Brother Fox’s 1st Wine Dinner

This article is a little longer than average, so get comfortable.  I don’t know any lovers of wine who are not foodies. There is a scientific connection between the two: a love of tasting!  Even though we all have slightly different tastes, the pursuit to pleasure the palate is universal. How we each go about this endeavor defines our journey, both in food and wine.  And just like any journey some can be content with self experimentation and exploration while others enjoy guidance to aid their adventures. Whatever method you choose the pursuit of the “Wow” is the goal.

There are a lot of food and wine events locally.  Pairing food and wine correctly is hard. I have been to more food and wine dinners where the pairings were barely compatible than not.  In fact there was a wine dinner the following evening at a well know local establishment that was not worth anyone’s time or money. So how can you tell if a food and wine event is worth your time, and money?

Brother Fox (BF) is relatively new to the Pensacola Restaurant scene. The Restaurant Industry is one of the most unforgiving industries to be in so it was not surprising that there were some mixed reviews from folks who had dined at BF. Like many new restaurants there was very little middle ground; people either had an amazing time or they didn’t, for a myriad of reasons.  I needed to meet the ones with the vision before committing to the event.

So the week before the wine dinner I had the great opportunity to spend some time with BF’s head Chef, Darian Hernandez, and some of his team. It was very apparent while speaking to him how excited he and his staff was about the dinner and the Orin Swift wines to be paired.  Not only that, but it was apparent that the goal of their dinner was to have fun, and during the dinner they were having fun, while working very hard to make sure we did too!

Let’s contrast this to the wine dinner the very next evening. I am going to refrain from naming the location but it was obvious that the goal at this event was to push a product. The food pairing was a second thought, mainly relying on their name to bring people in. Their attitude could not have been more different.  And I am sure people enjoyed it, but I guess ignorance is bliss.  If you went to this other event and enjoyed it, great, I will NEVER tell anyone what they should like, with wine or anything else for that matter, but I am also not willing to eat and drink whatever is in front of me just because.  

Back to BF.  Most Orin Swift wines do not come out ready to drink.  I often seriously joke that their popular “8 Years in the Desert” needs eight years in the bottle before it’s ready to drink!  So I was a little concerned about the age of the reds to be served.  The starter, a Rosé, followed by a Sauvignon Blanc, were hits with the crowd, both tasting great and pairing perfectly.  The Pinot Noir started to miss its mark, not able to measure up to the amazing crusted salmon that it was served with.  Next Palermo, their Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.  My first taste and my fears are mostly realized, too young.  BUT, it paired great with the accompanied braised beef checks!

Would a few more years have enhanced this 2019 big red, absolutely!  But it worked for dinner.  Most tasters don’t know how to tell if a certain wine is too young.  Definitely a skill that takes practice.  Most amazing wines start out as “too young,” and just like any virtuoso, require some time to compose a masterpiece.

The most asked question of the evening was what I liked?  Well, what if we don’t like the same wine?  Then what I liked doesn’t do you any good.  The better question is; do you know why you liked that wine?  But, what I liked was the Port Style (not Port since it wasn’t from Portugal!) desert wine.  And of course it was the only wine from the dinner not available to buy.  That sums up a lot of my life!

So back to the beginning; why was this event worth your time and not the one the next day, and how can you tell???  Both venues needed to make money but it was how they went about it.  BF had passion and the other didn’t.  The other wanted to push something, BF wanted to showcase.  The other solely relied on its name, BF actually put in the effort.  And finally, BF is run by actual foodies, the other is definitely not!

So do a little research to find what will be worth your time and money, and when you find those passionate about what they’re doing you will probably be rewarded with your choice!  I look forward to Brother Fox’s next experience.

Buying Wine at a Restaurant?

It is no secret that any given wine is going to be more expensive when ordered at a restaurant than if purchased from a store. But just how much more expensive? In a post-COVID-shutdown society the costs that restaurants have to cover have really gone up. Wine is no exception, but the rising cost of wine at restaurants have greatly out paced the other costs.So how much does that bottle of wine really cost? There is the production cost. Then factor in transportation, and perhaps import taxes. Add in some marketing from time to time and then you get pretty close to the wholesale price. Add roughly about 30% to that and you get very close to the retail price. Buy that bottle at a restaurant and you can tack on another, on average, 30-40% on top of that! Ooofff. I hope you like that wine which the restaurant “can’t” let you taste before you order!I love drinking wine at dinner, especially at a nice restaurant, but I also don’t like throwing my money out of the window. That’s what you might be doing if you order a bottle of wine at certain restaurants. Before I decide to order a bottle of wine I want to gauge how a restaurant thinks about its wine. There are several parts that go into how a restaurant thinks about its wine, and how a restaurant thinks about its wine gives me some insight into the culture of that restaurant.Here are a few things that I look for before ordering a bottle of wine at a restaurant. First and Foremost: Can I taste the wine before ordering? If the answer is “No” then don’t buy unless you absolutely know that wine, and/or you are dead set on getting it. Getting to taste it does SO MANY things. Not only does it tell me the obvious of “do I like it or not,” but it tells me if they are stingy with their wine. Restaurants stingy with wine tend to not sell a lot, and therefore tend to not know wine. This leads to storage and service. Try to take a look at where the restaurant stores its wine; is it out of the light, stored, and then SERVED, at the correct temperature? A restaurant that thinks about its wine, that pays attention to it, will have better wine, more worthy of your money!After all that I do consider the mark up. If the mark up is in the tune of 40% then that mark up should come with an experience! If the restaurant doesn’t know wine then why I am going to pay up to 40% more for that bottle?!? Can someone at the restaurant advise me on a wine that will pair correctly with my dinner? Will they present and pour the wine? If it needs to be decanted can they do that? Do they even know if needs that? What am I paying for?Restaurants have to make money, but I want to hold people accountable for that value. If a restaurant can’t do the things or answer the questions listed above, then stick to ordering just a glass of wine, or maybe even a glass of tea!

How to take a chance on a Bottle of Wine

Getting back into my schedule after returning from my trip has proven to be more difficult than I expected. Several missed tastings has been the main casualty, along with my health.

Now that I was finally feeling better I was able to finish my week on a pretty good note while visiting some friends this weekend. An elaborate dinner was planned, so of course I brought a bottle of wine. I have tasted most of the wines that I have in my archives, but a few I took a chance on. The bottle that I brought to share this evening was one of my “Take a Chance on Me” wines. I will probably hum that Abba song for the next bottle!

Due to forces outside of our control, the elaborate dinner turned into a simple cookout. So, after some needed time in the cool healing waters of The Cold Hole of the Magnolia Springs River and a 1/2 mile swim it was time to open the wine I brought.

Is it truly fair to call my bottle, which I hadn’t tasted, a “Take a Chance” wine? It was from a great location, known for growing exceptional grapes of this particular variety, made by a good winemaker. Not expensive but not cheap. I felt pretty confident.

Showing up to a gathering/party/dinner, etc., with a bottle of wine is always a test, especially when everyone knows you as “The Wine Expert” (which I don’t like to be called). I had the wine at the correct temperature (66 F for this hot day) and gave it about 30 minutes of air. My friends’ wives tasted it with me. The first response from one of them was a joyous cuss word, ending with some surprise. I just laughed!

I actually rather enjoy the “pressure” of bring a wine to social gatherings. Nailing it is pretty common for me. Not always, and not to sound arrogant, but when you go to a lot of tastings, begin to pay attention to what you are drinking; the flavors, the feel, and then geek out a little on some wine knowledge, then being confident on a wine that you haven’t tasted should not be a alien concept.

The pictures on this post are the Crowd Favorites from both Aragon on Thursday and The Bottle Shop on Baylen Friday (1 from Aragon, 2 from Bottle Shop). What was my “Take a Chance on Me” wine? Ask me at the next tasting. See you then.

V Paul’s August Vino Magnifico

The night started out with Charles De Fere Blanc De BlancNice bright sparkling wine. apple and peach on the tongue with some easy acidity. A wine you can drink anytime, for any reason.Next, Condo Sur ChardonnayVanilla and oak notes but still very green. The flavor is actually somewhat diluted.Cheese risotto for the interlude. Not bad.Then Gabbiano Chianti Classico 2019 Dark plum color with soft tannins. Raspberry notes roll easily off the back of the tongue. A perennial favorite, this wine can stand well without food and never fails to deliver a great value every day.Now, Uppercut Cabernet Sauvignon 2021. Deep garnet color, heavy tannins and a sweetness n the tip of the tongue. There are dark berries but they dissipate too soon. This is a typical fruit forward California Cabernet that is made to appeal to the masses.To end the evening, Marietta Old Vine Red NV Claret with cherry notes lead to some nicely formed tannins. The dark fruit lasts a good while and the enjoyment of the wine is long lasting. This one is a good value.Hope to see everyone at the next Vino Magnifico!-Melissa and Bob

Wine Experience Give Away

Gulf Coast Wine was founded a year ago to give a home to the amazing and unique wine culture around the Pensacola area. Yet Gulf Coast Wine isn’t just a page for local wine tastings, but a growing community of wine enthusiasts ranging from wine novices to experts.Our goal is to show people how fun and enjoyable wine can be and are passionate about enhancing your wine experience with each glass.To celebrate our first year we are giving away a few awesome wine prizes this week and next week to thank you, the followers of our Newsletter and our Instagram. This week the prizes are:1. From So Gourmet; A Charcuterie Board for Two and $20 toward a bottle of Wine ($45 Value)2. From Aragon Wine Market: A Free Month of Aragon’s “Cru” Wine Club to include a Private Wine tasting profile to find what wine you like, then Two Bottles of wine that match your palate profile. ($33 Value).3. From Anna’s Fine Wine & Beer: Free admission to their July (the 27th) Wine Tasting. ($25 Value)The winners will be selected by random this Friday, June 30th, and will be notified by e-mail for the Newsletter Subscriber winners, and by Instagram Messenger for our Instagram winners. You will have one week to redeem your prize, instructions and directions will be included in the notification.Stay tuned for next week as we will do round two to celebrate our 1st year.

A Nebuchadnezzar!!!!!

This was quite a week of wine! There were six wine tastings in four days! Our local chapter (the Emerald Coast Chapter) of the American Wine Society had a great monthly tasting featuring California Cabs. Yet the highlight of my week was a friend’s birthday party who is a huge wine lover.

I have seen, and drank, a lot of wine. I have seen those big bottles of wine and have even had some. None of it was memorable. But I have never had wine out of the biggest of all wine bottles, until now.

Pictures do a better job of conveying the shear size of a Nebuchadnezzar bottle of wine, the biggest commercially made bottle on Earth! It holds 15 liters, or 20 bottles (normal 750ml bottles) of liquid, and when that liquid is an amazing wine, hold on. Literally, you could drown in this thing.

The wine; Anderson’s Conn Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012, from Napa. It was fabulous! A Wine of Note! No further tasting notes needed. A perfect wine for a special occasion. Fill a Nebuchadnezzar with that wine and you have a wine party to remember, and we all will!!

East Hill Bottle Shop tasting & BBQ

It should be no surprise to most of you; but we go to a wine tasting for the people as much as, sometimes more than, the actual wine. Good wine is always a motivator, so is the yet-to-be-met fellow taster.

This week I had both motivations; going for the wine on Wednesday, then going for the people on Saturday.

Wednesday’s tasting ended up with a Crowd Favorite that surprised most of the tasters with how smooth and easy it was. La Crema Pinot Noir 2019 from the Monterey area of California seemed to hit most tasters just right: light red fruit, no rough tannins, not overly acidic, a great buy for an easy light bodied red wine.

Several friends ended up not being able to join me for the rescheduled Wine & BBQ event as planned. The food was great, yet a chance meeting with an elder retired Marine really made it an experience for me. How often do we have the chance to meet so many amazing and diverse people? Well, wine tastings have proven to increase those chances!

Iron’s Wine Curious Club

Wine with Food, or Food with Wine; which goes first? I guess it depends on how hungry you are. It also depends on how you view wine. Most people plan a dinner (food) and then attempt to pair wine with it. The wine geeks out there tend to do the opposite; pick out a treasured bottle and then attempt to pair the food to the wine.I actually find that picking the wine first is easier.One of our local Sommeliers is adept at both approaches. Hilary Towns, the Certified Somm and founder of Restaurant Iron’s Wine Curious Club, has been pushing the envelope of Pensacola’s Wine Culture for several years.Her approach, backed by the great cuisine of Iron, has its foundation in Curiosity. Her Wine Curious Club meets once a month at Iron with a class that highlights a different region.  She covers what makes that region’s wine unique and why a particular wine goes with a particular food.You don’t have to be a club member to go, but you do have to rsvp by either calling Iron or checking out their website. For the Wine Curious it is definitely something worth exploring.

What’s the best way to Up your Wine Game?

The easiest way to up your wine game is go to local wine tastings. Ask questions, pay attention to what you are actually tasting in your mouth, and talk to the other tasters. If you are finding that you still want more of that wine knowledge then I recommend going to the monthly tastings held by the local chapter of the American Wine Society.Now for those that just started to tune out because you saw “Society,” relax. It’s a club that drinks a lot of wine, eats good food, and then talks about that wine. Even though society sounds fancy, which was probably the point, there are no wine snobs here. No one is going to judge you because you “don’t know wine,” or if you taste something totally different than everyone else, which happens all the time. It’s a chance to hang out, try new wines and learn a little more about wine. Even if you don’t care to know why that wine tastes the way it does you can go to drink, eat, and then drink more. Just make sure you can get home safely.This month’s local chapter AWS meeting was a tasting of the Southern Rhône. The Rhône River Valley region produces some of the best wines in the world. While there are some outstanding white wines that come out of the Rhône the first to mind, and mouth, is red. The “big 3” red grape varietals here are Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, blended together. GSMs from here are often big, potent, yet with the capacity to have finesse with complex fruit. It’s why this is one of my favorite wine regions. If any of this sounds good you can find the Emerald Coast Chapter of the AWS on Facebook or email pamdavey@aol.com (the chapter president) for more information. It’s a good time!

A great evening, and some even had an “Experience!”

“It was an EXPERIENCE!!” That’s what a fellow taster told me when I asked her why she liked tonight’s Cabernet Sauvignon. I had the pleasure to attending tonight’s Special wine tasting with my partner at Gulf Coast Wine, Bob.The Bottle shop featured Etude Winery from Napa, located at the southern end of Napa Valley. Like many Wineries around the world, Etude (French for “Study”) has vineyards not just in Napa Valley but also in Carneros, Santa Rita Hills, and a few other prime California wine areas. Just like the Special tasting earlier in the week at Aragon, all of the wines were very good, some were even great! What we are all after is an experience, but not just an experience, but the “Experience!” The Experience is life changing, can be other-worldly. It is talked about almost elusively. The wine doesn’t need to be expensive or rare. The wines that have given me an “experience” might not give you one. But when you have one of those wines you remember it, remember the feeling, hopefully the taste. I have never heard of a beer drinker having an “experience” from their favorite beer. More power to you if you have.Did you go out to the Special wine tasting? Did you find excuses why you could not attend? Too busy, too expensive? I understand all of that. But what are you after in life? I am after many things, one of them being the never ending search for “an Experience!”