Judge Hutnick

I had my first experience judging wine today at the Orange County Home Wine Competition. Local wine makers made submissions to the following categories: red and white (single varietal or blend), fruit, and dessert. I judged 21 sangioveses and 8 barberas. At the home wine level, I was looking for

1) balance of fruit, acid, alcohol, and tannin

and

2) the wine to exhibit the nose and flavor profile of the varietal*

My panel agreed that there were a handful that achieved both - some more gracefully than others. We tasted and scored for three hours with no major breaks. My sense of smell and taste became fatigued around the 25th wine, so under 30 wines in 3 hours was about right to ensure fair and consistent results. I'm glad I was assigned to judge local expressions of varietals I normally only drink from Italy. It really made me appreciate what a talented winemaker can achieve (close to) anywhere in the world.

Thanks to all of the friendly people who said hi to the "new judge" and made me feel so welcome. And to the Miller family who showed me the ropes, Jan for the picture above, and John for his jacket. Hope to see you all next year!

*(we had one sangiovese that was well made wine that tasted great...but it tasted like zinfandel)

Blau Blau

Kathleen and John threw another food and wine bash on Wednesday night to properly bid safe travels to our friend Steve (who's about to globe trot for the next 3 weeks!). With two somms present, Luca and I tried to make sure everyone always had a few glasses in front of them as we enjoyed our appetizer, salad, pasta d'Luca, grilled tenderloin, and chocolate souffle. 

Here was the official lineup. Favorites were the vintage PJ and the Blau & Blau (or everyone just loved saying "Blau Blau"). This patio was rockin for a school night:

Gosset, Brut Excellence, Ay, France

Perrier Jouet, Cuvee Belle Epoque, Côte des BlancsMontagne de Reims, France, 1999

Cascina Bongiovanni, Arneis, Langhe, Italy, 2007

Mark West, Pinot Noir, California, 2007

Silvio Jermann's Mjzzu Blau & Blau, 90% Franconia and 10% Pinot Nero, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, 2006

Tetre de Moulin, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, Saint Emilion (Grand Cru), Bordeaux, France, 2006  

Age

I don't care about age, just attitude. I'm always thrown off guard when another adult will say to me "I must be as old as your parents" or "I could be your grandfather." There's just not much to be gained from this quantitative comparison and I never know what to say back. My parents and grandparents are positive, hard-working, selfless, loving people. Yes, they're "family", but I want to be around anyone, any age, that lives life so passionately.

What Would Google Do?

I just started reading "What Would Google Do" by Jeff Jarvis. Here is my favorite quote so far. He uses these sentences to explain how to reevaluate your method of attracting customers to take advantage of the power (and necessity) of "thinking distributed" in the context of the web:

"People draw their me-sphere with themselves at the center and everyone else - especially those who want their money - on the outside. That's how companies and institutions should view themselves: on the outside, asking to come in."

Google has provided a platform to enable anyone and anything to get distributed. It's a tool to get your potential customers to the destination or content they are seeking as efficiently as possible.

So figure out how to ask your customers to come in, not make them. Turn over traditional, centralized advertising theory and find out what people may ask to find you...need you...want you! Your own homepage is important, but nowhere close to the breadth of pages featuring links to your homepage. Apply your resources here and grow. Fast.

This thinking can be applied by companies and institutions, but also by anyone with an audience. I don't want your money; however, I do want your time - the time it takes to read my blog. I'm inspired to find other content on the web that I think you value and start distributing "Breathe Air & Drink Wine" there. Please leave a comment with your favorite sites to help me get started. Thank you!

Wine Gallery

This is the best tasting room and wine shop in Corona Del Mar. I walked up last night to taste a few whites and reds and planned to return home, but the night took a turn for the better! I met a group that was having a reunion (UCLA) and chose Wine Gallery as their first stop for the night. Now scattered along the California coastline from San Francisco to San Diego, they see each other a few times a year - but it's clear they're all still close and always out to have a good time. We started talking about wine at the bar and the next thing you know we're polishing off a '05 Boillot (1er, Les Epenottes) burg, indulging in Crow Bar's melt-in-your-mouth lamb shank, and Chip's telling the famous "Del Taco story." That's a pretty strong ending to a random Monday night in CDM.

