Bowl'ed Over

In what became a whirlwind weekend of enjoying summer outdoors, I had the good fortune of snagging tickets to Dengue Fever / Of Montreal / Grace Jones at the Hollywood Bowl with E, my partner in exploring the many great concerts always going on around town. First of all, let me go on a small tangent in saying that I love all three acts, so do check out their music if you're not familiar. Secondly, Grace Jones is one fierce woman. She changed costumes every song (some images here), each more outrageous than the previous. And I am definitely getting her album. Seriously - is this woman really 61? I can only hope to age so well.

But back to the topic at hand. The Hollywood Bowl is one of my favorite places in LA, consistently listed as one of the best outdoor music venues, and such a great place to spend a summer evening. As with the Getty and Barnsdall Fridays, it mixes great music with a relaxed atmosphere and B.Y.O. spirit. Bench tickets are usually in the neighborhood of $30 or less, even with Ticketmaster fees tacked on. Pack a picnic, bring a bottle of wine, and enjoy a great show. Perfect.

My one major tip will be on parking/traffic. I've found Franklin to be a good way to get around going east/west. There are free shuttles from Griffith Park and other locations around LA. I generally avoid the Bowl lots as much as possible since it's stacked parking; instead, park at Hollywood & Highland, grab a bottled water and get validation for $2 parking (fine, so maybe $4 including the water), and walk up the hill to the Bowl.

Concerts with fireworks make the night even more fun. Remaining shows really span everything; my goal is to try and catch one of the LA Phil shows before the season ends.

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The Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Ave.
for schedule, tickets, directions:
http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/

LA Weekly Review

photo: Omar Omar via flickr

T.G.I.(Barnsdall)F.

Consider this the second installment in a series exploring LA's outdoor drinking/picnicking possibilities, picking up where I left you at the Getty:

Last Friday afternoon, I climbed the steps from Hollywood Boulevard to the top of the hill at the Barnsdall Art Park in Los Feliz to check out the weekly tasting hosted by Silverlake Wine in conjunction with the Barnsdall Art Park Foundation, to which the proceeds are donated.

The atmosphere feels like you’ve crashed a fabulously cool backyard party, where you’re welcomed like an old friend, thanks to a laid back and unpretentious vibe: Picnic blankets dot the grassy hilltop, sartorially prescient hipsters mingle amongst strollers and playing children, and a just-right soundtrack rounds out the setting. It doesn’t hurt that the hilltop location offers up unobstructed views of the Hollywood sign and surrounding city as they fade to black in the dissipating daylight.

In case you forgot to pack your own food, the Let’s Be Frank and Coolhaus trucks are also in residence, perfectly in step with (and perpetuating) the Angeleno craze for mobile food.

The tastings have become increasingly popular since they started in May, thus it's advisable to order tickets online (it saves you $5!) [edit: tickets are now sold only in advance, details below] and show up on time to avoid long lines for the (generous) pours // stake out a good picnic spot. Tours of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House can also be reserved for $8 per person; later tours sell out by mid-week. Word is that movie screenings will start after Labor Day, and tastings will continue until it’s too cold – in LA, does that mean when it dips below 60?

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Barnsdall Art Park & Silverlake Wine
Barnsdall Fridays
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
4800 Hollywood Boulevard
tickets online here
$15 until midnight Thursday
$20 until 4:30 p.m. Friday

Shanghai Dispatch

I've got a bit of a backlog but had to make sure and fill in some notes from a recent trip to Shanghai that involved some oenological adventures over dinners at Jade on 36 at the Shangri-La and Jean Georges's Shanghai outpost. Both restaurants had killer views of Shanghai - Jade on 36 has a high up view on the Bund's historical trade buildings, while Jean Georges offers up the perspective from the opposite bank, nicely framing up Pudong's space-age skyline.

