This Happy Takes Work – Pass The Guidalberto

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As I sit down this morning to write about the great food and wine I enjoyed last night, I’m at a pause. Do you know why?

I am happy.

Let me explain that – because usually, I’m a pretty happy person. I’m reflecting on how I’ve been expressing myself through this blog, and it seems to be a little, well, sad. What I am seeing my readers respond to is my snarky wine and emotional state comparisons. These comparisons come from some disappointment in my life, maybe a heartbreak or two, being mad at my sister, being mad at myself… Think about it – how many obstacles or failures would you like to see come to life in hopes that you can interpret these situations? That has been the method, and it is working pretty good for me and for you.

So why, now, do I choose to BE happy; it may be fleeting, but let’s discuss. Around 5 AM I realized that  a few people in my life are doing selfless acts. Some are shooting nonsense and welcomed texts, calling even though I am not returning the call – all very nice and neat. Others are doing the natural and easy – showing up. Showing up counts for everything doesn’t it? It is how luck finds us, or how our heart is touched a bit. It is connecting us, and creating a relax of the shoulders.  I’ll just say it – it is nice to hear from you – but when you keep showing up, I feel a little more special than I did yesterday. Thanks for the consistency!

And when you show up with exceptional wine with an exceptional story -it makes life a little memorable. Last night, I revisited the wine from Tenuta San Guido, “Guidalberto”. It would be horrible not to mention where the impetuous for this wine came from – the one and only, Super Tuscan loveliness,  Sassicaia. One of the only reasons Super Tuscans are on this planet was because of the risk of a winemaker to create Sassicaia. Prior to Sassicaia in the 1970’s, NO ONE in Italy was making a blended wine that DID NOT have an indigenous grape in it – by choice or by law. Why can’t Cabernet Sauvignon shine in Tuscany? The thing is, it wasn’t back in the day. However, the connection between the soils of Tuscany and Bordeaux cannot be denied, and the desire to produce something different, special, out there, against the norm, and risky cannot be denied either. Laws were changed, Tenuta San Guido (home of both Sassicaia and Guidalberto) was celebrated. And then the awards came, and awards are great. Awards give you some ether in our screwed up judgement cycle, but, does it mean you are exceptional? You showed up, but was it enough?

In this instance, the answer is yes. Because of the risk of creating Sassicaia, the launch pad of its baby brother Guidalberto was born. Can I call it a “baby brother” or a thing of its own? It continues the story of vulnerability, of different thinking danger zones, and exposure to the unknown.  Whew, sign this girl up…

  • Grape make up: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot. Don’t poo poo the Merlot, because if you do, you don’t know. It is absolute perfection in this blend. It gives this blend a plushy pillow, a bottom to a fruit bowl, a sense of semblance. It’s silky because of that Merlot, it’s almost simplified; like a notch comes down on my palate. Without it, I feel the wine would be overwhelming and just not make sense.
  • Define “special” sister: This wine is fermented in both American and French Oak – yes and yes. Like getting the best of both worlds, and why not. Oh yeah, and I have a memory of sitting in a rock vineyard – because that is what the vineyard in Bolgheri Italy looked like to me – having pasta bolognese, the day just began to cool off, the winemaker was very flirty, and I felt like I was the only one on the planet experiencing these flavors. Outside in the dirty dusty air, clouds threatening rain but lying and just making the moment provocative, and tasting deep black fruits, smokey cigar sweetness, and malty chocolate Christmas candy. How can you not run to the wine shop right now…
  • Food, and it was glorious: I forgot about Fresco in Montclair! I am always hesitant to walk into an empty restaurant – but it was Monday, and who eats and drinks like we do on Monday, so a pass was given. Stuffed artichokes, burrata, mussels – I’m not kidding, so good. Probably not a GREAT pairing, but who gives a shit when it comes to this wine. We tried an ink squid pasta, but were way to full to finish it. That would have been the better wine choice. We were so full we ended the meal with a panna cotta – geez….

