Tag: South African Wine

Another 3-Pack: No Tricks, Just Treats

Originally published on October 31. 2009.

So Halloween is today and Tribeca’s little people will be on a trick-or-treating rampage. All the stores decorate and offer goodies to all the neighborhood kids. But their adults need something too, and at Frankly Wines, we happily oblige.

Our Halloween spread will include the three wines on offer in our latest 3-Pack. The two reds, the Velvet Devil Merlot and The Chocolate Block, may not win any cool-kid-my-palate-is-cooler-than-yours contests, but they are quite tasty. As much as I love turning customers onto wines that qualify as “weird but good,” Halloween is not the night to attempt the hand selling required to do it well. No, on Halloween, I want to open something yummy and crowd pleasing that doesn’t require an explanation.

On that front, we have The Velvet Devil Merlot 2007 from Washington State and The Chocolate Block, from South Africa. Charles Smith (not to be confused with Charles Shaw of Two Buck Chuck fame,) makes the Velvet Devil.

Boekenhoutskloof, best know at Frankly Wines for fan favorite, Wolftrap, makes the The Chocolate Block. These are both full-bodied wines with plenty of fruit and a balancing, earthy (and in the case of The Chocolate Block, funky) complexity.

But our third wine does manage to fall off the beaten track. It’s a sparkling apple cider from Normandy with one of those typically romantic wine story: sommelier at Three Star restaurant in Paris can’t resist the pull of the old, old apple and pear trees on his family’s property back home in Normady. So he leaves the big city to tend the orchards and make cider from the fruits of his labor.

And the ciders are very good. They taste like autumn in a bottle. We’ve included the Cydre Doux in our Halloween tasting. It’s a lightly sparkling, slightly sweet apple cider. The sweetness doesn’t really come off as “sweet,” but more like the sweet spice/warm apple tastes of apple pie. But a very grown-up apple pie. Eric also makes a sparkling pear cider, Poiré Authentique, and a couple reserve bottlings from only the exceptionally old (as opposed to just “old”) apple and pear trees on the property. I had the Authentique recently and it’s very tasty and would be fantastic with cheese. It’s a definitely more thought-provoking than the Cydre Doux, but on Halloween, I don’t really want to deal with thought-provoking. I want tasty and immediately lovable. Which is the Cydre Doux. It happens to have wine geek cred as well, but that’s just bonus.

The Winemakers are Coming! The Winemakers are Coming!

Originally published on September 25, 2009.

To be specific, it’s really an Assistant Winemaker/Owner that’s coming. Emil den Dulk, owner of De Toren Cellars, will be traveling all the way from Stellenbosch, South Africa just to pour wine and sign bottles at Frankly Wines on Thursday, October 1st.

O.K. Not really.

Emil will be in New York because Cape Classics, importer of De Toren and a host of other very good South African wines, has a portfolio tasting planned for the following week. But he’s getting in early. And since we love his wines and are always looking for an excuse to pull some corks, he’ll be standing behind the big, white tasting counter from 5.00pm – 7.00pm.

This is the first time we’ve hosted an actual owner/winemaker at the shop. Sure, plenty of them come through during the day with their handlers (a.k.a. sales reps.) They pour their wines and we chat about them, sometimes even buying them….(but never on the spot. Buying great quantities of wine for the store immediatley after drinking….um…tasting it, may be one of the quickest ways to run the business into the ground.) But this will be the first time we actually let a mythical owner/winermaker talk to the customers.

It’s a little nerve wracking really…what if no one comes? What if no one talks to him? What if no one buys the wine? What if he just sits there, at the front of the store, all sad and lonely while we stare at him from behind the counter.

But really, it’s highy unlikely that the shop will be completely empty between 5 and 7 on a Thursday. And it is a wine shop after all…where most people are inclined to talk about wine, try wine, buy wine.

And it’s very good wine: Emil will be pouring both the Merlot-let Z and the Cabernet-led Fusion V. De Toren only bottles these two wines, a level of focus that’s quite rare, especially when it comes to New World wineries, which tend to produce a little bit of everything.

So stop by and meet the man behind a Frankly Wines favorite. Talk, try, and maybe even buy.

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: I’m not quite sure why it took almost two years to get a winemaker into the shop for an in-store tasting. Not quite sure what took me so long… apparently I really was worried that people wouldn’t show up. But it’s strange to read this because in the years that followed, we would have multiple winemakers pouring during a single week. Or multiple winemakers during a single day! That’s one of the things I miss about not having a high foot traffic city shop – you really didn’t have to worry about people coming to an in-store tasting. Up in the wilds of Copake, it doesn’t quite work that way – the worry is warranted!

