2016 Guenoc Petite Sirah

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A post shared by Robert Hillyer (@madscisomm) on Jul 22, 2019 at 11:11pm PDT

Going Instagram!

Yes, I've broken down and joined the Instagram world! New posts will be located there, although I'll try to include links here on the old page. Training materials will most likely be posted on both pages, but the other is simply easier for me to maintain.

So what do YOU drink?

One of the most common questions I get from people is "How do I know I'm getting my money's worth when buying wine in a store?"and the associated "What do you drink at home?"

There's actually a pretty good way to tell if a wine is at least "OK" if buying in a grocery store or neighborhood wine shop, and the price isn't ALWAYS the deciding factor: Is the winemaker or winery owner's name on the label?

I don't mean just something like "Gallo" or "Mondavi" (although both make quite a few very good wines). I mean, they're making a wine of which they're actually proud. To name a few, I always tell people to buy anything Bogle, Ravenswood, or Famille Perrin. And all three of those producers make wine at a multitude of price points. Here are some of the wines you'll find in my cooler:

Bogle Petite Sirah ($11, Total Wine)

Jammy, Spicy, Blackberries, Cherries. Have it with Burgers, BBQ, Beef & Broccoli, but most of all.....don't laugh....Oreos! 7 seconds. 

You'll never dunk in milk again!

Ravenswood Vintner's Blend Zinfandel ($8, Total Wine)

For someone that doesn't really eat a lot of red meat, I drink a lot of burger-and-BBQ wines. Because I'm also a cheese and chocolate lover. Again, better with a chill, but more red berries and wood, a bit of hot pepper spiciness, and chocolate on the finish. Have it with BBQ, teriyaki anything, dark chocolate, strong cheeses, heck, have it with a Grilled Cheese sandwich! I'll reduce a half bottle to a syrup and add it to brownies, then spike them with a little brandy when cooled. I'm also a big fan of their Lodi District Zin ($16). If you MUST drink Chardonnay, get theirs. I would go through ten cases a week, in the dead of winter in NYC, when I poured it by the glass.  

Perrin Reserve Côtes du Rhône ($10, Total Wine)

I usually have one of each, red and white, in my cooler for when friends stop by. People will say "I'll have a pinot grigio/chardonnay," not realizing I probably won't have either variety in my house, and I'll pour them this and they'll announce
"That's the best pinot grigio/chardonnay I've ever had!"

The red is meaty with black cherries, woody spices, black pepper, and a touch of cassis. Drink (with a chill) with, well, just about anything. I love it with veggie burgers, spinach dishes, heavier fish, chocolate and nuts (pecan pie, anyone?)
Ditch the Chianti, have it with Pizza. 

The white is round, but not cloyingly so like a chardonnay, with stone fruit, lemon peel, and floral overtones. You CAN drink it ice cold, but I serve it at cellar temperature.

Have it with salads, vegetarian food, fish, chicken, macaroni and cheese, quiche, creme brulee....the list goes on. Try it as a kir with Limoncello.

La Vieille Ferme ($7 Total Wine, sparkling a bit more)

Yes, more Famille Perrin wine! I have come to the conclusion that they just don't make ANY bad wine (although the rosé was not my favorite, I find very few rosés that are).I bought this as a cooking wine the first time (at Whole Foods! 2/$10?), and Julia Child said to never cook with a wine you won't drink, so I tasted it. And drank it. Perhaps not as complex as their Côtes du Rhône, but in a similar vein. This wine is from their grandfather's old property (The Old Farm) in the Luberon. I would pair similarly, if not more casually. And what's that? A new Sparkling Wine?
I haven't seen it on the shelves down here, but I'm game.

Keep in mind, these are the same people who make Miraval Rosé (Branjelina's wine, about $25) from Provence, Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape ($80-100) and Tablas Creek from California ($30-50) where they sold their vines to the original Rhone Rangers, notably Randall Graham from Bonny Doon.

