At Least Buy Me Dinner If You Want Me To Soak Your Cork

Chinese People Are Ruining The Only Thing Important In My Life

Truffles.

The the most memorable meal I have ever had in my life was after my dinner shift at Felidia in NYC. It was our homemade angel hair pasta, butter sauce with shaved white truffles on top. The best possible wine pairing is a Barolo and I was the luckiest girl in the world because mine happened to be a Giacosa. I can't forget an experience like that.

A few years ago, I went truffle hunting in Piedmont with two hunters and they seemed a bit freaky. In a good way....but still freaky. They usually hunt at night so other hunters won't find out their territory. They use specially trained dogs that won't eat the truffle when they dig it out of the ground. The hunters often will speak their own language with the dogs so no one around will understand the commands. It's an amazing process to watch!

One of the truffle hunters with his dog, Diana

Now it seems that truffles are becoming scarce. With climate changes, the truffles aren't growing at the same rate considering how delicate and sensitive they are. Then IN COMES the Chinese!! Described as "cutting flour into cocaine", chinese truffles are being mixed in with the good stuff and some restaurants don't even know....Watch the video ---->>> (CBS News)

Napa Valley Should Start Stroking Mother Nature's Ego Right About Now

Looks like things aren't always perfect in this adult Disneyland. I doubt this will stop anyone from going to tastings and getting loaded but from this just goes to show how important "terrior" is. With California wine laws much different from the European, Mother Nature still wins in the end. European winemakers aren't allowed to manipulate their wines as much as California. They have to rely on almost perfect weather while the grapes are on the vines. They aren't allowed to irrigate, only a certain amount is allowed to be made, also only the permitted grapes can be made in certain regions. California barely has any of those restrictions and yet 2011 wasn't kind to them with as much freedom as they have with their winemaking.


"With lighter yields, one would normally expect greater concentration.  That’s not necessarily true for 2011, as cool weather held down ripening, flavor development and sugars. All of this resulted in lower-than-expected natural alcohol levels as well as less color and flavor concentration."  (Napa Valley Register)

Dim The Lights, Pour The Wine and Watch A Tuna Get Sliced Up.

Clearly business has been super slow in the restaurant business. Someone took the time to think this up, cast it, find the tuna and the music. Maybe I should make a fancy video of me opening a wine bottle. God, I am brilliant.

 Watch the video---> (Cut me up some tuna!)

Wine & Boobs

I love white wine but red is always my first choice...my first choice for a very verrry long time. This means my boobs are always going to be perfect and when I pass in this lifetime, they might just recreate another body on their own, which means I am going to live forever.

You're welcome.

'When women were drinking red wine, the study reports, hormone levels were at much more favorable levels. "These data suggest that red wine is an aromatase inhibitor and may explain the observation that red wine does not appear to increase breast cancer risk," the study concludes."

Red Wine Does Not Appear to Raise Breast Cancer Risk | Health News | News & Features | Wine Spectator

Wine and the City: Hip-hop help sees Moscato sales soar in US

Moscato is the new White Zinfandel?

Wine and the City: Hip-hop help sees Moscato sales soar in US: Sales of Moscato are soaring in the US as hip-hop artists continue to name-check the low alcohol sweet wine in their songs. 

I have noticed recommending "sweeter" wines to my neophytes helps open their minds up, instead having to pound it in their heads why they "should" like wine. Its always better to go with what you like and eventually the palette evolves with more exposure to different types of "sweet" wines. Maybe something like changing the origin or a completely different vintage of the same wine can help broaden things. Moscato is usually what we gave out to our VIP guests at Felidia. It was always a nice gesture and everyone always seemed to enjoy it. 

If you do like "sweet" wines then a "Spatlese" Reisling or any higher degree of ripeness in this German white wine may be something you like. Alsacian Gewurztraminer is the first wine I ever fell in love with when I was first learning wine. To me it was like drinking liquid gold & honey. I was hooked ever since!

Worth The Wait

"In the aging process the bright primary fruit scents and flavors begin to morph into the secondary nuances of leather, exotic nuts and spice, cigar box, truffle, honey and a multitude of others.  Tannins begin to soften and acidity fully integrates into the flavor profile. Layers of flavor begin to emerge and a seamless texture develops along with a long and complex finish.

To keep all this in prospective, it is estimated that 90 percent of all wine purchased is consumed within 24 hours and the vast majority of the remainder within the year. It’s very realistic to assume that only a minute amount of wine (perhaps 1 percent or 2 percent) is aged at all and even less is aged properly. "

This is a tough one considering you would really need to know what you're doing to appreciate aged wine. Lets get the major mistakes out of the way: (1) don't store your wine in direct light (2) avoid vibrations or any type of movement (3) don't "shock" the wine by changing its temperature, wine should be stored at an average of 57 degrees 

Aged wine is an acquired taste and worth the training on your palette. Foods paired correctly with aged wines can turn the dining experience into an extraordinary one. This is definitely an eye-opening experiment. 

Aged wines can have layers that come out with every sip from the glass...never one the same. Think outside the box...bottle...glass....whatever. (Napa Valley Register)

New Year’s Tip: Drunk Walking More Dangerous Than Drunk Driving

This makes drinking at home until you pass out on your couch much more acceptable...in fact, LIFE SAVING. When I do go out drinking, I won't have to think twice about taking a snooze in a bathroom stall and passing the attendant a few bucks. I am a responsible walker. 


"Freakonomics guys now inform us that drunk driving is statistically less likely to kill you than drunk walking. Yes. It's true. You are eight times more likely to wind up dead walking a mile back home than you are driving that mile. " (New Year’s Tip: Drunk Walking More Dangerous Than Drunk Driving)

Marshmallow Vodka makes you do stupid things

A guy gets wasted a robs two homes with the help of Marshmallow vodka...(Burglary suspect only remembers drinking marshmallow vodka - Chicago Sun-Times)

Smirnoff's new Marshmallow Vodka

Here are a few recipes if you feel like getting blackout drunk or just entertain guests at home:

Dark N' Fluffy

• 2 oz. Smirnoff® Marshmallow Flavored Vodka
• 2 oz. Godiva® Dark Chocolate Liqueur
• 1 oz. cream
• Marshmallows (garnish)
• Cocoa powder (garnish)

Preparation:

1. Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker and serve in a cocktail glass.
2. Garnish with marshmallow and sprinkle with cocoa powder (cocktails.about.com)

Or make your own poison ...(MixThatDrink)

If you're the classy type.....

S’moretini Shooters (HowSweetEats)

makes 1 (2 ounce) shooter, easily multiplied

1/2 ounce marshmallow vodka (or vanilla, whipped cream or cake flavored vodka)

1/2 ounce Godiva chocolate liqueur

1/4 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur

3/4 ounce cream/half and half

chocolate syrup or hot fudge

graham cracker crumbs

vanilla frosting for glass rimming

mini marshmallows

Dip the rim of you glass in a bit of frosting, then dip into graham cracker crumbs. Pour about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate fudge into the bottom of the glass. Combine vodka, Baileys, Godiva and cream in a shaker (or water bottle with lid) with ice and shake for 15 seconds. Pour into glass. Top with mini marshmallows skewered on a toothpick.

For 8 shooters or 2 martinis, you will need: 4 ounces of marshmallow vodka, 4 ounces of Godiva chocolate liqueur, 2 ounces of Bailey’s and about 6 ounces of milk. Measurements obviously may change depending on your own preferred tastes.