Savant Wines Notebook

Mojo as good as the juice - Saarloos and Sons

I really dig the snappy videos on this site - in particular The Moment Fruit Becomes Wine from the farmers-turned-uber-cool Saarloos and Sons in Los Olivos (click on the video at the bottom that looks like the lid of a red paint can.)  It runs through the process of draining a tank, digging out a tank and pressing the skins.

The wines are juicy but please make note - their mojo is as good as the juice.  Check out the Sermons.  You are preaching to the choir, my friend!  My favorites:

#2) "No tasting notes.  We don't tell YOU what YOU taste."

#8) "If you are snobby we will kick you out of the house. A snob is defined as: Someone who uses their level of experience or knowledge to make someone new feel inferior or uncomfortable."

Saarloos and Sons tasting room is a restored craftsman house on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Olivos - just 1.5 hours from Los Angeles - make the trip, you'll dig it too.  Thanks Pamela at Senorita Vino!

I want to import wine into the US

You cannot "just" ship wine into the US from abroad.  It has to be brought into the country via an importer.  There are lots of costs and much paperwork involved.  One of the biggest issues with shipping logistics - is how to bring in a small quantity at an affordable cost.

The standard way product is shipped into the US is via a container, which comes over on a cargo ship.  A standard container holds 1120 cases (20 pallets) which is typically way too much wine for your average person just getting started in the wine importation business, or for personal use (even when you include orders for your entire extended family!)  Thus a person in this situation has to look for a shipping consolidator to co-load their product with someone else.  This can cause many delays, more expenses and other issues.  Plus, you still need an importer of record.  You may be unwilling or unable to go through the licensing requirements and costs to become an importer.

Enter - Adventures in Wine.  They are an importer and distributor based in California.  A few years ago I became aware of a side business they were conducting - allowing other people (even consumers) to use their import license to bring wine into the country.  This opens up a world of possibilities for the average consumer or small business person just getting started in the wine importation business.

This service can be very useful to:

• Individuals - this allows you to import wine for yourself from small producers that do not import to the US.  Did you find the most fantastic wine on your trip last year to Southern France?  Many producers have exclusive import agreements with a chosen importer in the US - so those producers would be off limits, but many do not. 
• Individuals - who have a cousin back in Baden, an uncle in Sicily, or an aunt in Provence (making the most amazing wine of course!)  Now you have a way to get this wine into the country for personal consumption and/or for samples to use as sales tools to get try to get distribution in the US. 
• Want to try out importing? - This can be a way you can get a small amount of product into the country so you can get your wine importation business started on a shoe string.  (Caveat: I am not a lawyer and this is not business advice.  I recommend you consult with a lawyer before signing any business contracts.)

Adventures in Wine website here you can find their importation policies and pricing.

There are notable expenses not included here - such as the cost to get the product from the winery to the shipping dock in the EU, and the cost to get the product from the landing dock/importer's warehouse to you, in the US.  FYI: Wine in the EU is typically sold "ex-cellar", meaning you pay all costs once the wine leaves the cellar door.  At the wholesale level, wine in the US is typically sold "FOB" (freight on board) this means the buyer pays all costs from the point of origin (ie: importer's warehouse.)  So the costs listed in the agreement above are not all inclusive, they are ex-cellar and FOB.  You need to add these to the importation cost to come up with the final figure.  You will want to factor in all costs before you make a decision.

Happy importing!

Zytglogge, Bern Switzerland

Made it to Bern, Switzerland! Tomorrow Alps and then on to the BIVB in Burgundy.

 

Food & Wine Pairing with Bordeaux Wines

Dry white Bordeaux is made primarily from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.  It typically has medium to medium-high acidity and fresh fruit flavors of green apples and limes with grassy tones.  Dishes that work well with it are:

• White fish with fresh herbs
• Lightly sautéed chicken breast - tarragon works nicely 
• Acidity and grassy notes work great with goat cheese

Red Bordeaux is primarily a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.  Flavors typically include red and black cherry, plum, cassis, pencil, cedar.  The wines from Bordeaux AOC are typically fruitier and have a high percentage of Merlot - they are simpler wines that do best with a simple dish. 

• Savory, meaty, onion soup with crouton and melted gruyere cheese
  (ie: French Onion Soup)
• A big, fat, juicy burger (but no BBQ sauce - too sweet) 

Reds from the right bank of Bordeaux from the village of Saint-Emilion and it's satellites, I find to be more earthy and savory in style.  Try with:

• Grilled or roasted wild mushrooms - wild mushroom risotto 
• Game birds - squab and quail

Reds from the left bank (from the Medoc or Haut-Medoc) I suggest heartier fare as there is typically more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend.  The fattiness in the meat counteracts with the heavier tannins in the wine.  But be careful that you don’t have anything too spicy or too sweet (ie: no Moroccan lamb or excessively peppered steak) as the spices can be too strong for the wine. 

• Roasted beef
• Slow-roasted, lamb shank (not too many herbs)
• Roasted duck (no sweet, fruit sauces)     

Sweet white wines of Bordeaux (Sauternes, Barsac) have flavors that typically include: orange, nectarine, honey, toast and almonds.  You can't do any better then these classic pairs:

• foie gras - a heavenly combination of rich & decadent with rich & decadent
• bleu cheese - great contrasting combo of salty & pungeunt with sweet & honeyed

Remember - the food always has to be sweeter then the wine (even if it is dessert) or the wine will taste bitter.  Be sure to have very little sweetness in the food dish when pairing with the reds and dry whites.  These wines are typically very dry and they taste particularly awful with any sweet preparation (ie: BBQ sauce.)

Question submitted FL09 by JM.