An Older and a Younger White

Posted on January 24, 2021 by thewineraconteur

Way back when there were sit-down restaurants, we tended to buy wines for a later day.  I guess that later day finally arrived in the longest original fifteen days or was it a month?  Anyways, we have, just like the rest of the state and most of the country have been homebodies forever and we are waiting for parole or amnesty.  I have actually kind of tamed the inventory of wines to at least see what we have been storing, some we have lost and some have been wonderful stories of great winemaking.  There are some in the refrigerator in the garage that may or may not have been so lucky, eventually we will find out. 

Meanwhile, there have been some newer white wines that have been mixed in with the clutter, especially by our dear shopper, who when she sees something that she thinks we would like in the popular price, she will grab a couple and trust me, I am not talking of wines in the fifty-dollar range.  She has also been partial to white wines, since we met, though she has definitely acquired a true liking and appreciation for red wines and red meats.  Though she is still a big fish and fowl fan, and I can handle most of it, though I still have a real problem with ground turkey, but that is my problem.  I also have not tried or plan on trying any of the “Soylent Green” products that have seemed to take up more real estate in chain grocery stores.  One of the more recent wines that have graced our wine vault has been Francis (Ford) Coppola Diamond Collection Emerald Label Pinot Noir California 2018.  Why his middle name has been omitted, is beyond me, though I do know that he was born in Detroit, and that his father who was with the Detroit Symphony, had his son delivered at Henry Ford Hospital, and the Ford family, even back then were major benefactors of the arts in Detroit, so the middle name is an homage from his father.  I digress as I sometimes do, but lately my Bride has had a penchant for Pinot Grigio wines, I guess because they are easy to drink and really for the most part are not fussy, a few of them are, but not really in her quick, grab and go price points.  All of the Diamond Collection, as well as most of the other affordable wines from the Francis Ford Coppola Winery or The Family Coppola are not handled out of the new complex in Sonoma, so that his classic Rubicon from the old Inglenook Estate in Napa Valley is singular and just a drop in the bucket of his annual wine production; he basically moved all of his museum pieces of cinematic lore to Sonoma as well.  We are talking about a very pleasant and easy to drink Pinot Grigio wine with a generic California appellation, though Monterey County is sited for the majority of the fruit, and there is five percent Chardonnay blended in as well.  This is a wine that is aged in Stainless Steel which keeps the fruit forward finish and is made for early consumption and not really designed for long term storage. 

The other wine that I will mention is a Joseph Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne Chardonnay 2011.  I think we actually first had this wine in a restaurant setting, and they have added Chardonnay to the label, as it is probably easier than trying to teach the world that Bourgogne Blanc (White Burgundy) is Chardonnay. Joseph Drouhin is one of leading wine producers in Burgundy.  The company was founded in Beaune in 1880 and the realm of holdings and vineyards grew enormously in the Twentieth Century.  The firm has representation in the Cote de Nuits, the Cote de Beaune, Chablis and the Cote Chalonnaise making wines from simple varietal bottlings, village-level, grand cru and premier cru wines.  This white wine with the most common listing of Bourgogne can be made from the grapes from the three hundred or so communes in Burgundy and they can offer a similar taste style year to year because of the work of the winemaker.  The wine is aged for around seven months in either Stainless Steel or previously used oak barrels.  It is just an easy drinking wine and even as a nine-year-old this wine was still drinking quite well.  It was not fresh, but it was by no means over the hill, so we were happy.     

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A Couple of Big Reds

Posted on January 22, 2021 by thewineraconteur

When I wander into my local wine shop, the Fine Wine Source, I never know what may happen.  There are times when it is a hive of activity, in which case, sometimes I decide to come back at a later time.  Other times I have been drawn into conversations with others about the nectar of the Gods, that we all thirst after.  I guess I tend to be a rather social individual, and then there are times when I am with my Bride and she gets carried away with all the fun that one should associate with wine.  To me wine is fun, and I am not one that strikes poses constantly with a wine glass, and perhaps I am just a peasant, but I find that individuals that preen and walk with a wine glass by holding the base look pretentious.  There are times for some serious wine tasting and there are times when one has to let their hair down and enjoy the moment.  Two things I have learned over the years is to eat before going to a wine shop, just like one should always eat before going grocery shopping.  The other is to drink water before going, to cleanse one mouth.  The eating part is also basic to me, because in fifty years I have never learned the fine art of wine spitting, perhaps, because most of the wines taste too good, and I am not there to drink. 

