Alsace

Is it French? Is it German? Alsace, a tiny, historically embattled region of France is known for it’s resilience, and determined wine culture. Although it’s history is dense, packed with war and regime change, Alsace has always had one common thread through out the centuries. It has produced fine wine.

Alsace is one of the oldest wine growing regions in Europe. The region’s wine history is extensive, dating back to the year 1000. There were at least 150 villages in the region growing grapes at that time. The oldest winery in Alsace is the Hospices de Strasbourg, which was built between 1393 and 1395. Their oldest vintage, still resting in it’s cellar is a 1472. To give this ancient wine scale, this vintage was produced 20 years before Columbus set off for the Americas.

Hospices de Strasbourg was originally a hospital. The Hospices de Beaune, another famous French hospital and winery helps demonstrate the relationship between hospitals and wineries. As hospitals had the grounds for vines, wine was a natural way to help pay for hospital’s expenses. In the 18^th century Hospices de Strasbourg was the largest Domaine in Alsace. Patients received 2 liters of wine per day. (The alcohol percentage was mostly likely much lower than those marketed in today’s world.)

The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) destroyed the vineyards, and effectively paused the wine culture until it’s resurgence after World War 1. At the conclusion of the 30 Year War, France signed the Treaty of Westphalia. This treaty insured that Alsace would be controlled by the French. This control lasted until Germany annexed Alsace Lorraine in 1871.

Alsace was once again French, at least in wine spirit. 1945 marks the split between the two defined styles of German and French wines. French wine is generally described as being an ingredient in a meal experience. It is made to be paired with food, cooked with, and generally enhance the meal. German wines are traditionally sweeter and lighter. These are excellent for aperitifs and digestifs. The quality and style of the wine can often be attributed to the wine makers, and the location that the grapes are grown.

The Vosges Mountains separate Alsace from France. Alsace’s vineyards are planted in the Vosges Mountain foothills, which offer them protection and climate stability. The rain-shadow effect allows for Alsace to be one of the sunniest and driest regions in France.

Fortunately, Alsace has a broad geological make up. Sandstone, limestone, granite, and schist, and many other types of soil. Each of these helps provide the geographic character imparted to the grapes and thus the wine.

The wine of Alsace is mostly (90%) white. Alsatian “Noble Grapes” are planted in the premiere locations and designated wineries. The “Noble Grapes” are Muscat, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer. Listracbubble73

There are many other varietals planted in Alsace, such as Chasselas, Sylvaner, and Pinot Noir. There are a few blends allowed in Alsace, but the majority of wines produced there are subject to the rigorous labeling laws of the France. Most are sold as a single varietal wine.

Side note: According to Adelsheim Vineyard’s winemaker, Gina Hennen, Noble Grapes are designated as such because of their “heightened ability to express how and where they were grown.”

This territory is divided into two major regions, the Haut-Rhin and the Bas-Rhin. The Haut-Rhin in the south produces much of the region’s quality wine. This is in no small part due to the prolonged sun exposure. The grapes here have more time to ripen and develop.

Due to the impeccable quality of Alsatian wines, the first Grand Cru AOP was awarded in 1975 to the Schlossberg Vineyard. As of today, Alsace possesses 51 Grand Cru designations.

One notable vineyard in Alsace is Hugel & Fils. This winery dates back to 1639, and has survived all of the wars, political and religious upheaval of Alsace. The Hugels are responsible for helping to create the 1984 regulations of the late harvest wine selection of Vendage Tardive and Selection de Grains Nobiles, the selection of grapes for sweet wine production.

Hugel & Fils wines are a beautiful balance of racy, luscious and light. Their wines are made with Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and recently expanded to include Pinot Gris and Muscat. The Pinot Gris and Muscat are used in their flagship wine, “Hugel Gentil.” This wine is described as a masculine, suave blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sylvaner’s freshness, with the added spice of Gewurztraminer. “Gentil” refers to a blend of grapes, rather than a single variety.

Hugel & Fils produces many other delicious single variety wines as well, from each of those grapes. The one trait that carries through each wine that Hugel & Fils produces is that each wine strives to showcase Alsatian terroir. The grapes used for these wines come from growers who have provided grapes to their vineyard for many years, creating a long standing relationship of vineyard to bottle.

Alsace has a long, dense, rich history. The wines produced in this region of France reflect that history, and the optimism that surely must have grown right along with the vines during times of upheaval. Alsace remains a steadfast bastion of culture devoted to it’s wine.

**Some of the most fascinating little-told stories from WWII can be found in the book, “Wine & War” by Donald and Petie Kladstrup. They collected the stories of the wineries from that era.

Ukrainian Wine & Uncertain Times

The news is rife with the turmoil in Ukraine these days. With so much tragedy, and so many casualties of war, it is easy to forget that there is so much more to a country than the current atrocities. Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine during these terrible times.

Ukraine, to my surprise, is actually one of the oldest wine producing countries. Wine making equipment dating back to 4 B.C., such as presses and amphorae have been found along the south Crimean coast. The northern part of Ukraine began to produce wine around 11 B.C.

Both Russia and Ukraine are both part of historical wine culture. In 1805, the first winemaking school, the Sudak School of Viticulture and Winemaking was established. As The Sudak School began to grow, the Magarach Estates began to develop wine education and growth as well.

The Sudak School eventually acquired the Imperial Nikitsky Botanical Garden and truly began to flourish. The Sudak School of Viticulture and Winemaking eventually closed, leaving the Nikitsky Botanical Garden to the Magarach Estates, which was transformed into the Magarach Institute, which is still in operation today.

The Magarach Institute is the oldest institute run by the Russian Academy of Sciences. It boasts a collection of 39,242 bottles of wine. The crown jewel of this collection is the oldest Russian wine, Pink Muscat Magarach, produced in 1836.

With the powerhouse of the Magarach, wine culture has flourished. There are many different wine growing regions in Ukraine, each lending itself to different varietals and terroirs.

