Fountain Square Finally Taking Off

10 Monday Dec 2012

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My Coquille St. Jacque

When I find interesting food shops or restaurants I think it’s probably of interest to all my wino friends. If you’re a foodie, there is a good chance you like wine. If you’re an oenophile, there’s an even better chance you love good food.

The near-downtown area called Fountain Square in Indianapolis has been an up-and-coming region for too long. I remember back around the turn of the century (does that make me sound old?), hearing that Fountain Square was the next big thing. Unfortunately, the infrastructure and overall appearance of the area was a mess.

The bar is open to the dining area – note the old typewriters above the booze

Indy’s cultural trail – a walking trail through the city highlighting culture and diversity – finally found its way south of downtown and now Fountain Square is hopping.

A short walking tour Saturday afternoon was delightful capped off with a fabulous dinner at Bluebeard.

A friend and I walked a great antique shop, eclectic home decorating business, tasted mead at the New Day Meadery.

I had visited Pure Eatery on a couple of occasions and we decided to stop in for a drink. We each had a nice glass of Malbec and then decided to split an appetizer. We settled on the pita BBQ chicken pizza and it was fabulous. I suggested we simply order another and forget dinner, but that would have been wrong. Turns out, that would have been very wrong.

I’m one who is always curious and cautious about the greatest, hip, new places. Bluebeard has been getting largely very positive press and reviews on sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor.

We started by sharing the grilled bread appetizer with a small tray of herbed butter, roasted garlic and olive oil and a anchovy spread.

I had scallops (flown in fresh) or “Coquille St. Jacque” – scallops, chanterelle mushrooms, grape tomatoes, leeks, gruyere, and Pea Shoots. It was a medium plate for $18.

My dinner companion had the frog legs in white wine and garlic, parmesan and butter for $15. I thought the scallops were some of the best I’ve ever had, which is saying something sitting in landlocked Indy. My friend loved her frog legs but were a bit heavy with garlic for my taste.

That’s blueberrys between the yummy pudding and rosemary cookies.

We elected to share a dessert and it was really great. We had chocolate and valpolicella pudding with rosemary shortbread chocolate cookies and cocoa nibs. ($9)

With one cocktail and a quartino of Spain’s Ostatu blanc, the total bill was $95 before tip and well worth it for this gastronomical gymnastics meet in your mouth.

The restaurant has suffered some criticism for service in online reviews but we were very well taken care of during our Saturday night visit.

The accompanying bakery offers the kind of hard-crusted breads that are just hard to find in Indiana. I brought home a half loaf of multigrain for $3.50.

The restaurant is beautiful and quirky. It’s decorated with old books and older manual typewriters. They have a small, medium and large plate concept. The smalls are similar to other restaurants and ranged $11-$18. The medium plates are considered a single serving and were $15-$18 Saturday. The large (two portions) plates ran from $25-$35 the night we were there.

Bluebeard also features a very inventive cocktail lineup and one of the best wine lists I’ve seen in Indianapolis.

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Christmas Ideas For the Wine Lover

07 Friday Dec 2012

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My most recent newspaper column (posted below) focused on aerators as a nice gift for the wine lovers on your holiday shopping list.

But, as most know, there are many other goodies for that oenophile besides an aerator or bottle of wine. I did this quick video at home looking at a few of the goodies!

Here is the video:

Put Some Air in It for Winelovers on Your List

05 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by in Holidays, Newspaper Column 2012

