Now I’ll be the first to admit I am no Oz Clarke, thank God, but the current state of the wine market leaves me a little, erm – off. Admittedly I am basing my criticism on the weekly shop at Tesco – but as they now claim to be the nation’s biggest wine merchant, maybe the multinational dross on offer truly reflects the market.
My first gripe about grapes is the sheer volume of wine from faraway places. There is a perfectly good producer of wine just the other side of the channel – but amazingly Tesco feel the need to stock more wine from the antipodes than they do from France.
The rubbish on offer from the USA and South America also defies belief. In an era when the entire world, let alone the Tesco shopper is being conned into thinking carbon footprints are important, the number of air miles owned by the average wine bottle is quite staggering.
But the thing which really gets my goat is the way wines are labelled by grape variety – as though this means it will taste exactly the same every time – whether it comes from Argentina, Chile, New Zealand – or some drought-stricken part of Australia.
Behind this con lies the rather unpalatable truth that wine is being made on an industrial scale by the same methods the world over. Which to me is a bit of a shame.
I am not overly enthusiastic about many things French, but their supreme Gallic indifference to the one-size-fits-all approach of latter-day wine-making definitely gets my thumbs up. Call me old-fashioned, but if I really want an oak-aged red – then it is rather nice to have had it actually aged in oak, rather than have a few over-sized teabags of oak chippings added.
And I see nothing wrong in getting to know certain areas and vintages.
Worst of all is the abomination of what passes for Rosé in the summer. Vile, sickly concoctions with euphemisms like ‘blush’ come nowhere near approximating even a half decent French Rosé – so why are they thrust at us from the supermarket shelves?
The old chestnut is that suppliers are only providing what people are prepared to buy – but that is just rubbish. They are stocking what they can get the most profit on.
Hi guys! We got back into Sydney around 4pm after an uneventful drive but thankfully the weather cleared up completely and it was sunny and hot in Sydney when we arrived. We are now staying in Watson’s Bay so made the most of the gorgeous views and had a couple of drinks in the beer garden at the Watson’s Bay Hotel overlooking the harbour. I had 2 small glasses of a New Zealand SB, 3 Ugly Sisters. It was great!
Our view
We had an early dinner (no afternoon snack) at Pita Mix. Can you tell we love this place . I stuck with the falafel but this time had it on a plate. It came with 4 salads and 4 dips and a pita. I ended up smushing it all into the pita though so it tasted pretty much the same except the falafel balls were smaller. Delicious and filling!
I also got some steamed veggies as a side. I think they were a frozen veggie mix but they were good and I got my broccoli fix .
They were good dipped in the hummos and babaganoush too!
Adam got the Jeruselum Mix which was chicken, lamb and beef with the salads and dips and a pita. He loved it too.
It was still early and light out and Watson’s Bay was crazy with tourists when we got back. We decided to be a bit touristy ourselves and went for a walk up to the Gap,
got a geltissimo gelato
(small Biscotinno, not great) and then wandered the streets down to Camp Cove
a gorgeous little harbour beach. We will do some more walking about today I think as I really haven’t explored this area before.
More snappy snaps of Watson’s Bay.
Saul and Cath came and met us at the pub for more drinks later on. I had a 3rd small glass of the 3 Ugly Sisters SB and called it a night.
Our room is so nice at this hotel!!! It’s huge, has double showers and a massive Kingsize bed. Sweet! I set my alarm for 6.30am for an early morning run before it gets hot but I ended up snoozing. I obviously needed the sleep.
Breakfast is included in our room here! It is a really nice simple buffet, but since there aren’t many options everything is really fresh and changed regularly.
I had a bowl of All Bran to start (ate half). Then a very thin slice of wholemeal bread with Kraft PB, then a slice of Fruit Toast with a smidge of butter and finally 1/2 a peach and 1/2 a pear with natural greek yog and passionfruit pulp. Very nice!
I didn’t eat the poached egg. Delicious soft, wholemeal bread.
A jam packed day lies ahead. We are meeting Adam’s cousin in Surry Hills for lunch, then I’m shopping with my sisters once they get back from Forster, then we are going to Neil Perry’s new restaurant Spice Temple, with some friends for a late dinner.
When a wine and its fruit are born from a low yield program, organically farmed, raised in vineyards planted at the end of the 19th century, hang from old vines, retail around $15, hail from a Loire Valley appellation, and find their way to the US as a Louis/Dressner Selection, it gets my attention. This fusion of vinous genetics brought me face to face with the 2008 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Gamay which lives up to expectations as a wine of unique character, finesse, and richness, flashing its seductive food friendly qualities and manageable 12% alcohol to earn its righteous place on the dinner table.
The winery’s program is built around multiple varietals, and the quality of this Gamay underscores winemaker and grower competence and agility. Here is what Louis/Dressner Selections has to say:
The vineyards of Clos Roche Blanche were planted on the Touraine hills bordering the Cher river by the Roussel family at the end of the 19th century and have remained in the family since. Catherine Roussel took over this 28-hectare estate in 1975 from her father, and was later joined by Didier Barrouillet, who tends the vineyards and makes the wine. Both are enthusiastic proponents of non-interventionist winemaking.
Their soil is poor, mainly clay with flint over a limestone subsoil. The varietals grown are Cabernet (Sauvignon and Franc), Gamay, Côt (or Auxerrois, the grape of Cahors) and Sauvignon Blanc. Roussel and Barrouillet keep yields low by maintaining old vines, using organic fertilizers in moderation and growing grass between and plowing under the rows.
