Cochon - A Final Bit of Pig

After not nearly enough sleep, Boo rouses me out of bed and my head's about as foggy as it looks in the picture. Problem is it wasn't a foggy morning in New Orleans. The camera just seemed to sense that I wasn't at my best. There was no sign of life whatsoever in Merlot Boy and Margarita's room and we were scheduled for a 10 a.m. start across the French Quarter. So, Boo and I just had to make our way on our own and leave them a note as to how to catch up.

Not that I really expected to ever see them.

Another Big Easy treat that Jeaux had introduced me to years ago was the New Orleans School of Cooking. I tell every person that will listen that this is the best bang for your buck to be found in the city. It's a cooking class/comedy show, with food and drink, and I've made it a "Do Not Miss" event on my schedule whenever I've made it to town. Indeed, my family favourite bread pudding recipe is an adaption of the recipe I got at the School of Cooking a couple decades ago.

Admittedly, I wasn't at my best at the start of the class (and I don't even think that I finished my lunch) but it was a blast even through my haze.

Chef Kevin Belton is a giant of a man and I swear he could be a stand-up comic if he wanted to be. He was the chef all those years ago when Jeaux and I attended and I'd specifically timed our reservation so that we'd see him this time as well. It was as funny as all get out when Merlot Boy and Margarita showed up half an hour late. Kevin simply told them that it's a tradition that the last people to arrive are required to do all the dishes before they leave.

Kevin proceeded to cook his way through red beans & rice, cornbread, pecan pie and pralines and then, we ate our way through the results of his considerable talents. Many people have tried to one-up him on witty comebacks - but I've yet to see anyone succeed. And heaven help you if you pose a "less than scholarly" question. When one gal asked if she could substitute skim milk for whole, he simply replied "Yes," but asked her "Why would you want to? Do you like skim milk?" When she responded with "Yes, as a matter of fact I do," he quipped that she "no doubt likes margarine over butter as well" and added that she might keep her figure a bit slimmer that way but he'd be willing to guarantee that her guests would like her cooking a whole lot better if she stuck to the whole milk and butter.

Having been brave enough to attend class in my delicate condition, I figured I deserved a nap later in the afternoon before we went out for another big dinner.

I'd looked at Chowhound a bit for some suggestions and I saw a number of good comments for Cochon. There was a general consensus that an extravaganza of pork sounded like a plan. It didn't disappoint - particularly since both Aussies thought our waiter was a dead ringer for their favourite Aussie Rules Footy player. That in itself was good reason for a bit of flirting and an excessively generous tip.

984. 2009 Herdade do Esporão - Defesa - Touriga Nacional - Syrah (Vinho Regional Alentejano - Portugal)

Another new producer (I love being in a new city to see the different wineries and bottles that are available). It's not a combination of varietals that I recall seeing before - likely because there aren't that many wineries, outside of Portugal, that grow Touriga Nacional and not that many wineries that grow Syrah in Portugal. Portugese blends regularly feature varietals that most people have never heard of; so, this sounded like an interesting choice. Maybe the fact that the winery has an ex-pat Aussie winemaker on board plays a role in utilizing the Syrah.

A little online research, after the fact, shows that Herdade do Esporão is one of the largest producers in Portugal. The current winery for Defesa was only established in 1992, but the Herdade estate's boundaries go back to 1267. For a relatively new enterprise, the winery was making ten million litres of wine annually as of 2009. Herdade currently produces five brands and labels and Defesa appears to be primarily an entry level wine. It's certainly not the cheapest Portugese wine that you'll find, but I think that, at around $17 (in New Orleans, but not the restaurant), it's still a decent price.

The Defesa brand and packaging is definitely modern in scope and the website promotes the wine as having a personality that "enjoys a good time, going to parties, nightlife & is at ease wherever the place." The marketing is a little hokey for me, but I did enjoy the wine and I'd definitely give it another go if I ever see it in our market. And, if nothing else, the description seems appropriate for our little gang on vacation.

On the way home, we wandered past - of all things - an Aussie bar. There was next to no chance that Merlot Boy and Margarita were passing up on that opportunity - particularly not on their last night in town. There were even a couple of old ex-pats that Merlot Boy felt obliged to reminisce with. A giant-sized Fosters (or whatever it was) later, we left that little corner of Oz and made it back to our little corner of the Quarter. It was hard to believe that we'd have to part ways in a matter of hours. Even with booze aplenty, three days just isn't enough time to whet our whistle when it comes to Merlot Boy (and I'm even going to be nice and avoid the obvious and dirty little pun that could be inserted here - but you can always take a stab at it in the comments). It was a joy to meet our new Drinking Buddy, Margarita, as well. It's got to take a helluva woman to keep up with our Merlot Boy.

