Where to find out what's going on?

Just wanted to give a plug for one of my favorite websites to find out what's going on in the DC area: The List Are You On It? Founder Nycci Nellis does a great job of letting subscribers know about restaurant openings, wine dinners, special events, and lots more.

Subscribe to The List, and stay "in the know" about hot happenings in and around DC.

What the heck is a gooseberry?

Fans of Sauvignon Blanc will often hear the wine described as having a flavor of gooseberries.

You may ask yourself "what the heck is a gooseberry, and what does it taste like?"

Well, if you taste Sauvignon Blanc, and detect a tart flavor that you just can't put your finger on...that's most likely gooseberry. Related to the currant, it's grown in the U.S. and in Europe, and has a very distinct flavor. (If you like sour foods, then you'll probably like these...)

Trader Joe's sells them in the dried fruit section. But I'm warning you now that they will make your mouth pucker (I love all things sour, and my mouth is watering as I'm writing this...) And Gourmet magazine has a recipe for gooseberry pie.

So, the next time you have a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and what you smell and taste isn't grass, or grapefruit, or lemon (other varietal characteristics), remember that it could be the flavor of this small, tart berry with the huge punch.

Wine "flight"

Last year, Vino Volo opened it's first store at Dulles airport ("Vino Volo" means "wine flight.") Billed as a "wine room," shoppers can try flights of wines, and then purchase bottles of what they like to take on their trip or ship home.

I certainly welcome the idea of a wine bar at an airport. Usually, to kill time, travelers need to either loiter around the newsstand reading magazines, browse in overpriced souvenir shops, or have a drink in a dirty, ugly airport bar. A wine bar provides a nice atmosphere and a place to relax with a glass of vino.

Not sure I buy into the concept of purchasing wine there to take on your trip or ship home, though. I can't imagine many fliers wanting to make their luggage even heavier by carrying on bottles of wine, or spending money to ship them (especially since the wines on their wine list are often readily available in wine stores...) Also, with the latest carry-on restrictions, travelers most likely WON'T be able to take on bottles of wine.

If that restriction sticks, kind of kills half of their business model, doesn't it?

Vino Volo plans to expand to 5-7 other airports in 2006.

Drink it or dump it...

When I heard about the new airline regulations that started Thursday morning, which ban all liquids and gels except for baby formula and medicine, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen to all of the wine that fliers had in their carry on bags...

Sure enough, CNN reported yesterday tales of passengers trying to drink it all up in line, or give it to those leaving the airport.

While I understand the reason for the increased security, I can't imagine how heartbreaking it must have been for wine lovers who traveled to Napa or other wine regions, and planned on carrying home their goodies (which may have cost them a lot), only to be told when they got to the airport that they had to check it or dump it.

Depending on the wine and the price paid, part of me thinks it might have been worth it to miss my flight and make sure the wine gets shipped home...

Sign up to Free the Grapes

Sick of all the shipping restrictions on wine? Not sure what you can get shipped to your house, or how much of it?

U.S. consumers and those in the trade (myself included), are fed up with the archaic shipping laws and regulations. We want to be able to buy wine from any winery or online retailer and get it shipped to our houses.

If you have also been wining about this, and aren't sure what to do about it, then sign up to Free the Grapes. This grassroots organization is comprised of both consumers and those in the wine business, who are working to free the ridiculous limitations and restrictions on direct shipping of wine.

Kelly's work appears in this month's DC Metro Tribune

If you live in the District, look for the latest copy of the DC Metro Tribune. I wrote a wine article for the current issue entitled "Wines for a Sophisticated Summer Gathering."

"Hot" reds burn, baby

One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to wine is serving red wine too warm. "Room temperature" actually means 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit (i.e. "cellar temperature",) NOT your-DC-apartment-in-August temperature. And it certainly doesn't mean the temperature on top of your refrigerator.

