Kirk Kerkorian

Posted on June 26, 2015 by thewineraconteur

It was recently in the news that Kirk Kerkorian passed away. The name may or may not ring a bell for people. He was a very successful businessman and a prominent donator to charities, especially Armenian charities as he was very proud of his heritage. I place him up there with Alex Manoogian and Calouste Gulbenkian for all of their noble donations in a world where wealth accumulation is trumpeted more then helping, it seems. Through the course of writing these articles I have mentioned that I am Armenian, and through a gift from my Daughter I will soon write about my first Armenian wine. I am proud to say that there are many Armenians in many walks of life that have made the world a little better like William Saroyan, Aram Khachaturyan, Charles Aznavour, Eric Bogosian, Akim Tamiroff, Arlene Francis, Cher and Mike Connors. There are also some that I am not enamored with that will be nameless that I feel are only craven narcissists.

BrightsChampagne

In a sense when one writes a Blog, one tends at times to feel like the old comedian/actor Morey Amsterdam who was called “The Human Joke Machine,” because if you gave him a word, he could come up with a joke using that word. Today, is one of those days, as I never had the fortune to meet Kirk Kerkorian, but one of my Uncles spent an evening with him, by accident and it was one of his favorite story that he like to relate. Wine is loosely woven into this article only through my story and not his. My Uncle through the years was a very adept business man and he also loved life. I remember years ago when I was a kid he brought over from Canada several double magnums of Brights President Canadian Champagne, because I believe he was celebrating opening up the first pizzeria in his city. Years later he had opened a themed burger shop with a drive-in, also a first in his city, and then after that he had opened up the finest Steak and Lobster house in the city. He worked hard and he partied hard. I remember on one of the occasions when I was having dinner at his restaurant, long after graduating from college, he gave me a beautiful lamp that he had made for the restaurant and since it was an extra one, he wanted me to take it. I am proud to say that the lamp illuminates my wine cellar, and one of the empty bottles of Champagne also decorates the cellar as well.

CellarLamp

Now onto my story which is second hand and the language has been cleaned up for polite company, if you want you may reread the story yourself and think how it would sound if it was part of the dialogue from a Martin Scorsese crime drama. My Uncle enjoyed gambling and a couple of times a year he and his cronies would go to Las Vegas for a week, they would all ante up the same amount as my Uncle did, and he would have a major stake to play with, and they would all be “comped” for the entire stay, and my Uncle would gamble to his hearts delight. At the end of the trip, they all shared equally the winnings, or if it was a bad trip, they all had to equally add more money to compensate for a bad run of luck; and there was never any complaining, because it was understood up front. Caesars Palace had just opened up and all the guys were there having a great time. My Uncle was on a hot streak that night, when all of a sudden he heard his name being paged and he stopped, to find out what was going on, afraid that there might have been something terrible back home. He was directed over to a table where a man was sitting having a drink, and my Uncle announced to the man who he had never seen before, that he had been paged. The seated man said that he was not the man being paged, and my Uncle was so upset from being pulled from a hot streak, reached into his pocket and showed his identification, right after wards another man with the same name showed up at the table, who was expected. The seated man burst out laughing and introduced himself and it was Kirk Kerkorian and the three men ended up having dinner and drinks way into the morning hours. They just kept buying rounds and rounds of drinks, and as my Uncle used to say, it didn’t cost him a dime, because he was “comped” so it was easy to keep up with the other two. My Uncle always talked about what a great evening that was, and how this Multi-millionaire was just like any other guy. The men of that era are almost all gone now, but I am glad to say that I had a chance to bask in their aura when I was growing up.

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A Very Quiet Father’s Day

Posted on June 24, 2015 by thewineraconteur

It was a very laid back and quiet day on Father’s Day this year. It was a day of catching up on different things. Catching up on the chores and unpacking of a trip that I haven’t even begun to write about, catching up on Social Media and trying to catch up on all things of The Wine Raconteur. Since we had a nice evening and dinner the night before, we just relaxed a bit, and I was glad to hear from all of my children, remembering me on my day.

