Betsy had a concert in White Plains Saturday night, and I was planning on making a simple dinner for myself before going to hear it. But a work conflict (I have thousands of great volunteers, but occasionally you run into one who is....high maintenance) meant I ended up dashing over without eating. A great concert (opening from Strauss's Capriccio, a sextet by Mendelsohn's friend Ferdinand David, and the Brahms sextet), but I was starved at end,. I generally don't eat at fastfood joints except for long road trips, but grabbed a Whopper and fries on way home. Opened the 2004 Ch Lagrange (St Julien) from 375 to accompany. Medium weight, cassis with a little green tobacco leaf edge, a bit of vanilla. Nice wine, a good buy at $12.50 a half. B+/B
(and the Whopper was a B-/C+, much better than I anticipated)
On Sunday Betsy made mushroom risotto for lunch, and used the 2008 Nora Peitan Albarino as cooking wine. A glass later that night was pretty good for a $10 wine- citrus, peach, good acidity, a hint of mineral/seashell. B
With mushroom/spinach pasta and an arugula salad for Meatless Monday, the 2008 Hauner Salina Rosso. I liked the 07 of this, and this is also a very nice wine for a just over $10 tag. Good acidity, soft tannins, black cherries and currants. Lighter framed, but not a pushover. I'll get more. B/B+
Tonight with pork chops in a ginger/tangerine marinade, veggie fried rice, and leftover cauliflower, the 2003 Hirsch "Gaisberg" Riesling. Forward, fleshy, big- yellow pit fruits, spiced peaches, ripe with a hint of RS, good length. I enjoyed, but dubious value for me even at a sale price of $30. B
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.
