Hidden Gems

You never know what you're going to find when you dig around your favorite wine shop. Yesterday at Joe's on Poplar I found a 1985 Nebbiolo for around $40! The wine was the last vintage made by the original winemaker who died just before its release. They have a little informational sign regarding the wine that, I believe, stated that he died just shy of 100 years old! It's amazing to think what else might be lying around Memphis.

Banned

The Chicago City Council voted Wednesday to ban the sale of foie gras, making Chicago the first city in in the U.S. to do so. California has already passed a law that will end the production and sale of foie gras by 2012. Rick Tramanto, executive chef at Tru in Chicago, stated that "Government shouldn't be dictating what we eat, it's just not right". Mayor Daley feels that Chicago shouldn't be wasting time with foie gras and should be focusing on the "real issues in this city".

This is where the grey area lies. I consider myself progressive, liberal and eco-conscious. I also am a passionate lover of food. Supposedly, there are humane ways of raising ducks and geese to produce the rich, velvety foie gras. If so, then I say it should be allowed to continue. It is rather delicious. Is that heartless?

Gift

My father called me the other night to tell me that he was thoroughly enjoying a bottle of Hayman & Hill Pinot Noir that I had given him. Last Christmas I gave my parents a case of wine. It was comprised of really interesting and delicious bottles such as Foris Gewurztraminer, Castello di Monastero Chianti Classico and Venta Mazzaron Tempranillo along with some others. My parents have everything (except that vacation home in the Caribbean, that's coming Mom) so it's usually an interesting feat when purchasing gifts for them. I get my love of cuisine and wine from the both of them, so a gift of wine seemed natural. Also, they live in a small town in Illinois and therefore do not have access to as much of a selection as we do here in Memphis. I even found two beautiful wooden wine boxes to put them in. Which my dad, being the craftsman that he is, turned into wall art for their bar. Every time they pop open a bottle of wine from that Christmas collection, they call me to express how much they are enjoying it. Sometimes they call me to ask my advice on what wine to open with the meal they are about to have.

I can't express how good it feels to know they are enjoying my gift. My mother and father are the reason why I love to cook good food and drink good wine. The kitchen was always the heart of our home and the room that holds the most memories for me. They instilled in me an experimental palate and a desire to create and share. I'm so passionate about wine and food that it was only right to give back to that original source of passion. My beautiful niece Halei, who just turned 2 in February, already loves to cook and loves to eat. I can already foresee that she will be a great cook and I hope that I will be able to pass along that passion for cooking that my parents passed to me.

Here's to you guys.

Salud y pesetas y tiempo para gastarlas!

Here it comes

Spring, as usual, will probably last about 10 seconds here in balmy Memphis. With that being said, I guess we should prepare ourselves to make the inevitable leap to summertime wines. My list of such wines include riesling and rose.

The New York Times food section published an article in the 4.12.06 issue on German rieslings, one of my ABSOLUTE favorite styles of wine. These wines go with practically all foods, especially spicy Asian cuisine, and can run the gamut from dry to sweet to late harvest dessert style. They are perfect for sipping on a patio on an oppressively hot Memphis day. I recommend picking up rieslings from Rudolf Muller (especially the Kabinett and Eiswein), Dr. Thanisch or J.J. Prum. Great Wines and Spirits in the Regalia shopping center (682.1333) has a good stock of all of these wines, try Joe's on Poplar as well. If you can't find what your after, either shop should be able to special order for you.

For the red wine drinkers who feel they couldn't possibly stoop to drinking white wine (what is wrong with you, I mean really??) there are some INCREDIBLE rose wines out there. Rose gives a red drinker the satisfaction and body that accompanies a red wine with the crispness and cool refreshing qualities of a white wine. My favorites include: Saintsbury Vin Gris of Pinot Noir, Susana Balbo Crios Rose of Malbec, E Guigal Cotes Du Rhone Rose, Bonny Doon Big House Pink and Fife Redhead Rose.