Chateau Jacques Blanc Cuvee du Maitre SEGC 1999

My Bride made a very excellent dinner for the two of us, as we really did not leave the house. She made a couple of ten ounce filets marinated in Olive Oil, garlic and rosemary. She also made me some garlic mashed potatoes and she also made me a vegetable that she is not partial to, but that I enjoy and hardly ever have, some buttered corn. Maybe not a fancy gourmet dish, but it was just perfect on the day. She finished off the meal with a Strawberry Shortcake and the dinner worked for me.

Black Star Farms Sirius Cordial NV

I went into the cellar and grabbed a couple of wines to enjoy with our meal. The first was a bottle of Chateau Jacques Blanc Cuvee de Maitre Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1999. This wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon and from what I could discover is that most of this wine stays on the Continent. There are about a dozen Premiers Grands Cru wines of Saint Emilion and a huge count of Grand Cru Classes. This classification began in 1955 and has been updated a couple of times since then, as they do not want the wineries to rest on their laurels. The other wine we had was from Michigan and it was an enjoyable dessert wine. We had Black Star Farms Sirius Cordial NV from Suttons Bay. This particular wine was made from Chardonnay grapes and Chardonnay Brandy, so it is fortified and has a longer life. The current Sirius Cordial from the winery is now made with apple wine and maple syrup, and from that description, I am glad that I had this wine instead. Now it is time to relax for the rest of the evening and enjoy my wine.

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Twas the Night before Father’s Day

Posted on June 22, 2015 by thewineraconteur

How times have changed, I was being feted for Father’s Day along with one of our sons at a downtown celebrity restaurant, namely Michael Symon’s Roast in the renovated Book Cadillac Hotel. In the old days, dinner downtown was a special evening and one dressed for the occasion, alas this restaurant has been adopted by the today’s “hipsters” and I was like a fish out of water. Now I am used to being a little out of place, because of my attire, but I was in a hand made Italian suit and the other diners looked as if they had just worked in the yard and came out for a quick bite of dinner at a local diner. Even the men that were of my generation looked like they were going through a “mid-life crisis;” I mean what ever happened to age appropriate attire? I think the restaurant appreciated my attire as we were seated at the first large booth as one entered the dining area. I guess my concept of fine dining has missed this new generation.

Domaine Francois Buffet Volnay 1er Cru Champans 2011

Michael Symon as I mentioned is one of those celebrity chefs that now have their name emblazoned above the name of the restaurant, and I guess this is because of television. He is known for his “carnivore” dinners and has even a book with that title on it. The restaurant is even known for having a special entrée each night called “The Beast,” which we all passed on, as the beast was goat, and none of us felt that adventurous, especially me, since I do not even remotely like goat cheese. Our server informed us that we should order our selections early, as the cooking time, especially for the steaks could run up to fifty minutes or so, so we planned accordingly. We started off with two orders of Beef Cheek Pierogies with Horseradish and Mushrooms. This was a delicious appetizer, but not made like a classic pierogie, but more of a fine pie crust type of wrapper and only a kiss of Horseradish. Our one son and his wife then had a Roasted Tomato Soup that was dairy free and based on a chicken broth, which they both enjoyed. My Bride and I had the Bitter Green salad with Hungarian Peppers, oven dried tomatoes, Gran Padano and a Parmesan Garlic dressing; my Bride was not thrilled with the dish, but since I am not a salad fan, I found the dish interesting, for its lack of lettuce. Our Daughter-in-Law had as an entrée a dish of Tagliatelle with Lobster, English Peas, Mustard Seed and Crème Fraiche. Our Son and my Bride decided to go with a classic meat dish of a dry aged Porterhouse for two, which was thirty-two ounces with Confit Potatoes and Caramelized Onions; this steak was prepared perfectly with the filet being one degree less cooked than the strip side. As for myself, I had an internal debate going as to whether I would have Short Ribs, but I decided to go with a Savory Duck Breast Confit, as opposed to the one that they were offering with stone fruit; it is one dish that we do not make at home. We also had three over ample sides of Smashed Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic, Brussels sprouts and Walnuts and Wild Mushrooms. For dessert there were two orders of “Baby Elvis” which was peanut butter and banana custard and chocolate peanut butter chunk, my Bride had Mango Sorbet while I declined a dessert.

