cincinnati wine travels

Art Openings This Friday

2012-01-27T11:42:00.003-05:00

PAC Gallery - Through the Windshield: OTR

2012-01-18T16:59:00.003-05:00

Friday, January 27, 5-9 pm

Opening Reception for

Through the Windshield: OTR

PAC GALLERY will have complimentary valet parking and
food and beverages will be provided by Django Western Taco

Jens Rosenkrantz Jr is an avid photographer with a passion for discovering beauty in unexpected places. Rosenkrantz was born in Boston and raised in Denver and Los Angeles. After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, he relocated to Cincinnati, his grandmother's hometown.

"Uncluttered and unfettered from art classes and technical camera skills I look for the beauty of the everyday wherever I am whether it's Europe, San Francisco, Miami, Charleston, or Downtown Cincinnati," says Rosenkrantz, "There is beauty everywhere, even when taking a wrong turn on a rainy day and getting lost in OTR. "

Another New Beginning

2012-01-16T11:56:00.005-05:00

My last post was in March in Paris last year, and since then much has changed. The second restaurant is in the works and I now am sharing a studio at the Pendleton Art Center with Kay Hurley. At least one person likes my work.

I have an opening, my first, January 27th at PAC Gallery in East Walnut Hills with a new series and a departure from my old work. "Through the Windshield: OTR" is about seeing beauty everywhere you go even when lost, and about always having a camera with you, even on a rainy day in December when the lighting is bad and you are driving to work.

So I will still post about travels and fine dining (or not so fine dining), but the focus is now on photos, and art, and beauty. Which I see every day. Right here in my backyard, and out the window, and inside my house. Especially inside my house.

Travel Tips to Paris

2011-03-16T18:08:00.009-04:00

I am just a rookie here but I have learned a few things in visiting Paris six or seven times in the last year for a total of about 10 weeks in country. There are those who know much more and it will take years to figure out all the nuances, but this is a first pass for those that have asked recently. I will try to keep this updated if major discrepancies develop.

Getting there -- Delta has a direct flight from CVG which lands at 7am. From Charles De Gaulle you can take a taxi for about 60 euros into the center of Paris or take the RER to Gare du Norde for about 10 euros but you will have to hump your bags around during rush hour on little sleep through temperamental turnstiles. Your choice. And when (not if) there is a transit strike, all bets are off, and you had better have arranged a car before you leave home.

Hotels -- I stay in an apartment which is an option maybe, but did have luck with Hotel.com landing the Hotel du Louvre for about $250 a night. (The rack rate is 500 euros.) It is in the 1st near the Palais Royal and yes, the Louvre. If you want to go upscale you can stay at Le Meurice, the Ritz, or the Crillon for about 700 plus per night. I prefer saving money and sliding into the Hotel lobby bars and pretending I'm elite. I have not yet tried the Plaza Athenee, and I hear it's swell, but in my opinion Le Meurice bar outshines the others. A Martini will set you back 25 euros. Grin and bear it, and be grateful that you are saving about 500 euros a night.

Getting around -- Except for very late at night I skip the taxis unless you like watching the meter spin during gridlock. Take the Metro and then walk. Bring comfortable walking shoes, an umbrella and a carry bag. Paris is the best people watching in the world so why not dive in shoulder to shoulder. On average I walk 2 to 3 miles a day. Get in shape.

The facilities -- The toilets and the kitchens are small. Get used to it. This isn't Indian Hill.

The food markets -- Well, this is an interest of mine and a few locals. Whether you think Findley Market is quaint, or not, walk through a local food market and be amazed at how most Parisians shop for their food everyday. The produce, meats and seafood are fresh. Very fresh. There are internet sites listing the 75 markets inside the City. It will make your next trip to Kroger very uneventful.

Shopping -- I can't help you here but if you want to drop $175,000 on a watch and some other fashionable accessory, then you are in the right place. I buy clothes at Bon Marche. Remember when you were a kid and Shillito's downtown impressed you. Well, try not to stare with your mouth open and embarrass yourself. There are many tourist department stores on Opera, but Bon Marche is where Parisians shop.

Manners -- Paris is a major city (10 million total) but in the stores and restaurants, it is a small village. On the street they are distant and won't make eye contact, and will pretend that they don't understand your bad French. But when you walk into a store or restaurant, it is imperative to say hello. For gods sake don't launch into questions about prices or tables before saying bonjour. I have seen a local Parisian chastised by street vendors for not saying bonjour before asking for simple directions. A street vendor. She grovelled profusely and was somewhat pardoned. And once you do get a table expect to wait a good 10 minutes plus before anyone approaches you for a drink or food order. They are not ignoring you or being rude. It's Paris. Don't take it personally.

The museums -- I can't help you here. Go for it but be prepared for lines. The Louvre is open some nights so keep that in mind.

La Tour Eiffel -- I see it everyday and have no interest in waiting hours to ascend, but have fun.

Printemps -- I skip the Tour Eiffel and get my views by going to the top floor and having lunch. No waits and the food isn't all that bad though the wine selection sucks. There is no selection. But on a sunny day it is hard to beat being up 7 stories outdoors with a 360 degree view of central Paris while snacking and sipping an indifferent Red wine. Bring your camera. You did pack your camera?!

Restaurants -- I will list below the places I like. I prefer bistros and wine bars. If you want the 3 star treatment, have fun and get ready to throw down 200 to 300 euros per person, before wine -- if you can get in. And be prepared to stand by while the 'money' drops 10,000 euros without blinking. It's a different world over there at the high-end. The other irony is that you also can't get into the new hot 20 seater by the 'Chef du jour'. And get ready for attitude and not gratitude. Go figure. I like to go to places where they will at least pretend to like your business. And the other trick I have learned is that many times you can actually get in at lunch whereas dinner reservations are booked months out. Hey, you're on vacation. What's wrong with having a three hour lunch with a few bottles of wine. You are allowed to take naps in Paris. Google 'cinq a sept'.

Spring -- Good luck getting in. I've been twice and dropped 500 to 1,000 for a small table. There is a wine bar downstairs that you can walk in and sample some apps and go crazy on the wine list. Say hello for me.

Willi's Wine Bar -- After thirty years you think Mark knows what he's doing? Great wines and food. A 'must stop'.

Maceo -- Mark's 'real' restaurant with a colonial feel and upscale food. Try the seasonal fixed offerings.

Isse -- For a change of pace try this sushi/sake spot in the 1st in a part of town they are starting to call 'Little Tokyo'. Great food and enough sake choices to dazzle your head.

Le Villaret -- A little secret that a friend found while wandering her grandparents' old neighborhood, and then upon further research we find that the New York Times liked it as did Alex Lobrano. Alex called it one of the best little secrets in Paris. I agree.

Le Square Trousseau -- In the 12th off the beaten path. I usually stop in after oysters at Le Baron Rouge. Old school bistro with very good food and nice service.

L'Avant Comptoir -- Stand up wine bar for 15 people max. Always mobbed. Some of the best treats available. Keep snacking until you fill up. Short but solid wine list by the glass or bottle. It's an ex-pat scene so watch your swearing. And there is no phone but just head to the Odeon station and sniff around.

Le Suffren -- Off the Champ de Mars by the Tour Eiffel. Mostly locals and UNICEF workers with few tourists. Solid seafood in a classic setting.

Le Minzinque -- In the 15th, this is my favorite spot in my neighborhood, if you don't count home cooking. But if your French is weak, good luck. This is for locals only and very old school. Solid food and let the owner pick the wines. And there is no listing on Google, so good luck. It's off Rue Commerce by the Charlie Birdy bar.

Tipping -- Service is mostly included for your meals but I throw down a few euro coins to say thank you. Though I have been known to throw Eric at L'Avant a 20 because I hate waiting in line. It does get noticed if you plan to return a few times during the week.

Stay Tuned -- Film at 11

2011-03-08T17:31:00.002-05:00

I am still digging out from three weeks in Europe so just be patient. Stories and photos to follow.

The train will be leaving the station very soon.

Mensa & Washington Post Word Invitational

2011-02-25T17:47:00.006-05:00

It's not wine and it's not travel but this is too funny not to post.

From the Washington Post's Mensa Word Invitational where people are asked to change one letter of an existing word and provide a new definition.

"Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational New Words Contest"

"Here is the Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition."

Here are the winners:
1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
2. Ignoranus : A person who’s both stupid and an asshole.
3. Intaxicaton : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
6. Foreploy : Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7. Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high
8. Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.
9. Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Osteopornosis : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
11. Karmageddon : It’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like, a serious bummer.
12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
13. Glibido : All talk and no action.
14. Dope-ler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you’ve accidentally walked through a spider web.
16. Beelzebug (n.) : Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you’re eating.

Hotel Posta - Livigno, Italy

2011-02-25T16:48:00.010-05:00

As skiing was out this week on the trip to Livigno due to some minor malfunction in one knee, I spent the days crawling around like a tourist and trying to find a good lunch and some souvenirs. (It is a good sign when it is near impossible to find a T-shirt shop!) Hotel Posta sounded familiar and it came with a strong recommendation from a cousin whose long time friend runs the place.

Livigno is a few clicks from St. Moritz on the Swiss/Italian border and before the tunnel was dug in 1964 was inaccessible in Winter. If you stand on top of the ski area you can see the mountains around St. Moritz, but it will take you an hour to drive there. Livigno is a duty free zone owing to its smugglers past and is quite lively year-round. There are three ski areas to select from and it is above the tree-line, groomed skiing. Dining options are numerous on the mountain from 3 star to BYOB, the lines manageable and the lift tickets reasonable.

Lunch was quiet in town as all able-bodied tourists were on the mountain , so we had the whole place to ourselves. Service was brisk and atttentive. The wine list was mostly local. And the pasta was great as was the sliced, cured meats from local sources. All in all, it was a wonderful meal. And I even managed to sneak one of their own wine labels home for dinner tonight to ease the unpacking and long train ride.

Le Baron Rouge

2011-02-20T12:14:00.007-05:00

Today was supposed to be a quiet Sunday. Waking up past 8am, having coffee leisurely while checking the mail before casually meeting a cousin at the Opera Metro station at 11am. So when I awoke at first light and wandered into the kitchen to fire the coffee machine I was a bit surprised to see the clock on the wall read 11. Eleven!!! Oh putain!

So I hadn't planned on reviewing Le Baron Rouge today as I dashed out sprinting to the Metro an hour late. Desole! I knew I was going there to reload some house wine and buy food for dinner at the nearby market and check out the flea market before a meal at Le Square Trousseau, but for some reason hadn't planned on writing up Le Baron Rouge. I was still waking up.

They offer bulk wine at under 5 E's per liter for fresh, simple house wine which is a steal and perfect for parties. The returnable bottles with a deposit are poured from 225 liter barriques offering about 6 different blends. The Reds, Cotes du Rhone, Touraine and Merlot, are simple and quaffable but not memorable. The Touraine Blanc however is more than quaffable and is perfect with some chicken dishes, seafood and oysters. Did I say oysters?

