Gallo Family Vineyards, California – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007 – 13%
Gallo Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
To begin I like the presentation of it and if you go to the website the slickness continues. Upon opening, the aroma is good – and very strong – a fortitude of blackcurrant, vanilla and peppery pizazz. The more I continue the more I look forward to the tasting. The taste however I find a tad disappointing, a bit rough around the edges and more than a little high in tannin. The rich berry smell is a background feature in the rather watery taste and the finish was somewhat abrupt. It’s surprising given the nice lead-in and the deep-red medium-bodied appearance.
I have had this one a few times before, long before I started tasting wine more “formally”, so I was really expecting something special from it and feel a little let down. However the bouquet is certainly not to be missed and it is very drinkable with food; I had this with cold meats tonight, but equally I can picture a nice barbecue sizzling on a warm summer’s eve and drinking this alongside wouldn’t be half bad. Its flavour is not offensive, just a bit reticent.
The score for bouquet is 8/10, appearances/image 8/10, then to the flavour.. I think it is just above the line, not bad but not exciting either so 16/30. The total for the Gallo is 32/40.
And tonight’s trivia bonus: Did you know Gallo is a regional language of France. (Maybe like ‘Gaul’.. Asterix et al ?)
Flavors of Puglia, a fantastic opportunity to visit the unspoiled Puglia region with its amazing flavors, tasting its delicious food and wines…in other words experiencing the quality of the regional cuisine! Great food&wine, astonishing landscapes, deep culture&traditions, charming accommodations…always feeling the warmth of locals!!! Born as “cuisine of poverty”, the cuisine of Puglia is as tasty as anywhere in Italy and celebrated as one of the best examples of the healthy Mediterranean Diet (three things are essential to the Apulian kitchen: wheat, vegetables, and olive oil). In this culture of sparsity, nothing is wasted: stale bread is crumbled and toasted in oil to make a garnish for vegetable dishes, vegetables themselves are dried at the height of their season, etc. The food of Puglia is in essence a home-based cuisine, not marked by the influence of great chefs or restaurants, based on women cooking at home rather than male chefs in professional kitchens: thus a recipe becomes a manner of speaking rather than a rule. All tastings included in the tour will start with an introduction to the production cycle hold by the owner or his delegate. OTHER TOUR DATES: May 29 – Jun 19 – Sep 25 – Nov 06 Group size: The trip is based of minimum 8 travelers.
Happy Monday ya’ll! “Now I’s like Britney Spears!” Sorry had to do that.
Let’s talk weekend temptation. You know what it’s like – you sweated it out all week at the gym, you fuelled yourself with the most nutritious and natural foods, a glass of wine is the furthest thing from your mind, you have nothing but good intentions for yourself and you’re feeling healthier and fitter than a jumping, pumped up Richard Simmons.
Then Friday night strikes. Your mates are heading to the pub, they’re ordering wedges, they’re offering to buy you a beer and you think, hey, I’ve worked hard this week - a few beers and some wedges won’t hurt. Well, maybe not in theory but a few beers often lead to a few more and ’some’ wedges often lead to a Macca’s stop on the way home. So, how does one get out of this rut? I think the weekend gone by I was a step closer to solving this problem or at least steer myself a little better in the right direction.
On Friday I knew I would be heading to the RSL after work for some much loved meat raffling (two massive trays of rump later! SUP FOOLS!). I knew the temptation of a couple of glasses of wine would be there. So I chose extra healthy food options throughout the day, pushed myself hard at training and had a dinner of salad and grilled chicken. I was then able to enjoy my wine without feeling too guilty. And not a whole bottle as I was prone to in the past!
Saturday presented an even harder challenge – the quintessential Australian BBQ. I did some research and found that Yellowglen Jewel was only 60 calories per standard drink and was 40% lower in alcohol than normal Yellowglen varieties. So I enjoyed a few glasses of that as well as a steak with home prepared salad. I kept my calorie intake small throughout the day so that I was able to enjoy myself in the afternoon. I was also able to avoid a nasty hangover and take my dogs to the park the next day.
I do enjoy alcohol free weekends quite regularly however sometimes I just find it exceptionally hard to turn down a drink at the end of a long week. This is something that I am starting to get a handle on though. The important thing to remember is everything in moderation. Binging is an ugly habit that might give you a high whilst you’re doing it but will only make you come crashing down when the guilt sets in.
Okay enough about that. Let’s talk training.
I devised a little circuit for a friend and myself today that included:
1 x min skipping
1x min pushups
1 x min step ups
1 x min squats
1 x min skipping
1 x min bosu sit ups
1 x min step ups
1 x min lunges
We repeated the circuit three time and then finished off with a run 4 minutes, a sprint for 1 minute and a cool down walk for 3 minutes.
That’s an estimated 300 – 400 calories burnt in a 50 minute session. Not bad! We worked up quite a sweat and for 30 minutes afterwards I was still glowing an attractive blushing pink. Stunning.
Hmmm now what shall I leave you with today? Ah yes… I have the perfect thing!
This is the most interesting story I’ve heard in quite some time…and I read quite a few stories.
In the Western Cape of South Africa, Chacma baboons are ravaging the vineyards in search of ripe Chardonnay grapes. They are eating up to 2 tons of grapes a week. That’s 4,000 pounds of grapes in a week!!!!
2 tons of grapes can make up to 2,000 bottles of wine. The farm owners are doing everything short of shooting these pesky baboons to no avail.
The winemakers have commented that they will have to resort to the French style of winemaking where fewer grapes are used to make the wine. That will substantially raise the price of the wine.
The wine special tonight is a South African Chardonnay called Juno. I have a limited supply so be sure to get yours while they last!!!!
