dwightthewinedoctor

Seven Sisters of South Africa bring "freedom's wine" to America

2012-02-18T10:47:00.000-08:00

Seven Sisters Wine of South Africa: A taste of freedom comes to America

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

-Dwight The Wine Doctor with Vivian Brutus Kleynhans, President and CEO, African Roots Wines

-Seven Sisters 2010 “Dawn” Pinotage/Shiraz

-Valery Jo Bradley, co-author, Harlem Travel Guide with Vivian

-Vivian with “Vivian”

-The Seven Sisters at home in Paternoster, South Africa

NEW YORK--It all began in 2005, when Harvard MBA Selena Cuffe took a sip of Rose wine made by a black winemaker from Soweto. When she asked where she could obtain the wine she was tasting in the state’s, she was shocked to learn that she would be hard pressed to find it anywhere, even in South Africa. That single sip started a tsunami of activity on her part. She gave up her six figure sales job at Procter& Gamble, convinced her husband to dip into their life savings, and began a corporate venture to distribute South African wines in the U.S. market through their company, Heritage Links Brands.

Less than 2% of the wineries in South Africa’s three billion dollar wine industry are owned by blacks, which comprise 85% of that country’s population. Now, with distribution nationwide in a thousand whine shops and retailers in 40 states, the company hopes to change the landscape of opportunity for black South African winemakers, with a projected one million dollars in sales this year.

One of the company’s latest offerings is Seven Sisters wine from South Africa’s fertile Cape region.

On a recent visit to Harlem Vintage and Nectar Wine Bar on Frederick Douglass Boulevard, owners Eric Woods and Jai Jai Greenfield welcomed one of the “seven sisters” of Paternoster, Cape West Coast, South Africa, Vivian Brutus Kleynhans, President and CEO, African Roots Wines.

The story of Seven Sisters wines is in many ways indicative of the struggles blacks have faced in South Africa. Growing up in the picturesque fishing village of Paternoster, on the Cape’s West Coast, the Brutus sisters, along with their baby brother John, were evicted from their home after his father lost his job of 20 years with a local fishing company. Now, 25 years later, their wine brand marks a change in their destiny. Founded in 2007, the wines are sourced from vineyards in the West Coast area. According to founder and CEO Kleynhans, the wines are truly a celebration of sisterhood. “Each wine is carefully selected and styled to match the personality and character of each of the sisters. The wines celebrate our bond and devotion to one another, even under the most difficult conditions.”

Starting the winery was not only a means of reclaiming the family’s birthright; it was a tribute to their roots. Now, the sisters return often to Paternoster, not to mourn the loss of their family home, but to celebrate their new lives and to spend their weekends kayaking and feasting on crayfish, bokkems (salted dried fish) and other local delicacies along with their delicious wines.

A sampling of Seven Sisters wines began with her own, Vivian, the 2009 Seven Sisters Sauvignon Blanc ($9.99), the first South African wine ever to be selected by American Airlines to be served on their flights. Vivian, the wine, is an absolute delight! It’s a nicely balanced, golden colored, full-bodied beauty, much like its namesake. The wine has a pleasant sweetness on the tongue, but its more from the taste of the grapes, which were hand-harvested at the peak of ripeness and then left on the skins to give them greater richness before the golden honey juice was pressed and placed in stainless steel tanks. Fermentation at low temperatures helped the wine to maintain its blossoming bouquet of fruit flavors and delightful aromas of tarragon and sage. Imagine accompanying the Brutus sisters on one of their seaside feasts and sipping a chilled glass while hovering over a steaming pot of crawfish.

Seven Sisters 2010 Dawn Pinotage/Shiraz ($9.99), a blend of 60% Pinotage, 40% Shiraz caught my attention with its rich Ruby color. If you’re a newbie to red wine, this might be the one to start with. I actually think this is a red that can be served lightly chilled. It’s certainly a great all-around wine for a summer feast and would make a great beach wine or pass-around wine at a barbecue. It’s got terrific aromas of blackberry and pepper and a nice, fruity taste like wild blackberries or wild strawberries or those really dark raspberries you can only seem to find at a roadside fruit stand. It’s a surprisingly agile and versatile wine for a red and full of surprises. Probably like sister Dawn!

No doubt, I’ll have many opportunities to taste the remaining Seven Sisters portfolio. Perhaps, if I’m lucky, in the company of the seven sisters themselves, on the beautiful beaches of Paternoster.

Grands Crus De Bordeaux on U.S. Tour de Force

2012-02-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

Story and photo gallery by Dwight Casimere

1-5 The many faces of Bordeaux lovers

6. LAURENT lebrun-Chateau Olivier-Grand Cru Classe de Graves, France

7. Shelford Trotman -Sommelier Galleria Liquors

8. Ken Frandsen (left_in hat) L&L Tavern, Lakeview, Chicago

Mike Sidel-(r) Manager, Hugo Frog Bar & Chop House Des Plaines

9. Alain Crohem- Chatueau Grand-Puy Ducasse-Pauillac, France

10. Dwight The Wine Doctor with Philippe Dambrine-Chateau Cantemerle Margaux, France

CHICAGO—One hundred and thirty-two of France’s greatest winemakers and chateau owners were in attendance in great numbers for the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux 2009 Vintage Tasting. This was a chance to rub shoulders with the owners and creators of the wines of such storied Chateaus as Chateau Croizet, Lynch-Bages, Mouton Rothschild, Giscours, Beaumont and Lagrange, among so many others. Accompanied by groaning sideboard of exquisite French cheeses, cured meats and cornichon and other light fare, the wines had an opportunity to shine in their best light. 2009 is already being heralded as one of the great vintages of all time, with deep flavor expression and a lasting impression in the mouth that speaks to the rare combination of terroir, climate, exceptional grapes and, of course, the art of the winemaker, and growing regions seasoned by centuries of winemaking skill and lore.

Founded in 1973, the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux is an association representing estates with the highest standards of quality located in the finest appellations of the Gironde department: Medoc, Haut-Medoc, Saint-Estephe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, Graves, Pessac-Leognan, Sauternes, Barsac, Saint-Emilion, and Pomerol. Besides sharing the wine, the members also enjoy sharing the centuries-old culture that surrounds it. As ambassadors to their craft, they travel extensively, sharing their unique gift with the wine lovers of the world.

To single any of the wines out individually would almost be a disservice as they were each distinctive in their own way. Each spoke to the terroir and the technique of the winemakers, who use both traditional and modern techniques to bring forth the complexities and characteristics of their wines. There were several, however, that attracted my attention and, after a careful perusal of the entire collection, commanded mention as my personal preferences.

Chateau Cantemerle($36), a fifth-growth estate of the Haut-Medoc, was the proud offering of winemaker Philippe Dambrine. “We are in the heart of the Haut-Medoc,” Dambrine proudly proclaimed. Historical records date the estate’s existence back to the 12^th century, which made it seem rather odd that the creators of the first Bordeaux Official Classification map of 1855. Subsequent maps corrected the oversight.

“On average, the vines are 30 years old. We use a blend of 50% Cabernet, 40% Merlot, with the rest a balance of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged in new French oak.” The resulting wine is rich and fruity with an overlay of oak and spice. The color is a deep. Ruby-red, so characteristic of great Bordeaux. This is a wine for aging, which will reach its peak in 8-10 years. Only 25,000 cases have been produced, and much of it has already made its way to the cellars of fine restaurants and avid collectors.

Only Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and New York were the cities fortunate enough to host this premiere league of wine legends. Bordeaux wines are memorable for their exceptional quality. Learning of their varied qualities first-hand from the winemakers and owners added to the rare pleasure of tasting them.

A special treat were the wines offered by the 15 estates representing the Sauternes or Barsac. These are generally sweet white wines ranked as Premiere Cru Classe. Consisting primarily of a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, they are among the most coveted of all dessert wines. A half bottle can run into the hundreds of dollars, depending on vintage. Fona Perrin Birken is the US Brand Ambassador to Chateau Guiraud ($18).

“The wine is made from estate vine plantings, consisting of 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc. It’s unique for dessert wine in that it is very fruit forward with rich fruit flavors and a natural crisp acidity that cuts through the sweetness and leaves you with a delightful, natural fruit flavor.” With its flavors of lemon-thyme and gooseberry and its lovely sage color, this is an exceptional wine with unique character. As someone who normally shies away from sweet wines, I felt it was telling that I often returned to Fiona’s table for a refreshing “sorbet” between tasting flights.

Taste of the NFL a Super Bowl climax of super chefs, celebs,football legends

2012-02-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

Story and photo gallery by Dwight Casimere

-Official Super Bowl XLVI cake from Cake Boss

-A face in the crowd

-Dallas Cowgirls on the prowl for Auction Bidders

-Buffalo, New York's Famous Beef on Weck from Charlie The Butcher

-Ann Curry and Al Roker of NBC's Today at the Taste of the NFL, Super Bowl XLVI

-Dwight The Wine Doctor with Shaun Gayle of the Super Bowl XX winning Chicago Bears

-Austen Lane, Defensive End, 2010 Jacksonville Jaguars

-Michael Nahabedian, owner, NAHA of Chicago with his Slow Roasted BLT with Watercress Aioli

-The irrepressible Drew Nieporent of New York's famed TriBeCa Grill and NOBU

Indianapolis--Super Bowl Week climaxed with a cataclysmic fusion of charity, celebrity and cuisine at the Taste of the NFL's 21st Annual Party with a Purpose. Held for the first time in the event's history at a meaningful venue that symbolizes hunger relief, Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, one of the largest food depositories in the U.S, was the host venue.

Gleaners will receive 30% of the proceeds from the evening, which brought out the likes of NBC Today Show's Al Roker and Ann Curry, Food Network's Ted Allen, who acted as Culinary Host and Laura Kaeppeler, Miss America 2012 and a host of NFL Legends, including Hall of Fame members and Celebrity Chefs from famous restaurants representing every city that has an NFL team. NAHA restaurant of Chicago's River North was represented, along with Shaun Gayle, a veteran of twelve seasons with the Chicago Bears, including one as a member of the Super Bowl winning squad of Super Bowl XX in 1985.

Some of the nation's hottest restaurants and chefs were represented and cooked their specialties on site. Drew Nieporent and Chef Stephen Lewandowski of New York's famed TriBeCa Grill presented Bershire Pork and Gulf Shrimp Gumbo with Bill Ard of the New York Giants All Century Team signing football autographs nearby. Whitehave Sauvignon Blanc ($14), was the wine pairing. Chef Carrie Nahabedian of Chicago River North's NAHA prepared Slow Roasted BLT with Watercress Aioli. Chef Troy Guard of Denver's DISH prepared one of the hits of the evening, Szechuan Colorado Bison Short Ribs with Cauliflower Puree along with Don Miguel Gascon Malbec ($11) of Argentina. E&J Gallo and Pernod Ricard sponsored the wine and libations, along with KROGER, American Family Insurance and PepsiCo as partners and sponsors for the strolling wine dinner that was the climax of Super Bowl Week activities before Game Day at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Super Bowl XLVI a surprising mix of sights, sounds, sensations

2012-02-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

Photo essay and story by Dwight Casimere

1. Dwight The Wine Doctor at Monument Circle, downtown Indianapolis

2. Roger Bradley and his Boogie Burger

3. John Gibson, an Indianapolis institution, greets visitors to the Canterbury Hotel

4. Canterbury Executive Chef Erenst Luster mans the VIP Lounge in Diann's

5. A Turner Woodard original

6. A denizen of Super Bowl Village comes out in his party regalia

7. Canterbury Hotel creator and artist Turner Woodard with Dwight The Wine Doctor

8. Donny McClurkin and the NFL Player's Choir at the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration

9. This is what it's all about, a Super Bowl Ring

10. Larry Lee, Colts '87, shows off his hardware

Indianapolis---From riding the first-ever urban Zip Line 14 stories above Super Bowl Village, to rubbing shoulders with NFL Legends proudly displaying their Super Bowl rings and sharing their stories of past gridiron glories, to dining on fine Tuscan inspired cuisin one night and then on the world's most massive burger the next, Super Bowl XLVI is a showcase for contrasts in this historic, yet vibrant city.

Sitting in the VIP lounge of the Canterbury Hotel, overlooking the main plaza of Super Bowl Village, owner Turner Woodard reflected on the city's efforts to restore and revive its many monuments and historic buildings, while still keeping pace with modern times through the many soaring highrises that are monuments to the art of architecture. Turner, a developer who specializes in restoring and renovating historic properties is also a gifted artist who began his career as a teen-aged prodigy. His artwork hangs throughout the Canterbury Hotel, formerly the Warren Hotel, which he purchased and lovingly restored to its original grandeur."This is just a small part of what we're all about in Indianapolis. We're a great repository for the past, but, what we're showing here by hosting the Super Bowl, is that we're a terrific, modern city that's capable of orchestrating an event like this, while still portraying the hospitality and genuineness that we're known for."

Executive Chef Rino Bagilo of Osteria Pronto in Super Bowl headquarters JW Marriott hotel took diners on a culinary tour of his native Lake Como, Italy with his outstanding interpretation of nuevo Tuscan cuisine. "I do everything with a passion, especially when it comes to all things Italian, " he told me after flambeing an order of his Calamari Fritti in olive oil and flavored with pepperoncini, capolini onion and garlic aioli, followed by an exquisitely fresh Insalata Giglio, a composed salad of Bib lettuce, yellow and red heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, and white balsamic vinegar reduction. The offerings reached a fever pitch with his Canalonis (Italian crepes) of braised, pulled pork stuffed with spinach and a creamy velloute white sauce, similar to a Bechamel followed by white and black ink raviolis stuffed with lobster and served with a roasted lobster tail cooked in Chardonnary, butter and lobster reduction. The Chianti Classico wine and bubbly Prosecco were the perfect accompaniments in this oasis just off the lobby of the Super Bowl Media Center and the Host Commitee headquarters.

On the other end of the spetrum, a visit to the nearby gtrendy Broadripple district, brought a stop at Boogie Burger, an upscale eatery that specializes in custom bourmet burgers. Owner/Chef Roger Bradley, an Indianapolis native, began nurturing the concept as a young executive for a major pharmaceutical company while living in New York. "I've always loved food. I started, watching my grandmother cook and then, when I live in New York, my aunt, Valerie Jo Bradley, at her brownstone in Harlem. I opened a catering company that provided light fare and sandwiches to corporate clients at the companies where my friends in the industry worked and it grew from there. When I left New York and that industry, I moved back home to Indianapolis and started lying the groundwork for what you see here. This has always been my drean and as you can see, its starting to bear fruit." Bradley got behind the grill and made the larges burger this reviewer has ever had-the Monster Burger, complete with bacon, pastrami, cheddar cheese, onion rings, and topped with a fried egg. It would take a Super Bowl-sized appetizer to finish it all at one sitting!