Good thing we're scheduled to catch up with them again Down Under in a matter of months!

Have Fun!

In the greater scheme of things, I'm going to count this post as a good case of history repeating. There was definitely a price to be paid, but sometimes it's just hard to learn from the past.

In a former (much younger) lifetime, I can count at least two wildly memorable evenings at Pat O'Brien's during my various trips to The Big Easy. The first was during a DKE fraternity convention when we greeted by the early morning streetcleaners on our stumble back to the hotel. The second was with Jeaux when, after more than a couple attempts, she finally coaxed me into hitting the town for Mardi Gras.

With those memories in mind, I knew that no visit to NOLA is complete without an extended stay at Pat O's. After all, since 1933, their motto has been "Have Fun!" And that's what I told Boo, Merlot Boy and Margarita.

Anyone who's been to Pat O's Piano Bar knows that you don't go there for a quiet glass of wine and conversation. No siree Bob, the Piano Bar is all about singing your face off until your voice is hoarse and drinking Hurricanes. Hence, another Guest Alcohol appearance - and today's interloper is none other than our good friend, Rum - and a little more Rum and, finally, a bit of Rum. After all, a Hurricane is nothing more than four ounces of Rum and four ounces of fruity Hurricane punch mix.

I love the story that tells the history of the Hurricane. According to Pat O's website, "the fruity red concoction was created during World War II when liquor such as whiskey was in low supply. In order to purchase just one case of these liquors, liquor salesmen forced bar owners to purchase as much as 50 cases of rum, which was plentiful. In an effort to use the abundance of rum that Pat O'Brien's acquired, the recipe for the Hurricane evolved with the help of an eager liquor salesman."

Our plan was to stop in for one Hurricane and a set of the duelling pianists. Then again, "the best laid schemes o' mice an' men..." And stray - or was that stay - we did. After all, those drinks sure don't taste like there's much booze in them. The youthful Aussie wedding party didn't hurt to make Merlot Boy and Margarita feel right at home either - and who doesn't live to stick around for a rousing singalong of "American Pie?"

We wisely left before ordering a third Hurricane. The problem, however, was that it started raining on our way home to the guest house. That problem was compounded by the fact that we were on Bourbon Street when the rain started really coming down. Naturally, being on one of the most notorious party streets in the world, it only made sense to get out of the rain by popping into the nearest bar.

That was midnight.

Little did we know that it was the Bourbon Pub's Sing-Along to vintage video classics night. If we hadn't had enough of an opportunity to let our inner Lady Gaga out at Pat O'Brien's, we certainly did here, especially since there was way more choreography involved - and it was ever so much more campy. Piano bars just can't pull off a crowd of patrons recreating every move to a Grease medley on a giant screen the way a gay bar can.

There were no more Hurricanes hitting us, but I was starting to regret having introduced Merlot Boy to the Cape Cod. And, then, there's that damn Aussie tradition of the "shout." If your Aussie buddy is looking you in the eye and saying, "It's your shout," he means that you're being a bit slow on buying the next round - your next round by the way. Everything's done by shouts and it doesn't exactly let you fall behind gracefully. Damn that Margarita and her ability to keep up.

You might notice that there aren't any pictures of our Bourbon Pub visit. Indeed, there are pictures but they were Merlot Boy's and I wasn't given access to them for blog purposes - to protect the innocent of course.

Ultimately, with Boo long gone, I used an empty wallet as an excuse to head home. I won't say exactly how long our quick jump out of the rain lasted, but suffice it to say, I wasn't going to get a full night's sleep before the morning would come quickly calling.

The Great Unknown

This will have to be a bit of brief post - and not because I simply don't have anything to say about the dinner or the wine. Rather, for whatever reason, none of the pictures that we took at dinner seem to have survived the transfer from chip to computer. Hence, I don't rightly remember what the wine is that I'm going to add to The List.

Following our respective daytime activities - whether they be trolley picnic or swamp tour - the four of us made our way out to dinner. We had a restaurant in mind - Mr. B's Bistro, a New Orleans tradition - but it was on the other side of the French Quarter and we might have been persuaded to dine elsewhere if the right opportunity presented itself. In the meantime, as we wandered in search of Mr. B's, we took in more of the wild window displays and signs that populate the Quarter. November is pretty tame time of year for The Big Easy, but you'd never guess that by the excitement that screams from the windows.

