Lovely Oenophilia

A Chenin Economy

2009-01-14T11:58:00.000-08:00

Umm. Bubbles and More Bubbles, and some Chenin. And Chenin Bubbles. And bad economy…for the wine & food folks.

So. It has occurred to me that wine blogging is at a sort of pause. Many wine bloggers have decreased the frequency of their posts. Or it just seems that way because of winter’s monotony. But even considering this, I am concerned for the state of the biz. The wine and food biz. This economic crisis hoo-hah is pummeling the groundlings of the biz. After the unfortunate layoffs of some of my great friends, and grate tasters, that I worked with in Chicago, and a sad layoff at CSW, I learned that even more of my Chicagoan friends have gotten busted out of the trade. Even the chef at the yummster Uncommon Ground (on Devon) was let go. I foresee more talent getting ousted soon. And it’s a ton of youngsters and people who have just began their climb up the corporate ladder. It stinks.

I haven’t lost a job, but I need some more employment to keep things, uh, interesting.

Instead of watching the entire first season of Project Runway Canada. I love it, but mainly I love Iman. In this ep. she chooses which dress she'll wear to Toronto Fashion Week. I love the Transylvanian.

Caves de Grenelle Saumur Brut “Grande Cuvee” NV ($12)
Chenin/Chard 26 months aging. So I got this for cheap. It retails at about $16 or so, and still is killer. With 2 years en triage I’d have guessed this bubbly may have had more yeasty/bready tones—not the case. I’m learning that chenin-containing or Loire bubbles don’t take to those aromas as easily as classic Champagne does. Needless to say, this wine was full of harmony and charm. Very green/gold in the glass notes of quince, lemon-lemon, tart yellow apple, and quinine, very nice body and very persistent, yet not-too-fine bead. This could use lots of time to hang out in the bottle. Also, was much better on day two. Mmm. This was had on NYE with Brussels sprouts, sweet potato chips, and buffalo burgers. It worked!

Bordelet Poire Authentique (2006) ($16)
Yum. Tastes sweet, but isn’t. Perfect with blue. Cheese, that is. I need more of this. Eric Bordelet is awesome.

Larmandier-Bernier Brut Tradition (Vertus) NV ($40)
Rockin! Full, round, with a little more red-fruit (I thought even red apple) than their BdB. A fantastic NV, but their BdB is worth every extra penny.

The next wine disappointed, but usually does quite the opposite. Very much like MTV's The Real World which used to be about putting together different people and watching them work out their insecurities, expand their minds, and work together. Now it's about hot tubs, booze, and abs. The new season has some of both, and it may impress with very interesting and diverse cast members. A seed of doubt came to my mind when the "this season on The Real World" was a 50 second forecast of screaming, punching, and smashing things. Also, what ever happened to the cast members having a job together? It all went downhill after New Orleans, which was an amazing season. Right up there with SF, Miami, and Seattle. Anyway, I watched it, and may keep watching:

Real World: Brooklyn - MTV Shows

Francois Chidaine 2005 Montlouis “Les Tuffeaux” ($22)
Um, this was corked a little and reduced a little or something. I (usually) LOVE THIS WINE. I’ve had several bottles of this and it has always satisfied my taste for uber-good demi-sec chenin. WTF? You could even taste the yumminess underneath. My drinking companions didn’t complain about it, but I was upset and pouty.

Marchesae Leopoldo Monferrato Rosso 2003 ($25)
Piedmontese Pinot Noir (100%). Light ruby, transparent, very very very perfumed. Better than the sample I smelled a month ago. I thought it was pinot noir through and through, with that licorice and rose aroma I get in a lot of piedmontese Nebbiolo. Mmm. Maybe more Gattinara than Barolo, but, hey, good stuff! If you see this, grab one. Surprise a PN-loving friend.

And I got Lady GaGa tix! !!!

And I spent two hours yesterday corking sparkling wine.

Hic.

Monae, Monae, Monae

2008-12-23T07:24:00.001-08:00

She is amazing--and this link actually works.

A night of my favorites!

2008-12-21T19:06:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back, I needed a night of indulgences. I was returning from Chicago and got my hands on some good cheese and needed to share it with some friends…and finally procured some wines that I just needed to enjoy. Cheeses: Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Robiola, Gres des Vosges, Rogue River Blue.

It’s no secret that my favorite place for Chardonnay is the Cote de Blancs in Champagne (a close second is Chardonnay from other communes in Champagne). I bought a bottle of some RM Champagne from a producer I’ve never heard of because it was (1) absurdly on sale, (2) it was a blanc de blancs from a grower based in Oger.

Vve. Eleonore Blanc de Blancs Grande Reserve NV (Oger)

Very nice bright golden hue and steady bubbles. This was pure, unadulterated ripe Champagne Chardonnay. I think it’s a blend of Crus, but I don’t know. I can’t read their French website totally. Not the most complex of bubblies, but the purity of fruit, with its yellow apple and meyer lemon loveliness and buoyant acids (not sharp, but round and with a forward-thrusting momentum…if that makes sense). We all really enjoyed this. I don’t know if I’d pay full price for it, but it sure is tasty.

Francois Chidaine Vouvray “Les Argiles” 2005, 14%abv, $25

Fucking love Chidaine. Sorry, I can’t say it enough. This was the third bottle of the night and I could have enjoyed it all night. Quite a big boy @ 14% abv, but he held it well, and it was great with the cheese. The fruit was very ripe, I can tell, and the acids were move evolved than the last bottle I had. All quince, honey, and rainbows. Big complexity. My unsuspecting friends didn’t know what to make of this, but they sure made quick business of it. I have two bottles of Mr. Chidaine’s 2005 Montlouis Les Tuffeaux waiting for me when I want some Chenin Candy!

Speaking of A Louis/Dressner wine. You must read Captain Tumor Man, Joe Dressner's blog. Great wine, great man, great attitude. Get well soon.

And you really should listen to Janelle Monae’s EP Metropolis: The Chase Suite. She is amazing. Afro-punk about robots—nice. Here’s new music vid:

Aromas of Blasphemy

2008-11-23T06:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry, its been a few days since I’ve posted. The change of weather, illness, and lack of inspiring vino has left me to post about the one amazing botella I’ve had lately.

USofA winemakers:
Experiment, do something DIFFERENT for God’s sake. Thank you Dashe (and others, I know you’re out there, too).

Dashe Cellars 2007 McFadden Farms, Potter Valley Zinfandel “L’Enfant Terrible”, $25, 13.8% abv

What a long name for such a lovely wine! Yes, this baby has been the subject, not of controversy, but a lot of bloggish hubbub. For traditionalist it may be a blasphemous interpretation if Zin, yet us Beaujo freaks and natural wine enthusiasts see it as a domestic victory. Wherever your vinous philosophies lie, this wine is tasty.

I read somewhere that Mike Dashe calls this wine his cool-climate, Cali answer to a Cru Beaujo, and he is spot on. Remeniscent of a Foillard Morgon, this wine, fermented by natural yeasts, aged in a somewhat-neutral, large, foudre-type barrel thing, this wine is crazy low in ABV compared to most Zin. It has that cherry pie, lipstick, strawberry-rhubarb, brown sugar, and dark stony aroma that makes it uber-yum. Even some of my friends who adore the big, spicy, jammy Zin concurred. I even got a choco-vanilla lover to claim, “I guess I like some reds without oak.”

This lady loves it, too. Too much.

This is going to be ONE of my Turkey day wines. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. If I had to go all USofA wine, I’d do this, some Rocks & Gravel some OMP Rielsing and some L. Mawby Blanc de Blancs. But I probably won’t do that. I'll just watch the new Beyonce video over and over and over and over...

2008-11-09T06:40:00.001-08:00

Finally, less politics, more wine!

We don’t need to talk politics—we are victorious! (Except for CA Prop. 8 and its evil ilk.)

Here are my celebratory bubbles. Capital C Champagne. Capital RM, Recoltant-Manipulant. I would’ve gone more local, as Indiana went blue, but I think the French are celebrating right along with us! And this stuff is amazing. I lovelovelovelove RM! So distinctive.

H. Billiot, Brut Reserve, Grand Cru, (Ambonnay)

Most Pinot Noir, billowy, fresh, mouth-watering white cherry yellow plum fruit! Apple-blossom and a puffy, delicate pastry finish. Bright, fresh acid and very persistent fine bubbles! Tastes like a cherry Danish, but you can’t tell where the cherry ends and where the dough begins. YUM. You cannot not like this Champange. Just as good on day three of being opened (even though there was only about one glass left). Tons of joyous personality!

I love Champagne! And democracy! And Democrats!

Way to go Hoosiers!
(We can do even better!)

Cheers!

Notes on Yesterday

2008-11-05T09:02:00.001-08:00

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA. Growing up, because my parents have always advocated voting, I assumed that everyone voted and everyone should. After the 2000 election, I realized this isn’t the case. I have voted in every election since 2002. In 2006 I stepped up and donated a few bucks to important races. This year I donated a little more and, more importantly, got off of my ass and hit the pavement.

Yesterday we pushed through to make a Change here in Indiana. Jason woke up at 4:00 am to monitor polls. I was out at the Obama HQ at 8:30 to start canvassing. Yes, I knocked on 50 doors, yes, I called over 75 phone numbers, and, yes, I helped get people to their correct polling locations and improve our candidate's visibility in Bloomington—but so did so many of my fellow volunteers. I believe that I and my fellow volunteers helped get those five votes per precinct that colored Indiana blue.

So, yes, my efforts paid off big time. I am proud to be a Hoosier. I am proud to be a Hoosier because of the fellow Hoosiers I met yesterday. When I showed up at the Obama office to get in line to check in for canvassing, an elderly gentleman, shaking and barely able to walk, came up to me and told me that he shakes too much to pin a button on his hat. So he handed me his hat and I pinned a “Veterans for Obama” button to his navy blue hat. Before I had the chance to talk to him he raised his voice a bit and said “Let’s F*ing do this!” before grabbing his canvassing packet and

Later that day, after canvassing and calling, I went with two lovely ladies to go get students to vote on the IU campus. One girl I was with was only sixteen years old, and she had been volunteering for the campaign for several weeks. Although unable to vote, she knew she needed to do something to engage her community, and she tried to get everyone she knew—and plenty she didn’t know—to get out there and vote for our guy. America is coming together.

Like our President-Elect said—we can’t rest on our laurels. We need to keep working. We need to work to reverse some of the perverse ballot measures that passed in many states, most notably California’s Proposition 8 and similar measures in Florida and Arkansas. Luckily we still have Massachusetts and Connecticut and a few more of us are elected officials. Gay marriage will be legal in this country soon. We need to be actively involved in helping this country resume its place as an example for the world, on this issue and many more. We need to work to get this country back on its feet, get its head in the right place, and get it progressing the way it should.

Finally, watching the Grant Park rally, with my sister and brother-in-law somewhere in the crowd among many of my friends and fellow Chicagoans, only one block from where I used to work, I realized I was watching a defining moment not only for myself, my generation, but for all generations, and those to come. From now on, I will work for Change.

Vote

2008-11-04T05:19:00.000-08:00

I know you will. Remind your friends, family, and neighbors. Since I know I have responsible readers, join me in getting out the vote. I'll be out all day. Let's Hope it's a good one!

Nouveau is here!

2008-11-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Before the French.

As a direct response to Dr. Vino, I am drinking local Nouveau, about three weeks before the gas-guzzling Beaujo Nou arrives. Now, if you know me, I do not care for carbonic macerated style wines, especially with that industrial bubblegumbanana-yeast flavor/aroma. (I also wish people understood Beaujolais first and understood Nouveau second. I could rant on this for a whole post.) To me Nouveau is nothing more than a marketing ploy, and trying to sell a mountain of leftover plonk in March is always a pain in the arse.

But.

But.

Then I tasted this vintage of Oliver Winery’s Marechal Foch Nouveau, from a 1 acre plot on their Monroe County vineyard. Be careful…it is pronounced “mar-eh-shall fosh”. I’ve had this before and never really cared for it that much. It was always nice, but that’s it. And nice doesn’t cut it.

Marechal Foch!

Marechal Foch is an inter-specific hybrid variety, once grown in the Loire (like Chambourcin), and once very common in parts of Canada and Oregon (a few Oregon and BC wineries still keep their old Foch vines). Many theories of parentage surround this cold-hardy vine, but I do know it was named after French marshal (Marechal) Ferdinand Foch.

Ferdinand.

Many of the wineries, particularly in Oregon and British Columbia pulled their vines once vignerons realized they could grow vinifera more successfully than once thought, giving way to Pinot Noir, Chard, and the clan of Bordeaux and Alsace varieties. There goes any exciting distinctiveness that an unusual variety would bring to the table. I appreciate those vignerons who keep their Foch and have confidence in its quality.

But I digress.

Foch's tomb.

Oliver uses Foch solely for their celebratory Nouveau. It has been a few years since I’ve had their Foch, back when I only liked big, modern, heavy reds. My tastes have changed, and now I’m going to celebrate the success of Foch.

Oliver Winery, Marechal Foch Nouveau, Creekbend Vineyard, 2008, $12, 10% abv

Dark purple. Wow, a very dark blackberry aroma with some more black cherry, and dark purple floral notes, and touch of berry bubblegum. Super-juicy flavors of liquid blackberry jam that reminds me of a super-light Touraine Cot plus some of that carbonic maceration character, and more complexity than you may think. Very different from Gamay-based Nouveay—more black fruits and a little more oomph. At 10% abv, you can drink a ton of this business and it is going to be kick-tush on Turkey day. And wine both myself and grandma can love.

PS. I brined a boneless turkey breast for 15 hours (water, sea salt, brown sugar, bay, black peppercorns, ginger) and roasted it with a rub (salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, thyme, rosemary)…and it was HEAVEN! Served it with roasted turnips, purple cabbage, and sweet potatoes. Had some Marechal Foch Nouveau.

Yum.

Cellar tracker.

2008-10-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

So, I finally retrieved my meager wine collection from my sister’s lovely Chicago house. Many of the bottles are wines I’ve had before, some of which I’ve previously wrote about. This list is not to brag, boat, or gloat about my luck at getting access to great wines at great prices. But instead to give you a heads-up to what reviews may come in the near future and implore some help from my lurking readers. I’ve tasted some of these wines but never drank or paired them with anything. I’m going to try to (a) save money by drinking through this collection, save what I’ll age and (b) use wines as an inspiriation for my cooking.

Here is one aspect of my personal taste.

Um. Moving on. My cellar gives you a tad more insight to my taste in wine. You don't want to know my taste in TV or music. (I try to be hip.) One caveat: 90% or so of these wines were purchased on an amazing sale, so I snatched up a lot of wines that I may not have bought if they weren’t on supersale. I may have misspelled/misnamed a few wines, but I stuck most of the boxes back in my cavernous closet and I don’t really care to dig them out unless I’m drinking them.

Champers:

Larmandier-Bernier, Blanc de Blanc 1er, NV
Larmandier-Bernier, Brut Tradition, NV
Pascal Doquet, Blanc de Blanc GC, NV
Henri Billiot, Brut Reserve GC, NV
Lamiable, Brut GC, NV
Vve. Eleonore, Blanc de Blanc GC, NV
Paul Goerg, Blanc de Blanc, NV
Paul Goerg, Brut 1er, 2002
Aubry, Brut 1er, NV
Bruno Paillard, Brut Tradition, NV

Bubbles,

Foreau, Vouvray Brut, NV
Francois Pinon, Vouvray Petillant Brut, NV
Szigeti, Gruner Veltliner Brut, NV

Whites,

Oliver, Creekbend Vineyard Valvin Muscat, 2007
Schafer-Frolich, Kabinett Nahe, 2006 (x2)
Lucashof, Kabinett Forster Bischofsgarten, 2005
St. Urbans-Hof, Kabinett Ockfener Bockstein
Dirler, Riesling Bollenberg, 2004
Albert Mann, Auxerrious VV, 2005
Weinbach, Pinot Gris Cuvee Laurence Altenbourg, 2004
Ch. Soucherie, Anjou Blanc, 2006
Francois Chidaine, Vouvray “Les Argiles”, 2005
Joly, Savennieres Roche-aux-Moines, 2004
Fevre, Chablis Fourchame Vignoble de Vaulorent 1er, 2005
Remi Jobard, Meursault Poruzot-Dessous 1er, 2004
Hubert Lamy, St-Aubin Murgers-du-Dents-du-Chien 1er, 2002
Bodegas Hidalgo, Manzanilla “La Gitana”, NV (I’ve had a lot of this, and just have to keep some around in case of a craving.)

Reds,

J.P. Brun, Terres Dorees, Beaujolais VV Anciens, 2007
Marcel Lapierre, Morgon, 2007
Diochon, Moulin-a-Vent VV, 2005
Digioia-Royer, Bourgogne, 2005
Chevillon, Nuits-St-Georges Bousselot 1er, 2003
Groffier, Chambolle-Musigny Sentiers 1er, 2004
Marquis d’Angerville, Volnay Freimets 1er, 2002
Jean-Francouis Merieau, Touraine Cot “Cent Visages”, 2005
Dashe, Zinfandel Potter Valley, McFadden Farms “L’Enfant Terrible”, 2007
J. Ventura, Vina Caneiro Ribeira Sacra, 2006
Chanteleuserie, Bourgueil VV, 2005
Oliver, Creekbend Vineyard Chambourcin, 2007
Prunotto, Barbera d’Asti, 2006
Castello di Farnatella, Chianti Colli Senesi, 2006
Selvapiana, Chianti Rufina, 2005
Vietti, Nebbiolo “Perbacco”, 2004
Vietti, Barolo Lazzarito, 2003
Bartolo Mascarello, Barolo, 2000 (Drank it…amazing!)
Ch. Sansonnet, St-Emilion GC “Sam’s Cuvee”, 2005
Oliver, Creekbend Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004
Long Shadows, Pirouette, 2003 (A gift.)

Now, I implore my readers (please!) to give me advice about what to pair with this vino, whether to open it soon or keep it for some number of years. If you’ve had these recently (or in the past): what do you think? I’m just starting out as a collector and would like to know your strategies for value purchases and timing of purchases. Also, these are in boxes in my closet in my garden-level apartment. A cool closet has always been my storage facility of choice, but is there a better place?

Feedback, is quite appreciated. It's like voting...you should just do it because it's good.

I have watched this video about a dozen times this week. Is that insensitive of me? Kristin Wiig is genius in everything she does.

