At Last

Had a little celebrating to do after our apartment finally sold, so we headed out to the highly recommended Trattoria Tosca in southwest Minneapolis. I liked the wine list for its mix of low, moderate and higher priced wines, and its length of three or four pages. I hate it when the list is too long -- too many choices is as bad as too few.
Our waitperson asked if we were looking for a red, which we were, so she recommended the 2006 Itre Vescovi Barbera d'Asti ($46). We love barbera anyway, so she had an easy sell. Unfortunately, she returned moments later to inform us they were out of that wine. Rats!
Next, I picked the 2007 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley), which was on their specials list for $52 (normally $80). It had subtle but not unpleasant notes of rubber, and what Bobby described as a "false start" -- sort of bland at the beginning but developing some spice toward the end. I thought it had a long finish, but Bobby passed judgment: "not a lot of body; thin."
Our third pick was the 2007 Ben Marco Malbec (Mendoza) at $45. Well, the 2007 was listed on the menu but the bottle delivered to the table was a 2008. When I pointed out the difference, our server offered to take $5 off the price, so we decided to try it. This wine had a lot going on: a strong scent of berries, slightly yeasty/syrupy/gamey, a bit tannic at first ... it had a lot of personality. We both liked this one better than the pinot noir.
Tosca's food was uneven; I loved the kumquat salad, and my tagliatelle with crab, cherry tomato and fennel was good but a bit plain. Bobby was impressed with the zucchini "pasta" (no noodles, but zucchini sliced into a spaghetti shape) but his swordfish arrived lukewarm. For dessert, the chocolate custard had a funky texture (the waitress ended up removing it from the bill), but the gelato -- one scoop each of roasted banana, orange olive oil and chocolate/hazelnut -- was perfect.
Photo from Urbanspoon

Back to the 'Burbs

So, Winemouth has relocated from West 34th Street in Manhattan to suburban Minneapolis. I haven't lived in a suburb since 1995, but it was time for a change ... and instead of hearing trucks honking outside my window, I saw a bunny in the backyard at breakfast yesterday. Aaah.
A hot night calls for chilled wine, and that's just what Bud brought over on Tuesday. I've only had Basque wine once before, so I was eager to try the 2008 Itsas Mendi Bizkaiko Txakolina. (I love the fact that their Web site doesn't even have an English version yet.) It had the tiniest hint of effervescence and deep floral notes (12.5 percent alcohol, about $21). This luscious white hit the spot with a casual dinner from the incorrectly named Homemade Pizza Co.; their pizza is delicious, but when all you do is cook it in your own oven, I don't think you can honestly call it "homemade." But I guess We Make It, You Bake It just doesn't have the same ring.

We're Not in Argentina Anymore

At our house, malbec has become a favorite recently for its likability and low price. Those Argentine winemakers have got a really good thing going.
So I was surprised to see a malbec from California at the shop across the street, 34th Street Winery. Paul, the owner, said it was the first he had seen, too.
The 2008 Red Rock Winery Reserve Malbec (about $10) had insistent notes of vanilla, and had a plushness to it that was very satisfying.
I found it slightly less spicy than the malbecs from Argentina, but it's definitely worth a second look.

Teutonic Tonic

It was my first dance with Grüner Veltliner, that über-trendy white from Austria. You can hardly swing a cat around a restaurant wine list these days without running into a Grüner.
This one was a 2008 Grooner (I guess they didn't want Americans getting confused by an umlaut).
The things I loved? The cheeky label, the lightness of the wine (12 percent alcohol), the screw-top bottle, the reasonable price ($10), the lemony/leafy aroma, how much fun it is to say "Grüner." The things I did not love? The taste. It was just a little bland.
The label says, "If you like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio, you'll love Grooner." Which I found strange since those two wines, in my mind, share only whiteness in common. Where sauvignon actually has something to say, pinot grigio is like a wallflower at the party.
I'd be happy to try another Grüner; maybe I'll have better luck next time.

Half and Half

The other day, a lady called from 67wine.com to make sure I knew I was ordering a half-bottle as part of a recent restocking o' the wine rack here on West 34th. I assured her that it was correct. Frankly, I don't know why stores don't sell more half-bottles. For one thing, they are cute. Also, maybe you're married to or living with someone who just doesn't like the wine you like. For example, I've seen Bobby drink exactly one glass of white wine, ever, and we'll be celebrating our eighth anniversary this summer. He's just a red wine kind of guy. So it would make sense for us to have more half-bottles in case our tastes diverge on a given night.
The half-bottle from 67wine was a 2007 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages. (After what I learned in wine class last year, it's usually worth it step up from a plain old Beaujolais to the better-quality Beaujolais-Villages.) I enjoyed this one for its plummy, smoky aroma. It's a light red (12.5 percent alcohol), and light on the wallet, too: $3.99. Let's hear it for the halves.

A Winning White

Who doesn't love guests who bring wine? A couple of weeks ago, we got a bottle of 2009 Domain Lafage Côté Est Catalan from our friends Ron and Wendy. We didn't get around to opening it that day, but I have been sipping it the past couple of nights. I got strong pear and floral notes from this one, and it had the slightest hint of effervescence. It's a medium-bodied and refreshing blend of grenache, chardonnay and marsanne grapes (13 percent alcohol, about $12). It made me think of pinot grigio, if pinot grigio had a better personality. (If pinot grigio is Dwight Schrute, the Côté Est is Jim Halpert.) Absolutely nothing to hate about this one.

Right at Home

My friend Phyllis has been raving about Stonehome Wine Bar in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, for a while now, and on Thursday night I finally had a chance to go. What a lively joint! The interior seemed slightly Scandinavian, and the light was perfect -- soft and glowing, but not so low you can't read the menu. I loved the cantilevered end of the bar, where people can sit facing each other. The staff could not have been friendlier, and it's good people-watching, too: an artsy crowd, and men in fedoras, not ballcaps. How refreshing.
If you're in the mood to dabble, you're in luck at Stonehome, which serves flights of wine, in case you don't want to commit to a whole glass or bottle. I chose a set of Italian reds (three 3 oz. pours, $18). The first was a 2008 Corte Rugolin Valpolicello Classico (Veneto), which had notes of dried fruit and chalk, and had an absolutely silky mouthfeel. The second was a 2007 Poderi dal Nespoli Sangiovese (Romangna), which was all fruit and brightness. There was something a little gawky about this one, kind of like your embarrassing teenage years. Lastly was a 2007 Argiolas "Perdera" (Monica) Isola Del Nurahgi (Sardinia), which had notes of moss and was appealingly dry.
So what did we eat? I had a couple of appetizers: seared scallops and a crisp salad with apple slices and toasted pumpkin seeds. Phyllis ordered a selection of six cheeses (of course I sampled a few... all delicious.). The food is carefully chosen and prepared here, not an afterthought as it is at some other wine bars.
It was just the perfect setting to catch up with a friend I hadn't seen in a while.
(Photo from Citysearch)