Fab Finds: Wining and Dining

Ladies selling out The Joing

Always on the hunt for fabulous finds with food and wine, I found one heck of a great deal this week at Ladies night at The Joint in Cape Coral. This Ladies Night does not involve free, cheap booze or bawdy entertainment, there are plenty of spots for that.

This is a three course wine dinner the last Thursday of the month.  Last night I had a Crab and Lobster Cake with a Chilean Chardonnay, grilled lamb lollipops with an Australian Shiraz and a chocolate cherry "come to mama" dessert with a chocolate martini.

It gets even better, all that for only $20! Now that's a FAB FIND! I hesitate writing about this one because I don't want to get booted from my seat next month now that the word is out and reservations will surely fly in.

Chocolate Cherry Elegance, Creme Anglaise

Life is good for two other great dining establishments in Southwest Florida as they are in the middle of expansion projects.

Fancy's Southern Cafe is expanding into space next door formerly home to a deli. It's not more restaurant seating but a comfy, cool wine bar.  This part of the Daniels Road corridor needs a spot like this. Great for an after work cocktail and even better for patrons who aren't keen on lounging outside while waiting for a table.

And one of my favorite breakfast spots, CRaVE, is opening a market next door. So when you are plagued by a long wait on Saturday or Sunday morning, you can pop into the market and get some of their signature dishes and other goodies to go! Another BRILLIANT idea.

Wine Wednesday: Delectus, its Delicious

The Delectus Bear Crossing Cabernet is so fantastic, it knocked me off my feet, literally.

I was fortunate enough to take a vineyard tour of Delectus while in Napa Valley over the weekend and thought it was the coolest thing ever to be drinking the Bear Crossing Cab, in the Bear Crossing Vineyard, while looking at the actual tracks from the crossing bears.

The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, harvested from two vineyard blocks at the highest elevation on the ranch.

I found out just how high that elevation was when I took one too many steps backward. My feet slid down the dusty, gravely soil and I ended up flat, face first.

"MAN DOWN" but the wine was saved. At $130 a bottle you bet your ass I held on to that glass, for dear life. The only bit wasted was a splash on the side of my face, that gathered more dust as the day went on. It gave the appearance that the accident had been much worse. It was a great tale to relive and laugh about on the long flight home. But back to the wine....

The Bear Crossing started with lovely dark chocolate, oak and then a little dust, but that was just in my glass. It's drinking like a champ. Don't just buy one bottle, buy two. These wines have great aging potential.


Thanks to Unfiltered Unfined Wines for a fantastic time.

Happy Wine Wednesday. Cheers!

Thanks for joining me on the ground Tom!

Pushing Pizza In Naples

It's no secret that I LOVE pizza. While there a number of good places in Southwest Florida to eat it, not all have good ingredients. By good I mean organic, fresh, vegetarian and even gluten free. That is one reason I enjoy Pizza Fusion; you have all of these options and more.

Tonight I went to the opening of the new Pizza Fusion in Naples. And while I should be packing for my 5:45am flight tomorrow, I want to take a moment to rave about the new space on US41 and Golden Gate, by the Coastland Center Mall.

We started with a delicious roasted beet and arugula salad with feta and candied walnuts. Then we sampled the spicy Sausage and Tricolor Pepper pizza, The Farmers Market veggie pizza and the garlicky Spinach and Artichoke on a crisp Multi-grain crust. Full of flavor but not too filling, the thin crust was just right.

The newest Southwest Florida pizza franchise has a distinct local flare. Local artists took delicate pages from books about Florida and molded them with sturdy iron for unique chandeliers in the middle of the restaurant. The bulbs used are famous Thomas Edison design.

The new Fusion carries several local beers on tap, as well as a balanced, affordable selection of wines from around the world.

Congratulations Brown Thompson and staff on a successful opening and best wishes for much success at your cool new spot in Naples.

Fab Finds: Chocolate, Sippers and Sliders

Open Faced Tuna Sliders at Restoratives Cafe

I get to see and experience so many new things each week and I never seem to have enough space to write or time to broadcast everything. Then I remembered I have a blog, DUH.

