kmm

Another question, then: Would folks find it helpful if I list the %ABV in my WaPo reviews?? I do usually list importers, especially if they are also the distributor.

I would be interested but how will you obtain them? The reason I ask is because I recently had a wine that seemed really high in alcohol compared to previous vintages. By chance I spoke with the winemaker and he told me the actual percent which was 1% higher than the label. I have heard the labels are printed in advance and you will never see the actual number maybe that is handled in the phrase "by volume"??

I could not believe how much a difference 1% made! I don't normally get buzzed off a single glass of wine but my face was instantly flushed and could just fill the effects right away.

If you want to be able to have a conversation, some of the best food in DC, solid wine list and perfect service then I'd go to Corduroy! I have found street parking within one block every time I have been.

I love wine, but I know less about wine than probably everyone who's posted here so far, so maybe my perspective will be helpful for your article. I have no clue which importers are good and which aren't, so that means nothing to me. I don't know much about specific producers to select, although I know enough to stay away from the Yellowtails and Little Penguin's of the world.

About region...If I'm looking for a sauvignon blanc, I might go over to the French whites and select something from Loire Valley, and I know that I tend to particularly like wines from Sancerre...But I don't know anything deeper than that...The Chateau (is that right? Or is it appellation? Both?) that it's coming from means nothing to me. At that point I might check the alcohol content (something I didn't realize was important until I started reading this board). After that, I'm just going with an overall "feel" (which includes the look of the label) and the price. In another example, if I see a wine that is a Cotes-Du-Rhone, I think "this is a blend of grapes that is probably easily drinkable and food-friendly." Beyond that, I don't know.

Something that plays a role is if there is a blurb about the wine on the back of the label. I can't tell you the difference between a wine that has the aroma of gooseberry vs one that has the aroma of wild cherry, but I like if it's listed there. I feel like it tells me something about the attention to detail of the producer. Maybe it does and maybe it doesn't. For instance, I recently bought a bottle of 2007 Anne Amie Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. I have never tried this wine and didn't know anything about it other than what was on the label before I bought it (weird fairy-tale like picture on the label, by the way). One of the reasons I bought it was because the back label lists the soil types the grapes were grown in. I know that the type of soil matters, although I don't know which soils are most suitable for which grapes. But the very fact that it's there means they're not trying to hide anything and I think it suggests a level of pride and attention to detail in what they produce. I also have had generally good luck getting pinot's from Willamette Valley and have a general understanding that they tend to be more in the Burgundian style (which I think means it won't taste like grape juice! )

So region and grape matter probably the most, then other aspects of the label like alcohol content, blurb about what it tastes like, and I like an overall clean look to the label. Specific producers only matter to me after I've tried the wine.

once you find a bottle you really like try and remember the importer [also called broker]. you will probably like other wines in the importer's portfolio. this is the same concept for reviews and reviewers. if both an importer and reviewer work for you then you probably have similar palates and both become invaluable resources for you. it is the first step in becoming self sufficient.

Do you happen to work for a wholesaler? I ask because my experience is that reputable wine stores in DC use reefer containers to import wine directly from Europe. I also know of more than a few examples where what you call normal supply chain (others might call it monopolistic) are the absolute worst offenders. Two examples, first is the container of either the 06 or 07 Las Rocas Vinas Viejas that received the highest accolades by Parker sat and cooked on the dock, this was not done by someone on the gray market, but the importer (one person who would know, told me they held the wine hoping to be able to increase demand and increase the price). The other would be a well respected importer whose distributer in Virginia stores his wines in a non-climate controlled warehouse; I pass his wines by in the Commonwealth, but will snap them up pretty much everywhere else.

Collector.

There are no guarantees to any bottle but i have found more "cooked" or "off" wines that are gray. To me there is a dishonesty in gray bottles but I own a lot. If you want something that might be your only way to obtain it. Like your example - understanding the players in the market can help make a smart decision.

Great question!

Understanding the market where you buy the bottle is helpful too. DC allows gray market - without going into all of the details a retailer can skip the local wholesaler and direct import. You have no idea where that bottle was before coming to the retailer. It could have sat on a loading dock in a non temperature controlled manner increasing the chance of heat damage. If the bottle follows the "normal" supply chain the potential negative issues decrease. If the back label is not in English or is missing - the bottle is probably gray. NY and CA bypass the importer by putting something like "obtained from a private collection..." on the import label. Also a foreign tax stamp on top of the bottle is a good indicator that the bottle was not meant for export but it could also mean laziness at the winery...

There is a tremendous amount of information you can tell by looking at a bottle and even cork.

"The Wine Bible" is the best book to read when you first start learning about wine.

We had a friend over for dinner last night.

Potato, onion and Gruyere cheese soup paired with Von Buhl Riesling Kabinett Armand 2008.

Pan seared center-cut bone-in pork chops with a butter, shallot, dried strawberries and cherries Burgundy wine sauce. Over top a bed of shallot, garlic and olive oil sautéed baby arugula and mushrooms. Followed this cooking technique that helped make a very flavorful sauce and a wonderful pork chop!

Honey braised baby carrots.

’04 and ’06 de Montille - Volnay “Taillepieds”. The ’06 is the better wine but the ’04 showed better.

Vanilla ice cream with Byass NOE Pedro Ximenez Sherry [the label said to try it over vanilla ice cram].

northern neck ginger ale is seriously good!

try: anson mills

I made a reservation at the Charleston Grill for my wife's BIG birthday this past fall. A few days later I received an email from the chef asking if there was anything they could do to make it special - we had only been their once before so that communication was pretty amazing! I mentioned she really wants to try farro... The night of, one of our course included a lamb short rib with a side of farro and fava beans risotto [just needed a nice Chianti ]. Farro does not get as creamy as Arborio but it was very enjoyable. The chef told us they source Anson Mills...

We hosted a Burgundy wine tasting for eight and we needed a menu that we could do some in advance and the rest really fast…

Trio of pears salad – Ocean Room inspired.

Red and green mustards, sliced raw Asian pears, poached pears, pear sorbet, Manchego cheese with a thyme, shallot, olive oil and pear vinegar dressing [could not find quince vinegar in time].

Grilled duck tenderized with smoked sea salt, kosher salt and brown sugar from Weber’s “Way to Grill” served with a bing cherry, shallot, store bought demi-glaze and Bourgogne reduction.

Green beans and maitake mushrooms sautéed in garlic, olive oil and butter – Corduroy inspired.

Cauliflower puree – Little Inn at Washington inspired.

I went there last night and I was a bit disappointed. We ordered the Crab and Corn Drop Fritters which was tasty. The peach pepper jelly reminded me of spicy hot and sour saucy (very yummy). I ordered the gumbo and wasn't impressed with it. The sweet potato biscuit that came along with the gumbo was delicious. I wished we had ordered their bread basket. My friend order the Po'Boys - Combination. The bread was great but the oyster lacked any flavor and the shrimp was okay.

Next time when I go back I have to fried chicken, which they didn't have that night, and the 815 Biscuits.

If you go for brunch, try the "Southern Eggs Benedict". It is one of my favorite dishes ever! Instead of an English muffin they use cornbread. The cornbread is almost like cake...

I am not sure where to post this...

I had an opportunity to pick up something for months but when I finally remembered to do it was sold out just an hour before arriving. Had I even mentioned it I would have it and not feel stressed. The person behind the counter suggested, "If you go to Dean and Deluca and see Will, he would be your best bet".

I resisted going into Georgetown and tried everywhere else first with no luck. After getting Will's attention who was being pulled in so many directions by staff and customers and has been all week and will not stop until Friday at some point from a work perspective. I told him why I was there and who suggested I seek him out for what I needed. Unfortunately he was sold out too, but he reached into the display "asking me to just bring it back".

I have never met him and the last time I was in the shop was Thanksgiving several years ago. I did not even buy the item that it's used for from him. The communication took less than a few minutes while he was still multi-tasking.

Thanks Will! I will bring it back.

Hiya, folks! As new-ish residents to DC, but certainly not to its dining scene, my husband and I look forward to sharing our foodie adventures with you. We live in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, DC, but have been known to roam far and wide for good BBQ. Got any tips?

It is a hike but I knows a guy who loves BBQ to the point when he talks about he starts looking like a rabid fox. He can not stop singing its praises of 'The BBQ Exchange" in Gordonsville VA - http://www.bbq-exchange.com/.

For what it's worth I really like Alsatian pinot gris with onion tart. A very classic pairing and depending on the soup I would try that. However, I would do a drier Alsatian so I'd go with the basic Trimbach instead of say a basic Zind Humbrecht.

Good luck!

What I am drinking and given how I ended up with it tonight I thought I might share with the group…

I was all set to drink an ’04 Dujac “Combottes” thinking that a friend would come over and the bottle would help him decided a Dujac purchase he has been contemplating. After he got back to me that he was out of town I decided to hold off and pick something else. Remembering that we were having a pork loin and sweet potato stew with a very light preparation that the thinness of the ’04 vintage would be a good match.

Given some recent talk and implications I decided to pick from my epiphany wine maker – Jean Marie Fourrier. From there the choice is somewhat easy - Chambolle , Morey-St.-Denis or Gevrey-Chambertain. The later was my village of choice a few years ago and where my passion instantly started the first time I had one. I have drunk all of my villages so it is 1er or GC. I am not opening a Griotte or Clos St Jacques – 1er in AOC only. Champeaux, Cherbaudes, or Combe Aux Moines are my choices. But on second thought a Gevery will be slightly bigger than the stew and I now prefer the femininity of Chambolle of the three villages. The choice gets easy - villages or “Gruenchers“. A more cerebral evening is in order since I already spent the day thinking about the “Combottes”. So the ’04 1er Fourrier “Gruenchers” it is plus we really enjoyed one about this time last year.

The next few steps of this wonderful ritual and thoughts is completed well under a minute or two…

I cut the capsule off and did not notice anything on top of the cork. After pulling the cork and giving it a quick glance I did not see any signs of seepage, which made me curious of the source to the perfectly stored bottle. I looked at the back label that indicated Rosenthal so I knew it was from my local shop and the condition is exactly what I’d expect. Given the amount of SO2 used at this Domaine I was wondering if I was going to have to decant since I do not want to wash one in the morning. Sadly as I poured a tiny amount into a glass to taste the current state and use to rinse the glass I could smell a slight cork taint. I am hoping it well blow off but I wnt to retrieve another bottle in the meantime.

I came across a Gevery-Chambertain “Goulots”, which I did not realize we owned in any vintage. We have never had any from another maker so this would be a new experience for us if the other bottle has not improved. The “Gruenchers” is the worst smell corked bottle ever! Actually it did get really bad in the roundtrip from our cellar.

I go through the same opening ritual but this time I feel some stickiness under the capsule. I did not see any wine anywhere on the capsule, labels or the top of the cork. This time the back label indicates gray market – no Rosenthal sticker and everything is in French. I did not notice a French tax stamp mark on the top of the capsule so I am guessing it is back-doored from the UK. The retail sticker is not in compliance with ATF importing regulations to boot. I did backfill some ‘04’s from a source in NY a year or two ago and vaguely remember getting the only bottle of “Goulots” available in a mix case. The ullage looks like what I’d expect but I did not even check the other bottles to comment on a comparison. Once I look at the cork I do notice that the wine has traveled up the cork some but not in a way that indicated the cork had expanded and contracted. I do not know where the stickiness would come from - possibly in the bottle filling process?? The cork was slightly softer than I’d expect.

Despite the potential suspect storage the wine tastes correct. At this point I am not going to decant and I flirt with the idea of using the Sommelier Riedels because it is going to be a bigger wine than the Chambolle and will benefit from more oxygen. Those bowls are big enough to get more air into the wine but this will mean my third trip to the basement and I’d rather just eat and make do. I did pour some into a glass, put my hand over it and gave it a very violent shake to see how much gas was used and was still in the bottle. Turns out I will be washing a decanter after all.

I read it a few times this morning and I took it as "knocking it back" as one would do with a shot of hard liquor. But, that was the only that came to my mind for imagery as I read kmm's sentence. This is all I am contributing on this topic, as I wasn't there.

I am not the best writer - I was referring to drinking it like a shot and not a professional sommelier taste but also definitely not pouring it back into the bottle! The service other than not opening at the table and taking some without checking with the table was totally fine.

Today I spoke with an advanced level sommelier who works in a recent James Beard award winning restaurant who gave his perspective to why it was inappropriate the way she did it. He also mentioned who should do it [credentials] and where it should be done [like Per Se or only a handful of US spots]. Even as someone who is working towards the master level he mentioned he would not feel comfortable unless he had the table's permission.

I really regret posting anything...

I read the whole Eve thread and came across the post I initially quoted which lead to my post which is also very similar to another poster who thought the same behavior was odd...

What does it matter what I like to drink? I know going there is only going to be 1/2 the experience that I'd like when I do fine dining. I am totally fine with that.

As for wine list yes the Inn is up there but my favorite local one was Les Paradou - I always had a hard time deciding on which hidden gem.

Well I am not sure where in your world wide travels you have eaten but I can assure you this practice is widespread at fine dining establishments throughout the world. Moreover, at several restaurants i have been to in the U.S. and the Europe, including, for example, the French Laundry, Eleven Madison Park, and Per Se, they will not even leave the bottle on the table after opening it (away from the table), instead returning with the bottle or decanter to fill your glass as the need arises.

I have eaten at Eve many times and observed Mr. Thrasher and both his assistant soms at work. Like Todd, they follow the routine of presenting the bottle, opening within view of the table, tasting to confirm that it is without defect, seasoning the glasses, and serving. I was not there with you so I have no choice but to take what you say at face value. But I wish there was a video because sight unseen I would bet my $1000 to your $100 that the assistant som poured closer to 1 ounce than the 3 ounces you claim.

