Brad Ballinger

Damn, I wish I could see some of those "discounted" prices where I live. What I'm seeing is discounted 94s and 95s. I guess I should just be patient.

Well... it depends on what you like from Barolo. Of course, the wines won't be released until next year some time, but they are being offered as futures. The buzz is that 2000 is similary to 19997 in terms of vintage character -- lush, rich, full, fruity. The wines will be ones that will make big impressions when drank young. So if you like that style go for it. 2001, on the other hand, is reputed to be more like 1996 -- structured, layered, etc. -- rewarding the patient collector.

What you experienced is not out of the realm of normal. Typically German whites, particularly those from the Mosel (like Prum's wines) will show some spritz. As mentioned above, with aeration, it will dissipate, but you will find it there as a result of cold fermentation. What you had is Prum's Estate Bottled Riesling. You'll probably find the letters QbA or the words Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete on the label. This is a designation below Qualitätswein mit Pradikat -- the classification that carries the terms kabinett, spatlese, etc., that you mentioned. The Estate Bottled wine can be had for much less that the Pradikat wines. Donnhoff's Estate Bottled Riesling QbA is a quite popular choice for those who don't want to pay double (sometimes more) for their Pradikat wines. Regarding "petillant," it is used to describe this sort of effervescence in some wine. It is also used as a label term for certain sparkling wines, such has Huet's Vouvray Petillant Brut.

This is a repost. I erroneously posted it on the UK Pinned thread... There's a group of 20 or so of us who get together annually in Toledo (of all places) to pull corks every February (of all times of the year). Here were some of the standouts for me... 1992 Ridge Zinfandel, Lytton Estate ATP 1997 C. Joguet Chinon 1996 J.M. Brocard Chablis Fourchaume 1996 J.L. Chave Hermitage Blanc 1996 J.L. Chave Hermitage Rouge 1986 J.L. Chave Hermitage Rouge 1989 Pesquera Tinto Ribera del Duero 2000 N. Verset Cornas 2001 T. Allemand Cornas 1993 Bastide Blanche Bandol, Cuvee Fontanieu 1995 N. Joly Savennieres Coulee de Serrant Moelleux 1990 d'Yquem 1998 Dorigo Picolit A word on that last one. It rivals Avignonesi's Vin Santo or maculan's Torcolato for best sticky in all of Italy.

Both a merchant and a wine bar is The Wine Cellar in the Rio hotel. The retail prices will be quite steep. BUT... what you should definitely taste and perhaps walk away with are some of the 1971 German wines they have in stock. 1971 was a fantastic vintage and the wines are still full of life. The bottles will only set you back $30-$40 dollars, and you will get to try something very few people experience. When I was there 1.5 years ago, I had a pour ($14) of the 1971 S.A. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese that was sublime. Had to get a bottle to take home.

I'm also a big fan of Inama Soave, and just learned that the local distributor will no longer be carrying it. I'm cleaning out the retailer shelves. Pieropan is okay, but I'll likely be looking to Gini, Pra, and Tamellini for my Soave jones.

There is not problem whatsoever to what you are doing. Rachel makes a valid point about being careful not to reduce it a second time. Actually, many cooks will make a red wine reduction sauce and then pour it into ice cube trays to have the flexibility to use smaller portions for future dishes. The caution I would add is to make sure your freezer doesn't rapidly evaporate the frozen liquids stored in it. Some freezers will cause evaporation of ice -- where the cubes are about half their original size or even smaller. Once your wine cubes freeze, pop them out of the tray and store them in a sealed container.

You're right. And I often forget to consider the perspective of people with kids, not having any ourselves. It's a difficult issue. I'd like to see the indies be more successful -- provided they are delivering on quality, service, and value. But I understand the role that chains play, too. It's when some of these beome the WalMart of the restaurant world is when it gets scary for me. Good discussion.

I wasn't necessarily being evaluative, just descriptive. And I'll take it even further than something ordered two nights in a row at a restaurant. Chains rely heavily on standardization so that when a customer goes into a TGIF anywhere and orders a menu item, it will be the same no matter where the restaurant is located. That's what people want, why you see them by airports and hotels, etc. If I wanted to be evaluative, I would've added that they don't want to go someplace where the menu is always changing, where ingredients have unfamiliar names, where someone actually takes a risk. I would've also called it the "lowest common denominator" rather than "standardization."

