A Trio of Cult Cabs

A lot of great wine rolls through the Bel-Air. Very often I don't have the chance to take any detailed tasting notes when sampling these wines. 1959 Margaux and Haut Brion, 1982 Cheval Blancgrea and 1973 DRC Montrachet are just a few of the greats that I wish I'd been able to jot down in my notebook. However, once in awhile, the opportunity comes to sit down to the end of the night and actually taste a few professionally.

On this day, we happened to have a collection of the great names in Cabernet Sauvignon from California: Colgin 'Herb Lamb' 2005, Bryant 2005 and Harlan 2001. When I was still budding as a sommelier, one of the great experiences of my life was sitting down to dinner with a friend who had opened the 1997 Colgin and 1997 Harlan for a side-by-side. While my personal taste doesn't necessarily run toward Cali Cab these days, the opportunity to taste these two mammoths side-by-side again was intriguing.

So, the Colgin 'Herb Lamb' 2005 was showing beautifully. I immediately noted red licorice on the nose which shifted to black fruits on the palate with this red cherry edge that seems to be decidedly Colgin (in my experience). Almost like a bucket of blackberries with a few Maraschino cherries thrown in for good measure. Plenty of spice and anise blended with the rich fruit that is supported by chalky tannins that somehow feel plush. I poured a taste of the Colgin to the guest who was drinking the Harlan so he could also experience the opportunity to taste them together. "I could drink that all day...", he said, before he knew what it was.

The Harlan Estate 2001 was a decidedly different animal. Much more brooding and complex. Bordeaux-like character, but distinctly Californian at the same time. The fruit shows more black/blue with amazing intensity. Perfumey on the nose with black currants, espresso, pencil shavings, gravel, fresh ground cinnamon, and some singed herbs. The complexity here is quite impressive and this wine is still very young in its evolution. It will be interesting to see where this wine is in another ten years. I would say this was my favorite of the three.

The 2005 Bryant was almost a blend of style between the Colgin and the Harlan. The fruit was ripe, but stayed lifted with this really refreshing acidity that helped the flavors of the fruit remain fresh. A little more herbal/rubber noted on the nose, but beautiful black currant and black raspberry and a plush texture. The amazing piece here was the seamless balance. One could get lost in this wine without any one thing standing out, yet there's a lot wrapped up in this package to discover if you want to dig in. And the finish here is long without feeling heavy. Very impressive.

As I said, Cabernet isn't always my first choice. I find I'm drinking them out of my cellar these days just to make room for Nebbiolos and Burgundys. If these wines were thirty bucks a bottle, I probably still wouldn't stock up on them for myself, but I'd be stupid not to put them on a wine list. Sadly, at upwards of $500 for each, it seems sad to me that most people will never experience these really well-crafted California Cabernets.

A New Chapter

After five great years with Jar, and many great wines, an opportunity came along that I could not refuse. My good friend, Chris Miller from Spago, had been trying to find a home for me with Wolfgang Puck. That position finally came along with the re-opening of the legendary Hotel Bel-Air. The new restaurant, known as Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air, and hotel are being manned by yours truly. It's an incredible shift of gears from the comfy 80-seat Jar to a 103-room hotel with a fine dining restaurant, but a great experience.

The Hotel Bel-Air is an icon. It's been around since the 1940's and has been the temporary home of a vast number of celebrities. Marilyn Monroe's last photo shoot was at the pool. Nancy Reagan has been a regular for lunch for years. As you can imagine, the famous feet that have tread here are pretty vast.

I look forward to sharing some of the rewarding and challenging aspects of running this iconic property with you over the coming months or years.

A Birthday Pub Crawl in Napa/Sonoma

Even though it's been two months since all of this went down, I feel compelled to share this experience with you because it is often an overlooked aspect to wine country vacations.




Kara and I took a trek up to Napa and Sonoma for my birthday. Working in wine, and it being a celebration, I insisted that we keep the winery visits to a bare minimum. What did I want to do then?! Well, visit breweries, of course! We were fortunate enough to be staying in the guest house of our new friend Fritz, who owns Arietta winery. It was a beautiful little house right in downtown St. Helena.

Our first stop was in Healdsburg at Bear Republic. We dropped in for lunch and to drink through the line-up with some lunch. Their food in not particularly impressive and they miss the mark in many ways, but the beer is really good. In particular, the Racer X, which is their Double IPA was awesome. Unfortunately, they don't bottle it and make a limited amount of kegs. Overall, the beer was indicative of style and I would rate it highly for overall quality.

The real standout in this visit was a surprise. The brewery offered a couple of vintage bottles from 2002, only to be consumed on premise. I immediately ordered a bottle of the 2002 'Olde Scoutter's Barleywine'. It arrived with no label, was decanted for sediment and served in snifters. I thought it was drinking great. I would never really have thought to hold a barleywine for nearly ten years, but I would've bought a case to take home for after-dinner consumption, if they would have only allowed you to buy it.

We decided to relax at the guest house on that evening. A quick trip to Dean & DeLuca for some meats and cheeses (and some Pliny the Elder, which they have in great supply) brought us to the backyard. I also opened a slightly oxidized bottle of 1997 Chateau d'Yquem to enjoy. The color seemed a little dark for its age, but it still tasted like Yquem: honeyed apricots, citrus, orange marmalade and chamomille tea. Hard not to like even from a slightly-off bottle. I should also mention that the 1994 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was drinking beautifully and in its peak drinking.

For my actual birthday, after a hike with the dogs (who had tagged along for this trip), we drove over to Lagunitas. If this place were down the street, I'd be there all the time. It has a very Key West-feel with a huge patio and open bar. We tasted through the lineup here and I still really love their IPA and PILS. They're staples at my house, when I have the opportunity to get them.

And then my crowning moment of glory and real reason for the trip: Russian River Brewing Company. We took our seats at the bar and embarked on one of my favorite journeys - the Board at RRBC. Generally, it includes around 20 beers that are currently being poured on tap. My favorite surprise today was the 'Sound Czech Pilsner', which I brought home in a growler. They only brew this once a year in honor of one of their favorite bands. Pretty cool stuff! Like a true tourist, I left with a t-shirt, glasses, and growlers. Their pizza is pretty damned good, too.

We quickly dropped into our favorite little haunt in downtown Calistoga (that I can never remember the name of...) for a Bloody Mary or two. They really make one of the best Marys. I'm fairly certain they add some pepperoncini juice to the mix and use a hot sauce other than Tabasco. I'd highly recommend it, except that I can't even tell you the name of the place...

We did power through a few wineries' wines while we were there, of course. Pappapietro-Perry in the Russian River Valley was a nice surprise. I have traditionally liked their wines and they're very nice people. Any of the Pinot Noirs or Zinfandels are worth trying. In addition, we had some wines from Tor in Tor's living room. These are really nice California Cabernets, but perhaps a little pricey. And, of course, we tasted through verticals of Arietta wines. I've developed a new love for Arietta on this trip, having not had it for a number of years. They are nice wines, fairly priced, and their white wine called "On the White Keys" is really delicious.

It was decidedly one of our best trips to wine country ever. For the first time, Kara and I emphasized relaxing instead of working. I think I finally caught a glimpse of why the rest of the world comes to Napa and Sonoma. It's kind of nice. I'll have to make the effort again in the future.

Dom Perignon 2002

I've been waiting for this moment for a while now. The opportunity to dive into the 2002 Moet & Chandon 'Dom Perignon' has finally arrived. Sure - it's an obvious choice and sommeliers are not supposed to be obvious, but this is one of my guilty pleasures. To be quite frank, I don't feel bad about liking Dom Perignon.