So what can happen when a red wine is served too warm? Mainly, it causes an alcohol burning sensation in your mouth and in the back of your throat. Not enticing. Not refreshing. And it's only exacerbated with a high alcohol red like Zinfandel, Barolo or Syrah.

So what to do? Ideally, store your wine in a temperature controlled wine refrigerator, or in a wine cellar. If this isn't possible, then chill your reds a bit. Yup, you heard me--chill your reds.

You can accomplish this by sticking a bottle in the fridge for 15 or 20 minutes. Or in an ice water bath for 5-10 minutes. Or stick one of those VacuVin wine chiller sleeves on the bottle, and set it on your counter for 15 minutes (or in the fridge or freezer for a much shorter time...) If you are served a "hot red" in a restaurant, ask for a bucket of ice water and give it a much-needed ice bath for a few minutes.

The end result will be a wine that still has its nuances and complexity, but one that doesn't taste like you are swallowing grain alcohol. Ahhhh...now that's more like it.

And, the lighter the red (Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Valpolicella), the more chilling it can take.

Sockeye Pinot Noir

Recently, I went into Total Wine to buy a bottle of Sockeye Pinot Noir from Oregon. It's a mid-priced Pinot ($12 or so), and got a good review, so I thought I would give it a try.

When I got it home, though, I realized that while the label did say Sockeye, and had the winery's logo on it (a Sockeye salmon), the Pinot was from Southeastern Australia! I called Total Wine to find out what was going on. Turns out, the Oregon Pinot from Sockeye often sells out, and the winery sources grapes from SE Australia to make an Australian Pinot under the same label.

No matter--both wines are decent sippers, especially for the price. Light and silky tannins combine with cherries and cranberries, along with a touch of Pinot's signature earthiness, to make for a wine to enjoy all year round--with duck, chicken, and of course, salmon. Serve it slightly chilled, and don't worry what the label says.

Music, food, fun, beer, and wine

Just wanted to give a plug to a fantastic 10 day long music festival in my hometown of Bethlehem, PA, which I make it a point to go back for every year.

www.musikfest.org

You just can't beat the tons of free musical performances, food selection (including some great PA Dutch specialties like bratwurst and potato pancakes...) and a cold mug of beer (or glass of wine from a local PA winery).

Head to the fest!!!

It's summer, and the grilling is easy...

I love my grill, even in the dead of winter when there is a foot of snow covering it. But I especially love it during the summer, when my herb and vegetable garden is at its peak.

Here is an easy, summer meal I prepared last night--pair it with a fruity, slightly chilled Beaujolais for a fun weeknight meal. Or, if you prefer white, try an Orvieto or Pinot Grigio. And be sure to crack open the bottle and enjoy a glass WHILE you are preparing the meal...cook's privilege.

Grilled chicken thighs
Packet Potatoes
Assorted crudites

Rinse and pat dry the chicken thighs, and cut off a bit of the extra skin. Sprinkle both sides with garlic powder, kosher salt and pepper. Grill on an oiled grill at medium, indirect heat for 25 minutes--skin side up! After 25 minutes, turn the chicken skin side down, and grill for 25 more minutes. Remove from grill, let stand 5 minutes, and serve. (Grilling the thighs skin side up first means that the skin will be crisp and juicy at the end of cooking time...not steamed. And DO use thighs, not breasts--the dark meat in chicken thighs withstands grilling without drying out, and has WAY more flavor than white meat.)

For the potatoes, cube whatever kind of potatoes you like--Idaho, Yukon Gold, etc.--and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, cracked pepper, garlic powder, chives and fresh rosemary. Toss to coat. Place on a piece of nonstick aluminum foil. Place another piece of foil on top, and crimp the edges to seal. Place on grill at medium heat for 25 minutes. Turn, and grill 25 minutes more.

For the crudites, serve whatever you happen to have--grape or cherry tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots. Use a sour cream based dip, or hummus.