There are many reports on the weekend oyster offerings at Le Baron Rouge were throngs of people from every corner of the world descend during the Winter months to wash down dozens of oysters with good, cheap white wine. The rumors are all true. If you are shy about pushing into a crowded mass to secure 'le pot' of Blanc and fight for some counter space while your team holds up their end of the bargain by bringing 18 small oysters with lemon and bread and butter, then please don't go. Please! Save room for me on my return.

The oysters bar is set up outside on the sidewalk where people mill around swilling wine, smoking cigarettes and pounding oysters by the dozen. I didn't get the details of where the oysters were from as it was my job to get the wine remember, but my guess is that they were #3s from Normandy, maybe Claires or Brittany, that were at most one day old. You could taste the brine of the sea as you threw them back. Someone suggested dripping some of the wine into the brine before slurping and that worked too. I always listen to good ideas that involve oysters and wine. We were told by the 'shucker' that they go through "a couple hundred dozen" each day on the weekend. A couple hundred dozen. She would know.

There are other food offerings like pate and bread and charcuterie and the wine list, besides the 6 or so in bulk, totals about 50 by the bottle or glass. During the week the place is dead quiet and locals stop in to re-load their house wines and chat with the owner. Today there were maybe 100 people packed into a room the size of you living room which explains the street scene. Yes, you should go and if you don't like crowds, stand outside and send a friend in for the goods. This will give you time to exchange emails and phone numbers with the other fanatics from England, Argentina, Spain, Oslo and Cuba. I will definitely be contacting Ernesto from Cuba, and maybe the chef from Oslo who is from Spain. They all agreed that Barcelona was calling......and then Cuba.

Le Garde-Robe

2011-02-19T06:05:00.009-05:00

This is my third wine bar review on my march through Paris this February and I am beginning to figure out that there is a wide range of flavors in this niche, from hole-in-the-walls to trendy 'hot' spots with 100 open bottles. I would put Le Garde-Robe in the class of a hole-in-the-wall with simple charcuterie and cheese offerings and a medium wine list that is good for dine-in or carry out.

Yet, with the more than pleasant and chatty servers and the ability to pull a bottle off the shelf at retail and drain it on the spot, I would recommend a visit. It is rustic and charming and conveniently located in the 1st, near Spring and Le Fumoir. The plates were very good with a touch of flair (loved the idea of honey on the cheese plate!) and the simple bottle of Blanc set me back 15 E's for a total bill of under 50 E's for two.

Whereas Willi's offers actual fine dining in a casual setting with great wine selections,and L'Avant Comptoir has a short simple wine list but with mouth watering taste morsels, Le Garde-Robe is a plain vanilla wine cafe. If you are in the neighborhood it is worth a visit. And if you do go, ask the bartender/cook how his new movie is doing.

"How do you tell if you're a good actor?"
"You're only working weekends at the wine bar."

or

"So what do you do for a living?"
"I'm an actor."
"Really, what bar do you work at?"

Isse - Paris

2011-02-19T04:32:00.006-05:00

Although I am more familiar with the wine bars and traditional restaurants in the 1st, I have noted and read that the 1st is becoming the 'Little Tokyo' of Paris and is chock full of all types of offerings from 5 seat sushi hole-in-the-walls to high-end gastronomique affairs at 100 euros per person, and everything in between. My curiosity was peeked and I was ready for a change-up from steak frites.

Having walked past the windows the night before I was taken by Isse's clean decor and array of sake bottles, so we walked in and were ushered downstairs as the upstairs was full. And as I am no expert on Japanese cuisine or sakes we invited the server to throw down 4 to 5 courses paired with a variety of sakes which we all shared.

This has proven to unnerve some restaurants we have visited recently for some reason but I think it is a great way for a restaurant to showcase their best offerings. I know for a fact that at La Poste we would welcome the challenge, but as Isse had been only open (or, re-open) for a week I forgave their shyness and welcomed their grace.

Across the board the food offerings and sakes were enjoyed and there were some favorites. All in all it was a most enjoyable night and although I am no expert on sushi (and avoid all the half-off offerings in Cincinnati) I would say that the quality and freshness of the raw fish was the best I have had to date.

Isse is part of a four venue chain which includes a grocery store with sake tastings and a light lunch. It will be on my next stop to "Le Petit Tokyo de Paris" after crossing off a few more wine bars on the to-do list.

Willi's Wine Bar - Again

2011-02-18T08:07:00.000-05:00

Willi's is a must stop every time in Paris (along with Maceo), so once again I found myself there one late afternoon because I was in the neighborhood on the way to the kitchen and bath supply house to research tile, toilets and shower faucets for the apartment remodel. I had insisted on a bribe of wine and food because I thought that it would help with my attention span later.

The advantage of being a regular at one of your favorite wine bars(and being naturally pleasant to all servers) is that when you arrive at 2:30pm and the couple in front of you is told that the kitchen is closed, you can sit down quietly at the bar and the server whispers to you that if you want the 'plat du jour', there is no problem. Smiles all around.

As we were in a hurry and the kitchen WAS closed, we shared a simple apple/onion tatin on arugula lightly dressed in olive oil and then lamb tagine over couscous. The wine bar, however, was wide open. The Saint Joseph blanc that was suggested was outstanding and the Red paired well with the lamb. If I could find this Blanc back in Ohio, it would be my personal house white. It is a stunning, bright, complex blend of Marsanne and Roussanne.

So connections do help, but manners will serve you better. So it's not always about dropping big tip bombs. Next time though I will get there earlier so that I can run through the whole menu, and yes she did get more than 4 euros for her efforts.

L' Avant Comptoir - Redux

2011-02-17T07:04:00.006-05:00

On my first day in Paris after the red-eye from CVG, I am hungry and thirsty and fatigued and a bit spaced out and a sommelier/friend from some fancy LA restaurant wants to hit L'Avant one more time before heading home. No problem, so we hit it hard for my first time this trip, the first of many as I average about 3 stops per week here.

I will spare you the adjectives. Just go. But it's always crowded so be prepared to get jostled, and chatted up by the other ex-pat fanatics. Maybe you will hear a story of the best 'couscous' restaurant in Paris run by some 90 year-old man who will only let you in his secret location if he knows you and likes you. A 'couscous' speakeasy. We're not in Cincinnati anymore.

And as the sun burns through the morning fog we walk a dozen blocks to window shop and check out the liquor store across the street (all three levels) and then catch the bus home for those that like the street views. I'm an underground Metro kind of guy but I get vetoed all the time. Better to follow sometimes, and not lead especially if someone else is holding the tokens.

Paris - A Night on the Town

2011-02-17T05:03:00.004-05:00

I am not sure what the best part of Paris is, whether it's the fantastic people watching, the Metro rides, the late night walking around, the classic, elegant rooms from long lost eras, or great meals with wonderful wines. Yes, that's it! Yes, that's it exactly.

WBW #70 -- Wine Blogging Wednesday

2011-02-14T23:09:00.003-05:00

I almost left town without posting for WBW #70. This month's theme is 'wines from Spain' which is perfect as I am working on plans to skip down to Barcelona from Paris for a few days at the end of February. My travel consultant is getting tired of my chant that I want to go to Barcelona before anyplace else.

Details on WBW are here. It is an internet event started in 2004 by wine bloggers that spread like wild fire. They even let me host an event once. Once. I'm back!

I cheated a bit and dug through the cellar to find a bottle of Alvear, Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927 from the Montilla Moriles region. Cheated in the sense that I have covered this wine before so it is not new, but the wine is already old. Not a vintage from 1927, but there is a little piece of the 1927 vintage in every bottle as they blend subsequent batches of each vintage until they have a blend of the very old with the new. Jorge Ordonez is the importer and in my book that is a seal of approval.

It is unctious and dripping with balanced sweetness and all I can think of is that it is a dead ringer for Dave's 'Bread Pudding' at La Poste. I am not sure it would pair well because it is so dead on, and great pairings are similar but offer contrast, either more acidity or fruit or RS. Ying and Yang. This would be Ying and Ying.

So this is a rushed review, and a day early. My bad! If I get to Barcelona I will follow up with copious notes and photos from late night dinners. Just don't call during siesta time.

Wine Technology

2011-02-14T21:25:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday I was hanging out in a Hyde Park wine store chatting up the owner and tasting some new wines and the topic of wine gadgets came up. I think most gadgets are a waste of time and money. Don't get me started on magnets. They are great on refrigerators as decorations and for checking for bondo on that used sports car you are in love with. Trust me, there is rust in that old car. You won't find it until it's too late.

Magnets for wine however don't work but the Vinturi (and its kind) work. They add 5 hours of decanting time to a young wine in 30 seconds. Just don't use it on any wine older than 10 years or it will cough up sediment and you will need to finish the bottle in 20 minutes. It will not open slowly and delicately over the evening. It will be slammed open like opening a soft top on the highway.

So new technology does sometimes improve your life. I will still always take a 40 year-old Marantz receiver over a new black box, but I am beginning to see the advantages of iPhones, USB turntables and those new spring loaded staplers. I love those staplers. I just can't figure out where they put the batteries to power them up.

Buy a Vinturi and do the test. But give me vinyl and an old Marantz with some AR bookshelf speakers in the kitchen and I can rattle the dishes while I am savoring a perfectly aerated bottle of wine. Now, is there any device out there to take the warps out of old records? That would be a game changer.

Sunday -- Chili in Cincinnati

2011-02-13T20:53:00.002-05:00

Well, not the weather, as it hit the 50s today with sunshine.

Today we make Chili on Sunday after some yard work, and yes some putting practice until the birds chased me away as they were hungry to get at the feeder. It's hard to concentrate on draining 20 footers when they are chatting away. They won, but I'm coming back in two hours so they had better eat up.

If you want the recipe just get it here. No, there is no spaghetti in this version even if I have lived in Cincinnati for 35 years and there have been a few changes to the recipe recently due to new culinary skills and sensibilities. More organic, even if in a can, and the minced garlic hit the trash this morning. One day I will try fresh kidney beans and diced tomatoes, but today I am saving time to pack for the next trip. Searing the meat on high heat in the Lodge Pot first seems like a good idea, and then adding the other grilled vegetables and let them all blend together in their own juices before adding the beans, tomatoes and liquids makes sense. And then add spices. Sounds like a plan.

The new secret ingredients are bacon and sage (but lightly on the sage), and with the new stereo in the kitchen I recommend Little Feat - Dixie Chicken. But it should be 'live' with Lowell Thomas George, RIP. There are more complete versions of this song and this song cuts out before he is done (like his life was). After 1979, 'Little Feat' died.

'Fat Man in the Bathtub' will work in a pinch.

