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The benefits of wine on health, have been known for centuries. Because of this, wine has become an integral part of many cultures and most religions. What other beverage had both Greek and Roman gods dedicated to it? We know that moderate wine drinking reduces stress. In addition wine, particularly red, has been shown to reduce incidences of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Furthermore it aids in digestion and makes meals more enjoyable. The French Paradox of 1992 gave Americans a wake up call to the benefits of wine. This study, highlighted on 60 Minutes, focused on the lifestyle of the French and featured people who ate high concentration of fatty foods and yet were not obese and had low incidences of coronary heart disease. The study claimed the cause was greater wine consumption, especially red wine. That seemed overly simplistic and further studies showed that the French ate smaller portions, included fruits and vegetables, took time over meals, and usually dined with others. It became the lifestyle which was the main cause, but of course wine played a key role. This lifestyle became the foundation of the Mediterranean Diet.

The great question here is moderation. What is moderate wine drinking? Is it one 5oz. glass per day, or 2 or 3? Is it the same for men and women? Do you need to measure the amount in the glass? What if you stretch it over time? While it should be an individual decision, it seems there is always an agency that knows better. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines state that two glasses of wine for men and one for women per day is sufficient. While we were struggling through the recent pandemic lockdowns, regulators were busy updating these guideline to reduce consumption even further. The 2020 Dietary Guidelines recommendations suggest limiting alcohol to one glass per day for men and less than one glass for women. In addition they are considering adding the World Heath Organization guidelines that state alcohol is a carcinogen. These are the same guidelines many physicians use in evaluating your lifestyle.

While there are certainly problems with excel alcohol consumption, especially binge drinking? It’s unfair to include wine drinkers in this category. Wine drinkers tend to drink moderately and most often include a meal, not just snacks. Wine consumers tend to be more educated and seldom are found inebriated or alcohol dependent. Furthermore, they account for the smallest percentage of DUIs (around 10%). We may have to live with government guidelines but the definition of moderation will be up to the individual.

Perhaps another glass of wine is in order.

In a recent article by Khushbu Shah in Food and Wine, he describes the predatory practices of online delivery services. What most consumrers don’t realize is that that GrubHub and others charge the restaurants 20-30% to make that delivery.  For restaurants that are just trying to survive, that’s a huge bite and can make the difference between profit and loss, especially if they are discounting the meal. Instead, he suggests calling the restaurant directly and ask if they deliver, many do. If not, ask what delivery service they prefer and use that one if you are unable to pick it up yourself.

Shah goes on to describe other practices such as adding a restaurant to a delivery app without their permission, asking restaurants to pay for promotions the app is offering, and the hundreds of dollars these services charge the restaurant to use their platforms. The restaurant industry asked the services to reduce their commissions as a result of COVID-19, but instead they started PR campaigns to make them seem as saviors to the restaurants. For example GrubHub deferred $100 million in commissions which only means the charges will have to be paid later, not reduced.

San Francisco passed an emergency order capping commissions at 15%, then GrubHub sent an email to its San Francisco customers asking them to oppose the order. DoorDash has reduced its commission to 15% as of this writing, for a limited time. With curbside pickup and now lunch trucks from notable restaurants available in Venice, think twice about using these apps.

Helen Rosner is a food writer for The New Yorker Magazine. She visited a restaurant and could not decipher any wine or even intelligently discuss which one to purchase. Obviously things have gone too far. I somehow sense this is the work of a somm (sommelier) that totally fails to understand his/her purpose. How many wines can you identify? I only found three but was not aware of the producers.

My problems with somms goes back a long way. First of all, I am not impressed by those who abbreviate their title and refer to wines as “burgs” and “cabs”. Supposedly these wine stewards took extensive training in wine and yet resort to treating them like afterthoughts.

Second, my experience has shown that many talk their way into positions and create wine lists that feature exotic and limited production items. They shun established brands and consequently make it difficult for customers to order.  This usually results in less profit for the restaurant owner and the somm moves on leaving a hoard of wines that have not sold and are not getting any better.

Some sommeliers even import their own wines and theie inventory becomes the wine list with. It isn’t hard to figure out what they will recommend.

Most galling of all is their inability to properly balance wine with cuisine. A post in a recent Wine Business Monthly by a respected somm described how he discusses wine with customers. His purpose is to find the style of wine the customer likes not the best wine to balance the meal.  It’s nice in Florida that most restaurants will offer a taste of a wine for evaluation. That takes most of the guesswork out of the process. I have found very few sommeliers who do that.

I started this blog one year ago. The purpose was to educate and inform friends and local wine lovers about the food and wine scene in Sarasota County. I’ve learned a lot in that year and met some very interesting people. I’ve had the pleasure to enjoy some wonderful meals and consume some great wines. I’ve also dined in some very mediocre places and met or failed to meet some very ignorant wine buyers. That’s how research is done. I hope that my analyses of wines, stores, and restaurants have been helpful.

The major drawback I see to enjoying wine in Sarasota County restaurants is the lack of knowledge and commitment of their wine buyers. Often there is no specific wine buyer, and the owner creates the wine list with the assistance of a salesperson. That’s why so many wine lists are similar, limited, and the choices usually boil down to wines like William Hill  because it’s a known quantity.  Obviously there are exceptions such as Michaels on East, Pier 22, the Crow’s Nest, Roesslers, Marina Jack , Vino Loco, Beach Road Bistro, and Lazy Lobster. With few exceptions, the better the wine list, the better the food.

