I'll have the Cabernet Sauvignon please.

[ForeverAutumn]

I could feel Stewart Copland's highhat tingle inside the top of my head.

That was the mushrooms kicking in.

Thanks for the idea Autumn. There maybe something to this wine and music deal afterall. Gotta go.

I'm glad that you found something worthwhile in my silly little post.

When did you become F. Scott Fitzgerald?

[kexodusc]

Bare with me here on some of the descriptions because I suspect that this is more about situations and sensations than anything else. Accordingly there's some backstory.

For whatever reason I've been thinking about sushi for most of the day and that means a trip to the heart of the city. Downtown we have a restaurant that receives deliveries several times a day from the coasts. Additionaly there are several fine markets and a spirit shoppe located in the shadow of the City CountyBuilding so one can peacefully linger over potential accoutrements for the meal while watching the prisoners get bonded out.

I decided early on for Unagi or freshwater eel, as well as some maguro as mains. Conventional wisdom usually suggests a champagne, beer or rice wine with sushi but I opted for something different, Grosset's 2007 Polish Hill Riesling. I'd read an article praising the Kiedrich Grafenberg Trockenbeerenauslese but was unable to find it. It's worth noting that inkeeping with the general macabre level of neo-white trash fashion and bizarre couplings Naptown has an excellent underground spirit shoppe. I say underground for reasons twofold--from the front the store appears to be nothing more than the average cosmopolitan liquor store with squaters and barred windows but, housed in the remnants of a defunct bank, there is a fine wine cellar literally underground. Lots of interesting vintages from ecclectic wineries so I snapped up the Grosset and was on my way.

For brevity's sake I'll simply say that the rest of meal was to include roasted asparagus with nameko mushrooms and garlic butter, miso soup, cucumber salad, and fresh baked (though bakery bought)chocolate tarts with blueberries and raspberries.

I arrived home to find Jai on the doorstep grumbling about her work so it was clearly time for action. After uncorking the first of two bottles and a brisk foot massage I hit the system on the way to the kitchen. I had originally envisioned the Riesling as an accompaniment for Lang Lang's Dragon Songs disc about which I was raving to emaidel just a few days ago. It was not to be. Whether the sudden flurry of activity or, more likely, the herbal spice of the Grosset, the wine demands a beat. Skimming through the titles of my collection the one disc that jumped out was Willie Nile'sBeautiful Wreck of the World though I can see old Stones working out too. By Black Magic and White Lies the scent of fresh garlic simmering was almost palpable. By the title song the second glass had fully bloomed and a lemony aroma accompanied some Black Diamond sharp superbly.

A few glasses into the project the mood changed dramatically for the better, a certain carefree thing abetted by dinner itself and the second recommended album, Regatta de Blanc. I remember thinking I could feel Stewart Copland's highhat tingle inside the top of my head.

At the moment I'm sitting in the leather with two big stats cooly crooning Ray Lamontagne's Trouble with big blue lights shining...althewhile listening to the patter of little feet in the kitchen (there's a rule at Chez Sticks, I do the cooking and guests get the dishes) and enjoying some of Clan Donald's best.

Thanks for the idea Autumn. There maybe something to this wine and music deal afterall. Gotta go.

Sounds lovely.

2 nights ago I owned a bottle of de Bortoli petit verdot, 2004 while reacquainting myself to a little Gov't Mule, and a lot of Symphony X.

I found this particular vintage to be equally suited to either. Can't say I noticed much difference in taste one way or another, but I was able to ignore a lot of activity outdoors. Is the wine enhancing the music, or the music enhancing the wine? hmmmm....

[bobsticks]

That was the mushrooms kicking in.

Well, it's been a few years since my reformation from the Clan of Bad Boy but you never know. Looks like I picked the wrong day to stop huffin' paint.

When did you become F. Scott Fitzgerald?

It's the product of my misspent youth...a child of Baudelaire and Austen, Dickens and Twain...a student and practitioner of austere hedonism finding it's embodiment ultimately in sonic undertones...

Sisters of Mercy - Dominion
Uploaded by Tunashaker

...with weekly doses of...



Sad really. More like a young William Buckley on amyl nitrate...or Zelda.

[JohnMichael]

Well, it's been a few years since my reformation from the Clan of Bad Boy but you never know. Looks like I picked the wrong day to stop huffin' paint.




It's the product of my misspent youth...a child of Baudelaire and Austen, Dickens and Twain...a student and practitioner of austere hedonism finding it's embodiment ultimately in sonic undertones...


Sad really. More like a young William Buckley on amyl nitrate...or Zelda.

It has been many years since my reformation. During college we thought many things would be legalized. I am very excited to visit Amsterdam after my time in England next year. A quick visit to a more wild past.

Oh and I was never a fan of amyl nitrate.

[bobsticks]

Yeah, we'll have to talk about that.

[bobsticks]

As it turns out, a 2001 Concha y Toro Cab from Don Melchor served with Blue Cheese crusted Filets with red wine sauce and Ratatouille goes pretty damn well with peter Gabriel's eponymous album and Roxy Music's "Avalon". The key is having fresh Romas for the Rat, adding Panko breadcrumbs (also used in Tempura) to the cheese and having "Avalon" in the multi-channel SACD format.

[Auricauricle]

About 8 years ago, give or take, I became facinated and enamored with Spanish wines. The Riojas were not--and in many respects are still not--represented with the same prominance as their French cousins. As a pleasant consequence, the prices of Spanish wines is quite reasonable, and oenoaudiophiles who haven't the money or the wherewithal to spend a hefty sum can enjoy a nice bottle or two. For my taste, the tempranillo grape is a noble one that rivals any cab, sirrah, pinot or merlot. Unfortunately, this grape is being marketed with some vigor, and I am pessimistic about its future.

Another varietal that attracted my attention was the Argentine Malbec. This grape is a wonderful little guy, whose piquancy and tannic qualities are a wonderful foray from the noble zins, which are beginning to be seen in abundant quantities at the market. I would hate to see the zins head toward the abyss like the merlot, which has been mass marketed and tamed so much that the product today--unless you are willing to shell out a few extra clams--bears little resemblance to its former self.

Now, I am turning towards the African Cape and Oregon. Oregon is just beginning to sort out its terroir, and have released some very nice wines as a result. South Africa is going through a similar stage in the development of their wine. I suspect that in less than 10 years, the stuff coming from that territory will be very exciting....