Wine for Jarred Indian Simmer Sauces

Tikka Masala. Red Curry. Garam Masala Sauce. I love the intense flavors of all of these sauces. And what I love even more is the fact that they are available ready-made from a host of local stores--Trader Joe's, Wegman's, Giant and Whole Foods. Add some diced, raw chicken breast, a sliced pepper and onion, let it simmer with the sauce while you cook some jasmine or basmati rice, and it's a no-fuss, no-brainer, delicious meal.

The Washington Post even had an article in today's food section raving about the various uses for these delicious simmer sauces.

As far as what to drink with these dishes--which can range from mildly seasoned to flat out spicy--I always turn to white wines that have a bit of sugar as well as spice. And my favorite wine in this category is Gewurztraminer. Intensely aromatic, with flavors of blossoms and lychee nuts, along with a bit of residual sugar, it cleanses and refreshes the palate, and keeps your mouth cool as a cucumber. Try Hogue Gewurztraminer from Washington State--a value-priced bottle that still offers a lot of flavor and aroma--the next time you are cooking Indian.

Bonny Doon sells two of its leading wine brands

Bonny Doon announced that it has sold its Big House and Cardinal Zin brands to The Wine Group, LLC. This includes their Cardinal Zin Zinfandel, and their Big House Red and Big House White wines (which are sold in the DC area in World Market stores, among other places.)

I have long been a huge fan of Bonny Doon's wines, especially their Pacific Rim Dry Riesling (terrific with Asian food), their Le Cigare Volant (a fantastic tribute to Chateaunneuf du Pape) and their Muscat Vin de Glaciere (mock ice wine done very well.)

But to be honest, although I have never tried the Cardinal Zin, I am not a fan of the Big House Red or Big House White, which I think are insipid house blends that are generic and forgettable. So I say let 'em go, and concentrate on the wines that put them on the map.

What to do with all of those tomatoes?

If you are a tomato lover like me, and you planted a few (or many...) tomato plants, you are going to be asking yourself that question very soon, if not already. Here is one of my favorite tomato recipes, courtesy of my mother-in-law:

Broiled Tomatoes over Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients:
Fresh garden tomatoes
Fresh basil, oregano and thyme (or dried if you do not have fresh)
Olive oil
Fresh garlic and/or garlic powder
Shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Angel Hair pasta


Cook pasta according to directions. Preheat broiler. Slice tomatoes in half horizontally. Place on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, fresh basil and oregano, garlic powder, pepper and shredded parmesan cheese. Put in broiler until cheese is brown and tomatoes are soft.

Drain pasta. Place in saute pan. Add olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and whatever spices you want (basil, oregano, thyme, fresh or dried garlic, etc.) Saute until well mixed.

Serve tomatoes over pasta, with more cheese and herbs, if desired.

What to drink with this meal??? You need a wine that has good acidity to stand up to the acid in the tomatoes. So choose either a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc for white, or a Chianti or Valpolicella for red.

Loosen to pair up with Oregon winemaker to make Pinot Noir

I read this morning that Ernst Loosen, the German winemaker famous for his Rieslings, is going to pair up with J. Christopher winery in Oregon's Willamette Valley to make a Pinot Noir.

He already pairs up with Chateau St. Michelle in Washington State to make the phenomenal Eroica dryRiesling, and I have high expectations for his Pinot Noir.

Loosen was Decanter's Man of the Year in 2005.

http://www.ste-michelle.com/Eroica_Riesling.cfm

http://www.drloosen.com/

http://www.jchristopherwines.com/

Lebanon's wineries in trouble from the violence

Lebanon's major wine producing area is the Bekaa Valley, about 50km east of Beirut. Most of the grape varieties planted are the same ones used in Southern France (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre), but there are also plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon--the winemakers are inspired by the wines of Bordeaux.

Decanter has reported that due to the current violence in the Middle East, Lebanese wineries could be targets. They could be turned into weapon factories, and the caves that store the wines could be used to hide and store weapons.

Let's hope that the situation improves over there in the very near future, and not just for the sake of the wineries, of course.

