Happy Chardonnay Day

May 23, 2013

For those of you who aren’t strict adherents to the “ABC” philosophy – Anything But Chardonnay – National Chardonnay Day, which is on May 23, 2013, is an excellent reason to pop open a bottle or two. What’s that you say? Its just a dumb marketing gimmick to get us to  buy more of the world’s most planted wine grape? If you are like Beautiful Wife and me, you appreciate any excuse to have a glass of wine.

This year we tasted through a flight of California Chards in a variety of style.

 Giguiere 2011 Clone No. 809 Musqué Chardonnay ($16)

Our first wine is the newest edition to John and Lane Giguiere’s Dunnigan Hills portfolio, Clone No. 809. This grape clone is also referred to as the “musqué” clone, named for the French term meaning perfumed (‘musky’) or Muscat-like. Because its highly aromatic the winemaker chose to age it in stainless steel – completely unoaked – to let the natural fragrance and flavors shine through. This 100% Clone No. 809 Chardonnay lives up to its name, with a full nose of honeysuckle, orange blossom, peach and pear. It has vibrant flavors of tropical fruit and citrus. This is a pleasant summer sipper to pack in your picnic basket.

 JUSTIN Vineyards 2012 Chardonnay ($19)

The next wine was a fun juxtaposition. The 2012 JUSTIN Vineyards Chardonnay was barrel fermented and aged in French oak giving it a classic California Chardonnay style. JUSTIN grows its Chardonnay grapes in California’s Central Coast, which gets hot days and cool evenings that bring out the ripeness in the grapes.   This wine has enticing scents of apple blossoms, peaches, green apples and cloves. It tastes just like it smells with lemon, apples, peach and butterscotch with a crisp, clean and lemon thyme finish. This pup would be great with fried chicken or grilled trout.

 Landmark Vineyards 2011 Overlook Chardonnay ($25)

Landmark Vineyards, nestled in Sonoma, is all about Chardonnay. The winery produces five Chard styles, with Overlook being its entry level. Landmark Vineyards is truly California’s Chardonnay, blending grapes from  21 vineyards. Fermented in French oak barrels the Overlook boasts a rich, classic California Chardonnay style ideal for the traditional Chardonnay lover. It has scents of honeysuckle, lemon and pear. Its  full bodied with apple pie, nectarine and toast flavors. Pair this lovely lady with spicy Chicken Tortilla Ramen from East Side King.
Chateau Montelena 2010 Napa Valley Chardonnay ($50)

We kicked it up a notch for the last bottle of the night. Chateau Montelena is famed for stunning the French by bringing home the white wine trophy from the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” tasting. Chateau Montelena’s Master Winemaker Bo Barrett continues to produce their Chardonnay with the same attention and practice they did over 40 years ago. Lemon, orange blossom and hone greet the nose. Its a big, round Chard with white peach, green apple flavors and hint of almond. This wine only gets better with age and would be a delightful Chardonnay to tuck away in your cellar if you didn’t already guzzle it down for National Chardonnay Day.

What did you drink for Chardonnay Day?

The wineries provided samples of these wines through its PR agency, Calhoun & Company.

What are you drinking?

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Great Gatsby Inspired Gin Cocktails

May 15, 2013

The other night I had an insanely disturbing dream. I woke up panicked in a pool of sweat. I dreamt that I was living during the height of Prohibition, and couldn’t get a drop to drink. Gasp!

Apparently not everyone suffered without a drink during Prohibition in the roaring ’20s.  In the remake of  the movie based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby  who is played by Leonardo DiCaprio, the booze is readily flowing. The boot-leggin adventures splash around the story, but the only cocktail called out by name in the book is the classic Gin Rickey.

Coincident with the opening of the movie, Tanqueray Gin brand ambassador, Angus Winchester, rolled into Austin to give a history lesson on the lovely spirit and pimp his version of “Dutch courage,” aka gin (gin is enjoying a resurgence in the past few years. Watch for my story on Texas gins on June 1.)

Mr. Winchester poured us tastes of Tanqueray London Dry, Tanqueray Ten and Tanqueray Rangpur, made from the Indian rangpur lime, as well as mixed a couple cocktails to show off the versatility of gin. The main botanical in gin, juniper, will jump in bed with any flavor. It snuggles up to sweet fruit juices, puckers with sharp citrus flavors and fondles bitter flavors like Campari.

So what does that have to do with The Great Gatsby? Bathtub gin was purportedly all the rage during Prohibition and it’s rumored that the well-heeled got their grubby mitts imported gins like Tanqueray by delivery of floatable cases.

If you are feeling a bit nostalgic after watching the flick, skip getting the pixie flapper haircut that Carey Mulligan is sporting and instead try a few of these classic Prohibition-era gin cocktails with recipes courtesy of our friends at Tangueray.

Gin Rickey

Said to be the preferred pour of F. Scott Fitzgerald, this simple serve is best imbibed on a hot summer day. Don’t forget the chunky ice cubes.

