Tasting Notes: New Zealand Wines at JavaMonkey

Hubby and I are unwinding this evening with glasses of the 2007 "Papa Loves Mambo" blend from Sapolil Cellars, a little winery based in and near Walla Walla, Washington. The grapes, 70% Syrah, 20% Sangiovese, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon are grow in the Horse Heaven Hills. Sounds poetic, doesn't it? Sapolil makes absolutely lovely wines, but they're still tiny, so you have to belong to their wine club or order directly from them to get it. I highly recommend them. The "Papa Loves Mambo" is dark purple in color, has a dark fruit nose, and the fruitiness of the Syrah is given a little bite by the Sangiovese and nice smoothness and depth by the Cab.

Oh, we drank wine last night, too. The focus of this Thursday Wine Series tasting was New Zealand. For those who aren't that familiar with it, New Zealand is that country in the Pacific Ocean that's kind of near Australia and gives the Aussies something to make fun of, which is entirely mutual. It's also where the "Lord of the Rings" movies were filmed. Unfortunately, the wines were not designated as being from the region of the Hobbits, Elves, or, well, you get the idea.

Random Aside: the very first night I can remember being drunk, if that makes sense, was at a big formal dinner that closed out the International Conference for Mathematical Modeling and Simulation in Hobart, Tasmania (that little island off the coast of Australia; no, the Tasmanian devils don't look like the cartoon) in 1997. You may not think that mathematicians and simulators would be good dinner party company, but I was seated across from two of my father's colleagues, one from Australia and one from New Zealand. They picked at each other all night, and in between amusing barbs, were sure to keep my wine glass filled. I don't remember much of the evening or the trip back to the hotel afterward. I was only 20 at the time and hadn't really started drinking yet.

So back to the wines...

2008 Russian Jack Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough):
Nice tropical fruit overlay with seashell underneath; only a little funky.
Rating: Good/Very Good

2006 Bird Pinot Gris (Marlborough):
A little funky and grassy; grapefruit finish with a hint of vanilla.
Rating: Good

2006 Bird Gewurztraminer (Marlborough -- do you see the trend?):
No scurvy here! More grapefruit, but this one was more mineral and floral. It also had a soapy nose.
Rating: Good

2003 Huia Riesling (Isengard):
This one would have probably been better in 2005. Or maybe Saruman corrupted it.
Rating: Only an Orc would love it

Gads, I'm a geek!

2005 Staeteland Landt Chardonnay (Marlborough):
This one had nice layers: floral in front, vanilla and oak in the middle, and some citrus on the finish.
Rating: Very Good

2004 Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay Trinity blend (Hawkes Bay): 52% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Syrah
The reasoning behind calling this one a "trinity blend" when it has four grapes in it was discussed, and yes, there were some Douglas Adams references thrown in. It has a dark cherry and anise nose, is well-balanced between fruit and acidity and actually isn't as big as one might expect for the blend. A lot of cherry and cranberry come through as well.
Rating: Very Good/Excellent

Wow, both LoTR and Hitchiker's Guide references. It's a good night.

Random Adventures: Restaurant Reviews of Spoon and Highland Tap, Tasting Notes from Sherlock's

Okay, so I guess I suck at starting revolutions. Or maybe people don't want to admit they're from Alabama. After the Cycles Gladiator ban, I can't say I blame them.

Just a reminder for all you Atlantans, it's Atlanta Restaurant Week. Actually, it's Atlanta Restaurant Two Weeks because it goes through August 9th. Hubby and I grabbed the vegetarians and headed to Spoon on Thursday.

Random aside: Hubby had dropped me off at work on Thursday morning and took my car to his office, where he parked it under a tree. If you recall, Thursday was really rainy, and apparently the tree was really full of ants, which resulted in my car being infested with strange looking greyish-tan ants. At least they don't bite, but they did swarm me on Friday morning as I drove to the Y for Pilates. If anyone noticed a redhead driving through downtown Decatur smacking the seat beside her and yelling, "Die! Die! Die!" uh, yeah, that was me.

I've been trying to remember to take pictures of what I eat since that's apparently what food bloggers do. The problem is that my Blackberry has a really bright flash, so unless the restaurant lighting is bright, I can't really do it subtly. Still, I did get a couple of pictures.