The first wine that I will discuss, I have mentioned earlier, only because after my Bride and I tasted this wine, I saw a light bulb light up over her head and she decided that it was going to be a Christmas present for me.  We were each poured a tasting of EL Ixsir Cuvee X’eme Anniversaire Red Non-Vintage using the Coravin system.  Ixsir Winery was founded in 2009 in the northern part of Lebanon in Batroun which is a coastal area.  They are a mountain winery, and one of the highest in elevation for the Northern Hemisphere.  The name Ixsir derives from the Arabic word “Iksir” the original Arabic word for “elixir.” History has recorded that man has searched for the perfect elixir for eternal youth and for love.  The winery is very progressive and has been named one of the greenest buildings in the world.  The winery owns one-hundred-twenty hectares in the Batroun with several different vineyards capitalizing on the terroir.  The winery grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo, Caladoc, Cinsault, Merlot, Obeidy, Viognier, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Semillon.  Quite impressive for a young company, as far as I am concerned.  The EL Ixsir Cuvee X’eme Anniversaire Red Non-Vintage is a special bottling of three very recent vintages of their EL, which is their top cuvee and a blend of fifty-five percent Syrah, thirty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon and ten percent Merlot.  Each of the wines had aged for twenty-four months and then had been blended and aged in French Oak, of which half were new barrels. The concept of having the three bottles in the case was that the first bottle should be tasted in five years, and then at least ten years for the second bottle and the last should be held even longer.  As a reference point, this wine was issued 30 April 2019 and the Wine Advocate awarded it a score of 93 Points and a suggest “Drink Date” of 2022-2040.  When we tasted the wine, we were told that the 2014 vintage which was the real powerhouse of EL was leading this wine and it was big and inky and really overpowering; it was way too young and feisty to be properly enjoyed and there was real merit in cellaring this wine.  Though at this point in my life, I can honestly say that I can tell a future winner, even when it is young.  I can handicap wines, but don’t ask me to handicap horses. 

The other wine was from California, and I had never heard of it, but that is totally understandable from my point of view, because I am not a professional and wineries seem to grow exponentially.  Vine Hill Ranch VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2017, a family-owned farming estate from the last century.  Alexandra and Robert Phillips in 1978 moved to the family ranch that their grandfather had purchased some twenty years earlier and named it Vine Hill Ranch.  They not only farmed the land, but were dedicated to land preservation and assorted community services, and the tradition continues on with the third generation.  The estate had been documented as a vineyard and other crops since 1884.  They still maintain the old ledger style of documenting the crops in their seven blocks.  This wine was made from predominately twenty-year-old vines that began with three weeks of being on the skins for fermentation and post-fermentation using wild indigenous yeast.  The juice was then aged for twenty months in French Oak, then bottled without fining or filtration.  They produced eight barrels with careful allotments to special restaurants and not a lot to spread around after. A dark garnet color wine with lilacs and violets greeting, before the meeting of all the dark fruits, spices in a totally balanced wine with great tannins and a long finish to enjoy the mix of oak and terroir.  Even fresh from a Coravin pour this wine promises to be wonderful ten to twenty years down the road, though I doubt many bottles will be around that far in the future, the wine is that delicious even now.   

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Cambria Pines Lodge Chardonnay

Posted on January 20, 2021 by thewineraconteur

The perpetual lockdown has let me find some wines in the cellar that have memories and perhaps that is why they were put aside in the first place.  Over years they were eclipsed by other wines that may have other stories to tell and so it goes.  I know that I pen articles about the joys of wine and actually this is a cute story with a memory as well.  This lockdown that has been on and off, more on than off, for nine months and thankfully we only drink during dinner, otherwise we would be alcoholics.  The wine that we had with a dinner recently was actually a gift, from years ago.

