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Each year here at Suburban each staff member picks a "Wine of the Year". It is something that we have been doing for a few years now. We set up a special rack in the front of the store to display them. We even have a special tasting called "The Many Faces of Suburban" to taste these wines along with the runners-up. Today, tomorrow and Thursday, we will be offering two wines selected by individual staff members as their "Wine of the Year. Then on Friday we will announce the Suburban "Wine of the Year" for the store.
What is really great about doing fun stuff like this is seeing the diversity of the wines selected. As a store, we have different staff members oversee different wine regions, so you will see really various styles of wine selected.
Enough rambling...today we offer Jay Roelof's and Fred Horowitz's individual "Wine of the Year". Fred oversees South Africa, Chile, New Zealand and Greece. Jay takes care of Champagne and Sparking Wines, New York and Germany.
Stick around for the rest of the week as for tomorrow we will unveil Jason Fiore & Michael Koehler’s picks...and do not miss Suburban's Wine of the Year on Friday!!!!
To see what Jay and Fred selected click here .
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Stay Tuned!!!
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Be sure to stay tuned to our emails (and blog) for the rest of the week as we announce our "Wines of the Year"! It will be done according to the below schedule (along with the persons areas of passionate responsibility):
Tomorrow - Fred (South Africa, New Zealand and Chile) and Jay's (New York, Germany and Sparkling) individual "Wines of the Year"
Wednesday - Michael (Spain, Portugal and California Whites) and Jason's (Australia and California Reds) individual "Wines of the Year"
Thursday - George (Wine Director, France, Oregon and Washington) and Lance's (Italy) individual "Wines of the Year"
Friday - Suburban's "Wine of the Year"
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Be sure to stay tuned to our emails (and blog) for the rest of the week as we announce our "Wines of the Year"! It will be done according to the below schedule (along with the persons areas of passionate responsibility):
Tomorrow - Fred (South Africa, New Zealand and Chile) and Jay's (New York, Germany and Sparkling) individual "Wines of the Year"
Wednesday - Michael (Spain, Portugal and California Whites) and Jason's (Australia and California Reds) individual "Wines of the Year"
Thursday - George (Wine Director, France, Oregon and Washington) and Lance's (Italy) individual "Wines of the Year"
Friday - Suburban's "Wine of the Year"
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Friday, November 27, 2009
You can’t make this stuff up, part 1
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A humorous, friendly, but not exactly politically-correct sales rep from a small upstate wine distributor once came in to see me at Suburban accompanied by a famous Burgundy winemaker. As I tasted his wine, the winemaker…..an older, distinguished gentleman…..began explaining to me, with the most conservative French accent, how his old vines are planted in gravelly and clayey limestone parcels resulting from a geologic alluvial wash. He went on to declare that his exceptional Pinot clone is widely considered to be the best suited for this section of the Cotes de Nuits, and that his tiny ’04 yield was hand-harvested and manually de-stemmed. Finally, as the gentleman began to elude to the elegantly nutty, gamey and mineral flavors owing their existence to the slow, even ripening of the grapes, the sales rep (remember him) finally chimed in. He looked me straight in the eye, and with a smile and a thick Irish brogue, blurted “The wine kicks ass, eh?” As you could imagine, we’ve since repeated that line a few thousand times. –Michael Koehler
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A humorous, friendly, but not exactly politically-correct sales rep from a small upstate wine distributor once came in to see me at Suburban accompanied by a famous Burgundy winemaker. As I tasted his wine, the winemaker…..an older, distinguished gentleman…..began explaining to me, with the most conservative French accent, how his old vines are planted in gravelly and clayey limestone parcels resulting from a geologic alluvial wash. He went on to declare that his exceptional Pinot clone is widely considered to be the best suited for this section of the Cotes de Nuits, and that his tiny ’04 yield was hand-harvested and manually de-stemmed. Finally, as the gentleman began to elude to the elegantly nutty, gamey and mineral flavors owing their existence to the slow, even ripening of the grapes, the sales rep (remember him) finally chimed in. He looked me straight in the eye, and with a smile and a thick Irish brogue, blurted “The wine kicks ass, eh?” As you could imagine, we’ve since repeated that line a few thousand times. –Michael Koehler
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Friday, November 20, 2009
AUSTRALIA & ZINFANDEL
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AUSTRALIA & ZINFANDEL
Saturday, November 21st, 12-5pm
Hedonism best defines this tasting. We used to call it “The thunder from down under!” We’ll bring out the Shiraz & Zin, and you prepare yourself for one heavy show.
Table One
NV R Wines Bitch Bubbly
2007 Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel
2007 Rabbit Ridge Estate Reserve O.V.S. Zinfandel
2005 Kay Brothers Amery Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Chris Ringland Barossa Shiraz
NV Jonesy Port
Table Two
2008 Yalumba Y Series Riesling
2006 Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache
2007 Jim Barry Lodge Hill Shiraz
2006 Jim Barry Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon
NV Seppeltfield Cellar #7 Tawny
Table Three
2008 Peter Lehmann Layers White
2006 Peter Lehmann Barossa Semillon
2005 Peter Lehmann Clancy’s Cab/Merlot/Shiraz
2007 Peter Lehmann Seven Surveys GSM
2007 Mauritson Dry Creek Zinfandel
2007 Peter Lehmann Botrytis Semillon
Table Four
2007 Wagtail Barossa Shiraz
2006 West Cape Howe Shiraz
2006 Silverwing Barossa Shiraz
2007 Vinaceous Snake Charmer Shiraz
2007 Vinaceous Raconteur Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz
Table Five
2008 Heartland Stickleback White
2008 Big Woop Red
2008 Winner’s Tank Shiraz
2007 Black Chook Shiraz / Viognier
2008 Joel Gott Zinfandel
2007 Biale Party Line Zinfandel
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AUSTRALIA & ZINFANDEL
Saturday, November 21st, 12-5pm
Hedonism best defines this tasting. We used to call it “The thunder from down under!” We’ll bring out the Shiraz & Zin, and you prepare yourself for one heavy show.
Table One
NV R Wines Bitch Bubbly
2007 Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel
2007 Rabbit Ridge Estate Reserve O.V.S. Zinfandel
2005 Kay Brothers Amery Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Chris Ringland Barossa Shiraz
NV Jonesy Port
Table Two
2008 Yalumba Y Series Riesling
2006 Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache
2007 Jim Barry Lodge Hill Shiraz
2006 Jim Barry Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon
NV Seppeltfield Cellar #7 Tawny
Table Three
2008 Peter Lehmann Layers White
2006 Peter Lehmann Barossa Semillon
2005 Peter Lehmann Clancy’s Cab/Merlot/Shiraz
2007 Peter Lehmann Seven Surveys GSM
2007 Mauritson Dry Creek Zinfandel
2007 Peter Lehmann Botrytis Semillon
Table Four
2007 Wagtail Barossa Shiraz
2006 West Cape Howe Shiraz
2006 Silverwing Barossa Shiraz
2007 Vinaceous Snake Charmer Shiraz
2007 Vinaceous Raconteur Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz
Table Five
2008 Heartland Stickleback White
2008 Big Woop Red
2008 Winner’s Tank Shiraz
2007 Black Chook Shiraz / Viognier
2008 Joel Gott Zinfandel
2007 Biale Party Line Zinfandel
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Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Is there a standard for great Pizza, or is it subjective?
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Is there a standard for great Pizza, or is it subjective?
There are many different kinds of Pizza out there. Thin crust, deep dish, stuffed, Sicilian...the list could go on and on. Are they all good? The town I live in has at least a dozen places that will deliver pizza to my house. They all manage to survive, yet, in my opinion, 90% of them serve pizza that is not fit for human consumption. Evidently, I have a standard for great pizza that is different from many of the people in my area.
So…yesterday while eating some terrific pizza at Frank Pepe’s (their White Clam pizza is pictured above), I had a discussion with my father and brother as to whether or not a pizza place like Pepe’s would be successful in my area (Northern Westchester). I believe it would…they were not so sure.
You see, Frank Pepe pizza is decidedly thin crusted and quite crispy. They were of the opinion that many people prefer a thicker, more doughy style to their pie. Not me…it is essential for the crust to be thin, and the cheese and toppings to be of the highest quality. It is not about volume…it is about flavor.
Would this go lost in some parts of the country? Perhaps. Is this opinion any more valid than that of people who like a thick slice piled high with filler? Of course not. I know plenty of people who look at a a sandwich (as an example), and immediately say it is sub-standard if it is not piled high with meat. Personally, I prefer a smaller sandwich that allows the individual flavors to shine through…no one of them so overbearing as to take over the others. But....I think this is true about every prepared food…let the individual flavors sing.
See…we started talking about pizza and stumbled on to something bigger. Thoughts?
-Lance Cerutti
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Is there a standard for great Pizza, or is it subjective?
There are many different kinds of Pizza out there. Thin crust, deep dish, stuffed, Sicilian...the list could go on and on. Are they all good? The town I live in has at least a dozen places that will deliver pizza to my house. They all manage to survive, yet, in my opinion, 90% of them serve pizza that is not fit for human consumption. Evidently, I have a standard for great pizza that is different from many of the people in my area.
So…yesterday while eating some terrific pizza at Frank Pepe’s (their White Clam pizza is pictured above), I had a discussion with my father and brother as to whether or not a pizza place like Pepe’s would be successful in my area (Northern Westchester). I believe it would…they were not so sure.
You see, Frank Pepe pizza is decidedly thin crusted and quite crispy. They were of the opinion that many people prefer a thicker, more doughy style to their pie. Not me…it is essential for the crust to be thin, and the cheese and toppings to be of the highest quality. It is not about volume…it is about flavor.
Would this go lost in some parts of the country? Perhaps. Is this opinion any more valid than that of people who like a thick slice piled high with filler? Of course not. I know plenty of people who look at a a sandwich (as an example), and immediately say it is sub-standard if it is not piled high with meat. Personally, I prefer a smaller sandwich that allows the individual flavors to shine through…no one of them so overbearing as to take over the others. But....I think this is true about every prepared food…let the individual flavors sing.
See…we started talking about pizza and stumbled on to something bigger. Thoughts?
-Lance Cerutti
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Saturday, November 14, 2009
The "Finding Nemo" Fish Buritto
Today, I ate perhaps my 20th “Finding Nemo” fish burrito from Edwin’s, deli here in Yorktown, and it’s about time I reviewed it. This is a Friday lunch special that Lance, George and I order every time we remember to, and it always rocks! A generous amount of breaded flounder chunks are interspersed within a bead of rice, topped by avocado, spicy chipotle mayo and a touch of raw onion, rolled in a soft, un-grilled wrap. Not only is there a savory/spicy flavor interplay that leaves a beautiful sting of heat in the throat, but there is a surreal textural contrast between the mild crunch of the fish batter and the tenderness of the rest of the wrap. This burrito is weighty and dense, and on some days can make for two meals. I highly recommend that you indulge in one the next time you’re in Yorktown Heights on a Friday.
–Michael Koehler
–Michael Koehler
Friday, November 13, 2009
Gaja and Pizza
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After all of these sophisticated meals that we blog about, and the precise wine pairings that we painstakingly arrange, I thought it would be a refreshing change to do something a bit less chic (but perhaps even more sinful). So I took home an expensive mature red blend from the celebrated Piemontese producer Angelo Gaja and drank it with comfort food from our favorite neighborhood pizzeria, Nona’s (right next to Suburban). The results were magical, crushing the myth that food and beverage pricing should correlate, and further proving that sometimes high-end wines just make sense with simpler foods.
The Food:
A classic veal cutlet parm hero, no extras, no adjustments. The boys at Nona’s make a nearly perfect version of this comfort food standard. They’re careful to choose tender cutlets which lack that sinewy, un-bitable texture (don’t you hate it when the veal won’t tear and the whole cutlet slides out of the bread and burns your chin?). Their breading is savory, their sauce mild and salty, and their wedge breads crispy and fresh. My favorite touch: they’re conservative with the mozz! What more can one expect from this Italian-American favorite? Price: $9.50
The Wine:
1999 Gaja Sito Moresco, an unconventional Langhe Rosso that, in addition to Nebbiolo, contains Cabernet and Merlot. It opened up right away, offering an aromatic onslaught including red currants, Kirsch, coffee bean, licorice, leather and tobacco. The maturity of this blend explains its elegance…..the tannins have softened but not faded. The acidity is alive, but still the flavors are a bit simpler than the nose. The finish is a bit short, but is very Piemontese nonetheless. Nebbiolo still dominates, but is perhaps tamed by the Bordeaux varieties. Price: $50.
The Pairing:
The wine clearly went from good to great after my first bite of the sandwich. A gamey flavor in the veal revealed similar aspects in the wine. The fatty, savory flavors in the breading and the mozzarella accentuated the licorice notes in the Nebbiolo, while the salty/acid nature of the tomato sauce challenged the wine’s structure, the latter eventually prevailing. Likewise, this rich-yet-understated Italian wine was responsible for adding lift and complexity to a dish that generally becomes monotonous about halfway through. Bottom line: Do try this at home!
-Michael Koehler
After all of these sophisticated meals that we blog about, and the precise wine pairings that we painstakingly arrange, I thought it would be a refreshing change to do something a bit less chic (but perhaps even more sinful). So I took home an expensive mature red blend from the celebrated Piemontese producer Angelo Gaja and drank it with comfort food from our favorite neighborhood pizzeria, Nona’s (right next to Suburban). The results were magical, crushing the myth that food and beverage pricing should correlate, and further proving that sometimes high-end wines just make sense with simpler foods.
The Food:
A classic veal cutlet parm hero, no extras, no adjustments. The boys at Nona’s make a nearly perfect version of this comfort food standard. They’re careful to choose tender cutlets which lack that sinewy, un-bitable texture (don’t you hate it when the veal won’t tear and the whole cutlet slides out of the bread and burns your chin?). Their breading is savory, their sauce mild and salty, and their wedge breads crispy and fresh. My favorite touch: they’re conservative with the mozz! What more can one expect from this Italian-American favorite? Price: $9.50
The Wine:
1999 Gaja Sito Moresco, an unconventional Langhe Rosso that, in addition to Nebbiolo, contains Cabernet and Merlot. It opened up right away, offering an aromatic onslaught including red currants, Kirsch, coffee bean, licorice, leather and tobacco. The maturity of this blend explains its elegance…..the tannins have softened but not faded. The acidity is alive, but still the flavors are a bit simpler than the nose. The finish is a bit short, but is very Piemontese nonetheless. Nebbiolo still dominates, but is perhaps tamed by the Bordeaux varieties. Price: $50.
The Pairing:
The wine clearly went from good to great after my first bite of the sandwich. A gamey flavor in the veal revealed similar aspects in the wine. The fatty, savory flavors in the breading and the mozzarella accentuated the licorice notes in the Nebbiolo, while the salty/acid nature of the tomato sauce challenged the wine’s structure, the latter eventually prevailing. Likewise, this rich-yet-understated Italian wine was responsible for adding lift and complexity to a dish that generally becomes monotonous about halfway through. Bottom line: Do try this at home!
-Michael Koehler
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