Just a little administrative note to let you know that the next three weeks might be quiet ’round these parts. Thursday I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease and I’m on a three-week course of strong antibiotics. While neither my doctor nor the information that came with the medication said anything about avoiding alcohol, I have heard various things about mixing alcohol and antibiotics. Some say it reduces their effectiveness. Others say it can cause side effects. And still others say nothing at all happens. Well, I’m just not taking any chances. I was lucky to have caught it quickly and after a few days of feeling probably the most awful in my lifetime, I think I am on the upswing now and want to keep it that way :-)

I’ll try to fill in with any news of interest that comes my way, and I still have two posts in my “wine questions” series left to answer, but obviously I won’t be posting any tasting notes until the 21 days are over. Maybe I can convince Drew to write a post or two while I’m teetotalling

--Carol

Last Christmas, my brother and his wife gave me and Drew a gift card for The Federal in Agawam, MA. They had their wedding rehearsal dinner there and it’s a fantastic restaurant that I guess I’d classify as “New American” cuisine. There are a lot of French influences, which I personally enjoy, and influences from Asian and Mexican cuisines as well. Their menu is eclectic and innovative and all-around yummy.

The four of us had dinner there on Friday night and it was fantastic! Instead of ordering a bottle of wine, we opted to bring our own. This can save you a decent amount of money, and most restaurants don’t have a problem with it. Though, I always ask in advance. They’ll charge a corkage fee, but often that fee is less than any bottle of wine on their list. You’ll also want to be sure that the bottle of wine you’re bringing isn’t already on their wine list. It should be something special. We brought a bottle of 2005 Frog’s Leap Merlot, which retails for around $35. With the corkage fee of $20, I suspect the money we paid for both was still less than a typical restaurant mark-up. I would like to say, though, that their wine list was extensive and had nice selections for all price ranges.

We started by sharing two appetizers: a “bucket of balls” and foie gras a la mode. The Parmesan risotto balls are made with fresh black truffled butter and snipped chives. My brother was insistent that we order these and truthfully, to me they seemed like the least exciting appetizer on the menu. However, when they arrived there was no getting around it: they were absolutely delicious and I could understand why we had to have them. In addition to the “bucket” (really, a lovely bowl containing about 12 risotto balls), each table gets a sample risotto ball, so even if you don’t order them you’ll get to experience them.

I was dying to to try the “lacquered” foie gras “a la mode” with caramelized peaches, Sauternes soaked pound cake & toasted almond gelato. I don’t think I’ve had foie gras since our honeymoon in France (seven years ago), so I was really looking forward to trying it again. The contrast of flavors and textures was wonderful, and the appetizer did not disappoint. Even my brother, who was reluctant to try it (to say the least), admitted that there are other things he likes less Trust me — that’s a compliment.

For my entree I ordered the veal cheeks which were served with charred asparagus, fried crab cakes, piquillo peppers, salted lime aioli, and chimichurri sauce. I’d never had veal cheeks before and wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had heard that when done right, they are phenomenal. And they were. The veal cheeks were melt-in-your-mouth tender and the chimichurri sauce added a fantastic freshness to the dish. Other dishes at the table included the truffled macaroni and cheese with braised short ribs, the seared Atlantic salmon atop sweet corn succotash, and the slow roasted pork tenderloin. We were a table full of happy diners! The portions were very generous too — if you don’t come with a very heart appetite, expect to take a little home to enjoy for lunch the next day.

We were too full for dessert, unfortunately. Next time I’ll account for that. Service was impeccable and our waiter was very attentive. The only part of the night that was even remotely unpleasant was a rather loud guest at a nearby table. He apparently was the be-all, end-all authority on wine and had one of those voices that carried. We were able to laugh it off, but I do wish people were conscious of their volume when they dine out. It’s not like it’s a 99 Restaurant — it’s a fine dining establishment. As my child’s teacher would say, “Please use your inside voice!”

