The Box Rocks...or does it???

I haven't been doing this long enough for anyone to infer any particular sorts of patterns in the way I drink or analyze wine. But two things should be clear thus far anyway. 1.) I like the Que Syrah wine store here in Chicago and trust their opinions. 2.) The enthusiastic ratings of the California State Fair are very appealing to me, and have so far (one for one), they haven't steered me wrong. This entry has a little bit to do with both items one and two. I will attempt to answer the pressing question, "Is box wine any good?"

Okay, you can stop laughing now. Seriously, you're embarrassing yourself. Here's the deal. Don Hupp, manager of the aforementioned Que Syrah Fine Wines, mentioned in my interview with him, that wine packaging changes are one of the trends that we are starting to see occuring in the wine world. Que Syrah carries two box wines currently, but are very open to carrying more if producers commit to putting good wines in said boxes.

So I went to Whole Foods today with a pretty clear cut agenda: purchase a box wine (not carrying the name Franzia) and give it a shot. Not more than two steps into the wine department, I found a box wine, but oh just wait...Not just any box wine. A box wine carrying a 95 point score from...yep, you guessed it...the California State Fair! A $10 bottle of screwcap Viognier is one thing, but a $20 box of "Old Vine Zinfandel"...well that's just thrilling! Seriously, I need to find out more about how they score wines at the CSF. Maybe a representative would like to fly me out so I could write a piece on this very topic. I mean, I'm already an enthusiastic fan, so you might as well get some glowing press! I'll pack my bags and be out there quickly! Just say the word!

In the meantime, let's talk box wine. What's your memory of box wine? College? Wine, not necessarily for taste's sake, but to have something to swirl around in a glass while you eat spaghetti? My memory is of being at the Ravinia Festival for a Creedence Clearwater Re-visited concert, which consisted of the other guys from CCR besides John Fogerty and some stand-in guy for John Fogerty, and drinking boxed wine from a backpack. You take the bag out of the box and there's a neat-o tube system which is really helpful when you want to walk around and be able to refil your friend's wine glasses without having to mess around with bottles and corks and all that jazz. Mobile booze is a beautiful thing. Ravinia is a beautiful space up in the north suburbs of Chicago, where people come to relax, listen to music, and of course, drink wine. Sure, our version was a second (or third, probably) rate version of the more cultured picnic wine and cheese spreads most people bring to the fest, but hey, it was a second or third rate version of the real CCR, so it was fitting if you ask me. The point is, we knew what we were drinking and we went with it and managed to enjoy it in it's context. Nobody would have claimed it was actually GOOD, though. It's amazing how this analogy keeps working with the concert, as well. I'll leave it at that.

Why can't box wine be good, though? There are a lot of advantages to box wine. The $20 box I bought is the equivalent of four bottles. The packaging itself is recycled cardboard. So if you're a green wine lover, you've found a much more practical alternative to the bottle. The stuff actually keeps for longer too. The box promises a month long freshness guarantee. No bottle wine can stay fresh that long. Some have longer life-spans after opening than others, but most tend to be at their best for two, three, maybe four days. You get to that week point, and you're pushing it. So not only do you get more for your money, you don't have to worry about taking that week or two off of wine to let your liver rest, or to switch to other libations, or whatever the reason.

No corkscrews to mess with, which also means no corks, which means the wine will never be "corked" (a certain percentage of corks contain a bacteria, which is harmless to humans, but effectively destroys the flavor of the wine). It's sturdier and easier to store. There are a lot of reasons why the box makes sense. But the true test of a good wine has nothing to do with packaging and everything to do with taste. I, in fact, recently had a wine with a label I thought was pretty cool, that turned out to be pretty nasty wine. Don't judge a book by it's cover and don't judge a wine by the vestibule it rests in.

We won't be doing that here. This particular wine, as I said earlier is an "Old Vine Zinfandel". The producer is Bota Box and this isn't the CSF 95 point '08 vintage, but the newest vintage, the 2010. I follow the directions on how to properly open the box (it's really not that difficult, but better to be safe than sorry), squirt some juice into my wine glass and go for it. There's no way to make this elegant, which makes me wonder what the Court of Master Sommeliers has to say about proper box wine service. I'm guessing they pretend there is no such thing and avoid the topic entirely.

