Friday Wine Roundup: Best QPR Wines This Week- May 30, 2008

QPR is a measure of a wines Quality to Price Ratio. It’s a basic question of: how good the wine is for its price? Below are my top picks for this week. Keep in mind, a good wine that is $10 may be an outstanding QPR, while a good wine that is $34, may be poor. The wines listed here are wines that I feel offer you, the consumer, a great wine that is both well priced, and succeeds at providing a great wine experience. Keep an eye out for these good QPR’s next time your out wine shopping. Read more

Maryland Wine Events: June 2008

This will be updated as events are submitted/e-mailed to me (michael@foodandwineblog.com).

First Thursday Concerts in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon with the Charm City Social Club

CCSC

Come enjoy a free evening of music with friends near the Washington Monument. As always the music starts at 5:30 PM.

For more First Thursday information, go online to the WTMD Events Calendar.

Sposored by WTMD

Rain policy: The Concert will only be cancelled if rain, or threat of rain is heavy enough to pose an imminent or immediate health threat either to audience or band.
Cameras are allowed
Pets are allowed, Children have a great time. First Thursdays Concerts are a wonderful time for everyone including dogs, but please remember that all pets MUST be on a Leash within the park.
Alcohol may only be purchased from vendors in park during concert. No alcohol may be brought into the park or taken out of the park.
When: Thursday, June 5, 2008 at 5:30 PM 2008

The Wine Source: 3601 Elm Ave. 410-467-7777: www.the-wine-source.com:

Come and Taste a Wee Dram
Join us for a unique Tasting and Seminar of Signatory Vintage Single Malts - June 10, 2008 6:30 - 8:30 pm - Presented by Ed Kohl, North American Marketing Manager-Signatory Vintage Scotch Whiskey Co.

Single Malts to be Presented:
· 1990 Littlemill, Lowland 16 yr, 1992 Mortlach, Speyside 15 yr, 1997 Cragganmore, Speyside 10 yr, 1993 Ledaige, Island 13 yr, 1993 Highland Park, Island 13 yr, Hog’s Head, Pure Malt, 1997 Bunnahabhain, Islay 9 yr, 1991 Mannochmore, Speyside 16 yr

$15 Fee includes Seminar, Samples, Hors D’oeuvres, and $15 Rebate towards any order placed at the event. Seats are limited. For reservations, contact Tim or William at The Wine Source 410.467.7777 or email wineinfo@the-wine-source.com

Friday, June 6, 4:30 - 7:30 pm & Saturday, June 7, 1:30 - 5:30 pm
Free Wine Tasting: Theme TBD

Friday, June 6, 5 - 7 pm
Spirit Tasting: Pyrat Rum and Patron Citronge

Tuesday, June 10, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Scotch Tasting: Signatory Vintage (see above RSVP required)

Friday, June 13, 5 - 7 pm
Spirit Tasting: Cafe Boheme and Van Gogh Double Expresso Vodka

Friday, June 20, 4:30 - 7:30 pm & Saturday, June 21, 1:30 - 5:30 pm
Free Wine Tasting: Theme TBD

Friday, June 27, 4:30 - 7:30 pm & Saturday, June 28, 1:30 - 5:30 pm
Free Beer Tasting: Summer Beers

Restaurant Review: The Helmand (Baltimore- Mt. Vernon): Upscale traditional Afghan cuisine, good prices, highly recommended

Overview

Ambiance: Classy, upscale dining area, tight seating, Middle-Eastern decor
Food: Traditional Afghan cuisine, many vegetarian options
Service: Friendly and quick, good overall.
Wine List: Just OK- a few good finds- prices are fair. No corkage available.
Pricing: $$ (Appetizers: $6-$10, Entrees $12-$22- very good pricing for the quality of food)
Attire: No specific dress code but most patrons follow business casual to business attire.
Overall rating: Very Good-highly recommended: Food was well spiced, overall the service is great and for a nice dinner out the prices can’t be beat. Wine list is nothing to write home about but there are a few great options.
Location/Contact Info: http://www.helmand.com
806 N Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 401-752-0311

Review: This upscale Afghan restaurant is located on Charles Street North Just blocks from the Washington Monument, as it has been for over 25 years. For a restaurant to survive 25 years is quite an accomplishment, for a restaurant to be packed night in and night out after 25 years is just incredible. I guess when you serve delicious, exotic cuisine at more than fair prices, provide a menu filled with both meat and vegetarian options, and provide good service, you have a good chance of succeeding in the restaurant business!

