Dirty South Wine

Results! Popeyes Online Wine Pairing Challenge!

11/18/09 May go down as a national holiday-  The First Ever Popeyes Online Wine Pairing Challenge went out in a blaze of dirty birds. 

Five food and wine experts submitted their ultimate wine pairings, and people on both coasts got together to taste through the pairings-- live, online, and ultimately voting for the best pairings.

A sick panel of contestants entered- 

Besha Rodell:  Food Editor for Atlanta's Creative Loafing, and 2009 AFJ Winner

Lyle Fass:  Online Riesling Legend and NYC based Wine Consultant

Alan Kropf:  Editor in Chief of Mutineer Magazine and Sommelier

Jon Bonne:  Wine Editor from the SF Chronicle

Kevin Kelley:  Wine Maker extrodinaire!

Four parties launched simultaneously- 1 in Healdsburg, CA and 3 in Atlanta and tasting went off fast and furious.  Along the way, people tweeted up a storm using the hashtag #drtybrd (more than 350 tweets registered).  The Healdsburg party (chez moi) had approximately 45 attendees.

When it came down to eating, the wines were numbered, lined up, and snacking began.

Winner: (Popular Votes)

1. Francois Pinon Vouvray Brut Non-Dosé

(Congrats to Jon Bonné of SF Chronicle!!!)

2. Renardat-Fache Bugey du Cerdon and Willi Schaefer Estate QBA 2008 (TIE)

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Winner:  (Critics Pick)

1. Willi Schaefer Estate QBA 2008

2. Renardat-Fache Bugey du Cerdon

3. Francois Pinon Vouvray Brut Non-Dosé

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Beyond winners, losers, etc...  What was most amazing about this event, was that it brought people together with great wine, fun food, and encouraged people to get crunk with chicken.

Kevin Kelley and Salinia Wine made some great antagonistic videos 1, 2

20dollarwine went crazy and made 3 insane gelato flavors

Alan Kropf took us on his 1st tour of Popeyes

Bricks Of Wine took some amazing photos

Rachel Reenstra and Ziggy The Wine Gal wrote and performed a hysterical song.

For one night, this was the spirit of wine online.

Huge thanks to all of the participants, contestants, hosts for the remote parties, etc...

There will be a round II.

(video by Rowdy Food from the WineTonite.com party in ATL)

ALSO-  HUGE thanks to Popeyes in Rohnert Park, CA. for cooking up all our chicken!!!

Dirty South Wine in 12 Seconds: Freak Flags Start to Fly

Jury Duty Joy, Saumur Blanc, Popeye's and Puppies

Nothing says "party" like jury duty...  It is the thrill of the wait, the shuffle from waiting area to secondary waiting areas, and the joyous spirit of the room that has the vibe the charm of a windowless 1974 Greyhound station...  What takes it to the next level-  the day after effects of a night gone horribly right.  Opening 5 wines and a late night run to both Zesto and Popeye's...  My morning had doubts, but my night had Glory.

I'll get more into the wines later this week (including a disappointing, tired old Mourvedre)-  but one wine has perhaps come in as the new Sheriff of the Spicy Fried Chicken Town....

2006 Chateau du Hureau Saumur Blanc
(France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur)  Chenin Blanc variety. Available in ATL at Sherlock's (about $20), Throughout the US  find it on Snooth.

Yellow, like you took a mega-dose of Vitamin C.  On the the nose- Big melon (but not ostentatious), dried honey, dried herbs, and stones...  A touch of residual sugar, but less than most Riesling or many Vouvray, medium acidity, and a mineral and honey finish.  Rich and balanced.  Not overly complex, but still delightful. 

We worked through 2 other whites with this and the chicken (A dry Gewurztraminer, and an off-dry Riesling)--  This Saumur Blanc just out-delivered the goods- just enough sweet to work with the light heat, but then a stoney richness and depth that blended in like sauce for these tasty birds. 

Thanks to Jimmy from Eat It, Atlanta for participating and putting up with my rants on the pairing.

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Three days without a post felt like a lifetime.  Rest assured that good things are coming and that we've been hard at work behind the scenes with some major improvements and all that "whole 'nother level" jazz.

I was also a little distracted this weekend.  Dirty South Wine has a new mascot...  Though not officially "mine", Lady Dirty's brother moved back to Atlanta and has his two dachshund pups with him... 

WEINER DOG 2009!

ALSO-

If you love shots of food, people, and beverages- check out Savory Exposure .  This is Smylie's (Broderick's) new food photo blog.  It is amazing.  And huge congrats to B on getting one of his shots from Riding Dirty in the Wall Street Journal!!!!!!  (Wood Fire Grill ATLANTA)

Master Po, Kung Fu, and Blind Tasting

Caine: (Master) You can not see.
Master Po:  You think I can not see?
Caine:  Of all things, to live in darkness must be worst.
Master Po:  Fear is the only darkness.

