The Establishment in Charleston

Posted on March 17, 2023 by thewineraconteur

We finally culminated Ms. Yoga’s birthday at the Establishment in Charleston.  Originally, another friend of Ms. Yoga was going to fly down for the weekend, but at the last minute that fell through.  Then Ms. Yoga invited another couple that we have never met, and it was different.  Ms. Yoga had suggested a chain restaurant and I thought we could find something more interesting.  I used my trusty Wine Spectator annual restaurant guide and found someplace very appealing, Ms. Yoga acquiesced, but the other couple that currently lived in Charleston were for the chain venue, until Ms. Yoga started asking around and got rave reviews, and when the concierge at her hotel gave it high marks, as well as the bar service at the two other bars did the same, it was all good.  

The Establishment list themselves as “Charleston’s Seafood Restaurant” and a lofty title that is.  It is located in the historic James Gregorie House in downtown Charleston and they have two dining areas, two private dining rooms, an open kitchen with a chef’s counter, a curated wine carte and a full cocktail bar.  My Bride and I decided to share an appetizer and an entrée, which is becoming our norm.  We started off with Chicken Liver Mousse and Duck Rillette, Cornichon and Blackberry Mustard.  Then we had Golden Tilefish, White Beans and Lacinato Kale, as this was a new fish for both of us.  I figured that since everyone at the table was getting fish or sea food, I would start with Senda Verde Godello Bierzo DO 2020. Senda Verde is a collection of artisanal wines that follow the 43ºN parallel along the northern coastline of Spain, the collection belongs to MGH Wines of Spain.  Bierzo was once inhabited by the Romans who mined tons of gold from the region.  The soil is predominately slate and granite, which makes for a mineral character and a very refreshing wine. Bierzo was accorded DO status in 1989, which greatly improved the region for popularity and profile.  The varietal Godello was considered for years as Verdelho, or the Portuguese Verdello, but DNA profiling shows that it is a separate entity of its own. The harvest is done by hand, cooled, then inspected, destemmed and pressed, the gross lees removed and then fermented.  The juice is then aged on fine lees for four months presumably in Stainless Steel, clarified, filtered, and bottled.  The wine was a straw-yellow color and offered notes of stone fruits, florals, spices, and minerals.  On the palate tones of stone fruit, zests of lemon and lime, balanced with a nice medium finish of terroir. Ideal for the fish.

I was asked for my opinion of another wine, and was told by the other couple that only big reds are with fish, so I tried to find a red that I thought would compliment fish.  I selected Domaine Julien Cecillon Syrah “Les Gravier” IGP Collines Rhodaniennes 2021.  The estate was founded in 2011 by the American Nancy Kerschen and a Rhone native Julien Cecillon with a vineyard in Saint Joseph.  The Syrah is a blend of fruit harvested from Northern Rhone, Ardeche, and Provencal.  The vineyards are a mix of clay and granite.  Collines Rhodandiennes is the IGP for all three colors of wine for the northern Rhone Valley. The soil is a mix of sandstone, limestone, and granite.  A nice garnet red wine with notes of red fruit, pepper and a trace of violets.  On the palate this wine was red fruit, spices, and soft tannins with a nice finish of terroir, this wine was made to be enjoyed young.  My Bride and I enjoyed this wine with our appetizer. 

Ms. Yoga decided that she wanted to order a bottle of wine as well, and she selected Finca Sophenia “Synthesis” Malbec Tupungato, Argentina 2019.  Finca Sophenia started selling their wines form Tupungato, Mendoza in 2004.  Tupungato is the northernmost subregion of the Uco Valley of Mendoza.  It sits at the foot of a volcano by the same name on a high elevation as part of the Andes and has alluvial soil. It is considered one of the most important subregions of the area.  The fruit is hand harvested and starts with cold maceration for about five day, and Initial Fermentation is done with local yeasts and Malolactic Fermentation follows for a total period of about a month.  Then the wine is aged for almost a year in mostly French Oak with a small proportion of American Oak.  A nice ruby red wine with notes of red fruits, florals, and spices.  On the palate rich red fruit with some cocoa and vanilla, velvety tannins and a nice medium finish of fruit and terroir.  My Bride and I enjoyed this wine after we finished our meal.    

