Links to previous event announcements:
Ask and ye shall receive…
OK,
you should have known that if I kept asking for your ideas and your input at
every event, that eventually I’d get around to using them. After planning events for over fifteen years,
one has to wonder if you’re still providing people with what they want; so, you
ask. The good news is that people seem
very happy with the four ‘themes’ that we base our events on: (a) surveys of
currently available wines, (b) both mildly or seriously educational
experiences, (c) wine and food pairings, and (d) social gatherings with your
fellow LADV friends. So, you can expect
to see us continue to provide a mix of these things as the basis for events.
But I
really seized on the specific ideas that you offered. I will never admit that I really needed an
infusion of thought, but sometimes even your best bottle of Scotch doesn’t
offer any new ideas. First of all, many
said you love when we combine the ‘pairings’ events with an opportunity to try
new restaurants; the reasons seemed to be both a “safety in numbers” feeling
and a comfortable way to sample new foods and try new and exciting pairings
that you normally wouldn’t. But what I
really latched onto were the types of wines that you said you wanted to
explore. More than any other, people
said that they wished they new a little more about Italian wine and were a bit
more comfortable with them; I do, too.
The next most-mentioned wines from you guys were those from South
American; who knew?
As
you might guess, knowing your other LADV brethren, I am not going to
employ all of your suggestions. In spite
of the popularity of the wine “surveys” where we employ those lovely brown
paper bags for ‘blind’ tasting, there will not be event with surveys of either
the Manischewitz or Mogen David portfolios, nor an educational series on the
Concord grape. And, I’m going to leave
it up to the ‘single guys’ who suggested it, to have their own private events
on pairing wines with items from the HEB Frozen Foods aisle (come on, besides,
everyone already knows that you pair Gevrey-Chambert from robust vintages with
Turkey, Ham, and Cheese Hot Pockets).
So,
what events are we having to bring these ideas to fruition?
Sept 26 | A Rosé is a
Rosé, but it’s not necessarily so sweet
(Tue) | at Restaurant Jezebel 914C
Congress Avenue 499-3999
| 7:00 PM, $75 members &
$80 non-members (all inclusive) www.restaurantjezebel.com
Many were
pleasantly surprised by the rosé wines
at our recent event at the Capitol Brasserie.
Sadly, the American “white zin” craze conditioned many to think that all
‘pink’ wines were sweet and best quaffed ice-cold, straight from the box (and
they are most prized for getting Aunt Sissy to loosen up so everyone can relax
at the brunch). Recently, there has been
growing recognition that dry blush or rosé wines are truly great accompaniments
to a wide range of foods. They will
never be “the star” of the meal, but they are wonderful, refreshing, and
amazingly food-friendly wines that can highlight the subtle qualities of food
that might otherwise be blown away. I
can’t count the number of people who have told me that they wish they knew more
or had more experience with these wines, so that they would feel comfortable
selecting and serving them at home.
OK,
challenge accepted. But to really make
this work, I knew that we’d need to have an array of “star quality” food to
make the point. If you’re not aware, a new,
small restaurant has opened downtown that fits the bill. Chef Parind Vora has brought us the
Restaurant Jezebel, serving food that has been called “sensual and intoxicating
with its aroma, visual impact and visceral flavors.” Born in India, Chef Parind has cooked in
Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, St. Barths, Saba, Belize, and St. Martin
abroad; and in the U.S. he has worked in South Carolina, Massachusetts, Maine,
and most-recently New Mexico before moving to Austin. He describes the restaurant’s food as ‘Modern
American’, influenced by everywhere he has been, melding classical technique
with subtle Indian seasoning and other world influences.
While we
wine geeks often plan the food to match the wine we want to serve, there is often
the occasion to showcase the food. The
menu for the evening is just that type of meal:
1st
Course - House cured salmon gravlox with salmon caviar and curried crème
frâiche
Gruet
Méthode Champenoise Rosé & Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut Rosé
2nd
Course - Roasted pumpkin and fresh black truffle bisque
Alois
Lageder Lagrein Rosé & Tommasi ‘Chiaretto’ Rosé Bardolino Classico
3rd
Course - Seared South Carolina semi-boneless Quail with a tamarind - foie
gras glaze
Condesa
de Leganza, Tempranillo Rosé & Julián Chivite Gran Feudo Rosé
4th
Course - Wild mushroom and goat cheese stuffed Berkshire Pork Loin with
pepper béarnaise
Château
Marouine Côtes de Provence Rosé
& Château d Aqueria Tavel
Rosé
Dessert - Frozen
White Chocolate and Szechuan Peppercorn Soufflé
Castello
del Poggio Brachetto
As you can
see, these Rosés aren’t one-dimensional, they run the gamut from crisp
sparklers, to great Italian, earthy Spanish, classic French, and
strawberry-nuanced Italian spritz for dessert.
