Brad Ballinger

Dinner with the neighbors... 1999 Nicolas Potel "Clos des Angles," Volnay Premier Cru. I may be wrong about this, but this may have been the last vintage of Clos des Angles from Nicolas Potel. But maybe there was a 2000 as well. My mind is a bit fuzzy on that. This particular wine wnet down very easy with Coq au Vin. There was enough structure interms of tannin and acidity to work with the stew, and the flavor profile leaned more toward fruit than earth/meat/leather. Walked the line well between lean and fat. The Burgundies I've had from Potel have not been ones to blow me away. Nor have they been ones to make me say "never again." This one continued that trend. 2000 Forteto della Luja Loazzolo. I could add "moscato passito" and/or "vendemmia tardiva" to the "title" of the wine, but that would be redundant on more than one account. The Loazzolo DOC (in Piedmont) is a tiny DOC where all the wines are moscato passito vendemmia tardiva wines. Forteto della Luja is my favorite producer of these wines. Reading the spiraling label on the bottle can cause vertigo, but it makes the wine easily recognizeable. This wine is so lip-smacking and velvety smooth. Floral and orange zest aromas. Enough acidity to be "fresh" and not flabby or cloying. And juicy juicy juicy. Went well with grilled pound cake and berries.

I realize this is after-the-fact, but for whatever future reference this may provide. . . I also had to pair a wine with a chilled asparagus and roasted bell pepper appetizer/salad drizzled with blood orange vinaigrette. I served a Vouvray Demi-Sec that went very well.

After a longer-than-reasonable hiatus, the Wine Tag threads return. And we pick things up at J. As might be expected, most of the available wines for this letter will come from the names of producers (and probably first names) than from regions or grapes. As a matter of fact, I can't think of a single grape variety whose name begins with J, unless one counts Johannisberg Riesling. For regions, as mentioned in the topic's subtitle, there is Julienas from France's Beujolais region. Also from France, we have Jurancon, and, more braodly, Jura. There is no correlation between them whatsoever. We can also fudge a bit and consider Saint Julien in Bordeaux and Saint-Joseph in the Rhone. From Spain, besides Jerez, there is Jumilla. From Italy, there is only one DOCG, DOC, or IGT wine that fits the theme (and it's a reach at that), which is Verdicchio del Castelli di Jesi, a DOC from the Marches. For producers, there are some without resorting to first names, such as Jekel and Jordan (and Jordan's sparkling wine label, simply "J"). When we bring in first names, though, there is Joseph Swan, Joseph Phelps, Jean Milan, Jean-Louis Chave (get a two-fer with a Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph), and Josko Gravner. But why bother with first names, when a mere initial or two will do -- J. Lohr, J. Rochioli, J. Stonestreet, J.J. Prum, J.J. Christoffel, J.J. Confuron. If none of the above suits you, share with us wine from a Jeroboam. Or treat yourself to a jammy wine. Perhaps you'd like a Vin Jeaune (from Savoie, also sometimes called Jura). And, although a jug wine from Ernest and Julio Gallo may slip by, please no wine coolers from Bartles and Jaymes. 2004 Josmeyer Gewurztraminer "Les Folastries." Josmeyer is a biodynamic producer from Alsace, and I snapped up some of the Josmeyer wines when they hit one of the local shops. We don't get a lot where I live. The one I really wanted was the Le Dragon Riesling, but one also needs some Gewurztraminer for those hard-to-pair dishes. And for Thai cuisine. This wine was a powerful demonstration of floral and spice components, with a lychee-lime fruit combination. A hint of smoke. Explosive acidity. Dry dry dry. And a finish that seemed to last for minutes.

Well, with 3-5 inches of snow forecast for today in Minnesota, we're not quite to the rose state of mind yet. When we get there, however, my old standby ones include Rosa del Golfo, Jouget's Chinon Rose, and Domaine de Fonsainte's Corbieres Gris de Gris. And, of course, Bugey Cerdon.

Well, here's my approach. I try and convey an impression of the wine more than anything else. While my notes may venture more into description than pure impression, it's the latter that I'm usually shooting for. I don't want the "pressure" of having to get a description "right." I also encourage anyone to write a note. For two reasons -- 1) it helps the writer better describe what he or she likes (or doesn't like) in a wine, and that's something that will serve a person well; 2) I'm all for any data point on any wine.

Pork -- Pinot Noir/Burgundy, Chianti Classico, or Rioja Crianza Chowder -- Pinot Gris from Alsace

It is worth remembering that there are degrees of cork taint. You can get a wine which blows your head off with the musty smell, or you can get wines which just aren't quite right. I usually reckon that when I get to smell the wine I can say straight off yes or no but sometimes I'm not quite sure and if it is the last one then it is almost invariably corked. ← Two other common occurrences with corked wine: 1) it will get worse with exposure to air; it will not "blow off." If something displeasing, in fact, "blows off," it was probably a sulfur issue and not a corked wine issue. 2) When tasting the wine, it will be almost completely stripped of any fruit whatsoever.

