Touring Virginia Wineries - Fabbioli Cellars, 8 Chains North and Breaux Vineyards - with Virginia Wine Expert Allan Liska

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Allan Liska, Lindsay Morriss and Doug Fabbioli at Fabbioli Cellars in Virginia, USA

I was treated – with Lindsay Morriss - to a wonderful tour of Virginia wineries – Fabbioli Cellars, 8 Chains North and Breaux Vineyards – by Virginia Wine Expert and Blogger Allan Liska.

Allan Liska and Lindsay Morriss

Allan Liska is well known in the wine world. He runs the wine blog CellarBlog, which focuses on wines from Virginia, where he lives, and on wines from Bordeaux, where he probably would want to live and frequently travels. CellarBlog is currently in the US Wiki ranking among the top 20 US wine blogs. Allan reported about the trip to Virginia on CellarBlog here. Allan also runs a Virginia wine Meet-up group, of which I am a member. Allan is well connected in the Virginia and in the Bordeaux wine industry.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Allan Liska and Lindsay Morriss at Breaux Vineyards in Virginia, USA

Allan organized the tour for Lindsay Morriss. Allan and Lindsay met a year or so ago in Bordeaux, where Lindsay was going to school and Allan tasting wines. Lindsay Morriss came to Virginia to present her MBA thesis and to lead a tasting of Georg Albrecht Schneider wines at the September meeting of the German Wines Society (DC Chapter), which I coordinated. For more on the German wine tasting see here. Lindsay lives in Rhode Island and had been flown in by the German Wine Society for the tasting and the presentation of her ideas. Lindsay runs the wine blog Lindsay du Vin, where she also reported about this trip.

Jancis Robinson on Virginia Wine in the Financial Times

It so happened that Jancis Robinson’s Financial Times weekend column of that week-end dealt with Virginia wine. She came over to Virginia earlier this year for the American Wine Bloggers Conference in Charlottesville in which she participated as key-note speaker. Of course, the Jancis Robinson column praising Virginia wine in a paper that is read around the world, was the “talk of the town” in the Virginia wine community that weekend.

Picture: Jancis Robinson and Annette Schiller in Berlin

Wine Producer Virginia

Virginia is the 5th largest wine industry in the US, with nearly 200 wineries and 2,500 acres of vineyards. Over the past 50 years, Virginia wines have experienced a tremendous development - to elegant and balanced, mostly European vinifera-based wines. Recently, Donald Trump bought a Virginia winery and AOL founder Steve Case is in the process of buying one.

As far as white wines are concerned, the European vinifera grapes Chardonnay and Viognier are the leading varieties today. Increasingly they are made “naked” or with little oak only, with the objective of retaining natural acidity and freshness. It appears Viognier is on its way to becoming Virginia’s official “signature grape”.

For French-American hybrid varieties, Seyval Blanc is still popular, but resembles now the fresh and crisp wines from France’s South West. Vidal has become the backbone of the artificially frozen ice wine (cryoextraction), which I am not a great fan of.

The first ice wine was reportedly produced in Germany in 1794. Today, ice wines are highly prized wines that are made not only in Germany, but also in Austria and Canada as well as other countries, including the United States. Canada has experienced an amazing ice wine boom in the past decades. See about German and Canadian ice wine here. In the context of ice wine, some wine regions, including Virginia, are pushing cryoextraction. This is an approach, which kind of simulates the frost in the vineyard in the wine cellar. It was developed by the French. Instead of waiting for mother nature to produce frosty temperatures in the vineyard, the winemaker subjects the grapes to frosty temperatures in the cellar and presses them while frozen.

As far as red wines are concerned, there was a shift in top Virginia reds from straight varietal wines to blends. And blends have gone from being dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon to Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with a significant amount of Petit Verdot. There is an increasing focus on neutral oak and clean, vibrant fruit, mirroring the evolution of Virginia white wines.

Tannat, Uruguay’ signature grape from the South West of France, is showing up in more Virginia wines, usually as a blend. The only red French American hybrid which has performed consistently well in Virginia is Chambourcin, which, with its bright cherry aromas and flavors, crisp acidity and low tannin, resembles the Gamay grape of Beaujolais.