Our first trip out to Carmel-by-the-Sea was a wonderful trip and a wonderful week.  First of all, the name of the city is just so charming and it is historic and famed for being an artist colony, a getaway for the non- Hollywood, Hollywood actors and now a mecca for food and wine lovers, and people that like to shop as well.  While we had a hotel booked for a week, we actually made a one night reservation elsewhere, as we were going to meet a young lady that my Bride grew up with, who now lives in Santa Barbara with her son.  We were going to meet them and take them to the Hearst Castle, because even though they live in California, they had never been there, and my Bride and I like to be tourists on occasion.  The four of us had a great time on the grounds of the Castle which is now a California museum and we chose a hotel that was going away from Carmel, but more in the direction of our guests.  We ended up at Cambria Pines Lodge in of all places, Cambria, California; which is another artist colony and the town is known as the halfway point between Los Angeles and San Francisco.  After we settled in at the Lodge, it proved to be the best location for our dinner that evening, as well as breakfast the next morning as we all said our good-byes and went in our directions.  We drove down to Cambria from the Castle on Highway 1, which is beautiful for riding shotgun, but rather white-knuckle at times for the driver, so we took the interstate back to Carmel. 

We had a couple of bottles of wine with our dinner, but the next morning our guest gave us a bottle of wine that we did not have the night before as a thank you gift.  Cambria Pines Lodge Chardonnay San Luis Obispo County NV was the house wine of the lodge.  The wine was vinted and bottled by Castoro Wines of San Miguel, California.  Niels and Bimmer Udsen established Castoros Cellars in 1983 with the intention of making world-class wine from the Paso Robles fruit.  They began by making and selling wine, and eventually purchasing their own equipment, winery, tasting room and then they finally purchased and planted their own vineyards. In 1990 they had their facilities off and running, they had begun just making a few barrels for friends and family, and ended up developing a large custom-crush operation, all under the Castoro Cellars banner.  They now have fourteen-hundred acres of Estate vineyards which are certified organic by two licensing organizations.  We were at the Lodge in 2006, and I cannot ascertain when they started or when they stopped producing this house wine, but I would venture to say that this was probably one of the last runs of Cambria Pines Lodge Chardonnay as it is not mentioned on either website.  Castoro Wines currently makes a Chardonnay that is aged in French Oak with a “splash” of Falanghina.  The Lodge house wine may have been their experiment in creating their Chardonnay wine.  Considering that the wine in our cellar was probably fourteen to fifteen years old and Non-vintage I had a back-up bottle in the refrigerator, but I am glad to say that it wasn’t required.  There was a slight toning of oxidation in the color, but no signs of the wine being old or over the hill. The fruit was still evident and it was far superior to some of the bulk Chardonnay wines that we have encountered over the years in some of the restaurants we have found ourselves at over the years.  I was more than happy, and in checking my notes, I have found that we actually had another Chardonnay produced by Castoro, but under a different label again, but not in Michigan, but I will keep looking.

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January 2021 Wine Club Selections

Posted on January 18, 2021 by thewineraconteur

Venturing out in to the real world is quite a bother, unless I am planning on stopping by The Fine Wine Source either to pick up the monthly club selections or to pick up some other wines.  There is just something about always trying a new wine that is enjoyable, I know that some people only buy the same wine, week in, week out, usually at their local grocery store.  That is all fine and dandy, but it won’t work for me, as I like to try new wines both in regions and in varietals.  I remember when I was in high school, I thought it would be cool to try a wine from every country and that was short lived, because back in the dark ages, there were not many wines to select from, even at wine shops, as they played it safe. At the Fine Wine Source there is usually an Old-World Selection and a New World Selection. 

Allegrini La Grola Veronese IGT 2014 represented the Old World in this selection. Allegrini is a family business located in the Valpolicella Classico zone of the Veneto and famed for their Amarone della Valpolicella. They have been in the wine growing business since the 16th Century, but it was in the 1960’s that they really carved out a reputation for their fine wines.  All of their wines are from their ninety hectares of vineyards and all with southeast-facing slopes.  While they are famed for their Amarone, they also produce wines with the Veronese IGT that stray from the rigid rules of Valpolicella.  La Grola is a premium single vineyard cuvee that is ninety percent Corvina Veronese and ten percent Oseleta.  Initial fermentation is done in Stainless Steel, Malolactic fermentation in barriques and then aged for sixteen months in oak, then blended for another two months, followed by ten-month aging in the bottle.  I have had this wine before and it has a big presence for an affordable wine, there was plenty of dark fruit and a touch of vanilla that I noticed.  I will have no problem finding a red meat dinner for this wine.

