Wine Blogging Wednesday 42--Seven Words or Less on Saladini Pilastri Pregio del Conte Vendemmia 2003

Brash fruit, bright acid straddle tight tannins.

The Wine That Changed My Life

Last night I attended a meeting of the Association for Women in Communications. During the cocktail reception I talked about my passion for wine. Sitting next to me was a vivacious brunette who reminisced about the first time she tasted a really fine wine. She didn’t remember what she drank, but she said that glass completely changed the way she thought about wine. I told her I had the same experience.
The first time I tasted a wine that shattered all my expectations I was sitting in the antiques-laden livingroom of my inlaw’s Montclair home. My father-in-law, who always struck me as having walked off the set of a Fred Astaire film, entered the room carrying a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape. I don’t know the vintage or the producer—didn’t pay much attention to that back then. The wine was presented to me and my husband as being something very special. I sipped the dark wine and let it sit in my mouth, where the liveliest things began to happen. I was awe-struck by the dimensions of flavor I was tasting. First fruit. Then leather, then something earthy, was there a smokiness there? There was so much going on in my mouth I was awestruck. And that was it. The genie was out of the bottle. I knew. I knew what I had been missing, what all the fuss was about, why certain wines command hundreds or even thousands of dollars. My ideas and expectations for wine were never the same.

Sunday Nights, Set Your Sights on Compass

Well, it’s Restaurant Week in NYC, but don’t worry if you miss it. You can still get awesome nosh at a sleek Upper West Side spot for a cool $35. The prix fix menu at Compass restores one’s faith in fine dining on a budget. A few friends and I recently feasted on decadently rich mushroom soup, beautiful striped sea bass, and crunchy-creamy chocolate-peanut butter torte. But the coup de grace was that on Sunday nights, bottles of wine are half price! Their wine list is a wondrous: France is well represented, there are pages of California pours, and much, much more. Unfortunately, that wonderful wine list could ruin your budget meal, even at half price. Turning to my favorite Burgundy, Gevrey-Chambertin, I realized I could get the $300 bottle for only $150 that night. Still a little rich for my blood. So, here is my suggestion. Our quartet enjoyed a little gem of a Beaujolais, a 2005 Morgon, that had good fruit, elegant structure, and was thoroughly enjoyable with the bass. We drank two half-priced bottles, basically paying $46 for one and getting the other for free.
We felt thoroughly pampered, despite ordering off the prix fixe. There was a tasty amuse-bouche of lamb to start and four Lilleputian desserts--from a little cube of home-made marshmallow to tiny cookies--to finish. As we lounged at the table and waited for the check, we were shocked to receive yet another gift…each couple received a bag with two muffins. As our waiter explained, “And here’s something for tomorrow.” The next day, my friends and I all marveled at the delightful muffin that extended the pleasure of our visit to Compass.

WBW #41 Friuli Venezia

This varietal from northeast Italy was a real eye-opener. So much richer and fruitier than many of the crisp yet bland Pinot Grigios I've had. The aroma was very rich, full of ripe apricot. The flavor was equally lively. The Vigna Traversa Ribolla Gialla I tried was bursting with fruit, had very nice acidity and a long finish. Very satisfying and refreshing. This 2006 was about $16. Thanks for the topic!

That Extra Bottle

My family threw a big party over the holidays, and a lot of our guests brought wine. Which resulted in me having a bottle of Yellow Tail Chardonnay left over. I wasn’t going to hold on to that one (unlike the bottle of Chablis from a friend who knows my taste better). I decided that my book club meeting was the perfect place to unload, I mean, share the bottle. We discussed Suite Francaise, a beautifully written tale of the Nazi occupation of France. As we analyzed the complex story of more than a dozen different characters, we enjoyed the kinds of snacks that make bookclub a good place to come hungry: nacho dip, cheese and crackers, one-bite cupcakes, Oreos with peppermint cream, a full box of Russell Stover Chocolates. The hostess was charming, but no oenophile: she handed me the corkscrew to open the bottle. It was amazing how a little wine relaxed the ladies and enlivened the conversation. The Yellow Tail tasted fine. And on a night like this, the wine didn’t have to be expensive or complicated or nuanced. It just had to be there. Now, if I could only unload that extra beer

Wine Blogging Wednesday 40-- Petite Sirah, mais Grand Fruit

Pardon my French--I met with my local language group last night, Les Francophones. And speaking of language, I'd love to have the inconsistency in Sirah and Syrah explained. But onto the wine. I had tried Petite Syrah before and remembered that I was struck by its intense berry elements, and this bottle confirmed my impression of the varietal. I had a 2005 Petite Sirah Paso Robles from Courtney Benham (as the label says, "a member of the Martin Ray Family of Fine Wines.") This young, sassy pour was, in a word, BERRYLICIOUS. A smidgeon of tannin helped balance out the huge blackberry fruit. This bottle came in well south of $20 and was quite enjoyable. I had a pork casserole (much better than it sounds) and the huge fruit did dominate a bit. Despite this mis-match, I really enjoyed the wine. I've been drinking a lot of Bordeaux lately, and it was fun to mix things up with something completely different. Thanks for the topic; it was great to drink PS again.

Wine Blogging Wednesday - Silver Burgundy

Here's my first foray into the WBW world. I was already pretty familiar with the whites of the Macon, so I decided to try a red Burgundy from the area. No small feat! My local wine shop, Total Wine, has a nice red Burgundy selection, but not outside that golden slope. (I was happily surprised by their extensive Beaujolais choices). After nearly giving up, I spied one that fit the bill. I took home a 2005 Chateau de la Tour de L'Ange, a Bourgogne Pinot Noir, for $13.99. It was bottled at the chateau in Charnay les Macon, and is Appellation Bourgogne - Pinot Controlee. It's a 2005, very light, high acid, fruit forward. On the nose, I got a lot of strawberry. No finish to speak of, but it was a nice quaffable bottle I enjoyed with mild cheese. On their bilingual web site I learned that the wine can be drunk young or aged ten years. That's my report--cheers to all the other WBW bloggers...