A light Lunch

Butter Lettuce, Fresh Figs, Soft Boiled Eggs, Wild Sockeye Salmon, Grapes, an Fennel Salami with Fig Vinaigrette and Espelette

Homemade Vanilla Lemonade and Iced Green Tea

Beverage Update:

Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Blanc

If you are like the most of people, Vermouth is that insipid, slightly bitter herbaceous liquor, probably made by Martin and Rossi, that is either inexplicably drizzled in your martini glass or dosed into the bottom of a sizzling saute pan to deglaze those delicious fonds. These days Vermouth consumption is mostly an obsolescent homage to an era when producers took vermouths as seriously as they did wines. While most of the world will probably go on obediently enduring this impostor of a spirit, those of us with discerning taste should spend the extra couple of bucks ($15/bottle) and grace our cocktails with the real deal. Dolin, the last AOC producer of Vermouth de Chambery have been bottling this magical beverage the way it should be since 1821. They export three styles: Dry, Blanc, and Rouge. The dry is a more familiar style of Vermouth but with finesse and balance, delivering a crisp, refreshing, upliftingly herbal and delightfully perfumed pick-me-up to that perfect martini, rat pack or gibson(gin of course, preferably Hendricks, Old Raj, or Rogue's Spruce). The Blanc is an aperitif in true form. Slightly more rounded, and sweet than the Dolin dry, I think it makes a perfect cocktail on the rocks with just a twist of orange, or if you simply must play mixologist, you can float some prosecco on top. As far as the Rouge, I like it in a glass with fresh fruit, cava, and a hint of simple syrup.

For connoisseurs in New York, its imported through MHW Ltd.

Edible Ideas

Fig Vinaigrette (Serves 2-3)

2 Tbs (1 oz), Rice Wine or Champagne Vinegar
2 Tbs (1 oz), Fig Preserves (I use Laura Rocks from the Eastern Shore)
3 Tbs (1.5 oz) High Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, preferably Spanish or French
1 Tbs (.5 oz) Filtered Water

In a bowl whisk together the Vinegar and the Preserves, in a slow steady stream, whisk in the olive oil until fully emulsified. Whisk in water to loosen/thin if necessary. Serve immediately or set aside and whisk together before service. Do not refrigerate.

Seasonal Salads to serve with:

Roasted Baby Beets, Heirloom Tomatoes, Arugula and Blue Cheese
Frisee, Prosciutto, Chevre and Fresh Figs
Butter Lettuce, Bresola, Red Onion, Shaved Parmesan and Sorrel
Deer Tongue Lettuce, Toasted Walnuts, Soft Boiled Eggs, Manchego and Chive

(Serve with NZ Sauvignon Blanc, White Rioja, Prosecco, or German or Oregon Riesling, Provencal Rose, Sancerre, Pouilly Fuisse, Alsatian Gewurztraminer, Barbera or Beaujolais Villages)

Since the world is full of accomplished chefs producing high quality food-porn cook books, I am left to believe that the best tome I could release would be a compilation of food for drunken enjoyment. Here's recipe #1: Fennel Sausage and Ratatouille Agrodolce

(Argodolce, roughly translated to sweet and sour, is a traditional Italian condiment/dish. In this case it's being used as a replacement for relish in a hot dog and relish combo. It's a bit more sexy though.

Ingedients:


1 Summer Squash, small diced
1 Zucchini, small diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, small diced
1/3 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1/4-1/3 Cup, Granulated Sugar
1 Tsp, Salt
3 Fennel, Hot or Sweet Italian Sausage
3 hot dog buns


Instructions:

In a saute pan or shallow pot over high heat, place vegetables, vinegar and sugar. Cook until a majority of the liquid has been evaporated.

Saute the sausages over medium high heat with some olive oil, covered, flip once. (about 10 minutes)

Place the sausages on the buns and top with the argodolce.

It officially got to 90 degrees today in Maryland. This means of course that summer is here. That means its the season for the bar to be flooded with people guzzling crispy whites wine, pilsner and sangria approximately twice as fast as we can pour it. I'm trying to make a summer friendly menu including white gazpacho, melon soup, watermelon salad, etc...

