One Day in Sonoma

I can’t complain about the busy life I choose to lead. It is my choice, and when weekends fly by and I can barely remember the fun I had, it is my own fault. But, sometimes I use a time crunch to my advantage. 

If there is one sacrifice to be made on a trip to Sonoma, my first trip no less, having only one day would scarcely make most people’s lists. Most destinations are like that, one day isn’t enough to do them justice, and a lifetime might never be if you leave your heart there. How did I rock one day in Sonoma?

I set out early, picking up the one day rental car at 7AM. I was staring back at the Golden Gate Bridge from Marin before 8.

Back to that trip I took with my family in 1987. The Golden Gate Bridge was one of the city sites I was especially taken with. So many people are. Definitely a point of distinction for SF, part of the charm if you will.

I leisurely made my way toward my first stop at ClineCellars. I peeled off at the first Starbucks I could find and used the WIFI to jam out my Foodbuzz Festival Day 1 post.

I arrived at Cline shortly after 10AM. I planned a trip to Cline after Maribeth Doran, their Goddess of Wine & Social Media, participated in #winechat for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Bottles of Cline’s Cashmere currently carry a pink ribbon and are linked to a donation made to Living Beyond Breast Cancer for each bottle sold. Nobody has to tell me or my family how important raising money to fight cancer is, we’ve been at it almost ten years now. It’s hard work! As a cancer survivor, fund raiser and volunteer I am dubious on some methods of raising funds, and retail promotion is one of the easily questionable methods; but I do thank organizations that support the fight and try to make their involvement worth the most with an extended relationship with a good charity. My thanks are due to the whole team at Cline for their continued involvement which has raised more than $200,000 in the fight against cancer. I heard personal stories in the tasting room, survivor to survivor even, and that means so much more on top of money raised and realities somewhere else.

Thank you Maribeth for arranging the good care I experienced during my visit. Lots of smiles and energy in the tasting room. 

One of the experiences I have had several times this year is the tasting of a blend and the varietal bottlings of the constituent wines. At Cline the Heritage Zinfandel is made of wines from the Bridgehead, Big Break and Live Oak vineyards, each expressing attributes that when blended presented much differently than expected. I am particularly taken with this type of experience because of how much creative expression can be attributed to the series of tastings and trials that winemakers go through each time they haul in grapes and try to balance how to use everything they ferment.

Cashmere is a blend of Mourvedre, Grenache and Syrah. The 2010 is still young with abundant fruit and spice. There was also a minerality component that was metallic in nature. It wasn’t a detractor from the wine per se, but it was noticeable. The wine drinks well and should see improvement over time. That’s only if the bottle I have in my cellar lasts long enough…

Something you must do if you only have one day somewhere, is move on. My trip would take me next to Rodney Strong Vineyards and my second stop of the day.

I met Robert Larsen from the Public Relations team of RodneyStrong Vineyards at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Virginia in July. The first meeting was at a tasting table and then I met him again in the evening as conference attendees met up, shared wines and networked. I had enjoyed the wines at the table earlier in the day and I was told then that there was a surprise in store for after hours. The surprise was that the Rodney Strong team had shipped along a blend deconstruction tasting (like the one at Cline) for their Symmetry blend. Based on what I said above, you figure I was pretty excited, right? Correct. Blending with friends at the counter was so much fun. The high quality of the constituent wines was abundantly clear. A range of richness, fruits and already finessed structures seemed so much for a pedestrian hangout amongst the industry set, but what the hell, we can experiment like anyone else! And, a little wine goes a long way, and we might have had a little more than a little wine….

During that trip I brought some of my homemade strawberry wine along and shared it the same night. The comment Robert made, and several others echoed that evening, is that the wine was straightforward, made well, and tasted exactly as it was described; strawberries. A thank you to all who wish to acknowledge my craft with so much as a word. It is/was an honor. During our Wine Bloggers Conference goodbyes I told Robert that I would stop by real soon and when the trip to San Francisco came to be, Rodney Strong was the first location I checked on!

I met up with Robert again during my Sonoma visit. We shared some laughs about the WBC trip and my thoughts on the wines I selected for my tasting. I had picked the 2009 Pinot Reserve, 2008 Symmetry, 2008 Alexander’s Crown Cab and the 2007 Brothers Ridge Cab. Symmetry is where my biggest interest was and this being a newer vintage from my last tasting, there were differences. The 2008 is a little hotter than I recall, but it still expressed the earthy nose and vegetal character I was expecting. One bottle for home, check! If the 2007 was any indication this wine with additional age should taste even better. Both of the Cabernet's were big wines and already drinking pleasantly. The Alexander’s Crown is unfiltered and is a touch sweet, which complements the red fruits and oak spiciness well.

