Getting Past The Packaging

I drank so many fabulous Pinot Noirs last week while exploring the Williamette Valley in Oregon. It's one of the most common grapes used to make Champagne and sparkling wines; so I was expecting to taste more bubbles than I did.

I asked one winemaker why more was not produced. Besides the fact that making a sparkling wine takes an entirely different effort, he confessed, in general, it is not as profitable. Bubbly takes longer to make and takes up valuable storage space.

When someone in the Eugene area suggested trying the sparkling at Domaine Meriwether, my travel partner and I were all about it. The tasting room was spacious, open and ruled by the Captain; the vineyard dog, who greeted us with a tennis ball in his mouth.

It was our last stop of the day, two sparkling wines were open along with some still wines. The NV Discovery Cuvee (blue label, $20) was acidic with flavors of pear; the Captain Clark Vintage Cuvee (green label $25) had some pleasant citrus notes and reminded me of sweet tarts. Both were enjoyable as well as affordable.

Too bad the thing we focused on while pulling away was the labeling. Yes you should buy wine based on what is inside of the bottle, but lets face it, packaging is important. Especially with the amount of good juice on store shelves. The font and text is classy, what one would expect from nice bubbly. The colored border is what my companion could not get past; wondering about the challenge of convincing someone to buy, when lined up next to other sparklers.

The point may seem petty to some, but not to those in the media, marketing, advertising, food and wine business. Looking back, if this was the only complaint of the day.....I'll take another please!

If you can get past the packaging, give Domaine Meriwether Cuvee's a try. I think you will like.

Good Morning Goodness

I woke up this morning to blustery, stormy weather from Tropical Storm Isaac. Dragging from the barometric pressure and the thought of fighting flooded roadways in to work, I willed room service to bring me a hot breakfast like the one I had at Daily Cafe in Portland, OR.

However, I'm in Southwest Florida and there is no room service.

So I found these photos closed my eyes and transported myself back a week. The Daily Cafe, in The Pearl District, was about a mile walk from my hotel downtown and well worth it.  I wish I had an entire table of people to sit with so we could each order something different and pass the plates. I wanted bites of everything on the menu but settled for the ricotta, fontina, broccolini whole grain tart, topped with an egg. A piping hot cup of Stumptown coffee in this bright, cheery space was not even an option; it was required drinking.

Daily Chef Kim Boyce is good with grains, in fact she wrote a cookbook filled with ways to incorporate them into your meals. She makes scones from buckwheat, creates her own granola and uses lots of local ingredients at the cafe. There are some regular menu items but the Daily chalkboard is where the action is. I've been told by locals that this is the best kept secret for a fabulous dinner as well. Check it out next time your in town.
(Thanks for the AWESOME tip Christopher!)

 

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.

If The Shoe Fits

One of my favorite charity events to help host and attend every year is a high-energy fashion soiree called Love That Dress. Based on the concept of a dress swap between girlfriends, dresses are collected at fabulous parties and events prior to the big night, then resold for a fraction of their cost; proceeds benefit PACE Center For Girls in Fort Myers, Fl.

The pre-parties are almost as fun as the actual event. I attended one over the weekend (thank you Kathleen Wolter) that had my head spinning; the fashions and the SHOES! About an hour into oooooing and ahhhhing over the parade of women and their amazing pairings, I wondered why I wasn't taking photos.

Unfortunately the only camera my chic party purse contained was that on my phone. But I know my fellow shoe lovers will still appreciate this:

Tickets sell out for Love That Dress every year. I will have some to give away on 96-9 WINK-FM but don't wait to win. Buy them and be part of this fabulous night of fun and fashion. Click here for details

Wines that "Rock", and Wines To "Roll"

While researching wines for a TOTI Media piece on famous winemakers, I was told to check out Wines That Rock. Inspired by rock legends such as Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones, the winemakers also obtained the rights to use artwork from the albums, on the labels.