Here are some wine suggestions well suited for the summer season:

White Rioja: Yes, there is such a thing. The Rioja appellation is famous for its tempranillo/garnacha blend reds. Traditionally these wines were released with some age and were devilishly aromatic, boasting dried fruit, dill, juicy raspberries, and spicy oak flavors. More modern interpretations tend more towards the innocuous red fruit juiceCat cult of micro-oxidized wine. White Riowja is another creature all together. It is made with Macabeo (locally known at Viura). While the appellation is well populated with undistinguished to acrid offerings at its best white Rioja is a perfect summer quaff: tangy, fruity, mineral laden and never over $20.

Bodega Catena Zapata, Catena Alta Chardonnay: Generally I am trying to get away from specific wines as they often are unavailable in many states but the Argentinian powerhouse producer Bodega Catena Zapata can be found in just about every state. The producer is the standard bearer for the whole countries wine production producing profound high-altitude, organic wines. Don't go thinking that they are in any way environmentalist types, these wines are organic because they are grown far above where natrual pests live, its a function or convienence, not dedication. Anyone looking for more proof of that can site there sale of their economy class vineyards to none other that omni-maliferous wine conglomerate Gallo. (This series of wine is called Alamos, and should hence forth be avoided). The Catena Alta Chardonnay is a dead ringer for Mersault (the super premier appellation for white wine in Burgundy). It is laced with oak, spice, butter than caramelized apples but pairs perfectly with roasted chicken and grilled potatoes with rosemary and olives. A perfect late spring and early summer feast. Before you get to excited though it rings in about just over $30, so its not a steal, but it's no $150 white Burgundy either.

Cava, with a twist: I know I recommend cava often and you've heard enough already but it is magically. Prosecco (Italy's answer to bubbly wine) is great and all but Cava uses the Champagne method and produces wine with a bit more bitter lemon and fresh baked bread flavors. For summer though, especially as we are in adjustment mode I'd take drink some cava blended with some simple syrup (not to much), fresh berries and mint crushed between your fingers. If you'd like you can always liven it up with some brandy, orange bitters or just sweet grape juice (no HFCS of course). Also, if you make mixed drinks at home, use Cava instead of club soda!

And very quickly, some varieties or appellations to enjoy on a hot summers day:
Albarino: A white grape from Spain, crisp, fruity and refreshing! Look for such appellations as Rias Baixas or Vinho Verde
Sancerre/Pouilly-Fume: Sauvignon Blanc from its spiritual home in the Loire Valley of France
Beaujolais/Beaujolais-Villages: Serve chilled, really,it tastes great. Be careful about producers though, avoid George DuBoeuf and Louis Latour, go for producers like Nicolas Potel or anything imported by Kermit Lynch!
Dry Rose: Its the best, look for appellations in the old world like Tavel, Cassis, Coteaux de Languedoc,Rioja, etc... or in the new world try the appellation of Orange in Australia or Barossa (Australia is producing some of the best rose in the business, Turkey Flat and Logan are two of my favorite).

Today was a great Sunday. We had a Chili tasting with 12 of the culinary professionals from Belvedere Square. It was a crazy day with hundreds of people flowing through tasting and scoring chili, drinking obscene amounts of beer (we emptied at least 4 kegs of beer today). I came in second (not bad for my first chili) winning me $150, combined with $60 of bonus from the bartenders above salary made for a good day. The winning Chili was my friend Matthew's which was a clear bacon-y winner which got my vote too. Afterwords it was single-vineyard prosecco, private stock Rhone ranger reds, beer and gin. Now we're home and I'm getting ready for an early morning!

I haven't had much time to update but I'm having a great time at my job. I've been developing the new menu including a sous-vide leg of lamb dish and but my father asked me to post some wine suggestions under $20 so here's what I've got:

Hacienda Del Plata Zagal Malbec, 2006 (Mendoza, Argentina): The world Malbec is awash of high alcohol, nondescript, grape-aid wine. What makes this bottle stand out is a balance between the ripe mineral driven dark fruit and an earthy, licorice and plum core that makes for tasty and fun wine. It will cost you about $15, its also worth checking out their Cabernet Sauvignon.

