River City Cellars

And OCTOPUS!!!

2010-04-21T11:58:00.006-04:00

Just another day at Secco...

2010-04-20T23:54:00.032-04:00

Sara here. I'm just bringing my camera to work with me now. Gotta document this rough life I lead as the menu trials continue...

Duck terrine...

Pate

Mostarda in the early stages.

Olive Oil Cake.

Taps that will one day have delicious beer in them...

And hundreds of freshly washed and polished glasses!

2010-04-19T00:31:00.012-04:00

Okay, so I am an Adduci, and being an Adduci means that there is pasta making in my blood. My Grandma Lena was an amazing cook, preparing elaborate Sunday suppers for us EVERY week for all of my childhood (and most of my early adulthood, for that matter) and part of that magic was in her homemade pasta. I used to make it with her sometimes, trying to pin down her recipes and master her skills, though she never actually measured anything which made things a bit difficult to replicate, I must say. She always just did everything with the experienced hands of someone who just knew how it was supposed to feel, and damn, she sure made it look easy.

It has been years since I've made pasta and I was so thrilled to watch Tim and Scott and Dallas doing some pasta making trials at Secco. It made me weepy, even, much to my surprise, especially when they were making orrechiette, which was always my favorite of the many styles of pasta my Gram would make.

I'm just happy to see that some of these old traditions are being kept alive, now, here, today! So, thanks, first, to my Grandma for planting the seeds of fresh and homemade firmly in my mind, and secondly, to Tim and the boys for the sweet reminder. I wish she was still here to see this because she would love it!

Am I dreaming, or is this place really starting to look like a restaurant??

2010-04-18T18:35:00.008-04:00

Howdy folks! This is Sara here-- and I just wanted to share with you some of the pictures I took yesterday of Secco. After all this waiting and planning, it is truly amazing how quickly this place is taking shape-- before you know it we will be pouring you a glass of wine and plying you with plates of deliciousness! Wheee! I cannot wait. The menu is fantastic and the wines, people, the wines! I think I'll be a customer as often as I am a server! Julia might as well pay me in food and drink. Ha. But, it sure does look sweet, doesn't it??

HOLYCOWITSALLHAPPENINGSOFAST!

2010-04-14T21:07:00.010-04:00

Funny, how after two years of planning, paying rent on an empty space, crunching numbers, planning some more, paying a lot more, crunching more numbers, filling out dozens of logic-defying/mind-numbing governmental forms, drinking a hell of a lot [of wine], filing endless applications, "engaging" city hall (in that unresolved, Korean DMZ sort of way), hiring awesome people and then convincing them to wait months for a job, selling everything I own, borrowing against my soul/leveraging the rest and putting EVERYTHING on a spreadsheet (an unnatural act) it all comes down to 15 freaking days!?!!?!

This has been a crazy week among crazy weeks. My eye-twitch is in such high gear (if I could figure out the time signature I'd join a math-rock band and/or play the lottery with my sequence repetition) that I know we're closer than close to opening Secco. How close? I'm not gonna tell you because, until I clench that VA ABC license in my un-manicured, shaky hand, the fat lady is still just humming her chromatic scales.

That's right, we still have to get through a few more city and state hurdles before we can pour delicious wine into your glass but we are mere days away! In fact, the really funny part is how I plowed through the really big challenges (with LOTS of help) like a cattle guard-equipped train engine (I'd have used a sports analogy here but my bf is a restaurant manager himself and therefore never home/rarely available for continuity checks), but the threatening tidal wave of administrivia is what terrifies me now:

Will the spring-loaded hooks anchoring the wine bottles on the retail display hold a manorexic Austrian Gruner Veltliner bottle as well as a fat bottomed-low-rider Prosecco bottle and not cause either to jump out resulting in a costly concussion? If we don't adjust the glass washer hot water sanitation cycle down to 180 from 210 degrees will the $10K Micros machine above it suffer steam burns? Will some [expletive deleted] lock themselves out of the bathroom on the first night (oh, wait, that already happened)? Will the sticker printing company EVER get the pantone color (207u...TWO HUNDRED SEVEN U!!!) right on our logo? Will I break the other window shade? Should the bin numbers on the racks follow the precise order of the wine list? Can I adequately explain twitter and social media site access/content to my staff without making "invitation to sexual harassment lawsuit" jokes? Will the front door paint come off on customers' hands? Will the hot water kettles heat fast enough for an unpredictable coffee program? Will everyone appreciate what a beautiful job Stephanie did on the bathroom or worse overly appreciate it by um, overstaying? Will I remember to add the "eating raw or undercooked foods are delicious I mean dangerous" tagline to the menu? Will I find drapes that don't look like ass? Will I remember to wash the napkins every week since I'm too cheap to hire a linen company? Will the discount laser printer even work on our custom sized menu templates? Will the back-ordered teaspoons arrive before my 40th birthday? Will I spend my 40th birthday diving in my own dumpster (since I spent ALL my money on the wine bar I will not be turning 40 in Paris like I imagined)? Will I be able to curb the enthusiasm of the local characters at the home around the corner? Will I remember to take care of my Irish Stripe before opening? Do the panini actually fit on the plates I got on sale but forgot to run by Chef? Will the lighting be too dark or too light? Is there enough copper paint left over for touch-ups? Are people going to compulsively pick at our cork covered bar? Is anyone gonna figure out how to blast our way through the sidewalk/basement doors so we don't have to take wine deliveries on the dining room floor during service? Will anyone notice the barefootprints permanently embedded in the epoxy paint (thanks to yours truly)? Will the chalkboard painted wall be washable? Will the first bottle I open be corked? Will the best coffee company ever send the right grind in time for opening? Will anyone complain about an all-Edith Piaf set that lasts the entire week after VE Day? Will our tshirt slogans be too long to fit on a women's sm baby doll cap sleeve American Apparel T? Will anyone get it?" Translates to "Don't ask me how old I am or how much wine I've had." Or at least I think that's what it means. [Anni e bicchieri di vino non si contano mai."] True.

At least I know through it all my staff has my back...

We Heart Beer--just not unloading the beer cooler.

2010-04-08T16:22:00.003-04:00

Clockwise:

Secco lit up at night after the floors were painted; very large, strong men delivering our beer cooler; Lincoln checking out his new beer palace; Chef Tim unwrapping whisks, tongs and bowls. Closer and closer!!

Paint it Black

2010-04-05T09:02:00.004-04:00

Closer...Closer...

2010-03-25T18:55:00.019-04:00

It's probably no surprise we're busting a move to get open asap...here's a look back at just the last week of progress.

Paint Party!!!

2010-03-21T22:44:00.009-04:00

I'm embarrassed at how sore I am from "just" painting. But with a little help from my friends...looks pretty good! As pictured: Chef likes a green kitchen; we cleaned every RVA hardware store out of chalkboard paint today; Stephanie bronzing the tiles outside; interior Secco.

Measure Twice...huh? Oops!

2010-03-16T17:52:00.008-04:00

Cue the theme from This is Spinal Tap (you know, the song where the little people are dancing around the miniature Stonehenge because someone didn't measure correctly?). Tom unwrapped the used kitchen prep sink I ordered from a-city discount (dude--it was a steal!) and calmly asked, "What the %$#@ is this?" Um. Well. It was supposed to be the 18"x18"x12" NSF stainless food prep sink (one of NINE sinks code requires in our 1000 sf restaurant). "The sink bowl is 4" deep. What exactly do think the kitchen boys are gonna wash in that?" (snort.) No wonder he won't let me use the table saw. Back to scouring the interweb...

Chris Milk, our resident installation artist, keeps sneaking in during the wee hours and making the back bar increasingly pretty. If I hadn't mentioned it before, his art will change up every season with an evolving backdrop and signature cut-outs. I'd post the comps but I hate spoilers.

In other, more mechanical areas, my awesome hood, plumbing and electrical guys all pulled it together in time for the fire suppression final this morning which--didn't happen. Maybe tomorrow. The backstory is hilarious (if you find fighting city hall funny) but I'm afraid to put it in print and jeopardize bureaucratic cooperation.

As my stiff upper-lipped English mother said, "Keep suffering; it makes for good copy."

So our freshly scrubbed and skirted (again: snort) hood is festooned with balloons awaiting one of "the Dales" tomorrow. Balloons? I thought my hood guy (Jim Jones) was kidding. I asked Tom. "Yeah, they used to use condoms but it got too expensive." I need to stop asking these questions. Especially when Tom is measuring, leveling, table-sawing and construction-gluing 50,000 itty bits of salvaged end pieces around egresses, pass-throughs and emergency lights. Lincoln has clearly demonstrated more talent than I in the measuring department because he's allowed to cut stuff. Whatever.

ps: I think it looks REALLY GOOD!

Milk Paint

2010-03-14T17:57:00.003-04:00

A few more shots of our back bar progress...Lincoln prepping and bondo-ing (notice the OSHA approved protective gear), Chris on a late night start, the bar as texted to me at 3:30am by Dipti--my staff is dedicated (and insomniac).

Hooray for Reclaimed Construction Materials!

2010-03-10T09:08:00.004-05:00

Chef Tim & I braved NoVa yesterday and scored seating, water glasses, plates & flatware for the wine bar. His 8 month old son AJ was a top-notch wingman--flirted with the ladies at Fortessa and got us a sweet discount on antipasti plates! While our strike on Ikea could only be described as surgical in its precision, we were three hours late getting back to RVA thanks to the whims of 95.

But what a surprise awaited me upon return--it was dark out and Secco was all lit up with a perfect view of the bar Tom started installing yesterday. Who knew two, practically free pallets of framing end pieces would make such a beautifully textured finish? Well, Tom did, of course. He never ceases to amaze me in his ability to take unlikely, often discarded material and turn it into compelling design. He possesses both vision and frugality--great traits in a business partner!

Lincoln (pictured on the ladder here) has almost finished painting and re-installing the old ceiling, and is now bondo-ing, sanding and prepping the back bar for local artist Chris Milk to start on our seasonally changing art installation. People--this is gonna look GOOD!

So today's task list (how did I/we ever survive before google calendar & google document sharing?) includes finding a new bar sink, putting together 17 chairs, getting parking lot signs made, working on my taxes, ordering plates, unpacking scores of wineglasses, putting together a press release, working on website content, filing a damage claim with FedEx for the vacuum sealer, refrigeration refrigeration refrigeration, ordering cork for the tables and bar, ordering wallpaper for the bathroom (counting on the diverse talents of my other partner Stephanie here), uploading recipes for kitchen staff, scheduling Micros training and submitting staff info for payroll processing. Oh, and catching up on inventory--glassware, compostable to go containers, sugar creamer sets, candles and holders, cheese slates and straws are all here, but where the hell are our linens, bar naps, salt and pepper shakers, and...what else are we missing???

Cooking with Gas!

2010-03-04T14:46:00.011-05:00

Wow, construction is flying! All my hard-working trades have busted a move, made up for lost time (snow blows) and are actually on schedule! If anyone ever needs a hood guy, electrician or plumber, I can heartily recommend my guys). Chef Tim and his crew finished tiling, the equipment has started rolling in (hello little six burner, welcome to your new home) and UPS arrives every day with packages full of smallwares.

The only weird part is I feel like I'm back at my old job in OP-504 (USMC Amphibious Warfare at the Pentagon) considering I am constantly surrounded by dudes--except for Debra at Janosko I'm convinced there are no women in the restaurant outfitting industry! Now back to finding a used kitchen prep sink with splash guards...

Restaurant Buildout Haiku

2010-02-26T11:00:00.004-05:00

Thanks to my dear friend Kelly at Fountain Bookstore for the inspiration!

My brain is bursting
Secco to open before
French Film Festival

30 amp fryer
Fifty seven resumes
Discontinued tile

Bowling alley wax
High-temp no-chem glass washer
Five dozen cheese slates

Zoning compliance
1.7 pounds ice per seat
POS training

Water heater tray
Aluminum or plastic?
Unscheduled sales reps

Bonjour French presses
Do green degreasers exist?
Painting ceiling tiles

BFM on draft
Research exterminators
Cross wired speakers

Refrigeration
Wrong week to quit sniffing glue
Fire suppression next

Grease to Biofuels
Dimmable halogen lights
Operating agreement

Meet with CPA
What do you mean 'not in stock'
Drafting press release

Repurposed lumber
Compostable containers
Need to drink Champagne

Scheduling two staffs
Need to finalize wine list
Hand me the Advil

Website comps to proof
Whole or half cube icemaker
No more g@%%#&n snow

Who Knew "Hood Inspection" Elicited So Many Jokes?

2010-02-23T01:37:00.007-05:00

So my plan of avoiding inspectors seems to be working. I'm so feminist I'm anti-fem! Wha?! Let's just say that after decades of fighting anything that moved, at the ripe old age of 39 3/4, I have embraced the adage: "Do you want to be right, or do you want to be effective?" I choose effective. So I smile sweetly and duck out, and voila! We passed yet another inspection on the first try (here's hoping I haven't jinxed it now). Next up, fire suppression.

Chef Tim and his trusty helpers have been working around all this chaos trying to get the tile installed before the kitchen equipment rolls in. And since I was the one who measured it, we came up 9 tiles short. Sigh. Hopefully Morris Tile still has some of those closeouts left or I'm gonna have to get creative.

We've hired our first bartender--everybody welcome an old RVA favorite Lincoln Smith. He doesn't know it yet but his days are going to be filled with painting ceiling tiles and trips to the dump long before we start filling glasses with delicious BFM brews and flutes of sparkling Prosecco.

Off to find the elusive second-hand 72" three compartment sink...

