Inspired by Jim Denevan's Outstanding in the Field dinners - dinners staged at organic farms near Santa Cruz, California since 1999 - four young partners in Boulder have developed Meadowlark Farm Dinners. The Meadlowlark Crew drives to a nearby farm in their catering bus, Bella, and harvests what is best from the field that day. They then use those ingredients to prepare that evening's dinner. A table is set outside in the field and seats all 35 guests. My wife and I attended last Friday's dinner at Frog Belly Farms, just outside of Longmont, Colorado and enjoyed one of our favorite meals of the year thus far.

The farm is in a beautiful spot, 80 acres of land in the foothills of the Rockies. We were greeted by Veronica Volny and Nate Ready, MS, with a summer cocktail of St. Germain and cucumber accompanied by expertly prepared tempura onion rings. As we took a walking tour of the farm and as the sun was setting, we gathered eggs and visited the pigs and llamas. Farmers Mike and Melanie have owned the property since 2005, and practice biodynamic farming. They produce beef, chicken, eggs, cheese, and some incredible produce.

We started with Greek salads, complete with Melanie's homemade feta cheese, which was paired with a crisp Sigalas Santorini. The Mediterranean flavors continued with lamb shish kebobs served over a bed of Carnaroli rice, with which we drank the Alphonse Mellot "Generations" Sancerre Rouge and offered a toast to the upcoming harvest. Finally, we devoured a chocolate mousse with fresh berries for dessert and opened a Château d'Arlay Vin de Paille to conclude the evening.

Thank you Meadowlark and Frog Belly Farm for an unforgettable night!

http://www.farmdinners.com/
http://www.frogbellyfarm.com/

Over the past two months, my husband and I taught an eight-week wine course to a class of 14 students. Not only was the class informative and hopefully, entertaining, it was also extremely useful for us to create a curriculum that was not too broad or too vague. It was also fantastic to revisit some wine laws that may have slipped our restaurant minds in the past few years.

We composed the class very similarly to the Windows on the World Wine Course that Kevin Zraly has taught for the past 25 some years. We began with French Reds, then French Whites, America, Germany, Spain, Italy, Southern Hemisphere and ended with Wine & Food pairing. For the most part, I felt like the class room (ages 23 - 65) took a great deal from the course, the entire time tasting wines they were not familiar with.

As in most classes I teach, I found the greatest satisfaction came with the Germany class. "Isn't Riesling too sweet?" is a common phrase I hear from many Americans' mouths when I suggest one for the dinner table. We spoke about the many styles and personalities of what we believe to be one of the greatest wine grapes known as well as its phenomenal ability to age. We talked about the beautiful harmony created in ones mouth when a bite of fatty ribeye is chewed followed by a swig of Auslese.

All fourteen students came back the next week saying they tried the bizarre food & wine pairing and were not the least bit disappointed.
When it comes to wine & food, Riesling is almost always a definite. From buttery popcorn to spicy chilli to a rare steak, Riesling has so many amazing traits that make it an instant hit with food.
Before poo-pooing this noble varietal, find out more about its place on the dinner table (or lunch table) as well as in the cellar.

I am so predictable.  Working in a restaurant, I am fortunate enough to eat most of my meals here at Babbo.  Before service is Family Meal, where everybody sits down around 4:00 and eats together before the night begins, I always drink water.  Towards the end of service (usually around midnight) a few nights a week I sit down either at the bar or at a table, and eat what we call "Officer Meal", where I am able to have something off the menu.  This gives me a chance to try new dishes and find pairings.  Time and time again, I turn to my trusty friend,

sparkling wine.  Sure, there are plenty of dishes that require an earthy Nebbiolo like the Garganelli with 'Funghi Trifolati' (hand-rolled penne with various thinly sliced, sauteed mushrooms and butter) or a herbaceous, zesty Sauvignon for the Mint Love Letters (ravioli in the shape of an envelope with mint and peas inside, finished with spicy Merguez-sausage based tomato sauce), or even a Vin Santo with our Goose Liver Ravioli- this is our play on the classic French pairing of foie gras and Sauternes.  But some dishes, I have found, pair with nothing better than a sparkling wine or Champagne.

Why is that?  Acidity and body.  Sparkling wine/Champagne almost always has a remarkable amount of acidity, which is a crucial element in pairing food and wine.  Acidity makes your mouth water, essentially, which helps 'cut through the richness' of many, many dishes.  Also whether the wine is based with Chardonnay/Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier (like Champagne) or Chardonnay/Pinot Bianco (like Franciacorta) or even Prosecco or any other grape that is made into something sparkling, it retains the basic fruit notes of the grape, but presents it into a much more compact package.  When the wine is a sparkling Rose, it is like a red, but on a smaller scale.  The acidity is again there, which is something that lacks in many New World/modern style reds these days. I prefer to drink mine in a Bordeaux glass, where I am able to get more of the aromas, and treat it like the wine that it is; it does not bother me that I lose sight of some of the bead- those bubbles have been in that bottle for quite some time, and aren't going anywhere anytime soon (or for the time it takes me to consume it at least).

Last night I sat down to my gorgeous rabbit: the loin grilled, the back leg braised in Vin Santo, and the front leg confited, served with peas and carrots.  I had two glasses in front of me:  Morellino di Scansano by La Mozza, a Sangiovese-based red from Southwestern Tuscany, smooth and full of sexy red fruit and a Rosato from Fruili, made with Refosco by Bastianich.  Neither, unfortunately, worked.  The Morellino was too dense for the delicate meat of the rabbit, and the Rosato hit all the wrong notes, berries where there should have been more lemon.  So I got a third glass, this one a Franciacorta by Wertmuller, 100% Chardonnay sparkling from Lombardia.  Slam-dunk.  With so much acidity, the Wertmuller was able to cut through the rich yet delicate braised meat, while standing up to the strong pancetta, and still playing game with the sweet carrots and peas.

