A Syrah Tasting

The day had started off as gorgeously cool and sunny. But as we headed up north to Eric and Abby’s for a Syrah blind tasting, a thick blanket of fog suddenly descended upon us. It was so dense that we couldn’t see 10 feet in front of us, and could only make a faint blur of the cars’ tail lights. Lake Michigan, to our right, was completely enveloped in white.

Although Eric had planned for an outdoor tasting in his backyard, the sudden dip in temperature sent us fleeing back indoors. After some chit chat and a chilled glass of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, we wrapped the 4 bottles we had all contributed in aluminum foil and started tasting.

Hehe, I correctly guessed the regions of all the wines! The group favorite of the night was the J.L. Chave Sélection “Offerus” St.-Joseph Rouge from Rhone, with earthy notes and smooth tannins. Our second Rhone bottle was the J.L. Chave Sélection “Mon Coeur”, which blew us away its sheet pungent aroma. It was so strong! I had to check to make sure it wasn’t the stinky cheese I was standing next to. Miguel really liked it though. I would have enjoyed it more if the nose was a little more subtle, because it was so beautifully rounded and soft in the finish.

The third bottle, a Halter Ranch 2008 Syrah that Miguel had brought back from Paso Robles, had an incredibly sweet nose, especially when drank in sequence after the Mon Coeur. It reminded me of the aromas of caramelizing sugar over a candle. Tons of vanilla in the body too…In Mig’s words, it was a “bodacious” wine. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I not just tasted the Offerus and the Mon Coeur.

The final blind tasting bottle of the evening was Eric’s Copain mailing list wine, a 2006 single vineyard wine. In nose, it was most similar to the Offerus, though we easily guessed that it was a New World wine for it’s much fuller body of ripe fruit.

By then, it was probably past 10pm. Everyone had a pleasant buzz going. We ought to have ended the evening here, but nobody protested when Eric busted out another Syrah, a 2006 Dumol Russian River Valley. It was good, and I’d rate it between the Offerus and the Copain.

It was a very delightful way of passing an evening, though I paid for it the next morning; we ended up leaving only when it was half past 12. Still, I’m happy to be doing wine tasting with small groups of friends again.

Wines Galore

Just had the Decoy Zinfandel this week while watching the Met’s streaming of Don Pasquale at AMC.

We’ve a total of 50 bottles in our wine fridges and barrel now, with some doubles, like Bella’s Garden.

On wine, reading, and diving

Looking forward to diving in Tioman this weekend. The itinerary looks packed though, with dives from early morning through the early evening. At least I don’t have any night dives scheduled; still need to take my advanced diving for that. I wouldn’t mind a couple less dives in lieu of lounging on a beach chair by the waves with a good book in hand.

Been a while since I’ve picked up a book to read; re-reading Harry Potter and my wine books don’t count. So I stopped by the bookstore yesterday, and picked up 4 books: one on business, and three wine-related books. Hehe. I nearly bought The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It but then saw Bunny Crumpacker’s The Sex Life of Food: When Body and Soul Meet to Eat. Leafed through it – hilarious! So I got that too, along with Hugh Johnson’s Wine, a Life Uncorked and Vivienne Sosnowski’s When the Rivers Ran Red: An Amazing Story of Courage and Triumph in America’s Wine Country*.

Hehe so, even though I may have no wine to drink this weekend, at least I’ll still be able to read about it.

Did have some good wines this past week though:
1. Saint Clair Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Marlborough New Zealand
2. Kauri Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2007, Marlborough New Zealand
3. Battle of Bosworth Shiraz Viognier 2005, McLaren Vale Australia
4. Atteca Garancha Old Vine 2006 Spain

My uncle (dad’s cousin really), a really youthful-looking dude (such that it’s hard for me to treat him as an uncle, and not a drinking buddy), went out to dinner with our family on Sunday night, and brought along the first two bottles. He’s a wine lover, and drinks quite voraciously, though only whites. He did bring a French red for us that dinner, and though we didn’t have it at dinner, he insisted that I bring it home to enjoy. Really liked the Saint Clair; beautifully light, with a wonderful fragrance.