Joel Gott 2007 Zinfandel (California): Joel Gott is a James Beard award winning Chef for its burger joints in California's wine country. He's one of Thomas Keller's best friend's and a fantastic wine maker. The wine was dry farmed in Lodi and Amador (made without the advent of irrigation). It's a killer wine for $18, complex, layered, a bit hot but well combines ripeness and velvety sumptuousness with good structure and a long tasty finish.

Hermanos de Villar Ipsum, 2007 (Rueda): This wine is a fantastic find. Its a great representation of everything thats great about Spanish white wines. Its beautifully floral, exploding with citrus, candied kumquats, tasty herbal notes, and a tremendous acidity. It's a dead ringer for lover's of riper Sauvignon Blanc or Albarino. Perhaps the real beauty of this bottle is its price tag: $10

The new menu items are selling like hot cakes, which is great, though now I have to take a few days off and let the other cook try to replicate the items, which could be a problem. Lara had her eye surgery today which sounded like a hellish experience. Fortunately her parents where there with her. Now its time for bed, I have a busy cooking day tomorrow, I'm making braised pork butt (shoulder) for Erica and Jesse. Here's to $1/pound extra-delicious meat!

Life is good. I premiered my new menu tonight and it was met with great excitement and satisfaction. My new items:

Vol-au-vent (puff pastry) with a fricassee of mushrooms, artichoke hearts and roaring 40's blue cheese, topped with parsley. It was described by one of my customers as "better than sex"

Sizzling shrimp with garlic, onion and tomato confit in bacon fat, deglazed with pernod and served with crustini

Marinated mushrooms with coriander, cardamom, garlic and black pepper topped lightly pickled in white wine and white wine vinegar

Gougers: Gruyere cheese puffs garnished with gruyere cheese and parlsey

Up Next: Braised lamb shank with white beans and pomegranate espagnole! (done sous-vide!)

My job still rocks. I'm learning a lot and having a great time. Lara has a job interview tomorrow which is great. It's been hard for her sitting around the house alone all day while I'm off at work, though I do love the company when she comes and visits. Tomorrow its off to the Visual Arts Museum and out to a restaurant to celebrate living in our new/old home. There are still a whole host of friends I haven't seen since I got back and I need to get on that. Its great to be in this city now. Its a new year, until a few days ago the Raven's were kicking butt and Obama just came to town/took over the white house. Its been exciting.

I have the sweetest job in the world. I show up never earlier than 11am, I never leave after 11pm. I cook simple tasty food, drink wine, taste, wine, talk about wine and sell wine. My co-workers are laid back, intelligent cork dorks and foodies. My boss is a smart, thoughtful, an excellent manager, relaxed and forward thinking. We're expanding the menu now that I'm there to cook everything, the other cook is an awesome former wine professional. I take break and eat next doors whenever I want, shift drinks are essentially required, I get wine at 33% discount Basically, Nobody has a better job than me right now!

I have three job offers: one in Boston, one in St. Louis, and one in Baltimore. While I am not going to take the Boston job for a wine distributor for personal reasons but I cannot decided between Baltimore and St. Louis. The gig in Baltimore is Grand Cru, my favorite wine bar when I lived there. It serves a large by the glass selection of wines as well as having a small wine shop on premises and a small plate component featuring olives, artisan cheeses, alsatian tartes and an assortment of other dishes. The owner is a very affable in knowledgeable businessman and former chef who seems very interested in the wellfare and advancement of his employees. Its in a great location and I am very eager to return home to Baltimore.
       The St. Louis job is Veritas Gateway to Food and Wine. It is a wine bar with restaurant component, kitchen accessories and artisan foodstuffs shop. The owners are my blockmate Mathis' parents David and Stephanie Stitt. David's brother is the legendary Frank Stitt. The my job at the restauarnt would be universal but principally as the cook. They have breakfast and lunch daily as well as dinner service twice weekly, and a host of special events and wine dinners.
       There are so many considerations and I don't know where to start. I flying to St. Louis next week to work with Mathis and his family for a week to help them with their busy holiday season. Any advice would be great.

