Table of Contents
Good day all,
It's been quite hectic on this end lately.
Recently, I conducted some in-store tastings of Milbrandt
Winery's Chardonnay and their Cabernet Sauvignon. These two
wines just got listed in Pennsylvania, and as it happened, I
knew both the NY/PA manager for the San Francisco Wine
Exchange, which is the distributor of this wine, but also
the owner of another winery whose wines just didn't happen
to get here in time. You might see me in some PLCB states
stores again in December as a result of this.
I also added the ability to search wines by
viticultural area; this is useful for wines that are named
by the area (e.g. Burgundy, Chianti) instead of the grape,
and also for finding wines that share similar
characteristics based on where the grapes are grown. An
example of the latter would be Russian River Valley in
California. Due to one crappy wine, I snapped up the domain
crappywines.com, because sometimes it's best to know what
not to by. I am also going to add the ability to
drilldown/search by wine rating shortly.
As some of you might know, one of the main
things I have always been interested in is television, and
due to the sub-prime mortgage collapse, I had to put my
plans on hold for awhile. Well, as I retooled and
restrategized, I brought in my partner-in-crime Chef Al
Paris in order to get this concept up and running faster.
We have two main concepts which we will be embarking upon,
one titled Over a Glass, and the other called Four
and a Bottle. There are a couple more projects that I
have copyrighted as well, and potentially, due to some
possible other avenues that might open, we might get to film
a couple of episodes of those as well.
Currently, we are planning a major day of
shooting on December 6th on which we will take on a
whirlwind schedule and film a total of six episodes. It's a
self-funding process in that we are funding our production
through the event. There will be two seatings of fifty
people; one seating will be at noon and the other at 4:00.
Each seating will encompass three episodes; two episodes of
Over a Glass and one episode of Four and a Bottle.
For the former show, people will be served
two sets of dishes. The first set will consist of three
small plates and three glass of wine. The second set will
consist of one entree and one dessert and two glasses of
wine. During each set, several people will be chosen to sit
at the main table. After the second set, we will then shoot
an episode of Four and a Bottle in which several
people will be chosen to sample the chef's creations. This
will be a filmed event, and we intend to also film people
during the event and getting their reactions and thoughts on
the wine and the food.
Admission is $50 per person and it's a
bargain as you'll get five glasses of wine and five dishes.
If we're lucky, we'll be able to also throw in a few door
prizes as well.
This is the first of what hopefully will be
three more months of similar events as we have some thirteen
episodes of each show to tape, and I'd rather have more
episodes taped than that.
Additionally, for those interested in
helping us bring this to fruition (and yes, we definitely
need help in selling out both seatings), we're going to form
some sort of booster club/posse. Those people in it will
definitely be rewarded, whether it's free admission to
events, first choice as guests for some more private
tapings, or just some private wine dinners of thanks. If
you can help us, we'd be happy to have you.
The other thing that we are doing is running
down potential sponsors for these shows. I've been drafting
up the proposals and the overview letters and sending them
out to restaurant suppliers and what not. Hopefully, we aim
to get sponsors in the areas of kitchen appliances, wine
related utensils, glassware and flatware.
Lastly, Al and I might be doing some sort of
charity dinner for Thanksgiving eve, or Thanksgiving at
noon. If anyone knows of any great recipients in the
Delaware valley, we'd love to get your recommendations.
Well, that's it for me today. Time to get
back to the grind.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Lights, cameras, wine and dine!
"Over a Glass" & "Four and a Bottle" show taping, drinking and eating
Sunday, December 6, 2009
For those of you that remember the ridiculously priced Wine Sessions, 10 glasses for $20, that we had over at Mantra/Bar Amalfi,
we're back, but in a different way. Wine guy Zachary M.C. Harris has brought food guy Chef Al Paris in on two of his television project, and this is
our first day taping episodes.
We're taking over Mission Grill restaurant on December 6th, 2009 and having two seatings, and taping a total of six episodes between both
shows. Each seating will compose two episodes of Over a Glass and one episode of Four and a Bottle.
In Over a Glass, Zach will bring wine to which Al will pair the food. All in attendance will be seated and enjoy each course
and be interviewed as to their reactions and/or impressions on the wine and the food. Several people will be chosen to sit at the main table and be the
focus of the dining experience.
In Four and a Bottle, four chefs will each construct a meal on the fly given a glass of wine to taste. Several audience diners will be
chosen to participate, being served both the wine and small plates of all four creations.
