A Respite

Posted on August 29, 2016 by thewineraconteur

As I have stated often, I consider myself a clothier, which means that I am in the retail industry. If you have never been, or if you have in the past, you will understand that meal breaks can be the loneliest times of the day. Most of the stores that I have ever worked at did not have staffs that were large enough to have more than one person eat at a time. I have tried especially in the early years to pack my lunch, but when one is in the store all day long, just the ability to go out and have one’s meal is a treat. It isn’t too often that I have company for a meal, but my Bride had business out my way and she wanted to join me. She had dinner plans that evening, due to her job, so she really wasn’t going to eat, but wanted to give me some company, which was so appreciated.

Count of Buena Vista Founders Red 2013

She went and secured a booth at R.P. McMurphy’s, a delightful establishment that is nearby and then I went to join her. They describe themselves as a “long time tavern for classic comfort food and spirits, served in a turn of the century pub setting.” Since I did not want to have a meal and eat in front of her, I scanned the menu for something that we could share, while we visited. I chose one of their classic bar/comfort food selections, namely the Super Nacho. As most of you know, the Super Nacho plate is one that can be shared quite readily as it is made of fresh tortilla chips covered in seasoned ground beef and Jack cheese, then topped with onions, green peppers, tomatoes, avocado and Jalapeno peppers. One just reaches in with your fingers and grabs the chips and starts munching away; and the dish was largest enough for the two of us to share.

MI RPMcMurphy's MB

Since she still had to work and drive, she did not want to indulge in a glass of wine, and in today’s climate, that is a good choice, if one is only going to be eating for a short period. I ordered something interesting which I thought would compliment the dish and that she could sample. We enjoyed the Count of Buena Vista Founder’s Red Wine 2013 from Buena Vista Winery. This wine was named after the founder of the winery Count Agoston Haraszthy in Sonoma County, and is part of the Boisset Collection of wines. The Founder’s Red Wine is a blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Carignan, Cinsault and Valdigue. The assorted varietals are aged for eleven months in their own barrels, before being blended; and the barrels are a mix of Hungarian, French and American Oak. I had to research to see what the wine was blended with, but I will tell you, that we both found it to be a great choice and I think that it would work well with almost any dish that calls for red wine

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Kind of

Posted on August 27, 2016 by thewineraconteur

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” was penned by the cleric Charles Caleb Colton. This kind of described the night, a while ago. Went to the cinema and saw another of the films in the new generation of Star Trek; we saw Star Trek Beyond.   Now I have to admit that I am not the “Trekkie” in this household, but I have seen the movies, and the original television series goes back to the days when I actually watched that little box. There was just something so fun to watch the original series, because they did not take themselves really serious, and the star was so hammy, that it was enjoyable. Any show of this genre, gets my Bride’s attention, and she has watched all of the shows and the movies and will still watch them in syndication. The film was “kind of” like watching the old show.

Le Grand Courtage Brut NV

We went out for dinner in conjunction with the show. We ate at California Pizza Kitchen which is a chain, and they were in the adjacent mall where the movie was playing. California Pizza Kitchen has a tight and decent menu, nothing outstanding, but good, just the same. My Bride had the Thai Crunch, which is a salad that has crispy vegetable and cilantro, chicken, peanuts and rice sticks tossed in a Thai Peanut Dressing. She tends to be a creature of habit and she normally orders this dish when she is there, and it is “kind of” a form of Thai food. I have to admit that the odd time that I have gone there, I am also a creature of habit and because I have found a dish that has some flavor, I keep repeating it as well. Now we have had several holidays in the French Quarter of New Orleans, and the dish I always have is “kind of” Cajun in flavor. I had the Jambalaya Fettuccine with blackened chicken and shrimp, crawfish, Andouille Sausage and Tasso Ham in a spicy Cajun sauce. We both liked our dinner that time, as well as any other time that we have been there.