Review of the H. Stagnari 2004 Tannat, from Salto, Uruguay.

 

                Power in wines can be a blessing or a curse. In the case of The H. Stagnari 2004 Tannat, it is a beautiful thing. It opens the show with a super spicy and robust blackberry flavors, so ripe it takes a minute to convince your brain the wine isn’t actually sweet. Following this the wine takes a turn for the exotic displaying a host of thought-provoking aromas including juicy prunes, graphite, cedar and smoke. On the palate it’s a mixture of pleasure and pain weaving together ripe fruit, sandalwood, clove and orange with mouthwatering acidity and bitter chocolate and violet hues. The finish is sturdy, bitter and exciting, and will surely become brilliant as age gives the wine an even greater flavor vocabulary.  

                I should caution this is not a wine for everyone. It has distinctly bitter flavors, some strong tannins (though I’d suggest that for the stoic tannat grape at only 8 years of age the wine was probably micro-oxidized to soften it significantly). With foods that are distinctly bitter, especially grilled and roasted game, the wine should shine. Also take into account the higher acid levels when finishing sauces. Lara and I drank this with sweet Italian sausage, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms and cannellini beans with a bitter sweet ricotta stuffed beef braisage reduction thickened with bread crumbs. It was pretty beautiful. I’ll write more on my 2^nd favorite red grape, Tannat, later, for now, if its sounds tasty, try what is almost assuredly your first Uruguanian wine

The VdP and IGT:
The Vins d’Pays (VdP) in France and its sister classification Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) in Italy are places where real value can be found. France and Italy have very similar classification systems for wine and these legal status’ are taken very seriously. The Appellation Controllee in France and its sister classification Denominazione di Origine Controllata in Italy protect small areas which have developed a reputation for fine wine. For example, Champagne in France or Barolo in Italy have developed a reputation for wine based on a specific style, terroir (the combination of all environmental factors on the flavor and character of the wine), grape varietal, and viticultural practices. AOC and DOC have been created to: protect these traditional wines, ensure the quality of the appellation to the consumer, brand the appellation, and keep others from profiting through use of their name and reputation (like say California Champagne or boxed “Mountain Chablis”), the AOC and DOC have been created. A good example of how such a thing is created can been seen in Vermont where I live where Vermont’s use the appellation to add value and indicate quality to local products. Think “Vermont Cheddar”. It’s essentially an AOC for cheese. The downside of the AOC/DOC systems is that the standards of winemaking in these regions are strictly controlled and there is little room for innovation. So category is a category above their base table wines that has some oversight but allows these producers to produce wine with more freedom, label their bottles by varietal. Buying these wines is always a risk. Most of the category like all things is dedicated to producing very technological high-yield low-quality alcoholic grape juice bolstered by either technology and often backed by American beverage conglomerates. In Italy what the IGT category has often been used for is producing “International” wines on Italian soil. So growing Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot in Tuscany for example (if you’ve heard the term Super-Tuscan it refers to this trend). This to me is all rather tragic but there is something really exciting that has happened in both the IGT and VdP categories. Growers have taken the economic bullet and started producing either super-premium quality wines in ways that don’t fit into the AOCs designated methods, are producing AOC fashioned wines in vineyard sites literally feet away from the AOC vineyards, or even more exciting have chosen these lower categories to produce more traditionally styled wines in a historically accurate regional character that the AOC/DOC have banned in their classification (making Chianti say without blending in the flavor-challenged white grapes required by the DOC for example). These producers are making some world-class wines and since they do not have the AOC/DOC label are selling them at a fraction of the cost. So how do you pick these gems. Well, that’s a bit tricky. Since they don’t have the status on the front label to sell them than they have usually have a sales pitch on the back label. A lot of what back labels tell you is useless. If it talks about warm days and cool nights for example, that would be a waste of your time, its colder when the sun is down everywhere. Be wary of the phrases “fruit-forward”, “drinkable”, “pairs well with cheeses and meats”, and most often be wary of oak. Descriptors including the works “toasty”, “vanilla”, “buttery”, and “jammy” are to be avoided. These will tend to (though not always) indicate an over-ripe or over processed (oak dust.) wine. Also, if ¾ of the back label discusses the wines cute name or front lable picture, that’s a bad sign.
Things to look for are unfiltered, “may contain sediment”, a grape varietal you’ve never heard of (for example Pecorino, not Chardonnay), biodynamic, “hand harvested/picked”, “family owned” , “native yeasts”, etc... Pay attention to the alcohol percentages. It takes some real skill to mask, say,14% alcohol. Finally ask your favorite wine store owner. Make sure they are aiming for your palate. Tell them what you like (vocabulary is very important. If you have trouble describing what you like (fruity, earthy, lean, powerful, big, racy) or what varietals or regions you like (Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Loire Sauvignon Blanc, Australian Shiraz, etc…), then show them a couple of bottles you have liked and they should be able to pick out, and make sure to let them know when you intend to drink it. A $35 bottles of Neyer’s 2006 Syrah will be delicious…in about 8-10+ years. Right now it is going to give you a blank stare and a sucker punch of alcohol. A $15 bottles of Chateau Camplazens Syrah Coteaux du Languedoc (le Clape) Vins d’Pays d’Oc 2006 will be beautiful right now (if you like pepper, spice, herbs, dark fruit and a hefty load of bardyard smells).

