Archive for the Tasting Notes from the Underground Category

Jim Lester rode into town a few days ago with some new selections from his Wyncroft winery in tow to taste with prospective buyers.  After he was through making his rounds, he stopped over for dinner, and of course, we got to try the wines too.  Bonus!  We had tasted two of the three wines with him and others last fall, but in the case of at least one of them, it has already undergone some noticeable evolution.

Click image to enlarge

We book-ended the fantastic 2010 Winter Olympic Hockey Tournament with Detroit Red Wings victories over the Ottawa Senators (Feb. 13, 4-1) and the Colorado Avalanche (Mar. 1, 3-2), and as has become tradition here at Gang Central, we enjoyed successive vintages of fine Gigondas from an excellent producer whilst watching the respective games. Here’re my impressions: Read the rest of this entry »

The Brownbag Irregulars gathered for their second meeting last week to blind taste and consider another dozen wine selections from around the world. Some tasters had been at the previous event, while there were some new attendees as well, including our own Kim Adams; all were “in the biz,” as the saying goes. As was the case previously, there were no sales pitches, just some good palates checking out some new wines. We got things going with the two whites in the lineup. Read the rest of this entry »

Our friends at Wines of Distinction held a trade tasting last week focused primarily on their portfolio of wines from the Southern Rhône, with particular emphasis on the stellar 2007 vintage. Most of the wines were from the J et R Selections book, which has long been a favorite of ours. There were a few from Hand Picked Selections as well, another importer that we’re quite fond of.  The tasting was held at the Oak City Grille in Royal Oak, which provided a cozy setting and a tasty spread of victuals to go with the wine selections. As Kim and I entered, we were greeted with a glass of bubbly to boot up our palates and we were off to tasting. Because of the crowd and the number of wines presented, my notes are necessarily of the very brief “snapshot” variety. Read the rest of this entry »

Luca Carrado and George Heritier - Click to enlarge

For a guy who runs with the likes of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, Luca Carrado is about as down-to-earth and friendly as one can get. Luca was in the neighborhood last week to promote his family’s Vietti wines, and I enjoyed his last visit so much, I made a note on my calendar as soon as I heard of his impending return. This time around, the boys at Cloverleaf Fine Wine and Liquor hosted a tasting with Carrado on hand to talk about all things Vietti, so Kim and I hopped in the car and drove over to Royal Oak to partake in the festivities. A goodly sized crowd turned out and Luca held court for about four hours. We hung out for about an hour and a half, talking with him, noshing on an excellent spread of food that was provided by pure food 2 U, and of course, tasting the wine. Read the rest of this entry »

Click image to enlarge.

It’s always exciting to hear about a wine dinner featuring selections from one of our favorite producers being held at one of the hottest restaurants in town, especially when the total tab for the event is only $39. That’s just what took place at El Barzon, the critically acclaimed Mexican-Italian eatery in Detroit’s southwest side, last Thursday, January 28th, when six wines from Bonny Doon Vineyards were paired with six courses from their excellent menu. We’ve expressed our appreciation for Randall Grahm’s wines on more than one occasion, and Kim and I had dined at El Barzon just a few months ago, so we made our reservations as soon as we caught wind of the happenings.

Read the rest of this entry »

Chef J.D. Wesley and Christina Donley - Click to enlarge

We love wine dinners at Gang of Pour, and last week, Kim and I had the very good fortune to participate in three of them on successive evenings. Yes, it’s tough work, but we’re professionals here at Adams, Heritier and Associates, and we can handle the hard assignments.

Our good friend Christina Donley was back in the neighborhood in her capacity as Midwest Regional Sales Representative for Ridge Vineyards, and she invited us to join her for a Ridge wine dinner at Encore by J. D. Wesley, an intimate little restaurant on Toledo’s west side. We accepted, of course, every bit as much to enjoy her company as to savor our beloved Mr. Ridge, and indeed, we couldn’t have had a finer time. Read the rest of this entry »

Click image to enlarge.

It started a few weeks ago with some twittering back and forth between our friends Master Sommelier Claudia Tyagi and Western Market Wine Manager Jarred Gild about Beaujolais, and in particular, one of our favorites from that oft-maligned appellation. We were privy to said twitters, one thing led to another and it was decided that the wine in question would be tasted at Gang Central, along with a few others in support and a variety of Kim’s killer homemade pizzas. Also in attendance were Jarred’s friend Dawn Astrop and Roastmaster aka James Cadariu. After we started things off with a glass of our house bubbly, Mionetto Brut Prosecco, we turned our attention to a wine that James brought back from a recent visit to Romania. Read the rest of this entry »

AHD principal, Richard Delsener and Anne Charlotte Melia-Bachas. Click to enlarge

Our friends at AHD Vintners invited us to a wine luncheon held at the Forest Grill in Birmingham this Monday past, to present the wines of one of the producers in their portfolio, Chateau de la Font du Loup Chateauneuf du Pape.  On hand to talk about the wines was Anne Charlotte Melia-Bachas, who, along with her husband Laurent, owns and operates the Chateau.   “Font du Loup” means “Fountain of the Wolves,” a reference to the local legend that tells of the wolves of Mont Ventoux stopping to drink at the spring located on the property while making their way down to the Provencal plains. Read the rest of this entry »

The Brownbag Irregulars gathered for their inaugural meeting last Thursday to blind taste and consider a dozen wine selections from around the world. Tasters were all “in the biz,” and the event was held in a shady location of questionable repute better left unnamed here. There was no arm-twisting or sales pitches being given, just some good palates checking out some new wines. Festivities kicked off with the only two whites in the lineup. Read the rest of this entry »