About a week or so ago, it was the same game, but this time Veal Loin with Preserved Lemons and Caper Berries.  What did I choose but a Brut Champagne by Andre Clouet, 100% Pinot Noir from Bouzy.

House-made Pappardelle with Morels and Thyme? Lallier 'Grande Reserve' Brut, NV. Predominately Pinot Noir (about 70%) with the rest Chardonnay, it had a powerful blast of zing on the palate to work with the butter and thyme. The fruit from the Chardonnay was great with the earthy mushrooms.

Warm Lamb's Tongue Vinaigrette with Morels, Oven Dried Tomatoes, Black Truffle and a Poached Egg? This one calls for a Rose, and I would find a friend in Delavenne Brut Rose NV. Rich berry notes and a creamy mouthfeel mirrored the texture of the egg, and had acidity to play nice with the yolk. 

So, while there are lots of still wines that would work well with all of these dishes, I find great joy in drinking nothing more than a nice Sparkling Wine or Champagne, because to me, they are the most food friendly wines one could hope to find.

I'm posting the link containing the latest big review of the Mansion restaurant at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, which appeared last Friday in the Dallas Morning News, essentially the only paper in this town.

This is the one we've been waiting for these past five months since the completion of our $6 million renovation, as well as the first one written since I joined the Mansion as its Director of Wine and Beverage in the Fall of 2007.

I think you'll agree that it's a rave on the scale of a Broadway smash hit, and we're immensely proud and pleased that we've been so well received, and so well understood by the local critic Bill Addison.

Reinventing the image of the Mansion restaurant since the departure of iconic chef Dean Fearing over a year and a half ago was an exercise in blind faith and team work on a level I've rarely experienced. Chef John Tesar is without a doubt the driving force behind this effort, but the powers that be at Rosewood, much to their credit, had the fortitude and the confidence to let him work his magic, and he spent much of the last 18 months scouring the country for talent and energy to see his vision fulfilled.

And now, it appears, we have the sort of validation we've craved to go forward with that vision, and refine it, and focus it. The Mansion has always stood for the pinnacle of excellence within the culture of Texas - the "paradigm of fine dining in Dallas", as critic Addison so nicely puts it. We are now poised to carry on that fine tradition in the context of the new age.

We work hard, we play hard, but we never lose sight of our special responsibility to our many guests from all over the world, and to the people of Dallas, who form our extended family, and, apparently, approve of the new look and feel. I'm very excited to be a part of this "new wave" in Dallas.

Just you wait. You ain't seen nothin yet.

The joy of describing wine can be one of the most fun jobs I have yet a very daunting tasks for others. We hear so often in our restaurant, "I prefer the driest wine you have." While this may sound cool or sophisticated, it tells me nothing about the style of wine one enjoys. Most table wines poured by the glass in restaurants contain no residual sugar whatsoever, so the majority of the wines are, in fact, dry, if dry means having no sugar. Think hard about what you mean when you tell someone you would like the driest wine on the menu. Do you mean the wine with the least amount of fruit flavors? In that case, you would probably drink an earth-driven Bordeaux or a rustic Barolo or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. If those are the wines you prefer, then use descriptors like earthy, rustic or crisp. It tells the person selecting your wine, whether it a salesperson, a server or your dinner host, much more about what styles of wine you enjoy.

If dry means something else, and believe me, dry means something different to all people, then try to determine what you like in a wine. Are you fond of oak flavors like vanilla, toast or butter? Or do you like fruit-forward wines that have flavors of jam and berries? When you taste wine, what do you taste? There are no wrong answers. Wine is subjective, and it is important to realize that if you taste something in a wine like bell pepper or minerals or Vaseline, then someone else probably does as well.

A common question often asked is why do we use grapes to make wine as opposed to other types of fruit. The reason is grapes have more aromatic compounds, or smells, than any other fruit. This is why wine is so magical. You make a beverage out of grapes, and the outcome has aromas of green grass, tar, roses, black pepper, and the list continues.

One of the funniest descriptors I ever heard was when someone described a wine as being similar to a Chippendale dancer: sweaty, leathery and hot. For those who may not be familiar with these wine terms, let me break it down for you: sweaty refers to the aroma of body odor that can come from older barrels; leathery refers to the rawhide smell that comes from certain grapes; and hot refers to the high level of alcohol.

Of course, this is a quirky description, and the wine steward may give you a wary glance if that is what you say when telling her what type of wine you like. Regardless, have fun when you talk about wine. Don't be discouraged or intimidated if someone gives you a blank stare when you say you like wines that taste like bananas and bubble gum. It's their loss if they don't understand. Next time you taste wine, taste it again and again until you have two fruit flavors and one non-fruit aroma. Not only is it fun, but it helps your wine salesperson know what you like and what you don't like—it's a win-win situation for all involved.

I have remarked to my peers a number of times in the last year or so, as well as to winemakers from both this country and others that we, Americans, are starting to really understand how vineyard sites matter. Now I know that those of us in the trade, as well as serious wine lovers know that. We know you can neither switch out a Suchots for a Beaux Monts just because they both say Vosne Romanne, nor a Rabaja for an Ovello because they both say Produttori on them. However, for many wine drinkers, even fairly serious ones, that might not be so obvious.

However, I have noticed that guests have been ordering wines from my wine lists by the vineyard name, "I'll have the Shea Vineyard," or "a bottle of the Savoy Vineyard please." This gets me excited. It tells me that as a wine a drinking nation, more of us are catching on that site matters. I recognize that some people may not be thinking about terroir, when they pick their wine, but they are connecting a taste memory. They remember that they had a Vineyard X wine before, and they recognize that it offered them something they liked. It is true that some might not even realize it is from an entirely different producer making a Vineyard X wine too, but that familiarity leads them, to try it. In 2008 some of the famous vineyard names are accumulating a real history, Pisonoi Vineyard is over 20 years old, Bien Nacido is over 30, and To Kalon vineyard was first planted over 100 years ago. These are vineyards with recognizable traits, and wine lovers, both beginner and advanced are appreciating this.