Finally, Claude Thibault, a native from France, has now been producing premium sparkling wines in Virginia. While respectable sparkling wines have been made in Virginia in the past, sparkling wines have been taken to a new level in Virginia by Claude Thibault. His NV Thibault-Janisson Brut, made from 100 percent Chardonnay, which President Obama offered his guests at his first state dinner, is as close as you can get to Champagne outside of France.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Claude Thibaut at screwtop Wine Bar in Arlington, Virginia

First Stop: Lunch at Fabbioli Cellars

Our tour day began at Fabbioli Cellars, where Doug Fabbioli and his team were in the middle of crushing some Petit Verdot.

Picture: Crushing Petit Verdot

But Doug took the time to sit down with us and have lunch with us, which I appreciated very much. Doug told us that before starting Fabbioli Cellars in Virginia, he spent 10 years working in California. “When we moved to California in 1987, we had in the back of our minds the idea that we could find a piece of land and grow some grapes” said Doug “Kids, life, careers, land prices, cash flow and family steered us back East in 1997.” In California, Doug worked at Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma with Anne Moller-Racke, who now owns and runs Donum Estate. Donum produces super premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines in very limited quantities.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Doug Fabbioli

In early 2000, Doug and his wife bought a 25 acre parcel in Loudoun County. The planting began in 2001, along with building the house. The main planting was Merlot with a little Petit Verdot for blending.

Today, Fabbioli Cellars produces about 4000 cases. Three quarters of it is sold on the premise. Doug produces 60% of the fruit himself and buys the remainder from others.

Doug is a great person to talk about the Virginia wine industry and he is a great winemaker. “I am still learning” Doug said. “First I had to learn the climate. Now I am learning the soils”. He was very enthusiastic that Viognier has become the official grape of Virginia. “But I am a red wine house”.

Doug also acts as a consultant to new growers and winemakers in the area.

Second Stop: 8 Chains North and its German Connections

The next stop was at 8 Chains North, a winery that just opened its doors a year ago. One of the reasons for stopping at 8 Chains North was because the tasting room also featured the wines of Otium Cellars, a small boutique winery with a German-born owner, who makes a point of growing traditional German grape varieties like Dornfelder and Blaufränkisch (Lemberger, as it is called in Germany).

Pictures: At 8 Chains North

The other reason was that Allan Liska is a big fan of 8 Chains North owner Ben Renshaw. “Ben is a great viticulturist, who also manages the vineyards of a number of other wineries. If you want to know about the essence of a grape in Loudoun, Ben is your man” said Allan. Unfortunately, Ben was out of town for the weekend.

Vineyards Managed by Ben Renshaw

Here are the vineyards Ben takes care of.

The 8 Chains Vineyard onsite at the winery: This is the vineyard located at the winery in Waterford. It is about 2 acres of Sauvignon Blanc, planted in April of 2010. Ben Renshaw expects to have useable grapes by harvest of 2013.

Furnace Mountain Vineyard: The vineyard was planted in 2006 on Ben Renshaw’s sister Avis' farm on the Potomac River north of Leesburg: 1.5 acres of Merlot, .5 acres of Malbec, .5 acres of Petit Verdot and 3/4 acre of Traminette.

Creek's Edge Winery in Taylorstown: 4.5 acres planted in 2010; Creek's Edge plans to open in 2012.

Tarara Vineyard: Tarara is where Ben Renshaw started his Virginia winery career in 1998 as the Winery Manager. Tarara has 48 acres that began to be planted in 1985.

Goose Creek Farm and Winery: Goose Creek is the home of Otium Cellars. Planted in 2007, this vineyard is home to several German varietals: Lemberger, Dornfelder and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris).

Tranquility Vineyard : Set in the rolling hills of the Piedmont, Tranquility Vineyard is 7 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat and Pinot Gris.

Otium Cellars

We did not visit Otium Cellars, a new boutique winery located just outside the town of Purcellville, but we tasted one of the Otium Cellars wines – a Dornfelder - at 8 Chains North. Goose Creek Farm and Winery is the home of Otium Cellars, owned by the German Gerhard Bauer. This vineyard is home to several German varietals: Lemberger, Dornfelder and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris). In 2009, Otium Cellars celebrated its first harvest.

