In getting back to the roots of why I came to Napa in the first place and what I actually enjoy most about living in wine country, I am going to (re)dedicate this Local Wino Whines Blog to my travels, trials and tribulations of exploring the Napa/Sonoma and beyond.
Every Wednesday, I will be out and about wine country mixing it up with wineries, winemakers, various tastings, favorite wine lunch spots and the like, reporting back on my day to post my findings every Thursday by noon. I will concentrate on new wine discoveries, but will also be reporting back on the "day-in-the-life" of what goes on in Napa/Sonoma from a true 'local wino' perspective.
So, starting this Thursday, come back to my blog and see the first Chief Wino Explores (CWE) report on what the day presented and what I discovered along the way. This will be a weekly insightful and fun ride for all to enjoy!
Cheers,
James
Chief Wino
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Return to Whining
One can only keep up so much theses days. Between tweeting, facebooking, blogging, spacing, and launching a new wine business - Access Wine Club - I have been very tardy on my own personal wine blog and my LocalWino.com site. That being said, I've decided to use my Local Wino Whines forum to express shorter, more concise consumer views about wine and link my observations from the wine business side with the consumer side. More of a view from inside out that may be of some interest.
My goal is to be very to the point and approach certain subjects more directly as they occur from my primary focus now which is the Access Wine Club catalog and website venture.
So here goes...subject #1 - Social Networks and Wine.
There is obviously a lot of interest in Social Networking across all channels these days and it has become the latest Internet darling. It is a broad term very loosely used now since there are so many of these portals that have been developed, but there is a more technical term being thrown around referred to as a "viral-expansion loop". This is a fancy way of saying friends telling friends that tell other friends and so on that revolve around a common interest of sorts whether it is where they went to school, family, social clubs, activities or key interests and the such. The expansion and growth has been exponential, literally. Now, people are trying to find out how to capitalize on this (i.e. monetize) with the huge numbers we're dealing with.
I've created a wine group on Facebook, I tweet as much as I can, and I have a portal, a forum and website all revolving around wine. And now, we sell wine through some exclusive partnerships here in Napa. Although interest is high and the numbers can be 'fruitful', the buyers are still tough to identify. Just because there is a wine "interest", it does not mean that they are buyers.
In summation, wine is a very social commodity and there are big numbers to reach. The next step is to find what compels people to go from sharing their interests about wine online to actually becoming a buyer. Access Wine Club attempts to do this through offering specialty wines through some exclusive partnerships along with giving the (potential) consumer more thorough information about the wine, the background, the winemaker and the winery itself to create interest beyond just a rating or a couple of sentences about the wine.
So far so good...we just need to continue to expand the pockets and do our best to inform the consumer well enough to make comfortable decisions about their purchase when trying something new.
More to come...
Cheers,
James
Chief Wino
My goal is to be very to the point and approach certain subjects more directly as they occur from my primary focus now which is the Access Wine Club catalog and website venture.
So here goes...subject #1 - Social Networks and Wine.
There is obviously a lot of interest in Social Networking across all channels these days and it has become the latest Internet darling. It is a broad term very loosely used now since there are so many of these portals that have been developed, but there is a more technical term being thrown around referred to as a "viral-expansion loop". This is a fancy way of saying friends telling friends that tell other friends and so on that revolve around a common interest of sorts whether it is where they went to school, family, social clubs, activities or key interests and the such. The expansion and growth has been exponential, literally. Now, people are trying to find out how to capitalize on this (i.e. monetize) with the huge numbers we're dealing with.
I've created a wine group on Facebook, I tweet as much as I can, and I have a portal, a forum and website all revolving around wine. And now, we sell wine through some exclusive partnerships here in Napa. Although interest is high and the numbers can be 'fruitful', the buyers are still tough to identify. Just because there is a wine "interest", it does not mean that they are buyers.
