Churchill Downs and Wine

Posted on August 14, 2012 by thewineraconteur

Churchill Downs has a very fleeting couple of minutes of fame every year.  In this land noted for Maker’s Mark Bourbon we went to the Twelfth Kentucky Derby Museum Gala “April in Paris” event.  I remember having to work that morning and catching a puddle-jumper to Louisville from Detroit.  My Bride picked me up at the airport in a van, and I changed into my tuxedo as she drove from the airport to the track.  When we go there, we followed the signs and drove through a tunnel and arrived at the infield of the track, parked and walked towards this huge “pavilion-tent.”  Toto, we weren’t in Kansas.

    

We were no longer walking on grass, but a finished floor inside the tent.  The ceiling of the tent was star-lit as we were out of doors.  A massive dance floor with a twenty-plus piece society orchestra was there.  There were fountains, foliage and sculptured topiary trees in abundance.  There appeared to be an army of waiters and waitresses serving Champagne and Hor’s d’oeurvres of Artichoke Puffs and Risotto Balls.

    

Of to one side was a gallery of huge original art works by LeRoy Neiman who had designed that years poster.  He was there signing his artwork, which is now hanging in our family room.  The size of the paintings that he does was amazing, no small easel painting for him.  He needs ladders and scaffolding to paint canvasses of the size, being shown.

I knew I was in the genuine Old South when I saw the quality of the service during dinner.  All the tables were arranged for seating of eight.  Each table had one personal waiter, and he had an assistant.  There was a side table, so what ever you wished to drink, a bottle of it was brought to the side table, so you wouldn’t have to wait for a refill.  We started with a Spring Salad of baby greens, haricots verts, celery root and roasted peppers with a lemon Caesar dressing.  The entrée was grilled beef tenderloin with a Plum Cumberland Sauce, a shrimp and leek tart with Sorrel Sauce and baby carrots and squash in a sun-dried tomato glaze.  Dessert consisted of chocolate truffles, a fresh fruit Napoleon with Sauce Melba.

There were two wines being served in this land of Mint Juleps besides the Champagne.  There was Bonterra Chardonnay and Fetzer Eagle Peak Merlot.  I beg my reader’s forgiveness, as I had to search the internet to find the labels, as I did not have them.  The wines were good selections for dinner, for an evening where Bourbon was the drink of choice.

Dancing began at ten o’clock.  They also brought out fruit and cheese offerings, assorted miniature desserts, tarts and chocolate dipped strawberries.  We danced until the orchestra stopped performing and slowly went to our cars to drive away.  The good news was we were coming back the next day, only then we were to be in the clubhouse.

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The 3 Tenors, Mario’s and Tiger Stadium

Posted on August 13, 2012 by thewineraconteur

The last time I had been to (Historic) Tiger Stadium, Rocky Colavito was playing for the Detroit Tigers.  Now we were going to see “The 3 Tenors,” Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.  They were going to perform classic opera arias, Broadway classics and even “My Way.”  We did not have “nose bleed” seats, but actually great seats for the concert; they were the front row of the second tier.  With the mega monitors and a great stereo system even my “Diva” Bride was in her glory.

 

We met some friends for dinner prior to the concert at Mario’s Restaurant, one of the venerable Old Italian eateries of Detroit.  Mario’s is also one of the many restaurants in the downtown area of Detroit that offers shuttle service to most of the venues of entertainment.   From the overheard conversations all around us, as the restaurant was packed, everyone had the same final destination as we did.  To say that the crowd was jovial and excited would have been an understatement.   We ordered the Caesar Salad, Dover Sole Almandine and Broiled White Fish, all prepared in the classic preparation.

 

    

The other couple that was joining us preferred sweeter white wine.  So I chose a wine Chateau Coutet, which is a First Growth Sauternes.  The wine was a very rich bottle of Sauternes, thankfully not overly sweet, and the type of white wine that used to be paired with seafood and fish.   Unless you are adventurous or very old school Anglophiles I might suggest a bottle of Chablis or a Chardonnay.   Dinner was great, the wine was great, and the show was magnificent.

    

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The 21 Club, The Best Man and Sardi’s

Posted on August 12, 2012 by thewineraconteur

While I am thinking of Manhattan, we made two days into theatrical events, which is appropriate when we have Broadway as a focal point.