Oh, if anyone has been to 'Jens Bar & Grill' in West Chester, let me know. If they are using my name, it had better be good! (That obscure reference came up as I was Googling my original recipe.)

The plating ideas were not mine, but were inspired by something I saw on the Food Network. I'm not saying it was Rachel Ray. I'm just not saying. Personally, I like a large bowl with freshly grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Nectar -- Sunday Brunch

2011-02-13T16:09:00.004-05:00

There have been a fair amount of conversations around these parts that there is no fine dining left in the Hyde Park area, the Square in particular. I wouldn't want to get in that debate as I am not partial because, as they say, I have a horse in this race.

But on Sunday the choice for a great meal in a quiet setting is simple. I drive by the Square and head to Mount Lookout. Annabels has a line out the door, and is very good, but Nectar is my first choice.

Julie Francis is one of the best chefs in town and is often ranked in the Top Ten by food critics, and by anyone who knows good food in this town. She is a strong proponent of farm to table and using seasonal, local ingredients.

And I would have said that even if she hadn't been so nice to send out a treat. I need to use that Birthday line more often. But really, my Birthday is on the 24th and I will be out of town for her Dinner Series featuring chocolate. Sign up as reservations are required and it sells out.

So this is the Carnitas and fruit side which has blood oranges which I love. I am on the look out for Blood Orange juice as it is my new favorite breakfast drink. The treat was a chocolate mouse and banana gelato topped with blood oranges. I love blood oranges.

Back to Paris

2011-02-12T18:11:00.008-05:00

Actually this thread is about when I left Paris last February after my first "real trip" to Europe with stops in Italy to ski and in Paris to meet old friends and maybe meet a new one. And finishing a break from the past after a year of living on my own. I almost didn't go. That's fate.

Nothing ever turns out as one plans although the skiing and company were great and I plan to return in 10 days if I can negotiate the TGV schedules. But the trip to Paris changed me on so many levels that it will take years to figure it out entirely. Old friends were met and lost, new friends stayed friends I think and the newest friend became my best friend.

So I head back to Paris in a few days but I can remember the last days from a year ago, the travel home and arriving back at home. All this while I pack to go back.

The alarm rings early at 6am to make the direct flight to Atlanta and I awake alone and still fuzzy from the night before having closed the local bistro. No one is at the Metro station at Commerce and the RER out to Charles de Gaulle emerges from the underground in the dark but the first light of dawn is coming.

The Airport is shiny and new but the great deals at Duty Free are not alluring. The meal on Air France is miles above Delta with free flowing wine and spirits and a selection of 40 movies on my own TV screen which I can pause at will. And tracking the flight path as it passes the city I was born in and a recent Summer retreat is captivating, and ironic.

I arrive home with some new toys but the house is very quiet in the evening sun. Very quiet. As I process the last three weeks, not consciously, what emerges is a desire to travel and to share that wonder, and so in four days I will head back to Paris to share that compelling need to walk foreign streets, relax in new bistros, pick through flea markets and wine bins, walk some vineyards and watch the sun come up in the morning. And share a laugh or two.

Moving Quickly Backwards

2011-02-10T00:12:00.007-05:00

As we get older we often look backwards while still putting one foot in front of the other as we enjoy new experiences and places to visit. We re-connect with old school friends and we cherish our family history and collect souvenirs, and photos. Mostly photos, if we are lucky enough to find them.

So on my trip last Summer to Copenhagen to visit family and walk through the old 'homestead', I collected many pictures of my cousins and my Grandparents, whom I never really knew. My Grandmother I saw maybe 10 times in my life and my Grandfather died in the 30s or 40s so I never laid eyes on the Baron.

They met at The Homestead in Virginia as he was looking for a wealthy American and had a Title, and she was looking for...well, who knows as she was just 18 and probably did what her parents suggested. Her family had come down from a farm near Columbus Ohio during the Civil War and had stayed in Cincinnati during its heyday and done well as a Federal Judge and working for a small soap company that went public.

So they were wed in a high society event at the Cincinnati Country Club in the 20s but after two kids and a few years living in Denmark where my Father and his brother were born, they separated and the reasons are lost to history but like today there are always two sides to every story. He drank and she cheated or she drank and he cheated. Or neither. Just like today, relationships are complicated. He died in a taxi accident in New York City and she spent the rest of her life moving around the country with a few years in Cincinnati until dying on her farm in Maryland.

So last summer I headed to my father's homeland and was greeted warmly by Danish cousins and we visited Rosenholm near Aarhus after a few hours of driving and a ferry ride from Copenhagen. The place is sort of a private museum and beautiful on a warm August day but I would hate to have to pay the heating bills in Winter. Of course, it would be a snap to shut down a few wings to save heat as indoor plumbing was not part of the original plans back in the 1500s,

I learned that back in the days the owners were quite a party crowd and during one party they threw thousands of glasses in the moat as this was some sort of custom back then, and the Queen and King would come to visit for the weekend primarily to hunt, but the Rosenkrantz's got tired of him taking the best stags so in his room they put in a 6 foot bed. He was 6 foot 2.

And when one of the daughters refused to take the hand of several knights in marriage after many years and then fell in love with a local boy who was not from the aristocracy, her father grew enraged, invited the boy over under the pretense of granting his daughters wish and knighting the poor boy. When the boy knelt down to be knighted the father drew a sword and cut off his head. The daughter was unconsolable and when she died was cemented in the wall of the castle. Xrays prove there is a skeleton in the wall, and there is a ghost in the place. My Father saw it when he spent the night back in the 40s.

So we all have some baggage and have stories to tell and now I know it's in my blood to travel and throw glasses in the moat and can relate to relationship changes, and can understand while I love Cincinnati as a hometown, I feel very at home in Europe.

Findlay Market -- Cincinnati

2011-02-06T14:40:00.005-05:00

While my friends are walking to the farmers market under the Metro tracks on Rue de Grenelle, I am driving to the other side of the tracks to Cincinnati's only covered market at Findlay in the Over the Rhine area. In many ways we are worlds apart, yet more markets are popping up in local neighborhoods during the warmer months here in Cincinnati while in Paris the 70 plus markets run year-round and shopping in the rain and snow and dragging your daily rations back home is a time honored tradition. That's why scarfs are not a fashion statement but a necessity.

However, Findlay Market has much to offer and is a treasure to be supported. And as it is a small community one can ask your friend the waffle maker which seafood vendor is the best and so you walk over there and then chat up the vendor and tell her of your new way to cook mussels in a teapot, and as you leave she thanks you for the tip. Very French, yet in America. Not sure you can find that at Kroger these days. That's the difference. Some people like to know the people they buy their food from.

So with the idea that I needed materials to pre-game I loaded up on mussels, scallops, baguettes and bacon and headed home to start the festivities we call the Super Bowl. Maybe one day we will catch up with Paris and have dozens of year-round markets and a bistro on every corner, and maybe one day you can board a high-speed train in Cincinnati and be in Chicago in 3 hours. Right!

Pass the chips and salsa and get me another Bud from the 'fridge.

Mayonnaise

2011-02-05T17:02:00.005-05:00

I was recently challenged by a chef that even I could make 'mayo' after seeing her whip up a batch and then enjoying some real mayonnaise. So I pulled out a new cookbook I found on eBay (a First Edition mind you) and dove in.

I will leave alone the debate between which is better, Hellmann's or Miracle Whip, even if Miracle Whip is trailer trash. There is probably a Facebook page for that debate. But this is about making something in my own kitchen with my own hands.

With a blender it's a snap to make mayonnaise and the permutations are endless what with herbs and other secret ingredients as mayonnaise is considered one of the mother sauces, a mother with many children. The father is Hollandaise, and his sons, which requires heat and butter instead of oil. Hollandaise is glorious but keeps only a few days and demands some effort and attention to make, while Mayonnaise can be blended together quickly in minutes and can last a few weeks. Like life, there are trade offs.

The first batch was a bit salty and very thick so I made another batch without salt and a bit less oil and married them together. The result was a creamy, full flavored sauce in which you can actually taste the ingredients unlike the national brands. Be warned, if you are used to the national brands, the flavors might scare you a bit as you reconcile what you think mayo should taste like as the flavors of home-made mayo are over-the-top.

Normally I would not slather mayo all over a flash-grilled skirt steak but tonight I will slather away. (This I can do in my sleep. Not the slathering. The grilling. Grilled on high heat in a cast iron skillet in this morning's leftover bacon grease with garlic and olive oil and some lemon juice leftover from the mayo experiment because I miss the sunshine of California.)

I whipped this together so quickly that I even had time to experiment with a new Martini. 'Throw and go' some Lillet in a chilled glass, pour in frozen Bombay Sapphire Gin and garnish with a twist of lemon. I think I will call it 'Ze Freench Tarte'. Talk about fast food. I think I have time to make another.

Thank you chef for challenging me and thanks Julia for spending 7 or 8 years writing your masterpiece and testing every recipe with American products and equipment in your tiny French kitchens so that it was right. That's dedication, even after being told that your book was "unpublishable". And you were 50 years before your time in insisting on fresh seasonal ingredients and the notion that time spent in the kitchen and in the markets sourcing and preparing meals for your family and friends is not wasted time. Quite the contrary. I look forward to passing this on to the next generation.

Passionfish -- Pacific Grove, CA

2011-02-01T16:51:00.007-05:00

I like to stop in every time I'm near Monterey. Great food, big wine list that is about $5 over retail, and a firm belief in sustainable food practices.

Passionfish offers a unique California dining experience with serious food and wine in a fun and casual atmosphere. The ever-changing menu features the freshest, sustainable seafood, slow-cooked meats, organic greens and delectable desserts, all complemented by an award winning wine list priced well below what you've come to expect.

Phil's Fish Market & Eatery

2011-01-30T10:48:00.006-05:00

In Moss Landing just north of Monterey over the harbor bridge amongst the commercial boat operations is Phil's Fish Market and Eatery. Park down the street as the parking lot is full and as you walk in there are vintage cars and serious Harleys with gorilla handlebars and you are reminded that yes, you are definitely back in California.

The line inside is long as you wait to place your order. I was waved off the chowder as it was reported to be thin and floury and went for the Halibut fish and chips and an Anchor Steam draft (1 of 8 choices). The specialty of the house is Cioppino, a cacophony of sea food in a tomato-based broth with a touch of heat and garlic served in a monstrous bowl.

After placing the order you walk to the bar past the grizzled bikers, trying not to bump anyone and starting a melee, and get your drafts and then walk around to find a table where the food will arrive in 20 minutes.

I've had better fish and chips but the Cioppino was great and the overall ambiance and value are worth recommending. And as you will most likely share a table it was very pleasant to strike up a conversation with the two private school teachers next to us. And on the drive out you can pull into the parking lot and buy 3 live crabs for $25 off Sully's boat for the dinner that night but be sure to wrap them tightly in the bag or they will be crawling all over your back seat.