The following evening saw the unfolding of one of the premiere events of Super Bowl XLVI, Super Bowl Gospel Celebration at historic Clowes Memorial Hall on the beautiful Butler University campus. Hosted by Rev Run and CeCe Winans, it featured Fantasia, the soul-stirring resonant voice of Natalie Grant, the electrifying three-tie Grammy winning Donnie McClurkin with the NFL Players Choir (yes, the choir is composed of all present and former NFL players, and they can really sing!) and the off-the-charts finale, led by Bishop Hezekiah Walker. The VIP reception, which honored sponsors Comcast, Verizon and American Family Insurance and the NFL, offered an opportunity to mingle with NFL alumni, several of whom shared their personal testimony of struggle, sacrifice and ultimate triumph onstage and flashed their Super Bowl rings offstage. It was the prelude to the exciting hours leading up to Super Bowl XLVI.

Desire elevates simple country Cajun and city Creole food to new heights

2012-01-27T14:47:00.000-08:00

Desire Oyster Bar and Bistro

At the Royal Sonesta Hotel

300 Bourbon Street

New Orleans, LA 70130

504-586-0300

www.sonesta.com

A restaurant named Desire

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

-Chef Peter Page with Dwight The Wine Doctor

-succulent Shrimp 'N Grits

-Chef Page at the Desire oyster bar

-an humongous fried Soft Shell Crab

-Arbita "root beer" float with Pecan Pie

New Orleans—All oyster bars are not created equal. Desire Oyster Bar and Bistro in the French Quarter at the storied Royal Sonesta Hotel is the perfect example of an establishment that looks like a typical oyster bar on the surface, but turns out to be something much more.

I entered Desire on a balmy, mid-winter night (by Chicago standards), with revelers “getting their weekend on” (in New Orleans, the weekend starts on Wednesday night), walking traffic-blocked, cobble-stoned Bourbon Street with plastic Hurricane and Daiquiri glasses held high. The sounds of New Orleans jazz and blues from the nearby open-windowed bars and clubs faded as I entered the cool confines of the restaurant, the comforting sound of oysters being shucked and the gentle swipe of the ceiling fans overhead said this is the real thing. Executive Chef Peter Page’s warm smile and breezy manner let me know that I was in good hands.

“What we serve here is a classic blend of Creole and Cajun. It has elements of both cuisines. Creole is more urban. It’s the cuisine of the city. It’s the cuisine that essentially grew up in New Orleans. Then we have the Arcadian, sort of single-pot dishes.

“The first course you had was the gumbo. You know it’s a city style gumbo, because it has tomatoes in it. In the country, they don’t use tomatoes. It’s a crab-based gumbo. We use Louisiana crab as the base for our stock. It has a lighter roux. We don’t believe in a mahogany roux. The second dish here is our Louisiana Shrimp ‘N Grits, which is actually our version of a classic Carolina Shrimp ‘N Grits. In the Carolinas, they use bacon; here we use Tasso ham (a local spiced smoked ham) that has a lot more heat to it. We also use a really good, hearty local stone ground grits that’s almost like a polenta. Its completely different than what you normally think of as grits.

It’s nice and creamy. Of course, it’s got our Gulf Shrimp in it. It really melts in your mouth.”

Of everything Chef Page served that night, the Shrimp ‘N Grits was the most outstanding. It’s a perfect example of how something really simple can become the most exquisite dish imaginable, because of its sheer simplicity and elegance of execution. Arbita India Pale Ale was the choice of beverage. All of the dishes were accompanied by a variety of locally brewed Arbita beers, which were as finely crafted as any of the craft beers I had in England last summer, during the London International Wine Fair.

Next, came a parade of dishes, each more succulent than the last, a humongous Seafood Platter with crawfish, oysters and the single largest Soft Shell Crab I’d ever seen, all fried in a gossamer-light batter that melted in your mouth. Jambalaya, consisting of giant Golf Shrimp and spicy Alligator Andouille sausage had the aforementioned mahogany-colored gravy that simply danced in your mouth. I kept going back to it for bites here and there as I explored the other menu items.

Desserts started with an Arbita beer 'root beer float' accompanied by Pecan pie. The coup de gras (cut of grace) was the house-made Bread Pudding, which featured fresh white peaches and raisins with a white chocolate sauce laced with Frangelico. It was a real food-gasm!

Hats off to Chef Page and his Desire. A restaurant could not have been more aptly named!

New Orleans Royal House puts Oysters on culinary throne

2012-01-27T10:54:00.000-08:00

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

Executive Chef Steve Young

Sauteed Crab Claws

Raw Oysters on the Half Shell

General Manager Shad Stearns

More Oysters

Oyster Master Nairobi Lowe

Executive Chef Steve Young with Chef de Cuisine Jeffrey Latimer

Steve Sintes delivers the “goods”

The historic Tortorici sign

A sweet finish

New Orleans—Oysters are king in New Orleans and anyone who loves them will find them in abundance. Now that the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico of two years ago has faded into history, the succulent bivalves are available in abundance.

Although the preferred method of eating oysters is in the natural state, raw, a behind-the-scenes look revealed that they can come dressed up in their formal tuxedo best as a fancy entrée or show up in down-home jeans as a barefoot bayou delicacy.

Royal House Oyster Bar on Royal Street in the French Quarter attracted my attention because it reminded me so much of the oyster bars I used to visit in the San Francisco Marina where I lived for several years. The long mahogany bar with the sound of oysters being shucked with abandon by Oyster Master Nairobi Lowe and the smell of local draft beer on tap was too intoxicating to pass up. The heady aroma caused my mind to drift back to my carefree days as a cub reporter, wandering my old haunts on North Beach and Fisherman’s Wharf. Sidling up to the bar for a dozen raw oysters and tall, frosty Arbita Amber Ale, I was not disappointed.

“Authentic is the word I like to use whenever I describe this place to anyone,” General Manager Shad Stearns declared as he set down a steaming plate of his signature Sautéed Crab Claws, an aromatic mix of fresh Louisiana claw tips, simmered in a lemon butter sauce with green onions, and Cajun blackened seasoning. “It’s our most popular non-oyster dish,” he declared. Sopping up the sauce with a huge hunk of crunchy Sourdough French Bread put me right at home before diving into the meaty claws. “What sets us apart from the other oyster bars in the ‘Quarter’ is our specialty seafood items like Snow Crab, fresh Lobster from our own tank and our Peel ‘N Eat jumbo Shrimp, which gives diners an exciting mix of options.”

Executive Chef Steve Young, whose been with the restaurant group three years and Chef de Cuisine Jeremy Latimer began whipping up a culinary ‘line’ parade of dishes that showed their mastery of the art of cooking seafood.

Royal House is the only oyster bar on Royal Street and has the distinction of being located in an historic 100 year-old landmarked building, which was once the home of the Tortorici family, which operated a flourishing café and restaurant on the main floor. The popular restaurant became a hub for New Orleans’ Italian American community and a hangout for celebrities of the day, including Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, who were regulars whenever the Rat Pack hit town. In 2005, the devastation of Katrina forced the restaurant to shut down. Fortunately, the historic landmark survived and reopened three years later as the new Royal House Restaurant.

The original Tortorici sign still hangs just below the famous balcony, where diners can enjoy and unobstructed view of the flagstone streets and elegant European gabled rooftops of the French Quarter.

A fresh batch of oysters from American Seafood, wheeled in by regular deliveryman Steve Sintes aid the case for the freshness of the oysters served at Royal House. “We get these in fresh everyday,” Stearns assured me. “Sometimes twice a day when we’re busy.” The arrival of fresh oysters prompted an exploration of the restaurant’s complete oyster menu and its myriad variations on the oyster theme; classic Oysters Rockefeller, topped with spinach, bacon and drowned in Sambucca (a licorice-flavored Italian liqueur) and then baked, Oysters Royale, topped with seafood stuffing and then baked, and baked Pepperino Oysters topped with roasted red peppers, green onions and Parmesan cheese.

It turns out that was just a warm-up for the entrees to follow. Char-grilled Oysters arrived with great fanfare. “This is a 21^st Century take on a popular classic,” Stearns explained. The tangy lemon and garlic butter sauce that bathed the oysters could just as easily have been used as a sauce for a delicious pasta dish. The combination of butter and liquid margarine with horseradish, olive oil and the requisite side of crusty Sourdough bread made this a meal to die for! Of course, copious amounts of locally brewed Arbita Ale to wash it down made for a match made in Heaven!

Thick and creamy Bananas Foster cheesecake drizzled with caramel and cinnamon with a glass of Frangelico made for a “royal” finish.

First-ever Slow Wine Guide debuts in New York, Chicago

2012-01-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

Slow Wine Guide an eco-friendly way to look at wine

By Dwight Casimere

Wine tasting photos by Dwight Casimere

1- 3, A recent Italian wine tasting at the Metropolitan Pavilion, New York

4-5 Tasting Italian wines at Vinitaly 2011

6-Spiaggia, Chicago

7-The kitchens at Spiaggia

8-The beach at Fort di Marmi, Italy

9-10 Monsanto estate in Tuscany

11-Planeta vineyards in southeastern Sicily

12-13 Planeta winery in Sicily

Wine lovers will have two unique opportunities to indulge in their passion for wine and be exposed to a new philosophy of winemaking that encompasses a concern for the environment while engaging in methods that improve wine quality.

Slow Wine, an English guide to Italian wines, will be unveiled in New York at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18^th St. #804 in Manhattan, Monday, January 30 from 6:30pm to 9pm and at Chicago’s prestigious Spiaggia restaurant on the Magnificent Mile, at 980 North Avenue, Thursday, February 2, from 6pm-8pm.

More than 140 wines from 60+ slow Wine producers will be presented at the Slow Wine Guide Publication Party in New York. Tickets are $35 for members of Slow Food NYC/$40 for general admission. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Slow Food NYC. Admission includes a complimentary copt of the Slow Wine Gjuide and a commemorative wine glass. Tickets are available at www.slowwineguidenyc.eventbrite.com.

Over 100 wines from 44 winemakers and 12 regions will be featured at the Chicago launch. A complimentary copy of the Slow Wine guide, published in the U.S. by Chelsea Green, will be given to each participant as part of their entry ticket for the event, which costs $35. To register, please visit http://www.eventbrite.com/org/1354305237.

The Slow Wine guide is a completely new approach to wine criticism because it evaluates wine in its entirety, taking into account wine quality, its type, faithfulness to terroir, its value to price quotient and the sensitivity of its producers to the environment through the use of sustainable viticulture practices.

Slow Wine gives a realistic snapshot of the current Italian wine landscape. The guide contains reviews of 400 different wineries that were personally visited by Slow Food experts.

“We’ve changed the way of reviewing wine,” said Marco Bolasco, CEO of Slow Food Editore. “We want to create new ways of discussing and exchanging contents, ideas and projects among producers, readers and Slow Food members with this international version of the guide.”

Slow wine is a philosophy of winemaking that emphasizes techniques which make the best wine for a given region rather than using technique which are optimal for bring wine to the marketplace, such as pumping, filtering and fining. These methods may speed up the winemaking process, but the ultimately have a negative impact on the wine and the environment.

Slow Wine is a parallel to the Slow Food movement, which emphasizes a way of living and eating that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to the community and the environment. This community of eco-gastronomy extends worldwide with a network of 100,000 members in 1,300 local chapters, called convivia, in 153 countries.

Among the Italian wines participants will have the opportunity to taste are San Lorenzo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Antares 2008, Isole Olena Chianti Classico 2009 from Tuscany, and Planeta Chardonnay 2009 from Sicily. For the complete wine list, visit www.slowfood.it/slowine/pagine/ita/parliamodi.lasso?id_edit=944.

Warming up for Mardi Gras: the "Super Bowl" of eating and partying

2012-01-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

Dwight The Wine Doctor

Warming up for Mardi Gras; the “Super Bowl” of gastronomy

Story and photo gallery by Dwight Casimere

-A friendly greeting at Pierre Maspero's

-Daybreak over the French Quarter

-Dwight The Wine Doctor with Chef Richard Tyler (r)

-Barbeque Shrimp

-Fettuccini Corn Maque Choux

-Crescent City Combo of Jambalaya, Red Beans & Rice, Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo, Crawfish Etouffee

-Chef Richard Tyler

New Orleans—Before the coin toss at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 5 at Super Bowl XLVI, another important event of national significance will step off in the Crescent City, the start of Mardi Gras season. Before Fat Tuesday, February 21, revelers here will have participated in dozens of parades, Krewe Balls and celebrations. Once the Twelfth Night Revelers hold their Bal Masque and Phunny Phorty Phellows take their annual ride along St. Charles Avenue, the crescendo of parties begin. The single largest activity that units them is indulging in all manner of food and drink.

Eating is practically a religion in New Orleans. “We wake up in the morning talking about what we’re planning to have for dinner,” said Carol Miller, Director of Training for Creole Cuisine, the parent company to several restaurants located in the French Quarter. That fact was borne out in a behind-the-scenes look at several iconic restaurants in the French Quarter and the burgeoning Warehouse District. A chefs-eye view proved that not only is eating a religion, but food is this city’s Holy Grail and its restaurants are its Temples of Gastronomy, especially during Mardi Gras Season.

“Dieting is not in our culture,” said Chef Richard Tyler of The Original Pierre Maspero’s restaurant on Chartres Street. “We love butter too much.” The combination of copious amounts of butter and that “holy trilogy” of seasonings, garlic, onion and celery and a mix of homemade spices that probably date back to the restaurant’s inception in 1788, may account for the heady mix of flavors and textures that distinguishes such signature dishes as New Orleans Barbeque Shrimp ($9.95) and Seafood Stuffed Pistollettes ($8.95), a creamy mélange of crawfish, shrimp and crabmeat stuffed inside a miniature baguette of crusty French bread with a mixture of onions, peppers and cheese. The sandwich is then flash fried and served piping hot. “”It’s very decadent,” chef Tyler, warned, “but very delicious.

Another house specialty, Cochon De Lait ($11.95) prompted a return visit. A pork roast is marinated overnight and stuffed with jalapeño peppers and garlic and then slow-roasted for 24 hours. It’s then served Po’Boy style, on a crunchy French roll with pickles and lettuce. A healthy dollop of mayonnaise rounds it out for a messy, but mouth-watering treat. A Sausage Trio of alligator, andouille and smoked hot sausage, grilled with Cajun seasonings and With Creole mustard for dipping ($9.95), made for a hearty meal, but local would only consider this a starter!

Moving into the entrees, Fettuccini Corn Maque Choux ($16.95), “we just love to put ‘o-u-x’ after every other word!” Miller exclaimed, proved to be the star of the afternoon. A pasta dished that harkens back to the days of New Orleans earliest settlers, the Arcadians, or “Cajuns” as they were later dubbed, the dish combines sautéed corn, peppers and Tasso, a spicy, local cured ham, in a rich sauce made with heavy cream and, of course, butter, tossed with pasta and then topped with blacked chicken. Whew! I get full just writing about it!