Blind tasting-- It injects FEAR into the hearts of many tasters.  Those that overcome their fear, must overcome DOUBT, and only those that truly overcome doubt can then face their skills (in el Thunderdome!)

On Tuesday night, the 2009 East Lake Tasting Table got together for their second session of blind tasting.  Formed and hosted by by the team of Matt Olson (from finalanalysis wine blog) and Cayce Callaway, the group is made up of a collection of many of Atlanta's top wine professionals.  (How I snuck in, I haven't a clue...)

(The Wines Unveiled)

The blind tasting is academic in approach-  some participants are practicing for wine exams, others to hone their skills, and everyone wanting to use their wits to try and best determine what is in each bag.

11 bottles were lined up and bagged--  5 White, 6 Red, and the group worked through all the bottles at their own pace.  About an hour later, the bags were unveiled.  There were some cries of victory, some disappointing groans, but everyone having a feeling that doing this is worthwhile activity for any wine professional or wine lover.

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The wines with some of my notes. 
(Disclaimer: My notes do not reflect the opinions or consensus of any other participants)

WHITES

1.  1992 Domaine Aux Moines Savennières
(France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières Roche aux Moines)  Chenin Blanc variety.
A huge, salty, shell-like nose that could only be Savennières.  The metallic yellow / orange says age.  I put in my vote as a 1997.  Killer-Killer Juice!  (Huge props to Vajra for bringing this!)

2.  2007 Araldica Piemontesi Gavi La Luciana
(Italy, Piedmont, Gavi) Cortese variety.
I picked up a ton of floral notes w/ some melon.  A little nutty, and my best guess was young Viognier.

3.  2004 Domaine Alain Patriarche Bourgogne Blanc La Monatine
(France, Burgundy, Côte d'Or, Meursault, La Monatine)  Chardonnay variety.
Burnt, scorched wood / match stick.  Screams 2004 White Burgundy.

4.  2006 Jean-Philippe Fichet Bourgogne-Aligoté
(France, Burgundy) Aligoté variety.
Grassy nose, medium bodied, open & closed on the palate.  Aligoté.  I had the unfair advantage on this- I brought this one and was semi-familiar with it. (though someone also brought it to the previous meeting)

5.  2007  M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Petite Ruche
(France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage)  Marsanne Variety.
Floral, rock, and peach.  Unfair advantage 2-  I brought this one too and pegged it.  For what it is worth, I LOVE this wine....

REDS

1.  2002 Château Léoville Poyferré
(France, Bordeaux, Medoc, St, Julien)  Red Bordeaux Blend.
Dried cherry, leather, , oak, and then some oak.  Juicy, mouthwatering acids, big tannins.  I thought a 2002 Sangiovese.

2.  2003 Salentein Reserve Malbec
(Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco)  Malbec Variety
I was convinced this was a new world, Paso robles Syrah from 05.  Deep purple, intense fruit, heavy on the palate....wrong. 

3.  2002 Château Angélus
(France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru) Red Bordeaux Blend
Cherry, Currants, graphite-  screams Bordeaux blend.  On the palate, more fruit than I expected from BDX, I threw my vote in for 2002 Napa Cab / Merlot blend.  Right grapes, right vintage, wrong place (Should have kept 1st guess).

4.  2007 Bodegas Borsao Garnacha Campo de Borja Tres Picos
(Spain, Aragón, Campo de Borja) Grenache Variety.
New world, 2006, central coast Pinot Noir- 100% certain! Cherry explosion, spice, tightly knit, extracted, Zin like Alc.  I even started listing vineyards...  Nope.  I even had this 2 weeks ago.

5.  2006 Foley Estates Pinot Noir Rancho Santa Rosa
(USA, CA, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills)  Pinot Noir Variety.
2006 OR Pinot 75% sure.  Backup guess- Russian River Pinot Noir.  Medium Cherry, some earthy tones, low tannins... (In hindsight, this changed a lot, and became way fruitier, and CA as the night went on). Right vintage, right grape.

6. 2003 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel Mayacamas Range
(USA, CA, Napa Valley)  Zinfandel Variety.
An initial nose of cold, canned vegetable soup, dried, candied orange rinds, and birthday cake.  97 Amarone or 2001(ish) Ripassa.  I was certain it was Italian and was made with raisinated fruit.  This was another wine that continually changed over the night.  The Veg. soup blowing off, and pure fruit starting to shine through.  This one was a trip.

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In the end, I find Blind Tasting is like golf.  It is always you against yourself (or against that know-it-all Master Po!)

This was an awesome event with a great crew of some of the Atlanta's most passionate wine professionals.  Huge thanks to Cayce and Matt for hosting the event!  Also-  Check out Matt's wine blog-- finalanalysis.  It is a cool view from inside the industry.

