Did Anyone Notice?

I took a few days off, like almost all of February.  And I'm not back yet, but I saw friend Janet Ivy had a couple of important posts on her blog, TABS on Texas.  One is about Texans who want to import their wine from out-of-state retailers.  The other deals with TABC liquor licensing problems that can arise when someone purchases an existing restaurant, especially if the buyer is not well represented in the purchase.

Count On This - Abacus Has Some Great Deals

Each day of the week a different special is happening over there. What caught my eye in the mailbox was the notice for this Thursday, June 25th when not only can you get FREE hors d'oeuvres from 6 pm until close in their bar, they will be featuring the fine wines of vintner Agustin Huneeus (Quintessa) from 6 pm to 8 pm.

"Agustin Huneeus, who brings us Quintessa will be celebrating the release of Illumination Sauvignon Blanc 2008, the newest addition to Agustin's portfolio. Along with Illumination we will be sampling Veramonte Pinot Noir 2007, a wine made in conjunction with Paul Hobbs, and Faust 2005 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon."

Most likely these wines will be very difficult for the average consumer (or private club) to obtain, so if you have a hankering for a little Illumination, IJS, head on over.

You Don't Have To Be Irish To Love French Wines

So sayeth Ms. Hayley Hamilton of Dallas Uncorked, whose organization is having a French wine tasting at Veritas Wine Room on March 17th from 6:30 - 8:30.

All kinds of French wines, and meats and cheeses will be paired with. Five tastings total, and a discussion of regions and varieties by Whit Meyers. In honor of the holiday, he'll be discussing the "Green" commitment by winemakers to make a better wine for you and the environment.

Best of all, Veritas will be offering a special bottle pricing on the evening's wines if you want to take more home.

Tickets are $40 in advance through the www.dallasuncorked.org , or $50 at the door. Veritas is located at 2323 N. Henderson .

Darioush

One word. Rolling out from my lips, the end is said with a sigh. Like a modern, mystical palace from Middle Eastern lore, you are transported from the turn onto the drive to the winery. A row of fountains shoot water 30' into the air and palm trees line the drive and building to complete the opulent oasis. A regal name and place for a winery striving to create a perfect nectar for the Gods. If this sounds overly dramatic, it's not, this one winery, Darioush, was the highlight of our entire trip - two months later and it's still a topic when we get together with the others.

Darioush Khaledi, a prince of grocers on the west coast, built his winery fulfilling his dreams as a young immigrant from Iran. The Persian influence is seen in the architecture and in the exquisite selection of the retail items: textiles, art, books, clothing and jewelry. I've always said nothing sells high-quality merchandise like a glass or two of wine first, his marketing brilliance obviously extends beyond produce.

And Darioush "the man" was every bit the elegant and gracious host, obviously successful yet warm and personable, it isn't a surprise that he's built a great empire. How romantic is it that he named his (in my opinion) finest wine after his wife, Shahpar - a beautiful wine for a beautiful lady as it appeared from the oil portrait that hung in the dining room. She was not in attendance, but joining us for dinner was Dan De Polo (President) and la belle Nathalie Vache both of Darioush Winery, and Dan Ha from Vineyard 29. With wines like these we could have been happy eating straw, but our hosts had kindly catered a dinner worthy of such an experience.

Preparing our dinner for the evening was Richard Reddington, Chef/Owner of Redd in Yountville, and in between courses we went around the table sharing our histories one by one. I cannot recount the exact stories, but the emotional flavor still lingers. Our meal, with wines follows:

FIRST COURSE
2006 Darioush Russian River Chardonnay

Carnaroli Risotto, Maine Lobster Meyer Lemon Confit, Truffle Olive Oil

SECOND COURSE

2006 Darioush Signature Pinot Noir

Sauteed Skate, Pumpkin Chanterelles, Chestnut Sage Butter

THIRD COURSE

2005 Darioush Signature Shiraz

Liberty Farms Duck Breast, Celery Root and Quince Puree, Swiss Chard Crepe, Huckleberry Jus

CHEESE COURSE

2005 Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon

DESSERT

2004 Shahpar

Redd's Chocolate Cake

As I mentioned above, my favorite thing all evening was the Shahpar wine served at dessert, it's flavor exceeded memories of my last taste of Chateau d' Yquem . While the romance of the name can be credited to Darioush, the romance of the flavor was created by winemaker Steve Devitt.