The wine itself is a nice dark red, borderline purple color. The box says I should be detecting "ripe plum, blackberry, and cherry notes." There's also mention of a "rich mouthfeel" (cue the adolescent giggles) and also mention of "spice". Ok, yeah I suppose. I get the cherry and the spice. Not so sure about the plum, but palate descriptors are all subjective, so you very well might. There's almost something bacony about it, which is cool. Overall, it's very enjoyable. If you go online and read comments about the Bota Box wines, you get some pretty outstanding reviews. This is definitely better than my experiences with Franzia, for sure. And I will tell you this, I have had bottle wine that's been a lot worse than this. I should re-phrase to give proper credit: This wine is much better than a lot of its bottle counterparts. I'm a fan of Zinfandels, and while I've had better, this works for an everyday wine, which is the point I suppose. I venture a guess that you could get some purists to rave about this in a blind tasting.

And now it's time for a pairing. If we're going to drink box wine, let's try some box food. If box wine can get better, can frozen, boxed tv dinners as well? And how do they pair? I bought a "Chicken Tikka Masala", a traditional Indian curry dish, from Whole Foods' "Whole Kitchen" frozen line. I'm hoping the spice from the box Zin, goes well with the spice from the box curry. Fingers crossed. If you want the true, real-time feel of how this wine and food experience went down, stop reading and come back in a few minutes. Actually it may be longer than a few. Bulls vs. Heat, game 2, is going to start fairly soon. While I'm at it, I'm going to say, Bulls by 5 tonight. Bulls in 5 for the series. Okay. See ya in a bit for the results!

So I'm resuming at about 2pm the next day and the Bulls lost by 10. No more sports predictions for me! As for the Masala, it was pretty good. Boxed food is definitely a lot better than it used to be too. I remember the days where you'd get the Hungry Man dinner where the peas spilled over into everything and all the food vaguely tasted like the brownie. This wasn't as good as sitting down in an authentic Indian restaurant up on Devon Avenue, but for a quick, at-home meal, it did the trick.

As for the pairing, it was okay. Not spectacular, but I wouldn't say that it was bad either. The heat of the dish may have been more suited to a flavorful white like a Gewertztraminer, but it was fine. Truthfully, I've rarely found those spectacular pairings. I've had wines that work well with food, but only once can I say I had the PERFECT pairing and that was foie gras and Tokai. Spectacular. I think wine and food pairings are tricky. It's really not as easy as saying, reds with red meats and pasta and whites with poultry and fish. Palates are different and individual tastes are different. Experimentation is the key, if you ask me.

So what can I conclude about the box experience? This particular wine was pretty good, I've got to say. 95 point good? I don't know, but since I don't believe in this type of rating system, why not? As I said before, I appreciate the enthusiasm. The thing I like most about the box, though, is it's decent wine and it'll be around in my apartment for awhile. I can be confident that my $20 is going a long way, and that says a lot in times like these. I don't really do much entertaining here, so the wine I purchase, is most likely just for me. The box is perfect for this type of drinking, because of the value, yes, but also the shelf life. Four bottles guaranteed to last one month after opening. No need to feel pressure to guzzle it.

I'm not saying I'm only going to drink box wine now, but I may think twice when I just want to go throw down $20 on good, everyday wine. It'll be interesting to see just how much of the box we'll continue to see. And it'll also be interesting to see if producers can not only make it good, like it is now, but actually really great.

botabox.com

Stale and Stuffy No More!: Chicago's Most Inviting Wine Store

If wine itself can seem somewhat intimidating, boutique wine stores can seem positively uninviting and not-for-the-regualar-person-ish. But as the wine world continues to change, and people continue to search out value and accessibility, so too does the concept of the wine store itself. And nowhere is this more apparent than at my favorite wine store in Chicago, Que Syrah Fine Wines (3726 N. Southport Ave).

Que Syrah turns nine this August and was started by three neighborhood partners at a time, and this is somewhat hard to picture considering the number now, when there weren't a lot of small establishments that focused solely on wine. From day one, they have been catering toward smaller producers and wines that one doesn't see everywhere. And as Don Hupp, manager of Que Syrah puts it, "We believe in good people as much as we do good wine. There's a lot of good wine, but we generally like to have a story behind each wine and know and believe in who's making the wine."

The spirit of those words is felt when you walk through the door of the shop. A lot of wine stores can have a feel of class and elegance, but rarely does one achieve what Que Syrah achieves: warmth. Maybe it's the brightness of the store itself or the colorful artisan glassware that's for sale. There's a certain level of comfort that is felt from moment one. Friendly people, inviting atmosphere, and unique wines, complete with approachable, thorough write-ups accompanying many of the wines.