The wine growing regions are known as “oblasts.” The main regions are Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Transcarpathia, and Crimea.

The region of Odesa’s wine history dates back 2500 years. Based around a port on the Black Sea, the terroir of Odesa lends itself to many indigenous grape varietals. The most known indigenous varietal is called “Telti kuruk.” This grape is both edible and used for making wine, which isn’t common with the standard grape varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec grapes.The Telti Kuruk grapes are used for both white table wine and champagne style wines. Telti Kuruk isn’t the only grape grown in Urkaine, though. The most widely planted grape is the Odesa Black, followed by the Sukhyi Liman White. The more exported varietals include Saperavi, Aligote, Rkatsiteli, and of course, the ever popular Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Riesling. Ukraine grows roughly 180 different grape varietals.

Ukraine’s learning institutions provide support to the country’s many wineries. Two of note include the Shabo Winery and the Artwinery.

The Shabo Winery in the Odesa region, was founded in 2003. It is based around the oldest winery settlement. The settlement was founded in 1822 by Swiss settlers. Shabo is also one of Ukraine’s largest wineries, covering 10 thousand square meters. It produces many different kinds of wine and wine products, such as brandies, cognac, and even grape vodka.

Artwinery, located in the Donetsk region was founded in 1950. It is the only winery in Ukraine to produce only sparkling wines using the Champagne method. These wines aren’t fermented, only to have carbon dioxide pumped back in. All fermentation occurs naturally in the bottles, which are turned by hand.

Ukraine has struggled over the centuries with invasion and war. In 2014, Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea dealt a huge blow to wine making in Ukraine. That year, 61,780 acres of vineyards were seized. Much like France during WWII, Ukrainian winegrowers had to abandon their vineyards both for survival but also to take up arms. There are some wineries that have even begun to bottle gasoline to use for Molotov Cocktails.

Ukraine is not alone in this war, however. The global wine community has stepped up in support of Ukraine. Winemakers have taken an active role in organizing and delivering humanitarian aid supplies, such as Svetlana Tsybak (head of the Association of Black Sea Wine Crafts Producers), and Eugene Sheyderis (owner of Beykush Winery in Barcelona).

The high profile wine families of Europe have stepped forward to aid Ukraine, both through donations and actions through their own wineries. The twelve great wine families, the Rothschilds of Bordeaux, the Muller Sharzhof of Mosel, the Drouhins of Burgundy, the Antinori family of Tuscany, Famille Hugel of Alsace, Pol Roger of Champagne, Famille Perrin of the Rhone Valley, the Symington Family Estates of Portugal, Familia Torres of Spain, Tenuta San Guido of Tuscany and Vega Sicilia of the Ribera del Duero have all come together to provide support and donations.

During times of war, the Ukrainian government forbids the sale of alcohol, which has effectively closed the local industry. Given the instability of production, the potential for for property destruction, Ukrainian wineries are struggling to fulfill international orders. One of Ukraine’s largest wine shops, The Good Wine warehouse was reduced to rubble, losing 15 million euros worth of inventory. Given the ongoing destruction, whether or not 2022 will have a vintage is still unknown.

If you’re looking for something to drink in the meantime, the Royal Wine Corp based in New Jersey, here in the states will be donating 100% of it’s sales from two of their vodka brands, the Xdar and Lvov, to fund “Emergency Ukraine.” Additionally, Mordy Herzog, the CEO of Royal Wine Corp has also stated that the company will be phasing out their Russian vodkas to eventually discontinue them entirely.

Xdar is a wheat based vodka that is made in Ukraine. It is described as “clean and breezy, characterized by wet sand and delicate floral notes (Royalwinemerchants.com)” Lvov is a classic potato vodka, made in Poland. It is reviewed on Totalwine.com as having grain, bread crust, and nut aromas with a sweet cream and chalky finish. Totalwine.com suggests using this vodka for mixed drinks.

These are uncertain times all around. It is heartwarming to watch the global community rally to help those who most need it. We can only hope that Ukraine and it’s rich wine history will not be lost to rubble.

The Montucky Experience

So, I wasn’t thrilled with this month’s article, so I wanted to talk about our own experience at the Redneck Bar for our own event.

After enjoying Eric and Daryl’s amazingly welcoming hospitality and good company, I decided that I wanted to have my husband’s birthday out there, as a trial run for the Montucky Experience. Eric and Daryl, for those who may have missed the previous post, are the owners, builders and distillers of Montucky Moonshine, a private event venue and distillery. They built the Redneck Bar (unofficial and private) from tree to building. They even went so far as to not just bottle their own spirits, but also build their very own stills. Their equipment, right down to the heaters, are self-built. This, according to Daryl (Eric’s father) is a large part of what it means to be, “redneck.” The commercial kitchen, complete with three grills and a pig smoker are out on the patio area, around the fire pit. It’s a beautiful set up.

The event planning began when I reached out to Eric about hosting a party for roughly 10 people. The building space is large enough for that, but small enough that it wouldn’t turn into some chaotic mess. I really like the home feel of the place, with it’s wood burning stove, comfy couches, pool table and other games.

Although I already had some idea of what I wanted to do for food, Eric and Daryl had some great suggestions. I had originally asked for shrimp, chicken and crab. It’s been a heck of a year, and I wanted to make sure that this birthday would be memorable. Eric called later to let me know that they had the shrimp and chicken on hand, but that crab would be extra, and just exactly how much. I wasn’t surprised, but the alternative that he offered was absolutely perfect. Eric and Daryl had fresh pike! Daryl’s wife ended up frying the pike into the most tasty fish that I have eaten in decades. We weren’t sure about sides, but I was pretty clear that we didn’t want anything with wheat, since two folks there are pretty allergic to it. This was the only hiccup the entire night- the pike was breaded with flour breadcrumbs. It went over really beautifully, but for future events, it would probably be wise to avoid any ingredient that is mentioned as a severe food allergy.

The evening was wonderful. It wasn’t alcohol focused, but Eric and Daryl had turned on the spiked slushie machines! There were plenty of drinks, and as a private distillery, they couldn’t sell them, so the tip jar functioned as a place to do that exchange. Our guests got to taste some of Eric and Daryl’s great spirit creations, like Montucky Mudd, and their spiced rum. We did bring some of our own drinks, just in case folks wanted lighter beverages, although if we had asked, it would have been provided. The Montucky experience was something as beautifully tailored as any fine city suit. There were drinks and games while we waited. Some guests played pool, and some played the Pac-Man machine by the window. When the food came, it was delicious. Eric and Daryl had gone all out with the shrimp, the pike, and the chicken. The buffet area in the back was nicely set up so that you got your food and took it back out to the main area. We sat, ate, talked, played games and hung out from about 6 until 11:30.

There was a really fun surprise towards the end of the evening! Eric and Daryl had a laser show system, and M picked out some songs, the lights went out, the live show came up on the giant tv, surround sound boomed, and the lasers went off. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect end to the evening. The sweetest moment, by far, was seeing Daryl and his wife dance together. The thing to remember about the Montucky Experience, is that it IS kind of down-home. The entire family is there, helping. The two older kids ran dishes and helped with the cooking. There was a younger gal getting photos. While it’s an adult establishment, it’s like being in someone’s home. That said, we did try to help clean up, and got soundly reminded by Daryl that this is what we paid for, “stop asking if you can help!” (I did ask a few times, because Eric had originally asked us to pick up after ourselves….but if his Dad says don’t, well heck. I’m not going to argue.)

End review: Amazing time. This is the Montana I always wanted to be a part of. I love everything about it. I’m really hoping they’ll let me book my birthday this year out there! (Maybe I can convince Daryl’s wife to teach me how to properly fry fish!)

Growing Pains

January 1^st, 2022, the consumption of Cannabis for recreational purposes became legal in Montana. It has been legal to use marijuana for recreation in Washington since 2012. Although Cannabis revenue only accounts for 1.5% of the state’s revenue, $400 billion in tax revenue is still $400 billion. (Casey Decker, Sam Ismay, Krem2, 2020)

Wine has openly part of culture worldwide for centuries. There were a many prohibition attempts over those centuries. The most notable of these bans in recent history were Prohibition in the United States from 1920 to 1933, and the Australian Prohibition against alcohol from 1911 to 1928. To all accounts, prohibition against alcohol only served to change the landscape of alcohol consumption, rather than shut it down.

Cannabis also has a long history of prohibition. In the Middle East, Islam considered marijuana in a complex way. According to Ryan Stoa, author of the article “A brief history of the war on Cannabis,” there are Arabic religious texts that call marijuana “the bush of understanding.” The upper and middle class Muslims pushed for a ban on cannabis over economic and social fears. The Sufi branch of Islam believed that the intoxicating effects of it connected them more thoroughly to Allah. The Sufis openly grew and used marijuana in 1253. They formed relationships with other farmers and worked together to produce cannabis. The Egyptian government attempted multiple times to shut down cannabis growth, and make it illegal.

Today, we face many diverse challenges in the legalization of marijuana. California highlights many of these challenges. California’s wine industry is a prime example to the rest of the United States on the conflict and potential partnership between Marijuana growers and vineyards.

Currently, there are only 58 counties in California where it is legal to to use Cannabis for recreational purposes. While many states bicker over the moral use of marijuana as a remnant of Nixon’s 1971 War on Drugs, California appears to be viewing their struggles with a more grounded perspective.

This struggle is highlighted in Santa Barbara, where over 1,300 state licenses for the legal growth of Cannabis. The zoning on these permits allows for marijuana farms to be neighbor to some of California’s vineyards, with only feet in between.

One very real concern raised is the standards of retail marijuana dictate that absolutely no pesticides must be used in their products. There is a high risk of cross-contamination from neighboring vineyards. If the fungicides and herbicides that are currently in use in most vineyards cross contaminate the cannabis fields, they render the crop unsellable.

Another growing pain that could potentially create havoc is the cross contamination of terpenes. The wine growers are concerned that terpenes from the cannabis could contaminate their grapes, leading to undesirable flavors. “State regulations forbid the sale of cannabis in the same place as alcohol (Aaron Romano, Wine Spectator June 2021).”

The winemaker’s concern is that the odor of marijuana plants will also have a negative impact on the ability of visitors to wineries to smell and taste at the onsite tasting rooms. While scent contamination may not be as likely a threat as the pesticides, flavor contamination still poses a dilemma. The Right to Farm Act does not protect cannabis farms at this time. This act protects farmers from odor complaints, though the main focus in the past was fertilizer odors.

One solution to these concerns is to grow cannabis indoors. While indoor grow rooms would protect marijuana crops from cross contamination and keep the terpenes more contained, not all farmers are thrilled with the prospect. According to Aaron Roman’s article, Eric Sklar, CEO of Napa Valley Fume, a marijuana company which recently applied for a growing permit, will be able to do so in an existing structure. Sklar states that as a farmer, he desires to grow outdoors and be open about a Napa label. Napa County has banned the cultivation and manufacturing of cannabis. There is no recreational retail of marijuana in Napa county, but there are a scattering of medicinal dispensaries. These dispensaries are supplied by growing operations in neighboring lake county.

In Napa, there appears to be a concern about cultural changes brought on by the new crop. The concern appears to be largely economic, with a concern towards premiere land prices. The agricultural image of Napa is highly prized, but there are many who may find it foolhardy to ignore the boom in business. Stephanie Honig, the head of Honig Winery takes the view that recreating the industry to include the new marijuana farmers in a way that maintains Napa’s agricultural culture and reputation.

