I don't get it. Why do people go so freaking nuts over Halloween? I doubt if a large majority of the people wearing costumes and drinking/eating themselves into a diabetic coma have even researched the origins of Halloween. I typed "Origins of Halloween" into Google, and got back 1,670,000 results. (By the way, isn't Bing supposed to give you a more precise search? It gave me 5,880,000 results!) According to History.com, my source for all truth and knowledge (kidding), Halloween started as a Celtic celebration marking the new year, and also the oncoming harvest and cold season. They thought that the lines between the living and the dead got a bit blurred on the night before their new year (which started on Nov. 1), and that ghosts would be running around. They would throw a big party, and dress themselves up in animal costumes. People who were freaked out by the thought of either dead grandma or Casper walking down their street would dress up like ghosts themselves, so as to blend in- kind of like when the living people acted like zombies in Shaun of the Dead. They would also put bowls of food and wine on their doorsteps to appease the mischievious ghouls. Later, the Pope declared November 1st as All Saints Day, and October 31 as "All Halloweds Eve", as an attempt to put a Christian spin on the celtic party. This later morphed into "Halloween".
Okay, I get that part, assuming it's somewhat accurate. How did we get from that to a holiday where many women think its great to dress like skanks, and kids gorge themselves on Pixie Sticks? Maybe I'm just bitter that I wasn't allowed to Trick-or-Treat when I was a kid, or maybe it's just that there's too many tempting bowls of candy and cupcakes to derail my current weight loss plans. It's not that I don't like Halloween. I just really don't care about it. My wife likes it, which is fine. When we have kids, will they go Trick-or-Treating? Sure, if they want to. Which brings up another point- after about 6th grade is too old. Middle schoolers and older should be able to buy their own candy.
If I sound grumpy, I'm not. Just confused.
Have a great day. Drink an Oktoberfest beer, and enjoy the weekend.
Cheers!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
French wine- part one
Since we have looked at Italy fairly thouroughly over the last several Thursdays, I will move on to probably the most important wine growing region in the world- France. When I was studying for my sommelier exam, I asked what would be the most important things to study. The response that I got from my tutor was "France, France, France, Italy, Italy, and America." Point taken.
The reason France is so important is multilayered. Not only does it have the history, but the impact of France on the rest of the world is undeniable when it comes to wine. A majority of the time, when people are talking about bubbly wine, they call it "Champagne". Almost every wine lover has heard of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhone. French wine terms such as veraison, sur lees, and terroir are part of every wine geek's vernacular. We even argue over French vs. American oak treatments.
The French were some of the first people to develop an appellation system. Again, this is a government-regulated system that denotes specific areas in the country where specific grapes are grown for wine. The wines are then named after that area, and rarely the grape. In France, The system goes from Vin de Table (Table wine), to Vin de Pays (Country wine), to VDQS (Vins Delimites de Qualite Superieure), to AC (Appellation Controllee) in order of quality. Vin de Table wines are the simple, sometimes home made wines that are "everyday drinkers" in France. They are usually of low quality, and rarely exported. Vin de Pays wines are becoming increasingly more popular, as they have less governmental regulation, and can be produced fairly inexpensively. A large number of these are in the retail stores- some are really good, some are terrible. VDQS wines are basically those waiting to gain AC status, and account for less than 1 percent of French wine production. Chances are you won't see them at a store. AC wines are the big ones- these are the ones that the government controls such things as varietals, harvesting dates, sugar levels at harvest, winemaking techniques, etc. They are at the top of the French quality pyramid, and seeing "AC", "AoC", or "Appellation (enter region here) Controllee" is usually a sign of quality on the label. Note the use of the word "usually".
France is really broken into two major climate areas- the Southern portion is a sunny, warm, Mediterranean climate, and the north and western portions are more Continental- affected by the Atlantic Gulf Stream. France is the second largest country in the world, next to Spain, in regards to the amount of land being cultivated for vines, and is almost always in the top three countries for wine consumption per capita.
Over the course of the next several Thursdays, we will take a look at the different wine areas of France, and what they contain. It will be confusing, and full of funny words, but I hope you will enjoy it.
All this being said, go buy yourself a bottle of French wine (we aren't still mad at them over the whole war thing, are we?), and enjoy.
Cheers!
