On October 5, 2010, Mimi McLaughlin and Jeff Marron opened Saugatuck Grain & Grape in Westport, Connecticut, directly across the street from the Metro-North station.  And though the train provides their bread and butter, the shop has since become a destination.  ”When we first opened,” says Jeff, “people walked in and said, ‘Wow, this is a beautiful store.’ Now they walk in and say, ‘I need bourbon and was told that this is the place to go.’” In addition to being an extension of Jeff’s liquor cabinet, Saugatuck Grain & Grape also seeks to extend its customer’s comfort zone by broadening its palate.

“I went in to this saying I’d never be swayed by points,” says Mimi, the Saucier Spice of the two.  ”There are no shelf talkers on the shelves.  I’m the big mouth here,” she added and laughed.  ”With a few exceptions, the wine on the shelves are what I think the customers want.  We’ve brought in varietals that I know people haven’t tried…I feel comfortable putting in what people call ‘off varietals’…comfortable that they’ll come back.”

Originally, Mimi worked in fashion, but then she became interested in wine and took a class to learn about more than Pinot Noir, her father’s varietal of choice. Quickly becoming an obsessed collector, she then became a wine buyer at Salt Water Grill, and for three years, every Tuesday, Mimi tasted wines.  ”The best teachers in the world are those who sit in front of you and sell you wine,” she says.  And then she began working at La Farm, where she met Jeff, who had a lot of experience in retail notched along his belt.  Five months later, this space became available, and for the year that it took to collect permits and develop the shop’s interior, the couple, who are now engaged, made the unpopular decision to take a year off from work so that they could commit to solidifying their relationship before working together 24 hours a day.

“It’s complimentary and it helps to like each other,” says Mimi, speaking of their lives together at the store.  ”I’m not talking about love,” she adds and offers Jeff a knowing look.  ”I’ve learned to give way.”

“This wouldn’t be what it is without Jeff,” says Mimi, “it would have just been a wine shop.  We didn’t know our audience.”  They simply got into the trend of brown spirits and let the customers lead the way.

Soon, there will be a wine bar opening inside the store–a welcome reprieve for the weary commuter.  As far as the wines on the shelves go, they rotate them month to month.  ”We have smaller producers, so there’s not much product from each seller,” says Mimi, adding that Elizabeth Spencer‘s wines sell quite quick.  Of our Chateau Lamartine, she says, “We can’t keep it on the shelf.” Pitch Cabernet Sauvignon, Relic Syrah, Passopisciaro and Jelu are all big sellers; the folks at Saugatuck Grain & Grape prefer wines that distinguish themselves.

[Where: Saugatuck Grain & Grape, 40 Railroad Place, Westport, CT 06880]

A short while back, the husband and wife team, Sybille Kuntz and Markus Kuntz-Riedlin came to town to talk through and share their wines.  From the Mosel region near Bernkastel, Sybille is a sixth generation winemaker who initially inherited a half a hectare of vineyards from her father.  In 1984, she took over her father’s half acre and bought out her brother’s, and today, she and Markus own 10ha of prime vineyard parcels.  As a female vintner in Germany who established her own estate, Sybille is dear friends with opposition and conflict.  As a winemaking team that refuses to play by rules of this regional game, Sybille and Markus have redefined the box.

“It’s closed,” said Sybille of the German winemaking establishment, to a group of local sommeliers who’d gathered at Hearth.  ”You’re either invited to be in it or you’re not…we don’t fit into the system.”

Choosing to make their own style of wine, and not the wine that’s expected of the local Riesling varietal, Sybille originally learned to make wine from her family, wines that were typical of Mosel, “sweet and cheap”.  ”I wanted to do extremely the other side,” she said, conceding that “maybe in the beginning it was too dry.”

Opening a wine shop in 1981 to fund her studies, Sybille had the opportunity to taste the wines of Burgundy and France. “This was more important for me than the wines of Mosel,” she said.  ”I started to work in the cellar to find what is my style…and this was the beginning of the dryer style.”

