February Birthdays

Posted on March 5, 2017 by thewineraconteur

It seemed like it was just immediately after we came back from Las Vegas, it was time to celebrate the February birthdays and the one celebrant in March. It was a rather hectic week and we were back doing I guess what we do best. My Bride’s family is large enough that if we don’t celebrate multiple birthdays on one evening, we would be going to non-stop birthday parties. This way we can one large gathering and make a relaxing time of it.

st-supery-cabernet-sauvignon-1998
Perhaps the only one that gets a little wired is my Bride and she has finally decided to state that she is serving dinner at such and such time. There would be times where the meals would get over cooked or dry, because she would try to forestall serving until everyone shows up and then she would get upset about how the dinner would come out. Now she gives a time and if they are late, they can micro-wave leftovers and remember for the next time. She always prepares some appetizers before the dinner for those that want to get-together to catch up in person, which is so much better than doing it over the phone. She made a large tossed fields-green salad, and several side dishes as she is a firm believer in vegetables and starches. She also tries to make a couple of different entrée dishes to accommodate as many tastes as possible, and this time it was her Bourbon Salmon and Breaded Chicken. Then there are several desserts that are usually brought in, not to mention the birthday cake with all of the names written on it.

kirkland-signature-pinot-grigio-2015
There were hardly any wine drinkers there that day, and my Bride had opened up one of her new every day go-to wines to start off the festivities. Surprise, surprise, as she is into the Costco house wines for affordability and for easy drinking. The Kirkland Signature Pinot Grigio 2015 was from Friuli, Italy and was a very light wine with a touch of flint that was easily detected in this crisp white wine. Friuli-Venezia Giulia is a wine production region in the north-eastern corner of Italy and Pinot Grigio is by the largest in planting and production of the area. I on the other hand had a moment of nostalgia and wanted to try one of the wines I had in the cellar from one of the first wineries we ever visited in Napa Valley. The St. Supery Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 was simply wonderful and was showing no signs of age at all, and I probably was too impatient in opening this wine so soon. The wine is basically Cabernet Sauvignon with a bit of blending of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot. Robert Skalli started production in 1989 in Rutherford, and he also had purchased the Dollarhide Estate in the north-east corner of Napa Valley, and in 2015 the winery was sold to the luxury brand corporation Chanel Inc. Another great time with family, food and wine.

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

MWWC#29: Faith

Posted on March 3, 2017 by thewineraconteur

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there is a New Hope and that hope is Faith. On that tiny speck of dust that is called Earth, there is faith. Not a faith in a New World Order, but in the common conviction of trust, loyalty, confidence, reliance and belief; the meanings of faith. What does faith have to do with wine? That is what Allison of Okiewinegirl has proposed that we write about as the new theme for our Monthly Wine Writers Challenge.

wine-stain Monthly Wine Challenge
In the beginning, out of chaos “The Classification of 1855 for the Medoc” was created and that was the genesis of all modern wine writings. An ambitious and for the most part a classification of the Great Growths of the Medoc, which to this day is still holding up, with a few tweaks and a few questions. Trust was achieved by this list and it allowed the world to know that these country farmers had created wines that could be accepted as the best of the area. There may have been some complacency and then 1976 arrived. Trust was questioned and the and the world changed, and since then, new venues and new trusts have evolved.

Chateau Latour Pauillac 1961
Loyalty in the beginning was easy, there was France, Germany and Italy and a few other special wines that had years to develop a following. The Royal Loyalist Party could point to the Medoc, to Burgundy, to the Rhine and life was good. Then the Rebels appeared talking about Napa Valley and a lazy agriculture community blossomed and started creating wines which begat cults. Then in another far corner of the world an island by the name of Australia had been seriously making wines and they were discovered, and slowly other areas around the globe, stopped being laughed at, as they quietly made their wines in all earnestness. There was a new faith that change could be for the better. New loyalties were developing, some from a nationalistic pride and some because the wines were just true works of art.

