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On my first visit I was struck by how amazingly open people were. Many had just returned to the city and I quickly found that if you asked about the hurricane they would willingly share their story, and EVERYONE had a story. I heard from restaurateurs about the temperatures that soared without power, food liquefying and destroying the walk-in refrigerators to the point that the entire ground beneath had to be irradiated and removed. I heard about a man whose family works for a large luxury hotel as a manager. He expected that it would be fun time staying in the hotel during the hurricane with family, but when the windows began to blow in they were evacuated to the ballroom, only to be at the last minute pulled away from her colleagues and sent to the Superdome. There he witnessed things he could not talk about. I sat in awe as story after story flowed from them with sincerity and a matter of fact candor that was surprising to me. There were moments of anger, tales of unresponsiveness and unfair circumstances, FEMA trailers, poverty and incredible loss. Hair whitened by trauma, souls forever scarred by pure terror, and the worst, the sense of abandonment, that they were the forgotten by this nation. I always like to dig deeply into anyplace I visit, but I was timid when I asked the oyster shucker at Destiny if he thought I should go and see the damage, I did not want to treat this disaster as if it were an attraction to go and see, but I truly wanted to understand. I was stunned at how quickly he answered, saying emphatically that I should go. On the way to the airport before I left New Orleans that first time I arranged for the taxi to take me to see what had happened.

Lenox Chatmon picked me up at my hotel and opened the door for me, but instead I got in the front seat of his taxi. I once again checked to see if this journey of mine was an acceptable request and Lenox began his explanation of all that had happened in the days of Hurricane Katrina, the days following and the subsequent Hurricane Rita. We first descended on the 9th Ward where I was absolutely stunned to see that a year later most of the destruction was still very much visible. Stairs to nowhere, cars underneath houses, fences twisted like tin foil scraps and throughout the area spray paint that very bluntly described what had happened here. Everywhere a sense of desolation, an incredible sense of quiet laid heavy in the air, even though the heat of November is less oppressive than normal. It was hard not to cry as complete and utter disbelief grabbed a hold of me. The amazing thing was as we wrapped up our short tour of the 9th Ward I expected we were headed to the airport, but in fact there was more. Much more. Over the next hour and a half Lenox showed me more and more neighborhoods, some with worse wind damage, others with damage from water, and water lines visible on the sides of the buildings. Every now and then you would see life, a family or two on their porch in the midst of abandoned houses for what seemed (and likely was) like miles.

Upon arriving at the airport I broke down, and from then on New Orleans has been stuck firmly in my heart. Every time I return I feel a stronger connection, but who would have thought that what seems to be its most flashy, showy, touristy festival would hit me with such power and intensity that I would once again be moved to tears (actually multiple times) by the incredible connection and love that New Orleans has shown me.

Flights for Mardi Gras book up fast, so I had to fly in later than I had hoped. All my friends, and even my brother who had opted to come, had already arrived. They were busy grabbing beads at the Bacchus parade as I landed at Louis Armstrong International with way too much luggage and a bag housing a huge tail of purple feathers for my purple peacock costume. Amazing how nice people are to you when you have a crazy feathered tail as part of your carry-on luggage. Luckily the cab line was short and traffic was semi-manageable as I made my way towards the Wyndham Baronne Plaza Hotel, just outside the French Quarter. There would have been no way to get my luggage to my place with the hoards of crowds on Canal Street, even still the cab had to drop me a few blocks away. As I was on the way to meet up with my friends for pizza at Sugar Park I figured it would be imperative for me to check out the festivities just a block or so away from my hotel, maybe just peek around the corner to see the parade. I quickly found that the crowds are insane, my quick foray becoming about a half hour trip to walk one block where at times my feet were barely in contact with the ground, which was slick with alcohol, slippery beads and some other unsavory and thankfully unidentifiable substances. As I rounded the bend and began a long search for a taxi I was beginning to worry that we had made a very bad decision to come during Mardi Gras. Thousands of people gathering to grab a few plastic beads?

I was relieved when I walked into Sugar Park, a cozy little building in what seemed like the middle of nowhere that offers pizza and is BYOB. My friends Andrew, a local and Julie, my roomie for the weekend from SF, and a new friend visiting, Krista, were there in good spirits, dripping in beads. Our other SF contingent, Kimberly and Killian had opted to save their energy for the next day, brother Omar and friend Katie from SF and her cousin Marissa were impossible to contact (phone service is very difficult during Mardi Gras, texts don’t work either) so it was just four of us. Food was waiting, but they had finished most of the wine that they’d brought so I headed to the small market across the street to grab some Abita Amber, and was starting to feel human again as I ate and tried to catch up and listened to their accounts of the parade. I went to Mardi Gras with very little of an agenda, only to dress as Sagittarius for the Society of St. Anne’s parade, and also to join in on the purple party on Lundi Gras, as a purple peacock. I had heard about the purple party from both a friend of a friend and a very close friend, Jane, thinking that the two parties were one in the same, but I had very little information.

“So what’s the deal with this purple party anyway?” Andrew said just a little loudly for the tiny restaurant and its 10 diners…
“Well I know it’s some time tomorrow but I really do not have any information about it, I figure I will hear something about it soon, don’t worry we will figure it out.” I replied.

Within seconds a woman from the next table hopped up and said, “In most places there’s six degrees of separation, but here in New Orleans it’s one, my friend Stuart is the one that runs the purple party! He’s sitting right over there.” She pointed…

I think I must have blushed wondering, jeez here I am coming to a city I am not a part of and claiming I am going to this party that I wasn’t really invited to and I have invited all my friends and now look what happens. I think I stammered something of an apology and asked if it was ok if a few of my friends came to the party. She immediately demanded that we go and called over to Stuart to tell him we were coming. We chatted a bit and she asked me where I had heard about the party, I mentioned the aquaintance that had told me about it but it didn’t ring a bell with her (who knew that was a different party) and so she was about to depart back to her table when I introduced myself and asked her name. As she said Tracy… it struck me, my friend Jane, an avid fan of New Orleans, had told me about the purple party and told me I absolutely must meet Tracy. She said, if you don’t run into her you have to go to her shop Kabuki Hats.. And of course here she was standing in front of me… I was in town no more than an hour and a half and had all the information I needed provided to me. Uncanny and for one of many times this trip I heard that if you are open, in New Orleans things like this happen all the time.

We finished up and were joined by another friend of the group, Kevin, who I met for the first time and we decided on his recommendation to head over to where he was staying to meet up with Emery and Kristian. We were greeted by a grand staircase edged with Jurassic ferns leading to two rocking chairs and as we walked into the quiet house we saw a Christmas tree with presents around it all lit up. A gorgeous place, it was fun to see the little details such as well-placed coffee cans conveniently nailed to the walls where they can most easily be filled with beer caps. Back and forth we nestled in little areas where we could enjoy some guitar and banjo playing and eventually a fire at a fire pit. Their group came home to find us free-loading in their house, my friend Julie and I uninvited and making ourselves at home, doing our best to drain their keg of Abita (with iced pint glasses), a freshie with each pour, and they could not have been more hospitable, even though they both had to get up very early the next day. Emery filled the house with the home-cooked smell of red beans and rice as we played guitar out by the smoky fire. Every now and then we would see the lights dim and hear the wheeze of the circular saw as either Kevin or Kristian would chop up some more wood (claimed from a neighbors dumpster) for the fire. There are moments that just cannot be described, and this was one, a feeling of complete happiness filled every cell of my being as they humored me and let me play some of my songs for them, I felt the glow from the fire and a glow of supreme content within my heart. I could not have had a better introduction to the weekend.

At the end of the night Julie and I headed to our hotel, an interior room with a teeny window that looked out onto an atrium filled with the echoes of revelers throughout the night, but we slept pretty well.

PART TWO
Excitement filled us as we woke and prepped our costumes for the purple party. We headed to Napoleon House for a classic cocktail, the Pimm’s Cup, and some lunch and then zipped back to the hotel to prepare to meet up with the “Flash Mob” outside of Harrah’s. With a lot of struggle (cell service was still spotty) we managed to connect with my brother, Katie and Marissa, who I had yet to see. We had to of course stop by The Roosevelt for a Ramos Fizz along the way. The “Flash Mob” started out to be a couple of purple people milling around while a DJ spun tunes for some interesting dancers, not affiliated with our group… one woman moving her ass like nothing I have ever seen. It was a pretty interesting scene. Slowly the group started to meld and get to know each other, not really by name save for a few asking who the hell we were and how we knew Stuart, but not in an adversarial way, just in a curious way. As we gathered people asked to take our photos and I enjoyed being the subject in all my peacock finery. Finally our fearless leader Stuart arrived with a scepter of ribbons and we started our procession along the streetcar tracks to Chickie Wah Wah, a bar up Canal Street. Along route we chatted and one woman asked how we had ended up here. When we told her of our chance encounter at Sugar Park she said, “Lady NOLA either loves you or hates you, and if she loves you she takes care of those types of things.” She said very matter-of-factly, “She must love you.” It was a pretty long walk before we were able to get on a street car that was mostly full, but it was so fun to see the reactions of the riders as we filled the red car with purple plumes, sequins and satin. Dripping feathers and sequins, we got off the streetcar to cheers as we met up with the rest of the Purple People and entered the bar where Tribe Nunzio was playing for us. Purple punch was available and my first King’s Cake was presented, made by Stuart himself. Kimberly and Killian arrived, rejuvenated from the previous night, with purple eyelashes for us. A gender illusionist named Pickles gave Tracy, my new friend Desier and me a makeup lesson in the ladies room and we drank lots of beer.

