AZ Wines

Tool, A Perfect Circle & wine fans in general, rejoice! The wines of Maynard James Keenan & Eric Glomski are in stock at Joe's Wines & Liquor. There is a gorgeous rose(Dayden, $16.99), an earthy Rhone Blend (Nachise, $22.99), a Bordeaux style cabernet sauvignon (Dala, $24.99) & a California mystery red blend (Merkin Chupacabra, $24.99). Joe's is the only store in town to have the rose so get it while you can!

Do Sushi

Since Do Sushi opened in Cooper-Young next to the Beauty Shop it has been one of the top sushi joints in town. The innovative rolls, good service, & unique atmosphere keeps me going back for more. My friend Alison & I recently chowed down on some dishes that were lovely.



We started with pork gyoza with beautifully briny black seaweed. The texture of the pork was rich & unctuous & the dish had beautiful hints of ginger, sesame, chili. So delicious.

Behold our platter of sushi:



From traditional to modern they run the gamut but they were all delicious. I appreciate the simple, clean presentation & the fresh garnishes. The sushi chefs at Do really know whats up.

Ron Bunnell @ Tsunami

Tsunami has been around for 12 or 13 years I believe. It continues to be one of my favorite places to eat & drink at in all of Memphis. Recently Joe's Wines & Liquors hosted a wine tasting with Ron Bunnell of Bunnell Family Cellar in Washington State. Ron's wines are absolutely stunning. From lithe, aromatic whites to bold, rich, gripping reds. He lets the vineyard sites come through to produce magic. Now pairing a Pacific Rim style restaurant with a winemaker who specializes in Rhone varietals might not seem like the best idea. On the contrary, it was delightful.

I worked with Rumi, the manager, to pair the tasting portions with the wines we were pouring. Rumi coordinated with Joe & Donny in the kitchen & they created dishes that matched up beautifully with each wine.

We started the evening off with a glass of the zesty, aromatic, bracing River Aerie Gewurztraminer. It makes for a perfect aperitif & I could easily see myself kicking it with this wine all summer long. Which in Memphis is unfortunately a very very long time!

First Tasting Plate: bacon wrapped dates in a spicy red sauce paired with Bunnell Family Cellars Grenache
Beautiful pairing, the sweet gelatinuous nature of the date & smoky meaty bacon played off the grip & dark fruit of the grenache.

Second: Smoked Salmon Bruschetta with herb-mango salsa & parsley salad paired with Bunnell Family Cellars Lia
Salmon is a very versatile fish for red wine & both came together in a lovely way. The Rhone style blend just popped with the smoky briny quality of the salmon & the acidity of the tomatoes

Third: Orange-Chili glazed beef satay paired with Bunnell Family Cellars Mourvedre
This mourvedre is dark & deep but also has a distinctive citrus, almost kumquat, flavor note that is just so cool & unique. The beef in chili-orange glaze brought out more fruit & dark bittersweet notes in the wine. So tasty.

Fourth: Walnut Crusted Lamb Loin with Blueberry Coulis paired with Bunnell Family Cellars Syrah Clifton Hill Vineyard
Syrah & lamb are a no brainer right? But what they did here was sublime. The nut crust played off the texture of the wine while the blueberry sauce & the gaminess of the lamb were a beautiful contrast to the weight, gaminess & blue-smoky fruit of the syrah. Joe used some lamb kidney in the coulis that gave it such a rich mouthfeel. Superb.



Fifth: Coriander Crusted Beef Tataki with White Bean puree, Newman Farm Bacon & Mizuna paired with Bunnell Family Cellars Syrah 2004 Boushey Mcpherson Vineyard & 2007
Wow. I mean....wow! The 2004 syrah is gamy, meaty, smoky, earthy & has all this dark heady espresso notes to it that just grab me. It grabs ahold of me every time I sip it. Its the kind of wine that you close your eyes while sipping it. The perfectly tender texture of the beef & the coriander crust were a lovely, earthy match with both wines.



Thank you Tsunami! I love you!

