GEOFF BENNETT: The holidays are when most Americans spend more on wine and
spirits than at any other time of the year. Whether you are giving a gift or looking for
the perfect drink to pair with your holiday feast, Brian Freedman has a recommendation
for every palate and price. He is a wine, spirits, food and travel writer and author
of the book "Crushed: How a Changing Climate Is Altering the Way We Drink."
Brian, its great to have you back on the program.
BRIAN FREEDMAN, Writer: Thanks for having me, Geoff.
GEOFF BENNETT: So let’s get right to your recommendations, starting
with a red from Argentina. Argentina, when they're not winning World Cups,
apparently, they're producing lots and lots of wine. They're the biggest wine producer
in South America. And you have recommended a Catena Malbec. Tell us more about this.
BRIAN FREEDMAN: So the Catena Malbec comes from a producer that is near and
dear to my heart. I write about them in my book. You know, they're really
leaders in the environmentally friendly growing of grapes and production of wine.
And they're really trailblazers in the world of South American wine and wines of Argentina in
particular. This one I love because this is sourced from higher altitude grapes.
So we're getting that great sense of concentration and expressiveness, very, very food friendly.
And its under $25. And this one proves that you can find wonderful value and wine that
is still expressive of where its from and at the same time, is not going to break the bank,
which frankly that means that you can open up a second one with impunity.
And that's what the holidays are about, right?
(LAUGHTER)
GEOFF BENNETT: So if we opened up a second one, tell us about the Blue Quail,
because that one, as I understand it, you say, is another pretty good value.
BRIAN FREEDMAN: Yes. Very similar price point. And this one is interesting because
I’m sure you've heard about wines that on the label, they say, old vines, right?
And what does that mean?
You know, there's really no specific legal definition on the book for what old vines
means in the United States. So it’s really sort of the honor system. But in this case,
this vineyard was planted in 1971. So these vines are over 50 years old.
So what does that mean?
Why are we supposed to care?
Well, older vines, they tend to produce less fruit but more concentrated and expressive
fruit. They tend to have deeper root systems as well. So they're going to
express that patch of planet Earth in a more accurate and often effusive way.
And this particular one, I think the Blue Quail, old vine zinfandel,
it really sort of bucks the trend of what a lot of old vine zinfandels tend to be, right?
I mean, oftentimes they're higher alcohol. They are quite concentrated. This one is
really showing that more elegant end of the spectrum. So this one,
with a holiday roast, with brisket, this is going to work well.
But you can also pair this, I think tonight, actually, we might be enjoying this with a
little bit of barbecued salmon before that crazy cold front comes through.
GEOFF BENNETT: The Vitkin Grenache Blanc.
Why did that one make your list?
BRIAN FREEDMAN: This is a wonderful producer in Israel.
The grapes for this are coming from the upper Galilee. And I think a lot
of times there tends to be this sort of unnecessary bifurcation
when it comes to how we classify our white wine drinking lives. Right?
You're either a chardonnay person or you are a sauvignon blanc or a pinot grigio person, right?
You either like heavier whites or lighter and more crisp whites. But the truth is some
of the most interesting ones exist in that sort of gray area in between. And Grenache
Blanc is one of those grape varieties that is going to have plenty of energy.
It's going to have plenty of mouth-watering acidity when grown well,
like Vitkin is doing. But at the same time, there is this sort of silky,
plush texture that will allow it to pair with richer foods and be great just on its own.
GEOFF BENNETT: So for people who can't consume alcohol or choose not to consume alcohol during
the holidays, we've got some nonalcoholic wine options on the list. These are proxies. And I
will say, they don't taste much like wine. I guess they're not really supposed to.
BRIAN FREEDMAN: Yes. I think they're taking sort of a playbook from the world of very complex tea.
And I think, you know, a lot of times when you do have non-alcoholic wine replacements or spirit
replacements, one of the areas that they tend to fall short with is in the area of texture, right?
I mean, so much of when we drink wine is that textural component. And when
it comes to pairing these with food, that I think is what makes them so compelling,
because so much of pairing wine and food is not just about the flavor and
aroma but it’s also about the texture and how that interacts with the food itself.
It’s one of the reasons, Geoff, why you go to a steakhouse and there's like
9,000 pages of tannic reds and three sad pinot grigios by the
glass up front. It's not that they would taste bad with the steak,
it's that they probably wouldn't taste like much at all, because texturally they'll be overwhelmed.
So the texture of these and the range of flavors that they're incorporating in these,
I think, is very interesting. But you're right,
I think there's a lot of crossover here in the world of tea.
GEOFF BENNETT: We've got a splurge option here on the list. This is a wine that retails for
nearly $200 and the label is inspired by the pictures taken by the James Webb telescope.
Is that right?
BRIAN FREEDMAN: You're right, this is this is, I believe, the Carina nebula,
if im not mistaken, on the on the label there. And this is interesting. Like you said,
this is a splurge option. But if you're having a large group of people over,
a magnum, which is essentially the same volume of liquid as two bottles, right?
This is a great option. This is fascinating, because this is from 2014. But it was just
released now. And this spent seven years on what we call the lees. So after that second
fermentation was done in the bottle, that's how the bubbles get there.
That yeast sort of died effectively once it no longer had any more sugar to ferment and
convert into alcohol and carbon dioxide. And it sank to the bottom of this magnum here.
So those seven years that the liquid sat on those leaves, it’s giving it all these
wonderful toast and brioche notes. This is mostly chardonnay. About a quarter of it is pinot noir.