If you ever find yourself looking for a great special occasion restaurant in Western Massachusetts, you should check out The Federal. It’s really popular, so make reservations, but you won’t be disappointed. Visit them on the Web at www.thefederal.com.

--Carol

Last week our tickets arrived for the 12th annual Bounty of the Hudson Food & Wine Festival, and I am so excited to go! It is taking place from noon-5PM on July 26th and 27th at Benmarl Winery in Marlboro, New York. All 10 wineries from the Shawangunk Wine Trail will be offering tastings of their wines and a few other Hudson Valley wineries are slated to take part as well. In addition, area restaurants will have samples of their dishes, there will be cooking workshops, and of course — what’s a festival without great live music? The wines being tasted this year come from the 2007 growing season, one of the Hudson Valley’s best in recent years.

The 10 wineries that comprise the Shawangunk Wine Trail are Adair Vineyards, Applewood Winery, Baldwin Vineyards, Benmarl Vineyards, Brotherhood Winery, Glorie Farm Winery, Rivendell Winery, Stoutridge Vineyard, Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery, and Whitecliff Vineyards. I’m looking forward to tasting wines from a couple local favorites and discovering new local wineries, as well. There are a few that I’m completely unfamiliar with, so I can’t wait to see what they’ve got.

Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. You can also purchase a “designated driver” ticket for a few bucks less, which allows you to enjoy the food and fun, but no wine tasting or glass. Designated drivers will get special bracelets to wear during the festival. To purchace tickets online, visit Vintage New York. For more information on the event, visit the Shawangunk Wine Trail’s Web site.

I hope to see you there!

--Carol

I know, I know… I go ahead and ask people to come to me with their wine questions and then I take forever to answer them. Well, I am going to get caught up this week! So without further delay comes a question from Christina:

What are some of your favorite wine and food pairings?  I’m thinking of doing a small wine tasting party next month, and while I can figure out cheese and chocolate to pair, I need suggestions for other foods (i.e. appetizers, desserts, etc. that go with petite syrah, prosecco, dry reisling, etc.).

Oh, this is a tough one. I don’t have a lot of confidence in my food and wine pairing, though apparently I do allright at it because customers used come back and tell me how happy they were I’ll do my best here, and just because it’s a pairing that I enjoy, that doesn’t mean you will. I just feel that I have to give that disclaimer.

You mentioned petite syrah, which is a delicious variety, though quite a “big” wine. I think you need something meaty to stand up to it. If you’re looking to do bite-size food, maybe some sliced filet mignon with blue cheese crumbles on crostini? If you can find those small lamb chops, I think that would be fabulous too. (I don’t often prepare lamb, but I do enjoy those when I’m at parties).

With a prosecco I would serve either a cheese or something light such as cantaloupe wrapped with prosciutto or maybe even a light salmon mousse served on endive.

For a dry Riesling, though it seems obvious I’d go with a spicy Thai or Chinese-inspired dish. Maybe you could make some Thai chicken skewers and serve them with a spicy sauce? Or maybe even some kind of curry, though that might be tough for people to eat at a tasting party. Hopefully that will get your culinary imagination going.

If you’re ever looking for a quick and easy way to pair up food and wine, I would reccomend using Natalie McCleans’s Food & Wine Matcher. It’s free and easy to use and there are some great suggestions there. Good luck with your party!

--Carol

Back in December I bought Drew a couple bottles of wine as last-minute Christmas gifts. I was really eager to try a couple of the offerings from Twisted Oak, as well as give WineQ a try. One of the bottles I chose was the 2005 Twisted Oak Verdelho ($15.99) and this weekend we finally got around to opening it. The APV is 13.1% and it was aged in stainless steel for two months. Twisted Oak produced 800 cases of this wine.

