Wyandotte Winery

Posted on September 7, 2014 by thewineraconteur

I was thinking about a posting that I had read from another Blogger in cyber space about how there were wineries in all fifty states, and how many different states we could say that we had tried. As we were in Columbus, Ohio and all the relatives were going to a museum that we had already visited, I went online to find if there were any wineries near by, and see if I could get my Bride interested in trying something different for the afternoon. She was eager to see what was out there, so I picked a winery and off we went.

OH Wyandotte Winery BC

Wyandotte Winery is the first and oldest winery in Central Ohio, and is now in the hands of the third owners. The first two winemakers were more eclectic from what I gather, and the new owners are more varietal oriented in their venture. As we drove around until we finally found the winery, I was almost ready to turn around, as we were in the midst of a residential neighborhood, with no vineyards visible. We went in, and I am sure that I was not the first to ask, if this was a real winery, as even the structure was more of a domicile in appearance. I was assured that it was indeed a winery and the wine making was done in the cellar of the building. The winery buys grapes from Ohio and beyond and makes their wine as they desire. I later found that they have actually begun a small vineyard, and are in the process of buying more land and/or an existing vineyard. The young man that we started with for the tasting, after I related that I have a Blog, as small of a following as I have, decided to have another employee take over the duties of entertaining us, as well as pouring us tastings. We met Valerie Coolidge, the “Chief Whiner” and spouse of the owner and wine maker of Wyandotte Winery, we ended up having a grand old time and probably kept her captive for a couple of hours with discussions of wines. They had an assortment of different labels, all with artwork featuring buildings that had interest to Columbus and Central Ohio as landmarks. They were not trying to gouge the public, as they charged a dollar for every pour of wine, with a maximum of ten pours. Valerie was regaling us with stories about the wine, the labels and life in general; she was a fine raconteur in her own right.

Wyandotte Tower City Cabernet Sauvignon                                         Wyandotte Heirloom Chardonnay

Wyandotte Glass Garden Vidal Blanc

I will mention the wines that we tried, as we kind of bounced around on the tasting sheet, but we were having fun. We tried “Heirloom” which was an Ohio Chardonnay, with no oak and fruit from Lancaster, it was crisp. “Our Heritage” was a blend of Carmenere and Malbec, and naturally the fruit came from Chile. “Tower City” was Cabernet Sauvignon and the fruit came from Lodi, California. “Ice House” was an Ohio Gewurztraminer, but it was less spicy then the ones that I enjoy from Michigan. “Glass Garden” was an Ohio Vidal Blanc a sweeter wine with grapes that are very popular up in the Niagara Falls district of Ontario. “Vin de Cacao” was a Chocolate infused wine that came out slightly sweet using the wine of “Our Heritage.” “Grandstand” was an Ohio Catawba, the sweet grapes that is grown throughout the Midwest and the along the Atlantic Coast. “Sweet William” was a blend of two different Ohio grapes, and for those working on the Century Club, two more esoteric varietals, the Ohio Foch and Niagara, both of which are “cold hardy” grapes. We also tried after being touted by Valerie the “Vintage Harbor Reserve” a fortified dessert wine made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in a Port style. We were going to skip the fruit wines, but Valerie brought us over two glasses of “Raspberry Summer” and had us taste the wine, and then she produced two Hershey Dark Chocolate kisses and had us try the wine again after eating the candy, and I must say it made all the difference in the world; though as my Bride said to me in an aside, that she could not eat that much chocolate to enjoy a bottle of the wine.

Wyandotte Ice House Gewurztraminer

Wyandotte Grandstand Catawba                                            Wyandotte Our Heritage Malbec Carmenere

The winery also stages events, different dinners and even has private parties. Valerie made our visit so enjoyable, and you can see that she enjoys her position very well. We left after purchasing a Port decanter and wine glasses and six bottles of wine. My Bride selected three bottles of “Vin de Cacao,” two bottles of “Glass Garden” and a bottle of “Vintage Harbor Reserve.” It was a great way to spend some time and to try some new wines.

Wyandotte Vin de Cacao                                            WyandotteVintage Harbor

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A Second Night in Columbus, Ohio

Posted on September 5, 2014 by thewineraconteur

It was a day of logistics to get all the cousins and their parents coordinated, so they could go off for a day trip to the National Museum of the United States Air Force located at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base, while my Bride and I had our own day trip. We all met again in the evening at the hotel, so that the fourteen of us could attempt to have dinner again as a unit. We were not sure what to expect, and we even started attempting to figure out seating for different groupings, but the God’s were accommodating and we were able to get another table for fourteen with out much of a delay.