Alternate glasses of Main Street Cabernet and a new arrival, a Pinot Grigio from Italy, from the restaurant’s compact, but well thought out wine list helped the flavors bounce along the palette.

A pre-prandial Bloody Mary ($10) proved a revelation. Made with a house-infused vodka that is marinated with cocktail onion, olives, spicy pickled green beans and sundried tomatoes for 24-48 hours is then combined with a Homemade spice blend (no secrets divulged here), horseradish, Tabasco, Worsteshire, pepper and Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix is shaken and poured in a tall Hurricane glass over ice and garnished with olives, cocktail onions and a piece of pickled green bean. It’s a nice way to get your veggies in and a hefty buzz at the same time.

Pierre Maspero’s was only the first stop of the day, for lunch. Dinner would be another adventure. As they say in the Vieux Carre, “Laissez les bon temps rouler,” Let the good times roll!

LaMarca Prosecco toasts the rebirth of a Chicago legend

2012-01-17T22:23:00.000-08:00

LaMarca Prosecco celebrates rebirth of a Chicago legend

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

Food photos by Max Herman

CHICAGO—LaMarca Prosecco flowed in the Library of the Pump Room at Public Chicago, the incarnation of the historic Ambassador East Hotel and its historic Pump Room. The Italian sparkler proved that it is a great, inexpensive alternative to Champagne and brightens any celebration with its bright, clean taste and easy drinkability. It goes easily with most foods, especially light appetizers and small plates, as demonstrated in the Library at the newly reincarnated Pump Room.

Celebrity Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the Alsatian culinary who took New York and ABC-TV by storm, is now breathing new life into a dormant legend. The Pump Room, until it was shuttered several years ago, was once the place for celebrities to see and be seen and has been the subject of landmark songs, including 1939’s Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town) in which it was the setting for the lyric, popularized by Frank Sinatra, a frequent Pump Room habitué, “I saw a man, he danced with his wife” and served as the inspiration for Phil Collin’s 1985 Grammy © Award winning album, “No Jacket Required,” the result of his being barred from the restaurant for not observing its then, Dress Code.

Enter Studio 54 co-founder and entrepreneur Ian Schrager and Chef Jean-Georges. The Pump Room has been completely reimagined and has reopened within what is now Public Chicago hotel, with a new, sleek image and a contemporized, slimmed down menu.

“What we’ve done is keep some of the old favorites on the menu, while updating it with some new items that reflect my background, but with a twist to it. There are flavors of chilies, a bit of ginger, an Asian influence in some of the menu items, but you can still get something as basic as ago good burger or a pizza. There’s something for everyone,” according to Chef Jean-Georges, taking a break from signing copies of his new book “Home Cooking with Jean-Georges, My favorite simple recipes ($23-Crown Publishing Group).

The word ‘simple’ may seem like a contradiction in terms when used in the same sentence as the name Jean-Georges Vongerichten, but the ‘great toque” assured me that the recipes inside are just that. “A few years ago, my wife Marja and I decided to get a family retreat in the country, a few hours outside New York (In Waccabuc, N.Y.). I decided to give myself a treat that most people take for granted, a two-day weekend. What I would do was have friends over and cook very simple dishes that made use of the local produce. I’ve also incorporated some of that idea in the restaurant here. We use locally sourced produce and food items produced by local artisans, so what we’re really promoting is the idea of farm to table.”

Everything I tasted bore out Chef Jean-Georges’ claims. The Crab Salad with Lemon Aioli on thin slices of Sourdough baguette tasted as good as anything I’d had at Fisherman’s Wharf. Fresh Salmon Lox served on a tiny Fried Rice cakes with a spicy Ginger aioli and a porcelain spoon of delectable Roasted Beets with Homemade Yogurt and killer whole wheat Spinach pizza.

LaMarca Prosecco ($12) is a fresh sparkling Italian wine from the north of Italy in Veneto. It was rated 90 points by the Wine Spectator and was awarded one of the publications highest honors. It has a crisp, delicate flavor, which blends the flavors of baked apple pie and grapefruit with a pleasant finish of tart lemons. It’s a great drink to have with small plates, like those served at the Pump Room and in the new Library, where small plates, like those sampled at the book-signing party, will be served in the lounge and at the sleek bar. Executive Chef Bradford Phillips is in charge of cuisine.

The Black Grouse: A "rare breed" swoops in

2011-12-28T05:44:00.000-08:00

The Black Grouse: A “rare breed” ushers in winter drinking pleasure

Dwight The Wine Doctor

By Dwight Casimere

Bartender Photos: Peter Wagner

Drink Photos: Jamie Falkowski

Photos

-Bartender Mike Ryan of Sable

-All Mimsy were the Borogroaves

-A Quiet Smoke in the Woods

The Black Grouse: a “famous” way to usher in winter drinking pleasure

Winter is hard upon us. What better time to cozy up to a great glass of Scotch in the form of a new blended Scotch whisky that has just flown into the premium drinks nest in Chicago. The Black Grouse ($26) is the ‘kissin cousin’ of The Famous Grouse. The latter already lives up to its name with its famous pedigree. Blended primarily from Highland Park and Macallan whiskeys, it’s the liquid equivalent of a child sired by two Oscar-winning actors. The Black Grouse takes it a step further, setting it a breed apart. The Black Grouse is a marriage of the Famous Grouse and Islay malt whiskies. Known for their peatiness, the Islay adds a deepening layer of smoothness and smokiness. With its long aromatic finish and hints of cocoa and spice, it deserves the accolades it has been getting. It’s a yin and yang experience, with its mix of sweetness and smokiness.

The Black Grouse is named after the endangered species that is distinguished by its deep color, blazing white feathers on its wingtips and tail and a shock of red plumage on its crown. This is a rare bird that likes to strut its stuff with a characteristic gleam in its eye, not unlike its beverage namesake!

Whisky makers seem to be following the same mantra as winemakers, particularly in California; that good wood makes for good drinking. Experimenting with unique woods or aging techniques is the name of the game. That’s where the makers of The Black Grouse come in. They’ve applied wood aging to create a new spin on The Famous Grouse, which is already the best-selling blended Scotch on its home turf. As a result, The Black Grouse has a terrific wood backbone and a long, smoky finish. Add that to the dominant flavors of molasses, vanilla and dried apricots and you have a seductive blend that is as smooth as silk on the palate. Various reviewers have called The Black Grouse “poetry in the bottle” and a quick tasting confirmed that accolade.

The Black Grouse made its Chicago debut at The Drawing Room in the Gold Coast. Mixologists Charles Joly of The Drawing Room, Lynn House of Blackbird and Mike Ryan of Sable showcased their original creations for this rare breed of blended Scotch. Here are the recipes for their cocktails:

The Fair Maiden (created by Charles Joly)

1.5 oz The Famous Grouse

.5 oz Eldergin Liqueur

.5 oz Honey Syrup

.75 oz Grapefruit

.25 oz Lemon Juice

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice, shake and strain into a coupe. Use a channel knife to mist top of the cocktail with citrus oil. Garnish with twist.

St. Andrew's Nightcap (created by Charles Joly)

2 oz The Black Grouse

.75 oz Vermouth

.25 oz Coffee Liqueur

2 dashes Chocolate Bitters

Combine The Black Grouse, vermouth and coffee liqueur in a mixing glass over ice. Stir to chill and dilute. Strain into a chilled coupe and dash with bitters.

The Royal Mile (created by Charles Joly)

1.5 oz The Black Grouse

.5 oz Benedictine Liqueur

.5 oz Earl Grey Syrup

.75 oz Lemon Juice

Egg White

Rare Tea Cellars Bitters

Combine all ingredients aside from bitters in a mixing glass and dry shake to combine ingredients. Add ice, shake and strain into an old fashioned glass with ice. Decoratively add bitters to top of cocktail.

Highland Breeze (created by Lynn House)

2 oz. The Black Grouse

.5 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

1 tsp. Fresh Grated Ginger

2 tsp. Orange Marmalade

1.5 oz. Tonic

Combine lime, ginger and marmalade in a mixing glass and stir until marmalade dissolves. Add The Black Grouse and ice, shake until well chilled. Double strain over fresh ice into a double old- fashioned glass, top with tonic. Gently stir and garnish with a blood orange twist.

Celtic Flip (created by Lynn House)

2 oz. The Black Grouse

1 Egg

.5 oz. Cream

.75 oz. Spiced Syrup*

3 tsp. Whipped Cream

Fresh Grated Nutmeg

.25 oz. The Black Grouse Spiced Syrup**

Combine The Black Grouse, egg, cream and spiced syrup in a mixing glass and dry shake. Add ice and shake until well chilled and strain into a coupe glass. Top with whipped cream, sprinkle fresh grated nutmeg on top and drizzle The Black Grouse spiced syrup on top.

*Spiced Syrup

2 c. Sugar

1 c. Water

1 tsp Ground Allspice

1 tsp Dried Orange Peel

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, simmer until sugar is dissolved.

**The Black Grouse Spiced Syrup

3 parts Spiced Syrup

1 part The Black Grouse

Simmer at a low boil until reduced by half.

All Mimsy Were the Borogroves (created by Mike Ryan)

2 oz. The Black Grouse

.75 oz. Fresh Pressed Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice

.75 oz. Cinnamon Syrup*

1 dash Housemade Chocolate Bitters

Shake and strain, serve up in a coupe glass. Garnish with shaved dark chocolate, 90%+ cacao.

*Cinnamon Syrup

1.5 c. Brown Sugar (loosely packed)

1 c. Water

2 Cinnamon Sticks (cracked)

Pinch salt

Combine all ingredients in a pan and bring to a simmer, then remove from heat. Let sit one hour, then strain, bottle and chill.

A Quiet Smoke in the Woods (created by Mike Ryan)

2 oz The Black Grouse

.75 oz. Madeira

.25 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

Two hard dashes Angostura bitters

Stir and strain, serve up in a coupe glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.

Brugal 1888 perfect for ringing in the New Year

2011-12-27T01:50:00.000-08:00

Ring in the New Year with premium spirits

By Dwight Casimere

It’s no secret that wine lovers also enjoy premium spirits. After a Christmas Holiday filled with endless Champagne toasts and dinners with a dizzying myriad of wines, indulging in premium spirits such as a single malt scotch or a fine rum or tequila is a nice change of pace. In addition to the sheer joy of appreciating the fine craftsmanship that goes into making a premium spirit, there’s also the sense of adventure that can be created by a skilled mixologist. With a little practice and the right bottle of libation, even an amateur can make any number of flavorful and imaginative drinks that can make toasting the New Year a night to remember.

One of the newest imports in the premium rum category is Brugal 1888 Grand Reserva Rum ($49) from the Dominican Republic. A true expression of great Caribbean rum, Brugal 1888 is double distilled and double aged, giving it a unique, upscale flavor comparable to drinking a fine cognac. Selected from the finest rums, it is skillfully aged first in American white oak for up to eight years, and then matured in European oak casks previously used for aging Sherry for another six to eight years. Master Distiller Don Gustavo Ortega Zeller Brugal is a 5^th generation family member, delivering a true expression of the Brugal legacy.

Overall, Brugal is the top-selling rum in the Dominican Republic. Spain has traditionally been its largest foreign market, but as of this fall Brugal has hit American shores with a tsunami of acceptance, particularly in the New York market. Over the past few months, it has been expanding its reach nationwide with a series of promotional events. Brugal 1888 is a new, limited-edition premium beverage that references the year of origin of the family’s rum-making tradition.

Casks used in Brugal 1888 aging aren’t any run-of-the-mill affair. Handpicked or handcrafted under the guidance of George Espe, The Macallan Master of Wood, these special Brugal 1888 casks are arranged horizontally during the aging process in a specially designed cellar. They are grouped together in batches of 68 units, to a maximum of 14,000 bottles. The final blend contains rums that have been aged anywhere from 5 to 14 years. The result is stunning luxury rum that reflects 120 years of blending experience.

With its deep amber color and complex nose of scented bouquets and hints of spice, cinnamon and dried fruit and back notes of chocolate, licorice and roasted coffee, it’s a terrific flavor adventure on its own. Brugal 1888 invites long evenings of sipping by the fire. It’s also great as either an aperitif or after-dinner drink.

Increasingly, premium spirits are finding their way into the mixologist’s lexicon. On the club scene, it’s almost de rigueur as a go-to ingredient for great cocktails. The Old Fashioned is a popular wintertime drink that is a classic. It’s been updated with the introduction of the Rum Old Fashioned. Although usually made with Bourbon or Rye whisky, made with Brugal 1888, it’s sure to become a wintertime favorite and a great way to toast the New Year in style! Here’s the recipe:

Fancy Brugal 1888 Old Fashioned cocktail

In a large cocktail blender pour over ice and combine:

2 oz Brugal 1888 Rum

1 oz simple syrup

1 dash Angostura bitters

Stir, then strain and pour into a wide-mouthed cocktail or champagne glass

Rub a cut lemon or orange around the rim

Cut a thin slice of lemon or orange rind and curl it around the cocktail stirrer and add to the finished cocktail. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and enjoy!

Moet & Chandon toasts Golden Globes, New Year with special vintages

2011-12-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

Story by Dwight Casimere

Photos by Michael Kovac

-Golden Globe Nomination Presenters Sofia Vergara and Gerard Butler toast with Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage 2002 Champagne

-Golden Globe Nomination presenters Sofia Vergara (far left-nominated, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Mini-Series or Motion Picture for the TV series “Modern Family) and actor Gerard Butler (2^nd left-The Bounty Hunter, How to Train Your Dragon, both 2010) toast the 69^th Golden Globe Award nominees with Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage Champagne 2002 with fellow presenter, actress Rashida Jones (center)and Moet & Chandon USA vp Ludovic du Plessis(r).

Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage 1911 Collector’s Case for auction

Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage 2002

Moet & Chandon Imperial

Moet & Chandon USA vp Ludovic du Plessis

Story by Dwight Casimere

Beverly Hills-When this year’s Golden Globe nominations were telecast on live global television, Hollywood Foreign Press Association president, Dr. Aida Takla-O’Reilly and Ludovic du Plessis, vice president of Moet & Chandon USA led the toast with Moet & Chandon 2002 Grand Vintage Champagne ($84.95) at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. This year, the Champagne house celebrates 21 years as the Official Champagne of the Golden Globes.

For the first time, Moet & Chandon will serve its Grand Vintage Champagne from customized magnums created especially for the 69^th Annual Golden Globe Awards. “Grand Vintage 2002 is a remarkable Champagne,” said vice president Ludovic du Plessis. “It honors the past, yet looks forward to the future. Characterized by its aromas of white peach and nectarine and a velvety texture and precise finish, this is an exceptional champagne that mirrors the excellence in execution that the Golden Globes honor in its special awards night.”

Over 1,000 Moët & Chandon Imperial minis and 500 Grand Vintage 2002 magnums will be served on both the red carpet and inside the ballroom totaling over 9,000 glasses of Moët & Chandon enjoyed during one of Hollywood’s biggest nights.

As Christmas and New Year’s Eve approach, Moet & Chandon’s flagship Champagne, Imperial ($27), is expected to be the largest selling Champagne in the world. Imperial, familiar to Champagne lovers around the world, has only recently been introduced to this country, replacing the wildly popular White Star label. Non Vintage Imperial’s reception by both the wine press and the public has been enthusiastic. Venerable wine critic Robert Parker called it “a straightforward, tasty Champagne made in an easygoing style.”

Dwight The Wine Doctor sampled it with a lunch composed of New England Lobster in Tarragon and Truffle Butter and a side of Homemade Linguini with Arugula and Portabello Mushrooms. The results were astounding. Imperial’s innate apple and citrus flavors, combined with its notes of honey on the tongue and crisp ginger aftertaste were the perfect foil to the briny, yet creamy ummami (mouth feel) of the lobster (enhanced with the sauce made with Kerry Gold unsalted Irish butter, a must for cooking!) and the earthy minerality and slight peppery edge of the pasta dish. A Yin/Yang of flavors is created in the mouth. You should really try this dish as a starter for the Holiday meal, especially for ringing in the New Year.

Imperial’s complexity and flavor are unparalleled. It’s value and price to quality ratio is among the highest in the industry. No dosage listing is given. None is needed. Suffice to say that it simply tastes GOOD.

With its rich, soft mouth-filling feel and its clean, sophisticated aftertaste, you cannot find better Champagne for the price!

2011 also marks a Special Event for Moet & Chandon and a milestone in the Champagne house’s history. Celebrating 100 years of its Grand Vintage 1911, Moet & Chandon is using its landmark Champagne in a special way. “We are auctioning off exclusive collector’s cases of Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage 1911 in discrete local auctions all over the world with the hopes that each auction would build excitement and bigger donations for the designated charities,” du Plessis said. New York’s auction at Christie’s benefitted The Lunchbox Fund, a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of students in South African township high schools. “The $66 thousand sale will help them immeasurably,” du Plessis noted.

Moet, according to du Plessis, has the largest Grand Vintage cellar in the world. “We had a limited, yet impressive reserve of 1911, 100 year old Champagne,” du Plessis explained. “The Chef de Cave knew that the 1911 vintage would be superior. In fact, he noted in his book that this was an “Annee Memorable,” a year to remember. With these centenary releases at auction, we not only seek to help those in need, but to also honor the living legacy of almost 270 years of winemaking excellence.”

Art Basel Miami Beach 2011:A magnet for luxury, celebrities

2011-12-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

Art Basel Miami Beach: 10^th year is the charm

1. Dwight Casimere with Art Basel Miami Beach Host Committee Chairman Norman Braman and Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower

2. New World Symphony's Michael Tilson Thomas and Audi's Car of the Future

3. Visual Artist Ivan Toth Depena and his Reflect at Miami's Stephen P. Clark Government Center

4. Collector George Kravis of Tulsa, Oklahoma with Miami publicist Susan Grant Lewin and artist, architect and composer Christopher Janney at Vernissage

5. Daniel Libeskind with his new masterpiece eL

6. Sean Combs at the Art Collector's Lounge

7. Michael Douglas escapes the maddening crowd at Vernissage

8. Art at Art Basel Miami Beach 2011

Miami Beach---“There are more private aircraft that fly into Art Basel Miami than there are to the Super Bowl.” That was the proud assertion of Norman Braman, Chairman, Art Basel Miami Beach Host Committee at the Media Reception for the opening of the 10^th edition of Art Basel Miami Beach.

If we are in the midst of a global recession, there’s no sign of it in this sun-drenched paradise of a city that has become one big art gallery for the week. At the Vernissage opening night parties in the Miami Beach Convention Center and the temporary exhibition hall space of the Design Center across the street, artists, well-heeled collectors and art lovers mingled with celebrities and heads of companies pitching luxury cars, jewelry champagne and corporate jets.

Outside the Vernissage party, there was Michael Douglas and wife, Catherine Zeta Jones being muscled by security guards past a phalanx of paparazzi and adoring fans into a waiting Escalade. Over in the Design Center, Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas, head of Miami Beach’s New World Symphony, was drooling over Audi’s Car of the Future at a Veuve Clicquot Champagne reception. At the Fendi lounge, world-renowned artist Christopher Janney was touting his new Interactive Art Installation, Harmonic Convergence that had just been dedicated at Miami International Airport to billionaire collector George Kravis whose Design Collection just got its own pavilion at the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Sean “Puffy” Combs was getting the VIP treatment at the Art Collector Lounge as the Ruinart Champagne flowed to the tune of $100 a bottle and over at the Culture Club, a “pop-up” gallery hosted by Picnic Magazine and the Mayor of Tel Aviv, Architect Michael Arad, designer of the 9/11 Memorial at the site of the World Trade Center terrorist attack in New York, held forth with a probing discussion of the creative process behind his design.

And, Oh Yes, there’s art! By the container ship load. Huge art pieces have been erected in public spaces, such as parks and vacant lots throughout Miami. Hotel lobbies, poolside cabanas and even entire floors of rooms and suites have been converted into instant art galleries. Even intermodal steel containers, like the very ones used to ship many of the art pieces from overseas by air, ocean and highway, have been similarly turned into “pop-up” galleries. In the chic Design District, once a crumbling aggregate of run down warehouses, a caravan of tricked out Mini Coopers have been turned into moving canvases by local artists and a convoy of mobile homes, cum art galleries, have become the home-away-from-home for a contingent of nomadic outside artists. Miami Beach’s Collins Park has been transformed with a record number of 24 public art works.

No space is left untouched by art. The bland Stephen P. Clark Government Center is now awash with dazzling color thanks to a new installation by visual artist Ivan Toth Depena. The installation, Reflect, was commissioned by the Miami-Dade County’s Art In Public Places. It uses infrared cameras to respond to a visitor’s movements and then creates light-based abstractions from those images in real time. Depena created specially designed software to retain a “memory” of previous user activity to create a constantly evolving artwork that elaborates the ideas of time and memory in space.

Interactive is the operative word at Christopher Janney’s other big project in the Design District, where his gallery has become a showcase of light and sound with the installations “Architecture of the Air” and “Touch My Building.”

Back at the Art Collector Lounge, internationally celebrated design architect Daniel Libeskind of Studio Daniel Libeskind, was holding a news conference with a collection of international art publication journalists on his new masterpiece eL, developed in collaboration with Zumtobel. Libeskind is best known for his dramatic addition to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the lavish sets he designs for opera, most recently for Deutsche Oper Berlin’s production of Messiaen’s Saint Francis of Assisi.

“eL is new because it affirms the idea that light is not just for ornamentation or effect. It ‘is’ the structure. It becomes an essential design element and redefines its relation to art as a means of conveying emotion,” Libeskind elaborated.

Besides setting records for the value of art sold, this year’s number of both exhibitors and attendees has made the 10^th Art Basel Miami Beach the largest ever.

"Nouveau Expression" sweeps the nation with 100 Beaujolais Nouveau 2011 release parties

2011-11-21T08:12:00.001-08:00

“NOUVEAU EXPRESSION” SWEEPS THE NATION WITH 100 PARTIES TO CELEBRATE 2011 BEAUJOLAIS RELEASE

Story and Photos by Dwight Casimere

-Dwight The Wine Doctor with Georges Duboeuf co-owner Franck Duboeuf

-A toast to Beaujolais Nouveau

-Award-winning food writer and Contributing New York Times columnist Florence Fabricant with Franck Duboeuf

-Franck Duboeuf and the pimped out vintage Cadillac

-The Beaujolais Nouveau "ride"

-Artists Wayne Ensrud and Lisa Mee with the Georges Dubeouf labe he designed

-Knights of the Vine

-Backjump Burgers with Fried Quail Egg on top

-William J. Deutsch, Chairman, W.J. Deutsch & Sons

-Server with those famous Backjump Burgers

-Graffiti Artist Kaves with Franck Duboeuf and the label representations the artist designed for Beaujolais Nouveau

-Hip Hop artist Pop Master Fabel busts a move

-Harlem Travel Guide co-author Valerie Jo Bradley with famed author and former New York Magazine food critic Gael Greene

-The Star of the Show, Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2011

NEW YORK—With Hip-Hop music blaring from the DJ, Frank Duboeuf, co-proprietor of Les Vins Georges Duboeuf came roaring through the garage door of Manhattan’s SIR Stage 37 night club in a vintage Cadillac chauffeured by Brooklyn graffiti artist Kaves. Duboeuf was bearing precious cargo, the first case of 2011 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau wine to arrive in the United States. Kaves designed the one-of-a-kind image that graces the label of each bottle.

Escorted by Hip Hop artist Pop Master Fabel and his Cru doing their signature moves, Duboeuf proceeded to uncork the first bottles of the fresh, young Gamay red wine to mark the beginning of “Nouveau Day” across America. On November 17, 100 Nouveau Expression parties were held across the country to celebrate the official arrival of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2011, marking the 60^th anniversary of the first Nouveau vintage in 1951. The biggest party, marking the official arrival, was held at SIR Stage 37 in New York.

“This year marks a milestone for Beaujolais,” Franck Duboeuf gushed proudly to Dwight The Wine Doctor. “This is the first time in many years that we have harvested twice within one year. The wine is “Magnifique!”

In France, the end of the harvest is celebrated much like Mardi Gras, only instead of throwing beads and eating King Cake, the French celebrate by drinking their new wine.

“This year’s Gamay Beaujolais is a bouquet of fruity aromas, very round, very soft with a very great aftertaste, like fresh grapes,” he further described.

“This is not just a “celebration” wine, but a real food companion that goes great with Holiday ham or sausages. It’s great with roasted meats like beef or turkey, that are so common on the table this time of year.”

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2011 sells for around $10 at most retailers, making it a terrific Holiday bargain.

The catering staff at Stage 37 passed around a series of mouth-watering hors d’oeuvres Inspire by NYC's Food Truck Scene, including All-City Braised Pulled Pork with Carrot and Cucumber Slaw and Sriracha Mayo on a Porcelain Spoon, spectacular Gallery Grilled Aged Wisconsin Gruyere Cheese Sandwiches and the real stand-out of the event, mini Backjump Burgers with Oven Roasted Tomato and Roasted Tomato Sauce topped with a Fresh Fried Quail Egg. MMMMmmmmm!!!

The Arrival Celebration continued with a three-course meal that showcased Georges Duboeuf’s new releases for the year, including Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2011 ($11) with Painter’s Touch Chicken “Porchetta” which was a chicken breast stuffed with Pork Belly, Fennel, Rosemary and Red Sage. This is a dish that is easy to duplicate at home and, by its description, I’ve just given you the recipe. The bright fruit flavors of the wine and the touch of spice on the tongue married well with the fennel and sage infusion in the stuffing. The pork belly gave the dish a creamy, Umami (comfort food) mouth feel that is so desirable in Holiday and end-of-harvest meals, that mirrors the round, soft flavor palette of the wine.

Georges Duboeuf Julienas Chateau des Capitans 2010 ($18.99) was the lush flavorful wine served with the 3D Salmon with Celeriac Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Green Beans. The fish was served with the crispy “skin on” which gave the wine an oily, slightly charred foil to play against with its rich taste of brambleberries, typical of old vines fruit. Blackberries and spice and a hint of black peppercorns are the back notes that make this a great wine with fleshy fish or a rare aged steak or charred Churrasco (Brazilian grilled) skirt steak.

Artistic Expression Desserts of Cereal Milk Ice Cream Milk Shake, Salted Caramel Truffle and a Chocolate Compost Cookie provided an opportunity to play around with some of the other great new releases that were offered. Georges Duboeuf Morgon 2010 ($15.99) was my personal favorite with its complex flavors and aromas of dark berries and back notes of allspice and a hint of smoke, as was the Morgon 2010 ($13.99), a straightforward fruity expression of the Gamay grape.

The pre-celebration tasting featured George Duboeuf Macon-Villages 2010, 100% Chardonnay ($12.99) and an outstanding “Frasier-worthy” Puilly-Fuisse 2010, also 100% Chardonnay ($19.99).

William J. Deutsch, Chairman of the Board, W.J. Deutsch & Sons, exclusive importers of Georges Duboeuf wines, summed it up best: “This is truly a landmark day! I’ve been partnering with Georges Duboeuf, his family and his wines for the past 28 years and this is my 28^th Beaujolais Nouveau celebration. We make the world happy!”

Deutsch said his association with the Duboeuf family reflects the philosophy behind his business model. “When I started this business 30 years ago, the idea was to work exclusively with family owned wine companies that we would become very close to, and here we are 30 years later, with generations coming to the front-Georges’ son Franck and my son Peter, they’re picking up where Georges and I built a foundation.”

He further said that the timing of the Beaujolais Nouveau celebrations could not have been better. “Just by coincidence, the wine goes very well with Holiday Turkey. Mother Nature was good to us, She brought us both Beaujolais Nouveau and Turkey, all at the same time.”

Well said. Vive William Deutsch and Vive le Beaujolais Nouveau!

Pinot Days Navy Pier Chicago turns 'Sideways' on its ear

2011-11-13T15:18:00.001-08:00

Dwight The Wine Doctor-Pinot Days Navy Pier Chicago

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

1. Dwight The Wine Doctor with Alexandre Leclercq of Albert Bichot Wines of France

2. Erin Craig-Wine Consultant Louis Glunz Wines (r) and friend

3. Paul Sloan of Small Vines Wines-Sebastopol, California

4. Cory Davis-Stoller Vineyard

5. Jim Ball and his wife with Dwight The Wine Doctor

6. Stoller Wines

7. Lee Medina-Sokol Blosser Wines

8. Aldo Zaninotto of ROAR Wines

9-11. Some of the "Beautiful People" at Pinot Days

12. Jim Ball Winemaker

13. Alexandre Leclercq of Albert Bichot Wines

14. Maggie Hall-Gypsy Canyon Wine

15. Gray Hartley-Hitching Post Wines

16. Kate MacMurray, Wine Ambassador, MacMurray Ranch Wine

“It’s a good thing you’re here early,” said winemaker/owner Gray Hartley of Hitching Post winery in Nipomo, California. “You weren’t here last year, but within minutes of opening, there was a thundering hoard of thirsty wine lovers at my table!” Hartley’s prediction bore fruit within seconds. The vast expanse of Festival Hall B at Navy Pier became crowded with lovers of wine made from the complex, finicky grape called Pinot Noir.