I have one worry about all this. That is that some people are gravitating to some of these vineyard names because of the name and not the unique attributes that the vineyard lends to the wines. I worry that some of these vineyard names are becoming mere labels that assure sales and push the prices up. I worry that some wineries with deeper pockets are scrambling to get their hands on fruit from some of these famous vineyards and pushing out smaller wineries that may have made the "name" for some of these vineyards.

I guess you have to take the good with the bad....

Residual Sugar (R.S.): The total quantity of sugars remaining unfermented in the finished wine. This may include both fermentable sugars (glucose and fructose) and small amounts of those few sugars, which are not readily fermented by typical wine yeast.

In 1983 Jess Jackson (a very successful lawyer) decided to create a wine that was fresh, fruity and above all else consistent vintage to vintage. This philosophy led to one of the most successful wine brands in the world, Kendall Jackson. The first wine, a Chardonnay, was an instant success and for nearly 25 years has been the most widely distributed and sold wine in America. Jess Jackson did not just take his money and run but he started to purchase vineyards all over California and wineries that he thought he could help take to the next level. In 1995 Mr. Jackson purchased Alexander Mountain Estate, a 5,500-acre mountain that is planted with 700 acres of vines. Literally his simple, slightly sweet wine bought him a mountain and built a wine empire. Most self-proclaimed wine snobs would turn their nose up to KJ or some of its estates but that is a mistake that should not be made. One of the greatest lessons I have learned from the wine trade is to always re-try wines and never judge a wine until I have tasted it. This is more easily said that done but it is important for anyone who likes to explore wine. The past 10 years have seen an influx of competition and this had led to most wineries to improve their wines, which only benefits us the drinkers.

This weekend Shauna (my wife) and I were invited to visit three of Jess Jackson's premier estates: Vérité, Stonestreet Alexander Mountain Estate, and Hartford Family Winery. All three wineries are in Sonoma and ALL produce exceptional wines.
This weekend was not the best weekend to see vineyards and drive one two lane windy roads but we put on the raincoats and headed out. Our first stop was Vérité. This estate is dedicated to producing Bordeaux stylized wines. They produce 4 wines, Archipel, and three different Vérité wines: La Muse, La Joie, and Le Désir. Pierre Seillan who is from Bordeaux and worked at Chateau Petrus and Chateau Chevel Blanc makes the wines and his training is evident from the moment you pick up your glass. Each wine is an expression of his passion of the vineyard and his love of the Bordeaux grapes. The experience was a great way to start our trip and the wines are lovely!

Our next appointment was a Stonestreet Alexander Mountain Estate. To be honest when I worked at The Henry Wine Group I used to sell this label and I always thought the wines were pleasant but not great. BOY has times changed! When we arrived at the tasting room the rain had stopped so our host decided that we should get in the 4-wheel drive truck and go up the mountain and see what is going on in the vineyards. So up we went. The first vineyard we saw was at 1,800 feet and called "Broken Road". There is a fault running right through the vineyard and the road is literally broken, hence the name. This vineyard is a Chardonnay vineyard that produces 347 cases of wine. The wine was beautiful. It is pristine in color, intense on the nose without being over bearing and the palate speaks of the vineyard. It is always a joy for me to taste a wine that speaks of the place and actually be trying the wine in that place. We then drove up about 1,000 more feet to the Cabernet Vineyards and got a look at the valley below. When we reached the top, the storm really blew in and we decided it better to head down the mountain and have some lunch. We ended up at the Jim Town Store and had a great pot of chili and corn bread. We finished our tasting at the Jim Town store. We tried the Alexander Valley Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon (which are both grown on Alexander Mountain Estate). Both wines were well made, balanced and showed off the care and dedication given to the Jackson Family Estate vineyards.

Finally our weekend ended at Hartford Family Winery. I have been a big fan of this winery through all of its names (Hartford Court, Hartford and now Hartford Family Winery). This winery produces some of the most pure and exciting examples of Chardonnay, Pinot, and Zinfandel I have every tried. Each wine we tried was well balanced, pure of flavor; spoke of the place it was from. At this tasting we tried the Four Hearts 2005 Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley, the Stone Côte 2006 Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast, the Land's Edge 2005 Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast, the Fog Dance Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir from Green Valley, Zinfandel 2005 Russian River Valley and finally the Hartford Vineyard 2005 Zinfandel from the Russian River Valley.

Each winery produced beautiful and compelling wine that is worth seeking out and having with your next meal. If you are in Sonoma I highly recommend stopping by each of the wineries and trying the wines.

Cheers!

Someone once said "Food without wine is like walking around in public with no clothes on." As Americans become more interested in wine, you will notice more and more restaurants placing an emphasis on their wine lists, often creating wine and food pairings on the menu to entice the diner to have a glass of wine with one's meal. The idea is to make the food taste better and to enhance the flavors in the dish, all the while drinking the nectar from the gods and, of course, increasing sales. Pairing wine with food has a great deal to do with personal taste but there is some rhyme and reason to it as well.

We get many phone calls to our restaurant as well as personal visits where the party wants to know what wine would work well with a particular dish they are serving that evening. Many times the customer will specify red or white, but there are occasions where the customer is open to the best wine and food pairing, regardless of color. Classic wine and food pairings that have stood the test of time are Champagne and Oysters on the Half Shell, Goat Cheese and Sauvignon Blanc, Lobster and Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Grilled Tuna, Cabernet Sauvignon and Rack of Lamb. Realistically, most people aren't preparing these dishes on a Monday or Tuesday evening at home. The foods we often get the most questions about are barbecue, pork tenderloin, marinated chicken breast and shrimp with cocktail sauce. There are a few rules of thumb when pairing wine with food, the first rule being, there are no absolutes. Once you realize there are no guarantees when it comes to wine and food matches, you can begin experimenting with confidence and adventure.

