Just Grapes Wine Blog

Acid generally doesn’t have appetizing connotations. You might think batteries. Indigestion. Corrosion. Yum.

But acid is absolutely essential to the structure of a wine. Too little and a wine will taste flat and lifeless. Too much and a wine will taste sour. A balanced wine will have the proper amount of acid to contrast with the other parts of its skeleton–primarily the sugar, alcohol and tannins. There is no uniformly “right” level of acidity. What is right for a red grown in a warm climate is very different for a white grown in a cool climate.

You’ll hear acidity referred to most often with regard to white wines, particularly those grown in cooler climates. “Racy” and “crisp” sometimes hint at a wine with higher acid. In cool climates, where grapes mature more slowly, acid has time to develop unimpeded. Acid is lost from (and sometimes added back in to wines made from) grapes as they grow in warm climates through respiration.

Acid and sugar generally are in opposition because of climate. Grapes growing in a warm climate, ripening more quickly, develop higher levels of sugar (which can be converted into alcohol during fermentation). Grapes growing in a cooler climate ripen very slowly–sometimes a wine grower finds it hard to achieve a necessary level of ripeness (and therefore sugar) before harvest. As you can see, making wine is a delicate balancing of variables; the best winemakers must find center on that tightrope.

You could look up a wine’s level of tartaric acid or its pH level to know just how acidic it is. But unless those numbers lie outside the realm of normal, they’re rather meaningless without the context of the wine’s other elements.

Just take a taste instead. You can sense acidity in a very specific way. After you have filled your mouth with wine and swallowed or spit, notice whether your mouth waters. The more your gums tingle and water for a few moments, the higher the acidity.

Acidity is especially nice to cut through fatty, creamy or sweet dishes (just like what you’ll be enjoying over the holidays). Just Grapes has some perfect examples. But really, it’s all about the balance. And the right level of acid is mouthwatering!

Cranberries from a can are looking mighty swell right now, aren’t they? 

If you’ve offered to “bring something” to a Thanksgiving feast or, like me, even volunteered to make most of it for your dear mother, you might be feeling a wee bit of panic right now. I don’t own a double boiler, nor a food processor. I only have one chopping board, for Pete’s sake, and little counter space on which to use it.

There is one saving grace for which we can all give thanks: good wine, which will make everything else taste better. No double boiler needed.

No panic needed, either. You can get expert advice on which to choose and even test-drive holiday wines at a free tasting next Wednesday, November 26, at Just Grapes.

In fact, you can bring those scary recipes. The pros there can help you pair the perfect bottle or three to enhance your first attempt at Mom’s Famous Cheesy Potatoes. Or, for those lucky guests who only have to “bring something,” Just Grapes can tell you which wine is versatile enough to handle whatever shows up on the buffet table and please whomever shows up at the party.

Come by between 4 and 8 p.m. to taste and try before you buy. You can go home with a pie of a pick, feeling mellow enough to tackle those sweet potatoes. Maybe you’ll even a nice bottle to enjoy while you cook!

Who knew you could meet the love of your life while wielding a knife?

Yet that’s the premise of Cooking Crush, a wine tasting and cooking class hosted tonight at Just Grapes wine shop by Parties That Cook.

Singles mingle while sampling wines introduced by Just Grapes sommelier Don Sritong. After a comparative tasting, guests get a lesson from the Parties That Cook chef in several basic cooking techniques, including how to dice an onion without that weepy feeling. Then everyone pairs off to put those new skills to work, preparing tapas to enjoy with the six wines of the evening.

The part that really makes this work? After the event, each guest receives recipes, digital pics of the evening and email aliases for the others who attended. So if the apple of your eye was filling lettuce cups with gingery pork on the other side of the room while you were skewering chicken with someone else, you can write him or her later to suggest pairing off for your own private wine pairing sometime.

Cooking Crush is the perfect excuse to channel a little Hank Williams and ask, “Hey, good looking, what ya got cookin’?” Or at least to sample some fantastic wine. Just be careful with that knife.

Grocery store circulars everywhere are touting the release tomorrow of this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau. Granted, most people don’t expect to find fine wine in the same store stocking Twinkies and Chef Boyardee, but Beaujolais Nouveau has garnered a disrespect in some corners perhaps beyond proportion, considering it doesn’t aspire to much. What is it about this unique quaff, which some celebrate while others denigrate?

Beaujolais is a region in France, a district of Burgundy, south of Paris. It produces Gamay grapes almost exclusively. Gamay is a light, thin-skinned red grape. It can be very, very good or very, very bad, depending on how it is handled.

About half of the wine produced in Beaujolais is labeled simply and basically Beaujolais AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlee—a system of laws regulating grape varietals, viticulture methods, harvest and yield restrictions, minimal alcohol content and winemaking techniques for each area in France).

About half of this Beaujolais AOC wine is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau or Beaujolais Primeur. It is always released the third Thursday of November, made from that same year’s harvest just weeks earlier. Designed to be fresh, fun and fruity, it tends to suffer off-aromas and flavors because of its intensive production using carbonic maceration. It is intended to be drunk immediately; to be informal; to be inexpensive; and to invite non-wine drinkers to give it a go. It might make a bad first impression—most wine lovers don’t take it seriously, and many even despise it after tasting too much hastily made swill.