Kenwood Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino County/Sonoma County 2017 represented the New World this time out. Kenwood Vineyards was established in 1970 in Sonoma.  It was founded by the Lee family when they purchased the estate and winery of the Pagani Brothers that began in 1906 and were successful until Prohibition.  In 1999 the winery was bought by F. Korbel and Bros. and in 2014 Kenwood was bought by the international beverage concern of Pernod Ricard.  Kenwood Vineyards has twenty-two acres of estate vineyards and also sources fruit from dozens of other growers in Sonoma.  The winery has been known for years for some of their Single-Vineyard wines, as well as some of their other collections.  The first time that I ever had a wine from Kenwood Vineyards was their famed Jack London Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1992. This wine is pure Cabernet Sauvignon and the fruit is fifty-one percent Mendocino County and the balance is Sonoma County.  The tasting notes for this wine list black fruit flavors along with licorice and nutmeg.  I think this wine will work with almost any red meat dish, and probably the simpler, the better. 

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Two from Marqués de Murrieta

Posted on January 16, 2021 by thewineraconteur

With all that is going on, and since so many places have been shut down, if I can I try to make it a point to stop at my local wine shop to help in my small way at The Fine Wine Shop.  As a former retailer I enjoy seeing the moxie that is required to survive, not from bad business judgement, but from a government intent on crushing all small businesses.  Somehow, I have to feel that there are more germs in a Walmart with hordes of shoppers then there is in a small business that is grateful for every customer that opens the door.  As it is, I find that I tend to do all of my errands in one day, and I have probably been experiencing at least one month per tankful of gas, the best mileage in my history of driving. I also try to make the wine shop the last stop on my circuit, so I am not rushed, and if they need to close early for a delivery, I can definitely understand.  There is also a chance of having a private wine tasting, usually by appointment, so that “social distancing” is honored. 

I had a chance to taste a couple of Rioja wines from Spain and both by Marqués de Murrier.  Marqués de Murrier Rioja Reserva 2015 and has its fruit from the famed Finca Ygay vineyard of the winery and they are located in Rioja Alta.  There are three sub-regions of Rioja and Rioja Alta tends to be the region that is often named, and it refers to the elevation of this region compared to the other two sub-regions.  The winery was founded in 1852 by Luciano de Murrieta and since 1983 it has been owned by the Cebrian-Sagarriga family.  When the winery was being built it was found to be part of Rioja Baja (lower elevation), but it makes the region sound inferior and Rioja Baja is now Rioja Oriental; they had enough clout to have the boundary moved, so that the winery was in Rioja Alta and today it is in its own enclave of La Rioja Alta. The wine is a blend of eighty percent Tempranillo, twelve percent Graciano, six percent Mazuelo and two percent Garnacha.  The fruit is manually harvested and destemmed and spends eight days in Stainless Steel fermenting on the skins.  It then spends eighteen months in American Oak and then it ages another eighteen months in the bottle, before it is released.  I am partial and biased from the get-go about wines from Rioja and this wine offered everything it was supposed to, especially strong with notes of red fruits and pepper. 

I would have been perfectly happy enjoying the Rioja Reserva but then I had the Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2009.  This wine is not made every vintage and the fruit comes the single vineyard La Plana, planted in 1950 and is on a plateau which is the highest point of the Finca Ygay vineyard on the estate.  This wine is a blend of eighty-one percent Tempranillo and nineteen percent Mazuelo.  After manual harvesting, destemming and gentle crushing the wine spends eleven days fermenting in Stainless Steel with constant attention during this period.  The wine is then aged for twenty-six months in a mix of American and French Oak, then followed up with thirty-six months of aging in the bottle before release.  It is amazing how beautifully balance, lush and satiny this wine is, the red fruit is so much more complex with traces of truffles in the mix.  It was just awe-inspiring the difference between the two Rioja wines, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with the first wine, and it makes me appreciate how my Bride will sometime demur from tasting the elite wines, as she doesn’t want to lose her appreciation for all the other great wines that she already enjoys. 

