaine Gueguen Chablis, $21.95.

• Champagne. The Champagne region isn’t far from Chablis, and it shares a similar soil type (the decomposed shells of sea creatures). Expect the same cool, racy character you find in Chablis—but with an extra kick that comes from those streaming columns of creamy bubbles. Swordfish, skate wing, and grilled Gulf shrimp are splendid pairings.  Our top pick for value in this category is the Laherte Frères Brut Tradition, $44.95.

Finally, an example of a pairing that qualifies as neither a blood relation nor a “grows together, goes together,” nor, as far as I know, something of long-standing tradition.

Traditional German Riesling. The trace of sweetness that comes from leaving a bit of sugar unfermented in the bottle is what makes riesling from Germany so distinctive. Although the trend today seems to be toward a drier style, it’s the more traditional style in view here. The happy hook-up is with Maine lobster in any form: boiled, roasted, grilled, lobster salad in a top-loading hot dog bun—even bisque. It’s not my sense that there’s any history between these two, and I stumbled on the pairing a bit accidentally, but it’s pitch-perfect. Traditional German riesling is also splendid with succulent sweet-fleshed seafood such as crab, scallops, and monkfish.  Reach for the Weiser-Künstler Mosel Estate Riesling, $25.95. 

There are many more delightful matches to be made in all three categories, of course. We haven’t even mentioned Sauvignon Blanc, Fino Sherry, the brisk Basque oddity Txakolina (we love 2015 Doniene Gorrondona Bizkaiko Txakolina, $19.95), and crisp, woolly Chenin Blanc—all wonderful with seafood in their own right and rewarding to explore.

Stephen Meuse is senior wine buyer at Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge. Reach him at stephen@formaggiocambridge.com

The post A Brine Time was had by All: Choosing the Right Wine for Seafood appeared first on Formaggio Kitchen.

2015 Domaine Thillardon Chenas, 2016 Domaine Dupeuble Beaujolais

You don’t have to know a lot about wine to enjoy it, but misconceptions can get in the way of widening our experience. Some I regularly encounter: that German white wines are always sweet, that Burgundy can be made in California, that sherry is something only maiden aunts and Oxford dons should be seen drinking.  When we pour Beaujolais, folks often reveal that they know it appears in November, that it’s cheap, and that it tastes like Welch’s grape juice with a banana thrown in.

For many, Beaujolais begins and ends with Beaujolais Nouveau — or, even more narrowly, with the mass-produced, additive-laden, highly manipulated version of it. Now, there is some proper, naturally-made artisan nouveau out there (more on this later), but the holidays are a grand time to get acquainted with Beaujolais’ more serious side, and for a very good reason: It’s hard to think of a wine region that packs more sheer deliciousness into a bottle.  You won’t encounter oak influence, high alcohol, or raspy tannins.  These wines are never challenging. 

A Primer on Beaujolais

The Beaujolais lies in the east of France, just south of Burgundy.  Reds have been made here since the Middle Ages with a single grape variety – Gamay. They earned a reputation as the café wines par excellence of the gastronomically-gifted city of Lyons. It owes something to proximity of course, but I imagine that the Lyonnais would have searched out something this sympatico no matter where it was hiding.

The region hosts 13 appellations. This sounds more complicated than it is, since their are really only three categories to account for.  These are, first, basic versions can be sourced from any vineyard or combination of vineyards within the designated wine growing areas.  Next are 10 communes (townships) with a historic claim to producing the region’s finest wines, or crus (pronounced ‘crew,’ silent s).  Wine made from fruit sourced exclusively from one of these designated sub-regions may position the village name prominently on the label. Blends making use of fruit from more than one of these elite sub-regions may labeled Beaujolais-Villages. A final category, the aforementioned Beaujolais Nouveau, is wine released late in November of the harvest year.

So… No Nouveau?

So, what about Nouveau – the “fresh-squeezed” Beaujolais?  Industrialized versions so damaged its reputation that it is hard to imagine how delightful it is when made the old-fashioned way. The recipe for real-deal Nouveau isn’t complicated: quality fruit, no added sugar to boost alcohols, spontaneous fermentation that begins enzymatically inside the grape and finishes naturally with ambient yeasts. Put more simply, it’s the Beaujolais and nothing but.

Beaujolais is welcome year-round at our table, and you certainly don’t need a special occasion to pour some.  But we do especially prize them at the holidays when their light-to-medium body, pretty fruit, and appetizing freshness makes them both serviceable and delicious.

You may not be spending the holidays in Lyons, but its favorite wine can add some sparkle to your festive seasonal table wherever you set it.

2015 Damien Coquelet Chiroubles, 2015 Julien Sunier Morgon, and 2015 Antoine Sunier Regnie

Our Beaujolais Picks

On our shelves now:*

2016 Domaine Dupeuble Beaujolais, $17.95 – Mouth-filling, juicy, flavorful

2015 Damien Coquelet Chiroubles, $24.95 – Dark fruit; earthy, structured

2015 David-Beaupere Julienas, $27.95 – Brisk, lightish and high-toned

2015 Antoine Sunier Regnie, $27.95 – Warm, savory, nubby texture

2015 Domaine Thillardon Chenas, $29.95 – Fresh and firm; lots of zip

2015 Julien Sunier Morgon, $32.95 – Deep, dark earthy fruit; luxe feel

2017 Laurence & Remi Dufaitre Beaujolais Villages Nouveau (*arrives Thursday, November 16), $18.95

The post Why We Love Beaujolais for the Holidays and You Should, Too appeared first on Formaggio Kitchen.