Today is my day off. Like most of my days off I try to really live it up. Most people my age might disagree, but living it up to me is putting a big piece of meat in the oven on a low heat, reading a couple hundred pages in a book and drinking half a bottle of good wine while I wait for the meat to cook. Then, once dinner is ready, polishing off the second half of that bottle. So today I did just that. I bought some lamb and a bottle of Alejandro Fernandez's 2004 Dehesa La Granja, 100% Temparnillo. I put the lamb on a low temp and opened up the bottle to get a little taste. The aromas exploded out of the glass… cider spice notes and blackberry aromas. The first taste was exactly what I wanted from this wine, sweet spices covered with dark berry notes followed by smooth silky tannins. Excellent!
Alejandro Fernandez is a living icon of modern Spanish wine, Alejandro Fernández was one of the first in his country to return to biodynamic, low yield viticulture in order to produce concentrated oak-aged red wines capable of extended bottle aging. Alejandro was the person to rein in his fellow wine makers in the Ribera del Duero and say "Hey we can make world class wine here, that shows the grape and the land." That is exactly what he did.
The wine has developed gracefully over the last 3 hours revealing softer tannins and a beautiful acidity. Though the wine has rested in a American oak for 2 years it never seems overwhelming, just apparent enough to understand why it was aged in American oak. This wine was excellent with dinner and really suited the lamb. The wine brought out flavors of the lamb, as well as the lamb with the wine, an overall great pair. Lamb the four letter word of food.
Back in college I used to consider Heineken to be a "fancy" beer. And by "fancy" I mean that I couldn't afford it. Advertisers had convinced me that only stock brokers were allowed to drink the green bottle import beers. I, however, was limited to the domestic suds, but not even the name brands. I'm talking about the bang for your buck beers. $15 Keystone Light 30 packs were what you would find in my fridge.
My palate has grown and so has my wallet (barely). I have surrendered my shotgun loaded full of natty lite, and now I pour cans of craft beer into a glass. I sip rather than chug, and I enjoy my nights as much as I enjoy my mornings. I have matured and consider myself to drink like a responsible adult, but my expectations of what that meant have been surpassed… I've forgotten about the beer that I always lusted after. The skunky green bottle beer is not the only option. I never receive a holiday five pack. So, every now and again when I find myself staring at the wall of beers for a little too long I remember an old crush, and treat myself to something fancy.
Cantina Giardino Le fole Aglianico d’Irpinia 2008. Well it isn't really the wine of the day because I had it last night, but I still think it is worthy of Wine of the Day status. In my opinion, Le fole is the best wine you have never heard of.
Aglianico is an inky-skinned red wine grape native to southern Italy. It was the first wine that turned on the light in the attic to illuminate what Italian wine could be and should be. Aglianico is one of the most accessible wines in the world. It is real hard to miss the complexity of the wine. It is humble, but powerful without being over the top. Elegant, full of velvety tannins and it continues to be the greatest value in wine. If you haven't tried Aglianico, the Le Fole is the one to try. At $24.99 it is a steal. A great wine shows its place. This wine shows its place. You taste the volcanic soils, the sun drenched vineyards, the salt from the sea. You think I'm kidding? Well, maybe I'm embellishing a little, but if you take anything from this post take this: GO OUT AND BUY AGLIANICO while it is still inexpensive. Sooner or later it will get the respect it so rightfully deserves and the price will go through the roof. Until then buy Aglianico from producers like D'Angelo in Basilicata, Mastroberardino in Campania and Cantina Giardino in Campania.
I just tasted a beautiful wine. It tasted of lime stone, slate and crisp green apples, but it had a touch of sweetness. It was an overall dry white wine that would be perfect with fish tacos. What is it?
When I first opened this bottle of aged Bordeaux all I could think was breathe, baby breathe!! My wine mentor and all around life coach Charles Scicolone once told me, in a thick Brooklyn accent, "Bill, old wine is like an old man and you don't shake up an old man." For those of you who don't speak Brooklynese, Charles was saying when you open a wine with some age you have to let it wake up. So be patient and you will be rewarded with more than just a drink… an experience.
