How Racial Discrimination Changed This Wine Blog...

Let me begin by saying sorry for the dramatic title, but as you read this blog post, hopefully you will understand.

Those of you who follow our blog know us to be a couple of wine loving individuals that are generally upbeat, and always passionate about sharing our love of the grape with others. Despite being trained wine professionals with accreditation from two well-respected wine institutions, we have a very laid-back approach to wine. Wine shouldn’t be intimidating to anyone, yet for many reasons, it is. A lot of what I have noticed through reading several wine blogs (including ours) is that the content is pretty bland. In many cases, I have found that wine blogs are misleading, and create an undesirable image of the Wine World.

Recently, Olena and I have been discussing how to improve the content of our blog to better serve you. Rather than do the same thing that many wine bloggers are already doing, we want the content we write and put on video to be entertaining, and informational. This is not to say that all wine bloggers are doing it wrong, it is just that we have a unique situation being a married couple who happen to be Sommeliers. Why not showcase it?

After several conversations about this topic, we have decided to be honest with ourselves. What’s the point of leaving out details? We want you to understand who we are, and what we are all about. We want to share with you our everyday trials and tribulations that come with making a wine business bloom in a market that is barely budding in terms of wine consumption. We want our blog to become a behind the scenes look into what our end of the Wine Biz is all about. Being the only two Certified Sommeliers in El Paso (a city of more than 600,000 people) sounds, and looks great on paper, but it comes with a daunting uphill climb that serves as a reminder that we have to work harder. We are trying to educate the #1 Bud Light drinking city in the Country about wine. Needless to say, we’ve had easier times.

To catch any newcomers up to speed, we recently took over the wine program in a friend’s restaurant in downtown El Paso, TX. We are currently carrying about 70 labels, and plan to grow our selection to over 100 by mid-summer. Rather than our customers paying astronomical restaurant wine prices, we offer retail pricing with the option to consume on or off premise. This is an innovative way to generate a larger interest in wine, without intimidating prices (which are often ridiculously excessive). In addition, we host Wine Socials every other Saturday at the restaurant where we informally educate people on wine regions, varietals, etc. under the helpful guidelines of a tasting. The response for this has been phenomenal, and we have been rather pleased with the turnouts. That brings us to why I titled this blog post what I did…

This past Saturday was our “How do you pronounce that?” Wine Social. We were tasting a collection of exciting varietals from all over the globe that people seem to have trouble pronouncing. Going into the evening, we were excited simply because the varietals we planned to taste, also happen to be delicious.

For me, everything changed when a party of three showed up an hour late to the tasting (which is no big deal) and sat down in the bar area where we were hosting the event. From the moment the group walked in, they had an air about them that put me off. Being in the service industry, this is not an uncommon occurrence. They appeared to be well-dressed, well-groomed, and that was all I knew of them.

As I welcomed them to the event, the lone female member of the group stared at me with a furled brow, and impatiently waited for me to stop talking. The man to her left blankly glared up at me with a disappointed, bored, annoyed gaze. The other man in the group just stared at the table, and didn’t acknowledge me in the least. I thanked them for coming out to the event, and asked if they had any questions. They all just sort of shrugged, and chuckled to themselves. I didn’t pay much attention to it (there was a fairly evident language barrier) smiled, and excused myself.  As I walked away, I began to feel as though it may be of little use to prepare their glassware for the tasting. I knew they weren’t going to go through with it. I did it anyway, and while I was fetching their glasses, a fourth person joined the group. As soon as she sat down, a conversation between her and the first woman began. I know when someone is talking about me, and in this case, there was no attempt to hide that the topic of conversation was me. Because the continued glares, and disapproving looks continued to come my way, I casually paid attention to what was being said. The words that came out of woman #1’s mouth disappointed, and cut through me, leaving me with a bitter taste in my mouth. While looking at the man to her left, she said, “I don’t want to do this. They’re White.”

Moments later, Olena told me as she was returning the glassware to the bar, “they have decided not to take part in the tasting.” She went on to tell me that the man (who was staring at the table earlier) informed her, “We don’t want to do this. I already know a lot about wine. I know what I like. I like Cabernet.” Number one, we weren’t tasting a Cabernet that night, and number two, it turns out that the “How do you pronounce that? Wine Social would have benefited him after all. Cabernet is not pronounced, “Cahb-air-NET”.  As Olena finished relaying that information, all I could say was, “I know.”

I generally don’t take too many things seriously, and I feel as though I’m pretty hard to offend. However, the events of Saturday night have really stuck with me these past couple of days. I have been kind of down on myself, and El Paso in general to be perfectly honest. I’ve been trying to break out of this funk, and it has proven to be a little bit more difficult than expected. We’re often the only ‘white people’ in the room, but until now, I haven’t thought about it.

To the people who I feel are ruining the beauty of what wine should be about by painting a picture of elitism, I leave you with a quote:

“In Europe we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also a great giver of happiness and well-being and delight. Drinking wine was not a snobbism nor a sign of sophistication nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and to me as necessary.” – Ernest Hemingway

Please share any similar stories you may have. Thank you for reading.

Cheers!

Zak

[Via http://creativejuicesllc.wordpress.com]

Vegetarian On the Road

My book, New Vegetarian, is the very good reason that I didn’t blog last week. I was in a two week-long period of travel, starting with a tour of Texas and ending in a stint in New York City. I had a great time cooking and demonstrating, and came back ready to take vegetarian to a new level.

Traveling, though, can be a time when you need your old hunter-gatherer instinct. Getting a meatless meal on the road can be a challenge, depending on where you go. From the disappointing airport options (cinnamon buns and pizza, anyone?) to the crapshoot of hotel restaurants, you end up spending some time scouting it out. I try to think of the time I spend checking out my options at the airport as aerobic activity, as I patrol the entire food zone, dragging my bag and sporting my stuffed laptop backpack, seeking something acceptable to eat.

Sometimes the Luna Bars in the backpack are the best option.

But when you get to your destination, you have to start scouting. This time around, I came up against a familiar question. Do I go to a place that calls itself “vegetarian”? Or do I go to a well-reviewed, well-respected restaurant and check out the veg option? Sadly, most of the time places that are dedicated veg are less interesting to me. I’m glad to relate that eating vegetarian was easy at all of the above.

Cosmic Cafe, Funky Vegetarian with a Texas Accent

My first foray was in Dallas. A little place called Cosmic Cafe was just around the corner from my hotel, with a funky paint job and a yard full of Indian statuary, it proclaimed its vegetarian status proudly in a city known for beef.

The outside, as you can see above, says Indian food. A safe haven for meatless diners, Indian restaurants are usually good bets, even when they don’t say anything about the v-word. Cosmic Cafe, though, is not really an Indian restaurant, as I came to find out. There in the home of Tex-Mex, much of the menu consisted of tacos, burritos and pizzas, all with Indian accents. The heady aroma of curry spices wafted from pots simmering on the stove, so I hoped for greatness. My pizza, built on a nan bread and bathed in sort of curry flavored tomato sauce, was loaded with vegetables and scattered with croquettes of a lightly spiced black bean burger.

The fusion of Dallas, India and vegetarian was a little odd, but it was a satisfying and tasty lunch. Vegetarian places always seem to be trying to stay afloat, and in Texas, making everything into a burrito must be a strategy for making the food familiar. Funky, cheesy, and often rebellious, veg places like this one are always unique and creative.

Fast forward to another vegetarian restaurant. In New York City, close to the famed Kalustyan’s spice shop, I had lunch with a friend at Pongal, an Indian place that proudly proclaimed its vegetarian status.

My Gujarati Thali Plate

Here, in the city that never sleeps, the chefs at Pongal have no need to update their vegetarian traditions. There were no burritos or pizzas, only authentic dishes from Southern regions of India known for their meatless cuisine. The food was excellent. One thing that stood out was that the fried foods were wonderfully un-greasy. Usually the deep-fried breads are a decadent treat, and once they cool you realize just how oily they are, but not here.

Can't you smell the dosa?

My dining companion had the Pongal thali, and we shared with abandon. Steamed Iddly, fried poori, carrot chutney, and medu vada, the little fried lentil donuts, were making their way across our table as we feasted. No melted cheese, no meat, nothing but pure Indian vegetarian, and it was delicious.

