Wine Enthusiast |
- A Modern Take on Iran’s Ancient Beer Heritage
- 10 Bottles That Prove Bourbon Has Something for Everyone
- How the Broadway Wine Club’s Founder Kept Lights on and Glasses Filled
- California Winemaker Jim Clendenen Dies at 68
| A Modern Take on Iran’s Ancient Beer Heritage Posted: 19 May 2021 05:00 AM PDT  The name Back Home Beer might elicit pastoral visions of American fields of grain. For some, it may reinforce the idea of craft beer as a farm-to-table product. The founder of the Brooklyn-based brewery, Zahra Tabatabai, shares those sentiments, but she has a different home in mind. The former television executive created Back Home after she heard about recipes written by her grandfather, a brewer in prerevolutionary Iran. The Iranian government has banned the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages by Muslims since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Violation of these laws is punishable by death. However, Iran has a beer history that predates any European nation. There's a distinctly Middle Eastern beer palate that Tabatabai hopes to satisfy with her brewery, scheduled to begin brewing later this spring. Cans are planned to be available to the public this summer.  The first-known documentation of a beverage fermented from malted barley, the foundation of beer, was in the Godin Tepe, a region in western Iran. This took place in the fourth millennium B.C.E., about 5,000 years before the Reinheitsgebot, the document that established German purity laws of beer production. Students of ancient history may not find this surprising; the Godin Tepe isn't far from the Fertile Crescent, the birthplace of many cornerstones of Western civilization. While there were earlier variants of beer in Asia that used rice, "as far as we know, the Godin Tepe beer is still the earliest chemically confirmed instance in the ancient Near East, circa 3400-3000 B.C.E.," says historian Patrick McGovern, author of Ancient Brews Rediscovered and Re-Created (Norton, 2017). “Beer is rooted within both Persian culture and its various robust… flavors," says Behzad Jamshidi, executive director of Moosh in New York City. He says that Persian culinary culture "utilizes one of the widest varieties of grains and legumes, and it has very deep cultural considerations. From sweet desserts made from wheat pudding, to stews mixed with a dozen various legumes, and aquafaba, the soaking water of chickpeas, being used as a health remedy, our culture has always been deeply curious with grains and how to utilize them."
For Tabatabai, this ancient heritage is reflected in her own family tree. As she grew up, relatives would share stories about her grandfather, a brewer in Shiraz, a region in southern Iran. "I had been hearing stories my entire life about how my grandfather was brewing beer and making wine in the garden, and of his recipes," she says. "My grandmother was talking about his beer one day and reminiscing and was like, 'Oh, I miss that taste.' So, we got to talking."  Inspired, Tabatabai began to research beer production. She watched YouTube videos, read books and began to brew on a small scale. She mastered conventional styles, and then began to experiment with flavors native to the Middle East, like sumac. That's when she had an epiphany. "I came to realize that it’s not something that’s readily available in the market," she says. "It’s a region that’s not necessarily well represented." Many people from the Middle and Near East don't drink alcohol for religious reasons, but "the Iranian people themselves are pretty secular people," says Tabatabai. She sees opportunity to speak to her community. "A lot of times, when you go to a Middle Eastern restaurant or Iranian restaurant, they’ve got like Heineken or Corona or things like that, which is fine, but it’s not necessarily going to complement the food so much," she says. Many typical Iranian dishes are bold, says Naz Deravian, author of Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories (Flatiron 2018). "Iranian cuisine relies heavily on aromatic fresh herbs perfumed by heady spices, in particular saffron," says Deravian. "The Iranian palate leans toward bright and sour notes." These flavors pair well with beer, says Jamshidi, but they also work within beer. "Ingredients such as mineral-rich Persian blue salt from the Caspian Sea, to saffron from Khorasan, rosewater from Kermansha, sun-dried apricots, plums, cherries, quince, dates, pomegranates, persimmons—they are only the beginnings of what both heritage and the splendor of Iranian ingredients can lend to brewing," he says.  