One of the nice things about having a Youtube channel is the ability to go on a campaign about something and visually entertain at the same time. For the third and fourth week of January 2014, I am encouraging anyone who has given up on Merlot, to revisit this fantastic varietal. Please watch my videos as I review Merlot from Washington State, California, Italy and France. Here are the first two links…Enjoy!
After searching my house high and low, I found the corresponding letter to match the winner of the chicken pot pie contest held last Thursday…
1st place… Letter “C”
2nd place… Letter “F”
3rd place… Letter “E”
4th place… Letter “B”
That’s as far as I will go, and I hope that is helpful.
Cheers! Stan The Wine Man
Which wines would you serve with chicken pot pie? That was the theme of our annual food and wine pairing event at the Mullis Center, January 9. Five brave souls put their name in the hat to be a part of the cook-off challenge for best chicken pot pie. Their names were drawn and all they had to do, was make the best pot pie at the event. Easy… Right? Hardly. I know that their task was way harder than the challenge I had of finding wines that would pair well with that dish.
All the pot pies were fantastic, and I want to thank those who participated, including our very own Deli at Kings Market. Unfortunately there could only be one winner and the one that came out on top (by a landslide) was the chicken pot pie entered by Roxanne Dunn. Congratulations Roxanne for a job well done. The Deli department pulled out second place with Amy Lopez coming in a close third. Roxanne promises to forward her recipe to me so that I can put on my site…Look for it sometime this month.
Many expressed surprise to see seven red wines lined up along with four whites as choices to match the meal. I knew we were talking home-made chicken pot pies, which meant they would be richer than your average store-bought varieties. I was right, as one of the entries used a big dose of duck fat in their recipe. Spices and flavor abounded in each entry, making them a nice complement to reds being tasted, along with the richer whites.
The whites included a Pinot Gris, Viognier, Chardonnay (Carneros) and a Rhone style white from Alexandria Nicole called Shepherds Mark, a blend of Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier. The reds that were selected had to be wines with softer tannic structure so as not to over-power the food. I chose a Pinot Noir, Malbec, Cotes-Du-Rhone, Barbera, Syrah, Merlot and Grenache. Although there were a couple of dissenters, most agreed that the wines worked well with the food (you can’t please ’em all).
I know a lot of you like to know which wines were the most popular at the event. Based on what everyone ordered, the Cline Cool Climate Syrah was the favorite of the night. As far as the whites went, the Maryhill Viognier was the hands-down favorite (which I’m sure in both cases had to do with the price-to-quality).
I got a lot of positive comments about the other wines poured too. What surprised me the most was the lack of interest in the Chardonnay that we poured, although it was a very nice match with the food. It could have been the price ($20. a bottle), but I have a feeling that this was an anti-Chardonnay crowd. Look for my review of the wines that we poured coming soon.
It was a great event, and I appreciate all the support that I get for these wine tasting events. You guys are great and very savvy about wine and your own palate. I am looking forward to the next event as we venture into February 2014.
Cheers! Stan The Wine Man
In my effort to “take the snob” out of wine, I often wonder if my readers truly understand what a wine snob is. I mean no offense, but often times I believe that wine geeks (like myself) could be misunderstood as wine snobs. Trust me when I tell you that there is a huge chasm between the two. This begs the question… What is the difference between a wine snob and a wine geek?
My definition of a wine snob has always been fairly simple. A wine snob is someone who likes a wine because they have to, not because they actually like it. They also dislike a wine for the same reasons. In a group setting they are painfully obvious. Someone uncorks a bottle of Opus One and everyone sips it and oohs and aahs over it like it is something delivered by the hand of God. It really isn’t drinking that well for the $250. price tag it sports, but it is fantastic because, well, it just has to be…Right? They look for wines with prestigious labels such as Silver Oak, Duckhorn, Leonetti, Quilceda Creek, Whitehall Lane (you get the picture). It is only wines with such a pedigree that deserve their attention. Just try to get them to admit that a twelve dollar wine is worth the effort of drinking…Fahgetaboutit!
They love to propagate the idea that wine is mysterious and difficult to understand. They love to memorize a few wine facts that perhaps the average person may not understand, and throw them into a conversation about wine, attempting to impress their listeners. Their approach to wine is more about appearance than substance, and in a room with a wine geek, they are easily exposed. Wine snobs are pretentious. Name droppers who love to hear themselves talk and will never allow themselves to be one-upped by anyone as far as the best bottle of wine consumed. I am sure you have encountered someone like this in your wine journeys.
A wine geek on the other hand, is someone who will try any wine regardless of price or distinction, just for the sheer pleasure of the experience. They love the odd wine, the different wine and all the things in between. A wine geek doesn’t go off about wine unless probed. However, be prepared if you do probe them (hey, keep your mind out of the gutter), or they happen to have a blog where they can express their geekiness to whomever will read. They don’t give a shit about what other folks say about a wine, they form their own opinions, and if you want to know what those are they will tell you, otherwise they keep it to themselves. Price or prestige is not the driving force of their love of wine…It is simply wine itself.
A true wine geek, loves Riesling. I can’t explain this love affair other than the experience. Lazar sharp acidity, pure sweetness, rubber boot, petroleum, are all things that Riesling offers, and it is sooo intriguing. They love dirty wines, wines with character, wines that express a sense of place. They will seek out a tannat, Sagrantino, Chinon, Vermentino, Albarino or any wine that is a little off the beaten path. Their love of wine has nothing to do with appearance, it’s all substance, and they will never, ever, berate someone else for what they enjoy in wine…. Not even a wine snob.
I love the wine world and learning all I can about it. I love to drink wine and share my experiences. I love to use down-to-earth terminology that I believe most will understand. I will never judge you for what you drink whether it is white zinfandel or Haut-Brion. The only thing I ask of you is to reach out and try new things. Wine is way to interesting to get stuck in a rut. Like Buffy, I am on a mission to slay the wine snob and hopefully convert them to wine Geekdom, it is a much better place to be.
Cheers! Stan The Wine Man