Happily drunk we made our way to a neighborhood bar called Pal’s which has burlesque drawings on the walls and about three cases of Miller High Life cold and ready to go on the bar. Go in the back and you can play air hockey and see the swinging saloon doors that offer very little protection as they lead into the men’s room covered with nude photos of women. Upon seeing this we immediately ran into the ladies room to see if it had similar décor, only to find Burt Reynolds in a very interesting pose. At this point food became imperative and we hit Santa Fe for some food outside since there was a long wait for a table. My brother was chilly, so a waiter who was actually just finishing his shift loaned him his sweater to wear on the condition that he leave it with the host after. Food came a bit too late for me, we hit dba to see Little Freddie King, he was amazing, but I was done. After a few head nods, my feathers a bit droopy, time to go.

PART THREE
I was glad to get a bit of sleep since Mardi Gras day was full of activity which started by getting up at 5:30am to head over to Emery and Kristian’s house. As we drove there we saw the first groups setting up everything from barbecues to smokers along the parade route. We had to get up early to try to find the Skeletons and the Indians, which was all new to me. The Skeletons drag huge chains through the streets of the Bywater to wake the living, reminding them that life is precious and you should get up and live it. This was especially poignant to me considering that I lost a great friend, Tommy Bermejo, just a week before. The Mardi Gras Indians represent different tribes of local native Americans, it was said that when slaves were able to escape that they were often taken in by the local tribes as their own and to honor this safe harbor they gave tribute to their tribes at Mardi Gras, they work tirelessly to make elaborate costumes. We all piled into a huge Suburban and began our journey with a quick stop back to Pal’s for Bloody Mary’s.

Rolling through the streets we listened to WWOZ 90.7 who gave reports on Mardi Gras filled with the classic Mardi Gras tunes that I was sad I did not know yet. Round and round we went trying to avoid getting stuck in traffic and looking for Skeletons and Indians. This tradition really struck me, amazing that you could experience such pain and suffering as slavery, something so negative, but in the same instant find something so positive as the open arms of those tribes for those runaway slaves.

We hit the Bywater Cultural Center but unfortunately there were not yet any Indians there. We had to pick up another part of our group Susanne, and right where we grabbed her there they were, the Skeletons. Amazing with the enormous chains behind them, said to be a relic from a slave ship.

We aborted the mission to put on costumes and shared space in the mirror as we primped and preened (especially their group, they were birds!). We left Emery’s house a wreck of glitter and feathers and it was back into the car and it off to Marcus’ house. Apparently Marcus throws the party every year to kick off the Society of St. Anne parade. St. Anne’s is a group of highly creative people that have some of the most incredible costumes. Some mini-krewes like the birds exist but generally anything goes. My half horse/half human costume wasn’t that great compared to my peacock, which I should have worn again in restrospect, but it was really comfortable which is key. When we parked the car and arrived close to Marcus’ house we were greeted by a bull that had crazy dark techno punk music coming from it and a crazy seemingly very “touched” guy who was rolling it around a parking lot.

As we got closer to Marcus’ we saw throngs of people all gathering together, the colors and the excitement building until someone said, “We are rolling! ROLLING!” and the groups started to march. The parade weaved through the tiny streets of the Bywater for quite a while, it was amazing to see the various outfits, sometimes you would see the same groups over and over, but then you would see a totally new group as people peeled on and off the route, some stopping in bars along the way to the French Quarter. The excitement of the parade shifted as we entered the Quarter and we saw that now it was not really the mutual adoration of each others costumes but now the tourists were watching us, we became the spectacle.  As we were rolling down Royal street a very finely dressed gentleman said, “What are YOU doing here?!” It was Chris Hannah of Arnaud’s French 75 bar, one of the greatest bartenders in the world, in my opinion. With him was my dear friend Vince from San Francisco.

Luckily our group knew a gracious woman who owned a gorgeous apartment overlooking Royal Street in the heart of everything where we had a chance to take a break, throw some beads and eat some hot dogs. When we arrived she was excited to see us even though, once again we showed up without “an invite”. “Sagittarius and Leo! Let me take a picture!” She said smiling as we posed. We got a much different perspective from the balcony!  After some more hot dogs we got back on the route and headed to Constantine’s house.  Susanne and Krista had met him during a previous Mardi Gras, so there we were in one of the most gorgeous apartments (historic of course) overlooking Jackson Square. On the way we luckily ran into Chris and Vince again who had a shopping cart full of a Pago Pago cocktail, thank goodness as we were very thirsty again by then. There was red beans and rice to give us some extra energy and we enjoyed just hanging out there. I never met Constantine but I thank him for his hospitality, I was getting good at this uninvited thing…

As we left the rain came down a bit and we figured we should shoot up to Tonique for a cocktail and start heading home to the house. Walking the streets we crossed Bourbon, a much different type of mood than where we had been, I barely noticed it. We crossed through into an area of gay bars which offered some new and interesting scenery and I had a chance to check in with some gay bouncers at a club while one of our group got cigarettes there (I wanted to make sure he came out unscathed!) They were sweet and funny and it made me think how lucky I am to also live in a city that is as open as San Francisco and New Orleans are. In fact it made my think of the Mint, my favorite karaoke Bar in SF.

Tonique makes delicious cocktails! Two Aviations and a couple chicken dances and we were feeling well-oiled and it was off to hit the Backstreet Cultural Center once again in search of Indians. When we arrived there was a ceremony going on, a green tribe member was in a gorgeous beaded and feathered costume. We stayed for quite a while watching as the blue tribe children danced played and then saw a peach colored tribe member approach but then retreat. The whole scene was surreal, and very beautiful, and I found myself crying as I now knew a bit more about the incredible significance of some of the Mardi Gras traditions, to know the backstory was huge.

We decided our best option was to keep on walking so we continued on foot, a LONG walk but filled with amazing opportunities to talk to folks in the area. We soon hit the Treme neighborhood and entered the Candlelight Lounge. This place was a definite neighborhood bar/hangout. Here things get a bit hazy, not because of alcohol, but more because as I started to enjoy a sense of amazing peace… The scene seemed to be full of locals, I think there was a band, I think I remember some food being grilled. It was a scene no less, and we enjoyed being a part of it. Katie and my brother were still not with us, communications become really difficult due to lack of cell service and the overall craziness of Mardi Gras day, but she was calling so I ran over to a little area where there was an opening to outside to talk to her. I heard some of the worst news. For those that do not know, I have been a regular at The Mint Karaoke Lounge for many years, ok, perhaps you may laugh, but it’s a great spot, and as anyone who has a regular hangout knows you get to know your fellow bar flys intimately. It seemed to me that Katie was telling me that one of our closest friends from the Mint, B, had passed away. In disbelief I ran from the bar. I cannot begin to tell you the surreal nature of this statement, given to me by a mutual friend of his who also happened to be there with me in New Orleans at the same time but not exactly with me, just insanity. I cried, I screamed. I kicked boxes outside the Candle Light but I was helpless. What could I possibly do, save make the rest of my old and newfound friends absolutely miserable. B would never have wanted that, he was a partier… He would not have wanted things to be any different… So I went back inside, told my friends why my face was tear-stained and told them that we must continue on. Another reminder that life should be lived, no remorse, no waiting, no stopping. Wake up and live before you die. Moments of intense joy are right there next to deep sadness. That is living. It became more clear to me than ever.

We continued on after the Candle Light on to where we saw the Zulu parade was ending and happened upon the celebration at the end… We were right in front of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club. As we stood there deciding what to do, our friends decided to grab a beer and walked in, so we followed. We were received in a polite yet indifferent attitude. I was so honored to have been allowed entry into this special place. We continued on our journey, and I offered my little bow and arrow to a child along the way.  We found that many wanted to have their photos taken with us as we passed their door steps. We also heard a young girl say, “Where are your beads!?!?” in horror, and I realized that after all this time I had not yet received one strand.  As I grabbed the one she tossed me I enjoyed a pulse of exhilaration upon catching it. We finally made it to the wonderful and comforting Emery/Kristian compound where Emery had crafted the MOST AMAZING GUMBO I have ever had. They let me invite Katie and my brother over to enjoy it with us, and we simmered down to a low boil in terms of inebriation, ending the day with a little more music on the guitar but trying not to overdo it. I even got the baby in the King’s Cake which I think means I have to make the next cake or host the next event.  We watched the creepy Rex celebration on TV where the young girl and really old Rex hang out at this gala thing, totally surreal. I really wanted to see the French Quarter shut down at midnight on the dot, but once Julie and I got back to our room-cave of darkness it was lights out literally and figuratively.

