Grilling & Wine for Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend is finally here- days to remember those who have served for our Freedom and celebrate the coming of summer with family, friends and grilling.  I recall going to the Forest Preserve to play softball and have a pop (when I was very young) or a beer and enjoy the smell of meat grilling over charcoal.  Now that times have changed a bit, and my palate as well, I like to try wine with these events also.  What are some good wines to try with grilling?  Let's get to it:

• Gotta have a nice refreshing white wine for seafood or to cool off.  For that I'm calling for 2010 Ponzi Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley ($15).  A dry wine full of tropical fruit flavor to pair with grilled oysters, fish, shrimp or chicken, and weighty enough to stand up to marinades
• Think Pink.  Rose is a great way to is a fine way to go towards beating the heat and the berry sweetness will quench your thirst and pair phenomenally with BBQ sauces. Try the Bastianich Rose ($13) made from 100% Refosco by the Bastianich Family and Chef Mario Batali.
• Looking for that light summer red to pair with light meats like chicken and pork?  Most people would grab a great Pinot Noir like 2009 Au Bon Climat for under $20, but I like to try different things.  A Grenache has slight bit more weight but can be an amazing summer wine.  Try 2006 Fireblock Old Vine Grenache ($15) from Australia- you'll get great red fruit, twizzler (awesome), tingling spice and flavor length.
• When we're talking lamb, beef and game with grill marks, it's time to pull out the big guns.  You'll want a red with boldness, body, spice and fruit.  This has Malbec written all over it and I'm grabbing a bottle of 2010 Achaval Ferrer ($18) from Mendoza.  Zinfandel is always a great choice in this part plus it hits with BBQ and ribs.  Four Vines and Ridge make amazing wines and even some blends using Zin and you'll love them all.  Not to be forgotten, Shiraz/Syrah has 'wow' factor with black peppercorn and deep rich fruit, so go for Kilikanoon 'Killerman's Run' Shiraz ($17).

Any direction you go you can't go wrong because you'll be spending time with those you love getting ready for a terrific season.  Enjoy!

Nueva Buena Vista by Jean-Charles Boisset

Jean-Charles BoissetRecently I had the pleasure of having lunch with Jean-Charles Boisset, President of Boisset Family Estates, at Carmichael's to discuss his future plans for recent purchase Buena Vista Winery.  Jean-Charles (JC) has been involved with wine his entire life and practically grew up in the vineyards.  The Boisset family is well known as winemakers and exporters, and owned property in Burgundy, the Rhone Valley and southern France before visiting California.  JC and his family really took to the west coast and loved the winemaking potential and history.  This lead to JC rooting himself and his family there and purchasing famous wineries & vineyards such as Raymond, DeLoach, Lyeth, and as of April 2011, Buena Vista.

When JC looks to purchase a winery it must meet certain criteria: able to create excellent wine and have rich history.  Buena Vista was the perfect fit as it is probably California's most historic winery.  It was started in 1856 by Hungarian immigrant Count Agoston Harazthy.  The Count was a pioneer and innovator- he started California's first commercial winery (Buena Vista), built the first wine caves, introduced over 300 grape varietals, created the first Traditional Method sparkling wines and introduced California wines to Europe, winning gold medals and accreditation.  Now the tradition can live on as JC carries the torch and makes Buena Vista fully organic (as he does with all of his wineries) and has changed to Gravity-Flow, one of the first in the area.

At our lunch I was able to taste a few wines which will be available at very reasonable prices (most at $20 or less) which makes them extreme value selections.  There will be four different lines:

1. Sonoma.  A new vintage-style label is made to both impress and deliver with varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel.  I tasted the 2011 Chardonnay which carries a lighter weight, supple fruit and both butter and slight oak, and the 2010 Zinfandel which is an amazing bargain with dark jammy fruit, spice, toastiness and a puff of smoke.  I was also impressed by the 2008 "The Count" Founder's Red Wine, a blend (which I had to guess!) of Zinfandel, Syrah and Merlot.  I love blends and this one hits on all points: great fruit, a variety of secondary flavor like mocha and spices, and a lengthy finish.
2. Carneros.  I love this region for the complex thin skinned fruit it can produce with the cool ocean breeze, and Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir are part of the line.  I tasted the 2009 Pinot Noir which has an elegant earthiness combined with tasty fruit.  Looking forward to the other varietals.
3. Private Reserve.  This house label has been revived and involves fruit sourced from Sonoma's best vineyards.  A lineup of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel will be the best there is to offer.
4. Vinicultural Society.  Small production wines to honor the ancient society begun by the Count in 1863.  Currently they boast wines named after Agoston's children.  Arpad's is a select Zinfandel, Otelia's is a select Pinot Noir and a vintage Sparkling Brut is also available.  ($32-45)

I definitely enjoyed tasting these wines and really like JC's jovial personality and style.  I think it translates to his personal life, business, decisions and relationships.  This French legend is already an American pioneer and star in the making.  I look forward to seeing his future ventures and tasting the wines!

Vacation in Sheboygan Falls & Kohler

Recently, my family and I felt the need for a small out of town break from Chicago, so I started looking for great spots to go closeby.  A small bit of research led me to Sheboygan Falls- a small town about an hour north of Milwaukee near the Lake Michigan coast.  I read nothing but very good things about this spot and we decided to go for it.

The ride up there was pleasant as usual as we passed farms, forest, Mars Cheese Castle and we stopped in Milwaukee for lunch.  The Milwaukee Public Market is a no brainer- they have local vendors who have everything from fresh seafood, sausages, artisan cheese and sandwiches, sushi and tacos.  And free parking!  After that we started on the last leg up to Sheboygan Falls.

We had reservations at The Rochester Inn, a cozy Bed & Breakfast near downtown and the rapids of the Sheboygan River.  The rooms are all uniquely designed and named- we stayed in The Charles Cole named for a pioneer merchant from 19th century Wisconsin.  Most of the rooms are bi-level and, though they're meant for romantic couples, accomodated our family perfectly.  The first floor has a couch, fridge and kitchen sink and the upstairs has a comfy bed and bathroom.  Both floors have flatscreen TVs with DVD.  Lily was able to to sleep in a Pack n' Play on the 1st floor while we had some wine and watched a movie.  Your morning starts off on the right foot with a room-service breakfast of fresh fruit, french toast and omelete.  A great place to stay!

Our first day we took a walk around downtown which was a short walk over the bridge and headed to River Park, which I highly recommend.  It's a great spot to walk, fish, BBQ, watch baseball or play on the swings and slides.  There's quite a few shops but they're closed on Sunday and some are closed Monday as well.  A couple of local places to eat are Falls Firehouse Pizza, The Other Place Pub (known for their Friday Fish Fry) and the Bread & Bean Eatery, known for making great homemade sandwiches and dishes- the Chi-Town Stir Fry is awesome.  We were also able to shop for some wine at Save Way Liquor- they have a decent selection and I purchased Santa Rita 120 Carmenere (a good under $10 red) and a mixed 12 pack of New Glarus beers, a must buy whenever you go to Wisconsin!

For dinner we headed to Sheboygan, which is right on the coast, and ate at the Duke of Devon which has an amazing outdoor patio, fish & chips and local beer selections.  The rest of the menu is comprised of English Pub fare like Bangers & Mash and Curry Chips.  This town is much larger and great for boating and fishing.

The following day after breakfast we headed to Kohler, a small town located just east of the Falls and home to Kohler Co.  There's a lot to do here: two golf courses (Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits), the Kohler Waters Spa, The American Club Resort, the Shops at Woodlake (all unique specialty shops, boutiques and restaurants) and Kohler itself which has a showroom and museum.  Driving, walking, shopping, eating- I recommend spending a day or two here!

This is a great trip anyone living in the Midwest can take with partners, friends and family.  Contact me if you have any questions and please comment if you've already made this trip.

Perfect Wine Deal & Gift Idea

Yesterday I was checking the deal site apps on my phone and immediately noticed an amazing wine deal on Living Social: $40 for $80 to spend on wine & gifts at Wine.com!  I nabbed that deal right away and it takes about 24 hours for it to become available.  I wanted to combine it with a Wine.com free shipping order but you can only use one promotion at a time, and half price is pretty good anyway. 

I started shopping right away and found four bottles that'll either make good gifts or home cellar additions: Stoller JV Pinot Noir, L'Ecole 41 Semillon, Ch. Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon and Argiano Non Confunditur (SuperTuscan blend).  The best thing was I only had to kick in an extra $4 for shipping/tax- that's 4 great bottles for $44!

Check it out and see what combo you can come up with- happy hunting!

Keefer's Restaurant Chicago 10th Anniversary

I was recently notified about one of Chicago's great restaurants, Keefer's, enjoying their 10th Anniversary. Named for brothers/partners Glen & Rich Keefer, the restaurant is located on the bottom floor of the Amalfi Hotel and is one of the great steakhouses of River North. To celebrate the anniversary, they'll be offering free valet, Sunday three-course prixe fix supper for $25, and $10 weekday lunch specials.

I was also invited to come and try out the menu & wine list, which turned out to be an overall good experience. I had been to Keefer's in the past, but had only been in the bar area. This time I went in the dining room, which had cozy seating, but seemed airy and almost too open- I think it had to do with the extremely high ceilings.  Our server came promptly and we started off with Dampierre Grand Cuvee Brut NV Champagne, a great wine to begin your meal with and an excellent choice to have by the glass on any wine list, especially for $14. We started off with a couple of appetizer recommendations from our excellent server which went very well with the Champagne: grilled calamari & Nantucket Bay scallops. The great thing about the calamari was that they were cooked perfectly and still had a fresh sea taste to them, along with the char. The scallops are a seasonal item, and were small, sweet and rich- look for them at the beginning of November through to year's end.

I really enjoyed perusing the Wine List- they have many interesting picks though they could be a bit more worldly, especially with Chardonnay (14 out of 15 selections from California). There is some redundancy with styles & prices for varietals as well, but overall I liked the selections for a steakhouse. I spotted what I wanted right away- the 2005 Woodward Canyon Estate Red Reserve. A great wine at without a high markup. I didn't even have to ask for a decanter before the server was on it. One more small problem is we found out Keefer's does not have temperature controlled storage for it's wines, which is disappointing for two reasons: red wines should be served around 65 degrees plus most of the selections should be stored properly.

For dinner I chose the lamb chops which were crusted in dijon, herbs and garlic, which added great flavor to a perfectly cooked medium rare. There was a sauce served underneath the chops which I did not recognize and didn't add much to the dish. With meat dishes you should order sides, which are large enough for two. I ordered the mushrooms (shitake & cremini) and Hogan's peas, which were fresh, sweet and creamy, though I would've preferred the bacon to be cooked fresh with a bit of soft fat- it came hard and overcooked. Overall, delicious, especially with the wine.

Dessert was an easy pick- apple tart a la mode & warm chocolate cake. If the other desserts are as good as these then you can't go wrong! They contrasted eachother with vanilla & cinnamon apple fruit flavor against dark full-on chocolate. Plus they make a perfect espresso.

Overall: impeccable service, high quality menu from Executive Chef John Hogan, a wine list with good picks and affordable prices, and dessert which'll make you want to go do it all again. I would!