Want to save a little money? It's a buck less at Trader Joe's
under the name "La Ferme Julien" (Joe's Farm). 

Gruet Winery ($11-17 Blanc des Noir, $10-15 Brut)

Probably the best American Bubbly for the buck you can get. This is a French family that, like Chateau Potelle in Napa, came to the US to figure out why people were suddenly buying domestic wine instead of French. They set up shop in the foothills around Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their Cuvee Sauvage is frequently rated in the top ten American bubblies, regardless of price. The Demi-Sec will satisfy the fussiest Prosecco or Moscato drinker. This might not be my "special occasion" bubbly (Iron Horse, Clicquot, Bollinger, Gatinois, etc.), but you'll usually find a bottle in my fridge.

If your winery didn't make it up here, you might check back for updates. There's always something from Ridge, Chateau St. Michelle, Argyle, Bonny Doon, and a few Italian Producers of which I'm quite fond in my cooler. And an occasional French or Spanish special offer from my friends at Wine Access. But these will give you the best value for your money and are the safe bets for quality. 

Asterix's Magic Elixir!

OK, I'm late. I usually post about my annual holiday liqueur, but I was just crazy busy this year. Here it is now as promised. For those of you who got a bottle without an actual ingredient tag, You can print it up from here. 

In my second Sommelier post in NYC, we inherited a cellar full of the most terrible assortment of inexpensive spirits which should never have been brought into any restaurant desiring more than a star in the New York Times reviews. Chef was just going to throw them out, and I volunteered to turn them into something useable, or at the very least, promo-able to regular guests or irate customers (of which there were very few). Cheap gin became Lemon Anisette, a decrepit bottle of eau de vie became a Raspberry-Lime cordial, an obscure bottle of Marc de Champagne became "Love Potion 33," an infusion of Hawthorn Berries and Rose Petals with Strawberries and Gold Dust that swirled and pulsed in the bottle as if an impish spirit had been trapped in the bottle. But the one that grabbed the attention of several critics was my Cranberry Kirschwasser. It was a leftover bottle of Massenez Kirsch blended with organic cranberry juice, white creme de cacao liqueur, and sugar. After a shot of this (and the better part of a bottle of Vacqueyras), she proceeded to buy a round of liqueurs for the next table, and then to arm wrestle them over their dinner checks. 

The recipe is rather simple, if you're patient, and makes rather a lot....I use it for Christmas Gifts. The acidity is bright, and purifying. Depending on the strength of your Kirschwasser, you can adjust flavors to your own tastes, and it's rather harsh the first few days, but mellows with age. 

2 -750ml bottles Kirschwasser 

––(my personal preference is Steve McCarthy's Clear Creek Distillery in Oregon)

300ml White Creme de Cacao Liqueur

––(any brand, but DeKuyper or Marie Brizard are most suitable)

300ml Cranberry Juice Concentrate

––(any brand, organic is better)

750ml  by volume superfine (bar) cane sugar

1- 32oz bottle of Lakewood Organic Black Cherry Juice (NOT Juice Blend). 

1 - teaspoon Organic Vegetable Glycerin

2 - teaspoons Organic Vanilla Extract

Combine the Liqueur and Juice Concentrate and make a syrup of an equal part (600 ml/about 3.5 cups) of sugar. Combine remaining sugar with the Cherry Juice, and reserve for adjusting flavor (this should be about a liter). Combine Kirschwasser and 750 ml of the syrup in a large pot or dispensing jar. Add vanilla. Stir well, and allow to rest at least overnight, up to 3 days if tightly sealed. 

Add 500ml of the sweetened cherry juice and the glycerin. Stir and let rest another day, stirring several times during the wait. 

Add additional cherry juice and/or sugar until desired strength is desired (my last batch used a rather potent Kirschwasser and I ended up using about 3/4 of the sweetened juice). It will still be rather harsh at this point, as the cranberry may need several weeks to fully incorporate, but is suitable for bottling once the desired strength is achieved. 