Third Stop: A Chat with Jennifer Breaux Blosser and the Wines of Breaux Vineyards

Our last but not least stop was at Breaux Vineyards, which is owned by Paul Breaux, who made his money with a real estate company specializing in sales and property management on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and managed by Jennifer Breaux Blosser, Paul’s daughter, and her husband Christopher M. Blosser. We had the pleasure of meeting with Jennifer Breaux Blosser.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Jennifer Breaux Blosser

What began as a small hobby in the carriage house of the original 1750's Log Cabin on the far side of the property, the winery has grown into what the Washington Post describes as "Loudoun County's most impressive wine undertaking." Featuring the finest of European winemaking equipment, Breaux Vineyards is often credited with standard for winemaking facilities in Virginia. Today, the 404 acre estate has over 100 acres planted in 18 different grape varieties. Breaux Vineyards produces 10.000 to 12.000 cases per year. 90% of it is sold on the premises.

It was definitely a party-like atmosphere when we arrived, where a good 100+ people were gathered at bistro tables and chairs throughout the property, surrounded by cheese, crackers and bottles of Breaux wine. No wonder that Breaux has for the 4th year in a row been named Virginia’s Favorite Winery. “I wanted to bring Lindsay and Christian to a winery that is as packed as any winery in Napa or Sonoma to show the potential of the wine business in Virginia” said Allan.

Pictures: At Breaux Vineyards

Breaux Vineyards is one of the few VA wineries that is represented overseas, with a fairly healthy export market in the U.K. In fact, this year Breaux Vineyards was even awarded three medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Jancis Robinon’s, Lindsay Morris’ and Christian G.E. Schiller’s Favorites

Jancis Robinson

Here are Jancis favorites, from her article in the Financial Times.

Ankida Ridge Chardonnay 2010 and Vermentino Reserve 2010
Barboursville Cabernet Franc Reserve 2002, 2008
Barboursville, Octagon 2002, 2007
Barboursville Malvaxia Passito 2006
Breaux Vineyards Viognier 2010
Chrysalis, Lockeley Reserve Norton 2008
King Family, Meritage 2007, 2009
Linden, Hardscrabble Chardonnay 2008 and Hardscrabble Red 2009
Linden, Claret 2009
RdV Vineyards, Rendezvous 2010
RdV Vineyards 2008, 2009 and 2010

Lindsay Morriss

Here are Lindsay’s favorites, from her posting on Lindsay du Vin.

Fabbioli Cellars 2010 Something White – refreshing dry, white blend of Traminette/Vidal blanc. Crisp, aromatic—think Gewürztraminer on sedatives. ($16.00)

Fabbioli Cellars 2009 Chambourcin – dry, light red wine with an abundance of bright strawberry and cherry flavor; none of the foxyness you may expect from a hybrid red. ($16.00)

Picture: Fabbioli Cellars 2009 Chambourcin

Breaux Vineyards 2010 Viognier – a surprisingly light style wine, yet full of flavor; peaches & cream in a glass. ($24.00)

Breaux Vineyards 2009 Nebbiolo – Wow, reminiscent of a great Langhe Nebbiolo. All the dark fruit flavor, leather and rustic notes you’d expect from the mother county. Good structure, acidity and fairly light on the palate. ($38.00)

Picture: Breaux Vineyards 2006 Nebbiolo

Breaux Vineyards 2006 Petit Verdot – I think this is for wine club members only (thank you Allan for the hook-up). This is a big wine full of black fruit flavor with plenty of structure, yet offers a smooth, velvety texture that’s not too tannic.

Christian G.E. Schiller

Here are Christian’s favorites.

Claude Thibaut is winemaker/co-owner at Thibaut-Janisson, a small producer of ultra-premium sparkling wine in Charlottesville, Virginia. His flagship sparkler NV Thibaut-Janisson Chardonnay, Brut is arguably the best sparkler produced in the US East Coast and is as close as you get to (French) Champagne outside of France (in terms of quality). No wonder, that the NV Thibaut-Janisson Chardonnay, Brut was served at President Obama’s first State Dinner in November 2009 .

On one of the Virginia Meet-ups organized by Allan, we went to Corcoran Vineyards, which has a nice portfolio of wines, including French-American hybrids.

Norton is the only American grape that makes a really good wine. It is enjoying a resurgence of popularity. One of the driving forces behind this is Chrysalis Vineyards, with the largest planting of Norton in the world.