Noval Ten Year Old Tawny Porto

We started off with some cocktails; in fact my Bride enjoyed a “William T God” so much that she had a second. Since only my Bride and I were going to enjoy some wine that evening, those of you who kind of know me by now, have already figured out what type of wine I was going to order. We had a bottle of Domaine Francois Buffet Volnay 1’er Cru Champans 2011. Domaine Francois Buffet really shines in Volnay as they own twenty acres there with fifteen different appellations. Volnay is known for its elegance, delicacy and finesse, as opposed to a heavy Red Burgundy wine, and the Pinot Noir achieves a perfect balance there. Of the many Premier Crus in Volnay, Champans is second only to Santenots in terms of popularity and fame. While everyone was enjoying dessert, I opted to have a dessert wine. I had a glass of Noval Ten Year Old Tawny Porto from Quinta do Noval, a note Port producer since 1715. An aged Tawny has to have at least six years to be considered aged, and the unique aspect about Port wines is that the actual varietals used are a completer mystery even to the wineries, as the vines tend to intermingle over the years. There are about eighty sanctioned varietals for Red Port, and the most common are: Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cao, Sousana, Tinta Amarela and Mourisco Tinto. All in all it was a fine evening.

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Forty

Posted on June 20, 2015 by thewineraconteur

Forty, the word by itself is not frightening, and I remember when I turned forty, I considered it a milestone, but still not frightening. I was part of the Baby Boom Generation and surprisingly so, the vast majority of us hit our fortieth birthday without much angst. As I look back even the numbers fifty and sixty, while I considered them milestones, I was fine and survived the moment, and I even have to say that my Bride did not labor over the numbers either. Then our eldest son hit forty and my Bride then lamented the number, and all I could do was try to console her, after all life goes on. She tried to be oh so secretive and planned a birthday brunch for the occasion.

Black Star Farms Leelanau Sparkling Wine NV

She went full tilt in trying to create a brunch, even though my suggestions of duplicating the “Breakfast at Brennan’s” did not go over that well, unless as she implied I felt like making Turtle Soup, Eggs Benedict and Bananas Foster for a crowd of thirty or more; and I saw the wisdom in her words. As it was she still put out a great spread starting with cheeses, hummus and guacamole. Then she made a couple of different quiches, scrambled eggs, bacon, cheese blintzes, stuffed cabbage, some salads and slab of salmon. Of course she did not forget the cake either and a Key Lime pie, as she revels in the thought of preparing large meals for crowds and she was in her glory. Though she belabored the fact that so many of her family does not consider stated times as important. I tried to make some feeble attempts at humor, as to the fact that perhaps the guest of honor would be the first to arrive at his surprise party and that he could surprise each group of late well wishers as they entered the door. We had enough people that showed up early and had parked their cars down the street, to at least make the surprise work, and then we had a few that magically appeared just as the meal was being served. As for the surprise, alas it was not a surprise, as the guest of honor had actually heard his Mother and his wife make the original plans as their voices were loud enough on their cell phones that it carried into the next room where he was seated. Congratulations to him though, as he gamely played through the charade and confided the facts later on that afternoon.

