Open That Bottle Night

If you read the Wall Street Journal, you have probably read the weekly "Tastings" column by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher. Dorothy and John have been writing their weekly column for a number of years and to be honest, I truly look forward to each column.

Several years ago, Dorothy and John started an "Open That Bottle Night" - a night that gave you a reason to open up one of those long-collecting-dust bottles that's been sitting on a shelf somewhere. The thought being, that, too many times great bottles of wine are drunk too late because people are waiting for just the right time.

This year was OTBN #9 and the first time we took part. We invited over about 5 or 6 couples and asked them to each bring a bottle wine they've been holding on to and waiting for a reason to drink.

We started out with some lighter wines, while we were waiting for everyone to arrive and picking on the appetizers. Once everyone arrived, we spent the night drinking a number of different wines from various regions around the globe. The highlights of the evening were a 2003 Barolo from Mauro Molino, and another '03 Barolo, "Gavarini Chinera", from Elio Grasso. I dipped down into the cellar to grab a 1997 Regusci Cabernet that we picked up on our 10th anniversary trip to Napa as well as '97 Dominus (which was the first bottle I ever spent over $100 on). Lesson learned - the Dominus definitely got better as it breathed. It had an interesting odor to it when I popped the cork, but after about two hours, it was divine!

After all was said and done, OTBN was a great success and our guests were already talking about what they were going to bring next year. Looks like we'll have to start planning early next year!

Estancia Pinot Noir Pinnacles Ranches 2005

Estancia Pinot Noir Pinnacles Ranches 2005 (Paid $10.62) Light Strawberry colored, clean and crisp. Instead of the typical Chianti, I decided to bring this with us on our weekly visit to DeLorenzo's. While it was a bit too light for the Sausage and Garlic pizza, it was very drinkable. Not being a big white wine drinker, I'm always looking for a nice red to serve with light-fare meals. This would have gone very well with a Peach Glazed Tuna Steak or Lemon Grilled Swordfish.
Rating -

Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

For some time now, I've been enjoying a reasonably priced Chilean Cabernet from Casa Lapostolle. I recently picked up several bottles of the Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Paid $17.32) and was, as usual, rewarded with a luscious, smooth-yet-bold Cabernet. This Chilean monster is big, bold and full-bodied with plenty of spicy notes and plum flavors to stand up to any meal. Its finish was wonderful with a solid tannin base.

It's obvious that the folks making this wine know what they are doing. For those that are unfamiliar with the winery, Casa Lapostolle was started in 1994 by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, great, great grand-daughter of Louis Alexander Marnier Lapostolle, creator of Grand Marnier. She brought on several experienced French winemakers and has been blazing her way through the Chilean landscape ever since. Definitely a "Must Buy".
Rating -

My Wine cellar

Well.. Its finally done. At long last I finally have the wine cellar - or "The Man Cave" as the wife calls it - finished. The final capacity is about 550 bottles with two overstuffed chairs, and direct-to-outside ventilation to whisk away the cigar smoke. The folks at Grottocellars.com where a tremendous help, adjusting the plans as needed and making some key suggestions that truly show the years of experience they have. A local winery supplied me with a gorgeous barrel that sprung a leak after one vintage, and after a quick trip to the glass cutter, it stands as a wonderful table holding all of our mementos from the various tastings we attend. The cellar is in my basement, and is 'Au Naturale', with no air conditioning at all. It stays between 60-65 degrees year-round, but varies in humidity from 65% to over 80% in the summer. This is definitely a cellar made for the short term enjoyment rather than long term investments. With the exception of some 40 year old ports, most of the wines are 10 years old or less, so I'm not overly concerned about the temperature/humidity of the room. I will admit that I did have the air conditioner framed out when it was built, so if I ever do change my mind, it will be simply having the A/C installed.