The vegetarians went for the green curry, which wasn't part of the prix fixe menu, but Hubby and I decided to enter into the spirit of Restaurant Week (i.e., stuff yourself for a lot less money than you would have paid otherwise) and did the three-course menu. We all started with the sweet tofu basil rolls, which were served with a spicy hoisin-peanut sauce. They were fresh, and the tofu and basil had nice crunch to them. Hubby had the sesame tofu cubes with Thai ginger sauce, which he liked, and I splurged for the Ped Pa Lo Noodle: wide rice noodle with slow cooked duck in Thai five spice soup. The duck was a little fatty, but the noodles were good, and the soup was very savory. I even got a picture:



And then there was dessert. Hubby got the blueberry chocolate chip spring rolls with mango dipping sauce. He said that the spring rolls were okay, but he could've eaten just the coconut ice cream with mango dipping sauce and been perfectly happy. Of course chocoholic me had the chocolate caramel mousse with green tea ice cream, which was also served with a berry compote. The mousse itself was the perfect texture and balance of chocolate and caramel, which was good since a lot of places overpower the chocolate in their mousse with the secondary flavor. It went well with the green tea ice cream, which added fresh notes to the mousse along with the berries. I got a picture of it, too!



We ordered wine, a Gewurztraminer from the Columbia Gorge, but unfortunately I did not record the name of it before they whisked the wine list away, and the wine list isn't online. Yeah, yeah, I should know better by now. I think it may have been the Domaine Pouillon because the description fits: citrus, lychee, and mild nuttiness. It went well with the food.

Score card:
Atmosphere: Medium dark and a little noisy
Food: Very good
Wine list: Good for an Asian place; not a lot available, but nice variety
Wait staff: Very Good
Desserts: Apparently the chocolate caramel mousse was voted as being in Atlanta's Top 25. The ice creams are great, too.
Vegetarian friendly? Yeah, it's Thai. Just about anything can be made with tofu.
Kid friendly? You wouldn't think so, but there were some in there.
Would I go back? Yes

On Friday, the adventures continued when Hubby and I as well as half of Decatur went to the Sherlock's "Extraordinary Tasting Event!!!" That's what the emails said, anyway. The guest of honor was Steve Manos, wine instructor at Disney and the U.S Division Manager for Gruppo Mezzacorona. There were light munchies as well as a giveaway. Hubby didn't make it home in time for us to get any of the playing cards that served as drawing tickets, but we did get some wine.

We skipped the Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio (Dolomiti, Italy), but the provided notes look interesting, especially the "apple pie and cream part." Here are the ones we did try (vintage info not provided):

Mezzacorona Chardonnay (Dolomiti, Italy):
Hubby liked because it was oaky; I skipped

Mezzacorona Moscato (Dolomiti, Italy):
floral with orange blossom and honey; off-dry, but I liked it; may be too sweet for hard-core white drinkers
Rating: Good to Very Good

Arancio (Sicilia, Italy): 100% Grillo
apple nose, mineral body
Rating: Good

Axis Sauvignon Blanc (Central Coast, CA):
Herb nose, slightly oaky with grapefruit finish
Rating: Good

Axis Chardonnay (Central Coast, CA):
Hubby tasted, I skipped. He found it to be way too smoky.

Mezzacorona Pinot Noir (Dolomiti, Italy):
Nice fruity nose, but the wine fell flat
Rating: Okay

Arancio Pinot Noir (Sicilia, Italy):
Strawberry, gentle tannins, and a nice finish with a hint of butter.
Rating: Very Good

Mezzacorona Merlot (Dolomiti, Italy):
Very berry, but nicely balanced with acidity & fruit
Rating: Very Good

Mezzacorona Cabernet Sauvignon (Dolomiti, Italy):
The notes described as a "simple juicy red for grilled steak." I concur. Definitely had the "I'm a Cab!" stereotypical football linebacker characteristics to it: big but not too bright.
Rating: Good to Very Good (I appreciate honesty in a wine)

Axis Zinfandel (Lodi, CA): 86% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Syrah
Okay, those of you who know me will have probably guessed that this was my favorite of the evening. A little peppery on the nose with lots of lush fruit and that cedar-caramel overtone that I love in my Lodi's. Yeah, it was my favorite.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent

Last night, Hubby and I joined the Scot and his girlfriend at Highland Tap. The Scot graduated yesterday from Georgia Tech with a Master's degree in urban planning. Congratulations, D!

We knew immediately why the Scot had picked this place for his celebratory dinner. It's tucked in a cellar in Virginia Highlands, and it reminded me of many of the pubs we visited in Scotland with its exposed stone and wood paneled walls and dark, cozy interior. We sat at the bar, where Hubby had a Scotch (McCallan 12, neat), and I had a glass of A to Z Pinot Gris, which is one of my favorite summer pre-dinner wines. The Scot and his girlfriend arrived a little later, and we were immediately shown to our table by the friendly hostess. I didn't realize it before we went, but the menu is all about the meat, specifically steak. What triglycerides?

Last night also marked a first for me in Atlanta: bringing wine to a restaurant instead of ordering it off the list. We'd gotten the Scot a bottle of Bordeaux for his birthday, and he generously offered to share it with us for dinner. The waitress didn't balk at all, but was more curious about the wine, and she immediately brought out four glasses (corkage fee is $10).

The 2006 Chateau Chantemerle (Gaillan en Médoc) is a Bordeaux blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. It's a very smooth red, and while I am reluctant to use phrases such as "supple tannins" because for some reason, that particular phrase makes me think of the post-seduction scene in the movie "The Graduate" when she's putting her stockings back on, I think this one warrants it, so here we go: nicely balanced dark fruit with some oak, supple tannins (but not in a sexy middle-aged seduction kind of way), and leather (okay, really don't go there!). The flavors really came out nicely with the meat with some nice spiciness (this is just getting worse).

Okay, on to the food. As I mentioned, the Highland Tap is a steak place. Hubby got the "Queen cut" prime rib, and I got the "Petite" Filet, which was a non-petite eight ounces. Yeah, there are now leftovers. We both got as sides the parmesan-truffle potatoes, which were incredibly good. Those didn't come home.

Score card:
Atmosphere: Very dark, fun to people watch as the evening goes on ("White patent leather heels? Srsly?")
Food: Very good to excellent
Wine list: Decent from what I could tell
Wait staff: Very Good and personable; also good at helping each other out when necessary so that the food is timed right
Desserts: Don't know
Vegetarian friendly? Ummm, it's a steak place
Kid friendly? Probably not
Would I go back? Yes

A Post of Protest: Seeking Current and Former Alabamians Tired of Home State's Nonsense

This is a letter and petition I would like to forward to the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Of course I'll include my real name when I send it. My goal is to get enough comments/co-signatures to have them take it seriously.

Dear Alabama ABC Board,

First, congratulations on the strides the state is taking to improve the freedom of alcoholic commerce in the state of Alabama. I was thrilled to hear earlier this year that you have increased the alcohol limit for beer sales, which will allow my mother access to the beer she's missed from her home country of Belgium. It will likely make my father very happy as well.

I am, however, concerned to hear about the ban on Cycles Gladiator wine due to objections about the label's content, the profile of an unclad nymph with a bicycle, which is from a piece of French art from the late 1800's. While I object to anything that will keep residents of Alabama from having access to good wine, I am particularly frustrated about another aspect of the situation.

I am from Alabama and spent the first twenty-two years of my life there. After college, I moved to Georgia for personal and professional reasons. Because I essentially have no Southern accent, I don't have to tell people I grew up in Alabama; I would be perfectly convincing as a Chicagoan or even a Californian. But I do tell people I'm from Birmingham because to this point, I have been proud and not embarrassed to say so. I also am quick to correct people's negative misconceptions about the state and to assure them that it is really a lovely place to live, work, and visit.

Now you see my quandary. I am part of the "Alabama really isn't that bad" movement, and you have greatly set my efforts back. Now I feel I can't even be a part of the "At least we're not Mississippi" camp because Mississippi hasn't banned Cycles Gladiator wine. You may feel that you're taking the moral high ground, but really, all you've done is make the state look more ridiculous than it already does.

So, on behalf of myself and other current and former residents of Alabama, I am writing to ask you to withdraw this ban on Cycles Gladiator wine.

Sincerely,

Cecilia Dominic

Please add your name and city to the petition!

Fun Mondays -- really!

Hubby and I have been feelin' a little rebellious as of late and have actually gone out on *gasp!* Monday nights!

Two Mondays ago, we went to the four-year birthday celebration for Feast in Decatur. This has to be one of my favorite restaurants in all of Atlanta, and definitely in our little corner of it. We're on the email list and immediately jumped on the chance to help them celebrate four years of being open, especially since we'd get a special appetizer, free glass of wine, and a certain percentage off our bill. Teri Rogers, the owner, supposedly prepared the special appetizer, which was a combination of a little cheese fondue, chilled soup, and crawfish cake, and she did appear in an apron, so of course she was back in the kitchen, right? We amused ourselves with the thought of chef Melissa Fedorko bossing her around.

We enjoyed our complimentary glasses of wine, sparkling to celebrate the occasion, and ordered a bottle of the 2006 El Roy Proprietor's Blend Red Wine. Oh, yes, it made me happy. Black currant nose, black cherry and a lil pepper. Nice transition to dessert at 15.2% alcohol. My efforts to figure out what, exactly the blend is beyond a Bordeaux, have not born any fruit, fermented or otherwise.