Great to see you again Robert! Thank you!

I like Cabernet. I have really loved it so many times. But these days, I am finding that I dig it only when part of a mutli-grape blend. I can’t really explain why.

The rest of the day was random. I say this because my destination for lunch was picked at random as I was in pursuit of it, and my final destination of the day had been picked randomly from a list of recommendations provided through a trusted friend. Of course I had to call ahead for an appointment, but it was random nonetheless.

I found lunch at Bovolo in Healdsburg located inside of Copperfields Bookstore. As soon as I saw the description for the Zucca flatbread pizza I knew what I was having. Roasted squash, Black Pig bacon, sage leaves and ricotta salata. I’ve already recreated something like this at home just because the flavors were that well paired in this dish. Sweet squash with salty bacon and sage. Adding the crust to the action, it almost tasted like a light stuffing. The bacon pieces on the Bovolo version were huge and full of flavor.

I had to rush through lunch, although the adjacent power outlet and a phone charge was welcome, because I really didn’t have but a couple of hours and I would need to be back on the road for SF. Afterall, I was dealing with an area known for lots of highway traffic, construction and all the minutia of the modern era that goes with it.

Michel-Schlumberger was recommended to me by Jolene Bonina (Thanks Jolene and Red White Boston for linking us!) after her recent trip to help with harvest in Sonoma. I didn’t know it from any other destination on the list. That’s what being a newbie does for ya!

Michel-Schlumberger Wines is an absolutely beautiful place. The late day walk through the vineyards was a true pleasure. I snapped quite a few photos and several were the best of the trip. I didn’t take any pics of the building or the interior plaza where I enjoyed a glass of Pinot Blanc whilst waiting for the tour group to assemble. That’s a shame because it was great place to take it easy for a while. The dogs were very friendly, they know a dog person when they meet on, so I was having fun of a different sort.

The tasting menu included Pinot Blanc, Pinot, Merlot, a 1991 Cabernet, Rhone/Cab Blend and the more recent 2008 Cabernet.

The 1991 Cabernet was drinking well for the age. The tannins were a bit more aggressive than what I would have expected, but were small and clearly softening, albeit slowly. A thick salmon colored rim speaks to the age this wine already has in. The aroma is best described as dried chilies. Quite tart in the mouth. The story with it being on the tasting menu was that a newer vintage of a different wine sold out through the wine club and the 91 Cab was selected from the cellar to replace it.

The 2007 Le Sage Merlot was a wood influenced nose, is medium bodied with abundant tannins and tart red fruits. The Pinot is also notable for the length of its dry soil finish with hints of spice. I love experiencing new wines!

I had to cut my time tasting short and head back to the city and to return my rental car. I did hit traffic, of course, and was cutting it close arriving when I did; but all was well. I and my memories were home safe.

Sonoma looked exactly like I expected it to. The area north of Santa Barbara likewise looked like the agricultural and commercial area that I recall the California grape growing areas to have looked like 25 years earlier. I saw them then, I just didn’t care. I was 15 and didn’t drink, yet. That doesn’t mean there was no charm to be had. These agricultural areas also saw lots of almonds, olives and citrus orchards. All good stuff for exciting living.

Margot asked me if she would have enjoyed the places I visited on my trip. She most certainly would, and some more than others. The sub-urban and rural areas that can be found in Sonoma are much more our style and the place I could see us staying the longest. Mixing both wine travel, gourmet food and some outdoor adventure trips nearby, I think we could make a great go of the area more than once. Something to fit into the future travel plans.

I can also see how people can lose their heart in a place like Sonoma. It felt a bit like the times we have at our house in Vermont, where I leave a piece of my heart when I visit. The hours in VT are similarly casual and good food and drink isn't that far away. There definitely isn't as much wine in Vermont, but dragging along some of the cellar can make up for that!

And don't forget to check out Ancient Fire Wines on Facebook. 

Cheers!

Jason

Nov. 15th Cellar Update – 2011 Awards, Etcetera

( This my new Cellar Update photo. Shot by my college friend Josh Mazgelis. )

This has been another big year for the Ancient Fire home fermentations. Entering four competitions netted us 13 places including 3 gold medals and a first place among them! Two recent results were for the Northeast Regional Homebrew Competition and the Amenti del Vino Amateur Wine Competition. Congrats to Margot for her Third Place in Stout and our first ever win for beer! We made and won for wine, beer, cider AND mead all in the same year. That’s crushing it!

Northeast Regional Homebrew Competition 2011

First Place – 2011 Orange Vanilla Mead

Second Place – 2009 Cider #4

Third Place – Margot’s FX Stout (2011)

Amenti Del Vino Amateur 2011

Gold – 2011 Dry Creek Chardonnay

Silver – 2011 Peach After Dinner Wine

Bronze – 2011 Yakima Pinot Gris, 2010 Chilean Cab/Syrah

I posted a new page for the Ancient Fire Competition Awards. You can see an inventory of our awards by category and type plus links to the full results of all the competition’s we’ve entered. Four years and 41 medals!

