MARIANI’S
Virtual
Gourmet
"Bon
Appetit" (in Julia Child's Kitchen) by Ralph Cahoon ,
Cahoon Museum, Cotuit, MA.
❖❖❖
IN THIS ISSUE TRAUBE TONBACH, A JEWEL IN THE BLACK FOREST By John A. Curtas NEW YORK CORNER PINTO GARDEN By John Mariani NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR WHAT I'M DRINKING NOW By John Mariani ❖❖❖ TRAUBE TONBACH A JEWEL IN THE BLACK FOREST By John A. Curtas
Our
dinner for (two tasting menus + one wine
pairing) at the Schwarzwaldstube came
to $465, including a generous tip. (Yes, they
tip in Germany, usually around
10%.) The Bauernstube dinner was $110.
❖❖❖ NEW
YORK CORNER
By John Mariani Photos by Mikey Asanin PINTO GARDEN 117 West 10th Street (near Seventh Avenue) 212-366-5455 Thai
restaurants in America have generally
followed the same formulas as have most other
Asian restaurants since the
1980s, creating menus with a huge amalgam of
dishes in myriad variations that
have become safe, sure winners with the American
dining public.
Thai dishes like mee krob, tom yum
soup, pad Thai and an array of curries (beef,
shrimp, chicken or duck) are as
ubiquitous as General Tso’s chicken, moo shu
pork and orange beef are on
Chinese menus and
mulligatawny soup, samosas and tikki kabobs are
on Indian. Open nightly for
dinner. ❖❖❖ NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
WHAT I'M DRINKING NOW By John Mariani In the vineyards of Allart Champagne, Reims "Wine is
a bride who brings a great dowry to the
man who woos her persistently and
gracefully; she turns her back on a rough
approach."--Evelyn Waugh
Baron Knyphausen
Riesling "Baron K’
Kabinett" 2011 ($17-$20)—German
Rieslings may well be gaining traction in
the American market but labels and appellations
are still unfamiliar to most
wine lovers.
Baron
Knyphausen, from the
Rheingau, is a leader, and this Riesling has the
lovely light gold color and
the minerality that distinguishes it from most
American examples of Riesling.
This is of Kabinett quality, showing tropical
fruit and excellent tang that
makes it a fine aperitif. Casal Thaulero
Thalè Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2011
($40)—Casal Thaulero is known for its
high-volume Abruzzese varietals, but
their Thalè label is the winery’s leap to a much
higher quality that shows the
humble trebbiano d’abruzzo white grape can
achieve distinction in its floral
bouquet, pear fruit flavor and a little piney
(not resinous) taste. Excellent
seafood wine. Lepia Tenuta Santa
Maria Soave 2015 ($20)—Soave is
another Italian varietal that has not deserved much of a reputation until
recently, and Lepia’s pretty, citrusy example is
why there is now growing
interest.
Made with the garganega
veronese grape, this bottling is
from a low-yield, single-vineyard Soave and
shows craftsmanship, so that it’s
easily matched with a wide variety of foods. Ben Marco Expresivo
2013 ($35)—Nice brawny, well
priced blend from Mendoza, Argentina: malbec
65%, cabernet franc 30% and
cabernet sauvignon 5%. There’s
good minerality and spicy black pepper in the
bouquet, which is due to the high
elevation of the Valle de Uco, which winemaker
Susana Balbo calls “an extreme
site” with good chalky soil. The
14.5% alcohol level is in balance because the
amount of cab is so low. Champagne Allart
& Fils Brut Rosé ($40)—Fine
Champagne need not head north of $40 a bottle as
this charming, non-vintage
shows, from its cheery effervescence to its rosy
salmon color and a Pinot Noir
flavor along with Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay
to give it delicacy. Three generations of the
Allart family
are involved, and this is an example of an
earnest and honestly produced
Champagne from a small estate in the region of
Reims. Esporão Private
Selection 2011 ($45)—Some may balk
at paying this kind of money for a Portuguese
Garrafeira, but Esporão, in the
Alentejo region, definitely shows how well the
country’s modern winemaking is
excelling at distinctive varietals.
