Charley’s Crab

Posted on August 14, 2014 by thewineraconteur

“Chuck Muer restaurants, serving the good taste of America” is the slogan on the back of a match box, when restaurants wanted you to keep a memento of your dinner. The Chuck Muer restaurants are scattered around the Metropolitan Detroit area, and we have also dined at one in Ohio, as well as in Florida, so he has done something right, and the organization has continued to maintain itself, even after the mysterious disappearance at sea of him, which is a story all to itself and not really germane to this article. In my earlier days, I was much more provincial in my travels for dinner and drinks, but with my Bride at my side, distance was not an issue any more. Charley’s Crab was in Troy, Michigan during the day, but alas it is closed, but there is still one in Grand Rapids, Michigan and in Palm Beach, Florida.

KJ Chardonnay 1999

Charley’s Crab like most of the Muer restaurants leans heavily towards fish and seafood. One night we started out with shrimp cocktails for an appetizer. My Bride went for a Caesar Salad and I chose a Spinach Salad, there is something about a warm bacon dressing that appeals to me. My Bride had a salmon plate and I went with shrimp done with butter and garlic. I guess we both can be pretty predictable at times. Though I usually opt out of salmon, as that is a dish we enjoy at home, so why order it out, and then I think the same about Caesar Salad, but that is just me.

MI Charley's Crab MB

When the wine list is not that great, I will go to a tried and true friend. It may not be exciting, but I do want a wine that I will feel good about. Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay Vintner’s Reserve 1998 was the choice that evening. It is listed as a California wine, so the grapes are harvested across the state, but it is always a safe bet. Not every dinner can be or will be graced by some exotic or famous wine, but then some dinners and venues do not require one either. To date, I have not been let down with a bottle from Kendall-Jackson, and I do hope that I never will.

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A Panoramic View at The Summit

Posted on August 12, 2014 by thewineraconteur

Not long after I graduated from college, the Renaissance Center was completed which completely changed the landscape of Downtown Detroit. It is an imposing structure and everybody had to make a trip there, or maybe several, if they did not work in the complex. I remember when they first opened up, it was a maze and we used to joke that people would get lost for weeks at a time there, and perchance never be seen again. It housed a lot of businesses; in fact it kind of siphoned off all of the downtown office space and moved it all to a new location. I also remember all of the jokes, which were in poor taste, after Jimmy Hoffa disappeared that he became a pillar of society as it was inferred that he was under tons of concrete, as they were pouring some of the foundations for this complex at that time.

Ch Ferran 1976

One of the venues in the Renaissance Center was the Detroit Plaza Hotel, and in the tower that they were located in, on the 71’st Floor was The Summit restaurant. At the time, they billed themselves as “atop the world’s tallest hotel.” Of course, in the world of hotels, the Plaza became the Westin, and then it became the Marriott. That is just a minor tangent and now I shall get back to the restaurant itself, which is no longer The Summit, but that is another story. The big attraction at the time was that not only did one have a great view of the city, the restaurant actually revolved, so every dining patron ended up with a great view at times.

MI The Summit MB

The restaurant had a cute concept of featuring foods from different points in the United States, but as far as I was concerned it did not do the job properly. I remember going with friends there and trying it out. From the East Coast I had Chesapeake Bay Soft Shell Crab, dusted with flour, sautéed and served with lemon butter. From the West Coast I had a California Heart of Artichoke Salad with marinated mushroom dressing. From the North I had Alaskan king crab poached with Provencal Butter. From the South was a Pecan (Praline) pie. While the concept was good, I was not impressed with the food or the service, but they did well for years without my approval, as it was a great tourist trap, or somewhere to take visiting guests to see Detroit. I had a bottle of Chateau Ferran Martillac Graves Superieures 1976. Graves is part of the Bordeaux region of France, it known both for its white wines and well as its red wines. That night I had a white Graves to go with my dinner. The area Graves, while it has a different meaning in English, refers to the “gravel” of the soil in the French language and a great bottle of Graves exemplifies the terroir of the area. This wine is basically Sauvignon Blanc with some Semillon blended in, and I am surmising about this wine, as I have no notes about it, just the label. At the time, I was trying the wines of Graves, often with a hit or miss success rate, and I really should go and try them again.

