The bottle is always three-quarters full with this zesty, friendly white

On Monday evening, I dined at the new Redwood in Bethesda. It's a gorgeous spot--lots of dark (red)wood, slate, marble, high windows that look out onto a pedestrian-only street. Strikingly handsome.

Wine Program Manager Brian Cook really wants to encourage wine experimentation during a dinner at Redwood. So wines are offered in somewhat unconventional sizes: 100 ml, 250 ml and 500 ml. In visual terms, that's a decent-sized taste, a glass and a half, and 3/4 of a bottle, respectively. (The restaurant employs a handy nitrogen-based wine preservation system to reseal opened bottles, but Cook says most move in a day or two.)

We had several great wine and food pairings, but a standout wine for me was the 2006 Anne Amie Cuvee a Amrita from Oregon. I am a sucker for cool blends of white grapes, and when I saw the laundry list of those included in this juice (muller-thurgau, pinot gris, riesling, chardonnay, viognier and melon), I had to grab a glass.

It was zesty and fresh, with key lime and gooseberry notes. The viognier added a touch of richness and orange blossom aroma, and the riesling--a bit of stone fruit. It had a lot going for it from start to finish, and paired well with their heirloom tomato salad with goat cheese.

Redwood's website is not yet fully functional, but the site does give the address and phone number. I'm not sure yet where I can get the wine in the DC area, but Cook says it is available...and definitely worth the search.

Chill it down...stat

Ever stuck with a warm bottle of white that you need to chill in a hurry because company was arriving in 15 minutes? Sure, you can use a bucket of ice water to cool it off pretty quickly. But there are also a bunch of great gadgets and tools out there to do with with more style...and less of a dripping mess.

Explore your cool options in my Imbibe article, Cold as Ice.

Grape Stumpers

Ever wonder if a deep punt in a bottle signifies a higher quality wine? Or if a wine that's been on your rack for years is still drinkable?

Then check out Grape Stumpers, a recent piece I did for Wine Enthusiast.

Remembering...

On this seventh anniversary of 9/11, as we all remember what happened on that day, and as the Pentagon memorial is dedicated this morning--a beautiful spot that I hope to visit shortly--here is post from 9/11 a few years back that describes some of what I feel every year on this day.

May everyone who lost someone that day find a little bit more peace as time goes on. And may the rest of us give pause and be grateful for the times we happily spend with family and friends.

Reds and Whites for Reds and Blues

Andrew Stover is always doing something cool at DC's Oya. Inspired by the upcoming election, he's currently featuring a "Road to the White House" politicial wine round-up, with three wine flights:

The Conservative
Black Star Farms ‘Arcturos' Pinot Gris 2006,Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan
Dos Cabezas Wineworks ‘DC Red' Cabernet/Sangiovese/Grenache 2004,Cochise County, Southeastern Arizona
Sawtooth Winery Syrah 2004, Snake River Valley, Idaho

The Liberal
Brooklyn Oenology Chardonnay 2007, North Fork, Long Island, New York
Galena Cellars Frontenac 2006, Illinois
Stuart Cellars Cabernet Franc 2004, Temecula Valley, California

The Battleground
Black Star Farms ‘Arcturos' Pinot Gris 2006,Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan
Jack Rabbit Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2007,North Fork Valley, Colorado
Cardinal Point ‘A6' Viognier/Chardonnay 2007, Monticello, Virginia

The restaurant will also continue offering wines from the candidates' home states featuring wines from Arizona (McCain) and Illinois (Obama).

The Road to the Wine House selections will be featured by the glass and bottle until the Presidential Election in November.

Farmers' Market Supper Wine Pairings

Recently, Lauren DeSantis, host of the DC area's Capital Cooking show on public access, asked me to suggest some wine pairings for her recent episode featuring dishes cooked with items purchased from local farmers markets. Read my picks here.

