David McDuff

Thanks, all, for the suggestions. I've made a reservation for Saturday at Manon and will do my best to post the details of the meal.

Wine: Langhe Nebbiolo Gavarini, Elio Grasso 2004 Food: Fettuccine with Sage and Brown Butter Gavarini is a cru in the Barolo commune of Monforte d'Alba. Elio and his son Gianluca Grasso make beautiful Barolo from their portion of the vineyard. From their younger vines on this hillside, they also make a varietal Nebbiolo, vinified and aged only in steel. The wine is meant to be immediately approachable and to be saved not much beyond its fifth birthday. In spite of the wine's delicacy and fruit-forward nature relative to its sibling Barolo, I still usually think of it as an ideal pairing for meat. Veal chops, roast beef and a more robust preparation of pork all come to mind. Recently though, one of my coworkers was discussing the wine on the telephone with Martina Grasso, Elio's wife. She appreciated Joe's feedback and also let him know that she often enjoys their Langhe Nebbiolo Gavarini with a simple family meal of pasta dressed with sage and butter. Getting a late start on dinner last night and facing a somewhat depleted cupboard, I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to put Martina's suggestion to the test. The meal couldn't have been easier: cook a pound of pasta (I used DeCecco fettuccine, cooked al dente), pick some fresh sage from the herb garden, melt a stick of butter, chop the sage, add it to the butter and cook over low to medium heat until golden brown. Toss pasta with the sage butter, season to taste and grate, if you choose, some good pecorino or parmigiano. The wine's gentle tannins turned out to be quite right for the toothfeel of the pasta. With aromas and flavors of red raspberries, red licorice and dark flowers, it sychronized surprisingly well with the sweet, nutty brown butter and the musky aromas of the sage. In theory, the combination seemed almost counterintuitive but in practice it worked so well I'll happily add it to my list of pairings to enjoy on a more regular basis.

Discussions on recent food and wine pairings which worked surprisingly well together. Easy food, simply prepared, and good wine.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has recommendations for an interesting spot for Saturday night dinner in the New Hope, PA or Lambertville, NJ area. BYO's would be a plus but I'm happy to check out a place with an interesting wine list. Thanks in advance....

Good idea I have heard about the Moore Bros dinners but never had any solid leads. Posting here would be great! Evan ← Gilmore's has added another date for the Moore Brothers wine dinner on Aug 14th. Not sure if they are sold out. ← The August 14th date at Gilmore's was added due to the very high demand for the August 1st dinner. The menu will be exactly the same; the wine pairings will be similar. The event is already sold out. For those who are interested in future dinners, they are promoted by Gilmore's (not by Moore Brothers). Contact the restaurant directly to be added to their contact list.

As the invited presenter at last night's meal, I must say it was a pleasure to work with Peter and his staff at Gilmore's and to pour wines for and converse with all of his customers. I promised Katie and her tablemates that I'd chime in if they posted their thoughts on the meal, so here goes. Some good news: for those of you who loved the rosé, there is more on the way from France. Some not so good news: for those of you who enjoyed the Rivaner from Ratzenberger, it is gone for the vintage; the 2005 will arrive sometime early next spring. Below, you'll find the "official" (I hope this isn't too gratuitous) tasting notes which come straight from our wine database here at Moore Brothers. <b>Haut-Poitou "Armance B" Ampelidae NV</b> Ampelidae, in Marigny-Brizay, is near the ancient city of Poitiers in the Vienne Departement, about an hour’s drive southwest of Tours. Frédéric Brochet and his father, Christian have committed themselves to reviving Marigny’s ancient wine tradition. This finely aromatic sparkling wine is made from biodynamically grown Folle Blanche, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes vinified in the traditional méthode champenoise. The vines average twenty years of age. <b>Bacharacher Rivaner trocken Weingut Ratzenberger 2004</b> The Ratzenberger family moved to the Mittelrhein from East Germany in the 1950’s. The 8-hectare estate, centered on the town of Bacharach, comprises steep vineyards of blue-black Devon slate (especially the Steeger St. Jost and the Bacharacher Posten) combined with clay (in the Bacharacher Wolfshöhle). This wine is varietal Müller-Thurgau, fermented dry in stainless steel, and bottled early in order to maintain its fresh floral and citric aromatics. <b>Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence "Cuvée du Château" Rosé Château Calissanne 2004</b> Château Calissanne is largest single estate in the vicinity of Aix-en-Provence, with a marvelous view of Mont St. Victoire. General Manager and winemaker Jean Bonnet makes some of the finest and most elegant wines in Provence. This very sophisticated “rosé de repas” is a blend of equal parts of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah, vinified in stainless steel cuves in the traditional saignée method. <b>Côtes du Frontonnais “Ce Vin” Château Bellevue-La Forêt 2001</b> Immediately north of Toulouse, on the left bank of the Tarn river near Fronton, this large domaine has preserved an identity by replanting the Négrette, a grape variety that is unique to the region. This cuvée, “Ce Vin,” is made exclusively with this ancient variety. The nose shows ripe fruit with slightly floral scents, and the finish reflects the soft tannic structure of the grape. <b>Vouvray "Le Bouchet" Prince Poniatowski 2003</b> Chenin Blanc is a versatile grape variety. Its characteristics change with each season, giving elegant and complex wines with a great potential for bottle development. One of the first wines made at this estate by the extraordinary Montlouis producer, François Chidaine, this is a refined, concentrated wine with stony mineral flavors well balanced by the right degree of acidity and good alcoholic level. The wine, while very attractive now, is capable of long-term development if kept in a good cellar.

