A Fifth Reunion

Posted on August 5, 2015 by thewineraconteur

Woodrow Wilson Junior High School was an amazing school and holds a fond memory for the majority of the students that attended there, and I am sure, even for the faculty. We just had our fifth non-year reunion as a way to get the alumni all together to relive past memories and a way to reacquaint new friendships. The first reunion was kind of a casual get-together at a local watering hole, but it led the way to bigger and better events each year. I had the privilege of chairing the second event, and now there is a good group that makes sure that the party keeps going and one has to give accolades to the committees that work tirelessly to accomplish the goals. In the last couple of years, there has been a movement to also include others from the neighborhood that did not attend Wilson, but that attended some of the parochial schools. With an attendance of around three hundred people, the party was a huge success. The biggest drawback is that it is hard to see everyone in one evening, spend any real time catching up, and then there are some people that you just missed seeing. One of our alumnae even takes it upon herself to take group pictures by the year of graduation, and the oldest graduate was from the class of 1952. Another poignant moment, that started from the second reunion, but it was done at the end of the event, and has now been moved to a time after the dinner time, is the releasing of all the balloons that are used as table decorations earlier in the day. People write the names of relatives and friends that have passed away, and the balloons are all released at one moment, and it is quite stirring and emotional.

Banfi Centine Toscana 2012

I did mention that there was a dinner and when you think of how affordable the ticket is, there is lot of value in attending. For twenty-five dollars, not only is there a hall for us to congregate in, this year there was a disc-jockey playing the music or our era and there is a buffet dinner and beer and soft drinks for everyone to enjoy, and later on in the evening, there is a huge delivery of pizzas as well, as this was a staple party food from our day. The dinner was set up on a couple of long tables in a buffet manner starting with salads and progressing through the meal, including three different dinner entrée choices. I have to say, that I always eat prior to most parties, including weddings, because I have a problem with most institutional caterers and their use of MSG, so rather than take a chance, I avoid eating, but I did enjoy watching the majority enjoying their dinner.

Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio 2013

There was plenty of beer being consumed as that was the beverage of choice for students back in the day, and still is today. I also had a chance to try a couple of Italian wines while I was there. The first wine that I tried was Banfi Centine Toscana IGT 2012. This is a wine that is grouped together and referred to a “Super Tuscany Red.” Ever since Sassicaia in 1984 was granted an IGT instead of a Table Wine designation, other wineries have taken advantage of it. The major varietal for a Toscana IGT is still Sangiovese, the grape of Tuscany, but then most also add Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for a more Continental taste. This blend has been copied by other wineries around the globe as well, due to the success of this designation. The other wine that I will discuss is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Valdadige DOC 2013. I know that a lot of people consider this to be one of the finest makers of Pinot Grigio in Italy, and they offer two varieties, one being the Valdadige DOC and the other being Delle Venezie IGT. Valdadige is the northern part of the Trentino province and the DOC designation is actually for three different varietals; Enantio, Casetta and Pinot Grigio. There were others that believed in BYOB for the party as well, and as they say “a good time was had by all.”

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Shady Lane Cellars

Posted on August 3, 2015 by thewineraconteur

The next stop on our whirl-wind tour of wineries in the Leelanau Peninsula was to Shady Lane Cellars. The winery was founded by Dr. Joseph O’Donnell, a neurosurgeon from Grand Rapids in 1987. It recently changed hands to Richard Fortune from Indianapolis, Indiana; whose family has been visiting the area for the last fifty years or so. This is another winery that I have found out has been mentored by Lawrence Mawby of L. Mawby Vineyards and from my further studies appears to be the un-official “Godfather” to the other wineries in the area. I can appreciate his concept, because for years in retailing the concept of a strong neighbor (competitor) makes the entire area better.

Shady Lane Cellars Franc n Franc 2012

I also was surprised to discover later on that the winemaker for Shady Lane Cellars is Adam Satchwell, who I would have liked to have seen, though I am not sure that either one of us, would recognize each other, after all of these years. Adam used to be the General Manager of a great wine shop that used to be directly across the street from the store that I worked at for around thirty-five years in Dearborn, Michigan. He left the wine shop to go and work for Shady Lane Cellars, which was probably a dream job and a more idyllic lifestyle, especially for having the chance to live in that area. The winery also has a very unique outdoor wine tasting area, and the people that were there were full of fun and passion. It was a great way to try the wines on a beautiful day.

Shady Lane Cellars Cabernet Franc & Merlot Rose 2014

The winery has a good mix of wines starting with the whites. The first wine was a Semi-Dry Riesling 2013, and a Coop de Blanc 2013 and the rest of the white wines were considered dry whites. The Coop de Blanc wine was made from the Vignoles grape, a hybrid that works very well in colder climates like The Finger Lakes and Michigan. There was a Dry Riesling 2013, a Muscat 2013, a Gewurztraminer 2013 and a Gruner Veltliner 2013. There were three Rose wines as well; a Cabernet Franc/Merlot Rose 2014, and Pinot Noir Rose 2014 and a Coop de Rose 2014. They also had some red wines and as you can see most of the wines were simply labeled and straight forward, without any fancy names. In the red wines there was a Pinot Noir 2012, a Merlot 2012 and a Coop de Rouge 2010 which was made from the Regent, Cabernet Franc and a small percentage of unlisted varietals. The Regent grape is another hybrid that is considered one of the best at being anti-fungal and ideal for colder climates. Then there were two red wines that had more “fun” names and that is probably because the one varietal would not be readily recognizable by most of the public and may not even get much acceptance or tastings. The last two wines use the Blaufrankisch varietal that is used quite a bit in Austria and some of the Easter European countries as well and is known by several different names, and most of them allude to the blue color of the grape, and has been tagged as “the Pinot Noir of Eastern Europe.” The two wines that use this varietal was Blue Franc 2013 and Franc ‘n’ Franc 2012, which is a blend of Blaufrankisch and Cabernet Franc. They also offered a Hard Cider called Coop de Pomme. We also had more wine to load into the trunk and this was a fun way to do a tasting, especially in great weather.

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Big Little Wines

Posted on August 1, 2015 by thewineraconteur

We had just walked out of L. Mawby Vineyards loaded up the car with our purchases, and proceeded to try the wines at Big Little Wines. Their tasting room was right off the same parking lot. Big Little Wines are a small batch winery, that started off with two acres of land that were planted with Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris by the parents of the two sons Peter (Big) and Michael (Little) Laing. The family was complete novices to winemaking, but they discovered a great mentor in Lawrence Mawby. Michael has now worked for Mawby for about five years and has elevated himself to the position of Assistant Winemaker there, while his brother Peter is the Operations Manager at Mawby, and both brothers still have time to follow their dream of making their own personal wine, and through the mentoring of Lawrence Mawby, also use his equipment for making their wine as well. There first wine was produced in 2011.

Big Little C3Pinot NV

The tasting room was not large, but it suited their needs at this time. Their stated goal one finds out from visiting the tasting room is to produce unique wines and ciders in styles that are not so ordinary. All the grapes are grown on the Laing family farm in Lake Leelanau, Michigan. The vineyards are dry farmed, hand pruned and hand harvested.