Margot and I brewed again over the weekend. Margot took a shot at an Oatmeal Stout and I went with an Amber Ale with Rye. Margot and I both think the initial gravity on the stout was a bit low but will play it by the book and decide if we need to interfere later. The ryle ale smelled of moderately toasted rye bread, a good sign for the style. I’ve got an IPA Braggot to make coming up and I think putting down a sour cherry Saison might be a nice touch when the warm weather returns next year.

I cleaned through three batches of wine bottles this weekend. And I ordered some as well. We just can’t get, don’t  already have and don’t have enough time to deal with all of the ones we need. And with what we are making will need a lot of clean bottles. Time to buy some. Bottling of the remaining 2010 reds and some early 2011 wines will proceed swiftly this coming week. The 2011 Strawberry in particular needs get bottled so it can show up around the holidays as it always does!

Ancient Fire Writing from Around the Web

My article entitled SensoryPerspectives for the Dry Finish column of WineMaker Magazine is live online. In the article I review the obvious, but not as obvious as you’d think, application of sensory evaluation of wine for winemakers. I find the appreciation of this skill especially helpful for amateurs who are very much learning wine and winemaking at the same time. I’m still learning this way.

As a WineMaker Magazine blogger I have also recently shared the recipe for my Orange/Vanilla Mead, my thoughts on How Artisanal Producers & Products Can Help Us Create a Story for Our Own Creations and a report from the Finger Lakes ahead of the upcoming 2012 annual conference in Itahca. I am very much enjoying writing for an amateur winemaking/brewing making audience who can geek out on some of the things I find interesting in my projects and travels.

There are a couple of tech updates as well.

A mobile version of this blog is live. Browsing to it from your smart phone is all that is required. It was a simple change and posts now show up in a short form in a list from my Droid. I can read the posts, see the pictures and otherwise interact with the content. If your experience with the new mode is underwhelming, please let me know.

Ancient Fire Wines is on Facebook. We’ve had the page for a while and give it some care and feeding, but the traffic is quite honestly not compelling. If by my publicizing it folks want to prove this to be untrue I say bring it on.

I’ll be posting all of the California trip reports tonight so if you haven’t checked them out already you’ll be able to find them on Facebook soon! I’ve also got some Godiva swag to give away and giving Ancient Fire Wines a Like on Facebook will be one of the entry criteria. Stay tuned for that drawing to kick off next week and run into early December and thoughts of sweet treats.

Cheers!

Jason

Toronado – San Francisco, CA

Toronado is a beer bar. They have over 100 labels in stock between casked, kegged and bottles. You go there for the beer. Located on Haight Street.

Toronado is a dive in the most sincere sense. Is isn’t pretty, is just clean enough and is organized in the most utility of ways. One long bar with tables opposite and a small side room containing booths and small tables. It is what it is and because they have the kind of beer selection they do you are able to go there and have fun. I did! Margot will know what I mean when I say there “was shit all over the walls”. Shenanigans!

There was loud music playing, sports on the TV and patrons can bring the food from the shop around the way at will. It even kind of had keg party vibe, and again, in a good way.

I took a post at the end of the bar and doubled up, one pint of Pliny the Elder and one of the Sierra Nevada Torpedo. Ending with a hop explosion sounded like the best way to go out. My next adventures in the area were taking me to wine country so I needed to live it up!

The two beers are big on the hops with the Pliny taking the winner for nose. The fruity and sweet nose had a large hop presence that wasn’t as aggressive as I would have expected. The Torpedo had this biggest hop flavors but in the end the Pliny had the best balance. For a bit I just chilled out over my beers and checked out the scene.

The seats next to me filled up and I briefly met a couple of neighborhood partiers. Used to live near here, favorite place, live somewhere else now, etc. You can get pretty well in the bag around here without much effort it seems. No wonder some people love it so much.

I killed my beers and stole off into the night. Or more simply, to catch the bus. The ride back to Union Square was uneventful and the walk back to the hotel would have been if someone hadn’t tried to lift my wallet. I got to my wallet and his wrist before the damage was done. He was promptly told he didn’t want to do what he was doing and should scram. Several people in the crowd at the crosswalk echoed my feelings and he bolted. No harm came to anyone or my wallet!

I hope you enjoyed my trip around a few of the beer spots in San Francisco. There are many, I picked just a few and likely didn’t get anywhere near a list of “best of’s” if a poll was taken. But I ate and drank well, had good fun and met some pretty cool people. Not bad for a few days “work”!