Yep, same here. I let everyone in the place know -- the server, the manager, the chef if I can, the people at the next table. That's a funny story about your steak. My only guess with the check/dessert thing is that the owner was telling the manager to do something different than what you wanted -- "She doesn't want a dessert." "Bring it to her anyway; we owe her something."

Fair enough. I agree that one has to weigh in the hassle factor.

I agree with Suzanne that the particular day (Valentine's Day) may have had something to do with it -- for both the rude couple and the restaurant. Not only can the day be amateur's night for patrons, but restaurants experience high volume that night, many of which don't come close to approaching that volume very often. Personally, I have no qualms letting the restaurant know where it failed or is failing in delivering quality food or service. If you don't give the restaurant a chance to succeed or improve the situation, you have no right to complain in my book. A couple of examples... I made reservations for an up and coming Italian restaurant in St. Paul, MN. At the time I made the reservations, I was told that I'd be at a table in the back, far from the bar (which permits smoking), and in an alcove area along the windows. Very nice. When we showed up, the restaurant was very busy, and the table they offered us was not the same. This one was relatively close to the bar and in the middle of a non-descript part of the room. I mentioned that I was promised a different table. The restaurant apologized, but said it was out of their hands, and offered me this table or the option of waiting for another. There were four of us, and I didn't want to hold everyone up, so we took the table. But, before we ordered, a better table did open up and the restaurant staff offered it to us. I could've taken the poorer table, complained to those seated with me who would listen, and say nothing to the staff. By saying something, however, they were given a chance to recover, and they did. At a different restaurant, that is affiliated with a premier hotel in Minneapolis, I had ordered the rack of lamb to be prepared rare. When it came tot he table, it was in the form of chops, not a rack, and it was cooked medium-well. The restaurant was very busy, but I was still paying good money for what was billed as the best domestic lamb from Virginia. So I sent it back asking it be cooked rare, and that it be served as a rack. Not only did the order come out right the second time, but an extra portion was included for the other diners at the table to try. Now, was I etter off saying something or should I have just groused to my dining companions? Finally, a humorous one. Four of us were dining at the kitchen table at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago. This is a coveted table. One of the courses was kobe beef with matsutaki mushrooms. The mushrooms were gritty, and propably hadn't been cleaned thoroughly, but we were a bit initimated to say anything. Charlie asked how everything was, providing an opening. I asked, "Are the mushrooms supposed to be this gritty?" He grabbed my plate, took a taste, order the plates cleared from the table and said "Four people just got fired tonight." He may or may not have been exaggerating, but the course was served to us again, prepared from scratch, and we were comped some of our wine. I will add, however, that there is a way to "complain," if we're going to call it that, and way not to. If you do it artfully, you'll likely get the problem addressed more to your satisfaction.

Tydel, If you stick with your Dinner House/Chains category, you can certainly point to a proliferation of these restaurants. There are some urban cores that are even seeing the infiltration of the chains -- even though suburbia is still the domain for them. Some reasons for this. 1) The economy is still in a state where people are looking for a lower cost when they go out to dinner. 2) There's something that I call "the standardization of food," where people want to eat what is known and safe. 3) There's a concurrent trend of overweight Americans, and the chains put out supersized portions -- again, it's the "if I'm going out to dinner, I want value, and that means big portions to many. Personally, I've never been able to finish anything from Houlihan's. 4) The chains have a stronger asset/cash base that they can grab the prime real estate whereas the independent chef/owner has to scrounge around for acceptable real estate. This fourth area is one of the reasons for the chain infiltration of the urban core. Cities need predictable revenue, and many are less willing to take a risk on an independent, opting instead for the "sure thing" of the chain. Even if the particular outpost of the chain fails, there's still the corporate pockets to go after for fulfillment of the entire lease. A chic new development went up within the past year in downtown Minneapolis. The restaurants in it are Hard Rock Cafe and Red Lobster. What this means in the United States is variations on the American restaurant. Italian chains are really turning out "Americanizations" of supposedly Italian cuisine. P.F. Changs is American Asian, to use another example. Let me give you some data points. In Minneapolis/St. Paul there is an annual survey of "best" restaurants conducted by many local publications. Almost always, a chain (Buca di Beppo, Olive Garden, or Marcaroni Grill) wins Best Italian. Big Bowl of P.F. Chang's wins Best Asian. Pizza Hut is in the top three for Best Pizza. McDonald's is in the top three for Best Hamburger. Red Lobster finishes in the top three for Best Seafood. This past year, Best Neighborhood Restaurant went to -- make sure you're sitting down -- Applebee's.

