Often overlooked, misunderstood, and unknown, it seems as if Tokaji is making a comeback. With most of the big name publications featuring articles and reviews on these amazing wines, I can only hope that they help to grab some attention and encourage people to go out and but these incredible wines. Of significant importance to us, Decanter Magazine recently published an article “Discover the Magic of Tokaji Tasting” which saw the Alana-Tokaji Furmit 2006 listed as one of the top wines from the tasting. We are very happy and encouraged to see that not only are Tokaji wines receiving much deserved attention, but one of the wineries we are proud to represent has been included among the best. The Furmint, as well as two other outstanding wines from Alana-Tokaji, are available in Utah and Pennsylvania at your local wine store. Please call ahead for stock as these have limited quantities!!

Also encouraging for us is the continues focus on the Cotes du Rhone region of France. Often overshadowed by its more “prestigious” counterparts of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Alsace, Cotes du Rhone has become a heave hitter for incredible wines at competitive prices. With the continued economic troubles worldwide, the region offers quite an array of different styles and varieties to suit any palate. Echoing the high quality and great values available, especially from the Southern Cotes du Rhone, here is Mr. Robert Parker’s take on these amazing wines-

“Last year, after tasting the 2007 southern Rhônes…I stated it was “the vintage of a lifetime.” Tasting the 2007s out of bottle has confirmed my thoughts – this is a truly historic and profoundly great vintage. As the following tasting notes and commentary suggest, this may be the most compelling vintage of any viticultural region I have ever tasted. I say that because the quality of a vintage is not only measured by what the reference point estates produce, but also by how well the generic appellations fare. I have never tasted better Côtes du Rhônes, Gigondas, or Vacqueyras than the 2007s. Moreover, the profoundly concentrated, vividly aromatic, and remarkably fresh, yet substantial, full-bodied, and flawless 2007 Châteauneuf du Papes I tasted in the southern Rhône in late August and September were unforgettable…

…To the extent they are still available, these wines will disappear fast – even in these hard economic times. If you love southern Rhône wines, which are the most underrated great wines of the world, you need to move fast, or forever hold your peace.”

We’re very excited about the recent hype not only from Mr. Parker himself, but also from the various other publications form the US and worldwide. We’re not sure if it’s coincidence or just good luck (but hey, we’ll take either!), but we just recently placed an order for the “2007 Cuve Sabine” from Domaine du Gros Pata, a wonderful family owned and operated winery we have been representing for some time. This beautiful wine is currently available in Utah, Pennsylvania and select stores in Wyoming (the 2005 vintage) and readily available for the upcoming Holiday season, and would be a great wine with your Turkey and cranberry sauce!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Cheers,

Michael

After much anticipation, we have received the long awaited shipment of fantastic white and rose wines from famed Bordeaux producer Denis Dubourdieu. If you’re not familiar with Denis Dubourdieu, he is what some consider the “godfather” of white wine elaboration in Bordeaux. Denis Dubourdieu Domaine’s consists of several different chateau’s and regions, and we selected three estates that we felt catered to the American market. We selected several wines from his offerings: the Chateau Reynon Sauvignon Blanc in the Cadillac region, Clos Floridene Blanc and Rose from the Graves region, and Chateau Cantegril from Sauternes. We feel that these wines will offer amazing quality and for an amazing price, ranging from $13 to $30  at any of the wine stores in Utah. We are currently only selling these wines in Utah and Wyoming, but will hopefully be expanding availability throughout the US in the near future to try and make it possible for everyone to enjoy these incredible wines. To go along with these wines I would highly recommend visiting Freshies Lobster Co. for incredibly fresh Maine lobsters, clams, mussels, and lobster rolls for an amazing meal delivered straight to your door! Freshies was recently featured in Salt Lake Magazine where they wrote a company profile about the company. I have ordered several times from Freshies and have always had the freshest seafood available to us in land locked Utah. I actually wound up chasing a live lobster all over my kitchen because it was so fresh and alive it decided to take a spin throughout my house- don’t worry, no wine was spilled…….