The reason France is so important is multilayered. Not only does it have the history, but the impact of France on the rest of the world is undeniable when it comes to wine. A majority of the time, when people are talking about bubbly wine, they call it "Champagne". Almost every wine lover has heard of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhone. French wine terms such as veraison, sur lees, and terroir are part of every wine geek's vernacular. We even argue over French vs. American oak treatments.
The French were some of the first people to develop an appellation system. Again, this is a government-regulated system that denotes specific areas in the country where specific grapes are grown for wine. The wines are then named after that area, and rarely the grape. In France, The system goes from Vin de Table (Table wine), to Vin de Pays (Country wine), to VDQS (Vins Delimites de Qualite Superieure), to AC (Appellation Controllee) in order of quality. Vin de Table wines are the simple, sometimes home made wines that are "everyday drinkers" in France. They are usually of low quality, and rarely exported. Vin de Pays wines are becoming increasingly more popular, as they have less governmental regulation, and can be produced fairly inexpensively. A large number of these are in the retail stores- some are really good, some are terrible. VDQS wines are basically those waiting to gain AC status, and account for less than 1 percent of French wine production. Chances are you won't see them at a store. AC wines are the big ones- these are the ones that the government controls such things as varietals, harvesting dates, sugar levels at harvest, winemaking techniques, etc. They are at the top of the French quality pyramid, and seeing "AC", "AoC", or "Appellation (enter region here) Controllee" is usually a sign of quality on the label. Note the use of the word "usually".
France is really broken into two major climate areas- the Southern portion is a sunny, warm, Mediterranean climate, and the north and western portions are more Continental- affected by the Atlantic Gulf Stream. France is the second largest country in the world, next to Spain, in regards to the amount of land being cultivated for vines, and is almost always in the top three countries for wine consumption per capita.
Over the course of the next several Thursdays, we will take a look at the different wine areas of France, and what they contain. It will be confusing, and full of funny words, but I hope you will enjoy it.
All this being said, go buy yourself a bottle of French wine (we aren't still mad at them over the whole war thing, are we?), and enjoy.
Cheers!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
short and sweet
In other baby news, my great friend Spencer and his dear wife just welcomed their firstborn into the world. I guess I'm at the age where all of my friends are having kids.
This blog is short and sweet today- evidently wednesdays are a busy day for me. When you are cooking Chili this fall and winter, try these two ideas- fry up some really small chunks of bacon, and add it to the chili for a smoky flavor. Also, instead of adding sugar, try a few glugs of red wine.
To drink with chili, we always like Port Cider- basically mix apple cider, port, cinnamon, and nutmeg, warm it all up, enjoy.
Cheers! Have a quality day.
This blog is short and sweet today- evidently wednesdays are a busy day for me. When you are cooking Chili this fall and winter, try these two ideas- fry up some really small chunks of bacon, and add it to the chili for a smoky flavor. Also, instead of adding sugar, try a few glugs of red wine.
To drink with chili, we always like Port Cider- basically mix apple cider, port, cinnamon, and nutmeg, warm it all up, enjoy.
Cheers! Have a quality day.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tiny little buggers
Today I'm going to talk about small things- Babies and aphids.
It seems like babies are falling from the sky in my immediate circle of influence. Congratulations to Jeff and JJ, friends of mine and owners of 33 wine bar- they welcomed their first child into the world on Sunday (which was also their anniversary). Also, a belated congrats to my friends Ashley and Brian (co-founders of Shhhh...), as Ashley is pregnant, and due next summer.
Now on to matters of science. Anyone who knows about my high school course of study knows that I have always been a bit of a biology nerd. That's why I can tell you what the Krebs cycle is in a cell, but can't tell you the difference between a 2-cycle and 4-cycle engine. This naturally leads me
to be interested in the science portion of wine. That being said, let me introduce you to one of the enemies of wine, Phylloxera. This nasty, tiny little bugger just about cratered the world of wine in the 1870's. It is a tiny aphid, about 1/13 of an inch long that feeds on the roots of grapevines. Eventually, it sucks all of the necessary things that the vine needs out, and the vine dies. Much like the scourges on the earth that McDonalds and Survivor are, this pest originated in America. In the 1860's, it hitched a ride over to Europe on some vine cuttings (unbeknownst to anyone), and proceeded to decimate the vineyards over there. It literally destroyed the wine industry in France, Italy, and most of Spain. The reason that we didn't know much about it before is that American rootstock wasn't susceptible to this louse. Therein lied the solution. Over the course of the end of the 1800's and beginning of the 1900's, almost all of Europe was replanted on American rootstock, then the grapes they wanted were grafted on. Wineries in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa had to follow suit, as Phylloxera wreaked havoc there as well.