Entering the Helmand, we were not greeted by a hostess. Instead, you make your way to the rear of the restaurant where someone behind the bar will check you in (reservations recommended) and get you situated. Our wait for a table, even on a Saturday night, wasn’t too long (less than 5 minutes). Once seated, we were pretty close to the adjacent tables, and overall it was a bit noisy in the dining area, but it was a good noisy. The noise and clutter may have played a role into why it took the server a while to head in our direction, though once we were noticed, the service was very good.

The wine list isn’t very extravagant, but there are some deals to be had. We started with a few whites by the glass. My Pinot Gris ($7) was not very good, but I forced it down. Kim enjoyed a nice Fume Blanc from Washington State that I’d give around 87 points, and for $6 was a great find. With our meal we enjoyed a Marques de Mersallie (2000) which was a bargain at $28 and was well matched for our lamb entrees. They also have a few moderately priced beers available if that’s your fancy. Overall the wine list will please most people as there are a few options in each category to pair well with any main course. That said, wine enthusiasts will most likely be disappointed and are recommended to not have high expectations of the list or stemware.

Our journey into Afghan cuisine began with a large bowl of pita bread with a sweet butter. The pita bread was warm and with the sweet butter was a great way to hold over our appetite until our appetizers began coming out. A must try starter is Kaddo Borwani, which is a fried then baked pumpkin dish that is sweet yet balanced with the yogurt garlic sauce. Our small pita bread was warm and great for soaking up the sauce from the Aushak, which is a ravioli with beef filling. The ravioli was cooked al dente which was nice, stuffed with leeks and vegetables, and served with a spicy beef sauce. This dish was a huge success, providing both good textures and great seasoning. Another highly recommended appetizer is the Bowlawni- pastry shells filled with leeks, potatoes, and onions and served with a garlic sauce. The portions on the appetizers are modest, so one per person is recommended.

The main plates at the Helmand provide good sized portions of very elegant and traditional Afghan cuisine. The Chopan ($15) features a marinated half rack of lamb served with tomato and onion salad. The lamb was both tender and flavorful. The Rack of Lamb chops featured 3 well seasoned chops which, although two of them were overcooked (ordered medium rare), were very juicy. Another great lamb dish is the Seekh Kabob. This char-broiled marinated lamb tenderloin was perfectly seasoned, although its accompanying spinach side dish was a pass. The rice is of course perfectly prepared and is especially good with the accompanying cilantro sauce.

Other menu options include traditional chicken Kabobs, spinach Sabzy and both lamb and chicken Lawand (boneless chicken/lamb served with mushrooms, tomatoes, herbs and a yogurt sauce). There are a dozen or more vegetarian options as well which range from stuffed peppers to baby eggplant filled with spinach. It’s likely that the menu will please even the most picky eater in your party.

Our dessert consisted of an assortment of Afghan pastries with both a crème and raspberry sauce. The pastries were similar to baklava having philo dough, crushed nuts/honey filling and were great with the sauces. There are many classic dessert options available as well that should satisfy even the sweetest tooth.

The Helmand provides a warm, intimate atmosphere, great food and is overall highly recommended. The prices are more than fair making this a great place to celebrate any occasion with a large group without breaking anyone’s budget.

