okay, okay, i get it. i haven't done the schedule for the 2008 tuesday night tastings. i know all of you are lying awake at night wondering, "where the heck is that schedule? how can i possibly plan my year without it? doesn't geoffrey care about us anymore?" now just hold on one second! of course i care. i want to see you guys EVERY tuesday in 2008 (except when i cancel tastings due to bad hair days and what not...) to that end, i am proud to say i have just finished the schedule and i've emailed it to melissa (general manager, event coordinator and badminton shark) to publish on winebar.com. it should be up in the next couple of days, but i'll give you a preview of what's coming up in january:
January 8 California Pinot Noir
January 15 Northern Rhone
January 22 Southern Rhone
January 29 South Africa
oh man! what a way to kick things off--California Pinot Noir! there was this little indy flick called Sideways. maybe you heard of it. it kinda did a lot for the California Pinot industry. anyway, we'll drink delicious wines and say, "hey there, big fella!" to 2008. hope to see you there!
i know you all are wondering how i'm doing in our fantasy football playoffs. i'm in a virtual tie with ian's brother (who lives in brazil and seems to make the playoffs every year) with one more week of games to go. oh...you couldn't care less? my bad.
December 22. mark it down. it's the Les Zyg 13th Anniversary Party and you're all invited...except for that guy over there. he's shifty. every one else, though, can come by and say, "hi." it starts at 9PM and there will be gallons of sparkling wine and copious amounts of sushi.
don't make me say it again. plan to spend your new year's eve with us. call 617.542.5108 for details/reservations. no one rocks new years eve like Les Zyg. ask around...
bringing it to the entire nation. black, white, red, brown, feel the vibration,
geoffrey
2008 wine tastings
thanksgiving rehash
thanks to everyone who has asked me in the last week or so how my thanksgiving turned out. leigh and i hosted fourteen people for our first thanksgiving in our condo in Chelsea-by-the-Sea. with a brined, organic, free range turkey as the centerpiece, we laid out a spread fit for Henry VIII. by the end, much food was eaten, and much wine was consumed. i remember, at one point, breaking into the wine rack and opening a 1999 Barbaresco and bringing it into the back porch while leigh's brother john and our dear friend/guitarist for Roll Over Baby and the Kemp Harris Band josh played guitars and we all sang "Jack and Diane" and "Free Fallin'". it was a hoot. the place is still a mess, but isn't that what thanksgiving is all about--turkey, Barbaresco, and john cougar mellencamp?
for those of you who do not already know, the Les Zygomates 13th anniversary party is Saturday, December 22 at 9PM. if you are reading this, you are most cordially invited. help us celebrate with bubbly, sushi, music and some of my impromptu dance routines.
after that, it's new year's eve! holy moly, i can't believe it...2008 is almost here. make your plans NOW and join us for what promises to be a great new year's eve party at Les Zyg. we have two seatings: 7PM and 10PM. call 617-542-5108 for info/reservations. i promise to learn the words for auld lang syne this year!
congratulations to the owner of Les Zyg and the pope of south street, mr. ian just for scratching his way into our fantasy football league's playoffs with what can only be called a legendary performance in week 13. your's truly made it as well, so the game is afoot!
suckin' on chili dogs outside the tasty freeze,
geoffrey
defining "foodie" and the road to thanksgiving...
i was sitting around with leigh (my fiancé and personal stylist) and her brother, john (who i owe a substantial amount of money to, thanks to a series of bad decisions on my part regarding last week's fantasy football match-up) last night, and we were trying to define "foodie". this came after a fantastic impromptu dinner of chicken sausages over shitake mushrooms with a mushroom demi-glace and a baby spinach salad. we drank 2005 Il Posta Malbec from Argentina and discussed what it meant to be a "foodie". we also watched the Patriots absolutely destroy the Buffalo Bills (and with only one T.D. pass to Ben Watson, preserved my fantasy football win this week! yeah, baby!)
what is a foodie? to me, a foodie is someone who appreciates food and eating. not simply someone that likes to eat a lot, but rather, somebody who delights in the art of food and cooking. there are, of course, food snobs--who can't imagine ingesting anything but the finest and most expensive of ingredients, but to me, a true foodie enjoys all levels of cuisine. a Burger King chicken sandwich? yes, please. john even suggested there could be such a thing as a "junk-foodie": someone with a palate for the fast, fried, and fatty. what kind of foodie are you? leigh just finished reading "Gluten Free Girl" and the author often speaks of her passion for food. where do you stand? do you eat because you have to, or is it an event to be celebrated?
i write this while waiting for my chicken stock to reduce. leigh and i are hosting thanksgiving for the first time this year and we're doing it gluten-free. the gravy will be a pan sauce thickened with demi-glace. the stuffing will be corn bread with chorizo and the bird is twenty eight pounds! i personally don't think it's going to fit in the oven. we'll need a chainsaw to cut it in half. leigh says it will be fine. mashed potatoes with horseradish cream, haricot vert with almonds, brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes round out the meal. yes...there will be wine.
so wish me luck getting this whole dog and pony show together. to all of you, i wish the happiest of thanksgivings. be safe, eat well and have love in your heart.
i'm a dark meat man, myself.
geoffrey
Champagne Shootout and More...
we're definitely in the throws of the holiday season. there seems to be some kind of function, or party, or private tasting every night. the Sorriso third anniversary party is tonight, the Champagne Shootout is next tuesday and then there is Beaujolais Nouveau Day next thursday. so much to do--so much to talk about!
first off, there's the sorriso anniversary party tonight. our little sister restaurant is three years old. it seems like only yesterday we were sweeping sawdust off the floor, rubbing sealant into the rocky bathroom walls, and watching someone paint naked ladies on the wall (haven't been? check it out!) i remember putting together the original wine list and trying so many wonderful Italian wines. i can't believe it's been three years (but i'm going to the party, anyway!) come by and say, "hi!" it starts around 9:00 PM and it should be a hoot!
the legendary "Champagne Shootout" is almost here! next tuesday at 7PM we'll try SIX Champagnes in a blind tasting and try to figure out which one is the imposter, all the while tasting delicious foods paired perfectly with the bubbles: oysters, deviled eggs, scallops, etc...come on, you have to drink Champagne this time of year. it's the holiday season--so whoop-dee-doo!
and then there's Beaujolais Nouveau. the third week of every November the Beaujolais Nouveau is released in Burgundy. it is a wine created exclusively for partying. it's ultra-fruity, it doesn't age well, and it's not exactly "complex", but it tastes young and fresh and yummy and it goes down like grape nee-hi! it's used to celebrate the years harvest and we'll do the same next thursday at 8PM. we're serving a three-course Burgundian dinner with Bojo Nouveau poured from the "pig": a 15 liter cask shipped to us from France. there will be escargot, boeuf bourguignon and cheese and all the B.N. you can drink! well, not really, but at least a couple of glasses. then listen to some live jazz in our music room. oui? yeah, i'll see you there...
and remember: new year's eve will be here sooner than you think. ask around--we have the rockinest, ronnie ron-iest, champagne pourin'est new year's throwdowns this side of the champs-élysées. so book it now.
more info on any of this? call 617.542.5108
where's my velvet suit?
geoffrey
Tuesday Night Wrap-Up
well it was a little touch and go there for awhile. Olivier Schoepfer from Accents du Sud Ouest was in Reykjavík, Iceland after two days of delays trying to get here from France. Air France went on strike and Olivier was in the throws of one hell of a commute. the tasting was to begin at 7PM and Drew (owner of Oz Pacific--importer and distributor of fine wines from around the world and ex-bar manager at Les Zyg who actually hired me oh so many years ago) and i were wondering if Olivier would get here in time. sure enough, a mere 30 minutes late, Olivier arrived and we tasted some amazing wines from Southwestern France. We don't see nearly enough wine from this area of France, but they can be quite remarkable. one wine in particular piqued my interest: a Madiran made from the highly tannic tannat grape. tannat is very buzz-worthy these days as it has been shown to have more anti-oxidants than any other grape variety (save perhaps cannonau from Sardinia.) apparently many people in Madiran lives to be 90+ so it is a wine worth severe consideration. in the past, Madiran was undrinkable without at least 10 years of aging--the high levels of tannin making the wine bitter, chunky and unpleasant in its youth. these days new methods of production allow for temperature controlled fermentation, a shorter soak to allow for more extraction of color and less tannin, and a process called micro-oxygenation. this process introduces a minute amount of oxygen to the wine as it sits in tank--softening the harsh tannin and removing a bit of the rubbery aroma of the wine that some find unpleasant (present company excluded.) nowadays, Madiran can be enjoyed much earlier and it has much to offer: aromas of black pepper, black cherry, fig, grilled bread and yes--rubber. the flavors are intense and thick. Madiran is often high in alcohol, giving it a viscous mouthfeel.
anyway, i could go on and on. the wines were great. the pairings were right on: smoked scallops, calamari, house made sausages and Brébis--a sheep's milk cheese from the Southwest of France. we ate. we drank. we talked about how the French love to go on strike and we discussed the nightlife in Reykjavik (they like to boogie.) all-in-all a great tasting.
i can't wait for next week's Tuesday Night Tasting where we'll present wines from Argentina--land of meat and Malbec. don't forget Beaujolais Nouveau Day on Thursday, November 15. that's the day the Beaujolais Nouveau is released, celebrating this year's harvest in Burgundy. we're going to have a Beaujolais Blow Out at 8PM with a great three-course dinner and plenty of B.N. (what? i'm tired of writing Beaujolais Nouveau every time. oh man! i did it again!) call 617-542-5108 for details.
planning to live past 90+ thanks to Madiran,
geoffrey
go sox!
it can not go unmentioned...the red sox are world champions, and for most of us it means we can wake up and go to work without the haze involved with watching 4 1/2 hour games late at night. it also means that people will start straying away from their homes and/or our local sports bars (of which there are many) and start coming back to our restaurant (we DO have a flat screen, by the way. FYI for next year...) anyway, it was a heck of a run and i watched the whole thing in my usual style: surrounded by food and wine (and cans of Modelo beer--a new world series tradition, i think.) last night, leigh (my fiancé and worthy Scene-It On Demand rival) and i celebrated with a home cooked meal. earlier in the day we had made a trip to Whole Foods Supermarket in Boston and i can't say enough about how impressed i was with the quality of the food sold there. we made chicken cutlets with an olive, caper, shallot and dried cherry sauce. we reduced some vegetable broth down, mounted it with butter off the heat and poured it over the cutlets. we had it with some basmati rice and it was delicious. did i mention the 2004 Nicolas Potel Bourgogne Rouge? a Burgundy Pinot Noir that mirrored the flavors of the dried cherries with a soft mouthfeel that didn't overpower the flavorful ingredients. we were astonished at what we had put together and look forward to more healthy and delicious meals. i urge you to treat yourself to good, healthy, fresh ingredients when you cook at home. it really makes a difference.
on another note, i'd like to remind you of the fantastic wine tasting we have coming up tomorrow. Olivier Schoepfer from Accents du Sud Ouest will be guest-hosting the Tuesday tasting and he's bringing with him some beautiful wines from the Southwestern area of France. these are eclectic wines that have just shown up on American soil and you will be some of the first to taste them here in Boston. thanks drew for putting it together. i can't wait to sit down with everyone and taste them right along with you.
oh, i almost forgot...we have just received a huge shipment of burgundy wines from Domaine Chevalier based in Ladoix: Aligote, Passetoutgrain, Bourgogne Rouge, Bourgogne Blanc, and Ladoix Rouge. these are classic bistro wines in France and guess what? we're the only restaurant to carry them here in Boston. ian (the owner of Les Zygomates and Sorriso as well as high scorer in our cut-throat fantasy football league this week,) melissa (general manager/halloween party hostess with the mostess,) michael (business manager with a heck of a palate,) and myself tried them all upon arrival in the states and we think they're spot-on! perfect for our menu and just a joy to drink.
so here's to the red sox, patriots, good food, and great wine! it's almost the holiday season so prepare yourselves for some good times at Les Zyg!
all hail mike "the moustache" lowell,
geoffrey
Keenan Wine Dinner Wrap-Up
well, i knew it was going to be a great dinner. the wines of Keenan Vineyards never disappoint and the menu looked delicious: lamb shank, terrine of duck and pork, mushroom soup, beet salad and cheese. what i didn't know, was that i would be sipping on a 1976 Keenan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon that Michael Keenan had brought in as a surprise. it was the first year Keenan made wine. WOW! thirty-one years old and still maintained its bright fruit and zippy acidity, but taking on a figgy, dried cherry characteristic. unbelievable. twenty-five people attended and it was so much fun. i can't wait to have Michael back, and to do more dinners like this in the future. in the meantime, our Tuesday Night Tasting Series continues next Tuesday with Petite Sirah: the mysterious grape that almost screams Fall Favorite--inky black, condensed dark berry flavors, thick and rich. hopefully, we'll see you there.
a bientot,
geoffrey
geoffrey's new haircut
so while my male friends were, i'm sure, huddled around flat screen t.v.s at sports bars around the country, i was at home throwing a haircut party. what's that? no no...you heard right. the thing is, my girlfriend has recently taken to calling me michael douglas. apparently my hair started to resemble michael douglas's hair from the movie Wall Street. well this was just to much to bare. it was one thing when she called me james spader hair (blaine from Pretty in Pink) but michael douglas from Wall Street??? so we had some people over and invited a hair-dresser friend of ours to come over and cut our hair. it was fun and it kept me from watching the horrifying red sox/indians game. we drank wine and talked about sextuplets, gender studies, why "tell me you love me" is the best show on television and basically had a blast. what's my point? oh yeah...we had this amazing bottle of inexpensive wine: 2005 La Corte, Salice Salentino from Puglia, Italy (the heel of the boot.) This is one of my favorite Italian wines at this price (around $12.) It's made from the Negroamaro grape and it has a really intense blackberry flavor. There's also notes of seamist, figs, earth and tobacco. so much complexity for such a bargain wine! try it with a spicy tomato sauce, grilled portabellas or chiicken cacciatore. we had it with pizza from santarpio's in East Boston (for my money the best pizza in the city.)
so i'm going to go look at myself in the mirror for a while and see if my haircut is too "Flock of Seagulls." remember the Keenan Vineyards Wine Dinner tonight at 7PM. Michael Keenan will be there and the wines are STUNNING! 617-542-5108 for reservations...
properly coiffed,
geoffrey
martha's vineyard harvest festival
hi all! i have just returned from the martha's vineyard FIRST annual harvest festival and, man, was it fun. probably the best part for me was that my event, a symposium on the merits of merlot, was cancelled. fortunately, this happened when i was already "on island" so i basically spent the weekend on martha's vineyard not doing anything. actually, i was able to crash ian's private dinner for twenty four at a private house in edgartown. the house itself was stunning. vast lawns, in-ground pool, huge dining rooms, massive kitchen, even a bowling alley in the basement! the owners were kind enough to have us join them for a quick bowl after dinner, but the pin setter malfunctioned and, alas, there would be no bowling. one of the owners of the house said sadly, "this thing is always breaking." stay strong, my friend...stay strong.
the dinner itself was spectacular. we started with gruyere puffs and smoked salmon on toast for passed appetizers with Veuve Cliquot Brut Champagne and Stag's Leap Sauvignon Blanc. next we sat for the soup course: a perfectly seasonal pumpkin bisque paired with Stag's Leap Chardonnay. then it was on to perfectly roasted squab over wild mushrooms and onions paired with Stag's Leap Merlot. the real treat for me was the mustard rubbed Colorado lamb chops over a bed of couscous risotto with ginger cream. it was absolutely decadent with not one, but two single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from Stag's Leap: the Fay Vineyard Cab, and the S.L.V. Vineyard Cab. the Fay was a bit spicier while the S.L.V. was more deeply textured and fruitier. an artisinal cheese plate followed, paired with a library selection from Stag's: the 1998 Fay Vineyard Cab. the pairing was reminiscent of a port and cheese pairing. big, rich, dark berry flavors in the wine against the rich, buttery flavors of the epoisses (haven't tried epoisses? do so.) we ended with, of course, dessert. Ian presented a classic tarte tatin, and by this time the crowd was huddled in various parts of the house loosening belts, smoking, and chatting about all things martha.
i had a blast on the vineyard. ian and his father showed me around, as i had not been to M.V. for many years. it is so beautiful, and i have promised myself to return soon.
i'm already looking forward to the second annual harvest fest. perhaps next time i will actually have a gig and not just freeload at ian's. i just hope the bowling alley works!
don't forget the Keenan Vineyards Wine Dinner tomorrow at 7PM. talk about great Napa wines... call 617-542-5108 for details.
cheers,
geoffrey
Brett Favre, Martha's Vineyard and Merlot...
No, this is not an episode of Jackie Rogers Jr.'s 10,000 Dollar Jackpot Wad. Rather, some thoughts swirling around inside my head watching the Green Bay vs. Chicago game last night. I was watching my man Brett Favre (QB of my fantasy football league...I'm involved in a highly contested matchup with our business manager and pal o' mine) and drinking some 2004 Hedges Red from Red Mountain, Washington State and it made me think of the bashing Merlot has taken over the last few years (Washington State is famous for their higly extracted and richly flavored merlots, cabs, and syrahs...) Ever since the movie Sideways came out (a small indie flick you probably never heard of) everyone is all of a sudden against merlot. I think it's really unfair. Merlot has been a staple in the wines of Bordeaux for, I don't know, a thousand years and it finds itself in more bottlings of California "Cabernet" than you might think. Under California law, a bottle of wine need only contain 75% of the varietal listed on the bottle. Merlot is often used to flesh out an otherwise weak Cab. Now all of a sudden, offering a glass of merlot is like offering a cup of dirt. "Oh I hate merlot!" Oh yeah? Merlot hates YOU!
My Hedges Red is 62% Merlot, 33% Cab, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot--a very Bordeaux-esque blend. It would probably cost about 22 dollars retail and it is AWESOME! Notes of Boisenberry and Black Cherries with Sandalwood and Spice on the nose and flavors of wild berries, black pepper, dust and wood on the palate--very rich--very delicious.
So I'm going to Martha's Vineyard this weekend for the first annual Martha's Vineyard Harvest Festival and I'm on a panel discussing the merits of merlot. This is such a "B-Team" gig. You know that somewhere else in Edgartown, there will be a "Pleasures of Pinot Noir" tasting, but I don't care! I love Merlot and I don't care who knows it! Our fearless leader Ian will be on island as well, hosting a private wine dinner and pairing with wines from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. Hopefully, I can crash. It's not often I can get Ian to cook me dinner! Check out www.mvharvest.org for details.
Speaking of great California wineries--I'm gearing up for our very cool wine dinner on Tuesday, October 16th. We will be welcoming Michael Keenan from Keenan Vineyards in Napa Valley as he shares some of his wonderful wines alongside a five-course meal paired specifically with the wines. Call 617-542-5108 to reserve.
More later...
Now and Forever,
Your trusted Vino Henchman
