Wine in the Workplace
Wine in the Workplace
I was in a colleague’s office recently and was admiring the nice collection of wine that he had received as gifts.
Unfortunately, he was storing them on his top shelf where they were subject to heat and light. (You never want to expose your wine to the elements like this!)
I noticed that he still had a filing cabinet in his office and asked how full it was. ”Empty,” was his response.
Realizing that very few people actually utilize their filing cabinets for filing paper anymore, I think that everyone should convert them to wine storage! Let’s start the trend people — more wine in the workplace. All the more reason to switch to paperless offices. We have much better uses for filing cabinets now.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Jonathan Pullis is The Little Nell’s wine director and a master sommelier. Follow his musings about wine and life @tlnwine.
Spring Wine Picks
Whether you celebrate spring with a family feast of ham, lamb or cabbage and carrots, here are 5 great wines to enjoy!
2007 Schramsberg “Blanc de Blancs.” A terrific domestic sparkling wine. Great with oysters or on its own.
2010 Lewis Cellars Chardonnay, Napa. A full-bodied and delicious chardonnay that’s great with matzoh ball soup or sturgeon.
2010 Domaine de Perriere Sancerre. Vibrant lemon/lime citrus notes and refreshing acidity make this a wine that I keep coming back to. With its herbal and grassy notes, this wine is perfect with smoked fish or a goat cheese plate.
2009 Aberrant Cellars “Carpe Noctum” Pinot Noir. Another great example of Willamette pinot. Raspberry and strawberry fruit with red floral aromatics and well-balanced acidity make it extremely versatile, so serve this with your ham or your lamb.
2009 Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa. A delicious Napa cab with cherry, plum and cassis notes. Full bodied, complex and delicious… it also happens to be Kosher, although you don’t have to be to enjoy this wine!
Not wanting to cook, or maybe you want to just order a glass of wine? Join us at The Little Nell for Easter/Passover meals.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Jonathan Pullis is a master sommelier and the wine director for The Little Nell.
Thanksgiving in Heels
We asked Assistant Food and Beverage Director Vilma Mazaite, the advanced sommelier behind Aspen’s new Wine in Heels program, what she recommended pouring on Thanksgiving. Not a huge fan of Thanksgiving food (which may explain her tiny waistline), Vilma is all about the wine!
Here are her top three picks:
Willm, Riesling, Alsace, France 2010
Riesling is a traditional grape found along the Rhine River. It was first grown in Germany in the 15th century and in Alsace a few decades later. Riesling covers now roughly 25% of the vineyards in Alsace.
Riesling is brilliant with fish, poultry, cold meat and famous Alsatian dishes such as sauerkraut or smoked ham. Hello, it sounds to me like a perfect match to turkey and stuffing. Can’t wait to drink it over Thanksgiving dinner. Well, to be honest, I find any excuse to drink Riesling.
Dominique Piron, Morgon, Beaujolais, France 2009
Gamay is the French red grape variety for the wines of Beaujolais. Beaujolais Cru is the northernmost appellation of Beaujolais, located close to the Maconnais border. Made up of ten separate areas in the foothills of the Beaujolais Mountains, this appellation produces some of the region’s best-quality wines.
This particular Gamay is so similar to great Burgundy that it can simply replace it. Personally, I think Pinot Noir and Gamay are just perfect food companions. Great acidity, earthy notes, balanced fruit… it complements any dinner.
Domaine Santa Duc, Cotes du Rhone, Rhone, France 2007
Yves Gras of Domaine Santa Duc is a legendary producer of Gigondas. He lives in a section of Gigondas known as the garrigue. The garrigue is the arid, rocky section of vineyards that run north and south between the Ouvéze and the Rhône Rivers. This wine is well-structured and balanced with lots of cranberry notes, white pepper and dried fruits.
So, what can go better with cranberries? I guess more cranberries and warm spices. That’s exactly what this wine delivers. It has so much going on without being heavy or “jammy.” It still possesses elegance while delivering spices and tons of aromatics.