Andrew Will's Chris Camarda at Napa Cafe

Arguably some of the most highly sought after, critically acclaimed & overwhelmingly delicious wines in the U.S. come from Andrew Will Winery. They produce elegantly rich & bold wines from some of the best vineyard sites in America. Napa Cafe, one of Memphis' restaurant gems, hosts Chris Camarda's first visit to Memphis. He will be here for just one night so this will be your only chance to experience these wines with the master who crafted them. Napa Cafe will be pairing a menu of outstanding cuisine alongside these exquisite wines. $75 per person plus tax & gratuity. Call 901.683.0441 for reservations.

Willamette Valley Vineyards at Restaurant Iris

I've said it before & I'll continue to say it. I'm obsessed with Oregon. It's food, its landscape, its people but mostly its wine. Willamette Valley Vineyards is one of the larger wineries in Oregon & they produce delicious bottles that really reflect the Oregon style & especially its soil & climate. Winemaker Don Crank just so happens to be a Memphis boy too! Restaurant Iris hosted Don for a dinner paired with wines from Willamette Valley Vineyards.

First Course:
Tennessee Foie Gras paired with Champagne "caviar" & pickled cauliflower paired with Riesling

This is a riesling that will win over naysayers. It has a nervy acidity with mouthwatering fruit & a nice mineral hit. This wine is seriously quaffable & cut right through the rich, earthy, unctuous & delicious foie gras. I'm more than thrilled that we can get fresh foie gras so close to home.

Second Course:
escargot & housemade gnocchi paired with Pinot Gris



Shockingly, I have never had escargot before. Not because I avoided it but just because any opportunity I might have had to order it I've always opted for something I found more intriguing. Kelly English's gnocchi is one of the best dishes I've ever experienced. His gnocchi is pillowy, light, creamy, & so very comforting. They are a beautiful contrast to the toothsome yet tender snails. These little guys were earthy & briny which the garlic laced buerre blanc elevated & amplified nicely. The pinot gris' acidity contrasted quite well with the sauce & briny snails. The dish really brought out a hazelnut-like nuttiness in the wine.

Third Course:
Newman Farms pork with grits in a chardonnay ragu paired with Chardonnay



Newman Farms pork is some of the best out there & in the hands of such a talented chef the true natural flavor just sings. The roasted pork easily gave way to my fork due to its tenderness. The sauce was rich but not heavy & the creamy grits were near perfect. Most chardonnays would overpower a dish like this but thats the beauty of this bottle. It is more Meursault in style with a round texture but elegance & acidity as well. I'm not a chardonnay basher but I just don't drink them. This bottle I would drink!

Fourth Course:
Dueling Brulee-Strawberry Buttermilk Creme Brulee & Chocolate Creme Brulee with a pecan cookie paired with Whole Cluster Pinot Noir

This wine was beautifully translucent with a nice ruby color. The aroma was intoxicating with earthiness, a hint of mushroom, cherry & tea. The fruit & acidity in the wine was a nice match with the strawberry buttermilk. It didn't pair up with the chocolate as well, they seemed to clash. However, it's quite difficult to pair "dry" wines with dessert. I know most people will say cab & chocolate always works. Yeah it works if its new world cab (i.e. Cali or Aussie) because you are putting sweet with sweet. But an elegant pinot with dark chocolate didn't sing. No matter. This dinner was out of control delicious!

Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen's Swine & Wine 2011

If there ever was a holy animal I think it would be the pig. Chefs Michael Hudman & Andrew Ticer of Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen took that holy animal & gave us a truly spectacular meal that drove my porkaholism to a new disturbing level. These guys have done this dinner 3 years running to celebrate the pig slaughter in Italy. Last year's meal was impossible to top...or so I thought.

#1
Snout: Frito Misto, Deviled Egg, Popcorn paired with housemade Bacon IPA
What we have here is a lesson in rustic snack food made with pork love. Fried snout is now my new obsession. I want it in salads, chocolate bars & with my eggs in the morning. The housemade pork rinds were crisp, light & perfectly seasoned. I'm not even kidding, these guys made a bacon infused IPA & it was really good. More elegant than you would expect & with just an undertone of smoky, bacony goodness.