I'm glad to have helped, joiei. Cheers!

While everyone has offered up some excellent responses to this oft asked question, I think Mary really gets to the main point. What makes tannic wines feel so dry and what purpose do they serve in the great world of wine enjoyment? Tannic acid literally attacks the layer of mucous (moisture, lubricant) that normally coats the human mouth. Drink a tannic wine on its own and it strips your mouth of its natural protective layers. Drink a tannic wine with a meal rich in fats and proteins and, instead of attacking your mouth's moisture, the wine will simply cut through the residue of fat left on your palate by the food: a perfect example of balancing food and wine textures. What's the end solution? If you don't enjoy tannic reds on their own, save them for red meat based meals and enjoy softer, juicier, lower tannin reds on their own or with "lighter" meals.

I would strongly second Bux's recommendation for a bar seat at Gramercy Tavern. Consistently excellent food, friendly and attentive service and a solid, adventurous wine list. It's another great go-to.

Susanna Foo, if it fits your budget, would be a good starting point. They have private room facilities on the second floor above the main dining room. Ditto for Brasserie Perrier on the other side of the street. If you'd like a couple of options that are a tad more casual but still appropriate for your group, try either of the restaurants owned by chef Patrice Rames: Bistro St. Tropez at 24th and Market or Patou at 3rd and Market. Neither has a totally separate private room but both have ample space and can often accommodate large parties.

I've always been happy with the overall quality of the poultry and beef from Stoltzfus in the Ardmore Farmers' Market. They typically have a pretty broad selection of cuts on display and have never refused to custom cut when I've asked.

I'll second -- or is it seventh -- all of the above recommendations for the Calvados of Christian Drouin. If you don't mind starting at the $50ish price point, I'd highly recommend skipping right past the "Selection" and other entry-level bottlings and starting with the VSOP. It's a great introduction to the real thing. Great fruit, pure flavors, unadulterated power, no added caramel.... From there, move on to some of his vintage bottlings. The 1973 is available on today's market for somewhere in the $125 ballpark and is absolutely stunning. Also, look out for the Calvados and biodynamic apple and pear ciders of Eric Bordelet. They'll be much harder to source on the US market but they're well worth the search, particularly the ciders.

Not to totally defend this admittedly high pricing but there are a few factors at work here that bear discussion. - There is no "wholesale" liquor purchasing in the state of Pennsylvania; all wine, liquor and beer must be purchased through the state controlled system -- yes, by restaurants too. The price restaurants pay is just barely below full retail and they must pick up the beverages themselves; the state does not make deliveries. - I must admit I have no idea what this wine retails for in PA but it is very likely to be a good bit more expensive than in the NY market. Aside from the discounted "chairman's selection" and other clear-out programs, PA prices tend to be on the high side. - For a fairly high-end restaurant such as the Striped Bass, 3x markup is not at all atypical, especially at the lower price ranges. Selling a $10 retail bottle for $30-40 helps offset the overall, up-front investment in building and maintaining a decent cellar. With this pricing at the low end, one should ideally expect the markup percentage to be lower at the high end. - It sounds unfair to the end-consumer but this scale of markup can be defended, at least in part, by remembering that this profit center helps cover the expenses of a full-time sommelier, good stemware, trained service, proper wine storage, the development of a sizeable, well-rounded wine list, etc. All of that said, this is only one of the many reasons that I love the wealth of BYO restaurants in Philadelphia.

