Because Nothing Says Thanksgiving Like Champagne

I wonder what the Pilgrims drank on the first Thanksgiving.  Mead?  Cider?  Or maybe they abstained from alcohol altogether? A quick online search yielded few answers but I'm fairly certain they didn't put nearly as much thought into it as we do in modern society.  For the last few weeks, food columns, e-newsletters and the like were consumed with pairing the perfect wine with The Big Feast. I understand wanting to creating the optimal experience at the table, but when the meal is as complex as Thanksgiving dinner,  there's no straightforward answer.  To this, I abide by the cardinal rule of wine:  drink whatever you enjoy.  There's no better formula than: delicious food + delicious wine = amazing dinner.

For my family, that meant rose champagne.  My mother, always excited to be introduced to something new, bought a bottle of champagne that would supposedly appeal to my Ruinart Rose-loving palate.  For weeks, she had been talking about this bottle; a salesperson at her favorite wine shop touted it as being very close to a Ruinart but at a more affordable price point. I was anxious to compare and she was looking forward to getting a (close) taste of my favorite sparkler. Needless to say, there were a lot of expectations riding on its cork.  So, what did we think?

Champagne Montaudon Brut Grande Rose
This sparkler was very dry, more than expected.  On the nose, white pepper and yeasty notes added savory tones to subtle peach and strawberry essences.  On the tongue, light mousse-y bubbles gave way to a long finish and the same characters on the nose announced themselves on the tongue as well.    It was  deliciously complex and robust and made great friends with Turkey & Co.  I still have a slight preference for the Ruinart , with its the rich round mouthfeel of its bubbles and the berry tones, but this Montaudon was the perfect accompaniment to the meal and is a noteworthy sparkler for my list.

Now, what to drink with leftovers....

Philanthropically Drinking

(This post is a little delayed, let's call it fashionably late)

"Fuggedaboudit." "Get outta hee-ah."  "No soup for you!"

New Yorkers have notorious reputations for being brusque, abrasive and downright rude.  However, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the entire city took on an attitude of "How can I help?" At its  core, New York is really a series of small towns: communities bonded through proximity, hobbies, or vocation.  When your neighbors suffer, you want to provide relief and restore a sense of normalcy.

The restaurant and bar industry immediately mobilized to help establishments that were felled by the Hurricane.  Among the benefits and fundraisers, one in particular caught my eye.  Ardesia, a favorite wine bar, was offering a taste of 6 of their favorite wines for $30, all proceeds benefiting Liftsall.org, a nonprofit organization.  In addition, they were donating a proceed of sales of their NY-style soft pretzels to the nonprofit.  Their craveworthy pretzels and a wine tasting?   Calendars marked!

The Whites
Jurancon Sec, Chant des Vignes, Domaine Cauhape, Jurancon France 2011
The wine opened with peach, white blossoms and honeysuckle on the nose.  However, the palate showcased green apple, lemon and quite a bit of minerality.   I don't often drink such floral, aromatic wines as my nose tricks my brain into thinking I'm going to end up sipping a bridesmaid's bouquet, but this wine had a decent amount of acid and a dry finish, making it really enjoyable.

Albarino, Valdemonxes, Rias Baixas Spain 2011
I adore Albarinos and this one was no exception. It smelled of lime and slate with notes of  green apple, mineral, and lemon peel revealing themselves as I sipped. It was smooth, despite the noticeable acid, and even my friend, who almost exclusively drinks red wine, praised this one.

Ribolla Movia, Brda Slovenia 2008
Slovenian wines are completely uncharted territory for me so this was going to be an adventure.  The wine was slightly orange in color, not as deep as the "orange wines" that have been gaining popularity, but definitely outside of the deep-gold-to-pale-lemon spectrum.   Green apple and baking spices appeared immediately but were joined, almost overwhelmed, with butter and oak.  It reminded me of those bold California chardonnays that I dislike and I had a hard time getting through this glass.

The Reds
Marcel Lapierre "Raisins Gaulois" Vin de France 2011
What November wine tasting would be complete without a Beaujolais? This one was a classic, straightforward example.  Light bodied and fruit-driven, cherry and plum played around in the glass on on the tongue.   It's like conversational small talk: simple, easy and comfortable.

Tinhof "Blau+Red" Burgenland Austria 2009
This wine, a blend of Blaufrankisch and Zweigelt,  was a delicious and intriguing pour.  Cherry, plum, earth and a bit of green pepper aromas appeared on the nose.  First sips juicy sips gave way to spinach and tobacco notes, with a long finish that seemed to circle back to black cherry.  I kept going back to this one as I kept discovering something new as the wine opened in the glass.

