A Farmer, an Artist and a Chemist walk into a Wine Cellar

Merlot From Sherwood Estate Winery

What does wine mean to you? It is an interesting question with no right or wrong answer. Wine means different things to different people. For some it’s an important part of every celebration and every meal, for others it’s just Friday night out with friends. For me wine is a celebration of life. It is a product of the land, a vision of an artist, and a little Chemistry 101 (preferably very basic and natural).

Macari Vineyard Mattituck, NY

Recently I took a ride out to visit some winemaker friends in the North Fork AVA to discuss the 2011 Vintage. It has been a rough harvest season on the North Shore of Long Island. After a reasonably cool summer, late August brought Hurricane Irene, another tropical storm and an abnormally large amount of rainfall. This much moisture right before harvest can cause sugar/acidity levels to be thrown off, as well as the possibility Mildew and Rot. With all these challenges, there was an air of confidence. “That’s farming”, the tasting room manager at Macari Vineyard’s told a couple sitting next to us. “We work all year long for the harvest, hope for the best and prepare for the worst”.

Merlot from Macari after rough weather this fall

That preparation reveals itself in so many of the fine wines that are being created on Long Island and around the world. The difference between quality winemaking and bulk winemaking is 1 part technique, and 2 parts passion. This passion can be expensive however. Passionate winemaking is staying true to the land that you farm, low yields (purposely cutting a large amount of fruit off the vine to improve the remainder), vineyard management, hand harvesting, hand sorting and personal care throughout the winemaking process. It is spending more time, effort and money to be true to the craft. Artisan winemakers take pains in every aspect of the process, and this is how they are able to create quality wines even in a “not so perfect” growing year.

For me, I want to taste passion in my wine. I want to know the story, the winemaker, and the philosophy of the winery. These all add to the allure, and yes the taste, of a wine.  The story of the wine makes you feel part, in the know and emotionally connected. Quality wine is truly created in the vineyard by a farmer, It is finessed and crafted by an artist, and basic chemistry brings it all together.

Outside Macari Vineyard

Have You Ever Been Experienced?

Tonight I have the opportunity to go to an incredible tasting. Imagine tasting all the First Growth Bordeaux’s, Several Grand Cru Burgundies, Top wines from Tuscany and Piedmont at the same place. It really will be wine sensory overload. As the hour of this event approaches, I can’t help but look back to when wine became an important part of my life.

 

I was not always a wine drinker. In-fact, I never drank wine in my youth. Pop was a Scotch man, Mom did not really drink, and the only time wine was on the table was at the Jewish holidays.  So how did  my obsession with the Grape occur you ask?  There is a single moment, or a single wine that most wine enthusiasts look back on and say, “That’s were it all began”. It’s like a flash of lightning, like the scene from the Godfather when Michael Corleone sees Appolonia for the first time.

 

For me it was a moment, actually a fantastic fall day 12 years ago. A couple of friends and I discussed developing a documentary about the North Shore Wine Region of Long Island, NY. It was a great story with fun and eclectic characters, and all the makings of an intriguing film. This particular day we were at  Lenz Winery and interviewing winemaker Eric Fry. Eric was generous with his time spending a good part of his day taking us through the vineyard, the barrel room, the wine making process, and an incredible tasting. He took us through all the varietals, all the different years, from the barrels, mixed blends, pretty much everything they had to offer and might offer in the next few years. He taught us how to use our senses of sight, smell and taste to distinguish different varietals and flavor profiles. It was like an accelerated mini-wine masters in a day. One of my partners on the film project, a long time wine enthusiast, said “I see it in your eyes, you have been bit”. He was right.

 

Since then, I have studied, tasted, and enjoyed wine with a pure passion that is reserved for few things in my life. When I approach a new wine I want o know about it, where was it grown, who is the winemaker, what is the story behind the winey. For me wine is best to be experiences with all the senses.