Beaujo 2007

2008-10-25T17:45:00.001-07:00

As ya’ll know, the Beaujo (Please don’t abbreviate “BoJo”—it reads lewd.) is one of my favorites/obsessives. I was back in ChiChi last weekend and grabbed a few of my favorites, both for about $16. I’ve had a bottle of the Terres Dorees l’Ancien 2007 this summer, but I hadn’t had the 2007 Lapierre yet.I miss Chicago terribly, not only because I can get my Louis/Dressner fix there, but because of the vibrant cultural atmosphere. (Entrepreneurs—what Chitown needs is a hipster natural wine bar. It would be bonkers awesome.) I went up to Andersonville (my #1 favorite neighborhood) and headed to meet a friend at a wine bar and wound up getting their VERY early. So I happened to walk into a little, unassuming corner liquor store that I had passed hundreds of times without giving it a second thought. (Which is right near Hopleaf, the best beer bar and gastropub I’ve ever encountered. I love their food too.) Upon entering and eyeing about 4 bottles, I was sold—this store is a gem! I saw a Lallement Brut NV and the ever-blogged-about Dashe l’Enfant Terrible Zin and the Merieau Touraine Cot, and thought, LOVE IT! SO I bought the latter two, but was disappointed about their lack of Beaujo. Anyway—if you are in A-ville you should stop by the liquor store on the NE corner of Clark & Foster. (Kate, we really should have gone there.)

So I headed to the bar and spied a bottle with a conspicuously simple white label with a large cursive word on the front and a cherry-red wax top and knew—I have to have a glass. Mmm. Morgon. After tasting Brun’s 2007 l’Ancien in July and Lapierre’s 2007 Morgon at the bar (as well as Duboeuf’s entire icky-bland-tastic Cru line up and a few Jadot in early July) I have an idea on how a few 2007 Beaujo (good Beaujo) tastes. Whereas 2005 has this amazing brooding dark core of structure and crazy ageability, and 2006 has a little more softness and frivolity without being overly light and thin, 2007 seems to me to possess a few traits (they may be from youth, too): pepper (aromatically), super vivid tangy fruit (strawberry, and tart red cherry), and bright floral notes (more lavender than violet), and a satisfyingly lacy refreshment quality. I’m in love, that’s totally my style. After having a few too many 2005 Beaujo that have shut down into massive cocoons of inaccessibility, I’m relieved to find some happy early drinkers!

Marcel Lapierre, Morgon, 2007, $17

Lipstick red. Aromas of rhubarb, a touch of light flowers and pepper, and red tart cherry. Soft and seductive cherry fruit. This really opens up after time. Tastiness

JP Brun, Terres Dorees, Beaujolais l’Ancien (Vieilles Vignes) 2007, $16

Bright cherry red, aromas of white pepper, lavender, wild strawberries, with flavors that follow suit, and that lovely pepper spice coming in on the end (and not alcohol-induced pepprer, either). I prefer this over 90% of basic Bourgogne rouge at double the price. A by-the-case. (Silly drama about declassifying this beauty. Even if they do, I’ll pay the same price.)

Yum!

Coming Attractions

2008-10-22T06:30:00.001-07:00

I've been out of town (aka MacBook-less) and have some very exciting things coming up:

My take on 2007 Beaujolais (so far).

I retrieved my wine collection, including 1 full case of grower Champers.

Cider.

Adventures in Pork.

...and more!

Grassroots

2008-10-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

Coming back to Indiana, I wanted to take advantage of being in a semi-rural setting, enjoying the bounty of a left-leaning, local-loving community. I pretty much only patronize local businesses and obsess about the local farmer’s market during its season. So I met an extremely nice lady at the market who sold me a whole 4 lb chicken! She even showed pictures of the chickens and invited us to see the farm. She told me that they eat what they should eat, therefore the bird is quite flavorful and that I shouldn’t do anything fancy with it.

So, last Wednesday I was planning on cooking the bird when I decided to go see Sen. Obama in Indy. I thought to myself, I need to show my state’s support. Indiana always votes red, and this year is an exception. Most polls show the race tightening, and I’m thinking positive.

I arrived home, beaming, ready to get things started. I knew my candidates would appreciate this meal’s tiny carbon footprint and my support for local business (JLT would love the Ag support). I love roasted chicken and found a super easy, albeit HOT, recipe. I just stuffed the cavity with local thyme, rosemary and (sadly, not local) cracked black pepper, rained salt and pepper on the outside, trussed the bird and stuck it in the oven for about one hour at 450F. Simple, honest, and confident. I did roast it over some local sweet potatoes and onions so the fat wouldn’t smoke (and so the potatoes would get GOOD). Success! (I could have cooked it 10 min less.)

Yum.

Right in the middle of harvest season I decided to pop open some 2006 Chardonel from Oliver’s Creekbend Vineyard. Yes, a Chardonnay wannabe, but has a distinctiveness about it. No, not my favorite white wine EVER, but excellent, balanced and perfect with the crispy-skinned bird and sweet potatoes and local broccoli. A deeper gold than I expected from a young Chardonel, no pronounced oak flavor, but a richness and a honey tone that lend me to think a little oak was there, but it was far from spoofilated. Quite an honest wine, more Chassagne than Napa. Full-bodied, dry honey, lemon rind, baked apple, and a broad texture, with a lovely little bitter finish.

And please, if you happen to be in the Northeastern chunk of Indiana, please vote for Mike Montagano…I’d love to see a Dem take my hometown/area/district away from the current horrible, horrible congressman. And the DNC decided to invest $500,000 in Mike’s race!

Thank you.

X tastes like X (VP Debate wine)

2008-10-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

Di Majo Norante, 2002 Contado, Aglianico, Molise, $13, 13.5% abv

Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, & Aglianico = deliciousness. These three grapes exude tastiness that I can never resist. When grown in their home turfs, their varietal character enchants me. Well-made, well-priced examples of these always have a place on my personal wine list. As the temperature drops, I start looking for some good bottles. I found this (older vintage) Aglianico at my local, wine shops (where the wines tend to be VERY poorly stored and often you get weird oxidized or funky bottles; like a 2006 Rueda that tasted like an old white Burg), so I hesitated to buy it. But I was hungry for that floral/fruity/earthy combo you get in Aglianico.

I opened this bottle, and that’s what I got. Aglianico. Classic Aglianico flavor, not as fruit-driven as the Terradora Aglianico 2006, or as earthy and statuesque as a Taurasi, but classic fruit. I really can’t find any vintage information on 2002 in Molise (Can you get vintage information on Molise anywhere?!), but this dude’s tannins had subsided, giving the black cherry, floral, and blackberry fruit a nice leathery edge, blah blah blah. When my companions asked me what I thought this tasted like, I replied, “Mmm. Tastes like Aglianico.” Good (definitely great QPR) Aglianico for that matter. The bottle was even better on Day 2.

Oh, and this was my VP Debate wine. I was hoping for Scary Palin to take off her glasses and reveal that this whole thing was a huge publicity stunt, and she was actually Tina Fey. If Fey was McCreep’s running mate, I may consider switching my vote. (Or switching my opinion of Tina Fey.)

Wine.

Hump Day Bubblies

2008-10-02T08:57:00.001-07:00

Oliver Winery, Sparkling Vidal Blanc, Creekbend Vineyard, 2006, $25, 12.5% abv

I adore this bottle of bubbly for its immense drinkability. Aged less than a year on the lees places this bubbly on the light, fresh, yet somewhat profound. Made from estate-grown vidal blanc from the Creekbend Vineyard, the foremost vineyard in the state (and one of the foremost in the central Midwest) and given a very hands-on treatment, with all aspects of bottling done by hand—disgorging, dosage, and corking. Most interesting of all is the actual dosage—made by adding a dollop of Oliver’s Vidal Blanc Ice Wine. Although not designated on the label, this bottling tastes like a the sweeter side of Brut, but not quite Extra Dry. The ice wine gives the bubbly a little more body and depth of honey/apricot richness. Deep golden color, medium-sized bubbles, this bubbly has gained some complexity since release, softer and richer, and could even go a few more years. Aromas of apricot, meyer lemon, and slightly underipe peach, and peach pit, refreshing, a balance of acidity and richness, and a touch of sweetness that keeps it from being at all bitter.

All in all, one of the most unique and satisfying non-Champers bubbly I’ve had in a little while. For some reason it reminds me of Francois Pinon’s NV Petillant.

A perfect way to drink local, always my creed, and also advocated by an awesome post by Jeff @ GoodGrape.

Complantation (with an uberCool website) and Chasselas

2008-10-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

Belated post. Spurred on as a sort-of response to Brooklyguy’s post on Alsace. As it is the second day where it feels like fall around here (Yay!), I have decided to finish the post I meant to write, oh, in June.

When the Chicago Green City Market just got in a good swing, with lovely berries, spring onions, and asparagus everywhere I began my veggilicious diet.

I sautéed some of the aforementioned spring veggies and some basil and tossed it with some Bucati and grates some Pecorino on top. It was fantastic. And you know what else was fantastic—the wine.

Marcel Deiss, Englegarten, 2002, $35

No sign of age on this baby at all! I love many things about Deiss—Biodynamics, complantation, and sheer yumminess. While Deiss’s traditional varietally-labeled wines are fantabulous, his “vins de terroir” are a giant leap up in complexity. (His website is kick-ass. It’s in French, but you can figure things out. There’s this killer I’m-riding-in-a-helicopter zoom in on each particular vineyard that I love! I watched it at work for like 20 minutes one day.) Anyway, all of Deiss’s “vins de terroir” are made from many varietals “complanted” in the same vineyard. The Engelgarten is definitely the entry-level blend, even at about $35, and consists of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Beurot, Muscat, and Pinot Noir—the exact percentages not given. Super-interesting golden fruit aroma, from lemon to very ripe yellow apple and all fruits in between, a definite floral note, and a slight sweet/herbal note and MAYBE a hair of RS, but not much. I love the Englegarten because the acid is always soprano high. Where some of Deiss’s wines broaden out too far, this one is always simultaneously held back yet generous. I like to think of myself as a bit of an Englegarten. Heh. It’s hard to describe the actual flavors of this, but easy to say you should grab a bottle.

Here are some pictures of the Englegarten vineyard from his website:

Then, a few weeks later I too Carl’s advice (who has the #1 best blog ever…about PORK), and brined a pork loin and roasted it with a molasses-mustard glaze and roasted some onions and carrots and broccoli and shared it with my two besties in my teeny apartment.

And we had a bottle of Albert Boxler. The Pork Was Fantastic. Thanks Carl.

Albert Boxler, Chasselas, 2005, $19

Chasselas!

According to Wikipedia, some believe this grape is Egyptian and 5,000 years old, and some believe its Swiss. I read the former in Hugh Johnson’s book. Hmm. Anyway, I LOVE Boxler’s wines like I do Deiss’s and a few other domaines’. Boxler is always on the mark, from the grand (and value, even @ $28) Riesling to the Edelzwicker. The Chasselas, usually a poo-poo non-noble grape variety found in Switz and in Pouilly-sur-Loire in France. From Boxler’s lovely estate in Niedermorschwihr (say that five times fast) comes this golden nectar. Sort of rich and round enough to stand up to the pork, a tad pinot blanc-y, all I recall are honey, apple, and some spice notes, with great body and lots of yum-factor. I loved this wine and it is a steal at the price. I don’t remember much else, but impressive. Boxler puts lots of love in this ignoble variety. Status: elevated.

And another one for good measure:

Kuentz-Bas Alsace 2005, $12

WOW value! Not the most profound bottle of wine ever, but for $12, I’d buy plenty! Since Indiana like only has Kermit Lynch wines (Grr. The fact that I can't get any LDM vino breaks my little heart. Seriously, I browse the Chambers Street website and drool. Someone PLEASE carry these wines in Indiana or I’ll have to do it myself.) Very nice little blend of the ignoble varieties 60% Sylvaner, 15% Chasselas, 15% Muscat, 10% (the always-a-different-grape) Auxerrois. Lightly floral and Muscat-y, with a touch of honey and just a light mineral/citrus/pear tone to the fruit. Nothing complex, but would be a fantastic by-the-glass sort of wine. Mmm. Need to buy more. I had it with some cheese and friends. I love upstairs neighbor!

Look! I found a pic with the cepage!

Ok, I’m done now.

Holla.

Ugh, I went new world.

2008-09-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

This is the town of Marsanne.

This is the grape of Marsanne.
This is the wine of (Qupe) Marsanne (2006).
This is the grape of Roussanne. (17% of the wine!)

Stop the presses: I drank a Cali wine! When only mediocre Frenchies exist and wines from Bob L. are at crazy-low prices. This wine was fantabulously good! Yes, in that on-the-fruit sort-of California way, but fantastic.

Qupe Marssanne 2006 Santa Ynez Valley, 12.5% abv

Crazy low abv for a Rhone-ish white, if you ask me. Really nice. Fantastic acidity that gives the wine a mineral richness, meduim bodied, lots of really linear tangerine and meyer lemon notes. Has only a hint of that Marsanne breadth that one comes to expect. Really killer value, and such a restrained effort. The honey/chamomile Roussanne peaks through very nicely adding a fair dollop of complexity. A fantastic food pair, with just about anything from firm flesh whitefish, anything with a tropical sauce, to green curry, to just good converstation.

I have a weakness for Rhone whites. Don't tell Chenin/Riesling I cheat on him. (Good Roussanne is heaven.)

Fallout

2008-09-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

With the bounty of the weekly farmers market full of fall flavors and the last vestiges of summer, and the mornings with a brisk, mid 50s chill it is time to break out the wines that hug. I'm speaking of Loire reds. Mmm.

I love old wine maps. (Hint: x-mas/bday/anytime gifts for me.)

Sadly, none of my favorite LDM wines are available here in my lovely state. (Side note: Indiana seems to be tilting toward the blue side. Blue being my favorite color, of course. The BF was telling me it went to "white" which meant a Obama/McScary tie, which for us, is fantabulous. Everyone needs to register to vote (for Senator O) in IN.) So no Baudry or Breton for me (Although I have some Breton @ my Sister's house in ChiChi.) There was some strage $40 Chinon at the liquor store down the street that I wasn't too familiar with, and the "wine guy" (I must mock him, he is never helpful, he told me the Telmo "Basa," "has to be 100% Verdejo", and I wanted to retort "That's not what Telmo said.") Said it was "very good, especially if you don't like Cab Franc". So I passed. But I found one last lonely bottle of the Chanteleuserie Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes 2005 for $15 and snatched it up. (See a VLM Bourgeuil comparison report here.)

Chanteleuserie Bourgeuil Vieilles Vignes 2005, $15, 13% abv
Super-value. Rustic, concentrated dark blackberry liquor with only a faint hint of leafyness. Should have decanted or at least opened the bottle a little earlier because things were a bit firm and not so nice at first. But then it came into it's own, and had some killer balance of acidity. I was impressed. I don't know if I like the VV or the Beauvais better...I'm leaning toward the VV. If you see this, it's totally worth the $. A firm, yet approachable '05 Bourg. Great with some roasted squash with sage and thyme turkey tenderloins! Yummers.

Wine of the Spring

2008-09-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

Last night I came home from work and all I wanted was a glass of my #1 favorite wine of--this spring. Yes, from the first instance I tasted this gem I find it irresistably gulpable and it makes me tingle with joy. It's also a spectacular value. As value seems to be on the mind of Sr. Asimov and Brooklynguy, I thought I'd chime in. I love to be a part of this group of peeps who seem to enjoy the same wines. (For those unfamiliar with the Vinous Blogosphere: the Loire, followed by the Beaujo is where all of the cool kids are drinking. CRB, Brun, and Puzelat are everywhere! Love it.)

Sadly, I don't have the Mecca, Chambers Street, to shop at (although I'd love a few cases of select Loire/Beaujo/Riesling/Burgs from them! And some Bugey Cerdon!), so I am left to my own devices and the booty I brought from Chicago.

And, yes, I reviewed--uh, drank--a white. BioD/Natural and everything. And f#$%ing yummy.

Domaine St. Nicolas "les Clous" Fiefs Vendeens 2005 (60% Chard/40% Chenin). $14, 12.5% abv. Vines grown a frisbee throw from the Atlantic, south of Nantes, makes it very Loire-ish. As this old map shows, they've been making wine in this VDQS (soon to be AOC, I'm sure) for a while. This wine is just yummy, it balances this savory Chard character (Like I get in Cadette's Bourgogne Vezalays) with that haunting broad Chenin-love thing. Mmm. Yummy--that's it. Complex, haunting, like hay, honey, stone, peach/apricot, and stuff. Dry, but not offensively so. It went bonkers with my homestyle bean curd/spicy string beans, which, by the way, is one of the only Chinese take-out meals I will eat.

F-ing love maps.

Anyway, this wine rocks it. And, to repeat Eric--France is the best source for wine values in the world. And I don't want to hear any arguments otherwise...unless you have some.

Treating Myself

2008-09-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

I'm going to gloat for a second. I worked hard around the house today and have decided to reward myself by popping a bottle I've been eyeing since I got it at an absurdly low price. I won't give you exact numbers, but at my local, sort-of-sketchy wine/Middle Eastern/Asian food shop I saw a bottle of Jean Foillard's Morgon "Cote du Py" 2006 for, like, uh, $15 less than I used to sell it for. I grabbed it and didn't let go. But it was the only bottle I could find in the store, and I couldn't find a staff member to locate another. Maybe it's all for the better cause I would have cleared them out of it.

Anyway, you know my feelings on Beaujolais, and ever since tasting the 2006 Foillard @ a Lynch tasting, I had to get my hands on a bottle. Many of my insanely-awesome daily-read blogs have commented on Foillard, especially Mr. LF himself...a few times. Wine Terroirs even visited Mr. Foillard and got star treatment! (The picture is courtesy of him...and this pic makes me very happy.) Bastardo of the Gang of Pour and Jamie at Wine Anorak, among MANY others have sung the praises of his "Cote du Py". (Also a really cool panoramic from the top of the, uh, Mt. Py.)

I opened it at let it breathe for a few hours while I folded laundry and when I finally swirled and sniffed--I fell in love. Roses, rhubarb, tart cherries, strawberry, some sort of oolong tea business--very aromatic in a very cohesive way. Mmm. It tastes like glossy cherry satin, with some definite earthy rich notes, and a yummy long little spicy something on the finish. Moreover the aromas and flavors evolved and changed...as I watched the lastest episode of Project Runway on youtube. (Love that show. I hope the finals are Jarrel, Korto, and Leanne. Kenlee is getting on my NERVES.)

Happiness is.

2008-09-17T09:03:00.001-07:00

A Fluttering of Summer-worthy other whites!

Shazaam!

To inaugurate our new apartment I popped a few bottles of summery interesting whites:
(We haven’t been able to drink much due to Jason’s mountain of homework.)

Suore Cistercensi 2006 Vino de Tavola Bianco Coenobium (Lazio)
50% Verdiccio, 25% Grechetto, 25% Trebbiano Toscano, 12.5% abv ($20.99) Organically grown.

From the delicate hands of Cistercian Nuns who farm organically, via Rosenthal and Bea, come this little gem of a white wine from Lazio. The depth from the verdicchio sends this wine to the memorable side of the table (I can’t find any verdicchio here in Indiana, I know not.) Lots of body and richness, without unnecessary alcohol or oak, and a definite lees-influenced character, this wine is just so damned interesting and tasty. Like tangerine, straw, stones, and honey all rolled up into one, with tons of body yet a stalwart acidity as a backbone. Not at all limp or two-dimensional. I should buy a case of this. A few of my friends had sips of it and were like “wow.” Definitely worth the price.

