Archive for April, 2009

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The Devils and the details

April 23, 2009

It’s possible to knit manically once you’re onto something. The Negress had picked on a pattern called  “Amelia” from the spring 2008 edition of the online magazine Knitty. The item is a seamless cardigan and it’s knitted together with the sleeves being joined to the body raglan style. The yarn in question? Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk Aran. Much of this has been worked during the end of hockey season and the first round of the playoffs. The Devils have been playing in bipolar fashion, crazy with energy and forechecking one minute, lazily moving up and down the ice with no purpose the next. Through it all we knit.

But then, after a last second loss to the Hurricanes that tied the series at 2-2, we looked down at the sweater and realized something was very, very wrong. The simple explanation: I would have to reattach one of my arms to the middle of my back to wear it. One misplaced marker resulted in one misshapen garment. So, while various iterations of HGTV and “Law and Order” played in the background, the ripping commenced. The sleeves were detached, the markers were placed after triple checking the counting. This time we started the raglan shaping as soon as the sleeves were attached.

This relates to the Devils because they lost the game with .2 seconds left on a goal that got by Martin Brodeur, who was interfered with but also had no defenders around. He smacked his stick against the boards angrily. The Negress felt his frustration too. A pile of squiggly yarn, sore teeth and much use of crochet hook to fetch dropped stitches? I was so there.

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White Tempranillo Sweet Merlot and other Spanish oddities

April 23, 2009

After many weeks of knitting and sending out resumes, the Negress reconnected with Helio San Miguel and the tastings at the Cervantes Institute. The wines of April 16 were intriguing and unusual and some of them are worth recommending. Pagodel Vicario has a 2008 Blanco de Tempranillo that’s rich with notes of peach and honey. At $30 or so a bottle, it’s not an everyday wine but it’s worth seeking. I also liked  the 2005 Gaintus, a wine from Penedes with 100 percent Sumoll grapes. Redolent of black fruit and some oak that calms down after some air has passed through, this wine won’t be easily found here in the States. Of the three sweet wines that were poured, the 2005 Alta Alella Dols Mataron (that’s Mouverdre to most of you) was a restrained, complex wine with a hint of eucalyptus on the nose and flavors that kept opening up over time.

There were two wines that are Musts to Avoid. The Maria Casanovas 2004 Pinot Noir  Rose Cava was absolutely ghastly with a lingering bitterness on the finish. If you can find Lloprat do it, but skip this. Pagodel Vicario may have scored with the white Tempranillo, but the 2004 Merlot Dulce was syrupy and medicinal.

Helio said the throughline for this tasting was “Recovery,” “Discovery” and “Innovation.” Some of the wines poured featured obscure varietals from Spain such as Moristel, Prieto Picudo (the grape actually comes to a point), and Bobal.

All of these wines were memorable, even if some for all the wrong reasons. However, after many over extracted, fruit bomb wines that all blend together, this was a bold group of wines that would never be mistaken for the usual suspects.

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Rousanne Ciel du Cheval Vineyard McCrea Cellars 2005 Washington and Jeff Beck

April 12, 2009

The Negress would like to think she had something to do with Jeff  Beck’s induction to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame this past week, but one vote does not make for a wide swath of influence. Beck showed up at the shindig in Cleveland and also did a few Stateside dates in connection with that. The Negress and her pal, the Pet Pasha, caught the show at Foxwoods on April 12. Before the show we revisited Craftsteak and found some great wines. The first of those was Llopart  Rose Cava Brut from Penedes. A lovely wine with light fruitiness but enough backbone that it made nice with a bit of filet mignon with horseradish creme fraiche. The real star of the evening was the 2005 Rousanne from Ciel du Cheval Vineyards of McCrea Cellars in Washington. This Rhone-style white features 86 percent Rousanne and 14 percent Viognier. The wine is silken, with bright fruit and a nice heft that doesn’t veer into unctuousness. It paired quite well with the filet mignon (the Pet Pasha gets migraines from red wine). As for dessert, well, who could turn down a Tokaji? Especially the 2005 Cremor rated at 5 puttonyos. Not the Negress. Here is a wine with pear, honeysuckle, apricot and other intriguing flavors that become more present with each sip. The server was kind enough to let us finish the bottle, pouring the last bit for the Pet Pasha, who is coming to understand why the Negress likes dessert wines so much. For Lent, the Negress had kicked meat and sweets to the curb with not fatalities or injuries. It was nice to welcome them back in such a spectacular way.