In the end, it is hard to compare restaurants, especially in far distant corners of the country. Each speaks to its community-Cosmic Cafe to the local yoga and veg crowd, comfortable with something a little more familiar. Pongal was crowded with Indian-Americans, and the serious ethnic diners that populate one of the most international restaurant cities in the world.

There is a place for both, the sincere and the authentic. The hippie and the immigrant, the political and the nostalgic.

[Via http://robincooksveg.wordpress.com]

homenight

Yesterday evening we stayed at home and cooked together. Today is the last day before uni will start tomorrow

[Via http://eoik.wordpress.com]

Sushi Party!

My husband and I were invited over to the home of another couple who we are great friends with (Todd and Amy) to make sushi together a few weeks ago. I keep forgetting to upload the photos, so, here they are! Finally! The fish and most of the fixins were purchased at Asian Delight Marketplace. I highly recommend that you stop in there and take a look around. They have everything there; meat, produce, ice cream and other frozen goods, and several aisles with just about every Asian grocery imaginable. The candy aisle alone is worth the trip. We also had some amazing sake that Todd picked up; Coconut Lemongrass by Moonstone. It was refreshing and mildly sweet.

Making sushi rolls is actually really easy. The rice-on-the-outside kind is more difficult so we usually don’t bother with those. I learned pretty much everything I needed from this book, and have tutored lots of our friends at various at-home sushi parties. EVERYONE gets the hang of it after one roll. You should give it a try, too!

[Via http://eatinggrandrapids.com]

SE Australian Firetail: A tale of fire...

Firetail Estate Selection – Shiraz – SE Australia – 14%

Firetail - SE Australia

The smell of this one is of soft fruits, cherries and a hint of sweet raspberries, plus a bit of Cointreau in there too maybe? Fruity and fierce. It yields cloying sweet stickiness before I even tasted anything, yet it is at the same time deep and rich and very satisfying in the aroma department. I could get quite dizzy (and save tons of calories) not even drinking this – and still be quite happy tonight.

But here goes with the tasting.

Composed of unblended Shiraz at 14%, I am expecting some kick and, yes, it is certainly not a timid wine. I get redcurrant sharpness, followed by a sweet sensation of cherry, then the tannins hit quite severely drawing out moisture, followed lastly by a soft fruity liqueur taste which lasts a while. I feel like I’m breathing fire (tail?) out of my nose!

In appearance it is very inviting, a velvety deep purple-red, with good solid body, but the bottle somehow looks a little cheap (a minor point though).

Points: 8/10 for appearances, 9/10 for bouquet, then for taste I feel it should earn points for its teasing, it’s a wine that doesn’t exactly know what it wants to be. If being harsh I could say it’s both a bit too sweet and tannic, like cloying syrup which lingers too long and also dries out the tastebuds, yet it also is rather addictive. All round I think 21/30 for taste, not as multi-dimensional as some wines but holding up after a 4th glass! Total score 38/50.

Btw, the “Beautiful Firetail” is a small distinctive Australian bird.

I think this may be the wine producer website but it has no reference to shiraz variety which is odd. Also see this page for a reference on the Shiraz (Syrah) grape.

[Via http://mygrapevine.wordpress.com]

Recommended Kosher wines

“Today’s recommended wines are first and foremost food-friendly. In general, the overall quality of the kosher wine we tasted is better and more consistent than our last look two years ago. Though well-established Israeli brands were generally available, it was tougher to find French, Chilean, Spanish and New Zealand kosher wines this time.”

I didn’t know about the “U”, “K” or “P” labelling protocol. That’s really interesting.

“The label will carry the certifying organization’s symbol, often a circled “U” or “K.” In addition, wines labeled as kosher for Passover also carry a P to the right of the circled symbol.”

From the SF Chronicle,  read more here

[Via http://winefeeds.wordpress.com]

Dining in Hua Hin

There are plenty of good restaurants and fancy dining in Hua Hin, this seaside town about 3 hours south of Bangkok, which has become such a very popular destination for Bangkonians to spend the weekend.

During our recent workshop in Hua Hin we ate out a couple of times. I report about a not so famous place, called Pom Pom, where you can eat for very little money home cooked dishes. Some of the food is announced as “Italian”. The place was an insiders tip, which we could not refuse.

The participants of this dinner where divided as regards the quality of the food. Some thought it was awesome, other were appalled. There were few guests that night, a weekday, but the staff was very friendly and we remained seating and drinking wine for a couple of hours after the meal had ended.

We consumed many bottles of wine. Nothing fancy. Some of the wines were re-bottled and re-blended as the label in full honesty proclaimed. We drank “our way up price’wise” and did not regret it: We woke up the next morning without hangover. We had a jolly good time.

[Via http://themanfrommoselriver.wordpress.com]

A Quick Fix for that Purple Smile

Hauts Chassis 2007 ‘Les Galets’ Crozes-Hermitage….Sexy Wine.  My purple wine covered teeth glowing when I smile….Not Sexy!  Solution; a new product called Wine Wipes.

Developed by a company called Borracha LLC. (great name) these conveniently packaged to-go, moist towelettes remind me of finger wet naps, but more compact, about the size of a condom.  Tear the package open, unfold the orange blossom flavored, thin cloth and start polishing.

I have to admit that it felt kind of funny rubbing the moist, slightly salty flavored cloth over my teeth (good thing I was in the ladies’ room so no one could watch me) but it worked!  Pearly whites back in full-smile action.  I highly recommend these little wine stain problem fixers. They are small enough to fit in your tiniest purse, or even in your wallet.  More importantly they won’t interfere with wine tasting as they were developed with the help of a Sommelier and work as a palate cleanser.

Photo Courtesy of www.winewipes.com

They also now come in a small round container about the size of Burt’s Bees cuticle salve, which holds 20 wipes and has a mirror inside for a quick discreet swipe.  $20 will get you 3 containers – that’s 60 wipes and there’s no shipping cost.  Interested?  I’m glad I tried them.  You can order here.

[Via http://sipsbitesandsites.com]

Lose Weight while eating out

You are probably bored with your home cooked meals, and would like to visit a restaurant for a change. On the other hand, your doctor has advised you not to eat restaurant foods as it can result in weight gain. You simply don’t know which way to go, right?

Here is an  article that will tell you how to enjoy restaurant foods while at the same time making sure that you don’t get any fatter!

Here is a rule of thumb for you: if a certain food tastes too good, it means it has been richly fried, and as such, not good for your health. Surprisingly enough, the raw vegetables and fruits, which usually taste awful, are the best foods for quick weight loss!

1. Visit vegetarian restaurants: In order to be on the safe side, visit restaurants which offer only vegetarian meals. This is not to say that non-veg meals are bad. With non-veg restaurants, you have to take extra care to make sure that you are not eating high-calorie or high-fat foods.

As an example, ordinary chicken meat which is served in most restaurants is usually laden with huge amounts of fat which is bad for you! Lean chicken meat, on the other hand, is good for you, but not all restaurants offer lean chicken meat as part of their menus. With vegetarian restaurants, you will be more often than not on the safe side!

2. Let the salad dressing go: You have heard it a zillion times that salads are good for quick weight loss. The reason behind this is that salads are nothing but raw vegetables in chopped form. Raw vegetables, as you might be aware, help you burn fat by boosting your metabolic rate. However, the salad dressing that is provided in most restaurants is rich in calorie. So whenever you ask for salads, make sure to instruct them to remove the salad dressing from the top!

3. Stay away from buffets: A lot of the foods you see at buffets are rich in calorie content. These foods are cooked in bulk with a large amount of oil, thereby making them unsuitable for those who are looking forward to shedding some pounds. If you really want to eat from buffets, make sure you steer clear of these fatty foods and choose the salads and other healthier alternatives instead! That way, you won’t accumulate an excessive amount of fat in your body!

4. Control your portions: Check the amount of food you are going to eat before you take that bite! If you think that the food provided to you exceed the portion control limit you are allowed, eat according to your portion limit and then carry the leftovers back home to be eaten on the next day. Ask for a box from the restaurant to help you carry the leftovers.

As long as you use your discretion, there is nothing wrong with eating at a restaurant once in while. So go ahead and appease your tastebuds!