The first seating will start at twelve noon and feature five wonderful wines that I was introduced to that come from the country of Chile. These are some vivacious reds that will knock your socks off. The second seating will start at four in the afternoon, and the theme is wine seduction, with the focus being on bubbly (sparkling wine) and dessert wine. We might even throw in some chocolate!
Summarily, all in attendance will enjoy five glasses of wine, three tapas, one entrée and one dessert. The price is $50 per person, and
group discounts are available. For those of you that have attended past events, you know that you get your money's worth, and in this, you'll also be on our
shows (5 glasses of good wine would run you at least $40 not including tax and tip; 3 small plates, an entree and a dessert would easily cost you about the same
or more; you do the math and look at the bargain).
For more information, you can call me at 215-474-1911 or contact me. Space is limited to fifty people per seating
Mission Grille
1835 Arch St
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2744
Cost: $50.00
Purchase Tickets for the Red Wine Seating at 12 noon
Purchase Tickets for the Wine Seduction Seating at 4:00 PM
Mission Grill
1835 Arch St
Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $50.00
Time: 12:00:00 PM - 8:00:00 PM
Contact name: Zachary Harris
Contact phone: 215-474-1911
Contact email: admin@theblackwiner.com
url: www.theblackwiner.com/over_a_glass.asp
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Over a Glass' & 'Four and a
Bottle' show taping, drinking and eating
Sunday, December 6, 2009
For those of you that remember the ridiculously
priced Wine Sessions, 10 glasses for $20, that we had over
at Mantra/Bar Amalfi, we're back, but in a different way.
Wine guy Zachary M.C. Harris has brought food guy Chef Al Paris in on
two of his television project, and this is our first day
taping episodes.
We're taking over
Mission Grill restaurant on December 6th, 2009 and having
two seatings, and taping a total of six episodes between
both shows. Each seating will compose two episodes of Over
a Glass and one episode of Four and a Bottle.
In Over a Glass, Zach will bring wine
to which Al will pair the food. All in attendance will be
seated and enjoy each course and be interviewed as to their
reactions and/or impressions on the wine and the food.
Several people will be chosen to sit at the main table and
be the focus of the dining experience.
In
Four and a Bottle, four chefs will each construct a
meal on the fly given a glass of wine to taste. Several
audience diners will be chosen to participate, being served
both the wine and small plates of all four creations.
The first seating will start at twelve noon and
feature five wonderful wines that I was introduced to that
come from the country of Chile. These are some vivacious
reds that will knock your socks off. The second seating
will start at four in the afternoon, and the theme is wine
seduction, with the focus being on bubbly (sparkling wine)
and dessert wine. We might even throw in some
chocolate!
Summarily, all in attendance
will enjoy five glasses of wine, three tapas, one entrée and
one dessert. The price is $50 per person, and group
discounts are available. For those of you that have
attended past events, you know that you get your money's
worth, and in this, you'll also be on our shows (5 glasses
of good wine would run you at least $40 not including tax
and tip; 3 small plates, an entree and a dessert would
easily cost you about the same or more; you do the math and
look at the bargain).
For more information, you can
call me at 215-474-1911 or contact me. Space is limited to fifty
people per seating
Purchase Tickets for the Red Wine Seating at 12 noon
Purchase Tickets for the Wine Seduction Seating at 4:00 PM
Terrible at first, palatable after a long aeration
| Brand Name | La Playa |
| Wine Name | Sauvignon Blanc |
| AVA | Colchagua Valley |
| Country | Chile |
| Wine Class | White |
| Wine Type | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Alcohol Percentage | 13% |
| Price | $10 and Unders |
| Site Rating | 6 (on a scale of 1-10) |
I have seen the La Playa label for a long time, and
possibly have had several of their wines, but I don't ever
remember purchasing a bottle. My last time to the store, I
decided to pick up the big bottle of Sauv Blanc for it's
cheap price. When I finally opened it, I was assaulted with
a taste that was too much lemon, and possibly too much
sulfite content, and I swear that my ears started getting
hot. It was so bad, that I got the domain name,
crappywines.com just for wines like this.
But, I didn't throw it out immediately, and sampled it
again one week after opening it. Hey, let's admit it, I try
not to let wine go to waste. And this time, while the
lemon/citrus was still high, it was a lot more bearable.