Cheers!

Jason

Magnolia Brewery & Restaurant – San Francsico

As I was doing my research to find a list of brewpubs and beer bars to check out in San Fran the name Magnolia came up several times. A bit of free word association got me wondering if it was anywhere near Haight-Ashbury and the famed San Fran neighborhood that spawned the Grateful Dead. If you don’t know the connection, read on, there is nothing I can do here. To my surprise it is located on Haight street a couple blocks away from the Ashbury junction and the cute little village you will find there today. Before I popped in I had to walk up to the see the Grateful Dead house. It may seem cheesy, but as I have said in recent posts, connecting the dots in our lives for our readers create far better stories than ”look at this recipe, it’s amazing!”, or “this bottle of wine is fantastic”, and them not backing it up with any tasting notes. But I digress.

Magnolia has enough reviews for it that suggest it is one of the top tier stops for beer lovers when in town. I also found that the beer bar Toronado, heralded for its 100+ choices, was only a few blocks away from Magnolia making the trip out that way from Union Square where I was staying well worth it. I’ll share my Toronado experience in my next post.

After walking up Haight to Ashbury and back, through a few wafts of marijuana and the glut of head shops, I couldn’t help but think back to the good old days. For some there was a time when a joint and the Dead on the stereo was like milk and cookies for other people. Don’t judge.

Magnolia has a busy street corner location making the window and sidewalk seating front row center for whatever action comes along. On the bus ride out I saw a naked guy wandering around and a fight. I figured based on that shit could go down at anytime.  It was busy when I arrived but I scooted under the high bar and grabbed the one empty stool along the window. I found myself next to a lovely couple from Berkeley, who were clearly knowledgeable about beer. I picked up several recommendations for my next visit from them! The one piece of information I did seize on to is their impression of the West Coast adoration for IPAs over Belgian style beers which get more love in the East. This was a new consideration for me, I’m equal opportunity, and one I will delve into a bit more later in this post.

As is tradition I went for the sampler which included six brews of my choosing in a nifty triangular carrier, all served in tall cylindrical glasses for a touch of distinction.

Kolsch

4.7% ABV

Light gold color and clear. Lightly toasted grains in the nose. Mildly bitter early in finish, finishes dry.

Rosebud

7.0% ABV

Orange/gold color. Sweet, floral aroma. Brewed with rose buds. Finishes sweet with fruit from beginning to end. This was the first beer I recommended to the new folks to the table.

Proving Ground IPA

7.0% ABV, 100 IBU

Gold/orange color, minimal head. Abundant floral aromatics. Very bitter and light in body. More hop flavor than malt flavor as expected. This is a big hoppy beer, but drinks light with fruits and flowers as the predominant aromas/flavors.

Barking Pumpkin

Medium brown color with amber notes. Tan head, sits up good. Moderately spiced nose, squash flesh also obvious. Medium bodied and savory flavors in the mouth. Sweet malts, lightly roasted. Toasted bread is predominant. A bit of alcohol in the finish. Solid rendition of a pumpkin, spiced beer.

Blue Bell Bitter

4.5% ABV

Toasted malts in the nose and mouth. Straightforward bitter. Hops are subtle, not much influence on flavor.

Dark & Mild

Medium brown colored ale. Moderately toasted malts with a clean and lightly bittered finish. I am starting to get this style more and more.

The Rosebud was my favorite and mentions are due for the IPA and the Dark & Mild. 

The crowd turned over a bit as I moved through my sampler and two new arrivals grabbed seats being vacated right across the bar from me. They were also from out of town, Portland, Oregon specifically, and were in town to see a show. Looking back at my notes who the artist was is the one thing I didn’t get, and they mentioned it several times. It was either the beer or the nostalgia at work here.

I did get their names and not long after making their acquaintance I pegged them for the fun loving types. When Arin (right in pic below) ordered the Crackerjack Bacon for her and Rachael I took the opportunity to ask for them to pose with it for a picture. Cheers! And yes, it is literally Crackerjacks reheated with bacon. And it is surprisingly rich! The salty bacon with the caramel popcorn is as freaking sinful as you might imagine. I’m gonna be making this for my next party, Sandra Lee be damned! Sandra Lee didn’t really come up with this as far as I know, that is just a little inside joke for Shannon who had shared good laughs with over the weekend. I hope she’s reading.

After I got home I did a bit of cursory research and the West Coast is hoppy beer heaven idea is commonly held and demonstrated. Not new of course, I just hadn’t ever given the stylistic differences between the coasts into consideration. I found lots of styles of beer in the local haunts, but there was a considerable representation from IPAs and hopped up beers. I drink them all so this only makes it more interesting to try the local styles when on the road.

