Posted by Her on January 9, 2010
For the last night of our road trip we stayed in Scottsdale, Arizona. Leaving our luxe spa digs in the strange, natural hot springs town of Truth or Consequences, NM (see the nudie bath shot on our Facebook page) we opted to avoid the Interstate and drove on skinny country roads through a forest, over a mountain, and on a long desert stretch, finally arriving in Old Town Scottsdale thirsty as all get out.
We chose Scottsdale over any other town or city on our route because of wine: I wanted to take Him to one of my favorite wine sipping spots, Kazimierz World Wine Bar. Once we were in the general area of Kaz’s we parked the car, punched the address into the GPS, and Google Mapped the location to figure out where we were going to stay for the night. We hadn’t planned that part in advance; wine had taken precedent over lodging. We picked the closest cheap hotel. Turns out it was a pretty run down and gross Ramada. Don’t stay there.
Ah…but Kazimierz…it did not disappoint. That is, once we found it.
Although I had been several times (first with David Lentz and Suzanne Goin as we continued to celebrate, post-wedding and then on subsequent visits to the area…it has become a must-go place), I couldn’t remember exactly where the entrance was. The cavernous like bar is speakeasy-ish, but has been around long before it became the now ubiquitous trend. The entrance is off the street and down a dark walkway between buildings. After going in circles a bit, the door was finally found, and it aptly read: “THE TRUTH IS INSIDE.”
The bar had been open just over an hour and was pretty quiet, but we were still asked to pay a cover for the night’s musical act. There had been top-notch jazz on my previous visits, so we forked over our five bucks each and made our way to a two top near the performance area.
First things first: a beverage.
The wine list is gigantic, featuring over 3,200 bottles. He grabbed it and began leafing through. He muttered, “wow,” and “geez,” and “there is just so much…” I quickly grew bored with this commentary and since he was dominating the list, I scanned the liquor selection. Featured were several vodkas from Charbay, a sentimental favorite of mine that I haven’t had since moving from Napa Valley last year.
While he gawked at the wines I ordered a cocktail: Texas ruby red grapefruit vodka with a splash of sparkling water and a lime. Years ago that’s how Marco Karakasevic of Charbay had told me how to drink it and I’ve been hooked ever since. I sipped and savored while He continued to look over the list.
Finally, He decided to focus on a refreshing white wine amongst the many pages. It had been a beautiful, but long and exhausting drive. A crisp, dry, acidic white would provide a much needed pick-me-up. By the time He chose a half bottle of 2007 Brundlmayer Gruner Veltliner, Berg Vogelsang ($27), I had finished my cocktail. Good timing on my part.
The wine was perfect: fresh and crisp with citrus, minerals, and grassy green notes with an unusual white peppery nose that I love. The road weariness was fading. (L.A. people: you can pick up a bottle at Twenty Twenty Wines…unless I buy it all first.)
Next it was food. The menu at Kazimierz’s is simple, focusing on cheese, cured meats, and flatbreads, which the menu admits are pizzas, but… “not pizzas as you traditionally know them, these are meant for wine sipping and no, we don’t deliver.” We chose the generously portioned antipasta plate with serrano, sopressata, prosciutto, cheeses, and olives and the “Willamette flatbread” with crimini and button mushrooms, mozzarella, garlic, and truffle oil. I love forgoing utensils and eating with my hands. Both plates were delicious and slowly enjoyed by us both.
The band began to warm up: two older dudes, one playing a sax, the other sitting at a keyboard. We tried our best to block out the vapid conversation of the young couple on their first date sitting next to us (the blond chick was really working her dumb college student on a cheerleading scholarship stereotype) as the music started. It was futile. We ordered another half bottle of wine, 2005 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc ($30), and moved to a cozy couch in front of the band.
Our waitress couldn’t find the wine at first, but finally brought us the bottle, admitting she had been looking for a red. “I forgot that of course Côte du Rhônes can be white!” Yes, they can. And this is a great domestic example. I appreciated that Kazimierz had several vintages instead of just the current release. The 2005 is a lush, floral blend of 70% Rousanne, 25% Grenache Blanc, and 5% Picpoul Blanc. Although it has honey, apricot, and spice there is an underlying minerality and brightness that prevents it from being too cloying. It was perfect with our last slices of the fragrant, mushroomy flatbread.
A diminutive older woman joined the band and I knew immediately that it was Margo Reed, whom I had seen last time I was at the bar. She is fantastic. She belts out jazz standards in a deep, rich voice that is entirely unexpected from such a petite woman. We were immediately mesmerized. Later a young harmonica player that was in the audience joined the band for a few tunes. And like Margo said, he was “adorable,” and incredibly talented. We sipped our wine and slipped deeper into the couch.