Amestoi Rubentia Txakolina (GetariakoTxakolina) 2007
90% Hondarribi Zuri, 10% Hondarribi Beltza 11% abv ($14.99)

I got this for a STEAL (I saw this bottle priced $20+ other places). I love love love Txakoli, it’s so unique, quaffable and, when you get rockin’ examples like this, very minerally and place expressive. You get that lime and blossom aroma, with tons of chalky/slatey minerality and a whiff of the ocean. Little tiny amount of spritz and some razor acidity. Yum yum, a little minty, lime, green apple, sea water, mountain stream on the palate. So scrumptious with summer veggies or sushi. I probably love this example because it was oh so Riesling-y. Very recommended for $15-18, but maybe not for $22.

Domaine l’Ecu Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie “Expression de Gneiss” 2005
(Guy Bossard) ($14.99) BioD grown.
After reading glowing reviews of Bossard’s wines and finally finding one (and how it got to Southern Indiana is a miracle), I grabbed it. I like Muscadet, and find it charming, quaffable, and a sort of intrinsically “French” white wine. Never giving itself over to you fully. Always restrained and not uber-candy-yummy, but sort of savory yet refreshing. This was no exception but with tons of complexity to boot. Should buy some more and age it for 8+ years. Tons of electric tension in this BioD wine, weightier and very structured and taut yet with the underlying minerality and some more fruit ripeness than typically expected of Muscadet. A bitter yellow apple not with an salty/herby/stony sort of backbone. Hard to put this wine to words. But SO GOOD. KILLER for the price and fun to pair with food. Herbs and seafood with some sort of cream sauce.

Gneiss.

Woes of SB

2008-09-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

Sauvignon, I love and hate you.

Just a note on SB. I have very sepecific cravings for SB on occasion...more specifically for the herb-tinged Loire-style minerally versions of SB. Think Cheverney or some cheapy Touraine SB. that's what I love. But do I think that SB is a wine we should spend over $20 for. Nope. Yes Didier makes some amazing renditions, not to mention some rockin' sockin' Styrian SB, but still, is it that profound. I'd easily spend $20+ on Chenin, Chard, or Riesling (which is an easy thing to do nowadays), but SB, no. Maybe even a Verdicchio or Albarino. The yummy factor and "completeness" of these greats seems to outshine the simple quench factor of SB. SB does not age well, aside from maybe a couple of lucky examples. It misses a few points aromatically and on the tongue that really can't be made up for.

There you go. Very vague, but you get the drift.

Miss Understanding

2008-09-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

Oh, it's only been a few months, settle down. I'm going to try to at least post a little blurb each morning as I have my coffee.

Things have changed--a job change, big move, all for the best. Maybe not wine-wise, but I think I can deal with it. Just a quick note on prejudice.

Terroir does not mean a wine smells like poo and brett. A Pomerol can taste like cherry cordial and still be expressing terroir. What the fuck is a merlot trying to say if it tastes like a "merlot" plus toasted oak and 15.6 abv?

French wine does not all taste the same. Hello? Does any wine from any nation taste the same? Duh. If you want a super-plush, pillowy-sweet, choco-mocha-oaky, muscle-red wine you can find plenty of those in Frogland.

I hate "grape" flavor. Here I mean the classic Welch's grape juice/jam/jelly flavor. Yes, that's Concord for the rest of you. I have never liked anything that flavor...ever. I think it's nasty.

Vintage matters.

Sauvignon Blanc is not usually profound, but very very yummy. Salvard 2007 Cheverny--mainly Sauvignon plus a little Chard. Superyum.

We are lead to believe that things are should be lined up good-better-best. How about yes, there are some good, some not so good, but mainly, lots of different.

Don't hate me because I sort of love things that taste sort of...bad. I like tutti-fruity things too!

If you see me drinking something that's over 14 abv--I'm not contemplating the wine, I'm getting plastered.

Amen.

Hypocrite!

2008-06-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

Hi ya'll who read this. I just wanted to tell you that I had a few California wines that were quite good.

Well, I've had these wines plenty before, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm about three quarters through Joly's book on Biodynamics, and a vineyard manager frm Grgich Hills stops by work to chat with us. Mind you, I've always been amorous towards the Grgich Chardonnays--no malo super-balance and age-worthy, a few almost reminding me of Chassagne-Montrachet. Primarily I was pleased with the care and thoughtfulness of the vineyard management and minimalism in the cellar, and the stance of the winery to convert all of their wines to Demeter certification by 2007. A fantastic old (for California) winery that is not a few ex-bankers or ex-investors who have a few bucks to kill and want to make overpriced, cult Gob wine at any cost and utilize labs and chemicals to fix "problems". The Fume Blanc (although I detest that made-up varietal for S.B.) was very very balanced, subtle and delicious with a touch of fennel on the nose that brought complexity. Very nice, and very restrained. The Chard. was great as well, not as good as the previous vintage I had, but awesome for Cali. No malo, so acids are kickin' and totally in sync with the oak, which is a lovely addition, making for the breadth and Chassagne-like spread, along with touch more ripeness, think yellow apricot and yellow apple with some light baking spice on top. Nice. I'd love to see this much later. The '03 Cab, for me, is the least impressive, but sublte, very Cabernet (with a great fruit supported by a very very slight herbal savor). The '04 Zin was showing very, very well that day. The nose picked up tiny oolong tea notes, no heat on the palate, and great fresh (not sun-dried) fruit, with a surprising density--this would make a fabulous food wine. The Merlot, often my favorite red, was corkie-dorkie.

Anyway, seek out the locals who are doing their thing with some heed to nature and letting the dirt do the work. Also Grgich has some BioD bees, chickens, and veggies. BioD fennel anyone? Sign me up!

Pork and honestly Alsacian

2008-06-13T07:33:00.000-07:00

Damn it, I need to find my camera. Hold on. I'm going to go look for it now. So I scoured my apartment and it was sitting next to me on my desk. I'm awesome.

Anyway! Yesterday I had a few fantastic gastronomic experiences.

1. Spring onions. I bought a bunch because they looked pretty. I just chopped them until they were about 5" long and roasted them in the oven for about 20 minutes with some oil and salt and they tasted like candy! (I love the onion.) New spring favorite!

2. Pencil thin asparagus--raw. When asparagus is good, you can eat it like a carrot.

3. Brining pork. My pork muse, Carl, told me to brine a pork roast. I did, only for about 6 hours, but goodness, it was tasty and moist. The first time I avoided dryness! I also coated it with a cider vinegar/mustard/molasses glaze. Mmm.

4. Albert Boxler Chasselas 2005 Alsace --Amazingly, it paired perfectly with the pork. I really wanted a bottle of 2002 Roederer Rose Champagne but my friends were like, "Not the rose." so I grabbed the Boxler. Wowza! For a wine made from a so-called less-than-noble variety, it was f-ing tasty! You could taste the heat of '05 and the typical richness of Alsace (which I've been craving lately), with some lovely ripe yellow apple, yellow apricot/peachy notes, and a perfect texture, that sort of weaves itself between sublte acidity and a lightly creamy medium body. It flirts with richness but keeps itself under control. Boxler, seriously, you rock. Pork, you rock, too.

Although it's not so sunny here in ChiChi today, I am going to head afoot to find some shopping, friends, and some lunch.

Cheers to the weather in the 70s!

Summer, Beer, and Barolo

2008-06-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Summer In Chicago! You may think it's early August with these temps in the upper 80s, but you are mistaken! It's early June! I am drinking lots of beer! I should say, was. I looked down at my gut and said, you are why too much beer is bad for me (even though it tastes oh so good).

Anyway, Andersonville's Hopleaf bar/gastropub is fantabulous. Amazing encyclopedic beer seleciton, heavy on the Belgians. If you're eating, get the mussels. I won't tell you about the secret upstairs bar. Oh, and this place gets busy.

Secondly, Riesling rules. (But we already knew that.)

Third, the ladies at Lush rule because they have a fab selection (Will someone PLEASE buy me a bottle of 1996 Philipponnat Clos de Goisses for my birthday?! It'll look PERFECT next to the bottle of 1996 Salon that someone will buy for me!)

Finally: Happy Birthday CASEY! You should check out some of her work because she is supertastic!

Slacker!

2008-06-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

OMG. I have been a super-slacker when it comes to updating for the past month! No worries, I have been pestered for the past few days to keep up with things, so, even though I'm the only regular reader, I should keep writing!

Er. Um. I have lots of things to write about. Recent wine-related informations:

1. I purchased a ton of absurdly low priced Champers (ex. Aubry NV Brut $10).
2. It's suddenly August in Chicago--which means I go from drinking riesling 3 out of 7 days a week to all 7.
3. I have had a pinot noir epiphany. (And I also bought some redonkulously priced red Burgs.)

Mainly #1, and I have been addicted to the one of the most interesting, informative, and supremely focused vini-blogs out there. Read it now. Peter, you are my hero.
I also watched Mondovino for the first time. I just started reading Joly's new book (after reading Alder's fantastic review of it). I have the Alice Feiring's book to read after that. (Sorry, Alice, I adore you, but I have to read Joly first--the book is a little more dense than yours appears to be. and I got two bottles of his '04 La Roche Aux Moines for $12/each. What?!) And Eric's latest NYT article and blog post really brightened my day on Wendesday. I love working in an industry where I am surrounded by some of the most talented, intelligent, passionate, interesting, and humorous people EVER. This is a rockin' community. I am corny.

Guide me, Jackie

2008-05-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

I am about halfway through Jacqueline Friedrich's marvelous tome, A Wine and Food Guide to the Loire, and now is a time to reflect upon it and urge you to read it. Yes, my love of literature and wine dorkdom drew me first to Friedrich's ever-so-handy and entertaining volume The Wines of France (which if you don't own, you should), and I so enjoyed her casual, informative, and humorous style that I yearned for more. Little did I know that she published Loire nearly a decade before France, and althought it is out of print, I had to get my paws on it.

If you've read this blog, you know of my obsession with Loire wines. I find them to be the most characterful wines of France. Structurally, the book follows the format of books such as Joe Bastianich's Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy. Both books are divided into regions, and discuss the vinous history of each region, the politics and makeup of the region, and then subdivide the regions wines and end with discussing the typical regional foods. Friedrich's book exposes more nuances than Bastianich's book, she mentiones her top producers and their styles, she notes the politics and changes of the region, dwells on the countless and heavenly pork products, and she seems to cherish each and every type of wine from sweet to dry, from pedigreed to peasant.

This makes me seriously thirsty for Chenin Blanc, Muscadet, and Chinon. Seriously. I may go and enjoy some Coteaux du Layon, Savennieres, or Vouvray here soon. Mmmm.

Wine Lit Crit

2008-04-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

Last night, enjoying a relatively nice bottle of dry Pfalz riesling, I decided to watch some of the movies I got from the Chicago Public Library. Well, just one. Sitting in one of my grandparents' orange chairs, which may be my prized possessions, slightly dissappointed by the 2006 vintage in lots of German wines I've tasted lately (Damn global warming.), I watched the recent film version of The History Boys. I read the play and read all of the glowing press about the London and New York runs, and was fantastically excited that the original cast would be starring in a film version. Although they cut some of the soliloquys/monologues, the film was one of the most moving pieces I've seen in years. I'm sure it I would have been bawling if I'd seen it on stage. Immaculately written, perfectly acted, I wish plays/films like this would come around more often. The concept of the play/film is heavily intellectual--knowledge and its uses are at the center of the conflict. Yet emotional and sexual tension keeps the play/film afloat. I could go on and on and on about this, but I'll stop. I just wanted to touch on the wonderful combination of intellectual pleasure and sensual pleasure in wine.

I am one of those people that needs both. Yes, I can totally get into sensual wines--they are pleasing to drink! Some wines are entirely intellectual, esoteric, site specific, but not yummy. The immaculate combination of both sends me to my good place. Great riesling--austere, mineral, and dry, was what I was craving. I was looking for a great dry Mosel, but couldn't find any at a reasonable price, and the Pfalz I bough was nice, really balanced, but not what I wanted. It didn't quite deliver on the intellectual level. But the movie did. That's funny, because usually my wine delivers and my movies don't. That's why I drink lots of wine and watch very few movies.

Vouvray & Beaujolais

2008-04-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

If I were trapped on a desert island, I would take Vouvray and Beaujolais.
No. Let me rephrase that. If I had a little cafe, I'd have only five wines on the list: Champagne, Vouvray, Beaujolais, and a sticky--either a muscat-based light, fresh wine, or a fortified banyul-style sort of wine. But the Vouvray and Beaujolais are the core of the wine list. I wouldn't just stick with one of each, I'd switch it up every so often. But I'd try to keep it lively, fresh, yet still complex and absolutely food friendly focused. Here are a few of the wines that inspired me:

Francois Pinon Vouvray Tradition 2006
Something about this producer is like a hug. It's not over the top in it's components, the sweetness of a vin tendre, just to balance the acidity. Not too much richness or too much minerality, but the touch of minerals gives the wine some verve, nerve, and grounding. Golden raisins, apricots, meyer lemon, minerals, and a kiss of spiced pear. Subltle, happy, and something I could drink any day of the week.

Others that constantly inspire me and would make it to my list:
Francois Chidaine "Les Argiles" 2005 (Really, any of his wines.)
Domaine des Aubuisières 2006 "Cuvée de Silex"
Francois Pinon Vouvray Petillant Brut (Bubbles in my Vouvray? Anytime, anywhere.)
(I could mention Foreau or Huet on here, but, duh, they kick some Chenin ass and I love them.)

Pierre Chermette/Domaine du Vissoux 2005 Beaujolais
I adore Chermette's Vieilles Vignes Beaujolais, and Moulin-a-Vent that I have tasted, but the super-basic Beaujolais is amazing. Deep glossy, almost opaque purple, with the perfect balance of full-fledged fruit and smooth acidity make this little bugger one of the most simply satisfying wines I have tasted in recent memory. Blackberries, black cherries, a touch of minerals and a seamless integration of pure flavors. Chermette only uses indigenous yeasts and minimal handling, and is based in Saint Verand, on the very northern edge of the Beaujolais, which is an ideal spot for superb values.

I swoon for Beaujolais--here are a few other reasons:
Marcel Lapierre Morgon 2006
Jean-Paul Thevenet Morgon 2006
Jean Foillard Morgon 2006 (If you've never tasted any of these three, stop reading this now, and find some.)
Chateau Thivin Cote du Brouilly 2005 & 2006
Domaine Dichon Moulin-a-Vent 2005
La Madone Beaujolais "Le Perreon" 2005
Chignard Fleurie "Les Moriers" 2002 (Yes, beautifully aged Beaujolais.)
Chatelard Beaujolais-Villages 2006

I just feel that at this moment, or maybe a year or two ago, wines from these two regions represent values--and are both underappreciated and...yummy.

Serendipity

2008-04-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

I dedicate this post to the passing of a lovely New Orleans wine shop.

On Saturday I experienced a bit of food nirvana...more on that later, it will take some time to accurately describe how people and pig got me closer to perfection.

I have to mention Saturday quickly, because the first serendipitous encounter happened right before the pig dinner. Out of all of the apartments in Chicago, this dinner was taking place in teh exact same building on Eastlake in Rogers Park that my friends Julie & Zane reside. Upon exiting the cab with my coworkers, I say "Hey, my friends live in this building. Look! There's one now!" Zane was arriving home from work as we walked up to the building.

Sunday, yesterday, was a sunny spring day. Jason, Kate and I headed up to Andersonville, quite possibly one of the best places to stroll on a weekend, with every other restaurant advertising SUNDAY BRUNCH. We had a bottle of Schramsberg's NV Brut "Mirabelle" in tow and headed up to m. henry for brunch. Upon leaving we crossed paths with my friend Theresa, on her bike on the way to church, who lives in a Stone Soup co-op right on Ashland, a block from my place. m. henry, which shares its name with myself, after a much-too-long wait did deliver a fantastic brunch at great prices.

The first two serendipitous meetings didn't even come close to the final one. We were just jaunting down Clark stopping in places like the Brown Elephant and window shopping at Urbanest, when we hopped into In Fine Spirits. (A very nice little wine shop, but a store I would like to see with more a interesting, off-the-beaten-path, and old-world selection. I think it's a touch too new-world for me.) Upon entering Jason exclaimed "It's you!" to this woman working at the store. I was like, oh, she looks oddly familiar, but whatever. She smiled and exclaimed some and then Jason said "Sip, right!?" Oh. My. God. Yes! Jennifer was the proprietress of a kick-ass little wine shop right on Magazine Street in New Orleans. Jason and I went there all the time when he lived on Constance. We went to their weekly sip-n-spin tastings and always grabbed a bottle for dinner.

Sip, even though they had a mention in the NYTimes a while back, had, unfortunately, closed its doors. Jennifer told us that she had "cut her teeth" in the wine biz here in ChiChi (just like me!), and she came back here because Sip was just too much work and didn't pan out the way she planned. Luckily she seems to be doing well here in 'Cago, especially because she gets to hang in A-Ville and work at a fab little shop.

We tasted a few wines with her and looked around, and I was just awestruck that life had come full-circle in two places I love so much and all connected by wine!

It's a sign of some sort.

Delirious

2008-03-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

I sit listening to dance music and wait for spring. Spring is going to the return to hardcore riesling and bubbles drinking (not that I didn't guzzle those midwinter) sitting outside with my friends with some fruit and fromage. We've vowed to seize the summer and get outside. Daily runs along the lake, picnics, Hollywood beach, Ravinia, and tons of free shit!

Speaking of my friends, I think they should get some link-ups!

Since half of Bloomington moved to ChiChi, here are my faves!

Kate, who's doing some kick-ass art, lives across the street from me. It's dangerous.

Miss Casey, also an amazing artist, lives close by and makes me smile as she did when she was my roomie for three years!
Some IU theatre-folks who are tryin' to inspire the big Chi.
Co-worker super-Carl and his porkiliciousness.

In wine-lusciousness I got to taste some motherfuckinkickass Burgundies--again a lesson that terroir does matter. The best Savigny-les-Beaune Blanc that I've ever had (Flowers and Chalk) and a rouge Corton-Hautes Mourottes Grand Cru 2005 that was totally a more svelte Barolo (Violets and Dirt).

My favorite affordable wine of the day was a really esoteric, funky, and high-yum-factor white from the Fiefs Vendéens (You have to find this esoteric Loire-ish AOC for yourself.), Dom. St. Nicolas, a rockin', affordable, BioD producer of truly unique and yum wines. Chenin/Chardonnay, fresh, acidity kissed, not too-ripe, gulpable, uber-food friendly. I heart it.

Summer, hurry.

Personality

2008-03-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

http://wineisterroir.com/

Really, enough said. People with balls and ideas who aren't afraid to limit what people get and teach them a thing or two. I'm getting sick and tired of catering to people's taste sometimes, and would love to get to be a forward-thinking cerebral jackass once in a while...all with a sense of humor, of course.

This wine bar rulez. The wine list should go a little farther with the concept and attitude, but it's just a baby, and we'll see where things go. The political/propoganda aesthetic does the trick, and it's about time we politicize our consumption.

Anyway, that's enough for today. I need a Bartolo t-shirt.

Respect Beer

2008-03-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

The title says enough, but let me elaborate on my relationship with beer.

After forcing myself to like Keystone Light in college, I gave up on beer for a few years. (Some bad nights/mornings led to an extreme distaste for the hoppy beverage.)

Then I fell for wine, in all its varied splendor. While wine (like coffee, whiskey, and gin, in my opinion) rarely impresses upon the first time it touches your tongue, I was intrigued by this interesting beverage. It involved geography, botany, chemistry, and artistry. After a year or so riding the wine wagon and developing a discerning palate, I came to appreciate the artistry of beer.

Even more so lately, as I begin to draw huge similarities between beer and wine, I understand it as geographical (but not to the purported degree that wine is), which rocks my socks. Beer pairs with much food just as well, if not better than most wines (aside from the bubbly). The beer industry has many of the same issues that the wine industry faces: monster corperations, overblown beers (like qintuple IPAs), and people with a fear to try new and interesting beers from different places. Anyway. Gotta love the suds.

Thoughts of Spring Travel

2008-03-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

So it was about a year ago that I went to Barcelona. (After a week horrendous flu.) And amid the ever-lingering winter of Chicago, I really miss travelling someplace warm. There's this juxtaposition when you leave your frigid, extreme midwestern climate for something moderate, sunny, and beach adorned. Something that makes you sensual.

Speaking of sensual! Last night I got to enjoy a wine by one of my favorite white-wine producers ever, Do Ferreiro from the Salnes region of the Rias Baixas. I desperately want to go to Galicia, and this gets me pretty damn close (except for the cash it puts me back). A blend of about 85% Albarino and 15% Treixadura from a single vineyard. I love and appreciate Do Ferreiro's use of old vines, very low crop levels, and great ripeness--underripe, overcropped young vines lead to a more tart, less comples, less finesse, and that's mainly because certain crappy producers just want quantity of a somewhat trendy grape. Native yeasts are important to give the wines some character, as opposed to that icky international style.

The Rebisaca 2005 was amazing with a mix of sushi. It's a very firm, mineral wine, deep golden color, with notes of honeydew, meyer lemon, fennel, and loads of sort of this granite/slate aroma (Even though grown on the sandy too-well-drained Galician soil.) It had a very Burgundian balance and firmess of structure, which made me drool and reminded me why great wines from the Rias Baixas are some of my favorite in the world, combining the richness of white Burgs with the minerality and expressiveness of great Mosel, Rheingau, Pfaltz, and Nahe rieslings. Do Ferreiro knows how good their wines are, so they are all priced at or above $20, which, in terms of other wines of this stature, is a steal.

What I must try is the Cepas Vellas, rumored to be made from 200+ year-old prephylloxera albarino vines. Check out the video here.

Fat Packer

2008-03-19T06:31:00.000-07:00

My reaction to the recent NYTimes article.
I read the NYTimes food section religiously, especially for Asimov's outstanding wine writing (and a similar taste preference to my own).

The Times published an article today about fat foodies and fat foodies loosing weight. Now, I understand the point of the article, and I think it is important to show their transformations, but it is presumptuous to assume that all foodies overindulge in pork fat (which is delicious, by the way).

True foodies know how to balance indulgence and exercise, and know how to limit themselves. The latter is no easy feat for me, especially, when I'm known as the garbage disposal among my friends. But you have to realize that it's not about eating pasta and pork at all times. In the summer, foodies relish the fresh produce and, I, personally, eat very little meat in the summer, and tons of fresh produce--as much as I can get my paws on.

Foodies appreciate what they put into their bodies. We don't just grab McD's if we need to eat, we have to scrounge for something tasty and honest.

And I have to be careful what I eat, or the reflux attacks.

Biodynamique! or Loire again!

2008-03-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

Today I hit up a tiny, focused and awesome tasting. Naturally produced Loire Valley wines (with two wines from the Luberon that snuck in). ROCK IT. I was pumped, and rightfully so. We got to taste from the Fiefs all the way to Sancerre (which is more Burgundy than not). Chenin wins! (Sorry Sauvignon I could care less about you when Chenin is around.)

This is the sexy beast.

The ghost of Nicolas Joly was haunting me.
He, alone, hooked me on Loire wines, and unknowingly on BioD.
Why does this have to be so damn good and interesting?
First transcendent wine experience.
Daddy of BioD. (Granddaddy Steiner)
Jeez.

Anyway, back to the tasting. I loved the delicacy off most of the wines, the bubbles were fantastarific, got to taste Eric Bordelet's awesome, AWESOME ciders with the cidermaster himself! These organic ciders are more wine-like than the crappity carbonated ciders you may be thinking of. Very very complex bottles. There is Eric next to one of his 300-year-old pear trees that he harvests from. Look at him shake it! He's cool and a little crazy.

Had some very sexy Savennieres (my personal fave AOC), some charming bubbles, a rocking Cot (aka Malbec) with some freshness and cut and wanted me to drink it. The Fiefs Vendeens were rockin'. Some other nicely fresh Cab Francs, specially the St.-Nicolas-de-Bourgeuil. Yum. I appreciate the Dom Roches Neuves, but I feel the winemaking and ripeness sort of gets in the way of the charm of the wine. The Chenin was totally barrel-y in a very well-made way, but not in an interesting way. Same with the Marginale--OAK TANNINS! Not oak flavor, but more like, hey baby wine, go back to bed for a few years. That was my only drawback. It was faboo to meet people who worked so hard to make delicious, honest, earth friendly wines. This, along with too many overmanipulated, overripe, uninteresting, fruit nukes, brought me back to Europe with a ravenous need for more Loire goodness.

I came home and had some dry Mosel riesling, but don't tell chenin I'm cheating on him.

Wonderful Superiority

2008-03-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

This post is entirely tangental to the actual tastes of wine. Sort of. It's more of a stream-of-consciousness type of post so, here we go. 'Tis the season of spring portfolio/importer tastings, which rocks my socks--free learning, but is also slightly annoying. There so many very predictable types of people at these things that it makes me vomitrocious.

1. The typical "snob" who walks around throwing out unnecessary French vocabulary and asks the importer/winemaker questions BEFORE they taste, and who hops from Bordeaux, directly to Burgundy, to Barolo and Brunello, and maybe hits a few Cali/Oregon Pinot Noir or Napa Cabs. Never mind the great Rosso Piceno, Marzemino, or (god forbid) Beaujolais that begs to be tasted. Not to metion Bubbly.

2. The "oh, we go way back" sort of taster. "I've poured this wine by the glass for years." "I was the only person in Chicago to sell this wine back before it was so popular." "I know __winemaker__, he has me to his places and I make some BBQ and he pours me a vertical."

3. The twenty-something chick/dude who gets carted around by their sommelier/lover who tries to educate their sorry ass, but the chick/dude either doesn't really care or just wants to get drunk or exclaim "I love pinot!" and "Where is this from?"

4. People who don't spit.

5. The people who try to chat with me like I don't know what I'm tasting. People who say thinks like "Have you had this before? It's to die for." Or ask you a question like "So this is a blend of like 75 montepulciano, right? That's what I'm getting, anyway." The best real example being this amazing woman who was tasting an extremely mediocre Puligny-Montrachet alongside me for about the fifth time of the day and said "Now this is a fabulous Chardonnay, just outstanding." and I had to give her some attitude, so I retorted with "It's really nice, [giggle] I love Puligny, but it just tastes like average Puligny and isn't that exciting at the price." and she looked at me like I had caught her in the act. (I rarely open my mouth like that, I promise....but when I do, it's fun!)

6. Vendors/reps who don't know what their pouring. Unprofessional.

People I love at these tastings.

1. My coworkers are usually rockin' people to taste with.

2. Most of the importers are super nice, smart, and will direct you toward the esoteric must-tastes.

3. Most of the winemakers who are so happy you are taking time to taste their wines and will tell you all you need to know.

4. Hot foreign men. Argentines, Spaniards, and Italians, mainly. (There are a few wines I love simply because their winemakers or reps are smokin' hot with accents.)

5. Really nice restaurant people with good taste.

Bye!

Schlomping

2008-03-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to address the previous posts question for the last twenty-four hours or so. In between shlepping cases of wine, that is.

Been drinking some surprising Pinot from Digioia-Royer--this 2005 Bourgogne, which I find to be fascinating. It's like $16, and from a teensy, Chambolle-Musigny-based producer, and has been touted by a few of my cohorts as a "baby Chambolle". I don't think of it as "baby" at all, but, value, hella yes. This producer owns like 4 hecares or something crazy like that. Anyways, it's not as light and ethereal as I think of in a little Bourgogne, but has some really great structure, pretty present tannins, and I think, will be tons better in a few years. It even had a touch of sediment when I picked it up. Lightly floral, with notes of tar, dirty rocks, some shmushed black cherries. The fruit is tempered by the young tannic structure.

What I love about this wine is that it is honest and tasty. Yes, it needs some TIME, but it tastes unique, a little rough around the edges, and is idiosyncratic. It makes me think of wines that are like miss Janice Dickinson. And I don't mean to say that all California wines are like this, because there are wines like this everywhere--even in Burgundy. And I don't mean to say that Janice wines are bad. They are just sort of tweaked, manipulated, blended, and lucky that they are (often) grown in conditions that are so easy to grow grapes. California is just blessed with a humungous amount of these larger-than life personalities and wines. Whatever, I love JDMA to death and could watch her every day be crazy, loud, showy, fake, and intoxicatingly trashy.

Cognitive dissonance: I really enjoy that shit on TV, but not in my glass.

Salud. That is the end of the glass.

Unwine-d

2008-03-11T15:29:00.001-07:00

Don't let the lack of posts distress you, I vow, for the umpteenth time, to continue updating this godforsaken blog. I always feel like talking about wine in some sort of fashion, yet I don't always feel the need to dwell on wine. Often wine comes as a key to something much more entertaining, and I don't mean because I get krunk and crazy. I mean I think about wine and then watch several episodes of Bravo's Make Me a Supermodel, quite possibly the best trashy show ever (or second only to JDMA).

No, I don't own a television.
No, I don't go over to a friend's house to watch it.
Yes, I youtube it.
Yes, I wish I had some way to get it in HDTV.

But I don't. But my extreme desire to watch and re-watch this show makes me think about taste. While I am uber-picky about the wine that I choose to by, and rarely put my money on sugarfied chocolicious oakies, and strive for reasonably-priced charming, singular wines. Same goes with food generally. (Chicago hot dogs are unique, regional food.) Also, I sort of love trashy music, and listen to it frequently. It induces the strut. How can I relate my bad taste in pop culture to my taste in wine? Or should I? Hmm.

More on this later, I am going to re-watch the SNL spoof of Christian from the P-roject Runway.

"Sweet pea, that dress looks like tranny ice cream."

Oh, the countryside and the snow...

2008-01-23T19:40:00.001-08:00

Yes, I am finally drinking the vino tinto, after the struggle against it, I want some red wine.

And red wine food.

So I didn't have much wine, and didn't want to break the bank, like you often have to do for an interesting and/or powerful red. I did not want to get one of those international-styled reds, I wanted something with character and a sense of where it's from.

I have my Vietti Perbacco Nebbiolo chillaxin' for something more special. So I grabbed a Salice Salentino and an inexpensive aglianico. Then I did a sort of northern Italian-inspired braised beef dish with the aglianico, and it rocked, but I wish I would have been more regionally accurate, but hey. The Terradora Aglianico IGT Compania was rockin, not as funky/earthy as I like, but really great body, aromatics, not overly alcoholic, and very very good to braise. Wine is fun.

Vieux Carre

2008-01-21T19:50:00.000-08:00

I spend altogether too much time in front of this screen, delving into the sickening (yet fascinating) realm of wine esoterica or watching Project Runway and Janice Dickinson on youtube. [I don't own a TV, because if i did it'd suck my life away...because I love trashy television.] So I finished the most recent Janice and then headed off to taste Bordeaux.

Wow, baby left-banks ripped my tongue out. Even tasting the luscious stickies hurt (because I want to taste them in like 30 years when they'll be like dew from the gods). Actually these wines were pretty rockin' and tasty across the board. I none were underripe, many were a touch riper and more forward than I'd have liked, and only two or three really missed the mark for me. I love St. Em and Pom so much that it makes me weepy. In general, I feel that the Bordeaux '05 is rockin', but I still would rather spend that kind of money on something more esoteric. Free is good, though. Pomerol and trashy television.

Sunny

2008-01-16T11:53:00.001-08:00

Quickie.

It's a sunny, brisk January day here in Chi-ville, and I have been enjoying cooking, after hitting up Stanley's Produce the other day.

braised fennel with pasta
olive oil
1/2 a large sweet onion
1 bulb fennel
salt & pepper
white wine
chopped walnuts
pasta, like linguine or another thick noodle (ha ha)

halve an onion and thinly slice it
chop the stems off the fennel bulb and remove and save the leafies
finely chop the fennel stems (the green part)
quarter the bulb and thinly slice it (similar to the onion)
chop the leafies of the fennel and put them to the side

boil some water and cook your pasta

into a dry pan on med heat, toast the walnuts until they become fragrant and set aside
in the same pan
add some nice big glugs of olive oil
over med-hi, add the chopped stems and cook for about 3 min
then add the onions and the fennel bulbs along with some salt and a tad of pepper
cook for about 8 minutes or so, then add enough glugs of wine to bathe all of the goodies
cook that until thinks are tender-crisp and the stems are no longer tough

when the pasta is about 1 min away from done, add it to the fennel and stir for about 1 min
glug some wine in if too dry
add a flourish of olive oil, fennel leafies, and walnuts, toss
and serve

I love fennel.

This would have been perfect with some aromatic Italian white. Perfect! That gives you tons of choices (NOT PINOT GRIGIO), Arneis, Favorita, Erbaluce, Tocai Friulano, Pinot Bianco, Kerner, Muller Thurgau, a dry Muscato Gaillo, or, ooo some Verdicchio. Something like that. Perfect. Italian whites (ASIDE FROM BORING PINOT GRIGIO), are so interesting, cheap, and yummy.

Today

braised red swiss chard & tuna pasta
again inspired by the easy italian dishes, i wanted to have this with some ground turkey, but it didn't thaw in time. poo.

1 bunch swiss chard
1 can tuna
1 clove garlic
olive oil
dash of crushed red pepper
white wine
salt & pepper

capellini or similar smaller pasta

put water on to boil
chop garlic clove and add to a few tablespoons olive oil in a cold pan along with red pepper
turn heat to medium as you chop the chard
once garlic becomes very lighly browned and fragrant add chard and wilt
flake the tuna unto the chard and mix
add enough wine to bathe the chard and turn to low simmer and cover

cook pasta
when pasta is about 1 minute from done, add to chard and cook for another minute along with a flourish of fresh oil

serve with fresh graded pecorino

I would love this dish, light, a bit more savory, with something like a Falanghina or Tocai Friulano. Erbaluce would do well, as would. But I could do something crazy like Emilio Bulfon's Cividin. Yum.

But alas, I had no Italian white. Only Vietti's '04 "Perbacco" Langhe Nebbiolo staring up at me, longingly. Both of these dishes were made with and served with a domestic wine. Chehalem's 2006 Pinot Blanc. Richer styled than most Italian Pinot Bianco, with some hefty ripeness and a tad but of neutral barrel aging for some viscosity. But quite tasty. This would have done better with something a bit richer, some sort of gratin or roasted root veggies. A really tasty wine, which reminded me of some $15-20 Bourgogne Blancs. Really cool, and I appreciate what Chehalem is doing (especially with riesling), except for letting the alcohol in their (previously lovely) INOX Chard to get out of control. Even when things aren't perfect, it's fun.

Drink wierd, yo.

Loire Reaches

2008-01-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

So it's mid January in Chicago and I'm drinking Loire whites.

Can we say Cour-Cheverny, Cheverny, Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Savennieres, Vouvray, Montlouis, and Chinon (blanc, that is)?

Yes we can all for under $20. I'd be drinking some wonderful 2005 right bank Bordeaux (if they were about $10 cheaper), some lovely Barolo (if they were about $75 cheaper), and some Cote de Nuits (if they were about $100 cheaper), but alas, my pale lover has taken hold of my pocketbook. (I've been craving Beaujolais, specifically Morgon and Fleurie, lately, and there's no excuse not to buy them.)

I'm not going to write specific tasting notes, I'm just going to dwell on the utter charm of these wines. Charm is something I always talk about when I'm thinking about great value wines. I don't mean a wine that will penetrate the soul and be so complex that it overtakes an entire evening of thought, but a wine that stands out as singular, expressive, and takes me from my orange chair in my studio apartment to somewhere else.

Tessier Cour-Cheverny 2005. Romorantin's final bastion is Cour-Cheverny, and it's so tasty. I always get a very apple-juicy quality out of this grape but Tessier's has much more heft, funk, and body than the Dressner Cour-Cheverny (a wine that I love). A little earthiness and body does this wine well. Esoteric wine lovers, unite!

I had a Kermit Lynch Cheverny, undoubtedly a Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay blend, but very expressive of that lively grassy/mineral Loire SB, with a little more body. For $10, I can't think of a more charming, food-friendly wine to take to Glenn's Diner for their insultingly good, simple fish.

I also had a lovely Quincy, from the little AOC west of Sancerre and Menetou-Salon, that was very very lightly-colored, but had that pungent herbal and lime note that was so savory that it made me smile. Not the most elegant example of that style of SB, but it helped me to accept that SB can be interesting and really, really cool. This wine was so neat that I bought a cheap Mentou-Salon so apologize to SB. (I have been dogging on SB lately.)

Francois Chidane's many Montlouis offerings stun me, especially the Truffeaux (sp?). Chenin kills me.

Now this wine is freaky. The Chateau d'Epire, Savennieres, 2003. Yes '03 was super-ripe everywhere in France...people died. Lynch's bottling (unfiltered, as always) comes from a vineyard on the same hill as (oneofthecoolestwinesEVER) Joly's monopole AOC Coulee de Serrant. This vineyard (according to Lynch) wanted to be included in the Coulee de Serrant AOC, but didn't, for some reason, get in. Thank gods for that, or else'd I couldn't buy a whole bottle. This wine is so deep golden that I gasped when I poured it. So ripe, and smelled like chamomile tea, golden raisins, dried apricots, yellow peach, hay, almonds, and about thirty other things. Yes, my bottle was a hair oxidized as it showed on the third day open, but was so rich, broad, and utterly scrumptious that I lost my marbles. The only beef I have with this wine was that it was so ripe that the acidity was tempered maybe a hair too much. I 'd love to have the '02 of this. Or the '05 in about 4 more years. Find this, buy it, and tell me what you think.

