I Made it to Sixty – Dinner at Marais (Part One)

Posted on September 19, 2014 by thewineraconteur

Everyone is telling me that “sixty is the new forty” and that is fine, but I don’t feel any different. My hairline may have receded and as I like to say about my waist “that my horizons have expanded,” but that has been gradual; just like this latest birthday. My Bride asked where I would like to have dinner, and I responded that I would like to try Marais, a fairly new restaurant in Grosse Pointe, but almost over night it became “THE” restaurant, in fact one of the glossy magazines named it “Restaurant of the Year” almost after they opened the doors. It is one of the magical restaurants that have Continental Service and flaunt their French Cuisine; yes I knew that I wanted to dine there, I was just waiting for the dust to settle, if any, before going there, as we do not need to be Mr. and Mrs. First Nighter.

Zinck Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rose NV

The restaurant is on the other side of town from where we live, and of course we were caught in two traffic tie-ups and we called to let them know that we might be late, actually only a few minutes, so I did not consider any of it a bad omen or a harbinger of things to expect for the evening. As we were driving out there, we discussed options for the dinner, but I knew that I wanted to experience the Chef’s Tasting or as the menu read “Menu Degustacion.” The dinner experience was such, that please beg my indulgence and I am going to cover the evening in three parts, as I think that there is a lot to cover; even though as I look back I did The French Laundry and Daniel in one article, but I was new to Blogging at the time, now I can be more leisurely. In fact, right after being seated, the Maitre’de came over, and we knew him from other restaurants and we took some time to get reacquainted and he gave us a brief history of the restaurant as well.

Domaine D'Orfeuilles Vouvray Demi Sec NV

Almost immediately after we had been seated and talked with the Maitre’ D, a beautiful wooden table was rolled over to us, and upon this table was a huge sterling silver bowl with an assortment of four different sparkling wines on ice, and if we would like to start our experience with a glass. Of course we chose two different types to try, more about them later. Our first course was the Amuse Bouchet, which was an egg that was open on the top and resting on a stainless steel cylindrical egg cup. The egg was layered with an egg custard, maple syrup, Jerez sherry vinegar, Crème Fraiche and chive. Our waiter made the suggestion that we used our spoon and attempt to get down to the bottom layer and have the spoon encompass a taste of each layer. For such a small egg, it took about three spoonfuls to finish it, because it was just too tasty to leave. This was followed up by a plate with a Tiger Prawn, accompanied with the shell. The prawn was prepared in Kataifi, a version of Phyllo dough that looks like “shredded wheat” and it was served with an Orange Jasmine Sauce. After these two courses, I was already pleased with how the dinner was going.

MI Marais BC

Now back to the wines that we had with these two courses. We chose two different sparkling wines to start off our dinner and we kept sampling each other’s glasses. The first that I will discuss is Zinck Cremant D’Alsace Brut Rose NV. This “Methode Traditionelle” wine is made from the Pinot Noir, and the Rose is from having the skins stay with the juice after the maceration process for a time to get some color. This is a classic wine from the Alsace region of France, and one can find a white version of this wine as well that is made from the Pinot Noir and the Pinot Blanc varietals. The other wine that we tried was Domaine D’Orfeuilles Vouvray Demi-Sec NV that hails from the Loire. This wine is made from the varietal that is famed for the region the Chenin Blanc, which is locally referred to as Pineau de la Loire. Chenin Blanc shines in the Loire, and is known to be a long lived white wine there, due to it natural acidity, in fact it can be overpowering in its youth and mellows with age and is known for a “nutty” taste. Both of these wines showed a steady stream of small bubbles, until the glasses were emptied and they were very enjoyable with the first two courses that we had. Need I say, more to come, about the evening and the rest of the meal.

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A Dinner Party in Windsor

Posted on September 17, 2014 by thewineraconteur

A friend in Canada is getting ready to sell his home, so he invited some people over for dinner before he moved. One forgets how much bother it seems to be to cross the border, when for years it was a piece of cake. Now it can be burdensome, but that is another story. When we looked up what we could take to his home, the website we went to was not very clear and I did not want to end up loosing a good bottle of wine or two, so we went to the Duty Free Shop in anticipation of getting some wine. What a joke, in regards to the selection, so we bought a bottle of Chevas Regal to take as a gift; after all a good bottle of Scotch will never go to waste. We went out to his house and he is actually out on the way to Kingsville, which was a place I went to for years as a kid for our summer holidays, so even after all of these years, I still kind of remembered where I was going. He had a beautiful rambling ranch with an in ground pool and enclosed gazebo dining area in the back yard. His property was large and it was getting to be too much upkeep as he is retired.

