Wine Bar Wednesday - 1.2009: Laiola, San Francisco

Okay, so it's not exactly a "wine bar", but their charter does include a desire to be a cool neighborhood hangout suitable for small bites or large dinners and is built around a love of Spanish wines and/or varietals. What is that I ask you, if not the definition of a great wine bar? Plus, since we normally do the research in advance of the post for Wine Bar Wednesdays, when I received their email: "The economy sucks. Tuesdays don't", my deep love of all things from Catalunya combined with their cute recessionista bait, I knew it was time to hit Laiola (lye-O-la). Located at 2031 Chestnut Street in San Francisco's Marina District, the restaurant has a welcoming exterior. Once you walk in, you immediately notice a sophisticated appeal, that manages to stay homey. We got there pretty early.... Did I mention the email with the Tuesday specials called out "Sofrito-braised pork meatballs"? ...and the staff was just gearing up, but once they hit their stride, we found the service knowledgeable and attentive. When I first saw the wines by the glass, I thought, "Yikes!" as none of the reds were under $11, but when the wines arrived, it turned out Laiola serves 250 ml (1/3 bottle) carafinas, which is a great way to easily and neatly share a glass with a friend while still getting plenty to drink. Plus what a way to try a bunch of lovingly selected Spanish wines! The list which is exclusively Spanish or local expressions of Spanish varietals, has a lot of depth at all price points. Luscious Lush Thea as always was not only a fun companion but a great resource for picking out what wine to try. I ended up ordering a '07 Cellars Can Blau, Montsant which is a Spanish blend of Syrah-Garnacha-Carignena. It has a lovely nose with a whisper of butterscotch and a hint of strawberry jam. The flavors were Berry Bold, with spice and blueberry and dark cherry flavors. Like a lot of European wines, this was definitely a little on the food slutty side. It was a good sipping wine, but great when paired with the snacks. Thea opted for the '06 Juan Gil Monastrell, Jumilla. As you know I am extremely partial to the Monastrell-Mataro-Mourvedre grape. This wine was an excellent example. Lovely aromas even with a whiff of chamomile and a delightful blackberry savor. This wine was as tasty on its own as it was with the food.

As for the food. We ordered Chickpea Croquetas, crispy well seasoned sticks of olive-oil deep fried goodness. Patatas Bravas with chipotle mayonnaise. Perfectly fried wedges of potatoes accompanied by smoky rich sauce. Frying in extra virgin olive oils brings rich, floral notes to the food. And the sublime Sofrito Braised Pork Meatballs. These were delightful. The meat was perfectly seasoned with rich flavors and hints of exotic rabble rousing spices, led by politely by cinnamon, demonstrating in a richly flavored tomato sauce. With the wine---perfect pairs.

Our server Jay, also helped us pick out a sticky, in this case a sweet Pedro Ximenez, which was delectable--raisin walnut aromas. Silky, syrupy mouthfeel. Great flavors of cherries and raisins. It went perfectly with the Churros---dainty puffs of crisp dough brushed with cinnamon-sugar and served next to a frothy demitasse of Spanish hot chocolate.

So if we apply Xandria's Wine Bar criteria:

Affordability - Adjustable QPR, which I think is a great idea. By reviewing the specials and adjusting your schedule, you can get super values on elegant, expertly prepared Catalonian delights
Wine list - Interesting. The wine list is like a virtual field trip to Spain. So if you currently love or want to learn more about Spanish wine, this is a good place

Wait staff- Very knowledgeable, and a good balance of attentive vs. intrusive. We had so much fun with our server. And Jay, the host helped us a lot with wine selections.

Food: Very good. We were in full on comfort food mode and loved what we picked (fried carbs-is there anything better?), but there are a lot of interesting salads, heartier meats, and stunning charcuterie on the menu we left untried

In summary, two thumbs up. We loved it!

2031 Chestnut Street

San Francisco, CA 94123

P: 415.346.5641

E: info@laiola.com

Preview: WBW #53 - -- Wine for Breakfast

Wine Blogging Wednesday Challenge ---Wine with Breakfast!---I got in touch with my inner "Top Chef".

With an inspirational guest list, Thea, Lisa, Marshall and my party twin, Janesta. I took the shoes out of the oven, dusted off the unused appliances, strapped on an apron and cooked my little brains out.

Fun! Stay tuned for the release of my official WBW #53 Blog post, but I had to give you a preview.

One of my innovations involved using the 2007 Hahn Meritage, Red Table Wine, Central Coast . This wine is fruity, spicy yummy and insinuated itself into my cart while I was searching for a nice Petite Sirah. Since one of the menu items was French Toast, my thought was to apply one of the tenets of food and wine pairing and use the paired wine in preparation of the matched dish.

Lisa de Bruin hit it on the head when she described this as "Oral-gasm!"

Slowly reducing 2 cups of the Meritage with 9 tablespoons of superfine bar sugar over medium heat resulted in a syrup of divine portent. Silky smooth. Fruit forward with a dark, sumptuous intensity. Vivid, inky purple. It goes with many things and was oh-so-yum! with the French Toast, but I am finding other applications for it too. Pictured above are two mini scoops of vanilla ice cream and tangerine-mango sorbet, drizzled with the Hahn Meritage wine syrup and garnished with two fresh blackberries. The sun came through the clouds when I first tasted this!

Try it at home!

I can't wait to publish the full post from the Breakfast! Amuse bouche! Truffled Egg Custards! Savory Belgian Waffles! I am also looking forward to read what all of you are cooking up for your own WBW #53!

NYE Hangover Cures a la National Geographic

How are you feeling this first beautiful day of 2009? Hopefully you don't feel like I do right now: head about to explode, foul stomache , overly- fatigued. What did I do to deserve this? I am sure you all know the reason for my physical ailments. Thank god National Geographic came up with a few cures. Now if only I could find some German rollmaps or a sauna somewhere within a one block vicinity...But I am curious what is your best hangover cure? More champagne? Please help soon...

Open that bottle! Review of 2003 Ridge Pato Mataro

What I love about the holidays is the chance to get together with friends, old and new, and have the time to really appreciate everything!

So, with alacrity, I responded to Luscious Lush Thea's invite to her "Open that Bottle party! (Xandria---Girl! What you missed on account of that frozen tundra!). Knowing Thea's cellar, I wanted to bust out something special. And what with the other invitees, I had to find something super fun. Way in the back, waiting for an occasion was one of my special bottles. I had to almost physically wrestle four bottles of this from the Ridge Tasting Room person's hands. I cajoled and nearly wept. The next time I went back, I promptly joined their ATP program!

One went to my Uncle Manolo who only drinks Spanish wine. The rest I have parcelled out for special occasions. I have enjoyed each bottle more than the previous and this was the last:

'03 Ridge, Mataro: I love Mataro/Mourvedre/Monastrell...a rose by any other name...etc. etc. It's a difficult varietal to track down good examples of. This was a stellar bottle. Made in the single vineyard Ridge style and launched from only 375 barrels, the color was dark, tempered ruby. The nose was perfumey, blackberry deliciousness with a hint of savory bark. The flavor was pure luscious blackberry with tannins as smooth and lush as the pear shaped tones of an Episcopal choir. Whoosh! Delish!

Silver Oak, Lovingly decanted by Thea. KostaBrowne '05 Pinot cleverly negotiated by Alex P. Cain Cuvee, as new to me as new acquaintances, Andy and Katherine. '89 Georges Latour unfortunately as soured as Doug and Kris are sweet! What an great experience to leave Christmas town and hop on the shuttle to 2009-ville!

I completely recommend Thea's party idea to everyone! Bring together wonderful friends and each bring a beautiful bottle you are saving for a special occasion and get all Sideways---in a good way!

MAYA
No, but I do like to think about the
life of wine, how it's a living thing.
I like to think about what was going
on the year the grapes were growing,
how the sun was shining that summer
or if it rained... what the weather
was like. I think about all those
people who tended and picked the
grapes, and if it's an old wine, how
many of them must be dead by now. I
love how wine continues to evolve,
how every time I open a bottle it's
going to taste different than if I
had opened it on any other day.
Because a bottle of wine is actually
alive -- it's constantly evolving
and gaining complexity. That is,
until it peaks -- like your '61 --
and begins its steady, inevitable
decline. And it tastes so fucking good!

- from the "Sideways" Screenplay

Many thanks to all of you read the blog and comment from all over the world! We thank you and wish that 2009 is your best year ever!

Happy New Year!

A Guide to Sabrage or How to Safely Decapitate Champagne

And now for something completely different. ...

A Gentleman's Guide to Sabrage aka Decapitating Champagne: (contributed by guest blogger, Desi_Wino)
Sometime in the 17th century, a Benedictine monk by the name of Dom Perignon figured out how to turn a defect in his wine - the introduction of carbon dioxide gas during fermentation - into a desirable attribute.Thus, the sparkling wine now known as Champagne was born. Unbeknownst to him, Dom Perignon also laid the cornerstone of the modern software industry's credo "It's a feature, not a bug. Stupid."

Since that fateful day, no celebration has been deemed complete without the obligatory popping of a champagne cork. Which brings us to the topic of this post, the ideal method of opening a bottle of champagne. As every gentleman knows, the restrained pop of a well opened champagne bottle is a sensual treat, but wouldn't it be even better if it were accompanied by... oh say, some saber rattling, some tinkling of broken glass, some screaming from startled young ladies? Of course it would! Welcome to the art of sabrage, where you will learn all about the nuances of decapitating a bottle of champagne, and in the process win friends, influence people, and charm the ladies.

Sabrage is the art of using a saber or sword to precisely cut off the head of a bottle of champagne. Its invention is credited to Napoleon's fearsome cavalry, the Hussars, as they celebrated their military exploits with a bottle or two. Napoleon himself famously said that one always needed champagne, in victory to celebrate, and in defeat for consolation. That was a wise man! To successfully saber a bottle of champagne, one needs three things, a well chilled bottle of champagne, a saber or saber-like device and an audience.

Chilling is important to reduce spillage and also to ensure that the cork does not pop out prematurely. A gentleman should always take the necessary precautions to avoid premature spillage. Besides, holding a foaming bottle of which the cork has blown on its own makes a man look like a fool, which is to be avoided at all times. Also necessary, a saber. There are very many excellent champagne sabers available at all fine wine stores. However, in a pinch, a chef's knife will do the trick. Use the blunt side of the knife – again very important. Most importantly, an audience. Here's the process, once you have your ingredeints assembled.

First take the bottle and locate the seam on the bottle. This is the secret to the whole trick. The seam of the bottle runs the length of the bottle, and is usually located between the labels on both sides. Find the spot where the seam meets the neck of the bottle. This is the weakest point in the bottle and we will use this point, and the pressure within the bottle, to do the job for us. Remove the foil and the wire holding the cork. Again, the bottle should be well chilled, so the cork does not take off on its own at this point.

Be careful and point the bottle away from anything fragile, like fine crystal or old people. Also, this is best performed outdoors. Take your saber (or chef's knife with the blunt side outwards), and run it along the same to the neck. Take a couple of practice moves, and then in one smooth motion, swing the saber or knife through the point where the seam of the bottle meets the neck. Concentrate on a good follow through. If it helps, you can also murmur "I am Tiger Woods" as you do this. Lo and behold... you will find that the entire top of the bottle has been decapitated!

Let the champagne bubble out for a bit to carry out any bits of broken glass, and then serve your admiring audience with the well sabered bubbly. Bask in the glory. A votre sainte!

Do not try this at home!

[NOTE FROM BrixChick_Xandria: My friend "Desi_wino" recently passed away. Fortunately I asked him to write this interesting post about sabering champagne before his sad demise. So please enjoy this posthumous post, just in time for your New Year's Eve Celebration. And, you will be missed, "Desi-wino."]

Happy New Year and thank you all for reading our blog. May your 2009 be filled with an abundance of love and peace.
Posted by Xandria 0 comments

Top 10 wines for $10 and under at Trader Joe's

Here is the year-end wine round-up you have all been waiting for! Because I have such a glamorous job working at Trader Joe's in Northern California, people are constantly asking me for recommendations of the cheap yet good wines. Yes, I have wallowed through the muck and mire and found a few treasures which I will share with you. And no, Charles Shaw is not on this list. All of these wines should be available now (at least in No. CA.) and most of these wines can only be found only at Trader Joe's.

The ones to try:

Tier 1 - aka as my favorites

Whites:

*Rias Baixas Albarino 2006 Good minerality, good fruit. Refreshing acidity. $7.99

Reds

*Chiuso Grande 2006 Tommolo Montepulciano d'Abruzzo – This is an organically- produced "rustic" full-bodied, red. Good pizza wine but just as good on its own. $4.99

*Trader Joe's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $10.99- balanced and smooth, don't miss it before it's gone. And avoid the TJ Reserve 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. NOT good.