Ohyeah, we ate, too. Hubby had the Grilled Bistro Steak on Pita, and, ever mindful of my triglycerides (really!), I got the grilled vegetable pizza. Both were good. Of course I had to get the Kahlua cake for dessert:



Yeah, it was a good night. My only complaint was that the service was a bit uneven, and the bar got backed up. I don't think that they were expecting the turnout they got.

This past Monday evening, Hubby and I went to a fund raiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at Agatha's - A Taste of Mystery. I was really excited because I've been wanting to go there for quite a while, being a big mystery fan and writer. They serve a five-course meal, which includes appetizers as you gather, then seated soup, salad, entree, and dessert courses. A complimentary glass of wine is served with the salad course, and all other alcohol can be obtained at a cash bar.

The appetizer course, which was a hot and cold buffet, was probably the best course with a variety of hot munchies like fried mushrooms, cheese puffs, and nicely spiced mini meat kabobs, and cold cheese, antipasta salad, and crudites and dip. The soup and salad were average, and the entrees, for which there were four courses, were good but not great. Dessert got mixed reviews as well, but overall the kitchen did well for having to serve that many people all at once.

The mystery itself was entertaining, and it was obvious that the actor and actress were enjoying themselves. They did a good job of drawing the audience in, even those of us who didn't have "speaking parts." As for the wine, the red was a Cab, and it was definitely a red for beginners.

Overall, the experience was good, and I would definitely go back for the entertainment.

Tasting Notes: Pacific Northwest Wines at JavaMonkey's Thursday Wine Series

I almost got my wish for Pacific Northwest weather last night. A small black cloud blew over Decatur but didn't stick around long enough to do much. Oh, well.

Thanks to all of you who checked in on Twitter to play the drinking game. I tried to make it easy for you.

The wines:

2006 Four Legged White (Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Riesling
Yes, this one is made in a winery just outside of Walla Walla. I know this because I've been there and have even met the dog on the label. There are a group of wineries located in old hangars near the airport, and half the fun of visiting them is to see how they converted their spaces. This one actually looked like a real tasting room.

The wine itself was billed as "off-dry," but the general consensus is that it's actually way off dry with hints of honeysuckle. The nose was misleading, being mostly mineral and lemon.
Rating: Good, would be good as a component of Kir

2007 Lange Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, Oregon):
Green apple and pineapple nose, but a good bit of mineral and lime on the palate. It gets kudos because it's a Pinot Gris that Hubby actually liked, although my preference would still be for the Big Fire, which has more fruit.
Rating: Very Good

2006 Novelty Hill Chardonnay (Columbia Valley, Washington):
Chemical cedar nose ("like licking the inside of a cabinet," one taster said). This wine is kind of like a novelty store with all sorts of odd things juxtaposed, and it's hard to tell how well they go together. The oak carries through with a vanilla butterscotch finish. I tried it with brie, a natural pairing for Chard, and found that the cheese actually killed the wine and made it watery. Confused AND wimpy? Would give it a miss.
Rating: Meh

2007 Montinore Estate Reserve Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon):
Earthy, dark cherry nose. Decent alcohol to balance out the fruit and white pepper. When originally poured, it was a little warm. The fruit really came out after it had been chilled closer to cellar temperature. Gads, I sound like a wine snob! That can't be good, but at least the wine was.
Rating: Very Good

2005 Novelty Hill Merlot (Columbia Valley, Washington): 92% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
A cedar/blackberry nose was a little bit of a tease because the wine was lighter-bodied than the nose had promised. Lots of smooth fruit, cedar, and butter. I said berry, others said dark plum, but you get the idea.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent

2005 Del Rio Claret (Rogue Valley, Oregon): 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 11% Malbec, and 6% Cabernet Franc
A beautiful reminder that Oregon has more than one wine-growing valley. This blend had a very alcohol-forward nose and palate, but only came in at 13.9%. Still, drinking it was like having a flaky, buttery pastry that had been covered with brandy and set alight. Yeah, I liked it. Besides, how can you not feel all classy and literary when drinking Claret?
Rating: Very Good

So that was the tasting. Hubby and I didn't remember going to any of the wineries except the first one, but we do have a picture of Montinore on our "Wineries of the World" kitchen calendar. Yeah, we're wine geeks.

Jess is always looking for new ideas and themes for tastings. If you have one, please feel free to comment. Or comment otherwise.

Pre-tasting notes: Tonight at JavaMonkey

Hubby and I just came from the doctor's office, where I went to consult with my physician about some minor elective surgery. They have these great signs on the cabinets, "Stop! Only Authorized Personnel Allowed in Cabinets!" I guess they had a problem with the doctors hiding in there when clinics got too busy.

