posted March 29, 2005 05:17 PM            

Finding Gold in a Glass of Pilsner
By ERIC ASIMOV

ROM a strictly technical point of view, Budweiser beer is a colossal brewing achievement. It takes great skill for Budweiser to be able to make millions of barrels of pilsner each year and for it always to taste the same, no matter where you buy it. But from the beer-lover's perspective, Budweiser is good by the icy gulp on a summer afternoon when you require a cold sensation, but so flavorless and bland that, when your taste buds wake up, they might despair of the pilsner category altogether.

Pilsners should be refreshing and invigorating all the time, whether you've just played nine innings in the sun or are simply watching the game. Few other beers are as crisp and nervy as a good pilsner. It should snap your mouth to attention with a clean, bracing bitterness, delicate floral aromas and perhaps a suggestion of sweetness.

Unlike ales, which can be complex and even profound, pilsners make a virtue of their simplicity, offering instead an uncluttered purity and liveliness.

Pilsners are a subset of lagers, which along with ales are the two main groups of beers. Ale is the older style, dating back to ancient Mesopotamia. Lager beers were not developed until the 15th century or so. Back then, before refrigeration, beer could only be brewed in the cold weather. In order to have beer in the summer, Bavarian brewers began making and storing beer in frigid alpine caves.

Unlike the ales, which were ready to drink shortly after brewing, these cold-brewed beers fermented more slowly and needed time to mature before they were ready to drink. They came to be called lagers, after the German word for storage. It wasn't until much later, in the 19th century, that scientists discovered the role of yeasts in fermentation and that ales and lagers were the products of different strains of yeast. The yeasts in ale floated to the top of the brew, where brewers scooped them out to begin their next batch. In lagers the yeasts sank to the bottom.

These Bavarian lagers were mostly dark, but in 1842, in the town of Pilsen in Czech Bohemia, a new golden lager was introduced. The beer caused a sensation, especially since it was only recently that clear glass vessels had become generally available and people could actually see the color of what they were drinking. The golden lager was soon widely imitated. Called pilsner or sometimes pilsener or pils, it eventually became the most popular style of beer in the world.

When the Dining section's tasting panel decided to sample a selection of pilsners, we stayed away from the mass-market brands, which have as much relation to real pilsner as sliced American cheese has to a good English cheddar. Instead we sought out pilsners from the home territory of the Czech Republic and Germany, as well as from American craft brewers who are scrupulous about their beers. In all we tried 25 beers, including 11 from Germany, 8 from the Czech Republic and 4 from the United States, as well as 1 from Poland and 1 from Thailand.

Thailand? Singha beer, ubiquitous in Thai restaurants, is made in the pilsner style, though our bottle lacked any sort of personality. Many popular Asian beers, like Kirin, Tsingtao and Kingfisher, are pilsners, though they tend more toward the bland side, exhibiting less bitterness and character than true pilsners. Brewers of many of these beers, as well as of mass-market American pilsner-style beers, supplement malted barley with adjuncts like corn or rice. The best pilsners only use malted barley.

For the tasting Florence Fabricant and I were joined by Lew Bryson, a beer and travel writer, and Phil Markowski, brewmaster at the Southampton Publick House, a restaurant and brewery in Southampton, N.Y.

We were all struck by how vibrant and alive the American brews tasted in comparison to some of the European beers. The Americans easily took the top three spots on our list of 10 recommended beers.

Our top beer, the Prima Pils from the Victory Brewing Company, sounded a clear chord with its vivacity and assertive bitterness. The Stoudt Pils, our No. 2 beer, was a bit subtler but still highly expressive of the Bohemian pilsner style, while our No. 3, from the Great Lakes Brewing Company, was much fuller-bodied than the first two, fitting for a beer emulating the German Dortmunder export style.

Mr. Bryson, as much as he liked the Great Lakes beer, said it was quite a bit bigger than a Dortmunder beer would ever be.

"A German would throw his kids in the river if he brewed a beer like that," Mr. Bryson said.

It's a pity that we could not find many American craft beers made in the pilsner style. It may be that American beer fans (including most craft brewers) were weaned on the pallid mass-market beers and hence gravitated toward more full-flavored styles. Or it might be the difficulty of making good pilsner.

"It is a beer of great finesse," wrote Garrett Oliver in his book "The Brewmaster's Table" (Harpercollins, 2003). "Brewers sometimes refer to pilsner, with some trepidation as 'naked,' meaning that there's nowhere for imperfect flavors to hide."

