Mise en Place

Tag: wine (Page 4 of 6)

"The Vintagers" (after miniature of the "Dialogues de Saint Gregoire" (Collection of the Royal Library of Brussels)

An (Italian) Gentleman of Wine: Osvaldo Pascolini

January 27, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Have you had a good glass of Prosecco lately? A really good one? There’s a lot of, well, let’s just say, “mediocre” examples out there, so don’t drink that. Osvaldo Pascolini, whom I met a month or so ago, likes Prosecco, and drinks it often. I asked him a few questions about wine recently, and you might be interested in what he has to say. He’s the subject of the latest Wine Talk, which you can read here.

Pascolini is a geologist, works in the energy industry, and hails from Italy. He now resides in Houston, teaches courses on wine, and never swirls a sparkling wine. Open a bottle and get to know him.

Osvaldo Pascolini knows a bit about geology and wine.

Drink well, with people you like.

Want more wine Read on? 

From Boston to Austin, With Wine in Mind
A Chardonnay For Your Mother (and You)
Don’t Dismiss the Peat
Distinctive Whisky Enters a New Era
A Whisky Legend Visits Houston
A Rare Cask, Indeed
Austin Whisky, Strange Name
Here’s Your Texas Rum Goddess
A ZaZa Wine Guy Loves Great Service
A Merlot That Your Snob Friend Will Love
French Couple Make a Sauvignon Blanc in California
A Perfect Afternoon Chardonnay
Terry Theise Talks Reisling
A New Wine Wonderland
Paris Wine Goddess Tells All
Rice Village Wine Bar Has a Cleveland Touch
A Texas White Blend for Your Table
A Pinot Noir Full of Flavor
This Pinot Gris From Oregon Pairs Well With Cheese
Willamette, Dammit!
A Value Rioja
Drink Pink!
Underbelly Veteran Goes for Grenache
A Man of Letters and Wine
Ms. Champagne Wants a Nebuchadnezzar
The Wine Artist Goes for Chardonnay
This American Loves Spain and Its Wines
Houston’s Wine Whisperer Has a Soft Touch
Blackberry Farm’s Somm Pours in Splendor
Mr. Pinot Noir: Donald Patz of Patz & Hall
A Cork Dork Wants to Spend More Time in Tuscany
Sommelier Turned Restaurateur Daringly Goes Greek
Texas Master Sommelier Debunks Wine Geeks
A Bottle From Gigondas Changed This Houston Man’s Life
Oil Man Falls in Love, and the Rest is Good-Taste History
Ryan Cooper of Camerata is a Riesling Man
Mixing It Up With Jeremy Parzen, an Ambassador of Italy
Sommelier at One of Houston’s Top Wine Bars Loves Underdogs

The Nancie Chardonnay would make a nice gift for your mother — or anyone. (Courtesy SommSelect)

A Wine For Your Mother, And You — Plus, Some Fine Rum Distilled in Texas, and The Brockhaus Returns

January 10, 2018 / / 0 Comments

There are times, when working on stories, that one comes across individuals who make an immediate impact. That impression and experience can, of course, be good and enriching, or it can be upsetting and frustrating. Both types of encounters provoke thought, in different ways, and while discourse with and exposure to jerks and zero-sum people can provide one with a level of amusement, I much prefer dealing with and learning from unselfish, self-secure subjects, people for whom life is a rollicking adventure, men and women confident enough to know that there is always something new to learn and that being kind and giving does not lead down the road to mediocrity. The world is a better place because of these types, and would, I am confident, be much more rewarding if the zero-sum cohort disappeared with haste.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with and/or talking to individuals — both in the beverage industry  — who make the lives of those around them better. They are passionate about their craft, they display infectious enthusiasm about what they are doing, and they are clearly and genuinely interested in what others do. They are worth knowing.

This woman makes some fine rum. (Courtesy Railean Distillers)

 

I’m referring to Kelly Railean and Joe Donelan (click on their names for additional words about them and what they do). I met Railean in December at her distillery in San Leon, Texas, took a tour of her workshop, and sampled her wares. I recommend you do the same. I have spoken with Donelan on the phone several times, each conversation thoughtful and attentive. The Brockhaus is partnering with Donelan Family Wines on an upcoming dinner benefitting an animal-welfare and shelter charity, a direct result of that pointed disavowal of the zero-sum mentality. In December, I had the pleasure of tasting Donelan’s 2014 Nancie Chardonnay, named after Joe’s mother, and it’s drinking well now. He’s built a business in California that honors his passions and his family, and, as has Railean, he’s added joy to the lives of many along the way.

Good people, making good things, doing good. I hope you have a multitude of such people in your life, and I hope you steer clear of that sad zero-sum trap.

Want more stories about wine and spirits and the people who make them? Read on:

A Chardonnay For Your Mother (and You)
Don’t Dismiss the Peat
Distinctive Whisky Enters a New Era
A Whisky Legend Visits Houston
A Rare Cask, Indeed
Austin Whisky, Strange Name
Here’s Your Texas Rum Goddess
A ZaZa Wine Guy Loves Great Service
A Merlot That Your Snob Friend Will Love
French Couple Make a Sauvignon Blanc in California
A Perfect Afternoon Chardonnay
Terry Theise Talks Reisling
A New Wine Wonderland
Paris Wine Goddess Tells All
Rice Village Wine Bar Has a Cleveland Touch
A Texas White Blend for Your Table
A Pinot Noir Full of Flavor
This Pinot Gris From Oregon Pairs Well With Cheese
Willamette, Dammit!
A Value Rioja
Drink Pink!
Underbelly Veteran Goes for Grenache
A Man of Letters and Wine
Ms. Champagne Wants a Nebuchadnezzar
The Wine Artist Goes for Chardonnay
This American Loves Spain and Its Wines
Houston’s Wine Whisperer Has a Soft Touch
Blackberry Farm’s Somm Pours in Splendor
Mr. Pinot Noir: Donald Patz of Patz & Hall
A Cork Dork Wants to Spend More Time in Tuscany
Sommelier Turned Restaurateur Daringly Goes Greek
Texas Master Sommelier Debunks Wine Geeks
A Bottle From Gigondas Changed This Houston Man’s Life
Oil Man Falls in Love, and the Rest is Good-Taste History
Ryan Cooper of Camerata is a Riesling Man
Mixing It Up With Jeremy Parzen, an Ambassador of Italy
Sommelier at One of Houston’s Top Wine Bars Loves Underdogs

 

This list is small, but it's packed with interesting bottles.

First Impressions: Nobie’s Has Some Good Stuff Going On

December 26, 2017 / / 0 Comments

A busy and inviting bar, suitable lighting — neither too bright or jarring, nor too dark so as to cause discomfort— a small but considerable wine list, and a menu created with thought. All good things, yes?

I experienced all that, and more, this past week in Houston, at Nobie’s, a welcoming (and, on the evening of my visit, my first to the restaurant, bustling) place set up in a former residence in a neighborhood street off of Kirby. It opened in the fall of 2016, so all things should be firing well, and based on my meal, they are.

I arrived earlier than my date, so took a stool at the bar. It was a Thursday, and all bottles of sparking wines are half off on that day. I ordered a Spumante (100 percent Arneis) from Malvira and was glad the bartender poured it into a wine stem. Light and fizzy, aromas of peach and white flowers, and pleasantly dry — no residual sugar here. Most of the seats at the bar were occupied, some guests with plates of food before them, others drinking only. Go to this bar, and if whisky is your thing, go on Wednesday, when all whiskies are half off.

Shrimp and grits at Nobie’s

We sat outside to dine, and began with a dish they’ve named “Bohemian Radishy.” Yes, there are lots of radishes on the plate, perhaps too many for the amount of crab dip served. (I write that because I loved the crab dip, all speckled with trout roe, and wanted more.)

Next came “Bang Bang Shrimp & Grits” and “Surf n’ Swine.” The former’s grits were definitely the stoneground variety, rich and creamy and dotted with hot sauce. The crustaceans were not overdone, something I encounter far too often in these parts, and I liked the crunchy texture provided by their shells.

The seafood and pork dish was served in a small cast-iron cocotte, and the clam and chorizo played off of one another marvelously. The pork was smoky and tender and reminded me of my great-grandmother’s ham and peas. What’s better than that?

This pie: Oreo crust, and a salty, rich peanut butter, plus fresh whipped cream

Well, our dessert came close. A pie with an Oreo crust (minus the white filling of the cookie, thank goodness) topped with a decadently creamy and slightly salty peanut butter. Share this with someone you like.

