Project Green Fork's Loving Local Celebration

I love Project Green Fork & if you love food & eating out then you should too. Their Loving Local celebration will be super fun so go here & buy tickets now! They sold out last year so get on it!!

Good food
Local Beer
Organic Wine
Auction items

What more could you ask for?

This Sunday October 2nd go support an incredibly important organization!

Click here for tickets

Argentina Wine Dinner At Napa Cafe

If you are a fan of Argentina's wines then you owe it yourself to book a seat for Napa Cafe's wine dinner this Thursday. Napa's food is outstanding & they always put on incredible dinners. Their special guest will be Martin Lazorenco, Export Director for Michel Torino wines. He oversees all aspects of the export business for Michel Torino and personally handles the USA,Uk, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

Michel Torino Wines are located in the Cafayate region of northwest Argentina. Their 1500 acres are located in a rugged high desert region at 5500-6500 feet.



FIRST COURSE
Grilled provoleta, chimichurri, honey, sprouts, preserved lemon
DON DAVID Reserve, Torrontes, Cafayate Valley, 2008

SECOND COURSE
"Tuna salad sandwich", Ahi tuna, Gravenstein apples, grapes, Delta pecans, toasted brioche
DON DAVID Reserve, Chardonnay, Cafayate Valley, 2009

THIRD COURSE
Slow cooked lamb shoulder, spiced pumpkin puree,wilted spinach, hazelnuts
DON DAVID Reserve, Tannat, Cafayate Valley, 2007

FOURTH COURSE
Grilled beef tenderloin, crispy potatoes, roasted baby onions, red wine reduction
ALTIMUS, Malbec-Cabernet-Bonarda-Tannat, Cafayate Valley, 2007

DESSERT
Pistachio cake, homemade strawberry ice cream, Torrontes sabayon


Call now for a seat!

Napa Cafe
5101 Sanderlin Ave.
Thursday September 8, 2011
Reservations 901-683-0441
$65.00 per person

New Wave

I've been experimenting with cocktails again & here is a delicious wine I created. It's a play off the classic Negroni which employs gin, Campari & sweet vermouth. One of my favorite spirits to play with lately is Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur. It's bright fresh & somehow more exotic than most other orange liqueurs. Yes it is sweet but it's balanced by the blood orange's hint of bitterness & it can easily be a component in many drinks.

Sicilian

2 oz gin (preferably 209 or Corsair Artisan)

1 oz Solerno

1.5 oz Sweet Vermouth (preferably Carpano Antica or Dolin Rouge)

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

4 dashes Fee Brothers Grapefruit Bitters

It is refreshing, crisp, bright & has a back note of bitterness that is absolutely delicious.

Dinner with David O'Reilly of Owen Roe

I am extremely proud to announce Joe's Wine's & Liquors next wine dinner. On Sunday September 11th our special guest will be David O'Reilly owner/winemaker of the highly sought after & critically acclaimed Owen Roe Winery. David & his team craft some of the most hauntingly sensual Oregon wines & gripping earthy, bold Washington wines. We will host David at a wine dinner at Sweetgrass on Sunday September 11th at 6:00 pm. Cost to attend is $65/person inclusive. Seating is limited so please contact Joe's as soon as possible to secure your seat. Please call the store at 901.725.4252 or stop by to reserve & pay for your reservations. Due to the limited amount of seating we are unable to "hold" seats for you. Payment must be made prior to the dinner. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the store by phone or by email joeswineliquor@bellsouth.net

Drinks Trend

It would seem that trends can be interesting or irritating...sometimes all at once. What is the shelf life of a trend? Can a trend solidify something's place in history or is it merely passing fancy?

Case in point; the Pisco Sour.

It's difficult for me to call this a trend because I remember my grandmother making them & I know for a fact that they have been around for a long time before that even. However, the cocktail culture that is exploding across the nation seems to have dubbed this the next "it" drink.

I for one am pleased by this because one of the ingredients that really is the key to this drink is egg white. Anytime I can use something not typically associated with the bar in a drink then I'm happy. What the egg white does is emulsify the cocktail & give it a creamy mouth feel. No it doesn't taste like an egg so don't worry.

Here is my take on it. I like to tweak so feel free to take liberties.

