zin1953's Profile
Late dinner at Chafariz da Vinho in Lisbon (5/25)
Yes, well -- the wine was fantastic, but still, better with bresola, I should think, than dry toast. ;^)
Do French people drink foreign wines?
Sunshine -- spot on! Zinfandel -- that is to say (and to be redundant), "Red" Zinfadnel -- is the wine I typically bring with me when visiting friends in France . . . as well as other European wine producing countries. Not only, as you quite rightly say, does it "generate a lot of curiousity and interest," but it's also received with (for lack of a better term) "an open palate." That is, there are no comparisons (and perhaps preconceptions) between the CA Cabernet and Bordeaux, the Pinot Noir and Burgundy, etc., etc.
Indeed, I'm writing this from Lisbon, and I've brought four bottles of Zinfandel with me to give to my winemaking friends up in the Douro when I get there tomorrow . . .
Cheers,
Jason
Dinner at Restaurante Alma (5/26), Lisbon
A near-perfect day in Lisbon comes to a close with a truly FANTASTIC meal at Restaurante Alma -- http://www.alma.co.pt/eng/index.html#/HOME-01-00/ -- with my wife and I having the "New" (as opposed to "Classics") Tasting menu. We began with an amuse bouche of mackerel with tomato water, brown onion consommé with goat cheese won-ton and vegetables; seared scallops with a sous-vide egg yolk and white bean purée, Iberian pork prosciutto and grain mustard; an ox tail and mushroom open lasagna with Azeitão cheese béchamel and a grain mustard dressing; a intense, bright lime sorbet, and an almond clafoutis with a red berry ice cream, raspberries and blueberries . . . words cannot do the meal justice! Everything was delicious . . . the mackerel (which is normally far from my favorite fish) was beautifully prepared, not oily or intensely fishy, firm and flavorful; the consommé was light and elegant, the tiny diced vegetables still "al dente"; the scallop dish was to-die-for, with the sweetness of the scallops, and richness of the egg yolk, the saltiness of the pork blending perfectly to become greater than the individual ingredients; the ox tail open lasagna, which could have been heavy and over-the-top instead maintained its balance and stopped just short (we could have licked the plates!); something as simple as a lime sorbet was so perfectly executed that it was sublime (no pun intended . . . honest!); and the clafoutis was simply the best I've ever had . . . .
Late dinner at Chafariz da Vinho in Lisbon (5/25)
Located in an old municipal waterworks that looks like it was built in Roman times, we had a really wonderful meal at my favorite Lisbon wine bar, Chafariz do Vinho -- http://chafarizdovinho.com/en/index.htm We began with bacon-wrapped dates, duck maigret salad with pomegranate, queso de serra "au gratin," and bresaola with olive oil and cheese -- paired with a 2009 Quinta do Crasto Reserva Vinha Velha. Dessert was beautifully ripe and delicious local strawberries, drizzled with old balsamic and cheese, and paired with glasses of 1966 Messias Colheita Porto. Everything was spot-on, delicious, and just the perfect finale to a day and a half of traveling from San Francisco by way of Heathrow . . . .
Rum Recommendations
>>> juice of half a life <<<
Talk about difficult-to-obtain ingredients!
Any suggestions for dinner in San Sebastían on a MONDAY night?
(when everything is closed)
TIA,
Jason
Cafe Du Monde menu?
Haven't been to Velvet, but La Divina was quite good ONCE, and every other time I've been there -- no offense -- it sucked . . .
With and without food.
Agreed. 100%. (Keep in mind I think the person who pairs raw oysters with a CdR rouge is out of his mind, but if he/she truly enjoys that combination, who am I to criticize?)
What discontinued products do you miss?
Absolutely true, Professor, and what I find hysterical -- in my own little warped way -- is that Löwenbräu is now owned by Budweiser . . . or, rather, Anheuser-Busch InBev.
With and without food.
Yes, I've had several Pinot Noirs from the U.K., and Muller-Thurgau . . . to date, none have been very exciting. They should improve somewhat, given global warming, but as they say on the news, "Time will tell . . . "
HOWEVER, me thinks you missed the point somewhat. My point, as goldangl95 understood, was that England is NOT a famous wine-producing region. Just because a region makes wine, doesn't mean a) it makes good wine, nor b) that it's famous for it. Japan and China both make wine from vinifera grapes; so, too, Korea, Uruguay and over a dozen other nations around the world. Doesn't mean they make good wine . . .
So, yes -- you missed my tongue, firmly planted in my cheek . . . .
With and without food.
>>> In this day and age, many many people do not eat food on a daily basis that easily goes with old-world wines, or frankly any wines. <<<
And how is this day (and age) different that all other days?
With and without food.
Budball,
>>> I am just finding that all the wine info about wine pairings seem to conflict with 'my' own reactions. <<<
I guess I simply fail to understand, because my immediate reaction is "So what?" For as long as I can remember -- both in general, and with specific regard to your posts -- the "rule" (if there is such a thing) is to "drink what you like, with whatever you want to drink it with." In other words, the most important part of the above quote is that you are developing your own palate, your own preferences, your own opinions.
And to that, I say "Congratulations."
>>> And try as I may I could not describe, I could only enjoy. <<<
And, again, I must be missing something, because isn't the enjoyment the whole idea? Who cares about being able to describe it? That only matters if you are trying to convey your opinion of the wine to someone else -- above and beyond "I liked it."
With and without food.
Uh, what?!?!?!?
Yes, England is a well-known wine-producing region . . . that's why English roasts and cheeses go so well with the local wines.
With and without food.