One last growing pain to consider are the very basics of industry. California’s water shortages due to drought have created a fierce competition for this resource. Water theft is a serious issue in California. Labor is another resource that is currently an issue for all farmers. Wineries are facing labor shortages. Cannabis farms are able to pay their workers higher wages for less intensive work during competing harvest times. In addition to wages, COVID and the labor shortages that have followed in it’s wake have also impacted the ability of wineries to find workers.

In the future, will the wine industry and the cannabis industry continue to work towards creating a mutually beneficial relationship, or will they remain at odds? California provides a comprehensive view of the struggles and benefits that the two face, since their relationship is much longer than in other places. Hopefully, these neighbors will work out any future feuds for a beautiful friendship.

Montucky Moonshine

There are so many recommendations for pairings that it can become overwhelming. I would like to focus on the celebration. Recently, I found a reason to celebrate. I experienced the Montana that I’ve been dreaming about being a part of since I was a child. I found it at the Redneck Bar (not an official name) and distillers who make Montucky Moonshine, Eric Romero and his father, Daryl Rutherford.

This duo have created a community, a bar, learned how to distill, and made some of the very best hard liquor I have ever had, from scratch.

The bar itself isn’t currently registered, but Eric and Daryl don’t sell alcohol there. They do, however, create an amazing experience for any visitor. The tasting room/bar is reminiscent of the classic Redneck ambiance. The building is made from beautiful, local wood, and cozy furniture, and a wood stove for both heating the tasting room up on a chilly night and cooking. Eric and Daryl built this bar from scratch and continue to expand. The next expansion will see an L shaped bar added for increased seating in the next year or two. There is a full commercial kitchen is outside, on the patio, near a fire pit. The patio kitchen is complete with a pig smoker and multiple grills to cook up game animals that have been hunted that season.

The Redneck Bar began as a family bar, because Eric and Daryl’s family and close community enjoyed having cocktails on a regular basis. Eventually they began to look at cost, and the idea to create a shareable bar was born.

Eric and Daryl started out mixing their own cocktails with store bought alcohol. They decided that it would be more cost effective to distill and infuse their own liquors to create custom cocktails. At first, the alcohols that Eric and Daryl created were “hot,” at nearly 160 proof. It was quickly decided that they wanted to create more mixable alcohol.“We like to make stuff that you can drink.” According to Eric, it took 2 years for them to create a clear rum. Oiriginally, Eric bought a crockpot and bought the cheapest alcohol available. After putting this alcohol to the test, they came up with, “The worst alcohol you ever tasted in your life.”

The beauty of creating something truly terrible, is that it can only get better. From that rocky start, Eric and Daryl created an infused line of vodkas, multiple spiced rums, and infused moonshine that would knock the socks off of a bear.

One of the crown jewels of the Redneck Bar’s collection is their spiced rum. Specifically, the, “General Lee.” The balance of spice and burn is beautiful. “General Lee” burns at first, then mellows to a spice blend that I could put onto pancakes.

Everything that Eric and Daryl have created is built by their own hands, from scratch. This is a point of pride for them, and it also embodies the Redneck philosophy of being self-made. Eric and Daryl do their own equipment welding, design their own stills, and nearly every single piece of equipment on the bar property. When I visited the Redneck Bar and distillery, Daryl was in the process of building a newer, 55 gallon drum still. He was also working on a massive heating unit for the building, for higher efficiency. Daryl says that this is part of what being a Montana Redneck means. It used to be a slur, to be called a Redneck, (and to some degree, still is). The Redneck values that Eric and Daryl emphasize are self-sufficiency and community. Daryl was raised in a small town in Montana, where he learned many of his skills from his Redneck father. In Montana, a small town means that there might have been a single stop sign. Just one.

Eric and Daryl have expressed interest in “going live” with the Redneck Bar and Montucky Moonshine in 2023. Their goal is to share the Redneck Experience through Air B&B, with their private bar, stocked with their own vodka, moonshine series, spiced rums, and spice liquor, called Montucky Mudd.

Montucky Mudd is made using the spice sediment from the spiced rum. After the rum has been infused, there is a large amount of spice that will have settled to the bottom of the still. Each two and a half gallon batch of rum can produce up to 6 liquors. Montucky Mudd is intended as an after-dinner, sipping liquor.

True to Redneck practices, Eric and Daryl are using every part of their product, even the potential waste. They remove the spices and highly concentrated alcohol to create the most aromatic, dessert like liquor that I have had in years. My immediate thought, as soon as the spices hit my palate was, “I bet this would be amazing over pancakes, or a dash in hot chocolate.”

Montana is most popular for it’s mountains, rivers, camping and wild, outdoor spaces. There are so many beautiful experiences to enjoy out here. However, there is another side to Montana. This Montana is about community and small town living. It’s feeling like whoever you are, whatever else is going on in your life, you have a place to sit around the campfire.

The Redneck Bar atmosphere is exactly the Montana experience that I had dreamed about being a part of, all my life. People sitting around a fire, telling stories, enjoying good food, hunted and cooked by the folks telling the stories. I grew up hearing about bonfires, hunting with friends, cooking what was hunted, and enjoying the welcoming atmosphere of smokey bars, and the smell of wood stoves. The people are so welcoming that you feel like you’ve come home, or like you’ve been friends for decades, even though you’ve just met. This, is The Montucky experience.

Daryl & Eric

Post 2020 Thoughts & Pairings

This year, people are more determined than ever to celebrate. As I write this, Thanksgiving is just days away, and already we are hearing Christmas music and seeing lights. The ever-creeping Christmas music is nothing new. This year, nearly a year after quarantine, nearly a year after COVID first devastated the world, it is more important than ever, to celebrate.

The determination of the people who made it through the last year to truly live, is a tsunami of force, pushing each and every one of us to look at our lives and priorities. Our needs have been highlighted by the moments within the last year, in the moments that we didn’t have access to them.