Although getting sleepy, neither of us want to leave the music or the place. We each ordered another Charbay cocktail, but exhaustion took over. We left the bar before the third set. It was a delicious, dreamy end to a long day and a fantastic road trip. Tomorrow we would drive back to my Silverlake cottage.
(Photo of Margo Reed by Henri Hirschfeld, via photo.net)
Tags: Brudlmayer, Charbay, gruner veltliner, Kazimierz, margot reed, Marko Karakasevic, Tablas Creek, Twenty Twenty Wines
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Posted by Us on November 28, 2009
We’re in Santa Cruz County for a Thanksgiving holiday mini-break…a seemingly perfect venue for Field Trip Fridays. We tasted through ten wines in about an hour and a half on a late, rainy afternoon. Our assessments are below. As usual, Her reviews tend to be a bit more serious (boring?) and His tend to use swear words (funny?).
Although we had ambitions to get up early and hit four or five tasting rooms, we, well, slept-in. It was the day after Thanksgiving…enough said. But despite not leaving the house until 3:30p, we did manage to hit two venues: Beauregard and Bonny Doon. Interestingly enough, Beauregard’s tasting room is Bonny Doon’s old tasting room. There is a hint of this in the skid stickers on the porch: aliens amongst the wine bottles.
We headed up the coast to Beauregard first. Driving there, we really felt like we were in a different place. The ocean was on our left for about 20 minutes before we crept up a winding road into a rainy Redwood forest. Even if the wines were to be bad, the experience was already terrific.
She had visited the site of Beauregard a dozen years ago when it was the Bonny Doon tasting room. It’s a charming space that keeps the vibe of it’s original purpose: an out of the way roadside dive bar. The room was packed when we arrived and oddly there were half a dozen kids milling about (including two crawling on the floor). One of them kept bumping into Him and pleading her mother to smell the soap in the bathroom.
The woman who poured our wines was efficient, but maybe too much so: her spiel was robotic. Still, it was a pleasant experience, especially for the price: just $5 to taste five wines, which is refunded on any bottle purchase. And purchase we did: we chose the very reasonably priced Santa Lucia Highlands chardonnay.
The five wines we tasted:
Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, 2006 ($12.00)
She said: Clear, pale yellow color. Light wood on nose with vanilla, lemon, and pear. Good acidity in the mouth with definite wood, but not overwhelming. Tasting Bartlett pear and Red Delicious apple. Warm, silky texture, but light bodied and refreshing. Very pleasant and a terrific value. 
He said: Clear yellow color. Vanilla and oak on the nose with a little apple. The nice acid travels nicely from front to back with a long finish, and maybe a little tingling frizzante. This was my favorite of the 5 we tasted here. If I was going strictly on value I would rate this a 4, but I feel I need to reserve high ratings for completely outstanding wines. Which this was not, but it was very good.
Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, 2006 ($22.00)
She said: Warm yellow color. Nose reveals lime, citrus, tropical notes like pineapple and mango all somewhat overpowered by oak. In the mouth the wine is lush, but like SLH chard has nice acidity. Medium to heavy bodied. Peach and oak flavors…I prefer less oak, but it is a lovely wine. Of the two chards the SLH is more to my liking, but this one shows greater complexity. 
He said: Am I smelling air freshener? It has that spray air freshener smell, like a tangy lime Plug-Ins. More acid and oak than the previous chard. I usually prefer a nice oaky, creamy chard, but this one felt out of balance. Not bad, not good; I prefer the previous.
“The Lost Weekend” NV (blend: 34% sangiovese 2008, 41% merlot 2005, 25% merlot 2006; $15.00)
She said: Muddy ruby color. The nose is dirty barnyard…nothing pretty or elegant about it. Currants, smokey bacon on the palate. Mid palate is harsh but it is bright in the finish. Seems out of balance and clunky. 
He said: Cherry on the nose, heavy tannin in the mouth. Didn’t really like it. I think this is also the one where the kid kept bumping me. 
Pinot Noir, Bald Mountain, 2006 ($45.00)
She said: Very pale, translucent and bright ruby color. Classic bacony pinot nose with notes of cherries, and cocoa. In mouth flavors of sour cherries, an earthiness, barny, herbaceous, pine. Not as elegant or tightly wound as I wish it was, but this does make it easy drinking, although I think the palate has an undesirable heaviness. Originally rated the wine 3/5, but for this price I’m changing to:
He said: Heavy spices in the nose, cinnamon and peppery. In the mouth it is earthy, spicy again. It smells and tastes like my memories of Christmas as a child; the cooking, the fireplace and the pine tree. I have been trying to avoid reading the tasting notes provided by the bartender. After I made my notes I read “showing cola” which I totally got, maybe even root beer. I also read “hints of celery root” which I have no fucking idea what that means, I think I need to go lick some celery root. I did really like this wine, but it’s not a $45 wine.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountain, 2005 ($35.00)
She said: Dark ruby color and bright like all the previous wines. Pretty plum and dark fruit in the nose with a hint of allspice. Structure is nice and strong with serious acid and tannin…I enjoy this type of profile although it is a bit too hot in the finish, nonetheless is an elegant wine. Have to lick my teeth after each slurp. 
