tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428945553800610722024-03-15T18:10:02.748-07:00George EatsGeorgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.comBlogger926125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-7249792572158480702024-03-14T11:47:00.000-07:002024-03-14T11:47:44.371-07:00A Review of "The World According to Joan Didion" by Evelyn McDonnell<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmy8v3Asm6F_tsQeLOAgG7KYDoFkm-hfPirADR8BbF2n6hJlO1rDlBrTNIyoJyv-VQioKqEdh-YYDmm3x_EMQTsyGqeox7opjU7mnzrFZSRo39a7LRu1s2WSvH7zs2ybt59HskowUAx13iEi5g3C_Dudb7GmRwIFfjbqx8KZT-CTy18w3jlpj625aKEPW/s1024/mcdonnell-didion-cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="679" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmy8v3Asm6F_tsQeLOAgG7KYDoFkm-hfPirADR8BbF2n6hJlO1rDlBrTNIyoJyv-VQioKqEdh-YYDmm3x_EMQTsyGqeox7opjU7mnzrFZSRo39a7LRu1s2WSvH7zs2ybt59HskowUAx13iEi5g3C_Dudb7GmRwIFfjbqx8KZT-CTy18w3jlpj625aKEPW/s320/mcdonnell-didion-cover.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>You know you’re in great authorial hands when on page two of this book Evelyn McDonnell insists about her subject Joan Didion, “Narrative was her expertise and her enemy.” Not just a great insight, that line connects the dots between these two powerful women. McDonnell skillfully offers all the lessons she’s learned from years of reading, considering, and teaching (currently journalism at Loyola Marymount University) Didion. So both can wield a rapier thrust of a declarative, quick last sentence of a paragraph. For as McDonnell closes one graph, “For Didion, words were earned, not spent.” Indeed. </p><p> McDonnell, editor of <i>Women Who Rock: Bessie to Beyoncé, Girl Groups to Riot Grrrl</i>, is not attempting biography with <i>The World According to Joan Didion</i>, or even a literary biography, but something more attuned to her fascinating subject. It’s an examination of where Didion met the world on the page, read through a series of Didion totems that function as chapter titles, such as Gold, Notebook, Stingray, Jogger, Morgue, Orchid. For what better way to honor Didion than with a collection of essays?</p><p>Care to <a href="https://calirb.com/the-world-according-to-joan-didion-by-evelyn-mcdonnell/" target="_blank">read the rest</a> then so at the <i>California Review of Books</i>.</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-70608840057810894902024-03-14T08:58:00.000-07:002024-03-14T08:58:13.900-07:00Burger Week 2024--Yellow Belly and The Brewhouse<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bqZcqE8zejq9usETIqZQ70ekh0NPuluqbkse17kYyl7oYtbbxi2v0xj8rB0cOvRNoOJMSxjlS4kQG5SHVb2-x7WcbyFSDqpJfJAe09bDoLysILzYOiU6Y2fGTC6E9jJEAdGGnYXuNWMtlqRi-MXPmLPIU2-4SC6bU5ta7TjgVMvwtP0ubLO-dButAxKj/s1654/gy-bruger-week24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="1654" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bqZcqE8zejq9usETIqZQ70ekh0NPuluqbkse17kYyl7oYtbbxi2v0xj8rB0cOvRNoOJMSxjlS4kQG5SHVb2-x7WcbyFSDqpJfJAe09bDoLysILzYOiU6Y2fGTC6E9jJEAdGGnYXuNWMtlqRi-MXPmLPIU2-4SC6bU5ta7TjgVMvwtP0ubLO-dButAxKj/s320/gy-bruger-week24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>It's time for the <i>Independent's</i> 2024 Burger Week. I got to preview and write-up two, at Yellow Belly Tap and The Brewhouse Santa Barbara. <a href="https://issuu.com/santabarbaraindependent/docs/948_03_14_24/22" target="_blank">Read the whole thing</a> at the <i>Indy's</i> site, go support local businesses. Eat well!</p><p></p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-12526968439707143932024-03-13T16:42:00.000-07:002024-03-13T16:42:08.816-07:00Girl Grape Power<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzkeOm3epUdMDxYvG4enckg5r4MS0J78ZyRijitzy44twsDUbv8bAIO_mvP5k_4CFO7Q7BcXGR2v1NQJ87__NMNpw_zMjDQFFit8CsdJxBG0pYcBZEePNDV7C2C-UXtRpqM4erOLp1YN6cbv9YNHELDJPFpRHZpBv_tPo6__CIb8RbAYF95jCqe_KNpsC/s1250/women-wine-cul24-all.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1250" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzkeOm3epUdMDxYvG4enckg5r4MS0J78ZyRijitzy44twsDUbv8bAIO_mvP5k_4CFO7Q7BcXGR2v1NQJ87__NMNpw_zMjDQFFit8CsdJxBG0pYcBZEePNDV7C2C-UXtRpqM4erOLp1YN6cbv9YNHELDJPFpRHZpBv_tPo6__CIb8RbAYF95jCqe_KNpsC/s320/women-wine-cul24-all.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>You know you're at the right event when you overhear other folks discussing compound butters. That's just one small way to suggest what a big event--part of an even bigger event--can embody. For the 2024 <a href="https://sbwomenwinemakers.com" target="_blank">Women Winemakers and Culinarians Celebration</a> that just occurred March 6-10, with a Grand Tasting on March 9 at boutique vineyard event space <a href="https://27vines.com" target="_blank">27 Vines</a> in Santa Ynez, was, as usual, an incredible community treasure. International Women's Day has no better home than Santa Barbara. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29zhli-s72Fr6Ps4GhQpT4AzmOyiEJYD2yQYze5bCFd9evoxFVg7kpGiU6Lcu5SzbT07uTcoqwa5Jklhc-OsjlRtnyopLYUJvntzO4GtOO127MTjmq3oNqpzVQmkQcVQeJfycZGVFZ3b7u98AfT4eKP52PBSrU8IP-PiTLvFNonpzz809qSIy37l6aODg/s1250/women-wine-cul24-hartmann.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="1250" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29zhli-s72Fr6Ps4GhQpT4AzmOyiEJYD2yQYze5bCFd9evoxFVg7kpGiU6Lcu5SzbT07uTcoqwa5Jklhc-OsjlRtnyopLYUJvntzO4GtOO127MTjmq3oNqpzVQmkQcVQeJfycZGVFZ3b7u98AfT4eKP52PBSrU8IP-PiTLvFNonpzz809qSIy37l6aODg/s320/women-wine-cul24-hartmann.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Winemaker for <a href="https://www.seagrapecellars.com" target="_blank">Seagrape</a> Karen Steinwachs (in the middle of the photo above, with chef Brooke Stockwell on the left and County Supervisor Joan Hartmann on the right--of the photo, that is), one of the events founders and organizers, let on, "There are 250 guests but 70 of us winemakers and culinarians." That's a 3.57 "faculty-student" ratio that you'd be amazed to find at even the toniest of prep schools. But in this case the "faculty" makes much of the best wine and food Santa Barbara County has to offer. There's a belief that SB has the highest ratio of women winemakers, one of those stats that makes sense when you look at photos like the one that leads this post, but is hard to prove definitively (like, if Cole Ranch, which is an AVA that's a single vineyard, was owned by a woman, that would be 100%...). Most importantly, the fest exists to give back to the community, and this year's beneficiary was <a href="https://www.sheraisedherhand.com" target="_blank">She Raised Her Hand</a>, which provides opportunities for 2 million women veterans to find community, purpose, and strength.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0i6yA7aA6FApnxjHof8s5ZXiEqhKa62CQn5c6Q5vypWbtQoDiuKtlsXK03J7zHuoCZRMv6IrqX9qd5SKa0y1r2g5oq67d0PTQMvdfeJ08NCXfaZuACx3HvjXY9JLVqqvxenYlvZHaMEbnPIRgzX_UsEzhW-TKZkD4IZHJNaYGzbJcvWSt7vst8-kEPlh/s1250/women-wine-cul24-osborne.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1250" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0i6yA7aA6FApnxjHof8s5ZXiEqhKa62CQn5c6Q5vypWbtQoDiuKtlsXK03J7zHuoCZRMv6IrqX9qd5SKa0y1r2g5oq67d0PTQMvdfeJ08NCXfaZuACx3HvjXY9JLVqqvxenYlvZHaMEbnPIRgzX_UsEzhW-TKZkD4IZHJNaYGzbJcvWSt7vst8-kEPlh/s320/women-wine-cul24-osborne.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>One of the tricky things writing about this event is that it's spectacular annually, so coming up with witty insights about it gets harder and harder. Last year I thrilled to find two of our county's best winemakers, period, Angela Osborne of <a href="https://gracewinecompany.com" target="_blank">A Tribute to Grace</a> and Jessica Gasca of <a href="http://storyofsoilwine.com" target="_blank">Story of Soil</a> sharing a table--well, look at that photo above from this year. Once again both poured stunning wines--Osborne offering brand new releases from large format bottles--we all need to be talking about her Grenache Blanc more, you know--while Gasca's just disgorged 2023 Pet Nat made from Gruner was a perfect working-on-being-spring afternoon quencher. Hooray for brand new releases that confirm our region's deliciousness.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbgqtaL5WriW-wBMLA2XXv-ewfNr4LTq0ol3dT8B7H0-Hf1732wgZIOfYuca-YpNrydIxizj1mP6i9R0jFrlauygPFgCgWdujPW7AxCzkybmvgYtJfjBf8x0vP_UB_bc_QYGpRTowWK_F3HyUV8NyOgneXgWme1mEQNrsoSBwFqNSqmIuuuwhCHgrqQ5i/s1250/women-wine-cul24-ahi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1250" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbgqtaL5WriW-wBMLA2XXv-ewfNr4LTq0ol3dT8B7H0-Hf1732wgZIOfYuca-YpNrydIxizj1mP6i9R0jFrlauygPFgCgWdujPW7AxCzkybmvgYtJfjBf8x0vP_UB_bc_QYGpRTowWK_F3HyUV8NyOgneXgWme1mEQNrsoSBwFqNSqmIuuuwhCHgrqQ5i/s320/women-wine-cul24-ahi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Speaking of deliciousness, there was plenty, like the scarfable ahi poke lettuce wraps from Erica Velasquez at <a href="https://ramenkotori.com" target="_blank">Ramen Kotori</a>. Heck, Joy Reinhardt from <a href="https://elliestapandvine.com" target="_blank">Ellie's Tap & Vine</a> made me like bread pudding (usually not my favorite texture), by making sure the edges were crisped and crunchy. Brooke Stockwell from <a href="https://www.winemerchantcafe.com" target="_blank">Los Olivos Cafe</a> spoiled us with the unctuousness of butternut uni crostini. Jane Darrah from <a href="https://goodwitchfarm.com" target="_blank">Good Witch Farm</a> (what a perfect name for the event, no?) showered a chicken liver mousse crostini with gorgeous, delicious micro greens and edible flowers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjam7ZHK3e2JacJ82s_QC35B4g028w3t8sQw4R4SEbFqRF3a58hFI-Ih0aEsyyOGkMQpmai_uRFDF8ciZgcEwsI0g-UcqYAH_bcarMvIq-O4E_SL1vzYEhJhzaLquBxU1i3REXAXplnk804gm2c1mjoAhJh-z5xLki3XaCuhpIAMHqv5ow2JoqSSvIF7_bb/s1250/women-wine-cul24-view.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1250" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjam7ZHK3e2JacJ82s_QC35B4g028w3t8sQw4R4SEbFqRF3a58hFI-Ih0aEsyyOGkMQpmai_uRFDF8ciZgcEwsI0g-UcqYAH_bcarMvIq-O4E_SL1vzYEhJhzaLquBxU1i3REXAXplnk804gm2c1mjoAhJh-z5xLki3XaCuhpIAMHqv5ow2JoqSSvIF7_bb/s320/women-wine-cul24-view.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I didn't get enough photos of the food as I don't want to show pictures of me contentedly chewing, here's one of the view. The site was something, with plenty of space so things never felt crowded. We got to have lots of lovely conversations, which is part of the point of such an event. In particular a long chat with Sonja Magdevski--while tasting wonderful pours like her concrete egg-aged Roussanne and a wine cider that's 2/3 Mourvèdre Rosé and 1/3 pippin apples--is slowly phasing out the Casa Dumetz name so all her wines will be <a href="https://casadumetzwines.com/clementine-carter" target="_blank">Clementine Carter</a>. A scoop, of sorts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7DbUsWGbG7V8BsztURV1B0HiTWUSJ8eM6dh_uyh5m7lZt9M4TvzALJTOkHYwQHW8zrFD0WrByBqXcN-HdS0Qg7gPUBS04nfDkPViuqfMilNjr4NFuCfMraiBlObsp4P4qOdIbWUByIYizQgOrSqEJQtU3vy0i2Bqi0pxWuQFIfAVvrMXFbX0xlz_K6Sp/s1250/women-wine-cul24-dreamcote.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1250" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7DbUsWGbG7V8BsztURV1B0HiTWUSJ8eM6dh_uyh5m7lZt9M4TvzALJTOkHYwQHW8zrFD0WrByBqXcN-HdS0Qg7gPUBS04nfDkPViuqfMilNjr4NFuCfMraiBlObsp4P4qOdIbWUByIYizQgOrSqEJQtU3vy0i2Bqi0pxWuQFIfAVvrMXFbX0xlz_K6Sp/s320/women-wine-cul24-dreamcote.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In the news to me, you decide if it's a scoop to you category--SBC is truly rocking Gamay right now. The carbonic one above from <a href="http://www.dreamcotewines.com" target="_blank">Dreamcôte</a> was beautiful, made whole cluster from Donnachadh Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hill's grapes that only winemaker Brit Zotovich, Ernst Storm, and the vineyard owners got to play with. Another Gamay winner comes from <a href="https://holusboluswine.com/" target="_blank">The Joy Fantastic</a>, from Amy Christine and Peter Hunken's own SRH vineyard. I'd love to crack open bottles of each to taste side-by-side someday and drown in pomegranate and mineral goodness.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvklwmT8mwb5RWY5oFlr1Z0vnU5Ktx0cizRVBIQcMDDD93fWVwwz83I_6fuPhDFjsDcnA-NPo0t-vZRkg7Nj7biUBC2G0SOsdfG0BlPFyK6SV5OaX0pc77cY3T8VQTd5QH_Z_7J06b7GYZKPsSxB_2NCEWE_6EMINAf1WCegKQykhNEinbdpH2kCeDZiH/s1000/cote-of-pain-grenache-orig.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvklwmT8mwb5RWY5oFlr1Z0vnU5Ktx0cizRVBIQcMDDD93fWVwwz83I_6fuPhDFjsDcnA-NPo0t-vZRkg7Nj7biUBC2G0SOsdfG0BlPFyK6SV5OaX0pc77cY3T8VQTd5QH_Z_7J06b7GYZKPsSxB_2NCEWE_6EMINAf1WCegKQykhNEinbdpH2kCeDZiH/s320/cote-of-pain-grenache-orig.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>As for out and out new winery finds, I was most excited by another pair of table neighbors. I nicked the label image from the deeply pleasing Grenache from <a href="https://www.coteofpaintwine.com" target="_blank">Cote of Paint</a> to make clear they've got senses of both humor and marketing. Couple Kristin Harris Luis and Nick Luis both have connections with the ever-impressive Dragonette, so have learned from the best. Their creation story joke is, “We don’t want to change how wine is made, we just want to throw on a coat of paint,” but they paint deliciously. And they don't even fussily mess with the diacritical mark on the o in cote, which is mighty kind. Next to them was <a href="https://www.amberrosewinery.com" target="_blank">Amber Rose Wine</a>, and Amber also honors a terrific mentor, in this case Pinot legend Ken Brown. Her 2018 Riverbench Vineyard SMV Pinot Noir is elegant yet speaks of the Santa Maria Valley with its salinity. Although a small operation, Amber Rose also insists on every employee being a woman in her business. Hard to beat that as a way to qualify for the occasion. <br /><div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGCkNBqS20TCjKUgRuO9atiVypBz9uw5li6zkOFZanTnMRAmqm6at8eENDCHmG_lPX0VX-6TlV5AtCKxBXxEkYIsf4JmzS4o6kW3tcijzQfy29Ro0QryjV5myoUm2R5CISd1Fv-vm6T8c8SuOyUJ2qnIUjdnIYy06pl-Y3k3wBAF83Zm4W61bpTjtC_1L/s1250/women-wine-cul24-foster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1250" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGCkNBqS20TCjKUgRuO9atiVypBz9uw5li6zkOFZanTnMRAmqm6at8eENDCHmG_lPX0VX-6TlV5AtCKxBXxEkYIsf4JmzS4o6kW3tcijzQfy29Ro0QryjV5myoUm2R5CISd1Fv-vm6T8c8SuOyUJ2qnIUjdnIYy06pl-Y3k3wBAF83Zm4W61bpTjtC_1L/s320/women-wine-cul24-foster.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />And I wanted to end here, as it encapsulates the joy of the day. I'd laugh a lot, too, if I were as talented as <a href="https://www.jessicafosterconfections.com" target="_blank">Jessica Foster</a>, who came up with the brilliant, sweet-salty bite: s'mores pecan bananas foster. Beyond the Foster/foster joke, I could have stood at this table all afternoon, gulping them down. Between lots of laughs.