Sybille & Markus beneath soft light at Hearth

Together, Sybille and Markus speak as artists who work with grapes as their medium, interpreting their Riesling to express both it and the grapes’ terroir.  Initially establishing the winery on her own, Sybille was joined by Markus ten years later, and now they make all decisions together.  Their bond established in the face of opposition was readily apparent that night.  As they were asked to defend their winemaking decisions, their process and their labeling (which reflects their refusal to adhere to the VDP), the couple remained unflustered, harmonious and balanced, much like their wines.

Working with vines that are 40-85 years old, Sybille has been farming sustainable and acting biodynamic since 1990.

“Originally, [the wines of] Mosel was dry,” said Markus, “there was no other way to keep wines in the cellar.”

“In the summer,” added Sybille, “they would referment.”

Despite the original opposition, when other winemakers were puzzled by their efforts, Sybille Kuntz has since won the respect and support of her peers as they’ve witnessed her wines’ success.  Recently, the Sybille Kuntz Gold Quadrat Riesling 2009 was placed on the 2011 “Gold List” by the Sommelier Awards, and this same wine was voted the best white wine of the year, in the 20-30 euros price point, in Holland.  Sybille feels that the success of their wines has inspired others to make better wines.  And, for the estates that have only daughters, well perhaps they’ll be less resistant to pass her the family vines.

Getting into the swing of 2012, we’ve got a few tastings and events lined up for the week.  We’d love to see you in the new year!  So stop by and let us pour you a sample of our fine selections.

MANHATTAN:

Shon 45 Wine & Spirits–840 8th Ave., between 50th St. & 51st

Tonight! January 26, 2012, 5:00-8:00 PM

Drop by and meet Georgia on the vine:

Valle del Boeza Tinto Mencia

Pylon 

Virginie Taunt Sauvignon Blanc

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Chelsea Wine Vault–75 Ninth Ave at 16th St. (Inside the Chelsea Market)

Friday, January 27, 2012, 4:00-7:00 PM

Stop in from the expected rain and gusts of wind, Megan will set it all right with the following offerings:

Amizade Godello

Erste + Neue Weissbergunder

Ala Nera Nero d’Avola

Alhambra Malbec

Milziade Antano Montefalco Rosso White Label 2008

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BROOKLYN:

Fermented Grapes–651 Vanderbilt Ave., at Prospect Place

Saturday, January 28, 2012, 5:00-7:00 PM

In the heart of Brooklyn, pours Robert on a Saturday evening:

Erste & Neue Pinot Nero 2010

Avinyo Vi D’Agulla 2010

Maysara “Jamsheed” Pinot Noir 2008

Campogrande Cinqueterre Rosso 2010

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LONG ISLAND:

Pizzeteria Brunetti–103 Main St., Westhampton Beach, NY

Saturday, January 28, 2012, 6:00-9:00 PM

Grab a slice and a glass and meet Gwenn:

Nicchia Lambrusco

Trappolini Orvieto

Retromarcia Chianti Classico

Much like the estates of many of our producers, Liquor Locker of Westport, Connecticut has been in the family for years.  ”Forty-four years,” says Harvey Skolnick, the wine shop’s proprietor, “that’s what my ex-wife told me.  At the time this was Main Street, and basically the only street.  There was very little…we had three liquor stores, three hardware stores, three supermarkets and two pharmacies, and everyone owned their own stores.”  This is a serious contrast to what Main St. has become.  Much like lower Broadway in NYC and downtown East Hampton, this Main Street in Westport is lined with one luxury box store after another, providing our man Harvey with an eye-witness account of the transformation that has affected “Main St.” in America.  And though his lips were sealed to the many “secrets” that his four walls held, Harvey has also witnessed the transformation of America’s relationship to wine.

When Harvey took over the shop from his father, who was ready to retire from retail, forty-four years ago, “It was a liquor store,” he says, “we might have had some Gallo and Chianti in wicker baskets.”  But Harvey was young and interested in wine. He read and he tasted, working with a lot of distributors who tasted him through their wines. “We were ahead of our times in that day,” says Harvey. There were “no other wine stores.”