Wine Cellar Spring Cleaning

2011-01-24T12:23:00.008-05:00

Well it wasn't really spring and I didn't see any mops or brooms, but the point was to help clean out some old bottles cluttering up the cellar to make room for some new additions. And it wasn't even a cellar, but rather a walk-in closet off the study. Very smart use of some marginal space. It was however a great night of wine, food and great hospitality in Mt. Adams. Thank you for the invite.

You can call me back anytime to help clean up. Or pull some more corks. I think I earned my stripes when coaxing out some of those 1990 vintages when others were shredding those old corks.

And if you find that last bottle of 1996 Calon-Segur, let me know as it was in my opinion the star of the evening and would soar with a few hours of decanting.

The Ham Bone is Connected to the...

2011-01-22T15:43:00.008-05:00

For some reason I have been sucked into the world of new recipes, fine dining and travel. So who's complaining. On a very cold Winter day I thawed the car out, headed to Fresh Market and dragged back enough food to make lunch today and have a hearty soup that will last through 7+ hours of Playoff NFL TV coverage this Sunday. Just need to pick up a baguette.

Had a 'Teapot' mussel lunch with a great wine pairing while I toiled away building the soup with what to me are some new ingredients. And thanks to Hyde Park Meats for the free ham bone. I promise to stop in more often to support you.

I followed the recipe as religiously as I could but when vinegar was called for, I poured wine in. My bad! And a little cayenne pepper lets me keep the thermostat at 68 in the house. I can't tell you how well it turned out critically but it will be gone by the time, and I HATE saying this, the Steelers roll into another Superbowl. (This is actually an easy call as I will root for the Steelers before the Jets any day.) But the game to watch is the Bears v. Packers. Should be a classic. But back to the soup. Early indicators are very positive.

So below is the evidence of where I've come from in a year. Thanks to Paris. And if you're nice you can use my new knife but be careful as it is wicked sharp.

Oregon Pinot Noir

2011-01-18T16:04:00.003-05:00

I agree in particular when there is more finesse and less fruit bombs, and the region has done a great job of promoting the whole brand collectively with events like Pinot Camp. OK, do I get invited back now after this shameless plug?

And not sure why everyone was so happy after being wined and dined and driven all over Willamette Valley for three days? I knew this was going to be a fun group when our bus 'den mother', who owns one of the big wineries there, had the bus driver pull over at a local convenience store before the morning discussion session the first morning to load the cooler up with cold beer.

The Neighborhood Pub

2011-01-17T23:51:00.006-05:00

With restaurants coming and going these days it's good to see an old neighborhood pub stand the test of time. There have been ownership changes and some remodeling but the place still takes care of the neighborhood with a warm place to watch the game with good food and cold beer and a cheery welcome. "You back again? Want another Rivertown Winter Ale?"

I've been going there since the mid 70s and the faces may have changed, and you can't run a tab anymore, but the place is packed with smiling faces and is busy so they must be doing something right these past 40 years.

WBW #70

2011-01-14T14:46:00.004-05:00

Back in 2004 a bunch of wine bloggers put together an international wine event which lapsed for awhile but has been revived. I look forward to selecting a new Spanish wine to review for Wine Blogging Wednesday #70. In the past I had posted frequently and even was allowed to host the event....once.

On first pass, I think I will explore some Pedro Ximenez from Jerez or Malaga.

Cheers!

'Cast Iron Chicken' on a Snow Day

2011-01-11T15:19:00.004-05:00

I was inspired today to try a new meal I have been thinking about. Well actually, I was starved and due to the relentless snow all day I was stuck at home and out of necessity I cleaned out the pantry and refrigerator to put together something edible. And with help from a Parisian expert on all things food I put together a game plan. (I couldn't find the paper today in the snow bank, but the internet was wide open.)

The dates, pears, clementines and touch of Cayenne were my inspirations. The basics on how to put it all together without creating a disaster were Marie's. Thank you Marie. And don't tell anyone that I had to ask you about deglazing. Too bad you didn't get to taste it, but for a pot luck, peasant dish in one cast iron pot, it turned out well. The pear, date and Cayenne flavors worked together.

Now the presentation doesn't show well as this is a 'dive in and eat it' dish and not something for a 3 star restaurant where plating is paramount, and truth be told the chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender but not up to par for flavors but when you pull it out from the fridge and it's still a bit frozen, what can you expect. Patience is not one of MY virtues. Did I mention that I was stranded in a snow storm and starving?

Well as Julia used to say.

Bon Appetit!

Les Fables de la Fontaine

2011-01-06T10:20:00.007-05:00

On recommendation from Willi's Wine Bar we made a lunch reservation as this 25-seater was booked all week for dinner. It is in the 7th near the Tower just off the Champs de Mars and was a pleasant 20 minute walk in the wet 50 degree weather. Some suggested global warming. I'd like to think it was just a warm send off from Paris so I would return again. Paris does that to you.

This is not a bistro but fine dining. The small space is elegantly and simply done as are the dishes. I didn't expect the 4 mini lobsters as an appetizer as my French is still weak, but the wet nap and lobster fork and cracker should have been a warning, but by then it was too late. In Midwestern fashion I got it done but left the little claws alone as I was beginning to splatter the nearby guests. And as this was a popular spot, the guests included a table of dignified grand parents, their son and grand son, a table with a married middle-aged business man in his suit and his elegant but mature 'niece' who was decked and voluptuous with signs of some work done to improve her looks, and a table of 16 workers on a Holiday lunch with their boss.

As homage to Julia Childs, we ordered sole meuniere for two as this was the first dish she had when she first landed in France after WWII. The Sancerre paired very well with all courses. We skipped dessert and settled on cafe noisette and then headed back out into the warm January afternoon. Stop in if you can get a reservation.

NYE Resolution #4

2011-01-04T04:19:00.003-05:00

As I have been fortunate this last year, I am going to give back to my community in a meaningful way with time, effort and resources. It's time to "pay it back". The Cincinnati Freestore and Foodbank could always use some help, so that's a start.

Maceo, Paris

2011-01-03T12:26:00.005-05:00

Maceo is the upscale restaurant located a few doors down from Willi's Wine Bar on Rue des Petits Champs in the 1st. Mark Williamson, an English ex-pat since the 70s, runs the place with old world charm and a very dry sense of humor. The room is grand and colonial, and I have it on good authority that it used to house the best brothel in Paris. That may explain my reluctance to leave after a leisurely 2 hour lunch with a shared appetizer, main course, a large pichet of Dolcetto d' Alba, and a pear William dessert with cafe. All this for 115 euros. I am guessing there would be extra charges for a truly 'happy ending'.

Maceo has become a regular visit on my trips here and will continue to be so as the food, service and ambiance are 5 star. As an example, when the server noticed that I was having trouble cutting my beef fillet with the butter knife (usually it takes two large pichets of Red to lead me astray like that) he silently slid over and dropped a new steak knife at my side and removed the other knives from my reach. I expected and deserved a slap on the head and a curt "Hey dummy, try the steak knife not the butter knife!" Like I said, very smooth.

Stop in and enjoy a great meal, and if you find out where the 'private' dining rooms are, let me know. I will be on the next flight out from Cincinnati.

NYE Resolution #3

2011-01-02T07:35:00.004-05:00

I will send out timely, hand-written Thank You Notes. As a bachelor I am way bad at this, but this year I will get some personalized note cards and use them. Besides, the US Post Office is really hurting for revenue.

NYE Resolution #2

2011-01-02T05:53:00.003-05:00

I will go to Barcelona and stay for at least three days, and not eat dinner before midnight. This will require several naps through out the day. I may go to a museum. Or not.

NYE Resolution #1

2011-01-02T05:49:00.002-05:00

My list for New Years' resolutions is incomplete so I will roll them out over the next week one at a time in no particular order.

I will go to Le Baron Rouge during Happy Hour to swill cheap wine and slurp oysters with a rowdy crowd.

24 hours in Paris

2011-01-02T01:54:00.006-05:00

When I'm fresh out of words, I let the photos do the talking. Twenty four hours in Paris with NYE smack in the middle.

Wine Pairing Tip #27

2010-12-31T13:12:00.004-05:00

Most of the time wine/food pairings are over-rated. Yes, there are some classic great pairings (Sauternes and foie gras), but most of the time, common sense works and personal preference rules. If you don't like Riesling, then no pairing will work. However, there are some bad pairings and here is a new one for me which I will never forget. Boiled baby gray shrimp and Right Bank Bordeaux is a disaster. The shrimp taste OK, but the Bordeaux doesn't need a fish/scale component to make it shine. Just the opposite. It's awful. I had to run out to the local Nicolas to snag a cold Chablis. I know, a Spanish Albarino or an Italian Verdicchio would have been better, but I had 5 minutes to deliver cold white wine. It kind of worked, or at least the Chablis was palatable.

Mini Palais, Paris

2010-12-31T04:28:00.006-05:00

Stopped in for a quick drink to scout the space out, but didn't taste the food so I will go back. Speaking of space out, the server who took care of us was lost, several times, and when asked by the table next to us for a wine suggestion by the sommelier, was told that he's eating dinner presently. Yes, the staff were having their pre-service meal across the room 30 steps away, but how long does it take to jump over and make a suggestion. Two minutes? As a customer, I hate the word 'no'. Because my response to a restaurant that tells me 'no' too often, when asked if I will return, is 'NO'!

I hope this doesn't portend to the level of service here as I have heard good reviews about this restaurant. And the space IS stunning, although I can't say it's one of Paris' most beautiful, and I heard it was a year in the making. (As an owner, that sends shudders down my spine, all the way to my checkbook!) I do, however, look forward to sitting on the balcony in warm weather and taking in the sights outside and staring at Winston Churchill's statue.

So, will I give it a second chance? YES! But just once, so the service better have improved. There are way too many options in this city to waste money on an inferior product.

Parisian Coffee Wars

2010-12-30T04:02:00.005-05:00

Actually it's not a 'war' but a test, and if it were a war, then the losers would be all the customers. I can't say all the coffee in Paris sucks, as the NYT article suggests, but in my experience it isn't very good. So I went to a little coffee shop I had read about, and then walked across the street to Starbucks for a comparison. It was not possible to visit every bistro in Paris to provide a full sampling, but I thought the comparison would be interesting. The results: both versions of 'cafe noisette' were weak, somewhat bitter and not satisfying. The Starbucks cost 2 euros (and you don't get a chocolate treat) versus 1 for the local. The beans from Lookout Joe's in Mt. Lookout, that's Ohio folks, make better coffee at home by far. Try the test yourself. But to be safe bring a pound or two from home next time you travel here.