Want to know more? Vilma and her team are holding special holiday Wine in Heels sessions for women throughout the winter season in Aspen at the Limelight.
Each Wine in Heels begins with a cocktail or Prosecco and appetizer, followed by 4 different food and wine pairings exploring a theme. Each 2 hour event consists of 45 minutes focused on wine, 30 minutes on food and the remaining 45 minutes for questions and socializing. Following the event, an eBook with all the wine information and recipes from the class is emailed to each guest.
Each event is $98.00 per person, all inclusive.
Thanksgiving Wine Tips
Give Thanks. Drink Wine.
When it comes to the turkey day, I reach for red wine to conquer the wide array of flavors and personalities thrown at you.
Something that lacks oak and is fruit-driven can take the blows a long holiday can bring.
The 2009 vintage was very warm in France, producing wines that highlight the fruit components in wines. In the nooks and crannies of a great wine shop, you can dust off some delicious bottles of Beaujolais and Chinon. While they may be foreign to most palates, they are guaranteed to unite everyone at the table. These wines tend to be fruit-forward and free of oak. Both are made with grapes that are a bit off the beaten path.
Beaujolais from the southern portion of Burgundy is made with Gamay. Chinon comes from the Loire Valley just to the west of Burgundy and is made with Cabernet Franc. They are both on the moderate to light side, and a touch of chill on the bottle will only increase there approachability. My two favorites? Charles Joguet, Les Varennes du Grand Clos, Chinon, 2009 and Marcel Lapierre, Morgon, Beaujolais, 2009.
These wines are great to cook with (and by that I mean drink while your cooking) but also deserve a place at the table with your turkey, stuffing and all the fixin’s.
Grab a bottle of each, cause you know one bottle won’t cut it on a day when dinner starts at 4 pm.
Sabato Sagaria is food and beverage director at The Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado. He is an advanced sommelier and can be seen in the new book, The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine by Karen Page, Andrew Dornenburg.
Winter Wine Tips
The Little Nell Wine Director, Master Sommelier Jonathan Pullis, is an avid explorer of wine from around the world. He shares his latest musings on what to drink now when the snow is starting to fall…
Photo courtesy of Jeremy Swanson, 11/2/11
As the weather gets colder and the snow begins to fly in Aspen (we just received another 8 or so inches last night), I find myself reaching for more red wine. Syrah, or shiraz, seems to have fallen out of favor with the general public, and that’s a shame, because there are so many delicious wines out there.
There is a silver lining to this trend, and that’s the great value of shiraz right now.
Here are two that I will be tasting frequently this winter:
2008 Penfolds Shiraz “Bin 128” Coonawarra, Australia
This is a great example of Aussie fruit with great balance.
Classic blueberry, blackberry and dark cherry fruit with hints of smoke and leather.
Medium-plus bodied, it goes great with all red meats.
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage
Do yourself (and your friends) a favor and find this wine!
The Chave family has been farming on the mountain of Hermitage for 800 years or so, and they produce stunning wine.
When I smell this, it reminds me of cherry crisp cooked over a campfire with bacon and pine notes. Insanely delicious and addictive.
Cheers! Jonathan
Have a question about wine? Leave it here, or post it on our Facebook page.
Pairing Wine and Cheese – Gorgonzola
October is American Cheese Month – a time when we celebrate delicious and diverse cheeses and the farmers, cheesemakers, retailers, cheesemongers and chefs who bring them to your table. Here at The Little Nell, we celebrate local cheese by serving cheeses from the Avalanche Cheese Company, made in nearby Basalt, and we also love to pair cheese with delicious wines.
We asked our wine team to share their favorite cheese/wine pairing suggestions in honor of Cheese Month, so we’ve be posting their thoughts/pairings here. We hope you indulge in a wedge/bottle soon!
Jonathan Pullis, Wine Director and Master Sommelier 
Colorado pears are amazing right now! One of my favorite ways to enjoy them is by making a gorgonzola cheese and pear sandwich and eating it with an off-dry white wine (meaning they have a small amount of residual sugar but not enough to be considered sweet).
