Looking forward to 2012.
Christmas Day menu repeated Thanksgiving. Turkey and all of the sides. Loved it! We had a 2007 Seven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Seven Hills Vineyards Walla Walla Valley $27 from Washington state. Enjoyed it. Not a fruit bomb, good structure, nice tannins and it tasted like a cabernet. Followed it with an Italian dolcetta d' alba which was a mistake. It was much lighter and did not stand up to the cabernet.
We opened the keg of HB Oktoberfest beer and it was great. We finished it much faster than I expected. This is the way to drink beer.
We did not do a big wine swap with family at Christmas but I received a bottle of Plumpjack 2009 merlot. It has received some good ratings. Will open at a later date. I gave out a Calera 2009 pinot noir and a Summers 2007 cabernet sauvignon. I have not tried either but I have added them to my list. They sound like excellent wines.
We did our traditional Chinatown, NY take home thing on New Year's Eve day. My son and I went to the Peking Duck House on Mott Street and bought a whole Peking duck with all of the trimmings. $45. The price has gone up over the years but it is still a bargain. We then went to NY Noodletown and bought a roast duck and spare ribs. $9 total. Great NY Noodletown is great little place on the Bowery. The prices are low and the food great.Cash only.
We then went to Nice Green Bo Village on Bayard. for dumplings. Green Bo is Shanghai style and has new management as of late. We ordered vegetable dumplings and little pork buns.$9 total. We then went 456 on Mott Street. This is a fairly new restaurant and is Shanghai style also. The woman working there previously worked at Green Bo, a good sign since she made Green Bo hum.We ordered soup dumplings and scallion pancakes. $6 total.
We then went to Ferrara's bakery on Grand Street in Little Italy and ordered rainbow cookies(rich in marzipan), these are great cookies. Also ordered a cannoli and sfogliatelle ( crisp wheat with ricotta filling shaped like a clam). Ferrara's is not as good as it was 40 years ago but it is still good and a family tradition. Although I will never forget or forgive them for no longer selling swiss rolls and rainbow ends.
Santa gave me a bottle of 2002 Dom Perignon for Christmas. This champagne is very highly rated and is a wine we love but don't have very often. The plan was to drink it for New Year's Eve but my wife was not feeling great so we switched to a Charles De Cazanove brut Champagne from Reims. It was a good medium bodied wine. Good flavor and not much oak. I generally like some oak in my champagne as it adds a vanilla overtone to the wine.
I also tried this week a bottle of Moosbader Lager beer from Germany. Liked it alot. A typical flavorful but not heavy Bavarian beer. It goes down smooth.
Also tried the 2010 Deboeuf Morgon beaujolais. It was a typical beaujolais with decent body and good flavor. Not as much fruit as I expected.
Also tried the Kirkland Champagne. It was delicate with good flavor. Not the strongest bubbles.
I have noticed that I like Champagne at a warmer temperature than in the past. As with any wine, cold can mask flavors. I am guessing that maybe 45 degrees is right for Champagnes whereas most refrigerators will keep the wine at around 37 degrees.
My friend had to cancel for our paella party so we put it off for a few weeks.
Planning a trip to Anguilla in January. More on that at a later date. Anguilla has beautiful beaches and some very expensive hotels. We have picked a very reasonably priced hotel and I found a good airfare on Continental/United. The merger has not thrilled me.
There have been a number very good wine deals over the past few weeks. Barolos continue to appear at reasonable prices. However I was disappointed this week in an attempt to locate the 06 Podere Ruggeri Corsini Barolo. After Ferraras I went across the street to DiPalo's wine shop, the place where my Italian acquaintances from my trip spoke fondly about. DiPalo is also the only place I know that has wines from Podere Ruggeri Corsini in Monforte d' Alba. We visited the "winery' on the Italian trip and spoke for some time with the owner and winemaker. DiPalo had the 04 Barolo and it was $62. The store was staffed by a bored young women who knew nothing about the wine. When I asked the price (many wines did not have a price), she had to call the boss to find out. It must be a hot selling wine. Moreover the 06 and 07 vintages should be available. Anyway it got me thinking again about becoming a wine importer so that some great wines get proper distribution. Wine importer is going on my 2012 things to do list.
