foodie (slang) a person keenly interested in food, esp. in eating or cooking

All right then, it’s a slang term that replaces:

gourmet a connoisseur of fine food and drink

epicure a person who cultivates a refined taste, esp. in food and wine

and

bon vivant a person with refined taste, especially one who enjoys superb food and drink.

It’s certainly an improvement on epicure (I’m thinking hands and feet), somewhat preferable to the pompous gourmet however I still like the jaunty bon vivant . But foodie isn’t just a trendy replacement term. There’s an important distinction in the definition: it’s more about a keen interest than any type of connoisseurship or refinement. A foodie is just as likely to be interested in Taylor Ham as Prosciutto, Borscht as Bouillabaisse; much more akin to the adventitious spirit of a wine geek as opposed to the refinement of a wine connoisseur.

Then why is the term so cringeworthy? For shamelessly co-opting something practically everyone enjoys? Perhaps. Or because it shares both the flavor and negative connotations of “yuppie”, another cringworthy 1980′s term? Let’s face it: the 80′s could be embarrassing. Anyone for a re-watch of St. Elmo’s Fire?

OK, I have a keen interest in food but I don’t yet consider myself a foodie. How can I become one? According to Amazon.com, “You can’t properly call yourself a gourmand¹ (or even a minor foodie) until you’ve digested Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin’s delectable 1825 treatise, The Physiology of Taste: Or, Meditations on Transcendental Gastronomy.” I digested and surprisingly enjoyed this book but I’m not entirely convinced that it’s the true foodie bible. For starters, it completely flops on its raison d’être to prove that Gastronomy is a science like Astronomy. No, that didn’t catch on. It’s really more of an over-the-top culinary romp through late 18th/early 19th century France (and the United States) full of the author’s aphorisms and pompous self-evident postulations, written as if affecting a magisterial manner makes things true. A little like my 3 year old affecting a baby baritone: “I’m a big boy.”

Its popularity and endurance is probably due more to its entertainment value than anything else. An unwitting page-turner, I was in constant anticipation of just what the pompous buffoon would postulate or get up to next; like extolling the virtues of gourmandism in women or preparing copious amounts of punch to drink after a full day’s feasting. Obsessive, haughty, self-indulgent, and snobbish but also enthusiastic, charming and generous Brillat-Savarin in many ways embodies both the good and bad aspects of foodie culture today. His aphorisms have also endured, most famously in the opening words of the TV show Iron Chef “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.”

That line is one of the set of aphorisms that preface the book. They were so popular at the time of publication that every Parisian restaurant worth its salt had a framed copy hanging on the wall. Rival authors vainly attempted to capture the city’s gastronomic imagination with their own versions but to no avail. Supposedly many Parisian restaurants still display a copy (we’re off to Paris tomorrow so I’ll be sure to do a little field investigation).

So to be a real foodie, reading The Physiology of Taste isn’t really necessary but having a copy of The Aphorisms is. Just as the Wizard of Oz gave the Scarecrow a diploma, the Cowardly Lion a medal and the Tin Man a testamonial, I present to you Brillat-Savarin’s Aphorisms², the only thing that authentic foodies have that you don’t. Print it out and hang it on your fridge with the most pompous magnet you can find.

Download Brillat-Savarin’s Aphorisms

¹In France a gourmet is a food connoisseur while a gourmand is a glutton.

²I can be so generous since they’re no longer under copyright protection.

It must be getting hot in California wine country. Randall Grahm, rock-star winemaker of Bonny Doon fame, was scouting out vineyards in southern England. England? I was driving around West Sussex earlier this year hoping to visit one of England’s best known vineyards. Not being able to find it, I stopped and asked some of the locals for directions. “A vineyard? Have you tried France?” I have to admit they have a point. England isn’t exactly known for its wine. Not yet anyway. Global warming may still be a political issue for a shrinking few but to winemakers such as Randall Grahm it’s a very real concern that needs to be addressed. So let’s get real. This article is not just about rising temperatures, rising oceans, changing ecosystems, species extinctions etc. It’s about something of graver concern: the quality of the wine we drink! Not since phylloxera, the vine pest, began killing all of Europe’s vineyards in the 1860′s has there been such a global problem for winemakers.

So far it hasn’t been so bad. According to recent research (see table), average growing termperatures in the world’s high quality wine regions have increased 1.26°C in the past fifty years. This increase has certainly improved wine making in cooler regions. Warmer weather means riper grapes which leads to less green or raw flavours, higher alcohol levels in the wine (converted from sugars during fermentation) and lower acid levels. Picture eating an unripe apple to get a feel for how bad a wine unripe grapes can make: unpleasantly sour or tart due to the extremely high acidity and low sugar levels. Cool regions like the Loire Valley used to struggle just to get 10% alcohol for its red wines in the 1950′s. Just imagine how thin and weedy they must have tasted! They’ve definitely benefited from the warming trend as well have cooler regions such as Burgundy, Bordeaux and Germany.