I ordered the Cubano with Fries for dinner. Can’t beat a Cuban sandwich and beer! On my bus ride back to the hotel I was chatting up a couple of partiers and one of them mentioned that the food at Magnolia was particularly good for a brewpub and that the Cubano was his favorite thing. I guess I picked a winner. The pork on the sandwich was tender as it should be and the ham was salty and full of flavor. Served on fresh bread with crunchy pickles it was just the thing to balance out the beers. I hadn’t eaten since 10:30 (and it was 6:30 or so now) on the count of the gluttony from the Foodbuzz Festival farewell brunch. I ordered the Chocolate George Stout to go with my meal having killed off the beer sampler right before my sandwich arrived. The beers were doing their thing to be sure, including my forgetting to take a picture of the sandwich. The fries were pretty straightforward, pleasantly salted and hot. I’d come back to Magnolia for the food, and then stay for a beer or three.

The George’s Chocolate Stout pours as black as night with a light brown head. The aromatics were of roasted malts and just a little bit of chocolate and coffee. The chocolate flavor was quite subtle and yet another example for us to consider when we attempt to make a beer in this style again. The finish is clean and it transitions to slightly sweet to dry by the end.

The crowd thinned out a bit and a gentlemen in from Arkansas joined us. I didn’t catch his name (you sort of see what kind of night this was turning into), and Danny from the band Scars on 45 saddled up a short time later. As Danny got to know the group around him he realized I was taking notes and asked “what are you a fucking journalist or something” with his killer British accent. Yes, in fact I am a fucking journalist, and damn glad to meet someone who can make the work fuck sound so fucking good! He and the band were in town for a show. If only I had more time. I’m betting I could have maximized that meeting. 

We had some great laughs, all of the out-of-towners appeared to be making a better go of it than the locals, and after finishing my beer I took my leave and headed out into the night. I forwent the bus in favor of a 15 minute walk to work some of my buzz off. Up next, Toronado!

Cheers!

Jason

Rouge Pub – San Francisco

I know Rogue is from Oregon and not San Francisco or even California, but I am rarely able to get their beers on tap so I had to make a stop. You can find the Rogue Pub on Union Street in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco.

My nose was pretty stuffed up when I arrived as the cool weather in SF was wreaking havoc on my sinuses, so my tasting notes are somewhat incomplete. I do what I can, and somebody HAS to taste all the beers in the world so I persist!

I took to the sampler again, actually two this time! Any four Rogue ales from the tap for $8. A good deal by me.

Flight 1

Chamomellow

Golden ale brewed with Chamomile.

Golden color and hazy. Short white head. Chamomile influence is subtle, but having made a wine with it recently I was able to pick it out. Nice and smooth, with a moderately bitter finish. Minimal hop in both the nose and mouth. This didn’t kill it for me, but there was nothing wrong with it.

Dead Guy

Maibock

Gold/orange color, slight haze. Light, sweet malts, gentle dried fruit essence in the mouth. Moderate bitterness with malty, bready finish. This is a full bodied beer with pleasant flavors and serious drinkability.

Buckman Village Brewery Black Saison
Black Saison

Molasses in the nose and mouth. Also a bit of coffee and brown spices. Medium brown color and clear. Very light in body.

Brutal “Bitter” IPA

Imperial Bitter

Huge nose full of hops. Citrus, resin and floral aromas are wrapped together. Medium bodied and moderately bitter with long hop laden finish. I didn’t feel that the word “brutal” in the name fit my impression of the beer, but then again I like hoppy beers!

Flight 2

John-John Whiskey Barrel Aged Dead Guy

Barrel Aged Maibock

Considerable differences from the traditional version. Lots of fruit, a bit sour and more orange in the color. Even more enjoyable in my opinion than the classic.

Hazelnut Brown Nectar

Brown Ale

Lots of hazelnut in the mouth. Starts out a bit sweet, but finishes dry. Low carbonation. The nut flavors swim along the finish which is quite nice.

Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout

Stout

Dark, dark brown and opaque. Smooth and slightly sweet. Nicely balanced with a long clean finish.

Double Chocolate Stout
Stout

Tons of chocolate in the nose. Dark, dark brown and opaque. Sweet malts with balanced bitterness. Long chocolate and coffee finish. Very smooth and clean.

Going Rogue

The barrel aged Dead Guy was my favorite of the lighter beers and the Double Chocolate Stout was inspiring to me for what it helped me understand about what we can do with this style at home. We know we need to work on our chocolate stout and this is pretty good example to work from.

The Rogue Brewery is on my list of places to visit when I am in OR for #WBC12 next August. It is a bit of a ride but that’s what the extra days are for!

Cheers!