“Cruel abuse of wine drinkers” article on Slate.Com about wine service in restaurants

Slate.com writer Christopher Hitchens wrote a piece that appeared yesterday titled “Wine Drinkers of the World, UniteYou have nothing to lose but inflated bills and interrupted anecdotes.” Hitchens’ describes a recent event at a “fairly decent restaurant” in which a server rudely reached across him during a conversation. He goes on to say that “[wine waiters] can be a bit of a grandee, putting on considerable airs that may intimidate those who know little of the subject”. He finishes saying that “people somehow grant restaurants the right to push their customers around in this outrageous way.” While I agree that wine service isn’t always great in restaurants, it is something that you can control by speaking up and it’s surely not something that is going to ruin my meal.
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Friday Roundup May 23, 2008: 5 Best QPR Wines of the Week (with Memorial Day in mind!)

QPR is a measure of a wines Quality to Price Ratio. It’s a basic question of: how good the wine is for its price? Below are my top picks for this week. Keep in mind, a good wine that is $10 may be an outstanding QPR, while a good wine that is $34, may be poor. The wines listed here are wines that I feel offer you, the consumer, a great wine that is both well priced, and succeeds at providing a great wine experience. Keep an eye out for these good QPR’s this Memorial Day weekend and you’ll be sure to impress your fellow wine-drinking friends and be the talk of any barbecue! Read more

Restaurant Review: Brick Oven Pizza (Fell’s Point) BYOB

Ambiance: Laid back pizzeria, self serve for the most part, layout is like a diner.
Food: Pizza, subs, sandwiches, salads
Service: Friendly- it’s somewhat self serve.
Wine List: N/A - BYOB w/ NO corkage fee (bring glassware/opener as they don’t provide)
Pricing: $ - Normal carry out/eat-in pizzeria prices - $25 for large pizza, salad, two beverages
Corkage: BYOB - No Fee Corkage
Attire: N/A
Overall rating: Good pizza place Interesting topping options, good thick crust, great antipasta, BYOB!
Location/Contact Info: http://www.boppizza.com/
3034 Greenmount Ave
Baltimore, MD 21218
Phone: 443-872-4468
Hours: Open ’til Midnight Sunday - Thursday; 3 AM Fri-Saturday

Overview: If good Brick Oven Pizza with interesting and unique toppings is what you’re looking for, than Brick Oven Pizza is your place. Located on S. Broadway street in the beautiful Fells Point area, BOP has great location, great views, and brings good pizza and appetizers to the table. The layout is simple, a large open dining area, jukebox, a few video games and the ordering/kitchen area. It is here that a giant, hot-brick oven is running 24 hours a day fueled by hard oak and maple wood. The appetizers include a variety of fried things (we liked the zucchini) as well as an antipasti that was pretty good considering the venue. For main course try the “Steak and Potato’s” pizza which is basically a Philly cheese steak and crispy French fries on a pizza crust (heart stopper but very tasty). There is also the Mac’n'Cheese pizza which features a homemade baked macaroni and cheese served atop crust.

The classic pizzas are good, too. The crust is crisp and delicious and toppings are well proportioned. Don’t forget the pizza by the slice, which many people seemed to be taking advantage of. There’s a reason they stay open until 3 AM on the weekends- to serve all the hungry bar-goers coming from Fells Points many great places.

Overall it’s one of the best pizza places in Baltimore. The restaurant is BYOB, but bring your own corkscrew and if you don’t want to drink out of a plastic cup (we did!) then bring glassware, too. I would definitely recommend Brick Oven Pizza if you’re in Fells Point and looking for a laid back meal at a homely and comfortable pizzeria.

Rhone Tasting Report: Including some very good wines from Domaine de la Charbonniere

The Rhone Valley is one of my favorite wine regions in the world. The Northern Rhone is known for producing the best Syrah’s in the world which are spicy, terroir driven and complex. Red wines of the Southern Rhone, including the prized Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines, are comprised of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault. Wines labeled Cotes du Rhone cover both the Northern and Southern Rhone Valley, and are generally wines that didn’t meet criteria for being labeled as a specific designation (which means they cost less and can be much better values!). Wines from the Rhone vary quite a bit from North to South, and appellation to appelation. One thing that remains constant, is the trueness to the terroir that these wines possess. The whites tend to have great minerality and good expressions of the fruits, whereas the red wines generally have good earth/soil characteristic to them, as well as spice and both red and dark fruit notes. (Image of Castle/Vineyard in Chateauneuf was uploaded from Flickr Photo uploaded on Flickr April 28th, 2007 by Fretless88 Creative Commons license).