Source: sensa-weight-loss-system.com

[Via http://douglasgreen.wordpress.com]

15 Minute Stir-Fry Dinner

When I’m tired from a hard day’s work but don’t want to cop out by having instant noodles, I go the wholesome route by doing a quick stir-fry. This time, a quick run through the supermarket got me some organic choy sum, mixed agro-tech mushrooms, ginger and some pork shoulder. Once I got home, I washed and cut the vegetables quickly, then sliced the mushrooms, ginger and pork. (I can never be bothered to wash them.) That takes about 10 minutes and then the stir-fry itself takes 5 minutes. If there’s leftover rice in the fridge, then a 2 minute microwave sorts out the rice. If not, it’s a 5 minute boil of noodles. No, the minutes don’t add up to 15 because a lot of them are done simultaneously. After that short time of quick work, a piping hot and very home-cooked satisfying dinner.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
6 thin slices of ginger
handful mushrooms, cut into chunks
small piece pork, sliced
good splash Chinese shaoxing wine or dry sherry
salt to taste
soy sauce to taste

Method:

1. Heat your wok over the highest possible flame. Coat the wok with the oil and allow to get as hot as you dare. Make sure all your ingredients are ready.
2. Slide in the ginger (gingerly!) and stir. Just before the ginger burns, toss in the pork. Stir rapidly till just about cooked, then add the mushrooms and keep stirring furiously. Now add the vegetables and keep going till the leaves are completely wilted.
3. Splash in the Chinese wine and add salt and soy sauce to taste. Turn off the heat and serve over rice or noodles.

Serves 1.

[Via http://eatdrinkcooktravel.wordpress.com]

Weekend Soup for the Soul

I’m sure you’re aware of that highly successful franchise entitled “_____ Soup for the Soul.” They’ve filled that blank in with more drivel than the “_____ for Dummies” franchise. As such, I’m sure they won’t mind if little ole bloggin me lifts it for my own personal usage. Right?! Right!

As all three of my loyal readers know, about a year and a half ago I went through a separation that was perhaps the hardest period of my time here on earth to date. For those who have ever suffered through a separation, especially if kids are involved, you understand the range of emotions that one can go through. But as this new year has dawned, I’ve begun to feel the sun creeping through the darkened windows of my soul. Life just might be all right after all!

And so, it was with great excitement that back in February, I began preparations for a weekend getaway with two of my closest friends who we’ll affectionately call Starshine and Sugartoes (much like the military’s very misguided policy, we don’t ask and don’t tell when talking about these names except to say that it is to protect the not-so-innocent). Those early sketches of a plan eventually evolved into something that looked like it might just be what the doctor ordered.

In an effort to set the tone for the weekend, Starshine ordered up an electric blue VW Jetta (“ole blue”) to haul our butts up from sunny Southern California (Starshine in Newport Beach and me in Silver Lake) to first Placerville and then San Francisco where we would meet up with Sugartoes. I’m sure you’re wondering why the heck Placerville and well, if I’m being honest, I wasn’t too sure either. It quickly became apparent when ole blue showed up and Starshine’s puggle waddled it’s way out of the backseat where it had already managed to deposit enough hair to reupholster my sofa. I knew immediately that we were in for a great time!

By some point later than anticipated we hit the road with me behind the wheel and Starshine safely ensconced as the navigator. Given the lateness of our departure, I hauled ass (not that I don’t anyway, but I was definitely carried away with a stronger sense of urgency). What I should have hauled was a map, because before too long, we found ourselves on one of LA’s many freeways pointed in a decidedly less than North direction. Another hour lost. Once you’ve lost an hour, it never seems as though you can make it up, but damn did I try! Despite driving rains starting on the 5 somewhere before Stockton and continuing through Sacramento, we made it safely to Placerville where we dropped off Happy with Starshine’s gorgeous mom. Despite her pleas otherwise, we had to hightail it out of there. Deadlines are a b*tch sometimes!

Over at Sugartoes little place on these interwebs, you’ll find a recap of our time together in the City, that beautiful City by the Bay. I won’t regale you with stories of our time together because it’s already been done and better than I could. I will say that it was damn near perfect! I’ll start where Sugartoes left off -

After tooling through some beautiful neighborhoods with the sun shining on us, Starshine and I rushed over to SFO to pick up a colleague before heading up to god’s country, also known in these parts as wine country, or Napa Valley. Of course, said colleague’s flight was delayed and I was hungry. I know that Sugartoes said something about a food coma and not being hungry, but get real, I like to eat. No, take that back, I need to eat constantly. It’s a real miracle that I’m not some two-ton-bessie given my monstrosity of an appetite. For some reason not quite clear to me, it was decided that to properly view the gems and fabulous geegaws that have besplendored (and don’t tell me it’s not a word, it’s my weekend and it’ll be a word if I want it to be) the arms of so many of the uber-rich society matrons (you know, the ones who look like they’ve been sucking at the teet of the lemon tree), one should do so on an empty stomach. But, I’ve digressed. After circling the airport, we decided to park the car and find some food. Thankfully there was a little bitty food court that served up a lovely soup to go with some decidedly suspect pasta both of which soothed the raging beast that was my stomach.

Once we collected said colleague (who of course managed to show up as soon as my food did), we hit the road. Again, I hit it hard because, well, surprise, we were late for our first wine tasting/tour. Oh, you should probably know that said colleague attended college with a guy we’ll just call wine god who has proved to be quite successful at managing a little thing called a vineyard that produces some mighty fine wines, including a little Pinot that damn near sent me over the edge (more about that later). We did arrive in Napa, but late and as such missed our 3p.

Wine god said not to worry and with a flick or two of his phone had made other, possibly better arrangements. Wine god made it clear that ole blue would not be needed for the next leg of our weekend. Rather we should pile into the Porsche Cayenne parked on the side of the house. Now listen, here’s the funniest part of that deal, for the next 20 or so hours, we spent a great deal of time in that beautiful specimen of a sports car meets SUV and every damn time we hopped in, wine god made sure to tell us what a total “piece of sh*t” it was.

I won’t bore you with too many more details. We tasted some great Pinots at Etude, followed by a sunset tasting of some beautiful sparkling wines at Domaine Carneros after which we checked into our hotel (Avia Napa) for some quick spramping before our 7:30p dinner reservations. Dinner was at this fabulous new little place called Farmstead (part of the Long Meadow Ranch). There really aren’t words for the delightful (and lengthy) meal we enjoyed. And it’s here where that lovely bottle of Pinot was uncorked, allowed to breathe and then savored. Listen, I don’t know sh*t-from-shinola when it comes to wines, but this little bottle the wine god brought made me want to marry wine god! With visions of Pinots and Napa Valley weddings to wine gods meandering through my head, I somehow managed to climbed into my bed at the Avia and drift into a most beautiful dreamland.

Next morning dawned gorgeous (again…Starshine kept saying we brought the good weather with us) and, prodded by a call for the colleague, we hopped up, through back some coffee and headed off towards for a little winery up by Mt. Veeder called The Hess Collection. It was here at The Hess that I got my first real glimpse of the amount of blood, sweat and tears that go into making a beautiful wine. Following our private tour, I was left in awe and vowed never again to drink two-buck-chuck. It just wouldn’t be fair!

Speaking of unfair, at some point, I was reminded that I had to leave paradise. What to do though? Starshine had to stay for a conference and Sugartoes was dealing with work drama and I, well, I was stuck. Except of course I wasn’t. One of the many amenities of the Napa Valley was a lovely transportation service called Evans Transportation that had me out of Napa by 2:30p and at SFO by 4:00p giving me ample time to shop for the progeny (he wanted a key chain) and catch a 5:30p flight to LA. I was home allowing my dog to put a massive wreck job on my face (yeah, I look like I’ve been in a bar brawl) by 7:30p.

This morning, despite being awakened by a strong jolt (damn earthquakes) and stuff falling off the walls, I’m still blissful. I needed to get away! I needed a little pampering! I needed to spend a little bit of quality time with two of the bestest friends a boy could ever ask for.

Here’s to friends both old and new who enriched my life and provided the soup to sooth my soul!

[Via http://sleevenotes101.wordpress.com]

Late Mother's Day Special.

It was Mother’s Day in the UK (which is probably where mothers were invented) on Sunday, so this post is in honour of all that NONSENSE.

The story today is likely to be a bit shit, so I’m giving you two photos for the price of one. The price, incidentally, is no pounds.

