The Corkdork - Wine and Food Musing

Corkdork in Cork (Ireland)

I know my postings have been scanty these days, but the last couple of weeks has been a mad dash to finish up school for the kids, pack them off to various camps, and then pack ourselves up for more than two weeks in Ireland. We're really here for a celebratory return to herself's roots on for a landmark birthday, and coincidentally a not-so-landmark birthday for me in Cork City.

Big thanks to Boo.com (a Euro-Yelp) for a couple of great eating suggestions, first in Dublin, then in Cork and Kinsale. A few recommendations I give at this point (Day 4 in Ireland): In Dublin, a great lunch or dinner (if you book enough advance) can be had at the Winding Stair, close to the famous Ha'penny bridge. The Winding Stair has a good bookstore on the ground level and some windy steps that bring you up to a cozy spot focused on the local and organic. I had two special things for lunch --a seafood terrine with incredible brown bread, caperberries, and light aoli. This was followed by local celeb smoker Sarah Barnes' smoked pollack poached in milk with onions and cheddar mash - excellent. Very good wine list as well. We had a nice Alsatian Pinot Blanc. Also try the lamb chops, which for Americans, are very mild and fine.

First pint in Dublin was actually not Guiness, but a "Plain" from Mssrs MacGuire's (Master Brewers). Fresher and lighter in body than any Guiness I've had and very delicious. Herself had the "Haus" pilsner which is in Czec style, racy and delicious.

Next off to Cork County. We started off for Issac's for my birthday dinner, but when the menu didn't look food-allergy safe, we stumbled in to an alley next door and a very special place: Greenes Bar & Restaurant
Entrance through
Cobblestone Arch
48 MacCurtain Street,
Cork.
T: 021 4552279 F: 021 4506355
E: greenes@isaacs.ie
www.isaacs.ie
The first thing that strikes you is the beauty of the waterfall outside in the courtyard where you can sit and have a drink and wait for your table. The iridescent rock was there for millennia but the waterfall is actually man-made and well lit so it dominates the view from inside the restaurant as well. The hostess was French as was much of the staff, and the food is surprisingly well executed. An amuse-bouche came out of beautiful chicken liver mousse over some onion confit and drops of special balsamic vinegar. Since it was a special occasion, I got something totally unexpected and decidedly non-native...kangaroo tenderloin with roasted zucchini for my appetizer whilst herself went local...Irish beef carpaccio. Then onto (maybe a tad too) ample entrees of Monkfish with potato gratin,  and Beef Filet with potato cake and chanterelles for me. Both were very nice indeed, though the Filet's chanterelles were odd and unlike any mushroom I've ever had . We had a memorable bottle of wine as well, 2005 Mercurey 1er Cru Champs Martin from Domaine Emile Juillot (Theulot Vineyards). Fresh bing cherries pop out of an earthy core. Well worth seeking out. (I plan to when I return to the States).

Today we were off to the quaint village of Kinsale to the south of Cork. Best find there was the small tables at the Fishy Fishy retail store where the place was hopping on a rainy day with people enjoying the excellent seafood chowder, oysters, and crabs. We liked it so much that we bought dinner to bring home and warm up --little aluminum coquille-st.-jacques shells filled with cod, smoked cod, and salmon, bound together with cream and potatoes and topped with delicious basil bread crumbs. This, with a loaf of there excellent homemade brown bread was a great simple supper.  A late night find? The Long Valley for a cool pint of Murphey's.

Willamette Tour 2008 Part Three

Next stop on the tour was a visit with Scott Paul Wright at his eponymous winery and import HQ in Carlton, Scott Paul. Scott is a rare breed in the wine business. He's a Burgundian in an American's skin, really. After a thirty-year career in the music and radio industries, Scott found his calling in the wine trade, capitalizing on his love and expertise on Pinot and Burgundy. Now, he's not only making first class Oregon Pinot, he's bringing in some excellent producers into the U.S. from the vin-motherland. If you're traveling to the Carlton area, don't miss a visit here. Where else can you taste beautiful red and white Burgundies and Oregon Pinot at the same stop? Here are my favorites:

Burgundies:

2006 Chablis Domaine des Chenevières/Frédéric Gueguen
Big bright minerality, clean, warm, and fat. 100% Stainless killer Chardonnay. Recommended.