Springtime in Harbor Town

I recently was asked to lead a food and wine pairing at a private residence in Harbor Town in downtown Memphis. The host (thanks, Joe!) wanted to have a few friends over for dinner but wanted to do something a little different. I felt up to the challenge so I agreed to do it.

To welcome the guests I had prepared a edamame dip with rice crackers. The dip had lovely flavors of garlic, ginger and a hint of soy to whet their appetites. The first course was red wine poached figs stuffed with blue cheese and walnuts and drizzled with pomegranate molasses. I paired the figs with Castellblanch Rosado cava, a bright and fruity sparkling rose from Spain. The fruit in the cava mirrored the figs, contrasted the saltiness of the blue cheese, and complimented the tartness of the molasses.

Next up were grilled chicken skewers with a pad thai dipping sauce comprised of coconut milk, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy, chilis and lime. This I paired with McWilliam's Dry Riesling from South Australia. The lime zest hints in the wine picked up the lime in the sauce while the spice amplified the fruit in the wine. It was a harmonious pairing of flavors that everyone should try.

The main course was marinated flank steak seared rare and topped with a chimmichurri sauce paired with Antis Malbec from Argentina. The wine's supple tannins complimented the beef while the olive oil in the sauce brought out the wine's red fruit flavors. The slight spice from the chilis in the sauce mirrored the slight spiciness of the wine.

Lastly was a chocolate souffle paired with Clocktower Port and Coturri Chauvet Vineyards Old Vines Zinfandel. What way to end! The sweet fruit of both wines amplified the souffle's chocolatey richness. The souffle also brought out a hint of cocoa that I had never detected in the Zin.

All in all I had a blast preparing the food and pairing the wine. I could definitely tell that the guests enjoyed themselves just as much.

I can't wait to do it again! Bring on a new set of tastebuds!

Grapes in Baldwyn

Recently I drove down to Baldwyn, MS to lead a wine tasting at the Old Post Office restaurant. Jim Davis, CFO of Stanford Financial Group is a native of Baldwyn and has reinvested in the town by opening this restaurant as well as a design shop across the street. The town itself lies in two counties. The county line runs straight down the center of Main Street. The Old Post Office is on one side of Main and the shop is on the other. One county is dry and one is wet. Obviously, the restaurant is on the wet side.

My friends Patrick and Deni Reilly (who are opening The Majestic Grill in the old Gordon Biersch space in downtown Memphis) brought me down to Baldwyn to lead this tasting. Patrick and I decided it would be fun to theme the tasting "Old World vs New World". We tasted a 2002 Barton & Geustier Loire Valley Vouvray, a 2000 Pine Ridge Napa Chardonnay, a 1996 Chateau Gloria Bordeaux, and a 2001 Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot.

The crowd had never really experienced a wine tasting format before and most were very eager to learn and interact with me. I had maps and printouts to show tasters so that they would have a frame of reference of where the wines came from. The food Patrick had prepared really paired well with different wines. I instructed the tasters to try the Shrimp Dill pastries with the Vouvray, the Smoked Salmon toasts or the Baked Brie with the Chardonnay, and the smoked duck with cherries with both the Merlot and the Bordeaux.

All in all everyone had a wonderful time and I can't wait to do it again. Opening up people's minds, and mouths, to new flavors is always so rewarding.

San Francisco pt 2

Sorry it's taken me so long to post again but I've been a bit busy.

Back to San Francisco.



On Friday we went to the Ferry Building down on the bay. Every foodie and culinary explorer in the world owes it to themselves to get there NOW! The building is packed with stalls, stands, storefronts and cafes that the mere sight of electrifies the tastebuds. The Slanted Door, the perennial vietnamese favorite, has relocated to the building; and The Cowgirl Creamery has an outpost here. At one point I had to stop and rebalance myself because my head was near explosion due to sensory overload.