Mionetto Prosecco de Treviso NV

We both had splits of sparkling wine, because it was a very hot day and the chilled wine would work with both of our entrée picks. My Bride had Le Grand Courtage Grand Cuvee Blanc de Blancs Brut NV. This “kind of” sounds like Champagne, but it is French, but from Nuits St. George in the Burgundy region. This sparkling wine is made in Stainless Steel and is a blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Colombard and Ugni Blanc. I have to admit that it fitted the bill very nicely, though it would not be confused with Champagne, it had that festive feel to it. I also tried some sparkling wine, but mine was 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. I have to admit that I enjoy having Prosecco or almost any other sparkling wine, if there is some taste and flavor, and I don’t confine myself just to Champagne. The evening on the whole was much better than “kind of.”

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August Birthdays

Posted on August 25, 2016 by thewineraconteur

When there are so many people in a family, it is easier to have one designated party for all the celebrants for any given month. It does make planning easier and less chance of having family absent from the party. So there we were at one of the Sister’s home for the party, and everyone knows to get together there and just relax, if that is possible. Actually it was quite the day, because all of the sisters and families were there and represented, and that does not always happen, since one sister lives in Kentucky and the rest of us are in Michigan. It was also the same day that my Brother-in-Law and I went wine shopping to get away from the swirling dervishes in the kitchen for an hour or so.

Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour 2007

My Bride and her Sister from Kentucky were the designated cooks and party planners, so we schlepped all of the food to another location, and they did their magic. There was some prep work that they could do the day before, like the marinating of the meats, but the rest was all done on the spot. There were concerns about having enough different dishes to satisfy all the guests, as some are not partial to Filets, so there was also chicken and salmon, not to mention hamburgers and hot dogs. Salads and sides were stacking up, and of course the meal ended up as by tradition as a buffet, and one takes what they want and then jockeys to find a chair and table space where they can eat comfortably. When the food was all cleared, it was time to bring out the desserts, and of course the Birthday Cake is decorated with the names of all the honorees of the month.

Black Star Farms Arcturos Sur Lie Chardonnay 2013

There were beverages of all types as well. Anything from water, pop and beer and of course wine was also present. There were many bottles of wine there for the crowd, and I think that by osmosis, even more people are drinking wine at these gatherings, but I will only discuss two of the wines from that afternoon. The first bottle that I will talk about is from Michigan, a state that is really making inroads for making fine wines, but it is not getting as much attention as the West Coast States. From Black Star Farms in the Old Mission Peninsula AVA we enjoyed Arcturos Sur Lie Chardonnay 2013. The “Sur Lie” refers to the method of leaving the residual yeast at the bottom of the vat, which imparts additional aroma and taste to the wine. The winery also does not use any oak in the fermentation or the aging of the wine; hence it is very crisp and dry. As a side note, this particular area of Michigan is on the same parallel that Napa Valley and parts of France occupy, even though one thinks of Michigan as strictly a cold weather state, and some of the great wine varietals are being produced there. The other wine of note that day is one that has been respected for years and even though it carries the tag “Private Reserve,” it really is and is not used as a marketing ploy. Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 is a great wine, in fact, to date; I have not experienced a bad vintage from them. Georges de Latour planted the original vineyard in Rutherford, and all the fruit from that site is used by Beaulieu Vineyard for this wine, and is an homage to this wine pioneer. Even though the winery is in Rutherford which has its own AVA, the label reads Napa Valley, and perhaps it is from tradition, but it is an awesome wine and a wine that you don’t want to miss having, if you ever get a chance. Now to see what the September party will bring.

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Two French Wines

Posted on August 23, 2016 by thewineraconteur

While my Brother-in-Law and I were still strolling around Elie Wine Company searching for some more wines, we had the chance to chat with Elie some more and he is a font of wine knowledge, especially about the wines of France. As the old saying goes, he has probably forgotten more about the wines, than I will ever know; so it was pure joy to listen to him discuss wines with such authority. Eventually I had to ask him if there was any wines that he thought would be interesting for me to try and to write about. Elie being the good merchant as well as being generally interested, suggested two French wines that he thought would be interesting without breaking the bank from Jean-Marie Chaland and his Domaine Sainte Barbe label.

Thurissey Vire Clesse 2014

The first wine that he pulled out for me was “Thurissey” Vire-Clesse 2014. Appellation Vire-Clesse Controlee is relatively new, as it was created in February 1999 and applies only to the driest white wines from the villages of Vire, Clesse, Laize and Montbellet in the Maconnais district of Burgundy. Domaine Saint Barbe has a total of 8.2 hectares in the villages of Vire and Montbellet where they grow Chardonnay. I will look forward to trying this wine at one of the dinner parties here, as we always seem to enjoy Chardonnay wines in this house.

Terres Rouges Macon Burgy 2013

The second bottle of wine from Domaine Saint Barbe was “Terres Rouge” 2013, which just translates to “Red Lands.” This wine carries the Appellation Macon-Burgy Controlee and is a red wine from the Maconnais. To carry this Appellation Controlee the white wines must be Chardonnay and the red wines must either be Pinot Noir or Gamay. Domaine Saint Barbe has eighty acres of Gamay vines planted and they are a mix of Gamay, Gamay de Chaudenay, Gamay de Bouze and Gamay Freau. I am not sure if I could discern the difference of all of these Gamay varietals, but I think that they might be an interesting wine to try with a roasted turkey, so perhaps I shall open both of these bottles this Thanksgiving.

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Two More Spanish Wines

Posted on August 21, 2016 by thewineraconteur

While I was at Elie Wine Company shopping with my Brother-in-Law we also discovered a couple more Spanish wines. Elie has branched out some, from originally only carrying French wines, as he has become a distributor and wholesaler for some Spanish wines that he feels has merits, at the expense of just buying the Spanish wines that are routinely found here in the States. He uses the same keen sense that has kept him going in French wines and applying the same traits elsewhere. I will discuss two wines that he was offering from the Catalonia region of Spain.

LEquilibristra Negre 2013

The first bottle is Ca N’Estruc L’Equilibristra Negre 2013. This wine is made by Francisco Marti and is a charming blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah and from the label one would presume that it is a fine act of balancing the three varietals for maximum effect. The wine is originally fermented in open wood and stainless steel, and then is aged in French Oak for fourteen months, and it was truly a lush wine to me.

Ona Penedes 2014

The other wine that I bought that was not offered for a tasting, but I bought strictly on the authority of Elie. I have bought other wines with the “Ona” label, as he is quite proud of the fact that his daughter designed the label. The Ona Penedes 2014 is entirely of the Marselan varietal, and it is a new one to me. This is a grape for the Century Club scorekeepers as it was created in 1961 of a cross between Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. This grape is being grown in the South of France, and it has done quite well in the Penedes region of Spain, which is the main wine growing region of Catalonia, and found between Barcelona and Tarragona. There were four-hundred-fifteen cases made of this wine, and I am sure that it will not be in my cellar long, as I am very curious to try it.

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Wine Shopping

Posted on August 19, 2016 by thewineraconteur

My Brother-in-Law came down after the trip to Mackinac Island with his family, and we had another party to attend. I had suggested that he come shopping with me to Elie Wine Company. After we dropped off everyone early for the preparations for the party, we jumped in the car and took a little trip. The wines that my Brother-in-Law has acquired over the years, makes me look like a rank amateur, but then again, I probably am. I had told him several times about the selection of wines, and such a specialized offering that I knew that he was intrigued. When we arrived, Elie was there and I made the introductions and then we kind of wandered around, before we did some tastings. I do think that my Brother-in-Law was just as amazed as I was, the first time entering the shop. First Growths of the Medoc and of Burgundy were as prevalent, as one would find big name bulk producers at other stores. Then there was the Champagnes and the cases and cases of wines stacked just so. Magnums and Jeroboams of First Growth Medoc wines were just as casually arranged, to cause heart flutters among wine lovers. Then we tasted some wines that were being featured.

