Van Webb 9/8/15 Van Webb 9/8/15

Quenching Your Wine Thirst - 2015

Standouts from a tasting of the current portfolio of Thirst Wine Merchants.

White Wines

Blackbird Vineyards Arriviste Rose 2014 - A delightful dry Rose from French varietals. $16
Sandhi Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills 2013 - Becoming a regular favorite from Rajat Parr. $34
SCRIBE Estate Chardonnay 2013 - Grapes from the corner of Carneros, Sonoma, and Napa, with a hint of pepper. $25
SCRIBE Chardonnay Skin-Fermented 2014 - From a different clone in the same vineyards as #3, delivering a very unexpected punch. $34
Gramercy Cellars Viognier 2014 - A field of daisies and baby powder. $22

Red Wines

Leonetti Cellar Merlot 2013 - A Merlot leading the way?! Very dark, thick, and smooth. $84
Figgins Family Estate Red 2012 - Herbaceous, then very dry and balanced. $87
Chateau Angludet Margaux 2011 - The winemaker loves Petit Verdot, and this has 12%. Dark and earthy, with a hint of sweetness to finish. $45
Blackbird Vineyards Arise 2012 - Dirty and chewy with strong spice. $52
Owen Roe Syrah Ex Umbris 2012 - From hot and cool climate vineyards offering balance. Smooth with some spice. $19
Sean Minor Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 - $18
Boroli Barolo 2010 - $45
Shaefer Vineyards Merlot 2013 - $53
Casa Silva Carmenere 2013 - $15
Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco Vigneto Enrico Cialdini 2013 - Yes, Lambrusco. $18

Van Webb 9/1/15 Van Webb 9/1/15

Half-Price Wine On Sundays At Garozzo's, Kansas City

I am rarely in favor of discounting by full-service restaurants, but Garozzo's of Kansas City has a wine promotion that works splendidly: Half-Priced Wine Every Sunday

While enjoying your Chicken Spiedini on Sunday nights, you can take your pick of Garozzo's wines for half the listed prices. It is a sizable list, with numerous Italians to choose from, and is already reasonably priced. With the Sunday discount, your bottle may be less than retail, where you may have difficulty finding some of the selections. On my original Sunday trip, I found a 1998 Anselma Barolo for $40. Already brick in color, with classic tar and roses, and a sweet finish, this was the wine that solidified my Nebbiolo love.

Once you hit the one-hundred-dollar bottles, you get fifty-dollars off, but no wines are excluded from discounting, and Garozzo's has maintained Half-Priced Wine Sundays for many years. A great deal you can count on for wine, delicious food, and a "family" atmosphere...It is a combination that is difficult to top.

Garozzo's Ristorante - 526 Harrison St., Kansas City, MO 64106

Van Webb 8/21/15 Van Webb 8/21/15

Italian Wine Food And Family - Jimmy's Food Store, Dallas

Jimmy's Food Store is a family-owned neighborhood market, situated in Old East Dallas between Deep Ellum and Lower Greenville. The history is what you would imagine of an Italian family business, passing from one generation to the next, and focusing more, then completely, on Italian food and wines. The tempo of the staff is fast-moving and straightforward, brief but complete with information and recommendations. There is a melting pot of customers roaming about at any given time, grocery shopping, picking up lunch, eating in the store, and drinking wine!

Italian Market, Butcher, and Deli

The grocery and butcher stand are packed with imported Italian products and fresh foods. Pastas, gravy, bread, produce...Try a few cuts of Piemontese beef on your grill. And if you are not waiting until later, be sure to experience a sandwich from the deli. Hot Italian Sausage, with cheeses, sweet peppers, and onions is my pick. There is the Italian Stallion, Muffuletta, even a Cuban, all made fresh and delicious. You can find a seat at a table in front of the store, soak up the bustling activity and conversation going on around you, and savor your sandwich with a glass of wine.

Wine...Italian Wine

Yes, wine is served by the glass in the store. Very good wine, for a price of four dollars. It comes from a large-format bottle or box behind the counter. But the real wine fills several aisle of the market. Almost any Italian varietal is available, with a full-range but still at very reasonable prices. And there are only Italian wines. There will always be several bargain picks, perhaps a half-price table, and potentially significant discounts on some great Barolos, Brunellos, and Amarones. This is one of the reasons you want to subscribe to the newsletter below. Depending on timing, you might find autographed bottles in the racks from famous winemakers that have visited Jimmy's.