Unfortunately for some of the imports, lack of freshness was a real problem. Beers that I have loved in the past, like the brisk, bitter Jever from northern Germany, seemed stale and dead. It was paradoxical, to say the least, since an attraction of the early lagers was how stable they were in comparison to ales of the day.

"They made me remember why I stopped drinking bottled imported beer," Mr. Bryson said. Unless you have a trusted retailer who keeps beer refrigerated, imported beers may best be enjoyed on tap, with the additional proviso - they never end! - that the bar carefully tends to its draft apparatus.

Nonetheless some of the imports were exceptional, like the Würzburger Hofbräu from Germany, exactly what I'd want at a ballgame or after mowing a lawn. The Radeberger, too, had plenty of character.

The Czech beers did less well than the Germans, which Mr. Markowski suggested was because they were less familiar and therefore sat on shelves longer, losing freshness. The two that made our list were the most familiar Czech names. Pilsner Urquell is the original pilsner, still brewed in Pilsen, and if our bottle was not as lively as we would have preferred, it still showed its pedigree.

Our other Czech beer, Czechvar, also has a proud heritage. It comes from the town of Budweis, and in Europe it is called Budweiser Budvar. In this country it is not permitted to use the name Budweiser, as Anheuser-Busch has prior claim to it, or even Budvar. So it is called Czechvar instead. No matter. Its malty, lingering flavor could teach our Budweiser a thing or two.

Tasting Report: Fresh, Lively Flavors With a Welcome Bitterness

Victory Prima Pils, Downingtown, Pa.
$1.40, 12 ounces
*** 1/2
Alive in the mouth, with citrus aromas and a fine bitterness.

Stoudt Pils, Adamstown, Pa.
$1.40, 12 ounces
***
Lively and refreshing with brisk, subtle flavors.

Great Lakes Brewing Dortmunder Gold, Cleveland
$1.30, 12 ounces
***
Full-bodied, with fresh fruit and floral aromas and a lively bitterness.

Würzburger Hofbräu, Pilsner, Germany
$1.40, 11.2 ounces
***
Crisp, bracing and balanced, bitter and malty. Importer: St. Killian Importing, Kingston, Mass.)

Radeberger Pilsner, Germany
$1.40, 12 ounces
** 1/2
Malty and bitter, with a fresh, lively character. (Binding Brauerei, Norwalk, Conn.)

EKU Pils, Germany
$1.80, 11.2 ounces
** 1/2
Lean yet substantial; assertively bitter. (Shelton Brothers, Belchertown, Mass.)

Dinkel Acker CD, Pils, Germany
$1.40, 12 ounces
** 1/2
Citrus aroma and a soft malt character. (Spaten, Little Neck, N.Y.)

Pilsner Urquell, Czech Republic
$1.50, 12 ounces
**
Spicy bitterness but also an unexpected sweetness. (Pilsner Urquell, Washington, D.C.)

Pinkus Organic Ur, Pils, Germany
$3.25, 25 ounces
**
Hazy, unfiltered appearance; lingering bitter aftertaste. (Merchant du Vin, Tukwila, Wash.)

posted April 18, 2005 07:17 PM            

LONDON (AFP) - A British restaurant emerged as the best in the world in an annual list that also revealed Britain -- a country often laughed at for its poor food -- is home to the largest number of top eateries.

The Fat Duck, in a village in Berkshire, west of London, won the coveted title of top dining spot at The World's 50 Best Restaurant's 2005 awards on Monday night, which also featured 13 other restaurants in Britain alone.

Critics, however, argued that the annual list -- compiled by the magazine Restaurant and chosen by more than 500 chefs and experts -- was more of a guide on good places to eat rather than the best the world has to offer.

Comprising entries from mainly developed countries, France had eight restaurants inside the top 50, while the United States only had six.

Asia was notably lacking in representation at the awards in London, with just one restaurant in Hong Kong, called Felix, coming in at number 49.

Owned by chef Heston Blumenthal, The Fat Duck in Bray wowed the judges with original dishes such as sardine on toast sorbet and bacon and egg ice cream.

"It's a complete package of enjoyment I am after," said Blumenthal, whose scientific approach to creating new flavours has seen him dubbed the guru of "molecular gastronomy", according to The Guardian newspaper.

"If I discover something new and get a sense of excitement about it, I want to pass it on to the customer in the dining room," he was quoted as saying by the daily.

