September 11

A Manhattan with orange bitters to remember the day.

Rhinegeist Franz

There was enough spice in the chicken meal described in the post below that I thought a beer would be the best accompaniment.  The only beer in the house was a Franz Oktoberfest from the Rhinegeist brewery in Cincinnati.  The brewery describes it as "untraditional" and it certainly was.    It was mellow with deeper flavors than I expected and wasn't the greatest match for spicy food based on hot peppers.  Cougar or Truth from the same brewery would have been better choices. 

Good beer but not for this meal.

Rhinegeist Franz.  5.4% alcohol  Munich and Vienna malts.

Local and Spicy

Harvest is in full force in this area and a trip through the farmers market provided nearly the entire meal tonight.  The chicken was local, as were the onions, the tomatoes, the very hot red peppers and the first of the fall garlic.  The herbs were from my garden so that left only the rice and the seasonings on the chicken as 'strangers to these parts'.

The chicken legs were marinated in lime juice and olive oil, and when they came out of the marinade the vegetables went into the marinade.  The seasonings on top were ancho chilli powder, smoked paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper.   The vegetables were poured over the top of the chicken and both went into a hot oven for thirty five minutes,  just enough time to cook the rice.

The local peppers were quite hot and provided a pungent and prickly sensation to go with the mellowness of the tomatoes and the chicken.  There was some brow mopping during the meal but it was all delicious.

There was a beer!

Drew - Fog Eater 2010

“It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. I was so preposterously serious in those days…Lightly, lightly—it’s the best advice ever given me. So throw away your baggage and go forward. There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet, trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That’s why you must walk so lightly. Lightly, my darling.”

—	Aldous Huxley from Island

This is a wine that is dark in the glass but so light and agile on its feet.  It's full of fresh, medium cherry flavors with great tannin and acid underneath.  A full bodied wine that isn't heavy.  It's confident and real.  It's also delicious.  More please.

Drew Pinot Noir, Fog Eater, Anderson Valley.  13.6% alcohol and $45.

Falanghina - First Time Experience

There was something new at the market earlier this week, a wine that I had read about but never saw before in this area.  The wine was a Falanghina, an obscure white variety that thrives in the hills of Campania in southern Italy.  It's an ancient variety that survived primarily because it grew in such an off the beaten path location.  The wine that came home with me  was a 2012 Gran Passione Beneventano.

The minute the cork came out of the bottle there were flowery and citrus aromas filling the room.  The color was almost crystal clear with just a bit of green and gold.  With some swirling the aromas got a little stronger and for a while I was happy to sit and smell the wine.   The flavors were on the citrus end with orange peel being predominant.  There was some ripe apple and a bit of lychee lurking in the glass as well.  The mouth feel was full and almost creamy, but just I was about to criticize it for that it turned dry and sharp.  It left my mouth dry and refreshed with a wee bit of the same minerality I find and love in Chablis. 

There were some bay scallops sauteed in butter and olive oil with a tiny touch of garlic, some halved cherry tomatoes and a bit of fresh thyme and oregano to help the wine along.  A perfect match.

2012 Gran Passione Falanghina.  12.5% alcohol and $12.  A bragain.

Blueberries

The second day drinking the Chateau Simone (discussed below) was better than the first day.  Some, but not all, of the rustic elements blended into the background, though this is still a wine that never made it to elegant.  Good stuff.

An hour after finishing the wine the blueberry gallette was portioned and consumed.  Simplicity.....store bought puff pastry, fresh blueberries, some cornstarch, some lemon juice, a little sugar and an egg wash.  Thirty five minutes later I took the picture above.

2004 Chateau Simone - A Rare Bird

Whether one goes by acres or hectares Palette is the second smallest recognized wine region in France, larger only than Chateau Grillet.  It is near Aix-en-Provence.  I had never seen a bottle in the U.S. until a friend who was working for a time in Marseilles brought one home as a gift in 2007.  Though not a wine drinker he ventured into a wine store in Marseilles and this was the wine the proprietor recommended to him.  I still have never seen one in the U.S. though I'm sure an internet search would turn one up.  I was just happy to put this bottle away for seven years.

The wine is mostly Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault though there is also some Syrah, Carignan, Castet, Mansoquin, Muscat Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Théoulier, Tibouren, Picpoul Noir and Muscat de Hambourg.  It's a veritable witch's brew of grapes.  The witches must be related to Dorothy's and Toto's friend the Good Witch of the North because the wine is delicious.  Perhaps it's the good witch of the south of France.

The medium garnet color was mostly the result of the wine throwing some heavy sediment over the years.  From the color alone I would have guessed it as an older burgundy.  Aromas of clean earth and pine forest were prominent though there was a good fruit base underneath.   The first glass was somewhat reserved and not offering much in the way of flavor but by the second glass the strawberry taste of Grenache was peaking through as well as some raspberry fruit.  I wouldn't use the word elegant to describe this wine but there was some grace mixed in with its rustic elements.  Great acid and a good dose of tannin showed up in the very long finish.

Lamb chops from the grill were a nice accompaniment to the wine as the gaminess of the lamb was a great match with the unusual flavors in the wine.

Now it's either an internet search or time to send my friend back to Marseilles.

2004 Chateau Simone, Palette.  13% alcohol.  Price unknown.