La Vite Lucente Toscana 2011

Since the area that we were staying in was very nice, we saw an Italian restaurant, and decided that we should all go there. I had a few ideas, but with six children among us, a couple of the restaurants were very iffy, so we adjusted our expectations. We ended up going to Marcella’s Italian Kitchen in the Polaris Parkway area of Columbus. We chose well, as Marcella’s is another restaurant under the umbrella of Cameron Mitchell, the restraunteur extraordinaire of Columbus. We have dined at, and I have written about other Cameron Mitchell restaurants and I am sure that I will be at others as well, as he does an excellent job in his chosen profession. Suffice it to say that we had one long table covered with plates of food, from appetizers on up. My Bride had a Shellfish Risotto with Lobster and Shrimp, while I went with a classic Veal Marsala, as a side note I thoroughly enjoy veal, but we have never tried preparing it at home, so it is always a treat. The restaurant did a wonderful job and none of the children even got restless, and they all ate what they had ordered, so life was beyond good.

Talbott Logan Pinot Noir 2010

Prior to going out for dinner, a couple of us got together at our suite, and we enjoyed a bottle of Talbott Logan Pinot Noir 2010 from the Sleepy Hollow Vineyard in Santa Lucia Highlands. The Talbott winery has always held a place close to my heart, as Rob Talbott is the heir of the Talbott Clothing Company of Carmel, famous for their neckwear and accessories that I had sold for years in other lives. The Logan designation is named for one of his children, just in case you had some curiosity about it. As for our wine with our dinner at the restaurant we enjoyed a couple of bottles of La Vite Lucente Toscana IGT 2011. This is the second wine from the Luce wines, hence “Lucente” and it is from Tuscany, but it is a blend of Merlot and Sangiovese, and not an appellation driven wine. This wine was aged for twelve months in barrels and is a joint venture of Merchesi De’ Frescobaldi and the Robert Mondavi Families. A deep purple wine that paired with the Italian cuisine and everyone enjoyed it.

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Cantina Laredo

Posted on September 3, 2014 by thewineraconteur

We had arrived in Columbus earlier then the other members of the family that were meeting us, which was fine. My daughter had went and challenged me to do the ALS Ice Bucket challenge, and I figured since I had to do it within twenty-four hours, that I would record the event, when I got to the hotel. The hotel had an indoor swimming pool and a hot tub area, so I figured that would be the best place to do it, and I would only have to worry about the swimsuit drying, before our return trip, and I would not have to have soaking wet clothes from the endeavor. The hot tub area was being used by a family and they watched with glee, as I went through being recorded by my Bride. So I used the pool instead and the water in the pool was cool enough that the ice wasn’t as traumatic as I had expected, because I had warned my daughter on film, that if I had a coronary, she was going to be cut out of the will. She is safe for the moment.

Brancott Estates Sauvignon Blanc 2013

We got back to the room and changed for dinner, and by that time the other two parties had arrived and we started to make plans for dinner. There was a very nice indoor/outdoor mall across the road from the hotel and we went over to a restaurant and made a reservation at a famous national chain that is known for their extensive menu and a decent wine list and booked a table for fourteen. We were told about an hour wait and they gave me a beeper, and everyone went off shopping. After an hour I went back to see how our reservation was going and I was told that I was only gone for twenty minutes and that it would be at least an hour and half longer wait; and that was not good news since eight of the attendees for dinner were children. We saw another restaurant in the complex Cantina Laredo, which advertised “Modern Mexican” and we inquired about a table for fourteen and that had us taken care of, by the time I got back from returning the beeper that I returned to the first restaurant. Needless to say this restaurant was eager to please and a table for fourteen would produce a nice dinner tab when all was over. The table was overflowing with food, as we had several different appetizers ordered for sharing and then fourteen entrée plates that ended up being shared as well. In fact, because after some cocktails we tried ordering a French rose wine, since the weather was hot and humid and a rose sounded good, but they were out. To make it up to us, the restaurant sent some additional appetizers to the table, so there was plenty to eat.