I've just sipped and sampled a few lovely Vouvray lately and remember how great they are. Mmmm.

Chinon only produces about 2% of white wine, and I got one! I haven't opened it yet, but it's on the rack waiting to be lightly chilled.

Drink wierd.

Attitude/Beef

2007-12-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

So, I need a angle for this blog. I already try to taste and promote the odd wines, the lesser-known AOC (and DOC, and AVA) wines, and now I'm going to be a little more firm with my decision. I could live on Chenin Blanc & Riesling. If I made more money, I could limit myself to Champagne (and maybe some other bubbles). I do adore Chardonnay (blanc de blanc Champagnes may be my ideal beverage), but it must be absolutely charming and (almost always) French. Yes, I am biased, and am all for people shifting my paradigm. And I would almost always prefer a white wine than a red. I SAID IT. Yes, I do LOVE red wine, and I used to drink almost entirely red wine, but things have changed, I eat more food that calls for whites, reds are more expensive and appropriately aged vintages are hard to find. And stick my sangiovese in the fridge for a few minutes before you serve it. Pinot noir, merlot, mencia, nebbiolo, sangiovese, aglianico, cab franc, and gamay are kick-ass, but the former two need to be special to really get me hooked. I live in the land of esoterica. If you mention an overly-branded wine, I will cringe.

Here's my current beef with the typical Cali wine shopper/drinker (mind you, I love love love some Cali wines) compared with the typical European wine shopper (aside from the super-Tuscan shopper, who is more like the Cali shopper/drinker and a lot like the Aussie/NZ drinker). Typical drinkers as for brand A Napa Cab, or B Pinot Nor, or C Chardonnay. If you don't have that Brand or Winery they want, they don't care as much what else you have. The typical Euro-drinker says, hey I'm looking for a good White Burg, or a Good dry Mosel rielsing. Or an amazing Brunello. The Cali drinker could come up and ask for a suggestion for a great Napa Cab, but no, that's not an option. Yes, I'm making a bitchy generalization, but it is so prevalent that it makes me crazy. People who are "in to" Euro wines can be even worse than these peeps, but they usually have enough money to do it in the privacy of their own homes.

Drink wierd.

2004 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet

2007-12-05T21:07:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been drawn to whites significantly more than reds. Whether it be the stalwarts of Riesling, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, or the slightly more esoteric Erbaluce and Romorantin, or the ol' favorites of Roussanne and Verdejo, I find whites to be more intricate, delicate, affordable, and and varied. Right now. Even as Chicago is covered in a blanket of down, I am drinking ever-so-slightly chilled Puligny-Montrachet from Domaine Leflaive from 2004.

Yes, it is to early to be drinking this baby, I give it at least 3 years before blossom. My bottle was also slightly defective, but I think the juice is fine. On first sniff, oak. As I cringe, the wine opens to slightly floral, lemon curd, and hazelnut skin aromas, all still overriden with the toast of a handful of new barrels. The oak plays nice and doesn't dominate the palate, but lets some of the lemon curd, butter, apple, pear, and spice notes dance around. The texture comes across very nice, a balance between reasonable (not outstanding) acid structure, pleasant viscosity for the winter, and a statuesque delicacy. Still, the damn oak is too much right now. It needs at least three years, and about five would be best, I think. Oi. Still, some electric Puligny. Nice.

Oregon Wine Tour 2007

2007-10-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Tasting a lot of wine and drinking a lot of beer. That’s it in a nutshell. Oh, I guess I ought to include the purchasing of much wine. Oregon is such a beautiful state—different from the flatness of my Midwest. Portland was great—beautiful light rail, European-designed streetcar, and a, uh, bus system. The people (aside from the smelly ones) are fabulous (especially during Northwest Pride)—they’re politically, culturally, and environmentally minded, making them kick ass in my book. Portland was nice, but I’d rather live in the country. Wine country

Jason and I began our journey driving west from Portland and then planned to go down Highway 47 and hit up some wineries on our way to our hotel in McMinnville. SakeOne, an intriguing American “sakery” was my first stop. (Since I played uber-hyper scheduler during this leg of our trip.) Well, it wasn’t open yet. I got us up that early. So we headed down the road to what I thought would be an interesting stop.

Montinore Estate turned out to be a great first stop. They claim to be one of the only biodynamically farmed vineyards in the Willamette Valley, and many of the wines proved to express a little biodynamically influenced, hands-off winemaking techniques that I love. During the tasting, the associate whipped out a map of the vineyard (which surrounds the winery and tasting room) and pointed to which block may of the wines were grown. Damn, I love maps. The winner, in my mind was definitely the 2005 Gewurztraminer Reserve. Fermented entirely in neutral oak barrels, it had the classic rose-petal perfume that I find captivating. It also had a little fat oiliness that I expected, but counteracted the fullness with some nice acids, giving the wine fullness, richness, but food friendliness. This is a Gewurz I would pair with something richer, like a rosemary-braised pork loin. Yummy.

We did head back to the sakery, much to my excitement. The associate explained the whole brewing process of sake, which was somewhat foreign to me. And the sake itself was outstanding. Now, I’ve had too little sake as it is, but I was never sake tasting. The aromatic qualities of the sake stunned us. It was all well made, and we got some of the G sake, their premium, cask-strength cuvee, and some sweet sake infused with coconut and lemongrass. The latter tasted like medicine to Jason and sunscreen to me (when we decided to drink it at our hotel in Portland)—so we were glad we bought a tiny little bottle.

Then we went down to Elk Cove to check out some of the wines I’ve had before. No tasting fee: Good. Wine: Good. Nothing was outstanding—everything was well made. The Grenache from Southern Oregon was my favorite, yet we didn’t get to taste any of the prestige cuvées like the “La Bohéme” (which was served at in the Clinton white house). The dry-ish Riesling was nice, too. The winery really does have it’s own beautiful little cove, all nestled away.

Then we were hungry, so we went to Ruby Tuesday’s for white bean chicken chili and the fresh garden bar. Checked into the wonderful Hotel Oregon in McMinnville, and then headed out to go to a few more wineries before the day was up. We were heading to Argyle, and decided to pull off and follow the blue sign to Stoller. According to all Stoller propaganda, their south-facing hill in the Dundee Hills is deemed the Willamette’s “Corton Hill”. The south-facing slope has many different varieties, planted, primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. And as it turns out, most of the wine I bought (even at other wineries) was grown on this pretty plot. The site is on a former turkey farm, and the vineyard has been in existence since ###, yet the winery began in ###. They focus on estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They make two wines with each, a JV and SV, as well as a JV Pinot Noir Rosé. The 2006 JV Chardonnay is all stainless steel and beautiful. Mineral, floral, with a bright acidity and a lemon/green apple flavor profile that I love in Chardonnay. The SV Chardonnay held on to much of it’s lovely acidity, but added a little butter (from very slight malolactic fermentation) and pure vanilla (from some new and new-ish oak). I though the SV was elegant and more understated than some (the Argyle Nuthouse Chardonnay). The JV Pinot Noir was very nice, bigger than any Pinot Noir we had tasted so far, and a well-done effort, even though primarily younger vines compose the JV. Lots of fruit and a little flowers and spice. Fresh and food-friendly for being so big. The Rosé showed aromatic flowers, fresh strawberries, and a little but of a clean, crisp, yet full-bodied and fruity summer pinky. I bought a JV Chardonnay and a Rosé.

After being smitten with Stoller, I we headed into Dundee. Upon numerous recommendations, I decided that we should make sure to stop by Argyle. I have had three of their sparklers (two different vintage bruts and a vintage rose) as well as their 2004 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The latter was decent, but the three bubbly wines were standout winners. As many people know, visitors almost always hit up the Argyle tasting room. As on of the busiest, and with a broad range of wines, it makes a great stop for the more casual (aka less-obsessed) wine enthusiast. Their bubbly was nice, their pinots were a little too new worldy for me (lots of fruit) and the Nuthouse Chardonnay was very very ripe apple, pear, vanilla-candy, coconut macaroon. A great dessert or cocktail wine for those with a sweet tooth. Not simple, but not as elegant, restrained, or expressive of the climate as I would have liked, and it lacked acidity. The tasting room staffer was very inattentive and I wanted to chat and ask questions and learn about the winery. She acted as though it was insanely busy and that she didn’t have time to small-talk, and when she did answer my questions, the answers lacked any true substantive information. I’ve worked in a MUCH busier tasting room and still managed to answer curious customers’ questions, from very basic to extremely detailed. Verdict: nice bubbly, poor service, disappointed.

Enough wine for the day—the two weary travelers headed hotelward to rest our palates. The Hotel Oregon in McMinnville is part of the famous (or infamous) McMenamin’s empire of refurbished historic buildings. A bit gimmicky with the décor, this hotel was still charming. We had a nice room in downtown McMinnville right on Main St. near a great sushi spot, that we decided to hit up for dinner as suggested by my friend Claire, and our host at Stoller. The tasting room staff/bookkeeper at Stoller was finishing her dinner when Jace and I walked in, and she suggested what to order, and we added a few items to our list and had some of the freshest and most reasonably priced sushi I have had in recent memory. The creamy scallops were….mmmm. Yes. Time for some ice cream next door and bed.

Next morning provided us with a bit of heaven. Right next door to the hotel lays the Red Fox bakery—mmm. This gem has something called an “everything scone” filled with every sort of grain and nut and northwestern berry you can imagine. The associate even heated my coffee mug before filling it. I love them, I loved the scone, and it still haunts me. Best Scone Ever.

The next winery we hit up was actually up the road a few blocks in a former factory and run by Claire’s boyfriend Justin’s ex-brother-in-law. Sounds confusing, but he has a kickin’ Mohawk and runs a sweet gig. Basically he makes wine for [wealthy] people who have the winemaking bug. But he also bottles a bunch of wine under his own label. He was nice enough to stop sandblasting the outer wall of the building to come and pour us his wine. All of it. Which was very good. The Pinot Gris was probably my favorite, most mineral-laden PG of the trip. The Viognier was nice, as was the other big, fruit/oak white blend. His regular Willamette Valley Pinot Noir was quite good, and priced outstandingly, probably the best quality/price value on our trip. He had a bunch of other nice Pinot Noir, especially one with great tomatoey richness, that most people wouldn’t be fond of, yet Jace and I loved—but it was a little pricey for my taste. He also made a Cabernet Sauvignon, but I was not really enthused, but it was a nice departure from the Noir. That was Walnut City Wineworks.

We tasted so much with Zach @ WCW that we were late for our appointment with Chehalem. I was sort of like, meh, we should pass on it, but we drove right past it so I had to stop in. The next party was inside and we didn’t really know where to go but then a dog greeted us, as per usual, and the TR guy told us that they were nearly finished and that we could taste next. I insisted on waiting to taste at Chehalem because I knew they are a winery that focuses on (gasp!) White Wine. Blasphemy! Quite the opposite, folks. We tasted through a stunning list of whites. Many of which are partially sourced from Stoller Vineyard, which Chehalm’s founder helped to start. A lovely Pinot Blanc with a little more body than most, thanks to neutral oak. Stunningly silver-green dry Riesling that really impressed me, and the taster was quite excited about our enthusiasm about white wines in general. We chatted about the expressiveness of Riesling and it’s sad second-class status in many people’s eyes. We had another very nice Pinot Gris. I very nicely asked if we could taste the INOX Chardonnay, because I had loved the previous vintage. Again, it was delicious, yet a little much alcohol for my taste. But so so so yummy. Ian’s Reserve Chardonnay was massive. More oak, a little more fruit, yet it was complex and very Grand Cru. Quite good, but not for my cellar. Then we moved on to the reds. The 3-vineards Pinot Noir was really really yummy, with some awesomely intriguing smoke, spice, earthiness as well as bright fruit. The Ridgecrest was a huge, dense wine, very, very, pleasurable wine with big (not obnoxious) fruit that I think lots of people would love. The Reserve Pinot Noir also had tons of size, but with a little more restrained complexity in the earthiness arena. Or maybe it was the smell of the two huskies.

After that we drove around the Dundee Hills area a bit, and realized that we needed to head to the opposite side of Portland before the evening. So we went to Portland for lunch in the Pearl, then headed over to our second McMenamins hotel—Edgefield. We did not care for this hotel at all. Tacky to a new level. This place had a winery, distillery, eight million restaurants, thirty thousand bars, and an herb garden. Not to mention the entire suburban population coming out to enjoy the evening. It was just busy, loud and mediocre. I’d recommend against it. But the next morning might have been the most magical part of the journey.

The Columbia Gorge. One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever traversed. We drove on the Historic highway, with the first hour or so of our drive blanketed in dense fog, we stopped at Bridal Veil and a few other waterfalls, hiked, and finally came to Multnomah falls, hiked all the way up to the top (don’t let anyone tell you that it’s a short hike) and had an awesome brunch at the state park’s restaurant. Marionberry pancakes and a trout scramble—how northwest can you get. Yummy.

After breakfast, the fog began to clear. Aside from the beautiful canyon created by the mighty Colombia, the journey from Portland toward Hood River and beyond takes you from lush, near-rainforest climate to a Mars-like desert. We drove through the precious town of Hood River, where we should have stayed the night, and then crossed the river into Washington (mainly so I could say I’ve been to Washington) we headed down the WA side of the gorge to hit up Maryhill Winery (which we never actually got to). I knew that a teeny winery was somewhere near to where we were driving, and I knew they focused on Rhone varietals. So, of course we had to find them. After a little bit of getting lost, we finally found the bard-winery-tasting room. Some guy from Maryland was fixing his car with in the gravel lot in front of the winery, so we greeted him and then walked toward the door. Mind you, this is a major back road in the middle of nowhere in the semi-arid boondocks of southern Washington. AKA prime wine territory. We went inside…no one was in there. Then we went back outside. The guy fixing his car asked us if we wanted some wine. Of course, I agreed, but felt like I was putting him out a little. Quite the opposite. We went inside and sat on stools around a barrel, as I gazed around the cinderblock barn. I saw tons of barrels, almost zilch high-tech equipment, and a tiny tiny portable bottling line labeler. The dog joined us (as per usual) and we tasted through the five wines he had on hand. As the lack of high-tech equipment suggested, this winery, Syncline, used very minimal handling and traditional methods. The whites were fermented in neutral oak, giving them a lovely richness without too much or any tree flavor. The Viognier was above and beyond any we had tasted heretofore, with more body, more aroma, a bigger white peach and apricot fruit, with some utterly yummy complexity. But the real stunner of the winery was the fantabulous Roussanne from the Horse Haven Hills AVA. Big, rich, but not overtly modern in the tacky, manipulated sense. Lovely chamomile, orange spice tea, and a really minerally, and dried yellow fruit sort of flavor. Haunting. Our entertaining taster even had to pour himself some—he loved it too. A side note, this guy was from Maryland, and had some sort of winery and/or vineyard in the area, and helped Syncline’s owners out when they needed to. This guy was so much fun, we talked a lot about Albarino and he told me how Maryland was prime Albarino vineyard territory, just like Galicia. True or not, I loved his enthusiasm about Albarino and Maryland crab. The two Syrahs we taster were very big, a little more modern, extracted, yet had a Northern Rhone elegance. The regular Syrah was more tannic and a little more old school, so I liked it a bit more, but the single-vineyard Syrah was a points-scorer and one most people would adore. Both of these were eighty times better than any Cali renditions of Syrah at the price. Delicious. Two Roussannes and we ended our wine-tasting adventure, headed up Mt. Hood, and then back to Portland for a few days before flying back to Indiana, leaving my job and my friends and moving to Chicago.

Oenochallenged

2007-06-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to keep up. I promise.

Essentially, I need to turn this blog into something more than just a wine-related xerox of other wine-related blogs. [Because I love those other blogs--Eric Asimov is my hero.]

So, as a late-coming heeding of advice, I'll add a smidgen more personal information into the blog. Make it more compelling than just the vine, while still trying to educate.

Updates: I am moving in thirteen days. There begins my first attempt at city living, and single-room dwelling. Not so scary, I'm thinking, because I'll have such a cushy support group and will be the same distance from the family as before. Things are reasonable.

Something lately has grabbed onto me. I've always harped on the connection between taste and memory, because taste and smell (the nearly inseparable pair) are, I believe, the most specific sense. The specificity of a give time and place can recreate the entire environment of sensations felt and transmit two places and times at the same moment--past and present. Those senses, experienced through food/drink, make that food/drink a vehicle capable of carrying the past and the present.

ex: American dry riesling. The sweet-tart, mineral, and floral aspect of many of them (Can't generalize.) brings back groups of my best friends. We always seem to drink dry riesling together.

ex. Cava. There's this strange, delicious, rubbery quality to some inexpensive Cava that certain bloggers and reviewers seem to loathe. It's precisely that hint that I get which takes me back to Barcelona, even though I didn't guzzle the stuff (like I did Vermouth, aka Martini).

ex. Whites from the OMP. The cool-cool-climate of Michigan's Old Mission Peninsula grants wines an effusive, distinct, compellingly aromatic character, even under the hands of different winemakers. Never before have I smelled such white-flower riesling, such rose-petal gewurztraminer, or such pear-blossom pinot blanc. My favorite AVA by far and my favorite place in the USA with my favorite people. Always.

Tangent. Jason and I are headed to PDX on Tuesday. Never been out west, and am so excited! My first real "wine country" exploration. Two days in the Willamette Valley, and one day at the Columbia River Gorge. Pumped for some great cool-climate wines with the boy! The latter makes everything taste better. Ciao.

30-Minute Nirvana

2007-05-25T09:28:00.001-07:00

Yesterday evening I had to concoct some sort of dinner with the measly amounts of food I had on hand. I've been working on buying and eating much more simply now since the farmer's market can provide me with most, if not everything, I need.

salmon on arugula with goat cheese sauce

salmon fillet
a lemon
salt
pepper
dried thyme or herb of choice
dry white wine (for me, Round Barn 2006 Dry Riesling, Lake Michigan Shore)
butter
arugula
fresh goat chese (for me, Capriole chevre)

Place two pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil on the counter. Slice the lemon, placing three slices on the foil. Place salmon on the foil and gently sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme. Top with three lemon slices. Seal foul tightly and place on a baking sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. When salmon is done, remove from oven to let cool. Place arugula on serving plate. In a small saucepan place about 1/2 Tbsp butter, let melt on med-low heat. Add salt, pepper, and thyme to taste. Add a squeese of lemon and a couple glugs of wine. Pour yourself a glass of wine. Let sauce bubble for a minute or two. Add about 2 tbsp worth of goat cheese and let melt. When goat cheese is melted, add any more wine to make a sauce that isn't too thick or too thin. Place hot salmon on arugula and drizzle with sauce and eat.

Mmm. And the apple brightnes of the Riesling brought me to the good place.

