Red Is Life

Bordeaux Bordeaux And More Bordeaux

Just back from Great Wines of Bordeaux - United States Tour - 2004 Vintage Tasting - 90 some odd wines to taste - managed 30 plus in slightly under two hours -

Signiificant overload - the trick is religiously "spitting" - would call myself only "semi pro" in that regard - always looking for the "take home" wine - the one you come back to after sipping your way across the room -

Reveiws are short - extemporaneous check marks (number at the end of each set of notes) - first impressions - fascinating to match retail price to tasting notes - i.e.- a $90 Pomerol really does taste different than a $45 Pomerol -

What Happened To Knowing Somebody

"Knowing somebody" - used to be the sure way of getting a table at the "hottest" restaurant of the moment - add to that - opentable.com - and you could book the reservation online - provided the table was available -

Now - for $450 per year/ $45 per incident - primetimetables.com - promises to get you "in" - can the auction site - eFood.com be far behind -

Blood Red Oranges

30 some years ago - first trip to Europe - pulled out of Club Med - took a room over a bakery in St. Moritz - from which the aromas of fresh baked croissant waifed up - into my room - every morning - before the sun broke over the alps -

Breakfast was a must - this naive American ordering "Orange Juice" - the waiter immediately bringing forth a glass of thick red juice - tried to send it back - ordering again -  "Orange Juice" - the waiter mumbled something in German - it was a scene from a movie -

Giving up - I sipped what was offered - another sip - it was amazing - almost Orange Juice - but it wasn't - quickly swigged the whole glass - coming back everyday during my stay - immediately ordering a fresh glass of what I eventually learned was "Blood Red Orange Juice" from Italy - memorable

Today's announcement  - its "Blood Red Orange" season - 2.89 per pound (Fairway_

Squeeze them by hand - mix with Tino's Vodka - add ice - vigorously shake until ice cold - makes two Blood Red Orange and Vodka Cocktails - awesome !!! - pulpy - even after the stainer - sweet - low acid - unique - wonderful - love it -

300 Years Young

Bitterly cold winter night along the Delaware River - dinner at the Stockton Inn - originally built in 1710 - granted a "tavern license" in 1792 - jumping Old Town Bar - charming Mural Dining Room - the coat check girl looked like she was drowning amidst the flood of heavy winter coats -

• Crab Cakes were wonderful - red pepper coulis was too mild -
• Rib Eye Steak was a win -
• Sesame Crusted Tuna seemed to miss -
• Seafood Chiopino - a medley of shrimp, scallops, clams, and fish served in a tomato fennel broth - absolutely amazing - my thanks to my wife for allowing me to finish her serving -

To balance the seafood - from an ample but slightly slim wine list - Cakebread - Sauvigon Blanc - 2005 - too mild for my purposes - lacked crisp definition - no acid - a New Zealand bottle would have been more apropos -

Nice evening - a bit shy of greatness -

Red For White

Scanned the list - picking a Fiddlestix Pinot Noir - the server brought the bottle to the table - but the vibe from my female dining companions was disappointment - I caved - revisiting the wine list - moving to - Brewer-Clifton - Mount Carmel - Santa Rita Hills - Chardonnay - 2002 - it was a good move -

Smiles from both my dining partners - plus - what would Brewer-Clifton's take be on white - Brewer-Clifton - who's Pinot in the same restaurant I once described as drinking liquefied sour cherry candy -

Subtle - lighter - quieter than anticipated - if it had been a tasting - the Chardonnay ID would have take a bit of detective work - as clues pointed elsewhere - eventually - - underlying richness pulled through -  found myself torn between wanting the bottle colder - while understanding that this Chardonnay would do better at as it approached room temp -

Notes from the winery - Honey, sweet basil and and lime aromas followed by anejo tequila and plum flesh flavors. Incredibly rich with driving acidity - and they made 2,880 bottles/240 cases - which for these guys is a massive run -

It was good detour - plus smiles from the other side of the table - worth everything - 

Envy

Eric Asimov's article in last weeks New York Times - 010307 - Ancient Messages, Hidden in a Dusty Bottle From Long Ago - so worth the read -

Chevalier-Montrachet - 1992
Le Corton - 1990
Cuvée des Enchanteleurs - 1988
Montrachet - 1939
Volnay Caillerets, Ancienne Cuvée Carno - 1929
Beaune Grèves Vigne de L’Enfant Jésus - 1865
Meursault Charmes - 1846

Asimov got it right - besides the wine - the flavors - the textures - the tastes that can never be experienced again - or - recreated i.e. two wines were pre - phylloxera - the article conveys the history - in some cases - literally the wars that were taking place or had just finished as the grapes were pressed and fermented -

Its a great read - and - much to the expertise of the vineyard - and/or - perhaps the luck of the pour - nothing was bad -

Maybe I'll be on the invite list - next time -

HBH

Saber The Balthazar

Cindy Adams column in today's New York Post - Private Affair Honors New Gov - champagne in conjunction with Eliot Spitzer's inauguration as Governor of New York -

Lloyd Constantine traditionally brings Champagne to all Eliot's inaugurals. With each one, the bottle gets larger. This one, Veuve Clicquot, was a Balthazar. That's 12 liters or 16 bottles. The only problem was, the thing's so huge he couldn't open it.

Finally, Constantine took off his jacket, straddled the Balthazar while a staff member held it down, and used a real monkey wrench to pull out the cork, which was the width of Kirstie Alley's old thigh. The neck cracked. Lloyd cut his hand. But the bottle was uncorked, and the Champagne poured, and it was a hot time in the old town that night.

If they had sent me an invite - I would have "Sabered" the Balthazar -