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!