Last week I went to the Grand Opening of Restoratives Cafe in Estero, FL. Brothers Jay and Tim Gillmore are serving up breakfast. hot soups, fresh salads and gourmet sandwiches. One of my favorites is the Open Faced Tuna Slider, sprinkled with Goldfish Crackers.

You might remember Chef Jay from hot spots such as Bistro 41 and Cru. Restoratives is on US41 just North of Corkscrew in the former Lush Bakery location.

Hanging out in downtown Fort Myers, FL last week I snuck in the construction zone of the new Broadway Factory; it's on Broadway between Starbucks and Hotel Indigo. Local chocolatier Justin Schaffer (Irresistible Confections) is teaming up with entrepreneur Mike Bartholomew for a crazy confection shop. Besides chocolate, you can also get yogurt but what I'm really excited about is the champagne bar and chocolate fountain. The creative brains behind some of the cool decorative concepts at The Firestone are helping with some fun features for the space; it will be impressive. And it will be opening next month.

Women and Wine and Sip and Send

Do you dread having to wait in line to send packages? You wont if use Sip & Send on Santa Barbara in Cape Coral, Fl. The shipping store is contained within a cafe, wine bar and retail shop. I'm suddenly finding lots of things to ship to friends and family out of state.

Once a month Sip & Send has a Women's Wine night. I check it out last week with my fun friend at Opici, Heather Smith. She talked and I sipped some of my favs from Clayhouse and Buried Cane, all of which were available that night for a discount. You have to reserve a seat for these events since the space is small.

Let me know about YOUR Fab Finds too!

Yum Yum Rum, National Rum Day

It's National Rum Day. Not like anyone needs an excuse to drink the festive spirit, but just in case, now you have justification.

I used to pass this spirit off as a sweet party drink sure to give me a raging headache, make me wonder what happened to my sunglass and how I got a fist-full of beads.

My whole perception of rum changed when I attended a rum dinner two years ago at Hemingways Island Grill in Estero, FL. I met Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez  the so-called rum czar and sipped on a 25-year-old barrel aged Panamanian spirit that sells for $400 a bottle: Panamonte.

Panamonte drinks more like a cognac than a rum, those rich oak flavors give it a silky quality and I can assure you there are no headaches. I tried Panamonte again this year at it's debut party in Panama, the country, not the city in the Florida Panhandle. Owner Jim Wasson also makes an overproof rum that you can actually sip on its own, called Panama Red.

Country music star Kenny Chesney is also a rum aficionado. He has just launched a line of spirits called Blue Chair Bay Rum. The portfolio includes a White, Coconut and Coconut Spiced selections.

If you look on the shelves in your local liquor store you'll see more and more flavored rums. Malibu is out with the first low calorie selection called Island Spice. It is made with Truvia. There is even a new rum distillery in Southwest Florida called Wicked Dolphin.

When you sit down at happy hour today and are asked, "What are you having?" start the night with a festive rum cocktail, or a refreshing splash over ice. Cheers!

Wine Wednesday, Big Basin

Balance is the key to most things in life, wine being one of them. It was the topic at a seminar I attended this week hosted by Premier Beverage and Augustan Wine Imports at Bayfront Bistro on Fort Myers Beach. I'll share more about the event later.

Since it's Wine Wednesday I wanted to feature one of the vineyards I was introduced to during the course of the day; Big Basin. These wines are brand new to Florida and I'm so glad they are here. Only 169 cases were produced of the Coastview Vineyard Pinot Noir ($45). It smelled a little like cola but tasted of raspberry, lots of minerals.

I also really enjoyed Big Basin's Homestead Red; a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. It smelled a bit sticky and juicy. It was a bit acidic with lots of dark fruit and a long delicious, cherry finish. Hate to be a tease, but on the winery website, it is sold out. Call your favorite restaurant or wine store to see if they can get it for you

What's in YOUR glass for Wine Wednesday?? 

What's in YOUR Refrigerator?