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“It’s My Birthday” Part Three

Posted on March 15, 2023 by thewineraconteur

As we were slowly getting to our destination for dinner, we were still celebrating Ms. Yoga’s birthday and by this time in the afternoon, we were glad that we had borrowed the umbrellas from her hotel.  We ended up on Broad Street in Charleston at the Blind Tiger Pub.  We had only walked about seven blocks and this is my kind of town for a vacation.  Besides being the birth place of Rhett Butler, the downtown was thriving with a mix of emporiums and restaurants and bars, and they were all independents.  When we are out, I like to get the feeling of the town, the chains have to same feeling and architecture where ever you are and what fun is that?

“Blind Tiger” was coined in the late 1800’s to describe the illicit drinking and gambling establishments that were opening up, to counter the Temperance Societies and legislation, when Nanny States started permeating the scene.  In Detroit, I had always heard the term “Blind Pig” for the same type of business, and they still flourish, if one knows where to seek them.  Local lore even seems to suggest that Broad Street was home to houses of “ill repute” which may have added to the mystique of the area.  The Blind Tiger Pub that sheltered us from the rain was reborn in 2016 and as we entered the bar and the restaurant area was completely packed or had “reserved” placards on the tables, so the place was lively and popular.  It was suggested that we go to the back room with was an outdoor atrium with umbrella covered tables and bar built under an eaves and we found a spot that we could stay dry as we went to wet our whistle.

Ms. Yoga announced at the bar again that it was her birthday and she received another complimentary drink for the occasion.  My Bride decided that she would sit this round out, as she knew that eventually she would be the designated driver.  I joined Ms. Yoga and had a glass of Cambria Estate Winery “Katherine’s Vineyard” Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County 2021.  This winery was created when Barbara Banke along with her spouse Jess Jackson acquired the original Tepusquet vineyard in 1986, and then with their daughters Kate Jackson and Julia Jackson have kept the family business going, nurturing cool-climate varietals ever since.  The estate cover fourteen-hundred-acres of undulating topography and an assortment of soil types.  They use four different clones of Chardonnay to produce this wine and eighty-five percent of the vines were planted in the Seventies.  The fruit is whole cluster pressed and sixty-five percent is barrel fermented with malolactic fermentation; and thirty-five percent Stainless Steel fermentation, but not malolactic fermentation.  The wine is aged Sur-Lie for five and a half-month, with twenty percent in New Oak barrels.  A golden-colored wine that offers notes of white fruit and florals.  On the palate tones of peaches, pears and a touch of lemon zest, some oakiness, but balance with a lively acidity and a short finish of some terroir.    

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“It’s My Birthday” Part Two

Posted on March 13, 2023 by thewineraconteur

Ms. Yoga was taking Charleston by storm with, no prisoners as we were going to make a day of it, until her birthday dinner.  It looked like rain, but as the three of us left the Renaissance Hotel for another adventure, we availed ourselves of some umbrellas from the lobby and under the auspices of the doorman.  We started our adventure to the dinner location and Ms. Yoga wanted to stop at the Charleston Place, but the Grille was not open, so we went to their Thoroughbred Club and we bellied up to the bar and in typical shyness Ms. Yoga announced that it was her birthday. 

Lo and behold, Ms. Yoga was awarded a complimentary glass of Robert Talbott Vineyards Kali Hart Chardonnay Monterey 2021.  Now this winery is near and dear to my heart, as I used to get Christmas Cards from Audrey Talbott for years, because she and her husband back in 1950 moved to Carmel and began making silk ties for men’s stores.  In 1982, the Diamond T Vineyard was planted and it began.  Two of the vineyard’s are named after Robb’s (the son) children and one is Kali Hart.  This estate grown wine was a beautiful golden color and offered notes of nuts and melons.  On the palate Marcona almonds, lemon and soft butter tones in a delightful and well-balanced young white with a short finish of terroir.

