Chateau Lamothe de Haux

Yesterday we paid a visit to Green Jug. They are currently showcasing this white Bordeaux blend which was written up in the LA Times as an excellent value wine. The price point being around 16 dollars.
Always in search of recommendations for good French wines, we were game to try it.
When first opened it had strong citrus notes and a clean, acidic mouthfeel.
After an hour of breathing, it developed a fruitier creamy aroma balanced out by a crisp mineral finish.
Highly recommended!

Rye Bread followup

I am amazed at the flavor and texture of this bread. My initial concerns that the loaf would be too dense was based on my assumption that it was a one pound loaf; however final weight was 12.4 ounces. So either I didn't grab an equal half of my two pound recipe or I made a measurement mistake when mixing. Either way I consider it a success. The result of the second loaf remains to be seen.
The first recipe I tried from this book produced an incredible baguette, but the second loaf from the remaining dough (after one week's refrigeration) was horribly salty and had a strange bicarbonate flavor. Hopefully that was a fluke and I will have better luck this time. Incidentally this time I did cut the amount of salt by almost half.

My first attempt at Rye bread

Utilizing the bread in 5 minutes a day method (credits to follow) I have produced my first Rye.
It looks small for a one pound loaf which makes me suspect it will be overly dense inside. Will follow up later when we cut it!

Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc

Nothing says Sunday like a bottle of Spottswoode Sav and some pate.
Bright and acidic with citrus notes but none of the strong grassy qualities of it's New Zealand counterparts (that I love but Chris despises).
This is one of our favorite Sav's.

A little taste of Kentucky on Memorial Day

I know, I know - where are the posts on France?
Believe me - they are on the way.
Currently all my creative writing skills are being utilized elsewhere...however, Chris and I made a recent discovery that felt blog worthy on this fine Monday.
Blanton's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Need I say more?
I feel like I am betraying my old friend Bulleit (for those who know me know I have an affinity for Bulleit) but for straight up sipping and to accompany tonight's steak - we are enjoying this fine spirit.
Made, bottled and labeled by hand - the quality is all there.
Until next time -

Sunday night mixology

Tomorrow is Monday and it's back to the grind. We are still trying to adjust to the time change from France, it was much easier the other way!
Tomorrow I will start to catch up on the posts from our trip. I took over 1400 photos in 11 days, it is hard to limit myself to the highlights.
After 2 weeks of exploring wine, tonight we return to the cocktail and our enjoyment of experimentation.
A combination of a twist on a margarita - slash - daiquiri (traditional style of course) we combine the juice of 1 lime with sliced jalapeño. Muddle the limes and jalapeños and then add a few pieces of ice, 1 ounce of simple syrup, 3 ounces of Patron silver and a 1/4 ounce of Laphroaig (to add just the right hint of smoke). shake it up and pour over some ice - this makes two.
We were a little short on simple syrup, so we added a splash of Grand Marnier to the top, I think it rounded the flavor out nicely!

Day 2 - Champagne

Day 2 and we are off to Champagne!
After a quick breakfast, our driver packed us into the car and we are off to the Champagne region, which is located about an hour and a half to the north east of France.
Our first stop is Tattinger. A fairly well known producer in the region, as well as in the United States.

After a short introduction to the vineyard and brand, we descend into the caves.



The fascinating thing about the caves in champagne is that they were originally created by the Romans when they excavated for chalk and limestone. This essentially was their quarry.
They began from the surface by digging a square hole into the ground, then they would widen into a pyramid shape - to help with stability.
It wasn't until later (facts to be verified at a later date) that the monks connected each of these quarries, to create a network of underground passages that they could use to avoid the "common folk" on the surface.




Chris among the dusty bottles



Bottles are turned quarterly to allow the sediment to collect in the neck


Yes, these are hand racked!


Tattinger makes a blanc de blanc - which is 100% Chardonnay, and their other varieties are a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Their vintage champagne takes approximately 10 years to go from harvest to release. Their non-vintage (blends of several years) are generally 4 years from harvest to release.

We tasted their non-vintage Brut. Dry champagne is not my favorite, (the brut carries no residual sugar) however, this one was quite pleasant and well worth the money.