In summation, wine is a very social commodity and there are big numbers to reach. The next step is to find what compels people to go from sharing their interests about wine online to actually becoming a buyer. Access Wine Club attempts to do this through offering specialty wines through some exclusive partnerships along with giving the (potential) consumer more thorough information about the wine, the background, the winemaker and the winery itself to create interest beyond just a rating or a couple of sentences about the wine.
So far so good...we just need to continue to expand the pockets and do our best to inform the consumer well enough to make comfortable decisions about their purchase when trying something new.
More to come...
Cheers,
James
Chief Wino
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Corkage vs. bottle vs. half-bottle vs. by-the-glass
Amongst many of my wine drinking friends and family, when we decide to go out to dinner, I am often left with the ongoing dilemma...bring a bottle and suffer the corkage fee or rely on the random offerings on the 'by the glass' (BTG) list which I know will be a limited version of what I really want or like. There are several factors that play in to this scenario and I'd like to lay out a few things to consider when faced with this potential quandary.
1) First and foremost, what IS the corkage fee or the stipulations of bringing your own wine? Many places have policies in place that waive corkage for every bottle purchased or the fees are such that it just does not make sense for the bottle your bringing. Sometimes, you can even order just a 'split' of wine to start and the corkage is waived. Obviously, you do not want to pay $20-$25 for a $30 bottle of wine or the like or if they charge full price for half-bottles.
2) Who and/or how many are you dining with? When you have a larger group or more than 4-6, you know there will be various dining decisions being made that greatly affect what you may want to bring if any. If everyone will agree to absorb the corkage fee, then bring something nice everyone will want to at least try and then let the rest order as they wish. Trying to please a lot of palates is challenging to say the least.
3) Do you have a good idea of the menu or style of food? I'm not hard-line fan of exact wines wine and food pairings, but I think it is an important consideration to overlook. For instance, if you are going to traditional French, strictly seafood or steak, or say a northern Italian type restaurants, you will want to pair appropriately. When I know I am going for that big fat traditional rib-eye steak dinner, I know exactly what type of wine I want to enjoy and the price-point is usually such that it warrants bringing my own even with the corkage fee.
4) Is the wine list available to view online? Many times you can preview what the current BTG list offers and see if it is something you can live with. I recently brought a half-bottle to new restaurant and the BTG glass list was quite good and had no reason to open what I brought...saved me the $15 on the half and was quite pleased with the wine along with trying something new that I really enjoyed.
5) How much will you be drinking? When my wife and I go out, sometimes she'll only have one glass and prefers to just order off the list for convenience sake. In addition, her tastes are different and may want the flexibility to order per the tastes of the evening. Here in CA you can re-cork and take it with you, but again, is it worth a couple of glasses on yourself? Also, if you are going somewhere afterward, you don't want to be lugging a bottle around or have an open bottle in the car.
6) Do you want to explore and try some new wines? When ordering BTG, you are almost assured you will be getting the latest from the industry. I have discovered some great wines that I would have not otherwise know about or tried. By committing to BTG, you will have the opportunity to "wing it" and try something new. Don't go for the 'ol standby that you know and like...experiment with something new or what the server recommends.
I may be over-thinking this scenario for most, but here in wine country, it is an ongoing saga. Plus, these days, I am trying to drink more from my cellar to save money and it gives me an opportunity (OK, excuse...) to break out some gems that just need to be drunk by now.
Until the next sip, swirl ya' later!
James
Chief Wino
1) First and foremost, what IS the corkage fee or the stipulations of bringing your own wine? Many places have policies in place that waive corkage for every bottle purchased or the fees are such that it just does not make sense for the bottle your bringing. Sometimes, you can even order just a 'split' of wine to start and the corkage is waived. Obviously, you do not want to pay $20-$25 for a $30 bottle of wine or the like or if they charge full price for half-bottles.