We did find Mr. B's eventually and, luckily, got in without a reservation. We had no idea how popular or big the restaurant was. The place was hopping when we arrived around 8.30, but we were totally surprised at how quickly it emptied out. By the time we'd finished our dessert, we were one of the last tables - and it wasn't like we over-stayed our welcome. Guess folks just like to finish their meals early so that they can carry on with their partying in the streets.

As mentioned, we only have a couple of pictures from the dinner and none of them are of the wine bottle. We have shots of the wine filled wine glass accompanying Boo's pork belly and we have a shot of the bacon-wrapped shrimp and grits - that had to be one of the culinary delights of the entire trip - but nothing of the bottle itself. I know we took a few pictures because I had to ask our server if he'd leave the bottle on the table so that I could take a better look. Those computer gremlins. What can I say?

983. some Washington State Syrah (Washington State)

I do remember that we ordered a Washington State Syrah because 1) I was surprised that a restaurant, the calibre of Mr. B's, only served American wines and 2) I found it ironic that we'd flown to the opposite corner of the continent to order a Washington wine that was basically made right next to our back door. I took a look at the restaurant website to see if they posted their wine list, but such was not the case. I suppose this wine will forever have to remain a mystery.

I'm still counting it though. I'm not about to let a dinner like this go buy unaccounted for.

A Streetcar Named St. Charles

It was only our second full day in New Orleans and we were already realizing that time was running out. Merlot Boy and Margarita wanted to go on a swamp and gator tour while Boo and I wanted to take a streetcar ride down to the Garden District. We weren't going to be able to do both; so, our little gang decided to split up for the day.

But first, we had to wander a bit to get to our respective starting points. On the way, we passed yet another shop full of crazy goods and wares. The first things that attracted us to the shop in the accompanying picture were the garden ornaments and furniture that had been made from reclaimed flotsam and jetsam from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Five years on and you can still see something to remind you of the catastrophe without any effort whatsoever. The inside of the shop was even crazier though. It looked like the shop was also a bit of a warehouse for bits and pieces of Mardi Gras floats. If anyone wants an oversized puppet of George Dubya, I've got just the shop for you.

Once Boo and I were on our way riding the St. Charles streetcar, I realized that the other two probably weren't so desirous of our plan since Melbourne has a full blown trolley system as well. They can ride a streetcar any day they want to. Not so much the gators and swamp. It was novel for Boo and I though. We boarded our streetcar and rode it right to the other end, getting a decent look at the city en route.

The end of the line found us more than a little hungry. So, we located a bakery/restaurant that sold take-out as well and we put together a bit of picnic. At first we thought lunch on the levee of the Mississippi might be nice since we were right there. Not so scenic though. As an alternative, we wandered back along the streetcar track to a park we saw on the way out.

982. 2009 Apothic Red - William's Blend (California)

I'd never heard of this wine before but the label - and its take on wine lore with a mystical history - looked like it might fit in with the Garden District, home of Anne Rice and Lestat of Interview With A Vampire lore. The only information that I could gather from the bottle was that it was a California wine and it was a blend of Merlot, Zinfandel and Syrah. There wasn't a whole lot more information available online afterwards either, but I gather Apothic is a fairly new label from the Gallo folks as they continue to try and leave their jug wine past in the dust. It turns out the wine has even been introduced to the Vancouver market. Guess I wasn't invited to the launch.

The wine appears to be geared to newer red wine drinkers. Lots of fruit, a bit of residual sugar, it's primarily an easy drinker - and not out of place on a picnic.

Little did we know that our picnic spot was Audubon Park - turns out we were lunching al fresco in what was once a plantation in colonial days and has been a big part of New Orlean's history ever since. Boo loves live oaks - particularly when they're laden with Spanish Moss - as they remind him of his youth. So, our picnic spot couldn't have been better for him.

But, time passed quickly and we had to jump back onto the streetcar and make our way back to the Quarter. During our tour, I wanted to locate what was supposed to be a wine shop to beat all in NOLA. We found it alright. Closed. Seems not everything that's booze related in the city is open 24/7. Too bad. This whole selection of 30-40 bottles at the corner grocer is getting a little old.