Below are my tasting notes from a recent Rhone Wine Tasting at the Wine Source. This is part II in the Overview of the Rhone Valley feature I wrote yesterday. Overall, there were some very good wines poured and although not too many great “values” (under $20), there are a lot of good wines for the price if you can afford to pay a bit more. I’ve arranged the wines into categories to show which wines I feel are best for their price.

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Fire in Santa Cruz, Parker likes inexpensive wine, wholesalers triumph over the people in Illinois

Fire in The Santa Cruz Mountains
Fellow blogger and Wine Spectator Forumite Dave Tong is reporting updates on a fire that has broken out in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Dave reports “Most recent reports are that 2,000 acres are affected and the fire is out of control. The area is dotted with homes; many people have been evacuated. As far as I can see the nearest winery is Windy Oaks, a couple of miles to the south east.” For updates, check out his blog.
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Recipe: Simple Grilled Rockfish (Striped Bass) With Citrus Marinated Red Onions

This is perhaps one of the easiest ways to cook a whole Rockfish highlighting the freshness and flavors of the fish. Simple, healthy and delicious! (image from wikipedia.org)

Ingredients:

• 1 whole rockfish (2-3 lb), scaled, gutted, and washed thoroughly
• olive oil
• red pepper flakes
• red onion, sliced very thin
• juice of 2 lemons
• juice of 2 oranges
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• salt/pepper

1. In a small bowl, combine red onion, white vinegar, lemon/orange juice (and zest), and salt/pepper. Place in fridge for 1 hour (up to 24 hours) before preparing fish.
2. Preheat oven to 315 degrees also, preheat grill to medium high heat. Rub fish (inside and out) with salt/pepper, red pepper flakes, and olive oil.
3. Place fish on grill for 3 minutes per side or until skin is slightly charred.
4. Remove from grill and place in baking pan. Bake at 315 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes away from skin.
5. Remove fish from oven and plate with marinated red onions.
6. Serve with a Vinho Verde or other crisp white wine.
7. ENJOY!

Tuesday Wine Tips -Questions from our forums: When and how to cellar wine; Decanting advice

Each week I’m going to post Tuesday wine tips. These will generally be from questions asked in our forums, but if no one has any specific questions, I’ll just highlight a few tips that pertain to any and all aspects of wine!  If you’ve got questions, from wine recommendations to wine science, feel free to head to the forums and “Ask Mike!”

Donna’s asks: “What types of wines generally taste better when decanted? and are there guidelines for how long you should decant specific types of wines?” Read more

The Perfect Steak; and a few reasons I hope my kitchen renovation takes a little bit longer!

With the kitchen about 1/3 of the way renovated, I’m beginning to enjoy our dinner options: Eat out or grill. Last night we rewarded ourselves for getting the tile in this past weekend with a nice surf and turf on the grill. Here’s my recipe for the perfect steak, and a recap of our night:

The Perfect Steak:

1 1/2 - 2″ thick dry-aged ribeye steak (brought to room temperature)

1. Rub steak with olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Place on very hot part of grill to sear each side, approximately 4 minutes total.
3. Move steak to indirect heat location of grill and maintain interior temperature of the grill at 300 degrees. Cook for an additional 6 minutes per side.
4. Remove from grill, top with 1 Tbsp butter and add salt to taste.

It’s that easy! Enjoy. Read more

Tasting Notes: A Few Wines From Kim’s Birthday!