Big Little Mixtape 2013

The wines that were offered that day were varied and some of them were whimsical in their naming and their approach. The 2013 Crayfish is Pinot Gris that starts in Stainless Steel and moved to Oak for fermenting; there was a hundred and seventy-five cases produced. The 2013 Treehouse is a white wine produced from Pinot Noir grapes, starting in Stainless Steel and then to Oak for fermenting, with a hundred cases made of this wine. The 2014 Dune Climb is made from Sauvignon Blanc that also starts in Stainless Steel and aged for five months in Oak for a dry, crisp finish and they produced one hundred and fifty cases of this wine. The 2013 Mixtape was a blend of Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, to produce an off dry wine, and this wine produced a hundred and fifty cases as well. Tire Swing is a sparkling wine that is a multi vintage blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir and is a brut finish, of which they produced two hundred cases. My final wine that they made and my favorite name is C-3Pinot, another sparkling wine of Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc that starts off fermenting in Stainless Steel, and then the second fermentation is done in bottles for eighteen months of additional aging; a very light and crisp brut wine with a production of one hundred cases. They also produce a cider, but I have to admit that I passed on it, as I am not a cider fan. The cider is called Recess and is a blend of Ida Red, Liberty, Golden Delicious and Golden Russet apples. The cider begins cold fermentation in stainless steel, with a second fermentation in a pressure tank, with an apple spirit dosage added, and they produced one hundred and seventy cases of the cider. So in total, this small but proud winery has produced from their own acreage eight hundred and seventy-five cases of wine, plus the cider; not bad for newcomers that have a lot of passion and a willingness to start a new dream.

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L. Mawby Vineyards

Posted on July 30, 2015 by thewineraconteur

While up north at Crystal Mountain for a board meeting, the afternoon session is abbreviated so that many of the members can go golfing. I could hear the Siren call of the vineyards calling, so along with my Bride, came The Caller and his charming wife and we set out for some wineries and some tastings. In my book, it trumps golf every time, and we set off to the farthest winery from us and then we planned on working our way back to the resort.

M Lawrence Sex Brut Rose NV

L. Mawby Vineyards is a serious winemaker, and one of the wineries that my Bride would never forgive me, if we didn’t go there on the trip to Suttons Bay, even though they now have the Ann Arbor Vin Bar. This winery only makes sparkling wine, and notice that I did not say Champagne or even American Champagne, since there is almost a universal trade agreement that only allows Champagne from the Champagne district in France to be called it, though there are a few wineries that are “grandfathered” in that can still label their wine as “American Champagne.” Even though the winemaker is very serious, the winery is a fun place, and as we went to one of the tasting areas, our host for moment grabbed a hammer and hit a gong to announce that a tasting was going. They produce quite a bit of bubbly and the winery has two labels to differentiate the winemaking process that they use.

The M. Lawrence line is division is made using the bulk process, also referred to a “cuve close” or the “Charmat Process.” I will mention this group of wines from Brut to Demi-Sec, or the level of sweetness. The US label is a Brut wine made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Sex and if that is not a catchy name, I don’t know what is, but it was approved and I think that it is a pure marketing genius on their part, this is a Dry Rose wine made with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Muscat varietals. Green is a Dry wine made from the Cayuga and Riesling grapes. Sandpiper is a Semi-Dry wine that is a proprietary blend and that is all I was told. Freestyle is the label they use for trying different blends and this was the second series for this wine which is listed as Sec in the taste scale. Redd is a more fruit forward blend of Regent and Marechal Foch grapes, which are both Cold-Hardy varietals. Fizz is a Sweet wine made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. And the last of the M. Lawrence line is Detroit, which they refer to as a “Floral Hip-Hop Diva” and is a Sweet wine made from Riesling, Muscat and Traminette grapes.

M Lawrence Sandpiper Extra Sec NV

The L. Mawby line is the “Traditional” line of Sparkling Wine, which used to be referred to as “Methode Champenoise,” but that is now a protected phrase, so the new term is Methode Traditionelle. I shall list these wines also from Brut to Demi-Sec. Talisman is a special wine made from Vignoles, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, aged in a “Solera System” of oak barrels of blended vintages. Cremant Classic is a Brut wine from their “Cremant Vineyard” as is entirely of the Vignoles varietal. Blanc de Blancs is a Brut wine made from the Chardonnay grape. Blanc de Noirs is a Bruit wine made from Pinot Noir. Tradition is a Brut wine made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blended from multi-vintages. Sandpainting is a Brut wine made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Vignoles varietals. 2005 Mille is a Brut wine made from Chardonnay and aged for seven years, before degorgement and bottling (I did not try this wine). Conservancy is an Extra-Sec wine, which is a proprietary blend that contributes two dollars for every bottle sold to the Farmland Preservation Fund of the Leelanau Conservancy. Consort is a Blanc de Blanc Sec wine made from the Chardonnay grape. Jadore is a Demi-Sec wine that they call an “Adorable Sweety” made from Vignoles, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.

L Mawby Domaine Leelanau Leland Brut Rose NV

There was also another wine that was a special product of limited production that they offered to us and it was Domaine Leelanau “Leland” a Brut Rose made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Vignoles varietals. This wine is made from fruit of the vintage of 2012, and a dosage of 2014 red wine to produce the color of the wine. When they periodically make one of these wines, they name for another of the towns in the Leelanau Peninsula. Since we have had most of the wines before, and have some of them in stock in the cellar, we ended up buying a case of the “Leland.” The Caller and his wife took four bottles, and my Bride was thrilled with the other eight. Of to our next adventure.

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Crystal Mountain

Posted on July 28, 2015 by thewineraconteur

Getting to tag along for board meetings is a nice getaway, as I get to enjoy a resort with none of the work. Crystal Mountain is one of several year-round resorts located up in the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan. The resort is located in Thompsonville and if you did blink, you would have missed the center of the town. Depending on the time of year there is golf or there is skiing, and besides offering some great accommodations, they will also sell you a condo, if you are so inclined. They are also family oriented with plenty to do for the children as well as for the adults. There was a spa to get the old body back in shape, and bicycles and hiking trails as well. We had a little condo unit for our stay, and you can tell that it is geared for the skiers, as there was a large jetted hot tub, as well as a shower, as part of the facilities, not to mention a kitchenette for a bite after the slopes, and you don’t even have to bring plates, as it is a little cabin for your stay. Did I also mention that there were wine glasses and a refrigerator, coffee maker and a toaster. Some great creature comforts, but it is a four hour drive, and since I am neither a skier nor a golfer, I was not interested in the real estate side of the resort, but I am sure that it is very appealing to others that enjoy both of those sports.

McManis Family Chardonnay 2013

There was an excellent restaurant on the grounds called the Thistle Pub & Grille, which I took advantage of for a quick burger and a glass of wine. In fact when I got there around ten o’clock one evening they were still packed with guests and more were coming in. The rest of the time that we were there, I was able to appreciate the quality of their catering department for the meeting that my Bride was attending. The first morning breakfast was Eggs Benedict with potatoes, bacon, and sausages, plus a large spread of fresh fruit. Lunches were a simpler affair of salads, and make your own sandwiches. The dinner that evening was a very nice meal, though we arrived to late to enjoy the appetizers that were arrayed during the cocktail hour, and the reason that we missed that part of the evening was because we had the afternoon off, while some of the members golfed, we went to six different wineries for some wine tasting and shopping. Our dinner that evening was a twist on “Surf and Turf” as it was a Queen Size filet and a parmesan encrusted White Fish along with vegetables and the proper starch for a filling meal.

Menage a Trois Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

During our dinner we enjoyed a couple of wines. There was Ménage a Trois Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, which is a very popular wine that is found in most venues. The “Trois” for this wine is that the fruit is harvested from three different counties in the North Coast AVA, namely Sonoma, Lake and Napa and aged in French and American Oak. The other wine that we had was McManis Family Vineyards River Junction Chardonnay 2013. McManis Family Vineyards is from the Central Valley of California, which is the major agricultural center of the state for both grapes and for food. There is no Central Valley AVA, but there are nineteen small AVA designations for the area, and the biggest crops for grapes are Chenin Blanc, Colombard, Barbera and Chardonnay. McManis Family Vineyards is in the River Junction AVA, which may be the smallest AVA designation both for California and the United States of America, as the AVA is the entire McManis Family Vineyards, which they petitioned for and were finally approved in 2001. It is amazing what one learns doing some research on the wines after drinking them.

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The Fusion in Frankfort, Michigan

Posted on July 26, 2015 by thewineraconteur

I got another chance to tag along with my Bride as we were going to another board meeting and this time it was going to be out near the wine country of Michigan and I was excited. We got there the night before the board meeting was to begin, and my Bride and some of the other people decided to have dinner away from the resort that evening, as they were hoping that the evening away would curtail “shop talk.” I just go with the flow and try to make the most of the occasion. I was also looking forward to seeing our old friend “The Caller” as he was attending the meeting as well.

Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone 2012

The restaurant was The Fusion and it was located in Frankfort, and it was a very busy place. In the past I have been to many a restaurant that uses the term “fusion” and to me, it means that it is Continental dining with an Asian Rim accent; well I was surprised, as it was more an Asian Rim restaurant. I was like a duck out of the water, I mean, I could not make sense out of the menu and most of the dishes were out of my realm of understanding. The restaurant was getting more packed as we were there, and most of the others that we were having dinner with, have been there before, and were excited to revisit a dish that they enjoyed in times past. The service was exceptional, I just had no idea what I was going to eat and our waiter informed me about my allergy to MSG and told me that there was only one dish I could not order and I appreciated it very much. Everyone was ordering appetizers, so I saw something called Crab Rangoon, which sounded rather safe, it turns out it was some sort of crispy dough with cream cheese, but I could not detect any crab, so I passed the rest of the plate around for others to enjoy. They did have a half duck dinner with a choice of sauces and I opted to have it done with a garlic sauce, and it came with rice and vegetables, so I figured I was safe. It also came with a soup, and when I looked at the soup choices, there was not anything that sounded like a soup that I knew, but our waiter insisted that I should order something and maybe someone else at the table would enjoy a second soup, so that was fine with me. When the main courses came, everyone was thrilled and enjoying their  meal. My duck dish was appetizing in appearance, though I am not quite sure what some of the vegetables were, but it was fine, but I did skip the rice, as it was not fluffy rice, like I am used to. I can not even try to explain what everyone else was having, but I was in a majority of one for the evening. My Bride was having a wonderful time; she even requested a set of chopsticks to use, as she claimed that she doesn’t often get a chance to use those utensils when she is out with me. We had fortune cookies after the meal, and it was suggested that everyone read the fortune, but add “in bed” as the last two words and there was a lot of laughing at the readings. The Caller chided me a bit after dinner, and said that I should have sat next to him, and he would have found some dishes that I would have enjoyed, in all honesty the duck was delicious, but I was still hungry and when we got back to the resort, I had to stop at the tavern and I ordered a quick burger, because I was still hungry, but I survived.

MI The Fusion BC

There were a lot of cocktails being ordered especially before dinner, and my Bride was enjoying a Cucumber Martini, and all I could think of, was that she was trying to find an alternative to her Pimm’s Cup. We had a nice bottle of wine with dinner that I guess went with most of the dinners. We had a bottle of Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone 2012. Louis Bernard is a relatively newcomer to the Rhone as he started in 1976 and is currently striving to be an organic vintner. The wine was a classic Rhone wine and I would venture to say that it is a classic mix of Grenache, Syrah and usually Mourvedre; though it can also have some of the following varietals for the Century Club crowd of Carignan, Cinsaut, Clairette, Counoise, Muscardin, Terroir Noir and/or Vacarese. A fine time was had by everyone and the restaurant was still packed and more people coming in, as we were leaving, so I guess it was just me and my parochial views on food and my Bride was happy.

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A Nice Dinner

Posted on July 24, 2015 by thewineraconteur

We had a dinner with our son and his wife not too long ago at a restaurant that we have been to before, because of logistics, between the two homes. We met at the Lakes Bar & Grille in Commerce, Michigan. The name of the restaurant does not do it justice. It sounds like a neighborhood bar with some burgers, and while it does have both of those features there is so much more to be had. It is a very comfortable and nicely decorated eatery that has so much more to offer then mere burgers, though there are times when a burger is just what the doctor ordered.

