As a fan of the Artisanal Cheese Company of New York, I was pleased to be asked to include this guest post in my blog. Here's what Max had to say:
The American Cheese Society will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year in Madison, Wisconsin. Several participants will be headed there early. Even though the festival does not officially start until July 31st many in the ACS executive office have already transplanted themselves from their Denver headquarters to ready everything: for the attendees arriving from across the United States and abroad, as well as the nearly 1,800 cheeses entered into competition. There are nearly that many people attending some part if not all of the conference. I'll be there, definitely.
There was a time not that many years ago when I did not feel the need to attend each year. The same crop of nice cheeses showed up each year; there were fewer "new" cheeses and for the most part, the conference sessions were less inspiring. The cheese industry has grown dramatically and the quality improvements are notable. One of the best things that has happened to ACS is its Certified Cheese Professional endorsement. The second ACS CCP exam will be administered July 31 to nearly 190 applicants, and as Chair of the Certified Cheese Professional committee I will be there helping proctor the exam. We anticipate we will have about 150 new CCP's added to the 121 who passed the first exam last year, all of them helping assure continuing quality advances in this vibrant industry.
Max McCalman
Be sure to visit the Artisanal Cheese Company website at www.artisanalcheese.com.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
When Disappointment turns to Enchantment
Saturday night was a special night for a couple of reasons. First, we were headed to the city to see Harry Connick, Jr. in Chicago and second we were going with some good friends. There's nothing like having a great evening with friends.
Unfortunately, my first choice for dinner wasn't available. I've been to the Gage in Chicago several times. It's just down the street from the Symphony Hall (home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra). Because the Jazz series at the CSO is on Friday nights we don't get to city early enough to enjoy the Gage.
The Gage is a great restaurant with a wide ranging American menu. My good friend, Charlie, introduced me to the restaurant the first time. I've been back a couple of times since. But with the concert starting at 7:30 a 5 pm reservation was too early and a 8:15 reservation was a bit late. So, although I had never been there, I made reservations at Henri, a restaurant from the creators of the Gage.
Apparently every route into the city was conspiring against us with traffic and construction which made us about 15 minutes late. We called and the hostess was very kind. After parking I joined the rest of the party and took a look through the extensive wine list. A great majority of the wines on the list were French.
I was a little disappointed that there weren't many California Rhone-style wines. (I did suggest that they consider some of the great Rhone-style wines from Frick Winery and Pine Ridge.) In the end, I selected a Cote du Rhone Villages from Domaine Gramenon Les Laurentides.
This wine was reasonably priced and an old vine blend of Grenache and Syrah. The staff decanted the wine for us -- and probably for good reason. In doing a little research, several reviewers suggested that the wine was much better after several hours of decanting. We didn't have that kind of time but found the wine to be quite good.
Doing a little research on the wine itself, I found that the winery was founded by Philippe and Michele Laurent in 1978 on 12 hectares of vines. The wine is sourced from mostly 50 year old Grenache vines located in the La Bicarelle plot near Vinsobres.
The soils here are mostly clay limestone with rounded pebbles. The grapes were partially destemmed, fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 8 months in oak barrels. (I wonder if they imported American Oak barrels for this or if they went with the French Oak?)
We found the wine to be a great match across several offerings. We started with the Oysters Mignonette. The mignonette was just the right note on the oysters with shallots and a red wine vinegar. That was followed by the fresh vegetable soup.
Dinner included a lamb rack, truffled chicken and roasted duck breast.
Everything was delicious. Frankly, they surpassed my expectations. What I didn't expect was how perfect the service was. We were never hurried nor did the staff smother us. Even though we arrived late, it never felt as though they were trying to turn the tables. General Manager Tim Sandow has done a great job with his staff. The ambiance is relaxed but not casual.
What started as a bit of disappointment that we didn't get into the Gage for dinner ended with a bit of a disappointment, too. Only this time the disappointment was that we had to rush out to get to the concert and we didn't have time for dessert.
