God is in the details

There is a widely published endilible link between music and fashion, and I think there is also an endilible link between fashion, design, music, and food and wine.

The place matters. The setting matters. The aura- the music- it matters. I think back to my truly profound dining experiences and there was a soundtrack that raised the dining level to profound. I remember the flowers, the lighting, the feeling of energy in the room...even if it was just The Modern for a Sunday lunch (one of my great recent dining experiences).

When I grew up my father would play LPs of Bach, Brahms, Handel, etc...during dinner and I truly believe this grounded me in the appreciation of dining (even though I'm sure he never intended for this).

For me, I will always return to classic Baroque for dinner. It's timeless, and per above has a very important emotional connection for me with the table. But, I love my blues. I love my jazz- my Coltrane and Davis. And here, while writing this I find myself listening to live Coldplay...and seeing this being an excellent soundtrack to a glass of rose at The Modern bar.

Trump's Trump. But he once remarked, "God is in the details." In that he is spot on.

Essential Reading

I put out an offer to my client's this morning entitled "Sauce Gribiche". I took the recipe from my wife's Grandfether's book, The Seafood Cookbook. I never met Pierre Franey, but he continues to be a heavy inspiration for me in regards to COTT moments and what I consider to be quality in food.

His resume is legendary. His work at the NY Times has anchored that paper as the country's foodie newspaper even to this day. And many people don't know that he has written like 10+ books; all excellent. But I have 3 which I consider absolutely necessary:



60 Minute Gourmet
http://www.amazon.com/New-York-Times-60-Minute-Gourmet/dp/0812933028/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211943775&sr=8-4

The Seafood Cookbook
http://www.amazon.com/Seafood-Cookbook-Pierre-Franey/dp/0812916042/ref=pd_bbs_sr_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211943683&sr=8-8

Cuisine Rapide
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisine-Rapide-Pierre-Franey/dp/0812917464/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211943683&sr=8-2


Especially Cuisine Rapide...some of the best incredibly simple recipes you will find anywhere.

My apologies for passing on the past couple of days...

Obviously a big holiday weekend, and many wines flowed with many dishes being served. Everything from 1983 Chateau Certan...which is drinking right now (and I'm not so sure about how much later, so pop the corks on your '83 Certan's if you got 'em)...to simple New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc...to house Gruner Veltliner.

We missed the rose boat...just the way the weekend went down, but it got me thinking about what I would serve to guests. It's a timeless question that every wine shop owner gets every Summer...."I'm having a party. I'm serving to varied guests of wine knowledge and/or passion, and I have a budget. What should I serve?"

Such a wide open question, so many possibilities, but mid-Saturday I oddly enough found myself at that exact party. And I started thinking and wondering. Here's what I would have advised for you:

Summer Dinner / Luncheon party

Rose (under $15 retail) from Europe. Keep it lean, mean, and offer something different. (ie, Cotes du Rhone Rose, Rose of Nebbiolo from Italy, Rose from Burgundy, etc...)

White...Anjou, Savennieres, or a very good Muscadet. If it's Italian, be very chosey on the crisp and white thing...maybe a very interesting Falanghina?

Fun, cool option: Chilled small production Beaujolais. It's a foodie classic. Chilled. Seriously.

Red: Fitou, Corbieres, or Faugeres...think grilled foods, heat, Summer, sea-based peppery reds, Mediterannean, etc...

These wines (and their prices- even in today's economic climate) have never failed me.

A Cru Ranking of California Vineyards

Over the past couple of years, as my study and profession of wine continued to move along, I have been under the notion that someone should formally write down and publish the "Cru Vineyards of California". Bordeaux has a published list. Burgundy has a published list. Alsace. Germany. Chavignol. California is definitely old enough that unique, singular, and "special" vineyards- special places for that matter- should be recognized as having superior terroir. It's a project I think I will start...now.

