Summer of Riesling Pairing – Chilean Sea Bass & Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling

The 2011 Summer of Riesling is winding down, but I’m not quite finished yet! This week I paired the Chateau Ste. Michelle (CSM) 2009 Dry Riesling with a pan roasted Chilean Sea Bass for some late-summer magic.

Dry Rieslings are very versatile wines, pairing well with a wide range of flavors and textures. Without the sugar of their more casual drinking oriented peers these wines are easy partners with savory dishes that don’t go too heavy on sauces or earthy flavors. I wouldn’t try to put a dry Riesling up against a steak or pasta dishes with lots of red sauce, but I would go out on a limb with spices, white wine braises, salads and as I did this week, fish.

I had never had the Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling before opposed to being no stranger to their sweeter wines. The standard CSM off-dry Columbia Valley Riesling is the first wine that both my wife and I can remember drinking together who knows how many years ago! We visited CSM in 2010 during our extended trip out west for the WineMaker Magazine conference in Stevenson, WA. Moving beyond the Rieslings we found single vineyard gems like the Wahluke Slope Syrah and the Canoe Ridge Merlots, including the Ethos Reserve Merlot that really knocked my socks off. I’ve enjoyed both the Indian Wells Cabernet and Eroica Riesling several times, and highly recommend all of these wines if you want to see what CSM brings to the table as a winery.

The wine pours a light gold color and brilliantly clear. It offers up peach and tropical notes in the nose, with a hint of petrol to round it out. In the mouth I picked up much more peach and citrus, with the citrus riding along for the finish. I did experience some sulfur aromatics during a few sips, but it wasn’t consistent. The wine is nearly dry with 0.76% residual sugar so just a touch of sweetness comes through if you focus on it.

Preparing Chilean Sea Bass at home was another first for me. This could also be the first time I have ever had it as well, but I can’t specifically remember whether I have had it or not, so I won’t make that claim.

The preparation of the fish was dreadfully simple. I started by slicing half of a white onion, half of a red pepper and thinly slicing two small garlic cloves.  I also preheated the oven to 450 degrees. The veggies were sautéed in an oil coated pan just until they began to wilt. I deglazed the pan with dry sherry and then added vegetable stock, salt and pepper, cooking it until it thickened. While the sauce thickened I heated a cast iron skillet over medium high heat with a tablespoon of oil until it just started to smoke. I salted and peppered the clean fish and placed it in the skilled skin side down for 4 minutes. After four minutes I flipped it, allowing it to sear for 1 minute longer. I then transferred it to the hot oven for about 2 minutes until the fish was a healthy golden brown. To serve the fish I placed half of the vegetable mixture on each of two plates, laying ½ of the fish on top of the vegetables. I light dusting of salt and pepper is all that was required to season it to taste.

The fish melted in my mouth like butter and the nuance from the sherry and stock in the vegetables was a killer combination. The wine accented this dish with the fruit flavors and a touch of acid to make everything pop. I honestly believe this is one of the best food and wine pairings I have ever executed, one I will look forward to repeating and riffing on in time.

Next week brings the end of this ride for 2011, but not without some renewal . On Wednesday I am going to taste and share the Inniskillin Riesling Ice wine for my sweet finish. I’ve had this wine before and drool every time I think about having it again. On Thursday I am going to participate in the Riesling Hour virtual event which heralds the arrival of the 2010 vintage of Finger Lakes Riesling. Having just returned from the Finger Lakes I have several 2010 bottles to choose from when I go to raise my glass!

Cheers!

Jason

Six Rosés for Summer

With the official end of summer a little less than three weeks away, folks in cool climates are packing in as many warm-weather activities into each day as possible. Most wine drinkers associate Rosé wines with summer, and while I generally agree, I think their value as aperitif and conversational wines for all seasons is grossly understated.

Nonetheless, I will review them as a last vestige of my 2011 summer when the days are hot and the nights are just beginning to cool, providing plenty of pleasant, relaxing evenings for smooth jazz and crisp wines.

TastingRoom.com provides some interesting flights in tasting size bottles. It’s a novelty and not a great choice on an environmental basis, but the opportunity to taste six new wines in one shot is pretty compelling.

Kelly & Young 2010 “Kathleen Rose” Rosé

This wine smells like a light red wine, not a rosé. Flavors or strawberry and dry island fruits come across on the palate with a bit of citrus on the finish. This wine is dry but with a moderate body such that the fruit comes across just this side of dry. The tasting notes describe this wine as Meritage blend made in a

rosé style, a first for me. The nose presenting itself as a lighter red wine makes a lot of sense with this knowledge.