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The Sheik Restaurant

Posted on August 10, 2014 by thewineraconteur

Many years ago, when I was fourteen I got my first job, working in the shadow of the Ambassador Bridge on Vernor Highway and Vinewood Street in Southwest Detroit. I remember it distinctly, because I was working for my Uncle who was willing to hire me with no experience and with no working papers; back then I seem to recall that you were supposed to have papers from the School Board to work, if you were a student, but it was just a wink-wink situation. I was working at a gas station, and for some of the readers, it may seem odd, but back then when someone pulled in for gas, the attendant not only pumped the gas, washed all the windows, checked the tire pressure, checked the fluid levels for the oil, transmission, brakes and radiator. This was spectacular service when you consider that the price of gas with tax was dirt cheap, because that summer there was a “gas war” and I remember pumping gas at 19.9 cents a gallon (and that is not a mistake). I also remember that I had to learn where the gas tank feeder was located on a variety of cars; some were behind doors on the side, some were behind the license plate holder, and then others like the Cadillac’s that had fins you had to push a button on the light assembly and swivel the whole fin assembly upwards to pump the gas into the tank. One of the other unique memories of this job was that I only had one uniform for the week and it got pretty soiled at times from gasoline, oil, grease, grime and other forms of dirt that could be found on an automobile at the time. I would have to take the Baker Bus Line from my neighborhood to where the gas station was, as my hours started after the station opened up, the real perk of the job was that several times a week, my Uncle would take me out for dinner in Downtown Detroit at The Sheik Restaurant which was located on the outskirts of Downtown, it was even outside of the old Greektown area. I mention this because my Uncle was a regular there and he always had a fresh uniform to change into, and I was in my one issue uniform, so hence we were always seated way in the back in a secluded corner because of my appearance, but what did I care.

Chateau Bel Orme Haute Medoc 1966

The Sheik Restaurant was rather unique back then as it offered Lebanese cuisine, which was different from the food in Greektown, but it was close enough to the great Armenian food that I had grown up on that it was not a stretch. I also think that they “zinged” up the dishes that my Uncle ordered, because he was a regular patron, and our families always ate very spicy and hot foods. I never saw a menu, because my Uncle would just start ordering food. The first course would be platters of cold rice grape leaves with lemon juice, Kibee Nyee (a triple ground raw lamb with parsley, onions, Bulgur and garlic) and Tabouli Salad (finely chopped greens, Bulgur, onions and tomatoes); the last two items we would then place one upon the other, because the Armenian version would blend the two dishes together and then spoon into slices of Pita bread. Then after that came the main course and there would be a platter of lamb chops, hot grape leaves stuffed with lamb and rice covered with melted butter and crushed garlic, and a platter of Shish Kebab with not only the lamb, but grilled green and hot peppers, onions and tomatoes. We ate like we were going to the Electric Chair and I have to say that my Uncle had an appetite that rivaled his teenage nephew’s.

MI The Sheik Logo

My Uncle had served in the Merchant Marines during World War II and because of that fact, when the Korean War erupted he was one of the first drafted inductees, because the Merchant Marines were not considered as having done one’s time during a war. Let us say that he was one of the oldest soldiers on the front lines that was not an officer. I remember him telling me several times, that there were periods on the front lines when the food rations never arrived, but the cigarette and beer rations always made it. I mention all of this, because my Uncle was one of the first adults that I knew that drank wine, and it was because of his being at all of the exotic ports of call during his stint in the Merchant Marines. To this day, I am not sure if the restaurant even had a liquor license or if my Uncle brought his own in for dinner, I would venture to say that they did, but back then anything was possible, especially when you are in a back corner away from the prying eyes of other patrons. My Uncle was very partial to Bordeaux wines, and I am sure that he would look askance at me if I had referred to it as Claret. The wine label that I am showing is indicative of the wines that he would drink, and of course, I was allowed to have a glass or two in his presence. Oh those were heady times to be treated like an adult at moments. The particular wine that I am showing is Chateau Bel Orme 1966 from the Tronquoy de Lalande district of the Haut-Medoc. It was a Cabernet Sauvignon blend and it is a Cru Bourgeois, meaning that it was not a rated wine from the great classification. We always had red Bordeaux wines with the meals, so I got pretty used to that wine, and what to expect from it. Talk about some early wine memories, and thankfully times were looser and not as strict when I was a lad.