"It is like when you see an incredible view or drink a great bottle of wine -- the experience is heightened if you share it with someone else."

The restaurant, which offers three extensive menus ranging in price from 37.50 pounds (71 dollars, 55 euros) for lunch to 97.50 pounds, snatched the top slot from The French Laundry in California, pushing it into third place.

Second in line was Spain's El Bulli, while fourth and fifth went to Tetsuya's in Sydney and Gordon Ramsay in London.

Ella Johnston, the editor of Restaurant magazine, said the public's growing enthusiasm for food drove Britain's dynamic restaurant scene -- which has moved far away from the stereotypical, bland image of meat-and-two-veg in the past.

"British chefs used to just go abroad to the US and France," she was quoted as saying in The Guardian.

"Now, with people becoming more adventurous eaters and with more money in London and the surrounding areas, they know they will have an audience for great food," she said.

Jay Rayner, a food critic in the weekly Observer newspaper, however, argued that the list was an unfair reflection of the world's dining industry.

"By no stretch of the imagination are 14 of the world's best restaurants in the UK," he said in the Observer's sister Guardian newspaper.

While agreeing that The Fat Duck deserved its number one rating and other eateries were tasty, Rayner said: "The list is a collection of 50 good restaurants, some of which deserve to be there, some of which don't.

posted April 27, 2005 10:47 AM            

By Edward Deitch
Wine columnist
MSNBC

There’s a secret to buying imported wines that I’ve come to rely on over the years — learning about the importer. Knowing his (or her) philosophy can greatly increase your chances of finding a superior wine.

A case in point is Robert Kacher Selections, a Washington, D.C.,-based importer of wines from France, many of them inexpensive standouts worth discovering.

Take the 2003 Grange des Rouquette, a blend of marsanne and viognier made by Thierry and Veronique Boudinaud in Fournes, on the west side of the Rhône River across from Avignon and the famed Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Officially, this white is a vin de pays, or “country wine,” a designation for wines that fall outside the French appellation system, with its strict requirements that govern permissible grape varieties, harvest yields and other aspects of winemaking. Sometimes, though, vins de pays can be as good or better than wines with better-known names, such as Côtes du Rhône. This one is a perfect example.

At about $11, it is beautifully sophisticated, fruity and floral, fresh yet round and bold, a wine that seems made for spring with its lovely complexity. The blend is 60 percent marsanne and 40 percent viognier, which combine floral and tropical fruit (from the viognier) with herbs, spice and smoke (more from the marsanne). Fermentation and aging take place in stainless steel tanks, with no exposure to oak. I found pear and melon, a bit of orange rind and even some nuts in the mix. It’s not every day you’ll find such complexity at this price.

So what accounts for it in this wine? It gets back to the philosophy of the importer. Robert Kacher tells me that the Boudinauds farm about 15 acres of white grapes and 35 acres or so of red. In this context, they’re small “estate” growers, meaning that they make their wines from their own fruit, as opposed to some larger producers or cooperatives that buy grapes from many growers and blend them.

Which takes us to another of Thierry Boudinaud’s wines (and one that Kacher would probably prefer we overlooked). Not everything he puts his hand on, it turns out, is about small production. While focusing on his own vineyard, Boudinaud, who has worked as a winemaker all over the world, remains the winemaker for “Fat Bastard,” the highly popular Rhône brand that he helped create and whose production will total about 450,000 cases this year.

As for Kacher, he has made his name with the wines of small “estate” producers. “Those big factories,” as he dismissively refers to the larger operations, “maybe you like their wine sometimes, but they’re not controlling the origin of the fruit, because typically they’re just dealing in bulk. They never see the grapes ripen, they’re not picking.” In other words, they’re not making wine the way Thierry Boudinaud does (at least not on his farm).

posted May 09, 2005 05:36 PM            

By Gordon T. Anderson, CNN/Money staff writer

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Once, dining at one of the world's best restaurants meant being served by white-gloved waiters from a menu that followed a classic repertoire.

For the most part, chefs worked off the same page of a dusty cookbook. A kitchen was judged by the texture of its bernaise sauce, or whether its creme brulee cracked just so.

Technique and execution, not innovation, made a chef "great."

Today, the best chefs still know how to roast a duck and render its fat. But over the past 20 years, a reformation has swept through the temples of fine dining. Inventiveness is everything now.