Try pouring over ice cream (affogato style), or serving with fresh chocolate-cherry chunk cookies. It also makes an interesting addition to a classic Manhattan cocktail, or a simple digestif after a traditional duck dinner!

Last of the Red Hot Burgundy Lovers

Back to Greek Wines tomorrow, but for tonight, I had the last of my four prized Louis Jadot 2015 burgundies.

The Vacuvin is now put away, as I opened the last of the sample bottles from a recent Jadot tasting: Jadot Nuits-Saint-Georges "Les Boudots" 2015.
Red cherry, and ripe raspberries on the nose with a bit of wildflowers.....no, daisies. Richer earth terroir than the last three tastings, moist soil with plenty of organics, plenty of red raspberry, bing cherry, and cassis. Not the dairy element like the last few, but not missing it....there's a hint of lemon candy pushing it's bright fruity finish to the end. Save it if you want, but you don't need to. The tannins are mild, and the fruit uncomplicated. Delicious. I'm having this with Chicken Burgers with aromatics (onion, garlic parsley), duck bacon, and sharp vermont cheddar on a buttermilk biscuit, but this would be fine with any poultry, or fuller flavored fish. 

Jadot Trois!

Oh, the life of a sommelier. So busy you don't have time for anything but leftovers!

Well, in this case, I'm perfectly happy, because my leftovers include about a third of a bottle of Jadot Chambolle-Musigny "Les Drazey" 2015. A very interesting nose with ripe red apple and, curiously enough, cactus pear and/or dragon fruit on the edge. Something cactus-ey.  Still a lot of noticeable terroir on this one, but more limestone than in my previous posts. And some interesting sulphite flavors, like mineral water, probably from a natural spring. Black cherry, elderberry, red currant on the palate, again with a subtle touch of crème fraîche, but not overdone in the least. I'm picking up a bit of green oak. mainly on the finish, which is fairly lengthy for such a young wine. I'm enjoying this with a quick fricassee of duck and mushrooms over waffles, but I could easily see it with spring lamb or venison, or even a hearty vegetarian dish of mushrooms (shiitake or oyster) and root vegetables (celeriac, parsnips, crosne, or jerusalem artichokes).

I won't say it's as ready for drinking as readily as my previous posts, but don't wait TOO long. Tannins are there, but complex, and will meld with that lactic flavor and become art. FIve years should do, drink within ten. This is a foodie wine. 

Jadot Deux

Day two of Jadot tastings. Today's pick is a 2015 Volnay Clos de la Barre. Compared to the Gevry yesterday, this wine is more about the nose, with faint aromas of rose and cherry blossoms. It's again terroir driven (as it should be), but less clay and more limestone, and even though I'm drinking it colder than I'd like, the minerals are well focused. Off the top of my head, I started to think "somewhere between Pommard and Red Meursault" and, I'll be darned, look at the map!

Bright Griotte cherries with a hint of crab apple on the palate, and a tart finish with a hint of crème fraîche (is that a touch of malolactic I detect?). Once again, a wine with duck if I were to say something off the top of my head. Roast suckling pig with cassoulet, sure, but this would be excellent with a piece of stinky french cheese, or a stronger fish like spanish mackerel, bonito, tuna, or bluefish. I'd even say a whiter fish like dorade/orata/bream dressed with a good strong olive oil. Buy it now, drink it now, but save a few bottles for that Christmas Goose. And next year's. And next year's.

Duck and Pinot Noir? Jadot Say!

Duck and Pinot Noir? 

You don't say!

Jadot says.

I recently worked a small Maison Louis Jadot wine event at my current employer and got the opportunity to taste a few creations of Frédéric Barnier, the technical director of Côte d'Or at the house. One notable one was his Gevrey Chambertin Clos Saint Jacques. Particularly because of the third course of the meal, Duck Breast with a Five Spice Jus over Sweet and Sour cabbage (still a bit crisp!) and Candied Kumquat with edible nasturtium (both local, nasturtium courtesy of my friends at Harpke Farms).

FIrst off, let me say, Florida needs to grow up! This was the first properly cooked piece of duck breast I've had since relocating from New York City to Florida. Duck is NOT POULTRY! It is RED MEAT! TREAT IT AS SUCH! Thank you Chef Jeff for leaving it medium rare.

Back to the wine!



For a baby of a Gevrey-Chambertin, it's quite nice. A LOT of red currant...no...lingonberry, on a firm terroir-driven base of magnesium carbonate (clay) and iron sulfite. Or is it iron sulfide (fool's gold)? Almost no rocks....must be lower in the vineyard. Interesting malic and tannic acidity, if it wasn't already opened, I wouldn't have opened it for a few years.

I'm going to add this to my Buy Now, Drink Later list. Get a case, and have a bottle or two every year and watch how it grows. It's delicious now, but will be phenomenal in 5 to 10 years. 

The Bitter End of 2016

Every year around the holidays, I make a batch or two of some kind of liqueur to give as presents, and occasionally throw last year's batch up for grabs after a year of aging. This year, there are three. 

Last year's chamomile liqueur aged gracefully, and is now akin to a fruity, potent sauterne with the sedative power of a Benadryl. While I still prefer it made with Steve McCarthy's Clear Creek Williams Pear Brandy as I've done in the past, The Fidelitas Obstler Pear and Apple Eau de Vie held up well and developed with time. 

One of my favorites is still in testing. A classic Amaro heavy on the gentian and wormwood, with galangal, iris root, and angelica. The base infusion is flavored with dried seville orange peels, but I felt it needed a darker fruit for the base syrup. At THIS point, I'm heading toward black cherry, although I recently discovered a source of frozen red currants. Maybe both?

And finally, my classic Earl Grey Liqueur. I've made this one since 1999 every few years, and is an important ingredient in my Earl Grey martinis. It's based on a product that Twinings tried to market here in the US back in the eighties that I fell in love with and have never forgotten. Usually, I use blood orange peels, but this year's will be brighter using tangerines. And of course, I only use Twinings, infused into california brandy, with orange blossom honey, citrus peels, and sugar. Tea strength is determined by a classic British tea service. 

A Grape By Any Other Name Would Taste As Complex

Recently, I had an opportunity to taste a cult wine from Linne Calodo, a Paso Robles winery that specializes in "GSM" wines, Rhone style blends containing various percentages of Grenache, Syrah, and perhaps one of my favorite grapes, Mourvèdre.

While the 2014 blend was primarily syrah, the mourvèdre was pretty evident to me, adding a depth of character beyond the predominate pepperiness of the Syrah: baked blueberries, a touch of camphor, and a meatiness I would sooner pair with bison over a beefsteak anyday. I had flashbacks to a pairing I did at the James Beard House many years ago using Matt Cline's "Small Berry Mourvèdre," a wine that's stuck in my memory for its intensity (yes, that's a recommendation, and it's still available on their website at last peek for $70, $56 for wine club members). One of the waiters––and a wine savvy one at that––said he'd never heard of Mourvèdre, and I assured him he'd had it many times, and just not known it's name. This grape appears in many of my favorite wines over the years, at least in some small part, if not in it's entirety (like the Small Berry):

• Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant (see previous post)
• Mas Amiel Cuveé Specialé 10 Ans d'Âgé, a delightful fortified dessert wine that the French pair with chocolate when the rest of the world isn't watching. so they can keep it for themselves
• Domaine Tempier Bandol, my traditional Thanksgiving pairing with giblet gravy and sausage stuffing
• Château Beaucastel Châteauneuf des Papes (and the Perrin Brothers' various American blends from Tablas Creek, and their more traditional Perrin Reserve Côtes du Rhône)
• Ridge Geyserville, where Paul Draper always referred to it by its other name, preferred by the immigrant farmers in California, Mataro)

So YES, you've had this grape, so don't be afraid of it. It's humble beginnings in California as a table wine wine/jug wine can be ignored, thanks to the likes of Rhone Rangers like Cline and Randall Graham, who returned it to it's pre-phylloxera glory (it proved difficult to graft to American rootstocks and remained a blending grape for many years). And while it's European offerings known as Mataro or Monastrell might remain a mystery here in the states, give them a try! Less expensive bottlings may be a little bitter or gamey for American tastes, but try them with food!

I've waited long a Neuf!

OK, here goes nothing. It's too late to run out to Publix for a bottle of cheap Sardinian Cannonau, and I was in the mood for something a little spicy. Being unable to find the bottle of blended Malbec my sister brought me, I reached to the bottom of my wine cooler, past the Argyle Winery Nuthouse Pinot Noir that still needs a few years, and pulled out .......

A 2001 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant.

15 years old now. Am I too soon? Am I too late? 
While it probably could have gone a FEW more years, there was a 50/50 chance it had not survived a bout of improper storage, let alone the trip from NYC. I figured I'd better try it. Barely a tannin left in tact. so I think I made the right decision.

Nose of stewed plums, black cherry, and ...hmmm....medium-rare venison. Fairly heavy on the palate with blackberries, purple plums, juniper, licorice and hints of cognac. Long black cherry finish, crab apples, szechuan peppercorns. and an interesting tartness similar to Indian green mango.

Needs a red meat, but not necessarily beef, which would mask the more interesting flavors. Bison, Venison, Ostrich maybe? Spring lamb. OCTOPUS! Big Eye Tuna or Bonito. Chocolate with hazelnuts. Dry Spanish or Sardinian cheeses.

This IS the American answer to Chateauneuf des Papes, but with a chemistry unique to the winemaker and the previously (to Randall Graham) underutilized Santa Cruz area. Buy it if you see it, just don't drink it right away. Get a vertical. 

Heller Highwater

Many years ago, at my first sommelier job, I picked an obscure, organic Cabernet from Monterey as my house pour. The distributors had never heard of such a thing, but promised to get me a good "by the glass" price for an obscure product. That wine was Durney Vineyards "Cachaqua" Cabernet Sauvignon, now known as Heller Estate.  The name was the Native American  pronunciation of "Cache Aqua," the Spanish name for "Hidden Waters" as the vineyards are fed by underground springs. 

When I first encountered the Cab, as a waiter, it was sent back by a table as not being "California Enough."

Oooooh-Kay. 

The bartender left it behind the bar for the somm to taste the next day, but forgot to cork it back up. When we arrived the next morning, the entire bar area smelled like blackberries. From that day on, I decanted the wine whenever anyone ordered it by the bottle. The other waiters asked me why I would decant a then-$35 bottle, and I said "Walk by the table in 15 minutes, and you tell me." The cloud of blackberry aroma was evident from five feet away. Imagine a house wine that not only doesn't go BAD, but gets better when open for a day or two!

This post is NOT about their Cabernet.

Heller deals in a variety of Bordeaux grapes, from the usual Cab, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, to the more unusual-and-terribly-trendy Malbec. And my personal favorite, and little gem of the Carmel Valley (they use it at Bernardus Vineyards as well....go for the grapes, stay for the spa).

A few years back, I was perusing Facebook, and the good people at Heller, fellow trivia addicts that they are, posted a contest to win a couple bottles of wine. Being an old College Bowl man, I handily won, and picked the two bottles I couldn't get from stores: Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot. I aged them and finally broke into them this year. 

This is a BEAUTIFUL wine with all the things I love about the grape: light earth, mulberries, Geraniol, violets, and on the end, as the wine opens, a touch of roasted game. If ever there was a wine to serve with duck, almost any preparation, or roast pork done with, oh, say, cherries or pomegranate, this IS it. 

$50 AT THEIR WEBSITE....my experience  says I doubt you can find it in stores.

Sticky to Them: NotMuscat

NotMuscat wine cocktail.