I’m going to linger on this happy thing for the moment. Milk it for everything it’s got. I need to recognize that people still want me around, and I still want them. I’m the one that needs to show up – doesn’t that just freak you out?

But screw this wine crap, I think I’m going into food styling. These pictures from last night are amazing…

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The Juggling Of Friendship – Can’t We Just Drink A Glass Of Tempranillo?

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Lately I’ve been picking up a few bottles of wine just on a whim. I have some design in my head on area of production, grape varietal…but that is really it. This has stirred an idea in my head about wine and friendship; what is attracting me?

Like my wine choices, my friendships usually begin on a whim. Should we say “organically” so we can all agree on a term -it’s all by chance in my life. Individuals waft in, make whatever impression is necessary or needed at the time, and then usually waft out. Is this because I am searching for what feeds me, or can support my nature? Am I drawn to the immediacy of liaisons, or am I scared of how deep it can get? Who can say where my head is at, but something weird is happening. No one seems to stick.

There are A LOT of wonderful people out there, just like there are A LOT of great wine bottles out there.  And like the flow of life, we all want something more than what the other can offer. I admire the souls that know themselves, and can tell me how communication should happen between us. You know those people – like my instagram post, call me every other day, text me in the morning, meet me for a drink but just on Thursdays – that’s a lot of emotional organization. Is there something wrong with my theory of the “whim”? Can two or three or five people agree that we are the tribe, and can that be enough?

The other part is the work. I don’t do the work, but go along with the work. What does that mean – I’ll GO to the dinner, but never organize it. I feel bad about this, but I think it has become my role. Now you are thinking “Should I become friends with Susan and is it worth it?” – I gotta tell you, I commit. (and if you are valuing “worth” and a relationship – let’s ponder that) I will pick you up, bring all the wine, listen to your stories, cry when you’ve told me how you feel about me, and order your meal. I know I am worth it – it’s just a little bit of a Susan journey for you to know that too.

And women friendships are another thing – whoa, that is a toughie. But the two women you may be seeing in pictures throughout this blog are dialed in. There are so many things to say about these women, and so many directions to go in. They have cemented themselves into my stream of wanting, needing, doing and dreaming. I also LOVE showing them the wine world. Even though they tell me they will drink what I put in their glass, they have opinions and things to say.  And I want to hear it! – and maybe exploit it for the blog…

What did we drink at Toros Restaurant in Montclair? –

  • The Wine; Vina El Aguila, “Embocadero”
  • Area of Production: Ribera Del Duero, Spain
  • Grape Varietal: In theory, and through recent reviews of this wine, the grape is Tempranillo. Now, I kind of believe this. It is the obvious, being Tempranillo is the Holy Grail of Spanish wines, however, I can taste a few more things making up this blend. By law in the area, 75% MUST be Tempranillo, where most are 100%. There were no noticeable aging requirements on this wine, which leads me to believe this was an entry level wine – and I don’t hate that. Did I taste Tempranillo’s signature dried fig, cooked raspberries, or smokey fireplace love like I usually do?  Sure – but the roundness and sweeter fruit profile lends me to believe just maybe there was something else thrown into the stew.
  • Why Tempranillo for my girls? – A few reasons – I’m obsessed with Spanish wine lately.  Just obsessed. Another reason was the weather – the bite of winter has begun in New Jersey, and I am embracing it. I wanted something a little more spicy, warming, comforting, reassuring, and nostalgic. Yes, nostalgic. This is the first grape I really got to “know” back in the day, and it brings on some great memories. I also chose this amazing Kabab house to dine at – what better pairing than grilled meats with this grape, which could really go with just about anything. I also thought I was going to get much more extraction than I did because of the fact it was from Ribera Del Duero, but I’m over it. Sometimes we don’t get the expected, and can live with that.
  • What did my girls think? – Honestly, we were so into the meat fest going on rather than chatting about the complexities in the wine. We started with a bit of chardonnay, so our palates were already saturated with so many flavors – between the wine and the food choices. I am noticing their questions are changing – they are more interested in where the wine is coming from, what exactly is in the bottle, and WHY I chose to bring it that evening. I would love to get more into the why. I think this is one of the biggest hurdles in the shopping for wine consumers deal with. How can we educate, in a better method, what emotional choices are being made? Regardless, we gave this wine a 3 out of 5 – good fruit, modestly priced ( I picked it up for around 13-15 dollars), and completely matched the ambience and evening.

