I was reminded of all the reasons why I love wine in box this morning when I found a note in my ‘inbox’ from one of my favorite northern California producers, Peterson Winery, presenting their latest Box Wines of the Season.
Fred and Jamie Peterson, who over the years have become more than ‘wine pals’ in the industry and now more like family, are part of a leading group of California producers that throw a small batch of their handmade juice into box. From Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz to Rosé – the father/son winemaking duo pushes the envelope yearly with their savvy marketing and delicious vino packaged into creative new designs and blends.
If you haven’t had a chance to stock your fridge with some delicious Box Selections for the season, here’s a few goodies to look over from Peterson Winery!
3L Bag in Box Wines Currently Available in Limited Quantities
2011 Old School Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
Our extremely popular, extremely value priced,
“easy-drinking, less thinking” Zin has been a hit the last few years, selling The juicy dark fruit, make for a “go-to” wine. Something to go to after work, when friends arrive, when dinner is served, when packing for the weekend get-away, or whenever.
3L Bag in Box price: $72 Club price: $57.60 150 bag in boxes produced (50 cases)
Our Sauvignon Blanc is from the Timber Crest Farms vineyard right across the road from our winery location on Dry Creek Road. Rich layers of lemongrass, smoky oak and tropical fruit with a touch of floral round out the tempting aromas. Clean and crisp, yet layered, our Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine that even red wine lovers will enjoy.
Refreshing, crisp, and floral, this classic pink wine is perfect for summertime gatherings, whether poolside or canoeing down a river.
Cofermenting Grenache, Carignane, and Petite Sirah cold and slow in stainless steel helps create a lovely wine perfect for warmer weather and lighter fare.
50% Grenache
25% Zinfandel
25% Petite Sirah
A complex blend from the Estate Bradford Mountain Vineyard that shows the intensity of the site while maintaining the light hearted quality a Rose should have. Red fruits, minerality, and lively acidity define this unique wine.
3L Bag in Box price: $80 Club price: $64 69 bag in boxes produced (23 cases)
2011 Zero Manipulation Carignan, Grenache Syrah Blend
Tollini Vineyard
Zero is a Rhone-style blend, built on the strong structure of old-vine Carignane, with percentages of other varietals. It’s easy-to-drink with clean vibrant fruit aromas and flavors, and has just enough structure to make it interesting without needing cellar aging. When you want a great glass of wine, think Zero Manipulation.
Our homage to the Shiraz/Cab blends from the land Down Under. Lovely fruit aromas of strawberry, mixed dark berries and plum join with hints of toasty oak, anise and earth notes. The creamy core holds rich vanilla and plum flavors wrapped with threads of smoked meat, licorice and tar. Nicely balanced with a smooth texture and easy to sip, this unique blend pairs well with your favorite everyday meals-grilled steaks, mac & cheese, pizza, burgers and more.
3L Bag in Box price: $80 Club price: $64
150 bag in boxes produced (50 cases)
If you’re looking to branch out and check out a few more International selections from the box, my pals at Solo Vino, Selby Ave, St Paul and Elevated BWS, 41st & Hiawatha, Minneapolis both carry a plethora of terrific box wines. Check em out!
New research has suggested that three glasses of Champagne a week can help to improve your memory.
Scientists at Reading University say that a regular dose of bubbles can help in the fight against brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Jeremy Spencer, a biochemistry professor who led the research, said: “Dementia probably starts in the 40s and goes on to the 80s. It is a gradual decline and so the earlier people take these beneficial compounds in champagne, the better.”
Professor Spencer’s team said that the compound phenolic acid is what can boost memories. Phenolic acid is found in the black grapes, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, both of which are used in the production of Champagne.
The professor told the Mail on Sunday that the research team had put Champagne into the food for rats every day for six weeks. The rats then ran in a maze to find a treat, with the test repeated after five minutes to see if the rats remembered where to go.
The rats that had no Champagne had a 50% success rate, but this went up to 70% in the rats that had Champagne in their diet.
Professor Spencer now hopes to take a trial to humans, with around 60 pensioners being asked to drink Champagne for three years. It’s hard to imagine there will be a shortage of volunteers for this trial.