Antiche Terre Valpolicella Ripasso 2012

He was the perfect host and he began the afternoon with a large assortment of appetizers and cheeses. Our hosts then served a salad, and then there was a pause as dinner was being made, so we continued with more of the appetizers. Dinner was being done on the grill. A huge selection of vegetables was being grilled and at the same time, some of the largest filets that I have ever seen were also being grilled. The filets must have been close to a pound a piece and when he was finished the vegetables and the meat were perfectly cooked and the six of us enjoyed the meal with relish. I was impressed with how well the filets came out considering the size of them.

Casa Al Vento Aria Chianti Classico 2011

Thankfully our host had gone to the Liquor Control Board store and had purchased some wines for the evening, because if he had depended on what I could have bought at the Duty Free Shop it would have been a sad story to relate. Now in Ontario, the provincial government has a virtual monopoly on the sale of all alcoholic beverages and you must go to one of their stores; when I was a kid I remember that the state of Michigan at one time was the retailer for liquor as well, but that had changed years ago. Our host had served us three different wines that afternoon that he had purchased, and he told me that his criteria for buying them was that they were red Italian wines. He did a fine job without much guidance from the LCB. The first bottle that he opened was an Antiche Terre Valpolicella Ripasso 2012 from the Veneto district. I have had many Valpolicella wines, but this wine was unique in that it was a Ripasso, the wines are re-fermented and are tannin rich from coming into contact for a second time with the skins of the grapes. This wine came from the Classico section of Valpolicella according to DOC regulations and normally has the three classic varietals of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, but by law four other varietals can also be used and they are Rossignola, Negrara Trentina, Barbera and Sangiovese. This was a wonderful wine to start the afternoon off with. The next wine that we opened was Casa al Vento “Aria” Chianti Classico 2011 from Tuscany. Chianti is the oldest established Viticultural area and the policing of the rules have gotten stricter after some problems that are now history. This wine is made from the Sangiovese varietal, though it sometimes seen by the native names of Canaiolo or Colorino. This wine was a perfect follow up to the Valpolicella and it was very smooth and drinkable. The final wine that was opened in time for the filets was Casale dello Sparviero Chianti Classico Riserva 2010. This wine while following the regulations required for Chianti Classico, because it was a Riserva must be aged at least twenty-four months at the winery, before it can be released. Not only was the conversation and the food wonderful and a great way to spend the afternoon, I was amazed that the selection of wines that our host had picked were great and that they were even served in a crescendo style of quality and taste that I would have done myself, if I had to choose the order.

Casale dello Sparviero Chianti Classico Riserva 2010

After a wonderful time at his house, plans were made for us to reciprocate dinner for everyone at a later time this year. The only false note of the day, and it had nothing to do with our hosts, the other couple or us, was getting back into the United States. The traffic at the bridge was not bad, but our luck in choosing a line was, and we encountered a self appointed martinet at customs that asked rather inane questions about friendship, and then finally allowed us back, after he ascertained that the bottle that was purchased at the Duty Free Shop was in Canada, as it was given as a gift (and I think he had a problem understanding that we would give a gift of that nature), but as I said that is another story.

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The Olympics

Posted on September 15, 2014 by thewineraconteur

No not those Olympics, but games that are just as important to the athletes that are competing in the ones that I will be addressing. Years ago I belonged to the Armenian Youth Federation, which was an organization designed to keep the Armenian Heritage alive, and to form friendships and bonds among the young Armenians, and it has worked over the years that I can account for, as well as the years that preceded me, and I will presume for the years following. These are an actual set of games and meets, the venues change each year, and different hosting chapters of the club handle all of the needs. There is a hotel that houses everyone, and there are locations that are required for track and field, swimming and other events. It is a grand time for all the youths that attend the weekend and participate in the games. I was not a jock then, and I am still not, but I appreciate the concept and I attended AYF Olympics in Boston, Toronto and Detroit.

At the Olympics Dance

I recently attended the latest Olympics that were held in Detroit again, and I took my Bride, and I am sure that she enjoyed the time, though there was a whirlwind of people and introductions for her, and she was not quizzed at the end of the evening. The only difference is that this time, due to prior commitments we only attended the Friday night “Hook-up,” at least that was the name we used back in the day, now it is the Alumni Dance, and I and everyone that I grew up with are part of the Alumni. I have a nickname that my Grandfather bestowed upon me at birth, and that name has stuck through out the years, especially for those that grew up with me back in the neighborhood or from the Armenian Church and the AYF. It was rather refreshing to hear that nickname bandied about towards me, some contemporaries of mine object that nicknames are still used, but I don’t have a problem, especially if they are used with fondness and nostalgia for times since gone.

Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

The hotel being used was the Adoba Hotel, which for years was the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, Michigan. It brought back a flood of memories to me, as my Bride and I wandered the halls to where the Alumni Dance was being held. I remember in the old days, when all the young men and the “Alumni” back then were all enjoying cigars as a right of passage, though this is neither prevalent today, nor politically correct or for that matter even healthy. As we were walking the halls I already started to see friends from days gone by, that have moved away, but returned for this event. I saw even more friends as we got to the admission table, as we purchased our tickets, and then I was even more surprised, but I guess in today’s litigious climate, not unexpected my Bride and I had to show that we were of legal age to partake of alcoholic beverages. I laughed and told the hotel security agent that he is probably younger then my children, but I acquiesced to the formality.

Wristlets

Once inside, we found a table, and others came and went and it was a wonderful time. I even got a chance to dance a few Armenian dances with my Bride, after I let her rehearse the simple steps before we got on the floor. A couple of people even referred to her as my Bride, so she was known through Social Media even before introductions. I thought back to years earlier, when Canadian Club or Crown Royal Whisky ruled the roost. When I looked at the stock of liquors at one of the bar set-ups, I realized that those more simple days where far behind us, and rightfully so, as society has evolved and so have the drinks of choice. I was a little disappointed looking at the array of liquors that the choice of wines was rather rudimentary, but then I guess they were not after “raconteurs” and were trying to please a wider swathe of wine drinkers. The wines being offered were from the Canyon Road Winery of Modesto, California. We decided on the Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 which carried the California appellation. The wines were chosen to be drinkable for immediate consumption, with mild tannins and a fruit forward taste. I am sure that if I had been consulted this would have been the type of wine that I would have suggested as well for a party of this size. The evening was fun for us, and it made me think that I must go and look for tokens of other AYF events for visual aids for future stories, as I have only wrote about the Toronto event as of yet.

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Echo’s Place

Posted on September 13, 2014 by thewineraconteur

Every now and then, you think that you know all of the places to have dinner in a city and then you are surprised. This happened the other night. I spent years living and working in Dearborn, Michigan and I was introduced to this new restaurant that I had not even heard about, albeit that it is a venue that has been taken over by new owners. My Bride meets once a month with some of the ladies that she used to work with and they try to meet somewhere that is centrally located and for years they were happy with one location until it was sold. They have made a few different forays and finally found a place that has pleased them, and we were out for dinner before attending an event, so she suggested that we try Echo’s Place.

Jekel Chardonnay 2011

This is a restaurant that has the feel of the Fifties or the Sixties in the ambience of the room, and I mean this in a nice way, as it is a very comfortable place. The emphasis is on the food and service, and not to be a place to be seen or to people watch per se. My Bride has only been there a couple of times, but she was already a recognized regular by the owners and the staff, which made her feel good; and I know that she wanted me to enjoy this new location. Not only do they offer some classic bar style food, but beyond salads and sandwiches they have a very nice menu, starting from appetizers on up, though I have to admit that we did not have room for a dessert afterwards, so we will have to venture there again for a follow-up. It was a Friday night, so the soup of the day was a Lobster Bisque, which we both tried, and I was very pleased with it; there are times when one has this soup and it is overly salty and lacking quality and I am glad to say that we both thoroughly enjoyed it. My Bride was telling me that the ladies, usually order Prime Rib with Sherry-flamed mushrooms, but I was looking for something different that evening. While she ordered broiled salmon with a Bourbon-Maple sauce, I chose the Seafood Pasta, which had scallops, shrimp and crabmeat in a Béchamel sauce, and we were both pleased again with our selections. I will also add that I am not a bread eater, but the freshly baked bread that arrived before our entrée was a nice touch.

MI Echo's Place Logo

The bar was fully stocked, as it should be, though I think the wine list could use a bit of massaging and tweaking, since the food was so enjoyable, they should up the selection to compliment the food. I was intrigued that they offer the wines by the glass, by the carafe (about half a bottle to share) or by the bottle; while this may not be necessary since Michigan allows opened bottles of wine to be carried out after dinner. Since we had some place else to go afterwards, and we didn’t want to transport a bottle of wine, we selected a carafe of Jekel Vineyards Gravelstone Chardonnay 2011. Gravelstone is one of the areas in the Arroyo Seco AVA of Monterey, and an area that I will choose if I have a chance. Arroyo Seco means “Dry Creek” and I would presume that it refers to the gravely soil that is in the area. The Chardonnay that we had paired well with our choices of entrée and had enough crispness to make us both happy. All in all, I am sure that we will be going back to Echo’s Place, as the food was delicious and it also did not break the budget.

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Ohio Wines

Posted on September 11, 2014 by thewineraconteur

After visiting two wineries in Ohio, and I have to admit that I was totally lacking in knowledge out viniculture there, after all I am from Michigan; a state that has a lot of wineries, but still lives in the shadows of other states, and of course there is some rivalry between Michigan and Ohio that always seems to permeate discussions of the two states.
While in the course of visiting the two wineries, I picked up a couple of “gimmees” that were published by the tasteohiowines.com; one being “Love at First Sip” and the other being “Ohio Wines Tasting Journal.”

OH Sip Ohio Wines Magazine

The tasting journal was just a small booklet that allowed one to write in the winery visited, a list of the wines sampled and another couple of lines for tasting notes. It was very succinct and well produced. “Love at First Sip” was a glossy magazine with a lot of advertisements, recipes, notes and a few articles. In the center of the magazine was a map, that could be pulled out with a listing of all the wineries in the states, and other information e.g. if they had a restaurant or bistro on the premises. I was surprised to see that there were over 175 wineries listed and the map broke them down by areas, and perchance this may be future appellations for the state. There was the Appalachian Region, Canal Country Region, Capital City Region (where we were visiting), Lake Erie Shores & Island Region, Ohio River Valley Region and Vines & Wines Region.

OH Wines Tasting Journal

With my lack of knowledge of Ohio wines, I read the publication entirely, as there is always new information to glean every day. The “Fab 5” grape varietals for Ohio are Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), Riesling and Vidal Blanc. The first four are European varietals, while the last is an Old World/New World hybrid. Some of the other wines that are grown in Ohio that have European heritage or at least a drop or two in their bloodline are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, Seyval Blanc, Syrah/Shiraz and Traminette. I was even able to try some of the more unique (to me at least) varietals during the two tasting room visits. By no means, does this make me a “maven” or an authority, hell, I am not an authority on any wines, but it is fun to try and taste, and even for an old raconteur, a chance to learn. It was fun, and I shall try to visit other wineries, the next time I am in another state, time and my Bride permitting.

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Rockside Vineyards

Posted on September 9, 2014 by thewineraconteur

After our visit to Wyandotte Winery, we asked if there was another winery that we should visit while we were in the Columbus area, and Rockside Vineyards was touted with the remark “they have a great Cabernet Franc.” That is all my Bride had to hear, and we were off on another adventure to Lancaster and about a forty-five minute drive. When we arrived at Rockside Vineyards, it looked more like a small vineyard with arbors on the grounds and structures, including a tasting room.

OH Rockside Vineyards BC

Rockside Vineyards states that the majority of the grapes used are estate grown or come from Fairfield County in Ohio. They have a mix of grapes that they use, some are classic European and some are “Cold Hardy.” The grapes that they use are; Niagara, Traminette, Vidal Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Steuben, Chambourcin, Merlot, Noiret and Chancellor.

RSV Valhalla                              RSV Night Flight

At the tasting room, we had the good fortune to meet the owner Ron Rutter, who handled the tasting room duties. He told us a little bit about himself, that he was a retired Air Force officer, and then had been an executive with a company, but the desire to be a wine maker took him from California to Ohio for the next stage of his life.

RSV Rose                             RSV Chambourcin

We sampled the wines that were being offered that day. The Cabernet Franc was the first wine that we tried, as my Bride was eager to try it, as soon as we entered the grounds. Chambourcin, another wine that we tried, which was listed as an Ohio Red Table Wine, and is a French-American hybrid that has an herbal aroma to it, was an interesting choice for me, as it was a new wine for me. Valhalla is an estate grown blend of white varietals that has been aged in oak barrels. Night Flight was a red blend wine of Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin and Noiret which was a very easy drinking wine. The Noiret varietal was also new to me, and I discovered that it was a hybrid developed at Cornell University, another “Cold Hardy” grape that has as part of its parentage the Steuben grape. We also tried a Rose wine that was made from the Chambourcin grape and had a different taste from what I expected from a Rose, but it was very refreshing and enjoyable. One of the questions that I asked, while I was there and it had escaped my thought process, while I was at Wyandotte Winery, was that I had noticed that there were no vintage year designations on the labels. I was told that since the Central Ohio area had no official appellation that they could not list vintages, but that there was a couple of appellations in Ohio, and that there was a potential to have more designated.

RSV Cabernet Franc

We ended up leaving the winery with a purchase of six bottles to remember our visit. We bought Valhalla, Night Flight, the Cabernet Franc and the Rose wine. As we were leaving to get back to our hotel, to dress for dinner, my Bride was in a very happy mood and glad that we ventured off on our own day trip.

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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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