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From left: VinOair, Soiree, Vintrui Aerators
Buying wine for the wine lover on your Christmas shopping list is fraught with peril. Do you know their tastes? Do you know their favorite varietals? Can you afford their favorites?
A gift certificates for a nearby wine shop is a nice gift. But unless you are certain of the person’s wine tastes, stick with wine accessories. Glassware makes an outstanding gift. For wine drinkers, you can never have enough wine glasses or a good decanter.
There are lots of gizmos on the wine market. You can buy all sorts of devices to remove the cork, to chill wine, and more. There is one gadget though which can be a nice addition to any vino lover’s wine accessories.
Consider buying an aerator. While the gadget isn’t new to the wine world, it hasn’t been around all that long. And now there are several types, models, and price points. Aerators can be found at better wine and liquor stores and some household stores that carry wine glasses and decanters.
For years wine drinkers would pour their wines into a decanter to soften the bite of the tannins on the finish of the wine. But in our ‘no patience, no time, and can’t wait’ society sometimes that’s not good enough.
Enter Vinturi  the manufacturer of the original wine aerator. Essentially, you pour wine through an aerator and oxygen is infused into the wine as it enters the glass and softens the taste.
Vinturi offers a base model and a Vinturi Tower model (which holds the aerator), a white wine aerator, and a travel model. The base aerator is usually priced around $35-$40. The aerator with the tower holder will cost from $50-$60.
The success of aerators has resulted in more entries into the market.
The newer in-bottle aerators have an advantage as less messy. Both of the samples I tried have a rubber-sealed neck which goes right into the wine bottle.
Soiree has a number of party and wine home supply gadgets. The Soiree is a bubble with a spout. When you turn a wine bottle completely upside down the wine swirls over the bubble and into your glass. The Soiree offers a less expensive alternative at $20-$25.
The third aerator was an in-bottle type with a sleek spout for pouring. VinOair from CorkPops would be great for travel or taking to a party. The VinOair is the least expensive of the three at $16.
But do these things really work? Ask any regular wine drinker with aerator experience, and the answer may vary.
For me, they do a nice job of making a big red wine ready to drink. And I’ve been surprised an aerator  actually helps on some white wines that have a real acidic finish.
I received samples of all three aerators and tested them with wine drinking friends. All three worked just fine and definitely softened the wine. The Vinturi is elegant; the VinOair is the most convenient, while the Soiree was the pick of my wine buddies on taste.
An aerator is a gift a wine friend might not have in their collection yet. All three companies have good websites where you can find local retailers.

EDITOR’S NOTE: All three aeration products were provided as trade samples.

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R Italian Market Adds Diversity to Indy’s Southside

27 Tuesday Nov 2012

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Indianapolis’ food scene is really evolving and exciting. If you haven’t checked out many of the new restaurants, the farmers market, the winter market, and other food happenings you are missing out.

A friend told me about a new Italian market on the southside near where I used to live. R Italian Market on 135 in Greenwood is a nice addition to the southside.

The market is owned and operated by Dave and Lynn Rodgers who came to Indiana in the late 90s. They missed the Italian foods available on the east coast and opened R Italian.

It sits  on 135, or old Meridian for southsiders, just south of County Line Rd. and accross from a Bonefish Grill restaurant.

I met Dave and sampled a few things. They have a nice range of meats and cheeses. One of the things I immediately noticed was prices. Their Parmesan Reggiano was $3-$3 a pound cheaper than I’ve found on the northside of the city. Even the always-expense Prosciutto was less than I find than the other side of town.

They also featured some wonderful crusty Italian breads, meatballs, and other Italian specialities made on site and pastas they buy from artisans elsewhere.

It’s hard to find places like this. I love sharing them.

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Mondavi Carneros Pinot Noir is Surprisingly Good

27 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by in California, Napa/Sonoma

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Robert Mondavi = Napa Valley.

Robert Mondavi = Cabernet Sauvignon.

Robert Mondavi = California wine icon.

Now if we were playing a word association game all of those responses would be good ones if you mentioned the name of legendary winemaker and wine ambassador, Robert Mondavi.

But what if we offered this one – Robert Mondavi = Pinot Noir.

Huh? Pinot? Who? What? Why? Pinot Noir? Mondavi?

It might go something like that. Fair or not, Mondavi is associated with Cabernet or maybe his iconic white Fume Blanc (or Sauv Blanc, if you want to get technical.)

So when I received a 2010 Mondavi Pinot Noir sample I wasn’t skeptical, I just didn’t really know what to expect. Fair or not, not many people associate the great Mondavi name with Pinot. When we think of Pinot we think of the Sonoma Coast and the Russian River Valley.

Now, it’s also fair to say the Carneros region in Napa Valley was cool long before Pinot was cool when it comes to Pinot Noir.

I recently popped open the bottle and like, ‘wow dude, (or dudette), this is good Pinot!’

Okay, it has 7 percent Russian River Valley fruit to complement the Carneros but it’s very nice Pinot. The grapes hare hand picked, it sees about one-third new oak barrels, and the wine is still pretty young.