Sara Stayer (Courtesy Nobie’s)

Martin Stayer (Courtesy Nobie’s)

First impressions matter, of course, and I’ll return to Nobie’s soon. Martin Stayer, who’s done the rounds of some fine kitchens in Chicago, runs the back of the house, and Sara Stayer, to whom he is married, has the front of the house under relaxed but professional control. The menu changes often, so consult it before you go. But do go.

Nobie’s is at 2048 Colquitt Street.

Terry Theise: A man of wine.

Wine Talk: Graceful Memories and Inspiration, Born in Bottles

November 11, 2017 / / 0 Comments

One of the things I love about this crazy planet we call home is that our ancestors learned how to cultivate grapes and create wine. For thousands of years, vines growing in some of the most beautiful (and not so beautiful, in some cases) places in the world have mystified, confounded, pleased, nourished, and sustained multitudes of people: farmers, winemakers, drinkers royal and low, and all sorts of others in between have been changed by the grape. Those small orbs are miracles, worshipped by characters hailing from all walks of life.

I’ve been partaking of those miracles for a long time, since I was a high school student in the Rheinland Pfalz, home to, among other things, my favorite grape and wine, Riesling, and my Fußball team, 1. FC Kaiserslautern. I was introduced to both of them at around the same time, and though the team has been going through a period of crisis for too long now, a mere shadow of its Glory Days version, Riesling and her companions shine on.

God’s country, and home to some outstanding Rieslings. (Photo courtesy Germany.travel.com)

When I open a bottle of wine, I almost always think of the individuals who produced what’s in it. My mind wanders to the land on which the vines are growing and I mentally draw a picture of the harvest, imagine the tractors and baskets and weather and calloused hands. Without people, the wine would be nothing. Never forget that.

People. Beginning with the man — hand deformed on a battlefield in Germany — who sold me my first wine book (I recall still how he would hold the ink stamp he used to mark books purchased at his store), to Terry Theise and the woman who poured me a revelatory Crianza in a small tasting room in Rioja, people are the unifying factor in my journey with wine. There was the high school teacher with the cellar in the Pfalz who let me taste with him, and the restaurant owner in Florence who slipped a bottle into my backpack (he was, I guess, paying me back for the kindness I showed his elderly mother during my meal on that evening). Wine has been the common denominator in some of my most satisfying experiences and graceful memories, and I look forward to that continuing. That first book? “The Companion to Wine,” by Frank J. Prial.

Wine Talk, a series I started several years ago, is still going strong, and, similar to the world of wine, it has few limits. In it, I’ve introduced readers to scores of people and vintages, and I’ve made some friends. Their insights and recommendations and passions are laid down for the record, and I’m happy to put some of them (plus a few pieces on bottles I’ve enjoyed) in one place for your approval.

Below you’ll find Chris Nishiwaki, Donald Patz, Gerry Dawes, Vanessa Treviño Boyd, and David Keck, to name but a few. You’ll also, I hope, find the inspiration to go out and buy a few bottles based on what you read. Please create some graceful memories of your own. (And stay tuned for more Wine Talk.)

Wine Talk: From Paris to Houston and many other places, the goodness flows
A Merlot That Your Snob Friend Will Love
French Couple Make a Sauvignon Blanc in California
A Perfect Afternoon Chardonnay
Terry Theise Talks Reisling
A New Wine Wonderland
Paris Wine Goddess Tells All
Rice Village Wine Bar Has a Cleveland Touch
A Texas White Blend for Your Table
A Pinot Noir Full of Flavor
This Pinot Gris From Oregon Pairs Well With Cheese
Willamette, Dammit!
A Value Rioja
Drink Pink!
Underbelly Veteran Goes for Grenache
A Man of Letters and Wine
Ms. Champagne Wants a Nebuchadnezzar
The Wine Artist Goes for Chardonnay
This American Loves Spain and Its Wines
Houston’s Wine Whisperer Has a Soft Touch
Blackberry Farm’s Somm Pours in Splendor
Mr. Pinot Noir: Donald Patz of Patz & Hall
A Cork Dork Wants to Spend More Time in Tuscany
Sommelier Turned Restaurateur Daringly Goes Greek
Texas Master Sommelier Debunks Wine Geeks
A Bottle From Gigondas Changed This Houston Man’s Life
Oil Man Falls in Love, and the Rest is Good-Taste History
Ryan Cooper of Camerata is a Riesling Man
Mixing It Up With Jeremy Parzen, an Ambassador of Italy
Sommelier at One of Houston’s Top Wine Bars Loves Underdogs

This was awaiting us before the burgers ...

