MARIANI’S
Virtual
Gourmet
"Bar at the Folies Bergère" (1882) By Édouard Manet ❖❖❖ IN THIS ISSUE WHITE HART INN By John Mariani NEW YORK CORNER BYBLOS By John Mariani NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR AIA VECCHIA By John Mariani ❖❖❖ WHITE HART INN Salisbury, Connecticut By John Mariani There
seems
little reason to encourage readers to visit
well-known, upscale New England inns in early
autumn because the leaf-peepers have already
booked all the rooms. But right about now,
with the foliage falling, the idea of a trip to a
cozy Connecticut inn with excellent food seems a
capital idea, with an eye towards the December
holidays.
❖❖❖ NEW
YORK CORNER
By John Mariani Byblos 80 Madison Avenue (near 27th Street) 212-607-0808 byblosny.com
The
cuisine of the Levant is certainly well
represented in NYC, though rarely does it
receive the panting praise lavished on those
fleeting darlings that the food media is
infatuated with at any given moment, which right
now seems to be Southeast Asian and Mexican. Yet,
the food of the Middle East, especially Lebanon,
sails on, oblivious to trends and consistent
year after year. Among the
most practiced is Byblos, whose longtime restaurateur/chef
Sabeh Kachouh, with his charming wife Sonia, has
never wavered in his dedication to providing an
exceptionally wide variety of delicacies, not
least a table groaning with color-bright mézès. He is
an educator, intent on teaching guests just how
deep and broad the cuisine of his native country
really is.
❖❖❖ NOTES FROM THE WINE
CELLAR
NEW TUSCAN WINES FROM AN OLD TUSCAN FAMILY By John Mariani
You
can
tell from his enthusiasm and energy that
26-year-old Elia Pellegrini (far left)
must have made a great pro soccer player in the
Italian Leagues before joining the
family
business in Bolgheri, a region famous in the
past for cheap Chianti and, more recently, for
extravagantly priced “Super Tuscan wines,” a
hyped name that the better wine producers of
the region now disdain.
❖❖❖
Actress Tori Spelling sued
Benihana
Japanese steakhouse after she tripped and fell
backwards onto a hot grill at one of the locations
in Los Angeles, saying she was badly burned and is
seeking more than $25,000 in compensatory damages
for lost earnings.
BLOCK THAT METAPHOR!!! "This
[bouillabaisse] was acidly metallic, with a plate of
flabby face-cloth fish that was as cold as a
proctologist's finger."--AA Gill, "Bouillabaisse," The Sunday Times
Magazine.
❖❖❖
SPONSORED BY BANFI
VINTNERS
The Beautiful Dark One: A Super Tuscan
Retrospective By John Fodera, Tuscan Vines About 15
minutes south from the center of Montalcino, in the
bucolic Tuscan countryside, sits Castello
Banfi gracefully perched on a hillside surrounded
by sloping vineyards. Home to the leading Brunello
producer in Montalcino, Castello Banfi crafts an array
of estate-grown wines. One of those wines is
BelnerO, a project personally spearheaded by co-CEO
and family proprietor Cristina Mariani-May. According
to her, BelnerO is special because: “The years of pioneering research that
Castello Banfi has undergone has helped create a
Sangiovese that is so unique and specialized to our
terroir and a counter statement to our
Brunellos. The expressions of Sangiovese are very
diverse and we are proud that we are able to
experiment on our estate with various clones of
Sangiovese, terroirs, and winemaking techniques. I
love BelnerO because it represents all that Castello
Banfi is: innovative, based on years of dedicated
research, pioneering, an outstanding value and
bearing a taste profile that many consumers love.” Loosely translated as
"Beautiful Dark One," BelnerO is predominantly
Sangiovese produced from vines specifically identified
in Castello Banfi's clonal research project as being
optimally suited for the microclimate. BelnerO is
almost entirely Sangiovese, but typically has a small
percentage (less than 10%) of Merlot or Cabernet
blended into the wine. Fermentation takes place
in Castello Banfi's patented hybrid fermenters and the
wine is then aged in French barrique, only 30%
of which are new, for 14 months. At least 6
months bottle aging is employed prior to release.First
produced in 2005, it is easy for me to see the
development in this wine since that time. As the
vines mature, the wine has grown to show more
complexity, more finesse and more
elegance. Recently, I tasted the three most
recent vintages of BelnerO; following are my tasting
notes. 2009 Castello Banfi
BelnerO: In the glass, the wine is a dark crimson
red with violet overtones. At once the nose is
redolent with crushed berries, flowers, and a lovely
dusty "Tuscan road character". It evokes an
image. On the palate, the wine carries itself broadly,
with long lasting waves of crushed black cherry fruit
that are spicy, juicy and well delineated. It has a
tinge of black olive and a tobacco-like
sweetness. Shows lots of freshness in this
hotter than optimal vintage. 90 points. 2010 Castello Banfi
Belnero: From what is fast becoming a legendary
vintage in Montalcino, the 2010 is deep purple in the
glass trending toward a saturated garnet ruby
color. The aromas are gorgeous with ample
crushed plum, warm road dust, cured olive, and fresh
tobacco. Really interesting to smell and it kept
me going back to the glass. On the palate, the
wine is much more primary. There's a solid core
of elegant black plum and berry wrapped in spices and
a pleasing black olive notes. Hint of rosemary
on the finish. The balance is wonderful and the
ripe tannins assert themselves on the finish.