Cain Five 1997
As these new outposts of rebellion arose and honed their crafts, a new confidence appeared on the horizon. There were experiments with different grapes and some of those grapes that were originally only grown in one region for blending purposes, became singular and brought acclaim not only to the grape, but to the region. It takes courage and confidence to try something new as in the group known as the Rhone Rangers in California. That fussy little grape from Burgundy, the Pinot Noir started to thrive in other parts of the world, when I first discovered Burgundy, little did I know that years later I would revel and tell others about some great Pinot wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands or from Oregon. The confidence was spreading and vineyards would be pulled out and replanted with these interlopers and there were great new wines. Fifty years ago, so few of even the students of wine knew what a Cabernet Franc grape was and now it is a singular and lauded grape and the Loire Valley no longer has the secret to themselves. Faith in all that is good with the confidence to look forward has propelled wine in many different directions.

Tudor Tondre Reserve Pinot Noir 2007
There is a new reliance to the wine drinkers around the world that they can still find charming wines without breaking the budget, or at times going for broke to enjoy the best that the word can offer. One can rely on South America to bring some full bodied and majestic red wines that can compete with the wonderful red meats that are grown there. I have come to realize that I can even rely on some great wines of assorted styles here in Michigan and in the old days, it wasn’t even thought of, except for some quirky sweet wines of questionable taste. The craftsmanship is abounding everywhere and there is a feeling of reliance on the new and on the old. There is a new faith that everyone is improving and working more diligently to offer more and better products.

1928 Chablis bottle with tax stamp
Dare I say that there is a belief that one can go and buy something new and find another wine that will please. I say yes, as more wineries turn up, there is a willingness to produce a new winner, a wine that will get noticed and discussed. This may be one of the most exciting times in wine for ages. There will always be jug wines, but I have a firm belief that there will be more wines to entice and to rave about, as no winery can rest on their laurels. I have that much faith. I also have faith that a bottle of 1928 Calvet Chablis from Beaune that I have as a curio in the cellar is way past its prime.

 

Posted in Monthly Wine Writing Challenge | 10 Comments

A Gift from Vegas

Posted on March 1, 2017 by thewineraconteur

In case anyone gets nervous and thinks they are a long-lost relative I did not win at the casinos. Actually, this was the first time that I had ever been to Las Vegas where I did not go to The Strip or even Downtown. I don’t gamble, I tried years ago, and decided that they can build those wonderful palaces of greed on the wallets of other gamblers, though my Bride will try her luck at the one-armed bandits and now most of them have a button to press instead of a lever to pull down on. Yes, I am showing my age and now we really go there now for the children and grandchildren.

australian-shiraz-nv
I lament for the days when Las Vegas was glamorous, when it was a “family” run operation and all the emphasis was on the casino. Some of the famous places are now history like the Desert Inn, the Barbary Coast, the Sands and the Stardust. During those days, the casino and the gambling actually underwrote the drinks, the food and the shows and the hotel; nowadays each unit within the casino must be a profit center. I was never a fan of the smorgasbord restaurants, but I have to admit that all of the big named celebrity chefs have carved out greater reputations with their names on several eateries at different price points. The food is far superior, but it is not as much fun dining on prix-fixe dinners when the people at the next table are dressed in unkempt clothes, sneakers and baseball caps. I will take the era when the Rat Pack would all of a sudden surprise the gamblers and the guest dealers might be Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin and regardless of the outcome of the dice or the cards, the patrons won. This occurred at the Sands while they were filming the original Ocean’s Eleven.

NV Sands MB
As for the gift that I received, it was from my Son-in-Law who is a bartender at one of the celebrity eateries on The Strip. I will not mention the name of the restaurant or the hotel, because I have not had a chance to dine there. During one of the education classes that they held at the restaurant to help the staff understand wine better, one of the vendors brought in bottles of wine and they were blending the different varietals together on the spot, so as to let them understand how certain blends sometimes are better than just one grape. He found the lessons fascinating and afterwards they were given the small bottles of wine that were left over from the lesson and he put the bottle away, until our next trip. All the information on the label was Australian Shiraz NV, Red Wine and “limited production.” I don’t even know if the wine was made by a winery or a secondary resource using concentrated juice, when I open it, I may have a better opinion. I am so easy to give a gift to, I guess, and it will be a fun way to remember this last trip when the bottle is opened.