We Drank Canned Wine, Tried Doughnut Sliders, Opened a Chardonnay … and What Fine Pastas

July 29, 2017 / / 0 Comments

You go from table to table, hoping for memorable tastes and flavors, food prepared well, made with thought and care. There’s something edifying about the act of finding it, sharing it with others, appreciating it. You’ve learned to deal with the moments when the taste and flavors do not deliver, when shrimp is overcooked and enchiladas taste like sawdust and not much more, when this food writer or that restaurant reviewer lauds the cuisine of the latest farm-to-table restaurant or poke mecca and you wait a month to try it and find it lackluster at best. Taste is subjective, after all, isn’t it? One man’s bland bowl of borscht is another’s Proustian interlude, no? Those disappointing meals serve to whet your appetite for the next pleasurable repast, as vexing as they might be.

Recently, the good moments have come with satisfying regularity, the pastas done well, the branzino pleasing, the (yes) spicy tofu all that tofu can and should be. You looked on and listened as your friend (and Brockhaus sous chef) Chris savored the rigatoni bianco Bolognese you knew he would love, his sighs audible. Yes, it’s been a good week or two at the table in Houston, days that included a brunch at Tony Mandola’s Gulf Coast Kitchen that featured doughnut sliders that were just what I needed at the time, though I was unaware of the need before I tasted them. (Click here for a look.) The sweet and savory plate is a grand antidote to a night of celebration.

To that Bolognese, which has been my favorite pasta in Houston for a few months now. It’s at Tony’s, and if you have not tried it, you are missing something you shouldn’t.

I have a feeling that Marcella Hazan would have loved this. It’s rigatoni with a Bolognese bianco sauce.

I was hooked the first time I tried this dish; it’s complex, speaks of hours in the pot, the simmering and melding of the meat and vegetables and breaking down of the parts into a whole that transports. Each ingredient retains its place of pride — look at the carrots, their shape exact and right — but the technique that goes into making this course creates a tour de force of rich and subtle flavors, something full of rustic gusto and refined grace. Appreciate the saltiness of the cheese and the acidity of the olive oil. If all goes well, you’ll have this more than once.

Wine was also fine during these days and nights, and we even enjoyed some in cans. An unoaked Chardonnay and a red blend (Zinfandel, Syrah, and Merlot) from Ron Rubin Winery did us good, and we paired a Chardonnay from Mitsuko’s Vineyard with chèvre and bread.  (Ray Isle recently tasted some canned wines as well, and his review of them is a good read.)

If you can find a bottle of this, open it and drink.

During a dinner at the home of Russ and Judy Labrasca, Angela and I were treated to a 1997 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon, and a ’96 from Saddleback, the latter a lovely bottle, mellowed into a dream, the former drinking well though expressing charms of a more typical manner. Russ and Judy are a couple — Angela met them when she worked in Dallas, and introduced them to me not long after I arrived in Houston — I consider myself honored to know, friends without parallel. We drank those wines with hamburgers and Judy’s customary spread, and it was good.

With friends like these, one needs nothing more.

Houston Restaurant Weeks is upon us, the annual event that has done so much good for so many people in need of a square meal since it was founded, back in 2003. I sampled a few HRW menus this week, and came across another worthy pasta and a branzino of note, both on the menu at Amalfi Ristorante Italiano & Bar. The pasta, a tortelli, is filled with Asiago, potatoes, and pancetta, and served with beef short ribs. Tender, al dente pasta, top-notch cheese and pancetta, and, OK, the short rib is wonderful. The sea bass, my favorite item on Amalfi’s HRW menu, is accompanied by potato gnocchi, roasted artichoke, and a lemon cream sauce. Sea, lemon, olive oil, gnocchi … try these, and donate $7 to the Houston Food Bank in the process.