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Benmiller Inn

Posted on August 8, 2014 by thewineraconteur

“Love is lovelier the second time around
Just as wonderful with both feet on the ground”

A remembrance of a get away to Benmiller Inn in Goderich, Ontario, Canada, while it seems to be oh so long ago, and then again it feels like it was just yesterday. My Bride was not even my Bride when we ventured over to this resort, it was kind of in the middle of nowhere and it still is to a degree. The Inn is a series of mills that were converted into a quaint hotel or “bed and breakfast.” The rooms were all different sizes and some were unique to find, as they had retrofitted the grist and woolen mills for accommodations. Some of the decorations were actual clothes that had been loomed at the mill, and some of the furniture, as in the headboards, side tables, etc, was made from the machinery that had been disassembled and reclaimed for other uses and decorations. There was also an enclosed pool and spa, and an enclosed jogging area for when the weather was not agreeable. We were there during good weather, so we could not watch all of the skiers use the trails that surrounded the grounds. I remember we were walking around the grounds and there was a slight mist of a shower, and I ended up entertaining my future Bride with the sales pitch from The Music Man, and she stayed with me, go figure.

Vosne Romanee Malconsorts

Since my family was originally from Ontario, I had a slight bias towards Canadian restaurants back then, left over I am sure from my relatives. Canada was just getting out of the shadow of being in the Commonwealth for ages, and the food tended to be on the bland and unseasoned food genre. Since I came from an Armenian heritage I was used to having spiced dishes with a lot of onions and garlic, and I was afraid that I was going to have “hospital” cuisine. Was I proven wrong at the Inn, and I was so happy about this discovery. We started out by having Caesar Salad, and this was before my Bride had her awesome recipe that I am now so spoiled by, and this salad was made in the classic way with enough garlic and anchovies to keep us both happy. My future Bride had an entrée of trout prepared with a Maple syrup rub, and I had a breast of duck that was properly prepared; so we were both happy with our choices. We finished off the meal with coffee and a Crème Brulee.

ON Benmiller Book

The wine list was not large at the time, and was more reliant on French wines, then California wines. This was also before the boon of wineries that exploded out on the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario. Since all alcoholic beverages are controlled by the province, back then there was not as many choices, and because of Quebec, I am sure that French wines were more accessible and popular in Canada, though beer was the most popular beverage especially back then. What luck to have a Pinot Noir with that meal and a proper Pinot Noir at that, as we were having a Burgundy wine from the Cote D’Or. The wine came from Domaine Thomas-Moillard a large house in Burgundy that not only had land in some of the best Crus, but also they are a major blender for other areas as well. We were having Vosne-Romanee Aux Malconsorts (the vintage year is lost as it was on a neck ring, rather then being on the actual label). Vosne-Romanee is one of the greater villages in the Cotes de Nuits district of the Cote D’Or, and it takes a while to learn how to navigate the wines of Burgundy. Aux Malconsorts is one of the Premier Crus of the village, the story goes that when the districts were being designated the various owners of Malconsorts settled for Premier Cru and did not attempt to get listed as a Grand Cru. I guess they never dreamed of how valuable the plots of land in Burgundy would become, and what a Grand Cru would have achieved, nowadays.

“There are those who’ll bet love comes but once, and yet
I’m oh, so glad we met the second time around.”

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Some Notes on a Couple of Wines Tried

Posted on August 6, 2014 by thewineraconteur

This is just a short note about a couple of bottles of wine that we tried.

Pesico

The first wine that we had was from the California Collection by Beringer Chardonnay 2010. This is a generic California Chardonnay by Beringer Vineyards of Napa Valley. This was just a light Chardonnay that would not knock your socks off, but chilled on a warm summer day it did hit the spot.

Beringer Chardonnay 2010

The other wine we tried was one of the Spanish wines that we had bought from Elie Wines and I had written about a couple of weeks ago. I just could not resist trying one of the wines that we bought and this one was a winner. This was Nicolas Marcos Pesico 2011 and I was sad to see the end of the bottle. This is a wine designated as Vino de Calidad from the Castilla y Leon district of Spain. A blend of Carrasquin, Mencia, Verdejo Tinto and Albarin Tinto and it was just a smooth delightful wine. I guess I better get some more as there were only 575 cases of this wine made.

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Another Quick Dinner Out

Posted on August 4, 2014 by thewineraconteur

There are nights when one has to eat, and the desire to create something is missing from the equation. That was the situation the other night when I got the message, to just have a quick bite and relax. We had nothing planned for the evening, it was early in the evening and my Bride suggested going back to Fleming’s for dinner and wine. She thought that I might enjoy another glass of the Caymus Anniversary Cab and a burger, but it was a rather warm day, and I felt like something lighter; and I still can’t get over that thought as it does not sound like me.

Kris Pinot Grigio 2013

The nice thing about having a dinner in the bar area of Fleming’s is that it can be casual or the full nine yards for dining. We were just going to enjoy several small plates and share between us, and hopefully no use of cell phones as well. We started off with a couple of bowls of the house made potato chips, and then we split an order of Baked Brie, as I think this is one of my Bride’s favorite appetizers anywhere. Then we had plates of Tenderloin Carpaccio with a creamy Mustard Sauce with capers, greens and Crostinis. There was also a plate of the Salt and Pepper Shrimp with battered green beans and battered lemon slices (which were like candy almost). The last plate that we shared was Roasted Mushroom Ravioli and I think this was the winner of the evening as it just had a wonderful flavor, in fact we should have ordered another plate, it was that good, but in actuality we were full from these small plates with no room for dessert.

Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

We started off with glasses of Kris Pinot Grigio IGT 2013. Kris Wines are from the Trentino-Alto Adige area of Italy that I have discussed in the near past, this is the summer, and so a Pinot Grigio is always a good choice on a warm day. It is light, a bit acidic and very refreshing. The other wine that we tried that evening was from Avalon Winery of Napa Valley. The Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 carries a California appellation as it is a blend of grapes from three areas; Napa Valley, Paso Robles and Lodi. It was a very tasty wine, but I think it was a bit heavy for the small plates that we were sharing, but I think that I may give it another try with other dishes. That evening I think the Pinot Grigio was the winner even with the Tenderloin Carpaccio, what can I say, I must be a slight rebel to bend the rules at times.

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MWWC: Friend

Posted on August 2, 2014 by thewineraconteur

I guess the epitome of a friend, when it comes to wine, is if they would not want to share a glass of Screaming Eagle wine. That is not to say that I would not share, in fact, I offered the first taste of this famous cult wine and was told that it was all for me, because they would not want to spoil their appreciation for the other wines of the world. This is another entry in the Monthly Wine Writing Challenge, and the theme is Friend, as proffered by last month’s winner Dracaena Wines.

wine-stain Monthly Wine Challenge

A “friend” as a theme is perfect and the light bulb immediately lit up above my slowly balding pate. This could only be about my best friend that I have known for around twenty-one years. I remember the first evening when we met and we were drinking mixed drinks, not even a glass of wine. Later that evening, I already knew that she was to be my Bride. Who is a better “friend” to associate wine with, then my Bride? It has been a wonderful ride for the both of us, and like all couples there are some downs, but they are far out numbered by the ups and all the great memories.

When we first started comparing notes about our likes and dislikes, I discovered that she basically only ate fish and fowl and only like white wines. Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with white wines, in fact some of the best wines that I have had are white, but I knew that this was a wonderful moment to start teaching a neophyte about how good a red wine could be. I also knew that I had to get her to start eating red meat as well. How does Professor Henry Higgins proceed without sounding like Professor Harold Hill?

