FYI, I was just forwarded the website for "Muddy River" - Boston's Environmental Film Series, occurring this weekend at Coolidge Corner. Apparently, one of the features is on wine production - see link and description from the website below. Sadly, I already have plans for Sunday afternoon - but perhaps I'll catch it another time or place...
http://www.coolidge.org/muddyriver
Mondovino
For thousands of years, wine has been a symbol of Western civilization. But, never has the fight for its soul been as desperate and defining as it is today. Never has so much pride—and money—been at stake. And, never have the battle lines been so clearly drawn between old world and new, between simple peasants and billionaires, and between the local and artisanal styles of wine production and the multinational and mass-produced ones. With wine sold at local supermarkets throughout the world, one can certainly argue that a greater number of consumers have a greater taste for wine than ever before. What that wines tastes like is another matter….
The ultimate film about wine and wine culture, MONDOVINO was filmed by award-winning director and sometime sommelier Jonathan Nossiter in five languages over a three-year period. Juxtaposing mom-and-pop wine growers with conglomerates, Nossiter intertwines multiple family dramas–some of which play like soap operas–and uncovers a complex tapestry of conflicts, conspiracies, and alliances that all stem from the production, distribution, and consumption of one of the oldest and most respected luxuries remaining.
MONDOVINO gives voice to those who create, critique, and do commerce in wine, offering up a surprisingly prismatic, varied, and sometimes controversial glimpse into something everyone enjoys but few people know much about.
dir. Jonathan Nossiter, 2h15m
Ticket Price: $6.75 All
Friday, September 21, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Grand Tastings
Yet another reason why fall is my favorite season in New England -- Grand Tastings at local wine shops. I stumbled into my first one of these years ago when I stopped at Blanchards in JP, hoping to grab a bottle of vino for a small group spaghetti dinner at the home of one Anthony Giglio. It was like winning a small lottery unexpectedly. There were dozens of wines open for tasting, food from Bukhara (a great Indian place), Wonderspice, and other local eateries -- all for free; it was a grad student's dream. I ended up purchasing a Chilean blended red -- the Big Tattoo red; I still remember this because my future wife disparaged my skills as a sommelier, chastising me for bringing bad, cheap wine to the dinner, but I digress.
That tasting was long before I had really gotten into wine. Last fall, after a hiatus of about 5 years, I returned to some of the area's grand tastings with a much better appreciation for the wonderful thing that these things are, and this year, better prepared, I plan to make even more. In any event, I thought I'd post my research here. What follows is a schedule of Grand Tastings in area wine shops this fall. Most wine shops do these in the fall to showcase new arrivals that accompany the wine harvest season. In my experience, they're great. The tastings listed below will have on hand around 70 wines to sample on average; most tastings have good food of some sort (not enough for a meal, but sufficient ballast to keep one's head while imbibing -- and of generally very high quality); and almost always there's at least a 20% discount on cases, so the present a good opportunity to stock up, if one is so inclined. I highly recommend visiting these, and if anyone wants to go as a group with Nicole and I to any listed, let us know. 2 important caveats: 1) there tend to be crowds, so anticpate spending some time and nudging elbows, and 2) even in the slightly-larger-than-communion-cup servings given per wine to taste, 70 is quite a bit -- be prepared to spit, not sample everything, or take the rest of the day (and perhaps the next) off.
AREA TASTINGS THIS FALL
9/29 -- Our Glass Wine Co. Grand Tasting (ourglasswineco.com) store located in Saugus on Rt 1. I haven't been here, but from the website, it looks very chic. Probably a chance to sample some grade-A stuff. Tasting from 3-7 pm
10/20 -- Ball Square Fine Wines Grand Tasting in Ball Sq. Somerville (http://salonfemia.com/dimsum/AboutUs.aspx). From 3-7 (I think). This is my local haunt. The shop is tiny, but they get a lot of wines in there. Very crowded, and because of space, light on the food. As you'll note, this is the night of our next wine club meeting. I view this tasting as a Matsuzakean warm up. (So named because rumor is Dice-K actually throws more pitches warming up on game days than he will throw in the game.)