Actually, the term barnyard almost always refers to the aroma (or odor, if you prefer) of the wine. Mary is right about many wines afflicted with brett give off barnyard aromas. I'd also add band-aids to that list. With respect to taste, however, I don't recall ever thinking a wine tasted like a barnyard or even poopy. But -- wines afflicted badly by brett have a distinct metallic taste. Think of tomato sauce cooked in a reactive aluminum pan. Yuck.

Lee, thanks for the clarification. This is a new one on me.

Can you be more specific about the wine? Cuilleron, Gaillard, and Villard are all producers from the region. And your post reads as if you have a wine labeled with the names of all three producers. Also, Hermitage comes in both red and white. Do you know what you have?

As someone who lives in the Heartlans, although not around chicago like Ron, I greatly appreaciate his dedication to that forum. It is one that represents all of the Heartland, but still gives Chicago all the props it is due.

Mr. Steak Red Barn Shakey's Pizza Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor (although I think there may be a couple left in California) Ponderosa still exists. So does Bonanza. So does Bridgeman's (co-branded with Ember's). A Little Ceasar's just opened up near my house.

This wasn't in the wine shop, but in a restaurant. A woman at a table next to me was looking over the wine list. The description for a Campo Santa Lena Valpolicella included the word "cherry." This is where sometimes it just doesn't make sense to offer such descriptions. The woman asked the server, "Is this wine made from cherries?" I was drinking that very wine at my table. I heard the server reply that I had the last glass of it, and asked the woman if she had another choice. When that same server saw may glass was empty, she told me that I finished the last of the valpocino, and would I like something else. Several minutes later... Three women sat down at a nearby table. A server asked what they would like from the bar. One woman asked if there was any Malbec. "I've never heard of that," said the server, "What is it?" The woman told her it was a red wine from Argentina, adding, "I've had it here before." "Are you sure?" the server asked, "We've only carried wines from California and Italy." To be fair to the customer, some California producers now make Malbec. The women said they needed more time. The server returned... The Malbec woman asked, "Do you ahve any shiraz?" Again, to be fair, some California producers label their syrah wines "shiraz" instead of syrah. But c'mon, the woman was just told California and Italy only. The server replied, "We have a syrah." And then, "We also have a petit sirah." Okaaaay. The woman: "I'll just have a merlot."

First of all, 1996 was a very good vintage for Priorato wines, and many will be drinking very well right now. You are right about the wine having a bold flavor. The age on your bottles will mellow that a bit. The minimum level of alcohol for Priorato is 13.5%, and many wines have higher levels than that. I mention that because, typically, wines high in alcohol and spicy foods generally do not mix well, and you had asked about chorizo. I'd recommend something with lamb -- more like a roasted leg than grilled chops. Or braised lamb that is pulled off the bone and used to make whatever you want to make from it. Game would also be a good choice. So would mushrooms.

Well, here's what I ended up doing. And let me state up front, that I'll be in the area again, so I will get to try some of these other places and ideas. I got in later than I had originally planned to on Wednesday night, and didn't feel like driving around trying to find unknown places at night. But I had enough foresight to pack some food and wine, and had that in my hotel room. And I know that was better than walking across the parking lot to The Machine Shed (a place I will NEVER go). Thursday night (my only other night), I drove west (away from Milwaukee) 8 miles to Delafield, and went to Zin Uncommon California Italian Restaurant. The main intersection in Delafield seems to either be a planned small town or at least a regenerated one. It's going for tourist appeal, and at one time was probably a getaway for people who weekended on Nagawicka Lake. Maybe the town is seeing something of a resurgence -- most certainly in the summer. Walking in, there is a large-ish heated foyer to keep out cold from those sitting in the bar. When I walked in (at 6:30) the bar was almost full. In the 70 or so seat dining room, there were only four diners. By the time I left, there were 12. The pastas and the entrees were heavily themed with seafood. A surprisingly large number of shrimp selections. I decided, however, to go with a pasta that didn't have seafood. Being a first-timer in an Italian sort of place, I thought I'd see what they'd do with something basic. I ordered the pappardelle with sausage, tomato, and basil in an asiago cream sauce, which my server said was her faorite. Had a Caeser to start. My server brought a basket of "cilantro with cheese and tomato." I know she meant to say focaccia, and probably does every other time, but she said cilantro. All of a sudden I was worried about the pasta. It didn't help when she told me that I had drank the last of the valpocino (she meant to say valpolicella). The Caesar arrived. Romaine served on two large croutons, two hard boiled egg wedges and two anchovies (I was asked beforehand if I wanted anchoives, and said yes). The good news -- the salad was not overdressed. The bad news -- the dressing was bland and lacked any sort of bite. The pasta arrived, and my premonition served me right. It was waaaaaay over-sauced. And when the pappardelle broke as I tried to twirl some, I realized it had also been overcooked. The tomatoes in it should've been from a can, but were from the grocery store instead. So they were watery and bland. It wasn't so bad as to send it back, but it wasn't worth making a repeat visit. Sorry, repoman. I read that you've had a good experience every time, but the place did nothing for me. My server then listed my dessert options. All were chocolate-based except for a sorbet (not gelato?). I took a pass, and drove beyond my hotel to stop in at Kopp's for a cone instead. What I did see at the restaurant was more than quite a few "to go" orders being packaged. There must be a number of folks who order dinner ahead and pick it up on their way home. On Friday, I was in Waukesha -- another town refinding itself. My business was done at noon, and I drove back to St. Paul. But Waukesha strikes me as a place that will soon be adding some good restaurants. Maybe not by my next visit, but in the near future for sure.

I'm not convinced this is a purely Midwestern phenomenon. I think it's generally more of an urban v. suburban phenomenon. In the suburbs, you'll generally have more families. So there's the whole value equation -- enough food for the money. There's the palate thing -- food that appeals to kids and a broad range of folks (think "safe"), not to mention all the marketing directed at kids. There's also a quicker in and out factor. This doesn't necessarily mean fast food, but it does mean quick food. And franchises typically have standardized processes, pre-fab ingredients, and automation that not all indies can develop. In the suburbs, the franchises are also located in heavy traffic areas -- busy intersections, interstate off-ramps, etc. That real estate is more costly than neighborhood, or even suburban low traffic real estate. Franchises have deeper pockets. And when we look at new development, a real estate developer wants commitments before building. That developer is going to ink a deal with a known franchise that can pay its bills than with an unknown indie. Upthread, someone asked about San Francisco and Seattle city centers that have high-priced real estate. I don't know enough about Seattle, but San Francisco gets enough business and leisure travel and has a reputation as a food town that franchise investment may not be that necessary. Even so, there's plenty of restaurant turnover in that city. In Minneapolis, Milwaukee, St. Louis (more than Chicago), the urban centers are seeing more franchises -- particularly in newer real estate developments or renovated developments. But in the neighborhoods, you'll find more indies. The franchise business model, regardless of what business is franchised, is also typically based on volume and operational efficiency. Most indies have a model of quality and customer loyalty. That's not to say those things can't exist in franchises. They can and do. But the loyalty is to the brand of the franchise, not the location, and brand loyalty in this instance creates volume for other franchise locations.

You should also be able to find 1972 and 1975. But maybe you want to spread the vintages out further than that. I was wondering the same thing. A friend of mine tasted the 1971, 1972, and 1975 side by side and easily prefered the 1972. So that's one person that found enough difference. Given that you have a wider spread to the vintages, however, I would think there's enough of a "scientific" reason to warrant the tasting.

Given that you've mentioneed this will be a vertical from Albala, I take it the wines will be labeled Don PX Gran Reserva, and will be quite old. Albala also makes a PX that is of the non-vintage variety, and is several shades lighter than their Don PX Gran Reserva. If that's the case, your ideas for food pairing sound fine, although I'd probably prefer an aged hard cheese instead of a blue-veined cheese. Some have suggested using the wine as pancake syrup, but I know you're not going to do that.

Leaving February 21. I will report the following week. No Friday night this time.

I also like Grape Radio. But, in full disclosure, I know those guys.

Piling on. . . Wine is not necessary. If you want to do something wine-like, however, ubstituting vermouth is a matter of taste and preference. Better options are verjus or freezing the wine in the ice cube tray, and then keeping those wine cubes sealed airtight in the freezer. I do the same thing with leftover lemon juice, lime juice, etc. And, to Jan Primus, you can find decent wine for cooking for even less than $10.

I dunno, but I'd probably stay away from it, but it seems you're committed to something curry-ish, if not coconut milk based. I poach in a rich court bouillon, and I garnish with chopped coriander.

That wine would go very well with poached salmon atop a carrot ginger puree. $53 seems kinda steep.

I hadn't thought about #1, but it's an interesting proposition -- and may speak to this being more personal than your run-of-the-mill property theft.

Hmmm... A couple of reactions. There is certainly a market for the wines that were stolen. But that market usually purchases wines like those through public auction. I think it will be hard to "fence these wines on the street." The higher priced wines will only fetch higher prices if they are stored well. I don't know what these thieves will use for storage. I also question the stability of wine's investment value, given that its fragility increases along with its age. Overall, this appers as more like a personal revenge/attack instance to me. Perhaps these thieves were not thieves after all, but merely looking to deal a blow to the victim that would cause more damage than the theft of laptops, electronics, jewelry, etc. "Here, take the Tiffany, but leave me my Petrus."