Swanson 2010 Rosato

From the first sniff I picked up melon and flowers. I also picked up hints of wild yeast and minerality in the nose. This wine tastes like dried rose petals with a dry, focused mid-palate with a bit of spice through the finish. The color of this wine is much like my own Strawberry wine, with a shift to orange from pink and red. This wasn’t the first Sangiovese-based Rosé I have had, but definitely the best.

Blackbird 2010 Arriviste Rosé

The prominent class of aroma for this wine would be grape leaves and greens. Cherry and pear flavors come through on the palate. This was the most brilliantly clear of all six wines with a very pink color, that required a second look.

Dry Creek Vineyard 2010 “Petite Zin” Rosé

As opposed to the previous wine this wine had a purple/pink color with a much darker tone to it. The aroma of currants fills the nose. This is a very full bodied rose with a spiciness to it that is impossible to miss. It is dry with a moderate length finish. Made from Zinfandel grapes.

Carol Shelton 2010 “Rendezvous” Rosé

The nose of this wine has a savory element to it, and I finally seized on herbs, but can’t be sure that is really it. The wine is medium-dry, very flavorful with a moderate to full body. The fruit flavors in this wine are very tart which made me think of cranberry and very tart citrus fruits. Made from the juice bled from Carignane grapes not long after crush.

L’Aventure 2010 Estate Rose

The color on this wine was a step down from the previous wines. The nose is full of greens and herbs. It is medium dry with tart fruits like melon and unripe peach. Made from a blend of Syrah and Cabernet.

After tasting all of these wines I was left wondering why we really only focus on this style during the warm weather. The range of wines presented in the sampler kit offers considerable nuance and distinction within the Rosé style allowing for plenty of thoughtful consumption, and at any time of year. Using these as cocktail wines or icebreakers seems like a slam dunk with the plentiful fruit and parallels to the full bodied red wines of which they are related. 

With that in mind I look forward to cracking some Rosé in the winter time and checking the look on my friends’ faces when I serve a wine that would seem out of season. Once they take a sip though, all that fuss will fade away!

Cheers!

Jason

A Taste of “The Other 46” for the 2011 Summer of Riesling

At the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference participants had the chance to taste wines from “The Other 46”, which is this case was open to wines from states other than California, Washington, Oregon and New York. I seized on this opportunity and tasted as many of them as I could. Wines from Missouri, Ohio, Maryland, Texas, Indiana and our host state Virginia were poured. To me this was the ultimate experience of exploration, tasting wine from states that have a local reach that I might not otherwise easily have the chance to try.

It was with the above approach that efforts from both my mother (thanks Mom!) and I culminated in the organization of an Other 46  / Summer of Riesling tasting of wines at home. I exempted my own state, NH, swapping it out for New York in lining up wines, with the states of New York, Michigan and Connecticut represented in our tasting. As I mentioned in my recent posts from my one-day vacation to Maine, I was not successful procuring Riesling from  that state, and slow progress in sourcing Riesling from MA, RI and VT means that I am at risk of not finishing my tour of New England for Summer of Riesling, but I’m trying!

No casual wine tasting is complete without some snacks. As you can see from the picture below, we did pretty good this time! Parmesan, Grafton Village Cheese Smoked Cheddar and Berkshire Blue were paired with peaches, strawberries, apples and crusty bread for a wide range of earthy and fruit flavors to pair with the wines.

The first wine was the Sharpe Hill 2005 Dry Riesling from Connecticut. The nose had a petrol element to it that I was quite surprised to find in a Riesling made outside Europe where I typically detect that aroma. I also found green apple aromas with hints of minerality. This wine is steely and stony on the palate, with minimal fruit. I conclude that the wine is showing its age, but hasn’t yet reached a place where I could say it is flawed. The finish is dry, of moderate length containing some citrus notes. This was the wine I felt has the most pronounced nose, and one I would recognize as a Riesling hands down.

I included my homemade 2008 Riesling/Gewurztraminer blend as a reference wine. Aromas of slate and sulfur were immediately found. In the mouth the wine has peach flavor, is off-dry and has a short finish. This wine is past its prime and isn’t really worth drinking.

The next wine was the Dr. Konstantin Frank 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling from the Finger Lakes region of New York State. I found both apricot and herbs in the nose. The wine is slightly sweet with the flavors of peach and citrus, where the citrus builds and lingers along the finish. The acidity in the finish makes the wine much more refreshing than the early part of the taste might suggest. This was the wine with the best balance of the three wines tasted.

The last wine was the Chateau Grand Traverse 2010 Late Harvest Riesling from Michigan. Aromas of dried fruits, orange blossoms and spices emanate from the glass. There is also a bit of a wild aroma to the wine, similar to ice wines made from Riesling grapes. Flavors of orange and peach are wrapped some residual sugar that comes off much drier than I expected it to be. There is an acidity that comes in at the beginning of the finish, but it trails off long before the flavors do.