Anyone catch the Honeymooners on TV the last few days. Norton!
Here's to 2011. Bring on 2012!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Twas the Days before Christmas
Greetings Friends
Food and wine is so much a part of my life. The end of the year is a good time to reflect back on great food and wine.
Highlights of my food and wine year
Wines of the week
We opened the Zenato Pinot Grigio and did not like it. It had a sweet finish which was not endearing. But the Charles Smith Pinot Grigio from Washington was very good. Light and fruity.
The Chinon was very good. A rustic red that went well with food.
Opened my last bottle of Wyatt 2007 Pinot Noir from California. I love this wine. Not a light wine but not heavy either. Not sure how other years of this wine drink. The wine is form sourced grapes so it can vary from year to year.
Tried the 2009 Deboeuf Beaujolais Villages and enjoyed it.Light and fruity. A typical Beaujolais.
Malvira Roero Riserva Monbeltramo 2005. This was a fantastic wine. Nebbiolo grape; excellent fruit, structure, intensity of flavor. I paid $32 but it usually sells for more.
I am still working on the Christmas day menu although leaning towards Thanksgiving redux.
New Years Eve means Champagne. Just bought Kirkland Champagne at Costco; $20. Also at Costco bought Deboeuf Jean Descombes Morgon 2010 $12.95. This is usually one of my favorite wines. Also picked up a Bonarda/ Malbec blend from Argentina(never had Bonarda which is also known as Charbono. It is a grape that may have originated in Italy but is big in Argentina) and a small keg (5 liters) of HB Ocktoberfest beer.$13. Costco's house brand for everything is Kirkland. Kirkland wines have been getting some excellent reviews and they are priced very competitively. I have had the Champagne before and it is good.
Every Christmas season I have a paella and Champagne party for my tennis partners. It gives us an opportunity to compare a number of Champagnes. It is amazing the different tastes that Champagnes have. More details on the party next time.
Enjoy!
Food and wine is so much a part of my life. The end of the year is a good time to reflect back on great food and wine.
Highlights of my food and wine year
- Piemonte, northern Italy
- Joseph Phelps Insignia 2006, 2007
- Cooking for friends, family and business associates
- Barolo and Barbaresco
- Chocolate from Teuschers, Zurich;Jacque Torres, New York; Diane Pindar/Donna's Chocolate, New Jersey and DeBrand, Ft Wayne
- Summit,NJ farmer's market produce and fish
- Fresh sour cherries for my sour cherry torte
- Sharing recipes with my sons
- Passionfruit souffle
- Book of Mormon (the play) every list needs to wander a bit
- Pio Cesare Gavi di Gavi
Wines of the week
We opened the Zenato Pinot Grigio and did not like it. It had a sweet finish which was not endearing. But the Charles Smith Pinot Grigio from Washington was very good. Light and fruity.
The Chinon was very good. A rustic red that went well with food.
Opened my last bottle of Wyatt 2007 Pinot Noir from California. I love this wine. Not a light wine but not heavy either. Not sure how other years of this wine drink. The wine is form sourced grapes so it can vary from year to year.
Tried the 2009 Deboeuf Beaujolais Villages and enjoyed it.Light and fruity. A typical Beaujolais.
Malvira Roero Riserva Monbeltramo 2005. This was a fantastic wine. Nebbiolo grape; excellent fruit, structure, intensity of flavor. I paid $32 but it usually sells for more.
I am still working on the Christmas day menu although leaning towards Thanksgiving redux.
New Years Eve means Champagne. Just bought Kirkland Champagne at Costco; $20. Also at Costco bought Deboeuf Jean Descombes Morgon 2010 $12.95. This is usually one of my favorite wines. Also picked up a Bonarda/ Malbec blend from Argentina(never had Bonarda which is also known as Charbono. It is a grape that may have originated in Italy but is big in Argentina) and a small keg (5 liters) of HB Ocktoberfest beer.$13. Costco's house brand for everything is Kirkland. Kirkland wines have been getting some excellent reviews and they are priced very competitively. I have had the Champagne before and it is good.
