After wrapping up all our loose ends after nearly a month on the road, I finally found some time to sit down for a new post and edit the hours of footage to make a short video for everyone to enjoy. We had an absolutely incredible trip that began in Pittsburgh before moving on to Philadelphia for wine shows during the Pennsylvania Wine Week. The shows went well considering the current economic situation, and we were excited to show some new wines at both shows such as the recently available Alana-Tokaji Late harvest Furmint. This wine received wonderful responses in both cities and we were glad that everyone enjoyed it! We were also quite lucky to have Paul Sharp from Europvin join us in Philadelphia to help educate consumers about sherry, which also went over well with the crowds. I think with Paul’s amazing wealth of information we were able to change some opinions about sherry and hopefully expand some more palates.

After the Pennsylvania shows we headed to directly to Spain where we spent some time with friends in Madrid. They took us to some “secret” tapas bars around the city and introduced us to some new foods, which I’m sure we’ll try to recreate in our kitchens. I’m always amazed at the diversity of food Spain has, it seems every time I return I try at least 10 new items I’ve never had before.

We then bid farewell to our friends in Madrid, and met two purchasing agents from the PLCB at the Madrid airport and flew directly to Vigo where we stayed the evening in an amazing hotel right on the Spain/Portugal border as we all tried to recover from our jet lag. The next morning we spent an incredible day in Portugal where we visited Quinta de Gomariz in the northern Vinho Verde region of Portugal. Here we toured the winery and met the people behind these incredible white wines before heading south to the Douro region to visit Quinta de Carregosa, a small producer making excellent red wines. The Douro was an incredible region that was quite literally mountain after mountain completely terraced and covered with vines. The Douro was one of the most breathtaking places I have seen, I hope to return one day and spend some more time enjoying the region. We had an amazing dinner later that night courtesy of the hard work from the fine people  at Vinixa who had set up all of our visits to the various wineries. The family team at Vinixa has been an immense help to us since we began working together last February and we couldn’t have accomplished our tour of Portugal without them. Before and during the dinner, we met and tasted through the line of Quevedo Ports along with Oscar Quevedo. The ports were absolutely incredible with Portuguese dishes like grilled lamb chops, roasted veal, and an amazing chocolate dessert with an orange cream sauce paired with Quevedo’s LBV and Tawny 10 year- delicious! 

With our one day, one night whirlwind tour of Portugal over, we headed north back to Spain to the Galicia region in the northwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula. There we visited with our good friends and winemakers at Coto de Gomariz to try their new vintages of amazing red and white wines that really impressed all of us. Their red wines were quite a surprise as they are made with interesting local varieties rarely seen outside of Galicia, let alone Spain. Souson, Ferrol, and Brancellao are native red varieties that were almost lost to the region during many political upheavals that Spain has experienced throughout its history. Luckily, there are several producers such as Coto de Gomariz who have dedicated their work to restoring these native varieties and producing incredible wines with them.

After Coto de Gomariz we headed southeast to Ribera del Duero to visit the famous Vega Sicilia family of wines, which include Bodegas Alion and Bodegas Pintia (which is located in nearby DO Toro). We had an amazing tour of the facilities at both Alion and Vega Sicilia before sitting down to an incredible meal where we had the unbelievable opportunity to try wines such as the ’99 Unico, ’02 Valbuena, ’05 Alion and ’06 Pintia. This was the biggest lineup of wines I have ever had the chance to taste, surely one of those days I will never, ever forget for the rest of my life. After our tasting, we had the chance for some down time at the hotel, so we passed the time talking and enjoying a beer for a change on the patio with a cool river running right below us. The next morning it was on the road again, by this time we were getting good at the stop and go schedule we had lined up.

We then headed out to the Rioja region where most of the bodegas we represent are located. We had a few jam-packed days visiting the bodegas and sampling the new vintages and new wines that many of the winemakers have been working on. We first stopped at one of the most famous producers of classic Rioja wines, La Rioja Alta. We visited their amazing facility as well as tasted through their family of wines. I always love to try these wines as you are able to taste and feel the history of Rioja when drinking these delicate, delicious wines. We had fantastic meals at every bodega, and even had the classic Riojana dish “chuletillas a la parilla” (lamb chops grilled over last years dried vines) at both Bodegas Ondalan and Bodegas Medrano Irazu. We also had the opportunity to catch up with “Mr. Non-stop,” Miguel Angel from Bodegas Miguel Angel Muro. This man has more energy that anyone I have met and he has been busy creating a wonderful new reserva wine, which we were able to enjoy. We also caught up with the husband and wife duo of Charo and Julian from Bodegas Ruiz de Vinaspre, where we had the opportunity to try their new line of wines that didn’t disappoint. At Bodegas Santiago Ijalba we were able to try many of the new vintages, and I was most excited to try their new organic wine.  Even with all these visits in a short amount of time, we were also able to enjoy some free time in the village of La Guardia. This turned out to be absolutely chaotic as there was a huge soccer match between Barcelona and local favorites, Atletico Bilbao. People were partying in the street setting off what seemed like quarter sticks of dynamite based on the sound of the explosions- and this was even with their loss to FC Barcelona! Europeans are soccer crazy to say the least……There is always something new to experience in Rioja; I think that is what keeps us going back! 

Once our tour of Rioja had ended, we drove up north to one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, San Sebastian. This is still one of my favorite cities to visit as they have the most incredible gastronomy scenes in Europe, it’s unbelievable. From the hundreds of tapas bars and a visit to a traditional sideria, we experienced some amazing food and wine while finally being able to relax a bit as our non-stop schedule had finally come to an end. Our visit to San Sebastian was the perfect way to end our wine filled tour of Spain and Portugal and reflect on all the amazing sites and generous people we had seen and met.