From Gallo and Chianti, Harvey branched out to wines from California, France and Italy.  As these markets developed, his offerings developed with them.  With the economic downturn in 2008, a lot of his clients suffered losses, forcing them to buy less while they drank what they already had.  These days, he’s not selling as many French labels, but is instead focused on California, Italy and South America.  And, just as he’s developed with the times for the past 44 years, Harvey realizes that it’s time to move on.

This spring, he’ll be relocating the store away from Main Street, which Harvey feels isn’t as dynamic as it used to be.  ”I’ve had a good run, it’s time to move on,” he says as darkness hit the pavement outside.  When he relocates to a short drive away, Harvey will institute other changes, such as joining the social media community.  As he and a recent hire work to develop an online presence, including local sales, Harvey will remain a small wholesaler,with an emphasis on personal relationships (he’s had some of the same clients for 35 years!).  ”I keep tasting,” he says, before rushing off to meet a sales rep from another distributor.  ”I’ve got come Barolos and Brunellos…but no one’s bringing around expensive Bordeaux’s any more.”

[Where: Liquor Locker, 68 Main St., Westport, CT 06880]

On Tuesday, I met Fernando, our Chief Operating Officer in Connecticut to visit with a handful of our accounts, including Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines a boutique shop in Darien, CT. Here we met up with Peter Troilo, baby-faced with a beard and statured intent, whose father Nicholas first opened the shop with Peter’s brother Robert, in 1990. A freshman in high school at the time, Peter stocked shelves and swept floors while taking in the talk.  ”It was an interesting way to go through high school,” says Peter.  ”Most of my friends were trying to score six-packs while I’m drinking wine with dinner with my parents and learning about Burgundy.” Laughing, Peter recalled bringing stemware to high-school house parties, while his peers were sucking back Bartles & Jaymes.

After touring the U.S. by enrolling in a few of her academic institutions, all of which happened to be near the slopes, Peter returned to finish college at Fairfield, and by 2003, he was making most of the stores’ selections.  By 2007, he’d edged his father from the day-to-day business of the shop, soon to bring on his close friend with a great palate, Juan Vega, who now handles the floor.

These days, Peter feels lucky that he can be selective with what he buys.  ”I haven’t bought a case of Veuve Clicquot in over four years,” he says. Here, the customer helps decide what makes the shelf.  After tasting with reps every Wednesday, Peter and Juan then discuss the wines that might work, before releasing their selections to customers through an email, to see what sticks.  If their response is positive, he’ll order the wine.  ”There’s so much wine out there,” he says, “it doesn’t make sense to carry the brands that everyone else carries…Other stores are lazy or don’t care.  It’s easy to flip through the [Beverage Journal] catalogue to stock shelves. I’m more focused on esoteric wines, wines that show passion in the bottle.   In this sense, our customer base has grown with us.  A few years ago, we wouldn’t have been able to offer wines from Uruguay.”

“I don’t think we sell Tannat to anyone else,” adds Fernando.

Tannat, the sherries of De Maison Selections, Robert Sinskey, and the other wines of Vinedo de los Vientos are some of the shop’s greatest hits.  Speaking of Vinedo de los Vientos, Peter says, “It’s the sort of wine that California missed out on, in terms of its style.  When California veered off on big, bad wines, Uruguay had it right, creating wines with power and softer tannins.”

On Friday nights, Nicholas Roberts hosts tastings that are open to the public. The weekend before our visit, 45-50 people had attended the last event.  On January 27th, Peter will start hosting once-a-month classes, each session limited to 12 attendees and focused on a specific wine region, beginning with Cornas.  ”I want to introduce people to it because it’s something I’m passionate about,” says Peter. This, in addition to their wine club, which has 325 subscribers, has garnered quite a following at the shop.

Looking forward, Peter’s eager for the state of Connecticut to adjust to its current laws regarding wine.  In addition to eliminating the Blue Laws that prevent sales on Sunday, Peter also favors the sale of wine and spirits in supermarkets, because it’ll allow him to maintain a narrow focus.  He’s eager for an open dialogue that’ll allow him to represent smaller wineries on the shelves, just as he wants the option to sell older vintages from a private collection, a practice that the state currently does not allow.

Regardless of whether these changes occur or not, Nicholas Roberts is a intimate space with a personal twist; a sweet reprieve from the box stores that dot the current landscape.