The more Rieslings I taste the more I want to try them from as many places where it is made. Do you have a favorite Riesling that isn’t made in CA, WA or OR? Leave a comment with the name, vintage and state of origin. Who knows, I might just seek it out and try it before the end of summer!

Cheers!

Jason

Chicken & Squash Curry with Riesling, a Summer of Riesling Pairing

Food and wine pairing is fun to do in an experimental way because you never know what is going to happen and you have to be ready for both success and failure. Luckily a came out on the success side with this pairing for my enjoyment of the 2011 Summer of Riesling.

I included the Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve 2009 Riesling based on my past experiences with their Grand Reserve Chardonnay and expectations that they produce equally enjoyable Rieslings. That’s a risk in itself, but one that as I alluded to above, I was prepared to be on either side of. As it has been with quite a few of my Summer of Riesling wines, the wine is accessible to many and has a reasonable price point, $11.99 at my local store, making it a solid everyday recommendation.

Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve 2009 Riesling

Dry stone, apricot and tropical notes in the nose. Very light on the palate, sweet but not very at all. On the palate I picked up citrus flowers and a spicy element that moves back and forth between spices (ginger, cinnamon and the like) and minerality. The finish is smooth and clean. Overall none of the elements of the wine are pushy so a balance is there making it a very approachable wine.

The wine is not a 100% varietal bottling, and has Chardonnay, Gewurtraminer, Viognier and Muscat Canelli also in the mix. An interesting blend to be sure. KJ doesn’t bottle a straight Riesling which if available would be interesting to contrast with this wine.

The next chance I took was attempting a pairing without having had the wine yet. That’s where the fun comes in. I knew it had some residual sugar so using spices in the dish it would be paired with was the first thing that came to mind.

How about a Chicken & Squash Curry? The Indian spices would offer that zippy vector and the creamy, slightly sweet squash would get a boost from the fruit and sugar in the wine. Here’s the recipe I pulled together from several ideas and some of past experiences with making Indian food at home.

Chicken & Squash Curry

For chicken preparation:

1 lb boneless chicken, cubed

½ tsp ground allspice

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsp olive oil

Dash of salt

Dash of black pepper

For the curry:

1 large white onion, chopped

1 large red pepper, chopped

2 inch piece of ginger, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

½ jalapeno, minced

4 Tbps butter

½ Orange Buttercup Squash, peeled, cleaned & cubed

1 Tbsp curry powder

2 tsp Garam Masala

1 tsp Thai fish sauce

1 Tbsp lime juice

1 can light coconut milk

4 oz pineapple juice

2 cups vegetable broth

1 Tbsp cornstarch & water to mix

2 Tbsp cilantro paste

6 servings of Basmati rice cooked with water and 2 Tbsp cumin seeds

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Begin to brown the chicken in the oil. Add the spices and cook until no pink is visible and spices are fragrant. Remove from heat

Melt the butter in a large pot, add the onion, pepper, ginger, and garlic. Sautee until the onions begin to brown. Add the jalapeno, squash, curry powder, Garam Masala, fish sauce, lime juice and toss to coat. Add the coconut milk, pineapple juice and broth. Increase the heat to bring the curry to a boil. Once boiling add the chicken and reduce the heat to med-low and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Some of the liquid will boil off and the curry will begin to thicken. Add the cornstarch and water and increase the heat to continue to thicken it. Cook for another 10 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and mix in the cilantro paste. Serve over the hot rice with Indian flatbread and/or appetizer items like Pakora and Samosa.

The pairing of the curry and the wine really did work. Here’s why. Both the wine and food retained their unique attributes when taken together with neither of them getting smothered by the other. The spices in the curry and the sweetness in the wine were balanced against each other. The amount of black pepper (in the Garam Masala too), use of standard non-spicy curry powder and restraint on the jalapeno produced a mild curry where a good deal of spice came from the ginger. I think the limited residual sugar of the wine found a good home here. The fruit in the wine tasted great up against the meaty flesh of the squash which had gotten soft but wasn’t outright falling apart. The manageable acidity and clean finish of the wine helped with the creamy density in the curry from both the coconut milk and the squash.

A success! I was very happy with this pairing experiment and even if it hadn’t gone well, both the food and the wine have considerable merit on their own so nothing would have been lost in this.

Are you enjoying the Summer of Riesling? If not, consider taking a Riesling for a spin over the Labor Day Weekend. There are so many to choose from and quite a few aren’t the simple plonk that Riesling’s reputation often suggests.

Cheers!