When my order arrived, I noticed some chunky white sediment floating around. Now, as someone who drinks plenty of wine I figured that this was nothing of importance, but I have to admit it was a little unsightly and you wouldn’t want to get a mouthful of it. (It’s happened to me before with other wines and though the flavor certainly isn’t affected, it’s just not pleasant to feel the crystals in your mouth). I decided to e-mail the fine folks at WineQ just to be sure. They forwarded my question to Jeff Stai, owner of the winery. His official response made perfect sense, and was pretty much what I figured:

It’s actually not sediment, it is sodium tartrate crystals. If the wine gets cold tartaric acid will start to fall out of solution, forming these crystals. This could have happened through shipping or storage. These are the same crystals you will sometimes find on the bottom of a cork.

Since these crystals are made of stuff you would be drinking they are totally harmless. Just let the shoulder on the bottle catch them while you are pouring.

That was good enough for us, and I have to say that I really appreciated the quick response not only from Marshall Sontag at WineQ, but from Jeff Stai as well. There’s nothing better than good customer service.

To save ourselves a little aggravation and to keep the tartrate crystals from floating around too much, we opted to decant the wine, which worked out perfectly. The wine was a very pretty shade of light yellow and the nose was unbelievable. It smelled of honeydew melon, apricot, and unscented candlewax all wrapped around flinty slate. There was something that evoked honeysuckle, too. I kept sticking my nose in the glass over and over again to breathe it in.

The wine itself had a nice acidity to it and was very balanced. Again we picked up a bit of a rocky flavor along with citrus and kiwi. Drew noted that the wine gave him the sense of chewing on a piece of kiwi skin –the skin strips out the sweetness, but you still taste the fruit. I think that people who enjoy Sauvignon Blanc would certainly enjoy this wine.

We didn’t drink this with a meal, but did have a few snacks along with it. Walnuts seemed to tone down the acidity and paired really well. The cocktail sauce we had with our shrimp, however, was too spicy for this wine and stripped down all the fruit. If we have this again, I’d probably serve it with soft, mild cheeses, fruit, and bread or crackers. It’s delicious on its own.

The 2005 Twisted Oak Verdelho has won several awards including Four Star Gold Award, White Varietals, Orange County Fair; Best of Show, White Varietals, Orange County Fair; and Best of Class, Lodi, California State Fair. The 2005 vintage is still available at WineQ and probably some other fine wine sellers, though  the 2006 is available now as well.

--Carol

Typically my summertime drink of choice is a gin and tonic. I love the tartness of the lime and how it’s just very refreshing. However, last year I started making mojitos and I have to say that this Cuban classic is a close second. It is made from rum, lime, sugar, and mint. Usually I make my mojitos from scratch, but recently I was sent a sample gift pack containing a 750 ml. bottle of 10 Cane Rum and a 32 oz. bottle of Stirrings Simple Mojito mix. It arrived just in time for Father’s Day, which was perfect! Drew has recently become interested in rums, and I had a feeling he’d really enjoy this treat.

First, let me talk about the gift pack itself. It retails for around $34.99, which is the standard price for the 10 Cane rum alone. Basically, you get the mojito mix for free, which is a great deal. Usually gift packs include a bottle of liquor and a glass or two, so I thought this was not only a creative way to co-market two products, but the Stirrings mix is far more useful (in my opinion) than a couple extra cocktail glasses that will only collect dust. I also appreciated the fact that this particular gift set is not encased in hard plastic. I find that many gift sets are often wrapped with it and they are very difficult to open. The two bottles were secured very well in the tray, which was also nice to see.

The mixing instructions were on the back of the box and certainly were easy enough. (I have to admit, it was nice to not need to muddle everything up!). The drink was great and although I did not do a side-by-side comparison of a mojito made from the mix and a mojito made from scratch, from what I remember mine tasting like last summer, I’d say this was pretty close.

With that said, I have to mention that honestly I think that 10 Cane is too nice to be used as a mixer. 10 Cane, which is produced in Trinidad, is made from sugarcane juice instead of molasses, like most of the rums people are familiar with. It is aged in oak for a few months so the color is not quite clear, but certainly not dark, either. It has a sweet, almost grassy nose and a subtle flavor of sugarcane. I found it to be very smooth. Although it is touted as a mixing rum, I really enjoy it as a sipping rum. So if you can get your hands on one of these gift sets, use the Stirrings to make a mojito before dinner, and then enjoy a bit of 10 Cane straight as an after-dinner drink.

