Posts Written OnJuly 30, 2012

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace

A beer-loving friend recently asked me to recommend a book on beer and food pairing. I pointed her in the direction of Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver’s classic The Brewmaster’s Table, the definitive tome on beer and food pairing. Oliver is an Old World brewer with a conviction that beer belongs at the table and, just like wine, is as important a part of a meal as the food. I can think of no beer better suited to deliver this message than his farmhouse ale, Sorachi Ace. Sorachi offers the spice (lots of hot pepper and a twinge of thai…

Continue Reading

Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2009 “Arrowhead Red” Meritage

Many complain that there just aren’t enough New York reds under $20 that are worth of daily drinking. If you’re one of these malcontents, this wine — Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2009 “Arrowhead Red” Meritage ($16) is for you. A blend of 61% cabernet franc, 29% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot and 2% malbec, this $16 red simply over-delivers. In fact, it would over-deliver at several dollars more too. On the nose, ripe red cherry aromas are layered with notes of dusty chocolate, tobacco, bay leaf and hints of crumbled sage. A bit fruitier — red cherries and blackberries — on the medium-bodied…

Continue Reading

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2011 “First Fruit” Sauvignon Blanc

You can learn a lot about a region’s vintages simply by tasting its unoaked whites wines — especially wines from producers that you trust and that aren’t big into in-winery manipulations or additions. Shinn Estate Vineyards 2011 “First Fruit” Sauvignon Blanc ($23) tells the story of a cool, wet and grey season most famously marked by the passing of Hurricane Irene right over Long Island. Herby and somewhat vegetal on the nose — think bell pepper — the nose also shows pear and pear skin, hints of grapefruit and hay aromas. Grapefruit flavors peek through a garden of herbs and green vegetation,…

Continue Reading