Jason

The Last Throes of Summer - Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

( A great place to sit at sunset, too bad it was cloudy at picture time! )

* This wine was the recommendation I contributed to today's (9/1/2011) post 12 Most Fabulous Wines to Enjoy Now For Under $20 at 12most.com which was coordinated by my wine blogger friend Marie Payton at www.lifeofvines.com. Click the link above to see the other 11 recommendations.

The sun is dipping ever more quickly at the end of each day now in New England. Summer is fleeting. While we hang on to those warm days our summer drinking habits still reign, and the Kim Crawford 2010 Sauvignon Blanc is a wine with summer written all over it!

Light in body with aromas of tropical fruit, herbs and a crispness that begins to quench with the first sip, this wine can help make your warm weather occasion the most it can be.

But all may not be well. It’s almost like I’ve gotten two different wines (both labeled as the most recent vintage) in my last two outings with the Kim Crawford 2010 Sauvignon Blanc.

My most recent tasting, for this post, was of an herbal, bell pepper driven Sauvignon Blanc with limited fruit in the nose and a just bit more on the palate. This was not what I expected. The wine is sound and pleasant to drink, but with a different profile than I have experienced before. I can see this wine working in the place I have in mind for it, because it is refreshing when cold, but without the tropical notes up front it just doesn’t have as strong of a link to summer. I have another bottle on hand and can’t wait to see what it holds.

My prior tasting was at the Firegrill in Montreal with Margot and her family as we celebrated the life of their uncle who had lived better than most people ever hope they could. Maybe the wine tasted better as I rode high on emotions, BUT it was different! The aroma on it was huge, slightly floral and definitely tropical. There was a touch more acid in this one than the most recent, and the finish was a bit more flavorful as well. This is the version I recall from two prior tastings. It was summer in Montreal and the warm walk back to the Grand Seminary with a bit of spring in my step from the refreshing wine was therapeutic.

This wine was sourced from my local state run liquor store for $17.99.

As we grasp the last days of another summer what are you drinking? Have you already thought of switching gears for the cooler days ahead?

Cheers!

Jason

Mixing Up the Virginia Reds

After my small and incomplete survey of red wines from Virginia for #WBC11 I was left with the impression that some the varietal offerings were one dimensional and not significantly interesting or complex on their own. I certainly didn’t taste wines from a huge number of Virginia wineries, but I did have wines from several regions in the state and from different years making my impressions workable, but not comprehensive. Contrasting my conclusions with my impressions of the Bordeaux and Meritage blends I tasted I couldn’t stop thinking that more of the blends would be a better application for these red wines. Supporting this idea beyond the tasting notes previously published is the subject of this post.

Historically the blending of wines has been taken for granted as the path to exceptional wines. The Oxford Companion to Wine states “Almost all of the world’s finest wines are made by blending the contents of different vats and different barrels” in the first paragraph of the entry entitled “blending.” The opening sentence of that same entry infers that the practice is “more distrusted than understood”, which is clear from the share of mystery and myth I’ve experienced surrounding the method. 

I won’t get into how you blend wine, I am assuming folks have blended liquids before and get the mechanical concepts, but rather stick with my experiences with the blends I tasted and what the outcome might be if the varietals I tasted were pressed more into blending. If you are interested there are wine blending classes, some in Virginia, that explain much more about the process and provide hands on experimentation. Having these types of experiences for the sensory feedback is a must do. There is a link at the bottom that contains information on the process and places that offer opportunities for curious wine lovers to try it first-hand.

From Principles and Practices of Winemaking (a text book that has been used in the UC Davis Winemaking Certificate program) we get a simple definition of the objectives for blending. “Of course, the objective of blending is to make the final wine better. This may be to standardize it, balance it, achieve complexity, achieve a certain style, or optimize it under specific economic conditions.” That’s a mouthful! And it is written very optimistically. Here’s why that makes sense. Anybody who makes wine knows (or should) that you can rarely fix a flawed wine and blending to improve flawed wines drags down the other wines in the blend. Bad idea. The textbook excerpt above is written the way it is because first and foremost we are talking about taking unflawed, drinkable wines and blending them to produce a final wine that through the combination of the varietal attributes is more complex and more interesting to drink

In my last #WBC11 post, Life’s Too Short Not To Be Badass, I wrote the following about my overall impression of the Virginia reds I tasted:

“I’ve been pulling together my ideas about the red wines from Virginia. My premise after tasting a bunch of them is that a focus on the blends will be their key to success. Why do I say this? Because most of the Bordeaux varietals on their own were boring and lacking in distinction. I found many of them to be one dimensional and where some of them had good character, I think they should be matched with worthy peers to great more dimension in a blend. There are examples of that, and I think more would be a good thing. The least interesting wines, those with very subtle aromas and flavors, might not good candidates for rescue, what can I say?”

