She came for the tango ...and stayed for the wine ...

Come tango with us...3-6p at our tasting (heels optional)

We met at one of the many milongas (public tango parties) that take place in Mendoza during the Tango por los Caminos del Vino (Tango Festival on the Wine Route), which takes place every September (the beginning of spring in the southern hemisphere). The Festival showcases the passion of tango music and dance, set amidst the unique scenery of Mendoza wine country – beautiful high desert, blooming with the snow melt irrigation, the Andes mountains as a backdrop. And of course, there are those wonderful Mendoza Cabernets to enjoy during a break in the dancing. For special friends and partners, maybe a luscious Cabernet reserve, as sensual and seductive as the tango itself . A good Cabernet Sauvignon, like this Juana de Sol Cabernet Sauvignon, is possibly the best of all Argentine red wines.

Ah, the Argentine tango – it’s a sensual dance, seductive in its complexity. In 1916, American modern dancer Isadora Duncan visited Argentina, and after being introduced to tango, said: "I had never danced Tango…. My first steps were timid, but the feeling of the languid music caused my body to respond to the voluptuousness of the dance. Soft as a caress, torrid as love under the midday sun, dangerous as a tropical forest".

It is a dance not performed from the feet, the hips or the arms but from the heart and soul. In this intimate form of communication, our individual movements become our words. Each time we dance together, we speak to each other’s hearts and souls through movement. There is no thinking in Tango, only feeling.

In Tango, it is the man’s duty to begin to talk with his body and for the woman, with her body, to know how to respond. And so the mind grows silent and instincts take over, until the dance becomes sensual, and you discover that what you’ve learned is just a forgotten primordial language.

Was it the tango that seduced her and ultimately won her heart, or was it that silky Juana de Sol Cabernet Sauvignon? Who can tell in these affairs of the heart? I only know we were still together in Mendoza for the annual Fiesta Nacional de la Vendemia (National Grape Harvest Festival) in March, still dancing Tango, and sharing Juana de Sol Cabernet Sauvignon with each other and our special friends.

Raphael

Those of us who travel along the main road east of Cutchogue and not quite to Southold have noticed, from the first day, a pretty impressive winery on the south side of the road. Scratch that; make it VERY impressive. 

Most folks who come into our shop who are

looking for a North Fork wine and who have been on the many wine tasting tours of the area know of Raphael on sight alone, the vineyard is that impressive. We enjoy the architecture of course but in honesty that isn't our driving concern.  We like their wine.  We like their people and Saturday we get some of each in our store for the 3-6p tasting.

Raphael is pouring. You need to come in.

From Grape to Bottle to You

We have a couple Jim Dandy wines this Saturday, under $10, and we have them made up just for us. No kidding. Something of a GWS wine/private lable, well, sorta but you get the idea. One is pictured to the left and the other is described below; 1 nice white, 1 very nice Rose.

We do this every so often, pop the cork on some moderately priced wine, for a number of good reasons.  The best is that wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good.  There are plenty of moderately priced wines that just call out "I don't want to spend a fortune but a glass with dinner or at the end of the day would be nice".

The second is to share with you something we think is a good value and we like. Otherwise, we wouldn't put it forth at the tasting. Wine also tells you who we are ... not all the secrets, but it says something.

Last, it gave us a chance to pull up the vintage (did we write that??) I Love Lucy....hey. The wine has to start somewhere.

2010 ALMARA FINCA LINTE,
NAVARRA
This 100% Tempranillo variety provides an excellent quality wine, packed with ripe fruit and good soft tannins, with a great aromatic concentration of red fruit. The taste is of forest fruits, with a ripe juicy palate.

Saturday, 3-6p 132 Front St., Greenport.

 

Pretty Neat

Nearly 40 years ago the Hargraves said nuts to potato farming and planted a vineyard.  This was a time when land was cheap and the North Fork of Long Island was just waking up to the realization that it had something to offer other than potato chips (think of Long Island as an alligator with its mouth open and the top of his mouth is what is called the north forth - the lower half of his jaw is the "fab" Hamptons).  One got good land and the other got Lady Gaga. So life isn't fair in most instances.

Not wanting to sound like a tour guide but the North Fork now abounds in farms that survived and, well a 'bunch(es)' of Wineries (I'm out of grape analogies - you are safe for the time being).  Not the giant enterprises we imagine but more of a Napa feel without the "other coast" affectionado-enthusiasts we in the east associate with that scene.  This is "day trip" country where families go to corn mazes, pick pumpkins, parents drop into one or two wineries for a sample or a memento of the day bottle to bring home and search for an affordable restaurant that serves kids.  It is what it is. Pretty neat.