The French Laundry Lobby

I started out by trying to woo her, with my very limited culinary skills and made her an Armenian version of what is known in the states as Shepherd’s Pie; a garlicky lamb dish surrounded by potatoes. That was the night I introduced her to one of my favorite go-to wines and it still is, namely Marquis de Riscal Rioja and the Tempranillo grape varietal. I think she fell in love with the wine, and maybe me, just a little bit. Her appreciation for red wines were growing and evolving. Some of the wines were immediate hits like the Rioja wine, and others were slower to get on her hit parade, though Clarets and Cotes du Rhone were also accepted very quickly. It took time, but she even discovered white wines that were not a Chardonnay, but she is no fan of the Zinfandel, either white or red, but I did trick her a bit at the French Laundry with our wine for dinner.

What a friendship that evolved, there were trips, dinners and wines. While she was always more worldly in travel and the desire to try all types of cuisines, I was and maybe still am more parochial then she. My world was wines even when I never left the state, really until we met. There were white wines, and gradually more and more red wines, until the student may have become more learned then the teacher. The wine tastings, the parties and it seemed that there was a whirlwind of activity of food and drinks. I watched as she became more confident about what she was tasting, and how quickly she learned what she did not like, though sometimes if I thought there was a star that she missed, I had to tactfully (me tactful?) try to get her to give something a second chance.

screamingeaglelabelv2

We started visiting wineries in Napa Valley, Carmel Valley, the Traverse City and area of Michigan, and even in the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario, Canada. So many wines to try, to decide if we should bring some home, and over the years, we have brought home more cases then I wish to count. It is fun to watch her decide if she likes a wine or not; and she is always game to try a new wine. Sometimes she tries wines when we are apart and she brings home a case of two of wines that she enjoyed without me. I may be the envy of wine drinkers and Bloggers alike. While I may have spoiled her, by introducing her to wines in my cellar, it really was her that has spoiled me. Sometimes she has to be the firm adult when I get too carried away in a restaurant or in a wine shop. There is no need to mention that we have been to wonderful, if not famous restaurants and resorts over the years, as I have written about some, and there are still more to be written about. I have to laugh that sometimes she buys wines in a restaurant by the price and works backwards to finding something that she will enjoy, because she knows that I will try to reach for the stars.

When I think of some of the wines that she has skipped, because her passion is for the wine, and not necessarily for a producer, so I have had a glass of Screaming Eagle, Latour, Lafitte, Mouton and Margaux, while she has demurred, because as she claims that she may not be able to appreciate the wines or doesn’t want to spoil her taste buds, I think she tries to allow me to have a bit more of some of these legendary wines. She has more then hinted that for our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary she would like to go to Italy and who am I to disagree, as I do believe there are a few wineries over there to visit as well. As I said my Bride is the epitome of a friend, if I went into our library and delved into the large dictionary on the stand and looked up “friend” her picture would be there, above the definition.

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“The Caller” and Dinner at the Black Pearl

Posted on July 31, 2014 by thewineraconteur

Oliver at The Winegetter gave my friend the sobriquet of “The Caller.” He tried to apologize to me, as he had not had any wines of note lately, as he has been enjoying the resurgence of craft liquors and cocktails, a subject all to themselves. It had been sometime since we had dinner with them, so we all met in the city of Ann Arbor, and we decided to dine at the Black Pearl.

Dominio de Ugarte Rioja Reserva 2007

The Black Pearl is located on Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor and the street is alive in the early evening with diners and revelers. It is one of the many establishments that now have dining on the sidewalk outside of the main restaurant, though because of the chance of rain, we chose a table on the inside, but along the bar, instead of in the dining room. I had heard plenty of rave reviews from an assortment of people, so it was high time to try the restaurant out. In social media I have a “friend” that is associated with the restaurant as well, but he was not there that evening, and another friend’s son is working there and I had the pleasure to meet him that evening.