Sweet wines and spicy foods almost always go well together. If you're ordering take-out Thai or marinating pork tenderloin with southwestern spices, a crisp, off-dry white will almost always fit the bill. Look for Rieslings from Germany if you like a tad of sweetness when you sip or find a Riesling from Alsace, Australia or Washington for those who enjoy bone-dry styles. You could also have a Vouvray from the Loire Valley of France or a Pinot Gris from Oregon. All of these wines would complement spicy cuisine, but if you're set on red, think lighter styles rather than fuller. While one of the above mentioned, delicious whites would be my first choice, I could easily sip a soft Pinot Noir from Burgundy or a Tempranillo-based red from Spain, too. These softer reds would not dominate the food and would balance the spiciness of the dish.

Another good rule of wine thumb is fat and full-bodied. Fatty meat dishes like full-bodied wines. Filet, Ribeye, Hanger Steak or any red meat with lots of flavor enjoy full-bodied, rich wines as an accompaniment. In this case, white or red can make a great match. Full-flavored, rich, oaky Chardonnay from Santa Barbara or Australia is fantastic with steak and big, intense Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines from Bordeaux or Napa as well as Syrah from the northern Rhone or southeastern Australia. Big dishes like heavy wines that can stand up to the flavors and intensify the essence of the food.

Lastly, some words of advice to live by: Barbecue is truly great with beer. You can try to find a perfect wine to pair with eastern North Carolina, vinegar-based que', but nothing is as refreshing or as delicious as an ice cold Bud Light.

When is the last time you intentionally purchased a bottle of wine made in North Carolina? If the answer is not recently or never, it is your duty as a North Carolinian to buy a bottle this week.

Don't get me wrong. I, too, was hesitant when it came to buying wines made in North Carolina. My opinions changed last year when I took a trip out west (or should I say western Carolina).

Kevin Zraly, author of Windows on the World Wine Course, had asked me to research wineries in the south for his new book, America Wine Guide. As part of the research, my husband, daughter and I took a trip to North Carolina's only American Viticultural Area (AVA), Yadkin Valley.

An AVA is a government-given title to geographic areas that are deemed worthy to grow wine-making grapes because of the soils, climate and location. For instance, Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley are two well-known AVAs in the United States. Some states, like Florida, Georgia and Tennessee do not have any AVAs. North Carolina has one, and it is the Yadkin Valley, which encompasses all of Yadkin, Surry and Wilkes counties.

According to the state-supported website, www.ncwine.org, there are currently 14 wineries located in the Yadkin Valley. During our trip, we visited four of them, and we were absolutely stunned by the amazing facilities and the terrific wines made from Riesling, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Cabernet Franc and Syrah.

Shelton Vineyards, owned by Charlie & Ed Shelton, is a beautiful vineyard that even hosts a wonderful restaurant where you can eat lunch or dinner. Childress Vineyards, owned by Richard Childress of Nascar fame, is another exquisite property with a restaurant and a banquet facility attached to the winery. On a smaller scale, there is the quaint, super-friendly husband-and-wife team at Rag Apple Lassie Vineyards. We toured the winery with owner Lenna Hobson and winemaker Linda King where we tasted some extraordinary wines while enjoying true southern hospitality. And, of course, you cannot forget the pioneers of vine growing, Westbend Vineyards. Their grapes have been growing in the valley since 1972.

After visiting the Yadkin Valley, I traveled to Boone, North Carolina to talk about North Carolina wines for a symposium highlighting the wine industry in our state. It amazed me to find out how many people are dedicating themselves to the world of winemaking in all areas of North Carolina from Mount Airy to Knotts Island to Tryon.

Old North State Winery in Mount Airy makes a luscious wine from the Muscadine grape that is tangy, tart and delicious. Most of you should know that Muscadine, also known as Scuppernong, is the most widely planted grape in North Carolina. In general, it is often vinified somewhere between slightly and very sweet. It also has a unique grapey flavor that can only be associated with Native American vines. If you are one of those who enjoy this flavor, Muscadine is one of the healthiest grapes to drink because of its extremely high anti-oxidant levels, most notably resveratrol. Resveratrol is a phenolic compound linked to reduction of high cholesterol, heart disease and said to reduce the effects of Alzheimer's disease.

In Knotts Island, located in Currituck County close to the Virginia border, lie Martin Vineyards and Moonrise Bay Vineyard. Making wines from cool grapes like Viognier and Nebbiolo, the wineries also produce dessert wines from strawberries.

Go west to Tryon, near the South Carolina border, and one will find Rockhouse Vineyards as well as other small wineries. Rockhouse Vineyards began growing grapes in 1991, and it produces excellent wines from Chardonnay, Merlot and Chambourcin.

Many people wonder how wine made its comeback in a state that didn't seem like the wine drinking or the winemaking type. The answer is the same in other states like Kentucky, Maryland and Tennessee. Tobacco is out and grapes are in. Farmers are no longer able to make a living growing tobacco like they once were so they are searching for alternative crops. With the wine industry reeking of health benefits and great flavor, why wouldn't one want to get their hands stained with grape juice? Support the economy and drink locally.

For more information on wines in North Carolina, visit www.ncwine.org for locations and directions of wineries near you. As a wine lover, you will be proud of what our state is making when it comes to quality wines.

The health benefits of wine have been developing over the past 5 years as more and more doctors are recommending a glass of red wine to their patients in order to reduce high blood pressure, lower cholesterol and even prevent cancer. What makes wine healthy, and what are its benefits?