Domaine Valmoissine Pinot Noir IGP Louis Latour 2012

We had some diverse dishes that evening. Our son actually had a fancy burger, while his wife had a dish they she enjoyed the last time we were there, a dish that had a layer of sirloin tips, with a layer of macaroni and cheese topped with lobster, I have to admit that I had the same dish last time we were there and I did think of repeating it, it was so good. My Bride is so healthy, she ordered a Caesar Salad with Salmon, and I am sure that is was very good, but there is no way I could order a Caesar Salad as an entrée, when she makes the best dressing I have ever had. As for myself I decided to order the Smoked Barbecue Spareribs, since the menu touted that the meat falls off the bone, and that is the way I like them. I am an old fuss-budget I guess, because the last thing I want to do when I go out for dinner is to pick up a bone and gnaw on it, it just doesn’t seem appropriate out in public; and ribs are very easy to eat with a knife and fork. Then the four of us shared in a Salted Caramel dessert.

Fleur du Cap Chardonnay 2013

The wine list at the restaurant is not huge, but it is ample for the food that they serve, of course our son and his wife, unfortunately do not enjoy wine as much as my Bride and I do. He was trying some of the craft-beers that they offered, which is all the rage, while his wife enjoyed soft drinks. When we first got there to cool off from the summer heat and I am not going to complain of the heat, after the winter we just had, we enjoyed some glasses of Tolloy Pinot Grigio DOC 2014 from the Alto Adige or the South Tyrol of Italy. On a hot day, I just find that a glass of Pinot Grigio is light enough to just enjoy and it doesn’t have to be fussy, as I am hoping that the wines later will be. My Bride bless her enjoys wine with a salad, and I just can’t do it, as I find that the dressings usually compete with the wine, so if I have a salad course I just prefer a glass of water. She was having some Fleur du Cap Chardonnay 2013 from Stellenbosch, the Republic of South Africa and it she really liked it, and she has been a fan of Chardonnay from before we met. With my ribs I decided that I wanted a lighter red wine and I saw a Pinot Noir from the firm of Maison Louis Latour and expected a simple Burgundy Red wine. What I ordered was Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir IGP 2012. The IGP stands for Indication Geographique Protégée and is a designation between Vin de Pays and AOC. This wine was from the Coteaux du Verdon in the Southern Coast of France that is picking up in popularity due to the winemaking skills of some firms and the more affordable nature of the wines. I am not sure that I could state in the affirmative in a blind tasting whether the Pinot Noir was from France or California, it still delivered what I wanted for my dinner and I certainly did not need a First Growth with an order of ribs, as I am not that decadent.

Tolloy Pinot Grigio 2014

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Organic Wines

Posted on July 22, 2015 by thewineraconteur

There are weeks that sometimes go by, when I wonder if anyone is reading my writings. Then out of the blue, I will get a note on Social Media from one of my friends asking me a question about wine and it makes me smile. I smile because I think that my writing is not totally in vain. I am an amateur when it comes to wine, but I certainly enjoy trying a new wine from expensive to everyday table wines that can even be purchased in convenience stores. I try to mix up the articles, so that they are not all set in restaurants, though that is a great venue for trying wines, and I try to write about wines that people can actually find; and then there are the wines that I am just happy that I once had the chance to try. I know that I meander a bit, because I do not like to lecture about wines, but rather I try to envision myself in a one on one conversation over a table with two glasses and a bottle of wine. That is the conceit of my writing. Getting back to the subject a friend recently wrote to me asking about “organic wines” and even mentioned a certain wine that she saw called Ziobaffa red wine (which I have to admit that I did not know of).