Wine shops are another story. Sarasota County is fortunate to have great retail wine advisors like Sean King at Michaels Wine Cellar, Thomas Morgan at Seagrape,  Mark Montalbano at ABC Venice, Bill Herlihy at Island Time, and Joyce Colmer at Vino Loco. Their in store tastings provide  great opportunities to sample new wines and connect with other wine groupies.

A great benefit of wine service in this area is the ability to sample a wine-by-the-glass before purchase. I have found it to be even more exciting to compare two similar glass offerings before purchase. Another great benefit is the pricing of four glasses to be greater than the same bottle price. It encourages you to purchase a bottle rather than a glass to share with your guest(s).

Other than the reluctance of restaurant owners to become involved and create a great wine list, the lack of server training ranks high on my list of concerns. It’s a shame that many servers who wish to know more about wine have little opportunity. This is a real loss in profits for the establishment and a turn off for diners. Something I will concentrate on in the coming year.There are many restaurants and stores I have yet to visit. Let’s see what the next year brings.

Bob is now contributing articles to the online version of Sarasota Magazine.

Follow him at newsletter@sarasotamagazine.com

From my two previous posts on this vintage, you can guess what’s coming. Yes, 2016 was a great year in Burgundy as well as in Bordeaux and the Rhone. The entire region of Burgundy (Bourgogne in French) is referred to as the Cote d’Or. It is broken down into the Cote d’Nuit in the North and Cote d’Beaune in the south. The only red grape grown here is Pinot Noir and the only white grape is Chardonnay. The Wine Spectator described the growing season as hot and dry with a little rain in September. This made for optimal growing conditions.

Burgundy produces some of the most expensive wines in the world. Due to the effects of primogeniture in passing down vineyard land over generations, most vineyards are quite small and the resulting grapes produce limited, expensive wines. Wines such as Richebourg and Eschezoux can command over $1000 per bottle. For the rest of us, there are regional bottlings of Pinot Noir from various vineyards in Burgundy. These are referred to as Bourgogne (Bur-goyne). Here are two that I enjoyed.

Bourgogne   2016  Ropiteau    $19.00

Light in depth and color, this Pinot Noir nevertheless had a great charm. An initial strong sense of cherry and chocolate gave it a sort of candy-like taste. As time went on, it developed a good balance and complexity. For a light appearing wine, it had good body and a balance of tannins and acidity. Definitely has aging potential.

Bourgogne      2016     Domains Des Farrondes   $17.00

Light in color, as most Pinot Noirs are, it still maintained good balance and complexity. It showed nice fruit character of black  current and blackberry. As the meal progressed, it  became creamy and exhibited elegance. Another wine with good aging potential

Recently, the Wine Spectator extolled the virtues of the 2016 vintage. This gave me the opportunity to revisit wines I have not tried in a long time. My introduction to wine began with Bordeaux and I was enjoying these with friends, primarily top growths, for many years. My change to  enjoying California wines began with representing Robert Mondavi Winery and favorably comparing California Cabernet Sauvignon to Bordeaux. Also French wine began its price escalation and therefore became more difficult to afford.

This article described the 2016 vintage as the best since 2010. A hot, dry summer, with a little rain in September, made for an  optimal growing season. It differentiated between the left and right banks of the Gironde river which separates the Medoc region (left bank), from St. Emilion and Pomerol (right bank). The Medoc wines focus primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon, while St. Emilion and Pomerol are Merlot based. Both regions are required to grow both grapes as well as Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. The blend is up to the chateau and depends largely on the characteristics of the grapes, weather, and tasting style of the chateau. The article stated that the left bank Cabernet Sauvignon wines were slightly superior to the right bank Merlot based wines.

I was able to find two Bordeaux wines locally from the 2016 vintage. This is early for shipments, with the bulk of more expensive wines arriving over the next two years. However the first arrivals often give an indication of the quality of the vintage and provide an opportunity for the producer to make some money while the more prestigious wines age and are shipped later. Bordeaux are the most expensive wines in the world with some costing over $1000.00 per bottle. Fortunately there are many less expensive. These were around $12.00 each. The reasons for the price disparity are the scarcity and reputation of the chateau. In my experience, I have not found a thousand- dollar bottle to be any better than a hundred-dollar bottle.

Barrail Meyney 2016 was an unexpected pleasure. Created in the small town of Genessac near St. Emillon, it was composed of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. My initial impression was a rich, dark, brooding wine with the musty character “gout de terroir” (taste of the soil). I enjoyed it with rack of lamb and as the meal progressed the wine became much smoother and more balanced. It certainly has aging ability and will be even more enjoyable in a few years. For the price, it was a wonderful introduction to the vintage and the Bordeaux characteristics I remember.

Michel Lynch Bordeaux 2016  led me to an interesting discovery. This is a wine blended from a number of appellations in Bordeaux but also includes wines from Fronsac, Cotes de Castillon and Blaye. It is meant for the mass market which desires a currently drinkable wine with the features of Bordeaux. Blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, percentages were not available. It was created by Jean Michel Cazes, the longtime and honored proprietor of Chateau Lynch-Bages. It was named after Michel Lynch, the original proprietor of Ch. Lynch-Bages and mayor of Paulliac during the French Revolution. It was a delectable wine with good color, intensity and balance. Flavors of blackcurrant and Cassis were noted.

It looks like 2016 was indeed a good year for Bordeaux and I look forward to enjoying many more.