There is a phenolic compound found in many different foods and beverages called Resveratrol that has been mentioned as one of the key components of health benefits in wine. However, there are a bevy of other anti-oxidants found in relatively large quantities in wine that are equally as beneficial to good health. There is something known as the French Paradox, which states the French live longer, despite the fact they consume large amounts of saturated fats, due to the fact they drink plenty of red wine.

As lovers, drinkers and sellers of wine, one goal we are constantly seeking is to find great wines that are food friendly and enjoyable without breaking the piggy bank. Because we drink wine every day, we have to make sure our wine costs do not exceed our food costs. While we are happy to go without dinner one or two nights a week, a liquid diet just doesn't fly with our 2 1/2 year-old.

Within the past five years, we have been very successful with finding great wines from obscure areas in Spain that explore all different taste profiles. For instance, if we are looking for a refreshingly crisp white, we head to Rueda for a clean style of wine made from the local Verdejo grape. The flavors are of pink grapefruit, minerals and fresh peas with little to no oak. If we crave the buttery, full-bodied flavor of Chardonnay, we're in luck with the white wines made in Navarra. Full of tropical fruit and creamy notes, it is a perfect alternative to the white wines from Napa or Sonoma at 1/8 of the cost. From Castilla de la Tierra grows Garnacha and Tempranillo, often blended to make wines that drink very similarly to a light-bodied Pinot Noir: bing cherries and strawberries with earthy qualities to boot. Or we can head to Jumilla for a jammy, spicy, in-your-face blockbuster fruit bomb made from the indigenous Monastrell. Some people reading this article may think I'm speaking Spanish, but the translation is this: Spain produces delicious wines from all over the country that are affordable and made in a variety of styles that will please even the most finicky or sophisticated palate. And when I say affordable, I mean between $7 - $15/bottle.

Other great regions for excellent value are Southeast Australia and South America although the variety is not always there. You can find great Chardonnay and Shiraz in Australia in the $10 price range, but these wines tend to interest only one type of wine drinker. For those who like lighter, crisper, unoaked white wines or lighter-bodied reds, it's difficult to do that when buying from down under.

South America makes wines that can be excellent values as well from its flagship grape, Malbec that are delightfully fruit-forward and full of mocha and plum flavors. If these are styles of wine you enjoy, be sure to check out these regions.

While value is subjective, we feel there isn't any denying the pleasure of finding a great bottle of wine that is less than $10/bottle. You get home, you pop it open and you enjoy a glass before, during or after dinner. Depending on the wino you are, you may sip from 5:00 until you go to bed. Regardless of how you drink your wine, don't believe the myth that great wine is expensive. It just isn't true. Don't be afraid to try different wines. It doesn't have to be Merlot, Cabernet or Chardonnay to be worth trying. In fact, you will often find a wine you enjoy more when you venture out of your normal routine. When you're only spending $7 for a bottle of wine, it's o.k. to experiment with other grapes and more obscure regions. We truly feel like we have accomplished something when we find delicious wines that we can sell for less than $10/bottle. It's getting more difficult to do, but we make it our ambition and we're proud to say we can recommend some seriously good bottles of wine at seriously inexpensive prices.

In today's New York Times, Eric Asimov has written a VERY insightful article about vintages and the "hype" that surrounds them. Over the past decade we, the wine lovers of the world, have been blessed by a string of really good vintages across the world. Yet as more and more people begin to focus only on those "pointed" years vintages that are good, get over looked. It is here where those of us who drink our wine for pleasure and not for points need to be looking for those wines to have wine dinner and share with friends tonight, tomorrow or next week. There is no doubt that great vintages are worth buying but those wines are generally not for immediate consumption. Late last year saw the release of 2005 Bordeaux and Burgundy. These wines ARE legendary, amazing, but are very expensive and not ready to drink. Yet if you look to 2001 Bordeaux and 2004 Burgundy you will finds wines from really good vintages that are tasting great and will offer a great value.

Below is the link to Mr. Asimov's article. It is a must read for all wine drinkers. So as you go out and buy wine, think, "Am I going to have this tonight or in 15 years?"

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/dining/13pour.html?_r=1&ref=dining&oref=slogin

Cheers!

Coming up with ideas for my blog post each week is sometimes quite hard. I think to myself, "What do people really want to know?" or "What have I done or seen this week that I think is really cool." Most weeks I taste some really cool wines but we have about a 3-week turn around time for most items so why taunt you with a wine that you can't taste for week? I'm rambling, so what is my point? Well, this week I was thinking, I've had a birthday, ate a great meal at Quince (you should all go), tried some really great wine and had a workout this morning that almost blew my arms out. So what to tell yall?

My thought of the week..."Champagne EVERYday." This is a quote that my mother said once to my brother and I when we were all on vacation. I don't remember where but I think I was about 10 or 11 years old. I found it funny then but it is something I try to live by now. I firmly believe that if we all had a glass of Champagne or at least a nice glass of sparkling wine (THEY ARE DIFFERENT!) the world would be a better place. Every dinner party I go to someone always asks, "What is your favorite wine?" That is a really tough question to answer because for me, wine has a place, a time and both can be very different. Yet, I always answer the question and say that the wine I could not live without is real Champagne.

For the record, just because a wine has bubbles does not make it Champagne. This is not snobbery or a wine geek spouting off information, this is history, honor, geography, and passion. Champagne is a relatively small region about 90 miles northeast of Paris. It is one of the most northerly growing regions for grapes in the world and it is quite beautiful. Champagne sits on an ancient bed of chalk that is related to the White Cliffs of Dover. This combination of cool climate and chalk provides the perfect combination for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier to be transformed into the most elegant and wonderful beverages on our planet.

