As I headed out to visit Tracy and Theo, I felt the urge to pick up a bottle of wine. Stopping at Safeway is a desperate attempt, it is the last stop in San Anselmo as you head out to Woodacre. Why shop at Safeway/ The deals! I picked up a 2006 Groth Cabernet for $40. Yeah, I saved $20. Is that amazing or what? This is one of many deals waiting for you at Safeway. I also saved $9 on a bottle Tequila, not bad for a Saturday. Did I mention that Groth is a spectacular wine? We opened it and let it sit for 3 hours, it is a full bodied red that drinks smoothly. At $40, I’d drink this once a week. Thank you, Safeway, I love California.
Tag Archives: wine
Migration Rose – Could Be A Love Affair
In the middle of a perfect afternoon in Woodacre, California, I twisted Theo’s arm and we opened a bottle of 2006 Migration Rose. He described this as “gift wine.” Wine that he brings to people as a gift. On a perfect summer day in California, nothing works better than a delicious Rose. This is that wine. It is sweet and smooth and easy to drink. What was missing? Temperature. We pulled it out of his storage cellar and drank it (approximately 58 degrees). Chilled this wine might be perfect. If you are looking for a California Rose, give Migration a try. It is delicious and a perfect way to pass the afternoon.
2006 Pride Cabernet – Hold for 2 more years
I headed out on a Man Date with my buddy M.Deminico. We hit Fire, mostly because the food is delicious, but partly because we can sit at the Chef’s table and watch the food come out. The food was above average tonight. I hit a Beet Tart that was the perfect combination of dry and succulent with a side of greens that was exactly what I wanted. The cheese plate was good, not great but good. My finisher was Tawney’s Veggie plate. This was the second time in 5 days that I had this dish and I would have it again tonight if I could. Cumin coated eggplant with chick peas and greek yogurt is ummmmmmmmm delicious.
But the focus of the evening when Mike and I get together is usually drinking. The 2006 Pride Cabernet is not ready to drink. That is all there is to it. This wine is ok. It needs to breathe and we just drank it. Blame us, or just say let this wine sit for 2 more years and it might deliver upon the promise that lays below the muddled mess of body and soft tannins. Mike has tried this wine twice and says it under performs. For me, I think it is just a matter of time. Hold this wine for 2 years and it may be ready to drink. Or, invite me over and we can try your bottle whenever you are ready, I’ll bring the cheese.
Kosta Browne 2008 Russian River is Delicious
Last Sunday night we opened up a bottle of 2004 Duckhorn Cabernet, celebrating Amys parent’s 41st anniversary. As I looked at the bottle breathing, I realized we needed to start with something lighter yet of a similar standard. I have been itching to try the 2008 Russian River from Kosta Browne, ever since I got accepted into their wine club (yes, I did wait for 3 long years).
I opened up the bottle and could smell the richness of this young Pinot Noir. Abandoning my trusty Vinturi aerator, I recklessly poured three glasses. At first waft, I knew this wine had more body than I could handle. The first sip was glassy and gentle, cascading into a delicious lush flavor. The Kosta Browne is surprisingly full bodied for a Pinot, delivering smoothly and elegantly. I didn’t have a good cheese pairing on this night, but in my mind I could see this pairing up well with a baguette from On The Rise Artisan Breads and some Red Hawk from Cow Girl Creamery or maybe even a Taleggio. This is the kind of wine you can drink a bottle of in a night and wake up in the morning without a hangover (not exactly proven). It was the perfect wine to start the night with, next time I’d like to compare this to their Sonoma Coast Pinot. Don’t expect to find a bottle of Kosta Browne sitting on the shelf at your local grocery store…but there is one waiting in my cellar for 2011.
Cinderella Wine – Best Deals For Wine
I have been a fan of Winelibrary.com and Gary Vaynerchuk for around 7 years now. Why? Because even in the early days when Wine Library had a crappy web site, I found great wines and great prices on his website. Their customer service is fantastic and consistently they “do the right thing.” I have not purchased from Gourmet Library yet, but eventually I will find something I have to try.
Why are you interested in Cinderella Wine? Because the deals are UNBELIEVABLE. Yeah, the truth of the matter is I like a deal. I have bough great wines on Cinderella Wine saving 25-50%. There are a lot of wines for $10 – $20 that are worth trying. Multiple deals a week go up on Cinderella Wine, usually at 9 PM EST, but sometimes at Noon. For the bargain hunters out there, like myself, you will consistently find deals worth trying. When I see a deal, I buy, knowing I can run thru a case over a few years. Be patient, but check the site when deals go live. When the deal is hot, the wine is gone quickly. If you get something good, let’s get together and try it.
Dante – A tale of heaven and hell?
I was fortunate to be invited to a fundraiser at Dante for ORT. I have been somewhat hesitant to try Dante after what could only be called a disaster at Lockkeepers. Still any new restaurant in town deserves to be given a fair shot, this was not that fair shot. Why? Prefix 3 course meal on a random Sunday evening with wine pairings. The good news is I have to go back and order off the menu.
Wine selections from the cash bar were ok. I have given up on finding decent $8 glasses of red wine in Cleveland. Every restaurant thinks it is acceptable to charge $13 a glass for wine that retails at $22 per bottle. Do I get therapy for my issues related to this? No, I just prefer to drink at home…Dante kicked off the evening with a demonstration on how to cut up a chicken. Best tips of the night? Use a medium to smaller blade and remove the wishbone to preserve some of the best meat. It was nice to see a chef working and Dante did a good job at breaking down the chicken while explaining his process.
The salad was served first. I am into the Beet salads around town these days and this one had a nice light dressing. I would have enjoyed some cracked pepper, but the staff was moving quickly and never came around with any. The Vegetarian option was a perfectly cooked thicker linguini style noodle with a light sauce and lots of veggies. My kind of meal. Loved it. I could eat this 5 nights a week. Hearty and delicious without loads of fat, maybe a hint of vinegar.
Dessert was a passion fruit creme brulee. I was bummed there was no chocolate, but strangely enough truly enjoyed braking thru the crispy shell to spoon out creamy deliciousness. This was a great ending to the meal, capped off by Dante’s candy cart loaded with Lemonheads, fireballs, bubble gum and jolly ranchers rolling out onto the main floor. Excellent way to end a great evening. What about the wine pairings? Who cares…just kidding. The highlight was the St.Suprey Moscato paired with dessert. Sweet and rich, this is the kind of wine that will leave you wondering why you decided to drive to Mexico at 2 am. The white to start and red for the main course was well whatever.
I tried to take pictures, but the light was so low all I could here was my friend Simone telling me that I should not post such poor quality pictures. What I will tell you is I wish I had gotten some nice shots of Dante cutting the chicken or my pasta dish. Overall, I am looking forward to a return visit to Dante to put their menu to the test, looks like he has found a great potential home here in Cleveland and I hope he focuses on creating great dishes with exceptional service.
Drink More Drink Better
With a 3 week detox under belt in 2010 and a lot of working, I have not done my fair share of drinking this year. I am committing to drinking more wine, starting tonight! With that in mind, I thought I would share some of my sources for wine.
If you are interested in a wine club, try http://www.klwines.com – I am in their signature red club and it is fantastic. You can buy wine from any of their clubs at the discounted price. I have consistently gotten excellent wines. I try and save up my orders and have them deliver a case, instead of monthly, to get a better deal on shipping.
If you want great service, selection and prices – check out http://www.winelibrary.com – I have been a fan of Gary Vaynerchuk for more than 8 years and have gotten some blockbuster deals. Subscribe to his newer service http://www.cinderellawine.com – I have bought at least 4 or 5 times on these nightly deals since it launched. You have to be patient and buy when you see the deal you want. Every time I have bought, I have been THRILLED.
Last but not least, locally. You have to “hustle,” as Garvy V. likes to say. I hit up a variety of stores and browse the shelves. From Michael Resnick’s store at Cedar and Green to Heinens, Chuck’s in Chagrin Falls, Pat O’Briens at Lander Circle and my new favorite Colonial Beverage way out in Chesterland. Each store has an “expert” you can learn from. It is hard to buy at a store here in Ohio, because the pricing sucks. That said, when the price is right – I buy. This week, I scored a case of 2006 Simi Zinfandel at Heinen’s at $9 a bottle, when you see a blow out that is 50% off on good wine you have to buy in bulk. I can drink this over the next 3-4 years, no problem.
Last but not least, drinking with friends is fun and educational. We all taste wine differently. I am weak with my adjectives, but still enjoy tasting with my friends and hearing what they like or do not like. If you want to drink more wine this year, get a few friends together on a regular basis and try different wines together. Make the effort to rate the wines, evaluate their smell, color and flavor. Be a critical thinker. The more wines you try, the more you will find that wines are like people, unique. Celebrate their differences!
Ode to Fridays at the Wisconsin Union Terrace
October 31 and the weather was beautiful. It went without saying that we would gather at the Terrace for one last hurrah. Of course we’ve been saying on each nice Friday, “This is the last one of the season.” But this Friday probably really was. Can you really expect, in Wisconsin, in November, to sit outdoors? Comfortably? I don’t think so. On this last perfect Friday of the season, beer and wine met for a date and had a good time.
Over 15 years ago, Ben and I had our first date at the Terrace. We shared two pitchers of beer. We’ve never done that since and he has felt cheated and misled. These days, I get one glass of wine in a plastic cup. Aside from the fact that it’s cabernet sauvignon, I don’t know anything about this wine. But it’s not bad. And for four bucks a cup, it does the trick. Add in the overly salty popcorn, and the whole thing looks really classy.
But what’s the important part of the Terrace? Aside from the spectacular sunset over the lake? Aside from the decent beverages and the crappy popcorn? It’s the communion of course. Our gatherings range from four people to twelve. The talk meanders far and wide. Politics, of course. The economy. TV. Real estate. Relationships. Depending on who is present, the intricate details of training for a triathalon might be discussed. All the usual stuff. Last night we discussed birth control and by the time we’d exhausted that topic (strangely, at the top of our lungs, because by that time, we were the only table left in our section), some of us had stomach aches from laughing so hard.
Wherever you are, I hope you have a nice Friday evening ritual too.
- Why I fast?
- Saag – My new favorite dish!
- Udon, the un-pasta pasta
- It never fails – cauliflower cheese soup
- Memories of France
- Saag – My new favorite dish!
- Pssst. It’s a Secret Recipe.
- Hot in Cleveland – Cool Hand Cuke
- Gnocchi – You Can Make It If You Really Try
- It’s Pesto Time
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Jeff Hershberger: I keep getting Saag confused with paneer - paneer ...
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Jamie Ginsberg: Hmmmm, I am guessing you commented without reading...
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Jackie Ewing: I read here that you got most of your cooking tips...
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Jamie Ginsberg: I don't believe they do a dinner buffet. My sugges...
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