Finally, Veramar Vineyard of Berryville was my first direct contact with Virginia winemaking, when they extended an invitation to wine bloggers to come to their winery for a tasting and a tour of the winery.

We had a wonderful tasting and an exciting tour of the winery, the latter with Jim Bogaty, one of the owners; if nothing else, he is a fantastic story teller. Jim’s son and winemaker Justin Bogaty lead the tasting of excellent wines, providing a wealth of information, including Virginia labeling regulations and distinctions between Veramar and other vineyards during the tasting.

Since the tour of Allan, I am a big fan of Fabiolli, 8 Chains North and Breaux wines.

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Terroir(s) Wine Bars in London, New York and San Francisco – Wines with a Sense of Place versus Natural Wines

Pictures: London, San Francisco, New York City

I have been in the past 2 years in 3 wine bars that have (almost) the same name: Terroir in New York and San Francisco, and Terroirs in London.

Terroir in San Francisco: Natural Wines from the Old World and Bar Food

Let’s start with Terroir in San Francisco. It serves only wines that are considered by the owners as natural wines and that are from the Old World. Generally, the idea behind natural wine is non-intervention and a respect for nature. For the Terroir San Francisco people this has a lot to do with the use of sulfur in the fermentation process. “We certainly have the largest list of wines in the US with no added sulfur, but not all our wines are sulfur free. When they are not, we allow for only very small amounts” said owner Luc Ertoran.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Terroir Wine Bar in San Francisco

Terroir was inspired by wine bars like La Cremerie in Paris, where the natural wine movement started. Like La Cremerie, Terroir is a combined retail store and wine bar. Terroir opened in 2007 selling 70 wines. Now it has 600 to 700 available. Almost all the wines are European. Within Europe, France and Italy dominate.

Terroir looks like a converted warehouse with exposed beams - modern and minimalistic. There is a large open space, a simple, minimal bar, bottles on rough wood shelves and a wine storage area in back. Terroir has a record player in the corner and an extensive collection of vinyl.

As for food, “we have charcuterie and cheese’’ said Luc and we ordered a very nice cheese plate.

Terroir, 1116 Folsom St. (at 7th St.), San Francisco. 415-558-9946. Terroirsf.com.

Terroir in New York City: Wines with a Sense of Place and Bar Food

In fact, there are now 2 Terroir wine bars in New York City, both owned by New York wine guru Paul Grieco (in the East Village, which was the first one, and in Tribeca). They are an outgrowth of the restaurant Hearth, just down the street of Terroir East Village, where Grieco previously engineered a milepost-setting wine list.

The 2 Terroir wine bars in New York have nothing to do with the natural wine movement. The guiding principle for the selection of wines is the terroir principle: Terroir is a French word often referred to as a “sense of place” in a wine. “One thing we demand of our grapes is that they express clearly and profoundly a sense of place,” writes Grieco.

Pictures: Terroir (East Village) in New York

The list is very heavy in European wines, as they are generally of the more terroir driven style. There are very few New World wines. There is also an unusually large selection of Rieslings, including many German Rieslings and a full page about Hermann Wiemer wines from the Finger Lakes alone. But again, all wines are conventionally made wines, sometimes with a heavy dose of sulfur, as for example in the case of the noble sweet wines from Germany.

The 2 Terroir wine bars in New York City are wine bars with a sense of humor. The staff wears red Che Guevara t-shirts, only Che’s image has been swapped out for Bartolo Mascarello, a producer of Barolo wines. The wine menus are graffitied, 3-ring binders printed on lined loose leaf. The three-ring binders are plastered with wine-centric graffiti, crudely drawn cartoon figures, and Hello Kitty stickers. Inside, each page has a different theme, and a different font to reflect it, like scary Gothic lettering for German wines. A lot of love and personality went into their creation. The loose leaf notebook/menu with scribblings make for fun reading while enjoying your glass.

We had cheese, which was excellent. If you're in the mood for dessert, try the panna cotta with cherries!

Terroir - Tribeca: 24 Harrison Street
Terroir - East Village: 413 E. 12th St.

Terroirs in London: Natural Wines, Bar Food and Full Meals

Terroirs is a wine bar and restaurant situated in the heart of the London West End, a stone’s throw from Trafalgar Square and adjacent to the Charing Cross station. It seats 45 covers with a further 12 seats at the zinc top bar (which are non bookable).

