Magnetism, crystals and "aging" wine in your blender!

[Robin Garr]

The New York Times today has an offbeat article about a Japanese guy who's apparently come up with a high-tech, powerful variation on the current set of scammish "wine enhancers" that purportedly age wine quickly through magnetism or even more arcane effects created by crystals and such.

Japanese inventor Hiroshi Tanaka and his American partner, Edward Alexander, put on a demonstration at something called Taste3, "A conference for wine professionals," in the Napa Valley in July (anybody aware of this event?) where it seemingly impressed the "professionals" including Joshua Wesson, chairman of the Best Cellars chain of wine stores, who told The Times that his experience with the device was "mixed," but acknowledged that he tasted one red that “softened fairly dramatically - was rounder, less tannic."

Yeah, right, fine.

But check <i>this</i> from Wesson: Talk about a robust aeration. Does anybody see a reason why it wouldn't work?

"Weston ... has another way to quickly smooth out rough young wines: pour the wine into a blender and frappé it for 10 seconds. That oxidizes the wine, making for what he says is a less harsh drink. 'The results are not lost,' he says, 'even on an uncultured palate.' "

The full article (it's short) is online in today's New York Times.

Taste3 is a Mondavi invitation only event, Robin. Lots of speakers; $2500 registration fee if memory serves. (People can request invitations.)

2007 program:

TASTE³ 2007

Mix well:
30+ Stimulating Speakers
1 Tapped-in Audience
2 parts Discovery
Dash of Surprise
Garnish with Wonder
Serves 300

http://www.taste3.com/taste2007.htm

I'm going to try Wesson's blender idea -- it caught my eye as one of the 100 Ideas of the Year in the magazine section yesterday. In my experience, any Wesson suggestion has the possibility of having value.

He ran an unusual tasting in Aspen this year, according to this report:

PEANUT BUTTER AND...

This year, Wesson -- an award-winning sommelier and owner of Best Cellars in New York -- put together a seminar called PB & Jammin' Wines.

Yes, we tasted four kinds of peanut butter sandwiches and decided which of six wines went best with them. How could you not have fun with this? They offered sandwiches such as The Heat Is On (spicy peanut butter, pineapple jam and grilled chicken), Velvet Elvis (smooth peanut butter, banana, bacon and honey) and Chocolate Fluffernutter (chocolate peanut butter and marshmallow fluff).

"Once you get to the Chocolate Fluffernutter sandwich with wine, it will be an out-ofbody experience. You'll be talking to God, and it will be a local call," Wesson said.

Of the six wines, the most peanut butter-friendly was a riesling by Rosemount Estate Traminer.

His bottom line: Wine and food fall in love like people.

"We fall in love with someone that is like us or opposite," he said, "and that's what happens with food-and-wine pairings. We like sweet with sweet or sweet with savory."

And that's why a sweeter wine and peanut butter works.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/ ... _n16640862

I'm particulary fond of the Figeac frappé myself.

I'm going to try this tonight with a little hand blender in an O glass -- that ought to cause outrage in the force!

Gotta think of just the right wine to create complete contempt for the experiment.

I'm going to try this tonight with a little hand blender in an O glass -- that ought to cause outrage in the force!

Gotta think of just the right wine to create complete contempt for the experiment.

Can I suggest Carnival of Love by Mollydooker... just to prove how wonderfully it will age
regards
Ian

I'm going to try this tonight with a little hand blender in an O glass -- that ought to cause outrage in the force!

Gotta think of just the right wine to create complete contempt for the experiment.

Bob,

Look for one of those blueberry shake wines from Oz--ought to be poifect.

Joshua has a good sense of food and wine pairing--always has (his book with David Rosengarten is still among the best on the subject; not cutesy, not bs, plain and simple experiments you can and should do at home). He also has a keen sense of marketing his franchise.

Somewhere in the middle of his food and wine sense and his marketing sense you can find Nirvana.

Robin,

That NY Times story: I seem to remember reading it months ago somewhere else. Can't remember where, but my feeling about it hasn't changed. If you need a gadget to age your wine within seconds, then you need to find out what it is about wine that you think you like.

I was sorry to see Joshua giving it a good word, but then there is that keen marketing talent of my old acquaintance.