 

One morning we started off with a trip to Ellis Island, which is a marvelous tourist destination, especially if your family is not entrenched for many generations in the United States.  We had theater ticket to see Gore Vidal’s Best Man, which was a revival with a limited run, because it was a presidential election year.  I had seen the movie production of this play starring Henry Fonda.   This revival had an all star cast, and there was one scene that I shall never forget (unscripted).   Chris Noth (of Law and Order and Sex in the City) was delivering his lines, when someone in the audience had their cell phone on and it rang.  He stopped in the middle of his delivery, stared out into the audience in the vicinity of the phone, and gave a “death stare” worthy of Darth Vader, then proceeded with the play.

 

We made reservations at the historic 21 Club for a special “pre show rush” dinner.  The 21 Club goes back into the deep history of New York during the Prohibition Era.  As you walk up to the restaurant, there are (I believe) 21 mannequins (statues) dressed in the bright “silks” of legendary jockeys.  It is quite a façade for a restaurant, and one that cannot be forgotten.  I do not have the menu for the dinner, but I do remember having champagne with dinner to go with the “Broadway” theme of the evening.

 

After the show we did an “afterglow” at another legendary Prohibition Era institution of Broadway.  We went to Sardi’s, which is a location that all performers wish to be enshrined at.   The walls are covered with framed caricatures of the famous that have dined at Sardi’s.  We were at the bar and enjoyed some more Champagne to finish off the night.  I even bought a book, that gave the history of the establishment and showed most (if not all at time of publication) of the drawings that adorned the walls.  It was most enjoyable just to walk around and look at the pictures.

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Daniel

Posted on August 11, 2012 by thewineraconteur

I was looking for a book and found a cookbook by Daniel Boulud.  We bought a copy of this book and another one as a Christmas present for the couple we went with on a holiday in Manhattan.  Going to Manhattan on business, while glamorous is still a business trip, while going there for a holiday is magical.  We packed so many memories in this trip it would tire me out today (I think, but I would still be game for it).

One day we went to Rockefeller Center and then on to the Waldorf Astoria for a drink and a to look around this grand institution that I have gone to when they used to have clothing shows held there.  Then we crossed the street and went to Central Park and walked over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for an afternoon.  We also had to pay our respects to the statues of George M. Cohan and another one for the most famous bus driver of New York.

That evening we went to a famed restaurant called Daniel, the flagship of Daniel Boulud.  When I walked into this restaurant I had a sense of deja-vu.  To this day I am not sure if I had been to the restaurant when it was under a different name or if I remember it from a movie set.  To this day, I have to say it was the second finest meal that I ever had, that is not to say that I could find any fault with it, but after having my first “chef’s tasting” meal at The French Laundry in Napa, my second “chef’s tasting” had already made me a maven on fine dining.   Needless to say the dinner was awesome and it was the first time that we tried the selected pairing of wines with the dinner.  This was a six course meal summer meal and there were two different choices for each course, so naturally my Bride and I each ordered one of the choices and shared our “oohs.”  Please bear with me, as I relate the courses and the wine pairing:

Chilled Sweet Corn Soup, American Spoonbill Caviar and a Chive Coulis

Or

Chilled Cavaillo Melon Veloute, Key West Shrimp, Lemongrass and Purple Basil

Riesling Grand Cru “Schlosberg,” Paul Blanck 1996

Raw Bluefin Tuna with an Anchovy-Caper Dressing, Crisp Summer Crudités and a Vidalia Onion Pissaladiere

Or

Red Mullet Fillets en Escabeche Provencal Vegetable Compote and Piquillo Peppers

Seresin Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand 1999

Cumin-Glazed Striped Bass with Verjus, Broccoli Rabe, Toasted Pine Nuts and Honeyed Grapes

Or

Lightly Spiced Swordfish Basquaise with Peppers Chorizo, Sweet Onions and a Persillade Broth

Meursault Domaine Pierre Matrot 1997

Stuffed Quail with Foie Gras, Prosciutto and a Mission Fig, Spinach with Glazed Baby Turnips and Radishes

Or

Roasted Loin of Lamb with a Lemon-Indian Coriander Crust Braised Shoulder, Squash and Dried Apricot

Ostatu, Rioja Alavesa 1996

Refreshing Summer Fruit Soup and Sorbet

Or

An Assortment of Three Cheeses

Milk Chocolate Champagne Truffle Cake, Crispy Feuillantine and Orange Miroir

Or

Hot Chocolate Upside-Down Soufflé, Pistachio Ice Cream

Maury, Domaine de la Coume du Roy 1979

I feel sated, just listing all the dishes and the wines, and I am sorry that I do not have each label as a remembrance.  I have the cookbook with a dedication and autograph from the evening, of course matches and a few other curios arrayed for keepsakes.

