Some 'wine experts' will probably go crazy when I say that a dash of soda water can make wine taste better. They have probably never tried it...
Imagine a hot summer day and you feel for something refreshing. And I don't mean a beer or a boring, too sweet, soft drink which make you sweat even more. Mineral water? Tastes like tap water with bubbles. A glass of wine perhaps? Well, this time of the day we maybe don't want to open up a bottle of the good stuff, it would be too much when it's this warm. So let's make a spritzer!
The spritzer, or 'fröccs' as it is named in Hungary where Ányos Jedlik invented the soda water in 1826, is very easy to produce:
- Take a simple, dry or semi dry, white, table wine. Or a lighter red, if you like a 'coloured' version. Add ice cold soda water (club soda) with big bubbles, as fizzy as possible. Mix in a simple high ball glass. No ice, no fancy glasses - use a simple glass for long drinks, or bigger.
For best and most economical result, make your own soda water with a soda siphon or streamer. If you don't have a soda siphon, improvise: Take (fizzy!!) mineral water - even if it won't be as good as with soda.
In case of emergency (when you are really thirsty and forgot to put the wine and water in the fridge) use some ice cubes to cool it, but rather not. Why add water to soda water!?!
Here are a couple of combinations, the names are translated from Hungarian where the spritzer culture is highly developed.
The Classic (also known as "Big spritzer")
2 dl wine, 1 dl soda water
Small spritzer (other names: "Small step" and "Whistle"
1 dl wine, 1 dl soda
Long step (sometimes "The Twisted")
1 dl wine, 2 dl soda
Janitor
3 dl wine, 2 dl soda
Vice janitor
2 dl wine, 3 dl soda
Landlord
4 dl wine, 1 dl soda
Tenant
1 dl wine, 4 dl soda
The Comedian (Krúdy spritzer)
9 dl wine, 1 dl soda
- No, the last one is not a joke. The legend says that the author only wanted to kid with the wine and only added this amount of water...
Monday 18 June 2007
Wednesday 6 June 2007
Soul
I admit that I am very conservative when it comes to wine. This doesn't mean that I only drink wine from France, Italy or other major wine producing countries in Europe - I am open minded enough to try wine from newer and unknown areas. The pure and simple explanation for my conservatism when selecting wine is that I prefer the producers with longer tradition, more experience and knowledge, and first of all - more soul - when they make their wine.
You maybe wonder what I mean with the expression 'soul'?
Well, in short terms it's about the wine makers philosophy, why he, or she, cultivates grapes and then makes wine of them. It's nothing romantic about it, although a lot of people have a romantic picture of wine making and the work that comes with it. It's hard work, with a lot of risk in it. If the wine maker doesn't cheat of course…
How do we measure the 'soul-factor' then? This is of course very difficult, specially when you haven't met and talked with, and heard the stories from, the wine maker himself (or her!). And sometimes it's impossible. Because many times wine, also among the expensive ones from famous and well known producers with high rankings on the top lists, is lacking this, for me, very important component. I fear that the wine making companies (or actually "industries") from the new world operating on the global market, and also many of the wine makers from the old world, are so streamlined to fit the "market's" demands so they can't deliver the most important ingredient which makes a wine unique, outstanding and memorable - 'soul'.
The photo was taken on the Tokaj-Hegyalja mountain at the harvest of 2002 - exactly 500 years after the Tokaji Hétszölö estate was founded. Wine has been cultivated more than 800 years in the area, and Tokaj has the oldest classification system, dated 1700 (155 years before Bordeaux!).
A wine region which for me defines 'soul' is Tokaj. Here you can find the ultimate mix of traditional wine making, history, unique terroir(s), micro climat(s), superior and ancient cellars for nursing combined with the producers passionate love to the earth and their wine.
Tokaj wine got soul.
You maybe wonder what I mean with the expression 'soul'?
Well, in short terms it's about the wine makers philosophy, why he, or she, cultivates grapes and then makes wine of them. It's nothing romantic about it, although a lot of people have a romantic picture of wine making and the work that comes with it. It's hard work, with a lot of risk in it. If the wine maker doesn't cheat of course…
How do we measure the 'soul-factor' then? This is of course very difficult, specially when you haven't met and talked with, and heard the stories from, the wine maker himself (or her!). And sometimes it's impossible. Because many times wine, also among the expensive ones from famous and well known producers with high rankings on the top lists, is lacking this, for me, very important component. I fear that the wine making companies (or actually "industries") from the new world operating on the global market, and also many of the wine makers from the old world, are so streamlined to fit the "market's" demands so they can't deliver the most important ingredient which makes a wine unique, outstanding and memorable - 'soul'.
The photo was taken on the Tokaj-Hegyalja mountain at the harvest of 2002 - exactly 500 years after the Tokaji Hétszölö estate was founded. Wine has been cultivated more than 800 years in the area, and Tokaj has the oldest classification system, dated 1700 (155 years before Bordeaux!).
A wine region which for me defines 'soul' is Tokaj. Here you can find the ultimate mix of traditional wine making, history, unique terroir(s), micro climat(s), superior and ancient cellars for nursing combined with the producers passionate love to the earth and their wine.
Tokaj wine got soul.