My Bride keeping to her tradition had a class of Scarpetta Pinot Grigio Friuli DOC 2021.  Scarpetta wines began in the Friuli-Venezia Giuli region in 2007 and since then has expanded into other regions of Italy as well.  Scarpetta is an old Italian term for that last piece of bread that is used to soak up the last of the sauce on your dinner plate. The fruit is from the Graves (gravel) region of Friuli- Venezia Giuli and thirty percent of the fruit comes from the Colli Orientali steep hillsides.  The fruit is destemmed and fermented in Stainless Steel for twelve hours and then aged on the lees for six months in Stainless Steel.  A rich straw colored wine that offered notes of stone fruit and melon.  On the palate tones of stone fruit and melon, nicely balanced with bright acidity and a medium weight wine with a finish offering some terroir.

I decided to keep with the whites and had a glass of J & H Selbach Riesling Spatlese Mosel 2016 produced by Selbach-Oster in the Mosel Valley.  They have been producing wines in the region for over four-hundred years and they own twenty-four hectares of vineyards in the “golden mile.”  Almost none existent trade notes for such an old winemaker.  The wine had a soft-yellow color with a tinge of pink or salmon to it and it offered notes of white tree fruits and a touch of melon.  On the palate this was an off-dry wine with tones of apples and pears, with a soupcon of honey in a pleasant balanced wine.       

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“It’s My Birthday” Part One

Posted on March 11, 2023 by thewineraconteur

No, not my birthday and not my Bride’s.  While we were staying at Hilton Head Island we made a side trip to Charleston, South Carolina to celebrate with Ms. Yoga.  Ms. Yoga doesn’t live in Charleston, but she decided to celebrate her birthday there and we went to join her.  We pulled into the Renaissance Hotel to check our car in, because it is another city that is difficult to find parking.  Ms. Yoga, had already made arrangements with the attendants, and they were well aware that it was her birthday, not only did they know, but the hotel en masse knew and she even received a chilled bottle of wine with glasses for the occasion. Auntie Mame lives.

Ms. Yoga wanted to start the day off with a picnic in the lobby of her hotel, and we went into a coffee shop there, and they really didn’t have anything of note to add to the festivities, but the young man there suggested that we go to “Caviar and Bananas” only a couple of blocks away to get some accompaniments for the wine.  The shop that we went to had a little bit of everything from lunches to go, beverages and munchies.  So, we got some crackers, a couple different wedges of cheese, and a sausage.  We also got some paper plates, plastic utensils, and napkins.  When we got back to the lobby, I tried to used one of the plastic knives to cut the sausage to no avail.  Ms. Yoga went back to the coffee shop and returned with a knife that would, it was a steak knife by Laguiole, go figure.  While I was prepping our picnic with the impromptu charcuterie plate, the ladies went to get the complimentary bottle of wine and glasses.

As the ladies finished prepping our picnic in the lobby, I opened Ms. Yoga’s birthday present from the hotel, of Can Xa Cava Brut Penedes NV.  The winery was established in 2007 and is part of the wines from the De Andres Sisters and the vines are twenty to forty year olds.  The wine is fifty percent Xarel-lo, twenty-five percent Macabeo and twenty-five percent Parellada.  The wine is aged for nine months before disgorgement, in the classic Methode Traditionelle.  The wine was a pale golden color with plenty of intense smaller bubbles.  On the nose there were tones of apples, citrus, florals, and almonds; and on the palate apples, mousse, some honey, balanced with good acidity, probably a bit sweeter for a Brut, but I enjoyed it, with a nice medium count finish with terroir. 

