Major Brands brings major wines to Columbia

by Jennifer Larmie

June 26,2009

Jennifer Larmie

It was a little overwhelming at first. Arriving at the Lemone Lounge at Memorial Stadium, I saw table upon table of high-end wines ready for sampling.

This Cellar Selections wine tasting was presented by Major Brands, one of the oldest and largest distributorships in Missouri, to introduce its high-end portfolio to restaurants and bottle shops in the Columbia market.

Jim Kreissler discusses wine attributes and pours wine samples at the Major Brands Cellar Selections wine tasting.

Jim Kreissler, the company’s wine manager for mid-Missouri, organized the event with the goal of bringing big-city wines to Columbia and invited more than 100 different purveyors to come taste. Most of Major Brand’s Missouri sales staff was on hand to assist with the pouring and to answer questions, as well as take orders.

Warning! Brief but interesting factoid ahead: Most people may never consider how wine makes it from winery to homes and favorite restaurants. The process is called the Three Tier System. “Three Tier” refers to multilayered selling of wine in which the producer (the first tier) sells wine to a distributor (the second tier) who then sells wine to the restaurant or retailer (the third tier). Distributors such as Major Brands, Glazers and Golden Barrel are our “connection” to the wine world here in Columbia. We rely on them to supply wines we like to retailers and restaurants.

Some of us are able to travel to wineries, discover new and fabulous wines and then have them shipped to our homes. Missouri is a reciprocal state, which means that consumers can have wine sent to their homes directly from wineries as long as the wine is shipped from another reciprocal state. But most don’t have that opportunity.

At the Cellar Selections wine tasting, Kreissler and the crew helped Columbia consumers by showcasing wines that haven’t gained much recognition in this market but are truly amazing.

My strategy at a large tasting such as this is to look through the list for the standouts. I begin with the lighter whites and finish with the big reds or sweet dessert wines.

I couldn’t wait to try my first wine, Rochioli 2008 Russian River Sauvignon Blanc. I love SB, and this one I had never tried. It had a bright straw color, melon and pineapple aromas and good acidity. It was bright and clean. I would love to see this wine available by the glass when my girls and I do lunch.

The second wine was the award-winning El Molino 2006 Chardonnay. The Wine Advocate scored it 90 out of 100 possible points. To me, it was a classic California Chardonnay with a honey and floral nose, not too heavy with a buttery, smooth body and a clean citrus finish.

Paco & Lola 2007 Albarino was next. We are starting to see Albarino on restaurant wine lists around town. It’s a good food wine that is not as heavy as a Chardonnay, but is more complex and less crisp than a Sauvignon Blanc. I loved the bottle label with its playful black-and-white polka dots. It smelled like peaches and herbs (no, not the ’70s duet) and tasted like honey, apples and apricots. A very fun wine.

I had to jump to the Moscato next because I recently found that I love this varietal. It was the Tre Donne Moscato Asti, to be exact. This wine has a great story. Three sisters, whose father was a longtime winemaker, decided to get involved with the family business and came out with this winner. They won more awards their first time out than their father did in his entire career. Go girls! I loved this wine. It was delicate, peachy, clean and not too sweet. It is a great wine for cheese or custard desserts.

The reds were calling my name, so I started with the award-winning Trilogy from Flora Springs. This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc received 98 out of 100 possible points in the Wine Enthusiast. It had big berry flavors with chocolate and coffee notes and was an elegant wine for a nice dinner on the town.

Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2004 was the second red. Most people don’t have the chance to taste Brunello often, so this was a treat. The blackberries stood out, but were riper this time. It was a little tight, but still full bodied. I’m not one to hold my wines, but this one you definitely could, and it would improve with age.

A New Zealand Bordeaux blend? I haven’t seen many of those, so my next wine had to be the Craggy Range from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Smokey oak hit me first, along with vanilla, but the dark, fruity tannins from the Cabernet stood out as well. It was an interesting wine, but I probably still prefer my New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs.

My last wine of the tasting was the 2006 Gaja “Sito Moresco.” Those who know Italian wines know that Gaja is a legend. I was very excited to end my tasting with this Piedmont specialty. A blend of Cabernet, Nebbiolo and Merlot, it had me at “hello”, as well as salivating for a CC’s City Broiler steak. As it’s classic Italian with ripeness and soft tannins, you could hold this wine for years and be pleased when you finally sat down to dinner with it.

Speaking of dinner, I look forward to going out to dinner in one of our fine Columbia restaurants and seeing these wines on the wine list. You will, too.