A rebranding for the South of France

The South of France, including the large Langudoc-Roussilon area, can be a great source for value wines in the VDP category. This quality category (which means "vin de pays," or, in English, "wine with geographical description,") is a step lower than the AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controllee,") and a step up from Vin de Table (table wine.) With VDP wines, winemakers are allowed to use non-traditional grapes and winemaking techniques, so there is a lot of great experimention going on. The result can be some truly terrific wines.

The winemakers from this area are going to rebrand themselves as "Sud de France" (South of France), and wines from this area will have blue labels so they are recognizable to consumers.

Some people feel that this won't really help, and that the winemakers need to step up and make better quality wines before the rest of the world will notice them. When I France a few years ago, I tried a bunch of wines from this area, including some truly fantastic wines (especially roses...). I think that as winemakers figure out what grapes grow best in what areas, and perfect the winemaking techniques for those areas, the wines will no doubt keep improving. And the new branding can only help the consumer.

Do I have to smell the cork?

You're dining at a restaurant. You order a bottle of wine. The server or sommelier presents the bottle to you to make sure it's the right one, before he opens it. After he uncorks it , he hands the cork to you. What should you do?

A. Smell it--if it has an odd smell the wine is definitely corked, so send it back without even tasting it.
B. Smell it--if it has an odd smell it means the wine is definitely fine.
C. Give it a quick glance, and then set it on the table.
D. None of the above

All you really need to do is C--Give it a quick glance, and then set it on the table.

What can the cork tell you about the wine? Well, for one thing, if it's wet, then the wine has most likely been stored on its side (either that, or it's been jostled around on its way to the table). Storing a wine on its side is a good thing--it reduces the amount of oxidation taking place in the bottle, since less oxygen is coming in contact with the wine. But if the cork is bone dry, don't discount the wine, especially if it's young. Oxidation most likely hasn't taken place yet anyway.

Looking at the cork can also verify the wine's authenticity--the cork often has the name of the winery on it, so you know that what you ordered is what you are getting. (This used to be more relevant long ago when wine counterfeiting was commonplace. I'm not sure that you have to worry about your bottle of Screaming Eagle or Penfold's Grange being a fake...)

So what about smelling the cork? In my experience, a cork can smell funky and the wine in the bottle can be fine, or vice versa. So smelling it is not a good judge of quality. You'll need to actually smell--and taste--the wine, to judge that.

Feel free to take the cork home, though. A lot of wine lovers (myself included) collect them, and fill vases, bowls, baskets, etc. with the corks from bottles they have enjoyed.

Want to remember what you drank? Write it down!

As an icebreaker at my wine events, I often ask guests to share with the group a wine they have tried recently that they enjoy. A lot of times, I get the same response: "oh, I can never remember the names of the wines I drink." That can be very frustrating, because you may drink something you like, then never be able to find it again. The solution? Write it down!

Here are some tips:

1. Keep a wine journal. This can be either an actual wine journal (spiral or hard bound, sold at wine stores, amazon.com and The Wine Enthusiast catalog), or something as simple as a small blank notebook or journal. Note the producer, wine name, and your overall impression of the wine (aromas, flavors, finish, assessment.) Finally, don't forget the vintage if there is one listed--wine can vary greatly from year to year.

2. Use your PDA. Software exists for keeping track of wines you try, or you can just use the notebook software that comes with your PDA's operating system and jot down the info.

3. Use your cell phone. Again, use the notebook feature, or you can even use the audio feature to record the wine details. Write it down when you get home.

4. Download my tasting notes sheet. Print out a bunch of copies, staple them together, and use it as a makeshift wine journal. (You can also use this sheet when you hold a home wine tasting.)

If you take my advice and write it down, you will have a starting point the next time you go to a wine store or restaurant. Happy sipping!