I loved the really nice spicy, soft black fruit flavor. The wine was marvelously balanced and smooth. It had hints of a forest floor and a few fall pumpkin pie spices. It was beautiful wine.

I’ve written before that we take the icons for granted. I tasted five or six $100-plus Mondavi Cabs earlier this year and was really impressed with the consistency and quality. This little $27 Pinot is a welcome brother to the winery’s better known bottles!

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Chenin Blanc Great Thanksgiving Pairing

23 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by in France, Holidays

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Like many wine drinkers, I find Thanksgiving a time to experiment with wine pairings. As I wrote in my newspaper column, published below, the annual “Thanksgiving wine pairing” newspaper column is a challenge and a drag. How many times can you say ‘Chardonnay and Reisling go well with turkey and if you want a red try Pinot Noir.’

I did make a few other suggestions but I also like to experiment with wine and food  – and not just with Thanksgiving. Actually, I’d suggest it’s great palate-expanding exercise for any regular wine drinker. How about a Soave or even Pinot Grigio with your red sauce pasta? And one of my favorite exercises is trying to get white fish lovers to try a 100 percent Mourvedre or a nice Languedoc red blend.

Ying and yang are friends of mine and I’d encourage you to find your inner wine geek and break the molds. Drink what you like, experiment, and ignore the same ‘ol, same ‘ol.

Now, that being said, I didn’t go crazy this Thanksgiving day but I did do something different. I love good Chenin Blanc. I had never done Chenin Blanc at Thanksgiving but the more I thought about it the more I thought it should be a perfect pairing.

If you like bone dry and minerality in your whites, you’ve got to be sampling Loire Valley whites.This Domaine des Baumard 2008 Savennieres was simply outstanding. Indeed, bone dry was the first words that registered in my turkey stupor when tasting this wine. I got lemon, richness, and complexity that was a perfect partner for the bird.

An interesting sidenote, I found this bottle in an unexpectedly large wine shop in Columbus, Indiana. It was marked at $24.50. If I had better internet access visiting Mom, I’d double check the price point across the net. But it’s taken a Herculean effort to get the photo uploaded, through Photoshop, and this blog posted. My guess is that’s a pretty fair price. If you like your whites bone dry the Baumard is outstanding.

Now, I think I’ll finish the bottle off with a turkey leg!

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Something New, Old for Holiday Turkey Pairing

18 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by in Holidays, Newspaper Column 2012, Uncategorized

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The Golden Rule of wine and food pairing is a simple one – if you like it, drink it!
But when the family gathers for the turkey feast or at Christmas time something more is often expected. How about something different? Or maybe it’s time to serve up something a bit more extravagant!

An occupational hazard for wine writers is the expected column of wine recommendations for the holidays so who am I to disappoint?

The first rule of picking wines for a big meal is do not overly focus on the main protein. Think about all of those side dishes and the different flavors. That makes almost any wine a good pick. But with the Turkey and main course there are some certain winners and perhaps a few you’ve never tried worth picking up.
A good domestic Chardonnay will work every time. You can buy palatable bottles at the grocery or most liquor stores. I recommend value labels Robert Mondavi, Mirrasou, and flip flop as very drinkable wines if you want to keep you’re price point under $10 a bottle.

Dry Riesling is another outstanding choice. Frankly, there is so much good Riesling made in the U.S., you don’t need to think foreign to find a great bottle. New York and Michigan are areas really emerging with their Riesling wines. Washington state winemakers are producing great Riesling. Several Midwestern wineries are doing Riesling as well.

If there is a decent wine shop nearby there are several other great choices.
If you like drier wines but want a big nose of autumn in your glass try a Gewurztraminer or Viognier.  Gewurzt is one of the most aromatic wines in the world. It can be fairly sweet to off-dry. Viognier, my choice of the two, is a drier white wine with hints of apple, pear, and spice. For an even better pairing go drier with a Pinot Gris or Chenin Blanc.

For the extravagant dinner gathering, splurge for the world’s best white wine – Chablis. Better wine shops will have a few labels to choose from. Chablis is Chardonnay made in a dry, crisp style with tremendous minerality and acidity. Real Chablis comes from Chablis, France and nowhere else.