I guess I should consider myself lucky. I have an older house with ten-foot high ceilings. The kitchen design I have has the refrigerator set into the counter/cupboard space. The cupboards are four feet high and the doors are flush with the front of the refrigerator. There are two shelves (three levels), and they are very deep. I can fit a lot of stuff up there. A step ladder is needed for the top two levels.

I will never use non-dairy creamer. I will never drink flavored coffee. I will never buy another piece of Calphalon (and Iwill return any gifts). I will never again reuse oil that I've used for deep-frying (it's not that expensive). I will never buy ketchup that isn't red.

Right. I should've used the term field blend, which would've been more descriptive.

Jim, I think most places that carry the Zanna will have it around the mid-$20s. Illuminati also makes a MdA called "Riparosso" for about half the cost. Worth seeking out as a great QPR wine. Perhaps it will make your under $20 list.

I guess I'll never own a great wine. I've not paid more than $75 for any bottle of wine from a retailer or a restaurant. I've tasted some provided by generous friends. and maybe I have some that are now worth more than $100 even though I paid less. But I've been to too many informal tastings where the best wine enjoyed is rarely (if ever) the most expensive.

Since it is a "mini tasting" you won't be able to cover everyone that's been receommended here. I'd stick to some producers that are easy for people to find, but throw in an obscure one or two. I'd also look for diverse styles. Trimbach is pretty elegant, quintessential, and focuses on balance. ZH has been pushing the envelope and going over the top too much for my tastes, but lots of people like the wines. Deiss can make some smoky wines, and he's been a bit controversial with his vineyard designate wines that have blends of grapes rather than single variety from a single vineyard. Marc Kreydenweiss is from the Bas Rhin (just about everyone else is from the Haut Rhin) and has taken off in the US in very recent years. Josmeyer is organic. And I can't believe no one listed Ernest Burn, who rules the Goldert cru.

One of the Twin Cities locals got it in his craw to host a dinner party featuring Chateau Troplong Mondot. He had an 89 begging to be opened. He also had lined up someone with a 90. I had a 96, and the event was born. There were two starter wine. One was a 1999 Arrowood Chardonnay, that I had a very small amount of, and found it too sweet. The other was a 2002 Giovanni Terenzi “Villa Santa,” Passerina del Frusinate, Lazio IGT. Passerina is an ancient white grape variety. The first pour of this wine was a bit tight and closed. Could’ve been the temperature; could’ve needed aeration; could’ve been both. The wine revealed some perfumed floral and crystal mineral elements, with some faint herbs, but the finish was non-existent. With warmth and air, the wine developed in complexity. Some citrus pith elements surfaced along with more minerality. The finish also grew in length featuring a bitter lemon-almond character. A very nice wine on its own and with salad. 1996 Troplong Mondot, St. Emilion. Of the three, this one finished third, lacking some of the depth and layers of the other two. The fruit here was more on the tart side. That’s not necessarily bad, but it was fairly one-dimensional in that regard. Tannins were on the dusty side. The wine certainly would finish a distant third in a blind tasting of all three wines alone. But as a companion to the braised lamb, it made a very pleasant pairing. With some time in the class, the fruit began to round out, and some secondary herb and earth elements surfaced, but it never seemed fully developed. 1990 Troplong Mondot, St. Emilion. The wine of the night for me. Perhaps the 89 will someday surpass it. But on this particular night, the 90 came out on top. Of the three this one is most centrally in its drinking window. The fruit has a ripeness about it and the wine is just beginning to show signs of maturity with a little earth and funk. The tannins and smooth, and the texture is very silky. But the wine is no pushover. There’s plenty of stuffing to stand up to the cuisine, and this wine was the best marriage with the food. On the finish, there’s almost a liqueur-like viscosity and richness. 1989 Troplong Mondot, St. Emilion. This wine was much more a bruiser in terms of both tannin and alcohol. The percentage on the label was the same, but the wine smelled alcoholic, tasted alcoholic, and finished hot. In that regard, it seemed overly one-dimensional at first, like it wanted to blow the taster away. The fruit seemed more developed and complex in the 1990. I left it alone until after the meal and after the cheese, and it started to emerge into a more complex wine at that time. The volatiles had dissipated, and the fruit was starting to place nice with the chocolate, coffee, and earthy components. This wine likely has more life ahead of it than the 1990, but has some growing up to do along the way to reach that level. 1995 Domaine du Pegau, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvee Reservee. This wine was served with a cheese course. It is developing nicely, and I would lay off it for another 3-5 years. I didn’t write much else down for notes, but remember it as gamey, full of olives, and having just enough structure. 2002 Inniskillin Riesling Ice Wine, Niagara. This makes a three year vintage leap for me from the last Inniskillin ice wine I’ve had (both riesling and vidal). This particular wine shows bright acidity amid the diesel and honeyed apples. There’s no “thickness” to the texture whatsoever. The best way to describe it is what it is – a young ice wine. The blance is exceptional, and I would expect great things of this wine for the person who is patient enough to leave well enough alone. 1998 Rieussec, Sauternes. This wine is in the middle of its transition from a honeyed, tropical juice bomb to a wine that has the mature Sauternes quality of crème brulee, a little bit of almond, and the carbonization of the sugars (I’m not sure that’s the right term, but maybe someone will know what I mean. The acidity is at a high level, helping the wine still appear youthful as it just begins (and I mean just begins) to shed some of its sweetness. I could see this one as my wine of the night as well. But that led to a discussion as to whether or not a dessert wine could be WOTN. Some felt the dessert wines had an unfair advantage, and that is wasn’t an accurate comparison. Oh, well. I’m happy drinking all the wines no matter what.