First dinner in Paris

We walked the city as mentioned in the former post, and stopped for an early dinner ay some random cafe (who's name I failed to record)

Of course we started with a duck and foie gras terrine with some crusty bread. Delicious! But not quite the smooth fatty goodness we are looking for. Then we ordered what I translated into a minced sirloin with gorgonzola and fried egg. Didn't realize it would be a burger. Stupid Americans! :)

 

Location:Paris, France (somewhere in the 7th)

Lunch day one

We actually stopped for a light lunch at Cafe Stella - a mainly seafood brasserie in the 16th, recommended by the liaison "Franco from France" at the hotel. Being our first venture into ordering food from a menu completely in French, we managed to grunt and groan and point our way into a glass of red, a flute of Rose and a dozen of the sweetest jumbo prawns I have had in recent times.
Due to our overwhelming (and most likely imaginary) embarrassment of our ordering performance, I did not break out the camera to take a picture!

Location:Paris, France

We have arrived!

Ok - so it's day 5 and I have failed to post anything yet!

Day one -
We arrived in France this morning - what a beautiful day!
For the first part of our trip, we are staying in the 16th arrondissement.
To adjust to the time change we must stay up! We spent most of the day walking around the 16th, down past the Eiffel Tower, through the park and around in a sweeping circle back to the hotel.

Location:Paris, France

Getting ready for summer

Trying out a new recipe for sangria!

The crema

Nothing like a shot of delicious Black Cat on a Sunday.

Location:Wolfe Way,Los Angeles,United States

Oysters, wine and beer at King's Fish House

We started with the oyster sampler. Chris opted for a Hef from Bayhawk Brewery. I went with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (with oysters - what else is there?) Infamous Goose, from Marlborough. Never heard of it, but it bears all the classic flavors you'd expect from an NZ Sav.

A collection of Simple Syrup at Cana Rum Bar

Cana rum bar - rum tasting

More to come

I'm starting a revolution

Ahhh Subway. 

I have a love/hate relationship with the place.
It's fast, it's cheap and as far as fast food restaurants go, it's one of least damaging to the waistline.
But really - it's always the same.
That weird smell that you tell yourself is the fresh baking bread. 
The plastic gloves. 
The pre-measured meat in little plastic bins that comes from who knows where.
I lived in New Zealand for a year. They had Subway there. It was *exactly* the same.

So last week I am on my lunch break running errands and I find myself short on time. 
But look! A Subway.  My stomach lurched and growled at the same time. 
Of course I go, but I am already asking myself why.
I always get the same thing - ham on wheat.  But today I say - let's get crazy!
I order an "oven roasted chicken" (a thing that they want you to believe is chicken breast, but I'm pretty sure the words "mechanically separated chicken" would be on the ingredients list....erg.)
on jalapeño cheddar bread, with pepper jack cheese.
When asked "you want it toasted?" of course I say yes - BUT - "could you please put some jalepeños on it first?"
A pause, a blank stare, and then she does it.
Suddenly, the man online in front of me throws up a hand and yells to his gloved soldier - "Put onions on mine before you toast it!"
Hahaha - just you wait and see Subway -  I am shaking things up!

Another new discovery : Bernard's Wine Gallery in Calabasas

After dropping my car off for service, We drove past this "wine gallery". Quite a discovery, we have returned for a tasting. Today they are featuring two flights: the first their own Coquelicot estate vineyard. A nice selection of reds and whites. The most noteworthy being their 2009 Pinot Noir. Though young, it is showing some amazing promise and worth picking up a few bottles to lay down for awhile. This is the first year they have produced it.
The second wine flight is a mixture of Petite Syrah's. We unanimously chose the 2007 Trinitas Old Vine from Contra Coats County as a favorite.
I fell in love with the Hunt Cellars 2002 "Irresistable" from Paso Robles.
More delicate than a typical Petite Syrah with a velvety finish that dissipated quickly. Stated price for the latter was $90 but they were selling it for fifty, which makes me wonder if it is at the end I'd its expectancy. After much deliberation, we opted to purchase two bottles of the Trinitas (quite worthwhile at their $21 price) and completely forgot to pick up the Pinot to lay down for a few years. Might have to swing back over there tomorrow.
In conclusion- this will probably become a regular weekend visit!
(did I mention they do cheese plates?)
Bernard's Wine Gallery

Summer is coming...