Grand Cru
ToKalon Vineyard, Napa
James Berry Vineyard, Paso Robles
Charles Heintz Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Barbara
Melville Vineyard, Santa Barbara
Hudson Vineyard, Napa
Marcassin Vineyard, Napa
Black Sears Vineyard, Napa
Monte Bello Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains
Mount Carmel Vineyard, Santa Barbara
Clos Pepe Vineyard, Santa Barbara
Dutton Ranch Vineyard, Sonoma

Premier Cru
Griffin's Lair Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
Savoy Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
Spring Ridge Mountain Vineyard, Santa Cruz
Kiser Vineyard, Anderson Valley

And I'm already lost. Well, a start. I welcome your input. Hit the "0 Comments" button below and let me know what I've missed.
Seasmoke Vineyard, Santa Barbara

How to make Loire Valley Cab Franc work

I never understood the importance of the Loire until now.

The wines are not easy; they demand a conversation, and for that reason simply can't be cocktail wines. And having visited through a slew of the top producers last July I came away a little confused. I felt like I missed something. Until tonight.

The Cabernet Franc that grows in the Loire produces meaty wines. They are often defined by a certain vegetal quality and green pepper notes. They are intensely minerally and wrought with terroir, and as I said above there's so much hitting your palate that you simply aren't allowed to gulp and swallow.

There's fruit too. There's actually tons of fruit- for me always defined by some sort of raspberry profile, usually black raspberry.

But tonight I had some Loire reds hanging out and I made a simpled marinated grilled chicken breast (in chipolte sauce). And the wines were perfect. Powerful enough to stand up to the spice. Earthy enough to not overwhelm the chicken meat. And the vegetal thing brought it all together with the little tiny pieces of blackened meat.

If you haven't tried them, go by yourself a Chinon, or a Touraine Cabernet, or a Saumur Champigny Rouge, or a Bourgeuil. Chill it down a little. Open the grill and sear some meat. You will find a delicious combination.

Kermit

It's been a long day, and a long week- and it's only Wednesday.

Overall, as the wine biz has tightened and become more competitive due to the currency and consumers tightening their own wallets, I find myself in need of inspiration. Why sell this stuff? After all, it's only fermented grape juice...why ask consumers to pay more than 2 buck chuck?

Than I go back to Kermit. Kermit Lynch is one of the old school super great wine importers. And his two books, Adventures on the Wine Route and Inspiring Thirst are living testaments to the ability of wine to create a personal culture of the table which celebrates life, love, people, experiences, and of course- food. For me, his writings make it more than acceptable to spend over $20bt on a single bottle of wine.

Go to Amazon...buy some used copies. Keep them tableside.

You will be inspired.

Monday Night Special

I just bought a house. It's my first house. Right now, for me, it's expensive (although everyone keeps telling me that it all oddly works out.) So yes, like any freaked person about their personal finances I'm cutting back. Luckily for me my work's definitely increased, so fortunately COTT moments are demanding of much shorter preparations than I would normally like. That's OK. I can have a COTT on a budget and 20 minutes.

Pasta and sauce. It's cheap. It's pre-made. It can be dressed up and elegant. After experimenting with several sauces I've actually come to like Barilla's the best. They seem to add a little sugar to enrich the tomatoes and it does kind of make the sauce taste a little fresher. Chop some parseley- throw it in there. Drizzle some very good olive oil over it. Large chunks of freshly ground black pepper. And a lot of very good grated Parmigiana.

Wine: Dolcetto. Dolcetto is like the pasta and sauce of Italian wine. You know it. You know it's good. It can be cheesy and made to be Merlot-like. But good producers make very interesting examples: DeForville, Roagna, Borgogno, Boglietti Tiglieneri, Rinaldi, Mascarello, Luigi Enuadi, etc...

Consider it...on a Monday night.

The Importance of Thevenet

Thevenet is important.

If you love French wine than you should know about Thevenet, just as you know about Lu-Lu Bize-Leroy, or Raveneau, or Dagueneau. The Thevenet family is known as the old school benchmark winemakers for over-the-top, Grand Cru-esque styled Maconnais wines. They harvest a little later than normal, but do so with laughable low yields. Then their elevage is incredibly long, and you usually aren't supposed to even think about drinking the wines unless they have a couple years on them.

I couldn't resist myself. Last week I saw a bottle of Thevenet St Veran Clos de L'Ermitage Cuvee Vieilles Vignes 2006. I grabbed it. There came a point on Saturday when my wife and I wanted some white. It was in the fridge- my mistake to begin with (this should have been down in the cellar). And when I blew the hatch and tasted it I knew I had screwed up. The wine was wound wound wound. Like super G tight.