 

So tonight is an exciting night with great wines to be experiences, but today I will try and do a little research about a few of these phenomenal wines, so I can not only taste the wines, but experience them.

 

Time for a Change- The New Fall Menu

Fall is upon us and Executive Chef Jason Chaney and Executive Sous Chef Chris Loftis have been hard at work creating some really fun and exciting new dishes. I can’t wait for you to come in and try our new Fall Menu. So to whet your appetite, I created a little video review of some of our new meals. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

 

Starters

Hot Reuben Dip wonton chips 13 Seared Crab Cake cilantro cream, apple slaw 15 Smoked Hamachi Tartare avocado, frisée, roasted seaweed light mirin jus 17 Hand Crafted Sausages fresh & cured, house mustard & pickles 11

Country Fried Oysters Barbed Rose bacon, pickled jalapenos 14 Rock Shrimp Fritter sambal-honey dip 10   Surimi & Crab Sauté avocado, wakame salad, pickled shiitake sweet caramel soy 13 Stuffed Texas Quail crawfish, andouille sausage, trinity ragoût 12

Salads 

Barbed Rose Caesar black beans, corn, pecans, cotija cheese spicy cilantro caesar dressing tortilla strips 6 Iceberg & Blue Barbed Rose bacon, melted tomatoes blue cheese crumbles, creamy buttermilk 6

Texas Cobb Barbed Rose bacon, Texas goat cheese, corn avocado, tomato, egg, cilantro, chicken agave mustard vinaigrette 8 Warm Bacon Salad chicken fried bacon, red onion, feta bacon brown sugar vinaigrette 6

House-made dressings include: creamy buttermilk, agave mustard vinaigrette

creamy blue cheese, bacon brown sugar vinaigrette

 

Salad Additions

Rock Shrimp – 6

Grilled or Blackened Chicken Breast – 5

Country Fried Oysters – 12

Chicken Fried Bacon – 4

Jumbo Lump Crab – 13

 

Entrée

Crispy Skin Salmon chorizo, paella rice charred lemon & champagne citronette 26

BBQ Shrimp & Grits charred corn & cheese grits tomato ragoût 28

 

Composed Side Plates

To accompany your a la carte protein selections

roasted fingerling potatoes mushroom medley 9

cardamom scented sweet potato purée asparagus 5

asparagus, jumbo lump crab, & béarnaise sauce

18

loaded baker & bacon wilted spinach 8

hand cut fries & watercress 4

 

Side Orders

Starch paella rice – 4 baked potato – 6 mac & cheese – 7 au gratin potato – 7 corn & cheese grits – 8 fries – sweet or white – 2.95

Vegetables asparagus – 4 mushrooms – 5 baby root vegetables – 3 onion & chili rings – 2.95 bacon wilted spinach – 4

Other Add-Ons rock shrimp – 6 seared crab cake – 13 u-12 gulf shrimp – 3.75 each jumbo lump crab – 7 / 14 country fried oysters – 12 Barbed Rose bacon – 4

Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions.

“It’s not JUST a Burger” Anatomy of the Barbed Rose Burger

I was at the Barbed Rose recently with a friend and Executive Chef Jason Chaney.  When the waiter took our order my dining companion said, “Ya know, I think I’ll just have a burger”.  Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw a little tear in Jason’s eye (slight exaggeration), as he responded, “It’s not JUST a burger, there is a lot of love in there”. The Chef later told me “at the Burger Bar (and the Barbed Rose) we take our hamburgers very seriously. It’s not just an afterthought; you should see what goes into making one of our Burgers”.

Chef Chaney and his crew employ a Build-Your-Own Burger concept, from their Trick-Out Your Burger Menu. First choose from Beef, Buffalo, Portobello, Poultry, Crab Cake, Wild Game, then add your choice of toppings from an extensive array of artisanal toppings.  “A great burger is the sum of its parts. ” say’s Joe Schneider (Owner/Partner),  “What separates our burger from the rest is that ALL the ingredients are made from scratch.”

