Jenn: Merciful God
So Saturday was the big day! The big day to see whether or not we have a gracious and compassionate God or one that is spiteful and full of vengeance. This was the day that I was allowed to drink wine to test whether or not I had developed an allergy to it…and the result…God is Oh SO Good!!!
Dining over at Zitune’s Moroccan Restaurant in Downtown Los Altos, I ate with my fellow cohort Rynn and her boyfriend (also a self-proclaimed foodie). I started my night of decadence out with a glass of Veuve-Clicquot…you really can’t go wrong here for the price (can be found for around $40-50 a bottle). An elegant and crisp champagne, this was a perfect way to start off my evening.
Now, even though I was allowed to give in to my wine craving, I had to yield on many other food options for the night. However, do not fear, Zitune’s pleasant servers and gracious owner and hostess, catered to my every whim and need. First serving me a home made soup that was both gluten and dairy free, with flavors of saffron, turmeric complimenting the lentils and chickpeas that warmed my insides on that cold night. Thereafter, the owner and chef, created for me a wonderful striped bass that oozed with wonderful herbs and was complimented by a lovely bed of spinach.
But now you ask…well what did you have to drink? I shall tell you…
I brought a bottle from my collection. Upon my travels to Napa one day with my sister, our driver introduced us to this small family owned winery – Reynolds Family. I brought one of their reserve cabernets which, upon opening had a nose of delicious plum, strawberry and black cherry. With very little hint of alcohol or spice in my palate…this cab was ALL FRUIT! Fantastic! It wasn’t overpowering despite it’s boldness with the food. And for my friends, which enjoyed a lamb shank and a lavender duck breast, this wine seemed to enhance their dining experience as well.
Our post meal beverage was a gunpowder tea unlike anything I have ever had in any other restaurant. Typically served there as part of their dessert menu, we asked them not to add the honey they typically do and the result was a tea that was so fresh, that our food settled beautifully and it capped off the end of our decadent dining experience.
But that’s not all…
To really put my “allergy” to the test, we ventured back home to open up a bottle of Coppola Zinfandel. Now, typically, I don’t enjoy Coppola wines so much, but this was a bold but not too jammy zinfandel that I certainly helped top off at the end of the nightJ
So you may wonder what the result was? Well, upon my doctor’s instructions, I waited for 3 days to see if I had any affects from my night of decadence, and to my delight…wine is as safe as water! So drink up!
Cheers!
RYNN: Absinthe!!!
I’s a-gots my St. George Spirits Absinthe Verte!!! Woo-woo! A venerable product of the good USA and even better, the Bay Area, I am quite happy to have this lovely bottle in my greedy green fairy digits. The label sports a grinning monkey holding what appears to be a femur bone and a cow bell; his mouth is wide-open as if some fast moving artist captured the little beast in the middle of shouting, “you know what this song needs? MORE COWBELL!”
Kudos and a happy hour helping of Ernest Hemingway’s “Death in the Afternoon” to all the staff at St. George Spirits- especially to Lance Winters, the master distiller who tinkered and toiled for 11 years to perfect his absinthe verte. Note: Absinthe was illegal to produce in the US until this past year. That means that for eleven long years Mr. Winters experimented and each of those experiments, no matter how superb or sloppy, had to be dumped down the commode in order to comply with the US federales. Damn. That’s a lot of wasted absinthe!
Fun Fact: When St. George Spirits Absinthe Verte went on sale on Dec. 21, 2007, they became the only American company since 1912 to sell absinthe in the United States.
Jenn: Wine deprivation!!!
So at the moment, due to various food allergies, I have had to refrain from alcohol (YES that includes wine) for a week now and for the immediate foreseeable future. However, not drinking it doesn’t mean I can’t dream about it!
Once given the green light to reintroduce wine into my diet, I plan on popping open a bottle of Wilson’s Creek Almond Sparkling Wine for a breakfast/brunch tasting…(maybe even before work one day..shhhhhhhh!) I am definitely not typically a sweet wine person (I prefer brut champagnes typically) however, this had such a unique flavor to it, I have to pass along this unusual find!
Affordable and yet immensely flavorful, this sparkler would be paired well with almost any type of dessert from a chocolate torte to berries with crème. It holds well enough on its own, but the moment I tasted it I thought of brunch as the perfect opportunity to imbibe these bubbles! So my cohort and I have conjured up the perfect meal plan to have with Mr. Wilson…and yes, I am the type of person to plan a meal around my wine selectionJ
Note: All the foods I recommend will be gluten free unless mentioned otherwise as I am gluten intolerantJ
The menu for Wilson’s Creek Almond Sparkling Wine:
- Smoked Salmon (I am partial to Scottish Salmon…but only because I lived there! But do make sure to get one that has a lot of flavor to compliment the sweetness of the wine.)
- Sautéed asparagus with cracked pepper
- Fresh berry salad with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries (You could even add lychees or grapefruit to this for some extra sweetness instead of any other crèmes or sugars.)
- Roasted fingerling potato salad with fresh herbs and lemon
- Brie topped with a fresh apricot preserve and brandy sauce
- Almonds of course!!!!
Cheers to having an excuse for a champagne brunch!!
Jenn: So much more than a grape…
I have found that over the years my interest or dare say “passion” for wine has grown and thus many of the activities I enjoy tend to be centered around the crushed grape. From taking classes, going to tastings, throwing parties and now, co-initiating a wine and food blog, I can even further project the intimate relationship I have with said beverage.
I used to be almost ashamed of my love for wine thinking I could be viewed as an alcoholic…(especially since in my own life I am quite healthy and active.) To be frank, I am actually not a big “drinker”; in fact, I have been termed the “one-drink wonder” as my tolerance for alcohol is almost laughable.
However, it is not just the consumption of wine that has me so entranced, but rather all that comes with being ‘involved’ with vino. From the terrior to the vine; the vine to the grape; the grape to the barrel; the barrel to the bottle; the bottle to the glass…and for that moment in the glass as you swirl and waft the aromas that permeate with each breath of air, that moment, that time, is perfect. There are no hidden agendas, no anxieties, no right or wrong answers…it is a moment wholly unto itself that is meant to be shared with just one…you.
But it is also just not about the solo experience. With wine, comes good food and good friends. For me, wine can make any dinner a special occasion and thread together all elements of a social setting to make it unforgettable. Watching your guests sip on what you have poured, questioning their own palates, seeking out the perfect descriptors for what they had experienced. That is what wine ultimately is for me…an experience.
Finally, the beauty from which wine is grown is enough to inspire one into a place of serenity and peace. Moments in wine country are therapeutic solely for the aesthetics and ambiance that is found in every corner. Each vine helps to create a haven for families, friends, lovers and even inspires the individual soul to reflect and take note of the wonder that surrounds them.
So I can only hope that all you wine enthusiasts and foodies, young and old, new or proficient, can find some joy out of this blog as I have out of the whole wine experience.