They converted the vineyards to organic farming and, with the 1995 vintage, received the official “organic agriculture” accreditation. The vines are treated with copper and sulfur solutions, and plant decoctions (a mixture of nettles and other herbs) used in biodynamic viticulture
The 2008 version of the Gamay had a nose consisting of black cherry, also some redder berry fruit, and while a bit of sweet candy notes came through, it did not dominate. After 15 minutes in the glass, the berry aromas made room for wafts of sage brush, pepper spice, and flowers that added some earthy grounding to the luscious fruit. This Gamay has a remarkably rich mouthfeel without the anticipated density or fullness (know what I mean?), and it offered great extraction and depth of fruit without any associated massive weight. The wine finishes medium long, but never in an overpowering way that gets in the way of the food.
We paired it with a fowl dish heavily treated with rosemary and garlic. The wine and food knit together perfectly, almost as if we had tasted in advance to discover the wine and food’s blood type match. Instead, the perfect matrimony was nothing more than stroke of luck. While the wine could keep me amused and focused drunk all by itself, pouring it without some herbed fowl, lighter meats, or stronger fish would be akin to watching a talented Rockette dance all alone on the Radio City Music Hall stage, all night long.
2008 Salvador Poveda “Centacion” Monastrell Appellation: Alicante Tasting Notes: 100% Monastrell. 14.0% ABV. Dark violet in the glass. Nose is candied red fruit, dust, and some cedar, smells like an old fruit rollup, but not unpleasant. At first, I taste lots of red fruit, then overwhelming sweet tannins, a little cedar, then back to the fruit rollup on the finish, but dusty and dry. Disjointed. Interesting, but disappointing. Seller said this would be one for lovers of cabs and big Bordeaux; I would say that is true if one loves bad Bordeaux. Was $8.99, will not buy again, and probably will dump this bottle out unless my wife likes it. Rating: 2/5; 8/20; 74/100 Price: $8.99 at Bin 604 (Baltimore, MD)
A note on ratings: I use the 100 point rating for Cellartracker, even though my palate is still deveolping. As a statistics geek, I know that the variability in scores works itself out as the number of scores increases. However, my score may not be yours, or Robert Parker’s. I much prefer to use a 5 point (or star, or whatever you want to call it) scale, as it more represents my reaction to wine, which is more simple than a 100 point scale represents. I like the 20 point scale as the more detailed score. On this site, I will provide all three, although the most meaningful are the 5 and 20 point ratings.
Becoming a wine expert is not as hard as you might think. What you will need, apart from sheer enthusiasm, is a combination of some straight forward wine skills. These come in the form of an ability to decipher and provide accurate tasting notes, read and fully understand wine labels and at least know what countries around the world produce wines.
How to Become a Wine Tasting Expert
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Rob_Hemphill]Rob Hemphill
Becoming a wine expert is not as hard as you might think. What you will need, apart from sheer enthusiasm, is a combination of some straight forward wine skills. These come in the form of an ability to decipher and provide accurate tasting notes, read and fully understand wine labels and at least know what countries around the world produce wines.
First of all, pick your niche such as New World reds, oak-aged Chardonnays or Bordeaux wines (start with what you know or like best) – the list is limitless, so you can start anywhere you like. Then visit your local wine store, and have a good look at as many wines as possible in your selected niche. The staff in the wine store will usually be very helpful showing you how to select wines with certain aromas and flavours, as well as which varieties pair well with which foods. Also keep an eye out for alcohol levels – a high alcohol wine may not always be desirable.
A few pointers to keep in mind:
Read back labels to learn about the wines themselves.Talk to shop staff or even to other customers for their opinion.Is the alcohol level high for the wine in question or would you prefer it to be a little lower? (Higher alcohol wines tend to come from hotter countries).Find out if the weather was good or bad for that vintage – this makes a big difference to the overall quality.
One great way on the road to being a wine connoisseur is to join a wine club. Most wine clubs hold regular wine tastings and show an array of different wines at each tasting event. The benefits here are that you will be tutored in the tasting by experts, and your fellow enthusiasts will be able to offer invaluable advice. Most importantly, you will begin to familiarise yourself with all those well known wine adjectives and phrases that are so much in use, like “delicate style with hints of gooseberries on the nose” or “mature red with blackcurrant fruit flavours”.
Before tasting a wine check its colour and condition, this will enable you to assess its age (the darker the wine, the older it is). If it is too dark a colour then beware as this could mean that some oxidation may have taken place which is not a good thing. The second judgement that should be made regards the clarity of the wine, it should be brilliant and clear – cloudy or otherwise could mean that a yeast exists in the wine resulting in its instability. The flavour, or off-flavour would be very obvious even to an untrained nose.
A wine tasters biggest asset is his nose. After the visual checks on the wine next comes the actual tasting. As one smells the wine, the glass is gently swirled around encouraging the release of aromas or bouquet from the wine, it is now that one can detect subtle nuances such as the delicate nature or full body of the wine, as well as the sweetness or acidity.
The final part is the actual tasting itself. Having done a visual check, and then sniffed the wine we have a good idea of what to expect when the wine touches our mouth. The first taste is usually of a dry bitterness nature followed by sweetness later on. So with a younger white wine, the acidity will shine through first, followed by the overall flavour in the body of the wine. This is where one looks for those wine adjectives to describe what you are tasting and be thoroughly objective. With practise this is where the experts ’slurp’ their wine, this is merely sucking in air and mixing it in the mouth which enables more accurate and prolonged tasting to take place.
What we are looking for is a well balanced wine. Balancing the alcohol level in the wine with its sweetness is the aim – too much of one and not enough of the other is undesirable and would be unbalanced. A good balance will have a reasonable acidity (which helps to age the wine) combined with plenty of fruit flavours giving its distinctive sweet character. If the acid level is lower, the wine will not last as long in the bottle, so this is where the knowledge of where the wine originated from becomes useful.
Try tasting as many different styles of wine as you can – shouldn’t be a problem! In no time you will be assessing them like a true professional, and what’s more it’s great fun!