Spencer told the Mail on Sunday: “The results were dramatic. After rats consumed champagne regularly, there was a 200 per cent increase of proteins important for determining effective memory.
“This occurred in rats after just six weeks. We think it would take about three years in humans.
“This research is exciting because it illustrates for the first time that moderate consumption of champagne has the potential to influence cognitive functioning such as memory.”
A spokesman for the Alzheimer’s Society told the newspaper: “This is an interesting study, especially for those who enjoy a glass of bubbly. However, people should not start celebrating just yet. This is the first time a link between champagne and dementia risk reduction has been found. A lot more research is needed.”
This research is the latest in a long line of possible alcohol-related health benefits, including battling lung cancer, lowering cholesterol and helping with arthritis.
Source: 7th May, 2013 by Andy Young – “The Drinks Business”
A great article by my friend, Bill Ward of the Star Tribune as to the ‘Do Not Do’s’ at your Next Wine Tasting Event
A not-to-do list for wine tastings
Article by: BILL WARD
Star Tribune
May 8, 2013 – 2:36 PM
Not to put too fine a point on it — or encourage excess — but by far the best way to learn about wine is to drink it. And to drink a lot of it.
But not all at one sitting, of course. On the other hand, you can sample a good bit of it at one “standing,” especially if you’re willing and able to spit as you go.
The Twin Cities area has several public tastings every year, and one of the largest unfolds Friday at the Depot in Minneapolis.
In addition, retail outlets seem to have ramped up the number of sampling tables, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, when a savvy consumer basically could use these stops for their happy-hour imbibing before going out to dinner.
But all too often at these pouring events, Minnesota Nice takes a vacation. So here’s a not-to-do-list for public tastings, especially the big ones:
• Don’t wear too much perfume or cologne — and preferably not any. Others will want to sniff the wines, and every glass will smell the same if there’s fragrance in the air.
• Don’t hit on the person pouring the wine. They’re working, and they’re more interested in selling you their wine(s) than in getting your phone number.
• Don’t hesitate to spit (preferably into the bucket). The intent should be to sample a little bit of a lot of wines, not a lot of a few wines. With that in mind:
• Be satisfied with however much is poured. It’s also much more interesting and often more enlightening to sniff a wine when there’s only a small amount in the glass. And don’t be afraid to stick your schnozz deep into the glass to check out the aroma.
• That said, don’t strive to come up with descriptors. Even if you think you’re getting pencil shavings on the nose or kaffir lime on the palate, that’s a parlor game. What’s more important is the texture, the balance, the focus — and most of all, the tastiness — of the wine.
• Don’t have your glass attached to something around your neck. Even George Clooney and Anne Hathaway would look dorky wearing one of those “necklaces.” Plus residue inevitably will slosh onto your shirt. (We klutzes try to remember to wear a red shirt to tastings.)
• Don’t get schnockered. Mix in some water and food early and often. This is not about getting your money’s worth of wine; the experience is part of what you’re paying for, too.
• Don’t finish a pour unless you’re enjoying the wine. If you don’t like the wine, or even sorta-kinda don’t like it, dump it. Ignore the price, no matter how alluring it might be. If you’re not sure if you like it, the wine is worth exactly $0 to you. This is where Minnesota Nice can rear its sweet head at the wrong time, although making a “yuck, what stinks?” face is not advised.
• Don’t just talk; listen. And not just to the pourer but to other attendees. No matter how much you know (or think you know) about malolactic fermentation or native yeasts, there’s plenty to be learned. We’re all on a journey here.
• Don’t automatically start with lighter wines and move up to the “bigger” stuff. Consider reversing that course, trying out some full-bodied stuff and then gravitating toward more sprightly wines that can enliven your palate. This also allows you the option of finishing with Champagne.
Take heed, please
That plays right into my strongest piece of advice, which I consider almost as important as all the previous ones put together:
Always, always, always be aware and considerate of the people around you. Don’t ever hold court or monopolize the pourer’s time when there are people all around you waiting to get some wine. (This is made easier if you’re working your way quickly around the room, a certain regional or varietal at a time.)
So please, pay attention. It the tasteful thing to do.
Must Love Bubbles! Enjoy a fabulous night out, paired to one of life’s greatest pleasures, Champagne. Sommelier Leslee Miller of Amuse leads you through discussion of one of France’s most famous regions and history of exquisite Champagne house, Veuve Clicquot.
Indulge in a wide range of Veuve’s finests bubbles as Urban Eatery’s Executive Chef Josh Voge pampers the palate further with four hand-crafted courses paired to these excpetional wines. Certainly, an event you don’t want to miss!
March 27th, 2013
Must Love Bubbles! Enjoy a fabulous night out, paired to one of life’s greatest pleasures, Champagne. Sommelier Leslee Miller of Amusée leads you through discussion of one of France’s most famous wine regions and history of exquisite Champagne house, Veuve Clicquot.
Indulge in a wide range of Veuve’s finests bubbles as Urban Eatery’s Executive Chef, Josh Voge, pampers the palate further with four hand-crafted courses paired to these excpetional wines. Certainly, an event you don’t want to miss!
Dinner Location: Urban Eatery ~ 2730 West Lake Street, Minneapolis
Dinner & Champagne only $69 per person! Call 612.920.5000 to make reservations today!
In my monthly column with Edina Magazine, I list one of my favorite Pacific NW red blends for your March ‘wine drinking’ Madness…
Read.Drink.Listen
The monthly must-haves.
MARCH 2013
Read:
Gretchen Rubin explores how a dwelling becomes a home in Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life, a follow-up to The Happiness Project, a New York Times bestseller. While in her apartment, Rubin takes the time to do things while she is there rather than thinking about what her home could be, or is not. She creates beauty with what she has and shows her husband the affection that humans often reserve for the people who don’t live with them. Ultimately, she grows more content in the space where she lives.
—Maureen Millea Smith is a librarian at Edina Library and a Minnesota Book Award-winning novelist.
*Available for $17.53 at Barnes & Noble in the Galleria.
Drink:
March is a fabulous month for reinvigorating the senses. It’s time to step out of hibernation and open the palate to something fresh and fun. From the Pacific Northwest, I recommend Sokol Blosser Winery’s Evolution Red, which the Oregon winery has named Meditrina (the goddess of wine). With a savvy new label, Sokol Blosser introduces this mysterious wine as a blend of easy-drinking grapes that lends itself to different food pairings: Soft enough to go with a bowl of pasta with tomatoes, textured enough for a filet of salmon, firm enough to hold its own with a grilled beef tenderloin. As for the grapes, the winery’s family alone knows the mystery.
—Leslee Miller is a certified sommelier and owner of local wine consulting firm Amusée. amuseewine.com
*Available at all Edina Liquor locations.
Listen:
With one of the purest voices since Josh Groban, Kansas native Chris Mann breaks onto the scene after finishing fourth on NBC’s The Voicelast year, with his first CD, Road. Surrounded by the best orchestrators in the business, this mellow album is a striking collection of mostly covers. Composer Paul Anka updated “My Way,” the classic Frank Sinatra song, specifically for Mann; Anka was so taken with Mann’s voice that he sought him out and offered to change some lyrics and rework the classic for the first time since he composed it. Standouts include the title track, Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida,” Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” and the classic “Ave Maria.”
Local musician, producer and composer Paul Peterson shares his CD pick of the month. paulpeterson.com
A bottle of wine is always a welcome gift, and ’tis the season to give gifts! We’ve commissioned two of our favorite local sommeliers, Kristin Codding and Leslee Miller, to suss out the most interesting, festive and engaging bottles at various price points. We’ve divided them into red, white and sparkling categories. And if you want to bring something fun and casual to a party, check out the $15 and under category. All of these wines are available at Edina Liquor or France 44, and each one is sure to spark conversation and merriment. Cheers!
Leslee Miller is a dually certified sommelier through the International Sommelier Guild and the Court of Master Sommeliers. She is the sole owner of Minneapolis-based Amusée, a wine-consulting and event-planning business. After time in the Pacific Northwest as director of the Archery Summit Winery in Oregon and a board of directors member for sister winery Pine Ridge of California, Miller has returned to her Midwest roots. She consults for on premise and retail accounts nationwide, works with a number of International wineries worldwide to provide consultation from the cellar to distribution, teaches wine education classes, hosts private wine tasting parties, manages commercial and residential cellars, and is a personal wine buyer. Miller is also available for corporate and private event planning.
Best Reds Under $100
Miller’s pick:
Gaja Sito Moresco, Piedmont, Italy
This wine is a blend 35 percent nebbiolo, 35 percent merlot and 30 percent cabernet grapes. Sito Moresco combines the complexity and longevity of nebbiolo with the refinement and accessibility of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Pheasants are featured on Sito Moresco’s label to commemorate the beautiful birds that inhabit the forests adjacent to Gaja’s vineyards.
Miller’s pick: Gaja Sito Moresco, Piedmont, Italy
This wine is a blend 35 percent nebbiolo, 35 percent merlot and 30 percent cabernet grapes. Sito Moresco combines the complexity and longevity of nebbiolo with the refinement and accessibility of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Pheasants are featured on Sito Moresco’s label to commemorate the beautiful birds that inhabit the forests adjacent to Gaja’s vineyards.
This cabernet has rich, chewy, intense licorice and cassis flavors with serious structure and backbone. It’s an extraordinary example of a Napa cabernet.
Best Whites Under $100
Miller’s pick: Domaine Didier Dagueneau “Silex” Pouilly-Fumé, Loire, France
The Silex delivers an almost inordinate diversity of floral, herbal, citrus (predominately grapefruit) and pit fruit elements (predominately nectarine), with the bitterness of fruit pits, the smoky pungency of red currant and crushed stone, as well as notes of shrimp shell reduction and iodine. It inflects a long, bittersweet yet vibrant, buoyant finish.
Codding’s pick: J.J. Vincent Château Fuissé, Pouilly Fuissé 2010
This wine has a beautiful golden color and a flavor with hints of melon, orange peel and honey. It’s backed by a soft minerality and acidity.
Best Sparkling Under $100
Miller’s pick: Domaine Carneros Ultra Brut ~ Carneros, California
This cuvée epitomizes the elegant Domaine Carneros style. With near-perfect balance, its incredibly fine mousse delivers aromas of honeysuckle, lime peel, lemongrass, lychee and toasted almond. Creamy, round and long, the wine’s mouth-feel belies its minimal dosage.
Quince, roasted nuts and spice are evident in this toasty bubbly with a focused, modest finish. Simply gorgeous!
Best Red Under $50
Miller’s pick: Numanthia Termes: Toro, Spain
This wine is 100 percent tinta de toro grape, also known as tempranillo. Fresh, fruity notes (black fruits, raspberry, dark sherry) are nicely integrated with spices, tobacco and toasted aromas (vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon). The palate has a silky texture and is concentrated, well-structured and elegant. The finish is long and complex, with spices, tobacco, raspberries and blackberries notes.
Codding’s pick: Benovia Pinot Noir 2009, Sonoma, California
This is a silky red wine with notes of sweet cherry, flowers and spice. It has a structured, well-integrated body with a finely woven aftertaste of mineral, oak and berry.
This wine is pale sunshine-yellow and has aromas of fresh floral, citrus, melon and hints of almond. An unoaked, dry, medium-bodied white wine with crisp acidity, the Arneis is a well-balanced, elegant wine with good complexity and a lingering finish.
Codding’s pick: Le Portail “Champalou” Vouvray 2009, France
Luscious mouth-feel with bright but even grapefruit, melon and peach notes. Creamy but acidic, this wine is an excellent food match, able to stand up to anything with spice, depth and weight. Heavenly with butternut squash soup!
Best Sparkling Under $50
Miller’s pick: Pol Roger “White Foil” Champagne, France
Yeast and toasted brioche surround the round, creamy nose of this delicious sparkling wine.
A mix of floral, apple and berry aromas and flavors highlight this firmly structured, elegant bubbly, which is harmonious and vibrant, with a lingering finish.
Codding’s pick: Argyle Brut Rosé, 2008, Oregon
These fine, focused bubbles lead to pretty, elegant dried floral notes. Simply delicious!
Best Red Under $25
Miller’s pick: Ernie Els “Big Easy Red,” Stellenbosch, South Africa
A blend of 60 percent shiraz, 20 percent cabernet sauvignon, 6 percent mourvèdre, 6 percent grenache, 5 percent cinsaut and 3 viognier grapes. An alluring kaleidoscope of black fruits, Christmas cake, licorice and cinnamon tempt your nose, leading to a dense and full-bodied palate. Abounding with spice from the dominant shiraz, cabernet sauvignon adds punchy tannins and a robust structure. Floral and savory notes from mourvèdre, cinsaut and viognier all contribute to the exotic rhythm of the Big Easy.
A sexy Spanish red laced with blackberry, currant, clove, and a hint of lavender. This one is hands-down my favorite wine find of the year!
Best White Under $25
Miller’s pick: Olivier LeFlaive “Les Sétilles” Bourgogne Blanc, Burgundy, France
The fruit in this wine comes from 70 percent puligny and 30 percent meursault aged with 50 percent older wood. The very fresh and intensely floral nose also reflects hints of lemon-lime and earth, both of which can also be found on the nicely rich, round flavors that are not only intense and delicious but also deliver better than average complexity.
Codding’s pick: Menetou-Salon, Domaine Jean Teiller, 2010, France
A delicious white from the Loire Valley, this beauty produces herbaceous notes of verbena, straw and gooseberry. The finish is clean and mouthwatering.
A mélange of 77 percent chardonnay, 15 percent pinot bianco and 8 percent raboso piave grapes. This brut spumante is fresh and elegant, with layers and layers of flavors. Elderberry, anise, Italian summer melon, beeswax and seashells live within so many tiny bubbles. Totally delicious!
Codding’s pick: Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley, California
A delicate yet toasty sparkling wine with apple, acacia blossom, pear, and anise notes.
Best Red Under $15
Miller’s pick: A to Z “Night & Day,” Rogue Valley, Oregon
This wine is a blend of 30 percent merlot, 30 percent syrah, 14 percent sangiovese, 13 percent cabernet and 13 percent cabernet franc grapes. It has aromas of ripe blackberries, huckleberries, blackcurrants and graham crackers with honeycomb, dark chocolate, black pepper and tobacco. Full and generous, the wine opens to reveal flavors of these red and black fruits, as well as violets and cherry bark incorporated with ripe tannins and moderate alcohol that all harmonize on the palate and lead to a beautiful finish.
Soft, lush fruit focusing on cherry, strawberry, and plum laced over licorice, oak and spice. This is a phenomenal find in this category.
Best White Under $15
Miller’s pick: Tamari Reserva Torrontes, Mendoza, Argentina
This is a very elegant and delicate white with appropriate varietal aromas. Notes of white grapefruit are highlighted, as are white flowers like jasmine, with rose notes and some hints of tropical fruit. It is a wine with nerve and balance. The mouth is fruity, floral and spicy, with an enjoyable finish.
Fresh, with notes of honeysuckle, pear and white flowers. Zippy, yet round a supple with loads of honeycomb and bright lilac. Pleasing to the palate for any occasion.
This Italian sparkler has the most subtle, delicate effervescence with fresh lemon curd and vanilla on the palate; the perfect accompaniment to brunch.
The nine Best Picture contenders for the 85th Academy Awards are a fine representation of the best films of 2012. Most of us have probably seen at least one of them, a few aficionados may have seen them all, but the movies assuredly grow even more entertaining when they’re paired with a wine demonstrating similar traits.
Minnesota sommelier Leslee D. Millerrecommends nine fabulous wines that correspond to all the Best Picture nominees. Miller is a graduate of both the International Sommelier Guild and Court of Master Sommeliers. She also owns Amusée, a wine consulting and event-planning firm, based in Minneapolis. Her energizing personality and great passion for wine and food are evident in her work with customers and friends.
Educated in the Pacific Northwest, Leslee returned to her Midwest roots and now offers services in consulting and staff training for restaurants, international winery consulting, personal wine buying, commercial and residential cellar management, wine writing, corporate and private event planning, wine education classes and private in-home wine tasting parties.
Miller enjoys film as well as wine. Her most-loved movie is True Romance, a zany 1993 crime story starring Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette. And topping her “food film” list: Ratatouille. As for her own bets on this year’s winners, she’s a big Tarantino fan and is hoping Django Unchained takes home “Best Picture.”
We tapped into her expert palate, enjoyment of films and passion for sharing the love of wine in these delicious pairings, which run the gamut from bold reds to delicate whites. On Sunday, pour the wine she matched to your favored Oscar hopeful and enjoy the culture that both wine and film bring into our lives.
Nine Top Film Contenders Meet Their Wine Match
Amour
Miller’s notes on the film: In the final months of her life, a retired music teacher and her husband of sixty years struggle with the debilitating effects of two strokes on both her health and her quality of life. Themes: true love, end of life, aging, care, France.
Miller’s notes on the wine: A movie based on true love only deserves something just as committed and extravagant.
What I love about older-vintaged Burgundies, especially those from Domaine Dujac, are their ability to transform any moment. This is truly a producer and wine that lends itself to not only to the meaning of ‘love at first sight,’ but to ‘the love of your life.’ Soft, supple and alluring – a spectacular wine with strength and perseverance.
Argo
Miller’s notes on the film: Set in Tehran during the 1979 hostage crisis; a movie of thrilling action, suspense and intrigue. Themes: intrigue, espionage, disguise, Canada, Iran, film.
Pairing: Inniskillin ‘Winemaker’s Series, Three Vineyards’ Cabernet Franc ~ Niagara Peninsula, Canada
Miller’s notes on the wine: A movie like this must be matched with a wine just as bold and spicy. This one is wildly spicy with handsome aromas of dark cherry, vegetal spice, black pepper and rich tobacco. An adventure in your glass!
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Miller’s notes on the film: A fantasy film filled with family ties, drama and adventure set in Louisiana. Themes: family ties, fantasy, ice, disaster, Antarctica, Louisiana bayous.
Miller’s notes on the wine: A movie as such deserves something as juicy and exciting as the characters of this venture. This wine is juicy and loaded with delicious aromas of blue and red fruits. Encapsulating and alluring, adventuresome yet at the same time, quaffable and exceptionally comforting. A wine for the senses.
Django Unchained
Miller’s notes on the film: An unbelievable tale of brutality, heroism and revenge in the pro-slavery, antebellum South. Produced in pure Tarantino form, this is certainly not a movie for those faint of heart. Themes: antebellum South, anger, slavery, racism, violence, revenge, retribution, blood.
Miller’s notes on the wine: Bravo, Mr. Tarantino! While certainly one should only recommend a bottle of Jack to pair to this film, there is the strong possibility that a rich, over-the-top, highly loaded, fruit bomb Shiraz from Australia would do the trick. Obnoxious alone is its alcohol content, and in the same sentence it screams ferocity, with loads of black licorice, spice and sweet condensed cocoa. This wine should come with a warning label!
Les Miserables
Miller’s notes on the film: A musical based on Victor Hugo’s epic novel of politics, justice, religion and familial love. Themes: French Revolution, uprising, friendship, love, running from the past, new identity, redemption, and grace.
Miller’s notes on the wine: A film derived of such pedigree only deserves a wine of the same. Champagne is a region within the wine world associated with history, identity and rigidity. One of my favorites and the oldest established house in the Champagne region is Ruinart. Their NV Blanc de Noir is literally one of the sexiest, most sturdy, luxurious sparkling wines of its kind. One that demands your attention yet begs to be understood.
Life of Pi
Miller’s notes on the film: A fantasy film jam-packed with thrilling adventure, paired with the essence of the true meaning to friendship and survival. Themes: India, zoo animals, tiger, ocean, storm, hope, adventure, friendship.
Miller’s notes on the wine: This bottle of cabernet has a sense of spirit, combined with a menagerie of bold, spicy aromas of juicy, jammy fruit – truly, an adventure from the first sip to its last.