Thanksgiving









The Menu
Roasted Turkey; Orange Cranberry Compote; Brown Roux Thickened Gravy; Green Bean Mushroom and Prosciutto Salad with Manchego; Sage, Butternut Squash, Zucchini and Heirloom Kale Embeurre, Trio of Mashed Potatoes: Beet, Parsnip & Zucchini, & Celeriac.

Name: Ramey Claret, Napa Valley, 2005
Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon (54%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (12%), Syrah (7%) Malbec (1%), Petit Verdot (1%)
Appellation: Napa Valley, California
Vintage: 2005

It is no secret that I am not a fan of Napa Valley Cabernet. Maybe because it is stands out as a symbol of new world wine. It’s possible that I am still sore about the 1976 tasting. Perhaps I just don't think a cult culture should really be formed around a monolithic flavor profile of black currant liquor and oak pairied a price tag that would make king Solomon blush. Undoubtedly its because I have come to think of the Borg like agricultural conquistador that is Cabernet Sauvignon as a smoker's grape. More likely than not it’s that I was seduced early by the terroir obsessed old guard of French wine partisans (terroir jihadists as Parker so arrogantly titles us) and inherited their prejudice. That said, occasionally there is a diamond in the rough of California Cabernet that while unabashedly American gives a good sense of place and character and frankly, is irresistible to drink. I am speaking now of the Ramey 2005 Napa Valley Claret.
Traditionally claret (the English term for Medoc blends, rooted in the French term Clairet used to refer to Bordeaux roses popular before red wine vinification was understood enough to be consistent) is made from the allowed Bordeaux mixing grapes Cabernet Sauvignon (more popular in the gravelly soils of the Medoc and Graves), Merlot (the principal varietal of Entre-Deux-Mers and the right bank), Cabernet Franc (Cabernet Sauvignon's peppery-floral parent now king in the Central Loire), Malbec (almost entirely wiped out of Bordeaux by frost in 1956 but going strong in South American and Cahors in southwest France), Petit Verdot (the late ripening little devil of Bordeaux), and Carmenere (representing such small portions of the blend in Bordeaux its often not even mentioned but is a new cash-cow in Chile). This Claret features most of these classic players but also incorporates a bit of Syrah, which is a nod and a wink to the pre-Appellation Controlee days in Bordeaux when adding some imported fashionable northern Rhone Syrah helped the wines catch a heftier price.
Ramey, a UC Davis graduate and veteran California wine maker, does seem to speak the language of us terroirists. Despite the fact that Ramey seems equally comfortable speaking of isobutyl acetate or “thermodynamic activation quantities of esters” as he does about soil and vintage the end result of his efforts are wines with a soul and personality. The 2005 Ramey Claret is a bit foxy upon first uncorking but clears up quickly offering an abundance of currant, bramble, cedar and grape leaf aromas with just a whiff of smoke and some very distinct graphite and sweet raisin. It fills the mouth with dragon-fruit, currants, and a hint of quince with some more minerally-pencilesque qualities, a bit of lightly browned butter and lovely white pepper on the ample finish with a good balanced back end tannic squeeze. It is surprisingly approachable and medium bodied (Ramey credits the 2005 vintage which witnessed even-handed moderate weather and a warm dry finish for its feminine temperament), While my pre-uncorking prejudices led towards a lamb steak drenched in St. Agur blue cheese infused demi-glace (my stand-by for heady Medoc) I found that the surprisingly brisk acidity of the wine and lighter body lends this bottle much more towards roasted fowl with braised chard. The key in finding a match for this lovely claret is getting enough acidity in the dish, so when in doubt drizzle with some lemon juice or tomato vinegar and a healthy helping of coarse grain salt.

Today I finished up early so I got to make something out of the chicken tenders and wing. Brian, Derek and I made southern fried chicken with sherry bacon gravy and biscuits along with grilled steak with blue cheese butter. It was the best meal I've had at NECI. Here are some more pics from the other night.

Yesterday was the Mod-4 (graduating class). We had an excellent party here, there are tons of pictures. You can find some on Livejournal or for a full collection you can also see facebook (I&II) if you have an account. I wont the class sommelier award. Today I started my day working for Dedalus Wines. Its a small and all hand picked wine retailer expanding to an online retail business. I will be working the floor on busy day and working other times on the wine literature. Crafting a catalog of all the wines sold with descriptions, background information, reviews, tasting notes, wine pairings, etc.... I will also have access to their all their wines at cost, access to their exclusive invitation only wine tastings, I get to be part of the wine selection process, and of course I get to spend my wine working with wine and people who love wine. Ok, back to work. I have meat fabrication class early tomorrow.

Today was a curious day. My block consisted of only 3 people today and together we created the pastry items for a full house for dinner service, 2 banquets, the MEP for all week, etc... More importantly my friend slaughtered and fabricated a pig and I'm getting some of the meat (a shoulder, some ribs and the bones, I asked for the cheeks but no dice)
Tonight on our way home from the bar we saw a couch on fire. We called 9-11 and moved it away from the the building. All in all and interesting day to be alive