<p></p></div></div></div>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-33868834964393983612024-03-08T16:00:00.000-08:002024-03-08T16:00:43.039-08:00World of Pinot Noir 2024: New Finds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDU3l_tXVCaGaUJC_B5QhCLRSsKoa6G5o_uLRtppvgrfNBDhwgnIqgHoxk2ssNwcQwOTcTft17XLQzulqpeMzFmMJONWni16f3a8n2iBuzTK_3WxaQnd-9thLdDZal8R51f4e04JLj54wWT98GYImb-iq5NeaQCjkB0Coa3fYpwSP-K3Tv2Jb3te05PnIn/s1649/welcome-wopn24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1649" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDU3l_tXVCaGaUJC_B5QhCLRSsKoa6G5o_uLRtppvgrfNBDhwgnIqgHoxk2ssNwcQwOTcTft17XLQzulqpeMzFmMJONWni16f3a8n2iBuzTK_3WxaQnd-9thLdDZal8R51f4e04JLj54wWT98GYImb-iq5NeaQCjkB0Coa3fYpwSP-K3Tv2Jb3te05PnIn/s320/welcome-wopn24.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Welcome back to hearing about me ramble around a giant Bacara ballroom in search of vinous pleasure at 2024's <a href="https://worldofpinotnoir.com" target="_blank">World of Pinot Noir</a> Friday Grand Tasting. I will suffer the red-stained maw for you all. I've already posted about <a href="http://www.georgeeats.com/2024/03/world-of-pinot-noir-2024-old-friends.html" target="_blank">Old Friends</a>, so this post we turn to New Finds...even if I cheat a bit with the first two.<br /><p></p><div>Old friend Phil was kind enough to pour me the 2021 <a href="https://www.labargewinery.com" target="_blank">LaBarge</a> Pinot at the <a href="https://sbcountywines.com" target="_blank">Santa Barbara Vintners</a> table. LaBarge produces up to 2K cases a year from the farthest western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills, where everything is under the direction of Pierre LaBarge IV (a name made for wine, no?). The Pinot, which I called "chewy, in a good way," loves the number 32, as that's both the percentage of new oak and percentage of whole cluster. Definitely a wine now on my radar, and I'm eager to taste their Albariño, Grenache, and Syrah soon.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm always eager to taste what Greg Brewer is doing, and even if he was traveling and not at his WOPN table, I had to drop in anyway, especially for a taste of his Machado Vineyard Pinot--there's no greater, strange uncle Old Friend than that multi-dimensional wine. <a href="https://www.bygregbrewer.com" target="_blank">Brewer-Clifton</a> gets a spot on New Finds thanks to the latest edition to his line-up, the 2021 Perilune Vineyard Pinot, and it's fortunate I had a sip at WOPN as it's already sold out--and not yet released! The 120 acre Sta. Rita Hills site is above Melville at a slightly higher elevation, and lends itself to a bit crunchier, wilder, more herbal expression of Pinot. Brewer just never stops wowing.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe6szlBMYY1eTfuFGreCF9q4KKfMPuqR8xCbwbU9bh3wjdN0y2JUJNOifj-doGvwy3nzFB_aavu-GZ23GX_UxI45Yq_zWwX6nRBI4th4NH1fcXIw7fkoQcEuQrxfn__awLPEtTnaVSvKdUYv6viLSw4v2_jVEPFz7rG_A70xge-N1NHm76lWQ5U9PuuRX/s1667/talisman-wopn24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe6szlBMYY1eTfuFGreCF9q4KKfMPuqR8xCbwbU9bh3wjdN0y2JUJNOifj-doGvwy3nzFB_aavu-GZ23GX_UxI45Yq_zWwX6nRBI4th4NH1fcXIw7fkoQcEuQrxfn__awLPEtTnaVSvKdUYv6viLSw4v2_jVEPFz7rG_A70xge-N1NHm76lWQ5U9PuuRX/s320/talisman-wopn24.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I feel a tad funny including a winery that's been around since the year Bill Clinton appointed Ruth Bader Ginsburg* to the Supreme Court as a New Find, but I will anyway. (Here's hoping admitting to your own ignorance is a winning personality trait, Dunning-Kruger be damned.) <a href="https://www.talismanwine.com" target="_blank">Talisman</a> is all about Pinot, although it may be a rosé or a Pinot Blanc. Although they started teensy, they've only grown to still pretty tiny--3600 cases a year. But that's characterized by a passion-driven, an outsider might suggest whimsical, approach--they now typically craft 16-18 wines annually from 12 diverse and unique vineyard sites, from Carneros to Anderson Valley. Marta Rich, "proprietress," as her card puts it, was pouring herself, and happy to yank special bottles from under the table. A sure way to win a wine-lover's heart.</div><div><br /></div><div>That bottle above is a 2017 Adara Vineyard Méthode Ancienne - RC Selection. So while Adara is a vineyard they often source in the Napa side of Carneros, this was a 1.5 barrel production, 100% whole cluster, foot stomped. Truly a creamy, spicy, exotic delight. How rewarding to see folks not just make wine that seems focus-grouped into existence.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTY8T0xKkq8W-MV2-gChKdWZwR9lD8Lbs5JQ0z1_g95-ceozRifyt3MEXaQYA1REUUXF0GnnkdJE-9_EDM68tfxX2gzCQfz-AX3xwJlopU2ySc_LeNqrWmKnV84d00YTmPeMwpdY2vxNueypfo1kjYCJdwkJTApmj7uCLcF_Q1H-PsuKwdOUXPVFLXS5Ob/s1250/wren-hop-wopn24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1250" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTY8T0xKkq8W-MV2-gChKdWZwR9lD8Lbs5JQ0z1_g95-ceozRifyt3MEXaQYA1REUUXF0GnnkdJE-9_EDM68tfxX2gzCQfz-AX3xwJlopU2ySc_LeNqrWmKnV84d00YTmPeMwpdY2vxNueypfo1kjYCJdwkJTApmj7uCLcF_Q1H-PsuKwdOUXPVFLXS5Ob/s320/wren-hop-wopn24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>A very different kind of passion project is Sonoma's <a href="https://wrenhop.com" target="_blank">Wren Hop</a>. This is a winery for people who like big, BIG Pinot but still spit out Meiomi. We're talking 100% New French Oak. And lines from their website--and indeed, one of the principals has a marketing career (but can we imprecate a soul for that?)--like, "Structured wines showcasing muscle and grace with a touch of egomania." Or this description of the buxom pleasures of the 2021 Night Bulletin, and I quote en toto as I love it so much: "News that arrives in the middle of the night is never good. Godzilla was known for nuclear fueled, fire breathing midnight attacks on Yokohama. How unsportsmanlike.
Our announcement is on the quieter side. This wine was havested in the calm of night when only the sound of pillow punching is audible. Night harvest leads to cold clusters with arrested sugar development and big flavor. That's bulletin worthy.
This is a brooding strawberry rhubarb monster. Look for aromas of hibiscus tea and cinnamon stick, followed by ripe red berries, vanilla bean and toasted cedar.
You are free to shriek now."</div><div><br /></div><div>What's cooler is each blend of well-chosen Sonoma fruit gets is vintage-specific name, never to be used again. Shoulder Devil and Double Clutch will not return. To stress the narrative they hope each bottling suggests, the evocative labels are meant to mimic book covers--there are even "spines" as part off the art work. What's wrong with wine that's fun, and perhaps a tad slutty?</div><div><br /></div><div>A different kind of novelty caught my attention at <a href="https://www.norriswines.com" target="_blank">Norris</a>--the location on their sign read "Ribbon Ridge." I had to ask. Turns out it's the smallest AVA in Oregon, 3.5 by 1.75 miles, in the Willamette Valley. (My ignorance this time doesn't feel too mighty.) In addition to Pinot, they specialize in Riesling, so you have to respect that. The Pinots are the complete flip side from Wren Hop, all about the diaphanous veils of cherry and currant and earth and mushroom doing a delicate dance. What's more, they were pouring a 2022 White Pinot Noir, too. While not unusual for Oregon producers, it's still rarely seen in CA, so its elegant grippiness always entrances me.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_eeASE4ev-Y-4Cn_TqO3hpteQaV3o3vu4lJ7tu_ptxjyPbpmyQBykgk-tnuoFzmEbPKQXmppDKeWJdZGg5rABiBR5VoSp6nwswojTNRAuHuyJ0HvsbYOumle2esKObrq454v-DCOn1fu-HuvaFeY43xOqSTH9tEEsDqqUxxU7MPZPSs1szYGpyC_2pEm/s1250/madson-wopn24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1250" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_eeASE4ev-Y-4Cn_TqO3hpteQaV3o3vu4lJ7tu_ptxjyPbpmyQBykgk-tnuoFzmEbPKQXmppDKeWJdZGg5rABiBR5VoSp6nwswojTNRAuHuyJ0HvsbYOumle2esKObrq454v-DCOn1fu-HuvaFeY43xOqSTH9tEEsDqqUxxU7MPZPSs1szYGpyC_2pEm/s320/madson-wopn24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>So it seems we've moved to the white wine section our program. Not that <a href="https://www.madsonwines.com" target="_blank">Madson</a> doesn't make Pinot Noir, but the pourer at their table claimed "I think this is the best wine we've ever made," so who am I to disagree? Plus I found much to love in that 2022 Ascona Vineyard Chardonnay (with 5% Aligote). The 2,500 foot elevation Santa Cruz Mountains site provides minerality and tension and saline, but the lemon drop and quince fruit shines, too. Plus, they suggest it "pairs well with roasted poultry and <i>New Yorker</i> cartoons." I'm all for Roz Chast-onnay. Madson makes a great argument that natural wines can be clean and brilliant. And their website devotes an entire page to Carbon Offset, so let's toast to not roasting the planet along the way.<div><br /></div><div>And my last winery to highlight, <a href="https://oceanowines.com" target="_blank">Oceano</a>, even offers a non-alcoholic wine, but we'll leave ∅ for another time (although I did hunt down the HTML code for that, so please, some props). Oceano, in SLO, farms Spanish Springs Vineyard--the closest vineyard to the Pacific in all of California. Yep, there's some marine influence. Co-founder and co-winemaker Rachel Martin leans into all the cool climate attributes of the fruit, so the 2021 Chardonnay is lithe and lovely (no malo, of course), picking up all sorts more tropical notes, from kiwi to lemongrass, along with a more typical lemon-lime chardonnay profile, not that it goes Viognier on you or anything. It does goes to show the range of what we know can grow with every sip.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>*And Mitch McConnell, just for Amy Coney Barrett, can rot in hell. Nothing to do with wine, but can't help myself.</div></div>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-86811140369190051822024-03-07T16:34:00.000-08:002024-03-07T16:34:53.779-08:00World of Pinot Noir 2024: Old Friends<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq91HLLsqYrEpykkuh9g8p9EZ4Xco_alJ30i96uqLHexP0f4nQB4P81d2nOYB7tIqZnT3QXe3ht0tvAJcX0kBnsW4w9p1Pt6E2PBWAIV_hGb6uHAVW81dGH5ayTl5rGvJv5n_OLXGd84UEgFnNsfcvZ8ktdEZZdhcXBdRAJnHREwNyD06zppOTX0WT9MR1/s1250/the-room-wopn24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1250" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq91HLLsqYrEpykkuh9g8p9EZ4Xco_alJ30i96uqLHexP0f4nQB4P81d2nOYB7tIqZnT3QXe3ht0tvAJcX0kBnsW4w9p1Pt6E2PBWAIV_hGb6uHAVW81dGH5ayTl5rGvJv5n_OLXGd84UEgFnNsfcvZ8ktdEZZdhcXBdRAJnHREwNyD06zppOTX0WT9MR1/s320/the-room-wopn24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm a horrible hypocrite, dear reader. While I suggested in my preview post that you MUST HAVE A PLAN to attack <a href="https://worldofpinotnoir.com" target="_blank">World of Pinot Noir</a> grand tastings or you might get lost in crazy clonal seas, what I did on March 1st was anything but. I started just on walkabout. I stopped at tables with people I liked, as interested in chatting as tasting. I drank at tables without "customers," both feeling sorry for the pourer gazing out hoping to lure someone in with eye contact and simply to have plenty of room to stand. The wineries were arranged in alpha order, so I couldn't focus on regions too easily, and didn't bother. And then I was sure to hit someone every so often with some sparkling, just to Scrubbing Bubbles my palate a bit. (Much fancy water in retro-futuristic aluminum cans was consumed, too.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I did do some math--well after I got done tasting, as wine breaks brain computational function--to discover I averaged a new taste of wine every 3 minutes and 15 seconds. So no matter how any particular pour invited me to linger, I moved on faster than a cad in a romance novel. Just so you know. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm also going to lean on my favorite organizational method for tackling a Grand Tasting, breaking things down into Old Friends and New Finds (that is, new to me, far from a cutting edge sharpener). </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTJ2SYTzsR8HznW1Y8DCHzz-5DM4lByZLifnXkIPmogIXrIy_XCjvWDoAdR4D0Mv0t7JP0Y74GnGouh5IYmobkgqvowKINP0QpqIiL2QzcL9w8eLx7vivKj2jWvRfIqHGQt17EYaf8TX8Ncu6qkRzd9c_0v6S4ucompl0gfkoretc65-R1tCXb8B4OPx0/s1888/phil-carpenter-wopn24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1888" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTJ2SYTzsR8HznW1Y8DCHzz-5DM4lByZLifnXkIPmogIXrIy_XCjvWDoAdR4D0Mv0t7JP0Y74GnGouh5IYmobkgqvowKINP0QpqIiL2QzcL9w8eLx7vivKj2jWvRfIqHGQt17EYaf8TX8Ncu6qkRzd9c_0v6S4ucompl0gfkoretc65-R1tCXb8B4OPx0/s320/phil-carpenter-wopn24.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Phil Carpenter is far from old, but he's a dear friend, and no one has a job better suited for him. The man loves wine and adores the ones from SB in particular, and then got hired as the Director of Operations for <a href="https://sbcountywines.com" target="_blank">Santa Barbara Vintners</a>. Score! He got to pour SB wines from folks who didn't pony up for their own tables this year, and that meant stunning wines like a <a href="https://www.margerumwines.com/Barden-wines">Barden</a> 2020 Radian Vineyard. Of course Doug Margerum knows the region's wine as well as anyone after his years at Wine Cask and running futures, but he seems get just better and better making wine, too. This Radian sang with the forlorn vineyard's wildness. His Barden 2020 Sanford & Benedict was equally the epitome of its vineyard. There are far worse old friends than Phil and Doug, indeed. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you've read my wine scribbles you know I have an affinity for Anderson Valley wines, that sweet spot of coastal influence in Mendocino County. (It's also a great off-the-beaten track place to visit, free from crowds and national brands.) As I haven't had a chance to get up that way in a while, it's convenient when they come to me at WOPN. I was sure to taste at the <a href="https://www.maggyhawk.com" target="_blank">Maggy Hawk</a> table, and was rewarded by a 2018 Afleet they led me to write the note, "Jay-sus!" So if you care for a holy experience, look no further than this winery that likes naming things after racehorses. I can't do better than their own notes (even if this verbiage is for the 2020 vintage): "Wonderful breadth, depth, and personality in spades. Afleet incorporates four distinct blocks from the vineyard and incorporates 60% whole cluster fermentation to craft a wine with a variety of aromatics. Mandarin, stargazer lily, guava and saffron aromas mingle and develop over time. Stem tannin circles the outer edges on the texture and leaves the mid-palate fresh and juicy." OK, I probably couldn't tell apart the scent of a stargazer lily from Lily Gladstone, but I'll take their word for it.</div><div><br /></div><div>I get a transition handed to me because Maggy Hawk's winemaker Sarah Wuethrich previous worked at <a href="https://www.copainwines.com" target="_blank">Copain</a>, the next winery I want to mention. Although physically situated in Sonoma, Copain has long worked with Anderson Valley grapes, and they nailed it with a 2022 Les Voisins Rosé. My notes say the grapes are from Yorkville Highlands, a slightly warmer AV spot, and while the wine is a pale pink, it's far from bashful on the palate, not anemic in any way. I also adored the 2020 Sealift Pinot from Sonoma County just below the Mendo County line. But at 1200 feet. Pomegranate and raspberry bursts out of the glass, so much fruit, but then the acid hits you like a velvet hammer--I mean that in the best of ways. Somehow all that flavor sits in a 12.5% ABV package. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdjX1086o4yWwT25dltXC0I2YCEIdvfqWwj0x9WkklWV03oV_r_8lclmivjXhzpehBF5aTmpayza_SZV0nNRTwKLtGDT520xreRQuNjl_Ue4SnzeZWAD_57xZj3olQC-gScz-9MW0X3y8RIAKnf_C0ShpLuDvTO1cm7Kt39k8nRArzaMsvkPFvTedG73Q/s1250/latour-table-wopn24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1250" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdjX1086o4yWwT25dltXC0I2YCEIdvfqWwj0x9WkklWV03oV_r_8lclmivjXhzpehBF5aTmpayza_SZV0nNRTwKLtGDT520xreRQuNjl_Ue4SnzeZWAD_57xZj3olQC-gScz-9MW0X3y8RIAKnf_C0ShpLuDvTO1cm7Kt39k8nRArzaMsvkPFvTedG73Q/s320/latour-table-wopn24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of places I don't get to nearly enough, France. So this WOPN I had to make my annual pilgrimage to the thoughtful men of <a href="https://www.louislatour.com/en/" target="_blank">Louis Latour</a>. You own the most extensive Grand Cru acreage in Burgundy, you just might know what you're doing, especially when you've been working that land since four years after the guillotine came down on Marie Antoinette. It's a vivid education in Old World vs. New Pinot styles, tasting their three wines. They make you think about flowers and stones as much as cherry or plum. Each also got a bit more complex and fuller, ending with a 2020 Corton Grand Cru "Clos de la Vigne au Saint" that you would want to spend a week or two studying. It's wine for contemplation, and thoughtfulness does not throw shade on delight. At a suggested retail price of $190, I am happy for my sips.</div><div><br /></div><div>Circling back to the almost local, one of last year's New Finds gets to be an old friend, now--I even was sure to taste it in the media room. A mere 1.5 miles from the Pacific near Avila Beach, the family-owned, organically farmed Topotero Vineyard is where <a href="https://www.haliotide.com" target="_blank">Haliotide</a> grows Pinot for their 2020 Extra Brut Rosé. Sparkling wine is their passion--it's all they do--and that focus shines in every bottle. If you could turn shortbread, strawberries, white peaches, and cream into a wine, it would be this--salt and yeastiness, fruit and richness.</div>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-63292577766813170152024-03-04T12:08:00.000-08:002024-03-04T12:08:29.436-08:00California Crows a Cru<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjx4R4CeFjYeMF5iEtTqRk7SLE4Noc-Ib9NZATxC7AM_L1BcOCzhiofwEvzMuoJI_Z1PVGqO-y5-dUS-xtSHOFCxkM0G3dOe1Uo0BMrbegFCv0RaNFc2ZfJIrO_DEZMLykcjMKqaxIzXUV_7HrF8xSrV-R9ZVi4YuPpDkOL0r9YZjIGFq9hQMqCYucpHy/s1250/wopn24-grand-cru-slide.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="945" data-original-width="1250" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjx4R4CeFjYeMF5iEtTqRk7SLE4Noc-Ib9NZATxC7AM_L1BcOCzhiofwEvzMuoJI_Z1PVGqO-y5-dUS-xtSHOFCxkM0G3dOe1Uo0BMrbegFCv0RaNFc2ZfJIrO_DEZMLykcjMKqaxIzXUV_7HrF8xSrV-R9ZVi4YuPpDkOL0r9YZjIGFq9hQMqCYucpHy/s320/wopn24-grand-cru-slide.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Look out Chambertin, Corton, Échezeaux, Montrachet, and Romanée-Conti, for Sanford & Benedict, Bien Nacido, Pisoni, Gap's Crown, and Savoy are coming for you. That was the mild boast in Friday morning's <a href="https://worldofpinotnoir.com" target="_blank">World of Pinot Noir</a> seminar "The New 'Grand Cru' of California," even if chipper moderator David Glancy admitted right off, "There's no such thing, we're making it up." That didn't stop Glancy, however, from saying, as the fun and fact filled two hours came to a conclusion, "If there can be thirty-three Grand Cru in Burgundy, which is much smaller, why not two hundred Grand Cru along the much larger California coast?" Certainly the evidence in the 10 glasses the audience got to taste would suggest he could be right.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Obviously anyone attending an event like WOPN in a place like the coast-hugging splendor of the Bacara might be a tad prejudicial about the value of California grape juice. (Writer meekly raises his hand.) But the very nature of even suggesting a Grand Cru designation means you'll encounter a veritable greatest hits--this session wasn't as much about surprise as affirmation. (The market also implies worthiness--almost all the wines retail for a hefty $90.) The ten wines/sites were split evenly mid-state:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Central Coast</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.sanfordwinery.com/" target="_blank">Sanford</a> 2019 Block 6, Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://biennacidoestate.com" target="_blank">Bien Nacido</a> 2021 Estate, Santa Maria Valley</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://talleyvineyards.com" target="_blank">Talley</a> 2021 Rosemary's Vineyard, Arroyo Grande Valley</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.pisonivineyards.com" target="_blank">Pisoni</a> 2021 Pisoni Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.mounteden.com" target="_blank">Mount Eden</a> 2019 Estate, Santa Cruz Mountains </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>North Coast</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.hydewines.com" target="_blank">Hyde</a> 2019 Estate, Carneros, Napa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://threestickswines.com" target="_blank">Three Sticks</a> 2021 Gap's Crown, Sonoma Coast</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://merryedwards.com" target="_blank">Merry Edwards</a> 2021 Meredith Estate Vineyard, Russian River Valley</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://redcarwine.com" target="_blank">Red Car</a> 2021 Estate, Fort Ross-Seaview</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.waltwines.com" target="_blank">Walt</a> 2017 Savoy Vineyard, Anderson Valley</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO_sUhoJ2Yi_zryJ_3YjNogkFW_YVpAr5q0Dy9NsS2JY4_ia2A7oXydq-YEoe2KnoUcBcCDsahfViWNuKLONBOtCtwAxa0RHutrd3NpIEF84L3F1dD74gJ9jyuPHJW6ycHCniiyy6pG-MgeRHion68Ol0lw2m-ePKdcwlk7Tyxiag0tHlIa3wYm9IXJAz/s1250/wopn24-grand-cru-tasting-mat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1250" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO_sUhoJ2Yi_zryJ_3YjNogkFW_YVpAr5q0Dy9NsS2JY4_ia2A7oXydq-YEoe2KnoUcBcCDsahfViWNuKLONBOtCtwAxa0RHutrd3NpIEF84L3F1dD74gJ9jyuPHJW6ycHCniiyy6pG-MgeRHion68Ol0lw2m-ePKdcwlk7Tyxiag0tHlIa3wYm9IXJAz/s320/wopn24-grand-cru-tasting-mat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />This write-up would be nearly as long as the seminar itself if I took you through the tasting and comments about each of the wines, which feature a talented and well-spoken panel of winemakers, GMs, and farm managers. But here are some the highlights:<div><br /></div><div>*Yep, whenever anyone talks about why Santa Barbara County is a great place for grapes, the free space on the SB Bingo Card has to be "transverse mountain range." Not only did Laura Hughes from Sanford mention it right off, Anthony Avila from Bien Nacido also refered to this key topography. And then other locations tried to explain that, while they lacked the atypical east-west ranges that allow for cooling ocean air to help lengthen SB grape hang times, they had something else that was analogous: Santa Lucia Hills has a north-south wind route off Monterey Bay, according to Mark Pisoni; Ryan Prichard of Three Sticks noted Gap's Crown had the Petaluma Gap working as "Sonoma County's air conditioner."</div><div><br /></div><div>*As with the French Grand Cru, almost of all the suggested California Grand Cru sites sell grapes to various winemakers, so it's fascinating to see how prized grapes can have different expressions through different techniques. Alison Frichtl of Walt Wines was perhaps luckiest of all--while for the panel she discussed Anderson Valley's Savoy Vineyard, she also has the opportunity to work with fruit from several of the other sites, too, including Gap's Crown and the Sta. Rita Hills. (Note: It's good to have a billionaire couple own your wine company.)</div><div><br /></div><div>*Wine folks love to talk dirty. By that I mean soil is super important to them, which is no surprise. Terroir might refer to all the environmental factors one grows grapes in, but the root of the French word refers to lands. Pinot Noir evidently likes less hospitable dirt, and the new word of the day for me was chert, an oxidized silica that you can torture vines in, just enough, in the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. </div><div><br /></div><div>*If vineyards aren't organic already, everyone seems to be headed that way. Win, planet Earth!</div><div><br /></div><div>*Disasters are the mother of invention. (Therefore Frank Zappa = Disaster) Sonoma's devastating fires of 2020 led to many wineries dumping their smoke-infused grapes. At Merry Edwards winemaker Heidi von der Meyden opted to pick early instead, a full 2 Brix lower than she usually would at the Meredith Estate Vineyard. Turned out it was a beautiful wine. So that's when she picks that vineyard ever since.</div><div><br /></div><div>* Whether we care to bandy about the term Grand Cru or not, Pinot is here to stay. In 1960, California had 531 acres of the grape. In 2022, that number was over 47,000 acres. </div><div><br /></div><div>*You can have pretty much any background to end up sitting on a panel at WOPN as a vinous expert. Some folks got into the business the old fashioned way--family. (Thanks, dad!) Some entered through the world of hospitality, getting the bug while serving and drinking wine. Some were scientists wanting to do something non-theoretical. Often travel was involved. Sure, many of them wound up at Cal Poly or UC Davis to study wine, but a degree wasn't a be all, end all.</div><div><br /></div><div>*The range of deliciousness is great for Grand Cru Pinot. Sometimes there's more saline, sometimes more earth. Sometimes more cranberry, sometimes sarsaparilla. Sometimes a nervous energy, sometimes a plush elegance. Sometimes a hint of mint, sometimes a pop of black pepper. </div><div><br /></div><div>All of the time, though, these California Pinots delighted. So call them whatever you want, just be sure to have me over if you pop any of their corks.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvTryr_b-jepQtEzgSutl5YA1_twpIJBzygzfL50bhlaM7C6JQX3ovSe-Q_2rLW-QE877FAdeJOf2b5Xb5uWrgJ1dSMkSdL31dAaY5TL80dIjPw-XJgjN9RNEdbCMu4dU0RVd248bMk_t5Uj0RSQna43VH0_sEDd5UD4SoXYU219Umt0BVIqVGh0AYddt/s1250/wopn24-grand-cru-panel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="1250" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvTryr_b-jepQtEzgSutl5YA1_twpIJBzygzfL50bhlaM7C6JQX3ovSe-Q_2rLW-QE877FAdeJOf2b5Xb5uWrgJ1dSMkSdL31dAaY5TL80dIjPw-XJgjN9RNEdbCMu4dU0RVd248bMk_t5Uj0RSQna43VH0_sEDd5UD4SoXYU219Umt0BVIqVGh0AYddt/s320/wopn24-grand-cru-panel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-77664746671152472892024-02-20T18:07:00.000-08:002024-02-20T18:07:03.956-08:00WOPN 2024's Seriously Sapient, Sanguine Seminars<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDe_XcKX6Qup60VkUOqf7JrxHbkqudT7qdg5sbxhTjgbDeVblsMEIuvdYamz0OizvSMXdU7GCxh5esHfB6muqbf7fA5CItq3bzU2q3yBnCU39-BX84UKkwkqRYpkbE-d-KgddzTFApjoSMJ2TeIggEbHVp7vgrvI5Mpet_dgXyw93R9vBUefmQaoeUlW7/s1900/WOPN-DSC03228-copy-1900.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="1900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDe_XcKX6Qup60VkUOqf7JrxHbkqudT7qdg5sbxhTjgbDeVblsMEIuvdYamz0OizvSMXdU7GCxh5esHfB6muqbf7fA5CItq3bzU2q3yBnCU39-BX84UKkwkqRYpkbE-d-KgddzTFApjoSMJ2TeIggEbHVp7vgrvI5Mpet_dgXyw93R9vBUefmQaoeUlW7/s320/WOPN-DSC03228-copy-1900.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />So this is my 40th post over the years about <a href="https://worldofpinotnoir.com" target="_blank">World of Pinot Noir</a>, which means two things. 1) It's an incredible weekend of wine and food and fun and excess and Bacara and friends both old and new, and I'd hate to miss it. 2) It's getting harder and harder to come up with a new way to craft a story. Heck, I did one post as a <a href="http://www.georgeeats.com/2020/03/wopn-20-la-king.html" target="_blank">fake Larry King column</a> back in 2020 even before I had any excuse that two turns through the Covid dumbening had softened my cerebral cortex.<p></p><p>Still, more than 200 producers of Pinot Noir. It's a lesson in range of expression, in expression of terroir, in oak's mighty force in aging. It's terms de- and re-associating: for just one example take Old World versus New World, which now means style and not geography (and time in the sense everything old becomes new again). </p><p>It's easy to (try to) focus on just the Grand Tastings, a massive ballroom floor a-crawl with almost too many folks thirsty for Burgundy (and hoping for some surprises under the table, or even up top--sparkling and Chardonnay, and sometimes a smuggled in Grenache or Syrah, yes, a lone Rhone). You sort of can't go wrong beyond trying to do <i>every</i>thing. So pick whatever organizational plan you like, whether by location or clone (you will hear so much talk of clones you'll worry you're in a sci-fi movie), or only taste from wineries that start with S and T--that would be 27 stops, and most places at least pour 2 wines. That's an afternoon, easy.</p><p>But since you've still got some time to book as the event is February 29-March 2, I'm here to suggest you might want to attend one of the four seminars that happen Friday and Saturday mornings, too. Alas, the "Bubbles and Bites" session is already sold out, as how could you not want to start off your Saturday sparkling, but there are still three other options well worth considering. You sit, you listen, you laugh, you sip. You often get to take part in room polls or get to lob questions at the knowledgeable. So, yes, you will learn and be entertained. How noble.