Heading down the street to Symphony Hall for the concert we arrived just as bells were ringing to take your seat. Harry's show was one of the best I've seen. For nearly 2 and 1/2 hours he entertained the audience with a selection that crossed several genres. Loved the music enough that I came home and purchased his latest two albums.
And I'm not alone. The usually curmudgeonly Jazz Critic, Howard Reich, writes:
Three things I know for sure. I'll be looking for some Domaine Gramenon Les Laurentides, I'll be back again to Henri, and I won't miss the next Harry Connick, Jr. show in the Chicago area.
Unfortunately, my first choice for dinner wasn't available. I've been to the Gage in Chicago several times. It's just down the street from the Symphony Hall (home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra). Because the Jazz series at the CSO is on Friday nights we don't get to city early enough to enjoy the Gage.
.JPG) |
| (Photo from Midwestern Masticatory Musings) |
 |
| (photo from Hogshead Wine) |
I was a little disappointed that there weren't many California Rhone-style wines. (I did suggest that they consider some of the great Rhone-style wines from Frick Winery and Pine Ridge.) In the end, I selected a Cote du Rhone Villages from Domaine Gramenon Les Laurentides.
This wine was reasonably priced and an old vine blend of Grenache and Syrah. The staff decanted the wine for us -- and probably for good reason. In doing a little research, several reviewers suggested that the wine was much better after several hours of decanting. We didn't have that kind of time but found the wine to be quite good.
Doing a little research on the wine itself, I found that the winery was founded by Philippe and Michele Laurent in 1978 on 12 hectares of vines. The wine is sourced from mostly 50 year old Grenache vines located in the La Bicarelle plot near Vinsobres.
The soils here are mostly clay limestone with rounded pebbles. The grapes were partially destemmed, fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 8 months in oak barrels. (I wonder if they imported American Oak barrels for this or if they went with the French Oak?)
 |
| Lamb Rack |
 |
| Roasted Duck Breast |
 |
| Truffled Chicken |
Dinner included a lamb rack, truffled chicken and roasted duck breast.
Everything was delicious. Frankly, they surpassed my expectations. What I didn't expect was how perfect the service was. We were never hurried nor did the staff smother us. Even though we arrived late, it never felt as though they were trying to turn the tables. General Manager Tim Sandow has done a great job with his staff. The ambiance is relaxed but not casual.
What started as a bit of disappointment that we didn't get into the Gage for dinner ended with a bit of a disappointment, too. Only this time the disappointment was that we had to rush out to get to the concert and we didn't have time for dessert.
Heading down the street to Symphony Hall for the concert we arrived just as bells were ringing to take your seat. Harry's show was one of the best I've seen. For nearly 2 and 1/2 hours he entertained the audience with a selection that crossed several genres. Loved the music enough that I came home and purchased his latest two albums.
And I'm not alone. The usually curmudgeonly Jazz Critic, Howard Reich, writes: New Orleans has produced more than its share of great showmen, entertainers for whom almost any stage is too small and any evening too brief.
Anyone who doubted that Harry Connick, Jr. belongs to this tradition and extends it into the 21st century surely was not out Saturday night at Symphony Center, where Connick offered an intermissionless show that stretched well past two hours and yet seemed to pass too quickly. Aside from the sheer stamina of this performance, Connick addressed so many musical styles so persuasively, while also unveiling several striking new songs, that one had to reassess earlier impressions of him.All in all, I couldn't think of a better way to spend a Saturday evening. Great friends. Great wine. Great food. And great entertainment. And as I drove home I couldn't help but hear the words and music of "Some Enchanted Evening" playing in my head.
Three things I know for sure. I'll be looking for some Domaine Gramenon Les Laurentides, I'll be back again to Henri, and I won't miss the next Harry Connick, Jr. show in the Chicago area.
