A Craft-y Meal

For our anniversary, Katie and I decided to splurge and dine at Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak at MGM Grand at Foxwoods. Quite the mouthful. And splurge we did, with the total bill being second only behind the lavish Victoria & Albert's at the Grand Floridian on the list of most expensive meals in my life. Looking back though, it was well worth it.

We began the night by perusing the wine list and choosing our selections for the evening. Since we were clearly having steak, it was safe to look ahead and choose a red without glancing at the menu. I had my heart set on the scallops to start with, and while Katie was thinking sweeter whites, I just couldn't handle it. We ended up zeroing in on Chards and Sauvignon Blancs. None of the Chardonnay really excited me (the big X factor in wine, does it thrill you just to see it on the wine list) so I focused on Sauvignon Blancs. While the New Zealands are bright and crisp, I wanted a more subtle flair to go with the scallops. That left two Sancerres staring me in the face. Sancerre is a region in the Loire Valley of France. While some wine regions around the globe are better known for multiple grapes and blends, Sancerre is world renowned for their Sauvignon Blanc. Some even refer to it as the "spiritual home" of the varietal. The major difference between the New Zealand (or even American) Sauvignon Blanc and it's French counterpart is a greater abundance of mineral tones and a more approachable fruit flavors. When I say more approachable, I really mean less of that kick you in the teeth fruit. Why waste all this time discussing Sancerre? Because this wine, the 2006 Domaine de Rome Sancerre, may single handily be the best white I've ever had. The only thing close that pops into my mind was a bottle of Chateau Villa Bel Air (a white Bordeaux) from a few years back. The wine had a beautiful texture with flavors of honey, minerals, herbal tone, and a touch of lime. The finish was bountiful and slipped away like an elegant kiss. I would kill for another bottle of this wine, so if you spot it send a message my way.

As for red, we immediately knew we wanted Pinot Noir. It almost always pairs better with a tasty steak than Cabernet for us. And while the list was loaded with Oregon Pinot Noir, it was difficult because we had already had many of them, or had some sitting in the cellar waiting for the right moment. We narrowed the field to a 2006 Shea Wine Cellars Estate from Yamhill-Carlton, or a 2005 Stoller Vineyard from Dundee Hills. While Shea has been a name I had been dying to try, the Stoller stood out because the 2005 vintage was so fantastic and beginning to become quite scarce. It was hard enough to find good '05 Oregon wine last year, now it's down right painful to locate. After conferring with our waiter, who told us both were excellent, before trying to sell me on something he knew more about, I just broke down and went for the Stoller. Needless to say, it didn't disappoint. The nose lacked the full frontal earth tones that I love about Willamette Valley, but was lush with bright red fruits. On the palate it was dark cherries with hints of spice and a lingering finish that matched well with our steak. The wines of the evening were a clear success.

So while the food was fantastic, I won't dwell on it for too long. This is wine blog and that's where I prefer to focus. My scallops and pomegranate were delectable. Katie's Parsnip and Pear soup was so unique and rich, simply divine. Our steaks, mine a 22oz. bone-in corn-fed ribeye was perhaps the best piece of meat I've ever had. Katie's grass-fed ribeye was much leaner and seemed to better manage it's flavor. For sides we had an order of mixed mushrooms (because what else goes better with steak and Oregon Pinot?) and the surprise hit of the night, polenta with bleu cheese and bacon. For dessert the restaurant bestowed upon us a free order of homemade ice cream, cookie dough, peppermint brownie, and cookies and cream. Once again fantastically good.

Lord knows I have slacked off with the wine blogging recently, but the Patriots are into the off-season and the holidays have passed. This means I'll make my yearly commitment to try and blog at least once a week. We have a wine fridge stocked with goodies and a cellar full of aging bottles to enjoy (and write about). We'll also be hosting another Wine from A to Zin night in the near future to show off our almost complete cellar. Till next time: "Just cause people wanna eat the burger doesn't mean they wanna meet the cow."--???

The Others Wait in Casablanca....and Wait...and Wait...

This is why my wife is the best woman in the world and simply perfect for me. She came to me awhile back to plan my birthday party. She gave me two choices, Casablanca Night or 50's Cocktail Party. How awesome is that? Well, you can guess by the title of this post that I picked Casablanca. It turned out to be the best birthday party yet.

While Rock's Cafe Americain was a notorious gin joint, we ended up serving more wine than anything else. We started off with a 2005 Juan Gil Monastrell from Jumilla. Ever since I tried the Finca Casa Castillo at Tastings, I have been in love with Monastrell. It's typically used for blending with other reds, but much like Malbec, it's finding it's own little niche as a straight varietal. Next up was a 2005 Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel from Sonoma County. My favorite aspect of Ridge's Zins is how they'll use a bout three-quarters Zin and blend in other grapes like Carignane, Petite Sirah, and Grenache. Adding these other varietal adds a lot of complexity to the wine but also takes some of that edge off the Zinfandel. I picked this bottle up in California last August, and that extra year in our cellar really paid off. Finally I opened a 2005 Patricia Green Estate Etzel Block Pinot Noir from Ribbon Ridge in Oregon. 2005 was one of the first years Oregon wineries started labeling with the new AVAs inside of the Willamette Valley. While Katie found this wine a bit tomato-ey, and Amanda thought it was fuzzy, Amy and I adored it. It was so earthy yet light, and felt like a Burgundy.