In February I'll regale you with "Champagne 101", but you don't need the class to appreciate a great bottle of wine. With all of that said, I hope I can persuade anyone who reads this to rush out and buy a bottle of the Laurent-Perrier Brut Millesime 1997 Vintage Champagne. This is an AMAZING wine! Vintage Champagne is very special and generally really expensive but this wine is such an amazing value that it must be shouted from the rooftops. What makes this wine so amazing is its finesse, balance, and texture. It is a blend of 45% Chardonnay and 55% Pinot Noir and the grapes are from some of the best 1er and Grand Cru vineyards, such as Mesnil-su-Oger, Oger, Avize, Cramant and a few more.

The moment you pop the cork (you should actually try to make it hiss instead of pop) a wave of aromas will jump from the bottle and engulf you in hints of citrus fruits, peaches, and hints of freshly baked pastries. Can you imagine that is just from the nose? The wine really takes off once you take a sip! Bright and fresh on the palate with bubbles so tight and pure they are kissing your palate. The palate is silky smooth and flavors of candied orange with a hint of vanilla will linger for ages. This wine is not only great now but has the capacity (if stored in proper conditions) to evolve in to a wine for the ages.

Once you have this, you may just agree, "Champagne EVERYDAY."
Cheers!

In Piedmont, Italy, Barbaresco and Barolo reign supreme over the land creating majestic, long lasting, full flavored Nebbiolo-based wines. Yet from Asti and Alba, Barbera should never be forgotten. Some of the best wine and food combinations have been done with Barbera...

Pork Belly and Barbera; Barbera with chicken, olives, tomatoes and polenta; the great combination of braised rabbit with bacon and Barbera; Lamb vindaloo and Barbera is delicious; truffles and Barbera; Thankgiving Turkey with cranberry sauce and Barbera. The list is endless with fantastic food and Barbera duets. A great Barbera can have marvelous ripe fruit and dazzling acidity that makes it an easy match with so many different foods.

If one wanted to splurge, the best is the Giacomo Bologna's Barbera d'Asti, Bricco del Uccellone. The wine has a symphony of aromas, pepper, lavender, smoke, cinnamon, cherries and the full flavor on the palate with cherry, cranberry, blackberry and pepper. A variety of other blends are made by Bologna, but the Bricco del'Uccelone is the hands down, lip-smacking best. Not far below in price is Vietta's, old vines, Scarrone, Barbera D'Alba. This wine has sumptuous campfire aromas with rich cassis, cranberry and all spice flavors. Vietti makes a very affordable Barbera d'asti, called Tre Vigne. Another solid producer is Chiara Boschis, who makes outstanding elegant Barbera d'Alba. She makes wine under the Pira e Figli label. She has a style that doesn't aim for the rockstar intensity of other producers and her wines are full of finesse and elegance.

At our house, I am not sure which we have more of- wine books or cookbooks.
Surprisingly, they all seem to get used at some time or another. Recently, however, I received a wine/cookbook that I am certain will be used with great regularity in our house...

The full title of the book is Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food. The author is dynamic wine professional Evan Goldstein. His approach is both as a wine expert and a genuine foodie and home chef.
The book is further enhanced by the collaboration with Evan's celebrated chef and cookbook author mom, Joyce Goldstein. Her diverse and scrumptious-sounding recipes will draw anyone into the kitchen. Also worth mentioning is the physical beauty of this book- it is handsome and formatted in a user-friendly way- and the photographs by Joyce Oudkerk Pool are lovely. But the real appeal of this hot-off-the-press book is the content.
This is a book about relationships and I think it is fair to say that the relationship between wine and food is a very important one for many of us. We want our food and wine to go together. A mismatch of wine and food is a culinary disaster. It is a disservice to both the wine and the food. It should be avoided at all costs. This book shows you exactly how to do that. Perfect Pairings is comprehensive and thorough, but it is in no way overly simplified or pedantic. It enables the reader to create their own perfect pairings by providing them with the characteristics of the wine and food.

The chapter titled, 'Creating Pairings that Work', outlines the fundamentals of both wine and food so that the reader can make their own wise choices about what to pair. The “cheat sheet” is brilliant- it lists flavor profiles like this:
When the wine is:
Tart
Sweet
Oaky
Aged
Etc. etc.
Then it provides a guideline of what kinds of foods pair well with wines of those characteristics. Goldstein accomplishes the same on the food side:
When the food is:
Tart
Salty
Spicy
Bitter
Etc. etc.
The book continues on with comprehensive chapters on specific wines accompanied by many awesome recipes. In addition, there are excellent chapters titled, 'Pairing when Dining Out', The 'Hall of Fame' of International wineries, a glossary, and a recommended reading list. Overall, this book contains a wealth of information about both food and wine. It is so well done that a beginner foodie will eat it up and a professional chef will learn a thing or twenty. It is a contemporary book, but one for the ages (this is how I want to eat and drink forever.) Perfect Pairings is the best wine/cookbook I have read. In our house, we will rely on its guidance.
It also makes a great gift for winey/foodie friends and family.

Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food
By Evan Goldstein
Recipes by Joyce Goldstein
University of California Press 2006

A fresh out of drama school server at Pastis restaurant told me that the most intimidating aspect of learning the wine list was not memorizing the grape names, regions and descriptors for each wine.

As an aspiring actor, he finds it pretty easy to recite all the detailed wine notes that I update with each weekly wine list change. His stumbling block was this: with several dozens of food items on the menu, how could he possibly suggest a wine pairing for each food item?

In my regularly updated wine notes handed out to all servers, I suggest a few food dishes to pair with each wine. The notes I write would be cumbersome if I suggested all food dishes that might go well with each wine. Sometimes I generalize and suggest larger categories of food items with a specific wine. For example, I might write, "Our Sancerre by the glass matches well with all of our green salads and raw bar items."