I just tried a new release of the a single vineyard Pinot Noir from Ken Wright. It was a 2007 which in Oregon was a tricky year. Right at the end of the growing season there was a bit of rain and many in the critic community are calling the year a wash. Oregon even in good years is a cool climate region with a long growing season allowing for great flavor development. This particular bottle was a bit less ripe than some of his offerings but had a gorgeous sense of terroir in an almost literal sense with a lot of green mossy aromas it was really a very soothing aroma. What really sold me though was a really nice spicy mouthfeel lending great structure and intrigue the wine. My compatriots who were tasting with me were thoroughly unimpressed. Sara's response was that it was just a bit to green (which I understand, this old world style of wine is not for everyone or all occasions). Corey however displayed great distaste for the wine noting that she doesn't like that kind of Pinot anyway, that its really "only good when it comes from Sonoma or Central Coast" California, where its "Fruitier and fuller bodied". It soured the mood for me. I'm more than happy to drink riper California Pinot but I do so with a bit if reluctance because its not really a celebration of Pinot with such robust ripeness, its essentially Pinot stylized to be Merlot (fuller bodied, soft tannins, generous helpings of berries and red fruit, not a hint of green around, ring a bell?). While this wine was not the best Ken Wright i've had, it certainly was a well made and delicious bottle of wine and expecting a cool year Oregon Pinot to be a fruity over-blown grape cocktail is not only ludicrous but one of the great indicators of danger the American wine tasting approach. We don't want to sample a local product true to its nature and learn what it has to tell, we feel the need to control the grape and manipulate it into betraying its terroir. To reject Pinot Noir for being a terroir driven wine suggests and expectation of the rejection of the authentic in place of the synthetic. Burgundy, the French home of Pinot Noir is famous for its undependablility, its finicky grapes, roller coaster quality levels from vintage to vintage and convoluted classification system which has rated and demarcated every inch of soil, literally. The cost paid in variability is recouped when a great vintage in the hands of a great winemaker produces something truly exceptional which titillates the senses and leaves the drinker in near tears with its melancholic beauty. California does not produce this kind of wine, it cannot. It can make generous, delicious, high-quality, hedonistic, technically stunning, ultra-concentrated, and enviable Pinots. Only however in these cool hidden corners of the world where the grape teeter on the precipice of disaster and with the most tender of care can these worthier wines be produced. To write them off as "lacking concentration" or "having poor color" is rejecting what wine really is for the sleeker and more salable "wine drink product" man has created.
I suppose my real disgruntlement comes from the final bit of the wine tasting conversation where Corey said with a clear intent to sting "if I were tasting it blind, I'd probably say it was a Cab' Franc". This attempt at a slur is based on the perception that Cabernet Franc is a second-rate mixing grape used more or less to give some backbone to Merlot in the Bordeaux blends and good for little else, especially single varietal use. Its frowned upon by the fruit-forward seeking wine crowd because it has a distinctive green bell pepper (Isobutyl methoxypyrazine) aroma which persists even when properly ripened unless the leaves of the grape vine are cut away and the grapes are left to bake in the sun and cook off the chemical compounds responsible and most other flavors along with it. Of course well made Cabernet Franc is one of the real gems of the wine world, producing such great wines Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur and is the major player some of the most respected St-Emilion reds. Its true character when properly cultivated is potentially much more tannic than Pinot, with very strong floral (violet) aromas, black peppercorn flavors and fruity aromas of blackcurrant (though less liquored than Cabernet Sauvignon) and can possess great minerality. It is, in fact, one of my favorite red grapes. Either way, the whole experience, even with the free wine, left me a bit saddened, but I shan't be defeated by these philistines.

Wines under $20
Can Blau Montsant (Carignan, Syrah, Grenache Blend) ($19)
Ok, so I'm not being original here as this wine has been touted by the press for several vintages now, but that doesn't make it less of a winner. I'd say this wine needs more time before it should really be enjoyed but if you like your wine young and restless it can certainly be enjoyed now. It has a dense rich red color and smells a bit like over-brewed coffee. Other than that tannic sucker punch it reeks of leather, freshly turned earth, cassis, graphite, and has a really compelling gravelly minerality. The tannins are still a bit gritty, and the oak is forward but serves as a crust for wild strawberry, blackberry and raspberry flavors finishing off with butter, a bit of tar and some stinky crushed white pepper.

Boom Boom Syrah ($17)
Charles Smith is a rock-n-roller wine maker from Washington who makes a host of fascinating often very expensive wines, most notable though is his love for Syrah. Boom Boom is his entry level Syrah (though its more expensive than some of his other entry level wines such as his Holy Cow Merlot and Kung-Fu Girl Riesling). The Syrah grape finds its spiritual home in the Rhone in France though as of late it has become a star player in growing regions the world around often under the monkier Shiraz. Its potential is seemingly endless but its at its best in cooler climates where its subtleties can be haunting.
Smith's Boom Boom is not a work of subtlety to be sure, but it is far from being a processed wine, and in its over-blown exuberance it offers up a great deal of boisterous charm with its jammy, yeasty, banana peel nose topped off with some licorice and a mouthful of more jammy red fruit flavors, woody graphite and cherry midpalate and coffeed strawberry finish. It will hold up to some pretty hearty fare and is frankly pretty fun to drink on its own.