Owner: Vin Vini Vino URL:http://triciacolianne.blogspot.com Join Date: Wed, 09 Aug 2006 08:50:16 -0500 Rating:1 Site Description: I came, I saw, I drank - that's the motto at Vin Vini Vino. Here you'll find wine-friendly musings, recommendations, news, humor and a the occasional dose of sarcasm. Pull up a chair and have a drink. Site statistics:Click here
Mark it on the calendar 2006-11-01 19:00:00 Hmm. I wonder if anyone even bothers to stop by any more, even if it's just to note my conspicuous absence.
Lots going on, folks.
Thanks to all who wished the Chef and me well last month on the anniversary of our wedding.
On a similar note, best wishes to Scott and Jill on their nuptials last weekend. Such a beautiful party.
And, of course, there's the wine goings on. Much to do here in Northeast Ohio, especially this weekend. If you felt let down by the Tribe's oh-so-typical performance this year, you can return to Jacobs Field in Cleveland this weekend, Nov. 2-4, for a much happier occasion. It's the Heinen's/WVIZ World Series of Wine , a perennial joy for wine novices and aficionados alike. It really doesn't get much better than the grand tastings ($70-$75 a person; purchase tickets in advance). More than 400 wines, 100-plus producers, stellar munchies, unparalleled people watching. You'll find lots of opportunities to speak with winery and distributor representatives to g
Short pours 2006-09-29 20:51:00 It's official. Millennials are a major force in wine. Why we needed a study to tell us this, I'm not sure. We millennials are hip, sophisticated and reliably swayed by marketing. Sigh. At least we have the good sense to like wine.
Who doesn't like SPAM with their greens? Vineyard Spam Salad.
Quotable: "Connoisseur, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else." - Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
Caberiffic: Delectus 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Stanton Vineyard Oakville ($50). Tobacco, mushroom, black cherry, plum. Decant, my friends, decant.
Splurge worthy: Philip Togni Vineyard 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (online prices vary widely, between $80 and $150). Blackberry, dusty chocolate, plum, great acid on the back end.
Tags: wine, marketing, quotes, cabernet sauvignon, recipes Read more:Short
Women's (wine) intuition 2006-09-27 18:17:00
I was just talking with a friend from Chicago about Alpana Singh.
At 26, she was named the youngest female master sommelier. Now, at 29, she's director of wine and spirits for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. Smart girl. And she champions the women-and-wine cause. I like that.
And there she is in today's Chicago Sun Times offering us a little taste of her wine savvy. I'm fond of this one in particular:
Many good wines are meant to be drunk young. "Otherwise, while you're patiently waiting for 'Mr. Right,' you may inadvertently be letting 'Mr. Right Now' get away."
I'll throw in my own girly wisdom: Wine and shoes have a lot in common. You have the $300 Stuart Weitzmans stashed away in a cloth bag in an air-tight box in the back of your closet. And then there's the everyday, comfy-as-hell boots you throw on without a second thought, but can't imagine living without. Those dress-up wines you've got buried in your cellar, they're nice, but it's the week-night, la Read more:Women
, intuition
Prosecco and Paris 2006-09-25 19:42:00 Looks like the popularity of my favorite hotel heiress and yours, Paris
Hilton, has bubbled up - and over - once again. Paris was unveiled this weekend as the new face of Rich, a prosecco product packaged in a gold-colored can. The novelty is already losing its sparkle. Italian winemakers are insulted that the producer of Rich would circumvent the law that says Italian wine must be sold in bottles. Rich is not being sold in Italy, but rather in countries like Britain and Switzerland. Then, of course, there's the whole bit about Paris' pesky DUI. Road safety advocates in Italy are molto irritated that these ads feature the party girl despite her less-than-stellar driving record.But it's all worth it, isn't it? I mean, when I think of a vacuous product in pretty packaging, I think of Paris, too.
Inspiration among the shelves 2006-09-18 17:48:00 Monday blues? Here at Vin Vini Vino, we've got Monday Hangovers, a weekly dose of headaches, hangups and how-not-to's. Consider it your worst-case-scenario guide to wine. Grab an aspirin - we'll try not to yell.OK, so this weekly feature hasn't been so weekly lately. Frankly, I haven't been all that snappy with the posts, either. Like any passion (cross-stitch, anyone?), wine has a habit of getting lost in the shuffle when the stampede of daily life comes barreling through. We've been painting our office, landscaping, working, entertaining. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. But how do you pick up with your passion once you find the time again?How do you get inspired? How do you find the energy? If wine is your cup of tea, er, juice, you go to the store. That's right, when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping. Even if you have a cellar full of drinkable bottles, shelf browsing can be quality time. There's nothing like a few hundred brand new, shiny bottles l Read more:Inspiration
, shelves
New World vs. Old World Part Deux 2006-09-03 06:18:00 I played Risk as a kid. It's never a good idea to fight a war on two fronts.
