Wine Wednesday; Tasting Violets

It's a special Wine Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve. As I sat in my living room drinking a glass of Leese-Fitch Pinot Noir (research for my next wine column for TOTI Media) My parents were thumbing through current TOTI editions, getting caught up on my stories.

My Dad, peering over the top of his glasses, looked at my mom and said, "I want you to listen to what your daughter wrote." For a split second I went into little girl mode….oh no what did I do?  Think fast; did I say something obscene, risqué ? It was published, can't be THAT bad, not like a blog or a Facebook post.

He read aloud what I wrote about the 2010 Unus from my wine tasting at Mendel in Mendoz, Argentina, "It has a toasty, creamy nose and flavors of violets." He pauses and adds, "Apparently your daughter has been grazing in a field of violets."

I suppose it does sound strange. No, I haven't been eating violets, smelling them yes. I tasted their smell, but that takes up too many words and valuable space to explain in print. Wine critiques and descriptions often sound strange and define things you might not normally want to taste, like leather and dirt. But in the big picture it works.

My story on travel to Mendoza is in the Times Of The Islands edition currently on the stands (Nov/Dec 2013, pages 34-39).

Dad finished up with, "I'm very impressed with your writing and ability to graze on flowering plants." Reading the article again, I had a deep yearning to return to Argentina. So I pulled up some photos, opened a bottle of BenMarco from winemaker Susana Balbo and Dominio del Plato, toasted an amazing trip and being with my wonderful family on Thanksgiving. Cheers! 

Glass Adds Class

I love a good surprise and that's what I got when I took the foil off of a bottle of Autograph Pinot Noir by R. Stuart ($40). The surprise? There wasn't a cork, but a glass wine stopper instead.

Glass stoppers or Vino-lok closures are another clever alternative to the sometimes unreliable and expensive cork, and much more classy looking than a screw cap.

This wine smells really herbal. It tastes a little "green" too, with  smokey tannins on the finish. The more time it spends in the glass, the more it rounds out with delicious flavors including black cherry.

The Pinot Noir grapes in this wine come from several different areas in Oregon; Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills, Eola HIlls and McMinnville. It is one of the bottles I've featured in
 "New Wine For the New Year" currently published in all four TOTI Media magazines.

Sushi and Seminoles

One of the last places you might expect to find gourmet cuisine and fresh sushi is at a casino; at least outside of Vegas. Vegas is another story altogether.

When I was asked by TOTI Media to do a chef's profile at the Seminole Casino Immokalee, FL; I had to read the email again.

The Casino recently invested a million dollars to renovate the kitchen, hired Executive Chef Greg Rosace and contracted with Chef Jochen Morczinczyk to bring JABBA Sushi to the EE-TO-LEET-KE Grill. Rosace's food is tasty and ample. Morczinczyk sushi is delightful. Not only does he roll up the standards, like the California, but he also takes creative license with other ingredients such as crawfish and jalapenos.

I'm not a big gambler. However, when my friends want to take on the tables, now I know I can belly up to a good sushi bar and wait, while they win their mortgage payment.

Look for my review in the August issues of both RSW Living and Bonita Living, on the stands now. Or look for the digital version here. Don't delay, the September issue will be out before you know it.