Where to find Greek wines around Metro Detroit
Trained winemakers, modern technology and viticulture, and consumers thirsty for different tastes are changing the landscape for Greek wines at home in Greece -- and in markets around the world.
Getting local wine shops and even Greek restaurants to offer them, however, is still a challenge.
In my June 25 column, I described three such wines that are in the Michigan market, thanks to Philip Arvantis of Wine Dimensions, a wine and food importing and distribution company in Mount Clemens.
The wines are 2008 Greek Wine Cellars Assyrtiko from the island of Santorini; Domaine Skouras Zoe 2006 from the Peloponnese; and the nonvintage Calliga Rubis from the island of Cephalonia.
Here are some spots to buy these wines and other diverse Greek wine selections.
Auburn Cafe, Ecorse (offers flaming saganaki and a bottle of Greek wine for $20 on Wednesdays)
Ernie's Kings Mill in Clinton Township
Village Taverna in Greektown
Merchant's Fine Wine, Dearborn
Papa Joe's
Champane's Wine Cellars
Stoukas Imports
Hiller's
Red Wagon
Novi Party Store
Pi Restaurant, Southfield
Assorted restaurants in Greektown
New cheap wine from Crane Lake
OK, "cheap" is now an "in" thing because we are all watching our pennies. So it's big news that Crane Lake is introducing an Australian Chardonnay. The label reads "Down Under by Crane Lake." Price has not been revealed, but you can bet it's $5 or less. And it will be dry and pretty good. Roll-out date is expected to be July 1.
Crane Lake is produced by $2 Buck Chuck producer Bronco Wine Co., aka Fred Franzia. The wines are not bad.
Where you can buy Vision Cellars wines
Vision Cellars in Windsor, Calif., in Sonoma County, has a rare back story to it, which you can read in my column dated June 11, 2009. In a nutshell, Mac McDonald, 66, has led a charmed life from his humble beginnings in rural Texas, where he was introduced to a first-class French Burgundy wine at the tender age of 12 and determined that day to be a winemaker. That eventually led to a 32-year-career at a utility company in San Francisco and endless weekends learning to grow and make wine at Caymus in Napa Valley.
He specializes in Pinot Noirs, and also makes a rose and one white wine -- a Sauvignon Blanc with dollop of Pinot Gris. He makes the wines at Caymus.
If you see some Vision Cellars labels, don’t wring your hands over which one to buy. Just try one. The Pinots are not cheap, and they are made in the style that French Burgundies used to be -- not overoaked, not ponderous like port, elegant fruit and good acidity. They are from notable vineyards in Sonoma’s Russian River and Monterey’s Santa Lucia Highlands -- gold-plate addresses.
There was not room to list all the stores and restaurants in the printed newspaper column about Vision Cellars, so here is the complete list:
Angelina Italian Bistro, Detroit
Art of the Table, Grand Rapids
Atlas Bistro, Detroit
Caucus Club, Detroit
Forest Grill, Birmingham
Grape Expectations, Plymouth
Northville Hills Golf Club, Northville
The Hill Seafood & Chop House, Grosse Pointe Farms
Townsend Hotel, Birmingham
Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Ann Arbor
Cloverleaf Market, Royal Oak
Cose di Lusso, Rochester
Cost Plus Wine, Detroit
Holiday Market, Canton
Joe’s Produce, Livonia
Oxford Wine & Beverage, Oxford
Papa Joe’s, Birmingham
Plum Market, Ann Arbor, West Bloomfield
Fine Wine Source, Livonia
Village Corner, Ann Arbor
Wens Prescription Shop, Ann Arbor
Whole Foods, Troy
Winebuys.com, Ferndale
The Garden Party is back
How many of you remember the fabulous June fundraiser, the Garden Party, to support the St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center in Farmington Hills?
It was a gala event under tents that drew the finest restaurants and wines to support the center that was an orphanage and rescue center for at-risk children and families. In 2006, the center relocated to the Brightmoor area of Detroit.
And the Garden Party vanished.