I remember my first taste of Dom. It was 1990 and my step-sister had just been born. We were in the hospital room and my dad busted out this bottle. (I couldn't tell you what vintage - heck, I didn't even know what a vintage was back then...) He poured for everyone, including me, into one of those cheesy Dixie cups and we all toasted. I remember, even then, thinking it tasted chalky and like balloons. How does a twelve-year old describe minerality anyway?

To this day, I often choose Dom over the other mainstream prestige cuvees in blind tastings. There's something about the fine bubbles, crisp acidity, minerality and well-integrated yeast flavors that really speaks to me. I think they really nail the balance and the elegance in a premium-level Champagne.

On to the 2002! Well, what do you eat with Dom Perignon?! The answer is - ANYTHING!

In our continuing late night saga to gain fifty pounds (not really...), we dined on a smorgasboard of leftovers at 2am. The menu included a homemade Lasagna and Beef Stroganoff. Certainly not the first dishes you'd think to pair with Champagne, but the wine showed well, continuing my belief in Champagne's inherent versatility with food. The 2002 vintage is very floral aromatically, showing white flowers, honeysuckle, melba toast and chalky minerality. On the palate, the wine is crisp and lively, shows very dry, and integrates some more honeyed pear flavors with fresh bread. I've always liked this undescribable earthy layer to Dom thay I was really enjoying tonight with the mushrooms in the Stroganoff.

I once wrote in our "Sommelier Selection" page for Jar that it seems silly to recommend Dom Perignon on a list of quick picks because we all know it's good. I sort of feel the same way here. However, sometimes I just have to shout the obvious from the mountaintop. Here's to hoping you get to enjoy a glass of this delicious 2002 Dom Perignon as well.

Brokenwood Semillon 2010

Wow! What a lunch at home... A lazy Sunday at home prompted a "clean-out-the-fridge" meal that always seems to turn out surprisingly well. Kara was marvelling as we walked the dogs that some of our spontaneous lunches are better than meals we get out. I have to say, I think I may have even impressed myself.

As an appetizer, I prepared a Jar recipe that I've never tried to execute at home: the Lump Crab and Melon Salad in a Jalapeno Vinaigrette. Working with the materials I had, I used a red watermelon and an "orange flesh" melon, which I had never tried before. Sadly, the lump crab was from a container and not fresh, but tossed in the vinaigrette and treated to some torn mint leaves and red onion, I didn't mind at all. This is my favorite summer salad this year. I totally dig a Kabinett Riesling with this usually, but today Kara and I just shared a Kern River "Just Outstanding" IPA, which worked fine. Simcoe hops add an almost sweet citrus and citrus pith that has savory bitterness on the finish. I just discovered this bottling and, as far as I'm concerned, the name is not an exaggeration.

As a main course, I prepared a simple lemon beurre blanc with some crushed garlic cloves and crushed red pepper. Tossing in some cooked store-bought shrimp, I served this "scampi" over a homemade Sage-infused rice and garnished it with a little fresh parsley. I went a little heavy on the lemon in the sauce since I knew I was going to open the Brokenwood Semillon 2010 from Hunter Valley in Australia. The pairing was perfect! The wine, which has a core of very crisp lemon and minerality, matched the acidity in the sauce and drew out the sandier pear flavors in the wine, without altering its character. Both the dish and the wine were continuously refreshing each other and I think we both ate more than we intended to. Kara commented that each bite of the rice was like an burst of lemon and butter on the palate. Now - why has no one made a chewing gum like this...?

I am continually finding myself more drawn to these Australian whites. At a meager 12% alcohol, and with such clean, simple flavors, this Brokenwood Semillon is a sommelier's dream! I am suddenly thinking of all the things I want to try it with. Whoops - better go buy some more first, I guess...

Cooking Class at Jar: August, 2011

For our August cooking class, we had a very intimate group. The menu included her simple (but wonderful) Heirloom Tomato Salad as a starter. For the entree, she prepared her Braised Ox Tail along with Long-Cooked Kale. Our pastry chef prepared a Peach Cobbler for dessert. Despite not being an entirely "summer-y" menu, I would not be upset to be eating any of these things for lunch this month.

I poured the Ca' del Roro Prosecco, Brut NV as an aperitif. As always, I emphasized how wonderful Prosecco can be as an easy quaffer, a start to dinner, or the only way to begin drinking at 11am when class begins. A wonderful palate primer, it features very clean green apple and hay flavors, with crisp lemon and also an intersting honeyed note as well. Very classic, not particularly sweet or overly fruity, it's a loverly and inexpensive little sparkler.

To match the Heirloom Tomato Salad, I leaned on my new favorite summer wine: the Schloss Gobelsburg 'Gobelsburger', Gruner Veltliner 2010. We're pouring this by the glass at Jar at the moment. Produced from vines under the age of twenty years in the Kamptal region of Austria. The fruit and acidity in this wine, as well as the savory minerality, make this imminently easy to drink, despite its youth. Classic "green" flavors that fit the radish/asparagus profile with the spicy white pepper on the finish. Lots of citrus and even a peachy edge. Completely food-friendly and I'm likely to drink my case of this before the end of September.

The Ox Tail is probably Suzanne's favorite dish on the menu, so I pulled one of my favorites from the list for the class: the Brovia Barolo 2005. I've written about this before, but I will happily express how wonderful and classic this wine is again. The tar and rose aromas with the solid core of both ripe and dried cherry is mesmerizing. Elegantly spiced, to match the spices in Suze's recipe, and with firm tannin that is drinkable on its own, but serves the fattiness of the ox tail as well. I liked the regional match of the cippolini onions with Italian wine as well.

Another great morning in the Jar kitchen with both new and old friends!

Liquid Farm

I just have to tell you about this wine! I generally only drink the same bottle once a year - sometimes twice. I've drunk this three times already this month! Although, I hazard to put the word out because they only made two barrels of it (about fifty cases...). I think it bears some talking about, though.


Liquid Farm is a brand new project in the Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County. Known for its particularly cool climate, Pinot Noirs from this AVA have been flying off the shelves for a number of years now due to a little film called "Sideways". While a winemaker's style can sometimes get in the way of expressing what this climate has to offer (in cases such as Sea Smoke), there are a few producers who are working to showcase what can be accomplished in this area from the Old World perspective. Some of those producers are dabbling in Chardonnay, due to its classic roots in Burgundy and notoriety for expressing terroir and minerality.

With the winemaking team from Dragonette Cellars to assist, Liquid Farm has set forth their goal of showcasing California Chardonnay in its best light. Their focus is on typicity of the grape, minerality, food-friendly acidity, balance, and overall drinkability. Their efforts to avoid manipulating the wine really shine through: no acidification, new oak or heavy alcohols. This is Chardonnay in its most natural light.

The Liquid Farm 'White Hill' Chardonnay 2009 succeeds at every level of what they set forth to accomplish. Beautiful flavors of Golden Delicious apple and Anjou pear, a soft cinnamon note, quince, a touch of lemon sorbet - and stoney minerality like water rushing over rocks. The acidity makes this wine completely refreshing and, in my experience so far, completely food-friendly. I've enjoyed it with Dim Sum, where it was truly amazing (especially with curried noodles), and also Truffled Chicken Cordon Bleu. Both occasions were a real treat.

In addition to the two barrels of 'White Hill', they have also produced two barrels of another Chardonnay called 'Golden Slope', which I have not yet had the opportunity to taste, but will definitely seek out. One wonders how such a large effort that yields such a small, albeit amazing, result is worth the time and energy involved. All I can do is applaud their passion and dedication. And, of course, drink their wine.

It's a real treat, as a sommelier, to find producers who are undertaking the challenge of introducing the world market to a new style. I'm pleased to say we have been pouring The Paring Chardonnay 2009 by the glass at Jar for some time now, another crisp Chardonnay without oak influence from Santa Rita Hills. I hope that this is a trend that will continue in the years to come. From what I've seen, people are responding in a positive way to these changes, although they may not be able to put their finger on how these Chardonnays are different from the ones they normally drink. But when they order a second glass, it tells me that Chardonnay drinkers are open to the change.