So how many chefs does it take to make a Burger? At the Barbed Rose at least 3, and sometimes more. The whole process starts the night before you order your meal with Pastry/Bread Chef JP Fleming creating the foundation of your burger. JP bakes Hamburger buns every night to ensure peak freshness. “Baking is my passion”, “I get great pleasure from creating a hamburger bun that people talk about.” Meanwhile every morning Charcuterie Chef/Artisan Butcher Jay Peek freshly grinds brisket adding a little trimming from his hand-cut rib eyes, strip steaks and even a little Texas Akaushi .

                                                     Charcuterie Chef and Artisan Butcher Jay Peek

“Quality counts when choosing ingredients for our burgers,” says Peek. “Geographically, we’re situated in a dense agricultural area, allowing us the opportunity to not only offer beautiful, just picked produce from local farms, but also high quality, locally grown, humanely raised beef, wild game, and chicken as well.”  Add to that some incredible local cheeses, traditional cheeses and a whole lot of home made toppings.

 Chaney works closely with Chef Peek, Executive Sous-Chef Chris Loftis, Sous-Chef Scott Lane, and Chef Evan Lieber in making the Barbed Rose’s incredible homemade toppings such as Bacon, Pickles, Local Pickled Jalapenos, Smoked Chipotle Ketchup, Mustard, Violet Mustard Cream, Mayonnaise, Garlic Aioli and Crystal Bacon Aioli.

                                             Executive Sous-Chef Chris Loftis making Barbed Rose Bacon  

 These are the small details, but they make a huge difference in the flavor profile of your burger. “We don’t own a can opener” say’s Schneider,  “if your eating eat, we make it here”.  “ When you bite into a Barbed Rose Burger you taste every ingredient” adds GM/Partner Pat Burford.

Barbed Rose Store Made Pickles, Our very own Chipotle Ketchup, Mustard and Aioli all made fresh each day!

Time and time again great chefs tell us to use great ingredients and don’t let technique get in the way. This is obviously the concept at the Barbed Rose and The Burger Bar. These burgers are made with fresh ground, top grade beef, topped with fresh local produce, local artisan cheeses, homemade bacon, pickles and surrounded by a fresh baked hamburger bun. The Barbed Rose Chefs take a lot of pride in everything they do, and the burgers here show it.  At most restaurants a burger is “Just a Burger”, but here it is a culinary work of art.

So how much will art set you back? You might be surprised, but a burger at the Barbed Rose is $6 and includes cheese and one topping of your choice (add an order of hand cut fries $2.95 more). That means an artisanal Bacon Cheeseburger on a Fresh Baked Bun, with all homemade ingredients is actually no more expensive then any other place in town. We popped into a couple places close by Chilis Bacon Cheeseburger was $8.75, the local BBQ joint was $7.25 (No Fries), the local Italian place was 7.00 (No Fries). It really comes down to the quality of the burger and the quality of the environment. Come join us sometime and see why “It’s not Just a Burger!”

Breaking the Law!!!

Music cranked as I roll to my favorite wine store to pick up a bottle of wine for a dinner with friends. The soundtrack… the 1980 metal anthem “Breaking the Law” by Judas Priest. Head nodding to the pulsating beat, I bring my mind back to focus on the task at hand, wine for tonight’s dinner.

Earlier in the week our friends talked about cooking some wild game, maybe Venison or Buffalo, so what to bring. As I enter Varietal Wines in Manhasset, NY,  proprietor Joseph Yi approaches,”Dude you gotta get a bottle of this, just got it in, drinking great right now.” It’s a 1999 Azienda Agricola Sant’Elena Merlot for about $20. Wild Game, aged Italian Merlot from Friuli-Venezia, I could surely do worse. Done Deal.

When we arrived at Our friends’s house something was definitely wrong. I did not smell wild game cooking, no I was smelling fish. Good fish mind you, it was a Pan Seared Swordfish (with Roasted Tomatoes) that was marinated in Olive Oil, Garlic and Shallot. Nice… but with aged Merlot… could get interesting. We might just be breaking the law here!

The Merlot was full-bodied, but the age had mellowed the tannins quite a bit. It still had a lot of minirality and the acidity cut through the fat of the fish and the Olive Oil. The still youthful bright fruit was unexpectedly nice, with an excellent finish. We had a full-bodied red wine with fish, and the earth did not come to an end (although we did have an earthquake in NYC today). In fact, It actually went quite well. So where does this leave us?

Take a chance, break a wine law… You may just find new discoveries and to wow and amaze your friends. I did!

Don’t just Taste Wine, Experience Wine

All to often we get caught up in the technical aspects of wine. You know the real wine geek stuff, types of soil, clones, flavor profile, but we forget the human aspect of wine. I was reminded of this Monday afternoon when I had the opportunity to listen to Serge Hochar tell a group of wine professionals about his famed Chateau Musar wines from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon.

Well in actuality, Serge does not say much about the actual wines, Serge talks about life. “Wine is alive” he said, you experience it and tell me about the wines. These wines are unlike any wines I have experienced in my life. “I wanted to show them a wine that was beyond what they could understand, a wine that was the product of millennia and not the product of war” said Serge.

Imagine, a wine grown and made in the cradle of society and agriculture. Think about the history of winemaking in the Bekaa Valley. In the Book of Genesis it say’s, after the flood, “Noah was the first tiller of the soil. He planted a vineyard; and he drank the wine”. Noah is reportedly buried in Zahle, one of the towns in the Bekaa Valley. The wines of Lebanon were so good in fact, that they were exported to Egypt during the Old Kingdom period (2686 BC-2134 BC). The best-preserved temple in the Roman era ruins of Baalbek, was dedicated to Bacchus, the Roman God of Wine.  With an incredible history of fine winemaking in the Bakaa Valley, there is no wonder why these wines were so incredible to experience.

The ancient history of agriculture and winemaking in the fertile Lebanese Valley in the shadows of Mount Lebanon makes it easy to picture creating a winery there. So in 1930 after a long stay in France, Serge’s father, Gaston created Chateau Musar in the cellars of the old “Mzar” Castle in Ghazir, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. After his oenology degree in Bordeaux, Serge took over the winemaking in 1959 immediately putting his own unique stamp on the wines making Musar into what it is today. Year after year, in a nation that has been rife with conflict and civil war Serge has create artisan wines that have been compared to top Bordeaux and Burgundy wines. The wineries associated with Château Musar are located at a height of over 3,000 feet (1,000 meters) inside Bekaa where the vines are sheltered by the encompassing mountaintops running parallel to the Mediterranean and beyond coastline.

The Red wines are made from a mixture of various grapes, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and also Carignan. The vines are cultivated in gravely earth with a limestone foundation. The White wines are created from a mix of Obeideh and Merwah that are indigenous to the Bekaa Valley. Based of legend, these grapes were taken back to Europe with the Crusaders and became the forefathers of Chardonnay and Semillon.

Chateau Musar has had a cult like following since the 1979 Bristol Wine Fair, where Michael Broadbent described the wines as “Discovery of the Fair”. So how does one describe Musar’s wines, Unique and Individual. “No two bottles can be a like, the wine is alive” Serge said at the TexSom Conference in Dallas earlier this week. The wines are of superb quality, but made is a style all their own. They seem to almost age in reverse, with a 1969 Musar Blanc showing as much fruit and acidity as a 1990. These are wines to be experiences, not just tasted.

So what do these wines taste like? I think it is best for you to taste them and tell me.