Jason

Foodbuzz Festival Farewell Brunch & San Francisco Sights

All good things always come to an end and thus the Third Annual Foodbuzz Festival came to a close with one final spread at Perry’s onthe Embarcadaro. Godiva was the sponsor and they were pouring their own coffee and had gifts bags (or two!) for everyone.

My mission of meeting new people had been accomplished and I cemented that at brunch by meeting a few others. We even talked about the fact that making a small number of connections that would convert in a few new faithful blog readers or Twitter friends was a worthy return.

Miriam Wlicox from Sometimes I Veg, and another NH representative of the Foodbuzz Community, found me and we got to chatting about the sessions the day before. She had run a half marathon with a friend that morning and missed the sessions so I was filling her in on what she missed.

We also talked about the fumble with the vegetarian/vegan food options for the formal meals over the prior two days. During that conversation Miriam floated the idea, which I elaborated upon in my second Foodbuzz Festival Day 2 post today, that it might have made more sense for Foodbuzz to have tried to have the meal for everyone be vegan, the lowest common denominator if you will. If you read my post you will note that I thought that would be a great idea despite being an unabashed omnivore.

I also met Aubrey King (I Talk to Food) & Ilana Freddye Pulda (Whisked. Eat Your Heart Out) at the breakfast table. They were both strategizing on which restaurants to try before leaving town Millennium and Tartine were both in play. Part way into chatting Morgan and Tiffany of Strudel & Streusel took the empty seats the the table. Lots of sharing. Travel spots, cooking school (Aubrey & Ilana met there), the cheese fest underway, the coffee, which was brewed strong the way I like it, and laughs from the weekend. It's what I came for.

Breakfast was a cheese-a-palooza, and that was fine by me! Some handmade sausage patties, crispy thick cut bacon, French toast, a berries & granola bite, a deviled egg and coffee I was done and I didn’t eat again for 8 hours!

Miriam and I departed Perry’s and headed towards public transit. She was heading back to meet her friends where she was staying and I wasn't sure yet what my next move was gonna be. I can’t wait to invite Miriam to come check out what we do for wine tastings. Since we cook many dishes that vegetarians and more so flexitarians can eat, I think she would have fun both bringing something and sampling what everyone else was doing. I realized afterwards that Miriam and I never got a picture together. The little things I guess! She lives a couple towns over so seeing her somewhere out this way is pretty likely.

I decided on the Ferry Building next. I was pretty sure I was going to have to go before I left and I figured that if I was full I wouldn’t buy any food that I didn’t have time to eat or couldn’t take home. There are so many reasons to come back to this city in that build both those you can enjoy on site and those to go. A wine bar, coffee bar, shops with every type of produce, meat, cheese, bread and dessert, you could really go nuts in there for a couple of meals!

Take a stroll with these photos.

A South Park reference for Margot!

I had some of all of those sips and eats over the weekend, and more. And I loved it!

The Ferry Building is a must do when I come back, especially with a hotel suite where some snack prep is possible. I next headed back to the hotel, dropped my swag off at UPS and out towards The Rogue Brewpub and Fisherman’s Wharf.

Yeah, I walked. Needed to...

The Rogue review will come out tomorrow, but for now I am going to retrace some steps from nearly 25 years ago.

Back in 1987 when I travelled to the West Coast with my family we stayed in San Fran for a few days. I remember coming out to Pier 39 and the wharf to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the sea lions and the shops. I found them all right where I left them. It was a lot of fun. I called my parents on the bus ride as I was leaving to remind them of the trip. Here were my 2011 sights.

San Francisco is a beautiful city with everything that is said about cities all blended into one. While it has its own charms it is like so many other cities, including Boston where I work. Margot asked me if she would like San Francisco and of course I think she would. A couple of days to do the tourist thing for us would be the right fit for a long trip with wine country and the National Parks also included. Something to dream of!

Cheers!

Jason

Foodbuzz Festival Day 2 – Food, Food, Food and Drink!

Day Two of the Foodbuzz Festival brought a food frenzy that challenged me and my stomach nearly to ruin. I ate a lot. I drank a lot. But I also walked around a lot and did what I could do to deal with it. It goes with the territory I guess.

After the content sessions were at an end busses moved us on to the Metreon for the Tasting Pavilion and a sizable assemblage of vendors looking to share their products with the Foodbuzz Community.

I arrived early and started to wander up the block and ran into Jen from Tiny Urban Kitchen. Jen and I are local to each other back in New England, but had yet to meet. I stopped and introduced myself. With nowhere else to go we set off for a walk around the block to share stories and kill time. Within a few minutes I could see why Jen is so successful. She is knowledgeable, has a quick wit and is very personable. I’m so glad I stopped to say hi. Thanks Jen!

