Wine Review:

Roessler Cellars

I have recently made may way through a few bottles from Roessler Cellars. I have seen there wines but hadn't tasted any...and I thought I should change that. Well I am glad I did. The wines are made by the acclaimed Wells Guthrie of Copain Wine Cellars.

2002 Roessler Pinot Noir (Sonoma County)
A really enjoyable Sonoma Coast Pinot. If you like wines with a toasty dark fruit profile, this is for you. You can immediately smell tobacco and a hint of coffee mixed with blackberry. Flavors follow the aromas. Not much acidity to this wine and so I don’t think it stands up to food very well but if you are just looking for some hedonist pleasure, give this wine a try. Drink now.
91 pts

2003 Roessler Pinot Noir Red Label (Sonoma County)
Very similar to the 2002 but maybe not as well integrated. With a little more bottle time should be very comparable to the previous year. The only distinct difference at this point is the aroma of burnt rubber. Reminded me of something from Spain.
90 pts

2002 Roessler Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard
This was nice but I think it needs some time. Lots of sweet cherry and a touch of earth on the nose. The attack was sweet and tart when I first opened the wine. There was also a lot of heat, which I really dislike. So I poured a full glass and went to cook dinner. After an hour things started to integrate. Red fruit mixed with a small amount of citrus. Medium to high acidity. As more time went by some earthy flavors showed up. This is on the border for me. My thought is that with a couple of years the flavors will integrate and it will an incredible value.
89 pts (I think there is big upside here and in a few years I may want to revisit my score.)

2003 Roessler Pinot Noir La Brisa (Sonoma Coast)
Well this one was a miss for me. Where I felt the previous 3 wines showed bold concentrated flavors, I thought the La Brisa was relatively simple. The nose was completely muted. Mild flavors of cherry and green tea. It is a decent wine but a step down from the other 3.
85 pts

So keep an eye out for Roessler.

Cheers,

Jason

The Constant Gardener is Awesome

There are a ton of great movies out there and a lot more crap. This was one of the great ones. I missed it in the theater, but was happy to catch it at home. Ralph Fiennes did a fine job, but Rachel Weisz was excellent. I love how it was filmed. The story was moving. It's the kind of film that does something to you and makes you feel something. Watch it!

~ Brock

Proof That You Can Eat Like A Pig and Still Kick Butt

If you've followed my posts about pre-event eating, then you know I was scheduled to race a triathlon on October 9. You also know that I didn't change any of my eating habits, including eating butter, fat, red meat, wine and chocolate on an almost daily basis. So what happened? Welcome to the gun show!

On a serious note, I finished slower than I thought I would, but still did well. I really noticed a lack of energy and fatigue. Of course it probably didn't help that I had bronchitis for the month leading up to the race, and hadn't exercised in six weeks prior to the race. In the end, it's not a good message, because I know I can do well in a race without proper diet or exercise. What message does that send?

So, I'm thinking of running a marathon in March 2006. I was also thinking of modifying my diet. Not to remove the good things...are you crazy? Just to limit my intake. I was thinking that if I lost about 15 pounds, I would do just fine. What do you think?

Chronicles of Narnia Disappoints

It's like I'm not allowed to say it. Like I'll be struck down. But be honest, didn't you feel like you were watching a happy Lord of the Rings spinoff? I mean, C.S. Lewis wrote an amazing book; an amazing collection of books. All I saw on the screen was a film using the expensive theatrics typical to every other big budget film. I didn't see the nuances of the story. I didn't see the details from the book. I didn't see the real deal. All I saw was the "wow" factor.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that it can't be executed nicely. In Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring, there are many parts of the book that do not appear in the movie. It's a practical problem that I understand. But, when you watch Fellowship of the Ring, you get to know people. You see the story along with the "wow" F/X. It just didn't seem to happen in this film.

Maybe I'm being critical. It's just my opinion. I wish I would have watched Memoirs of a Geisha instead.

Happy movie-going!

~ Brock

Pasta With Sausage and Mushroom Cream

Here is a dish that is easy/medium in difficulty but is sure to impress. The deepness of the flavors will have people thinking they are eating at a restaurant, especially if you make sure the plating is attractive. I have left multiple variations so try this recipe and then tweak to your liking.

First, here are a few thoughts on garlic and hot spice. I would almost always use garlic. My wife and I as well as our friends and family love garlic…so more is better, or a least a little in everything is good. If you are like me, make sure to try things without garlic. One dish that has been a staple in our kitchen for 10 years had lots of garlic and then one night I had no garlic. I substituted shallots and guess what, it took the dish to a new level. I’ll post the recipe soon.