One of the few luxuries that we have clung to, a lifeline of normalcy, is alcohol. During quarantine, we couldn’t go to the bar, or go get a drink with friends, but we could still toast over Zoom. There is a sense of togetherness in drinking together that is entirely inalienable.

Now that the majority of quarantine restrictions are passed, people are flocking together to rekindle friendships, and reunite with family. Holidays that were once frustrating because of family, are being celebrated with fervor.

We are celebrating togetherness. We are celebrating life. We are celebrating making it through one of the worst events of this century. The question on everyone’s mind is, “What drink will we raise, this holiday season?”

For many, the multitude of breweries will provide the drinks for football games, and post-hunting celebrations. Although some breweries struggled to stay afloat with the lack of in-house customers, many flourished. Our own Blackfoot Brewery, here in Montana is one such brewery. Business boomed, though no one was allowed into the building except the employees themselves. Call in orders were the only way to purchase their beer. Tenacious breweries offered curbside service, growler exchange, and some were pushed to start packaging their products. This expansion of services still brings in business, as many people are still staying home. Packaging and curbside service has given people more access to these wonderful craft beers for any occasion or holiday.

For others, wine is the normal holiday beverage. Beaujolais Nouveau was released November 18^th, and people were once again interested in the traditional celebration that accompanies it’s release. In the past few years, Beaujolais Nouveau’s popularity has been declining, in lieu of wine that is available at any time. Beaujolais Nouveau is a super fruity, low-alcohol, red wine made from the Gamay grape. It is produced as quickly as possible, with the shortest production that winemakers can manage.

There are more pairings to consider during Hanukkah. I write this a little over a week before the Jewish holiday begins, and the holiday will continue until December 6^th. There are more quality Kosher wines available now than ever. There are beautiful wines from Golan and Galilee. These wines are rich, and full of middle eastern fruits and spices. These wines can provide a sense of authenticity that the traditional Manischewitz might not. Then again, perhaps the nostalgia of tradition is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Mulled wine is a classic Christmas favorite. For this, a gallon of wine is heated gently (not boiled), spices and brandy and honey are added. Mulled wine is served warm, and preferably shared with others in front of a fire.

Christmas dinner pairings are varied. Some people eat roasted ham. For salty foods, like ham, one would need a fruity wine with high acid. Ham would pair beautifully with a Spanish Albarino or German Riesling. The Spanish Albarino shines, lending it’s pineapple flavors to the meat. The German Riesling has beautiful acid that will cut through the fat of the ham, refreshing your palate for each new bite.

Seafood has become a favorite of the Christmas holiday, buttery crab and lobster taking center stage. With shell fish, you can’t go wrong with a French white wine. Chablis is perfect for shellfish, acting as a squeeze of citrus, completing the recipe.

Roasted lamb is another festive holiday meal centerpiece. Lamb is rich, and fatty. It will pair well with a Pinot Noir’s acid, or a Cabernet’s full body, and structure. Personally, I would pair a red blend with lamb, to ensure that the grapes in the wine will service the spices on the lamb.

Turkey is the old go-to, for Christmas. The same pairings from the Thanksgiving will work here, too. In our house, growing up, the wine we had with holiday dinners was always my Dad’s favorite, Riesling. Riesling adds it’s almost honeyed fruitiness to the meal, while clearing your palate for mashed potatoes, asparagus, or turkey and stuffing.

Some people bail on the traditional holiday meal, and opt instead for pizza and Chinese take out. There are plenty of wines that would pair well with these, but beer lends a more versatile palate, having been crafted in much the same way as a spiced meal.

Looking back over this last year, we may not have had everything we wanted, or needed, but if you’re reading this, you’re still here. Whether your plans are to gather with friends for pizza or Chinese take out, or sit down to a traditional holiday meal, may your holidays be filled with the healing togetherness that our world is craving. Happy Holidays, from Montana!

Fall Feasting, a little late

*I know this is late, so I’m posting the next one as well.*

Happy Autumn, happy feasting, and certainly in the spirit of giving thanks. Thanksgiving is a controversial holiday, given the dark nature of colonialism. However, celebrating the bounty of the harvest, or simply remembering to be thankful for all we have, certainly is not.

As fall weather rolls around the corner, I can’t help but notice the change in drinks that I find myself selling and sipping. Food choices for both myself and my customers has changed with the seasons. During the fall it’s heartier, with roasted meats, stew, and baked bread, a far cry from the fresh salads, fish, and veggies of summer.

Traditionally, roasted turkey is on the menu in November, as well as stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and some variety of greens.

In the cookware store where I work weekends, it is my job to create pairings for customers for their holiday meals, and parties.

Typically, I recommend a nice Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Noir, or Syrah, to accompany Thanksgiving turkey dinners. These wines can refresh the diner’s palate after each bite, readying the mouth for the next, or stand as it’s own accompaniment (almost as a condiment) and brighten the meal to new heights.

The two traditionally German wines are fantastic pairings for any turkey or game dinner. Gewurztraminer is highly aromatic, “gewurz,” meaning spicy or aromatic. These wines hold aromas of white pepper, lychee, light white flowers, honey, and apples. Gewurztraminer wines are often light, and dry. Their light, airy nature will pair well with the smokey, rich flavors of fall feast fare.

Rieslings can range from super-fruity to racy and tart. These wines enhance the rich roasted flavors, and calm super buttery mashed potatoes, and stuffing.

For red wine drinkers, Pinot Noir, and Syrah can be excellent pairings for roasted bird, casseroles, potatoes, and yams. Red wines tend to serve as an additional dish, or condiment to a meal. All three of these varietals are acidic, but also stand up to the intense flavors of sweet earthy yams, or wild sage game hens. The acid of a Pinot Noir slices into and enhances mouthfuls of side dishes. Syrah’s smokey, dark fruit nature brings out the best in a coal grilled burger, or lamb. It stands up to garlic mashed potatoes, and simply dances with asparagus and hollandaise.