2) Who and/or how many are you dining with? When you have a larger group or more than 4-6, you know there will be various dining decisions being made that greatly affect what you may want to bring if any. If everyone will agree to absorb the corkage fee, then bring something nice everyone will want to at least try and then let the rest order as they wish. Trying to please a lot of palates is challenging to say the least.
3) Do you have a good idea of the menu or style of food? I'm not hard-line fan of exact wines wine and food pairings, but I think it is an important consideration to overlook. For instance, if you are going to traditional French, strictly seafood or steak, or say a northern Italian type restaurants, you will want to pair appropriately. When I know I am going for that big fat traditional rib-eye steak dinner, I know exactly what type of wine I want to enjoy and the price-point is usually such that it warrants bringing my own even with the corkage fee.
4) Is the wine list available to view online? Many times you can preview what the current BTG list offers and see if it is something you can live with. I recently brought a half-bottle to new restaurant and the BTG glass list was quite good and had no reason to open what I brought...saved me the $15 on the half and was quite pleased with the wine along with trying something new that I really enjoyed.
5) How much will you be drinking? When my wife and I go out, sometimes she'll only have one glass and prefers to just order off the list for convenience sake. In addition, her tastes are different and may want the flexibility to order per the tastes of the evening. Here in CA you can re-cork and take it with you, but again, is it worth a couple of glasses on yourself? Also, if you are going somewhere afterward, you don't want to be lugging a bottle around or have an open bottle in the car.
6) Do you want to explore and try some new wines? When ordering BTG, you are almost assured you will be getting the latest from the industry. I have discovered some great wines that I would have not otherwise know about or tried. By committing to BTG, you will have the opportunity to "wing it" and try something new. Don't go for the 'ol standby that you know and like...experiment with something new or what the server recommends.
I may be over-thinking this scenario for most, but here in wine country, it is an ongoing saga. Plus, these days, I am trying to drink more from my cellar to save money and it gives me an opportunity (OK, excuse...) to break out some gems that just need to be drunk by now.
Until the next sip, swirl ya' later!
James
Chief Wino
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wine and...Poker?
I've written about many things directly involving wine subjects and the wine industry. I've even dabbled around the fringes of wine and included subjects like golf, travel, cruises, equipment, and tools to enjoy the trade. So, am I REALLY reaching this time to include a subject such as poker?
I don't think so, and here's why...
1. Good wines while playing poker. Whether at someone's house or at the local poker room, I've been know to uncork a nice bottle during the game and have a more relaxed session of the 'sport'. Quite frankly, there is a lot of down-time during the game and it helps pass the time while you're observing when out of the hands.
2. Dom Perignon and poker. A couple of years ago, I'm watching a taped version of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and a couple of old friends that ended up at the same table were getting reacquainted sharing "war stories" about their travels having a grand old time down memory lane. Not five minutes in to their banter, they order up a vintage bottle of Dom and toast to their reuniting and then share it with the entire table. Fine champagne and WSOP poker...now THAT is what I call a perfect pairing.
3. 2005 Caymus pre-release. A while back, a friend and I decided to meet up for an evening of poker at the card room. It was the first time we were playing together and I decided to have each of us bring a bottle of wine to enjoy while playing. At the time, he happened to be working at Caymus here in Napa and low-and-behold he shows up with an '05 Special Selection Cab ($175) from the tasting room that opened for a pre-release tasting. So here I am playing cards drinking one of the best wines from Napa before the general public even sees the wine. Plus, I ended up winning a couple hundred bucks...lucky me.
4. Michael Mondavi and Oberon wines. Premiere Napa Valley during February is one of the area's biggest overall weeks. It brings in (trade) people from all over the country to try Napa's finest concoctions especially produced from this event. It is a showcase week for the valley on all fronts. During this time, Michael Mondavi puts on a BBQ and poker event called "The Oberon Poker Challenge" at his Folio Wine Studio in Carneros. He limits the players to 100 and has sold out two years running. As I arrived to the scene to get my seat, I noticed several familiar faces both from the industry and the local cards games...all the usual suspects. Uhem, I finished 2nd outlasting all of my poker buddies and walked away with a few nice gift certificates along with a magnum of Oberon's premium Hillside Select Cab. Book me for next year.
