Mouthing Off

Chilled rosés, crisp pilsners and refreshing cocktails are among F&W editors' top picks for outdoor parties over the long weekend >

The April issue spotlights tech toys for foodies. Here's a fantastic site for wine lovers.

 

Using Google Earth technology, wine importer Frederick Wildman and Sons offers 3-D interactive tours on its website, tour.frederickwildman.com, stopping at iconic regions around the world (like Puligny-Montrachet, above). Some include commentary from winemakers like Rioja’s Baron de Ley.

 

Related: High-Tech Hotels

 

 

Americans are drinking more California wine than ever before—nearly 212 million cases in 2011.

Here's how to choose a bottle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The latest edition of F&W Cocktails focuses on classic drinks and mixologists’ updates. Here, the Sidecar as interpreted by Jonny Raglin of San Francisco’s Comstock Saloon >

The wine world can't stop talking about last week's arrest of Rudy Kurniawan, a Los Angeles–based collector who had allegedly been selling counterfeit wines for years. The U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI announced five counts of fraud charges that could each result in 20 years behind bars, and bloggers swarmed over the government's photos—most notably, a shot of a file cabinet in Kurniawan's home that was stocked full of brand-new-looking labels for highly desirable old wines, like 1950 Pétrus. Guess how much these bottles would have gone for...

 

 

There are so many things to admire when you walk into Corkbuzz, the fantastic new Manhattan wine bar/school from the world’s youngest female master sommelier, Laura Maniec. But the very first thing I saw was a haute couture dress, fashioned from some 700 prestigious wine labels that Maniec collected from her fancy wine friends by posting a request on Facebook. (Apparently, there are hundreds more labels waiting to be used; maybe Maniec will expand the Corkbuzz mission statement to include a bespoke tailor shop.)
 
Right now, tailoring is almost the only thing that Corkbuzz, which opens in the next few days, doesn’t offer. The place is designed so that the wine-class space in the back morphs into a comfy dining room situation with communal tables. And the food there, or at the long bar, from chef Hayn Yi (who has cooked at Le Bernardin, among other places), is lovely. I was very happy with the colorful market pickles and well-spiced lamb ragout with flatbreads; the chocolate soufflé with salted caramel was killer.
 
Now for the wine: There are some three dozen wines by the glass, from 2010 Greek Sauvignon Blanc to ’89 Margaux, plus Lustau sherry. Maniec is also going to offer fun programs like “cellar grab” from the 250-bottle list (pay a certain amount of money, walk into the cellar and grab). The wine classes, which start in early January, run the gamut from vegetarian pairing to learning how to be a show-offy blind taster.
 
So yeah, things are pretty busy at Corkbuzz. But I’m still hoping Maniec can get her dress designer, Jo D’Agostino, to custom make a few outfits for me.

Chicken Dance spotlights a fantastic Food & Wine chicken recipe every day.

Today marks the 60th release of Beaujolais Nouveau, a fruity French red aged for just a few weeks and meant to be consumed in almost as limited a window. Whether or not you partake in the festivities surrounding this inexpensive, minimally fussed-over wine, the occasion also offers an excuse to open great Beaujolais bottles during dinner. Light enough to pair with chicken (or turkey!), a structured Beaujolais with lush, spicy fruit, like the 2009 Potel-Aviron Vieilles Vignes Moulin-à-Vent, can stand up to earthy, smoky flavors in this Fried Chicken Liver, Bacon and Tomato Salad with Ranch Dressing from Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook of Animal Restaurant in Los Angeles.

Related: Beaujolais Pairings
More Substantial Main-Course Salads
Delicious Chicken Liver Recipes

Plus: F&W's Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide

There’s a useful wine-pairing bit of advice which runs, “It’s not the meat, it’s the sauce.” What that means is when you've got a chunk of protein in front of you—unless you prefer your meat à la Cro Magnon, i.e. rare and dripping with blood—you're most likely pairing wine to the sauce or condiments on it as much as the meat itself. In other words, smother a chicken with mushroom-cream sauce, and you’ve got a whole different wine situation than if you take the bird, dip it in Sriracha, and roast it on a bed of limes (admittedly, I’ve never done that and it would probably taste godawful, but you get the idea). Same goes for burgers.
 