The same goes for spicy hot foods. We love and crave it but I can often destroy delicate flavors and you end up missing out on so much. That is why I first recommend using mild sausage.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb Pasta: (I like penne or rigatoni because the meat an mushroom get inside for a little surprise, but spaghetti or linguini would work well also). My favorite pasta is Latini but Barilla is also very good.
• ¾ lb Italian sweet sausage: (casings removed and sausage crumbled) Try with a combination of sweet and spicy.
  
• ½ cup chopped shallot: (optional: add 1 clove of chopped garlic as well) Could use onion.
  
• 2 cups chopped crimini mushrooms : (also known as brown or baby bellas) These are actually young portabella mushrooms. You could also add a small amount of dried porcini mushrooms. Re-hydrate the mushrooms in the broth. Then strain the broth through a sieve or colander lined with a paper towel or coffee filter. Use this mushroom broth for the sauce. Yum!
• ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
• ¾ cup dry white wine or low sodium chicken broth (use Swansons)
• 1 cup parmigiano reggiano + a little extra for the table: (None of that green can crap, get the real thing, you’ll be glad you did)
• 1 Tbsp Unsalted butter
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley for garnish

1. In a large skillet with medium/high heat add the olive oil, when oil is shimmering add sausage. Cook until browed. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.
2. Begin cooking the pasta as per instructions. Make sure not to overcook. It should be al dente. Make sure the water is salted (like sea water)
3. Add mushrooms to the pan. Add butter. Toss to coat. Once the mushrooms have released their water, add salt and pepper. Stir occasionally. About 5 minutes.
4. Add wine or broth and scrape up all the bits stuck to the pan. Then add sausage.
   
5. Add cream and reduce by ¾. Should be thick enough to cover the back of a spoon.
6. Add Pasta (only add as much as the sauce can take, don’t add too much pasta). If you skillet is too small, drain the pasta and add to pot that had the pasta in it. Stir together over medium heat for about 30 seconds. If it is too dry, add a little pasta water. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese.
7. Plate it up and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

You can enjoy this dish with a dry white wine such as chardonnay or with dry red wine that is on the lighter side. Maybe a Chianti. I myself had a California pinot noir.

Jason

Chaucer's Mead Winds Up A Meal

And New Years wasn't complete without dessert and a wine to go with it. I brought a Chaucer's mead and we warmed it with spices. This particular mead is made from honey and makes you think you should be eating meat and bread in England in the days of king Arthur. You'll love it.

It's worth every penny, and I buy a bottle every single year. Try it out!

~ Brock

Kirkland Bordeaux Ain't Bad

I had new years dinner with my wife and son, close friends and abundant wine. Our host invited us to her beautiful house and shared her famous black bean soup. It was awesome!! The wine was flowing from many bottles, and one of them was Kirkland's bordeaux release. To be honest, I have never tried a Kirkland wine (Costco's brand), but I was quite surprised to find that it wasn't bad at all. It was medium bodied and bursting with berry. Not too sweet or tannic. Decent. I don't recall the particular wine and Costco doesn't list it on the website, so you'll have to go into the store to find it. Good luck.

I think I'll try another Kirkland wine.

~ Brock

Recipe: Chili Chicken Pasta

This is an at home classic for us and I think our own invention. Well sort of. My wife and I started cooking this right after we got married in '93. I am not sure where we got the original idea, but with our friend Mike, we made multiple variations. Well this is where we have landed but as always, try your own variations. You can add mushrooms, use chicken stock instead of wine or even toy with different cheeses.
In the picture, you see two plates. The one in the forefront is my wife's (notice the extra chilis). If I ate that, I would be praying for ice cream.

Bon Appetit!!!

½ ROASTED CHICKEN (To make this dish easy and fast, just buy a roasted chicken from the local market, pull off the bone and shred.)
2 LARGE SHALLOTS
2 CUPS OF ZUCCHINI (Halved lengthwise and sliced)
2 to 4 CLOVES OF GARLIC (Depending on your taste.)
1 to 4 SERRANO CHILIS, (Sliced) (Depending on how much heat you can handle.)
1 CUP DRY WHITE WINE
EVOO (Enough to coat the pan)
1 TABLESPOON UNSALTED BUTTER
SMALL SPRINKLING OF DRIED SWEET BASIL
1.5 CUP PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO CHEESE
KOSHER SALT
FRESH GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 CUP FLAT LEAF (ITALIAN) PARSLEY
1 Pound Pasta (For this I like a thin flat noodle or even a round noodle but something like angel hair would be too delicate. You could also use Farfalle (bow tie).

