Veni, Vedi, Vino, Pt. II - Five Rivers Pinot

When I went into Arlington Liquors to get some wine, I was kind of enjoying discovering the place for myself. However, when the guy behind the counter asked if I needed help finding anything, I asked if he had any good Pinot (Noir) recommendations. He happily told me he did and recommended this 2007 Five Rivers. The price was right (around $14), so sure, why not? I also grabbed an '05 Echelon for backup.

The Five Rivers web site has this to say about their pinots:

"The nose of this classic Pinot Noir is brimming with rhubarb, violets and cardamom, with hibiscus flowers and a note of vanilla from the easy oak treatment." Haha, it sounds like the Paul Giamatti character from Sideways wrote it. I am more like the Thomas Haden Church character: "It's good."

My first impression of this was "weak." The foam "cork" slid out of the bottle with almost no resistance. The color was pale and watery. I don't know from rhubarb or hibiscus, but it did have a nice nose, although it was also somewhat weak. The best part of this wine, I am happy to say, is the flavor. It has the characteristic Pinot Noir flavor, it just doesn't linger in the mouth or in the glass. This wasn't a bad wine and I won't have a problem finishing the bottle, but there are better bottles out there in the same price range.

Veni, Vedi, Vino, Part I - Solane Santi Valpolicella

On the way home from a hard day of thrifting, I stopped at the "package" store in Arlington (Tennessee, that is) and picked up a few bottles of under-$20 wines. I was amazed by the selection of wines they offered--better than what I would have expected from a store that also offers check-cashing from behind a barred window.

I bought four bottles: three California pinot noir and this 2007 Valpolicella, which was the first one I chose to open. Not only was it Valentine's Day, but even better, H was cooking melanzana.

The real cork was so tight in the bottle it came out with a loud *pop* and refused to go back in. You can see in the pic that it was only purple on the very bottom. I love the complexity of a good Valpolicella, and at first pour this one was bitter with a finish of alcohol and tannins. Not really the layers I was looking for. Maybe part of the problem was that I had just brushed my teeth.

I am diligent about wine. I am not an overly-optimistic person (I consider myself a realist) but I will give wine second, third or more chances to get better. I will swirl, examine, sniff, and taste my way through a glass or two of a less-than-good wine, ever hopeful that it will open up and realize its potential. I am happy to say that this wine did just that. I drowned out my minty-fresh breath with crumbly, earthy Parmigiano Reggiano. I swirled and examined the color and the legs (they were long and thin, and I know that they have somethingorother to do with the alcohol, but other than entertainment value I don't really know what I'm looking at) and managed to be patient enough to let the wine breathe. The fruits began to bloom out, earthiness replaced bitterness, and the tannins held out for a nice finish.

Neve, Vino, e Melanzana

Yesterday morning we were treated to a little snow flurry as we were leaving for work. The top pic is what it looked like as were were heading out. Yeah, I know you can't really see any snow in the the picture unless you really look hard and use some imagination, and some folks would debate whether that really even counts as "snowing," but around here, cold + anything white falling from the sky = snow. It's enough to make kids run for the old Radio Flyers in the attic and parents run for the television to check for school closings (because historically that has been enough to close school) and everyone to scurry to the grocery for milk and bread. Actually, if you saw how we collectively drive in the snow you'd agree that it's not a bad idea after all.

I really wanted to linger at home to see how VP looked in the snow. The current pic on my header is from last March--the only real snow we got in 2008. But duty called so off to work we went.

As we drove along, I-40 became a Winter Wonderland of big, fat clinging flakes that began to collect in encouraging little drifts along the bridges and overpasses. As we got to the big I-40/240 exchange (The Flyover for the locals) traffic was at a near stop, and sure enough at the top of the ramp at least one car had gone into a spin. I tell you, we just can't handle it.

We dodged the traffic and made it to work, and it wasn't even snowing in that part of town! Niente!



















Last night I opened this 2004 Chateau St. Jean cab. CSJ is not an overly impressive wine in general, and this one did not impress either. It was pretty much void of flavor, even the bad ones. No fruit, no nose, no acids, no tannins. Bummer. I may actually cook with the rest of it. Usually "cooking wine" to me means an average wine that I sip while I cook, but this one might become part of the recipe.