I had the two reds at that said uncle’s place on Thursday evening; apparently it’s a family tradition to keep trading dinner treats back and forth – not that I mind in the least; he’s an excellent cook. The reds were both delightful on their own, but paired with his smoked salmon salad, oyster mushroom soup, and generous slabs of beef, sausages, and sea bass, the wines took on an almost cherry-like sweetness in the mouth. It was incredible, how well both wines paired with the food. Mmm.

*The LA Times on “When the Rivers Ran Red”:

‘When the Rivers Ran Red’ recalls Prohibition’s effect on wine country
Author Vivienne Sosnowski now has different images of the 1920s.
By Nick Owchar
August 5, 2009

Rivers and creeks overflowing with wine — was it a biblical sign of the end of the world or time for a free drink?

This singular image kept coming up as Vivienne Sosnowski talked to the elder members of Northern California wine-making families — many in their late 90s — about life after Prohibition took effect in 1920. And it’s the image that inspired the title of her book “When the Rivers Ran Red: An Amazing Story of Courage and Triumph in America’s Wine Country” (Macmillan: 256 pp., $26.95).

“When I read how the dumped wine killed plants and orchards, and how fish died, it just boggled my mind,” she said in a recent telephone interview.

“When the Rivers Ran Red” casts light on a less-understood aspect of that infamous period in American history — an era whose familiar images of Prohibition usually don’t include its effect on American wineries.

A Tasting at the Wine Gallery

Andrew sent out an email to the DGS listhost, informing us of a free wine tasting of Australian and New Zealand Wines at the Wine Gallery Saturday. I was intrigued by the vast quantity of wines available for tasting – 76!!! – and curious to visit an unexplored wine shop. A little odd though, that nobody else on the 60 strong listhost wanted to join me. No matter, Wellian and I had been trying to meet up for the longest time now, so I invited him over for the afternoon. Hehe, he isn’t that big a drinker (tried prolly a third of what I tasted), but it was fun to catch up and chat nonetheless.

Elderton Command Shiraz 2005, Australia – Hehe, when I first arrived, I was a little overwhelmed by the packed tables of closely stacked bottles of wines available for tasting (76 different wines in all), and thus tried to get a handle on my confusion by going for the label that I knew. The Elderton. Could I have this please? I asked the guy, pointing at the unopened bottle of the Elderton Command. Would you want to try the Elderton Friends bottle instead, he asked, lifting the opened bottle of Friends. I demurred, since I had tasted it before (at Seven Ate Nine with Tanya and Paul). Smiling slightly as he opened the Command, he said, woah, you’ve gunned straight for the most expensive bottle in the room. Oops. Hehe.

Oh but it was good. We really shouldn’t have started on that bottle. Almost everything after couldn’t compare. It had a beautiful inky color, with a nose that smelled almost as dense as it looked, of concentrated raisins. Super smooth in the mouthfeel with a finish that lingered on and on. Totally loved it!

The Wine Advocate writes of the wine (97 points):

Elderton’s flagship is the single vineyard Command Shiraz, a wine with serious aging potential, and one with which all other South Australia Shiraz must be compared. The opaque purple/black 2005 Command Shiraz was aged in French and American oak puncheons (500-liter barrels). It offers up a sexy/kinky bouquet of wood smoke, lavender, leather, game, mineral, black raspberry, and blueberry pie. Voluptuous on the palate, complex, and dense, it demands a decade of cellaring after which it should offer hedonists much pleasure through 2035.”

Stephen Tanzer writes of the wine (94 points):
Inky ruby color. Vibrant raspberry, cherry-vanilla and coconut aromas are complemented by candied licorice and smoky minerals. Pliant, palate-coating red and dark berry preserve flavors are perked up by Asian spices and smoky minerals. Pretty exotic but not over the top, with gentle tannins adding shape and focus to the long, sweet finish. This is downright sexy today.

D’arenberg the Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier 2007, Australia – Unfortunately for this wine, we tasted it right on the heels of the Command. It tasted hot, with a tinge of metal in the mouth, and wasn’t as satisfyingly smooth or full bodied. A decent wine on its on to be sure nonetheless.

Elderton Ode to Lorraine CSM 2005, Australia – I think I’m a fan of Elderton wines; would be awesome if I could visit their vineyard if I do manage to go to Barossa in September. This one was delicious, with a nose so strongly reminiscent of Ribena that even Wellian agreed. Hehe. It also reminded me somewhat of a Maderia, with a sun burnt quality. Heh it was rated the top 16 wine of 2008. The American Singaporean (AS, we’ll call him. That’s the correct terminology for a migrated American?? Heh) standing next to us couldn’t help remarking over and over when he was tasting this wine, oh my god, this wine would do me in, it’s so damn strong. Indeed, it was, a heavy, powerful wine. He thought it would be too heavy to go with steak, I reckoned it would be a perfect after-dinner/dessert wine.