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Customer Service and How This Blog Arose

Posted on August 10, 2012 by thewineraconteur

I have had quite a few inquiries of why I write this blog.  I thought I would discuss this matter as I come near my first one hundred entries in “The Wine Raconteur.”  There have been concerns from friends and colleagues that perhaps I am going through a “mid-life crisis.”  This is far from the truth.  I considered myself a professional clothier through the first half of my career and I enjoyed the position immensely.  Customer service was an integral part of that career, as well as being able to communicate with a clientele that was professional and well educated.  As my passion increased I discovered many other people that I encountered enjoyed a similar passion as well as a grand meal.  I absorbed all of these conversations as well as hearing about great destinations for vacations as well.  In fact so many of the vacation destinations that were discussed sounded so good; that my Bride and I also went to some of the locations.

 

 

As my customer service skills became more honed, I was becoming a part time concierge too.  I found that I was suggesting new restaurants in assorted cities across the country as well as suggesting new ideas and types of wines to round out my customer’s enjoyment.  First and foremost I was a clothier, but I felt that my suggestions were appreciated and remembered.  I would also help them if they were planning trips that would be to wine countries or near wine areas.  It was fun, and that fun was contagious.   This all came to a crashing halt when I was told to stop offering customer service and instead to focus on selling by deceit and falsehoods, which was an anathema to my ethics.  I could either stop doing what I enjoyed or to my mind quit.  I chose to quit, which did cause some economic constraints, but pleasure knowing that I did the right thing.

 

 

I went on a self imposed sabbatical or hiatus to decide if I needed to find a new career, or how to be happy in the career that I knew.   I am still in the decision mode.  I grew up in a “gentlemen’s” industry and that is one parameter that I do not wish to change.

 

 

This blog “The Wine Raconteur” became an outlet for me, to continue my need for customer service.  I use it not as a venue to boast or brag, but to help convey my passion for wines and good food.   Yes, I have made it a point to look for great restaurants when we are on our holidays, and I try to find locations that are indicative to the local area.  Why should I go to a chain restaurant in another city, when I have been to one locally?  It is true, that I would know what to expect, but the excitement of something new is diminished.

 

 

The same philosophy is done for my wine selections.  I admire people that can recite the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon to Merlot in a blended wine, but that is too technical and would crowd out my memory of the wine or the situation.  If I was a wine salesman or a sommelier, then the technical aspect would come to the forefront, as I always prided myself on being knowledgeable about the product that I am discussing.

 

 

So as I ponder the future, I shall remember the past and continue my anecdotes about wine and sometimes food.  The memories vitalize me and make me endeavor to help people in choosing a wine, with out being condescending.  That is why I try to write about my adventures in tasting some of the hallowed wines, as well as new wines that I have just discovered.  You may notice that I never condemn a wine, but look for the pleasure of it or of the moment.  Whatever likes or dislikes that I have about wine (and food) are my own and I have no desire to taint someone else’s thought or likes.  If anything I have been on a life long mission to proselytize the glories of good wine, good food and good friends.  Perhaps I do it with a little bit of levity and a sparkle in my eye, that I do hope my reader notices.

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A U.S.O Party

Posted on August 9, 2012 by thewineraconteur

It was at the peak of the “Swing Era” revisited, when the younger set discovered that they could dance and hold their partner as well as rediscovering the sound of the Big Band.  A good friend of ours is a part time musician, and I must say a very fine saxophonist (but that is not his day job) was having fun with a “Big Band” group and they were going to have a Swing Dance with the theme of a World War Two U.S.O. affair.  Everyone from the band to the people that wanted to dance or just listen to the music was encouraged to dress of the era.   There were a lot of soldiers and sailors in uniform, both male and female.  The civilian look also had the infamous Zoot Suiters.

 

Why do I bring up this party, besides that it was a good time, to show how even a wine that you make take for granted could become wonderful due to the moment.  We just ordered a Kendal-Jackson Chardonnay, which is almost everywhere these day.  This is just one of a couple of dozen (always) safe wines to choose, no matter the situation.  These fail-safe wines will always work as long as it will pair with the food that you are ordering.   The wine was just refreshing and vibrant as I recall and was perfect after tripping the light fantastic.   There are some evenings when I have this wine, where it is not as enjoyable as it was that evening.  A lesson that can be learned about wine is that the environment can be as much of a sensory joy, as taste and aroma.