Mid-90's Stone Cold Savennieres: Like a Freak Without Warning

There is something about the aging, speed freak, Karate choppin', Elvis-  It's the incredible energy combined with quick circular hand motions, an occasional kick, a bedazzled cape, and a runaway train of a band just burning down the track.  It gets you charged and riled up.  But now imagine something challenging, perhaps a little bizarre, and stankingly awesome (like Glen Velez and Lori Cotler) that transports your inner Cornholio to the same place.  This is Savennières.  The stony, freak show, of a delicious wine that unapologetically meets more foes than friends.

If you are unfamiliar with Savennières- Slate wrote a decent piece a while back.

1994, 1995, 1996

This past Sunday, in honor of a special guest coming down from Chi-Town, and as recovery for some who blew it out the previous night, we met at Big Toe's for some grilled sausage and wine w/ a mini-Savennières flight. 

(Though these are older bottles, current vintages of all of these wines are available- and the 2004 Clos du Papillon is the Dirty South Wine pick at Ansley Wine Merchants)

1994 Domaine aux Moines Savennières Roche aux Moines
(France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières Roche aux Moines) Chenin Blanc
Deep gold, the deepest of the three.  A tingling nose of wax, honey, and rock.  Medium bodied, and bone dry.  Feels like liquid porcelain.  Some nut and light dried fruit, heavy tingling minerals, and lingering stone and stomachy finish.

This needed time- about 90min or more to come alive, at first is almost smelled like stomach acid and gravel pit.  Sounds great, huh?  It was.  This is a wine that is alive, and in emotion (not in flavor) it reminds me of great, stop you in your tracks Champagne.

1995 Domaine des Baumard Savennières Clos du Papillon
(France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières) Chenin Blanc
Medium straw colored, and touches of gold. A fat nose of dried pineapple, apricot, and smooth rock.  Almost spicy.  Medium bodied, baby butt smooth,with snappy acidity, and a long crisp finish.

So stony smooth.  This was the most balanced of the three (mixing rock and fruit).  Truly great stuff that is just smackin', and a bottomless pit of interesting character.  This is truth.

1996 Château d'Epiré Savennières Cuvée Spéciale
(France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières) Chenin Blanc. Kermit Lynch Import
Gold, with a tightly wound nose of intense honey, dried orange, and dried flowers.  Rich in body, but still so dry... My notes wandered from the page and all I can read is "Crazed Madness", "Uplifting", and "WTF Delicious!"

I think I like that one- a lot.  The d'Epiré was the most accessible out of the shoot.  It had huge concentration, nice balance, and delivered a little more pleasure at first.  I think the d'Epiré still has a long life ahead of it.

I can't declare any of these wines less than other-  All three were killer examples of what can be done with Savennières and show what all the fuss is about.  The levels of complexity here were staggering, and the flavor profiles completely mind-bending.  To top it off, you can probably find many of these wines on the open market for under $40.

These aren't popular wines for a reason- they run counter to almost everything else out there.  They have little fruit, are unrelenting, are not made for cocktail hour, and posses little glamor.  What they have instead is the ability to give you more depth and interest than any other wines at this price point.

This was a great day.

A $12 Viognier and Another Killer ATL Burger!

2007 Le Paradou Viognier Vin de Pays Blanc

(France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Luberon)  Viognier.  $12 at Barrelman.  Jon David Headrick Import

Rowdy emailed me from ENO's bar a few weeks back, saying he was sipping on a steal-  A direct, clean, Viognier for a screaming $12 (in their retail shop).  Curious about his enthusiasm, I walked over to Barrelman, grabbed a bottle of my own, and  opened it (and a couple other jugs) at Dynamic Dish for pizza night.

Yellow, slightly pale.  At first, the nose was closed for business- a little rock, a touch of dried fruit, and then nada.  About 20 minutes later (and a few degrees warmer), this nose came alive- Beautiful floral notes, more rock, some mixed fruit (peach? citrus?), medium bodied, slightly bitter,  (almost a little constricting), nice acids, and a medium long finish.  Solid juice!  For $12-- I dig it. 

Thanks to Cathy, Katie, and Jimmy for joining Lady Dirty and I.

Just after leaving Dynamic Dish, I got another text from Rowdy saying I needed to head to Repast to try their burger with some 99 Bourgogne.  Not that I needed any more food, but a declaration that it was perhaps the equal to another ATL burger had me intrigued...  That is one serious burger! Hats off to Joe!

A Dirty South Wine Hits the Shelf! (My Wine Picks)

My friends at Ansley Wine Merchants have created a new shelf talker-- The "Dirty South Wine Pick".  This is the 2nd shelf talker they made. Supposedly the 1st one got stolen in the first few hours (probably because I was lookin' so good!)