Frankly, don’t buy the other stuff. Chablis would be awesome with any poultry. You can find great bottles starting in the $20 price range and up. Domaine William Fevre, Billaud-Simon, and Drouhin are just three labels which consistently make outstanding French white wine.
Here is an option many people just won’t think about or consider, but Rose’ wines make a great pairing with poultry. Rose is that nice middle point between white and red wines and the quality continues to skyrocket vintage to vintage. Find a French Provence Rose or an Oregon Pinot Noir Rose for your Turkey.  Midwestern wineries make pretty good to outstanding Rose’ wines. Just go for the dry Rose wines regardless of region to match well with your dinner.

The red of choice has long been Pinot Noir for Thanksgiving. And again, if you are sticking with value look for the labels mentioned above.  But if it’s off to the wine shop, consider a French Beaujolais – and not that Nouveau stuff. Find a Beaujolais Cru wine from Julienas, Morgon, or Fleurie. The Gamay-based wines are very affordable at $12-$18 and great with food.

If you want to impress pick up any bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir above the $30 price point. It is sure to be a huge hit with your guests. (Lange is a personal favorite.)
Next Column: Gadgets for the wine lover on your Christmas list!
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Hard Times in France’s Beaujolais Region

16 Friday Nov 2012

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Yesterday was the international release of this year’s French Beaujolais Nouveau. Largely dismissed as nothing more than marketing it still is one of the major dates on any yearly wine calendar.

Many wine drinkers have tried to like the young wine, fresh from the vineyard but it is thin, it is uncomplicated, and often just isn’t very good. But Beaujolais winemakers have gotten better in recent years promoting their Cru wines from 10 different regions. Now the Crus wines are Thanksgiving and holiday worthy for any meal. They are still lighter style wines but they are aged, have some tannin structure along with more depth of flavor.

It is actually fun to try the different Beaujolais Cru and appreciate the subtle differences.

You can read a lot about Beaujolais wines this time of year in a lot of different spots. But a news story of note caught my eye going through my morning reads. The Beaujolais harvest was severely impacted by 2012 weather.

Check out this piece from the iconic Decanter Magazine.

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Two Great Glasses (or more) of Awesome Wine

15 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by in California, Napa/Sonoma, Oregon

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Oregon’s Willamette Valley view from Penner Ash

Is there anything better for those of us who love wine than a really, really great glass of juice?

I do taste a lot of wine at price points up to $100, I’d guess. I buy some wine in the $40-$60 range and just a few a bit higher. I opened two great wines this weekend that just lights the inner fire to share these great labels and names with those who read my wine writing.

Both wines originated in iconic U.S. wine regions – Napa Cab and Oregon Pinot Noir – and they rocked!

Sattui sits at the north end of Napa on Highway 29

V. Sattui 2007 Mt. Veeder Napa Cabernet -This wine comes from one of Napa’s most unique producers. V. Sattui, one of the region’s oldest wineries, only sells its wine from the tasting room or online sales through its website. It is one of the most visited wineries in Napa.

I tasted through several of their wines during a March 2012 visit. The wines were consistently good. I remember liking a Zinfandel quite a bit before we got to the Cabs. The higher end Cabernet was excellent. I narrowed it down to a couple and purchased a bottle of the Mt. Veeder Cab for $48 which is now listed on their website for $53.

The wine is rich and supple with uber smooth tannins, hints of all sorts of dark fruit like cherry and currants. It is a bit softer than many Napa Cabs which is part of its attraction.

Mt Veeder is one of the premier appellations in the region. Here is a great description from weine-searcher.com:

The eponymous Mount Veeder peak is 2700ft (825m) high, and marks the boundary between Napa and Sonoma counties. The appellation’s highest vineyards lie on a south-west-facing slope just below the summit, and stretch up to 2630ft (800m). 

Located five miles (8km) north-west of Sonoma town and half that distance again from Napa town, Mount Veeder lies equidistant from the two valleys which are arguably the most important in the United States.

This young lady appeared as we finished tasting!