Exotic cocktail seminar

If you are interested in learning how to make exotic cocktails, then be sure to check out the amazing seminar offered tomorrow evening at Mie N Yu:

"The Pacific Rim to The Silk Road"
How to Make Exotic Cocktails
September 9, 2008 6:00 - 7:30
Mie N Yu Restaurant
3125 M Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C.Phone: (202) 333-6122

Join Phil Greene and Derek Brown of the Museum of the American Cocktail on this trek into the world of exotic cocktails. They'll take participants through a brief history of exotic ingredients in cocktails and how bartenders have used those ingredients over time, demonstrating a range of exotic cocktails from the Indian-inspired Bombay Government Punch of 1694 to the original Tiki-classic, "Mai Tai, Roe Ae." Mixologists Chris Kelley of Mie N Yu and Tom Brown of Cork will demonstrate some contemporary approaches to making exotic cocktails for professionals and amateurs alike. Chef Tim Elliot will provide light fare and participants will sample several of the cocktails, including the Bombay Government Punch, Mai Tai, Moscow Mule and Chris and Tom's original creations!

This event is sponsored by The Museum of the American Cocktail, Mie N Yu, Depaz Rhum Agricole, Finlandia Vodka and Domaine de Canton French Ginger Liqueur.

Tickets are $50. To buy them online, please go to:
https://www.mienyu.com/giftcard.shtml#events

Or call 202-222-0948, and ask for Mike Cherner.

Strawberry Fields Forever...and hold the pulp

Last evening I headed to Restaurant 3 in Clarendon for a sneak peek at their fall menu. (It's kind of hard to think fall when it's 90 degrees outside...but several dishes, including the Mero--Japanese sea bass--with spring pea risotto, were to die for.)

We had some lovely J. Winery bubbly and Gloria Ferrer Pinot Noir with dinner. During cocktail hour, two fresh options were passed. Their featured "Farm to Glass" drink, the Clarendon Peach, featured bourbon and peach puree. Fresh tasting indeed, but it was a bit too pulpy for me. But then again, I seek out pulp free OJ at the grocery store--can't stand that mushy feeling in my mouth. If I were making it, I would have strained it first. But that's just me. :-)

A better choice for me was their Strawberry Fields (and being a huge Beatles fan I just had to smile inside every time I took a sip...) This cocktail mixed Absolut Citron, Cointreau, Strawberry-Lemongrass puree, and a squeeze of lemon. Blessedly unpulpy, this drink was light, fruity and lemony--a great late summer sipper for a warm evening.

In a sea of other options, Restaurant 3 is a welcome addition to the Clarendon neighborhood.

August's wines in September

DC's 701 Restaurant will be featuring the wines of August Briggs in a wine dinner on Tuesday, September 9, at 7:00 PM. Executive chef Bobby Varua will be pairing dishes with the Calistoga, CA winery's offerings. The cost is $75 per person, and the dinner will feature:

Buttered Popcorn Dover Sole
August Briggs “Leveroni Vineyard” Chardonnay 2007

Pork Belly with Green Apple Cassoulet
August Briggs “Napa Valley” Zinfandel 2006

Muscovey Duck with Açaí Bordelaise
August Briggs “Monte Rosso” Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Smoked Gouda Crème des Financiers
August Briggs “Napa Valley” Syrah 2004

Restaurant 701 is located at 701 PennsylvaniaAve NW,Washington, DC. Their phone number is (202) 393-0701.

Five Bites on Friday recap

Thanks so much to Metrocurean blog writer Amanda McClements, who featured my list in her weekly "Five Bites on Friday" posting. If you missed it, you can catch it here.

Back from OBX

Just got back in town from a great, relaxing week in the Outer Banks. The remnants of Hurricane/Tropical Storm/Tropical Depression Fay made the weather less than stellar for two days, but we still managed to get on the beach every day.

I've been lucky to have tried lots of great craft beers and classic cocktails as of late, but our drinks at the beach were a bit simpler. Our go-to beach beer is always Miller Chill, (or as I like to call it, the lazy man's Corona, when cutting up a lime to squeeze a wedge into the bottle is just too much effort...) It's tasty, light and damn refreshing when you are sitting under the hot summer sun.

We also enjoyed some G&T's with Junipero Gin (one of my current fave gins for the G&T--very citrusy). And I recently got my hands on a bottle of Chateau Ste Michelle's Nellie's Garden dry rose. With a gorgeous pink-reddish color and hints of strawberry and cranberry, it proved to be a great late summer sipper.

Sorry for not posting while I was gone, but while I was certainly enjoying my share of drinks every day, I had sand and surf on the brain more so than vino and cocktails. But I'll be catching up this week!