Cossaks on Prozac - N'Awlins Style

One of the perks of having those cocktails on the stoop of the Royal Barracks Guest House was that our hostess, Kelly, gave us some tips for restaurants and spots that are patronized more by locals than tourists. After all, there's hopefully more to N'Awlins than just Bourbon Street - at least, one needs to hope so when you hit our age.

We decided to have dinner at one of Kelly's suggestions, just outside of the French Quarter - the Marigny Brasserie on Frenchman Street. Just two blocks out of the eastern edge of the Quarter, Frenchman is known as a local haunt for jazz and music clubs. Some tunes, after throwing back a bit of Cajun or Creole fare, sounded like one heckuva plan.

981. 2010 Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon (Margaret River - Australia)

The Cape Mentelle was a perfect choice for Margarita's hankering for Sauv Blanc and played to Merlot Boy's bent for Aussie wines. The fact that I have a serious jones for Margaret River didn't come into the equation at all - hardly. I fell hard for Margaret River wines the first time I toured Down Under in 1996. When I returned to Vancouver, it was next to impossible to find any wines from that region. Cape Mentelle was one of the few wineries that had any sort of a presence at all in our market.

It's a little easier to find wines from Western Australia but I still wouldn't say that we have a comprehensive assortment of wines to choose from. I'm quite looking forward to an upcoming visit to Perth (for the first time) next year. I want to try and immerse myself in all things Margaret River. But, for the moment, the Cape Mentelle will just have to be a bit of teaser of things to come.

The big surprise of the night wasn't the wine though. Rather, it was Boo's discovery of Red Velvet Cake. I'd heard of Red Velvet before but I don't think I've ever tried any. I'm a tad surprised that Boo had never had it before though - after all, I believe it's a Southern thing and the boy was raised in the South. All I know is that the cake was a hit and Boo is determined to recreate it at home. Lucky me.

I found the tunes to be an extraordinary find as well. We'd wandered down Frenchman Street and decided on Maison seeing as how Merlot Boy and Margarita had enjoyed a brief visit previously. The unfortunate thing was that our timing was a bit off. The band didn't start until about 45 minutes after we arrived. It was standing room only and our feet were pretty sore from walking all day.

When the show actually got under way, Maison was hopping! I think the band was rather well known in the city because folks were singing and dancing along - and they weren't exactly the easiest lyrics to learn, considering they were in Russian. The band was called Debauche (pronounced "de-bosh"), a.k.a. Russian Mafia Band, and they call their music Punk Rock Hooligan Russian Street Songs. "Cossaks on Prozac" wasn't what we'd expected wandering down a famous New Orleans jazz street. Hardly music to sip wine by - try swilling beer or downing vodka shots - it sure was great fun though.

The feet ultimately gave out for Boo and Margarita though. So, we headed off home at quite the decent hour.

Merlot Boy and I weren't quite ready to give up the ghost though - after all, it was Saturday night in The Big Easy. And Merlot Boy isn't anything if not "easy" - to have some fun on the town with that is. So, we dropped Boo and Margarita off at the guest house and the Boy and I wandered over to the Golden Lantern - the bar just around the corner. As luck wouldn't have it, we just missed the weekly drag show. But a couple of the gals were hanging around for a drink - and nothing seems to entice a drag queen more than an Aussie accent.

I didn't even ask if they had wine at the bar. Something told me that we were better off sticking to the vodka. Once our new friends moved on, Merlot finished his flirt with the "farm boy" of a bartender and we made our way home to get ready for the next day.

NOLA - Day 1 - Beignet, Done That

Welcome to the morning after - New Orleans style. Surprisingly, everybody was in pretty good spirits - and I'm not referring to the ones that we drank our way through last night. I might not be saying that if Boo and I had arrived in town earlier than we did however. A couple of drinks after midnight was likely a safer way to acquaint oneself with the city.

The plan for the day was to just wander around and experience the scene that is New Orleans. But the first experience was to find a little something to nosh on - and what could be better than a hit of café-au-lait and beignets at Café du Monde. From my previous visits to the Big Easy, I knew that there were a couple city treasures that I didn't want to miss - and beignets and coffee was definitely on the list.

I mentioned in the previous post that Boo and I were meeting Merlot Boy's travel companion for the first time. As such, she didn't have a blog name as yet on this first morning. We brainstormed some possibilities last night but nothing seemed to hit the mark. The dilemma of needing a name was quickly resolved during our tour of the city though. As we passed one of the omnipresent bars, we noticed a post-Katrina sign in one of the windows - "Rebuilding New Orleans - One Margarita at a Time." Our new buddy was to be Margarita from that point on.