We picked up some sandwiches at Lulu Petite and sat down at the Ferry Building Wine Bar for some vino. My sandwich was INCREDIBLE! I ate blood orange and tomato braised pork with fontina on ciabatta bread. Wow wow wow. It paired perfectly with the Gruner Veltliner we ordered. I truly could have stayed in that building all day long.

San Francisco pt 1

We descended into San Francisco International Airport after a horrible flight, and wandered into beautiful weather. It's absolutely imperative for someone involved in food and wine to travel. No matter where you live there are always exciting tastes and flavors to be explored elsewhere. These trips are necessary for inspiration. As I was saying, the weather was beautiful so we made a short trip to Cori and Joel's apartment to drop off our bags. We then walked next door to Le Zinc to sip wine and snack on the patio. I drank a sparkling rose from Burgundy, Kelly had a Rhone Valley red blend, and Joel had a Loire Valley sauvignon blanc. We split duck and pork rilletes, lamb sausage and Morbier cheese in a crepe, and crispy Camembert drizzled with truffle oil. Absolutely killer!

Cori joined us after returning for work and we set off for Cha Cha Cha, a Latin American restaurant in the Haight-Ashbury district. We split a pitcher of sangria (almost as good as my mom's but not quite) and settled into a table in the middle of the PACKED front dining room. Even though we were squashed into a small table right up against two other tables, we were having such a good time that we quickly forgot how cramped we were. The restaurant has the coolest Central American religious altars I have ever seen. They are literally everywhere in the place.




We dined on ceviche, pork quesadillas and plantains. The ceviche was hauntingly good. It was packed with octopus, shrimp, fish and scallops. I have never in my life had octopus so tender and succulent. Kelly was a little wary of it but oh well, more for me. The pork was slow cooked to perfection and seasoned beautifully. Our plantains were sweet but not cloying, and even though they were fried they were not greasy at all. They served them with a deliciously creamy black bean sauce that I literally could have poured all over myself, it was that good! After polishing off another pitcher of sangria we headed over to the Fairmont Hotel for some tiki drinks at the Tonga Room.

The Tonga Room is wild. Seriously. We felt as if we were in Bora Bora on some patio bar. It has a small lagoon where it rains and thunders every 20 minutes. They also have the stiffest drinks in town. Kelly and I shared a Lava Bowl before he and Cori shaked their groove things to the Polynesian cover band. It was soooo much fun. If you go to SF, be sure to go to Cha Cha Cha for dinner and Tonga Room for drinks.

Super 6

Last week some wine loving friends and I gathered together for a tasting. We've been trying to host them on a regular basis but invariably something comes up with someone and we have to postpone. Oh well. Bryce, Elizabeth, Michael and I went over to Richie and Megan's apartment to pop some bottles. Richie had already decanted a 2002 Henschke Keyneton Estate Euphonium Shiraz. It had been resting peacefully in its gorgeous glass container, waiting to be drunk. He had also opened a bottle of 1999 Modus Ruffino to let it breathe and blossom. We all were anxious to taste this particular bottle because the 2000 vintage that Richie brought to an earlier tasting was corked. He had taken that bottle back and had it replaced with the '99, which, according to critics, was a much better vintage.

We started off with Michael's bottle, a 1998 Marcel Deiss Gewurztraminer from Alsace. It had a beautiful nose of peaches and jasmine. The mouthfeel was voluptuous and creamy with bright acidity and tasted of honey and ginger. Gorgeous wine, absolutely gorgeous. Pair this wine with gorgonzola or some other salty blue cheese.

Next up was the '99 Modus Super Tuscan. I smelled red raspberry, red pepper and fennel. On the palette was a strong flavor of leather and earth with balanced acidity and firm tannin. Pair this wine with strawberries or prosciutto. The berry flavors complement the strawberry and the earthiness mirrors the earthy flavors of the prosciutto.