Chateau Simard is situated on the sunny southern slopes of Saint-Emilion. The estate is surrounded by first growth vineyards. The grapes of Simard have excellent exposure and grow in soil made up of clay, sand and gravel. The wine making is traditional in style with an emphasis on aging the wines prior to their release. The current vintage is 1999, while the current vintages of most other Bordeaux on the market are 2005, 2006 or 2007 and even younger for Bordeaux Superior. Chateau Simard prides themselves in delivering wines of great value that are ready to drink now.
The first hour after I popped the cork the juice was tight and tasted like Merlot water. As the second hour approached the sun began to rise over the mountains, and my wine yawned and shook off the cobwebs. He had put on his robe of velvet tannins, picked a bowl full of black cherries for breakfast, and opened up the door to the cedar wood sauna. He showed the elegant power of a Bordeaux twice the price, yet remained humble at only $29.99. By the third hour the party was in full swing and he was singing Prince's 1999 at the top of his lungs "If you didn't come to party, don't bother knocking on my door!" Well, maybe that was me. I love an older wine!
I would pair this beauty with lamb chops, roasted chicken or something fatty like duck. Nothing too heavy, but don't be afraid, this wine is versatile. It would pair well with a wide range of dishes. Do yourself a favor, hit up the Jug and grab a bottle of 1999 Chateau Simard .
Chardonnay is a confusing varietal. Not by nature, but because we have created two distinct styles of the wine. The grape itself exhibits characteristics of apples (from granny smith to honeycrisp), citrus, minerality, and spices, which are most apparent in the leaner more elegant styles of Burgundy. And yet, those flavors respond so well to oak that we've created the voluptuous, oaky, buttery wines most commonly coming out of California.
Chardonnay is going to be really pissed at me if I make you think you that she is a bipolar hot mess. The truth is that she is more than just two extremes. There are a lot of producers creating chardonnays that both parties will want to hang out with. You must be open to traveling beyond France and California to discover your less partial cocktail wine. The good news is that you will save some money as well.
I parked my car on the median in Argentina. The 2009 Alamos Chardonnay smells like baked apples and lemon creme. The mouth feel is creamy and the flavors of oak and crisp citrus acidity are in great balance. Alamos Chardonnay from Mendoza will please the most diverse of palates and, at $9.99, will be easy on the lightest of wallets.
Give Tequila another chance! Most of the tequila that you have come to hate is actually tequila-flavored rum. To be called "tequila" it only needs to be made from 51% agave. In such a case, usually the rest of the distillate comes from sugar cane. Unless you see on the label 100% de agave, which is a sign of true tequila. Go to any authentic Mexican restaurant and ask what kind of tequila they use for their house margaritas. It will not be "cue the hangover" Cuervo. It will be a brand that you have never heard of that is made from 100% blue agave. That is the difference between the tequila you think you know, and the tequila you should know.
I am in my living room listening to Float on by The Floaters .
Sipping on a glass of Espolón reposado it mirrors that song: relaxation and happiness. That's right, stop, don't shoot! Forget about the lime. Sip on a glass of tequila. Float, float on… What if you could enjoy the way it tastes, rather than hurry to get that taste out of your face? Flavor--sabor--savor--that's why I love real tequila.
For a reposado (the literal translation of which is rested, refers to the time the tequila spends in oak barrels, somewhere between 6 months to 1 year) I would guess that this is rested for closer to 1 year because of the darker color, a much richer golden color than most reposados...but I would be wrong. Espolón is only aged for the minimum 6 months in American oak barrels. The darker color of the tequila is due to the extended roasting of the piñas, 6-8 hours longer roasting time than most distilleries. This imparts not only richer color, but richer flavors as well. Spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and allspice come to mind. Flavors of caramel and creme brulee are apparent and are well balanced enough to still show the wonderful roasted agave fruit flavors.
At only $19.99. a bottle this tequila is phenomenal. I would get a bottle before the price goes up. Seriously, go get a bottle now, I bet it is going to cost twice as much soon. And when the price goes up, it will still be worth your money. I like drinking it straight, but it makes a mean margarita as well.
I am going to start by saying I love apples! "I'm an Apple Man. This is my son H.W.…" Sorry, I channeled Daniel Day Lewis there for a second, but seriously, I love apples. That is why last night when I wanted to take a bottle of something home that wasn't beer and wasn't wine I reached for the Domaine Dupont Cider 2010.