America wasn't totally immune. In the 1980's and 90's, a new form of this bug did damage in California, Washington, and Oregon. The problem was that we had planted a bunch of vines on a rootstock called AxR-1 that had ancestors from Europe. Americans thought that it would be resistant to phylloxera biotype B. They were incorrect. Since then, at a cost of almost $2B, we have replanted the vines here, and carried onward. One interesting side note- one of the only countries that hasn't really dealt much with Phylloxera is Chile. Many think that this is due to the sandy soils, which the louse can't move through.
Today, raise a glass of Glaetzer "Wallace" to our defeat over Phylloxera. This wine is made by a truly talented winemaker in Australia, is a blend of Shiraz and Grenache, and should cost you around $20 retail.
Cheers!
It seems like babies are falling from the sky in my immediate circle of influence. Congratulations to Jeff and JJ, friends of mine and owners of 33 wine bar- they welcomed their first child into the world on Sunday (which was also their anniversary). Also, a belated congrats to my friends Ashley and Brian (co-founders of Shhhh...), as Ashley is pregnant, and due next summer.
Now on to matters of science. Anyone who knows about my high school course of study knows that I have always been a bit of a biology nerd. That's why I can tell you what the Krebs cycle is in a cell, but can't tell you the difference between a 2-cycle and 4-cycle engine. This naturally leads me
to be interested in the science portion of wine. That being said, let me introduce you to one of the enemies of wine, Phylloxera. This nasty, tiny little bugger just about cratered the world of wine in the 1870's. It is a tiny aphid, about 1/13 of an inch long that feeds on the roots of grapevines. Eventually, it sucks all of the necessary things that the vine needs out, and the vine dies. Much like the scourges on the earth that McDonalds and Survivor are, this pest originated in America. In the 1860's, it hitched a ride over to Europe on some vine cuttings (unbeknownst to anyone), and proceeded to decimate the vineyards over there. It literally destroyed the wine industry in France, Italy, and most of Spain. The reason that we didn't know much about it before is that American rootstock wasn't susceptible to this louse. Therein lied the solution. Over the course of the end of the 1800's and beginning of the 1900's, almost all of Europe was replanted on American rootstock, then the grapes they wanted were grafted on. Wineries in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa had to follow suit, as Phylloxera wreaked havoc there as well.America wasn't totally immune. In the 1980's and 90's, a new form of this bug did damage in California, Washington, and Oregon. The problem was that we had planted a bunch of vines on a rootstock called AxR-1 that had ancestors from Europe. Americans thought that it would be resistant to phylloxera biotype B. They were incorrect. Since then, at a cost of almost $2B, we have replanted the vines here, and carried onward. One interesting side note- one of the only countries that hasn't really dealt much with Phylloxera is Chile. Many think that this is due to the sandy soils, which the louse can't move through.
Today, raise a glass of Glaetzer "Wallace" to our defeat over Phylloxera. This wine is made by a truly talented winemaker in Australia, is a blend of Shiraz and Grenache, and should cost you around $20 retail.
Cheers!
Monday, October 26, 2009
A congratulations, and a secret dinner
First of all, a big congratulations to Angela and Jordan (followers of this blog, and dear friends). They have been going through the adoption process, and their boy that they will be adopting was born yesterday. I foresee a congratulatory bottle of Champagne in your future.
Friday night, we had the October meeting of the Saint Louis Chapter of the Super Secret Double Probation Dining Club (Also called Shhhhh). It was a really fun, relaxed evening. Our theme was Mexican-inspired food, and here is the menu, along with drink pairings:
Homemade chips and salsa
Pairing: Sol, or Tecate beer, also Watermelon Agua Fresca
Shrimp and Mahi Ceviche
Pairing: "Paloma"- Tequila, Lime, Squirt soda
Street style tacos with roasted pork and homemade corn tortillas,
Grilled Corn with this awesome spicy mayo sauce
Homemade refried black beans
Pairing: More beer, margaritas
Ancho Chile and Chocolate creme brulee
Pairing: It started out being called "Peligro es mi nombre medio"(Danger is my middle name), but by the end of the night that had morphed into "Donde estan mis pantalones?" (Where are my pants?)- Patron XO Cafe, Creme de Cacao, Half and half.
It was a fantastic night, and we were really glad we went. I recommend you start a dining club too. Just make sure to invite me.
Cheers, and have a great day.
Friday night, we had the October meeting of the Saint Louis Chapter of the Super Secret Double Probation Dining Club (Also called Shhhhh). It was a really fun, relaxed evening. Our theme was Mexican-inspired food, and here is the menu, along with drink pairings:
Homemade chips and salsa
Pairing: Sol, or Tecate beer, also Watermelon Agua Fresca
Shrimp and Mahi Ceviche
Pairing: "Paloma"- Tequila, Lime, Squirt soda
Street style tacos with roasted pork and homemade corn tortillas,
Grilled Corn with this awesome spicy mayo sauce
Homemade refried black beans
Pairing: More beer, margaritas
Ancho Chile and Chocolate creme brulee
Pairing: It started out being called "Peligro es mi nombre medio"(Danger is my middle name), but by the end of the night that had morphed into "Donde estan mis pantalones?" (Where are my pants?)- Patron XO Cafe, Creme de Cacao, Half and half.
It was a fantastic night, and we were really glad we went. I recommend you start a dining club too. Just make sure to invite me.
Cheers, and have a great day.
Friday, October 23, 2009
irritations...
So, I'm grumpy today. Last night, buddy of mine and I went to Growler's in Sunset Hills to get a beer and a quick bite to eat. What I thought was going to be an $18 event has now cost me at least $300. This is because, upon getting to my car afterwards, we discovered that the back window had been broken out, and my Sip of Knowledge cell phone was stolen. Besides the fact that I am trying to save as much cash as I can for a project I am working on, it's just an irritation having to get the window fixed (right now, I'm totally riding hoosier style with syran wrap all over it), get a new cell phone, vacuum broken glass out of my car, etc.
At least the beer was good at Growler's.
Enough negative vibe- tonight we have a meeting of the Saint Louis Chapter of the Super Secret Double Probation Dining Club. That's right, you don't know about it...because it's secret. Are you jealous? Each person/couple cooks a course, and brings a drink to match it. I'm making a ancho chile bittersweet chocolate creme brulee, and pairing it with a desert drink that has Patron cafe tequila, creme de cacao, and cream. Now I know you are jealous! I will give a full report on Monday, with dishes that were made and drink pairings.
Have a great weekend folks.
Cheers.
At least the beer was good at Growler's.
Enough negative vibe- tonight we have a meeting of the Saint Louis Chapter of the Super Secret Double Probation Dining Club. That's right, you don't know about it...because it's secret. Are you jealous? Each person/couple cooks a course, and brings a drink to match it. I'm making a ancho chile bittersweet chocolate creme brulee, and pairing it with a desert drink that has Patron cafe tequila, creme de cacao, and cream. Now I know you are jealous! I will give a full report on Monday, with dishes that were made and drink pairings.
Have a great weekend folks.
Cheers.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wine Class Announcement
Hey friends,
I wanted to let you know that I will be teaching a class at the new Ernesto's Wine Bar. Here's the scoop:
What- Old World Vs. New World wines- I'm going to take you through 4 different varietals, and show you Old and New world versions of each one.
When- Monday, November 16, 6-8 pm
Where- Ernesto's Wine Bar- corner of Lynch and McNair in Benton Park
Cost- $20/person
If you have any questions, email me at Kyle@sipofknowledge.com
Cheers!
I wanted to let you know that I will be teaching a class at the new Ernesto's Wine Bar. Here's the scoop:
What- Old World Vs. New World wines- I'm going to take you through 4 different varietals, and show you Old and New world versions of each one.
When- Monday, November 16, 6-8 pm
Where- Ernesto's Wine Bar- corner of Lynch and McNair in Benton Park
Cost- $20/person
If you have any questions, email me at Kyle@sipofknowledge.com
Cheers!
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