2004 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Domaine J-J Confuron
Huge spice and primal, earthy tones. Beautiful wine and a 2004 not to overlook. Recommended.

2004 Pommard Charmots Domaine Aleth  Girardin
Punchy and dense, a lovely mid-palate hit of sweet fruit, dry and tart finish. Recommended.

2005 Morey- St. Denis Domaine Taupenot-Merme
Spectacular texture and balance. There is again a ripe fruit backbone mixed with perfect acid and earthy barnyard aromas. Highly recommended.

2005 Mazoyeres-Chambertin Grand Cru Domaine Taupenot-Merme
Young and tart with a cherry lift. Juicy and spicy. Delicious.

Scott Paul Wines

2006 Scott Paul La Paulée Pinot Noir
Scott's love of the dense Burgundian sweet-fruit mid-palate comes through. The La Paulée has an unusual long wild strawberry finish. Big, round, and lovely. Keep this for a few more years, though before opening it with a special meal.Highly recommended.

2006 Scott Paul "Audrey" Pinot Noir
This bio-dynamic Pinot  is unfortunately sold out, but if you were luck enough to acquire some, age this for a few more years to bring out the blackberry and dense cherry aromas. Delicious.

Willamette Tour 2008 Part Two

Back to blogging. I got busy. Though it's now not day-and-date coverage, there are still some wonderful things I was turned onto and new friends made in Oregon and I have to share them.

The first evening, we did a little grazing for dinner, first stopping for some tapas at:
Toro Bravo
120 NE Russell St. Portland, OR 97212
503.281.4464 fax: 503.281.4700

Most were the usual fare, but the last plate we got was some simple morels in a sherry-tinged cream sauce with some perfect grilled bread. Heaven. Go there now during morel season while the gettin's good.

Next stop was
Ken's Artisan Pizza
304 SE 28th Ave (at corner of Pine St.)
Portland, Oregon 97209
503.517.9951
Genius pizza. Order anything seasonal and it will come with a perfect open pizza-fire char on the edge. We had a young stunner with our pizza, Cristom's Eola-Amity Hills Marjorie Vineyard Pinot Noir 2005.

Morning came and with it more wine appointments and some surprises. The first appointment of the day was at Belle Pente (rhymes with shell font) where Brian O'Donnell poured some spectacular whites from the Yamhill-Carlton District and then some lovely Pinots. He has a light touch on the earth, with most wines either organic or bio-dynamic. I liked pretty much everything he poured, and had him ship a case back to me right away. Here's the rundown:

2006 Belle Pente Willamette Valley Muscat- bright apricot pit. Flinty and mineral notes, special for a Muscat. 80% Muscat Ottonel and 20% Early Muscat. Refreshing and delicious. Recommended.

2006 Belle Pente Reserve Pinot Gris - This lovely off-dry Alsace-style Pinot Gris is oily and floral. Earthy and dense flavors. Recommended.

2005 Belle Pente Willamette Valley Riesling - The low yield, steel tank fermentation, and neutral barrels made for a very lean, dry, austere wine. Floral with a classic touch of petrol.

2006 Belle PenteWillamette Valley Riesling - Much riper than the '05, round and lush with a touch of botrytis.

2005 Belle Pente Willamette Valley Gewurztraminer - From an old plot, this is another slightly oily model of austerity.

2006 Belle Pente Cuvee Contraire - Rosé-Style blend of Gamay Noir and Pinot Noir - round and ripe thanks to a touch of residual malo. A serious pink.

2006 Belle Pente Yamhill-Carlton District Pinot Noir - Lively cherry, light in color but heady. From young vines in a year with an early harvest.

2005 Belle Pente Estate Reserve Pinot Noir - From vines planted in '94, this lovely Pinot has scents of lavender , spice, basil, and smoke. Recommended.

2006 Belle Pente Vineyard Pinot Noir (tank sample) - very bright cherry notes with a lot of spice. Medium-round body.

2006 Belle Pente Estate Reserve Pinot Noir (tank sample) Kirschwasser and cassis notes. Has a dense darkness to the mid-palate. Very grand structure to this wine. Look for this next year and buy it. Recommended.