[Where: Nicholas Roberts, 1053 Boston Post Road, Darien, CT 06820]

]]> http://blog.tedwardwines.com/2012/01/24/nicholas-roberts-fine-wines/feed/ 0 Karen Ulrich Nicholas Roberts, T. Edward Wines, Peter Troilo, Organic Wine Importer T. Edward Wines, Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines, Peter Troilo, New York Wine Importer De Maison Selections, T. Edward Wines, Sherry, Organic Wine Importer Nicholas Roberts, T. Edward Wines, Organic Wine Importer, New York Wine Retail http://blog.tedwardwines.com/2012/01/23/new-to-our-portfolio-les-vins-de-vienne/ http://blog.tedwardwines.com/2012/01/23/new-to-our-portfolio-les-vins-de-vienne/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:56:29 +0000 Karen Ulrich http://blog.tedwardwines.com/?p=1643 ]]>

Y. Cuilleron (left), P. Gaillard (top), F. Villard

Greeting the new year head-on, we are psyched to announce that we are now the exclusive tri-state importer for Les Vins de Vienne, a much revered portfolio of Northern Rhone wines.  A collaboration inspired by history, Les Vins de Vienne is a partnership of Yves Cuilleron, Francois Villard and Pierre Gaillard, three superstar, Syrah-specialist vignerons in Rhone. “A lot of people credit them with the resurgence of Northern Rhone wines in the 1980′s,” says Patrick Burke, our French Portfolio Manager. “Everyone who’s a Northern Rhone fan knows these names.”

Beginning at Rhone’s northern most point in 1996, this trio purchased and rejuvenated the old terroir of the vineyard of Seyssuel, located on the left bank of the Rhone, just 25km from Lyon, north of Côte-Rôtie.  It was Gaillard’s readings of historic writers that led him to Seyssuel, home to famed wines during the Roman era, the Middle Ages, and the 19th century.  Purchasing his first vineyard in Malleval in 1981, in addition to Les Vins de Vienne, Pierre now manages 77ha of his own vineyards through the estates that he created at Malleval, Madeloc and Cottebrune.

When Cuilleron first visited Seyssuel, he looked up at the rising slopes and noted their exposure to the sun. As the vigneron and proprietor at Cave Yves Cuilleron, which was established by his grandfather in 1920, Yves remains committed to the entire process from vine-planting to bottling, controlling every aspect of his wines.  Practicing “viticulture raisonnable”, he aims to “produce the best possible grapes” to make “100% homemade wines” both at his own estate and at Les Vins de Vienne.

While Yves was looking up, Francois was gazing down at the Mediterranean-like scrubland, examining the potential of the soil at Seyssuel. Comprised of mostly granite, with schist and slate, the soil sits in the form of terraces that face south and south-west.  A former chef who learned winemaking on his own, the acclaimed Villard has his own domaine in Condrieu, along with holdings in St Joseph, St Veray and Côte Rôtie.

From the Seyssuel vineyard, comes three wines, each of which are fermented with indigenous yeast: Taburnum (100% viognier), a Latin term used to describe the terraces of this ancient Roman vineyard; Sotanum (100% syrah, 16 months in French oak casks), a name that refers to the health benefits of the beverage that used to be produced on these slopes; and Heluicum (100% syrah, 16 months in French oak), which refers to Helios, the Greek god of the sun.

In addition to the series Les Archeveques, which is primarily estate fruit, Les Vins de Vienne also produces L’Amphore d’Or and L’Amphore d’Argent, two series that are made from sourced fruit or from leased vineyards.  And because of the reputations behind Les Vins de Vienne, these relationships are forged with great respect, because other vintners want to work with them; it’s an honor to be associated with greatness.  And while there are many seemingly similar projects in the industry, Les Vins de Vienne sits far above the rest.  ”These guys aren’t just the name on the door, with nobody home,” says Patrick, referring to other ‘second’ projects where winemakers outsource all of the work, “they employ the same work, process and philosophies that they do at their own estates.”

