I use a 1-10 rating scale for wine, and I include half point options.  I rarely give a wine a score above 7.5.  The reason is that my budget does not allow me to sample great wines often, if ever.  I figure there are always a few great wines out there that must be the 9’s and 10’s.  So I am always hoping and waiting to taste one of the great wines to be able to score something that highly. 

With that understanding, a score of 7.0 means a Very Good to Excellent wine in my opinion.  And that is just what I found when I tasted the Cakebread Caneros Napa Valley 2007 Syrah that was recently delivered with my Wine Club shipment.  Syrah is one of the heaviest red wines, with a deep rich very dark red or even purple color. 

I tasted the wine after it had been opened for nearly 24 hours, yet I found the wine to have retained its character and quality.  At our house we use a vacuum pump system for preserving our wine and this has served us very well over the years.  It certainly preserved this wine admirably, although I believe this wine would do well open for a while even without a vacuum system.  Linked below is a vacuum pump sold by Amazon.com for only $7.50.

http://www.amazon.com/Pump/dp/B000UCZFZS

The nose was full and rich.  I detected blackberry and when given a hint, pepper and coffee. 

The taste was bold but not overwhelming for such a full-bodied wine.  While strong there was no sharp or bitter flavor at all.  In my notes I wrote that it grabs hold of your throat, almost gritty as in drinking something sandy, but there is no grit, it is completely smooth.  But it tasted almost crunchy or gritty, it was that full-bodied.  I can think of no other way to describe it.

This wine is certainly capable of standing up to any cut of beef.  I thought of a thick Sirloin steak or even a Porterhouse.  I also thought of a London broil (which I learned is a method of cooking beef, not a cut of beef, although it is usually a top round roast) or Beef Wellington.

There was some acid and tannin, but not strong or unpleasant.  It was lightly oaked (14 months in French Oak from the vintner’s notes).  The notes also said it had flavors of roasted coffee (which I had picked up from a hint) and fig (which I never detected, even after reading the notes).

A quick Google search found 2005 and 2006 vintages of Cakebread Syrah available for about $50.00.  I would highly recommend the 2007 if it can be found at a similar price.  I rarely give a wine a 7.0, and to give one a 7.0 that had been open for 24 hours is indeed unusual.  Give this wine a try and you will not be disappointed.  Especially choose it at a good steakhouse when you have a nice cut of beef.

Jamey

Tailgating is a great tradition at LSU.  The menu of food served at LSU tailgates is long and diverse, including many south Louisiana specialties such as jambalaya, gumbo, crawfish etoufee and the like.  For games against the University of Florida alligator sauce piquant is a favorite.  There are also many beverages consumed at tailgates, frequently in the adult beverage category.  This menu is not as diverse, with beer being the overwhelming drink of choice.  To try a wine tasting in the environment of a wild day of tailgating was a new experience for me, but one that was thoroughly enjoyable.

I started with a trip to Calandro’s Supermarket.   http://www.calandros.com/

I went to their store at the corner of Siegen Lane and Perkins Road in Baton Rouge.  I asked C.J. for some recommendations and bought what he selected.  One of the recommendations was a Novellum Chardonnay.  It was on sale for the attractive price of $11.99.  Normally I would not expect a great experience from a chardonnay in this price range, and I did not get a great experience.  But I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the wine and I would agree with their small sign posted beneath the wine in the store that it is a great value.

Novellum is an Eric Solomon/European Cellars Selection  www.europeancellars.com

It is bottled by Maison Lafage, but I have not linked their web page since it is in French.  Obviously from that information, this is a French wine.  It is bottled in Perpignan, France.  I have little knowledge of the French wine regions, but based on a map, this is near the Mediterranean coast and also near the border with Spain.

The wine was smooth with a friendly nose.  I detected some apple and pear.  It was very lightly oaked, if at all, certainly French oak and likely old oak at that.  I detected few acids, so I would suspect it had some malolactic fermentation, but only a limited amount since there was no overwhelming evidence of it (no buttery flavor).  It had a pleasant finish.  You could taste the fruit, but it did not overwhelm.  All in all there was nothing spectacular about this wine, but it was pleasant and at about $12 a great value.

