Ciroc- the Wine Lover's Vodka

by Darryl Beeson

France's Gaillac region has a tradition. Their obscurely historic vines of Mauzac Blanc and Len de L'El (Loin de l'oeil) grapes can undergo a predictable snap frost. These overripe grapes, more like berries, are carefully selected. The frosted grapes are pressed and cold-fermented. The result is Ciroc Vodka.

"In the high hills on the northern side of the Tarn river lies the village of Cordes sur Ciel. Here, outside the medieval walls, is the source of the grapes for Ciroc," explains spokesperson Jeff Pogash. In the southwest of France, situated between Roussillon and the Pyrenees to the south, this is not an area that sees so many tourists

The twist in this vodka is that it is produced from grapes, rather than the usual wheat, corn, rye, molasses or potatoes. Ciroc is distilled five times, rather than the industry standard of three. Rather than having high proof alcohol's medicinal flavors, this vodka is clean, fresh and smooth with a lilt of complexity derived from the grape origin. The cold fermentation really does contribute to the final flavor.

Lately some Americans have been frusrated by the French. Perhaps a dose for Chirac could be a dose of Ciroc. Anyway, it is hard to stay angry with the French when they send such pleasant temptations. Just ask the British. The suggested retail for the 750ml bottle is $29.99. For more information, go to www.cirocvodka.com.

What recipes would work with Ciroc Vodka? Bartender David Hanna from Napa valley's Martini House has some thoughts. To preserve the vodka's subtle aromatics, he suggests to "serve this straight up, shaken over ice. One thought would be to add peach liqueur in a ration of one and a half ounces of the vodka to one-half ounce of the peach. Then again, an Electric Grape Juice could be fun. Serve the vodka on the rocks with a splash of purple grape juice. Our recipe here would call for Gewürztraminer grape juice from the award wining Navarro winery (available over the internet at www.navarrowine.com for $9 per 750ml bottle)."

A bit of background, Pat Kuleto, a legend for restaurants Boulevard, Farallon, and Jardinière and Todd Humphries, the former Executive Chef of San Francisco's Campton Place and more recently of the Wine Spectator's Greystone, joined to create the very successful Martini House (1245 Spring Street @ Oak, St Helena, CA, (707) 963-2233, www.martinihouse.com).

It seems that they know both vodka and grapes in Napa.

Darryl Beeson travels the world looking for great wine values. In the past, he has been wine steward or cellar master for The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Voltaire, and The Adolphus Hotel. Not one for stuffiness or secret handshakes relative to wine, this Texan might now be described as a "ki-yi-yippee sommelier, sommelier." Beeson reports on wine, spirits, food and travel for numerous publications.

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