Choices in wine, people, restaurants, family, spouses, kids – things I think about, or have thought about, and have stopped thinking about on purpose. Yes, on purpose. Do we share a moment, and do you talk about “our moment” with other people when I am not around? Am I invited because it is the right thing to do, or is it just what should be done? Is being alone the better choice? They say you only have a handful of friends – but what if that handful gets juggled?  What if you are the piece that doesn’t really fit anymore? I’m celebrating ME everyday, and I hope you do too. But, how does this party play out?

Consciousness Found In A Bubble

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Last week I lost awareness.

Sure of myself, a little cocky, knew things would go “my way”, judge mental of my past, hungry for the next step, and not filtering what I said or did.

It bothers me when I need to begin a statement with “Do you know how good I am?”.  Truth; if you need to say that, the person you are speaking to is probably aware. I’ve also worked way to long and hard on myself, my skill, my business, my wardrobe – obvious I’ve arrived at the table. So, now, how do I shimmy through the crack between success and “you are not what we need at this time” situations.

Here is the issue – sometimes you just know. Sometimes you can not only recognize but feel your superiority. Be obnoxious and admit this, because damn it, you have struggled hard not to be just another shallow wine girl.  My problem was that I grabbed that feeling, but forgot to notice the edges. When I say the edges, in wine and in my life situations, I mean the flavors and  perceptions that are secondary, but more than meaningful. I insulted when not meaning to, I slacked off when I should have been more reactive, and my filter mechanism faulted.

Then last night, while cuddling with Karma, I was told that I missed a “tradition”.  A friend and I always begin a meal with a glass of some kind of champagne – I happen to have missed the dinner I promised I would attend. You may not think this is a “thing”, but the thought of this being a special something was of total comfort to me. It’s like it became an obvious secret, or an indisputable action just known between two people. Coming into the holidays, and always feeling alone at this time, what a great reminder that culture doesn’t need to be created in a room full of people.

A favorite bubble? God, so many. Here is an easy one:

  • The Wine: Moet and Chandon, Rose Imperial
  • The Grape: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay; classic line up for a perfect champagne.  Each grape will bring it’s own character to the blend. Now, to make the wine pink, we can go about this in two ways. We can blend the two red grapes (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) to the white one – makes sense, right?  Or we can do something called the saignee method; you may also hear “bleeding” of the juice (translation). With the saignee method, you will be stealing a portion of the red wine juice after it has been in contact with skins and seeds. Basically, something red wine making is leaving behind. That portion of juice is then left to ferment on its own. The result? Better aromas and flavors, better concentration.
  • Is this a yes or no; Big yes. Friends in the wine industry may poo poo the simpleness of Moet, and I can agree at some level. But don’t be mad at this wine; it does more than the job and just can make you happy. And who doesn’t want that.
  • What do you do with it: I always would ask my students this question to get them to think deeper. Ok, we like the wine, but there is more to the wine’s life other than our simple consumption. The BEST and I mean BEST thing about bubbles is that you can drink them with ANYTHING. That is a broad statement; maybe not Mama’s lasagna, or a pot of sausage and peppers – I can think of better. But alone, with cheese, paired with fish, flan for dessert, spicy Thai food, BBQ, watching the sun set; should I go on?  There is versatility where you presume there shouldn’t be – I love that statement so much.

If we have a relationship, I will make a mistake. You will make a mistake. There will be things we should have talked about, and probably will choose to forget. I’m holding on to the reminders that we are not malicious people, and have found each other for a reason. When I disappointed a ex-coworker last week, she told me she knew I had a “good heart”.  So, even in my haste of creating a non reality situation for myself, she saw the acceptable. Remember this moment.