I noted that it was distinctly chardonnay, which is not always the case in this price range.  It was not complex, but I feel this would do extremely well as a party wine.  Or as a wine on a hot summer afternoon.  Or at a tailgate party.

There was a tailgate next to me with a number of youngsters enjoying the games associated with many tailgates (beanbag toss, beer pong) and they were willing to share a few of their number to taste the wine and give me the benefit of their thoughts.

Lane, Shelton, Tracy & Tiffany were kind enough to leave their festivities and come my way to spend a few minutes in a more sedate environment and taste the wine.  Only Tiffany admitted to being a regular wine drinker, although all had partaken of the beverage from the grape on occasion. 

When asked to identify any fruit when smelling or tasting the wine a blank stare was the typical response.  However, when I phrased the question differently, as in which of these fruits do you smell or taste, each of them picked out apple or pear or both.  It was amazing to me that none of the other fruits I listed were selected, but only the two that I had identified myself.  And I included the apple and pear in the middle of the list of fruits, not at the beginning or end, to keep from having an influence through how the fruits were mentioned.

Lane and Tracy remarked on the pleasant finish, admitting that many of the wines they had tasted in the past had a bitter, harsh and unpleasant finish. 

All four of them liked the wine and were astounded when I told them the price.  All four said they definitely would buy the wine at that price. 

So, thanks to my new friends Lane, Shelton, Tracy & Tiffany for their help with today’s blog.  I hope to see them in a couple of weeks at my next tailgate where I will sample another value wine from Calandro’s.  Before that time I will report on several other wines that C.J. recommended for me.

Jamey

Drinking or even tasting wine can be intimidating for many people.  There are many wine snobs out there ready to pounce ferociously on the new wine drinker.  If you are new to drinking or tasting wine, here are a few tips that will help you avoid trouble with all but the worst and most arrogant of the lot.

1. It is absolutely true that drinking wine is an entirely individual experience.  Two wine connoisseurs may have completely different opinions about a wine.  There is no right or wrong answer.  If you like a particular wine, you are right to like it and do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
2. The experienced wine drinker almost certainly will be able to detect subtleties and nuances that the new drinker will not.  However, after they are described to the novice, even the most subtle flavors can usually be detected.  So listen to what is being said and then taste again.  Frequently you will then be able to identify the flavors that have been discussed.
3. There was a scene in the movie “French Kiss” a romantic comedy, I think starring Kevin Cline and Meg Ryan.  At one point in the movie he described his high school project of creating a wine tasting kit.  He bottled a number of scents to be smelled between sips of a wine.  If you could not taste the particular fruit (or other flavor) then smelling the appropriate scent brought out the flavor in the next sip.  It was an excellent portrayal of how scents do impact a wine tasting.  There are wine tasting kits for sale that include a variety of aromas.  They usually cost slightly less than $10.00 per aroma.  A recent Google search found a 6 aroma kit for $56.99 and a 54 aroma kit for $519.99.  Some wine stores will have a kit in house for you to use when tasting their wines.
4. There are many other subtle flavors other than just fruit.  Frequently, chardonnays are known by the amount of oak flavor.  Cabernet Franc wines are known for their earthy (dirt) flavor. 
5. Regarding oak, there is new oak (gives more oak flavor), old oak (less oak flavor since some of the oak flavor was absorbed by the previous batch of wine), American oak (stronger oak flavor), French oak (more subtle oak flavor), and probably many more varieties that I am not familiar with. 
6. Acidity is another big flavor issue with wine.  Some wines are especially noted for their crispness (more acidic), while there is the malolactic fermentation process to reduce the acidity in many wines.  In a chardonnay, malolactic fermentation (MLF) can produce a buttery type of flavor.   Riesling, however, is a crisp wine and does not experience MLF.
7. Some wines are sweet, others are dry (tart, may be the opposite of sweet, but is not often used to describe wines).  Telling a winemaker their wine is sweet may be meant as a compliment but will probably not be taken as one.  If you mean smooth as opposed to bitter or tart, be sure to say smooth or even or rich, but definitely not sweet.