OH Cantina Laredo BC

As I said the weather was hot and humid, so we were looking for something refreshing to have in the way of wine for dinner. Since the French Rose was a no-go, we chose Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2013. I was surprised to see on the label “the original Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc” and knew that it would require some more research. Sauvignon Blanc is the varietal that is famous in New Zealand, and Marlborough is the largest area for viticulture in New Zealand. Wine growing was introduced about a hundred years ago, but it was only in the 1970’s that it was grown in a commercial style. In fact for years the Muller-Thurgau was planted and it was pulled and Sauvignon Blanc was replanted and it has thrived in that climate, though there are mixed reviews by some about the quality of some of the wines. It turns out that Brancott Estate was originally Montana and they were the first to grow Sauvignon Blanc successfully as a vineyard, so I guess they can rightfully claim the statement. The initial taste for everyone was grapefruit, but as the wine warmed and breathed a bit, it mellowed out and seemed to be a nice pairing with the spicy foods that were ordered, and the night ended up good from a shaky start.

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An Afternoon Respite

Posted on September 1, 2014 by thewineraconteur

We just recently got back from a short trip to Columbus, Ohio. You may think it is reckless to have Michigan license plates on your car and venture into the city, but all was fine and it was a wonderful trip. We went down with three of the grandchildren and their parents, as we were meeting our relatives from Louisville, Kentucky who came up with three of their children for a get-together before school started. There were a couple of day trips were scheduled for all the cousins and a good time for the adults as well.

Chateau Cheval Blanc 1985

After one of the day trips, my Sister-in-Law and her husband stopped at our suite to relax and have some wine. I know that that sounds so strange for wine lovers, as the four of us are. My Bride had packed some wine for the trip, along with cheese and fruit and other assorted snacks. If you saw our car and luggage one might have thought we were moving, with our portable electric refrigerator for the car.

La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2012

We had opened up a bottle of La Crema Chardonnay 2012 from the Sonoma Coast, which is always a safe bet for a bottle of wine. For an afternoon drink on a Summer day it had hit the spot, and our in-laws always enjoy a glass of Chardonnay or two, along with us. Then my Brother-in-Law brought out a bottle for us to enjoy as well, and I was blown away. He handed me a bottle of Chateau Cheval Blanc 1985, a Grand Cru from Saint-Emilion and one of the most famous bottles of wine from the Bordeaux. It is one of only four wineries that are designated as a Premier Grand Cru Classe. The vineyard is planted with Cabernet Franc, Merlot as well as some Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has been featured in such diverse films as “Never Say Never Again,” “Ratatouille” and “Sideways.” In “Sideways” one of the main characters Miles is constantly berating Merlot (and those of you who know me, know that I am very fond of this varietal) and there is a famous scene in the film where he is drinking a Chateau Cheval Blanc 1961 from a Styrofoam cup while eating a hamburger and fries at a diner. While we were mentioning this film, we were getting ready to open the bottle, as my Brother-in-Law was concerned about the age of the wine. After removing the foil cap, he started to uncork the bottle and the cork began to crumble, but with style and finesse he actually was able to uncork this very long cork, though it is too bad that it was broken, as it would have been a great keepsake on its own merit. The moment had arrived, as we all tasted the wine at the same time. The wine may have lost some of its power, but it was still very mellow. The tannins and fruit were very soft, but one could see the elegance of the wine was still there, and we knew that it was a fine wine, and we knew that we would not have anything as fine as that later in the evening with a table of fourteen for dinner, especially one that could handle the taste buds of six children.

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Some New Offices

Posted on August 30, 2014 by thewineraconteur

I had the privilege of attending a party to showcase the new suites for an accountant. I went as a guest and the leasing agency for the building had a wonderful affair to show off the new units, along with the local chamber of commerce. The gentleman was ecstatic over his new location, and it was a moment of serendipity that it all came together just at the right moment. The suites were even furnished, so he did not have to worry about that aspect. Between the local chamber of commerce and their commendable work, and his clientele there was quite a crowd there that evening. I even had the good fortune to run into a member of my dinner club and his spouse at the event, and we were both surprised to see each other.

Sycamore Lane Chardonnay 2012

The leasing agency did a wonderful job to showcase the suites, and they had a beverage center at one end and a selection of charcuterie, cheese and assorted other finger foods at the other end. There were also some servers with trays of hot appetizers for the guests to enjoy as well. There was another room set up with coffee and an assortment of desserts to finish the experience for everyone. It was first class and very well done.

Sycamore Lane Red Wines

At the beverage center there were a choice of wines from Sycamore Lane; the choices were a Chardonnay, a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon, all with a California designation. I tried the Chardonnay and the Cabernet Sauvignon and they were both good choices for this type of an affair. Sycamore Lane is one the thirty-four labels from the Trinchero Family Estates group of wines. The Sycamore Lane group is a food-service only line of wines, so it is not available directly to the public. It is designed to be the house wine for bars, restaurants and catering companies, and since it is a “blind item” in regards to price, no one can complain that they are getting a second rate wine, because it is unknown in the retail world. I think the Trinchero Family Estates did a fine job with these wines and the niche market that they are focused on.

