New Toe for a New Year

The best way to end a Sunday night

It's been a few weeks.  But now that I'm debilitated (you'll see) I have some time to catch up on this beast. Here we go.

Goodbye Square House

It's been a bit of a few weeks.  First I moved.  Moving sucks even when you hire people to do it for you and especially when you're new flat is half the size of the old one.  This isn't a complaint, my new apartment is charming, but logistically it's a bit of a nightmare when there is just no space. In the midst of moving I decided to have (was thrown in?) one of the busiest weeks I've had in a long time both work and socially.  It's a fine line anyway. 

The night before moving, after my helper and her body builder friends helped to packed up my apartment, I hit the town for some incredible wine and food.  

Started off with a bottle at Aberdeen Street Social.  As much as their cocktails frustrate me for their diminutive stature, they have a decent wine list.  

 Then over to meet up with the rest of the group for some Italian Korean fusion at Moyo, a newly opened restaurant on Aberdeen Street.  It sounds like it shouldn't work but it was brilliant.  Perhaps it was the first bottle of wine sinking in, or maybe just the good company, but everything worked. 

Italian, Korean French fries? Also traditional dishes like bossam, sundubu, pajeon.   And some not traditional like kimchi bruscetta and tteokkbokki carbonara.  

It was especially lovely as we got the VIP treatment with "service-uh" throughout the entire meal.  I will definitely be going back. 

 Sunday was moving day. 

Instead of unpacking Alison and Nicole came over to help me with some wine.  The Clau de Nell from one of Burgundy's big names is a great choice from the Loire.  Value.  

I didn't drink these but isn't it interesting to note the different labels from the same wine.  1993 Dom Perignon Oenotheque.  Both came through Japan as evidenced by back labels, but they must have been released at different times.  I guess when you producer 2 million plus bottles a year you can experiment with labeling. 

Italian Wednesday Session

Wednesday I led an Italian tasting of the wines of Castello di Ama at work.  The wines were all stunning.  I shouldn't say I was surprised, but I was. I don't have much experience drinking Chianti and these single vineyard expressions from 2006 and 2007 were a testament to how interesting and terroir and vintage driven Sangiovese can be.  The 2 single vineyards, Casucci and Bellavista, were different blends, one with Merlot the other Malvasia Nera, and both just really delicious, youthful, and indicative of how age worthy Chianti is. 

 Thursday was the Burgundy "En Primeur" tasting at Crown Wine Cellars.  The above is a picture of me creeping on Sebastian Cathiard.  Although (I think) I held it together, I felt like I was a 12 year old girl at a 1d concert (which incidentally I will be March 11th).  Several superstars of Burgundy were on hand pouring their most recent vintage and explaining why it was such a tough one.  Extremely low yields meant nothing for quality as all of the wines tasted were concentrated with real class.

Not pictured Hudelot Noellet, Fourrier, Duroche, Bernard Moreau among others.

 Afterward a group of us decided to go to Le Port Parfume for what was one of the best chickens I have ever had.  Better roasted chicken over butter poaches potatoes, peas, and carrots.  Ohhlala.  Those who store at Crown brought along some of their treasures.  Rioja above.  Savennieres below. And a Bonnes Mares Grand Cru from Jadot as well.

 As I'm typing this I realize I am mixing my weeks up.  Cannot be bothered to adjust, so just bear with me.

  Thursday, of what really was this week, Eric of Falcon Vitners brought along 7 Nicolas Potel wines and 14 Brunellos from 1990 and invited along other members of the trade for what was truly an epic tasting.  The Brunellos were wrapped up in foil and passed around in flights of 2 as we made out notes and comments.  If you have to be a nerd about something, why not wine?

The wines, pretty much all with the exception of one, showed beautifully.  Many pushing into their last few years while many more yet were still quite youthful and vibrant.  The overall favorite for Carbaoni and what was interesting to note was how close everyone's scores were to each other. Wine trade unit. 

Obviously that wasn't enough (we were spitting) so off to dinner we went to Yung Kee, each with a bottle in hand.   2011 Pierre Yves Colin Morey Baudines, 2008 Michel Ganoux Corton Renardes, 2006 La Gravette de Certan, 1999 Chave Hermitage Blanc (yum!), 2006 Soldera, 1992 Grace Family Vineyard (super lovely), 2005 Chateau Musar, 2000 Salvioni and a couple more Italians I'm struggling to read my notes on.

And finally wrapped the night up with a Faiveley at Neighborhood which was totally unnecessary but tasty nonetheless.  

 

The very next day there was yet another wine dinner with several repeat guests from the night before.  This was casual hotpot at Megan's Kitchen which although good, couldn't hold a candle to Chao's hot pot (not pictured Monday night's outing).  There were some incredible wines, my favorite came from Anne, pictured above, from Bulgaria for its quality, concentration and wow factor.  But also some nice Champagne from Villmat & the guys behind Cos d'Estournel.  Puligny Montrachet.  Donnhoff.  Chateau Poujeaux 1996 which was great, and on and on and on... 

Saturday marked Ginsberg+Chan's PORT INVASION.  We opened up 10 or so Ports, had 200+ around the office for sale and had a day of it.  It was great and the Ports which spanned 1937-1994, all showed wonderfully.  What was surprising was the super interest in the white ports.  Easy, delicious and great with an ice cube, what more could you ask?  And the cheese.  Classified, Julien specifically, has proven to be the cheese authority in Hong Kong.  I can send him any list of wines and he sends me an equally beautiful list of cheese.  The Valancay brought a tear to my eye...

Saturday night took a turn that I did not see coming and since then I have constructed a theory to make myself feel better about the whole thing.  Before Chinese New Year you are supposed to cut your hair (never during or you would mess up the good luck) for prosperity, sweep your house of excess, and generally purge yourself from the unnecessary stuff we fill our lives with for a fresh start of luck and greatness in the year to come.

Not saying my toe is unnecessary, but as I was unpacking my apartment Saturday night I brushed that baby across what I can only guess was my metal luggage tag.  Let me preface this with the fact that I had called to make a pedicure appointment just minutes before but they were full and I would have to go tomorrow. Go figure.

Metal > toe.

Lauren = back in the hospital.  This is now the 4th time in 3 months.  Tooth.  Dysentery x 2.  Toe.

There is no shortage of drama in the 852

This is a humbling lesson in which I should take away that in order for a successful year to come I need to shed some things of the year past.  Shed a tooth.  Shed, well, everything.  And shed some toe.

Shed-ed.  Now bring it Goat.