The Iron Chevsky Wine Blog

Two of the white wines I was very excited about, are not tasting so good anymore. I had stocked up on 2008 Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis (from Piedmonte, Italy) and 2007 Chante-Perdrix Condrieu "Authentic" (from Northern Rhone, France). 1-2 years ago they tasted great (see my old raves here and here ), but in the past year, they have fattened and lost some of their freshness. I am glad I am down to my last bottle of each, while they still taste okay, especially when paired with just the right food. This is a reminder that stocking up on wines to keep them for years is not always a good idea, particularly when it comes to Arneis (the white grape of Roero) and Viognier (the white grape of Condrieu) grape varieties. You've been warned!

San Fran is so big and happening, yet finding a place that hits the spot is not necessarily a slam dunk. As I examine my inner self, I tend to gravitate toward Italian food. It's funny because French and Chinese are my favorites. Yet, for comfort, I want gourmet yet relaxed sort of a place. Italian and Spanish are just right. Plus, any excuse to drink vino Italiano is worth consideration. The other night, Rona and I found ourselves spending four hours at Beretta - in the Mission district. Just long enough to consume respectable amount of vino and still be good to drive! Terrific food, perhaps just a notch below Restaurant Delfina , but then the parking is a hell of a lot easier at Beretta. Get there early (5pm) and call in 45 min beforehand to get on the waiting list. Since our friends were interested in learning about wine, I brought a couple of special selections: a 2008 Roero Arneis from Bruno Giacosa (top Arneis in the world, from Roero area in Piedmonte) and a 2001 Bertan...

September 11 is my lucky day. It's my birth day. Or is it my un-lucky day? After 2001, I am not sure anymore. At least, everyone thinks it's memorable. I always feel mixed. This year Rona was sick, so mom-in-law flew over to help take care, and I headed for a few hours to my grandma's in San Francisco to have dinner with my folks, whom slowly over the past several years I've been bringing into the world of fine wine. I suppose decades ago they brought me into the world of not-so-fine Ukraine, so it's only fair that I do something for them now. Even my 87 year-old grandma (and doing fine, thank you very much), who treated alcoholics for 30 years as a doctor in Odessa, and has given me many a raised eyebrow when hearing me talk about wine, doesn't mind sipping on some fine Barbaresco herself anymore. What's the world coming to!!! Russian-Jewish meals always have an appetizer course, family-style, with lots of dishes overwhelming the table. Marinated herring is...

During warm days of August and September in the Bay Area, making a simple panzanella salad from fresh ingredients from my garden with a crisp glass of white wine is my late summer comfort food. Step 1. Pick heirloom tomatoes from the garden. Chop or slice. Step 2. Pick fresh basil from the garden. Chop. Step 3. Finely chop couple of cloves of fresh garlic. This is a key ingredient, just like basil - it really takes tomatoes to a whole other level. Step 4. Cut fresh buffalo mozzarella into large chunks. The quality of the mozzarella is very important. None of the cheap rubbery stuff. In the Bay Area, I find that A.G. Ferrari and Costco have excellent quality buffalo mozzarella. Step 5. Cut stale rustic bread into big chunks. Step 6. Mix everything, and dress with high-quality olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Some people like to add a bit of vinegar, but if the tomatoes are tangy enough, I'd skip. Another delicious alternative (or addition) to vinegar is lemon ...