Grreat Weekend. Friday night made veal scallopine with baked clams and sauteed shrimp. We drank the Chalone 2006 Pinot Noir Estate, one of my favorite wines.
Saturday we went to NYC and saw How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel. It won the Pulitzer Prize about 15 years ago. We saw it at the Second Stage's theater on 43rd street. It stars Norbert Leo Butz who is one our favorite actors. Check him out if you get a chance. He was just in Catch Me if You Can on Broadway and won a Tony.
Anyway, How I Learned to Drive was OK. Norbert was great but wasted in this play. The man can sing, dance and has a comic gift. Oh well.
For lunch we went to Amy's Bread and had sandwiches -1) tuna and 2)brie with apples and ham. We also bought 3 cupcakes and an oatmeal ,pecan, raisin bread. Everything was excellent and it all cost $20. Amy's is at 46th street and ninth ave.
We had dinner at home. Saturday night in NYC is not for me. I made salmon in a sauce. Saute leek, shallots and ginger in olive oil. Julienne zucchini and add to the mix. Then add white wine and cook down. Add some cream and saffron and some chopped tomatoes. Add anything that will add intensity to the mixture. The cut up salmon fillet into 1 inch wide strips and take off the skin. Poach in the sauce for about 6-8 minutes. I also added some chopped snow pea pods. Serve over linguine. Add parmigiano cheese if you like even if this may not be Italian. One of my wife's favorite meals. For dessert we shared one of Amys' chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting.
We drank a Rosenblum Rousanne 2007 Fess Parker Vineyard. California. A white wine. It was a revelation. Fragrant with some acid. Not sweet. Tasted like a dessert wine that was not sweet. It had some weight to it. It went great with the Salmon. Rousanne is usually a grape used to blend wines of the Rhone.
Sunday we went to the Food and Wine Weekend at Alba Vineyards in Milford, NJ.albavineyard.com Milford is in central NJ near the Delaware River. Not much around there and GPS is not very accurate out there. The winery is in the Musconetcong River Valley and is quite pretty. For $15 each we got a commemorating glass and entre to the wine tasting and food tasting. It was very crowded but it was a beautiful day for mid February in NJ. I tasted many of the their wines. All wines were Alba wines although several of the wines were not from grapes grown in NJ. I ignored those wines. They make from NJ grapes a Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Dry Riesling, Chambourcin (an east coast grape that I had never tasted), and a Cabernet Franc. They also make some dessert and other fruit based wines which we did not try.
The Dry Riesling was good and we bought a bottle. The Pinot Noir was OK. I liked the cabernet Franc, which can be very hard to make. The Chambourcin was also very good and we bought a bottle. Still not sure how it will drink over an entire bottle.
The only problem with the Alba wines is the price. The are pricey. The Chambourcin was about $14 and the Dry Riesling was about $16. The Pinot Noir $20 and the Cabernet Franc $25.
We took a tour of the winery and it was fascinating. The person in charge of the winery operations and farm lead the tour. They hand prune all vines. It is a 10 month a year job. They have about 100 acres with vines. They have put alot of money into the venture. They have a full time winemaker. They use only french oak barrels for the wine and they have their own bottling machine. We were very impressed. They still need to get some more age on their vines.
Obviously the weather in NJ is an issue. Rain is a bigger problem than sun so they prune accordingly. They want to produce all of the great grapes of the world. It is a work in progress. The wines that we liked have done better in the Northeast than the more traditional vinafera grape types. Apparently 2010 was a great year weather wise. Only the white wines from that year were available. The chardonnay did not impress. The oak was somewhat bitter. I would rather see a more Chablis type wine.
They also had someone from Bobolink Farm at the event. Diane Pindar from Donna Toscana (Donna & Company) was also there. Bobolink is a really cool operation also in Milford. They sell food at farmers markets and at their farm. cowsoutside.com Very good cheese and bread. They also sell beef and pork and give baking and cheese making classes. Their cheeses are good but I must say that 3 of the 5 cheeses available were what I would describe as extreme cheeses. Tastes and smells way too much for my taste. I bought their mild cheese and it is pungent. Again prices are an issue. The cheeses are $24 per pound and the bread is not cheap. They had a number of breads. They are very dense, flavorful and will not go stale. We bought their rustic bread.