#2
Head: Pastrami, Crouton, Brown Butter paired with Cooper Mountain Tocai Friulano 2009 Willamette Valley
The pastrami was made with some super tasty part of the head & the croutons were made with head cheese. I could have popped those croutons in my mouth all night, crunchy yet unctuous & perfectly crisp with the right amount of salt. I love the Cooper Mountain Tocai with its bracing acidity & hint of nuttiness which sliced through the tongue pastrami. So good.



#3
Shoulder: Pork, Pot Pie, Offal, Apple paired with Coltibuono Cancelli 2008 Tuscany
This course was the closest thing to "cute" that we ate that night. It looks like an egg doesn't it? The rich filling of shoulder & various organ meats was a nice contrast to the brightness of the apple based sauce on top. Of course the pasty was made using lard. Delicious, delicious lard. What is needed with the boldness of offal is acidity & the Cancelli had that in spades.



#4
A/M "Ramen": Pork Belly, 63 degree egg, brodo paired with Boroli Barbera d'Alba 2008 Piedmont
Two words; skin noodles. Yep. The "ramen" was made from pig skin. Ingenious. I don't know how they got those noodles to be so tender & succulent. The broth was some serious stuff. I wanted to jump in the bowl & swim around. The pork belly needs no words because of course these guys rocked out some good belly. The egg was sublime. Creamy, rich & soooo luscious. The barbera brought spice & darkness which played nicely off the asian spice laced brodo.



#5
Pasta: Smoked flour, Lardo, Tomato Sugo paired with Taurino Salice Salentino 2006
Really? Smoked flour? Really? Who thinks of this??! If it wasn't evident before its obvious that Michael & Andrew are quite creative. When the plate was set down what I saw was a simple plate of ravioli. Therein lies the beauty. Simplicity gave way to earthy porky flavors with an undertone of smoke, luscious risotto filling & rich tomato sugo. The wine brought a figgy quality to the party & matched up nicely with a smokiness all its own.



#6
Ham: Hay, Polenta, Red Eye Mustard paired with a housemade Smoked Porter
The sweet, savory, ham was cooked in hay which lent it a grassy note that played off the sweet-salty nature. I love ham & this was truly a new way of looking at it. The creamy polenta contrasted the firm ham. Again, they rolled out a housemade beer. Where the Bacon IPA was elegant the Porter was bold & super tasty.



#7
Tail: Risotto, onion ash, leeks paired with Marchesy di Gresy Nebbiolo 2008 Piedmont
Braised....pig...tail. Whoa. It's fatty, rich, hardcore. Imagine pig flavor times 20. This showed a lot of guts. To me it was as if they threw down the gauntlet & said "ok guys, you like pig? Show me." It was very rich & was a gorgeous match for the heft, spice & tannin of the nebbiolo.



#8
Zeppole: bacon, chocolate paired with Tenuta Sant'Antonio Ripasso 2007
Bacon & chocolate is a combination that is one of my weak spots. Kelly gets me the Vosges Haut Chocolat Bacon Bars at Christmas in my stocking because he knows how much it gets me. The zeppole was crisp yet fluffy with salty little bits of heavenly bacon. I'm not sure but I think there was bacon fat in the chocolate sauce. This was a pig lovers dessert but more importantly a really damn good finish to a great meal. For me, cabernet & chocolate is kind of boring. Doesn't really work. However, ripasso & chocolate? Heavenly.



Thank you Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen for a meal that I will be talking about & salivating over for a very long time.

Tasting at Majestic

I just returned from a tasting of Gundlach Bundschu wines at the Majestic Grille. The Majestic is one of those places that simultaneously feels cosmopolitan & comfortable due to a sleek design & welcoming staff. Obviously, I've waxed poetic about their brunch & dinner but they also hold very fun & cool events. This Gundlach Bundschu tasting was a chance to taste some of their current releases as well as view a gallery style showing of the art of Betsy Bird. Chef Patrick Reilly created a selection of pairings that not only matched up with each wine but also was a unique play off the Gundlach Bundschu name. If you haven't been to one of Majestic's events before you should go to the next one.....& the next one after that....& the next one...& so on.