Every Christmas season I have a paella and Champagne party for my tennis partners. It gives us an opportunity to compare a number of Champagnes. It is amazing the different tastes that Champagnes have. More details on the party next time.
Enjoy!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
It's beginning to look alot like Christmas
Wine shopping yesterday. I had to make up for staying home on black Friday. Goal was to keep all wines under $10. I was looking for interesting wines, good importers, no fruit bombs etc.
Montgras 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Chile $9.98
Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages 2009 France $8.98
Cuvee De Pena Pyrenees Oriental 2009 $8.98 South France This may be the best deal. The Wine Advocate went ga-ga over this one.
Fritz Windisch Kabinett Trocken 2009 Germany $8.98
Charles Smith Vino Pinot Grigio Washington 2010 $10.98 ( I couldn't help myself; Charles Smith is making some interesting wines. His Cabernet is very good.
Zenato Pinot Grigio Italy $8.98 ( I will compare Italy v Washington for Pinot Grigio. Why not)
Pico Maccario Berro Barbera 2009 Italy$9.98 Drank this last night and was disappointed. Had a touch of sweetness on the finish. I would not buy again.
Chais St Laurent Chinon, Loire France 2010 $9.99
Chapoutier Belleruche Cotes Du Rhone 2009 $9.98
Garciavalo Casamaro Rueda white wine, Spain 2010
Borsao 2010 Spain 2010 $6.39 My wife loves this wine.
For Thanksgiving I started with a 2006 Chalone Estate Pinot Noir. Everyone really liked it so we had 2 more bottles of it. That was simple. The food rocked as did the family.
Other wines last week:
Merryvale Profile 2006. This wine was a gift. It is a super premium Napa cabernet. It was not a fruit bomb although it was high in alcohol. We really enjoyed it but it is not worth the price. Release price $135.
Anna de Cordorniu Cava Spain $10. Not a typical cava as it is chardonnay based with some parellada.. Liked alot. Nice fruit and balance and light. Drank it with wings and ribs and it worked well. I have been drinking syrah with barbecue.
Chablis Simonnet-Fevre 2009. Got a great deal at $11.99. The Wine Spectator liked it alot so did I. Not as steely as other Chablis' but very good chardonnay. Not much wood if any.
Achaval Ferrer Malbec 2010 Mendoza Argentina.$14. Highly regarded wine. First time for me. This wine is why I am finding malbecs boring. A decent, balanced wine with no terroir.
This past week celebrated 2 birthdays. Made chocolate mousse and hot passionfruit auntylilikoi.com (my source in Kauai for unsweetened passionfruit juice) souffle with passionfruit whipped cream for my birthday and a vanilla layer cake with chocolate frosting for my son. Also received a box of Jacques Torres chocolates. Love them. Recipes on request.
Keep drinking with moderation.
Montgras 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Chile $9.98
Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages 2009 France $8.98
Cuvee De Pena Pyrenees Oriental 2009 $8.98 South France This may be the best deal. The Wine Advocate went ga-ga over this one.
Fritz Windisch Kabinett Trocken 2009 Germany $8.98
Charles Smith Vino Pinot Grigio Washington 2010 $10.98 ( I couldn't help myself; Charles Smith is making some interesting wines. His Cabernet is very good.
Zenato Pinot Grigio Italy $8.98 ( I will compare Italy v Washington for Pinot Grigio. Why not)
Pico Maccario Berro Barbera 2009 Italy$9.98 Drank this last night and was disappointed. Had a touch of sweetness on the finish. I would not buy again.
Chais St Laurent Chinon, Loire France 2010 $9.99
Chapoutier Belleruche Cotes Du Rhone 2009 $9.98
Garciavalo Casamaro Rueda white wine, Spain 2010
Borsao 2010 Spain 2010 $6.39 My wife loves this wine.
For Thanksgiving I started with a 2006 Chalone Estate Pinot Noir. Everyone really liked it so we had 2 more bottles of it. That was simple. The food rocked as did the family.