Le Square Trousseau

2010-12-28T14:13:00.005-05:00

There are hundreds of good bistros to fall into in Paris when you are cold on a frigid Winter day with gray clouds spitting freezing rain and you need a quick, or long, warm up. This is my third trip here this year as it is just blocks from Le Baron Rouge where I can reload the house Red and White wines for under $5 per liter, and we can hit the covered market for food and flea market items. And the Bistro is a bit unusual in that it has wi-fi and music playing, and a pleasant greeting from the staff. It is becoming a regular stop. Oh, the food is very good and the room is classic.

Christmas in Paris

2010-12-26T05:45:00.005-05:00

What do you do after ripping open the presents? Settle down to a home-cooked meal with good food and some wine maybe. And listen to some really old albums on a brand new turntable. Because Christmas is all about passing on traditions to the next generation. But damn the old albums sound better on vinyl, so maybe the next generation can teach the old folks a thing or two. I see a turntable at the house and I will be searching through all those boxes in the garage to find my old albums.

On the Road Again

2010-12-23T18:35:00.004-05:00

Threw some food and wine together for the kids before exchanging presents a day early as I hit the road on Christmas Eve to arrive on Christmas day at 6am bearing presents as Santa Claus was really slammed this year, so I offered to fly the 'red-eye'. I am a team player if nothing else. No thanks needed.

So Happy Holidays to everyone. Photos of Christmas and New Years in Paris to follow once I recover from my jet lag and a breakfast of Champagne and more oysters. Beats the Hell out of cookies and milk!

La Mexicana in Newport

2010-12-22T15:27:00.006-05:00

Sometimes you don't have to go to CVG to travel. If you want an authentic Mexican meal head to Newport, Kentucky to La Mexicana on Monmouth between 6th and 7th. It's the real deal and a perfect warm up for "True Grit" but I limited myself to only one cerveza as too many beers during the show leads to a few pit stops and the big screen doesn't have a pause button.

I can't say it's the "best or premiere" Mexican restaurant in town because I haven't tried them all so that would be a lie. But it's the best so far for me and it will due until the next best one comes along.

I have been to the worst recently in Hyde Park and walked out after throwing down $15 for half-eaten enchiladas that tasted like dog food mixed with crumbs topped with Velveeta. It was that bad.

But La Mexicana is great and I will return. Plus the neighborhood is quaint and didn't the Brass Ass used to be a dive strip club. My memories have faded but I think I went there back in the 80s for a bachelor party but we all got thrown out when the six of us put paper bags on our head during the show for some reason. We thought it was funny but management didn't. I think the girls were offended but they shouldn't have been given their muscle tone. Or did that happen in "Hangover"?

Home Sweet Home

2010-12-21T23:08:00.007-05:00

Yes, I love to travel but it is important to have a solid home base and it's not just about having a big house, as I have learned recently, it is about having a great home. So Cincinnati is home and although I have only lived here for 35 years, I do get credit for a few past generations who made it their home after the Civil War.

But maybe it's the Danish Viking heritage that lures me to big old homes that remind me of old castles and the solid bones of old houses that catch my attention and conjure up vivid images of having lived there before and walked great rooms with a Lady hundreds of years ago which can be the only explanation of why her hand feels so comfortable in mine. Maybe it was just the crazy movie I saw last night about a somewhat psychotic (and riveting) ballerina. I hope not.

I can see myself prowling these grounds with stone walls and woods and plenty of space for a garden, and a greenhouse seems right and practical if you like flowers and vegetables during the cold months or want to get a jump on Spring before the last frost. In Winter there is a roaring fire in the Great Room and more delicious food (yes, there is always delicious food) and lively conversation, and in Summer there is Bocce in the courtyard (got to have a Bocce court) and food served outside under cover unless the heat and rain drive us inside. And still more lively conversation and good wine, and then standing around the large kitchen cleaning the dishes and pans with friends and family. And music covering the noise of clattering of pans and dishes being dried and put away.

And a lovely smiling face with bright eyes taking it all in and waiting for all the guests to leave.

It must be just the remnants of "Black Swan" but the dream seems so real. Tomorrow I will see "True Grit" and wonder if the dream will have changed. Probably not, except for the cowboy boots and slow drawls. Please check your guns at the door.

White Death Black Swan

2010-12-21T00:05:00.006-05:00

The 'white death' in Cincinnati means an inch or two of slippery snow and shear panic to drive the hills. The milk and batteries are swept from the shelves at the local groceries and schools are delayed for 90 minutes, precisely. Life goes on and everyone gets to where they are going eventually.

'Black Swan' is a compelling psychological thriller with an amazing performance by Natalie Portman, who has lived and visited in Cincinnati, but left before she could drive. The plot is non-linear and for most the ending will not be pleasing, but enjoy the ride, like taking a detour on the way home and finding an open parking lot at the country club and letting the car drift into four wheel slides.

The movie is a classic and will need to be viewed many times to be comprehended but the performance is riveting. The drive home was fun too and from now on sitting in the back of the Esquire with conspiratorial conversations with good friends and contraband half-bottles of wine will be de-rigueur. And yes the Champagne/buttered popcorn/chocolate pairing does work. But try it yourself and see the movie to get your own opinions.

And it has been suggested that the little pig outside who is wet and cold should come inside for the winter, and I agree. Pardon granted.

Detour

2010-12-13T20:30:00.002-05:00

Life is about detours some days. You start out with the idea of having a lunch party at a good restaurant with 4 bottles of great wine to celebrate the end of one chapter in your life and the beginning of another, but only one friend shows as the others have plans, and then he has to go work-out, so then suddenly you find yourself heading down the highway to find some 'entertainment' in Kentucky, but the place just lost their liquor license, the heat's off and the girls are late. Bummer.

So at least the cigars are good but the Corona sucks and 90 minutes later there is still no show and the audience is getting restless. And the thought of a $100 shower dance in a 55 degree barn is not the original vision of how the day would go when you awoke two hours before sunrise.

So whenever you hit a roadblock, get out the map. You get back on the road and head home to a warm meal with your friends and family, break out the 95 Cos D' Estournel and relax by the fire. And light up one more cigar.

My Home Away From Home

2010-12-12T21:49:00.005-05:00

The link is to just one of the many Bistros in the neighborhood on Rue Commerce in the 15th near the Eiffel Tower, which is my new home away from home. No, I have never been to the top of the Tower, but everyday I see it when I walk around and even when miles away I can see it, so I can always find my way home as it is a beacon. And the Champs de Mars is a wonderful place to walk around in warm weather with grass and benches and is popular with children, bike riders, tourists and young lovers, I have been told. You can even pick up souvenirs there if you wish. Cincinnati is a great small town but for some reason I am drawn back to Paris and this neighborhood. Not sure if it's the strange currency, the wonderful food, the quirky language or the love of life.

The 15th is not a tourist destination but rather a neighborhood where Parisians live. Except for the Tower and the River and a little statue that looks a lot like the Statue of Liberty, there isn't much to 'see', but if you live there you will find everything you need. Shops for cheese, wine, meats, chocolate, ice cream, hardware, stereos, rugs, milk, bread, and a Farmers Market under the Metro line. And there are at least 4 stations in my neighborhood so you can travel throughout the City in less than 30 minutes for $2. And many places to eat and after 5 trips in one year I have barely scratched the surface for places to dine, but have also had many wonderful meals at home too. Because it is not just a place to visit, it is also a place to live.

Apartments are not cheap but life is rich. The 15th is not one of the 'hot' neighborhoods so there is value here and a history and everything you want, so you don't need to travel far, once you make the short 8 hour flight from CVG to CDG. Then you can relax and start living. And if you need some cream for you coffee or a fresh baguette for breakfast baked fresh that morning, you slide outside, walk two blocks and practice your new language, "Je voudrais une baguette et une tarte aux framboises, SVP." Because I always try to come back with more than what's on the list. It gets noticed. And is appreciated.

Le Cafe du Commerce (not Le Commerce Cafe, which is fine for a quick cafe and breakfast) is a classic, old world Restaurant on three levels with standard food. I don't dine there often, but they will sell you beautiful oysters to-go from Normandy with names like Omaha and Utah Beach, which resonates on a different level for us Americans. They will shuck them for you and give you one to taste as you wait while thinking of the American sacrifices on those beaches 65 years ago. You can taste the brine of the salt water as these oysters were pulled from the cold Channel waters the day before. You taste the ocean and think back 65 years and make a note that you must visit there and see the beaches yourself and give thanks for the bounty. And the sacrifice. It is only a few hours away by the TGV, so you make a promise to go.

So, if you are in the neighborhood, stop in and I will show you around, but my French is weak and I am a newcomer. People have lived here for thousands of years and will no doubt for many more. But I am beginning to learn my way around my new home and I can show you the many sights and sounds and smells and tastes that keep drawing me back here. And fair warning, it will draw you back also.

Why Do You Travel?

2010-12-12T19:28:00.006-05:00

I travel like everyone else in that I want to see new places and have new experiences. But more importantly I go to learn and bring that wisdom home.

Little things like how to cook mussels. One day at lunch at L' Avant Comptoir, the tiny wine bar near the Odeon station in Paris, I saw clams served out of a teapot and began chatting up a new ex-pat acquaintance, an Italian married to an American, and he gave me the scoop. "The mussels are better. The trick is to pull them off the heat after 30 seconds of hard steaming. And don't add water."

Well, I went home, bought a teapot, and cheated by adding a splash of wine, some garlic and butter, because everything in life goes better with wine, garlic and butter. I do have an old habit of putting my own spin on everything. And in my experience everything is better with wine, garlic and butter. Think about it. The results were fantastic, so now I have three 'go to' dishes when entertaining, beyond the grilled bone-in Ribeye steak and Texas style Chili.

So I travel to learn and one is never too old to learn a new recipe, or to learn to make a better life, or to have better relationships. On the eve of turning another chapter in my life, I look forward to the next one, and the future is bright. You learn from your mistakes and keep your eyes open to better ways to succeed. And the teapot mussels are proof.

But I still can nail a wine/food pairing. And that's an old trick.

Willi's Wine Bar

2010-12-11T18:26:00.002-05:00

Willi's Wine Bar has been open since 1980 and is well known for their fine wine selections of local, small producers and a smattering of offerings from all over the world, but a well-kept secret to many travelers (but not the local ex-pats) is that the food is great. I have had several wonderful meals there and even more fun is the piercing dry wit of the proprietor, Mark Williamson.

He somehow got lost in Paris years ago, having washed up from England, landed in Steven Spurrier's (of 'Paris Wine Tasting of 1976' fame) wine shop before opening his own place. So he knows his wines and knows a few good stories.

So stop in for the wine, stay for the food and don't forget to buy a poster on the way out. And if you are still hungry and want to enjoy another great meal stop in to Maceo just a few doors down. Mark runs this operation also and it is a 'real' restaurant with comfortable chairs, extensive wine list and great food. I will review it at a later date after I finish hanging my posters from Willi's.