After dinner, we headed back to the various guest houses at which we were staying - we would be on the road by 5 am to head down to San Francisco International Airport. After the flight, all of the chefs were cooking at the March of Dimes "Signature Chef" fundraiser down at the Fairmount Hotel, with only enough time to shower before. Our trip was over.

Last Day In Napa - Buehler and St. Helena

It was Tuesday morning, our last full day in Napa. Scheduled was a wine and cheese pairing at Buehler Vineyards, up Howell Mountain Road - way, way, way up Howell Mountain Road - wait, not that far. After missing the turn off from a narrow road to a narrower road, we finally arrived, a little queasy from the drive. Our host, John Buehler, Jr. confessed that when his (grown) children were teens, he had the body shop programmed for direct dial.

We came to Napa post-harvest, when most grapes were going through the stages of processing prior to being barrelled. John gave us a wonderful tour of the working mechanisms of a winery; the presses, the filtering, the bottling operation. Located in the Conn Valley, a remote, rolling hills area where agriculture meets the natural land, the silence and natural beauty provided a feeling of comfort and peace.

Poured for our pleasure was their 2007 Napa Valley Zinfandel, their 2005 Estate Cabernet and the 2006 Papa's Knoll Cabernet. How do I remember this? It's on the receipt - had some shipped back to the house for more enjoyment later. Winemaker David Cronin has been working with Buehler since 1993 after having developed Dolce for Far Niente. They are open by appointment only, but it's worth a call to set up a time, and it's worth the drive - just watch out for that turn off.

After the tasting, the Cattle Baron's "group of eight" headed off to the airport. We had an open invitation to visit Gundlach Bundschu, but the ladies had been patiently awaiting some shopping time. So the boys went one way, the girls headed to St. Helena, a small-town-main-street-All-American kind of place. And the shopping was great - multiple types of stores and not just high end merchandise. Don't miss Sunshine Foods, part market, mostly gourmet shop. I purchased crackers and tapenades there that were made by local producers and hauled them all the way back to Dallas. The boys must have done a little shopping as well, a week later a case of Gundlach Bundschu Chardonnay appeared at our door.

None of us are shop-a-holics, so we were done in less than 2 hours. Taylor's Automatic Refresher beckoned (not a drive in, you eat at tables and counters outside) always with a line of people waiting to order at the window. Known for their milkshakes (Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Espresso Bean, White Pistachio, Mint Chip, Black & White), they also have an extensive list of wines by the glass. We stayed until it was time to meet the chefs for our final dinner in Napa, at Darioush Winery.

This is post #7 of the "series" written about our trip to Napa for the Cattle Baron's dinner. If you've missed any of the others, you can link to them: THE Dinner at Markham , Luncheon at Nickel & Nickel , Cooking In Napa , One Evening In San Francisco , Destination: San Francisco's Ferry Market , and Speaking of Napa - Another Cattle Baron's Dinner . Bon appetit!

THE Dinner at Markham

Many requirements affect the site choice for the chef-prepared dinner: location, facilities, availability, staffing, but the biggest, most important for a meal of this caliber is - the "Wow" factor. Markham Vineyards delivered that, and beyond, as the host location for the Cattle Baron's auction dinner. Part vineyard, part art gallery, they were featuring a photography exhibition of Baron Wolman from his years at Rolling Stone Magazine. And the host, Bryan Del Bondio, President of Markham took everyone on a very personal tour of the winery, sharing the history of Napa - he is third-generation of a Napa winemaking family.

Each of the six chefs were responsible for one course of the dinner (except Amador, who made the reception canapes and the cheese course). While this sounds like a "light" duty, the amount of attention given to their one dish: from course conception to ordering (and hand selecting) the finest ingredients to ensuring the proper equipment is available, each chef is competing to put the best-tasting dish on a plate. Then there is the coordination with the vineyard about the wines to be paired, of course all from the host winery.