</p><p>Friday morning offers the provocatively titled seminar "The New 'Grand Cru' of California." Just think about the inescapable meme, "If your ___ is not from the ___ region of France, it's just sparkling ____" to consider how dogmatic the French are about what kind of wine earns what label. Grand Cru signifies the very very very best growing (cru) sites, i.e. where the best wine should come from. So taking that term and slapping it on California could be fighting words, or at the least, fighting over words. You have to attend to see. As WOPN's site puts it: "Led by David Glancy, Master Sommelier and Founder of the San Francisco Wine School, the seminar will showcase Pinot Noir vineyards from the Santa Maria Valley to Russian River Valley to Anderson Valley, and more. Guests will walk away with a deep understanding of the rich history of farming philosophies, winemaking approaches, and how California vineyards became known for Pinot Noir." </p><p>For a more global perspective, the other Friday morning seminar is "The Legacy Generational Library Tasting--Know Your Winemaker." Moderator Ray Isle, author of the forthcoming book <i>The World in a Wineglass: The Insider's Guide to Artisanal, Sustainable, Extraordinary Wines to Drink Now</i> and the Executive Wine Editor of <i>Food & Wine Magazine</i>, will celebrate the world’s top family-run wineries whose legacy of sustainability and innovation has helped produce some of the most exceptional Pinot Noirs in recent history. And hope to sell some of his books, no doubt. (We can't pretend there isn't a commercial function at these events, can we?) </p><p>Then the still available Saturday event is an opportunity to hone your blind-tasting skills. (I hope yours are stronger than mine from 9:30-11:30 am.) At "Global Wine Conversations: A World of Pinot Noir," (see what they did there?) guests will blind taste 10 wines that epitomize the marquee AVAs from Burgundy, Australia, Oregon, and California. Wine Expert Julia Coney and Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein will let people just like you and me, folks without the slightest of somm degrees, discover what it's like to puzzle through questions of typicity. How does one mentally map the growing regions of the world on one's tongue? Here's your chance to find out.</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-7019534989017821752024-02-19T22:02:00.000-08:002024-02-19T22:02:01.038-08:00Introducing Sparks*<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTANm8DrepkfmKCe_GS5Vp9hfXiIDWTuXn-SDMfqthvJDz-NOeqbpzzJUnqcjkHpj2llAp0lPusqfisQcEPypdYhxZQm2vqoby_em0ii5vPJreg3pgoA35_yLZtwwgMYxfikV6gyLXd3UoPvwrBaoP_Rm6VYdMrgrNQ5kuwVY7gQ9TlagzfJJK5yVmOtf/s1250/kings-carey.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1015" data-original-width="1250" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTANm8DrepkfmKCe_GS5Vp9hfXiIDWTuXn-SDMfqthvJDz-NOeqbpzzJUnqcjkHpj2llAp0lPusqfisQcEPypdYhxZQm2vqoby_em0ii5vPJreg3pgoA35_yLZtwwgMYxfikV6gyLXd3UoPvwrBaoP_Rm6VYdMrgrNQ5kuwVY7gQ9TlagzfJJK5yVmOtf/s320/kings-carey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />James Sparks excitement. James Sparks great wine talk. And now James Sparks scrumptious sparkling wine.<p></p><div>But I guess for some of you I need to back-up. Let me introduce you to <a href="https://www.kingscarey.com" target="_blank">Kings Carey</a>, another tiny winery that could and can in Santa Barbara County. It's pretty much all James Sparks, with tasting and marketing assistance from his wife Anna Ferguson-Sparks, and that's how you get the winery's unusual name: the couples' hometowns were (respectively) Carey, Idaho and Kings Point, New York. Sparks is better known as the winemaker for SB stalwart <a href="https://www.liquidfarm.com" target="_blank">Liquid Farm</a>, crafting some of our county's best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, plus an annual killer rosé of Mourvèdre. (More on rosé in a bit.)</div><div><br /></div><div>As with many winemakers working for someone else, Sparks also wanted to follow his own muse too. Hence, Kings Carey, producing a tiny 600-1200 cases a harvest, almost always single vineyard, single varietal. It can get tricky, as Sparks has no vineyards of his own, and he's also meticulous about what grapes he chooses to work with. He insists on organic fruit--as he puts it, "organic is proactive, not reactive"--and that means from year to year what he gets to make might change. But whatever he makes, you will want to drink, promise.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even better, you can taste at his small winemaking facility that just celebrated its first year in a spot just past the Welcome to Solvang sign (after you leave the town going west) on the 246. Yes, he's the tasting room person, too (most of the time), so you need to book ahead, but it's worth checking out the spot that was a motel in the 1970s (one room in the space was clearly a large shower at some point, and perhaps a chilling room in Kings Carey's future) and most recently where Broken Clock Vinegar Works did something very different with grapes. </div><div><br /></div><div>What Sparks does is minimal, and that's why his wines tend to sing of site and varietal. It's fun to be able to side-by-side his two Chardonnays, a 2021 MarFarm from SLO with bright lemon curd loveliness and creaminess, alongside a 2021 from Spear (he's got a soft spot for this vineyard and who could blame him?) in the Sta. Rita Hills, a bit richer than the wine from a bit further north (more heat?) even if made with no new oak. Another difference between the two Chardonnays--the Edna Valley had some residual sugar, so Sparks filtered that out. So he will intervene when he has to. But that's always up to what each wine and vintage suggests he needs to do to let it shine.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sparks particularly has an affinity for Grenache. His talent is to let the grape sing tenor without merely burying its brightness in dark berry baritone. Take the 2021 To Market Grenache he's pouring right now. At 12.5% ABV it's up to you how and when you hope to love it--give it a quick chill, and it's your warm weather red if you don't want to rosé; serve it cellar temp, and it's a versatile red for apps and cheese or weightier fish or lighter meats. </div><div><br /></div><div>And I promised to discuss rosé, didn't I. The Liquid Farm each year is one of our county's standouts, made from Mourvèdre, walking the knife edge of lean and fleshy to the point you keep drinking it trying to decide. That kind of balance isn't easy. But Sparks replicates it with a different but equally pleasing rosé for Kings Carey, made from Grenache, 4-hours skin contact, foot stomped, aged on the lees for 6 months in neutral 400L barrels. So steely and bright it asks where the heck the sun is, and why aren't you out in it and imbibing this delight? </div><div><br /></div><div>While I won't walk you through the full lineup--there's equally enticing and lively Syrah and Semillon too--Sparks' most exciting current project is sparkling. To create bubbly in small production is truly a labor of love, as you're not making enough to buy machines to riddle your bottles for you, to point out just one labor-intensive process. While his blanc de noir is still in production--méthode champenoise wine is sort of like trying to make aged bourbon, as it's going to be a many year investment until you release round one--he has released a 2021 Kings Carey Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé from Spear Vineyard. (See, great grape source is back again.) Of course, it's been a ten-year thought process, he insists, to get to making bubbly. All that thought shows in the glass, that breadiness you want without any heft, that lift from the effervescence, and then the sweet/sour fruit tumbling like a coin that will land the way you placed your bet, every time. If this is just the "simpler" first effort, it's hard to imagine how terrific that blanc de noir will be upon release. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then again, Kings Carey was meant as the place where Sparks could play. You'll know that as soon as you glimpse one of the bottles, all sporting busy for a wine label art from Philadelphia-based Hawk Krall. Sparks admits to his love 1960s and '70s art with a Vegas neon feel, hence the art choice that's as bold as his wines are refined. Kings Carey teaches us about a perfect balance we never even imagined existed.</div><div><br /></div><div>* And, yes, instead of making it clear this post is about a talented winemaker, I had to make a reference to an album title from 1977. Sorry, James! At least <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introducing_Sparks" target="_blank">Sparks</a> are having a moment again, now.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-2624370582103139192024-02-16T15:18:00.000-08:002024-02-16T15:18:18.818-08:00Garagiste Turns 10<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFmOzFwbpwkuMpge4V3U2pTJVF4O7du2UWTF0mMy3xmYcpt9DTnP9f0ffPScD_6LzbCAe33CIAD6TAo9uYQB628r5mrZUeJAi3Kzrvd38zsYCIfdnYMhKtGF841pzmW6v2-3EMfmX-E_AIa_ECSEkaOV2BLV4GHaPl3WQJF0jWeEIqVAEUWJSgqU2-BIe/s1250/garagiste24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1250" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFmOzFwbpwkuMpge4V3U2pTJVF4O7du2UWTF0mMy3xmYcpt9DTnP9f0ffPScD_6LzbCAe33CIAD6TAo9uYQB628r5mrZUeJAi3Kzrvd38zsYCIfdnYMhKtGF841pzmW6v2-3EMfmX-E_AIa_ECSEkaOV2BLV4GHaPl3WQJF0jWeEIqVAEUWJSgqU2-BIe/s320/garagiste24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Forget tiny libraries, we are here to praise tiny wineries. For February 10th was the (somehow already) 10th Annual <a href="https://www.garagistefestival.com" target="_blank">Garagiste Wine Festival</a>, Southern Exposure, held as usual at the Solvang Veterans' Memorial Hall. The conceit--as with bands, winemakers often kick off their careers in their garages before venturing out into rental warehouse space somewhere (often in the wilds of Lompoc or Paso Robles, say). The biggest (and that term really means little here) producer at this year's event crafts 1800 cases per vintage. For comparison, Trinchero Family Estates, which admittedly is 50 global brands under one so-called "family," produced <i>20 million cases</i> of wine in 2020. Places pouring at Garagiste wouldn't even add up to the angel's share at Trinchero.</p><p>So, that means Garagiste is a place to drink deep of inspiration, experimentation, passion, play, and sure, some perspiration (not as a wine additive, promise). You can taste every varietal from Albariño to Zinfandel, with all sorts of grapes and blends in-between. You'll have the father-son team at <a href="https://www.boutzcellars.com" target="_blank">Boutz Cellars</a> pouring you barrel samples of their Assyrtiko, proud of the wine and their Greek heritage. Think of the wine as a Santorini retsina-resonant answer to Albariño. And that's just a bonus blast next to pours like a 2022 100% Syrah not even labeled yet, but nailing westside Paso's penchant for brooding, roasted meat notes. (Overall, Paso wineries seemed to outnumber those from Santa Barbara County this year, tbh.)</p><p>Having had the good fortune to attend many a Garagiste Festival, what also strikes me is there are new finds every year. One such find this time was <a href="https://www.fuilwines.com/" target="_blank">Fuil</a>, pronounced as you might think, no fooling (it comes from the Gaelic, meaning blood, kindred, nature). Winemaker Matt Espiro Jaeger is also an actor, and in a recent interview described his life: "I was literally leaving right after bows for <i>Oedipus</i> at the Getty Villa around 10 pm, driving 2.5 hours north to drop off my empty pick bins, napping for 2-3 hours, picking up my grapes, driving back to Camarillo, crushing and processing the grapes, driving back to LA, taking a nap, then heading back the theatre." Didn't get to see him the Sophocles so can't judge his acting, but the wines are certainly worth that hectic schedule. Worth a second sip was his 2021 Ballard Canyon Syrah, from the esteemed Kimsey Vineyard, a lighter style of that varietal that reminded of the ethereal versions of Grenache you get from A Tribute to Grace.</p><p>Or take <a href="https://www.entityofdelight.com" target="_blank">Entity of Delight</a> and winemaker Crosby Swinchatt (a <i>delight</i>ful name that sounds like a Lemony Snickett invention, no?). For a young man he's had some peripatetic career, from New Zealand to Oregon to Sea Smoke to Lo-Fi right here in Santa Barbara County. He favors natural wine, so you can enjoy a fascinating 2022 Mourvèdre from the Kaerskov Vineyard in the Los Olivos District AVA (supposedly the only Danish owned and operated vineyard within the Danish city of Solvang, so now you can win that bar bet). At 12% ABV it's far from a brooding Rhone-monster, but it still pleases with leather, wild strawberry, and even some blood orange notes.</p><p>"Old" timers also pleased, too. <a href="https://www.montemarwinery.com" target="_blank">Montemar</a> nails varietal specificity as well as anyone, and then lets their wine bottle age to develop into its fullness. It's hard to beat their wild and fulfilling 2016 Bentrock Pinot Noir, especially at $52 a bottle. <a href="https://www.tomicellars.com/" target="_blank">Tomi</a> only makes 250 cases per vintage but that's split over 12 different wines on their website, 8 poured at Garagiste. Everything from a 2020 Barbera that practically ordered a plate of pasta and gravy for you to a 2020 Ambient Light Reserve Albarino aged in acacia oak--the floral on floral really works.</p><p>And then there's <a href="https://www.tercerowines.com" target="_blank">tercero</a> and Larry Schaffer, Santa Barbara's mad scientist of wines. The amount of wines Schaffer makes puts even Tomi to shame--he can't stop experimenting. But that sort of makes him the poster boy for Garagiste--the point is to make wine because it's fun and you hope to try new things and please new drinkers, or reinvigorate the palates of more experienced drinkers. So while he's still nailing down his second vintage of Jurassic Park Chenin Blanc, or sharing a 2016 Roussanne (very dry, but he suggest pairing it with a dessert like a Basque cheesecake), he's also got a non-vintage red bland that's all freshness and cranberry and juicy goodness, a blend of Carignane, Cinsault and Counoise just waiting for warmer weather and your favorite afternoon spot in the sun. That blend's awfully apt name? Curiosity #1.</p><p>Which could be the theme for Garagiste, after all.</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-38907337509608756322024-02-07T13:01:00.000-08:002024-02-07T13:01:13.465-08:00Santa Barbara Has a Feast of Valentine’s Day Delights<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsTAsKW0MCuUHrYkFzhnmPA5jGhM4e-HGHqhoAEFFAGh7DJSeqi-QinTwmAfVL6gIKe9H9mnn4FSCSltQTfL-tV7_p3YySbREdzo-1jMHgChrVytMa-9jrvbaHw5nOzoNwGiZwPqTQHhDFbM6EC_SsRR-wKxmQkT2OtM_gbetLVovfbygYAwrYgfg7d3U/s712/sweet-to-eat-valentine.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsTAsKW0MCuUHrYkFzhnmPA5jGhM4e-HGHqhoAEFFAGh7DJSeqi-QinTwmAfVL6gIKe9H9mnn4FSCSltQTfL-tV7_p3YySbREdzo-1jMHgChrVytMa-9jrvbaHw5nOzoNwGiZwPqTQHhDFbM6EC_SsRR-wKxmQkT2OtM_gbetLVovfbygYAwrYgfg7d3U/s320/sweet-to-eat-valentine.jpeg" width="288" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Here's the intro for the roundup of many of Santa Barbara's Valentine's Day events 2024. Guess what--lots of food!</i></span><p>We lucked out when Chaucer decided to make a romantic thing of St. Valentine’s Day back in the 1300s. Other saints celebrated around Feb 14th include Scholastica, Austrebertha, Eulalia, and Eormenhild, so let’s thank the saints that our local establishments are offering a plethora of ways to celebrate, many centering around decadent feasts with optional wine add-ons.
