Almost everyone agrees that a little Brett is not a bad thing. It’s generally less of a problem in white wines, and at low levels it can give some red wines cedar, tobacco or cigar-box aromas, scents frequently used to describe Cabernet Sauvignon and generally thought of as pleasant. It also mutes some of the fruitiness of youth, making the wine seem more mature and complex, at least in the short term.In other wines, or in greater concentrations, the smell becomes more leathery and animal-like, evoking adjectives such as horsey, wet horse blanket or sweaty saddle. Although some people can enjoy these smells, many find them unattractive.
At their worst, Brett aromas turn medicinal, reminding many tasters of the inside of a metal Band-Aid box. The animal scents get funkier, more barnyard-y.
Entries Tagged 'wine' ↓
Does this smell funny? / A pesky yeast causes a stink
November 19th, 2007 — article, wine
The Secret World of… | Food Wine and Dining
September 5th, 2007 — reference, website, wine
The Secret World of… | Food Wine and Dining
Sensuality, indulgence, appetite, flavor, aesthetics, complements and contradictions, manners, imagination, memory and emotions, subjectivity and solipsism, truth, lies, denial, generosity and betrayal, harmony and friendship, closure, new selves – dining embraces all of these things. And all within a setting of elegance and ceremony. Course following course of sumptuous dishes and splendid wines, the finest tableware and accoutrements, conversation fascinating and intimate, the courtly deference of restaurant staff, even perhaps the admiration of other diners. How could you not succumb to such an atmosphere?
Alimentum Journal
September 1st, 2007 — food angels, food writers, magazine, reference, wine
The only literary review all about food.
Fiction, Poetry, Creative NonFiction.
Food in its finest form. Sating a loftier appetite.
Savor the word of food.
For anyone who might be going to southern France….
February 25th, 2007 — wine
“When you stick your nose in a glass and breathe in, you can actually feel transported to Provence, to perpetually windy slopes and rocky terrain redolent of garlic, lavender and thyme.”
A bit of uncommon sense? - Waitrose Food Illustrated
January 28th, 2007 — food - misc, wine
“The terroirists – the wine merchants and producers, the toffee-nosed wine writers and so-called experts – all want you to believe that in spite of all this individuality and science, the wine is merely the slave of the vineyard; that each individual vineyard expresses itself in the wine; that its terroir is distinct. The wise sages who believe Elvis Presley is alive and living on the moon are rationalists in comparison.”
Waitrose.com - Malcolm Gluck Attacks the Wine Trade - Waitrose Food Illustrated
The Pour
November 19th, 2006 — asian, blog, food - misc, restaurant, vietnamese, wine
“I was in San Francisco over the weekend and had a wonderful dinner at the Slanted Door, a restaurant that serves Vietnamese-inspired food in a stylish, contemporary room in the restored Ferry Building.”
Iowa Finds Itself Deep in Heart of Wine Country
November 18th, 2006 — article, travel, wine
Iowa Finds Itself Deep in Heart of Wine Country - New York Times
“ADEL, Iowa — Stan Olson used to grow corn and soybeans on hundreds of acres here on the Raccoon River west of Des Moines, but no more. These days, Mr. Olson’s empty grain silo is useful only as a rustic image to promote his new vineyard and tasting room.”
sure.
What’s a Restaurant 2-Star Michelin Rating Like?
November 11th, 2006 — california, chefs, chocolate, dessert, french, review, spain, stars and ratings, wine
The room didn’t feel overly crowded or noisy. I’m wondering if this is just a more sedate crowd or if it was because they didn’t try to cram too many tables in the restaurant.
The restaurant location is actually quite quaint and tucked away in on a little street between University & Santa Cruz. Parking was a bit of a challenge since this part of Los Gatos is quite popular with all its shops and restaurants. I thought with the cooler weather there would be less folks, however arriving earlier than we expected we didn’t mind waiting for a space to open up in the lot just behind the restaurant. There is no valet service.
This had to be the most memorable meal we’ve ever had. Considering our first date dinner was more of a college type fare with spaghetti, salad and soda which was over in 20 minutes. The time of our dinner party included a viewing of Toy Story. The Manresa experience was the extreme opposite on the spectrum of dining experiences.
When we were reviewing the menu we wanted to try the tasting menu and we didn’t want our dinner to take 3-4 hours. We were starving since we ate so little during the day and it was already 8 o’clock. So we both decided to do the 4 course dinner and selected different dishes so that we could try the variety of food. Since we were celebrating we also opted for the wine pairing for our dishes.
Amuse bouche
Spoon of acorn squash puree with evoo and a little crushed sea salt.
Slow cooked egg with something like sour cream and chives…(i need to learn more about how to taste seasonings and distinguish creams and stuff) This was quite heavenly. You had to mix it all around to make sure the dressing was incorporated with the egg.
Deep fried parmesan stick(similar to a cheesy churro), not too greasy and just a slight taste of saltiness.
This was paired with a Cava sparking wine. This was a nice way to start our celebration dinner.
First Course
Butterfish sashimi with a really nice olive oil dressing. The fish was really like butter, a slight transluscent pink color touched with a bit of olive oil, the serving was a good portion to be able to enjoy and to share.
Sweet onion-brioche soup with a slice of manchego cheese and slow-cooked egg. Poured into a bowl, the soup was amazing and the wine really brought out the flavors. The cheese and slow-cooked egg were really nice balance to the sweetness of the soup. The cheese gave the nice saltiness and the egg gave some weight and texture.
Second Course
Arctic char with some greens. This was a nice light fish that resembled salmon but not as heavy or oily. A nice balance with my super light chardonnay or was it a sauvignon blanc…can’t remember.
The john dory on the plancha(style of cooking on a cast iron plate), drenched in Indian spices, yogurt & cucumber sauce. This dish was an amazing mix of fish in a slightly spicey sauce. The wine pairing was excellent and it truly brought out the spiciness but balanced with the buttery feel of the wine.
Third Course
Squab, nice medium rare really red. However the server warned us and said that if it was cooked well it would have become rubbery with no flavors. He was right, the rareness released the nice balanced flavors of the meat with its accompaniment and sauce. The dish was not salty and the wine pairing was amazing; a 2005 Jezebel Pinot Noir from Oregon. That was the only thing I wrote down because the wine was amazing.
My veal cheeks braised in apple cider, celery root and maitakes, roquefort was absolutely amazing. The earthy French syrah I had was a nice balance to the earthiness of my dish. The veal was tender and felt like it was melting in my mouth. We both ate in silence as we enjoyed our meals.
Enough time paced our courses and gave us a chance to enjoy our wine. James, our server was quite helpful in explaining our meal and the accompanying wine. He asked if we were there celebrating an occassion; we told him it was our anniversary. For our last course, dessert, he served both our plates with a little candle on them. It was a nice gesture and made our celebration dinner feel more festive.
Fourth Course
Chocolate marquis , cashews and white coffee ice cream. A highly sophisticated Snickers-like bar with white chocolate ice cream. The small portion was enough to close out the dinner but not too much to overpower the flavors from all the courses. This was paired with a nice velvety late harvest red wine.
Date cake with Tahitian vanilla ice cream with carmelized bacon and dried pear slice. I really don’t even know how to describe this one. The carmelized bacon was an unlikely pair with the date cake but somehow it was a really nice touch to the dessert.
Tea
Great presentation of loose tea and served in individual teapots. I’m hoping for Christmas I can get a nice loose tea presentation box. We both had a lemongrass herbal tea. This was a nice way to top off our dinner and warm us up before we headed outdoor.
What was more amazing about this dining experience was the General Manager gave us a tour of the kitchen. Executive Chef Kinch was somewhat busy so all he could manage was a subtle wave to acknowledge our presence. Not too bad considering we’ve never been in the kitchen to see a kitchen’s choreographed dance. One of the highlights of the kitchen was a professional stove that was imported from France. It cooks with even heat at various tempertures. The chef basically moves the pot over the French top(not open but smooth so fuel smell of gas doesn’t affect the food) of the stove which was made of cast iron. You can read more from the SFGate Review.
After so much wine(we don’t usually drink), we went for a walk on Santa Cruz Ave in the extremely cool November evening…it was getting close to midnight when we headed home. I guess dinner did take over 3 hours! But we really didn’t notice the time since we were savoring each bite of our meal and enjoying spending quality time together.
4 Course Meal was $85 and another $52 for the wine pairing
Chef’s Tasting Menu(seasonal and spontaneous) was $115 and another $72 for the wine pairing.
Next time we’ll plan for an earlier dinner and try the tasting menu.
Wineries Aren’t Just in Rolling Hills
November 10th, 2006 — wine
Go south from Napa County across San Pablo Bay and you leave behind the precious tasting rooms and the landed gentry who have $150 Cabernets made in their names. Instead you’ll find unpretentious city dwellers getting their hands dirty making wine. There’s a bustling urban wine scene developing in the East Bay, with wineries nestled into warehouses beside factories and tasting rooms accessible by BART and commuter ferry.
Shuttled Progressive Dinner
November 2nd, 2006 — american, california, dessert, restaurant, travel, wine
It’s like a taste of Monterey with wineries attached. The menu sounds really good!
The 10th Annual Great Wine Escape Weekend
November 10,2006 either at 5:30 or 7:30 setting. $165 per person
Rio Grill, Tarpy’s Roadhouse, Montrio Bistro paired with Bernardus, Chalone Vineyard and Chateau Christina
This is just one event out of a whole weekend of Great Wines of Monterey/Salinas.