Barefoot Bubbly NV

The beverage of choice was easy for a brunch, we went with Mimosas. The secondary refrigerator already had some sparkling wine and it wasn’t that hard to add some more bottles in there. Since we were making Mimosas we did not need Dom Perignon, but just some sparkling wine. We started of with Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvee NV, a Sparkling California Champagne made with Chardonnay, that was ideal for blending with the orange juice. This wine is made from the Charmat Methode with secondary fermentation just prior to bottling and it added to the festivities. After the Barefoot was gone, I went and grabbed another bottle, that was actually too nice for Mimosas, but it was cold and the moment required it. I opened up a Michigan wine that was great. A bottle of Black Star Farms Leelanau Sparkling Wine NV that is made Methode Champenoise and it is always a pleaser. This wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc and they only made 500 cases of it, and I enjoyed it without the addition of orange juice. In fact, there was still some left over after everyone left and I used a champagne storage stopper and had it the next day and it was still bubbling with streams of tiny bubbles and it may have been my imagination, but it almost tasted better the next day.

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The Milford House Bar & Grill

Posted on June 18, 2015 by thewineraconteur

I have really come to enjoy Social Media, and at first I did not think that I would. It was quite contrary to what I had experienced in life as I am a people person. The wonderful thing about it is that one meets a lot people that you may not have otherwise, but it is great for finding old friends, as life takes on its quirky path. It is because of Social Media that I have found old school mates from my old neighborhood and perhaps, because of nostalgia the friendships feel even better now, then years ago. It is also a chance to meet up with large groups and with smaller groups for lunches and dinners to enjoy warm smiles again.

Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc 2014

That is how I ended up at the Milford House Bar & Grill, a delightful little tavern in downtown Milford, a charming community that my Bride and I have often visited. This tavern has been in existence for around twenty-five years, but it was off of my radar, as a place to try, as there are and were other establishments that were more geared to what we were looking for in a dining experience. Let me tell you that I was more then surprised at the quality and the range of offerings from the Milford House and they are not skimpy in the amount of food that they offer per plate as well, and that explains why they were so busy that afternoon that I was there. I tried one of their specials of the day which was a homemade pocket bread sandwich filled with grilled chicken, bacon and avocado slices accompanied by homemade potato chips. The sandwich was so large; there was hardly any room for me to enjoy the chips. I also saw that that a “half” salad was larger than a lot of salad entrees that I have seen, and there was still enough salad left for a “doggie bag.”

MI Milford House BC

There was an offering of about eighteen wines, all priced for quick sales, as opposed to cellaring; and they were a well chosen collection. There were a couple of generic house wines and then a group of well honored varietals that did not overlap each other. Since it was a nice sunny day and we were just inside off of the patio dining area I had chose a white wine to go with my sandwich. I chose a glass of Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc 2014 from Marlborough in New Zealand, and Sauvignon Blanc is the wine of choice when one thinks of New Zealand, and then a Pinot Noir. Nobilo is part of the large umbrella of Constellation Imports and their assorted brands of wines. Nikola and Zuva Nobilo moved to New Zealand from their home in Croatia during the Second World War, and they came from a long line of wine making in their family. Even though the wine industry really started booming in New Zealand in the last thirty years or so, the Nobilo family first planted vines in 1943, and wine in general was uncommon in New Zealand at the time. Over the years, Mr. Nobilo championed wines in his new homeland, and even fought to have the laws overturned, allowing people to enjoy having wine with dinner in restaurants. For all of his work, in 1994 he was awarded an Order of the British Empire medal for his contributions to the New Zealand wine industry. Even though this bottle of wine was his Regional Collection as compared to his Icon wines, it was a well balance bottle of wine and was perfect for the lunch and setting.

