A Spatlese and a Moelleux

Posted on February 27, 2019 by thewineraconteur

One of the best things about walking into the Fine Wine Source is the ability to taste some wines to make an educated purchase.  I always try to taste some wines that are new to me, either by district, varietal or winery.  I guess that I am like most people and will always tend to go towards the familiar and the greatness of wines is to discover something new.  I have tried to maintain this concept since I was in high school.

The first wine that I will discuss is a German wine, and I think that even though the language seems similar to English, some people are intimidated by the size of some of the words and some of the wine terms.  I tried Weingut August Kesseler Rudesheimer Bischofsberg Spatlese Riesling 2007 from the Rheingau.  Let me make it easier to read the label; Weingut August Kesseler is the name of the producer.  One of the largest towns in the Rheingau is Rudesheim and the “er” just means that the wine is from Rudesheim.  In the Rudesheim district there are seven famous vineyards that are recognized as a Grosse Lage or the best vineyards that are delineated and of certain size that are known for special notice, and Bischofsberg is one of these famous vineyards.  Spatlese is one of the terms of distinction or ripeness that is part of the “Pradikat” and refers to the level of natural sugar that is found, because the grapes are harvested later and later after the initial harvest and the grape of this wine is Riesling.  I mean most people would not even think of purchasing a twelve-year-old white wine, but the higher up the Pradikat chain, the longer the life of the wines.  This wine was very delightful and some wonderful traces of terroir, that ethereal description that evokes the soil in the taste, and it may sound odd, until the first time you really encounter it, and then you will totally understand it.

The other fun white wine that I tried was from Domaine Huet L’Echansonne, but is normally just referred to as Domaine Huet; and it was Domaine Huet Clos du Bourg Moelleux Vouvray Chenin Blanc 2016 and the Wine Spectator awarded this wine 97 points.  The Domaine is famed for their Chenin Blanc and has three major vineyards and Clos du Bourg is known as producing the most structured and longest-lived wines.  The juice is both aged in Stainless Steel and small oak barrels and is not aged for long, but bottled quite quickly, but this process for them allows for the wine to live so long and to be so respected.   Vouvray Moelleux wines are sweet wines produced under the Vouvray appellation of the central Loire Valley in France.  Originally Vouvray was recognized for their still wines when they received their appellation, but today about sixty-five percent of the production is now in their sparkling wines, then their still wines and a very small percentage is Moelleux Vouvray.  My notes after tasting this wine was only one word “STUNNING” and I hardly get carried away like this.

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February Wine Club Selections

Posted on February 25, 2019 by thewineraconteur

In the month of February besides writing about birthdays and Valentine’s Day, I will now also get to write about the monthly wine selections from Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  I think even more important to picking up the wines for the month, I guess it also gives me a reason to stop by and do some wine tasting, as if I really need a reason.

The first wine that I picked up was Cosentino Winery “The Dark” Red Wine 2016 from Lodi, California.  I think the first wine that I ever had from this winery was “The Poet” one of the earliest Meritage style wines from Napa Valley as it was first released in 1989 from a winery that began in 1980.  In 1990 they began “The Zin” which begat other “The” wines showcasing their wines from Lodi, California and their current winemaker is from a family that has been growing grapes in Lodi for over a century.  This particular wine “The Dark” is a proprietary blend of Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon that has enjoyed the benefit of aging for twelve months in French Oak.  According to the tasting notes this is a dark glass of wine the nose that favors dark fruits, and the taste of the fruit blended with pepper and vanilla to deliver a big chewy wine.  A big wine that should pair well with Braised Short Ribs or a big Roast.

The second wine was Domaine Laroque Cabernet Franc, IGP Cite de Carcassonne 2017.  The IGP classification replaced the old Vin de Pays to make France align to the other members of the Common Market.   The IGP Cite de Carcassonne is a large area in the Languedoc region and encompasses eighteen communes and allows all three colors of wines.  The average age of the vines for this wine is twenty-five years, and this area has been producing wines from the Sixth Century.  The soil in this area is clay and limestone and hillside vineyards.  The wine is a very pretty red and very easy to drink, as I just had this wine with a dinner that I wrote about and we enjoyed especially for the price, and it really opened up after the second glass.  My Bride was very happy when I showed her this wine.