The Terroirs in London is spelled with an s at the end. In terms of the wine selection, it resembles very much the San Francisco Terroir. But while Terroirs London also focuses on natural wine, it defines natural wine in a broader sense than the Terroir San Francisco, wines that I would call “green wines”, wines made with an ecological concept in mind. There are lots of certified organic and biodynamic wines on the list.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Terroirs Wine Bar in London

The focus is on France and Italy. I did not see any New World wines. Many of the French growers are certified organic and biodynamic. Several of the Italian growers belong to Vin Veri (Real Wines), a movement of like-minded natural winemakers. About 25 wines are under £20 and 80 in total under £30.

Charcuterie is a feature of Terroirs. The selection changes but usually offers a terrine, a rustic jambon persillé, some French saucisse, lardo di Colonnata and ham. A selection of seasonal cheeses is available. The cheeses can be ordered individually or as part of a selection. There are also quite a number of full-sized dishes - pot-roasted quail with pancetta and gremolata, for example, or salt cod with soft-boiled eggs.

Terroirs, 5 William IV Street

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Tablas Creek Wines from Paso Robles and Belgian Food at Brasserie Beck with Tablas Greek GM Jason Haas and Chef Robert Wiedmaier in Washington DC, USA

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Chef Robert Wiedmaier and Tablas Creek's Jason Haas

I had a wonderful evening at Brasserie Beck in downtown Washington DC with the food of Robert Wiedmaier and the wines of Tablas Creek, presented by Tables Creek General Manager Jason Haas. The price was $95 (exclusive of tax/gratuity). It was not just food and wines that I enjoyed so much, but also the conversations with a number of people present at the dinner.

Danny Haas from Vineyard Brands

I was happy to meet again Danny Haas from Vineyard Brands, an importer of fine wines. Danny is the son of Robert Haas, who founded Vineyard Brands in 1971; Robert Haas began his career in 1950, as the buyer for his father’s wine shop in New York City. Over the years, the number of employees has grown to 56 people today, with 32 sales representatives (including 5 regional managers) throughout the U.S. Today, Vineyard Brands represents over 25 growers of estate-bottled wines in Burgundy, Chablis, the Rhône, Loire Valley, Alsace and Southern France as well as some of the best wines available from Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Germany and Italy. All wines are personally selected by Jerry Neff (President) and Danny Haas, who continues the tradition of a close family relationship with the French proprietors and makes a number of trips to taste and select wines during the year.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Danny Haas

Three of the wineries I have visited recently – and written about - are represented by Vineyard Brands in the US:

South Africa: “Boekenhoutskloof – Producer of Sensational Premium Wines as well as Good Value Table Wines in Franschhoek”

France: “Visiting Colette Faller at Domaine Weinbach in Kaysersberg in Alsace” – see also “Domaine Weinbach Wines and Alsatian Food with Winemaker Catherine Faller, Alsace, and Chef Jacques E. Haeringer, Virginia”

Germany: “A Pinot Noir Star: Visiting August Kesseler and his Weingut August Kesseler in Assmannshausen, Germany” see also “August Kesseler’s Pinot Noir and Richard Wagner’s Ring der Nibelungen in San Francisco, USA”

Jason Haas from Tablas Creek

Jason is also Robert Haas’ son (and Danny’s half brother) and General Manager of Tablas Creek in Paso Robles. Tablas Creek is a joint venture of Robert Haas and the Perrin family, proprietors of the world renowned Château de Beaucastel in France, with French and American wine loving friends as minority partners.

Pictures: Jason Haas

In 1989, the Robert Haas and the Perrin family purchased a 120-acre parcel twelve miles from the Pacific Ocean in west Paso Robles and named it Tablas Creek Vineyard, after the small creek running through the property. The property elevation averages 1,500 feet, and the shallow, rocky limestone soils are of the same geologic origin as those at Beaucastel. Summer days are hot and sunny, but the influence of the nearby Pacific cools the nights, and the remarkably Rhône-like Paso Robles climate allows the grapes to mature fully and yet retain crisp acidity.

Tablas Creek follows the centuries-old Châteauneuf du Pape tradition of blending chosen varietals. Each varietal is hand-harvested when completely ripe and fermented separately. Winemaking preserves the wines' ties to their soil, climate, and varietal character by applying native yeast fermentation and using neutral French oak barrels for aging.

