Chappish!

I lately reviewed a rather good wine that would get my vote at twenty dollars. But its liquor store price is thirty-five dollars a bottle and its restaurant price above a hundred. I do not pay for the wines I review. That is an inescapable fact of the industry. Things work that way for a reason. The purpose is to prevent a riot in which people chase each other down the street, reporters demanding their money back from wine sellers, followed by editors hounding reporters about expense accounts, followed by publishers and accountants shouting about the bottom line, and advertising men whining about everyone spoiling their "campaigns." Perhaps one wine in four gets my mention, which is what I do instead of reviewing three wines negatively. I owe good language to the vintners and distributors who have avoided riots by pulling the cork gratis. I hope to offer a good turn, in return, as they say. Let me tell you a story. In the nineteen-nineties, Carribean cigars w...

Deep amber color greets the eye. Raisins, currants and citron present themselves to the nose. The flavor is mellow but not terribly complex: mainly raisins, but with a hint of figs. The finish is remarkable: clean and surprisingly light, without the cloying heaviness found in some other ports. This is a well-made port that has been well aged. Pair it with pastries or with chocolates, or--though I have quit smoking--with fine cigars. Another good pairing for port is any tangy strong cheese of the blue-veined variety such as blue cheese, Stilton, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, so forth.

This is a wonderfully versatile side dish. Decrease the quantity of garlic to complement mild-flavored main courses. Increase it to accompany strongly savory dishes. Cook 1 pound of spaghetti according to the package directions. While that is cooking, Sautee 5 minced garlic cloves  in  1/2 cup olive oil,   in a large skillet. Don't over-cook the garlic, for that produces a bitter flavor. You want the garlic just beginning to turn golden. When the garlic is done, halt the sauteeing by taking the pan from the heat and adding  1/4 cup water.  Stir into the skillet: 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste) 1 teaspoon salt Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet and toss to combine the ingredients. Adjust the seasoning. Serve the seasoned spaghetti alongside the entree of your choice. Some cooks liven up the presentation with some diced tomato sprinkled atop the spaghetti, or with sun-dried...

"Everyone does it" is not a good reason.

This nonvintage California sake is of the nigori type, that is, unfiltered. The producer leaves the lees in the wine bottle. You upend the bottle to mix the cloudy fermentation residue into the wine and drink it that way. Cloudy wine is thoroughly a grievous fault in the European winemaking tradition, but give this a chance. It's traditional in Japan and gives a creamy appearance and yeasty and nutty flavors to the sake. I like the unique character of unfiltered sake, and an experienced sake drinker who sampled this one with me pronounced it a good example of the type. Yaegaki Cloud has light fruity and nutty hints on the nose and a flavor reminiscent of cashews and pears. It is slightly sweet and would pair well with spicy food or a light dessert. Serve chilled.

This is a very fine example of Willamette Valley, Oregon pinot noir. It has a deep garnet color and a nose of berries with a hint of smoked meats. The dominant flavors are black cherry, plum and a trace of chocolate or perhaps coffee. An elusive hint of something like pencil shavings or oregano flits in the background. There's a mineral hint to the lasting, fruity finish. This wine is now getting toward the time limit of good aging for a pinot noir, so plan to enjoy it soon. I think it goes superbly with bread and cheese.  That's a favorite luncheon chez Chap, a good pinot noir with several kinds of good cheese and some tasty and dense bread. Some other good pairings are salmon, pork roast, lamb or stuffed mushrooms.

Introducing a new weekly feature on the blog: short-form wine reviews. The idea: I attend numerous wine tastings so you don't have to. You're welcome. If my guess is right, the practical chaps who read this blog don't want long flowery reviews or anything to do with wine snobbery: instead, the once-over on what the wine is like and what it is good with. As a broad average, just one wine in four makes the cut to be written up here, and sometimes I go through ten without finding one worth mentioning. If a wine appears as the wine of the week you know it is good to drink, with no outstanding flaws.