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Richards

Posted on February 24, 2019 by thewineraconteur

My dinner club was in a bit of a turmoil, as we had lost one of our standby restaurants.  It is getting harder and harder to find a restaurant that has a private room, as most venues value cramming in a couple of more tables in the floor plan for more turn-overs.  One of our members found a place, that I have driven by several times a month and never even batted an eye at, because they call themselves a “family restaurant” and I have always associated that to mean one step up from a glorified sit-down, fast-food eatery that has no liquor license.  I was wrong, because Richards not only had a very nice private room, they were very accommodating and they have a liquor license.

Most of the venues that we go, give us a choice of usually three different entrée dishes, here we had a choice of eight different dishes.  It was a good list of options; Pork Chops, Fried Shrimp, 12-ounce Rib-eye Steak, 12-ounce Prime Rib, Shrimp Scampi, Baby Back Ribs, Broasted Chicken and Smothered Chicken Breast.  I opted for the Baby Back Ribs as I was assured that the meat would fall off the bones, and that was so true.  I started the dinner off with Cole Slaw, and the entrée was paired with hand cut potatoes.  Everyone that ordered the Ribs was amazed that it was a full slab, and everyone had to request a “carry-out” box, as I could only eat half of my order.

Richards had a full bar, so that was no problem, but the wine selection was a bit short, as all of the wines were poured from magnums, so they sold wine by the glass or the carafe.  I started off with Coastal Vines Cellar Chardonnay 2017 with a California appellation.  I am sure that the wine is done in Stainless Steel, and the winery is part of Bronco Wine Company.  I found the wine to be rather middle of the road, but I have seen reviews describing it as buttery and oaky and I did not notice either of those qualities.  I think it is a decent party or group wine.  The second wine that I tried was Castello di Gabbiano White Label Chianti DOCG 2017.  Castello di Gabbiano was established in 1124 in the Tuscan region and the majority of the wines that they produced are Sangiovese based, which is no surprise.  This particular wine is ninety percent Sangiovese and the balance are native red grapes.  This wine is made for immediate consumption and not for cellaring, and for a basic Chianti it was fine.  In spite of the small wine selection, I can guarantee that the club will be returning here, as there were no complaints about the food, and that is very important.

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February Birthdays 2019

Posted on February 21, 2019 by thewineraconteur

It was the time of the month to celebrate all of the birthdays in the month of February.  It is just an easy way to get everyone together and a way to keep the social calendar down to one party instead of potentially three to six parties, depending on the month.  It just works out that it is easier to have it at our house, so that a lot of other culinary accoutrements don’t have to be schlepped as well as the food to be prepared.  This particular birthday celebration was a little light, because of an approaching snow storm and an approaching new member that was being anticipated at any time.

The guests began arriving and of course the appetizers and munchies came out first.   Fruit, vegetables, cheese and crackers all seem to hit the spot, and the crowd around the breakfast nook became more crowded.  As more and more arrived, that signaled that the dinner should commence cooking, outside of the turkey, which had to start earlier.  There were also four full pork tenderloins that did not require as long of cooking time.  My Bride was also excited because the Romaine lettuce scare seems to have abated and she could make her Caesar salad.  I think everyone was looking forward to a monthly fix of Armenian Pilaf as well.  After all of the dishes were packed away and the tables and counters cleared, it was time for the birthday cake with all of the names written on top with the customary symbolic candles for the group.