Stella Bella Tempranillo 2005, Australia – The AS wasn’t a fan of the powerful wines, it turned out. Singapore’s too hot, he said, and recommended his favorite tasting of the day, the Tempranillo (more often a Spanish wine). It was much lighter, smoother. Actually, kind of a milder version of the CSM, which I found way more fun.

Green Point Pinot Noir 2007, Australia – My best value tasting of the day, hands down. The AS was similarly enthusiastic about it as well. This light colored – almost pink – Pinot Noir was more old world style, with a huge earthy nose of truffles. Beautiful nose, and deliciously meaty body and finish. I need to stock up on this; only I’m not sure if the usual fare we eat at home would pair well with this.

Cape Mentelle Zinfandel 2006, Australia – Wellian liked this one, nice and smooth.

St Hallet Old Block Shiraz 2005, Australia – Another recommendation of the AS. Nice big nose, very full bodied wine, but not nearly as sweet as the command or the CSM.

Jacob Creek Johann Shiraz Cabernet 2001, Australia – It was smooth, not bad, but for its price (~S$126) somewhat unexciting.

Fox Creek Shiraz Grenache 2007, Australia – Not bad, quite smooth.

Mitchelton Crescent Shiraz Mourvedre Grenache 2004, Australia – Rhone style, not too bad, but otherwise unmemorable – don’t have notes on it.

Green Point Sparkling Rose NV, Australia – After the exciting Pinot Noir from the same vineyard, I was thoroughly disappointed by this. It was insipid, without a nose, and without a body and finish. Basically your kind of wafer thin model wihout any curves whatsoever. The bubbles were huge and clumsy too. Hmm, actually, I just glanced through my journal, and I have tasted another Green Point before, a Viognier from our Yarra Valley DGS Tasting. I wasn’t impressed by the Viognier then too. But I really like their Pinot.

Sileni Estate Circle Semillon 2004, New Zealand – Lemony, limestone, nice refreshing weight in the mouthfeel

Montana Pinot Noir 2007, New Zealand – Not too bad, but I much prefer the Green Point Pinot Noir in terms of aromas, smoothness, and finish. This one seemed a shadow of the Green Point.

D’arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz 2006, Australia – It had a meaty nose, which stood it apart from the other Shiraz I had that day, but apart from that, I can’t remember too much about it

Yesterday’s Hero

After my (slight) derision of screw caps in the previous post, I am slightly sheepish to say that when I raided my wine fridge in search of a nice red to bring to the evening’s picnic at Fort Canning (to watch the SRT’s production of Much Ado About Nothing), I was looking for a screw cap bottle.

The Two Hands Yesterday’s Hero from Barossa Valley Australia (oh man, getting excited thinking about a possible trip there in September!) turned out to be the hero – in fact, the only screw cap bottle left in the wine fridge.

While the plan was to drink some of the wine, and bring the rest back – hence the screw cap – it was so delicious, we couldn’t resist finishing it. Hehe. We loved how silky and fruity it was in the mouthfeel, of currants and berries, with a nice peppery kick at the end. It went well with the crackers, sausages, and sharp cheddar that TPR bought. Haha, she also bought a paprika goat cheese that was so pungent (like manure) that we re-wrapped it up and edged it to the corner of our mat.

The play was tight, the script witty, and the actors brilliant. We were shouting with laughter for much of the night. A ton of fun – outdoor performances are such a brilliant idea!

Three Score & 10

Had a really good bottle of wine last night, the III Associates Three Score & 10 Grenache/Shiraz 2005, from McLaren Vale, Australia. It had raisin-y notes, but what I really loved about it was the weight of the wine, nice and heavy – quite a noticeable change from the big-boobs-but-no-ass wines I’ve had recently, you know, the wines with a lot of flavor upfront but which quickly disappear into nothingness. Anyway, as I was saying, I really liked the feel of the wine. There was some earthiness and oak to it too, mixed in with the rich plum mouth feel. Mmm! It’s bottles like this that reminds me of why I really like Grenache/Shiraz blends.

