Winter Wines
So what makes a "winter wine" you might be thinking? Does it have frost on the outside of the bottle? Winter not only shapes our climatatic conditions, but where we dine, and what we eat as well. All of which (and more) thus shape our wine choices!

>>> This Month's Column

NEW 2010 schedule into April. Download a schedule.

>>>> Download the NEW Course Schedule (PDF)

Introduction to Wine, Level I (1 Seat Open)
Monday, January 11th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructors: Michael Bryan & others

Spiral-bound book & tasting guide, riveting interactive lectures, and six to twelve wines to taste per class. This course takes the wine curious and creates wine enthusiasts! >>>> More Info

For Beginners ONLY (SOLD OUT)
Wednesday, January 13th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructor: Michael Bryan

Sure you can drink it, but can you pair it? Can you speak it? Come to terms with it in a special tasting that helps you express yourself in the world of wines. Don't be left standing there holding the bottle--get more confidence and find more pleasure in every sip.

>>>> More Info

Wines & Cheeses (SOLD OUT)
Wednesday, January 14th (AWS Wine Room in Roswell)
Instructor: Michael Bryan

Artisanal cheeses are no less labors of love than their wine counterparts. Location of pastureland, seasonality of milks, and aging all weigh heavily on the final taste experience. Join us for 8 pairings of wine & cheese. >>>> More Info

World of Reds--High End Edition (50% Booked)
Wednesday, January 20th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructors: P. Kelly Wheeler

World of Reds takes guests through eight (8) wines, all RED, spanning the globe. ALL WINES WILL BE AT LEAST $60/BOTTLE RETAIL. These classes are great for gaining familiarity with new wines, as well as understanding how wine styles and selections are impacted by region and climate. >>>> More Info

Wine & Chocolate (25% Booked)
Thursday, January 26th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructors: Michael Bryan

Once each year, we bring you a special tasting of hand-crafted Belgian chocolates and wines. For many this combination is a match made in heaven, but there are some guidelines when pursuing the "best" pairings. 8 wines paired with 8 chocolates. >>>> More Info

Viva Italia! (50% Booked)
Thursday, January 28th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructors: P. Kelly Wheeler

Kelly is reknown for bringing together the images, wines and foods of Enotria (Italy)--the lightening rod of the Mediterranean--and will be eager to share & taste through it all with you. >>>> More Info

• Wine in the News, 2009
  Looking back over the last 12 months of wine news, here were a few (according to website visitation stats on WineBusiness.com) of the biggest news stories of the year:
  September: Top 100 Wine Brands in Restaurants >>> More
  January: Stunning Growth in the Core Wine Drinking Population >>> More
  October: Jess Jackson named Wealthiest Man in Sonoma County >>> More
• Food/Wine Writer John Mariani's Wine Predictions for 2010
  Prices will continue to drop across the board, from the priciest of Bordeaux and Burgundy to cult California wines that were once available only by subscription. More people will buy online. Wine blogging will increase! California, alas, will fail to back away from big, high alcohol, oaky reds and whites, because the producers believe that is the style most Americans prefer over subtlety and complexity. Champagne will be in serious trouble--among just some of the strong predictions. >>> More
• Registration Open for the Independent Champagne & Sparkling Wine Invitational
  Featuring artisanal & grower Champagnes, as well as Sparkling wines from the world over. Two full days of seminars and dinners all dedicated to high-end bubbles. New Orleans in April. >>> More Information
• Visiting Central Coast Wineries? A New, Easy Wine Shipping Service is Available Now
  Consumers who participate in Safe Haven’s ShipSmart Passport simply fill out the passport which is located at wineries, hotels, and safehavenwineservices.com and then fax it or send in the information online, it's that easy. Safe Haven picks up wine orders at no charge, consolidates, and ships to consumers. Instead of many small deliveries arriving from various wineries at different times, consumers pay for and receive one consolidated delivery. "Let’s say you need the wine to go to the East Coast," explains co-owner Corrine Appelbaum. "If you bought two bottles each at six wineries during your stay, you would be looking at $20 per shipment, for a total of $120 in shipping on top of the cost of the wine. If you shipped with the Save Haven SmartShip Passport, it would be a flat rate of $69 for all of your wine shipped as a single case. And you only have to sign for one package, instead of six." >>> Safehaven's Website
• High Museum of Art Wine Tasting Including Tour of Leonardo da Vinci: Hand of the Genius Exhibit
  Ciao bella! Celebrate Leonardo da Vinci: Hand of the Genius and all things Italian. Join them for the last in their series of special wine tastings, and enjoy various wines from Italy. $20 per person, $10 for members. (Includes admission to the museum and three tastes or one full glass.) Visit High.org for details.
• Napa Group Launches Wine with Innuendo and Tongue & Cheek Humor
  "…because everyone needs a screw!" This is the slogan of the new winery Katie Hamilton Shaffer (of Wine, Women & Shoes fame) has started with two of her girlfriends-- “Tool Box Wine Co.” is her new project. They are slated to open the Tool Box Wine Co. Tasting Room this Spring in Napa. >>>Website
• A Poignant View on Napa Valley this Last Decade
  The last ten years was "bookended" by two economic down-turns as well as losing icons like Robert Mondavi, Al Brounstein and Jamie Davies. >> More on this Story

Jane's Monthly Dozen: Winter Wines
by Jane Garvey

Some folks put away their white wines in winter, figuring they're too light to go with substantial winter dishes. Just as I tell folks who stop drinking red wines in summer, there’s no reason to stop drinking either whites or rose in winter. What’s the food? And what’s the mood? That is your chief consideration.

That said, the whites, rose and sparkling wines you choose should more likely be fuller-bodied ones than the wines you would enjoy in spring and summer with light fare. In pairing food and wine, weight is a major factor. Hefty dishes need big, robust wines. Pair a light-bodied wine with a big dish, and the poor wine gets lost in the mix.

Big robust white wines can accompany a wide range of winter dishes. Full-bodied rose wines make merry music with robust bean and barbecue dishes. It’s all about choosing properly.

Cold weather inspires us to make stews, bean dishes--the great fabada asturiana comes to mind or cassoulet--braised meats, dishes such as the pork with sauerkraut I made to check out with the St. Christopher Gewurztraminer below. Sure wouldn’t want that fare when the temperature is over the top. But when we’re flirting with temperatures nearing 0F and there's snow predicted (as I write this), well, it's comfort food or bust, I say. And the wines to pair with these dishes need to have a measure of robustness, too.

Even so, the flavors still must speak to each other. I remember a woman asking in a wine store if Chardonnay would be the choice to pair with her sauerkraut dish. Eeee gad--NO! Too much acidity in the dish will kill most Chardonnays as they don't have much acidity if they‘re from California, and besides the flavors don't speak to each other. The sauerkraut has acidity and cabbage--fermented cabbage--and with that you want Chardonnay's lemon, pineapple and apple tones? I don’t think so. Apple, sure. But lemon? And tropical fruit?

Wonderful tasting experiences can come from experimenting with seasonings and flavors. Make cinnamon and nutmeg do savory duty and see what happens with a robust Syrah or Italian wine. Curry has a good rapport with Riesling, and so does Gewurztraminer. So try those pairings to see if you like them. Game done in a traditional German style with a brown sauce is lovely with a Spatlese trocken. Sauerbrauten with beer? Of course. But also with either Riesling trocken or a medium-dry Gewurztraminer.

Winter dishes make me want to cook. And experiment with wine pairings along with cooking. See what you think of the following suggestions for this month.