Lincoln
Miller’s notes on the film: A film that speaks to the history of our country’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, based upon the final months of his presidency and the tumultuous journey of his endeavors that would forever shape America’s history. Themes: 13th Amendment, Civil War, politics, slavery, emancipation, family, peace, president.
Miller’s notes on the wine: Is there really a wine as noteworthy to pair in this era of history? A winery with such depth and history, one of the oldest in the country, is Freemark Abbey of California’s Napa Valley. This Cabernet has tremendous personality, depth and unbelievable balance. Firm, structured and absolutely a wine built year after year for the history books.
Silver Linings Playbook
Miller’s notes on the film: A heartfelt film based upon loyalty and love intertwined with an unexpected silver lining. Themes: bipolar, obsession, Italian family, gambling, silver linings, surprise.
Miller’s notes on the wine: A red wine based upon the same familial loyalty, truth and passion for its kind. This bottle is loaded with notes of licorice, leather, violet, spice and dark berry fruit – a wine built for the ages, derived from a true sense of commitment and passion for the industry.
Zero Dark Thirty
Miller’s notes on the film: A truly heroic film based on decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks. Themes: persistence, terrorism, CIA, intelligence, Morroco, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Navy SEALs.
Miller’s notes on the wine: Zinfandel, a grape that has truly made its mark in in the U.S. and a winery, in this case, with the most appropriate ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ paired name: Victory. This wine has explosive dark fruit character, enormous body and exceptional concentration. It is meant to be consumed by those of the same bold mindset.
With Restaurant Owners: Chef Hector Ruiz, Erin Ungerman & Sommelier Leslee Miller
1st course
Cremant de Bourgogne served with fresh strawberries-honey drops.
Wine: De Perrière Cremant de Bourgogne NV ~ Burgundy, France
2nd course
Oyster en Crudo
Wine: Casamaro Verdejo ~ Rueda, Spain
3rd course
Lobster- crab ricotta cannoli served over a Mexican vanilla- ginger sauce garnished with a citrus asparagus salad.
Wine: Señorio De Rubios Albariño ~ Rias Baixas, Spain
4th course
Honey-lavender scallop served over a avocado mousse, basil assents garnish with micro bulls blood leaves.
Wine: Charles Smith Secco Rosé ~ Veneto, Italy
5th course
Confit asparagus bundle served over a truffle-almond sauce, garnish
apple-fig marmalade.
Wine: Montoya Pinot Noir ~ Monterey County, California
6th course
cheese plate with homemade fruit lovers marmalade.
7th course
Almond- garlic crusted filet served over baby spinach, confit carrots, arugula drizzled with fig- 20yr Porto sauce garnished with champagne apple compote.
Wine: Tikal ‘Patriota’ Bonarda/Malbec ~ Mendoza, Argentina
8th course
Caramelized pineapple served over a vanilla-chocolate mousse garnish with allspice liquor.
Wine: Domaine Vigneau – Chevreau Pétillant Demi-Sec ~ Vouvray, France
I pay homage and say good-bye to a Durango, CO restaurant legend. Randy’s Restaurant, an establishment I worked and managed for over 9 years almost 15 years ago.
Restaurateur, Randy Burton, not only one of my greatest career mentors, but life’s closest friends created an environment for his employees that was educative, and truly encapsulated the feeling of ‘family’ for all that were a part of his team. Certainly, a very memorable part of my Coloradan history, and one that will not be forgotten. Thanks for all the great memories, Randy!
Article published Jan 21, 2013 by The Durango Herald – Durango, Colorado
Good-bye to a Durango favorite
Photo by: JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald
Shawn Fergusson, left, says good-bye to Randy Burton, owner of Randy’s restaurant on College Drive. Monday was Burton’s last day of owning the restaurant, which was open for 27 years. Fergusson is a former Randy’s employee. “I do not have any plans right now,” Burton said. “I’ve been going 100 miles an hour for the past years, and it was the right time to sell the business. I’m going to take some time to relax and travel, I’ll still be in Durango.” The restaurant will be closed for several weeks and reopen under new ownership and a new name: “6512 Restaurant and Lounge.” Chris Forrest and Sam Beardsley are the new owners.
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