Pisco Sour

3 oz Peruvian Pisco
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz thyme-lavender infused honey syrup
teaspoon orange blossom water or rosewater
Fee Brothers lemon bitters
Fee Brothers aromatic bitters
1/2 egg white

Combine pisco, lemon juice, syrup, water, egg white & 1 dash lemon bitters in a cocktail shaker WITH NO ICE. Shake vigorously to emulsify the egg white. Add ice, shake to chill & pour into a coupe glass. Dot the foam on top with 3 dashes of Fee Bros aromatic bitters.

The Questions

On a regular basis I get asked

"How did you learn so much about wine?"

"When did you get into wine?"

"How do you stay in such good shape when you drink so much & eat so much good food"
Seriously I have been asked this question often enough. My answer is that I swim laps & lift weights on a regular basis.

The other questions aren't answered so quickly or easily. I was raised in a multi cultural household where chicken-n-dumplins, spaghetti & fried chicken lived alongside lengua (beef tongue) & saltenas (empanada style stuffed pastries). My mother & grandmother cooked Latin American & Spanish dishes for us, my grandmother spoke Spanish to us as much as she could. Along with the more exotic family food there was always wine. My parents drank wine & my grandmother would bring wine from South America & Spain whenever she would go visit family. Keep in mind this was in the late 70's & into the 80's when wines from those areas were not readily available much less even heard of. Every once & awhile my sister & I would be given watered down wine to drink alongside the family's full strength glasses. At the time, of course, I thought nothing of it. It was just the way I was raised so I didn't think it was different. Only after I started going to friend's houses did I see that in fact yes I was raised differently. Throughout college I started exploring wine somewhat at the local Southern Illinois wineries. Yes there are wineries in So. Ill. After college I felt like I was drifting. Took an internship & then position at a publishing company in San Francisco. Left SF & moved to Memphis. Worked in restaurants for years & then took a job at a non-profit. Left the non-profit & took a job with Coletta & Company (now Smart City Consulting). It was here where I had a huge realization--I was simply working--. I didn't give a damn about what I was doing. There was no passion & there never was throughout any of those previous jobs. I had no idea what the hell I was doing nor why I was doing it. I was in awe of my boss, Carol Coletta. She was this force of nature that seemed to subsist on biscuits with a little lemon curd & her workload. She was easily one of the most intelligent people I'd ever met. What really amazed me was her passion & dedication for every project that she touched.

I wanted that. I wanted to feel so strongly & passionately about what I did that it was simply second nature. I wanted to work hard yet not realize how hard I was working because I loved what I was doing. Most of all I wanted to believe in what I was doing as if I was meant to do it.

As scary as it was to do I mustered up the courage & quit my job. I was completely freaked out but I knew in my heart that it was exactly what I was supposed to do. While I was working at Coletta & Company I took a part time job at Great Wines & Spirits out in East Memphis. Dipping my toe in the water just made me want more. I studied my ass off & took the Introductory Sommelier Course offered by the Court of Master Sommeliers. Much to my surprise I scored the highest in my entire class! Achieving this really propelled me to take on the Certified Sommelier Exam so soon after the Intro. The Certified exam was the most difficult test I had ever taken, or at least it felt that way. After the three part exam we were released for a break before the results were announced. I remember calling Kelly & telling him "I'm sure I failed. There is no way I passed. I completely screwed that up." He talked me off the ledge & I returned to the hear the results. I passed! Oddly enough my criticism was flipped. What I felt I did well on was actually what I did poorly on & vice versa. It was an interesting moment to say the least.

Soon after that a friend of mine asked me to help out with a wine tasting that her employer was putting on. I said yes & I guess I really impressed them because the store owner, Brad Larson, offered me a job soon thereafter. Working at Joe's Wines & Liquors has been an incredible experience. I've grown so much, learned so much & experienced a great deal.

I'm living proof that you should be doing what you love. I can't imagine doing anything else.

Why We Choose What We Choose

The point of a wine club & beer club is to showcase new, unique, interesting top quality products that any given member might not select for themselves. The point is not to shovel out the same boring bullshit that you can get just about anywhere. Yes, not everyone in said club is going to like every selection. That's not what we are trying to accomplish. We are trying to expand the palates & minds of those members. Recently, some of the beers that we put in the club at Joe's Wines & Liquors caused some very strong reactions. Some people absolutely HATED the Belgian Geuze Lambics (sour style, spontaneous fermented beers). One member actually poured them down the drain. Another member called me up at the store just to tell me that he was going to quit the club until he tried them. He enjoyed them so much that he decided to stay in the club.