Being “Basic” With Sterling Vintners Sauvignon Blanc

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In my “who am I” caption for Instagram, I write that I am a Blogger, Influencer, Greatest Aunt Ever, and a Professional Scrapbooker.  I wrote that for obvious reasons; I wanted to catch your eye and show you a human side.  However, it’s all true.  Most of the time you will find me, sitting in my house among my many crafting supplies, creating picture books for hours.  Strange, somewhat farty, an excuse to why I am single, but all true. Is being a simple woman, wanting straight forward and honest dialog, no frills conversation, a beer and a pizza – and maybe a Netflix marathon – something I shouldn’t be doing?

Can’t I just be “basic”?

Urban Dictionary  – disclosing to people, like my mother, what I’m talking about:

TOP DEFINITION
Basic
only interested in things mainstream, popular, and trending
Omg BAE is so basic. all she wants to do is drink pumpkin spice lattes and play candy crush.
#lame#boring#basic white girl#basic biatch#not cool
“Basic”, in the wine world, may mean you are not educated, scared of the unknown, have a boring palate, or just comfortable in the human portfolio you have created. Noses go up, judgements are thrown, and you may be axed by the Wine Mean Girls that are politely spitting into a dirty bucket. When studying anything at all, we learn to pull apart every aspect, become a true internal detective of sorts.  When you spy into the life of a wine, be ready with overwhelming thoughts of geography, science, stories of generations of families, and so much more.  Sensory overload at its best.
The other night I just wanted a white wine that would not talk back.  Give me citrus, a little acidity, balance it all out in a bright bow, and call it a night.  Here is what happened:
  • The Wine: Sterling Vintners Sauvignon Blanc, California
  • Why: I know I wanted a pretty fruit to the wine; hence the choice from Cali.  However, with the tropical fruit, melon, and other stone fruits I received on my palate, it WAS balanced with a nice acidity.  I didn’t want to go over the top with bracing acidity with something like a Riesling, or find layers of oak with something like a Chardonnay.  What I figured this wine would deliver was that lovely melange of citrusy fruit, while crisping up the edges a bit.
  • It could have gone horribly wrong; Without acidity, this wine would have been a complete failure. I can’t stand when I open a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and get complete grassy grapefruit bombs.  This is attractive to some, and maybe nice on a hot as hell day in the sun, but not when paired with food.  I want to TASTE my food while enjoying my wine, and I want the wine to elevate my experience.
  • A deeper into the “why”; I’ve been craving sushi for weeks.  If you follow me on any social, you know sushi is a diet staple.  When wine and food becomes physically tangible, I’m in heaven. Sexy fattiness on my palate comes alive with acidity in a wine. Spicy wasabi becomes balanced and almost sweet with the fruit of Sauvignon Blanc.  The weight of the body of the wine is perfect; not to transparent, but not putting me to sleep.
  • Secret Sushi Heaven; Takara Asian Bistro in Montclair.  I may be blowing up my spot, but this place is solid.

This blog is about why we make choices; in wine, life, or what may stir your mind. Are those choices always complicated? Are the elementary actions we all do every day something to dismiss, or something to celebrate? Do life behaviours always need to be extreme? Your wine choices definitely do not. Sure, this “simple” wine was great, but can we find the “basic” in the small production, expensive as hell, highly allocated and sought after wines?  Well, guess who is going to try to make that happen…

Wine Girl Gone Wild Quickie: Chardonnay Throw Down

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If everything remained the same, my life would be a lot easier, right?  I wouldn’t need to explain myself, stress about the unknown, come up with a plan that may fail, come up with the cover up plan, and re-do all of this next week. So, why can’t the same grape taste the same way, even if it is grown in a different place?  Just give me what I want – why must I think so hard!

Well, so many reasons and so much to discuss with such a simple statement. However, this is a quickie, so check out below what happened when I tasted two chardonnay wines from two different regions.  My opinion is just that – a conclusion from a girl that was tired, not feeling great, absorbed in flirtatious texts, and arguing about the state of the world. Yeah, typical Sunday night dinner at home amongst friends…

Char Lyric and St Veran

 

Wine Girl Gone Wild Quickie – Chardonnay

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Who thought this area would be so popular! (I kind of did!)

Chardonnay gets a bad rap. Oak in chardonnay gets a bad rap. This grape is always a roll of the eye from a wine snob. I happen to LOVE IT. What I learned, from my time with winemakers, is that they LOVE IT TOO! It is a fabulous grape to put an impression on. I never knew that, and now it makes sense. Basically because chardonnay represents the area of production, the vintage, the people making it… and so many other great things.  Truly a grape to study and drink drink drink.

Check out the low down on chardonnay:

quickie card - chardonnay

Not Being Normal Is The New Normal; Drinking Quintessa

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Ever feel like you just don’t fit.

You don’t fit because you are not “wrong”, you are just not like everyone else. This is not ego-centric, this is not an excuse for your misfortune, this is not coming from a bitter and sour core. I am talking to the people that cannot shut off their minds at night, but are told it’s stress, or that you are “over doing” it. You are the one 30 minutes early “just in case” you missed something on your check list for the meeting.  You have a plan B, C and D. You have outlined your goals on a beverage napkin. Your closet is color coded.  Your friends think you are “unique”, your family thinks you are crazy and are concerned, and your new boyfriend is a little fed up with your “Type A” ways.

Guilty.

Guilty and now proud.  I never use to think my over organized life would lead to something positive. I’m still unsure, but have safety knowing that this personality tick has helped my cause along the way. How can all these particulars in my mind build to a crescendo…and I am witnessing it coming in waves.

I was reassured, and felt a sense of release, the other night when I tasted Quintessa again.  I can’t tell you how many vintages I’ve been through with this wine.  I want to say this was the first “iconic” Napa Valley wine I tasted, and was moved by. Yes, so many years ago, because of this wine, I first felt a shift in the way I perceived flavors, I understood how geography can alter a wine’s perception, and I began to appreciate sensory details that I never felt before. It is a compilation of so many things, and all at once. This is what has given me a kinship to this wine; I can see the vision, I can understand the quirky tones and edges, all while concentrating on the Cabernet Sauvignon grape – just to make it as great as it can be.

Ugh, this makes me so happy.  Let’s break it down:

Grape(s): The focus here is Cabernet Sauvignon. If you need a little more about this grape, check out my quickie notes here; Wine Girl Gone Wild Quickie – Cabernet Sauvignon. There are four other grapes in this blend that will support the beauty of Cab; Merlot, Cab Franc, Petite Verdot and a grape called Carmenere.  I like the addition of Carmenere; there is a new depth that I don’t remember before that I attribute to this grape. Quintessa always grabbed my attention, but now I’m pulled in.

Where specifically in Napa, California; Rutherford, oh Rutherford.  Rich and elegant all at the same time, while also conveying dusty tannins and integrated oak details.  A fav place to visit, and a fav place to drink.

What did it taste like; Before telling you that, let’s talk about the aromas.  I know the wine will be splendid when I can’t stop smelling it. It is so nice to taste with ALL of your senses burning and sending messages to the brain.  There are the obvious flavors of dark and broad red fruit, but also an underlining spicy note I couldn’t put my finger on.  Everything ends with a warmth from the oak components – that just comforts the hell out of me.

Why am I so jazzed; It’s nice to see a winery known and respected STILL produce something so freaking good.  We had the 2014 vintage; major drought going on in the beginning of the growing cycle, but a pretty nice summer and fall – great timing for ripening of the grapes.  I have had some expensive dogs from this vintage.  You never know, right? Mother nature is in charge, and don’t side eye her.  Cabernet Sauvignon was the winner in 2014 – smaller amount produced, but what a prize. Dark and Intense; exactly what we need from this grape.

