Photo credit: Jon Van GorderEMAIL PRINT FEED Vodka from the Vineyard While some say grape-based vodkas go against the grain, others are busy enjoying them. Published on Jul 14, 2008 BY GARY REGAN I f the base ingredient for vodk a was the most controv ersial subject on this earth right now, I think the world might be a better place. But although it might not be front-page news, it's refreshing to discoverthat some fairly important people still have time to debate the subject. In a recent attempt to convince the European Parliament to restrict the word "vodka" to spirits made only from grain, Alexander Stubb, representing Finland, said, "Vodka needs to be defined much like whisky." Scottish Deputy Enterprise Minister Allan Wilson didn't agree. He countered that the difference between the two drinks was that you could taste the raw materials in whisky, but not in vodka, and this led Stubb to accuse Wilson of launching a cultural attack, and of trying to claim that whisky was a better dri nk. Hopefull y , thi s won't lead to a 21st-century V odka War bet ween Finland and Scotland. And hopefully, it won't lead to the demise of s ome of the spectacular grape-based vodkas t hat have been hitting the shelves recently, either. Cîroc, a vodka made from Mauzac Blanc and Ugni Blanc grapes grown in the Gaillac and Cognac regions of France, was the first of this new breed of spirits to raise eyebrows in the U.S. "It can't be vodka. Must be grappa," said some folks. But I'm afraid they were wrong. Grappa and its French equivalent, marc, are made from the leftovers of the winemaking process, whereas Cîroc and the few other grape-based vodkas on the shelves are distil led from wine. A nd they are distil led to be s o pure that they meet all the rules and regulations s urrounding the definition of vodka. But that doesn't mean that they have no character at all. Far from it, in fact. But does the base ingredient of a vodka really matter? Well, yes. Although I doubt very much that anyone on earth could tell the difference between half-a-dozen glasses of Bloody Mary, each made with a different vodka, the choice of vodka for more elegant drinks such as a vodka martini, or a refreshing shot of ice-cold vodka to follow a tasty mouthful of caviar, is of utmost importance. They vary incredibly in texture; their flavors, although delicate, can run from sweet to peppery, fruity to grainy, and rough to smooth. Grape-based vodkas tend to run on the sweeter side of the scale, though to label them sweet would be erroneous. Nonetheless, this is an intriguing new style of vodka, and mixologists worldwide are finding them to be ideal for cocktailian usage. For instance, Sean Bigley, a bar manager at Bellagio in Las Vegas, likes to use Idôl vodka when he's creating new drinks. Idôl is made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Burgundy region of France. It has a very delicate palate, and a surprisingly long finish for a vodka, making it a perfect vehicle for Bigley's Golden Idôl cock tail, a mixture of vodk a, amaretto , crème de cass is and fresh l emon juice. Sounds l ike a sure bet to me—and that's something that can be hard to find in a place like V egas. Cîroc French vodka is made from grapes that have been left on the vine for an extended ripening period before being pressed, cold-fermented, and distilled five times, resulting in a very clean-tasting vodka with faint notes ofcitrus on the nose, and just a hint of sweetness on the palate. Two prominent mixologists, Frank Caiafa, barmanager at Peacock All ey in New Y ork's W aldorf=Astoria hotel, and Paul M organel li , bartender at ENV Y , the Steakhouse at The Renaissance in Las Vegas, both find Cîroc to be a perfect ingredient to marry to ice wine. Morganelli keeps it simple by merely marrying three parts Cîroc to four parts of ice wine, shaking it over ice, and straining hi s White Diamonds cockt ail i nto a chilled cocktail glas s. Caiafa, on the other hand, goes to much trouble to make his Almost All Grape cocktail—it's made with muddled apricot and peach, ice wine, rosé and Cîroc. "[The] dessert wine is very sweet so I needed something to offset it. Domaine La Suffrene Bandol rosé has a great essence of strawberry flavor profile, but I guess any dry rosé will do," he says. "It's all about balance. Even the apricot is there to offset the peach. I feel it is a ver y elegant and special summer cock tail." The French aren't the only ones making vodka from grapes—our friends in California are in on the act, too. The WINE ENTHUSIAST MAGAZINE/ DECEMBER-01 2006 / VODKA FROM THE VINE YARD SUBSCRIBE TODAY > | CREATE ACCOUNT/ LOGIN > ADVERTISEMENT Related Articles Spring Forward Cocktai l of the M onth: Marseillan Martini Wine Cask-Finished Spirits Flavore d Vodka s Roll Out Beyond Classic Cocktails Irish Whiskey Takes on Scottish Counterparts Sláinte! Technique: Decorative Ice Cubes T echnique : How to Infuse LiquorT echnique : Shaken or Stirred? MOST VIEWED 1. The Ticklish T opic of Ty picity 2. T op 25 Beers of 2010 3. Sideways Goes V ertical 4. The Ent husias t 100 Wines of 2010 5. T o Infi nium and Beyond 6. The T op 10 Wine Stori es of 2010 7. Eataly Meets Fifth Aveune 8. Top 100 Best Buys of 2010 9. 2010 Wine Star Aw ards 10. Undiscovered Wine Regions RA TINGS NEWS & FEATURES FOOD & TRA VEL COCKT AILS & SPIRI TS ENTERT AINING EVENTS WINE 101 BLOG converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