Here’s a quick guide to some of what S.B. has to offer.</p><p>Care to <a href="https://www.independent.com/2024/02/02/santa-barbara-has-a-feast-of-valentines-day-delights/" target="_blank">read the rest</a> then do so at the <i>Independent's</i> site.</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-88580843284399016582024-02-06T16:46:00.000-08:002024-02-06T16:46:42.867-08:00A Review of "The Glutton" by A.K. Blakemore<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5SLxgeMvBzYJd5B7OKN6JkyU8O02AaeBn-p1cSZQBOYUtGs8evSNFFIDZz_UJ1-TgwLO2JoTjEV_sKFZVJsQhay8Vwsv7QLNOskZls9fSE7A3noBfRoiQkg7Sxp9D4HBoO5_F_G1enj4Ca9_-_2fii7eShYHp3eQpMWw0JSnr84oZt0xIK4cq3F2A9rq/s1024/The-Glutton-685x1024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="685" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5SLxgeMvBzYJd5B7OKN6JkyU8O02AaeBn-p1cSZQBOYUtGs8evSNFFIDZz_UJ1-TgwLO2JoTjEV_sKFZVJsQhay8Vwsv7QLNOskZls9fSE7A3noBfRoiQkg7Sxp9D4HBoO5_F_G1enj4Ca9_-_2fii7eShYHp3eQpMWw0JSnr84oZt0xIK4cq3F2A9rq/s320/The-Glutton-685x1024.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><p>How unreasonable, the Age of Reason, especially for an illiterate—if wildly, imaginatively thoughtful—peasant. A.K. Blakemore’s new novel <i>The Glutton</i> might be based on a wisp of a fantastical, 18th-century real person, but widens into a shocking fairy tale as vivid as a Breughel or Bosch. </p><p> Here’s how the book’s beyond an anti-hero protagonist introduces himself, “The Great Tarare. The Glutton of Lyon. The Hercules of the Gullet. The Bottomless Man. The Beast.” Indeed, as Tarare relates his life of woe-on-the-go to his hospital nurse Sister Perpetué, we learn of his hardscrabble upbringing not shy of maternal care, a shocking, near-death beating keyed to a betrayal after his first kiss, and a life with a band of con men, courtesans, and schemers who have no problem using his disgusting hunger as the main act of their traveling sideshow.</p><p>Care to <a href="https://calirb.com/the-glutton-by-a-k-blakemore/" target="_blank">read the rest</a> then do so at the <i>California Review of Books</i>.</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-72655364209858754082024-02-02T10:56:00.000-08:002024-02-05T16:06:24.414-08:00A Review of "This Bird Has Flown" by Susanna Hoffs<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHMl0gdOJJbtIPdM6657G57eAZ_OoV-ojIJbIhi8mPoWOOWbgDd5e-y_pm4iNJPGX2l91jkpMtqc5eLE9XYWXaSiJSp2QBfGXoAB5YBT8Aq69cpQ32FVs2NXBOLeWje4IPpRPCuwujzupz9TVbMal4cPXxZ9ZJjUCMjRxss2urOKohpnJpGRzkwXL0iJf/s1024/This-Bird-Has-Flown-660x1024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="660" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHMl0gdOJJbtIPdM6657G57eAZ_OoV-ojIJbIhi8mPoWOOWbgDd5e-y_pm4iNJPGX2l91jkpMtqc5eLE9XYWXaSiJSp2QBfGXoAB5YBT8Aq69cpQ32FVs2NXBOLeWje4IPpRPCuwujzupz9TVbMal4cPXxZ9ZJjUCMjRxss2urOKohpnJpGRzkwXL0iJf/s320/This-Bird-Has-Flown-660x1024.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>If you have ever wondered what life’s like for a one-hit wonder, Susanna Hoffs’ debut novel This Bird Has Flown i<i>s</i> for you. The book’s 33-year-old protagonist Jane Start had one big record a decade ago, a cover of a lesser known tune by a mercurial, brilliant superstar the book invents, Jonesy. Jonesy comes off as part Bowie—who, you might recall, was born David Jones—and part Prince—who happened to pen one of Hoffs’ band The Bangles’ biggest hits, “Manic Monday.” It’s the kind of book where you keep getting to play with rock history nuggets like that as fun Easter eggs, though perhaps none of them top, “Tours with siblings. That has to be fraught.” (Sorry, former Banglemates Vicki and Debbi Peterson!)</p><p>Care to <a href="https://calirb.com/this-bird-has-flown-by-susanna-hoffs/" target="_blank">read the rest</a> then do so at the <i>California Review of Books</i>.</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-28843199541305029062024-01-22T19:45:00.000-08:002024-01-22T19:45:55.583-08:00Azul Elevates Modern Mexican Cuisine in Downtown Santa Barbara<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCcgNBE4apHY6qJ8ZaTQs5uhLzMkxqx89JMG3DOEXNPvjE1VclDGD6ZM9ZMbZJoJKJM7Z9HiIdRZadkl2nVBwkklsiq6fxM__Cq-ol5O-cup7a4XZuMXPQD4pvH8IHl2ktCsU5Y7z23Kn2Rzmxyd64r5GB4_AwtLxP6uzvj4qhqW81toDmlQJ-2qpYyZj/s1620/Azul-Cocina-Anthony-Cabrera-DSC03888.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCcgNBE4apHY6qJ8ZaTQs5uhLzMkxqx89JMG3DOEXNPvjE1VclDGD6ZM9ZMbZJoJKJM7Z9HiIdRZadkl2nVBwkklsiq6fxM__Cq-ol5O-cup7a4XZuMXPQD4pvH8IHl2ktCsU5Y7z23Kn2Rzmxyd64r5GB4_AwtLxP6uzvj4qhqW81toDmlQJ-2qpYyZj/s320/Azul-Cocina-Anthony-Cabrera-DSC03888.jpg.webp" width="213" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="background-color: #fefefe; caret-color: rgb(10, 10, 10); color: #0a0a0a; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;">(Photo: Anthony Cabrera, Lucha Media LLC)</span></p><p>Given the time it took for Azul Cocina Artesanal & Cantina to launch — it was first announced in November 2022 and didn’t open until a full year later, November 24, 2023 — you might imagine the operations team could be feeling a bit, uh, blue. But when I talked to co-owners Edgar and Maria Estrada, and Executive Chef Manny Diaz and his wife and restaurant GM, Veronica Tovalin-Diaz, nary a negative word was expressed.</p><p>“It’s been a learning experience for us,” Edgar Estrada said. “All the community has been so supportive, calling us to see how we’re doing. It’s amazing.” Azul serves modern Mexican cuisine. Read that as all the full flavors you would expect, but crafted from farm-to-table ingredients and prepared with elevated kitchen techniques. That means that at Azul, the mole is served over pan-roasted duck breast, not chicken, and that the <i>chamorro de puerco en chile verde</i> stars Kurobuta braised pork shanks, not some inexpensive Boston butt.</p><p>Care to <a href="https://www.independent.com/2024/01/22/azul-elevates-modern-mexican-cuisine-in-downtown-santa-barbara/" target="_blank">read the rest</a> then do so at the <i>Independent's</i> site.</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-55097151565084004352024-01-18T10:54:00.000-08:002024-01-18T10:54:17.085-08:00A Review of "Lou Reed: The King of New York" by Will Hermes<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDj0JCkMJEmQ6plIgq1sRREpP09VSipqCKGZY-zdkISvmKs8iW5DXIuVwz4SslfvpHCT22FvX43nK5FG1BKqBfzNQvxgrPC9B6VXlrXI3QVEV6BQbSi4KOO_wCzpvvTdHawOLnnD-uyXzXQudB0zXkgI7iMTgNFeG_FGI6TtK2kfQUT1rcaTsV-BzHHgst/s1024/Lou-Reed-683x1024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDj0JCkMJEmQ6plIgq1sRREpP09VSipqCKGZY-zdkISvmKs8iW5DXIuVwz4SslfvpHCT22FvX43nK5FG1BKqBfzNQvxgrPC9B6VXlrXI3QVEV6BQbSi4KOO_wCzpvvTdHawOLnnD-uyXzXQudB0zXkgI7iMTgNFeG_FGI6TtK2kfQUT1rcaTsV-BzHHgst/s320/Lou-Reed-683x1024.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p>Will Hermes admits he’s on a fool’s errand with the opening quote of the preface to his 529 page biography of Lou Reed. The mercurial genius most famous as the leader of the Velvet Underground once told journalist Jonathan Cott, “There’s no reason to get into autobiographical things with me, because I’m a writer and a musician.” But Hermes, a diligent researcher (he makes clear he’s even read the archive of Reed’s sometimes terrifying “fan” mail), perceptive critic, canny social historian, and flat out elegant writer, is more than up to the task for what he himself calls “myth parsing.” As he puts it, “One gets the sense that memories might be clouded by subsequent myth, every double scotch or methamphetamine injection magnified into more smoking-gun evidence of the ‘Lou Reed’ character he blurred into by the mid-’70s.” </p><p> Then again, Reed went through a lot. Born in 1942 on suburban Long Island to a respectable middle class Jewish family—Hermes does wonderful work connecting Reed to that heritage—Lewis Allan Reed knew he was queer at age 12 almost two decades before Stonewall. Drawn to music and literature, New York City beckoned as it did to every artsy person in the northeast in the late 20th century. Alas Reed’s first and only year at NYU ended with him back at home and getting electroshock therapy (Hermes puts this seemingly barbaric practice into scary historic context: “In lieu of commitment to a mental hospital, an option that may have also been on the table, outpatient ECT probably seemed the lesser evil.”) Eventually Reed attends Syracuse, only to get his first case of hepatitis—and liver failure would be what led to his death in 2013—the first time he shoots heroin. It’s as if he was creating a life that could only be rock ‘n’ roll mythic. </p><p>Want to <a href="https://calirb.com/lou-reed-the-king-of-new-york-by-will-hermes/" target="_blank">read the rest</a> then do so at <i>California Review of Books</i>.</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-38970714811135973542024-01-12T12:26:00.000-08:002024-01-12T12:26:14.587-08:00A Review of "Creature" by Marsha de la O<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfqQOpVYIkH0aWJvrlVp-g1NdsPnNOmm9VvNRTGjDvYaWnvV2k3Gf3vg4FharGglaqvigNxL-hH2-dIg7cj2RBdfftQu_nstx57690gvGdY9w7sdz2N8FkIvz2hrvN00DIiWysPABjlksa2W1eHIsq5Y-UJC-qN_ETAxbE_7rGkZWOUP-HCTJOcRf34Rn/s1000/creature-cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfqQOpVYIkH0aWJvrlVp-g1NdsPnNOmm9VvNRTGjDvYaWnvV2k3Gf3vg4FharGglaqvigNxL-hH2-dIg7cj2RBdfftQu_nstx57690gvGdY9w7sdz2N8FkIvz2hrvN00DIiWysPABjlksa2W1eHIsq5Y-UJC-qN_ETAxbE_7rGkZWOUP-HCTJOcRf34Rn/s320/creature-cover.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Ventura, California-based poet Marsha de la O knows of fire, force of destruction and engine of rebirth. Consider the poem “The Afterlife of Flames,” from her intensely engaging (or perhaps that should be engagingly intense) new volume <i>Creature</i>, in which she writes: “there’s / no need to abide any longer, / no need for the abode, the / hut, the hull, the home, only / translation is required.” This is serious music, words tumbling like dice hoping to land lucky or right. Or perhaps it’s the very song of their fall to the troubled table of our world that matters. Fortunately for us, de la O is the keenest of translators, her book a bridge bringing us the world’s wordless but no less felt pain and beauty full force. </p><p> Even the note for “The Afterlife of Flames” at the back of the book is a prose poem; de la O, a lecturer in English at Cal State Channel Islands and indomitable arts advocate, writes that the poem “refers to the California fire poppy, which grows after a major burn. Its seeds can lie dormant for decades. They bloom for only one day.”</p><p>Care to <a href="https://calirb.com/creature-by-marsha-de-la-o/" target="_blank">read the rest</a> then do at <i>California Review of Books</i>.</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-60382601584667034282023-12-22T12:24:00.000-08:002023-12-22T12:24:46.760-08:00A Review of "Blood in the Machine" by Brian Merchant<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmr0BkV11uPW0t9opy4yZM3bPQeC0QRJ-do0mmhAW90CTnUWTr0GjNH8k4oP1WQaV1mRjBtc-TMgTNQFnSWfUxxkQcTgOP_MJSKNNA2zKqr7bomcIl2qUQjMfOODV3XOpQiRYpZAG7VnUySq8WNgkQVYuae-qvV5NI0s6p29A0CAi34kRZzU3oIhlhNwQ/s1024/merchant-bitm-cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="678" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmr0BkV11uPW0t9opy4yZM3bPQeC0QRJ-do0mmhAW90CTnUWTr0GjNH8k4oP1WQaV1mRjBtc-TMgTNQFnSWfUxxkQcTgOP_MJSKNNA2zKqr7bomcIl2qUQjMfOODV3XOpQiRYpZAG7VnUySq8WNgkQVYuae-qvV5NI0s6p29A0CAi34kRZzU3oIhlhNwQ/s320/merchant-bitm-cover.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><p>Walter Isaacson’s Elon Musk biography sold nearly 230K copies in its first eight weeks in stores and is currently at #47 in Books at Amazon. Brian Merchant’s <i>Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion against Big Tech</i> sits at #17,280 in Books. That’s just one way to say our fascination with the mighty always trumps (verb chosen advisedly) our interest in history’s “losers.” The Luddites have been pummeled so badly by history we don’t even use the term accurately. </p><p>So it’s fortunate Merchant has written this engaging corrective that leans into rightfully earned polemic in its final chapters.