Willamette Tour 2008: Day one: Ponzi & J.K. Carriere Wines

As a preface to this next series of posts, I'll start by saying when I cooked up this trip with my tasting buddy, O, I had only an inkling of how food focused Portland is, and how many new wines were waiting to be discovered in Willamette Valley. We had some pretty spectacular meals, hit all the foodie hotspots, and even cooked for 14 at a blowout dinner party.

Up at 4:30 PST for me, and 4:00 EST for O, we got to Portland before 10 PST and got right to it. First stop, the first of many cups of perfect joe we were to enjoy through our 4 day stay, at the Albina Press at 4037 North Albina. They make a capuccino that rivals Blue Bottle in the Bay Area (without the sometimes hellacious wait), and is a must stop for any serious coffee freak. Billy Wilson pulls a perfect shot and the milk is somehow the perfect temperature for the quick gulp. No Starbucks-tongue-scald here.

Then off to the Bijou Cafe for breakfast at 132 SW 3rd Ave. Stay clear of the weird roast-beef-hash and eggs. It is as it sounds, like leftovers. Stick with their best-ever scrambled eggs, local bacon, and Pearl's baguette.

First tasting of the day was a Ponzi. I had met Dick and Nancy Ponzi at the Bay Wolf Anniversary Party last year and was looking forward to meeting more of the family.  Unfortunately, there was a home emergency that had to be attended to, so we got a nice private tour, but only got to taste the normal tasting room fare. I tend to like the wines with less oak, so the reserves were not the standouts for me. Of the wines we had, my favorites were:

2007 Ponzi Pinot Gris - nice honeysuckle and pear aromas, very clean. Good value.
2006 Ponzi Pinot Noir Tavola - licorice and smoke. Another good value.
2006 Ponzi Vino Gelato -  Orange muscat and older-vine Riesling, this is a very clean and delicious desert wine. Plenty of acid and nice balance.

Next stop: J.K. Carrierre Wines

I was already familiar with one of Jim Prosser's wines, the 2005 J.K. Carriere Pinot that I had at the S.F. Wine Center, and knew we were in for the kind of winemaker hang worth getting up at 4:30 for. When we first were shown in to the 105 year old barn the winery occupies for now (while they build a few miles away) we were brought up to the attic where a huge kinetic sculpture where the oars a long viking war boat swing gently back and forth. It's great when art and wine collide. Jim's first vintage was 1999 and he has good contracts with some of the best vineyards around: Corral Creek, Shea, Anderson Family, Temperance Hill, Momtazi, Gemini, Brick House, Eola Hills, and Stony Mountain. He trained in Oregon, Burgundy, and Australia and clearly his vintification techniques come mostly from his Burgundian experiences.

The first thing I tasted was his famous 2007 Glass White Pinot Noir. This is a blush colored wine that if you close your eyes, tastes like a flat pinot-based champagne and it's a fascinating wine. It has great acidity and a smokiness like a Pouilly-Fumé, but a round leesy mid-palate. It's made by adding back chardonnay lees from another winery through the bung, which is a tricky procedure. Recommended.

Barrel tasting several elemental Pinots from the 07 vintage showed great signs of next year's releases. Jim is meticulous about the fruit he uses and selects different clonal characteristics to suit each final blend. The Eola Hills  has an earthy cola taste to it, the Temperance Hills (27 year vines) is a little rounder and has lots of raspberries to it. The Shea has nice spice from the 777 clone.

2006 Provocateur Pinot Noir - (Provocateur is French for troublemaker) and this release is Jim's bigger-volume Pinot.  2006 was the second warmest on record, so it's a pretty big wine but approachable now. I don't know many other Pinots in this price range (around US$24) that have the sense of place and structure of this wine. Recommended.

2001 J. K. Carriere Pinot Noir Willamette Valley - Jim does make some single estate Pinots, but asked if we wanted to taste one of those or something with some age on it --I voted for age. I really wanted to see how his wines developed over time. The 2001 was stunning. Lighter in color than the 2005 or 2006 and beginning its light rustiness around the edges, the nose was of black raspberries and dusty charcoal. Highly recommended.

New Restaurant Etiquette: Playing Cards During Dinner

Last night a group of us had a very good meal at Paley's in Portland, which would be called fine dining by anyone's standards. Early in the meal, while we were waiting for nettle pastas and escargots with marrow bones, we looked over at the four-top opposite us and they were playing a busy game of cards between courses! And then when their main course came, they didn't put the cards down, but continued to play. The only thing that interrupted their game play was a brief bit of their singing together every once in a while. While it was endless entertainment for us, it was distracting. All of us had been to hundreds and hundreds of fine restaurants and have never seen such behavior. I know Portland is a different kind of town, but this was a new one. The waiter said he has seen it before. From a thread about this over at Chowhound, it appears that in many states this can be construed as gambling and is actually illegal and can jeopardize the restaurant's liquor license. Have any readers out there ever seen this? Comments please!

Las Vegas Food & Wine Bargain! Sundays at Rosemary's

I end up in Las Vegas quite a bit for work and anyone who has been there in the last few years knows that bargains for eats usually stop at the end of the buffet table or food court. After extensive net searching, I found a wonderful restaurant quite far off the strip that is worth the $25 cab ride to get there. (About a half hour drive).

Forget the excellent food for a minute; Sunday is half-price wine night. --and they have an excellent list. We were able to have these two beauties for a little over a hundred dollars...

2005 Olivier Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet - a steely wonder from what is turning out to be a stunning year. Filled with minerality and focus this was a steal at $52.

2001 Sanguineti Brunello di Montalcino - leathery textured and bursting with heady licorice-tinged red currents. Another total steal at $56 or so. Recommended by the excellent sommelier.

Back to the food --all of which was first rate, and another bargain if you choose to use their $50 prix fixe. Much of their food is slanted toward the creole treatment, but done with a light hand. For my $50 I had lovely crisp pan fried milk-fed Veal Sweetbreads with pumpkin, sage & caramelized onion orzo & butternut squash coulis --complicated but well executed. I followed that with a second appetizer of gulf prawns, then the crispy skin striped bass with andouille, rock shrimp, fingerling potato hash, hushpuppies and creole meunier. The portions were on the large side, so I had no dessert, though they looked very fine.

 

Certainly a recommendation and I expect to be a regular Sunday night visitor when I'm in town. 

Rosemary's Restaurant
8125 W. Sahara
Las Vegas, NV 89117
Tel:702.869.2251
Fax: 702.869.2283
Lunch (Mon-Fri):11:30am-2:30pm
Dinner (Daily) 5:30pm - close

Reservations suggested though walk-ins welcome.

 

Best Breakfast in Anaheim

I've been traveling for the last week, first to Disneyland and LA for a few days with my kids, then to Las Vega$ for work. The trip to the land of Disney usually has no culinary treats whatsoever, but thanks to yelp, I did manage to get away from the park for one good meal: breakfast at the Original Pancake House in Anaheim.

This is one of those old fashioned SoCal places that I find charming and real - the antithesis of the land of Goofy and Mickey. One bite of the sourdough flap jacks will have you sold. They are using a home made starter and the result is a heady-yeasty-yielding wonder. If only they had real maple syrup...

Next time you're down there, check it out.

1418 E. Lincoln
Anaheim, CA 92805
714-535-9815 Fax: 714-572-6638

Open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily

On Bien Nacido Vineyards 2007

There are those vineyard names in the U.S. that should immediately trigger the buy-response: Hirsch, Savoy, Hayne, Alegria, Dutton Ranch... and at the top of the list should be Bien Nacido Vineyards.

Recently, I had the rare privilege to get an all-morning tour of Bien Nacido Vineyards, as well as a great sampling of what world-class winemakers can do with her wares. Bien Nacido consists of more than six-hundred planted acres of Santa Barbara County's finest vineyard property, most on a slight slope, with some prizes, like the famous "Q", "Y", and "Z" -blocks perched upon the surrounding hills.

In amongst the vines are the winemaking facilities that first put Bien Nacido on the map --Au Bon Climat/Qupé as well as the relative newcomer,  Ambrullneo.  ABC's Jim Clendenon and Qupé's Bob Lindquist were early pioneers with BN fruit, as Jim's wonderful "30th Anniversary Bien Nacido Pinot" moniker attests. It is also the far-sighted planning of the Miller family, who own the vineyards, that early-on created the infrastructure for the incredible success of her grapes. Even back in 1969, when the first grapes were planted here, things like metal trellising and galvanized irrigation that would resist rot were installed. While vine space philosophies are still being refined, these early decisions were key to the vineyard's success and longevity.

First and foremost, the Bien Nacido Vineyards name resonates with quality. I would urge anyone unfamiliar with these wines to start with some of my favorites below, some of which I bought recently and some of which were given to me as press samples.

A Sampling of Current Bien Nacido Vineyards Offerings

2005 Whitcraft Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley, Bien Nacido Vineyards "Q-Block"
Scents of cloves, licorice, and wild strawberries hit you after moments of herbal woodiness (burnt straw) blow off. This wine has a huge mouthfeel and viscous thickness and is made in an intense, driven style. The flavor is peppery and smokey with a beautiful long finish. One of my favorites from this tasting.

2006 Qupé Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley, Bien Nacido "Y-Block"
At the first pop of the cork, the scent rising from the bottle was Chassagne Montrachet --my current white obsession. 30 minutes and 1/2 a bottle later, the reminder is still there--honey, white truffles and light-toasted oak. The body is medium-full and a touch oily. The balance between the oak and fruit is textbook-correct. This generous wine is one of the finest American chardonnays I have tested in the past few years and I can't wait to find more. Highest recommendation.

2005 Lincourt Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley, Bien Nacido Vineyards
I've long been a fan of this second-level offering from Foley, and this is no exception. This smells of lime peel and pineapple/tropicals. It's clean and dry, without being too tart, medium bodied with a super long finish. This great all-around chardonnay has near perfect balance between fruit and wood.

2005 Au Bon Climat Pinot "Knox Alexander", Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyards
Earthy and ripe, this great example of BNV fruit shows spice and raspberries on the nose, great body and some of the magical Burgudian funk that Jim gets in his Pinots. Wonderful.

2002 J. Wilkes Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir, Bien Nacido Vineyards, Block Q
This is a great example of what 5 years of aging does to wines from Bien Nacido Vineyards. This superb pinot is mature and already a tad brown on the edges, with a very nice weight to it. Tastes like a Burgundy, full-stop. Classic and classy, gracefully matured but still has a youthful expression of fruit. Highly recommended.

2005 Qupé Syrah Santa Maria Valley, Bien Nacido Vineyards
Classic Santa Maria terroir with stoney minerality. This wine is intense and explosive with brambly blackberries on the tongue. The lean is toward the brooding side rather than the sunny side. The super long, clean finish says that in a few more years, this will be a wonder.

From another Miller family holding in Paso Robles, the French Camp:
Barrel 27 "High on the Hog" Rhone-style white. 42% Viognier, 34% Rousanne, and 24% Marsanne. This is a white with a huge voluptuous body, weighing in at 15.1% alcohol. Very oily and fragrant, mostly of viognier. Deep with roasted pineapple and vanilla scents. This wine is not off-dry, but is so heady that it's sweet aromas may fool you into thinking it has some residual sugar. Best on its own.

For those who are new to Bien Nacido Vineyards, and Santa Maria Wines, the newly formed Santa Maria Valley Wine Country Association will be hosting a passport event on Saturday December 1st. This will be a great opportunity to taste Bien Nacido wines from such wineries as Foxen, Kenneth Volk Vineyards, and Wild Horse, and tour the tasting rooms of the Santa Maria Valley for one price upfront. For more information, please visit the Santa Maria Valley Wine country website.

Best Wine Bar and Wine Shop in Santa Rosa

I was in Santa Rosa in January and saw this wine shop and bar in Railroad Square and alas, it was closed. I went in last night and was really blown away.

Wine Spectrum
123 Fourth Street
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
707-636-1064

Not only are there are hard to find California wines, there are tons of the best of the Old World as well, and at very good prices.  The by-the-glass list is full of great treats as well, and is in a very comfy scene. 