The chefs and their spouses were privileged to join the purchasers of the package, it was served in the barrel room of the vineyard, a table set for perfection. As the chef's finished their courses, they too came to the table to enjoy the fine wines Markham was pouring. The menu, as follows:

Reception (by Amador Mora)

Ginger & Basil Salmon Confit (garlic aioli), Citrus Poached Shrimp (homemade chipotle remolade, Skewered Figs (kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, balsamic caramel sauce)
Domaine Carneros Sparkling

First (by Kent Rathbun)

Buttered Poached Lobster (parsnip puree, tangerine fennel "soup")

Markham Chardonnay, 2006

Second (by Jim Severson)

Jumbo Nantucket Shoals Diver Scallop (heirloom tomato salad, lemon tarragon cream)

Markham Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Third (by Kevin Garvin)

Farm-raised Pheasant "Confit-style" (braised savoy cabbage, pearl onions, roasted garlic crostini)

Markham Pinot Noir 2006

Fourth (by David Holben)

Oven-roasted Buffalo Tenderloin (squash risotto, lavender honey-glazed chestnuts, cipollini onions, foie gras butter)

Markham Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Dessert (by Richard Chamberlain)

Warm Espresso Molten Cake

Markham Merlot 2004

Cheese Course (by Amador Mora)

Soumantrain Burgundy Walnut Timbale (brown butter), Marinated Goat's Milk Gouda (warm chimay cherry chutney, toasted crostini)

Markham Petite Sirah 2004

This was the purchasers' final evening in Napa, not only was it memorable, but the guests left with mementos - very large bottles of Markham Merlot, autographed by the host and the chefs. Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was just the great time we shared, but after dinner the chefs offered to prepare breakfast for them the next morning. Afterwards we would all be meeting up at Buehler Vineyards for a wine and cheese pairing, then our new-found friends were headed to the airport. Our group, however, had one more evening in Napa - and one more incredible meal to go.

Luncheon At Nickel & Nickel

Life on a vineyard can sound so romantic, but one Texas family's account in todays Wall Street Journal is a less than glamorous tale. And according to the same article, the average price of a Napa home in 2008 was $608,258 (down from $860813 in 2007), it's a very expensive place to live. But still there is a small-town quality to life in what is, after Disneyland, one of California's top attractions. Our host for lunch, Dirk Hampson, moved to Napa as a very young man, and recounted many stories of growing grapes and raising his family in Oakville.

Located on Route 29 in a charming house, Nickel & Nickel is the sister winery to Far Niente (famed for their dessert wine, Dolce), and features all single vineyard wines. They recently completed installation of a vintage barn, originally found on the east coast and transported, re-constructed, to compliment their Victorian themed winery. Which is where we were served a delicious lunch prepared by chef Abimael Martinez:

Smoked Tomato Bisque with a seared Day Boat Scallop ('06 Truchard Vineyard Chardonnay, '06 Searby Vineyard); Duck Leg Confit Salad with roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes ('05 Harris Vineyard Merlot, '05 Suscol Ranch Merlot); Slow Braised Osso Bucco with Polenta ('05 C.C. Ranch Cabernet, '05 Branding Iron Cabernet, '05 John C. Sullinger Cabernet, '05 Vogt Vineyard Cabernet); Green D'Anjou Pear Clafouti with Dulce de Leche sauce ('04 Dolce).

It seems like great quantities for lunch, but portions of food and wine were all moderate - it's about tasting the flavor combinations.

Cooking In Napa

A person called my husband one day and said "Heard you and some chefs were paid $XX,XXX to cook a dinner in Napa." Well, that's not exactly how it works. A group of chefs, who also happen to be great friends, several years ago began donating a chef's dinner package for the American Cancer Society's annual Cattle Baron's Ball. Always with a different twist, it's one of the premier live auction items for the guests to bid on, and helps raise a great deal of money for cancer research and support for cancer victims. Oh, and the chef's get $0 - they (or their companies) entirely underwrite (or get donated) their portion of any travel and food for the dinners.

In May, the chefs cooked for a group of 10 at a 25,000 square foot, $100 million dollar home in Aspen (the purchasers had the house for the weekend), this was sold at the 2006 event. At the 2008 Cattle Baron's auction, the package was a multi-chef Country Barbeque for 30 of your friends at your ranch (or home). But the 2007 package, Dinner In Napa was an extroardinary multi-day eating, drinking, laughing time for a group of eight, and included lodging at an exclusive resort and a private plane ride to Napa. Not for the chefs - for the purchasers - the guys flew coach and stayed at various vineyards that generously provided guest houses for them to stay at. And this year the chefs brought their wives along, we are all connected to the restaurant industry in some fashion as well.

