Monday, November 12, 2007

Lobster Fest

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Sitting at my desk this Tuesday working away when the phone rings, as I answer I hear my friend Stan's voice. As soon as I heard the voice I knew. Stan went diving and got his limit. Doing anything tonight ? he says. Of course I'm not doing anything when their a lobster calling my name. Left work early (Torrance area) to drive home (Huntington Beach) to get a "good" bottle of wine and then went to Santa Monica for dinner. At least I could carpool with a couple of others that were invited. Stan used one whole lobster to make a "lobster bisque" which was excellent. There were six for dinner and we each had our own tail. They were served half at a time in a butter sauce with chantrelle mushrooms sauteed in it. I had my 2 halves and a hunk of another tail. It was sublime.

The wines that night were all very good. I brought a 2005 Kosta-Browne Russian River Pinot Noir and a 2004 Stolpman Sauvignon Blanc (the only year this wine was made, which is to bad because I really like it).

The rest of the wines consumed that night are:

2002 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir (at its prime now, if you have some drink it)
1999 Martinelli Charles Ranch, Sonoma,Chardonnay
2005 Blackjack TwentyOne, Chardonnay
1998 Kistler McCrea Chardonnay
2004 Nachtgold, Rheinhessin Eisweinn

Sure hope this proves to be a good season for "diving". There is nothing like extremely fresh lobster. It really makes a difference in the taste.

Also worth mentioning is a "truffle gouda cheese" and a "truffle infused salt" that was on the table.

German Wine Tasting

November 9, 2007

The Wine Country hosted "Dry German Wine Tasting" tonight. This is to be the only public tasting for these winemakers and importer Rudi Wiest. All the other tastings across the country will be for the trade only. This really made for a very special evening. And a very surprising one.

All the winemakers from Germany were young, most in their early 30's. A really nice bunch of "krauts". (I can say this because I'm half German so don't get on your political bandwagon). Actually one of the winemakers was a dead ringer for my cousin. Different ages of course, but this guy looked just like my cousin did 30 years ago. Uncanny.

We tasted Rieslings, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir. There were 30 wines altogether and there was not a "dog" in the bunch. These wines were clean, finished well and had nice balance and acidity. Fruit forward without being sweet.

I was very surprised at the Pinot Noir "Spatburgunder". One that Rudi Wiest said would age 20 years was a 2005 Becker Dry Grosses Gewachs, "St. Paul @ $110 a bottle. For that price it should. I really liked this wine.

A few of the others I was taken with were the Becker 2006 Riesling Medium Dry, "Laissez Faire" at $30, the Furst 2006 Riesling Dry Grosses Gewachs, Burgstadter Centgrafenberg at $70, the Von Buhl 2006 Rielsing Medium Dry, Maria Schneider "Jazz" at $15, the Von Buhl 2006 Riesling Dry Grosses Gewachs, Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad at $42, the Wirsching 2006 Silvaner Dry Estate at $15 and the Wirsching 2006 Riesling Dry Grosses Gewachs, Iphofer Julius Echter Berg at $42.

This indeed was a memorable evening and for a price tag of $40 it was a true bargain