PART FOUR
Amazingly we went to sleep so early that we were up early ready to enjoy one last day of relaxation (or so we thought) in New Orleans. Julie and I played tourists eating beignets and iced coffee, and of course I got my favorite the Verti Marte shrimp po-boy undressed with pickles and butter. We actually toured the Katrina exhibit at the museum which was very moving, and then viewed the Mardi Gras exhibit. Having experienced it the day before the museum seemed weird as of course it could not possibly do it justice. Before we knew it we had to head out to meet the group for one last time (although half had already headed home that morning) for dinner at a really cool Lebanese restaurant, then off to Arnaud’s for a Ramos Fizz from the esteemed Chris Hannah. While there my buddy Vince happened to be there (not really surprising actually by this point) and told us that very soon the Treme Brass Band would be playing at a bar not too far away. He said, “It’s this place called the Candlelight” to which I replied, “Oh yeah, I’ve been there…” (He was a bit surprised!)

Texts back and forth that they were playing and to get there soon helped us peel ourselves away from the delicious cocktails.  There was a cover, and a more diverse crowd than the day before, so we paid our $5 and found a spot up front around a table and started to ease into the amazing vibe that the band created. Vince told me that his heart was wounded hearing about Katrina until the first time he returned and saw Uncle Lionel, band leader. “When I saw that Uncle Lionel was okay I knew that New Orleans was going to be okay.” he told me while wiping a tear from his eye. He too was missing our friend Tommy Bermejo dearly, so I told him about B from the Mint and we cried a few tears, just a very emotional time, all the while the band played on. Funny that the Candle Light had become such a special place to me all in the matter of a day.

Uncle Lionel likes the ladies so was available for a few photo opportunities and the entire group at the Candlelight was in great spirits. I watched as a man walked in, a lady on one hand and a cigarette in the other. He accidentally touched it to the arm of the woman working there as they hugged, she hollered at him jokingly and he walked to the bar smiling. I smiled at her good nature and offered my icy MGD bottle to soothe her arm where he’d burned her. She said to me, “You know who that is? That’s Kermit Ruffins! He’s my ex-husband! I told him he can add some money to the alimony check!” For those not in the know Kermit is one of the most amazing jazz trumpeters and musicians. After a bit more sitting the Woman Whose Ex was Kermit demanded that we get our asses out of the chairs and get up and dance, so we did, and I saw a woman give the most amazing tambourine performance ever. I am not sure who she was but she joined the band for just one song and was hitting the tambourine on every possible surface of her body, each time getting a different sound, all the while with the most exhilerating beat. The whole scene just brought pure joy, vibrancy and an electric feeling of being alive. It was really amazing. As the night wound down I headed to the restroom while my friends began to chat with the owner of the Candlelight. I had heard rumors of the importance of the Zulu Coconuts and had secretly thought how amazing it would be to get one, but tried not to be so needy, so wanting, and since Mardi Gras was over I thought I would have to wait for next year. Much to my dismay as I exited the restroom I watched in awe as the proprietor of the Candlelight handed coconuts to Vince and Julie. I headed out front to meet my other friends, trying not to be jealous and finally just coming to terms with it. I have learned recently that wanting is not a way to get something, but to be grateful and happy with what you have is much more productive. So although it was hard for a second, I decided that this was not my time to get my coconut and to be happy for my friends who did. The minute my mind was set on this path the door of the Candlelight opened, and one of the staff came up to me.  She said, “They want you in there.” And turned around.  I followed her back into the bar and she lead me to Leona Grandison, the proprietor. Leona asked me a few questions, I guess to gauge my sincerity and worthiness.  I can’t remember exactly what she said I was an in a very intense state.  I think it was something like, “Do you like it here in New Orleans? Where you from?”  I explained to her how special her bar had become to me, I told her that I was at the same time filled with joy and remembrance of my friends lost, just basically feeling alive, I think I tried to explain how I felt in the City of New Orleans. She motioned to a woman, who I think was her daughter, and pointed to a shelf behind the bar.  She brought a coconut over to Leona and placed it in her hands. It was a surreal moment as she transferred it to mine, almost as if for safe keeping. I was almost on a different plane, but I think that as she gave it to me she said something like, “You come back now, I expect to see you back here.” And that was it. The most amazing end to my Mardi Gras.

A usual celebration continued that evening, we stayed up all night to prevent missing our 6am flight, drinking at various places, hanging with each other, enjoying the company, basically just being. I headed home and straight to my dear friend Tommy’s wake.

White/Black, Light/Dark, Rich/Poor, Young/Old, Gay/Straight, Happy/Sad, Living/Dead, they are all one. New Orleans reminds me of this. She is so special to me.  I am so grateful to her for reassuring me that I am on the right path, that each step of this journey is meaningful even when I don’t know exactly where I am going.  I never really understood the concept of a parade.  I always thought, “What’s the point?  Where are these people going?”  Now I think I get it.

SPREADS, DIPS and SALSAS
Taste No. 5 Umami Paste www.laurasanttini.com
This was a real shocker to find, within the booth at Picadilly Imports is this gem, gorgeous packaging and a truly unique product. Umami is of course considered the 5th taste, a taste of savory deliciousness found in products high in glutamic acids, the artificial version being MSG. Here producer Laura Santtini has taken the products that are famous for being high in umami and combined them to create a paste that can transform a bland meal into something more savory. The paste includes tomato, Parmesan cheese and porcini mushroom and is in a tube perfect for smearing onto a cracker or using as a rub for fish or meats Another great idea is a squeeze tossed into pasta. On its own it was really good, and on a little cube of cheese also delicious, and shelf stable before opening

Mrs. Renfro’s Gourmet Salsa www.renfrofoods.com
I rarely if ever eat salsa in a jar, but just the other day my favorite Mexican market salsa even disappointed, I mean you just can’t get great tomatoes right now, so maybe this put me in just the right mood to dig the Mrs. Renfro’s Ghost Pepper Salsa! Also the ghost pepper, who knew? in 2007 the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that the Bhut Jolokia is the hottest pepper ever, not sure why or how they did this, but… It has a kick very unlike most jarred salsas which I often find so dull and boring… I am sure that their other salsas must be great as well, but I am literally going out to buy this very soon. I think that it would be fantastic on eggs.

Original Glop www.glopiton.com
A Parmesan cheese and olive oil concoction that is ideal for dollops atop a burger or cracker. Truly delicious and they also make some other fun sauces.

Bella Cucina www.bellacucina.com
Numerous beautiful dips and delicious light crackers and the most beautifully decorated stand in the entire show.

CHEESE & CRACKERS

Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board www.eatwisconsincheese.com
Definitely search out the American Cheese Society with a big presence from Wisconsin cheeses, my favorite was the Bleu Mont Dairy Co. Reserve, you could really taste the milk and the grass that the cows fed on in this cheese despite the long aging time.

Redwood Hill Farm www.redwoodhill.com
I am a huge fan of Redwood Hill Farm’s goat cheeses, especially Camellia and Cameo, although I am usually not so into goats cheeses. These still have the goaty flavor (which I enjoy) but without the dry chalkiness. The Cameo has peppercorns and lemon verbena laid on top of the cheese for added flavor.

Cypress Grove www.cypressgrovechevre.com
Although most bee-line for the Humboldt Fog, I am less of a fan of that but a huge fan of the Lamb Chopper, a firmer cheese with a great nutty texture. Just delicious.

Rustic Bakery www.rusticbakery.com
Some of the best crackers out there, and luckily I had to keep moving because I could eat their cheese coins all day long.

Mozzarella Company Dallas Texas www.mozzco.com
This company has a really nice Scamorza and offered a really unique pairing of their blue with a ginger snap, it’s more of a dessert cheese, soft and spreadable rather than crumbly. Very tasty.

Comte www.comte-usa.com
One of my favorite French cheeses from the Jura, really simple nutty and delicious. I love to chop it into bite sized pieces and take it on trips for snacking.

Karoun www.karouncheese.com
I have always been a fan of Karoun string cheese, especially with caraway seeds, but now they also have Yanni, a grillable that’s less salty than Haloumi. Really tasty and they are a local producer here in Northern California.

CHOCOLATE & CARAMEL
CC MADE Artisanal Caramel www.ccmade.com
These amazing caramels and caramel sauces are not to be missed! Try a cone of caramel corn in one of two flavors, Pistachio Caramel and Spiced Almond Caramel or the Bitter Sea Salt caramel. Cassandra Chen and I worked together at Jardiniere and so I am so happy to have a chance to once again taste her creations! She’s a foodie and really knows flavor, so as a fun exercise she has also paired her caramel sauces with unique salts. She was also kind enough to give me tips on her favorite products in the room! CC Made is in the New Product area.

Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolates www.bissingers.com
I got drawn into this huge booth by the Muscat grapes soaked in Shiraz and covered in chocolate, like a grown up Raisinette, and then by the Lemon Ginger Yuzu Gummy Bear, delicious. Then I saw it, “Apple Ghost Chile Caramel” and was extremely intrigued. I had up to this point never heard of ghost chile

Moonstruck Chocolate Co. www.moonstruckchocolate.com
Single Origin Chocolate Venezuelan 39% and 74% and Dominican Republic 72% Chef Julian Rose is Master Chocolatier and Director of Research and Development. Their catalogs they have some really fun truffle like critters, a Toffee Pig, and Extra Bittersweet Lamb. Fortunato No. 4 is a bar made from Pure Nacional cacao, thought to be extinct but found in a remote canyon in Peru and Moonstruck is the exclusive retailer in the US. They also have Chocolate Cafes if you find yourself in the Portland area.

Dufflet Small Indulgences www. dufflet.com
Caramel Crackle almond and pistachio salty crispy crunchy snack and other crispy bark type chocolate snacks. Very tasty!

Fearless Chocolate www.fearless.chocolate.com
Raw Organic Chocolate, San Francisco Bay Area based. I recommend the Super Seeds Crunch 70% Cacao

MEATS
Olli Salumeria www.ollisalumeria.com
Made by 4th Generation Italian Salumiere Olli Colmignoli these salames are made with pork from pasture bred pigs on sustainable farms. The Lomo and Coppa were particularly good, my last bite yesterday and I have planned that it will be my first bite today. They are located in the new products room and are well worth a visit!

La Quercia Genuine Artisan Cured Meats www.laquercia.us
Owned by Herb and Kathy Eckhouse La Quercia specializes in amazing organic charcuterie products hand made using high quality base products. All the meats are great, especially their Berkshire Heirloom Prosciutto (the first and only organic prosciutto currently available in the US) and a great thing is their packaging has biodegradable interleaving.

Hudson Valley Foie Gras www.hudsonvalleyfoiegras.com
Do not miss this booth! Foie gras, rillettes and charcuterie abound, and perhaps you can talk to them about how you can help defend your freedom to choose because foie gras becomes illegal in 2012, I guess it’s ok since the world will have ended and what not…

ASIAN PRODUCTS
Yamamotoyama www.yamamotoyama.com
I have always been a fan of Yamamotoyama’s teas, especially their packets of easy to mix iced Japanese green tea (great to drop into any water bottle while you are travelling and don’t have time to make a coffee in your hotel room!) Today I tried an amazing and fun product, SushiParty, a soy wrapper in multi color (Sesame, Pink, Spinach Green, Paprika Orange, Original and Turmeric Yellow) that is ideal for wrapping just about anything. Today I had it with a much welcomed salad, but it could be a godsend when I find myself trying to deal with a Thai style shrimp wrap or some such thing. All are non GMO and naturally colored.

Sushi Now Instant Miso Soups www.sushinow.com
I love miso soup but I get really irritated at those plastic bags that you end up disposing of after 1-2 servings, and they squirm around my cabinets and fall out every time I go in there, so I was excited to see these fun soups in a nice recyclable plastic jar, add as much or as little mix as you want to balance the flavor to your liking. The traditional was the best and they do a Vegan Sesame that is made without the bonito flakes subbing mushrooms.

OILS & DRESSINGS
McEvoy Ranch Olive Oil and Olive Products www.mcevoyranch.com
A long time favorite oil of mine, the oil is delicious and they also have a line of soaps and lotions called 80 Acres. after a long hard day of tasting and eating nothing is more relaxing than massaging your tired sampling fingers with some of the McEvoy olive oil based body butter infused with Lemon Verbena. www.mcevoyranch.com

La Tourangelle California Gourmet Oils www.latourangelle.com
There wasn’t quite the same crowd surrounding Preeti Mistry as there was around Guy Fieri and the Ace of Cakes dude, but her Thai Carrot Ginger Soup was delicious, and vegan. Preeti was a contestant on Top Chef Season 6 and used the La Tourangelle Thai Wok Oil in the soup. Their avocado oil was delicious as was the pumpkinseed. Their nut oils are all made using local Northern California nuts and of course they have a delicious white truffle which I like to use on popcorn.

Briannas Fine Salad Dressings www.briannassaladdressings.com
These gorgeous packages are a standard on the shelf, but I had never tasted their Rich Santa Fe Blend, a subtle blend of peppers, but not spicy it would make a delicious dressing or marinade and it contains not fat at all! Their new Classic Buttermilk Ranch is tangy and tasty and the Dijon Honey Mustard more at home as a dip than a dressing, sweet and rich.

WATERS AND SODAS
Hint Water www.drinkhint.com
I am a big fan of flavored waters without any added sugar, and Hint has absolutely no sugar at all, it’s one of my favorite beverages because it has zero calories. Their flavors tend towards fruit based items, it reminds me of Smart Water before they started in a different direction.

Ayala’s Herbal Water www.herbalwater.com
Very similar to Hint Water in that these have no sweetener or colorings, but they are as the title suggests based on herbal flavorings, there’s a really exciting range of flavors, and two are actually sparkling, but my favorites are Lemongrass Mint Vanilla, Lavender Mint, Cloves Cardamom Cinnamon (very fall like!) and Lemon Verbena Geranium. I appreciated that the vendor took me through a “flight” of the waters from lightest in intensity to fullest, just like wine, and some of the flavors are reminiscent of wines, the Lemon Verbena Geranium reminding me of Gewurztraminer. These could be really interesting in a cocktail. They are USDA Organic certified and the water comes from a spring in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Also has zero sugar, zero calories, zero preservatives and zero artificial ingredients.

12 Beverage www.twelvebeverage.com
I was inundated with “low calorie”, no added sugar soda type beverages, but one that really stood out was 12 Beverage. They make an absolutely delicious “white” beverage with notes of fennel and ginger. No wonder it actually tastes good it was designed by Alfred Portale and David Burke, two New York chefs. The flavor is very adult and reminiscent of wine but a great non-alcoholic alternative. Not overly sweet either.

Duchess of Rutland Botanicals www.belvoircastle.com
I don’t want to get you too excited because these are not yet imported, but they are delicious sodas lightly flavored and not too sweet! Elderflower & Rose and Raspberry & Lavender.

TEA
Steven Smith Teamaker www.smithtea.com
It’s amazing how many of the best products I tried came from Portland. This tea was really amazing and if you ask nicely they may let you try some of their cool tea infusions. First they take local fruits, such as marion berries, and infuse them in water, then they make tea with that water, so it gives a very subtle fruitiness to the beverage. They were really delicious.

Mighty Leaf www.mightyleaf.com
A long-time favorite of mine they have some great flavors and now make larger tea bags for steeping iced tea in bulk. I take this tea with me whenever I travel, you’d be amazed at how relaxing a Southwest flight becomes when you smell their Jasmine brewing in your cup of hot water rather than crappy airplane tea…

Tisano www.eastblufftrading.com
Tea made from chocolate, it had a really interesting slightly earthy flavor. They served it unsweetened and it reminded me of buckwheat tea, it’s made from the husks of the chocolate and is supposed to be very healthy. They also make fantastic chocolate coated nibs, Kakosi nibbles.

OTHER
Ecotensil www.ecotensil.net
A few purveyors were decidedly annoyed when rather than asking them about their product I asked them about the cool Ecotensil, a tiny strip of heavy coated paper that you bend into a spoon shape, brilliant idea and 100% biodegradable and/or recyclable! They break down faster than corn based spoons and take up less room when shipped!

WHERE TO GET A DRINK!

Despite the plethora of great food it was hard to find any alcoholic beverages, unless of course you head to the Mexico pavilion where a party was going on… The Beemster Cow was dancing for producers of vegan food and folks were enjoying some of the great tequilas and mezcales. Premium Mezcales had a great lineup of products www.premiummezcal.com including an extra aged Mezcal. While over there check out Amate tequilas www.amate.com including their Grand Mayan and Quinta Esencia Agave Nectar They make a dark agave nectar with more flavor than most. www.quintaesenciamx.com

Other ways to get your drink on, Tortuga Rum Cakes is now making a rum flavored turtle chocolate, in keeping with the name (tortuga of course means turtle in Spanish the name Columbus gave to the Cayman Islands, like the little turtle shells sunning on the shore) and they have a delicious rum soaked cake in multiple flavors. www.tortugarumcakes.com The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley www.perfectpuree.com was making cocktails with Jenni and Marko Karakasevic of Charbay yesterday and today with H Ehrmann from Elixir and Square One.

If you are at the show don’t forget to stop by Jelly Belly for some dog food flavored jelly beans (kidding, but I did taste them) and to check out their cool jelly bean artwork!