Cheers,

Michael

It has been a great start of the week for P.R. Grisley Co. as news has been flying in from Europe on two wineries we import from, Quinta de Gomariz from Portugal and Baron de Montfort from France. Both wineries have received awards for their wine making in their respective countries and we couldn’t be happier for both wineries!!!

 Our good friend Bertrand de Sercey and the team at Baron de Montfort have been awarded two silver medals in recognition for the 2006 vintage of BOTH the Chateau Lagrange Monbadon and the Chateau de Monbadon in an annual competition held in Bordeaux. The “Concours de Bordeaux” is a certified organization that was set up to allow Bordeaux producers to compete with each other and all wines are blind tasted by wine professionals. We currently sell the 2005 Chateau de Monbadon and the 2003 Chateau Lagrange Monbadon in selected markets, but we look forward to receiving the 2006 vintage of these wines in the future. It’s encouraging to know that Baron de Monfort continues to produce award-winning wines and we look forward to enjoying these upcoming vintages.

 Quinta de Gomariz had a VERY big weekend, taking home five awards in two different competions for their fantastic vinho verde wines. The first competition was the annual Vinho Verde Competition and was held in the city of Braga in northern Portugal. Gomariz took home the “best of” award for their 2008 Loureiro in the varietal category, as well as the 2008 Espadeiro (Rose), also for the varietal category. The big winner was their 2008 Colheita Seleccionada, which took home the gold medal in the white wine category. The other competition was the Lisbon National Wine Contest, where the 2008 Loureiro and 2008 Colheita Seleccionada were awarded silver medals. We’ve been working very closely with our good friend Vitor Mendez from Vinixa, who helped make the Gomariz wines available in the US market. As a brand new producer whom we just began working with and recently visited in May, this is very promising and we can’t wait until the Gomariz wines are available in US, which will be in the next month and half.

So, congratulations to both Quinta de Gomariz and Baron de Monfort, keep up the good work and we’ll be sure to raise a glass to you both!!!

– Michael 

It’s true, there are actually quality Bordeaux wines for sale in the US for under $15!!! At the recent 2009 Concours des Grands Vins de France de Mâcon, (sorry, no website available in English) Baron de Montfort’s 2006 Chateau de Lagrange Monbadon earned a silver medal. We’re extremely excited about this award along with the entire team at Baron de Montfort, as we only began importing this wine several months ago, but it has been well received in that short time.

While the 2006 vintage earned the award, the 2003 vintage is currently for sale in in select markets (the 2006 will be available soon), including Pennsylvania and Wyoming, so please ask your favorite retailer about ordering if they don’t carry this wine! The PLCB also offers two other selections from the Baron de Montfort estates, the 2005 Chateau de Monbadon as well as the 2005 Chateau du Rocher St. Emilion Grand Cru. If you live in Utah the UDABC does carry the 2005 Chateau Monbadon, a sister Chateau, which is an equally delicious wine for under $20, and hopefully they will soon carry the entire line of Baron de Montfort wines. 

As the economy continues to struggle, I hope everyone finds some comfort in knowing that wines such as these are available in your area. I think now more than ever we need to research our wine selections a bit more as there are hidden values from every region in the world. Explore these options, expand your palate, and above all, enjoy some new wines with friends and family!!!

Question for all- what is your most recent “Value Find”? Where is it from and how much does it cost in your area?

Cheers,

Michael

We recently welcomed the Salt Lake City French Club to a night of fine French wine and remarkably authentic French food, prepared by Chef Drew Ellsworth. Drew, and American who majored in French, spent two years training in Dijon as a master of French food. He currently owns and operates a wonderful catering business and cooking school, the Ecole Dijon Cooking School. His preparation and presentation of incredible terrines drew gasps from even the most ardent Frenchman at the tasting.

The club is comprised mainly of ex-pats working in Utah, so there was not much English to be heard. The crowd was quite diverse, ranging from executives of the Rossignol Ski Corporation to research biologists working at the University of Utah.

In true European form, many brought their young children making it a festive family affair and a fun, casual atmosphere. Almost everyone came with appetites on high alert, as there were only scraps left when the dust had settled.