Focus

On Saturday, Michael (in hot pursuit of a WSOP bracelet and big win) boldly tested his skills against the best players on this planet. Yesterday he played in a World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas for over 12 hours. His focus, patience, 6th sense (a gut instinct he trusts), and a little luck made him one of 720, out of 6,000, players to make it to Day 2! 

Very impressive, Landau :)

Why Unique?

Why do we strive for unique thinking or experiences? 

To entertain this mental exercise, my reasoning immediately jumps to the human need for attention and praise. Westerners are programmed to be comforted by the attention our uniqueness may foster. One must be an outlier for sustainable success down this path to praise. And if you're not? Is your fate the mundane?

Yes.

It sounds awful, but it's not. You're human and can bond with other humans by having relatable goals, fears, dreams, frustrations, hopes, and vices. Live with your everyday experiences which enable this ability. The life of a sevant can be lonely. I've found the most satisfying way to feed my ego (we all have to) is by capturing someone's attention through connection.

$4 < House Wine > $12

I keep the following bottles at home to open on casual occasions. They are easy to drink as they are or pair with food. I like to keep my posts short and sweet, so I didn't write tasting notes for these, but I'm happy to add them at your request. Trader Joe's offers this list at these prices. They sell at such low margins that they don't do 1/2 case or case discounts like Whole Foods and other wine shops. I've seen these bottles at other stores for a buck or two more - not a big deal, but for such low priced wine they just tacked on another 20%!

Domaine Ste. Michelle: Brut and Blanc de Noirs

Traditional Method, Colombia Valley, Washington, $6.99

Picton Bay: Sauvignon Blanc (12.5%)

2008, Marlborough, New Zealand, $6.99

Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah (13.8%)

2006, California, $3.99

La Loggia: Barbera D'Alba DOC (14%)

2007, Alba, Piedmont, Italy, 2007 $6.99

Castle Rock: Pinot Noir (13.8%)

2007, Mendocino County, California, $9.99

Robert Hall: Cabernet Sauvignon (14%)

2006, Paso Robles, California, $11.99

Liberty School (second label of the famous/cult Napa cab Caymus): Cabernet Sauvignon (14%)

2006, Paso Robles, California, $11.99

Great Wine Under $14

Brad and I visited Roger, ChrisAnn, and Drew at Wine Lab last night to pick up a few bottles for his party. I always tell my friends there is a ton of great wine to drink between $8 and $14 (I'll do another post with some more bottles in this range). When I think about paying that much for a cocktail or one mediocre glass at a bar, I'm especially inspired to bring a few bottles to a gathering and open everything just to show how well anyone can drink! Last night we enjoyed bubbles from France and Spain and a refreshing white from California:

Varichon & Clerc Privilege, Blanc De Blancs, Brut, Methode Champenoise, France, $14

Awesome value. Drinks nicely and has the apple and (approachable) toasty notes you'd expect. Complex and flavorful for the price.

Cristalino Cava, Brut, Traditional Method (secondary fermentation in bottle), Spain, $11

This is such a clean, citrus focused sparkler. Taste this side by side with the Varichon & Clerc. V&C's toasty and leesey notes will be much more pronounced while the Cristalino's perky acidity, bubbles, and sour apple will define this cava. 

Valdez, Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County, California, 2006, $13

Surprisingly sublte, integrated oak for the price. Normally I stick to Marlborough and the Loire Valley for this varietal, but this is a tangy, tropical version from Sonoma that will be a crowd pleaser.

Squash Blossoms

What a treat! I bought some at the farmer's market in Corona Del Mar this morning. They are such a pretty and delicate addition to a salad. So glad I finally tried them.

Do What You Can

This sweeping generalization differs for everyone. Having recently been prescribed rest to get better, I've been thinking about the concept.