The people who bought the package weren't exceptionally wealthy from appearances; four couples, three of whom had employment connections and one of whom was a relative from New York. But one in the group was fighting cancer, and when it hits that hard, you realize the time to enjoy truly amazing things is limited, and they all had a passion for good food and wine.

The posts that follow are a recounting, winery by winery of our few days in Napa.

Fuqua'd At "The Grill"

At my urging we've purchased a case of Fuqua Winery's (pronounced Foo-kway) award winning 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I've tasted this vintage, it's wonderful and made right here in Dallas!

We're running a December by-the-glass special, a nice healthy "Sevy"-sized pour for $16, or a bottle for $60. Come by and try it!

Dinner With Friends

Many people have mentioned that they would feel intimidated cooking for a chef, but last night we enjoyed a delicious meal with friends, each couple made one course. We brought two bottles of Chardonnay purchased on our Napa trip for an accompaniment to our appetizer course. Both the Nickel & Nickel and the Gundlach Bundschu wineries hosted our group of chefs and guests in Napa, we sent lots of their wines home. We also enjoyed a delicious Spanish red, Melis Priorat, 2004 provided by our host, it was rich and smooth and is apparently highly rated by others as well.

I had not previously met one of the dinner guests, Ms. Hayley Hamilton, but she was extremely knowledgable about wine and the food business, it made for great conversation throughout dinner. She's the founder of Dallas Uncorked, a social group that is "dedicated to providing an outlet for both the sophisticated wine aficionado and the curious novice, to further their knowledge and appreciation of wine, in an informative and social atmosphere."

"Our members include novice and experienced wine drinkers, all with a common desire to learn about wines in an affordable and relaxed atmosphere. You won’t find your typical “wine snob” at our events! We are average, everyday people from all walks of life that love to socialize, drink and learn about wine. Our members can expect to meet many new professional and personal contacts, while learning about wine and food during monthly walk-about tastings, happy hours, and sit-down dinners. So if you are seeking a way to up your wine IQ in a fun, friendly and hip atmosphere, Dallas Uncorked is the organization for you."

I was floating around their website this morning, and this looks like a fun group. They have monthly meetings around Dallas, and they've gone on trips to learn about wine, places like Argentina and Oregon. The group photos reminded me very much of our recent Cattle Barons Chef trip to Napa - drinking wine early in the day can do that.

So Holiday Gift Tip #4 - give this one to yourself - membership is free. Sign up to join their group and attend some of their fun events in 2009.

Back From Napa - Stories To Follow

Well, I wouldn't call it "stuck" in Napa, but we barely had phone service, let alone DSL or wireless while guests at Rombauer Winery. Let's just say it was probably a good thing to go rustic for those few days and concentrate on what we were there for - drinking.

I've got to organize a few notes, pictures, thoughts, but I have lots to blog about, right after I watch the last episode of True Blood from last Sunday.

Speaking of Napa - Another Cattle Baron's Dinner

In May, I was privileged to accompany my husband and four of his chef buddies to Aspen while they prepared a 5 course meal in a $100M home on Aspen Mountain (pre-crash value). That trip spawned three posts (A Dinner Fit For Barons, A Stowaway's View: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and Eating Santa Fe - How To Dine At 8 Restaurants In One Day), and it was the dinner that was sold at the 2006 fundraiser. This weekend is the dinner that was sold at the 2007 event: a group dinner and weekend in Napa, it includes the previous chefs (Chamberlain, Garvin, Holben, Rathbun, Severson) plus Amador Mora of Trece.

And the girls get to go this time too.

So I'll be taking my little laptop along, we're staying with a couple of the chef's as guests at Rombauer Vineyards (who coincidentally is related to a renown cookbook author), hopefully they have wi-fi because I'd love to share it with you.

And of course this trip would not be possible without the services of Gma Gerry, who'll be staying with the Boy and Sister while we travel. Best Mother-In-Law In The World, (IJS).