1978 Chateau Latour: The cork came out in two pieces, but was in good shape. Decanted for sediment, immediately poured. Medium garnet color with slight bricking. Lovely aromas of a mature Bordeaux- sweet notes, minerals, subtle notes of cassis . On the palate, the wine was soft and elegant, but the fruits have faded almost completely leaving a bit of awkwardness. This bottle has been dead for some time, but still an enjoyable experience.  No Rating

1978 Gaja Barbaresco: The cork came out in one piece, decanted for sediment and immediately poured. The nose on this wine was beautiful and complex. Herbs and spice notes with mushroom, minerals, raspberry and cherry, and other red fruits. Each sniff gave the impression of something new and exciting. On the palate the wine a real delight. Flavors of tobacco, leather, cherry, bay leaf, spice, earth came in waves giving way to a touch of acidity and elegant and refined tannins. The finish was unique with new flavors showing up long after the decanter was dry! A great wine experience.  My rating: 96 pts

2001 Il Paradiso di Frassina Brunello di Montalcino: Purchased at vineyard. Decanted 30 minutes, drank over 2 hours. Another very enjoyable bottle of this ‘01 Brunello. Loads of dark fruit, elegant tannins, great spice and earth notes with a complex finish.  My rating: 92 pts

Recipe: Another great pizza recipe with ground lamb and goat cheese.

Alright, this one is as simple as the others - same basic crust, but this time we’re going with lamb and goat cheese on top. The pizza went great with a 2005 Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino ($20).

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb ground lamb (sprinkle with salt/pepper)
  
• 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped thin (dried rosemary works as well)
• 1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped thin
• 1 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 oz red wine
• 1 Tbsp chopped jalepeno pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil (4-5 tablespoons)
• 1 lb fresh Caprino (Itlian goat cheese) or cheese of your choosing, grated or broken into balls
• Marinara sauce (or other preferred pizza sauce)
• Pizza dough - enough for 1 large pizza (either frozen dough from store or use recipe below)
• Flour

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In saute pan, brown lamb over medium heat with garlic, jalepeno, mint and rosemary. After 3-4 minutes, add red wine.
2. Stir frequently over medium heat for an additional 5-7 minutes or until lamb is cooked through (and liquids have cooked off). Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Place dough on an oiled (olive oil) pan and rub crust with olive oil, salt/pepper.
4. Lightly coat pizza dough with marinara sauce. If not included in sauce, sprinkle lightly with dried rosemary for extra flavor. Evenly top the pizza with lamb and cheese and place in for 17-20 minutes, or until crust in golden.

Homemade Dough (Variation of Mario Battali Recipe)

1/4 cup Chianti (or other red wine)
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
3 1/2 cups flour

Place wine, water and yeast in a large bowl and stir until dissolved. Add the honey, sugar, salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix well to combine. Add 1 cup of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes a loose batter. Add 2 more cups of the flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, incorporating as much flour as you can with the wooden spoon.Bring the dough together by hand and turn out onto a floured board or marble surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and firm. Place in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl, using remaining tablespoon of oil and cover with a towel. Let rise in the warmest part of the kitchen for 60 minutes.

For one large pizza, knead into 1 large round. For either, let rest for 15 minutes.

Restaurant Review: “Meli” - Baltimore, Fell’s Point

Summary

Ambiance: Trendy, upscale decor
Food: Elegant presentation with many seafood options, French influenced, great appetizers, good entrees.
Service: Very slow drink service, average food service. Overall this was the biggest drawback.
Wine List: Average selection, moderate pricing
Pricing: $$ - Expect to spend $35 per person for appetizer/entree plus moderately priced wine/drinks.
Corkage: N/A
Attire: No specific dress code, trendy nightspot.
Overall rating: Average. Good spot for appetizers and drinks, but poor service make this place a pass until all the kinks are worked out.