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Another Dinner Club Meeting

Posted on August 28, 2014 by thewineraconteur

My dinner club is a venerable old society that was founded in the late 1800’s in Detroit. The Detroit Philatelic Society was even honored when the City of Detroit celebrated their 300’Th Anniversary as one of the oldest clubs still in existence, and by chance that was the year that I was President of the group. Some of the original and early members have their names on businesses and streets in the metropolitan area. I do not claim membership in that august and elite group that I cited, but I have been a member for years and thoroughly enjoy the group. The original group would have the meetings at a member’s home, but since most homes cannot handle a dinner party for up to forty-five diners let alone a spouse or staff to prepare the dinner, we now meet in restaurants around the area, according the largesse of the hosting members for the evening. The group tends to frequent just a handful of restaurants through out the year, because most places no longer have a private room that can handle the membership, which is a shame.

Layer Cake Shiraz 2012

Our last meeting was held at The Courthouse Grille in Plymouth, Michigan and I have discussed the history of this restaurant in prior articles. Most of the meetings have a similar menu, which is a salad, a choice of three different entrée dishes (normally a meat, a chicken and a fish choice) and dessert. The most common item that we always seem to have is a chocolate sundae for dessert, and that was almost a fixture from the time of our late illustrious secretary, who assumed the duties from his Father who also held the office for decades before his son. There is always a cocktail hour before dinner, which allows everyone to mingle and kibitz. This past meeting we were allowed a choice of Barbequed Ribs, Barbequed Chicken or Grilled Salmon. As some of you may have noticed from my writings that I tend to be a bit fussy about my dinner selections, and when I found that the ribs fall off of the bone, I had made my decision. I find it very unappealing to have to pick up and gnaw on a bone, but that is my peccadillo and I can live with it.

MI The Courthouse Grille Menu 2014

With this group I do enjoy having a cocktail before dinner; there is just something about traditions that must be maintained. I remember one member that I used to be a fellow host with, who had joined in 1928. He would scout out the seat that he desired for the meal and laid out his required accoutrements for the evening. He would count out twelve cigarettes and three small intermission cigars and line them up, just above his plate. He would then order two “Boiler-makers” and a glass of either Brandy or Cognac (depending on the venue); of course this was way back when drinking and smoking were “derigueur” in restaurants and clubs. My self I am happy with a Whiskey Sour before dinner with this group and then a glass or two of wine with dinner. This particular evening I had a Layer Cake Shiraz 2012 from South Australia, and it took a few minutes to decide, as they have a nice selection of wines by the glass to choose from. I enjoyed this full bodied wine that have enough flavor to stand up to the Barbequed Ribs, nothing worse then having too soft of a tasting wine to pair with dinner.

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A Quick Dinner in Northville

Posted on August 26, 2014 by thewineraconteur

Some dinners are planned and other dinners are by happenstance. This was one evening, as a fine gentleman had passed away, much too soon and very respected in his community. The funeral home was totally congested and we parked about three blocks away, and then we had to stand in the rain until there was room for us to enter, which shows how beloved the individual was. Even the chance to sign the guest book had a long line, but we were happy to pay our respects to a couple of the family members, and alas, we had to make it quick, because there were so many behind us that wanted to do to the same.

Clayhouse Malbec 2011

After we left, we started to walk to our car, but we decided to have dinner before we left Northville, and as we were walking by a restaurant that we had been to before, it just seemed natural. Needless to say, we were not the only ones with this thought in our mind, as the restaurant was packed as well, and I would venture that it was because of where we had just left. My Bride and I decided that the wait for a table was going to be long and there were two seats at the end of the bar, and we were told that it would be fine for us to have dinner there. So we had some classic comfort bar-food. My Bride surprised me and ordered a chopped Black Angus burger with sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions and cheddar cheese on a brioche. I ordered the Kobe beef and veal meatloaf with whipped potatoes, green bean casserole, crispy onions with red wine demi sauce gravy. The meals were filling and quick, as the restaurant continued to get packed with more diners as we went into the evening.