The Post That Didn't Happen

I had this great idea for a weekly post a while back and had even contacted friend John R. over at Sigel's about assisting me with the information. As a reader of The Wall Street Journal, I've always enjoyed their Friday edition wine reviews and thought it would be helpful to list Dallas shops or restaurants that carry the wines The WSJ liked.

But on the very day when I was working on said post, in my mail arrived a large, glossy sales brochure featuring WSJwine - and everything stopped. Because even I could see the possibility of a conflict of interest between what they recommend and what they will be selling. While the disclaimer says they "operate independently from The Wall Street Journal's news department", it still opens a door of distrust for a publication that has an enviable reputation for integrity in reporting.

Today's article about "The Dow Jones Lamb Chop Challenge" brought this back to mind. While it anonymously solicits wine recommendations from wine retailers in six cities, the actual judgement of what "worked" was still done by WSJ writers. None of the 10 wines that were tasted were located on the WSJwine website as being for sale. But that doesn't mean that tomorrow the "partnership" might not sell it, after all some were recommended by the writers of The WSJ, isn't this what the partnership was formed for?

This very blog cross-markets, you see Sevy's Grill news every so often. But I disclose co-ownership on my profile (as well as in many posts), and I don't consider this a news venue - more of a "stories" venue. I try to be factually accurate, but have never represented myself as a journalist.

So that leaves me with two new questions: 1) to The WSJ - why do this?, and 2) to friend John R. at Sigel's - why even carry these wines that are cutting out the local business?

Cabernet? Get The Fuqua!

Thinly sliced apple, a baguette, some Belletoile (triple cream) brie, and a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon makes for the perfect at-home happy hour. It just so happened that while visiting Fuqua Winery last weekend I picked up a bottle of their 2002 vintage, and while doing my Iron Mom post I picked up some brie, apples and a baguette. So Sunday night, pre-Cowboys we were good to go for a Wine Tasting.

I'm the first to admit that I'm no wine expert, but I like a lot of wines. And if a place doesn't sell a decent wine, you may as well stick with beer, at least that's my motto. Still, after all these years in the business the jargon of wine remains as foreign to me as the Spanish my kids speak fluently. So, as they say, pardon my French as I explain.

Of a clear beautiful deep garnet color, the wine contained no sediments. It smelled sweet, unidentifiably, like when you smell alyssum or abelia in bloom and wonder what it would taste like. The flavor, well it was, well, sweet, but it was not a sweet wine - see this is where I get into trouble. In fact it was rich and peppery, but mainly it lit up the "sweet zones" of my tongue without tasting like a sweet wine. Neither Jim nor I could place a description to it's flavor, not cherry, not grapey, just full and delicious. And at $28.95 a bottle a far better value than more expensive California Cabernets.

I found out while I was there that they will do private wine tastings for groups (up to 16 people, includes light appetizers, approximately $20 - $35 per person depending on what you want) . I think I'm going to have to get a Mommy Monday Wine Tasting over there before the holidays.

October In Dallas - What A Great Night

6 pm Friday evening, a beautiful dry 80 degrees, but it's Texas-OU weekend which means Hubby is pulling a double shift. A girl's got to be a little independent when married to a guy who works nights (or have a deep addiction to HBO), besides Sheryl Crow was enticing me to take my top off and enjoy a drive. Needing something to wash the taste of Disillusionment with Humanity from my mouth, I had a destination in mind, Dallas' Fuqua Winery in the Love Field area.

I've had a visit to this place on my to-do list since Lobster Boy and I enjoyed their Texas Red Reserve with friends at the Mercury one evening. Lately the "drink local" inspirational stories about Texas Wine Month (October) by the ladies at DallasEats have been a nagging reminder to go and visit. So since today was High School Fair Day at the State Fair, and hubby was busy, I decided to make a quick trip to check the place out.

So I went, I visited, I purchased, and then I decided to wait to taste. Stopping on the way home for some Tex-Mex take-out and a frozen margarita, I don't think I can do this wine the flavor judgement perspective it deserves, so I'm saving my purchases to share with my hard-working better half. Besides, I want to get some killer cheeses at the new cheese store at Preston-Royal to compliment the tasting.