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Introducing “The Messenger”

Posted on June 16, 2015 by thewineraconteur

I have to admit that I grew up in the tail end of an era, when people had monikers. I had to insist when my late Father passed away, that his nickname be listed in the death notice in the newspaper, because I argued that there were many people that only knew him by his nickname and not his given name. When I watch a film like “Goodfellas” and they are introducing the assorted characters that will be important in the storyline, there are names like Jimmy Two Times and Pete the Killer. I was a child of a Damon Runyon generation parents. My nickname when I hear it lets me know immediately how someone knows me, but it doesn’t compare to a Nathan Detroit, Dave the Dude, the Seldom Seen Kid or Harry the Horse. So may I introduce my latest character, who I shall call “The Messenger.” The Messenger and I went to college years ago, and through the magic of social media we have become reacquainted, though she now lives in the Toronto area.

XOXO wine

She is a little misguided and by that I mean that she follows this blog, so she has an interest in wine. Every now and then she will send me a picture or a note about a wine that she recently had at home or with friends. I find it interesting to see what other people like in a wine, or how or why they shop for a bottle of wine. When you are into wine, as say a Blogger, you tend to look for something unique or interesting, or for a chance to find a new varietal or area to write about. The real world is interesting in finding something they will like, or hope to like, without breaking the family budget. I also enjoy seeing that sometimes people are looking for just a white or just a red wine, and that they may be interested in something on the sweeter side, as they find some wines too dry, or perhaps the tannins are over-powering to them.

Relax Reisling

The Messenger sent me a couple of photos of some wines that she has been enjoying lately. The first bottle was of Relax Riesling 2013 from Schmitt Sohne. This is a Qualitatswein from the Mosel, and is one of the most popular wines both in selection and price, as they ship for export some 2,500,000 cases, and that is a lot of wine. The wine is also easy to find on the shelves of a merchant as it is in a distinctive blue bottle, and is very easy for most people to drink as it is considered “off-dry.” The other bottle of wine would have been a great bottle to have written up for St. Valentine’s Day and required a bit more research on my part. If you are of my age group, you can readily remember writing the name of this wine on little notes that were passed back and forth in school, back in the day before instant communications and social media. She was enjoying a bottle of XOXO Pinot Grigio + Chardonnay NV and let me explain to you that I had trouble finding out about this wine. As I was searching different sites, including the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, I was getting conflicting manufacturers of this wine, and it was “curiouser and curiouser” as Alice would say. I found this wine listed as being made by Andres Wine, Roundpetal Wines and Andrew Peller Limited, and I thought it odd that three different wineries would have the same “brand.” We had been to Andrew Peller Limited winery on a trip to the Niagara Falls area, so that is where I began my research, as this company is a major producer of wines in Canada with production in British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Ontario. The original name of the company was Andres Wines, as Andrew Peller who is from Hungary, thought that name sounded more Canadian, and Roundpetal, as well as several other brands all come under the umbrella of Andrew Peller Limited. I am sure that it is a very easy to drink wine since it is a blend of two easy drinking varietals; I am also sure that it must be a great seller, not only for St. Valentine’s Day, but for birthdays and anniversaries as well. Who would not want to give their spouse or loved one XOXO or “hugs and kisses.”

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A Celebration of 35 Years

Posted on June 14, 2015 by thewineraconteur

The other day found us going to a restaurant that I have often gone to with my dinner club, but as of that day, my Bride and I had not gone to together.  It is amazing that some how we always seem to frequent the same haunts or to try someplace special, and one seems to forget about other places. Of course to be truthful we were still not going there for dinner, but to celebrate a Priest’s 35’Th Anniversary. I was going to start this article by using the term “man of the cloth,” but when I went to research this term, I discovered that I had been using it the wrong way for a Priest in the Roman Catholic Church. In the pecking order of the Roman Catholic Church, that expression is used for a lector or reader, an individual that is ordained in a minor order of the church, or it can be used for a postulator, an individual that proffers a potential candidate for beatification; see what one can learn researching for a Wine Blog. When we got to the restaurant, both of the parking lots were crammed with automobiles, so I dropped off my Bride and one of her friends from her church, and I went in search of a parking spot. It turns out the restaurant was closed that afternoon and was only open for the affair that we were attending and a couple of showers as well. I finally found or should I say, I created a parking space along the edge of the woods, and went in through the back door. I was amazed at the crowds of people that were there to celebrate this anniversary and it was a testament to his service. When I saw the organized chaos of such an affair, I immediately thought to find a table for us to sit at, and I walked into the tavern part of the complex and asked if I could take a table there and perchance buy a bottle of wine, instead of having some of the wine being poured by the house. Of course they encouraged me, and the restaurant has a nice selection of wines to choose from, without the idea of gouging their patrons.