The two east-west roads on this top half of the alligator's jaw are soon to be jammed from now until the last brussel sprout is sold around Thanksgiving and although a few of the tasting rooms stay open year round and do pretty well visitor-wise.  The quality varies of course from pretty good wow that's great and inroads have been made into trendy NY City restaurants but mostly we are talking moderately priced wine that is a good bargain and we all have our favorites.

Just saying that spring is on the way, the season will be upon us soon, and our shop is all ready for you.

A bit of the dog

We know of George Gershwin for his incredible show tunes and songs as well as a host snappy orchestra/piano pieces. There is a lot of other things that are just plain clever and fun.
The first here "Walking the Dog" was a segment theme song on WQXR the late great radio station of the NYTimes and the second is the Kangaroo Hop (what else could it be called) and is something of a spoof on Alexander's Ragtime Band.

We tossed in "I've got rhythm just because...........

They are just fun to listen to.  Too cold for much of anything else.

In preparation for a little snow......

This is one of our friend's favorite things.  Since it is going to snow tonight, you might think of this.

You can inject this right into your arteries if you wish.  You'll miss the taste but the results will be the same.















Scalloped Oysters
Ingredients

• Pint of oysters (or two) - 1 pint per person is a rule of thumb
• cup of half and half
• butter (1 stick melted)
• saltines

Preheat the oven to  400.  In an oven safe Pyrex loaf pan or small pie pan or for that matter some aluminum disposable - if you use a ramekin then butter the sides.

Crumble up enough saltines to put a layer 1/4" deep across the bottom of the pan ..dampen these a bit with some melted butter (don't make them soggy).  Spread half your oysters (drained and reserve the liquid (liquor its called) over the top.
Cover with saltines like you did on the bottom
Add another layer of oysters and cover those with a thin layer of saltines  Mix the oyster liquid (liquor) and the half and half  and pour over the entire layers - it should be 1/3 to 1/2 full of liquid but there is never too much.
pour the remaining butter over the top.

there is salt on the saltines (duh) so if you like some pepper you can add that either layer by layer or into the liquid or over the top.  up to you...and to your taste.

bake in a 400 degree oven until the top layer turns light brown or the mixture boils or both. don't over cook..poached is the operative word not baked to death.

Recipe may feed 1 person but it is highly unlikely.

In the mood....

Sometimes our customers come in and ask us what wine is best to serve with some dish that goes on the table that evening - you know - the old meat/red and fish/white thing.  Take today at our Saturday 3-6p tasting (132 Front Street/Greenport), we are sure to get the question in reverse, which is what food would go well with this wine.  We want to think globally and here is our chance.

We were watching Jacques Pepin this morning on Create TV and he made an interesting observation about cooking.  The meal isn't just on the plate on the table but it starts when the stove turns on and the first onion is chopped and goes until the dishes are cleared. Dinner is or perhaps should for most of us, a time to share the kitchen, to talk through the day, and to concentrate on each other and the ritual of an evening meal turned into a time to connect.  We don't want to sound preachy about this but what wine to serve for dinner should be rephrased as "what wine to enjoy during the dinner process"; what do we open up that is both a prelude to the meal and what we take to the table.

A glass of wine while preparing and talking, chatting, unwinding is not a bad thing and we recommend it.  Think of today's tasting as just figuring out what to bring home to make the dinner hour(s) special. 

Here is some music to set the mood.

 

 

Start gearing up for Valentine's Day

We are about 3+ weeks out from Valentines Day and all things dealing with the heart here is just a little snippet that you can repackage to your "intended" to demonstrate knowledge of the romantic.  Our shelves have more practical gifts as well (hint).

The music dates from about 1400 in the Rheims (France) and written by a fellow named Baude Fresnel who used the nom de plume "Cordier" (of the heart - Cor).   Of course the manuscript decorated a perfume bottle (Chantilly) and someone may be impressed that the music was bound into the collection of French songs called "The Chantilly Codex" this one added last to the volume.

It was up to the performer to put the text in exactly (it is in the form of a "rondeau(x)" - not a round but a poetic form - usually 8 lines - more than you want to know) and knowing that helps you figure things out. Otherwise it is just interesting to look at

So in this prelude to Valentines Day you just might start looking toward the object of your affection and show him/her the picture of the manuscript and say "Beautiful Good Wise" (belle bonne sage)...you might score a point or two...otherwise go to the perfume store.....or better yet, Greenport Wines and Spirits --- a shameless plug if there ever was one.