Chinese wine unfortunately doesn't offer much to explore, at least not yet (and likely not for 5-10 more years); when I mentioned wanting to try some Chinese wine this trip, a few of my friends threw out Great Wall in the manner of a four-letter word. While Chinese rice wines and beers are popular and enjoyable, grape wine made in the European style has only recently become more popular due to China's ascendant middle class and its accompanying taste for European and Western imports. Chinese winemaking dates back thousands of years, with the first vines planted in 128BC. But these dates really mean nothing as modern Chinese winemaking is still very much a fledgling affair: There are no regulations to standardize labeling with regard to varietal, appellation, or vintage. Government regulation with regard to import tarriffs, approval of joint ventures with foreign winemakers, and control of distribution is constantly in flux.

Yet there is opportunity for development as Chinese winemakers trained in Europe have become more active, and foreign investmenthas grown with higher-profile projects including a joint venture from Remy Martin (Dynasty), partnership with Torres (Grace), plus greater interest from winemakers around the world. Many Chinese domestic wine producers are either state-owned enterprises or cooperatives, largely centered in the coastal Shandong Province with some wines coming out of Shanxi Province, futher inland along the same latitude. Even if China is not the next great terroir, the potential market represented by the sheer size of its population continues to tempt further investment in developing a robust Chinese wine production center.



Dinner in Shanghai was a constant struggle for me during the whole week there, as I found myself fighting jet lag (usually unsuccessfully). The first relevant meal at Jade on 36 was pretty standard French fare with a somewhat modern spin, appropriately paired with a Louis Jadot Nuits St. George. I wish I could say I had written down notes on the first impressions, but I do remember it was a somewhat fruity yet acidic wine. It was also the first Burgundy I'd had in a while, and an interesting contrast to the fruit-bomb flavors I've come to expect from Santa Barbara pinot noirs. A thanks to D for the meal, and J for the pictures here and below, and both for being good dinner company.

A couple of nights later, we had the good fortune to dine at Jean Georges (certainly can't complain about the food on this trip!), where the sommelier was a bit of a character, and nice enough to chat with us about Chinese wine (didn't seem that excited) as well as offer up a taste of some Grace Vineyard Merlot. We all agreed that the wine teased the palate with promising Merlot characteristics, it was ultimately a one-dimensional wine that faded quickly. To be fair, however, he did say that the white wines were much more satisfying; for whatever reason, that savoir-faire has yet to filter into the red wine production.


We spent the rest of the meal contemplating a tempranillo from Ribera del Duero in Spain, pictured above with the Pearl Tower in the background. It had all the full-bodied characteristics you would expect from a tempranillo of its provenance, plus strong flavors of dark fruit and a heavy earthiness I could only describe as "loamy." This bottle was much more interesting over the course of the dinner, with different flavors emerging as we let it breathe further.

All in all, a great trip to Shanghai. I am undeterred in my search for a great Chinese wine, despite the signs that its time has yet to come. If anything, however, this trip has made me aware of the wide variety of winemakers that are out there; the only challenge will be in finding a quality one, then lugging a few cases back across the Pacific.

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The Angle of Light, pmorgan via flickr

Simple Sangria

A summer staple, more an art than a science. What's your favorite take on it?

White Sangria
serves 10-12

2 bottles white wine (pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, or cava/moscato for sparkling)
2 white peaches
1 pear
1/2 orange
1 cup blueberries
1 stick cinnamon

Red Sangria
serves 10 - 12

2 bottles red wine (merlot, zinfandel, syrah)
1 apple
1 - 2 cups strawberries
1/2 orange
1 lemon

Preparation:
For both recipes, cut fruit into slices or sections as desired, combine in large bowl or pitcher. Pour wine over fruit, and let sit for at least 3 hours, but ideally overnight. Add 1 - 2 tbsp sugar to sweeten and help release the fruit juices. Additionally, feel free to add any combination of brandy, orange juice or club soda to add some fizziness or adjust the flavor. Club soda should be added immediately before serving.

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photo: byrdiegyrl via flickr

Varietold: My Fair Carmenere

One of my first and most vivid wine memories dates from the summer of 2004, when I found myself backpacking through Costa Rica for two weeks during a several-months' stay in the country. We stopped for an evening at Monteverde, a beautiful biological preserve in the rainforest-covered mountains, where there was no question that we would "treat" ourselves to dinner at Morphos, a restaurant that came highly recommended from friends who had passed through the town of Santa Elena a few days before us. Though no standout by Michelin standards, the simple yet carefully prepared dishes were a welcome break from the gallo pinto diet to which we had become accustomed. But onto the wine...