It’s Finally Thanksgiving

Originally published on November 26, 2008.

Here at the store, wondering if people actually will buy wine on Thanksgiving. It’s a grand experiment for the first Thanksgiving Frankly Wines is open. And since it’s just me here, no reason not to give some limited hours a try. I know I always need to do last minute errands on Turkey Day! And if the day is a bust, at least I’ll have a few hours to work on web site stuff (just as soon as I finish this post.)

I do feel obliged to say what I’m planning to open for dinner later today. Can’t say I’ve come up with a definitive list, but I’ll choose from the following:

  • Scholium Project “The Prince in his Caves”
  • Lopez de Heredia Rosado 1997
  • Klien Constantia “Vin de Constance” – gorgeous dessert wine from South Africa, what Napoleon requested on his death bed
  • Some Bordeaux for my father-in-law. Maybe La Lagune 1998 or one of the bottles we just picked up at auction
  • Terres Dorees Beajolais Nouveau because I have about 6 bottles left in the store and want to drink some more before I run out
  • A Cerdon-Bugey because it’s just so yummy
  • Grosset Polish Hill 2006 because I’m sick of looking at the bottle which I’m supposed to take home…and it would just be a good match for the meal
  • Felton Road Calvert Pinot Nort because Yanai’s making a lamb to go with the turkey

I need to pick 3 – so maybe I’ll just flip a coin. But you can see, not all wine geeks have their Thanksgiving wine planned out to the nth degree.

This Week’s Other 3-Pack: Chenin Blanc: A Grape of Many Flavors

Originally published on March 22, 2008.

Chenin Blanc is the rare grape variety that can do crisp and refreshing, rich and full-bodied or the whole spectrum of off-dry to sweet and luscious. In this pack, you can taste for yourself – one grape, three wildly different wines.

Teddy Hall Chenin Blanc 2007 (Stellenbosch, South Africa): This expression of Chenin is dry, crisp, and refreshing, with zesty notes of lemon peel. Highly drinkable and perfect for summer.

La Noblaie Les Chiens-Chiens 200X (Chinon, Loire, France): White wine from the Loire’s Chinon region is a rare find, but this one is definitely not for the dogs-dogs (chiens = dogs). A total contrast to the Teddy Hall, this version of Chenin is dry, yet richer and fuller. Notes of citrus, honey, and a finish that will remind you of popcorn – toasty, slightly oily – hard to describe, but definitely yummy.

Domaine Pichot – Domaine Le Peu de la Moriette 2006 (Vouvray, Loire, France): Chenin Blanc in its off-dry expression. Slightly sweet, with notes of hints of honey, candied fruit. The hint of citrus peel on the finish keeps it clean, crisp, and surprisingly refreshing.

This Week’s 3-Pack: Don’t Fear the Blend!

Originally published on February 27, 2008.

Feeling lazy – and had to deal with a broken kitchen pipe this morning, so I’m entitled to a little laziness – so this entry is pretty much ripped directly from my weekly newsletter….

I’ve noticed that a lot of people seem to shy away from blends – those pesky wines that list a number of grapes on their label. Maybe they seem extra confusing, or maybe there’s a concern that all those grapes are tying to hide something. It doesn’t help that wines from Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley, some of the world’s best wines, don’t list the grape varieties on their labels. If they did – we would all know they’re blends!!!

So to try to ease the fear of the dreaded blend, I put together a weekly three pack featuring the Cabernet Sauvignon grape in 3 different incarnations – on its own, blended with Shiraz, and all mixed up in a Southern France ménage a quad (or whatever the proper term would be for wine-made-from-4-different-grapes.)

And the wines are….

Morro Bay Cabernet 2005 (California)
Classic Cabernet character at a really good price – dark cherries, blackberries, with a minty/herbal touch. Some toasty oak which is typical of Cabernet – even through it comes from the barrels the wine is aged in, not the grape itself. Very food-friendly, which isn’t always true of this grape. And liquid proof that Cabernet can stand on its own (and doesn’t have to cost a fortune.)

Pecan Stream Cabernet/Shiraz 2004 (Stellenbosch, South Africa)
In this little gem, Shiraz plays nice with Cabernet, mellowing it out and adding a bit of red berry and spicy flavours. The wine has a touch of the gamey/meaty character that seems to be typical of South African wines and adds some character.