Winemaker Dinners

Jimmy's regularly hosts influential figures in Italian winemaking for dinners in the Circolo del Vino, the wine room. "Generous" is the best description of these events, which are open to the public. It is an opportunity to meet and learn from some of wine's big names, and socialize with a group of like-minded Italian wine lovers. Several food courses are accompanied by even more wine courses, in a festive atmosphere, at a steal of a price. There might be door prizes, or a bottle of wine to go for everyone. The email newsletter is the way in to these events.

You are not likely to simply run across Jimmy's unless you are looking for it. If you happen to be in or passing through Dallas, scout it out in advance. You will be pleased with the effort!

Jimmy's Food Store - 4901 Bryan Street, Dallas, TX 75206

Van Webb 5/12/15 Van Webb 5/12/15

Best Of New York City Wine Service And Dining

Here are the standouts from my recent visit to New York.

Wine

Bergadano Barolo Sarmassa 2007 at Elio's - A smooth and sweet Barolo to accompany a rich veal dish.
E. Guigal Chateauneuf Du Pape 2007 at Peter Luger - On the lighter side, but accompanied the steak well.
Claudia Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Dry Red Wine 2003 - Typically good Italian table wine in a Little Italy restaurant.
Maison Roche de Bellene Bourgogne Rouge Vieilles Vignes 2011 at Les Halles Downtown
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose at Buddakan

Service

The Carlyle - See my review
Bergdorf Goodman Bar - While the restaurant was booked, with even a wait for the bar, the busy bartender quickly knew just the martini I was after.
Ritz Carlton Battery Park Bar - Bar service at night was good, but Victor took note of me mid-morning. I was looking for the coffee service, which had been taken down, and a light snack for the road. He promptly returned with a large coffee and a box of baked goods, on the house!
Peter Luger - Thorough service from seven people over the course of an hour.
Les Halles Downtown - Excellent service from one waiter over the course of an hour.

Dining

Elio's - A serious old school Italian eatery served up a fine prosciutto and gorgonzola-stuffed veal chop, but I could not stop eating the bowl of al dente angel hair with garlic and parmesan.
21 Club - The classic "Speakeasy" Steak Tartare, matched by perfectly round, thin, and crisp Chicken Paillard with arugula.
Peter Luger Steak House - Steak for two, creamed spinach, extra thick bacon, and extra-extra Peter Luger attitude.
Les Halles Downtown - See my review
Katz's Delicatessen - Pastrami, period.

Best Cocktail

Brooklyn Gin Martini with Lemon Peel at Bergdorf Goodman Bar

Van Webb 5/1/15 Van Webb 5/1/15

Wine Questions Asked: What Are Tannins?

This is a question I hear often, as tannins in wine are often referred too, but seldom explained. Tannins are responsible for the chemically induced reaction in our mouths that brings about the sensation of dryness, astringency, and sometimes bitterness. In short, wines heavy in tannin have spent more time with grape skins and stems, and likely in wooden barrels. When your tongue feels parched even though your mouth is full of red wine, or when the immediate reaction to taking a drink is to pucker your lips, those are tannins at work.

For a more complete explanation, here are two dynamically different links from great wine resources, explaining just what tannins are all about:

Wine Folly - By Madeline Puckette, concise and colorful, listing wines both heavy and light in tannins
WineAnorak - Here, Jamie Goode takes a deeper, scientific approach

I have a long friendship with tannic wines, having begun my wine journey on California Cabernet, and moving quickly to Barolos and other Italians made from Nebbiolo. Whether or not tannic wines are your preference, these articles will set you straight on the definition, and wines to avoid, or explore!

Van Webb 3/17/15 Van Webb 3/17/15

Best of Santa Fe - Wine Service and Dining

A brief, but satisfying, weekend wine and dining adventure.

Wine

This trip was not focused on wine discovery, but I still found time for a few treats:

Service

Izanami at Ten Thousand Waves - Kaz, Japanese Customer Service Manager, (their title) was everywhere. At the restaurant. At the spa check-in. Around the spa grounds. Always checking on me personally, attentively. Delivering messages between spouses creatively. My Izanami waitress was similarly attentive, taking extra time to guide me through a sake tasting and explaining the food items, like the Kinpira Gobo below.
The Compound - Alex and his team of five took very good care of us from start to finish. He was particularly helpful with wine selection, finding out our desires and recommending the wine that was drinking best at the time, and cheapest, of three bottles in consideration.