Another tradition during the holidays is to celebrate with seafood. Some people eat crab or lobster in butter. Some people have fish. Spanish white wines, like Albarino, are made specifically to pair with seafood. Albarino is made in multiple styles. It is typically either with a flirty, tropical fruit splash, or a more austere minerality that is reminiscent of a squeeze of lemon to trout, shrimp, or shellfish. Both have a stunningly bright acidity that clears the palate and brings out the flavors of the fish.

Other options one might explore with fish are French white wines, such as Chablis (famous for accompanying oysters) or Pouilly Fume. Chablis is made from the chardonnay grape, (Oh no, I hope I didn’t just turn you off to Chablis.) and is smooth and creamy enough to tame the brine of oysters. Pouilly Fume is a perfect, rich pairing for salmon, or mackerel, or crab. The white stone minerality and smokey shale notes in Pouilly Fume makes it a perfect ballroom dance partner for seafood.

There are so many fun wine pairings in the kickoff of the holiday season, it’s easy to forget beer. For any multi-course meal, a good guideline is to start with the lightest profile and proceed on to darker beer. 

I would recommend an IPA or a Pale Ale with appetizers, or snacks, followed by golden, red, or a racy Saison to pair with the main course. I would suggest finishing the evening with stouts and porters to pair with desserts. They pair perfectly with chocolate, or pumpkin.

You might even try pairing a pumpkin ale with the meal! There are so many beautiful pumpkin ales being released each fall. These pumpkin ales are the adult beverage’s response to society’s “pumpkin spice latte” craze. The important element when pairing beer with food, is to match the flavor intensities.

                Speaking of dessert, there’s nothing quite like pie after a feast. There a are so many pies that are served after Thanksgiving dinner. Pumpkin pies, pecan pies, apple pies, and many more delicious sweets to end the meal. After every Thanksgiving dinner, we would have coffee and pie. Why not try a chocolate porter, or a dark coffee stout in place of regular coffee?

                If you are concerned about the colonialist implications of Thanksgiving, there are many ways support to the Native community. Although the alcoholism is a disease highlighted among the Native communities, the younger generation is eagerly, and responsibly moving forward in the world of alcohol. You might consider trying some pairings from Native owned breweries and distilleries.

                 The first Native owned alcohol producing business in Washington is Talking Cedar. This restaurant comes complete with its own distillery and brewery. Talking Cedar is the first of it’s kind in Washington, effectively ending the ban of production on Tribal land. In 2015, the confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation decided to diversify their income streams, branching out into distilling and brewing.

Talking Cedar opened during 2020, and in addition to it’s gastropub, it began producing hand sanitizer in their 35 thousand square foot distillery, in response to the COVID pandemic. It has branched out into brewing as well.

Moving away from hand sanitzer, the distiller portion of Talking Cedar distills everything from bourbon to rye, and rum to 14 different styles of vodka. They recently announced their “Coco bomb” whiskey, which is described as being “extremely smooth, and carries notes of cocoa, dark chocolate, and a hint of marshmellow.”

Today the Talking Cedar brewery serves multiple IPAs, pilsner, porter, kolsche, and even a blonde, all of which would make fine accompaniments to a holiday meal.

This last year has been a doozy, and people are certainly ready to celebrate. While we celebrate, and remember the more somber parts of this last year, lets give thanks that we’re still here to enjoy the things we still have, like great wine, great beer, and great company!

Beer and Fall

Fall is here, and so are football season, pumpkin spice and Oktoberfest! For the distribution industry, retailers and breweries alike, that means a massive surge in sales and consumption. There are so many varieties and styles of beer, and unlike most wine, the process is hands-on all the way through to the table.

The history of beer is a long one, credited by beer expert, Garrett Oliver, as one of the leading reasons for settled agriculture. Garrett notes that the ingredients to brew beer were not as readily as available to the hunters and foragers of ancient times.

“The archaeological record shows that many of the first cereals to be farmed were barleys. It would have ben difficult to make bread out of these barleys, but easy to make beer.” (Garret Oliver, “The Brewmaster’s Table”) While other early alcoholic beverages were “happy accidents,” beer requires a more interactive approach. The oldest known recipe is a beer recipe from over 4 thousand years ago by the Sumerians of Mesopotamia. Before there was Bacchus and Dionysus, there was Ninkasi, the Sumerian Goddess of beer. She was often depicted as drinking beer through a reed straw.

While the world of wine became a man’s world, the world of beer remained a feminine one for at least a few centuries. In England, the work of brewing beer for the home fell largely onto the women’s shoulders, and they expanded these duties. These women not only brewed, but sold beer and ran taverns. These women were known as “Brewsters” or “Ale Wives.” In 1284, the men became jealous of this commerce, and the Brewers Guild of Berwick enacted prohibitive laws to hinder the women’s success. These laws consisted of when women may sell beer, and the cost at which it should be sold.

In more recent times, Oktoberfest, and consequently, the smaller festivals named after it have skyrocketed in popularity. According to “The Growler,” a popular beer publication, Oktoberfest is held in Munich, Germany, and is host to nearly 6 million people each year. There are 6 enormous tents, each with a capacity for thousands of revelers, representing Munich’s 6 big breweries. These breweries are, Hofbrau, Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Lowenbrau, Paulaner, and Spaten. The Hofbrau Brewery tent is the largest, holding nearly 10 thousand people at capacity. Oktoberfest patrons consume nearly 66 thousand barrels of beer during this 16 day festival. (Michael Dawson, “The Growler” Sept. 6, 2019)

It is refreshing to note that older styles of beer are circling back into the limelight. Large scale production beer like Budweiser, and Miller have fallen to the wayside. Beer conniseurs (often read, “hipsters”)are now looking at ingredient lists for herbs, hoppiness, style and aging.