5. Poker and wine tasting night. For a while, we had a group that was regularly meeting monthly where we would throw together a poker game and have everyone bring a certain varietal or vintage of wines. It included a nice variety of industry sales people, sommeliers, winemakers and retailers. We'd line the wines up on the counter, pop all the corks, doll out the chips and duke it out all night long in to the wee hours. It was a great way to try 10-12 different wines/styles that I would otherwise maybe miss while having a great time talking 'shop'. "Shuffle up and deal" never sounded or tasted so good.
6. Masters week and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Huh? Ok, bear with me here. Twice a year I like to combine a few of my favorite things collectively in one night. In April, it is my absolute favorite week, Masters Golf week. In the fall, it is when the Steelers play on Monday night football. Each of these occasions, I cook up my world famous (well, maybe only slightly regionally famous...) 'five-alarm' chili and have everyone bring wines that work well with spicy food/chili (we tend to lean heavy on the Zins here) while throwing down a poker game in the midst of it all. Golf, football, chili, wine and poker...the girls can't get away fast enough from these annual events.
7. The WSOP. The World Series of Poker is the penultimate poker event. I have been trying to qualify for the main event for over three years only to fall short by either a card or two or a bad beat or so at the wrong time. I have told myself that if I cannot qualify on my own volition, I do not deserve to play in the 'big show' plunking down the $10k it costs for a seat. I have vowed though that if (when) I make it to the main event (I have played in a couple of the early WSOP prelim events) I will break open something from cellar that is quite special and share it with my table. I do not normally drink while playing serious poker, but here just enough to calm the nerves and salute the moment.
8. Murphy-Goode Winery. Some of you might be aware of the new correspondent position/PR drive that this winery is doing dubbed "A Really Goode Job". M-G has done a great job in making this a widely talked about 'dream job' for a "Lifestyle Correspondent". When the article was published in the SF Chronicle a few weeks ago outlining the qualifications that they are looking for, oddly enough they included poker and liar's dice as a preference. Apparently their winemaker has quite the affinity for these games and is a seasoned poker player himself. Who knew!
Being in Napa now for while, my ultimate goal is to put together a huge weekend event that involves a celebrity golf tournament, casino night, poker tournament, wine auction and charity fund raiser that will be known as the valley's "event of the year" to look forward to. I am in the process of putting all the 'players' together to make this happen for 2010.
In the meantime, I'll be exploring more ways to combine all of my passions surrounding wine and bringing together the people and places to make it happen.
Until the next sip, swirl ya' later!
James
Chief Wino
I don't think so, and here's why...
1. Good wines while playing poker. Whether at someone's house or at the local poker room, I've been know to uncork a nice bottle during the game and have a more relaxed session of the 'sport'. Quite frankly, there is a lot of down-time during the game and it helps pass the time while you're observing when out of the hands.
2. Dom Perignon and poker. A couple of years ago, I'm watching a taped version of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and a couple of old friends that ended up at the same table were getting reacquainted sharing "war stories" about their travels having a grand old time down memory lane. Not five minutes in to their banter, they order up a vintage bottle of Dom and toast to their reuniting and then share it with the entire table. Fine champagne and WSOP poker...now THAT is what I call a perfect pairing.
3. 2005 Caymus pre-release. A while back, a friend and I decided to meet up for an evening of poker at the card room. It was the first time we were playing together and I decided to have each of us bring a bottle of wine to enjoy while playing. At the time, he happened to be working at Caymus here in Napa and low-and-behold he shows up with an '05 Special Selection Cab ($175) from the tasting room that opened for a pre-release tasting. So here I am playing cards drinking one of the best wines from Napa before the general public even sees the wine. Plus, I ended up winning a couple hundred bucks...lucky me.