If you can’t find the Stirrings mix, or just want to try mixing up a mojito from scratch, here is my recipe:

Mojito 

2 oz. light rum
1-2 oz. lime juice (depending on your taste)
2 tsp. superfine sugar (you can also use confectioner’s sugar)
2-3 mint leaves
club soda or seltzer water
lime slice and mint sprigs for garnish

Lightly muddle (that is, gently smash up) the mint and sugar with a splash of soda water in a mixing glass until the sugar is dissolved and you can smell the mint. Pour the lime juice into the glass, add the rum and pour into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Give it a few shakes and then strain into a collins glass. Top with soda water or seltzer water, garnish with a lime slice and a mint sprig. Serve.

--Carol

Now that it’s over, I can tell you that the reason behind my lack-of-blogging was related to the stress of a business transaction. After two and a half years of owning a wine shop, today the sale was made final and we passed the torch on to a new owner. This particular shop has been a liquor store for over 50 years. The new owner has experience in the wine biz and is very excited about his new venture. I wish him much success!

As for the reasons why we decided to sell it? Mostly it came down to distance. The store was about 75 miles away from home (making it a 3-hour, round-trip commute), and as any small business owner knows — the hours are long. We tried to sell our home so that we could move closer, but the timing was all wrong and after two years we pulled it off the market. And then when you consider the current gas prices, well… We actually accepted the offer in December. Who knew that business transactions take so long?

The entire experience was amazing. We went into it with little business experience, and just enough wine knowledge to talk about our favorite subject without sounding too foolish. We caught on quickly and we actually did quite well. We built up a great customer base, we skewed the inventory heavily toward wine, and learned a tremendous amount. There are, of course, many things I will not miss (screwed up deliveries, sales reps who don’t understand your store, customers who throw a hissy fit when you don’t have Grey Goose L’Orange). But I will miss trying new wines on a regular basis (before we buy them), and I will certainly miss many of the customers. At the risk of sounding completely cheesy, I could not help choking up a little bit last week when a regular customer excitedly came by to announce her granddaughter had been born that morning. For months, she’d give me weekly updates, and as she pulled out her digital camera to show me photos of the precious, newborn girl, it occurred to me how these seemingly meaningless encounters selling wine and spirits actually are quite big.

All in all, I’m so glad we did it. It opened up quite a few doors for me that I didn’t even know where there! But I can also honestly say that owning a business was very stressful, it was 24/7, and it was very difficult to find a balance between work and family life (especially with two little boys). Even though it was tough at times, I’m so glad that we’ll be able to look back and say, “You know what? We did it.” And we didn’t suck at it I’d hate to spend my life wondering “What if?”

As for the question of “What now?” Well, we have a cellar full of wines and spirits! I hope to be better about posting tasting notes and cocktail recipes since I will now be enjoying them purely for pleasure and not just business. And hopefully you will look forward to reading them.

--Carol

You might have noticed that things have been quiet around these parts. It’s not that I haven’t been drinking wine, it’s just that real life has interrupted my blogging mojo. So I decided to seek out help in curing my blogging malaise. I turned to the readers of my personal blog. I invited them to toss out some wine questions and promised to answer them here. The first three questions come from my friend Lisanne.

