The first thing that comes to mind when I hear cognac is a certain large scale brand, that is popular with the hip hop set.  You know the drill, they spend a ridiculous amount of cold cash for table service at a Miami nightclub.
Here’s what I know about Congac:  I know that cognac is a brandy, made in a specific region of France.  I also know that I’ve had a few delicious examples after some rather decadent French meals.
But, that is about all I know about cognac.  Why am I telling you this?  Well because I want to learn!  After all, Cognac is made from wine, and so I really should include it in this wine blog, as I explore all wine regions and try to understand more about the different aspects of distilled spirits made from the grape.  I’m also telling you this because the Cognac Board is holding a contest to send some lucky bloggers to tour the region, and I’d love to go learn more about this particularly unique piece of the world.
The specific region where Cognac is made in France is actually the town of Cognac.  Not to be confused with another region nearby that also makes brandy, a distilled brandy calling itself Cognac must be made from specific grapes grown in specific places distilled by specific people.  I think they might be Oompa Loompas actually.  The Cognac region is located on the western center edge of France, spreading out in to the coastal towns.  I don’t blame them for needing brandy!  It gets COLD there!
The most commonly used grape is Saint Emilion, aka Ugni Blanc.  What the heck is Ugni Blanc?  Apparently this white grape is also known as Trebbiano and Thalia, and is actually the most widely planted grape in France.  Mind you, most of the wines made from this grape are distilled in to industrial alcohol but well…The other grapes allowed to make the brandy are Folle Blanche and Colombard, but you can eye of newt, and up to 10% of Folignan, Jurançon blanc, Meslier St-François , Sélect, Montils or Sémillon.  Right, so the only grape that I know in there is Semillon.  Time to get studying!
The brandy part of Cognac is made by doubly distilling the white wines made from the grapes mentioned above.  The wines start out as very dry, acidic and frankly undrinkable, but by the time you distillit down, it’s nectar.  The first fermentation results in this dry white wine, with only about 8% ABV.  Now the magic happens.  Place said wine in a beautiful copper pot still.  Distill.  Twice!  The result is a clear brandy that is about 70% ABV.  How about that firewater kids!
To get the amber silk that is Cognac, the brandy is then distilled in oak casks.  Over two years, the angels get to imbibe in about 3% a year (the Angel’s Share is the amount of wine or other liquid hooch that is lost due to evaporation).  Those must be some very happy angels!  It takes about 5 years to reach the 40% ABV that is the end goal, some of the lowbrow producers can cheat a bit by adding water to the brandy.  Not so great, but it speeds up the process.
But wait!  We’re not done!  Cognac is blended beverage.  That  means that these single malts (ok fine I know they aren’t a malt but well it’s so much like the whisky process that this is what works in my wine blogger head) need to blended with other barrels.  Single Cognac Lot 12A meet Single Cognac Lot 45A!  He’s hot, isn’t he?  Now, like Vinnie, blend!  It’s the lucky job of the master taster (maître de chai), to assist in this marriage contract and blending.
By now, I am getting thirsty.  Are you?  There are so many grades of Cognac, much like Scotch whisky.  From the ordinary to the grande dame, you can get everything in between.  What’s better?  What’s worse?  I don’t know.  I am going to do some research to see what I think.  I wonder if airport bars have a decent selection.
Have a great Cognac Cocktail recipe?  Please share it in the comments!  Perhaps a Cognac Sazerac?  Cognac Manhattan?  Mmm that sounds good.  I better get to stocking up the bar this weekend!

CAMPAGNE FINANCEE AVEC LE CONCOURS DE L’UNION EUROPEENNE ET DE LA FRANCE

So it’s been about a month since I moved to wine country for the weekends.  That’s right, the WineBratSF is now WineBratHBG Thursday through Sunday!  while I spent the vast majority of my time up here on weekends anyway, there is a uniqueness about being a true local, and being able to walk home after dinner.

When my someone batty and completely crazy downstairs neighbor moved out of the city place, I got a new neighbor who trades me farm fresh fruit and veg for wine.  Sounds like a deal right?  with some 40 odd cases in my cellar, that’s a deal I can’t pass up.  Here in Healdsburg, friends and neighbors drop off bags of produce for us to enjoy.  No more CSA for this girl!

Things slow down up here after hours, and I am learning to give up my city girl time zone.  Dinner at 6?  So what.  It’s 6:30.  Things aren’t that importnat.  Need groceries?  Pop over to the local grocery and you’re bound to run in to a friend and chat for a while.  Need coffee?  Well, again, enjoy that Flying Goat and the 3 folks you know that are also hanging out.  I love that!

Some of the other things that I am really enjoying about being a townie are:

• Walking to my favorite eatery on the square, and waddling home after gorging on amazing food and wine
• Walking to Garagiste Healdsburg, a scant 2 blocks away, and hanging out on the patio after 5pm.
• Be able to walk to the store, the library, the winery, the square!
• Sitting on our back patio enjoying a late Sunday glass of wine
• Avoiding the crowds but enjoying the best of what wine country has to offer
• Going to see freinds for harvest lunches and not having to drive 1+ hours home
• The chillaxed quality of life!  Being able to sit on the sofa, and not having to do anything, but being able to do a lot at arms reach.
• Playing host to friends that come play for the weekend near or far.
• Locals discounts for SoCo events and treats

I’ve always wanted to be a permanent resident of wine country, and while I still yearn to do that, this is a great compromise for a working girl who needs to be in the office during the week.  It’s the best of both worlds!

Welcome to the Burg!  Hope to see you around soon!