Merchant, a <i>Los Angeles Times</i> technology columnist and author of <i>The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone</i>, sets himself to a difficult task, for the Luddites have been misrepresented and slandered since they first took hammer to power looms in England in the 1810s. Even today, as he points out, a Google search will tell you a Luddite is “small-minded” and “resists progress.”</p><p>Care to <a href="https://calirb.com/blood-in-the-machine-the-origins-of-the-rebellion-against-big-tech-by-brian-merchant/" target="_blank">read the rest</a> then do so at <i>California Review of Books</i>.</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-4847393145836483262023-12-20T14:13:00.000-08:002023-12-20T14:16:54.853-08:00Cheers for Rip It and Sip It Cocktails<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBo4eW9o8E5mfG4DXD5L8Aa0gPK-iPF2V9-voIFFWipw5vC9nVWO_HKhY5xPkiwFWdnGP6FlyqVPRlChQYAVm37Yg7fgTL6AWBtlW0NDEoDT1eL4pp5oLdiB967KCMk4LiADZal3gZOdW_LLoU9yeTKZWp31qjJJw-EQe2FjWgWMLkyn1Dv05kTPZ6YlD/s1250/nio-box.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="1250" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBo4eW9o8E5mfG4DXD5L8Aa0gPK-iPF2V9-voIFFWipw5vC9nVWO_HKhY5xPkiwFWdnGP6FlyqVPRlChQYAVm37Yg7fgTL6AWBtlW0NDEoDT1eL4pp5oLdiB967KCMk4LiADZal3gZOdW_LLoU9yeTKZWp31qjJJw-EQe2FjWgWMLkyn1Dv05kTPZ6YlD/s320/nio-box.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEoRFMFkJuqJdV_SQrMVRg2fOuFxwdIbfiKboKBYI6eUN-SpRTgA7VwmkiUF0MmfiO8tv2z_24UrwjmrdgQ5jJCXy7gsdtC8p3r76d7UWarkdn2-u8dii4AGmYepkYzI_CrSAdivJYzSag_WZzhoGiKBO6aby8_1nPMLV473vsR3vrt0-Hm8X1ZUgY9u-/s1250/nio-box-open.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1250" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEoRFMFkJuqJdV_SQrMVRg2fOuFxwdIbfiKboKBYI6eUN-SpRTgA7VwmkiUF0MmfiO8tv2z_24UrwjmrdgQ5jJCXy7gsdtC8p3r76d7UWarkdn2-u8dii4AGmYepkYzI_CrSAdivJYzSag_WZzhoGiKBO6aby8_1nPMLV473vsR3vrt0-Hm8X1ZUgY9u-/s320/nio-box-open.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I have to admit I'm skeptical of premixed cocktails, as I so enjoy making them myself. Searching for a recipe (or developing my own), getting more and more and more ingredients, preparing my own shrubs and booze-soaked cherries and saline solutions, using wonderful glassware...it's all part of the drinking process that connects me with history and culture. And then I share them with people I love as a way to make it clear I do.</p><p>But if someone's going to let me try their product, I sure will. And <a href="https://niococktails.us" target="_blank">NIO Cocktails</a> won over me over. If you're in search novelty, taste, and ease, it's a product that's hard to beat. It doesn't hurt they provide accurate takes on the classics--from martinis to mai tais--and some intriguing new concoctions, like the Garden of the Zar (free of any Russian T as who wants to seem Russian right now?), featuring Ketel One vodka and elderflower liqueur from Bols. There are 20 cocktails currently to choose from.</p><p>NIO stands for Needs Ice Only, but to be fair, they also often suggest a twist, as they should to complete, say, a Boulevardier or Sidecar. (We Californians are so spoiled with our citrus trees abundant in every yard, of course.) But if you are shy easy access to an orange or lemon, all you need to do to "make" a NIO cocktail is to shake the attractive box that at least reminds late middle-aged me of an old school 5-and-a-1/4 inch floppy disc (or New Order's "Blue Monday" 12"), rip off its corner (note--you will spill a teensy bit of the first cocktail you do this with in your learning curve), pour into a rocks glass loaded with ice, and drink.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzYWaspswZm7DCf_0ipBJeTG0EB18ndYjAlQaUcNhtb2TRMZpA5p5NvjQI-JtE6pDIUgkkjUjf75_y7IORjkDVHvv1RdQ_3Db9ji7TXMnF1UGO9qhdjP2h9GuYgzwpUukZwYzP5lP8KjWW_BZGFnO8JumAtI0WPjfGQ7UDoXtkRvhenDVTi7JpexIJMJV/s1250/nio-boulevardier.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="1250" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzYWaspswZm7DCf_0ipBJeTG0EB18ndYjAlQaUcNhtb2TRMZpA5p5NvjQI-JtE6pDIUgkkjUjf75_y7IORjkDVHvv1RdQ_3Db9ji7TXMnF1UGO9qhdjP2h9GuYgzwpUukZwYzP5lP8KjWW_BZGFnO8JumAtI0WPjfGQ7UDoXtkRvhenDVTi7JpexIJMJV/s320/nio-boulevardier.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>That does mean every NIO is on the rocks, but it also means you have no other accoutrements to wash but the glass when you're done. So it's not only simple on the making, it's simple on the clean-up. Double win. And even if your sidecar is powered by Remy XO and Cointreau, that 100ml pour ends up clocking in at a mere 28.8% ABV. Given Cointreau by itself is 40% ABV, these end up lighter mixes, too. That's particularly good to keep you from molesting someone under the mistletoe and regretting it later.</p><p>NIO began in Italy--Milan, no less, so that's why it ranks well on style points--and has had its US debut this fall. They like pushing the box as a way to order, which makes sense, as you need a bunch of cocktails ready to go. In fact, I could see these most useful for a party where you don't want to wear out your shaker muscles or just would rather everyone gets a tipple quick without much muss or effort. Plus, conversation piece! That the drinks all begin with top shelf booze doesn't hurt, either. If you're wondering about the price, they come in at abut $10 a drink, which would be a bargain at a bar anymore. </p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-10632529662981261782023-12-20T13:11:00.000-08:002024-01-09T13:17:23.562-08:00Mollie Does Deli<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycyP7ZsWsB8KVsTHQ9maAUOl2LuavSJ2M_tqVw7zBOJHwFQpQmHZQCetASNP8zlynwk-or4Ol42IQDiM5tnDZBiHg_m-pI6RqPESaIuuij9WFX3YwPf0OfXIoBTLd8ocxQqMCNlpomJsngcPOrJZECDP1f6WbV6QKBiqKYaqUovzNmBpobGW5vs9rpHBP/s1250/mollies-special-board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1248" data-original-width="1250" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycyP7ZsWsB8KVsTHQ9maAUOl2LuavSJ2M_tqVw7zBOJHwFQpQmHZQCetASNP8zlynwk-or4Ol42IQDiM5tnDZBiHg_m-pI6RqPESaIuuij9WFX3YwPf0OfXIoBTLd8ocxQqMCNlpomJsngcPOrJZECDP1f6WbV6QKBiqKYaqUovzNmBpobGW5vs9rpHBP/s320/mollies-special-board.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Chef Mollie Ahlstrand has been a local icon for three decades. Her treasured Trattoria Mollie on Coast Village Road set the bar for Italian cuisine in the region, and welcomed patrons like Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, and Ahlstrand’s personal favorite customer ever, Kirk Douglas. In 2018, she moved from Montecito to Santa Barbara proper, opening Mollie’s on State Street next to The Granada Theater. But, as she pointed out in a recent interview, “There was the mudslide and the Thomas Fire and COVID … and the rent and the taxes.” Ahlstrand closed the spot in 2021.</p><p>So it might seem surprising she’s back with <a href="https://www.chefmollie.com" target="_blank">Mollie’s Italian Deli</a> in the Shepard Place Shops in Carpinteria. The strip mall storefront has seating for a dozen people, plus a few more outside, and is squeezed between the Culture Skate Factory and an animal medical clinic. Coast Village Road the location decidedly is not, despite the attractive white tile walls inside and the homey copper pots, clearly functional and not just decorative, along the walls.</p><p>Care to <a href="https://www.independent.com/2023/12/14/mollie-does-deli/">read the rest</a> then do so at the <i>Independent's</i> site.</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-4860746687845283052023-12-13T13:14:00.000-08:002023-12-13T13:14:12.589-08:00When They Do the Double Duck, That's Me Dancing*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNZJ6HShhEnO36hDcn3RW5LDUdSMglTvgH3VrxsojIMFnSrHue3ffufjFuyrpLjrS-ul4LqChhGFS_Zxx1bjZvqTMTzuH3hyzEzE4S79aN6xLXbnChI5KwFTGT5wOf203Lc-3X2Q3WVer6Rka7fE1iEJGrCTlzZl_QoxAz_3dO4mIo1u1L7Bf220S7vFz/s1363/duck-gala.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNZJ6HShhEnO36hDcn3RW5LDUdSMglTvgH3VrxsojIMFnSrHue3ffufjFuyrpLjrS-ul4LqChhGFS_Zxx1bjZvqTMTzuH3hyzEzE4S79aN6xLXbnChI5KwFTGT5wOf203Lc-3X2Q3WVer6Rka7fE1iEJGrCTlzZl_QoxAz_3dO4mIo1u1L7Bf220S7vFz/s320/duck-gala.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><p></p><p>To be honest I'm surprised that I have used the <a href="http://www.georgeeats.com/search/label/duck" target="_blank">tag "duck"</a> only six times in the history of George Eats. It is one of my favorite dishes to order out, partly because it still seems special to me--we certainly never ate it in my house growing up--partially because, even though I realize the ones you get out are farmed, it feels like someone had to hunt for your dinner, and how cool is that?, and partially because the few times I've tried making it at home have been mediocre at best, plus a mess to clean up after. </p><p>So I have ducked twice in the past two weeks, both memorable, and both drastically different despite being versions of duck confit at their base. How could anything cooked very slowly in its own fat not be delicious? Duck has a distinct advantage being filled with duck fat, of course. The result is tender yet still gamey, with a flavor that lingers.</p><p>Above you see the duck from <a href="https://www.galasb.com" target="_blank">Gala</a>, in Santa Barbara in the chic redo of the old Pacific Crepes (and beloved and lamented wine bar pop-up Five and a 1/4) location. Get ready for buzz--people are eating at the bar that fronts Anacapa, large groups are partying, cocktails shakers make their magic song--yet it can still feel romantic and special. The couple who opened the spot, Tara Penke and Jaime Riesco, have tons of industry experience and a restaurant in Barcelona, so sure enough, Gala has a European feel to it. </p><p>And a delicious dish of duck. Note it's a full dish, too, and that's crucial. While you can get sides, what comes on this plate expresses all sorts of balance and delight. Confit by its nature is rich--that's why you order it--so having some greens with a piquant vinaigrette is a perfect counterweight. Those velvety mashed potatoes add creaminess to the mix, and a different kind of richness than what the duck delivers, both earthy--potato, after all--and ethereal--no doubt more than you want to know of cream and butter. And then there's the duck gravy, that embarrasses any pan-dripping alchemized into genius sauce before it. They could sell that on its own, no doubt. The sprinkle of preserved kumquat adds just enough whimsy and acid and color.</p><p>Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the second duck dish, as I was too hungry to take one. We were in Cambria recently, staying on Moonstone Beach, and had the great pleasure doing a holiday twilight tour at Hearst Castle (bonus photo below). That meant we were dinner hunting on a Sunday at 7:30 pm, which, we discovered, was a risky position. We had hoped to just walk to one of the two places near our hotel, either the Sea Chest or the Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill, but both shut down for weeks in December. Thanks, off-season! </p><p>So we ended up at <a href="https://www.robinsrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Robin's</a> in the village of Cambria itself. Tucked in a hobbit-esque cottage decked out tastefully for Christmas with a fireplace roaring, it tuned out to be a delight. Its ethos is straight from the Moosewood era, but unlike some places you might remember from Santa Barbara's not-too-distant dining past, it also evolved a bit with the times, doing veggie and healthy without simply steaming your broccoli and dousing your brown rice in Bragg's. There I ordered Duck Colorado: duck confit, roasted polenta,
cumin sumac roasted baby carrots, red mole sauce, queso fresco, and a handful of tortilla chips. The old pro of a waiter brought out the sharp knife with the gorgeous bowl of food only to say, "Not that you're going to need it." Sure enough, the meat dropped from the bone like someone losing their robe to seduce you. That mole hit all sorts of wonderful notes from its mix of sesame seeds and almonds and who knows how many spices. The heat didn't blaze, but slowly warmed, perfect for a chilly December evening. </p><p>Clearly there's more than one way to serve a duck.</p><p><i>*Pardon the 32-year-old Liz Phair non-sequitur of a title....</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCETkF4B7L-pG7WXMAjABhu1jCpLimgsOJ1hvhNQezv8A3iuDXVbuEEsqjkM9UO3eqNMFQQnfbbtKE05nI06gwXp-3wh1ww-1fCvl_WoWAtmoff8YQlpk5lueOEg3fN4cHjr6jyvrYiHatzzP9NboaP0l0haKbGBm-5whyphenhyphenlOSMA9r2H94HQA9zAIgbzxm/s1667/hearst-tree-outside-window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCETkF4B7L-pG7WXMAjABhu1jCpLimgsOJ1hvhNQezv8A3iuDXVbuEEsqjkM9UO3eqNMFQQnfbbtKE05nI06gwXp-3wh1ww-1fCvl_WoWAtmoff8YQlpk5lueOEg3fN4cHjr6jyvrYiHatzzP9NboaP0l0haKbGBm-5whyphenhyphenlOSMA9r2H94HQA9zAIgbzxm/s320/hearst-tree-outside-window.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-19264455941364546712023-12-07T12:36:00.000-08:002023-12-07T13:04:54.579-08:00Third Window's Boffo Bierbara<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL1JTsKgT9VwARC0l7HOXNic7bo8dTJ4kBPCo5474ECJU5eGa78nbBtcu-VvTmWOjZaOkXKgAknRh5vvWjZtSQMYgf1n2p1qFdn4ZZjL_XSMtm-G_XYJ2UZV9Jq1zU4l4Z7IEk3opB_STfU_IGCeb3o-_hZq52aRhgcCyS91gdPauHm6-Dy2CYUctIOx9/s1667/bierbarax(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL1JTsKgT9VwARC0l7HOXNic7bo8dTJ4kBPCo5474ECJU5eGa78nbBtcu-VvTmWOjZaOkXKgAknRh5vvWjZtSQMYgf1n2p1qFdn4ZZjL_XSMtm-G_XYJ2UZV9Jq1zU4l4Z7IEk3opB_STfU_IGCeb3o-_hZq52aRhgcCyS91gdPauHm6-Dy2CYUctIOx9/s320/bierbarax(1).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't know how I have been so remiss never to post about one of my favorite annual food-drink events in Santa Barbara, in particular because it honors Saint Barbs herself. The St. Barbara origin stories, as with most of the old time saints--you know, the ones before the Romans even knew they'd need an M to count years--is murky, but basically she was a babe so her dad locked her up in a tower to keep her safe. (And keep her valuable to sell when a rich suitor came a-courtin'. It wasn't the good old days.) Pagan dad was later shocked to learn Barbara found the Catholic God in the meantime. Indeed, she convinced workmen to put a third window in a bathhouse on the family property, in tribute to how light comes in to one's soul through the trinity. Unhappy dad asks her to recant. She refuses. Turns her over to be tortured into recanting. She refuses. (Note: bad parenting.) Sentenced to death, her dad Dioscorus offers to wield the beheading sword himself, killing Barbara, only to be instantly smote by a lightning strike. So henceforth, St. Barbara is the patron of protection from things that go boom, especially thunderstorms and gunpowder.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kris Parker, owner of <a href="https://www.thirdwindowbrewing.com" target="_blank">Third Window Brewing</a>, jokes, "Since all the mountain ranges were taken when we were looking for a name for a brewery that had an affinity for monastic ales, we turned to St. Barbara as a way to honor the town we are in." A graphic designer loved the idea--no surprise, as they have a nifty logo for all their merch--and Third Window was born. Every year for St. Barbara's feast day, December 4th, Third Window releases Bierbara, a strong ale that varies from year to year, and holds an actual multi-course feast. This year was number X. (Might as well stay with that Roman counting, no?)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Sz1Fl1n4PRo64bhDX7WnNy4omZprt32OmtT39rghc82dMETFifxvNx6KKsL4ThpuA2Z-WZZTGCvLIL9KCqXKZBc8KCWR0flYijmbhj2zyzLQcRK7cHHquzjn2rjG02-MlwMr90la4SvOYSuKHdIm5-69GeLTVFNxgDV4uKAOTtrNVpnS9rsSNUmRNSpf/s1250/bierbarax(4).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1250" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Sz1Fl1n4PRo64bhDX7WnNy4omZprt32OmtT39rghc82dMETFifxvNx6KKsL4ThpuA2Z-WZZTGCvLIL9KCqXKZBc8KCWR0flYijmbhj2zyzLQcRK7cHHquzjn2rjG02-MlwMr90la4SvOYSuKHdIm5-69GeLTVFNxgDV4uKAOTtrNVpnS9rsSNUmRNSpf/s320/bierbarax(4).