Bolognese and Italian Wines

I had to cover a Sunday evening at Jar, which is normally our day off. Kara decided she was going to make dinner for me. Bolognese Sauce to be precise. My thoughts immediately turned to Barolo and I could not wait for service to be over. These are two of my favorite things in the world! To have them on the same table at the same time is sheer heaven for me.

As I entered the house, the smell was intoxicating. I quickly raced up the stairs to the computer, practically dropping my suit on the floor as I went. Scrolling frantically through the Piedmont section, I was reeling with excitment. Kara already had the water boiling for the pasta as the sauce was getting happier by the minute. I agonized over what to open, as I always do. Some wines were locked up in cold storage offsite. Some were completely too young. I pored over the wines again and again, looking for just the perfect one. Before I knew it, Kara had the food plated and there was no more time for selecting, much less decanting. ARGH!

I sighed and grabbed the Guido Porro Barolo 2004 from the "guest cellar" since it would be the closest, fastest, and best instantly ready wine I had on hand. (I need to get more efficient in my decision-making process when it comes to selecting wine at home...) Not to say that this is not a good wine, by any means. It's a terrific, inexpensive and servicable Barolo. It shows perfect typicity and manageable tannin levels. I must admit it was perfect with the sauce, which was heavenly. The florality was expressive on the nose and the structure was still felt on the palate, even with the amount of bacon Kara included in the dish. She knows me so well...



I had one of those crazy sommelier moments about halfway through the meal and decided to open another wine. Morbid curiousity. Nothing was going to be the equal of the Barolo! But I had to satisfy the madness. I popped the cork on the Terre di Balbia 'Balbium' 2009, a new wine we're pouring by the glass at Jar that I've got a crush on at the moment. Up to now, I haven't really played with it in terms of pairing so it seemed like as good a time as any. The wine is made in Calabria by the owners of Venica y Venica (a well-known white producer in the North) from 100% Magliocco. Stylistically, it reminds me of a cross between Barbera and Syrah. It expresses peppery and spicy flavors over the fruit of a rustic Italian quaffer, but backed by mild tannin and surprising acidity. It's a total wine geek wine and people have just been loving it.

As a pairing for this dish, however, it fell flat. Lacking the structure for all the delicious fats, it became a wishy-washy, non-descript, fruity blob. More tannin please! I think it may have shown better with a marinara or arrabiatta sauce. I will be interested to try this experiment on another day.

Returning to the Barolo, I relaxed into my happy place. Why did I ever leave you, my darling...? I may need to start working Sundays more often.

Cooking Class at Jar: July, 2011

Another wonderful cooking class at Jar! As much as I am a night owl and would prefer to not have to get suited up before noon, I always get such joy out of guiding an eager group of palates through lunch in Jar's kitchen. Introducing people to new food and wine combinations is what this job is all about!

As the guests filed into the kitchen on this particular Saturday in July, I started them out with the Terres Secretes 'Blanc de Noir' Cremant de Bourgogne NV. A 100% Pinot Noir sparkler from Burgundy, it is a perfect summer wine: clean, aromatic, with crisp acidity and interesting, but unintrusive flavors. At under $20 a bottle retail, I'd happily serve it to anyone in lieu of Champagne and challenge them not to enjoy it. I must be right; all of the Champagne flutes were empty by the time the first course had arrived...

Suzanne demonstrated how to prepare her White Peach and Celery Salad, which also features Parmesan Reggiano and Marcona Almonds. I always tell the class that salads are challenging and often surprising to pair to. This was no exception. The evening prior, I lined up about eight different styles of wine and would never have believed that the Londer Dry Gewurztraminer 2008 from Anderson Valley would have been my favorite. While Gewurztraminer has a reputation for being overblown and super-intense, this expression is still floral and fruity on the nose as one would expect, but much leaner and crisper on the palate. In fact, almost chalky, it reminds me of the Polar Cups (lemon slushies) I used to get when I was a kid after a day at the beach. I'm still surprised at how much I liked this match.

For the entree, Suzanne prepared the Braised Ribs she served at the Tablas Creek wine dinner. Offering me an opportunity to break free from the New World, I went directly to the Rhone and provided a Domaine du Cayron Gigondas 2007. The ripeness of the 2007 Rhone vintage supported the sweetness of the sauce. Also, Cayron's wines have a tendency to be more meaty and, particularly in this bottling, offers a significant note of charred bell pepper that I love. People were "wow"-ed by this wine geek-y wine.

Another successful day of pairings and discovery. I continue to learn something new everyday about the chemistry of food and wine. I must take this opportunity to express how lucky I feel to have the opportunity to dabble in this fascinating world. And to share it, of course, with those who have the patience to read about it. Cheers!

What Wine Do You Serve with Eddie Izzard?

No! I did NOT have dinner with Eddie Izzard... While that would be a dream come true, I CAN say that I enjoyed some wonderful wines while watching him perform at the Hollywood Bowl recently. Joining us in a Garden Box were our good friends Daniel and Monica.

Kara and I couldn't wait for our notoriously late guests who took the shuttle, so we broke out a delicious 2010 Rose of Pinot Noir by Soliste in Sonoma to go with our selection of cheeses. This is my summer wine! Raspberry, underripe strawberry, crisp and delicious. What more can you ask for from a rose? Claude, the French owner of Soliste, models the wine after Domaine Tempier in Bandol.

When Monica and Daniel arrived, we broke into a bottle of Iron Horse sparkling that she provided. The show was just beginnning so I never did get to see which bottling it was. It was a perfect Bowl wine as the sun was going down and we enjoyed the last of the heat of the day. This is a really wonderful sparkling wine house and doesn't fall into the trap of overripening the fruit, in my opinion. It satisfies my craving for Champagne, rather than leaving me disappointed as many domestic houses can.

As the cool breeze of evening was washing over the Bowl, I turned to red wine in the form of a Leon Barral Faugeres 2007. It was totally hitting the spot with the Delice de Bourgogne cheese. The pepper, earth spice and violets were singing over the dark fruits. I love this wine! Not overly intellectual, but completely satisfying for complexity, fruitiness and drinkability.

As the show was nearing its completion, we opened but did not finish a Pahlmeyer Pinot Noir that Monica brought. I do sometimes like Pahlmeyer, but this Pinot was everything I hate about the California expression and production of it. Fat black fruits, cola and spice, gooey on the palate. Not for me. But Kara, who usually doesn't like California Pinot, was digging it.

The show was a blast! We got last minute tickets and somehow managed to get great seats at that. It's also fun for me to see what people are drinking at the Bowl. Dom Perignon, Nickel & Nickel, schlock from Trader Joe's, etc. It's an experience on a level all it's own. Not too mention milling around with the likes of Eric Idle, Alannis Morisette, Florence Henderson and many others. And, of course, Eddie Izzard was a riot. He ran from the stage to the back of the Bowl at the beginning of the show - an impressive feat in itself. Then, to do stand-up!

Great job, Eddie! You rock!

Tablas Creek Wine Dinner

In our continuing series of wine dinners being held at Jar, we offered the wines of Tablas Creek for our second event. An intimate experience yet again with some of the same faces in attendance. Excitement levels were high, especially for me since I had tasted all the food and wines already and knew how amazing the line-up was going to be.

As guests arrived, I was happy to pour a glass of the Patelin de Tablas Blanc 2010 as an aperitif. This is a brand new wine from the winery, designed for "By the Glass" programs in restaurants. The base varietal is Grenache Blanc on this crisp white that shows no oak and is an amazing food wine. This is decidedly my new favorite wine from Tablas Creek. We served Shanghai Noodles with Masago and Calamari to pair with the wine and the pairing was probably my favorite of the dinner. The refreshing acidity cleansed the palate of the heavier noodles and sauce, making me want more.