It’s incredibly complex. The French actually have a saying the first time
I went to champagne. And one of the winemakers said to me, Brian,
I firmly believe that a magnum of champagne is the perfect size for two people to share
as long as one of them isn't drinking. And I think that's good life advice.
GEOFF BENNETT: And we've got a spirit on the list. This is the Boondocks bottled
in bond. It’s a rye whiskey. I usually swear by Uncle Nearest when I’m consuming bourbon.
BRIAN FREEDMAN: I love Uncle Nearest.
GEOFF BENNETT: This is good. It's drinkable. It's smooth.
BRIAN FREEDMAN: Yes. This is a wonderful producer. You know,
Boondocks is actually being made by Dave Scheurich. He was the wine enthusiast,
I believe he was the wine distiller of the year. He's won all kinds of awards.
And this is a wonderful example of why rye is such a food friendly option for
this time of year. It's wonderful on its own. You can certainly drink
this neat or on the rocks. I love rye in classic cocktails, right?
In an old fashioned, in a Manhattan, that spice that we get in this rye
is really going to be a great counterpoint to the sweetness
that we're adding to those cocktails. And very important here, bottled in bond.
This was an act created in 1897 and it was a way to just,
sort of, stave off fraud in the world of whiskey. So when we say bottled in bond,
that means that there's a whole set of regulations it has to follow. It has
to have been aged for a minimum of four years in a government bonded warehouse.
It has to be 50 percent alcohol or 100 proof and it has to be the product of a
single distilling season from a single distillery.
So this really is an artisanal craft whiskey. I think they're
just hitting it out of the park with Boondocks.
GEOFF BENNETT: Brian Freedman, I always learn something new when I’m speaking with
you. Thanks for the recommendations. We'll put them on our website and happy holidays.
BRIAN FREEDMAN: FREEDMAN: Thanks, Geoff. You, too.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
GEOFF BENNETT: Joy Ryan and her grandson Brad Ryan have spent the past seven years
criss-crossing the U.S. but the goal of visiting every national park. Grandma Joy's road trip
started on social media after Brad found out she had never seen the ocean or mountains.
That started them on the trip of a lifetime. They join us now.
It is great to see you both.
Brad, you had the idea for this back in 2015. Since then,
you have both been steadily chipping away. What prompted this idea?
BRAD RYAN, Grandma Joy's Road Trip: There is this innate desire I had to make sure
the sunset of her life was fill with as many memories as we could pack in.
Because she has a willing spirit and still has a lot of adventure left,
we went on the first trip climbing mountains and camping, all of the things that blew me away.
We had all of these ideas.
What would it feel like if she saw Old Faithful, the redwood trees?
I was seeing all of these places for the first time with here.
GEOFF BENNETT: Ms. Ryan, when he suggested this, how did you react?
JOY RYAN, Grandma Joy's Road Trip: I said yes. I was ready to go.
GEOFF BENNETT: Did you know it involved camping and kayaking and rafting and mountain climbing?
JOY RYAN: I am willing to try anything once.
BRAD RYAN: We did not know what we were getting into until we were thrown into it.
We arrived at this campground at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning. It was pouring down rain. It
was -- never did anything other than what we needed to do to make sure we were comfortable
and cozy. We ate a lot of ramen noodles in 2018. But it was nothing but joyful.
GEOFF BENNETT: Brad, how has this changed your relationship?
BRAD RYAN: You can't leave any stone unturned when you are on the road for this many miles.
I always tell folks, it's helpful and healing to work things out through
conversation. Nature is that equalizer that allows you to create a new beginning.
GEOFF BENNETT: Ms. Ryan, of the national parks you have visited, what has been your favorite?
JOY RYAN: It's hard just to pick one. But I had never seen a whale in my whole life. When
we went out to California, one jumped up right in front of me. And it was miraculous. It really was.
GEOFF BENNETT: I also saw a picture of you in Alaska. You can see glaciers off in the distance.
JOY RYAN: Yes, it was an exciting trip. (LAUGHTER)
GEOFF BENNETT: If there are other older Americans who
want to try something new, what would you suggest? JOY RYAN: Well, if you want to visit the park,
every park has access to handicapped people. So anyone who wants to go, can go.
BRAD RYAN: People think of the national parks as one thing. But the truth is, there are thousands
of different experiences. So you can sit on a cruise ship and watch glaciers or whales,
you can see amazing overlooks. So we should not think of it as one thing. As long as you
are focused on the possibilities, you will find there's an abundant adventure to have.
GEOFF BENNETT: Your last visit will be in American Samoa.
BRAD RYAN: It's a national park that most people are surprised to learn about that
even exists. American Samoa is a U.S. territory. We have met a lot of national
park hoppers since we started posting our journey online. And I think that is the
final national park for most people because it is so remote. It's 6,700 miles from where
we live. There are no direct flights from the mainland. You really have to want to
get there to actually arrive in American Samoa. They get 8,000 visitors a year.
GEOFF BENNETT: How has this traveling changed your perspective, how has it changed you as a person?
JOY RYAN: I have lived in the same house for 67 years. It's hard to imagine all the beautiful,
wonderful things you find outside. It has just been miraculous. And I have enjoyed
every minute of it. And it'll give me something when I get old and I can sit and talk about.
(LAUGHTER)
GEOFF BENNETT: Yes, ma'am. Well, it has been a real joy to speak with you both. I wish you
all the best. After your trip, I hope you will come back and tell us all about it.
BRAD RYAN: We will love to do that, yes. And onward to Canada.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
GEOFF BENNETT: And that is our program for tonight. I'm Geoff Bennett. For all
of us here at PBS NEWS WEEKEND, thanks for spending part of your Saturday with us.