Posted in Wine | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Cheesecake Factory

Posted on February 27, 2017 by thewineraconteur

The first time I ever ate at The Cheesecake Factory was in Las Vegas and since then we have eaten at other locations as well. First off, I was hesitant about going there, because I don’t like cheesecake and I am probably the only person in the world that is like that. The other reason is that the restaurant founders are originally from the Detroit area, and for some grudge they never opened a location here for decades, until only recently, and then not where it was expected to go. Be that as it may, from the first time that I tried the place, I have to admit that I like it. The menu is a book and there always seems to be extras on top of the huge selection that is there norm. There is something there for all likes, and if you plan on going there, make sure that you are hungry, because they are not afraid of generous portions. We have taken the families there and it is probably a nightmare for the servers, because with all of the kids, there were constant sharing orders.

the-cheesecake-factory-chardonnay-2014
On this last trip while we were out walking and shopping, we decided to have a quick lunch and we chose The Cheesecake Factory to have a nosh, as one could even see our hotel from there. We made it short and quick and kind of went with a soup and sandwich idea, but we had the Onion Soup and we had some Chicken Quesadillas. I mean the menu is very diverse and we were just trying to slake our hunger until we had dinner with the families. We also passed on the cheesecake, though my Bride is a fan of that dessert.

EPSON MFP image
When we looked at the wine list, they have a very nice selection of popular labels and I am sure that they move quite a bit of wine without even trying. There were a couple of wines that caught my attention, not that they were so dear or special, but I am just a sucker when it comes to proprietary house wines. We had The Cheesecake Factory California Chardonnay 2014. I have found over the years that if an establishment goes to the point of having their own labeled wines that they are usually a step above the common bulk wines that are usually encountered. This was true again, and while it is a California Chardonnay, meaning that the fruit was harvested from anywhere in the state, it is made for them by the Robert Mondavi group. The wine was just what one would expect from a “California” Chardonnay for the masses, not a lot of nuance, but some nice buttery, oaky flavor and it was just perfect with our light lunch.

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

“You Make Me Feel So Young”

Posted on February 25, 2017 by thewineraconteur

“Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.” Is one of the most famous lines ever uttered by a Mafia Caporegime in cinema history. That line of dialogue brought uneasy laughter after watching a gangland killing in a Cadillac. How can one not think of that line going to an Italian restaurant in Las Vegas called Capo’s Restaurant & Speakeasy? We had been there before, but my children and grandchildren wanted to go there again. From the moment, you walk into the restaurant foyer and it is a closed room with an old-fashioned pay-phone on the wall; all of a sudden, a small trapdoor opens and they ask you if you have a reservation. The part of the wall with the telephone on it all of sudden swings open, and you are led into a stylized nightclub of old school charm. They led us to our table of ten and the few times the grandchildren even got a bit fidgety is when they took turns going up to the lounge singer asking for requests. They have to be mine, all of the songs that they requested were hits by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Dean Martin, he even sang the song that was our wedding song “You Make Me Feel So Young.” In fact, the only song that was not in his repertoire that my Granddaughter asked for was “The Theme from Love Story.” The singer was not performing when we were escorted to our table and I had my back to band, and when he started his show, I thought I was listening to recordings, he was that wonderful.

EPSON MFP image
We were seated right next to the Chairman of the Board table, which featured a large famous mug-shot of Francis Albert, other framed photos featured legendary real criminals and cinematic criminals. The room itself had an ambience, because the lighting was so dim, the menus had an attached flashlight so that you could read it. The menu read like a classic Italian menu, but updated with a wink and a nod to the “gangsters” both real and fictional. The food was coming out in waves and even the grandchildren were troupers and when all of the assorted steaks and entrées arrived the whole table was hushed for a change as everyone was enjoying the dinners. In fact, one couple that were in a booth behind my Bride as they were leaving, stopped to compliment her, on how well her grandchildren behaved in public. I guess there is no denying that we must look the part of grandparents.

allegrini-palazzo-della-torre-veronese-igt-2012
Once again, it was only my Bride and I, among a table of heathens, as we were the only ones to have wine with dinner, cocktails and beer (including root beer) were the odds-on favorites for beverages that evening. I thought that we had the best of the affordable wines on the wine carte and it was the same wine that I had the last time, just a different vintage. We were enjoying Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre Veronese IGT 2012, that they were listing as a “Baby Amarone.” The Allegrini family has been making wine since about the Sixteenth Century and they only bottle estate grown wines. This wine carries the Veronese IGT because it is a blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Sangiovese, otherwise it would have been a Valpolicella if instead of Sangiovese they had used Molinara. The reason that this wine is referred to as a “Baby Amarone” is from the fact that it is produced using the Ripasso Method with whole partially sun-dried grapes. Even in the dimly lit room I could tell that the wine was a deep color and with way then enough character to stand up to the rich Italian dishes, even the Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing was put in its place. This was a bittersweet night, as it was the last night that we would all be together for some time. As I was leaving in a rather sadly, until the next time, all I could think of was the line from the other ill-fated Caporegime “Tell Mike it was only business. I always like him.”

