Big Fat Wine

I gather extreme satisfaction in leaving a gratuity for services properly rendered (accent on properly rendered).  I am a “tipper” at heart. If it is good service, tip good.  If the service was exceptional, tip great! If the service was poor, hit the door! In those cases, I am so stressed out it is better to just depart and leave the experience behind you. Sometimes, my opinionated better half reaches out to the manager or owner of the establishment to discuss the poor service experience which often results in a reduction in our bill.  That’s always helpful but it’s not a cure all. Quite often, we don’t go back.

Tipping is discretionary, but let me share my simple methodology;

1. Okay to mediocre service:                                   10 %
2. Good service (did what was expected):         10% – 20%
3. Exceptional!                                                              20% +

I have this desire to show how much I really appreciate great services. So many people go to a “job” and perform the bare minimum. Some go all out to make you feel important. Some go the extra mile to ensure you have the greatest experience possible. Whether they are simply driven or looking for a good gratuity, it simply does not matter. Determining what their incentive is in providing great service is not the issue here. Reward it!

With that said, it is something of a faux pas to tip the pourer at a wine tasting. Tipping is definitely not expected in any tasting room, and you may very well receive some strange looks if you try to. *Sidenote* Wine tasting rooms are not the same as wine bars. If you are at a wine bar that is connected to a restaurant, or where you pay by the glass as opposed to a flat tasting fee, tipping is very much appropriate in that case. If in doubt, you can ask! What’s the harm?

The bottom line is, if I simply wanted to have a glass of wine, I can stay at home and pour it myself. The reason for going out is the enjoyment of the entire experience. Being catered to is pleasurable, and most of the time, is worth the additional costs. Like a perfectly cooked fine cut of meat, so is the red carpet treatment. Is there anything wrong with wanting to be served and being expected to pay for the opportunity to being served? I think not.

Your opinions are welcome. Those of us that belong to the “recognition of hard work club” are open to suggestions. We may not change our methods but we are willing to listen!

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Saturday evening, we ventured out for someplace new. We arrived in Tacoma at CORK a wine bar! We just barely missed the live music but upon entering, we found the atmosphere pleasant and very inviting. Lots of tables spread out around the floor and since there were not alot of patrons present, we had a good selection of seating.

We ordered the First Class Flight for each of us. Three tastes galore and we enjoyed this so much. Since we are red through and through, we were ready for some swirling, smelling and slurping! Maybe I need new glasses, or subconsciously wanted to be different, but I mistakenly ordered the Root One Sauvignon Blanc with my two reds. This was not a bad mistake though! This turned out to be the best wine we ordered  that evening! The Root One Sauvignon Blanc jumped out with plenty of aroma. Apricots hit our noses right away, together with mandarin oranges and vanilla. This wine went terrific with the meat and cheese plate we ordered and made everything taste scrumptious! Especially the French Brie! We couldn’t get enough. If you have one white set aside for those warm summer days, make it this one!

The service was exceptional and everyone was very helpful. We will definitely be back. We can’t wait to bring friends and family to enjoy the comfortable surroundings. Hopefully we can enjoy the Pear, blue cheese, rosemary, and olive oil Flatbread, which they unfortunately were out of that night.

CORK is located at 3012 6th Avenue in Tacoma and parking on either side of the street isn’t much of a problem. Just plan to stay a few hours!

If you like what we are doing here click to vote for BigFatWine!

W.W.M.D.

What would Magnum Drink?

Magnum’s drink of choice was Old Düsseldorf beer in a long-neck bottle, though he enjoyed sneaking fine wines out of Robin Master’s wine cellar when he thought Higgins wasn’t looking. We have chosen a “Full Bodied Red” for Thomas. Magnum often entertained ladies in his loft on Robin Masters Estate and was a hopeless romantic.  While he probably would not partake in a good bottle of wine by himself, lighting some candles and cracking open a bottle to entertain a beautiful “wahine” wouldn’t be out of the norm. The 2006 Emmanuel Delicata Winemaker Ltd. Maltese Falcon Full Bodied Red would be perfect for him because of his infatuation with Private Investigator Sam Spade.

2006 Emmanuel Delicata Winemaker Ltd. Maltese Falcon Full Bodied Red

This is a blend of 60% merlot, 20% syrah and 20% cabernet sauvignon. The cabernet has a rich taste of oak. A good nose: not over-distinguished, but it has a good black fruit character. This is a nice blend that works well, though overall the wine is hardly over-complex. But it’s nice easy drinking.