The focus on beer in Persian culinary traditions has excited Middle Eastern ex-pat communities on social media, says Tabatabai. Barzin Akhavan, an actor, posted an article from The Conversation to the brewery's Twitter page on how women were the leaders in brewing until accusations of witchcraft rose. Interactions like these highlight the diversity of beverage cultures in diasporic Iranian communities. Argo, one of the country's biggest breweries during the Pahlavi dynasty (1925–1979), was revived as a nonalcoholic brewery in Tehran in 2020. Today, there are homebrewing, distilling and winemaking scenes in Iran, but they maintain low profiles in an effort to steer clear of the authorities. In New York City, Tabatabai’s Back Home is part of a brewing resurgence. In the last 10 years, the city has gone from having just three breweries to almost 40. Tabatabai has received clearance and is in talks to contract-brew Back Home beers until she can open her facility to the public. In the meantime, she says that her beer has already received an important seal of approval. Her grandmother loved it. |
| 10 Bottles That Prove Bourbon Has Something for Everyone Posted: 19 May 2021 04:33 AM PDT  The Bourbon boom continues apace, and the range of what's available continues to widen and delight. It seems there's something for everyone. Flavor profiles can span from rich toffee and caramel, like in the Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond, to lighter honey and spice-driven examples like that of the Broken Top Bourbon. That expanse is aided by innovative mash bills. In addition to the minimum 51% corn component required for Bourbon, distillers are adding unusual grains to the mix. Buckwheat adds dark fruit to Cardinal Spirits' Perry's Secret Stock Buckwheat Bourbon, while a mix of steel-cut oats and barley malted/roasted in the style of pale ale and chocolate malt create a warming chocolate oatmeal stout character to New Riff's Winter Whiskey. Additionally, while the process isn't new, cask finishes continue to provide some thought-provoking surprises. Among these selections, a rest in French Grenache rosé wine casks adds interest to a four-grain Bourbon from Penelope, while a turn in smoked barrels adds savory, smoky mesquite notes to Sipes' Double Oaked Smoked Barrel Bourbon. On the higher end, a limited edition to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Angel's Envy finished its Bourbon in rare Japanese Mizunara casks, to exquisite effect. It's not all smooth sailing for the Bourbon industry these days. In February, the Kentucky Distillers' Association (KDA) announced that exports of Kentucky Bourbon dropped 35% in 2020. Separately, the KDA announced that visits to its member distilleries plunged by 66% in 2020, as the pandemic curtailed travel and tourism. However, as the bottling innovations above demonstrate, Bourbon-makers are endlessly resourceful. In recent months, many producers have issued special releases or auctioned rare bottles to raise funds for pandemic-related relief efforts, including New Riff, Garrison Brothers and Weller (Buffalo Trace). Barrell Private Release A01A Bourbon; $110, 96 points. Concentrated toffee aromas entice on the nose. While this cask-strength beast opens fiery, adding just enough water brings out a bright and fruity side: dried cherry, orange and lemon peel slide into vanilla and caramel. The spicy finish is tinged with fleeting espresso and campfire smoke, too. This is a limited-edition micro blend of Bourbons aged 5 to 15 years, with 70% of the blend 15 years old. Angel's Envy Finished in Japanese Mizunara Oak Casks Bourbon; $350, 95 points. This was released in September 2020 to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary. Look for a copper penny hue and rich caramel and toffee aromas. The bold palate opens with espresso, clove and a drying hint of plum skin. Adding water softens the heat and brings more oak forward, along with accents of mocha and vanilla, finishing long with black pepper heat. Available only at distillery. Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon C920; $50, 94 points. Third in a series of barrel-proof bottlings from Larceny, look for aromas of vanilla bean and sarsaparilla. The palate sizzles with fiery cinnamon and cayenne. Adding a fair measure of water pays off with concentrated caramel enlivened by cinnamon and hints of cocoa, espresso and vanilla. It's a blend of Bourbons aged 6 to 8 years. Blue Note Juke Joint Bourbon; $30, 93 points. Butterscotch and maple aromas meet with candied orange peel on the nose. The palate is similarly bold and rich, with creamy caramel and a smoky hint winding into ginger and lemon peel on the exit. Sip or mix. Distilled in Kentucky, bottled in Tennessee. Aged a minimum of three years. Best Buy. Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon; $50, 93 points. This needs a few minutes to open up to reveal a rich caramel aroma. The palate is markedly sweet and spicy, showing vanilla, caramel and a mix of cinnamon and cayenne. Adding water tones down the heat and brings a flavor or cinnamon red-hot candies wrapped in caramel squares. A vanilla accent smooths over the long exit. It's a small-batch Bourbon finished in toasted new oak. Longbranch Bourbon; $40, 92 points. Mellow aromas of maple, vanilla and a hint of dried cherry entice. The palate echoes those flavors, bringing in a light flurry of clove and cinnamon spice. Adding water softens the profile to vanilla cookie dough flavor, sprinkled with ginger and allspice. It was filtered through Texas mesquite charcoal. Penelope Rosé Cask Finish Bourbon; $65, 91 points. This is a limited release four-grain Bourbon, aged 24 months, then finished in French Grenache rosé wine casks. The end result is pleasant, though don’t expect it to drink like a glass of rosé. Mild vanilla and almond lead the nose and palate, layered with a hint of bitter espresso. The drying finish shows cinnamon, ginger and black pepper. New Riff Winter Whiskey; $50, 90 points. Inspired by chocolate oatmeal stout, this Bourbon is made with a base of corn as well as malted oat, pale ale malt, steel-cut raw oats and chocolate malt, aged at least four years and bottled in bond. It's definitely beer-like, warming and substantial. Look for a dark amber hue and chocolaty aroma. The robust palate shows cocoa and cookie dough, finishing with a hoppy edge and flicker of cinnamon spice. We Recommend: Perry's Secret Stock Buckwheat Bourbon; $200, 88 points. This non-traditional Bourbon is named for Perry Ford, who worked at the distillery for 43 years. The remarkably drying palate rotates through dark berry, toasted grain and juicy orange, finishing with cinnamon and ginger glow. Made with a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% buckwheat, and 4% malted barley. Sipes' Double Oaked Smoked Barrel Bourbon; $60, 87 points. This Bourbon is for fans of the smoked Old Fashioned trend. It features savory, smoky mesquite notes on nose and palate. Liquid smoke and bacon overshadow a core of vanilla and maple, finishing with plenty of black pepper. Overall, this reads like peppered maple bacon. This is a four-year-old Bourbon finished in a smoked barrel. |
| How the Broadway Wine Club’s Founder Kept Lights on and Glasses Filled Posted: 19 May 2021 04:00 AM PDT  When the pandemic began to devastate the entertainment and hospitality industries, Arvind Ethan David knew exactly what he wanted to do: Combine the struggling fields in a way that could benefit both. The writer, producer and filmmaker, best known for the Broadway adaptation of Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill album, tapped coproducer Nathan Marcus Brown to launch Broadway Wine Club, a wine subscription service that supports boutique producers and Broadway professionals alike. In addition to access to exclusive events with actors and other entertainment luminaries, members receive a quarterly shipment of small-batch wines bottled with labels created by some of theatre's best designers. Here, David checks in about the club's genesis and the responsibility he feels when he's choosing wines and creating art. What sorts of qualities do you look for when you're seeking new projects? Good artistry, good marketing and cost-effectiveness. Spending time on a story I don't love with people I don't love is currently unimaginable. How has your job shifted since Broadway's shutdown? Your job [as a producer] is to go around with a thing that is not a thing yet and will it into existence. In Jagged Little Pill's case, 10 years ago, I knew the album wanted to be a musical, but I had to convince my producing partner, Vivek Tiwary, and Alanis [Morissette]. Once a project is ready, you have to protect the people you're working with, and the idea. My job now is to keep the story in the public consciousness and keep everyone as safe spiritually and economically as possible.  What about your background in production helped most with the launch of the club? I've been a passionate oenophile since I was a teenager, but the idea came from a feeling of loss. The entertainment and food-and-beverage industries are similar and devastated by Covid, probably more than any others. Winemakers have lost distribution, lots of them friends of mine. Many Broadway actors aren't employed and need creative outlets. Marketing professionals aren't selling tickets, and audience members miss Broadway terribly. We thought that we could help by creating something that brought everyone together. Broadway Wine Club brings wealth to communities currently suffering. Do you feel you have a moral responsibility to your consumers? I've told stories for a living since I was 23 years old. I'm conscious of how lucky I am, but I couldn't do it if I didn't think it was important. When you do what I do well and get lucky, you generate a lot of revenue and have a lot of influence. Broadway is ridiculously influential for a medium that only 1,000 people a night can see. It became impossible for me not to take that seriously.