Shiraz/Grenache/Mourvedre-Kaesler "Stonehorse" Barossa Valley Australia 2008
What happens when a Cote du Rhone blend goes on a beach vacation?  You get this New World red.
Up front, it was super jammy with scents of blueberry and stewed fruits, along with chocolate and  tobacco.  In the mouth, fig jam and stewed fruits were balanced with pronounced but well-integrated tannins and tobacco.  This wine had a lot of heft and body and was a delicious conclusion to the tasting.

Mega Magnums and Pinot Pours

"This is going to be a good time."

That was my initial thought upon first walking into Bar Boulud.

Why?  Because of these guys:

Ladies and gentlemen, we have magnums.  Ones that run the entire length of the bar.  Ones that hold some gorgeous French wines, like the Chateauneuf du Pape featured in the center. Any place that will unabashedly display such a huge collection of treasures wants you to drink wine and damn well enjoy it.

To my disappointment, the magnum du jour was a Beaujolais and while the entertainment value of watching a glass of it be poured from that enormous bottle was high, the actual glass of the stuff was going to be..... well, I'll be democratic and just say not what I was in the mood to drink.

However, the initial draw of Bar Boulud, as promised to me by my friend, was wine flights.  At this point, I think it's fairly well established that I love wine flights and I'm always happy to spend some time comparing and contrasting what's set in front of me.  A flight amidst all this wine peacocking?  Yes, please.

I went with a Pinot Noir flight, an interesting study in how differently the same grape can be vinified and the role of terroir.  Although it's one of the most widely planted grape varietals in the world, I don't drink many pinots, so this was going to be a fun experiment.

Chad Carneros Reserve 2010, California
Right up front, black cherry, earth and bell pepper came through on the nose.  Jammy, juicy fruits, such as raspberry and plum joined on the palate, as well as more pronounced tones of earthiness.  Vegetal notes rounded out the medium-bodied red, with moderate tannins.  I rather enjoyed this one.

Domaine David Renaud Vigneron a Irancy 2010, Chablis 
Chablis is an area in Burgundy that primarily produces premium chardonnays, so a red from this area is  rare. It's an interesting study in the various Bourgogne appellations and the effects the subtle differences in terroir can have on a wine.  This pinot was the lightest in color of the three.  Spices such as sage and rosemary joined ripe berry fruits and that pronounced earthiness again made an appearance.  However, this wine felt rather thin and flat in my mouth.  It was definitely my least favorite.

Domaine Petitot "Les Pimentiers",  2009, Savigny-les-Beaune
Burgundy.  World-class pinot.  Got it. My favorite of the three, this is an excellent entre into the world of Burgundies.  Juicy and round, this medium-bodied wine had pronounced but well-integrated tannins, giving it structure and depth.  The flavor profiles were similar in terms of fruit and earth to the Chablis, but far more complex.

This was definitely a great primer into the world of pinot noir; unfortunately, I think I'm going to be on a quest to drink some rather expensive Burgundies....

The Home Depot of Tasting Flights

In general, I'm not very DIY.   I'm in awe of the Etsy culture and the general level of skill many people possess when it comes to crafting.  Woodwork, jewelry making, print making - definitely not my forte.  The expansion of store chains like Lowes and Home Depot has me confounded.  Home renovation projects?  Forget it.

However,  one of our favorite neighborhood bars offers various tasting flights that rotate on themes throughout the year.  Even better?  They offer all their wines by the glass as a "taste" pour, which lets me build my own tasting flights. Now THIS is definitely something I can create.  Am I feeling like I want to dig deeper into New World whites?  I can build a flight for that!

Side observation: In general, flights are built around a tasting of three different wines.   I find it rather funny and also ponder why,  given the opportunity to build my own flight, I stay within the psychological constraints of three tastes, even though the options are limitless. However, I'm not aware of any standards regarding the number of flights I order (I jest, I jest).

On this visit, I didn't have any particular agenda in mind and built my flights based on whatever looked intriguing:

Flight #1
Dirler-Cade,"Cuvee Vielles Vignes" Sylvaner, Alsace, France, 2010 -  Strong notes of minerality, slate, pear and citrus announced themselves on the nose and followed through on the palate.  Refreshing amounts of acid gave this opener some zing. This was a great start to the flight.