The Dupont family has been in the Pays d'Auge since the 1700's. The Pays d'Auge is an area of Normandy, France known for Calvados, Cider and cheeses especially Camembert. The poor soils of the Pays d' Auge are a chalky marl, perfect for growing apples for distillation or fermentation. The non fertile soil restricts the growth of the apples giving them a higher skin to pulp ratio which adds much needed tannins. The tannins give the cider balance. Without the tannins the ciders would be too tart. Domaine Dupont achieves this balance by blending no less then 13 apple varieties, all of which are chosen perfectly for the terroir of the orchards.
The finished product is balanced, elegant and inviting. Using only indigenous yeast, a controlled fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats. It is then transferred to used Calvados barrels where it will slowly improve for 6 months. Then it is off to it's final vessel, the bottle.
The cider is unfiltered giving it a hazy yellow color. The nose has a funky yeasty smell with hints of Camembert. It smells like some of my favorite Orange wines, but don't let that put you off. Across the palate it is pure apple nectar. The off dry flavors give way to a bright beautiful acidity.
This cider could easily age for 4 to 5 years in the right cellar. Good luck not drinking it though. I left half the bottle to see how it would develop over night and I dreamed about it in my sleep. I don't usually have a drink in the morning *wink *wink, but I had the rest of this cider with breakfast. What did I have for breakfast you ask? Well the cider of course. In case you are wondering it developed beautifully. It tasted as fresh as when I first opened it.
If you haven't figured by now I highly recommended this product. Bookend your meal with a couple of bottles… an aperitif and a dessert. It is priced just right at $19.99. Buy it today!!
This is what I was listening to as I wrote this post:
San Francisco is one of the more liberated and (not to mention) lubricated cities of America. When I first moved here I thought you could drink openly on the street. I found out the SFPD disagrees, the hard way. Though I can't condone it, I would like to lay out some guidelines to help you better enjoy publicly drinking in San Francisco.
1: Brown bags are yesterday's news. Brown bags are not-so-bright arrows that point to concealed beers. Cops know what is in that bag. Instead, I prefer Solo cups. They are so obvious, they're not. Believe me no cop is gonna come up and ask to taste what is in the cup. Two of my favorite wines for Solo drinking are the Etz Gruner Veltliner and Orsolani Erbaluce Liters. Both of the wines are well-balanced white wines with luscious acidity, fresh floral aromas and a great mineral tang.
Another alternative to the brown bag is the travel coffee mug. Perfect for the bus ride home after work. Just rinse that mug out, grab a beer at the corner store, and you've got your own private happy hour! No one's going to say..."Oh, hey look, that guy's got some froth in his mustache, it must be a delicious beer he's got in that travel mug." They're going to assume that that froth on your upper lip is from that latte you got at blue bottle. So, sip away and smile as you watch all of the other crotchety commuters on muni, and contemplate the idea that they might all be grinning too if only they had gotten a cup to go.
2: Make your drinks at home and take them on the road. Dust off your Klean Kanteen and add your favorite mix drink. One of the trendiest drinks of the season is the John Daly, named after the drunken golfer John "DUI" Daly. The lazy man's way is mix Sweet Tea Vodka with some lemonade. BORING!! If you want a hangover or you just wanna impress the bros at the frat go with Firefly or Seagrams. I prefer to do it the real deal way. I mix Hangar One straight vodka, Fentimens botanically brewed lemonade and add Guayaki Yerba Mate. The Hangar One is smooth and delicous, the Fentimens is the best lemonade on the market and Guayaki adds a natural caffeine kick in the pants. Chill this down and take it on the run.
3: Drink like a Pro, no JV stuff around here. You don't have to be an alcoholic to drink like a pro either. You just need a brain and you need to use it. No one likes a sloppy drunk. You know who you are, you get two drinks in you, you wanna tell the world how your drunk and you don't care. No one cares! In fact we care so little we want you to go away. I can't count the amount of times on a Friday or Saturday some 22 year old kid comes in blotto and has to tell me how he is "sooo hammered." Well, idiot, now I can't sell you that 30 pack of bud lite. Pull yourself together. Don't tell the person who you are buying alcohol from that you are drunk. Why? Because as much as I would love to be a part of the good-times I can't know you are drunk. It is illegal for me to serve drunk people. So keep it cool and the party can continue. Act a fool and party over.
I hope this has opened your eyes to the party possibilities of San Francisco. So as always be safe and above all else have a good time.