4. Michael Mondavi and Oberon wines. Premiere Napa Valley during February is one of the area's biggest overall weeks. It brings in (trade) people from all over the country to try Napa's finest concoctions especially produced from this event. It is a showcase week for the valley on all fronts. During this time, Michael Mondavi puts on a BBQ and poker event called "The Oberon Poker Challenge" at his Folio Wine Studio in Carneros. He limits the players to 100 and has sold out two years running. As I arrived to the scene to get my seat, I noticed several familiar faces both from the industry and the local cards games...all the usual suspects. Uhem, I finished 2nd outlasting all of my poker buddies and walked away with a few nice gift certificates along with a magnum of Oberon's premium Hillside Select Cab. Book me for next year.
5. Poker and wine tasting night. For a while, we had a group that was regularly meeting monthly where we would throw together a poker game and have everyone bring a certain varietal or vintage of wines. It included a nice variety of industry sales people, sommeliers, winemakers and retailers. We'd line the wines up on the counter, pop all the corks, doll out the chips and duke it out all night long in to the wee hours. It was a great way to try 10-12 different wines/styles that I would otherwise maybe miss while having a great time talking 'shop'. "Shuffle up and deal" never sounded or tasted so good.
6. Masters week and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Huh? Ok, bear with me here. Twice a year I like to combine a few of my favorite things collectively in one night. In April, it is my absolute favorite week, Masters Golf week. In the fall, it is when the Steelers play on Monday night football. Each of these occasions, I cook up my world famous (well, maybe only slightly regionally famous...) 'five-alarm' chili and have everyone bring wines that work well with spicy food/chili (we tend to lean heavy on the Zins here) while throwing down a poker game in the midst of it all. Golf, football, chili, wine and poker...the girls can't get away fast enough from these annual events.
7. The WSOP. The World Series of Poker is the penultimate poker event. I have been trying to qualify for the main event for over three years only to fall short by either a card or two or a bad beat or so at the wrong time. I have told myself that if I cannot qualify on my own volition, I do not deserve to play in the 'big show' plunking down the $10k it costs for a seat. I have vowed though that if (when) I make it to the main event (I have played in a couple of the early WSOP prelim events) I will break open something from cellar that is quite special and share it with my table. I do not normally drink while playing serious poker, but here just enough to calm the nerves and salute the moment.
8. Murphy-Goode Winery. Some of you might be aware of the new correspondent position/PR drive that this winery is doing dubbed "A Really Goode Job". M-G has done a great job in making this a widely talked about 'dream job' for a "Lifestyle Correspondent". When the article was published in the SF Chronicle a few weeks ago outlining the qualifications that they are looking for, oddly enough they included poker and liar's dice as a preference. Apparently their winemaker has quite the affinity for these games and is a seasoned poker player himself. Who knew!
♠ ♥ ♣ ♦
Being in Napa now for while, my ultimate goal is to put together a huge weekend event that involves a celebrity golf tournament, casino night, poker tournament, wine auction and charity fund raiser that will be known as the valley's "event of the year" to look forward to. I am in the process of putting all the 'players' together to make this happen for 2010.
In the meantime, I'll be exploring more ways to combine all of my passions surrounding wine and bringing together the people and places to make it happen.
Until the next sip, swirl ya' later!
James
Chief Wino
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Food & Wine Pairing Extraordinaire
Living here in Napa (Yountville) there are certain extreme luxuries that are abound that you realize you will either rarely or never be able to experience. Whether it be the Napa Valley Wine Auction, Mustard Festival private winemaker dinners, Auberge du Soleil, CIA/Greystone, Screaming Eagle wine, etc., or, for purposes of this post, the French Laundry (FL) restaurant.