Ten Mile Creek Brewing company here in Helena, Montana advertises nearly 30 different IPAs (India Pale Ale) in addition to multiple other beer varieties. These IPAs are often brewed specifically for events, or businesses. The Tree Knocker IPA was brewed especially for the local chapter of the Brewers Baseball Team. They are still advertised on the Ten Mile Brewery’s website even though the team has moved elsewhere.

IPAs, pale ales and cream ales are beautiful for hot, summer weather, floating down a river, or out in the woods on a hike. As cooler weather rolls in, there is a certain joy in pairing a roasted turkey, or chicken with a racy Pilsner or a complex Amber Marzen. Since beer is brewed to showcase so many complex spices, herbs and flavor profiles, it pairs beautifully with nearly all ingredients. Knowing what style of beer you are drinking is often a fantastic clue towards what will pair well with it.

Here are a few styles that you might enjoy trying with food, this fall:

Pilsner: There are multiple styles of Pilsner. Standard Pilsners are lighter, dry, and bitter, but with enough body that you don’t feel like you’re drinking medicine. I like to drink Pilsners with popcorn, chips, or bacon burgers. This light beer is great with any variety of bar food and salty snack.

Amber Ale/Marzenbier: Signified by color, and is often only slightly lighter than a dark beer, with caramelized and juicy flavors. Amber beer often has enough of a bite to remain refreshing. This would pair well with BBQ chicken, sausage, and grilled meats.

Pumpkin beer: Pumpkin beer is brewer’s slice of the Pumpkin Spice craze. It is deliciously pumpkin flavored with a hint of sweetness, and is light enough to be refreshing. This beer can be paired with roasted squash, venison burgers, or any variety of cured meats, soft cheese, or chocolate truffles.

Saison: Saison beer is some of the more complex beer varieties. Garrett Oliver describes it as, “Dry, sharp, spicy, complex, refreshing, hoppy, slightly strong.” This beer would fare well with Asian cuisine, and curries, either refreshing the palate for the next bite, or matching the spice components.

Scotch Ales: Scotch Ale is a masculine, malty, full bodied strong beer with a restrained bite to the finish that leaves it refreshing. These beers might pair well with strong cheese, smoked meats and chocolate.

Beer is a fascinating, and ancient drink that requires a hands on approach. The main ingredients are grain, hops, yeast and water. It is the selection of the different elements within those parameters and how they are mixed that determines the type of beer that is made. Every detail, from the temperature of the vessels used for brewing to the strains of yeast are all controlled by the brewers.

Like all alcohol, beer can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. As much as I enjoy a good food pairing, I love a simple cold beer after a long day of fishing. The best advice I have ever given, as a Certified Sommelier, is “Drink what you like.” I admit it. I like beer, too!

Social Wine

I always said that there is a wine for every paring, and a wine for every situation. As an adult, it is difficult to find a social gathering that does not include alcohol. This statement does not include church and AA gatherings. Alcohol is on nearly every single guest list at adult events.

A generation ago, one might find wine at fancy dinner parties in the US. Due to a lack of availability, wine was reserved for social events, such as weddings, christening parties, and holiday meals. The idea of “breaking out the bottle,” set the participants up for the excitement of enjoying something that isn’t a daily occurrence. Much of this aura of specialty is due to both the Prohibition laws, and the puritanical culture that spurned that moment in history.

Europe has a much less puritanical history. Wine was in cafes and restaurants across Europe for centuries. In Italy and France, wine was included in almost every meal. The availability of wine in the countries where it was produced lowered the cost. This is not to say that Europeans were drunks. The amounts poured, and the alcohol content were much less bombastic than they are in today’s wine culture. Wine’s alcohol content is heavily regulated. The average alcohol content around the world is between 11% to 13%. In the past two decades, the maximum allowable alcohol content for wine in the US has risen to 17%.

Spirits (even bathtub gin) were once hidden luxuries of Prohibition due to scarcity. A person had to know who had the illegal alcohol and where to find speakeasies, even going so far as to require a password at the door. Cognac could be found in gentleman’s studies, reserved for post dinner cigars.

Beer was much less pretentious, and less expensive to make. The availability of the ingredients was much more accessible. The cost of a beer today is still less than a glass of wine, unless that beer if a special release.

Modern beer is much more pretentious and fancy than those of the past. Modern brewers have returned to infusing their beer with herbs. Though the herbs are more for flavoring than their medicinal purposes. Some brewers age their beer in old whiskey barrels, or bourbon barrels. Some beer is even made to be aged a year or two!

The first US brewery was Eagle Brewery, in Pottsville PA. This brewery was opened by David G. Yuengling, an immigrant from Wuerttemberg Germany in 1829. In 2020, there were 8,764 registered craft breweries in the United States. That number only continues to grow. Breweries and bars continue to be meeting spots for friends, potential love matches, and hookups. “Getting a drink” once meant meeting for coffee. Gradually, this phrase evolved into “let’s get a (alcoholic) drink.”

For people who only drink moderately, the social default is usually a drink. There are a number of reasons that people visit drinking establishments. Drinking establishments are one of the few places adults can mingle without having to be part of a special interest, a cause, or belief system, and they can leave whenever is comfortable.

Breweries have become an attractive place for young families to meet up. These businesses are family-friendly, which usually means that there are toys or games for kids and families to play. Young parents use these breweries as a way to connect with adult friends who may not otherwise be comfortable visiting a house or apartment that is geared more towards children. That said, bars and breweries continue to be an adult escape for many from the rigors of child rearing.

Wine bars have risen in popularity. They offer consumers a place to try different wines before committing to a bottle, and the price tag that goes with it. At restaurants, there are wines served “by the glass,” rather than having to purchase a bottle. This allows consumers to have different pairings of wine with each course, or a single meal. So what if the Albarino doesn’t taste good with the chicken? A nice pinot noir might do the trick!