Domaines Lupier El Terroir 2011

I have to admit, that I wanted especially to go there that day, as I had received an email advertisement from Elie about some Spanish wines, and lo and behold there was a wine grower that I had the good fortune to meet through Social Media. I even had to show Elie that fact off of my phone. Domaines Lupier El Terroir 2011 of Navarre was from the husband and wife team and the fruit was harvested from twenty-seven different plots with vines from sixty-eight to one hundred years old. All those vines of Garnacha, in Spanish, that we more comfortably know as Grenache, dating back to 1903, and there were 1,688 cases produced. This wine bowled me over from the nose and the first taste and I knew that I had to get some of it. Thank you Elisa Ucar and Enrique Basarte for your fine labors of love, and I am so looking forward to opening this wine after some proper cellaring.

Maldivinas La Movida Granito 2012

The other wine that we tried was from Bodegas Maldivinas La Movida Granito 2012, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon and also Garnacha, so we tasted similar wines. This wine was harvested from four and a half acres of ninety year old vines. This wine was fermented in cement with native yeasts with some whole clusters to highlight the fruit and then aged in neutral oaks barrels. It was very powerful and with a definite fruit forward taste.

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Goodfellow’s

Posted on August 17, 2016 by thewineraconteur

I know that most people when they see that word would immediately think of the 1990 film GoodFellas. I am also sure that was the thought behind the naming of an Italian restaurant that is right downtown in the Lake View Hotel on Mackinac Island. The restaurant on their website alludes to the “mob theme” of the eatery. I have never eaten there, but this is the second time that I have stopped at Goodfellow’s Wine Cellar, which is adjacent to the restaurant.

Pascal & Renaud Macon Villages 2014

Goodfellow’s Wine Cellar is the storage facility (I guess) for the restaurant, but they are also a Wine Bar and a wine retailer. One can also eat in the Cellar at lunch or dinner and they offer flights and pairings for the dishes served. There was wooden wine crates placed strategically around both for show and for utilitarian reasons and the shop was filled with wines. This is a serious wine shop with plenty of choices to make one’s wallet much thinner, but also to make some great wine memories. We had walked down from the resort, just to see what they were pouring, as the wine at our resort, unless one was buying by the bottle was not that unique. It was another hot and muggy day on the island, so we were looking at the chilled wines.

Caricature Chardonnay Lodi 2014

The first wine that we had was Caricature Chardonnay 2014 from Lodi, in the Central Valley of California. It is made by Lange Twins Family Winery and Vineyards and they are Certified Lodi for Sustainable Winegrowing, which is becoming more prevalent especially in California. My Bride liked this wine more compared to the other Chardonnay wine that I had. I had a glass of Domaine Pascal & Mireille Renaud Macon-Villages 2014. The appellation Macon-Villages is for the white wines of the Maconnais located around Macon. This particular Domaine has twenty-five acres scattered through the villages of Pouilly, Solutre and Davaye and this wine is made in Stainless Steel for a crisp Chardonnay. The appellation Macon-Villages is a step above the basic Macon appellation. While I liked this wine better, I would have been happy with either one and I thought they both were much more interesting than just a California Chardonnay. The wine selection was that impressive that perhaps we will have to make dinner reservations one night at Goodfellow’s.

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Back to Woods

Posted on August 15, 2016 by thewineraconteur

The entire island of Mackinac is considered a resort and consequently it is much more laid back. There are a couple times of the year when it may get dressy, because of political or business meetings, but the most part, casual attire is the norm. The only real exception is having dinner at The Grand Hotel where they still maintain a dress code and in a sense that is refreshing. Of course even at The Grand they have found ways to accommodate the casual attire of the majority of visitors by having some locations available for dinner with out the dress code policy. We were going to one of those locations and it was a forty-five minute cab ride from our hotel to the Woods, and it was nice, because part of the way was actually going by the steps up to the longest porch at The Grand and then a side tour of some of the “cottages” near there as we progressed to our restaurant destination.