When we first rolled in to Yountville a year ago, home of several great restaurants including the aforementioned, my wife had always heard how amazing this experience was. Given the nature of fine French dining, I was not overwhelmingly excited about it at many levels. My response to her was always the same, "OK, when we win the lottery, I'll take you there." FYI, dinners there regularly run $500+ per person and a $50 per bottle corkage fee. Little did I know, one of the benefits of living in Yountville was that once a year, they hold a 'lottery' for all residents to be able to dine at the FL at the original opening (1989) prices of $49 per person and waived corkage fees for your own wines. Cut to the chase...we won the drawing and went to our scheduled locals' night this past Monday night.
For any of those that have either had the experience there or know much about it, it is ranked as one of the top-10 restaurants in the world and under the guidance of renowned chef Thomas Keller. It's been known for several innovations in food presentation along with as many as 22 courses or more in a single seating lasting over 4 hours. Although, from its subdued exterior, it is quite the unassuming place tucked in the northern part of town in an old wooden 'house' of sorts. Ours was an abbreviated night with only a dozen courses or so lasting about 3 hours total. I came prepared and was going to "milk" it for all its worth even at the $49 price.
I began, of course, by planning my series of wines for the night. Not knowing the exact items being served or when, I took a bit of logical approach in how French dining of this sort usually plays out. I decided to go with safe bets in this order - Rose Champagne, Dry Riesling, and a vintage Bordeaux. This built in enough flexibility for various dishes while at the same time giving me the range I wanted to have a fulfilling night of wines.
Here's my reasoning: Bubbles always work to begin the night sipping as an appertif to get the taste buds going and with most intro-type leading appetizers. Riesling is most versatile with French foods that are rich, creamy or savory and/or with shellfish. And, Bordeaux would be perfect if they serve some sort of lamb or savory pork dish as the main. If fish was one of the mains, the Riesling would sub very well also.
So here's the brief summary of how it went down:
Overall, the place is quite small and fairly unassuming. The grounds are pleasant and nicely landscaped with a quaint courtyard area that is a good place to start with the Champagne. Nothing fancy to sit on either...older cushioned wooden chairs. There is no bar area inside and they do not serve hard alcohol at all. We had our Rose Champagne as our appertif and waited for our table. Couldn't help but think I should be 'twittering' the moment.
Once inside, I was surprised once again at the simplicity of the decor and the surroundings. One small room of 6-7 tables for the main dining and a couple of smaller rooms upstairs. It quickly became clear that this was going to be about the service experience and the food presentations.
The Rose Champagne took us through the first couple of courses before we opened a dry Alsace Riesling with one of their signature dishes - the truffle custard egg. This is an egg (gutted shell) that is cut open at the top 1/4 and filled with some of the most decadent infused truffle custard drizzled with truffle oil that rivaled (OK, exceeded) any Foie Gras I've ever had.
Then we had their version of a "caesar salad" that was a small lobster tail with a lemon infused butter cream along side a compressed seared romaine lettuce bundle (all of 2 inches big). Luckily, our neighbor table was friends of ours and they shared their own sauvignon blanc with us that made a perfect pair for the dish. On to the main courses...
By this time, we had gotten to red wine territory and the '85 Lynch Bages Bordeaux I brought was finally unveiled. It had been decanting in the back room for over two hours by now and it has been a while since I was that excited about a wine from my cellar. With the upcoming pork and lamb dishes, I knew I had made the right choice.
The most appropriate pairing was the lamb as they had orchestrated it in to 4 'bite-size' styles (loin, shank, chop & braised) within one plate. All worked harmoniously with the Bordeaux which definitely came alive with the food. Not sure if I know of too many better pairings all things considered.
The night ended with a concoction of cheeses and desserts that culminated in to an incredible selection of decadent chocolates and truffles to go with our 20-year tawny ports.
A total of almost four hours from our arrival not only was it "check please", but the proverbial wheel barrel was needed to get us out of there as we closed the place down. Not so much from the amount of food by any means, but just the overall saturation of the night. Needless to say, the next day was a bit rough.