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Seared Foie Gras and Alsatian Gewurztraminer

Posted on August 8, 2012 by thewineraconteur

My Bride and I were attending a wedding for one of her good friends in a northern suburb of Chicago.   As in all weddings there is a lot of ado on the day of the nuptials and this day was no different.  There was a considerable lag time between the church service and the reception that would start early in the evening.  As we were from out of town, we were invited back to the house to start the revelry with the family, and the groom had a spectacular wine cellar mostly of first and second growths of the Medoc and an outstanding collection of wines from Burgundy.  I could have been forced to endure such a hardship, but my Bride felt that the family should be together, so we went out for a little adventure.

 

 

She had to pick up a few incidentals, so we stopped at a shopping strip for her to get what she needed.  I noticed a fine tobacconist and decided to pick up a couple of cigars for that evening and to give the groom a fine smoke for his honeymoon.  While I was in the shop, I inquired about if a noted restaurant in the area still had the same cachet for French cuisine as we were going to have a light lunch prior to the reception.  I was informed that they were still excellent, but that if I really wanted a treat I should try this new restaurant a mile or so down the road.  I was told that the principals used to be chefs at the French Embassy in Chicago.  I was intrigued.  When I left the tobacconist and found my Bride, she had a big smile on her face and told me she had heard of a great French restaurant that had been touted to her.  It was the same restaurant that I was about to tell her about.  So off we went for a new culinary experience.

 

 

This restaurant was in another shopping strip just past an automobile dealership.  It was not a very glamorous setting, but since we had two distinct recommendations we continued on our quest.   It was early on Saturday and already there were a few people in the restaurant.  As is my wont, I asked if I may look at the dinner menu, along with the lunch menu that was handed to us.   On the dinner menu, was seared Foie gras in a classic style.  We were both excited, and even though the dish is very rich, and probably not the healthiest dish to order, we both ordered the plate.  After all we had the rest of the day to work off the dish.

 

 

Next was the proper wine to have with it, and since we were sure to have some great wine later, I opted for something lighter.   There are the wine carte was the perfect choice.  A Gewurztraminer wine from Alsace in France, and a legendary pairing I might add.  I introduced my Bride to Gewurztraminer wines some time earlier as a great wine to drink with Asian style cooking.   The grape varietal has a unique spice and floral quality that is its own.  Up to this time all of the Gewurztraminer wines that we had consumed were domestic, and most of them were from northern Michigan where the grape matures very nicely.   This was going to be a treat.

 

 

 

Some odd notes about the appellation laws of Alsace, they do not delineate by region or town, but by the varietal.  Hence the grape name is what is most important, followed by the negociants or house.  They are not individual chateaus like one thinks of as Bordeaux and the Alsace region almost produces as much wine as Bordeaux.  There are Traminer wines offered from Alsace and the better offered wines are listed as Gewurztraminer.  If you get a chance try a Gewurztraminer from Alsace, especially if you have already tried a domestic bottle of the same.  The Alsatian wines have much more spice and a more floral nose then any domestic wines that I have had, and I must confess to really enjoying this type of wine.

 

After a fine lunch, we did a little more shopping to keep my Bride happy and then we were off for the reception and a grand evening.  It was and still is a wonderful memory.

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Toledo, Ohio with Art, Klinger and Perry Mason

Posted on August 7, 2012 by thewineraconteur

We made a little weekend get-away with another couple to see an art exhibit in Toledo, Ohio.   The Toledo Art Museum is a wonderful facility and they have some wonderful exhibits and I say that even because I am spoiled by the great Detroit Institute of Arts museum.

 

 

The night before the exhibit we had dinner at Mancy’s Restaurant.  A restaurant in Toledo with a history it survived a fire, burned down; was rebuilt and continues to be a respected steakhouse.   It is a restaurant that has to be visited at least once, as it has that old school feel about it, that certain charm that steakhouse used to have.  I would describe the décor as very eclectic and it has the feeling of a New Orleans cat-house (not that I have been to one).

 

 

There was a bottle of wine that I had to order for my Bride, which I knew would tickle her silly.  It was a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Raymond Burr Vineyards in Sonoma County, California.   I had never heard of the wine, later I found out that this was the first vintage, and I presumed that it must have some integrity otherwise it would have been embarrassment for the actor.  To this day, I can catch my Bride watching reruns of Perry Mason and enjoying the show.  As to the wine, it had more a deep color and was more impressive then I had hoped it would be.  So it was a pleasure and not just a learning episode (as it could have been).

 

 

After the exhibit, we had to go to another famed institution of Toledo.  Tony Packo’s made even famous by the character Max Klinger from the television show M*A*S*H.  It reminded me of one of the “Coney Island” eateries in Detroit, of which I still love Lafayette Coney Island (where they have still resisted even offering salads).  Tony Packo’s has a great gimmick where they have wall plastered with autographed hot dog buns from movie stars, presidents, athletes and other assorted celebrities.  There is even a large section devoted to one of Toledo’s favorite sons Jamie Farr and his noted costars of M*A*S*H.

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Kidney Stones and Paradise

Posted on August 6, 2012 by thewineraconteur

We were all set to go on holidays to Hawaii, as I had never been there.   We had first class seat arrangements for the flight and a week in Maui.   Ready, set, go.   The day before, I had a kidney stone attack, this being maybe the seventh or eighth attack, I understood the pain and what was going on.   Off to the emergency room.   My urologist was contacted and we had to make some decisions.

 

 

We found out that our reservations were use them or lose them on the island, and we had prepaid that part of our trip, so that we would have less of a shock when we returned to reality and had to pay for the trip.   They would not consider a hospital visit as grounds for a cancellation.  I asked my physician for his suggestion.  He said “You can be miserable for a week in Livonia, or you can be miserable for a week in Hawaii.   I would prefer to be miserable in Hawaii.”  So the decision was made and off we went.

 

 

We made the most of the trip, even though the medications said to avoid sunlight, rather difficult where we were.   We did see the island and made many day trips and had magnificent late lunches (as we decided because of my situation that it would be best to maintain “Detroit” time for the most part).   We also survived a wildfire.  We were returning from the north end as we were staying in the south and my Bride was driving.  We were on the outside lane of a two lane road around the mountain and she made mention of how much smoke must be generated from a cannery on the island.  I opined that I didn’t think that it was cannery smoke, then we were engulfed in smoke and we could not see the front of the car.  We changed the radio stations looking for a news report and I rolled down the window and stuck my head out and looked at the side of the car to see how close we were to the cliff side of the road.  We could not go backwards as the smoke was as thick behind us as it was in the front of us.  So we inched along with me gauging the road and the cliff side.  We were making very slow headway, when the smoke started to dissipate, and then there was an announcement on the radio that the mountain side was on fire and they were closing the road.  We were safe and thank God, because my medication was back in the room.   That evening you could look from our lanai and see the how the side of the mountain was all red.

 

 

On one of our day trips we made a trip to Tedeschi Vineyards on Maui.  We drove up a winding road, which I guess was on part of the mountain that the volcano was on and I remember our ears popping from the change of altitude.  We arrived at the winery, took a tour and sampled the wines offered that day.  There was a Plantation Red (I can’t remember if there was a Plantation White) wine made from grapes on the grounds and then there was Maui Blanc.  Maui Blanc was made from Pineapples and it had a very unique taste, it was not as sweet as I had envisioned it in my mind’s eye.   It was an enjoyable curiosity with a bite (from the alcohol).  It was pleasant on that warm day, and we ended up buying a case of it to give out as souvenirs from our trip.  Since the trip I occasionally see this wine in some of the wine shops and I smile and remember the trip.

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Seafood on the Water and Viognier

Posted on August 5, 2012 by thewineraconteur

We were down in Florida visiting some friends and we were going out for dinner on Siesta Key.   It was a hot day, which is what one wants when you are down there in the winter season.   Good friends, good food and good wine make for a most pleasant evening and outing.

 

We were out on the patio looking out onto the water, at this point I can’t remember if we were look at the ocean or on the causeway side, but that is immaterial or relevant to the story.   We were enjoying fresh fish and seafood for the evening and it was a well executed dinner.

 

 

I had selected a Viognier wine to go with the dishes.  On a hot day I love this pale white wine with a perfumed nose.  There is a natural spice to the wine, which sometimes could be a gamble with dinner, but that is the fun, the adventure of ordering a bottle of it.  Sometimes the perfume or the spice can over power the meal, but I find that if everything is in balance, it most refreshing.   That is how I remember this evening to be.

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