Whether it be Dr. Loosen Riesling Kabinett from the Mosel River Valley in Germany or Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec from France’s Loire Valley, the kernel of sweetness and high-acidity make for a great combination.
And the old adage “what grows together, goes together” certainly applies in the central vineyards of France. The chevre is some of the finest in the world and pairs perfectly with Sancerre.
Happy drinking (and eating).
Jonathan
Have a question about pairing wine and cheese? Leave it here or on our Facebook page.
Pairing Wine and Cheese – Parmigiano
October is American Cheese Month – a time when we celebrate delicious and diverse cheeses and the farmers, cheesemakers, retailers, cheesemongers and chefs who bring them to your table.
Here at The Little Nell, we celebrate local cheese by serving cheeses from the Avalanche Cheese Company, made in nearby Basalt, and we also love to pair cheese with delicious wines. We asked our wine team to share their favorite cheese/wine pairing suggestions in honor of Cheese Month, so we’ll be posting their thoughts/pairings throughout October. We hope you indulge in a wedge/bottle soon!
Vilma Mazaite, Assistant Food & Beverage Director and Advanced Sommelier 
Cheese and wine are simply meant to be together.
There are a lot of different schools out there about which cheese to have with which wine. Generally, reds are good with sharper and harder cheeses; while soft or semi-soft cheeses go better with whites or bubbles. A good guide to pair wine with cheese would be to follow the philosophy that what grows together goes together.
I had Parmigiano Reggiano recently with Ca’ Montanari ‘Opera’ Lambrusco di Modena Secco, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Parmigiano cheese comes from Emillia Romagna, and so does Lambrusco, which is a fruity and slightly fizzy red wine. The saltiness of the cheese goes so well with the ripe cherry and strawberry flavors of the wine. Plus Lambrusco is fresh and bright, and it has great acidity that makes parmigiano’s nutty and crunchy flavors simply pop.
I recently had the cheese with balsamic jelly, which you can find in some specialty grocery stores, and I ate it with Lambrusco of course. The combination of it all made one of the best food and wine memories I ever had.
Enjoy!
Vilma
Next week, read Master Sommelier Jonathan Pullis’ favorite wine/cheese pairing. Have a question about pairing wine and cheese? Leave it here, or post it on Facebook.
Pairing Wine and Cheese – A Primer
October is American Cheese Month – a time when we celebrate delicious and diverse cheeses and the farmers, cheesemakers, retailers, cheesemongers and chefs who bring them to your table.
Here at The Little Nell, we celebrate local cheese by serving cheeses from the Avalanche Cheese Company, made in nearby Basalt, and we also love to pair cheese with delicious wines. We asked our wine team to share their favorite cheese/wine pairing suggestions in honor of Cheese Month, so we’ll be posting their thoughts/pairings throughout October. We hope you indulge in a wedge/bottle soon!
Carlton McCoy, Assistant Wine Director and Advanced Sommelier 
Cheese is one of the most wine/beer friendly foods out there. And given the diversity of the cheese world, you have the opportunity to be very playful and experimental with your pairings.
As a general rule, I usually select wines/beers with generous acidity or bubbles. I tend to categorize cheeses into four simple categories: Soft and Runny, Semi-Soft, Firm (Aged) and Blue. Within these four categories, you obviously have different levels of pungency and intensity of flavor. Take for example the soft cheeses: a Camembert would be an example of a mild, soft cheese, and Epoisse is an extremely pungent, washed-rind soft cheese. With this said, you must be very aware of the individual flavor profile of the given cheese as to not overwhelm your beverage or vice versa. Below are my recommended parings for these four categories.
Soft and Runny: Softer, milder cheeses pair very well with sparkling wine. If it is a very mild, bloomy rind cheese like Brie, I would purchase a more playful sparkler like Prosecco. If you decide on a richer bloomy rind cheese like Brillat Savarin, a weightier champagne will do, as will a lighter dessert wine such as an Auslese Riesling. In the case of the washed rind or “stinky” soft cheeses, beer may be your answer. I really enjoy malty ales with cheeses like Vacherin or Epoisse.