Terry the baby polar bear and his mum, Hagrid, went out shopping. It’s quite hard to go shopping in the Arctic because there are no shops, but they somehow managed to buy a bottle of wine and a Fruit Shoot.

Terry was thrilled to have a Fruit Shoot, because it made him feel like one of those kids off the telly that didn’t live in the flipping Arctic. He guzzled it down happily while his mum drank the bottle of wine.

Sadly, in no time at all she had finished the wine and was quite drunk. She kept telling Terry about how much she loved him, and that dad would be back soon. She did this every Mother’s Day.

Eventually she passed out hugging Terry tightly, so he couldn’t escape.

He couldn’t get out until the next day.

Thanks to Miriam for these pics, she got them from here.

Also, you may have noticed I just update this around midweek once a week at the moment, this practice is likely to continue for the time being.

[Via http://animalonanimal.wordpress.com]

New weekly series: Everyday Gourmet

I have added another page to my blog called Everyday Gourmet.  The problem is that my newness to blogging means I cant quite figure out how to post weekly to that page…so I will give you a link here so that you can see installment 1 of Everyday Gourmet which you will not want to miss because it will make your mouth water…its called Garlic Naan Pizza.  yep, you should go check it out!

[Via http://theonearmedchef.wordpress.com]

Carmel Crawl

Cozy B&Bs + equal ratio of dogs to people + Mediterranean eats = Carmel-by-the-sea. Given its sleepy atmosphere, we decided to shake things up for our Saturday night in Carmel by doing a foodie crawl of sorts through the quaint beach town.

First we stopped for a wine flight at Southern Latitudes Wines, where we enjoyed watching the resident beagle puppies nap in the window seat and play with their chew toys.

Out of the gentle Australian and Chilean wines we tasted, our clear favorites were the D’Arenberg Hermit Crab Marsanne/Viognier and NV Yalumba Antique Tawny Port. The viognier was buttery but light, and smooth on the tongue without the burning sensation of too much alcohol. The tawny port tasted like a swirl of brown sugar, and didn’t have the heavy syrup quality that can weigh down others. We picked up one of each for the road!

Next up, oysters and bubbly at Flaherty’s Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill (translation: sparkling wine for me, and beer for David). We chose to split our half shell dozen between the Chesapeake and British Columbia selections but in the end the Chesapeake oysters were much larger and flavorful.

Since the dominant cuisines in Carmel are Italian, French and seafood, we opted for Carmel Bistro Giovanni to replicate the “steakhouse” experience, as recommended by our friendly host at Briarwood Inn. We tried Giovanni’s own Zinfandel, and fought over my crab ravioli with scallops and champagne cream sauce. David’s choice didn’t meet his expectations, but fortunately I was too stuffed to finish my entree – leaving room for the surprise chocolate cake they treated us to.

But the star of the show turned out to be the “Giovanni Insalatina Greca” (greek salad). Beyond the typical flavors of a greek salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, kalamata olives), Giovanni adds dried cranberries (or dates, as listed on the menu). The combination of flavors – in complete balance since all ingredients are chopped to a similar size – was a surprising treat that would be very easy to replicate at home.

All in all, there are plenty of cozy, fireside restaurants to try. In fact, we had brunch at the Cottage Restaurant earlier in the day (they’re open all day for breakfast fanatics) and an afternoon coffee at Carmel Valley Coffee Roasting Company (the name speaks for itself). And if you have a friendly dog, they will be welcomed with open arms.

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine

[Via http://dinnerwithdavid.wordpress.com]

Tasting: Matrot Puligny-Montrachet Chalumeaux 2007

Tasted out of a half-bottle. Rich aromas of flowers and a bit of honey, none of the brighter citrus or mineral I’d expect from a 2007 Puligny, especially considering that Chalumeaux is upslope and a bit steeper than many of the other 1ers crus. No undue oak treatment apparent. A bit hot however and lacking the definition and structure of the vintage. About as low in acid as any white Burgundy I’ve tasted in this vintage. To be fair, Matrot has never been a producer I’ve liked very much and Chalumeaux is squarely in the second tier of Puligny vineyards, still I expected a bit more cut. Drink soon.

[Via http://stevegoldun.wordpress.com]

Hardy's Crest Chardonnay..a melon explosion?

Hardy’s Crest Chardonnay 2009 – SE Australia – 13.5%

I think I have a genuine problem with Chardonnay – I don’t know if it’s just the trashy image or the dryness, or my stubborn preference for deep reds. But anyhow I opened it now so here goes.

Hardy's Crest Chardonnay

The first impression (after rasing an eyebrow at the impressive image projection on the Crest adorned label) was one of sticky alco pop or fruit pop, slight citrus but more predominantly melon – and actually the (somewhat feint) smell and melon taste backdrop is a nice feature.

The longer the sampling the more I found myself bored and the raw monotonic taste and bland dryness began to grate. If I’m being unkind I’d say it was drumming up memories of dentists or hospitals – mouth wash, the fragrance of hospital floor cleaner? Not sure, but whilst the crisp chilled-ness should be making me think of sunshine it somehow isn’t.

To give it its dues it’s not as dry as many a chardonnay and if you’re after an almost fizzy pop-py type of low-end wine it fits the bill. It has little depth but provides a warmth and a strange fizzy kickback.

The label says it’s creamy? Well, it’s a bit of an overstatement (huh marketing), but it does kind of expand in the mouth before delivering that raw punch and on a long lingering taste the explosion of melon is quite distinct, which I’m certain now is the wine’s strongest point.

It was a bad accompanyment to chinese food, but I’m not sure exactly what is the right setting for this one. (An 80’s bar? Ok I’ll stop there..)

Julie’s comment: “crisp but not flavoursome”

[Via http://mygrapevine.wordpress.com]

Palo Alto Reserva

홈플러스 와인 클럽에서 쿠폰이 왔길래 와인 쇼핑을 나갔다 고른 와인(정가 16,800원인데 11,800원에 할인받아 샀다).

Conchay Toro 생산이라 해서 기대를 가지고 사서 처가에서 장인어른과 같이 시음을 하였다. 맛은 그다지 진하지 않지만 상당히 괜찮은 향을 갖고 있어 1만원대 와인으로 질리지 않고 즐길 수 있을 것 같다.

기왕 할인하는 김에 좀 더 사둘껄 그랬나…

[Via http://dongjun.wordpress.com]

Frontera Sauvignon Blanc

More from the folks at Frontera.  This time a white.

Vineyard:     Frontera (by Concha Y Toro)
Vintage:       2009
Appellation: Central Valley – Chile
Price:          $6.49
Notes:         Nice citrus with floral notes on the nose.  Core flavos for me were kiwi and lemon grass.  Considering I bought this bottle on sale for $4.00, I have absolutely no complaints.

Important:  I am not a professional sommelier or wine connoissuer.  I have taste buds, however, and know what I like.  Please do not consider my thoughts to be an endorsement or diminution of any particular wine.  You should always judge for yourself as likes, dislikes, and taste are very subjective.

[Via http://joepeckblogarhythms.wordpress.com]

Sip! 2010 - McMinnville Wine & Food Classic

The experiment in direct marketing continues this weekend; Sip – The 17th Annual McMinnville Wine & Food Classic – will be held at the Evergreen Space Museum, in the heart of Oregon Wine Country.

http://www.macwfc.org/

I’m looking forward to seeing the Spruce Goose again. I used to go to Long Beach for the Formula One and IndyCar races every year and I toured it once. A wooden airplane, my kind of aircraft!

Looking at the event schedule, I see that local pianist Tom Grant is not listed anymore, but Ellen Whyte is playing with a trio on Saturday evening. Tom was scheduled to play on Sunday, something must have happened. I was looking forward to seeing him but Ellen on the line up was a surprise. I have been following Ellen’s bands for a dozen years. She had a fifteen piece big band at the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival this last July and played arrangement from her new CD. It was one of the best performances in the whole week and she also did a duo performance with local tenor sax player Renato Curanto that killed.

It has just started to pour down rain and they are saying that this storm is one of those slow-moving tropical systems that might bring us up to normal rainfall for the year. It hasn’t rained that much so far this year, and I saw on the news that we are only at 87% or normal for the snow pack.  Good thing it’s inside. Now if I can just get all my stuff down there with our being drenched.