Kudos to the entire Laundry team and their ability to make a normal setting outrageously special. Whatever you've heard, it is truly an experience of a lifetime. Now, at full prices...I'll get back to you on that.
Until the next sip...swirl ya' later.
James
Chief Wino
When we first rolled in to Yountville a year ago, home of several great restaurants including the aforementioned, my wife had always heard how amazing this experience was. Given the nature of fine French dining, I was not overwhelmingly excited about it at many levels. My response to her was always the same, "OK, when we win the lottery, I'll take you there." FYI, dinners there regularly run $500+ per person and a $50 per bottle corkage fee. Little did I know, one of the benefits of living in Yountville was that once a year, they hold a 'lottery' for all residents to be able to dine at the FL at the original opening (1989) prices of $49 per person and waived corkage fees for your own wines. Cut to the chase...we won the drawing and went to our scheduled locals' night this past Monday night.
For any of those that have either had the experience there or know much about it, it is ranked as one of the top-10 restaurants in the world and under the guidance of renowned chef Thomas Keller. It's been known for several innovations in food presentation along with as many as 22 courses or more in a single seating lasting over 4 hours. Although, from its subdued exterior, it is quite the unassuming place tucked in the northern part of town in an old wooden 'house' of sorts. Ours was an abbreviated night with only a dozen courses or so lasting about 3 hours total. I came prepared and was going to "milk" it for all its worth even at the $49 price.
I began, of course, by planning my series of wines for the night. Not knowing the exact items being served or when, I took a bit of logical approach in how French dining of this sort usually plays out. I decided to go with safe bets in this order - Rose Champagne, Dry Riesling, and a vintage Bordeaux. This built in enough flexibility for various dishes while at the same time giving me the range I wanted to have a fulfilling night of wines.
Here's my reasoning: Bubbles always work to begin the night sipping as an appertif to get the taste buds going and with most intro-type leading appetizers. Riesling is most versatile with French foods that are rich, creamy or savory and/or with shellfish. And, Bordeaux would be perfect if they serve some sort of lamb or savory pork dish as the main. If fish was one of the mains, the Riesling would sub very well also.
So here's the brief summary of how it went down:
Overall, the place is quite small and fairly unassuming. The grounds are pleasant and nicely landscaped with a quaint courtyard area that is a good place to start with the Champagne. Nothing fancy to sit on either...older cushioned wooden chairs. There is no bar area inside and they do not serve hard alcohol at all. We had our Rose Champagne as our appertif and waited for our table. Couldn't help but think I should be 'twittering' the moment.
Once inside, I was surprised once again at the simplicity of the decor and the surroundings. One small room of 6-7 tables for the main dining and a couple of smaller rooms upstairs. It quickly became clear that this was going to be about the service experience and the food presentations.
The Rose Champagne took us through the first couple of courses before we opened a dry Alsace Riesling with one of their signature dishes - the truffle custard egg. This is an egg (gutted shell) that is cut open at the top 1/4 and filled with some of the most decadent infused truffle custard drizzled with truffle oil that rivaled (OK, exceeded) any Foie Gras I've ever had.
Then we had their version of a "caesar salad" that was a small lobster tail with a lemon infused butter cream along side a compressed seared romaine lettuce bundle (all of 2 inches big). Luckily, our neighbor table was friends of ours and they shared their own sauvignon blanc with us that made a perfect pair for the dish. On to the main courses...
By this time, we had gotten to red wine territory and the '85 Lynch Bages Bordeaux I brought was finally unveiled. It had been decanting in the back room for over two hours by now and it has been a while since I was that excited about a wine from my cellar. With the upcoming pork and lamb dishes, I knew I had made the right choice.
The most appropriate pairing was the lamb as they had orchestrated it in to 4 'bite-size' styles (loin, shank, chop & braised) within one plate. All worked harmoniously with the Bordeaux which definitely came alive with the food. Not sure if I know of too many better pairings all things considered.