With the potential of a blizzard or ice storm, the interest for adult beverages was not as strong as it could have been, but that is wise and it is not the Fifties and the Sixties where one would say “let’s have one more for the road,” and yes, I remember first hand those days.  I opened up one of the German wines that we bought after a virtual tasting that I was invited to do, and I thought it would be something that some of the non-dry wine drinkers would like.  I opened up a bottle of Weingut von Winning “Winnings” Riesling 2015 which was a Qualitatswein from the Rheinpfalz.  Weingut von Winning was established in 1849 and they are one of the founding members of the VDP (Verband Deutscher Pradikats -und Qualitatsweinguter or The Association of Germany Quality and Pradikat Wine Estates).  Weingut von Winning has sixty-four percent of their production in the Pfalz and sixty-six percent is in Riesling, so it is a grape that they know quite well.  As in the other wines of this tasting this wine was also a soft pale straw in color.  The nose on this wine showed a bit of the terroir or some influence as there was a trace of petrol, but not in a manner to turn away from.  I found this wine was very easy to drink with a nice finish that was enjoyable.  I also opened up a bottle of wine that everyone had noticed the last couple of times that we had never opened, and it was time.  The wine was from the Fat Bastard Wine Company and it was their Thierry & Guy Fat Bastard Merlot 2013 with the appellation of IGP Pays d’Oc, which is roughly the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France.  A mutual production by Thierry, a French winemaker and Guy, who is considered a British wine industry rebel and the owner of the vineyard estate Gabriel Meffre.  Legend has it, that the wine was originally from some forgotten barrels, be that as it may, the wine is aged in Stainless Steel, while thirty percent is aged in oak.  I didn’t get a chance to take a photo of the wine in the glass, but it had a good color and a decent nose, but it was a very easy and enjoyable wine and that is what we all want.  The party broke up a little early, but everyone did get home safe and sound and they all had “doggie bags” of goodies to enjoy later.

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Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 19, 2019 by thewineraconteur

Holidays, no matter how noble, are nights that we normally try to avoid eating out at restaurants.  Actually, there are so many holidays that are really family oriented, so it gives us a reason to have a big party at the house.  There are some events that people feel that they have to go out for, and alas, I find that many restaurants anticipate the onslaught by reducing the options for the menu, there is a desire to move as many tables as possible and unfortunately the service tends to dissipate.  We happen to eat out enough, that this is not a problem, if we don’t go out, and it does not mean that we are not romantics.  Guess what?  We were going out for Valentine’s Day and we had no reservations.  I had a couple of ideas, but they didn’t work out, so I still had a back up plan, even though it made us sound like a couple of retirees in Florida, we were going to have an “early-bird” dinner and kind of with the “early-bird” pricing.

We went to the new steakhouse in the area that we went to when Ms.  Yoga was in town.  We went to Hyde Park and I discovered that the bar opens for “Happy Hour” at four in the afternoon and the restaurant opens at five.  I figured that we could always eat off of the bar menu, but they were honoring their Early Nights menu as well, which had a couple of different options and a couple of different prices.  We had the Amuse Bouche that was sent out from the kitchen to begin the evening, and there was a bread basket that arrived with three varieties to munch on and a slab of butter that had two different seasonings added on.  My Bride had a Caesar Salad that she has been on withdrawals since there was all of the recalls on the Romaine lettuce, so she was happy, but of course I won’t order a Caesar salad out, unless I have to, because as far as I am concerned, no one can compete with my Bride’s recipe.  I decided to go with the healthy choice of Lobster Bisque with Sherry and poached lobster meat in butter added just before serving. We both went with the Tenderloin Medallions, which were two three-ounce cuts, cooked perfectly with a side of Bearnaise Sauce.  I guess we are slowing down, because in the old days a Queen cut was eight-ounces of filet, and now we were sated from six-ounces, actually I had nine, as she only wanted three; and it was way to good to leave or to reheat.  We had no room for dessert.

As I was studying the wine list, as a way to drive my Bride a little crazy, because I know that they use the Coravin system to pour glasses of some of the “unicorn” wines and so that she will think that I am being fiscally irresponsible.  I calmed her down and found some wines to make her happy, in fact, she jumped on the first wine that I mentioned and claimed it for herself.  She wanted some wine that I was able to do a virtual wine tasting of, of another vintage and she had a glass of Murrieta’s Well “The Spur” 2015 from Wente Family Estate in Livermore Valley of California.  Louis Mel started planting grapes in the 1860’s and they were not just any grapes, but cuttings from Chateau d’Yquem and Chateau Margaux.  In 1884 Louis Mel built and installed in a hillside a gravity flow winery.  In 1933 Louis Mel sold his winery to Ernest Wente and the winery has been part of the Wente Family Estate ever since.  Here is a blended wine that features fruit grown in two of their vineyards.  The Petite Sirah and part of the Cabernet Sauvignon were grown in their historic Louis Mel Vineyard.  The balance of the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc came from their Sachau Vineyard.  All of the varietals were fermented individually in Stainless Steel, and then they were blended together and aged in French Oak for twenty-four months, of which half was new, a quarter of the barrels were used for the second time and the other quarter were aged in barrels used for the third time.  While the wine is forty-eight percent Cabernet Sauvignon and thirty-two percent of the other famed varietals from the Medoc, there was twenty percent Petite Sirah to give the wine a Livermore Valley zing.  There were three-hundred-nine barrels produced and they suggest that this will be enjoyed up to 2023.  It had that Black Cherry color and the taste evoked Black Cherry with a nice long finish, so she was a happy camper.  I opted for something new and went with the Rodney Strong Upshot Red Blend 2015 from Sonoma County.  Rodney Strong Vineyards was founded in 1959 and Rodney Strong was considered one of the pioneers of Sonoma County.  In 1989 the Klein family bought the winery and kept Rodney Strong on as a consultant until he retired in 1995.  The wine came from Sonoma County and basically from Alexander Valley and Knights Valley.   The wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and five percent Riesling.  The wine had a nice deep color, but I thought more of blackberries and spice, and the Zinfandel was the predominate varietal that I could taste and it was big, but on the sweeter side compared to “The Spur.” So, as we left the restaurant on Valentine’s Day and noticed that the dining had filled up, it was still daylight and our dinner was finished by five thirty.

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The Historic Holly Hotel

Posted on February 17, 2019 by thewineraconteur

Our Christmas gift from our son and his wife was to have dinner at the historic Holly Hotel in Holly, Michigan.  Originally known as the Hirst Hotel it was built in 1891 to capitalize on the railroad travelers and it became the center of attraction for a large area.  Over the years it has had a few owners and a few fires and it has been rebuilt to its old splendor on the outside.  It has ceased being a hotel, but has continuously been a restaurant.  A series of governors in Michigan have made it a point to dine there and it has also seen the likes of Carrie Nation and President George H.W. Bush.  The building is said to be haunted and they do play that up, and they have events that they host during the year as well, from a Titanic evening to nights of comedy, in fact they were having a night of comedy later that evening, the kids went, but we went home, as we almost have to pack a lunch to get there or back.

If and when you go there for dinner, make sure that you are famished, as they think that all of the diners are farmers who toil from sunrise to sunset, as the portions are huge, but more importantly the dishes are well prepared and plated, this is no diner in the sticks.  We were kind of excited to see that they had listed on their website that they sometimes serve Foix Gras, but alas not that evening.  The kids were going to have the Eight Course Degustation, but my Bride and I were just going to go lighter and we are glad that we did, we would have had to ask for a doggie bag, by the time the entrée arrived, let alone the desserts.  We ordered one plate of the Liver Pate and it is good that we only asked for one, as there were two large slabs of the pate which was a mixture of organic chicken and duck livers, served with Brandied Cherries and other garnishes, in fact we had to ask for another plate of crackers to finish off the pate.  Our dinners came with either a soup or a salad, my Bride had a Crunchy Thai with spinach, Napa cabbage, carrots, roasted pinenuts and a Thai vinaigrette, while I had an Iceberg Wedge with Gruyere and large chunks of roasted ham and a Caesar dressing.  My Bride tried a new fish that none of us had ever encountered and that is Escolar which was seared and served with two grilled prawns, and I might add that they were not jumbo shrimp, but actual prawns with lemon and dill, with potatoes and vegetables.  I had the Tournedos of Beef, two four-ounce medallions served perfectly at Medium Rare with a Morel Mushroom demi-glace with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables.  We did not need a dessert, and the kitchen prided themselves on the quality of the food, as the dinners that the kids had was just excellent.

My Bride and I arrived quite a bit early, because we weren’t sure how long the travel would be, because of the snow and the rush-hour traffic, but we made it there in good time, we would have walked the downtown are, but it was frigid that evening, so we went to the bar at the hotel instead, which worked for me.  Naturally I wanted to look at the wine list and my Bride was going to attempt to rein in my zealousness of ordering, even though we were going to pick up the beverage tab as we were the only drinkers at the table.  The bartender was telling me, how the owner of the restaurant prided himself on selecting all of the wines on the carte and it was not a cookie cutter grouping, there was a very well thought out selection of twenty-four bottles of wine from around the world and all reasonably priced, but the real surprise was that there was twenty-nine bottles world-wine that were all priced at twenty-one dollars each.  Of course, I didn’t tell my Bride and when she heard that I was ordering a bottle of wine, she was ready to send daggers towards me, until I told her, that the bottle of wine that I selected was less than what we sometimes order by the glass.   We were having a bottle of Domaine Laroque Cabernet Franc IGP Cite de Carcassonne 2017.  The IGP classification replaced the old Vin de Pays to make France align to the other members of the Common Market.   The IGP Cite de Carcassonne is a large area in the Languedoc region and encompasses eighteen communes and allows all three colors of wines.  We were both happy with the wine, especially from the second glass on, as it opened up.  There was not a big nose or any other exciting traits, but just a good honest bottle of wine that even surprised me.  Since this is not far for the kids, we will probably be going back there again.

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Another Guest Article

Posted on February 15, 2019 by thewineraconteur

I have a guest author today, who happens to be writing about an event that through Social Media I discovered that both he and his charming Bride were only a few miles away from where my Bride and I were that same evening.  He has written two other articles here and of course I totally endorse his nom de plume.

A Birthday Party for One of My Mentors

The Wine Raconteur, Jr. 

As a grateful guest contributor to the chronicles of the Wine Raconteur, I strive to find my most memorable moments to ensure they warrant inclusion in the blog of my close friend and wine mentor.  One such occasion was the recent birthday of a mutual acquaintance; whose family also appreciates wine.  This man has been with me since my college days, although he is 10 years my senior.  He has blessed me with many glimpses into the future, a familial ‘crystal ball’ if you will.  Since he married before me, sired his children before me, and has led me in most other life milestones, I’ve benefited from his learning and guidance and I consider him another mentor and good friend.

On the occasion of his recent birthday, his bride arranged for a small gathering at Michigan by the Bottle in Royal Oak, Michigan.  This establishment exclusively serves Michigan wines, and they have quite a selection from which you can craft your own tasting flight.  I knew the evening would be both entertaining and memorable when our party of 9 had 70 wine glasses on the table for our tastings, along with a few tasty small plates of wine-friendly snacks like almonds, cheeses and charcuterie, olives, and various crackers and breads.

Now the Raconteur knows I’m not the biggest fan of Michigan wines.  I often find that Michigan vintners try too hard to do things they should avoid, like attempting to vinify grape varietals to which Michigan weather is very unkind.  My long-held opinion is that Michigan needs to respect its climate and terroir and work with what the elements and divine Providence have allowed to flourish here.

My beliefs were vindicated by the two outstanding Michigan wines I had in my tasting flight, and for which I would recommend bottle (if not case) purchases.  The first wine that set my palate aflutter was the 2017 Dry Riesling from Verterra Winery in Leland, Michigan.  The wine had barely any color to it, and the nose included honeydew and apple among other fruity notes.  On the palate, I just kept writing down “balanced”.  This was a wine I could drink all afternoon, on its own or with a variety of snacks or small plates.  It represents what Michigan does well, and I dare say it was the best wine of the night for me.  The second wine surprised me because it was a red, and I tend to be biased against Michigan reds.  This time, however, the Bluestone Vineyards 2016 Winemaker’s Red gave me a lot to consider about Michigan’s ability to produce solid red wines.  Bluestone is also located in Leland, MI, and this blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Syrah showed a deep burgundy hue, with a nose of grilled meat!  It was a huge nose with a lot going on.  It boasted a full palate that rounded out the smoky nose and a long finish that would accompany a full “meat and potatoes” dinner nicely.

The evening continued with more wine for dessert (an ice wine and a port-style cherry wine), birthday torte, and live music from a local guitarist’s trio that played many standards from the Great American Songbook and did a great job engaging the crowd in the intimate venue.  My friend’s birthday was a total home run, and when I posted my exploits on social media, I drew the Raconteur’s attention and that’s how I knew that this memorable night warranted an entry (humbly requested, of course) on his blog.

Happy Birthday to my good friend and mentor, and deep thanks to my wine mentor, the Raconteur, for allowing me to share in his love of life and great stories with wine.

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Domaine LaFage

Posted on February 13, 2019 by thewineraconteur

It is just amazing what you will find when you go tasting wines, and I try to taste wines as often as I can.  When I first started my wine education back in high school, I had the lofty goal of wanting to try wines from all the countries and all the regions that produced wines.  That goal was soon kaput, as where I lived, wine selection was much smaller and not as diverse as it is today.  I also found out rather quickly that even in France, some of the regions could not compete with Bordeaux and Burgundy, and that discovery was with a very young and totally unsophisticated palette, though I question how sophisticated it has evolved after all of these years.  For ages I think I went out of my way to avoid wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon, because I thought of it as only table wines and not that great.  It was to my chagrin as I started hearing about and reading about how the wines from this region were being lauded, and I kept telling myself that after forty to fifty years, I should eventually go back and give them another try.  I was doing just that when I was at the Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan and I guess that I am glad that I tried some wines again.

Domaine Lafage is one of the popular and larger estates in the Roussillon.  Winemaker Jean-Marc Lafage also works as a wine consultant in other countries as well.  Domaine Lafage produces dry red, white and rosé wines under the Cotes du Roussillon AOC as well as sweet wines from Maury, Rivesaltes and Muscat de Rivesaltes.  In the last decade they have truly been discovered for their big, over-the-top style that is the trademark of one of the major voices in the wine industry.  With wines scoring in the mid nineties and at very popular price points the wines are being an understandable hit.  The Lafage cellars are just outside of Perpignan, they have an aggregate total of about four-hundred acres across the Languedoc-Roussillon with vines that are centenarians.

 

The first wine that I tasted was actually a refresher for me, as I actually wrote about it back in September and I have bought more of it, almost every time I have ventured into the shop and will continue, until I cannot buy any more.  I have also found some of the other bloggers are touted this wine as the buy of the year and I have to agree with them.  Domaine Lafage Bastide Miraflors Vielles Vignes Cotes du Roussillon 2018 has been getting rave reviews.  The Bastide Miraflors is a custom cuvee and is a blend of seventy percent Syrah and thirty percent Old Vine Grenache.  After six weeks of maceration the Grenache is aged for twelve months in concrete and the Syrah is aged in French Oak.  This is a deep purple wine that is made to be enjoyed immediately or in the next couple of years, and it has a heady 14.5% Proof.  I usually don’t quote ratings, but for a very affordable wine Robert Parker gave this wine 94 Points.  The owner of Fine Wine Source says “this is the best Syrah based wine you can buy for the money!  Rich yet elegant on the palate with a silky and satisfying finish.”  I next had Chateau Saint Roch Kerbuccio Rouge 2015 from Maury and for years Maury was noted for their sweet wines, but the dry wines were actually given an AOC in 2011.  Domaine Lafage became the owner this estate in 2007.  There is not much production information on the wine, but it is a blend of forty percent Grenache Noir, forty percent Syrah and the balance is Mourvedre.  Another popular price wine to score 94 Points and I will concur that it is big, some great pepper and a good long count finish.  Both of these wines are what I would call “no-brainers.”

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“It Certainly Is”

Posted on February 11, 2019 by thewineraconteur

“This is another fine mess you got me into” was all I could think, with a tongue firmly in the cheek as we were off to the cinemas.  I grew up enamored with films and I loved them, but as I have gotten older, I am not as pleased with the caliber of writing that I come across, and the idea that they now “act” in front of a blue screen, so that they can be plotzed into a setting by a computer.  We were having a date, though it was not a date night, as we were going to a matinee.  In a sense, I feel sorry for my Bride, as I tend to turn down most films, for any number of reasons.  Though I guess that I am not as bad as some of the folks we know, some now refuse to see movies, because of the opinions of the “actors” who now wish to dictate how the rest of us should live.  If the weather was more suitable, I might have gone out with a bowler, instead of a trilby in deference to going to see Stan & Ollie.  A rather poignant adaptation of the two in their later years of their lives, without being maudlin, and most of all, I found it well written with an enormous amount of respect for Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy.

Afterwards to continue our date, we like so many other Senior Citizens who go see a movie for a discount, went and became mall-walkers.  We normally like a nice three-mile walk, but at the mall that is rather difficult, but we do walk the interior perimeters, along with so many others, and my Bride was wonderful and did not require to stop into any store for a moment, though she did treat me to a bag of caramel popcorn.  We also ate out, and went to California Pizza Kitchen.  She wanted to split a pizza that day, and she was letting me pick the movie and the pizza.   I decided to try a frou-frou pizza, as I call modern pizzas that have evolved from my formulative years of what a pizza should be.  We had the Spicy Chipotle Chicken which besides the chicken and the thin pizza dough crust had a Chipotle Adobo sauce, shaved poblanos, Monterey Jack cheese, house made roasted corn and a black bean salsa with fresh cilantro and a lime crema that came as a side to drizzle onto the pizza.  I think both of us were impressed with the meal, as there was none to take back home for a snack.

Now what would a date with my Bride be like without some wine, I guess it would just be unthinkable.  My Bride surprised me, by ordering a split of Mionetto Prosecco de Treviso DOC Brut NV.  Prosecco de Treviso DOC is a relatively new designation from 2009 for the Treviso province in Veneto in North East Italy. To get this designation the wine must be made from at least 85% Glera or Prosecco grapes. The other 15% can be Verdiso, Bianchetta, Trevigiana, Perera, Glera Lunga, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanco and/or Pinot Nero.  As for me, since the pizza had a south of the border taste, I went really south of the border for my wine.  I had the Bodega Tamari Malbec Special Selection 2017 from the Uco Valley in Mendoza, in Argentina.  Uco Valley is becoming famous in its own right and many have declared it to be the Napa Valley of Argentina, not only has the last couple of decades brought enormous money from wine investors globally, it has also become a wine/tourist destination as well.  This was a decent glass of Malbec, as I was not expecting anything, but a bulk production wine that worked with the meal, and that is what I wanted.  Since, I began with a couple of their most identifiable quotes, I shall leave you with one of the best lines ever uttered by Stan Laurel “If any of you cry at my funeral, I’ll never speak to you again!”

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Back to Boodles

Posted on February 9, 2019 by thewineraconteur

You know the old expression “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” I think that is the perfect description for Boodles in Madison Heights, Michigan.  You could walk or drive by it constantly without really noticing it, because it is a cinder block building by appearance, and today everything is a façade, but not at Boodles.  The restaurant opened in November of 1985 as a romantic supper club evoking the feel of the neighborhood dinner clubs in Manhattan, back in the day, when going out was the norm.  While the outside might be unimpressive, the inside was what was expected back in the day, with dark wood, and frosted glass and a piano player for the weekend.  To this day, depending on the location of your table, you may still experience table side service for Caesar Salad, Chateaubriand and Steak Diane to name a few.  I was also surprised but happy to see that there were plenty of younger people there, having dinner, which is always great to see.  Of course, for me, dressing for dinner hasn’t changed since the glory days of the Rat Pack, and this restaurant is so in tune to that era, even with the music, as we could hear the ivories being tickled.

It is always much more pleasant to be out for dinner, and a real added bonus is that the only television set was in the bar area, and we only saw the back of the monitor.  We started off with a couple of appetizers that were shared by all; one was Escargot with mushroom caps, butter, garlic, white wine and cashews and the other was Crab Stuffed Mushrooms with Boursin and a Lobster sauce.  Next was a good old-fashioned bread basket, and each dinner came with either a house salad or soup, and there is something refreshing that not everything has to be ala carte.  Our friends tried two different dishes, one was Michigan White Fish that the restaurant offers three different ways and she had the Dijon herb encrusted while he enjoyed one of the specials off of the blackboard which was a classic version of a Lamb Shank.  My Bride had Seared Ahi Tuna and Shrimp with Sesame Seeds, spinach, julienned vegetables, rice, and a Chili Thai Sauce, while I had Veal Oskar, three pounded medallions with asparagus, crab and Bearnaise Sauce.  We would have watched our desserts prepared tableside, except that we were in an elevated section that the floating cooking station could not reach.  The two desserts were for two, so they were split in half to make it easy, so there was an order of Cherries Jubilee and an order of Bananas Foster.

There was a Negroni, a Cosmopolitan and a Bloody Mary ordered while we were there, but I started of by ordering a bottle of Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuisse 2017, a Chardonnay from the Maconnais. Louis Jadot began with his first vineyard Clos de Ursules in the 1820’s and became a negocient in 1859 based in Beaune, one of the centers of the Burgundy region of France.  The Louis Jadot firm has a portfolio of wines from the basic regional wines to some of the most lauded vineyards in the region.  Pouilly-Fuisse is considered one of the finest regions for white wines in Southern Burgundy.  There are no Grand Cru listings, there are a few vineyards to watch for and mostly one goes by the reputation of the grower or the negocient.  The grounds are all basically limestone and the terroir from this region gives the Chardonnay a taste unique to the area.   The grapes are harvested in small batches and gently pressed.  They are aged in French Oak, of which a third are new, and the aging goes for about fifteen months on the lees.  The wine is very crisp with the minerals from the limestone shining through.  Then came Rodney Strong Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 from Sonoma County.  Knights Valley is in the northern end of Sonoma County and the terroir is based on the grounds of the volcano Mount Saint Helena.  It was originally discovered and planted by Thomas Knight and prospered until Prohibition.  The area is famed for Cabernet Sauvignon, which is basically two-thirds of the yield.  Rodney Strong Vineyards was founded in 1959 and Rodney Strong was considered one of the pioneers of Sonoma County.  In 1989 the Klein family bought the winery and kept Rodney Strong on as a consultant until he retired in 1995.  This wine is almost all Cabernet Sauvignon, except for eight percent Malbec and it was aged for eighteen months in French Oak, of which half was new.  This was a big California Cabernet that is what the public expect these days, especially in a popular price wine and it was very easy to drink.  I think we had the most popular varietals, perhaps not the most popular of sellers, but they had a nice wine list for their menu.  If you are curious if we would go again, that is most certainly an affirmative, as we have been going there forever it seems, and we plan on continuing.  I think every town, needs a place to hang your hat, that isn’t chasing the latest culinary trend, but just keeps giving a real bang for the buck, in an atmosphere that doesn’t need exposed bricks and pipes.

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