11/3 -- Grapevine Travelers Grand Tasting in Medford Square (www.grapevinetravelers.com). Again, I think 3-7ish. This tasting has really good and interesting stuff. Nathan and Leann accompanied us last year. They also have beer and, last year, had olive oil available for tasting.
11/8 -- Grand Tasting at Blanchards in JP. (google Blanchards). 5:30-8:30 on a Thursday evening. Haven't been there in years, but it's time for a bit of nostalgia, I think. I'm really hoping they still serve Bukhara.
11/10 -- Downtown Liquors Grand Tasting in Davis Square. 12-4pm. The hipster snobbery and overpriced nature of Downtown makes me always want to buy booze from someone else, but they do have fantastic selection, and when they're letting me sample 70-80 wines for free within stumbling distance, I'm there. Plus, the relatively late date of this tasting puts it right at the time when autumn is festively giving way to the chill of oncoming winter. Or maybe I just saw it that way after tasting 6 dozen wines.
So those are the tastings I've researched. As I write I feel like a kid marking off days until Christmas break. Obviously, most of these center around our house, geographically speaking. If you know of any around your respective domeciles and want to inform the group of them, that would be appreciated.
See you all soonish.
That tasting was long before I had really gotten into wine. Last fall, after a hiatus of about 5 years, I returned to some of the area's grand tastings with a much better appreciation for the wonderful thing that these things are, and this year, better prepared, I plan to make even more. In any event, I thought I'd post my research here. What follows is a schedule of Grand Tastings in area wine shops this fall. Most wine shops do these in the fall to showcase new arrivals that accompany the wine harvest season. In my experience, they're great. The tastings listed below will have on hand around 70 wines to sample on average; most tastings have good food of some sort (not enough for a meal, but sufficient ballast to keep one's head while imbibing -- and of generally very high quality); and almost always there's at least a 20% discount on cases, so the present a good opportunity to stock up, if one is so inclined. I highly recommend visiting these, and if anyone wants to go as a group with Nicole and I to any listed, let us know. 2 important caveats: 1) there tend to be crowds, so anticpate spending some time and nudging elbows, and 2) even in the slightly-larger-than-communion-cup servings given per wine to taste, 70 is quite a bit -- be prepared to spit, not sample everything, or take the rest of the day (and perhaps the next) off.
AREA TASTINGS THIS FALL
9/29 -- Our Glass Wine Co. Grand Tasting (ourglasswineco.com) store located in Saugus on Rt 1. I haven't been here, but from the website, it looks very chic. Probably a chance to sample some grade-A stuff. Tasting from 3-7 pm
10/20 -- Ball Square Fine Wines Grand Tasting in Ball Sq. Somerville (http://salonfemia.com/dimsum/AboutUs.aspx). From 3-7 (I think). This is my local haunt. The shop is tiny, but they get a lot of wines in there. Very crowded, and because of space, light on the food. As you'll note, this is the night of our next wine club meeting. I view this tasting as a Matsuzakean warm up. (So named because rumor is Dice-K actually throws more pitches warming up on game days than he will throw in the game.)
11/3 -- Grapevine Travelers Grand Tasting in Medford Square (www.grapevinetravelers.com). Again, I think 3-7ish. This tasting has really good and interesting stuff. Nathan and Leann accompanied us last year. They also have beer and, last year, had olive oil available for tasting.
11/8 -- Grand Tasting at Blanchards in JP. (google Blanchards). 5:30-8:30 on a Thursday evening. Haven't been there in years, but it's time for a bit of nostalgia, I think. I'm really hoping they still serve Bukhara.
11/10 -- Downtown Liquors Grand Tasting in Davis Square. 12-4pm. The hipster snobbery and overpriced nature of Downtown makes me always want to buy booze from someone else, but they do have fantastic selection, and when they're letting me sample 70-80 wines for free within stumbling distance, I'm there. Plus, the relatively late date of this tasting puts it right at the time when autumn is festively giving way to the chill of oncoming winter. Or maybe I just saw it that way after tasting 6 dozen wines.
So those are the tastings I've researched. As I write I feel like a kid marking off days until Christmas break. Obviously, most of these center around our house, geographically speaking. If you know of any around your respective domeciles and want to inform the group of them, that would be appreciated.
See you all soonish.
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