And wine labeled Beaujolais Superior AOC might not be superior to Beaujolais AOC at all. Sometimes sold as Beaujolais Nouveau as well, this wine simply has 1 percent more alcohol than the basic Beaujolais.

Beaujolais Villages AOC means the wine is a blend from two or more of the villages in Beaujolais. Here, you may find good quality Gamays, depending on the producer … or you may find Beaujolais Nouveau.

The next step up, theoretically, is Beaujolais labeled with a single village name. This may be Nouveau or it may be some of the best in the world, in which case the producers in that village would eschew the village name for the privilege of bearing the “cru” designation.

There are 10 of these Cru Beaujolais villages. Beaujolais labeled such will be a far different drink than Nouveau. Just Grapes carries an example that does the Gamay grape justice, the Joseph Drouhin, Moulin-a-Vent, 2005, Beaujolais. Moulin-a-Vent is a village in Beaujolais with a concentration of manganese in its soil that gives the Gamay intensity and power here. The Joseph Drouhin is described as deep purple, with a nose of intense fruit and spicy, ripe aromas. It has noticeable but elegant tannins and a long finish.

Whether you give the Nouveau a whirl or choose a Cru that’s more true to Gamay and good winemaking practices, the third Thursday in November is as good a day as any to show Beaujolais a little love. Maybe a cru that’s nouveau to you for the best of both worlds, at any time of the year?

Reference: The Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, Fourth Edition, by Tom Stevenson

Whatever your opinion of wine scores, points, lists or rankings, you have to admit you’re just a little curious, aren’t you? Wondering whether your favorite bottle will rank among the top? Or perhaps you’re looking for the next big thing? Simply surfing for something new to try?

Wine scores and ranks have their place, and right now Wine Spectator’s Top Wines of 2008 is front-and-center.

In ninth place is a gem found at your favorite wine store, Just Grapes. You have to love Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Vale Carnival of Love 2007 for the name alone. Say it out loud: It just sounds fun and sexy, doesn’t it? Check out the bottle. There is a whole carnival going on there.

Beyond that, it’s a party for your senses. The nose will offer you a lovely bouquet of violets and lilacs, warm you through with hints of leather and game, and seduce you with promises of blueberries and chocolate. This full-bodied wine is strong and yet sophisticated to the taste, too. Tannins are held close to the vest so as not to offend. And the finish? This Carnival of Love just keeps going and going. It’s a relationship that can last as long as 25 years … but who is that patient when it comes to love? Buy a case so you can have some now, then enjoy the festivities again and again, until it hits its peak.

In fact, put that at the top of your to-do list. Surely Shiraz outranks laundry.

Wine is so much more than a drink. Much as we enjoy it every day, it’s even more a part of our special occasions. Few toasts are made with diet soda. Wine, in all its forms, carries associations of time, of place, of significant people and events.

Melissa Graham has a lifetime of memories encapsulated in Champagne bubbles. Graham is a chef; owner of Monogramme Events & Catering, a boutique catering company that specializes in seasonal and sustainable cuisine; and president and founder of Purple Asparagus, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing families back to the table by promoting and enjoying all things associated with good eating. To that end, you can often find Graham shopping at the Green City Market, where she serves as the membership chair.

We asked Graham about her first experience with wine. As it turns out, she was destined to run Purple Asparagus, because her own first taste of fine food and drink came at a tender age.

“My love of Champagne began, believe it or not, when I was 3 years old.  As the story goes, on a flight to Florida, my parents gave me a tiny plastic cup filled with the golden bubbles. Whether out of curiosity or for their own amusement, they fully expected me to wrinkle up my tiny nose and push it away. Little did they know that it would go down easily, and I would ask for more.

“My love of Champagne only grew stronger when it helped me through the death of my first marriage. I lived with a good friend during those difficult days who opportunely owned a large and varied collection of Champagne. His earnest belief was that one could not be truly unhappy while drinking Champagne.

“It was with this theory in mind that I chilled two bottles of wine before the election rally in Grant Park last week. The first was a sparkling wine from Oregon. My hope was that if the evening did not go well, we couldn’t feel too hopeless while drinking something related to Champagne. The second, the wine that ultimately was drunk, was the Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1995, a wine whose taste lived up to its prodigious name. Rich and nutty, with big golden bubbles, full-bodied … it flowed down as easily as that first sip from my bemused parents. A perfect way to toast a new president and a new day in America.”

What are your wine memories? Big or small, we’d love to hear them all. Please share your comments below, because that’s what wine is all about: sharing.

Do you need something bubbly to celebrate the momentous occasions in your own life? Just Grapes has all kinds of sparkling wine, Champagne and otherwise.

And if you were watching Jay Leno’s man-on-the-street quiz last night and still wondering, Champagne is from the Champagne region in France. Bubbly from other places is named according to the grape or style: Prosecco, Cava, etc. Watch December’s newsletter for a full explanation. And see more of Graham’s conversation at www.having-company.blogspot.com. Cheers!