1. In a bowl, toss the zucchini in kosher salt. This will remove the moisture and make sautéing easier. Pour zucchini onto a clean towel (that doesn’t smell…not washed or dried with fabric softener)
2. Heat the EVOO and butter until hot and shimmering…do not brown the butter
3. Add shallots and a touch of Kosher Salt and a grinding of black pepper; cook until translucent
4. Add Serranos, Zucchini, Garlic and Sweet Basil
5. Cook until zucchini is softened
6. Add chicken
7. Once the chicken is hot, add white wine and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer
8. Check seasoning. Add salt if necessary
9. Once the sauce is reduced and getting thick (about 8-10 minutes), cook the pasta until aldente and drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water
10. Add pasta to the pan and cook for 30 seconds (add small amount of pasta water if it is too dry), turn off heat and stir in cheese.
11. Garnish with parsley and if you are daring, sliced Serrano chilis.

Wine? Are you fricken kidding me....Go with Beer!

Jason

Recipe: Chicken Salad

This is one of the staples in our house. I think it is an amalgamation of something my mom taught me. A simple salad with broiled or grilled chicken over the top. I like to use a crisp lettuce like romaine because it holds up against the other ingredients. As far as wine, I can’t really give the perfect match. If you’re like me and drink red with almost anything, I would go for a fruit forward Pinot Noir or a Beaujolais. Have a bit of a chill on the wine. For a white, if you are looking for something with richness, go with a Chardonnay otherwise try a Pinot Gris (just guessing, as I haven’t tried it).

Chicken Pre-Prep: Rinse chicken and trim fat. If I am grilling it, I like to butterfly it so I can cook it quickly and have less chance of overcooking. Throw it in the marinade for 1 to 3 hours.

Chicken Marinade & Prep

• Olive Oil (enough to cover the chicken)
• Juice of one lemon
• 4 or 5 cloves of garlic (mashed)
• Fresh rosemary or thyme
• Lots of fresh ground black pepper
• Splash of dry white wine (optional)

• Marinate 2 boneless chicken breasts (1 whole breast)
• Remove from marinade and salt and pepper it up.
• Throw on a Hot grill or in the broiler and cook until done.
• Remove and let rest.

Salad

• Romaine Lettuce (enough for 4 people or how ever many you are serving)
• 1 Avocado (diced and sprinkled lightly with salt)
• 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Good quality…be sure to taste alone)
• ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
• Generous grinding of black pepper
• Blue Cheese for sprinkling

• Whisk the Oil and Vinegar together and toss with the salad. Do not saturate the salad…this is NOT TGIFridays.
• Gently stir in the avocado.
• Sprinkle with blue cheese (a little or a lot, depending on your own taste buds)
• Put salad in chilled bowls
• Slice chicken and place on top of the salad
• Hit it with pepper one more time if you like

Enjoy!!!

Jason

Chile De Arbol Salsa

I know this is a common salsa but I originally got the idea from Michael Chiarello and a recipe he calls Felicita’s Hot Salsa. I made his version but I found it bitter a bit lifeless. So I began screwing around with it and came up with this. I changed it by lightly pan roasting the garlic, added sugar, lime juice, and cut the stems off the chiles. This salsa carries a lot of heat so be careful. It is great on chicken tacos. I will post my chicken taco marinade in a few days.

See my wine comments below.

Give it a try!

1 oz. dried chiles de arbol, stems cut off
1 cup of water…just enough to fit the chiles
1 to 2 cloves of garlic (unpeeled)
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 to 2 table spoons fresh lime juice to taste
1 cup of salted water (using kosher salt makes it easy to control). I liked it about as salty as seawater.

1. Heat the water.
2. In a foil lined skillet, toast the unpeeled garlic for about 4 or 5 minutes, turning often. Remove.
3. Add the chiles to the skillet and toast for about 10 minutes. Watch closely and make sure not to burn. They should be somewhat soft.
4. Peel and chop the garlic.
5. Add the garlic, chiles, sugar and Mexican oregano to the boiling water and simmer about 10 minutes.
6. Pour into a blender. Blend (be very careful with the hot liquid. Be sure to cover and hold the lid with a towel.)
7. Add lime juice to taste.
8. Adjust salt if necessary.

Because of the heat of this salsa you will need to choose wisely when it comes to wine. Beer may be your best option. For me, I tried a California syrah but the heat killed it so I ended up with a nice 2004 Vouvray from Domain Pichot. I white wine that is slightly on the sweeter side. Be sure not to get a late harvest Vouvray, which will be too sweet.

Jason

What Wine Do You Taste In Your Jelly Belly (click here)

Genius. I really do think this is great, although I haven’t tried it yet. This would be really fun for a tasting. What does wine taste like…well…wine, but as interest in wine grows, we want to identify flavors and measure the complexity of the wine. Well now there is one more way to do that. There is even a “dirt” flavored Jelly Belly. Wow! It won’t be long before that “butt” flavored cat food finally shows up.