(re)Start

2007-04-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've been away from this for, oh, almost a year. Cut me some slack, I'm a student finishing up my B.A. in English. I had books to read. And fun to have. You know, the typical college life.

Plus lots of wine.

Instead of trying to recount half-taken tasting notes, I will just sort of try to list things that I've tasted in a half-assed way. Oh, and there's a 1,5 L of Veuve in my fridge right now.

Sparking:
Cremant, L. Mawby, Lelanau Peninsula (100% Vignoles)
Yellow Label, Veuve Clicquot, Champagne
Rosé, Veuve Clicquot, Champagne
Brut 1998 (?), Veuve Clicquot, Champagne
Cuvée Brut, Blason de Bourgogne, Burgundy
some godforsakenly good Prosecco that I'd remember if I saw it
2005 Vidal Blanc Creekbend Vineyard, Oliver, Indiana
Etoile, California
Blanc de Blanc, Gloria Ferrer, Sonoma
Blanc de Noir, Gloria Ferrer, Sonoma
lots of Cava while in Barcelona
Brut, Scharffenberger, Mendocino

White:
oh God, this is going to take forever, can we just say, white Rhone-ish blends, Riesling, Albariño
2005 Albariño Clover Creek Vineyard, Longoria, Santa Ynez Valley (This beauty was a gift from a friend/coworker--and it was heavenly, subtle brown sugar spices, pineapple candy, and more, yet all wrapped in a crisp dry acidity--one of the most memorable wines I've had. And memory is key.)
2005 Albariño, Burgan, Rias Baixas
2004 Cote du Tablas Blanc, Tablas Creek, Paso Robles (Mmm. Rhone white blends.)
2006 Riesling, Sumarroca, Penedés (Yes, a lovely dry riesling from Catalunya.)
2005 Riesling Reserve, Pierre Sparr, Alsace
2004 "Jean Baptiste" Riesling Kabinett, Gunderloch, Rheingau
2005 Pinot Blanc, Peninsula Cellars (one of my favorite white producers--ever), Old Mission Peninsula (one of my favorite AVAs, and probably most beautiful in the entire country--yes I said it!)
2005 Chardonnay, Peninsula Cellars, Old Mission Peninsula
2005 Arcturos Dry Riesling, Black Star Farms, Old Mission Peninsula
2005 Gewurztraminer Manigold Vineyard, Peninsula Cellars, Old Mission Peninsula
2005 Riesling Whole Cluster, Chateau Grand Traverse, Old mission Peninsula
2005 Gewurstraminer Resonance Vineard, Sineann, Columbia Valley, OR (Tied with the Peninsula Cellars Gewurz as the best I've ever had.)
2005 Gruner Veltliner, Lois, Austria (Mind you, none of these are going to be completely accurate.)
more of the 2005 Pansa Blanca, Marqués de Alella, Alella (I was in Barcelona--so close to Alella, and saw this wine at El Corte Inglés, but did not procure any.)
2006 Viognier Y-series, Yalumba, Australia (I drank the entire bottle...right out of the bottle. At a dance party. Viognier and dancing = heaven.)
2005 Viognier Kathy's Cuvee, Rosenblum, California
2005 Chardonnay Riverstone, J. Lohr, Arroyo Seco
2005 Chardonel Creekbend Vineyard, Oliver, Indiana (This wine is maturing extremely nicely, and I think it is complex and delicious. The end.)
2006 Chambourcin Rosé Creekbend Vineyard, Oliver, Indiana (Picnictime!)
2005 Pinot Noir Rosé, Willow Vineyards, Lelanau Peninsula
2005 Pinot Noir Rosé, Sophia, Carneros
I know we have some more rosés here, but I they were probably sub-par, and therefore I forgot them.

Red:
Pinot Noir x 3154742589
2005 Pinot Noir, A to Z, Oregon (smelled like hot dogs)
2003 Pinot Noir, Rex Hill, Oregon
2004 Givry 1er Cru, (producer I can't remember), Burgundy
2004 Pinot Noir, Kenwood, Russian River Valley
2005 Pinot Noir, (ummm. don't remember.), Santa Rita Hills
2005 Pinot Noir, Adelsheim, Willamette Valley (Just had this one, spicy, fruity, fabulous acidity: superb.)
2005 Icon Pinot Noir, Nobilo, Marlborough (In my opinion, NZ pinot noir have been TOO OAKY!)
2003 Gamay Noir Reserve, Chateau Grand Traverse, Old Mission Peninsula
2005 Petalos, Decendientes de J. Palacios, Bierzo (¡Superguapo!)
2004 Grenache, Beckmen, Santa Ynez Valley (I love Grenache.)
2003 Carmenere Reserva, Misiones de Riego, Chile
2004 Old Vine Zinfandel, Cline
2004 Zinfandel, Rosenblum, Paso Robles
some more chilean carmenere
some really good Priorat as the house red in some really hip Barcelona bar
some nice juicy Mendoza malbecs with pizza
some random reds from Navarra or Tarragona or some other Catalán speaking place
A Ribiera del Douro
I know there were more reds.

Dessert/Port:
my first vintage port!
Museum Muscat, Yalumba, Australia
2002 Dolce, Napa Valley
ice wine from Niagra
Austrian Gruner Veltliner ice wine
lots of ruby and tawny port
a Banyul
some Sherry

Ok. An Incomplete List if ever one existed.
I also procured the World Atlas of Wine and the new edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine. And am looking for a fulfilling job in the industry if anyone wants to give me one, please don't use this horrible blog post as evidence of my skill or intelligence. Thank you.

Out of My League?

2006-11-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

So my last post concerned the Noir and two of its lovely incarnations (or incantations). To the infantile me, California and Oregon pinot noir are approachable. More so than say, (cue ominous/mysterious music) Burgundy. Yes, I have done the Chablis thing (swoon), and even the white Burgundy (swoon), but yet unto the red. Burgundy comes to me as this mysterious, difficult-to-grasp, expensive, hard-to-find liquid of ether. I can’t quest alone. I asked the aforementioned wine guy at the local Big Red for some advice on “a good, inexpensive (aka less than $25), red Burgundy. He got rather excited and knew exactly what to point out to me a 2004 Givry 1er Cru that he described well, and had enthusiasm for, and it seemed like a big, fruity, red from the warmer Cote Chalonnaise. Then on one of the endcaps, I saw a bottle of a Cote d’Or Burgundy from the tiny, not-so-well-respected appellation of Ladoix. It’s sort of on the border between the Cote de Nuits and the Cote du Beaune (please excuse my horrific French spelling, I’ll practice more later). The wine guy’s self-written shelf talker was very intriguing and the wine was compared with Catherine Denueve and was only $20 a bottle. You know the rest of the story. (Also, this wine christened my decanter.)

2004 Jean-Luc Dubois Ladoix “La Combe”
Price: $20
Varietal: pinot noir
Region: Ladoix, Burgundy, France
Alc.: 13% (love it)
Eye: Not crystalline clear, but a gorgeous bright strawberry-fresh red color. Pretty wine. Feminine if I ever saw a feminine red wine.
Nose: A little closed at first (should have decanted earlier), but then came the strawberries, cherries, rhubarb, and oolong tea.
Taste: Lovely. A bright rhubarb/cherry tartness floats smoothly across the palate, a little sort of soft, almost dusty tea-like tannins skirt through the mouth. No boozy heat, and almost no oak to speak of.

This wine very pleasantly surprised me. I was expecting a bad cheap French wine—which are much more offensive to me than a bad cheap New World wine. Nothing of the sorts! The lady of Burgundy just wrote on my mirror with some strawberry-flesh lipstick. Mmm. I’m sold.

2006-10-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

Into the Abyss: Enjoying It So Far

In the beginning of fall, I start to feel the chill. It may be the grey days contrasted with the brightly adorned trees or the beginning of classes, but I feel less carefree and more brooding. Okay, I guess not brooding, but more thoughtful and mindful of life’s lovely complexities. A wine season has changed for me, and we’re moving out of crisp white, pink, and bubbly into the season of vino tinto. I had a great time with white wine this summer, primarily due to my two forays into Old Mission Peninsula’s lovely, lovely whites. Also my obsession with Viognier. All the pale thoughts aside, I decided that I couldn’t gulp the massive reds quite yet. The purity and simplicity of the Chambourcin at work always makes me hunger for something light, yet complex—with character.
I have always wanted to get into the trendy world of Pinot Noir, having already fallen in and out of love with Pinot Grigio/Gris, and in love with the summery Pinot Blanc. After Sideways I felt like everyone would be getting into Pinot (Noir, please include the surname) and that I would have to backlash into disavowing the Noir all together so as not to seem too awfully trendy. Pinot Noir, you have seduced me. Not at first, and it took some time, and I understand all of your shortcomings, and choose to be wise and invest. After tasting a few horrid French vin d’pays Pinot Noirs, and a few mediocre but quite pleasant Oregon and New Zealand specimens, I remained on the hunt. Now that the weather is colder, I knew I needed some transition. Pinot Noir has been said to be the red wine that drinks like a white wine. (By the way, I hear Viognier is the white that drinks like a red…whatever the hell that means.) So I thought, Pinot Noir, it’s you and me.
Scene: Marty at Big Red Liquors, “big Big Red” as I call it to my friends. So I’m wandering the shelves distracted by new wines, wines I’ve had (that number keeps growing), and wines I wish I could buy (Champagne, Chablis, and Burgundy). Finally I belly up to the little tasting bar and taste a few (not so great) wines before asking the lady for recommendations for a good Pinot Noir. She recommends one immediately, and the price is definitely right at: $15.99. I snatch it up, not before oogling the Rosenblum Petit Sirah and Viognier (Well, I bought the Viognier 2005 Rosenblum Kathy's Kuvee, hedonistically delicious, of course.) Sigh. I love Rosenblum. Back to the point. The Noir.
2005 Row 11 Pinot Noir “Vinas 3”
The winemaker, illusively named “Ricardo d” calls this wine not so much an expression of the vineyard and clone, but an expression of the grape. Ricardo has reportedly worked for many wineries sourcing grapes and whatnot and therefore has had time to pick out the best vineyards for his wines. Not just the best vineyards, but the best rows of vines—hence, Row 11. Unlike the rest of Ricardo’s selections, “Vinas 3” is a blend of grapes from different appellations: Santa Barbara, Russian River Valley, and Monterrey—three excellent growing locations. I say that because I loved this wine! Tres amigos (myself included) had some pizza after work and indulged. We all agreed that this lovely wine was deeeeeeeelish.
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Apellation: Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Monterrey
Alc.: 14.2% (Still a teensy high in my book.)
Look: A very pure cherry-red. Like a seductress’s lipstick.
Smell: Again, cherries, like a cherise liquor, or a cherry candy. With a little faint spice hiding there.
Taste: Guess? Cherry syrup—in the best possible way. This candied cherry flavor was a nice, lip-smacking purity, with a little more complexity by way of a tiny spice (maybe just the alcoholic heat) on the finish. Although this wine may seem simply flavored, without any great complexity, it was extremely hard to resist. I mean, I could imagine opening a bottle for just little old me. Yum, yum, yum. Pour this for any doubters of Pinot Noir, this is yummers.

Moving on to a different style. I read the San Fran Chronicle’s wine section religiously, and remembered reading about Oregon Pinot Noir, which has been getting tons of praise (or press) lately. One of their most highly recommended wines was a measly $18 at big Big Red last spring, so I snatched one up. It survived the Big Move to this new house, and was sitting comfy on my wine rack until my friend Amy decided to make me (an amazing) dinner. And boy did I deliver.

2003 Rex Hill Oregon Pinot Noir
The “lowest tier” of the Rex Hill line. I like this Rex Hill because the price is right, it’s not to flashy, and the also make an unoaked Chardonnay. Anyway, this little guy is of a much different character than the Row 11. More Oregon, more rustic, more of what I need on a cool fall day with a little roasted butternut squash.
Varietal: 100% Pinor Noir
Apellation: Oregon
Alc: 13.5% (around there, I forget)
Look: A slightly more brick red, not as crystalline as the previous Pinot Noir, and more of a earthy tinge to the red. Looks like a dried cherry a bit.
Smell: Oh my! I got a little dried cherry, cranberry, earthy smell, a little pumpkin pie spice, and, best of all, the nose evolved over the night, and eventually had this awesome campfire autumn aroma.
Taste: Similar earthy cherry-ness, with a little baked cherry pie flavor, crust and spice included. Incredibly balanced and has a lovely personality. Not as hedonistic as the Row 11, but a little more beautifully expressive of the oak and the smoke and great with fall fare. I say this wine is fall in a bottle. Drink it—now
Kudos to Rex Hill for posting fact sheets on all of their wines. Very detailed--I see that they made some 375 ml bottles of this beauty. Must get my hand on those.

I loved both wines quite a lot, the Rex Hill, I would say is more of a sit alone with one person kind of wine, and the Row 11 should be drank with friends, and more of a cocktail wine. Both great, both I think I’ll buy again—maybe today. He he.
[Update: I did buy the LAST bottle of 2003 Rex Hill Oregon Pinot Noir today. There was a rack with a few bottles of the 2004, which I've had and was a nice wine, but I fould one last 2003 among them! I also bought a Burgundy from the Ladoix appellation, which IS in the Cote D'Or.]

Soup and Vino: Impromptu

2006-09-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

[This post delays my homework.]

After a week of mildly chilly weather, yesterday was fairly warm. Yet, I decided to make some soup. Tuscan white bean and kale green soup, to be exact. It is the worlds easiest soup, and arguably one of the tastiest and healthiest, too. Anyway, I made it and a few friends came over and the roommates and I sat down for a family dinner. So enjoyable. We finished off a bottle of 2004 Perrin Cotes du Rhone Blanc Reserve, which I got for a steal at $6.99 @ Sahara Mart. This respectable producer (Perrin also makes Ch. du Beaucastel's Chateneuf-du-Pape, arguably the best named appellation ever.) blends 50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Bourboulenc, 10% Marsanne, 10% Rousanne, and 10% Viognier. Whew, that's a lot of blending, but, hey, that's how they do it there. I thought the wine was lovely, balanced, with that austere earth-mineral-fruit combination I get from nice, more old-world style wines. I got a little peach, apricot fruit from it, and a tad bitter almond nuttiness maybe. I'm not sure, I was basically enjoying company and eating some kick-ass soup (If I may toot my own horn.). I think that this wine is high on the value meter, especially for fall, seeing as it's a little more full-bodied than most whites, and that gusto goes a long way on sunny cool days.

I'm Really Trying

2006-09-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

This is just an apology to you, Blog, for neglecting you during the summer--one time I thought I'd be able to help you grow. I know I went on my first (two) wine country excursions. I know I had lots of great wine, some of which has come and gone with little more than a memory of what I was doing while imbibing. I sincerely apologize and will try, again, to help you flourish.

2006-06-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

First, an apology, I haven’t written an entry since New Orleans. Firstly, sharing wine with Jason is the best and optimal situation, because we talk about wine and just enjoy each other’s company well, for some reason, I remember the wine much better. Anyway, it’s summer and I’m into white and rosé totally. At the Winery, we have a Viognier! Yay for my often favorite white grape. I’ve also had about three good dry rosés and a bunch of good whites lately. I tasted many new varietals: Argy’s Torrontes, Gruner Veltliner, Muscadet (that’s the region of France, the varietal is melon something), Rousanne, Marsanne (blended w/Viognier), Tempranillo (as rosé), along with a few others. I also tasted out of four barrels at work, which was uber-fun, and I was with my fun co-workers and bosses, so it was a fun night. So, I’m sorry, but I may not update you on all of this wine, but most of it was very very nice.

Lady Chablis.

Ever since I first tasted a Chablis at a dry white wine tasting at work, I was sort of hooked. Looking back at my notes, I wrote very little, except for “stone” and “good”. Although those two words are mediocre, the taste of that wine, I call it “depth”, stuck with me. First of all, it was an un-oaked or un-oaky expression of Chardonnay, which I love in a good Champagne, and it seemed food friendly (think seafood), stern, austere, and a great character for a play. I’d also been reading a lot of blogs, particularly Eric Asimov’s The Pour, where he praises Chablis to no end…and Asimov is not pretentious and seems fun. Which brings me to the second part of this entry. My lil’ sis was the last of our clan to graduate from our high school in Fort Wayne (arguably she had the most success of three extremely successful students). She will be studying at SCAD in Savannah, GA in the fall. In celebration of that, I bought John Berendt’s non-fictional Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil for me to read and pass on to the lil’ sis. I haven’t yet gotten to the entrance of the Lady Chablis, but I have been on the hunt for a Chablis literally for months. Finally, my friend Kate and I were in Indy at Trader Joes, when I bought a lovely dry Rioja rosé, and found for $13.99 a 2002 Premier Cru Chablis. “What a bargain,” I thought! So I grabbed it. The label just said “Blason de Bourgogne 2002 1er [premier] Cru Chablis,” and I thought, well 2002 was recommended to me once, and I know 1er Cru is ‘better’ than regular Chablis or Petit Chablis. Trader Joe’s description was also very convincing, and seafood was mentioned. So I invested. After months of agonizing over a white Bourgogne that was just too lush for my desires, I was itching to open this. Yesterday, I did. Success! Light lemony citrusyness with that wet stone aroma, lovely freshness and finish. A little lees-y quality when the wine warms up a tad, and a noticeable alcohol as well. While not the perfect Chablis, it is very very encouraging. I hope to pair it with an arugula salad in a few minutes.

2002 Blason de Bourgogne 1er Cru Chablis

Chablis, France (north of the Cote D’Or, but still considered a part of Burgundy)
100% Chardonnay
Very pale yellow hay-green, typical Chablis.
Smell: citrus and austerity, not fruity but with a hint of young lemons, wet stone (slate).
Taste: Frefreshing, light, yet something about this wine penetrates my soul (or palate) like a diamond. the lemon is refreshing and the minerality (like mineral water with an oomph) is so palate cleasing and graceful and strong. It’s hard to define Chablis in words, I think.
$13.99 @ Trader Joes (amazing for a 1er Cru)
13% alcohol/volume (a touch too high, I think)
Great with fried oysters, I’d imagine. Good with a crisp romaine heart salad with some tuna and a Dijon mustard vinegrette.

Next goal: wait for a paycheck and get more Chablis.

Sarah's Icon

2006-05-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

Double Date

A few days back, Jason and I went out with the lovely friends (and foodies) Leah and Eric to Sarah’s a Cajun/Thai/Asian fusion sort of restaurant in a quiet quaint part of the Riverbend area here in New Orleans. The first order of business was wine—as we each examined the wine list, we decided on a red, nothing too fruity, and a reasonable price. The one which interested me had to not be too light and fruity (nix Pinot Noir) nor too heavy and bulky (nix the Cabernet) and I didn’t really want a straight-up Aussie Shiraz, that grape could do well with the meal as we began deciding on food. I was interested in a wine from Ravenswood, called icon, it was a Rhone-style blend of Syrah, Grenache, & Mouvedre, but was a little pricey, so I didn’t want to decide. Eric went on and ordered it from our lovely server (great service—but bad jokes on her part). It was perfect with the dinner. I had shrimp in a spicy red coconut curry, and Jason had an amazing duck breast, grilled in a Port reduction sauce. Mmm—Duck and Port.

