Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/5037
72 / the tasting panel / december 2009 Across 1 This green fairy is now legal again 5 Beer-lover's drinking style 10 The water, in "water of life" 11 Brit. term for an inexpensive bottle of wine 12 Gin go-with 14 Wine go-with 15 Beer froth 17 Where a vigneron makes his vin 20 Marketing medium 21 To be a proprietor 23 Clement, Jean and Supéry 25 Kind of bar 26 Rob Roy is one variation of it 28 French "the" 30 The gray Pinot 31 Down Under brand that's on top (goes with 44 down) 34 Champagne type (abbr.) 35 Geeky part of a winery 36 World's most important tequila market 38 Acidic on the tongue 40 Vine undergrowth 41 To this day 43 Overtime 46 Duoro's down-river destination 47 De rigeur with Lillet 50 Let's __ lunch! 51 Quite different from bouquet 53 Sound of a happy connoissseur 54 "Wine of kings and king of wines" 55 Early American whiskey Down 1 Great wines get better with this 2 Sparkling, in Milano 3 It started in 1838 when Mission grapes were planted by George C. Yount 4 Bootleg bottle 6 The only vodka made from wheat, rye and potato 7 Outstanding, when it comes to wine 8 Only fair 9 It's pH related 13 Happening 15 ____ Mountain, NAPA Valley 16 Female meadow muncher 18 Tree 19 Land of Santa Margherita 22 Some go nuts for this Italian liqueur 24 What a great wine does on the palate 27 Proboscis-equipped spirits expert 29 Brainy web domain ending 32 Aging sur _____ 33 Used to be 37 Offspring of Dureza and Moneuse Blanche 39 Winemaker Kenward 42 Bouchard Père ___ Fils 44 See 32 across 45 Can be produced through the saignée process 46 Stew ingredient 47 Boating equipment 48 Start! 49 Magazine supervisor, abbr. 50 A Martini any other way is heresy in some circles 52 Côte d'___ W hat many con- sumers don't know about tequila is that it is actually an appellation of origin, like Champagne and Co- gnac, so you can't officially call any agave-based spirit tequila. Only five states in central Mexico are allowed to produce true tequila, with Jalisco producing 97% of it. Since tequila standards can be high, buyers should be looking for it. Tequila is alive and well in today's ar- tisanal cocktail craze, in which a quality spirit base is crucial. With internationally renowned mixologist Junior Merino, the "Liquid Chef," behind Don Roberto tequila's U.S. launch, this 100% agave, 100% Mexican and family-owned tequila is prepared to be a front-runner. At a recent seminar and tasting in New York, Merino taught us the value of authenticity, and how to look for it. —Marguerite Richards What to look for on a bottle of true tequila: NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana) number. This identifier confirms that the product meets government standards. CRT (Consejo Regulador del Tequila). Mexico's Tequila Regulatory Council supervises the production and distribu- tion of tequila. 100% de Agave Puro. If it doesn't say this, then it's a mixto tequila containing a minimum of 51% agave sugars mixed with other sugars. Any product that says "Destilado de Agave" is not 100% de Agave Puro. Hecho en Mexico. All tequila is made in Mexico. Accept no substitutes! Close-Up The Buzzword by Myles Mellor Junior Merino is Don Roberto tequila's "Liquid Chef." PHOTO: JIMMEY LEBLANC Don Roberto Tequila Brand Spotlight Solution on p. 78.