Best Wine Experience of 2007

The most memorable wine experiences are never just about the wine that was drunk.  They are always so much deeper than that. The best bottles are always enjoyed and savored when the setting, the mood, the food, the wine, and most importantly the company, is just right.  You can have a pristine bottle of 1982 Chateau Margaux on a bad date and you will still want to rush home even though you have a half glass left. Or you can have a $12.00 bottle of Albarino with friends on the beach in the Hamptons and feel as if you can take on the world.

My best wine experience of 2007 was with my great friend Eben Klemm.  We went to Veritas for dinner to check out the new chef and to celebrate his birthday. We ordered a bottle of Henri Bonneau's, Cuvee des Celestins, Chateauneuf du Pape 1992. We ate escargots and pasta with ragu of wild hare. We sat at the bar and talked endlessly about life, love, heartbreak and friendship.  We didn't look up from conversation for a minute and didn't talk about the wine technically.  We just "were" and the wine was amazing.  Two weeks later, I was still tasting the finish, or maybe I was just remembering the experience.   

In case you don't know, Henri Bonneau is a small producer who makes some of the most amazing wine in the world.  The production is so small that not many sommeliers have even heard of him, or tasted the wines.  His cuvee "Reserve des Celestins is the best wine that he makes and in some years, matures in barrel for at least 6 years.  It is usually about 80% Grenache.  Looking at the cellar would make you nervous. It is old and dirty. But it is that funk that gives the wine its complexity.

My only resolution for 2008 is to spend more time creating amazing experiences with my friends, great wine will be an added bonus.   

DO YOU HAVE A TYPE?

When out to dinner do you gravitate towards a certain style or are you open minded and up to try anything? I’m not sure how I feel about this question.  My best friend tells me I do have a type.  Last week while we were out to dinner she laughed and said “You’re so predictable, that’s so your type”. 

I got to thinking, maybe she has a point. While I can sometimes be adventurous, I often find myself attracted to the same style of wine.

When buying wine for our restaurants, I don’t have a type.  I buy wines in all categories, colors, body styles, price ranges and flavor profiles. I am buying for the guests, not for myself.   

When dining out for personal reasons, I usually like white wines that are not over oaked. I look for intensity and I want a wine that is distinct and shows itself as being from a specific grape or region. This is what is known as terroir in France.  It is the ability for the wine to paint a picture of where it was made. You can smell and taste the soil, winemaking technique, grape varietal or oak treatment that was used. Some of my favorites include Premier Cru or Grand Cru Chablis, Gruner Veltliner Smaragd from Austria, and Dry Riesling from Alsace. 

I like my red wine to be structured and earthy with a hint of ripe fruit. Medium to full bodied with a touch of oak.  Some favorites include Rhone Reds, Bordeaux, Ribera del Duero and Indigenous Italian varietals.

I guess I do know what I like and I am sure most people do also. The best part is that in a world of so many grape varietals and wine producing regions, there is something for everyone.

A Whirlwind of a Wine Week

I love the wine business. Especially when I get to spend the week hanging out with winemakers, winery owners and sommelier friends from out of town.  The New York Wine Experience sponsored by Wine Spectator is a three day event that turned into a week of drinking, eating out and fun which started on Tuesday night and ended this past Sunday. Here are the highlights.

Tuesday

7pm Dinner at Crave Ceviche - My friends Sara, Kate and I had a great dinner with Spanish wine at a new ceviche bar. Afterwards we swung by Cru for vino. Although I was tired I couldn’t think about going home until after the 1985 Giacomo Conterno Monfortino Barolo out of magnum and pork buns from Momofuko were finished….

12:30pm Thursday Lunch at Aureole - I had a wonderful lunch with the charming winemakers of Bodegas Muga, Sierra Cantabria, San Vincente, Emilio Moro, and Alonso del Yerro.

The single vineyard wines from Emilio Moro Malleolus ‘Sanchomartin’ and ‘Valderramiro’ were drinking amazing and it was fun to see the differences side by side.

9pm Wine Experience, Grand Tasting - Critic’s Choice Awards - Since I was running late from work, my job was to ‘power taste’ through wines such as Hirtzberger, Pichler, Krug, Chateau Margaux, Harlan, Sassicaia, Tignanello, Lewis Cellars and Haut Brion in between trying to say hello to friends from Vegas and accidentally running into my ex-boyfriends friends.

Friday

7am - (yes I did write 7am) Wine Experience - Sommelier Room - Richard Betts, Heather Branch and I are on a team of sommeliers whose responsibility is ensuring no corked wine is served during the tasting.  We double blind tasted 75 bottles of Shafer Chardonnay, Jaboulet Hermitage Blanc and Leoville Barton eliminating the ones with flaws.

11pm - after party at Solera Restaurant - The funny thing about after parties following wine events is everyone drinks beer………afterwards we headed back to my old apartment in the east village for some guitar playing.

Saturday-

1pm - Lunch at DB bistro-tarte flambé and Alsace wine lead to a wine celebrity citing of Hubert Trimbach…and his delicious Riesling Reserve

12 midnight - Cocktail Research - Rob Bigelow and Ken Frederickson take us to B-Flat, a great new cocktail lounge with killer martinis. Except for the wasabi martini.

Sunday

8pm - Dinner and drinks- I just had to end the week the way it started, Momofuko pork buns…just this time we skipped the wine in exchange for sake.

It has been exhausting yet so much fun!

Midnight Wine Knowledge

We finally stopped procrastinating and brought back the Nightime Blind Tasting Group.  Last Thursday around 12:00am at Fiamma, while most sommeliers were probably just getting off from work preparing to have a beer, Fred Dexheimer (master sommelier) Andreas Larson (winner of the 2007 Best Sommelier in the World Competition), Brett (BLT Steak), Josh (Cru) and Jarad (Fiamma) and I were just getting started. We were meeting because Andreas was in town. Having just been crowned best sommelier in the world in May, he had tasted in many competition and wanted to share his style with us.  We all brought "classic wine from classic regions" and the fun began.

#1-(it was my wine)- Tasting notes on the nose were exotic, crisp, herbacious, with a touch of old oak, very complex, earthy, oily minerality. Palate was strong bitterness and almost tannic, exotic waxy fruit, strong sense of herbacious notes, sage, citrus.  Initially it was called White Hermitage but most agreed it was too acidic to be from the Rhone.  Andreas nailed the wine calling it 2004, high quality, white bordeaux from Graves....it was in fact 2005, Blanc de Lynches Bages...nice job.

#2-(Josh's wine)- Dark purple color with pigment in the tears, yet transparent, very floral on the nose, red fruit like cranberries and plums, almost smells very ripe, on palate, completely dry with no fruit, floral-earthy-coal, charcoal, medium plus tannins, high acid, medium bodied with no oak....many thought it was Nebbiolo or Sangiovese but turns out it was 2006 Giacosa Dolcetto. (I want to drink more of that).

#3 (Brett's wine)- Neon garnet color, nose is rose petals, ripe red fruit, orange peel, funky old oak, palate is high tannins, light tart red cranberries, high acid, complex, long lasting....we all knew that if it smells and tastes like a Barolo, it probably is a Barolo-1997 Adasi Barolo.

#4-(Fred's wine)- Medium scarlet red with brown on ages (old wine), chocolate, leather, spice, coffee, old oak, stewed veggies, palate is dark black fruit, medium tannins (b/c of age, most had mellowed), great length, kiss of oak, layers of earth flavors.  Everyone but me called it old bordeaux, I was in California good quality Caberent and it was actually Mondavi, Reserve Cabernet 1995.

#5-(my other wine)- Medium scarlet color with hints of brownish orange, very earthy nose, almost no fruit, well developed, cocoa and all spice, palate is medium tannins, medium bodied, high acid, all earth. Leather, smoke and mint.  Almost everyone thought bordeaux, it was actually 1982, Beycheville, St Julien.

As you can see it was a night of great learning and wine tasting and then we went to Blue Ribbon for the afterwork beer.

America's Top Sommelier

What if there was a reality TV show called “America’s Top Sommelier?"

I could picture it now, contestants would be required to put together wine shelves for a wine cellar, pair food and wine for celebrity guest sommeliers, write a wine list within a given budget, blind taste esoteric wines, and train a staff of bartenders and servers in proper wine service. Who would the host of the show be? Kevin Zraly, Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson, Hugh Johnson? What would the tag line of the dismissal be? “Only one person can be chosen to be America’s Top Sommelier, pack up your corkscrew…you’re going home?” ABC, FOX, any takers??

Wow, the idea is so fun. I would definitely audition for this. After all it sounds exactly like a restaurant opening. Which reminds me Primehouse NYC just opened last week…and I am not blogging it simply because it is our restaurant, you just have to check it out. The decanting table is lined with gold leaf, there are over 27 magnums, a flight of dessert wine called “Back to the Future” which features old Madeira, port and armagnac…and the steak is amazing.

New Look

I decided we needed a new look for the blog, after all the old one was green, plain and never updated. (he, he, who could blame me, it was my first time blogging). I also decided that I want to make the blogs less formal long and instead post more often.  With some experience under my belt I would like to start the summer season fresh.  Thanks for bearing with me through my growing pains.  I hope you enjoy the new posts, pictures, links and colors.