Point, click and bid on bottles

Each year, oenophiles in the Northern California area anxiously await the Sonoma Valley Harvest Auction. This year, anyone with an internet connection can take part...

Beginning in August, anyone can bid online on selected lots. As part of the 2008 Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, this first-ever online auction will offer approximately forty lots from Sonoma vintners and businesses to raise money for local charities. For this year’s inaugural online auction, Sonoma Wine Country Weekend teamed up with cMarket, an on-demand, online auction platform designed solely for organizations engaged in fundraising for nonprofit causes, to create a virtual auction experience to complement the weekend’s festivities.

Starting on August 1st and continuing throughout the month, visitors to http://www.winecountryweekend.cmarket.com/ can bid on select lots that will vary in value from $100 - $3,000. Sample lots include a special jeroboam (6L) bottle of 1991 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon, a romantic weekend in the wine country, and terrior tasting from La Crema featuring four large-sized bottles from the family owned estate in the Russian River Valley. All money raised will benefit more than fifteen charities that support students, children, farm workers and people in need.

Wine lovers, hit those keys!

Sweeter, Kinder Gin

New Amsterdam gin is billed as a Dutch style gin that's "distinctly smoother, and with crisp citrus notes." Like other new offerings on the market, it's designed to appeal to the non-gin drinker, who may have been overwhelmed in the past by harsh, very juniper-y spirits. Makers claim that it's so smooth it's really meant to be drunk straight (hence its full name, "New Amsterdam Straight Gin.")

Before sampling any of it neat, I used it in a gin and tonic. Now, I'll admit that I didn't use any of the less sweet, more gourmet tonics on the market like Q Tonic or Fever Tree (I used that old standby Schwepps.) But the resulting drink was really sweet. Too much so for me. But rather than judge it prematurely, I thought I'd sample some of it solo. It still tasted really sweet, at least to my palate (and that of my husband.)

However, if you shy away from super strong, botanically filled gins, New Amsterdam may be one to try. A 750 mL bottle retails for about $14, and once they ramp up their website, they should have availability listed.

Regardless of my tasting experience with the stuff, I still have that "They Might Be Giants" song lyric (and melody) stuck in my head: "Even old New York, was once New Amsterdam..."

Lots and lots of suds

I dined at Alexandria's Rustico a few nights ago, where encyclopedia of beer and all-around super nice guy Greg Engert paired suds with dishes on their current tasting menu. I had some memorable plates, including goat cheese stuffed figs that were to die for, fried pork trotters, Cornish hen under brick, and 2 of their fantastic pizzas--mushroom and spinach; and gulf shrimp with fontina cheese.

Greg's choices took me all over the beer world, to likely places like Belgian and Germany, and more unlikely ones like Italy. To end the evening, he selected a Gouden Carolus, a Belgian Blond Ale, to pair with warm blueberry pie with whipped cream and ginger syrup. The beer had some nice fresh fruit, without being at all sweet, as well as some spice. The yeast strain used in the brewing gives aromas of overripe bananas.

***If you go, try to reserve the chef's table--four seats that overlook the kitchen and guarantee lots of attention from Greg and Chef Morales.

Bubbly and Takeout

No need to save the sparkling wine for special occasions--bubbly is the occasion. I enjoy it with everything from fried chicken or potato chips (the bubbles cut the fat and grease), to Thai and Indian curry (the effervescence tames the heat).

For some more casual food matches with sparklers, check out my article in the latest issue of Modern Luxury DC.

The Jupiter Cocktail

If you happen to have a bottle of Parfait Amour on hand and are looking for recipes that use it (a little goes a LONG way), try the Jupiter cocktail. It's a classic concoction featured in Ted Haigh's book "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.). Chantal Tseng whipped up one last week at The Tabard Inn:

Jupiter Cocktail
1 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/4 oz orange juice
1/4 oz parfait amour

Shake in iced cocktail shaker & strain Serve in a cocktail glass (4.5 oz)

Grab the bottle opener...I need some bubbly

I was lucky enough to receive some bottles of Domaine Chandon a few weeks ago to sample for a sparkling wines piece I wrote. Two of the bottles were curiously missing the cork, foil and cage typically of most traditional method sparkling wines...