Food

The Compound - I tasted twelve food items, from Tuna Tartare to a chocolate snowball treat, and all were delightful in their own ways. Braised Lamb Osso Bucco with wild mushroom risotto and garlic chips was a replacement (for veal) feature that stood out.
Smothered Breakfast Burrito at Tune-Up Cafe - Roasted and smoky the green chile sauce would have been enjoyable as a soup, but performed well over the bacon, egg, and potato burrito.
Kinpira Gobo at Izanami - My surprise of the trip, with slivers of burdock root, and carrot, in sesame soy dressing. Light, simple, and startlingly therapeutic to nibble at with chopsticks.
Green Chile Breakfast Burrito at The Anasazi Restaurant and Bar

Best cocktail

Blood Orange Margarita at Fuego Restaurant

Van Webb 12/11/14 Van Webb 12/11/14

The Total Guest Experience - Devin Zendel of DB Brasserie

Devin Zendel is an Advanced Sommelier and Head Sommelier at db Brasserie in Las Vegas. For the past fifteen years, he has served at acclaimed Vegas restaurants including Wolfgang Puck, Carnevino, and Eiffel Tower Restaurant. Before a recent dinner, he shared some of his experiences with wine, and insightful comments about the demanding lifestyle required to succeed as a top wine professional in an extremely competitive city.

Devin Zendel pours "Daniel" Brut at db Brasserie

What drew you to wine and led to wine as a career?

"My mother and aunt drank wine daily while I was growing up. I was young, drinking terrible beer, then I had a Napa Sauv Blanc that was an eye-opening experience for me. I was working at Puck as a server, and became fascinated with the world of wine. You learn how big wine is, and that it is never ending."

"I get to drink wine all the time, and business travel became a pleasure. I can design a floor plan, or I can taste five Burgundies."

What is it like working for Daniel Boulud in Las Vegas?

"Previously I had been a floor Somm. db Brasserie is a chance for the total package. There is an old school mentality here. The most important thing is still food service and the total guest experience. The staff is inspired, impassioned. It stands out among the mostly union restaurants on the Strip."

"Coaching the staff on by the glass knowledge is critical. We make sure they taste any new wines, give them technical sheets so that they know all the wines, and role play with wine presentation. Food as well. We are big on their continuing education, and I plan for full, around the world training as the restaurant and staff grow."

"Vegas is very competitive, with lots of movement among somms. A friend of mine said one year in Vegas is like three years in (another large city). But it's nice, too. There are lots of events and people to meet. You don't want to leave the events, even though it's late and you're going to pay for it early in the morning, because there are so many more people to meet."

"It's a tough profession to get started in. You kind of have to be the guy in the corner with the "Will Work for Wine" sign. It's different now. The day of the old stuffy sommelier in a tuxedo, with only a couple of guys doing it, is over. Even before the documentary, it was changing, with the somms being the coolest people in the restaurant. Since the documentary, the Court says applications are up forty-percent in the last two years. Now, if you're not established, you have even more competition. No one will pay you at the start, and it's hard to break into. Without Certified or Advanced credentials, some jobs won't even interview you. It's a necessity."

How is the quest for Master Sommelier going?

"I've passed theory, which is good, because that is all textbooks and studying, and no life. They said I was close on service last time. Service isn't really about service. It's about thoughtlessly, flawlessly, executing perfect service. There's cutting the foil perfectly, pouring the wine perfectly, but it's not about that. All of that just happens. In my last service exam, they asked me about (a particular) Barbaresco. But it's not a Barbaresco, it's a Barolo from Serralunga d'Alba. Then they asked if (winery) makes any other wines. All of this conversation was going on while I was doing the other things. And I was on the clock. It's about theory. MS is a way of life, and you don't pass unless you live it. We're the weirdoes sneaking champagne in a plastic bottle into a movie. It's always about the wine you're drinking."

"It's taxing. You are always on when you're on the floor. I love working in the restaurant, interacting with tables, but I can see as you get older wanting to get off the floor. It's hard labor. I've had to ice my back, or wonder why my elbow is sore. There are financial considerations, perks and other opportunities once you become a Master. You can be an author, a speaker, a teacher. I think about when I was just getting started, in a big room full of people working on Certified. Once you're a Master you still have to earn teaching privileges in the Court. But to be the one teaching the room full of candidates, that sounds pretty amazing."

Read about my excellent wine and service experience with Devin and db Brasserie here.