My overarching thought was that some the varietal Cabs, Cab Francs, Petit Verdots and Merlots didn’t have enough character on their own to captivate me. I did a rough blending experiment at Ducard and not having enough wine or time to really conclude anything; but the results were different and more nuanced adding weight to the argument. I did a few minor experiments elsewhere, but again did not have a sufficient quantity to produce several blends to evaluate from the same components.

First I will review the blends I did have so my thoughts on what was at work there can be on display up against my suggestions for blends, process changes, and collaborations.

Barboursville Octagon - I had this at least 3 times and in vintages 2002 and 2006 (that I found from my notes, but thinking one more). The nose on the 2006 was what got me. The richness of the 2002 in comparison was one of my motivations to think blends was a key story. It is Merlot driven but still not fooling around. (my exact notes from my original review) This wine is a blend driven with Merlot and in different years differing amounts of Cab Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Clearly the wines made from those grapes at Barboursville bring the right balance of elements together in very good years.

Boxwood  - Boxwood poured two different blends over the weekend, the Topiary and the Boxwood. I had both on two different occasions. Both wines are well made but didn’t distinguish themselves to me. My optimistic opinion is that more aging time of these wines might be a worthwhile change in process. Both were from 2007 and saw 1 year in oak. These wines drive their small (and growing?) portfolio and with continued attention and experimentation could be the key to significant exposure in the coming years.

Tarara CasaNoVA and TerraNoVA – both of these wines come with a list of interesting features right on the outside of the bottle! Not really, but the metaphor of wearing oneself on your sleeve is what I was going for. These wines are accessible AND interesting. The addition of the Tannat to the TerraNoVA gives it a richness that is different but consuming. The CasaNoVA is a Bordeaux-style blend that definitely gets the sum of its parts right. They both saw 18 months in new Virginia Oak which could be an important difference here. I’m not an oak expert but if VA oak is wine-worthy then 18 months of time in new barrels made from it worked phenomenally well!  A good example here of using what you have to make it more than it might otherwise be.

Sweeely 1867 Meritage 2006 – this wine is still developing and will likely be a better drinker in a few years time. The nose was very light when I first tested it. The wine was tight overall and opened up a bit with some time, but I still didn’t get much. It feels like it will have density to the flavors, but with the moderate to high tannins that are still a little chewy those flavors didn’t grab me. A straightforward blend of Merlot and Cab Franc, this wine’s potential is not yet achieved in my opinion.

Ducard Popham Run Red 2009 – The taste I got of this was amazingly acidic and I didn’t finish it. I didn’t get the details on what is in the blend, but nevertheless I’ll be suggesting a blend based on other wines tasted at Ducard.

Barren Ridge Meritage 2008 – This is a well made wine with subtle and elusive complexity. If I had to guess I would say it needs to rest a few more years. This is one of two wines that were not tasted well on the count of heat. A blend of Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot.

Jefferson Vineyard Meritage 2008 – I picked up spicy red fruits with moderate and softening tannins. It was due the warmth of the outside event that I wasn’t able get as much from this wine as I would have liked. A blend of Cab Franc driven with Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

I had a couple opportunities to try varietal bottlings of some of the same components of the above wines, and others that might make great additions to a blend or expand a line of blends available.

Ducard had both a Petit Verdot and a Cab Franc that were good on their own. A quick swirl together proved promising. The Cab Franc easily stands on its own and warrants a single bottling. That wine brings the greens & mint, a little cherry and fine tannins. The PV added cherries and dark chocolate and a strong nose. The PV at Ducard can see two years in oak before release. The aging duration here again might be significant. I’d drive a blend of these two with Merlot, say 65% (M), 25% (CF) and 10% (PV), go with the extended aging and some of the blended wine in new oak. I could also see doing a Merlot and Cab Franc blend with some healthy aging time. Both of these wines would offer similar complexity in the mouth with distinct noses.

Both the Sweely Merlot and Cab Franc wines are essentially blends with 22% or less of other Bordeaux varietals in the finished wines. The Merlot presented tightness and restraint when I first tasted it, and just like the 1867 Meritage, didn’t open up enough to really get a feel for. The Cab Franc didn’t feel like it was doing much with the additional air and time, and likewise didn’t offer me much. A simple read here is that Sweely is already operating in the blend mindset. Fair enough. For me I might suggest a softening of the initial blend so that they express some youthfulness from both early on until a peak age somewhere in the 5-10 year range. If the resulting wines open up a little better (the need to open less?) and express a functional polish of both the oak treatment and the overall aging more easily they would be more exciting drinkers.

Afton Mountain Cabernet – I found this wine to be singular but solid. It had the cherry & dark fruits I expected with whisps of mint. Afton Mountain does use it in a Super Tuscan blend and after looking at their lineup of wines would suggest a Cabernet blend (CS &CF) with maybe some Merlot or Petit Verdot thrown in. The addition of the herbal and earth components from the Cab Franc could really amp up the breadth of the finished wine. The CF or PV would need to have some additional aromatics for the final wine to present well, but there’s potential there for sure.

As I got to thinking about some of the blending ideas I considered what blends of particularly good varietal wines from different VA producers might result in. One idea stuck with me.

Both the Barboursville and Ducard Cab Francs had different herbal and green components, solid fruit flavors, earthy tendencies and moderate finishes. A blend of each of their wines from a good year with some time in a barrel could produce some killer juice. These types of partnerships are common and without researching it I am going to guess collaborations like this are not unusual in Virginia.

Another area to consider would be cuvee blends, and specifically taking wines needing different aging times and blending them together later in their lives. I didn’t try any that I know so I have no firsthand experience to report.

As I continued to look through the winery directory I found more and more blends that broadly fit into the blend category I am kicking around here. Unfortunately I didn’t try that many of them! Clearly I have many more bottles to try before I can elaborate the argument that more of the red wine grapes grown in Virginia should be destined for outright blends rather than varietal bottling. A worthy counterpoint if I may. If the future growth of the wine industry in Virginia sees an upswing in the quality of some of varietals would that change the thesis here? It certainly could.

There are definitely economic and logistical issues with any of the suggestions above. Recognizing that I am not issuing demands so much as extrapolating different futures under different conditions, my thoughts can nonetheless be used to drive creative consideration or new business opportunities. I enjoyed my time in Virginia and was lucky enough to meet many of the faces behind the wines I tasted and reviewed. These business owners and winemakers are serious folks with lots of passion and energy invested in their products. I hope all the attention and feedback is useful to them as they continue to put their passion in the bottle.

Cheers!

Jason

References & Links

The Oxford Companion to Wine Third Edition, Jancis Robinson , 2006

Principles and Practices of Winemaking, Boulton, Singleton, Bisson, Kunkee, 2004

Blending Makes Perfect - http://www.virginiawinetime.com/2010/05/05/blending-makes-perfect/

One Day in Maine – Back to York Beach

Each of the last two summers we’ve stayed at a house in York with friends for a week. This year none of us could swing the whole trip missing out on the sunny days, insane amount of food and drink, the sound of the ocean and immense laughter from the bunch. It turns out that we all did spend at least a day up there about the same time year. The weekend that followed our trip that finishes with this post saw our friends at the beach and out for seafood. Same mission accomplished by like minded friends!

No whirlwind one day trip to Maine would be complete without a trip to the beach. As our luck often holds thunderstorms were bearing down on the area as we arrived. It didn’t actually rain or storm the whole hour we were on the beach. It was dark and ominous, but the breeze was nice and crowd was long gone!

The tide was heading out so we were able to setup chairs on Long Sands and enjoy the view and the sounds of the ocean.

We reminisced about our ferry trips to Peaks Island, lobster bakes, people watching on the beach and those mornings after that none of knew where we were until after coffee! Summer vacation to the beach really is a singular and unique delight.

We walked the beach a bit and watched the dogs chasing toys and birds in the surf.

We finished the day at Harry’s Seafood & Grill for lobster rolls and fried clam strips. We always eat way too many of them when we are there, but they really taste so much better when you are on vacation!

And with that we headed home having had tremendous fun on our one-day vacation to Maine.

This was part four in the series. Recaps from the first three stops can be found at:

All Day Breakfast Two in Biddeford
Scavenger Hunt in Portland
North Berwick Farmer's Market

Cheers!

Jason

One Day in Maine – North Berwick Farmers Market

Another one of the important goals of our “working vacation” was to find 20 pounds of Maine blueberries that we would be used to make a Blueberry Port wine. Doing some research ahead of time I found that the North Berwick Farmers Market is held on Friday’s at the town hall. Heading south from Portland we found the market about 10 minutes off of I-95.  At first I thought we might be dashed in this task as well. The two berry vendors were in the back on both sides of the stalls. We were satisfied in our mission and made two local farmers pretty happy! We ended up with 21 pounds total from the two different vendors, and a mix of at least two different berry varieties.

I don’t have pictures of the berries, they are in the freezer right now, but I’ll be sure to chronicle the process of making the wine in an upcoming post. The berries were plump, ripe (the color was great) and tasted fantastic. Let’s hope our first experience making blueberry wine is a fitting tribute to the source of the fruit.

We also were questing for the ingredients to make fresh salsa to take to a friend’s house the next day. Tomatoes, onion, green pepper and cilantro proved easy to find and we used produce from multiple vendors for a blended result. The result was truly fantastic and the testament to it was how many people commented on the pleasing aroma when we put it out on the snack table the next day!

The last post from our one-day vacation to Maine is our return to York Beach and our final missions of hanging on the beach and getting some taste fried seafood. See ya tomorrow!

Cheers!

Jason

One Day in Maine – Scavenger Hunt in Portland

Our one-day trip to Maine was a summer vacation for the two of us, but as noted in the lead-off post it did have several underlying purposes. We had several missions on the trip, and something specific at each location. We didn’t complete our Portland mission. We were unable to find a Riesling wine made in Maine, but we did accomplish the other items, including having beers at Sebago, getting a birthday present for my Dad, exploring more of the Old Port area and otherwise enjoying our time in the shops and on the streets with all the tourists.

I’ve done a little research on the wine and it turns out that at least two Maine wineries do make a Riesling making my search pretty specific. Cellar Door is one of them and their Viognier was a bottle I brought home to try. It appears I can order their wines online and may just do that to get some of the Riesling in hand to finish my Summer of Riesling party. Bar Harbor Winery is the other Maine producer of Riesling, but as far as I can tell I’d have to go there, or near, to get it.

Portland’s Old Port area spreads out over a tightly packed set of streets adjacent to the ferry terminal and fish docks. We’ve been in the area several times for a ferry trip to Peak’s Island so we had some expectations from poking around on those trips. I made the wine the primary task and we set out to Maine Beer & Beverage to see what we could find. We did find a number of wines made in Maine with a significant number of ciders and meads in the mix. The majority of the wines are fruit based or made from hybrid grapes, which is not surprising at all given the climate. Unfortunately many of the bottles lookws like they might have been there some time and I wasn’t that interested in taking much chance on styles I hadn’t come for. I did pickup a bottle of Kenebec Hard Cider (Winthrop, ME) which I look forward to trying soon.

Maine Beer & Beverage is a store within a store, inside the Public Market House, and to get there you have to pass the cheese cases, including one with just cheese from Maine in it. The Buy Local sticker in the inside of that case pretty much sums up our plan for the day. We didn’t buy any cheese on the count of the huge breakfast and the day still being early.

From there we walked back down to Fore Street and wandered in and out of shops. We checked out Cool As a Moose, Life is Good, City Beverage, Maine’s Pantry and several others. We also walked out towards the docks and checked out the wares at the Harbor Fish Market.

Our last retail stop was at Downeast Beverage where I found the Cellar Door Viognier which is made in Lincolnville, ME. We also picked up a bottle of blueberry soda and some local pickles. The blueberry soda was pretty damned interesting. I’ve had peach, grape and cherry sodas from the South that really make the fruit flavors sing, and I’d say that Bar Harbor Soda got the same punch of out the berries for this soda. It was refreshing on a rapidly warming day, and so Maine!

The fresh fish at the Harbor Fish Market looked like it would be well worth the trip!

Our final stop in Portland was intended to be a relaxing one, and one with a bit of refreshment available. Sebago Brewing just recently moved to the corner of Fore and Franklin with floor to ceiling windows on both sides of the corner, and seasonal outdoor seating. It is a beautiful space with lots of light and will likely quickly become a pretty popular space. We decided on the beer sampler and some pub pretzels for what would be lunch on our already food-filled day.

Our beer sample included the Hefeweizen, Saddleback Golden Ale, Frye’s Leap IPA, Runabout Red, Boathouse Brown, and the Lake Trout Stout.

Our favorites were the Frye’s Leap IPA and the Lake Trout Stout. I’ve enjoyed IPA several times before and really was taken again with the huge and pleasing hop aromas of this beer. Margot gave the stout the once over as is typical these days. Both of us found lots of chocolate and roasted nut aromas and flavors.

I spotted a huge jug on the back bar with what looked like and drink being made. It turned out to be a watermelon sangria, which Margot ordered to give it a refreshment test on a warm summer day. Margot told me that it was sweet, but not sickeningly so, with flavors of clove. She added that the chunks of watermelon were very tasty and overall the drink was very refreshing.

I finished with the Grand Cru, a blend of their Bourbon Barrel Aged Full Throttle Double IPA, Barleywine, and fresh Frye's Leap IPA, which is served in one size and in a tulip type glass. The nose is huge on this beer with fruit, baked goods and spices. In the mouth it is moderately malty, hoppy and just a bit sweet. Some coconut tumbled through in a few of my sips. I almost ordered a growler to go, but remembered I needed to save my $$ for my remaining missions!

In my next post I will share the blueberry search from the North Berwick Farmer’s Market.

Cheers!