“Chantal Tortochot, who directs this biologically farmed 11 ha domaine, described 2009 as a ‘classic vintage…the wines have tasted good since the very beginning and this included before the malos were completed.  They should age well but have that wonderful benefit of being approachable young.’  The Tortochot wines are relatively old school in terms of style and structure though they do evidence noticable wood when the wines are young.”

                        –Allen Meadows (Burghound, Jan. 2012)

Domaine Tortochot dates back to the end of the 19th century when Paul Tortochot purchased some vineyard land in Gevrey-Chambertin and began to sell his tiny production on the Place des Marronniers. His son Felix expanded the family holdings when he married Louise Liebault of Morey and the couple joined their vineyards. The tradition continued with Gabriel Tortochot and currently resides with his daughter Chantal who took over for her retired father in 1996.

Since that time Chantal has engaged in a rigorous project of updating the vineyards and centuries old winery. She began a conversion to organic viticulture in her Gevrey-Chambertin “Les Corvees” vineyard in 2003, and the results were so good that in 2008 she decided to begin a full conversion to organics in all of her vineyards. Beginning with the 2013 vintage all Domaine Tortochot wines will be certified organic by EcoCert.

The domaine totals 11 hectares, 10 of which are in Gevrey-Chambertin ranging from three different lieux dits, two 1er Crus including the famous Lavaux St Jacques and three Grand Cru Vineyards. Chantal owns 7 rows of the famed Clos de Vougoet Grand Cru. The average age of the vines across the totality of the domaine is over 50 years old. The plots are all planted to a very high density of 10,000 plantes per hectare and harvest is 100% hand picked into small bins.

A new building has been constructed behind the original winery that provides the space and equipment to maintain a tight control on cleanliness and vinification style. Chantal’s wines are elegant and fleshy, bright and concentrated all at once. They are exceptional expressions of their individual terroirs.

Recently, Allen Meadows had the time he needed to devote to a comprehensive review of Dm. Tortochot’s wines.  Burghound has scored Chantal’s wines to the like of Dujac, Rousseau, Trapet and Ponsot.  However, the prices of Tortochot are far below any of her peers.  With these scores and history, the wines of Dm. Tortochot are for every Cote de Nuits and Chambertin collector.  What follows are the notes and points of Allen Meadows:

STAFF PICK from Chris Wilford: 

On Monday, Peter, Taylor and I ventured through the tunnel to our warehouse/distribution facility, Western Carriers, in New Jersey.  With five buildings and over a million square feet of temperature controlled space, Western Carriers is the largest of maybe five such warehouses in the NY/NJ area.  Here, you’ll find ceiling fans large enough to lift and propel the building off the ground, and approximately 2 million cases of wine, 40,000 of which belong to T. Edward Wines.

Catering to 150 importers, wholesalers and retailers, Western delivers five days a week, to over 1,000 of our accounts monthly!

Taylor conducting an inventory check

When coming from overseas, the wine is first collected by our consolidators, who work in conjunction with transit companies to bring our wines from winery to port.  With each container holding 1,200 cases, it takes  3-4 weeks for each shipment to arrive at Port of Newark from Europe, and approximately 8 weeks to arrive from South America.

Taylor & Omar counting boxes

From Western, we sell and ship over 200 such containers a year, to distributors in over 20 states.  When the wine comes from the west coast, it’s trucked to our warehouses in Salt Lake City, before making its way to Western.

Sylvain Langoureau St. Aubin 1er Cru

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A palate of Passopisciaro from Mt. Etna in Sicily

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Jéroboams of Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé

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One of our three rows of wine, a bird’s eye view

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Liz at the touch screen

In the office, Liz demonstrated Western Carriers’ touch screen maps.  From here, she can track each truck on the road (30+ at any one time), and where it is in relation to its destination, providing an accurate ETA.

Peter, Kim and Taylor outside Warehouse 5

We’ve been working with Western, where Kim has been our go-to,  for as long as we can recall.  Orders go in daily, and to the bottle, Western ships directly to each and every account,completing every bottle’s journey from its producer to its consumer–You.

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Reflections of 2011.

We’ve created a video to celebrate the passing of yet another a beautiful year at TEW, which you can access here:

T. Edward Wines–A Retrospective

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