The "Tablas Creek Vineyard" label debuted with the construction of the estate winery for the 1997 vintage. The winery's flagship Esprit de Beaucastel and Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc wines debuted in 2000 and 2001 respectively. Total estate production ranges between 12,000 and 20,000 cases depending on vintage, with an additional 7,000 cases of non-estate Patelin de Tablas beginning in 2010.

Paso Robles and the Rhone Rangers

I visited Paso Robles in the summer of 2010. In fact, I spent an afternoon with winemaker Sherman Thacher, a neighbor of Tablas Creek, and – as I found out during the dinner - a close friend of Jason Haas. Paso Robles - halfway between the 2 main California metropolises of Los Angelos and San Francisco - is California's third largest and fastest growing wine region, with over 26,000 acres of vineyards is Paso Robles Wine Country and now home to more than 200 wineries. While Cabernet Sauvignon is the leading variety for the Paso Robles appellation, accounting for 1/3 of the region's vineyard area, major progress has largely come from a group of producers often referred to as the Rhône Rangers, specializing in grape varietals of the Rhône Valley of France. In the 1980s, Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard and Bob Lindquist of Qupé Wine Cellars began popularizing the marketing of the Rhône varietals.

Robert Wiedmaier

Brasserie Beck Proprietor and Executive Chef Robert Wiedmaier runs a little empire of restaurants now in Washington DC, of which Brasserie Beck is one.

Picture: Robert Wiedmaier

Born in Germany of Belgian (father) and American (mother) descent, he learnt cooking in Europe. During the past 12 years, he has built a restaurant empire in Washington DC. After having replaced the legendary Jean Louis Palladin at the Watergate Hotel in 1996, he opened Marcel’s on Pensilvania Avenue, named after his new born son, in 1999. Marcel's specializes in upscale French cuisine with a Flemish flair. Next, he opened Brasserie Beck (named for his younger son), which is loud and energetic and features traditional French/Belgian brasserie food. Robert Wiedmaier then added Brabo by Robert Wiedmaier and Brabo Tasting Room in Alexandria to his clan. I thought his most recent opening was the Butcher’s Block, a retail shop for gourmet foods, wine, and Belgian beer, also in Alexandria, but then I heard about his latest venture - the Mussel Bar - in Bethesda.

John Engle Chef de Cuisine with Sous Chef Amy of Brasserie Beck

When a Chef starts to own several restaurants, like Robert Wiedmaier, he inevitable needs a resident Chef in each of his place, who runs the kitchen on a day to day basis. At Brasserie Beck, John Engle is the right hand of Robert Wiedmaier, with the help of Sous Chef Amy.

Picture: John Engle Chef de Cuisine with Sous Chef Amy of Brasserie Beck

Ramon Narvaez from Robert Wiedmaier Restaurant Group and Jaime Lang from Brasserie Beck

The wines were poured by Ramon Narvaez and Jaime Lang. They both ably supported Jason in explaining the wines to us.

Pictures: Ramon Narvaez from Robert Wiedmaier Restaurant Group (above) and Jaime Lang from Brasserie Beck (below)

The Menu

Here is the Menu.



Amuse Gueule and Aperitif

Patelin de Tablas



First Course

Pan Seared Diver Scallop, Oyster Mushroom Cauliflower Purée, Osetra Caviar, Vermouth Cream

Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc 2004
Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc 2009



The Tablas Creek white wines, comprising about one third of the production, are made from Roussanne, Viognier, Marsanne, Picpoul Blanc, and Grenache Blanc.

The signature white Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc, based on Roussanne, is spicy and complex, with aromatics of peaches, pears, honeysuckle and anise, and flavors of honey, green apple, pear, and licorice, balanced by crisp acidity on the finish.

Second Course

Roasted Beaver Creek Farm Pheasant Breast, Confit of Leg “En Crepinette”
Braised Lobster Mushrooms, Hubbard Squash Purée

Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Rouge 2009
Tablas Creek Reserve Cuvée 1999



The Tablas Creek red wines, comprising about two thirds of the vineyard's production, are made from Mourvèdre, Grenache Noir, Syrah, and Counoise.
The signature red Esprit de Beaucastel, based on Mourvèdre, is a richly intense wine, with aromatics of roasted meats, licorice and currants, and flavors of ripe cherries, blackberries, leather, earth and spice, held together in a velvety tannic structure.