Joseph Drouhin Pouilly Fuisse 2013

After I purchased the bottle of wine and they brought me some wine glasses and a marble icer, I placed my hat and umbrella in such a manner that it denoted that the table was being reserved and I went to find my Bride and her friend, and to bring a glass of wine for my Bride as well. I had to pass the receiving line, but since I was traveling the other way, it was a bit quicker for me to maneuver and I walked past one set of tables set up with food for the people there, and I also later found out that they had another station set up in a room that I was not even aware of with more food. As I walked in the opposite direction of the line for all the well wishers, as it snaked around the halls and passageways I finally found my Bride and her friend and I gave her a glass of wine, and asked her friend if she would like a glass as well, which she declined. I told my Bride that I had bought a bottle of wine, and she had deduced the fact, since we had crystal wine glasses and the other people were drinking wine from plastic glasses. When I saw how far back they were in the line, I told her that I was going back to the bar, to protect our table and I would join them as they got closer to the man of the moment. As I kept checking on her progress, I eventually joined the ladies to congratulate the Priest, and I look at the cache of wine bags that he had in the corner behind him, because he is known to appreciate a glass of wine and every Christmas we always gave him a bottle of wine for the holidays. After we had gone and paid our respects, I showed the ladies where we were seated and they went to get some plates of food. They came back with plates laden with an assortment of different dishes including a couple of pastas. The pasta with an “Alfredo” sauce was very unique and very spicy, I could have gone for just another plate of it, but I thought that it might be in poor form, on my part.

Canyon Road Chardonnay 2014

After I had “reserved” my table in the tavern, I was trying to get a copy of the wine carte from bartender, I noticed a waitress carrying two open bottles of wine. I asked if that was the wine that they were serving for the anniversary group and she said yes, so I bothered her for a moment to take a picture of one of the bottles. The wine was a bottle of Canyon Road Chardonnay 2014 from Canyon Road Winery, and the other bottle was also from them, but their Cabernet Sauvignon. Canyon Road wines are popular priced and they have a California designation, because the fruit is sourced from across the state, and they produce this wine in huge productions. For a large group as we were at, this is a fine wine to serve, and they do it well. I, on the other hand had selected a Chardonnay, but of much smaller production, but it was a Negociant wine; a bottle of Joseph Drouhin Pouilly-Fuisse 2013. This is a white wine from the Maconnais and it was very refreshing and was just what a softer white Burgundy wine should taste like. There are no Premier Cru wines from the Communes of Maconnais, so one should look for a good blender or house and Joseph Drouhin has a long history in the Beaune. By the time we finished the food and the wine, the affair was coming to an end, so it was perfect timing.

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June is Ohio Wine Month

Posted on June 12, 2015 by thewineraconteur

I have to smile as I look at the title of this piece, and it is because of the Wine Lover’s Calendar. There is this state that abuts Michigan and there have been rivalries since the days when the area was still a territory. There was even a skirmish over a small strip of land from Toledo west bound that became part of Ohio, while Michigan received the Upper Peninsula out of the deal. There is another rivalry between a couple of universities of higher education, and since I did not attend any of them, I have always watched that rivalry with a grin, though there is a rumor that there is a misguided Wine Blogger that hails from Michigan, but for some odd reason roots for the other side, but that is irrelevant to all of this. All I know for certain is that I never exceed the speed limit when I am driving in Ohio, as my license plate is a magnet for potential tickets. I also wrote once about the only restaurant in Ohio where the name of the establishment is M and it is in Columbus, Ohio and it was a wonderful experience.