Jason

Muslim leaders say blah blah blah

BBC

Frankly I am tired of the occasional condemnation of these terrorist acts. How about a condemnation of the prevailing belief of these enemies. Are these leaders saying that the underlying philosophy of these disciples is okay? Do these leaders have the same ideals but are appalled by the method? This is what we need to know. If it is war, I have no objection to these terrorist activities. I understand it is their only real option to seeing there goals completed. If the Muslim leaders want the same end, they are our enemy, even if they don’t believe in the means.

Jason

Acid Test

I had been meaning to write a post on “acid” with regards to wine. Well Robin Garr did it for me. I think he does great job of explaining acid in wine. If you have any interest in wine, I recommend reading this and then experimenting. Try a wine before you begin to eat and then have it with you meal. See the effect of food on your wine. I like to open two different wines, maybe a pinot noir from California (generally lower acidity) and a pinot noir from Burgundy (generally higher acid), so that I can compare them with and without food. When you get use to identifying the acidity in wine, you will be better able to pick the right wine. If you want a wine just to drink and enjoy with your friends prior to a meal, you may choose a wine with less acidity. The wine still needs balance and should not be flabby. Once the food comes, you can open something with more acidity so that the food can shine as well.

Click Here

Jason

Forget the Turkey, Here's the Hot Pot

Christmas can be pretty boring. In fact, even with variety, it can become boring. But, variety delays the inevitability of boredom. So, this Christmas, our dinner wasn't your standard-issue turkey. It was something more...Chinese Hot Pot.

Your mouth's watering, isn't it?

Here's how it's done:

Start with a large pot and soup base. You can use chicken stock or beef stock (I think we used Chicekn this time). In the large pot with lots of base, you add Chinese mushrooms, sliced varieties of fish cake, taro, and daikon. Get these going and cooked/warmed thoroughly.

Next get out your electric wok/deep pan (like the one in the picture). Set it in the middle of a large table and surround it with raw everything - sliced fish (snapper or orange roughy are good choices), shrimp, squid, beef, lamb and/or pork (you can pick up pre-sliced versions cut for this, or cut your own paper thin slices with a meat slicer - don't use anything thicker than a few sheets of paper or it's not going to work), sliced fish cakes, spinach, red leaf lettuce, extra taro and daikon (half-cooked, so it will go quicker), and glass noodles.

Your dipping sauce will be some combination of: Chinese BBQ sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, sliced jalepeno chiles, ponzu, and/or lemon. I prefer 3 tbsp BBQ sauce, with 1 tbsp soy, lots of peppers, a bit of squeezed lemon, and that's all. Experiment and see what you like.

Now, have the family sit down and enjoy. You will add what you like to eat, watch it cook/heat, then pull it and dip it in your own bowl of sauce. It's family style (and many might be afraid of sharing soup, but...it's boiled...how bad can it be?).

Study the picture to see the elements, keep the working soup pot full with extra broth, and by the time everyone is done eating, you can enjoy the soup which will be thoroughly flavored.

You can pick up everything you need at Stater Brothers and 99 Ranch.

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Where Have the Good Rentals Gone?

This week, I've rented Must Love Dogs and Into The Blue. One sucked and the other was enjoyable, you guess which.

Ok, now that you've guessed incorrectly, let me let give you a few hints:

One of them uses every movie-script-magic trick known (i.e., the gay couple who represent the only healthy couple in the entire movie [I'm blanking on the name, but it will come to me later], the family signing moment [reminding you of My Best Friend's Wedding, which also starred Dermot Mulroney...interesting], the instant family member [reminding you of Kate Hudson in How to Lose A Guy in Ten Days], and so on and so on.) This is the one I didn't like.

The other one had a great plot...broke young couple in the Bahamas finds the mother lode of all treasures, then a sunken drug plane nearby. The rest of the movie is spent with action, twists, fun and a happy ending. This is the one I liked.

Rent them both and see what you think.

~ Brock

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone. This week I'll be posting pictures and recipes for Chinese Hot Pot and a few other things.

Stay tuned.

~ Brock

Wine Review: 1995 Estancia Duo

(Sorry about the poor picture) I'm sure you're surprised to read a wine review of a 1995 blend (Cab and Sangiovese) opened in 2005. Well, don't read it if you don't believe it. Otherwise...

I collected a large amount of wine in 1995 - 1997. I have probably 40 or so bottles left from that time period, and open them whenever I feel like it. My latest offering was a 1995 Estancia Duo, a blend of Cabernet (70%) and Sangiovese (30%). Normally, a wine like this would have a shelf life of maybe 3 - 5 years, but not this bottle. It was great after 10 years!