We served two red and two white wines for the occasion. The first red, Domaine du Gros Pata, is a wonderful Cote du Rhone that paired well with the cucumber curry chicken salad. The second red was from Bordeaux, the Château de Monbadon that was fantastic with the marinated lamb and the complex cheese plate. The two white wines served were the Alex Gambal Bourgogne Chardonnay and the Dom du Rieux cote de Gascone. The Alex Gambal paired wonderfully with the Salade Jurassienne with the hints of oak playing off the smoked sausage in the dish. As for the Domaine du Rieux, the wonderful acidity and citrus flavors were perfect with the shrimp alla Romana.

The evening was a great success and we look forward to working with chef Drew again to see what wonderful dishes he will create!!

Sante,

-Peter 

Appetizers & Hors d’Oeuvres

 Stuffed Dates

 with Walnut and Orange-zest Cheese,

Curried Chicken on rounds of English Cucumber

Grand Plateau de Fromages

Fresh Fruit

Chef Baked Breads Crackers and Toasts

Grand Plateau de Charcuterie

Jambon Persillé, Terrine Ballantine aux Pistaches,  Mousse de Foie de Volaille

Pâté d’Agneau aux Noix,  Terrine Indienne au Grand Marnier

Cornichons, Choux Rouges, Chutney Sud Africaine,  Grey Poupon

Salade Jurassienne

Romaine Lettuce topped with Smoked Sausage and Cottage Fries

Dijon Vinaigrette

Shrimp alla Romana

Peeled Tiger Shrimp on a patty of Polenta drizzled with

Escargot Butter and Parmesan Cheese

Rosemary Lamb Skewers

Marinated Bites of Lamb served on a pick

Desserts

Hand-dipped Strawberries

Chocolate Truffles

After 10 years since being listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, the jurisdiction of St. Emilion will be celebrating the anniversary and relishing their coveted distinction with a bit more “gusto” throughout 2009.  St. Emilion is an absolutely amazing city that one must visit if they are even remotely close to the Bordeaux area. It’s small alleyways and steep streets are filled with wine shops, patisseries, boulangeries, and wonderful boutiques where one can buy incredible cognac and wine paraphernalia. Due to the fact the the vineyards are included along with the city itself for the UNESCO distinction, the Saint Emilion Wines Council has created a 10 year annivesary logo for the occasion. The vineyards surrounding the city and their long standing history are what ultimately sets St. Emilion apart from other wine producer regions, and were a major part of the distinction as seen from UNESCOS’s criteria; 

Criterion (iii): The Ancient Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion is an outstanding example of an historic vineyard landscape that has survived intact and in activity to the present day. 

Criterion (iv): The intensive cultivation of grapes for wine production in a precisely defined region and the resulting landscape is illustrated in an exceptional way by the historic Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion.

 Even more impressive and excited for the P.R. Grisley Company is the fact that we are honored to be able to work closely with one of the distingushed people that worked to establish St. Emilion as a UNESCO site. Baron de Montfort was the “major” of  one of the villages included, St. Etienne de Lisse, and worked hard for the distinction that would ultimately preserve the area and the land he loves. The listing was a major success as it deters any future building or development in the St. Emilion area and helps to preserve what many consider to be the most prestigious wine region in France. 

Our hats are off to Baron de Montfort and the countless other individuals involved who helped to secure St. Emilion its place among the many treasured places in the world. We hope that everyone will be able to visit this wonderful place at some point in their life, but if not, the true charm of the region shines through in the amazing wines being produced there. Fortunately, we have worked hard to make several of these wines available to you here in the US market, so please discover this amazing region and its wines with us!

Sante,

Michael 

Last month we had the pleasure of hosting Mr. Bertrand de Sercey of Baron de Montfort wines for several days and I asked if he would be so kind as to give us his impressions and thoughts on his recent visit. The following was written by Bertrand and gives us an insightful look into one French Marketing director’s take on the economy, wine sales, and my hometown, Salt Lake City.

Enjoy!!

–Michael

On a sunny July in 1978, the 16 year old son of a French expatriate discovered the beauty of

Utah and its National Parks, as well as Wyoming and Colorado.

One can easily imagine the memories engraved.

Well, what do you think is on this (now grown up) man’s mind when he returns back to Salt Lake City for the first time last month!

It was a very special feeling indeed, although it wasn’t the same season!

While now focused on our wine business, I must admit the immense wilderness is still fascinating,

not to mention being on top of the slopes and the warm welcoming of the Grisley family.

As for wine & spirits distribution, the US market is a dictionary on the subject: wet counties, dry ones, free trade states, and monopolies, you name it! (In Europe, only a few Northern countries are still under a government monopoly system). After visiting a couple of those state monopolies, I can only point out the professionalism of their buyers, together with the diversity of the offerings in the stores. All the US state of mind is here! Efficiency without double thinking, and wide-open curiosity for other countries production. Generations of immigrants have brought their food, wine and culture and everybody loves them! Well, let me try something really politically correct (just to make a link with the Bordeaux wines “assemblage,” of course) what if cross-pollination, and obviously blending, was the key of success?

Not sure yet what the effects of the global crisis will be, but, more than the volume consumed itself, the average bottle price will be hit. So check out for the value-for-money small châteaux’s… and you might well stick with them!

Back in a stormy Bordeaux winter, thoughts and prayers are for those around the world who have suffered much more than us of the same events (The Caribbean, Louisiana and Asia).

The first squadrons of migrating birds are flying North over Saint Emilion, announcing spring. Old timers are doubtful… It’ s only 5° C…(41°F)

Don’t blame me for not choosing between birds and beards. One thing I know is that I will be flying back to Salt Lake City!

Have a nice spring,

Bertrand de Sercey

Marketing

Château du Rocher – Saint Emilion Grand Cru

Château de Monbadon – Côtes de Castillon

Château Lagrange Monbadon – Côtes de Castillon

Lately the unusual weather patterns in Europe have been
making news.

Abnormal amounts of rain and snow in many places in Spain,
and terrific winds in

Southern France and Northern Spain, all affecting their
respective historical wines regions.

Fortunately, damage to the vines has been marginal. In
speaking to Carlos Rodriguez of Bodegas Ondalan, he gives thanks to the fact
that the vines are dormant and without leaves. Had this kind of wind hit when
fruit was on the vine, it would have been an unimaginable catastrophe.

With the torments having past, his thoughts have turned to
the future, and as to what effect all the heavy rains and snow will impact the
upcoming spring. “I think that the vines will be producing heavily and will
just mean a lot of work when we green cut. Having suffered though such a winter,
hopefully we will be lucky and have an above average summer.”

Also in France, we have similar news from Bertrand De Sercy
of Chateau Rocher in St. Emilon. “It is a real mess with the forests south of
us…many patches of trees completely toppled and blocking the roads…power lines
down, it’s terrible. Luckily for us and our vineyards there was no real damage,
but as you can imagine, we had some tiles blown of the roof and that sort of
thing.”  

With the latest storm occurring late last night/early
morning February 10th crippling power lines for millions of people in northern
France and halting air traffic at all Paris airports, we will certainly be watching
the weather patterns. So far there has not been any substantial damage to vines
or property of the producers we work with in France and Spain, but we will
continue to check the weather with a bit of tension.

–Peter Grisley 

A flicker of glimmering hope shone through the dark, gloomy economic cloud looming over the world of wine today. While reading Josh Raynold’s annual report on the Cotes du Rhone region in the latest issue of Stephen Tanzer’s IWC, he affirmed that the 2007 vintage looks to be one of the better vintages from the region within the past 10 years.

This news could not have come at a better time for us as a company as the Cotes du Rhone wine we import, the 2005 Cuve Sabine, was finally delivered to the state of Utah for sale in the specialty wine stores. We’re very excited to now have this new wine available in Utah and hope you will enjoy it!

Along with the success of the 2007 vintage, the region has produced several other fantastic vintages in recent years, most notably the 2001 and 2005 vintages. The wines from Cotes du Rhone are very interesting, full of fresh fruit flavors, and are surprisingly affordable. The region is quite diverse and almost two different regions altogether, but whether you choose a wine from the Northern or Southern Rhone region, they very rarely disappoint.

Santé!

-Michael