Have you been recently? I stopped going there after I detected a sharp decline in the quality of the pastries a few years ago. ← Not being a native or resident New Yorker, I only get to Payard two or three times a year. That said, I've been going for several years and have never been disappointed by any of the pastries or other confections.

If you like mixing good tunes with your BBQ, Blue Smoke has the added advantage of being directly upstairs from one of the best small jazz clubs in the city: Jazz Standard. The full dinner and drink menu from Blue Smoke is available downstairs as well.

I too am a big La Colombe fan. For something in anohter neighborhood, try Old City Coffee on Church Street between 2nd and 3rd (just above Market).

Payard at 74th and Lexington. The bistro in the back is good but the real artistry here is in the pastries and chocolates, for sale to carry-out or to indulge in at the bar or in the cafe seating area up front. The place has a great reputation and the staff know it -- they can sometimes be a bit "oh so very...". Don't let that stop you. It's worth many visits.

I guess I'll have to cross the street next time and do a little comparison eating.... Thanks.

Mike, "Improve" is a very subjective concept when it comes to aging wines. If you prefer your wines to have plenty of primary fruit then this may already be past your ideal stage. That said, the wine is still showing nicely and should continue to do so for another two, maybe three, years. Savennieres can be quite long lived. Given its soft acidity, and relative to its fairly high alcohol (13.8%), this '99 is a mid-termer only. If you're holding several bottles, I'd say continue to enjoy them one or two per-year. If you're down to your last, drink up and enjoy. cheers!

Hmmm... I may be one of the few dissenters here. My wife and I ate at Babbo for the first time about a week and a half ago. While I can hardly claim to have had a bad meal, I would surely say that, of our three dinners that extended weekend, Babbo was the lowlight and did not live up to either of our expectations. A couple of the dishes were excellent. The grilled octopus appetizer was amazingly tender and the zip of spice and vinegar in its sauce brought the dish alive. The decadently rich beef cheek ravioli, with squab liver and black truffles, was also exceptional. The pig foot milanese, on a less stellar note, was good when the pigfoot could be detected but, in too many spots, was pounded too thinly and overbreaded/overfried. The duck entree was good but not stellar; it was very flavorful but the breast meat was just a tad overcooked and the confit a bit mushy. The guinea hen was less of a success, surprisingly gamy for what is typically a richly yet relatively mildly flavored bird. Our wines, both recommended by the sommelier, were both disappointments. The verdicchio being served in quartino was a bit stale; the Barbaresco "Rio Sordo," Brovia 1997 was dull, lacking in complexity, aroma and fruit.... Bummer. On the upside, service, though a bit slow in getting started, turned out to be extremely friendly, well-paced and attentive. In terms of ambience, my only complaint would be the mainstream pop/rock soundtrack. I could have done without Dave Matthews and U2 during dinner. I would certainly return for another exploration but I think next time I'll follow the lead of many of my co-posters and go with the pasta tasting menu.

Thanks, Percyn. Nice note.

WTN: Savennieres "Clos du Papillon," Domaine du Closel 1999 A light golden to dark straw color suggests maturity (not sweetness, in this case), which is echoed in the nose with just a hint of oxidative quality. Still bright aromas, though, of apples, quince and honey. On the palate, acidity is softer than average for the wines AOC but is perhaps typical for the vintage. Flavors are carried through from the bouquet, along with good minerality, lime oil and a touch of herbaceousness. Much more open than when last tasted, about a year ago.

If the Chinatown area works for you then consider Vietnam, which is on 10th Street just below Vine. There are plenty of well-prepared options here for the omivores and vegetarians alike. The wine list offers nothing of interest but they do serve Vietnamese beer -- 33 Export -- which is perfect with the food.

Andouillette. We were early for an appointment with a winery in St. Cyr-sur-Mer and were hankering for a spot of lunch. The only cafe in town that was open served two lunch specials: entrecote or andouillette. Upon ordering the entrecote, we found that there was really only one lunch special.... Let's just say that we made plentiful use of the mustard -- and the house rose -- that day. It may be a rustic brasserie staple but, for me, it's an acquired taste to say the least.

Nice choice, Percyn. How about a tasting note?