The store features many events, from regular Saturday free wine tastings to sommelier led events focusing on specific regions, just to name a couple.

"We've done fairly ambitious ones over the years," says Hupp, "Everything from pre-Prohibition type grapes to the food pairings which is probably my favorite because we look at wine as a grocery more than a luxury."

His favorite of the food pairings? Barbecue and wine.

"It's two strong bold flavors that can come together...There's a lot of amazing pairings that can happen there. I like when everybody finds a wine they like, but when they actually get a pairing of a wine they might not be so sure of like a Spatlese Riesling or something with pulled pork or a Texas sausage, you can see the smile. That's one of the things I enjoy the most."

Hupp has been with the store from the beginning and has been witness to many changes and trends within the wine world. The 2004 film Sideways changed the way people bought wine, with sales of Pinot Noir increasing and those of Merlot decreasing. Hupp calls this the "single biggest impact, in terms of what media has done". With the increasing influence of social media and the Internet, he describes how wine has been "demystified" and the positive consequences of this:

"There's not as much skulduggery or that type of mysticism around wine. It's much more approachable to younger people, which is awesome.

The single biggest trend he witnesses on a day to day basis though is consumers looking for good value wine for under $20. But as you browse the shelves for that value wine, Hupp says you shouldn't be shocked by alternative packaging like tetra paks and boxes, another trend that he is starting to notice.

"It's really smart. We've finally gotten over the screw cap stigmatism that it's cheap, awful wine, but it's just better for the wine. As technology improves, there's going to be something more practical than a wine bottle. I hate to get rid of the romantic side of it, but you know, the tetra pak is lighter, it holds a liter, it's easier to open. It makes sense in a lot of ways."

And though box wines have been the butt of many a sophisticated wine drinker's jokes, Hupp has this to say about them:

"If the producers will finally start putting good juice in there, I'll start carrying it. I have two on there that I believe in now. If you're going to have a glass of wine everyday and not want to throw out a bottle, that's the best way to do it."

But fear not, traditionalists, as Hupp puts it, even though this is a trend that, "we will continue to see grow in our lifetime," he states, "There will always be corks and there will always be bottles."

And whether you choose to buy your wine in a box or in a bottle, he points out that there are many regions you can look for on the label to find affordable, good wines.

"You can always find great values in Italy. I think Portugal is not getting as much respect as they should...They're producing amazing wines and deserve to be looked at a little more carefully.."

He also points out that one can find great values in reds and whites from Spain, as well, but the real value is south of the border.

"South America is really where it's really at right now in terms of high quality and drinkability," he says pointing out both Argentinian Malbec and Chilean wines, the latter of which Que Syrah will be featuring in an upcoming event.

I can't say enough good things about Que Syrah. It's the type of store that, undoubtedly, a wine connoisseur will enjoy, but is extremely well-suited to the needs of a wine newbie, as well, with its helpful staff and useful information. And to those fresh entrants into the wonderful world of wine, who might be feeling a little uncertain and unsure, Don Hupp has this advice:

"With the Internet and the availability of wine, you should just try as much wine as you can and arm yourself with a few words to explain what you like. I think the days of snooty-tooty wine shops, not wanting to sell anybody a $13 bottle are over because we all realize there's really good wine at any price. Don't be shy...If you do go online, read a book, or take a class, just be able to arm yourself with a couple of adjectives. That's really all you need to find wines you like. Don't be scared."

And to those who still might come into Que Syrah feeling nervous because of their newness to wines or whatever the reason may be, the staff wants you to know that there's no need to worry.

"We just like to get over that, if you're drinking wine you're a friend of ours. It makes you closer to us than somebody drinking beer or not drinking at all. I don't care if it's Yellow Tail or whatever that you're drinking because eventually you'll find us and find out that you want something different or better...You have to start somewhere. We all do."

Start and/or continue the great journey into the wine world at Que Syrah Fine Wines. 3726 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago. Que Syrah is open seven days a week. For hours, upcoming events, and to sign up with their newsletter, go to:

quesyrahwine.com

Wine & Punk Rock: A Connection

I'm a big fan of early punk rock. I especially love the big three of the late '70s, maybe you could call them the holy (or unholy) trinity of punk: The Clash, The Ramones, and The Sex Pistols. It shouldn't come as a surprise, at least in retrospect, that punk rock and the whole "punk movement" came about when it did. Music-wise, the late '70s were all about excess and glitz: disco and monumental arena rock productions permeated pop culture. Socially speaking, though, especially in the birthplace(s) of punk: London and New York, many lived a harsh reality, far removed from the Studio 54 lifestyle. The Joe Strummer documentary that came out a couple of years ago, "The Future is Unwritten", shows that punk came out of the harsh realities of poor, angry kids. It spoke to the disenfranchised, those who were squatters in abandoned buildings, those who were at the opposite end of royalty and excess. Punk rock was a raw statement of raw reality. It was taking rock and roll back to it's basic roots. You didn't really have to know how to play very well. It wasn't about talent (although there were a lot of talented punks), necessarily. Anyone could do it. Learn a couple of chords, put on a sneer, and play like your life depends on it.