Many ambitious modern chefs would no sooner cook in the classic style than Kobe Bryant would wear black canvas high-tops.

A recently released ranking of the world's top eateries reveals that to be the best, a chef must be creative to the point of absurdity.

In April, the British magazine Restaurant unveiled its fourth annual global ranking of the 50 Best Restaurants. According to spokesperson Rebecca Reed, this year's poll was the magazine's biggest yet. (Click here to see it.)

The list is compiled from an international survey of chefs, restaurateurs and food journalists. And the No. 1 conclusion to draw from it might be that "haute cuisine" now means "wacky."

May I recommend the molecular gastronomy?
The quiet village of Bray, a London suburb in the Berkshire countryside, is home to two restaurants on the list, including the one occupying the top spot, the Fat Duck.

There, Heston Blumenthal, 38, is at the forefront of a radical style of cooking known as "molecular gastronomy."

A popular perception of a top chef is as a painter using the plate as a canvas. But Blumenthal -- like the style's founding father, Ferran Adria of second-ranked El Bulli in Spain -- is as much a chemist as an artist.

Chefs like these approach food as a collection of tastes and textures whose attributes may be reduced to their most elemental form, then recast in daring ways.

When a master chef thinks of food in this manner, the results can be startling.

The Fat Duck serves items like sardine-flavored sorbet, snail porridge, or a puree of mango and Douglas fir.

At El Bulli, you might have monkfish liver with tomato seeds and citrus or barnacles with tea foam. Yeast soup may appear on the menu, too.

For some reason, molecular gastronomists really like ice cream. Ferran Adria makes a version that tastes like parmesan cheese. Blumenthal concocts his with smoked bacon and eggs.

In a magazine profile a few years ago, Adria defended his approach as nothing more than ultra-refined technique, married to unusually playful creativity.

"People say, 'Oh, there is all this chemistry at El Bulli!' But there is chemistry and physics in every kitchen, in all cooking," he told Newsweek. "The magic moment, when you find that gelatin can be [transformed into] tagliatelle, I cannot explain."

Whether pasta made out of Jell-o sounds exotic or just silly, there's plenty of method to the madness. Crowded dining rooms and reservations that take a year to get are proof.

posted May 16, 2005 05:41 PM            

Wine lovers can't be barred from shipping home bottles purchased from out-of-state vineyards they visit in person or on the Internet, the Supreme Court said Monday in a decision toasted by the wine industry.

The 5-4 ruling struck down laws in New York and Michigan as discriminatory because they allow in-state wineries, but not out-of-state businesses, to ship directly to consumers. It means that as many as 24 states that currently bar out-of-state shipments will have to revise their laws so wineries are treated equally.

The decision was cheered by wine lovers who said it would promote Internet sales around the country, leading to lower prices and more choices.

"This is the best day for wine lovers since the invention of the corkscrew," said Clint Bolick, counsel for the Institute for Justice, which represented local wineries in the dispute.

Critics said the ruling usurped a state's right to control alcohol within its borders and could promote underage drinking because proof of age would not be required for Internet purchases.

Ultimately it will be up to state legislatures to decide how best to put wineries on equal footing — either by loosening restrictions to let all wineries sell directly to consumers, or by tightening laws to bar all businesses from doing so.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, said that while states have broad authority under the Constitution to regulate alcohol, they may not discriminate against out-of-state wineries simply to protect local economic interests.

"It is evident that the object and design of the Michigan and New York statutes is to grant in-state wineries a competitive advantage over wineries located beyond the states' borders," Kennedy wrote in an opinion joined by Justices Antonin Scalia, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer.

The wine industry is booming, with an estimated $21.6 billion in sales and tourists flocking to wineries for tastings and tours. The recent hit movie "Sideways" took a lighthearted look at California's love affair with the grape.

While wineries have proliferated, there also has been consolidation. Smaller wineries say they can't compete with huge companies unless they can sell directly to customers over the Internet or by letting visitors to their wineries ship bottles home.

The ruling does not affect international wineries; to buy from them, U.S. consumers typically must go through importers or pay duties when bringing bottles into the United States.

The case centered on the 21st Amendment, which ended Prohibition in 1933 and granted states authority to regulate alcohol sales. Nearly half the states subsequently passed laws requiring outside wineries to sell their products through licensed wholesalers within the state, enabling state governments to collect millions in alcohol taxes.

