True Confessions--Philip S. Kampe and the Summer of 2014

This is just a short update on my summer adventures. Normally the wine season slows down for wine journalists in the summer. Many of us need the time off to get our feet back on the ground.

My leader and guru, Luiz Alberto (#Winelover) is somewhat different. He has a 24/7, 365 days a year need to sample all of the wines the world has to offer. Maybe I am a little older, but, at times I need a break from wine. For me, my palate needs a breather before the season begins, typically with Michael Fuerstein's, Pas Mal Portfolio Tasting.

This year, my favorite tasting, takes place on 4 Septemeber--only two days from now. I love his wines--mostly French with many bottles of some of the Best Champagne this planet has ever produced. Literally, I drive six hours to sample his wines, then return to our house in western Massachusetts to dream of next years Pas Mal's tasting.  This year I am going to bring my wife, also a wine contributor, to the tasting, so she can see what I have been talking about for years.

My summer, as in the past, has been a somewhat different wine journalist adventure. Yes, I write a wine column for a local newspaper and I keep up with my blogs--but, at a slower pace.

What I do differently is review music at our world famous arena called Tanglewood. Conductor Leonard Bernstein and the Boston Symphony Orchestra call Tanglewood their summer home. The Maestro is not with us anymore, but, his legacy is.

The new Conductor, Andris Nelsons calls Tanglewood home.

My summer job at Tanglewood is quite simple--attend concerts--and review them.

Tanglewood, home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is also home to many contemporary artists. I had the opportunity to review concerts by Joshua Bell, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, James Taylor, The Beach Boys, Josh Groban and Tony Bennett, just to mention a few.

Tanglewood supports the BYOB policy. Often times, the guests on the lawn snore, making us aware that the BYOB policy is well supported. I chose craft beers this summer, as my drink choice, followed by Prosecco with club soda and St. Germaine. Campari with a drop of gin and orange juice rounded out my schedule.

Well, it's only 48 hours until the wine season begins..time to enjoy the last non-wine-only drinks of the summer.

Philip S. Kampe
Philip.Kampe@TheWineHub.com

        
              

Raul Perez, a Spanish Winemaking Legend, makes 'Cult Wines', including Sketch by Philip S. Kampe

 

Raul Perez, (43) is a Spanish Winemaking Legend by Philip S. Kampe

Imagine being taken captive by aliens You are in another galaxy somewhere in space
You are thirsty. A wine glass appears with a bright gold colored liquid. You drink it and have no clue as to what you are drinking.

It could be wine or it could be a taste you have never had before. The glass has the word Godello on it. And the name Ultreia La Claudina 2010 appears on the outside of a bottle that is floating in space.

The taste lingers on your palate--and you want more, but, you really don't know what you are drinking.

Well, that is how I felt when I sampled several white wines from the Raul Perez collection. I sampled 41 wines (red and white) in all and was overly intrigued by all of the wines, especially the whites.

I have written bits and pieces about the wines of Raul Perez in the past. I am quoted for saying the reds are 'Over the Top' and the whites are from 'Outer Space'.

Raul’s wine history is simple. He worked on his family vineyard in Bierzo (northwest Spain), Bodegas Castro Ventosa, in Bierzo until he was 31, then moved out, so he could  develop his winemaking skills.

Raul’s philosophy of winemaking pushes boundaries. He is driven and his wines prove it. When you meet Raul, you can see it in his eyes. Raul says in broken English, “Perfection with risks” is my theme.

Meeting Raul Perez was like meeting one of the Beatles.

His wine is his music and his songs are unique.

Raul employs winemaking methods that are out of the ordinary. He submerges
his wine underwater. Yes, you read that correctly. For 60 days the bottles are suspended in a wire cage 60 feet below the waters surface. The wines age underwater. After the wine is raised out of the water, it is stored in concrete egg-shaped barrels that use gravity on the lees to age wines.

Raul is known for using grapes from old vineyard plots. Aging wine underwater acts like a time capsule. The estuary maintains temperature and the currents gently rock the bottles.

These unorthodox methods of aging wine create amazing results. Raul’s wines are special.

My favorites include:

2011 Raul Perez Muti Albarino $35 (Rias Baixas)
Half of the wine is aged for 12 month in oak. The vines are over one hundred years old. The aging creates intense mineral characteristics, which makes you believe you are drinking a different variety of grape. The masterful wine is clean, vibrant and acidic with depth and a lingering finish.

2011 Raul Perez ‘Sketch’Albarino $72 (Rias Baixas)
Made with 40 year old vines that grow one football field from the Atlantic Ocean. The grapes are harvested two weeks later than other vineyards in the area. After the wine is made, it is aged sixty feet underwater at an estuary. The lack of oxygen and low temperatures coupled with pressure at sixty feet below sea level create a wine like none other. Intense  minerality, stone fruit and citrus yield to the wines finesse and strength.

2010 Ultreia La Claudina Godello (Bierzo)
Golden in color with an amber tint, this unique, mineral driven, complex wine shocked my palate. The result was that the wine resembled an alcoholic, aged fruit cake dripping with hanger steak juices. There is nothing like this defining wine, which puts Raul Perez on the map. I suggest that you decant this wine for several hours before drinking. What I discovered was extreme minerality with palate driven herbs, spices and tropical fruit.

All of the wines are made in small batches, and many are classified as the most unusual wines in the world.

 His unusual winemaking methods have created a cult following, thus making Raul Perez a wine guru and a national treasure of Spain, much like Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal.

                                                                       Raul Perez

BOTTOMS UP, A Microbrewery Beer Tasting, Lawncast and Concert at Tanglewood (August 15th) by Philip S. Kampe

BOTTOMS UP at Tanglewood

On Friday, beginning at 5:30pm, Tanglewood hosts a perfect combination that should be of interest to concert goers. It is a new concept that should be popular, educational and basically a lot of fun.

Purchase a lawn ticket for $35 and receive admission to a microbrew beer tasting at the Formal Garden Tent.. At the beer tasting tent, you will have the opportunity to sample beer from microbreweries from around the area, as well as appetizers and snacks.  This event lasts from 5:30 to 8pm, certainly enough time to sample all of the beers offered.

After the beer tasting, at 8:30pm, your lawn ticket admits you to an evening of exceptional music. Conductor Stephane Deneve will lead a Beethoven and Prokofiev program featuring pianist and soloist Emanual Ax, followed by mezzo-soprano Elena Manistina. If you have not witnessed Conductor Deneve’s style before, pay special attention to his dramatic movements as he leads the Boston Symphony Orchestra during this special evening.

If you attend the concert and beer tasting on August 15^th, consider being part of the new Tanglewood Lawncast. The lawncast is designed for patron interested in a technology-enhanced lawn experience and offers concert goers access to program notes, interviews and additional concert feeds through smartphones and tablets.  Pre-registration is necessary and can be done so by linking in with the Tanglewood website at: www.Tanglewood.org

Philip.Kampe@TheWineHub.com

Cotes de Provence, 'The World's Largest Wine Region that Specializes in Dry Rose Wines' by Philip S. Kampe

                                                       A  Cotes de Provence vineyard

Did you know that Provence was the first Roman province outside of Italy? The Romans called the region ‘provincia nostra’, meaning our province.

Provence is just south of the Alps, located in southeast France.

Wine has been made in the region since the founding of Marseille in 600 B.C. It is obvious that the various winemaking cultures that occupied the region have influenced today’s wines of Provence.

Rose accounts for more than 88% of the production in the Cotes de Provence. Over 141 million AOC Rose bottles are produced each year.  From a world standpoint, the Cotes de Provence area accounts for 5.6% total of all rose wines sold in the world.

Rose sales have been skyrocketing in America. Statistics agreed, with  a 40% rise in sales of Roses in 2013.

                                                  A map of Provence within France

Provence is the ‘World’s Largest Wine Region that Specializes in Dry Rose Wines’. The region is known for its Mediterranean climate, consisting of sunny days, little or no snow and hot, dry summers. Basically, Provence has mild temperatures, which makes it a perfect area to grow grapes. The added bonus in Provence is the ‘Mistral’, a constant breeze that sweeps through the limestone of the vineyards, carrying notes of rosemary, thyme, lavender and sage to the vines. With the addition of these fragrances, thanks to the Mistral, the wines of Provence always rate high on the aromatic chart.

Vineyards, traditionally, face south to avoid the harsh winds of the Mistral, while receiving the benefits of the breezes.