It's not Muskrat, Muskie, or Muskets either. 

In the last few weeks, many of the guests who have received complimentary "afters" at my current employer, The Federal Food and Drink, were treated to a wine cocktail I make, that I refer to as NotMuscat.

After many requests to sell bottles of this potion, something I'm not legally allowed to do (currently), I've decided to post the recipe. Keep in mind, this is far easier to make in a restaurant than it is at home, and many people may just want to give up and go buy a bottle of Andy Quady's delicious Elysium, the dessert wine which my cocktail is designed to mimic. But if you're throwing a party, and really must have some in large batches, here's the recipe (in a batch sized for home use, as opposed to my smaller bar service batch):

NotMuscat

9 oz. Pinot Noir (Trader Joe's/Two Buck Chuck will do)
9 oz. Sangiovese (I recommend Danzante for it's availability and price, although, in a pinch, the Perrin Brothers La Vielle Ferme Rouge Cotes du Ventoux will do quite nicely)
6 oz. Lemongrass Syrup (see recipe)
2 capfuls (about 1 oz.) Rose Water (available at most middle eastern markets)

Combine in a large pitcher or decanter, and stir gently. Bottle in a standard wine bottle, although you MAY have to do some tasting to prevent lack of cork space.

Lemongrass Syrup

3 large blades of fresh lemongrass
5 cups white sugar
1 quart boiling water (preferably distilled or mineral water such as Gerolsteiner or Acqua Panna)

Bruise lemongrass (with a rolling pin or bottle) and chop.

Combine with sugar and toss to distribute. Let it sit at least an hour, if not overnight.

Add boiling water and stir until totally dissolved. Let cool until very warm.

Puree mixture with an immersion blender. Cover and let it rest overnight.

Strain through cheesecloth or a napkin (Bounty paper towels work nicely).

Refrigerate and keep on hand for sweetening anything from yogurt to iced tea.

In the Nuthouse

No, no, I may be mad, but I'm not nuts.

Although I'm a little crazy for a particular Pinot Noir from one of my favorite producers in Oregon, Argyle. Housed in an old hazelnut processing plant, Argyle has been making delectable Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling, as well as some excellent sparkling wines (ah, for the days when they were the dirt-cheap bubbly, but they've won a few too many awards, and the price just keeps going up!).

The Nuthouse Pinot Noir has always been one of my favorites, and although I miss their more humorous labels, the current label reflects their quality and dedication to the grape. I fell in love with it in 1997 when I was the sommelier at POP in Union Square, and this is their 20th anniversary vintage.

Has it really been that long? I wish I had stored a few cases back then.

Total Wine & More may still have a few bottles lying around, although their website may not reflect actual store inventory.

The Bitter Truth

OK, I just tested my batch of Amaro. The herbs have been soaking in grain alcohol for about a month now. After filtering, the color is an odd sort of greenish brown, it smells like jet fuel, and has an acrid, bitter taste that causes your nostrils to flare and tastes like you just licked fresh, hot asphalt.

In other words: It's perfect.

My sevilla orange peels arrived this afternoon, and I added about 8 grams of fresh chocolate-mint from my garden, and 16 grams of peels. I will most likely need to cut the bitterness by diluting with brandy. I'm shooting for something close to Amaro Nardini, with licorice, mint, orange, and a chocolatey finish. I'm using Iris root instead of actual licorice root, as there are several potential health issues from real licorice. And I believe they're using a dark caramel syrup base, probably with black-strap molasses instead of corn syrup.


 I think I'll call it Amaro Nonrico.

Like most good Mad Scientists, you need an island in the middle of the ocean. Mine grows grapes.