These strong reactions happen often enough but they don't ever cause me to lose track of the focus of each club. I will continue to put wines in their hands that cause reactions. Kelly will continue to put beers in their hands that cause reactions. Yes I select wines because I think the majority of the membership will enjoy & appreciate it. But I don't really give a damn if some of them hate that bottle. What really makes me happy is when a wine makes them think. Of course, when one of my club members comes in & waxes poetic about how much they loved a particular bottle....yeah that feels good too.

5 Boring Guys

When 5 Guys Burgers came to Memphis you would have thought it was the second coming. I just didn't get all the hype over a chain when there were very good burgers in town made by talented chefs in locally owned restaurants (i.e. City East Grille, Majestic Grille, Cafe 1912, Three Angels, need I continue?). Since it was so far out east, & far removed from Midtown where I live & work, I quickly forgot about it. This past Sunday we found ourselves out east doing some shopping & what not. I was famished so we went by 5 Guys. We ordered & waited & waited & waited & waited. The space looks like a down market Steak & Shake with no table service that utilizes the dining room for storage. The burger was decent size but misleading. It's a double patty but basically the same amount of burger you'd get at the previously mentioned restaurants. It was fine but not close to those other places. The fries were extremely plentiful but greasy & flavorless.

This experience was an unfortunate lesson. It seems like most people in Memphis are so used to mediocre chain food that they actually get excited about it. Sad. Really sad considering that we have a wealth of LOCALLY OWNED restaurants that offer better quality at great value.

Break the Chain! Eat Local! It tastes better.

THE Rose of the Summer

It's no secret I love Oregon. However, my bias towards this incredible wine growing state doesn't affect my ability to judge quality. If its good its good. With that being said I have fallen head over heels in love with a wine. It's my rose of the summer but I know I'll be drinking this way into December. Not only is it refreshing for the summer heat but it also could pair up with many fall dishes too. Especially the holiday spread at Thanksgiving. I present to you Lachini Rose of Pinot Noir 2010 Willamette Valley $20.99. It's refreshing, brimming with bright fruit & mouthwatering acidity with a lingering spice note & gorgeous texture on the finish. Buy it now (only available at Joe's Wines & Liquors). Drink it all summer (which in Memphis lasts until almost October) & drink it way into the fall. Thank me later.

Dinner at Acre

Arguably the most anticipated restaurant opening of 2011 was Acre. Chef Wally Joe has a passionate following in Memphis as well as national recognition. Andrew Adams (who juggles chef duty at both Acre & the Brushmark at Brooks Museum) is incredibly talented as well. This culminates at Acre in plates of food that are beautiful without being precious. The space is jaw dropping. The design is elevated rusticity with an incredible attention to detail. It's truly a beautiful restaurant that was very well planned & well thought out. The wine list is a tight collection of lovely bottles, by the glass & (my favorite) by the quartino. There are few selections on this list that I wasn't pleased to see. It has quickly rocketed to the top of one of my most favorite lists in town. Why? Well first & foremost it's unique & not just a collection of ubiquitous labels. Second, it appeals to the wine obsessed as well as the casual drinker; meaning it's approachable & not scary yet still interesting. Most of all, when we ordered a bottle of Bergstrom Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir 2008 Willamette Valley it came out at the proper temperature; not "room temperature". I cannot tell you how many times I've had to bite off a small chunk of ice from my water glass & drop it in my red wine to cool it down. Newsflash--room temperature in the south in the summer hovers around 80 degrees. This does not make the red wine tasty.

Service is comfortable & attentive without being fussy or too silent.

The menu is outstanding. It's a compact collection of delicious plates of food that have been so obviously loved over. But still not even an ounce of pretension whatsoever. It's very very good food using top quality ingredients that are prepared with expert technique so of course there is no need for pretension. I appreciate that quite a bit because it kept me in a constant state of giddy anticipation for the next plate.

First round:

Tomato Tartar with chickpea panise & goat cheese.
Tiny Octopus salad with paprika cashews & avocado
Duck Pastrami with cherry mustard & pickled cippolinis

Entrees:

Halibut with favas, squash & a Lobster sancocho
Sea Scallops with artichokes, fennel, capers, roasted garlic potato puree & buerre rouge

Every bite of food was delicious, absolutely delicious.

We followed that collection up with an artisan cheese course with tasty little accompaniments; a unique twist on Tres Leches & a Chocolate & Peanut Cremieux that was luxurious & unctuous.