These winemakers have also had to resort less to artificial manipulations, which in a cool climate means chapitalization and deacidification to balance the wine. Chapitalization is the practice of adding sugar to the grape juice (known as must) just before fermentation to increase the final alcohol levels. It’s an allowed practice in nearly all cool regions as long as all the sugar is fermented dry without residual sweetness in the wine. Deacidification is another allowed practice where calcium carbonate (chalk) or a similar substance is added to the wine to lower its acidity. Since these interventions are not needed with riper grapes in warmer years, the resulting wine is naturally balanced. Another benefit is that the fully riped grapes develop more complex flavours.

The warm weather has suited warmer climates as well. The riper grapes and the resulting big wines – full bodied, high alcohol – have been getting high marks in publications and in competitions. The reality is that the more subtle wines don’t stand a chance next to the biggies in a comparative tasting of 20+ wines, so bigger has literally come to mean better. In a certain way this has always been true in the wine world but how far can this go? Zinfandels in California are now routinely 15 to 17% alcohol, which is exactly the alcohol content of Port, a fortified wine. Are we seeing too much of a good thing?

A long growing season in any climate is associated with better wine. The longer a grape stays on the vine, the more richness and flavour complexity it develops. The problem in many warm climates now is that there can be fully developed sugars but unripe skins and seeds a month or so before harvest. So by the time the grapes are picked with ripe skins the sugar level has continued to increase and the acid levels have dropped. Remember the unripe apple? This time think of an overripe apple: brownish, sickly sweet and no refreshing acidity. The increased sugars (and resulting increased alcohol) and low acid levels mean other types of artificial manipulations are necessary for these winemakers. Again, the methods used are both necessary and legal. Tartaric acid is routinely added to balance wines in warm climates. And to lower excessive alcohol levels, the wines are literally diluted with water or dealcoholized with a newly developed apparatus. Everything is currently manageable but growing season temperatures are projected to increase 2.04°C on average gloabally in the next fifty years!

How can warm climate winemakers continue to adapt? Overall, they have 3 choices: continue artificial manipulations on an increasing level, plant warmer weather grape varieties or move to a cooler climate. We may be seeing more hot weather grape varieties such as Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache, (reds) Roussane and Marsanne (whites) replacing cooler weather grape varieties such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Miles may be force to scrap Pinot Noir for Mourvèdre in Sideways II. Growers who don’t want to change grape varieties will have no choice but to move to a cooler location. One way is to head for the hills. The largest wine producer in Spain, Miguel Torres, is currently developing vineyards in the Pyrenees mountains at 900M altitude near his current vineyards in Catalunya. Another way is to head North. Californian vineyards may soon be transplanted in Oregon, Washington or British Columbia. Europeans are looking towards cooler climes in England – as Randall Grahm is considering – as well as Belgium, Ireland and Denmark. Even Scotland and Norway may not be too far off in the future.

For summer drinking I also like to head North like so many vacationers and opt for cooler climate wines with their lower alcohol levels and refreshing acidity. White is usually the colour we associate with cool climate wines as red wines are much more difficult to fully develop. Since red wines really are the litmus test in terms of how warm the cooler regions have become and how much they’ve benefited from increased temperatures, I’ve chosen 6 reds from a few of the world’s cooler wine regions to help illustrate the current situation. Also appropriate for summer, they’re quaffable (read: not serious) and benefit from a slight chill in the fridge or ice bucket, 14°C to be exact.

Cool Climate Red Wines:

2002 Lingenfelder Dornfelder Fox Label, Pfalz 12.0° £7.19 (Oddbins)

Red wines are becoming increasingly popular for Germans and most are consumed locally. This is one reason you won’t see much Dornfelder outside of Germany. A grape of humble origins, it was bred in 1955 in Württemberg mainly as a blending partner to add colour to pale German reds. If you’ve ever tried a German Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), you’ll see why this was desirable. It surpassed all expectations to become the second most planted red variety in Germany after Spätburgunder. This one is a testament to its popularity with sweet juicy berry flavours and rose perfume. Dornfelder is now also made into serious wines fetching high price tags but the Lingenfelder Fox Lablel is simply a highly aromatic, unique and charming wine for the summer.