Journey One: Downtown
How Wine Became Modern at SF Moma: A new exhibit opened up recently at SF MOMA, How Wine Became Modern, focusing on design and wine from 1976, the year of the Paris Tasting until now. This is apparently unusual for the museum as it is a more experiential installation. Henry Urbach the gentleman who helped create the exhibit calls himself “not a wine geek”, and “interloper” so it should be interesting for even not so savvy wine types. The idea was “to allow the world of wine to become a mirror to a cultural condition that is ours”. They have some really creative galleries that focus on art, design, glassware, labels, soil, additives and media. Concurrently the museum has other interesting installations including a bridge of sound (Sonic Shadows) by Bill Fontana, an interactive auditory sculpture. They also have a great gift shop to browse through and pick up what you really wanted for Christmas. http://www.sfmoma.org/pages/exhib_events

Dim Sum at Yank Sing: Yank Sing has some of the greatest dim sum in the city. It may not be as good of a value as more traditional places, and some find it a little bit “fancy” but there is no question that it is delicious. I especially love their black bean oil that you can use to add some zip to some of the dishes. Designate one person at the table to monitor what you get so you do not overdo it. Take small “drops” of dumplings rather than multiple containers at the same time so that they do not get cold. Let the Shanghai dumplings cool a bit before eating. A great way to monitor yourselves and stay in budget it to ask for a price list, some items are surprisingly good value (Har Gow are about $5 for four while the shredded cabbage salad is $10!) http://www.yanksing.com/home.php

Tour Ferry Plaza Farmers Market: Whether it’s a market day or not the Ferry Plaza is a great place to visit to either sample our local products, get a coffee or do some shopping. The Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant is a great place to grab a glass of wine! http://www.fpwm.com/

Pier 39: From the Ferry Plaza it’s really easy to jump on one of the vintage streetcars and head towards Pier 39. It’s a bit touristy but kids really enjoy watching the sea lions and riding the carousel.

Fishermans Wharf: Stroll down towards Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghriradelli Square and if you get chilly grab a hot chocolate or stop into the Buena Vista Bar for an Irish Coffee.

Journey Two: SF Parks
Conservatory of Flowers:
Golden Gate Park has a plethora of things to keep your family busy, easily accessible by public transportation.

California Academy of Sciences Museum:This is an experience which could easily take all day. The planetarium show is fun but maybe a bit complex for rowdy children. Definitely walk through the rainforest dome which shows the different levels of the rainforest and the creatures in each (dress in layers because it’s hot and steamy in there!). Then take the elevator to the aquarium. Don’t miss the leafy sea dragons and jellies. Be sure to visit the penguins and the living roof and there are currently a pair of reindeer on site for the holidays. If you haven’t exhausted yourself the de Young Museum is just across the plaza. Also if you are local it’s worth buying a membership, it gets you a discount in the store and the basic one allows unlimited visits for you and a guest! http://www.calacademy.org/

From the park you can head one of two directions…

East Bound Route:Haight Ashbury
If you opt to head East you can walk towards the Haight Ashbury district where there is tons of shopping, fun bars and of course would not be complete without a stop at Amoeba Records a treasure trove for music. Just nearby is Alembic, a necessary stop for a great cocktail and if you go further East hit the Toronado where you can grab an amazing microbrew, I especially love Pliny the Elder, but beware, it packs a punch. If you tour on a Tuesday you can get a burger at Rosamunde or try one of their great sausages and bring it into the T to enjoy with your beer. http://www.alembicbar.com/ http://www.toronado.com/

Westbound Route:Outer Richmond
A walk through the park on a nice day is a great way to work off your big holiday meals. You can stop by a number of the park’s lakes and check out the wildlife, visit the Buffalo Paddock and stop by the Park Chalet (or the Beach Chalet upstairs) for a beer ending at Ocean Beach. This journey may be easier with a car, and if you have one then you could head up the hill past the Cliff House and get a scenic look at the coastline and stop at the Sutro Parking Lot where you can get a view of the Sutro Bath Ruins. If you are feeling particularly inspired you can walk down into the ruins where a tunnel leads to the water on the other side and you can hear the waves crashing into the bedrock. From here you can drive up Point Lobos and make a left at 48th Avenue, stay towards the left to wind around through the Presidio and up to the Palace of Legion of Honor. As you keep winding around you will find some amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge and can even take a jaunt on the Lands End Trail which is full of tons of great vistas, there is even a “secret” labyrinth http://www.laberinthos.com/ made by Eduardo Aguilera, it’s pretty magical actually with a gorgeous view. The whole trail in fact ends at the Sutro Parking Lot but it’s a long walk. If you are driving and feeling a bit parched take a right at 25th Avenue and head to either Pizzetta 211 (23rd and California) or Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant, home of the best margarita in SF and I think in the US. http://www.tommystequila.com/

Journey Three: The Mission
The Mission district is full of fun places to graze and shop. While you can explore on your own, a better idea is to take a food tour. I took one a few weeks ago from In The Kitchen with Lisa http://inthekitchenwithlisa.com/taste_mission.htm. The tour is more cultural than just culinary, but be sure to come hungry! We started out at Mission Minis and my growling stomach was immediately tamed by a red velvet mini cupcake. The day was gorgeous as we strolled around the sunniest part of San Francisco without even a jacket on, in November! Along the way our guide would stop and give us some information about local businesses that we did not get to stop off at and some details about the history of the neighborhood. We had tacos, coffee and Mexican pastry, sandwiches, Mission pies, donuts, ice cream, it was intense but great. At each spot we learned a bit about the history of the location, their mission, it was more than just eating. We also walked down Balmy Alley, a small side street famous for its murals. We were met by Patricia Rose of Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitors Center http://www.precitaeyes.org/ who gave us some history on the various murals as we strolled along. Precita Eyes also does more extensive mural tours.

photo by Kimberly Charles

At the end of your Mission tour you may be stuffed, so it’s a pretty good time to exercise, your vocal chords that is, with a stop to The Mint Karaoke Lounge. http://www.themint.net/ While the Mint has a reputation for being a very professional karaoke joint show up at 3pm and the calm regular crew is very supportive, you will get a chance to sing more often and it may not be as daunting as a busy Saturday night crowd! If karaoke isn’t your thing and it’s a nice day you could end up at Zeitgeist and enjoy the outdoor area.

Wherever your travels take you there is plenty to do in this great city, these are just a couple of my favorites. Happy New Year!

I don’t often review software, but I was already very excited to try it as I am VERY familiar with Filemaker.  I have used Filemaker since 1993 when I started working at Windows on the World as Wine School Coordinator.  It was a great program used by the former administrators, including Andrea Immer Robinson to keep track of wine school attendees.  I remember being fascinated by its versatility, remember computers were somewhat new at the time, at least I still didn’t even have my own computer! I still use Filemaker today for invoicing, mail merges and for my database of addresses so when I saw Bento I wasn’t as sure what the difference was. It has taken me a while to get used to it but now that I have I find it is extremely useful.

Products
I love to do crafts and a few years ago was supplied with a gift from the sea of sand dollars. Previously I would find partial or broken sand dollars but I kept finding perfect sand dollars on the beach. As I collected I figured I would have to find something creative to do with them. So I started painting them with the Day of the Dead themes as well as the Virgen de Guadalupe. Now that I have many of these in stock that I sell and I needed a way to deal with these. Of course I love lists so it only made sense to inventory them. Bento offers a great resource to do this including photos of all of your items. Additionally you can sync Bento with Bento for iPhone so that this inventory can be on hand at all times.

Collections
I also decided it was time to get my act together in terms of my “collections” as part of the anti-hoarding campaign (Hoarders has scared me straight) so I have been able to make lists of the wines in my cellar, the collection of wine glasses I have for classes, and even my collection of wine books and magazines (anyone want a few hundred old Wine Spectator issues? Now what do I do with those?).

Lists
Sometimes when shopping I need resources, so I have lists that are easily accessible from my iPhone of everything from sizes for my husband’s clothes, lists of which crochet needles I already have, lists of supplies, lists of songs or albums I want to buy or songs to sing at karaoke, lists of songs to learn for open mic. Lists upon lists upon lists!

Holiday Party Planning
I make quite a few things for both my holiday party as well as Christmas Eve and so to keep things straight is a challenge. I am still reworking the way I have the lists set up in Bento but Bento is definitely helping me organize! I list the dishes I am going to be making and am working on and list where I need to pick up the ingredients since of course I have favorite places to buy certain things.

There are multiple templates you can download for free, for example one for recipes that helps you organize and even take photos of those recipes, here I have a cheesy recipe from my mom… They also have a template exchange, so folks that create a cool template can share them online.

Bento also offers fun templates like Beer Hunter where you can review beers and remember your favorites, although I don’t think you will see me whipping out my iPhone to do that at the Toronado, but maybe I would at City Beer Store. Of course they also have wine review templates and I have found that it has made it easier for me to track samples that I receive to review. Bento really does much of what Excel can do but with a snazzier more visual look since you can add photos. Of course it syncs to your iPhone so all these lists are always handy.

Sales
For those in sales Bento has a great template that allows you to monitor your communications with potential clients and manage them.

So although I really like the old school lists that I have lying around I found myself pulling up my recipes on my iPhone while cooking this year, the only drawback? A really greasy iPhone. Happy Holidays!

This year I was honored to meet the famed Georges Duboeuf himself and his grandson Adrien Lacombe at a dinner at La Folie, actually to discuss the 2009 vintage, not the Nouveau. But Duboeuf is one of the largest producers of Nouveau, and a few weeks ago I was really happy to receive the 2010 Georges Duboeuf Nouveau a full week before the official release date. It was vibrant magenta with very intense grapey nose very bright fresh and clean with hints of berries. Medium to medium plus acidity pleasantly low in alcohol, with flavors of red cherry, berry, juicy very nice balance, not too bitter, clean plum flavors, slight chalky note, very fresh and drinkable.  All that a great nouveau should be. As much as I love Nouveau unfortunately all the publicity stunts surrounding it have detracted from the reputation of the region as a whole and a backlash against Beaujolais has ensued, mostly due to misunderstanding.

Beaujolais Nouveau is a perfectly simple and delicious beverage not meant for lengthy pondering while Beaujolais can be so much more.  Nouveau undergoes a special production process called carbonic maceration that produces a drinkable fruity wine very quickly with a bit less tannin than the traditional method so it doesn’t need extensive aging and can be enjoyed just mere months after the harvest. When you get a Nouveau this year you’ll see it will be the only 2010 wine on the shelves perhaps with the exception of some similar styled southern hemisphere wines. It’s sad that Nouveau is so maligned because it is a style of wine that I like, especially when I want to just drink a simple glass of wine and not pontificate.

Recently the Beaujolais region held a somewhat daring Asian inspired lunch featuring some more serious Beaujolais at RN74 for their new campaign “Light by Beaujolais”. By “light” they do not mean simple but transparent and lively. The wines made from the Gamay grape have a tendency to have light body, low to medium tannins and vibrant juicy acidity making them very food friendly. The region itself is just south of Burgundy but a major difference is a change in the soil, more granite and less limestone which resulted in a decree forbidding Pinot Noir from being planted there. So really Beaujolais shouldn’t be seen as an inferior wine. In fact there are ten Beaujolais Crus or sub-regions known for having the optimal growing conditions and producing some of their best wines. So I would suggest out of tradition you find yourself a juicy bottle or two of Nouveau to drink as your guests arrive (cooking wine!) for holiday meals and then try some “regular” Beaujolais or Beaujolais Villages or Beaujolais Cru with the actual meal. Just be sure not to let the Nouveau languish around your house too long. Drink it soon while it’s freshest!

Some great non-Nouveau Beaujolais
Domaine Paul Etienne Beaujolais-Villages 2009 (The Wine Trading Company 415 731-6222)
Chateau de Raousset Douby Morgon 2009 (The Wine House 415 355-9463)
Domaine de Colette Beaujolais-Villages 2009 (Blackwell’s Wines & Spirits 415 386-9463)

Trivia Fact
The ten Beaujolais Cru are:
Brouilly
Chénas
Chiroubles
Cote de Brouilly
Fleurie
Juliénas
Morgon
Moulin-à-Vent
Régnié
Saint-Amour

Sometimes you may see just one if these names on the label.

Map of Beaujolais Vineyards

The concept of terroir is more often reserved for wine tastings so it was very unique to have this presented as a theme by a spirit brand.  Luckily spirits companies are keyed in to the sleeping patterns of spirits pros so the lunch event for Karlsson’s Gold vodka started at 1pm.  When I walked in some of the attendees reminded me of my vocal musings the night prior.  Master Blender Börje Karlsson was on hand to talk about the very unique vodka that he produces.  Vodka can of course be produced from almost anything, wheat, rye, quinoa, potato, grape… and of course each base produces a product that has a unique flavor profile, but the irony is that many producers who chat up the public about the base of their vodka also have a vodka that is distilled multiple times resulting in an almost flavorless product.  Great if you are sipping on a Screwdriver at work and don’t want your boss to smell it on your breath or if you do not like the taste of alcohol, but this may be a reason that I have not been a huge vodka fan.  I do not want to drink just to drink, I am a flavor addict.  Karlsson’s Gold is truly different, it could be said it is a vodka with terroir.

Karlsson’s Gold is made from virgin new potatoes from Sweden’s Cape Bjäre and is distilled only once.  This part of Sweden is famous for their potatoes in fact!  There are seven varieties of potato used to make Karlsson’s gold and much like wine each potato harvest provides different conditions, some years more starch, some less (vintage variation!).  I found it interesting to taste through the range of different potato varieties grown in different locations.  Each was labeled with the region it was from and even the name of the farmer!   There really was a huge difference amongst them, as well as significant vintage variation.  Most people assume that spirits are unchanging and this cannot be further from the truth.  The 2004 Solis was supremely powerful and aromatic, 2005 spicier and 2006 more neutral.  Upon some research I discovered that the 2004 crop was one that matured very quickly and apparently when ripening is fast it creates more complexity and strength in the flavor of the potato.  2005 was a cooler year and resulted in slower ripening giving the 2005 more smoothness.  Who knew!?  The key is taking all these distinct components and blending to produce a product that is consistent, harmonious and delicious.  Karlsson’s Gold is a great amalgamation of the various types of potato and offers a spirit that actually has a lot of flavor.  The beauty is it can be used in cocktails but is also really enjoyable on the rocks with cracked black pepper.  It is truly a testament to the skill of Börje Karlsson.  It was such an interesting event!

Then after a short break to sweat off the booze it was off to Saison in the Mission.

I had never been to Saison, what a perfect location for a tasting about terroir.  Robert Mondavi Winery hosted the event featuring their wines and winemaker Genevieve Janssens.  I am proud to say she actually took my Tasting Terroir class at the Culinary Institute of America once, I am sure she was just reinforcing information she was already familiar with but it was an honor to have her in class.  It just goes to show her dedication to Terroir.

What was most unusual and refreshing about the event is that it took quite a while to get a glass of wine in hand!  We all gathered around the outdoor patio and were immediately struck by a very unique set up of tasting stations featuring not glasses of wine but glasses of soil!  This took taste of place to a whole new dimension.  The idea was inspired by an installation created by Laura Parker who was on hand to guide us through this exploration into soil.  The idea is to smell the soil, taste a food grown on that soil and reflect the relationship between the two of them.  It may seem a little bit strange at first, but anyone who has experienced the outdoors can appreciate the experience if they just let go a bit.  I have vivid memories of my grandparent’s house in West Nanticoke, Pennsylvania and the soft lush smell of the stone walls covered in moss after a rain.  There is something incredibly primal about the smell of dirt, especially if you have ever dug for potatoes on a farm.  So that’s not to say that I immediately recognized the 131 Omni silty clay loam and could blind sniff that dirt versus the 122/123 Coombs Gravelly Loam on which Mondavi’s To Kalon Vineyard sits, but it was interesting nonetheless.  We tasted a sugar snap pea from by J.E. Perry Farms in Fremont (with that first Omni silty clay loam) with the soil gathered from the same furrow on which the pea was grown.  Soil collected from Bodega Artisan Cheese in Bodega was smelled with a taste of their feta.  It was a really unique way to kick off the evening, then we moved on to some of the Mondavi To Kalon wines, including the famous I Block Fume Blanc.  The To Kalon Vineyard in fact has nine different unique soil types, add in slopes and drainage and the complexity starts to become overwhelming, so we welcomed pairing these with a delicious meal, garden beans and river vegetable, chicken liver mousseline with huckleberry and rosebud was a killer combination with the Robert Mondavi 2008 Pinot Noir, Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 and 1996 with a rare Sonoma lamb and a tasty summer berry dessert with yuzu ice cream with their sprightly Mostcato d’Oro.

The two events paired seamlessly as did the combinations of spirits, wine, food and friends to create a truly unique day in the dirt.

http://www.karlssonsvodka.com/?confirm

http://www.tasteofplace.info/

http://www.robertmondavi.com/

http://www.saisonsf.com/

FACTS FOR GEEKS

Trivia Fact: The seven varieties of potato used in Karlsson’s Gold are Solist, Gammel Svensk Röd, Sankta Thora, Princess, Hamlet, Marine and Celine.

Try their signature “Black Gold” 3 oz of Karlsson’s Gold Vodka with fresh cracked black pepper on the rocks.

Trivia Fact: The nine soil types of To Kalon Vineyard are 103 Bale Loam, 0-2% slopes, 104 Bale Clay Loam, 0-2% slopes, 105 Bale Clay Loam 2-8% slopes, 116 Clear Lake Clay, Drained, 122 Coombs Gravelly Loam, 0-2% slopes, 123 Coombs Gravelly Loam, 2-5% slopes, 146 Haire Loam 2-9% slopes, 168 Perkins Gravelly Loam, 2-5% slopes, 182 Yolo Loam, 2-5% slopes

Food is of course vital, as is beverage, so we are sure to plan that out accordingly.  This year I was fortunate enough to receive some samples of Demitri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning and also some Karlsson’s Gold Vodka and a pepper grinder so that should be a marriage made in heaven!  I tried the Demitri’s during the Los Angeles International Spirits Competition and had a hard time choosing between the flavors, Classic, Extra Horseradish and Chilies and Garlic.  The Extra Horseradish was actually the Best Mixer of the competition.  The nice thing is that the mix comes in a super concentrate, so you can make a full batch or add to each bloody individually to match the concentration to your liking.  They also provide RimShot! a salt with spices so you can rim the glass, they even have a bacon version.  Bloody Marys are great for a festival, they are like food in fact, they keep up your energy and provide you with vitamin C.  The Karlsson’s Gold vodka is also delicious, watch for a blog about it soon.  It’s Swedish and made from seven varieties of virgin new potatoes and actually has a lot of flavor.  I might opt to bring some minis of Oro de Oaxaca Mezcal too to make a smokier version of the Bloody Marias and rim those with worm salt (it comes right on the bottle).

Me and Darrell Scott 2008

For Bluegrass I tend to be a bit more simple than my other parties opting for store bought salsas (Balboa Produce 3635 Balboa at 37th makes AMAZING salsas and its in the ‘hood so I won’t lose my parking space) and hummus but I did make some toasts for those and will make my duo of corn salsas with the last of the summer corn.  One is just corn with a pat of butter and balsamic vinegar and salt, cut the corn off the cob and cook with all ingredients on the stove while stirring until it starts to caramelize and you actually hear the corn pop!  The other is a version of corn cut off the cob with serrano chilies, cilantro and lime (and a hint of butter to saute it in.)  I am hoping to do some new popcorn versions, truffle, Sansho (Japanese pepper blend) and classic, but I am a bit concerned about the fog and how quickly it will get soggy.  I am considering the FoodSaver vacuum for that, not sure if it will work or make the popcorn taste stale…  Of course there will be the requisite Kielbasa with horseradish, a cabbage “salsa” my friend Shelley taught me to make with cabbage, habanero and lime topped with canned pepper (fresh cracked doesn’t work the same way…), Roquefort filled dates, roasted potatoes to dip in sour cream and/or onion dip, peppers and carrots, Molinari finocchiona and pepperoni salame, chips and snacks and this year I am planning to make Thai shrimp wraps with mint and basil and some peanut sauce.

Some tips regarding Bluegrass…

Try to be courteous to your neighbors, and share your blankets.  Don’t traipse your dirty port-o-potty shoes through the middle of other people s blankets, try to stay on the edges!

Pack out everything you bring in, recycle and compost!

If you live in the Richmond don’t move your car until Monday or you’ll be screwed.  Stock up on food for your house so that you have something for hungry HSB goers who are waiting for a bus.

Don’t expect to get home easily, hang and chill with your peeps and be patient.

Some abbreviations for texters… My friend Ika has provided us with a handy guide, I should sell the things, that includes text abbreviations for dummies (I should have had such a fancy guide for watching the Jersey Shore…)  She also suggests a great system to tell folks exactly where you are.  Stage is 10% the far back 100%, if you are looking at the stage you can determine Left or Right, and then there’s outside, middle and inside…  it’s truly brilliant… and example is RoL47%M… SO SMART.

Porch=Po

Banjo=Jo

Rooster=Ro

Arrow=Ar

Star=Sr

Tower=Tr

And I almost forgot to talk about the AMAZING music we will see!  Our pick this year seems to be the Banjo stage.  Today Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, Patty Griffin and T Bone Burnett are playing at various stages, tomorrow at Banjo highlights include Joan Baez and Gillian Welch.  I am kind of bummed that Darrell Scott won’t be here this time, but he does have an amazing new album out, A Crooked Road and I got to see him in August at Great American Music Hall.  I always have to see the legends of the weekend, Hazel Dickens, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and Del McCoury!  Enjoy the show, hope to see you there.  For the full schedule go to http://www.strictlybluegrass.com/2010/artists.shtml

Me and Dwight's band, Mitch Marine (drums), Josh Grange (pedal steel) and Jonathan Clark (bass)

Dwight Yoakam

It’s always fun to volunteer to work the event, partly because it’s for a great cause but also the Staglin’s really host us to an amazing weekend.

Alicia Towns Franken, Me, Rusty Staub and April Gargiulo

This year was truly legendary.  Shannon Staglin created a day that was really memorable.  I have to admit I did not know all the producers on the itinerary but I was excited to see some spots in the valley I was less familiar with.  Although I teach for the Napa Valley Vintners and the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena and spend a good deal of time in Napa it still amazes me when I see there are still so many unexplored corners and folds, despite being a very small area there is so much diversity.

My friends and I arrived the night before the event and enjoyed a glass of wine at the Oxbow Market in downtown Napa at Oxbow Wine Merchant before heading over to Zuzu, my absolute favorite restaurant in Napa Valley.  Owner Mick Salyer was on hand to be sure we had enough Vina Tondonia Rioja Rose, we knew there were lots of big reds in our future, but we did also enjoy a nice half bottle of Revana courtesy of Natalie Vache.  It was delicious!

Beau Wine Tours donated a very comfortable bus for the group of sommeliers so no one had to drive, this is KEY to having a good time in Napa, always be sure you have a designated driver.  The bus picked us up at Saintsbury’s gorgeous Brown Ranch where some of us were staying, a really comfortable country house in the middle of the vineyards of Carneros with gorgeous gardens.  With a quick stop for coffee at Bouchon which was a bit of a madhouse we collected the rest of the team. Alicia Towns Franken from Boston formerly of Grill 23, Peter Hiers from the Monterey Peninsula, formerly of the Highlands but now Rising Star Wine Group, Patrick Mullane from Forbes Mill in Los Gatos, Mark Buzan from Pebble Beach, The DC crew Cesar Varela, David (Charlie Palmer Steak) and Maria Denton (Ruth’s Chris), and the NY crew Brian and Crystl Friedman (DelFrisco’s) and our host Shannon.

NOTE: Some of these locations are sadly not open to the public, Shannon traded in some big favors to create this experience for us!   It’s always ok to ask though so you can check the websites listed and see if they do tastings or try to add yourself to the mailing list (or mailing list wait list!)

First stop was Dana Estates.  On the western side of the valley in the Rutherford appellation this property is located at the former Livingston Moffett property and upon driving up you can see it is absolutely stunning.  We were greeted in a beautiful courtyard with some Schramsberg sparkling (the perfect breakfast wine!) and learned a bit about the property from Daniel Ha.  Dana is Sanskrit meaning “Spirit of Generosity” and the fact that they were willing to share this special experience with us was just a bit of evidence of that!  Perfect for the theme of the weekend really.  The first winery was built on the site in 1883 by H.W. Helms and the courtyard and parts of the winery are built around these original ghost winery walls.  Dana Estates purchased the property in 2005 and since then has built the most amazing facility.  Clearly high end yet it has an air of comfort and the use of the old and new design elements really melds together, seems like it’s been there forever.  They make wine from three sites, Helms, Hershey and Lotus vineyards.  Philippe Melka consults on the project and the wines are stunning as can be expected.  And what would a cult wine be without an amazing package, the label features a dozen lotuses cut into the label for the twelve months of the year, life, rebirth, it’s really GORGEOUS.  Unfortunately quantities are extremely limited and in 2009 they decided not to use the fruit from the Helms vineyard so production will be even less, but they want to be sure the wines are always amazing.  We tasted Helms and Lotus 2007 (about 300 cases of each made!).  They only made 42 cases of Hershey so there was none to taste!  I preferred the Lotus, really rich and powerful, more reticent than the Helms but had an incredible chocolate mocha coffee thing going on.  Lots of power and really an infant, it’s going to be amazing.

Next stop was to see Scarecrow also in Rutherford.  This is the JJ Cohn property on what I believe to be possibly the most prime piece of Rutherford.  Right next to Rubicon Estate firmly on the Rutherford Bench this is land that cannot be duplicated.  It creates wines that just scream of the Rutherford Dust quality that Andre Tchelistcheff talked about.  We were greeted by proprietors Mimi DeBlasio and Bret Antonio Lopez, Nancy Andrus of The Duck Blind who markets the wines, and consulting winemaker Celia Masyczek who also has her own wine, Corra and two cheerful white Bichon Frisees.  The group quickly derailed the planned agenda by asking about the ancient vines on the property and we traipsed into a vineyard of giants.  Head trained in the old style they were like stalwart little trees.  While walking back to the house Mimi and I exchanged tequila tips and she promptly ran off to get me a mini bottle of Corzo Reposado which I will add was VERY useful at a recent Willie Nelson concert at Wente Vineyards where I traded a shot of said tequila with Karl Wente for three bottles of wine!  Although I think we could have convinced him to give us the wine anyway finding the tequila in the middle of the show when we had sucked down the first few bottles was very welcome.  But I digress… Celia led us through a tasting of her wine, Corra and Scarecrow both 2007.  Amazing wines.  I won’t say who said it but after tasting the Corra one of our group whispered to his neighbor, “This wine keeps pumping and pumping and pumping.”  And it did.  It was dense and concentrated yet elegant and full of flavor and passion.  Celia makes wines that are really unique in Napa.  Then we tasted the Scarecrow, just amazing.  Dusty and earthy yet rich and flavorful.  And enjoying these wines in the home of Mimi and Bret, such a beautiful and historic place was truly amazing.  Bret told stories of “Aunt Bessie” and how she selected every piece of furniture.  He even took us on a tour of the home which has really interesting twists and turns, the original wallpaper, beautiful and pristine despite its stains.  It was such a cool amalgamation of these old elements that were carefully selected with the new treasures that Mimi and Bret have added, amazingly they meld seamlessly.  It’s a gorgeous and very special place and imbued with the spirit of their ancestors.  Before we left we got a tour of the old barn replete with an inchworm ride toy that actually brought a tear to my eyes, as did the barn itself.  Memories of childhood flooded back, summers at my great grandfather’s farm in Pennsylvania.  Knowing that Bret spent summers here and was now living here completed the moment.  Truly a unique visit.  Bret took a shot of us in the barn, he is primarily a photographer, and we headed back to the bus (kicking and screaming because we didn’t want to go) but luckily our lunch from La Luna, a Mexican market in Rutherford, was waiting for us and Mimi sent us off with chocolates too.

Just as we were digging into our food Nancy warned us that there would be snacks at the next two stops, but we could not resist the juicy burritos and the amazing chips.  The next stop, Checkerboard, does not even have any wine to taste yet, but they wanted us to see the site which was way up valley in the Diamond Mountain appellation near Calistoga.  Although we did not get to taste it was a refreshing and needed break after the big wines of the morning and we took ATVs through forests all the way to the top of their property where we got an amazing view of the northern part of the valley.  When we arrived there was an amazing spread for us, Calistoga waters (of course), gazpacho, shrimp skewers, cheeses, we enjoyed the picnic and the fact that we were their first tour EVER!

Alicia, Shannon and I at Checkerboard, Diamond Mountain

We headed back down the mountain and zipped all the way over to Ovid Vineyards where we were greeted by Janet Pagano and Assistant Winemaker Austin Peterson.  Winemaker Andy Erickson was busy at his home making us dinner and actually building a table for our meal from reclaimed wood.

Ovid

Ovid is situated at the top of the slopes of the Vaca range in the Oakville appellation high above the valley floor.  It’s almost as far as you can get from where we were at Checkerboard and on the opposite side of the valley.  High above even Oakville Ranch this site faces West so they receive a great deal of afternoon sunlight up there.  The winery perched on this hillside takes advantage of the sun with huge windows that soak in the amazing view.  They have a gravity flow system of tanks and everything is all clean and compartmentalized yet very comfortable.  I immediately gravitated

Ovid

towards the long cozy benches in the main room where I could have easily laid down to read a book and napped like a cat in the sun, but they had other plans for us.  The tanks of concrete were selected by visits to numerous producers in Bordeaux and all the research resulted in a winery that is really efficient in all aspects.  They also have an orchard and bees so although the place looked very modern and high tech there’s a soft side to it.  The wines were also incredible.  We tasted a comparison of a wine that was fermented in barrel versus one fermented in concrete (I was wrong I will admit it this once).  They were definitely different but it was really hard to discern exactly how.  Guess that’s why I am not a winemaker!  Then we tasted the finished wine from 2006, just amazing.  It was so concentrated that when we swirled the glass the legs just sat there suspended above the wine.  Dense black fruits, blackberry, cassis, really powerful but with very balanced tannin.  Possibly my favorite Cabernet of the day.  And of course they pulled out two huge platters of berries and cheeses (an amazing aged Comte that with the wine was just perfect) and their own olive oil, breadsticks.  The works.  Again Shannon had to pry us away and back into the bus as we were keeping vineyard guru Larry Hyde waiting all the way down in Carneros!

We arrived at Hyde Vineyards a bit late but Larry was very patient with us, and although we had to cut the tour of the vineyard in half we had a chance to walk out to where he has both Chardonnay and Syrah planted.  He puts the Syrah near the riparian areas near the river since the sharpshooters aren’t as attracted to its leaves.  Larry Hyde is legend.  His own wine Hyde de Villaine www.hdvwines.com (HdV) is a joint project with the also legendary Aubert de Villaine from Domaine de La Romanee Conti in Burgundy and his own domaine in Bouzeron.  Despite this Larry almost gets more notoriety for wines from the wineries he sells grapes to.  His client list reads like a who’s who of the top wines produced in the valley, some of my favorites being Patz & Hall, Ramey and Kongsgaard. His Chardonnay is tough to beat and as such those that get their hands on his fruit usually vineyard designate it as Hyde.  He is at heart a vineyard guy so we discussed the trellising, row direction, soil types, terroir.  My kind of visit, very intellectual.  Then he invited us into the guest house on the property where his wife Beta presented us with yet more delicious cheese and crackers (it would have been rude to pass it up!).  We tasted pretty much the entire line of wines and sat and enjoyed the company of Larry and his wife and their new German Shepherd whom I (and the cheese) helped train to sit.  As the sun started to set over the hills of Carneros we boarded the bus again to head to Annie Favia and Andrew Erickson’s house for dinner.

To cap off a day that couldn’t seem more perfect we arrived at the home of Annie and Andy to find a scene straight out of Martha Stewart Living.  In the expansive back yard the light was dimming over Annie’s outrageous garden filled with vegetables and flowers and the chickens were safely in their coop.  There spread before us was the most gorgeous table and an entire kitchen island set under the trees.  Electric lamps, flowers, plates of food, a tire swing, a roaring campfire off to the side and even better some Leroy Bourgogne Blanc that Annie’s sister Brigit was kind enough to bring for us.  One of the wines she sells, it really hit the spot as a palate cleanser after a day of heavy Cabernets (although Larry Hyde’s Chardonnays were similarly refreshing).  While we snacked on olives and almonds and a squash soup from the garden Andy pulled out a bag of padron peppers not to be believed.  Those peppers, to which I am addicted, are about $6 for a bag of about ten at the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market.  And I pay it gladly!  He sauteed them up and we all dove in (and I again could NOT stop.)  They are fun little things, you can eat ten and just enjoy their nuttiness and then one will just wallop you with intense fiery flavor!  It’s fantastic and very much a pleasure/pain thing.  Dinner accompanied by Favia wines continued with short ribs, a fantastic tomato salad and an amazing nibble: a piece of watermelon with an herb puree and a bit of Serrano all eaten in one bite.  Salt, sweet, herbal, fruity, great combination!  And all you can eat padrons.  The Favia Cerro Sur and Magdalena were both incredible but by that time I was not taking notes…  While we were dining Annie and Andy’s young girls made us cupcakes with ground coffee in the icing (their idea, and really delicious).  We retired to the fire pit and I broke out a guitar and we sang and played as the fire popped and burned. The tequila and the tequila horn also made a cameo.  Annie and Andy sent us home (to our guest house) with fresh eggs from their chickens.  And more padrons!  It was truly a magical ending to a magical day.  Food, friends, great wine and spirit and the most gracious hospitality.

If you’re planning a trip to Napa Valley go to www.napavintners.com/wineries/ to search wineries to visit!

Despite some serious initial stress due to only TWO ticket agents at the SFO United counter I was able to calm myself down and fly down to the coast to LAX where luckily the transition was easy. I grabbed a quick beer and hit the duty free to hydrate my face with a free sample of the new Dior face serum made with sap from Chateau Yquem vines, seriously! I arrived at Charles de Gaulle feeling relatively refreshed, not sure if it was due to the three seats I had to stretch out across on Air France, the boozy sleep on the plane or the new face cream, but at $350 a bottle I am going to have to assume it was the free wine. The layover was painless especially due to three macarrons I had from Laduree, Terminal 2F, cassis/violet, caramel fleur de sel and orange blossom. They were AMAZING and well worth the price, 1.5 Euro apiece!

Flew on over to Bordeaux and headed straight to the hotel to drop the bags and then onto dinner, a short walk from Hotel Normandie, on to Chez Jean to meet our group of fellow wine buffs and Alan and Ian, the Mutineer guys as well as our hosts Barbara and camera technician Andrew from Creative Feed, who have organized the Wine Buff. Luckily I knew most of our buffs so I didn’t feel so bad showing up after about 20 hours of travel unshowered and we enjoyed a great meal starting with a carpaccio of Coquilles Saint Jacques (scallops) that were incredibly sweet and delicious and a boeuf, beef, dish that had foie gras sauce and fries, likely fried in duck fat and drenched in said wonderful gravy.  I did notice that Andrew was immediately filming all of us, which was a bit unnerving considering how gross I felt and what not, these videos are one of the core reasons for us to visit, and it’s really interesting what they seem to want to video tape!  But so weird, I hope we don’t come off like some weird version of the Kardashians or the Real Wine Buffs of Bordeaux.  I tried to forget about the cameras and after a few glasses of wine and a few after dinner beers I hit the pillow and had a great nights sleep.  So in short my key tips to avoid jet lag…

Pull and all-nighter the night before you leave, make sure you have lots to do and that you are totally and completely stressed out.

Drink beer at the airport before the longer flight, but NOT the first flight and yes get the big beer, at LEAST one.

Drink one Champagne and two mini bottles of red wine with dinner on the plane.  Drink water too…

Do not put your head on those pillows, instead cover them with the blanket IF and only if the blanket is in plastic.

Never nap after arriving…try to stay up as late as possible and be sure to drink enough that night to make you sleepy.

I woke up the next day ready to go and refreshed, I hope I am not jinxing myself and it lasts…