As the former employee of a BioDynamic winery, I’ve had dozens of opportunities to promote the theories of BioDynamic farming. Unfortunately, the vagaries of BioDynamics are founded upon some very challenging ideas. For this reason, and despite my rhetoric on the subject, I feel that the BioDynamic movement remains largely misunderstood. At worst, BioDynamics is labeled as mere superstition. And while this dismissal is entirely unfair, I will admit that the underlying principles of BioDynamics are indeed strange and esoteric. I will also admit that, honestly, I don’t even understand many of the theories that surround BioDynamics [... read more ...]
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The Culinary Timeline is a side-project that I've been working on since October. I'm hoping to have most of it complete by the end of January, with any luck. Until then, updates around here will be weekly, rather than twice weekly. Do stay tuned. • • •
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I had the opportunity to taste up at Newton Vineyard today, where I purchased a couple bottles of the 2006 Newton Claret. Wines like these are satisfying to discover, since they represent tremendous values at their price point. The Newton Claret retails for $25, which is practically unheard of here in Napa. Honestly, you can expect to pay that much — or more — for Sauvignon Blanc or Rosé. The 2006 Newton Claret is definitely a wine to include alongside Chappellet’s 2005 Mountain Cuvee, also a fantastic wine at just $26. These two wines are [... read more ...] I’ve been remiss in posting this past week because I’ve had company in town. My former roommate from culinary school had been here in Napa for a few days, having taken time off from his sous chef duties in New York City. I hadn’t seen Dave in three years, and we’ve taken very divergent paths since graduation. Still, it was interesting to discover how like-minded we were about food. For one thing, we’ve both become dismissive of tasting menus. After all, few restaurants, whether in Napa or NYC, warrant a four-hour marathon dinner. It’s a bit much. [... read more ...] Although many travel writers may rely upon their role as “the outsider” for either a comedic or a dramatic crutch, the most valuable travelogues are the ones that can accurately portray the local point of view. After all, once the narrator becomes a character — rather than a conduit — the fundamental purpose of a travelogue can become muddled. The challenge, of course, is to provide enough detailed perspective to maintain interest and insight, without delving too much into the ordinary and mundane. In Steve Heimoff’s “A Wine Journey along the Russian River,” the author strikes a [... read more ...] Every time I receive a new issue of Wine Spectator, my ritual is always the same. First, I always flip to the back of the magazine to ogle the point rankings. I suppose I’m like most people — I have a strange fascination with the very things that I rally against — but I must admit that I do enjoy reading the scores. I am always eager to see which wineries are anointed with high marks, and likewise, I’m always interested to see how I might agree or disagree with the magazine’s assessments. But shortly after thumbing [... read more ...] If you were a wine drinker 10 years ago, successfully naming five of the red Bordeaux varietals was enough to establish your wine-drinking credibility. Twenty years ago, this may have qualified you as an expert. Of course, back in the heyday of Hearty Burgundy, times were much simpler. These days, as wine has gained popularity in the United States, the stakes have increased dramatically. To a certain extent, the French word terroir seems to have become the American wine drinker’s buzzword of the moment — perhaps the secret handshake for some — as U.S. consumers attempt to [... read more ...]
Even on weekdays, the parking lot of La Morenita Market remains a bustling hub of activity, perhaps the one place in Napa that could easily pass for East Los Angeles. Late-model trucks and SUVs crowd the lot, right alongside plenty of Reagan Era hoopties. Typically, the parking lot’s soundtrack is a clash of norteño music and Spanish talk radio, with pockets of folks congregated next to their vehicles, half-listening and half-socializing. Although stores like Target and Wal-Mart are definitely cross-cultural here in California, La Morenita Market fills in the gaps for Latinos, [... read more ...] Last month, a weekend trip to Los Angeles reacquainted me with a couple of my old favorites, Paco’s Tacos on Centinela and Tito’s Tacos on Washington Boulevard. Angelinos have known about both of these places for years, and frankly, I mention them here only in homage, not as some great undiscovered secret. After all, the real culinary secrets are cherished by locals themsleves, and I no longer fit into that category. In a perfect world, my visit to Los Angeles would’ve included several other can’t-miss spots, but my list of old haunts is simply too long and [... read more ...] |
 
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© 2012 The Accidental Wino |
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