Saturday, August 26, 2006
Occasional Wine Picks
Some tasty wines you should check out. Prices are retail in MA, adjust accordingly for restaurant prices or out of state.
Every day reds:
-Tenimenti Angelini 2004 Tuttobene- Merlot/Sangiovese/Canaiolo blend from tuscany. Perfect for pizza night or whatever's on the grill. At 12 bucks, one to get by the case to have on hand. Fred, Pop's carries this, it is better than vitiano.
-A-Z 2004 Pinot Noir-A medium-full bodied pinot from Oregon that at 18 bucks is a little high for everyday but a good pinot under 20 bucks is hard to find these days.
Every day whites:
-Burgans 2005 Albarino- Spanish, medium bodied, lovely tropical fruit character that is perfect with fish, spicy chicken or sushi.
-August Kessler 2004 Riesling R- a great QbA riesling that is barely sweet but full of wonderful fruity acidity that provides balance. This is great with everything from cheese to pork.
Cool Stuff:
-Mitolo 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Serpico-From Australia, this is basically amarone made with Cabernet. They take the grapes and dry them on racks for a few weeks until they've lost a third of their weight. Then they crush them to make the wine. It is big and dense but carries its weight so well, you don't mind. About $60 but worth it for a special occasion.
-Moscato d'Asti- Semi-sparklin, semi-sweet white from piemonte. Great as an aperitif, as a light dessert wine, or for brunch. No need to spend more than 20 bucks.
Trendspotting:
-Roses are the shit it seems. Once you understand that white Zin isn't indicative of the style and you realize that a dry, crisp grenache-based Rose from southern france is just about the best thing on a hot summer afternoon with a light meal, you'll partly understand why. However, there is absolutely no reason to pay more than 15 bucks for a bottle. That part of the trend is bewildering.
Collectibles:
-The 2005 Bordeaux are available as futures but are very expensive. Keep an eye on the second tranch (offering) to see if prices come down at all.
-The 2003 Bordeaux are now on shelves. They are going to need a lot of time so if you're a collector or you have a dinner party planned for sometime in the year 2020, go ahead and get some now.
-2001 Italians, in particular Brunellos, are fricking amazing. And expensive. But the good ones are worth it. Got a spare $140 laying around? Grab a bottle of Valdicava for some special occasion in 5-10 years.
-Lots of good press on the 2004 white burgundies. I haven't tried any yet but keep an eye out for their arrival.
Every day reds:
-Tenimenti Angelini 2004 Tuttobene- Merlot/Sangiovese/Canaiolo blend from tuscany. Perfect for pizza night or whatever's on the grill. At 12 bucks, one to get by the case to have on hand. Fred, Pop's carries this, it is better than vitiano.
-A-Z 2004 Pinot Noir-A medium-full bodied pinot from Oregon that at 18 bucks is a little high for everyday but a good pinot under 20 bucks is hard to find these days.
Every day whites:
-Burgans 2005 Albarino- Spanish, medium bodied, lovely tropical fruit character that is perfect with fish, spicy chicken or sushi.
-August Kessler 2004 Riesling R- a great QbA riesling that is barely sweet but full of wonderful fruity acidity that provides balance. This is great with everything from cheese to pork.
Cool Stuff:
-Mitolo 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Serpico-From Australia, this is basically amarone made with Cabernet. They take the grapes and dry them on racks for a few weeks until they've lost a third of their weight. Then they crush them to make the wine. It is big and dense but carries its weight so well, you don't mind. About $60 but worth it for a special occasion.
-Moscato d'Asti- Semi-sparklin, semi-sweet white from piemonte. Great as an aperitif, as a light dessert wine, or for brunch. No need to spend more than 20 bucks.
Trendspotting:
-Roses are the shit it seems. Once you understand that white Zin isn't indicative of the style and you realize that a dry, crisp grenache-based Rose from southern france is just about the best thing on a hot summer afternoon with a light meal, you'll partly understand why. However, there is absolutely no reason to pay more than 15 bucks for a bottle. That part of the trend is bewildering.
Collectibles:
-The 2005 Bordeaux are available as futures but are very expensive. Keep an eye on the second tranch (offering) to see if prices come down at all.
-The 2003 Bordeaux are now on shelves. They are going to need a lot of time so if you're a collector or you have a dinner party planned for sometime in the year 2020, go ahead and get some now.
-2001 Italians, in particular Brunellos, are fricking amazing. And expensive. But the good ones are worth it. Got a spare $140 laying around? Grab a bottle of Valdicava for some special occasion in 5-10 years.
-Lots of good press on the 2004 white burgundies. I haven't tried any yet but keep an eye out for their arrival.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Food Poisoning is Great!
Over the weekend I went to Mario Batali's Spanish restaurant in Gramercy Park. Casa Mono is a pleasant little joint with a fun menu of tapas type items and a very good spanish wine list. I ate a late lunch with a couple of friends and we shared plates of everything from pork loin to octopus to mussels to snap peas. It was all very good and a bottle of 1995 Rioja Rosado by a producer I can't remember brought it all together nicely. Terrific times were had by all until later that night.
I suddenly came down with a mild case of food poisoning. By noon the next day, the "evacuation" had stopped but I was still suffering the effects. General weakness, no appetite and some very bizarre rumblings in the gut stuck with me until Tuesday or so. By wednesday, I was on a mostly normal diet and had a much cheerier view on the experience. I came to recognize the upside of food poisoning:
-Great way to lose weight! Your output is immense and the input minimul. It doesn't take a mathematician to calculate the weight loss potential!
-Money saving! Since I ate the equivalent of a day's worth of food over the course of three days, I spent very little money on food. This was a nice way to recoup the expense of eating at a Batali restaurant.
-Mandatory purge and cleanse! You evacuate your bowels and stomach, don't eat for a couple of days, sleep whenever you can and drink lots of water. Even after its over, you avoid rich, fatty foods and alcohol for a few days. What a great opportunity to do a little detox and let the body catch up.
I highly recommend food poisoning to anyone who's looking to shake things up a little bit. What's more, you can really broaden your horizons and taste those forbidden morsels you've always wanted to but haven't for fear of getting sick! Bring on the questionable shellfish, serve up some "aged" beef and gulp down as many spponfuls of cookie batter as you can take!
I suddenly came down with a mild case of food poisoning. By noon the next day, the "evacuation" had stopped but I was still suffering the effects. General weakness, no appetite and some very bizarre rumblings in the gut stuck with me until Tuesday or so. By wednesday, I was on a mostly normal diet and had a much cheerier view on the experience. I came to recognize the upside of food poisoning:
-Great way to lose weight! Your output is immense and the input minimul. It doesn't take a mathematician to calculate the weight loss potential!
-Money saving! Since I ate the equivalent of a day's worth of food over the course of three days, I spent very little money on food. This was a nice way to recoup the expense of eating at a Batali restaurant.
-Mandatory purge and cleanse! You evacuate your bowels and stomach, don't eat for a couple of days, sleep whenever you can and drink lots of water. Even after its over, you avoid rich, fatty foods and alcohol for a few days. What a great opportunity to do a little detox and let the body catch up.
I highly recommend food poisoning to anyone who's looking to shake things up a little bit. What's more, you can really broaden your horizons and taste those forbidden morsels you've always wanted to but haven't for fear of getting sick! Bring on the questionable shellfish, serve up some "aged" beef and gulp down as many spponfuls of cookie batter as you can take!
