Open Season

It's that time of year. The air gets a little bit more crisp. The leaves lose their luster. And a stiff breeze swiftly blows through the trees. That's right, deer hunting season! Nah, just playing with you. It's wine season. Of course summer is a nice time to enjoy some chilled Riesling, but for me, wine consumption really picks up in the fall. We started of the season last night at The Up River Cafe. Where else would I be on Wednesday? Katie and I dined with our good friend Phil. We started out with a solid bottle of 2005 St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc. This wine gets me every time. From the intense grapefruit aroma, to the crisp finish, it is truly delightful. For an appetizer we had the Asian Fried Calamari, my all time favorite. Speaking of which, Dad, how are those roasted red peppers? For entrees, Katie had the Grilled Atlantic Salmon and Phil had the special, a Center Cut Pork Chop. I indulged on the 10 oz. Coulette Steak. This cut had all the flavor of a filet but with a different texture. It didn't really melt in my mouth like a filet. We paired these dishes with a bottle of 2001 Swanson "Alexis" from Oakville. This wine was made to impress. Unlike traditional blended wines that echo Bordeaux with a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, or the Rhone Valley with Syrah and Grenache, the good folks at Swanson decided to mix it up a bit. They started with a majority of Cabernet, but then blended it with Syrah. This would be a travesty to traditional wine drinkers, much like using a screwtop. They then put in a bit of Cab Franc and Merlot to finish the blend. Simply put, a fantastic wine. It was silky smooth like a well done Rhone wine, but still had the cedar and blackberry flavors that are consistent with a Cabernet. Katie felt it was drinkable now and might only benefit from another year in the bottle, but I believe you could still age it another five years and it would only improve. That of course led to a heated debate that Phil feeling like none other than Dr. Phil during a heavy counseling session. That's all for today. I am off to Martha's Vineyard this weekend, but will be posting on glassware early next week. Till next time..."I wanna say something. I'm gonna put it out there; if you like it, you can take it, if you don't, send it right back."--Ron Burgundy, dedicated to Phil

P.S. Mark your calendars-Friday November 3rd-Inaugural Wine from A to Zin night in Ashaway, RI. More details to follow!