[Via http://knottraditionalwoodworks.com]

Ailment #5: Athetes Foot

Sorry its been so long since my last post. Life got in the way a little.  Hope any of my loyal readers didn’t get mad, if i even have loyal readers.  Tried to get a second job, my fiance’s car died so i have to get him to work and down to school for classes (he’s training to be a chef). So here i am with some time to add a post before I pick him up.
So, im sure many of you have had that burning itch between your toes or anywhere else on the body. It’s really a form of ringworm. The fungus loves dark, warm places, your toes or even your groin.  And once you get it, it might take up to 4 weeks to get rid of it.

One suggestion is to simply go barefoot or wear open toed shoes. Even walking barefoot in the ocean will help.  Drying out your feet and salt water will help kill the fungus.

It’s real easy to get rid of if you really keep at any of the recommendations.

If you can’t get near an ocean, soak your feet in solution of 2 teaspoons salt to  a pint of warm water for 5 to 10 min. Dry your feet with a hair dryer and put on new clean socks.

Baking Soda Paste- One tablespoon baking soda and a bit of lukewarm water, rub on fungus, rinse and dry with hair dryer, dust with powder or cornstarch.

Wine!- This sounds interesting but someone swears by this method.  1 ounce Sage, 1 ounce Agrimony (herb, can find at natural food markets) and 2 cups white wine. Simmer mixture in covered pan for 20 min. Cool and soak the foot repeatedly.  Theres no time on how long to soak. I’m guessing 20 min or so.

Garlic- this too may sound strange but i know this works. One suggestion is to add some crushed cloves to warm water and a bit of rubbing alcohol. Another approach is to cut cloves of garlic and directly place them between your toes, but your feet up and watch some TV for 20 min or so. Watch out, if the skin is broken the garlic does burn a bit.

Ginger- A less painful approach, add an ounce of ginger root to boiling water, simmer for 20 min or so and apply directly to area with cotton ball or cloth.

Teatree Oil- Some brands come with a brush, but if yours doesnt, Dilute with a bit of water and apply directly to the area, three times a day. DONT INGEST!!!!

Next Post….”A”….ADHD

[Via http://botan007.wordpress.com]

El finale: Home is where you hang your head and sigh

Okay. I have been told — and I fully realize — that I may be lingering far too long in the land of steak, wine, and dulce de leche. It’s a little self-indulgent, perhaps, and I get it! I totally do. While this armchair travel experience has been both hilariously entertaining and culturally educational for my readers, you are eager to get back to our dear homeland, where the grass is asphalt and the steak is hot dogs. Unfortunately, I wasn’t. Still amn’t. But I need to face facts and admit that we’ve actually been back in New York for the past month and a half, and no matter how hard I shut my eyes and hope against hope, the Fine Living Network isn’t calling to ask me to do an extended, intensive investigation of Argentina’s Ten Most Flamboyant and Revoltingly Luxurious Hotels.

As my grandmother used to say, here we are, so that’s where we’ll be. But before we got here, we were there: among the only hotel guests of a sprawling vineyard and resort in San Rafael, in the Mendoza (read: wine) region of Argentina. Our last three days of honeymoon bliss read like one of those ridiculous Celebrity Cruise lines commercials: we indulged in an outdoor cooking class with the hotel’s chef, I received an olive oil massage out on a patio overlooking the pool, we were given a complementary, 3-hour private wine-tasting class, and oh yeah, we had our own golf cart with which to freely explore the sprawling farm and untamed brush.

Pretty darn pretty

It was pretty perfect, in all, though the experience wasn’t without some valuable life lessons. For instance, while it may seem like too good an opportunity to pass up, one oughtn’t eat two consecutive meals featuring provoleta, chorizo, and half a bottle of wine (among other things). For if one does, one will wind up with a wretched case of “food poisoning” the day one is forced to wait 3 hours in a tiny airport and then make the 12-hour journey back to New York. And by food poisoning, I mean self-inflicted overdose, much like what would happen to a dog if you left the entire bag of kibble within reach. On the bright side, sun poisoning + food poisoning = honeymoon bingo! I win!

These plates represent the number of chorizo-topped grilled cheese blobs I consumed in a 12-hour period.

I also learned that after a 3-hour wine tasting, if one chooses to then consume half a bottle of rose poolside, one probably ought to wait a little while before jumping in and “swimming.” Didn’t my mother and camp counselors warn me about this when I was little? As it turns out, wine + pool = something of a mess, and I think I wound up consuming an equal amount of chlorinated water as I did alcohol. It was super fun, mostly because I didn’t actually drown to death!

You can't tell, but in all likelihood this book is actually upside-down.

Those sterling nuggets (ew) of wisdom aside, there was one exercise we just couldn’t master. We’d heard about how late people eat dinner in Argentina. And we tried to assimilate, tried to adjust our internal clocks and do as they did. But no matter how much effort we put into making late reservations, no matter how many times we were sure we’d gotten it right, we just kept winding up alone in restaurants. Fancy restaurants, trendy restaurants, wildly popular restaurants. We were always, always completely alone. We just could not figure it out. We’d show up at 10pm and leave at 11:30, never seeing another diner. We’d show up at 10:45pm and leave after midnight, and maybe catch a glimpse of an honest-to-god Argentinean couple sauntering in with a bright-eyed toddler in tow. At first, it was kind of nice. Two newlyweds, oblivious to others around us, absorbed in each other and our food and wine. No obnoxious table-neighbors drowning out our conversation, no competition for the water guy. But after the first couple of evenings like that, we both realized how awkward and uncomfortable it felt to be sitting in a big, empty establishment, with one guy waiting on us and the rest of the waiters milling around. Or worse, all of them serving us at once — sometimes we’d have a bread guy, a wine pourer, a water-glass-filler AND a crumber, all in addition to our server. Occasionally, there would be another family or couple seated, and we would perk up. Perhaps we’d cracked the code and been tacitly welcomed into the Forbidden City! But inevitably, within minutes their loud, American voices would reverberate across the room, serving as a sharp and shameful reminder of our lame tourist status, broadcasting our loserdom in our own heads. We are those travelers who really like to think we’re cooler and smarter and more sophisticated than your average Ugly American. I mean, we’re worldly, we’re from New York, we dig the restaurant scene, we’ve even been known to hang out at a hip bar or two. But throughout the entire country of Argentina, we may as well have been clipping coupons out of The Pennysaver for the early bird special. As silly as it sounds, it was humbling, but more than that it was just sort of frustrating. It was like all the Argentinians had conspired together to stay hidden until we were safely on the way back to our hotel. If only I’d looked in that urn by the bathroom.

Here’s the thing of it: Matt and I loved being on vacation together. We hardly fought, we typically wanted to do all the same things, got hungry around the same time, even our sleep cycles managed to sync up. But even traveling as a team, as closely knit as they come, being in a foreign country can feel very lonely. And when it seems like everyone is somewhere you will never find, it only heightens your sense of being an outsider. I’m aware that many people would pay for the privilege of emptying out a beautiful restaurant. But if I’m out in the world, I want the other residents to show their faces and be there with me.

So that brings us, inexorably, to the island of Manhattan. I’m back to spending my days elbow to elbow with far too many people. They cram onto the subway platforms, angling for a straight shot at the doors with no intention of letting people out of the car first, they dodge and weave aggressively around one another on the sidewalks, they groan and sigh loudly when a tourist takes too long making a decision at Cosi, they’re rude to customer service professionals and fiercely territorial at restaurants and bars. They’re loud, mean, impatient, entitled, and competitive, and they’re everywhere, all the time.

I guess it’s sort of nice to be home, jerks.

Fine Living Network, I work cheap.