Eve has an extensive list - one of the best in the the DC area, and the best I have seen in Virginia this side of the Inn at Little Washington. So when you say there is not a single wine on their list you can drink I am wondering exactly what varietals and regions appeal to your palate. Please share with the group - I think after so damning a criticism we are entitled to know specifically what it is that you do drink.

Your pricing analysis is also off base. You assert that Eve is marking wine up 3.5X (62/18). That is wrong. I am very familiar with wholesale prices and in my experience Eve's markup is in the 2.5X range. And your local store, facing competition from Total Wine and the web, is likely working on a 20-25% mark up, not the 60+% you claim . Eve's list is quite fairly priced, especially when compared to area restaurants of its caliber. Though in point of fact there are only one or two area restaurants that actually are of Eve's caliber.

bet what ever you want. i saw what i saw and it was a very minor issue of what turned out to be a massive let down given past experiences at eve. also i did not see HER take a "taste" of any other bottle. if you read the quote i initially responded to it was in reference to her commenting on what she liked as being possible explanation of odd behavior with our table.

i did have a constructive conversation a few days later with todd and i did not mention most of the minor details but he never followed up so i will write about the experience here when i come up for air in a few days...

as for the pricing. i am 100% certain that i am within a buck or two of the wholesale price they paid. when you hear the 2-3.5 range it is on retail not wholesale. a very common practice and the one one eve followed on that bottle was 2x retail + $5.

i never said it was a bad list just one that does not appeal to me.

for the record i want to love eve and will go back!

Not an exaggeration hence the reason I am writing it.

This is the only place ever in world wide travels that I have encountered to do this. I have been to Trotters and Corduroy and each time I have always had the bottle opened at the table.

It was such a young bottle with obvious tannins it really should have been decanted - that is the advice I would have expected to hear from a professional's taste...

Honestly? Is it price or the actual selections?

Selection, I only like a few things and honestly wish I like more but I do not. I took the WSET intermediate class about four years ago to expand my horizons which actually narrowed them even more!

Their mark up on the bottle is fairly typical. I paid $62 for a bottle that retails at my local VA shop for $28.99 which means Eve paid roughly $18....

The sommelier was very helpful, recommending terrific bottles to go with our eclectic orders (but when she said about one wine, "Oh no, don't order that one; I really don't like it," I had to wonder why it was even on the menu).

I am going to write more about our last visit at later date but that quote sheds some possible light to my experience with the same assistant sommelier...

When I go to Eve I know there is not a single bottle of wine on the list for me. I go for the food and wish VA changes their corkage law as I look at the list. We told the assistant sommelier our entrees for the table and she highly recommended a wine as one of her favorite bottles [which she just recently had] plus it should work with all four different entrees. She presented the bottle to the table and then walked to a "workstation" where she opened it. She also poured herself half a glass. She came back to the table and did the usual get the customers acceptance before pouring for all. When she finished pouring she went back to the workstation and did not taste the wine but instead threw it back! She did not report back to the table her impression of the wine.

I am not sure what I would have done if it were a series bottle of wine. I was with my wife and another couple and the experience was already heading south at the point so why add more negatives to the evening by confronting her.

I honestly do not know the sommelier’s etiquette to serving wine. I do not know if she entitled to the wine because of her position. I have never had a bottle leave the table at any other establishment. I would think common sense would dictate if there is roughly 4 to 5 good pours per bottle than all of it should be used to serve a table of four.

I believe the markup on cheese is 100% so build a relationship with a single source and eventually you should get 20% off at the register...

Butternut squash both whole and pre-packaged chopped have been excellent this year. Even with a very sharp knife they are tough to open. A friend told me a tip recently and it works very well. Microwave the whole squash for about a minute before trying to cut. It made a huge difference with hardness to the skin.

I like to cut them into quarters and roast with some butter, a tiny amount of salt and brown sugar. My wife has been roasting chopped pieces with olive-oil, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Our favorite chef will be on Nightline tonight: Sean Brock

We will be at McCradys on the 17th!

It is not the cubano at Boulevard Wood Grill in Clarendon! The bread is a flattened sub roll and the meat tastes like lunch meat

We went out last night and I noticed there was a somewhat hard to find bottle of wine on the menu at an exceptional price even for a restaurant. I inquired about quantities and we ended up buying the last two in their cellar to take home. When the bill came the bottle we drank with the meal did not show up on the bill but the other two did. When I pointed out the mistake I was told the one we consumed was 'on the house'!

So when figuring out the tip - I added the cost of our food plus included the price of the bottle left off the bill for the calculation. Was that the right starting base?

we finished a bottle of '08 j. christopher 'willamette valley' sauvignon blanc last night. if there is a better domestic sauvignon blanc i do not know it!