Greg Norman Estate Limestone Coast Shiraz 2004

Greg Norman Estate Limestone Coast Shiraz 2004 (Paid $13.29) displays very nice Black Cherry notes with a firm structure. Somewhat tart at first, the flavors opened up within a few minutes of opening the bottle. We drank it with a London Broil we threw on the grill tonight, and it matched well, but may have been just a bit light to stand up to the steak. All in all, a nice wine for the price that I'd happily serve my friends.
Rating -

Solaris 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Wonderfully deep red, the Solaris 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Retail $18.99, Paid $16.99) is a very nice semi-full bodied California Cab. It's not quite as big as the BV, but definitely has a fuller feel than the Twin Fin. Wonderful Dark Cherry overtones which finishes nicely. I was a little concerned that it would overpower the baked spicy chicken my wife made for dinner, but the heat from the hot peppers held their own, making the wine a nice choice. Although a little higher in price, well worth it. I'm going to keep an eye out for the Reserve bottling to see how much they differ.
Rating -

Bodega Jario Rioja Reserva 1998

I picked up a bottle of Bodega Jario Rioja Reserva (Paid $12.83) during my last visit to Sam's. As usual, I grabbed a few bottles of this and that, one being this Tempranillo-blend Rioja.

We popped the cork last night with some sandwiches from a local pizza joint. After the Red Knot incident (she cant stand it either), my wife was hesitant on trying something new when she didn't recognize the Winery, but tasted it after I had a few sips. We both enjoyed the wine, very clean with light tannins and some very light cherry/strawberry notes, but it didn't finish long at all. It was gone almost as soon as it left your mouth. In some ways, it reminded me of an old-world style clairet, but without the body. A nice wine for when you don't want something overly heavy.
Rating -

However, my biggest surprise came when I started typing this blog entry.

It seems that Bodega Jario Rioja Reserva is a Sam's Club private label wine that can only be purchased at the clubs.

According to Private Label Magazine,In March of 2006, Sam's Club has announced two new wines bottled under their private label. Their press release bears this headline: "U.S. Citizens' Taste for Wine Continues to Grow Fueling Expansion of Private Brand Wines"

The wines are:
* Elder Vine Shiraz, Australia 2002 (approx. $12)
* Bodega Jario Rioja Reserva Rioja, Spain 1998 (approx. $13)


I think its interesting that Sam's Clubs (whose parent company is Wal-Mart) sees such a potential that they are willing to start offering their own labels. This may tie into a comment I made in an earlier post about how buying wine at Sam's is a crap shoot. You never know what's there and if you find something you like, you need to get back quickly to get more. With their own label - and I suspect volume and price guarantees - this problem may disappear. I can easily see a "special" bin in the wine section that only has their private label wines (there are 3 now) - promoting prince AND availability. Watch out Costco (The #1 retailer of wine in the U.S.) - looks like Sam's has you in their sights.

Wine Drinking Mice are Fat & Healthy

Check out this story that my sister just sent over to me.

It seems that overweight mice on a high-fat diet who consumed very large doses of red wine extract lived longer and healthier than the mice that didn't drink the wine.

Here is the video from the Associated Press.

Maybe there's hope for us all yet! :-}

Favorite BYO's

Being big time foodies, we try to find nice Bring Your Own (BYO) restaurants where we can enjoy some good food with a bottle of wine I bring from my cellar. I figured I'd start tracking some of those places here for others in the central New Jersey area.

Not in any particular order...

• Acacia - Located on Main St in Lawrenceville, Acacia (Pronounced A-kay-sha) is an absolute top-notch restaurant. I've eaten there many times and each and every time was quite enjoyable. Try the Filet or better yet, Sesame Tuna and wasabi mashed potatoes.
  2637 Main Street, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 - (609)895-9885   
  
  
• Rajin Cajun - Located in Belmar, NJ is the best Cajun food I've eaten since I lived down south. The Blackened Steak Bites appetizer is out of the world. The Red Snapper, Blackened Tuna, and Blackened Pork Chops are the favorites, but they only make so many each night, so if you get there late, the chalkboard (where the specials are written) may be bare.
  1102 River Rd., Belmar, NJ 07719 - (732)280-6828   
  
  
• Villagio Iccara - Known as just Iccara's to the locals. Years ago, this place started out as a hole-in-the-wall pizza joint (only 5 or 6 tables could fit) and has become a favorite restaurant in the area. A while back, the owner bought the building next door and completely renovated. The result was Villaggio Iccara, half pizza, half sit-down restaurant. The restaurant side is bright and airy, with a beautiful mural of an Italian beach front on an entire wall. The menu consists of what you would find in any above-average Italian restaurant, but most folks get the specials. You can definitely take the kids there - and they can still get pizza while you're enjoying a nice dish of Penne Paesana, Veal Vesuvio, or the Stuffed Pork Chops. Call ahead and make a reservation - its usually a long wait otherwise.
  104 Yardville Allentown Rd, Yardville, NJ 08620 - (609)585-6668   
  

I know - Pizza and BYO don't seem to go together, but there's not much better than a DeLorenzo's pie and a nice Chianti. There are 2 DeLorenzo's in Trenton, originally started by two brothers many years ago. While they may have started in the same family, they make very different pies. Read on for the details of each.

• DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies - This DeLorenzo's is in an old row house in the heart of Trenton. For the longest time, the family lived upstairs (not sure if they still do), and the original owner is there every night, even though the cooking is done by the younger generations. The menu consists of Tomato pie and soft drinks. That's it. Nothing else. If you want an appetizer, salad, or dessert - go someplace else. The focus here is tomato pies and it is a true tomato pie at that. The pie is sparse with cheese, has big chunks of ripe tomatoes, and crust so thin you can almost see through it. The place is small - 12-14 tables at most and you will easily wait 60 minutes to get a seat on a Friday or Saturday night - then another 30-40 minutes for your pies. This place is renowned for their pies - as all the awards on the walls attest to. One word of caution though - there isn't a bathroom in the place - so drink lightly. If you go, make sure you try the Sausage, Sweet Peppers and Onions - it will blow you away.
  530 Hudson Street, Trenton, NJ 08611 - (609)695-9534   
  
  
• DeLorenzo's Pizza - The DeLorenzo's on Hamilton Ave is honestly, the one preferred by our kids. The pie's served here are more like the pizza most people know. The pizza's are cheesier (though not much more)and more of a balanced pizza rather than focused on the tomatoes. They also have a wonderful White Pie selection for when you're in the mood for something else. There are a lot more tables here, but you'll still wait an hour on a Friday or Saturday, but usually the pizza's come out faster. They also have a bathroom, so its a bit more convenient with kids. Try the Fresh Garlic pizza or if you're going white, the spinach and ricotta.
  1007 Hamilton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08629 - (609)393-2952   
  

Twin Fin 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon

Every year for Halloween, a bunch of us meet at a friends house for dinner while the kids roam the neighborhood Trick-or-Treating. There's typically five or six families, with many others wondering in and out as the night progresses. This Halloween was no exception and once again we found ourselves in the midst of witches, hippies, rappers, and everything else you can imagine. While the kids went door to door, the parents hang out, get some dinner, and get caught up recent going-on's.

Last night, my buddy opened up a bottle of 2003 Twin Fin Cabernet (Retail $10.99)for dinner, which consisted of everything from homemade chili to buffalo wings to stromboli - and the Twin Fin went wonderfully with everything. This wine definitely on the lighter side, but big enough to stand up to chili and wings. This Monterey County Cabernet is fruity and light - a great summertime red which is what you think of every time you see the surfboard sticking out of the convertible on the label. While some may not care for the twist-off cap (which we did debate a bit), all they need is a sip to convince them otherwise.

My buddy said he bought a case of Twin Fin at the beach a while back, but hasn't seen it around here. Well, I think its time to go searching.
Rating -

Red Knot Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - I'd rather not!

My first thought as I picked up this rather highly recommended Cab was "That's an interesting closure". My kids thought the top was "cool" when I put it on the table, and I have to admit, I was intrigued. The 'Zork' enclosure resembles an actual cork - so much that it actually pops when you open it.

Sadly, that's where the enjoyment ended.

As with most wines in this price range (Retail $12-$14, Paid $10.02), I expect to open the bottle and drink the wine. Unfortunately, Red Knot left a rather acrid knot in my throat on the first sip. Now, recognizing that my tastes could be off, I muscled through the first glass and poured another. Being so put off however, I found something else to do for about 30 minutes before I decided to taste it again. On the second taste, it definitely got better, but it still isn't anything I would recommend to anyone that enjoys wine even in the least bit. I will give it another try again and post an update when I do, but tomorrow I'm returning the other 2 bottles. The troubling thing is, with all the rave reviews this wine got, I really did expect better. Could this be just a bad lot? Not sure, but the next bottle will come from a different place - just in case.
Rating -