If Flamenco is the soul of traditional Andalucia, and bullfighting its heart then, undoubtedly, manzanilla sherry is the blood that courses through its veins. And if you've never had manzanilla from the barrel, you've never REALLY had manzanilla. That's why, even after more than three months have passed, I feel compelled to write about our visit to manzanilla country, or rather city: Sanlucar de Barrameda.
Flor in your wine?
Do you genuflect to the coffee gods every morning? Are you a different person before you have that first cup of "joe"? I am and I also thought I knew how coffee was harvested and made, but I was wrong. I recently returned from one of the most amazing experiences I have had in my professional life. On March 27th, 2008 I flew off to Puetro Vallarta to meet up with Tony's Coffees and Teas.
To most most Americans Greek wine is relegated into two categories: wines that are drunk while on vacation in Greece or “Ewh, Greece makes Retsina.” Well both can be true but what one drinks while in Greece and Retsina just skim the surface of what wine is in Greece. Though wine was not first made in Greece it can be said that Greece is the home to wine culture. Records show that wine production and consumption was in full swing by the 7th century B.C. and a fixture in all of Greece. Some archeological finds suggest that wine was a staple of the Minoan diet and other ancient civilizations as early as 3rd millennium B.C. So to say that Retsina is the “alpha – omega” of Greek wine would be a sad misnomer.
Residual Sugar (R.S.): The total quantity of sugars remaining unfermented in the finished wine. This may include both fermentable sugars (glucose and fructose) and small amounts of those few sugars, which are not readily fermented by typical wine yeast.
Valentine’s Day is a day that I don’t pay much attention to. When I was in middle school and had my first girlfriend I did but now Shauna and I are more concerned about what is happening on Lost and who the next survivor of Oceanic Flight 815 is. It is not that I don’t want to express my love to my wife or how much better my life is with her but it is the fact that there is a whole ad campaign telling me that my love wants the diamond circle necklace or roses or chocolate. I guess I just don’t like being told what to do…
Last week I turned 31. Not a number that conjures up grand parties or great reflection, but for me it was a day of simple pleasures and lead to a wine discovery this week. On January 21st, I was invited to see the Golden State Warriors with three good friends. I am an avid Warrior fan, and the chance to sit two rows off the floor on my birthday was not something I could pass up.
The four of us met up in the parking lot pre-game for a little wine geek tailgate: A bottle of Bollinger Champagne and a bottle of Italian rosé that I cannot remember at the moment. This is the way everyone should do the pre-game. Before we went into the arena JD, one of my pals and owner of a very small wine importer/distributor gave me a bottle of Catina Tollo Pecorino (no it is not bottled cheese). I put the bottle in my trunk and off to the game we went. The Warriors lost by one point with one second left, tough loss.
Coming up with ideas for my blog post each week is sometimes quite hard. I think to myself, "What do people really want to know?" or "What have I done or seen this week that I think is really cool." I'm rambling, so what is my point? Well, this week I was thinking, I've had a birthday, ate a great meal at Quince (you should all go when you are in the Bay Area or if you live here), tried some really great wine, and had a workout this morning that almost blew my arms out. So what to tell y'all?
The past few weeks here in the Bay Area has been windy, wet and chilly. My wife and I have been trying to stay warm in our 100-year-old apartment by cozying up with one-pot dishes and wines to match. As we enter the depth of our Northern California winter (those in the Midwest and Northeast will laugh at us, but it is cold to us Californians) there are certain dishes and wines that can warm a dreary winter evening quicker than Wilfred Brimley with a bowl of oatmeal. This past Sunday and Monday we cooked two dishes that thawed us out and we drank two wines that warmed out souls: Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 from Oakville and Jeriko Estate Merlot from Mendocino. Winter is the perfect time to cozy up with a loved one, a book, and/or a great movie and share a bottle of deep rich red wine.
Here are my top 10 for this month. I have tasted a TON of wine this month. Though December is a busy month for our stores, it is also the month I search for wines for the beginning of 2008 for Andronico's. There were a lot of really good wines presented this month and I will make sure to recap more of these wines after the holidays. Here is my December's Top 10!
Bar Manolo was the place we happened upon our first full day in Sevilla, and the site of our first tapas. Having had a few more tapas elsewhere, and after doing a little reading, we realized that it was actually a kick-butt place for an afternoon tapeo, and returned yesterday for another helping. Seeing as how it was Chanukah, we ordered mostly fried things. 
(another satisfied customer)