Domaine Chandon's Etoile Brut ("star" in French) prides itself on having "freedom to break from all traditional limitations and commonly accepted rules in sparkling winemaking." Thus, they use a crown closure (AKA a beer cap...) with some lovely ribbon on top, to seal their bottles.

I was actually a bit nervous to keep this on my wine rack. Would it hold? Would it explode in the middle of the night, leaving precious (and sticky...) bubbly residue on my walls? I mean, I figured the winemakers knew what they were doing, but it's just a bit...unconventional. But c'est le point, I guess...

It was refreshingly easy to just grab my bottle opener from the side of my fridge and pop open the bottle. I thought maybe the wine wouldn't have that much effervescence--a safety precaution for the lack of a cage. But it was fully sparkling. And delicious, with some ginger and honey, and some apple and pear.

Etoile also comes in a rose version, which retails for $50. (The Brut retails for $40.)

So, next time you crave a bottle of the fizzy stuff, embrace the beer cap, and grab the bottle opener. Cheers!

Etoile

Politics is not the only game in town...

There's lots of great drinking to be had as well! Catch up on what's happening at four DC-area hotspots: Zola, Brasserie Beck, EatBar and The Source, in my article in Patterson's The Tasting Panel magazine.

It's always better with bitters

I spent an enjoyable (and enlightening) time last week at the Tabard Inn, where Chantal Tseng whipped up some delicious cocktails, and Derek Brown gave me a lesson in bitters. Derek carted his personal stash of bitters to the bar--both store bought ones from Fee Brothers, The Bitter Truth and Regan's, as well as homemade ones that he and his mixology friends whipped up, like smoked chocolate, holy mole and black strap sassafrass.

No, we didn't taste most of them, which would have rendered our palate numb and pretty much useless. Since bitters are all about the aromatics, we just put a few dashes in the palm of a hand, rubbed our hands together, and sniffed. It's amazing how potent they are, and how just a dash or two can change a cocktail from being one-dimensional to incredibly complex. I've added several kinds to my own bar at home (I really like Fee Brothers orange), and I'm really glad more and more mixologists are once again turning to these classic cocktail ingredients.

Chantal makes a mean Sazerac, the New Orleans standard made with Peychaud's bitters. You can watch her in action on this video. She throws and twirls the glass in the air to coat it with Absinthe, and uses a decent amount of lemon peel to add citrus flavor and more aromatics--heresy to some Sazerac fans, but I think it adds a beautiful brightness to a drink that otherwise may be a bit heavy for some. I'm not a whiskey fan, but I was digging it.

The other eye-opener for me was to taste a traditional martini--she made one with Beefeater--with a few drops of orange bitters added. Again, these bitters add a fresh brightness to the classic libation. Bitters are included in the original martini recipe, but somehow over the years they fell out of favor. I'll never look at the martini the same way again.

Go to The Tabard Inn on Thursday evenings to check our Chantal's featured concoctions--she's been known to pull inspiration from her well-marked copy of "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" (to which she referred last week to find with a recipe that used Parfait Amour, which she happened to have a bottle of. She whipped up the Jupiter cocktail.)

Derek Brown is the Sommelier at Komi Restaurant. You can also see him on WineTasteTV.

Oh rickey, you're so fine (I couldn't resist...)

The basic recipe for a rickey calls for 1.5 oz of gin (or whiskey, if you prefer), and a half ounce of fresh lime juice over ice in a highball glass. You can sweeten it with sugar, simple syrup or agave syrup if you like, or keep it tart, and top with club soda and a lime wedge.

The rickey actually originated in DC in the late 19th century by "Colonel Joe" Rickey, a lobbyist whose favorite watering hole was Shoomaker's off Pennsylvania Avenue. Joe preferred whiskey, but many fans (myself included) prefer gin.

July was the first annual Rickey Month, and eight of DC's top bars created their own versions, including Bar Pilar, EatBar and Hudson. My fave was Chantal Tseng's of The Tabard Inn, whose Rive Gauche Rickey really had everything I love: Aviation gin, St. Germain, Lucid Absinthe, lavender, fresh lime and sparkling wine (Charles de Fere).

Head to the Adams Morgan location of Bourbon tonight between 6-8 PM, where the best rickey in town will be revealed. There's no cover, and Bourbon is located at 2321 18th Street NW.