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Showing posts from July, 2009

Cantonese with Gamay

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Gamay is typically not something you will find in my wine cellar. Nor are you likely to see me drinking a young Pinot Noir, as I prefer them older. However, lately my take on Pinot and Gamay (that is reminiscent of Pinot, but makes for a lighter and fruitier wine) has changed, after I started pairing them with Cantonese food. In this video, I pair the super interesting and intense Edmunds St. John's Gamay with General Tso's Chicken -- oooh yummeeee! Edmunds St. John "Bone-Jolly" Gamay Noir 2007 Eldorado County - $16. Home-made General Tso's Chicken - $5. Gamay + Cantonese food pairing - priceless!

Chablis, butter and acid

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There are food-and-wine pairings. Bordeaux with steak . Riesling with Sichuan . Sauternes with foie gras . Burgundy with mushroom beef stroganoff . Gamay with Cantonese . Very very good. And then there are FOOD-AND-WINE PAIRINGS (all-caps!) that produce moments of epiphany that caress your senses and elevate your faith in wine as something much more than a drink - an elixir, a magical potion, a fountain of delight that washes over you like an orgasm and reminds you what being alive is all about. I was lucky enough recently to receive two such pairings in one dinner cooked up by a friend who has been blessed by the gourmet gods. I will describe the first of those pairings here, and another - in a future post. Butter-sautéed morel mushrooms and garden peas with lemon thyme with 2002 William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru "Blanchot". Chablis grand cru wines from a good vintage and a good producer (which are all the traits of the wine I drank that night) possess a combination of butter

Donato is scary................. scary good!

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OMG! Last night my wife and I and another couple visited Donato Enoteca in downtown Redwood City for the first time (since the pre-opening party a couple of weeks ago). This was our first opportunity to really experience Donato's (owner and head chef) cuisine and Eric Lecours' (wine director) wine since Donato Scotti left La Strada 2 months ago, the leading Italian restaurant in Palo Alto, to launch Donato Enoteca. I could write a review ten times longer. But alas, got things to do, places to go, people to see. So I will keep it *relatively* short. Neither myself nor our friend (a CEO and founder of a publicly traded company) are slouches when it comes to food and wine appreciation. From the moment we walked in, we were basked in warmth of the staff and the satisfying deliciousness of the every single item that was served to us - from the (free) pesto dip and bread to the fabulous (and incredibly reasonably priced) Nebbiolo d'Alba that complimented our courses to perfectio

Never say "never" to a wine

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I am embarrassed to admit that just like anyone else I have my prejudices, and like many, no amount of convincing can change them, until an eye-opening experience happens. Prejudice #1 - I don't like non-European wine. Speaking of new world red wines, I find them jammy, alcoholic and lacking acidity and complexity - reminding me of fruit pie or yogurt rather than a food drink. When a month ago I was pouring new world Bordeaux varietals (Cab, Merlot, Malbec) at Vineyard Gate , most of the wines were unappealing to me. One in particular - Ghost Pines Merlot 2006 (blend of Merlot grapes from Napa and Sonoma) I actually called a "yogurt". So when yesterday a dear friend brought this wine for lunch at a neighborhood Mediterranean restaurant in San Carlos, I was suspicious. Guess what - the wine matched perfectly with the food - creamy mezzes , slightly sweet ground beef and lamb, eggplant with tomato base - the food was simple, comfortable, and tasty - and so was this Merlot.

Japanese wine drama Kami no Shizuku: Episode 9

...continued from Episode 8 . If you are new to this series, start here . This is an awesome Japanese Manga -drama about wine. Laugh, cry, enjoy as you watch Kami no Shizuku ("Drops of God"). Episode 9 Part 1: Part 2: Part 3: Part 4: