12/30/2019 0 Comments Tasting a 1963 Dow's Vintage PortEvery so often I have a bottle in the cellar that I hold off on opening, waiting for that extra special occasion worthy of such a prized wine. I don’t want to open it just for myself and time marches on. One such bottle was a 1963 Dow’s Vintage Port. My sister had given me the bottle as a reminder of a trip to Portugal in 2016 that we had taken. This Christmas we were all getting together for a family dinner, I decided this was the moment to try it. I made a point of not looking up ratings and tastings of the wine so that I could taste it with an open mind. I stood the bottle upright for 5 days before carefully packing it up and bringing it dinner. I brought along my funnel and strainer along with a carafe to decant into.
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We live in a golden age of wine. There are wines available in the U.S. from just about anywhere in the world. Sadly, the wine lists in many restaurants feature very few wines that are not in the mainstream. It takes a bit of courage to stock wines not many have heard of. So I was surprised and happy to see The Wine Cellar in Ogunquit Maine, open up just a few doors down from where we stay each August. I took a quick look at their list and after seeing a Txakolina from Spain and a dry Furmint from Hungary I planned to stop in and taste. I wish more places would adopt the concept of offering 2 ounce pours as well as a lager pour. That way you can experiment with something you haven't had before without springing for the full glass price. For the price of a 5 ounce pour you can try 2 or 3 different wines.
5/31/2019 0 Comments Scala Vinoteca in Athens, GreeceWe had the chance to try a restaurant my wife found on the internet that was known for innovative food and had a good wine list. Scala Vinoteca was a short cab ride from our hotel. Being Americans with dinner times earlier than most of Europe we got there just as they were opening. As soon as we were seated Amanda came over and poured a sparkling Assyrtiko from Santo Wines. I introduced myself and told her that I was there to learn more about Greek wines. She was more than willing to guide us through the wines. With Amanda's help we picked out some appetizers and started to figure out our main course so we could order the wine. There were non Greek wines on the list but I ignored them. It was my first time in Greece and I only wanted Greek wines. Amanda suggested a few reds but then I saw there was a wine from Hatzidakis. I had been reading the extremely informative book, The Wines of Greece by Konstantinos Lazarakis MW to get ready for our trip. I learned that the winemaker had decided to leave this world all too early. Haridimos Hatzidakis challenged many of the accepted practices in Greek wine making and made unique wines. Amanda said she only had two bottles so I knew I had to taste it.
5/17/2019 0 Comments wine tasting in athens, greeceI recently had the pleasure of participating in a wine tasting class at the Hotel Grand Bertagne in Athens, Greece. The Grand Bertagne is rated as a five star hotel and it deserves every one of those stars. It also has a fantastic view of the Acropolis. Usually i'm the one presenting the wine so it was a treat to taste and learn about the wines of Greece. Demetrius (hope I have spelling correct) lead us on a wine tour of various wine producing regions. He was extremely knowledgeable about about wine and introduced us to the grapes and different terroirs in his country. We started with this white made with the Moschofilero grape. The Semeli Estate was founded in 1979 in the region of Nemea. The vineyards of Mantinia, just south of Nemea, sit at about 2,00 feet above sea level. The cooler temperatures allow for longer ripening times. A very nice wine.
1/15/2019 0 Comments Domaine HuëtThis past year I spent some time in France’s Loire Valley and in Bordeaux. To tour the Loire I contacted Vincent Delaby of Vino Loire. His Trip Advisor reviews were outstanding. During the planning stages Vincent asked if I would like to visit Domaine Huët. The Domaine is a world renowned producer in Vouvray. They make probably the best Chenin Blanc in the world. A chance like this was too good to miss. I was all in for that visit. When we arrived at the Domaine I wasn’t sure what to expect, laid back or pretentious? When we walked in we were welcomed right away, no speech about how great they were or how lucky we were to be received. They were glad we had come and happy to show us around. The Domaine began in 1928 with Victor Huët purchasing a small plot in Vouvray known as Le Haut-Lieu. His son, Gaston, was attending college while the first vintages of Domaine Huët were made by Victor. The plan was for Gaston to take over running the Domaine in 1938. Before that could happen Gaston was drafted into the French army. Ahead of going to fight the Germans Gaston did what many other vignerons did, hid as much of their finished wines as they could. With France becoming occupied by the Nazis much of what had been produced was being confiscated by the Germans. Later, Gaston was captured by the Germans and spent years in a POW camp. In their fascinating book Wine and War, Don and Petie Kladstrup document Gaston’s struggles to survive his brutal confinement.
12/2/2018 0 Comments Château de la Roche en LoireOn a recent trip to the Loire Valley in France I had the opportunity to visit Château de la Roche en Loire. Our guide par excellence, Vincent Delaby, of Vinoloire had chosen this estate for our first visit. The owner, Loius-Jean Sylvos, uses Biodynamic methods to grow his grapes the wine is made with indigenous yeast and without additives. The beautiful Château has a lot of history with the region having links to Joan of Arc. The Loire Valley has developed a reputation for the number of vignerons having success making wine with little or no intervention. Anyone can attempt it but not everyone can pull it off. It requires a lot of dedication and being able to grow and handle the grapes with the utmost of care. Earlier this year I had the pleasure of spending a few days in France's Loire Valley. It had been on my bucket list for sometime. There is such a diversity in the wines produced there that a visit there is like travelling through four or five different wine regions. My wife and travel guru searched the internet and found the perfect guide for our trip in Vincent Delaby. Vincent's company, VinoLoire, was very highly rated on Trip Advisor. The high ratings are well desreved. We enjoyed everything about our trip with him. Although his web site is in French we had no trouble corresponding with him via email. Vincent is very knowledgeable and has excellent contacts. He took care of everything and made us feel right at home travelling through the Loire for our three days. If you are looking to spend time in the Loire Vincent can customize a tour for you.
The following pics are an overview of our tour. I will post more specific blogs soon. I was travelling through France during the final rounds of the World Cup. While in Tours we saw the reactions of the townspeople to the win over Belgium. Talk about euphoria! A few nights later we were staying in Bordeaux and watched the final game in our hotel room and then went out to watch the celebration of France's victory.
The joy and happiness we witnessed was amazing. I haven't seen anything like it. It was hard not to get caught up in the excitement. Everyone that came by us wanted to share their passion. I will always remember that night and the feelings that overtook me. 3/14/2018 0 Comments Zachys' Festa D'Italia 2018I had the opportunity to attend Zachy's Festa D'Italia 2018 on March 3, 2018. It featured 18 of Italy's top producers. Most were in the area for the Gambero Rosso TRE BICCHIERI tasting in NYC on March 2 and the Great Wines of Italy tasting later in the week. many were pouring their latest releases, some for the first time in the USA. My first visit to Zachys' was just after Bordeaux released their 1982 vintage. My wine buddies and I would "Take the ride " to the Sacarsdale store. Their selection was superior to most of the stores in my area. My last visit was for a Burgundy tasting some years ago. A storm the previous day had taken down many trees and utility poles making the GPS necessary. Several roads were still blocked. We had to detour several times and became unsure of which way to go. We got there just in time for the second session.
1/4/2018 0 Comments byob extravagangaOn January 3, 2018 a group of fellow wine enthusiasts gathered to share a bottle of wine from their cellars. The event was organized by Vin Marattoli of Wine Lovers Tours. Vin has put together many other tastings such as this. In 2015 I posted a blog about a previous BYOB tasting. This one was different, all the others had been limited to one group of 12 tasters. This one had two groups, so more wines to share. The event was held in the wine room of the Park Central Tavern in Hamden. A fitting venue for an event like this.
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Thank you Jon, everyone enjoyed the wine tasting and we were all elated with your knowledge and insight into wine education. Just a wonderful experience. 3/24 Bristol Thank you so much for a great night, we had the best time! Wilton 1/24
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Testimonials
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Hi Jon, know that all of us greatly appreciated the experience you created last weekend. I have also shared your Sauv Blanc recommendations with Meredith and the rest of the group, for which they were thankful. Thank you again and don’t be a stranger.
Manchester 5/23 Just wanted to say thank you. Everyone enjoyed your presentations and the wines. There is only 1 unopened bottle! Greenwich 12/22 Jon, thank you so much for an informative and fun presentation! We all loved ALL of the wines! Thanks a million for being part of a wonderful night! 7/24/21 J.W. Trumbull Jon,
Thank you again for everything you did for making my husband's party a wonderful experience. I am especially thankful for the manner in which you handled the size and complexity of the party. The feedback I got was positive and everyone enjoyed the wines. They definitely will be looking out for some of the new favorites.. JV Oxford For several years the community at Waterview Landing in Shelton has sponsored an annual wine tasting afternoon held at our gazebo. It’s an informal event; everyone brings one or two bottles of their favorite wines and some munchies. Our resident wine expert, Jon Haight, moderates the event, and always makes the experience both educational and enjoyable. Jon is extremely knowledgeable about wines, both domestic and foreign. Typically Jon will rank the wines by white and red, and by maturity. Since he does not know beforehand what wines will be available it is impressive to watch his skill in sorting the wines. As the tasting progresses Jon describes the nuances of each wine and does so in terms that are easily understood. We learn, we enjoy, and a good time is had by all. Speaking for the folks at Waterview Landing, we are thankful that Jon is resident, and would hope that others can benefit from Jon’s knowledge and skills. He is excellent at what he does and has a great sense of humor to boot. Alan W. Morton President, Waterview Landing Homeowners Association Dear Jon, I wanted to drop you a note to say thank you for providing our Lions Club with a very educational and entertaining evening on October 27, 2010. The presentation you did on the basics of wine tasting combined with that of a general knowledge of Chilean Wines and Ports provided us with a very informative program that our membership enjoyed. Maybe we could consider doing this on an annual event. Thanks again. Joe Charbonneau President, Manchester Lions Club |