Our musings and ramblings through the French Quarter saw everything from the spectacular and fascinating to the tacky and tawdry. Of course, gobbling up the cuisine is one of the prime directives of visiting NOLA. Boo and I immediately opted for alligator bites and catfish tidbits for lunch - although the Aussies weren't quite as adventurous. As Merlot Boy pointed out, the Aussies might be the only nation that has no qualms at throwing their national animal - the kangaroo - on the barbee, but there are still some that prefer simple beef and beer.

Naturally, all the food, souvenirs, voodoo shops and touring was tempered with ubiquitous music and booze in the streets. Even our Aussie friends - and if Australia isn't known for its enjoyment of a good drink, I don't know what it is known for - were gobsmacked at the abundance and simplicity of the "go cup."

I think my favourite surprise of the day was to run across a wedding second line - where a brass band leads a parade of the wedding party and guests through the streets. Great fun!

I think I discovered one, unnerving fact about the city during our day's tour though - and that's that New Orleans isn't that much of a wine city. A consideration that doesn't play that well into the hands of a wine blogger. You name virtually any booze you'd like and a "go cup" is just a pour away. That may work for wine at times, but the selection isn't going to be quite as impressive. We didn't run across a single "wine shop" during the day - even after asking around a bit. Being equal opportunity drinkers, however, having to rely on a corner store bottle isn't going to deter us from our chosen mission.

979. 2010 Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio (Pinot Grigio della Venezie IGT - Italy)

A white for Margarita. I don't recall ever having seen or tried Ecco Domani before. She kinda wanted a Sauv Blanc, but this looked like the most intriguing of the wines in the Nelly Delly on Bourbon Street. From the north of Italy, the website seems to refer as much to the company's efforts in promoting fashion and young designers as it talks about wine.

However, their description of and background to the Pinot Grigio does have an interesting referance to a limited (4.5%) use of "surmaturo" grapes. I've never heard of the term before but they advise that these grapes are left on the vine longer to allow for greater concentration and complexity. Sounds like another term for what we generally call "late harvest" grapes in BC. When used in BC, it's generally for the production of a dessert wine. I didn't notice any perceptible sweetness on this palate though.

Margarita didn't seem to mind.

We'd brought the wine back to our great, little guest house to rest our feet and enjoy a couple cocktails before hitting the town for our big Saturday night in New Orleans. We luckily bumped into, Kelly, our hostess and off-site manager, who joined us for a drink on the front porch - along with her "baby," Sugah. This had to be one of my favourite moments during the vacation. Our digs were located on the eastern edge of the Quarter - away from the hustle and bustle that you normally associate with the French Quarter and that afforded us the opportunity to just sit out on the porch, watching the locals tend to their lives and being filled in on all sorts of information about the city - past and present.

What's more is that Kelly even brought along her own bottle of wine for the stoop. Now that's Southern Hospitality.

980. N.V. Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir (Valle Central - Chile)

Unlike the Ecco Domani, I've seen and tried Pepperwood previously. I took a quick look at the winery though because some of the labelling didn't quite make sense to me. I thought Pepperwood was a California label and, sure enough, the company is part of the Sebastiani wine family. However, the Pepperwood brand is used to produce wines, much under the négociant format, where they source grapes, from wherever in the world they might be found, to make an accessible wine at an approachable price. The Pinot Noir grapes were actually grown in Chile - and, hence, the Valle Central designation on the bottle. California has a Central Valley, but I've never seen it referred to as a "valle" before. Confusion resolved.

It was certainly easy to go through the wine quickly though. The banter was grand and Kelly provided us with a number of tips on activities to best enjoy our stay. But, as night started to fall, we needed to ready ourself for a night on the town.

Time For a Little Big Easy

Since Boo's Mom had moved back to the US after decades in British Columbia, we decided to make our way down to see her and his brothers in North Carolina. We figured this would be a perfect opportunity to spend a long weekend in New Orleans as well. I've been a number of times - but those vacations were long before Katrina and long before meeting Boo. And you know that what happens in New Orleans stays in New Orleans.

After we'd booked the flights, Merlot Boy gave us a call from Melbourne to see if we were interested in joining up with him in the Big Apple as he was going to run the NYC Marathon. We told him that we wouldn't be able to fit in the Apple, but wondered if he might be able to swing down to meet us in the Big Easy after his run. He'd never been before; so the details were ironed out for him and his gal pal, Margarita, to fly down for a little cross-continental catch-up. After all, everyone needs to experience New Orleans at least once.

Boo and I didn't arrive in town until midnight. So, by the time we were able to make it to our Guest House in the French Quarter, our Aussie friends had already discovered the excitement that is - and the perils of - Bourbon Street. Everyone was a tad pooped after a day of travel, but it didn't stop us from toasting the good times that were about to magically appear. Boo and I hadn't had any opportunity to find some wine, but Merlot Boy had that well in hand.

977. 2010 [yellow tail] Chardonnay (SE Australia)

978. 2009 Rosemount Merlot (SE Australia)

I'm not going to go into the two wines at all. If you know Australian wine in the least, you know these two stalwarts. I will mention though that, without fail, if MB is bringing the wine, it's going to be Aussie. The boy's a great ambassador for his homeland producers. He'll "reluctantly" drink wines from abroad but only if you're buying. The good news, however, was that the marathon training was over and done with and he was definitely drinking! The last time we crossed paths was during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and he was on the Merlot Boy No Merlot Diet. There was to be none of that this time around.

We'd never met the lovely and talented Margarita before. Turns out she's an old school chum of Merlot Boy - from the thriving metropolis of Warnambool - but we quickly learned that the girl likes her wine white and that she's more than capable of matching the boys glass for glass. Must be something about Aussie sheilas and their genes that gives them that super power - likely having had to put up with their menfolk for all these years.

As it turned out, Margarita has a bit of hankering for Grey Goose as well. Boo and I had picked up a bottle at the Duty Free when leaving Vancouver and it was a perfect way for us to introduce ourselves to the young lady - just as soon as I'd been able to make a quick jaunt to the local bar, half a block around the corner from the guest house, and pick up some olives and limes. The bartender was already well aware of Merlot Boy and Margarita; so, the take out martini makings were no problem. I'm not sure if this is the first Guest Appearance that Grey Goose has made to 2001 Bottles - but it certainly made a big splash. Enough of one that we didn't even take a picture of the wine bottles until the next day. Can't imagine why.

If this first night was any indication of the weekend that was to come, you might be well advised to stay tuned for some hefty blogging on the horizon.

Childress Red

So, this is the last post before we head off on a bit of vacation. For our last couple nights, I grabbed a couple of wines that draw upon our recent weekend away to the Okanagan and allude to the trip about to unfold.

The Okanagan connection is from Boo's and my trip up to Lake Country for my cousin's wedding. As mentioned in those posts, we rarely get to Kelowna and the Northern Okanagan; so, I wanted to take advantage of our passing through and stop in at a couple of wineries for the first time. Grey Monk was one of them. It's not often that I get the chance to hold a bottle of wine that "came" from the very vines - while laden with grapes - that provided the fruit. Such was the case with this Grey Monk "rarity."

975. Gray Monk Rotberger (VQA Okanagan Valley)

This is a very interesting wine - not necessarily because it sells for thousands of dollars or is only made once a decade because of extraordinary conditions. Rather, I find it intriguing because the varietal is one that you're not going to run across very often. In fact, most readers likely wouldn't know that the wine is called "Rotberger" simply because that's the name of the grape and this is a 100% varietal wine.

I know the first thing that comes to mind - at least for me - is "Rotberger" or "Rotgut?" The varietal is actually pronounced "Rote-berger" and not "Rot" and you don't see it very often because hardly anyone grows it. Grey Monk may even be the only winery that grows Rotberger in North America - and, other than some wineries in Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein (really?), you're not likely to find it. Even the limited wineries that grow the grape generally only use it for blending.

To make things even a little more difficult, Rotberger is not to be confused with Rotburger - the latter being another name for the red grape Zweigelt. No wonder most wine drinkers don't know their way past the standard, noble varietals like Cab, Merlot and so on.

The exact heritage of the grape isn't conclusively determined; however, standard understanding has it developed at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in Germany during the late 1920's. It is generally thought to be a cross between the Trollinger and Riesling grapes and is known to produce a fruity, light red wine in cool climate regions. The fact that Rotberger, being a red grape, and Kerner, a white grape, are crosses of the same two parent grapes shows that the cross-breeding of grapes cannot be relied upon to consistently deliver the same result.