And, finally, H treated the family to one of our favorite dinners--his fried eggplant. He makes the Best Fried Eggplant. The eggplant slices are just the right thickness so they are not too soggy and not undercooked. The fire is just right under the pan so the olive oil is the perfect temperature for turning the breading lovely golden and flakey crisp. And he (unlike myself) has the patience and attention span to monitor each little disc so it is turned in the oil at just the right time and comes out evenly cooked, with the breading still clinging to the eggplant (not burned and sinking to the bottom of the oil). He even left the skin on one of the eggplants just for me, just the way I love them.

They are so delicious we can't help but eat them as they come out of the oil scalding hot. They get a little sprinkle of salt, or better yet a sprinkle of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Some actually make it to the table and are paired with spaghetti and marinara (I will rave about the Brignoli marinara another time).

I have to say, I finally understood for the first time last night the very imprtant difference between Parmesean cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano. There is just no comparison. Parmesean is kind of sweet and vinegary with not much flavor in between. Parmigiano-Reggiano has a much richer, more complex blend of flavors. You can taste the history of the cheese: the milk, the process, the aging, in a pungent crumbly blend. The texture is as pleasing as the taste.

Unfortunately, our dear Kroger in Arlington does not stock Parmigiano-Reggiano, so last night we had to settle for Regular Parmesean.

Le mie figlie (daughters) took the rest to school today for lunch. Lucky girls!

Monday = Date Night and Half Price Wine Night!

Mondays are back to work, but at Villa Pellegrini, it's also Date Night! We discovered that River Oaks Restaurant has half price wine night on Mondays. In Memphis, a lot of restaurants are closed on Mondays, so this is a double bonus! I phoned ahead and confirmed that the minestra del giorno was Lobster Bisque. Sold!

The Pinots on their list were a 2006, two 2007's, and a pricey (even at half) J. We decided on a Chardonnay, which pleased me since we were having the bisque and sharing a sea bass entree. We got the 2006 Ferrare-Carano Tre Terre. Another Russian River Valley wine, which seems to be the source of my favorites. This one was served at a nice temp--not too cold. That's rare, because they usually come out so cold that we decline the ice bucket and cup the glasses to get the wine to open up. It was more crisp than buttery, but good fruit and a very nice pairing with the foods.

In 2008 we went to Santa Rosa and stayed at the Vintner's Inn, owned by Ferrari-Carano and visited the tasting room.

Veni, Vedi, Vino Pt. II: 2006 Smoking Loon

I've had Smoking Loon before, but didn't remember much about it. It is a very affordable California wine, with a nice label (by that I mean it's pretty). We received this 2006 Pinot Noir as a host/hostess gift at a recent party. As a gift, it is Excellent value, but even if we had purchased it, it would have been great value. Add seedless grapes and gorgonzola, and Squisito!

Vedi, Vini, Vino Pt. I: 2006 Dogajolo

I have decided that I need a really BIG wine bottle to display in the kitchen. Seriously, it would look so cool. A magnum wasn't big enough. No, we need a Double Magnum. H called Gary at Great Wines, who explained that generally, a double magnum is more costly that the equivalent quantity in standard bottles. That said, a 2006 Carpineto Dogajolo was available locally in a double magnum. Gary said--and I agree--that for display purposes this was a nice-looking label. We picked up a small bottle to give it a try. Well...it was pretty good. It's a table wine that does its job. Tasty, but a little generic. Definitely good as a cooking wine. No, not to cook with. To enjoy while cooking. We will give the double magnum some consideration.

Mi piace il vino!

Yes, I do love wine!

We first became aware of Paul Hobbs wine in 2006 and were able to get quite a few bottles of 2003 pinots for a very reasonable price—far more reasonable than the ’06 Hobbs pinots are going. We still have a couple of bottles of that fabulous vintage stashed away for what will have to be a very special occasion.

In the mean time, we have become rather fond of Mr. Hobbs’ Argentine imports. “The Felinos,” as described on the Paul Hobbs Imports site, “exhibit a great balance of pure, concentrated fruit, lively acidity and smooth tannins. Our Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Chardonnay are vibrant, mouth-filling wines that pair exceptionally well with food.”

Yes, I have to agree, plus they fall in the “affordable” range.

The label on this bottle suffered a little tear, but fortunately that did not affect tasty contents.