The wine was certainly light bodied and juicy, which was surprising given the date I opened it. Also, after taking off the foil wrapper, I noticed some leakage. I don't like to waste wine, so I tried it and am glad that I did. Even with leakage and age, this wine held together.

Fruity, simple, and light, not overly tannic and refreshing aroma, this wine was worth the $10 or so bucks I spent a while back. It reminded me of a beaujolais.

It went well with a spicy ravioli I threw together.

~ Brock

Awesome Pickled Vegetables

With most Asian meals, you'll want to have at least one small dish of pickled vegetables. For Japanese (although you can use this with any Asian meal), I suggest this packet. You can find it at just about any Asian market. It's best on cucumbers, but works well with cabbage, carrots or whatever you like.

Chop your vegies into the size you like, sprinkle ample amounts, mix, and chill.

Give it a try with curry or Korean BBQ and enjoy!

~ Brock

Pork and Peanuts Get Spicy

You don't always have to know what you're cooking to make something decent. Sometimes, it's just having an idea of a dish or dishes that you like and combining elements in hope that it won't taste like crap. Here' s four ingredient (not counting spices) dish that only takes a few minutes (except for the rice) to make.

Ingredients
pork loin
oyster mushrooms
peanuts
rice

Directions
Cook rice according to instructions (I use a rice cooker with 1 1/2 water to 1 cup rice).

Slice the pork loin into long thin strips, like pictured. Set aside.
Slice the oyster mushroom into long thin strips like pictured (you can buy oyster mushrooms fresh at most decently stocked markets, or canned at any Asian market). Set aside.
I used planters roasted and salted peanuts; about 1/4 cup.

Oil a pan and heat it to medium-high. Drop in the mushrooms and fry for about 3 minutes. Add a bit of fresh ground black pepper, some ground ginger and garlic. Add pork and fry until just about done. At the same time, add dried shallots (you can pick these up at an Asian market). Add about 2 tbsp soy sauce, red chili flakes, ground pepper, garlic and ginger. Drop in peanuts and blast the fire to high. Take out and drop onto rice.

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Starbuck's v. Sambuck's

Call it what you will, but trademark owners should be able to protect their property. Yes, Starbuck's was able to cause a coffee shop owner to change her name and logo. And, many reports on this case have made it sound like this is the big guy beating up on the little guy, but what's the point of having trademark law if it's not for everyone to use, including the "big guys"?

Victoria's Secret sued Victor's Secret, but couldn't force it to change it's name. Starbuck's sues Sambuck's and can. It's knee-jerk reaction when people cry foul simply because the underdog remains the underdog.

Just my opinion!

~ Brock

Wine Review: 2002 Novy Syrah (Santa Lucia Highlands)

2002 Novy Syrah SLH

You don’t even need to get near you glass to smell this wine. Earthy aromas mixed with tar and black fruit dominate the nose. My first thought was “brett”. The wine coats your mouth like olive oil. Very full bodied. Blackberries combine with the flavors of earth, chocolate and star anise. Very strong flavors. Soft sweet tannins. The alcohol is not very present. On the second day, the wine was more balanced and was surprisingly food friendly.

50+5+12+15+7 = 89 (scoring method @ Parker's )

Jason

Noche De Cubano

I fell in love with Cuban sandwiches at a small Cuban restaurant in Yorba Linda that closed down a few years ago (apparently there are too many Olive Garden-Chilis-Mimis-lovers in Yorba Linda to keep a good foreign restaurant in business). The best is the media noche, which you can still find at Felix's in Orange, although not as good as the one that's long gone.

Tonight, I made my own, along with fried bananas and black beans. The store was out of the right bread, so I used French rolls...so-so.

Here's how it's done:

Media Noche
bread
Pork
deli ham
provolone cheese
pickles

Slice the pork into thin slabs about 1/4 inch thick, and 3"x4". Heat small amount of oil in pan and fry pork over moderate heat. Salt, pepper and garlic, then turn and season again. Make sure the pork is cooked, but not dried out. Meanwhile, butter the inside of the bread and fry it until it's crispy (in another pan). Once the pork is cooked and the bread is fried on the inside, arrange the pork as if making a sandwich, add one or two slices of deli ham, provolone cheese and some sliced pickles. Close the sandwhich and heat it in the bread pan until slightly crisp on top and bottom and heated thoroughly.

Fried Bananas

(Use bananas rather than plantains, because they are softer and stay moist.)

Slice bananas about 1/4 inch thick. Use one per person. Meanwhile, heat fully slathered pan of oil on moderate heat. Add bananas, then shake sugar and cinnamon above. Fry until brown, then turn. These will really start to soften up and will stick, so keep them seperate and handle them one piece at a time. Fry the other side, drain in slotted spoon above the pan and transfer to plate (don't try to drain on a paper towel - they stick).