The grape, and its antecedents, goes back to antiquity. It’s been the subject of a cult-followed Alexander Payne-directed Hollywood film, Sideways (2004), starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh. It’s also a wine that has raised as much controversy and sparked passionate arguments, equal to its popularity. The crowd was as diverse as the style and characteristics of the wine. From wine as light and sweet as a summer’s breeze, to dark, almost mahogany or India-ink colored dense wines that smelled of the forest floor and dark, bramble fruit, the 5^th annual Pinot Days Chicago Grand Festival Tasting showcased 70 phenomenal producers of Pinot Noir from every important domestic region and a handful from Germany and France. From Sonoma’s Russian River Valley to Oregon, Carneros near Napa Valley, the Santa Lucia Highlands, Pasa Robles, Anderson Valley and the Sonoma Coast, there were up to 300 pinots to sip, swap stories about and savor with a selection of specialty foods from local purveyors. The terrific thing about Pinot Days is that the winemakers and winery owners are on hand to personally pour the wines for you and to talk about how they were made and their unique properties. Here’s a taster’s choice sampling of comments about their wines:

Greg Stach winemaker Landmark Vineyard Kenwood, California- “We focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and I’m pouring our Damaris Reserve ($40) which is our best chardonnay that we have and our pinot noirs (2009 Kanzier-$65, 2009 Sonoma Mountain Grand Detour-$40) which have both been rated 90 points or better. I think what’s special about the wines is that we are really trying to express the vineyards thru the wines. There’s very little handling involved. The pinot grapes are very gently handled acre by acre. It’s a very meticulous winemaking process. Flavor-wise, there’s a lot of fruit and a lot of mushroom in the bottle. Our wine goes well with mushroom- based foods it’s got I get a lot of raspberry and milk chocolate on the nose and on the palette. I would describe it as a classic style of pinot noir. Kanzier is sourced from grapes in the Sebastopol hills. It’s a bigger wine with lots of earthy, forest floor notes. It’s got big blackberry flavors too, with lots of tannins and toasty oak that gives it good structure and balance. It’s still a young wine. I get effusive blackberry fruit when I first taste it. It’s sort of unusual for a California Pinot Noir. I think that’s why the critics rated it so highly (95 points).

Jim Ball-winemaker/owner Jim Ball Vineyards-I’m pouring out 2009 Signature Pinot Noir, which is from Anderson Valley and our Boonville Pinot Noir. Both are made from all Estate Grown fruit and sell for around $45 a bottle. “These are aged in 25 and 50% new French oak, respectively. I think they’d go best with a spiced, wood-smoked Salmon. These are medium bodied wines with a lot of complexity. The Signature, for example, has a lot of sassafras on the nose. (Sound like it’ll go great with Cajun/Creole food) and lots of rich black cherry, plum and dark chocolate. The Boonville has more of a floral characteristic with lots of fruit, like raspberries and blackberries and the smell of violets and rose petals. There’s a little bit of sandalwood in the mix too. That’s why I suggested the smoked salmon.”

The Hitching Post Restaurant in Buellton, California, in Santa Barbara County, is practically a starring character in the popular Alexander Payne film Sideways. One of the characters, Maya (Virginia Madsen) is a waitress there. Restaurant owner/chef Frank Ostini and his good friend, former fisherman Gray Hartley, started making their first Pinot Noir in Frank’s garage in 1979. They moved to a winery in 1984, a quickly drew a cult following to their restaurant and wine bar where the wine was exclusively poured. From making just a few cases of homegrown wine, they’ve increased to over 20,000 cases in their new ultra premium facility at Terravant Winery in Buellton. The wine, as described by Gray Hartley, reflects their shared passion.

“We produce a wine intended to go with food,” Hartley explained in his rather theatrical way of speaking. When he’s not making wine or hanging out at the restaurant, he lends his voice to commercials and does various clothing ad shoots and commercials.

“We started out just making wine for our friends and giving it away, but within a short time, we were making so much, we just couldn’t find enough people to give it to. That’s when we decided to get ourselves a bonded license, and took our winemaking operation to a legitimate facility. So, here we are, thirty years later, and we’re still having fun making wine.”

What’s special about the wines is that we’ve been focusing on wines that are food friendly. As you know, Frank is a chef, and the wine we make is crafted with that idea in mind. If wines are made to complement food, they can accelerate and elevate the dining experience.”

Pinot Noir is most closely associated with the Burgundy region of France, where it gets its name. Pinot noir literally means “black pine” for the dark color and pinecone shaped clusters of grapes on the vine. It is widely considered the finest wine in the world, however, it has a reputation as a difficult variety to both grow and to transform and tame into wine.

Alexandre Leclercq of Albert Bichot wines, a negotiant from France with officers at McClurg Court, Chicago, not far from Navy Pier where the tasting was held, was the sole French proprietor on hand. He presented a handful of wines from his native Beaune, France.

“We have been producing wine since 1831. We are one of the biggest wine producers and negotiants in France. We are part of the history of Burgundy. We produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, primarily. We are also one of the biggest producers in Chablis. Now, we have been in the United States for 7 years and are starting to expand our operations. Most of our wines are in the $15 to $35 range. Our Old Vines Pinot Noir is aged 50% in new oak barrels to give it a little bit of structure while maintaining the freshness of the Pinot noir grape. Our next tier of wines sell for $22 a bottle and $35 respectively. They’re aged 50% in new oak for a year to give them more pronounced flavor and complexity. The real difference with our wines is that we provide the same complex, structured wines that you’ll find elsewhere for twice the price or more!”

There were just as many people ordering cases of wine to be shipped later as there were those who simply came to imbibe and enjoy the party. With the Holidays right around the corner, you can bet there will be plenty of food-friendly Pinot Noir on tables throughout the Chicagoland area. Pinot Days heads to Southern California January 28, 2012, Dallas, April 21, 2012 and San Francisco (at Fort Mason, between Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge), June 16, 2012. Mark your calendar; I just might see you at one of them.

"Spirit of Sonoma" soars at Fleming's MacMurray Ranch wine dinner

2011-11-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

Fleming’s Steakhouse “Spirit of Sonoma” Dinner stars MacMurray Ranch Wines

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

MacMurray Ranch Wine Ambassador Kate MacMurray addresses Fleming's "Spirit of Sonoma" Dinner with Wine Manager Russ Ricker

MacMurray Ranch wines

Fleming's Steakhouse cuisine

Chef Partner Jeri Griffin with Chicago Operating Partner Curtis Nordeen

Kate MacMurray with Dwight The Wine Doctor

Actor Fred MacMurray had an “incandescent” career as a movie star, according to his daughter, Kate MacMurray, MacMurray Ranch Wine Ambassador, making more than a hundred films that spanned every genre. His greatest, legacy, however, may be Russian River Valley Ranch he purchased in Sonoma Country Wine Country in 1941. A homestead since the 1850s, MacMurray Ranch has become one of the premiere producers of extraordinary Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris wines. That fact was brought home with thundering clarity in an intimate wine dinner at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar near Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, which featured Special Guest Kate MacMurray in a special presentation of the winery’s new releases and the cuisine of Chef Partner Jeri. The “Spirit of Sonoma” Dinner brought together the elements of fine wine, expressive cuisine and oral history, creating a multi-dimensional experience that appealed to both the palate and the intellect.

Kate MacMurray, who also writes poetry, is an eloquent speaker. Her passion for the ranch and the wine it produces are evident. Her moving and illuminating stories of the legacy of her famous father and his achievements at the ranch are as multi-faceted as the wines she is presenting.

“I’m going to share a secret with you,” she told the gathering of about 20 or so oenophiles. “The story of my father and the ranch has its roots right here in Illinois. My father was born in Kankakee and my mother was born in Rock Island, in an area now known as the Quad Cities.” The announcement brought a gasp from the gathering.

The story of MacMurray Ranch’s beginnings was accompanied by a slide presentation, which showed the lush vineyards and photographs of the ranches early years, featuring those of the original owners, the Porter family. MacMurray Ranch Pinot Gris Sonoma Coast 2009 ($13.99) was served as the aperitif during her introductory remarks. The easy-to-drink white wine is aged in neutral barrels to give it balance and complexity and just a whiff of smoke. The more pronounced flavors are those of ripe peaches or an Asian pear. Its crisp, clean finish makes it a great wine with appetizers or salad or just on its own as a party starter.

The first course was giant Shrimp Skewers (what they would call Prawns in the Northern California Bay Area, where Kate lives), with Fresh Fennel and Orange and Avocado Salad. MacMurray Ranch Chardonnay Sonoma Coast, 2008 ($16). This is one of the best examples of the ‘new breed’ of California Chardonnays that has wine critics like Robert Parker salivating. It’s bursting with rich, luscious fruit, so characteristic of the grapes produced in the ideal growing region along the Northern California Coast with its fog-kissed mornings and sunny days. Light gold in color, it has the full-bodied taste of poached pears and honey and a touch of brioche and hazelnut. A bit of spice on the tongue and a wisp of smoke complete the flavor portrait. I saved a bit to drink with the next course, Chef’s Cream of Mushroom Soup and found it just as agreeable with it as MacMurray Ranch’s outstanding 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($19).

This is an elegant example of an elegant California Pinot Noir. It’s medium-bodied with a nice aroma of fruit- black cherry, plums and just a hint of pepper and spice. The dark ruby color foretells the treat you are in for. It is only topped in flavor and value by MacMurray Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, 2008 (29.99) and the Winemaker’s Block Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, 2008 ($39.99), both true Burgundy –styled wines with black raspberry on the nose and a touch of rose hips and tart cranberries on the palette. These wines provided a kaleidoscope of flavors to play around with, accompanied by the stellar Roasted Chateaubriand with Black Truffle Butter, Mashed Green Market Potatoes and Madeira Sauce. The kitchen shined on this Continental Classic. The meat was fork tender and bursting with fresh mineral flavor. The perfect marbling of the meat gave it a soft mouth feel. The light woodsy whiff of truffle melded with the aroma of the wine as you lifted it to your lips, amplifying the treasure-trove of flavors that rolled over the tongue. It was the Grand Finale to a meal and a wine that, like its namesake, is worthy of its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

CHILL: Merchandise Mart of Chicago's showcase for design, food & wine

2011-11-11T06:26:00.000-08:00

Dwight The Wine Doctor

CHILL: Merchandise Mart showcase for design, food & wine

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

LUXEHOME, the Merchandise Mart’s collection of premiere boutiques for home building, design and renovation, was the venue for CHILL, An International Wine & Culinary Event.

Benefitting three local charities, Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, the Chicago Youth Symphony Association (which provided young players in the various showrooms) and the Lynn Sage Foundation, the event brought together the Chicago area’s top chefs and their premiere gourmet creations and some of the nation’s and the world’s finest winemakers, many of whom appeared in person to pour their latest vintages. This oenophile was especially delighted to receive a ‘sneak preview’ of some of the wines to be served at the annual Pinot Days celebration at Navy Pier, two days hence.

Stew and Barb Lauterbach were among the first to welcome me to CHILL with a glass of their Russian River Valley 2006 Pinot Noir ($26) from Sonoma County, California. Stew is a Chicago boy at heart, but got caught up in the Great Outdoors while running canoeing and kayaking trips to Canada during his college years. He eventually became a paramedic and volunteer firefighter, which led him to pursue a medical degree at the University of Cincinnati. That’s where he met his wife-to-be, Barb.

A residency at Oakland, California’s Highland Hospital near San Francisco brought the young couple to the Bay Area, which is not far from the Northern California wine country. Frequent forays into the wilds of the Sierra Foothills and California’s Coastal Ranges eventually landed them in Sonoma County and a position in the Emergency Services Center at Santa Rosa Hospital, smack dab in the middle of Sonoma County wine country. Stew had a revelation, and within a short time, purchased some land and started planting Pinot Noir and Syrah grapes. The rest, as they say, is history, fostered by a bit of serendipity!

“The beauty of it all,” Stew confided in me as he poured his pride and joy, 2004 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (also $42), “is that now I’m able to share my passion for both wine and the medical profession with my colleagues.” Stew speaks often at medical conferences, lecturing to emergency room physicians. They love it when he shows up, because he always brings with him a case or two of his luxurious wines for a tasting session after his talk.

Next door, Marc and Jennifer McWilliams poured a glass of their 2009 Longbow Pinot Noir ($48). “That’s our favorite,” Marc offered, as my glass found its way toward the bottle, as if it were magnetized. I was instantly rewarded. The wine had a distinctive nose layered with the smell of jammy fruit and a faint wisp of smoke, like fall leaves burning on the Sonoma Valley forest floor. There was a hint of cheery jam, black tea and Maduro cigar on the tongue followed by a grace note of dark chocolate. It was yummy to say the least. I quickly made a date to meet with him at Navy Pier for the Pinot Days tasting so he would save some of his ‘under the table’ wines for me!

The culinary treats at CHILL were equal to the stupendous selection of wines. I ran into one of my old friends, Executive Chef Patrick Sheering of The Signature Room at the 95^th at the top of the John Hancock center on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, carefully prepared a small plate of his roasted flax seed with a butternut and acorn squash glaze to go along with Haus Wines’ Scott Harvey Zinfandel ($20) from Napa Valley, California, in the Woodharbor Home showroom.

Executive Chef Trevor Hoyt of IPO New Urban Cuisine at the W Chicago City Center knocked it out of the park in the Poggenpohl showroom with his spectacular signature dish, Alaskan King Crab with Homemade Potato Gnocchi, butternut squash soup and enoki mushrooms. This was by far the best dish of the evening. “I violated my ‘two-bite’ rule,” I told the chef. “Normally, because I go to so many of these type of events, I only eat two bites and throw the rest away. This time, ‘I ate the WHOLE thing!” I promptly reached for seconds.

Quinta do Santa Tamariz Loureiro. 2010 Vinho Verde region from Portugal ($13) is a bright, crisp wine with an aromatic nose of white flowers and stone fruit. It goes perfectly with the crab, because of the slightly mineral aroma and especially so with the squash, because of its layers of citrus fruit and peaches on the mouth. This was a winning combination and a finish line performance by a champion of a chef!

Fleming's small plates:Adventures in wine & food pairing

2011-11-09T08:51:00.000-08:00

Dwight The Wine Doctor

Fleming’s small plates: Holiday adventures in wine & food pairing

Story and tasting event photos by Dwight Casimere

Chicago Operating Partner Curtis Nordeen and Chef Partner Jeri Griffin debut Fleming's Small Plates Menu

Selections from Fleming's Small Plates Menu

“It looks like we’re getting ready to do a séance,” one of the participants said, eyeing the carefully arranged seating arrangement with a dozen place settings around a rectangular table with low flickering candles at every other setting. The only spirits that were raised, however, were glasses of the evening’s signature cocktails and Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Ranchers Chardonnay and 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon.

This was the introduction and inaugural; tasting of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine bar’s new Small Plates menu, which was debuted in Chicago by Chicago Operating Partner Curtis Nordeen Chef Partner Jeri Griffin. The timing could not have been better for the restaurant, which is located just west of the Magnificent Mile, Nordstrom and the Westfield Mall, because the unveiling falls in advance of the Holiday Shopping Season. It presents a marvelous opportunity to pair wines from the restaurant’s expansive wine list with a new lineup of lighter, healthier dishing that mark the debut of a whole new way of dining at Fleming’s.

The small plates concept has been tried in various guises over the past decade or so, with varying degrees of success. It seems to have caught on in recent years though, because of the popularity of Spanish-styled Tapas Bars and “dim sum” type dining at the various ethnic restaurants that have been springing up like mushrooms in the ‘restaurant rows’ forged out of the city’s immigrant enclaves and newly gentrified communities.

In many ways, the small plates style of dining reminded me of the night’s I spent staying with a family in Marrakesh, Morocco a few springs ago, when I sat around a groaning table piled high with various sweet and savory dishes. The Mediterranean “dinner” typically starts at 9pm or later. Dinner at the Lahdhimi household was ceremoniously served at 10pm, after the men had watched the satellite TV replay of the soccer games in Europe or NBA basketball games from the U.S on Turner Broadcasting. (I guess they’ll just stick to soccer this year, due to the NBA lockout!)

Fleming’s has introduced seven new Small Plates on their menu, including Sliced Filet Mignon on shiitake risotto with chili oil drizzled with porcini mushroom butter and a truly spectacular Fleming’s Lobster Tempura with soy-ginger dipping sauce, arugula, jicama and apple salad.

Fleming’s has redefined the steakhouse experience to incorporate a wide variety of flavorful dishes that explore the full spectrum of cuisine. It also has become a point of destination for wine lovers because of its collection of 100 wines by the glass, showcasing the most innovative, cutting-edge wines from iconic and classic wineries from around the world. Here are some of the wine pairing suggestions for the Small Plates menu from Chef Partner Jeri Griffin.

All of the wines listed are available on Fleming’s wine list of wines by the glass and are also available at most wine shops. Prices listed are for average. Again, these are retail prices, not the price per glass on Fleming’s wine list.

Slice Filet Mignon-Cline Cashmere ($11.99) This silky, luxurious California red blend is a bit off the beaten path. Most of the grapes come from Contra Costa County, an area not normally associated with grape growing. It’s west of San Francisco, across the Bay and west of the Oakland Hills. The area is known for hot days and fog kissed nights and mornings. The unusual (for California) blend of Mourvedre, Grenache and Syrah produces a wine with a bright fruitiness and a nice balance of tannins. Fermented initially in stainless steel tanks, the wine is then nestled in French oak for nine months to give it a nice toast. It’s just great with Fleming’s hand-cut Prime Aged steak.

Shrimp Scampi Skewers-Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc ($29.99) Jack Cakebread was one of the pioneers of the new age of Napa Valley winemakers when he purchased an abandoned farm in the famed Carneros District in 1973 and started producing wines that quickly won him national and international acclaim. Like Jack himself, the wines are robust and straightforward. The grapes are harvested at night to preserve their concentrated fruit flavor and ideal balance of crisp acid and light sugar. The majority of the fruit is fermented in stainless steel tanks, with about 10% in neutral oak. The wine is then laid down in French oak for five months to enrich its texture. Its aroma of citrus and vanilla and taste of honeydew melons and nectarines goes perfectly with lightly grilled shrimp.

Petite Lamb Chops-Pascual Toso Malbec ($9.99) This is a perfect example of the flavor and value-packed wines that are coming out of Argentina. This is a wine that packs plenty of flavor into a ten-dollar bottle of wine, giving it one of the highest Quality to Price Ratios (QPR) of any wine out there. From Argentina’s Maipu Valley, is fresh and smooth with bright red cherry and ripe blueberry flavors and a touch of smokiness that makes it a perfect match with grilled lamb.

Filet Skewers-Duckhorn Cabernet ($59.99) This is a classic Napa Valley Cab that delivers a lot of bang for the buck. I had this one with Dan and Margaret Duckhorn at their new Wine Library and tasting room with its amazing collection of waterfowl artwork and carved replicas on Lodi Lane overlooking their beautiful, lush gardens. Lush is also the operative word for their Cabernet. Like the Cakebread's and the Mondavi’s, the Duckhorns are Napa Valley pioneers and its rich dark plum, cranberry and Bing cherry flavor with hints of Holiday Allspice and cloves gives it a wide berth in the flavor category. It was a great match with Fleming’s Prime Filet. I lingered behind after the tasting to have a glass all by itself. It’s that good!

Ahi Tuna Skewers-Mark West Pinot Noir ($8.99) This is a pinot that flies in the face of the accepted wisdom that as California pinot has to cost a hundred box or somewhere close to it to be considered any good. Its enticing aromas of strawberries and light notes of caramel and apple pie and sweet potatoes spices makes it perfect along with Fleming’s marvelous Sashimi grade tuna skewers. A Holiday ham or turkey is the logical match for this lush, oaky wine, which guarantees tons of flavor pleasure over the Holidays.

New Bedford Scallops-Roederer Brut Rose Sparkling Rose ($69.99) (Writer’s Note: There’s also a Roederer Estate Brut Rose from Napa Valley’s Carneros District ($24.99) This is true French Champagne with intricate and delicate flavors of herbs, roses and citrus blossoms. This is Champagne with style and panache. Combined with Scallops, it underscores the yin/yang of briny sea minerals and slight sweetness that makes scallops such a unique flavor adventure. The silky mouth feel also enhances that ‘umami” comfort food creaminess that makes scallops such a flavor treat over the Holidays. One of my favorite Holiday dishes is braised short ribs of beef in a morel mushroom sauce with butter soaked poached scallops with fresh sage.

I saved the best for last. Fleming’s Lobster Tempura is a spectacular dish and unique to any other lobster dish I’ve ever had. There have been other attempts at Lobster Tempura. Fleming’s got it right. Domaine Chandon Brut Etoile ($19.99) Etoile is French for ‘star,’ and that’s exactly the right moniker for this Napa Valley sparkler. Aged five years in yeast, its so graceful and elegant, it should be on Dancing with the Stars! Great lobster. Great “champagne.” ‘Nuff said.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

235 East Ohio Street

Chicago, Illinois 60611

312/329-9463

www.flemingssteakhouse.com

Vinitay 2011 brings "New Wave" of Italian wines to US

2011-10-30T10:46:00.002-07:00

Photo Gallery: by Dwight Casimere

1. Monica Marcucci of Cantine Baroncini with Dwight The Wine Doctor

2. Mark Tucker, Marketing Director, Vision Wine & Spirits

3. Patrick S. Cappellini of Piera Martellozzo

4. Mine Ayberk-Sommelier/Wine Broker

5. Cardis Jones of Riondo USA

Some of the “beautiful people” at Vinitaly US Tour 2011

New York--A “New Wave” of scintillating Italian wines is poised to sweep across America in the coming weeks and months. They were introduced at New York’s Metropolitan Pavilion at the Vinitaly US Tour 2011. A total of 57 producers and importers held a Grand Tasting, guided tastings, wine business seminars and a Sommelier Master Class as part of the effort, which is in advance of Vinitaly 2012, to be held Sunday through Wednesday, March 25-28 in Verona, Italy. The 46^th edition of Vinitaly will be the most important exhibition of wine and spirits in the world.

Robin Kelly O’Connor, Christie’s Head of Wines, Americas led an eye-opening seminar of wines from Tuscany’s Hidden Gem, Morellino Di Scansano, with a distinguished panel of producers from the region, which is located in the southern part of Tuscany.

The area has an ancient tradition of winemaking. Made primarily from the Sangiovese grape and often blended with local varieties, the wines have a fruit-forward character that give them an attractive fresh, enjoyable character.

“The message today is that these are wines of imminent drinkability and appeal,” O’ Connor told the seminar participants, who sniffed and sipped the fruit forward, juicy wines, many of them being tasted in the US for the first time. “They appeal to the ‘new wave’ of wine drinkers who are looking for wines that are versatile and will go with many kinds of food, especially the emerging wave of ethnic restaurants that seem to be popping up like mushrooms everywhere. The wines we will taste are not high in alcohol and tannin and they go equally well with either fish or meat. They can also go great with aged meat or with Boar. The greatest thing about them is that they’re lighter and more approachable and they’re also affordable. People will be saying “Finally, a wine that I can have more than two glasses! What we’re experiencing today is Italian wine directly from Heaven to Earth!”

From the first sip, it was evident that he was not exaggerating. The Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo blend, Baroncini Bruna Rinaldone Dell’ Orsa 2010 was just such a wine that O’Connor spoke of. With its silky tannins, brought about by “a lot of oak aging,” according to winemaker Monica Marcucci, “the wine goes great with meat or white pork (boar).

“It’s perfect for the American palette. It has no metallic taste at all in the background, which many Americans don’t find appealing. The wine is very fruit forward and appealing. In a few words, I’d say it is friendly, accessible and affordable. We think it will do well in the US market because it is so easy, both on the palette and on the purse. “

Rigardo Mantellassi, producer of Fattoria Mantellassi San Giuseppe 2009 was even more emphatic. “”Our goal, when you taste this wine, is to say “Momma Mia! This is Tuscany!” The classic style of his Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon blend, with its bright, fruity nose really gets your attention from the first sniff. “”We like it when we see people drinking our wine and they don’t talk. They’re trying to empty the bottle. It means they don’t want to talk about wine. They want to drink it!”

The wines will all retail in the $12-$20 range. Look for them on the shelves of your local wine merchants beginning in late November. For more information on Vinitaly and the US Tour, visit www.vinitalytour.com.

Halloween Wines that make Vampires swoon

2011-10-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

Wines for Halloween conjure up spirits of Vampires and goblins

By Dwight Casimere

7 Deadly Zins winemaker Adam Metler with Executive Chef Chuck Subra of La Cote Brasserie at the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience last spring-Photo by Dwight Casimere

Adults have practically taken over Halloween and made it one of the top money-grossing holidays for the entertainment industry. A recent report showed that they spend an average of $50 on costumes alone. The take by barkeeps and saloon owners who sell special party packages for the holiday, which can stretch for a week or more is right up there with New Year’s Eve and St. Patty’s Day. So its no surprise that winemakers have jumped into the cauldron and come up with a slew of wines that cater to the theme. Surprisingly, many of the wines that fit into the category of Halloween wines are quite good and suitable for drinking all year long.

Here are some of the top picks for serving at your next gathering of witches, ghouls and goblins:

7 Deadly Zins 2009 ($16) Seven vineyards were chose by the Phillips brothers and winemaker Adam Metler, in California’s burgeoning Lodi region to create this distinctive blend. This is what I’d call one of the “new style” of Zinfandels, which the brothers came up with as the answer to their search for the perfect Zinfandel blend. They went for distinctive “Old Vine” plots similar to the sacramental wines created by the Catholic Monks of California’s storied past. The wines are rich in fruit and berry flavor, redolent of spice with a luscious floral nose and hints of black pepper, currant and cassis. It goes great with spicy “Deviled” wings and other flavorful Halloween treats. Try it with a Candied Apple. You’’ never go back to cider!

Incognito Red 2009 (also $16) is Lodi’s answer to a classic Rhone blend from France with 40% Syrah, 11% Cinsault (pronounced san-so, a French grape indigenous to the Languedoc region) 11% Carignan (said to be from Aragon, France), 11% Mourvedre (a classic Rhone varietal), 9% Petite Syrah, 2% Grenache and 2% Tannat (historically grown in the South West of France in

Madiran).

This wine as aged in French oak for 16 months, so it has some pedigree and finesse. Even though it’s priced to be an everyday drinking wine, I wouldn’t be hesitant to serve it with a nice lamb chop or grilled steak.

If you’ve got Barbeque in mind for smoky fall grill night, here’s the wine for you:

6^th Sense Sense Syrah ($16) is a blend of Syrah with a tiny bit of Petite Syrah thrown in for complexity. It’s got a rich, full berry flavor with hints of plum for a long finish. It goes great with stewed meats such as a brisket for corned beef and pastrami. The perfect match, however, is meat grilled over hot coals and slathered in BBQ sauce!

Vampire Vineyards may sound like a Halloween-themed gimmick, but it’s actually a very respectably good wine out of the North and Central Coastal regions of California. Vampire Vineyards was founded by an entertainment attorney out of New York, who is currently headquartered in Beverly Hills (okay, there are some who say lawyers are but the distant cousins of vampires and other low-country creatures, but, I digress), with the idea of planting some high-quality rootstocks in the California hills, where the morning coastal fog and sun-kissed afternoons combine to create wines that are smooth and well-rounded with a nice, fruit-forward taste. Combine that with careful aging in aged French and new American Oak barrels and you have a wine that just dances on the taste buds. As the creators of Vampire wines like to say, “Sip the Blood of the Vine and enjoy!”

Vampire Cabernet Sauvignon ($10.95) is an absolute bargain with tons of flavor and quality for the money. Sourced from small-berry clones from the North Coast of California, this is traditional Bordeaux varietal created from well-drained soils that are rich in maritime fossils, giving it a distinctive, complex flavor that combines a mineral undertone with immense quantities of dark fruit. Its created using Classic, small-lot fermentation followed by long aging in small French oak barrels, giving it a rich, ripe flavor that goes great with grilled steaks and chops and pasta dishes or pizzas covered in a rich, red tomato sauce (of course!) It’s just the wine to serve to any hungry Vampires who might show up at your Halloween party.

Dracula Pinot Noir 2007($17.99) This is a classic California Pinot Noir from Paso Robles, California, which is the wine made famous by the 2004 Fox Searchlight movie “Sideways.” You don’t have to be a descendant of Transylvania’s Favorite Son to enjoy this one. It’s 100% Pinot Noir with rich flavors of raspberry, black cherries and pomegranate thrown in for finesse. The grapes are harvested at night under the full moon (but, you already knew that!) in the Santa Maria Valley. The cuvee is then placed in French oak barrels and aged for 18 months before bottling. The concentrated, well rounded fruit flavors will have you howling at the Harvest Moon like a werewolf!

All of these wines are available at your local wine shop, or you can just go online and order them directly. The prices will be about the same and you’ll have them in time for Halloween.

25 Years of an iconic wine: Mormoreto wines of Frescobaldi

2011-10-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Leonardo Frescobaldi at A Voce restaurant, New York; a memorable evening of Mormoreto wines

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

1. Leonardo Frescobaldi, President, Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi with Dwight The Wine Doctor

2. Bistecca-grilled strip steak, lardo and figs from Chef Missy Robbins, A Voce, with a flight of Mormoreto wines, 2004-2007

3. Alessandro Lunardi-Director of the Frescobaldi U.S. Market

4. Mormoreto wines served at the Historical Vertical of Mormoreto dinner

5. Leonardo Frescobaldi proudly presents his 1985 vintage Mormoreto wine

New York—It was a thrilling surprise and a pleasure to meet Leonard Frescobaldi, President of Marchesi de Frescobaldi wines of Tuscany at a dinner pairing 12 of his Mormoreto wine vintages with the cuisine of Chef Missy Robbins at A Voce restaurant in the Time Warner Center, Columbus Circle near Central Park.

Considered among the best of all Tuscan wines, this was a rare opportunity to sample the wines of Tuscany’s most important and largest producer in an absolutely exquisite setting.

Frescobaldi is a name that dates back to antiquity. The family has been an integral part of the growth and development of the Tuscan region since the Renaissance. “We still have the original estate, Castello di Nipozzano,” Frescobaldi said.

Besides their strong ties to tradition, the family has always believed in new technology and innovation. “That is the energy that drives us in everything we do—both tradition and innovation.” Leonardo Frescobaldi said as he guided a tasting and dinner that paired 12 Mormoreto vintages from 1985 to 2007.

“Our first wine was produced in 1983,” he said. “Frescobaldi di Nipozzano is remembered as one of the best Tuscan wines ever made. Our 1983 Mormoreto was produced from the vineyard of the same name in 1976. The wine is composed primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. A small amount of Petit Verdot was planted and added to the blend later. Unfortunately, there is no more of the 1983 to be had, so we will start our retrospective with the Mormoreto 1985 ($65).”

((Editor’s note: Prices reflect average prices of readily available vintages. Check your local wine merchant for availability and price.))

Mormoreto is the Frescobaldi estate’s iconic wine. Its imprint is distinctive and indicative of its unique terroir. Complex and bold with extraordinary depth and elegance, it paired wonderfully with the first course of Chanterelle mushrooms, cippollini (wild onions which are actually the spring flowering bulbs of grape hyacinth), cavalo nero (black leaf kale) and Tuscan bread. For comparison, a flight of 1988 ($119), 1990 ($51) and 1994 ($55) were proffered, each varying in depth and expression.

Mormoreto is a single vineyard cru produced at the flagship estate, Castello di Nipozzano, which has been in the Frescobaldi family for over 150 years. “It is named for the sound of the wine in the tree lives in the valley,” explained Alessandro Lunardi, Director of the Frescobaldi U.S. Market. “The Tuscan wind and its unique terroir inform the wines and make them among the most prized of connoisseurs.” What a privilege it was to taste them with great Italian cuisine in the company of their creator.

Wild boar with rosemary and young pecorino (sheep’s milk) cheese was accompaniment to a flight of Mormoreto 1997 ($63), 1999 ($46), 2001 ($52) and 2003 ($52). “There is no Sangiovese in any of these wines,” Frescobaldi noted. “What you are tasting is the difference in the harvest. The 1997 harvest in particular was notable for the high quality of the fruit. A spring freeze greatly reduced the size of the crop, but the fruit that was left was highly concentrated with a great saturation of fruit flavor.”

This is a great wine to pair with duck, pheasant or game meat and strong cheeses. The hints of nutmeg and clove make one think of the fall season and the approaching Holidays.

The centerpiece of the evening’s dining experience was the Bistecca-grilled strip steak with lardo (a type of Italian charcuterie made with fatback cured in a mixture of rosemary, herbs and spices) and figs, which provided a lovely flavor contrast to the mineral quality of the aged meat. No steak knife was needed. It was literally fork tender! The waiter came by with a bottle of Laudemio Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($49) pressed from olives grown on the Frescobaldi estate and poured a generous amount over the steak. “This is how we serve our steaks in Italy,” Frescobaldi explained. The olive oil added further to the depth of the dish.

A flight of Mormoreto 2004 ($54.99) through 2007 ($58) accompanied this lavish main course. Of the wines, the 2006 ($49.99) was most memorable for its elegance and long finish. It melded beautifully with the flavor of the meat and the slight sweetness of the fig brought out its deep, red berry flavors. It was harmonious and well balanced with a superb structure.

As a treat with the dessert of roasted apples and honey gelato covered in almond tuile (a light, crispy cookie made with shaved almonds and typically served with gelato) and white pepper, Vinsanto di Pomino ($39.95) was served. This wine has ancient roots, steeped in Tuscan tradition. Dating back to the 19^th century, it combines Trebbiano, Malvasia and other local varieties that are part of the traditional Tuscan landscape. This wine is a great aperitif or dessert wine. Here, it was the perfect finale to a spectacular display of the art of winemaking.

Wine is centerpiece for Celebrity Chef creations at Food Network 2011 New York City Wine & Food Festival

2011-10-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

DWIGHT THE WINE DOCTOR

NEW YORK CITY WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL MAKES WINE THE CENTERPIECE

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

1. Pat and Gina Neely with Dwight The Wine Doctor

2. Lee Schrager © NYC Wine & Food Festival Founder with Whoopi Goldberg ®, Bobby Flay and La Frieda President and Event Sponsor Pat LaFrieda at The Burger Bash

3. Iron Chef’s Alton Brown hams it up in the Kohls Rooftop Hospitality Lounge

4. Delta Airlines Sommelier Andrea Robinson with Dwight The Wine Doctor at the Grand Tasting

5. Celebrity Chef legend Jacques Pepin with Dwight Casimere at the Kohl Hospitality Lounge

6. Chopped Judge Marc Murphy with Dwight The Wine Doctor at the Grand Tasting

NEW YORK---“It’s New York ‘WINE’ and food festival” a member of the PR team corrected a young freelance writer who had incorrectly labeled the title in an article on the 2011 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival held all over New York’s meatpacking district in lower Manhattan. The exchange in the Festival Rooftop Hospitality sponsored by Kohl’s underscored the preeminence of wine in the four day event that brought together a record crowd of foodies and wine enthusiasts to taste, learn and mingle with Food Network Chefs and program hosts with 100% of the net proceeds benefiting the Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength ®.

All of the great wine producers of America and the world were present, pouring in tandem with mouth-watering cuisine prepared on site by scores of New York’s and the nation’s greatest chefs. Exclusive provider of Wine & Spirits to the Festival is Southern Wine & Spirits of America, whose Vice President, Corporate Communications and National Events, Lee Brian Schrager, is the Founder of the New York City Wine & Food Festival.

Celebrity chef sightings were as plentiful as foie gras at festival events. With minutes of my arrival at the Kohl’s Hospitality Suite, I ran into Pat and Gina Neely, popular hosts of Food Network’s Down Home with the Neelys. The two are also co-owners of Neely’s Bar-B-Que in Memphis and have just opened Neely’s BBQ Parlor on the Upper East Side. Their family style Jazz Brunch was the official unveiling of the new establishment at 62^nd Street & 1st Avenue with The Neely’s Brunch presented by Tropicana, one of the featured events at the festival. “Our event is completely sold out,” Pat told me over a steaming Lily cappuccino. “I don’t even think I can get some of my family members in, who came along with me to the festival.” The overwhelming response should not be any surprise. The show, filmed in their Memphis home, surrounded by family and friends, airs multiple times throughout the week on Food Network and their first cookbook, “Down Home with the Neelys (Knopf, 2009), quickly earned them a place on the New York Times best-seller list. Their second book, “The Neelys Celebration Cookbook: Down Home Meals for Every Occasion, (also Knopf), is due out in November.

Walking through the Chelsea Market during Thursday night’s event, Bank of American presents Chelsea Market After Dark, I heard a familiar exclamation, “BAM!!” among the din of the techno-rock music emanating from the Macy’s Lounge. It was Emeril Lagasse, in his first appearance at the Festival. Chelsea Market, home to the Food Network, stays open late night in order to serve samplings of the delicacies from its 30 shops and a heady selection of the finest wines & spirits. Working out of his own storefront, Super Nova Chef Emeril, whose new series, The Originals w/Emeril, airs on Thursdays at 10:30pm on Cooking Channel hosted his own Signature Lounge featuring delicious bites and seasonal goodies right out of the pages of his new book “Sizzling Skillets and other one-pot wonders, which he signed for fans.

After tasting delicacies from 30 purveyors at the Chelsea Market, including Bowery Kitchens, The Lobster Place, which had the best clam chowder and lobster bisque I’d ever had and Jacques Torres Chocolates, where I almost o.d.’d on white chocolate overload, and an afternoon of wine tasting at the Beverage Media Trade Tasting at the Grand Tasting Pavilion, plus the heady experience of mingling with some of Food Network and Cooking Channel’s top celebrity chefs, that my appetites were thoroughly satiated.

KOBRAND Tour d'Italia: Tenuta Sette Ponti; the wines behind the Mona Lisa's famous smile

2011-10-04T10:28:00.000-07:00

Part Two: KOBRAND Tour d’Italia 2011

Tenuta Sette Ponti; the wines behind the Mona Lisa smile

Dwight The Wine Doctor

Story and photo by Dwight Casimere

Giovanna Moretti-owner, Tenuta Sette Ponti Estate of Tuscany

New York—The Setta Ponti estate is located in a picturesque setting in Tuscany. Famed for its seven bridges, it is pictured in the background of Da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa painting, which hangs in the Louvre.

Sette Ponti lies in the heart of the Chianti zone, near the city of Arezzo. Via dei Sette Ponti leads into the beautiful hidden valley in which the estate is nestled. Sette Ponti means “Seven Bridges” in Italian. The bridges cross the Arno River on the road from Arezzo to Florence. They go back to the 13^th Century and provide a romantic backdrop for creation of some of the greatest Super Tuscan wines to be had anywhere. Purchased in 1957 as a hunting retreat for architect Alberto Moretti, it is now the family property of his son, Antonio, who also raises racehorses, breeds native Tuscan Chiana cattle and has created a reserve for a rare breed of wild local pig, known as the Cinta Senese. They roam wild in fields of sunflowers and maize. You could not ask for a more idyllic setting.

Its vineyards are as varied and colorful as its history, just ask Giovanni Moretti, whose gracious manner and bubbly smile were her calling cards at a recent unveiling of her new releases as part of KOBRAND Tour d’Italia, held on the last day of summer at The Bowery Hotel in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Her presentation was stellar lineup of select Italian producers of finely crafted wines, which toured ten American cities, which included appearances in New York and Chicago.

“The primary grape we use to produce our wines is Sangiovese. This is a very aromatic grape with a very pronounced perfume and a rich, ripe flavor of fresh, dark berries. Our most prominent wine is the Crognolo, (Toscana IGT, $35.99). Our other important wine is Oreno, (also Toscana IGT, $110.99).

“In 2008, we changed the blend. In 2007, we used a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot, but for our new vintage, we replaced the Sangiovese with Petit Verdot. This is a very important wine. It’s a Super Tuscan. This is a dinner wine with a lot of intense character. It’s very expressive with notes of blackberry and toasted oak. The vines are 15-20 years old, so they deliver a very rich flavor with a long finish.

“In Sicily, we have another estate and there we produce Nero d’Avola ($20.48). “

This is a big, juicy wine, with a lot of character. Hey. It’s Sicilian! Its impressive, with lush fruit and a lot of refreshing fruit taste. I loved it with Prosciutto and a healthy slice of aged Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese. You need something to go with this wine, its just too big and fruity to have on its own, but don’t bother with a big meal, you don’t want anything to get in the way of enjoying the intense aroma and flavor of this rich, beautiful wine. For just about 20 bucks, I don’t think you can have anything more enjoyable for the price. Most of Tenuta Sette Ponti wines are available now at your local retailer. I’d hurry out to get them and make a side visit to your local gourmet food shop to obtain all the goodies that will enhance the experience of drinking them.

KOBRAND Tour d'Italia:a dazzling display of wine ushers in many colors of Fall

2011-09-24T12:01:00.001-07:00

KOBRAND Tour d’Italia 2011: a dazzling spectacle of wine from Italy’s most important growing regions

Part One: The wines of Michele Chiarlo of Piedmont

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

Alberto Chiarlo with Dwight The Wine Doctor
The wine caves at Michele Chiarlo of Piedmont
Caveau del Barolo at Michele Chiarlo
Giovanna Moretti of Tenuta Sette Ponti
Roberto Pighin of Fernando Pighin & Figli of the Friuli Grave DOC

New York—A dazzling sun-drenched sky hovered over Manhattan’s Lower East Side and the Bowery Hotel as Kobrand Tour d’Italia 2011 unveiled a host of outstanding new Italian wines and their proud winemakers. The third stop in a national tour, it would unfold as a seminal event of the season as summer blaze melded into fall’s haze.

Alberto Chiarlo sat in the comfortable outdoor garden of the Bowery Hotel and spoke of the wines of Michele Chiarlo, the seven-generation winegrower from Piedmont.

“Terroir is the key word when describing our wines,” Chiarlo said while opening a bottle of his golden colored Michele Chiarlo Gavi Le Marne DOCG ($18.99). Made from 100% Cortese grapes, the wine, fermented in stainless steel tanks, is an excellent alternative to far pricier white Burgundies, with its pronounced citrus flavors and mineral aroma. “We try to plant our distinctive grapes in areas where they will grow the best. In that way, we can assure that the wine we produce is the best quality possible. Only with our unique terroir can our wines grow in the best possible way.

“This wine we are having has a beautiful flavor of lemon and sage and has a very crisp, clean taste that goes very well with fish, it will be perfect with sushi!

“Second, is Barbera (Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti Le Orme DOCG-$14.99), our ‘bread and butter’ wine. This is a great wine with food. It’s elegant with fresh, crisp fruit and a very elegant and refined structure. This is a wine that is easy to drink and goes with a wide range of foods.

“The next wine that is very important in our portfolio is the Barbaresco (Michele Chiarlo Reyna Barbaresco DOCG-$39.99). This is a big, spicy wine with a lot of bold flavors of ripe cherries, spice and chocolate. This is a big wine with lots of earth notes and broad fruit flavors. It has big, round tannins and gives a long finish. This is a wine that goes well with aged beef, leg of lamb

or strong cheeses.”

Michele says one of the terrific things about his wines, is their versatility and accessibility. “We have an exceptional wine to match every pocketbook. You can go from our Barbera( Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti Le Orme DOCG-$14.99) and go to our Barbeera d’Asti ($51.99), all the way up to our Barolo Cannubi or Cerequio (each $102.99). Each wine is unique and provides a flavor experience that is unmatched for its price.”

Tasting the wines against an array of salumi and cheeses provided by the Bowery Hotel catering staff, Chiarlo’s point was well wrought. The Barolo was delicious with the peppery, homemade salumi. Prosciutto and aged Parmesan were the perfect accompaniments for the Barbaresco. I found myself lingering over a handful of figs and dried fruits with the Gavi Le Marne.

Michele advised that I save the tasting of the Nivole Moscato d’Asti DOCG ($14.99) for last. This luscious dessert wine made from 100% Moscato grapes is a delicate, classic representation of this traditional post-prandial favorite. Named after the famous mist of Piedmont, its name literally means “cloud” in the local dialect. Indeed, unlike many Moscato’s you may be familiar with, it practically disappears on the tongue, leaving only a whisper of sweetness and a faint memory of delicate sweet fruit on the palate. Hence the ‘cloud’ reference. The wine would be great with fruit that had been marinated in the wine and served with a light, lemon cake or, served solitary in a thimble-sized crystal glass. Exquisite!

Next: Part II: The wines of Tenuta Sette Ponti of Tuscany with Giovanna Moretti

Illinois wines usher in fall colors with a dazzling array of flavors

2011-09-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

Dwight The Wine Doctor

Illinois wines usher in fall colors with dazzling flavors

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

1. The beautiful Galena Valley in historic Galena Territory, Illinois

2. Ulysses S. Grant’s Home, a National Historic site in Galena, Illinois

3. The rolling vineyards of Galena Cellars

4. Galena Cellars Tasting Room and patio overlooking the vineyards and Galena Valley

5-7 Historic Old Galena

8. The view from the forest floor in the Galena Territory

Galena, Illinois—In just a few weeks, the lush green rolling hills of Western Illinois will take on a crimson and gold hue as summer melds into fall. The smell of freshly rolled hay and the aroma of goldenrod and other wildflowers wafts through the air as a lone bald eagle lolls over the sun-drenched valley below. Its nearing harvest time in the Galena Territory; a great time to taste the new vintages of wines that of late, have been putting Illinois wine on the aficionado’s tasting map.

On a recent edition of the Today Show’s fourth hour, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb conducted a tasting of wines made in America with Master Sommelier Alpana Singh of Lettuce Entertain You restaurants and host of Chicago Public Television’s Check Please! Alpana has been championing Illinois wines over the past year. Kotb and Gifford picked Blue Sky Winery’s Vignole and Prairie State’s Cabernet Franc as their favorite white and red wines, respectively. Their selections gave a big boost to the reputation of Illinois wines and confirmed the premise that Singh has been touting, that there are some really outstanding finds among wines produced in Illinois.

A visit to Galena Cellars’ tasting room in historic downtown Galena, known as the post Civil War home of President Ulysses S. Grant and to the winery nestled in the nearby Galena Valley, attested to the superior quality of wines produced in Illinois.

Galena Cellars has been making wine since 1983, after Robert and Joyce Lawlor founded two smaller ventures in McGregor, near their home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The established a second winery in an old Milwaukee freight depot in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, before establishing the current winery in 1983 in Galena.

Their daughter, Christine Lawlor-White, took up her parent’s passion and accepted the challenge to become winemaker. In 1975, she became the first woman to receive a degree in enology and viticulture from Fresno State University. Currently, she and her family have a production of more than 40 wine varieties with 60,000 gallons of wine produced annually. Pretty impressive for what started as a small family operation, fostered by a wine making class, taken in the early ‘70s, and an initial output of only 500 gallons of wine!

Christine was tied up, supervising a wedding being held at the winery on the day of my visit, but her able tasting room manager, Rob, guided me through a tasting of about a dozen wines that ranged from semi-sweet & fruit wines, through dessert and specialty wines, on up to semi-dry and dry red and white wines, worthy of gracing any dinner table.

Among the specialty wines the Late Harvest Riesling ($20.50) stood out as a delectable example of his prized wine, which was similar in style to the Icewines I’d recently had in Toronto, near Niagara Falls. Reminiscent of a German Auslese, it had an intense flavor of melons and peaches with a honey finish that makes it perfect with marinated fruit and cheese. For a real taste twist, try it with some Blue Cheese. You’ll be surprised at the flavor rush!

Another favorite was the General’s Reserve Red ($12.99), a big, classic Burgundy-styled wine made from French hybrid grapes. The Illinois Chambourcin ($19.99) was another full-bodied beauty with lots of black cherry and plum on the nose and a touch of American oak on the finish. This is a great barbeque wine and one that I happily paired with a grilled, local grass-fed Black Angus strip steak. You see plenty of prime Black Angus cattle as you roll through the lush farmland near the winery.

Among the whites, the Sauvignon Blanc ($13.50), which I’m drinking as I write this article, is exceptional! It’s loaded with lush honeydew, pineapple and citrus flavor with a light French oak finish for added complexity. This is a light, crisp wine that’s perfect with late summer salads or an all-vegetable dish made with the bounty of colorful squash, corn and heirloom tomatoes available at your local farmer’s market. I ordered a case of this one.

The only way to get Galena Cellars wines is by purchasing it at the winery or on the Internet. A lot of wineries are going the direct-to-consumer route and are having a great deal of success. The prices are lower for some really quality wines because they cut out the ‘middle man.’ Wines can be shipped throughout Illinois and to California, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.galenacellars.com.

Napa Wine Train:Sunset in California's "Bordeaux"

2011-09-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

NAPA WINE TRAIN: A SUNSET JOURNEY THROUGH THE “BORDEAUX OF CALIFORNIA”

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

The Napa Valley train prepares for its sunset journey

The well-appointed interior of the Vista Dome, Gourmet Express Dining Car and Lounge

Chef Kelly Macdonald in makes a Béarnaise sauce

Dwight The Wine Doctor with Jim Meadlock-sole proprietor Cain Vineyards

The Grand Barrel Tasting at Premiere Napa Weekend

Patricia Harbison-Vintner, Harbison Winery

Action at the Premiere Weekend Auction is hot and heavy with millions raised for charity

Ichizo Nakagawa, the high-bidder paid $125,000 for five cases of 2009 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon at Premiere Napa Weekend, setting a record for a single auction lot. Record proceeds help fund the local trade association’s efforts to promote and protect the Napa Valley appellation

Dwight The Wine Doctor with Dennis Cakebread, Sales Director, Cakebread Cellars

Napa, CA—Sunset is a major event in the languid sundial that governs the Napa Valley. Goldenrod and crimson shards of light fleck their way across the rolling hills as the Napa Wine Train reels past the elaborate signs and stone walls that proclaim the names of some of the most coveted wines among connoisseurs. Cakebread, Mondavi, Louis Martini all reel past and into the middle distance like the credits rolling in a movie. This is just the beginning of the dinner hour and a leisurely journey through the beautiful Napa Valley wine country in the meticulously restored vintage rail cars of the Napa Valley Wine Train.

Dinner on the Napa Valley Wine Train is a trip back into the glorious past of rail travel, when the scions of industry and the gold barons of the California Gold Rush dined in private rail cars. Like those railcars of old, each of the dining cars on the Wine Train, either the Vista Dome or the Gourmet Express, is equipped with its own kitchen and a unique menu that spotlights the local cuisine and fresh ingredients of the Napa Valley. Departing at sunset, one experiences the romance and adventure of an antique train traveling through the mysterious Napa Valley night.

My journey on the Napa Valley Wine Train was the capstone to a spectacular weekend of wine tasting with the owners and vintners of the valley’s premiere boutique wineries. Napa Premiere Weekend was center pieced by a grand Barrel Tasting and Auction of rare lots of wine, especially created for that single event. The funds generated from the auction were donated to programs sponsored by the local vintners association to further education and public awareness of the winemaking industry.

After rubbing shoulders and tasting the exclusive, one-of-a-kind wines of the valley’s most storied winemakers, this was a chance to ease into a plush leather booth in the expertly refurbished 1915 Pullman Car lounge and savor the sight of the rolling hills and vineyards at sunset and sip some great wine along with Chef Kelly Macdonald’s superb cuisine.

The menu features environmentally responsible ingredients, including humanely raised, hormone-free meats and fresh, line-caught fish.

Schramsberg Champagne is the beverage of choice in the lounge cars as you gaze out of the picture window at the unobstructed view of the valley. Honduran mahogany paneling, etched glass partitions, brass accents and original artwork by Nepo bathe the eye in serene delight. A visit to the kitchen car shows the chefs in action, preparing sauces from scratch. It’s a marvel to watch the intricate preparations they are able to accomplish in such a limited space! Relaxing in the wine bar, a sommelier/waiter is ready to assist with the wine choices for the evening meal. Cakebread was mine, since I had just spent part of the afternoon with Dennis Cakebread, Sales Director for the pioneering Napa Valley vintner, who gave up a lucrative trucking business to take a gamble on an abandoned farm to build one of the most celebrated wineries in the Napa Valley. Cakebread Cabernet is one of the treasures of the winemaker’s art. It was just the thing to have with the local grass fed Grilled and Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Potato Sauté topped with Roasted Mozzarella Artichoke Heart. The Baby Lettuce Salad with Candied Walnuts and Smoked Goat Cheese in Honey Cider Vinaigrette and the Intermezzo of Harlequin Sorbet, a delicate trio of the train’s own Sorbets left little room for dessert, but I forged ahead anyway, with a ‘death-by-chocolate’ creation infused with zinfandel and fresh local berries and more ‘train-made’ sorbet. I downed a final sip of Cappuccino as the train pulled into the downtown Napa train station under a full moon that bathed the valley in its luminous glow.

Tanglewood Wine & Food Classic

2011-09-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

Tanglewood Wine & Food Classic pairs best wines of the world with top local chefs, gourmet foods

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

Tanglewood, Lenox, Mass—Tanglewood Wine & Food Classic, now in its seventh year, filled the Grand Tasting tent to overflowing with wines from 80 vintners from around the world who brought their best vintages to pair with the Boston and New York region’s top celebrity chefs and locally sourced gourmet foods that would rival anything found in France or Italy.

The Hudson Valley Foie Gras served up by the chefs at Bistro Zinc’s table was the litmus test. Served simply with a sprinkle of Grey Sea Salt or a dollop of locally made fresh pinot grape preserves, the pristine nuggets of goose liver glistened with a diamond-like luster. I had tasted Hudson Valley Foie Gras before, but never like this. The creamy, mouth-watering delicacy literally melted in my mouth, leaving behind just a whisper of its fresh game flavor. I walked quickly to a nearby table to grab a glass of Cabernet to wash it down with, when I made another delightful discovery, the wines of Kathryn and Craig Hall of Napa Valley. The wines are literally a work of art. I’d not had their wines in years and, each time I had visited Napa Valley, failed to squeeze a visit into my tight tasting schedule. What a coincidence to run into their wines at Tanglewood and have an opportunity to taste them with such exquisite fare!

Hall Wines is a 21^st Century winery that employs organic, small vine viticulture. Its six Estate vineyards stretch from the ancient river beds on the Napa Valley floor to the sun-drenched foothills, producing classic Bordeaux varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Kathryn Hall 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ($74) was rated #20 of the Wine Spectator’s top 100 wines of 2009. The 2006 vintage ($95) was equally praised and the newest release ($34.99) is already showing promise. The wine has a silky finish that makes it compatible with most food choices. You don’t have to reserve it for Foie Gras. It goes perfectly with a well-marbled steak or a nicely marinated slab of Berkshire Heritage Pig baby back ribs.

Hall 2009 Sauvignon Blanc ($21.99) is one of the most focused reflections of the varietal that I’ve encountered. Its lovely grapefruit and citrus flavors are well balanced with just the right amount of acidity to give it finesse and a polished minerality that makes it a foodies’ choice. Soft, ripe fruit gives it a pleasing and refreshing taste that cleans the palate between bites of fresh salmon or lightly curried shrimp. The smell of tree blossoms and hints of mineral notes on the finish makes this a wine to linger with on the patio long after the brunch plates are cleared away.

Wandering back over to the Bistro Zinc table, and then to the Kerrygold Cheese stand for a taste of their latest spreadable lite Blue Cheese from Ireland, I was convinced that I’d found culinary nirvana. The array of locally produced cheeses and salumi was also dazzling, particularly the selection from Fortuna’s Sausage Co. and the fresh semi-soft cheeses from Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery. The summer diet quickly went out the window. It’s time to start fattening up for the onslaught of winter’s cold anyway!

Castello di Amorosa: Napa Valley wine from a Tuscan castle

2011-08-26T02:24:00.000-07:00

Castello di Amorosa of Napa Valley: California wine in a Tuscan castle

Story and photo essay by Dwight Casimere

Dwight The Wine Doctor with Castello di Amorosa owner Dario Sattui

The torture chamber at Castello di Amorosa

Scenes at Castello di Amorosa by Dwight Casimere

St. Helena, Napa Valley---Driving north of St. Helena on Highway 29, an imposing structure looms on a hill high above the Napa Valley. For a moment, the mind steps back in time to Medieval Italy, when Italian kings and sovereigns ruled over city-states.

Italy did not become a sovereign nation until the unification or Risorgimento of 1861. Castello di Amorosa winery rises above the valley floor as a reminder of those illustrious times. The Castello produces Italian style wines in a unique retrospective setting. While the wines are Italian in concept, they reflect the climate, soil and growing conditions that are unique to California’s Napa Valley.

Castello di Amorosa is a unique experience with one-of-a-kind wines that can only be had at the castle or purchased directly to the consumer from the winery or online at www.castellodiamorosa.com or by calling 707-967-6274. The winery does not distribute to stores or restaurants anywhere, but believe that the wines are best consumed here at the castle. It’s a one-in-a-lifetime experience worthy of a trip to Napa Valley.

Dario Sattui is the visionary behind the creation of Castello di Amorosa. The great grandson of San Francisco pioneer vintner Vittorio Sattui, Sattui cut his teeth early on as a savvy businessman. Partnering with Georg Salzner, President of the Castello since 2008, and Brooks Painter, Winemaker, formerly of Robert Mondavi and Stag’s Leap wineries, he set out to make the Napa Valley a destination for premium Italian-influenced wine, served in a one-of-a-kind setting. With the success of V. Sattui wines already to his credit, Sattui’s success here was all but certain.

The winery’s efforts are ably assisted by Associate Winemaker, Peter Velleno, a fifth generation San Franciscan, and product of UC Davis’s pioneering school of Fermentation Science.

Sattui, always in the company of his dog and Winery Mascot and official Tour Escort, Lupo, is a tall, imposing figure that bears a striking resemblance to the American actor James Cromwell (Babe-Academy Award nominated 1995 and L.A. Confidential, Screen Actors Guild Nominated 1997).

To say that the wines are exemplary is an understatement. What’s surprising is that they are very reasonably priced for the high level of quality. The 2010 Pinot Blanco from the Carneros District, is only $27.00 a bottle. The 2010 Pinot Grigio from Mendocino County is a mere $20. Both have a dry, crisp profile, with the Pinot Bianco possessing a captivating straw-yellow color and distinct aromas of almonds, banana and apricot and the Pinot Grigio possessing a romantic, distinctly Italian aroma of fresh herbs and a hint of Napa Valley soil on the nose.

The 2009 Pinot Nero from Santa Lucia Highlands ($36) is appropriately regally named. The wine is sumptuous with a soft, dry slightly sweet flavor, redolent of ripe red berries and the aroma of freshly roasted herbs and a light wood smoke on the finish. This is a perfect wine for steak, foie gras or a succulent roast duck. The tasting room staff offered an array of fresh cheese, salumi, olives and pates either produced at the winery or sourced from local producers in the area. It was hard to leave the tasting room to go on tour of the massive grounds and castle interiors. The cellars and Great Rooms all seem to have a story of their own to tell. There’s even an authentic torture room in the catacombs. I guess that’s where they toss the folks who ask for Reunite!

Donnafugata wines: Sicilian summer in a glass

2011-08-13T22:16:00.001-07:00