My friend, a diehard white wine drinker, discovered for the first time that zinfandel is truly red. She was game for trying it, but not a fan of that bottle in the end. It was too dry, she said.

Perhaps that was true, but what she went on to describe was more a function of tannins than dryness, which typically is used to describe the opposite of sweet in a wine. Tannins are tacky—and by this, I don’t mean they’re rockin’ some 70s polyester in a groovy orange pattern. I mean, as Merriam-Webster uses it, somewhat sticky to the touch.

Tannins in wine come from the grapes’ leaves, stems and skin and sometimes the oak in which it is aged. Tannins tend to be more bold, sometimes even harsh, when a wine is young. As it ages, they are known to mellow, though the exact chemical process still is being studied. Wines will have more or fewer tannins by virtue of their varietal and/or how they are made—whether they spend a lot of time in contact with their skins, for example (which is why darker reds are sometimes more tannic), or whether the winemaker removes the stems and seeds before crushing.

You can sense tannins by that tacky feeling in your mouth. It’s what makes your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth. Whether you like that or not is a matter of personal preference. Some tannins are necessary to provide structure, along with alcohol and acidity, as we’ve discussed. Too high a level of tannins will make you pucker. A wine that needs a bit of time for the tannins to mellow is said to have young tannins. A well-balanced wine is said to have smooth tannins, round tannins, balanced tannins, a good mouth-feel. Just Grapes has, among others, a pinot noir in its selection said to have plump, round tannins, if you’d like to sample such a thing.

Being tacky isn’t bad when it comes to wine. But please: Save the orange polyester for next Halloween!

After meeting with his top economic advisers today, Barack Obama will hold his first press conference as president-elect right here in Chicago.

He faces global stock markets more shaky than Jell-O. Domestically, worry over the economy was widely reported as voters’ top concern. The world in general will be watching intensely to see what kind of relief our soon-to-be president can bring.

In the meantime, Just Grapes is offering a little recession relief of its own. The wine experts there have helpfully put together a four-pack of wines that pack a lot of value for a modest price. For just $24.99, you can enjoy two Chardonnays, a Malbec and a Cabernet Sauvignon and save 28 percent. That’s $10 that can stay right inside your pocket … or you can even splurge on some cheese!

There is hope, at least, of continuing to enjoy the little things like good wine even in tight economic times. So raise a glass today, and tomorrow, and again next week, and through the holidays. You’re doing your part for fiscal responsibility. And with hope of change in the recession progression ahead, there is much to celebrate!

AIG set the gold standard for what not to do. At the other end of the spectrum, Viacom, Hearst and Marc Jacobs are not doing anything on par with past holiday celebrations this season.

But there’s room for a little festive, tastefully decorated middle ground despite a grim economy and a budget tighter than those pants after Thanksgiving.

The string quartet may be out, but chances are someone in your crowd has a little Vivaldi on his or her iPod. Better yet, some Gloria Gaynor. (”I Will Survive” is so fitting now, don’t you think?)

And while a professional photographer may not be in the picture this year, surely your guests armed with disposable cameras can capture at least one shot of the guy with the lampshade on his head.

Just Grapes has your back, too. They’re offering a Recession Relief Event Package. For just $30 per person (including tax and tip), you get a tasting of six hand-picked value wines, a gourmet imported and domestic cheese platter and a wine guide to conduct an educational overview of each wine, which will be served in oh-so-classy Riedel crystal glassware. They’ll host your 90-minute shindig in their Wine Cellar. You don’t even have to clean the bathrooms or buy the paper plates for this party. You get the bling to ring in the holiday season at 56 percent off the regular price.

You have to invite a minimum of 12 guests. (But you have way more friends or coworkers than that, right?) And you have to book your event by November 28, 2008. I recommend doing so right now, so you can get the date of your choice. Call Maggie Smith at 312-627-9463 or send her an email.

If you decide to cancel after all and face the wrath of your friends and associates, just be sure to do so at least seven days in advance. And this deal is so great that it’s not valid with any other promotions or coupons. For more information, check out the Private Event Services page.

It’s not every day that a 4-year-old celebrates a birthday with wine.

But running a thriving wine shop in the heart of Chicago for four years is something to toast. And as icing on the cake, Just Grapes learned today that the Wall Street Journal’s wine pros chose assistant manager Maggie Smith’s pick as their favorite in a secret-shopper test.

The Wall Street Journal’s Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher and their associates visited 10 top wine stores in six cities unknown and unannounced to ask for recommendations on what paired best with lamb-chops. Then they made the meal and tasted each pick. Maggie’s suggestion, the 2002 Consilience Syrah Santa Barbara County, turned out to be their favorite. Its body and structure, with notes of pepper and coffee, supported the lamb chops perfectly and made the challenging side dishes–peppers and asparagus–seem sweeter, they said.

Clearly, just like a fine wine, Just Grapes is improving with age. Come celebrate this honor and four great years by tasting 50 wines 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 5. Today is the last day to get tickets at the discounted $30 preregistration members’ price. Tickets after today are just $40, still a bargain to taste so many wines and to toast such fantastic achievements.

Congratulations, Maggie, and cheers to Just Grapes’ next four years!