on the back 9

…and back to booze. Specifically the wine century challenge. I just updated the list, we’ve broken the 50% barrier! Had some Prosecco and Chenin Blanc this weekend, before and with sunday dinner. Both were good, liked the latter better.

Double checking the tally, I see I never bothered to count Chardonnay – we’ve certainly had plenty of that, should have been the first tick mark on the list, or the free space in the middle of the bingo card.

Finally opened a couple bottles that have been sitting around since Christmastime. We had the Petit Verdot, which was good (and good with the Bavarian Beer cheese from Trader Joes). The Rueda (verdejo) was much better with salmon (as advertised) than on its own.

I anticipate the next 25 will take longer than the first 50, and the rest, longer still. – Hopefully not a J curve ;(

Even though I’m getting pretty lax with this blog, I wonder if I should change the name or intent of it. While my little one still loves spending time in the kitchen with me, as well as in her play kitchen. I find I’m spending plenty of time at the grown-ups table.

 

wine, wood and (no song)

What is one to do with varied interests and blogs about woodworking, food, and random funnyness? Once in a while the universe opens up and proves that even as scattered as we think our lives and interests are, that everything is (once in a while) truly interconnected. (and we get to kill 3 blogs with one stone. Except this stone is a piece of wine soaked, charred oak.

I was listening to a back log of food podcasts from Don Genova – a Canadian writer/broadcast journalist/podcaster I enjoy (his voice reminds me of a cross between Rick Steves, and my friend Mike – which is entertaining, and very listenable in itself)… where he visited a French cooperage (one woodworking profession that is still relevant today, but mostly forgotten) and got to talk to the Nth generation running it about how the wood effects the wine, and the differences between American and French oak, etc…

Forget steam bending. Fire bending!
More photos of the process on Don’s blog even more (gorgeous) photos and slideshow at Francois Freres site. Bear with it, as the English link seems broken.

It was cool to hear about all the proper woodworking that goes into their barrels, brining in new oak trees from the forest of central france, cutting and drying the wood for a couple years, and from there only using wood as a fuel source to heat shape and char (carmelize) the insides of the barrels. 

Anyhow, this got to me thinking,… that while tastes surely change and evolve over time… historically I never liked “oaky” wines, (and hence Scotch) for the buttery, vanilla etc… flavors that the oak imparts…. Little did I realize that as I got more and more into woodworking (and my wife and I learned more about wines thanks to a side venture of hers this past year) My prejudice against “oakiness” has changed. Just this week I was ripping down a dozen oak treads, and savoring the rich buttery aroma of the wood, almost drooling over what would best go with. (Brie surely, crabcakes, no Lobster. Salmon! mmm)

These little passions of ours invade, and enhance our lives in many ways!
Now where’s that 12 year old doublewood Scotch I’ve been saving…

 

wine and beer (lots of both)

A quick look through the kitchen – and spilling over into the dining room – you’ll either think we’re stocking up for a party, or a long cold winter. We’ve got about two dozen random bottles of wine. (we need a bigger wine rack) Unopened bottles left over from recent wine parties – my wife’s soon to be done hosting in-home wine tastings (order online now!) – and others we bought intentionally (and a few more hard to find ones coming in the mail)… which will take us almost to the halfway point of sampling the wines of 100 different grapes… Now it’s getting challenging to come across new ones, but a fun challenge to look forward to. Meanwhile I’m still making beer. (and drinking LOTS of coffee!)

The interesting thing about a home brewing hobby is that you spend lots of time waiting to sample the fruits of your labor… and while you’re waiting for one batch, you can start a new one (or in my case, two at a time!). Unfortunately, If you’re waiting, you’re not drinking, and if you’re not drinking you can have either a shortage of empty bottles, or space to stock everything.

Yesterday I had a bottling dilemma. I had two mini kegs worth of beer to bottle (4 Gallons), and only enough empties for about 1/4 of it all. Apparently I’m making faster than I can, or care to drink it. Some just need a little more time in the bottle… but you can’t tell the yeast in the kegs to slow down. And you can’t download empty bottles off the internet. Yet.

Lucky for me, I remembered a few cases of empties in the basement. Left over from a first, and only, attempt at one of the local “you brew” establishments several years ago with dad. We ended up with a good Sam Adams knock off. Plenty to share, and enough left to grow tired of.

Currently I have eleven 22 oz bottles of Pilothouse Pilsner, which sounds good and I think I’ll be able to share these with Dad and others, (he just doesn’t go for the darker, or “chewy” beers, stouts, etc…) I also have twelve 22 oz bottles of a stout-like German Dopplebock, which will be mine! all mine! Both should be ready to enjoy in time for Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile the Pumpkin Lager has developed nicely, wasn’t drinkable after a couple weeks in the bottle, three more weeks was the ticket. Perhaps it was the full moon – or Halloween’s arrival that brought out all the pumpkiny goodness. I wouldn’t exactly call it “pumpkin pie in a bottle” as they do, but I’m encouraged enough to try the pumpkin porter next fall.