Semi-firm: Semi-firm cheeses such as St. Nectaire or younger Swiss cheeses such as Gruyere pair extremely well with lighter botrytized wines such as Vouvray Demi-Sec. For a dry pairing, try White Bordeaux or a Dry Alsatian Riesling. Remember, the more intense the flavor profile of the cheese, the fuller flavored the wine. I also include goat cheeses in this category. In my humble opinion, there is almost no better cheese and wine pairing than Crotin de Chavignol and Sancerre.
Firm or Aged: When it comes to firmer cheeses, there can be a vast difference in flavor profile and intensity of flavor, ranging from a mild and salty Pecorino to a rich and butterscotch-flavored Gouda. In the case of your saltier, drier cheeses like aged Pecorino, I would recommend a sweeter wine to counteract the aggressive saltiness. Try a Vendage Tardive Riesling from Alsace or a Molleux Vouvray. For Parmesan, Lambrusco is a classic pairing that I always enjoy. When pairing with the richer, aged cheeses such as Sprintsz or Gouda, try a richer sweet wine such as an Alsatian Pinot Gris Selection de Grain Noble.
Blue Cheese: Blue cheeses can vary greatly in style. When pairing with softer, milder blue cheeses like La Peral, I really enjoy off-dry sparkling reds like Bugey Cerdon or Brachett D’Aqui. In the case of more full-flavored blues like Valdeon, a fruit-forward red wine such as an Aussie Shiraz should fit the bill. If you insist on having Port with your blue cheese, reach for a vintage Port. The natural fruit-forward nature of vintage Port will pair well with the salty, pungent blue. If you’d like to try my favorite blue, ask your local market to search out Fourme d’Ambert. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Good luck, and most importantly, have fun!
Carlton
Next week, Advanced Sommelier Vilma Mazaite will be sharing her tips. Have questions? Leave them here or on our Facebook page.
What Wine to Pair with Macaroni and Cheese?
We asked our assistant food and beverage director (and advanced sommelier), Vilma Mazaite, what food she liked to eat when the weather starts to turn cooler. Her answer surprised us, largely due to Vilma’s slender waistline! She has the perfect wine pairing for a gooey, cheesy batch of Mac & Cheese… just right for a fall evening in Aspen or wherever you may be.
Mac & Cheese has become one of my favorite comfort foods (next to Chunky Monkey ice cream). Since I hardly ever eat without a glass of wine, I have tried several pairings in my past.
The best pairing has always been a lighter red that is not too fruity or tannic. Something like Pinot Noir.
But last year I had lovely Thanksgiving meal at my friend’s house, and she made mac & cheese. I brought a bottle of Elena Walsch Schiava, and the wine left us swooning! It tasted like a most delicate pinot, but with a special character that I can’t forget. Plus, the mac & cheese was perfect with it, so I was a happy girl.
Schiava is the most-planted grape of the Alto Adige region of Italy, but it’s not very well known even though it tastes like the popular Pinot Noir. This bottle is available in the $20 range, so you can enjoy it even if it’s not a special occasion like Thanksgiving.
Cheers,
Vilma
Notes from the Cellar
Notes from the Cellar – Tips from Master Sommelier Jonathan Pullis
Fall comes quickly in the Rocky Mountains, and I start to crave richer, more full-bodied grapes. Syrah, or shiraz, seems to be often overlooked, and that’s a shame because it’s delicious!
The mix of red and black fruits combined with the pepper, flowers and herbaceous quality mean they compliment lamb, beef and all wild game. Whether from the old or new world, I recommend trying one tonight.
My current pick? The 2009 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage from France. Alain founded his domaine in 1985 and has quickly become one of the most respected producers. Alain harvests grapes by hand and works organically, employing whole-cluster fermentation.
This is a 100% syrah from the northern Rhone (although some white grapes are allowed). The wines ages primarily in 1 to 3-year-old burgundy barrels. Enjoy!