There are so many places to obtain and consume alcohol that the restrictions on age and ID are becoming increasingly harder to enforce. Businesses with liquor licenses are required to put their employees who sell and serve alcohol through a government approved Safe Serve course of some variety. These courses are necessary, because in Montana, at least, the server and bartender can be held legally liable if an intoxicated person commits a crime while under the influence. They could be charged as accessories if a drunk driver kills someone.

These courses cover everything from identifying customers who have consumed too much to safely be served more alcohol to identifying fake Ids. However, in practice, not every single person is carded (even though it is strongly recommended.). My personal “Oh crap” moment came when I carded the same gentleman who was wearing a face mask and ball cap twice in two weeks. This particular customer was actually in his 60s. Thankfully, he was amused, and not offended.

With the accessibility of alcohol, one has to wonder how mainstream culture will change. Will we become more responsible, and re-frame alcohol as just one more ingredient to an event, a meal or night out? Will the enjoyment of alcohol’s intricacies increase with the encouraged creativity that social acceptance offers? One can only hope.

Health & Booze… Healthy Booze?

As a new generation of alcohol consumers come of age, they are looking to wine and beer to be more than just fuel for a party. Today’s consumers are focusing on healthy lifestyle choices like crossfit, and yoga pants (and fitting or getting into them). These consumers want their alcohol to match their fit lifestyle.

Wine has always had a toe on the stage of wellness and medicine. In ancient Egypt, according to papyri scrolls dating back to 1850 BCE, wine and wine tinctures were used to treat asthma, epilepsy and inducing childbirth. The wines used in ancient Egypt were fortified, with herbs, resins, and berries added for medicinal and flavor benefit. At the University of Pennsylvania, researchers are studying ancient world wine and beer properties for cancer and tumor fighting treatments. (Fortified Wine Goes Way Back, AAAS)

According to the Mayo Clinic, there is a connection between red wine and lowered risk for heart attacks. Mayo Clinic staff write that this connection could be due to the antioxidants present in red wine, which increase the levels of good cholesterol, protecting arteries from bad cholesterol build up. (Red Wine & Resveratrol: Good for your heart? Mayo Clinic)

One potential heart healthy compound found in grape skins is the chemical, “Resveratrol.” Resveratrol is found to be naturally occurring in grape skins, peanuts, blueberries and cranberries. These foods are already marketed for their antioxidants, and touted as health foods. Resveratrol itself has not tested conclusively that it is responsible for any health benefits to the consumer’s heart and lung function. Many Resveratrol supplements are available, and there does not appear to be any harm caused by consuming them. However, the majority of these supplements are not able to be absorbed by the body. They neither harm nor help, but they might make you feel like you’re doing something healthy. (Red Wine & Resveratrol: Good for your heart? Mayo Clinic)

Wine is being marketed as healthy and socially conscious. Wine is now packaged in cans, for a greener footprint through recycling. There are wines that have found ways to reduce sugar, carbohydrates, and vegan friendly for the diet conscious consumer. No wine brand that I have encountered better embodies the health craze more than Fitvine Wines.

The Fitvine brand wines were originally marketed to the yoga and crossfit communities as a “Drink Clean” brand. “Drinking Clean” in this case means that the wines show no traces of pesticides, fining agents (Isingglass from fish, bone gelatin or eggs), and no flavor additives. Fitvine wines are also lower in carbohydrate and sulfite content. You might see “No Sulfites Added” on a wine label. This means that no sulfites were added to the naturally occurring ones to stabilize the wine. Fitvine wines are fermented until all the residual sugar in the grapes has been consumed by yeast. Fitvine Wine’s are touted as having 95 calories or less and less than .09 grams of sugar per 5oz glass. These wines also use a filtration system insures that the wines are vegan and gluten free.

Big Beer has jumped on the bandwagon of healthy drinking as well. Michelob Ultra’s recent ad campaign reminds consumers that it is an organic beer. Fortunately for our more discerning consumers, there are a number of smaller, craft breweries that are organic. Garbiel Haymann, a musician and yoga instructor, launched“Smart Beer,” in New York State in 2015. This was New York’s first organic brewery. In order for a beer to be considered organic, “95% of it’s ingredients must be non-GMO, no synthesized fertilizers, or pesticides.” While a number of other breweries began to produce organic beer, such as , they could not continue to produce an affordable product with the rising cost of materials, and closed their doors. (What is Organic Beer, by Chris Shott, Foodrepublic.com)

Due to the intense cost involved with testing production and product for organic standard, there are varying labels that one might see on the market. These differing labels come with different standards, some more rigorous than others.

A wine might say, “Bio-dynamic.” This means that the winery follows practices that best utilize the vineyard’s natural environment to create balance in nature and to grow the very best grapes possible. Some biodynamic wineries time their production practices in accordance with the moon cycles. (Organic/Biodynamic, Wines of Canada)

A different label might say, “Sustainable.” This means that the winery and vineyard have practices that are environmentally friendly, such as using chickens for pest control, goats for weeding, and generally organic practices. “Sustainable” wineries and vineyards may not have the finances to maintain the cost of an organic certification, but wish to express that their values do align with responsible practices. Some labels say, “Made with Organic Grapes.” This means that 70% of the grapes are certified organic, but the wine may be processed in a facility that also produces mainstream wines which contain sulfur dioxide. This is not an official certification, but rather information. (Organic/Biodynamic, Wines of Canada)

The correlation between good heart health and alcohol have always, and still remain in the realm of the mystical, yet undeniable. At the end of the day, wine and beer are still alcohol, regardless of how healthy the culture, organic the grapes, or sustainable the farming practices are. I urge you to please indulge responsibly, but do indulge.

Sources:

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2009/04/fortified-wine-goes-way-back

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/red-wine/art-20048281

https://www.fitvinewine.com/pages/about-us

https://www.foodrepublic.com/2016/06/02/what-is-organic-beer/

http://www.winesofcanada.com/organic_wines.html