I will return soon & when I do I think I might dive into the suckling pig dinner with a group of 10. FYI- you have to order it a week in advance.

Oregon-itis

I'm still reeling from my June trip to Oregon. I promise to have more posts up about it very soon.

Project Green Fork Turns 3!

One of the most unique (& necessary) organizations is turning 3 years old & the party is not to be missed. Project Green Fork (founded here in the creative & delicious city of Memphis) works with restaurants to help them become less wasteful & less burdensome to the environment, among many other things. Details for the birthday celebration are below. Come sip some delicious cocktails & wish PGF a happy birthday!

Really, I'm not kidding

"I'm allergic to sulfur".

Really? Really? You have to be frigging kidding me. I've heard this garbage over & over again & it is exhausting to listen to.

"What organic wines do you have? I know they don't have sulfur in them because they're organic."

Uggh


"I don't want anything imported," after she asked for an Alsatian wine of course "Everything imported has tons of sulfur in it because it has to be preserved."

Jesus lady who fed you this horseshit?

"Well maam we do have quite a few organic & biodynamic wines but their farming practices doesn't necessarily have anything to do with their ahem sulfur content. Also, imported wines (such as the Alsatian you just asked for) don't necessarily have more ahem sulfur content than domestic wines."

"Well, I'm allergic to sulfur so I have to be careful."

gag

"Let me ask you this; how is your reaction?"

"I get sick to my stomach & I get a headache."

"Thats interesting because the 1% of the population who is actually allergic to sulfites has difficulty breathing when they ingest sulfites. Not headaches. Not nausea."

"When you wind up in a coma because of sulfites you tend to be more careful."

You have to be shitting me. Is this woman for real?

Whoever perpetuated the falsehood that getting a minor headache or a bit of hot flashes equals a sulfite allergy should be drawn & quartered. This weekend preferably.

A Few Oregon Pics

My friend Darlene & the tasting lineup at Erath Vineyards.



Dinner time at the Stoller House.



I love wearing a jacket in June



Neighbors



About to get some delicious Argyle bubbly



Damn I want that bottle of Brut Rose



Rollin Soles' mustache is way cooler than yours

Come On

I really don't like it when a sales rep tries to sell me a wine by telling me "so & so store is flying through this. They bought, like, 6 or 7 cases of it." Come. On. Really? Are we that store? No. So don't compare us.

Lachini, finally

I have been a huge fan of Lachini Vineyards ever since my good friend Elizabeth brought them into the Memphis market about 4 years ago. Ron Lachini's wines are elegant yet display such power & grace. I finally got my chance to visit this outstanding vineyard site on my Oregon excursion a few weeks ago. The day couldn't have been more perfect. The sun was shining, spotty clouds were keeping it from being too bright & the vines & Valley were splayed out before us. John Peacock greeted us with snacks & open bottles. Since it was our fourth stop of the day the group was a little restless but we soon were laughing, sipping wine & snacking on sushi. First up was the rose of pinot noir. Such a gorgeous faintly blushing hue but with a deep aroma of fruit, spice & minerals. The texture was lush but very thirst-quenching. It was easy to tell that this bottle would be a perfect foil for a rustic grilled meal. It's also La Tache clone which almost made my head explode when I found that out! Wow.

John poured us some Estate Pinot Noir as we wandered out into the vineyard & relaxed on the stone patio. Nearby is where the new tasting room will be built. That is without a doubt going to be a welcome addition to a neighborhood that also includes Bergstrom & Adelsheim. The pinots are hauntingly good with finishes that won't let up. Delicious. Ron Lachini himself led us through the estate vineyard to discuss farming practices & the trials & tribulations of growing pinot noir.

Lachini not only produces exceptional pinot noir from Oregon but he also crafts gripping reds from Washington State as well. Bold cab & cab blends that can age for 10 years or more. These wines would put any California Bordeaux style blend to shame. But who's comparing?



Thank you Ron & thank you John for an experience the group will never forget!

Now I'm thirsty for some pinot....

Oregon- Day 2 Pt 2

From Owen Roe we headed over to Dundee to one of my absolute favorite producers; Argyle. This winery makes exceptional pinot noir, chardonnay & riesling. But what makes me really swoon is their sparkling wine. It's just....well....just....words don't really describe how much I love their bubbly. The Brut is yeasty, lush yet crisp, & palate caressing. The http://argylewinery.com/2000-Knudsen-Vineyard-Brut.php (I couldn't find current notes) is absolutely haunting. So elegant yet with an underlying, subtle power & grace. It's a bubbly that I want to save for special occasions yet its a wine that I want to drink every weekend. Now how to balance that....