Well, it's back again, at a new location. The food and wine affair will take place from 1-5 p.m. June 14 at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills, and will offer fine wines and the food of 30 Metro Detroit restaurants.
The event will benefit a range of charities, including the Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan and the Culinary Studies Institute at Oakland Community College.
Event hosts are asking that all women wear hats. Attire will be "Garden Party chic."
Edward and Juliette Jonna will be special honorees.
Tickets are $100 and can be purchased in advance at the Web site.
R.H. Phillips Winery shutting down
According to a report Tuesday in the Sacramento Bee, R.H. Phillips Winery, which makes wines under that name, plus Night Harvest and Toasted Head, will cease operations Sept. 1. The brand will continue to be made, but owner Constellation Brands will move production to its Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi facility in Lodi.
Constellation is the largest wine company in the world.Phillips is a huge operation with 1,700 acres in the Dunnigan Hills near Sacramento. Constellation said the closure was a means to more efficiently produce the wine. It was not known if the 53 employees would transfer to Woodbridge, but winemaker Barry Bergman took a position at Domaine Chandon in Napa Valley.
Read the story.
Buy Tangley Oaks, and they'll pay for planting a tree
Tangley Oaks, named for the majestic trees that are native to California, sources wines from California's best appellations -- Napa Valley for Cabernet and Merlot, Santa Barbara County for Chardonnay.
Tangley recently teamed up with the Arbor Day Foundation to sponsor the planting of a tree on Arbor Day, April 24, for every bottle purchased on this day.
Let me steer you to the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, $22, which is drinking ever so lovely -- the palate is rich and flavors are concentrated. It's a glassful of dark plums, blackberries, blueberries, dark chocolate and licorice. Tannins are silky. The balance is exquisite; it's powerful in a subtle way.
The '05 vintage in California just keeps giving and giving. If you don't remember, it was so big they filled swimming pools with the grapes.
Here's a toast to Arbor Day!
Epicurean Classic moves to St. Joseph, Mich., Aug. 28-30
The sixth annual Epicurean Classic, which until now has been staged at the Great Lakes Culinary Institute in Traverse City, has a new home on the west side of the state, in St. Joseph.
It also has a new presenting sponsor, KitchenAid.
The event will include dozens of cooking demonstrations, wine-beer-cheese tastings, and appearances by noted cookbook authors. This year's lineup of special guests has not been announced.
KitchenAid is also a sponsor for the Food & Wine Classic at Aspen and the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Florida.
Worthwhile reading if you buy wine on the Web
This is a must read if you try to buy wine online. Wall Street Journal columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher did yeoman's work finding Web sellers that know how to design a site, have the inventory they hawk, and deliver promptly. The writers found four sites, including the granddaddy of them all, www.wine.com, that work. Read the whole report.
New York kills proposal to allow wine sales in supermarkets
Sometimes, you think Michigan liquor laws are antiquated. How would you like to live in New York state where liquor stores have a monoopoly on selling wine?
In the latest state budget, for 2009-2010, the hotly debated proposal floated by New York Gov. David Paterson to let supermakets sell wine, too, crashed like a lead balloon, according to a report this week at Newsday.com.
In Michigan, wine stores and supermarkets have co-existed selling wine forever, it seems. Only 15 states do not allow wine to be sold in supermarkets.
This move was a disappointment to many of the state's 250 wineries, who had hoped for increased sales by expanding the availability of their products. And think how much money in taxes Albany lost by that move.
So Michiganians, we do have something to be thankful for. We can buy our Chateau Grand Traverse Late Harvest Riesling at Kroger and Meijer.
Michigan Wine Expo coming April 3-4
The Michigan International Wine Expo and Tasting featuring more than 400 wines to taste and purchase at reduced prices will take place from 5-10 p.m. Friday, April 3, and 4-9 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at Rock Financial Showplace in Novi. A section of ultra-premium wines is new this year. Also, ZAP Zinfandel wine producers will have a special display. Admission is $50 at the door or you can get a 10 percent discount if you register online at the Web site prior to 5 p.m. April 1. Some discounts on purchases will be as much as 50 percent off.
