Tasting: 2006 Venta Mazzaron Tempranillo

One varietal that we seem to be drinking often these days is tempranillo. These (typically) Spanish reds tend to very affordable and quite enjoyable. The other night we opened a 2006 Venta Mazzaron Tempranillo. This wine is 100% tempranillo and drinks quite nicely.

At first pour the first thing I noticed was a smoky, berry nose. In the glass this wine offers a pleasant dark strawberry color with nice legs. Sipping reveals berries, a trace of plum with a very subtle spice note. The wine finishes with a strong tannic coat, that actually I found appetizing. While tasting, I realized this would be a perfect match to a tapa plate of olives and cured meats. I found some salami and it paired wonderfully.

You can definitely drink this now, although I'd like to try a bottle in a few years. The Wine Advocate gave this 90 pts and I think you'll enjoy this.  You should be able to find a bottle for around $15.00 which I think is a terrific value.

Tasting: Beak & Skiff Apple Vodka

I have to confess that I love a good vodka and I've come to appreciate high quality products. I'm always looking to try something new. Fortunately, like Dorothy Gale, I didn't have to look any further than my own back yard. Central NY is known for apples and Beak & Skiff is one of the region's oldest and largest orchard. Recently they have branched out and opened their very own distillery. Their first offering is an apple vodka.

The first thing you have to understand is that this is not an apple-flavored vodka, but rather a vodka distilled from apples. While I generally prefer traditional potato or grain based vodkas, I enjoyed Beak & Skiff's vodka.  It is crystal clear with a very clean nose, but not antiseptic. The first taste introduces a very subtle apple overtone, but it is brief and in no way interferes with the drink. I found it exceptionally smooth with gentle finish, that again offers a whiff of apple. I enjoyed sipping it neat but I imagine it would be quite bracing chilled. When used in a cocktail, the apple tones fade away as you might hope and expect. Again, this isn't a flavored vodka.

If you appreciate fine vodka and get you hands on a bottle, I think you'll enjoy this. You can purchase Beak & Skiff's apple vodka at their distillery (which has a tasting bar) or in a few select stores in Central NY. I recommend checking the  Beak & Skiff web site for the latestinformation.

Book Review: Medium Raw

Former chef and culinary globetrotter Anthony Bourdain is one of those people you either like or you don't. His snarky, often aggressive prose and attitude leaves little middle ground. Mr. Bourdain's latest offering of culinary reflections proves this isn't going to change. I recently finished, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook (Ecco 2010) and it was a delicious read.

I was fascinated with Mr. Bourdain's breakthrough memoir Kitchen Confidential. I couldn't get enough of the  raucous and riotous world of a professional kitchen. It was if he had propped open the door for all of use to peer in and marvel at the hidden world of all the people involved in making our culinary experiences memorable. I approached Medium Raw with the same anticipation and was not disappointed.

If anything, I think Mr. Bourdain has evolved as a writer, albeit often foul-mouthed. But this no holds-barred approach is what I think many readers and fans find appealing. If something is crap, he'll say so and explain why. For example, I especially enjoyed his chapter on heroes and villains in the world of food. I can't say I agree 100% with every choice, but his opinions are anything but subtle, yet reasoned.

I found it interesting that Mr. Bourdain has also matured professionally and isn't afraid to say so. While he still poo-poos, sometimes with real acid, members of the Food Network family, I was glad to see him express his admiration and respect for chefs like Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse. Even Mr. Bourdain realizes, to his chagrin I imagine, that he has become one of the culinariti that he used to mock. I also believe that the last few years hopping around the world has opened his eyes, and that too is reflected in this book.

Now, don't go thinking Tony has gone soft. There is still plenty of rant, served with a zesty sauce of profanity. Medium Raw is often insightful, brutally to the point and recommended reading for any aspiring foodie, cook, or gourmand.

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.

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