Mexico DF: some come for happy hour and tequila, i come for lamb tacos and fortified tannat

Mexico DF is a fun, quasi-"upscale" Mexican restaurant located off the Embarcadero near Market. I don't really know what neighborhood that's considered...someone who works in Fi-Di might be able to help w/ that. Anyway, in an effort to get in with the wine buyer there, I dropped in for some dinner the other night with my boyfriend. It was around 7pm, and the bar was packed with tequila-seeking business folks. We were, thankfully, able to get a great ("quiet") spot in the lounge right away though.

First we ordered the happy hour guacamole. This was excellent. $5 for a canoe-shaped plate of guac with chips stacked around. The guac was nice and chunky, and really generous on the avocado. There's nothing worse than watery/sour creamy guac, cuz you can totally tell they're scrimping!

Then I ordered the lamb tacos and a juicy Zinfandel to pair. My bf purposefully ordered a classic margarita, but accidentally ordered lengua tacos, expecting filet mignon. I wonder if he would have noticed the difference, had I not told him he ordered tongue tacos! They were pretty weird, to be honest. The flavor was great, but it was simply cubed tongue pieces, bone-dry, with a lil side of spicy salsa. The spice covered any weird flavor, but the texture is what really got me. He managed to choke down 2 of them, but also devoured 1.5 of my lamb tacos. Now those were divine, especially with the zin. Rich, saucy, full of dark smokey flavor (the lamb, that is). And the zin: dark fruits, full bodied, chocolate notes, great tannic structure--perfect!

As if the meal couldn't get any better, the wine buyer then brought out a delicious complimentary dessert: Mexican cheesecake w/ coffee/tequila sauce and a fortified tannat! It was a perfect pairing, and a perfect ending to my meal. The cheesecake was not overly sweet, and the texture was a bit dryer than traditional cheesecake, so this was a perfect invitation for the sweet, juicy, smooth tannat. I'm not a huge fan of fortified wines, especially if they're really alcoholic like port, but this was just right.

All in all, I'll definitely go back, and hopefully order something to pair with one of my wines!

(N)OT timista

The title's kind of confusing, but I was trying to merge a restaurant called "Ottimista" with the word "not" to refer to our disappointing evening there. It's an Italian restaurant/wine bar on Union St here in the Cow Hollow neighborhood. I've been there once before and really enjoyed my time. That time, the sommelier was nice enough to pour us 4-5 wines to try, the food was exceptional, etc. But this time was different.

The server apparently knew nothing about the wine, which is a big no-no for a wine bar. I told her I wanted a medium to full bodied white, with bold acidity. She recommending one of the featured wines for the night, an unoaked chardonnay. Now, I DID legitimately want to try this since I'm not really a fan of oaky chards, but i was also hoping that it indeed would be medium/full with good acidity. well it wasn't. it was flabby and watery.

then i ordered the sea perch and i asked for a sparkling wine to go with it. Disappointingly, the server not only brought me the wrong entree (pasta w/ sea urchins), but she brought me the same sparkling wine my boyfriend had just had, even though i specifically asked to try something different.

My friend ordered the lamb, and asked for something to pair with that. The server glanced at their list of nightly specials/pairings and just picked the wine at the top (which their menu said was supposed to pair with the sea urchin pasta). so it was official: this server knew nothing. which is a shame for a wine bar.

the food was pretty good, the wines were ok, and the service was bad. so the fact that the 3 wines we tried were only so- so, combined the server's poor performance means i don't think I'll be going there again for a bit.

Champagne and Caviar: Super Bowl XLIV

Yup. That's right. We had real French Champagne and truffled caviar (in addition to the usual ribs, burgers, bbq drumsticks, chips/guac, etc).

My friend from college is doing a Masters in Wine program in Burgundy France, and was in town the past few weeks with her class, exploring Napa/Sonoma, Lodi, Central Coast, etc. First of all, how awesome does that program sound (except is all in French)? Secondly, her taste has definitely gotten notably more French--she brought the Champagne and caviar, in addition to a Cotes du Rhone, Zin blend from Ridge Winery in the Santa Cruz mountains, and Lillet--a much needed digestif. When she asked me what she could bring to our little Super Bowl gathering, i told her to bring beverages, assuming she'd go for the usual Corona or what have you. Well she really stepped it up a notch to say the least!

Champagne: fuji apple on the nose and palate. fresh, crisp, not overly nutty/yeasty. i actually prefer nutty/yeasty, but since we were having truffled caviar (as opposed to regular caviar) i thought the crisp and more subtle flavors were appropriate.

Cotes du Rhone: medium-light bodied, ripe cherry...and that's about it. Not a whole lot going on there. It was disappointing, so I guess it's no biggy that i can't remember the name/vintage/etc for you guys.

Ridge Winery Zin blend: I'm not sure what this one's actually called, but it was a blend of Zin (74%), Carignane (not sure what that is), and Petite Sirah. This wine was definitely the best (at least for my palate): full bodied, fruit forward, great tannic structure. It was the most interesting and satisfying. it was also the only new world wine. At this point, working for a company that imports wine from Argentina, I definitely prefer the new world, fruit/oak driven wines.

But I better force my palate to study the intricacies of the "more subtle" (aka: watery) flavors of French wine if I want to pass the sommelier exam!

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.

Lawry's the Prime Rib: Review

This place is a classic. Servers referring to themselves as Ms. _______, meat coming around on carts to order, meatballs and homemade potato chips in the lobby while you wait, just to name a few of its inviting characteristics. It's been a tradition in our family to go to Lawry's every Christmas to enjoy not only the food, but the live caroling provided by elaborately-costumed professionals. It adds a nice touch to your steak besides the horseradish and yorkshire pudding. Another delicious thing that adds a nice touch is......drum roll....great wine! As many of you know, I've recently started working for a wine importer and distributor that imports boutique, limited production wines from Argentina. So this year, we brought the 2005 Familia Cassone Obra Prima Cab Sauv $20 retail, and the 2008 Mi Terruno Malbec/Cab Blend $24 retail. Those prices are estimates...these wines aren't actually available retail yet. We're in the process of distributing them to restaurants in San Francisco. Also, my uncle brought the 2006 Hahn Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands. The Pinot Noir was beautiful, and exactly my style: floral nose with notes of violet and ripe raspberry, smooth texture with a great mouthfeel and a soft, rounded finish. It was not overly barnyardy and it did not have that tart cherry i hate! By the time our food came, we were done with this pinot, which is fine because i think the prime rib would have overpowered it. First i tried the Mi Terruno Blend with the meat. I love this wine by itself because the 55% malbec makes it juicy and jammy, while the 45% cab gives it great structure and sophistication--i don't think it needs food! it did work well with the meat, but it was perhaps a little too fruity for my taste. The Obra Prima cab, however, was a beautiful match for the prime rib. It has smooth lush tannins, but enough of them to balance the rich fattiness of the meat. The more earthy subdued berry flavors worked a little better than the blend did for me.

All in all, it was a great experience. Delicious wines, and some pretty darn good food to pair with it. Oh, and great caroling too!