It all started on the first Monday in February, Benyamin Cantz and I were driving down to LA to attend the 2010 International Food & Wine Festival. This is the third installment of this wonderful event, and we have both attended them in earnest, as to be honest, there are few places where one can taste hundred dollar kosher bottles of wine. As usual, the event is set up by the congenial and detail oriented Monica Agyekum, who heads up the marketing & public relations at Herzog Wine Cellars. The drive down started without much fanfare, but things changed quickly within the last 2 or so hours. Benyo wanted to stop off at a wine supply shop, and since we went down with the 101, we hit Paso Robles and the shop pretty quick. The visit to the shop though was far from quick. To be fair, I asked a bunch of questions as well, so the visit was a 50/50 time drain. After that, we were supposed to get to the Coast Wine Services (CCWS) in Santa Maria, to meet up with some folks making Rhone Ranger style wines, mostly GSM and GS (Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre) blends. Well no matter how hard we looked we could not find them. After asking around it turned out that their car had broken down, and we were more than happy to lend a hand. The only problem was that our car was already packed – NO not with clothes; this was a two-day trip for goodness sakes. But with Benyo’s wine! It turns out that he has many happy clients in LA, and we were shipping it to them! Well the trunk was filled with MANY thousands of dollars of wine, and we needed to pick up these two poor guys, and all of their belongings! AHH!! Thank the Lord, we made it work. However, the two guys were covered to their heads with their stuff, in the back seats. Well, we thought that would be the totality of surprises for this leg of the trip, but not long after Oxnard, a police man pulls us over. We are not sure for what; we were driving with the traffic. However, once he saw the two poor guys in the back, it was game over; he kept harassing me and begging me to say something stupid. All the while, I kept my cool, and prayed that we get out of this as well. Once again, Baruch Hashem (Thank the Lord), he came back and told us to drive slower. At that point all I wanted was some food and a bed to sleep on. I was dead. We had been driving and walking and packing for some good 10 hours or so. We slowly got to Jeff’s Sausage, where we inhaled two dogs and fries. We dropped off our guests, and headed over to our sleeping accommodations.
The next day started off and ended in a wonderful way, which was a huge step up from our previous 24 hours. The day started off with a late morning, Starbucks coffee, and a short drive into Encino, CA found me meeting Craig Winchell at this nice Kosher Sushi restaurant, called Sassi Sushi Bar, for a late lunch. Craig has been a long time friend, and is the owner of the still existing Gan Eden Winery, and also the owner of the wonderful Smokin’! Restaurant in Valley Village. The last time we were here in LA, Benyamin Cantz and I enjoyed a meal there, and my posting of that dinner can be found here. We met there and we both enjoyed the meal, and on the way out I bought some plain (unsweetened) rice to go, to use as a palate cleanser for the upcoming wine tasting event that we were both going to. So many times people go to these wine tasting events and have no way to manage tasting more than some 20 or so wines, before their palate’s either die, become overrun with wine characteristics, or worse, ghost characteristics. I first heard of this approach on Rogov’s Forum, and I have used it many times, since then.
After lunch we got into the rental car, and drove north on Highway 101 for some 38 or so miles. Herzog Cellars winery is a fascinating story. It started with Eugene Herzog immigrating to the US from Austria in 1948 after the war and after communism took over his winery. He worked for a small winery in NY, and by 1958 he became the majority owner of it. In deference to his grandfather, they called it Royal Wines, as he was given the title Baron in Austria. By 1985, the family decided that they needed a California presence, and so they hired the famous Wine Maker Peter Stern, to build their initial footprint into the world of high end wines. After that they moved to Santa Maria, hired the now head wine maker, Joe Hurliman, and leased space from Coast Wine Services (CWS), while all the while knowing that they needed a place that they could call home. In the end, Joe went looking for a plot of land, that was as close to a Jewish Community as possible (for the Kosher Wine managers), and landed on Oxnard. Not a classic place to house a winery, but one that is close to the highways to truck in the grapes and one close enough to a Jewish Community to allow for full time Jewish supervision. The winery opened in 2005, and three years later it started hosting the now yearly International Food and Wine Festival.
As in years past, we came for both the trade and consumer parts of the festival. The festival’s name, International Food & Wine Festival, is aptly applied, as it is a celebration of both the Tierra Sur Restaurant and the wines made and imported by the Royal Wine Company. The trade portion is open during the early afternoon, while the public portion is open in the early evening. Craig and I arrived for the trade portion of the event right on time. As we approached the front of the winery, we were greeted by a pair of hostesses who took down our names and gave us name tags. As we entered the winery, I had a case of Déjà vu. The layout and setup was the same as the previous two incarnations. As you enter the winery, the conference room is to the right, where Jay Buchsbaum, Vice President of Marketing and Director of Wine Education, holds his unique and eclectic wine seminars, on subjects ranging from reading a label, wine tasting, or what kosher wine is. They are seminars that should not be missed, and on an aside, a personal note, Jay if you are reading this, I hope your leg is doing better. To the left though was the Raison d’être of the evening – the wines and Todd’s delicious food. As you enter the tasting room, the table with Herzog Moniker-ed glasses is to your left. With a glass in hand, we entered the hall that is Herzog’s tasting room. There were some 12 to 13 tables with wine on it, someone to pour the wine, and finally, a person intimate with the wines or better, the wine maker. Past all the tables and wine bar, is the now renowned Tierra Sur Restaurant, run by the incomparable Todd Aarons, the Executive Chef of Tierra Sur. The entire restaurant, the sitting areas, and the adjoining patio, was setup with elaborate dishes and on-the spot preparation utensils, to heat/smoke/finish any of some 20 to 30 dishes. The layout, display and hands on preparation by the many chefs of the restaurant, only help to accentuate the evening, and gives the average consumer, an almost chef’s table view into the world of elite class dining.
As usual, the staff of Herzog Winery were out in force, and it was great to see them all again, Cellar Master Josh Goodman, and the fore mentioned Head Wine Maker, Joe Hurliman. However, to pull off an event of this scale, you need many people. Even if you leave aside all of the mashgichim needed to pour the wine, or all the wine makers/wine promoters who talk to the wines on the table. What about all the spit buckets that magically are empty when you turn to use them, though you swear you just spit into one of them a few moments ago. Or, what about all the preparation that was required to pull this off (hint hint Monica), the setup of all the tables, the shipping in of all these wines, the Herzogs that seemed to be in view whenever you took your eye off the wines or food, or the management of the human mass that seemed to almost overrun the winery, but not to the point of getting in your way. All of this work, which is in NO way small, needs a huge round of applause. No, I do not work for Royal, nor do I sell their wines. What I am is a wine blogger with at least a decent eye for the not so obvious. Some call me observant, and not only in a religious manner. In no way was the gathering in your face, nor was it oppressive or difficult to get to wine you wanted to taste. Instead, the event was quite impressive, well run, and in so many ways yet another step forward for this progressive kosher winery.