Basic Ol’ Hamburger (ketchup, mustard,lettuce, onion, pickle). Tanginess from the mustard, a little sweetness from the ketchup, a little sourness from the pickle, a whole lotta nothing from the lettuce. Plus meat. Star of picnics around the nation. I’d go with a not-too-tannic red. The plush, berry-rich 2008 Columbia Crest H3 Merlot ($12) would do the trick.
 
Bacon Cheeseburger. When I think of Heaven, I think of St. Peter at the pearly gates saying hello, and then some guy with wings next to him handing me a really good bacon cheeseburger (admittedly, I’m taking a different bus to the afterlife than the vegetarians of the world). What I’d drink with that, wine-wise, would be something with some pretty substantial tannins, which will help cut through all that bacon-cheese-beef fat. Côtes du Rhône from France: not a bad choice at all. Go for the 2007 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône rouge ($13).
 
Avocado, Jalapeno, Pepper Jack Burger with Salsa. Spicy. The thing to know about spicy when it comes to wine is that tannic wines accentuate heat. Alcohol doesn’t help either. Barring a cold beer, I’d actually go with a juicy Pinot Noir with this burger, say from California’s Central Coast. The 2009 Redtree Pinot Noir ($10) is surprisingly good despite the modest price.
 
Barbecue Sauce Burger. Sweet, sticky, smoky barbecue sauce needs a red built like Santa Claus—massive, but in an embracing way, not in a now-Hulk-smash! kind of way. That, to me, is Zinfandel: big dark fruit, soft tannins, a kind of voluminous feel to it. The 2009 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel ($12) has robust blackberry flavors and a dark, spicy finish.
 
Dry Turkey Burger with Nothing on It. Somewhere out there someone is trying to stay healthy by eating one of these. Madness knows no bounds. Drink water with it, then watch Papillon, the great Steve McQueen movie about being in prison on Devil’s Island in French Guiana—because that is what you are doing to your soul, my friend.
 
Related:Best Burger Recipes Ever
Best Burgers in the U.S.
Best Pizza Places in the U.S.
Best Fried Chicken in the U.S.

F&W's November issue spotlights this great event, kicking off next week.

This month's Napa Valley Film Festival runs November 9 through 13 and will screen 75 entries, some in winery cellars. A few even have a food or wine theme; for instance, Jiro Dreams of Sushi documents an 85-year-old Tokyo chef. A party at Robert Mondavi kicks things off. napavalleyfilmfest.org.

Related:
Where to Stay in Wine Country
California Wine Guide: Napa

Spain's grape prices are up 15 to 20 percent from last year, Bloomberg reports, suggesting that wines produced in 2011 will be pricier than average. As an easy precaution, you can stock up on value bottles from previous vintages now. Here are five excellent, $15-and-under Spanish wines featured in the new F&W Wine Guide 2012.
 
2010 Luzón Verde ($9)
Aging without oak keeps the bold red-berry flavors in this organic Monastrell center stage—and the price low.
 
2010 Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Rosé ($10)
A hint of sweetness underscores this earthy, crisp rosé.
 
2009 Bodegas Nekeas Vega Sindoa Chardonnay ($14)
Silky baked pear and stone fruit mark this great-value white.
 
2010 Condes de Albarei Albariño ($15)
Its clean, minerally lemon-lime flavors aretangy and brisk.
 
2009 Emilio Moro Finca Resalso Ribera del Duero ($15)
An earthy red with firm tannins, spice and acidity that make it ideal for burgers, lamb or steak.

Related:  Spanish Recipes
More Value Wines