[Via http://theschwajaks.wordpress.com]

Le Bistro de L'Hotel - Beaune

 

I’ve been hearing about this place since it opened a few years ago but never bothered to check it out. For the most part, I’d only heard about the hotel it’s attached to and how expensive it was – instant turnoff – not the restaurant. When I finally did hear about Le Bistro, I was led to believe that the food was modern and overdone, exactly what I would expect from an expensive hotel in a small French town. We were booked at Ma Cuisine that night but Etienne insisted that we join him here for dinner, cancelling reservations at my favorite place in town and jeopardizing the potential to dine there at all on this trip. A couple of nights prior at another dinner, the subject of Burgundy restaurants popped up and the Bistro and when asked why we hadn’t been there, we told him. Apparently JW, another frequent visitor,  had heard the same  thing and wasn’t interested. Etienne insisted that what we heard wasn’t true and that this place was the real thing; fabulous yes, a bit pricey yes. But very traditional. He should know, he not only lives here but really knows food and wine. Now I was excited. The place certainly has the look of a luxe restaurant but the atmosphere is actually warm and inviting, just like a bistro should be. The main differences between this place and the great bistro’s of Paris like L’Ami Louis and Chez George, for example, are the noise level and the fact that your not seated elbow to elbow with total strangers. A small town luxury. The most important difference for me however is that the food is better here and the wine list is among the best in town. Very thoughtful list with great values and a good selection of older wines. There were a  of prix fixe options but we chose to order à la carte since we were sharing different things.

I started with a dish of coques, a bit like our manila clams but smaller, sweeter and more delicate, that was elegant and light, a welcome break amongst all the rich food we’d been eating. Steamed in splash of white wine and served with parsley, garlic and a bit of olive oil, not the usual addition of cream. Almost identical to the vongole veraci aglio olio my aunt makes for me in Napoli but for the absence of dried red pepper. Here it’s replaced with fresh black pepper (you’d never use both) My dining companions started with a couple of black truffle dishes, one a coddled egg with shavings of truffle and the other a risotto with the same. The egg looked great, the yolk perfectly runny, and I did taste the risotto which was more than competent but hey, it’s not northern Italy. We washed this down with a Raveneau Chablis Valmur 2007, a real treat since it’s about as good as Chablis gets, a great vintage and I can’t find it at home. What followed was fantastic. We decided on two dishes which were prepared for two; Poulet de Bresse, a local delicacy, and côte de veau, both carved tableside. The veal was excellent. Cooked on the rare side, especially towards the bone, but tender which is an accomplishment since veal tends to be a little chewy if not cooked past rare to rosy in the center. Served with a a simple morel cream sauce in a gravyboat it was heartwarming. The real revelation here was the poulet. The bird was carved with what looked like a steak knife and I couldn’t believe how easy it was coming apart, just falling off the bone. If you’ve ever had Poulet de Bresse you probably know it as a meaty, fairly firm bird, almost dry, albeit with incredible flavor. This was something else.  Unbelievably tender and rich, the white meat being every bit as delectable as the dark. Easily the best either of us had ever eaten. I asked Russell about this the next day and he let on a secret I’d never heard (then again I’m not a chef); you poach the bird first, mi-cuit and then finish it by roasting in a beastly hot oven until crisp. No problem. Etienne blinded us on one of his own wines. Amy and I guessed Côte de Beaune almost immediately and she wound up in Pommard, I in Volnay Chênes. She guessed a riper vintage, I guessed something a bit leaner like 95, 93 or 91. We were both right. It was the De Montille Pommard Pézerolles 1991. Earthy and perfumed with sous bois and cherries. Fantastic with the chicken and a real treat to drink old Burgundy with such great provenance. We were blinded on another wine with the excellent cheese course. This one was a little easier since it was white and fairly reeked of Puligny-Montrachet though, as JW pointed out, it could have been a Chassagne. I made my first ever winery visit to said commune the very next day so I would’ve pled ignorance. It was a Leflaive 2001 Villages in half-bottle, great cheese wine. All things considered, the cooking is top-rate though on the expensive side as Beaune restaurants go. I think it will become a regular stop for me.  Highly recommended.

5 rue Samuel Legay

21200 Beaune (France)

33 (0) 3 80 25 94 14

[Via http://stevegoldun.wordpress.com]

A little bit of France in the middle of Central

A lovely little suprise how good this place is. No wonder it’s always full (lunch time as far as I know anyway) since it’s opened. Great atmosphere, quality food at a very good price. 3 course set lunch was $98 + 10%. At this price or even higher, you get a lot of crap food in this area where the restaurants look far better than the food they serve. I had the Chicken Caesar Salad to start, it was very nice, the lettuce was crispy and cold, sauce was just right, chicken was tender and juicy, not dry at all. My friend had the Cream Carrot Soup which was thick and creamy and can actually taste the carrot!

For main, we both had the Poached Sole Fillet with Butter Lemon Sauce. The fish was fresh and nicely poached. No excess water like some that I’ve had in other places. The sauce was quite light but tasty considering it’s a butter sauce. Even the side dish of grilled eggplant and zucchini was done perfect.

For Dessert we had the Walnut cheesecake which was to die for even though I’ve never been a walnut person.

All in all, this is a great place to hang out, get fed with great food, and I’m sure their wine list must be good too. I’ll try that next time. Menu changes each week. Be sure to check with the restaurant.

[Via http://sleeepy.wordpress.com]

a flying dream

Today my mind has been racing all over the place. Lots and lots of noise. Too much noise. I have to slow it down. Have to focus. So I thought I’ll sit and blog a dream I’ve had a couple times, the first time was about a month ago. I like this dream, even if it woke me the first time with my heart racing.

It starts in a present-day sort of setting, but I’m at a summer camp or boarding school of sorts. The dorms are set up sort of in an apartment style, several stories tall. But with an interior hall. There were four people to a room, there were no doors. The dorms are set up on a campus of sorts in the country with rivers and waterfalls. It is really pretty.

I am further down the hall on the boys’ end of the floor taking a shower in a friend’s room.  Some crazy women, I think they are teachers or chaperones of some sort, but they are mad and angry and killing everyone. I sneak back to my room to get clothes but before I can the women are coming down the hall with carts full of body bags. Everyone I was just hanging out with on the other side of the dorm are dead. I tell my roommates we need to run, so I take off, no clothing on.

We get to the front gates, where there is a parking lot with the faculty cars. We find a group of people and rush to a car to hot wire it and escape. At this point, while in the car I am very aware of a choice I have. I know that I can wake up and end it and not be scared at all or I can keep dreaming and see what happens. I choose to keep dreaming. After that choice, some evil thing pushes the car into the river. We escape out of the sun roof and windows and are swimming in the river to find safety.

I am with one friend now. She and I go over a waterfall and the setting changes. It’s an older time. It’s more wild. The river splits ahead of us. Evil women keep shooting at us and two guys jump in. I know that they are bad but they are different, not evil. They have magic weapons and I know we need them to find safety. They have some sort of magical weapons.

They tell us to swim to the right. Once we’re over to the right, they try to kill us. But I get close enough to one of them to look him in the eyes. The eye contact was important and allowed me to convince them to not kill us. We agreed to help them. Once they saw we were not the evil women they didn’t try to hurt us anymore. I tell them about the evil women and why we are in the river. They tell us they have to find the wine.

We see an old building along the left bank of the river. We’re sneaking our way inside. Some sort of priest is after us. I’m still naked and barefoot so I am not running over the rocks as quickly. But I find a spot to start climbing a wall. One of the guys comes back to help make sure the priest doesn’t catch me. At the top I find a strange rack full of wine bottles in the ceiling. I hide up there so the priest can’t hear us. He walks past me and up a different set of stone steps.

The priest knows we are there. He tells us to all drink a bottle of his wine if we want to live. He has me drop down bottles from where I’m hiding to everyone. We start drinking his wine but find out it isn’t wine at all. They are bottles of blood. Something changes in us. We’re different, but the same.

There is an explosion outside. The evil women who had been chasing us die in the fire. We swim out from the building. The river is curling around farms, we see small run down homes. Poor homes. We are evil now. But not bad. We know there is a war of evil coming. We have wings. And we fly up out of the water through smoldering trees. There are others like us flying into the sky. We are getting ready for war.

[Via http://emacaroni.wordpress.com]

Cellar Tasting: Giroud 2008 03/01/10

I don’t think I’ve ever visited Burgundy without tasting here. Camille Giroud is a négociant house, a tiny one in the grand scheme of things, that owns very little in the way of vineyards but has privileged relationships with some of the best growers in Burgundy. They also have a fantastic cellar with wines dating back to the 1930’s and occasionally put some of these on the market. Unlike many négociants who take whatever fruit, juice or made wine they can get their hands on, often with little regard for anything but prestigious appellation, David chooses only the best. In fact, he recently stopped working with a grower in one of Volnay’s top sites, Taillepieds, because he felt the fruit was consistently problematic. This is a wine I’ve been a fan of for years (shows you what I know). This also means that you can expect excellent quality from lesser appellations, one of the reasons Giroud dominates my selection of sub $35 Burgundy.