Location/Contact Info: http://www.kalismeli.com
1636 Thames Street
Baltimore, MD, 21231

Review (date of dining: 5/10/08): It may be Kali’s Meli, but it sure isn’t anywhere near Kali’s Court. This new Fells Point patisserie and bistro has prime location on the historic Thames Street in Fells Point. Parking is plentiful either on the surrounding streets or in a parking garage just two blocks away. We entered through the bar entrance which revealed a large, well laid out bar area with plenty of seating for a great happy hour. We had some trouble finding the host/hostess station, but were guided by one of the managers roaming the floor. We were quickly seated as some of our party had already arrived. The dining area is dimly lit, decorated in dark red and black, almost Gothic. Tables are adequately spaced from each other, but seating at each table is a little tight which might make dining with a large group a bit uncomfortable.

Our server expressed that he had fine dining and bar experience in New York, so we looked forward his expertise. We ordered a bottle of Prosecco for the table and waiting patiently as not once, but twice we were told that our bottle “needed to be chilled” and would be out shortly. This seemed odd enough, but we decided to start with cocktails instead. We ordered cocktails only to have them not show up for another 10-15 minutes. At this point we had been there for half and hour and had not received any drinks, nor had we ordered appetizers. This poor service was a common theme on our visit.

Finally when the cocktails arrived, two were made incorrectly and one didn’t even make it out of the bar. It seems one of the drinks our server recommended (he claimed to be a ‘mixologist’) was out of the realm of possibilities for our bartender…so our server decided not to bring ANYTHING! Luckily for us, our Prosecco arrive 5 minutes after we just got our cocktails. Unfortunately though, the “chilled” bottle was not very chilled, at the very least it was at the warm end of cellar temperature. I would have sent it back, but we were just happy to have something to drink on the table and have our servers attention to order some appetizers.

Things got better for a short while as our appetizers began to arrive. We had oysters, duck sauasage, tuna tartare, and lobster mac n’ cheese. The oysters were fresh, the duck sausage spiced well and very interesting. The small serving of tuna was just OK whereas the mac n’ cheese, though not that “lobstery”, had great flavors and is recommended. Appetizers are moderately priced and overall were the best part of our Meli experience.

Overall, the entrees were good. I enjoyed the steak au poivre, which was prepared very well and had good seasoning. A penne pasta with chicken dish was lackluster and lacked any flavor or depth, and a cornish hen that was flavorful and tender. A plate of mussles left one in our party to remark “they were OK, just not something I’d go back for.  Then there was the lamb special that was ordered “medium rare”, at which point the waiter assured us it would be perfectly cooked or order. It came out medium well, which was a disappointment, especially since the seasoning was right on and the dish had great potential. That said, nothing was bad, but nothing was all the inspiring either. I have heard great things about their Atlantic Salmon from other diners, so it’s an option to consider.

For dessert we were offered a sampling of the kitchens pastry talents and some dessert wines. No notes were taken on this part of the meal, but we had great cookies and phyllo-dough based desserts that were all quite good and a great way to end the meal.

All in all, Meli’s youth is quite obvious. I tend to be quite understanding of slow service issues on a busy night, but our service was inexcusable. The food was good, but not good enough to warrant the patience that was needed to wait for our drinks and appetizers, let alone the bill at the end of the night. I’d recommend giving Meli some time to figure thing out as far as service goes before booking a weekend reservation. It would be a great place to grab a drink and an appetizer, or maybe an espresso and dessert. Perhaps it’s a place to try on a Tuesday night when things aren’t as crazy. Until things are worked out, it’s probably best to make a reservation at Meli’s big brother restaurant, Kali’s Court which is just down the street and has never failed to impress.

May 16th, 2008 - Robert Mondavi Day

Today the wine world lost one of it’s most loved and influential members. Robert Mondavi died at the age of 94 in his Napa Valley home. Mondavi launched his own wine label at the age of 52 back in 1966. He aimed to produce high quality wines at a time when the US was just beginning to open up to the idea of fine wine. Into his late eighties and even early nineties, Mondavi spent his days traveling the world promoting American wines. Further, in more recent years, Mondavi was well known for his philanthropy and contributions to American wine education.