I must once again sing the praises of Diane and her chocolates. She has as innate knack for combining flavors and is continuing to expand her repertoire. The box of chocolates that we bought included strawberry mint,espresso lemon, caramel balsamic, banana, olive oil and sea salt, lemon Basil and chestnut nutmeg among others. Her chocolate is definitely worth the price.
We went home and I made quails stuffed with cous cous, sausage and fruits. It is a wonderful dish created by Pierre Franey. As you may remember Pierre Franey is one of my food heroes. He died several years ago. The recipe is simple, elegant and fantastic. Cumin, cinnamon, garlic, shallots and other great flavors. It takes about 35 minutes to make. For dessert we shared another of Amy's cupcakes.
With this meal we had a 2003 Chateau Haut Gardere. $19 This a Bordeaux and I bought it a few years ago and have a few more bottles remaining. It was OK .We like Bordeaux wines and this one is from Pessac Leognan. The wine is Cabernet Sauvignon based. It did not sing but we enjoyed. I keep hoping that each bottle of the wine that I open will have that something extra quality but not this time.
BTW 2009 Bordeaux's are appearing everywhere and the vintage is getting raves from everyone. The latest Wine Spectator is all about the vintage. I have had a few of the wines and they are good. I am also seeing some excellent potential buys for under $25 and some as low as $15. Check them out.
If you get a chance, see the movie A Separation.(Iranian and with subtitles) Let me know what you think.
Also tried Cal Siscon 2004 Old Vines; Montsant, Spain $11 40% Granacha, 20% Carinena, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. $11. Decent wine with nice fruit on the edge of getting old.
Enjoy.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Giants win Superbowl; Almost Valentine's Day and winter wine
Wines of the Week
Seghesio Barolo 2007 $25 Italy - Barolos are my new favorite wine especially 07. This wine needs more time and was somewhat disappointing. The fruit was masked by tannin.
Gruet Blanc Di Noir, New Mexico $12 -- Nice sparkling wine with strong bubbles when poured but quickly disappated. Flavor was good but I am not a fan of this wine. Wine Spectator loved it.
Summers Knights Valley Andrienna's Cuvee cabernet sauvignon 2007 $16 -- Nice cabernet bouquet, no depth, decent fruit but I found it oddly sour on the finish; We did not finish the bottle; Highly rated by the Wine Advocate.
Roccalini Barbaresco 2007 $29-- This was a Cindy deal. Loved this wine. Perfumed bouquet, great balance of fruit and tannin, just a great wine; it will develop even better over time.
Nicolas Potel Chambolle-Musigny 1 er Cru les Hauts- Doix 2006 Burgundy $20 I found this wine light, some bouquet, tannic and not impressive; Maybe I had to be more patient with it. It had terroir.
Condado Da Haza Ribuero Del Duero Spain 2006 Drank at a restaurant and really enjoyed it. It had good flavor, depth and nice mouth feel. We had 2 riojas before it and this wine impressed.
Crios Torrontes 2011 Argentina ; Susan Balbo winemaker; $11 White wine that was fruity, floral, not heavy but not watery, really enjoyed with fried fluke fresh from NJ. BTW since Argentina is in the Southern Hemisphere the 2011 harvest is being sold.
Charles Smith 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington, Drank at restaurant, usually enjoy this wine but this bottle tasted flat, it had a chocolate taste which is something I don't usually say about a wine. it was OK.
Loved the Giants win over the Patriots. We had chicken wings, nachos and some interesting beers from all over.
Try to find some good chocolates for Valentine's Day. No Russell Stover, Godiva etc. If you can't find anything locally made, bake some brownies. Do you feel co-opted into doing something "romantic" on Valentine's Day. Do you feel that you must buy or receive overpriced roses? Just curious. My wife would be upset with me if I bought roses for Valentine's Day. I love flowers and buy them all of the time but I don't like being manipulated by the stores and the media.