Last year, the event was equally impressive, but the crowds were smaller, in an almost diminutive and unfortunate manner. More than a few of the wines were corked or DOA. Further, sometimes, the tables were left with people who poured the wines, but knew nothing about them. All of these issues took away from the event. This year, all of those issues were rectified, in an impressive tour de force that truly brought the Herzog and Baron name great “nachas” and accord. Nary a bottle was DOA this time, some may not have been so great, but none were dead because of poor shipping, lack of foresight, or poor cork/bottle management. The crowds were robust, but as stated already, not oppressive. The tables were manned by people passionate about the wines, and equally capable of talking to them at a drop of the hat. Finally, the selection was impressive as well. I asked one of the Herzog’s why many of the wines that were poured at the New York wine tasting, were not here in California? He aptly replied that it is up to the wine makers. If they want to come to California, then they are more than happy to help promote the wines. However, a few of the wineries, like Alexander and Tzuba Wineries, both of which we have highlighted in previous, were no shows at the California tasting. I hope that next year, more people will get a chance to taste some of these magnificent wines from Israel.
So without further ado, left us take a quick virtual tour around the room before, we adjourn to the restaurant, where we will give Todd his insane due.
The wines were laid out on tables that stretched into three rooms each parallel to the next.
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American/Italian/Spanish Room
The tasting bar and adjourning tables graced the first room. The bar was manned by Josh and the head wine maker of Covenant Wines, Jeff Morgan, along with a couple of mashgiach. Josh and the mashgiach was pouring many of Herzog’s top tier wines (notes to come), while Mr. Morgan was talking to the two bottles that were being poured, the Covenant Lavan, Red Sea, and Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon. Both are top tier wines, and worthy of the name covenant. On the opposite side of the room, facing the wine bar was Joe Hurliman and Jack, another wine hand in the winery, pouring the newly released Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon, which too was out of this world. It is absolutely fantastic to be in a single room, with two premier wine makers, I almost caught myself going staring too long. Listening to them talk about their wines, their wineries, and the grapes used, was quite a treat. A little further into the hall, towards the restaurant (with the wine bar to your right), you come upon the Italian and Spanish wines tables (excluding Capçanes – more on that later). I had the pleasure; once again, to talk with the wine promoter of Rashi Wines and Italy, he is as always well versed in his wines, and a true connoisseur of wines, as a whole.
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French/Southern Hemisphere Room
In the next room, you found the affable Pierre Miodownick, Chief Winemaker of Royal Wine in Europe, manning the two tables laden with French wines. The table is just a glimpse of the 70 or so bottles of French wine that Royal produces every year. These were a mixture of vintages, and terroir, which was well thought out, to give the consumer a good distribution of tastes and sensations, that Royal hoped highlighted the many flavors that define French wine. To the right was a table of South American wines, including a lovely Gran Malbec (that we tasted last year), and also on a separate weekend last year. To the left was a table filled with spirits. On another aside, last year it seemed that there were many more people in need of help driving home, after they “drank” the spirits table dry. This year, though I was not looking often, the table was being managed carefully, and with respect to what was being poured.
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Israeli Room
In the final room, there were four tables, filled with wines from Israel. One table housed wines from Zion Winery, which I must admit; I did not have a chance to partake from. Given the immense wine selection, and immense interests I had, and finally, given that no matter how much I spit, I still take some wine in, I was limited! Another table housed Binyamina, Barkan, and Segal wines. It was overseen by the gregarious and fun loving Assaf Paz, one of the wine makers of Binyamina Winery. He has come to the California tasting, since its inauguration, and always helps to liven up the festivities. This time, he brought along a bottle of the 2007 Binyamina Ya’alom/Diamond blend. Awesome, and in limited supply, many thanks Assaf for your passion, love of Israel, wine making skills, the dram of Diamond, and for saving the Carignan vines! The next table was manned by the ever promoting Gary J, who was pouring Carmel, Yatir, and Capçanes wines. These were some of the best wines of the evening, and Gary did a wonderful job of talking to the Carmel and Yatir wines, while Jurgen Wagner, the master blender of Capçanes, talked to the Spanish wines. The story and background to Capçanes, is worthy of an entire blog posting on its own, yes whetting your appetite! The final table housed a multitude of other Israeli wines, including Gamla, and others.
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Food Heaven
To some the food was the highlight of the evening. To be fair, this is world class food we are talking about. Maybe the best kosher restaurant in the world, according to Daniel Rogov, but for sure top ten. That is elite company, and worthy of at least a paragraph. Personally, I do not touch any of the food, until late into the evening, until after I have finished tasting the wines. Why? Because Todd’s cuisine has layers upon layers, complex textures, and a cacophony of flavors. Not being a professional, I have a difficult time separating flavors that emanate from the food versus the wine. So, I just take care of my wine interests, and then get into the enjoyment of tasting food from a master, who has years of experience at stimulating and enlivening your taste buds.