Other wines last week:
Merryvale Profile 2006. This wine was a gift. It is a super premium Napa cabernet. It was not a fruit bomb although it was high in alcohol. We really enjoyed it but it is not worth the price. Release price $135.
Anna de Cordorniu Cava Spain $10. Not a typical cava as it is chardonnay based with some parellada.. Liked alot. Nice fruit and balance and light. Drank it with wings and ribs and it worked well. I have been drinking syrah with barbecue.
Chablis Simonnet-Fevre 2009. Got a great deal at $11.99. The Wine Spectator liked it alot so did I. Not as steely as other Chablis' but very good chardonnay. Not much wood if any.
Achaval Ferrer Malbec 2010 Mendoza Argentina.$14. Highly regarded wine. First time for me. This wine is why I am finding malbecs boring. A decent, balanced wine with no terroir.
This past week celebrated 2 birthdays. Made chocolate mousse and hot passionfruit auntylilikoi.com (my source in Kauai for unsweetened passionfruit juice) souffle with passionfruit whipped cream for my birthday and a vanilla layer cake with chocolate frosting for my son. Also received a box of Jacques Torres chocolates. Love them. Recipes on request.
Keep drinking with moderation.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thanksgiving
My menu for Thanksgiving
Turkey
Chestnut stuffing
Spinach "souffle"
sweet potatoes
Baked potatos
Sauteed kale --new this year. I have discovered kale. Using Toscano and Red Russian.
Cranberry/apple/orange relish
Pecan pie
Apple torte
Chocolate mousse
I keep things simple. I am still deciding on the wines. See my next post for what I chose. Recipes on request.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite meals.It is not a difficult meal but one needs to cook everything carefully. Use an instant read thermometer for the turkey. This helps a great deal. I have tried every type of roasting method. I use my regular convection oven. Start the turkey upside down for the first 2 hours and then turn it over to finish. I bake at 350 degrees but start at 375 for the first 30 minutes. Remember that a turkey continues to cook when it comes out of the oven. I take it out when the thermometer reads about 165 degrees in the breast. The problem with cooking turkeys is that they cook unevenly so it is difficult to get all parts of the bird cooked just right. These days my concern is cooking breast meat correctly since the birds now have alot of breast meat. You may need to cover the top loosely with aluminum foil so the skin does not get too dark. Total cooking time is dependent on your oven but I usually finish a 20 pound fully stuffed bird in under 4 hours.
Wines of the week
Made an interesting meal last week emphasizing Piemonte, Italy food. Onions stuffed with ground veal and cheese, cheeses from the area(blends of goat, sheep and cow), and a fish stew, definitely not from the area.
Wines:
Rendola Brunello di Montalcino 2004 sangiovese grape; excellent wine, smooth and balanced, good fruit
Paitin Barbaresco Serra 2007 Piemonte, nebbiolo grape, I liked this more than the Brunello but my friend disagreed; fruiter than the Brunello but it could use some more time in the bottle.
Piper Sonoma California sparkling wine, $14 - always a good reasonably price sparkling wine.
Nouveau Beaujolais 2011 Duboeuf ; $8- Actually drinkable this year. It had some and decent color. Try a bottle.
Fleurie 2009 Henry Fessy; $12, good cru beaujolais, fruity with some body. I am liking beaujolais's these days. The 09 year was great.
The meal dessert was chocolate pound cake and citrus sorbet. The cake is a Maida Heatter recipe. Her dessert books are great.
Turkey
Chestnut stuffing
Spinach "souffle"
sweet potatoes
Baked potatos
Sauteed kale --new this year. I have discovered kale. Using Toscano and Red Russian.