Next to that, I still have a full batch of Caribbean Lime Lager – which hopefully is ready to go. I should have tried it yesterday – we went a little overkill with the first fire of the year – and it was HOT in here.

I gave up on the coffee beer, but I might try this one… Eye Opener Sumatra Stout. A stout where you add an espresso shot during bottling, rather than coffee grounds to the wert. Still, I kept a few bottles to cook with. Ditto the Apple Ale

Looking back, both Stouts I’ve made to date were good (St Patricks, Sticky Wickett) – must have been, theres none left. I’m making another with liquid yeast this time. Will be interesting to compare that to the dopplebock. Gonna have some nice warm beers to enjoy this winter!

I’m also attempting a Pale Ale with Liquid Yeast. The pale ale was hands down the most drinakable I’ve made to date – also the first. The Porter was fine, The American Devil IPA was good, the Belgian Wheat and Red went down the drain (the kits were old… but there was no harm in trying) plus I needed the bottles for the next batches!

All told, not a bad year of beer. Lots of ups, few downs… and at current count I have the equivalent of 69 12-ounce bottles (in 12 ounces bottles and 1 liter bottles) in four flavors, with 23 bottles waiting… and two full kegs (4 gallons – or about 48 bottles) just starting out… Way more beer than Dad and I made way back when, but with ample variety to keep things from getting stale.

I do think I’ll be taking a break from brewing after this… 139 full bottles (a few 12 oz, the rest are mostly 22 oz or 1 liter each) won’t leave much room left in the fridge for, well, anything.

 

a stunning debut

Huge Kudos to my uncle & co!

“…What I do know is that this is the best wine to come out of the Crushpad operation yet, and a stunning debut for a new label.” – Read the entire review over at vinography.com – then do yourself (or a loved one) a favor – and order a bottle, or three to enjoy this holiday season!

 

29 going on 40

Our count up to 100 (into the Wine Century club) just took a bit bump this past weekend. Thanks to a Spanish themed wine tasting and dinner party.

I’m so happy I’ve taken on the challenge. We’ve discovered so many interesting varieties not typically found at the local market, some that we like so much more than the standard supermarket fare. (Granted there is great variety in Cabernets of the world, as well as the Pinots….) But you can’t just run out for a Baco Noir, Malbec or Semillion now can you? (Well… not at any of my local supermarkets you can’t.)

The current tally (of grape varieties enjoyed in wine):

1. Baco Noir – Red Cat, Hazlitt 1852, Fingerlakes (Seneca), NY
2. Bonarda 2004 Atipax, Tupungato Reserva, Malbec blend, Mendoza, Argentina (91 Points)
3. Cabernet Franc – Atwater, Fingerlakes (Seneca), NY
4. Cabernet Sauvignon – used to dislike oaky ones, now finding several I like (TTV)
5. Catawba – Red Cat, Hazlitt 1852, Fingerlakes (Seneca), NY
6. Cayuga – Atwater, Fingerlakes (Seneca), NY
7. Chancellor – Atwater, Fingerlakes (Seneca), NY
8. Chelois – Atwater, Fingerlakes (Seneca), NY
9. Cinsaut
10. Corvina
11. Gamay – Beaujolias, Nouveau et al — great nouveau in late 90’s
12. Gewürztraminer – Castel Grisch, Fingerlakes NY, et al.
13. Grenache/Garnacha – Le Vielle Ferme red blend, & 2005 Rojo Granrojo (Grenache Noir)
14. Malbec – 2004 Atipax, Tupungato Reserva, Malbec blend, Mendoza, Argentina (91 Points)
15. Maréchal Foch – Atwater, Fingerlakes (Seneca), NY
16. Merlot – 2003 Lomas de Los Andes, Colchagua Valley Merlot, Chile (90 Points)
17. Molinara
18. Moscato Bianco – 2005 Meda Margherita, Moscato d’Asti, Piedmont, Italy (90 Points)
19. Mourvèdre
20. Niagara – Finger Lakes NY, Flag Hill NH
21. Petite Sirah
22. Pinot Blanc – 2003 Louis Reffelingen, Pinot Blanc (90 Points)
23. Pinot Gris – Gris at Sterling (Napa) Grigio elsewhere
24. Pinot Noir – Calif, French, etc – 2005 Landmark, Grand Detour Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California (92 Points) & Kindred Wines 2005 Amber Ridge
25. Riesling
26. Rondinella
27. Rose of Isabelle – Goose Watch, Fingerlakes (Cayuga), NY
28. Sauvignon Blanc
29. Semillon – 2002 Vina Alamosa, Premium Late Harvest Semill
30. Seyval Blanc – Atwater, Fingerlakes (Seneca), NY
31. Syrah/Shiraz
32. Tempranillo – 2004 Bodegas Altizia, Tierra de Vientos, Barrel Aged Tempranillo, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla, La Mancha, Spain (90 Points)
33. Torrontés – 2004 Moon Sun, Cafayate Valley Torrontés, Argentina (90 Points)
34. Verdejo – 2004 Señorio de Garci Grande, Rueda, Spain (90 Points)
35. Vidal – Atwater, Fingerlakes (Seneca), NY – also as ice wine
36. Vignoles – Atwater, Fingerlakes (Seneca), NY
37. Villard Blanc – Atwater, Fingerlakes (Seneca), NY
38. Viognier – 2004 Stone Home Ranch, Viognier, California (90 Points)
39. Viura – 2004 Señorio de Garci Grande, Rueda, Spain (90 Points)
40. Zinfandel/Primitivo

