Wild for Wildman!
5:11 pm in Events, The Wine Buzz, Wines of Austria by KT Goldthorpe
“When in doubt, look at the back of the label…”
No doubt, we all have been faced with the need to buy wine and many times we lean to our old faves or standbys. However, sometimes we find ourselves at a wine shop that doesn’t have the brand we are used to — or, we are the adventurous type that enjoys the different expressions of a grape, a region or a wine blend. Whether you fall into the “I’m open to new ideas” camp or the “Dear Lord, just give me something similar to what I usually like” one, a good “trick of the trade” is to flip the bottle to the back and see who the importer is. Granted, there are a lot of different kinds of wine importers; just as there are different kinds of wine retailers (from the corner liquor store to the highest-end wine retailer on Madison avenue), so it’s good to know which ones you can trust, and more importantly, which ones have a style you like; as the range of service, product quality, and focus among importers can be vast.
Many of these specialty importers are dedicated to seeking out wines that are most interesting and good value for the money. Sommeliers often select bottles for their wine lists based on the importer, and you can use the same strategy. A luxury you have with old world wine in the US is the regulation that mandates the importer’s name on the label. Usually printed on the back, the best of these names have come to symbolize quality in the bottle and may help guide your choice. This is because many importers have a “signature” style they seek out, buy and bring into the states. These are the men and women who do the legwork, so you don’t have to. They scour the regions, driving back roads to find small producers of great wine that can only be imported in small amounts, tasting the wines and assessing if it will fit into their mix – their portfolio if you will.
You can’t be expected to know the track record of every importer, so throughout this series, we will attempt to share insights on some of the key importers. Recently, Frederick Wildman had a portfolio tasting for the trade, which had a huge turnout and offered a number of amazing wines. Our Features Editor, Carrie Dykes, attended and found some hidden gems from the lesser known, but up and coming region of Austria. But first, a little about Mr. Wildman and his wine’s of choice.
Following the repeal of Prohibition, Frederick S. Wildman, a Connecticut-born wine connoisseur, bought the century old Bellows and Co., a wine importer and fine-food emporium. Wildman himself wrote the newsletters and wine notes, always reflecting his personal commitment to the highest quality products for his clientele. His name has since been synonymous with high quality European wines for decades. The Colonel, as he was called, continued to travel to Europe to develop contacts and establish partnerships with an assortment of legendary properties as well as (Chartreuse, Trapiche, Nino Negri, Seña, Christian Moreau Pere et Fils) as well as dynamic rising stars around the world (Nicolas Potel, Pascal Jolivet, Domaine Jacques Prieur, El Coto de Rioja).
The company has grown to become the third largest importer in the United States — a remarkable feat — but perhaps more so for the maintenance of its reputation for quality during that growth. The portfolio now includes over 50 brands under its umbrella, each one unique and each one prominent in its region of production.
Here’s an interesting piece on the man himself: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1002958/index.htm
By the way, the Frederick Wildman Portfolio tasting just occurred a few weeks ago; and our Features Editor, Carrie Dykes attended. It took place at Guastavino’s a high end event site on E.59th right under the Queensboro Bridge. It was spacious enough to fit over a hundred tables and hoards of people comfortably with extra mingling room.
The highlight of the event was the Austrian section featuring Forstreiter, Andau, Fritsch, Stadlmann, Weninger and Nittnaus. I spent the majority of the afternoon there savoring each Gruner and Zweigelt but the most exciting part was meeting Toni Silver from Grooner. She is the spritely spokesperson for the brand and is pictured on the bottles. Visit our Facebook page for pictures of the event.