He said: Whoa, plum. A lot, it’s nice. I’m also smelling soap, maybe Irish Spring. Did that kid bring soap over here for her mom to smell or is this in the wine? I’m distracted, and I need more “practice” with reds. I was always a predominantly red drinker, but now that I am concentrating, the flavors and aromas in whites are much more familiar to me. I still can’t remember what black currant tastes like. The tannin in this wine sucked my mouth dry like that thing at the dentist’s office. Even 30 minutes later while driving my mouth was dry. But, I did like the wine.
We headed back down the hill and along coast, back into town. Bonny Doon’s new digs are slick and huge in a new warehouse building which houses several other, smaller tasting rooms. The signage and displays look a bit contrived (Disneyland-esque?), but the space is impressive with it’s flying saucer, barrel booths, and wine bottle light fixtures. And…we’re huge fans of Randal Grahm. He’s a witty, terrific winemaker.
Unfortunately, our experience in the tasting room wasn’t that great. We came through town a few months ago and really enjoyed our time here, but on this trip we had an overly hovering wine steward. After each pour she just stood there staring at us…no dialog, no story about the wine, no questions about our opinion on the wines… just an uncomfortable stare. Creepy even.
Bonny Doon’s tasting fee is $7 for five wines, refunded with a wine purchase over $35. We didn’t buy any wine this time around. And the steward didn’t push it…she just stared.
The five wines we tasted:
Orange Muscat, Ca’ del Sol, 2007 ($17.00)
She said: Mmm… made no notes? What I remember: citrus nose, residual sugar, flabby, not my thing. 
He said: Very floral on the nose, even potpourri. Orange, obviously. Not so much acid and kind of tastes like an orange Starburst. I actually really like this, and I didn’t think I would.
“Metamorphosis I Aurora,” Eclectic White Cuvée, 2007 (blend: viognier, loureiro, treixadura; $22.00)
She said: Warm, light yellow color. Honeyed, warm nose with tropical fruit. Zingy in the mouth, but also very rich with peach and apricot flavors. Nice balance between the lush fruit, wood, and acid. Very enjoyable if uncomplicated…which also makes it overpriced.
He said: A lot of apricot in the nose along with citrus and butter. More apricot in the mouth with a nice acid throughout. I feel a bit insecure with the pourer staring at me while I make my notes. Kindly go away until I’m done.
Sangiovese, San Benito County, 2006 (blend: 77% sangiovese, 16% freisa, 6% syrah, 1% grenache; $12.00)
She said: Darkish ruby color. The nose is gamey, funky, dirty. Mouth continues this trend…very brambly but also with sour cherries and herbs. Has high acid and tannin in the mouth, showing tons of structure. Enjoy the movement from funk to astringency. Priced well.
He said: Black cherry and earthy/dirty aroma. Also, smells like a wet dog after a bath, and I mean that in a good way. Very dry and chalky in my mouth, like a black cherry Flintstone’s vitamin. Tannic with a lot of acid in the finish.
Le Cigare Volant, Red Rhone Blend, 2004 (blend: 38% grenache, 35% syrah, 12% mourvedre, 8% carignane, 7% cinsault; $30.00)
She said: Opaque, dark ruby color. Nose reveals dark fruit, black licorice, currants. High acid and tannin in the mouth. Like the Sangiovese it is tightly wound and has an appealing duality of dark and light notes. Would have been nice with Thanksgiving dinner.
He said: Hard for me to wrap my nose around this one.. earthy? peppery? I didn’t make very good notes, I think I was getting tired.
Angel Paille, 2007 ($20.00)
She said: Golden yellow, viscous texture. Floral nose with almond and peach notes. Disappointing in the mouth: utter lack of acid to balance all the richness of the ripe fruit, making it too sweet. That said, it is a nice ending after tasting the tight, tannic reds. But not my style of dessert wine…I like apricot, not honey. 
He said: Peaches on the nose, honey and marmalade in the mouth. I think this is the second time I have had a dessert wine (the first was this same wine at this same place a few months ago). It’s kind of gross, I can’t imagine really wanting to drink this. I won’t give up on dessert wines, but maybe these just aren’t for me. 
(Bonny Doon photo via SFwineblog.)
Tags: Beauregard, Bonny Doon
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Posted by Us on November 13, 2009
We typically enjoy wine at our homes, at friends’, or at a handful of our favorite dining spots. It’s a routine we love, but we decided we should branch out–there’s a whole lot of wine to drink out there and a whole bunch of places to slurp it. And it’s a perfect excuse for Field Trip Fridays.