The first formal course was Softshell Crab with Fava Bean Salad. I poured both flagship whites: Cotes de Tablas Blanc 2009 and Esprit de Beaucastel 2008. The Cotes is based in Viognier, offering a more stone fruit-based flavor profile with the typical florality. As a pairing, it was okay, but reminded me of having fried chicken with cling peaches. The Esprit, on the other hand, was seamless on its own, but even better with the dish. The group agreed with me that the Esprit was the better fit and a great one at that!

Suzanne's delicious Braised Ribs came next, effusing aromas of cinnamon and star anise as the dishes hit the table. To match, the red counterparts were poured: the Cotes de Tablas 2009 and the Esprit de Beaucastel 2008. The red Cotes is Syrah-based and, while good, didn't seem to have enough ripe, juicy fruit components to really stand up to the slightly sweet sauce. And most of the interesting earthen/Syrah components were lost with the dish. The Esprit was banging! The meatiness inherent in its Mourvedre and the plush fruitiness of the Grenache were incredible matches and blended with the dish perfectly. Also, the spice of the oak worked well with the spices in the sauce. This was also a truly amazing pairing and I heartily recommend this style of food with the Esprit 2008.

Suzanne wanted to offer a Fig Salad with Gorgonzola, Prosciutto and Balsamic Reduction. Sadly, there was no real great match in the Tablas line-up for this dish, save the SacreRouge dessert wine which we were pouring for dessert. As a "least of all evils" pairing, I offered the Rose 2010, explaining to the group that sometimes you just have to bite the bullet when specific parameters are in place. I must admit that both the food and wine were both delicious individually, but not particularly suited for each other. Although, the plain prosciutto and the wine were nice together.

For dessert, Sandra prepared a Bread Pudding with a Cherry Port Compote. Tablas Creek was kind enough to provide us some of their SacreRouge from the winery. A 100% Mourvedre made in the style of a Vin de Paille (drying the grapes on straw mats to concentrate the sugars), it sports a lower alcohol than a Port, but offers much the same flavor profile. An interesting wine, it shows a good deal of savory components rather than just goopy fruit and also significant acidity. I was surprised how many people went in for seconds on the dessert wine.

The more I taste and use the wines of Tablas Creek, the more I realize what an amazing project it is. And furthermore, I would consider them a leader in the Renaissance of Paso Robles. The wines express balance and minerality in what would be considered a significantly warm region. The West side of Paso Robles has more to offer than many realize.

Randall Graham and Bonny Doon

I was very fortunate this past week to have the opportunity to spend some time with Randall Graham, the genius and mad scientist, if you will, behind Bonny Doon winery. Considered the original "Rhone Ranger" when he began Bonny Doon back in 1983, he has consistently been pushing the envelope over the years by poking holes in the staunch and pompous bubble around wine, but making profound product at the same time. His former tasting room in Paso Robles was a clear cut example, looking more like a ride in Fantasyland than a professional winery. But there is no arguing the quality of what's in the bottle; his line-up on this particular afternoon proves that.

In speaking with Randall, I was taken with how humble he still is after all this time. With nearly thirty years in the bag, he still refers to Bonny Doon as "a work in progress". He is trying to shrink his production, which is currently around 35,000, to about 25,000. In fact, he tells me that he would make only ONE case of wine if he could. If it were the most brilliant wine in the world, I assume. I hazard to think of what it might cost or what my allocation would be. A .187 ml for $3000? Sign me up!

On a side note, his video "Vive le Screwcap" is on You Tube. If you have about ten minutes, you should give it a watch. Pretty entertaining and informative if you need a basic education in corkiness and screwcaps. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSlmjxQkJRE



On to the wines we tasted:

One of my personal favorites of the flight was the very first wine he poured: "Riesling to Live" 2006. It's the perfect sommelier wine! A Method Champenois sparkler that is varietal Riesling. Bone-dry and perfect as an aperitif or just a fun summer wine. It showed the typical petrol notes of Riesling on the nose, with lime, green apple, crisp acidity and minerality rarely seen in the New World. White peach on the palate as well. I can't wait to get this in to Jar so I can have a full glass or two! A special thanks to Randall for making this available. Heretofore, it has not been available outside of the winery and mailing list.

His flight of white wines was equally as impressive. The Vinho Grinho 2009 is a blend of Loureiro and Albarino. You've got to love his commitment to using grapes no one has ever heard of! And the wine is killer! Florality and a perfumey nose of peaches, oranges, and citrus. The Albarino really comes through. On the palate, it feels round, but the acidity takes over and keeps it feeling light, bringing you back for more. Moving on to the "Vin Gris de Cigare" 2010, his rose, I was pleasantly surprised to find it incredibly affordable for the quality. A blend of Grenache, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, it shows a little of that bubble gum character that I often don't like in domestic rose, but also balanced with strawberry and raspberry, white flowers and a quaffable style. The flavors cling to the palate. Nice value! Lastly, we tasted the "Le Cigare Volant Blanc" 2008, which I was also very taken with. A blend of Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, it strikes me as almost reminiscent of a Chablis-like nose in its minerality. Also, beeswax, quince, flowers and a chalkiness on the palate that also includes more citrus and stonefruit characteristics. The Old World style of this is brilliant. I'm even noting a little pineapple on the finish that's fun. We're likely to be pouring this by the glass at Jar next month.

As move into reds, Randall pours me his 2007 Dolcetto under the Ca' del Solo label. Dolcetto?! I love this guy! Who's growing Dolcetto in California?! And it tastes like Italian Dolcetto! Why am I using all exclamation points?! BECAUSE I'M EXCITED!!! Actually, this is a great representation of the varietal. Candied cherries and purple flowers. Completely classic. It's hard to give you a tasting note because I never really find Dolcetto that complex or interesting, and Randall's is no exception, but its similarity to its Italian counterparts is what's so impressive. The 2008 Syrah "Le Pousseur" is nice as well. Classic Syrah, it shows black pepper notes, blueberry, grilled meats, soft florality, singed herbs and a refreshingly moderate body that is not tiring. Another good value drinking wine.

I believe it was about this point in the tasting when I ask Randall if it's a "Fruit Day" on the lunar calendar because everything is just tasting brilliant. He practices biodynamics and if anyone's wines should be affected by the lunar calendar, I would expect them to be his. If you have no idea what I'm talking about - I'll do a write up on it someday. It's sort of hokey and sort of fascinating. You'll either disregard it immediately or begin methodically looking for the truth in it, as I did.

Bonny Doon's flagship wine is "Le Cigare Volant". We tasted the 2007 today. It contains a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault. I liked it, but it was not my favorite of the flight. However, I must make a disclaimer that I am not always the biggest fan of Rhone blends such as this. I love them with the right foods, but they are not always my first choice for casual drinking. The wine was spot on, though: Based in red fruit flavors, and showing like a riper Chateauneuf, the body is round, offering peppered meats and minerality. Beautifully balanced, as a Chateauneuf blend is meant to be. A terrific representation of its model. Lastly, I absolutely adored the "Bien Nacido" Syrah 2007. Like a Cote-Rotie, it was rife with savory flavors: bacon fat, pepper, meat, herbs and more. The black/blue fruit is only a framework for all this other cool stuff, which continues long into the finish. This is the style of Syrah I wish more people could nail in California. But when you're getting from one of the coolest growing sites in the state, I guess it's a little easier to emphasize those characteristics.

I am a much bigger fan of these wines today than I was when I visited their tasting room nearly ten years ago. Of course, my palate has completely changed and, possibly, so has the quality of the wines. As Randall said, they are a "work in progress". I am incredibly happy to have finally met the man and been able to pick his brain. I highly recommend doing so if you have the chance at a tasting or event some time in the future. The wines are top notch!