Let’s see what comes next …

Two Chickens, Malibu Coast AVA, Some Hot-Smoked Salmon, and Stock and Soup

July 20, 2017 / / 0 Comments

The hills were rolling, the mountains captivating, all a transfixing and calming mixture of greens and browns. The drive from Los Angeles to Malibu was a magical journey, the light bouncing off the Pacific Ocean illuminating all. The air was buoyant, the mood light. We lunched al fresco at Malibu Kitchen & Gourmet Country Market, then were on our way to a vineyard, a small plot of Chardonnay planted by Elliott and Lynn Dolin in 2006 on a sloping hill perched high above the ocean. The afternoon was warm, the wine and conversation flowed, and our Central Coast sojourn had begun well.

The Dolins are making Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Rosé, and lead (and have led) interesting lives. Over dinner, I spoke with Elliott about Jack Clement, Ray Price, Willie Nelson, and wine. You can read about the couple — and see some photos of their lovingly restored Spanish Colonial Revival home — by clicking here. (Our California trip continued in Santa Barbara and environs, more about which later.)

Like Salmon? It’s a popular fish, of course, in many ways too popular — if you have not read “Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food” you need to — and the farming of it has gotten out of hand. Watch this:

I endeavor at all times to eat only wild salmon, and recently tasted some very fine Sockeye, hot-smoked at Houston’s Ibiza and served with crème fraîche carrying the wonderful flavors of orange and dill. On top, caviar. Delicate and rich, this dish is perfect with a glass of Cava. Here’s my take on the rest of the meal at the restaurant (hint: order a Campari and Soda to begin your meal there). Charles Clark has been in the kitchen at Ibiza for a long time now, and his experience and passion show.

From salmon to chicken, specifically two hens I made last week. One I roasted (garlic slivers under the skin, lemon and onion in the cavity) the other I poached in milk.

Sockeye, hot-smoked

Both tender, both full of flavor. We served then with a simple salad, and I made a soup from leftovers, enriched by a homemade stock. Don’t throw away those carcasses and scraps and offal … instead, save everything and spend a few hours creating something earthy and honest. (Click here for a recipe/method from Jacques Pépin.)

A stock begins …

The soup: onions, celery, carrot, olive oil, stock, and shredded chicken meat, plus heavy cream, cilantro, and basil. Crusty bread, a green salad, and a Chenin Blanc completed the picture.

Vegetables, chicken, and cream: a fine trio.

L-R: American author Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), his wife, Mary Welsh, Leland Hayward's wife Nancy Hawks, American actor Spencer Tracy (1900-1967), American actor George Jessel (1898-1981), and American producer Leland Hayward (1902-1971) sit in a booth at the Stork Club, New York City, circa 1950. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

A Wine (Pinot Noir) For the Fourth of July

July 1, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Oh, Pinot Noir, you can be so vexing. Or perhaps I should restate it this way: Oh, makers of Pinot Noir, some of you can be so vexing. The popularity of the varietal makes for some bad examples. We don’t need any more bad wine. We don’t need overly fruity, sweet Pinot Noir. We need more elegant, complex Pinot Noir. It’s a particular grape, and needs care, not mass production.

Now I write the above with full knowledge and recognition that some people like the type of Pinot Noir that I don’t, and that’s fine. I’m not a wine snob, and I don’t get a kick out of dropping names. I drink what I like, and you should, too. But I do recommend against limiting your palate.

A week or so ago I opened a Pinot Noir that I appreciated, and you can read about it here. If you are persuaded to try it, write and let me know what you think.

The Fourth of July is around the corner, and the menus are being planned. We’ll be doing a pork shoulder low and slow with wood and charcoal … and will have pulled pork sandwiches for the holiday. Along with Craig Claiborne’s baked beans, German potato salad, and a watermelon salad. Click this link for the watermelon salad recipe.

Todd and absinthe in Prague

You need la fée verte …

Wines? Oh, there’ll be a Riesling in a the mix, and some cava, as well. A Pinot Noir is not out of the question, and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon has been promised by one young woman who will be at the party. I imagine Todd will be making a fine cocktail or two, and we might even be treated to some absinthe.

I’d be remiss if I did not mention a certain Fußball tournament going on right now in Russia. It’s the 2017 Confederations Cup, and Die Mannschaft plays on Sunday in the final against Chile. It kicks off at 2 p.m. EST, so turn the match on and enjoy. (Yesterday, the German U21 team beat Spain in the final of the U21 European Championships, in Poland. Deutschland über alles.)

However you choose to celebrate, relish the long weekend, hug your friends and family, and share your table with people you love.

It's a duck kind of weekend.