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Mad Dogs and Englishman Go Out in the Midday Sun

Posted on January 14, 2021 by thewineraconteur

With apologies to Noel Coward “Mad Michiganders go out in the Midday Frost.” Yankee ingenuity and the need to keep a business afloat and to allow people to make a modicum of a living has created a unique situation in the State of Winter Wonderland, at one time that was the slogan on our license plates.  It appears somewhere in the mumbo-jumbo of science that is being proffered here in our state, that a certain virus can thrive in a restaurant, but not in a carryout situation, and a proviso has been added that one can dine out, if they actually dine outdoors, not indoors like Newsome, who can’t tell the difference.  January 15 is the newest date being dangled like a treat to a family pet, that perhaps the virus will stop attacking indoor restaurants and perhaps another segment of a broken economy in the state may be salvaged, time will tell.  Just in case restaurants that have patios or can create patios are enclosing them in visqueen plastic wrap, or the latest is the purchase of geodesic domes or yurts (and before this era, one had to enjoy the New York Times Crossword to know that word or liked to travel with nomadic tribes in Central Asia) to create dining outdoors.  This has probably caused a shortage of gas space heaters which may be the new toilet paper of 2021.  Michiganders or Michiganian (we actually answer to both sobriquets) have a certain in-grained independence and desire to get out of cages, real or perceived; similar to a certain dentist that tries to pull rank to get his boat in the water ahead of others.

We recently went out again for the desire to have some normalcy in an aberrant setting and went to another restaurant, this time in one of the eastern suburbs of the Detroit area.  We met a friend there at 1:00 when the restaurant opened and there was already a line of people with the same intention, so I guess there are plenty of selfish and criminally intent people that want to eat out like human beings did, just a year ago.  It turns out that this restaurant had a huge enclosed patio with large gas-station style garage doors to open in the summer time.  There was a bar built in kind of the center of the patio and tables were spread out with propane gas heaters set up to keep everyone from freezing.  In hind-sight we should have taken one of the high-tops, and then our feet would not have been on cement the entire time and it would have probably been warmer, next time, if there has to be a next time.  The restaurant was an ethnic Greek restaurant, I am not mentioning any names just to be prudent.  We started with an order of Saganaki, the flaming Greek Kasseri cheese when doused with brandy with the necessary vocalization of “Opa” for the ladies, and I ordered a plate of Roasted Hot Peppers that on the abbreviated menu courtesy our phones, was not listed as stuffed with Feta cheese which I also shared with the ladies, my Bride was also happy to get the additional Feta that I scraped out of the peppers as goat cheese and I do not get along.  Our friend ordered her traditional order of five lamb chops with sides as her dinner.  My Bride ordered Broiled Shrimp and it was covered with Kasseri cheese, much to her chagrin (also not mentioned on the abbreviated menu) and I went with a half of a Roasted Chicken, as I figured that it was the safest of the dishes besides a hamburger.  We finished off the meal with either Rice Pudding or Chocolate Mousse. 

When in Rome, we ordered a Greek wine.  Kouros Rhoditis Patra 2018 from Greek Wine Cellars, formerly known as Kourtaki Wines.  Greek Wine Cellars has several labels including Kourtaki, Apelia, Calliga and Kouros.  The company was founded by Vassili Kourtakis in 1895 and he was one of the pioneers in oenology in Greece.  The company was famed for bulk wine sales, and they are now in the third generation of being family owned and have spread out into varietal wines as well, especially in the export end of their business.  Patra (Patras) is in the wine producing region of the Peloponnese Peninsula and there are four Protected Designation of Origin appellations there and Roditis (Rhoditis) is one of the appellations. Roditis is a catch-all name for several pink-red grape clones that grow in abundance in Greece and is one of their most famous white wines, it is found both as a varietal type wine or blended.  When it is not over-grown as a crop the wine tends to have bright acidity and some terroir notes with a finish of apples and pears, but as a dry white wine.  This particular wine was quite refreshing and quite affordable. Here is hoping that soon when we dine al-fresco it will be in the midday sun. 

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Two More Christmas Gifts

Posted on January 12, 2021 by thewineraconteur

“Taking coal to Newcastle” is the classic expression for redundancy and some may say that is like buying me a bottle of wine.  Au contraire.  Actually, I really appreciate anyone and any gift, because it means that someone has to actually care and be considerate.  Yes, we have a decent collection of wine in the cellar and in the wine vault, but this past year, we have seen a considerable amount of wine that has left the comfort of their cradled racks and slight accumulation of dust.  We have drunk more bottles of wine at home this year, than we may have in the past twenty-five years, because normally we only drink wine home, when we are entertaining, but that concept has gone out the window and we are enjoying some wonderfully aged wines.  I am rambling again, and I just wanted to mention that we received two different wines, from two different couples and they are both accepted graciously and humbly. 

The first wine that I will discuss is from a couple that really didn’t like some of the wines that we would pour at parties, because they were too dry, but through another event, they had a chance to try a wine at a restaurant while we were all together and they really enjoyed this wine, and so did we, so they remembered the night and the wine.  Meiomi Pinot Noir California 2019 is a very easy wine, even for non-wine drinkers.  Meiomi Wines is a California winery that was founded in 2007 by Joe Wagner, the son of Chuck Wagner of Caymus Vineyards.  The winery started with Pinot Noir, then a Chardonnay and finally a Rosé.  Meiomi means “coast” in the language of the Wappo and Yuki tribes of the region.  The Pinot Noir is a blend of three coastal regions; Sonoma County, Monterey County and Santa Barbara County and hence the California AVA.  Their first vintage of the Pinot Noir was in 2007 and they produced ninety-thousand cases and quickly became one of the most requested wine labels for restaurants.  In 2015, Joe Wagner sold Meiomi Wines to Constellation Brands for $315,000,000, and he stayed on as a consultant for the 2016 and 2017 vintages.  The first vintage not overseen by Joe Wagner was the 2018 and the wine was a classic California wine that was jammy and velvety with a good nose and nice finish.  I expect the same for this 2019 vintage. 

The second bottle that I received was actually on top of a continued subscription of the Cigar Aficionado, that they had begun for me many years ago.  That periodical is a sister publication of the Wine Spectator, but besides great information about cigars, it is also a font of information for the latest and greatest toys and “must haves” for people above my pay scale.  Couvent (Convent) des Jacobins Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2010 is a delightful wine that will take me back to my youth, with its full flavor and of course excellent pricing.  The Convent has been celebrating seven centuries of winemaking, famed terroir and since 2020 they have been certified “organic farming.”  A blend of eighty-five percent Merlot and fifteen percent Cabernet Franc from vines that are ten to fifty years old. The wine had twelve months of aging in a mix of forty-five percent new oak barrels and a production of about twenty-two-hundred cases. There was plenty of black fruit, some vanilla and silky tannins and probably another good ten to twenty years for cellaring.  Just a charming wine.  The Grand Cru designation began in 1954 and has been updated a couple of times.  I have heard some people remark that there is more Grand Cru wine, then there is basic Saint-Emilion wine, but I have never seen it in print.  I am really looking forward to it, as it from a great vintage and it is already aged.  Decisions, decisions.

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A Couple of Christmas Gifts

Posted on January 10, 2021 by thewineraconteur

I some how have just given up, ever trying to keep the articles in a somewhat chronological manner, I am just not that organized.  It is hardly because I am unappreciative, it is just keeping the articles rolling, is sometimes almost beyond my abilities, as I like to have an article every other day, sometimes to my Bride’s chagrin as she will remind me that it is not a job.  I have made it a habit of not giving attribution for the gifts, as I think that is tacky and since hopefully, they never miss an article, I know that I have a second time to thank them publicly.  I am just always honored when people get me a gift, you know us curmudgeons are not the most lovable souls.  We all have a fantasy of who would play us on the silver screen and I would think that Marcello Mastroianni would be perfect, especially after Facebook’s facial recognition software thought he was me, though most would think that Walter Matthau would be better, and I am sure that a few would select Charles Lane.

Anyways, the first gift that I am going to mention actually came in two boxes, one for my Bride and one for me.  I think that keeping in a film allusion, my Bride must be Robert Redford and I must be Nick Nolte from the film A Walk in the Woods.  You are forgiven if you don’t know the film, but it is basically a “buddy film” of two man that walk the Appalachian Trail and based on a book of this tale.  My Bride and I do a 3K walk every morning usually at the crack of dawn, sometimes we get back home, before the actual sunrise.  On her, the activity has been very productive, less so on me, but what the hell, I am the Nick Nolte character.  What we received are his and hers Ultra-Strong Aluminum Cork Trekking Poles, which are used on the Appalachian Trail and other similar trails, but is a bit of overkill for our sub-division.  Though I have to admit, that we just received a desk calendar from our insurance provider, now that we are Senior Citizens and on the cover is a couple both using trekking poles, so perhaps it is the cool new accessory, anyways I think it is cool. I do know that they will come in handy for these old souls when the white stuff comes down and decides to stay, especially at the households that figure that their kind neighbor or God will remove the snow and ice from their sidewalks.