Black Beans

Buy a can of your favorite black beans. Fry up about half of a handful of thinly sliced pork strips; season with salt, pepper and garlic. Add beans and half diced tomatoe. Season with Thyme and a bit more garlic. Add a few pieces of sliced Anaheim chili. Simmer over low heat at least 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Dain Wines: An Interview With David Dain Smith, Part One

PICTURES LEFT TO RIGHT: (“The Mad Scientist at Work” or “Behind every successful Man, there is a Strong Woman, rolling her eyes”) His words. The picture is from last year's crush at CrushPad. David Dain is taking sugar readings and Cathy is writing them down. PICTURE TWO: Proud Father! David Dain holding a bottle of "American Beauty", Amber Ridge Pinot Noir, right of the bottling line. (CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE)

I first encountered David Dain Smith while posting on the famous Mark Squires’ Wine Bulletin Board. I noticed we had many similar tastes in the variety of styles, particularly Pinot Noir, that we enjoyed. It was also nice to see that he was a person that always had something nice to say to people. Knowing his first vintage was about to be released and the unique situation of not living in “wine country”, I thought it would be fun to introduce you all to this artisan. As you read, remember that David Dain purchases grapes and does not own the vineyards…at least not yet. This is a very common practice, particularly with Pinot Noir.

I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I do. I think David Dain has much to offer not only in the world of wine but also in life in general. He and his wife Cathy are working to make this world a better place in so many ways. God Bless them and their family.

• Where are you from and where are you now?

Currently Cathy (my wife) and I live in Springfield, Missouri. A lovely small city, deep in the Ozark Mountains. Really nothing too close to this ‘city’ but farms and forest and Lakes. We were both born here, we were (are) high school sweethearts. We have three nearly grown children. We have lived in Philadelphia, Denver, Kansas City and St. Louis before moving back to the Ozarks. My day job requires a large amount of travel so I am bicoastal, even while living in the Midwest. Cathy has projects in Nicaragua, Central America, so we travel a bit. She participates in Medical Mission trips as often as she can.

Since we are used to a lot of travel, it is an easy thing to commute to the winery in San Francisco.

To answer the question of where we are now, I should elaborate regarding our winery. We use the custom crush facility at CrushPad in San Francisco.

We are able to contract with top flight vineyards, consult with great winemakers, design our own ‘wine-making plan’ and make what I consider, great small-lot pinot noir and syrah!

• What do you prefer to be called? David, Dain or Reggie?

My friends call me David Dain, so I hope you will too. It is kind of a southern thing really. David or Dain is fine. I use Dain as a handle for business purposes usually. Hence, Dain Wines.

• What are you drinking right now? If not now later?

Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast 2002. Very nice pinot from some very nice folks. I am partial to Sonoma and Russian River Valley fruit. I drink a fair amount of wine from Anderson Valley and love wines from the Central Coast of California. I am a fan of burgundy but am still just learning all of the appellations and producers of that area.

• Career? How did you get where you are now?

I am now, and have been for some time, a marketing executive for a large pharmaceutical company. Prior to that, I was a microbiologist. I have always had an interest in Better Living through Chemistry. My current career has been a source of satisfaction for me for quite a while but I am preparing to move into a different phase of my life. Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life….unless you make wine, which is work everyday. :-)

• What is the story of wanting to make wine? Have you been making wine at your home? So called garage wine?

Actually that is exactly how I got started. Cathy indulged me some time ago and allowed the construction of a ‘wine studio’ in the back section of our garage. I began with some purchased St. Vincent grapes. St. Vincent is a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Chambourcin, available only in Missouri. It was the closest thing to pinot I could get for starters. I was hooked immediately. Still, I wanted to work with California fruit hence our move to CrushPad. In my humble opinion, California is the source of the best fruit for wine in the world. This coming from a HUGE fan of burgundy BTW.
(Scrutiny Note: Pinot Noir is the red grape of Burgundy, in France. Many would consider Burgundy the king of Pinot Noir. In part two we will discuss the general differences between Burgundy Pinot Noir and California Pinot Noir)

• What are the financial goals? Break even? Make a little? Buy a Rolls?

I have heard it said, "if you want to make a small fortune in the wine business, start with a large fortune." We have no illusions about making any kind of fortune but our goal is to concentrate on small lot single vineyard Pinot Noir and Syrah. We believe our business model will afford us a modest profit if we can get to somewhere in the neighborhood of 1200 to 2000 cases.

• Is it your goal to be a full time winemaker or full time in the wine business?

It is my long term goal for winemaking to be my sole profession. I desire to leave the so-called corporate world and manage our wine label as our only business, even though this will take some time. I love having purple hands (and a purple tongue) :-) .