Lewis Cellars Wine Dinner at Jar

We're very excited at Jar to be starting up a new series of wine dinners. Occurring the third Tuesday of every month, they will feature new dishes created by Suzanne and Preech, as well as themed wine pairings. The setting offers intimacy with a table set for a mere fourteen people in the side dining room. The beverage selections are, of course, provided by yours truly.

For our inaugural dinner, Suzanne and I offered a menu showcasing some of the wines from Lewis Cellars. While known for their extracted and monstrously endowed reds, I took the opportunity to show as many of their whites with Suzanne's menu. Four courses were prepared following a light amuse.

As guests arrived, we poured the Terres Secretes 'Blanc de Noirs' Brut NV Cremant de Bourgogne. This is a terrific, crisp sparkler that offers wonderful value for the money. Red fruit, apple and minerality with a touch of sweetness noticable on the palate. This wine also carried over as the pairing for Suzanne's Roasted Tomato Soup with Smoked Mozzarella, which served as the Amuse Bouche for the evening.

The first formal course was a Dungeness Crab Salad with Watermelon and Sugar Kiss Melon. A jalapeno-lime vinaigrette and some mint made me think of Sauvignon Blanc, which thankfully, Lewis just began making last year. The Lewis Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2009 was very pretty, offering tropicl notes, some percievable oak tones, citrus flavors and a well-done California-style SB. I much prefer this bottling to their Reserve which sees more oak and seems more like Chardonnay than SB.

I played around a bit with the second course pairings. Suzanne serves Cod and Cod Cheeks with Umbrian Lentils. I desperately wanted to show the Lewis 'Vin Gris of Syrah' Rose 2010, of which there are only 2 barrels made. But also, I wanted an appropriate pairing for the dish which might be better found in their 2008 Napa Chardonnay. So - we poured both and had a side-by-side. I explained to the group that I agonize over these things down to the last minute. The Chardonnay seemed to be the favorite, but with the summer weather finally beginning to show in Los Angeles, it's always a good opportunity to remind people that it's rose season again.

For the third and final savory course, Suzanne and Preech grilled a massive Dry-Aged Ribeye and served it with some Arugula Salad and Jar's famous French Fries. Finally, I got to break out the wines Lewis is known for: the 2008 'Alec's Blend' and the 2008 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasting these wines side-by-side really exemplified the style: Rich, lush, spicy and plushly textured. The Cabernet had an amazing roundness and softness that I can't recall from their wines. While massively endowed, it caresses the palate at the same time. The Alec's, a blend of mostly Syrah with Merlot and some Cabernet, showed soe of the typical Syrah bacon, pepper and florality, but was much more fruit-focused and served as a good contrast to the Cabernet.

Dinner was wrapped up with coffees and an amazing Peach Pie a la Mode from Pastry Chef Sandra Bustamante who continues to amaze me with her incredible execution of classic desserts. I had to take one of these amazing pies home to enjoy that evening. It was pretty spectacular.

It's amazing to see the reponse from people who are experiencing Lewis wines for the first time. Many of these guests were Jar fans, but weren't familiar with the winery. The hedonism and pure abandon one can experience when drinking these wines is wonderful. They're not what I would necessarily call intellectual wines, but they are wildly delicious and balanced for wines of such size. Everyone at the table seemed to respond to that aspect as they sipped down the last of all the wine in the decanters.


I'm very much looking forward to the upcoming series of these events. I've got some interesting candidates in the queue for the coming months. In addition, we are looking at regional themes, varietal focus, and maybe even a beer dinner (I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Russian River Brewery...) In any case, it's going to be a lot of fun to introduce these beverages to Jar's cuisine in this format. I hope you can find a date to join us to experience it firsthand.

Schiavenza Reserva Barolo 1999

I've been hoarding this bottle. I'm sure you've been a victim of this particular syndrome as well. You might have a great experience at a wine dinner or tasting room and then covet the only bottle you purchased of some wine. Keeping it as a relic of the experience. Never wanting to open it. Saving it for some special occasion, but no occasion is really perfect or good enough. Sure - you've probably got a few in the cellar right now.

When I first came to work at Jar, we had this pretty little Barolo on the list. I took one to a dinner with some colleagues and we were all singing its praises. Particularly with the roulade of rabbit a number of us were eating. I've been looking for the right opportunity to open the wine again, but never thought I had just the right dish on the table. So, getting frustrated with myself and deciding that I really just want to drink the damn wine, I grabbed dinner from Jar and set out to re-experience this little gem.

Strangely enough, a lot of people think of Barolo for Jar's cuisine, although I never really think of it myself. The food is fairly rich and I always suspect the more elegant wines (despite the heavy tannin) will get overshadowed by some of the sweeter and more robust elements of the dishes. Classically, Barolo should go well with richer and more rustic dishes. I don't know - I must just have a block I need to clear up. And so...

The Schiavenza 'Reserva' Barolo 1999: Bricking at the rim, as one would expect, more from the varietal than its age. The core is darker than you might expect for classic Barolo. On the nose, immediate cherry cough syrup notes with perfumey florality. Riper on the nose than I might normally like. On the palate, the tannins are fine and soft. Atypical of a Barolo this young. The fruit is ripe and surprisingly pronounced with the soft tannin seeming to leave it a little flabby. I didn't remember it being this soft...

Nursing some slight disappointment with this showing, we sat down to the braised meat and suddenly the clouds parted. The richness of the sauce (which includes some sugar from the sherry it's braised in) cuts the ripeness of the wine and provides the austerity I was missing. Miraculously, the earth and florality volume go up a few notches and the ripeness comes into balance. Could it be? Have I been overlooking this brilliant pairing for so long?!!! Ripe enough and plenty drinkable without the food, but becoming more classic and balanced with the meat?! I'M IN LOVE AGAIN!

Someone asked me yesterday about my last amazing wine experience. I had to share this one since it was fresh in my head. He chided me for being a "restaurant guy" and having to judge my wine with food. Of course I do! Personally, that's when I drink the majority of my wine - when I'm eating. Not even considering this interaction can be detrimental to your experience of the wine! I've known people who buy expensive wines and simply won't eat while they're drinking them because they don't like to change the wine itself. I congratulate any wine novice for making this decision. It's all about determining what works for you!

St. Lucia

I have a tendency to spend all of my vacations in wine regions. Or at least tying the vacation into wine somehow. Even my honeymoon was spent in Tuscany with a few winey visits thrown into the mix. After nearly being together for nearly thirteen years, Kara finally put her foot down and insisted on a tropical vacation where I couldn't focus on wine. St. Lucia - here we come!


What the hell do I have to write about in regards to St. Lucia...?


Believe it or not, the island has some domestic beverages that are quite good. They don't get as much imported liquor and wine as you might think. Common names such as Grey Goose and Ketel One are absent from bars and grocery stores. I asked for a Belvedere martini and the bartender asked what was in it... There are less than ten beers on the island, about four of which are made there.

Here are a few of my new beverage experiences in the Carribean:



Piton is what seems to be the most popular domestic beer on the island. It's one of three lagers available, challenged by Caribe (another Carribean beer) and Heineken. I drank more than my fair share of this on the trip. It was slightly better than your average inexpensive lager, with a pronounced cheap hoppy flavor. Kara and I comiserated that it really just tasted like cheap college keg beer. But very quaffable and at those daily temperatures, I was glad to have a glass or two.



Venturing out to the local markets, I discovered the rest of the beers available on the island. Rooster was a dark, malty ale that tasted like an adult chocolate malt. Super light on hops and barely noticable. Sort of like a less good version of Chimay Blue. It was tough to get through a full bottle, but not bad. I paired it with some local banana chips. The chips were dry and not sweetened so it actually made an interesting contrast and complement to the beer. In the photo, you'll also find the cat Kara adopted: Lucy.