That's a perhaps simplified version of it all, and at this point, you very well may be wondering what if anything this has to do with wine. Glad you asked. Wine has been a symbol of the elite for years upon years. One thinks of high brow culture and lavish dinner parties, where the rich swirl their glasses and banter about country club gossip and whether their servant staff is stealing from them or not.

And as I've mentioned before, certain bottles of wine, especially from a certain French region called Bordeaux, are priced well out of the range of not only the average consumer, but also of the consumer who regularly is willing to pay a good chunk of money for wine. We're talking thousands of dollars. For fermented grape juice!

But the reality of wine is this: It's primarily a product of agriculture. Of people who carefully tend to the land and the vines. This is what it is, first and foremost. My grandfather was a farmer, not of grape fields, but rather corn fields, but still, it's the same idea. It's a hard life of working in the sun and in the dirt. I worked a couple of times, detasselling corn, and can tell you, it's not glamorous working in a field on a hot summer day. I still have memories of dew soaked work gloves and finding pieces of the corn plant embedded in my hands. I don't know how my grandpa did it for so many years. I think it's just in some people. He grew up on that land, so I'm sure he felt a deep connection to it.

It's this careful tending and understanding of the land that is the basis for all good wine. Sure there's more to it. I don't want to minimize the art and craft of the winemaker his/herself, but without the dirt and the sun, there's no grape. Without the grape, there's no wine. Wine is literally the fruit of the workingman/woman's labor. From this point of view, it is almost comical that bottles are treated like solemn museum pieces in fine dining establishments and rich people's private cellars. This is the juice of calloused hands and sun baked skin. And here's your connection. The punks were raw and straight to the point. And it just doesn't get any more raw and straight to the point than dirt and sun. So the message here is this: You don't have to be a sommelier or a wine nerd to get it and appreciate it. Put on a good ol' fashioned Johnny Rotton sneer, drink it, and enjoy it whether you can detect anything beyond a wine smell/taste or not! Really, in some cases, less is more. Buddhism has a concept known as "Begninner's Mind", where the goal is to approach every experience with a fresh, untainted outlook every time. Tasting and enjoying wine is about sensory experience. Too much intellectualizing clouds what it's all about!

And the reality of wine is nowhere more present than places like Napa itself. While yes, there are plenty of Michelin starred restaurants with incredible lists to go around, there are also plenty of pickup trucks, barns and fields--things not unlike the rural surroundings I grew up around. And there are plenty of down-to-earth people who merely want to share their love of it all with you, rather than intimidate and judge you.

Really, the way I see it is like this: You have a choice. You can be in awe of the critics and the old guard of wine who would rather you bow down in hushed reverence to them and their snobbish world that you will never truly ever be accepted in. Or you could see it for what it is...a great drink made with the care and love of people whose hands got really, really dirty.

The encouraging thing is that I may be late to the party. Do a simple Google search on "Wine Punk", "Wine Rebel", and even "Wine Populist" and you get some really interesting information on people who seem to truly want to be a part of a wine revolution, where wine is celebrated and enjoyed by us all rather than a select few. I hope to bring you more information on these people in future posts.

So go ahead. Drink up and be happy. Purchase from establishments that are friendly and helpful. Look for wines with a little edge and attitude. Seek out local wineries. People are making it in your own backyard. Find wine lists that are down-to-earth, fun, and affordable. It's what I plan to do and I promise to share it with you. Hell, give yourself a certification. Don't let the certified sommeliers have all the fun with their fancy pins and letters that they add to their name on their business card. Try this on for size: Certified Cellar Punk (CCP). Maybe you have a better one. Let me know. Anyhow, it's not really about the titles, it's about the pairing a great American and global beverage with friends, family, food, music, or whatever suits you in the moment. And if your hands get a little dirty in the process, even better!

Your friend,
Andy P., CCP