MARIANI’S
Virtual Gourmet
HAPPY
HALLOWEEN! ❖❖❖
IN THIS ISSUE WINSTON-SALEM, SC By John Mariani NEW YORK CORNER STRIP HOUSE By John Mariani NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR WHAT I'M DRINKING NOW By John Mariani ❖❖❖ WINSTON-SALEM, SC By John Mariani
Back in 1977 on our 14-week
transcontinental honeymoon, as my wife and I
approached the outskirts of Winston-Salem, the
smell of cured and roasted tobacco drifted through
the air and got stronger as we got closer to the
city. The
aroma was sweet, like the burning of leaves in
autumn, and instantly recognizable.
❖❖❖ NEW YORK CORNER
By John Mariani STRIP HOUSE 13 East 12th Street (near Fifth Avenue) 212-328-0000
“You gotta get a gimmick,” sang the
strippers in “Gypsy,” and it’s a good philosophy
in a business as traditional as that of steakhouse
chains, whose scruffy décor largely follows
clichés set long ago by NYC totems like Palm,
Peter Luger and Smith & Wollensky.
Open nightly for dinner
NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
WHAT I'M DRINKING NOW By John Mariani
“Sorrow can be alleviated by
good sleep, a bath
and a glass of wine.”-- Saint Thomas
Aquinas AZELIA BAROLO BRICCO
FIASCO 2011 ($58)—From the Castiglione
Falletto hills estate of Luigi Scavino, this is an
appealingly priced major
Barolo, vinified from 100% Nebbiolo separately
from the winery’s other
Barolos. Made
from old vines, 65
years on average, it has a multiple personality
with richness of fruit and
tannins throughout.
I’d hang on to
it for another couple of years for maximum
pleasure, longer if you have the
time. PAUL HOBBS PINOT NOIR
CATHERINE LINDSAY ESTATE 2012 ($95)—Made
in a prime Laguna Ridge
section of the Russian River Valley, this
admirably complex Pinot Noir comes
from a vineyard named after Paul Hobbs’s great
grandmother, so you know he’s
going to put a lot of respect into the bottle. It is not cheap, though. CROFT RESERVE TAWNY
PORTO ($18)—Croft is one of the
oldest Port producers in the Douro
Valley, and it
aims at a modern style for its Tawny Ports that
depends not on
brawn but on finesse, earned by time in oak casks. Its aging as a Reserve tames
the tannins of Port stocks that are an
average of seven years old, made from Touriga Nacional, Touriga
Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta
Roriz, Tinto Cão
and Tinta
Amarela. All
Ports are relatively good buys, but the Tawnies
are almost
always a bargain, and this one comes in an
attractive new bottle. . LAPROAIG ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
LORE ($122)—The
word “lore” on the bottle means “the passing of a
skill or tradition through
word of mouth,” which is fair enough. The
producers have learned a lot since
establishing the distillery in
1815. There are many Scotch lovers who are not
overly fond of the salty, smoky
Islay style, but this finely rendered example hits
a middle ground through
which you can appreciate the distinction of the
smoke but also enjoy it for its
hearty flavors from the tip of the tongue to the
finish on the palate. You can smell it from
across the
room, and it’s the smell of peat and Scottish
heath. I believe it’s out of
stock in the UK but still available here. MARYHILL MOURVÈDRE
2012 ($34)—Tasting this blind, I’d never
spot it outright as a mourvèdre, but I will
recommend it as a good, medium-bodied red wine
made in
the Sugarloaf Vineyard in Rattlesnake Hills
appellation of Goldendale, CA, with
14.6% alcohol—a hike from the 2011
vintage of 13.1-- it shows promise as a varietal
for the future. CHÂTEAU ROSLANE PREMIER CRU LES COTEAUX
DE L’ATLAS 2011
($21)—I’ve been accused of being one of those East
Coasters who prefer Bordeaux
when I wish to drink Cabernet blends, and I plead
guilty. What
a surprise, then, that this little
beauty is from Morocco, in the Atlas Mountains, a
blend of Merlot, Syrah and
Cabernet Sauvignon.
Roslane is a
huge winery for Morocco and it shows what goodness
can come out of a desert
terroir. CHÂTEAU
DU TAILLAN HAUT-MÉDOC CRU BOURGEOIS 2012
($15)—How
unfortunate to carry the connotations of being a
“Cru Bourgeois,” for it’s a
perfectly acceptable thing for a Haut-Médoc wine
to be, as this assemblage of
70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10%
Cabernet Franc proves. The lovely chateau dates
back centuries
but this wine has been made since the 1930s, so it
has a consistent record of
good taste. This is one of those bottles you idly
pick off the shelf for an
autumn meal of lamb stew and find you finish the
bottle with remarkable ease
and satisfaction. FRANCISCAN ESTATE RESERVE MERLOT 2013 ($45)—Aging
for 20
months makes this one of the most lustrous
California Merlots you’re likely to
find, so the 14.5% alcohol is tamed down, too. You
get a dose of spice from 6%
Syrah and a little backbone from 1% Cabernet
Sauvignon, all picked from a very
fine vintage in Carneros. Franciscan has been at
this Merlot-making for longer
than most and it shows on the first sip.
❖❖❖
A vineyard in the
the
town of Caldari di Ortona in the Abruzzo region of Italy
is now home to a fountain that dispenses locally-made
wine to the public for free, 24 hours a day. The fontana del vino (right) is located at the
Dora Sarchese Vineyard, which intends it to appeal to
religious pilgrims visiting Ortuna,where the body of the
disciple Thomas is said to be kept, to quench
their thirst.
A COMPLETE LESSON IN HIPSTER FOOD WRITING IN ONE
RIDICULOUSLY LOOPY PARAGRAPH ❖❖❖
Sponsored
by Banfi Vintners
A Wine That Opened My Eyes by John Fodera, Tuscan Vines In
1992, Castello Banfi planted the Poggio Alle Mura
vineyard after over 10 years of Sangiovese clonal
research that determined which clones where most
properly suited to the vineyard based upon soil
composition, elevation and exposition. Today
that vineyard is almost 25 years of age and bearing
the best grapes it has ever produced. The 2013 Poggio Alle Mura Rosso di
Montalcino opened my eyes. I have to
admit, while I enjoy Rosso di Montalcino in
general, I don't often find one that surprises
me, but this one did. The wine is vinified
in Castello Banfi's hybrid stainless steel and oak
fermenters for 7-10 days and then racked to French oak
barrique for 12 months. In fact,
the distinction between the Poggio Alle Mura and its
sibling estate Rosso di Montalcino - other than the
fruit source - is the oak-aging regimen. While
the estate wine spends 12 months in a combination of barrique
and botte, only barrique are used for
the Poggio Alle Mura. For more
notes on wines from Tuscany, visit TuscanVine.com
Any of John Mariani's books below may be ordered from amazon.com. The Hound in Heaven (21st Century Lion Books) 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 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: CUBAN CARS
Eating Las Vegas
JOHN CURTAS has been covering the Las Vegas
food and restaurant scene since 1995. He is
the co-author of EATING LAS VEGAS – The 50
Essential Restaurants (the fourth
edition of which will be published in early
2016), as well as the author of the Eating Las
Vegas web site: www.eatinglasvegas.
He can also be seen every Friday morning as
the “resident foodie” for Wake Up With the
Wagners on KSNV TV (NBC) Channel 3 in
Las Vegas.
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.
To un-subscribe from this newsletter,click here.
© copyright John Mariani 2016 |