I managed to get last Saturday off, as wedding duties called for the third weekend in a row. To my (pleasant) surprise the wedding didn't start until 6 pm. That left me with a free afternoon and the chance to go to the Oregon BrewFest. I never had the opportunity to go before, always working and such, so I jumped at the opportunity.
Here are some standouts:
New Holland Brewery (MI): Dragon's Ale
- Classified as a "strong ale", this comes in your mug looking like a porter. Nice and dark with all those stout/porter flavors you love, backed by some decent hops. The key to this one is that it is finished in oak bourbon barrels. Being a lover of Jack Daniel's for it's oaky/charcoal/sweetness on the finish I was high as a bird that the beer had a very similar finish. If you like 'em big, strong and dark, search this one out.
Surly Brewing Company (MN): Coffee Bender
- Once again, my bias towards two things I love a) dark beer and b) coffee find a winner. Full of maltiness, carmel notes and (duh) coffee, I was in heaven. Delicious.
There were other standouts, too, but alas, I left my program in the porta-potty. And I didn't take any real notes anyways. These were the two winners in my book, so search 'em out beer lovers!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Adventures in cooking, fryer chickens
I roasted a whole fryer chicken the other day, piecing together different recipes to try to get something that interested me. I ended up going with a rosemary/lemon zest rub under the skins, then poured a olive oil/lemon juice mix over the top before hitting the oven. The chicken ended up a little on the dry side (damn it all!) but was pretty good. The killer part about the dish was the gravy.
i browned the chicken in our cast iron skillet first, then it was to the oven. After I poured the vinaigarette over the chicken I sliced an onion and placed it around the chicken. When the chicken was cooked through there was a whole lot of delicious chicken juice simmering away at the bottom of the pan. I pulled the chicken out of the skillet and threw the gravy on the stove top, put it on high and added about 1/3 cup dry vermouth. Reduced down and made one of the best damn chicken gravies I have ever, ever had. It was plenty rich (thank you chicken fat), but balanced by all the lemon juice I threw in. Rosemary for some herbage and the onions which had become deliciously moist put it all together. the white wine helped to bring it down to the right flavor mix, not too heavy, but not light.
Needless to say I've been working off this chicken since tuesday. I've been the happiest so far with my roast chicken sandwhich. Throw the meat on a toasted potato bun, add lettuce, some of the gravy and onions and blue cheese and you are set to go. Sadly the gravy can soggify the bun, but it's so good you can't help but woof down the whole sandwich.
And on to the wine of the evening: Waterbrook Chardonnay 2006
A subtle chardonnay, with some pear aromas and hints of oak. Picking up on some spiciness on the finish, too. Medium bodied mouth feel. Not too shabby for the price.
Bloggers note:
I took a look at the professional tasting notes from Wine Spectator after thinking about this wine in my glass and was pretty much spot on. Must be doing something right...
i browned the chicken in our cast iron skillet first, then it was to the oven. After I poured the vinaigarette over the chicken I sliced an onion and placed it around the chicken. When the chicken was cooked through there was a whole lot of delicious chicken juice simmering away at the bottom of the pan. I pulled the chicken out of the skillet and threw the gravy on the stove top, put it on high and added about 1/3 cup dry vermouth. Reduced down and made one of the best damn chicken gravies I have ever, ever had. It was plenty rich (thank you chicken fat), but balanced by all the lemon juice I threw in. Rosemary for some herbage and the onions which had become deliciously moist put it all together. the white wine helped to bring it down to the right flavor mix, not too heavy, but not light.
Needless to say I've been working off this chicken since tuesday. I've been the happiest so far with my roast chicken sandwhich. Throw the meat on a toasted potato bun, add lettuce, some of the gravy and onions and blue cheese and you are set to go. Sadly the gravy can soggify the bun, but it's so good you can't help but woof down the whole sandwich.
And on to the wine of the evening: Waterbrook Chardonnay 2006
A subtle chardonnay, with some pear aromas and hints of oak. Picking up on some spiciness on the finish, too. Medium bodied mouth feel. Not too shabby for the price.
Bloggers note:
I took a look at the professional tasting notes from Wine Spectator after thinking about this wine in my glass and was pretty much spot on. Must be doing something right...
Monday, July 7, 2008
Homemade pizza v.02
The second in a previously unpublished post, I made homemade pizza for the second time this week! The first time was last week with dough purchased at the grocery store (pillsbury, for shame!) and was consumed with the wine from the previous post, Columbia Crest Vineyard 10 red. Well, this time I got it right and went to the closest pizza place (Pizza Schmizza) and purchased some dough. Soooooo much better! In addition to being less than half the cost of the supermarket brand, it was so much easier to work with and get real nice and thin. I purchased the amount of dough used for a 12" pizza, which costs $1 and works out to a pizza that stretches the limits of my pizza stone.
