Odd things that pass your palate

S

Sharon Bowman

Sharon Bowman
Sometimes it's a good thing to see where the things we don't like to drink are drifting. At least that's what I tell myself, having had a glass of NV Duval-Leroy Brut yesterday.

Duval-Leroy is a champagne house located in Vertus, the southernmost village of the Côte des Blancs and the only possessed of a bit of pinot noir. D-L wants to be a "lifestyle" brand under the leadership of its media savvy-ish leading lady.

I kept being like, "Think of Vertus..." as I sipped it. But of course who knows where the grapes were from and how they were grown. This type of concern is all about the polished words and vague aspirational phrasings. I have no idea how it was made, and frankly, neither does it.

It was utterly blank. Just a blank. A placeholder. Champagne it was.

Helped me see why so many people don't like champagne. And why the good ones are doing something special.

A bottle of 2009 Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus last week was a striking example of this. As was an electrifying 2009 Lahaye Jardin de la Grosse Pierre. That I would give my arm for.

This was just humdrum, like sitting in an overheated club room with fusty old Britons or something.

Anyone else have an enlightening moment with an unexpected wine?
 
I don't know if I would go so far as to say 'enlightening experience', but I do find it instructive from time to time to have mass-market food and wine. It helps calibrate the palate and is also just interesting from an anthropological perspective. I know this makes me sound like an effete snob from another planet. But so be it.

My most recent experience along these lines was dining at Carrabba's with some extended family. It's a chain restaurant with Italian food - for those who don't know, and I didn't prior to one month ago - so I was expecting something horrible and difficult to swallow. But, they actually served 'good' food. Real ingredients, some texture to my son's spaghetti, moderate portions so they could afford to spend more on ingredients. It was overly salty and not my kind of scene. But clearly these places are doing lots of research on how to churn out higher quality food at prices that keep people coming back.

The quality revolution is underway!
 
I've had Duval-Leroy on several occasions and feel your pain, winegrrrrl. (As an aside, I was expecting a far more salacious thread based on the titillating title) Married as I am to a woman who prefers NZ SB to almost any other wine*, I quite often have similar experiences. When I crack open a Clos des Briords I am transported to another plane of consciousness and my senses fully awaken.

* Lest I paint too bleak a picture: she loves many kinds of wine, many of which are disorderly, but she does cleave to NZ SB when in public.

Mark Lipton
 
Johnny Carrabba in Houston -- "In 1986 he opened Carrabba's with his uncle, Damian Mandola. Their mission was to offer guests high quality Italian dishes in a warm, casual environment."

It has been hugely successful and serves generally good food.

. . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
Carrabba's [...] a chain restaurant with Italian food - for those who don't know, and I didn't prior to one month ago
Click to expand...

How strange! I've never heard of it. And a very interesting description. Are all the boats rising?

What was the wine list like?...
 
originally posted by MLipton:
I've had Duval-Leroy on several occasions and feel your pain, winegrrrrl. (As an aside, I was expecting a far more salacious thread based on the titillating title) Married as I am to a woman who prefers NZ SB to almost any other wine*, I quite often have similar experiences. When I crack open a Clos des Briords I am transported to another plane of consciousness and my senses fully awaken.

* Lest I paint too bleak a picture: she loves many kinds of wine, many of which are disorderly, but she does cleave to NZ SB when in public.

Mark Lipton
Click to expand...

Aiee! But glad she also likes good things.

Is there good NZ SB?
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

Aiee! But glad she also likes good things.

Is there good NZ SB?
Click to expand...

I was surprised at how different the offerings in-country were compared to what we get here. Less grassy, a little more flesh. Te Mata makes a version that you might recognize relative to some French cousins. And Gabrielle Simmers' "Supernatural" is delicious.
 
Carrabba's serves plonk.

I recently had some plonk at a company dinner. It does, indeed, illustrate how people can be indifferent to wine: the texture is thin, the acidity mild, the sweetness a little up. All in all, it's that elderly relative who doesn't come to family events very often but you still wish she wouldn't try to kiss you hello.
 
My mother-in-law drinks zin, cheap zin. Going out to eat with her can be challenging.
Recently tried a place in Carborro, NC, called Glass Half Full. It's a wine store and restaurant. Grabbed Picq Chablis off the shelf and when she drank it, she lit up. She dines there often and she told the waiter to please remember that bottle so she could have it again.
Vicarious enlightenment?
Best, Jim
 
Carrabba's has a wide-ranging wine list with wines ranging in varieties and costs. Costs range from fairly inexpensive to quite expensive e.g. several 100 dollars.

Google Carrabba's on Kirby in Houston for a link to the wine list.

. . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
originally posted by Rahsaan:
Carrabba's [...] a chain restaurant with Italian food - for those who don't know, and I didn't prior to one month ago
Click to expand...

How strange! I've never heard of it. And a very interesting description. Are all the boats rising?
Click to expand...

Of course you haven't heard of it. No reason to!