For the other gift, perhaps the urbane and suave Charles Boyer should play me, but the odds are that Jacques Tati would be cast.  We received a bottle, in all honesty way before Christmas and I am so bad about writing about items, of Boutinot Wines Les Coteaux Schisteux Seguret Cotes du Rhone Villages 2017.  Boutinot Wines is an American wine company that was founded in 1980 and they own vineyards and properties in ten countries, and though I have not heard of them, even of their California wines like Cabaret Frank from Lodi, they sound interesting and their website is fun.  Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret is an appellation for red, white and rosé wines from the small parish of Seguret, and there are about twenty of these parishes that are allowed to add their name to the Cotes du Rhone Villages AOP.  The wines are a step up from the basic Cotes du Rhone, but not as honored as location specific crus like Gigondas or Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Higher up the slopes of the mountainous terroir of Seguret is a single vineyard that is predominately Grenach Noir (eighty percent) and some Syrah (twenty percent) and it is Les Coteaux Schisteux or “the schist slopes” referring to the shale terroir.  Since we both enjoy Rhone wines, I am sure that when this bottle is opened, it will be a pure delight.

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Two Very Quiet Dinners

Posted on January 8, 2021 by thewineraconteur

This past year as I presume most have notice has been a very strange one in the annals of mankind.  The lockdowns have culminated into family holidays with no family.  I think that is what the warden here was hoping for and alas it has worked.  I mean from strange rules like only one person in a car, masks while swimming, to only boats that have no motors and the list goes on.  Families have become splintered, because it has been demonized as a great way to get sick.  I have seen memes that offered invitations for catered dinners honoring the death of a family’s pet turkey, to family get-togethers in a certain aisle at a Wal-Mart.  At least we still have maintained our gallows-humor about us.

Christmas Day was a very quiet day and I briefly mentioned it, but normally my article would have been about all the people, the food and the wines.  Not this year, as we were all splintered off, which I am sure would make our termagant delighted.  My Bride wanted to makes us a dish that she has enjoyed and now she also enjoys making the dish Coquilles St. Jacques al crème de Xeres, or sea scallops sautéed with mushrooms and garlic, pan-sauced with Sherry and cream with rice.  A beautiful meal, just a shame that only the two of us had the good fortune to enjoy it.  We had a delightful bottle of Cave de Genouilly Bourgogne Aligoté 2018, the almost forgotten white wine of Burgundy, but it has its own appellation.  The Cave Des Vignerons de Genouilly was founded in 1932 as a co-operative of family growers in the Cote Chalonnaise region of Southern Burgundy.  Today it includes ninety growers with one-hundred-eighty acres based around Genouilly, Fley, Bissy-sur-Fley, Saint-Martin-du-Tatre and Saint-Clement-sur-Guye.  Bourgogne Aligoté is an appellation in Burgundy for white wines made from the Aligoté grape and the appellation was awarded in 1937.  The grape has been in Burgundy since the 17th Century, but only represent about six percent of the vineyards there, but is grown in about three hundred parishes in Burgundy, basically for the vignerons themselves.  The wines are generally made in Stainless Steel to allow the freshness and the crispness of the grape, if anything, some people are surprised at the high acidity and the resulting tartness that can occur, but that is part of the charm that I just recently discovered about this grape.  By all rights this wine should be much dearer in cost, but since it is hidden under the large shadow cast by Chardonnay in the entire Burgundy region, it is unknown and hence most people don’t take a chance, but believe me, I will tout it often and to anyone that I get a chance to.

Which brings me to New Years and another disaster of a holiday that I won’t even get into, but I pray that it never happens again.  It was definitely not one for the books, and my Bride and I, relaxed and watched a movie and had cheese and crackers and an early turn in, as we didn’t even wait to hear the firecrackers, as I am sure that no one was shooting rifles with the high cost of ammunition that I keep reading about. We had a bottle of Marilyn Monroe Wines “Blonde de Noirs” Cuvee Three North Coast Sparkling Wine 2004.  I feel rather vindicated nowadays as I have been an advocate of the wines made and distributed by Nova Wines of Napa Valley from the first bottle that I had, when everyone chided me for trying a throw-away wine, and now they are actually getting respect for being a fine wine and totally respectful of the memory of Marilyn Monroe.  We are talking about one of the earliest garagiste of St. Helena starting back in 1981 for friends and finally christened as Marilyn Merlot in 1981.  Beyond the flagship Merlot offering, they have released other brands featuring different varietals and always featuring a different photo of the legendary movie star.  One of the most curious features of this winery, is that the wines are always released on June 1, in celebration of Marilyn Monroe’s birthday. This particular wine is made in the Methode Champenoise or in the traditional way that is done from the Champagne region and the wine is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  There was still a bit of the brioche and notes of red berries, and a very easy wine to drink and not totally bone dry.  I definitely will try another one, when I get a chance. The best thing is that we did get a chance to chat with our children and grandchildren during these days.

