Archives for March, 2008
Chilled out at Ibiza
Wes, a burly waiter who could have played football for his college team, brought me the glass of Spinyback Sauvignon Blanc 2006 I had ordered just a few minutes before. Across the table from me sat Barbara and next to me sat her husband, George.
With eager anticipation I held the glass and swirled and sniffed and then sipped.
“Arg!” I snarled with a grimaced look on my face. “That’s terrible.”
“Send it back,” said Barbara.
“But it’s not corked and it’s not oxidized. It just tastes bad,” I said. “I can’t send a glass back just because I don’t like it.”
“Send it back,” Barbara said.
“Ibiza is a fine Houston food and wine bar. Owners Grant Cooper and Charles Clark hand-picked the wines on this impressive wine list. There must be a reason why this wine is on this list and I’m gonna keep tasting it until I find out why.”
“Send it back,” repeated Barbara.
“I like Sauvignon Blanc and I’ve always especially liked Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, so why does this wine taste like pure lemon juice?” I said as I took another sip. “Sauvignon Blanc should be fruity and citrusy, but also floral and crisp. This is all acid and all lemon and all not so good.”
I knew that this Sauvignon Blanc should be zesty and subtle, balanced with just a little gooseberry. Maybe what Wes poured into my glass was not Sauvignon Blanc after all, maybe this was lemon juice?
“It’s too cold,” chimed in the previously silent George. “Give it time to warm up.”
George was onto something. I cupped the glass in my hands. Brrr. According to Jancis Robinson, a good Sauvignon Blanc should always be served at 48 to 52 degrees Fahrenheit. Grabbing the glass like this, it was obvious: my wine was as cold as ice.
Wes, that huge guy who doesn’t look at all like a waiter in a wine bar, must have poured my glass from a bottle he just took out of the chill chest.
“Let’s order an appetizer,” I said to George and Barbara. “That large plate of Spanish olives, jamon serrano ham and manchego cheese sounds great and it’s only ten bucks. By the time it gets here, the Spinyback should be just the right temperature to drink.”
George winked and smiled a silly little grin.
Ibiza Food and Wine Bar
2450 Louisiana Street
Houston TX 77006
(713) 524-0004
www.ibizafoodandwinebar.com
Houston Wine Geeks at TTR
| February 27, 2008 | ||
| March 5, 2008 | ||
Scared of WineSpeak?Embarrassed when you have to read and order from a wine list? Want to know more about wine and how to enjoy it?
Houston Wine Geeks is a group of wine enthusiasts focused on the ins-and-outs of wine appreciation and wine education.
I’m taking a $1,500 wine appreciation course from the International Sommeliers Guild. My ultimate goal: achieving certification as a sommelier. Every Monday I attend wine class from 4pm to 11pm at the University of Houston. Every Wednesday I share what I’ve learned.
The Houston Wine Geeks weekly meetings are my study group. I’m sharing what I learn and I’m there to learn from you, all in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
There’s no fee! Each attendee pays for their own wine and food.
Interested? Sign up and RSVP for our next meeting. Come every week or come when you can!
Our Meeting This Week
Join us at the Tasting Room at Uptown Park (near the Galleria). We’ll be at this location for another week as we check out everything TTR has to offer.
Tasting Room (Uptown Park Location)
1101-18 Uptown Park Blvd
Houston, TX 77056
(713) 993-9800About the Tasting Room
TTR is both a retail shop and wine cafe, offering our guests the benefit of retail pricing. All of our wines may be purchased to go, or you may enjoy them on-premise at near-retail prices - well below restaurant prices! We happily provide cafe-style counter service with a twist. This is an interactive place: you give us an idea of what you’re in the mood for, be it a case of wine, a private function, or simply an afternoon sipper, and together we’ll custom build a dynamite experience.
What do you do with Dubonnet?
Straight spirits, even with a dash or two of bitters, are still just spirits and nothing too fancy. Gin (or Vodka) with no vermouth ain’t a martini, it’s booze.
You can’t make a mixed drink without a mixer.
Vermouth is probably the most familiar mixer for cocktails and mixed drinks, but it’s just a start. A good start, but just a start.
There are hundreds of possible mixers available from every part of the world. Most, like vermouth, were originally designed as a beverage in their own right, usually as an aperitif (before a meal) or a digestif (after a meal). Rosso (red) Vermouth on the rocks with a freshly cut slice of orange remains a marvelous start for a meal, especially with Italian cuisine.
So how about the aperitif that the Queen of England loves so much: Dubonnet? According to its producer’s web site, Dubonnet is the U.S.’s top-selling aperitif. Who knew?
What the heck is Dubonnet?
Similar to Vermouth, Dubonnet is a wine-based spirit that’s infused with herbs and fortified with additional neutral spirits. Dubonnet is sweeter than Vermouth and, unlike Vermouth, Dubonnet has quinine added giving it a certain bitterness as well.
Here’s a drink you should be able to order at just about any bar, should they actually have Dubonnet:
Dandy Cocktail
2 ounces rye (or bourbon if you must)
2 ounces Dubonnet
1 dash Angostura bitters
3 dashes Cointreau
Shake, serve up with lemon or orange twist
This drink is a lot like the manhattan, although the Dandy is quite a bit sweeter at these proportions.