2002 Ravenswood Icon
• Sonoma County, California
• 88% Syrah, 6% Mourvedre, 6% Grenache (Oh, Rhone varietals!)
• Aged 24 months in French oak, 35% new
• 14.2% alcohol/volume—not a problem.
• The light was low, but it was a rich garnet red tending toward purple.
• Nose, mmm, nice balance and complexity, a little peppery, dried tart cherry or boysenberry, leather, a nice light hint of oak.
• Tasty wine and good with food. It had a nice balance, medium-body, nice firm acidity, which I love, and a light black fruitiness followed by the spice, hint of toast (not too much). and a long, refreshing finish.
• I think the acidity helped this one with the food, as well as the balance, it wasn’t overbearing and I think the age was perfect. Mmm. I’d get this one again.

Alsace in Oregon

2006-05-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

Oh, That Fateful Pair.

I’m talking about Asian cuisine and gewürztraminer. Last night, Jason and I decided it was time for the good ol’ Chinese takeout. So we decided on the Chinese/Vietnamese August Moon on Prytania near Touro Hospital. It was no Dragon Express, but it was tasty, and we ate too much. Before we went, though, wine was on our mind. We walked down the street to Sip and paroused their selection of wine that’d pair with the Chinese, we nixed Riesling because we didn’t want to spike our blood sugar levels and didn’t know which were dry and which were off-dry, and Viognier is always too high octane for a light night of sipping. So it was gewürztraminer—a 2003 Foris from the Rogue Valley (neat name) of southern Oregon.

2003 Foris Gewürztraminer
• Rogue Valley Oregon: this AVA (American Viticultural Area) is south of the more popular or well known Oregon AVA of the Willamette Valley, and Foris uses the cooler climate to make many Alsacian-inspired wines like Pinot Blanc (a new favorite of mine) and gewürztraminer.
• 100% gewürztraminer (also the fact sheet for this wine tells me that it’s proudly 100% estate grown).
• Residual Sugar: 0.2%—now that’s what I like in a gewürztraminer.
• Eye: Nice light hay color. Very pale sunny. Mmm.
• Nose: Super floral, honeyed, orange blossom even, but a little closed for a gewürztraminer, not too spicy but clean and refreshing summer aromas, with a little mineral quality to it even. Almost like a Viognier.
• Mouth. Wow! Dry! We love it! Very smooth, floral, refreshing up front, with a lovely purity, then an almost peppery finish to it—really fun. The finish is long complex and dry-y-y-y in the best possible way. It’s a little high in alcohol, but now that I look back on it, it’s so great. Lovely job, Foris.
• $16.99 @ Sip
• Paired with some Spring Rolls in a peanut sauce, with Bean Curd & Veggies, and a Spicy Scallops w/Veggies. Mmm. I ate too much…but we finished the bottle off right away!

Creamy Oysters

2006-05-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Fried Burgundy

So Jason and I decided to hit Crabby Jack’s, an amazing friend seafood and creole joint out on Jefferson Highway in the middle of, well, an industrial park. Jack Leonardi, a local chef who owns a very popular restaurant in the Riverbend area (where Carollton meets St. Charles near the river), opened this lunch-only seafood joint as a much more casual alternative to his other place. Crabby Jack’s is amazing, it’s not uber-cheap, but the place is basically a counter where you order and cram in with the entire lunchtime crew to get your hands on the best seafood around. They are known for their Po-boys but the menu consists of fried catfish, shrimp, oysters (my absolute favorite), chicken, amazing heaped salads, and just about anything. The service is fast and friendly, which is incredible considering the mad rush of crowds every day. Also they have other specialties depending on the day. Great cole slaw, too. Anyway, when we went (this is my second trip there), we got takeout. Jason ordered the catfish platter and I ordered the oyster platter and we shared, as we almost always do. We drove to Audubon Park, busted out some remoulade from the successful try at fried green tomatoes the night before and had at the creamiest tastiest fried oysters in the world.

Oh, did I forget to mention the wine? A-ha! The day before I headed out to find a nice Chablis, or something similar to go with the food. And I’d been craving a nice minerally, not oaky white Burgundy, primarily thinking Chablis. Well I went to Sip, they were out of any white Burgundy, but said they might be getting some in, and I suggested a 2004 Chablis under $25 if they wanted my business. Jennifer recommended an aussie chardonnay as a replacement and I thought about it. So I walked four or five blocks west on Magazine and went into Martin Wine Cellar, because I remember them having a great selection of Burgundy. Finally, after giving up on someone asking me if I need help, I asked the guy I remembered from spring break to help me find a nice Chablis under $25, and he told me they had a few 2003 left, but that he actually recommended a 2004 Bourgogne Thierry and Pascale Matrot, because it’s a better vintage and a tad cheaper. He also asked me if I had a problem with screwcaps. Ha! I bought it.

2004 Matrot Bourgogne
• $14.99 @ Martin Wine Cellar
• Burgundy, France (sort of the middle of the Burgundy region, much further south than Chablis)
• 100% Chardonnay
• We had to use plastic cups, so I saw a nice rich golden color to it in the white plastic Mardi Gras cup.
• Nose: rich fruitiness, lemon, minerals, a little honeyed almost.
• Taste: voluptuous mouth-filling rich fruit, but a Burgundy kind of fruit, not a bomb, a lot of rich lemon qualities, a little minerality, but not those plunging depths of good Chablis, a nice long, lingering richness.
• 12.5% alcohol/volume
• Great with the oysters and cole slaw, could have been a little less rich for the catfish, but nice, nonetheless. Not exactly what I was looking for—not Chablis-ish enough, and a little too round. A cooler climate would have helped. But not the butter-ball fruit-bomb of some California chardonnay, which I hate don’t care for.

The Beginning of a Lovely Relationship with Pink

2006-05-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

This entry starts a journey into the land of dry rosé for me. There is no reason not to love a dry pink wine, especially if you like red wine or white wine--wait, that's all wine! Exactly, it's versatile, summery, and goes with almost every food. It's not sweet white zinfandel, although I'm sure I could find a lovely dry zinfandel rosé. Let's start in Spain--and I already have France lined up.

Esencia Valdemar 2004 Rioja Garnacha Rosé

• 100% Garnacha (aka Grenache)
• Rioja, Spain
• Deep rose color, lovely, tending more toward copper/brick than red. I wouldn’t call it a dark rosé, nor a light rosé—more in-the-middle.
• Nose of nicely underripe strawberries, with a little hint of minerals and a light spice. After the wine warms up, a little alcoholic, though.
• Tasty strawberry, rasp-cranberry, maybe even a hint of spice and a nice candy freshness at the end. I’d call it light bodied, but not with medium tart candy kind of finish. A little hot, as in the nose.
• 14% alcohol/volume—a little high for a light summery wine, I think. I prefer my cooler climate whites, we get lower alcohol (below 13% preferably), but if the flavors and aromas work right, the alchohol content shouldn’t matter.
• $14 @ Sip
• I think it’d be better with some light food, some salad, something barbecued seems perfect—shrimp on the barbie, I’d say. Fried Green Tomatoes and remoulade? We’ll find out—stay tuned.

Mere Experience

2006-05-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

Wine & Memory

[I know other bloggers and wine and food writers have touched on this topic before, but I’d like to add my two cents to the discussion. ]

I may not remember the detailed taste of my favorite wines, but I always remember them. I remember loving them. I remember who I was with and what we were doing. I remember some quality that haunted me from the tasting. Like the first Chablis I had—I remember it’s sort of piercing crisp minerality that made me want a lot more. It’s like the Pansa Blanca Jason and I had the other day—the first time I made scallops, and the silly TV show we watched as we finished off the bottle. The Malbec I had at my second tasting at Sip stuck in my mind as the epitome of that grape. The 2001 Graziano Zinfandel, and the 2003 Oliver Zinfandel as two ends of a lovely Zin-licious spectrum. I’m sure I’ve had lots of other great wines, but certain ones really stand out as something that I wouldn’t mind repeating. The wine stands as a very specific manifestation of a time a place, and visceral, sensuous experience. Tasty. This is why I am on the hunt constantly, everyone needs more experience.

Juxtapostional Journey

2006-05-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 9 May 2006—My Journey

So yesterday I was feeling a few symptoms of cabin fever (read too much internet), so I decided that the weather was nice not so hot, and that I could use a nice walk around the garden district. It doesn’t hut that Jason lives about, oh, a block from the official beginning of the Garden District, which is bordered by St. Charles on the north, Jackson on the east, Magazine on the south, and Louisiana on the west. Usually I’m content to make the loop from Washington and Magazine, up Washington, pass Lafayette Cemetary stop at Garden Street Book Shop (where Anne Rice always does first signings), turn left down Prytania (I love Prytania.), and head to Louisiana and hang a Ralph back down to Mag, and hit my favorite coffee shop, American Apparel, and the best wine shop ever—all in a short trip. Well, yesterday it was hot, but I just kept on down Prytania because I knew that a third, elusive, wine store was somewhere down yonder. So I kept on past Louisiana Ave, past Touro Hospital, past stinky trash cans, past a house with the most fragrant garden imaginable, and, when I finally saw Jason’s dry cleaner, I knew I was close to something. I was so nasty-sweaty by then that I decided I’d need to stop for some iced tea or coffee or—or—ice cream! I saw the sign, for the Creole Creamery, and was like, meh, I haven’t had any ice cream for a while, and should give it a taste. (Not that I don’t say try—trying implies success or failure, and taste implies mere experience.) So I walked in, the staff was very nice, and I took a gander at the dozens of homemade varieties they offer. Then the drool began to drip. Flavors like creole cream cheese, apricot green tea, dulce de leche, the classics, as well as about oh, fifteen other amazingly interesting new juxtapositions of flavor. I tasted a few and settled on the most intriguing poem in dairy—Dark Chocolate Star Anise. Oh, it’s like, it’s like Shakespeare in a sugar cone. The ice cream’s creaminess takes it to almost absurd proportions and I just about passed out from the calories, but, hey, I usually get fat-free frozen yogurt at Jiffy Treet (Don’t knock it.) in Bloomy. Things indeed have changed.

Also, a note on wine stores. The Wine Seller, on Prytania, is a great little wine store, albeit not a crazy great selection, it’s good, and the staff is positioned right at the door and are very nice and helpful. Now, wine stores like this (and Martin’s) aren’t for the newbie or the neophyte, but instead cater to a slightly older crowd who wants someone to help them, which is fine by me. I saw the staff help two women who both came in and wanted something for a specific reason; the staff helped them quickly and efficiently and explained things to them without sounding like they were talking to kindergarteners. They also has lots of half and smaller size bottles. I almost got a little Veuve. Almost. Next time.

Sippin' Around the World

2006-05-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Sip ‘n Spin

So, it was Tuesday, and in New Orleans, that means I drag Jason to the $10 per person tasting of six wines with some music and a DJ at Sip, the aforementioned favorite wine shop of mine. Mind you, as I write this I’m sitting in the Rue de la Course coffee shop right next door hoping that I could just sit outside with a bottle of wine. But it’s trash day and is a little stinky outside, plus, I don’t know if they’d like it if just little me would down a bottle of rosé alone. Anyway, last night it was a flight around the world accompanied by world music. Get ready for takeoff!

Blanck Pinot Blanc d’Alsace 2004
• Alsace, France
• 100% Pinot Blanc—You’ve loved pinot grigio/gris, then you saw Sideways and tried pinot noir, now you’ve come to the rogue sister of the two, she’s short, pointed, and has a nice sass.
• In the aroma I got a clean brightness, a piercing sharp slate sort of aroma, nice, not unpleasant at all.
• I loved this wine, it was crisp, light (but not too light) a little minerally, and had a quick, short, and dry finish. I’d be great with oysters or a nice broiled piece of white fish and some broccoli or asparagus.
• $16.99
• 12.5% alcohol/volume

Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2004
• Margaret River, Australia
• 49 % Sauvignon Blanc & 49% Semillon (the classic Bordeaux white blend), and 2% Chardonnay
• 13.7% Alcohol/volume
• Nice deep straw yellow
• A little but of a smokey aroma with nice bright tart apple-y edges.
• Like apple smoked bacon—nice but I couldn’t only handle a couple of pieces. And I totally disagree with the website’s tasting notes. I’d pass—too much new oak, I’d say.
• $12.99

Ercavio White Blend 2004
• Spain
• Xarel-lo, Macabeo (the locals), and Sauvignon Blanc (the trendy foreigner)
• Interesting aroma, bright, almost minty citrus qualities to it, with a bit of toasty qualities.
• Wow—the winemaker really let those malolactic bacteria loose on this sucker. Super-creamy! A little of that light citrus/tart apple quality, and the lady pouring said a hint of mint, which I could agree with. Jason loved the creaminess, and I liked it, but want a little more pleasant acidity in my whites for summer. I call it limpid and a tad flabby. But my second favorite white of the night.
• $12.50

Tango Malbec 2003
• Argentina
• Malbec (As you can tell, I can’t find too much information on this wine.)
• This wine had a little fruitiness in the shnoz, and a tad of tannic spiciness, but was a little closed.
• The taste was very cheap light to medium bodied American café wine, although the biting tannins were sort of nice, it was too thin and simple, and we got sick of it in the glass. I thought I was going to feel this way about all the reds of the night, but, as you’ll see, did not. A little too much new oak for my taste, too. Pity, the last Malbec I had at a Sip tasting was phenomenal.
• $9.99

Maculan Brentino 2003
• Italy
• 55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon
• A super-Tuscan! The nose was very lusciously fruity, lots of blueberry, currant, cherry goodness.
• The taste, mmm. It was nice, full, balanced, complex, with amazing yet not atomic fruit, a nice long finish and a little spice, which I needed. Medium-long finish. Would be great with any rich tomatoey Italian sauce. Good to glug into a pan of some Newman’s Own Sockarooni sauce.
• I don’t know the exact alcohol content, but it wasn’t evidently too hot.
• $18.50

Pedroncelli Cabernet 2002
• Sonoma County, California
• 76 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Sangiovese, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot
• Aroma of nice fruit, black cherry, currant qualities, and a little sort of nutty tobacco on the nose, too.
• In the mouth it was much more expensive than ten bucks. A definite bargain for the balance of fruit and spice, and not to heavy-handed on the new oak. Great for parties or with chocolate or any sort of yummy hearty winter-y food.
• 13.7% Alcohol/volume
• $9.99

Tasting Faux #2

2006-05-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

Lindeman’s Framboise Lambic

Who carbonated, sweetened, and then peed in my cran-raspberry juice?

Alella and Scallops

2006-05-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

Sunday: Adventures and Cooking

So on Sunday we actually rose early and started the day off right and went around town, looked for a bike, ate some yummy tuna salad for lunch, and decided that’d we’d make dinner. We went to Whole Foods for a good long time and browsed, sampled, sampled, and sampled a little more and decided to make a few things. Scallops, fried green tomatoes, and some Portobello mushrooms with goat cheese and greens. We, (I mean, I) overspent a little at the store, came home and after a while decided it was time to try our hands at scallops. I surfed la internet for a while trying to figure out how to cook them, and I figured it out, high heat, very short cook time or they get tough. Well, I overboiled the broccoli because I was distracted by the shellfish. Jason, on the other hand made an amazing sauce with shallots, garlic, red pepper, butter, flour, wine (I’ll get to it, I promise.), and some veggie stock. I overcooked the scallops a little and kept calling them shallots instead. We needed some bread, so we just has a slice of plain ol’ grain bread. The sauce was yum yum yummy and rich. I wish we would’ve had some cream to use instead of flour. But in the end, we had loads of scallops and it was great. Then the wine.

Oh, the wine! So, on our way home form American Apparel we walked passed Sip and went in, the girl, lounging in the doorway with a glass, told us that she has a couple of bottles open and that she could pour us a few tastes. We had very healthy (more than ¾ ounce) tastes of a Verdecchio and a Viognier. The first was in a really nifty bottle, but was a little to herbal and grassy for me, and the Viognier has the lovely honeysuckle nose and a nice flavor, but not with the scallops. Jason, the red wine fan, suggested that we get a wine that he had at a tasting, even though he’s already enjoyed a bottle. And if Jason is suggesting a white wine—it must be good. And Sip only had one left besides the one used as the display. Yum.

Marqués de Alella Parxet Classico 2004 Pansa Blanca
• Alella, Spain. I need to explain Alella a little. It’s interesting and cute. Alella is a tiny little Denominació d'Origen north of Barcelona—only about 400 hectares of vineyards in total and Marqués de Alella and the region’s other winemaker, Parxet, have joined forces to sort of rehabilitate Alella, and both names are on the label of this wine.
• 100% Pansa Blanca (which I’ve read is either related to or another name for Xarel-lo)
• $12 @ Sip
• Golden hay color—Jason said it reminded him of Wonder Woman’s golden lasso.
• Nose—crisp lemony scents, makes your mouth water, a little bit of lemon curd, blanched almond, and maybe a tad white flowers and mineral scents. Complex yet very simple and not too crazy.
• Taste—Oh buddy, lovely mouth-watering lip-smacking lemon curd with the tiniest touch of creaminess, a nice bracing minerality and, boy does it linger in your mouth. Complex and doesn’t get boring.
• 11.5% alcohol/volume—amazing, I could drink it all night…and did.
• Wonderful with scallops, and would be great with any seafood dish that you’d squirt lemon onto.
• Q: 9.75
• V: 9.75

Sorry, I went back today and got the last bottle of it. Toodles!

Some Fizzled

2006-05-08T13:23:00.002-07:00

Saturday: After a long night and a lot of Georgle Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, I slept in. It was fabulous. That night, Jason and I went to Sip, and grabbed a Garnacha (Grenache) rosé from Spain and some Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir NV to quench my desire for bubbly. Needless to say, bubbly isn’t Jason’s cup of tea (or wine), and this one didn’t quench me the way I wanted it to. Blanc de noir sparklers have intrigued me—made totally from black (or red, if you will) grapes--most often pinot noir--that are practically clear in the glass. I poured it with some Tortilla chips and some guacamole.

Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir NV
• Sonoma, California
• $14 @ Sip
• 12.5 % alcohol/volume
• Very very very pale brick pink color with tiny bubbles
• Light strawberry mineral, a teesny bit yeasty in the nose.
• Pleasant firm taste to it, bright strawberry, a little minerality, a little yeasty (funky) quality, light creamy finish to it.
• Not too bad, but a needed a little more zing or something. Not my favorite, but I did drink it out or the bottle to finish it off the second day. Great with fresh Louisiana strawberries.
• Q: 7.25
• V: 7.5

The Weekend, Lovely

2006-05-08T13:23:00.001-07:00

So for the past few days, Jason and I have been relaxing and just having low-key sorts of fun, which obviously involves wine. The weekend was chock-full of food and wine and I’m going to have to rack my brain to remember it all.