Practice makes expert!
Wine is a fascinating subject, the more you know, the more you want to find out. Learn how to taste and appreciate wine, and much more from [http://www.squidoo.com/understandingwine]Understanding Wine: A Beginners Guide. Also, discover how to pair wines and food successfully.
Ever made Homemade wine? Don’t know how to, why not visit http://winemakinghome.blogspot.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Become-a-Wine-Tasting-Expert&id=1848814] How to Become a Wine Tasting Expert
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Christmas dinner at my brother’s house is always a massive bath of generosity. Despite more than our family’s share of bumps and potholes this year, this Christmas was no different.
The family was together and we all contributed something to the meal, my brother far more than the rest of us. We brought lumpiang shanghai and roasted duck for appetizers, and homemade cannoli for dessert. My brother’s sister-in-law brought a fresh mango mousse cake.
We kicked off the evening with Italian sweet peppers stuffed with herb cheese, roased garlic, deviled and lobster-stuffed eggs, bagel and lox. We added lumpiang shanghai and a roasted duck with plum and hoisin sauce. Appetizers were complemented by a 1996 J Brut Sparkling and a 1997 J Brut Sparkling – a touch of honeysuckle and orange blossoms on the former and toasted almonds on the latter.
We took a break to exchange and open gifts, always a fun and raucous time of the evening. We had gifted our niece and nephew a bit of cash, encased in miniature Christmas stockings that we had sewn shut. Why do we always feel like we made out like bandits?
We couldn’t wait any longer for dinner, and its centerpiece was my brother’s horseradish-crusted prime rib. Also on the table were a Honeybaked ham, haricots verts with crisp-fried shallots, sautéed mushrooms and onions, oven-roasted fingerling potatoes and carrots, roasted broccoli florets, and Yorkshire pudding.
To accompany dinner, my brother opened a 1996 Opus One – luscious and smooth, dark berries, well-tamed tannins, just the right amount of pungency. That was followed by a 2005 Edizione Pennino zinfandel – fruit-forward, a touch of black pepper, soft and rounded texture.
We waited about a half hour before diving into dessert. We had brought homemade cannoli. Our son makes the shells from scratch, a long and arduous process. Someone had brought chocolate chip cookies and another purchased a fresh mango mousse cake. Rounding out the selections were some Point Reyes blue cheese with candied walnuts and sliced apples and pears, and homemade marshmallows. And an incredible Donna Fugata Ben Rye Sicilia Passito Pantelleria dessert wine.
Our son and his cousins concocted some Romulan Ale – a lethal mix of Blue Curacao, 151 Rhum, and Everclear. Flammable and frightening.
We all tasted a candy unique to Baguio in the Philippines called Kulangot. Translation: Booger. It’s actually a little bit of coconut jam in a nut shell. Gross name, delicious little morsel.
After dessert we took another break and headed to our cousin’s house in the next town. We visited with our aunt (our uncle’s widow) and five of her six children and their families – a nearly full house. We brought them some lumpiang shanghai and brought our aunt an orchid plant for Christmas. We shared stories of loss – we had just lost our eldest brother in Southern California and she had recently lost her younger brother in the Philippines. We sampled some of the food on their groaning board – baked lumpia, purple yam jam, fresh pineapple, grilled jumbo shrimp.
When we returned to my brother’s house we finished off the last of the Ben Rye and watched a little Filipino TV. Then it was time to call it a night. Until next year…
All photos courtesy of my niece. Please follow her as @foodiesecrets on Twitter.
A lovely narrative and a thorough description of how to decant.
So what is decanting? Decanting is a process of carefully moving (pouring) wine from its vessel (typically the bottle) into a decanter. A decanter can be a glass pitcher or carafe. Many wine masters believe the best decanter has a long neck and wide bottom surface area, almost the opposite of a wine bottle. These features better allow oxygen to reach the wine for a more smooth, mellow finish.
I love Piper. Piper-Heidsieck, Piper Sonoma, bring it over and I’ll finish it off. Today my wife and I tried Piper-Heidsieck Rosé Sauvage Brut Champagne. Bought it at Goody Goody for $50. Was it worth it? Read on friend…
Absolutely it was worth it! I was a little apprehensive, because around the $50-$75 price point is where most experts agree you stop paying for wine quality and start paying for label exclusivity. I drink a ton of $20-$25 sparklers, and rarely venture beyond around $40. My higher end sparklers are Iron Horse, Taittinger, and Piper-Heidsieck, all around $35-$40 (less if you can catch them on super sale). I also drink a couple different sparklers that are quite inexpensive: $9 Enrico Cava Rose (available at Goody Goody) and Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut (available most everywhere for $13. Some places have it for $15. I think that’s a good indicator you need to find a better wine store). I had never ventured beyond $50 per bottle bubbly. Frankly I was afraid of being disappointed. You see, I want expensive bubbly to be fantastic and worth every penny, much in the same way I want Ferrari’s to be fantastically fast and exotic. You see, I can’t afford a Ferrari. But there are ‘weekend warrior’ programs where you can drive one on a track for a day. And there are places like Vegas where you can rent one for a day. I hope to do that one day, and when I do, I want to be overwhelmed by it. I want it to be so moving and exciting that I feel more alive for having done it. Similarly, I can’t drink high-end bubbly every day. But like that rental exotic I can afford it occasionally. And when I do, I want it to be a stirring, memorable moment. I want it to show me what wine can be like when it’s tirelessly worked on, cared for, massaged and worried about. Ferrari goes kind of bananas over what their exhaust note sounds like. Millions of dollars, countless hours of computer analysis and engineer attention go toward making it about as perfect as it can be. Anyone who doesn’t think producers of high-end bubbly go through the same gyrations should spend a week underground as a riddler. You can taste the effort in the yeasty brioche notes. You can detect the subtle weave of dozens of blended base wines even if you can single out only a few of them. And the lingering finish seems to hang on the palette like the high unwavering note of an opera singer. I put sparklers at the top of the wine pyramid, and I hope I never feel like I’ve drunk the bottle that represents the zenith. I lust for that certain ethereal zestiness that is bottle of good bubbly, and even if the bulk of my cellar is pedestrian yet high-quality I look forward to that day in a Ferrari, that one or two days a year I crack open as good a bottle as I can afford. That’s why I want it to be fantastic. I want to feel like even at $75 a bottle that it’s still a great value, still a great decision. $50 for mediocre wine would be foolishness. $50 spent on a bottle that from which every sip makes you smile is a bargain. I hope to eventually get a bottle of Cristal, of Krug, of Veuve Grande Dame. I have to save up for these. When I do get to buy one, I want to be bowled over by it and wish I had money for more. In the same way, I hoped this Piper-Heidsieck would be better than any of my ‘everyday’ sparklers. I wasn’t disappointed.