*Sogrape Callabriga Dao 2005 (Number 57 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2008). This Portuguese stunner is worth more than it's 8.99 price tag. Run to Trader Joe's now...

Okay, the next two wines are a little over $10 but well worth it:

*Chateau Chevalier 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District Napa Valley – This is a steal @14.99. This comes from the Spring Mountain Winery in St. Helena and sells for around $50 at the winery. If you are not running to get the Callabriga Dao then you should run for this classic Napa Cab.

*Papillon 2006 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir - From the Cherry Hill Winery in the Eola Hills area. Layers of aromas and flavors with a tangy finish make it one of my favorite Pinots - plus it has the cutest label you will ever see:) $12.99

Tier 2 - These are all are under $6. Yes, I have always said "Life is too short to drink cheap wine." but sometimes you don't have a choice so here are some good ones:

Whites and Sparklers:

*Zonin Prosecco 2006- fruity with a little sweetness. These bubbles will make ya happy especially because a bottle is only $5.99!

*Bear's Lair Viognier2006 - good acidity, stonefruit on the nose, some viscosity on the mouthfeel. Excellent for $3.99

*Pancake Cellars 2007 Big Day White
60% Sauvignon Blanc, 27% Chardonnay, 12% Gewürztraminer, 1% Pinot Blanc. 13.7% alcohol. Lovely fruity nose, tastes a lot like a Gewurzt...$4.99

Reds:

*Well Red Organic Cabernet Sauvignon – organic/ sulfite-free. Try this if red wine gives you headaches...$5.99

*Black Mountain Fat Cat Cab 2006 - One of the best-selling wines at TJ's and for good reason. Good fruit with smooth tannins. Not too much sugar. A little young but quaffable nonetheless. $4.99

*Ruggero di Tasso 2006 Nero d'Avola - $3.99 - another great Italian food wine. Nice berry and plum flavors with good acidity.

If you cannot find these at your local Trader Joe's ask your order taker to get them for you. If I have skipped your favorite please post it here. Thank you for reading and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Savannah Chanelle

My friend Marsha has the best taste in wine. She had previously given me a bottle of the 2005 Gary's Vineyard Pinot Noir and I found it delicious. So, naturally, when she invited me to a little holiday get together it was a no brainer to brave the evil weather and unnatural traffic to get out to Saratoga to parti-sip-ate! Saratoga, officially described as a "village" is an adorable area in the mountains above the Silicon valley. The Savannah Chanelle tasting room is up Big Basin Way tucked into a redwood studded property off a twisty private road int he Santa Cruz Mountains. The Tasting Room is built into an old wooden barn that dates back to 1912. Soaring ceilings, seasoned woods and gifts galore, it was a great place to while away a rainy afternoon. Thanks to Marsha, we tasted a ton of things. All of it delicious! Here are my highlights:

'06 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley: Made from a blending of grapes from three vineyards Tina Marie, Gunsalus and Sonoma Coast, this was a lighter in color, bright red with very balanced acidity. The initial nose I got was almost floral and also tons of red fruit. The flavors were cranberry, red plum and towards the end, strawberry. It had a lovely finish.

'07 Pinot Noir, Gunsalus Vineyard: This single vineyard Russian River Valley pinot was a luscious, typical Russian River Valley example. It had a fruit forward nature tempered by the cooler climes. The mouthfeel was silkier than the previous wine. Given my predilection for all things Russian River Valley, you can guess, I loved it!
06 Pinot Noir, Armagh Vineyard: Also delectable. The nose has a slight hint of yeast and bakery spice. Lots of red fruit in the aroma and flavors. People had been saying cranberry of the previous wines, which I did not get so much. However on this one, I totally got the cranberry splash.

Library wine Bonus: '05 Montmartre: This red blend was a stunning wine. It was dark, savory and fruit forward with a luscious ripeness. Unfortunately, this late in the progression, my note taking got very sketchy and that is all I wrote.

All in all a great adventure! In rain, lovely and very Santa's Village. In sunshine, there is a lot more to see on the property. For all you Silicon Valley folks for whom the Russian River Valley is a major trek, here is a gem within your midst.

And to Marsha, THANKS! for the great invite!

Savannah Chanelle Tasting Room

23600 Big Basin Way (Highway 9)

Saratoga, CA 95070