Then we tasted the bottle I brought, 2002 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Right Bank. This particular wine is a blend of cabernet franc and merlot. It had been quietly blossoming in the decanter that Michael brought (thanks Michael) while we were enjoying the two previous little gems. The reason I brought this wine was completely based on Michael and Richie's reaction when I suggested previously that I might bring it. They both grew HUGE grins on their face and grunted "Yeah, yeah, yeah bring that!" Okay, back to the wine. On the nose there were violets and cinnamon and hint of sweet vanilla. The taste was all sweet fruits, figs, plum; with medium tannins. TASTY TASTY TASTY!



And then we tasted the 2000 Clos Mimi Bunny Slope Vineyard Syrah (Thanks Mr. Burhop!). I was especially psyched about this wine since I've lately been drinking, and loving, syrah. The nose had hay loft notes, cedar, and what I said smelled like a berry bush in the center of a briar patch. The taste was a bursting mouthful of raspberries. I definitely think this wine could still age some more and it would still be KILLER.

Continuing with the syrah lover's wet dream, we tasted the 2002 Henschke Keyneton Estate Euphonium Single Vineyard Shiraz. It poured forth scents of chocolate, black cherry and pie crust. I could taste coffee, blueberry, earth and chocolate. In my notes I wrote "Very F***ing good"

Last of the night was a 2002 Williams Selyem Russian River Forchini Vineyard Zinfandel. On the nose was stewed fruit, raspberry & blueberry compote, and rich dark cocoa. The taste very closely mirrored the nose. I was extremely impressed. This wine was the perfect ending to a stellar tasting.



Thank you, Richie and Megan, for hosting this awesome lineup. And thank you Michael, Bryce and Elizabeth for the KICK ASS bottles you contributed.

No Passport Needed

For those of you who have not visited the Winchester Farmer's Market (at the corner of Kirby and Winchester), you are truly missing out. I took my good friends Richie and Meagan out there for the first time and they were amazed. It is so energizing to be around people who are culinary "addicts" such as myself. The three of us were hopping around the store like kids on a sugar high. Our jaws were permanently dropped as we marveled at the foreign treasures. Beautiful, but odd, products such as whole dried octopus and canned cuttlefish made me want to run home with an armload of groceries and cook. I was so inspired by all the fresh produce.



It is truly awe inspiring to see the vast array of fresh fruits, veggies, herbs and spices. All of you who love cooking and love food need to visit the Winchester Farmer's Market IMMEDIATELY!



They have curry leaf for crying out loud!

Sharing pt. 3

Wine is, without a doubt, better when you share it. I'm constantly amazed at how people I don't even know will open up to me and share. At Bluefish last night a guest brought in a bottle of 2004 Ken Wright Cellars Carter Vineyard Pinot Noir. The gentleman who brought it in was nice enough to pour me a taste, and I'm very glad that he did. Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed. It tasted off balance, hot, slightly astringent, and just generally unpleasant. I was very disappointed. Ken Wright is supposedly THE MAN when it comes to Oregon Pinot. If this is a reflection of his other 2004 bottles, then I don't plan on purchasing any of them. I OF COURSE didn't say any of this to the man who shared it with me, because I didn't want to seem rude. He seemed to enjoy it and I didn't feel it necessary to spoil that. Why should I?

Super Syrah Sunday

My wine loving friend, and co-conspirator, Sabrina and I decided to have a Super Bowl of Syrah. Neither of us care about football but we did want a reason to drink good wine. We had hoped it would be a larger affair with more people, but gradually our friends cancelled on us. That didn't stop us from popping some bottles. With it down to just myself, Sabrina, her husband Eric, sister in law Hillary, and brother in law Marc; we made it a blind tasting to add another layer of intrigue. Sabrina prepared an AMAZING braised beef stew with luscious creamy polenta. I made a blue cheese pyhllo napoleon topped with a dried fruit and port compote.