The color was a beautiful hue of strawberry-violet. The nose was inviting, complex and polished. Fruity, floral, yeasty, and rich. The wine was all this on the palette. Many strands of flavors- bramble and red fruit, floral notes, kind of an almond nuttiness and layers of fresh baked yeasty goodness. Long, lingering finish. Beautiful. Definitely and distinctly superior to my favorite $40 bottle, Piper-Heidsieck Brut. This was a complete score, a solid choice, and worth every penny. It makes me very excited about my New Year’s eve bubbly: Veuve-Clicquot Rosé. Check back on the 1st of January to see if it was $30 better than the Piper. Cheers!
When the Wine Gal (my wife) and I made the decision to put our house on the market, our intent was to make a move to Oregon’s wine country, either Dundee or Newberg. We were looking for a home that either had a daylight basement or a 2nd residence that we could rent out to people visiting Wine Country for a holiday. It would be the first step to our new wine country lifestyle. Sadly, the perfect place slipped out of our fingers and we couldn’t find another place that suited our wants. Rather than settle on a place, we opted to look for a good deal that could (hopefully) build some equity over the next few years and give us some additional leverage to make the leap when the time comes again. And we did find a great place that we are very excited about, and are confident that it will take us to where we ultimately want to go.
Over the last week as we packed up, neither of us had any regrets. The new home is a better layout for having a toddler, and for the way we live. But, as some of you know, I spent over a year finishing out our 950 square foot basement, finishing it about a year and a half ago. The basement had some great space, and it took a lot of work, both from myself, and with the help of many friends and family members. That became the hardest part of the move…so many people helped create this great space and we only got to enjoy it for a short time. The hardest thing for me to leave behind was my wine cellar, designed and built by my older brother. It was an amazing room, with the coolest cellar door you’d ever see..
The night before we moved out, I had my older brother over to enjoy a nice bottle of wine in the cellar he built. We opened a 2002 Truchard Vineyards Zinfandel, which proved to be a perfect way to close the room. The Wine Gal made Parmesan chicken with pesto noodled, which paired great! We just enjoyed the wine and food, and the room. When we moved in, I owned 24 bottles of wine…all “special” bottles. On the way out, I have a collection of over 300 bottles, and now, no cellar to put them into! I know that there will be another great wine cellar in my future, even if it isn’t for a few years. In the meantime, I left with a bit of a heavy heart.
The average American eats one meal, six days a week, outside of the home. Almost one half of their food budget is used for dining out. Because food portions have increased substantially, so has our weight. Our entrees and desserts have gotten larger and larger, fooling us into thinking that it’s ok to clean our plates. If they gave us this food, it’s ok to eat it, right? It’s not surprising to see that eight out of ten people over the age of 25 are overweight in America. It’s reported that about seventy-five percent of people who dine out are looking for healthier alternatives.
Many restaurants supply calorie and nutritional information in their menus. Some even offer smaller portions of their regular meals or will allow adults to purchase meals from their kiddy menu. Dining out doesn’t have to be difficult if you’re trying to eat healthy. Before going to a restaurant, visit its web site, if it has one, and look at the menu. Choose meals that work with your diet. See if items can be substituted if you need to change anything. Look at portion sizes and determine what you can and can’t eat.
If you’re going out for dinner, eat a lighter lunch. That way you won’t be adding a lot of extra calories. Don’t go to the restaurant feeling starved. Eat a piece of fruit or a low calorie English muffin that’s high in fiber an hour before you go to the restaurant. It should help you eat fewer calories when you’re dining out. You can also try a small handful of nuts to get the same results. Never start with the bread before the main meal arrives. Bread can add too many extra calories.
Make the right choices from the beginning when you’re dining out. When you order a salad ask for the dressing on the side. If you’re choosing pasta, pick one with red sauce instead of white. Choose baked potato without sour cream, you can use salsa on it instead. It’s lower in calories. Pick steamed vegetables without adding butter or sauce. They’re healthier. Sandwiches should be ordered on whole grain or wheat bread. Avoid mayonnaise and cheese on your sandwich and top it with mustard and a lot of vegetables instead. If you order an appetizer instead of a full meal, you’ll eat less. Ask for a doggie bag at the beginning of the meal and place half of it to go, so you’re not tempted to eat it. If you really want dessert, share it with another person, that way you won’t feel deprived.
Other health related blogs where you can find some more important tips :- Health, Meditation & Acne Treatment, Natural Health , Herbalife and Meditation
Leaf removal in grapes is done to allow air to flow around bunches and to expose them to sunlight. This lowers the risk of botrytis (bunch rot) as the exposed bunches dry out quickly after rain.
Hand removal of leaves is the traditional method used and works well as the leaves inside the canopy can be targeted.