To enter the “food court”, you pass through two full height glass doors, and attempt not to be too awe struck. You see, as one enters Todd’s abode, one cannot help but smile and remember your first encounter with the shuk in Jerusalem. Every one of your senses is pushed to the max, in the most awesome and spellbinding way. Where ever you place your eyes, food is laid out in a manner that makes your mouth water. The smells of all the wonderful and varied foods, and sounds of people’s delight, only help to heighten your already elevated senses. Once you entered, there was a stack of disposable and bio degradable plates along with eating utensils. The room was filled with two large concentric circles that housed many small food selections. Each of these selections, either came already prepared on a plate, or you could ask for a slightly larger or different configuration, if you so desired. The inside circle housed dessert and fish dishes. The fish dishes were plated ahead of time, Tuna Tartare, Smoked salmon, Quail egg pizza, Yellowtail and white fish. The desserts, which I did not try, included Rum Baba with chocolate frozen custard, blueberry trifle, and chocolate truffles. The outer circle housed many meat dishes, gnocchi (my favorite of last year), and duck pasta with crazy amounts of shaved truffles! Sweet bread and venison pate, and another pate that I missed. As you walk outside, the ever present smoke smell, that at times overpowered the wine room, turned into an all out olfactory onslaught. The smoke from the barbeque and grill, along with the deep and aromatic smell of the stone ground corn soft tacos, fill your senses. To the right of the patio, was where I saw the first and only line of the night. It was the line for the Wagyu sliders, along with a bunch of other mouth watering charcuterie. To the left was the taco stand, and was where I was found a couple of times that night, gathering some tacos and meat mole. For full disclosure, I was in the Wagyu slider line a couple of times as well.
So, there you have it, my short posting on the 2010 Wine festival. To be honest, this posting is already too long, and did not even give a partial due to all the immense work that went into it. So, I will have to stop here, and have another posting with all the wine notes. However, this posting cannot end without a shout out to the Herzog Winery, its staff, and ownership, which put together a monster of a show. Words truly do not suffice in singing the praises of the event and the entire staff who made it a reality. Many, many thanks to you all and I am as always, looking forward to the next one.
Garfagnana is the northernmost part of the Province of Lucca and is bordered by the Province of Massa-Carrara, Reggio Emilia and Modena. This geographical location at the turn of three Regions (Tuscany, Liguria and Emilia – Romagna) has meant this territory developed different characteristics in terms of cultural and anthropological landscape.
First ruled by Duchy from Ferrara and Modena, in the Nineteen century Garfagnana entered Massa and then Lucca. Hence a big plus, different people can feel at home in Garfagnana. Going further, nowadays this territory is opening itself to foreign tourists, Dutch, Belgian, German, English and French over all.
Over the last ten years attendance has increased by 70% and this is the basis for Garfagnana become “Land of Peoples and Cultures.” It is simply to follow a small trend amongst tourist interested in Tuscany, as a place to live and not simply a place to visit.
If you want to rent a holiday villa near Lucca, Garfagnana is the ideal starting point for a relaxing holiday, one day to visit some of the most beautiful cities in the world (Pisa, Lucca, Florence, Siena) and the other to stay quiet, relaxing and regenerating in the amazing scenario of Garfagnana.
That’s why tourists demand for this “new heaven“, with peaceful and secret places, is growing. Garfagnana is a place that has to be discovered and share, outside the routes of mass tourism, close to everything you need and desire.
Apart from all the health benefits, wine is also good for your psyche. Enjoying a glass of wine with friends or relaxing with a glass of wine after a long day at work is good for the soul.
Mari Stull writes that those of us who thoroughly enjoy our wine already know the restorative benefits of a glass of wine sipped after a long day at work, the enjoyment of friendships fostered over a luscious Cabernet Sauvignon, or the quiet contentment of a soft Pinot Noir shared by parents after the children are tucked in for the night. For us, these gratifying benefits to the soul are all we need to sip our vino. We should have known that what’s good for the soul is good for the body.
Recently, there have been a slew of scientific studies relating new health benefits to moderate consumption of wine. Wine is rich in antioxidants (especially red wine), raises your good cholesterol (HDL-Cholesterol), contains resveratrols , counters some of the ill effects of cigarette smoking, improve cognitive thinking, and may even slow down the aging process. read more
The grape vines that are native to North America are a different species (Vitis labrusca) than the grape vines of Europe, Vitis Vinifera. In the 1870’s the grape vines of Europe were attacked by a grape louse called phylloxera. It nearly wiped out all European vines. Many Bordeaux wine makers went south to Rioja Spain where phylloxera had not yet spread, to restart their vineyards. Consequently, even today, many Rioja wines are made with a Bordeaux influence. They are made from different grapes. Rioja is made primarily from the Tempranillo grape. Bordeaux is primarily made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, heavier with Cabernet Sauvignon on the left bank of the Gironde River, heavier with Merlot on the right bank.
In reaction to the phylloxera epidemic, European wine makers, noting that the North American species, Vitis labrusca was resistant to the grape louse, began creating grafted vines from the two species for the superior flavor of the viniferous, and the heartiness of the labrusca. Thus, the wines made in Europe after the 1870’s must be quite different from the wines made in centuries prior to that.
In 1451, the first vines were planted in Chile. In 1455, Chile produced its first wine. In the mid 1800’s, Chilean winemakers started bringing over the European vines ,Vitis Vinifera before the phylloxera epidemic hit. To this day, Chile has not suffered from the grape louse. They are still making wines from the Vitis Vinifera species.
I don‘t think my grandmother ever had a Chilean wine. She had osteoporosis as does my mother. I have been lifting weights for over 20 years for a variety of reasons, one of them being to shore up my defenses against the ravages of osteoporosis. Last year I had my bone density checked. Much to my great frustration, I have the dreaded disease. It shouldn’t have surprised me. I have very thin bones like my mother and grandmother. In this round of nature vs. nurture, nature won out.
In his book, Windows on the World, Kevin Zraly makes the argument that as disastrous as the phylloxera epidemic was to most European wineries in the 19th century, the end result was a great improvement to the industry. The work the wine makers had to do to create a hybrid pushed them to improve winemaking in many other ways. According to Zraly, this epidemic brought winemaking to a maturity it may otherwise not have reached.
When I look at my hands I see my grandmother’s hands, the thin wrist, the narrow shape of the hand, and the long fingers. Underneath the skin are thinning bones that will soon start to develop holes, like my grandmother’s. Seeing her hands reminds me of the warmth of childhood, sitting beside Nanny, hearing her read to me. Because I carry her genes which are expressed in me, I can see her in myself, I can feel her in my bones. My Osteoporosis is like viniferous pylloxera. It’s devastating, yet, it’s a physical reminder of and connection to my mother and grandmother. Thinking of them, feeling them in my bones may make me a more mature person.
I would like to compare a present day left bank Bordeaux to a Rioja and to a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. Because the Chilean Cabs are made from the Vitis Vinifera rather than the hybrid from which contemporary Bordeaux is made, I’m thinking the Chilean wine may be more like the Bordeaux that Thomas Jefferson had the first time he went to France. “Wine brightens the life and thinking of anyone.” Bordeaux is the wine that made Thomas Jefferson fall in love with wine. I would love to taste what he tasted.
The grape, the wine gives us a common thread. We may not be able to sit down and have a glass of wine with Thomas Jefferson, but we can sit down and sip a wine like the wine he sipped perhaps in his most reflective moments. It takes us to places in the world where people have gone for centuries, for the wine. This is one of the most intriguing things about wine; it gives us a connection to a greater history. In this same way our genes, our qualities and our flaws give us a connection to our own personal family history.
Corks and Caftans isn’t just a fashion blog or a wine blog, but a humorous and personal glimpse into the lives of Carey and Rob, an undeniably cool, wine-loving couple living in Saratoga. Rob writes about his love of wine, while Carey indulges readers with her incredible style inspirations. With gorgeous photography, eclectic fashion shoots, wine reviews, and regular doses of wit, Corks and Caftans gets daily (or several times daily) views from me after I saw it included on Shopbop’s Favorite Blogger feature (read it here).
When I asked Carey to answer some questions, I have to admit I was a little intimidated; after all, I have only been stalking Carey and Rob’s blog for several months now all the while trying to come up with ways to trick her into being my friend. My fears were put to rest when Carey graciously agreed to share some of her fashion (would you wear it to a “bum bar”?) and blogging (write everyday) secrets with me. Of course, after I hit “send” I thought of about fifty better questions I could have asked, but nevertheless I was so thrilled to read her answers and share them with you all. Turns out, she is just as cool as Corks and Caftans suggests. Thanks, Carey!
[Some of my favorite looks. All images courtesy of Corks and Caftans.]
You have such a great writing style. Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Out of the womb! I wrote in every free minute I had as a kid: short stories, movie scripts, business models for tropical resorts, letters to Huey Lewis begging him to marry me… you name it. And I’ve never stopped, even when people weren’t willing to pay me to do what I knew I was good at—and copyedited to pay the bills. Cue barf sound effects. But once you find that well of authenticity inside yourself, your style follows suit. You can only hope someone else will think it’s “good.”
Do you write every day or only when something inspires you?
Every day. No matter what. I delete a lot of what I write, because you have to work to hit that stride. Blogging is a strange thing, though—like a journal—and you have to be thinking, “Wait, that’s great blog content!” I write how I talk, so if something happens in conversation with Rob that makes me laugh, boom—I’ve got a post. The pictures and fashion are just an excuse for me to tell a bigger story.
Name three things that inspire you.
Laurel Canyon. Paris. James Bond.
Has Corks and Caftans changed at all since it has garnered such a large readership?
Funny you should ask! I just went through archives the other day and was *dying* at some of the stuff we bothered to put in C+C in the early days. I attribute this to having next-to-no readership and… trepidation. We were finding our voices. Our niche. Whereas Rob has had a more steady course, I’ve gone all over the map because I was influenced by a zillion other girls trying to do just the same thing. I think it was finding the confidence to be myself in a very cluttered field: there are lots of bloggers, and you have to stand out—but effortlessly so. We are 100% authentic Rob and Carey now, and it’s dictated why we post and what we post about. One silly post about Eli may not be marketable on a larger scale, but it has its place in our story. When you have readers, you have to trust they are here for you, not to see you imitate someone else. Now, rather than post what we think will get more readers, we post to support our “brand” as a whole. Dammit, I used the “b” word!
You often mix luxe pieces with less expensive items; what other secrets do you have to looking so effortlessly cool?
Maybe it’s my shyness—I like to be approachable and not scare people off. (Ha.) But I do have a couple of rules; I’ll only bore you with one: the Bum Bar rule. I grew up spending my weekends in the Florida Keys, fishing with my family. No matter how much I come to love expensive wine or visit fabulous cities, my heart is in the deep-fried seafood joints of the Keys I used to call “bum bars.” Unless I’m going out for cocktails, I have to be wearing something I’d be happy wearing into one of those joints. This keeps my look grounded, keeps me from trying too hard, and most importantly: keeps me from showing too much skin. Have you ever had a salty sailor stare you down over a basket of grouper fingers? Not fun.
The photographs always catch you at your most chic—would I ever run into you in sweats?
Oh dude… are you asking if I slum? I am the Queen of slumming! (To answer your question, though, I’ve only had one pair of sweats and the one time they were worn was when a friend spilled wine on her jeans and needed something to wear home.) I have the best nasty go-tos—I’m from the beach!—but mine just happen to be a pair of army green, bleach-stained, paint-splattered cargo shorts. They’ve been in numerous countries and inclement weather, served as office wear, seen great days and horrible moments—and I’ll never throw them away. They are my signature. {ah! I totally wore them in a post! http://corksandcaftans.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/bygones-challenge-finale-day-6/}
This is a generalization, but most men seem to be oblivious to fashion. What does Rob think about your style?
Rob eats it up! He’s always taken an active interest in my passions (and I in his) and it’s so rewarding for both of us. He gives great feedback and has a really good eye. Plus, I love to dress up for no good reason for him—it’s my favorite wifely duty
What is your favorite bottle of wine?
Seghesio’s Sangiovese (all vintages). When I first tried it I told Rob, “This is the wine I’d keep in my saddle bags.” It makes me feel like a cowboy—it’s bold, meaningful, and has a sense of place that gives it this rugged soul.
Your readers all know about your affinity for the The Black Crowes, but who is your second favorite band?
The Drive-By Truckers, baby. The most incredible, soulful lyrics and a hard-edged Southern rock sound that is inimitable. No one else comes close to creating that lived-in, unapologetic sound. Plus I feel like a total badass when I listen to them.
Besides caftans of course, what other piece will always be in your closet?