While I was standing in line waiting to get into the Tasting Pavilion I joked that I was all set because I was going to head for the drinks first and since everyone else was going to swarm the food tables I wouldn’t have to wait in line. That was not a joke and it turned out to be as true as my gut told me it would be when I said it.

My first stop was to the Dry Creek Wines table. I was heading up to the Sonoma on Monday, and would be visiting Michel Schlumberger located in Dry Creek, but anytime I can try new wines I am up for the challenge. With nobody else at the table I slowly worked through the wines available.

I tasted several Sauvignon Blancs and Zinfandels from 3 or 4 different producers. Both the un-oaked and lightly oak Sauv Blancs were bright and refreshing, with one in particular channeling a good deal of green pepper. The Zins presented a range from juicy and fruit forward to more austere and Old World in style. I realized that I threw the marketing materials from the event in with my swag that got sent home via UPS so I don’t have the names of the producers on hand.

I mixed up the food and drinks from there on. Here is a photo journal of the highlights.

Alaska Seafod Surimi Seafood Lettuce Cups

Halibut and Caramelized Onion Croquettes with Fig Dijonaise. This was one of the most flavorful items I had all afternoon. Can't go wrong with breaded seafood. I didn't realize until I read it in her recap post that Kelly from The Pink Apron crafted this recipe and had been handing them out at the table. Click for her recipe.

OXO and kitchen gadgets galore! When I first walked up just as they were asking a trivia 

question to give away a prize. I hadn't heard the question but had to pick true or false. 

I picked true and won an egg beater. I never found out what the question was!

Mike Kohne of Mercy Wines. I tasted his Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.

The wines come from Monterey County which is clearly emerging as another

quality West Coast wine growing region.Thanks Mike!

Ashley (The Beer Wench) of Bison Organic Beer was a real hoot! And the Chocolate Stout was well made with solid & rich, but not overpowering chocolate flavor. Another example to tuck away for home brewing projects!

The folks at Drink of the Week had punch and gin & tonics on hand. Both were made with the Bloom Gin. The punch was a riff on the Drink of the Week drink the Bee's Knees that contains lemon, honey and gin. It was a very refreshing drink with the right balance of booze, sour and sweet. Nicely played!

Fentimans's Sodas. I have used their Ginger Beer for Dark 'n Stormy's many times, but had

never seen their other products around. Their non-alcoholic Shandy soda really did taste like

lemonade and beer, just without the kick. I'll be looking for their other products now!

And of course 21st Amendment Brewing. I enjoyed their brews three times over the weekend, and had something different each time. The Allies Win The War is a collaboration brew with Ninkasi Brewing in Oregon. Fashioned from Strong Ale recipes from each brewery, fresh dates and Northwestern hops, this beer is serious business. It is malty & full bodied beer with considerable sweetness and a long, rich finish.

Vanessa Moses doing her thing for Alexia Foods. 

Tyler Florence meeting, greeting and signing books and photos. I didn't wait in line to meet him. 

I left that to the professionals... 

 There were many others tablethat I didn't get pictures at. Several additional notable products were from:

• Rosemary & Sea Salt Walnuts from California Walnuts. Gonna be making these with the fresh dried rosemary!
• Girl & the Fig - Sonoma country restaurant with concentrated and full fruit fig based products. Several of the spreads complimented a roast pork bite they had on the table.
• Vignette Wine Country Soda - I had never thought about naturally fermenting wine grape juice into soda until I had this product. Something new for me to try next year. And low in sugar so they aren't as bad for you as other options.
• Australian Lamb - Lamb isn't something I have that often so I was curious to taste some. The meat was soft and flavorful with just enough of that gameyness that meats beyond beef are known for. I asked how likely it was that I would be able to get Australian lamb at home and it turns out quite a few large grocery chains carry it. Something to look for.

After the tasting pavilion event I headed back to my hotel to relax off some of the food and drink.

During cocktail hour I caught up with Rufus McLain and Pete Spande from Federated Media. Pete and I talked wine for a little while. Jonas from Drink of the Week joined us and of course the convo about alcohol continued. We talked a about punch, the punch bowl flowed earlier in the day, and how it is a hot topic right now. Socializing over a bowl of punch is not new, but it might just save us from boring parties in the 21^st century.

Tyler Florence anchored the gala dinner with a cooking demonstration. He certainly got an appetite whipped up and with nothing to eat on the table I was feeling the beer and wine more than I had wished. I hadn’t eaten during cocktail hour in favor of some good conversation over drinks. Bad choice, this time.

I actually felt bad for Tyler. A good portion of the audience was yapping away while he was demonstrating and entertaining us. But just like the modern movie-going experience it seems like a lot of people don’t act with courtesy and respect in public anymore. Their behavior and it’s reflection on them stands on its own.  