Friday…Friday…what did we do on Friday? Um. Well, Friday I ventured out to the wineland that I call Magazine Street here in New Orleans, and stopped by my favorite wine store and the store that bares my name. First, I went to Sip, glad to see the ol’ place, and I talked to the girl working there and told her I was just browsing and that I’d be back later. So then I headed further west on Magazine and went to Martin’s Wine Cellar, and was very disappointed with the service. Martin’s has an amazing selection of wines, many of them very hard to find, but the prices are still good. There’s a great range of wines and prices. The employees weren’t very helpful, and I heard them helping two women, and decided not to ask them for a nice Chablis. Meh, I thought, I’m going back to Sip. So I did. And I told the girl I wanted something pink. She suggested a rosé from France in the Earthy category. It was a measly $10, so I invested. Haven't popped that one yet.

Dick & Jenny's

2006-05-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Dick & Jenny’s

As a treat, last night Jason took me out to Dick & Jenny’s, which is a very lovely understated little place on Tchopatoulis [CHOP-uh-too-lis], not too far from his house. Jason had went their a few weeks ago with friends and they held their own “Eat Club” dinner. If you don’t know Tom Fitzmorris, he’s the local food radio personality I mentioned in one of my last posts, and he holds dinners at restaurants around town where people get together to enjoy food and stuff. Well, they don’t ever have a completely vegetarian Eat Club dinner, so Jason’s foodie friends decided to have their own.

Back to last night: I got quasi-dressed up, although the place is so low-key and not pretentious at all, and we headed out pretty early, at like 5:45 or so, because Dick & Jenny’s fill up fast. So we got a table quickly and then I took a gander at the fabulous wine list while Jason parked. Great stuff. I was impressed. But we weren’t getting wine. We were going to have a couple of Sazeracs. What’s a Sazerac, you ask? It’s great. I mean, it’s a New Orleans drink if I ever had one. As one website says: “Tourists have hurricanes [the drink, not Katrina], and locals have Sazeracs.” And here’s how you make one:

Sazerac:

1 teaspoon of simple syrup (or 1 sugar cube or 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar)
3 - 4 dashes Peychaud's bitters
2 ounces rye whiskey (most New Orleans bars use Old Overholt)
1/4 teaspoon Herbsaint, a New Orleans brand of anise liqueur
(You may use Pernod, or some other pastis or absinthe substitute)
Strip of lemon peel

The traditional method: Pack a 3-1/2 ounce old fashioned glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, moisten the sugar cube with just enough water to saturate it, then crush. Blend with the whiskey and bitters. Add a few cubes of ice and stir to chill. Discard the ice from the first glass and pour in the Herbsaint. Coat the inside of the entire glass, pouring out the excess. Strain the whiskey into the Herbsaint coated glass. Twist the lemon peel over the glass so that the lemon oil cascades into the drink, then rub the peel over the rim of the glass; do not put the twist in the drink. Or, as Stanley Clisby Arthur says, "Do not commit the sacrilege of dropping the peel into the drink.

And they are delicious! Not too sweet, they pack a punch, are complex and intriguing, just like the City. So I was more than happy with my drink (Although we weren’t expecting the price: egads!) In addition to the drinks, we had amazing corn-friend oysters on top of some creole slaw. The creamiest most tender and delicious oysters I’ve ever had. In New Orleans, oysters are heavenly. I love ‘em fried. Oi! For the main course, Jason had Scallops and Shrimp and a Crawfish & Brie filled Beggar’s Purse (crepe), africkinmazing. I had a pan-bronzed gulf fish on top of a okra, corn, crawfish sautée thing. Mouthwatering, perfectly cooked. We had to abstain from dessert, although I could have filled myself a little fuller. So great. Best of all was the company and the environment. It wasn’t at all stuffy and could’ve been given the quality of the food. Oh, this City will never stop amazing me. Later today: Wine Shops. (If the rain stays away.)

Tasting Faux #1

2006-05-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

(Tasting Faux are irreverent tasting notes, most often endearing, intended for amusement and maybe even insight.)

2003 Oliver Zinfandel

At about 16.5% alcohol/volume, this wine is like ass-less pants. Fun, arousing, spicy, but not for use in public, and too much of a good thing is just bad. This wine also lacks full coverage and is only exciting at the end. But I do love ass-less pants.

New Orleans: Take 4

2006-05-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

So, here I am, once again in lovely New Orleans, visiting Jason (amorous adventures are for my other blog), and enjoying my gustatory and wine heaven. This town is amazing, I feel like everyone here loves food, and, unlike my average Hoosier, the people enjoy adventuring into territories unknown. All of the restaurants in town seem to have amazing wine lists—and what I mean by that is that they have a wide variety of different types of wine on the list, not like Indiana, where you have lots of Cab, Merlot, maybe a Zin or Shiraz, and Chardonnay, maybe Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, and always the White Zinfandel—almost always strictly New World if not simply California.

On an AM talk radio station, radio personality and foodie, Tom Fitzmorris, has a daily food radio show—it’s quite entertaining and informative, although he seems to have a very healthy budget. Check him out, especially if you’re ever coming down to the Big Easy.

Jason and I have made plans to (1) cook more this time I’m down here to save money and time eating out, which is really hard, because amazing restaurants and bars within walking distance abound (not to mention those to which we have to drive). We’ve also planned to (2) go to Dick & Jenny’s and/or the Pelican Club for dinner. For those not privy to New Orleans food culture, those are two great (not necessarily budget-friendly) eats. I’m really excited to make dinner for Jason and friends while I’m here because they have great groceries stores—especially Whole Foods on Magazine Street, which is in an old streetcar station. It has an immense amount of beautiful food and I have a crush on it. I’m going to experiment with new foods I haven’t tackled yet: primarily risotto, but maybe scallops, or shellfish. Speaking of seafood, I have to go back to Krabby Jack’s, the best seafood I’ve ever had. Oh heaven!

Last night, Jason and I went out to Mona’s, a local chain of a few lovely middle-eastern restaurants, with stellar hummus. I can’t find any hummus that compares to Mona’s or Café Lebanon’s hummus—it’s super-creamy, and they always plate it with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice. So great. So we popped the only bottle of wine we had on hand (although we had to pass two wine stores on the short drive down Magazine St.), which was an Oliver Winery 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon. It actually went nicely with the lebna and hummus we had for appetizer, and fairly well with my sautéed vegetable plate. It wasn’t exactly what I was craving, and I hadn’t eaten much since I was on planes all day, so it hit me quickly. It had that nice brick-red rim in the glass, and a subdued fruitiness and lingering elegant tannins, and still had a bracing acidity that helped it a lot with the food. I don’t think I am in a position to remember it well enough to convey it to you, and I think it’s more of a winter wine—not so much an 80 degree sultry New Orleans wine.

Anyway, the goal of today, was (1) sleep, of which I did for approximately 13 hours, and (2) go for a walk, which was spoilt by rain and thunder. More tomorrow...or later.

Document Design

2006-05-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

I am revamping the way I blog my tastings here, and I’ve concluded that loose rules are the ones best to use. I’m going to use bulletpoints, because I am prone to horrid narrative if left to my own devices. That said, I will preface most of my notes with a prefatory paragraph or give the mise-en-scene before the note. (Remember the following is approximate and subject to great changes.)
• Name of Wine
• Location
• Variety
• Alcohol Content
• See
• Smell (after Swirl, of course)
• Sip (the name of my favorite wine store)
• Savor
• Price
• Numerical Ranking(s)

To Start Anew

2006-05-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

Preface: I sincerely apologize to my dear beloved reader or two that I haven't updated this for months. The semester took over my life, and the idea of having to totally revise and fill in the gaps proved daunting. But, luckily I kept drinking wine, talking about it, and have recently inundated myself with other wine blogs. I love them, and someday hope to be a place where I can actually help people choose a tasty wine, or at least provide them with some literary gastronomic entertaiment. So, in the next two weeks I will make it one of my goals (and I have very few right now) to update at least twice daily about wine, the wine blogosphere, wine shops, and anything else that strikes my fancy. This way, I can keep this sucker polished and ready for action from now on. Happy reading.

2006-02-10T07:56:00.000-08:00

Sorry, It's been a while, I really want to try to keep althis blog updated, so I'm not just a wine dork. Someday, I'd really like if people took my wine advice, because I think that I know what is tasty and what is not. My palate is developing slowly. Anyway, I've had a couple of unremarkable wines lately, but they're interesting, so I'll mention them. First of all, I had a Cotes du Rhone red, a 2001 La Remejeanne for about $13. I opened it to have a little with a hearty white bean puree, and upon the poar, I was wary. Rhone reds are mostly Syrah with a healthy portion of Grenache, and a little Mourvedre (or Cinsault, and a few others, as the French can't get enough of blending). I love a great Syrah when it's called Shiraz, and it's big and bold, and the Granache I've had was really nice and drinkable, and I know it would be great blended with my Shiraz (okay, Syrah). The wine was a nice dark red bordering on purple, but lacked density. I was worried that the wine would seem watery, because I've had a few other cheap European wines that were somewhat dissapointing, because of their undue lightness. Anyway, it wasn't that bad, it had a little dark red berry quality and a nice bite of spice near the end, and it's lightness made it very drinkable but, not able to be savored and thought over like I want my wine to me. The aroma was very, well, cellary to me (no celery), with a hint of that Syrah pepper. All in all, my nose wanted more! Not so great of an intro to the Rhone.

2001 La Remejeanne Cotes du Rhone
Q: 6.5
V: 5.5

Last night was another foray into the inexpensive wines of Europe. I'm tryin old world, so that I can more fully appreciate the new world wines--which I do! I do! I was at Trader Joe's a few months back and I was looking for a nice Chianti, something with for Italian food, which I adore. At the top of the shelf, I saw a few interesting wines: Amarone, Barolo, and a few other of the rarer Italians. So I grabbed the Barolo, even though Amarone sounded neater. I did my Barolo research, leanred about nebbiolo, the grape that was purported to be finikier and harder to grow than the ellusive Pinot Noir, and it's only grown in Northern Italy, and rarely anywhere else with much success. I read that nebbiolos, like Barolo and Barbaresco, are often--no, not often--usually expesive--like more than $50. Well, this Barolo was about $13 at Trader Joes. I read some mediocre reviews of the wine, but I wanted to try it! So, last night I popped the Barolo, added a glug to some Newman's Own pasta sauce (an easy way for college kids to add some personal flavor to a lovely jarred sauce), and poared a glass. It was a very interesting brick-red color with a sort of orange tinge around the edges. The taste? Well, it was a little watery--again! I'd read that Barolos are bigger wines than Chianti are, so I was expecting a little more gumption from this wine. Although, it was great with the pasta. It had a slightly nice fruityness, a slight, slight oak quality, and a nice medium-short finish to it. I couldn't really describe the taste in any great detail. I'll have some more tonight and update you. I liked it better than the Cotes du Rhone, though, and it's a neat color!

2000 La Loggia Barolo
Q: 8.00
V: 8.75

Sip 'n Savor

2006-01-15T19:54:00.000-08:00

First of all, I must apologize for my absence. I went to a still-struggling to New Orleans to visit Jason, and had an amazing wine experience. Jason lives right off of an area of Magazine St. with a lot of great coffee shops, stores, a spa, and yes, a wonderful little wine market, called Sip. Sip has their selection of wines, all quite affordable, arranged in six flavor catagories: Floral, Smokey, Fruity, Spicy (my favorite), Earthy, and Herbal. They also have a Splurge table with wines over $25, and another table, usually "Sweet." They have a nice little table with about 100 different beers and such. This store is incredibly sweet, Jennifer, the owner, gave me a hug the second time I came in, and her puppy is precious. Jason and I went to a $10 wine tasting night, Sip 'n Spin, focusing on six Herbal wines and Regge music. It was loads of fun! The other people there were great and we could walk around the store while we tasted or step outside into the 70 degree weather and chat. The wines were nice, not remarkable, but I think that Herbal is not my favorite. Spicy, please.
Speaking of spicey, the first time Jason and I went to Sip to grab a couple of bottles, we saw a lot of Zinfandel in the Spicy section and I took the initiative to introduce the boy to the wonderful grape of California. I asked Jennifer to suggest a Zin, and she pointed out a few and I decided to get a 2002 Mendicino County Zinfandel from Graziano after it was described as luscious. Two days later, we popped the Zin over a great dinner at Lebanon Cafe, where they encourage customers to bring a bottle of wine. At first taste I was taken, the fruit was literally rolling in my mouth, it was juicy and full and I died. Then the spicy! Oh pepper, what a wonder! It was like black pepper strawberries or blackberries or plums. Was this too good to be true? No. It was true, and we finished the bottle as soon as we knew it. Something was just too good about it. Upon examining the .pdf fact sheet on this wine, I found that it was slightly off-dry, with a .6% residual sugar! Aha! Oh, no, sugar! I'm sort of anti-sugar and anti-sweet right now, and oppose any beverage with too much sugar, it just isn't tasteful. Whatever. This Zin kicked butt, and I could drink a whole bottle sitting in my bedroom writing in my wineblog.

Graziano Mendicino County Zinfandel 2002
Q: 9.75
V: 9.5

Holiday Party 2005

2005-12-12T13:21:00.000-08:00

First, I have a confession to make: I work at Oliver Winery (for those who don't know, Oliver is Indiana's first, and largest winery). With that aside, I will try to impress that I will attempt to be unbiased in my review. Last night was the Winery's annual holiday party, fill of super-fun people and unparalleled amounts of wine. I don't have time to review every wine I had, but I'll try. It'll be a fun overview of some of Oliver's wine.

When my friend and co-worker Amy and I got to the party, we heard that they had some unreleased 2004 Creekbend Chardonel, so we went directly to the ice bucket full of wine. Creekbend is the name of Oliver's vineyard, so this wine is one of the estate bottled wines at Oliver. Chardonel is our version of Chardonnay, which I don't have much experience with. This Chardonel tasted almost absent of any oaky or buttery quality of many California Chardonnays, but had some really nice, extremely food friendly qualities. It was great with the stuffed mushrooms, and the very hint of smokiness was very tasty. It was quite crisp and I got a slight combination of lemon and apple hint with a complimentary tinge of smoke.

2004 Creekbend Chardonel
Q: 7.5
V: ---- [not yet released]

The next wine I went for was a good pair for some swiss cheese on the lovely, lovely cheese platter. Oliver's 2004 Creekbend Chambourcin Rose is a delightful rose, with really nice bright fresh rasberries abounding, accompanied by a mouth watering little bit of watermelon on the crisp, fruity finish. A slight off-dry quality really makes this fruity, fun, summery wine great with light cheeses and a platter of strawberries, pineapple, and canteloupe.

2004 Creebend Chambourcin Rose
Q: 7.5
V: 6.75

The third wine was sent from heaven. I have began to become a huge fan of a nice Zinfandel, after always associating that name with a sugary "white" lie also known as white zinfandel. (This shouldn't be taken to mean that I don't believe in amazing Zinfandel's potential as a dry rose or slightly off dry rose wine.) Our 2003 Zinfandel is pretty good, but super peppery, which I love, but oh, oh what a wonder is Oliver's 2001 Zinfandel! A nice light amount of spice at the beginning, pepper, but not just pepper, I got almost a little clovey, chocolatey, coffee-y, hint at the beginning and then WHAM! a big suprise of long perfectly ripe fruit, almost plummy and very black cherry to me. Wow. What a pleasure was that. It went perfectly with even the light dinner I had, some salmon, salad, mashed potatoes, carrots, and veggie lasagna. It went beautifully with me.

Q: 9.75
V: ----- [I want to cry! This wine is not available to buy...but when it is someday...It's all mine!]

Finally, this wine deserves to be reviewed because I am very proud of Oliver for making it Indiana's first Ice Wine. This 2004 Creekbend Vidal Blanc Ice Wine is like the rich, concentrated, nectar of the Gods. It's thick and dark rich yellow bordering on amber. The flavor is like white grape concentrate, full of apples, candied orange and lemon peel, honey, and love. I had it with a scoop of (Amy's) rich vanilla ice cream. I could have gone to heaven right then...I might have. They set this $47.10 350 ml bottle of wine on our table, more than enough for all of us to share. I was sceptical that I couldnt' drink a lot of it, but I was wrong. It is a thing of wonder, I'm glad that we'll have even more of it next year. (Harvest was last Tuesday.)

Q: 9.65
V: 7.75 [A competative price price for an Ice Wine.]

Sadly, I can't comment on the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon I had from the methuselah, although it was great, I was preoccupied with several things. First, the methuselah, second the Zinfandel, and the conversation, and dinner, and then the fun and the ice wine. Ah. It'll probably be awhile until I comment on that many wines at once. Good times with good people, good wine only makes things better.

Adventures in Carmenere

2005-12-09T19:32:00.000-08:00

So, I have sort of taken the Chilean varietal Carmenere under my wing since I first had an amazing bottle of it a few months ago. I decided to eat a piece of cold pizza with a glass of this wine. Hey, I turned in a big paper today, I wanted a glass or two. Upon first glance at this 2004 Castillero del Diablo Carmenere (from the Chilean giant Concha y Toro), I saw promise. A rich dark magenta in the glass, I expected something I would come to adore. Suprisingly I felt like the aroma lacked...well...aroma. I got a little tart cranberry-ish scent with a little sharp herbal note, which I could feel in the first sip. The first sip was just that--sharp. Maybe it's a little too young. But after the I swallowed, the wine bloomed. It softened out with a light almost vanilla softness, but without the nice hint of spice I was looking for. Then I had some pizza, and all was well with the world. I have to say, not my favorite carmenere by far, although after I let it calm down a bit, much softer. I don't think it was the best wine to start with. I think I was in the mood for something trashy and chilled. Cheers!

So I have yet to work out a rating system. But I think I'm going to use more than one number--two, in fact. A Quality ranking and maybe a Value ranking. Quality is basically taste, aroma, body, craftsmanship, etc. And value is sort of a balance between price and Quality. Like if a wine is cheap and bad, it still get's a low Value.

2004 Castillero del Diablo Carmenere
Q: 7.5
V: 8

Lovely Christening

2005-12-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

So I intend to keep up this blog as a record of the wine I drink and the fun times I have, which are often inseperable. I am a young, new oenophile, and find that wine tasting and descriptions are fun, not snobbish at all. It's all about what you taste in your mouth and articulation, and I think it makes me smarter. I also love food, so there'll be a lot of mention of food in my bloggie as well.

I don't have a special occasion for wine tonight, but I promise I will let you know how my next bottle will be. My dorky self just made a spreadsheet describing the contents of my eight-bottle under-bed wine rack--pathetic, I know. I'm in college and can't to any better than that right now.

Until the next sip