Cantina Ericina, "Erice," Nero D'Avola, Sicily, Italy, 2009 - Blueberry and other berry fruits came through, along with earth and black pepper spice.  Tobacco notes  finished off this medium bodied southern Italian red.  I think this one will really shine with a little bit of aging.

Cadence, "Coda," Bordeaux Blend, Red Mountain, Washington, 2009 - Concentrated with deep berry fruits and intensely earthy, this was definitely a heavy-hitter. Along with all the soil,  black cherry and almost Robitussin-like notes came through on the lengthy finish.  I'm fascinated that  this blend came from Washington State and wish I had a French Bordeaux for a compare-and-contrast exercise.

Flight #2 
Jean-Philippe Fichet, Bourgogne Aligote, France, 2011 - Aligote is a minor player in the Burgundian landscape and is often used to produce sparkling wines rather than flat wines.  Seeing one on the menu definitely piqued by interest.   Slate, minerals and citrus all shone in the palate.  It was actually reminiscent of the Domaine Faiveley Montagny I wrote about previously and although there was something a bit simpler about the Aligote, it was still highly enjoyable.

Katogi Averoff, Thessaly, Xinomavro, Greece, 2007 -  Red berries were countered with twiggy notes and a little bit of ash, but the berries flowed throughout the entire sip.   Medium body with a bit of acidity, this showcased how Greek wines are truly evolving in quality.

Mourre du Tendre, "Classique," Rhone Blend, Cote du Rhone, France  2005 - Still on a Cote du Rhone kick, I had to add one to the flight.  It was a classic Rhone with blueberry, raspberry and plum fruits. Earthiness and green pepper  rounded out this medium-bodied, easy drinking wine.

Bonus
Lingot-Martin Cerdon de Bugey, Savoie, France, N.V.   This one was actually part of my boyfriend's flight, but I couldn't resist writing a note about it. This sparkling wine was a ruby color and rich, mousse-y bubbles were in the Champagne style of sparkling wines.  What immediately came to mind?  Yep, Ruinart Rose. On the palate, however, this was a completely different wine.  It was akin to eating a basket of raspberries and instead of finishing dry, a fruit sweetness lingered.  I see this as a good apertif to a meal.

Keep sipping....

Birthday Bubbles

Saturday was my S.O.'s birthday and for once, I wasn't completely stressed out about the day.  Normally, I send myself into a tailspin trying to find the perfect gift; debating if some type of activity, such as a play or a massage, should be a part of this day; finding the ideal spot for pre-dinner cocktails, etc.  My biggest stressor?  Finding the PERFECT place for dinner.   To  his credit,  he has told me multiple times, at various times during the year, that IT DOESN'T MATTER; as long as it's delicious he's happy.  I, on the other hand, want restaurant nirvana and often spend weeks looking for spots, then have day-of anxiety and doubt my choice, where I then proceed to looking online and call around to see if any magical last-minute reservations at this mythical restaurant have appeared.  Do I know this is crazy?  Absolutely. Do I do it annually?  You bet.

This year, though, I was ON IT.    I bought his present weeks ago (huge sense of relief there) and had a solid game plan for pre-drinks.  In addition, I was taking his talk to heart and not going to worry (too much) about where we go to dinner.  Did I still call that call-one-month-to-the-day-if-you-dare-to-even-dream-of-getting-a-reservation Restaurant in hopes of any last-minute cancellations?  Yes, yes I did.  But, overall, I was feeling pretty good about the evening.

So, how'd it go?

Dinner exceeded even my expectations and we had a great meal enhanced by some fantastic wine.  (Osteria Morini in case you are wondering.  Go.  Seriously, go).  However, we eschewed a bottle for a celebratory glass of sparkling wine, followed by a lambrusco tasting flight.  What better way to celebrate a birthday than with an all-bubbly dinner?

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Spumante “Per Lugo”, Pievalta, NV (Marche) 
As I've previously mentioned, we have a tradition of calling ahead and arranging for two glasses of sparkling wine to be brought out upon arrival during special occasion dinners.  For this meal,  I was intrigued by a rare sparkling verdicchio.  On the nose, the wine indicated notes of pear, kiwi and citrus.  After a few sips, the same fruit notes remained present but the wine finished with delicious almond nuttiness.  This was fairly medium-bodied for a sparkling wine and maybe it was the wide-bowled, stemless glass they served it in, but this wine wasn't very effervescent.  Regardless, I really enjoyed this meal opener.