Concannon Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

My Bride decided to have a glass of Concannon Cabernet Sauvignon 2012. We have another wine from this winery, but not the Cabernet Sauvignon and she enjoyed it with her burger. This wine has a California designation, so the grapes can be harvested from anywhere in the state and these wines tend to be more fruit forward and designed to be enjoyed after bottling, and not to be cellared. I had chosen a wine, also from a winery that we had tried before. I had a glass of Clayhouse Vineyards Malbec 2011 from Paso Robles. This was a deep inky wine and delivered a full bodied glass of wine from this varietal that seems to do quite well in California, and I am enjoying more and more wines from Paso Robles and the entire Central Coast. As we were leaving, my Bride said that I had picked the better of the two wines, but since we were sharing, all was good. It was also a nice way to remember the fine gentleman, as he always wanted me to have a glass of wine, when we would run into each other.

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The City of Lathrup Village

Posted on August 24, 2014 by thewineraconteur

Somehow the sound of it sounds incongruous, but because of the many laws governing municipalities some villages do indeed become cities. Townships get incorporated, but then they are just referred to as “the city of.” I found myself in tow with my Bride to a “Night Out in Lathrup” and it was fun. Let me explain that Lathrup Village is less then one and a half square miles in size and it is located within the City of Southfield. The community was the dream of Louise Lathrup Kelley who purchased the land and basically created a planned and controlled community, where the houses could only be built with masonry construction, that there would be an attached garage to the house, as well as a fireplace in the basement as well as a second fireplace. In fact most of Lathrup Village is in the National Register of Historic Places. There are parks in the neighborhoods, and it is a beautiful community. There are no bars, no chain or fast food restaurants and there is no shopping center either. Since Lathrup Village is situated within another city, most of the streets dead end on the perimeter of the community as a way to impede automotive traffic from cutting through its neighborhoods. I found all of this totally fascinating, and that explains why my Bride often talks of wanting to live there, but that is another story.

Woodbridge Chardonnay 2013

A “Night Out in Lathrup” is a community event; even though we do not live there we attended the function. There was a huge tent erected behind the city hall with long rows of dining tables and chairs set up, just off of a gazebo and the war memorial for the city. There was a separate trailer set up for beverages, and under the tent was a long table of food arranged by a catering company for the evening, as they were honoring some individuals for their continued community service. For the price of ten dollars a ticket, one could enjoy fresh watermelon, Cole slaw, potato salad. Baked beans and chicken, and later on in the evening one had a choice of either two gelatos or a sorbet. The other part of the evening was a large trailer that the city rented that opened up into a stage and there was a seven-piece band that entertained for the evening with dance music in the style of a Jimmy Buffett. My Bride and I took advantage of the music and danced on a section of the parking lot that had been cordoned off in front of band and between the tented area.

MI Lathrup Village Ticket

The beverage trailer had an assortment of beer and two liter bottles of assorted wines that they were selling by the glass, but one could only enjoy the wine under the tent, I guess this is to cover liability rules for a community event. I notice a few different bottles from the Woodbridge Collection by Robert Mondavi, and this collection is based in Lodi, California and the wines all have a California designation, this way they can secure the fruit from across the state as needed. The Mondavi organization must have done there homework, as this collection has been in existence for over thirty years now, and they are interested in crafting wines that can be drank young with a fruit forward taste. This wine is not for cellaring and is not made with that intention. Since it was a summer evening we enjoyed a couple of glasses of Woodbridge Chardonnay 2013 and since it was on ice, it was very enjoyable, as was the entire evening’s festivities.

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“Wears Like a Pig’s Nose”

Posted on August 22, 2014 by thewineraconteur

Isn’t that a great way to advertise a product? Actually it was, at the beginning of the last century. It was the slogan for Finck’s Overalls, which curiously are still in existence, but now known by another label. The Finck Overall Company has been intertwined with another company, known as Carhartt, which is very big in working man’s clothing and for a short time; it was the attire for the “hip-hop” trade. In fact the clothing store that I was with for most of my career had originally begun in the working man’s clothing business and they carried Finck. As the business evolved they went from the top of the line work clothes to the top of the line work clothes, but the new clientele appreciated the finest in business attire (when men wore suits). All this is a segue to an article that I remembered seeing in the paper, and then several follow ups on a Social Media site that I follow. The Finck Mansion in a part of Detroit called Indian Village, because of the names of the streets in the area, was and still is, one of the elite addresses in Detroit. The Finck Mansion was in the midst of a sale, and parts of this fine old building was being dismantled, not by scavengers that plague the city for scrap, but for fine architectural pieces of the building, and who the proper owner is in question, and the home is part of the National Registry, so the dismantling is a big no-no. I hope that I haven’t lost you yet in this introduction that seems to be rambling.

