It was 11pm and I was standing in the garage of my parents’ apartment building, waiting for my father so we could hit the road for our 1200-mile journey. I looked at his white Chevy Blazer, and observed through the smoked glass of the rear window, the various contents of the kitchen cabinets he had emptied out and stuffed into the car.
He appeared in his de rigeur cabby hat, leather jacket and slacks. Ever the Italian dandy in his dress he appeared to be a cross between Errol Flynn and Tony Soprano.
“Ready”? He asked.
“Let’s do it,” I responded.
Read MorePinot Nero Bianco has a lot in common with Washington Heights. Most people don’t know it exists. Tourist maps of Manhattan end at around 125th Street and snub our neighborhood entirely and conversations about Pinot Noir usually exclude the bianco version. Our favorite example is Vercesi del Castellazzo Gugiarolo Pinot Nero 2011.
Just like our hidden treasure of a neighborhood, it too is the unlikely product of two very different, but equally wonderful ideas. Washington Heights is like a quaint small town with rolling hills, scenic vistas and friendly people nestled atop the most cosmopolitan, expensive, concrete jungle on the planet. Pinot Nero Bianco is a crisp, minerally and refreshing white wine made from grapes that produce some of the most celebrated red wines.
Read MoreSummer, jazz music and pinot noir all have a lot in common. All three are seductive, warm, sultry, at times languid, sweet, and have an elusive finish. Most people reach for white wine in summer, but pinot noir encapsulates the season best. It is filled with fruit, but finishes easily like the last notes of Dave Brubeck’s, “Take Five.”
A beautiful illustration of this is Really Good Wine by Joe 2010 Pinot Noir from Dundee, Oregon. It really ought to be served at room temperature. Some folks like to put a light chill on pinot to beat the heat, but doing so would be like listening to Louis Armstrong with your hands over your ears. You’ll still get some of the better notes, but you’ll miss all of the nuances that made him special.
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