Being in the radio business I thought the whole idea of these wines was very cool and  found two of the five varieties to try; The Dark Side of the Moon Cabernet and Grateful Dead Red Wine Blend. As cool as they looked on the outside, it didn't translate to the inside for me. They were tight and I just didn't find a lot of depth to them. But for under $20 I would still give them to my rock-n-roll lovin' friends as gifts. 

Rock star wine that I would recommend comes from Dave Mathews. He teamed up with winemaker Steve Reeder and formed Dreaming Tree. The Dreaming Tree Chardonnay smells a lot thicker than it tastes. It was full of citrus and apricot with balanced acidity. The Dreaming Tree Cabernet is herbal and tannic with lots of blackberry and cherry. Also under $20 each, they are good bargains.

Check out more on famous winemakers in my latest wine column for TOTI Media. You can find it on the news-stands now (July/August).

As for Mathews, he is currently on tour and just passed through Florida.

Sippin' the Saint

I'm having wine country withdrawals after sipping on a bottle of this delicious Sauvignon Blanc and reliving my trip to St. Supery, in Napa Valley. I was fortunate to be part of a small group, treated to a special tour of the winery's Dollarhide Ranch; to see firsthand where the grapes come from.

The property was beautiful, the weather perfect and it was one of those amazing moments in time; a place to go back to when my soul needs some rest. I also gained a new appreciation for the wine, sipping it under the shade of  lush trees, while looking out over the rolling vineyards. Just a little bit of heaven. I decided that seeing is believing for this blog. My first video edition is here:  


If you visit Napa, you need to visit St Supery! You can often find fun events on the lawn outside of the tasting room, the staff is warm and friendly and the wines are a wonderful treat.

Deal Of The Day

A nice fallout from the recent economic downturn has been the deals and gimmicks many businesses have developed to keep clients coming through the doors; restaurants specifically. 

Some offer half price bottles (wine) on certain days of the week. I went into a Bonefish Grill not too long ago and couldn't find a seat, it was Bang Bang Wednesday.; $5 Bang Bang Shrimp.

I've got another Wednesday deal for you, $3 O-Ring's at Square 1 Burgers. The burger chain now has five locations on Florida's west coast, it's newest in Fort Myers. This huge pile of hand-cut, double dipped, fried onions costs $7.99 every other day of the week. The batter is crisp and the homemade Sooner sauce on the side has a tangy kick.

I did a hit and run at Square 1, unable to stay for more goodness but I'm looking forward to trying one of their juicy burgers. The selection is quite impressive with everything from Kobe and Buffalo, to Lamb and Veggie, with dozens of combinations of toppings. Let me know which is your fav!

The Brunch of Champions

One year ago today I was on an AirGreenland flight from Copenhagen, Denmark to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland for one of the most significant adventures of my life. I love the Danes. Shortly after take-off we were given a Tuborg and smoked nuts. The flight attendant laughed when we added Airborne to the mix; one last boost for the immune system before hitting the ground. Quite the combination.

You never know what kind of food you're going to get on planes these days, especially European airlines. Yes, we actually got food and good food at that. Our brunch was a lovely tray of dense, dark, delicious brown bread, cheese, cured meat, eggs, veggies, a meat patty, a decadent chocolate brownie and bite sized Tuberlones!



Once on the ground at Greenland's busiest airport in Kangerlussuaq, we set out to explore the meager offerings of  the small village. The chance we took on a bottle of Shiraz at the grocery store didn't turn out so well, it would've made a nice vinegar though. Good thing we also bought some Greenland Pale Ale as a back-up, it was quite tasty.



The small pizzeria,  across from the airport, had limited space, even more limited hours but numerous selections. We had a lot of fun chatting up the owners and a couple from Switzerland before taking another chance, Musk Ox Pizza. This one paid off big great story here.

When the grocery store, museum and pizza shop closes there isn't too much else to do but hike. It was 10:00 but that wasn't a problem since the summer sun doesn't set in Greenland. While finishing our dinner, we picked a mountain and set out for a "short" trek. The views of the country side were stunning. If you look closely at the following two photos you can just see Russel Glaciers. Our first glimpse of the "big ice" was exhilarating. I was filled with anticipation knowing that in the morning I would not only venture to see the great ice-caps up close and personal, but sleep at their base for the next six days. I dream of many things but I had never dreamed about plane food, until then. While the meals in camp were great (more on that later), I found myself thinking back to that last plane meal more than once. One of many firsts for me on this amazing trip.

You Want Me To Cook WHAT???

On the phone with my Mom and Dad last night, I heard their door bell ring. Then this:

M: Oh geez, who is that? George you better go and see.

D: (SFX: grumbling, rustling, door opening) Hey, oh thanks. Has it been frozen?

M: I bet it's more fish. (pauses to hear the door close) Was it the neighbors? What she give you, more fish.

D: No, turtle.

M: What?

D: Turtle, turtle.

M: TURTLE? What I'm suppose to do with turtle?

D: Yes Judy turtle, you COOK IT!

M: I'm not cooking turtle, I'm not eating it, you must be crazy, how do you even cook turtle? etc etc

They continue talking to each other over the phone, even though they are only a room apart. I can just see my Mom walking into the living room with her hand on her, hip still talking to him in the phone. I decided to join in by suggesting turtle soup? That set off another round. OK, I suggested, maybe fry them up as turtle-nuggets? Well you can imagine the rest of the discussion.

All joking aside, it is an interesting question. Turtle was obviously not something on the menu in my house growing up, but it is considered to be gourmet food in many countries; camp cuisine in the south.

The first thing I wondered was what wine would go well with turtle? Of course it depends on how you cook it. But I thought it would be fun to find a brand with "turtle" on the label and send it to them. After a quick search, none looked even slightly appealing.

So I turn to you for help. Recipe and/or wine suggestions?




***COMMENTS:  Many people tell me they posted and it never showed up. Disappointing for us both. So click comment, type your comment, check the box that says "comment as" then hit post. If a word verification box does not appear next (a scrambled word to retype) your comment did not post. Thanks!

Welcome- BOND

Congratulations BOND Restaurant and Lounge! It's officially open for business today in Naples. At the helm of BOND, three men who've been in the hospitality, restaurant and bar business in Southwest Florida for decades: Larry "Smokey" Genta, Adriano Pucci and Scott D'Antuono.

I went to a sneak preview party last week and had a blast checking out the lovely space, seeing old friends and sampling cocktails. I also enjoyed sampling delicious flat breads, juicy sliders, flavorful wings and tasty shrimp. Looking forward to actually sitting down and dining on some of the other fabulous menu items soon.


BOND begins as casual place to have a good lunch, then transforms to a hot party spot with live entertainment and/or hot DJ's each night. The happy hour goes until 8pm and the kitchen stays open late.

BOND is at Airport Pulling and Vanderbilt Beach Roads. Beverage Underground has more here.
CHEERS!!!!

B is for Bubbles and Boys

My Dad asked me yesterday what was going on with my blog. I haven't posted anything in TWO WEEKS! I have tasted some amazing wines, ingested great meals, had a fun weekend roadtrip but have failed to document any. Why? I've been consumed with the birth of my first nephew. I know, that should've given me even more inspiration to write.

But I celebrated pretty hard (above photo was the beginning) and frankly the celebration hasn't waned much. I'm not just celebrating a new life, a new legacy, the man who will carry on the family name, but also relief; relief of pressure to give my parents their first grandchild. Thank you my dear brother. I owe you one. I suppose you will cash in when it comes diaper changing time. Welcome to the world Baby George, I already love you  more than I could have ever imagined!

***COMMENTS: Thanks to all my Facebook friends for posting so many great comments. If you be so kind to also post your comments here on this blog site. Many people tell me they posted and it never showed up. Disappointing for us both. So click comment, type your comment, check the box that says "comment as" then hit post. If a word verification box does not appear next (a scrambled word to retype) your comment did not post. Thanks!

G is for Joy

When I first saw this Sake' I knew I would like it. Especially since the makers were so kind as to name it after me! My friends often call me G because Gina is such a long name and so hard to pronounce.

I also knew it would bring me joy, I mean that's what the label says right? The label delivered.