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Dining at Sea Pines

Posted on March 9, 2023 by thewineraconteur

We were going to eat at The Crazy Crab at Harbour Town which is located in Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island.  I found this restaurant on the internet, just like everyone else and Harbour Town has a bit of a reputation, as there is a lighthouse there, that was strictly built as a conversation piece and not for what a lighthouse is actually designed for, and if you want to see the view from the lighthouse, you must pay for that right at the giftshop that is located in the base of the building right off of the marina.  And speaking of paying, to go eat or shop at Harbour Town, you have to pay a toll, which everyone seems to forget to mention in the websites and brochures, etc.  I mean we have taken 17-Mile Drive at Pebble Beach, when we have stayed in Carmel-by-the-Sea, and the toll is gladly taken off at a restaurant, bar or shop after you purchase or dine there.  In Harbour Town such a service was unknown. 

We got to Harbour Town, paid the toll at “Checkpoint Charley” and proceeded to navigate this extensive, for a lack of a better term, a gated community.  The shopping area at Harbour Town looked quite expansive, so we got there early to shop and to walk, which is one of our favorite pastimes.  Even after checking all the shopping and walking around the marina, it wasn’t as large as it appeared.  We went in to The Crazy Crab to relax after our strenuous walk, gets some wine and eventually to eat.  We started off with Castello Banfi San Angelo Pino Grigio Toscana IGT 2021.  Castello Banfi was founded in Tuscany in 1978 by the Italian-American brothers John and Harry Mariani.  Its origins is in their father’s business, Banfi Vintner, founded in 1919 and at one time was the largest Italian wine importer.  The estate encompasses 2870 hectares planted with both indigenous and international varieties.  Their portfolio is huge from opening price wines to muscular and bold “Super Tuscans.” The fermentation is done in Stainless Steel tanks, and then aged on the lees for two months in Stainless Steel.  A pale straw-colored wine that offered notes of pear and florals.  On the palate there were tones of pear and citrus with nice balanced acidity and very easy to start our meal off. 

We started off with She Crab Soup which is very rich and hardy.  Then we split an order of Broiled Scallops and Jumbo Shrimp.  I am getting used to the fact that I can no longer eat like a teenager.  Then we enjoyed a bottle of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards Chardonnay Sonoma County 2020. In 1971 Joe Martin planted Merlot and Chardonnay in Sonoma Valley and by 1979 with his business partner Lloyd Canton, they created St. Francis Winery & Vineyards.  They now have over three-hundred-eighty-acres of vineyards with an assortment of terroirs.  This wine is a blend of fruit harvested from several of their estates and grower-contracts in Sonoma Valley.  The fruit is harvested at night and pressed whole cluster in the morning and fermented in different lots.  The wine then undergoes partial Malolactic fermentation and is aged for six months in French Oak.  The soft golden colored wine offered notes of butterscotch, apples and orange blossoms.  On the palate pear and almond with additional tones of almonds and lemon zest with a creamy, balanced flavor and a nice finish of terroir.    

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Island Winery of Hilton Head Island

Posted on March 7, 2023 by thewineraconteur

My Bride and I have not been great travelers, but we are slowly attempting to at least try a wine now, from every state that we visit.  So, we have just visited and tasted our sixth state winery, we have been to more states, but this is relatively a new desire of mine.  As of 2023, forty-eight states produce less than eleven percent of the total United States’ wine production.  Living in Michigan, which has about one-hundred-forty wineries, we are seventh in production (0.319%) and fourth largest grape growing state.  I have empathy for the wineries in other states.

Island Winery is a labor of love for Loren and Georgene Mortimer who met while students at Ithaca College in the heart of the Finger Lakes Wine region of New York State.  After college and a wedding, they opened up Westfall Winery in Montague, New Jersey in 2000.  The winery was a seasonal business and they would spend the winters on Hilton Head Island and in 2006 they opened up Island Winery and for ten years they divided their time between the two; and finally got it down to one winery.  All grapes are shipped fresh to the winery. They have an automatic crusher/destemmer machine.  They do small batch fermentation and select yeasts for certain desirable traits for the batch of grapes and lasts from one to two weeks.  Fruit wines and their white wines are aged in Stainless Steel tanks,  the fruit is aged for a couple of months and the whites for about a year.  The red wines are aged in a mix of French and American Oak barrels for eighteen to twenty-four months.  Then the labels are affixed by hand, six at a time, and most of the labels are designed by local artists.