It opened over the weekend and was enjoyable. I don't want to say that I didn't enjoy drinking this wine. It's just that I've had older Thevenet wines, so I know what this artist intends for proper consumption- and it ain't fresh release wines to be opened right away.

But anyway, point is for $25 this is drinking better than most 1er Cru Chablis, better than most AOC Chassagnes and Pulignys. It is incredibly interesting and unique. I'm not going to do the fruit profile thing cause that would cheese it up a lot; and the wine's better than that. Let's just leave it at this- it's a very very serious wine.

Lamb/Rhone...not perfected

As a Long Islander, I'm longing for the heat at this point. It's freezing- very cold for the time of year, and my person wants to be outside. East outside. Drink cold wines. Roses. And leave the Winter until again.

Rhone. That's where my mind's at these days. Chateauneuf is you can find good affordable CDP. (Domaine St benoit CDP Rge Grande Garde 2005- drinking very well right now). But, I grew up drinking Liracs, Rasteaus, Cairannes, etc...The other great villages. And of course lamb along with these wines. (I'm determined to eat and drink my Spring some how.)

Did lamb sauteed on the stove tonight. Finished with a little puree of garlic and olives and olive oil. It was OK. It needed the grill, but it was raining. I lament.

'Tis the weekend and the garden needs my help. Fresh herbs. Young vegetables, and a bottle of Thevenet St Veran.

A dieu...

Insalata Amalfitana

Absolutely amazing amazing salad.

Went to go see a client today and found myself early by about 2 hours. Cool. Bring on the return of a fine business lunch. Why not? Maybe a return to the days of the two martini lunch. Can you imagine that? Like mid-1980s, and you go out to lunch- with clients (!)- and bang out 2 martinis. I'd lose so much business...or maybe I'd make so much more business...than I'd know what to do with. Times are different. My dad did the 2 martini lunches back in the day. But then again, faxes were highly complex and revolutionary. Dad's passed, but the thought of him under the laser pressure of blackberry business speed doesn't match.

Anyway, back to return to the 80s business lunch today- a true thing I wish we would do. (Where are the expense accounts anymore.). Great little restaurant in Huntington, NY (Long Island): Jonathan's. Proprietor's name is Roberto. He's out of Rome, and came over to work at Le Cirque..eventually he made his way out East. But, the key is the dude knows Italian freshness.

It's such a simple salad...paper thin slices of red onion, raw fennel, some baby arugala, and small peeled tangerine slices. The key is a perfect dressing of salt and white pepper, and fantastic olive oil and lemon juice. The salad is incomparable.

I returned to the 80s and di the business lunch, sans wine or martini. Sorry, actually did have to be "business-like" by early afternoon. But, I would have loved a half bottle of Russiz Superiore Sauvignon with this. Russiz is one of absolute favorites in Friuli...the delineation of acid and minerals that you find in Alto Adigean whites with the power of Jermann, the most famous producer in Friuli.

Ah well....next time.

2004 Terres Dorees Beaujolais Vieilles Vignes

Things are getting a little more difficult to continue to perform a COTT moment each night as Little Man maintenance is definitely getting the way of prep, plating, and eating. It's all good though. He's Little Man and I love him more than myself. There will plenty of other nights where I'll get to cook a great meal, enjoy a well laid out table, and feast with great wine.

But, did manage to pull of some simple flounder. People poo-poo the flounder; that's a mistake. Flounder is one of the world's great cheap meats. (I know. I know. Buy skate- it's classic!) And flounder with a simple breaded crust with a pat of butter, some parseley, and lemon is just ridiculously simple to make. The key I've learned is a hot hot pan, with the fat being a mix of butter and olive oil. Seems to work the best through the heat.

Anyway, made a simple salad, and knocked down a glass of the above wine- and it was on day 3 mind you. Just shows the great complexity of grower Bojo. Gamay that actually tastes like it's place. There are earth, leather, and herbal notes that you would associate with the Rhone. And then a dark, almost Gevery quality. All in all, you would never guess Gamay. Damn, this shit is earthy and funky (but like P-Funk funky, good funky).

Go buy a bottle. I found mine for $15. In my mind it's drinking $23.