Cranberry/apple/orange relish
Pecan pie
Apple torte
Chocolate mousse
I keep things simple. I am still deciding on the wines. See my next post for what I chose. Recipes on request.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite meals.It is not a difficult meal but one needs to cook everything carefully. Use an instant read thermometer for the turkey. This helps a great deal. I have tried every type of roasting method. I use my regular convection oven. Start the turkey upside down for the first 2 hours and then turn it over to finish. I bake at 350 degrees but start at 375 for the first 30 minutes. Remember that a turkey continues to cook when it comes out of the oven. I take it out when the thermometer reads about 165 degrees in the breast. The problem with cooking turkeys is that they cook unevenly so it is difficult to get all parts of the bird cooked just right. These days my concern is cooking breast meat correctly since the birds now have alot of breast meat. You may need to cover the top loosely with aluminum foil so the skin does not get too dark. Total cooking time is dependent on your oven but I usually finish a 20 pound fully stuffed bird in under 4 hours.
Wines of the week
Made an interesting meal last week emphasizing Piemonte, Italy food. Onions stuffed with ground veal and cheese, cheeses from the area(blends of goat, sheep and cow), and a fish stew, definitely not from the area.
Wines:
Rendola Brunello di Montalcino 2004 sangiovese grape; excellent wine, smooth and balanced, good fruit
Paitin Barbaresco Serra 2007 Piemonte, nebbiolo grape, I liked this more than the Brunello but my friend disagreed; fruiter than the Brunello but it could use some more time in the bottle.
Piper Sonoma California sparkling wine, $14 - always a good reasonably price sparkling wine.
Nouveau Beaujolais 2011 Duboeuf ; $8- Actually drinkable this year. It had some and decent color. Try a bottle.
Fleurie 2009 Henry Fessy; $12, good cru beaujolais, fruity with some body. I am liking beaujolais's these days. The 09 year was great.
The meal dessert was chocolate pound cake and citrus sorbet. The cake is a Maida Heatter recipe. Her dessert books are great.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Random November Thoughts
We had a terrible October snowstorm in NJ and we had to take down our beautiful 60 foot maple tree in our back yard. We will miss it this summer when the shade is appreciated.
Traveling last week allowed me to taste some interesting wines.
Schramsberg blanc de blanc 2007 sparkling wine. Nice flavor and balance. Tasted like Champagne.
Taittanger Brut Francaise - decent Champagne.
Vina Cobos Malbec Lujan de Cuyo Bramare 2008 Argentina $30 retail; $80 in a restaurant ; fruity, balance malbec that we enjoyed.
I also had a glass of Chablis and a glass of Sancerre. These are 2 of my favorite white wines.
Chateau Greysac, St Emillion; mostly merlot based wine. Enjoyed. Nice balance with expected bouquet of a St Emillion wine. Not sure of the vintage of the last 3 wines since they were by the glass and the restaurant did not specify the year. Annoying.
At home we had a Provenance 2010 sauvignon blanc. California. Another favorite. $13.
Also Domaine Andezon; Cote de Rhone 2007. Terroir with some fruit. Enjoyed.
I am into kale these days. Toscano kale and red russian kale. Chop up and saute with some olive oil in a non stick pan. Surprisingly sweet. My kale farmer says that frost makes the kale sweeter.
Dinner tonight-- kale with shitake mushrooms, lightly seared NJ tuna, rice and some Thai shrimp gyoza from Trader Joes. Healthy and delicious meal.
Yesterday I used a 7 inch tarte pan and made some pie crust. Rolled out the crust and lined the pan. Peeled and cored 3 apples and 2 pears. The pears were Comice (try them, let them ripen, the best pears). The apples were a mac, macoun and mitsu. I love to blend different flavored apples. I sliced the the fruit added lemon juice, cinnamon, and brown sugar. I piled the fruit very high and then covered with some more rolled out pie crust. Baked at 350 for about 40 minutes. We really enjoyed. The pears gave it a nice flavor.
The 2007 Barolos and Barberescos are coming out. They are wonderful but cost in the $25 to $40 range. Try one and see. They need more time in the bottle but even now you can taste the quality.
Thanksgiving is approaching. It is my favorite holiday. I will discuss my menu next week. Wines to drink with the Thanksgiving meal is an interesting topic. Let me know of any favorite recipes.
Enjoy.
Traveling last week allowed me to taste some interesting wines.
Schramsberg blanc de blanc 2007 sparkling wine. Nice flavor and balance. Tasted like Champagne.