So given the few points above you now are armed to do battle when tasting wine in a group.  Be aware of the fruit flavors.  Many white wines have some lemon flavor, so think of that first when tasting whites.  Reds may have a hint of raspberry.  So you can guess those flavors even if you do not taste them.  But if you are looking for them you will probably find them in the taste.

Also, your tongue is already experienced at tasting acidity (think about too much lemon or lime in a drink) so you can easily evaluate a wine on its acid content.  It either is acidic or it is not. 

Oak is easy to detect.  If there is a strong oak flavor then it is either new oak or American oak or both.  You can sound like a pro if you mention either or both of those options.

And if you are drinking a chardonnay and it has a buttery taste, it probably has had MLF.  Again, butter is easy for anyone, even a novice to detect, so if you are aware of it before beginning a tasting of chardonnays you are almost certain to find it.

Now that you have the basics firmly in hand go out and find a wine tasting.  Many wine stores and wine bars have free tastings once a month or even once a week.  Find one in your area and give it a shot.

Jamey

I have written before about the enchantment of the wine dinner or Vintner's Dinner and I again urge every reader to take the earliest opportunity to attend one.  New Orleans has a wonderful event each year called the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience (or NOWFE).  There are a number of delightful events at NOWFE over a period of days.  People travel from all over the country to attend and it is well worth the trip from anywhere in the USA.

The Vintner's Dinner is held on a Wednesday night each year.  For the dinner alone approximately 80 restaurants and 150 wineries participate each year.  Usually the great restaurants of New Orleans are among the participants, and I have had the pleasure of enjoying the Vintner's Dinner at Commander's Palace, Galatoire's, Arnaud's, Brennan's, The Palace Cafe and other great restaurants.  We had a wonderful experience at Brennan's this year.  It was the first time in about 10 years that we had returned to a restaurant.  We did so more for the wine than for the food.  Please understand that I would never pass up the opportunity to eat at Brennan's, it is one of my all time favorites, and where I took Janine to celebrate our first anniversary many years ago so it is quite a special place for us.  But in choosing a restaurant at the NOWFE Vintner's dinner one has to consider the wineries in addition to the restaurant and in our case the wineries are the top draw.  This year Justin and Morgan were the wineries featured at Brennan's and we were delighted with that particular combination.  In fact, we were introduced to each of those wines at past NOWFE events and they have become some of our favorites.  Anyway, the Vintner's dinner usually starts at at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday night and ends hours later after everyone has had an incredible meal and tasted some spectacular wines.

The Thursday night event is the Royal Street Stroll.  This is a much more relaxed event.  It usually starts at 5:30 p.m. and lasts until 8:30 p.m.  You turn in your ticket at a tent set up in about the 400 block of Royal Street and get a wrist band, a wine glass and a fan.  The fan has all of the participating Royal Street Merchants listed on it.  You walk up and down Royal Street (most blocks are closed to traffic for the event) wander into antique stores or art galleries or any number of other classic French Quarter stores that have chosen to participate.  There will be a winery or two (or more) with several different wines to taste in the participating store.  Most also have some great food to sample.

Friday and Saturday nights are the Grand Tastings.  These are held in the Morial Convention Center.  There are hundreds of wineries and restaurants participating here.  You wander around a great exhibition hall, sampling wine and food.  It usually lasts from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.  I do not think I have ever lasted beyond 9:00 having had my fill of food and wine for at least an hour by then.

There usually are several other events that may change from one year to the next.  Frequently, however, there are seminars on wine making.  For more information you can visit the NOWFE web page linked below.

http://nowfe.com/

NOWFE is a great way to get to know wine.  Usually there are representatives from the wineries attending and you will have the opportunity to learn from some especially knowledgeable people.  We had the great fortune this year to meet the winemaker from Morgan at our dinner at Brennan's.  It is always especially beneficial to have the chance to hear from the expert, and no one knows more about the wine than the winemaker himself. 