This wine is a little like me, and I think that is why I connect with it. I’m glad to drink wine that shows us the normal is not normal.  Quintessa will always be a power house, but has a sensibility about it.  It shows me you can be that idiosyncratic persona while still maintaining grace. You can go beyond where you think you should stop and make qualitative impressions upon the world.  So I salute all you misfit-want-to-be yet extraordinary wines out there, and will join in your march towards greatness.  We only have each other, right?

Check out the other wines and food consumed at dinner with Quintessa.  Thanks Stamna in Little Falls for another amazing meal…

 

Wine Girl Gone Wild Quickie – Cabernet Sauvignon

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This section is for the reader that doesn’t want to read my blog, could care less what I’m eating and drinking, would not like to look at pretty pictures of random-ness, or that does not care what I do with my life.

I hear you.

You just want to know what the hell to drink when you are in the mood you are in, or need to buy a gift, or need to impress your boss, or forgot your anniversary, or want to drown out the screaming kids in the background… you just want to drink a Cab!

Again, I hear you.

Check this out…

Quickie Card - Cab

More quickies to come! (and yes, I went there)

Drink This; Luzon, Petit Verdot

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Don’t ask me to tell you about myself.

Do you know why I say that?  Because you know exactly what you want from me.  You KNOW what your are going to get before I answer the question.  And, I don’t even know how to answer that question.  Do you want the run down of my resume, do you want to know my career ambitions, do you want to know if I’m dating anyone?  Should I share just a little or go insane with my life notes?  I’m betting that honesty and credibility are gone from our conversations, personal or professional. Instead we just peck around each other and come up with really rude judgements.

On top of all this, I probably know what you want to hear.  I can size up the situation pretty quickly.  You want to know if I’m going to compliment your style, make you money, be engaged – but only to a limit, build your atheistic business, tell you you are pretty, pick up and satisfy your dropped promises, and smile the entire time.  I do all of that better than anyone you have ever met.

Wine choices are similar.  (a stretch, but do you like how I am connecting everything?)  We make wine choices for many reasons – we know the wine will deliver because we’ve had it before, the grape choice is our favorite, or the label is really attractive.  We want to impress our friends with our wine knowledge or lack of, maybe we want to get drunk, or just maybe we want to spice up an evening.  All valid thoughts, and all things we already know.

So why would I bring a wine to a pizza party where no-one has ever heard of the grape?  How am I winning here?  You know it’s not because I am trying to show off – my friends could care less about what I know about wine, and barley listen to my wine rhetoric.  The reason; I’m turned on by Spanish wine lately.

Just am.  I worked in Spanish wine years ago for a hot minute, and the romance never left me.  There is something about the fruit components, the spice, the line in the sand it draws, the feeling that lingers with me after I drink it…  This is what I wanted to share.  And that’s it isn’t it.  I just want to have my close friends get the goosebumps I do about a wine. (and life) Here is the low down on what we drank:

  • Name of the wine: Luzon, Petite Verdot
  • Where it is from: Jumila, Spain.  It is a continental climate with hills, valleys, a mountain range – but it is also hot as hell and a very harsh place to make a grape for wine.  What you get – very full bodied wines full of abundant fruit flavors, baking spices and coffee.
  • Grape: Petite Verdot; This area grows A LOT of the grape Monastrell – another WGGW fav and will be reviewed shortly.  Petite Verdot is a grape we find in the Bordeaux region of France where it is important in the final blend.  What I like about this grape, when hailed from Spain, is that it is courageous and daring, bold right from the first sip and dark as tar.  It’s like a chocolate covered deep black cherry, dipped in cuban coffee, and rolled around my tongue.  If that doesn’t make you want to drink this wine…
  • What to do next; Just buy it -it’s under $12.  I purchased this bottle at Fairway Market in Woodland Park.  Beyond the notion that I’m obsessed with Spanish wine lately, I knew we were having food from the grill.  I was going to a pizza party where you add your own toppings, throw it on the grill, and enjoy your pizza venture as well as everyone else’s.  First of all, genius party shtick.  Now think of that char you get from smoky grilling, dripping cheese, something spicy like chorizo toppings…it’s giving me heartburn, but pairing perfectly.