• Do you think winemaking should be left to certain people (professionals), or can anyone try it?

I would encourage everyone to try it. Kits are available for the novice and CrushPad can enable a group of friends to share a barrel! When I am there I usually pitch in to help with whatever wine needs something done. It is a great environment and plenty of non-professionals are making wine a barrel at a time.

• How would you define success as a winemaker?

Happened just a few nights ago. I was at a wine dinner and a very nice young lady came back to a bottle of our Sojourn Syrah, poured herself a nice pour, smiled and said “I really like this!” I believe wine is a convivial beverage. Wine is best paired with friends. Of course friends with food is great too. Enjoyment of wine is about the joy of the moment and the memories created. If our wines help bring enjoyment to the lives of our customers, I am a successful winemaker.

• Do you have any favorite wine makers?

Heavens yes! Brian Loring is one of my favorite people period and I love his wines. I don’t know Sean Thackrey or Manfred Krankl but I love Thackrey wines and Sine Que Non wines. Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to find these wines so it is a good thing I have many favorites that are a bit more obtainable. I mentioned Loring wines, you can actually find them. Adam Lee at Siduri, and Wells Guthrie at Copain all make really good wine you can actually find. Rene Engel (RIP) was a favorite in burgundy. Denis Mortet is great too. Mortet makes a Bourgogne rouge that is cheap and good!

(Click Here to see The Scrutiny Review of one of Brian Loring's wines)

• Is your own wine one of your favorites? I know so many of my favorite food dishes are prepared by me and I crave them. Can you say the same about your wine?

One of my goals is to make wine I enjoy drinking. So far I have been pretty successful in doing that. So I can say yes, my wine is one of my favorites. I have lots of favorites in addition to my wines of course.

• How did your passion for wine begin? Was there a single wine that started it all for you?
  

My father introduced me to wine about 30 years ago. We shared a simple meal with a simple bottle and my memory of the event is so strong as for it to have been yesterday. I remember thinking ‘what a wonderful way to live’ enjoying simple pleasures.

• How many cases will you produce? How does that compare to a company like Beringer or BV?

Hopefully soon, we will make somewhere between 1200 and 2000. Most likely the number is closer to 1200. We intend to focus on small lot, single vineyard premium Pinot Noir and Syrah. Typically about 8-12 barrel lots will be our target level for any individual vineyard. We are not even a gnat flying around the head of a giant like Beringer or BV.

• How do you market your wines? Where are they sold?

Our wines are sold via mailing list. Information is available at http://www.dainwines.com/. We hope that someday our production will reach a point where we can offer some to retail outlets, maybe later this year. Our only real marketing is pouring at wine festivals and word of mouth. That will have to do for now, we can’t afford an ad in the Wine Spectator. :-)

• What is your favorite wine/food movie?

“Year of the Comet” a comedy about the 1811 Lafite Rothschild. I am not particularly a fan of “Sideways” FWIW.

• So will you drink Merlot?

Gosh yes! One of the best wines I have ever tasted was 100% Merlot. The 1975 Petrus was perhaps the best wine of my life. But this question is not about Petrus (hell, who can drink that more than once a decade?) but rather do I enjoy Merlot. I find that I drink less and less cabernet and or merlot based wines. I still have many bottles of Bordeaux in my cellar but I will probably sell it. I love Pinot soooooo much, it’s what I drink. If you want a really great merlot for a reasonable price; 2001 Havens Reserve Merlot ($35)…my favorite and terrific!!

Stay tuned for part two of the interview with David Dain where we will look deeper into the man as well as discuss grape "clones" and the differences between Burgundy and California Pinot Noir.

In the meantime, please post any questions you may have for David Dain as well as drop by his web-site and sign up for his mailing list. And if you are so inclined, order a few bottles and see, smell and taste what this artisan has created. Be sure to tell him The Scrutiny sent you.

Check back soon for Part Two!

Cheers,

Jason

Cookbooks We Need

It seems like there's a cookbook from pretty much anything...one-pot cooking, Asian, French, 30 minute cooking, healthy cooking, etc., etc. What I haven't seen is a cookbook that is based around certain spices or one that breaks down regions of food by primary spices used. When you want to experiment with a type of food, you're left with seeing what spices are typical to other types of dishes in that region. Know what I mean?

I want to be able to look up Lime, for example, and find that it's common in this country, that country, etc. Or, I want to look up Coriander and find the same thing. That way, if I have a chicken breast and feel like making something Brazilian, I would know what spices to test out.

Wish in one hand...

