Got Bottles?

Early morning breezes ruffled the hair of the milk-man as he walked through the neighborhood. As he (were there ever any milk-women, inquiring minds want to ask?) moved from house to house, and from truck to sidewalk, the jingle of glass bottles accompanied his every step.

Jangling in two pitches, the milk bottle sounds came forth in the bass range for full bottles, and in high-alto/low soprano for the empties! The sound of house doors opening, then closing, in harmony with their own sets of bottle jingles, followed quickly upon the milk-man's departure.

Was it really so very long ago that these sounds were heard throughout the land? In fact, the answer is an emphatic "No!" Even now, in some neighborhoods, the milk truck arrives at the door with fresh dairy products. Sadly, these neighborhoods are no longer common.

Recently though, there has been a resurgence in the availability of the distinctive flavor of milk in glass bottles. After decades of residence in wax cartons and plastic jugs, milk has once again appeared on store shelves in bright-and-sparkly glass bottles.

In southern California, the Wild Oats, Henry's and Whole Foods grocery chains now offer glass-bottled milk, from nonfat to whole and steps in-between, on a regular basis. Sometimes, even raw (gasp! AND hooray!), unpasteurized milk is offered.

Prompting this question in the Ingredient Sleuth's brain:

"Do people really KNOW how GOOD milk in glass bottles tastes?" Or have we forgotten what the REAL THING really has to offer?

In these times of renewed interest in sustainability and organics, both for preservation of the environment AND because foods just plain TASTE so much better in their fresh and unaltered states, people seem to be in a process of rediscovery.

That white beverage in the glass bottles does seem to have a flavor that is uniquely its own. Even in its lowfat versions, there is a depth of flavor -- and a pleasantly-sweet component -- that is hard to duplicate.

Hmmm, let's see, what does it remind me of -- just there, at the tip of my tongue? Ah yes! Sweet-and-fresh butter, honeyed ice cream, pungent cheeses. So THAT'S how all those good things come to taste so delicious. (Another one of those "well duh" moments, in the making!)

They are made from milk!!! Not that imitation stuff, sort of a scaled-back version of itself, that has stood around in waxy or plastic-y environs for days and days and days. But real, fragrant, wholesome milk, just as as the cow made it for us. Meant to be enjoyed sooner, rather than later, without contact with artificial flavors of any kind.

As a treat, even if not for every day -- and sometimes even in place of ice cream -- this Sleuth likes nothing better than a tall, ice-cold, glass of the REAL THING! THEN, and only then, one really can say "GOT MILK!" And perhaps, play a little xylophone-like song on the bottles as well!

Wine Overboard!

Imagine a beautifully-sunny, summer afternoon. The neighborhood lake is dappled with sunlight while bright splashes of color mark large, inflatable rafts -- some bright blue, some blazing yellow, others shocking pink. Motorless, the rafts silently carry two or three people each across the shallow lake, most simply drifting in the light breezes.

Suddenly, a shout breaks into the transcendent feeling of calm. "Oh no!" calls an occupant of the most sedately-colored raft (the baby blue shade blending into the dreamy blue color of the lake itself). "My wine glass (plastic, of course) just went overboard and it was almost full!"

If you, like the Ingredient Sleuth, feel the gnawing twinge of loss at this thought, imagine further how European vintners must be feeling right about now. An article run this week (June 8) in the online edition of the London-published "Times" newspaper discusses the European Commission's upcoming proposals for reforms of the EU's wine industry.

To improve the competitiveness of European wines, the commission recommends paying farmers to put 400,000 hectares of vineyards idle (at the cost of 2.4 billion Euros), thereby limiting the amount of grapes produced. These vineyards cover a wide area of Europe and multiple countries will be affected, the article states.

Why would such drastic actions would be proposed?

Simply stated, there are more grapes and wine being produced than can be sold. Right now, there is the equivalent of a year's production of wine without demand. It is waiting, in barrels, to be turned into petrol! Some unused wines are turned into brandy, others into disinfectant. The article estimates that nearly 25% of all Spanish wine ultimately is used for industrial purposes at this time.

Competitive pressures, of both quality and quantity, continue to grow as so-called "New World Wines" from Australia, South Africa, South America and the United States lay claim to their share of the worldwide market. Without climbing onto my soapbox and bemoaning the progression of yet another facet of our lives to the incursion of the conglomerate (while maybe a little moaning ....), I still have to think of the small producers who will likely bear the brunt of these potential reforms.

People who do difficult labor, climbing on steep hillsides (like the one in today's photo of a German hillside vineyard) to care for and harvest grapes from vines that have represented a family's identity for generations, will surely be affected. Could not these grapes be diverted to some NUTRITIONAL purpose, with commission money being spent instead to redirect that FOOD content to the starving areas of the world? Could not the vines be allowed to grow, rather than plowed under, protecting their future NOURISHMENT potential?

Surely, wise minds have considered these issues? In any case, it is shocking to consider a billion bottles of wine going to waste -- especially when each of us can relate to our individual disappointment at losing only one glass.

For now, as we lift our glasses to toast, I will be thankful that THIS particular glass of grape-filled wonder found its way to its true destiny. It, and the work that went into it, is truly appreciated. Cheers!

An Organic Spanish Tempranillo  

Wine Aid -- Organic and Otherwise

“May I be of any assistance?” In my earlier – dare I say “younger” days – I would have blurted out “no, I’m fine, thank you” with nary a thought of opportunities missed. Fortunately, it has become astonishingly-apparent to me, in recent times, that those offering assistance often have a wealth of knowledge that is just waiting to be unleashed.

This time, as we browsed through the impressive wine collection, heads filled with visions of hillside grapevines shimmering in the sun, the offer of assistance rang true. After a pleasant afternoon of southern Wisconsin touring, we had decided to stop by the Sendik’s supermarket (www.sendiks.cc) in Brookfield -- what else would an Ingredient Sleuth do on vacation? And there we were, in the wine department.

Having SO many questions about wines, it is always difficult to know where to begin when assistance is offered. Wines of so many descriptions are intriguing – should I formulate a question about wines from a certain region, about a certain varietal grape? “Do you have any recommendations about some good, organic wines?” I began, grasping at the first gap (and there are MANY!) in my wine knowledge that came to mind. The conversation that ensued turned out to be a highlight of the day!

The wine consultant offering assistance was ready with several good ideas. He talked a bit about the growing interest in the concept of organic wines worldwide. On the domestic front, we learned, Oregon is particularly-active in the pursuit of organic wine production and California is also a top contender. A sunshine-filled bottle of domestic Gewürztraminer made its way into the shopping cart at about this stage, as I recall (and it turned out to be a fabulous choice).

European, South American, Australian and New Zealand grape growers and vintners are increasing focus on organic wine production as well. Always eager to toss in my meager bits of wine awareness, I recounted my recent wine dabblings with a couple of tasty Spanish Tempranillo organic wines that I had found at home in California. The wine consultant nodded knowingly and apparently concluded (correctly) that we were interested in learning more. (Isn’t it grand when people of similar interests start to converse? That’s when the magic begins! And before you ask -- no, I didn’t mention that I was an ingredient sleuth.)

It must have been our interest in the spicy, white Gewürztraminer wine that headed us in the next conversational direction. Before we knew it, the three of us were talking excitedly about past trips to Germany, wine regions bordering the Rhine and Mosel Rivers and tiny towns with familiar (to us, at least) names. Of course, we could have uncovered this mutual interest earlier if the initial question had been about German wines. But then, we’d have missed the valuable info about the state of organic wines around the world!

Wonderful, explanatory pages of background information about Germany’s wine country found their way from the wine consultant’s notebook to our eager hands. As it turned out, we were speaking to an expert who, for years, led wine tours from America to the very region of Germany that we find to be of huge interest because of our ancestral linkages to the area. We have enjoyed many a bottle of delicious Riesling from the area and are always eager to find more. Apparently, according to this expert, 2003 German Rieslings are on a par with, or potentially superior to, any ever produced! 2003, it seems, was indeed a VERY good year for German grapes (and 2002 was right up there near the all-time top as well).

The gracious wine consultant knew the major winemakers of the region personally, had dined with them and drunk their wines with them. Having grown up in Switzerland, he possesses multi-lingual skills that had readily transported him into rapport with them. Names of German villages that most people (even Germans) would probably have difficulty finding on a map floated through our conversation as if they were just around the corner from the supermarket. We had traveled those very same back roads, spider-fine though they may look on even a local, German map.

How delightful it was to meet such knowledge in action, to share the spark of a topic of mutual interest and then to walk away (albeit reluctantly) with smiles on our faces, pages of exquisite wine information in our hands and – most assuredly – bottles of nature’s grape bounty in our shopping cart. All this made possible by that fortuitous combination of assistance offered with aid (happily) accepted.

Cheers!

Red Bicyclette Chardonnay 

Red Bicyclette Wine

During the holidays, my sister introduced me to a new French wine that she found at her local Sentry supermarket in southern Wisconsin. The brand name was Red Bicyclette and we savored every drop of the delicious Chardonnay (2003). It had a full, chewy character but was still bright and refreshing. We quickly placed it near the top of our favorite Chardonnays list.

On the first day that the temperature rose to a respectable level -- it was 9 degrees Fahrenheit with a windchill of only 5 degrees below zero -- we hurried back to the market to replenish our Red Bicyclette supply. We already knew that we liked the Chardonnay, so that was an easy selection. Temptingly, the Merlot shimmered at us as we placed the white wine into the shopping cart. "Why not," said my sister and soon, the red wine was in the shopping cart as well.

The Merlot was rich and quite dry, with strong berry flavors. It was also very good, but not quite as outstanding as the Chardonnay. I would happily select both of them again, though, and the pricing (under $10) was good for such excellent wines.

As I do, from time to time, I read the French newspaper Le Monde online the other day. (I'm trying to keep my French-language skills fresh and enjoy reading its in-depth accounts of European events.) Imagine my delight to find an article about Red Bicyclette wine!

Concerned with falling export numbers for their wines, French vintners have entered into an agreement with Gallo to market several varieties in the U.S. Introduced in 2004, Red Bicyclette has experienced good sales and is benefitting from Gallo's already-existing distribution channels in major supermarkets throughout the country. Significant growth in U.S. sales has been projected for 2005.

A quick check of my local Ralph's supermarket confirmed that Red Bicyclette is available there -- Eureka! After my initial disappointment at not finding it at my local BevMo store, I am now content to know that I can depend on my good, old, neighborhood supermarket to keep me well-stocked with reasonably-priced wine from the heart of French wine country. Global commerce -- you gotta love it!