Louis Jadot Vosne Romanee 2009

There we were along with the family from Louisville going to have dinner far from the maddening crowd of Downtown Mackinac. There were so many of us having dinner, that I think at least one of everything from the menu was ordered by someone. We started off by sharing an appetizer of Chilled Shrimp and Crab Cocktail. My Bride had the Pan Roasted Mackinac Whitefish with Fingerling Potatoes, Roasted White Corn Relish and Goat Cheese Aioli. I had to have a repeat of the meal that I had the last time, as it was that good, and something we don’t make at home. I had the Pan Seared Duck Breast with Collard Greens, Confit Shallots, Butter Thyme Spatzle and Port Wine Sauce. With four adults and five teenagers at the table, there was plenty of food ordered and we all ended up totally sated, and only some of the teens had some dessert.

The Calling Chardonnay 2012

After starting off with cocktails, we proceeded to have some wine. My Brother-in-Law ordered the first bottle and it was a bottle that they buy and have frequently at their house, but it was new to me. We started off with The Calling Chardonnay 2012 from the Dutton Ranch in the Russian River Valley. This wine is under the auspices of the international beverage company of the Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. This was a very refreshing Chardonnay and the wine is aged for eleven months “Sur Lie” in French Oak, and I could really go for this wine again. For our second wine, I chose one that would be perfect for my duck dinner and also accommodate the most of the other entrée choices, and as most of you know or guess I went with Pinot Noir. We had Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanee 2009 from the Cote de Nuits, a very classic Burgundy wine. The Vosne-Romanee area is about sixty-seven acres and about a third of this area is taken by six other famed Burgundy appellations. As one can surmise there is not a lot of this wine produced and Louis Jadot is one of the most famed Negociants of the area. What a perfect dinner, first a very sound Chardonnay and then Pinot Noir, a dinner that I think most wine lovers could enjoy. We ended up passing on dessert to eat, but instead we drank our dessert. We had some glasses of Dow’s Aged 20 Years Old Tawny, a Port from Oporto in Portugal and from one of the great Port makers there. The wine must spend a minimum of six years in casks and it is blended with other wines and that is how they get the 20 Years on the label. The Port Wineries have casks of wines that are of many different years and they blend the different casks to maintain the taste that they are known for. The grapes that are used and there is no way of knowing the percentages of each, because of the process of making Port wines are: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cao and perhaps Souzao, Tinta Amarela and Mourisco Tinto. After dinner we all climbed back onto an awaiting horse drawn cab and made the return trip back to our hotel.

Dows Aged 20 Old Tawny Porto NV

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Dinner at Mission Point

Posted on August 13, 2016 by thewineraconteur

While we were at Mission Point, there is always enough to keep anyone busy. From just the leisurely ten minute walk to Downtown Mackinac, a tour of Fort Mackinac, or renting bicycles to explore the island. While some were working, I of course had more time to roam and explore, and one afternoon while some of her associates were at the golf course, then later the both of us got a chance to wander around as well, as I haven’t golfed since my college days, actually none of us golf any more, even for business.

Tr Elliot Queste Pinot Noir 2012

One of the evenings we could not have dinner with her family, as we were attending one of the dinner functions, so her relatives were going to have dinner at Chianti, the main dining room at the resort. They had booked their dinner reservations at the same time that they booked their accommodations and had requested a table overlooking Lake Huron, when they arrived they were assigned a table far from the vista and the restaurant was empty. When they requested a different table their request was denied, until after they decided to get up and eat somewhere else on the island, and I still can’t get over the foolishness of the restaurant manager. Thankfully the dinner party that we were attending went on without a hitch, and we had dinner in a room that I had never been to before on the top floor of the resort’s main building and the view was excellent. We were enjoying some hot and cold appetizers presented by the wait staff that was taking care of us that evening. After the appetizers during the cocktail hour, we sat down and had our salads and the fresh baked breads and rolls. Our dinner was Surf and Turf, or a variation of it, as it was a filet and some prawns and both were cooked to perfection. Afterwards we had coffee and dessert.