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's Kris Parker, left, discussing one of the special pours before one of the courses. To his right is chef Logan Jones of <a href="https://www.tamarsb.com" target="_blank">Tamar</a>, who has had an off-and-on pop-up at Third Window in the past (and currently at the old Tyger Tyger location Fridays), and given his foods all about Middle Eastern flavors, it seemed a particularly good fit for a feast day for someone rumored to have lived in that general region. It certainly worked this night, and he joins the line of esteemed chefs to prepare the Bierbara Feast these past ten years, including John Cox when he was at Bear & Star and Justin West when he owned The Mill's Wildwood.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBFIP8RIWBQ2ukNfLtw0IMib4OUAk9i8lpQPT9VG2kv7v_lCLrGFcXnFfIO9LaBAu0UH4nk06hwsVdLGkJ83I9EpVwOvtm5hADpC-0dyclKIfGA6e10VpybrrkZIhaIEcN7S0vCxMudWL13z7jrUllg5bEqsMjhxpzVR9K1MEeqJ6OKyJxfmpFQHIFp2n/s1667/bierbarax(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBFIP8RIWBQ2ukNfLtw0IMib4OUAk9i8lpQPT9VG2kv7v_lCLrGFcXnFfIO9LaBAu0UH4nk06hwsVdLGkJ83I9EpVwOvtm5hADpC-0dyclKIfGA6e10VpybrrkZIhaIEcN7S0vCxMudWL13z7jrUllg5bEqsMjhxpzVR9K1MEeqJ6OKyJxfmpFQHIFp2n/s320/bierbarax(2).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Please note that non-optimal lighting makes these photos less the sell they should be. Every dish, brought out family style and placed so every four people had a platter to share, was as gorgeous it was delicious. Take that salad above, vivid with its Castelfranco and Treviso red-ivory streaks and then enough variations of shades of white to make you want to bring in an Eskimo who has all those supposed words for snow to help make distinctions--mixed chicories, Belgian endive, Asian pear, sheep's milk cheese, daikon radish. Toss with some toasted hazelnuts, sugar snap peas, and preserved lemon vinaigrette and you had a wonder of a winter salad. Especially when paired, like-to-like, with a lambic beer, a Ranch Koelschip re-fermented on Regier Farms peaches for an extra-sour-sweet snap of fruit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2TcZ3-YFK4fog-etB1aFBTSbwraATQirZW8nKhJmYw3YGpkyczcifGcDY163Onv4eqLtXX-_5rlX5e69C7-cz-0hOC2dTUp1kimjCkFnAu9cgMGkTsXdm9TlJHw131Nyt-Xg1DCzZXDG7kTEETQD4QUOUV7YnxBD_NCsFLNoOMBoLzUpGJ4ApZu7jGmQ/s1667/bierbarax(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2TcZ3-YFK4fog-etB1aFBTSbwraATQirZW8nKhJmYw3YGpkyczcifGcDY163Onv4eqLtXX-_5rlX5e69C7-cz-0hOC2dTUp1kimjCkFnAu9cgMGkTsXdm9TlJHw131Nyt-Xg1DCzZXDG7kTEETQD4QUOUV7YnxBD_NCsFLNoOMBoLzUpGJ4ApZu7jGmQ/s320/bierbarax(3).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The second course offered the delight of ranch oak-smoked lamb kofta meatballs, crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, full of flavor, sat in some of the yummiest cucumber and mint tzatziki I've ever had, somewhere between that Greek dip and a raita, punched up with black garlic chili oil. As a delivery vehicle there was Michelline Parker's soul-satisfying sourdough bread, grilled and drizzled with just enough olive oil. All of that good taste was amplified by the vivid Winter Saison '23 poured alongside, an imperial aged in Cognac puncheons, mellow and bright and artfully acetous, with the exact additions of ginger and orange peel without overpowering the ale's balance. The beer did that fine cleanse the palate trick that helped keep the food course seeming light.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJWNYi2TcUctVr-XorsX9EmjCTzoNOoyFP_AXLXR0a_eNz2PXiB0i1pb9TVS2yannISiSa2TG6yJVWTzqhs-4Ixheq_zis4sBHU9pL_o81VGwsDkARr8qw1ORGgImHUsuSLl0tRODVRDZUZHBSvyzkU0o2WbRmV8czSDg0tmIgC7BeaafoXKQJ9ftsLU3/s1667/bierbarax(5).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJWNYi2TcUctVr-XorsX9EmjCTzoNOoyFP_AXLXR0a_eNz2PXiB0i1pb9TVS2yannISiSa2TG6yJVWTzqhs-4Ixheq_zis4sBHU9pL_o81VGwsDkARr8qw1ORGgImHUsuSLl0tRODVRDZUZHBSvyzkU0o2WbRmV8czSDg0tmIgC7BeaafoXKQJ9ftsLU3/s320/bierbarax(5).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The third course proves yet again brown foods might be made for the belly but not for Instagram. That's the fall-off-the-bone tender braised Fess Parker (what else?) beef short rib amidst a stew of homey loveliness--braised wheat berry porridge, pomegranate, toasted pistachio, roasted turnip, butternut squash, smoked dates. Atop the savory crunch of crispy shallot. Winter savory eating at its finest, so good you could have it without the beef and be completely pleased, and I say that usually not a huge fan of the whole porridge/oatmeal/congee texture of foods. (I tell myself I'm saving them for my toothless 90s.) But this dish I ate with relish. And drank with the '23 Bierbara, this year an abbey-style quad aged for a year in Willett Bourbon barrels, then rested on roasted pistachio and pomegranate. Super smooth for its no doubt high alcohol content, it was vivid with vanilla, piquant with the pistachio and pomegranate that the food also delivered. As ever, something special. (It's probably on tap/in bottles at the brewery soon if you want some.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY42V196uL6_nujeqi_cg8QR1UPnWKS4lIYJ7mjvG83z9LnfndgxaeDFyIWX1tmmhJfa4BinVeXEM13N3pwHLZ86QPHS-O2xPTLzMydqjSafub69e98pCYStjm-NlrXMQOt5pbVY1OJU5-9J0L7F3wRSeBHvjNVH3WhGbLtki0x1NpvpcNbXrjn9F-YM7Z/s1667/bierbarax(6).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY42V196uL6_nujeqi_cg8QR1UPnWKS4lIYJ7mjvG83z9LnfndgxaeDFyIWX1tmmhJfa4BinVeXEM13N3pwHLZ86QPHS-O2xPTLzMydqjSafub69e98pCYStjm-NlrXMQOt5pbVY1OJU5-9J0L7F3wRSeBHvjNVH3WhGbLtki0x1NpvpcNbXrjn9F-YM7Z/s320/bierbarax(6).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Note the reason for the season beer was poured alongside course three. For dessert we each got a generous glass full of dark chocolate budino, a very adult pudding that took a bit to get to through the whipped cream, tangerine segments and candied rind, and the peanut brittle that Chef Jones should be selling on its own. The beer match once again went for the samesies trick--the method of this feast's madness was always amplification, intensity, underlining--a bourbon-barrel aged walkabout, an imperial chocolate stout made with Third Window's almost neighbors 24 Blackbirds cocoa nibs, vanilla, and backyard orange peel. It could have been dessert in a glass itself, but we also had a dessert in another glass. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And at least two of us were very glad we waddled our fested selves the 2.3 miles home on foot, reminiscing of deliciousness all the way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-34330869359018448992023-12-04T14:12:00.000-08:002023-12-04T14:12:52.091-08:00All Hail Another Year of Jubelale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKzyTzJNX6oPMPegmx5uVddFki7khlrxX7nHHbzqUwBu0B4b2JI_dWNs5EEzeDi_r-s4wqje7h3h9OILtsWwtb2lwmlUO8UM-DFwBAPLpLlc6OWOdOZ2zCLiIELAQNzSgsSWz0k7GtmMH1_lgWY6N0qocnXjgIcHLM3ChXKdqHeaJ937QQNA-hyXk-a2I/s3900/Angled%206-Pack%20of%20Jubelale%20with%20No%20Background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3900" data-original-width="3900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKzyTzJNX6oPMPegmx5uVddFki7khlrxX7nHHbzqUwBu0B4b2JI_dWNs5EEzeDi_r-s4wqje7h3h9OILtsWwtb2lwmlUO8UM-DFwBAPLpLlc6OWOdOZ2zCLiIELAQNzSgsSWz0k7GtmMH1_lgWY6N0qocnXjgIcHLM3ChXKdqHeaJ937QQNA-hyXk-a2I/s320/Angled%206-Pack%20of%20Jubelale%20with%20No%20Background.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" >Given Anchor Brewing is gone, and along with it its annual Christmas Ale, it's good some seasonal winter warmers are continuing their traditions. Take Bend, Oregon's <a href="https://www.deschutesbrewery.com" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Deschutes Brewery</a>, which has released its 36th edition of its Jubelale. This dark ale is long lingering and warming, offering aptly seasonal notes of chestnut and allspice and smoke. Think of Jubelale as one of those beers that teaches you how to drink it, moves your taste buds around to best accept its enveloping warmth. With surprising oomph for a mere 6.7% ABV, it's a strong ale that won't punch you upside your head if you drink two. Bring on the snow, or at least the ugly sweaters.<p>Not that the art for Jubelale is ugly in the slightest. In face, there's a contest every year for new art. The festive scene for 2023 showcases a design by former Deschutes Brewery employee, Ben Woodcock. Deschutes press release informs: "Ben worked at the Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House for nearly a decade where he served up tasty food and beverages as he made his way through graphic design school at Portland State University. During his time with Deschutes, he also created elaborate one-of-kind chalk art that frequently graced the walls of the restaurant. Today, Ben is a multidisciplinary artist, designer and educator in Portland who still creates unique chalk art for Deschutes at the Portland Public House." So that's a cool way to support the employee team and make things a bit more personal and personable. Which is what a good beer does, no?</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-61962919314219359302023-10-27T10:26:00.001-07:002023-10-27T10:26:06.532-07:00Way Back Machine: "Reed It and Weep" (Nov. 2, 2006)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmyY1zXeB3sAbkTXz4FPecPNr2P7TOap_vequJuM7-rnhFW-OWyEAj1xn1Dsxwbg39kLSS3mCDelKZMws9_h-clsPtWKgdbGRJRjtCWFGZsewpHX3vTDRy7oGx4krG_4L_S1V0Ml9Xb8pW0eQEl1gXKVa5ziclQ2Po6gXolKZU9rTIm-V40Twj6lT7IXm/s1250/reed-rock-n-roll-diary-gatefold.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="1250" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmyY1zXeB3sAbkTXz4FPecPNr2P7TOap_vequJuM7-rnhFW-OWyEAj1xn1Dsxwbg39kLSS3mCDelKZMws9_h-clsPtWKgdbGRJRjtCWFGZsewpHX3vTDRy7oGx4krG_4L_S1V0Ml9Xb8pW0eQEl1gXKVa5ziclQ2Po6gXolKZU9rTIm-V40Twj6lT7IXm/s320/reed-rock-n-roll-diary-gatefold.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b>One from the vaults: This originally appeared on an old blog, and I like it enough to republish and share, especially since it's the 10th anniversary of Lou's passing. (Ten years already!) As for the image, that's from a compilation disc that turned me on to Lou and the Velvets when I was a freshman in college and I was busy growing my ears. To be honest, as much as the music, I was thrilled by the wonderful Ellen Willis-penned liner notes, which got me into her as a writer, too. </b></p><p>Heading into last night's Lou Reed show right here in Santa Barbara, instead of having a Reed or Velvet's tune in my head, I just kept running that Pixies' lyrics, "'I want to be a singer like Lou Reed,' 'I like Lou Reed,' she says, sticking her tongue in my ear." Perverse, I know, but what better thing to be to prepare myself for Lou, the man who sang about how heroin was his life and his wife the very same year the Beatles got by with a little help from their friends, the man who would deign to play a brittly-sweet version of "Femme Fatale" at this very show, only to hold off singing the title words until the very very last run through the chorus, the man who got the line "she never lost her head even when she was giving head" onto the radio in what is the only song of his ever really to be played on the radio in a 40 year career. </p><p>Sure enough, the show was perverse, too. Reed's touring with longtime band-mate Fernando Saunders and Rob Wasserman, thereby kicking out the drums for a double bass approach that suits many of his songs quite well (even ones he never played--would have loved to hear "Doing the Things that They Want To" or "Perfect Day" or "Kill Your Sons" with one bassist sawing and one plucking, but that's just a way to say Reed has too many good songs and most of them create rock art, and I flip the words very intentionally). They opened with a noise-strumental that functioned as sound-check, which was a good thing since Wasserman's bass originally was mixed so as to move the audience's viscera. Then they set the tone for the evening with an odd lope through "What's Good" and while Wasserman and Saunders pushed the song with its nifty lifting little bass hook, Reed seemed indifferent to the guitar riff, toying with it and the lyrics, too. The tension kind of worked, as the song itself is all about oxymorons like "life's like Sanskrit read to a pony" and "what good is seeing eye chocolate." Reed's great theme all along has been thanatos v. eros, and how much we can love death and kill love. It's not accidental that his Robert Wilson collaboration, which he played a bunch of songs from, is <i>The Raven</i>. </p><p>So the show was far from perfect, but nobody looks to Reed for that (you want perfect go fall asleep to Celine Dion or somebody). He played two cuts from <i>Songs for Drella</i>, the terrific work he and John Cale created for their mentor Warhol, and instead of blasting through "Forever Changed," which would have really rocked with the double-bass-bottom, he did the talksong with wind effects "The Dream," which Cale does on the recording, as if to reclaim that cut and prove he is and was and will always be the genius (while reveling in the lines about how Andy thinks he's a jerk--despite his immense talent, Lou's one of those assholes who likes to walk around saying, "Yep, I'm an asshole"). I mean, when the show opened and he got a partial standing O just for coming out on stage he did this little hands palmed-out at his sides Jesus blessing like we could all lick his stigmata or something. Then after "The Dream" he revamped "Faces and Names," one of those songs that makes it seem as if his favorite lyric-writing trick is to repeat phrases till they turn noise. </p><p>But then there was a you-got-your-money's worth "Sword of Damocles," too. The synth riff from the recorded version got turned into a bowed bass part, and Reed was even generous enough to let Saunders play one amazing solo on some bassthingy he had on a stand. It was so hot that Saunders just tossed his bow mid-run, as it cramped the free flow of the picking. This song also features some classic Reed lines like, "There are things we can't know/maybe there's something over there/Some other world we don't know about/I know you hate that mystic shit," which is good for a goof, bad for scansion, and very much like something he might have actually said to a dying friend. Even when he's full of it, that's who he truly is. </p><p>When "Damocles" started I thought it was "Street Hassle," but then they did close the full set with that epic of the demimonde. Why not, when you've got a mini-string section? Even after decades of rap music, the lyrics still kind of shock ("when someone turns that blue it's a universal truth and you know that bitch will never fuck again"), and the music was pretty relentless--neither bassman ever relieved the "do-dum-do-dum-dum" with the "bum-boo-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum" rising part on the recorded version--so it was sort of "Street Hassle" on its way to "Sister Ray," but that's Lou for you. He giveth, and he taketh away. Someone from the crowd at one point yelled "We love you, Lou," and he replied, "I love you, too...it's been a long time, I guess you could call this a relationship." that might sound heartwarming, but he did write and sing "Street Hassle," so there's no rest in a relationship with Reed. Then again, here's a guy who you know is always thinking--cause he says it in almost every song--that we're all gonna die anyway.</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-45133016624035195982023-10-25T12:54:00.002-07:002023-10-25T12:54:36.804-07:00A Review of "Why We Love Baseball" by Joe Posnanski<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwW_xLDNEV3DXKveEVamaSfF3mdr31AolRYZVHEMePDWDR3BIeDJCJ3LIu3-n099nMy6HDOgSpT38RAt2nKCZ_R7kqCzvYxdwAJeUho6WGE1hJ9WAB2aKkG3YoGCjVsd5wbqF5vBSs5whrWSSOr3M_esD7ncXr690ToHWVYL4WDEjqGsSMkvk5ChVK_xE/s1024/JoePos-Baseball-678x1024.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="678" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwW_xLDNEV3DXKveEVamaSfF3mdr31AolRYZVHEMePDWDR3BIeDJCJ3LIu3-n099nMy6HDOgSpT38RAt2nKCZ_R7kqCzvYxdwAJeUho6WGE1hJ9WAB2aKkG3YoGCjVsd5wbqF5vBSs5whrWSSOr3M_esD7ncXr690ToHWVYL4WDEjqGsSMkvk5ChVK_xE/s320/JoePos-Baseball-678x1024.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>There’s that terrific anticipatory rush you can get when attending a classic movie in a theater and a beloved scene is about to happen. Think Gene Kelly wearing that manic, just-found-love grin, waving his driver along and starting to doo-doo his way through the intro of the unforgettable title number of <i>Singin’ in the Rain</i>. The whole crowd practically sighs, ready to relish four minutes of splash-dancing perfection.
