dmwine

It's quite possible there was something wrong with the bottle - if you haven't poured it out (or drunk it), try taking it back and talking to your retailer. You will probably get a credit towards another wine. I haven't encountered a soapy taste such as you describe, but the textural, almost fizzy aspect is quite common, especially among inexpensive reds. Some sommeliers here might be able to explain it better, but it stems from a technique of winemaking that I believe is called 'reductive' - it attempts to seal out all exposure to oxygen during fermentation and the initial stages. It helps boost color and up front fruit flavors, but it is artificial and can give the wine an almost sulphurous aroma and a prickly feel on the tongue (no guffaws, you perverts! ). I've found this most often in inexpensive reds from southern France, Spain and Italy, and have decided that I really don't like it and that it represents a flaw in winemaking. ETA: Oh, so THAT's how you get the emoticon up top!

Please tell me Don didn't recommend Mrs. K's Toll House?

In Ruckersville, north of C'ville, on Rte 33 at 29, just after (about 100 yds) turning to go to Horton or Barboursville wineries, there's a new BBQ joint called Smokin' Eddies, or Sammie's, or something. Pretty good pork sandwich, which I wolfed down on one of the few tables on the porch. (It was warm last Saturday.) In town, Fuel Co. is pretty nice for a more bistro-style meal. Can't say exactly where it is, though, as I wasn't driving and it was raining buckets on Friday night. I think it's right on Rte 20.

Shamelss self-promotion alert: Two good Virginia rozays, believe it or not, instead of the usual stuff that seems like someone trying to market a mistake. They'd make good Thanksgiving wines. These are from Barboursville and Kluge Estate.

I was amazed that WrapWorks lasted so long there.

I'll be overnighting in Chillicothe, Ohio, this week, where the Applebee's once kindly stayed open late to accommodate my group that came in just before closing. The apps we ordered were actually not at all bad. Tyler's food is sounding pretty good, too, unless someone has some other suggestions???

I haven't had guo tie (pot stickers) here, but the ones at A&J just down the Pike are the only ones that rival my Chinese mother-in-law's ....

Anything for people who prefer a little privacy?

Needed comfort food today, so decided to check this out with an order of Mama's dumplings. They're OK, nothing special, and as I ate them I kept thinking my mother-in-law's jiaozi are better. Then called home to say so, only to find out Ma is making her dumplings for dinner. So much for the diet.

There was time set aside on Sunday for trade to enter early. Did anyone go? The format and organization this year were different; I'd be interested in any impressions. Unfortunately I was unable to check it out myself.

Nothing on this or any other board matches what Tom, or Eve Zibart, or Todd Kliman do in terms of the work, research and food expertise they devote to their jobs. Not to mention good writing, which is never as easy as it looks, especially week in, week out, on deadline. I say this as someone who is paid to eat and drink and then write about it. I believe I do all three well, but for me it's a sideline. It's a lot of fun, but it's a lot of work too. I have tremendous respect for people who do it full time. More respect than envy, even.

Spot on, Dean! And I notice, with a sense of curiosity, that you aren't raving about the '03s ... When I visited Alsace last year, the producers I spoke to all had their '03s on sale, so they didn't want to say anything that would hurt the bottom line. But I could sense the indifference, and the wines themselves were uneven. But mention the '04s and their faces would light up ...

I interviewed Randall Grahm recently at his office in Santa Cruz. He spoke at length about his decision to sell off Big House and (probably) discontinue the Ca' del Solo line altogether. My article is here.

How in blazes do you "crust" something with an emulsion??

She got a MUCH better review in DC!

No, I think Horton is targeting the K-J crowd that thinks, "It's from California, so it must be good" - the type who buy a white wine for dinner tonight on the way home from work but give it little thought other than choosing a familiar label. If they can convince someone - even a retailer who may sell boatloads of K-J - that their Chard is better, they have a chance of winning customers over. You seem to believe "Well, of course Horton is better." People who haven't tried Horton are not going to agree ... until you give them a taste. Neil's comment re: K-J was aimed at convincing people to take that first taste.

Good point. You sell that BTG, right?

Actually, it was "My wife treats me like a fine wine - chablis!" But I like your version, too. There are some white wines that are heavier than lighter reds. The weight progression you cite works with wines, because that's the way we eat, too - from lighter to heavier foods in a multi-course meal. Unless of course, you're at minibar, which throws out all the rules, including wine pairing and progression. This is a nice idea - look for a Sancerre rose, such as Henri Bourgeois. Made from pinot noir, with good verve and body.

Tom hasn't been enunciating very clearly lately - unusual for a Minnesota boy! A couple of times I thought he said "three" when it was actually two ... it could be the radio station is editing it too closely ...