I tell myself I can accept that no one is superhuman, well maybe Madonna. But, for some reason, I recently worked myself up to a state of hyperproductivity that stressed out my immune system (resulting in shingles). This virus was not fun, so it became a priority to figure out how I could prevent it from recurring. Here's what I came up with...

It's always going to feel good to accomplish a task, educate your mind, and take steps to improve your life. Unfortunately, for some, this can mutate into extreme expectations and guilt-ridden down time. I took the basics for granted and pushed mental and physical energy to the limit. I can talk and write about "keeping it simple." And learned the hard way that there's no benefit to that attitude without execution. 

So, do what you can. Be uniquely human. Exercise your strengths and accept your weaknesses at capacity. I'm trying now. 

Mama's Boy

My nephew, Grant. What a face.

Katana, Los Angeles

A perfect venue to meet new friends in the LA food and wine circle. Thank you Yarom for putting together a fun night for everyone. The picture is of the many wines we tasted. Personal favorite dishes were the tuna carpaccio and the Japanese eggplant with miso. The robatas were nice too - perfect for a group dinner. All of the wines were tasty, my top 3 were:

Champagne: Joseph Perrier's Josephine, 1995

Complex nose of citrus, vineyard peaches, vanilla, and yeast/lees. Full bodied (with rich flavors of white  chocolate and custard) and refreshing on the palate with pristeen bubbles. 

Chardonnay: Domaine Tollot-Beaut, Corton-Charlemagne, 1996

Less intensity on the nose and palate than I anticipated, but I still enjoyed the yellow fruits and dry nature of this Charlie.

Grenache/Rhone blend: Domaine de la Janasse VV, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2005

Dark ruby and highly concentratrated in color. A pretty, aromatic nose - dominated by cherries, berries, plums...slightly candied. Lush mouthfeel still juicy with red and black fruits. Long, smoothe finish. This would have been a nice one to cellar...I'll just have to buy another bottle.

M E S A grill

Had a lovely Sunday dinner with the girls at MESA in Vegas last night. Accompanied by some nice chardonnays...the 2004 Sonoma Cutrer 'Les Pierres' and the 2000 Daniel-Etienne Defaix's Cote de Lechet (Premier Cru Chablis). I picked the white burgurdy to exhibit the richness even Chablis can achieve to chard lovers in the New World comfort zone. Defaix makes his wines in a traditional style - without the use of new oak - fermenting and aging in stainless steel vats with significant time spent ‘on the lees’ (the skins, dead yeasts and other such physical matter of the grapes). This infuses his wines with phenomenal richness and complexity, while still allowing the freshness and minerality of great Chablis to shine. They loved it and I hope more of my family and friends start trying older Chablis when they see them on wine lists and in shops! 

Tasting notes: wines undergoes malolactic fermentation, driven midpalate, lemon, citrus, caramel, honey, hazelnut, medium plus acidity, subtle minerality

2004 Batasiolo Barolo

...grazi Fiorenzo!

Interesting

I got in a nice little debate over dinner last night about this word. IMHO, it's one of the worst adjectives you can use to characterize a thought or feeling. It's completely dependent on the user and receiver's personal definition of the word and gives little information about an opinion. For example, if I call a wine "interesting" and don't qualify it, I think it's a copout. Thoughts?

Wine Spectator Grand Tasting Highlights

GRAPE JUICE:

~ Chateau Palmer (Bordeaux, Margaux, 1996)

silky first stop

~ Chateau Lafite Rothschild (Bordeaux, Pauillac, 1999)

refined and elegant second

~ Chateau Haut-Brion (Bordeaux, Pessac-Leognan, 2004)

decadent, polished

~ Poderi Aldo Conterno (Barolo, Monforte D'Alba, 2004)

roses, tar, dried raspberries, sour cherries - fantastic after it had an hour to breathe

~ Maison Albert Bichot (Meursault, Premier Cru - Les Charmes, 2006)

a refreshing, nutty, and creamy white burgundy after power-tasting reds

~ Biondi-Santi (Brunello di Montalcino, Il Greppo Riserva, 1999)

my first taste of this delicate and brillant wine - provoke exploration of different styles of wine made from sangiovese

