Tasting: Miner 2007 Chardonnay

Tonight I made a seafood risotto and paired it with a 2007 Chardonnay from Miner Family Vineyards out of the Napa valley. Once again, Miner delivers the goods. I don’t drink a lot of chardonnay, primarily because so many times, the winemaker seems to get carried away with the oak factor. I hate wines that make me feel like I’m chewing wood. To me, a nice chardonnay has a smooth, almost buttery overtone with just a hint oakiness. This chardonnay is right on the money.  For someone in your life who thinks they aren’t really a Chardonnay drinker, this may be just the wine for them to try.
When poured, you get a beautiful, straw colored drink that is easy to drink from the moment you yank to cork to the time you finish off the bottle. To my palate I pick up a few hints of apple and citrus. There is a slight acidic finish, that with the subtle oak note leaves a warmth in your mouth. After a minute to savor it’s time for another sip. I’d say you can drink this wine today. I imagine it will improve a little over the next few years, but I don’t think you have to wait. I probably won’t.
This is relatively affordable at$30 a bottle, club members pay less. Since Miner is small winery, you may have trouble finding it outside of California, but you can order online.

Tasting: Mumm Sparkling Pinot Noir

  I was in the mood to try something a little different and found a bottle of Sparkling Pinot Noir from Mumm Napa on nestled away. I chilled it briefly and then cracked it open with a terrific pop.; the kind of almost cliche pop you get from sparkling wines and Champagne with a small puff spilling out of the opening.

Pouring it into a flute released a torrent of tight carbonation that rose above the rim but never broke and spilled over. Ok, maybe not my best pour, but a very beautiful wine to look at.  I thought of it as a glossy light cherry.

The first sip hits you with a ton of “grapiness”.  Mumm takes Pinot Noir from the Carneros region as the base for this terrific sparkling beverage. I actually have a lot of Mumm in the cellar and none of it has ever disappointed.

On subsequent sips you’ll pick up hints of cranberry and the slightest amount of spice. This is almost too easy too drink and a nice alternative for people who say they don’t like Champagnes or bubbly wines. This is sparkling, in many senses of that word, but nothing I would consider bubbly.

With Thanksgiving approaching this would be a fantastic accompaniment  to the main course. In fact when I checked the Mumm web site (http://www.mummnapa.com) they have it on sale for the holiday. You can also follow Mumm on Twitter and on Facebook.

Tasting Notes: Cortijo III Tinto Rioja 2008

As part of my current quest to find inexpensive but enjoyable wines I picked up a Spanish red from Cortijo III. I don’t have much experience with Spanish wines so that was another reason; I wanted to try something new. I was not disappointed.

This is a very enjoyable red wine from the Rioja region of Spain. The wine is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha (or Grenache). It is a deep ruby red and very full bodied, but not necessarily heavy. My first sip made me think immediately of chocolate. Not sure if I was picking up a flavor profile or merely an association. But in any event I opened up a bar of dark chocolate (70% cacoa) to pair with it.

This wine has a delicate berry-scented nose with a jammy finish. You get a gentle tannic coat and you find yourself wanting to take another drink. This is very easy to drink.  In fact, I just looked at the back label and they describe it as a describe it as a “drinking” wine, as opposed to something you want to sip. I think this would perfectly complement pork dishes or even turkey.   I may have to grab another bottle or two for Thanksgiving. I can easily imagine a terrific combination of this wine with a zesty fresh cranberry sauce.

For a bottle of wine you might find for under $10 this can’t be beat and certainly compares with more expensive wines I’ve tasted. If you drink red wines and want something you can drink often with out breaking your budget, you must try this wine.

For Love of Chartreuse

Without a doubt my favorite drink is Chartreuse. For some it is an acquired taste. I loved it from the very first sip.

Chartreuse is an herbal based liqueur distilled from a 400 year old recipe by the Chartreuse monks in France. The original recipe, known only to 3 living monks at any one time, was originally referred to as the Elixer of Life. I have to say I always feel better after a few sips. The liqueur is distilled from 130 alpine herbs, who knew there were so many.