When we were there, they were offering three whites, three red and four fruit wines and you could do a tasting of six wines for ten dollars.  I was told by the lady at the counter that there was no AVA for any of the wines.  We started with the Harvest White Sweet Muscadine NV, a grape grown on the island.  A pale straw colored wine with notes of muskiness and on the palate notes of sweet tree fruit and a sweet finish.  Next, we had Riesling 2021 from the Rattlesnake Hills of Columbia Valley, Washington.  A soft straw color with notes of ripe pears and citrus.  On the palate ripe pears right through the finish.  The last white was Sea Island White NV which was a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.  A soft golden color offering notes of melon and honeysuckle while on the palate, a nice crisp dry wine with tones of citrus through the finish.  The first red was the Grenache 2020 a dark rose color wine with notes of berries, and on the palate red fruits, very light and vibrant with no tannins and a fruit finish.  The Vintner’s Blend NV was a Rhone style with a blend of Washington State Syrah, Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache.  A deep garnet wine with notes of red fruits and spice.  On the palate tones of red cherries, raspberries and truffles, soft tannins and a short finish of fruit.  The last red wine was Joe’s Reserve with a blend of Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Verdot and Viognier.  A dark garnet wine with notes of dark fruits and spices.  On the palate tones of black cherry and black plums with medium tannin and nice finish of fruit. An interesting place to visit and they even encourage that you bring a lunch and picnic on the grounds.            

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Crane’s Tavern and Steakhouse

Posted on March 5, 2023 by thewineraconteur

Our first night on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and I found a steakhouse.  I know that it sounds incongruous to be in the Low Country and going for a steak.  At the turn of the Twentieth Century, Frank Crane founded Crane’s Tavern in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Through a couple of different generations and locations, Crane’s Tavern and Steakhouse is now over a hundred years of age.  This location was opened in 1999 and their wines are stored in a temperature controlled cellar.  I found this winery as they are a recipient of Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence.” As we walked in, we saw a classic interpretation of an old style bar, that looks like it could be a hundred years old and made me feel very comfortable. 

Even though they call themselves a steakhouse, we went with seafood for the entire meal.  I learned years ago, that steakhouses can have some of the best seafood around.  We started out sharing an order of Traditional Style Shrimp Cocktail with a great Horseradish Sauce and just a wedge of lemon.  Good old-fashioned jumbo shrimp and nothing fancy.  My Bride had the Low Country Shrimp, lightly sautéed and served over White Cheddar Grits with Creamed Corn, Bacon and Green Onions.  I had the Crab Cakes, which were pan-seared with Rice Pilaf and a Red Pepper Remoulade.  They were the biggest, thickest and crab-stuffed Crab Cakes I have ever had, a true delight and my Bride several times that evening, told me that I had the best choice for the evening.

We enjoyed a bottle of Jean-Marc Brocard (Domaine) Sainte Claire Chablis 2021.  Jean-Marc Brocard established his initial vineyard in 1973 as a gift, and they have since expanded to produce a Chardonnay wine from all four of the Chablis appellations.  They started with one hectare and it has grown to sixty hectares of certified organic and forty hectares of biodynamically farmed land, as well as contracts with some of the oldest vineyards in the region.  The emphasis is on the terroir, and the approach is traditional, they use oak barrels and larger format, they do not use any new barrels.  This single vineyard wine is on the classic Chablis soil known as Kimmeridgian, which is a mineral rich-clay with essential marine fossils and a significant lime content; the trademark clay of Grand Cru wines of Chablis.  A pretty soft-yellow wine offering notes of lemon and yellow fruits.  On the palate, a crisp, fresh fruit with a tangy balance and nice long-count finish of terroir.  An absolutely great first night on the island.      

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Two Cities; Two Mimosas

Posted on March 3, 2023 by thewineraconteur

We woke up in Savannah, packed up, what little we had taken out of our suitcases and we were going to have breakfast.  One of the joys of having the internet bombard you, is that you get constant opposing ideas, like when I was growing up, they had always said that breakfast was the most important meal, now self-important individuals are telling us that is false; I will continue believing the earlier authorities. 