Both dishes paired wonderfully with the syrahs. While we were digging in to the lovely spread, Eric wrapped the bottles in brown paper bags and began pouring. Sabrina pulled out some tasting sheets for us to make notes on. It was a lot of fun and a real exercise on my palette. The first wine threw me at first. The fruit that was so evident led me to believe that it was new world. But the slight funk and earth on the nose made me think it was new world. After careful consideration both Sabrina and I guessed old world. This wine was Mas De Aveylands from the Rhone Valley of France. We were both correct in the region but wrong on age. We guessed 2-3 years of age but the wine was actually vintage 2000. The second wine was obvious from the start that it came from the new world. I guessed Central Coast California, but it turned out to be Renwood Sierra Series Syrah from Sierra Foothills area. The third really threw me. From the start I couldn't think it was anything BUT an Australian shiraz. It had the concentration, fruit and extraction of an Australian. Or so I thought. This wine was actually a 1999 Jory Syrah from Monterey County California. Even though I was wrong on my guess I still have to say that this third wine was absolutely stellar. Go buy it now. I saw it at Joe's, but PLEASE save me a bottle. The fourth wine was rich and full bodied, but not quite ready to be drunk. Sabrina likened it to a teenager who was rambunctious, untethered, and unsure of itself. It will be ready to go in a few years after it settles down. Go grab a bottle of Novy Garys' Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah from Great Wines and Spirits and lay it down for 2 years. You'll be glad you gave it time.

The unveiling:



Thanks Sabrina!

Downtown Roam

Last Wednesday Kelly and I tried to go to Encore but unfortunately they were closed for a private party. I'm actually glad they were closed because we ended up having much more fun. We decided to take a culinary tour of downtown Memphis. We started at Bluefin where I had a glass of Crios of Susana Balbo Malbec Rose. It had wonderful fruit and a crisp dry finish. We split the Rock Shrimp Risotto which was absolutely delicious. The shrimp were tender and the risotto was rich and creamy without being heavy and overpowering. Chef Robbie Alexander brought us out a fabulous Wagyu beef London Broil. It was cooked to a perfect rare with a slightly sweet drizzle and a spicy polenta cake. I urge everyone to get down there IMMEDIATELY. The food is fantastic, the wine list has everything for everyone, and the decor is modern Tokyo hip. This restaurant is a perfect addition to the Memphis dining scene.

After leaving Bluefin we headed to McEwan's. This place is always ALWAYS good. I ordered Kelly a glass of Ferrari-Carano Syrah and a glass of Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc for myself. We split the Buttermilk Fried Oysters and BBQ Duck Enchiladas. Incredible. The oysters were lovely and crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Wonderful. The duck enchiladas are purely decadent. Rich, smoky, tender with a slight hint of spice. I could live off them if I wasn't afraid of blowing up. Our friends Wendy and John, who had just finished dinner in the other room, joined us for another glass of wine. We all headed out into the chilly Memphis night and bounced on over to Felicia Suzanne's for one last drink. Our bartender, Caroline, was lively, funny and sweet. Kelly decided she was his new best friend.

Next time you dine out, pick three restaurants that you like, or have always wanted to visit, and go enjoy them all. Have a glass of wine and an appetizer at each place. Maybe even do a course by course dinner; have an app here, salad there, dinner at another place, and dessert at another. Sample the culinary culture of Memphis!

Passion

There is a wonderful article in the San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfgate.com) about young sommeliers in the bay area. It is very energizing to read about these individuals who discovered the secret early on. To be truly happy in this world you have to pursue what you are passionate about. Does anyone know of any sommeliers living and working in Memphis?

Buy it

In today's New York Times Penfolds' winemaker Peter Gago discusses the sibling rivalry between that label's St Henri shiraz and the more prominent Grange. The article is a great read. More importantly, it quotes the price on St Henri as $50. After a quick call to Great Wines & Spirits I discovered that they have the 2001 vintage in stock for $30. Run fast because I plan to buy one of the two remaining bottles. On your mark, get set, GO!

Culinary Collective

My friends seem to all operate on the same level when it comes to food. We have the capacity to prepare foods not neccessarily in the same way, but with flavors that all flow together. The other night Jeff, Kristi and Warner came over to have dinner and drink some good wine with Kelly and I.

Here's what I made:
Red wine poached figs roasted with Bleu d'Auvergne cheese and toasted walnuts
Shrimp sauteed in Chorizo (Spanish not Mexican chorizo)
Shrimp sauteed in orange cognac, garlic, fresh squeezed blood orange juice and blood orange segments
Roasted spice rubbed pork with garlic tomato jam
Baby Arugula salad with red wine lavendar vinaigrette, red onion, toasted walnuts, blue cheese and dried cherries

Jeff made:
Carmalized onion, raspberry habanero cheesecakes
Goat's cheese cheesecakes
Spinach phyllo pockets

Kristi and Warner made:
Butternut Squash ravioli in brown butter
Spinach and roasted garlic croustades
Chocolate Cobbler with fresh vanilla ice cream

All of the flavors worked so well and played off each other in such a way that you would have thought we spent hours on the phone with each other discussing the menu. The wines that we drank worked harmoniously with all the flavors in each little dish.

Wines:
Morande Grand Reserve Chardonnay
Novelty Hill Syrah
Osborne Solaz Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon blend
Rosa Regale brachetto d'acqui
Coturri Freiberg Vineyard zinfandel

The flavors in the food and wine were utterly delicious; but served along with great friends those flavors were elevated to that of a symphony. I always say that I'm happiest when I'm cooking, which is very true. But I truly think I'm even happier eating that food, drinking good wine, and surrounding myself with loved ones.

Wow factor

I love discovering new wines. While grabbing a bite to eat at Bari recently (awesome cheese and meat menu) I ordered a glass of Le Rive Nebbiolo. I don't have a lot of experience with this grape but it's always been on my radar. At first sniff I detected a strong tar and herbal scent. It was pretty wild. I tasted earth and dark fruit. After a few minutes the wine settled into a beautiful red wine bursting with fresh blueberry and a hint of basil. The tar scent that was so wildly interesting blew off in a matter of minutes as well. Interestingly enough Le Rive is imported by Le Vignoble, a local company based in Cordova. If I'm not mistaken it was started by a couple of brothers. Way to go guys! You really scored with this wine.

Words of wisdom

I'm drinking a bottle (not the entire thing thank you) of Bonny Doon California Syrah. I've been a HUGE fan of Randall Grahm for years now. This is another reason why. Not only is this syrah ridiculously good, but on the back label is written some very eloquent words. "True syrah is deeply and elementally feminine, no matter what the show-offy, unctuously unguented Muscle Beach shiraz-mongers might claim. Proper syrah is perfumed elegance; its power is its ability to enchant, to captivate, rather than to overpower. One is disarmed by its apparent freshness, its strangeness. One will wander the world till the end of one's days with its sublime and haunting fragrance gradually displacing all thoughts and memories, including the knowledge of one's own name". Wow. This truly encompasses what I feel when I taste a truly great wine. Haunted, shaken and delirious with the desire to continue or even elevate this flavor sensation.

Sharing pt. 2

What is it about wine that makes total strangers want to share an incredibly rare bottle? At Bluefish the other night I was admiring this man's bottle of Martinelli 1999 Blue Slide Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir. How could I not? This freaking bottle is rare rare rare. Another knockout wine from superstar winemaker Helen Turley. Anyway, this man practically forced me to take a taste of his bottle which I reluctantly obliged. I felt like I was imposing somehow, but good GOD I'm glad I accepted. The wine was unsettlingly good. Just the scent of it made me shiver. It had big dark cherry fruit and a nice note of leather. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. The very nice gentleman asked me later what I thought of the wine. I told him I didn't have the words.

Sharing

I invited my fellow wine loving friends over for the "first great tasting of the year". Everyone brought a bottle, some brought two, and some nibbles. I poached figs in port then sliced them in half and stuffed them with Bleu d'Auvergne cheese and toasted walnuts. Next, I roasted them for a few minutes to melt the cheese, YUM! Richie and Megan brought Prosciutto, herbed goat's cheese, stuffed hot cherry peppers, and a delicious beer soaked horseradish cheese ( I don't remember the name, sorry). Sabrina prepared a earthy, hearty and beautiful lamb and white bean stew. De-licious.

First we popped a bottle of Schramsberg 2001 Blancs de Noirs (thanks Sabrina!). If anyone out there hasn't heard of this glorious sparkling wine producer, you owe it to yourself to immediately run out and buy a bottle. This is THE California sparkling house. It had a bold, bright mouthful of fruit yet remained dry with excellent acidity. I really thought it was full bodied enough to stand up to an entree, yet it was creamy enough to stand alone.

Next up was Bryce and Candace's Tablas Creek 2002 Cote de Tablas Blanc, a Rhone style blend of Roussane, Marsanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc from Paso Robles. This winery, owned by the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastel, continues to surprise me with their wines. It had a beautiful straw-gold color with a firm viscous texture. Sabrina said she smelled ginger on the nose, so I then got some ginger out of my fridge to smell side by side with the wine. Sure enough, Sabrina was right. There was a definite bright ginger aroma in this wine. We then moved on to another wine that Bryce and Candace brought, the Craneford 2005 Viognier from Australia. Crisp acidity, bright nose, and a very interesting creamy finish. Usually viogniers have a lanolin aspect to them that can be unwelcoming if the wine isn't balanced. Someone happened to mention that it finished like an orange creamsicle, and that couldn't have been more correct. It had a distinct orange characteristic that made me want to pair it with an orange shrimp recipe of mine.

Sabrina was up again with her Andre Brunel Cotes du Rhone Villages 2000 Les Sambides. Andre Brunel might be familiar to many as the producer of Les Cailloux. This rich red paired so harmoniously with the lamb and white bean stew that I can't separate the two. This wine is a perfect example of how foods of a specific region develop, over time, to complement the wines of that same region. The earthy herbaceous quality of the stew perfectly complemented the same flavor profiles of the wine. I could smell sage and thyme, and tasted a wild earthiness.

Honestly, these wines kept getting better and better. Next up was a 2002 Zealear Bolero Syrah that Patrick brought. It smelled of woodsy blackberries and had firm solid tannins. This wine was full of fresh blueberry and blackberry flavors. It was so elegant and astonishing that Sabrina, Patrick and I couldn't help but comment on how this is hopefully the future of California reds.

My baby had been opened for an hour so I hoped it was ready. I couldn't have been more proud. The 1999 Coturri Glover Vineyards Merlot was absolutely gorgeous, if I do say so myself. The tannins were still strong and pronounced. It had a dark, very extracted purple color, with firm mouthfilling tannins. Interestingly enough, it paired quite well with my port poached roasted figs with gorgonzola and walnuts. Megan mentioned that she thought it would go well with some good dark chocolate.

Our last wine of the evening was a 2001 Coturri Chauvet Vineyards Old Vines East Block Zinfandel courtesy of Richie and Megan. It was thick and port-like, with hints of raisin and wild berry. Usually an old vine zin is more earthy and a bit drier, but Coturri's house style of zin leans more toward high residual sugar and high alcohol. This particular zin didn't disappoint in that respect. The high alcohol content was barely detectable, obviously buried underneath all the fresh fruit that was bursting out of the glass.

The two Coturri wines were a perfect ending to the evening. That zin definitely made up for the corked Modus 2000 super tuscan we opened earlier (it wasn't your fault Richie).