My word of caution to all attending NOWFE is to remember that this is a TASTING, not a drinking event.  Even tasting a small amount of a number of different wines will make you glad there is a designated driver to get you home (or a nearby hotel room).  Most of those pouring do understand this and only pour a small amount each time, but some will put quite a bit in a glass.  Please take advantage of the buckets provided.  It hurts to pour out good wine, but it is certainly a wise decision.

More about our exquisite experience at Brennan's soon.

Jamey Hopper 

Cruising is a wonderful vacation.  Wine is a fantastic drink.  Combining the two makes for an incredible experience every time.

Most cruise lines prohibit packing liquor aboard.  Wine, however, is frequently an exception.  Some cruise lines, like Holland America, have very liberal policies regarding wine brought on board, perhaps even no limit.  Other cruise lines will claim a limit of a few bottles, but usually will not check.  I encourage you to plan on wine for your cruise.  Order a different wine with dinner each night (more on that later), but also bring along some wine (especially sparkling) to drink during the day.

The prices of wines on the wine menu at dinner are quite diverse so a bit of study is advised.  One bit of disappointment was that there was no real assistance to be found from the serving staff, at least we did not discover any.  I asked our waiter for help, but he could not offer much assistance.  Also, the "by the glass" wine seller traveling around the tables was no help whatsoever.  Still, even without help, a journey into a new wine menu can be fun if you are willing to be bold.  Also, there are some real bargains to be found.

For example, on a recent cruise on Carnival Cruise Lines we found an excellent Grgich Hills Napa Valley Chardonnay for $59.00.  It can be found online priced anywhere from the mid-thirties to the mid-forties, and I have paid nearly $50.00 retail for a bottle.  This chardonnay is one of my favorites and is worthy of an occasion.  It is full and rich enough to be consumed with a meal, but also crisp and juicy and outstanding to sip before the meal.  There is no malolactic fermentation, so there is not the oaky, buttery taste found with many California chardonnays.  The acidity makes the wine crisp and bold enough to pair with chicken and pork in addition to seafood.

One night we enjoyed a bottle of Firesteed Pinot Noir, but at $38.00 it was quite a bit more expensive than the $15.00 price that can be found online.  Nevertheless it was quite a good wine to drink before the meal and still excellent with our dinner.  If you can find it for $15.00 I would highly recommend it at that price point.

We do not normally choose Cabernet Sauvignon, but on steak night we opted for something a little more bold and selected a Cuvaison Cabernet.  It was excellent with the meal, full and rich, with lots of fruit and tannins.  The price at $48.00 on board was an excellent bargain compared to mid-thirties pricing found online.

The only wine we did not enjoy was a Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc.  We chose Bonterra because it usually is safe for avoiding headaches from drinking wine.  Wine can give some people a headache, even when just sharing a bottle, or less, for two.  It is not the amount, but the quality of the wine or the choices of the winemaker that usually determine whether or not a headache is in store from drinking wine.  Bonterra had been considered by us a safe wine before, but both caused both a headache and left us disappointed with the selection from a taste perspective.  I doubt we will be choosing any more Bonterra wines, at least for a while.

We had chosen to bring on our own sparkling on board, but we did select a nice Prosecco Fatinel (also spelled Fantinel) one night at dinner.  It was no bargain at $32.00 while it can be found online for about $13.00.  But it was light and fruity and had a pleasant bouquet.  It is not too sweet, so it is a good choice to drink with a meal, especially if you are having seafood.

As I have mentioned before my recommendation is to try different wines whenever possible while dining out and selecting from an extensive wine menu.  The menu on a cruise ship is usually quite extensive, with a broad range of prices.  The better wines may be separated by themselves towards the rear of the menu (they were on this cruise).  Ironically, while these were the more expensive wines they were also by far the best values.  We followed that recommendation this time out except for the bargains that were too good to pass on.  The wines on a cruise menu are usually from all over the world.  We chose a few international wines, but also chose some U.S. wines because they are usually easier to find back home.  Obviously our goal is to discover something we like a lot that we can also find when we return home.  The Firesteed Pinot Noir was the best find for us on this trip.