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Friday Roundup May 16, 2008: 5 Best QPR Wines of the Week

QPR is a measure of a wines Quality to Price Ratio. It’s a basic question of: how good the wine is for its price? Below are my top picks for this week. Keep in mind, a good wine that is $10 may be an outstanding QPR, while a good wine that is $34, may be poor. The wines listed here are wines that I feel offer you, the consumer, a great wine that is both well priced, and succeeds at providing a great wine experience.

Champagne/Sparkling Wines
N.V. Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs -$34: Light mineral notes, yeast, grapefruit, light nuttiness that is enjoyable. Great QPR Champange. My rating: 89 pts, Good Value (GV)

White Wines
2006 Santa Julia Torrontés - $10: Light, crisp, lots of tropical fruits, grapefruit, apple, with floral notes. Great value, perfect for the spring barbecue or a warm summer night.  My rating: 88 pts, Outstanding Value (OV)

Red Wines
2006 Viña Santa Rita Carménère Reserva Santa Rita - $10: Rich ripe, dark fruits with mild spice notes, vanilla and toasted oak. Elegant tannins with a bit of heat but overall an outstanding QPR and very fine wine. Went great with Pizza! My rating: 88 pts, OV

2005 Ferraton Pere & Fils Crozes-Hermitage La Matinière - $17: Mineral notes, mouthful of spice, green pepper, cherry, dark raspberry. Pretty nice balance and structure, red fruits showing up near the finish (which is quite nice, albeit reserved). Overall great value, perfect introductory wine for people looking to try a Syrah-based Rhone wine. My rating: 89 pts, Very Good Value (VGV)

2005 Domaine Grand Veneur Côtes du Rhône Reserve - $12: Nose: Sweet notes, cherry, laffy-taffy, herb and earth notes. Sour cherry, raspberry, spice, medium tannins, lots of razor sharp acidity. Purchased for $10- very good value. My rating: 89 pts, OV

The passing of a legand: At age 94 Robert Mondavi has died

Today the American wine industry has lost one of the one of it’s grandfathers, pioneers, and good friends as Robert Mondavi died this morning at 3:00 AM PST. Perhaps the most influential man in American wine history, Robert Mondavi was well known around the world for producing some of the best wines in the United States over the last 50 years. He was regarded as “a visionary winemaker and brilliant marketer” by Wine Spectator’s James Laube. Laube went on to note that “[Mondavi was] Outspoken, energetic and charismatic.” For more reading on Mondavi’s life, see the Wikipedia Entry, or if you have a subscription, read the outstanding piece by James Laube in the Wine Spectator.

Funeral services are currently being arranged.

Restaurant Review: Gecko’s (Baltimore, Canton)

A short overview by Kim McKay:

Gecko’s
2318 Fleet Street
Baltimore, MD (Canton).

Atmosphere: Fun, homey, southwestern charm - exposed brick, festive southwestern decor; teal, blue, and salmon paint. Most memorable decorations: T-Rex head hanging over dining room; various shapes, sizes, colors of geckos adorning the walls.

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TN: 2001 Il Paradiso di Frassina Brunello di Montalcino

2001 Il Paradiso di Frassina Brunello di Montalcino:  Purchased at vineyard. Decanted 30 minutes, drank over 2 hours. Another very enjoyable bottle of this ‘01 Brunello. Loads of dark fruit, elegant tannins, great spice and earth notes with a complex finish. My Rating: 92 pts

Wente Vineyards: 125 years of good wine; now with great concerts and world-class golf.

I had the chance to have lunch a few weeks back with winemaker Karl Wente of Wente Vineyards. The fifth generation winemaker was visiting Baltimore area wine shops and restaurants that carry the Wente label. Through the help of his local contact Paula Lucas, he had time to sit with me for an hour over pizza and a few bottles of his wine. So we met up at Brick Oven Pizza (Fells Point) and with Paula, and his distributor), we had great pizza, talked about Wente Vineyards, and tasted some of the Wente wines.

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