Of Duck, Brisket Tacos, and a Good Sauvignon Blanc (Plus a Fine Bartender Makes a Good Cocktail)

June 16, 2017 / / 0 Comments

I like duck. I like to eat it, and I like to cook it. I like to confit it. I love the legs and the breast. I love it all — duck feet and beaks in Hong Kong as well. (During one of my residences in Paris, the grocery store near my apartment sold a wonderful confit de canard in the refrigerated section, two pieces for, as I recollect, five or so euros. Ahh, we’ll always have Paris … )

A week or so ago, I had a very good plate of duck confit in Houston, at Toulouse, a restaurant whose Dallas location (the original one in the two-location mini-chain) was once one of Angela’s favorites. Here’s my take on that duck, and the rest of the meal. The lentils were excellent, by the way.

You like tacos? Yes, don’t we all. Texas is home to its fair share of them, and you would have to eat at a different place daily for years to get to all of them. A new restaurant in Houston is serving a great brisket taco at the moment, and I ordered it last week. I recommend you try one or several. Read about it and see it here.

Now to some wine. I not long ago opened a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, a 2016 Sauvignon Blanc from Ehlers Estate, and was, in a word, refreshed. It was clean and crisp, it was balanced impeccably, and it was oh so good with the chicken I had cooked. So good it was that I’m going to open another bottle this weekend. Read about it here.

Finally, as I write this, it’s cocktail time. A good bartender I know, who works at one of my favorite restaurants in Houston, this week accepted the challenge of creating a cocktail that included Ancho Reyes Verde, a rather spicy liqueur made of poblano chilis. She did quite well, and if you want to watch her make it, see this.

Eat well, and with people you love.

Wine Talk: From Cleveland to Houston, With No Nonsense

March 21, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Back in December 2016, I accepted an invitation to taste some wines at Rosinka Wine & Tea House, a little place in Houston to which I had never been. I’d driven by the wine bar (yes, tea is also sold there) several times, but never had the time to stop, so was happy to accept. On the evening of the tasting, Angela and I arrived and encountered Nicholas Cain, the man behind the bar at Rosinka. He poured and we talked and I grew to like Cain more as we spoke. He was — and is — straightforward, friendly, devoid of pretension, and passionate about food and wine and making sure people enjoy them.

I knew he would be the perfect subject for Wine Talk, so here it is. Give it a read, then pay a visit to Cain at Rosinka. You’ll enjoy the wines and the conversation.

Want more Wine Talk? Check out these stories:

The Paris Wine Goddess Tells All
Terry Theise Talks Riesling and Champagne
The Wine Daughter
A Man of Letters and Wine
Ms. Champagne Wants a Nebuchadnezzar
The Wine Artist Goes for Chardonnay
This American Loves Spain and Its Wines
Houston’s Wine Whisperer Has a Soft Touch
Blackberry Farm’s Somm Pours in Splendor
Mr. Pinot Noir: Donald Patz of Patz & Hall
A Cork Dork Wants to Spend More Time in Tuscany
Sommelier Turned Restaurateur Daringly Goes Greek
Texas Master Sommelier Debunks Wine Geeks
A Bottle From Gigondas Changed This Houston Man’s Life
Oil Man Falls in Love, and the Rest is Good-Taste History
Ryan Cooper of Camerata is a Riesling Man
Mixing It Up With Jeremy Parzen, an Ambassador of Italy
Sommelier at One of Houston’s Top Wine Bars Loves Underdogs

My Long and Winding Journey With Riesling Continues

November 26, 2016 / / 0 Comments
Terry Theise: A man of wine.

Terry Theise: A man of wine.

So many bottles, so little time. Still, you recall hundreds of moments when the cork slid from the green vessel, the friends near you, the setting (a winery in Rheinland-Pfalz, a castle in Bavaria, Holger and Gudrun’s house, a Houston restaurant, a patch of grass in Brooklyn), the food, the laughter and conversation. It’s a journey that began for you during a magical time, and you’ve learned much in the days and nights since. And through it all, Riesling.

Several years ago I initiated an email conversation with Terry Theise. (Many of you will be familiar with him, and to those of you who aren’t, if you are in the slightest interested in wine, I recommend you get to know him; Reading Between the Vines is a good place to start.) Theise agreed to answer a few questions for me recently, and he’s the star of my latest Wine Talk. Give it a read here, then open a bottle and make some memories.

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2024 Mise en Place

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