Barrington resident Jim Bryant is pursuing his passion and love of wine as an international wine consultant. This follows a 30-year career in senior financial and general management positions at two Fortune 100 companies. He is the owner of James R. Bryant L.L.C.; contact him at profwino@comcast.net.
MARCH/APRIL 2008
Hail a Cab!
For most wine experts, Cabernet Sauvignon represents the Holy Grail of wines. During most of the past three centuries, it most assuredly represented the apex of most connoisseurs’ wine game. In large part, this was and still is due to the long history of success growing Cabernet Sauvignon in the Bordeaux region of France. However, Cabernet Sauvignon is relatively easy to grow and accordingly is now available from many parts of the world.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
Drifting into Port
As winter settles in for the long haul, my attention turns to Port, which seems to ease the harshness of the season. Port is one of the easiest categories of wine to understand. Essentially, there are Tawny Ports and Vintage Ports, as well as minor subcategories such as Ruby, Late Bottled Vintage, and Single Vineyard Ports.
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
Ah, Tuscana!
While I believe my heart belongs to Piemonte, I’ve come to believe my soul belongs to Tuscana. As many of you know, I have been going to Piemonte to harvest for more than a decade, and even though I currently import wines from only this region, I realized I always found an excuse to visit Tuscana on these trips.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007
Uncorking the Mystique of Wine Ratings
As almost all serious wine consumers know, wines are rated by many individuals and institutions and graded on a point scale. Robert M. Parker conceived the widely used 100-point scale in the late 1970s, and most others have more or less adopted it. I acknowledge the need for reference points, especially for those just starting out on the wine adventure, but I would like to offer some insights.
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JULY/AUGUST 2007
Stories from My Wine Travels
One of the benefits of having traveled
extensively to vineyards throughout the world is
meeting some very interesting people and gathering
up some very fond memories and fun stories. One
of my closest friends (who has heard all these stories)
suggested I relay a few for others’ enjoyment.
Lest I forget, anyone who missed my homage to Len
Evans in the November/December issue of Quintessential
Barrington should reference that article about the
wine person who most impacted me.
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MAY/JUNE 2007
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Most wine aficionados are well aware that Robert
M. Parker is one of the most influential people in
the wine industry. Through his publication, The
Wine Advocate, he rates various wines on a scale of 50
to 100, and many retailers have a love-hate relationship
with him. If Parker rates a wine above 90 points,
retailers have a hard time getting the wine, and
if it rates 89 or below, they can't sell it.
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MARCH/APRIL 2007
The Fine Wines of Bordeaux
While it’s true that there has never been
so much good wine available from so many worldwide
viticultural areas, the currently available and
highly praised 2003 and 2005 Bordeaux varieties now
being offered give us a wonderful reason to look
at this famous region.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007
Jimmy’s Wine Rules
Over the past 40 years of serious studying
and drinking wine, I have developed what I call “Jimmy’s
Rules,” which I hope might facilitate your
own learning curve in the enjoyment of great wine.
Santé!
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
In Memoriam: Len EvansDown
While I always enjoy bringing you the latest
information on great wines, this month I wanted honor
one of the wine industry’s most notable individuals,
Len Evans of Australia, who died on August 17, 2006.
Len was the most famous personality in the history
of Australian wine. He is known to be the person
who conceived the strategic plan behind Australia’s
significant wine success story of the last ten years.
But Len was far more than a successful businessman.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006
Exploring Great Barbecue Wines
As the temperatures moderate in September,
I spend more time thinking of wine and food matches.
Even into early fall, weekends are serious barbecuing
time. It’s still warm enough that great shellfish
and fish can be cooked outdoors, and they go well
with the wines reviewed in our last two issues. Try
wild salmon with one of the French Chardonnay wines
we’ve discussed, or pick a Pinot Noir
as many in the Pacific Northwest do. Alternatively,
grilled shellfish go perfectly with any of the “ABC” (Anything
But Chardonnay) wines from our last issue.
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JULY/AUGUST 2006
Calling All ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) Wine Enthusiasts
Many wine lovers have reacted to the Chardonnay
overload of recent years by moving to the “ABC” (anything
but Chardonnay) school of choosing wine. And great
alternatives to Chardonnay do abound.
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MARCH/APRIL 2006
The Wine of Kings, and the King of Wines
The cooler temperatures of late winter and early
spring beg for a hearty red wine, so let’s
take a trip to my favorite wine region, Piemonte.
It’s an Italian region that includes Torino
(the site of the February 2006 Olympic games) and
is the home of Barolo, a robust red often described
as the “wine of kings and the king of wines.”
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