The bottom line is absolutely great Cabernet at a half, or less, the price of many premier Napa Cabs. V. Sattui is a good stop for any first time Napa visitor. They have large deli where all sorts of cheese and other foods are available. There is plenty of room outside to have your own picnic. Some snobs turn their collective noses up at places like V. Sattui but it’s perfect for the first time visitor. The staff was very friendly and knowledable during my visit.

They also have a little fun. Plenty of tasting rooms are very welcoming. But many of the upper end wineries certainly can come off as a bit snobbish. The people here depend on tasting room sales and they know. Staffers make the tasting room experience fun.

V. Sattui 2007 Mt. Veeder Napa Cab, $53, Highly Recommended

Penner Ash 2009 Dussin Vineyard Pinot Noir – I love Pinot Noir and have grown very, very fond of Oregon Pinot. I opened this with a good friend who really appreciates Pinot and we were both just blown away.

I picked up this bottle during a summer 2012 visit at the Willamette Valley winery. Lynn Penner-Ash is certainly an icon in Oregon winemaking. This is the top of her line of great wines. They are widely available (including in Indiana.) You might have trouble finding this particular bottle but her other offerings are worth a search.

This is a small production wine with usual production around 500 cases. The 2010 is the only Dussin Vineyard on the Penner Ash website and it’s listed for $60. My memory fails me but I felt like I paid closer to $70 for this bottle. It was worth every hard-earned nickel.

Penner Ash tasting room action.

Wine Spectator gave the wine 92 points and I couldn’t agree more. I might even go a point or two higher. The wine is almost floral with it’s rich and silky dark fruit. It’s very smooth and enjoyable on the palate with the depth and complexity a serious wine drinker would expect at this price point.

The 2008 Oregon vintage was hailed as one of best in years. I tasted the 2009 early after release and was generally unimpressed. But when I tasted the ’09s a summer ago was really taken by the bold fruit and silky qualities.

Frankly, I have several favorite Willamette Valley producers and this bottle added Penner Ash to the list. There are lower entry points for price and they are worth a try. This particular wine is a great example of how you can buy awesome Pinot Noir without paying Burgundy prices.

Penner Ash 2009 Dussin Vineyard Pinot Noir, $60, Very Highly Recommended.

All photos in this post by my friend Drew Casey, who is now a tasting room associate at Chateau St. Jean in California’s Sonoma County.

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Going Back to Old Favorites Pays Dividends

10 Saturday Nov 2012

Posted by in Spain

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When I first got serious about wine I got into Malbec – probably similar to many wine drinkers. Shortly after that, I discovered Tempranillo and Garnacha and fell equally in love with Spanish wines.

But as those two opened my wine eyes and palate, I was anxious to try new things. Recently, I’ve had a couple of simply dynamite Spanish reds.

San Roman 2006 Toro – Wow! This is big and silky smooth red wine that will would please most any palate. You might never guess it spends two years in oak from the smooth finish and balanced tannin structure.

I got coffee, smoke, vanilla,  licorice, and maybe some dark chocolate from this gorgeous tempranillo. Of course, I was nibbling some 85 percent cocoa chocolate while sipping so that could have influenced my thinking!

The nose was intoxicating with its aromas of dark, sweet fruit. This wine doesn’t come cheap but it has been frequently featured on the popular internet wine flash sales sites. A friend picked up four bottles of this big beauty for $29 per bottle. Normal retail for the San Roman can range from $50-$65 – and what you get matches the price. If you have the opportunity to find it for less, treat yourself to great Spanish wine.

The critics love this wine: 94 points, Wine Entusiast; 93 points, Wine Advocate’ 93 points, Wine Spectator – sweeping the trifecta of the most important wine publications.

San Roman 2006 Toro, $49-65 normally, 14.5 alcohol, Very Highly Recommended.

Vega Escal 2008 Priorat – With Grenache, Carignan, and Shiraz, it would be tempting to call this wine a “Rhone-style blend.” But you probably have never had a Rhone (short of Chateaunauf de Pape) with this level of richness.

This wine spends much less time in oak, just six months, and might not have quite the intense depth of flavors as the San Roman but it is extremely satisfying red wine.

I would describe the palate as very ripe with rich fruit flavors and beautiful finish. This wine notched 91 points from the Wine Advocate.

Vega Escal 2008 Priorat, $20, 14.5 alcohol, Highly Recommended

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