I decided to go with a straight cheese pizza. One of my favorites is sausage and onions but my onion wasn't looking too hot, so I kept it simple. Cranked the oven to 500 degrees, heated up the stone, dressed the pizza and about 8 minutes later I had a tasty cheese pizza that cost me probably less than $2 altogether. I defintely recommend buying dough from your local pizzeria the next time you make pizza at home. It is cheaper and easier than making your own and no doubt there is some kind of pizza joint nearby.
I'm still working on getting the pizza crust just the way I like it. An oven as hot as it gets and a pizza stone are surely two important factors. In addition, not overworking or overflouring have helped. Room temperature door and sauce will help to cook the dough all the way through without burning the outside. The closest I've come to recreating the pizzas I've had in Italy was placing a pizza stone on the gas grill, cranking up the heat and then using the grill like an oven. this actually worked quite well. Good char on the bottom of the pizza, golden crust cooked through and crisp with some chewiness and cheese not burnt. However, I gave up on that method after gently moving my pizza stone resulted in a three piece stone, never to be used again.
And, since this is indeed a wine blog, I suppose I should talk about the wine I had. A by Acacia Pinot Noir 2006. Retails around $16. I wasn't too impressed. It's a pretty simple California pinot noir, light red fruit (strawberries on the nose?) and light raspberries. Just a hint of spice but really no finish. Pass...but only on the wine. And pass me another slice of that pizza!
I decided to go with a straight cheese pizza. One of my favorites is sausage and onions but my onion wasn't looking too hot, so I kept it simple. Cranked the oven to 500 degrees, heated up the stone, dressed the pizza and about 8 minutes later I had a tasty cheese pizza that cost me probably less than $2 altogether. I defintely recommend buying dough from your local pizzeria the next time you make pizza at home. It is cheaper and easier than making your own and no doubt there is some kind of pizza joint nearby.
I'm still working on getting the pizza crust just the way I like it. An oven as hot as it gets and a pizza stone are surely two important factors. In addition, not overworking or overflouring have helped. Room temperature door and sauce will help to cook the dough all the way through without burning the outside. The closest I've come to recreating the pizzas I've had in Italy was placing a pizza stone on the gas grill, cranking up the heat and then using the grill like an oven. this actually worked quite well. Good char on the bottom of the pizza, golden crust cooked through and crisp with some chewiness and cheese not burnt. However, I gave up on that method after gently moving my pizza stone resulted in a three piece stone, never to be used again.
And, since this is indeed a wine blog, I suppose I should talk about the wine I had. A by Acacia Pinot Noir 2006. Retails around $16. I wasn't too impressed. It's a pretty simple California pinot noir, light red fruit (strawberries on the nose?) and light raspberries. Just a hint of spice but really no finish. Pass...but only on the wine. And pass me another slice of that pizza!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Columbia Crest strikes again
Columbia Crest, one of the biggest producers in Washingston state, had done it again. They have recently released two different labels that you need to check out. I'll start with the cheap one. Vineyard 10
Vineyard 10:
Produced in both a red blend and white, this bottle should ring in around $7/btl. While the white blend was plenty good for the money (can't remember the blend, but perhaps some sauv bland, semillon, etc) I'm here to focus on the red. Vineyard 10 red is a blend of mainly cabernet, syrah and sangiovese (with touches of grenache, my new favorite grape). You'll be pleasantly surprised by this inexpensive red. It's got good simple red fruit on the nose. But where it earns it's buck is in the mouth. It's surprisingly rich in the mouth (and easy to drink thanks to what must be some residual sugar). Try it out, then buy it by the case. This is your new house wine. You're welcome.
H3 (Horse Heaven Hills):
Alright, so if you follow the ratings on wines you probably already know that the H3 chardonnay was rated 91 pts by Wine Spectator ("one to buy by the case") and that the cabernet also garnered a 90 pt rating. The great thing? You can find these wines for under $15! Sometimes on a volume discount you can get them for under $11 (which I did last week). The wine that has not been scored by WS yet is the merlot, and honestly I think it is the best of the bunch. Easily a 90 pt wine. It has the softness and fruitiness that you expect of a Washington merlot, but with a little something extra. This wine has an element of earthiness/smokiness that really did it for me. This is a wine that I recommend quite often during the work week (along with the chardonnay) and haven't had any complaints yet. Brought it to a family get together, too, and it was quite well received. It's one of those bottles that drinks like many $20 plus bottles, and that's why I love it.
Vineyard 10:
Produced in both a red blend and white, this bottle should ring in around $7/btl. While the white blend was plenty good for the money (can't remember the blend, but perhaps some sauv bland, semillon, etc) I'm here to focus on the red. Vineyard 10 red is a blend of mainly cabernet, syrah and sangiovese (with touches of grenache, my new favorite grape). You'll be pleasantly surprised by this inexpensive red. It's got good simple red fruit on the nose. But where it earns it's buck is in the mouth. It's surprisingly rich in the mouth (and easy to drink thanks to what must be some residual sugar). Try it out, then buy it by the case. This is your new house wine. You're welcome.