Napa Valley Tasting Day 2

We visited five wineries today, which does not feel as many compared with Aaron and company’s trip out to Sonoma last fall. Still, it was plenty enough and by the time we rolled into our last stop at Mumm, I was feeling bloated. I guess the awesome lunch we had stuffed me up too much. But it was an excellent recommendation by the guy at Quixote: we shared marinated ahi tuna, beef carpacchio, duck terrain, and the juiciest Kobe burger I have ever had. So good!!!

Anyway, it has been a really good trip out to Napa – I barely knew of the wineries the last couple of times I came out, so I think I definitely appreciated the experience this time around. We hit most of the wineries that I had planned on going to, wineries recommended by various friends, so I am definitely very satisfied. Still have a long list of wineries to hit up for when I next return!

Signorello
2006 vielles vignes estate Chardonnay -some apple in the mouth and pear in the nose. Some buttery toast, walter thinks. Thick luscious finish, maybe a little oily. Peiyun likes the heft of the wine.

2005 estate syrah (96% Shiraz and 4% viognier) – northern Rhine style, not quite the us style. I like how the viognier rounds off the finish of the Shiraz. I like the nose; some berries, coffee, and spice.

2004 estate Cabernet Sauvignon – Bordeaux style blend. Currants in the nose. Well structured, like the smooth tannins in the finish. Not very sweet but I like.

2006 las amigas vineyard Pinot noir – grown in carneros. Aged in French oak for ten months. Four uses per barrel. Smoky and nice body, some raspberries.

2006 luvisi vineyard zinfandel – 26 miles north of napa, a lot hotter. Hotter, a ton more fruit in the nose and body. Big body, smaller ass.

2003 estate Cabernet sauvignon – cool and moist growing season, completely opposite of 2004. Smells a little greener, the tannins still on the tongue, a little bigger. Interesting how the noses are so different.

Quixote (petite syrah focus. Carl big food guy, likes how this grape pairs with wine. This owner used to own stag’s leap before he sold it to beringer).

2005 panza Grenache mourvedre blend – only seventy cases. Nice hot smell. I really like this wine, not too heavy, but not in the least watery, delightful finish really.

2003 Cabernet sauvignon – tons of black currants in the nose and in the mouth. Maria really likes it too. Me too. Very juicy! Should not try to age the 2003 cabs, but this one is definitely ready to drink right now.

2003 panza Cabernet Sauvignon (5% petite verdot) – I think the Quixote was more exciting. But this is still very nice and smooth. I think that they have very nicely structured wines here, very nice and smooth tannins.

2004 Quixote petite syrah – jon thinks very nice, I do too, but my palate is a little numb right now. Very ripe black fruit, some mocha or chocolate. Should age as it can hold the fruit.

Opus one
2004 Bordeaux style blend – very very hot, a lot of currants in the nose and mouth. Very concentrated, very smooth. But I’m not sure about the $30 tasting nor the $180 price tag. Long finish very peppery.

Zd Winery
2007 rosa lee gewurtztraminer Russian river valley – very dry, citrus notes: pineapple lemon, orange. Very refreshing for today’s hot weather. Peiyun can easily distinguish the pear notes.

2006 Chardonnay California – selection of vineyards including Santa barbara. Cold barrel no maloactic fermentation. Long yeast contact. I like this a lot. Interesting body. Coconut? Little bit of vanilla in the finish. Reminds me of a breezy summer on the beach.

2006 Pinot noir, carneros – ten months French oak. Quite a light color, and with that characteristic pungent Pinot nose. Did not blow my socks off but still good, just paled after comparing with the previous two.

2005 Cabernet sauvignon – blackberries, tobacco in the nose. Some tannins buy not overwhelming. A pleasant wine.

Judd’s Hill
2007 rose – strawberries very light and refreshing, a nice change from the heavy reds. Peiyun thinks it is too sweet. Got to drink cold though.

2005 Chardonnay – quite nondescript after zd. Lemony bright fruit.

2006 Pinot noir – light colored. Nice strawberry in the nose. Some spice in the body; peiyun liked that. Nice rounded finish. Better done than the pinot we had at zd. Jon liked it so much, he bought a bottle.

2005 Zinfandel old vine (75 years) – raising nose, sweet body and raising in the finish too. Just a hint of spice. Quite enjoyable. I really like the nose.

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (6% Cabernet franc) – nice nose, love the wood. We had this for dinner last night and loved it, which is why we decided to stop by here today. Tannins in the finish, a wine that could stand to be aged a little longer too I think. A little of that sherry nose.

Mumm Napa
The winery’s the biggest we’ve been to the entire trip. Very commercial feel, none of that small intimate winery feel that we have enjoyed at some of the other places. Still it feels quite luxurious to end the day off with a couple glasses of bubbly.

Blanc de blanc – dry, and a little tart in the finish, but the body is off sweet.

Reserve brut – tighter bubbles, off sweet and I think my favorite of the series.

Grand annee 2001 – big bubbles too tart. Way too fizzy. Granted I am not much of a champagne person; Natalie would have been able to offer a much more informed opinion, but this will not be my drink of choice.

Blanc de noir - peiyun and I think its too dry. But she decided after a couple sips that she still likes it.

At Mustard’s Grill
2006 Merryvale Pinot Noir – light nose but nice weight to the body; of strawberries.

Perfection

Perfection: the ability to indulge in three of my greatest pleasures, with close friends, and under a balmy, sunny and cloudless spring day.

Kicked the day off with a breakfast date with Kayla, Maggie, and Kathy at Victory Banner. I’d had a long but fun time the night before at Jeff and Zhen’s first watching my Traviata DVD and then playing a long game of taboo in a group of 10, and was consequently somewhat blearly eyed when I got to the cute little diner. The girls’ perky conversations and the delicious chai and omlettes soon woke me up though.

Next, I drove downtown to meet Bruce and Jeff for the Metropolitan Opera’s live HD streaming of La Boheme. The Chicago Lyric Opera had also staged the opera this past season, and I’d enjoyed it tremendously, and was thus really looking forward to the Met’s production.

Metropolitan Opera’s La Boheme – Act IV

I really enjoyed the opera – Franco Zeffirelli’s production was simply gorgeous. The sets were hyper realistic, especially Act II’s Latin Quarter set: towering shophouses as a backdrop that opened to a piazza filled with awnings of brightly colored stores selling clothing, food, and cafes. The attention paid to detail was simply amazing. Besides that, Ramón Vargas, Angela Gheorghiu, Ainhoa Arteta portrayed really convincing and touching characters of Rodolfol, Mimi, and Musetta, respectively. It was difficult not to be swept into the moments of it all and stay detached.

Once again, we had a bottle of wine and some cheese to go along with the opera, much to the envy of our neighbor, who wished she had thought of the idea herself. Hehe. I’d brought along another bottle of Grenache again, this time a Spanish number, the 2006 Atteca Old Vine (the vines are purportedly 80-120 years old). Gosh, it was even better than the Tintara – the tannins were super smooth, and tasted almost sweet in our mouths, with flavors of cherries and blueberries, and a tinge of mocha at the end. Simply incredible, especially at the super affordable price point of ~$18. Awesome, awesome, value for money.

Afterwards, we headed out west to VE, where we joined Julian, Sandra, Lida, Miguel, Eugene, and Lisa on the walls. I haven’t climbed with Julian and Sandra in a really long while (they’ve been going on Saturdays, while Chuck and I have been going on Sundays), so it was a delight to hang out with them again. Put in some good routes, and I’m looking forward to more climbing with Chuck again tomorrow.

We didn’t stay till closing this time, but headed out a little past 8pm to a little Mexican restaurant by Julian and Sandra’s, where we happily partook in glasses of margaritas and generous bowls of nachos and salsa.

Great times!

Tristan und Isolde, the Cursed Opera?

From the NYTimes:

Many Nights at the Opera Involve Emergency Room
By ROBIN POGREBIN
Published: March 20, 2008 

When the tenor Gary Lehman slid down the raked stage into the prompter’s box on Tuesday night during Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” at the Metropolitan Opera, stopping the show at the start of Act III, he entered a storied history of midperformance mishaps at the opera.

This was the second consecutive time in the six-performance “Tristan” revival that trouble halted the production. Last Friday, Deborah Voigt, who was singing Isolde, left the stage during Act II because of a stomach ailment and was replaced by Janice Baird, her cover, who made her Met debut.

Mr. Lehman made his Met debut on Friday, replacing John Mac Master. Mr. Mac Master, the original replacement for Ben Heppner, who had canceled his first four performances because of a viral infection, struggled with the role vocally, the Met said, because of allergies.

Mr. Lehman was not seriously injured in the incident on Tuesday and managed to finish the performance. But when “Tristan” returns on Saturday afternoon, in a performance to be broadcast live on radio and in movie theaters, Robert Dean Smith, will take over the male lead, fresh from rehearsals for Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” in Berlin.

“It seems this production’s run has been somewhat star-crossed,” said Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager. “There are risks in any production, but certainly what happened was a fluke, and when you consider that the Met is a repertory theater, with so many different performances, it’s remarkable how few mishaps occur.”

However ill-fated the current “Tristan,” there is still time to turn things around. Mr. Heppner hopes to return for the final performances, on Tuesday and March 28.

“Tristan und Isolde” has long been a magnet for trouble. Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld, the first Tristan, died of a heart attack in Munich in 1865, at 29, within weeks of the premiere, leaving the first Isolde — his wife, Malvina — a widow.

In 1959, when each of three possible Tristans announced, one after another, that he was too ill to perform at the Met, Rudolf Bing, the opera’s legendary general manager, persuaded each to sing one of the three acts. The Tristan for Act I was Ramón Vinay; for Act II, Karl Liebl; and for Act III, Albert da Costa. Each took solo bows. Among the backstage jokes that evening was a report that the maestro, Karl Böhm, had refused to conduct with only one Isolde (Birgit Nilsson). Another suggested that the opera should be renamed “Der Sängerkrieg im Cornwall” (“The Song Contest in Cornwall”). And a stagehand’s voice was supposedly heard from the flies, asking: “You got somebody covering for me up here? I don’t feel so hot.”

Nor are mishaps limited to “Tristan und Isolde.” The soprano Hildegard Behrens got bonked on the head by a foam-rubber beam from the Immolation Scene in Wagner’s “Götterdämmerung” at the Met in 1990. Ms. Behrens, playing Brünnhilde, had just finished the last notes of the six-hour opera. She withdrew from the final performance and was replaced by Gudrun Volkert.

And after singing the line “You can only live so long” from a ladder minutes into the Met premiere of Janacek’s “Makropulos Case” in 1996, Richard Versalle fell 10 feet to the stage, having suffered a fatal heart attack at 63. The show was canceled, and Mr. Versalle’s replacement, Ronald Naldi, did not climb the ladder in future performances.

“Everybody went into shock,” said Joseph Volpe, then the Met’s general manager. “They thought it was part of the staging.”

Asked to recount some of his run-ins with the tenor Luciano Pavarotti and his temperamental throat, as when Pavarotti failed to appear for his farewell performances at the Met, in “Tosca” in 2002, Mr. Volpe said, “I’m not going there.”

There continues to be debate as to whether, during the Met’s 2002 production of Prokofiev’s “War and Peace,” a supernumerary portraying one of Napoleon’s defeated soldiers fleeing Moscow (Simon Deonarian) fell or jumped into the pit. Mr. Volpe — who took the stage at the end to tell the audience that “our retreating French grenadier lost his way in the snowstorm” but was unhurt — said he jumped for publicity. Mr. Deonarian said he fell. In any case, the incident stopped the orchestra during the final scene for a delay of three minutes.

When American Ballet Theater was performing “Romeo and Juliet” on the Met stage in 1998, the front of the Capulet mansion came down from the flies and never stopped. “The set just kept grinding into the floor,” said Michael M. Kaiser, then the ballet’s artistic director. “No one’s ever seen me run so fast as I did backstage.”

As for conflagrations, the curtain came down in 2004 during Act II of Rossini’s “L’Italiana in Algeri” because of a small fire above the stage that had to be extinguished.

The Metropolitan Opera House has also had its brush with murder. In 1981 a Met stagehand, Craig Crimmins, was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for hurling a violinist, Helen Hagnes Mintiks, to her death down an airshaft from the roof of the opera house. Ms. Mintiks had disappeared during an intermission of a Berlin Ballet performance.

“Let me tell you why I’m having such a good time now,” said Mr. Volpe, who retired in 2006. “Because I don’t have this problem. I don’t have to deal with these things.”