Meiers Gigolo American Champagne OH NV

To talk about an unspoken rivalry I guess, just for kicks today I visited a couple of good size wine shops to look at what was being offered. I saw wines from Michigan, California, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary and a couple of countries from South America. There was not a single wine on the shelves from Ohio, and perhaps this holds true in reverse in Ohio about Michigan wines. It really is a shame, since I have now had a chance to try some wines from Ohio on one of our trips and we enjoyed them enough to buy a couple of mixed cases.

OH Sip Ohio Wines Magazine

I also went and looked at my early wine scrap book to see if I had a label from Ohio; lo and behold I did have one. I once had at least a bottle back in the ‘60’s or ‘70’s of Meier’s Gigolo Extra Dry American Champagne NV. This wine was done in the Charmat Bulk Process, but I cannot attest to the varietals used, but I did some research on the winery. Meier’s Wine Cellars, Inc. is the oldest winery in Ohio and they started out in the juice business back in the 1880’s and they are located in Silverton, Ohio which is just outside of Cincinnati. They survived the Prohibition Era when they went back to just juice and they now offer over forty assorted wines and twenty-one assorted still and sparkling juices. From their website I surmise that they use mainly the Cold-Hardy varietals that are found in New York and in Michigan as well. I also enjoyed looking at a side posting of theirs that show some of the old wine labels that they have in their archives. The Gigolo label is shown, but it is much different from the label that I have, and I think that I one of the few that get excited at looking at different wine labels. So this month I shall make it a point to perhaps finish off the Ohio wines that I have in my own cellar.

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And We All Think Potatoes

Posted on June 10, 2015 by thewineraconteur

June is Idaho Wine Month according to the Wine Lover’s Calendar and I am trying to keep ahead of the curve, if I can. Unfortunately, I have to admit a sum total knowledge of the wines of Idaho as zero. I do not even recall seeing a bottle of Idaho wine at any merchant I have been to, so I had to do some research, as I have never even been to the state as well.

IdahoMap

It is said that Idaho was the first area to be planted for wine grapes in the Pacific North-West in 1864 and I guess they had pretty good acclaim back in the day. Then the Volstead Act or Prohibition arrived and decimated that part of agriculture in Idaho. Vodka and Beer are the two leading alcoholic beverages produced in Idaho, but in the 1970’s replanting of grapes had begun. The climate in Idaho is considered a “Continental Climate” similar to what is found in France for the Languedoc-Rousillon and also the Provence district. The sandy soil and the weather fluctuations mean that the phylloxera louse that can cause such havoc to vineyards is not a concern in Idaho.

SnakeRiverValley

I have found that there are 299 vineyards listed for Idaho and that the leading wine grapes grown are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Syrah and Gewürztraminer. There is also the Snake River Valley AVA and the potential for a couple of more AVA designations in the near future. I shall have to try to make a mental note to look for an Idaho wine, the next time I visit my children out in Las Vegas, as I might have better luck there.

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A Pleasant Evening on Memorial Day

Posted on June 8, 2015 by thewineraconteur

The Monday of the Memorial Day weekend has become a quiet day for me, for the last couple of years. I totally appreciate the solemnity of the day and can appreciate all the brave men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for my country. Though in the last several years, my Bride has always made a business trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to visit clients and her contacts. On a few of the trips, I have gone up there with her, but it is predicated on the schedule that she can make. If she can work from one location for a couple of days, it is fine, otherwise, I just end up sitting in a car all day, as she goes from one location to another. This past trip for her, I would have just been riding shot gun, the entire trip, while her company is wonderful, it is not a nice way to spend a week off.