At the store, I also found a Ginger Wine from Jamaica. I'd never heard of Ginger Wine so I picked one up to give it a try. On the nose, it smelled like a Coke when the ice has melted and it's gotten watered down. Sweet on the palate and exceptionally spicy from ginger, it also shows some oxidative notes on the finish that remind me of Oloroso sherry. I couldn't drink more than a few sips of this so I toured it around the resort allowing other guests to try it. One of the locals recommended adding a little soda water to it as a serving option which I thought would be an interesting way to cut the sweetness, but I'd moved back on to beer and didn't try it.

Of course, as one might expect, they distill a number of different styles of rum that are made on the island. I'd intended to make my way over to the facility during the stay, but spent more time scuba diving than I expected. I did, however, grab a few bottles from the store to taste upon returning home. If they are anything to speak of, I will certainly post about them, though I expect they will be fairly standard.

Enjoying wine was a tremendous challenge as there isn't much of note and particularly little from Europe. Argentina and Chile have a fairly strong presence in the market with a little from California, New Zealand and a smattering of French and Italian. We managed to try a couple of wines with dinners: an Orvieto and 'Parallel 45' Cote du Rhone, which is commonly seen here in the States. I also found a bottle of Trimbach Riesling 2007 which we had at one of their nicer French restaurants. It was actually pretty good: lots of lime and green apple, chalk, petrol and white flowers. Very crisp acidity and hardly any residual sugar. This was killer with the appetizers and with the breaded pork entree we ordered. I even had some with the Filet Mignon (because I certainly wasn't drinking the Beringer Stone Cellars Cab they had by the glass).









This was just amazing to see...










All in all, a great time. As soon as we walked back in the door, Kara asked me what I was longing for from home. "A great bottle of wine", I replied. So, as we stumbled in at 2:30 am (which was 5:30 to us coming from the east coast), we popped a bottle of Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc Champagne and welcomed ourselves back to California, great sushi, and world class wines. It's always good to come home!

Arnaldo Caprai '25 Ani' Sagrantino di Montefalco 2001

Another casual dinner at home on our days off. As Kara plowed through an episode of America's Next Top model, I was plowing through some Marc Bredif Vouvray 2004. I've been holding on to this bottle since its release, curious about its age-ability. It's held up surprisingly well. Still very focused with honeyed notes of Golden Delicious apple, citrus, quince and very minor amounts of that wet-wooly Chenin tone. This is a user-friendly Vouvray that's built for the masses, showing less minerality and more obvious fruit character. Probably still has a few more years in it, too. And it was a fine match for my truffle cheese.

For dinner, I opened an Arnaldo-Caprai '25 Ani' Sagrantino di Montefalco 2001. Marco Caprai is akin to the Robert Mondavi of Sagrantino in Umbria. His mission was to make this relatively unknown grape into a world-class wine. He began his mission back in the 1970's and seems to have succeeded, gaining popularity for his many wines and turning his facility into a full-scale and massive operation. In 1991, he helped in earning Sagrantino di Montefalco a DOCG status and truly securing its place in the world market. He offers two bottlings of Sagrantino (three, if you count the Passito), the best of which is the 25 Ani, made from the best lots.

Sagrantino, if you've never had it, is a beast. It's simply one of the most tannic wines you'll ever have, but also balanced by dark, ripe fruit and with a layer of earth. It reminds me in many ways of domestic Petite Syrah, with its dark, jammy fruits and leeching, herbal tannin. This bottling was no exception: Ripe plum and blackberry, with roasted coffee, ground baking spices and Italian dirt. Lush on the palate, until the tannins take hold and wring your tongue dry, demanding that you have another bite of red meat.


Kara I were fortunate enough to spend National Wine Day at Arnaldo-Caprai when we visited Umbria. The winery, which is enormous, had a walking tour through the vineyard with five stops, each offering a different dish and Caprai wine to match. At the final stop, the party really took off with a live band. It was a madhouse, but an amazing experience. On a hot summer day, as it was, the Grecante (made from Grechetto grapes) was really hitting the spot.

As I was enjoying the New York and Long-Grain Wild Rice with the Sagrantino, I noted that the wine really wasn't delivering as much as I would have liked on the palate. The nose was so perfumey and enticing, almost like a theoretical combination of a new and old Bordeaux mixed in the same glass. But the wine fell a little too flat on the palate. I noted that I was drinking from the over-sized Riedel Cabernet stem, which George had called his "troublemaker". I opened a half bottle of Anakota Cabernet the night before and had the same experience with that wine. The glass, perhaps? Could it possibly be George Riedel coming back to haunt me?!


I brought out the Hermitage glass for comparison. The nose was much less perfumed and expansive from this stem. The aromas were more focused, like a laser beam to the nostrils. The complexity of the nose remained, but the alcohol and volatile acidity (nail polish remover) were turned up a notch. It would be difficult to match the beauty of the nose achieved from the Cabernet glass. However, on the palate, the wine from the Hermitage glass gave me the desired balance and flavors I was expecting from the Sagrantino. The rich fruit giving way to the even more emphasized tannins and fruit seed bitterness. I definitely preferred this glass on the palate.

So- what to do? Like a real wine geek, I smelled the wine from the Cabernet glass and sipped from the Hermitage glass. Yeah - I know it's weird, but I get to fall back on the fact that it's my job. How are you going to explain that you want two different glasses the next time you go out to a restaurant...? Well, you could always tell them I told you so...

Chicken Cordon Bleu: Old World vs. New World

I've been getting more experimental with some of my favorite home recipes these days. The first time I ever made Chicken Cordon Bleu was in college from a book called 365 Ways to Cook Chicken. Having only experienced mediocre versions of it as a kid, having a freshly made rendition was mind-blowing. I've used some aspect of that recipe ever since.

To vary things up this go-round, I whirred up some fresh bread crumbs for a change. I've been making bread like a madman with this new sourdough starter I'm growing. I also switched up the cheese for a truffle cheese Costco is carrying right now.

Now - the wine! I made this two nights in a row so we had the chance to do another little Battle Royal. On Night One, I served the Sanguis 'Fractured Flowers' 2008, which I had never tried. Matthias made less than 300 bottles of this 100% Viognier from old vines in the Bien Nacido vineyard. I was allocated three bottles on the mailing list. Jar didnt get any... Classic Viognier! Peach and citrus aromas wrapped in white flowers. Controlled on the palate and expressing the typical peach pit bitterness on the mid-palate and into the finish. This Viognier doesn't feel fat or acidulated, which are the major pitfalls with this grape. Beautiful balance and typicity.

As a pairing, this wine actually made an interesting addition to the meal. The wine showed more of an accent on the citrus tones with the food. However, I loved the layer of cling peaches with the fried bread crumbs. It reminded me of being in the south and having fried chicken and peach cobbler. This wouldn't have been my very first choice for this dish, but I was jones-ing to try this wine and there wasn't much chance of it being an offensive pairing.


On Night Two, we took things to the Old World with Pascal Janvier's 'Cuvee du Silex', Jasnieres 2008. Chenin Blanc from forty miles north of Vouvray and planted on the infamous Silex soil of the Loire Valley. I've had this wine a number of times before and it always surprises me how it plays with food. The wine is a funky little girl: the musty wet wooliness of Chenin is there, but also honeyed notes, Meyer lemon, peach, and a green layer that Kara called asparagus, but I though was more in the realm of grass or tea. The wine is definitely off-dry, and while Kara noted that she didn't think this wine had any acidity, she changed her tune when we hit the food. The dish toned down the sweetness and allowed a salty lemon-curd character to shine in the Chenin. The dish really took this wine to another level.