Canyon Road Wines

There was a wonderfully stocked bar for the dinner party, and I really debated with myself as to whether I would have cocktails, beer or wine for the evening. Silly me, of course I will go with even standard wines, because then I can write about them, after all not every meal gets First Growth wines. The wines for the evening were from Canyon Road Winery and they are another winery that I have encountered many times as they are a bulk producer of table wines that work out very well for restaurants and catering establishments. There was Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to select for the evening, and you know, even though they are not fancy wines, with all of the festivities of the moment, the wines worked extremely well. After our dinner, when we went looking for the relatives and heard about their experience, we met them at a restaurant and they had a charming bottle of wine that they shared with us. They were enjoying Tr Elliot Queste Pinot Noir 2012 from the Russian River Valley AVA in Sonoma County. The Queste bottling was a small cuvee of twenty-five barrels from four different vineyards. The wine was aged for eleven months in French Oak (some new) and it was for sure the best wine we had that evening. Life is always an adventure and wine helps the narrative.

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Roughing It

Posted on August 11, 2016 by thewineraconteur

I always joke that my idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn, but we were up on Mackinac Island and that can be a whole different version of roughing it. Most of the people in Michigan and some of the surrounding states are aware of the charm of the island and that it’s most unique feature is that there are no automobiles to be found (unless you count the emergency vehicles). One can fly there in a small plane, take your boat there or as we arrived on one of the ferry boats that go from the two peninsulas to the island. The first time one arrives there and sees a UPS truck on a barge, unloading the cargo unto a horse drawn wagon is quite the sight to behold.

De Loach Chardonnay 2014

I was tagging along with my Bride as she was up there for business, and one of her sisters and her family were up there to enjoy some time there as well. We were all staying at Mission Point which is the other main resort on the island, other than the Grand Hotel, and we have stayed there before. Mission Point was at one time a school a protestant school that was started to teach the native Indian tribes, it became a college for awhile and then became a resort and has changed hands several times, the last time was very recently and they have started to update all of the buildings. It is still an adventure to stay there, as the rooms are still quaint and even with individual heat pumps for air conditioning in the summer, it still feels like roughing it during the hot weather that we encountered. They still have a lot to update and my poor Sister-in-Law had a small accident, and the hotel really did not try to correct or cordon off the problem area, and thankfully she did not really hurt herself, but I can see someone else, really having a problem. We were having meal accommodations for some of the time that we were there, and the other family got to discover the island and some of the other restaurants. We also met at some of the casual restaurants at the resort to have some quick meals and of course some wines.

Dark Horse Sauvignon Blanc 2015

At one of the pubs, the Round Island Bar & Grill we had some glasses of De Loach Chardonnay 2014 which is a California AVA, which means that the fruit can be harvested from anywhere in the state and made at the facility. De Loach Vineyards used to label their wines “Cote De Loach,” but now there wines say “Heritage Reserve.” The wine was just a good basic Chardonnay and chilled was just what the doctor ordered with the high temperatures and the high humidity. One evening we were at Bistro on the Greens while the kids enjoyed glow in the dark miniature golf we were having The Original Dark Horse Sauvignon Blanc 2015. Dark Horse Wines also uses California AVA fruit and since we were just munching out side, this wine also fit the bill. One of the enjoyable parts of both of the spots that we ended up at, was the fact that one could watch the assorted liners, yachts and boats that ply the Great Lakes and the Straits of Mackinac.

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