Jason

One Day in Maine – All Day Breakfast Two

Summer vacation to Maine was one day for us this year. As I am often accused this ended up being a “working vacation” as Margot calls it. We had four destinations with missions in each location. We would travel to Biddeford, Portland, North Berwick and York Beach before heading back to NH. We were questing for local wine & beer, blueberries and lobster rolls at the beach. A day like that wouldn't start well without of good breakfast though. And here’s where I finally get to experience All Day Breakfast from the legends of nearly 15 years ago.

When I first met Margot her and her sorority sisters would talk about car trips back to Maine to go to their sister Jen’s family’s all day breakfast restaurant. Named in that most straightforward of ways (gotta love New Englanders!) All Day Breakfast did just that, served breakfast from morning into the early afternoon closing time, seven days a week. We had never made a trip despite being close by a few times.

In 2004 Jen’s sister Val opened All Day Breakfast Two taking the model she knew so well to a new location not far away. Margot contacted Val a few weeks ago and arranged for us to stop in for breakfast and to get the backstory about the restaurant.

At 10 AM on a beautiful summer Friday the restaurant was pretty busy. In talking with Val I learned that they have a considerable number of regulars but also see fair number of seasonal tourists being so close to the Maine coast. All Day Breakfast Two is open from 7-2 seven days a week and is only closed on a few major holidays. I have it on good authority that they are busy all day most of their summer days which keeps the pace high and the need to be on top of things paramount.

Margot and I perused the menu and settled on the Irish Benedict, Blueberry Pancakes and the Whole Hog Breakfast, one of the day’s specials. As we waited for our plates we chatted more with Val about what makes All Day Breakfast Two what it is.

Val was 24 when she opened the restaurant and with encouragement from her parents and experience in the business in hand, she has successfully developed a thriving business. When you talk to her she is clearly passionate and spoke often of the people involved in the day to day, whether they be regular customers or the staff. I asked her if she ever imagined doing this. She replied, “no, I never thought I would go into the family business.” She also added “that taking on opening the restaurant at 24 years old was scary.” I was 26 when I started a consulting business so I know exactly what she means!

As I walked around and shot photos the phrase “country kitchen” kept coming to mind. That is how I would describe the décor and atmosphere. They have a counter that clearly is the center of the action during much of the day. I caught some of the staff talking business while we were enjoying breakfast.

Our food arrived and we switched gears from talking to eating. 

The blueberry pancakes are huge! The pancakes were the first thing I wanted to try. Val confirmed that she gets as much Maine produce as she can from her vendors, and the blueberries were from not far away. The cakes are light with tons of berries from edge to edge. The berry flavor was significant and the cake didn’t taste heavy or thick. I used butter and ultimately some maple syrup, but for berry lovers the syrup was unnecessary!

One of the themes we immediately picked up on is how gently prepared everything was. There was no substantial grease or oil on any of the items. The clean tasting flavors of the components of the Benedict and the home fries really came through. The Benedict was that perfect storm of flavors you might think it would be. Eggs Benedict is great with just Canadian bacon, but when you swap out that meat for another form you really can work some magic. The eggs were cooked just to the point of not being too messy to eat, very nice! The hash was flavorful, not salty, and was so savory with the Hollandaise sauce! The potatoes served here could easily go unsung, but when you actually taste red potato that is lightly fried and gently seasoned it is a real pleasure. All of the hog in my Whole Hog breakfast was hot and tasted equally great.

We certainly couldn’t eat all of our breakfast and packed up the rest for home. Sidenote: The leftovers heated up very well and made us happy a second time!

When I was talking with Val I asked about any recent changes to the menu. They in fact did make changes this past May. A revamped the look for the menu, the additions of biscuits and gravy (I hear some people order the gravy as a side for other dishes!) and Panini sandwiches to the lunch section of the menu were the big changes. Another notable point about the food is that they have no fryolaters and no fried items on the menu. Sandwiches are served with hand-prepared cole slaw, pickles and chips. Some folks might miss the fries with a tasty sandwich or burger, but I doubt they can be really missed since they can’t possibly taste as good as everything else you might order.

The menu also includes products of Val’s husband’s labors. Last year he decided on a change of pace and has been experimenting with baking a range of different goodies like muffins, cupcakes, breads and cookies. Taking a look in the case near the entrance and you can find all sorts of things, including several gluten-free products which are quite popular with a number of regulars. We took home double chocolate cookies which sadly never got in front of the camera. But I can tell you they were quite good! The balance between the crunchy and chewy textures was excellent, and the richness of the chocolate didn’t hide. The cookies didn’t last long once we opened them!

All Day Breakfast Two can be found at 420 Alfred Street, Suite 8
Biddeford, ME 04005.

With our to-go bag packed we said our goodbyes and headed for more fun in Maine. Check back for the next post on our scavenger hunt in Portland which includes local beers!

Cheers!

Jason