I don't think I can say one of these wines was better than the other. Each worked in their own way. If pressed, I'd probably take the Sanguis, but it wasn't really as refreshing as the Jasnieres turned out to be. Sommelier's Recommendation: Open both and have a glass of each!






On an unrelated note, Cooper seems to have developed an alcoholism issue. This, along with Parker's disturbing love for Prosciutto, concerns me for my safety while I sleep...

New Kid on the Block in Beaujolais

As I'm sitting here wrapping up monthly inventory with my mug of Starbucks, my thoughts return to one of the bottles I tasted this week. While one often thinks of enjoying a nice crisp white about mid-day (especially with your face buried in a spreadsheet of the great wines of the world), with the cool breeze that's currently glazing over Los Angeles this afternoon, I'm reminded of how delicious and refreshing Cru Beaujolais can be at a time like this. And with the profound 2009 vintage on the market right now, there will likely never be a better time than right now to go enjoy a bottle!

"Beaujolias?!!!", you say? "Isn't that the black cherry Jell-o tasting stuff that's like grape juice?!" Well, in some cases, yes. Particularly on the Nouveau end of things. But Cru Beaujolais from the major villages can be as interesting as many wines from Burgundy and often more refreshing. And likely more drinkable in their youth, but with a potential to show earthy complexity over the following ten years or so. Of course, the stigma attached is hard to overcome for most. Even George Riedel at his recent seminar in Los Angeles quoted the Duke of Burgundy as saying "Take this crap south!", in reference to the Gamay grape Beaujolais is made from. But I know you're more open-minded than that...

2009 is being touted as the best vintage in Beaujolais in decades. Perhaps the best ever? Though it seems we hear that about some region every year these days. In my estimation, it's definitely an arguable level of quality, as it was in the Rhone in 2007. In much the same way, the wines are riper and more generous than usual, making them perhaps a little less typical. In my tastings so far, I would agree that these wines are darker, denser and more "real" wines than many that I have experienced. Fuller-bodied, due to commonly experienced higher alcohol levels, and richer mouth-feel are not uncommon.

So, back to the bottle I'm reminiscing about in particular: the Thibault Liger-Belair 'Les Roucheaux' Moulin-a-Vent 2009. Dark and rich on the nose with blackberry, black raspberry and black plum, fresh tobacco, almost a feeling of smokiness, and elegantly perfumed florality in spades. Much more austere than expected on the palate, showing structure and crisp acidity. This is wildly perplexing because it's austere, but also fresh and generously fruity at the same time! Only 375 cases made with a retail price of about $25/bottle. Kara, who blind-tasted this as usual, placed it as a really good Dolcetto (mostly because she liked it so much, therefore it must be Italian). Not a bad call.

This is the first vintage from Thibault Liger-Belair who recently acquired this property with vines of, on average, sixty years of age. Pretty impressive start: property in the Moulin-a-Vent, arguably the best appelation in Beaujolais, and from the 2009 vintage. These wines are probably a little on the higher side of the price spectrum for Beaujolais, making the value a little less pronounced, but the delivery is well worth the few extra bucks. Unfortunately, there is a miniscule amount of his three bottlings. If you spot them, they're well worth your time and dollars.

The Riedel Seminar

I love Riedel stemware. We don't use very much of it at JAR, but I keep an extensive amount of styles at home to experiment with. Ever since my first seminar with George Riedel, I was sold on the importance of the shape of the glass and its effect on the wine. Since that first eye-opening experience, I have always made it a point to attend any of his seminars that I can get to.

Each seminar I've attended has had its own focus, generally centered around a collection of three different stems. My personal favorite was the spirits seminar, which I found to be the most dramatic. The grappa glass was a real eye-opener! This seminar was focused strictly on red wines: Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

To begin his lecture, Mr. Reidel, who is actually a very funny and talented public speaker, showed the effect of the delivery of each glass. By using a mineral water, he illustrated how a particular glass can strike your palate in a different way, thereby changing the experience texturally. An interesting approach, given that there is no flavor to water. The Cabernet glass was the clear favorite in its delivery of the liquid across the palate in the most thirst-quenching manner.

Getting down to the wines, each of the glasses showed its intended varietal in the purest way. The Pinot Noir glass highlighted the florality and acidity, which was lost completely in the Cabernet glass, as well as any aromas at all. The Syrah showed the most flavors out of the Hermitage glass, and accented only a few characteristics from the other stems. The Cabernet changed slightly from glass to glass, but was the least dramatic of the examples. With a different Cabernet than the extra-ripe 2007 Barnett Cabernet, I think it would have been a more effective showing.

In the final leg of his lecture, Mr. Riedel offered that food is a key component with wine as well. "I have provided chocolate", he chimed in his Austrian accent, referring to the Lindor truffle at each of our seats. He suggested that the positives and negatives of food and wine pairing were also accentuated by the proper stem. This message was lost on me since I don't really care for chocolate with dry wine and found it a poor pairing in either case. But I did appreciate the chocolate.


I highly recommend attending one of these seminars if the opportunity presents itself. They are usually very eye-opening and, even if you don't choose to buy a bunch of different Riedels, they will encourage you to think more about which glass you pull out of the cabinet. I just re-organized my wine glass cupboard to have easier access to all of my various stemware so I can do a little more experimentation at home. Heck - you can even grab a few different Riedels at the store and perform the seminar yourself! But I guess it won't be the same without the Austrian accent...

6th Annual Boys and Girls Brunch

Every year or so, a bunch of wine geeks and I get together for a blind smackdown at a Sunday brunch. The tradition was spawned from an old friend who invited all of his male buddies for such an event called "Boys' Lunch", but girls were not allowed. Kara would always be upset that she wasn't invited, so I fired up an inclusive version and named it "Boys' and Girls' Brunch", or BGB.

The idea is fairly simple: Every participant brings a foil-wrapped bottle of wine. Throughout the brunch, the wines are tasted blind and ultimately voted on for first, second, third and LAST place. The first place winner gets a free brunch. The dreaded last place recipient is forced to imbibe some horrific concoction. For example: a shot of Fernet Branca, olive juice, Campari and milk would not be out of the realm of possibilities. It's a refreshing change for me especially since we aren't trying to deduce where the wine is from or what grape(s) it's made from. Rather, this is just about deciding which wine you think shows best - or, more simply- which is your favorite.

The attendees have changed over the years. This year, we had quite a range of experience, including a Master Sommelier candidate, at the table. Even our casual wine drinkers had fairly extensive cellars from which to draw their wine. With so many experienced palates, it was actually quite difficult to determine a wine that would speak to all of the tasters.

With everyone in attendance in the lounge at JAR, the tasting commenced. I poured all of the wines from a decanter to ensure no one would recognize their bottle or foil work. A few white wines were in the mix, as well as a sparkler, which were poured first. I poured slope-shouldered bottled before Bordeaux bottles in a blind effort to create some kind of fair order.

After the initial tasting, we offer the opportunity to retaste any wines side-by-side to determine any close calls. Usually, these tough calls are for first or last place.

With the votes placed and the results on the paper, here is how it all shook out. For those who were willing to donate their notes, I have included some of the comments as they were recorded:


1st place: Domaine de la Bouissiere ‘La Font de Tonin’, 1997 Gigondas

Comments: Tobacco, cigar box, Chinon?, sediment, red, old, GSM, spice, old Bordeaux, gritty tannin, super interesting, Rhone Blend, awesome


2nd place: Orin Swift ‘Abstract, 2009

Comments: Really juicy blueberry and bramble, balanced, Syrah, could be Spanish Garnacha, nice nose, not as boisterous as #7, cherry cough syrup, jammy, blah -, extremely fruity, Beaujolias?


3rd place: Sanguis ‘Waxing Poetic’ 2006Syrah

Comments: Perfumey, dark fruits, butterscotch, brown sugar, brownie batter, viscous, menthe and eucalyptus, lush and sweet, Aussie Shiraz/Cab, big alcohol, nice oak integration, eh...