Domaine du Poujol Proteus 2005 (Vin de Pays de l’Herault, France)
A blend of Merlot, Carignan, Cinsault, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Don’t let those strange grapes from the South of France scare you – this is a fresh, attractive red with juicy red berry fruits, a touch of spice, and a nice, soft finish. You probably won’t be able to spot the Cabernet, but it adds a bit of structure which makes this wine more than just a berry stew. Imported by Kermit Lynch.

Frankly Wines Gets Some…..Press!

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: I really wish more women in this industry (or any industry, really) would talk about their child care situations whether it simply involves juggling duties with your partner (or not), a nanny situation, blessedly nearby family, a great day care center, a network of friends or whatever. Many of us are lucky enough not to have to “do it all” by ourselves – and it’s not fair to let people think we do.

Originally published on March 5, 2008.

Check out the first press piece featuring the the shop – and me – in the NY Sun. It’s an abridged version of my life history in print – even makes mention of corn fields and wine coolers. Can’t beat that!

When I last stopped in, Ms. Frank had just delivered a case of wine to a Murray Street condo, even though she’s due to give birth to her third child in June. “I’ve still got a good month before I give up the hand truck,” she said. Blessed with a great nanny, she plans to be back at work within weeks. “Maternity leave has a whole different meaning when it’s your own business,” she says.

Peter Hellman, The New York Sun

Fancy Pants Wine: Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 2006

Originally published on March 3, 2008.

So I think I’m going to start featuring a “fancy pants” wine in each of my newsletters. In the last one, I had a little blurb about the general presence of fancy pants wines in the center of the shop (mainly because there’s no room for them on the shelves). The blurb got some good feedback (mainly because I think people like the term “fancy pants”) so it will now be a regular feature spotlighting one of my more expensive wines.

Anyhow, this week’s feature will be Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 2006 from Walker Bay, South Africa. I actually brought this one in for my old boss at Moet Hennessy. She wanted a case of it and spoke so highly of it that I figured I would get a couple boxes for the shop. As soon as it hit the shelf, I was glad I did – it’s one of those wines that people would ooh and ahh over when they spotted it on the shelf. The winery and vineyards are located in Walker Bay, which is one of the Southernmost wine-growing subregions in South Africa. It’s quite cool there, so Pinot Noir does very well and Hamilton Russell makes a great one, if not the country’s best.

On to the wine itself – it has a really nice nose of red fruits – dark red cherries, some raspberries and a smokiness that adds and extra bit of complexity. That smokiness comes through on the palate, along with the dark red fruits and a nice earthiness. The tannins are fine-grained – just present enough to give the wine some structure and elegance but not so much that it veers into that big-brawny-wanna-be-another-type-of-grape territory. It’s very yummy stuff and at $33.99/bottle, while it’s not an everyday wine for most people, it’s a relative bargain for a chance to taste one of the very best Pinot Noirs coming out of South Africa today.

Too Busy To Blog

Originally published on February 13, 2008.

Long time, no blog. It’s been busy, which is goods. Lots of orders to place, lots of wine to get on the shelves. This is all good, but doesn’t make for a very exciting blog. But it does mean business is good!

My sister-in-law decorated the windows for Valentine’s Day, and it looks great. At least all the women that walk into the shop think it looks great. Don’t know if it even registers with the men – hopefully it at least serves as a subliminal reminder that tomorrow they should be doing something nice for their sweeties – even if it doesn’t involve wine.

So what was accomplished this week aside from the lovely pink and red window decorations?

The second newsletter went out, featuring the latest 3-pack, snappily called “Hello Merlot”. Since poor Merlot hasn’t gotten much love since Sideways blew it to bits, I decided to give it a little bit of attention. The pack features Bedell Cellars (Long Island), Domaine la Soumade (VdP classication, but fruit is actually from the Rhone Valley), and Casa Lapostalle Cuvee Alexandre Merlot (Chile). All quite different from each other, which is the main point of featuring them side by side by side – to show that Merlot can do more than make whimpy, fruity red juice.

And I finally got around to pricing and displaying some of my higher end Southern Hemispere goodies – things like the Grosset Rieslings from Clare Valley, Vina Alicia Malbecs and Petit Verdot from Argentina, Purple Angel from Chile, Sadie Family wines from South Africa, and on and on. But details on those wines will warrent several other posts. For now, I’m just happy they have price tags and are out of their boxes.

Back to work.