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The Drink

The Drink – Great Wine!

The-Drink-Great-Wine-Featured


What makes a “Great Wine?”  Is it only the taste?  Or is it something that gives you pleasure with all your senses AND your sensibilities?  In other words, it needs to be something that not only has a unique and pleasing taste but also needs to have other qualities qualities that we appreciate, such as stamina/longevity, depth, value, beauty, and/or history.

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This is why it is so difficult to answer when people ask about my favorite wine…. I sincerely do not have one.  I enjoy most all wines for their intended purpose at hopefully their intended time.  However, I can say with great emphasis that I tend to seek out the times to have a Bordeaux or other great Cab with a wonderful meal.  I learned this from my father who started collecting wines around 1982 when he was infatuated with the fact that he saw a bottle of wine at the counter of his local liquor store once and wondered how any single bottle of wine could cost twenty-five dollars!!!!  Seemed soooooo exorbitant!  On the second visit, and out of pure curiosity he bought it, took it home and researched for months until he thought he knew enough about Chateau Lafite to be worthy of a taste.  He tried the wine and promptly went to every liquor store in Little Rock to find the other 11 bottles of the case, and has been collecting, learning and enjoying wines ever since.

He found something more than just taste in his journey, and this is what makes a Great Wine!

Last night my parents had my wife and me to dinner to celebrate my 54th birthday – it was supposed to be a simple dinner (I like to think birthdays should be more about the mother now!) but when we arrived we saw what he had planned – a 1970 (my birthyear) Beaulieu Vineyard George Latour Private Reserve and a 1983 (one of the greatest years in Bordeaux) Chateau Latour (one of the 5 first growth wines of Bordeaux and arguably the “strongest” of the 5).  It was a hell of a test and comparison – to see if the BV could last 54 years and then to compare it to a 41-year-old French master.  My simple evening just turned incredible – one of the sincere joys of my life is to find these “great wines” through this type of search surrounded by my people.

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The BV was incredible – could not believe that it made it the 54 years!!!  It had definitely started on its downhill slide, but its taste and constitution and color were all extraordinary.  I wish I had a better vocabulary when it comes to describing these wines – I will work on it!  Next, the Latour.  While the expectation for this wine was much, much greater, it did not disappoint.  I described it at the time as “Plato’s form of the perfect wine.”  It was everything I want in a red wine and nothing I don’t.  For now, it has become that wine I will compare all others to, at least for a while.  If you get the chance to try either of these, I highly recommend them both for completely different characteristics but the same reason – they are GREAT!

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for another memorable evening/experience, that I will do my best to savor.

En Vino Veritas!

Alex

The Drink

Did You Say Sake? In Arkansas?


Today I visited an old friend…. Matt Bell invited me to tour his new operation – creating Origami Sake in
Hot Springs, Arkansas. Matt and I have known each other a long time, even worked together when we
were just out of college in the banking industry. We have kept in touch socially – he is a great guy who
loves to have a great time – and I have followed his many career paths since college. He has made it
interesting to say the least. Matt told me today that the idea to create sake in Arkansas began back in
2016 and he was just never able to shake it. When he sold his last successful business, he decided to
take the plunge and develop the idea into reality. He has surrounded himself with experienced and
qualified people who know their Sake and he has put his entrepreneurial spirit full into developing a top
notch quality product with an extremely viable business plan.

He toured me around his facility, where they are currently brewing small quantities by hand and I was
able to taste some of the first batch of the White Lotus and the Thousand Cranes – 2 of three initial
varietals of sake that Origami intends to start with, and I was crazy impressed. They are both light and
flavorful – delightfully clean and refreshing with no after taste. Suffice to say that while he may have
some difficulty educating the market (only .02% of current beverage sales in the US are for Sake), but I
believe once educated he will have plenty of repeat buyers.


He is currently finalizing his facility to utilize vertical floors and gravity to better transport the water and
rice through an intricate and logistical/repeatable process to create a consistent product for his
customers to enjoy. His excitement and pride in his process, product, and team were impossible to
ignore and I must say…. Contagious. I am so excited for my friend’s success in this endeavor. And I am
even more excited to become one his first customers. Congratulations Matt! Looking forward to what
Origami will produce – in many more ways than one! Visit their website at https://origamisake.co

En Vino Veritas!

Alex

The Drink

I would like a Scotch…or would I?

I am a scotch drinker.  I like everything….. but Dewars scotch has become, over the years to represent a rare consistency – I do not mean that it is the same every time – I mean that I know what to expect and it is easy to order – “Dewars scotch on the rocks please.”  Almost everyone has it and it is very hard to screw it up.  Lately and mostly on vacation, I have enjoyed trying different scotches, just to experience the different themes, tastes, and nuances.  So, recently, when I found myself in Long Beach, NY with friends at a small place called “Lost at Sea” I ventured out and asked what kinds of scotches they had.  This restaurant was known for their cocktails, so I was nervous – wondering if a simple scotch on the rocks would suffice for my order.  The waitress sent the bartender to the table and after a brief conversation – he said…. “Let me bring a taste of the two I think you will like and you pick”…. I was intrigued.