#TEXSOM SUNDAY VIDEO RECAP

Want to revive TexSom’s Sunday Sessions? Want to taste Burgundy again with Rajat and Fred. All you have to do is play this video (and buy some nice Burgundy)!

Video by @roydot and the Barbed Rose Steakhouse and Seafood Co. in Alvin, TX

 

Content is King @ Texsom Media/Tech Symposium

Today The Barbed Rose Crew went to the TexSom Media/Technology Symposium. Here are the highlights

TEXSOM is here!… Social Media and Tech Symposium

It has arrived!!! TEXSOM Starts NOW…

Enjoy the ride!

American Wine… It’s not just from California anymore

 In the video above the Winemakers of the North Fork of Long Island discuss the beginnings of the North Fork AVA

2011 was a great year for wine in the United States. Despite the downturned economy, we are consuming more wine then ever before. In-fact, we just passed France as the world’s largest wine consuming nation for the first time ever. Not only are we drinking more wine in the US, but we are also making more wine in America then ever before.

 

When you think of American Wine you think California, and maybe if you are into wine you consider Oregon and Washington.  But did you know that there is now at least one winery in every state in the United States?  Furthermore, there are over 7,000 American wineries in operation as of April 2010. This is good news for the  consumer, because with the recent wine making boom is not just about quantity, it’s also about quality.

 

On a recent visit to the North Fork Wine Region of Long Island, NY, I had a chance to not only taste some world-class wine, but to also experience what the region had to offer.  There is no better way to experience wine then to walk the vineyards, feel the soil and talk to the winemakers. That truly makes wine an experience.

 

The North Fork AVA (American Viticultural Area) is located on a bucolic strip of land between the Peconic Bay (to the South) and the Long Island Sound to the North. Though just across the Bay from it’s glitzy cousin the Hamptons, The North Fork is farming country with over 30 wineries and 300 acres of vineyard planted. With a maritime climate not much different from Bordeaux, they have become known for Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest of the “Bordeaux varietals. And with the soaring prices of the land in this region, the wineries have adapted a quality over quantity approach to winemaking.

 

From the hand sorting of grapes at Paumanok Vineyards with winemaker Kareem Massoud, to experiencing the biodynamic winemaking of Shinn Estates, the winemakers of the North Fork AVA are all about quality and it shows. The wines have been receiving great reviews and high praise from newspapers and Food & Wine publications nationwide. As the awards continue to accumulate, Long Island Wines are increasingly being sought after in fine restaurants and wine shops around the country. The wine speaks for itself, but the real story behind the North Fork Wine Region is how it came to be.

 

In 1973, Alex and Louisa Hardgrave purchased a 66-acre potato farm in Cutchogue with the dream of proving that French varietals could be grown on the Island. The couple were unlikely winemakers, being Harvard educated and from the families in banking and business, nonetheless they followed their dream. “I was smitten by the romantic notion, the Virgilian mode of having a small farm,” Alex Hardgrave says. Louisa adds, “We didn’t know how to make wine! Can you believe it, we started a commercial winery having never made anything.” They did make wine, and fast forward forty years; Alex’s vision has come to pass.

 

That’s the story of the region, as for the wines. They are made in the European style. They tend to be lower in alcohol and very acidic. These wines are food wines and are great for pairing. As with most wine regions, the wines go great with local foods. Paumanok’s 2010 Sauvignon Blanc is a natural for Longs Island’s Pipes Cove Oysters. Bedell Cellar’s 2007 Musee (91 points  Wine Spectator) is a wonderful pairing with a Buffalo Ribeye from North Quarter Farm in Riverhead. Now if you go for the incredibly flavorful Roasted Long Island Duck, you won’t go wrong with Lentz Merlot or Shinn Estates 2008 Wild Boar Doe. The choices are really almost endless, and this is just Long Island.

 

Imagine 7000 wineries in the US. Different philosophies, different styles, different tastes, It really is a big wine world my friends, so try something new and enjoy the ride.