Still job hunting in Miami, so after waiting for the workmen to come fix my leaky closet, I headed up to Total Wine and More to drop off a resume. It is a goal of mine to eventually own my own wine shop, preferably on a beach somewhere, and I can think of no better place to learn the retail business end of the wine world than from them. I send people there frequently in various cities by pulling up their store inventory from their website and telling them on which aisle to find the wine they want. Their selection is amazing, rivaling the better restaurants in Miami. And their prices are quite good. Now they need one somewhere closer to Midtown Miami, if not for my OWN commute, for my own shopping. The best wine selection in THIS area is Publix (with second place going to Buena Vista Chocolate and Wine....tiny, but they sell wine AND chocolate! Need I say more?)

Total Wine in North Miami 

Buena Vista Chocolate and Wine, just north of the Design District

Speaking of which, today's purchase was a bottle of Argiolas Costera, which could almost be described as Sardegna's answer to Côtes du Rhône: Mostly Cannonau (Grenache) with a little Carignano (Carignane) and Bovale Sardo (a Cinsault-like wine grape....I'm assuming the sub-varietal is Sardo, since Bovale Grande is usually accepted to be Carignane anyways.). I'm a big fan of Sardinian wines for their spice and mineral, and of  Côtes du Rhône for it's usually humble versions of some of the greatest wines in France. Remember when everyone had a CdR on their winelist instead of the now required Malbec or Merlot? I used one on several of my lists in NYC, and found the placement quite welcome by the true wine lovers. 

Oh, by the way,  Aisle 5, on the right, bottom row.  

I've started running a bit low on my homemade Black Cherry Amaro, and with the recent loss of a gall bladder, I find the potent herbal qualities of the Gentian and Wormwood REALLY help my stomach. I still have quite a bit of my Blueberry Mirto (Gentian and Rosemary) but I find the effects of the more traditional style a better curative. Amazingly so. And that IS what they used it for originally.

Well, that and arthritis, depression, whooping cough, parasites, syphilis, and the plague. 

I also find it quite useful for Manhattans, although those weren't invented until the late 19th Century. 

I based the original batch on a 14th-century Italian monk's recipe, which I dug out of a scanned latin tome on Google Books, doing my best to translate as I went. I ran up to Total Wine & More for a bottle of grain alcohol (although last time I used Kirschwasser, TW&M didn't carry my brand) to start another proper batch.

And because a proper batch of amaro takes at LEAST 3 months to produce, I bought a bottle of a classic, Ramazzotti, to hold me over until then.

http://www.ramazzotti.it/en/

Well, here it goes.

Time to go back south for sure now.

4 weeks ago, I gave my notice at Esca Restaurant for multiple reasons. They needed me far more as a waiter more than a sommelier, as I tended to deal well with their lunch regulars and VIP's. Plus, the company's recent restructuring of sommelier pay would put me behind my last such position, and they say you shouldn't move backwards.

Add to those, a recurrent seasonal Vitamin D deficiency, and Florida looks better and better. And then SLAP! Who knew Vitamin D deficiencies cause gallstones?!? Last Thursday at about 1 AM, I had my gall bladder removed rather abruptly. Awww...no more Fritto Misto's! My olive oil use is still OK, but butter is going to be greatly curtailed. I've never eaten a lot of red meat or anything.

As it turns out, Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, and to stay in New York, I'm going to have to take prescription strength doses. I love NYC, but I don't think I love it enough to have to take pills to live here.

Between 3030 Ocean, Michael's Genuine (and associated restaurants, who I ALMOST worked for in 2001), Michy's, MC Kitchen, and a handful of other places, I think they're about ready for me. And I could use the sunshine.

Oh, I LOVE these! What better birthday present for The Mad Scientist Sommelier! ThinkGeek is one of my favorite online shopping sites!

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f2cc/

Mirto Mirtillo

 OK, I have to admit, this year's Christmas Liqueur came out DAMNED good, even if I do say so myself! This is my take on a traditional Sardinian "Mirto," a traditional myrtle berry amaro flavored with rosemary. Due to the lack of available myrtle berries in NYC, I used wild Maine blueberries, blueberry honey, and blueberry syrup instead of simple syrup. The flavors expand with each sip!

This could top my Dark Sweet Cherry Amaro from a few years ago.