Burger Thursdays at the Ritz!

Every Thursday, $20 will get you a gourmet burger/fries and a beer at the Ritz Half Moon Bay. So I decided to check it out knowing, of course, that I would get a glass of wine instead of the beer.

First of all, the Ritz is just beautiful. The "Conservatory" is the seating area just off the main lobby where they serve cocktails, wine, and gourmet bar snacks, including the burger. It's relaxed but high-end, with great views of the ocean and outside patio/firepit/etc. Also, they have live jazz! That always helps the ambience. So on Thursdays, they offer a burger special and drink specials in addition to the regular (pricey) "bar menu." For the burger deal, they actually have a few options too: classic burger, burger w/ bleu cheese, crab cake burger, sliders, portobello burger, etc. I opted for the classic (not knowing it came w/ bacon, but I just pulled it off). In terms of wine, their by the glass list is fairly expensive but they do have wine specials--at $8. I don't think I need to explicitly say that $8 is a reasonable/normal price for a glass of wine--not a wine "special." Anyway, they were featuring a Bordeaux blend or a Napa Cab and I asked the server to bring whichever would pair better with the burger--he brought the Cab.

Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the winery it was from. Maybe because I actually didn't like it with the burger and was disappointed--a) because it didn't pair very well, and b) because I thought the Ritz would do a better job of pairing. Then again, I only had 2 choices on the $8 wine special list, so perhaps the Cab was the less bad option. While the cab didn't pair perfectly with the burger, it was very interesting nonetheless. The nose a had powerful, if not overwhelming, aroma of vanilla extract. Straight up vanilla extract that I would add to cupcakes or cookies. I don't know anything about the wine or how it's made, but this strong vanilla leads me to believe it was fermented/aged in new American oak. The palate was smooth and soft, with gentle tannins. I needed more for my burger. It was too soft and too vanilla-y to work with the juicy classic burger.

And more on the burger: solid, tasty burger. But not worth $20. Especially since I didn't get the beer with it for that price (next time I will!). And yes, there WILL be a next time. Mostly because I really enjoyed the ambience and the live jazz, etc. This past time I was excited to try their burger and follow their recommendation for wine (because I also happen to know their head sommelier was just invited to taste the 4th and final exam to become a master sommelier), but now that I know their burger isn't that special (and since I don't really like red meat anyway) I'll opt for the crab cakes or portobello burger with a chard or interesting white wine next time.

Petit Sirah....the mystery varietal.

What is Petit Sirah? I don't really know, but I had one tonight at a wine bar called "S.N.O.B." (Sonoma, Napa, or Beyond). I went to this bar hoping to capitalize on the "or beyond" part, since I need to expand my knowledge of Old World wines in preparation for my sommelier exams. So the first wine I had was a Spanish Garnacha. It was forgettable, to be honest. Cherry and pepper. That's about it.

Then I had the Spellbound Petit Sirah. Yes, it's from Lodi but at that point, I had abandoned my quest to learn more about the "beyond" and instead learn more about interesting varietals. This wine was really different: bing cherry and black cherry on the nose mixed with really pronounced notes of menthol/spearmint/eucalyptus. The palate carried on the minty notes, with a chalky texture and refreshing herbal mint in the finish. I didn't finish the whole glass, perhaps because I had nothing to pair it with, but it was really enjoyable nonetheless.

So what is Petit Sirah? Well I browsed 2 of my reference books (The Wine Bible, and Wine Encyclopedia) briefly and learned that it does actually have a relationship to Syrah (note the difference in spelling), and while its true origin is somewhat of a mystery, it's most likely the cross between Syrah and Peloursin, what the French call "Durif." Long story short, I still have much to learn about the varietal (or cross/blend?) and what it "should" taste like. But my all in all, i really enjoyed what i tasted of it tonight!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Monday the 18th was my birthday, and my thoughtful sister/roommate decided to make me a delicious meal of leg o' lamb, potatoes, and salad. What a great excuse (bday + lamb) to do a little wine pairing experimentation!

First, I opened a bottle of 2006 J Pinot Noir. I used to love this wine, perhaps because it's one of the first pinots i actually liked. Then again, it was probably the first decent pinot i ever tried. So long story short, i don't really like J anymore. they're total sell outs. I got the bottle on sale at Safeway from $36 to $26, which is great, but it just didn't taste that good. It was perhaps a little young, believe it or not, but it's fruits were unsophisticated, and it lacked the earthiness i was craving. We did not pair this with the lamb, either. Although i wish we did!

Mumm "Cuvee M Red": $30. This is a really interesting sparkling red wine. We got it as members of Mumm Napa. It's 96% Pinot Noir and 4% Syrah. It's very fruity and has a slight hint of sweetness. It did not pair well with the lamb. I think while the bubbly texture was interesting, its ripe fruit flavors did nothing for the rosemary/herbaceous lamb.

2006 Folie a Deux Zinfandel: $25? This wine is smooth, medium-full bodied, has ripe fruits, subtle spice, and a moderate finish. I'd characterize it as drinkable and smooth, but it also failed to uplift the lamb (or be uplifted by the lamb). I think we really needed something more herbaceous and/or earthy. Regardless, the wine was tasty, and the lamb was tasty.... just not together.