Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: Opening Nights

Fleming's prides themselves on pouring 100 wines by the glass at each of their locations.  They're unveiling an updated list of wines this month, and each Thursday in September you can try 20 of these wines along with light appetizers for $25.  Stay for dinner and they'll give you a dining credit of $25.  More details from the press release: 

WHAT: This unprecedented series features tastings of the entire Fleming’s 100, the award-winning list of 100 wines by the glass unveiled each September. It is a rare opportunity for all guests to sniff, swirl, sip and spit like an international wine buyer.

WHEN: Every Thursday in September 2010 (September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30) from 5:30pm – 7:00 pm

COST: $25 per guest
Guests attending an Opening Night event will also receive a $25 Dining Credit for the main dining room that evening.

WHERE: Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
217 Stuart Street, Boston, MA
(next to The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers)
617-292-0808 / flemingssteakhouse.com

Click here for wines (20) served at each Opening Night.

Here's a list of wines being poured on September 23rd:

Sparkling

• SCHRAMSBERG, Blanc de Blancs North Coast, 2006

White Wines of Interest

• MÖNCHSHHOF, Riesling Spätlese Mosel Slate Germany, 2008/2009*
• CANTINA TERLANO, Pinot Grigio Alto Adige Italy, 2008
• MASO CANALI, Pinot Grigio Trentino Italy, 2008

Chardonnay

• CANYON ROAD, California, 2009
• SONOMA-CUTRER, Sonoma Coast Russian River Ranches, 2008
• DMZ, Western Cape South Africa, 2008
• BENZIGER, Carneros Sangiacomo Vineyard, 2007

Pinot Noir

• MARK WEST, California, 2008
• RITUAL, Casablanca Valley Chile, 2008
• CAMBRIA, Santa Maria Valley Julia's Vineyard, 2007

Syrah/Shiraz/Petite Sirah/Zinfandel

• OTTIMINO, Zinfandel Sonoma County Zinfinity, 2006/2007*
• ORIN SWIFT, The Prisoner Napa Valley, 2008

Merlot

• MARKHAM, Napa Valley, 2006
• CAIN, Cuvée Napa Valley NV6/NV7

Cabernet / Cabernet Blend

• FRANCIS COPPOLA DIAMOND COLL., Claret California Black Label, 2007/2008*
• YALUMBA, Barossa Valley The Scribbler Australia, 2007/2008*
• HESS, Napa Valley Allomi Vineyard, 2007
• TREFETHEN, Double T Napa Valley, 2007
• HALL, Napa Valley, 2006

On September 30th, the wines will be chosen by each local wine director/general manager.

I've enjoyed their by-the-glass selections in the past and I see some familiar favorites on this list.  The Maso Canali, Sonoma-Cutrer, Cambria, and Hall wines jump out at me, and others look appealing as well. I think they do a nice job with their wine program - this looks like a good opportunity.

Further Reading: 10 ways to get into wine without spending top dollar.

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Review: The 2nd Best Movie Ever About Wine

I don't think we'll see a better movie about wine than Sideways anytime soon.  Wine plays such a substantial part in that movie, yet it stands as an incredible story on its own.  Some thought Bottle Shock would be the next wine movie to fascinate audiences in a similar way, but it fell flat.  Mondovino is an interesting film but fails because it assumes too much knowledge and fails to make its points crisply.

So it was with high hopes that I recently watched Blood Into Wine.  I'm pleased to report the movie was thoroughly enjoyable and I highly recommend you check it out -- depending on whether you're interested in the subject matter of the film.

If you're interesting in wine, the rock band Tool, or Arizona you'll probably like this movie.  If you like 2 of these subjects you may love this movie.  If you're into all three you may find yourself feeling as if this movie was a gift made for you.  I grew up in the Phoenix area and went to college listening to Tool's music in Northern Arizona.  I obviously care a lot about wine so I find myself in the "gift" bucket.  The movie delivered with stunning cinematography (it's unmistakably shot beautifully in Northern Arizona) and compelling story telling to provide a complete package I thoroughly enjoyed.

The story centers around Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer front man Maynard James Keenan and his groundbreaking winemaking aspirations centered in Jerome, Arizona.  He's partnered with the experienced, passionate, and well-spoken Eric Glomski to deliver wine under the Caduceus (kuh-doo-see-us) label.  After overcoming challenges associated with being some of the first winemakers in the region, their wines have been rated between 86 and 91 points by Wine Spectator and have brought significant notoriety to winemaking efforts in Arizona.

Like a great wine, the movie delivers balance.  If you're more into wine than Maynard's music, or vice versa, I think you'll find the story never strays too far from your interests.  Eventually you'll likely find yourself focused on Keenan's story.  Which is summed up eloquently at the end of the film when he shares that he felt it took 7 years for people to "get" Tool, 7 years for people to "get" A Perfect Circle, and 7 years for people to "get" Puscifer -- he fully expects it will take 7 years for his foray into wine to fully come together.  His vision, passion, and persistence is inspiring.  Especially when viewed in the context of an endeavor like blogging where someone who's been at it for 3 years is considered a veteran.

In the end you may realize the movie is essentially a well-crafted 90 minute commercial for Maynard's wine making efforts.  And it may jump around with inadequate depth depending on your interests.  But you'll likely forgive these small transgressions because overall the underlying story is so compelling, and you'll be so interested in trying his wines. 

4.5/5 Stars WWP: Outstanding

Visit the official site and watch a trailer: HERE
Add it to your Netflix queue: HERE
Buy it from Amazon.com:




Further Reading: I think a visit to Caduceus would pair brilliantly with a trip from Phoenix to Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon.  Along with two others, it's one of my favorite vacation destinations in the country.