This is delicious but needs cellaring to round out the
tannins and develop more complexity. An
interesting comparison side by side against the more
advanced 2009. Give it 3-5 years in the
cellar. 92 points. 2011 Castello Banfi
BelnerO: On the heels of 2010 comes 2011, a
vintage that not many are paying attention to at the
moment. However, in Chianti Classico and
Maremma the weather was wonderful and many have rated
the vintage on par or ahead of 2010. Time will
tell how it bears out for Montalcino but if this wine
is any indication, things look promising. The 2011
BelnerO is a gorgeous deep ruby color with violet
highlights. It seems "brighter" than the
previous two examples. In the glass, the aromas
are penetrating. Crushed red fruits, fresh
flowers, exotic baking spices, and sweet tobacco are
perfumed and persistent. On the palate, the wine
is elegant, fresh and vibrant. Juicy red fruit
flavors are accented with dusty cinnamon, pipe tobacco
and a slight touch of mocha. Balanced well, this
is approachable right now but will easily cellar for
5-7 years. 91 points. In wrapping this up, I
think an important take away from these tastings is
the absence of a notable flavor profile from the
international varietals in the blend. These
wines behaved like classy Sangiovese and represent a
singular expression of the Montalcino microclimate
that is notably different from Brunello. The
vagaries of each vintage were easily discernible in
the three wines and in better years like 2010, BelnerO
achieves a level of complexity and power that
approaches Brunello. That brings us to the value
aspect. For a multitude of reasons pertaining to the
oddities of the wine market, pricing fluctuates widely
on this wine, so shop around. While it's a relative
bargain compared to Brunello at $30, it's an absolute
steal compared to similar Sangiovese wines under that
price. Salute! Any of John Mariani's books below may be ordered from amazon.com. I'm proud and happy to announce that my new book, The Hound in Heaven (21st Century Lion Books), has just been published through Amazon and Kindle. It is a novella, and for anyone who loves dogs, Christmas, romance, inspiration, even the supernatural, I hope you'll find this to be a treasured favorite. The story concerns how, after a New England teacher, his wife and their two daughters adopt a stray puppy found in their barn in northern Maine, their lives seem full of promise. But when tragedy strikes, their wonderful dog Lazarus and the spirit of Christmas are the only things that may bring back his master back from the edge of despair. WATCH THE VIDEO! “What a huge surprise turn this story took! I was completely stunned! I truly enjoyed this book and its message.” – Actress Ali MacGraw “He had me at Page One. The amount of heart, human insight, soul searching, and deft literary strength that John Mariani pours into this airtight novella is vertigo-inducing. Perhaps ‘wow’ would be the best comment.” – James Dalessandro, author of Bohemian Heart and 1906. “John Mariani’s Hound in Heaven starts with a well-painted portrayal of an American family, along with the requisite dog. A surprise event flips the action of the novel and captures us for a voyage leading to a hopeful and heart-warming message. A page turning, one sitting read, it’s the perfect antidote for the winter and promotion of holiday celebration.” – Ann Pearlman, author of The Christmas Cookie Club and A Gift for my Sister. “John Mariani’s concise, achingly beautiful novella pulls a literary rabbit out of a hat – a mash-up of the cosmic and the intimate, the tragic and the heart-warming – a Christmas tale for all ages, and all faiths. Read it to your children, read it to yourself… but read it. Early and often. Highly recommended.” – Jay Bonansinga, New York Times bestselling author of Pinkerton’s War, The Sinking of The Eastland, and The Walking Dead: The Road To Woodbury. “Amazing things happen when you open your heart to an animal. The Hound in Heaven delivers a powerful story of healing that is forged in the spiritual relationship between a man and his best friend. The book brings a message of hope that can enrich our images of family, love, and loss.” – Dr. Barbara Royal, author of The Royal Treatment. ❖❖❖
❖❖❖
FEATURED
LINKS: I am happy to report
that the Virtual
Gourmet is linked to four excellent
travel sites: Everett Potter's Travel Report: I consider this the best and
savviest blog of its kind on the web. Potter is a
columnist for USA
Weekend, Diversion, Laptop and Luxury Spa Finder,
a contributing editor for Ski and a frequent contributor
to National
Geographic Traveler, ForbesTraveler.com
and Elle Decor.
"I’ve designed this site is for people who take
their travel seriously," says Potter. "For
travelers who want to learn about special places
but don’t necessarily want to pay through the nose for
the privilege of staying there. Because at the end
of the day, it’s not so much about five-star
places as five-star experiences." THIS WEEK: FIVE MYTHS OF
THANKSGIVING TRAVEL
Eating Las Vegas is the new on-line site for Virtual Gourmet contributor John A. Curtas., who since 1995 has been commenting on the Las Vegas food scene and reviewing restaurants for Nevada Public Radio. He is also the restaurant critic for KLAS TV, Channel 8 in Las Vegas, and his past reviews can be accessed at KNPR.org. Click on the logo below to go directly to his site.
Tennis Resorts Online: A Critical Guide to the World's Best Tennis Resorts and Tennis Camps, published by ROGER COX, who has spent more than two decades writing about tennis travel, including a 17-year stretch for Tennis magazine. He has also written for Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, New York Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Esquire, Money, USTA Magazine, Men's Journal, and The Robb Report. He has authored two books-The World's Best Tennis Vacations (Stephen Greene Press/Viking Penguin, 1990) and The Best Places to Stay in the Rockies (Houghton Mifflin, 1992 & 1994), and the Melbourne (Australia) chapter to the Wall Street Journal Business Guide to Cities of the Pacific Rim (Fodor's Travel Guides, 1991).
MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET
NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Editor/Publisher: John
Mariani.
Editor: Walter Bagley. Contributing Writers: Christopher Mariani,
Robert Mariani, Misha
Mariani,
John A. Curtas, Edward Brivio, Mort Hochstein,
Andrew Chalk, Dotty Griffith and Brian Freedman. Contributing
Photographers: Galina Dargery, Bobby
Pirillo. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.
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