The Bar Bones, Richmond Rooftops

2010-02-15T22:40:00.011-05:00

So, I didn't tell Tom how much I fear ladders. It's not a fear of heights. I'm just fine going up, but the awkward, precarious, equipment-laden decent not so much. The good news was the weather FOR ONCE cooperated. So up we went. The hood guys had strategically placed the exhaust equipment a few days before so we (from here on out referring to the "royal we" means Tom if skilled or physical labor is involved, and yours truly if taking iPhone pix, mixing cocktails, crunching numbers, uploading iPhone pix, distracting the subcontractors or occasionally pushing a broom is involved) cut through 90 years' worth of really nasty, smelly, confusing roofing materials to start the venting shaft. Did I say nasty? That smell--rendered by Tom's Sawzall smoking while it tore through the abitument and amosite-laden black schmutz--reminded me of my childhood, specifically of naval shipyards in the early 70's and tire burning protests in mid-80's Napoli. Not delicious when stuck in the lipgloss.

Today Jim Jones (hood guy) and his trusty partner will bore through the upstairs office (hi, neighbor!), insert the 2 story welded monstrosity, wrap it and build a chase around it. Then it's fire suppression time...

In the way cool department, Tom has started the front bar! Basic structure went in over the weekend--really starting to look like more than an abandoned rec room now. My good buddy Victoria, an intrepid online shopper with impeccable design sense found us some sexy, heavily discounted barstools with FREE SHIPPING. I love free. And if you're like me and not nearly as tall as you perceive yourself to be, you'll love the fact that they adjust for height AND they swivel. Looking good....

Today Chef and I are going to pick up closeout flooring tile for the kitchen and bath, and I'm going to learn how to mix grout and handle Durock (the cement board, not the pork). Or I'll pour beers while Chef does it. Everyone's got his/her skill set. Then it's off to go six burner shopping!

The HOOD...She is UP!

2010-02-04T00:46:00.005-05:00

Joy! Secco construction is really rolling now. My house finally sold and the big push for equipment and outfitting is underway. We passed plumbing rough-in, electrical is all done, and the giant hood has been installed (though every time we try to finish the venting work it SNOWS). Tom is cranking out the bar and tables, and Tim is scouring auctions and warehouse basements for everything from whisks to convection ovens. I've been dodging back and forth between spreadsheets, website design, wine lists, subcontractors and utilities customer service calls. Just trying to keep the circus in the ring...and get open before the French Film Festival. Sacre Bleu!

One thing I was happy to discover and want to pass on to anyone with any home or business improvement project: ReStore. If you're not already familiar with it, it's basically a thrift store of everything from grout to doors to light fixtures to flooring--all proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity. I scored four beautiful brand new mirrors and a porcelain hand sink for a FRACTION of the cost. Great place--I'll be there every week!

Hooray for Indoor Plumbing!

2009-12-29T11:34:00.003-05:00

FINALLY! We finally got our plumbing permit and Scott (Traditional Plumbing) and crew are happily drilling holes all over the place. The refrigeration guys are in the basement scratching their heads over how to build a walk-in in a 66" high basement, and the electrician is trying to work around it all. Meanwhile at RCC we are struggling to unload and shelve hundreds of bottles of bubbly in anticipation of NYE. Struggling meaning it's hard not to "remind" ourselves of the variety of Champagne styles out there via constant sampling. Good thing that magnum of Lassaigne Blanc de Blanc doesn't arrive until later...

Secco Winter Menu Trials

2009-12-07T15:28:00.013-05:00

Last night we took a break from construction and holiday madness to indulge in some necessary bacchanalia: testing out dishes for Secco's opening (winter) menu. That's as close as I'm going to get to naming a date ;)

Chef Tim blew us away with just a handful of creations. Obviously I'm biased, but there are going to be some very happy foodies in RVA in a few months! Here's a sneak peek at the preliminary round (iPhone take it away!):

Roasted almond & garlic soup with roasted grapes, chanterelles, creme fresh & almond oil.

Amuse of Gravlax with slivered red onion, fresh dill, creme fraiche.

Mackerel escabeche.

Duck terrine with sultanas & pistachios, wrapped in prosciutto di parma, with gala apple compote & toasted baguette.

Squid ink colored cappelletti stuffed with baccala montecato; romesco sauce and crushed toasted hazelnuts.

Fonduta: Comte & Tavoliere with kirschwasser.

Duck confit, sauteed brussels sprouts, battered/fried cippolini, duck gelee with verjus.

Finally: Catalan bread pudding with caramel sauce & fleur de sel. Paired beautifully with Jorge Ordonez Malaga #1. Heart!

Baby Got Back(bar)!

2009-11-18T23:21:00.004-05:00

Some beautiful things are taking place next door: Tom, along with his helper Eric, got the back bar installed today! It's an arched soffit with recessed lighting and a big mirror behind it. Plenty of wine-by-the-glass storage and space for delicious draft beer! So exciting. Also new is the final color choice: silvery mauve during the day, shimmery bloody red at night (technically it's RL Metallic Regent Dewdrop Pink). Starting to shape up...Feel free to pop in and peek next time you're in Carytown!

Sheetrockin' Out!

2009-10-29T09:08:00.013-04:00

WOW! Secco is really starting to look like a place and not a spreadsheet!

The guys got the whole place rocked in yesterday, and should finish skim-coating the east wall today. That means soon we'll be painting...

In these photos Chef Tim looks on at his new "home" and Tom watches the progress.

The windows are in and the door will be installed soon, more light than I've seen for 11 years in our "cave" at RCC ;)

2009-10-27T22:47:00.005-04:00

In order...

(Used) Hood parts.

Spatial relations.

Sheet rock.

Reality embraced.

City Girl, Country Girl

2009-10-15T10:08:00.009-04:00

Julia with Beatrix

I finally visited Sara while she tended to cheese making and goat herding at Caromont Farm in Esmont, VA. It was a quick jaunt doubling as a cider bootlegging/leaf peeping road trip, but it was great seeing my goat girl in her element. Here are some iPhone shots of the critters. Sara will have real photos to upload soon. Cheers!

Sara with her flock (herd?)

MudPig!

Baby boy goat greeters.

Sparky the Key Eater

Relentless Thirst Beer Tasting

2009-09-03T09:47:00.008-04:00

(RCC Beer Guy David Garrett's notes)

A collection of beers were put together on a roof in downtown Richmond last Saturday. Some of these beers dated back to 1987, some were the most sought after microbrews made. I brought two bottles of British ale that I had had the luck of retrieving from south eastern England. Within moments these humble beers were consumed and for a second the thought of "whats next" crossed my mind. After this point the overwhelming bounty became, well, simply that, overwhelming. There was a true embarrassment of riches. Beautiful beers being pushed aside for even more ridiculous and obscure offerings. There were "Decadence" and "Dark Lord" along with incomprehensibly sour lambics from the '90's. There were high alcohol pilsners, bottled in 750 ml bottles, from the Czech Republic. And there was a bottle of BFM's Abbey de Saint Bon-Chien aged in Bourbon barrels. The crowd of beer enthusiasts casually made their way through all these crazy, mind bending elixirs with the non-challenge of a professional...

Thanks to the host Eric, author of the Relentless Thirst Blog !
Pictured here are (in no particular order, to protect the innocent):
David, RCC
Matt, Wine & Beer Westpark
Ron, B United
Chris, Loveland
Eric, Relentless Thirst
Dan, Left Hand Brewing
Lincoln, Capitol Ale House
Emily, OUAVN

Framed!

2009-08-28T20:50:00.019-04:00

Actual construction is happening!
Thanks to Carol P.W. and her family for hooking us up with fabulous old flooring from their Bon Air home. It'll look great on the back kitchen wall (this project really is locally crowdsourced--if you're interested in being a part of it please let me know). Plus it was nice spending some quality time with her sweet border collies.

Tom Brickman, my biz partner/skilled woodworker/restaurant designer/comic relief, busted a serious move all day Friday, literally working into the night. Which reminds me, we should get some lights in there. I helped! Or thought I was helping. Turns out I can't tell the difference between 10'x1"x6" and 10x2"x6" lumber, use two hands to hammer and confuse plum vs. level, so from this point on I'm relegated to fetching beer and iced coffee, fundraising and blogging. There's Tom, shuttin' the "stairhole" and practicing yelling into the kitchen through the pass-through.

So, as of last night, the bathroom and kitchen are framed and we're ready for the electrician and VA Power to come work their finally approved 3-phase power magic.

I'm pleased we'll finally have our panel accessible, rather than in a closet in a locked shop at the back of the building, and have it not running on 40 year old fuses.

Retrofitting is fun!

Fun with Electricity!

2009-08-19T12:26:00.006-04:00

Finally, more progress! This wine bar construction thing is starting to resemble the Sagrada Familia in scope and longevity. Here's hoping we open before I turn 40 (just around the corner)! The young electrician's helpers were in yesterday doing all the electrical demo to prepare for our Change of Use permit inspection. Then framing should start in just a few days. It will be nice to see some CON STRUCTion rather than DESTRUCTion for a change...

Julia Child Week!

2009-08-13T10:02:00.005-04:00

Friday, August 14th, 5-7pm: WWJD...What Would Julia Drink? Free Wine Tasting with Julia & Julia!

It's no secret I'm a child of the 70's, born to an Englishwoman of renowned culinary talent in the French tradition (hi, mom!), weaned on PBS and, perhaps unwittingly, ushered early on into the world of cooking from scratch. Everywhere we were stationed my folks grew stuff and mom cooked it. Grades 2-6 in NoVA were spent in a giant garden, which included one million pole bean plants (my brother Dave will corroborate that figure--we had to weed them all); rubber tires filled with rhubarb bunches; and (poison ivy-ensconced) peach, apple and cherry trees augmented by dozens of patches of wild mint and wild asparagus. The basement was full of endless spice racks (at the age of nine I was made to appreciate the aesthetic superiority of white pepper in egg dishes, the striking difference between Spanish and Hungarian paprika); freezers full of pastry shells, half a cow, fruit tartlets, and homemade stocks (chicken, beef and fish); canned EVERYTHING (including mint jelly, peach chutney, and some mysterious tomato concoction); preserved milk in all its forms (evaporated, sweetened-condensed, dried); multiple tubes of escargot shells; and every kind of oil and vinegar imaginable. This was normal. This was a "decent pantry." Mom cooked. A lot.

And while mom cooked, as was the case for so many foodies my age, "The French Chef" & "Julia Child & Company" reruns provided hours of background entertainment (to this day I recommend Blue Talon in Williamsburg, not just for their excellent food but for the fact that J's old WGBH videos play above the bar--a glass of rose and a slab of country pate make for an excellent road trip reward). Julia Child, however, was more than just an omnipresent warble echoing through our split level ranch, she was practically family. Her books were everywhere. My childhood brain connected her OSS work with my mom's survival of WWII London bombings (I was in my 30's when I discovered J was in fact an American). And I remain convinced to this day that my mother named me after her. So when Kelly at Fountain Bookstore called and asked if I'd be into a "Julie, Julia & Julia" gig celebrating the movie's release and the 40th anniversary of vol 2 of MtAoFC I accepted, mais bien sur.

So. In a perfect world, I would pair delicious French wines with dishes prepared from THE book and serve them both to you at a table. But considering the wine bar construction next door is moving at the speed of Richmond, I'll have to use my verbal skills to convey the perfection of her recipes while you sip away. I have selected 4 classic MtAoFC entrees, including my mom's favorite, and using J's wine recommendations, have picked affordable, accessible accompaniments that honor the spirit of our Proto-Foodie. So I raise a glass (of sherry, natch') to Julia Child; to my mom Veronica (aka Nikki); to bookseller extraordinaire Kelly Justice; and to "Julie/Julia Project" author Julie Powell, because following directions is HARD, never mind 524 recipes in 365 days!?! That's a LOT of directions. And a whole lotta of butter. Here's to you, Ladies. Cheers! Following are four dishes from my sweet new edition of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, volume one, fresh off the shelf from Fountain Bookstore. Kelly will be bringing copies for anyone lacking this must-have reference. (Please forgive the truncated tasting notes. They are what I actually wrote in my tasting book and not Peter's well researched and thoughtful musings you are all used to by now--this missive is never going to get done otherwise.) Enjoy! p. 214 (mom's pick) ~Sole a la Dieppoise (fish filets with mussels & shrimp) ~Mestre Michelot 2006 Bourgogne Blanc Young vine Chardonnay from Mersault vineyards. Good vintage. Seriousness, depth, zip. Verve. Screwcap. Heart. May slightly unclog arteries but will not prevent French hangover. 23 tablespoons of butter...really. p. 249 ~Poulet Poele a l'Estragon (casserole roasted chicken with tarragon) ~Corail 2008 Rose de Provence Classic dry rose from southern France: Grenache/Syrah/Carignan/Cincault/Vermintino. Biodynamic. Winemaker Raymond Villeneuve owns it. Herbal notes make this interesting. ICDtSOoT. Recipe worth the trussing fussiness when tasted. p.275 ~Caneton Roti a l'Alsacienne (roast duck with sausage & apple stuffing) ~Jean Luc Mader 2007 Gewurztraminer Dry but exotic. Textbook lychee-rose-petals-in-your-glass. Great for the money. I want Belmont Butchery fennel sausage with this. Recipe requires more surgery skills, but how better to impress? p. 315 ~Boeuf Bourguignon (needs no translation) ~Les Grimaudes 2005 Costieres de Nimes Rouge Bargain Rhone! Winemaker Emmanuelle Kreydenweiss. Mostly Grenache with Syrah. Biodynamic. A four year old $12 wine that needs decanting. Love it! ...and to wash down all that fantastic animal fat? Julia's tipple of choice: Sherry! Lustau Dry Amontillado "Los Arcos" Woodsy, smokey, raisiny but not heavy. Gonna convert these people into Sherry lovers if it kills me!

New Staff Picks!