Heller Estate Malbec 2011

Organic Wines seems to be the new “buzz word” in wines. Years ago the “buzz” was for a certain wine. As I was learning about wines the buzz was at different times Mateus Rose, Lambrusco, Chianti in the wicker bottles, Chardonnay and Super Tuscans. I think that anything that gets people excited and talking, and especially drinking wines is a great thing. Organic Wines is the latest and greatest, and I think that the jury is still out on this concept. First of all, it has a different meaning in different countries and there is no hard and fast set of rules to say a wine is organic. As far as I am concerned, all wines are organic, in that they are derived from a product that is grown and harvested, that is in the big scheme of things. I guess what everyone is concerned about is chemicals, and there are two diverse sets of chemicals that are used in winemaking, now I know that I am making it quite simple, but that is how I look at things. The first set of chemicals seems to be the concern of fertilizers and crop sprays to keep the plants flourishing and bug free. I do have to say that probably everyone, right, wrong or indifferent has trace elements of these chemicals in their internal system from digesting almost all types of food, and to a degree I guess that is a scary thought, but it is here to stay at least for most of a century at least. The other chemicals are the ones that are added, some are found in wines naturally from the winemaking process, but some of these are enhanced by the wineries to maintain a certain consistent taste and harmony, year after year. Some help the wines to age and mature, and if one ever gets a chance to enjoy a stellar wine that has been cellared for decades from a great vintage, you can taste what man has nudged a bit. I have read articles that purport those wines would have short shelf lives and that a lot of what we tend to enjoy from certain types of wine would disappear or the wines would tasted different then what we are used to. I guess with today’s instant satisfaction society, maybe it doesn’t matter, because everyone wants it now, and think of how few restaurants that you have visited in the last decade or two that had “aged” wines, most of the wines offered are from the latest vintage that have been released.

Navardia Rioja 2012

Getting to the wine that my friend inquired about after I researched it, as I have not had the wine, it is made by a film maker Jason Baffa. His wine Ziobaffa Toscana Red IGF 2012 comes under the classification of a “Super Tuscan” wine and is touted as being “Organic” as well. The reason that the wine is and IGF from Tuscany is because it is a blend of Sangiovese, which is the grape of choice for Tuscany, but it also has Syrah, which is not. Mr. Baffa also offers an Organic Pinot Grigio as well, I am sure the wines are good, but it is through the magic of marketing that will make the wine sell even better. Through the course of my writings I have also touched on a couple of Organic wines as well. In the Monterey area Heller Estates has become a licensed Organic Winery and I have been there, and it was not too long ago that I wrote about their Organic Heller Estate Malbec 2011, but it is in the cellar for the moment collecting a patina of dust.  I have also mentioned Bodegas Bagordi Navardia Rioja 2012, a Spanish Organic wine, and I mentioned that it was the lightest Rioja wine that I had ever tried, and looking at my above notes, I guess that could become the norm.

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Jazz in the Park

Posted on July 20, 2015 by thewineraconteur

I saw a notice that there was going to be Jazz in the Park, in downtown Plymouth. I have written about Plymouth quite a bit, as it is a cute community with a very nice downtown area with a big park right in the center. There seems to be something going on most weekends in the city and it is a wonderful place to walk around, get some exercise and a dinner and some wine. The Jazz in the Park, must be relatively new as they seemed to be not as organized and polished as some of the other events, but there is a learning curve for all events, and I can appreciated the growing pains. We saw a couple of performances and then we continued walking around during a change in groups.

Bengali Lorenzo La Cengia Valpolicella Classico Ripasso 2012

As we were walking around the park listening to the music, we noticed that there were quite a few people that had pizza boxes opened while they were there. All of sudden I felt like having a pizza, but I did not want to sit in a park and have one, so we decided to walk around and find a venue for dinner, which that night meant a pizza. We ended up at Nico & Valle, which is a quaint Tuscan appearing structure just off the downtown ring that we had been before, but the last time we were there, they were in the midst of renovating the interior and there was wide expanses of plastic sheeting to cut down on the construction dust. We walked in and the construction was completed and there was not a bar and definitely more dining area, since the last time we were there. We ordered our pizza with all sorts of different toppings and just relaxed and enjoyed some wine as well.