Sunshine,
>>> but you MUST choose the right wine for what you're eating -- ask a Frenchman to drink a Cotes du Rhone with his plate of fresh raw oysters, and he's likely to whack you up side the head with the bottle. <<<
All hyperbole aside, that Frenchman (and myself, for that matter), is much more likely to say, "Non, merci" and pass on the wine that's offered.
>>> . . . but there is *a* wine to go with every dish out there. <<<
NO, this isn't. There is NO ONE WINE that will go with that dish. There are many, indeed dozens, of wines that will go with every dish. And no one has to agree with your choice as long as YOU like it. Ergo, if you happen to enjoy a Côtes-du-Rhône rouge with your raw oysters, I might scratch my head over it, but as long as it works for you, that's what counts . . .
Cheers,
Jason
Food Itinerary - Please help narrow
>>> One thing I also didn't see perusing the boards was many recommendations for good coffee houses. As you will see Blue Bottle and Phil'z are already on my list! <<<
Yeah, I'd pass on both of those . . .
I live in Berkeley and have NOT been impressed with Philz -- http://www.philzcoffee.com/ -- in the half-a-dozen times I've checked it out.* Then again, some people do love it, so . . .
As for Blue Bottle -- http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net/ and headquartered in Oakland, by the way -- it's good, and I wouldn't avoid it when I'm at the Ferry Building, for example, or if I'm in SFMOMA, but there are (IMHO) much better micro-roasters worth a deliberate visit. Check out, in alphabetical order:
-- Four Barrel Coffee http://fourbarrelcoffee.com/
-- Ritual Coffee Roasters http://www.ritualroasters.com/
-- Sightglass Coffee http://sightglasscoffee.com/
Cheers,
Jason
* Then again, it would only be fair to acknowledge I have a commercial espresso machine and two grinders in my kitchen, so I'm drinking far more espressos and cappuccinos than I am pour-over drip coffee.
Cafe Du Monde menu?
I didn't say it was *IN* the Riverwalk's food court, but rather it has all the atmosphere of *A* (generic) food court. If all you get is a frozen coffee, you can keep walking, but if you get beignets . . . .
Cafe Du Monde menu?
Which brings to mind two things: one, the wait at the "original" location (I've never had to wait more than 5 minutes MAX for a table); two -- slightly off-topic -- the nearly total absence of great espresso in NOLA . . .
"A man's drink of choice , tells volumes of one's character"-- need help..
How you take it, and WHICH Bourbon you choose . . . .
Cafe Du Monde menu?
True, but with all the atmosphere of a mall food court . . .
Not bad if you can eat overlooking the river itself, I suppose, but if you can't . . . .
Oak and Aging Wine
I don't know, Bill. I've never had a debate over a wine that was over-the-hill before . . .
What do producers/wineries do with their peaked wines?
. . . or Hurricane Katrina (as but one example).
Oak and Aging Wine
OK, keep in mind I've only been in Richmond once, and that was about 12 years ago. . .
I've *not* been to the Barrel Thief (Patterson & Libbie), but I like the concept. http://www.barrelthiefwine.com/
I've been to ONE location of Total Wine -- McLean? Fairfax? I don't remember. It seemed OK, but I wasn't all that excited -- then again, I live in California, so I'm used to having some great retailers in easy reach. In terms of selection, it's fine for buying current releases. Can't comment on pricing.
But Virginia is the home to at least one excellent importer, Kysela Pere et Fils -- http://www.kysela.com/ -- and it's worth giving them a call to see where his wines can be found in Richmond.
One excellent way of finding great wines is to find an importer that you like, that you *know* ships in refers, and cares about what they bring into the US. Of course, the "founding father" of this category is Kermit Lynch.
East Coast importers and/or agents well worth trusting include the aforementioned Kysela, Louis/Dressner, Robert Kacher, Terry Theise, Jorge Ordonez, and Weygandt-Metzler, to name a few.
Sazerac Cocktail Recipe [moved from New Orleans]
>>> Speaking of disappearing rye - has anyone noticed that the sazerac 6 yr is becoming rare and creeping up in price? <<<
Sadly, yes . . .
Oak and Aging Wine
>>> How do you 'shop around' to find these classic wines or buy wines that age? <<<
While stores like Beverages, and more!, Total Wine & more, or even places like Trader Joe's or Costco can be a reasonable place to purchase NEW vintages of wine (i.e.: current releases), ***none*** of these places are sources that I would trust for purchasing older vintages of wine. New wines that can age? Sure! Wines which already have some age on them? No.
Virtually every (major) urban area has at least one "serious" wine merchant (as opposed to a "liquor store"). The more "serious" the wine you wish the buy, the better served you are by getting to know your merchant. In other words, the corner store or supermarket -- or even gas station, in some places -- is perfectly fine if you're buying a bottle of White Zinfandel or a 12-pack of Old Milwaukee, but would you want to buy a bottle of Château Cheval Blanc or a bottle of Chimay? (Not likely.) On the other hand, the serious wine merchant not only will have that bottle of wine (or beer), but many others -- some similar to those, but for less -- AS WELL AS the knowledgable sales staff to be able to assist you find the right wine(s) for your taste, as opposed to the "wine with the pretty label that's on sale."
Where do you live? What city? First of all, in many locations, wine shops, university extension programs, community colleges, even some city Parks & Recreation Departments offer wine classes . . . this can be a great place to START learning more about wine, including how to identify the basics. But secondly, if we have a specific location for you (more specific than "eastcoast US"), we can probably recommend some good stores for you to check out . . .
It's a place to start.
What do producers/wineries do with their peaked wines?
True. Some do. Others are more intent on having members buy the *new* vintage, and so will attempt to sell off the wines to wholesalers and, thus, restaurants and/or retailers. It all depends upon the winery, the size of their production, their reputation, etc. -- no one size fits all.
;^)