Lambrusco di Sorbara, Francesco Vezzelli, 2011 (Emilia Romagna)

This was the lightest of the lambruscos. Tart cherry and cranberry appeared on the nose and right away on the palate, along with pronounced acidity and quite a bit of efferevence. The effect was of drinking a sour patch kid, but not in an unpleasant way.  Overall, though, this was my least favorite.

Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro "Gibe", Tenuta Pederzana, 2011 (Emilia Romagna)

Cranberry was the main player in this lambrusco and danced all over the glass. With every sip, I felt as if I was drinking a sparkling glass of Ocean Spray . Less acidity than the first one, this was one smooth, easy drinking lambrusco that finished dry.  There were some soft tannins that gave this one a little more heft than the first one and paired well with our dishes.  I found myself trying to sip and savor this one through the entire meal.

Lambrusco dell'Emilia "Il Mio", Camillo Donati, 2010 (Emilia Romagna) 

This lambrusco was the closest to a flat red out of the three. It has the least amount of sparkle and texturally was heavier than the the other two. Tons of black cherry and fig wafted up from the glass, comingling with earthiness on the palate.  This is a great gateway lambrusco for red drinkers who don't understand what a lambrusco is all about.   I also really enjoyed this one and found myself debating which one should be the favored last sip: this one or the Gibe.

We finished with (copious amounts) of dessert and headed out of this dinner feeling very festive.  Happy Birthday!

24 Hours of Cote du Rhone - Part 2

On Saturday morning, the chateau moved us to a master suite and once we settled into our new space, I took a brisk walk around the vineyard before chatting with the locals over a lovely pre-dinner aperitif.

Or, in reality-speak, power was restored downtown and we were able to return to our apartment.  It was a bit chilly and the fridge was a little smelly, but it felt great to be back in our place.   I also fit in a quick workout, a valiant effort to counteract my weeklong diet of pizza, french fries and halloween candy, all which had been washed down with copious amounts of wine. I then dashed back uptown for the second Cote du Rhone tasting of the weekend.

The day was extraordinarily busy in the shop.  Downtown refugees were coming in to buy presents for their host friends, tourists in town for the aborted marathon were looking to soothe their frustrations and everyone in general just seemed to want a drink to help them relax from the stressful week.  As a result, we ran through the two red tasting bottles very quickly.  Eager to capitalize on the traffic, we opened replacements bottles, which gave the opportunity to do a side-by-side tasting, a Battle of the Wines, if you will. 

The Rhone Blend Showdown

L'Ermitage 2010 (note:  due to the rapid pace at which we went through this, I wasn't able to record all the pertinent information about this wine, but will try to seek it out and update this post when I do) -  Vinified with grenache/syrah/mouvedre/carignan, this was the first blend we opened. Raspberry, ripe cherry, blueberry, green and black pepper shone through on nose.  The same notes repeated on the palate, with a bit of earth and soil making an appearance.  Like many Cote du Rhones, this was a lighter bodied red, easy to drink on its own but could definitely hold its own against lighter chicken and pasta dishes. 

Chateau D'Aiguevelle Cote Du Rhone 2010 - For the most part, it was similar to its predecessor in its aromas and initial flavor notes on the palate, but was more astringent and showed more prominent tannins.  There was something a little immature about this one and my preference fell to the L’Ermitage for a Rhone blend. 

WINNER - L'Ermitage

The Syrah Smackdown

Francois De Tournon Saint Joseph Delas 2009 - This 100% Syrah was primarily driven by pepper, earthiness and spiciness. Fruit was more of a secondary player; plum and black cherry comingled with the classic syrah qualities on the nose.  Upon the first couple sips, the pitted fruits lent a round juiciness to this wine but bell pepper, tar and tobacco fought for prominence. No doubt about it, this wine was bone dry. Factor that in with the lively tannins and a medium plus body and we were drinking big wine.  I’m interested to see how this one will age. 

Domaine des Grands Chemins Croze Hermitage Delas 2009 - Another 100% Syrah, this one showcased the same classic syrah characteristics of earth and spice.  Upon first reveal, many of its qualities echoed the St Joseph, but after a couple of sips, it felt more astringent and the tannins didn’t feel as well integrated as the other.  Still a big wine, it may be more enjoyable with a meal, but I think the St. Joseph took the medal in this match.

