Fernet & friends

Too much stress. Not enough drinking.

But in any case the offer to host the amari service of 2010 is serious. 28 or 36 seats in the place depending on how you arrange, more if you're doing standing room only. Not quite the same kind of food as Convivio, but hopefully edible.

Congratulations, Rahsaan! Levi, I assure you that we're different people. I for one am not expecting a child in the near future.
 
I for one am not expecting a child in the near future.
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Have you closely examined your contract with your beverage director? Because I think you might be surprised at some of the clauses.
 
originally posted by Thor:
I for one am not expecting a child in the near future.
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Have you closely examined your contract with your beverage director? Because I think you might be surprised at some of the clauses.
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I was only joking when I said I'd give up my firstborn for a pallet of Les Giroflees, a few kegs of Txakoli, a bottle of B. Mascarello Chinato, and some pre-expulsion Chartreuse.

Though if anyone could help me out on the above, I might be willing to grab someone else's baby...
 
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
Did you ever answer my Fiorano white question on another thread.
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I really wasn't sure what you were asking, to be honest.

You said there were two '94 white bottlings. I couldn't tell if you meant there was a Bianco (Malvasia di Candia) and a Semillon, both from '94, or there were two different botte being offered (both Bianco, perhaps? both Semillon?). My experience is that late '80s is the sweet spot for the Bianco, and early '90s for the Semillon (but then I have never tried something from the '60s, so who knows?). '88 Bianco and '92 Semillon in particular stick out in my memory. But I would have to check my notes for botte numbers.

They used to be less than $100/btl retail. Now that is probably the normal rate, although not what I would call the "bargain" rate. The distributor in NY seems to have pretty much sold through their stock at this point.

I have a few left at the restaurant, both Bianco and Semillon.

In other words, tell me what you want to know in particular and I will look through the notes and see if I can answer your question with a specific.
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The wines available to me seem to be 1994 Semillon and 1994 Bianco.

I was interested in your sense of the relative interest these wines may hold generally (or specifically for me insofar as you know my inclinations), factoring in the cost.

I was also unsure of the varieties of grape in the Bianco.
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Ok. My misunderstanding basically stemmed from my assumption that you had already been there and done that. The best resource you can find in print on the subject is an article Eric Asimov wrote for the Times several years ago. I would recommend it to you. A search of the nytimes.com website will turn it up in a jiff.

A few years ago I myself was recommended to an '88 Bianco by a friend when they first hit the NYC scene, and was astonished by it. After being further intrigued by Mr. Asimov's article, I held a dinner with a bunch of local folks a few years back where we split a mixed case, and worked through 6 different Semillon and 6 different Bianco bottlings. I posted a long writeup about that dinner on Therapy some time ago. I suppose that writeup is now lost.

Sometimes there are multiple Botte bottlings from the same year and variety. The Bianco is made from Malvasia di Candia.

My personal feeling is that the wines are amongst the most splendid and amazing white wines ever to originate from Italy in our time, and I am lucky that I have been able to serve several of them in restaurants I have worked in. Fiorano in white has been a constant on lists that I have put together for the last 6 years or so.

That being said, individual bottles do not always sweep one away, and there are times when they can be drinking funky. If you were to think about the inconsistency of Pepe reds, this would be analogous.

Also, the time when you could easily get a mixed case of whites in this country seems to have past. And the bottles are more expensive now than they were.

Fiorano is no longer produced. What there is, there is, and that is it.

The Semillon is the more exotic of the two offerings. And tends to impress more at first sip. The Bianco is more white burgundy or chenin like, and plays it a little closer to the vest. I generally prefer the Bianco when it is great over the Semillon when it is great, and I think the Bianco is the more congenial at the table, but that is just my opinion.

I'll see if I can find my notes about the dinner and get back to you.

As I said, I have some at the restaurant, if you find yourself in town.
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Hope somebody found this helpful.
 
Amaro CioCiaro with a lemon slice is just right on a windy, rainy NW night.

Loved revisiting this thread, thanks LD.
 
Rainy and windy indeed. We are right across Haro Straight, Marc, on Obstruction Island. Great paddling over the last week!

BTW, Fernet Branca, which is used by some as a stomach settler for overeating, is really bad news if you actually are sick with the flu or food poisoning. Just sayin'.
 
I hope you found some shelter in the storm.
We were out on San Juan island this week.
The orcas were visible from Lime Kiln park!

Fernet hmm, it might be useful if used judiciously to get rid of certain lingering flavors in the mouth during a bout of stomach flu.
All that menthol and eucalyptus.
 
Amaro for serious indigestion sounds like it might generate a similar result to using Pepto-Bismol, just with a darker palette. Bleh.

My local shop had no Nonino (or Braulio) so I grabbed a bottle of Tosolini. Clearly akin but does not have the depth of flavor or the persistence.

Did anybody else make a purchase from the recent Chambers offering? Bottles were disappearing from the list while I was reading it!
 
I was sorely tempted by that recent offer of older amaro, but didn't buy any.

Pepto is pretty useless except for traveler's diarrhea, and even then you have to take huge amounts of it to get any benefit.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
originally posted by Marc D:
I was sorely tempted by that recent offer of older amaro, but didn't buy any.
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It is una scatola chiusa so I think it's OK to choose ones with particularly pretty labels.
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i bought an old bottle of "China" from a similar offering some months ago. really good stuff. glad i pulled the trigger.
 
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