By the way “Bottle Shock” will be released on DVD February 3, 2009 so if you missed it in theaters you can still catch it at home!
Traditions
Though it was looking like I wouldn’t see my family this Christmas my mom found a way and met up with my brother at our house this evening before heading back to PA in the morning. She brought a bottle of the Pouilly-Fuisse that I couldn’t taste at my tasting party a couple months ago — it was delightful, although conversation with my family is usually too hectic to stop and do tasting notes so I have no review of it. As Christmas gifts she also brought me a bottle of a 2004 Châteauneuf du Pape and a book I can’t wait to start reading: “The Billionaire’s Vinegar” by Benjamin Wallace, apparently a story about “the mystery of the world’s most expensive bottle of wine” and featuring a picture of an ancient-looking vessel of 1787 Lafitte on the front cover. By the descriptions I’d guess this is THE bottle of 1787 Lafitte. Yay Mom! Heh she also gave us the traditional navel orange for prosperity. So like old times we listened to goth covers of Christmas carols, ate some cheese, drank some wine and talked. I’m also delighted to share that my husband got me a 50 bottle stainless steel wine fridge for Christmas which is currently taking up most of the hallway until the addition to our house is finished and we can make room in the basement for it next to my current wine rack(s). I was concerned that it would be too expensive but due to the retail climate in the current economy it was marked down almost absurdly low. Hurray! Thanks, hon! Now I can be more confident that saving a bottle for 10 years will be less risky than doing so with less environmental control.
Happy Holidays everyone, whichever one you celebrate (my holiday was a few days ago), may it be safe, fun and enjoyed with those you love. And if you can’t be with the ones you love, honey . . . you know how the song goes. 
Cheers!
Italian From Geneva
Tonight we ate penne with shrimp and asparagus which I admit was a frozen pre-made meal since we had a dungeon raid scheduled, though no less tasty for its convenience. I figured a Pinot Grigio would suit it best and found 1 in the cellar: a 2006 Belhurst from the Finger Lakes that I had bought in June 2007 when visiting my college friend. I also notice that the Bertolli site suggests a Pinot Grigio with this dish, so I guess I’m not so far off with my choice there. How nice of them to suggest wine pairings! Way to go Bertolli. I can’t imagine Hamburger Helper suggesting much but seriously there is no reason the average American isn’t drinking more wine with dinner, and if food companies are encouraging it then great.
Belhurst gives us a pale straw, clear, star bright wine with notes of lime, lemon, chalk, dry straw and clean linens on the nose. It’s very dry, light-bodied and fairly complex with flavors of lime, lemon, unripe pineapple, gooseberry, cilantro and lemongrass in the mouth, ending with a medium+ finish. As I’d expect from this area the acidity is high, alcohol is medium (12.5%), and though the fruit-forward intensity says New World I appreciate the Old World minerality in it. No detectable tannins or oak. Just a light and lovely Pinot Grigio that went perfectly with the shrimp & penne.
If Café du Monde Had a Beer
As usual Whole Foods’ beer department does not disappoint, and neither does Dogfish Head brewery for that matter. Dogfish Head typically brews some of the best IPAs I’ve ever had but their seasonal brews are always intriguing. When I saw a six-pack of their Chicory Stout on the shelf I couldn’t NOT put it in my cart. Their description of it is better than anything I could say about it: “A dark beer made with a touch of roasted chicory, organic Mexican coffee, St. John’s Wort, and licorice root. Brewed with whole-leaf Cascade and Fuggles hops, the grains include pale, roasted & oatmeal.” If you like rich, dark, bitter, full-bodied beers this one will get your attention. Best pairing in my opinion would be a plate of beignets!
Another recommendation for December/January seasonal beers in this style is Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout. The flavor of this one is blacker whereas the Dogfish Head Chicory Stout is browner. I have a black truffle Sottocenere cheese in the fridge downstairs I’d love to try this with!
As always, if you have a beer, wine or spirits recommendation please pass it along!
For the Horde!
This weekend some of our World of Warcraft friends came over to our place for a holiday party, the first gathering since the big June one in NYC — a great time was had by all. Some of the guys brought some outstanding beer as is the case when you have beer aficionado friends (one who brews at home and aspires to brew professionally), my new favorite being Dead Guy Ale. Also one of my friends reminded me about the PKNT Carménère she recommended. Must hunt that down! Remind me next time I have a party to get extra tequila! We only had enough for one batch of margaritas. 
There was plenty else to drink — I mulled some wine (unsweetened) with Williams Sonoma Mulling Spices and a Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel (can’t recall which one specifically and the bottles are out to recycling), served warm in a punch bowl my mom handed down to me long ago. My only complaint about the Williams Sonoma mulling spices vs. others (or home-combined) is that there is too much star anise, which ended up compounding the anise flavor in the Zin for too much black licorice flavor than most people care for. Ah well, it was tasty and people liked it.
Toward the end of the evening we went out into the back yard to saber a bottle of Presto Brut Prosecco for a toast — I know everyone says this but I really do NOT recommend trying this at home. It is not about chopping off the top of a bottle; it is very VERY dangerous and you risk being riddled with glass shards if the bottle explodes. You could hurt a guest or damage property. I received a demonstration in school from a professional with a lot of experience but even I probably should have just opened it normally until I got adequate practice doing it alone. Either way we all bundled up and filed into the back yard where I stood about 20 feet away from the group and faced the bottle away from everyone to shoot the cork toward the fence about 50 feet away from me. Plenty of room! We ran into a snag: it was way too cold out and the bottle would just not pop. Finally my friend who has professional training with blades (and safety) tried it with a little more umph at the bottle neck on the last stroke and POW it worked perfectly. 
Not sure why no one took a picture of it but we at least got some shots of folks in the kitchen for the toast.
Obviously we did more than just drink — there was much catching up between old faces, introductions with new faces, many many turns at Rock Band, a hilarious group viewing of “The Princess Bride”, general silliness and tomfoolery, hugs and good cheer. And yes, inevitably someone talked about World of Warcraft.
Stuck in Lodi Again
Although Creedence Clearwater Revival sang about being down on one’s luck there, I’m a fan of Lodi, CA grapes. Doing my grocery shopping yesterday I was in the mood for a drink-at-the-computer red and noticed a 2006 Gnarly Head “Old Vine Zin” Lodi Zinfandel — Lodi being the “Zinfandel Capital of the World” particularly for old vines. Gnarly Head is a laid-back winery (hang 10, haoles!) based in Manteca, CA which lies directly between San Francisco and Yosemite National Park; the “Gnarly” refers as much to the old vines as the surfer theme. This was a hearty Zin that showcased what depth an old vine can offer in the right terroir. In the glass this opaque wine looks deep violet with a ruby rim, lots of slow, stained tears on the sides. With a couple swirls I smelled smoke, fresh asphalt, blackberries, currants, blueberries, dates, dried cherries and dark chocolate. On the palate I tasted blackberries, currants, blueberries, dark chocolate-covered cherries, prunes and black plums. Here we have a dry wine with medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), medium+ body, medium+ intensity, medium tannins, medium oak, a medium+ finish, medium+ complexity and felt well-balanced. I’d say this wine and Ravenswood’s Lodi Zinfandel are great examples of this varietal & style. Best with burgers or barbeque — even better with smoked london broil — but you could drink these with a variety of meals, even pasta with a red sauce.