Shorts. I’m addicted, and I’m not picky—tailored chinos, beat cargos, tiny cut offs, or silky culottes—I’m a Florida girl, always and forever. When it’s hot and sticky, you can’t beat a great pair of shorts. I love that they’ve made a huge comeback in the last few years, but as long as my legs don’t offend the general public, I’ll be in them. Plus, they’re perfect for a bum bar.
A lucky Facebook fan can win 2 tickets for a game drive and wine tasting at Bontebok Ridge during the Wellington Harvest Festival . If you want to win and are able to visit the Wellington Harvest Festival (20-22 March)– please write a comment on our Facebook Page or post a fan photo.
Tall Horse Wines will present wine tastings and game drives at the amazing Bontebok Ridge from 20-22 March. These activities forms part of the Wellington Harvest Festival (20-22 March) and visitors are invited to come and enjoy this beautiful part of the Winelands.
Good evening from the RC (Rancho Cordova)! Well, if you did not know, I have moved from the house in Antelope to an apartment in RC. A much smaller one bedroom, but it is cozy with a balcony that has some very beautiful sunsets for me to take pics of! And what good would a balcony full of sunsets be without a good glass of wine!
I went on my first bicycle ride of 2010 straight from the apartment…that was pretty cool! It was not going mountain biking, but it was getting out on the bike none the less! I am contemplating buying a road bike so I can have the best of both worlds. It is much easier to be able to just get on the road and ride without having to drive somewhere. Yes, I know I can ride the MB on the road, but it not really meant for long term riding in the same position, as a good road bike would be.
If you want to know what the wine is in the pic, then it is a 2005 Salice Salentino by epicuro! Really good stuff coming in at $4.99 at TJ’s.
Image by James McDonald, Courtesy of Martin Brudnizki Design Studio”. At The Pierre, New York City
Address: 795 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10065
Telephone number: + 1 212 940 8195
Website: www.capriceny.com
Location: Upper East Side (Central Park at Fifth Avenue). Le Caprice’s entrance is on Fifth Avenue opposite Central Park (Fifth Avenue and 61st Street)
The Pierre: Part of the Taj Hotel Group, owned by Indian company TATA and has just undergone a $100 million renovation. The hotel re-opened to the public on 1 June 2009
Covers: 90 (ie 74 seated and 16 at the bar on bar stools)
Services: Breakfast, lunch and dinner / 7 days a week
Opening times: Breakfast: 7am to 10.30am
Lunch: 12 noon to 3pm
Dinner: 5.30pm to 11:30pm
Sunday brunch: 11.30am to 4pm
Opening date: 26 October 2009 (Reservations open 15 October 2009)
Designer: Martin Brudnizki / www.mbds.net (previous work includes Wentworth Grill, The Club at The Ivy, Rivington Dubai, J Sheekey Oyster Bar)
Senior Restaurant Director: Marco Fazzina (previously General Manager at Daphne’s London)
Executive Restaurant Chef: Michael Hartnell (previously Head Chef at Daphne’s London)
Maitre d’: Allan Basaran
Art work: David Bailey series of Jean Shrimpton photos / www.davidbaileyphotography.com
Menu: Similar to the London alma mater, but reflective of the NY market. It will include classics like Thai-baked sea bass, dressed Dorset crab with celeriac rémoulade, Scandinavian iced berries with hot white chocolate sauce…
Caprice London: Originally opened in London in 1947 by Mario Gallati a former Maitre d’ of The Ivy and was reopened in 1981 in its modern day guise
Le Caprice New York brings the classic London brasserie to the heart of Manhattan.
Le Caprice New York is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week with bar dining available from midday. Sunday brunch is a speciality.
At The Pierre, New York City
Image by James McDonald, Courtesy of Martin Brudnizki Design Studio”. At The Pierre, New York City
Award-winning website, Punchin-dot-com, features the Walman Report and reviews of restaurants, travel, wine and theater.
Over the course of the past 62 years, Le Caprice has established itself as a social institution in London with its effortless style, coveted cuisine and well-heeled crowd. Generations of diners have enjoyed the unique atmosphere and unsurpassed service of the avant-garde eatery, making it a firm favorite among a discerning international clientele. Le Caprice is delighted to announce the opening of its first New York restaurant in October 2009, in a prime location at The Pierre, one of the City’s landmark hotels.
Of all the captivating cities in the world, New York was the natural choice for Le Caprice’s first foray outside London due to the City’s classic style, charisma and distinguishing taste. The opening is also in homage to the many New Yorkers who have become regular visitors of the London restaurant over the past 30 years.
Located at the iconic Pierre Hotel with an entrance on Fifth Avenue, overlooking Central Park, Le Caprice New York captures the simple elegance of the London original, serving long-standing modern European favorites within a specially designed New York menu.
The dining room captures the monochromatic spirit of the original, with a series of photographs of iconic sixties model Jean Shrimpton by legendary British photographer, David Bailey. The seating is spacious, with crisp white napkins and tables set with glorious flowers. Le Caprice New York is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week with bar dining available from midday. Sunday brunch is a specialty, but we’ll have to report on that next time.
Over the course of the past 62 years, Le Caprice has established itself as a social institution in London with its effortless style, coveted cuisine and well-heeled crowd. Long-standing favorites from the London restaurant such as Thai-baked sea bass, salmon fishcake with buttered spinach and sorrel sauce, dressed Dorset crab and
Scandinavian iced berries with hot white chocolate sauce (Pictured Above) appear beside the newly designed New York menu which offers remarkable Nantucket Bay scallops, served in the shell on a bed of sunchoke puree and trompettes (one of the best dishes I’ve had in New York in recent memory), a lovely Smoked haddock and poached quail egg tart would have been perfect if it were a tad less salty, (both appetizers). Salad lovers will enjoy a composed salad of mixed beets with goat’s cheese and walnuts. (Below).
Recommended entrees include juicy steak house quality prime NY strip steak that melts in your mouth. Aged 28 days, the flavor was extraordinary. And let’s not neglect the best fish and chips in the world, here beer battered cod,on an amazing chunky puree of fresh peas and mint..
Rice pudding with a dollop of berry jam in the center is delightful finish. The macaroons are noteworthy as are the excellent service and well chosen wine list. (carafes offer especially good value) and superb cappuccino.
Le Caprice, 795 Fifth Avenue at 61st Street offers one of NY’s most civilized dining experiences and the ideal melding of well executed London and Manhattan contemporary cuisine.
Copyright 2010 By Punch In International. All Rights Reserved
Le Caprice was originally opened in London in 1947 by Mario Gallati, a former Maitre d’ of The Ivy. It was then reopened in 1981 in its modern-day guise. With its contemporary black and white décor, David Bailey photographs and long bar, the style was deliberately fashioned to break the mold of established restaurants and offer flexibility in the menu, but with a high level of quality and service. "For nearly two decades a table at Le Caprice has been the stock exchange for the arts”… AA Gill (Sunday Times Restaurant Critic).
Le Caprice, now part of Richard Caring’s Group (including The Ivy, Annabel’s and Wentworth Club, among others), and The Pierre, which has just undergone extensive renovations, have joined forces to recreate the restaurant within this iconic hotel, capturing the atmosphere and setting made famous by Le Caprice over the past decades.
The Pierre, on Fifth Avenue overlooking New York’s Central Park, was acquired by Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces as the luxury chain’s U.S flagship in 2005. With its distinctive design, superb location and outstanding service, The Pierre is regarded as one of the world’s finest luxury hotels. Located just steps away from the famous Fifth and Madison Avenues, the hotel is a stroll from the most fabled attractions of New York. The Pierre offers exceptional personal service, accompanied with the charm and comfort of a European residence.
Martin Brudnizki, who can list Scott’s, Wentworth Grill, J Sheekey Oyster Bar and The Club at The Ivy among his considerable achievements, has been brought in to design the restaurant. Brudnizki has exhibited a special talent for giving a contemporary perspective to a traditional model, while at the same time reflecting a feeling of luxury. The main body of the dining room will stretch along 61st Street and will hold 80 guests; a long bar, specifically designed for up to 14 diners, will run down the side of the restaurant. Mirroring the London restaurant and maintaining its deep-seated commitment to the art world, Le Caprice New York will house a series of photographs of iconic sixties model Jean Shrimpton by legendary British photographer, David Bailey.
he restaurant’s philosophy will always be to focus on the customer’s needs. The chef is continuously striving to reinvent classics with interesting new combinations that both delight and excite the guests. Long-standing favorites from the London restaurant such as Thai-baked sea bass, salmon fishcake with buttered spinach and sorrel sauce, dressed Dorset crab with celeriac rémoulade and Scandinavian iced berries with hot white chocolate sauce will continue to appear within the newly designed New York menu.
Dinner Menu
Appetizers
Watercress soup with Cheddar straw
15.00 Endive salad with fennel, pear and Stilton
16.00 Smoked haddock and poached quail egg tart
17.00 Mixed beets with goat’s cheese and walnuts
19.00 Crispy duck and watercress salad
24.00 Nantucket Bay scallops, sunchoke puree and trompettes
19.00 Dressed crab
with celeriac
Sautéed foie gras with caramelised apples
9.00 / 14.00 Eggs Benedict
12.00 / 18.00 Risotto nero
16.00 / 24.00 Steak tartare
17.00 / 26.00 Pappardelle with wild boar ragù
18.00 / 27.00 Grilled tiger prawns with lemon, chili and garlic
This is the article that ran in the Winston-Salem Journal’s Downtown section. Stacy and I arrived in town at about 3 in the afternoon and we had this interview at 9 am the next morning. We were still really road worn and shell shocked at that point.
Happy Hump Day all. How is your week going? Mine is going by pretty quickly – thank goodness.
I started yesterday off by skipping my morning run and opting to sleep in instead. I kn0w – I’m so lazy. But I really love my sleep.
For breakfast I had a 3-minute breakfast cookie and was impatient with letting it cool, so it fell apart a bit. Oops. Still yummy.
I grabbed a coffee on my way into work and snacked on a granola bar around 11:00 a.m.
For lunch I had a salad with romaine lettuce, carrots, cheddar cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries and chickpeas – with balsamic vinaigrette.
Late afternoon snack was…what else – Chobani yogurt with granola.
As the afternoon progressed the weather outside looked absolutely amazing. I texted Hubby to see if he might be game for an after-work run. He finally relented and said yes.
I flew home after work and got ready for our run. Hubby seemed a bit hesitant when I told him my plan was to run 4-5 miles. His first run of the season was on Monday night and he probably ran about 2.5 miles. He agreed to the distance, but only if we could take things slow.
Things started off okay – we ran about a 9 minute mile pace for the first two miles. However, as we got close to the end of the promenade around 115 Street there were some shady characters milling about and it made me uncomfortable. I told Hubby I’d like to pick up the pace a bit when we passed them on the way back.
Well, he had his headphones in and thought I was just saying I wanted to pick it up in general on the way back. So, as we turned around and passed those sketchy peeps I picked up the pace a bit. But then once we were past them, Hubby didn’t say anything about our speed, so I thought maybe he wanted to push things a bit longer.
Well…apparently he did not want to push things. We finished our run and he was not a happy camper. He had not intended to run that fast on his second run of the season and I think I pushed things a little too hard. I guess I’m so used to him zooming right by me when we run that I thought he is just always that speedy. I forgot that I usually don’t start running until the Spring (as does he) and generally have to take things easy at first and build up my endurance and speed.
Sorry I pushed you Hubby! I hope you’re not too sore today. Here are our stats from the run:
Do you run with your significant other? How do you balance your differing endurance levels and speed?
To be fair: Hubby has definitely pushed me on many, many runs in the past. They were all pre-Garmin, so I can’t tell you exactly how fast we were running. But, I clearly remember finishing the Central Park loop (6.1 miles) in about 50 minutes, which was a record for me at the time. And he was completely unphased and wondered why I was nearly hyperventilating. A taste of his own medicine perhaps?
