It's a marathon, not a sprint

Great advice to Red Sox fans, and wine drinkers alike. "It's a marathon, not a sprint," were the words of wisdom I doled out to the uninitiated at the first wine dinner of the year, J. Lohr wine at Nicola's Uptown Cafe. This was a new experience for my mom, dad, and sister, so I cautioned them to set a pace and remember how far the finish line is. The night began with some amazing gifts. My in-laws gave me a gorgeous map of Sonoma County that they are going to have framed for me. My wife bought me a set each of Bordeaux, White Wine, and Pinot Noir stemware from Reidel. And my parents and sister really went above and beyond. They bought me the 2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia. This is now my first official vertical, seeing as I now have the '01, '02, and now '03. First course was Potato Gnocchi with Lobster Meat, Baby Leeks, and Truffle Butter. They paired this with J. Lohr's "Carol's Vineyard" Sauvignon Blanc from Napa. The dish was amazing! I absolutely loved the leeks and gnocchi, and the lobster was damn good too. The Sauv Blanc disappointed though. It was somewhat dry and not crisp, like I enjoy them. It did have an intriguing bouquet to it, but the taste was a big let down. The next two courses, a Wild Arugula Salad and Pan-Seared Sea Scallops, were both paired with Chardonnays. The first Chard, "Riverstone" from Monterey was billed as the lesser, and it lived up to that. Pure butter and Vanilla. It tasted like someone had dropped a couple sticks of butter in each barrel while it was aging. The second one, "Arroyo Vista" Single Vineyard from Monterey, had some similar flavors but was more scaled back. It still had a buttery feel, but was not over the top with nice flavors of pear. With the fourth course, Petite Filet Mignon, we finally got some red wine. "Carol's Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa, was a real nice Cab, but it was just too light bodied for my taste. It wasn't a watered down feeling, but instead felt like a Pinot Noir hiding in the Cabernet Flavors. It had a solid taste to it but was just too light for me. And finally, we had a great dessert with what I thought was an outstanding Riesling. We had a Pineapple Financier (which we thought was a banker but must be some kind of cake) with coconut Ice Cream. The J. Lohr "Bay Mist" Riesling from Monterey was outstanding. It was chilled just right and was sweet without going over the top. I felt it was a great way to end the evening, seeing as the other wines didn't blow me away and didn't match perfectly with the food. Oh yeah, I also won a magnum of J. Lohr "Seven Oaks" Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon just for knowing Jerry Lohr's wife's name, and yelling it really loud, and having everyone at the table say I said it first, and because it was my birthday. Till next time..."I want to work to live, not live to work."--John (me)

P.S. My family decided to retire the Johnny nickname and promote me to Jack. A name my Nana had always wanted to call me, and I am sure she's smiling up there right now!

Let the Games Begin...

In an earlier post, I discussed Swanson's 2001 Alexis. This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, led to the heated debate between my wife and I. Could this wine age in the bottle for 5, even 10 years, and still taste spectacular? Katie argued the wine would be best in another year, I said give it 8 and it will still wow you. So I went out and bought two bottles. We put our names on them and will see who was right when we decide to open them. Of course, eight years is a long time to settle a bet. In other news, I am expecting a shipment of Pinot Noir in the coming weeks. Back in April, we barrel tasted at Patricia Green Cellars in Oregon and placed an order for a mixed case of futures. It was fascinating to pick out which wines we wanted to purchase before they were even bottled! And since we already paid for the wine in April, it feels like Santa is making an early trip south this year. I am also gearing up for my birthday (October 24th, its not too late to buy gifts!). My family will be taking me to Nicola's Uptown Cafe in Westerly for dinner, a wine dinner (what type of dinner did you expect). My wife and I will also be picking out wines for our Wine from A to Zin Night in the coming week. The festivities will commence at 5:30 on Friday, November 3rd. If your interested please leave a comment here, or e-mail me at riwineguy@gmail.com. Till next time..."I'd stumbled on the semiannual release of Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, an event that's something like a cross between Woodstock and an Anway convention."--Jay McInerny Bacchus & Me

Wine from A to Zin

On November 3rd, the world of wine will change as we know it. At least in Ashaway. Katie and I will be hosting a little gathering. The goal is to invite friends and family to our house to celebrate wine, but more importantly, each other. I find the best part of wine, is the people you share it with. The format is simple, arrive and enjoy. I'll be choosing five wines to be tasted that night. As the night progresses expect me to open my mouth. I'll try not to preach but educate and lead discussion on the world of wine and whatever is in our glasses at that point. If enough people are interested, we'll choose a bottle or two that was worthy of our praises and take orders. If there is enough demand for twelve bottles I will buy a case to be divided amongst those interested. As I said, the wine is simply a way to bring people together. I know I can't stand sipping my wine alone. Invitations for the party will be out soon, but please pass this message along to anyone else who may beinterested in attending. Till next time..."As they walked they chatted meaningless airport talk. She asked how the flight was. He asked how the traffic was. He said a bit bumpy. She said a bit slow. She asked how the food was. He asked what the weather was like. He said adequate. She said comfortable."--John Felty (A little preview of the book)

Vineyard Weekend

My father and I just returned from a nice weekend on Martha's Vineyard. After a slightly bumpy ride on the Fast Ferry (read as horrific and terrifying ride) we watched the Yankees lose and were able to have a great night's sleep. Saturday morning we were up bright and early to play Farm Neck Golf Club. Simply put, wow. What a beautiful course, and extremely challenging in the 25 mile an hour winds we played in. The only wine for the weekend was a bottle of 2005 Babich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. This has been a personal fav of mine for two years now, even before Wine Spectator named it one of its top 100 wines of 2005. Crisp, clean, and hints of fruit, a great Sauv Blanc. Saturday night was burgers at the Oceanview lounge while watching the Yankees lose again (read as "Da Yankees lose, Daaaaa Yaaaannnnkkkeeesss looossseee!). Sunday morning was breakfast at the Black Dog and a super smooth ride home followed by the Pats game. Dad, I told you the Dolphins would cover! Katie and I did have a nice bottle of Bordeaux before she left for Texas. The 2000 Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet from Paulliac is a second label of a fifth growth. So its not exactly a blockbuster, but for the price its a good way to get your hands on a solid wine from the famed Millennium Vintage. Time for more work on the novel. Till next time..."Did you drink and dial?"--Jack Sideways