The night ended with a concoction of cheeses and desserts that culminated in to an incredible selection of decadent chocolates and truffles to go with our 20-year tawny ports.
A total of almost four hours from our arrival not only was it "check please", but the proverbial wheel barrel was needed to get us out of there as we closed the place down. Not so much from the amount of food by any means, but just the overall saturation of the night. Needless to say, the next day was a bit rough.
Kudos to the entire Laundry team and their ability to make a normal setting outrageously special. Whatever you've heard, it is truly an experience of a lifetime. Now, at full prices...I'll get back to you on that.
Until the next sip...swirl ya' later.
James
Chief Wino
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
What Are You Drinking Now...?
Now that we have the first quarter of the year behind us, the new president completing his first 100 days, the stock market making a slight comeback, and general consensus easing back in to the hope for the not too distant future, where have your wine dollars gone and where are the headed?
I'd like to present a few concepts and options for both the casual drinker and the dabbling collector that now is the time to spread your wings within the world of wine.
So, leap out of your comfort zone and get moving. Next time you're tempted to buy that Chardonnay or Cab off the shelf, explore the other regions of the store with some help and you'll be pleasantly surprised about the myriad of options before you.
Until the next sip, swirl ya' later!
James
Chief Wino
I'd like to present a few concepts and options for both the casual drinker and the dabbling collector that now is the time to spread your wings within the world of wine.
♦ Exploration of alternative domestically produced varietals. This is a great time look at not only more economic types of wines, but to expand beyond the mainstream or comfort zone of what you have always drunk. Instead of typical Chardonnay, Merlot, Zins & Cabs that most are used to, expand your horizons. Look at different wines such as various types of Rose's or whites like Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon and reds such as Carmenere, Mourvedre, Malbec, Barbera, Sangiovese, Syrah, Cab Franc and general red blends that are done quite well here. Not only are they generally cheaper, but provide for delicious alternatives for your buds and are great food or seasonal wines.
♦ Discovery of new wine regions. Spain, Portugal, Chile, Argentina, South Africa and Australia are doing a fine job of not only the classic varietals, but some of the above mentioned as well. You get a much better "bang for the buck" overall without sacrificing quality. And these days, they are quite readily available at your local wine shop or grocer.
♦ Buying by the case. When you find either a wine you love or one of your favorite wines on sale, buy a case as your everyday go-to wine. Saves on gas to the store and makes those decisions just that much easier day-to-day.
♦ Join a wine club. When you know a producer that makes several styles of wines you like at reasonable prices, join their club and enjoy the benefits of membership. You generally get 20-30% off most wines and often can be presented additional deals that cover most of the extra shipping costs.
♦ Make good friends with a local wine shop owner. Nothing more valuable than personal relationship with someone that can turn you on to the wines you love, but can also secure good deals for you to buy in bulk if needed. Often times you can also have the opportunity to 'try before you buy' with regular local wine tasting events. Plus, they get special promotions or overstock wines on the cheap that they can give you the inside scoop on.
♦ Make your own wine. Believe it or not, this process has been made much more available at reasonable costs to do right out of your garage. And, I have to tell you, if you have some good sources and/or creativity, you can make some decent wine. it may not be the wine you wine a gold medal with, but can be comparable to what you'd spend in $7-$15 range for at the store.
♦ Drink your cellar. Let's face it, if you are a collector of any decent size, you will not drink all of your wines and you probably have several wines that are past their peak. I highly suggest looking at any CA cabs or Merlots past 7 years old and popping the cork. There are a few exceptions, but if you're like me, I have dozens of wines that need to be opened asap.So, leap out of your comfort zone and get moving. Next time you're tempted to buy that Chardonnay or Cab off the shelf, explore the other regions of the store with some help and you'll be pleasantly surprised about the myriad of options before you.
Until the next sip, swirl ya' later!
James
Chief Wino
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)