I expect seats for this small jewel of a restaurant to fill quickly,
particularly given imminent rave magazine reviews; so make your reservation
quickly. [theme: wine-food pairing, social
gathering]
Oct 11 | Survey of the Wines of Italy, Part 1
(Wed) | at Siena Ristorante 6203
North Capital of Texas Hwy
349-7667
| 7:00 PM, $70 members &
$75 non-members (all inclusive) www.sienarestaurant.com
Alright, I guess a good place to start is with explaining
the “Part 1” thing. In thinking about
presenting Italian wines to you, it dawned on me that a real problem in the
past has been trying to cram way too much information on the whole of Italy
into well-meaning, but well-sotted minds.
We would never think of tackling all of France in one evening. But, I also know you well enough to realize
that few want one event for each of the 311 DOC, or even the 32 DOCG
appellations. But to allow for you to
really grasp (at least the most common) Italian regions and wines, we’re going
to survey the wines of Italy with multiple events; right now, I’m thinking
three, but we’ll see how things go. This
first one will cover what many consider to be the premier area, the Northwest
(Piemonte, Lombardia, Liguria); down the road we will have events on Central
Italy and others.
The second
thing I need to explain is that I made an ‘executive decision’ about just how
much education to try to inflict on you.
This group always necessitates that delicate balance between formal
educational activities and “learning through experience”; OK, that’s my nice
way of saying that what you really like is to drink the wines. Given that, we will couple some brief
discussion on the area and wines with our “survey” form of tasting. We will put our focus on the three most
common and most famous: Dolcetto, Barbera, and perhaps the greatest Italian red
wine Barolo. Once we’ve taught you a bit
about what to expect, you will reinforce that knowledge by surveying five
outstanding examples of that wine.
Because the tasting will be ‘blind’, you won’t know if the Dolcetto in
your glass is the elegant Marchesi di Gresy or the berry-noted Pecchenino ‘San
Luigi’, nor if you’re drinking the great Pio Cesare Barolo or the fabulous
Ceretto ‘Prapo’ Barolo at $75. But by
the end of the evening, you will know what each of these great wine types is
all about.
Hmmmm,
where to have a tasting of Italian wine..?
The good news is that the good folks at Siena Ristorante seem to have
either forgotten or forgiven our previous escapades there and have invited us
to return. So in addition to enjoying an
authentic Tuscan-styled ambience, we will have the pleasure of a great
assortment of their wonderful antipasti and pastas to complement the truly
great wines. We’ve never left Siena and
not had a great evening; I’m sure this will be wonderful.
As
another bonus, Sandra Spalding from Twin Liquors will be on-hand to provide
most of the education; her knowledge of and enthusiasm for Italian wines will
further brighten the evening. Of course,
drinking 15 outstanding wines won’t hurt either. [wine survey, mid-level education] (max 45)
Oct 25 | The South shall rise… Food and Wine from South America
(Wed) | at Sampaio’s 4800
Burnet Road 469-9988 www.sampaiosrestaurant.com
| 7:00 PM, $65 members &
$75 non-members (all inclusive)
OK, we
all know that South America is supposed to be producing great wines. People ask if you’ve had that great Argentine
Malbec or that yummy Chilean Merlot, and you smile blankly. Let’s face it, unless one can grasp a sense
of what a place is about, it’s difficult to relate to the wines no matter how
good. I’ll be honest (well, at least
this once), I have sidestepped forays
into this arena because I don’t posses that comfort level either. Well, our stronger affiliation with the folks
at Twin Liquors will again pay off here; our old friend Russell Smith is coming
to the rescue to share not only his knowledge of the wines of the region but
also to convey some of the flavor of Argentina and Chile gained from his trips
to the wine country there.
And
speaking of framing the wines with the flavor of the region, we will be pairing
them with authentic South American fare.
For those who have not yet ventured to the recently revamped Sampaio’s (named after the genial owner Magna
Sampaio), you’ll find it a truly inviting space, classy and modern yet having a
comfortable and relaxed feel. The décor
is themed to portray the Brazilian flag, making this new space match the
re-energized food. The staff will be
preparing a special dinner menu, composed of items from their regular menu and
some prepared just for us; all the food should complement and accentuate the
great wines that Russell has selected:
On
Arrival - Norton "Lo Tengo" Torrontes
1st
Course - Pastel de Carne
- Brazilian pastry stuffed with spicy beeef, hearts of palm, raisins served with
spring mix
Casa
Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc & Susana Balbo "Crios" Rosé of Malbec
2nd
Course - Paella Brasileira -
Saffron seasoned rice sautéed with sausage, chicken, jumbo shrimp, carrots
& peas
La
Puerta Malbec & Montes Cabernet Sauvignon-Carmenere
3rd
Course - Picanha Grelhada
- Grilled Flat Iron steak topped with tommato vinaigrette and chimichurri
served
with fried yucca, season sauteed fresh vegetables and colorau rice
Nieto
Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz & Casa Lapostolle "Clos Apalta" (wow!)
Education, great food and wine,
and lots of fun… [theme: wine-food pairing, mid-level
education] (max 40)