Last Friday we did a Culver City crawl, starting at Bottle Rock. It was about 2p when we got there and the place only had two other tables occupied. The interior is a bit stark and reminded Her of a chain restaurant, like Chili’s or Red Lobster or something like that (not that she has ever been to those places); a bit too clean and generic. But the server was all smiles and sunshine and immediately made us feel welcome and let us know how the place works. It’s really a great idea: Bottle Rock will open any bottle they sell and serve it by the glass, you just have to order two glasses. Cameo (our sunny server) also offered to discount wines which had been opened the night before. We enjoyed two different whites (reviews below), a delicious butter lettuce salad with candied kumquats (misspelled on their menu), a good truffle grilled cheese sandwich (more truffles, please), and a Reuben (Her first ever).
We moved down the street to Ford’s Filling Station. It was the first time either of us had been there. She knows Ben Ford from way back when he was a newbie at Campanile and sees him at the Farmer’s Market. The place is very comfortable, like the hotel lobby of western hotel, complete with upright piano. Were we on the set of Deadwood? The menu looked really delightful, be we were still stuffed from Bottle Rock sandwiches. We decided bubbly would be perfect and enjoyed a glass of Schramsberg. Refreshing. We didn’t take notes, we just sipped and smiled.
Next door is Fraiche, but unfortunately (and why, why?) they close in between lunch and dinner service. So we stopped in at Kay ‘n Dave’s, a Mexican joint down the street. Time to regroup…with a margarita. It was happy hour, after all. And how good did those free, warm chips and a delicious fresh salsa taste. The bartenders were incredibly nice and eager to keep the tequila coming. We indulged in a few and then decided a walk around the neighborhood would do us some good.
On the drive back to the Eastside She said, “Wouldn’t caviar be nice? Let’s go to the Hungry Cat.” So we did. It was early still (how could this be? felt like mindnight) so there were stools available at the bar. Danielle is one of our favorite bartenders in L.A. and lucky for us–she was there. Oh, the greyhounds are gorgeous. We started with this refreshing cocktail and moved on to a carafe of Muscadet to compliment the caviar. We were feeling good. This is a nice ritual we’re starting, Field Trip Fridays.
Saturday morning came too soon. Advil was consumed. Here’s what we tasted:
Maipe Torrontés, Salt, Argentina 2007 $27/9 (Bottle Rock)
She said: The color is a pale yellow with a hint of green. Very tropical in the nose. If the tasting was blind I would have guessed a viognier, marsanne, roussanne blend. No significant hints of oak, but the fullness and richness of nose and mouthfeel may indicate it. Lovely tropical flavors of mango, guava, and pineapple, some peach. Ultimately light and refreshing on the palate although I initially thought it would be too cloying. Nice long finish–really a lovely wine.
He said: Very apparent pineapple on the nose, but I think I “forgot” to look at the color. I wonder why? Light tropical flavors and full-bodied in the mouth. I’m also getting some vanilla and something flowery. To my knowledge, this is my first taste of this grape. Getting a long finish in my mouth (that’s what she said). I have “nice” written twice in my notes. You would think I never studied architecture; if you ever said “nice”, “good”, or “I like it” in a presentation it was suicide. “Nice” means absolutely nothing when you review your notes, I need to know why I thought it was “nice”. Anyhow, I liked it, it was nice and good.
Sans Liege, “Cotes du Coast,” 2006 $34/11 (Bottle Rock)
She said: Very golden and rich in color. Tons of peach and heft in front palate. Finish not as long as I would think for such umpf up front. Oak on nose and everywhere. Not very well balanced–a bit too rich in the mouth with a lack of acid, but this is characteristic of the blend. When comparing to the Maipe Torrontés, prefer the Argentinian wine.
He said: I have an inexplicable aversion to Viognier. I don’t mind the taste so much, there is just something about the feeling that reminds me of drinking Boone’s Farm in the late 1980′s. Like maybe I’m going to have a fucking piercing migraine very soon. But I refuse to give up on it, because I hear people rave about it. I got a lot of peach on the nose. In the mouth I can definitely make out the Viognier, plus peach and pear. The other grapes balance it, but still very sweet, bring on the headache.
Muscadet, Domaine de la Pépiére, 2007 $31/16/8 (The Hungry Cat)
She said: Took no notes but ordered it purposefully to go with shrimps and caviar. Which I think I remember it did. Of course it did–it’s a crisp, dry, stony white. That goes down really easy.
He said: Did we go to The Hungry Cat? This was after many bottles of wine, some bubbly, a margarita or few… I may have to review this wine later because I have no notes or taste recollection. The trials and tribulations of having a wine blog; sometimes you get really drunk.
Tags: Bottle Rock, Culver City, Ford's Filling Station, Fraiche, Muscadet, The Hungry Cat, Torrontés, Viognier
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