Wine Tasting March 3rd

The list of wines is starting to shape up for Joe's Wines "Bang For Your Buck: Best Wines Under $20" tasting. Thursday March 3rd join the Joe's staff at Playhouse On The Square from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm for this awesome wine tasting. You'll be sure to find a few new favorites. Tickets are $35/person & can be purchased at Joe's Wines 1681 Poplar or call 901.725.4252. In addition to the 40+ wines on hand to taste we will be serving some hearty appetizers to balance out all the wine. Don't miss it!

Dinner at Bari

I'm thankful that we have so many delicious restaurants in Memphis such as Bari. Honestly it has been quite some time since we sat down & had a full meal there. Bari has become something of a favorite watering hole for us due to their brilliant Martini Mondays. Marlinee & Max invited us to come dine with them & we of course accepted. There are numerous vegetarian options for Kelly & seafood/meat options for myself.

I started with a bracingly delicious glass of Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco because really, what better way is there to start a meal? Kelly & Max both started with Hendrick's Gin martinis, their poison of choice. There is something about Hendrick's that is simultaneously savory & sweet with a super refreshing hit of cucumber.

Our first course was an antipasti platter of grilled eggplant, roasted mushrooms, calabrase salami, speck, & a selection cheeses. I'm blanking on the cheeses but quite honestly you can't go wrong with just about any of Bari's cheese selection. Their selection is extensive & the staff is very well versed in each of them.

Next up for me was the Orecchiette alla Pugliese: handmade “little ear” pasta, sauteed rapini, tomatoes, salt cured anchovies, and garlic. The handmade pasta was tender but toothsome with an unctuous creamy texture. The dish hits on all centers of the palate, with a combination of flavors that was absolutely delicious. Savory, salty, sweetness from the tomato & earthiness from the garlic & anchovy. One of the best dishes in Memphis in my opinion.



When ordering my next course it was a difficult decision between the pork special (roasted with honey, chilis & garlic) or the Piedmontese Montana Strip Loin (garlic, olive oil, herbs). I went with the steak.



It was perfectly medium rare & so ridiculously tender presented in a very simple & straightforward way. The beef is the star here & that is a hallmark of Italian cooking: let the ingredients shine through. I'm craving this steak right now as I'm writing this.

We had to have dessert of course, along with a little Tuaca on the side, & I am obsessed with chocolate. Naturally, I went for the Torte di Cioccolato:house made dark chocolate espresso cake with dark chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache. A good dessert can help cleanse the bad memories of a not so good dinner. But in this case, this rich, velvety, earthy chocolate dessert helped continue the smile on my face that started with the first sip of prosecco. Every single morsel of food that evening was near perfect & more importantly, truly delicious. Get to Bari now & have dinner. You owe it yourself.

This Tuesday Feb 22

You won't want to miss this event. If you are in Memphis this Tuesday do yourself a favor & check this out. This progressive tasting is a great opportunity to taste the delicious food of Majestic Grille & some great Sonoma County wines. Get into it!

F&W People's Best New Chef

Click here & vote for Ryan Trimm of Memphis' very own Sweetgrass Restaurant for Food & Wine Best New Chef 2011. Sweetgrass has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants in town. If you haven't checked it out, do so. If you have, then go vote for Ryan. Voting concludes March 1.

Willamette & Iris

Tuesday March 1st Restaurant Iris is hosting a wine dinner with Willamette Valley Vineyards. Winemaker, & former Memphian, Don Crank will be greeting guests, answering questions & sharing insight into the beauty of Oregon wine. Cocktails & passed appetizers begin at 6:00 with dinner following promptly at 6:30. Cost is $65/person plus tax & gratuity. For reservations please call 901.590.2828.

Friday February 18th & Saturday February 19th Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen is hosting their annual “Swine & Wine Dinner”. Chefs Michael Hudman & Andrew Ticer are getting free range, heritage breed pigs from venerable producer Newman Farms in Missouri. These rock stars of the pork world are the stars of the show in this seven course snout to tail wine dinner. Every year this event sells out so call immediately if you want a reservation. $100 person, cocktails at 6:30 p.m. with dinner starting at 7:00 p.m. Call Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen at 901.347.3569 for reservations.

Bang For Your Buck

Joe's Wines & Liquor will be hosting the next big wine tasting at Playhouse on the Square Thursday March 3rd 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $35/person. This Tasting’s theme will be “Best Bang for Your Buck: Delicious Wines Under $20”. We will be sampling between 35-40 different wines from all around the world alongside tasty appetizers. If you would like to purchase tickets you may stop by the store at 1681 Poplar Ave.

Years Go By

This month marks the 5th year anniversary of Joe's Wines & Liquors Winos Club. I started working here just 2 months after the Winos Wine Club started & I'm now in control of that club. For $35 per month each member receives 2 bottles of wine that has been personally selected by myself. I taste through countless bottles of wine with my friend & co-worker, Richard Lewis, in order to select the best & most unique. Along with those 2 bottles each member receives tasting notes, they are placed on a special email list & they receive a special discount on wine purchases. Plus, the 2 bottles always amount to way more than $35 of retail value. It's a total bargain. It's been so amazing to watch people's reactions when they see what wines they are receiving. Some at first look at the bottle & say such things as "what is a roussanne?" but then came back to say "that wine was DELICIOUS! I'll take two more." There are few things as satisfying as receiving those positive reactions. I've received my fair share of negative comments of course but not everyone is going to like everything in the wine club. For me it's been about showcasing winemakers & regions that aren't the most well known & also showcasing those that I feel an intense connection with. It's about helping people explore the world of wine. Most importantly it's about sharing. Sharing my passion for wine with others. It's been a lot of fun. I couldn't do this without the support of all 285 members, those who have been with me since the beginning & those who are recent members. Thank you!

No Menu Monday Revisited

A few months ago Kelly & I went to Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen's No Menu Monday. I'm all for giving over control & just seeing what the chef puts out. Kelly....not so much. However, he was being a good sport & really enjoyed everything he ate. All of us were thrilled with it & couldn't wait to come back. Fast forward to this past Monday & Andrew Michael's Vegetarian No Menu Monday. Now, as I stated in my previous post I pretty much hate labels. However, in this case it was necessary to label it as "Vegetarian" so people would know it wouldn't be an all out pork-fest. We arrived to a packed restaurant. There are few things that make me as happy as seeing a busy independent restaurant. These guys deserve every bit of success that they receive & I really think A-M is a jewel in Memphis' culinary crown. Now, their No Menu Mondays always end with a handwritten menu but I thought I'd start with it since y'all might not have been there.



We brought along many delicious wines to sample but one of the standouts was the Torii Mor Pinot Noir 2008 Willamette Valley $22.99. Anyone who reads this blog knows I'm obsessed with Oregon so of course I brought a bottle of some Oregon deliciousness.



It had a solid backbone, luscious elegant texture & an earthy hit that lingered along so beautifully.

The amuse was unique & exciting-a black olive "oyster". Some molecular gastronomy was in play here & really set the tone for the playfulness of the meal.

First course was the Chubby Vegetarian "scallop". Oyster mushroom, carrot salt, carrot curd & a carrot mint salad. Absolutely wonderful.



Second course of Smoked Ravioli stuffed with a BBQ risotto in bay leaf butter with charred scallion. When it came out I thought the charred scallion was shaved truffle which makes me giddy. However, finding out that it was scallion was pretty unique & exciting too. Again with the playfulness. It was blatantly obvious that Michael & Andrew were having a lot of fun & that carried over to the food & of course the diners.



Each & every course was well thought out but never over wrought, full of flavor, hinting at whimsy & brimming with fun. It's nights like this that I'm happy to be a Memphian & can't help but feel like the luckiest guy in the world. Surrounded with people I love, sipping good wine, eating extraordinary food & never wanting to leave.

Labels

I've been thinking a lot about food lately......Oh who am I kidding? I think about food all day everyday. But particularly I've been thinking about food segregation. When I hear or see discussion of vegan this or vegan that I want to vomit. In my opinion there is nothing more hollow or soul crushing as veganism. Vegans seem mirthless & sallow to me.

Yet last week I cooked a lentil stew that was vegan if not for the parmiggiano that I grated over the top. Not once did I stop & think "hey, I'm going to eat vegan this week." or "hey what a great vegan stew."

Tomorrow we are going to Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen for their vegetarian No Menu Monday. All I'm excited about is getting some outstandingly delicious food. The fact that it's vegetarian is an afterthought to me. I love dining there & know without a doubt I'm going to enjoy my meal greatly tomorrow.

I realized that it's the labels I have a problem with. That & the pigeon holing that people subject themselves to. No one should ever define themselves by how they eat. Now of course that is entirely different than making positive choices to eat food that is better for you & better for the environment. What I mean to say is that defining your personality as "vegan" or "vegetarian" or "porkaholic" is the same as simply defining yourself as gay or straight. Each & every one of us is so much more than that. Sure, sharing your ideas on food, what you cook, what you eat is exciting & fun & sort of political but it shouldn't define who you are.

Happy Cassoulet!

Our friends Jeff & Kristi invited us over for a night of cassoulet, pate, cheeses & other culinary delights. Winter in Memphis is the perfect time for such a rich hearty dish. When we arrived they greeted us with J Cuvee 20 Brut. Nothing better than beginning with bubbles! The pate were rich, succulent & earthy & a perfect match with the J. The bubbly cut through the pate like a razor blade.

Our night's lineup is as follows



The Cristom 2005 Syrah was gorgeous. Earthy, resiny with this beautiful preserved mandarin pell note. The hint of smoke & meaty quality really made this a truly sensual wine.

Chateau Lafon du Berger is a Bordeaux house that I've never had before so I was excited to try it. Bordeaux is a region that I've not explored much & I know I need to. The thing is I've just been kind of bored by Bordeaux. However, this bottle was gripping & full of finesse with an underlying power & grace. Quite tasty.

Bunnell Family Cellar "Vif" 2006 is from one of my favorite producers & from one of my favorite regions. This Chateauneuf du Pape style wine was smooth, luscious, round, earthy, spicy & quite unique.

Mollydooker Two Left Feet is a big, brash Aussie wine & it's no secret that this region is not one that I drink from often. Every wine has it's place right? The bold sweet fruit was quite delicious with Kristi's outrageously delicious chocolate dessert. Those things were insanely tasty & I could have shoveled in handfuls of them.

This little beauty has been tucked in the back of my cellar for a number of years & every time I see it I start to drool a bit. I thought this was the perfect time to pop it open. With Kristi's chocolates it absolutely sung. There isn't much ice Cabernet franc out there so when I saw it years ago I knew I had to have it. Filled with dark fruit, nectar, dark floral blossoms, honey & nuttiness.



Perfect end to a perfect meal. Thanks Jeff & Kristi!

A Year in Tastes pt 5

This gorgeous bottle, but crappy picture, is a lovely Bordeaux style blend from fellow Tennessean Christian Sparkman. Christian & Kelly Sparkman are rising stars in the wine world & produce very expressive & bold wines from some of the best vineyards in Washington.



California does produce quite nice wine. Even I, the Pacific Northwest freak, have to admit that. However, the quality for what you pay is not on the same level as Oregon & Washington. This bad boy is pushing $65 & is absolutely delicious....however is it worth $65? I'll let y'all be the judge.



This was one of my favorite finds of 2010. Arneis has been one of my go to "unique & interesting" wines for awhile but this one....wow. Seriously, it's outstanding. Bright, crisp acidity, citrus & stone fruit with a hint of herb & marzipan. Out of this world. Thank you Currado Family for producing one of my favorites.



Three friends brought three bottles. That's usually how it goes. These three, killer. Totally killer. A Barolo with some age on it is like no other. Incredibly expressive & sensual. Dolcetto "the little sweet one" is usually pleasant, but this one was more than just pleasant. It had a ballsy grip that some dolcettos just lack. Ponzi, my dear Ponzi rosato. What is there to say that I haven't already said? I can't wait for summer to roll around so I can get my hands on some more.

My Delicious Memphis

I love Memphis for a number of reasons but one that is near the top of the list is how food obsessed this city is. Last week I had a conversation with my friend Joe & it was entirely about food. What he just cooked in the kitchen at Tsunami & what he was going to be cooking at a underground dinner in the Spring. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this conversation because it made me think about how we all talk about food here in Memphis. We talk about what we just ate, we talk about what we want to eat, we talk about what we are cooking or want to cook, & we wax poetic about what we are eating. Or sometimes we just make guttural noises or say "oh....my...god" while we are tucking into whats in front of us.