Last year, I couldn't be useful in many ways. I'm not a medical professional…but I could tell stories to raise money and awareness of those on the frontlines. I coproduced a Black Lives Matter benefit for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Legal Defense Fund, the Jagged cast did two benefit concerts and the club donates $10 per membership to The Actors Fund. You can't do Jagged Little Pill and not do this because voicing painful truths and encouraging people to voice their own truths is in its DNA. It's the end of a long workday. What are you drinking? I now drink with two meals a week. The next time will be with my friend, Jessica Gasca [owner and winemaker] of Story of Soil, and we'll be barrel tasting. |
| California Winemaker Jim Clendenen Dies at 68 Posted: 18 May 2021 01:05 PM PDT  In an industry loaded with gregarious personalities, winemaker Jim Clendenen, who died on May 15 at 68 years old, was cut from even more colorful cloth. With a flowing mane of wild hair, intense eyes and fierce confidence, Clendenen, the owner of Au Bon Climat winery, spent his entire career promoting the wines of Santa Barbara County around the world. He proved that Pinot Noir and Chardonnay could be made in a leaner, Burgundian style despite abundant California sunshine, and mentored generations of winemakers-to-be. He's also remembered as a great father to his two children, a dear friend to dozens and a bon vivant who cooked and hosted long, leisurely lunches at his Santa Maria Valley winery whenever he wasn't on the road. "I have a good lifestyle, and I've been able to buy real estate, but every dollar I've earned in my life I earned in the wine business—not many people can say that," Clendenen told me last year. He was honored to be among the few who could grow and self-sustain a small wine company. "It's been a great trip," he said.  Raised in Southern California, Clendenen came north in 1971 to attend University of California, Santa Barbara, where he considered being a lawyer. But he found work with the region's emerging wine industry, and toiled in the cellar at Zaca Mesa Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley for a couple of years. Recurrent trips to Europe, particularly working harvests in Burgundy, inspired Clendenen to cofound Au Bon Climat with his friend Adam Tolmach in 1982. Clendenen was moved by the egalitarian nature of Burgundy compared to other regions of the world, and wanted to make wines in the older ways, with lower sugars, higher acid and less new oak. Critics applauded the effort, naming the winery one of the best in the world by 1990.
In 1989, Tolmach left the partnership and Clendenen moved into a new facility on Bien Nacido Vineyards, sharing space with another friend, winemaker Bob Lindquist. They've been in the same facility ever since. Lindquist was shocked by the news of Clendenen's passing. He toasted his friend at a winery lunch on Monday, raiding the cellar to find gems going all the way back to a 1986 Pinot Noir. "He'll be remembered for putting Santa Barbara on the map," says Lindquist, who started working with Clendenen back in 1979 and was encouraged by him to start his Syrah-focused brand, Qupe, in 1982. "A lot of people can make that claim, like Richard Sanford or Brooks Firestone, but nobody did more to promote Santa Barbara internationally than Jim did." Clendenen was also integral to elevating the reputation of Bien Nacido Vineyards, now considered the most site-designated vineyard in the world. "Certainly for my own family, we owe so much of our own success in the wine world to the force of nature that is Jim Clendenen," says Nicholas Miller, whose family planted Bien Nacido nearly 50 years ago. "As an individual, I think he probably did more to put Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria Valley and Bien Nacido Vineyards on the map globally than anyone else I can think of. He was a mentor to anyone in the industry who met him as everyone was pulled into his gravitational pull."  Clendenen inspired the wine projects of sommeliers like Paul Lato, Joshua Klapper and Rajat Parr, who said that his "big brother…showed me the way in life." Clendenen also inspired his now-ex-wife, Morgan Clendenen, to start her brand Cold Heaven; his niece, Marisa Clendenen Matela, to go into winemaking; and countless other members of the next generation, including Marc Piro, Michael Brughelli and Gavin Chanin, who started making wine with Clendenen when he was barely of legal age.
Frank Ostini, who owns the Hitching Post II restaurant and co-owns Harley-Ostini Hitching Post Wines, started making his wine at Clendenen's facility in 1991. The two were already great friends, bonding over cooking as much as wine. "Jim was a dear friend whose influence on us and Santa Barbara wine can never be overstated," says Ostini. "Jim presented us to the world, while he brought the world to us, and he explained it to everyone all along the way." Clendenen also thrived as a father to his son, Know Alexander Clendenen, and daughter, Isabelle Clendenen, who started working at the winery in branding a few years ago. "My father was a very generous, bright and candid man," she says. "He was an icon to many, but most importantly, he was a very caring father. He made sure my brother and I wanted for nothing. His loss affects so many, but his impact will never be lost to any of us. It means a lot to me that he was celebrated and loved by so many." |
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