He returned with two small tastes room temperature in small glasses – just a sip of each and placed them in front of me.  My wife and friends were looking at me as if to say, “now, this should be interesting – how much of this stuff are you going to drink and what kind of B.S. will he come up with here???”

They were similar colors with slight differences in the nose – one was softer, the other with a bit of an edge.  I tasted each… and liked both…. But the softer one had a richer feel on the palate with slight nuances of other flavors.  The edgier one was very good, but it had a bite at the end that turned me toward the other.  I said these things as I tried them multiple times back and forth – very small sips – and a couple with a drop of water to smooth them out a bit.  I chose the softer and informed the waiting bartender (all took about 2 minutes).

His response: “well – you picked the one that is not a scotch!!!”  I immediately realized that I had been playfully duped.  But I did not care – what fun!  I had chosen Akashi White Oak Whiskey from Japan over Isle of Skye Blended Scotch Whiskey.  It was an awesome realization, and I thoroughly enjoyed my “non-scotch” on the rocks, and believe I even had a second.  I am not sure however that I will be ordering it in the future… as it might make things more complicated than a simple “scotch on the rocks, please,” nevertheless, I will be watching for Akashi – and may even add it to my collection at home – might have to add a disclaimer label to it though.  

En Vino Veritas!

Alex

The Drink

Mother-In-Law Mix: The Greatest Bloody Mary!

By: Scott Rittelmeyer, Little Rock, Arkansas

Question:            Who is credited with making the first Bloody Mary?

Answer:               Fernand “Pete” Petiot conceived the cocktail in the early 1920’s while working at the famed Harry’s Bar in Paris.

After Prohibition, Petiot brought the drink to Manhattan when he presided over the dapper King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel.  I have been to the King Cole Bar and had a Bloody Mary, it’s a great drink and an even better Bar- If you find yourself in the Big Apple I highly recommend the experience!

It was my freshman year in college when I had my first Bloody Mary. It was Snappy Tom Mix served in a red Solo cup the morning after a Fraternity party and prior to an early Saturday football game! I loved it!  Over the years I began to experiment with different recipes, first I used Tomato juice, then I switched to V-8 juice, but they just didn’t seem to offer the consistency I wanted. About 15 years ago I was introduced to Clamato Juice, and I quickly realized it was the perfect base for my Bloody Mary!

All great drinks have a name, and I decided to personalize my mix – I call it “Mother-in-Law Mix”, as in you need to have one or maybe two before your Mother in Law arrives!

Anyway, I have had some fun with it – During the Christmas Holidays we fill mason jars with the mix and attach a label with an angry looking, well… Mother-in-Law and give to friends and neighbors. I work hard coming up with a new label every year!

Enough of that – Here’s the recipe:

Mother-In-Law Mix:

2 (32 ounce) containers of Clamato Juice

Juice of 2 limes

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

1/8 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce

1/8 cup Mezzetta Peperoncini juice (these are Greek peppers in a bottle)

1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish (creamy type)

½ teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of pepper

Process the cilantro (without the stems) in your Cuisinart until it’s almost a paste. Then combine the cilantro with the Clamato juice and stir in all the ingredients. I like to let it sit overnight in the refrigerator, and then I pour it through a strainer to take out all the sediment. Be sure to squeeze the cilantro by hand as you strain the mix, I believe this really helps the taste.

How many Bloody Marys’ have you had that you couldn’t finish because all the sediment was at the bottom for your glass? Not a problem with this recipe!

I have been told by many over the years that this is their favorite Blood Mary – Its spicy but not too spicy, Its hot but not too hot – and it sure comes in handy before my mother-in-law arrives!!

Enjoy!

The Drink

Pick a wine from a Restaurant Wine List in Record Time!

KISS-PUT

Welcome to Everyday SoMalYaY!! This project (or whatever you want to call it — blog, business, experiment, experience, or even fantasy….) is the product of an idea had with good friends over good food and good wine recently, which, of course, is the source of all GREAT ideas … and when I happened to be describing the type of wine I had just ordered, Shannon said… “you need to do this online or publicly some way…. Seriously!!” I said I would love to…. She said…. “It is great every-day advice to people who aren’t knowledgeable about wine but love it….” And then said, “What do we call it?” I said you just said it…. “Everyday sommelier”, which of course was taken on the internet and in Instagram, and so we went with the phonetic spelling with the word YaY at the end to indicate wine/drinks and excitement about the idea!!! I reserved the website address www.everydaysomalyay.com at the table that minute, and we were under way!!!

The theme of Everyday SoMalYaY is to savor the experience, no matter what your particular experience may be. Choosing a wine from a restaurant wine list can be daunting and stressful if you have not had much experience at it, and it is supposed to be fun!!! After all, we want to choose a wine from any list and have the best chance of enjoying it the most. That is the key here…. BEST chance to enjoy the MOST…. The model of efficiency – an algorithm for enjoyment. To assist in giving you this added confidence, try my KISS-PUT method, which stands for Keep It Simple Stupid – Price, Use, Taste. See the following explanation:

  1. Price – Use a maximum price for what you want to spend that night…. don’t look at anything else…. Good way to vastly narrow down your choices… and by the way, if you have to order a 2nd (or 3rd hehe) bottle, will that price point be ok….???
  2. Use – with food or as a drink? What are you and your other guests eating/how “bold” do you want the wine to be? Remember…. This is just a general guide and a helping tool to assist you in your decision – you can get what you want any time – I have had a cabernet with fish many times and it is JUST FINE.
    1. Steak/Duck – other red meat – typically strong, bold red, such as Cabernet or Bordeaux, though others can satisfy this as well… Chianti/Sangiovese, or Super Tuscan – a blend of Cabernet and Sangiovese are probably the best examples of strong, big, bold wines.
    2. Chicken, Pork, Fowl, or other – typically more toward Pinot Noir or French Burgundy, or Syrah/Cotes Du Rhone
    3. Fish or Light Food – White wine – any you like… or Lighter Red depending on sauce and taste, and Rose’ is always an interesting choice for a lighter wine.
  3. Taste – Now that you have sufficiently narrowed the list, you can look through what is left and it is not as daunting or complex (depending on the list of course) … Now look at the following:
    1. Age – The older the wine, the more mellow the wine (tannins from stems or skins which cause the bitter dry taste become rounder and smoother with age) …. typically, you will not find anything more than 10 – 15 years old on a restaurant list, or it will get very expensive…. I like to find a French red from 5 to 10 years old if possible, but most people in the states like Napa Cab – and older the better I say – gets softer and softer, but most are only 2 to 4 years old…. Not as important in US wines because they are typically more naturally sweet (or less bitter is probably a better way to say this) and can be drunk earlier.
    2. Country – As alluded above, more variety in US/California, Washington, etc. But typically, European wines are better WITH food, and US wines are better as a “drink/aperitif” generally speaking.
    3. Grape Varietal/Region – The U.S. wineries tend to name their wines after the grape, such as cabernet, chardonnay, pinot noir or Syrah. The Europeans tend to name their wines for the region, such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, or Rhone. I have always heard that to call a wine after its’ grape name, it must contain at least 80% of that grape. To call a wine a Bordeaux, it simply must be grown in the Bordeaux region of France. And in this instance, a Bordeaux is typically mainly cabernet in its makeup; Burgundy is pinot noir and chardonnay, and Rhone is typically Syrah. However, there is still plenty of mixing grapes according to the vintners’ taste. see below for main grapes in red:
      1. Cabernet Sauvignon – Typically harsh when younger, but will age best
      2. Merlot – more of a blending grape in Europe but served by itself more in US… St. Emilion and Pomeral, on the Left Bank of Bordeaux are regions in France which has more merlot and is therefore softer.
      3. Pinot Noir – Burgundy in France – very different grape vinification in US and France –more “spicy” to me in US…. In France, it is a lot more complex, and is more of a softer version of Bordeaux/Cab…. But it can be drastically different in US/California, Washington.
      4. Cabernet Franc – Mixing Grape that tends to give wines that dry taste you have sometimes.
      5. Sangiovese – main grape in Chianti; though when blended with Cabernet it is known as a Super Tuscan and is one of my favorites!

There is an infinite number of qualifications and criteria for selecting wines even inside each of these areas that I have not listed here. BUT this KISS-PUT method will probably cover about 80% of the wine list and you should be able to narrow it down to a number more easily manageable. There are always wines on any list that you will not know or be familiar, but these tips will give you simple tools to aid in a decision which will make your decision a fun adventure rather than a daunting task…. AND, you have your conversation, for when someone says…. “why that wine?” For Example:

Q: This list is 25 pages long! And so many big names…… How did you ever come up with that wine?

A: Well, I noticed your wife was having the chicken, you and I are having steaks and my wife is having the Ravioli…. And I really didn’t want to spend more than $75 per bottle… (knowing we might get a 2nd!!!) ….. that left 2 Napa Valley Cabs ($58 and $65), 2 French Bordeaux ($56), 1 Burgundy ($68) and 3 Italian wines ($35, $48, and $62), since we had chicken and ravioli, I went with the Italian Chianti for $48…. It was 6 years old, so a little older than the young napa valley cabs 3 years old…. and I thought it would be a good middle ground for both the steaks and pasta/chicken…. Can’t wait to try it!!!

Once you have done this a few times and been through the process, you will start remembering which wines you loved and which wines did not impress you. You will start remembering what grape varietals you have enjoyed and which you thought were “harsh” or “too soft.” It is an incredible and fun process that NEVER gets old. I recommend it highly, but overall, it is a solid way to build confidence in how to order and to build an inventory in your mind of the different tastes of all the different wines, grapes, and regions you will order and what you relate them to. But always remember the point is to ENJOY and Savor the Experience, no matter what is chosen or how.

En Vino Veritas!