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Winter Dining in Michigan

Posted on January 6, 2021 by thewineraconteur

We recently went out to eat with friends at a restaurant, now before you say that one cannot eat in a restaurant in Michigan, our harridan has allowed outside dining, and the dining area can be enclosed, but it must be outside.  I understand that it sounds like double-talk from a Marx Brothers’ film, but it is true.  The state just closed a restaurant in the Upper Peninsula, but had to use a court in the Lower Peninsula that was in favor of making a woman stop earning a living for her children and couldn’t get the response that they were looking for up north, so they had to “court shop.” If you think this is strange, it also happens in California, and the governor there could not tell that he was breaking his own mandate eating with a group of friends at the French Laundry, and he claimed that he thought he was eating outside, even though they were clearly indoors.  All of this reminds me of dialogue from Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22” that I will present at the end of this article.

We were going to a Coney Island restaurant that is located on a semi-private par-three golf course in a residential subdivision.  For the uninitiated a Coney Island restaurant can be a small singular storefront that historically sells Detroit style Coney-Dogs, which is a hot dog or loose hamburger placed in a hot dog bun covered with bean-less chili, onions and yellow mustard, a Detroit tradition with plenty of arguments to go around of who has the best Coney Islands.  I have my favorite and have made it point even to take my grandchildren there, if they are in town, but I am digressing.  The majority of Coney Island Restaurants have evolved into multi-page restaurants with most meals served at any time of day, including breakfast choices.  We sat outside of the restaurant, as the real restaurant was only being used for carry-out orders which are legal. The back patio of the restaurant overlooking part of the golf course was surrounded by thick plastic sheeting, with corner flaps left dangling open for fresh and cold air.  Inside the patio area were these big propane space heaters in a couple of different designs, but all cranking up the heat.  It was quite toasty, as they were a multitude of hardware store backyard thermometers placed all around the plastic enclosed dining area, and they were showing temperatures of eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit, in fact I had to take off my suede coat as I was getting hot.  There was an assortment of different dishes orders and the food was so plentiful that everyone took food containers home with them, and also the rice pudding that was part of the entrées that no one had room left to enjoy a dessert. 

I had wine with my meal and the waitress could recite the brands of wine; Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling etc.  I decided to play it safe and order a Pinot Grigio and of course I requested to see the bottle, which was brought out for me.  I had a full glass of Salmon Creek California Pinot Grigio 2018 which came in the handy magnum size that is popular with catering companies and some restaurants.  Under the Salmon Creek label there are at least twenty-five different varietals and blends offered, and the label is considered one of the least expensive wines from California, and this winery/label is a division of Bronco Wine Company.  Bronco Wine Company is one of the largest wine producers and vineyard owners in the United States of America.  They are located in Ceres, California and they have ownership of about sixty different labels, including perhaps there most famous brand Charles Shaw (Two Buck Chuck).  They also own facilities in eleven other countries.  The company was founded in 1973 by Fred, Joseph and John Franzia after the sale of the Franzia Winery.  By the way it was not a terrible wine, perhaps a bit sweeter than I expected, but I find that the case with most bulk wines.

Maj. Major Major Major: Sergeant, from now on, I don’t want anyone to come in and see me while I’m in my office.  Is that clear?

First Sgt. Towser: Yes, sir.  What do I say to people who want to come in and see you while you’re in your office?  

Major: Tell them I’m in and ask them to wait.

Towser: For how long?

Major: Until I’ve left

Towser: And then what do I do with them?

Major: I don’t care.

Towser: May I send people in to see you after you’ve left?

Major: Yes

Towser: You won’t be here then, will you?

Major: No.

Towser: I see, sir.  Will that be all?

Major: Also, Sergeant, I don’t want you coming in while I’m in my office asking me if there’s anything you can do for me.  Is that clear?

Towser: Yes, sir.  When should I come in your office and ask if there’s anything, I can do for you?

Major: When I’m not there.

Towser: What do I do then?

Major: Whatever has to be done.

Towser: Yes, sir.

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