We went to one of my favorite food places yesterday -- Delicious Orchards in Colts's Neck, NJ. deliciousorchardsnj.com We bought apple pie, brownies and apple crumb cake. Hit the Yum factor.
What are you doing for food on a plane? Are you buying the food that they sell or are you bringing food on the plane. I try to bring a sandwich, some fruit and dessert. I don't drink when flying but there is usually nothing that I would want to drink, even on domestic first class. International first class is another story but I have only been on that once. (the Italy trip).
Went to the Metropolitan Museum in NYC last week. While they suggest paying them $25 to get in; the price is really whatever you want. Two for $4 works. They have redone the American Wing and the Middle Eastern/Islamic galleries and they are wonderful. Tiffany, Washington Crossing the Delaware and Frank Lloyd Wright.
We then went off to Chinatown and tried 456 on Mott Street. Shanghai style. Very good. We had soup dumplings with the soup inside the dumpling and fried thin noodles with veggies, pork, chicken and shrimp. Total bill $17 and enjoyed it. Of course we went to Ferrara's for dessert. We also stopped at DiPalo's and spoke with the owner. This time we had a good conversation about Monforte d' Alba in Piemonte.
Ciao!
Seghesio Barolo 2007 $25 Italy - Barolos are my new favorite wine especially 07. This wine needs more time and was somewhat disappointing. The fruit was masked by tannin.
Gruet Blanc Di Noir, New Mexico $12 -- Nice sparkling wine with strong bubbles when poured but quickly disappated. Flavor was good but I am not a fan of this wine. Wine Spectator loved it.
Summers Knights Valley Andrienna's Cuvee cabernet sauvignon 2007 $16 -- Nice cabernet bouquet, no depth, decent fruit but I found it oddly sour on the finish; We did not finish the bottle; Highly rated by the Wine Advocate.
Roccalini Barbaresco 2007 $29-- This was a Cindy deal. Loved this wine. Perfumed bouquet, great balance of fruit and tannin, just a great wine; it will develop even better over time.
Nicolas Potel Chambolle-Musigny 1 er Cru les Hauts- Doix 2006 Burgundy $20 I found this wine light, some bouquet, tannic and not impressive; Maybe I had to be more patient with it. It had terroir.
Condado Da Haza Ribuero Del Duero Spain 2006 Drank at a restaurant and really enjoyed it. It had good flavor, depth and nice mouth feel. We had 2 riojas before it and this wine impressed.
Crios Torrontes 2011 Argentina ; Susan Balbo winemaker; $11 White wine that was fruity, floral, not heavy but not watery, really enjoyed with fried fluke fresh from NJ. BTW since Argentina is in the Southern Hemisphere the 2011 harvest is being sold.
Charles Smith 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington, Drank at restaurant, usually enjoy this wine but this bottle tasted flat, it had a chocolate taste which is something I don't usually say about a wine. it was OK.
Loved the Giants win over the Patriots. We had chicken wings, nachos and some interesting beers from all over.
Try to find some good chocolates for Valentine's Day. No Russell Stover, Godiva etc. If you can't find anything locally made, bake some brownies. Do you feel co-opted into doing something "romantic" on Valentine's Day. Do you feel that you must buy or receive overpriced roses? Just curious. My wife would be upset with me if I bought roses for Valentine's Day. I love flowers and buy them all of the time but I don't like being manipulated by the stores and the media.
We went to one of my favorite food places yesterday -- Delicious Orchards in Colts's Neck, NJ. deliciousorchardsnj.com We bought apple pie, brownies and apple crumb cake. Hit the Yum factor.
What are you doing for food on a plane? Are you buying the food that they sell or are you bringing food on the plane. I try to bring a sandwich, some fruit and dessert. I don't drink when flying but there is usually nothing that I would want to drink, even on domestic first class. International first class is another story but I have only been on that once. (the Italy trip).
Went to the Metropolitan Museum in NYC last week. While they suggest paying them $25 to get in; the price is really whatever you want. Two for $4 works. They have redone the American Wing and the Middle Eastern/Islamic galleries and they are wonderful. Tiffany, Washington Crossing the Delaware and Frank Lloyd Wright.