The Tablas Creek Reserve Cuvee 1999 was one of the first wines made by Tablas Creek. 40% Mourvèdre,27% Grenache Noir, 23% Syrah, 10% Counoise. A deeply colored, richly intense, highly extracted wine. 14.7% alcohol by volume. 2208 cases produced

Third Course

Virginia Bison Entrecôte, Swiss Chard, Marrow Timbale Caramelized Honey Crisp Apples, Bordelaise Sauce

Tablas Creek Panoplie 2007



In exceptional vintages, Tablas Creek Vineyard produces small quantities of Panoplie: a Mourvèdre-based cuvee from meticulously selected grapes, made in the model of Château de Beaucastel's Hommage á Jacques Perrin. The Tablas Creek Vineyard Panoplie 2007 is a barrel-by-barrel selection of the most intense lots of Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Syrah in the cellar, structured for long aging. It is a dense purple-red in color with a rich plum nose, ripe and sweet with coffee and eucalyptus notes. The complex palate shows full flavors of red and black fruit, licorice, pepper, and roasted meat. It is concentrated, dense and elegant with a wonderfully long licorice and spice finish. Only 500 cases were produced.

Dessert

Nectarine Tart, Spiced Crème Fraiche Ice Cream St. Germaine Caramel Sauce

Tablas Creek Vin de Paille Blanc 2006



The 2006 Tablas Creek Vineyard Vin de Paille is Tablas Creek's fourth bottling of this traditional Mediterranean technique for producing dessert wines. Jason explained: “Ripe grape bunches are carefully laid down on straw-covered benches in our greenhouses, and allowed to dehydrate in the sun. When the grapes reach the desired concentration, we press them and move the juice to oak barrels for fermentation. The juice ferments until it reaches an alcohol level where the sweetness of the juice is balanced by the acids and mineral characteristics of the wine itself.”

The 2006 Vin de Paille is a blend of four white Rhone grapes: Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne.The wine was aged in new French oak barrels for 9 months.

Beautiful nose of honey, apricots and candied grapefruit, with flavors of caramel, nectarine, marmalade and spiced apples and sweetness balanced by citrusy acids. Its finish is lingering, with flavors of fig and peach.

Only 150 cases were produced.

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Pictures: Mainz Cathedral and Christian G.E. Schiller with Mainz Winemakers (from left to right) Eva Vollmer, Tina Huff and Mirjam Schneider

An updated version of this posting is:
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany 

Mainz in the wine region Rheinhessen in Germany is, along with Bilbao in Spain, Bordeaux in France, Cape Town in South Africa, Christchurch in New Zealand, Firenza in Italy, Mendoza in Argentina, Porto in Portugal and San Francisco in the US, one of the 9 wine capitals in the world.

But there is not a single wine bar in Mainz, as I know them from London, New York City, Berlin or Washington DC. However, there are a large number of wine taverns in Mainz. Typically, wine taverns do not have an elaborated list of wines, nor do they serve fancy and sophisticated food. They serve local wines, at very reasonable prices, typically from a handful of local winemakers that you do not find in the wine guides such as the Gault Millau.

My favorite Wine Tavern: Weinhaus Bluhm

Starting with the setting and atmosphere, Weinhaus Bluhm is a dark, a bit smoky, very basic tavern. It looks today the same as it looked when I first set foot into the Weinhaus Bluhm as a student of macro-economics at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. The furniture is functional, used, a bit worn down. Weinhaus Bluhm offers a feeling of well-being and it has a lot of charm. In the summer, you can sit on the cobble stone road outside the tavern on communal benches. It cannot get better. The food at Weinhaus Bluhm is simple and good. It does not reach out for some sophistication, as some of the other wine taverns do. It stays at the more basic range, but at the highest quality level.

Pictures: Weinhaus Bluhm - Roland Ladendorf and Christian G.E. Schiller

When it comes to the wines, however, Weinhaus Bluhm really stands out. It is a class of itself. Nowhere else in a wine tavern in Mainz, you can get wines of German wine stars like Weingut Klaus Peter Keller or Weingut Kruger Rumpf or Weingut Teschke. Owner and Manager Roland Ladendorf is a wine aficionado and extremely knowledgeable about the wine scene. And what is most important, you can get a fair number of his world class wines by the glass.

