DonRocks

FWIW, I've had 62 Yquem and it's a great wine.

You've got to like any restaurant designer named D. Rockwell

I look forward to the other test results so we work towards agreement that The Wine Clip does have some sort of effect on the wine. That said, there's at least one person on this forum (me) who doesn't need any statistical data, because I done seen it with my own eyes. The reason I look forward to this confirmation is so I can hurry up and begin dismissing this thing as a gimmick. I am, have been, and will continue to be unimpressed with man's ability to manipulate food products. But until that time, it's sort of fun to see this develop. Also, let's not fool ourselves about being overly scientific about this. All we're going to get here (barring funding from the FDA) is additional anecdotal evidence. (Were your wine glasses clean? Did you have a burrito for lunch before the tasting? Do you smoke cigarettes? Can you tell that a Riesling is different from a Sauvignon Blanc?) But anecdotal evidence is probably sufficient - this is novel and interesting, but really not that big a deal - and of course some test conditions will be more rigorous and controlled than others. Just some thoughts of the moment, Rocks.

Too bad some people can never say Beethoven was a great composer.

How's this for Bartender Of The Year candidate material? I was at Indique tonight for the second time, the first time being in August. Mania (first syllable is accented and rhymes with 'John') is a bartender who works Tuesday through Friday evenings. I walked in this evening, and not only did she remember me from before; she also remembered what I ordered. Not only did she remember what I ordered (the tandoori king prawns); she remembered what I had initially ordered (the fish curry) before she changed my mind and talked me out of it. Considering I didn't even remember ordering the fish curry until she reminded me, I was amazed. It's a welcoming place to dine solo, and if you go there, have her make you up a drink of her own volition, have her recommend some dishes (she knows the menu quite well), and by all means, tell her DonRocks sent you.

I think a big difference here is that Riedels don't claim to physically alter the wine, only the way the aromas are funneled into you.

I don't blame people for being skeptical - this whole thing sounds pretty far-fetched. But if you think about it, we already have two simple items in our kitchens that can take a young white Burgundy, for example, and "mellow it out" - a freezer and a microwave. The wine, when frozen, will throw off this crystalline/tartrate deposit and taste noticeably more lactic when brought back to room temperature. Anyone doubting the power of a strong magnet only needs to toss a key into an MRI machine - the thing will travel like a bullet. The one thing that keeps repeating itself to me here is how fragile, nuanced and easily damaged great red Burgundy can be.

I was one of Mark's test subjects. Without commenting on whether this thing "improves" the wine, there is no question in my mind that it changed the way the red Burgundy showed. I took one whiff of each glass of red Burgundy, and knew which one was, in theory, "clipped." Tasting the Burgundy confirmed what was on the nose, and before Mark told me which was which, I went so far as to ask him, "are you sure this is the same wine?" It was not that subtle, and I predict there will soon be enough anecdotal evidence that these tasting results are confirmed, if not proven. The Bordeaux test was more subtle, mainly because it had a more tannic finish, and going from glass-to-glass quickly resulted in the finish of one wine leading into the next. The effect of this thing was much less noticeable with the Bordeaux. If anyone has any specific questions, by all means ask and I will try to respond as objectively as I can. ---- I should add that I wouldn't ever buy this thing, but that's another thread, another topic. Aside from that, I do think that it clearly had an effect on the Burgundy, making it seem less vibrantly fruity, more supple, and rounder on the palate. Cheers, Rocks.

I participated in one of Mark's blind tasting tests today, and unless he played a really big practical joke on me ... ... this thing does indeed change the wine.

The wines recommended may not be the plonkiest of plonk, but they're close enough. Let's just call them "industrial wines" and say that they aren't worth recommending with a straight face. Mark overreacted IMO, but the substance of his posting seems correct to me. A couple weeks ago, I walked into Circle Bistro in Washington DC, and sat out on the patio with a bottle of Larmandier-Bernier Blancs de Blancs Champagne (100% Chardonnay). The food I had with it? About five cones of popcorn. Good 100% Chardonnay Champagne is delicious with popcorn - it isn't so much that the Champagne enhances the popcorn; it's the other way around. Cheers, Rocks

This sounds hauntingly close to Little Tavern (which I miss). How much are these things?

Care to fill us in, Mark? I'd also like to know what "Shrimp Bruno" is. I don't know, but according to Google the Palm is the only place to get it. Sounds Yummy. Trying to tie all this together, if you go here: http://www.palmrestaurant.citysearch.com/m...ectory5.content and look under "Appetizer," any party of 25 or more will apparently each get one Shrimp Bruno when ordering the House Specialty Slater.

Care to fill us in, Mark? I'd also like to know what "Shrimp Bruno" is.

As long as we're at it: 1) Go to http://www.poloindiaclub.com 2) Note the dish under Seafood Specialties called "Seafood Nasala." 3) Go to http://www.google.com and do a search on "Seafood Nasala." 4) View the "Did you mean:" prompt upon getting the hits screen. I need to get a life.

Go to The Palm's website, click on "Dinner Menu," then look at the next-to-last item under "Appetizers." http://www.thepalm.com/sitemain.cfm?site_id=4

Go to this link, and look at the entry all the way down at the bottom-right under "Desserts." http://www.theprimerib.com/menu.htm

Expecting a full report from The Ballers' Convention

Tell him to redirect his questions to MarkSommelier re: Allison Swope he says, while hauling ass... --> run run --> run run --> run run --> run

Based on my experience tonight, Maestro is officially knocked off its pedestal. From a full-blown seven-course Creazione: one great course (sea bass), one good course (agnolotti stuffed with foie gras confit), and the rest a bunch of also-rans. Nothing was bad, but not much else was great either. My friend and I began hypothesizing halfway through the meal that the dishes from La Tradizione tended to be better than the ones from the L'Evoluzione, but that was dispelled by a lame, inexplicably overcooked partridge dish. Vincent Feraud was great as usual, but the restaurant slipped vis-a-vis the other two times I went. Quite uninspired and disappointing. Just goes to show: you can neither annoint nor trash a restaurant based on one visit. At this money, I expect excellence; it was not to be found tonight. Rocks.

I can honestly say this was the first 34-course meal I've ever had that was followed by two Wendy's spicy chicken filet sandwiches on the way home. (Seriously.)

I've also heard that Yannick may be coming into the city. Rocks.

Joe, I appreciate the update on Total Beverage and Obelisk, and look forward to giving them both another chance. Rocks.

Yo Vengroff, I want a picture of that truffled napkin. Rocks

I went to Stacks once, and will not go back unless I'm desperate - and I often work down at 12th and Penn! If you're in the area and desperate, then sure get a takeout sandwich or something, but it's really pretty lame. Does anyone remember when Carnegie Deli in Tysons Corner used to be good? Sigh.

Sorry for the confusion, but I was posting about the time I went with Wabeck. Gee, you must think I eat out a lot or something, Mark. (Refrigerator inventory: one stick butter, jar clementine preserves, one carton milk from before the hurricane).