US starter - analysis (using pattern recognition)

Not at all. You could get something like that in restaurants across the country. It would be termed "fusion" cuisine, or "New American," but what in the end is more American than a cultural gemisch, combining European, Native American and Asian ingredients? Current demogoguery notwithstanding, we are still a "melting pot."

It's likely to be a typical commercical CalChard: overt and toasty new oak, very ripe (tropical) fruit notes, soft (flabby to some), perhaps a touch of RS. Does that sound potable to you? ;-)

Mark Lipton

p.s. FWIW, I'd probably serve a dry Riesling with your starter, not that that has any relevance to a USian meal.

Don't know about Nils, but definitely not to me ... ;-)

M., having just unscrewed a bottle of 2005 Sauvignon Blanc vom Pössnitzberg, Weingut Tscheppe am Pössnitzberg, Südsteiermark (formerly run by the Tscheppe brothers, now by Erich & Walter Polz), a beautifully crisp, fresh and perfectly typical wine (remember, Loire & Kiwiland do not have the monopoly for this grape, there's Austria too!), easy to quaff when outside temp is

I forgot to mention: 12 rpm*)

And it's bone dry, of course.

M.

I was afraid of that. The database blithers about lots of toasted barrels, vanilla, fieryness (14,5 % alcohol!), nuts etc. I did a query on the said database for white US wines suitable to drink with fish, in the 90 - 200 SEK range (1 USD is c. 7,50 SEK) and found a total of

1. Digging deeper, 6 of these proved to be, in fact, un-stocked, meaning, they are not there nor can they be ordered. That leaves me with 5; 2 Chards,

Needless to say, I did not set the theme for the dinner.

I am afraid that, even though some very good wines are, in fact, made in the US, they do not as a rule come to Sweden. Wherefore 'tis so, I know it not.

Cheers!

Nils Gustaf

I have to confess that I have never ever tried this combination.

In fact I never ever had any food with spririts. And because of the existence of dry sauvignon (with smoked salmon) and champagne (with caviar) I never even felt the slightest need to try aquavit or vodka.

M.

Without the slightest doubt I would opt for this one.

But then I have been brought up with acidity in our wines since the earliest ages ;-)

M.

I agree with your final comment about the Riesling. The corn and prawns sounds good but, to my palate, I believe it may need a little kick: maybe a little hot pepper? If you went this route, I would definitely do a Riesling.

Lionel

Mark Lipt>

Michael, Ed, Lionel, whoa there! There IS no Rieslign from the US on Systembolaget. There IS no Pinot Gris on the Systembolaget from the US. As I pointed out to Mark, there are FIVE whites in an acceptable price/quality range, two of which are Chard, one Viognier, and two SauvBl - one of these will prove impossible to find.

So why do I not turn to another shop?! Exactly. Because the Systembolaget, which is very pleased with itself, is a MONOPOLY.

Obviously, I'd have to test the remaining SauvBlanc. And, BTW Ed, I think you are right, I'll skip the grilled prawn. It is too much of an ornament.

However, mixing 2/3 raw with 1/3 smoked salmon has always worked very well before. The problem is finding good salmon, wild caught.

As for drinking aquavit with salmon - phoey! Never did, never will. Too strong. It is OK with marinated herring, but not with salmon.

Cheers

Nils Gustaf

What we need to do is find a way to Fed-X some King Estate Reserve PG to you. Do not feel alone. As Ed mentions, many states in the US do not allow broad distribution of wines - limited by the state's distribution network. Even states without the state monopolies, some distributors (and the state legislators in their pocket) really limit the array of wines to those with the highest profit potential. About half of the fine wines from nearby CA are not available in AZ because of this.

What are the problems with shipping alcohol to Europe? I've never done it, nor do I know anyone who has - usually the other direction, Europe -> US. I'd guess that there are duties to be paid, but beyond that, what are the issues? How long do you have before this dinner? Maybe I can ship some wine, and Ed can freight in a few N. Pacific salmon - he's 100% right on the farm-raised salmon. They are not even close.

Hunt

"Hunt" skrev i meddelandet news: snipped-for-privacy@news2.newsguy.com...

The thought is appreciated - however, I see little possibility (lest you be able to stuff it in a diplomatic ... pouch? map? whatever) since this is catered for in Swedish legislation ... you have to somehow send it, or, rather, I should import it, through the Systembolaget (the monopoly), who are completely uninterested ... tales of dread are told about people who have tried that - they have to have the permit to import first, so, the nice wines they bought in e g South Africa and wanted to their Systembolaget in Sweden were simply impounded "for your health and comfort". Hey, you COULD send them poste restante to the Helsingör post office in Denamrkm I suppose ;)

Luckily, here I am better catered for, as I have a few contacts that will get me wild caught river salmon.

Cheers

Nils Gustaf

No need for "!!!!". TCA tainted spirits are less frequent than corked wine, but it happens nevertheless. I have a normally phantastic Poire William, not from Switzerland, but from Styria my wife bought on the estate. Opened here: terribly corked.

Hans Reisetbauer, one of Austria's (and the world's) best destillers of fruit had done a special bottling of a pear brandy for Dallmayer, Munich's best delikatessen house: 400 bottles, all slightly tainted.

M.

As someone who's shipped wine internationally (to NZ, right milud?) I can tell you what the problems are: most of the commercial shipping operations will balk at shipping small quantities of wine for an individual because: a) They don't want to learn all of the states' various legal foibles b) The paperwork is too much to deal with c) The profit margin is too low for such small quantities and d) They have you by the short hairs, so why should they care?

What I ended up doing (at the recommendation of FedEx IIRC) was to work with a major US retailer (Sam's) who already had the mechanism in place for shipping internationally. It's not cheap, and you're limited to whatever they've got in stock, but it does work.

HTH Mark Lipton

Alas, no.

Apparently they didn't try, he had to take back the whole batch.

He is desperately looking for an alternative. (Stelvin Lux might be one).

M.

And from the receivers point of view, in the instance quoted by Prof. Lipton above, the service both from Sams and FedEx was simply beyond criticism.

Firstly, NZ has a very open policy in respect to the importation of small amounts of wine, and is blessed with one controlling authority (no State or second government agency blocking the importation to swell the coffers, so to speak)

Thus I was able to receive the polystyrene container, containing two bottles

A few years ago, I sent (via DHL iirc) from NZ to London a couple bottles of wine, to be presented at a tasting - again, with all the correct documentation, delivery half way around the world door to door in 48 hours.

Other European countries who are wine producers do not appear to restrict a small consignment being sent direct to a private individual - however, I must confess that I have never trusted my precious cargo into the unknown of the French/Spanish/German Courier system.

So, the secret is to do ones homework - I would never send wine into the US without very carefully establishing as to whether the State allowed such shipments.

Likewise, I know that send wine to countries such as Sweden, with state run distribution is akin to pouring your wine and money down the sink - it will simply not arrive.

I am more than willing to try some sort of "reciprocal trade" with anyone who "legally" wishes to procure from NZ (and shipped through legitimate means) a wine not readily available in your home country.

UPS, DHL, DPD e tutti quanti do operate in the common market. DHL in Germany even is in charge of parcel distribution that formely was assured by the German Post Office.

So you *can* trust continental European courier systems.

M.

I'm not sure what the particulars were, but trying to ship Ch. Burbank from Tom S. to France, the solution was to have Mike T. carry it, then mail it domestically when in country.

Worth it for the very excellent Ch. Burbank!

-E