Sunny skies and warm weather means it's time to break out the Rosé!
This weekend's weather was beautiful and what better way to celebrate it than with a bottle of Domaine Drouhin?
Dundee Hills is a sub-appellation within the Willamette Valley and definitely one of the lesser traveled wine regions.
We first sampled the wines of Domaine Drouhin during a trip we took to Oregon on our honeymoon, and it has fast become a favorite.
The winemakers are fourth generation originally hailing from Burgundy and have been making award winning Pinots (in Oregon) since 1988.

Mobile upload test with pic

Trying out another upload method. Getting ready for the trip to France!

A taste of the East Coast in Woodland Hills

Chris and I recently bought a house and moved to Woodland Hills.
To familiarize ourselves with the new neighbourhood and its people, we've been challenging ourselves to try one new place a week - even if only for a cocktail or an appetizer.
Saturday night we had the unexpected pleasure of having Chris's folks join us for dinner.  What we are fast learning in our neighbourhood is that restaurants fill up fast on the weekends - and it is especially challenging to get a table for four with no notice!
After much deliberation, we opted to try the local Italian restaurant Giovanni Ristorante.
Definitely a locals place, the packed restaurant had a lively vibe to it that was echoed throughout the night by great food and entertainment.
I ordered the shrimp with spicy marinara and have to say it is the best southern Italian food I have had here on the west coast.
The addition of the chef screaming F-bombs at a patron and kicking him and his entire table out of the restaurant only added to the authenticity.
After the completing a visit to each table to apologize, he proceeded to join the band and sing a couple of classics.
OH! I almost forgot the wine -
We ordered a Barolo that only made the night better.  I wish I had taken better tasting notes but there were just too many distractions!

My knowledge of Italian wines is greatly lacking, but this bottle was an encouragement to do some further investigation.

From the Pertinace website:

TASTING NOTES
Intense, bright garnet red.
Complex, ethereal bouquet with hints of sweet spices,
ripe fruit and vanilla, and a long finish.
A big, warm, dry wine, with great structure and balance. 

Made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes and aged for 2 years in the barrel.

Friday night happy hour at Waterloo & City

It's rare in my industry to get out early enough to actually partake in "Happy Hour" at any of the local watering holes.  (Happy hour for me usually doesn't start until at least 8pm.)
One of the few advantages of my current job's heinously early start time, is that I get out at what most people would consider "a decent hour".  A small consolation prize for having to get up at 6:45 am.
This past Friday my dear friend Shelley invited me out for a post birthday cocktail and snacks at Waterloo & City.
We managed to snag the last table at the bar and promptly ordered a glass of the happy hour $5 red offering  - Querceto Chianti.
Would love to review this wine but unfortunately we were served a sad glass of sour and fizzy red that had definitely passed it's prime.
It's always a wonder to me how a half way decent restaurant can open a bottle and not do a quickie qc check to make sure it is ok before serving.
Things quickly got packed in the bar and while we were waiting to send the wine back, the Chianti listing on the happy hour board was erased and replaced with a different wine.  Curious!
We took the happy hour replacement - a Malbec that was not much of an improvement on the last wine at which point we both gave up and ordered from the list.
Always a shame when the "you get what you pay for" motto gets proven at this level!
I opted for a Zinfandel from Homefire Winery - Hales "Old Vine" from Dry Creek Valley, whose velvety smoothness with balanced notes of cherry and dark wood was a welcome to the palette.
As for Shelley - she opted for a Tawny Port who's name I neglected to record, and who's effects were potent enough to give her the courage to say hello to a mostly unknown tho recognizable actor.
All in all a fun night!

Testing mobile upload

Most convoluted system ever

Daniel Gehrs - Methuselah

As my birthday weekend draws to a close, we have planned a nice Sunday dinner at home.
We chose a 1999 Daniel Gehrs "Methuselah" to accompany a nice big porthouse and grilled artichokes.
This bottle is one of the oldest in our collection and was amazing bright and bold upon opening.
We chose to decant while making preparations and have found it to mellow considerably over the last couple of hours.  The Methuselah is velvety smooth and inviting, a Bordeaux style red from St Ynez Valley.  I wish I could remember exactly when we acquired it!

Post One

After years of hearing me say "I should take notes about this" Chris called my bluff and acquired Life Through Wine so I may organize my ramblings.
A catch-all for random thoughts, experiences and adventures!