2002 Mission Hill Five Vineyards Cabernet Merlot Okanagan Valley VQA 13.0° £9.50 (Handford)

The Okanagan Valley in British Columbia is actually the northern tip of the Sonora Desert and an excellent micro climate for wine in what is normally considered ski country. This California style vineyard/resort makes a respectable plummy Cabernet Merlot in a fruity, softly oaked California style.

2004 Laurent Martray Brouilly Vieilles Vingnes 12.5° £8.95 (Lea & Sandeman)

Beaujolais is in the southernmost part of Burgundy but is still further north than most wine regions and definitely a cool climate for growing wine grapes. Gamay is the main variety here which can make wines that range from fruity Beaujolais Nouveau to more elegant Cru Beaujolais, of which this Brouilly is one. This Vieilles Vingnes (old vines) wine is made is small quantities and is the most subtle of the 6 wines here, with elegant but earthy flavours of red fruits and spice.

2003 Chapel Down Pinot Noir 11.5° £13.50 (Handford, Thameside)

The summer of 2003 was hot enough for England temporarily not to be considered a cold wine region anymore and this wine certainly is evidence. It has an excellent and instantly recognizable Pinot Noir nose – aromatic and varietally correct – raspberries, red currants and fall leaves. It may still may pale in comparison with equally priced red Burgundies but is an amazing taste of good things to come from England.

2004 Domaine de la Paleine Saumur 13.5° £6.99 (Handford)

Loire Valley reds such as Chinon, Bourgeil and red Saumur have consistantly been panned by Anglo wine writers such as Robert Parker, which also helps to make them a good value. The French and particularly Parisians absolutely do not agree and value them for their refreshing acidity and pungent flavours that make them perfect food wines. Indeed, they are the toast of Paris bistros. This like most Loire Valley reds is made from 100% Cabernet Franc, the main grape in Cheval Blanc. It’s a bit more full bodied than most, moderately aromatic with sour cherry and bell pepper notes along with the classic Loire red flavour of pencil shavings.

2004 Zantho Zweigelt 13.5° £8.50 (Handford)

Grüner Veltliner’s meteoric popularity has put Austria back on the wine map and has boosted recognition of its Rieslings as well. Its reds, however – mainly Blaufänkisch and Zweigelt – have stayed out of the spotlight but are definitely worth seeking out. Could it be that they’re difficult to pronounce? Like Dornfelder, Zweigelt [sviy-gehlt] is another red grape bred (in 1922) for cold climates that has exceeded all expectations. The Zantho is pleasantly tart and perfumed with the distinctive taste of black pepper on the palate and a surprisingly long and elegant finish.

It seems like just a few years ago that the only quality wine makers using the screwcap (or Stelvin) were either in New Zealand or named Randall Grahm. They’re now practically everywhere as people are finally starting to realize that there may be a better way to seal wine bottles than with 17th century technology. Thankfully the Stelvin seems to be winning out over those horrible plastic corks but several other alternatives are now competing to become the new standard.

Let’s take look at the major contenders today: the Stelvin as well as the Zork, Vino-Lok and Crown Cap. Since the jury is still out on how well wines can age in these new (and old) fangled devices, we’ll be assessing them mainly on their aesthetic appeal.

Stelvin

While the cork is 17th century technology, the screwcap is from the 19th century. Patented by Dan Rylands in the UK in 1889 it found its first practical use on whiskey bottles, replacing the corks there as well. In the 1950′s the Stelvin cap that we know today was developed in France specifically as a wine bottle closure and is still a registered trademark of French manufacturer Pechiney. Originally used only for the cheapest wines, a stigma developed that has only recently been broken. The Stelvin here seals a 2005 Torres Vina Sol, the kind of clean young refreshing and inexpensive wine you’d expect to find under a screwcap. Stelvins still seem very casual compared with the ritual of the corkscrew so if you want to add a bit of ceremony take a look at this odd movie – Vive La Screwcap – brought to you by Bonny Doon Vineyards. (Note: Vina Sol is the easiest way I know of to try the featherweight and reasonably obscure Paredella grape variety)

Overall assessment: Quick, clean, no frills

Zork

The Zork is a thoroughly modern wine closure. Developed in 2002 in Adelaide, Australia, the Zork is an attempt to retain the rituals of uncorking without the drawbacks of cork. A small plastic sealing ribbon is twisted off and the cap is then pulled out with an audiple “pop.” It seems to be made of the same material other plastic corks but since it’s pulled out by hand it won’t get stuck to your corkscrew like a big wad of gum. The 2003 d’Arenberg Cadenzia that this Zork seals is also a thoroughly modern creation. Silky smooth but with refreshing acidity, buttery vanilla, blackberries and a smoky BBQ somewhere in the background, it’s a virtual meal in a bottle. Wearing a Star Trek outfit during the tasting would have neatly completed the picture.