Other Wine Taverns I Like

Beichtstuhl: The food is rather sophisticated by wine tavern standards. The wine list contains 30 wines by the bottle or the glass, of which 6 are red wines. These are typically very decent entry level wines, ideal for a couple of glasses in a wine tavern with some good hearty food. Almost all wines are dry and from Rheinhessen. I have reported about the Beichstuhl here.

Spiegel: Has mainly wines from Weingut Ernst in Eltville, Rheingau, on its menu. The food is rather uncomplicated and good.

Loesch: Known for its excellent steak. Good, basic wines. My former assistant goes there every Tuesday evening for her “Stammtisch”. Just opposite: Weinhaus Michel. Weinstube Bacchus next door has turned into a French Bistro.

Augustinerkeller: In the basement, with a bit of a wine cellar atmosphere. Historical vaulted cellar, 100 seats available.

Hottum: I used to love their egg and ham sandwich with mayonnaise (Eibrot), but it is no longer on the menu. Open also on Monday, when many wine taverns are closed. One of the best of the Altstadt wine taverns, Hottum has a cosy, traditional atmosphere, delectable wines and a menu - half of which appears on a tiny slate tablet - with regional dishes such as Saumagen (pig's stomach stuffed with meat, potatoes and spices, then boiled, sliced and briefly fried) and Winzersteak (vintner-style pork steak).

Specht: Thanks to its ancient wood beams, smoked walls and Fastnacht (carnival) medals, 'Woodpecker' has a 19th-century feel, though the building itself dates from 1557. It serves German and regional cuisine made with fresh products from the nearby market.

Weinhaus Wilhelmi: Mainz's oldest - and very popular - wine bar.

Weinhaus Schreiner: A rather large and well known wine tavern with a broad selection of wines, on the main road close to the Rhein river.

Deutsche Riesling Lounge in Hofgut Laubenheimer Höhe: Not a traditional wine tavern. A new place, a bit outside of the city of Mainz that offers various flights of wines from Mainz, Rheinhessen, Germany and the Great Wine Capitals.

Wine Restaurants

Geberts Weinstube: A fine dining restaurant. Popular for its excellent, typical regional cuisine and its extensive wine list.

Bootshaus: The second restaurant of Michelin star chef Frank Buchholz. While at his Restaurant Buchholz in Mainz Gonsenheim, Frank Buchholz cooks at the highest level, the Bootshaus is a more basic place, wonderfully located right at the Rhine river, with good regional wines.

Restaurant des Weinguts der Stadt Mainz in Harxheim: Excellent food and wines in ane old mansion dating from 1725. Local products with game and poultry are just as much the focus of attention as the wines from Weingut Fleischer and Weingut der Stadt Mainz; the Fleischer family has long-term leased the Weingut der Stadt Mainz.

Strausswirtschaften

There are about 2 dozens of winemakers in Mainz. Many of them have a Strausswirtschaft, where they offer the wines of the winery and homecooking 4 months a year (or longer). They are located in the suburbs or rural areas directly adjacent to Mainz City, often right where the vines grow.

The top winemaker of Mainz is without doubt Weingut Fleischer/Weingut der Stadt Mainz. In particular the red wines of Michael Fleischer are remarkable. Following are two young women, who are good friends. Eva Vollmer of Weingut Vollmer, Gault Millau Discovery of the Year 2010, and Mirjam Schneider, who runs Weingut Lothar Schneider und Tochter. I have reported about Eva here and Mirjam here.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Eva Vollmer, Michael Fleischer,and Mirjam Schneider

Marktfruehstueck on Saturday Morning

A good place to get to know the winemakers of Mainz is the Mainz Farmer's Market Breakfast on Saturday morning. There, during the warmer months of the year, the winemakers of Mainz have a booth where one of them presents his or her wine. Even with unpleasant weather conditions, there is always a large crowd hanging out for a couple of hours after having done the food shopping on the farmer’s market.

Two Producers of Sparkling Wines

Germans enjoy sparkling wine, both as whites and rosés. Mainz hosts two of Germany’s producers, Goldhand in Walpodenstrasse 3; and, the highly ornate, fin-du-siècle Kupferberg Cellars on the Kupferbergterrasse.

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