Trip to Chicago

I just returned from a week of work in the great city of Chicago.  For those of you who don't know, we have two restaurants there, Blue Water Grill Chicago and David Burke's Primehouse in the James Hotel. 

I always have a great time working at our restaurants and I have the pleasure of traveling out there about every 2 months. Normally I just taste new wines with suppliers, update the wine lists, change the cocktails and work with the management and service staff. On this trip we also added two new cocktails to Blue Water Grill's menu that are amazing.  The "Adriatic" which is a blend of 10 Cane Rum, Lazzaroni Amaretto and White Peach Puree and The "Carefree" which is Plymouth Gin, Pama Liquor, Moscato d'Asti and Grapefruit Juice. 

I also made some time for fun on Saturday at the lake which is about a 5 minute car ride from the downtown area.  It's really cool to see the city skyline from a boat. My friends and I spent the afternoon at this place the locals call the "playpen" drinking sake, Japanese beer and playing music. 

While I normally don't like beer, Kiuchi Hitachino Nest, is my favorite and tastes  great with Sake. I really love the red rice, weizen and white ale.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

Kiuchi Brewery Japan

Books and Vegas

Much has happened since the last time I have posted . . .

I finished my wine science book and was so enthralled by it that I started reading a generic science book that I received as a birthday gift from my great friend, Eben. This book is titled"The Canon" by Nathalie Angier. It's intent is to take the reader on a tour of the beauties of the basic science principals and although I have only finished Chapter 2, "Probabilities" I highly recommend it.

Who says what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? About 2 weeks ago I traveled there for work and I'll tell you all about it. We are in the process of building a Dos Caminos restaurant at the Palazzo in the Venetian Hotel. It is being designed by David Rockwell and has a 500 seat capacity and a 50 foot bar. I was so impressed with what they have come up with so far - the restaurant is going to be beautiful. I also had some fun, which included lunch at the Veranda at the Four Seasons (my favorite, hidden spot), dinner at Social House (very good pan-Asian inspired food), dinner at B&B (feels like Babbo in NYC), and the best Cesar Salad in Las Vegas at our very own Fiamma (in the MGM Grand).

Lastly, I have finally closed on my new apartment in Hoboken and am getting ready for my move this weekend.  I am so excited and can't wait to do what every new home owner should do on their first night in their new apartment: sleep on their air mattress and order in pizza while drinking Chianti out of plastic cups . . .

Riedels, my new bed and a trip to the supermarket will hopefully be my projects for next week.

The Science of Wine

I consider myself to be a bit of a geek. I am fascinated with history, math and most important science. I need to understand the "why" behind things in order to remember them.  Currently, I am obsessing over a new wine book called "The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass" by Jamie Goode.  It is definitely the best wine book I have read all year.  In fact it is so good that I am starting it again for the second time.

Even if you aren’t like me, I bet you would find it interesting to know the reason drinking wine in moderate amounts is good for your health.  According to Jamie the antioxidant compounds in wine prevent the oxidation of molecules in the circulation of LDL (bad cholesterol) and the alcohol itself has a positive effect on the lipids in the bloodstream which act as an anti-inflammatory and lower the risk of blood clotting . . .

I don’t know about anyone else but 2 glasses of wine per day sounds much better than taking two aspirin.

Blind Wine Tasting

As I promised last week, I’m bringing blind tasting back...

Partly because I think it is so fun and partly because I want to reward those who take the time to read my blog.  The first person to post the correct answer will be invited to enjoy a bottle of this wine at any of our restaurants the next time they dine with us.  (We would be happy to also arrange the reservation)

The sight of the wine is a medium intense garnet red with a slightly neon-orange tint at the rim; it is bright and has a small amount of fine sediment.  Its legs are slow to form and fall and the tears are medium.

The smell of the wine is medium-high intensity, tons of aromas such as rose petals, potpourri, tar, charred cherries, orange zest and chocolate, no-it’s actually dustier, more like cocoa. It also smells a little musty with no evidence of vanilla or new oak.

The wine tastes concentrated and has great depth of flavors which are the same as on the nose: under-ripe cherries, orange, rose petals and cocoa.  It is medium bodied with very high tannins and high acidity. It makes your mouth pucker and has a long finish.

If you think you know the answer, get in the game. I am requiring that you guess the grape, the region and the vintage.

I also have another question for those of you that don’t feel competitive and just want to post a comment.

What is the weirdest flavor or aroma you have ever encountered in a wine?  My answer is curry and patchouli oil.  If you want to know which wine I got this from, come back and visit me again next week and I’ll tell you!