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Abstract ’15 and Bavette

Posted on February 23, 2017 by thewineraconteur

The weather was starting to get more agreeable in Las Vegas and we had made plans to have an adult dinner one night, of course two of the adults were our children. Where to go? As if there are not enough places to dine in Las Vegas, but my Bride wanted to have dinner at Echo & Rig, so it was easy for us, as all we had to do was cross the road and it was just a short trip for our children to get there as well, and nobody had to fight the traffic that is on The Strip.

orin-swift-abstract-2015
It was also a chance for our children to have a night out in peace and to a restaurant that they would not normally go to, as raising families tends to reduce the amount of discretionary income that they have, and I have “been there and done that” as the saying goes. The menu at Echo & Rig is not massive and it is, as one would expect rather meat oriented, since they also have a butcher shop on the main floor. As to be expected, most of the dinners were filets and I would have ordered one myself, but I wanted to try something different. We also ordered several side dishes to be shared during dinner. There was Cauliflower with Chili de Arbol, crispy shallots and onions, Brussels Sprouts with pistachios and fresh lemon and we tried the Butcher’s Sausage. My Bride ordered Horseradish Crusted Butterfish with roasted root vegetable and a Tarragon Pinot Sauce. I on the other hand decided to try a meat that I had read about several times and felt that this would be the best place to try it. I had the Bavette with Béarnaise Sauce. The Bavette is the meat flap from the bottom of the Sirloin, it is thick and coarse if not cooked properly and full of flavor, it is considered one of the Butcher Cuts that are becoming more popular these days as restaurants are trying to use all the cuts from the animals. I was right, this was the perfect place to try this cut of meat. Of course, we ended up ordering a few desserts and we all just shared family style.

cantina-valdadige-vallagarina-igt-pinot-grigio-2015
While most of the table was enjoying cocktails or beer, there were two standouts that had wine. My Bride had Cantina Valdadige Vallagarina IGT Pinot Grigio 2015. Vallagarina IGT is the main IGT for the Trentino-Alto Adige area of Italy and because the wine was pure Pinot Grigio and not one of the classic grape varietals for the region. The grapes were aged in Stainless Steel and had the crispness that one associates with a good Pinot Grigio, just a good sipping wine. I on the other hand went for a fuller bodied wine for the evening with Orin Swift Cellars Abstract 2015. Orin Swift Cellars originally made a name for themselves with the Zinfandel based The Prisoner which they eventually sold off, after it became a cult favorite. Their Abstract wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Petite Sirah that was aged for ten months in a combination of new and old French Oak. The wine carries a California designation because the fruit came from Napa Valley and Sonoma, Mendocino, Amador and El Dorado Counties. This wine was just big enough to compliment the full beef taste of my meal and I feel that it really should have more years in the bottle to really shine.  It was a fine evening and not having to worry about keeping the grandchildren entertained, though their presence was missed.

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cork & Thorn

Posted on February 21, 2017 by thewineraconteur

I am always looking for new venues to try wines, and Cork & Thorn is one that I discovered through Social Media. As we took our daily walks from our hotel to Tivoli Village across the road we found this unique setting. This is a wine shop and a floral shop by Naakiti Floral. Upon walking into the shop one immediately noticed a large bar in the center. One can order an arrangement and while it is being created, one can sit back and enjoy a glass of wine and relax. They also offer classes on floral design and arrangement.

lo-nuevo-covello-albarino-2015
The shop was very quiet when we walked in, and I knew that they had only opened a week or two earlier, so I was not sure what to expect from the shop. We were greeted by the manager and I told him how I had discovered the shop and a mutual friend. The conversation slowly started building and I found out that the manager was from the East side of Detroit and we began discussing schools and areas, and I kind of brought him up to speed on the many, many changes that have occurred in Detroit since he had left the area. I tend to be a talker and the conversation went into all sorts of tangents and it was a pleasant experience.