I’m a bit stuck these days.  Please excuse me as I come up with some great posts for you!  At present, all I can think about is data and a tropical vacation…

There is something about having a local watering hole in walking distance, where everybody knows your name, and the wine flows.  No, it’s not Cheers, and thank god I don’t have a Cliff Claven sitting next to me, but I do have a fantastic new wine bar to tell you about.

Barrique Wine Bar, in San Francisco’s Financial District (ok well it’s really more like Chinatown but who’s looking) is located steps from my office and offers a unique experience for the wine lover or wine curious.  While the concept of Barrique is not new, the use in a full service wine bar is.

What IS this amazing, fantastic, life changing concept?  Why a negociant of course!  A négociant, a particular breed of wine merchant, has been a concept in France from the beginning of winedom.  This person is a particular type of wine merchant who assembles groups of small producers and winemakers and sells the resulting wines under their own label (or labels).  Given that the average wine grower in France once had less than 10 acres, this is a necessary part of the wine making business.

Here in the states, we have developed our own version of the negociant – a wine merchant who takes finished wine and slaps their own label on it.  Cameron Hughes wines has created a booming business model with this idea, taking famous maker producer wine and putting his own own spin on it at a fraction of the price.  Why do this as a wine producer?  It’s pretty simple actually.  First, the economics of making wine demand that you ensure that you can sell your excess juice.  You might have 1000 cases of 2010 Chardonnay sitting around, and another 1000 cases in barrel.  If you’re not moving existing inventory, you have no cash flow — you have another 1000 cases sitting around.  Voila, sell it off, you have cash.  Second, premium brands often need ot crate the appearance of scarcity.  How much would you really pay for Screaming Eagle if you knew that it was on every store shelf from here to Manhattan?  Probably not 100 bucks.  So, in order to not dilute the market and encourage allocation only wines that will sell out, wineries often sell off excess juice to negociants.  Finally, sometimes, the wine is just not up to your standard.  It might be perfectly lovely wine, but it isn’t your ultra premium winemaker pick.  That is how some negociants get exceptional wine, and can offer it as an exceptional value.  Trader Joe’s private label is one example of this, and many premium wineries have second labels that also serve this purpose.

Now, with Barrique, you have the opportunity to take being a negociant to a new level.  Packed with barrels, this small space off of Jackson Square has about 10 tables and 5 bar high tops.  At any given time, 5-10 wines are on tap from these barrels, the private label wines selected specifically for the wine bar.  Additionally, you can elect to purchase a bottle or glass off of the wine list if you want to go mainstream.  Eventually, the team at Barrique hopes to bottle their own wine for retail sale.  Having the ability to create your own wine flight based on the current barrel offerings allows you to explore wines from a specific region, or cross regions to gain more tasting experience.

The staff at Barrique is warm and welcoming, and I’ve spent several hours talking wine with Sommelier extraordinaire Tom Capo.  My first time at the bar, I was meeting a friend for drinks when I happened to bump in to Ted Elliot aka TR Elliot wines; of course we got to talking, and my identity as a wine blogger was revealed – inspiring a great conversation with Tom about Barrique and being a negociant in general.  Pouring generous (and I DO mean generous) glasses from the barrel, Tom encourages you express your wine likes and dislikes, so he can customize your tasting experience.  He will also create a flight, which will let you taste several things without drinking a whole bottle er barrel.  Find something you really like?  You can also elect to purchase a .5 liter measure of any wine from the barrel, which is about 3 big glasses, or 4 good glasses, to share with friends.  Tom also creates weekly flights along a theme, which might include a La Folette pinot or a pinot on tap from Carneros.  You can also purchase any bottle on the list to take home at 10% off list price.  This is a great service, because one thing I hate is tasting a fantastic wine at a bar and not being able to find it again!

Of course, you can also have a beer if you must, as well as a nice selection of cheeses and light appetizers.

All in all, Barrique is a great experience, and is tucked away in an out of the way 100 year old building.  Offering private event space and a fun atmosphere, it should be on your list while downtown.  Today, I stumbled across a special blind tasting event (sold out sadly) that would be a blast!  Since I can see the front door from my office, it’s become my regular hangout, so you’re apt to find me there every other Thursday about 5.  Hope to see you there too!

Barrique is located at 461 Pacific Ave, between Sansome and Montgomery in San Francisco.  Check out the website for more info!

Boxwood Winery Rose, from the northern part of VA. Cabernet and merlot sanigee rose, all estate fruit.

This vineyard is 17 acres and is sustainable, growing only red Bordeaux varietals.

2010 Rose has nice crisp notes, never seeing oak this is a great alternative to some of the other roses, namely syrah and pinot.  The team of winemakers makes this rose in all stainless, and has some honey notes on the end.

The consulting winemaker from Bordeaux assists in the winemaking, and he only works on Boxwood and Rubicon Estate in Napa.  180 cases were made, $14.

Russ Kane stopped by to pour us Vivianna white blend, almost a kitchen sink blend.  30% gewertz, 30% riesling, 10% viognier, 30% muscat canelli.

Quite aromatic, can really smell the Rhine in here.  Harvested on acidity and not full ripeness, at around 20 brix.  Due to the strong Texas sun, they develop the full varietal characteristics.

This wine was developed by a team of winemakers.  Honeysuckle, bitter melon, floral notes.

Not sure there is enough there under the underripeness.

How do you taste 10 wines in 5 minutes?  Or something like that.  It’s the annual wine bloggers conference, and we’re kicking off speed tasting with

Rodney Strong 2009 Reserve Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley

sandlewood

hazlenut

a touch of apricot

toast

nutty

lemon drop