Of course my friends always make the party special. Almost all my gifts were wine or beer. The list of wine that I received is simply fantastic, Segehesio Zinfandel, David Bruce Pinot Noir, Cristom Pinot Noir, Bryce Vineyards Pinot Noir, and the '06 Jonathan Edwards Merlot. I recently talked to an employee at Jonathan Edwards and he gave me the insider tip that the '06 is going to be dynamite, so needless to say I'm thrilled to have a bottle. Of course the beer I got was fantastic as well, Magic Hats "Participation/Get Out the Vote" twelve pack, 2 22s of Berkshire Brewing Company, and a sixer of Shipyard's Pumpkinhead Ale. And I can't leave out that Rob and his new dog, Astird...I mean Kylar, got me two science fiction novels. My friends know me too well, wine, beer, and science fiction make for a happy birthday boy.

Did I mention some of us dressed the part for Casablanca night? I had the honor of trying to be as suave as Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart's character for those of you not in the know). Katie had a beautiful dress from her grandmother she was going to wear, but of course the dry cleaner didn't have it ready on time (I yelled at them). Instead she pulled out an older dressed and looked gorgeous as always. Amanda and Amy went the Elsa route and both look fabulous. My sister did her hair up with flowers and a new dress that fit perfectly with the period. Kevin matched a fedora and suit jacket in a creative attempt to fit in. While Phil rolled in with an Indiana Jones fedora. In the end, a terrific evening! Till next time..."I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray, you wore blue."--Rick Blaine

Check out Amy's blog for some more photos.

On the Rebound

Most people, in any situation, realize that a let down should be followed by an experience that you know will be a sure thing. For example, you try a new recipe for dinner and it turns out horrifically horrible. The next night you'll return to one of your old standbys, a sure fire tasty treat. Wine is no different of course. So last night I needed to erase the Cask 23 from my mind. That meant pulling out some wines that I knew would not be another let down.

After my first attempt at Striped Bass, which came out quite well, we decided to open up some wine from the cellar. Instead of gambling a wine thats been resting for three or four years, I pulled out a more recent addition, the 2003 Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. I discussed my visit to Alpha Omega way back when, and had three bottle of their wine shipped back home in November. I pulled out the '03 Cab seeing as the other wines were both '04s. Thankfully, there was no let down this time. The Alpha Omega Cab, I believe I paid $50-$60 for it, out performed the Cask 23 by leaps and bounds. We risked drinking it without food, but taking that chance paid off. It's a light Cab, with a velvety smoothness that simply caresses your mouth. AO describes their '04 Cab as "power with a feminine touch." The '03 may be lacking in the power department, but not in flavor and finesse. I'm looking forward to having the '04 as well as their proprietary blend in the future. If you see any Alpha Omega, snatch it up, you won't be disappointed.

Next up was the 2005 Cristom Pinot Noir Sommers Reserve from Willamette Valley. My love for Oregon Pinot is only surpassed by my love for my wife. This bottle was picked up over at Thames River a month or so ago. As soon as this wine wafted past my nose, I was in for it. Such a shining example of Oregon's finest grape. The aroma of fruit and earth blending together is breath taking. The winemaker narrows it down to black cherries, currants, orange zest, leather, and vanilla. Either way its intoxicating. The palate is balanced and lush, with more red fruit flavors than the nose. The finish was slight and soothing, like the smell of the inside of an oak barrel. We didn't make it to Cristom on our last trip to Oregon, but we definitely will next time we go.

In the end, it was a pleasant recovery from the near traumatizing Cask 23 incident. Till next time..."How could I forget about you? You're the only person I know."--???

Catching Up

Here's a rundown of a few wines from the past two weeks.

-First I opened the 2002 Chateau Lascombes from Margaux at Doyle's Bastille Day function. As those near and dear to me know, the greatest wine I ever had was the 1988 Chateau Margaux, and since have found a deep appreciation for the clarets from Margaux. Margaux' tend to be lighter and have more finesse than the big and powerful wines of the Paulliac. The Lascombes needed some time in the glass to really open up, but once it did it was killer. Smooth and sumptuous, like a good kiss. The finish seemed endless and lingered like a fine perfume. I simply adored it.

-Next was a affordable Australian Shiraz that I honestly can't remember the name of. That's the first time that's happened to me. I am shock. I am so disappointed in my self that I may quit blogging. It was solid for the $7.99 price tag but nothing spectacular. A little harsh on the palate but a smoother finish than expected. I still can't believe I forgot it's name!

-Finally, we opened the 2004 Argyle Willamette Valley Reserve Pinot Noir at Rob's the other night. Another wine that took a few minutes to open up in the glass but was outstanding.
Better than I remember when we tasted at Argyle back in 2006. Lovely floral aromas and I picked up hints of cherry and oak. Also, a screw top that we let age for a few years. I deem the experience a success.

I got it! McWilliam's Shiraz!!! Guess this means I'll have to keep blogging. Till next time..."Never show anyone. They'll beg you and they'll flatter you for the secret, but as soon as you give it up... you'll be nothing to them."--???