Overall assessment: A good update on the original process of popping a cork.

Vino-Lok

Glass stoppers are actually as old a method as cork for sealing a bottle, but lost out due to practical reasons. To get a tight seal requires a high degree of precision so stoppers had to be custom ground. A perfectly ground stopper could then be impossible to remove making the whole effort futile. The Vino-Lok recently developed by Alcoa brings back this traditional closure with an update: the seal is now formed by a small clear soft ring integral to the stopper. It’s easily the most elegant looking closure and like the Zork, there’s also a ritual to opening it. A plastic wrapping is removed revealing an aluminum cover which is then twisted off to reveal the shiny glass stopper. The only disappointing part is in the actual dislodging. Instead of a pop, the stopper opens with a fairly disconcerting click. It almost sounds like something broke but when the slight panic recedes, in hand is a very stylish piece of moulded glass. I expected the wine to be equally stylish and clean, but — irony of ironies — it had a slight brett infection. The sweaty saddle notes just didn’t quite fit. It was if a supermodel had just farted. Worse yet, the 2004 Salomon-Undhof Kremstal Riesling also had a predominant aroma of gooseberries and grass, almost textbook Sauvignon Blanc and less than impressive for an Austrian Riesling.

Overall assessment: a very elegant closure even if the wine wasn’t.

Crown Cap

Originally know as the Crown Cork, it was invented by William Painter in Baltimore 1891, 2 years behind the screw cap. Wait a minute that’s a bottle cap! Just how cheap can you get? Actually it’s the way all Champagne (and traditionally made sparkling wine) bottles are sealed throughout the wine making process. The crown caps are removed during dégorgement (removal of sediment) and replaced with corks, wire muzzles and foil before dispatch. So yes, P. Diddy, your bottle of Krug once donned a crown cap. Yo! It certainly lacks the theatre involved in popping a Champagne cork but ironically makes the whole experience more serious. Read: this is a wine to be consumed and not sprayed in the locker room or Grand Prix winner’s circle! No doubt, the 2002 Green Point Vintage Brut Rosé tasted here was certainly in character. Made by Moet and Chandon in Victoria, Australia it’s a serious bubbly with a fine mousse and aromas of biscuits , flowers and strawberries. Very dry and very good.

Overall Assessment: Interesting, but not fun. Of course you can still saber it off if necessary!

Conclusion:

We’ll have to wait and see how the different closure types will be accepted. Since it’s not the kind of standard like competing DVD encoding technologies that require buying a different player to work, I can imagine we’ll start to a lot of different wine enclosures in the next couple of years. I particularly liked the elegance of the Vino-Lok but also found the Zork with the ‘ol cork pop still intact very appealing.

Poll:

OK, now that we have the best we now need the worst to neatly book-end every other single wine on earth. The problem is that it’s not so easy. Parker and the Spec. don’t publish such lists probably for obvious reasons such as legal implications. That’s where the power of wine blogging comes in. No we’re not wimps around here. No sir-ree Bob! Still, how do we come up with such a list? Through tasting? Uh-oh, perhaps we are wimps after all.

I decided instead to google, yahoo, msn, lycos, etc. “the worst wine ever” to see what I could come up with. No consensus emerged. Far from it, I found a vast and varied world of plonk and people writing about it. From this these fairly dubious and possibly drunk sources I’ve assembled a list of “the worst wines ever” and present it as an online poll to the readers of De Long Wine Moment to settle this matter once and for all.

Please note that my legal department wants me to point out the none of the wines in this list are my own choices, but are simply plucked from the above mentioned sources. To be fair, there may be a few that made the list simply because the particular bottle tasted was corked or otherwise off. Also, let’s not forget that one person’s Thunderbird is another person’s d’Yquem. OK, maybe that’s a bit too generous.

In a way this vinous hodge-podge that reminds me of a list from a ‘certain Chinese encyclopedia’ mentioned in the preface of Foucault’s The Order of Things: ‘animals are divided into: (a) belonging to the Emperor, (b) embalmed, (c) tame,(d) sucking pigs, (e) sirens, (f) fabulous, (g) stray dogs, (h) included in the present classification, (i) frenzied, (j) innumerable, (k) drawn with a very fine camelhair brush, (1) et cetera, (m) having just broken the water pitcher, (n) that from a long way off look like flies’. (Aside: quoting Foucault? Have I really become a pompous wine sipping twit? Chorus: Yes! Shut up!)

But I digress. Without further adieu, the POLL:

Editor’s note 5 May 2011: The original poll data was sadly lost in a upgrade. Please enter your choice again so that we can reinstate our important work.

Resources:

Wine Searcher’s Recommended Wines

Bum Wine