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Starts Tomorrow: Boston Wine Week 2010

Loosely modeled after the Restaurant Week concept, Boston Wine Week kicks off tomorrow.  It  promises to allow guests to enjoy higher end wines with their meals at a reasonable fixed price across area restaurants:

September 20th - 26th, 2010: 

The first annual Boston Wine Week kicks off a week-long celebration of handcrafted wines by winemakers and growers from around the world, served by the glass or bottle at some of Boston’s top restaurants. Proving that great wine doesn’t have to be a great expense, all wines (some of which retail up to $90/bottle) will be offered at $9/glass and $32/bottle.  Participating restaurants will offer a minimum of six wines, available at a substantial discount.

Here's a list of the participating restaurants.

Complaining about high restaurant wine prices is a bit like griping about high taxes -- it doesn't really improve the situation.  But efforts like this show a thoughtful attempt to soften the blow at least for a week so I appreciate the efforts of the organizers and participating restaurants.

How compelling is the offer?  It depends on the wines being offered and whether you want to eat at the participating restaurants in the first place.  Looking through the list of restaurants, I think you'll see some interesting options.  But at around 20 restaurants participating this year it's far from the levels seen for Restaurant Week.  And that's fine.  I understand it's the first year and you have to start somewhere.  It just doesn't automatically make it a good time to try your favorite restaurant because your favorite restaurant might not be participating.

Some of the restaurants don't have lists of wines they're offering on the site yet and that's a bit of a disappointment.  When I was trying to get my arms around whether this was truly going to be a deal I wanted to see the wines being offered across all the restaurants at a glance.

Of the wines listed, let's take the 2006 Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon being offered at Bin 26 Enoteca as an example.  $45 retail price and they normally sell it for $85.  Offer it for $32 as part of this offer -- yeah, that's a good deal if you like that wine.  Others, like wines normally selling for $40 in the restaurant and being offered for $32, aren't as compelling.

Guidance and Outlook:  Seek out the pioneering restaurants that are embracing the event enthusiastically and offer some special events as part of this promotion. I'll look forward to the list of participating restaurants increasing next year and seeing some healthy competition to see who will offer the best deals as part of this event. 

What do you think?  Are you going to take advantage of Boston Wine Week this year?

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Wines That Taste Like Cakebread (but cost less)

A few weeks ago I was drinking a 2007 Cakebread Chardonnay and tweeted something along the lines of it being one of the few white wines I look forward to tasting.  As much as I try to broaden my wine drinking horizons, red wine consumption continues to outpace white wine consumption in our house 4 to 1.  What can I say?  I like to think I'm going to drink white wines most of the summer but I end up running back to my comfort zone of domestic red wine.

Mike Reardon from the Wine Cellar of Stoneham (@WineCellarsMA on Twitter) mentioned that he thought Landmark Chardonnay might be a better play than Cakebread (he sells both) so I thought it would be an interesting opportunity to not only compare these two wines but to answer a question I know a lot of people ask:

"What are some wines that taste like Cakebread but cost less?"

It's well documented by now that Cakebread Cellars is one of my favorite wineries.  They were the wine that got me into wine,  I've enjoyed visiting their tasting room in Napa a number of times over the years, and it's consistently one of the most popular restaurant wine brands in the US.  It is a great wine brand.

It's debatable whether Cakebread is more known for their Chardonnay or their Cabernet.  Like Napa in general, perhaps it depends on your perspective and what you're looking for.  I love their Cabernet Sauvignon for its distinctive presence.  It's got this great combination of being delicious on the nose and elegant/reserved on the palate.

Their Chardonnay is similar in that it presents itself on the nose as this big caramel apple but again shows amazing refinement on the palate.  It's quite amazing actually and, for my preferences at least, seems to be a calling card across their entire lineup.

In thinking about which wines to consider viable substitutes for Cakebread, we'd be remiss if we didn't consider the whole package.  You know- the bottle, the label, the brand, the place.  The whole thing that goes into the enjoyment of a bottle of wine.

For a while, I've wondered whether I was under the spell of the label.  However, after tasting their wines in several blind tastings across a few grape varieties they consistently came out at or near the top.  I love their label -and- I love what's in the bottle.

With that said, here are a couple more affordable alternatives to Cakebread in case you can't find their wines -or- don't want to pony up the asking price.  One alternative for their Chardonnay and one alternative for their Cabernet...

2007 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay
18,000 cases produced
92 Wine Spectator
$29 release price/$19.99 if you shop around

Very similar to the Cakebread Chardonnay with its caramel nose and overall delicious first impression.  Shows restraint on the palate which lends itself well to enjoyable consumption.  Elegant yet friendly stuff.

89/100 WWP: Very Good
(Compare this to the 88 WS/$39 release/high-$30s street 2007 Cakebread Chardonnay)
Sample for review.

2006 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon
19,000 cases produced
88 Wine Spectator
$55 release price/$35-$40 if you shop around

Dense and chewy. Fruit forward and accompanied by savory herb aromas and flavors. High-ish alcohol but well integrated.  The label is similarly elegant like Cakebread's as well.  The flavor profile is more similar than not too.  Quite a reasonable substitute at a more approachable price point with wider availability. 

89/100 WWP: Very Good
(Compare this to the 88 WS/$64 release/$60 street 2005/2007 Cakebread Cabernet)  

Conclusion:  Brands are hugely important in wine selection and for my money Cakebread is one of the best.  If you enjoy the style of their wines and are interested in more wallet-friendly options these from Landmark and Groth are two I recommend.

Further Reading: A visit and in-depth look at what makes Cakebread special

Did I get it right? What wines would you recommend as value substitutes for Cakebread when unavailable or trying to keep costs down?

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