  • 1.25 ounces Tanqueray London Dry gin
  • 1 ounce lime juice
  • 5 parts soda water

Build in a highball glass, stir, top with soda water. Drag to mix and garnish with a lime wedge.

French 75

This snappy little champagne cocktail’s claim to fame is that it’s the only drink in the classic canon created during Prohibition.

  • 1.25 ounces Tanqueray Ten
  • 0.5 ounce simple
  • 0.5 ounce lemon juice
  • Top with champagne

Shake and strain into a rocks glass and top with champagne. 

White Lady

Introduced in the late 20’s, The White Lady was born from the drink the “Delilah,” which included crème de menthe. The Savoy’s Harry Craddock replaced it with orange liqueur and it became an instant classic.

  • 1.5 ounces Tanqueray London Dry Gin
  • .75 ounce orange liqueur
  • .75 ounces lemon juice

Pour all of the ingredients into a shaker, fill with ice, shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

The Southside

The Southside is the signature cocktail at the legendary former speakeasy the 21 Club. It’s also said to be the favorite drink of notorious Prohibition-era bootlegger Al Capone and his gang.

  • 1.25 ounces Tanqueray Ten
  • 0.5 ounce lime juice
  • 0.5 ounce simple
  • 2 sprigs of mint
  • Soda

Muddle one mint sprig with lime & simple. Add Tanqueray and shake well. Pour into glass over crushed ice and stir until the outside of the glass frosts. Top with soda and garnish with sprig of mint.

The Franklin
Let’s not forget Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously celebrated the end of Prohibition with a dirty gin martini. Whether it was with Tanqueray – one of the few gins today that was in production in the 30s – or not is lost to history, but this classic cocktail ushered in a new era of American drinking.

  • 1.5 ounces Tanqueray London Dry Gin
  • 1 tbsp dry vermouth
  • 2 tbsp olive juice
  • 2 olives

 Fill a mixer with all ingredients including the olives. Cover and shake hard 3 – 4 times. Strain contents of the mixer into the cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive.

Thank god my nightmare isn’t real and I don’t have to buy gin from bootleggers. I’ll be mixing these all summer. Drop by and join me.

What are you drinking?


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6 tequila cocktails to try for Cinco de Mayo

May 4, 2013

Cinco de Mayo is often confused with Mexico’s Independence Day, but the date actually marks the Mexican army’s improbable trouncing of the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Similar to St. Patrick’s Day, most people aren’t concerned with the reason why it’s celebrated, and see it as a great excuse to down alcoholic concoctions [...]

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Superstar Wines at the Austin Food & Wine Festival

May 2, 2013

Houston native and executive wine editor of FOOD & WINE, Ray Isle, took the stage for the day’s final wine session with a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he takes the stage to present Superstar Wines at the Austin Food & Wine Festival. He worked the audience with casual professorial grace and easy wit. [...]

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For the Love of Beer at the Austin Food & Wine Festival

April 30, 2013

What do you get when you want to talk about craft beer at a wine festival? An audience salivating to hear about brewers’ inspiration and latest brews. Bill Norris, beverage director for the Alamo Drafthouse, hosted a panel of craft brewers. Adam DeBower, co-owner and brewer at Austin Beerworks; Brad Farbstein, owner of Real Ale Brewing Company; [...]

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French Underdog Wines at Austin Food & Wine Festival

April 30, 2013

Flocks of men in Tommy Bahamas print shirts and women in breezy sun dresses swirled and sipped their way through Sunday at the Austin Food & Wine Festival. As wood smoke from the pits fuzzed the air, people gathered to learn the finer points about wine and beer from nationally recognized experts. Dozens of eager wine [...]

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Great Day at the Austin Food & Wine Festival: Day 1 Recap

April 27, 2013

Oh man the Austin Food & Wine Festival was a blast today. It was a great gathering of excellent culinary and beverage pros showing off their best for a happy crowd. I hunkered down at several sessions today including: Texas Wine: Ready for the Main Stage with Russ Kane Drink Like  Pro with Mark Oldman Spring Into [...]

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Meet the Tastemakers: Austin’s top sommeliers share inspiration and favorite wines for celebrations

April 8, 2013

Just as a winemaker has to combine an artful flair with precise chemistry to make fine wine, a sommelier needs to combine a skillful touch with customer service and deep wine knowledge to master their craft. In the wine world, success is a case of “Right brain, meet left brain. You two play nicely.” The [...]

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Meet the Tastemakers: 5 of Austin’s top breweries and their award-worthy beers

April 1, 2013

Craft beer is on fire in the U.S. and passion for local brews is stoked by a growing number of breweries in town. Austin now boasts 14 craft breweries —10 of which are new since 2010 — and with more in the planning stages. Not only do we have more choice, but local beers are [...]

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Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka is a Perfect Drink for Spring Break

March 19, 2013

The good folks at Deep Eddy Vodka blitzed SXSW parties with their new concoctions, Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka. It was raising rosy cheeks and cheerful grins all over Austin with its fresh kick. Their latest flavored vodka was all the buzz. Lucky for me, I came home after a night of sipping Ruby Red [...]

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