Decoding the wine list [ March 20th, 2010 ] Posted in » Wine Article archive, wine education

There’s a secret to ordering wine at a restaurant. But like making cheap long distance phone calls–first you have to know the code. Most restaurants have two wine lists. There’s the one they put on your table, which may be as simple as a choice between the house red and the house white, or as complex as the blueprint for the B-2 bomber. This first wine list is the public list, known as the “regular” or “standard” list. The second list, the “reserve,” is the one kept in the back for the true connoisseurs, and the prices reflect the rarity of the wines. This list is for people with expertise and the financial wherewithal to indulge their tastes. If you’re someone who is used to buying off this second list, you’re way ahead of us.
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Cristom

1999 “Willamette Valley”
Reserve Pinot Noir
cristomIt’s easy to get two bottles down at dinner, just give it a try.

When Pinot drinkers are drooling over the thought of an exceptional bottle of Pinot Noir from the great Northwest, there are about 15 wineries that are on the “must get my hands on” list. Cristom Vineyards is one of them. Small production, handcrafted and consistently “freakin’ great”. Some of the vineyard designate releases are made in small amounts ranging from 300 cases to a bit over 500, and the Reserve usually comes in at twice that depending on the harvest. This release of the Reserve came in at about 1150 cases. That’s enough for some of us to get our hands on it.

The 1999 vintage provided a nice cool and surprisingly dry spring and a mild and warm summer. This follows two very good vintages in 1997 and 1998, and gives fans of Willamette Valley wines something to cheer about. Cristom has taken advantage of this like they should, and they keep releasing killer Pinot’s.
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February 8th, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Getting Some Tail

getting-some-tailCracking claws over here, pullin’ apart tails over there, man it was a sight to see. I got some much-needed use out of my lobster crackers and only ended up knocking over one glass of wine… not a bad night for me.

Lip smacking white wines and lobster. Put these two side by side and most seafood lovers and winos will thoroughly thank you. I know I would. To top it off lets pair this lobster up with some bottles that are all $15 or under. If you are dropping the cash for lobsters and can get away with keeping the budget in line with some nice bottles for $15 or less, might as well. So that is the way I went.

First I ordered four 1.5-pound live hard-shell Maine lobsters.Then I went and picked out four white wines that I felt could nicely accompany the crustaceans during my feast. The lobsters arrived the next morning at 11:00, via FedEx. I let them hang out in my fridge for a couple of hours and they were rarin’ to go. They were very lively as if they had just gotten out of their tank, and they wanted a piece of me, I could tell. But I sidestepped them and into the boiling pot they went. I did the standard New England Boil for these guys.
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February 7th, 2010 | Leave a Comment

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