Another great inexpensive sparkler

I'm always on the quest to find sparkling wines that are tasty and inexpensive, especially when I'm using them to make Mimosas or other cocktails. Zardetto Prosecco Brut falls into that category. It's a blend of 95% Prosecco and 5% Chardonnay, and while it doesn't offer any of the yeasty, bready complexity that traditional method sparkling wines do (Italian Prosecco is made in the tank method, which keeps the cost down), it's clean, light and refreshing, with flavors of lemon and apple, with crisp acidity.

Mix it with OJ to make that Mimosa, or enjoy it on its own. At $12 a bottle, buy a case to keep around--and don't save it for a special occasion. Prosecco (like most sparkling wines except for vintage Champagnes) is ready to drink as soon as it's bottled. And sparkling wines are great with food--the acidity cleanses your palate. Try it with sushi, popcorn, pasta with cream sauce, chicken on the grill--you name it.

A wonderful evening at CityZen

Like many other DC-area residents, I've read and head all the accolades (and sometimes criticisms...) of CityZen restaurant. Being a major foodie, and wanting to see if it (and if star chef Eric Ziebold) lived up to the hype, my husband and I decided to go there for our six year anniversary last Saturday. We were not disappointed.

After perusing both the tasting menu and the prix fixe options, we opted for the chef's tasting menu--five courses, plus several amuses bouches, etc. not listed on the menu--for ninety dollars per person. Every course listed included some of our favorite culinary ingredients, so it was a no brainer for us. And it was amazing. Here is a rundown of what we had:

* Welcome canape from the chef: a mushroom "fritter" of sorts. Tiny, yet bursting with earthy mushroom flavor
* Amuse bouche: flan topped with olive oil. Silky smooth and decadent
* Tuna Nicoise: tuna carpaccio, topped with peppers, yukon gold potato crisps, haricots verts, arugula and olive oil. Fantastic fish, and the potato crisps and arugula added just the right amount of crunch
* Sweet Butter Poached Maine Lobster, with truffle and white corn chowder. This was my favorite course. The lobster literally melted in my mouth, and the chowder was just the consistency I prefer in seafood chowder--not too thick, and not too thin. And delicious to boot.
* Bouillon Poached Ribeye of Prime Midwestern Beef, served with sugar snap peas, chanterelle mushrooms and sauteed duck foie gras. This was my husband's favorite course. The meat was delicious, but the seared foie gras was incredible. Neither of us is a huge foie gras fan (and I was surprised to see it on the menu, since a lot of chefs are removing it because of the forced feeding humanity issue...), but we agreed this was the best we had ever tasted.
* Assorted Artisanal Cheeses. The cheese trolley was a welcome sight, as we are both huge cheese lovers. Each of us was entitled to "4 to 5" selections from the trolley. We opted to each try five, and then share them. They were served with Spanish almonds, raisin bread, and fruit compote (apricot and anjou pear.)
* Palate cleanser: strawberry sorbet with ginger cream. Strawberry is not the first fruit I think of to pair with ginger, but it totally worked.
* Peppermint Patty: Peppermint Souffle Glace with Valrhona Chocolate Sorbet and Italian Pistachio Cream. This was refreshing and decadent at the same time. The mint ice cream tasted as if I had pick spearmint from my herb garden, and the mint cookie it was served on top of tasting like a Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie (but even better...) And the chocolate sorbet was bittersweet and delicious.

We enjoyed Albarino and Garnacha/Carinena with dinner, and my husband had a glass of Ruby Port with the cheese and dessert courses. The sommelier was knowledgeable, friendly and very very tall (we were told he had just started, and he is a great addition to the staff.)

Besides the food, the service was beyond compare. Little touches made a big difference. An anniversary card signed by the staff, including Eric Ziebold, was presented to us as soon as we sat down. And when I asked for a copy of the menu to take home, it was waiting for me at the host's stand, also signed by Eric Ziebold and placed in a large envelope. We counted eleven people who took care of us in some way that evening, and we may have missed one or two. But the service was always subtle and just in time, not in your face or annoying.

Will we return to CityZen? Absolutely. Not next week, or even next month. But when we are looking for that perfect evening for a special occasion, it will be at the top of our list.