Daily Archives: October 30, 2011

Acker Merrall hits Chicago and likes it

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Acker Merrall & Condit made its first foray into Chicago and walked away happy wine merchants. It’s first-ever wine auction, held Oct. 22 at the Trump Hotel, grossed a healthy $3.55 million with 92% of the lots sold.
Among the lots sold:
* Three magnums 2002 Romanee Conti (lot 298, sold for $67,100);
* Six magnums 1990 La Tache (lot 304, sold for $67,100);
* An assortment of DRC 2000 (lot 236, sold for $26,840);
* A full case of 1962 La Romanee by Leroy (lot 430, sold for $26,840);
* A full case of 1982 Chateau Latour (lot 204, sold for $24,400).
Not surprisingly, John Kapon, Acker Merrall’s chief exectuive, said he loves Chicago. “The response we received today is strong validation of the fact that Chicago is one of the great wine centers in the world.”

Two wine treats from France’s Loire Valley

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If you love great value in wine, you’ll be sure to find something to suit your palate from the Loire Valley in France. The Loire is the longest-running river in France and the Loire Valley follows the river from its origins in Cevennes through the Loire province.
The wine region, which is actually several regions, runs from the Muscadet region near Nantes on the Atlantic coast to Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume regions — covering a lot of ground and a lot of climatic variations.
As a result, there isn’t a single predominant grape in the Loire region, but there are some that set the bar for the rest of the world: Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Muscadet among whites and Cabernet Franc among reds.
I recently had a treat with a Pierre Chainier brut made from Chenin Blanc and Cab Franc that at $12.99 was a fantastic buy. I’d also recommend a sparkling made from 100% Cab, a 2009 Gratien & Meyer Saumur Premium Millesime Rose Brut, that was fantastic at $20.