Provence is synonymous with rose wine. The Wines of Provence at www.provencewineusa.com  is a perfect website to get to know the Wines of Provence. Their website leads you from A to Z in regard to the wines from the region, focusing specifically on Rose wines.


I have had the pleasure to sample a large quantity of wines from the region and have my list of favorites.

So does, Decanter.com, a British wine online magazine, that reviewed hundreds of
Cotes de Provence rose wines from the 2013 vintage and selected their Top Five wines.
This results are impressive, as you will see below.

The Top Five list includes:

#1  Le Grand Cros, L’Espirit de Provence 2013 
95 points
75% Grenache  25% Syrah   
13.5% alcohol
Orchard fruit nose, red fruit, mandarin and fennel on the palate.  Creamy texture with good acidity.
$20
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
#2  Chateau Gassier, Le Pas du Moine, Ste. Victoire  2013
90 points
12.5% alcohol

Sophisticated nose of fennel and herbs, raspberry and cream on the palate. Excellent food wine, long and luxuriant finish, while being decadent.
$20
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#3  Chateau Riotor, Famille Abeille 2013
90 points
13% alcohol
Nose of elderflower and a kitchen garden. Good weight and structure with ripe red fruit and floral notes. Crisp acidity for gastronomic indulgence.
$19
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#4  Chateau des Serrins  2013
89 points
12.5% alcohol

Complex nose show numerous grape varieties. Palate gently oaked with a backdrop of orange fruit and impressive weight.
$25
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#5  Domaine Gavoty 2013
89 points

13% alcohol

Creamy, sweet tones on the nose, with fig and melon on the palate. A long finish with a pronounced lovely herbal twist at the end.
$20
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Provence is a region that goes beyond wine. Yes, the dry Roses stand out. But, there is so much more. Sun, nearly 3,000 hours a year. Blue skies, natural beauty, the Mediterranean Sea, fresh vegetables, mouth watering seafood and a lifestyle that is in harmony with nature.

When in Provence, the hundreds of wineries welcome visitors, as if they are family. Besides wine tasting and a traditional meal, there are, often, guest quarters in the Chateaus for tourists.

Day trips can include Monte Carlo, Nice, Cannes, St. Tropez, Marseille, Toulon and Antibes.

For a region that stretches from the Alpine hills near Draguignan to the coast of St. Tropez, Provence has a lot to offer the visitor, in addition to the magnificent Rose wines it offers the world.

Philip S. Kampe

Philip.Kampe@TheWineHub.com
@gotophil

Hudson Valley Bounty, August 4th, 5-8pm, Chatham Fairgrounds, New York by Philip S. Kampe

                                                Over 40 culinary treats will be served

It's hard to imagine that its been a year since the last Taste of the Hudson Valley Bounty ', considered as 'One of the Greatest' farm produced festivals in the country.

The Hudson Valley Bounty takes place this evening, from 5-8pm at the Chatham County Fairgrounds in Chatham, New York, halfway in-between Albany, N.Y. and Pittsfield, Ma.

This the 6th year for the event and my second time to attend. The event will showcase the bounty of culinary offerings the Hudson Valley has to offer. The areas chefs will be paired with producers from the Hudson Valley. The chefs will usr the local products to produce a bounty of food offerings, including cheese, appetizers, salads, main  courses and desserts, as well as wine and beer.

Over forty different dishes will be served.

The event commemorates its original founders and raises money to support the effort of the Hudson Valley Bounty.

      

Tickets are $75 and will be available at the door.
Support the Hudson Valley Bounty and make this event a big success. To me, this is one of the greatest events in the Hudson Valley and the culinary world.

Philip S. Kampe
Philip.Kampe@TheWineHub.com
@gotophil

Wine Media Guild  member

The 'Best Seasonal BYOB in America' takes place at Tanglewood (Lenox, Ma) by Philip S. Kampe & Maria Reveley

                             Arrive early to secure a seat at Tanglewood on Parade

Since The Wine Hub has so many fans, I thought that it would be appropriate to fill our readers in what I believe to be the 'Best Seasonal BYOB in America'.

If you live in the northeast portion of America, have ever heard of the Tanglewood music center?

Tanglewood was once home of famed conductor Leonard Bernstein, and now home of resident hero, James Taylor, and newly appointed conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons.

Located two hours from Boston and two and a half from New York, Tanglewood has a summer program that includes classical (Joshua Bell, Emanual Ax, Yo-Yo Ma) and contemporary (Train, James Taylor, Josh Grobin & Tony Bennett). Lawn tickets are around $20, close to the price of a corkage fee.

What Tanglewood offers the visitor is a means to bring a picnic lunch or dinner and a cooler full of wine, beer or whatever alcoholic beverage you choose to bring to the grounds. Once in, you can open your bottle and savor the music that Tanglewood is famous for. The season typically lasts to August 31st, enough time to experience, what I believe is the 'Best Seasonal BYOB'event in America.

If there is just one day in the year that  to attend a Tanglewood concert, my vote goes for Tanglewood on Parade, which , this year , takes place on Tuesday, August 5^th.

There is something magical about sitting on the lawn at Tanglewood, enjoying a picnic and the sun, while being entertained by the crowd and the various entertainers that walk the grounds of Tanglewood on this ‘On Parade’ day.

To top off the evening, fireworks light the sky as the BSO’s finale. Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture fades into the night.

                                      Inside seating in the Shed at Tanglewood

This yearly tradition of mine at Tanglewood begins at 2pm, when the gates are open to welcome the well wishers and fans of Tanglewood.  Brass fanfare greets the early crowd, followed by music all day long, featuring members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Tanglewood Music Center and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute.
The time preceding the concert is devoted to families, focusing on the youngsters in the audience. Face painting, an instrumental playground for all ages will be open, a magician roaming the grounds are just a few of the surprised that Tanglewood has up their sleeve.

Several years a go, I remember seeing an organ grinder, who looked like Super Mario, walking the grounds with his clown dressed monkey.

Tanglewood on Parade is a day of surprises.

From 3 to 7pm, complimentary tours of the Tanglewood grounds will take place. Walking the grounds on your own will yield lavish food set-ups by patrons, including candelabras, vases of exotic flowers and drop-dead elaborate table settings.

The evening’s music begins at 8:30pm.

Conductors Stephane Deneve, Keith Lockhart, JohnWilliams and Leopnard Slatkin will lead a program that includes music by Gershwin, Dave Brubeck and Shostakovich. The combined forces will feature performances by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra and the Boston Pops.

If this will be your first visit to Tanglewood, anticipate a short wait to find your complimentary parking space. Bringing food and alcoholic beverages is encouraged. If you sit on the lawn, don’t forget your lawn chairs, small table and a blanket. As the evening winds down, the temperature gradually changes. With a chill in the air, expect temperatures to be in the low 60’s or high 50’s by 11pm, when the firework display over Stockbridge Bowl concludes the days events.

All proceeds form the concert go to support the Tanglewood Music Center.

Ticket prices range from $21 for the lawn to $106 in the Shed.
Use Symphony Charge for tickets by calling (888) 266-1200.

                                                      The view from Tanglewood

Philip S. Kampe
Maria Reveley
Philip.Kampe@TheWineHub.com
@gotophil




           

                                                         Philip S. Kampe

Come and join me at the TANGLEWOOD Wine & Food Classic in Lenox, Ma. on August 7th to 10th by Philip S. Kampe

                      Tanglewood Wine & Food Classic, August 7th to 10th in Lenox, Ma.

“Tanglewood Isn’t All Music”.

In fact, Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, means to most of us, music, opera, piano concertos, perhaps a rock concert, scenic beauty, James Taylor and a wine and cheese picnic overlooking Stockbridge Bowl.

Tanglewood is located in western Massachusetts, known as the ‘Berkshires’, in the historical town of Lenox. Tanglewood is only a two hour ride from Boston and a two and a half hour ride from Manhattan. It is the summer home of thousands, due to the wonderful cultural programs that exist in Berkshire county

But, from August 7^th to 10^th, Tanglewood means a lot more. Tanglewood will be the home of the ‘Tanglewood Wine & Food Classic’.

The four day event focuses specifically on wine and food. If you have not attended the Tanglewood Wine & Food Classic in the past, this is a great opportunity to learn about food and wine from some of the country’s leading authorities.