I may be under educated in the fine points of chain restaurant distinctions, but I remembered reading this article from the New Yorker about how chain restaurants had been using their analytics to improve quality. I also remembered some wretched meals with these same extended family members dining out in TGI Fridays so we could get the salad bar. But Carrabba's was a whole other experience and a fine choice when stranded, although still no reason to seek it out.

Frankly I haven't done enough 'research' to know how widely these boats are rising. But I'm someone who thinks the spread of Whole Foods and even Au Bon Pain is a directional improvement over Wendy's and the like, so I'm optimistic.
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:

Recently tried a place in Carborro, NC, called Glass Half Full. It's a wine store and restaurant. Grabbed Picq Chablis off the shelf...
Click to expand...

Nice. That place is frustrating for calling itself a wine store/restaurant and having so few wines that anyone would actually want to drink. I hope they still have Picq the next time I go in!
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:
My mother-in-law drinks zin, cheap zin. Going out to eat with her can be challenging.
Recently tried a place in Carborro, NC, called Glass Half Full. It's a wine store and restaurant. Grabbed Picq Chablis off the shelf and when she drank it, she lit up. She dines there often and she told the waiter to please remember that bottle so she could have it again.
Vicarious enlightenment?
Best, Jim
Click to expand...

Should have checked that shelf the night we were there with a group. The list they showed us was shite. The food was awful.
 
originally posted by fillay:
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

Aiee! But glad she also likes good things.

Is there good NZ SB?
Click to expand...

I was surprised at how different the offerings in-country were compared to what we get here. Less grassy, a little more flesh. Te Mata makes a version that you might recognize relative to some French cousins. And Gabrielle Simmers' "Supernatural" is delicious.
Click to expand...

Yes, there's quite a bit of variability which is especially evident in situ. My favorites are from Wairau River (old school, family owned, ageworthy) and Dog Point (they do a Boredeau Blanc knockoff). Cloudy Bay's Te Koko is an interesting departure from the norm (aged in old wood). Palliser Estate used to do a completely OTT, tutti frutti, tropical fruit basket of a SB which was interesting in much the same way that a Carmen Miranda performance was. Nowadays, though, it's yawn city.

All of this, however, comes from someone who finds no offense in the varietal character of SB, so take this with enough salt to induce myocardial infarction.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by mark e:
originally posted by Florida Jim:
My mother-in-law drinks zin, cheap zin. Going out to eat with her can be challenging.
Recently tried a place in Carborro, NC, called Glass Half Full. It's a wine store and restaurant. Grabbed Picq Chablis off the shelf and when she drank it, she lit up. She dines there often and she told the waiter to please remember that bottle so she could have it again.
Vicarious enlightenment?
Best, Jim
Click to expand...

Should have checked that shelf the night we were there with a group. The list they showed us was shite. The food was awful.
Click to expand...
Our food was exceptional, the list was adequate and the shelves were loaded with hidden gems. (About a week ago.)
What can I say.
Best, Jim
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:
originally posted by mark e:
originally posted by Florida Jim:
My mother-in-law drinks zin, cheap zin. Going out to eat with her can be challenging.
Recently tried a place in Carborro, NC, called Glass Half Full. It's a wine store and restaurant. Grabbed Picq Chablis off the shelf and when she drank it, she lit up. She dines there often and she told the waiter to please remember that bottle so she could have it again.
Vicarious enlightenment?
Best, Jim
Click to expand...

Should have checked that shelf the night we were there with a group. The list they showed us was shite. The food was awful.
Click to expand...
Our food was exceptional, the list was adequate and the shelves were loaded with hidden gems. (About a week ago.)
What can I say.
Best, Jim
Click to expand...

What I can say is that you are probably exaggerating to be a bit contrary. I don't think there is a single person who lives here (Carrboro/Chapel Hill) who thinks the place has great food. OK, maybe.

As I said, I needed to check out the nearby retail shelves given that we couldn't find much to order on the list.
 
originally posted by mark e:

What I can say is that you are probably exaggerating to be a bit contrary. I don't think there is a single person who lives here (Carrboro/Chapel Hill) who thinks the place has great food.

As I said, I needed to check out the nearby retail shelves given that we couldn't find much to order on the list.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I go there for work events but would never spend my own money.

But I never realized there was a distinction between the list and the retail shelves. Will have to keep that in mind, because every time I've ordered off the list it's been tough to find one or two good options.
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:
originally posted by mark e:
originally posted by Florida Jim:
My mother-in-law drinks zin, cheap zin. Going out to eat with her can be challenging.
Recently tried a place in Carborro, NC, called Glass Half Full. It's a wine store and restaurant. Grabbed Picq Chablis off the shelf and when she drank it, she lit up. She dines there often and she told the waiter to please remember that bottle so she could have it again.
Vicarious enlightenment?
Best, Jim
Click to expand...

Should have checked that shelf the night we were there with a group. The list they showed us was shite. The food was awful.
Click to expand...
Our food was exceptional, the list was adequate and the shelves were loaded with hidden gems. (About a week ago.)
What can I say.
Best, Jim
Click to expand...

Seek and ye shall find!
 
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