</p><p>That’s a huge part of the fun for a fan reading <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Joe Posnanski’s latest, <i>Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments</i>. Ah, it’s the Jack Morris-John Smoltz Game 7 World Series duel from 1991. And here comes Willie Mays’ over-the-shoulder catch in the 1954 Series, lost in the deepest depths of the Polo Grounds’ centerfield.</p><p>Care to <a href="https://calirb.com/why-we-love-baseball-a-history-in-50-moments-by-joe-posnanski/" target="_blank">read the rest</a> then do so at <i>California Review of Books</i>.</p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-40584701131558353692023-10-21T15:00:00.006-07:002023-10-21T17:08:27.185-07:00Have a Little Hedonistas de la Fe in Me<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaszcIixZNzxXwrru6Q9N8pFcoIiXqfe-wpRfon7ec1w_0HIoyo_3BKZmsouOEMV0l3kBqFImX1kaK0LIKVpnN2l4-Auhwcxk0tVPdWRCTCqJaNZIEPuUIHiKbhAodCndK3umwxp8_QJmhFjiKC7BE5pq0TSAUYlwlwRDh9snfvWqg8X_EKMUwiZ8zs_v5/s1250/hedonistas-de-la-fe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1250" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaszcIixZNzxXwrru6Q9N8pFcoIiXqfe-wpRfon7ec1w_0HIoyo_3BKZmsouOEMV0l3kBqFImX1kaK0LIKVpnN2l4-Auhwcxk0tVPdWRCTCqJaNZIEPuUIHiKbhAodCndK3umwxp8_QJmhFjiKC7BE5pq0TSAUYlwlwRDh9snfvWqg8X_EKMUwiZ8zs_v5/s320/hedonistas-de-la-fe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>It's National Mezcal Day, so let's celebrate with a terrific artisanal product, <a href="https://www.hedonistasdelafe.com" target="_blank">Hedonistas de la Fe</a>. As with many mezcals sold in the U.S. market, Hedonistas came to be when some Americans obsessed with the drink and enough money and business acumen to want to build a brand went hunting in Mexico for a mezcalero they loved. Co-founders Bhalin Singh and Jim Beaubien discovered Gerardo “Kaín” Santiago Hernandez in Matatlan, Oaxaca and knew they had their man. Kaín is a fourth-generation mezcalero, doing things the right old way, from sourcing agave to roasting for days over mesquite to natural fermentation to double distillation. </p><p>Hedonistas also gets to celebrate the wide-range of flavors mezcal permits. While tequila must be made of Blue Weber agave, there are actually over 250 varieties of the plant, and about 30 have been used to make mezcal. At this point, Hedonistas keeps its product line to four, but each is quite distinct.</p><p>They kick off with the mezcal most folks have had, an Espadín. This bottling is the only one of the four that comes from cultivated agave, and as part of the their sustainability efforts, Hedonistas replants as many as they use to distill. As you can see from the photo above, all four styles are crystalline, bordering on shimmering clear--part of the no additives process. Let's get to the smoke issue quick, too. Yes, that's one of the major distinctions between tequila and mezcal, but to act as if that's the only difference is like saying the only difference between the New York Giants and the San Francisco Giants is which coast they play on. I'd rather suggest the difference is more like that between football and baseball itself, with mezcal the more interesting, evolving, thoughtful, and varied, just like the national pastime. </p><p>So with the Espadín you get the smoke on the nose and initial palate, but some of the taste of smoke is from burnt grapefruit peel, it seems. Each sip is integrated, complicated, lingering. There are floral notes, and notes of white pepper. It lasts. Hedonistas suggests you can mix this one for cocktails, but it seems too good for that, unless you really want to impress. And I am quite taken by some of their cocktail recipes on their website, in particular the Last Rite No. 1, made with the Espadín, yellow chartreuse, Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, and fresh lemon juice.</p><p>Moving up the ladder of complexity and price we get to the Tobala, the first of the wild agave sourced by trained <i>jimadors</i> who harvest the plants near the end of their 10-12 year life cycle. Think of Tobala as the whisper-to-a-scream mezcal--it starts attractively come hither on the nose with orange blossom notes, but then builds to a crescendo on its long finish with a hit of pyrazines--that green pepper flavor that makes Cab Franc so distinctive. For its late oomph it still is both sophisticated and inviting.</p><p>The Cuishe is kind of the flip side to the Tobala, enticing you in with a nose that makes you feel like a walk through a florist. Tropical, with a lingering note of petrol like in a Reisling, it's a tender mezcal, even down to having the smoothest mouthful of the four. Note that it doesn't give you a bit of alcohol kick at the back of the throat, like you got snapped with a tiny towel, just to remind you you're drinking firewater, if still very elevated booze. (All four come in at a kicky yet controlled 46% ABV, if you were wondering.)</p><p>Then there's the Tepeztate, which will make you rethink what mezcal can be. Green and grassy, the plants that make it up mature at 20-22 years (they're old enough to drink themselves in the States!). Think of it as the sturgeon of agave, well, not in flavor, of course. Hedonistas suggests it has a Calvados-quality I didn't quite pick up, but it is to be savored like a fine Cognac, without a doubt. </p><p>You've probably guessed from the buzzwords handmade, artisanal, wild, and all those years it takes for the plants to be old enough to be harvested and distilled that this stuff doesn't come cheap. The range goes from $64.99 - $199.99. It's up to you to decide what's too dear for you. But if you can afford it, you won't go wrong.</p><p><br /></p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-442894555380061072.post-56494340896692399632023-10-11T16:45:00.005-07:002023-10-11T16:46:37.666-07:00Bluewater's Terrific Second Tuesday Tastings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVjfrYDHQvVhZ-vUqTgbD67pChLTc2Q7F5rxAgv3OGnZttHL9RWiQfA68CUR8Vmcj_y4UgwO-tIT2EgEZu7V-RMc1ysGRcL_UIEOVJ5If_yv5289zdNDUsoQ8VcHw4VRputWQbVjZoFl7sTJPiaaNxmEIkxAchjTkmWXGje2YqdfCxG9TphHmjZZTy-cC/s1520/bluewater-reflection.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVjfrYDHQvVhZ-vUqTgbD67pChLTc2Q7F5rxAgv3OGnZttHL9RWiQfA68CUR8Vmcj_y4UgwO-tIT2EgEZu7V-RMc1ysGRcL_UIEOVJ5If_yv5289zdNDUsoQ8VcHw4VRputWQbVjZoFl7sTJPiaaNxmEIkxAchjTkmWXGje2YqdfCxG9TphHmjZZTy-cC/s320/bluewater-reflection.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.bluewatergrill.com/santa-barbara-menus/" target="_blank">Bluewater Grill</a> has been opened five years now, but it has had to re-think itself constantly thanks to pandemics and the like. The focus has always been on sustainable seafood, though, served in one of Santa Barbara's inimitable locations, on Cabrillo, staring out at Stearns Wharf and the harbor. Heck, it's even got a mock lighthouse tower to draw visitors in. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That doesn't stop them from instigating a program called Second Tuesday Tastings. For October and National Seafood Month, Bluewater turned to Spain for inspiration (mostly with the wine parings), and offered up this deal: an appetizer of panko artichoke hearts with brava sauce with a glass of Abadía de San Campio Albariño and an entree of chipotle blackened swordfish alongside a pour of Marqués de Riscal Verdejo.
The special two-course with wine pairings ran $55 per person, which is quite a deal, especially if you consider that signature swordfish dish goes for $38 on the regular menu. I mean, I usually don't get an app and two glasses of wine for 17 bucks, do you? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuhq3-y3SH-5JEAcwowEsIlR5969-GuLF8f3VuOCgEp5Z4wncbygtzxYApuySNnifJ18q8PUIp1EkMVlQUfg6_06MeLfN2R-BwQJxM6Y5zl9VlQg7oeKlZNMag8lWGDya7h_e6U186E8qndph7ij53uFXgxcTIybZwaHIltRef6Et5OjUtNWlhyphenhyphenJXKcFU/s1620/albarino.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuhq3-y3SH-5JEAcwowEsIlR5969-GuLF8f3VuOCgEp5Z4wncbygtzxYApuySNnifJ18q8PUIp1EkMVlQUfg6_06MeLfN2R-BwQJxM6Y5zl9VlQg7oeKlZNMag8lWGDya7h_e6U186E8qndph7ij53uFXgxcTIybZwaHIltRef6Et5OjUtNWlhyphenhyphenJXKcFU/s320/albarino.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Besides photographing well with some palm trees as a back drop, the Albariño, is a perfect it takes some time for fall to fall on Santa Barbara wine, super-grippy, presenting its lemonsicle flavors with a richer mouthfeel than usual for the varietal without going flabby.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXSRsFOPAFARzdOPfLE1nRmvLa-brAb2HB6jwl7kKt9DiSxghe3UKWWYO8kuk_C2RON6nU2hEeunEl9eq2bi9ZUMjZHSXlbtT7RyXJRzCc4OKrmYEEsKUU67N0Ke29nKUk9n5QMYi1CsiyCldD2VadKPN_ZihQVsnCH6JJ_qyjcShnfA16Ft3hYkCLNxT/s1250/artichoke.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1250" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXSRsFOPAFARzdOPfLE1nRmvLa-brAb2HB6jwl7kKt9DiSxghe3UKWWYO8kuk_C2RON6nU2hEeunEl9eq2bi9ZUMjZHSXlbtT7RyXJRzCc4OKrmYEEsKUU67N0Ke29nKUk9n5QMYi1CsiyCldD2VadKPN_ZihQVsnCH6JJ_qyjcShnfA16Ft3hYkCLNxT/s320/artichoke.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>That also made the wine a fine foil to the heaping helping of artichoke, golden brown fried in that panko so it almost looks like mozzarella fingers, but is much lighter inside. Clean, crisp, and crunchy. Brava sauce makes you say bravo on the finish, tomato's hearty essence ringing out and bringing some acid needed to the fry-ness of the artichoke. It's so good, you will no doubt sop up any left over with the old school San Francisco-style sourdough (which arrives at the table warm--nice touch).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHE8YoSzXqLqH-UGjMYZMWvcowc8GHBSTq8gvmlBLZojBDJKdaIf1KUkyqwOC4Y3of0OpFiISHVe0kfm-c4FyDcX69QWI8N0vHHRT1ySnjRn0F3IlV6jrHlZ8WVoagSQqTubhPeQjoGrxYidLgo6YKm4E3ibzqW7rJPOTjMELnT9KikWf3b7EflANOwcj/s1667/verdejo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHE8YoSzXqLqH-UGjMYZMWvcowc8GHBSTq8gvmlBLZojBDJKdaIf1KUkyqwOC4Y3of0OpFiISHVe0kfm-c4FyDcX69QWI8N0vHHRT1ySnjRn0F3IlV6jrHlZ8WVoagSQqTubhPeQjoGrxYidLgo6YKm4E3ibzqW7rJPOTjMELnT9KikWf3b7EflANOwcj/s320/verdejo.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>The Marqués de Riscal Verdejo comes off as more of a country cousin compared to the sleeker Albariño, greener and grassier and more Sauvignon Blanc-y, as it were. Still, it pairs very well with what a GM insisted is a blackened swordfish with chipotle dirty rice, as opposed to a chipotle blackened swordfish. Distinctions do matter, in numerous ways, starting with the dirty rice that had some warming not burning chile heat, a scattering of black beans, endnote a hint of pork (good news, pescatarians!). The swordfish rub offered a bit of a kick, too, but it doesn't hurt for theme to end with an inner glow, especially if you're sitting outside. (And if you can, snag one of the amazing tables outside the second floor bar, as the view alone is worth it.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvRs82uE4W4s2A-suKiGWw3NuLfxzIm3zi0y9z3ky60Vq_yhMD-yyJU_k84Ds7EOSF5vPoA8O9CT8BpTSXIqHT0Nz2H_NFf5v9FWtXBY5L6kQbu9CzztsOhLi40YgbSN7naubDDQps2fhbd69rz7z4bRbjJr2FAxRPAT6rK1k3chZiP8jUFDYQqxYPO8u/s1250/swordfish.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1250" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvRs82uE4W4s2A-suKiGWw3NuLfxzIm3zi0y9z3ky60Vq_yhMD-yyJU_k84Ds7EOSF5vPoA8O9CT8BpTSXIqHT0Nz2H_NFf5v9FWtXBY5L6kQbu9CzztsOhLi40YgbSN7naubDDQps2fhbd69rz7z4bRbjJr2FAxRPAT6rK1k3chZiP8jUFDYQqxYPO8u/s320/swordfish.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also note this is a serious plate of food--it's not a precious dollop of rice besides an inch by inch fish cut. And that corn and avocado add just enough Southwest to help the dish soar and sing.</div><p>Service was flowing smoothly--pleasant, attentive, unrushed. It was a new GM's first day, so if you go in be sure to welcome Annia Bonifaz, who is happy to be back at the Santa Barbara location (Bluewater is everywhere, from Catalina to Phoenix). </p><p>Even better, since they didn't feel they got the word out fully about this month's Second Tuesday Tasting, they're going to repeat it next Tuesday, October 17. </p><p></p><p></p>Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03177098959820042217noreply@blogger.com0