With the month of April at its halfway point, I thought I would take the opportunity to fill our readers in with what we have scheduled in the upcoming days and months. At the end of this month is the Pennsylvania Wine Week, kicking off April 30th in Pittsburgh, before heading to Hershey and finishing in Philadelphia. We had an absolutely amazing time at these events last year and cant wait to head back to pour some amazing wines for everyone attending. Anyone living close to any of the three events should definitely attend if able, there are going to be some amazing producers, importers and distributors showing wines from all over the world- as well as the good old U-S of A!

After the final event wraps up in Philadelphia, my father and I will fly directly over to Spain and Portugal to visit several new bodegas we’re beginning to work with and to tour their facilities. We’re obviously very excited about the trip as our traveling adventures are the best part of our job! (well, drinking all this delicious wine isn’t too bad either). We’ll be visiting quite a range of wineries, from smaller Portuguese producers like Quinta da Carregosa to medium sized bodegas such as Coto de Gomariz in Galicia ,as well as the world renowned Vega Sicilia in Ribera del Duero. Also on the trip list is Rioja Alavesa and  Bodegas Ondalan, Medrano Irazu, Ruiz de Vinaspre and Miguel Angel Muro which I can’t wait to see as he has been totally remodeling his bodega. We will also visit the wonderful Basque country of Spain where, in my humble opinion, they have the most exciting food and dining experiences in Europe. We’ll be visiting many other bodegas and areas that I’ll include in upcoming posts, so grab a bottle or two (Spanish or Portuguese please as that’s where we’ll be!) and be patient as I publish bits and peices of our trip.

As the trip in Europe winds down, my father will fly home to attend the 21st Anuual Jackson Hole Wine Festival on May 22nd. While he is enjoying the wonderful scenery in Jackson, I will spend a few days in Barcelona catching up with friends, including Ryan and Gabriella from Catavino.net who never disappoint with their food and wine adventures. I’ll be trying to get new posts published as often as I can while traveling, so stay tuned for a TON of new posts!!

Cheers,

Michael

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 

After a busy few months entertaining family from out of state as well as hosting several producers from France, we have had the opportunity to dine both in and out of our house quite often. While cooking at home with friends and family sharing wonderful wines and stories about ourselves is great, it’s nice to get out and explore the many dining options that are available to us. I think many people, both local and out of state, are astonished at the amount of quality restaurants Utah has statewide. Luckily we are able to enjoy many right here in Salt Lake, as well as Park City!

Further backing the variety and quality of Utah’s dining scene is the recent release of Salt Lake Magazine’s 11^th Annual Dining Awards. Many of our favorite restaurants received awards this year including Fresco Italian Cafe, Caputo’s Deli and the Bohemian in Salt Lake, as well as 350 Main in Park City. When we are too tired too cook for ourselves after a long day of skiing, it’s comforting to know that we have plenty of fantastic places to fill our stomachs with good food and impressive wine lists.

Salt Lake has also recently received some national attention in the New York Times travel section last month. They recognized Utah’s wonderful and diverse dining scene, but chose to zero in on the surprising amount of Microbreweries we enjoy statewide in Utah. Whether you’re mountain biking in Moab, skiing in Park City, or walking around downtown, there are plenty of options to enjoy a cold one and some great pub grub.

So to all you tourists, out of towners and naysayer’s, come visit and enjoy Utah because you CAN actually drink beer and wine legally, and they pair well with any one of our great restaurants!!

Cheers!

–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 

With a brand new blog set up courtesy of the good people at catavino.net, I figured my first post should be about the fact that the P.R. Grisley Co. is a wine importer based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Yes, you read that correctly, Mormontown, U.S.A. Believe it or not, it is legal to drink here if you are of age, but unfortunately it is still illegal to dance in some counties in Southern Utah. While there are too many laws to discuss in detail, I thought I’d share what it is like to buy wine here on a daily basis, especially with two Spanish friends visiting for a few weeks. Here you go-

Carlos, Emi, and myself enter a State Liquor and Wine Store to check out the selection that an average wine store has in Utah. While I must admit, we have a decent selection based on other liquor stores I have been in around the country, there are areas that are definitely lacking, which I’ll save for another day.

The point of this story happens when we went to buy our selected wines and head home for a nice dinner. The store had the A/C pumping as the thermometer rises here, so Emi went outside to save herself from frostbite. Carlos and I, being the perfect gentlemen that we are, went to pay for everything and meet Emi outside. When we approached the cashier, she asked for our I.D.’s, which is nothing out of the ordinary. We obliged, but she insisted that Emi needed to come back inside and show her I.D………..rediculous. While I went outside to retrieve Emi and her elusive Spanish passport, Carlos was being lectured on how the cashier was unable to find the birthdate on Carlos’ I.D. He pointed the date out to her that was clearly printed on his I.D., but because she was unfamiliar with a Spanish drivers liscence, she would not sell us the wine. After trying to explain to her several times, that the Spanish switch placement of the month and date when writing out what day it is, I became fed up. I kindly asked to speak with the manager, who took a glance, said ok and enjoy. REALLY? Is it that simple I thought? Needless to say, we left with several big brown bags in our hands (the mark of a boozehound in Utah) and enjoyed our wine and our dinner. I still have been unsuccessful in explaining what exactly happened at the store to Emi and Carlos, but just wanted to fill everyone else in on how some of the laws work here in Utah and how tourists view them.