The Best Place in Paris

2010-12-11T09:48:00.003-05:00

The best place to eat in Paris, and there are many truly outstanding restaurants and bistros that have an international following with prices and attitude to match, is often the corner bistro in about every neighborhood. I love it that you can pop in any one out of hundreds and have a wonderful meal that is not too expensive and finish it off with a little espresso, maybe a Calvados and something sweet.

This dessert is from, if I can remember correctly, the little cafe on Commerce around the corner from my apartment. Steak frite or the grilled salmon are just fine and the dessert is perfect for someone who can't make up their mind and wants to share. Because the best place to eat in Paris is not about the "best" food, it's about spending time with your "best" friends. My favorite meals have been because of the company and not the cuisine. And with some people I have never had a bad meal. I've had terrible service and questionable foods which make for great conversations as we laugh it off and roll our eyes, but never a bad meal. Never.

Bon Appetit!

5 Star on a Budget - Le Meurice

2010-12-10T14:53:00.006-05:00

There's no way you can afford to stay here so I won't even talk prices but if you want to pretend that you did, slide into the bar, get a table and order a few cocktails, take in the room and think of bygone eras where style counted and money was cheap.

So four cocktails will set you back about 100 euros which is cheaper than the Ritz and is a grander room than the Hemingway Bar. When I go to New York City I always head to the Oak Room for a cocktail because it is a civilized room as I live in the Midwest. (Actually the lobby bars at the Brown in Louisville and the Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati are not too shabby.)

But the lobby bar at Le Meurice is for me the best spot to have a very expensive cocktail in a truly grand, historic room. So if you are ever in Paris I will meet you there as long as you are buying. And the chips and nuts are free as is the people watching.

L' Avant Comptoir

2010-12-08T09:15:00.004-05:00

L' Avant Comptoir is a little hole-in-the-wall stand-up wine bar that maybe holds 15 people if they're skinny French people. I'm guessing it would hold 12 Americans. It is located near the Odeon Metro station but I'm not saying anymore because they definitely don't need the business. Every day at lunch and on weekends it is packed and it does help a little if you know the staff. Just a little. You will still have to wait to get served by shouting over the heads at the counter, and they will most likely forget an item or two over the din.

But I have learned to just ask Eric to send 3 items out, his choice and keep the Cotes du Rhone Rouge (or his choice) flowing, unless we start with the oysters, then send one glass (pronounced vare) of Sancerre and then switch to Rouge. It helps to hit him with a 10 or 20 euro tip at the end which is quite unusual in Paris as most leave just a 1 or 2 euro tip. It gets his attention. I learned that trick at China Grill in South Beach when I was a regular back in the 90s. Hit the bartender hard on a slow night, and then when you arrive on Friday or Saturday on a busy night when it's 4 deep at the bar, he would make eye contact and ask for my order. over the wondering glances of everyone in front of me. "Who is that guy?"

Just me with a solid plan and $20 for good service.

Oh, back to the food. L' Avant offers small bites (smaller than tapas? - I'll let you know when I get back from Barcelona) that go for 3 to 6 euros. Soups are amazing, the beef tip sandwich is amazing, the sardines in butter is/are amazing, but the signature dish is the Croquettes of Ibernian jambon. I thought there was cheese inside. Nope, it's just melted ham. The picture above is the grilled foie gras and pickled peppers which is also amazing. I haven't had a bad bite yet.

The wine list (there isn't one - just ask Eric what's there today) is short, but local, small production and perfect for the setting. One of the Reds I had was amazing and I wish I could find it to take home.

So, if you can find the place, go and if I'm in town you will probably find me there with a bunch of new friends who are ex-pats as over a two week period I only went 5 times. The Odeon station is about 7 stops from my apartment. It is a great place to meet friends, have a bite and a few glasses of wine and then wander off for more serious food, but if you have no other plans then just order more wine and have Eric send out 3 more plates. And don't forget to tip your waitress.

Domaine Rostaing - Update

2010-12-06T19:32:00.006-05:00

I have said before that Cincinnati is a bit of a village. I love it as it is home with friends and family and has one major league team (sorry Bengal fans), but it is a smaller Midwestern town.

Having said that, there are some benefits to living here. It's all about connections. We now have Cote - Rotie in the cellar. And it wasn't 184 euros ($250). And if I wanted I could have taken down more than 6 bottles.

Speaking of value, and it may seem that $250 is over the top, but you can't compare this to an everyday $40 Napa Cab. This is on the same level as First Growth, allocated Napa cult wines, the best of the best. The value in wine today is Northern Rhone. Top-line Bordeaux and Burgundies have been priced to absurd levels due to Far Eastern demand. It will only get worse. And in my opinion the Northern Rhone (and of course the Southern Rhone) are the best food wines. The tourists drink Bordeaux and uber-expensive Burgundies (although if you want to lay a DRC on me, I'm not going to object); the locals drink Rhone, and then order another bottle.

OK, enough talk, I've got to find my corkscrew.

Le Villaret - Paris in the 11th

2010-12-06T12:49:00.005-05:00

Thought I would start off the restaurant reviews with Le Villaret. These are not intended to be critical pieces but more impressions. Generally if I write it up I like it overall. Your experience could be vastly different as usually the company that I keep and my general lack of shyness makes it hard to have a bad meal. With some of my friends I have never had a bad meal. I have been to places where I wouldn't return but I tend to bring out the best of the situation. Life is short so enjoy it.

Le Villaret has no web-site, is hard to find but I cannot remember a better meal. Food and service were excellent and the wine list was monumental with 6 pages of Burgundy, 1 page just for DRC, 4 pages Cotes du Rhone and then a few more pages for things like Champagne and Alsace, and 1 page for Vins Estrangers which was mostly Sassicaia. Those are the Red wines. There are 10 more pages for the Whites. You get the point.

A good rule of thumb in exploring a new restaurant is to go where the locals go. I was the only American there in this 50 seater which was packed at 2pm for lunch. Tip number two is to focus on lunch as the main meal. There is value in lunch, it is easier to get a reservation and Hell you're on vacation. Go home, take a nap and then have a small dinner which if you have an apartment in Paris you can do quite easily.

Will I go back there. Absolutely. Between Christmas and New Years. Le Villaret goes on the short list of restaurants I will visit every time I visit Paris. Next up, L' Avant Comptoir, another repeat visit. I only went there 5 times in 2 weeks.

Thank God It Was Blacked Out

2010-12-06T09:29:00.003-05:00

I am so glad I didn't get to watch the game given how it ended. I can't afford to buy a new TV and no doubt something would have been hurled at the offending instrument.

And now I get to read in the New York Times how incompetent we are, but of course I don't need to read the Times to figure that out.

Nice coverage (no, not the photo):

[Who would fall for it?

The Bengals.

Brees did a solid acting job, moving around the backfield like he was orchestrating a play, then going under center to start his cadence as if he were going to take a snap. Lineman Pat Sims fell for it, jumping offside.

Stunning.

"In my 10 years (in the NFL), this is the first time that play has ever worked," fullback Heath Evans said. "It doesn't work too often."]

So the only reason to ever go back into the Stadium would be the off chance to see if this fan returns as I always have my camera with me.

Paris is Calling

2010-12-05T19:48:00.009-05:00

Paris is a new place for me to hang my hat but for a few thousand years people have called it home. It is an amazing city and draws more than 40 million visitors every year. I don't need to sell the place but if you haven't been recently stop in. The water is fine. French is not necessary. Manners are. When you walk into a shop you greet the people there with a Bonjour or Bonsoir after 5pm. (I have seen a street vendor chide a local for asking a question before saying hello. She grovelled and profusely apologized. Think you would see that on Times Square? She was wrong and knew it. Called out. By a street vendor.) Imagine, a city of more than 2 million people (12 million including the 'burbs) where manners matter. It's part of the appeal. And the Parisians are not rude to strangers, no worse than New Yorkers. They just don't interact on the street. In the neighborhoods, in the apartment lobbies and in stores, you must say hello and greet each other.

The Metro system is a dream. $2 gets you all over town in 20 minutes in a clean, well-run system. And no charge for the street musicians but tipping is encouraged. I have been known to drop 4 euros on some of the better acts. The guy with the accordion and boom box blaring in my face gets nothing as I don't want to encourage him. How do you say in French, "Don't give up your day job!"?

There are also thousands of Bistros that offer great food and wine. But when you get seated you might wait for 10 minutes before being offered a drink. Remember your manners. Finger snapping is very counter-productive. Chill and talk with the people you are with. Dining is not all about food here but about sharing time together over a relaxed meal which always includes wine. There are high-end, 3 star venues but my preference is the everyday Bistro with a wine list that is only long enough to fill up a chalk board. End it with a glass of Calvados and a cafe noisette and then head out back to the Metro station wrapped in the warmth of good food and lively companionship.

There are hot restaurants and spots to go but it changes weekly so check with a local. Get away from the tourist spots and hang out in the neighborhoods. But do make it to the museums. They are wonderful as are the grand churches. Even the cemeteries are amazing. Try to find Jim Morrison's grave without a map (Hint: Follow the crowds.) Get ready to walk a few miles though every day so bring comfortable walking shoes, a bag and an umbrella. You will get lost a few times but enjoy the detours. And always bring a camera. For God's sake bring a camera.

There is more but it takes time to cover it all. It's a big city. It's been there two thousand years. I think it will take a lifetime to even begin to scratch the surface. But the lessons you learn there will enrich your life. To be continued....

2004 Wildhurst Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County

2010-12-05T19:05:00.003-05:00

Soft blueberry dark fruit aromas with longish finish. Tannins are settled but offer solid structure. Drink now. Very good. Nice find out of the dregs of the old shop inventory. This one goes into the cellar and not the Boy's stash.

2007 Domaine Rostaing Cote Rotie, Cote Blonde

2010-12-03T17:25:00.004-05:00

I have two tips for knowing whether a wine is great. First, the aroma hits your nose about one foot out before you bring the glass to your nose. Second, the last glass in the bottle is the best.

The 2007 does both. Had this at Le Villaret in the 11th in Paris for lunch. Stunning with notes of violet, lavender, dried mushroom and a very long finish. Not cheap at 184 euros. The server smiled as we ordered and said it is one of her favorites and they only got 6 bottles on allocation.

If you are not heading to Paris in the near future, head down to La Poste, we have two bottles of Rostaing Cote Rotie and I am not allowed to order as they are saved for the guests. The price is less than 184 euros or dollars.

It's About Time

2010-12-03T10:40:00.003-05:00

Now that this is going to get straightened out and justice is served, they can turn their attention to finding Jimmy Hoffa.

Best damn steak knives

2010-12-03T01:06:00.003-05:00

I love the steak knives at La Poste and have ordered some for the house (Bryant has the inventory system dialed in pretty tight so if 12 "went missing", he would know), but overall Laguiole is the best. You see imitations all over town but get the real ones. Bone handle go for about $60. I like the folding ones as you can take them to your favorite restaurant in case they're still using the chop house kind.

New name -- same game

2010-12-03T00:25:00.003-05:00

I have decided to crank the blog up again to cover my travels in wine country and a few international food hotspots. With an occasional irreverent opinion from left field and a digital camera, we got it covered.

I'm on Facebook too but it doesn't offer enough features and sometimes I like to ramble for more than 420 words and one picture can't tell the whole story.

So stay tuned for more frequent posts and I have a lot of catching up to do. Got to take advantage of my Silver Elite status at Delta.

Time to gas up the car!

2010-12-03T00:16:00.001-05:00

In the 19th century, there were three oyster capitals in the world: Paris, London and New York. Although fabulous oysters are still served in London and New York, these two grand cities have since lost their prestigious titles as oyster capitals of the world. Paris has not. To this day, this city offers countless opportunities to enjoy oysters, be it in restaurants or from a side walk vendors. Some kind of dry white wine or Champagne is generally suggested as an accompaniment. The classics in Paris are oysters from legendary French oyster cultivation areas such as Cancale, Marennes-Oléron, and Arcachon. The coast of France also offers fantastic oyster experiences.

It's a small world

2010-12-02T00:35:00.000-05:00

People all the time in Cincinnati will say it's a "small world" when they bump into someone in town, but people we live in a village. I love the place but it's a small town.

It's a small world when you pop into an oil shop (not Jiffy Lube) on Rue Commerce in the 15th in Paris and bump into another Midwesterner (it's the accent or lack thereof) who is Christmas shopping.

"Where you from?"
"Kentucky"
"That's NOT a Kentucky accent."
"Well Cincinnati actually just south of the river"
"I'm from Cincinnati too! I'm heading home tomorrow."
"On the 10:30am direct flight?"
"Yea!"
"See you tomorrow, I'll be your flight attendant."

That's a small world.

So we shopped for oil and then I helped her pick out some wines next door. She tried to get me upgraded to First Class, but it filled up last minute, and all the attendants knew the story. But the wine from First Class flowed for the entire flight and stemware smokes plastic any day. And thanks for the real headphones and dopp kit. See you at La Poste. First glass is on me.

La Poste Eatery

2010-11-03T11:14:00.003-04:00

La Poste Eatery is now open and the reviews are great. Fine wine, great service in a classic and warm environment.

Stop in to see for yourself. Call or use Open Table.

Try not to get lost in the wine list.

La Poste Eatery

2010-06-18T00:14:00.004-04:00

2007 J K Carriere Pinot Noir, Willamete Valley, Shea Vineyard

2010-06-16T18:59:00.004-04:00

Solid elegant fruit, integrated tannins, red cherry and a bit of violet and some dried mushrooms. I'm pairing with leftover Salmon pasta from Via Vite. This to me is fast food. Open bottle, re-heat pasta, relax and open the laptop with a view of the somewhat swollen Ohio River.

But please stay away from the microwave. An extra 10 minutes to warm up in cast iron is worth the wait.

2003 Cenit

2010-01-05T21:25:00.002-05:00

"Made from 60- to 100-year-old ungrafted Tinta de Toro vines, the 2003 Cenit boasts outstanding concentration as well as beautiful intensity, purity, and texture. This opaque purple-tinged effort reveals notes of graphite, kirsch liqueur, blackberries, and smoky oak. Rich, full-bodied, and impressive, it can be drunk now or cellared for 10-12 years." -90 Points - Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate

2006 Mica Napa Cabernet

2010-01-03T23:38:00.003-05:00

"Following in the footsteps of Buccella is the Mica (pronounced mee-cah), which is produced by the winemaking team from Buccella with consulting winemaker Celia Welch Masyczek. The 2006 Mica is the inaugural release of the baby Buccella. This wine has beautiful richness of black fruits, silky mouthfeel and long lingering finish that makes this a sensational wine at a great price. 90% Cabernet, 4% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cab Franc and 1% Malbec. " Wine store in California sent this blind. Very fine. About $60.

Bourbon Street 12/31/09

2009-12-31T23:52:00.000-05:00

Laissez les bon temps rouler!!!

2009-12-31T23:46:00.000-05:00

2006 Lilian California Syrah

2009-12-23T18:45:00.003-05:00

"RP94: The 2006 Syrah from Lillian is even better than the excellent 2005. Totally sourced from the White Hawk Vineyard, and aged in 65% new oak for 23 months, there are 508 cases of this beautiful Syrah. Notes of creme de cassis, blackberries, spice, incense, flowers, ground pepper, licorice, and subtle smoke are followed by a full-bodied, layered, multidimensional, big Syrah. Beautifully balanced, elegant, and pure, it should age gracefully for a decade or more"

I don't like to blindly follow the scores to buy wine, but this is a great wine! The label says California but I'm reading that the juice came from White Hawk Vineyard in Santa Barbara. Wine maker was the assistant at Sine Qua Non and now is the winemaker at Antica Terra in Oregon. 500 cases. Good luck finding any!

1997 Stonehedge Napa Valley Zinfandel

2009-12-15T22:45:00.004-05:00

Found this one in the cellar and put it into the kid's selection like it was a throw away. (He's been trained to leave the "good stuff" alone.) Wonderful aged Zin with mellow aromas and flavors and a long finish. Damn, I'm rescuing the rest of the bottles!

Bengal Blues

2009-12-14T15:50:00.002-05:00

This is how you take the sting out of another Bengal loss!

2006 Revana Napa Cab

2009-12-11T21:04:00.004-05:00

I know it's a bit early to drink this but wanted to get a benchmark and share with the boy. Napa Cab with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Elegant, complex and a long finish. Should be good for at least 10 years. Another great wine from Heidi.

But I don't think you'll find this in any wine stores back at Stetson plus 2 bottles would bury your monthly allowance.

2001 Larkmead Napa Merlot

2009-12-09T21:45:00.003-05:00

Sweet, aged fruit, tannins subdued, smooth. Drink now. Good juice. About $40.

2002 Chateau Latour a Pomerol

2009-12-09T21:37:00.005-05:00

Shut down, little complexity, no mid-palate, short finish. For $72, ouch! Could be a bad bottle. Bad bottle!

Two days later in an open container, right before I was going to dump it down the drain, it showed a long finish and elegance. Who knew!

Napa/Sonoma/Mendocino 2009

2009-12-07T12:50:00.002-05:00

Here are the photos from my recent trip.

Tino Vino

2007-09-28T09:54:00.000-04:00

Cincinnati's Newest Winery

I stopped by yesterday to taste some wines from Cincinnati's newest winery, Tino Vino, where you can make your own wine. The Super Tuscan ($19) was very good. I look forward to trying to make some myself. Bon Appetite and Good Luck!

WBW #37 -- Go Native

2007-09-12T16:36:00.001-04:00

What: WBW is the international Internet wine tasting event held monthly. Lenn is the mastermind. Details and past postings are here.

Host/Hostess: This month's event is hosted by Dr. Vino.

Theme: "Go Native" with indigenous wines.

The Wine: 1998 Chateau Musar Blanc

Sometimes the journey is more enlightening than the final destiny. Due to the summer heat I considered Albarino from Spain or Torrontes from Argentina (and was going to defend the choice as it only grows in Argentina with a dash used in Chile’s cheap plonk), but then I stumbled onto my final choice, a wine I have loved for years, which has its devotees and detractors. One critic trashed it, and then went on to say he loved drinking it and will keep buying it. Go figure!

It doesn’t get much more indigenous than this. Although vitis vinefera did not originate in Lebanon, as they probably arrived from the South Caucasus via Mesopotamia, wines have been made there since at least 2,500 BC, more than 4,000 years ago!

I have raved before about this wine as one of my favorite white wines, but be sure to decant for at least 8 hours and serve slightly chilled (50 to 55 degrees). Each glass will open over time and improve with stunning complexity.

Château Musar was founded by Gaston Hochar in 1930 in Ghazir, 15 miles north of the capital Beirut. The current proprietor is Gaston's son, Serge. Musar grapes grow in the Bekaa Valley, a fertile sunny valley situated 25 miles east of Beirut. Despite war in Lebanon, wine was produced at the Château every year, even when tanks invaded the vineyard.

The vineyards of Château Musar are located at an altitude of over 3,000 feet (1,000 meters) in the Bekaa Valley where the vines are sheltered by the surrounding mountains running parallel to the Mediterranean coast. They cover 180 hectares and produce a limited yield of about 35 hl/ha. The Bekaa Valley is almost frost and disease free, with long mild summers, rainy winters with an annual rainfall of 20 inches, and an average temperature of 75 degrees.

The white wines are made from a blend of Obeideh and Merwah, which are native to the Bekaa Valley and Mount Lebanon. According to the legend, Obeideh and Merwah were taken back to Europe with the Crusaders and are the likely ancestors of Chardonnay and Semillon respectively.

Both varieties are partly fermented in oak "barriques" where they mature for a further 9 months. They are then blended, bottled and aged for a further 4 years before release.

In Memoriam: Paul Ortiz

2007-08-22T13:49:00.000-04:00

The Cincinnati wine community was shocked to hear of Paul's passing. We will miss his dry sense of humor and keen nose! I have heard there will be a local Memorial service Wednesday, August 29th at Morton's at 7pm.

17th Annual Taste of Duveneck

2007-05-19T13:32:00.000-04:00

17th Annual Taste of Duveneck at the Cincinnati Art Museum on June 7th at 6pm. Tickets are $75 but the food and wine will be great. I will be pouring wine for any winery that will have me!

Fleurs de Fete

2007-05-16T15:02:00.000-04:00

2007 Fleurs de Fete

When: Sunday, May 20th, 1 to 4pm

Where: Dayton, Ohio -- Carillon Historical Park

Cost: $60 at the door

Info: 937-223-4117 ext. 107

Rumor has it this is the best wine festival in the area due to quality of wines and foods, and the fact that it is not a complete zoo with overcrowding. Mark's tips for going to a wine festival are spot on!

If I finish with golf in time I may head up.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #33

2007-05-16T13:32:00.000-04:00

What: WBW is the international Internet wine tasting event held monthly. Lenn is the mastermind. Details and past postings are here.

Host/Hostess: This month's event is hosted by Doktor Weingolb.

Theme: Languedoc-Roussillon value wines.

The Wine: 2003 Domaine de la Tour Boissee Minervois Red

2003 DOMAINE DE LA TOUR BOISEE MINERVOIS RED

Jean-Louis Poudou represents the fifth generation of the Poudou family to produce wine on this domaine in the Languedoc region of southern France. He has nearly 100 acres of vineyards in the Minervois. The wine is a blend of 30% Syrah 30% Grenache 30% Carignan and 10% Cinsaut, with the average age of the vines about 60 years old. The wine is unfiltered and aged in steel tanks. Full bodied, the wine has the taste of dark fruits and spice. A wonderful finish adds to the enjoyment of drinking this wine. Food and Wine Magazine rated this wine a “best buy” in September 2001.

In a last minute scramble I ran through the warehouse and stumbled onto this pick. Full-bodied and very accessible with a medium finish. A great quaffer that at $14 tastes like at least $15 to $30!

Road Trip!

2007-05-10T14:01:00.000-04:00

I will be on the road to Pittsburgh June 15th to the 18th to catch a few rounds of the US Open. When I last went in 1994, the heat was overwhelming and the fairways were slick as a twisted landing strip. (As a sidenote, after an afternoon round at Fox Chapel on Friday, I also caught the famous OJ slow chase in his white Bronco.)

Wine Spectator - South Beach Wine & Food Festival

2007-05-10T11:36:00.000-04:00

Yes, I really was there. Here's the proof in the May 31, 2007 issue of Wine Spectator. After downing all that wine, I managed to nibble on some lunch bites. See you next year on the beach!

New Addition

2007-05-09T14:58:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the latest member of the Grandin Road petting zoo. Visiting hours are restricted so call ahead! I am guessing this is the first horse born in Hyde Park in 50 years. Mom and son are doing fine.

Erie Avenue Not So Blind

2007-05-09T14:49:00.000-04:00

Monday the 7th about 10 of us got together to share some big and little bottles. The two 3 liter bottles were left for another day. We started with the 1996 Duval Leroy Brut, and then in no particular order: 1993 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet, 2001 Torres Mas Borras Pinot, 1997 Folie a Deux Napa Sangiovese, 1997 Wynns Coonawarra John Riddoch Cabernet, 1989 Vieux Telegraphe, 2000 Vieux Telegraphe, and 1990 Silver Oak Bonny's Vineyard Cabernet. The last three were mags and showed very well. The 90 Silver Oak was the most elegant Silver Oak I have tasted. Time does work wonders!

Wine Porn

2007-05-03T08:39:00.000-04:00

Sex does sell! Check out the Wine Dr. at Drinkstv.com.

The Doctor Is In!

2007-04-26T14:09:00.000-04:00

The week's offering is much better than last's! This ain't no Snake Oil! Stop by between 1 and 4pm to sample.

2004 Krupp Vineyards, The Doctor, Napa Red Wine ($85) -- This is an unusual blend of Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. 407 cases produced. Production notes are scarce. I will update the tasting notes when I crack this open on Saturday. Right now I will simply stare at the bottle and drool!

Dirty Jack's

2007-04-26T04:53:00.000-04:00

Great spot for live music although a bit smokey! Sketchy neighborhood but good acoustics. The Eric Jerardi Band was great last night! (We wine store owners have to stick together!)

Also the Jon Justice Band rocks the blues!

2003 Opus One

2007-04-25T14:26:00.000-04:00

How come I never get invited to parties like this? A customer just picked up some wine for his Derby party. Damn!!

Saturday Wine Tasting Specials

2007-04-21T17:10:00.000-04:00

Snake Wine -- Stop by today to sample our new line of wines from Vietnam!

Where can you buy it, and how much?

Available nearly everywhere in Vietnam, snake wine is often made by villagers filling up leftover brandy or Perrier bottles. The jug I bought at the Hanoi airport contained three lizards and cost 335,000 dong, or almost $21. (Okay, I admit, this tempting item cost slightly more than my souvenir price ceiling. But I couldn't resist.)

Wine Blogging Wednesday #32 - Regular v. Reserve

2007-04-11T11:42:00.000-04:00

What: WBW is the international Internet wine tasting event held monthly. Lenn is the mastermind. Details and past postings are here.

Host/Hostess: This month's event is hosted by Wine Cask.

Theme: Regular versus Reserve wines

The Wines: Simi Winery Chardonnay

Simi Winery is part of the Icon Estates group, which is one of Constellation Brands’ divisions. Giuseppe and Pietro Simi founded Simi Winery in 1876. The brothers had traveled from Tuscany, Italy, to California during the Gold Rush and by 1876 had settled in San Francisco where they began making wine.

When they discovered the rolling hills of Sonoma County, they were reminded of home. In 1881 they moved their winemaking operations to the little town of Healdsburg in northern Sonoma County, where they completed construction of Simi's first stone cellar in 1890.

The cellars were built from native basalt dug from the hillside and were set back into the side of the hill to enjoy the natural insulation of the earth. Early success in making and selling wine led to doubling the size of the cellars in 1904. Then, tragically, both brothers died within four months of each other. Giuseppe's daughter, Isabelle, took over management of the winery at age eighteen.

Isabelle Simi married local banker Fred Haigh, and together the two continued to grow the winery until Prohibition began in 1920. Forbidden to sell their wine, Isabelle and Fred continued to make and store wine in the stone cellars for the 15 years that Prohibition lasted. Unfortunately, they were forced to sell much of the family's vineyard property to save the winery itself.

When Prohibition ended in December of 1933, Isabelle and Fred were ready with a large supply of perfectly cellared wine to sell. To celebrate the repeal of Prohibition, they planted a grove of still-standing redwood trees around the winery.

2005 Simi Winery, Sonoma County Chardonnay ($15) -- 100% Chardonnay aged 5 months in 100% French oak. Case production is 170,000. Full bodied, apples, pears and butter with a medium finish with a touch of lemon acidity. For a large production wine this is well done.

2004 Simi Winery, Russian River Reserve Chardonnay ($27) – 100% Chardonnay aged 11 months in 58% new French oak. 20,000 cases produced. This is one of my favorite mid-range California Chards. Yes, it has some butter and oak, but not over the top like Rombauer. More Burgundian, long finish. A great weekend wine.

For a party I would select the Regular at $15 (on post-off) over the Reserve, but if I were looking for an elegant California Chardonnay for a weekend dinner I would go with the Reserve.

Wine Festival -- The Good Stuff

2007-03-27T14:49:00.000-04:00

1997 Domaines Schlumberger, Grand Cru Ketterle Pinot Gris -- Alsace. Elegant, complex weighty, very long finish. Stunning! This was one of the perks of having the Wine Festival in town last weekend, because the good stuff comes out of the cellars to impress the wine geeks in town. Late Saturday night at Aqua I enjoyed this wine with a local wine rep and a national wine importer. The owner and manager both enjoyed the sample I sent over. Can't wait to see what comes out of the cellar next year!

Cincinnati Wine Festival

2007-03-24T13:34:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone had a great time at the Festival. The Trade show was great for unencumbered tasting and networking. When I find my notes I will list the wines I thought showed well.

I heard a rumor that there was an after-party/warehouse tasting. When I find the wine list I will confirm.

I am still working on my tasting notes for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, but in summary the food, scenery, mojitos, Champagne rooms and after parties in South Beach were better than Cincinnati. (As usual I was the only one spitting!) Plus I got to stand next to Giada De Laurentis for 10 minutes while she signed books until I was escorted away by security. It was worth it!

photo credit: Food and Wine access.com

South Bound

2007-02-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

See you next week after the South Beach Wine & Food Festival!

The sunscreen is packed and I'm out of here!

Cheers,

It Wasn't Me!

2007-02-14T14:48:00.000-05:00

I get this from the kids all the time when something is missing or broken. This time they all have good alibis as they have been stuck in Cincinnati with back to back Snow Days.

Sometime in the last few days someone snatched the Maltese Falcon again. No clues and no suspects. If the curse is still intact, we should start seeing dead bodies popping up on the waterfront.

I will update you when I hear more, but I am sure Mr. Gutman is involved again.

Winestilsoldout

2007-02-08T23:33:00.000-05:00

When the cork is pushed out more than half way, we have a problem. This is how the wines arrived after I removed the capsules. One of the bottles had even leaked.

This is why it is wise not to have your wine shipped in winter when it is 10 degrees. When FedEx showed up today to drop off a few deliveries, the driver laughed and said, "Oh, you're open today!" The last two days have been Snow Days here in Cincinnati with 6 inches of snow and lows of 6 degrees.

So my wine shipments have been hanging out in the back of a FedEx truck for two days. Ouch!!

The guys at Winestilsoldout.com took care of this within hours of being notified as they offered full credit for the damaged goods.

Next time, wait till Spring to load up on those wine bargains from out of state! One Chicago shipper offered to hold off until Spring to ship as did J K Carriere from Oregon.

Australian Shiraz

2007-02-07T17:05:00.001-05:00

2004 John Duval, Entity ($42) -- Barrosa Valley, Australia . 750 cases produced. I almost selected this wine for Wine Blogging Wednesday, but decided to savor this tremendous wine during last night's snow storm and today's Snow Day without rushing to post my review. If you think the kids are having a blast today, I managed to go skiing this morning with my son, play tennis with Polly, and now we are off to the Playhouse in an hour or so for dinner and a play. Unfortunately, I doubt the wine selection will be as fine as Chez Jens'.

As many of you know John Duval was the winemaker for Penfolds Grange during the 80's and 90's. It is outstanding that for about $40, one can experience such a master winemaker.

In the meantime, I am finishing off the remnants of last night's bottle. I very much like the Plexus, but I may have found a new favorite. This wine reminds me of a dense, intense Cote-Rotie or Hermitage because of its elegance. Strength and beauty in one. Also, it was still going strong the next day without any extaordinary preservation methods. (It sat on the bar with a cork in it.)

Parker raved about this wine. I leave it up to you to figure the points awarded. (For those that dislike the whole 100 point scoring system, I suggest posting his reviews without the numbers!):

"The 2004 Entity (100% Shiraz) is even more profound than the Plexus. Its opaque purple color is accompanied by a magical, sweet creme de cassis, blackberry, camphor, espresso roast, and subtle wood-scented perfume. A fabulous attack, voluptuous, full-bodied mid-palate, multi-layered texture and finish suggest this brilliant Shiraz should drink beautifully for 12-15+ years."

Wine Blogging Wednesday -- #30

2007-02-07T14:52:00.000-05:00

What: WBW is the international internet wine tasting event held monthly. Lenn, a proud new father, is the mastermind. Details and past postings are here.

Host/Hostess: This month's event is hosted by Tim at Winecast.

Theme: New World Syrah

The Wine: 2001 Finca Flichman, Paisaje de Barrancas ($16)

This is Tupungato's little sister, also from Mendoza, Argentina. I raved about finding a bottle of Tupungato last week when I found a six-pack in the back closet. Sadly, there was no more at the warehouse. The Barrancas is more refined and subtle as it is a blend of Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (75/20/5) fermented in stainless steel, aged 12 months in new French and American oak (50/50).

Moderate but alluring nose, with soft, round complex fruit flavors and a medium finish. Would be great with food. If you can find some, give it a swirl!

Lately I have been on a Syrah kick as I find it is a great food wine and each region and winemaker can bring out a range of expressions in the wine. It is complex and approachable when young and evolves in your glass after several hours.