After our run last night, I had to throw in the last load of laundry (that I avoided didn’t have time for this weekend) so dinner needed to be quick and easy. I made one of these fellas:
Mmmm ketchup and pickles – yum!
A little while later I was definitely in need of some dessert. I decided to get creative a make a mini cookie. It had:
1/8 cup granola
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup egg whites
1/8 cup of protein powder
1 packet of Truvia
Drizzle of agave
1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter
I nuked it in the microwave on high for 45 seconds and it was amazing!
It was a little sticky, but it was delicious and gave me that dessert taste that I needed. It probably had a few more calories than necessary, but oh well.
You’ve seen many a glass of wine on my blog, but here’s just a few more reasons why it’s usually my alcoholic drink of choice.
A few more reasons why I love wine…
The Claim: A Glass of Wine With Dinner Aids Digestion - I love wine, so I’ll go with this one. Although I have no clue if the wine I pair with my food with actually aid in digestion, I think it best to at least give it a try.
Wine may help women keep weight in check - ok, I’m not sure how much weight (pun intended) I’d give this study, but again – It might be a good idea to conduct my own study to substantiate.
Have a good hump day all – I’m sad that I’ll be pounding away on the treadmill tonight – no running buddies around or willing (the consequence for pushing Hubby too hard last night).
This is the most interesting story I’ve heard in quite some time…and I read quite a few stories.
After lunch we got into the rental car, and drove north on Highway 101 for some 38 or so miles. Herzog Cellars winery is a fascinating story. It started with Eugene Herzog immigrating to the US from Austria in 1948 after the war and after communism took over his winery. He worked for a small winery in NY, and by 1958 he became the majority owner of it. In deference to his grandfather, they called it Royal Wines, as he was given the title Baron in Austria. By 1985, the family decided that they needed a California presence, and so they hired the famous Wine Maker Peter Stern, to build their initial footprint into the world of high end wines. After that they moved to Santa Maria, hired the now head wine maker, Joe Hurliman, and leased space from Coast Wine Services (CWS), while all the while knowing that they needed a place that they could call home. In the end, Joe went looking for a plot of land, that was as close to a Jewish Community as possible (for the Kosher Wine managers), and landed on Oxnard. Not a classic place to house a winery, but one that is close to the highways to truck in the grapes and one close enough to a Jewish Community to allow for full time Jewish supervision. The winery opened in 2005, and three years later it started hosting the now yearly International Food and Wine Festival.
As usual, the staff of Herzog Winery were out in force, and it was great to see them all again, Cellar Master Josh Goodman, and the fore mentioned Head Wine Maker, Joe Hurliman. However, to pull off an event of this scale, you need many people. Even if you leave aside all of the mashgichim needed to pour the wine, or all the wine makers/wine promoters who talk to the wines on the table. What about all the spit buckets that magically are empty when you turn to use them, though you swear you just spit into one of them a few moments ago. Or, what about all the preparation that was required to pull this off (hint hint Monica), the setup of all the tables, the shipping in of all these wines, the Herzogs that seemed to be in view whenever you took your eye off the wines or food, or the management of the human mass that seemed to almost overrun the winery, but not to the point of getting in your way. All of this work, which is in NO way small, needs a huge round of applause. No, I do not work for Royal, nor do I sell their wines. What I am is a wine blogger with at least a decent eye for the not so obvious. Some call me observant, and not only in a religious manner. In no way was the gathering in your face, nor was it oppressive or difficult to get to wine you wanted to taste. Instead, the event was quite impressive, well run, and in so many ways yet another step forward for this progressive kosher winery.
Last year, the event was equally impressive, but the crowds were smaller, in an almost diminutive and unfortunate manner. More than a few of the wines were corked or DOA. Further, sometimes, the tables were left with people who poured the wines, but knew nothing about them. All of these issues took away from the event. This year, all of those issues were rectified, in an impressive tour de force that truly brought the Herzog and Baron name great “nachas” and accord. Nary a bottle was DOA this time, some may not have been so great, but none were dead because of poor shipping, lack of foresight, or poor cork/bottle management. The crowds were robust, but as stated already, not oppressive. The tables were manned by people passionate about the wines, and equally capable of talking to them at a drop of the hat. Finally, the selection was impressive as well. I asked one of the Herzog’s why many of the wines that were poured at the New York wine tasting, were not here in California? He aptly replied that it is up to the wine makers. If they want to come to California, then they are more than happy to help promote the wines. However, a few of the wineries, like Alexander and Tzuba Wineries, both of which we have highlighted in previous, were no shows at the California tasting. I hope that next year, more people will get a chance to taste some of these magnificent wines from Israel.
The tasting bar and adjourning tables graced the first room. The bar was manned by Josh and the head wine maker of Covenant Wines, Jeff Morgan, along with a couple of mashgiach. Josh and the mashgiach was pouring many of Herzog’s top tier wines (notes to come), while Mr. Morgan was 
talking to the two bottles that were being poured, the Covenant Lavan, Red Sea, and Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon. Both are top tier wines, and worthy of the name covenant. On the opposite side of the room, facing the wine bar was Joe 
Hurliman and Jack, another wine hand in the winery, pouring the newly released Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon, which too was out of this world. It is absolutely fantastic to be in a single room, with two premier wine makers, 
I almost caught myself going staring too long. Listening to them talk about their wines, their wineries, and the grapes used, was quite a treat. A little further into the hall, towards the restaurant (with the wine bar to your right), you come upon the Italian and Spanish wines tables (excluding Capçanes – more on that later). I had the pleasure; once again, to talk with the wine promoter of Rashi Wines and Italy, he is as always well versed in his wines, and a true connoisseur of wines, as a whole.
For St. Paddy’s Day we are offering an authentic Irish dish for your enjoyment.
Good evening from the RC (Rancho Cordova)! Well, if you did not know, I have moved from the house in Antelope to an apartment in RC. A much smaller one bedroom, but it is cozy with a balcony that has some very beautiful sunsets for me to take pics of! And what good would a balcony full of sunsets be without a good glass of wine!
I hope you’re not too sore today. Here are our stats from the run: 