Some varieties I have tried several different wines, others just the one. Surprisingly there are good and bad (and fantastic) wines to be had that would otherwise seem to be the same. There are more I’ve tried when in France and California (Napa and Sonoma), but this was before I was keeping track, and the memory is a little spotty (I am a parent afterall). So, while I think I’ve had a Sangiovese, Muscat, Concord, and Trebbiano, I can neither confirm nor deny… so off the list they’ll stay until the time comes I can enjoy them (again?)

 

a cab isn’t a cab is not a cab

Cabernet Sauvignon that is.

I don’t like it. Or so I have thought these past several years. Not the grapes, but rather because of the oak barrels it is aged in. For the same reason I don’t really care for chardonnay or whiskey.

My wife and I spent a couple days touring the Seneca Wine Trail, Fingerlakes region, New York, and we got to talking with one of the winemakers at Atwater Vinyards. He let me sample some chardonnay that was aging in stainless steel tanks, and had never seen oak. This was where I learned to avoid “oaky” and any synonyms when reading wine labels to pick out something I’d like. Of course I reasoned that I liked non-oaky chardonnay’s and didn’t think about how that might pertain to other wines.

Several years have gone by, and my views of wine haven’t changed. Though, I’ve added Pinot Noir to my list of faves, along with Beaujolais Nouveau, Riesling, Chianti, Tempranillo (soooo good with chocolate) and the uber cheap (but quite good) Cafe Chardonnay from Gallo.

A food/wine pairing event last October, really opened up my eyes to how different foods really effect how wine tastes – for better, or more often in my case, for worse. We tried 4 wines – 2 white, 2 red -pesto chicken, tomatoes, cheese, olives chocolate and fruit. Surprisingly, each wine was my favorite, or least favorite depending on it’s food partner.

Eyes opened.

I also know that our tastes change every 7 years (or is that just how long it takes for all our taste buds to replace themselves).

Whatever the case, now that my wife is doing these in home wine parties, I’ve sampled about a dozen new wines the past few weeks. I’ve tried 4 cabernets and each of them was dramatically different than the last…  I’m enjoying a good one right now from Monterey California (beware of worsening grammar and punctuation skills)… and lo it’s described as oaky, with licorice (I hate licorice… don’t I)

If I didn’t know, I wouldn’t now!

Well, throw time, experience and prejudice out the window people, I have a whole new world of wine to get to know all over again…  28/100 of my way into the wine century club!

 

a little wine with your blog?

My wife has started a new (side) work venture, as a marketing consultant for The Traveling Vinyard. Bringing wine tastings into peoples homes. Think Pampered Chef or Tupperware home parties. She already has two parties under her belt, and several more in the upcoming weeks. Great fun.

We’ve received enough cases of wine that the good folks over at UPS know who I am (and I don’t need to flash an ID to prove I’m over 21. (Like there’s any question about that!)

One upshot of sampling all these wines, I’ve learned that the same grape can yield a dramatically different wine in the hands of another winemaker, or in another part of the world – even if right next door – so everything I thought I knew about what I like and what I definately don’t like, has been a real eye, nose and mind opening experience!

Plus, in the past couple weeks I’ve moved a couple steps closer to joining the Wine Century Club. Happily, I still have quite a ways to go to complete my “membership.”

Starting in 2000, I’m 28% of the way there – average supermarket offerings, plus some regional varieties from NH, NY and CA… Cannot confirm what I’ve previously had in France ’93 or ’98 or Napa/Sonoma ’99, so I’ll just have to have some of those again!

 

“veni vino vici”

I recently stumbled across the Wine Century Club, (thanks to the wine blog Basic Juice). Essentially a club for anyone who’s tried 100 different varieties of wine. (Many have tried, few have succeeded.)

The verdict? – looks like a fun challenge. My wife and I figure we’ll have our applications (and livers) filled out by the end of the weekend.

Kidding.

Without stopping to count, I’d guess we’re somewhere in the high teens/low twenties. A few months living in France and wine trails in Napa Valley and the Finger Lakes in NY result in the number exceeding the standard supermaket fare. (Chardonnay, Cab, Pinot, Reisling, and so on…)

I’ll do a little digging around and try to come up with an honest list, and if I’m not sure, I’ll have to drink it again!

Stay tuned for the journey, bound to be a long, but fun one!