Machines have been developed to pluck the leaves off by sucking the leaves into the path of a cutter. This works well with leaves on the outside of the canopy, but doesn’t get the leaves that are in the middle of the canopy and often around or over bunches.
We use a Collard Leaf blower that works by blowing a large volume of low pressure air pulses that shatter the leaves while doing little or no damage to the bunches. We find it works really well as it takes a lot of the internal leaves out. We use it at the end of flowering to ensure that bunches dry out quickly if we get any rain and this greatly lowers our botrytis risk.
Cheers for now
Stuart http://www.toreawines.co.nz/
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After posting about the DIY project that I found on Style Me Pretty about how to use old sweaters and poms to create amazing gift wrap, I wandered over to Grey Likes Weddings to view some more fabulous DIY projects. Well, guess what, I found yet another creative idea by Summer Watkins using more parts of your old sweaters! Check out the adorable DIY Wine Wrap below and on the Grey Likes Weddings: DIY Wine Wrap posting! Enjoy the creativity and give it a try yourself!
{Images by Jenny Liu Photography via Grey Likes Weddings}
I really miss being able to walk to work. When I lived downtown, it was only 13 blocks from my apartment to the auto parts store, so it made sense to walk there and back each day — unless it was the high of summer or the dead of winter, in which case the elements were terribly unpleasant. Still, the exercise and fresh air were fantastic.
Now I live about a half-hour’s drive from town, so walking obviously isn’t an option. To make up for it, I try each day to take at least half an hour and get away from my desk to walk up to the park and back. It’s refreshing getting out of the stuffy office and away from the paperwork and phones, and even though there’s the noise of traffic to deal with, just being outside is much calmer and much more serene than staring at a repair order while listening to an engine revving or a belt squealing in the shop.
With all the rain we’ve had lately I haven’t had the chance to get out, and today I was really feeling it. So I got an opportunity for an extra long walk down to the bookkeeper’s office to pick up payroll and tax forms. Normally I’d drive, but the 28 blocks round-trip sounded much too tempting on my restless legs. The air felt frigid when I first left the office, but by the time I reached the main street I was sweating — and oddly glad for it. I tend to walk pretty fast so the exercise felt great and it got me comfortably warm, so even in the winter temperatures I was taking my jacket off and pushing up the sleeves on my shirt, enjoying the fresh air and sunlight on my bare arms.
Though my hometown isn’t spotless, it is fairly quaint and charming, so there’s lots of neat little details to admire up-close on a walk. There’s a particular stretch that I really enjoy because all along the sidewalk are half-barrels filled with brightly-colored marigolds. This time of year they’re not faring well, of course, but some of the other plants were growing brilliantly and added color and cheer to the day.
While I walked — and especially since I was headed in a different direction than usual — I tried to focus on simple beauties: a handsome new building with stunning architectural detail and charm, an interesting tile pattern on a wall, a young Golden Retriever walking its person , a bird flitting around in a tree, a whimsical shop window display. There’s a new coffee shop in town that I’ve been meaning to visit but haven’t had a chance, but I did get to walk by it for the first time today and it looks interesting — a charming arrangement, but all the art on display is fairly modern and that doesn’t quite suit my tastes. A few doors down is a bridal shop, and every Christmas they put out the same two gowns that I can’t seem to take my eyes off of. I’m really not a dress person, but these are lovely: one is red and one is green, but they’re both strapless, have full skirts, and the bodice is subtly but stunningly bejeweled. Every time I drive by that shop I sigh a little, imagining a fancy party with women in long evening gowns and men in tuxedos, drinking wine and talking gaily, dancing the night away while the orchestra plays.
On my way back from the bookkeeper’s office, a combination of the wind and my bouncing step was causing my hair to come loose from it’s sloppy twist, so I let my hair down, loving the feeling of the wind lifting it behind me as I walked. Of course, the moment I did that, every male neck turned to rubber, which I always find amusing. I’m not vain enough to think myself beautiful, but I will admit I can’t help but smile when I see a guy drive by and do a double-take, staring as I pass. And this only really happens noticeably when I let my hair down from it’s severe, businesslike, pulled-back arrangement I have to do every morning for work.
I’ve been working around cars for so long that I can usually tell a car by the sound of its starter. This was especially true when I was going to university and had to walk through endless parking lots to get from my truck to the classroom. I could hear a starter, point somewhere off to my left beyond my blind spot, and call out, “Ford,” then turn and see that I was right. Today, though, one stumped me — I heard a starter off to my right that I thought for sure belonged to a Toyota, but when I looked it was a late-model Chevy. I laughed out loud at myself and someone that happened to be passing me at the same moment turned and gave me that look that said he thought I was crazy for laughing at apparently nothing.
There’s something so liberating about a good, brisk walk through town. You get to see all sorts of little things close-up that you’d never notice while driving by. I even noticed while walking past a condemned building (why it hasn’t been taken down yet, no one can quite seem to figure out) that it had an intriguing smell to it that was actually delightful. It wasn’t the kind of thing you’d expect — not some broken down, rotting, moldy decay kind of smell, but something that was pleasant. It reminded me of some other scent, but for the life of me I still can’t pinpoint it.
I think my favorite part of today’s walk, though, was the little musical surprise that I got. Leaving the bookkeeper’s office, I could hear the droning thud of too much bass on loud speakers somewhere up ahead of me. Looking around, I noticed a black SUV with all the windows down, and a male arm resting on the driver’s door — you know, the casual I’m-too-cool-to-drive-with-both-hands thing that men do. I was thoroughly prepared to be disgusted and disappointed, certain that this would be nothing more than the typical young punk kid playing rap music. The SUV was stuck in traffic, so I caught up to it, and when I did, I was pleasantly surprised, so much so that I couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. The man was young, but clean cut and well dressed, and the music was actually U2’s Pride (In the Name of Love). Awesome. Seriously awesome.
