DISQUS

Hey Joe,
Sorry for not getting back to you...yes, I generally do work weekends at Cova. I'm working this Friday and Saturday night. Generally...I do not work the day shift on the weekend (and usually I don't work Sundays...but that also changes...)
So, let me know if you have an inkling to stop by your 'other' favorite wine bar...:)
Also, let's drink some beers sooner than later...
Steve

Yeah...still at Cova...I'm here 4 or 5 nights a week
I may be cutting back some hours due to school...(and the SDP).
I currently have a batch of a 'Catcher in the Rye' made with rye instead of barley (pretty tasty stuff...kind of like a heavy Sam Adams) and an IPA that I'm really happy with...not OVERY hoppy...but great mouth feel, it's only 2 weeks old...I want to see how it develops.
Let's get together and drink some brews...do the Pats play the Lions?
I think the Lions could probably take them at this point...(and that's no disrespect to the Lions...)

Hey Joe,
Glad to see you survived the storm. Our house and animals were fortunate to escape unscathed. However, we are still without power...I'm over it.
Started the SDP on Monday...was sad to see you weren't there....I'm sure you would like to be there and are there in spirit. There's only a couple of folks from our class in there...well....3, now that I think of it. It looks to be pretty tough...but, at the risk of drinking an ungodly amount of wine...I'll suffer through it. :)
I've been brewing beer...and it's coming out pretty good...I need to get you some.

Hey Joe,
Saw this yesterday...it's a very well made movie. A very touching tribute to wine and winos (and a hint of '70's drug nostalgia). Alan Rickman, who can do no wrong, somehow manages to walk the wire of eccentric brit/wine snob while still being very funny. Bill Pullman, however, I think will be up for an Academy award for his portrayal of Jim Barrett...the owner of Chateau Montelena. Very understated...but powerful.

Joe!
I totally agree...in fact, yesterday I had an awesome opportunity to go and sample a bunch of Italian wines distributed by Kobrand...and there were some huge reds...barolos, montepulcianos, sassicaia, and I ended up going backwards..after I had all these big meaty reds, I decided to finish with a few of the pinot grigios they had and they were really refreshing, (not too mention easy on the wallet...).

Joe,
I just read that archive...and, we just put back the paradigm on the menu...(although, I think it's the '05) but it is quite good. And Alex actually works at the Washington store as well...he's VERY in the know on wines...a little crazily so... Another cab of the same quality, if not a step higher is the Darioush Cab sav... http://www.darioush.com/wines_info.html?db=wine...
Anyways...I mainly work nights...I'll get a copy of my schedule and shoot you an email...but...hope to see ya soon!
Steve

Hey Joe!
Again...I'm back after a lengthy absence...I have joined the ranks of 'clock punchers' once again and I'm still adjusting. However...as far as jobs go...I probably could have done worse...I work for Cova Wines (www.covawines.com) and I basically I'm a waiter...but, within that dull and tedious title....I get to try some fantastic wines that I would have never been able to otherwise. What does this have to do with your post?...Well, first, I would have to agree with your statement, that wine is not just about wine...it can be enhanced or detracted from greatly by food and/or company. And there is so much wine out there that you could really never make an informed opinion as to whittle down a choice of one white and one red... HOWEVER...barring that...right now, given what I have tried and what I do like...I can probably say for the red wine...I'd have to go with a Pinot Noir, perhaps by Consilience...their '05 Bien Nacido Vineyards maybe? Actually, now that you talk about it...I think it would be easier to narrow down two varietals than two 'wines'...As far as the white goes...hmmm.....I don't have a real favorite...so I'll have to go with something practical...everyday drinking...Prosecco. ( I know prosecco is not a varietal...but, it's a nice, solid, everyday drink)
If you and your wife get a chance...come on by the store, (if you havent already). I work at the Washington Ave. location..They've got some really excellent stuff at good prices...and the food is excellent.
I'll try to be more diligent about checking the blog...nice article about the bbq!

What extremes? There's hot, and there's humid. :)
We've basically put an entire Italian herb garden in a location that doesn't get a ton of sun...there's a coupld of trees shading it...and we just need to stay on top of making sure they don't dry out...we've got tomatoes, eggplant, squash, rosemary, oregano, thyme....they're doing really well right now....I don't knows if I'll be able to say that come June....
Also, we basically built this little area up with about a foot and 1/2 of potting soil...so the plants aren't actually in the 'gumbo' that primarily makes up the houston soil. Hopefully, the extra drainage will help.

Funny I should read your blog today...we just bought some asparagus a few days ago and have been enjoying it since....although, maybe I need to qualify that...we bought 'baby' asparagus. Which, I have to say is easier going on the wine 'pairing' dilema...'cause all you have to do with those bad boys is a light steam, a quick saute with butter and salt and BAM...
yer good to go. I had no problems with my cab sav with it either...but, as you have noted...my palette tends to be pretty WIDE...but, I think I would have detected anything offensive...maybe. I'm not exactly drinking the 'good stuff' these days..budgetary concerns....
What about a chenin blanc with aforementioned greenery? I would think that maybe a nice...ummm, oh the regions escape me now...upper loire?...they do the chenin blanc right? Ah...I'm going to quit now before I embarrass myself.
We're planting an italian herb garden...I find you just can't have enough fresh rosemary....
Steve

No, not enrolled yet...I did get my diploma though...and a letter stating that a score of 70% or better on the test gave you the right to proceed to the diploma program. So that was cool. There is a small chance (and, I mean very small) that we may be heading out of dodge by that time. It is unlikely...but, I am going to hold off for another couple of months...see how things play out.
School is going well...but, it's almost like seeing how a magician does his tricks. Plus, talk about over-analyzing wine...the amount of acids and enzymes and peptides and proteins and lions and tigers and bears....it's a little overwhelming for someone who still hasn't made their first batch yet...:)

Hey Joe!
Just trying to catch up on your blog...it's been awhile, I've been pretty occupied with school and stuff...
You might think I would have an answer for you...but, ultimately...there is no accounting for anyone's 'taste'. However, we just had a chapter about yeast fermentation and the different strains that are typically used...I would argue that a wine that has been fermented with Brettanomyces isn't necessarily a flaw. Obviously the French don't deem it as such. The point of using different yeast strains is because each one imparts something different to the wine (in addition to other pros or cons with regards to chemical reactions)...in the case of Brett...too much can be a bad thing...but, the point is to control how much of it comes through to the finished product. Oxidation, on the other hand, is generally a matter of improper sealing...or a bad cork. No?

If we take the axiom that our good friend Darryl quoted us, "Anything you would eat with beer, you can eat with champagne" and reversed it...then, with regards to this article...I'm having beer with breakfast!! And isn't that where we want to end up?
I'm going to pop open a bottle of bubbly for breakfast when my wife gets back into town and bask in the quizzical, if not "are you serious?" gaze she gives me. It's worth the price of admission.
Do people sit around drinking champagne all day? Where do I sign up?

Hey Joe,
I have the Marcato Atlas 180 Pasta Machine...I look at it everytime I get out my corkscrew, (which is pretty frequently...) and it saddens me that I've made only one attempt at making pasta... and a sad attempt it was. I think the intimidating thing about making pasta is the time commitment. But, seeing as I'm actually out of store bought pasta...maybe I'll be motivated to break it out again. The Mac Cheese recipe looks good. Too good.

Steve

Well.. let's take this a step further... I completely understand the concept of not buying "cooking wines"...I believe they are still on the shelves...but they are collecting dust.
But are you saying you wouldn't cook with a wine that you WOULD drink? Are you denying that what you said earlier confirms your aforementioned thesis? (Okay...I'm joking) But seriously, do you simply wait for a bottle that you deem 'unpalatable' and then set it next to the stove? Personally...I'm with the bumper sticker people..."Sure I cook with wine....sometimes I put it in the food" And if I'm cooking Italian...(which is what I do best...) then whatever bottle I'm drinking at the moment, be it a Montepulciano, a chianti or maybe even a dolcetto...(or maybe a mixture of the three...I'm crazy like that) be sure that some of that is going into the food. So yes, I only cook with wine I drink.

I like the term 'millenials'....I haven't heard that one. (but, I do live in a closet). I also find it funny people are STILL referencing Sideways. Well, I hope the article is right, otherwise, this career path might be over mighty quick. I wonder how much I personally contribute to the US statistics. I'm sure I affect the curve heavily.

I just visited the Spec's downtown. A pretty cool store! It reminded me a little bit of Trader Joes (which I miss whole heartedly) A very impressive, if not a little bit intimidating, wine selection. So often I go into these places and can spend at least an hour or more just looking at wine labels. (It makes me think about how my mother used to drag me to the fabric store...I could have killed myself from boredom....would a child do the same in a wine store?) Anyways, I can easily say it's the largest selection of wine that I've come across in Houston...(I've only been here a year and a half) Can't wait to go back.

That IS a great article. I was given a 'Wine Spectator Top 100' for christmas and I just read an article on the A to Z vineyards (that was in a larger article about Oregon wines).
I totally agree with the premise that you should be able to afford Pinot as an everyday drinking wine. It goes with so much food.