David’s take on the 2008 vintage is that the low natural sugars required chaptalization, one of the few winemakers I know who openly talk about this sort of thing, in many cases but to increase alcohol by no more than a half  point. He also felt that the pips weren’t quite ripe for the most part which meant that they needed to be handled carefully so as not to infuse the wine with green tannins. Phenolic ripeness was the key in this vintage and the September wind, the Bise , helped in that regard and was indeed credited with saving the vintage. These winds come out of the Alps and blow constantly and vigourously, helping to dry out fruit bloated from a couple of weeks of rain; often the difference between a disaster and an excellent harvest. All in all David feels that this a classic, terroir driven vintage a bit like 2001 but perhaps a bit more generous. A sentiment shared by every winemaker I visited with this week. Our tasting, like all tastings this week, focused on the 2008 vintage which is approaching bottling in the next couple of months  and shipping to the US later this year. As a caveat, tasting at this stage may tell us much about the potential of the wine but these aren’t quite finished yet and any notes of reduction, disjointedness etc. are not judgements of quality as such. There are tasting notes for a couple of great wines from the cellar at the end with pricing, availability and ETA.

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Au Crêtot

A bit closed but spice and flowers coming through along with notes of raw ferment, to be expected at this stage. High acid, a hallmark of the vintage, but supporting tannins and core of pure fruit.  Low yielding plot at 30 hectolitres per hectare in the Hautes Côtes just west of the Côte de Beaune.

Bourgogne Rouge 2008

Always one of my faves here. Very floral, particularly violet, and a bit of spice with bright red fruit on the nose. Crystalline structure with crunchy red fruit flavors. Firm acid and ripe tannins. From a plot across the N74 from Volnay.

Cote de Beaune Villages 2008

Violet and crisp red fruit. More meat here than the prior two wines and a bit rounder with good punch. A bit taut with crisp acids and firm but not chalky tannins.

Volnay 2008

From the lieu-dit Les Grands Champs below Mitans. Deep, clayey topsoils which provide wines of richness if lacking a bit of finesse. Classic Volnay perfume of flowers and raspberry, very Chambolle-like. High-toned but detailed and precise with structural components in balance.

Beaune 1er Cru Cent-Vignes 2008

Cent-Vignes is in the northern section of the commune where the slope turns to face almost directly east. Lots of perfume and spice with a hint of oak. A bit of reduction as well. Taut but with good body and the roundness of good Beaune without the roughness.

Beaune 1er Cru Les Cras 2008

From one of the top couple of climats in the commune. Tight on the palate with some red fruit and mineral but very long and pure.

Santenay Villages 2008

I was wondering why we were poured this wine from the pedestrian Santenay appellation after the Volnay and Beaune until the moment I stuck my nose in the glass. Very expressive nose of violet and iron, big fat mid-palate with lots of meat and blue fruits. Great drinker. If it’s anything like this after bottling, I’m buying as much as possible.

Maranges 1er Cru La Croix Moines 2008

Pretty floral and red fruit notes. A bit more refined than the Santenay and certainly not as loud. More minerality, tension and length.

Pommard Epenots 2008

From the parcel Clos de Citeaux. Notes of rose, violet and mineral. Light in color. Floral, stony nose with a bit of toast. Rich, warm mid-palate with excellent, sappy length. Very elegant wine.

Gevrey-Chambertin Les Crais 2008

Les Crais is situated below the road next to La Justice. A zone where the slopewash from the grands crus above has deposited great topsoil. This wine hasn’t been racked yet so still a bit of CO2. Pretty nose, good sweet fruit soft structure and good length.

Vosne-Romanée 2008

Classic Vosne nose of spice and mineral. Richly textured dark fruit flavors, very dense and fine. Bright acidity but full bodied. Excellent.

Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru les Vaucrains 2008

Very expressive nose of rose and iron with hints of ripe red fruit. Dark and powerful fruit and dense, persistent mid-palate. Big and brawny, loaded with potential. 

Corton-Rognets 2008

Quiet but dark nose of black fruit and mineral. Punchy and expansive on the palate with dense core of fruit. Well balanced for such a big wine. Grainy, prodigious tannins with great length.

Charmes-Chambertin 2008

Subtle but pretty red and black fruits on the nose. Nervy dense and elegant. Reminiscent of the great Bachelet Charmes.

Chambertin 2008

David started his career at Giroud in 2001 and his Chambertin from that vintage is one of the great Burgundy’s I’ve ever tasted. Though he lost the fruit source in the following vintage, the quality has remained excellent ever since. This one hadn’t been racked yet and showed signs of reduction but notes of oak and black fruit were there. This one seemed clean otherwise and with good length though lacking a bit of weight. Maybe it’ll flesh out after racking, we’ll see.

Clos de Vougeot 2008

All black fruit and toast. Big and punchy, not a shy wine. Good weight and balanced with decent acid and fine tannins though a bit four-square.

Meursault Clos de ls Barre 2008

Not many people know that Giroud produces any white wine which is a shame; the wines are excellent from the little stuff all the way up to the Corton-Charlemagne. This one, from one of the great deuxièmes crus of Meursault, is a knockout. Rich nose of toasted hazelnuts and mineral. Rich, almost tropical fruit flavors and firm acidity carrying through to a long, clean finish.

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergeres 2008

Rich nose of flowers, spice and toast. Lots of citrus and tropical fruits on the palate. Pretty ripe with fairly low acid and shortish finish.

Corton-Charlemagne 2008

Classy aromas of mineral, spearmint and white fruit, little in the way of oak notes. Tight and punchy, very dense with a strong phenolic feel. Almost tannic.

A couple of older bottles.

Saint-Romain Blanc 1999

I commited to 25 cases of this practically on the nose alone. David keeps finding these treasures in the cellar and he though it was time to get this to market. Just yellowing a bit. Luscious nose of toast, custard and citrus. Deep flavors of white fruit and hazelnut. Stylish and elegant. Great stuff, no-name appellation notwithstanding. 25 cases available @$33.  ETA summer 2010

Volnay Carelle 1995

Beautiful nose of old Burgundy, a scent in itself. Complex bouquet dominated by sous bois and ripe red fruit with some mineral and rose. Great purity of fruit. Taut and long, still blossoming with a bright future.  5 cases available @$90. ETA summer 2010.

  

 

[Via http://stevegoldun.wordpress.com]

Fun Facts

Eons ago when I was taking high school Spanish, I had a teacher who’d regularly write on the board a series of Spanish-themed “Fun Facts”, such as Spain is the #1 producer of olives in the world (random, but somehow I always remembered that one).

In addition to wine and certain spirits, another love of mine is trivia. So, I’m going to start posting a series of wine and spirits-related fun facts that I personally find interesting. For now, I imagine most of these will be France/Bordeaux-themed since this is where the majority of my wine exposure is coming from nowadays…

Hope you enjoy!

[Via http://lindsayduvin.wordpress.com]

Wine Snob

After waking up with a slight headache this morning, I felt a slight sense of shame for picking a completely horrible Sauvignon Blanc at the store last night; considering I used to be a cocktail waitress at very wine-centric restaurant.

From now on, I’m only going to spend $$ on wine that I know delivers, even if that means ignoring my craving at the moment (I wanted a chilled white, must be the warmer weather) and going for what I know from the selection at hand. (A perfectly good bottle of Louis Jadot Beaujolais still sits on the shelf there on sale for an incredible price.

While the closest I’ve been to Europe is Little Italy, Manhatten, I do consider myself a wee bit knowledgeable on the wine side for my age. At the very least, I know what I like.

• Whites:

{Best Riesling}

K Vintners‘ Kung Fu Girl Riesling: I’ll be honest, most women who I’d serve who didn’t know a lick about wine (except that they like it sweet) would just pick the cheapest Riesling on the menu. I detested the stuff until I met this Washington Kung Fu Girl. Citrus notes like tangerine, lime and a slight peachy flavor create a balanced finish that, although sweet, doesn’t feel like your drinking a glass of sugar. This Riesling “kicks ass”.