Monday, July 8, 2013
An Evening with Four Sisters
The other night we went to the Ravinia Festival for our third concert of the season. Tonight's show? The B52's and the Go-Go's. Nothing like enjoying a little bit of the 80's all over again. After a week of rain off and on, Saturday night was perfect.
For those in the Chicagoland area, there's nothing like being able to spend a beautiful evening at the Ravinia Festival. They have concerts virtually every night all summer long. And for the really popular concerts it helps to be a donor. A small contribution and you can enter the park 30 minutes before the gate opens to the general public.
This was one of those concerts. We arrived in time to take advantage of the early donor entrance. This allowed us to set up in close proximity to the pavilion so we could see the the stage screens from our seats. There's nothing like a delicious picnic on a beautiful evening with good food and great wines.
For this night's concert, I chose four sisters to share with my cousin Elizabeth and her husband Dale. These four sisters come from sister wineries, Seghesio, Pine Ridge, Chamisal and Archery Summit. We started with the Fiano from Seghesio Family Vineyards. All of these wineries are owned by Crimson Wine Group.
Fiano is a wine enjoyed by the ancient Romans who referred to it as Apiano because bees were attracted to it as the harvest approached. The Seghesio family's introduction to this wine came through a blind tasting and they soon became the first grower in Sonoma County to grow this particular grape. With origins in the marine -influenced Italian village of Avellino, Fiano grows very well in the Russian River Valley.
This wine reminds me a little bit of a Pinot Grigio but more complex. It starts with floral aromas and a hint of pear and lime zest. The pear flavors come through very strongly, too. There's a hint of honey that comes through at the end. (Perhaps this is what the bees of ancient Rome were looking for!).
It paired well with our appetizers of several cheeses, a goat cheese, a cheddar and havarti. We also had some olives and some homemade pickles. We also had some smoked salmon and a few slices of various charcuterie.
Our second bottle of wine was the Estate Rose from Chamisal Vineyards. This was also a fruit forward wine with strong aromas of strawberry and cream. Up until last summer's visit to wine country I had never really thought much of Rose wines. I put them in the same category as white zinfandel.
But I was wrong. I've found that the Rose wines make for a great summer wines. With both the Fiano and the Rose being chilled, provided some relief to a warm afternoon.
I found the Rose surprisingly fresh and yet complex. That may be the result of the calcareous, clay-rich soils of Chamisal Vineyards. Having been on the tour on a recent visit to the Vineyard, I can see how the soil could impart unique flavors. I found the wine to be more than just a smooth drinking wine. I found the flavors to be very rich . . . reminiscent of the Pinot Noir that forms the base of this wine.
My cousin Elizabeth determined that everything tastes better with Reddi-Whip. That includes not just the fruit and pound cake but also the peanut butter cups. It's certainly something to keep in mind in the future.
The music began as we just finished this bottle. It was time to open up the Archery Summit Estate Pinot Noir. From the Dundee Hills region of Oregon's Willamette Valley, this wine really reflects the quality of wines from Oregon. I recently wrote a post about my recent visit to the winery -- it was the last of the four sisters for me to visit.
Each one of the wineries is producing fabulous estate wines but they're all unique. Each one of the winemakers takes the unique terroir of each vineyard and the grapes to develop really spectacular wines. The Estate Pinot Noir from Archery Summit is no exception.
This wine opens with aromas of slate. You can really pick up on minerals of the wines. When you taste the wine you can really pick up on the dark red cherry flavors of this wine along with depth of flavors. The finish of this wine is velvety smooth.
As it turns out it was a great way to finish the evening. Since we still needed to drive home from the concert, I decided not to open the Onyx from Pine Ridge Winery. This is one of my favorite Bordeaux blends.
As the concert wound down, we ended the evening with a little coffee and pound cake (and of course the Reddi-Whip). As we were putting away the tables and chairs, the B52's were belting out their hit single Rock Lobster.