Tonight's tasting at JavaMonkey is Pacific Northwest wines. I'll be tweeting the tasting and will post more complete notes tomorrow or Saturday. If you're interested in getting the tasting notes in real time, you can find me on Twitter.

If you're so inclined, you can even grab a bottle of your favorite Pinot -- Noir, Gris, or Blanc -- and (responsibly, please!) play the Random Oenophile drinking game. Here's a list for tonight's tasting:

One small sip -- remember, we're being responsible! -- for:

1. Mention of Pinot. Bonus sip for Pinot Noir.

2. Whiny tweet about wishing that Canadians were less selfish and actually let B.C. wines out of the region.

3. Any of the following fruit flavors, which tend to pop up there: cherry, apricot, orange

4. Bonus sip for Pacific Northwest fruits that appear: apple, apple, and apple. And maybe pear.

5. Mention of tea, cola, or coffee. Hey, it's a caffeinated place!

6. Any question or statement of how rainy it is where the wines grow, which tend to be in deserts.

7. Any mention of Walla Walla, Washington, because it's fun to say.

8. Hubby whining about not getting seafood like up there. Bonus sip for specific mention of salmon.

9. Fun sounding growing regions like Horse Heaven Hills.

Okay, print out your lists to bring with you if you're coming! If not, stay tuned on Twitter. I'll keep my ears open and will likely be mentioning some of these in my tweets.

Travelin' Oenophile: More on Victoria and Vancouver

Happy Sunday! I hope that those of you here in Decatur and Atlanta are able to enjoy the weather. I'm writing this on the back patio. Even better, Hubby is making lunch, the Grilled Salmon and Spinach Salad from this month's Cooking Light.

Hubby finally went through the black hole that he calls his desk and found some of the info I was missing for the Victoria and Vancouver posts.

First, in Victoria, we did visit a tasting room in the city itself. The Artisan Wine Shop has bottles from several different British Columbia wineries. We didn't find any that really stood out, but the staff was friendly, and the tasting was complimentary.

I believe I ended the Vancouver post with us in Yaletown doing some bar-hopping and eating. After we went to George, we stopped off for some B.C. wine at the Hamilton Street Grill, where we found a nice list of B.C. wine and a very friendly bartender. I had a glass of the 2006 Hillside Estates Cabernet Franc. We'd visited Hillside Estates on our Pacific Northwest wine trip in 2007 and brought back a bottle of red, which has long since been drunk, but I'm pretty sure it was an earlier vintage Cab Franc. The wine was as good as I'd hoped it would be with dark red currant and a little oak and chocolate. Hubby had the 2007 Misconduct "The Big Take," a red blend of Merlot, Cabernet, and Cab Franc. It was a bit rougher, and we both agreed we liked my Cab Franc better.

After those glasses and a taste of something the bartender thought we'd like (didn't take notes -- was in "I'm on vacation, darnit!" mode), we were ready for some food. Hubby had the idea that he wanted oysters, so we wandered into Goldfish Pacific Kitchen. We were in casual attire due to the heat, and the first hostess looked at us askance, but the other one was warmer and brought us to a nice table for two on the back patio. Hubby had Oysters on the Half Shell, and I had the Wok Beef. We split an order of the Duck Sausage & Truffle Macaroni, and we both had salads. Yeah, I think we had wine munchies by that point. Hubby liked his oysters. I really enjoyed the Wok Beef, which tasted similar to Mongolian Beef, one of my favorite Chinese dishes. The Duck Sausage & Truffle Macaroni was as good as promised, maybe a little heavy on the truffle.

After dinner, we popped into the place next door, which advertised itself as having lots of local produce, meats, and wine on the menu in search of more B.C. wines. Nope, not a one, so we wandered down the street to the Blue Water Cafe and Raw Bar. I think we had skipped that place for dinner because I wasn't in the mood for seafood, so we had to find someplace that was more balanced. We sat at the lovely bar, which had an incredible array of Scotches. The bill says that we had two glasses of the 2005 Desert Hills Mirage (Cab Sauv/Merlot/Malbec/Cab Franc/P.Verdot), but there may have been a special that night for half-price bottles. Honestly, I don't remember, but I don't think we would've split a bottle after everything else we drank. I'm sure my palate was burned out by that point, but I remember the wine being good, if a little raisin-y.

By that point, we didn't even want to try to figure out Vancouver's near-incomprehensible bus system, so we hailed a cab back to the hotel. Hubby felt vindicated to see that the pedestrians run out in front of them, too.