L.A. Sommeliers and Chefs Toss Back Summer Beers

who says beer and wine lovers can't get along? I'm on board with Peter Birmingham - love Racer 5, and have on occasion hightailed it to Father's Office just to sneak in a sweet potato order before the kitchen closes.

from eat:LA
L.A. Sommeliers and Chefs Toss Back Summer Beers

Color me organic

A couple of years ago, my then-roommates and I were in the habit of having friends over to our modest (tiny) space once or twice a month, over 6 or so bottles of wine and conversations that grew increasingly silly as the glasses emptied. Though these were meant to be beginning-of-the-night stops, they more-often-than-not ended with several of us curled up on the floor cushions with no desire to pursue any further bar-hopping or other exciting social engagements.

One such night I was able to convince the roommates it would be a good idea to do only organic wines; everything else is going green, why not go green with the wine, too? And so I asked for some favorite picks at the store, came back with the standard collection of a half-dozen bottles, and excitedly served them up.

What exactly makes a wine organic? Well, just as with foods at the supermarket, there are certifying bodies, but the term is not a clear-cut indication as to how a wine is produced. A wine "made from organically grown grapes" may not necessarily be an "organic wine," and must be labeled accordingly. The difference here is simply because an "organic wine" can have no sulfur added during winemaking process, a step that aids in the aging of wine as it reacts with oxygen in the bottle to prevent the wine from oxidizing before the cork has been removed. Those with sulfite sensitivities (like one of my old roommates) may prefer organic wines for this reason.

By the time we had worked our way up to the fourth bottle of the evening, one of our friends took a sip, and remarked that it "tasted like green earth." Organic wines are sometimes criticized for relying on the certification as a marketing gimmick while sacrificing the integrity of bottles produced. Of the organic wines I've tasted, at this particular tasting and since, I would have to agree that there is a whole range of quality to be found amongst the organic wines. There's no specific advantage, taste-wise, for choosing an organic wine over one otherwise labeled. Even with concern over production practices though, it may not be a meaningful difference as all quality grape growers should be focused on practices that extend the life of their soil. Most of the agricultural methods employed to create prime growing conditions are already fairly sustainable.

What makes the whole business even more confusing is the parallel growth in popularity of biodynamic wines. These merit a post of their own. In summary, biodynamic wines are similar to organic wines in production methods but employ an even more holistic, philosophical approach to growing - preparations involve burying cow manure in horns or adding wildflowers to compost that is spread on the vineyards. My brief take on both? Organic and biodynamic wines are best for those who are primarily concerned with the many steps to winemaking that occur before grapes are even harvested.

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Tasted: 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Mauritson, Dry Creek

More on certification:
California Certified Organic Farmers

windy city wining & dining

I can't tell you how many times I've flown through Chicago's airport, rushing through the concourses to catch a connecting flight, never curious about the city beyond or pausing for long enough to think whether I'd even want to stay a little longer. Over the last couple of years, however, it seems like every friend of mine I've talked to has loved the place, so okay - I got a little curious, and finally dropped in for a weekend.

In addition to doing the essential touristy things - walking the Magnificent Mile, grabbing some great (really yummy) pizza, hitting the beaches on Lake Michigan, Millennium / Grant / Lincoln Parks, an architecture boat tour, etc. - the highlight of the weekend was dinner at Alinea. I've been fantasizing about eating here since I saw this slideshow from a dinner hosted by Grant Achatz and Thomas Keller, Achatz's old boss at French Laundry, so could hardly wait for our Saturday night dinner reservation. There's no use in pretending I'm a food blogger, but at a place like this, the wine is at best a complementary element to an amazing meal.

Alinea's food emphasizes the intense and varied flavors contributed by each element of a dish, and Achatz has established himself as a leader in molecular gastronomy (alongside Ferran Adria of El Bulli, of course). Prior to dining at Alinea, my only real encounters as an experimental gourmand were at New York's WD-50 and Bazaar, LA's trendy restaurant-of-the-moment. I enjoyed the meals I've had at both, enough to have dined at Bazaar on multiple occasions, but Alinea put both to shame in all categories - inventiveness, presentation, ambience, pure deliciousness...

Dining at Alinea was a lot of fun. We had snagged a reservation on the earlier side, with the upshot being that each dish was a surprise, unspoilt by having seen it previously presented to any of our fellow diners. The highlights were a decorative vase spewing smoky fumes of peppery steak on a grill, dessert served on self-deflating pillows wafting lavender air, and a fascinating tobacco ice cream.


Though we opted for two half-bottles, it seems a wine pairing would be the way to go with better planning (we had numerous additional stops to make after dinner that would have been more difficult to navigate after so many glasses of wine). The sommelier was helpful in picking half-bottles of white and red that would pair appropriately with the mixed bag of dishes we were to experience, leading us to an Austrian Riesling and a Rhone.


The three of us at dinner are all big red drinkers, though R has more experience with whites and, despite being hesitant (ok, actively against) Riesling, we were convinced to give it a try. As promised, the Riesling (note to self: be better about recording names of wines tasted) was nice and dry, more like a Sauvignon blanc than the overly frilly Rieslings with which most of us are acquainted. The Rhone was a 2004 Domaine de la Solitude Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which drank well with the Wagyu steak and rich flavors dominating the later half of our dinner courses.

The wine really took a backstage to the food here - which is what good wine should do, when paired with excellent cuisine (though we did come away newly open to Austrian Rieslings). Ideally, wine should enhance what is on the plate, bringing out subtle or missed flavors and enhancing the full expression of more dominant ones. For us at this meal, however, it was all about the fun of being in Achatz's hands.

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Alinea
1723 N. Halsted
Chicago
312-867-0110


Achatz's writings for The Atlantic
photos: thanks, Jessisah

Wine that travels well

If you've picked up on the trend from previous posts of eating outdoors + music + wine, you'll find this Gear Test from today's New York Times useful when arming yourself for your next picnic adventure:

FASHION & STYLE
Physical Culture Gear Test, Wine Chillers
Michael Brands for The New York Times
Published: 20090812
When it comes to summertime relaxation, the idea of an outdoor picnic — complete with a nice bottle of wine — is hard to beat. One of the hardest tricks to pull off, however, is keeping the wine chilled along the way.
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/08/12/fashion/20090813-physical-slideshow_index.html

Varietold: White zin your pocket? (say it fast)

I'll admit right off that I generally avoid pink wines (rose, blush, etc., if we want to be technical) like a bad rash. But I've recently come to the realization, upon enjoying a bottle of white zinfandel this past weekend, that these wines are perfect for summer afternoons. While white zin is not technically a variety unto itself, I'll say that it is a wonderful wine for the season - an uncomplaining companion for a lazy afternoon in the sun. It's unfortunately got a pretty bad reputation, becoming somewhat of the playground outcast, scorned by most wine aficionados and only disdainfully accepted at best.

Zinfandel is a versatile grape that makes for some interesting red wines, but the white zinfandel take carries none of the expected peppery, bodied notes and is rather a light, fruity and almost punchy wine. These carefree qualities make it an easy wine to drink, clear and refreshing in contrast to the heat of the grille. So, even though I'm not here to extol the undiscovered epiphanies to be found in that blush, I would advocate at least picking up one bottle this summer and giving it a try.

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Tasted: Beringer White Zinfandel 2007

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