Chartreuse comes in several varieties. The traditional is referred to as Green Chartreuse. It has an anise-like nose to it.  It is slightly fruity and definitely herbaly, although you would be hard pressed to identify any specific herbs. Green Chartreuse  is 110 proof and is best served cold, even on the rocks. Although I prefer just a cold glass so the ice doesn’t dilute the spirit. This is the bottle you will most likely find in your neighborhood liquor store, although they probably won’t have more than a bottle or two on the shelf.

Yellow Chartreuse is a little sweeter and not as strong at about 80 proof. This is very hard to find in restaurants, so if they have it, I almost always get a glass. It also isn’t carried  typically in liquor stores so you may need a special order.

The last variety is Chartreuse V.E.P.(Vieillissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé). This is essentially the same Chartreuse except it has been aged. Quantities are limited and bottles numbered but this is exceptionally smooth and flavorful. They make Green and Yellow, VEP, although I’ve never had the latter.  The V.E.P. is also most likely served in finer French restaurants, at least that has been my experience.

I always try to introduce Chartreuse to dinner guests and can only hope that the next time you’re out and feeling adventurous that you’ll give it a try yourself.

Byward Market Ottawa

 I love farmer and open air markets.  There is a very nice one in the my area, but it never seems to compare to ones I  visit in other major cities. Take for example the famous Byward Market in Ottawa, Ontario. On a recent trip this summer for a youth hockey tournament, we were able to visit the market in full swing. The outstanding produce displays get me every time. I love the fact that these are real people pulling really foodstuffs from the earth.  Perhaps I romanticize it too much, but when you see produce like this,  the stuff you see in the  supermarket pales by comparison. The variety of colors and textures is amazing. I want to taste everything. I want to grab a shopping basket, load up with food and go find a place to cook. Nothing gets my cooking juices going like a farmers’ market.

Here are a few more  pictures to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.

I suppose what really strikes me about this market is how European it really is.  In addition to the farmer stands, there are number of specialty shops.  Want some fresh fish, pop in to the fish monger. As soon as you walked in it was like smelling the ocean; fresh, crisp and clean.

Want some cheese? Who wouldn’t love to browse through a cheese shop with a wide selection of fromage that would do some serious damage to my checkbook.

 

The last place that blew me away was the big bakery and cafe. I should have grabbed the actual name, but if you visit Byward Market, you won’t miss it.

The collection of breads,  pastries, sandwiches, tartes, pies and more was incredible.

The bottom line is that if there is a open air or farmers market in your area, I hope you’ll support it. And if you get a chance to visit Byward Market I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Tasting Notes: 2004 Peller Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

Whenever we come back from an overnight trip to Canada, we almost always stop at the duty free shop, primarily so I can pick up a few bottles of Canadian wine. Don’t laugh. I’ve written about wines from the Niagara-on-the-Lake region before and if you can find something to try, I strongly encourage you. One of the bottles I picked up was a 2oo4 Peller Estates Cabernet Sauvignon, released under their Private Reserve label. 

From the very first sip upon opening, to later in the evening there is a hint of oakiness. This is a light to medium-bodied cab. Definitely not “chewy”. However it is very smooth and balanced with a hints of dark berries and plum. The finish I would describe as a gentle smokiness with the slightest tannic touch. I served it with a pan seared T-bone steak and it held up nicely. Peller’s description mentions a slight peppery finish on their cabs, which I don’t fully pick up here. Although there is a touch of something that I would characterize as spice.

Peller is well known for their ice wines, which I enjoy and am sure to write about at some point. But their reds are quite wonderful as well and very reasonably prices, assuming you can track them down. Peller, like many Canadian wineries, can’t sell outside their province or Canada. So you’ll have to look for these wines in a duty free store or ask your favorite wine merchant to track a few bottles down for you.

Tasting Notes: Llama 2006 Malbec Old Vine

On a recent trip to a neighborhood wine shop, I decided to find some bottles under $20 and also from producers outside my comfort zone. I don't believe you have to spend $30, $50 or more for a decent bottle of wine. Drink what you like, and if it doesn't cost much, so much the better.