And the DREADED Last Place: Ravenswood ‘Barricia’ Zinfandel 2006

Comments: Very restrained, lacking much of anything, lavender and herbs? Tight and young – not expressive, can’t get any nose, Malbec/Zin?, cooked?, yucky!, blech!, boring -, too tight and young



The losing participant (who shall remain nameless) was forced to drink the decanter rinse of all ten wines. No spit, but one of the wines was corked.



Other wines on the table were:


Gramona, Cava NV

Comments: Marmalade, toast, apple, fresh fruit, crisp, Schramsberg?, light floral, Roquefort, lemongrass, bright citrus, crab apple, refreshing but not a lot of character, tasty


Cable Bay, Riesling, New Zealand 2007

Comments: Petrol, lime, austere nose, lime bud candy, off-dry, good but a little sweet, buttery nose, fairly soft, tropical, roundness, some age, passion fruit, grapefruit, wet gravel, nice acid, chalk, light, fat and waxy


Tramin, ‘Stoan’, 2006 Alto Adige (Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurtztraminer)

Comments: Grapefruit, grass, citrus rind, New World Sauv Blanc?, bright fresh and sweet on nose, honeysuckle, pineapple, lime, fresh pineapple, warm climate, some oak, Like!, Chard – balanced oak, White Burg?


Chateau de Fonsalette, Cote du Rhone 2000

Comments: Candied red fruits, fat juicy Grenache character, wishy-washy, smells like port, raisins, over the hill, flat, tannin, structure, bland, lighter, a bit mushy


Freemark Abbey ‘Bootleg’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Comments: Mountainside herbal tone, black fruit, restrained, good but not expressive, youthful, strawberry jam, not distinctive, dusty, thin, hedonistic, balanced, young, pretty standard Cab


And, in another tragic case of TCA, a bottle of Pichon Lalande 1995 was corked and disqualified. The cork dorks we are, we immediately tried the Saran Wrap trick. If you're not familiar, there is a theory that Saran Wrap bonds to the molecules of TCA, thereby removing the offensive musty smell. However, the truth is that it doesn't really bring back the fruit to the wine, nor its integrity. That seemed to be the case here, in my estimation.

As always, it was a fantastic time and I leave the event meaning to increase its frequency, but a year always goes by so quickly. A special thanks to all of the participants and their insightful selections. See you soon!

Bond and Burgers! - Again!

We couldn't possibly be together with my folks and not have burgers at Morton's. It's a staple for us. Through its many phases - "Bordeaux and Burgers", "Cab and Cow", "Bond and Burgers", "Harlan and Hamburgers" and other alliterative combinations as well - we decided to revisit Bond and Burgers because of Kara's love for the winery on this trip.

To begin, we tried the new release of Luc Morlet's Chardonnay 'Ma Douce' 2009. While good, I found it somewhat underwhelming. It showed terrific balance and control, but fell into a small trap between the lines of Burgundian and Californian style that left me unclear as to what Luc was going for. None of us really commented on the wine, which lead me to believe that none of us really thought much of it. I do like these wines, but I hope the higher end efforts express more character and hook.

With the burgers, we broke into a Caymus 'Special Selection' 1999 and a Bond 'St. Eden' 2003. The Caymus was drinking great, but I think it's right in its window now. Lots of spice on the nose and palate with present but softening fruit on the palate. When you taste current vintages of Caymus, you realize, in comparison, how quickly the fruit in these wines fade and when your preferred window of drinking might be. This 1999 was right there for me - maybe a hair past even. On the flip side of the soft spicy Caymus, was the Bond: Super-ripe and less characteristic of my favorite Bond bottling than I had hoped. Aromatically, it smelled of freshly crushed Cabernet grapes and stems. I know that sounds weird - but I once crushed grapes in my kitchen with the stems and this was precisely the same compound. I think this bottle showed a little more oxidation than most might - there was an edge of Port-iness to it that I found off-putting, but it was a delicious drink and lent a tremendous amount of juiciness to the burger. There are better vintages of St. Eden and I would not really recommend this one as an introduction to the vineyard or Bond style based on the showing of this particular bottle.

Another episode of Morton's burgers under our belt, we returned victorious to the house, making plans for a lighter dinner on our last night. I think we need to stock up on some more white wines...

Cork: The Most Dangerous Game

I think there have been volumes written already on the danger of continuing to use cork as a closure for wine and all of the many reasons why we, as consumers, will not allow a clean changeover to any other means of sealing wine bottles. I certainly don't want to re-hash old information because I assume, if you are reading this blog about wine, that you already know the basics about it. Far be it from me to bore you with things you have already heard a hundred times before.

In light of my step-father's loss of a magnum of Harlan Estate Cabernet to TCA, I promised him I'd create a blog entry so the $1000 bottle we had to pour down the drain was not a complete loss. I figured it was the least I could do. And what better time to hit this topic that when it strikes in the most costly of forms!

In recent weeks, I have been cursing the day that I became familiar with TCA and my ability to notice it in wine. I've been coming across more and more faulty wines. With the ability to spot TCA, you wind up dumping a lot of wines down the drain. I hazard to think of how many faulty bottles I may have consumed prior to the moment when that unwelcomed musty smell became all too familiar. In retrospect, I think that Texas Chardonnay that I bought at the Dollar Store out of morbid curiousity was tragically corked. I remember pouring that one down the drain, thank God!

It amazes me how many people will open an expensive bottle of wine, notice that something is off about it (most usually TCA), and force themselves to drink it anyway. Of course it hurts to pour any amount of money down the drain! But what's in the bottle is also not the product you purchased, nor the product that the winery and winemaker wanted you to enjoy. It would be like buying a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and opening it to find flavorless rice cakes. Gross! You probably would force those down if you were expecting Doritos. Why would you drink a faulty wine?

On a personal level, it makes for a very uncomfortable situation when dining or drinking with friends. As the professional sommelier, I generally have to be the person to announce to someone that their wine is toast and needs to be dumped. For example, when dining at Cuistot in the desert this past week with my folks, I discovered the '95 Dom Perignon he brought was infected with TCA. I thought there was a good chance Dave might catch this one, since we'd just had it at Spago a week before, but it slipped by him. Thankfully, I'd ordered a martini already and no one noticed that I wasn't drinking the bubbles. Kara chastised me for not saying anything, but it's very difficult to be the person to announce that your expensive bottle of wine can't be drunk.

In my experience, some wineries will take ownership of those faults, despite it not really being any wrong-doing of their own. I'm certainly not going to ask Harlan to replace a maggie because I don't think there's a snowball's chance in Vegas that they would, but smaller producers who are making a name for themselves or big producers who don't want to lose your business might. Sometimes, even the retailer who sold you the wine will take the wine back and deal with the winery or ditributor themselves so you experience a better level of service from their end. It's always worth a try, I think. Certainly at the restaurant level, we are obliged to keep you from drinking a faulty product that we are selling.

I'm becoming more accepting every month of any new form of closure. Watching all of this hard-earned money go to waste is becoming more sickening. Yes, there are concerns about longevity, oxidation, age-ability, and more. But what about the fact that all of this wine is being destroyed? And even more frightening, what if that had been someone's very first bottle of Harlan, thereby forming their first and probably only impression about that winery with a disgustingly corked bottle? The damage being done to wineries is almost more frightening.

I will get off of my soap box now. Every so often, I think most sommeliers have a build up that needs a release. Blowing off of steam, if you will. My advice to you as a consumer is to make a concerted effort to learn the smell of TCA in wine, if you don't recognize it already. Know if what you have in your bag is actually Doritos or if someone duped you with rice cakes. It's your moral obligation to yourself and the wineries you support with your precious dollars.