WINNER:  Francois De Tournon Saint Joseph Delas 2009


We also poured one white that day:
Domaine La Fond Roc-Epine Lirac 2010
This grenache blanc, marsanne and viognier blend was golden apple, pear, and honeycomb on the nose. First sips revealed the same orchard fruits balanced with citrus; however, the honey was nonexistent on palate and this medium-bodied wine finished very dry. I love when a wine surprises me and what I detect in aromas belies what I taste.

Eventually the event, and thus, the Cote du Rhone vacation, was over.  However, it was a wonderful feeling to be able to return home, not only physically but with the psychological reassurance that life could start getting back to normal.

24 Hours of Cote Du Rhone - Part 1

Unfortunately, not 24 hours IN Cote Du Rhone.  I'm still in Manhattan, trying to navigate the post-Sandy city.   There is a huge divide at 40th Street, where downtown is living in apocalyptic darkness and chaos while uptown buzzes about nearly unperturbed. Beyond more crowding in bars from the influx of downtown refugees and some transportation challenges, life hums along in northern Manhattan. As comfortable as I am at my friends' place, the gridlock, stalled subways and gas shortages (read:  no taxis) is starting to wear on me.

(photo courtesy of New York magazine)

I was scheduled to conduct a wine tasting on Saturday and luckily was able to pick up a last-minute job for Friday as well.  The tastings were for Cote Du Rhone wines so I immersed myself in the region for a couple of nights.  Let's just call it vacation in a bottle.

Like any good vacation, you want to prolong your time, so let's linger on the first day.  Friday's tasting showcased 3 wines:

Gallician Prestige Rose Costieres de Nimes 2011
This bright rose had strawberry and cherry on nose and the fruit followed through on the palate with a long, dry finish and a good amount of acidity.  It was a more robust, medium-bodied rose than the pale pink or salmon sippers that appear in everyone's glasses during the summer, making it ideal for the cooler weather.  This one can stand on its own but wouldn't get lost if paired with food.

Cote du Rhone Vidal Fleury 2007
This grenache/syrah/mourvedre blend, a pretty classic Cote Du Rhone composition, had ripe raspberry, strawberry and cherry aromas that lead the way for the same berry juiciness up front on the palate, followed by spicy black pepper, earth and a bit of tobacco.  Like many Cote du Rhones, it was a rather light-bodied red. This guy had quite a bit of acidity and was a bit more astringent than I usually like, but it was still quaffable.

Domaine Galevan Cote du Rhone 2010 
Grenache/mourvedre/carignan - no syrah here! - was a fun comparison to the Vidal Fleury.  It started again with that ripe berry bouquet but unlike the Fleury, it was rounder in the mouth with softer tannins.  There were more pronounced tones of earth and tobacco, but the absence of the spiciness was noticeable.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures, so for now, let's just pretend the airline lost my luggage with my camera....

Greek, Dry and Sweet

Hurricane Sandy's wrath relocated me from power-poor downtown to the Upper East Side.  Air mattress and significant other in tow, we hunkered down at our friends' apartment for a few days until lights and heat were restored.  Four people for one bathroom can definitely be a challenge and we wanted to thank them for their generous hospitality, so we took them to dinner at Yefsi, a Greek restaurant near their place.

I think Greek wines are highly underrated. There are some really great winemakers out there creating some very interesting dry wines, not to mention the caliber of dessert wines that are produced.  Excited to share this region with friends, we opted for an Argyros Assyrtiko Atlantis 2011.   Notes of lemon, lime, pineapple and mineral aromas swirled around in the glass.  With the first sip, this dry white brought the same flavors to the palate, while the high acidity felt crisp and tingly on the tongue.  Medium bodied, the wine held up to the food but was still easy to sip in between courses.

Empty bottles, empty plates.  We were getting ready to pay the bill when the hostess brought over a surprise treat - four glasses of Samos Kourtaki dessert wine.  This Muscat delighted all of us, even the ones at our table who claimed an aversion to sweet wines. The full, but not syrup-y, body dripped with honey and ripe peach juices while essences of almond, vanilla and orange blossom exhibited different layers and forms of sweetness.  My inner dessert fiend, previously lamenting the lack of dessert on our order, was immediately silenced with each sip.

Completely satiated, we headed out into the (well-lit) night, grateful for our wonderful friends and everyone's well-being.

What Happens When Tweeting While Hungry?

You get posted in the New York Times Diner's Journal Blog!  Unfortunately, they picked up the one with the misspell in @Tertulia_NYC's handle, but you get the idea.

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/your-essential-downtown-restaurants/?smid=tw-nytdining