Tonight my wife opened up one of the bottles I brought home. A 2006 malbec from the Belasco De Baquedano Winery under their Llama label. This is an Argentinian winery with 100 year old vines. As soon as I took the first sip, I recognized the old vine richness immediately. The wine has an inviting deep purple that reminds me of a claret. The wine is aged for 6 months in new French oak and then another 6 months in the bottle and you can get a hint of oakiness in the finish. I find notes of berry and spice with lingering tannic finish. Actually the finish invokes an earthiness in my mind. Maybe that's the old vine talking.

The bottle I picked up was around $14, which isn't bad considering how far the wine had to travel to reach my neighborhood shop. Sipping it puts me in the mood to serve it with rack of lamb. This is a wine you could easily drink now and certainly for another few years. I may have to grab a few more bottles to cellar to see if I'm right.

I've not tasted a lot of malbecs so I don't have much to compare. This doesn't knock your socks off but it is has great flavor for the price point and definitely encourages me to sample more malbec.

I'd love to hear your malbec experiences and recommendations.

Tasting Notes: Jackson-Triggs 2005 Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon

When you see the phrase, “fine Canadian wine”, you probably see it as an oxymoron, like “military intelligence” or “jumbo shrimp”. However you would be sadly mistaken, for there are parts of Canada that produce some very fine wines indeed. One of my favorite regions is the Niagara-on-th-Lake area just north of Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Due to geologic happenstance, this region can produce some exquisite vintages.

Tonight I’m tasting a 2005 Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon blend by Jackson-Triggs under their Proprietor's Edition label. This is a Niagara Estates vintage.  At first I thought I should have waited another year before opening this bottle, but after an hour or so the wine really came into its own.

There are notes of of cherry and cassis with a gentle spiciness and a wafting of tobacco. The wine ends with long tannic finish. I served it with a marinated and grilled flank steak, if that is of any interest to you.

This is a solid wine, although it won’t knock anyone’s socks off. Still, if you can get your hands on some Jackson-Triggs I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. According to their web site, the 2007 vintage was released in August 2009.

It is very hard to fine Canadian wines like this, even in central NY. Whenever we go to Canada I make it a point to bring a few back since the winery can’t ship directly outside of Canada. You can look forward to other Canadian tastings.

2006 Miner Zinfandel

Miner Family Vineyards is one of my favorite Napa boutique   wineries. At least I consider them boutique because they are not high volume and I certainly can’t get their excellent vintages on the shelf in upstate NY.  However, they do ship to most parts of the country which means I get to enjoy fine wines like this 2006 Zinfandel.

I find myself becoming more interested in zinfandels and have found the quality of the grape and winemaker varies widely. I had an ‘05 Zin from a different winery last night that was nothing like the Miner Zin.

If you are fortunate enough to get your hands on a bottle and pour yourself a glass the first thing you’ll notice is a rich, garnet-colored promise of a well-crafted wine. I noted hints of plums, dark cherry and chocolate with a slight peppery finish. What I enjoy the most about this wine is the smoky, almost velvet like finish that wraps around your tongue.  It simply makes you want to close your eyes and sigh deeply, forgetting everything save this luscious fruit.

I have a number of other Miner vintages (among others) in my cellar and I’ll be sharing my tasting notes over the next several months.

Cafe Saffron

During a recent youth hockey trip to Ottawa, Ontario my family and I ventured out to discover someplace for dinner. We didn’t have much time, didn’t want to spend a lot of money and needed a place we could all agree on. Fortunately we discovered a small Asian restaurant very close to the hotel that was a very pleasant surprise.

Cafe Saffron is a small eatery in what I suspect was a former Starbucks location, not that it makes any difference.  We arrived relatively early for dinner, around 5:00PM on a Friday evening and had hardly any wait. The menu offered a mix of Asian cuisines with something for everyone in my family. I ordered a house special, Saffron Spicy Chicken.

Our dishes were a little slow to arrive, but only because they were piping hot and were obviously made to order. My dish teased me with huge chunks of chicken in a fiery yellow sauce with plenty of flash fried red chilies.  The first thing I noticed was the chicken. In many Asian eateries chicken entrees offer small, indifferent shreds of meat. Not here. These were large chunks of breast meat that tasted very fresh, had terrific “chicken-ness” and was moist.

The sauce was sweet with a slow, quiet burn at the end. I thought the heat  would eventually catch up with me but it never did. Every sweet bite promised bit of heat, but it never really came. Perhaps I was supposed to nibble on one of the red chilies. But I was quite happy with my dish as it was.

The cafe had an empty steam table and judging from the rest of the menu and setup, I suspect it does a very respectable lunch business. The prices are very reasonable, the service attentive and I felt it was a very family-friendly establishment. Certainly not haute cuisine chinois, but very satisfying and everyone was happy.

I’m sure if stay close to Cafe Saffron on any future trips to Ottawa that it will merit a repeat visit.

Cafe Saffron
195 Kent Street
Ottawa, ON K2P 2M4, Canada
(613) 233-8989

Blue Ginger Asian Bistro

Whenever I travel on business, usually to run a training class, I always ask my students where I should eat or what restaurants I shouldn’t miss. I also always try to eat in at least one sushi joint as well. During a recent trip to Columbus, OH, a few students recommended Blue Ginger Asian Bistro which is technically in Dublin, OH.

At first glance you might not think much of the place, being in a strip mall, although I’ve had some very terrific food in some very rundown strip malls so I’m not one to judge a book by its cover. Inside was definitely a different story. The decor favored a modern Asian design with dark woods and brushed metal tables. A sushi bar occupied one corner.

The menu was a basic Japanese-Chinese blend with a few Vietnamese items and Thai curries tossed in for good measure. The restaurant is an Asian bistro, so the mélange of cultures shouldn’t be too surprising.

I started out with an appetizer of pan dried duck dumplings which were served on a bed of mixed field greens. The dumplings had a slight crisp on the outside and were served with a sweet hoisin-based sauce. I found them tasty and filling, although not especially very “ducky”. Still, the order of 6 dumplings was very filling.

I then moved to their Triple Toro roll. I don’t see toro on sushi menus often, so I try to sample it when I can. Their offering was an avocado filled roll with toro, yellowtail and tuna draped over the top and finished off with a spicy mayo.  The toro melted in my mouth. The mayo brought plenty of heat on its own. I also found the roll a little salty, although interestingly not in every bite.

Feeling confident about their toro, I next ordered a toro sashimi. I received 2 very thinly sliced pieces served too chilled for my tastes. I find if the fish is too cold some of the flavor is locked away. I suspect the toro in the roll was a little warmer, perhaps from the chef’s hands during preparation. I lingered to let the the second piece warm up and it offered up a little more flavor. Certainly not knock me over toro, but this is Central Ohio after all and I was surprised to find toro at all.

I was just about finished when my server convinced me to try kampachi sashimi. I’m glad she did. The fish had a firm flesh like hamachi that gave way to velvety bites of the ocean. I’m very sensitive to salt but this had just the right amount to transport me to tropical beach.

I wrapped up the meal with a chocolate fortune cookie:

Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.

The total bill including tip (it was just me) was under $40. If I lived in the Columbus area, I would definitely eat there again and I hope you’ll give it a try if the opportunity arises.

Welcome to Crumb and Cork

Welcome to my new literary and culinary adventure. By day I am an IT professional (I write the Lonely Administrator blog) and technology author. But in the evening, weekends, and sometimes even during the day, I try to indulge my passion for fine food and wine. It's difficult to prepare gourmet meals with a tween and teen in the house but I try what I can. But this blog isn't necessarily about my cooking efforts, although it might be from time to time. I'm also not going to attempt culinary criticism. I certainly haven't earned that right. What I will do is offer my opinions and share my experiences of places I eat, wine I drink or anything else I think a modern "foodie" might be interested in. Over time I think you'll come to understand my perspective and you can gauge your own relationship to my tastes accordingly.

I hope you'll join me over a virtual glass of wine as we share our experiences.

The photo by the way is of my wife's crab quiche. I wish I was a better photographer because the crust was a perfect golden brown. Every bite had just the right amount of cheesy crab goodness. The kids loved it too!