EPSON MFP image
Of course, all of that talking made my mouth a bit dry, so we settled on some wine, so that we wouldn’t dehydrate out in the desert, after all we were in Las Vegas. They were still working out the wine list to offer, so we settled on Lo Nuevo Covello Albarino Rias Baixas 2015. A very pleasant and easy to drink wine that evokes the flint from the terroir of the Rias Baixas district. To carry that designation, the wine must be a minimum of seventy percent Albarino, and this wine was pure Albarino. The wine is called Lo Nuevo because they use a modern approach to winemaking for the area, and they have adopted the small town of Covello as their mascot in name. The wine and the conversation was great and it was a splendid way to spend some time, until we would be back with the family later in the day.

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Naggiar Barbera

Posted on February 19, 2017 by thewineraconteur

One of the nice things for us to do in Las Vegas when we weren’t with our children and grandchildren was the chance to take some leisurely walks and have some casual lunches. I was also able to find another wine that I have only read about since I began writing these articles. I have been following the winery blog almost from their beginning, and I had my chance. Some wineries have limited production and due to the three-tiered archaic structure of the wine trade in Michigan, there is plenty of wine that is just not available here, and some of the wineries do not ship here as well.

naggiar-vineyards-barbera-2012
On one of our daily walks we went to Tivoli Village, actually we haunt that area quite a bit, because of its convenience and its ambience. There is a spot that we really enjoy going to, the View Wine Bar & Kitchen and we have partaken of their services several times in the past. We will go and have a light lunch after walking around and we usually share a couple of different dishes, because the View offers small plate servings, as well as Charcuterie and Artisanal cheeses. We took the table that we enjoy the most, because it has a great view of Tivoli Village and it is very near to the bar. We shared three different dishes on that trip. There was Prosciutto wrapped Tiger Prawns on a bed of seaweed salad and drizzled with an aioli dressing. A Charred Caesar Salad with truffle croutons and the proper dressing, though not as good as my Bride’s recipe. The third dish was a plate of Brussel Sprouts with beets, carrots, browned butter, pumpkin seeds and almonds. The three dishes were ample enough to hold us until we had dinner later on with the family.

tisdale-california-chardonnay-nv
My Bride was not feeling very adventurous that day with her wine selection, as she went safe with a glass of Tisdale Vineyards California Chardonnay NV and it had that soft buttery flavor, but I could really not find very much about this wine. It was just an easy drinking wine and that is what she wanted. I on the other hand immediately knew the wine that I wanted to try, namely Naggiar Vineyards Sierra Foothills Barbera 2012. Since I have been writing there have been certain wines that I just really wanted to try and this was another one off of my bucket list. Naggiar Vineyards is in the Sierra Foothills, which is probably the largest AVA in the United States and it is known for having great success with classic Mediterranean varietals. Naggiar Vineyards has sixty acres of land and they are able to grow eighteen different grapes for their Estate Grown, Produced and Bottled wines and they still are able to supply some other winemakers with fruit as well. This particular vintage was aged for twenty months in French Oak, of which thirty percent were new barrels and a total production of one-hundred-ninety-five cases were made. It was a pleasure savoring this wine and I kind of nursed it along to enjoy all the richness and nuances that I could discover. I know that my Bride enjoyed my choice much more over hers, but I did share. I was as giddy as a teenager over this find, so much for my so-called maturity.

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bottomless Mimosas

Posted on February 17, 2017 by thewineraconteur

Is there anything more enticing than the two words “bottomless Mimosas?” Ever since our last trip to Las Vegas, we have been discussing the great Sunday brunch that we had just across the street from our hotel. We could have had breakfast by room service, or even at several of the restaurants in our hotel, but we wanted to go back to Echo & Rig Butcher and Steakhouse at Tivoli Village. Over the many years that we have been staying in Summerlin we have watched as this prime corner went from nothing and now it is growing in a well-organized manner and I am sure that in a few years we could spend a whole day there without even noticing the passing of time.