2009-08-05T16:52:00.006-04:00

Sara

David

Peter

Julia

Italian Wine Class at VMFA

2009-07-21T13:02:00.002-04:00

The Art of Italian Wine
Sat, Aug 8, 2pm, Pauley Center Parlor, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Peter Neff, wine buyer for River City Cellars, demystifies the wines of Italy through history and a tasting. Tickets (refreshments included): $35 (members, $25) and are available by phone 804.340.1405 or online

100 bottles of Rose' on the Wall...

2009-06-30T17:07:00.012-04:00

(Julia's notes) Wow. For years we've been preaching "DRINK PINK" and pushing rose for all it's worth. The staff of RCC truly has saigne' running in our veins (har--wine humor). But our dear friend, former RCC staffer and Potomac Selections rep Ryne Hazzard really outdid himself Sunday hosting a ONE HUNDRED ROSES tasting at his secret compound the other side of town. Like an idiot I scheduled myself Sunday so the rest of my staff and every wine shop geek from Charlottesville to Williamsburg had a 4 hour head start by the time I got there. But tasting and spitting (sorry neighbors on the other side of the fence) at lightening speed I caught up in no time. 40 industry people, 12 hours, 100 wines, 3 bottles of mosquito repellent and one kidnapping later, we were very pink indeed. Sara has the best photos, (coming next week), as she and Ryne meticulously cataloged each bottle, which ranged from rare and pricey ($80/bt) Chateau Simone to hilarious (Wild Irish Rose*), famous (Domaine Tempier) to pedestrian (Beringer white zin) with lots of gems from Provence, South Africa, Italy and sunny Spain delighting a tough crowd. Honestly it was such a treat because not once did I hear "what's the price point?" or "who brings this in?" but only "great to see you!" and "oh, oh--you gotta try this!" And did I mention many of us dressed up, in pink of course?!

Of the many highlights of the evening, my two favorites were absconding with the owner of a famous Belgian-beer loving Vietnamese restaurant on Broad Street and bringing him back for the tasting (I think there may have been a rocking chair theft involved but I'm pleading the 5th), and a certain Country Vintner wine rep and former front of house manager at Acacia doing the *most perfect ever* rendition of 'Baby Got Back.' So a shout out to all my hard working, rose loving peers--Belmont Butchery, the Cheese Shop, Enoteca Sogno/Coast, Barrel Thief, Strawberry Street Vineyard, Bello Vino, Mekong, Can Can, Belle Vie, Emerson's, and of course RCC--good times! We love our jobs. And if you love us, help celebrate Independents [sic] Day by supporting your local wine shops and restaurants. Thanks to you we live La Vie En Rose!

*According to Henry Reidy at SSV, Virginia was the 4th largest (by volume) wine producer until Wild Irish Rose moved its production from Petersburg to New York. Now we're 5th. I don't think that's a bad thing ;)

Let There Be Light (and an emergency egress)

2009-06-23T10:52:00.006-04:00

Progress!
Our Mason Chris and his trusty assistant Jamie have opened up the windows and are busy cutitng out the doorway. And no, not a flagman in sight! Here's hoping the rain holds off until we get the glass in...

Breakthroughs are Necessarily Messy...

2009-06-19T21:05:00.020-04:00

(Julia's notes)
Yay! More real evidence of progress! It only seems symbolic if you haven't heard the screaming saws and huffed the billowing orange dust for two days (oh, and dodged the less than enthusiastic store neighbors). I could wax poetic about brick structures and the heartwarming permanency of old school east coast architecture but WE HAVE A PORTAL!

"Shhh!," says V. with a wink and a (Richmond) nod "([Lion*Witch*Wardrobe] + Fight Club=SECCO)."

So after 3 hours and $40 and 2 trips to city hall and immeasurable soul hemorrhaging I finally got our effing sidewalk scaffolding permit from the city replete with caveats, but don't take my word for it...see right. And yes, that says, "flagman."

I'll be racing back from Fathers Day in DC Sunday to finish up demolition on the old, bricked in windows so the mason can open them up early Monday morning. I love smashing lead-painted glass and rotted wood window frames...makes all those beers taste even more delicious!

Shout out to my brick mason, Chris McBrayer.: he is talented, efficient, professional, creative and tidy. Even if he is a bastard for making a veal fed almost 40 year old girl demo ancient windows ;) Dude--isn't that what 19 year old boys are for?! Oh well, at least I don't need a silkwood shower when I get off work.

Left is Chris finishing the connection between RCC & SWB Friday morning. We had fun during the weekly wine tasting taking customers and supporters through the PORTAL. Here's Sara, David & Peter peeking through...

2009-06-17T22:24:00.004-04:00

(Sara's notes) In cheese news, I just got back from Caromont with a cooler full of all our favorites--Fresh Chevre, Old Green Mountain rounds, and pyramids of Alberene Ash (that I'll be having for dinner tonight with some fresh beets I got at the farmer's market). It was great, as it always is, to hang out with the goats and their keepers, to do some milking and some packaging, and to check in on my two favorite little ones, Violet and Sparrow, who are still as sweet as ever. Maybe one day I'll be able to bring them home with me (and you know I'll bring them to the store for show and tell), but until then, here are some pictures so you can see just how adorable they really are...

Hope to see you soon.

Don't Tell Mom!

2009-06-03T23:11:00.004-04:00

Smashing Good Times!

2009-05-20T11:13:00.009-04:00

I'm really pleased with our demo progress, and I'm slowly getting used to the dull ache and sharp pain in my right arm. Tim attacked the crazily over-built dressing rooms with a rather large electric saw, and David G filled two dumpsters' worth of debris. Now we're left with only a bit of drywall and baseboards to pry out. The subs have started coming in for estimates (hood, electric--still need plumbing and HVAC if anyone has a suggestion: info@rivercitycellars.com). The joys of dealing with various codes and an old, carved up building are book worthy. All it takes is more money ;)

In the wine geek celebrity watch department, Michael Broadbent and his lovely wife Daphne stopped by the shop yesterday for some cheese. Of course I was sweaty, pig-tailed and covered in a patina of drywall dust, but it was exciting to show him around the wine bar space. "Lovely aspect, and I used to be an architect you know." And somehow I managed to deflect Bartholomew's (their son, Richmond transplant and an old friend) comments about how his dad likes a dirty girl... Sigh. It was a treat meeting them. Hopefully next time they're in town I can serve them a glass of chilled Manzanilla! (In the photo, left to right: David G our beer buyer, Daphne, Michael, Peter our wine buyer and me.)

Gratuitous Violence

2009-05-14T11:32:00.009-04:00

Another day of smashing, ripping and hammering (David, Tim & Dave) and scraping (me). May I take this time to reiterate how much I HATE WALLPAPER!! There is a special circle in hell for those who create 90 years' of layered paint, paper and glue. I can't lift my arms higher than my waist without wincing and my face feels windburned from all that 'exfoliation': thousands of tiny paint chips pinging my face for hours. Is it lead paint? Who cares--I can't possibly get any dumber considering I'm opening a restaurant ;)

As a side note, I do not recommend applying lipgloss immediately before sanding. Sigh. At least the beer flowed freely.

Today's plans include taking down the rest of the dressing rooms (now that we found the breaker box--in another shop--and can cut power to the lights. Oh wait, I didn't tell you? Two different shops share a circuit so we now have to get the service separated. Third trip expected for the electrician today. Also due for estimates from HVAC, plumber and draft lines. And then we have to figure out how to remove and save that giant mirror for behind the bar. Interestingly, it's bigger than any doors in the place. Ideas?

Then I'm off for a trip to the ABC and Health. Fun. My reward is checking out a rumor about dozens of really cheap Piretti chairs somewhere in a warehouse off Hermitage...wish me luck!

ps: anyone want to help? send me an email...info@rivercitycellars.com

One Girl, Two Beers & a Hammer

2009-05-13T09:10:00.004-04:00

Very exciting times here at RCC. After two years of planning, one year (?!?) of paying rent on an empty space and five months of waiting for the City of Richmond to see things my way, we FINALLY got our construction permit Thursday for Secco Wine Bar. I celebrated by smashing walls yesterday. (Note to self: while stubbornness is indeed high octane fuel, there are consequences to hammering for 8 hours when one is almost 39 with the muscle-tone of milk-fed veal...ouch.) Here are some photos to show the um, progress.

Today we (hopefully I'll have some help from the boys) will tear down the free standing walls, dressing rooms and whatever those weird riser things are in the window. Oh, and I'll be taking a break to sip Prosecco with Enrico (Adami) & Katie (Michael Downey Selections). Let's see if Ican taste through a fine dusting of drywall debris...

Minerva has two kids!

2009-03-05T01:53:00.016-05:00

This is Minerva!

You might actually recognize her as the face of Caromont.

I was lucky enough to witness the birth of her two kids this year.

She's an old pro in the birthing department and, I must say, a great Mother.

Attentive, careful, protective, nurturing.

This was kid number one.

(Julia didn't want me to share the really graphic pictures, but it was a truly amazing, crazy thing to witness!)

Bear checking out her new charge.

Amazing to see these HUGE Great Pyrenees being so tender with the wee ones.

She would give her life for any one of these babies if it came down to it!

Kid number two!

And by the time he arrived, his big brother was already trying to stand up!

So sweet!

I can't wait to see how big these little La Mancha/Nubian kids are now!

Wishing I was still there...

2009-03-04T18:32:00.026-05:00

Baby Goat Bonanza!

2009-03-04T15:27:00.027-05:00

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm a total city girl, born and raised, so what's with all the fantasies of farm life I've been having lately?? What is going on here? All I can do is think about what a great time I had at Caromont last week and dream about when I can go back for another visit! It was such an amazing trip! I really had no idea what to expect going down to the farm for kidding season - I mean I knew I would have a great time and that I would probably work pretty hard - but other than that - I was really in the dark. I even tried to do some research online but that quickly turned into just watching silly goat videos on youtube, which, for the most part, just reinforced the fact that baby goats are super cute! Ha. So, what did I learn after spending 3 days with several dozen 3-week old kids? I learned that "super cute" doesn't even begin to describe the rambunctious, head-butting, jumping, joy that is baby goats. In fact, "super cute" might just be the understatement of the year. It was impossible not to get caught up in the click clack of their little hooves as they romped around, sidestepping and leaping on and off things with such reckless abandon! These little, stocky, curious, loud-mouthed, boot-nibblers were hilarious, playful and gorgeous and they were EVERYWHERE. And when hungry? Forget about it - they became a blurry swarm of land-piranhas needing milk 3 times a day! I have never seen cuteness of this magnitude ever before in my life!

Coolest farm cat, EVER.

2009-03-03T23:06:00.040-05:00

This is Boudin - at least I think he was named after the sausage - and he is, by far, one of the coolest cats I have ever met. He has no fear, tons of attitude, a purr as loud as a train and I think he will make a stellar goatherd one day! I know, I know, I've never heard of a cat herding goats before either, but this cat has mad skills, folks, mad skills on the field. You just have to see it to believe it. And who are we to say that a cat can't herd goats anyways? Just because one never has? Hee. Well, this crazy feline is certainly breaking down the notion that herding is just a dog's job, and I, for one, am all for it! And he's young yet - give him a bit of time and some training - I think we'll see great things from him.

Sara's Kidding!

2009-02-26T10:00:00.007-05:00

Hello! Sara here, just back from three days at Caromont Farm. I had such a GREAT time! I'm inspired and tired and overwhelmed and so very excited about all I learned and saw while I was there. Oh, and the baby goats, people, the baby goats are just about the most adorable creatures I have ever seen!! I have a bajillion photographs to share and lots of tales to tell from my city-girl-goes-to-the-farm adventure - I just have to figure out how to get them all on here. Stay tuned - I'll post more in the days to come!

StinkFest Cheese Class March 9th (NEW DATE)

2009-02-24T12:41:00.003-05:00

Hello Cheese People!

Due to the little snowstorm, we've moved the class to next Monday. There are still seats left!

StinkFest Cheese Class!

For all you fearless fans of strong cheeses, this is what you've been waiting for! Join us Monday, March 9th 6:30-8:00pm for a tour of duty only the strong will survive. We'll crank up the air-handler and dive into sticky, pungent washed rinds, wickedly funky blues and moldy mountains of beefy bloomies. While tasting these 6 ripe and ready stinkers from Virginia, France, Spain and Italy, you'll learn how they're made, how to serve them and what to pair with them. Real Cheese for Real Cheese Lovers!

Call 804.355.1375 to reserve your spot. Tickets are $35 per person, prepaid. Must be 21+ to attend. Seating is limited. RCC accepts Visa, MC, AmEx and Cash.

Cheers!
Julia & Sara

Spanish Wine Tasting, Monthly Beer Tasting, Cheese Class Announcement

2009-02-19T15:45:00.001-05:00

I miss Spain! The only antidote is to continue the eating and drinking, so Friday night's tasting will feature many of the wines we had while in Barcelona, along with a sweet slideshow. So come fuel your envy and taste some Catalunyan treats!

Other News...
There is so much going on! Our Barboursville event is SOLD OUT. But I'm pleased to announce next weekend we are hosting a fantastic CRAFT/ART/JEWELRY next door.

Also, this month's Staff Picks are up, and tonight we have our monthly BEER TASTING.

Finally, Sara and I are excited to announce our next CHEESE CLASS: Stinkfest! Join us Monday, March 2nd 6:30-8:00 for a tour of duty only the strong will survive. We'll crank up the air-handler and and dive into sticky, pungent washed rinds, wicked funky blues and moldy mountains of bloomies. I wanted to call it "Date-Night for the Truly Perverse" but was voted down. Call 804.355.1375 to reserve your spot. Tickets are $35 per person, prepaid. Must be 21+ to attend. Seating is limited.