The current pick is one of my favorite wines of 2008-  The freaky and funky 2004 Domaine des Baumard Clos Du Papillon Savennieres.  At $34.99, this isn't a cheapie, but it is soooo good!

For more details, you can check out my original notes. 

Ansley Wine Merchants is located in Ansley Mall (corner of Piedmont & Monroe)

1544 Piedmont Rd NE

ATL 30324

404-876-6970

Righteous, Pure, Truth- Woodfire Grill & Their Riding Dirty Wine Pairing Entry #dty!

Woodfire Grill
1782 Cheshire Bridge Road
Atlanta, GA 30324
404-347-9055

(Photos courtesy of Smylie- King of all That is ATL Food Photog!)

Vouvray Vouvray! An 83 and Shrimps!

Second to food poisoning, this was the most memorable experience of my week.  

A pristine 1983 Domaine des Girardieres Vouvray.  Paired with perfectly grilled shrimp with a light citrus butter-- Sweet mother of Polynesia! 

Almost amber in color, a seductive nose of rock, melon, honeycomb, and dried peach.  Rich and thick on the palate with a dose of sweet fruit, and a touch of residual sugar that vanishes in a razors slice of acidity, and a light, ever-buzzing finish.  FTW!!!!! Brilliant at any cost, but even more special that this was about the price of an entree and tip.  Something like this could only come from one place.  

Loire Chenin Blancs are quickly threatening German Riesling as my current favorite wines...

Joy to the world!

Drink Tough on Election Day- Bottles of Pleasure and Pain

 

With just about 24hrs to the end of voting,  you need to take a few moments on Tuesday to visit your local wine merchant, or to comb through your cellar to find an appropriate bottle to open and subsequently crush to signify the end of this election. 

As a nation, we’ve endured two years of torturous campaigning from both sides.  Our news outlets have become port-a-lets of opinion and bias, and not a soul on earth can tolerate the equal hours of both Fox News and CNN required to construct a semi-unbiased view of the news.

On election night, your bottle shouldn't be a bottle for victory, or a bottle to sip in defeat-- because regardless of party, in the past two years, we’ve all lost something.  Non-stop garble from both parties spewing half-truths and propaganda has damaged our country and sense of community.  Both sides are guilty from deliberately manipulating the public for their own gain.

 So pick a bottle that isn't for decadence, but pick one that signifies passing, relief, sacrifice, and that delivers equal parts pleasure and pain. 

So with pleasure and pain as your guide, here are a three general suggestions from Dirty South Wine

Young California Syrah (2005-2006)

Why?

These wines will be BIG, perhaps huge, and deliver a much needed bruising wallop of alcohol.  Big dark fruit, seductive herbs and perhaps some animal tracks to lure you in, but without food these could be challenge going down and inflict that prick of pain to remind you that the election is in fact over and you put up with a lot of crap!  For maximum pleasure and pain, seek out a Syrah that is at least 15% alcohol and crush it with a friend or family member!  Now don’t try and cut corners and swap Syrah for a Zinfandel, because though high alcohol, Zinfandel rarely packs the tannin of Syrah and for Tuesday night you will need a wine with some fight.  

A few to look for that you may find in your area-  Stolpman, Novy, Copain

Savennières-

Why?

Because like the election, it may take years before we truly know whether the outcome was good or bad.  We may know now who we like better, but no one has a clue how either of the candidates is going to perform. With Savennières your tongue and nose may say hell no, but your brain will say yes. These rocky, grassy, herbaliscious wines are often challenging, but always interesting.  You've endured a lot, now buck up and endure some more!  

A few to look for Baumard’s Clos Du Papillion, Damien Laureau Le Bel Ouvrage, or Château D’Epiré

German Riesling-

Why?

Sweet (and most of you hate sweet for unknown reasons), but dense with a heady dose of petrol and rock.  If really gassy, you may think someone is trying to burn down your house with jet fuel.  German Riesling often packs a stinging acidity that at times make you twitch...  Often at below 10% alcohol, you will need to to tackle a single bottle on your own before you start to feel like you were truly built for love.  (So get two and make it happen!)

Again, shoot for 06’s and 07’s- we need sacrifice!!!

 A few to look for--  Dönnhoff, JJ Prum, Selbach-Oster, and Willi Schaefer

Now if you want to be really nuts and break out your top tier 05 Bordeaux and Burgundies, then you aren't tough, you are nuts….  We’ve all sacrificed, but not enough to eat our young ….

Regardless of what you open, do it with family, with friends, and make neither a toast to victory or curse defeat, but raise your glass, look your friends in the eyes and toast to this finally being over-- (and if you make it to your 3rd or 4th bottle, you can always reinvigorate the crowd with drunken cries of “Death to all fanatics!”)

Drink tough on Tuesday!

(but please don’t drive!)