Taittanger Brut Francaise - decent Champagne.
Vina Cobos Malbec Lujan de Cuyo Bramare 2008 Argentina $30 retail; $80 in a restaurant ; fruity, balance malbec that we enjoyed.
I also had a glass of Chablis and a glass of Sancerre. These are 2 of my favorite white wines.
Chateau Greysac, St Emillion; mostly merlot based wine. Enjoyed. Nice balance with expected bouquet of a St Emillion wine. Not sure of the vintage of the last 3 wines since they were by the glass and the restaurant did not specify the year. Annoying.
At home we had a Provenance 2010 sauvignon blanc. California. Another favorite. $13.
Also Domaine Andezon; Cote de Rhone 2007. Terroir with some fruit. Enjoyed.
I am into kale these days. Toscano kale and red russian kale. Chop up and saute with some olive oil in a non stick pan. Surprisingly sweet. My kale farmer says that frost makes the kale sweeter.
Dinner tonight-- kale with shitake mushrooms, lightly seared NJ tuna, rice and some Thai shrimp gyoza from Trader Joes. Healthy and delicious meal.
Yesterday I used a 7 inch tarte pan and made some pie crust. Rolled out the crust and lined the pan. Peeled and cored 3 apples and 2 pears. The pears were Comice (try them, let them ripen, the best pears). The apples were a mac, macoun and mitsu. I love to blend different flavored apples. I sliced the the fruit added lemon juice, cinnamon, and brown sugar. I piled the fruit very high and then covered with some more rolled out pie crust. Baked at 350 for about 40 minutes. We really enjoyed. The pears gave it a nice flavor.
The 2007 Barolos and Barberescos are coming out. They are wonderful but cost in the $25 to $40 range. Try one and see. They need more time in the bottle but even now you can taste the quality.
Thanksgiving is approaching. It is my favorite holiday. I will discuss my menu next week. Wines to drink with the Thanksgiving meal is an interesting topic. Let me know of any favorite recipes.
Enjoy.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Europe Part 4 and Other Things
Day 9 Went to Nymphenburg Castle which is on the outskirts of Munich,. http://www.destination-munich.com/nymphenburg-palace.html We took a tram there. This was the summer residence of Bavarian kings starting in the 1664. Beautiful grounds and several building all over the property. The main building is impressive and houses a museum showing the rooms of the palace, decorative arts and artworks showing the history of the building including alot of portraits. It also houses a museum of the carriages used by royalty to get around town. Lots of gold.
We had been to Munich before after we left Nymphenburg we went back to the center of the city and wandered around. The Marienplatz is at the center of the old town. This is the famous tower with its carillon.For lunch went back to viktualienmarkt and drank some Pauliner beer with a pretzel. Then ate fish filet with potatoes from one of the stands at the market. I had plum tarte from a local bakery.
We wanted to try some more modern type food for dinner and maybe have some German wine. We found Retter's Feinschmecker near the market in the center of town. www.retters.de The food was great. It was an intimate small and quiet restaurant. The owners have a wineshop next store.
We started with carrot ginger soup. The breads were excellent - pumpernickel and walnut.We had cod with bok choy and tomato ravioli and saddle of veal with aubergine and mashed potatoes. Wines changed with every course. We started with a sekt sparkling wine from Baden 2004 which we enjoyed. Then we had a riesling from Baden and pinot noir/cabernet franc blend from Ahr. This was the first German red wine for me. We then had some other white wines including a sylvaner from Frankel which came in an oval squat bottle. The design of the bottle is over 100 years old. It was light and delicious. I finished with an eiswein 2008 from Austria. Eiswein is an intensely sweet dessert wine with enough acid to make it wonderful. Dessert was a pear tarte with vanilla ice cream.
The owner and I had detailed discussions on German wines Some of the wines we had were trocken or dry. The Ahr region is very small. The meal was just right and the wines were special. German wine is changing and the wines we had were some of the newer examples of what is going on in Germany. The best thing was that the wines were all reasonably priced. The owner basically kept bringing us wines to taste.