There would be no Imperial or cacique that night; no, we'd move on from the US$1 bottles and really splurge. It was a carmenere from Casillero del Diablo, part of the family of wines produced by Concha y Toro, and which has since worked its way back into my life on more than a few occasions - particularly given that it can usually be found for about $7.

A smoky but easy-drinking red, this carmenere had just enough spiciness to complement a meaty entree, and sparked my interest in the grape. Carmenere has become almost synonymous with Chilean wine as the region's producers have planted and produced it in ever-greater quantities over the last decade. Despite its developing status as a hallmark of New World wines, however, carmenere actually traces its roots to Bordeaux. It was thought to have been rendered extinct until it was found growing in Chile, mistaken for Merlot.

In almost any carmenere you taste, certain traits will be exhibited to varying degrees of clarity, like hints of spice and fruit, usually balanced out with a rougher finish that lingers on the tongue. It is still a wine that is very much in search of an identity, however, as the Chilean producers continue experimenting with winemaking styles and with different blends - softening it up with Merlot, or creating more full-bodied wines with Cabernet. Critics' opinions vary on its viability as a "signature" varietal for Chilean wine, but carmenere will only become more interesting as winemakers become more fluent in manipulating its flavors. Already, even newer winemaking regions have begun picking up on the grape, hoping it will lend their wines a unique edge. It remains a great value, and an interesting addition to one's red wine flavor spectrum.

Even five years on, each taste takes me back to that indelible first meeting. The electricity went out about half way through dinner, leaving us dining in near darkness, so we took our time drawing out the last sips from our glasses. As we exited the flickering glow thrown off by the restaurant's candles, I couldn't help but stop and notice the sky, filled so many stars it seemed one would spill over at any moment - a memorable first impression, indeed.

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Flavor profile: Smoky, peppery, black fruit
Also known as: Grande Vidure
Grown in: Chile; California; Washington; Australia / New Zealand
Further Reading:
The carmenere grape that sets chilean wine apart
Carmenere grape reaches for stardom in Chile
Slashfood tasting
photo: cchiao via flickr

days of wine and dogs

Southern California is made for the summer: Though every other season seems to be no more than a milder sequel (or prequel, depending on how you look at it), there is still a subtle change that occurs as June slides into July. The tans become more authentic, already-short hems skew ever higher, the highways become extensions of the beach parking lots, and nary a face remains unobstructed by the requisite oversize shades.

With this exodus to the outdoors, there are appropriately many opportunities for enjoying a glass or two in the summer heat - and what better way to facilitate the transition from the lingering days into warm summer nights? This Saturday, after spending an afternoon fighting the previously mentioned traffic, it was wonderful being able to spend the remainder of the Saturday outdoors at the Getty, listening to the relaxing Latin / international music from Mas Exitos while enjoying a glass of Cabernet and a hot dog. Ok, so it's not the likeliest pairing, and I can't say the Cab was particularly memorable, but the evening did not leave me wanting.

So much of what makes wine enjoyable is the context in which it's consumed, and it's tough to complain about an easy-drinking glass enjoyed al fresco in the company of good friends and while taking in such a scene. The crowd ranged from early 20s to late 30s, with many families but also groups of friends (and some awkward dates, naturally). Most people grabbed tables near the stage, or spread out picnic blankets under the trees along the shallow pool opposite the stage; my friend K commented that it felt like "a Modernist Paris-plage," with the artsy-chic//laid-back vibe and water-centric arrangement.

If you haven't had the chance to check out one of the Getty's Saturdays off the 405 (previously Fridays), make sure to drop in this summer. Some tips for visiting -

• Parking becomes a mess, so it's worth showing up early (free after 5)
• Related - Carpool!
• Pack a blanket to sit on
• & a picnic, we were envious of the amazing spreads some people had prepared

I'll be at the next one, July 25, so say hello. And in the meantime, I'll continue to fill you in on other great ways to enjoy your wine outside. Don't forget sunscreen.

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The Getty Center
Saturdays off the 405
6 - 9 p.m.
1200 Getty Center Drive
July 25 - Cut Chemist