During our walks the day before, my Bride saw another hotel that she saw that had a brunch and she went in, and she saw that they had Steel Cut Oatmeal, her first choice for breakfast followed by poached eggs.  We went to the Andaz Savannah, a concept hotel by Hyatt.  While we were having our breakfast, we confirmed that Orange Juice is now dearer than the sparkling wine being poured for our Mimosas.  We saw the glasses with the wine, waiting as the bartender applied a tincture of the Orange Juice, which is fine, because that is how we make them at home.  To be truthful, I am always interested in seeing what bottle of sparkling wine is used for Mimosas.  They were pouring Duc de Valmer Blanc de Blanc Brut Vin de France NV.  Vin de France just means French Wine and the wine is produced using the Methode Charmat or the bulk sparkling wine method.  There is really no information about this wine, nor the grapes used for Blanc de Blanc, but I guess I can go out on a limb and opine that at least some of it must be Chardonnay.  When I saw the wine across the room, it had a nice white/yellow color and it had medium sized bubbles, even with the tincture of Orange Juice.  It was a very pleasant Mimosa and a great way to start the day.    

We eventually got on the road and a little under an hour, we went from Savannah. Georgia to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.  We were lucky that the hotel, told us to return in an hour and we could check in early, so we did a little walking and shopping.  After we got to the room and unpacked, I looked up a wine shop on the island that had listed as one of their amenities, a wine tasting room.  Our trusty phone told us that the wine shop could be found after about a twenty-minute walk.  We walked to the shop, to find out that only one of the locations had a tasting room, and alas this was not the one.  We had plans on having a charcuterie plate and some wine.  We walked around the shopping plaza that we were at, and found a little bistro, that had Mimosas painted on the window glass, so we went in.  My Bride had a bowl of She Crab Soup, the soup of the “Lowlands” and very rich, and she had a Caesar Salad (of course).  I had a Hot Ham and Cheddar on a grilled croissant.  More than enough for me.  We were going to have some wine, but the only wine we could have was a Mimosa, so we had our second sets of Mimosa for the day.  Once again, we got a chance to watch the Mimosas being made and it reminds me of how some men like Vermouth in their Martini, just in the same room.  They used Duca di Vincenza Bianco Secco Frizzante NV.  Outside of this being an Italian wine, Hercule Poirot would be hard pressed to find any information.  No region, no varietal and no production notes.  We have had worse Mimosas, but we were on holidays and the beverages were wet.  

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The Ordinary Pub

Posted on March 1, 2023 by thewineraconteur

Since, we had never been to Savannah, Georgia, I was trying to find a restaurant that we could walk to, since all of my research showed that parking in the Historic District was hard to find and quite dear.  Truthfully, I would rather spend the money on wine, then on parking, I am kind of a pain like that.  I did some research and discovered The Ordinary Pub and it is the entrance to the old basement of the original Sears & Roebuck and the address is 217 ½ and shades of Harry Potter for my Bride.  A gastropub with the necessary brick walls, leaded glass windows and an old staircase from the sidewalk down and very retro to me, as it reminded me of the English television show The Prisoner back in 1967 with their logo of the old-fashion bicycle.  Two unique experiences at The Ordinary Pub, was that we were seated in the dining room, and every couple or group that came in after us, moved from the dining room to the pub room (we had to question as to whether we had used deodorant in the morning).  The second was when we asked for a dessert menu and we were told quite adamantly, that they do not do dessert, but they sent us to Lulu’s Chocolate Bar, a couple of blocks away that have been voted best desserts in Savannah for fifteen years in a row.  Truly, worthy of the walk.

My Bride actually surprised me, by not having salmon for dinner, she went with their “Fish & Greens” which was Lemon Rosemary Mahi, on Balsamic Lemon Kale Salad with Smoked Rainbow Carrots, Roasted Beets, and Pickled Red and Turmeric Onions.  They had a couple of interesting meat dishes, but I opted for their Lobster/Shrimp Roll Tacos, a group of three Lobster and Mimosa Shrimp Salad Tacos, with Pineapple Pico, Sriracha syrup and Dang Dang Slaw.  The Mahi was perfectly prepared, but my Bride thought that I ended up having the better of the two meals.

We started with our wine at the bar, until they officially seated us at five, and we had Barone Montalto Pinot Grigio Terre Siciliane IGT 2021, but curiously on the wine carte it was listed as being from the Russian River.  The winery began in Santa Ninfa, in the province of Trapani, Sicily in 2000.  The vineyard for this wine is from the Valle del Belice, with deep alluvial soils of limestone and sand and clay.  The wine is pure Pinot Grigio that is treated oxidatively to achieve the color that they want.  The fermentation is done in Stainless Steel for fifteen days, followed by an additional two months of maturation in Stainless Steel.  The wine was a straw color to yellow wine that offered notes of citrus fruits and herbs.  On the palate tones of grapefruit, medium acidity and a finish of terroir, a quick way to describe this wine would be green and flinty and it worked well with the Mahi and was perky with the Seafood Tacos. We would go back there, and maybe dine in the pub area.   

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American Prohibition Museum

Posted on February 27, 2023 by thewineraconteur

When we are holidays, we like to eat, drink and if possible visit a museum, and we achieved two of the goals together on our walking around Savannah.  We went to the American Prohibition Museum and there were options; guided or self-guided, drinks or no drinks.  We did the self-guided and we had a drink, as we were a bit parched, as we had only enjoyed some Mimosas in Baltimore. 

“Good behavior rarely makes history” is one of the themes of the museum.  The museum starts off with the American Temperance Society movement in the 1860’s and the effect of groups like the Anti-Saloon League and Carrie Nation and her hatchet as she would destroy saloons.  Eventually the loudest voices created the original Nanny State ruling with the passing of the 18th Amendment on January 16, 1919 and took effect one year later, which banned the manufacture, sale and transportation of intoxicating beverages.  History, even when subjected to revisionists, have not been able to prove that this was a popular and successful law.  The exhibits showed how port cities, like Savannah, Charleston and Detroit were major hubs for “businessmen” attempting to please their customers who were citizens that did not appreciate being denied a pleasure that had only recently still been legal.  There were displays showing ways that the populace were able to circumvent this unpopular law, some ways legal and some ways illegally.  Communion wines, and medical scripts for alcohol were legal if used per your doctor’s instructions.  There were also displays of the violence that evolved from this unpopular law, as well as how social mores changed during the decade.  Another curious feature was not only people making illegal alcohol, but the roots of NASCAR came from the necessity of having to have very fast cars to evade the long arm of the long, as they tried to arrest the makers of moonshine.

We eventually in our self-guided tour ended up at a dead-end, but lo and behold, it was at the door of a speakeasy and one had to give the password that “Gus, sent us” to gain admission.  Out of the list of contemporary cocktails I selected the “Chrysanthemum” which was a blend of Dry Vermouth, Benedictine and an Absinthe Rinse; the rinse was a spritz of Absinthe on the lining of the glass, and I told the bartender in my best Groucho that “Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder,” but I think the quote was lost on her.   My Bride had the “Chatham Artillery Punch” which was a blend of Old Forester Bourbon, Bacardi Rum, Brandy, Lemon, Sugar and Sparkling Wine.  The sparkling wine that they used was Los Dos Cava Brut Penedes D.O. NV from Mundovino Winebow Imports (which is not available in Michigan).  The grapes are from a family vineyard and is a blend of Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada.  After a soft press, each grape variety produces a base wine in steel tank, followed by aging on the lees for ten months.  The juice is then blended and the second fermentation is in the bottle.  I cheated a little bit for the sake of this article and had a wee taste.  A straw yellow that offered notes of green apples and pears.  On the palate there were tones of apple and pear, baked nuts and baked bread, nice structure and acidity.  The cocktail was nice, but my Bride preferred my drink better.  Then we went to discover our hotel and went out for dinner in Savannah.   

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