So what kind of no nonsense tool could I relay to wine and food pairing novices to help make solid suggestions for each and every specific food item on the lunch and dinner menus? After much calculated, at-my-desk thought with no real reward, the answer came to me as I was at home searching for a lemon to squeeze on a just-cooked flounder fillet. I had no lemon in house. But I did see in the back of the fridge a just purchased 2005 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. I popped it open, poured a couple of ounces in a cup, dipped my fingers in it and then flicked the zesty Sauvignon Blanc on the flounder. It was a perfect lemon juice stand-in, and in some ways more interesting than lemon.

Now my advice to new servers is worded more or less like this:

"If you're not sure what wine to pair with a food, just ask yourself what food dish might taste better if you were to dip your fingers into a glass of wine and flick it all over the dish? It's sort of obvious. Oysters flicked with Muscadet would be great, but the oysters would be overwhelmed and taste rather gross if you flicked inky-dark purple/red Petite Syrah on them.

A hamburger flicked with Muscadet wouldn't help the burger and might even make it taste odd (think high acid lemon drizzled on a burger...yuck), but maybe a Napa red Zinfandel flicked on the burger would taste good.

Condiments' colors are a giveaway when it comes to wine and food pairings. Lemon is clear, bright yellow and tastes good with salads. Think of wines with similar color. Deep dark red wines (like ketchup or barbecue sauce) often taste great with darker meats."

This New Years Eve there were only four of us for dinner at our apartment. This is the first New Years Eve that my husband and I haven't had to work on the floor in a restaurant. Like many New Yorkers, this night is not our favorite holiday and we tend to stay home or go out to a low-key evening.

One of my guests works in a wine shop and recently did a thorough cleaning of his kitchen to unearth an obscene amount of wine where most of us would store the potatoes or spices!

We started off with magnum of Pol Roger, Extra Cuvee de Reserve Champagne with some west coast oysters, classic and simple. The appetizer with a Maine rock shrimp and red snapper combo paired with a Joseph Drouhin 'Moutonne' Grand Cru, 1989 Chablis. Fantastic to have an aged Chablis, something that you don't often see around in a restaurant or shop.

We cooked 2 ducks at low temperature for 5 hours until they were brown and crispy, and made a chanterelle mushroom risotto. Our first thought, of course, would be red Burgundy with the duck and mushrooms. We opened and decanted a Domaine Ponsot 'Cuvee Vieille Vignes' Clos de la Roche, 1997. The fruit was a pure, beautiful black cherry, powerful just smooth and lush, but way too fruit forward for the earthy ducks, better with Duck a l'Orange or with spiced cherry compote.

Our treat for the night was a 1989 Cheval Blanc, St-Emilion, that we had also decanted in the beginning of the evening. This was perfect with both the duck and the mushrooms, dense, complex with dark fruit, coffee, smoky notes and an incredible velvety mouthfeel. It cut right thru both the crisp earthy duck and the rich creamy risotto. For dessert I made a poached pear almond tart and we opened a Doisy-Vedrines Sauternes 1997, that already had notes of poached pear and spice in the flavors of the wine.

A fantastic way to ring in the New Year, and to follow by a diet and the gym on the 2nd of January!

Just back from a fabulous Jadot wine luncheon at Restaurant Bouley in Tribeca.

A selection of barrel samples from the 2004 vintage were previewed. Many of the leading Sommeliers and Wine Directors and (especially from French restaurants) were invited to the lunch held in the private room. As we stood and sampled the 04's including a crisp Chablis never seen in the US, we snacked on deluxe "Chef Canape" being passed by formal waiters.

The first course, Organic Connecticut farm Cornish hen egg with fresh Florida pink shrimp,young parmesan, Serrano ham in a black truffle dashi(!), paired well with a nutty and creamy, '01 Meursault.
The second course, Maine day boat lobster, carpaccio of foie gras, sunchoke mousseline and a coconut garlic cloud with pomegranate reduction, being a combination that struggled a bit with itself, blended well with the '98 Le Montrachet, Grand Cru with it's slight funky character picking up the coconut garlic cloud and shaking it out!

The third course, my favorite, Long Island duckling with rosemary apple puree, quince coulis, pruneau d'agen, and Indian reservation canoe harvested blond wild rice was a classic pair with a '99 Corton-Greves, Grand Cru. Incidentally the "blonde" rice resembled little worms on your plate, and set off "blonde jokes" around the room….
Finishing with a selection of 6 cheeses, French with one from Vermont with a '97 Clos de la Roche, Grand Cru that was delicious and showing very well. I also enjoyed revisiting the '98 Le Montrachet with some of the softer, riper cheeses.

The Jadot winemaker gave his perspective on the 2004 vintage, ending with saying the 2004 wines have a "sexy character"! Sexy or not, a very sexy way to introduce a new vintage!

We always start with lots of Champagne while cooking and then Trimbach Gewurztraminer and Chateau de Pizay Morgon with dinner. It's a wonderful tradition!

The Thanksgiving feast is such a varied bounty with so much going on that really many different wines can work. I am fond of Zindandel with the meal because it is such an American wine. It really isn't necessarily the best wine pairing but it works and it is crowd pleasing. Champagne is always good. Rieslings from the world over can be good. White or Red Burgundy would be a treat. I am taking a magnum Domaine de Ferrand Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2000. I think it will be great. I guess the only wine that I don't think would work would be a big, tannic cab. But a Bordeaux with enough bottle age to soften it would be fitting. I am of the mind that many, many wines can be lovely with the feast. As I enjoy our meal this week I will take note of the wines we have and see which one(s) work best.

Wanna know what this sommelier would choose to line his cellar, were someone with considerably deeper pockets fitting the the bill? You'll want to check this twice!