If you have read any of the prior postings of this blog you know that J and Schramsburg are our preferred sparkling wines, and we certainly did not fail to pack our favorites.  We also brought along some Segura Viudas to drink on deck during the day.  Sparkling wine is an excellent drink while soaking up the sun and Segura is perfect for this pastime.  We saved our J and Schramsburg for before dinner drinks on the days when we d
id
not stop by the Martini bar before dinner.  Our cabin steward was most helpful at filling a bucket with ice and assisting us with chilling our wine.

I realize it may sound like we did nothing but drink the entire cruise, and I really cannot remember if we did anything else.  Actually, upon returning home the scale told me that I had done quite a bit of eating while on board, so I know there were other activities than just drinking.

We certainly look forward to our next cruise as a wonderful time to get away, relax, eat some wonderful food and discover some excellent wines.

Jamey Hopper

A brief recap of Part I

1. Do not hesitate to ask for assistance from your server
2. If all your budget allows is the least expensive wine, order that and do not be intimidated
3. Buy what you like. Do not worry too much about matching the wine with the food.
4. Order something new, hopefully with every bottle

Part II

When reading the menu you will find that the wines are usually numbered. Do not hesitate to order by giving the number rather than the name. Even California wines frequently have foreign words in their names and it may create a communication challenge between you and the server trying to pronounce the name. Ordering by the number avoids embarrassment of yourself or the server. The server will not think less of you (except in the most snobbish place, but you do not need my assistance if you frequent those places) and will usually appreciate the fact that you made things easy on them.

The opening/tasting ritual is designed with a purpose, but can be quite confusing for the novice. The server will usually go straight to whoever ordered the wine to do the tasting. If someone else is to do the tasting, please let the server know right away. Expect most of the following steps to be followed:

1. The server will show the label to make sure it is the proper wine to match the selection
2. The server will then cut off the foil and remove the cork. The cork is then given to the taster to examine. The cork should be completely moist on one end only, but should not be at all dry and crumbly or flaky. It is appropriate to carefully squeeze all around the cork to insure that it is not too dry. Someone bold may even bite the cork to test its consistency. The cork usually costs about $2.00 to $5.00 per bottle (which if you think about it is probably 5%-10% of the cost of bottle of wine), so it is not an insignificant part of the process. A completely dry cork, especially one crumbly or flaky is a good indicator, but not certain, that the wine has gone bad.
3. The server will then pour a small amount into the glass of the taster. Swirl the wine around in the glass to allow the aroma to spread. Leave the base of the glass on the table as you swirl it unless you are adept at this step, and you are much less likely to spill some. After you have given the wine a good swirl, smell the aroma of the wine. Do not hesitate to put your nose down into the glass.
4. The next step is to sip the wine. If it is bad you will likely know from smelling it, but you will certainly know from a sip. It is rare, but I have been served a wine that was spoiled before. Send back the bad wine. If you are unsure, tell the server you are unsure and ask the sommelier (wine steward) to taste it. Again, do not drink bad wine, send it back!
5. Assuming the wine is satisfactory (which it almost always will be) the server will then begin pouring about ½ a glass full to each guest that is drinking, starting with the ladies.
6. If two different wines have been ordered there will be a repeat of the entire process. The server will usually ask who will taste the second wine. If you are the experienced wine drinker, ask them to bring out another glass for you to taste the second bottle, even though you might not be drinking any of that one. The others at the table will usually appreciate not having to participate in this scary ritual.
7. If a second bottle of the same wine is ordered, they should bring you a fresh glass and follow all of the same steps for the second bottle.
8. With large groups it may be that two want to participate in the tasting ritual, and that is certainly not a problem. Remember that the price of the wine is usually at least twice what it would cost retail. The reason for the extra expense is the storage expense, the risk of spoilage, the labor for completing the ritual, and perhaps even the salary of the sommelier. But as you have already paid for the ritual by purchasing the wine, make sure you get to enjoy the ritual fully.

If a bottle of white or sparkling has been ordered you may want it stored in an ice bucket while you are dining. They will usually ask your preference. While I always prefer sparkling wine to be chilled, there are many white wines that I prefer not to be iced while at table. This is totally your preference and be sure to ask for whichever you prefer. Only rarely have I ever asked for a red to be placed in an ice bucket, but there are some reds best consumed colder than room temperature. Again I urge you to please yourself and not to worry about “tradition” or supposed protocol.