That was a very big tank that wasn't full at the time but I would have loved to have swam around in it if it was filled with some Extended Tirage 2001



Speaking of which...

Argyle was an incredible stop & they really showed the group absolutely everything. From production to aging to dosage to tirage. We tasted old vintages of chardonnay, every bubbly (except my favorite the Rose) they make & even had a delicious lunch in their private room. Rollin Soles (founder & winemaker) came out & spoke with us about Memphis BBQ & really had a great time interacting with the group. I'll never stop drinking their wines.

Onward to Torii Mor where we had a 3:00 pm appointment with Todd Stewart, National Sales Manager.

Todd was a fellow Southerner & just moved from North Carolina to take the job with Torii Mor. His passion for the wines was blatantly obvious & infectious. It's hard not to be passionate about wines as good as that & located in such a gorgeous setting. Their pinot gris was austere, elegant & loaded with mouthwatering acidity with hints of floral notes & nuttiness. The pinots are elegant, gripping, earthy & obviously can be long-lived. We used the black label Willamette Valley Pinot Noir for wine club in June at Joe's. It was a magical experience for a few to taste one of their wine club wines at the very site it was made.

Now on to Lachini Vineyards

Day 2 - Oregon

Sorry for the lapse in posts but the rest of our trip was jam packed & didn't allow me a moments rest to blog. So here we go...

Waking up to this wasn't half bad at all especially considering it's 100 billion degrees back home in Memphis.





Our house was located right outside the estate vineyards of Stoller. This picturesque setting is also the source for some world class wines from not only Stoller but also Chehalem & Argyle to name a few.

First stop: Owen Roe

Owen Roe Winery is well known for their bold, dark, & gripping wines sourced from premier vineyards in Washington State. Their winery is located in St Paul, Oregon in the eastern part of the Willamette Valley. Since they are not open to the public this was a rare treat for the Joe's Winos Club.



We were there just as their were bottling the new vintage of Ravenna Riesling in a mobile bottling line.



While most people might find something like this boring everyone on the trip was fascinated by it. Each person was inquisitive & curious about the necessary process to bring wine to market. Since OR uses mobile bottling it showcases how small they really are.

Now to the fun part...



Starting with a delicious pinot gris was a perfect mouth-watering beginning to the day. Fresh, clean, bright, & zippy yet with an undertone of rich pear & hazelnut.



Next it was on to one of my favorite things: barrel sampling. Samples were pulled of two different clones of pinot noir grown side by side in the same vineyard. The group got to experience first hand how unique each clone can be even when grown adjacent to each other. Its one thing to attempt to explain this to someone but its something else entirely to experience. I could see eyes lighting up with the "ok I get it!" face.

After tasting through a few more samples I asked if a barrel sample of the 2008 Red Willow Vineyard Chapel Block Syrah could be pulled. He said yes & ran off for a pitcher. Red Willow is such a desolate & starkly beautiful vineyard producing ruggedly delicious grapes.



We continued on through some other Washington wines of theres such as Rosa Mystica Cabernet Franc which was deep, dark, haunting, gripping, lush & super aromatic. The Yakima Valley Red was plush, with subtle yet bold tannins (I know, seems like an oxymoron) & dark spice & fruit notes.



Next up, Argyle........

Day 1-Oregon

I got a bit worried when we were in MSP on our layover. Flight delays make me nervous. However, this one was quick & painless & we were on our way to PDX. I never cease to be in awe of the rugged beauty of the scenery when flying into PDX.



As soon as we grabbed our bags & got the vans we were off for Willamette Valley.

First Stop: Erath Winery

Located in the much coveted Dundee Hills AVA this venerable winery has been a touchstone for Oregon wines.



Erath gave us a warm welcome & poured some absolutely stunning pinots for us. There is good reason why they have been around so long.

After Erath we headed to our three vineyard houses on the Stoller Vineyards property. Brad, Brandon & I got to work preparing a very PacNW spread of grilled salmon that I rubbed with dill, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, s&p.



Bring on Day 2

Film & Music

Now I know this isn't food or wine related but this sounds like one of the most unique events. Everyone who can should go check this out.