We then went off to Chinatown and tried 456 on Mott Street. Shanghai style. Very good. We had soup dumplings with the soup inside the dumpling and fried thin noodles with veggies, pork, chicken and shrimp. Total bill $17 and enjoyed it. Of course we went to Ferrara's for dessert. We also stopped at DiPalo's and spoke with the owner. This time we had a good conversation about Monforte d' Alba in Piemonte.
Ciao!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Anguilla; 2012 Begins
Anguilla was awesome. Anguilla is near St Maarten. We flew to St Maarten and took a ferry from near the airport to Anguilla. Had a great time. The beaches and the food and the people were wonderful. We stayed at the Allamanda Beach Club.
The hotel is very reasonably priced and is a short walk to a beautiful beach. (Shoal Bay) We liked the hotel very mcuh. It is not fancy but does have good wi-fi and excellent satillite tv which was great for the NFL conference chamionships. Way to go Giants. It also has a very good restaurant on the grounds -- Zara's. It is in the picture above at the end of the pool. We had 2 meals at Zara's and had fish. Snapper, lobster and grouper and all superb. The chef sings while he cooks. They were very nice and let me bring a bottle of wine to dinner with no charge. Awesome.
The hotel does not have breakfast but a real treat is go about 2 miles down the road and have breakfast at Le Bon Pain. This is a small bakery run by a woman who makes amazin croissants, danish, brownies, apple tart and baguettes.
We met many interesting people each morning for breakfast. A nice couple from Toronto visiting their daughter in Med school on the island. Yes Anguilla has a med school that is affiliated with a school in Chicago. We met someone who had moved to the island from Montclair, NJ. Not sure what was my favorite item -strawberry danish, coconut danish or apple tart.
Shoal Bay is gorgeous. Great swimming and fine white sand. The color of the water speaks for itself.
Anguilla is relaxed - no traffic. They drive on the other side of the road. The people are friendly and keep up with things in the US. The follow US politics very closely and have very positive views of the US. Go figure.
Another restaurant On Da Rocks has a special every Saturday. $5 crayfish. These are small lobsters that are grilled. We ordered 6.
All sides are $5 too. We had french fries and cole slaw with beer. The island has a small selection of beer. Heineken, Carib, Corona, Coors Light, Red Stripe and Guiness export. We had Heineken. $2 for a 9 ounce bottle. I also found a Barbados lager beer in a supermarket that was the best beer we tasted.
I also found a really good wine shop with a very good selection and fair prices. It is next to Gerauds which is another french bakery food shop. We had excellent lemon meringue tart, almond tuiles, a dense brownie and flavored meringue. All very reasonable.
We wanted to go to Hibernia which was a highly recommended restaurant. We asked the woman at our hotel to make reservations and to ask them if we could bring a bottle of wine.They said no to the surprise of the woman at the hotel. So we cancelled the reservations. I brought 2 bottles with us to the island. A bottle of 08 Chalone Estate Chardonnay and a bottle of Chablis. We had the Chalone at Zara's.
We visited the Viceroy hotel which is a new, very high end hotel on the island. A shout out to Remy. He asked me about my Rutgers hat that I was wearing.
R-- Remy. We started talking and then he gave us a tour of the hotel.
They have serious athletic facilities including a full basketball court, rock climbing wall and tennis courts. When my wife asked about ping pong, Remy took us to the ping pong table. I don't think that I have mentioned in this blog that I love ping pong and happen to be very good at it. Remy challenged me to a game and we played to 2 games like warriors. He won 1 and I won 1. However I think that he sort of let me win my game. My excuse is that I did not have my paddle. I really do need to play with my paddle.
I would definitely recommend Anguilla to beach lovers. We had not been there in 20 years and I forgot how great it can be. We went back to airport in St Maarten via Marigot. St Maarten is so busy and crowded these days that it was unbelievable. We have been to St Martin (French side) many times over the years and love the island but the contrast with Anguilla was striking.
More next time.
Wines of the Week
Chalone Estate Chardonnay 2008 California $13 but usually cost around $23. We love this wine. Oak blends beautifully with the fruit. A favorite.
Simmonet Febvre 2010 Chablis France $11 A good basic Chablis. Acid, minerally, a touch of fruit.
Chateau Devise d' Ardille 2009 $18 A cabernet based Bordeaux Haut Medoc. Highly rated by the WA's Neal Martin. My first 2009 Bordeaux. Enjoyed the wine. Nice fruit but I would have liked a better finish.
Chateau Guibot La Fourvieille 2001 Puisseguin St Emillon $12. A good merlot based Bordeaux, Fragrant and nice fruit. Aged well.
Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto D' Alba 2009 $18 Italy An expensive wine from a top producer. The wine was not memorable. OK fruit but no oomph.
Montgras 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Chile $9.98 One of my bargain wines. I was really surprised. It had good body and lots of flavor. It was not a watery wine. Check it our if you can find it. I need to try another bottle to confirm my impression.
La Carraia Sangiovese 2009 $11 Italy Good wine. Nice fruit but somewhat dry like many Chianti 's. Sangiovese is the grape of a Chianti. Enjoyed the wine.
Calera Central Coast Pinot Noir 2009 California $20 Very highly rated. (92 by the WA) Spicey, somewhat light tasting though high in alcohol. Mouth feel was not right but enjoyed the wine. Not what I expected. Try it and let me know what you think. Calera is one the best Pinot Noir producers in California.
Til next time.
The hotel does not have breakfast but a real treat is go about 2 miles down the road and have breakfast at Le Bon Pain. This is a small bakery run by a woman who makes amazin croissants, danish, brownies, apple tart and baguettes.
Shoal Bay is gorgeous. Great swimming and fine white sand. The color of the water speaks for itself.
Another restaurant On Da Rocks has a special every Saturday. $5 crayfish. These are small lobsters that are grilled. We ordered 6.
We wanted to go to Hibernia which was a highly recommended restaurant. We asked the woman at our hotel to make reservations and to ask them if we could bring a bottle of wine.They said no to the surprise of the woman at the hotel. So we cancelled the reservations. I brought 2 bottles with us to the island. A bottle of 08 Chalone Estate Chardonnay and a bottle of Chablis. We had the Chalone at Zara's.
We visited the Viceroy hotel which is a new, very high end hotel on the island. A shout out to Remy. He asked me about my Rutgers hat that I was wearing.
I would definitely recommend Anguilla to beach lovers. We had not been there in 20 years and I forgot how great it can be. We went back to airport in St Maarten via Marigot. St Maarten is so busy and crowded these days that it was unbelievable. We have been to St Martin (French side) many times over the years and love the island but the contrast with Anguilla was striking.
More next time.
Wines of the Week
Chalone Estate Chardonnay 2008 California $13 but usually cost around $23. We love this wine. Oak blends beautifully with the fruit. A favorite.
Simmonet Febvre 2010 Chablis France $11 A good basic Chablis. Acid, minerally, a touch of fruit.
Chateau Devise d' Ardille 2009 $18 A cabernet based Bordeaux Haut Medoc. Highly rated by the WA's Neal Martin. My first 2009 Bordeaux. Enjoyed the wine. Nice fruit but I would have liked a better finish.
Chateau Guibot La Fourvieille 2001 Puisseguin St Emillon $12. A good merlot based Bordeaux, Fragrant and nice fruit. Aged well.
Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto D' Alba 2009 $18 Italy An expensive wine from a top producer. The wine was not memorable. OK fruit but no oomph.
Montgras 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Chile $9.98 One of my bargain wines. I was really surprised. It had good body and lots of flavor. It was not a watery wine. Check it our if you can find it. I need to try another bottle to confirm my impression.
La Carraia Sangiovese 2009 $11 Italy Good wine. Nice fruit but somewhat dry like many Chianti 's. Sangiovese is the grape of a Chianti. Enjoyed the wine.
Calera Central Coast Pinot Noir 2009 California $20 Very highly rated. (92 by the WA) Spicey, somewhat light tasting though high in alcohol. Mouth feel was not right but enjoyed the wine. Not what I expected. Try it and let me know what you think. Calera is one the best Pinot Noir producers in California.
Til next time.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Happy New Year
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!
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!
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.
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