The aroma is very floral, but besides that, the overpowering
citrus masks any other flavors from this wine.
On the flipside, they are making a late harvest Sauv
Blanc that might turn out to be very impressive.
|
Something new, and it's supposedly good for your heart
| Brand Name | Sella & Mosca |
| Wine Name | 2005 Riserva |
| AVA | Cannonau di Sardegna |
| Country | Sardinia |
| Quality/Grade | Reserve |
| Wine Class | White |
| Wine Type | Gruner Veltliner |
| Alcohol Percentage | 13.5% |
| Price | $10 - $20s |
| Site Rating | 8 (on a scale of 1-10) |
So, on my last wine run, I met a couple that was looking
for a particular wine that was supposed to be good for your
heart. Now, we've all heard that claim before, but I
decided to try a bottle anyway. Usually, it's not just the
wine, but people's overall diet and activity levels as well.
This grape/varietal has several different versions, like
Tempranillo depending upon both the alcohol content and the
aging. This batch was aged in oak for two years, and has an
alcohol content of 13.5%; if it were over 15% then it would
be classified a 'Superiore.'
In any case, this wine should be consumed with food, as
it is rather dry, and you definitely get the oak character
from it. Weirdly enough, the tannins are there but not too
assaulting on the palate. After the initial oak 'bite' you
can get some dark fruits such as currants from this wine.
The nose is rather pronounced, a result of the long aging in
oak, but it's more similar in smell to a Rainwater Madeira,
or even a Sercal.
This wine would go great with spicy foods as well as red
meats.
|
Three grapes, but not too kicking
| Brand Name | Palo Alto |
| Wine Name | 2007 Reserve |
| AVA | Maule Valley |
| Country | Chile |
| Quality/Grade | Reserve |
| Wine Class | Red |
| Wine Type | Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Syrah/Shiraz |
| Alcohol Percentage | 13.5% |
| Price | $10 and Unders |
| Site Rating | 7 (on a scale of 1-10) |
So, this is a tourist wine, no matter what they call it.
I find it funny that Robert Parker gave it 88 points, but
this wine has no umph to it. It's Cabernet Sauv, Carmenere
and Syrah, but it's lacking depth, which is what I need.
For those that like a medium dry wine, this is actually
quite good, but I am just missing that something something.
I can taste some dark plums, mild tannins, and just the
faintest hint of nutmeg. Give it a try; your opinion might
be different from mine.
|
A serene Cab with a slightly spicy roll-off
| Brand Name | Milbrandt Vineyards |
| Wine Name | Traditions 2007 Chardonnay |
| AVA | Columbia Valley |
| Country | United States |
| Wine Class | Red |
| Wine Type | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Alcohol Percentage | 14.3% |
| Price | $10 - $20s |
| Site Rating | 7 (on a scale of 1-10) |
I usually like a very powerful Cabernet, but that isn't
to say that that's the only way that this grape should be
utilized.
This wine is one that I have seen some people love, and
some people hate, and I myself am actually on the fence.
While it has some very nice spice as well as currants, it
does have too much oak and tart for me. But once you get
past the oak, the taste is splendid, but probably could be a
total winner if the power of the fruit in the taste was
amped up a couple of notches.
While this would not be my go-to wine, for some, they
actually love it, and being open, there are more than one
type of taste in this world.
|
Demure pineapple and oak with a slight woody backing
| Brand Name | Five Rivers |
| Wine Name | 2007 Chardonnay |
| AVA | Monterey |
| Country | United States |
| Wine Class | White |
| Wine Type | Chardonnay |
| Alcohol Percentage | 13.5% |
| Price | $10 and Unders |
| Site Rating | 8 (on a scale of 1-10) |
Sometimes, a wine doesn't have some overbearing aspects
of it's flavor that pound your taste buds, but simply just
adds a little bit more relaxation and a dash of joie de
vivre to your day. This is one of those wines.
I get a muted meandering of pineapples offset with both
the slightest bit of pepper and the faintest teasings of
butter. I chose to have this with a traditional West Indian
meal of jerk chicken, rice and peas, and cabbage.
While the finish is gradual with a nice casual letoff
taking at least thirty seconds, the initial flavor builds
after it sits on your tongue, delivering a nice amount of
tropical citrus. Though this wine won't make my favorite
list, it is a nice diversion that could be experienced
nicely with spicy food, or a nice salad filled with fresh
slices of mandarin oranges and/or grapefruit.
|