And yes, I drank this wine while eating a bag of cheese doodles.

 

Eat This: Dinner at South and Pine With A Little Pinot Noir

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Categorizing an area for restaurant reviews on my website, and calling that category “Eat This”, should just happen. Mood noted.

I don’t go to Morristown for two reasons; (1) I have a destructive ex, in the industry, that trolls the land, and (2) I never think of Morristown as a qualitative “foodie” place.  Great bars, young pretentious hipsters, younger girls vomiting in the corners of bars around 2 AM…

Not judging, but I totally am.  Last night, I found South and Pine in Morristown – changed my mind on what I thought was going on in this busting at the seams town.  Where there is a bar/restaurant/meeting place on every corner, I dare you to search for an eclectic and direct outline of someone else’s vision of true culinary art-forms.  Cookie cutter “lets get drunk”, “how weird can I make the wine list”, and “I’m so trendy” cocktail locations have dominated and sickened the overly ambitious crowds.  Time to take a breathe, realize we are mature human beings and not animals ready to choke on cheap booze, and relish in a true, clean expression of “farm to table’ and in the moment design of a restaurant.

And yes, it’s a BYOB.  Glory BE!  When I go out to eat I want the server to run the show, make me feel like the queen I am, and tell me I am a genius wine goddess for owning such beautiful specimens I have brought to the table.

But I screwed up.  The wine I brought sucked.  Just sucked.  Thank goodness my dining partner thought deeper into the menu and what wines made sense; he saved the day. (whew, that could have been a tragedy!)

What do I mean by this?  As noted, the menu is consistently changing to match foods that are seasonly appropriate.  Right now, you will find pumpkin soup, pork belly, lamb sirloin, and just wait… Braised Bison.  You heard it, and I cannot lie, this made me loose my mind.  One of the BEST grapes for the Fall, and for this menu, is Pinot Noir – hands down.  This grape shows an abundant cranberry fruit, fall sweet spice, and a structure to hold up to a cornucopia of autumn flavors.  Our Pinot Noir choice, and this may be a surprise to you: Celine et Vincent Dureuil, Rully 1er Cru ,”Vauvry”.  Yes, your wine girl is drinking Pinot Noir AND a Frenchy; two things I’m not a fan of.  Let’s break this down and tell you why it worked:

  • Fruit for this wine is sourced from a Premier Cru Vineyard (pretty freaking good) located at the top of a hill.  Lots of sunshine giving this wine a plumpness and bountiful fruit expression without being over the top in candied flavors.
  • Aged 18 months in French Oak, picked from 40 year old vines, and one of the best producers in this region. The oak gives this wine oomph to the structure, and the older vines add a complexity to the fruit composition.  Basically, making everything I hate about Pinot Noir sing a different song.
  • Rully is a village in the larger area of Burgundy, France called Cote Chalonnaise.  Not a lot is written about this area of Burgundy, mostly because they are not known for wines of an elegant nature. I am not elegant in nature, so we have something in common.  Instead, you will get a rustic wine approach with earthy tones, black pepper and spice; and maybe not the best focus.  However, these wines are affordable, have a sound framework, and pair generously with the season.

Recap; go pick some apples, drink a few Octoberfest beers, and finish your day at South and Pine with a bowl of steaming Mussels.  Let the staff smile and wipe your chin, watch through the open kitchen all the hustling and bustling, and bring a bottle of Pinot Noir with you.  Ignore the 20 somethings passing by the window, but do flirt with your dining companion. (and maybe the cutie floor manager!)

Side note; surprise starter was a split bottle of Moet & Chandon Rose Imperial Champagne.  Just the right amount and just the right bubble to clean your palate for the fatty flavors of Fall.  Check out this review/sales pitch from my friends  @ Drizzly if you need some more info!