Our new manse is located close to a “Super” Wal-Mart, which includes a huge grocery section. The Lady felt the need to checkout their cheese section…aka “spying on the competition”. She was pleased to advise The Man that their cheese table would never be considered competitive with hers (and that’s not bragging… just the facts…). However, she did bring home a little block of cheese that I had been hoping to sample and review: and what a terrific gem of a cheese it is.
Modesto, California, in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, is the home of the Fiscalini Farmstead Cheese Company which has been making cheese since 1914 in the tradition of their Swiss ancestors who were cheesemakers in Switzerland for more than 300 years. Fiscalini has won many awards not only for their cheeses but also for their humane treatment of the cows that provide the milk for their cheeses. Their herd consists of 1400 Holstein and as with all Farmstead cheese; the cows live where the cheese is made.
This aged cheddar was the only American cheddar to be recognized at the 2003 World Cheese Awards in London, walking away with the Silver Medal in the category where no gold medal was given.
This white, buttery cheddar is mature without being sharp. It crumbles when knifed but not too much as to not sit well on a cracker. I suspect it would do quite well as one of the main cheeses in Mac n Cheese.
The Man was especially taken with this cheese.
In addition to this Premium Cheddar, the Fiscalini Family also makes several other award-winning cheeses including San Joaquin Gold, an extra-matured bandaged cheddar, several flavored cheddars and they have recently added fresh mozzarella to their line.
I give Fiscalini Farmstead Premium Aged Cheddar 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got), in part because The Man was swooning while eating this cheese and in part because it is excellent!!
Serving Suggestions: Apples, pears and grapes with a few Beecher’s Crackers on a cheese plate and life is indeed good!!
Wine Pairing: 14 Hands Merlot (This Washington State red has become a favorite of The Lady.)
Christmas time should be all about indulgence don’t you think?
Its the time of year when you can forget your calorie counter and enjoy some really wholesome cuisine. Here at Karma Steakhouse new Food and Beverage Manager Andreas Hoffmann set about creating a delicious set of special menus for the festive season which should tempt every palate and leave all satisfied in a way that only great home cooked food delivers.
Andreas explains his festive cuisine:
“I wanted to create menus for throughout the festive season which evoke fond memories of this special time of year; maybe childhood Christmases or a fantastic family New Year’s Day. Being German myself I understand that a lot of Europeans celebrate Christmas on 24th. With that in mind the Christmas Eve Menu includes delights such as Rock Lobster Carpaccio with a light Madras Vinaigrette, Champagne Granita and Lamb Loin Persillade with Prune Jus.
Favoring really traditional Christmas Day faire, diners at Karma Steakhouse on Christmas Day can expect smoke salmon or scallop brochette starters followed by succulent turkey with all the trimmings and a rich plum pudding with brandy butter dessert.
New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner Menu should be a taste tantalizer with the finest of all delicacies such as Oysters Rockfeller, Salad of New Potato with a caviar and champagne dressing and of course a Karma Steakhouse specialty, Wagyu Beef Fillet with Cranberry Terikyi glaze. All dishes can be paired with some superb wines from around the globe, accompanied by a glass of bubbly too of course!”
To reserve your table in advance please contact +62 (0) 361 708800
To learn more about Karma Steakhouse http://www.karmajimbaran.com/karma-steakhouse/
Festive Menus
Christmas Eve Menu (USD$62.50)
Rock Lobster Carpaccio with a light Madras Vinaigrette and Micro Greens
Champagne Granita
Lamb Loin Persillade with Prune Jus Pommes Duchesse Gratin and Petit Pois
Chocolate & Nougat Semifreddo
Petit Four & Coffee
Christmas Day Menu (USD$62.50)
Chilled Gluhwine Punch
Smoked Salmon with Cranberry Mustard &Sourdough Toast
Since yesterday’s note was on a Calatayud (a good one, too) I thought I’d talk a bit about where the heck Calatayud is, and what it means when you see it on a label. Calatayud is a small wine region in northeast Spain, surrounded pretty much by desert. The Papa Luna was 75% Garnacha, which is no surprise because approximately 2/3 of Calatayud is planted in Garnacha. The region is restricted by DO regulations (Spanish wine laws) to indigenous grape varieties, including Shiraz, Monastrell, Mazuelo, and Tempranillo. They also make Garnacha based rosés and whites from the Viura grape of generally increasing quality. The grapes are generally rich and intense because yields are kept low and the soil is poor. This means the vines struggle, which makes better grapes. Most grapes are sold to cooperatives for vinification. These cooperatives are considered some of the most successful exporters of Spanish wine. There’s been a lot of investment in recent years in new equipment, stainless steel tanks, etc., and the quality is definitely on the rise. The reds have been called ‘heady’ and ‘potent’ and while I’ve never had one that I’d call truly outstanding, I’ve never ever had one that I didn’t like. So I’d call Calatayuds a very reliable choice!
As I was checking out at my local wine shop, I see a cute little barrel off to the side with a very familiar name, Red Truck. I’ve seen and had this wine many times before and was quite surprised to see this biggie size available! I had to try it! I suppose if Black Box can do this, then all the guys can!
I wasn’t sure if Red Truck would taste the same and if it actually would live up to its claim of freshness up to six weeks. I had to give it a shot. Upon opening, I was excited to be able to pour wine straight out of a “barrel”, must say very clever. Was it the usual Red Truck?
Let’s see, at first taste it tasted like a cheaper version – I couldn’t taste the syrah or the cabernet in this unique blend. After a few moments of breathing time, the nose made it’s way through. A glass later, I realized it was a slightly lighter version of the bottled type but very easy to drink and definitely one of those wines you can continue drinking all night.