~ Hugel et Fils (Riesling, Alsace, Jubilee, 2004)

buying a case for beach picnics

HUMANS:

~ Meeting Ian Cauble, Kelly Ford, and James Suckling

~ Pouring WITH Robin Shay

~ Pouring FOR my dear Molto Vegas friends Lori Lucena, Mel Mrachek, Destyn Stevenson, and Liz and Henry Davar. You guys are family and it was wonderful to see you enjoying the tasting...maybe Mario and Joe will come next year. I'd probably get all excited and spill the wine though ;)

~ Bumping into local friends in the wine world...Kevin Vogt, Ira Harmon, Ron Mumford, Jaime Smith, Mark Weidemann, Larry Olson, Gino Ferraro - great to see you guys

~ Dining with Fiorenzo Dogliani, Stefano Poggi, Kirk Offerle, Deby Beard and friends. Carnevino impressed as always and we enjoyed the 2004 Batasiolo Barolo with dinner. And Fiorenzo made our Italian meal official with a few songs as they brough out the espressos and grappas. Piacere! Salute!!

2004 Allegrini Amarone

I had the pleasure of pouring this Italian star of the Wine Spectator Grand Tasting in Las Vegas last night. It's a well-structured, elegant expression of Amarone with a driven mid-palate due to their refined drying technique. The control the humidity so there is no rot, which can cause impurities. The result of this meticulous harvesting and raisinating process results in a wine with lower alcohol (it's still 15%), lower residual sugar, and softer tannins - the focus and balance Franco Allegrini's (winemaker) Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico is so clear when tasting the competition. The only 2004 that's left to buy is what you can find on the shelves, so pick up a bottle while you can still find one! Thanks to all of the repeat visitors, I love to see people enjoying the wine I'm pouring, especially when you have five first growths in the aisle over.

Lori's Hutnick's Pizzettes

Made from scratch by my mom with carmelized onions, prosciutto, and goat cheese. One of the things I miss most about Rocky Hill, Connecticut. You can imagine who inspired my love for food and wine! Cooking is an art I'll dabble in one day...

C  U  L  I  N  A  R  Y

B    E    A    U    T   Y 

The Movies

I'm not a big movie person. Most of the movies I end up seeing I do enjoy, but it's never at the top of my list of preferred leisure activities. This has served me well when it comes to seeing the sci-fi classics sequentially. My first Star Wars movie was Episode One. And last weekend I watched my first Star Trek movie with Michael. I don't get all of the jokes referencing future events, but I have my own fun having no expectations for the plot. Plus I get instant sequel gratification benefits.

On another note, I don't think I've ever seen a movie so silly AND profound. One minute "Jim" Kirk is audaciously eating an apple and "saving the world" during a captain simulation at Starfleet Academy and the next finds Spock torn by his half-human (emotion-experiencing) and half-Vulcan (absent of emotion) existence. I did appreciate the Vulcan salute: live long and prosper \\//

Larry Hutnick Sr.

This is my dad's dad, the grandfather I refer to in the post below. I want to give some context to his influence on me, so I thought I would share the my eulogy with you (1/31/07):

Larry Hutnick Senior is a legend. Now I’m one of five people who can say Larry Hutnick was my grandfather. It is something I know I’ll be saying for the rest of my life because my grandfather’s life will be remembered by many people for a long time. 

Anyone who’s ever met my grandfather has something wonderful to say about him. I knew his funeral would be a day of stories and attended by as many people who knew him who could be here in person. If you would like to know how touching my grandfather’s life was, this day and this room are a glimpse. 

When I got the call from my dad I was at work and completely lost it. I was in my new home, Las Vegas, working with a bunch of people who had never heard of the famous Hutnick name and had never been to a Saturday morning clinic. Before I left for the day, I was in my office booking my flight home and a girl I work with walked in to say how sorry she was and asked if we were close…I said “yeah, we were close – if my family was Jerry Seinfeld my grandfather was Kramer”

He came over the house all the time. The pool was probably one of his favorite places to be after a day of teaching tennis. He’d change in the dressing room we set up in our garage, soak his feet for a little while, before he entered the water with a whale-like plunge. We’d shuck corn from Adelson’s farm, hit golf balls into the net we’d set up in the back yard, play driveway golf, and of course tennis at Millwoods, the Purtles, Glastonbury raquet club, Elm Ridge, or any other empty court with a net and preferably a fence…and he always made sure I had the best numbers (or the most) in Joey Viggiano’s annual Superbowl pool. 

I would meet people and they would recognize my last name…are you related to Larry Hutnick? Growing up I felt like a little celebrity. Yeah, that’s me, I’m a Hutnick. It’s my name I’m probably most proud of and the one thing I had the least control over. Anyone can make themselves into something. As a Hutnick, I was a born champion.  Hutnicks are born champions.  I learned that at a young age as I watched everyone in my family bring people together, selflessly give to those who were in need, and ALWAYS play for the love of the game. 

Thank you Grandpa for showing us how to live. You will be missed, but you are a legend who’s life didn’t end three days ago.  We will retell your stories, bake your apple pies, and play tennis at your clinics every weekend. It's your turn to "take it easy." Amen.

Shingle Encounters

9 years old: During our summer vacation my younger sister (Lauren) and I helped my grandfather strip the wood shingles off of our house before we upgraded to vinyl siding (that, thankfully, was installed professionally). We took down sections about 5 feet wide at a time - first the wood shingles, then the insulation, and finally the nails. My grandfather would get the highest parts up on the ladder and Lauren and I tackled everything we could reach. We'd break for a giant glass of fruit punch Gatorade and a dip in the pool every couple hours. It was hard work but we loved it.

26 years old: Monday I was diagnosed with shingles. It's gotten more painful the past few days, which is why I haven't been posting, but it's treatable with anti-viral meds and I should be better in less than two weeks. Shingles usually occurs in people over 60 or those who have compromised immune systems, but for younger people it's due to stress. So much for breathing air and drinking wine... ;)

We're All Self-Conscious

I was listening to the Kanye West song "All Falls Down" on a bike ride yesterday when I heard the following lyric:

We're all self-conscious, I'm just the first to admit it.

It made me think, "then I must be the second". I scanned my brain for the list of things in my self-conscious vault (some put away more recently than others) and thought about why I'm proud to admit to having this human quality.

Self-conscious feelings are completely yours or disclosed to a special few. Self-consciousness inspires reflective inner dialogue. It stimulates motivation and grief. It's private, familiar, and sexy. I'm very thankful we're all self-conscious.

Immanuel Kant

Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.

(I'm letting this one simmer.)

Naked Belly Dancing

Hope that got your attention. Meet my other rockstar nephew, Kit :)

Palari's Faro di Sicilia

I enjoyed the 2004 last night with a friend at CarneVino. We shared the big eye tuna crudo, gamberos al diavolo, filet mignon accompanied by balsamic roasted baby portabello caps, and carrot cake. The Faro was a beautiful pairing with the many flavors and textures on the table. A touch of smoke, fresh red fruits, perky tannin - overall, a very satisfying lighter bodied red that sustained its presence throughout the meal.

Below is a notable excerpt from klwines.com on this wine:

Sicily's most elegant wines come from this small producer located in the hills around Messina. The winemaking philosophy under Salvatore Geraci is simple: make two wines with the same indigenous grapes but with different selections. His top wine is the Faro. Faro (which means lighthouse) is a little DOC, almost the smallest in Italy. With just above 6 hectares (15 acres) in the DOC area, the production is clearly tiny. Sicily's increasing focus on modern production techniques and international varieties has had some great success, as at the Planeta estate; but Palari provides a refreshing respite from this trend with their great indigenous wines. This is a blend of Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio and Nocera aged 12 months in Troncais oak barrels and then 12 months in the bottle.