But that's what winemakers are doing. They're fighting for our taste buds and our minds. And in the quest for our minds, New World
ers are winning. Why? In a word: marketing.
And that's where Old Worlders have fallen behind. For too long, they didn't play the game. They didn't embrace the global marketplace with a big, wide bear hug. They didn't think they needed to. They were wrong.
I get this.
People want at-a-glance labels, suggested pairings, critters, playful names and specified grapes. They don't want micro appellations, regular-size appellations or any appellation, for that matter. They want wine. Just wine. So many people don't really care where it comes from or about the traditions and geography behind it.
The German wine industry has taken this so much to heart that it's changing the name of one of its wine regions (they've done this before). The Mosel-Saar-Ruwer appellation will most Read more:New World
Meme: Five Things to Eat Before You Die 2006-09-01 21:15:00
Ann at A Chicken in Every Granny Cart has tagged me with my very first meme, started by Melissa at A Traveler's Lunchbox. She's calling all bloggers to share Five Things to Eat Before You Die.
It's a pretty sweet idea, and I never turn down dessert, so here goes:
1. Carne cruda. Preferably Piedmontese beef. Preferably eaten in Barolo. Preferably with shaved truffles on top. But what is it? Literally, it's finely chopped raw beef dressed in lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Principally, it's heaven.
2. Portillo's all-beef hot dog with everything (mustard, relish, onions, sliced tomato, kosher pickle and celery salt on a poppy seed bun). Mmmm. Sweet home, Chicago.
3. Rabbit rillette from Bouchon in Napa. Rillette is meat that's slow-cooked in fat until it's creamy and rich. It's served cold, often from a ramekin, and Bouchon pairs it with crostini and fig paste.
4. My husband's butternut-squash bisque. He gives the recipe out freely because he knows once someone
New World vs. Old World 2006-08-31 20:00:00 I'm in the mood for a throw-down. No more of this namby-pamby dancing around the ring. A couple of weeks ago, I got slammed on the ropes for a comment I made about a post on Vinography. The winos over there are apparently pretty fond of their New World
wines because, when I suggested that Old World wines might be suffering in the global marketplace because of what is simply an archaic (or nonexistent?) approach to marketing, damn. You'd have thought I said something about their mother."Absurd!" they said. "Wine that tastes like fruit, not boxes of cigars and pencil lead, appeals to US consumers," they proclaimed.Hmmm.I'm a U.S. consumer, and I'm a pretty even-handed gal. I like New World
wines; I like Old World wines. I was trying to make a point about what I considered to be the glaring difference in the marketplace. I was trying to make that point independent of taste, because I tend to believe there's a place out there for both styles of wine. But then I started to think about
I heart wine 2006-08-27 23:12:00 I don't heart gimmicks (and neither does the Chef), which is why we let the Il Cuore 2000 Rosso Classico (about $11) sit in our cellar for the last year without a second thought.You see, there's a big heart on the label and a quote to go with it: "A heart can only be held by a heart the fairest setting of the loveliest jewel." Yeck.The bottle was a present from a friend about the time of our wedding and it came with a disclaimer: "It was a cheapie; I got it for the heart." In other words, appreciate it for the sentiment, not the quality. And we intended to.In fact, I'm not sure we ever planned to open it, but I'm glad we did. The blend of carignane, zinfandel, grenache, sangiovese and charbono from Mendocino County has an Old World sensibility, plum and cherry fruit, and a well-integrated (13.6 percent) alcohol. It was a lovely discovery, and I heart surprises.Categories: wine, Califonia wine
From the bowels of the cellar 2006-08-23 17:21:00 When you start building a cellar and amass any quantity of wine, you're bound to forget some of the bottles you've stashed away. Rediscovering them is like meeting up with an old friend. So much to talk about, so many memories to rehash.Last night, when the Chef brought up the Trapiche 2000 Malbec Oak Cask, it was a surprise. I'd forgotten about this bottle, which my friend Rachel gave to me years ago. Why I'd never thought to drink it, I don't know. The wine's not expensive - maybe $7-$10 - but I'm glad I held on to it. The aroma was powerful, with touches of violets, baked goods, cigar and cherries. The flavor itself was ripe with purple, stain-year-teeth fruit and spice. It started out weak in the middle of my mouth, but opened up beautifully and finished long. I'd put this wine up against any mid-priced, big California wine, and at the end of the day I'd have a few more dollars in my pocket.It's been the case for me that these forgotten bottles tend to resurface at just t
Blind drunk 2006-08-21 20:31:00 Many apologies for the dearth of posts.I've been tending to life stuff. Work, guests, manicures, cleaning out the garage (not necessarily in that order). Oh! And new blinds.We celebrate the small things.Categories: wine, sparkling wine Read more:Blind
, drunk
Bringing in the relief pitcher 2006-08-14 15:22:00 Monday blues? Here at Vin Vini Vino, we've got Monday Hangovers, a weekly dose of headaches, hangups and how-not-to's. Consider it your worst-case-scenario guide to wine. Grab an aspirin - we'll try not to yell.Being a baseball fan (go Cubs! go Tribe!), you'd think I'd be partial to a three-strikes policy. As it happens, I'm not that tolerant with wine. I'll try two new things in a sitting. If neither one appeals and I'm dead set on something satisfying, I move to an old standby. Simple as that. Don't misunderstand: It's important to break out of the comfort zone every so often. It keeps the tastebuds alert. But it's also only fair to yourself to return to the wines that you love.Last week, I took a chance on a Wild Horse 2003 Zinfandel (about $16) from Paso Robles. It was green, stemy, tart - not at all the juicy, fruity goodness I was expecting. Wild Horse claims to be going for something other than "monster" zinfandel, something that might actually complement a meal, but Read more:relief
Vinous nostalgia 2006-08-10 17:58:00 After college (not all that long ago, really), I was a lowly intern, making $350 a week and living in what I'll generously describe as student housing. A visiting friend called it a hell hole. The floors would not come clean and my Russian roommate, who spoke no English, was considerably less friendly than the roaches. Going to the grocery store was a morale killer. If it had nutritional value, I couldn't afford it. A steady intake of ramen noodles and frozen pizza managed, remarkably, to sustain me, and this wine from New York State kept me in good humor: Bully Hill Vineyards Sweet Walter Red. I have no real memory of how it tasted or smelled. I imagine it was something akin to alcoholic fruit juice, but as I recall, the label wisely suggested chilling it a bit and pairing with pizza, which I did, often. I was thinking about this the other day as I made pasta sauce and opened a bottle of wine, the contents of which I put in the pot, not in my mouth - an action that would have struck
Natalie McLean's new book 2006-08-09 17:24:00 Hot female wine authority of the moment Natalie
McLean is about to birth her first book - Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass. She writes on her Web site: "A lot of wine books are either encyclopedias or how-to guides. Those are certainly helpful in their own right, but that's not what I wanted to do. I prefer to tell stories about wine - tales that I hope will both entertain my readers and also teach them a lot."Thank God. This may be what I was looking for.While I tend to think McLean's a little too slick with her e-mail newsletters and the frequently asked questions about her book (yes, I am just jealous), I love that a) she's from Canada (we have enough British wine authorities, thank you), b) she's a woman, and c) she puts the word "drunk" right there in the title.In lots of vino veritas, right? The book launches in Canada on Aug. 29 and in the United States on Sept. 19. Categories: wine, books
Someone to share it with 2006-08-05 03:10:00 I'd like to drink alone.Really, I would. Not the whole bottle, no, there are step programs for that. But a single glass with a solitary meal, yes, I'd like that. Except that I wouldn't.I tried several years ago to like it, shortly after I'd moved to this unfamiliar city. I knew not a soul. On nights off from work, I'd make a ritual of cooking for myself, indulgent food you might feel guilty preparing for just one person. And because I loved wine and what it did to food and what food did to it, I learned to pair. It was rewarding, very rewarding, and a wonderful chance to sit and see and smell and taste. But it wasn't enjoyable. It wasn't fun. And wine is fun. It makes me giddy, just a glass, because I'm small. Where I'm usually reticent, it makes me chatty, and where I might be a bit sour-faced, I smile more easily. But I don't like to drink alone.I was thinking today, with the Chef at work and me at home making dinner for myself, that a glass of wine might be nice. I was mak
ISO cheap whites. Found. 2006-08-04 18:55:00 Chez Chef and Trish, we've been in desperate need of white wine to fill an embarassing void in our inventory. Last week, I took a couple of recommendations from Jamie, who runs the wine department at West Point Market and whose tastes run close to mine. I'm rarely unhappy with her suggestions, and the two bottles she pushed my way were anything but disappointing. For a combined cost of $18.98, the Chef and I got utter (and surprising) bliss. The first night, we sipped on the Simonsig 2005 Chenin Blanc, a South African wine of 100 percent chenin and a slightly unweildly alcohol level of 14.3 percent. Chalk the high alcohol up to a warm, dry 2005 that resulted in fewer, more concentrated grapes and even a little botrytis, that sought-after mold. The Simonsig is a fuller chenin that most, with definite flinty mineral notes but ripe, potent peach and melon flavors and clean citrus on the end. Oh, and it's just $9.99.The other wine, Yasa 2005 Old Vines Macabeo, sat on the shelf for nearl
True, no? 2006-08-04 18:52:00 "Wines are like people. Some are perfect but boring, some are precocious but fail to live up to their promise, and some may be flawed, but the way they develop is endlessly fascinating." - Michael BroadbentCategories: wine, quotes
Vintage, shmintage 2006-07-31 17:58:00 Monday blues? Here at Vin Vini Vino, we've got Monday Hangovers, a weekly dose of headaches, hangups and how-not-to's. Consider it your worst-case-scenario guide to wine. Grab an aspirin - we'll try not to yell.The stock phrase of advertisers and society reporters is "vintage wine." They pull it out of their word wardrobe when they need an adjective or haven't the faintest idea of what they're talking about. "They dined on prime rib and truffled potatoes while sipping vintage wine at the 2006 Very Beneficial Ball." "Trish's Beverage Mart has vintage wine on sale!" Your average news reports pick up the cliche, too. "Fifteen staff bailed out water from the cellar and salvaged bottles of expensive vintage wine."Hey, MOST WINE IS VINTAGE. OK, OK, it's not so much that the term's wrong as it is annoying.A wine's vintage is the year the grapes (most of them, anyway) were harvested. Some wine, especially sparkling wine, can be nonvintage, meaning grapes from several years are combin Read more:Vintage
A little food with your wine blogging 2006-07-28 19:07:00 Wine and food are like high and heels - they just go together.When the Chef and I were in Italy last year (it was, for both of us, our first trip), we were struck by how enotecas and cafes automatically brought customers tiny bites of food to go with their wine, even if they hadn't ordered any. Olives, crostini, salty crackers and, occasionally (happily), a cheese-and-meat board. These gorgeous little
freebies were served like any basket of stale pretzels might be at a bar in the States.It was charming. And affirming. Although I never explicitly asked (my Italian is painful), I took all this noshing to mean that wine really is meant to go with food. Always.In that spirit, I'd like to recommend a few food blogs to go with your wine reading:Chubby Hubby - Without a doubt the slickest, cleanest, best photographed food blog on the Web. CH writes from Singapore, where he covers the restaurant scene and shares some of his own creations, as well.A Chicken in Every Granny Cart - Ann (who oft
New and improved! 2006-07-27 21:24:00 Vin Vini Vino is better than ever with comment word verification for your inconvenience. I've been inundated with comment spam, and my inbox is crying uncle. Thanks for understanding. Read more:improved
Intoxicating, indeed 2006-07-27 16:52:00 A San Francisco Chronicle reader has a real problem with Leslie Sbrocco's July 20 story, "Hot and sexy wines cool summer's heat.""How is any liquid 'sexy?' " he wants to know.Then he launches into a tirade about his "dirty white couch" and "naughty sexy panties." Way too much information, but I like the underlying question: Is wine sexy? I like the question not so much because it's provocative (wink, wink), but because it reminds me that there are people running around who haven't figured this out yet. Wine is sexy. It's sensual and stimulating, emotional and quite literally intoxicating. If you don't know that, you, ahem, haven't met the right wine yet.Categories: wine
No, you can't test drive wine 2006-07-26 18:28:00 Bill Daley of the Chicago Tribune writes to a incredulous reader that, yes, it's just fine to return a bottle of wine at a restaurant for no other reason than you just simply don't like it.I take issue. He reasons that diners send back food all the time, so why not wine? Huh. I've always considered it bad form to ask for a new plate of food just because, eh, it turns out halibut's not really my thing. I have this vision of Daley ordering sweet breads and suddenly remembering he doesn't like thymus gland. "Sorry, waiter, this simply won't do." By all means send food back if you ordered your New York strip well and the thing's still mooing, if there's a hair on your plate (not yours) or if the salad greens more closely resemble wilted spinach. Assert yourself, please, and do the same thing for wine. Wine CAN go bad. It can be corked, oxidized, maderized, past its peak. Lots can go wrong between the winery and your dining table. But that's it. That's where it ends. People do se Read more:drive
Grape blends, our friends 2006-07-26 03:42:00 I bristle at the thought of being called elitist about wine. Sure, I'm particular (hell, these bottles aren't free), but snobby? No. Wine is, after all, just fruit that's gone bad in a good way.It's hard to sit quietly, though, when I hear people toss out generalities about wine that aren't just stereotypical, but dead wrong. One that just absolutely makes me choke on my Vouvray is that "blends are lesser wines made from lesser fruit."Oh, really? California wines tend to be single varietal, and California tends to be the reference point for most American wine drinkers. So I guess I understand where that thought comes from, but make no mistake: Blends don't incorporate multiple grapes to make up for poor quality. Broaden your scope of reference and you'll find some of the world's most spectacular wines are made from more than one variety. Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Bordeaux, Meritage. These are reds that have incredible complexity, balance and character.White blends do, too. Try on t Read more:Grape
Talk about jumping right back in the saddle 2006-07-18 19:22:00 ...shameless plug alert...The Chef has taken up new digs. No, a week on vacation with me hasn't prompted him to move out. He's set up shop at a new restaurant called Jac's in Cleveland's Warehouse District, where he's taking over in the middle of the restaurant's soft opening.It's a sexy little spot in the heart of West Sixth. Look for a new menu with small, medium and large plates and a Mediterranean bent - perfect for grazing and soaking up the downtown vibe. No Web site yet, so you'll just have to check it out in person. Be sure to say hello when you stop in.Update: Jac's Web site is up and running.Categories: restaurants, chefs, Ohio
Home from the range 2006-07-18 19:20:00 Howdy there little doggies.I'm a happy cowgirl after an amazing and, I must say, much-needed vacation. I can't thank Scott enough for donating his time and his wisdom to fill in for me on Vin Vini Vino. And many thanks to all of you who stopped by to keep him company. I'm sure you enjoyed the fresh perspective, so don't worry: I have a feeling he'll be back.Speaking of back, I'm not sure I'm ready for this return to reality. I had a solid week of horseback riding, cocktailing, skeet shooting, cocktailing, picture-taking, dancing and, did I mention, cocktailing? I did? Well, rest assured we didn't imbibe while shooting, although it only could have improved my aim.Time seemed to stop while we were in Wyoming. If only it had, my first day back wouldn't have been so frantic. The wine world kept turning, too. Here's what's been going on:Boutique wine fans have a new place to indulge in a little retail therapy. RadCru.com seeks out and offers consumers access to one small-product
The cupboard is bare 2006-07-25 20:14:00 Let's take stock, shall we?We've got a bottle of Meeker Frozin, a half-full bottle of vin santo (which, by the way, was slammin'), a 2002 Broman Sauvignon Blanc, a bottle of Blackstone something or other we'll probably cook with, a beerenauslese (also damn good), a bottle of Ferrante (Ohio) riesling and two signed bottles that for some inexplicable reason are in the fridge.Yes, our white wine supply is in a sorry state of affairs.Here's what I want: 3 bottles of bubbles, half a case of something cheap and French, half a case of something cheap and Spanish, half a case of dry rose, a couple bottles of Sancerre and a couple of chenin blancs. That's all. I'm easy.
Beating the heat, with a hint of gauche 2006-07-21 12:37:00 The Chef and I are friends with a couple who live here in town. He's a wine salesman, she's the sister of a very accomplished Napa winemaker. They're in the know. Wine people, if you will. We enjoy spending time with them because, in addition to our shared interests and their very good company, they always have great wine on hand, and they always share. Ah, self-interest. But imagine my surprise when, weeks ago, a hot day as I recall, we were all hovering about the kitchen, chatting, glasses of white wine in hand, and he looks over at she and notices that she is not partaking. He knows what the problem is. "Honey, would you like a spritzer?"Huh?A spritzer? I thought that went out with Bartles & Jaymes and '80s yacht attire."Would you?" she said.I stood there, mouth agape, not beleiving what I was seeing. No! No! Don't put that club soda in there. Lemon? Gaw! However much I wanted to, I said nothing. I was a gracious guest. I didn't bang my head on the table or slap them both upsi
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