Ca'Marcanda Promis Toscana Gaja 2000

On a social media site, I had posted that I truly hoped that she would have a safe and uneventful trip. Then I proceeded to start doing some projects around the house to keep myself occupied. Lo and behold, as they used to say, I received an invitation for dinner from a dear friend, who has become even dearer to both of us over the years. He as appeared on these pages with the nom de plume that he gave himself, when he penned an article for me, he is now known as The Wine Raconteur Jr. He and his family were having dinner at his house and he invited me over for dinner, to join his family, his parents and his one uncle and his wife; and since I knew everyone he felt that I would not be uncomfortable. I told him that since I was in the midst of a project that I would forgo dinner, but if I had a chance I would stop by.

Later in the early evening after I had a chance to clean up, I ventured into the cellar to get a wine carrier and a couple of bottles of wine to take over there. It would be in poor taste to go somewhere empty handed and since my Bride is known for her culinary talents and I am not, I figured the wine would be a better choice. When I arrived at his home, I knocked on the front door, and there was no response, and since I am from that old country and old world schooling, I just took it upon myself to enter into the house, figuring that they were all in the backyard and I was right. When I stepped out of the house into the yard the smile on The Wine Raconteur Jr. was one that could have lit up a starless evening. I went directly to my host and hugged him, and then onto his wife, then I made my hellos to his parents and to his uncle and his wife as well. As I was getting ready to sit down, his two children came over to greet me too. It was a warm and fuzzy “Kodak” moment as we used to say.

Company Fleret Svestka

I reached into my wine carrier and grabbed one bottle of wine to give to his Father, and he started to look at the label, and I told him that the label was meaningless, as it was a bottle of homemade “Dago Red” wine, the second set of homemade wines that I had received from the past Christmas season. This particular wine, I had found to be more atypical of the classic “Dago Red” wines that I had grown up with, as it was slightly frizzante and was very pleasant and not as heavy as the wines that I remembered as a kid. The other bottle that I pulled out of my carrier immediately got some notice, from the Uncle’s wife first as she saw the label immediately and saw the word Gaja. The word Gaja started a lively discussion of wines and restaurants and I related the story of how I had initially found this wine, as it the most affordable wine that I have ever seen from Gaja. We were all laughing about the story, as they had all been to the restaurant several times, the same as I have, and I have wrote about the evening already, so I will not repeat it. I asked jokingly if there was such a thing as a corkscrew in the house, and my dear friend went and produced his “Rabbit” and took it out of its gift box, to open the wine. The wine was a bottle of Gaja Ca’Marcanda Toscana IGT 2000, and since I still have some more of this wine in the cellar, I wanted to see how it had aged. This wine is a blend of Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese and though it is from Tuscany, it carries an IGT designation. While Tuscany has DOCG and DOC designations, there is now an IGT designation as well, and it was an uphill battle originally for the winemakers that wanted to try something different. Originally in Italy they had the DOCG, DOC and the lowest designation was Vino di Tavola, or Table Wine. After the wine Sassicaia erupted on the Tuscan scene, there was a need for a different designation, and then for all the other “Super Tuscan” wines that began being made. In 1992 the IGT designation was formally announced, and this gave winemakers in historic areas the freedom to try making wines without the constraints that the original designations required. I might add that I had this wine when it was new, and now in 2015, the wine was not showing any age problems, it was showing its maturity as some of the original fruitiness had mellowed, but it was a very smooth drinking wine. I do not think anyone, and least I hope not, was disappointed with my selection. Later on that evening The Wine Raconteur Jr. produced a charming bottle of Company Fleret Svestka Plum Spirit from Czechoslovakia. There was even a prune sitting in the bottle of spirits, and while I expected something like “fire-water” along the lines of grappa, this was not the case. It was a very easy sipping drink and perfect for after dinner. This was a wonderful and totally unexpected way for me to spend that evening, and once again I must thank my charming hosts for the evening, and I had to laugh, because as I was leaving they had even prepared a large package of food for me to take home, because they were concerned that I might starve that week, and trust me, I have never looked like I was starving.

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