2002 Alde Gott Riesling QbA, Baden. This wine was sent to me from a co-woker of mine in Hamburg. He was in the U.S. in January, and I had to take him to the emergency room. We had about a two-hour wait and talked about many things, including wine. I mentioned that we typically only see German wines from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, and Pfalz. He asked if I've ever had the wines of Baden-Wurttemburg. I confessed that I've not even had the opportunity. A month later, another co-worker from Germany comes to my office with two bottles of wine, one of which is this one. If I had to pick one word to describe the wine, it would be "refreshing." The color had a greenish tint to it. The aroma was of golden delicious apples, limes, and rain water, with only a small amount of mineral. It was light, crisp, and fruity in the mouth. Not a structurally complex wine, but delightful in it's simple freshness. It's a wine suited more for the wine glass or as an aperitif than for the dinner table. It had trouble standing up to a simply sauteed chicken breast with a light sauce. I looked at the Alde Gott web site, and it seems they have a large selection of wines, featuring reds. If you check it out, click on the link for "aktuelles" from the menu. The picture will bring a smile to any face. Yeah, I'm sure that's how they dress to work in the vineyards.

Giada de Laurentiis in an apron, and nothing else.

Although I responded with some recommendations for Port and Banyuls, my favorite beverage with chocolate is coffee. It isn't even close. But you asked about wine, so... My guess as to what made the Banyuls appear harsh is a coupld of things -- your dessert was very rich and quite sweet (dark chocolate on its own with a high cacao percentage would be less so). Pairing wines with desserts can be difficult. If the food is much sweeter than the wine, the wine will come across as harsh every time. Your second dessert was lighter, more acidic (raspberry sauce) and perhaps less "thickly" sweet, and the same wine proved to be a decent match.

I guess I won't be eating at Juniper. One doesn't order steak because one wants a baked piece of meat. I'll order the roast if that's the case. And it doesn't get bloody if you let it rest even a short time.

I visited the Pfalz this past October, and there is something that may be similar. Everywhere, there were signs for "Neuer Wein," which was partially fermented or fermenting grape must, and came in both rot and weiss. The weinstuben would frequently serve it along with zwiebelkuchen (onion tart). My wife loved the stuff. I thought it was interesting, and a good match for the onion tart. Locals bring their jugs to any weingut advertising neuer wein and get it filled up. Obviusly, it isn't bottled. But there are those who complain of gas and digestive problems if they drink too much of it. On another note to Magnolia -- One more restaurant with a somewhat larger than average selection of Austrian wine is Arun's in Chicago.