The United Steaks

My local wine retailer handed me a $20 bottle of Smith & Hook Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon on Friday, while pointing out that one might not expect a Cab of this quality to come from Monterey.

Here’s how the Hahn family describes their product:

The Smith & Hook Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted from the finest of the Hahn Family’s estate vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands Appellation, a wine region proving to become one of the crown jewels of California viticulture.

The Smith Vineyard and the Hook Vineyard are east facing slopes with the vines between 400 and 1200 feet in elevation in the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation. These grapes are truly mountain grown. The final blend of our Grand Reserve Cabernet is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc for mid-palate, 5% Petite Verdot for bright berries and spice, and 2% Malbec for color and to tie everything together.

Aromas of blackberries, currant, leather, and tobacco. A warm rush of cherries and plum start at the fore-palate before fading to chocolate and toffee with a hint of mint towards the back. The tannins are firm, smooth, and polished, leaving a silky and supple texture in the mouth, supported by a subtle seam of acidity. Our Enologist, Greg Freeman, describes the wine as “a warm cedar chest at Grandma’s house.”

That’s an interesting way to descibe wine, but I know what he means.

We dabbled in delicious wines over the Christmas weekend. Mostly from Oregon. One stood out from the pack. Rockblock from Domaine Serene—a syrah from the southern part of the state, hundreds of miles from the Willamette Valley.

Grapes for Rockblock are sourced entirely from Del Rio Vineyard in the Rogue Valley appellation of southern Oregon, just north of Medford, overlooking the Rogue River. The vineyard is planted to the Noir clone on 101-14 and SO4 rootstocks. Soils are rocky clay loam, very well drained and planted 1088 vines per acre.

We found it on the wine list at Bateaux on Lady’s Island and ordered two bottles. Now, I’m going to have to ask Claude, our local wine retailer, to bring it in for us.

Need Proof?

Yahoo! recently launched a dedicated portal to food: food.yahoo.com. Recipes, Restaurants, Wine, Entertaining, and Cooks.

Wine Specator released their list of the Top 100 Wines of 2006.

The Top 10:
1. Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2001
2. Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Washington 2003
3. Léoville Barton St.-Julien 2003
4. Concha y Toro Sauvignon Puente Alto Don Melchor 2003
5. Domaine du Pégaü du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 2003
6. Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes 2003
7. Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2004
8. Kongsgaard Chardonnay Napa 2003
9. Brancaia Toscana Il Blu 2004
10. Two Hands Shiraz Barossa Bella’s Garden 2004

The rest after the jump.

New York Times Magazine today looks at the resurgence of moonshining, or do-it-yourself distilling. The article touches on Frtiz Maytag’s interest in distilling. Of course, Maytag and his company Anchor Brewing are not distilling outside of the law like true DIYers making hooch at home. But he does have an interesting line of micro-distilled spirits for sale.

San Francisco Chronicle looked at Anchor’s “side business” in 2004:

Anchor Distilling Co. released its first bottling of Old Potrero Single Malt Rye Whiskey in 1996. The micro-distillery makes 18th- and 19th-century- style rye whiskeys in small, single-pot batches.

The 18th-century-style whiskey is aged in new uncharred oak barrels for one year. The brash, highly aromatic whiskey is Maytag’s attempt to reproduce the original whiskeys of America, the kind that George Washington reportedly made. America’s first whiskeys were made with rye, a plentiful grain on the East Coast. Corn-based bourbon came later. The 19th-century-style rye whiskey is a bit mellower and aged for three years in charred oak barrels, an innovation that helped mellow its flavor.

“We’re starting a rye whiskey revival,” he says.

The distillery also makes a fine gin called Junipero. There are plans to release grappa, too.

Chicago Tribune writer Renee Enna tested pizza cutters recently.

She likes Kitchen Aid’s stainless-steel 4-inch cutter due to its tremendous heft and well-situated finger guard; it also is dishwasher-safe.

Hello? Yep still here. Two months without an update? A crime.

As mentioned on this blog previously, Frank’s Pizza (402.493.0404) is the top of my list for pizza in Omaha. And I made good on that claim by consuming a couple of pies from Franks with my family this evening.

However, if you aren’t in the neighborhood of Franks, which I’m not, there is a worthy competitor with Pudgy’s Pizza (402.884.7566) in Southwest Omaha (168th & Q).

Pudgy’s is a Chicago-style joint, and fairly decent at that, but as a thin-crust guy I have been impressed by their offering. The crust was crisp on the bottom and just right on top. Toppings were layered well and spread evenly. Of the dozen or so pies we’ve had in the last couple of months, every single one was made perfectly. If I had a complaint, once they went a little heavy with garlic powder in the crust, but usually it blends well and adds to this pizza’s charm.

Give ‘em a shot and let them know BeerAndPizza.org sent you.

My first sourdough loaf from a homegrown starter that is.

A few years ago when I was baking bread regularly, I had a starter with origins from the Bay Area. Those days are past and I don’t even remember when that starter was sent packing. I recently decided to try my hand at getting my own starter going and I was shocked at how quick it took off.

1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup White Bread Flour
1 Cup warm water.

I mixed the initial batch on a Sunday night. The next night, I discarded half and fed it another 1/2 Cup of White Bread Flour and 1/2 Cup of water. When I got home from work Tuesday night, it was alive.

The above photo is the first loaf. The proofing of my sponge was a bit abbreviated as was my final rise to the loaf. However, it had a good spring in the oven and turned out nicely. The final product had a good flavor, but was a bit lacking in the sourness - which is most likely a result of my shortened proofing stages.

I’ll probably make a few more loafs from this starter and then split it off into a whole wheat starter and a white starter.

Contributing to my success:
The Basics by S. John Ross
The Fresh Loaf

When it comes to pork (grilled or BBQ), there is barbecue sauce and then there is Georgia Mustard - commonly used in the Appalachians and southeastern states, but not as popular throughout the rest of the country. It goes very well with just about any kind of sausage, as well as pulled-pork sandwiches, ribs and as a glaze for ham.

For the Fourth of July, I was searching for a Georgia Mustard sauce to compliment the usual condiments. I found one recipe at LifeScript, and built upon it for my sauce:

Ingredients
1/2 cup Mustard (stay simple, I used French’s Yellow)
3/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Distilled White Vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Kosher Salt (or 1/4 tablespoon table salt)
1 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Medium White or Red Onion diced (about a cup)
few dashes Hot Sauce to taste

Cooking Instructions
Combine the mustard, honey, and vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk until smooth. Add the salt, pepper, onion and hot sauce. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool before serving.

McKenna’s Blues Booze and BBQ, a mainstay of the Omaha BBQ scene, seems to have lost its luster - at least in my recent experience.

The BBQ used to be one of the best around, but if my last two visits (in the last three weeks) are any indication, they’ve taken a rapid descent to mediocrity. I’ll spare most of the details in case these were isolated incidents, but an order of ribs were dry and chewy, the usually excellent brisket was cold (as in near-refrigerated cold on one occasion) and bland (on both occasions) and what is the deal with charging 50 cents for a second ‘dipping cup’ worth of BBQ sauce? But the real killer was the absolutely horrible service - 45 minutes to get a brisket sandwich at lunch? To which the manager’s response to my inquiry about the delay in getting served; “sir, obviously you have mistaken us for a fast food restaurant, perhaps next time you should try McDonald’s.”

Any one else with similar experiences recently or is this just me?

I’m a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir fanatic. The wines from this region are world class, but more importantly to me, I feel connected to them. I believe it is the French conept of terroir at work.

With this in mind, I’m pleased to report there is another wine producing valley of note in the great state of Oregon. The Umpqua Valley, south of Eugene. In the small town of Elkton, Brandborg Vineyard & Winery is producing incredible pinot noir (if the two bottles we’ve recently enjoyed are any testament).

Here are their tasting notes:

2003 BENCH LANDS Umpqua Valley pinot noir

Aromas abound with cherries, sweet strawberries with a hint of forest floor, mushrooms and well integrated vanilla and caramel oak. The flavors echo the aromas with the addition of raspberries, spice, good acidity and finely grained tannins for such a young wine that carry through in a long and pleasing finish. Not a big wine, but very pretty and it would make a fantastic partner with duck confit, pate or fresh grilled wild salmon.

Bottled September 20, 2004 13.8% alcohol 745 cases

Per Bottle $18.00 ~ Per case $194.40

Drier and warmer than the Willamette Valley wine region to the north, and cooler than the Rogue and Applegate wine regions to the south, the Umpqua Valley features seven family-owned Oregon wineries that showcase this region’s viticultural versatility.

One of my staples for tailgating, Bacon Wrapped Olives.

Take:
1/2 strip of bacon and wrap it around a large, stuffed green olive. Broil 3-5 minutes turning once.

However, for tailgating, I prefer to par-broil the bacon, then wrap the olive and refrigerate the night before. When you’ve reached your destination, pop them on the grill until the bacon crisps.

For an added twist to my par-broiling method, after refrigerating for a couple of hours to cool, batter them with your favorite onion ring batter* and deep fry until crisp.

*My handy onion ring batter:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
few dashes of hot sauce

How to tame the terror of ordering wine at a posh restaurant. The simple act of ordering a bottle of wine at a restaurant has been said to be one of the single most daunting tasks to casual wine fans. This article has some handy tips to make things easier

Back in the early days of the ‘net, around ‘94 or so, I used to have a Beer Of The Week section on a different web site. The microbrew business was exploding on the scene, but distribution issues kept bottling to mostly regional locals. My beer of the week quest fizzled after a few months when I’d pretty much exhausted the locally available selection. Much has changed in the last 11 years and it is quite easy to keep finding new brew - especially with trading partners in a few of the big beer community sites.

I don’t have plans to return to my beer of the week due to time commitments but my beer updates are getting fairly regular. In honor of my old site, this week’s Beer of the Week is New Belgium Brewery’s Blue Paddle Pilsener Lager.

Blue Paddle is often overshadowed by New Belgium’s flagship brew, Fat Tire - and unjustly so in my opinion. The brew is full of flavor with just the right bitterness that is very crisp and refreshing on the palate. Where Fat Tire blazes the flavor trail for mainstream American brews, it goes just far enough to get Joe BeerDrinker interested in ‘real beer.’ Blue Paddles goes several steps beyond.

On the Web:
New Belgium Brewery
Blue Paddle
Fat Tire

I spied a 6-pack of 312 Urban Wheat at the store today and after a day of yard work I hoped it would quench my thirst.

Sadly, I was bit disappointed. The 312 Urban Wheat is an unfiltered wheat and produced a nice hazy yellow with a white head. A smooth wheat flavor on the drink that was lacking any sort of finish and missing the citrusy aftertaste most wheat beers produce. As a fan of Goose Island’s other brews, this one misses the mark as a just a run-of-the-mill wheat.

On the Web:
Goose Island

A week of vacation in Kaua’i, the Garden Island of Hawaii, offered me the chance to add to my beer list.

Both draft and bottled. Ironically, the draft tasted a little light to me, but the bottled version had a nice aroma, great taste and went down well.

Draft. Nice copper color with a bitter finish. Very easy drinking.

Bottle. Nice light copper color, light carbonation. Refreshing, but just slightly above average as far as Pale Ales go.

On the web:
Keoki Brewing Company
Kona Brewing Company

We were introduced to Guenoc at a party in Chicago a few years ago. For the money, I don’t think there’s a better wine from California. This is particularly true of the vineyard’s Petite Sirah.

Guenoc’s commitment to Petite Sirah reflects the vineyard’s resources, yet it also demonstrates the winery’s willingness to do things a little different. Guenoc could have converted its Petite Sirah and Sauvignon Blanc vineyards to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay years ago, but the winery believed strongly in the future of these varietals and in their ability to set new standards for quality and character when grown in Guenoc Valley and Lake County.

Guenoc is one of Californias leading producers of Petite Sirah in both volume and quality. Guenocs primary source of Petite Sirah is the Serpentine Meadow Vineyard at the winery estate in Guenoc Valley. Planted in 1980, these low-yielding Petite Sirah vines grow in sandy loam soils, which have a notable magnesium influence due to the blueish serpentine soils from the surrounding hills. Though seemingly insignificant, this trace magnesium has a profound affect on the Guenoc Petite Sirah, as it limits vine vigor and crop levels, which in turn tones down the aggressive flavors in the wine. As a varietal, Petite Sirah has a reputation for being overly tannic and aggressive, but at Guenoc, the combination of the distinctive Serpentine Meadow soils and winemaker skills result in a Petite Sirah that is soft and round with bright, berry fruitinessa tribute to what the varietal can achieve. Guenoc makes three Petite Sirahs: an estate series, a reserve from the Serpentine Meadow Vineyard and a Port.

Guenoc is no Johnny-come-lately to the wine biz. The winery dates back to 1854 when wine grapes were first planted in the Guenoc Valley. Victorian actress Lillie Langtry, a colorful theater star in Europe and America, owned the property from 1888 to 1906 and made wine which she claimed would be the greatest claret in the country. Her face graces many of the estate’s bottles today.

On a recommendation from my local wine shop clerk, I picked up a couple bottles of Coppola Claret. First, a lesson about wine clerks.

Most wine novices are a bit intimidated about shopping for wine in a specialty shop, and mostly, they shouldn’t be. While there are a few snobbish, holier-than-thou types running around, the vast majority are out to discover what you like about wine in order to make recommendations that 1) you will enjoy and 2) will keep you coming back as a valuable customer. Something I wish I would have realized a bit earlier in my wine days.

Back to the Coppola Claret, I was in the shop the other night looking for some recommendations on some $15-20 wines I could use to stock a new wine fridge. Nothing fancy, just a good stock of wine for normal drinking situations. I was steered to the $11/bottle Coppola Claret and told to pick up a bottle, try it, and if it didn’t agree with me, we’d try something else.

I cracked it open last night and I’ll be stopping back in this weekend for the first few bottles to inhabit my new fridge. A deep dark red - almost black -in the glass. A velvety texture with a strong berry flavor. Very well balanced. A great wine to have on hand for those impromptu drinking occasions.

Like dB, I’ve been a pinot kick lately. Not necessarily driven by preference, but by the increasing selection that has started showing up in my local shops.

Grabbing a couple steaks on the way home from work Friday, I spied a Greg Norman Wines at my local big-chain grocery store. Granted, I don’t keep up on the wine biz, but I was unaware he’d made the leap from his Australian wines to Cali properties - as well, the last time I’d had a Greg Norman wine, was from a mixed half case of private reserve varietals as a gift from a client.

The 2004 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir, for $15 is a bargain. Very peppery and cherry - what I would expect from solid California Pinot. My only complaint was that the first drink was overwhelmed by the alcohol, but it evened out nicely through the glass.

Bojangle’s country ham biscuits