Day 10 We left Munich and headed home. We had to change planes at Heathrow in London. Wow! a 10 minute bus ride from terminal to terminal and then about a 30 minute walk to our gate. We made our plane with 10 minutes to spare and flew home.
This week we had Signargues 2009 granacha ; cotes du rhone villages, France, $10,which we like alot. It drank lighter than we thought with good balance and some spiciness. This wine is imported by Eric Solomon/European Cellars. Knowing the importer can help in wine purchasing. There are certain importers such as Eric Solomon that one can trust when buying wines. More at a later date.
We also had a bottle of Chemin des Olivettes 2009 Coteaux du Languedoc , France. I paid $9.98. The Wine Spectator gave this wine a 92. http://www.winespectator.com/wine/detail/source/search/note_id/283563 The wine was good but not crazy good. I can't explain the rating.
BTW the answer to a previous post -- the smaller glass was mine but I had another glass of beer after it.
Thanksgiving is coming up. Any family recipes or traditions are welcome. Thanksgiving dinner is one of my favorite meals.
This is a portrait of Lola Montes whose relationship with Ludwig I created a scandal. Ludwig was quite a character. Also a the title of a famous Max Ophuls movie.
We had been to Munich before after we left Nymphenburg we went back to the center of the city and wandered around. The Marienplatz is at the center of the old town. This is the famous tower with its carillon.For lunch went back to viktualienmarkt and drank some Pauliner beer with a pretzel. Then ate fish filet with potatoes from one of the stands at the market. I had plum tarte from a local bakery.
We wanted to try some more modern type food for dinner and maybe have some German wine. We found Retter's Feinschmecker near the market in the center of town. www.retters.de The food was great. It was an intimate small and quiet restaurant. The owners have a wineshop next store.
We started with carrot ginger soup. The breads were excellent - pumpernickel and walnut.We had cod with bok choy and tomato ravioli and saddle of veal with aubergine and mashed potatoes. Wines changed with every course. We started with a sekt sparkling wine from Baden 2004 which we enjoyed. Then we had a riesling from Baden and pinot noir/cabernet franc blend from Ahr. This was the first German red wine for me. We then had some other white wines including a sylvaner from Frankel which came in an oval squat bottle. The design of the bottle is over 100 years old. It was light and delicious. I finished with an eiswein 2008 from Austria. Eiswein is an intensely sweet dessert wine with enough acid to make it wonderful. Dessert was a pear tarte with vanilla ice cream.
The owner and I had detailed discussions on German wines Some of the wines we had were trocken or dry. The Ahr region is very small. The meal was just right and the wines were special. German wine is changing and the wines we had were some of the newer examples of what is going on in Germany. The best thing was that the wines were all reasonably priced. The owner basically kept bringing us wines to taste.
Day 10 We left Munich and headed home. We had to change planes at Heathrow in London. Wow! a 10 minute bus ride from terminal to terminal and then about a 30 minute walk to our gate. We made our plane with 10 minutes to spare and flew home.
This week we had Signargues 2009 granacha ; cotes du rhone villages, France, $10,which we like alot. It drank lighter than we thought with good balance and some spiciness. This wine is imported by Eric Solomon/European Cellars. Knowing the importer can help in wine purchasing. There are certain importers such as Eric Solomon that one can trust when buying wines. More at a later date.
We also had a bottle of Chemin des Olivettes 2009 Coteaux du Languedoc , France. I paid $9.98. The Wine Spectator gave this wine a 92. http://www.winespectator.com/wine/detail/source/search/note_id/283563 The wine was good but not crazy good. I can't explain the rating.
BTW the answer to a previous post -- the smaller glass was mine but I had another glass of beer after it.
Thanksgiving is coming up. Any family recipes or traditions are welcome. Thanksgiving dinner is one of my favorite meals.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Mid October 2011
My wife/muse has been recovering from surgery so my wine tasting has slowed down. However I was in Phoenix this week and had the opportunity to taste a few wines. I had a glass of Veuve Cliquot that I did not enjoy. Dry and tasteless. A glass of Moet Imperial which is the old White Star was OK. I usually do not like the Moet because it is extra dry not brut. Champagne goes in the following order of sweetness -- sec, demi sec, extra dry and brut. Brut has less sugar than extra dry.
I had a glass of Pascal Jolivet Sancerre 2010 and enjoyed it. This is becoming one of my favorite wines and for some reason, restaurants are stocking it. Sancerre is a sauvignon blanc from the Loire region of France.
I also had an Elk Cove Pinot Noir 2008 from Oregon. It was very nice, balanced, good fruit and heavier than most Oregon Pinot Noirs.
However the best wine of the trip was a Luce della Vite Toscana Lucente 2007. This was an Italian tuscan blend of merlot, sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon. Both the Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate liked it. The wine is very balanced with good fruit. We did not really notice the sangiovese. The merlot gave it a beautiful aroma. In the restaurant it was a bargain at around $60 since I understand that it sell for around $30 in stores although I have not seen it in a store.
I also have bought some more Italian wines as some very good opportunities have presented. Heavily discounted wines are continuing to be offered by all sorts of on-line operations. Wine Access, Lot 18, Founders Club and Wine Library are just a few. In addition I need to investigate the app Wine PHD. A waiter in a restaurant in Phoenix used it and obtained detailed info on a wine we had ordered. I will try it out. Currently I have the Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator on-line services at my disposal. It is not that their tastes are better than others, it is that I am accustomed to their reviews and info and I use them for background information and to help me identify wines that may interest me. It is also fun to compare your tasting notes with the "experts". However I never let an expert's opinion override my opinion of a wine.
BTW did anyone read Sam Sifton's review of Per Se in the NY Times this week.http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/reviewing-per-se/?ref=reviews I believe it is his last review as he is moving on. Per Se has a set price menu of $295 and a meal for 2 with wine will be around $1000 and will take 3 - 5 hours. Sifton loves the place and it is his favorite in NYC. I can't even dream of eating there so why bother reading about it. The goal of this blog is get everyone to experience food, wine and travel on their own. Dreaming is fine but is so easy to experience food, wine and travel on your own except at places like Per Se. Any thoughts.
Enjoy.
I had a glass of Pascal Jolivet Sancerre 2010 and enjoyed it. This is becoming one of my favorite wines and for some reason, restaurants are stocking it. Sancerre is a sauvignon blanc from the Loire region of France.
I also had an Elk Cove Pinot Noir 2008 from Oregon. It was very nice, balanced, good fruit and heavier than most Oregon Pinot Noirs.
However the best wine of the trip was a Luce della Vite Toscana Lucente 2007. This was an Italian tuscan blend of merlot, sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon. Both the Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate liked it. The wine is very balanced with good fruit. We did not really notice the sangiovese. The merlot gave it a beautiful aroma. In the restaurant it was a bargain at around $60 since I understand that it sell for around $30 in stores although I have not seen it in a store.
I also have bought some more Italian wines as some very good opportunities have presented. Heavily discounted wines are continuing to be offered by all sorts of on-line operations. Wine Access, Lot 18, Founders Club and Wine Library are just a few. In addition I need to investigate the app Wine PHD. A waiter in a restaurant in Phoenix used it and obtained detailed info on a wine we had ordered. I will try it out. Currently I have the Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator on-line services at my disposal. It is not that their tastes are better than others, it is that I am accustomed to their reviews and info and I use them for background information and to help me identify wines that may interest me. It is also fun to compare your tasting notes with the "experts". However I never let an expert's opinion override my opinion of a wine.
BTW did anyone read Sam Sifton's review of Per Se in the NY Times this week.http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/reviewing-per-se/?ref=reviews I believe it is his last review as he is moving on. Per Se has a set price menu of $295 and a meal for 2 with wine will be around $1000 and will take 3 - 5 hours. Sifton loves the place and it is his favorite in NYC. I can't even dream of eating there so why bother reading about it. The goal of this blog is get everyone to experience food, wine and travel on their own. Dreaming is fine but is so easy to experience food, wine and travel on your own except at places like Per Se. Any thoughts.
Enjoy.
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