Happy Easter Wine!

Knowing if I don't bring wines to my Dad's he will try to give me some horrid jug wine I was pleasantly surprised yesterday! I guess I've got him hooked on Riesling after a recent visit to an Asian place. We had a Relax Riesling with some scallops in puff pastry au gratin that was quite decent! I like the funky blue bottle and always think of Franky goes to Hollywood when I drink this wine. It has lots of apple, honey, and a nice round mouth feel but it isn't overly complex just fun.

We also tried a St. Amour Beaujolias Cru from Dubouef that I actually liked. This style of wine is like the one night stand of wine. Once is definitely enough, because of all the ridicule you may be ashamed to admit you liked it, and some people think it is cheap and sleazy even if it is French. It went really good with our Ham, helped take the edge off my dis functional holiday and had lots of raspberry, walnut, and strawberry jam on the palate. Overall I would probably buy this again for a BBQ or something because it's just fruity fresh and good with a little chill.

WSET Tasting Feedback

In addition to the tasting notes the diploma program demands you give to your home base school they also require that you send notes on specific wines to London. Then the Simon Cowell's of the UK wine world send you the results. For anyone not familiar with the program you get to sit and sweat it out for for 3 wks. till you get results.

It is unfortunate that I am an hour away from NYC and not able to taste with a group very often. Sure I can find people here that will taste with me but they aren't familiar with the style of notes that I have to take and don't really care! Don't you wish one of your friends asked you over to try 5 different sparkling wines? Or maybe a Burgundy or 2? Hell yeah I'll be right over!

Hopefully I will get some of this moo la back in the long run. Things are looking up in the work department with some interesting things on the horizon. So if I can pass this unit 3 I'm confident with the rest of the curriculum and won't end up drinking with Ralphie our vineyard dog because I've spent all my money on fine wine. I will admit my choice for the 5 yr old red was a Nuits St George 1er Cru Burgundy so I can't lay all the blame on the WSET.

Take Courage Woman!

OK I know I promised to blog from the road! Well I just became sooooooo overwhelmed with facts it didn't happen....
Wine shit happens!!!!!
I promise I'll add some feeds from Bordeaux even if they are written post trip but I just had to add this image that stopped me in my tracks in London.
Hitting a presuppose in the year that I've had to just travel around figuring what the hell I want to be when I grow up this building just hit me in the face. Take courage woman! You can conquer what ever you set out to do.

What's been going on lately in my wine world

It seems I only get the chance to blog while on the road. I've been busy since my last trip to France. School is geting progressively harder with much independent study & alot of tasting. I'm on my way back to France & England in 2 wks for a study tour that will probably be my last trip abroad for at least a year unless I get someone to sponsor me!

I've found a couple of new wine bars in NY my favorite one being Solex in the East Village. Frenchy was working next door at a organic place that didn't look so exciting to me so I visited with Alajandro the barman at this sassy new French wine bar owned by the same guys that brought you Bar Veloce. Very interesting little bites menu with cheeses, pates, tarts, etc.... I opted for the quiche with a Burgundy by the glass. If you happen on this place try the quiche! It was the best I've had since Strasbourgh. The wine list had some good finds for 10.00 and up along with a pretty fair bottle list covering many regions at decent prices.

My winery job has been busy since our GM left & her job has been split up between a few of us.
We have come out with a few new releases that are really interesting including Frontanac which was made from young grapes from a local farm. It's a med+ across the board with notes of stewed stone fruits, cherry pie, a touch of forest floor and a little earthy quality on the nose & palate. Hat's off to Kristop on this one it's Delicious.

I've been teaching a series of classes that are starting to get some good press including a fellow blogger Kathleen Lisson that wrote me up on blogspot. Also the Times Herald is really helping with mention in the Sunday wine column. I'll write more on happenings soon!

Great find by the arch in Dijon! Caveau De La Porte Guillaume

Sometimes while traveling you just are so tired you end up parking yourself in the most decent looking place just to sit down and relax! This happened to me the other day after touring vineyards in & around Beaune. Hungry, tired and thirsty I ended up with a real find that I wish was closer to home.

In addition to a never ending by the glass Burgundy list, Scotch tasting, a kick ass diner menu this wine cave offers Burgundy flights with meats and local cheese. This has become more and more prevalent in US wine bars but the first I've seen in the EU, in NYC it is usually not offered with food of any kind for the same price either!

For the measly price of 20 US I feasted on Chablis, Pommard & Givry all 2002 1er cru with a variety of local meats and Epoisses, L'ami du chambertin and a soft mustard seed covered cheese that is served on every cheese plate in this region. Truly this hedonistic pig was in heaven.

The surroundings are very cave like with plaques of awards, tastevins and wine related items sprinkled tastefully throughout the room. Also the staff was very helpful as well as friendly.

That evening I ate in my hotels Michelin star wine dining room. It was very good, very gourmet, sort of pretentious with a wine list worth drooling over prices to match. I have to say that as much as I enjoyed it I wished I had went back to little cave down the street!

Down for the count in Dijon

This trip is proving to be very wierd. First of all my friend I am traveling with is sort of a real old fart wanting to be back to the hotel by dark. And on top of that is not comfortable trying to comunicate so I feel rather guilty just leaving him & taking off.

I 'm fighting a bit of a cold so laying low today just planning on going out for a bite & little walking around today.

Yesterday was really nice a wine tour in Burgundy with a little history thrown in. I would like to go back to the Hospice in Beaune but don't know if I'll make it. The wines where pretty amazing , I bought a few bottles including a Pommard 1983 that I plan to bring to the winery to drink. Also hit the chevaliers castle, 2 vintners, & ate a old rooster stewed in Burgundy from the bottom of the cask. Now I know what to do with the old Syrah we have!

Public Observations behind the stick on a Tasting Bar

When I started out tending bar the old Irish guys called it behind the stick. I never asked but I guessed it was because the bar was made of wood?
I've come to realise that a tasting room isn't that much different than a real bar. You do meet some really nice people that are into wine but the same dumb-ass public thing rears it's ugly head from time to time. Here are some favorite quotes good & bad from the season so far.

> I'd rather have this bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy....
> Do you have any ice for this?
>No I didn't like it, it was merely tolerably!
>I'm sorry I can't I simply can't taste this! Biggest pretentious Ass award!
>This wine is so good we must get dressed up to taste it! It demands respect!
>This is so good it leaves a signature on my tonque!
>Do you have any alcohol free wine for my child to try?

I actually have come to really like the winery life. It is just enough public interaction along with the chance to be a bit creative. It makes me really happy to teach people how to taste & work with a great group of people.