There are a few more odds and ends to cover on ordering wine in a restaurant, but they must wait for another entry. Until next time, enjoy your wine.

Jamey

It is always a challenge, and sometimes scary, to select a wine off of a wine list at a restaurant.  This is true even for someone experienced with wine.  To someone new to the world of wine it can be a frightening event.  I cannot give you advice on all that you need to know, but I can give you a few pointers.

The first thing is never to be shy about asking for help.  It is not a sign of ignorance to ask your server for a recommendation.  A lengthy wine list is sure to have many selections that are new even to an extremely knowledgeable oenophile.  Also, many restaurants spend a great deal of time training their staff on their wines so that they will be able to assist their customers.  Frequently your server will have special knowledge of the wines and what may match best with different food selections.

Yet that brings a point that I feel is sometimes over-emphasized which is getting the “right” wine with a certain meal.  I have been to many wine dinners where the chef went to great lengths to pair a dish with a wine, yet have found that I either like the wine or I do not, and I either like the food or I do not.  Occasionally the wine does have a dramatic affect on the taste of the paired food, but in my experience that has been the rare exception rather than the rule.

Also over-emphasized is the necessity to have white wine with seafood and red wine with meat.  If you like white wine, have white wine with your meal regardless of your menu selection.  If you like red wine, do the same.  If you like both wines, then I would certainly suggest giving consideration to traditional pairings, but I would never feel constrained by tradition.  Make your best wine selection and your best meal selection and if you have chosen well things usually work out fine.

I have read that one should never select the second cheapest wine on the menu.  That theory says that the restaurant believes the customer does not want to feel cheap by buying the least expensive wine, so they put their wine with the greatest markup second from the bottom to catch all of the unsuspecting novices.  I have not found this to be an accurate recommendation, and would certainly never visit twice a restaurant that practiced this pricing method.  Buy whatever wine fits your taste and your budget and please do not feel constrained by appearances.  If anyone ever says anything to you, merely point them to my blog as your excuse.

A key point of consideration is whether the wine will be consumed primarily before the meal or during the meal.  Wines that may be excellent before the meal may not stand up to any food pairing.  I would include a number of whites in this group, especially Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and most sparkling wines.  Red wines are less often seen only as a before dinner drink.  Yet a wonderful Pinot Noir may be too light to stand up to certain flamboyant beef dishes.  Enjoy it beforehand and have a more robust Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah or Zinfandel with the beef.  Consider ordering a lighter wine for the pre-meal and salad course consumption with a second bottle for the main course.

A frequently missed opportunity is in the ordering of a second bottle of wine when the first bottle selected is empty.  Too often another bottle of the same wine that was first chosen is ordered for the second go around instead of making a new selection.  Admittedly it is challenging not to order a second bottle of an excellent wine if you made a great choice on the first wine, but you may make an even better choice on the second bottle.  As one of my goals is to take the opportunity to try a new wine when dining out, ordering different wines rather than a second bottle of the same wine certainly gives more opportunities for learning about new wines.

My next entry will offer a few hints on the serving and tasting ceremony.  My only suggestion today is to not be bashful.  Do not hesitate to ask your server for guidance or assistance.

Jamey

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

On St. Patrick's eve we went to Bandera for dinner. 

They had a nice jazz combo playing not far from us, and our table gave us a nice view overlooking Michigan Avenue.  The ambiance was great.  Janine was served one of the two best dishes of Macaroni and Cheese she had even eaten (and she is quite the critic of M&C).  Yet the most remarkable part of our evening was the wine list, specifically the prices.  We chose a Schramsburg Blanc de Blancs, which if you have read all the way to the bottom of this blog you have seen is one of our favorites.  It is listed below in the under $35 category, because we usually find it for around $30-$32 retail.  It was on the wine list at Bandera for $35.00.  Wow!  So we broke one of our rules, that is trying a new wine while at a restaurant with a nice wine list.  I guess we are more bargain hunters than new wine hunters.  But I was so shocked at the incredibly good restaurant price of one of our favorite sparkling wines that I could not pass it up.  As always, the Schramsburg was dry (but not too dry), crisp, full, bold enough to stand up to the meal, yet light enough to drink before dinner and rich enough after dinner.  Last night I tasted melon and a light citrus with just a touch of honey.  But as I was drinking it with the meal, I am sure it was influenced by the food.  Yet it was a great experience, as we always find with Schramsburg.

