food: colonial goose, a New Zealand dish
wine: 2004 Amisfield Pinot Noir
movie: Black Sheep
After months of delay, I am finally back to cooking my husband the themed dinners that I had promised him as part of his birthday present last summer. If I am lucky, I will conclude the 6th dinner before his birthday this year, but I’ll have to step up the pace to make that happen.
THIS MONTH: New Zealand
The main dish I made was Colonial Goose, which is not goose at all, but lamb. Early pioneers to New Zealand had a steady supply of sheep, but poultry was something of a luxury, even up until recently. To make them feel less homesick, they would stuff and roast a leg of lamb (bone removed) in a fashion similar to the way you would cook a goose. The lamb I made was roasted for several hours and stuffed with dried apricots, honey, and breadcrumbs. Delicious, and the earthiness of the food went perfect with the New Zealand Pinot Noir…
2004 Amisfield Pinot Noir
Smells like a dusty cellar, moldy, and a bit like chemicals. Faint aroma of cherries and unripe strawberries, tastes and smells very bright and clean. Almost carbonated, fresh sizzling cherry. Sooo good. mild oak. Very Pinot, both delicate and powerful. ($27)
While many know New Zealand only for their superb Sauvignon Blanc, they actually have some high altitude, cooler climate regions that are perfect terroir for Pinot Noir. The Central Otago wine region, where the Amisfield winery is located, is the most southern wine region in the entire world. The vineyards, residing at 400 meters above sea level, cling precariously to steep slopes and river gorges. It seems like Pinot is always better the more painful the growing conditions.
Finally, we had a chocolate mousse with kiwi sauce while watching our horror flick for the evening, Black Sheep. The choice was between that or The Piano, and I think we made the right choice. While kinda forgettable, the movie felt very reminiscent of early Peter Jackson horror films. It was heavy in the gore, completely over-the-top, good mindless fun. The special effects were even done by the Weta Workshop, how much more New Zealand can you get? If only we had finished off the night by snacking on some Marmite sandwiches and watching Flight of the Conchords.
wine: 2003 Couly-Dutheil Chinon La Baronnie Madeleine
I’m gonna make this a short, but sweet WBW. This month’s theme is Cabernet Franc from France. Gary Vaynerchuk (that is with a K, not a CK) of WineLibraryTV is hosting. His energetic entry is posted here. I had the pleasure of meeting Gary Vaynerchuk at Future of Web Apps in Miami this winter, and was inspired enough by his presentation to post an article on ThreeMinds about the “hi-res user experience” he is creating over at WineLibraryTV. So, I was glad to see him taking the time to join the Wine Blog Wednesday community.
Without further ado…
2003 Couly-Dutheil Chinon La Baronnie Madeleine
I broke the bottle trying to open this one… my rabbit didn’t like that lipped rim. Lots of sediment, dark purple color. Aroma of plump raisins and plum, but also lots of dust, grass, and green peppers. A burning dry mid-palate and finish that spread over your whole tongue. Veggies up front and light dried fruits on the long finish. Dirt for sure. It gets more complex as you taste it, and I start doubting what I’m sensing. Do I smell Cheez-its, taste vanilla? I don’t know, this wine is doing weird things. A slow drinker. $17
drink: Pisco, a Chilean brandy
bar: Leopold Bros. of Ann Arbor
I have been meaning to post a quick blog on the awesomeness that is PISCO. Pisco is a brandy distilled from white muscat grapes. It is so popular in Chile and Peru, that both nations bicker over which can claim it as the national drink. But, here in America, it is relatively unknown outside of the San Francisco foodie community. I had to majorly struggle to convince my local liquor store that the drink even existed. “It’s not in my liquor books,” he kept saying.
When you can find it… it is delicious. I was turned on to it by my friend and previous co-worker, Andrea, who brought it back from her trip to Chile. When cooking my husband a Chilean themed dinner, I decided to opt for a cocktail course instead of a dessert course. Thus the Strickland household tradition of Pisco Sours and Anna’s Almond Cinnamon This was born.
The only place in all of Michigan where the existence of Pisco is acknowledge the way it deserves to be is at Leopold Bros. of Ann Arbor. In addition to being a brewery, they distill their own gin, vodka, liqueurs, and pisco!! Their menu includes an array of tasty pisco drinks, including piscola, pisco sunrise, and, my favorite, the raspberry pisco margarita. Leopold’s is a wonder in and of itself. Just off of the main street strip, the bar is one of the only hang out havens that doesn’t get uncomfortably overrun in the evenings. They offer large tables for groups, board games, the best jukebox in town, couches, free wi-fi, and a snackable menu (which now includes artisan sandwiches and pizza). It’s cozy, it’s friendly, it’s perfect… only it’s going away forever. The neighborhood rent is driving them to Denver.
The most unfortunate thing is that Ann Arbor-ites know what they are loosing, but can do nothing about it. It’s the fault of the market. All we Leopold lovers can do is hope that the new Denver crowd can appreciate the gem that they are getting. And in the meantime, I’m going to have to start stocking up on Pisco immediately.
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