The makers of g use traditional sake' brewing methods from Japan, then add some American flare to give this sake layers of flavor. It is smooth and clean with flavors of melon and cinnamon.

It's made in Oregon, I tried it at Blu Sushi in Fort Myers, Fl. It's my new favorite to pair with sushi and other Asian cuisine.

Not Much Bump in "Goosebump"

I do a live broadcast every Wednesday night at The Edison Restaurant and Bar in Fort Myers, FL. It's a wildly popular Ladies Night where the girls drink free vodka and get all kinds of cool freebies. Last night we also got to taste a wine new to our area, Goosebump.

It's a curious blend of Nero d'Avola, Syrah and Merlot. I smelled lots of dark fruit and a little cocoa in the glass. It was pretty jammy; no bump in the Goosebump, just smooth fruit. I was hoping for a little punch from the Syrah but it was more like a poke. Nothing wrong with a poke. :-)

I can see putting a little chill on it and drinking with BBQ chicken at a summer cook-out. I also think it is a good entry into the world of red wines for those friends who can't seem to get passed the whites. Cheers!


***COMMENTS: Thanks to all my Facebook friends for posting so many great comments. Post your comments here as well. Many people tell me they posted and it never showed up. Disappointing for us both. So click comment, type your comment, check the box that says "comment as" then hit post. If a word verification box does not appear next (a scrambled word to retype) your comment did not post. Thanks! 

Margarita's At Tina's

I really enjoy a GOOD Margarita but have nearly sworn them off after getting one too many that tasted like lime-aid. I know it is a delicate balance to get the sweet and the tart and still enjoy the Tequila. But there aren't great Tequila Bars like Agave on every corner. Some of the best Margarita's I've had, have been in Austin, TX. And that's exactly what I was reminded of at Casa Tina in downtown Dunedin, FL.

There were several on the menu but I ordered the Tina Rita made with fresh lime, agave honey and Partida Reposado Tequila ($10). It came in a short bar glass with a fresh slice of lime on the rim.  After the first sip I put the glass down without a word, took a photo with my iPhone and sent it to my brother, a former Austinite. My lunch partner said, "Well?" All I could do was smile and nod. Nothing pre-made here. I could taste the fresh squeezed juice, I could taste the tequila, I could taste deliciousness.

I was very grateful for the petite basket of chips that proceeded our lunch. My weakness for the crunchy treat often spoils my appetite for the real meal. I started with Cerviche ($9.95) made from fresh Tilapia. There were a couple of different flavors and textures so I was surprised when the server told me it consisted only of the white fish. Some of the pieces were mild, others tasted a bit woody, all of it was good.

Next up, the Tacos Estillo Guadalajara ($12.95); two soft corn tortilla's filled with onion and cilantro and your choice of chicken, rajas, pork, asada, carne, chorizo and panella. The dish comes with three yummy sauces on the side, all hot but not blistering.

It's no secret I love a good Mexican Brunch and the one at Casa Tina's looks so inviting that I see a Sunday drive and day of indulgence in the very near future.

Those Eyes......

Those eyes, I just can't stop staring into them. I wonder what they've seen over decades of working in the fields, harvesting grapes in Spain.

The wine is El Viejo; 100% Tempranillo from 100 year old vines in Toro, Spain. Matsu makes three different Tempranillo's, each bottle depicting the face of a viticulturalist, to honor the work they put into nurturing vines and growing grapes. The youngest face, is obviously the youngest wine. El Viejo to the left, the oldest.

I learned about this wine while writing a piece on labels for Times Of The Islands magazine (currently on newsstands). I didn't review the wine, just told it's story. But from the time I saw this particular bottle I've been wanting to see what was in it. Last night, I finally got the chance.

I immediately smelled cocoa in the glass, I tasted it also. The wine was a delicious blend of  dark fruit, smoke and spice. It had the body and substance that had hoped for and expected. Sipping the juice, staring at the bottle, I felt a great sense of gratitude for the work of the man on the label and others like him, who make it possible for me to enjoy the "drink of the Gods"! Salud!