Time for Tokaji

For the first time since last year, the days have begun to get noticeably shorter, the weather cooler, and the wines I gravitate toward richer. And while I'll miss the warm, slow days of summer, I'm thrilled to be able to start drinking those bottles that didn't necessarily scream out to me when the mercury climbed past 90.

Sometime this week, I'll be popping open the season's first bottle of Tokaji. This isn't to say that I don't love these wines throughout the year, of course--I do. It's just that, as autumn settles in right now, I can't think of anything more appropriate than a nice glass or two of this Hungarian beauty.

To get you in the mood, take a look at the video below, produced by Wilson Daniels, on the wines of Tokaji. Better yet, uncork that first bottle of the season (either dry or sweet) and sip a glass while watching. It'll be an evocative and delicious way to kick off autumn.

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What Temperature Works Best?

It’s important to serve your wines at the right temperature, especially this time of year. The heat and humidity of summer demand a careful consideration of how you chill and serve your wine, whether you’re dealing with reds, whites, sparklers, or sweets. After all, an overly cold white won't taste like much at all, and a room-temperature red, with all its typical cooked fruit and alcohol, is pretty much the opposite of refreshing, and definitely not what you need these days.

While the temperature at which you enjoy a wine is a personal matter, most people still drink their reds too warm and their whites too cold. So while the chart below, published by Consumer Reports, is just a guide (they seem to make the assumption, for example, that all Chardonnays fit into the “heavier” category, which is clearly not the case), it nonetheless is a good starting point to begin exploring how you personally prefer your wines to be served. And, hopefully, the beginning of an even more enjoyable wine experience.

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The Wines of Austria

I’m back in Philadelphia from the Austrian Wine Marketing Board’s Austrian Wine Summit 2009, and am, to be honest, going to have a very difficult time containing my enthusiasm for the wine, food, and hospitality I experienced there. I’ve hinted at it before, but I’m going to say it plainly: Austria is one of the single most exciting places in the world right now for wine.

From wines you’ve heard of (Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Zweigelt) to ones that are perhaps less familiar (Zierfandler, Muskateller), Austria is simply exploding with fabulous grapes, world-class vineyards, and a range of styles, from white and red to sweet and sparkling, that rivals anywhere on the planet.

Between last Thursday and this past Sunday, I took dozens and dozens of tasting notes and shot several hours of video, so it’s going to take some time to work my way through it all. In the coming days and weeks, however, keep checking back for more from my trip to Austria.

For now, however, I’ll leave you with this video. It was shot immediately following our lecture and tasting last Friday at the Schloss Hof in Weinviertel on the wines of Niederösterreich, or Lower Austria. The Schloss Hof is considered one of the most exquisite Baroque buildings in the world, and at one point was even owned by Empress Maria Theresia. Learning about and tasting the wines of the region in a historically significant and absolutely magnificent palace like this was easily one of the most amazing experiences of my wine life.

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