{Best White Blend}

Sokol Blosser’s Evolution: Luck? Intention? A little of both went into finding this wine. With this blend, you will notice intense fruit flavors in the beginning, which slowly turn into a crisp finish (think about the way you taste an apple). Nine different whites go into this one bottle, including Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.  It’s amazing with Chinese food.

{Best Sauvignon Blanc}

Nobilo’s Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc:  Last night’s disappointment made only validated my love of Nobilo. This wine is proof that you do not have to spend a lot to get a fantastic bottle of wine. I think it’s won an award nearly every year it’s been in production. Like any good sauv. blanc, there are some grapefruit notes there, but then there’s almost like an extremely light spice finish that contributes to its dryness. Let’s just say no one ever tipped me less for recommending this wine.

• Reds:

{Best Pinot Noir}

David Bruce Pinot Noir: This is definitely a bottle that will set you back a little bit of dough, but perhaps this is one to get at the liquor store and avoid paying the marked-up place at a restaurant unless it’s a special occasion.  Usually, smoky wines aren’t my favorite, but this one is extremely subtle and is balanced nicely with the cherry notes you taste.

{Best Red Blend}

Folie a Deux Menage a Trois: Asking for this California blend at the store never fails to elicit a slight smirk from the guy behind the counter. While we may giggle about it on the way to it’s spot on the shelf, there is always a slight pause when it’s picked up and 10/10 times they say: “But seriously, this is really a great wine”. A trifecta of Zinfindel, Merlot and Cabernet, this blend is juicy, and almost has a fruit-spread (like jam) kind of quality to it, with a slight sharpness.

{Best Wine Produced by an Old Dead Guy}

Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages: Although this Burgundy is labeled “table wine”, it’s hardly close to the table wine you’d order anywhere. Maybe it’s because I’m a nerd, but I love to enjoy things with history, just knowing that people have enjoyed  the same cherry and floral notes for centuries is pretty cool.  Although this wine is dated in history, it’s certainly not something you need to keep around for years (you won’t be able to anyways!) because it can be drunk young and is very reasonably priced.

Enjoy!

{Note: These are just some of the faves of faves from tons of varietals out there, especially ones you might see at your favorite restaurant but have never tried. Feel free to ask me for more suggestions or to share your faves.}

[Via http://savorthesweet.wordpress.com]

Winemakers on the Net making 'Wine 2.0'

Every wine tells a story, every winemaker has a story to tell, and the Internet provides new ways of telling those stories.

This phenomenon is beginning to be called Wine 2.0 – or Vin 2.0 as we like to call it.

Vin 2.0 means using “social media” or “Web 2.0″ tools or whatever they’re called – in other words, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and so on – to get your story out there and make new connections with, well, with people who like wine.

Vin 2.0 means things like:

• Using the Internet to break down the barriers between producers (winemakers) and the rest of us
• Creating direct connections between “citizen wine bloggers” and their audiences

New connections with Vin 2.0

Hardly a decade ago, this way of creating connections basically didn’t exist. But now a growing number of  Languedoc winemakers are using Vin 2.0 to tell the story of their wine – their terroir, their families, the weather last week, the vendange next September.

Take some of the winemakers featured in our blog’s wine links. Iris Rutz-Rudel is based in Lisson in the Hérault, about 50km north of Béziers. I can follow her daily work and her dreams on her vineyard.

Things went quiet on her blog since November, but now after the snows she has been showing us her traditional wine press and explaining in great detail how she is pruning the vines.

We’ve never met Iris – we get all this information from her wonderful little Lisson Blog, and she’s a member of Les vignerons blogueurs.

ViniSud 2010

Or take a young winemaker based just north of Carcassonne in the Aude, called Ryan O’Connell. On Thursday Ryan posted another new video to one of his sites (yes, he has several), Love That Languedoc.

It was about a presentation he gave at ViniSud 2010, about the first steps winemakers can take to get into Vin 2.0.

J’ai fait cette présentation sur le sujet du marketing sur le net dans l’espace Agora du stand Sud de France a ViniSud 2010.

J’espère que cette video de vingt minutes pourra circuler parmi les vignerons de ma région.  J’essaie de recadrer l’histoire et l’importance de l’Internet dans des termes simples et efficaces pour notre filière viticole.  Je donne quelques conseils que n’importe quel vigneron peut suivre (tant qu’il comprend comment recevoir et envoyer des mails).

- Ryan O’Connell on the video of his talk at ViniSud

Ryan’s talk came at the end of the annual show in Montpellier, and while he didn’t get much of a crowd on the day, his presentation lives on through this video (isn’t the Internet great!), and it is now doing the rounds of wine blogs and finding a much wider audience.

He also sent a message out on his Twitter feed yesterday.

Ryan O'Connell on Twitter yesterday: "We can OWN the Internet"

It’s a great little call to arms. As he puts it, we can OWN the Internet (or “this interweb thing” as us old-timers still call it).

As Vinternet.net puts it, “Ryan est un pragmatique, il sait communiquer son enthousiasme et ça lui réussit.”

Ryan is very young -  less than half our age. The two of us are old enough to be his parents. He’s American, and moved over to the Languedoc in 2005 with his mum and dad when he was only 19.

Yet he has a fantastic command of French that has us green with envy. He is enthusiastic and prolific and  has the adventurousness, courage and sheer neck of youth to question the old ways and get out there and do things rather differently in the Vin 2.0 era.

It will be an uphill struggle, step by step, and there’s no point in getting seduced by apparently instant results, but this is where it’s all going.

Vin 2.0 is the new rock ‘n’ roll, with wonderful new tales being told by people like Ryan and Iris.

Related posts:

• In praise of terroir
• Wine 2.0 and wine bloggers

[Via http://irishherault.wordpress.com]

Veggin'

Happy Friday!~

I don’t know about you, but I’m soooo ready to get this weekend started!  My guy and I went on a last minute trip to St. Pete Beach, FL last weekend (I’ll post some more pics in my next post), and while it was absolutely amazing, I didn’t really feel “rested” when Monday morning rolled around again.  Don’t get me wrong though, it was totally worth every second of lost sleep to stay at the fabulous Don Cesar.   <3  I’ve been wanting to stay here since the first time I laid eyes on it.  My beautiful pink Barbie palace.  

Since I’ve been a busy bee lately, I decided to lay low and stay in tonight.  I have plans to go out for a friend’s birthday tomorrow night and I need some time to just veg before the work week picks up again!

While browsing the produce section in Wegmans last night, I grabbed up this package of veggies that looked perfect for roasting!

Nevermind that they’re intended for ratatouille.  They look like roasting vegetables to me… or maybe grilling veggies if this wicked winter ever ends!

I just noticed the countries of origin.  Nothing like having produce from USA, Mexico, Peru, and Guatemala all in one package! :|

Moving on… Even though I thought this pack of veggies looked awesome as it was, I also bought containers of grape tomatoes and baby bellas to roast along with them.  Lord knows what countries these guys were from!

Since I wasn’t really feeling the ginger that came in the ratatouille blend, I set it aside to add to my juice tomorrow morning.

A little organic red wine for the cook…      

After washing and chopping all the veggies, I tossed them with a little EVOO, minced garlic (two cloves came in the veggie pack), black pepper, sea salt, Italian seasoning, and thyme.

Before:

After roasting at 400* for about 30 min:

I plated about half of the cooked veggies and topped them with crumbled goat cheese.  I also had a toasted wheat hamburger bun with a little butter.

So simple, and so satisfying.

I rarely have desserts in my house because I tend to go overboard, but I did pick up a carton of ice cream at Wegmans last night.  I have a hard time resisting those free coupons!  My flavor of choice was chocolate peanut butter sundae, and it did not disappoint!

Now that I’m happy with a full belly, I’m relaxing and watching a little tv.  I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be right now than sitting on my comfy couch with my blanket, laptop, and rockstar by my side.  

And, of course, let’s not forget that second glass of red wine.  

In case you were wondering what the coaster says…. I love.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some more St. Pete photos!  I may go into the office tomorrow, but I’m trying to talk myself out of it.   I think I deserve a free weekend.      Plus, I have plans to go to a winery with some friends for lunch tomorrow, then out for a birthday celebration later in the evening.  I’d hate to miss out on valuable time with my girls over something silly like work.

Goodnight!  Enjoy your weekend!!!

[Via http://thresholdofgreatness.wordpress.com]