Ch Figeac 1972

I had the good fortune to be taken as a guest to a fine restaurant while I was a college student, and it was because of my avid interest in wine that got me the invitation. I guess I talked and rambled even back then. The restaurant that I was taken to was the Van Dyke Place and it was in the Finck Mansion (there I finally got there). It was a grand experience and the building was beyond my limited knowledge of what a mansion looked like, other then from the cinema. Not only was the experience grand, but so was the cuisine and the menu was in French, thankfully there was a translation as well. My host for the evening explained most of the dishes to me, and wanted me to try something new, to spread my wings, which was a scary thought to me, as I had a limited knowledge of food beyond what we usually had at home. So I tried, instead of what I considered fancy and ordering Escargot, which I had enjoyed already I tried an appetizer of artichokes with spinach done with Pernod and crab meat and Gruyere. I had bisque of shrimp as the next course (and I had had bisque of lobster before, so I was trying to be safe). The salad course concerned me, as I had really only had Italian dressing all of my life, which I still enjoy to this day, but it was a creamy dressing that had spice, so I made it through that course. I had a crispy duck for my entrée and that dish started me on a quest for duck dinners ever since. My host tried to coax me to try two other dishes, one had Foie Gras, which during the explanation of I declined, but have since learned to savor this delicacy; the other was Veal Sweetbreads, now I had eaten at home liver and kidney dishes, but this gland did not make me excited, and I still have not tried it to this day (I know that I am so pedestrian about certain things). For dessert we had fruit and cheese, and this was where I discovered that certain cheeses do not agree with me at all and I allowed my host to finish most of the cheese, though I did enjoy the vintage port that was served with that course.

MI Van Dyke Place Logo

We started off drinking cocktails and I had a Vermouth Cocktail, while my host drank a couple of Manhattans, so I was a little frou-frou compared to his manly drink of the day, but he understood why I was drinking Vermouth, as his drinks also contained Vermouth. We were discussing Clarets and I told him that I was really enjoying the wines from Saint-Emilion at the time, and he thought that was a fine choice so he selected a Grands Cru from that area. He selected a bottle of Chateau Figeac 1972. Now the varietals of choice for Saint-Emilion are Merlot and Cabernet Franc, but Chateau Figeac is from the North-western corner of the district which has a unique gravelly soil, where Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc excel. The other winery that has this soil is Chateau Cheval Blanc, so it is in great company. What a unique evening that was, and I remember years later as I was driving around in Detroit, a building was being razed and it exposed a wall of the adjoining building which had almost the entire side of the building with a painted sign which was the norm for advertising back then and it was for Finck Overalls for “the man who thinks, invests in Finck’s.”

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A Couple of Glasses of Wine at Fleming’s

Posted on August 20, 2014 by thewineraconteur

There are times when we want to have a fast meal, and rather go to a fast food emporium or a quasi-fast food place; we will run over to Flemings Steak House. Here you can have quality food and if you sit in the bar area, you won’t feel bad about having one of the best burgers around. Why have a mediocre burger, when you can go to a steak house and have some real meat in a nice setting, not to mention that they have about a hundred wines by the glass.

Domaine Lafage Cote Est Blanc 2013
One of the wines we enjoyed that night was Domaine Lafage Cote Est Blanc 2013. This is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Chardonnay and Marsanne. This particular wine is from France in the large area known as Languedoc-Rousillon, which seems to be getting more popular, or at least I seem to be noticing more wines being offered from this area. This wine is from the IGP Cotes Catalanes, which sounds more impressive then the older version Vin de Pays de Cotes Catalanes, I guess the wine industry in France is trying to eliminate the old expression of “table wine.” This was a very refreshing wine on a summer evening and it had the taste of a French white wine, I am not sure, how to explain that, but it is true.

Josep Masachs Mas Fi Brut Cava NV
The other wine we were enjoying was Josep Masachs Mas Fi Brut Cava NV from Catalonia, Spain. I really have been enjoying these sparkling wines from Spain, while not as nuanced as Champagne, they are more affordable for the most part and they still feel festive. The traditional blend for Cava wines is Xarel-lo, Macabeu and Parellada, though since 1986 Chardonnay has been allowed to be used as well, perhaps to make the wine more world-wide friendly and accepted. I have to admit that both of the wines worked well for the evening, especially in the summer time and they did work well with the “bar food” that we stopped to get.

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