Perhaps this place struck me, as it had practically the same stuff as in my cellar...loads of great Rhones (Autard, Beaucastel) and Burgundies, Italian Nebbiolos, and cult-Cal Chards(Hanzell) and Cabs.

Make a trip next time you're in Santa Rosa. (Before dinner at Zazu) Highly Recommended.

Tasting in Paso Robles 2007: Hug Cellars

On my way back to the Bay Area from my SoCal wine journey, I was set up with a timely visit with Augie Hug, of Hug Cellars in Paso Robles. Timely because it both fit my schedule and because his 2006s were ready to be tasted in barrel. If you read no further, know that I couldn't leave without buying a half a case of their expressive, carefully made Pinot Noir and Syrahs.

Hug's output is around 1200 cases a year, which makes it likely that the winery has flown under your radar, but I hope I can change that. Hug works with some of the finest fruit from Ontiveros Ranch, Paso Robles, and San Luis Obispo along with getting guidance from some of the areas best; Paul Wilkins of Native9/Alta Maria, and  John Alban of Alban Vineyards. Augie made a name for himself early on with Syrahs, but his Pinots are also really special. If you're lucky enough to see a Hug wine on a wine list, or in your favorite wine boutique shelf, grab it. Chances are you'll find it full of character and a great sense of terroir.

Tasting Notes:

2006 Hug Cellars Cedar Lane Vineyard Arroyo Seco Pinot Noir (barrel taste)

Remarkable wines come from this old granite riverbed property in Arroyo Seco, Monterey County. The '06 Pinot is still tight, with a pretty closed nose, but the dark fruit finish goes on and on. This is a lighter style Pinot, so don't mistake it for a chewy blockbuster. This should be a winner though, like the sold-out 2005.

2006 Hug Cellars Rancho Ontiveros Pinot Noir (barrel taste)

This is made in a very elegant style, a little lighter than the Native9 treatment of the same fruit, but still has the burst of red fruits and earthy minerality that marks Santa Maria Valley Pinots. Highly recommended.

2006 Hug Cellars El Pape - Central Coast Blend (barrel taste)

Augie's homage to the Rhone Valley. Grenache, Mouvedre, and Syrah. Like a big and fruity Chateauneuf. I'm not sure what the price of this will be, but it should be a very good value.

2006 Hug Cellars Cedar Lane Sauvignon Blanc, Arroyo Seco

Big, grassy and a bit tart. Done in New Zealand style, but with fruit that got more heat. Not my favorite, but still a quality SB. I think this is only available locally and at the tasting room.

2006 Hug Cellars Cedar Lane Viognier, Arroyo Seco

I immediately said "creamsickle" when I tasted this, and apparently this is exactly what Augie's wife, Raquel said too. Unfiltered and 100% mild new oak, the wine shines with huge perfume of citrus and cream along with mineral qualities. Recommended.

2005 Hug Cellars Cedar Lane Pinot Noir, Arroyo Seco (Sold out)

Fresh raspbeiires, a little dried citrus, and a beautiful balance and roundness that the 2006 didn't have quite yet. It makes me think everyone should get their hands on the 2006s as soon as they come out if they transform into this after a year more bottle age.

2005 Hug Cellars Syrah Paso Robles

A bit of the Paso jammyness on this one, mostly reminiscent of boyesenberries. Ripe and pretty tanic.

2005 Hug Cellars Syrah Cedar Lane, Arroyo Seco

The cooler clime of Monterey County brings out more pepper than jam, with nice floral undertones. Recommended.

2003 Hug Cellars Syrah Bassetti Vineyards, San Luis Obispo (Cambria)

Cocoa, licorice,  and white pepper with a little dried fruit. Smells a little like the sea (in a good way). Great to see what some age does for Augie's bigger wines. Age mellows out the tannins and brings out more earthy chewiness.

2005 Hug Cellars Bassetti Vineyard "Rena Block" Syrah
This is the blockbuster, 50% whole cluster syrah that is meant to age. New, it's a huge mouthful and very heady. Grippy tannins give it a wild feel to it that begs for 5 more years in the cellar to round everything off. So glad I left with one to age! Recommended.