Seriously? What's in it? What would camera's find if they showed up today for proof? That's what happened to me last week for the online food section of the Fort Myers News-Press. Reporter Yvonne McClellan stopped by with some fancy attachments on her iPhone, a lavalier mic and off we went.

Being in the media myself, I had given some thought to what I wanted to point out, forgetting that Yvonne was the one with the agenda, the story to tell. Instead, as soon as she hit record I went on tangents about the photos on the door, the lack of salad dressing inside and why my rice was in the cold box instead of the pantry. She was extremely gracious, wanted to know my food philosophy. I eventually told her it was "fresh and flavorful" but that part ended up on the cutting room floor. So did the story about the green hot sauce I smuggled back from Puerto Rico in a Bacardi Rum bottle (you'll see it on the top shelf). My refrigerator had soooo many stories to tell, but we only had three minutes.

I admit to pulling a mushy beet out of my hydrator and ungluing a random sauce bottle from the middle shelf in preparation for the interview, but other than that, what you see is pretty much what you get.
Click here and enter my frig at your own risk.

.

http://www.news-press.com/article/20130731/ENT07/130730025/What-s-Your-Fridge-Gina-Birch

Wine Wednesday, Puro Uno

At the winery in Argentina

I just made deadline on a story for TOTI Media about a recent trip I took to Mendoza, Argentina. I enjoyed so much, reliving the stories, the people and especially the food and wine.

So when I walked into a new wine store at Coconut Point in Estero, FL yesterday, the first thing I saw was the section labeled "Argentina". Top of the mind awareness I suppose. I was shocked and elated to see the Puro Uno label on the shelves. 

It's made by Frank Baroudi, he lives a few miles down the road in Naples, FL. Yes a local resident producing wine in Argentina. Puro Uno is actually bottled at another winery, Bodega Dolium, in Lujan de Cuyo; a premiere wine producing region in Mendoza. One of the most comprehensive, educational experiences I've ever had at a winery was at Dolium. I'll save that story for another time.

Until now, Baroudi's wines were only found in restaurants, like Cru in the Bell Tower Shops, Fort Myers. Even though The Grape Base is a retail store, the owners have a type of restaurant license that allows them to serve food.

At The Grape Base in Estero

So they can carry Puro Uno, not just the Malbec but also the sparkling wines. This makes me excited for many reasons. Although I enjoy dining at Cru, now I can have Puro Uno when I dine at home. I love having wines in my cellar that no one else has and wines with a good story to boot. Best of all, I'm always happy to support a local winemaker and most importantly a local wine retailer.  

Buy a bottle! It's good stuff! Cheers!

Wine Wednesday, Divalicious

A principal ingrained in me from childhood is not to judge a book by it's cover. And while most of the time I do pretty good when applying the concept to humans, I have to admit I still struggle with it in the wine world.

Case in point. I was given a bottle of the new Little Black Dress wine; Divalicious White.  It is a Pinot Grigio based blend with some Muscat, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, White Riesling and Viognier to round it out.  And while the label totally appealed to all of my senses as a woman (the title, the font, the hanger, the red shoes), an alarm went off in my head blaring "gimmick".  

I judged it as a sweet party wine targeted to the wallets of female consumers who like anything diva-ish, not that this is a bad thing mind you. But in the case of wine I questioned just how much substance it had. While there was fruit, like melon and citrus, there were other layers of flavor; a little spice, quite nice.

I give it girlfriend approval. This time of year, Divalicious is a great beach wine. It goes with the standard, portable snacks of salty chips and juicy fruits. And in the $10 price range, I'm not going to get ticked off if it gets too hot and I have to dump it, just mildly annoyed. Cheers!

Wine Wednesday, Sultry

Jerome is an old mining town in the mountains of Arizona; an odd center of wine culture in a state most people don't typically think of as wine producing. Arizona is more than a vast dessert, there are beautiful mountains, high elevations, volcanic soils and cool evening temperatures; all good for growing grapes.

I tried a number of wines at tasting rooms in Jerome last week but today will stick with ones from Bitter Creek Winery.  I was surprised to see the variety of grapes grown by this winery from Barbera to Pinotage and Tempranillo to Syrah.

Some are named after Tarot Cards such as Queen of Cups and The Fool, with elaborate drawings on the label. The tasting room also pours from sister vineyard, Jerome Winery. These labels stand out with vintage looking photos of winemakers and workers.


One of my favorites of the tasting was Sultry Cellars All Wrapped Up. It is an equal parts blend of Primativo, Malbec, Merlot and Tempranillo. It smells a bit chalky, like the powder of KoolAid or Necco wafer candy. It has fresh flavors of raspberry and blackberry. While enjoyable, I thought it was a bit pricey at $40. Maybe because it is limited production?

Whole Foods carries some of these wines. If you like trying different things, give them a go. The tasting room has a beautiful view of the valley. It will cost you $10 for four pours. It's worth a pit stop if you are in the area.

Wine Wednesday on Friday, Nickel & Nickel

So I didn't post my Wine Wednesday feature on Wednesday. Everyone gets a free pass on a holiday week right? I have been so blessed to spend the 4th of July holiday with dear friends; dear friends who also share a love and passion for wine. More specifically, a love for Nickel & Nickel from California.

I've always been a fan and have consumed lots of different vineyard selections so when I was told to "pick whatever you want", I think I squealed and jumped a little.

I stood in front of their amazing NEW wine wall and took a few deep breaths as I studied the labels that stretched from floor to ceiling in a neat row, all Nickel & Nickel; Martin Stellng, Ponzo, Bonfire, Dragonfly, Harris Vineyard, etc.

I  must of stood there much longer than I thought because there was a shout from the kitchen, "If you don't hurry up and pick one, I'm gonna do it for you." YIKES! So I reached in and grabbed a 2003 Regusci Vineyard Block 4, one that I have never seen before.

We gave it a little aeration and started tasting it. At first it was a bit perfume like, with lots of raspberries. As it opened, I got more dark fruit and tannins. It was nicely balanced and a pure delight to my taste buds. FANTASTIC! Even more of a delight was the company I was able to share it with. Thanks Ali and Jonathan, "I love you more than my luggage".

Nickel & Nickel in the middle!

Lesson Learned: Why you should not let friends rewrite your copy....

MY VERSION:
Today marked my third morning show appearance on WINK TV and CW6, talking about the "scene"; what's happening in Southwest Florida. The 4:45 alarm seemed particularly early after a late appearance at a house warming party. I was doing OK until the Costco Death By Chocolate Cake was cut and another glass of Cabernet was poured.

Nevertheless, I made it to the TV station with freshly washed hair and time to spare. But no time for coffee and even in my desperate state I could not bring myself to pumping a cup of the break room swill. As I sat on set and we came back from a commercial break, I thought the cameras were going to the news desk first, then to the set where I was. I coughed and cleared my throat in preparation just as the camera lit up in front of me. Great opening line.


I limped through the segment desperately needing to clear my throat and push that random strand of hair back. But it was over before I knew it and I had a full 50 minutes to get my throat in order and my hair back in place before the next hit.

Finally, salvation; I drove down the street to Bennett's Fresh Roast where I sit now next to the coffee king, my dear friend and former radio co-host; Bob Grissinger, AKA C. David Bennett. He suggested I give him a guest blog spot and offered to re-write this copy to prove his worth. Here it is. You be the judge.




HIS VERSION:
Today marked Gina's third appearance on set at Wink TV and CW6, to talk about "the scene".  In other words she's talking about where she drank wine the night before and what beautiful people she rubbed elbows with.  Her 4:45 wakeup (she slept?) came particularly early considering the fact that she was at some house warming party the night before, providing bawdy entertainment for those who chose to revel with her.  They served Costco "Death by Chocolate" cake at the party (it was a house warming...who had time to bake?) and drank some kind of decent cabernet.  Nevertheless she had time to bath and wash her hair (but not to bake a cake) and skipped brewing a pot of coffee.  Off she went to the studio building.

