NWR Weekly: What Ray Isle really thinks, spectacular German GGs, and a Dry January guide

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2024! We’re so excited about what we’ve got in store for you this year, we can hardly contain ourselves. But out of professional necessity, we will. At least for now.

We’re kicking off the year off with a slate of great features. Let’s dive in.

WHAT FOOD & WINE’S RAY ISLE REALLY THINKS

We sat down with one of the deans of American wine journalism, Food & Wine Executive Wine Editor Ray Isle, to talk about his new book, The World In A Wineglass. But we ended up discussing quite a bit more than that (including the wines he’s drinking right now that he’s especially excited about). Among the many highlights from the conversation:

• “In some ways, looking at wine and saying ‘high acidity, medium body, tangerine,’ is fine. But with a really good wine it’s a little like looking at a Picasso and saying ‘it’s good because it has green paint and it’s Cubist and uses an impasto technique.’ None of that gets to the heart of why Guernica is a great painting. There’s something there beyond just the elements.”

• “There have been psychological studies that show your actual taste and pleasure centers light up differently when you know — or believe you know — certain things about wine. So if you’re passionate about organic viticulture, those wines will actually taste better to you because your brain will interpret them as tasting better.”

• “A lot of really good wines at $25 or $30 are brilliantly made: in Italy, Castello di Monsanto Chianti is one of them. Pieropan’s Soave Classico is another — they farm brilliantly, it’s a steal. In California, the Tablas Creek wines are widely available and remarkably good. Eyrie Estate in Oregon — their Chardonnay is really lovely. It’s well-made and farmed super intelligently. Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is a great wine for $26.”

HOW TO DO DRY JANUARY CORRECTLY, ACCORDING TO OUR PREGNANT WHISKEY CRITIC

It’s January, it’s cold, the party’s over.

For many, that means taking a few weeks off of alcohol and drying out a bit. If you’ve decided to join in the midwinter ascetic fun, but the prospect of fulfilling your 31-day commitment seems rather bleak, have a look at Susannah Skiver Barton’s guide to enjoying (or at least enduring) a break from the drink.

As someone who both drinks professionally and had to go dry for most of the last year, she’s got the best tips you’ll find anywhere.

And if you need something to look forward to, Susannah suggests you track down a bottle of the 94-point Hardin’s Creek Frankfort ($170) or the 95-point 2022 Alberta Cask Strength ($80) to help you ring in February.

PAIRING WINES WITH SOME OF THE SOUTH’S BEST (AND TRICKIEST) DISHES

Lazy Betty has been one of the buzziest restaurants in Atlanta since it opened its doors in 2019. The Georgia favorite also boasts a wine program to match its widely-acclaimed food.

NWR spoke with Lazy Betty’s Wine Director, Janice Shiffler, about what she pairs with the restaurant’s many dishes featuring unconventional ingredient combos, including those focused on the infamously unpairable asparagus.

GRAND GERMAN GGs

The highly exclusive Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP’s) annual preview of Grosse Gewächse (or GG) wines was held in August, and Anna Lee C. Iijima was there to taste her way through the big event.

Many of the bottles that were showcased only recently hit the market, and we’ve got 50 of the very best to look for. 15 of them scored 97 points or higher, including the “intensely ripe, almost tropical” Emrich-Schönleber Nahe Halenberg GG Riesling and Bernhard Huber Baden Malterdinger GG Spätburgunder, which is “gorgeous already, but concentrated enough to enjoy cellaring.”

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TO KALON AND ITS FAMOUS CABS

Possibly the most famous vineyard in America, Napa Valley’s To Kalon has been fawned and fought over for much of its wild century-and-a-half history.

If you’re interested to know who’s been suing each other, where the odd name comes from, who makes the vineyard’s most prized wines or why To Kalon grapes often sell for three times the average price of other Napa Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, have a look at Virginie Boone’s guide to one of the world’s most coveted patches of farmland.

WHAT WE’RE DRINKING AND LIKING RIGHT NOW

🎊 Parker rang in the new year with Lelarge-Pugeot “Tradition” Champagne Extra Brut NV

🍇  Sara is taking it slow with a 2019 Domaine de la Prébende Beaujolais Rouge

🍾  Al’s J. Lassalle "Préference" Brut 1er Cru NV drank beautifully with an entire XL bag of potato chips.

AROUND THE WINE (AND WHISKEY) WORLD

🔍 Cornas is one of the finest wine regions in the world, yet is still hiding in plain sight.

 📣 The early murmurs suggest the ‘22 Burgundy vintage is more bountiful than ‘21 — and very good.

🍷 The French Government isn’t going to appreciate our guide to Dry January. Or anyone else’s.

Thanks for reading! We hope your 2024 is off to a wonderful start.

Santé!

The NWR Editors

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