But the Constitution also prohibits states from discriminating against out-of-state businesses. That led to a challenge to the Michigan and New York laws by winemakers who want to cater to Internet customers.

In a dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas argued the ruling needlessly overturns long-established regulations aimed partly at protecting minors. State regulators under the 21st Amendment have clear authority to regulate alcohol as they see fit, he wrote.

"The court does this nation no service by ignoring the textual commands of the Constitution and acts of Congress," Thomas wrote. He was joined by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and John Paul Stevens.

Internet and telephone sales by wineries currently account for just 1 percent to 2 percent of domestic wine sales, a figure that advocates say will grow as states loosen alcohol sales restrictions.

Juanita Swedenburg, the Middleburg, Va., vintner who sued to overturn New York's laws so she could sell her brand there, called the ruling "a boon for America's wine-loving consumers."

Nida Samona, chairwoman of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, called the decision a setback for state efforts to battle underage drinking. She said her commission will urge lawmakers to bar direct shipments for both local and out-of-state wineries.

While the ruling only involves wine sales, industry groups expect it will soon apply to beer and other alcoholic beverages now regulated through state-licensed wholesalers and retailers.

The Washington-based Institute for Justice says the 24 states that ban direct shipments from out-of-state wineries are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Vermont.

posted June 15, 2005 10:43 AM            

By Jon Bonné
MSNBC

Fathers have a seemingly genetic urge to fire up the barbecue. Given the choice, Dad would more than likely relish the chance to spend his special afternoon out at the grill, cooking over an open fire.

You might foolishly try and deny him this simple pleasure during much of the year (“You must be kidding, dear, it’s snowing”) but come Father’s Day — and for the rest of the summer — you do so at your own peril.

With hunks of seared meat, of course, come ripe, robust red wines. In most households, that means Cabernet sauvignon, and with good reason. Even ho-hum Cabs offer big, decent fruit flavors and solid tannins, two things essential to punching up a meal off the grill.

But a life spent drinking only Cab can be downright boring, and besides, we all know Cab is a good match. So why not hunt down some less obvious choices?

I recently fired up my trusty Weber and convened a panel to taste other possibilities, everything from cru Beaujolais (“named” Beaujolais such as Brouilly and Fleurie) to Napa sangiovese. Our sauce-smeared findings:

Spanish garnacha
We were dazzled by two wines from the Calatayud region in north-central Spain, both made from the garnacha grape (Spanish for grenache).

While grenache too often ends up tasting flabby and blah, like a bowl of mushed fruit, both wines had great structure and character.

The Tres Ojos 2003 Old Vines garnacha (Kysela Pere et Fils, $9) offered mouth-filling fruit with a bright core. It’s a big wine (14.5 percent alcohol) and the tannins are robust, but it’s got perfect touches of sweetness and heat to tame grilled meat.

By contrast, the Niño Jesus 2001 Estecillo Legado Viñas Viejas (Millésime, $11) was more delicate and aromatic, if still plenty brawny, with a peppery backbone.

Calatayud isn’t nearly so well known as Priorat or even La Mancha. But with wines like these, it’s sure to make a strong bid as the next destination for red wine bargains.

Barbera
Ever-versatile barbera, native to Italy’s Piedmont region, seemed like it might be too fragile for the grill. Not true at all.

Barbera comes in a wide array of styles, some more focused on fruit, some more on earthy notes. Both can be irresistible for an outdoor meal, and the nice part is that most barberas aren’t so heavy that they weigh down your palate.

Some of the tasters gathered around our grill were partial to the Marchesi di Barolo 2003 barbera d’Alba Ruvei (Palm Bay Imports, $13), which manages to be juicy (“chewy,” one taster said) without losing a nice loamy hint at the end that matched not only meat but grilled veggies too. This popular winery makes several barberas, all of them consistently good.

Barbera isn’t frequently planted in the United States, but several people were happily surprised by a northern California newcomer. Though the Shannnon Ridge 2003 Lake County barbera ($19) proves itself a far heftier wine than the Italian version, its deep plum and dark cherry notes are matched by a perfumed nose and a hint of warm oak — all of which complement food off the grill. “The best barbera I’ve ever had, domestically,” said one taster.

Zinfandel
Traditionally, this should be a perfect barbecue match. It certainly can be, but too many zins — including some we tried — offer nothing more than a fruit avalanche. Choose carefully.

Our best results came from some familiar names. Rosenblum Cellars 2003 Continente Vineyard ($16), made with grapes off decades-old vines in the unheralded San Fransisco Bay appellation, was a standout. A massive wine (“Big enough to stand up to boudin,” said one Cajun-loving taster; other notes are too saucy to include here), it’s packed full of plum and licorice — complex and spicy without being over the top. Rosenblum’s non-vintage Vintners Cuvee XXVII ($9) is lighter and tangier, but remains as consistent and reliable as ever. Both taste like they were built for barbecue.

The Dry Creek Vineyard 2002 Heritage zinfandel ($13) doesn’t pack quite the fruity wallop — and it wasn’t for everyone (“No!” wrote one taster). But it has elegant scents of flowers and brown spices, and it plays well with food.

Syrah, shiraz and the like
The children of the Rhône should be gimmes for grilled food, but our results were mixed.

Though I personally had high hopes for blends, many clashed with the grilled brisket I served. There was one strong bid for the Perrin Réserve 2003 Côtes du Rhône (Vineyard Brands, $10), which was praised as “mouthfilling” and a great value.

As for syrah, a bigger, jammier domestic style seems best tailored to the grill. The Vina Robles 2001 Estate syrah ($16) from Paso Robles offered lush dark cherry and cassis, with a graceful body and slightly tannic finish that warmed to food. More obscure, but thoroughly luscious, was the Rulo 2003 syrah ($17) from Walla Walla, Wash.

Other options
The ripasso method of making wine from the Verona region of Italy — essentially, vinifying grapes atop the crushed almost-raisined remnants of corvina grapes used to make Amarone — proved a great match for the grill. Basically, they’re fortified versions of Valpolicella

The dried fruit and smoky notes in a good ripasso marches in step with the taste of barbecue sauce over an open flame. One well-known contender, the Masi 2001 Campofiorin (Remy Amerique, $15), was concentrated but bright, with a moderate body and soft, glossy finish.

Some people find petite sirah (only vaguely related to syrah) too harsh, but the pronounced dark berry notes and hefty tannins make for a happy pairing with grill-fired meat. The Concannon 2003 Central Coast petite sirah ($12) is affordable and balanced, with a bit of warm oak and a chewy finish.

posted June 22, 2005 01:29 PM            

By Mike Hegedus
CNBC

It’s a celebration of all things brown, at least in the multi-billion distilled-spirits business. At the Chicago Whiskey Festival, producers from around the globe are on hand to entice the sipping set to try whatever's new, which in whiskey usually means whatever is “old.”

“Old Fitzgerald, Cabin Still, all the imagery and the sell is tradition,” says Dean Phillips, president and CEO of Phillips Distilling, based in Minneapolis. “If you go to the vodka section you see all new, sexy, packaging, and we thought there has to be an opportunity to transfer those key learnings to this section.”

And that’s exactly what he’s doing.

“We're probably best known for inventing the schnapps category in 1935, followed by the flavored vodka category in the 1950's. My father Eddie Phillips, his vision was luxury vodka in the 1990's, he started Belvedere and Chopin vodka, and now we're trying to 'reinvent' the whiskey category.”

The reinvention is Phillips-Union, a blended, premium, small batch, whiskey -- the “union” of Canadian whiskey and Kentucky bourbon that “smoothes” out the traditional bite in the category. And Phillips hopes it appeals to a whole new generation of whiskey drinkers.

“It's the same thing Andrew Rusher did in Scotland when he was the first to take whiskey from different parts of Scotland and put them together in the same bottle. To this day 90 per cent of Scotches sold are blended scotches,” says Phillips.

But Phillips is doing more than blending -- he's “flavoring.” He’s produced the first “flavored” whiskey in America, a vanilla and a cherry version. If it worked for vodka -- and it did in a very big way with flavored vodka accounting 15 percent of all vodka sales -- why not the whiskey category? Forty-four million cases of whiskey were sold in the U.S. last year, most of it mixed with something else.

“People are ordering $12 Manhattans in New York City and often times the bartender will pour a $1.99 maraschino cherry juice in the Manhattan. Why not add natural royal ann cherry flavor to the whiskey ahead of time … you're half way there my friend,” Phillips says.

Being a small company -- only 15 members are permanent staff -- Phillips thinks he has an advantage over the bigger players in the distilled spirits business. While they're working on merger and acquisitions, he's working on new product and can afford to keep it in the pipeline and on the shelves a lot longer than they can, thus increasing his chances of success.

posted June 27, 2005 03:55 PM            

After reading this, you will never look at a banana in the same way again!
Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose, and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just 2 bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. But, energy is not the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a number of conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood, and generally make you feel happier.

Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US. Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Heartburn:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Nerves:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain, and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

posted July 06, 2005 05:52 PM            

The Associated Press

ST. HELENA, Calif. - Forty years after a feud that rocked California wine country, brothers Robert and Peter Mondavi are making wine together again.

"It's the right time, right now," says Tim Mondavi, Robert's son, who is working with his uncle and cousins on the multigenerational venture.

The new wine, a single barrel of a cabernet blend, will be offered at this year's Auction Napa Valley, the 25th anniversary of the famous wine charity event.

The lot, "Ancora Una Volta," or "Once Again," has bittersweet overtones. The auction — largely the brainchild of Robert Mondavi — is taking place without a Mondavi at the helm of the Robert Mondavi Corp., which was sold to Constellation Brands last year for $1.3 billion.

Still, it was the sale that opened the door to the family winemaking venture.

In an interview at his family's Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena, the elder Peter Mondavi said the families had discussed making wine together for years but he had been reluctant to do that as long as his brother was the head of a public corporation.

"We've been always family oriented. We grew up that way," he said. "When you go public, your stockholders are not inclined to be in the wine business except for the almighty dollar. So, it's a question of money vs. love of the product. That's the way we feel about it."

With the sale, the idea for the brothers to make one last barrel together was on and "it's amazing how well they've got on together," he said.

The new wine is made half from grapes from Peter Mondavi's Yountville vineyards and half from the Robert Mondavi Oakville ToKalon vineyards. The buyer gets lunch and a sample of the wine with the Mondavis the day after the June 4 auction, as well as a spring lunch to see how things are shaping up and a release dinner in August 2006. There'll be enough wine to make 60 magnums — 1.5-liter bottles.

The younger generation has done day-to-day work on the wine, but Peter and Robert Mondavi, who are both in their 90s, have been involved in tasting and approving blends.

"It's a powerful wine. Dark in color. Rich in character," says Peter Mondavi, Jr.

The Mondavi wine will be sold at a redesigned auction which has been trimmed from a six-hour afternoon marathon to a shorter evening affair. Ticket prices were tripled, to $7,500 per couple for the full four-day event, and talk show star Jay Leno has been hired as host.

Tim Mondavi remembers going with his father when he first presented the idea of an auction to Napa Valley vintners and getting reactions ranging from "There goes crazy Bob again!" to "What a great idea!"

The idea stuck, raising more than $50 million for local health care, housing and other causes over the years. The event hit a high of $9.5 million in 2000, but totals since then have dropped. Last year, the auction brought in about $5 million.

By the time the auction was founded, in 1981, the Mondavis had already split apart.

The Mondavi story goes back to 1906 when family patriarch Cesare Mondavi moved from Italy to Minnesota. The family later moved to California and got into the grape business, buying the Krug winery in the Napa Valley in 1943.

For 20 years, the winery was a family business. But Robert and Peter, the younger brother by 14 months, clashed frequently. Robert Mondavi had ambitious plans for the winery; Peter Mondavi had a more conservative style. According to Robert Mondavi's autobiography "Harvests of Joy," matters came to a head in November 1965 when the brothers got into a fist fight at Krug.

"When it was all over, there were no apologies and no handshake," wrote Robert Mondavi.

Instead came a fierce court battle that ended with Robert founding his namesake winery in 1966, starting over at age 52.

Robert Mondavi went on to become a world-renowned champion of Napa Valley wines, pioneering new technology and spreading a message that California wines could compete with the French greats.

Peter Mondavi, the quieter brother, remained the head of Krug, running it with his family.

Over time, Peter and Robert Mondavi reconciled. But it appeared the 1965 vintage at Krug would be the last for the brothers.

Until now.

posted July 08, 2005 02:55 PM            

The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY - Production and exports of Mexico's most famous liquor reached record levels in the first half of the year, according to the tequila industry's regulatory council.

Overall production hit 110.2 million liters, up from 87.4 million liters for the same period last year and from the previous record, 95.8 million liters, in 2000.

Of that, 60.8 million liters were exported, up from the previous record of 54.9 million liters for the same period last year.

The previous six-month production record appeared to be 97.6 million liters in the first half of 1999 as the industry headed for a record yearly output of 190.6 million liters.

The first half of 2005 also saw record production of premium, 100 percent agave tequilas: 37.2 million liters, a jump of 84.15 percent over first-half 2004's figure of 20.2 million liters. Exports of premium tequila hit 10.5 million liters, up from 7.4 million liters in the same period last year.

posted July 19, 2005 01:26 PM            

Dark chocolate can not only soothe your soul but can lower blood pressure too, researchers reported Monday.

The study, published by the American Heart Association, joins a growing body of research that show compounds found in chocolate called flavonoids can help the blood vessels work more smoothly, perhaps reducing the risk of heart disease.

"Previous studies suggest flavonoid-rich foods, including fruits, vegetables, tea, red wine and chocolate, might offer cardiovascular benefits, but this is one of the first clinical trials to look specifically at dark chocolate's effect on lowering blood pressure among people with hypertension," said Jeffrey Blumberg of Tufts University in Boston, who led the study.

"This study is not about eating more chocolate," Blumberg added. "It suggests that cocoa flavonoids appear to have benefits on vascular function and glucose sensitivity."

Scientists are far from being able to make specific recommendations for patients based on their research on chocolate, and nutritionists have urged people to be cautious because chocolate is high in fat, sugar and calories.

Blumberg and colleagues at the University of L'Aquila in Italy studied 10 men and 10 women with high blood pressure.

For 15 days, half ate a daily 3.5 ounce (100 gram) bar of specially formulated, flavonoid-rich dark chocolate, while the other half ate the same amount of white chocolate.

Then each group "crossed over" and ate the other chocolate.

"White chocolate, which has no flavonoids, was the perfect control food because it contains all the other ingredients and calories found in dark chocolate," Blumberg said.

"It's important to note that the dark chocolate we used had a high level of flavonoids, giving it a slightly bittersweet taste. Most Americans eat milk chocolate, which has a low amount of these compounds."

Writing in the journal Hypertension, Blumberg's team said when the volunteers ate the special dark chocolate, they had a 12 mm Hg decrease in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) and a 9 mm Hg decrease in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) on average.

Blood pressure did not change when the volunteers ate white chocolate.

"This is not only a statistically significant effect, but it's also a clinically meaningful decline," Blumberg said. "This is the kind of reduction in blood pressure often found with other healthful dietary interventions."

Eating dark chocolate also seemed to improve how the body used insulin, and reduced low density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol by about 10 percent on average.

posted July 21, 2005 10:43 AM            

By Edward Deitch
Wine columnist

When friends ask me where to find good, reasonably priced wines, I most often tell them to go east — to Italy, Spain or France. True, California produces a lot of inexpensive wines, but I generally find them to be disappointingly generic.

Every once in a while, though, there’s a surprise, like the one I found one the other night.

The story begins late in the evening after a long day. I get home to find a few slices of steak left on the cutting board. The meat is cool — perfect on a sticky night. There’s a rosé in the fridge, but I’ve been there and done that this summer. Yes, it’s hot out, but I am craving a red wine.

But which wine? Well, nothing too fancy or expensive for this quick fix of a meal. How about that 2002 Louis M. Martini Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon that’s been lying around for a while? For $15, why not?

Pop! The first splash and a few swirls in the glass reveal bright, attractive red berry fruit on the nose — cranberry comes to mind — as well as earthy and sweet aromas that I like to call “fruit orchard.” In the mouth, raspberry, cherry, vanilla and a hint of tobacco emerge. The fruit, sourced from various Sonoma vineyards, is ripe and delicious and the wine has unusually firm tannic structure for its price. (Interestingly, it continued to open up over a 24-hour period; the flavors were even deeper by the next evening.)

The wine is 90 percent cabernet sauvignon, with small amounts of merlot, cabernet franc and malbec blended in, giving it roundness and complexity. As I often do, I chilled it just a bit to make it more refreshing on a hot evening. This is a perfect cab for dining on the porch or patio or to bring to an outdoor summer concert. It has to be one of the best California cabernets at this price.

Louis M. Martini is an old California brand started in the Napa Valley in 1933 by an Italian immigrant. It is still run by the Martini family, although wine giant Gallo purchased it a few years ago. These days, Martini is all about cabernet, with a range of wines from the Napa, Sonoma and Alexander Valley appellations, including a $50 estate-grown cab from Martini’s Monte Rosso vineyard in Sonoma’s Mayacamas Mountains.