None of that coffee in the break room for her (I trained her well) since it's tastes somewhere in between freshly dipped water right out of the Caloosahatchee and the bathwater of a yak.    As she sat on the set she awaited her cue, thinking they'd go right to the news set first, not the "feature set". But no, as luck would have it (and as "Gina luck" has been defined for at least 15 years) they went to her first.  She didn't exactly have her finger up her nose to the first knuckle, but she hacked and coughed loudly to the startled amazement of those working on the floor.  Her hair dangling in front of her eyes, she croaked through the segment sounding much like a frog.  Fortunately, she had a 50 minute break before she had to do it again, IF they decided to let her back on.  Inexplicably, they did.

Afterwards, driving at breakneck speeds she careened down 1st Street to the delightful Bennett's Fresh Roast, a local institution of some repute located at 2011 Bayside Parkway.  Fresh roasted coffee everyday, and from-scratch hand cut donuts are served up to the delight of young, old, grumpy and happy every day of the year but Thanksgiving and Christmas.  And it's run by a charming man who used to work every day with Ms. Birch and kept her grounded in the reality of sidekick subservience.

Wine Wednesday, Sexual Chocolate

When I got an email from my friend Steve this week to taste a wine called Sexual Chocolate I have to admitted i pursed my lips and furrowed my brow wondering what the heck I would be drinking. I could not have been more pleasantly surprised today to sip on this cheeky red blend of Syrah, Zinfandel and Petite Syrah.

It wasn't just the wine that got me, but also the lively winemaker, Brandon Allen, on the left. He started making wine in his backyard at the age of 19, while he was in college. Allen says, "I was trying to impress the girls." Hence the name. Before long, his friends started buying the wine, their friends started buying it, their parents started buying it and now people are buying it thousands of miles away, in Southwest Florida.

Allen's goal is to make a wine that is "fun and not pretentious. It is both. The blend is smooth and easy to drink, with lots of dark fruit. It retails for under $30 and you can find it at restaurants like Blue Coyote, Twisted Vine and Yabo in the Fort Myers area, to name a few. Happy Wine Wednesday. CHEERS!

Super Moon, Super Sipping

What a great weekend for watching the skies. The Summer Solstice, when the sun reaches it's highest point, teamed with a Super Moon, when the moon reaches it's lowest point or is closest to Earth.

Summer Solstice is celebrated with feasts and festivals. Mine was a feast of wine, and it was epic.  A dear friend had a solstice party that culminated in a blind tasting of more than 20 bottles. We lined them all up on his protected pool table and the fun began. As each wine was poured, guests shouted things like "old world", "young", "cabernet", etc.

The wines came from North America, South American and premier growing regions of Europe. They ranged in price from $10 to over $100. Only two were corked or on their way out. One was mine: 2008 Domaine des Huards Cheverrny Le Pessoir Rouge. It was a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay from Loire, France. I raised my hand to say it was mine and a gentleman next to me asked if I was sure I wanted to admit it.

I said, "Yes, I'm glad I found out now instead of at a dinner party."

Take a look at some of the amazing goodies we got to try:

Wine Wednesday, M5

My last few Wine Wednesday selections have been great values, todays is just a great wine. The 2009 Krupp Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon M5 comes from Stagcoach Vineyards. Stagecoach is a vineyard in Napa, developed by Dr Jan Krupp, that sells fruit to 80n producers. The vines produce some of the best Cabernet grapes for some of the best producers in the region; Conn Creek, Caymus, Duckhorn and Paul Hobbs to name a few.

The M5 is complex, both on the nose and the palate, with layers of flavors. It smelled fruity but a bit herbal to me, almost menthol, with some vanilla. I tasted lots of dark fruit, some cherry and spice to boot. It has great structure, nice tannins and will age nicely. This is a limited production and will cost you around $135 when you find it.

Over a Skype call this week Dr. Krupp says he is growing Grenache for the first time and "having fun and continuing to explore what is new while keeping what we've learned." He has a great story about taking land that was once thought useless, and turning it into something special.  Check out this video: