Great Moments in Retail v1.08: How Busy is Too Busy?

Sometimes this job really sucks.

Dad called me last night to let me know that a former colleague and old family friend died the other day. They both started their career with the same company 50 years ago and both moved their families to Dallas in the early sixties and the two families have been close ever since. The last time I saw John was at my mother's funeral in September. John's funeral was today and Dad was asked to be a pallbearer. I decided to go to represent the rest of our family.

But Christmas madness was in high form this morning and by the time I thought about the funeral it was one o'clock. I guess I could have walked out if I had remembered, but it would have left a number of customers and the store high and dry.

So now I'm angry as hell and feel sad and terrible. And sometimes this job really sucks.

Thanksgiving Pie Fight

It was the last card on a long day. Naps were over, dishes were done. Time for a last piece of pie. Oh... maybe a thin slice of that Pecan.

Oh, and for a last nip to close the evening. Whatllyahave? The early thought was Zaya aged rum, but that seemed too safe and easy and then the decision was Rye or Bourbon and why the hell not, bring out the George T Stagg. And the battle was on!

A little background.

A hundred and fifty years ago legendary Kentucky distiller E.H. Taylor partnered with distiller/financial wizard George T Stagg to build the state-of-the-art distillery of its day, known for many years as the George T Stagg distillery. It was one of only a handful to survive Prohibition and is known today as Buffalo Trace. Every year Buffalo Trace chooses a handful of old barrels of the most powerful aged bourbon they can find and bottle it uncut and release it under the George T Stagg label as part of their "Antique Collection."

Up until a few years ago these bottles sat in dusty lockboxes with other rare old whiskies and waited for the rare collector to show up and claim their prize. Today they are fought over tooth and nail. At the store, we have over a hundred names on the waiting lists for the meager allocation of bottles we will receive. More customers are hurt and angry than are made happy. The sad thing is that there are more great American whiskies on the shelf than ever before, but no one wants to buy goods off the rack.

But come on, it's not about the whisky it's about the coup. Pappy Van Winkle. Buffalo Trace Antique Collection for the new cognoscenti. Jeez, Amerika! Are we drinking whisky or collecting baseball cards?

Ok. Deep breath. Rant over. Eat pie, Drink whiskey. Calm down.

The pie is delicious. Rich, sweet and nutty, Susan adds a layer of broken pecan pieces which float to rest just under the decorative top layer of arranged Fancy Jumbo Halves for extra pecan nuttiness.

However, as delicious as the pie may be, the first sips of the Stagg blow the pie clean off the palate like a flamethrower with its hot, stinging breath of alcohol (70.9%) and massive flavors. But curiously, as I eat more of the pie, it offers more and more resistance to the whiskey. Creamy layers of dark, nutty candy coat the tongue until finally balance is achieved and the flavors merge with the sweet cinnamon tobacco richness of the whiskey in some form of Southern Nirvana.

Happy Thanksgiving.

BT 10: Absolutely!

It was a smaller group that gathered for our double blind tasting session at Suze on a late October evening. None of us really felt sorry for Sepi. We knew full well that he was enjoying some killer wines out in San Francisco. (He always does.) How # 4 made it, I don't know. He had emailed his 'full-time Dad' schedule of birthdays, hockey games, football games and somehow had already fitted in a tasting session before joining us. But he wasn't too late. He even claims he went to work.

There were no preliminaries tonight. We ordered some starters and went right to work. Scott brought the first wine. "White!" we exclaimed. Got that right. The rich amber hue (it was tough to see in the dim light) told us that the wine had some age. Notes of baked pear, burnt orange, butter scotch and toasted marshmallow finished with a touch of acid lift on the finish. We were hesitant to call Napa Chardonnay, because we remembered the old Sauvignon Blancs Scott had brought to the last tasting. Finally Dave went on a rant on the similarity to some old Patz & Hall Chardonnays and called the wine a 2007 Carneros Chardonnay from a high altitude vineyard like Hyde or Hudson. "No, the label said Napa," corrected Scott. Well, it could have been from the Napa section of Carneros, but it was a 2007 from Yountville. A tiny plot of the Gemstone vineyard planted with Meursault clones, a two barrel production by Phillipe Melka, Facets Estate Chardonnay, 2007.