Over the years we've developed a pretty good pattern for what we bring to Ravinia. We've seen so many different set-ups that we've created our own picnic package. Now I'm looking forward to our next concert -- Heart. A continuation of the 80's theme for this year.
If you haven't tried some of the other wines from these great wineries, I would encourage you to do so
 |
| Three sisters lined up for the evening |
This was one of those concerts. We arrived in time to take advantage of the early donor entrance. This allowed us to set up in close proximity to the pavilion so we could see the the stage screens from our seats. There's nothing like a delicious picnic on a beautiful evening with good food and great wines.
For this night's concert, I chose four sisters to share with my cousin Elizabeth and her husband Dale. These four sisters come from sister wineries, Seghesio, Pine Ridge, Chamisal and Archery Summit. We started with the Fiano from Seghesio Family Vineyards. All of these wineries are owned by Crimson Wine Group.
Fiano is a wine enjoyed by the ancient Romans who referred to it as Apiano because bees were attracted to it as the harvest approached. The Seghesio family's introduction to this wine came through a blind tasting and they soon became the first grower in Sonoma County to grow this particular grape. With origins in the marine -influenced Italian village of Avellino, Fiano grows very well in the Russian River Valley.
This wine reminds me a little bit of a Pinot Grigio but more complex. It starts with floral aromas and a hint of pear and lime zest. The pear flavors come through very strongly, too. There's a hint of honey that comes through at the end. (Perhaps this is what the bees of ancient Rome were looking for!).
It paired well with our appetizers of several cheeses, a goat cheese, a cheddar and havarti. We also had some olives and some homemade pickles. We also had some smoked salmon and a few slices of various charcuterie.
Our second bottle of wine was the Estate Rose from Chamisal Vineyards. This was also a fruit forward wine with strong aromas of strawberry and cream. Up until last summer's visit to wine country I had never really thought much of Rose wines. I put them in the same category as white zinfandel.But I was wrong. I've found that the Rose wines make for a great summer wines. With both the Fiano and the Rose being chilled, provided some relief to a warm afternoon.
I found the Rose surprisingly fresh and yet complex. That may be the result of the calcareous, clay-rich soils of Chamisal Vineyards. Having been on the tour on a recent visit to the Vineyard, I can see how the soil could impart unique flavors. I found the wine to be more than just a smooth drinking wine. I found the flavors to be very rich . . . reminiscent of the Pinot Noir that forms the base of this wine.
My cousin Elizabeth determined that everything tastes better with Reddi-Whip. That includes not just the fruit and pound cake but also the peanut butter cups. It's certainly something to keep in mind in the future.The music began as we just finished this bottle. It was time to open up the Archery Summit Estate Pinot Noir. From the Dundee Hills region of Oregon's Willamette Valley, this wine really reflects the quality of wines from Oregon. I recently wrote a post about my recent visit to the winery -- it was the last of the four sisters for me to visit.
Each one of the wineries is producing fabulous estate wines but they're all unique. Each one of the winemakers takes the unique terroir of each vineyard and the grapes to develop really spectacular wines. The Estate Pinot Noir from Archery Summit is no exception.
This wine opens with aromas of slate. You can really pick up on minerals of the wines. When you taste the wine you can really pick up on the dark red cherry flavors of this wine along with depth of flavors. The finish of this wine is velvety smooth.
As it turns out it was a great way to finish the evening. Since we still needed to drive home from the concert, I decided not to open the Onyx from Pine Ridge Winery. This is one of my favorite Bordeaux blends.
As the concert wound down, we ended the evening with a little coffee and pound cake (and of course the Reddi-Whip). As we were putting away the tables and chairs, the B52's were belting out their hit single Rock Lobster.
Over the years we've developed a pretty good pattern for what we bring to Ravinia. We've seen so many different set-ups that we've created our own picnic package. Now I'm looking forward to our next concert -- Heart. A continuation of the 80's theme for this year.
If you haven't tried some of the other wines from these great wineries, I would encourage you to do so
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