And, on top of that, Jeff Beck played an astonishingly efficient but  jaw-dropping set at the theater at Foxwoods. Beck barely speaks, other than “Thank You,” band member introductions and a dry “I guess you didn’t have anything better to do tonight” aimed at the fervent audience. He played superbly from the opener “Beck’s Bolero” to a rousing take on the theme from “Peter Gunn” that closed the night. Unlike some of his fossilized contemporaries, Beck is hungry for new collaborators and ideas. It was a treat to see Beck, who at 64 can still inspire detailed impure thoughts, playing with skill and wit. There are a few more dates left on this tour and then it’s back to the hot rods for him. Most of the shows are sold out, but you can check the itinerary here.

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Natalie MacLean’s Drinks Matcher

April 2, 2009

I’m a big fan of Natalie MacLean and figured I would share her wine and food pairing suggestions with some of the hungry and thirsty people who read this blog. MacLean is Canadian (big plus in my book) and the author of “Red, White and Drunk All Over.” Take a look and let me know what you think.

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New American winery emerges featuring Concord, Scuppernong grapes

April 1, 2009

Kerry Edwards looks like you might have gone to your high school. Her blond hair and freckles make her look younger than her 30 years. But her eponymous winery is all abuzz on wine blogs and in chat rooms everywhere. The winery has devoted its production to American grape varieties. Edwards’ first release (the label is featured here) was made from Concord grapes. No less an authority than Robert Parker ranked the wine with 97 points, calling it “bold and fruity with hints of jamminess that are pleasing and seductive.” Edwards plans future releases of Scuppernong and Catawba but said she felt compelled to launch her winery with the Concord release. “I just couldn’t imagine a more American grape than Concord,” Edwards said. “I know people were skeptical you could make wine associated with jelly and grape juice, but it was my mission to do this.”

Purple America

Edwards also felt that the wine’s deep purple was symbolic of the country’s divisions being healed. “I know there are two Americas — the red and the blue,” says Edwards, echoing the former Senator from North Carolina whom she has denied is her father. “Purple wine brings us all together.”

Because Edwards expected resistance from the wine industry, she took  the precaution of bringing the Negress to the winery blindfolded using a circuitous route so her location would remain secret. “You can’t be too careful,” Edwards says. “I come from a family who made moonshine. Given the inequity of the wine laws in this country, you must be cautious when you’re being defiant.”

Kerry Edwards 2007 Concord wine

Kerry Edwards 2007 Concord wine

New mode of distribution

Because of the convolutions of state laws regarding direct shipping from wineries, Edwards employs a novel distribution technique. ‘There may be two Americas, but both of them love ice cream,” Edwards says. “I’ve signed agreements with Mister Softee and Good Humor to bring the wine to the people. While the kids are buying ice cream, Mom and Dad can pick up a bottle of wine. With warm weather coming, we are very optimistic.”

She is also fulfilling some orders by having employees drive the wine to customers as their travel plans permit. “There’s no law against bringing wine to a friend as a favor,” Edwards says. “If that friend gives you a check for your trouble, it’s only fair.” Employees who accept gratuities are asked to donate 10 percent of the amount to the winery.

“Wine is like a religion to me, so having the employees tithe makes perfect sense,” Edwards said. “If you believe in something, you put your money where your beliefs are.”

Edwards’ Scuppernong and Catawba releases will be available on Feb. 29, 2010. Let the countdown begin.

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