This is a fabulous bang for your buck and the versatile flavors work perfectly well with salad, pizza or pasta in toamato sauce dinner. Definitely a huge barbaque hit in the summertime! The Red Truck flavor shines through about an hour after you open the barrel and I can see how this wine will be well received by wine lovers who like to drink a glass or two every night and don’t want to see that half (no longer fresh) bottle in the refrigerator. This one doesn’t even need to be refrigerated! Though it does not say that in the packaging, I wouldn’t recommend putting the barrel through various degrees of temperature especially if you will be drinking the barrel for more than a couple of days! The barrel is equivalent to 4 bottles so that equates roughly to about 16-18 glasses of wine.
I wish there were more premium brands who would follow suit and package wines in a unique design that would not only preserve freshness but reduce our carbon footprint! In the meantime, we will enjoy freshness via Red Truck and at less than $30 for 3 litres, you can’t go wrong!
Growing up in an Italian household, I learned to drink wine at an early age through the wonders of 7Up. Although a s an adult I didn’t step up into the real wine world; well, not until 1997 – the year of our week vacation in San Francisco, which included a one-day trip to Napa.
Since I’ve already posted about my wine journey, that’s not where this story is going. Early in my journey I started saving corks. Not as a collector, but just saving them!
Corks tell stories. Most of natural, thus made from the striped bark of a cork tree; but the synthetics come in a variety of colors. Some wineries print their name horizontally, others vertically. Some have sayings, others have images. Some display humor, others are serious.
Taking a break from writing up Italian wineries for a book project to report on an interesting wine from last weekend, Domaine La Tour Vieille’s “Memorie (d’automnes)” from Collioure in the Pyrénées-Orientales in southwestern France. Lovely stuff. And what an evocative name.
I believe it’s a blend of grenache blanc and genache gris that’s made in a manner similar to Sherry or perhaps vin jaune (Old wooden vats! Flor!), and here it is at once saline and bone-dry, yet with the sweetness of dried apricots and sultanas. The golden-orange color is also quite pretty to look at, reminiscent of, well, autumn.
Kermit Lynch imports this wine, at least on the west coast, so it is available. In San Francisco it’s available at Arlequin Wine Merchant for around $25.
And here’s some newish music, “Islands” from The xx. I think this is someone’s fan video, but I could be wrong. Lovely song though.
I have a been a subscriber to the 30 second wine advisor for at least 7 years. They use to evaluate wines under $10 and of good quality. Well the economy has changed but the 30 Wine Advisor stills tries to find economical quality wines but under $20. MCCN would like to spotlight their wine picks once or twice a month.- Crystal A. Johnson- MCCN Editor.
Clear straw color. Fresh pears and apples, a bit on the fruity side for a GV, but that signature stony minerality is present in the finish. Dry and tart, just a touch of prickly carbonation on the tongue. Tart white fruit, “stony” minerality and a quick grind of white pepper in a long finish. Sealed with a sturdy metal screwcap to banish cork “taint” and preserve freshness. U.S. importer: Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, N.Y., A Terry Theise Estate Selection. (Dec. 6, 2009)
FOOD MATCH: Like most GV, this makes a versatile match with a range of fare. It went well with cheese and veggie pizzas on the first night; pan-seared, oven-roasted natural pork chops with sage a few nights later. With more than half the bottle remaining, under screwcap and refrigerated, it showed no perceptible deterioration over a four-day period.
I have recently started using a UML application to design a software system that I am building called StarUML. It’s highly addictive because it gives you many of the basic building blocks for designing a very detailed system, and it generates very good looking diagrams. So far I have created Use Case diagrams, Sequence Diagrams, and Class Diagrams with this tool, and they have turned out really well. The only real problem, is that it’s designed for Windows. However, lately I am becoming more of a convert that Linux can suffice as my primary desktop.
So here is what I did to get it running on UBuntu 9.10
Under Applications Select Ubuntu Software Center
Search for Wine
If you haven’t already Installed it – install.
wget http://internap.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/staruml/staruml-5.0-with-cm.exe
wget http://kegel.com/wine/winetricks
sh winetricks vcrun6 msxml3
wine staruml-5.0-with-cm.exe
That will install starUML onto your system to run within Wine.
The decorations are up around town, and we can’t help but get into the holiday spirit. So, this Saturday December 19th we will be holding our Red and Green Themed Holiday Cooking Class.
We will be demonstrating a few items from our menu that utilize red and green curries and chili’s! We will also share with you our Pandan Custard for dessert. It is most likely the greenest dessert on the planet.
About the Class
Admission is $60 per person which includes a cooking demonstration taught by Deirdre Pain (Owner) and Krisada Fisher (General Manager), followed by a wine-paired luncheon hosted by Tyler Christensen (Bar Manager). Class starts with a glass of champagne at Noon on Saturday December 19th. See you there!
Wine Tags.
You know those rings you put around the stem of your wine glass at a party so that you can identify which glass of opaque red colored wine is yours? Well, in case anyone else wanted to start doing that, I’ve created these!
I know this sounds like a commercial, but I really don’t work at Trader Joe’s and they aren’t paying me to say this. I discovered Trader Joe’s about a year ago and I can’t believe how much money I save by shopping there.
We live near Springfield, Mo and the nearest Trader Joe’s that I know of is in St, Louis. It’s about a three and a half hour drive and we go there once a month. The main things we buy there are pasta and wine.
As a foodie and wine lover, I always want quality ingredients and healthy food, but sometimes balk at paying the price that organic, health food stores charge. There’s a line between, “This is high quality food and is worth it,” and “This is just overpriced.”
At Trader Joe’s, even though I have to pay for gas to get there and back, I know that I’m getting the quality and healthfulness I want, and the prices are so amazing that I’m still not sure how they do it.
The Trader Joe’s brand pastas are 99 cents, imported from Italy, and they cook up perfectly every time. I can stock up with a whole month”s worth when I visit.
The biggest pull for me, though, is the wine. Before Trader Joe’s, I couldn’t get a bottle of real Sherry for under $13. Now, I regularly pick up Amontillado for $5.99. Prosecco used to cost in the mid teens, but it’s $6.99 there. I get Aglianico from Italy for about $8, which is absurd, Barolo for under $15 – no, that’s not a typo – and can get a variety of Chianti and other Tuscan reds for as little as $3.99.
Where I usually think of anything drinkable for under $10 as a good deal and anything I actually like for under $15 as a good value, I now buy a mixed CASE of wine at TJ’s for about $60.
I once asked someone who worked there if they gave a discount for mixed cases. He looked at me in disbelief and asked, “Do you know how much you would have to pay for this stuff anywhere else?” I assured him that I did while I eyed Burgundy for $7.99 on a display in front of me.
On Sunday night I went to the Cheese 101: World Farmhouse Cheese and Wine class at Formaggio Kitchen, an amazing cheese store in Cambridge, MA. They also have South End Formaggio in Boston’s South end and Formaggio Essex Market in the Essex Street Market in New York, New York. If you are in Boston or New York you should really go because these people know their cheese and have a great selection. Try telling them you don’t like goat cheese, they will prove you wrong. Are you looking for a brined cheese- they have it. Need a jam to go with that Blue cheese- they have it and it’s amazing.
The class was taught by Kurt, the owners’ son, and Rachel. Both were very informative and just great people. It really can feel intimating going into a cheese shop when you don’t know what you are looking for or what you want. They tell you to ask. Ask about the cheese, ask how it is made, ask what to pair it with, etc. Ask for a sample, and don’t feel bad about it either. They just want you to have something you like.
While having amazing cheeses I learned a lot. I learned about the history of cheese, the basics on its production, how it gets moldy, how to sotre cheese, why cheese is waxed, how blue gets blue, and that moose cheese is the expensive cheese out there @ $500 a pound! Ouch! As the class went on we sampled cheeses, dried fruits, jams, honey, wine, beer, and cider. I enjoyed them all expect for a cow’s milk cheese, and the cider. I can’t remember which cow’s milk that I did not like but it smelled like the ocean, a foot, and seemed smokey. I braved it out and tasted it but it was not for me.
One of the things about the class was that we went down to the cheese cellar after the tasting. It was small, cramped, and stinky… pure cheese love there.
Goat’s Milk
Condiment: Raphael Fig Jam (amazing!!!)
Wine: Bossard Muscadet ‘07 ( I would def get this)
Valencay Affine- Loire Valley France (runny and yummy)
Twig Farm North Stone aka Stone Cheese- Cornwall, VT (it looked funky but was amazing)
Sheep’s Milk
Condiment: Bonnie Red Pepper Jelly- (I could have eaten this out of the jar)
Beer: The Lost Abby Devotion Ale (a white Belgian that I enjoyed since it was not heavy)
Brebirousse D’Argental- Lyon, France
Beringse Gouda- Flanders Belgium
Cow’s Milk
Condiment: Wood’s Cider Jelly (pure apple)
Cider: Isastagi Sagardo Naturala (not for me)
Cambembert Au Calvados- Normandy France
Comte Le Fort- Jura, France
Blues
condiment Pretterebner Acadia Honey
Wine: Quinta Do Infantado Ruby Port (I passed since I still had some cider)
Stichelton – Nottinghamshire, UK ( I fell in love)
Gialloblu- Verona Italy
I purchased some Stichelton since I was in love with it. Plus I got Price and myself baked apples that were baked in Wood’s Boiled Cider. I’m not a fan of baked apples since they typically seem undercooked or overcooked but I had to give it a try since they looked so good. Plus apples baked in a reduction of cider had to be good- and they were! I got 3 French macaroons since I love them and it is now my mission in life to try them all over. (okay, that’s an exaggeration) Their strawberry one was the best. And a Peach Monin syrup, since I am addicted to Italian Sodas. The best was that all purchases were 10% off since I had taken the class.
I want to go to CHEESE! a huge biannual cheese event in Italy. Hmmm 2011 vacation?
. I stuck with the falafel but this time had it on a plate. It came with 4 salads and 4 dips and a pita. I ended up smushing it all into the pita though 
. 
The winery’s program is built around multiple varietals, and the quality of this Gamay underscores winemaker and grower competence and agility. Here is what Louis/Dressner Selections has to say:
We kicked off the evening with Italian sweet peppers stuffed with herb cheese, roased garlic, deviled and lobster-stuffed eggs, bagel and lox. We added lumpiang shanghai and a roasted duck with plum and hoisin sauce. Appetizers were complemented by a 1996 J Brut Sparkling and a 1997 J Brut Sparkling – a touch of honeysuckle and orange blossoms on the former and toasted almonds on the latter.
We couldn’t wait any longer for dinner, and its centerpiece was my brother’s horseradish-crusted prime rib. Also on the table were a Honeybaked ham, haricots verts with crisp-fried shallots, sautéed mushrooms and onions, oven-roasted fingerling potatoes and carrots, roasted broccoli florets, and Yorkshire pudding.
We waited about a half hour before diving into dessert. We had brought homemade cannoli. Our son makes the shells from scratch, a long and arduous process. Someone had brought chocolate chip cookies and another purchased a fresh mango mousse cake. Rounding out the selections were some Point Reyes blue cheese with candied walnuts and sliced apples and pears, and homemade marshmallows. And an incredible Donna Fugata Ben Rye Sicilia Passito Pantelleria dessert wine.
Our son and his cousins concocted some Romulan Ale – a lethal mix of Blue Curacao, 151 Rhum, and Everclear. Flammable and frightening.
Christmas time should be all about indulgence don’t you think?