Cocoon Hutnick

Maybe one day I'll wake up and be a butterfly...

Where Are You (Going)?

Anyone who knows me is aware I'm a pretty solitary person. I like doing things alone and am not one to give up-to-the-minute status reports. My friends know I'm most likely happy and my acquaintances know they'll see me around in the next month. Is this a conventional way to live? Not if you want to get invited to things and establish your presence in a community. But for me, it works. I have no idea how I turned out this way, but hope this attitude will lead me to a lifetime of fascinating moments. Where are you going?*

*A whimsical Hutnick post, a timeless Dave Matthews song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_lkMK2Spu0&feature=related

Menu Details

Domaine Serene

Is celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year with tasting dinners across the country. Last night in Las Vegas, Emeril Lagasse's Delmonico Steakhouse put on a six course meal paired with Domaine Serene's finest wines. While owners Ken and Grace Evenstad weren't able to join us, Allan Carter and Michelle Farkus did an excellent job speaking to Domaine Serene's disciplined and delicate wine making process. I soon tasted for myself the result. A New World pinot noir (and even chardonnay) with the finesse and intensity of a special Burgundian encounter. Head chef, Ronnie Rainwater, and wine director, Kevin Vogt*, created an extrodinary culinary experience for their guests.

We enjoyed four vintages of their famous Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir - the 2001, 2002, 1996, and the 2006. The '02 was my favorite, boasting lively raspberry, tart cherry, and dried cranberry fruit notes graced by black tea flavors and gentle tannins that can still support some age (this was confirmed by the tasting of the '96).

Every dish served with the wine was excellent and will push me to venture outside my standard steakhouse order (shrimp cocktail and filet rare) next time I'm in for dinner. Personally, the most telling part of the night was my urge to revisit the '02 Chardonnay after the series of stellar pinots served with dinner. My white wine heart lies in Puligny-Montrachet,, Chassagne-Montrachet, and Meursault, so I surprised myself with craving for a reminder the of hazelnut and creme brulee notes that unfolded in this seven year old chardonnay from the Cote Sud vineyard in the Dundee Hills of Oregon. I highly recommend you track a bottle down.

*One of my mentors who's an MS and winemaker for his own label Mastery (Gemstone Vineyard, Napa Valley). Thank you, Kevin :) 

Blind Tasting

I had the privilege of participating in a blind tasting of classic wines hosted by the Guild of Sommeliers at Daniel Boulud (Wynn Las Vegas) yesterday. I made the stunning drive back to Sin City from the beach bright and early for this rare opportunity. Some bottles had been donated to The Guild that the attendees don’t come across regularly. I always learn so much from this forum of tasting – after we privately analyzed the wines and came to our own conclusions (country, region, area, quality level, varietal, vintage, and producer), we had a group discussion and then the wine was revealed to us. The deductive tasting format challenges your whole knowledge of wine and there are only a handful of people in the world who are right more than they are wrong.  It’s quite motivating and especially exciting when the wines are best in class. Here’s what we had. If you want specific tasting note, please leave a comment and I’ll get right back to you!

Wine #1: USA, California, Napa Valley, high, Bordeaux blend, 1994, Dominus

Wine #2: France, Northern Rhone, Ermitage, high, Syrah, 1996, Le Meal

Wine #3: France, Burgundy, Cote de Nuits, Clos Vougeot, Grand Cru (high), Pinot Noir, 1999, Alex Gambal

Wine #4: Italy, Piemonte, Barolo (high), Nebbiolo, 2001, Bartolo Mascarello

Wine #5: France, Bordeaux, Right Bank, Libournais, St. Émilion, high, Merlot, 1996, Château La Gomerie

Wine #6: Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, high, 60% Cab, 30% Merlot, 10% Syrah, 1997, Guado Al Tasso

Can You

Run 3.2 miles? My four year old nephew (Grant) can! He finished his first 5K road race yesterday! This is the same little champ who rode a bike without training wheels at two and a half. Sorry to brag, but I think this is more news worthy than 95% of the live television that will air today :)