Thursday 31 May 2007
Good taste
Discussions about good taste are interesting. It can be provoking, and specially people who are sensitive will find the subject uncomfortable. In fact, the only time when the subject comes up and is discussed without hard feelings is when very few persons are envolved, and these persons have the same, or almost same, point of view in this matter. Why are most people afraid of discussing this issue? I'm not!
A while ago me and a friend of mine was uncorking a couple of bottles to try later on that evening. He had just returned from Switzerland where he visited a wine maker in Valais, a region from where I haven't tried so many wines, so I was really curious about what he brought to our informal tasting. I had already opened up a full bodied Refosco dal Peduncolo rosso (2001) "I Ferreti" and the potent Cabernet Franc (2003) "Vylyan".
I chose these as I knew that they were unknown to my guest, and hereby we could surprise each other.
After the first sips from the first glass my friend suddenly says:
- People have bad taste.
First I was a bit surprised by his sudden comment. Not provoked, only a little confused because the comment was so sudden and not directly related to his previous comment on the Refosco wine - which he liked.
After three seconds of thinking about what he said and ment I replied:
- I totally agree.
This may sound like we are some kind of self appointed judges of what is good or bad taste, and you may think that this is snobbery. Well, think again...
What I mean is when so many of the wine drinkers, or let's say, wine consumers, drinks so much lousy wine, and many times pays to much for it too, we can't accuse them for having good taste.
And it's not about money. Because we all know that money doesn't buy class - or good taste.
There are many examples which demonstrates this fact. One is when the middle class couple goes to a restaurant. They will probably spend at least 25 euros on the wine. Some people spend lots of more of course, but thats another discussion...
How much do you think the same couple spend on the wine for their Sunday dinner at home? Probably not more then 10-15. Most people don't even go above 5-7 euros for their grape juice consumed at home. The problem is not that the 7 euro wine is bad. The problem is that the 25 euro wine in the fancy restaurant probably didn't cost more than 7 euro if it was bought in the shop.
When you thought about that for a while you can then ask yourselves why people don't buy 25 euro wines in the shop to drink at home instead.
I think one of the reasons is that people don't care anymore, or can't. They are not thinking for themselves, and let the "experts" do the thinking part of the job. When it comes to wine people follow the so called wine expert tips, and believe in them too.
- Do you really think that the experts are unaffected by third parties, sellers and marketing professionals?
Therefor I equal 'good taste' with being independent when selecting - and it's not only about wine!
Before I end this article you maybe would like to know how the Swiss/Valais wine was? Extraordinary of course. I'm not publishing any tasting notes here, because I don't think thats important, especially if you can't try them anyway. But if you ever have been in the alps, and remember how clean everything is when breathing the high, unpolluted air. Imagine that in a glass of well composed red containing Syrah, Humagne rouge, Cornalin and Pinot noir; Balanced into perfection as a Swiss made watch.
A while ago me and a friend of mine was uncorking a couple of bottles to try later on that evening. He had just returned from Switzerland where he visited a wine maker in Valais, a region from where I haven't tried so many wines, so I was really curious about what he brought to our informal tasting. I had already opened up a full bodied Refosco dal Peduncolo rosso (2001) "I Ferreti" and the potent Cabernet Franc (2003) "Vylyan".
I chose these as I knew that they were unknown to my guest, and hereby we could surprise each other.
After the first sips from the first glass my friend suddenly says:
- People have bad taste.
First I was a bit surprised by his sudden comment. Not provoked, only a little confused because the comment was so sudden and not directly related to his previous comment on the Refosco wine - which he liked.
After three seconds of thinking about what he said and ment I replied:
- I totally agree.
This may sound like we are some kind of self appointed judges of what is good or bad taste, and you may think that this is snobbery. Well, think again...
What I mean is when so many of the wine drinkers, or let's say, wine consumers, drinks so much lousy wine, and many times pays to much for it too, we can't accuse them for having good taste.
And it's not about money. Because we all know that money doesn't buy class - or good taste.
There are many examples which demonstrates this fact. One is when the middle class couple goes to a restaurant. They will probably spend at least 25 euros on the wine. Some people spend lots of more of course, but thats another discussion...
How much do you think the same couple spend on the wine for their Sunday dinner at home? Probably not more then 10-15. Most people don't even go above 5-7 euros for their grape juice consumed at home. The problem is not that the 7 euro wine is bad. The problem is that the 25 euro wine in the fancy restaurant probably didn't cost more than 7 euro if it was bought in the shop.
When you thought about that for a while you can then ask yourselves why people don't buy 25 euro wines in the shop to drink at home instead.
I think one of the reasons is that people don't care anymore, or can't. They are not thinking for themselves, and let the "experts" do the thinking part of the job. When it comes to wine people follow the so called wine expert tips, and believe in them too.
- Do you really think that the experts are unaffected by third parties, sellers and marketing professionals?
Therefor I equal 'good taste' with being independent when selecting - and it's not only about wine!
Before I end this article you maybe would like to know how the Swiss/Valais wine was? Extraordinary of course. I'm not publishing any tasting notes here, because I don't think thats important, especially if you can't try them anyway. But if you ever have been in the alps, and remember how clean everything is when breathing the high, unpolluted air. Imagine that in a glass of well composed red containing Syrah, Humagne rouge, Cornalin and Pinot noir; Balanced into perfection as a Swiss made watch.
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