John pulled out the second wine, ruby red with hints of orange around the edges, with a thick glistening rim between the glass and the edge of the color. Ripe but delicate flavors of raspberries, dried cherries and a hint of mint intertwined with silky tannins kissed by lush vanilla on the finish. Brad was quick, Napa Cabernet, 1996. We guessed producers until John pulled the bottle out of the bag. Altamura 1996. Lovely.

Next Brad poured a dark purple wine out of the bagged bottle. No bricking here (that we could see). Pools of black fruit were buried in the skeins of cedar and sage of the dark wine. It had the vibrance of youth with the elegance of age. Napa Cabernet for sure, but we guessed 2001 or 2002. No it was the 1996 Whitehall Lane Reserve, tasting like a youngster.

At this point we're remembering other 1996 wines the group has tasted: Cinq Cepages, Montelena and several Bordeaux. Some great wines!

By now the lamb is on the table and Dave brings out a massive wine. Opulent black fruits with dark hints of espresso and flowers. Fat black fruits and rich textures coat the palate in layers. There is enough acid to keep the wine from being too heavy and give elegance to the power. John immediate goes to Spain, then Italy. The elegance is very European, so it has to be South American. The smoky notes point to Malbec and Argentina. It's a Cabernet/Malbec blend, Cheval Blanc's Argentine project, Cheval des Andes, 2007.

Scott pours another dark wine with silky black fruit with hints of mocha. John has an obsession with this grape, it's Syrah, though this expression misses some of the characeristic peppery notes. It's fine-grained and elegant and does not overwhelm. The wine fights everything you think about syrah, yet it can't be anything else. Not a wine you see everyday, Araujo Eisele Vineyard Syrah, 2005.

One more. Are you kidding me? There's only four of us, but Brad brings out one more. The darn thing's open after all. More deep, rich dark fruit, lush yet light with a kiss of spicy tannin. (Oh please, just kill me like this, OK?)  Napa? Yes. Cabernet? NO. Dave ponders for just a moment then calls it, "Paloma Merlot, 2004 or 2005." BOOM! Brad turns, stares and shakes its head. One of the quickest calls since John nailed the poor guy's Massetto a while back. He spent a lot to stump the group, we've never seen him since! The wine was delicious, by the way, as were all the wines this evening.

We ordered some desserts and "No, you didn't." "Yes, I did" A small bottle of dessert wine makes its appearance. Amber in color, the wine is redolent with honey and caramel, but with a drying almost salty finish. After a moments silence, John (or was it Brad) called out "South African Chenin Blanc." Half-right. 2003 Domaine Jo Pithon Coteaux Layon St. Lambert. (Too bad the kitchen was out of cajeta for the crepes, they would have been perfect!)

And that was it. Another great evening with great food in a wine friendly restaurant. Chef Gilbert Garza came over and sat down with us we visited and revisited the wines with him. The room was empty when he walked us to the door. THANKS!

Great Moments in Retail v1.07: Or Maybe Not...

RIP Mustang Beverages.

For as long as I have worked at Sigel's Greenville Avenue, across the street a small, independent liquor store eked out their share of the market. I'm sure they stocked products we didn't, maybe their prices were a little lower on some items, for sure they didn't style themselves as an 'Elite' store as we did, not only in the new name of the store, but in our high-priced wines and whiskies, tile floors and big screens HD televisions and satellite radio. To quote from their one review on 'Yelp:'

Mustang Beverages is a lot smaller than your normal liquor store and reminds one of a Astoria or Williamsburg bodega.  Though their space is limited, they've done the most with their area and have a large selection of different liquors of all sizes. You won't find much wine or craft beer here, but what you will find are friendly employees that will chat about soccer or basketball and will always remember your name.

We coexisted. Until this week. After an 'inventory reduction' sale, they closed their doors, and one by one, we are meeting their customers. Why did they close?

Because the big dogs have come to town. Total Wines sells most major brands below cost. Other big stores are responding by lowering prices. Survival depends on having good business on other brands which can be sold at a profitable price. The change in the wet/dry lines opening up the city for beer/wine sales changed the game in a big way. Now the grocery and big-box discount stores led by Tom Thumb (Safeway) and Sam's offer an expanded selection of major brand wines at highly discounted prices. It's tough!

Total's MO is to lose large money for a year or more on their new stores. Their goal is to drive 40-50% of the independent stores out of business. And then they'll raise their prices on the major brands. Of course their major goal is to drive customers to their own private labels which have more than enough margin to offset the discounting.

So keep a watch on the little independents stores that populate the city. Support them when you can. Notice when they're gone. Remember that a capitalist economy depends on profit to exist. You don't get somethin' for nothin'!

RIP Mustang.

Great Moments of Retail v1.06: You Can't Have It!

As an industry we do some really dumb things.  For instance....

Whenever a spectacular vintage of a particular wine is released several things are likely to happen. The action/reactions follow a similar pattern usually depending on who owns the wine. It's classic supply and demand. Those who have it want to hold on to it, raise the price and save it for themselves or for customers with insider connections. Those who don't have it want to purchase the wine and those who have favored or insider connections will be able to purchase some.

The great thing is that this model works on all levels where the wine changes hands. From supplier to wholesaler, from wholesaler to retailer, from retailer to customer. The bad thing is that the average customer never sees the wine. All that's left for him is the lesser quality bottlings that still carry the same high price tag. On those special occasions when the customer buys one of these lesser quality bottlings, he is invariably disappointed.

What a great model!

Who would train a dog like this???

BT #9. Number 9. Really?

Blind Tasting # 9. Core group at Cafe Urbano, 5 guys, 11 wines (most tasted double blind) at Mitch Kaufman's fabulous ode to BYOB tucked in behind Jimmy's Italian Deli in deepest Old East Dallas. Find it if you're able.

We paid homage to Jimmy's great selection of Italian wines with a bottle of Prosecco. Nino Franco Rustico. Crisp flavors, bone dry, this is prosecco to get excited about rather than the readily available slightly sweet, frothy concoctions that dominate the market place. (Major cloying brands, you know who you are!)

With appetizers of caprese 'smores and bacon wrapped figs, we moved onto the first wine of the evening. The color was deep gold. (Funny how details like color in the glass are admired with the first wines of the evening...) The rich wine was showing smoky oak, butterscotch, caramel, and rich tropical fruits. Grilled pineapple and cajeta added complexity.

"Must be chardonnay, but, but old!" The group was definite as to varietal, but split as to origin.

"Not quite enough acid, must be domestic!"

The consensus was in, but no, it was not chardonnay. It was a white Bordeaux. 2003 Ch. Monbousquet Blanc. WOW! Most of us were not aware the Monbousquet even made white wine. The extreme heat of the 2003 vintage accounted for the pronounced tropical fruits and lower acid levels.

Scott also brought the second wine, and it was another white, even older, even a darker burnished gold than the first. "Darker than a pilsener!" Bradley exclaimed! However it was fresher, less sunken, with less buttercotch than the first, with a definite waxy feel. Must be Graves, with a lot of Semillon, suggested Sepi. John came in late, took one smell, one taste and declared, "Nice Chard!" The wine reacted quite differently to the food on the table.It head-butted the risotto balls with their slightly spicy sauce but was an extension of the bacon wrapped figs. "You know, Sigel's used to carry wines from Kalin who aged white wines forever before releasing them," Dave remembered. And that was it. 1997 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve from Kalin Cellars. I just checked. The 1997 is the CURRENT RELEASE.

Both wines were out-there selections. Much discussion of the slippery slope of aged wines ensued. Both wines showed significant levels of oxidation especially when compared to the current standards of fresh, crisp wines produced by cold fermentation and limited exposure to oxygen. Kalin's website has an interesting discussion of umami and wine. Oh to be a student of aesthetics!

Brad brought out the first Red of the evening. "Wow, that's Kosta Brown!" Sepi exclaimed, before everyone had even poured a glass. And correct he was.2006 Kosta Brown Russian River Pinot Noir. Everyone agreed. That was the fastest ID the group has seen. Faster even than John's Massetto call back in BT #3. Sepi's point was taken. The Kosta Brown does not jump out of the glass like most Pinot Noirs. It just sinks. But sinks with lightness, not heaviness.

Brad also brought the second red. Obviously Pinot Noir, but totally different from the Kosta Brown. Intense red mystery fruit, driven by acids, the wine was elusive and powerful. To get that much power and liveliness it had to come from the Santa Rita Hills. Scott nailed it. Sea Smoke 2005 Botella. The mystery fruit was rhubarb.

At this point in the evening we were somewhat in awe of the power of the wines we had experienced as we realized we were under wine's "Cone of Magic" that descends over a group of good friends enjoying good food and good wine.We all could pinpoint times when the magic of wine made its impact on our lives.

John brought wine number 5. Ripe cherries and neutral tobacco were the initial notes, followed by darker fruit flavors and an earthy note of gorund expresso. Raspberries morphing into blackberries. Shiraz? No, the black pepper signature was missing entirely. The wine was in a lush, new world style, but the acids and red fruits were not Californian. "Chile?" ventured Dave. "Yes." "Carmenere?" "A high percentage." "Clos Apalta?" "Yes, 2005. The Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year." Awesome. New World extraction in an Old World framework.

Sepi brought out wine #6. Earthy mushrooms with a beautiful perfumed violet aromas and delicate kisses of cassis poking though the edges, this red could only come from Bordeaux. "I didn't want to bring this because I new Dave would just nail it," said Sepi. Pichon Lalande? Almost. Pichon Baron. 1995.

By now I had a filet on a bed of mushroom risotto. Life was looking pretty good!

And Sepi brought out #7. Brad was ecstatic. "Rounded out like a natural breast that fills the hand. No silicone. I could drink this every day." Silky floral perfumes, sweet caramelized oak. Ripe, balanced fruit. Napa Cabernet, no question. 2001, a great vintage coming together perfectly. Spottswoode.

And that's the end of my notes. I won't mention the under-performing 2008 Flor de Pingus. It didn't seem to be corked, but the color was bricked and flavors were underwhelming. Most of us had had the wine before and this bottle was definitely way off its peak.

Dessert followed, along with more wines tasted non-blind. The half bottle of Krug was brilliant, with its rich honeyed notes of toast points and baked apples as was the half bottle of 2007 Petite Giraud Sauternes. No one drank it because none of us drink sweet wine. Or white wine for that matter. Right.

Thanks again to Mitch Kaufman and his wonderful staff at Cafe Urbano for a relaxed evening. It is a real treat to be able to be so relaxed, eat such great food and drink our own wine.

While we leaving, Mitch was talking about terroir of beef. He did a dinner last week with Uruguayan beef producers. "Local is relative," he said. He'd love to do a dinner showcasing beef from different sources.

As we were getting into the car, he was pushing a garbage cart across the street. "Local is seeing the restaurant owner taking out the garbage," I said.

Thanks Julia. Sunday Dinner with Mom

Three weeks ago my mother learned that her lung cancer has returned and that the new tumors are inoperable and in her weakened condition, untreatable. Sixty plus years of determined tobacco use are taking their toll. Two weeks ago, she enrolled in hospice and the direction of her thinking is starting to change. Susan and I went by to fix dinner Sunday night.

Comfort food in our family has always revolved around rice. When my or my sisters were sick as children, Mom would fix us a perfectly broiled ground beef patty with just enough jus to color the bottom grains of the buttered rice. Grandine might bring an covered enamel ware pot with her legendary chicken and dumplings. (It was Atlanta, after all.)

When our children were sick, Susan and I fed them tender chicken breasts and, you got it, buttered rice. Every so often when we celebrated I would fix butter poached chicken breasts with aromatic vegetables and what the recipe called Risotto, but it was closer to a Pilaf. But it was good, so that is what we took to fix for my Mother.

When we arrived, the question was whether she would leave the tranquil, leafy quiet of her bedroom and come into the dining room, but after the aromas started filling the apartment, the question was answered.

She and Susan were sitting at the table and Dad and I were bringing out the plates when I asked who wanted wine. Then it came to me. I brought out glasses for all and served everyone a glass. "I'm sorry," I said in my best Claude Rains, "But I'm afraid I must insist!"

And I proposed a toast to Julia Child in honor of her 100th birthday.

Because someone gave Susan a copy of Julia Child's The French Chef Cookbook when we got married. This was the first recipe I tried back in the summer of 1976 and have used it countless times since. Supremes de Volaille a l'Ecossaise with Risotto and Buttered Summer Vegetables.

"Serve the supremes with a chilled White Burgundy," Julia directed and I did.

The 2009 Bourgogne Blanc made by the young Christophe Cordier.

Everything was delicious.