It’s got power, at 14.5% alcohol, but
it’s quite smooth on the palate,
rich in fruit, and has the characteristic of a
reserve and small-lot
production.
The blend is aragonez,
alicante bouschet and syrah, this last giving a
lot of ballast rather than
tannin. Flor das Tecedeiras
Douro 2014 ($18)—Yet another
fine intro to Portuguese winemaking today, and
at a gentle price for this
fruit-forward example from the Douro Valley, a
blend of touriga
nacional,
touriga franca, tinta amarela, tinta barroca and
tinto roriz
(tempranillo).
It’s not yet at its
peak, but you can easily drink it now with all
red meats or a good hamburger. Groth
Cabernet
Sauvignon 2013
($64)—Dennis Groth has been making fine
cabernets since 1983 in Oakville from land high
in sediment and quartz, and he
harvests his fruit at night when it’s cool in
Napa Valley.
The 2013 vintage is among the best in
this decade, following the also impressive 2012, and the blend of cabernet
sauvignon 80% and merlot 20%
spends 22 months on French oak. At 14.9% alcohol
it is skirting a too-massive
assault on the palate, but its brawn should
soften after a couple of years in
the bottle,
and I expect this to
be among the best California can produce;
there’s also a Reserve at $130 that
will take a longer time to come around. Etude Pinot Noir
Fiddlestix Vineyard 2014
($45-$50)—There’s more spice to
this charming pinot noir from the Santa Rita
Hills than is usual in the Napa
region, which makes up for a lack of complexity,
but it is very easy drinking
with dishes like pork loin and grilled salmon. Winemaker Jon Priest has
managed to respect Burgundian pinot
noir traditions without giving up California
brightness. Còlpetrone
Montefalco Sagrantino 2010
($20-$23)—Sagrantino,
whose name refers in some ancient way to the
sacraments, is a deep, dark red
grape from Umbria, with the vineyards around
Montefalco turning out the best
examples. The wine takes well to oak and by law
must age in barrels for at
least 30 months.
It is, therefore,
heavy and concentrated in body, with 14.5%
alcohol, less refined than Barolo,
bigger than Sangiovese. I’m
not
sure the appellation should rise to D.O.C.G.
status, but Còlpetrone has a
legitimate claim to making some of the best of
the breed.
❖❖❖ DEPT. OF HATE AND AUDACIOUS BEAUTY “Smyth’s
12-course
dinner began with drops of sunflower-seed butter and
ended with frozen tomatoes. Neither made much sense
on paper. Speaking of paper, the crisp sunchoke chip
with sea beans and chicken skin that kicked off the
meal was served on actual sheets of it. The paper
wasn’t edible, but I loved the dish. Two hours
later, the unpredictable evening culminated with
those frozen tomatoes, in the form of a mousse
infused with almond-like notes drawn from cracked
peach pits, and some spicy flowers: a deranged
good-night kiss. I hated it, though I admired its
audacious beauty."—Jeff Ruby, "Smyth’s
Fine Dining Shines, but Loyalist Lacks Luster,” Chicago
Magazine (11/16/16)
AND POPE
FRANCIS SAID, "WHO AM I TO JUDGE?
BUT THE FRIES ARE PRETTY GOOD." A
5,800-square-foot McDonald's has opened on Borgoi Pio,
close to the Vatican, open from 6:30 a.m. to
11 p.m., causing Cardinal Elio Sgreccia, president
emeritus of the Pontifical Academy for Life, to tell La
Repubblica that the decision to open the fast-food
restaurant was "aberrant" and "a perversion."
❖❖❖ Sponsored
by Banfi Vintners
ASKA
The
story of coastal Tuscany, the Maremma -- or Bolgheri
as its interchangeably
referred to -- began with Sassicaia, but it's not
anywhere close to reaching
its pinnacle.
The region has been
a prime area for nurturing
vitis vinifera into compelling wine for decades.
In
the glass, the wine exudes aromas of crushed red
plums, cherries, soft vanilla
and spice notes and a faint hint of pine.
It's attractive to smell.
On the palate, the flavors echo the nose with
primary red plum flavors
backed by soft wood and vanilla notes.
The round, elegant mouth feel trails off
delicately and there is little
"bite" from the well-integrated tannins. This wine stays fresh and
lively and will be best enjoyed
over the next 3-4 years. Aska is
vinified in stainless steel and then transferred to
French barriques
for 10 months
of refinement. A
brief bottle aging takes place
before release.
Any of John Mariani's books below may be ordered from amazon.com. The Hound in Heaven (21st Century Lion Books) is a novella, and for anyone who loves dogs, Christmas, romance, inspiration, even the supernatural, I hope you'll find this to be a treasured favorite. The story concerns how, after a New England teacher, his wife and their two daughters adopt a stray puppy found in their barn in northern Maine, their lives seem full of promise. But when tragedy strikes, their wonderful dog Lazarus and the spirit of Christmas are the only things that may bring his master back from the edge of despair. WATCH THE VIDEO! “What a huge surprise turn this story took! I was completely stunned! I truly enjoyed this book and its message.” – Actress Ali MacGraw “He had me at Page One. The amount of heart, human insight, soul searching, and deft literary strength that John Mariani pours into this airtight novella is vertigo-inducing. Perhaps ‘wow’ would be the best comment.” – James Dalessandro, author of Bohemian Heart and 1906. “John Mariani’s Hound in Heaven starts with a well-painted portrayal of an American family, along with the requisite dog. A surprise event flips the action of the novel and captures us for a voyage leading to a hopeful and heart-warming message. A page turning, one sitting read, it’s the perfect antidote for the winter and promotion of holiday celebration.” – Ann Pearlman, author of The Christmas Cookie Club and A Gift for my Sister. “John Mariani’s concise, achingly beautiful novella pulls a literary rabbit out of a hat – a mash-up of the cosmic and the intimate, the tragic and the heart-warming – a Christmas tale for all ages, and all faiths. Read it to your children, read it to yourself… but read it. Early and often. Highly recommended.” – Jay Bonansinga, New York Times bestselling author of Pinkerton’s War, The Sinking of The Eastland, and The Walking Dead: The Road To Woodbury. “Amazing things happen when you open your heart to an animal. The Hound in Heaven delivers a powerful story of healing that is forged in the spiritual relationship between a man and his best friend. The book brings a message of hope that can enrich our images of family, love, and loss.” – Dr. Barbara Royal, author of The Royal Treatment. ❖❖❖
❖❖❖
FEATURED
LINKS: I am happy to report
that the Virtual
Gourmet is linked to four excellent
travel sites: Everett Potter's Travel Report: I consider this the best and
savviest blog of its kind on the web. Potter is a
columnist for USA
Weekend, Diversion, Laptop and Luxury Spa Finder,
a contributing editor for Ski and a frequent contributor
to National
Geographic Traveler, ForbesTraveler.com
and Elle Decor.
"I’ve designed this site is for people who take
their travel seriously," says Potter. "For
travelers who want to learn about special places
but don’t necessarily want to pay through the nose for
the privilege of staying there. Because at the end
of the day, it’s not so much about five-star
places as five-star experiences." THIS WEEK: BEST
SKI LODGE IN THE WEST?
Eating Las Vegas
JOHN CURTAS has been covering the Las Vegas
food and restaurant scene since 1995. He is
the co-author of EATING LAS VEGAS – The 50
Essential Restaurants (the fourth
edition of which will be published in early
2016), as well as the author of the Eating Las
Vegas web site: www.eatinglasvegas.
He can also be seen every Friday morning as
the “resident foodie” for Wake Up With the
Wagners on KSNV TV (NBC) Channel 3 in
Las Vegas.
MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET
NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Editor/Publisher: John
Mariani.
Editor: Walter Bagley. Contributing Writers: Christopher Mariani,
Robert Mariani, Misha Mariani, John A. Curtas, Geoff Kalish, Mort
Hochstein, and
Brian Freedman. Contributing Photographers: Galina
Dargery. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.
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