Jean Chartron Rully Montmorin 2012

The restaurant is known for their fish dinners and we were all touted to try the Fish Tacos from several of the employees at different times as we entered into the establishment. We started off by sharing two different appetizers; one was the Fish Tacos, which the restaurant furnished a fourth one, as the plate only called for three, and we also had Shrimp Guacamole with chips that were also house made. I have to say that the appetizers were a harbinger of good food for the rest of the evening. “The Caller” and his charming wife both ordered Coffee Encrusted Filets that came with Sweet Potato Risotto and Broccoli. While my Bride had Sesame Seed Seared Ahi Tuna with the proper sides and I had the St. Louis Spare Ribs. I found it rather amusing that we were in a fish restaurant and three of the four entrée plates that were ordered were not fish, but each plate was excellent, as we were sharing portions back and forth with each other. With our coffee after dinner we enjoyed a Hot Molten Chocolate Lava Cake, a Chocolate Malted Cheesecake and some Fresh Mint and Dark Chocolate Ice Cream. Suffice it to say that we were all members of the “Clean Plate Club” by the time dessert was ended.

We had started the evening off with some cocktails that each person wanted to try, but as for me, an old curmudgeon I stuck with my Vermouth Cocktail as I like how it prepares my taste buds for the upcoming meal. During the appetizer course we enjoyed a bottle of Jean Chartron Rully “Montmorin” 2012, a wonderful bottle of Chardonnay from the Cote Chalonnais which is between Cote de Beaune and the Maconnais. This is a Chardonnay wine that has that pleasant taste of a White Burgundy without the big price tag, which a White Burgundy can have. It was fresh and acidic and a totally different taste compared to the Chardonnay wines of the New World. While we were enjoying our appetizers, the second bottle of wine was uncorked and allowed to breathe for a while. Since we all enjoy a full bodied red wine, even my Bride with her fish, I was looking for a wine that would be enjoyable with the different dishes ordered. There were a couple of wines that would have fit the bill admirably, but since I am a lover of old films, one of the wines had the name Ugarte, and I immediately thought of the small, but important role that Peter Lorre played in Casablanca and I was hooked. I know that this sounds like a strange way to pick out a wine, but it is the same way I sometimes handicap a horse at the track. The wine was Dominio de Ugarte Rioja Reserva 2007, so I figured that it was a sure bet for dinner. This is a Tempranillo and Graciano wine from the Rioja Alava, and since it was a Reserva it had a year long stay in American Oak barrels before bottling, according to the rules of Rioja. It was excellent, but then I had introduced everyone at the table to Rioja wines many times before, so they were all for it, without any hesitation and it lived up to the expectations that we had for it.

MI The Black Pearl BC

Due to the busy schedules, we also made plans to have dinner again in November, which is how hectic times can be during certain parts of the year, so “The Caller” will return for sure then, if not sooner. As for the rain, it decided to wait until we had all gotten back to our cars for the drive home to finish a perfect evening.

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The Fourth Annual Woodrow Wilson Junior High School Reunion

Posted on July 29, 2014 by thewineraconteur

A lot of people will be shaking their heads when they see the title of a Junior High School reunion. The alumni of this South Western area of Detroit just shake their head in agreement. Most people grow up and they had continuous friendships from Elementary School to High School. In Detroit that may still be possible, but what happens is that perhaps five Elementary School students all attend a Junior High School and then they may be splintered off to four or five different High Schools either because of geography or academic pursuits. I did have the privilege of going to three schools with some of my classmates, but in High School we were all split up due to the curriculums that were offered. Woodrow Wilson Junior High School created a bond among a diverse group of students that has withheld the years. The reunion is also unique because it is open to any student that attended, no matter the year of graduation, and the reunion has also accepted the students from the area that attended parochial schools as well, because all of the students grew up mingling with other students.

Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio 2013

One has to respect the dedication and devotion of the volunteers that strive to get this reunion to work, and I can speak from a past reunion with some authority. The purpose of the party foremost is to get friends together, and for the price of twenty five dollars one can attend the reunion and have a buffet dinner with three different entrée choices, plus all the extras. There was also beer, pop and mixes that were offered for the price of entry. There was also a Disc Jockey who played only music from the years of the alumni that were attending, and some Karaoke thrown in for good measure. Then there was a large sheet cake to celebrate the occasion and later in the evening there were even boxes of pizzas delivered to the tables, in case there was still some hunger; quite the value for the price of admission.Tomaiolo Pinot Grigio 2012
Not all of the alumni were drinking beer, though it seemed to be the beverage of choice for the evening. I had the chance to try a couple of wines that evening, and I am sure that no one will be surprised at this bit of news. Both of the wines were Italian Pinot Grigio wines and they really hit the spot on a warm day, and I must say that Mother Nature even graced the affair by holding off raining, though there was a thirty to forty percent chance of rain.WJHS 4th Reunion Ticket
The first bottle that I will discuss was a Tomaiolo Pinot Grigio delle Venezie IGT 2012. A very soft bottle of wine that was refreshing and as a side notes almost seventy percent of “Della Venezie IGT” is Pinot Grigio (also known as Pinot Gris in France). The Venezie is not the Venice that one immediately thinks of with the gondolas and canals, but is part of Tre Venezie (or Three Venices) in the Tyrol section of Northern Italy and the three areas are now known as Veneto, Friuli-Venezia and Trentino and Trentino-Alto Adige.  The other wine from the evening that I will discuss is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Valdadige DOC 2013. Valdadige is from Trentino-Alto Adige and the Adige Valley. This winery was one of the first to make their wines more like the French with limited time for the skins to react with the pressing of the grapes to keep the wine white, instead of being tinged with color from the skins. Santa Margherita is considered one of the best Pinot Grigio wines of the entire area and I may have to agree that it was the best Pinot Grigio that I have ever tried.

Wilson Reunion Name Tag
My only complaint for the evening was that it was the same day as the “Dream Cruise” one of the big parades of vintage and muscle cars that go up and down one of main roads, and is extremely popular and causes a lot of pride in the Motor City and the adjoining suburbs.  My complaint about the “Dream Cruise” is that it took me almost an hour to travel a route that should have only been about twenty minutes, and I hope this will be taken into consideration the next year.  A toast to the wonderful job the Chairman and his staff did for this reunion, and I propose a toast to the able committee that has not yet volunteered for the Fifth Reunion.

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A Casual Dinner

Posted on July 27, 2014 by thewineraconteur

It was time for a quick dinner, but a nice dinner. There are only a few restaurants that I go to repeatedly and Fleming’s Steak House is one of them. When we are in a hurry we like to eat in the bar area, as opposed to the dining room, perhaps a little louder, but a more casual atmosphere and since the food all comes from the same kitchen, all is good.

Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

We were taking advantage of their special early dinner menu that is only offered in the bar, and since we were in a hurry, why not? We shared a dish of Baked Brie as well as a bowl of their house made potato chips that are extra crispy and are much better than any commercial chips that are on the market. My Bride chose a new dish for her, Salt and Pepper Shrimp which was tasty and not salty like she was a bit concerned about, as that is not her favorite spice. My self I decided to have their burger, which is one of the best bar burgers I have ever encountered, though they eliminated the onion rings and it now comes with French fries, but these fries also had taste to them. So often when I end up with a side of fries, they end up on the plate after I am through eating, because most places make them with out any regard to flavor or taste. These were well cooked and flavorful, who knows I may start liking potatoes again.

Terranoble Sauvignon Blanc 2013

My Bride much to my amazement wanted to have a cocktail instead of a glass of wine, because there was a “Blueberry Lemon Drop” being offered that she thought sounded intriguing, but it was a little bit tarter than she expected. I started off with a glass of Terranoble Sauvignon Blanc 2013 from the Central Valley of Chile. The Central Valley is the largest appellation for Chile and the most lax; it is like the California appellation. Afterwards I had a wonderful glass of wine that was bundled with my burger, and I did not even notice the signage on the booth table, but my Bride did, and I am so glad that she did. I was enjoying a glass of Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, which celebrates Caymus Vineyards Fortieth Anniversary in the wine business. It was a deep inky wine that was truly enjoyable, not as heady as their Special Select, but a good glass of Cab and not nearly as pricey as the Select is, as well. All in all, for a quick bite for dinner, it was a wonderful meal and I do look forward to the next time we go there, and I am sure we will.

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