Magnum P.I. is a television show that follows the exciting adventures of private investigator Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV (Tom Selleck) and his three close friends as they live their lives on the beautiful island of Oahu in Hawaii. Thomas Magnum (often referred to simply as “Magnum”) is an ex-U.S. Navy Seal and Office of Naval Intelligence officer. His friends are Theodore “T.C.” Calvin (Roger E. Mosley), an ex-U.S. Marine helicopter pilot and small business owner, Orville Wilbur “Rick” Wright III (Larry Manetti), an ex-U.S. Marine door gunner and private beach club manager, and British socialite and majordomo  Jonathan Quayle Higgins III (John Hillerman), an ex-British Army Regimental Sergeant Major and  MI6 intelligence officer.

Magnum P.I. was shot almost entirely on location in Oahu, mostly on the southeast side of the island although many other parts of the island were used as well. Most episodes featured a large contingent of local, Oahu-based actors. All of the indoor set scenes (Magnum’s quarters, the main house at Robin’s Nest, Rick & T.C.’s offices) were filmed on a soundstage (Stage One) at the  Hawaii Film Studio (then known as “Diamond Head Studio”), located at the corner of 22nd Avenue and Diamond Head Road (at the foot of Diamond Head crater, next to Kapiolani Community College). The film studio was originally built for  Hawaii Five-O in the 1970s. Stage One was originally known as “Five-O Stage”, even though the soundstage was only used for the last three seasons of Hawaii Five-O (1976-1979).

Set in the cultural melting pot of 1980s Oahu, Magnum P.I. was primarily a character driven show about friendship which managed to successfully blend together action, drama, comedy and mystery elements, often incorporating all four in the same episode. The show was also groundbreaking in its use of unconventional storytelling devices, such as retrospectives, “fantasy” elements (dream sequence episodes), shared story lines that crossed over to other shows (Simon & Simon, Murder She Wrote), and breaking the  fourth wall (by Magnum looking or smiling at the camera), which were seldom used in TV at the time.

The Vietnam War was an important recurring theme in the show. Magnum, T.C. and Rick were all Vietnam Veterans. The show featured many flashback scenes to the war and dealt with many of the issues Vietnam Vets faced post-war. The show is unique in its positive portrayal of the American Vietnam Vet – indeed, it was the first show to take this stance. All three characters are upstanding citizens with laudable character traits, who look back on their military careers with pride, and seek no one’s sympathy.

Typical of the time and genre, testosterone-fueled, suspension of disbelief action scenes were featured semi-regularly in the show, and to great effect. Car chases, chopper chases, fisticuffs (with little blood), explosive pyrotechnics, they were all there, and usually very well done. And the good guys didn’t always win!

The show is also famous for its many iconic images, which will forever be assoiciated with it – the Hawaiian setting, the red  Ferrari 308 GTS, the Hawaiian shirts, the sprawling oceanside estate known as Robin’s Nest, T.C.’s helicopter, the “team ring”, and Magnum’s mustache and baseball caps. The red parrot Hawaiian shirt, the Detroit Tigers baseball cap and the Team Ring can be found at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C..

But without question the heart and soul of the show lies with the two central characters, Thomas Magnum and Jonathan Higgins, and their ever evolving relationship. Higgins is a deceivingly complex character with a richly detailed personal history. Higgins’ fascinating past, revealed slowly through “boring” orations, was one of the highlights of the show. Magnum, at the urging of Selleck, is a refreshingly fallible, self-effacing, sentimental, non-macho protagonist. Sure, he is a hunk of epic magnitude, but he doesn’t always get the girl, he often screws something up, and he owes everybody money. And yet is also extremely likable, for both men and woman. He possesses high morals, is extremely loyal to his friends, has a good sense of humor and will bend over backwards to help people in need. Despite the differences in personality, age and background, and the neverending, lighthearted arguments and bickering, Magnum and Higgins develop a strong, unique friendship. Higgins, in a way, acts a quasi father figure to Magnum (who lost his real father when he was five). A large majority of the most memorable scenes from the show involve Magnum and Higgins together. Selleck and Hillerman are both superb in bringing these most interesting characters to life.

The final episode of the show aired on May 1st 1988 as a two-hour movie and was the highest rated show of the week. Magnum re-activated his Naval commission as a Commander and he became a full-time father to his daughter Lily Catherine. Rick finally sowed his oats and married an ex-prostitute named Cleo Mitchell, although we never actually hear him say “I Do”. T.C. continues to run Island Hoppers and coach little league baseball. Higgins remains at Robin’s Nest and is presumably still working on his memoirs. The issue of Robin Masters identity was intentionally left ambiguous. Higgins at first says he really is Robin Masters, but then, later, slyly says “I lied about being Robin Masters”. By “lie”, does he mean “I pretended to be Robin Masters all this time”, or “I lied when I said I was Robin Masters”? You decide. After the closing credits, Tom Selleck, from the guest house set, gives a short “farewell/thank you” speech to the fans of the show. After his final “goodbye”, Selleck points a TV remote at the camera and pushes a button – the screen goes blank, end of the series.

Color    -    Swirl    -    Smell    - Taste    -    Savor

SMELL BIG!

This is the third part in our series on the “Big Fat Taste”. Smell cannot be overestimated! I know you have tried it, smelling an orange and taking a huge drink of water. The affect is overwhelming!

The smell of a wine can be very interesting and can be almost as enjoyable as drinking the wine! When you pour a wine, only fill the glass to a third full. The best wine glasses are those that close in towards the top to trap the aroma. Once you have swirled to your lifes content, stick your nose into the glass, breath in and concentrate on what you can smell. Remember to open your mouth at the same time. You’ll ingest even more aroma and enjoy it that much more. You can even compare what you are smelling with the winemaker’s description on the label. Being a wine enthusiast for only about 4 -5 years, I know the more I pay attention to what I am smelling, the better I am able to discern the various aromas. Take your time! Really focus on the smell! Take notes. Refer to the Wine Aroma Wheel. Get yourself a pocket guide to help you identify the many aromas.Wine Tasting Notebook

This is such a critical period in the tasting process and it can be rather intense to stop and enjoy the smelling before the taste. This is “foreplay” for wine tasting! Slow down and smell the roses, or tobacco, or plumbs, or wet dog. Next you will be able to take a drink but don’t be in a hurry. Unless you walk away from your glass, it will be there when it comes time to sip.

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In September 2007  Joel  and I had the opportunity to spend 10 days in Paris.

We arrived in the afternoon after almost a full day of travel so it was time for food and a nap.  We ate in a cafe around the corner from the hotel, fell into bed and slept.  The time difference really does mess with you.  Once we came out of hibernation it was time to explore.  We didn’t get a car because driving in Paris is way more of an adventure than I was ready for plus the metro system can get you anywhere in the city easy, cheap and fast… okay so it’s a bit crowded and there are some pretty interesting smells down some of the dark corridors but I still felt safer down there than I would have in a car considering the driving style.

We were warned, before we left, that the French were not exactly friendly to Americans and if we don’t speak French (which we don’t) people would be down right rude.  That wasn’t the experience we had.  The French people that we encountered were wonderful and very helpful.  We had a few interesting experiences when we tried to order but thank goodness everyone knew what we were saying when we ordered “house red.”

We never had a bad glass of wine or a bad cup of coffee while we were there.  Not once.

We did all the regular stuff, the Louvre, Notre Dame, Jim Morrison’s grave, but I think the best thing we did was hang out in the shadow of Sacré Coeur in the little community of Montmartre.  We just walked and ate and drank cheap wine and absorbed the local color.

This trip was amazing and I would go back today if I could.

By the way, Paris truly is the most romantic city on the planet.

As Always,

Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!

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A French minister reduced the country’s disgraced World Cup stars to tears as she gave them a dressing down over their tantrums ahead of their final group game on Tuesday. Roselyne Bachelot said she had told the players they are a “moral disaster”. “I told the players that they are perhaps no longer heroes for our children,” Bachelot told reporters. “It is the dreams of your partners, your friends, your supporters that you have broken. It is the image of France that you have tarnished.” She went on: “I said to the players that French football was confronting a disaster, not because it had lost a match, but because this disaster is a moral disaster.”

Bachelot said she told the stars that “nothing will be the same again” during what she called “an extremely emotional meeting” when she saw tears in the eyes of the players.

Today, South Africa added insult to injury with a 2-1 victory over France, and France’s World Cup embarrassment was now complete.

As Americans, I don’t think we can fully comprehend the impact that this has on the French people. Even if the Dallas Cowboy’s, who have attended a total of eight Super Bowl’s, were to lose to the Tokyo Gas Creators in Cowboys Stadium, I don’t believe we could empathize with the French.

We graciously extend our condolences to our French brethren out of respect for their national pastime. (Even though the sportsmanship and game play was questionable). But rest assured, you can still claim the miraculous wines that you so deserve credit for. Your country is widely regarded as producing more quality wine than anywhere else in the world! From Alsace to Bordeaux, to Beaujolais to Languedoc, the French have excelled at bringing us wine that is incomparable to the rest of the world. The Judgement of Paris in 1976, IMHO, did not put you in your place, as others may project. It merely showed that California can and does create a good quality wine. France still presides.

Put the soccer shoes away for another year and remember “mes amis”, there is always next year, and “We’ll Always Have Paris”.

The Talamonti ModA’ 2008 was exquisite tonight! The steaks were equally tasty! In fact, we don’t see a pairing quite as symbiotic. Thick! The aroma of liquid smoke, faint aroma of tobacco and cherry over grilled beef is a wonderful combination of tastes. We love this wine and suggest you match it up with your favorite steak!

*Big Fat Wine Score: Voluptuous!

-hindsight (a French wine would have been appropriate but we couldn’t wait to try this one at home!)

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Overcast, wet and rainy Father’s Day in Seattle. Deja – Vu. It doesn’t matter whether the kids are 5 or 23, they still remain the best breakfast cooker-uppers on Father’s Day! The only thing missing is Fiona and Liesel because they are “grow’d up and living on their own”, but they are definitely in my heart as always. The bare bones office is now setup and I thought I would crack open a “wine once enjoyed”.

2008 Columbia Valley The Last Straw We had this earlier this year at a wine bar in Bend, Oregon with Josh and Liesel and we enjoyed it immensely. Of course, we enjoyed everything we had the pleasure of partaking in that evening. As I sit looking through wine blogs, wine business pages and reading about wine history, I am picking up on the aromas of wet stones, and cherries. Flavors of plumbs and wheat. At the King County Library, you would probably find this under “Pacific Northwest Bordeaux”. The blends are what I love! Now I am getting a bit sentimental thinking about that evening in Bend, but wine often times is a great media for reminiscing and remembrances. Family is numero uno. What more can I say? Wine is thicker than water and if you immerse yourself in all that it brings to life, you will enjoy each day to its fullest. To a “wine once enjoyed” and a wonderful Father’s Day …again!

Six tastes later and I do believe we discovered a brand new hangout and it’s only ten minutes away from home. The Auburn Wine and Caviar Company is truly a place worth spending some time. We had planned on going last night but our plans were deterred. It was a special Robert Mondavi tasting and celebrating the Mondavi’s 100 year anniversary. Thankfully, they had some left for us to enjoy.

I did some reading up on caviar before we left. The only caviar I have experienced was on a business flight to Sweden a few years ago and at the time I found it very inviting. If you have a “texture” plate, it’s definitely a treat. Expecting to sit down and learn about wine and caviar pairings, I asked our server, Linda, a few questions and found that guests merely order the caviar from their shop. I think I have a lot to learn before I order up a few ounces. I am looking forward to it though. It’s one of those decadent foods that seems to bring mystery and intrigue to life.

Linda was very helpful and friendly and when we found out Auburn Wine and Caviar is a popular hang out for her as well, it even had more of a draw for us. Their website says they have daily tastings from 4pm – 7pm and live music Friday’s and Sunday’s. If we don’t make it this Sunday (Father’s Day) we will definitely be back! By the way, we met a nice couple that hopefully we run into again. Jona talked to them at length (imagine that) and they seemed to enjoy wine and life.

The Auburn Wine and Caviar Company carries an extensive collection of both domestic and international wines and champagnes, as well as some really interesting beers. The wine we especially enjoyed tonight was Olympic Cellars “My Sweet Syrah” 2008.  A blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Riesling, and four-percent residual sugar, it packed a surprise with its mild sweet berries and cream flavors with a touch of pepper. We brought a bottle home and it’s surely one for a special occasion.  This might be a good wine for those who don’t normally drink red wine.   I can think of a few friends who would love this one.  We’ll be back!

As Always,

Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!

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