H3 (Horse Heaven Hills):
Alright, so if you follow the ratings on wines you probably already know that the H3 chardonnay was rated 91 pts by Wine Spectator ("one to buy by the case") and that the cabernet also garnered a 90 pt rating. The great thing? You can find these wines for under $15! Sometimes on a volume discount you can get them for under $11 (which I did last week). The wine that has not been scored by WS yet is the merlot, and honestly I think it is the best of the bunch. Easily a 90 pt wine. It has the softness and fruitiness that you expect of a Washington merlot, but with a little something extra. This wine has an element of earthiness/smokiness that really did it for me. This is a wine that I recommend quite often during the work week (along with the chardonnay) and haven't had any complaints yet. Brought it to a family get together, too, and it was quite well received. It's one of those bottles that drinks like many $20 plus bottles, and that's why I love it.
Monday, June 23, 2008
henry weinhard ipa
I find myself tonight continuing my beer posts, perhaps for a couple reasons, but probably because beer is just cheaper than wine. $4.25 gallon of gas will make a 6 pack that can last a few nights look a lot better than a $10 btl that won't last as long.
So I picked up a 6 pack of Henry Weinhards IPA. It's the new seasonal from the Oregon brewer. It's inexpensive and tasty for the price. I tend to find the other Henry Weinhard brews (blue boar, blonde, hef) to have a bit of funk/bite to them. In other words, they taste like how much they cost (under $6 a 6 pack). But the IPA is a different story. Mild hoppiness is paired with nice malty notes. A very nice summer beer. Even went back for a 12 pack when I hosted a BBQ last week. It's safe to say that I have found a new, cheaper alternative to my microbrews. I hope this becomes a year round addition.
So I picked up a 6 pack of Henry Weinhards IPA. It's the new seasonal from the Oregon brewer. It's inexpensive and tasty for the price. I tend to find the other Henry Weinhard brews (blue boar, blonde, hef) to have a bit of funk/bite to them. In other words, they taste like how much they cost (under $6 a 6 pack). But the IPA is a different story. Mild hoppiness is paired with nice malty notes. A very nice summer beer. Even went back for a 12 pack when I hosted a BBQ last week. It's safe to say that I have found a new, cheaper alternative to my microbrews. I hope this becomes a year round addition.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Northstar Merlot 2004
Picked this up on a really good sale yesterday and cracked it with the parents. Wanted to see what was happening because it received a 91 pt rating from Wine Spectator. So after having some pulled pork (papa home made, of course) I poured myself a glass. Initially a little slow to show itself it definitely opened up quickly. The nose has some nice richness to it. Berries and something else I can't quite name. Tasting notes say white pepper and olive, but I was kind of thinking a hint of licorice, but I think that was stretching it. Well, while the nose was quite nice I was a little disappointed when I put it in my mouth. I thought it was a little flat. It had some nice tannins but those followed a midpalate that didn't do much for me. Now, keep in mind that for me "a little disappointed" is related to the fact that this will cost you generally ~$40/btl. Overall a good wine, but I wouldn't push it past 89 pts.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Abyss (!) and Vitamin R
I finally cracked the Abyss open last night (!). It was heaven. Really good stuff. Full of chocolate and coffee aromas and flavors. Barely carbonated. Dark as night. The smell made me think of a coffee milkshake at first. This is the beer that people were freaking out about. There were stories about people calling from out of state and offering to buy restaurants allocations for three times the normal mark up. Hard to get your hands on. Basically, you had to be on the list months before the release and quantities were very limited.
All in all it was really good. I wish I could pick up another one. It had a bit of sweetness, too. It beats the hell out of Guinness, and I love me some Guinness!
In other beer news, out at Slabtown in NW Portland they carry Rainer tall boys for $2. I was actually pretty excited for this beer because I hadn't seen it since I visited a friend out in La Grande. After the bachelor party weekend, which involved many divey places, it seems to be quite available. Shows where I go out to. It's cheap, that's for sure, but I personally think it's the best cheap beer out there. It drinks better than PBR and High Life. After doing some research it seems that this "local" cheap brew is actually brewed under contract in California. It used to be brewed up near Seattle. I think I like it for the added fact that it is nicknamed "Vitamin R". Mmmmmmm, vitamins
All in all it was really good. I wish I could pick up another one. It had a bit of sweetness, too. It beats the hell out of Guinness, and I love me some Guinness!
In other beer news, out at Slabtown in NW Portland they carry Rainer tall boys for $2. I was actually pretty excited for this beer because I hadn't seen it since I visited a friend out in La Grande. After the bachelor party weekend, which involved many divey places, it seems to be quite available. Shows where I go out to. It's cheap, that's for sure, but I personally think it's the best cheap beer out there. It drinks better than PBR and High Life. After doing some research it seems that this "local" cheap brew is actually brewed under contract in California. It used to be brewed up near Seattle. I think I like it for the added fact that it is nicknamed "Vitamin R". Mmmmmmm, vitamins
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