Ornella Molon Bianchi Selezione Sauvignon 2012

Since we were in an Italian eatery, we chose some Italian wines to enjoy while we were there and both were from the Veneto area, which is the north-eastern corner of Italy and the largest wine production area of Italy. We started off with Ornella Molon “Bianchi Selezione” Sauvignon IGT 2012. This was a crisp white wine, but Sauvignon Blanc is not one of the stars of Veneto, and hence the IGT designation and I was surprised that the label only read Sauvignon without the “Blanc.” It was a great way to cool off from the summer heat and prepared us for our dinner. The wine we chose for our dinner was Bengali Lorenzo La Cengia Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso 2012. I grant you that is quite a mouthful, but to make some sense of it, one can break it down by sections. Valpolicella Classico Superiore means that the grapes come from the original area for Valpolicella when they received their DOC in 1968, because there is also a Valpolicella DOC which encompasses more land then the original demarcated area. Valpolicella is made basically from the three stars of the area Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. These three varietals also are found in Amarone wines from the same area. The Ripasso DOC designation means that the vintners actually reuse the fermented skins of Amarone grapes and add then to a second fermentation for the Ripasso method, which allows more Tannins and a fuller tasted to the wine. In the pecking order the Valpolicella is the lightest of the group, the Classico has more body and the classic terroir that the wine is noted for, and the Ripasso is the fullest bodied and more nuanced of the three designations. It was just a great way to spend the evening.

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A Smelt Dinner at the Wheat & Rye

Posted on July 18, 2015 by thewineraconteur

When on Social Media, it pays to scan every posting by ones friends, as you never know what tidbit of information one may find. One can pass by the assorted games, questionable political posturing, assorted jokes, fauna and florae, and cute family pictures to find out about a new restaurant or a new wine, both of which will make my eyebrow arch with curiosity. This was the case the other night, when I saw a posting about a Smelt dinner entrée at a neighborhood restaurant. Smelt for those of you, who have never heard this type of fish before, is a small fish that is caught in nets in the Great Lakes and was very popular in Michigan and in Ontario. I can remember as a kid seeing the fisherman pulling into the piers in Kingsville, Ontario with garbage cans full of smelt, just waiting to be sold and cooked immediately. In fact as I recall, garbage cans seemed to be the preferred method for hauling the fish back home from wherever they were caught. It is a simple dinner to prepare, remove the heat and simple gutting, as the skin and bones are nil. In fact at one time there was talk that the fish were going to disappear, due to the excessive fishing of them.

A by Acacia Chardonnay 2012

I was very excited to see that a restaurant was having a Smelt fry, and it was at the Wheat & Rye Steakhouse in Allen Park, Michigan. I have driven past this restaurant often in my travels and have only occasionally stopped there to eat. It is not a steakhouse like a Morton’s or a Ruth Chris, but more a local eatery in the middle of a residential area. We were both looking forward to having this dinner as it has been such a long time since we had enjoyed a dinner like this and brought back pleasant memories for both my Bride and myself. As I recall the two most popular methods were either beer batter or just dredging them in egg and flour and frying, and it was the latter that we had that night. The dinner came with Cole Slaw, a fresh baked roll and some of the best commercial French Fries that I have had in ages, most of the time that I have to have French Fries they end up uneaten and left on the plate, because they are so bland and nondescript. Our dinner was so huge that evening that we both had to take a doggie bag/container home with the excess smelt and fries, plus an extra order of the Cole Slaw, as it was too good to leave on the plate, and there was enough there, that we both could make a second meal from the orders.

Sutter Home Chardonnay NV

The wine list was very short and sweet at the restaurant, and I was not surprised, as this location is more beer and cocktails, but all of the meals at the different tables around us looked great. I could have Sutter Home Winery Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon. We both opted for a glass of Sutter Home California Chardonnay NV and it was a very pleasant glass of wine with our meal. Sutter Home Winery of St. Helena, California is one of the largest family run independent wineries in the United States and they are known for creating a trend in wine some forty years ago that is still popular today, as they were the people that really started White Zinfandel, while not a favorite of mine, it sells everywhere and tends to be found almost everywhere. The next evening when we were enjoying our leftovers we opened up another California Chardonnay by Acacia Vineyard. We had a bottle of their A by Acacia California Chardonnay 2012. This Chardonnay wine even though still a California appellation had some Oak barrel aging, which gave it some nuance. The smelt season is probably coming to an end, but it was fun to have a dinner that brought back such great childhood memories, and the fish was still as good as we recalled

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