Martin Scott at the Lincoln Center - Fashion Week - 2011

It seems like every subsequent tasting event put on by host Martin Scott get bigger. It's not an illusion as Martin Scott continues to bolster their portfolio with new products, which I take as an assertive way of staying competive in an ever growing and competitive market. On top of that, they seem to continue to be acquiring long familiar labels from other distributors like Domaine Baumard from Monsieur Touton and E. Piri from Michael Skurnik and a label that's just starting to come into its own, Cleto Chiarli Lambruscos which had been languishing at Frederick Wildman.

The growth of Martin Scott is being celebrated in today's tasting event at the Lincoln Center in New York during fashion week which is having their own event at the same site which creates an exciting venue littered with skinny girls, mobs of photographers and their minions taking part. For me, it just created an interesting diversion to the front door where I am set to sample some of the over five-hundred producers available as well as some exciting new spirits.

Winemaker Tom Drozd with his new North Fork Project chardonnay in a 1 liter bottle. Merlot also available. Good stuff, good price.

As usual, I begin with sparkling wines. Not much new here and mostly made up of solid commercial labels as opposed to smaller, grower/producers that have become endearing amongst progressive restaurants and retailers. While not the biggest fan of Prosecco, I have come to appreciate the Adami brut NV for being consistently clean, bright and with a satisfying mellow mousse. Their Jaume Serra Cristalino Cava brut NV is a solid value sparkler that can be sold at retail in the $6-$8 range. One of interest was a Cremant de Bourgogne, normally a value sparkler priced in the high teen range, but the Domaine Jean-Noel Gagnard (Chassagne-Montrachet) version entitled LYS, while being high in quality it would come in at serious $44 to the retailer.

At past tastings I had spent so much time with French and Italian wines that I often had little time to go through their broad selection of well known pinot noir including popular restaurant labels. Unfortunately, I was mostly unimpressed with the Californians. Too many were heavy handed and clumsy, lacking any sense of bright perfume and/or elegance. The pinots from Oregon were a different story. Most, like the Auteur, Fiddlehead and St Innocent showed nice balance, aromas and attractive red fruit character. A particularly reasonably priced wine was the Haden Fig from Willamette valley that would retail for around $26. Very pale Burgundy-like color with delicate red berry fruits and a hint of wet earth. A slight chill on that would make for one tasty, refreshing dinner red, perhaps with salmon, tuna or a quiche.

Martin Scott's Spanish imports come from Ole which has consistently offered well-made, interesting wines, mostly from smaller producers with appealing, well-designed labels. I really liked the Exopto Cellers b.b. de Exopto Rioja from Alavesa. And once again, another bright, mineral laced Rioja from Alavesa, the region that is actually situated across the border in Pais Basque. For me, Alavesa is the name to look for in exceptional Rioja.

b.b. de Exopto from the Alavesa region of Rioja.

South America has been the go-to region for popular value wines for some time. While walking by the tables, one grabbed my attention. Sommelier turned wine maker Brian Smith comes off as the kind of guy for whom life is too short to muddle in mediocrity. His Loca Linda (crazy beautiful) label provides a torrontés and malbec that have an eye-catching label on a grand one liter bottle. The malbec is good, but I'm always interested in finding an exceptional torrontés like the one I first tasted out of curiosity at a NewYork restaurant ten years ago. The one that has left me with the desire to find more. I can't say torrontés is the most exciting grape I've ever had, but you never forget it. The good ones have modest acidity which allows the exotic, spicy fruit to linger on the palate just a bit longer like a solid good-bye kiss. And with the one liter bottle, that's one long good-bye. I like torrontés with shellfish and richer seafood to white meats like veal, pork and chicken. Right now Loca Linda torrontés and vitello tonnato would be awesome. They also perform well on the holiday table alongside all the rich, fruit, herb and spice laden foods.

Brian Smith with his Loca Linda.

As a fan of food friendly, dry lambrusco, I became capitaved by the Luigi malvasia di Casorzo (Piemonte) rosso dolce. It has all that wild briary fruit, a touch of frizzante yet with a light kiss of sweetness. I also loved the quirky label that reminds me of a figure from a Christmas opera. This will be a terrific wine to offer customers for the holiday table, but this kind of wine, served cool, is fun to have with cured meats, aged cheeses and a big crusty loaf of bread on the back patio.

The devious Luigi looks like he's on his way to waking someone.

At the end of the event were several tables of new craft spirits. This has become an interesting and fast growing segment. Breckenridge Distillery of Colorado had an exceptional corn based vodka that was flavorful and had a richer texture. Since Bourbon is mostly corn, they also had a terrific Bourbon with mellow vanilla and honey with undertones of spice. Out of Nashville, Tennessee, Corsair Artisan Distillery offered a series of top-shelf spirits. I really liked their gin. A nice bouquet of juniper based botanicals with a smooth texture that would work straight-up or as a mixed cocktail. They also has a single barrel, Triple Smoke whiskey that would excite Scotch drinkers that like the smoky, Islay style. Another remarkable item was the Marolo chamomile grappa from Italy. 

Plenty of good spirits from Corsair Artisan Distillery.