Grey Monk's proprietor, George Heiss, knew the characteristics of the Kerner varietal, however, so he decided to experiment with a few rows - six to be more precise - of Rotberger to see how the varietal might fare in the Okanagan. The result was positive enough that Grey Monk's plantings had increased to six acres at one point. Part os those plantings had to be given up to an expansion of the winery and the parking lot; however, Grey Monk's Rotberger has a bit of cult following and should be available for those wanting a fix.

As for the wine itself, the high acidity of the grape requires a bit of residual sugar to counter-balance the otherwise tart flavour. Grey Monk vinifies its Rotberger in a Rosé style that is often seen as having a profile of spice and cranberry. Hence, the winery recommends the wine as a great pairing with turkey and that's what we thought we try it with. "Trouble" was that there wasn't much wine being drunk at Thanksgiving dinner this year and we didn't need the extra bottle. Just meant that the bottle was still around and available for trying so many weeks later.

And, I naturally get to add another varietal to my Wine Century Club list. I doubt too many members will have Rotberger on their lists.

If the Rotberger was picked up on the recent Okanagan venture, the second bottle in this post was sent to us from North Carolina - where we just happen to be heading off to on a visit.

976. N.V. Childress Red (North Carolina - US)

This was one of the bottles that Boo's twin, HDR3, included in a Carolina wine care package. Now to be fair to HDR3, he did ask us, "Why in the world would you want any wine from around this neck of the woods?" My response was, "Well, because we can." That's part of the beauty of trying wines from every nook and cranny.

Winery owner, Richard Childress, is a NASCAR team owner who hails from the Tarheel State. During his years in auto racing, he'd often find himself on tracks that were near the Californian wineries. He developed a passion for wine and grape growing that he hoped to pursue in his native state.

There is a nascent wine industry on the mid-eastern seaboard and Childress has taken a position right in the forefront. "Go big or go home" seems to be a mantra upon the ex-racer's return home. The tasting room and facilities testify to the money being put into the effort. In 2008, Wine Enthusiast magazine named Childress as having one of the Top 25 tasting rooms in the country.

The winery's website boasts a wide selection of wines and styles - but I couldn't find out much on this bottle. The Classic Red is part of the house wine series and it's meant to be "easy, smooth, uncomplicated." I suppose I can give it that - but the simplicity of taste here didn't do a whole lot for me. I don't know what varietals of grape went into the wine - and there wasn't enough of profile to distinguish any sort of a profile to hazard a guess. The wine is non-vintage; so, it could easily be a blend of whatever grapes are available or left behind after the more premium wines have been made. At $10, most folks likely aren't that concerned.

I wouldn't mind visiting the winery if the opportunity arises when we hit Greensboro, but I'm going to have to agree with HDR3's assessment of the wine. As far as the entry level wines go, I won't hold out much excitement to try another.

A Return to Riesling

Just because this is a short post doesn't mean that the bloom is off the rose as far as it goes between me and Nk'Mip Riesling. I've just fallen so far behind on my posts and I've written a fair bit about Nk'Mip before that I need to be short and sweet. Besides, I've already added previous vintages of the Riesling to The List as well.

974. 2008 Nk'Mip Riesling (VQA Okanagan Valley)

I've found that Nk'Mip's Riesling has had a pretty steady profile of being crisp and citrus-packed over the last couple of vintages. It may just be that the last couple of growing seasons have resulted in fruit with higher acidity levels, but I seem to recall a slight residual sugar on the early Rieslings that Nk'Mip produced.

I kind of miss that touch of sweet. If nothing else, it'd "permit" a little more spice or heat on the butter chicken. The higher acidity doesn't match up quite as well.

Not, of course, that we have to have butter chicken to accompany our Riesling. After all, there's no denying that Randy Picton and crew still deliver a distinctive and layered glass of wine. It sure is nice when that favourite pairing of our's does work though.

Fowl Wine for a Fowl Supper?

At this time of year, if you're in Vancouver and you run into Linda Fillmore - especially dolled up like she is in this picture - it can likely mean only one thing: the Prairie Fairy Fowl Supper. The Fillmore Foundation has been hosting the Fowl Supper since 2000 and raising thousands of dollars for local charities like A Loving Spoonful, McLaren Housing Society and Out in Schools. Fashioned after the community fowl suppers that are ubiquitous across the prairies, the party started as a small event to bring a little bit of the prairies back for many of the fairies that had crossed the Rockies to land in Vancouver.