The demonstration was exciting to me primarily because I was watching a celebrity chef in person. I am not as much of a foodie as a lot of the other Foodbuzzers so this type of activity doesn’t really jazz me up the same way. The innuendo-laden tweets during the demonstration were hilarious and I had to jump in and bring dough balls back in from the morning. Despite tweets about Tyler’s meat nobody bit on my balls. I mean the tweets about my balls. No, wait, I mean, whatever!

By the time dinner was half over I was bugging out over all the usages of fantastic and amazing to describe some of the items from the tasting pavilion and dinner itself. Fantastic? Really? What are we trying to say here?

Dinner was catered by the hotel. It wasn’t gourmet and if you had it at a wedding you’d probably bitch, but it would be the same food. Furthermore I felt bad for Alexia because their fries were mangled by the kitchen. If anyone from Alexia is reading this and wants to send me some samples I promise this much, I will cook them correctly, serve them to friends that I have requested objective feedback from and will share what comes of it. Your products deserve at least that much and I am truly sorry that I couldn’t say more while I was at the festival. Shit happens!

So here’s the deal. There are several words that MUST be immediately retired from the food blogger vocabulary. They mean nothing and they are too easy for us to use in order to be part of something when we really have nothing to say. Those words are:

• Fantastic
• Amazing
• Incredible
• Awesome

What I propose instead is that food & beverage bloggers try to delve into their senses a little bit and express what they are smelling and tasting rather than generically branding something as “good”. Some people will cry foul that this is the domain of trained writers. Let me clue you in, it’s called thinking. Try it some time. Writers take thinking to the next step in something called creative expression. You can try that on anytime you want as well. I promise it won’t hurt.

Do I think I am any good at this? Not really, but I know the difference and expect more from myself. I can’t sit idly by while the community I am happy to be part of floats along so much unoriginal and unexpressive communication in play. We ALL need to up our game! I’ll take my medicine along with everyone else. That’s why I think it’s fair for me to say what I’m saying.

I tweeted the following about dinner:

“The food was ok. There is nothing outright bad to say, but that doesn't say much. Catered food is tough, but it can still be good.”

I really didn't have a problem with what I was served. I didn't have any expectations so it could have gone higher but the fact that it didn't is fine. I could have said it was amazing to be nice, but why? What I did say conveyed the reality in front of me and being nice just to be nice is so over. In the end I was distracted with conversation and meeting new people so I didn't really care much about the food.

The one topic I got involved in at dinner and continued conversations about through brunch the next day was the vegetarian/vegan meal for the Saturday dinner. Just so we are clear, I am an omnivore, I’ll eat anything. I have tried some foods, not liked them and will not likely eat them again but that is a preference, not a lifestyle nor medically necessary.

Based on what I saw the catering staff and kitchen were not well prepared to serve as many “alternative” meals as was needed. That’s too bad because Foodbuzz asked about people’s preferences and in the asking there is an expectation. So what should be done?

One idea, thanks Miriam, is to serve a vegan meal to everyone. But why? There are several reasons. First off, it would be cost effective. Buying in bulk for any catered meal keeps the cost manageable and the more the better. Serving the same meal to all maximizes that idea. On top of that consider the creative challenge doing this would represent, and the uniqueness of the meal that could have been presented. It would have gotten everyone talking, even the omnivores like me. Finally it would have been logistically simpler. Cut out the confusion for service. Something for next year and I hope someone from Foodbuzz sees this and considers the idea.

Dessert came and again it was omnivore-centric. I was feeling a bit militant for my underfed peers at this point. Again, there was nothing wrong with dessert, it just didn't inspire me.

My alternative was a bottle of Kurt’s Apple Pie from Moonlight Meadery. It was the dessert in place of dessert that I needed. And my tablemates (Devaki, Greg, Kelly, Shannon and Vanessa) seemed to be agreement. In my opinion it is one of the finest adult beverages being produced in the state of New Hampshire right now and I poured it with that assertion. Vanessa Moses (The Cooking Chicks Chicago) responded to my NH references with, “I've never met anyone who throws down so much for New Hampshire”. Well, we rock. If you’ve never thrown down with anyone from New Hampshire you really haven’t lived. “Live Free or Die” is our motto and quite honestly nobody does it like us! Seriously.

A big thank you is due to Foodbuzz, the sponsors and all of my fellow participants for creating such a fun weekend. I’ve offered my critical feedback and I've also shared my stories of what I enjoyed and the fun I had meeting new people. Good and not so good all wrapped up together. See, I used a meaningless word again, good, but I think you get my point.

And I have to put the following photo in just so Greg can leave me a comment asking me why the hell I did it! Sometimes things just have to be done…

We were having fun and when the work is done that is what it is all about!

Cheers!

Jason