~ Brock

U BUNG

In Taiwan, they call it "u bung." In China, they call it "yo fan." In America, we call it something like salty-sticky rice. I just made some, so I thought I'd share a picture. As you may notice, I didn't use shrimp this time, and the squid is curled. I only had 20 minutes to make dinner the other night, so I didn't have time to soak the squid long enough. I tried to soak it in boiling water without thinking, which basically cooked it in a dried state = very nasty. Make sure you soak the squid long enough before using it.

My turkey day post has the recipe.

~ Brock

Turkey Day Was A Hit

Thanksgiving ain't just for the turkey. Besides, turkey is pretty damn boring. But I'm one lucky American, because every Thanksgiving, I get the a little bit of Taiwan, America, and sometimes Russia. It's awesome.

My wife's family is Taiwanese, so holiday meals are always loaded with more than the basic selection. This year, we had all the staples - turkey, ham, stuffing, corn, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, green beens, homemade cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. But the spark to the meal is always a few Chinese dishes and yours truly is responsible for one of them every year.

The first is a sticky rice dish pronounced "u-bung." Sounds nasty, but don't think like a dirty minded scroundel and read on...it's made with Japanese sticky rice, shittake mushrooms, dried squid, dried shrimp, pork, shallots, soy sauce and oil. Here's how it's done: soak the mushrooms (if you're using dried ones), dried squid and dried shrimp until each are tender. Once that happens (30minutes - 1 hour), slice the squid and mushrooms into thin strips about 1 inch long by 1/4 inch wide. Also cut the pork into same size strips and set aside. Use copious amounts of oil and fry the mushrooms, squid and shrimp for about three minutes. Add pork. Add a few tablespoons of soy sauce (or more if you like it salty). Add dried shallots (about 2 tbsp). Fry this mixture up until the pork is cooked, then set it aside. Meanwhile, cook the sweet rice 1 cup water to 1 cup rice. Use a rice cooker. When it's done, mix the rice with the other stuff and that's it. I also make my fried chicken roll (see my September post). There was something else, but I can't remember what it was. Oh well.

Now, sometimes I go to my aunt's, and since she's Russian, we often get a hint of that as well. Usually it's lamb, either a roast or kabob-type rendering (pronounced "shashlick" - yeah, I know, hahaha). I'll tell you sometime how to make it, because it's simple and great.

That's it.

~ Brock

TURKEY BOWLING

TURKEY BOWL(ING)

For a sad yet inspirational story, check out a brief history of the Turkey Bowl.

~”J”

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'll tell you all about my Chinese Thanksgiving later this week.

~ Brock

Wine Labels Sell Wine

If you know me or follow my posts, you know that I'm not a wine dork. I can't tell you what years were good in what region of what state (or country, for that matter). When I drink a good bottle, I know if I like it. If I do, I try to describe it. If I don't like it, then who the hell cares. But my posting about the Penfolds wine got me thinking...if you've never heard of a particular wine, what makes you buy it? With music, you can listen first. With books, you can scan the inside. With wine you can what? Yeah, I tried smelling the bottle, but that didn't help. So, you're left with the label. That's it. That's all.

I notice that I like a few labels: Caymus, Far Niente and Cakebread Cellars.

And some I don't: Rodney Strong, Beaulieu, and Atlas Peak.

There are, of course, many, many others that I like and don't like (and the label doesn't usually correspond to a good wine, does it?).

So, I wonder, is there a direct link between the "coolness" of a wine's label and sales for that wine?

~ Brock

Wine Tasting: Penfolds Cab/Shiraz

I think I've had mabye two or three Penfolds wines in my life. The other two weren't awesome enough to remember, but I've always thought of them as producing good wines because they have cool labels. Yes, I like their labels - clean, simple, but striking red on white. (Did I just admit that I know nothing about wine? Probably.)

Anyway, my wife and I had some friends over for burgers the other night, and they brought a 2002 Penfolds Cabernet-Shiraz. Here's a nice breakdown of the wine too. I was pleased with this wine, so let me tell you about it.

First, my burgers. Ground beef patties seasoned with copious amounts of cracked pepper, sea salt, garlic and paprika. Toast the buns with olive oil and cracked pepper. Top the burger with this Gorgonzola mix:

3 Tbsp Gorgonzola
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsph Tapatio or other vinegary hot sauce

Mix well and top on your burgers while still on the grill.

Now for the wine:

Color was a deep purple with hints of brown edges in the right light. Nothing that would turn you off, but man was it deep. I was nursing a cold, so I couldn't quite get the aroma, which appeared to be "thick" - that's the only way I could describe it. On the palate, dried fruit...maybe apricot, prune...not in the candied sense you're ready for, but more of the muted introduction, along with a hint of citric something and salt. That suprised me - salt.

So, this wine with a good slab of beef? Good choice.

~ Brock