Salud!
Julia

Friday, Feb. 20th, 5-7pm: Cataluynan Adventures!
(Julia's Notes)
I just got back from a week of winery visits and tapas bar hopping in and around Barcelona, so of course this week's tasting will feature some of the delicious wines I encountered on my trip! I'll be assisted by my handsome travel partner Dave Martin of the Country Vintner, and we'll have plenty of pictures to share as well. Here's what we'll be featuring:

Can Feixes 2007 Blanc: The three Huguet brothers run this amazing organic winery high in the Alt Penedes. This lively, dry, zesty white is made primarily of Parallada, with small amounts of Chardonnay and local Malvaxia Sitges. Hints of lime and pith on the finish heighten the peachy notes on the palate. Expressive and food friendly.

Subirats NV Cava Rosat: Made by family owned Vilarnau in the Penedes out of 100% Trepat grapes, then aged a minimum of 18 months before disorgement. A robust rose with great texture and pit fruit flavors. Delicate mousse and a floral finish make this an all day/every day sparkler, but it is really tasty with fried fish or calamari.

Albet i Noya 2007 Tempranillo: Also from the Penedes, but the same owners as the Mas Igneus winery in Priorat. Medium bodied, it has a velvety, well-developed fruitiness with a bit of spice and earth. Organic.

Mas Igneus 2004 Priorat "FA206": The first certified organic vineyards in Priorat make hearty, rich, full-bodied Grenache (Garnatxa) based wines. The code means FA (French Allier oak barrels) 2 (second use of the barrels) 06 (6 months in oak). Dark fruit notes, vanilla, plum and porty notes make this a perfect accompaniment to lamb or grilled steaks.

Jorge Ordonez 2005 Malaga Seleccion Especial: dessertTechnically this is not from Catalunya, but we had it paired with the 7th of 8 courses during our tasting menu at CincSentits in Barcelona. Fantastic!! Made from Muscat, it is a delicate and honeyed dessert wine with undertones of hazelnut cream. It was matched with clementine and orange blossom "air" over passionfruit with cardamom crumble. Heaven!

Don't forget to bring your own glass, unless you like health-department mandated plastic medicine cups!

Cheesemail!
(Sara's notes)
Howdy cheese people!
Guess what? It is cheese class time again! And due to increasing demand for more challenging cheeses--Julia and I will be hosting our first ever stinky cheese class the first Monday in March! Washed rinds, blues, and other assorted wrinkly stinkers from all parts of the world will be gloriously featured for all of you who aren't afraid of a cheese that bites back! We decided that if we were going to do it, best to schedule it before it gets too hot to handle the aroma, right? Ha. I mean, really, can you imagine a stinky cheese class in the heat and humidity of June?? Whoa. I think we'd stink ourselves out of the room! So, while the weather is still relatively cool, we are busy choosing a line up of all sorts of palate expanding selections to appeal to those of you who like your cheese to have an attitude. There is something so spectacular about a cheese that can take your taste buds into a new dimension. Meek is for the weak, I say! As always, space is limited so sign up now!

Guess what else? I'm heading to Caromont Farm this weekend for kidding season! Wheee! I think there are about 30 goats that are about to have their babies in the next week or so and I couldn't be more excited to help welcome them into the world. I'll be bringing my camera, of course, and I'm sure I'll have all sorts of tales when I return. I've never seen anything but human babies being born - so this will be a new experience for me. I've even been looking at all sorts of youtube videos to prepare. Ha, what a goof. I just can't wait to get there! I'm sure it will only make my fantasies of having a farm one day all the more vivid! Hrm... I wish Richmond would let me have a city goat or two in my backyard...
CHEERS!

Wine-o-the-Week
(Peter's notes)
Chateau Vaugelas 2006
Corbieres Rouge
Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvedre are the grapes behind this full-bodied, deep-toned red from the South of France. Served with grilled lamb, pork or chicken even, this is a red that pairs well with all manner of winter-friendly fare. $11.99 per bottle.
Want a taste?
We have one open for you!

Beer News!
(David's notes)
Beer Tasting 5-7pm
Sierra Nevada beer tasting Thursday 2/19

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: yes we've all had this beer before, but it should be a great starter to remind you of their basics or if you consume this regularly it will be a great yard stick.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA: This is the new IPA that Sierra have been working on for the last few years. During one of the hopping processes the hops are place in a metal tube that apparently looks like a torpedo.

Sierra Nevada Stout: From what I've been told, one of the brewer's wives had complained that the original recipe for this beer was the best. But it had been years since they brewed this style till now! Should be good...

Sierra Nevada Big Foot Barley Wine style Ale: This is the big one. Brewed once a year, it is THE micro brew barley wine. To the newer, trendier breweries they may call it Imperial IPA, or some such thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beer-o-the-Week

Duchy Originals English Ale
Big bold beers are in the news. But many lesser talked about beers are out there quietly providing a great food-worthy pairing and maybe even a little peace of mind. Duchy Originals is a charity that produces only organic goods in small batches. It was started by the current Prince of Wales, and has since gone on to raise a ton of money and produce a huge variety of goods. Duchy Originals English Ale is on of these fine products. Brewed at the Witchwood Brewery, famous for their Hobgoblin beer, it is a great easy drinking English bitter. These beers are really best consumed as cask condition draft, but the bottle version is quite good and all we can get.

Gaudi, Pintxos, Jamon y Queso, the Sea, and a fond Adeu...

2009-02-18T10:59:00.024-05:00

Thursday morning we headed off for serious sightseeing: Picasso Museum and La Sagrada Familia. If you haven't been, go. Astounding, especially when you visit the educational area where they explain Gaudi's design principles and you can see the models being constructed for use in fabrication. Dave really has the best photos so I'll post later. We spent hours and hours going to the top towers and wandering around the most beautiful construction site in my lifetime. Head-shakingly impressive. Picasso was great, but foodies take note: the alleyways surrounding the museum are lined with artisanal chocolate and cookie shops. I don't even have a sweet tooth and I was wooed.

At that point the temperature had dropped so we grabbed a cab to Jamonisimo! On the suggestion of Amelia at CincSentits we grabbed a tiny table in the back (there were only 2) and ordered the "3 textures of Iberico" to share with a bottle of Rioja. The cute boy with a sharp knife prepared a slate of thin slices from different parts of the leg and explained the differences in flavor and composition. Along with some crusty home made bread and local olive oil, we snacked like kings. Educational and gluttonous in one simple setup. Sigh.

That whet our appetite, so we headed back to the old city for more eating and drinking, this time going Basque: Euskal Extea! The food of choice here are Pintxos ("pin' chohss") which are like mini tapas but served on little picks or "sticks" often on small slices of bread. The idea being you graze among all the offerings along the bar and passed by servers, keeping your picks to be counted later for your bill. There is no cheating. What there is a lot of is Txakoli ("chah' kohlee"), a brisk, zippy white wine poured in small quantities from a dizzy height into small tumblers, often to the accompanying shouts of "Hay! Txakoli!!! It's similar to Vinho Verde--lime-y, briskly acidic with a bit of frizzante (the small pour from a height keeps it fizzy in the glass) and pairs perfectly with salty fare (combo of green olives, pickled green beans and anchovies, my favorite pintxo), fried fare (small pieces of fried cod with what seemed like aioli, fried anchovies), marinated mushrooms, spicy sausage, cheese-stuffed peppers, etc. They are also cheap--we ate a dozen of them over the course of the night, along with um, 2 bottles of wine (it's only 11% alcohol!) and our bill was shockingly low. Of course we had to try a couple shots of Basque liquor since we were closing the joint down with the staff. Em. That was a little rough and more than a little medicinal. Makes you realize how tough the Basque really are...

Friday morning we were jonesing for the water and headed to Barceloneta and the Ports to take in the sea. Why we didn't run to the boardwalk the second we hit town I'll never know given our predilection for beaches. But we made it and ahhh, salt air, sailboats, cigarette butts. Life was good. But it had been hours since our last meal so we headed into the narrow alleys in search of seafood. Found a classic old Taverna called Can Romanet (est. 1763, when that was a pretty rough part of town): old men and fresh fish. My kind of joint. We ate the appetizers too quickly to take pictures: traditional pa' amb tomaquet (tomato rubbed bread) and grilled razor clams in some kind of herb oil. Whoa. Then I got shellfish stew with saffron and Dave got the salt cod. Heavenly with a dry, lemony bottle of Catalan white (?Xarel.lo & Parallada I think). A brisk walk up to the post office to send postcards and shoe window-shop erased thoughts of a nap and turned our thoughts to cheese. Like that's hard to do.

Here's where it gets funny. The cheese shop we'd heard about, both from Time Out and Amelia at CincSentits was run by a Scottish woman, Katherine McLaughlin. Her shop, Formatgeria la Seu (translates to Cheese Head Quarters, in the diocese HQ sense of "la seu"), specializes in Spanish farmhouse cheeses and she is as passionate and knowledgeable as you get. Lucky for us she'd had a crap day and when we came in and started chatting, she closed the shop, took us into the back and poured a few glasses of Bierzo to talk cheese over. What an amazing woman. Her tiny shop used to be a butter factory (food karma) and she and her sister restored as much of it as possible, including the beautiful wooden doors leading to the cooler. Her "cheese case" is really a climate controlled show room walk-in and I could have spent hours in there breathing it all in. Irony and serendipity are my bunk mates, so I wasn't even surprised when she told me how, for the past 2 years she'd been trying to open a tiny wine bar next door. Seriously. Not making that up. She showed us her "wee box" (a really cool mock up of the bar made by a set designer) and best yet, gave us a tour of the space itself. I thought Secco was small. Hers will seat (stand?) 6 maybe. The picture here may give you a clue to the ancient interior of the space she's working with. I thought the city of RVA was a pain to deal with? Imagine living in fear of finding Roman ruins under your wine bar while installing electrical and plumbing? The joys of entrepreneurialship. I am pleased as punch to have successfully smuggled all of the cheeses I bought from her into the US, and we are having a little contraband tasting at my house tonight. I'll definitely be raising a glass to Katherine.

Kathererine was also kind enough to recommend two spots to try before we left, so of course we did: a little wine bar called "Ginger" and Barcelona stalwart of Catalan cuisine, "Cafe de l'Academia". At the former, a tiny bar with a sunken lounge (disco ball and plush seats) and a half-mezzanine (?) seating area overlooking the literally 2' bar, we had a half bottle of "La Rosita" Cava Rosat. Basically we were pleasantly killing time until 9pm when the restaurant opened. I love eating on Barcelona time! Dave had a still bleating rack of lamb and I had grilled Catalunyan sausages with poached egg and wild asparagus. Washed down with copious amounts of house red and (do I have to even say it?) Orujo. Delicious. Finally, as we headed back to the hotel to pack, we passed by the parade they had for us (and OK, maybe also for Mary and Joseph but whatever).
Adeu, Barcelona!

Serious Eating And Drinking

2009-02-17T15:14:00.006-05:00

With only a few navigational snags (I can't believe how patient Dave was with "Maggie" and her snippy "recalculating route" nonsense as she tried to take us down a wrong way street and dump us in a reservoir, and then took us across town TWICE during rush hour) we made it back, ditched the rental car, napped, showered and headed out to our Big Dinner at Michelin-starred CincSentits. We walked in and it was then I realized my mistake with 24 hour time. The place was almost empty. Our hostess Amelia Artal (one of the two owners, along with her brother chef Jordi) was super kind and accommodating despite my missing our reservation by TWO HOURS. Duh. The entire meal was perfection--flawless service, expert wine pairings, and the food...oh, the food! They prepare modern Catalunyan cuisine with a perfect balance of local ingredients, molecular gastronomy, and traditional flavors. We opted for the house selected wine pairings which were spot on. Here's my bad handwriting version of the menu. I'm hoping we get an emailed copy soon!

Amuse: the "CS Shot" which was layers of maple and cream in suspension, with little salt crystals at the bottom that hit your tongue last once the shot glass was upended. Shiver...
Aperitif: La Bota Manzanilla
Appetizer: marinated olives with citrus and fennel, crusty bread with olives and fantastic local olive oil and sea salt
Appetizer: (Dave) Foie Gras "coca" with leek confit, burnt-sugar crust, chive "arrope" (Julia) mini "canalons" chicken and black truffle, cèp bechamel, roasted chicken skin
Wines: Christoffel Erber Auslese QBA Mosel/Zarate Albarino
Seafood: diver scallops, sunchoke purée, onion "escalivada" sauce, and "jamón" chip
Seafood: "Pearls" of herring roe over cauliflower puree and white chocolate
Fish: Mediterranean tuna with smoked tomato water, lemon peel confit, black olive salt
Wine: Astrales Ribera del Duero
Meat: Iberian suckling pig sous vide with apple in two textures, "ratafía"
Wine: Enrique Mendoza La Marina DO Alicante (handwriting a little rough here)
Cheese: local, unpronounceable funky blue with truffle honey
Dessert: (see picture above) passionfruit, clementine and orange blossom "air" with cardamom crumble
Wine: Jorge Ordonez Malaga "1"
Dessert: Grand Cru chocolate 67% with olive oil ice cream, shattered bread, macadamia, sea salt
Wine: Mataro Dolce DO Alella (the name is lost forever..)

We were tickled. Thoroughly. We presented the owners with a bottle of Barboursville Octagon 8th as a thank you for such a perfect experience.

Of course, being the TOTAL GLUTTONS that we are, that just got us started for the evening (it was after all only midnight), so we asked the wine steward for a good after dinner drink location. He recommended "Dry Martini" a few blocks up. Talk about a gin joint--old school white-suited bar chefs with homemade bitters and unshakable (har) professionalism. I opted for the classics (different classic martinis with different small batch gins--one Brit London Dry that I LOVED ("Bulldog"), and one from Philly ("Blue Coat"). The former was more citrusy and floral but not delicate, the latter spicier and aromatic but balanced like Plymouth. Dave went all out and got a Singapore sling and something else I lost track of, maybe more Orujo from Pazo de Senorans, since there is a random picture of that in my iPhone...

Winery Visits: Penedes & Priorat

2009-02-16T21:00:00.022-05:00

PENEDES

Vilarnau & Mont Marcal
We got up early Tuesday morning and pointed the rental car (a 3-cylinder Opal with the bitchiest Brit-voiced, temperamental navigation system ever made. "Maggie" became the butt of many jokes and threats for the next two days) to the mountains of Catalunya. We had three visits lined up in the Penedes (Cava country). Our first was with the makers of Subirats Cava Rosat, a regular feature at RCC. We met the lovely Marta Molina Ballesteros, head of PR and "Enoturismo". She gave us a tour of the very impressive facilities: exquisitely modern and landscaped office/warehouse/production building overlooking vineyards. Rotating art collections and state of the art eco-design. Very new school but still family owned. The winemaker and viticulturist are both women. Since we were there in February, the only action going on was in the stacks of slowly maturing cava bottles. I'll have to get the pictures here from Dave because as much as I love my iPhone, it has no flash. The rose is made from 100% Trepat, matured in bottle for 18 months before disgorgement**. Both the Vilarnau and later Mont Marcal facilities are built for production on a very large scale--the international world has a never ending thirst for cava and there's no romance in hand-riddling* hundreds of thousands of bottles. Robotics and precise mechanization take over in these volume oriented facilities. But they still make delicious, drinkable bubbly and no one can complain about that! Mont Marcal was similar in many aspects, 4 million bottles produced annually (with a bottling line that moves 3,000 bottles per hour) exported to 22 countries. While I appreciated our tour givers and the sips of fun, quaffable sparklers, at this point I was itching to get out of the warehouse and actually see some vines!

*The process, after aging, of turning and upending Cava or Champagne so the yeast bodies deposit in the neck. A person takes two weeks to do this, a computerized geo-cage 2 days or less.
**When all the yeast is deposited in the neck, it is flash frozen, the cap popped off and yeast plug allowed to shoot out. It is then quickly topped off and corked and caged, labeled and packed, ready for sale.

Can Feixes
So Dave and I headed off to our last (and best) stop of the day: Can Feixes. Their red was the first Catalunyan wine I ever had, so I already knew I was biased. But after getting lost (failing to turn left in a town that maybe was 100 feet long with only one turn--thanks Maggie) we drove up to the 16th century family house high up in the hills of Alt Penedes. Out came Joan, one of the three Huguet brothers that run the family owned winery. We shook hands and he motioned to the battered Land Rover and said, "Let's go see the vineyards." I knew this was going to be good! Joan drove us all over the family vineyards--all organic, some with 80 year old vines--explaining their connection to the land, the history of the property, his father's simultaneous talent of honoring traditional land-based winemaking and embracing technology, and the passion he and his brothers have for long term stewardship of the vines. I think Dave was enjoying the 45 degree hill climbs in the old Rover as much as I was enjoying the history lesson. We talked about organic vs. biodynamic viticulture, crop rotation, climate change, water management, and the concept of a multi-generational family business--a topic his brother Josep Maria would go into at length later. At one point we hopped out and he pointed to a spot near the tires: "Wild Pork" he said. It took me a minute to figure out he was showing me how much the wild boars love the grapes (they prefer red, not because of the flavor but because they stand out more from the foliage than green grapes). Then we drove back to the house to meet the winemaker (Josep Maria) and taste some fabulous wines. I presented them both with a bottle of Barboursville's Octagon 8th edition as a present and they seemed really pleased. That's when I noticed the awesome motif on the wing of the house: a smiling pair of peasants about to club a smiling pig. Ah, Jamon, my old friend!

To give you an idea of the differences between this kind of operation and the larger houses, Can Feixes has 80 vineyards on 350 hectares and produces a total of 250,000 bottles a year (one-sixteenth the production of Mont Marcal). All the fruit is picked by hand, and instead of irrigation they cross-plant or dig up water-holding herbs to control how much moisture gets to the vines. The Cava they produce is made mainly from Parallada, plus Malvaxia Sitges, Macabeo, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Parallada grows particularly well in this higher region and the vines average 25-3o years old. Because there is a light wind and no mist, there are no issues with rot or insects. Anticipating the ever warmer summers, they have begun planting grapes that can handle the heat like Petit Verdot. They cull each harvest to maintain consistency and quality, hand-selecting each cluster before pressing. Half the production is white wine, and 25% each goes to Cava and reds. The vineyard patches are small and spread around according to slope and soil type, so if a hail storm hits one section they haven't lost all of that varietal. The vineyards are also lined with Arbequina olive trees (but sadly they only make enough olive oil for friends and family).

In the cellars Josep Maria showed us the "history" section: original barrels and riddling racks used for centuries. It provides a link to the modern winemaking processes and shows both the carefully planned growth of the winery and also their commitment to natural methods (temperature and humidity control come from design rather than electricity hogging HVAC systems).

On to the tasting! We went through quite a lineup: The Huguet 2005 Cava Brut Nature (Parallada+Pinot Noir+Macabeo), the 2007 Seleccio Blanc Can Feixes (Parallada+Chardonnay+Malvaxia Sitges+Macabeo), the 2005 Chardonnay (100%), the 2005 Negre (Tempranillo [known locally as Ull de Llebre 'eye of the hare']+Cab+Merlot+Petit Verdot), and their elegant and ageable 2000 Reserva Especial (Cab+Melrot). We'll be tasting many of these out at the shop Friday 2/20 5-7 if you'd like to experience them yourself!

Next up...Priorat!

Mas Igneus
The next morning we headed into the steep hills of Priorat, home of deep gorges and hearty reds. Curving along the winding roads we were amazed at how barren and wild the region was, with only small groupings of rocky, terraced vineyards poking out between rock formations every quarter of a mile or so. We met with Ian (the first of two Scottish expats I would encounter) the viticulturist and Franc the winemaker to tour the winery. Mas Igneus was the first certified organic property in Priorat, and their small (ten hectares total) but well edited selection is clearly terroir-driven. Primarily they grow Garnatxa Negra & Carinyena, but there are also small areas of Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot and native white varietals. The grapes are hand harvested (which, when you see the angle of the vineyard slopes is no surprise), hand selected, and the winemaking involves minimal intervention. The "FA206" is an intense, barrel aged red made from Garnatxa, Carinyena, Cab and Syrah with brambly fruit on the nose and balsam, spice, and plum notes on the finish. But don't take my word for it...come by Friday night and taste it yourself!

After leaving Mas Igneus we had time to kill and empty bellies, so we drove into neighboring Morela Monsant. This town was so small we dubbed it a "three dog town" (and all three followed us around hoping for snacks). We ended up eating Jamon y Queso Bocadillos in a smoky little bar full of local construction workers and two of the dogs (who were rewarded for their vigilance with pigs' trotters), watching Spanish Wheel of Fortune. This would be in stark contrast to the exquisite eight-course tasting menu we almost missed later that night back in Barcelona because I thought "20:30" was 10:30. Sheesh.

sightseeing, an interesting cocktail and a really good Jewish Joke

2009-02-16T19:49:00.007-05:00

Monday evening found us in a wineshop close to the hotel: Neyras, on Laietana. It was staffed by a smart, vivacious woman named Nuria. She was very knowledgeable about local and Spanish wines, cordials and local food. We talked about the wineries we planned to visit and tasted some of her "wines of the week." We ate dinner at a fussy little place (el Bitxo? hee) run by a mean woman: 2 kinds of chorizo along with Manchego and Idiazabal. Eh. Jumping ahead to the last stop of the night, Teller de Tapas. The liquor choices were pretty slim, but I told the handsome barkeep that I had a weak spot for anisette and he made me an original concoction he dubbed "Spring in a Glass." It was sort of like a mojito but made with muddled strawberries, basil/mint, anisette, a splash of soda water and plenty of ice served in a tall glass. We got to chatting and we asked him if he came to Barcelona or ended up there. He laughed and told us how different the city was when you're a visitor as opposed to an immigrant. Yair was originally from Tel Aviv (a "real city" not a "little big town"). When he told his boss he'd fallen in love with Andalucia and was leaving, his boss responded with this:

"A man once fell into a deep sleep and was convinced he'd died and gone to Hell. Once there he was pleasantly surprised. It was full of beautiful people and delicious food and drink and musicians and wild parties. He figured this was the place to be! Years later he became deathly ill, died and opted for Hell. After many days of being set afire, flayed, beaten, starved and otherwise tortured, he decided he needed to speak to the person in charge and complain. This is not the Hell I signed up for, he said. Not at all what I experienced before! The Devil flipped through his notebook, scanned down to the man's name and said, ah-ha. Here it is. It appears you were on a tourist visa."

Spain: La Boqueria

2009-02-16T19:23:00.004-05:00

Words cannot relate the thrill...

Trip to Spain--Part1

2009-02-16T15:31:00.011-05:00

There are only 2 downsides to Spain, as far as I am concerned: everyone smokes (even the babies and the dogs) and free wi-fi is hard to come by. Everything else was fantastic! Dave, my most excellent and handsome travel partner has half the pictures, so I'll add those as I get them.

Arrival
We landed Sunday morning, checked in, took a nap, and wandered off into the Gothic Quarter in search of libations. Finding Placa Reial we settled on the touristy but reliable and beautiful Taxidermista--Dali and Miro's old hangout. Here we started a week-long habit of ridiculous eating: Dave had Foie Gras with citrus confit, and I had Bacalao (fried salt cod) with the most delicious white beans ever. Al dente and more like quinoa or pearled barley in texture. The name might have been ____ Ganchet? Since we also had a bottle of Xarel.lo (it was breakfast so we stuck with a white) I can't read my handwriting. It also started a bizzarre trend of bad music soundtrack for our vacation. The Tina Turner, Beatles and Saturday night Fever were just the beginning, capped off by Bon Jovi's "Blaze of Glory" in the taxi back to the airport. *shudder* After a few hours of wandering we found a delightful local market with an amazing cheese selection, where I purchased the first of many items I would later sneak past customs.

All that walking left us thirsty, so we popped into VildsVin Antiga Taverna in search of flinty Sherry. A few glasses of salty Fino later we were ready for another nap and a shower. Life is hard. For dinner that night we stumbled upon PLA (named after the chef Josep Pla). Beautiful and typical of many restaurants in the old city, it was a glass fronted modern space carved out of a 15th century stone building. Super friendly waitstaff (who were kind with my stabbing attempts at speaking Catalan), interesting graphic/art video projections on the wall above us, and a delightful menu. Everything from kangaroo carpaccio starter to yogurt honey mousse with pinenuts dessert. Accompanying all the deliciousness was the heartiest rose (rosat in Catalan) I've ever had. It was from Monsant: "Poigenc" Syrah. Full, spicy, with dark fruit notes and a hint of candied orange on the finish. Perfect with Dave's plank smoked salmon and grilled ramps. I was feeling much better at that point (I'd had a 48 hour flu with 102 degree temperature the day before we left), so of course we had to hit the cordials: Badalonci (sp?--handwriting is a lost art) Anisette and Galician Porta del Mino Orujo Herbes (kind of like a Spanish grappa infused with citrus, rosemary, oregano and fennel). Needless to say I was instantly hooked and added it to my list of smuggleables. Side note...in Barcelona Portishead is considered dinner music.

The next morning, in a fit of Facebook withdrawl, we blew the transformer and most of the fuses in the room. Classic. The guys at reception loved us by the end of our stay. Silly Americans that we are, we tried to get coffee to "go" so as to not waste time getting to the Boqueria Market. Doesn't exist. Sit down and drink a cafe amb let (cafe con leche) for goodness sake! We got to the market and WHOA. At this point it's Europe's largest, as well my personal foodie fantasy. Since we had to eat, we pulled up barstools at the boisterous Pinotxo Bar. The lively old gentleman behind the bar practically pinched my cheek when I hit him with my well calculated, "Bon Dia!" and asked, all in Catalan (oops--it's not like I SPEAK it?!) what we wanted to eat. There was no menu. We looked around and he points to me and asks if I like verduras and something else that I figured out was chick peas. I nodded. He asked Dave, "carne?" Dave nodded. What showed up was a classic Catalunyan breakfast (though admittedly more traditional for people who do physical labor rather than sell wine all day): Dues Birras (2 beers), carxofes (boiled and grilled artichokes) and salted potatoes, and Cua del Toro (12 hour braised bull's tail. Yup. For breakfast. Booyah!

Next post: market photos.

Ack!

2009-02-12T05:10:00.001-05:00

I just realized three days' of pictures and posts of food, vineyards
and gaudi architecture have not loaded onto the blog. Apparently free
wi-fi is limited. I promise as soon as I get back I'll have them up.
Today's first order of business? Jamonisimo!

Cheers.

Julia Battaglini
mobile

Flying in

2009-02-08T07:35:00.000-05:00

Over a windfarm at the foothills of the pyrenees.

This Week at RCC

2009-02-05T12:51:00.000-05:00

Friday, February 6th, 5-7pm: Peter's Picks!
(Peter's Notes)
There are lots of wines that I've tried recently (well, relatively recently) that I may not yet have had a chance to share with you. For this Friday's tasting, I've put together a lineup of five wines from Europe that have made an impression on me. Some of these are from grapes or places that are fairly well known, while others are quite obscure. Either way, these are some wines that I have liked and that I hope you will enjoy too. Here's what I will be pouring on Friday:

Forstreiter 2007 Gruner Veltliner "Grooner": Freshly picked Granny Smith apples come to mind first and foremost in this vibrant, zingy, lively dry white wine from Austria. Apparently caffeine free . . .

Picco del Sole 2007 Falanghina: This medium-bodied dry white wine is produced near Naples, Italy from the local varietal Falanghina. Flavorwise, think of starfruit and citrus flavors underscored by hints of almond. While I can't promise that it will reduce your heating bill, it does offer a little hint of summer in the midst of winter!

Luna Beberide 2007 Bierzo: Thought by some to be related to Cabernet Franc, Mencia makes medium to full-bodied reds in the Bierzo appellation of northwestern Spain. The Beberide wine is dominated by berried flavors but also has underlying herbal and earthy aromas.

Arbanta 2006 Rioja: This cherry-scented, medium-bodied dry red wine from Spain's most famous winegrowing region is made from pure Tempranillo. Unoaked, this wine is also organically produced!

Laurent Miquel 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah: Produced in the South of France, this full-bodied yet friendly red has plenty of upfront dark fruit notes but is neither flabby nor overwrought. Pick up (or make) some barbecue to go with this!

Don't forget to bring your own glass, unless you like health-department mandated plastic medicine cups!

Cheesemail!
(Sara's notes)
Howdy Cheese People!

We just got a lovely order in today that has nothing to do with cheese and everything to do with sweets! I don't know what happened to me this week, but here we are, drowning in sugary snacks. Mmmm! So, come on by to have your sweet tooth sated.

We have cookies aplenty - from the buttery-rich, salty-sweet biscuits from Mere Poulard that I'm snacking on as I write this, to the crisp, wafer-thin ginger spice and chocolate Moravian cookies that just arrived today! Do you know how delicious the Great Hill Blue cheese would be with those ginger spice cookies?? I mean, really, it is SUCH a great combination...

And if it is chocolate you crave, well, I needn't go further thahazelnutn the Lake Champlain 5 Star Hazelnut Bar. I, for one, am thrilled to have them back, in all of their dense, rich, hazelnutty-milk-chocolatey perfection. And if hazelnut doesn't suit your fancy, well, you are in luck, because we also have the 5 Star Peanut Bar from this Vermont chocolate maker, too!

And I did order cheese, of course, for where there is sweet, there must be savory, right? Truffle Tremor, a fluffy, black-truffle-y, goat's milk cheese from Cypress Grove in California is the one I'm looking most forward to. I have some beets to roast and I can't think of a finer accompaniment!

Hope to see you soon for all your cheese (and chocolate) needs!

Wine-o-the-Week
(Peter's notes)
Chateau Bianca 2007 Pinot Noir
Produced in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, this elegant, medium-bodied red has lots of ripe cherry and bramble berry notes, hints of cocoa and a silky texture. $17.99 per bottle.

Want a taste?
We have one open for you!

Beer-o-the-Week!
(David's notes)
Fuller's London Porter
It's cold, and after sampling last week's "Beer of the Week" (the very easy but powerful Baltic Porter by Okocim) we thought, why not a porter original. Fuller's London Porter is a truly grand example of the style. Porter was first put together by bartenders, in London, mixing together different beers. They often started with a brown ale that was probably getting stale, then added another brown, or amber and a pale ale. This was rather labor-some and as the style became more popular, breweries started making them, and calling them Entire (referring to the entire range of malts and hops that were used) or Entire Butt (everything but the barrel). The name Entire was slowly taken over by the name of the drinks favorite patrons, porters. Seeing the winter England is having this year, I'm sure there are plenty of porters trying to brush off the cold by enjoying a nice dark glass of Fuller's London Porter. Come on by: we'll have a bottle open for you all week!

Fuller's London Porter Stew
(recipe courtesy the brewery)

1 bottle of Fuller's London Porter; 1 Lb of stewing steak; 2 Tbsp of oil; 1 onion chopped; 1 tin of chopped tomatoes; Worcestershire sauce; 1 pint of beef stock; 1
desert spoon of plain flour; Salt & Pepper; Mixed Herbs

1. Open a bottle of Fuller's London Porter and pour yourself a ½ pint to enjoy whilst cooking

2. Preheat the oven to 150°C/250°F/Gas mark 3

3. Put 2 tbsp of oil in a deep saucepan and heat before adding 1Lb of good quality stewing steak. Brown the meat all over and then remove from the pan and put it on
one side

4. Fry the chopped onion until soft on a low heat in the same pan using the oil left from browning the meat

5. Put the kettle on and make 1 pint of beef stock; meanwhile add 1level desert spoon of flour to the onion and mix well to form a roux

6. Cook for a minute before adding some of the stock. Stir well. Continue adding the stock to the onion/flour roux until you have made a smooth sauce

7. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring continuously

8. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes, a slug of Worcestershire sauce, a generous serving
of mixed herbs and seasoning to taste

9. Now return the meat to the saucepan

10. Stir thoroughly and add the remainder of the Porter

11. Pop in the oven with some baked potatoes and pop down the local Fullers [like PENNY LANE] pub for 1½-2 hours before returning to eat!

Amazing Italian Red

2009-02-05T12:09:00.001-05:00

Barcelona, Here I Come!

2009-02-03T18:39:00.002-05:00

I am beside myself. On Saturday I'm going back to one of my favorite cities in the world: Barcelona. Seven days of winery visits, wine bar recon, tapas tasting, queso sampling and oodles of jamon in all its fabulous forms...I will be updating the blog on the fly with lots of post and pix. Stay tuned.
Adeu!
Julia

This Week at River City Cellars

2009-01-30T11:55:00.002-05:00

Hello Everybody!

Don't forget about our big event coming up on Thursday, February 26th! That's right, in honor of Virginia Wine Week we're hosting something a fantastic night of Barboursville Wine, 1 North Belmont Food AND RCC Cheese! Call 804.355.1375 for details.

Cheers!
Julia

ps: A great piece on The Virginia Wine Expo and Barboursville Vineyards will hit the paper in two weeks, so sign up before we sell out!

Free Wine Tasting
Friday, January 30th, 5-7pm: Piedmont, Italy!
(Peter's Notes)

While each of Italy's twenty regions produce wine, the Piedmont region, even more so than Tuscany, is considered by many to be the best wine producing region in the country. Located in the rolling hills and Alpine stretches of northwestern Italy, Piedmont has more designated wine zones(called Denominazioni di Origine Controllata or DOC's) than any other region in Italy. Ranging from exuberantly perfumed, low-alcohol sparklers such as Moscato d'Asti to ageworthy, majestic reds such as Barolo and Barbaresco, the wines of Piedmont offer an incredible variety of aromas, textures and food-pairing possibilities (especially for heartier, winter-friendly fare). This Friday, I'll provide a vinous overview of Piemontese wines as I sample out five wines from this famous region. Here's the lineup this week:

Fratelli Ponte 2007 Roero Arneis: Crisp yet aromatic, this dry white wine has aromas that remind one of various citrus fruits with hints of freshly cut fennel and mint thrown in. Elegant and compelling!

Andrea Oberto 2007 Barbera d' Alba: Located in the Barolo subzone of La Morra, this small, family-run producer also makes other outstanding Piemontese wines including this full-bodied red that has flavors that recall dried cherries, freshly-turned earth, and cedar.

Renzo Seghesio 2007 Dolcetto d'Alba "Pajana": Made by the Barolo house, Renzo Seghesio, this single-vineyard Dolcetto is full-bodied with ripe plum-like flavors as well as hints of woodsmoke and espresso.

Ferrando 2007 Canavese Rosso: Located in the northwestern corner of Piedmont, near the town of Carema, Luigi Ferrando makes complex and supremely well-balanced wines including this dry red made largely from Nebbiolo with a smaller component of Barbera. Tarry, herbal, spicy, and understated fruit elements mesh together in this intriguing, definitively Piemontese wine.

Paolo Saracco 2008 Moscato d'Asti: While many Piemontese producers make Moscato d'Asti almost as an afterthought within a portfolio based largely on full-bodied, dry reds, Paolo Saracco actually focuses on making this ethereal, off-dry sparkling white wine with peach and floral aromas.

Don't forget to bring your own glass, unless you like health-department mandated plastic medicine cups!

Cheesemail!
(Sara's notes)
Howdy Cheese People!
Ah, Mimolette! Everyone's favorite, edible cannonball is thankfully back in the shop! Pockmarked and ugly on the outside (due to many a minuscule mites munching mandibles, I might mysteriously mention) -- but marvelously delicious and most tasty within -- this shockingly orange, 18-month aged, French cow's milk just might be heir to the Aged Gouda throne! You do remember how much I love the Aged Gouda, right? Well, this cheese is similar in concentration and vibrancy -- but different in a je ne sais quoi kind of way. Delicious!

We also have several pounds of Morbier meandering in our direction, back by popular demand! This French, cow's milk cheese with its tell-tale stripe of vegetable ash down the middle is rich, creamy, nutty, and aromatic. But despite its washed rind stinkiness, it is mostly mild on the inside and it melts most magically!

If you couldn't tell already, this cheesemail was brought to you by the letter M! In addition to the above mentioned, I also have Manchego, Manchego with Rosemary, Munster, Midnight Moon, Mahon, (St.) Marcellin, Mousse Royale, and many, many more!

Buon VAppetito! Thursday, February 26th, 5-7pm
Did you know that Chef Frits Huntjens of 1 North Belmont makes house calls? Sort of.

He'll march down the block on Thursday, February 26th to RCC's event space for a night of extraordinary hors d'oeuvres, fantastic fromages and Virginia vino. You're invited!

A Champagne Sabering with The Modern Gentleman (wine & spirits author/raconteur Jason Tesauro) kicks-off a splendid tasting on the eve of the Governor's Cup and the VA Wine Expo. Guests will enjoy a standing affair with a dazzling array of Frits' fare, Sara's savory cheese selections and mingling wine lovers as we sip highlights from Barboursville Vineyards, Virginia's most honored winery*:

On the docket:
Brut NV - house sparkler for the Inn at Little Washington
Viognier Reserve 2006 - unoaked and reminiscent of the classics from Condrieu
Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2006 - Old-world inspired cabernet
Octagon 8th Edition 2005 - elegant Bordeaux blend that is the most decorated wine in the state
Malvaxia Passito 2005 - hand-crafted, vin santo-style dessert wine.

Reservations required. Cost is $35 per person, all-inclusive. Must be 21+ to attend. Please call 804.355.1375 to reserve (space is limited).

*Octagon was served at the Inaugural Dinner...natch'.

Wine-o-the-Week
(Peter's notes)
La Sauvageonne 2007 Coteaux du Languedoc "Les Ruffes"
Produced in the South of France, this full-bodied red, made from Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault, has aromas dominated by riper cherries, smoky-meaty notes as well as all manner of spices. A generous wine at a fabulous price!
$13.99 per bottle.

Want a taste?
We have one open for you!

Beer-o-the-Week!
(David's notes)
Okocim Porter
Lately it has been cold, rainy, and just plain miserable, rather like a nice day in Northern Europe. So why not drink a great Polish beer... Okocim (I think it's pronounced O-ko-chim) Porter is a Baltic style porter. Though English porters introduced the style to Central and Eastern Europeans, the brewers in these areas lager the beer. This makes for a slightly lighter, and maybe a little sweeter beer that generally has a good bit more alcohol. Stop on by, we'll have one open for sampling all week...

NEW ARRIVALS:
Southern Tier
"Back Burner" Barleywine Style Ale

Arcadia Ales
"Hop Mouth"
Double IPA

New(ish) Staff Picks

2009-01-28T16:21:00.006-05:00

Sara:
First Fruit

After a mostly lazy day, I made a tasty soup for dinner tonight - spicy carrot, sweet potato, and ginger, topped with roasted beets and a dollop (or three) of the luscious, Creamy Goat Cheese from the Vermont Butter & Cheese Company. Yum. Little did I know that it would prove a nice match for my chosen staff pick this month, the First Fruit Hard Cider from Foggy Ridge Cider.

I first heard about this cidery when I spent a few days with the fine folks at Meadow Creek Dairy. After hearing the stories about the cool people who were trying to revive some old cidermaking traditions, their fantastic orchards full of American heirloom, French and English cider apples, and the tasty ciders they were creating, I decided that I would stop by on my way back to Richmond. Why not? I was all the way down in southwestern Virginia anyways, I had a cooler full of delicious cheeses from MCD and some time to kill - what could be better than some great hand crafted hard cider to go with them? Perfect! So, I got a map and some detailed directions on how to find them and went on my merry way, heading towards the Blue Ridge Parkway.

After a delightfully, gorgeous drive down some seriously small, windy roads, (complete with a bounding deer and a low-flying hawk) I was there! Yay! It was a gorgeous day - sunny and bright, with little cloud puffs here and there - and I was ready for a sip of cider and an orchard walk! Ha. Well, you can only imagine my sadness when I pulled up and realized that they were closed! Doh! I suppose it would have been wise to call first and see if they were open, but whims don't often work that way and besides, the drive really was lovely and well worth it, even with the unfulfilled expectation!

Thankfully, I have since had the pleasure of having a few conversations with Diane Flynt, the cidermaker at Foggy Ridge and have finally tasted at least one of the several different types of small batch ciders that she makes! The First Fruit is a blend of early season heirloom apples including Hewe's Crab, Graniwinkle, and Parmer. It is slightly sweet and bubbly, with bright, crisp, twangy apple flavor followed by a dry, lingering finish. It is thirst quenching and refreshing and really easy to drink. Almost too easy, in fact. I've never been much of a cider drinker even, but can already imagine a bunch of food concoctions I want to try and pair with it. And cheeses? I can't wait to see what works best! Most exciting of all? Diane, Julia and I are hoping to have a cider/cheese pairing class at some point! I'll keep you posted...

Until then, cheers!

Julia:

Tissot 2007 Arbois Chardonnay

This may come as a shock, but my one remaining New Year's resolution is to drink more wine! (The other two were to keep the dog's nails trimmed and to do something, anything with my yard--talk about setting myself up for failure.) But frankly, we all get in ruts from time to time, with food, music, news sources, etc., and have to shake out of it. Sometimes we stumble on something new, sometimes we have to turn our backs on the tried and true and see what crosses our path. In this case I've all but abandoned red wine for the last few weeks, and I'm delighted in the shining light of discovery that has fallen recently on some amazing white wines.

For example, our wine of the week this week (a Chenin-Chardonnay blend from Dom. de la Bergerie. Loire) is a fabulous, inexpensive and expressive Anjou Blanc; a happy little Chardonnay (also from the Loire, also really affordable) from Chat. Coing will be making its way onto our shelves soon; and finally, yet another Chardonnay, this one from Jura, made me forget my manners and wheedle the rest of the bottle from my poor beleaguered rep and former employee Ryne Hazzard. That's right, the ABC* girl is rethinking her stance. Granted, I always have room in my heart (and glass) for Champagne and Chablis. Who doesn't? But I'm thrilled to find new examples of terroir-driven, interesting wine made from such a ubiquitous, often anonymous varietal.

This particular bottling, made by the illustrious Stephane Tissot, is made near the Swiss border in the Arbois appellation of Jura, France...not your usual Chardonnay go-to region. Such a cold, remote, alpine area seems an unlikely gastro-tourist hot-spot, but it's quite famous in certain circles--for the local raw milk cheeses Comte and Morbier, and for the cult following of a wine geek's dream, "Vin Jaune"--and the annual festival celebrating the local food and wine arts attracts some 50,000 enthusiasts every February.

The wine? Full disclosure: this does not taste like 90% of the Chardonnay-based wines out there. As my boyfriend and fellow oenophile puts it, I'm a sucker for the weird stuff. Arbois Chardonnay is lean and stony like Chablis but much sturdier, like a mountain goat compared to a gazelle. Upon tasting it my bon mot was elitist but heart-felt, "I'd drink this Chardonnay the way other women drink chardonnay." It's rich but taut, with hearty acidity and serious minerality to back up all the fresh fruit notes of pear, apple and lemon creme, and that wonderful lees-y middle note. My favorite part, the part that makes it say, "Bonjour, je suis Jurassien!" comes at the finish. There is a little Amontillado-like zing, followed by a flourish of hazelnut. Classic.

If you like Manzanilla sherry you'll love it. If you like brut-zero Champagne you'll love it. And best of all it pairs exquisitely with Alpine cheeses. Aged Comte especially, because, as Peter so eloquently put it, it's a spirited debate between equals, but other good complements include cave-aged Swiss Gruyere and, for an extra, strangely salty twang, Appenzeller. The dream match would be a rich fondue with all of the above plus Raclette. Ah, the quest for provocative pairings, when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Here's to the right kind of resolutions!

*Anything But Chardonnay

Peter

Domaine de la Bergerie 1989 (sic) Coteaux du Layon

My wife Celeste and I do not entertain nearly as much as we would like to. Like everybody else, we have time (and money) constraints, but once in a while, we like to pull out all the stops and put together a lavish multi-course meal.

In the calm that follows the frenetic holiday weeks of November and December, I like to pore over menus and recipes, vowing to try something new. The other night, we had our dear friends Jed and Dorothy over for dinner, and it was truly a memorable evening with plenty of good banter as well as delicious food and wine. I had put together a menu of dishes from central Italy with wines to match, and Celeste made an amazing crostata using some fig preserves that my parents had picked up at Claude Moore Colonial Farm (in McLean, Virginia). As much as we all enjoyed the Rosso di Montalcino served with wild mushroom polenta, the real star combination of the evening was this amazing (and very French) Coteaux du Layon served with the fig crostata. I knew that Celeste's baking efforts would be spectacular, but I admit that I was a bit worried about the wine. After all, this wine had gone into bottle sometime in late 1990, and I worried that like those contemporary, flannel-clad grunge rockers of Seattle, this wine just wasn't going to stand the test of time.

At River City Cellars, we rarely encounter wines with more than a half-dozen years of ageing, and when we do, the wines are usually fairly expensive or are past their prime. Julia went to a tasting in late November or early December (that I was unable to attend), and had had an opportunity to try and buy some of the 1989 Coteaux de Layon. Given that 1989 was not only a great vintage in the Loire Valley (where this wine is from) but also the year in which I graduated from Virginia Tech, I just had to get a bottle.

After a hearty meal involving cranberry stew and porcini mushroom polenta, Celeste brought out her magnificent fig crostata while I, with some trepidation, pulled the cork on a nearly twenty year old bottle of wine.

With a color somewhere between old gold and Hungarian amber, this unctuous Chenin Blanc definitely shows maturity, but on the palate it has a surprising freshness about it. Although it's twenty years old, I have no doubt that this wine will age for a decade more (I just bought a second bottle to enjoy in 2014 when I mark the 25th year of having graduated from VT). Sitting around the table, we were all surprised at how clean and bright this wine was. While the aromas recalled distinctly rich notes of stewed pears with clove, Calvados, and candied citron, there was none of that syrupy stuff that one might often associate with dessert wines (such as a famous and preposterously expensive one that sounds like EE-KEMM).

The really amazing thing is that this wine, approaching its 20th anniversary, is not only delicious AND available but that it costs a mere $35.99 per bottle. These days, you're not likely to find too many 20 year old wines of this quality anywhere near this price point, and I can't imagine that there are more than a few cases of this available, so if you are interested, I would recommend that you call River City Cellars as soon as possible to reserve whatever you want! I won't belabor the point, but act now!

BTW, check out the producer's website. They make a whole range of incredible wines!

David

Cowgirl Creamery RED HAWK

Well, it wasn't easy making up my mind as to what to write about as my very first staff pick. I took some time looking over the abundance of great, tasty things in the store, and I think the weather in the end might have played a part in the decision making, I was hungry. It took no time at all, once I zeroed in on the cheese case, to pick the RED HAWK cheese from Cowgirl Creamery. This cheese had been, and currently still is, demanding my attention from across the room. I'm quite fond of soft rind cheeses, and this cheese, while being an amazing example of this, has also something else very appealing. It warrants a good bit of investigating.

I started by preparing the cheese in some simple dishes that might accent different qualities I might not have noticed otherwise. Initially I ate a fair amount on bread. This being the most directly satisfying and probably the best way to notice all the qualities it has. After it had been out of the fridge for a while it started to get very gooey and stinky, plus the rind added a nice salty finish. Strong smells are common with soft ripened cheeses. Limburger is probably the most famous for this. Red Hawk is smelly, but no where near Limburger, or many other soft ripened cheeses, like Munster d' Alsace or some Tilsiters. Instead it reminded me more of Reblochon or even Morbier. Interestingly, the more I cooked the cheese, the milder the flavors became. I roasted some potatoes, after boiling them, and put some of the Red Hawk on top and then under the broiler. This proved to be exceedingly successful. The cheese that had slid off the potatoes formed a hard and very tasty consistency. The cheese that remained on the potatoes was somewhat milder, but lent itself thoroughly to the overall flavors of the dish. I also took some Red Hawk and put it on half of a pizza. On the other half I put Reblochon, just for some contrast. Here I was more surprised by how mild the Red Hawk became. It all but lost the smelly flavors, and tasted simply of cream, really tasty cream!

After examining the cheese, I looked to the Internet to see what I could find out about the people involved in making this. What exactly had they done that made this cheese seem more special than so many others? The initial thinking I had in mind was how interesting this obviously very new creamery (Cowgirl Creamery was founded in 1997), seemed to be making very old style cheese. These soft ripened cheeses often remind me of the cheese the Belgian Trappist monks produce. I guess this association makes me think of the middle ages, not just with orders of monks isolating themselves with cheese and beer, but how these funky smells must have been barely noticeable compared with the other smells of the time?

The Cowgirl Creamery is located in the town of Point Reyes Station. They have a large old barn where the cheese is made, plus a couple stores where they sell not just their own cheese, but cheeses from around the world. One of the stores is in D.C. where the two founders of this amazing company apparently hail from. Their efforts are tempered by the ideals found in small, hands on production with a responsible approach to the environmental impact. Two rather worthy concepts.

Check out their web site where there is tons of information.

Tonight I think I might try what Red Hawk I have left. Then comes the decision of what wine to drink. Gruner Veltliner is awesome with this, not to mention Pilsener beer or cider... But I'm thinking maybe splurging, buying the Domaine d' Elise Petit Chablis, and reading about warmer climates.

2009-01-26T16:18:00.004-05:00

This Week at RCC

What fun Sara and I had at Monday night's British Isles class! We're open to suggestions for the next one ("Stinkfest" was the group's vote for March but we'd love your input). What, you ask, no February cheese class?! That's right, in honor of Virginia Wine Week we're hosting something even cooler: a fantastic night of Barboursville Wine, 1 North Belmont Food AND RCC Cheese! Invitation below...see you there!

Cheers!
Julia

ps: New RCC Staff Picks are up! Find out what we've been eating and drinking...

Free Wine Tasting...

Friday, January 23rd, 5-7pm: Fabulous French!
(Peter's Notes)
This Friday's wine tasting takes us to France. I'll be pouring five French wines ranging from a zesty, lighter-bodied Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley to a full-bodied, spicy red from the Rhone Valley. Here's the lineup this week:

Thierry Delaunay 2007 Sauvignon Blanc "Tydy": Produced in the Loire Valley, this crisp, dry Sauvignon Blanc has flavors that remind one of granny smith apples and citrus skin.

J. Maurat 2007 VDP du Val de Loire Blanc "Collection": Dry but not too lean, this mineral-driven Loire Valley white wine is made from Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. Unique bottle shape!

Michel Noellat 2006 Bourgogne Rouge: Elegant Pinot Noir from a superb producer located in Vosne-Romanee in Burgundy. Neither austere nor overdone, this silky textured red epitomizes good Pinot Noir with aromas that range from cranberry and cherry to freshly turned earth and cinnamon.

Cedre Heritage 2006 Cahors: Made from 90% Malbec and 10% Merlot, this chewy red from the southwestern corner of France has dark grape and mulberry like notes meshing with truffle and earth notes.

Domaine Berthet-Rayne 2007 Cotes du Rhone rouge: Riper brambly fruit flavors meshing with floral and herbal tones come to mind in describing this full-bodied red from the south of France.

Don't forget to bring your own glass, unless you like health-department mandated plastic medicine cups!

Cheesemail!
(Sara's notes)
Howdy Cheese People!
First, a quick expression of gratitude to everyone who joined us for Monday's British Isles cheese class! I can't think of a more pleasant way to spend a Monday evening than being surrounded by such a lovely group of folks who are willing to listen to Julia and I chat cheese for almost 2 hours! It sure is nice to have an audience with whom to share our fascination with fromage, so thank you so much for being there! Sigh. What a great job we have, eh?

For those of you who missed it - we still have all sorts of delicious cheese treats from Britain, Ireland and Wales available at the shop. I think my favorite is the Montgomery's Cheddar - a raw cow's milk from North Cadbury. It is fruits and nuts and grass and crumbles. It is rich and balanced and complex. It is what true, traditional cheddar SHOULD be and it won't stop pulling me back in for another nibble. Yum! And I'm not normally the biggest cheddar fan, either, but Monty's has changed my mind! Come on by and try a bite for yourself!

Buon VAppetito! Thursday, February 26th, 5-7pm
Did you know that Chef Frits Huntjens of 1 North Belmont makes house calls? Sort of.

He'll march down the block on Thursday, February 26th to RCC's event space for a night of extraordinary hors d'oeuvres, fantastic fromages and Virginia vino. You're invited!

A Champagne Sabering with The Modern Gentleman (wine & spirits author/raconteur Jason Tesauro) kicks-off a splendid tasting on the eve of the Governor's Cup and the VA Wine Expo. Guests will enjoy a standing affair with a dazzling array of Frits' fare, Sara's savory cheese selections and mingling wine lovers as we sip highlights from Barboursville Vineyards, Virginia's most honored winery*:

On the docket:
Brut NV - house sparkler for the Inn at Little Washington
Viognier Reserve 2006 - unoaked and reminiscent of the classics from Condrieu
Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2006 - Old-world inspired cabernet
Octagon 8th Edition 2005 - elegant Bordeaux blend that is the most decorated wine in the state
Malvaxia Passito 2005 - hand-crafted, vin santo-style dessert wine.

Reservations required. Cost is $35 per person, all-inclusive. Must be 21+ to attend. Please call 804.355.1375 to reserve (space is limited).

*Octagon was served at the Inaugural Dinner...

Wine-o-the-Week
(Peter's notes)
Dievole 2006 Toscano Rosso IGT "Rinascimento"
Made from native Tuscan varietals such as Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, and Canaiolo, this medium-bodied red has classic aromas of plum and cherry with subtle hints of cedar and pepper.
$14.99 per bottle.
Want a taste?
We have one open for you!

Beer-o-the-Week!
(David's notes)
Blue Mountain "Evil 8"
This beer is a truly Belgian style Dubbel (double). It has the long, slightly candy cane flavors that one expects, along with a classic Belgian yeasty background. Belgian yeast strains have a long history that differs quite radically from any other beer yeast. The yeasts' digestion results in great flavor. Pair this with almost any Asian cuisine, especially dishes that have more sweetness.

More of Sara's Photos from Caromont Farm

2008-07-31T19:01:00.006-04:00

More cheese tales coming soon...

I Heart Goats! (Sara's Trip to Caromont Farm)

2008-07-31T18:41:00.009-04:00

I have tales from another field trip to share with you this week! I went down to Esmont, Virginia early Tuesday morning to spend the day making cheese with the lovely folks and goats at Caromont Farm. I can't even begin to tell you what a great time I had. These trips I've been taking lately involving cheese, photography and travel are starting to change the course of my life, I do believe! I'm just so lucky that I can combine three of my all-time favorite things into one fell swoop, eh?

Anyhow, I somehow miraculously made it to the farm in time for the morning milking, despite a chronic inability to get out of the bed before ten and a tendency to get blissfully lost on country roads. And what a great day it was! There are so many things to say!

I will limit myself to ten: A gorgeous sunrise drive west past Charlottesville, misty and winding unpaved roads, the sun bursting through and shining down in perfect, painting-worthy beams, getting lost (and thankfully un-lost) on the way there, walking with the goats in the woods and realizing that they are such incredibly endearing creatures with such fantastic personalities, trying in vain to remember all their names, getting to wear a sexy pair of coveralls and a hair net to make cheese, actually getting to scoop curd and tend to aging cheeses for the first time, thoroughly enjoying the good company and conversation while doing so, sitting down mid-day for a wonderful, leisurely, homemade lunch, tasting all sorts of delicious cheeses, and, wait, is that ten things? Hrm. It appears I have listed a baker's ten. Ah, well...

The most important thing is that in addition to all these great experiences, I have a bunch of Caromont cheeses that I brought back for all of us. Ample supplies of herbes de Provence dusted Old Green Mountain rounds (carefully wrapped by yours truly), cups of fresh lemony-delicious farmstead chevre, and a new one to try, the Alberene Ash. This is the cheese we had over the delicious slow-cooked-with-country-ham beans that Gail made for lunch -- yum -- and I hear it is THE cheese to have with beets.

In addition, the cheese case has become a showcase for over a dozen other American made cheeses. I'm feeling downright patriotic, people! More Tumbleweed is on the way, I have a half-wheel of Mountaineer from Meadow Creek Dairy, some velvety-rich Nancy's Hudson Valley Camembert from the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, oodles of Gootessa Mountain Valley Sharp, and so many more! Come on by and check it out. And, if that's not reason enough to come to the tasting on Friday, it also happens to be our 10th anniversary. You should definitely come help us celebrate. I'm sure there will be bubbles...

When Your Mixer is Alcohol--the French 75 Files

2008-07-15T20:54:00.007-04:00

My lovely roomie, the Divine Miss Kerensa, is turning 30. While our parties are legendary, notorious even, this is one of those birthdays that takes leading up to, priming the pump of debauchery, so to speak. Casa Testarossa has a reputation to live up to, after all! And no, dear K, I will not reveal the events of the last 2 weeks but I will sum it all up here: once upon a time it was all about PBR and apricot jello-wrestling, now it's menu-planning and drink recipe-perfecting. Growing up isn't so bad after all!!

Needless to say, there are a few things in this world I love: Gin and Bubbly are in the top 5. So of course I've been thrilled to be the guinea pig for Kerensa's recent experimentation. What have we learned? Hendricks is the best gin. (Of course). Gruet NV Blanc de Noir* is the best bubbly, both from flavor and price standpoint. Orange slices are the best garnish for balancing flavors, but a garnish of fresh cherries with stems (and a splash of OJ) is more entertaining for an audience. Organic lemons have the sweetest juice which further reduces the need for sugar (this household leans dry--the only time I can say that with a straight face). And finally, according to the superior techniques of Mr. Jason Tesauro (Modern Gentleman author and certified, London-trained gin mixologist), 'washing the ice' "super-cools" the concoction before it hits the glass. This is important because who wants to water down heavy artillery? We probably should, since K pointed out, "Funny things happen when your mixer is more alcohol." Indeed. One is perfection. Two is decadent. Three is a dance party. Here's to being old enough to know to stop there.

*A fabulous, traditional-method bubbly from New Mexico, of all places. Affordable, balanced, beautifully made, it almost seems a shame to mix it with anything except oysters on the half shell, until I remember that true Champagne now starts at around $40...so here's a modified recipe for you to try.

RECIPE:
Ingredients
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (organic is best)
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (we prefer superfine)
2 ounces gin (we prefer Hendricks)
3 ounces plus 1 tablespoon chilled Champagne (we prefer Gruet sparkling wine)
lemon peel for garnish (or orange wedge)
Preparation
In cocktail shaker (after washing your ice in cold water), combine lemon juice, sugar, gin, and ice cubes and shake to chill. Strain cocktail into Champagne flute (we prefer wine glass, on the [washed] rocks) and top off with bubbly. Garnish with citrus and serve.

What is a French 75?

according to wikipedia:
French 75 is a cocktail made from gin, champagne, lemon juice, and sugar. There is some controversy over whether the cocktail was originally made with gin or with cognac and champagne. If Vodka is substituted for the gin it may be referred to as a French 76.

The drink was originally concocted by the Franco-American World War I flying ace Raoul Lufbery who was part of Escadrille Américaine air fighting unit. Legend has it that he liked champagne, but wanted something with more of a kick to it, so he mixed it with cognac which was readily available. The combination was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm howitzer artillery piece, also called a "75 Cocktail", or "Soixante Quinze" in French. The French 75 was popularized in America at the Stork Club.

Sara's Cheesemaking Roadtrip: Meadow Creek Dairy Part 1

2008-06-26T10:58:00.007-04:00

Hello Cheese People! So, I'm fresh from an amazing cheese adventure at Meadow Creek Dairy, my mind is spinning and I barely know where to begin...

There were oodles of beautiful bovines, I took some 650 pictures (photo glutton that I am), I witnessed the magic of turning milk into cheese (can you say PH, temperature control, timing and hard work?), and was thoroughly warmed by the generosity of the Feete family and all who work with them at the dairy.

I suppose the best place to start would be with a giant THANK YOU for allowing this cheesemonger to get in the way for a couple days in an attempt to soak in as much cheese as possible! And believe you me, there was an abundance of knowledge, experience, humor, and a willingness to share that was simply great to be around. I must say that in this day and age, it was lovely to be in the company of folks who truly care about quality over quantity. They care about the land, the cows that graze it, the quality of the milk, the resulting cheeses that we ingest, the people that work there, and even the novice/visitors such as myself.

I brought back one of their fine cheeses for us to sample at this Friday's tasting, the Mountaineer. This raw cow's milk cheese is carefully tended to as it ages on wooden shelves for at least six months. The cellar is damp and cool and the scent upon entry is certainly more intense than I anticipated (who knew?). The room holds cheeses in all stages of development - from the day before yesterday's milky, yellow-white, rind-less newbies to the just-about-legal, reddish-gold, brushed-rind adolescents. I wish I could have stacked them all one on top of each other so you could see the different stages for yourself as they transform. (Perhaps I should have gone that extra mile and taken 651 pictures. Ha.) The resulting cheese however, is delightfully reminiscent of Alpine cheeses - semisoft, nutty, earthy, with a tiny hint of brine and butterscotch. Delicious.

There is so much more to tell and so many more pictures to show but it is 2:30 in the morning and I have a busy day tomorrow! I'll get to some blog entries and photo-uploads while I'm on vacation for those of you who want to know more about my trip. Oh, and keep in mind that we are doing an All-American cheese class the first Monday in August and I'm sure that Meadow Creek Dairy will be included in the line-up. Hope to see you there!

Sara Adduci's Photography Show at Zed Cafe!

2008-03-13T15:45:00.008-04:00

Our very own cheese queen Sara will be showing some of her most excellent work at Zed Cafe starting Tuesday, March 18th. We encourage you to sample Chef Bill Foster's delicious cuisine, have a glass of wine and enjoy the art! Here is a preview...

The Miracle Meal

2008-03-09T19:30:00.003-04:00

As you can imagine, I'm broke as a joke after my NYC adventures. And even at the ripe old age of well, me, I still play that game of putting off ALL shopping in lieu of bargain shopping. But dinner calls. So after work tonight, which was a surreal experience, what with RCC's block being closed down this afternoon for Tom Hanks sightings at HBO's premier of the John Adams miniseries at the historic Byrd Theatre across the street, I vowed to use the power of delicious rose (Chat. de Roquefort 2006 "Corail" Cotes de Provence) and Bhangra music (thanks to WRIR), to make a creative and hopefully edible dinner with only my meager provisions. Stale bread? Toast it! Some decent tin of tuna fish, mixed with French capers, salt, pepper, a tiny bit of fresh mint (had to chuck the rest), some arugula (had to chuck the rest), a swirl of leftover aioli, and a bit of queso blanco "borrowed" from my generous but unwitting roomie, and voila! Gourmet Tuna Melt! And boy was it fantastic with Provencal Rose. The problem now is a choice between the rest of the rose and my expansion homework...life is hard.

What I Wouldn't Do For Cheese...

2008-02-26T21:44:00.041-05:00

I just returned from my three-day "cheese immersion" class in NYC. The trip was appropriately bookended with various tribulations, which only served to highlight the headshakingly fabulous experience that was MURRAY'S CHEESE "U" BOOTCAMP! I had to overcome two canceled flights, a much delayed train ride, a manic depressive taxi driver and a broken toe, but it was all worth it. Besides, I had plenty of time to add to the "overheard in New York" website.

Got to Murray's Friday night. Met the crew and fellow classmates, power-tasted some cheese (dinner): St. Nectaire, Quicke's Cheddar, Pyrenees Brebis, Comte, Roomano [sic], Gorgonzola Cremificato & Roquefort. Washed it all down with Prosecco and Merlot. Finally I walked back to Waverly and smuggled a glass of Bas Armagnac out of the hotel bar and into my room, hunkering down with my 800 page study guide...and promptly fell asleep.

I would love to take a minute and wax rhapsodic about NYC, the Village, Murray's, etc., but there's cheese waiting. Suffice to say the City gives me energy, and Murray's gives me inspiration. The old shop was the size that RCC is now. You came in, you turned sideways to pass those before you, you waited. And it was always worth the wait. Now it's the same, but with the eye-widening addition of a glass-walled classroom looming above the sales floor, and the "oh, I wanna see!" cave-teaser below the sidewalk. So the next morning I was confronted with delicious cheese and daunting chemistry. Being a former English major, I was expecting some high school level "food science" rather than full-on biochemistry. But I dug in because I *like* these teachers! Anyone who can make Proteolysis fun gets my vote--yes, that graphic says "variable matrix for biochemical aspects of cheesemaking and affinage." People, these women (Taylor, Liz & Zoe) made me understand cheese from the inside out! Thanks Ladies! Oh, and we made ricotta in class. Pretty cool. And tasty with honey. So, for the next umpteen hours we discussed chemistry, politics, history, religion, animal husbandry and economics. If I had a to sum up cheese in a term that had nothing to do with gastronomy, I would say, "Resource Management." Breakfast? Vermont Butter and Cheese Crottin, Jasper Hill Farms Ayreshire, Jasper Hill Farms Winnemere, Pecorino Ginepro, Hoch Ybrig.

Then we took a break for lunch. Here I have to comment on the diversity of the Murray's BootCampers: a CPA, a freelance writer, a gourmet educator, a chef, dairy farmers and various aspiring entrepreneurs. All were equally cult-like in their interest in cheese. What a great group to learn alongside! At lunch just six of our 20 peeled off for "August"--a lovely, tiny French (Alsatian?) bistro two blocks down. The kitchen was smaller than mine (10x10) mirrored by a cold station where the cook, if he wasn't careful, would burn his arm hair off in the pizza oven. The beauty of this place was a four-way tie: service, wine lovers' by-the-glass list, decadent brunch menu & atrium. Our group ended up ordering salads (only because we were so full of cheese), and then eventually extra sides of bacon and homemade chorizo because we could. Then back to Murrays for more cheese tasting and (yay!) the cave tours.

Zoe is Murray's affineur (affineuse?) and all-around cave-guru. She inspired me to include a proper affinage facility in our expansion plans. There were separate rooms with various levels of controlled temperature and humidity, designed to develop everything from delicate, bloomy chevres to robust (read: divinely stinky) washed rind cheeses to venerable, aged Manchego and Comte. Here I think pictures are better than words, and they should get you excited about cheese...

Saturday night was spent drinking whiskey (Scotland Yard) and eating enchanting Malaysian food with my new friend Marissa, then closing down Babbo's with ever-flowing Fruilian Amaro and cheese-curious bartenders. We spent Sunday sampling MORE cheese, then had a cheese pairing competition with wine vs. beer. On the docket? Vermont Butter & Cheese Coupole (now in at RCC), Langres, Pecorino Foja de Noce, Extra-Aged Mimolette, Jasper Hill Bayley Hazan Blue, all pitted against Muscadet, Riesling, Torrete, Champagne, Madeira, Montborgeau Chardonnay, followed by Bahnhof Weisse, Kriek Lambic, Ommegang Hennepin, Chocarrubica, and Eggenburg Samichlaus. I'm starting to get embarrassed at my gluttony here but it gets much worse (or better, actually).

Sunday night found me at Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar with two old Richmond transplants, Alan (formerly of Acacia, now bartender at Blue Ribbon) and the lovely and talented Hilty Hazzard. Somehow over the course of (ouch) six and a half hours we managed to eat and drink, um, nearly everything on the menu. No, really: charcuterie, egg shooters, rillette toasts, smoked trout salad along with 3-up flights of Grower's Champagne, Josef Fries Riesling, "Gang of Four" Morgon, and off-the-beaten track dessert wines. That wasn't enough, so after Hilty was responsible and went home, I hung out with Alan and Sefton, the chef from Blue Ribbon Bakery across the street, who gave me a 2am tour of the underground open flame ovens, which were surrounded by bustling armies of diminutive men lugging giant sacks of flour and peeling loaves from million degree, rock-hewn fire pits. That sight made me want a drink. So we went back across the street for a (small) sample of their special Manhattan made with "home-made" bitters (heaven). When the Scotch came out I headed back to the hotel. After all, one has to draw the line somewhere! Needless to say I had fruit for breakfast and slept the entire way back on the train, no longer a size XS. Long live NYC!!!