The Tasting Room with Tom Leykis: Spring Wines and Red Wines for Korean Style BBQ

This episode of the Tasting Room with Tom Leykis I brought a couple of my favorite, fresh Spring wines; a white from Umbria and a rosé from France. And I also brought some all-day marinated Galbi style Korean short ribs to grill. For these we paired a lighter Barbera from Italy and a heartier Chateauneuf du Pape from France. Both worked well for different reasons.

 

 

Listen to the show here; either through a browser, iTunes or TuneIn:

The Tasting Room with Tom Leykis

 

Assorted Banchan -- cabbage kimchi, marinated tofu, pickled cucumber, pickled daikon

2011 Scacciadiavoli Grechetto Umbria $15.99 Italy  
An impressive white from Umbria at a great price. Fresh, bright citrus on the nose. The juicy fruit follows through on the palate with a vibrant acidity. With time more minerals come through in the pleasing finish.

2012 Les Grands Bois Cotes-du-Rhone Rosé $16.99 France
A pale pink color with perfect brightness. The nose releases a fruity bouquet and late summer citrus and raspberry with a hint of a floral note. On the palate it's generosity envelopes the palate with a silky mouth feel with accents of crushed strawberries, grenadine and a touch of licorice. The finish is very nice and balanced with pleasant ripe fruit. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.

Korean BBQ -- Marinated Galbi Short Ribs

2011 Agostino Pavia Barbera d'Asti $14.99 Italy
Fresh acidity and berry flavors are the hallmarks of Barbera, but low yields and old vines give this wine very good depth and concentration. Fermentation is done in stainless (seeing no oak) and then straight to bottle. Aromas of red berries and mineral; palate is classic Barbera, bright raspberry/cranberry flavors with a very long finish.

2010 Clos des Brusquieres Chateauneuf du Pape $46.99 France
(93 Points: International Wine Cellar) "Glass-staining ruby. Intense dark fruit and floral aromas are given depth by hints of licorice and bitter herbs.  Brighter on the palate, offering potent red and dark berry flavors and a touch of cherry skin.  Smooths out with air, picking up a smoky note and finishing with firm but harmonious tannins and excellent persistence.  Let this promising wine age for at least five more years."

 

All of these wines available at rossowineshop.com

Three Bottles, One Shop: Rosso Wine Shop in Glendale

The L.A. Weekly's Besha Rodell came by Rosso Wine Shop to see what we do. And in case you missed the coverage from earlier this week, here is a direct link to the article. The feature covers a bit of our origin and then zeroes in on some of my favorite wines.

Article here: Three Bottles, One Shop: Rosso Wine Shop in Glendale

Besha Rodell

The wines I chose represent what I like to call "country" wines; and they are precisely what we like to turn people on to.

The Three Bottles

 And here is my "artsy" shot that didn't make the cut.

Raj Parr Pours Sandhi Wines at Rosso Wine Shop

In March we had a very special Supper Club with Raj Parr of Sandhi wines.

Sandhi is a small production California winery focusing on select vineyards from the Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County and was founded in 2009 by Rajat Parr, the wine director for Michael Mina Restaurants, Charles Banks, the former owner of Jonata and Screaming Eagle, and esteemed winemaker, Sashi Moorman. Sandhi is dedicated to making wines of finesse, minerality, acidity, structure and balance.

The Los Angeles Times S. Irene Virbila was in attendance and wrote a review of the event. Click here for her feature story.

This was the menu paired with the Sandhi selections:

Reception with  

2010 Maison L'Oree Bourgogne Blanc (Raj's Burgundy Project)
croquette
potato/marrow/oveja/romenesco

Dinner Menu
halibut
chiles/capers/rhubarb/avocado
2011 Sandhi Santa Barbara Chardonnay
2010 Sandhi Rita's Crown Chardonnay

oyster
chowder/lemon thyme/celery
2010 Sandhi Bent Rock Chardonnay
2010 Sandhi Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay

crispy pork
beet/ramp/egg/pine-nut/parmesan
2011 Sandhi Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
2011 Sandhi Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir (Fall 2013 Release)

duck leg
chorizo/fava/anchovy/radicchio
2010 Sandhi Evening-Land Tempest Pinot Noir (Library Release)

A great evening.

Tasting Room with Tom Leykis and Oinkster

Tasting Room with Tom Leykis

Rosso Wine Shop – Jeff Zimmitti

Oinkster and Maximiliano - Chef Andre Guerrero 

This time around for the Tasting Room we decided to pair wines with Oinkster food and the Maximilano meat balls. Check out the episode with us and Chef Andre Guerrero here: Tasting Room with Tom Leykis February 16th.

1. BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich (Oinkster)

2011 Weingut Niklas Schiava Alto Adige $16.99 Italy

Made of two different types of the Schiava variety (also called Vernatsch or Trollinger) from the vineyards around Lake Caldaro, in the South Tyrol; all stainless steel vinification. Pale red in color; aromas and flavors of fraises do bois, herbs, and orange peel. A very versatile wine. Best served with a little bit of a chill, 20 minutes in the fridge.

Notes: Perfect with the pulled pork. Meant to be consumed young (usually within a year of the vintage date). The grape has connections to German (Austria) & Slavic orgins. Italian styles of Schiava tend to be similarly light but are more often dryer and more noticeably acidic.

2. House-Cured Pastrami Sandwich (Oinkster)

2011 Domaine des Braves Regnie $18.99 France

From nearly 70-year-old vines planted by Joel Rochette’s father on shallow, feldspar-rich decomposed granite at the eastern edge of its appellation. Aromas remind of cherry blossoms and spring wildflowers over warmed cherry juice, with a hint of baking spices. The mouth is medium-bodied and pure, with good spice and excellent acidic balance; small red berries mix with red plums and pomegranate, juicy and ripe.

Notes: Gamay. Very little tannin. Great pairing with the Pastami. 

3. Classic 1/3 Pound Hamburger (Oinkster)

2009 Knez Pinot Noir Cerise $39.99 California

(92 Points: International Wine Cellar) "Ruby-red. Assertively perfumed aromas of black raspberry, sassafras and musky herbs, along with a hint of star anise. Lush and expansive but surprisingly lively, offering an array of spicy red and dark berry flavors and a hint of bitter cherry.  Seamless and smooth on the finish, which leaves notes of dark berry preserves and candied violet behind. This wine's mix of depth and vivacity is pretty compelling; it was fermented with 40% whole clusters."

Notes: Great, fresh pairing with the burger.

4. Meatballs: Pomodoro (Maximiliano)

2010 Brovia Barbera d'Alba Sori del Drago $26.99 Italy

(91 Points: Wine Advocate) “The 2010 Barbera d’Alba Sori del Drago is refined, supple and quite beautiful. As is often the case, the estate’s Barbera needs quite a bit of air to open up and reveal the full breadth of its pedigree. Sweet dark raspberries, cloves and flowers are layered into the juicy finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018.”

Notes:  Mid-weight. Dark red fruit. Fermented & racked into stainless steel. No oak. 40+ vines. Great bright fruit to pair with the meatballs.

All of the wines available at Rosso Wine Shop and of course the food at Oinkster and Maximiliano.

Websites here:

oinkster.com

maximilianohp.com

rossowineshop.com

Burgundy at Drago Centro

Another superb Burgundy group dinner. Many thanks (as usual) to Michael for organizing. And again an excellent menu prepared by chef Ian Gresik of Drago Centro. 

The wines were stellar but the Chapelle-Chambertin flight was on another level. 

Start: 1990 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame

-1st-

baked black cod, spinach potato puree, beurre blanc sauce (no photo)

2002, 2004 Dauvissat Les Clos Grand Cru Chablis

-2nd-

tagliatelle, king trumpet mushrooms

1993, 1996 Denis Mortet Gevrey Chambertin Champeaux

1995, 1996 Denis Mortet Gevrey Chambertin Lavaux St. Jacques

-3rd-

Risotto, pancetta, morel mushrooms, gorgonzola

-4th-

braised veal cheeks crispy garlic polenta, vegetable ragout, salsa verde

1990, 1993, 1996,1999 Louis Jadot Chapelle Chambertin

5th-

Chefs selection of assorted cheeses

A good time was had by all...

Sides Hardware and Shoes

When you find yourself in Los Olivos next do yourself a big favor and have dinner at Sides Hardware and Shoes. It is a Brothers Restaurant, as in Mattei Brothers Tavern. They recently sold their original location and opened a different concept in this space. It is a modern menu using incredible ingredients.

Here is the link to their website: Sides Hardware and Shoes

And here are some photos of the food. A great dinner!

 

Shinjuku, Japan Punk Rock and Wine

Yes, there is a connection. 

In my previous life as a rock 'n' roll and punk rock drummer I was able to travel the world. In my twenties getting outside of the U.S. was my top priority. I wanted to see and feel what the some of the rest of the world was doing. And it was in those travels that something took hold, this idea of local food and local wine. Of course now it is a trend but in the early 90's when I was traveling, it was just "what people did" elsewhere. 

I can still remember a pre-soundcheck meal in Cesenatico, Italy where I had my first revelation of "tagliolini in brodo." It was a family meal at a local restaurant and it was the band, the crew and the local promoter, all sitting at a communal table. Fantastic. Simple. And emblazoned in my memory. They ordered for us. And at first, I thought the soup looked boring but I was soon proved wrong by the intense flavor that screamed through (and so did most of the table after many beers and carafes of local wine). The bite of the perfectly formed pasta. The clear but perfectly luscious broth. The freshly grated Romano grated on top to add that hint of salty. There were many examples of great food and wine like this throughout various cities in all of Europe. 

And when we toured in Shijuku, Tokyo, in some ways, it was an even greater experience, as the culture was further out of my comfort zone. Little sushi bars with the freshest fish I have tried, being able to buy Asahi on the street out of a vending machine, all good. The food was super and everywhere we went we could feel the love. The promoter cared. The people were engaging and again, Tokyo itself was a fantastic experience.

And that leads us to a special birthday wish to Mr Bruce Duff (Dec 6th). We were the rhythm section (bass and drums) of the Jeff Dahl Band for a few of these tours. Here are a couple of photos from those days. 

Happy Birthday my longtime friend.