Thankfully, Saturday’s live streaming performance from the Met went without incidence, with Dean Robert Smith stepping heroically into the role at the last possible minute, without any prior rehearsals with his Isolde, Deborah Voigt.

Three of us went to the AMC cinema theatre to catch the marathon performance (5.5 hours!). Needing substantial snacks to get us through the day, we’d packed three wine glasses and a bottle of wine, the 2005 Tintara Grenache from McLaren Vale, Australia, some cheeses and crackers, almond tarts, and a couple of heavy sandwiches. A veritable feast. The glasses of wine completely enhanced our experience, and completed the treat for all five senses. With hints of dark cherry, a whiff of cinnamon and other spices, and some oak and earth notes, the wine opened up over the course of the acts, and softened considerably – in marked contrast to the action on stage, which only heightened in intensity.

I have to say though, while Wagner’s operas are impressive – in their dramatic and big music, and the evident strain it puts on the singers to sing above the orchestra (according to the casting director of Tristan, there are only roughly only 10 people who can sing Tristan in the world, and she “knows where everyone of them is at the moment”) – I prefer the economy of Puccini’s music. He can get the message of a love aria across in a lot less than half the time Wagner needs.

St. Patty’s Day, the Wine Way

In a very miscalculated move, we didn’t buy tickets to the Metropolitan Opera’s live streaming of Britten’s Peter Grimes, mistakenly betting that the seats wouldn’t sell out. Who knew. So, after a hurried cab ride downtown later, I found myself forlornly standing outside the theatre, clutching my brown paper bag of toasted sandwiches I’d picked up for the 4 hour marathon.

Since we were downtown already anyway, we decided to go wine tasting. Just Grapes, right by my workplace, has free wine tasting from 1-4pm every Saturday, so we headed on there. In between sampling the 5 different tastings offered, we enjoyed a good chat with the store manager and the wine distributor. Ah, for a different career change. Anyway, here are my reviews of the wines:

2006 Riff, Pinot Grigio, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy $11
The store’s tasting notes: “The vineyard sources for most of this Pinot Grigio contain a substantial amount of dolomite limestone which has an obvious impact on the wine’s character and style. It is because of the contrinbution that these fossils (limestone) make to the wine’s character that they have been chosen to be incorporated into the label design as a reminder of its geological origin. Simple, with apple, lemon and light mineral character. Light body. Delicate finish. Drink now.” While I wasn’t too impressed with the body and finish (boring, with no obvious flavors or textures), I really liked its nose. I did get the scent of apple and some lemon, and could see it as a delightful cool drink on a sweltering summer day.

2005 Franz Karl Schmitt, “Niersteiner Hipping,” Riesling Spatlesse, Rheinhessin, Germany $22
The store’s tasting notes: “The estate was founded by Jost-Schmitt in 1546, and has been in family possession since those days. Riesling is cultivated in some of the prime vineyards in Nierstein, including the classic Hipping. The grandfather of the present owner, also named Franz-Karl Schmitt, was renowned for his striving to produce great wines. He was the first to produce Trockenbeerenhauslesse in the Rheinhessen around 1900!” It’s difficult right off the first sip to pronounce that you don’t like sweet wines (which can be really tiring on the palate after a couple glasses), so it was with my experience with this. I prefered the bouquet proffered by the Pinot Grigio, but the gentle sweetness of this riesline was hard to dislike. It wasn’t cloyingly sweet, but the taste lingered pleasantly on in my mouth long seconds after the liquid had been tipped down my throat.

2006 Rex Hill, Chardonnay, Oregon $22
The store’s tastings notes: “A crisp, yet complex wine, the 2006 Rex Hill Chardonnay represents the sixth vintage of Oregon’s original ultra-premium unoaked Chardonnay. To highlight the wonderful fruit and underlying minerality in some of the Wilamette Valley’s best vineyard sites, we ferment in small stainless steel to retain the fruit’s bright transparency and then age the wines on the lees to achieve a creamy mouthfeel. Aromas of candied citrus, plums, green apple. Good richness on the attack, with broad palate-coating flavors that echo the nose. The brisk acidity adds structure and freshness, focusing the mineral notes, and lengthening flavors.” It was quite exciting to identify the candid citrus (sort of like those sugar covered jelly beans one finds during the Chinese New Year festivities) and the green apple in the nose, but I couldn’t taste the same flavors in the body. I actually found the body and finish to be quite boring, but not achingly so – within seconds, no trace of its ever being there was left. I’m still not sure whether I prefer the oaked, buttery types of Chardonnay… should do a tasting sometime to tease out my taste.

2006 Paraiso, Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, Central Coast, California $24
The store’s tasting notes: “Paraiso’s flagship varietal. Wonderful Burgundian character: rich cherry and plum flavors with hints of spice, smoke, and toasty oak. All wrapped by structuring tannins and acidity. Amazingly food-versatile: salmon, roast chicken, beef tenderloin, you name it.” I profess to be quite partial to Pinot Noir, my interest in the grape stemming from a road trip Peirui and I made, oh, two years ago now (!!!). The nose exhibited the characteristics of the grape, but I was quite disappointed by the finish, which I found weak, almost watery. Chatting later with Janel from WineStyles, she confirmed my tasting notes, saying that the area saw too much rain in 2006. Ah.

2005 Chateau Saint Andrew Corbin, Merlot blend, St. Emilion, Bordeaux, $23
The store’s tasting notes: “Garnet with a violet rim, spicy cedar, blueberries and tobacco on the nose. Medium weight with spicy cedar, blueberries and tobacco, great structure.” If I closed my eyes and sniffed really hard, I could just pick out the scent of tobacco and cedar, but my god, the blueberries! It just jumped right out at you, unmistakeable and completely in your face. I loved the nose. But alas, the body was almost unbearably tight, the tannins completely sucking out the moisture from my lips. I suspect though, that a few years in the cellar might do wonders for this wine.

It was still early when we were done, and the revellers were still crowding the hundreds of Irish bars in the city. So we made our way over to Randolph Wine Cellars right down the street, and engaged in an entertaining tasting with another distributor.

My notes:

2006 Licia Albarino, Rias Baixas, Spain $14
Heh, this tasting was right down my alley, since we tasted both the Albarinos and plenty of Grenaches, both grapes of choice right now. I thoguht the Rias had a very light nose, such that I couldn’t quite place the smell. Or maybe sensory fatigue was setting in already. But even so, I could definitely place the lemony structure in the body and finish, almost akin to lemon juice with a kick. Would be a delicious combination with a lightly sauteed fish – mmm, need to do another canoeing trip down the Wisconsin River this spring…

2004 Atrea “The Choir,” Mendocino County $20
It’s a rhone varietal blend, with parts of viognier and roussanne. This one had quite a pungent nose of wood and earth. The heavier body would make it an unsuitable pairing with fish, but the distributor suggested heavy aged cheeses.

2005 Moulin D’Issan, Bordeaux $16
A Bordeaux Superior wine, which doesn’t fall under the 5 growth system, this wine can be found in the Margaux region. Blend of 70% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot. Lots of bright fruit in the nose, with a little bit of oak. I thought it tasted a little green.

2005 Domaine du Grand Tinel Chateauneuf-du-pape $30
My favorite tasting of the day, very smooth and balanced, with a hint of orange peel and black plum in the nose and body. It’s a blend of grenache, syrah, and mourvédre.

2004 Domaine Raspail-ay Gigondas, Rhone $22
Eh, to be honest, I’ve forgotten the taste of this, and didn’t take down any notes since I was busy enjoying a long conversation with the distributor about how she fell into wines and the various wine trips she’s taken in France (damn the weak USD right now). I do vaguely remember thinking that it was quite delicious though…

My palate was a little tired by this point, but the green clad revelers were still out on the streets, so we decided to continue the celebrations in our own way by making our way over to WineStyles, where Denise and Janel gave us two tastings of “green wines,” wines made the organic and environmentally friendly way. Erm, I don’t have any notes of those tastings either… but I did leave WineStyles armed with a bottle of Australian Grenahce that Janel says would go great with lambshank or spicy fish. Mmm.

We made a pit stop at Binny’s next, but boo, they didn’t have any tastings available. Disappointed but not deterred, we pressed on next to Sam’s Wine. By that time, I think the tastings were already concluded, so instead I tasted some cheeses (and picked up a slab of pate), and a pizza beer (beer brewed with pizza ingredients such as tomato, mozarella etc. very authentic!). And I also got the bottle of El Tesoro (thank you Cristalle!).

And then, I was done.