                        

     

                          Sample hundreds of wines and food offerings st the Grand Tasting

Experts will lead seminars, tastings and wine dinners within the bucolic Tanglewood setting.

The four-day schedule is designed specifically for the consumer to learn about food and wine. Experts in these  fields will educate the attendees through seminars and tastings.

If there is ever a week to support Tanglewood, this is the week.

All of the events take place on the grounds of Tanglewood and are void of large crowds.
Consider attending the wine and food events during the day and afterwards, why not take in a concert at the Shed or Ozawa Hall.

The signature event (as always) is the Grand Tasting at the Hawthorne Tent ($90), which takes place on Saturday, August 9^th,,  from high noon to three in the afternoon.
Hundreds of wines from around the world and locally sourced food, cooked by local chefs will be available to sample on the beautiful Tanglewood grounds.


                      Attend a concert at Tanglewood at night or Sunday afternoon

                  

                  Sample my friend, Joseph Carr's, Dylan's Ghost wine with him on August 7th
Opening this great schedule of events is ‘The Best of the Berkshires Cocktail Reception (Hawthorne Tent)  ($85) from 4:15-5:30pm on Thursday, August 7^th, Following the cocktail reception, from (5:45-7:45pm) (Hawthorne Tent)  will be an amazing dinner ($195) featuring Joseph Carr and his Dylan’s Ghost Wines and Chefs Daire Rooney (Allium) and Brian Arlberg (Red Lion Inn).  From 6-7pm ($55) on the same date, Josh Needleman, master chocolatier .and owner of Lenox’s Chocolate Springs will team up with Toni McKone, representing Sandman Port wines for a fun, educational port and chocolate tasting seminar.

On Friday, August 8^th, infamous winemaker Ray Coursen, of Elyse Winery (Napa), will host a one-of-a-kind, memorable wine dinner at Seranak, possibly the most beautiful vantage point in the Berkshires, from 5:30-8pm ($195).  Chef Ian Just, owner of Boston’s Society on High will prepare the first three courses of the dinner which will accompany Ray Coursen’s wines. Max McCalman will select a cheese course to accompany Ray’s fourth and final wine for the dinner. At Tanglewood from 7-8pm, Jeremy Stanton, proprietor of Fire Roasted Catering of the Berkshires, will host a ‘Great Meats and Great Grapes’ seminar ($55) with wine pairing at the Hawthorne Tent cooking stage.

And then comes Saturday, August 9^th, what I believe is the “Best Wine Day of the Year in the Berkshires”.  From 11-noon, at Highlawn, Pittsfield’s own Jim Nejaime of Spirited and Nina Wemyss will discuss “Wine’s History and Rich Relatioonship with the Arts”($55).  The highlight of the weekend, the Grand Tasting follows from 12-3pm at the Hawthorne Tent ($90).  The day ends with a special Rose et Petanque event from 3:30-5:30pm on Kennedy Lawn, next to the Tent Club ($55). Attendees will taste sumptuous summer wines, the way they do in Provence.

Sunday is not the day of rest.

At noon, Max McCalman will teach an artisanal cheese class and will conduct a wine seminar. The event run from 12-1pm and takes place at Seranak ($65).  “The Wonders of Riedel with Miner Wines and Lindt Chocolate” seminar will take place from 1-2pm at the Hawthorne Tent ($55). Those attending will learn how glassware enhances grape varietals on the palate. Three Riedel glasses will be given to each attendee.

               What could be better than the events at Tanglewood's Wine & Food Classic..

The festival ends with the much anticipated rare wine and luxury lifestyle package auction. The event is titled “ Bliss at Blantyre: Biennial Tanglewood Auction Dinner” ($250). Chef Arnaud Cotar from Blantyre and Chef Daniel Bruce of Meritage, Boston Harbor Hotel will prepare a dinner that will be accompanied with Darioush Wines. Nina Wemyss is the auctioneer. The elegant event will take place from 6-11pm at Blantyre.

For tickets to any or all of the events, call 888-266-1200 or visit www.Tanglewood.org 


Philip.Kampe@TheWineHub.com
@gotophil

I look forward to seeing my hundreds of friends at Tanglewood, only 8 minutes from my home!
                                                                   Philip S. Kampe





    

                                             Enjoying a glass of wine at Seranak