It's now one of the biggest events on the Vancouver gay calendar. Tickets always sell out and it's often the one time, every year, where you can run into old friends and acquaintances that you haven't seen since the last Fowl Supper.

We were joining up with some our regular gang, but we invited Miss Jaq over to our place for a cocktail before we mosied off to the Supper. Miss Jaq has always been half-way across the world every other time the supper has been held, but we corralled her to join us this time since she was actually going to be in town.

972. 2010 Focus Riesling (VQA Okanagan Valley)

Just as Miss Jaq was making a first appearance, this is a first time for me and Focus Riesling. Years ago, I remember reading Jurgen Gothe, in the Georgia Strait magazine, say that he thought that the 2002 Focus was the first Riesling to come out of Canada that could be taken seriously. Back then, Roger Wong was a young winemaker, working at Pinot Reach, and he put out a side-project label of one wine - a Riesling. After a review like Gothe's, what little Focus there was disappeared quickly and I anxiously waited for the next vintage.

Trouble is that there was no subsequent vintage that followed. 2003 saw the Okanagan wildfire that compromised many of the region's grapes and Wong didn't feel that he could get his hands on fruit that could meet his vision. Pinot Reach then got parcelled off (in large part into what is now Tantalus) and Wong found himself concentrating on a new winemaking position at Grey Monk.

Almost a decade later, Roger and his wife, Gillian, have teamed up with another couple, Ross and Geri Dean, to form Intrigue Wines. Wong still works for Grey Monk but he and Intrigue have started producing their own wines from the Lake Country region. This 2010 Focus is one of the wines that Intrigue has produced and it takes off where that original vintage started - making the odd headline here and there. There were only 89 cases made; so it still won't be the easiest wine to find. But it's worth it!

The name Focus comes from Wong's concept of making a regional wine that focuses on the one varietal that best suits that region's terroir. His thought is that Riesling is that grape when it comes to the North Okanagan If you're a regular reader, you already know that I'm partial to Rieslings. So, it shouldn't be any surprise that I'm going to focus on Roger's wines down the road.

Now, with the residual sugar that is fully evident in the Focus Riesling, some might be tempted to refer to the wine as "fruit salad in a cup." I wouldn't want you to confuse it with the actual jellied fruit salad in a Double D cup that showed up at the Fowl Supper in the annual jellied salad competition. As beautiful - and likely tasty - those cups might have been, the salad made by our friends, Will and Harry, wasn't even a finalist. I think they got bamboozled myself.

Unfortunately for the wine drinker in me, our earlier bottle was the primary focus of our evening's wine enjoyment. The wines available at the Fowl Supper were, by all accounts at our table, rather fowl. We bought a bottle of the only red and the only white. I didn't necessarily think they were as bad as the others but, suffice it to say, that most of our table moved on to beer - and that's saying something for a classy gal like Miss Jaq. As for Elzee, I think she decided to stick with water. Ouch.

973. 2010 Two Oceans Pinot Noir (W.O. Western Cape - South Africa)

2010 Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc (W.O. Western Cape - South Africa)

Regardless of the calibre of the wine, I'm still adding the Pinot Noir to The List. After all, not every wine on a list of 2001 bottles can be a winner and we did manage to coax Miss Jaq and Nine-Juan-Juan to pose with the bottles - even if they weren't exactly her cup of wine.

In checking back on the blog, it looks like Two Oceans has been the winery of choice for the last three Fillmore Foundation events and I can't add the Sauv Blanc since I added the 2010 vintage after the Fillmore Family Reunion back in the summer. I don't know if the distributors have come on as a sponsor of the event, but I may have to talk to Linda. One never wants to limit one's wine sales - particularly at a charity event.

With no more wine to be had, we didn't last long as the supper moved on from dinner to dance. Turns out Boo, Miss Jaq, and Elzee thought as much about the evening's entertainment as they did about the wine - particularly as the crowd got restless with the floor show and took to launching paper airplanes. Personally, I could have stuck it out with a beer and dance, but 3-1 is a pretty tough vote to get past, especially when Boo was the designated driver.

Hopefully, Linda and gang will de-brief the Fowl Supper and rein in whatever might need it. I love the event and its history, but if stalwarts like Elzee and Boo and me are questioning the bloom on the rose, I have to wonder if others are thinking the same thing.

Or, maybe, we're just becoming old and cranky prairie fairies who complain a lot when the wine doesn't meet our high fallutin' tastes. Guess we'll see.