What is the prettiest bottle of wine that you’ve ever seen/tried/bought? I know that there are lots of cool-looking wine bottles out there.
I admit that I’m a sucker for a good wine label, and it seems that wineries are constantly trying to create a label that will get their bottle noticed on the shelves. Personally, I like classic, understated labels best. The Joseph Carr label is still one of my favorites because of its simplicity:

I also really like the labels for the Dry Creek Vineyard The Mariner and for B.R. Cohn wines:

I’m a white-wine lover. What’s the best white wine out there, in your opinion?
Well, I guess that all depends! I don’t think I could pick one white wine in particular as “the best” because styles are so different and while one white might be perfect for quaffing, that wine might not be great with your dinner. But here are a couple of my favorites:

Hayman & Hill Interchange 2006 ($14) - The 2006 is a blend of 47% Chardonnay, 34% Sauvignon Blanc, 7% Muscat Canelli, 5% Malvasia Bianca, 4% Semillon, and 3% Gewürtztraminer. It’s semi-dry and very similar in style to Conundrum. In fact, I’ve converted a few Condundrum drinkers to Interchange because of its great QPR. I like to enjoy it by the glass on lovely, warm afternoons, but it probably would pair well with some fish dishes.

Baron Rothschild Réserve Spéciale Bordeaux Blanc 2006 ($13) - This is a crisp wine made from Sauvignon, Semillon, and Muscadelle grapes. The citrusy flavors and nice, clean finish make it a great choice for many chicken and fish dishes.

What are some of your favorite summery wines?
Prosecco! I love this sparkling Italian wine, particularly Filipetti if you can find it. It’s dry and refreshing and delicious. I also enjoy Sauvignon Blancs in the summer. It’s a food-friendly wine that goes well will salads, chicken, fish… many of the lighter dishes people tend to eat in warm weather. A few of my favorites are Te Awa (New Zealand), Goose Bay (New Zealand, Kosher), and Groth (California). If you want something slightly less expensive, I think that Dancing Bull ($10) is a good value, and if you can find it, Stone’s Throw was surprisingly good for around $7.

Thanks for your questions, Lisanne!

--Carol

A Fond-du-Lac, Wisconsin wine shop got an unexpected delivery of Stag’s Leap yesterday. That is, a deer jumped through the door of Cujak’s Wine Market (near the Cabernet section), as owner Sara Cujak was helping a customer choose a Merlot. According to fldreporter.com, the deer could not get good footing on the hardwood floor and staggered its way out the back door eventually. Incredibly, not a single bottle of wine was damaged. The same could not be said for the deer, unfortunately. The animal had to be put down due to the injuries it sustained when it crashed through the door.

--Carol

It sounds like instead of playing huge stadium tours, these days QUEENSRŸCHE vocalist Geoff Tate is playing negociant instead. He has teamed up with 3 Rivers Winery in Walla Walla, Washington to produce a red wine called Geoff Tate Insania. The German-born rocker grew up in Tacoma.

Tate said, “Insania is a creative project similar to the process of making music. Wine has been an important part of my life and the creation of Insania is yet another avenue to express my creativity and give my fans something more they can enjoy.”

Personally I’m not sure what is getting more annoying, celebrity chefs or celebrity “winemakers.” I suppose it’s just not enough anymore to do one thing and do it well. (And even though I’m not a big QUEENSRŸCHE fan, I have to admit that Tate has an amazing vocal range.) The entertainment industry wants to create franchises out of celebrites (not just movies) and get their hands into many things as possible: clothing, jewelry, perfume, housewares, and… yes, wine. But I guess as long as people keep buying it, celebrities will keep making up silly names that go on silly labels and slapping them on bottles. I kind of wish celebs would just stick to singing or acting or whatever they do best. But I might be in the minority on that one.

At any rate, back to the wine. I couldn’t find any information about the grapes that will be used to make Insania, or an expected bottle price, so for now that remains a mystery. However, the wine is scheduled to be launched at a concert slated for September 20, 2008 at the winery where Tate will play music from his solo album as well as some QUEENSRŸCHE classics. Tickets are $100 per person and include a picnic dinner and logo wineglass. Gates open at 4:00 p.m., dinner is available from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Geoff Tate will take the stage at 5:00 p.m. There are only 250 tickets available and an early sell-out is expected. (Of the show tickets. I’m not so sure about the wine.) For more information, call the winery at 509-526-9463.

--Carol