Our dinner, besides the M&C, was very good.  Janine chose the rotisserie chicken, which was tender, juicy and well-seasoned.  I had the bangers and mash (sausage & mashed potatoes).  One sausage was pork, good, the other was the rotisserie chicken, excellent. 

Our server was Allison and she did a splendid job throughout the evening.  Be sure to ask for Allison if you happen to visit Bandera.  She is temporarily mis-placed from New Orleans, but hopes to be able to go "home" some time in the future.  It was great to find her southern hospitality in a Chicago restaurant.

OK, this will really be more about restaurants and food in Chicago than wine, but as this is a wine blog I must keep to the theme.

Our first night in Chicago we found (with the help of the Sheraton’s wonderful concierge) Volare.  It is a small, moderately priced Italian restaurant in downtown Chicago that we found delightful.  If you do not have reservations be sure to get there before 6:00 p.m. on a busy night.  Our waiter, Diego, was friendly, chatty (at least until the restaurant got crowded) and very helpful in choosing dinner and a wine.

Our wine was a Copertino from Rocca dei Mori.  It was a robust red wine, yet not too heavy.  It had flavors of black cherry and pepper.  It was light enough to sip before our meal yet bold enough to stand up to Chicken Parmigiana.  At $35.00 (restaurant price!) it was a great bargain and a nice wine.  The Chicken Parmigiana was delicious.  It was a huge serving and much more than we could eat.  The chicken was served with Penne pasta.  Interestingly the red sauce on the pasta was different than the red sauce on the chicken.  Alfredo sauce was mixed in with the red sauce on the pasta, while on the chicken was strictly a marinara sauce.  Both were excellent.  There was certainly no room for dessert.

We had brunch today (Sunday) at the Signature Room in the John Hancock building.  I would put this near the top of the list for things to do on a trip to Chicago.  At least go to the lounge on the 96^th floor for a drink if you cannot fit in a meal at the restaurant on the 95^th floor.  The Sunday brunch is spectacular.  There were many choices and each was extremely carefully prepared to high standards.  The only negative I would note was that the seafood was average at best, at least for someone used to eating the best seafood in the world in south Louisiana.

As a connoisseur of omelets I know that it is hard to have one standout, but the omelets at the Signature Room do indeed stand out from any other omelet I have ever eaten.  The omelet Chef used less egg than usual and this gave all of the other ingredients a chance to shine, which they did splendidly.  Bacon is also pretty standard fare, but the applewood smoked bacon served here was delicious.  Other noteworthy delights were the chicken with Portobello mushroom sauce, the Belgian waffles, the hash browns (another item that rarely stands out but shined today), even the iced tea was fresh brewed and better than usual.  Our server, Lori, was incredible.  Again, it is rare for service to be noteworthy at a buffet, but Lori was one of the best servers we have ever had for any dining experience.

The wine we selected was a rather ordinary Sparkling, Marquis de la Tour Brut from the Loire valley.  It was light and had even fruit (the label claimed peach and melon, but we tasted more kiwi and strawberry).  It was smooth and very drinkable, acceptable before the meal but it certainly did not stand up to the food.  The wine list was extensive, however, and although we deliberately chose to focus our attention on the food rather than the wine, I saw many outstanding options to choose from.

It is impossible to mention a trip to the Signature Room without mentioning the view.  On the 95^th floor over Michigan Avenue just a few blocks from the lake it offered incredible vistas.  We were fortunate to have a corner table and could see the lake and the city both.  We had many visitors during our stay to look out one or the other of the windows around us.  And I say our stay because one of the first things Lori said to us was to take our time and to enjoy the experience.  We did take our time and we absolutely enjoyed the experience.