Amateur! Point of clarification - Kathy said tannin and fish don't mix, not red wine and fish. Pinot and even some Tempranillo (or Dolcetto or Barbera) can be light in tannin and perfectly friendly with fish, depending on the preparation. I agree with you, though, Charlie, on the red wine with cheese - reds go better with firmer, aged cheeses than with the creamy gooey ones we (or at least I) tend to like. And rarely with blue cheese, which requires sweetness. Actually, with that linguine I'd go for a white wine, even with tomatoes (and w/ or w/o the cream). This might even be a good time for a .... OH MY GOD AM I ACTUALLY GOING TO SAY THIS? ... a .... PINOT GRIGIO! Especially a nice one like Barone Fini, but they're probably at Total or Paul's rather than C-W. Then again, they might have a nice one from Virginia! [edited to add: Holy crap! I went to bed a Grouper and woke up a Ventworm!]

What's so staggering? Face it, K-J Chard is the market leader, even if everyone here would turn up a nose at the very thought of drinking it. If you were making quality wine wouldn't you want to compare it to the best-known brand in the market? And if yours were better, wouldn't you be telling everyone within earshot?

Given the conceit of only 36 hours to experience DC, this is not nearly as bad as it could have been. It does, however, perpetuate some stereotypes of OUR FAIR CITY that we as self-absorbed foodies would like to overcome. First of these is that he recommends Cafe Milano not because of the food but because of who we might see there. But face it folks - that's how the rest of the country views DC - not as a food mecca, but as a place to see John Kerry and other losers I dunno about 9:30 club - perhaps his editor told him the piece should "skew young" ...

White Hall near Charlottesville makes an excellent Gewurz, rather Alsatian in style, keeping the floral aspects from going over the top but retaining all that wonderful lychee flavor ...

We redid our kitchen (entire house, actually) three years ago after a fire. It's amazing what smoke will do to the plastic LEDs on kitchen appliances! Anyway, we used the insurance and the near tragedy to install some major upgrades. My thoughts, 2.5 years later, about my dream kitchen: We bought a 6-burner DCS cooktop and double wall ovens. The cooktop is great, 17,500 BTU per burner, heats fast and recovers temp fast after adding food to pot or pan. However, I do have some caveats that might lead me to make another choice if I were doing this today. The physical size of the burners is bigger than most of my pots (remember how they say the flame should not go up the side of the pan? Ha!). Also, as the gas element is round, it really heats the edge of the pan, but the middle weirdly enough is a (relative) cool spot. The Thermador star-shaped burners would avoid that problem. The wall ovens are great - rolling oven racks make moving food around really easy. The ovens are also cast iron, which gave the contractors fits, but retains heat. The cooling fan runs forever after turning it off, though. The convection roast feature is great for crisping skin on a chicken. The broiler is merely so-so - hotter than most electric broilers, but still smokes up the joint. I don't use it for cooking much, just quick browning. Flooring - we have a linoleum that looks so much like our flagstone patio that everyone visiting for the first time is floored to learn it isn't tile. Much more comfortable, and easy to clean, with 2 dogs and a kid. There are also wood type laminates that are made of hardwood, cheaper and easier to clean, but I hear they can scuff easily if you have pets or kids. Cabinets - if you skimp on cheaper ones, you'll likely regret it. We did. Design wise, my wife insisted the wall cabs go all the way to the ceiling, 'cause she didn't want to climb up and dust soffits. But the ceiling is uneven, so the doors are slightly uneven. I stopped obsessing about this after a year or so, but at least have some crown molding or something that can mask that. All houses settle - no walls, ceilings or floors are ever perfectly level. Granite - ditto on the comments about dark granite above. We have "verde butterfly," similar to the too-popular uba tuba but more elegant, with flecks of something adding visual interest. We love it. Lighting - good idea above on task lighting. Xenon is indeed "not as hot" as halogen, though it still is hot. But it adds a lot to the kitchen from an aesthetic and even a task point of view. Hood - With my cooktop, I should have bought a larger hood (Mine is 600 f3 per minute - they go up to about 900 or even 1200 I think. Been awhile since I shopped). Even so, it's pretty effective on full blast, though with really smoky items we may need to open a window. Dishwashers - we hate our Bosch. Wish we'd stayed with Maytag or KitchenAid. Fridge: KitchenAid, bottom freezer. Really nice, though our 6 year old daughter has easy access to the ice cream! We also have another fridge and a stand-alone freezer in the basement, and a pantry in the laundry room, which is full despite pretty good storage in the kitchen. And despite a lot of counter space, we still clutter it up, 'cause that's who we are ... Good luck - it's a frustrating but rewarding experience. At least you're doing it on your own terms.

Sounds like a balanced diet to me! If the wine is good, "barnyard" = "earth"