Domaine Leflaive Le Montrachet 2002
Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanee Cros Parantoux 1996
Bollinger R.D. Champagne 1990
Chateau Petrus 1982
Zind-Humbrecht Riesling vendange tardive "Brand" 2000
Dr Loosen Riesling BA St Johannishof Wehlener Sonnenuhr 1992
Domaine Leroy Richebourg 1997
Chablis Grand Cru "Clos" Francois Raveneau 2002
Gaja "Sperss" 1997
Marchese Incisa della Rochetta Sassicaia 1985
Domaine Chave Hermitage Cuvee Cathelin 1990
Oremus Tokaji Aszu Eszencia 1975

Okay, so I am not a restaurant critic. But, in some ways, after working more than 20 years in restaurants, both in the front and in the back of the house, I feel that I could be. People that know me, however, know that wine has become my specialty, so here I offer up MY random OPINIONS about my favorite city's wine lists... Remember, great wine lists can be found all over the Bay Area, but here is my own substantiated Best of the Best...

Best Short List: TABLESPOON
Best Medium List: JARDINIERE
Best Long List: GARY DANKO
Best Over-the-Top List: MICHAEL MINA
Best Newcomer: MYTH
Best California List: PLUMPJACK
Best French List: THE FIFTH FLOOR
Best Italian List: Tie: ZUPPA & A16
Best Spanish List: PIPERADE
Best German and/or Austrian List: SLANTED DOOR
Best Greek List: KOKKARI
Best Place to Try New Wines: BACAR
Best Place to Splurge: MICHAEL MINA
Best Wine Bar: NECTAR
Best Wine Service: MASAS
Best Wine List for a Small Restaurant: FRASCATI
Best Something-for-Everyone List: Tie: FARRALLON & BOULEVARD
Best Overall List: RUBICON

If you thought this was controversial, look out next month for my "Worst Wine Lists" blog...

I ate at Boyer when I visited Champagne and had an exceptional dinner. We drank some amazing Champagnes from Moet and a still wine from Dom Perignon called Saran, which was out of this world. Food was amazing and the Sommelier was eager to hear our stories about California wines. My wife and daughter were with me and Josefina who was 4 at the time kept ordering Oscetra Caviar!

Spring springs eternal. The finer weather, wherever you live, makes you want to get outside.
My feeling has always been that one of the greatest pleasures in life is a picnic. I simply love to eat outside. The food always seems to taste better, and being outside seems to bring us closer to nature.
This Spring & Summer, I encourage everyone to get outside more and have more picnics with their friends and families. Whether on a blanket or at a picnic table, or in a tree house for that matter, just go outside and enjoy it. And whatever the menu, don't forget to bring along some tasty wines... they complete any picnic.

I have a lot of favorite picnic wines, so I'll just name a few. I love to bring a sparkling wine along.
On a beautiful day, the weather is perfect for it. I love the Classic Vintage Brut from Iron Horse and the Blanc de Noirs from Schramsberg. As for still whites, nothing beats a light riesling. Opt for beauties from Germany's Mosel-Saar-Ruwer or the Rheingau. Young vintage Kabinetts are ideal and pair wonderfully with cold roast chicken, pasta salad, cheese & bread. Other great picnic whites are pinot blanc from Alsace or pinot grigio from Italy. Both can offer bright fruit flavors and clean minerality without being heavy or oaky. If your picnic takes a lean towards the exotic, such as foods with an Asian flair like springs rolls, Chinese chicken salad, or sesame seaweed salad in bento boxes, bring along a gewurztraminer from Alsace, or try one of my stateside favorites like Navarro from their amazing vineyard in Anderson Valley. This highly aromatic wine will seem appropriate as its floral rose petal aromas harmonize with the natural setting of your picnic. As for reds, many things will work, just do not go for the heavier, high-alcohol reds. Even if you are serving grilled meats, or cold cuts, avoid zinfandels, petit sirahs, and cabernet sauvignons. Rather, opt for refreshing reds like Beaujolias, pinot noirs, and cabernet francs from the Loire Valley. These are positively delicious wines with chilled picnic foods, as well as burgers and dogs from the grill. So get outside and enjoy a picnic!

Last Wednesday night as I was working the floor in The Modern there was a fellow taking photographs. He was everywhere. He was from the New York Times. This means that this coming Wednesday, May 4th we are going to be reviewed in the Times.

Everyone works so hard to open a restaurant. It is very challenging. You do your best. You eagerly read the reviews in various publications. If they are good, you are happy; if they are bad, you feel disappointed and sometimes pissed. You see elements of truth in all of them...But the one that REALLY counts, the mack daddy of reviews is the New York Times. Frank Bruni, the reviewer, has eaten here 9 times I think. That is alot. Does it mean he loved us? Or does it mean that he didn't know what to make of us? Did he appreciate the extensive armagnac, cognac, scotch...list I developed? Did he enjoy one of our specialty cocktails. Will he mention the wine program at all this go round. So many questions are swimming in our heads.

On Wednesday, May 4th we will know. All of our efforts will be distilled into that one column. No matter how it goes we will keep trying to wrap our arms around the beast and keep trying to get better.

The pressure is keen. We all look forward to it being over so we can get on with our lives.

I will follow this up with a post review blog. Wish us luck!

My mother once said to me that "guilt was a waste of energy." I tried to remember that the other day when my friends Bobby and Dannette Stucky were visiting NYC and I stole an hour and fifteen minutes to sit down with them here at the Bar Room at The Modern (where I work). We had a date for noon. Extricating myself from the cellar (we were in the middle of moving the entire cellar from one room to another)I found myself sitting down to break bread and have a 1/2 glass of wine with friends...aah. It is afterall what we are in business for correct? That wonderful combination of good food, wine and company. As we visited and I sipped on a delicious glass of Chidaine Montlouis with our scrumptious tarte flambe I was very happy. I reflected after that stolen lunch break that it is too bad that a) it happens so rarely and b) I felt somewhat guilty about it. Someone asked me "How often does it happen?" I had to answer that other than wine business lunches probably every ten years. Now that is sad!