Wycliff Brut NV
We were escorted to our table on the upper porch overlooking the entrance to Tivoli Village and though it was chilly that morning in Las Vegas, the propane torches and overhead heaters made it perfect to enjoy our meal. My Bride had the Smoked Salmon Benedict, which is kind of self-explanatory in that it was house-made Smoked Salmon, poached eggs, Crème Fraiche, red onions, sautéed greens and Hollandaise Sauce, but instead of over an English Muffin, it was served atop a potato pancake. Try as I might, I had to repeat my last year order, which is the house specialty. The Short Rib Hash with Yukon Gold potatoes, bell peppers, poached eggs and Smoked Paprika Hollandaise Sauce was just too good to pass up.

NV Echo & Rig BC
Now as for the “bottomless Mimosas” they were true to their word, as the wine goblet was filled as often as the water glass. The fresh orange juice must be more dear than the sparkling wine, because the juice was brought out in a small carafe for us to pour, while the sparkling wine was almost filling the goblet. The last time we were there, I had never heard of the wine that was being poured, but since then I have noticed other restaurants back home touting the same wine for their Mimosas. Wycliff Brut California Champagne is by the William Wycliff Winery which is under the umbrella of the Gallo Winery group. This screwcap bottle of sparkling wine is geared strictly to restaurants and catering companies, so that the consumer cannot check the retail price of the wine or buy it on their own. Since it is part of Gallo, I am sure that they have made sure that they were grandfathered in with the term “California Champagne.” This wine is made by the Charmat Method, which is a more economical way of producing a sparkling wine and since it was being mixed with orange juice, it was more than adequate. Traditionally the wine would be made with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier and I will presume that all or part of those grapes are being used. All I can say is that it was a great way to start the day off.

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

St. Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 15, 2017 by thewineraconteur

Armenian wine and food interrupt my memories of wine in Las Vegas for a day, but it ties in, in a way, since the wine was a gift from “My Favorite Daughter” who lives in Las Vegas. There are a couple of St. Valentines that are listed in the lore of this canonical holiday and it now has become an exploited commercial day. As a kid in elementary school, I remember giving out little cards to the other kids, and one hoped that one was going to take home a similar number of cards at the day’s end. The day is for romance, but alas, it is one of those days that I try to avoid the restaurants, not that I don’t want to have dinner with my Bride, but the restaurants are over-booked, a lot of them use an abbreviated menu and the worst part is that the service is usually under-par, because the wait staff is over-burdened with diners that only eat out on these designated holidays.

Zorah Karasi 2012
The Sword of Damocles was dangling over me and what to do? I decided to make a dinner while my Bride was at work. I am by no means a chef, while I love to indulge in fine dining, the Heavens know that I cannot reproduce splendid dinners, even with our library having cook books by Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud. I decided to make “Potato Boereg” an Armenian dish, similar to what is known as “Shepherd’s Pie.” The Armenian version is just spicier with the lamb seasoned with garlic, allspice, peppers and onions. The old country recipes don’t have time suggestions, just wait until the egg wash is a nice golden brown. The dish is not really intricate, just time consuming to prepare, so I was off to the races.

zorah-karasi-in-glass
I thought of the perfect wine for the evening, as it was a gift as I said from “My Favorite Daughter” who we had just seen in our last trip to Las Vegas. The bottle of wine is Zorah Karasi Areni Noir 2012. Karasi means “from amphora” the vessels that were used way back in the day for wine storage. Zorah Karasi and their first wine was a tribute to a sixty-one-hundred-year tradition of wine making in Armenia. During excavations of “Karmir Blur” or “Red Hill” near the capital city of Yerevan in Armenia, four hundred ancient wine barrels were found. Around the same time excavations in Areni 1 cave in the Yeghegnadzor region they found the world’s oldest winery and the first historical evidence of wine making on an industrial scale. The vineyards of Zorah in the small village of Rind are in the heart of the Yeghegnadzor region and continue the tradition of the earlier vintners of antiquity. Zorah Karasi is made from the Areni Noir grape, which is indigenous to Armenia and of course later on in Turkey. It is its own grape dating perhaps back to the time of Noah, when his famed Ark landed on Mount Ararat in Armenia. I guess it is only fitting that this Armenian grape is just as singular as the Armenian language and alphabet are as well. Bloomberg listed this wine as one of the “Top Ten Wines of 2012,” quite impressive for a new winery. The wine was earthy with a detectable amount of heat to the taste and it really worked well with the hot spices of the dish. “My Favorite Daughter” did a great job in getting this particular wine.

Heart of Corks

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments