Woodfire Grill

Our final night over Christmas break in Atlanta was spent dining at Woodfire Grill. We made these reservations months ago; as soon as we knew we would be spending the holidays in metro Atlanta. The executive chef at Woodfire Grill is Kevin Gillespie; famous for being a finalist on Bravo's Top Chef reality show. What an amazing meal we were treated to!

Dining with a few members f my wife's family, we started off with a bottle of the NV Luis De Grenelle brut rose, Saumur. Sparkling wine made from 100% Cabernet Franc from France's Loire Valley, this was a bit too herbal for my palate. But it was a decent enough starter.

Right after we were seated, the staff brought us an amuse bouche consisting of radish, whipped butter, celery and fresh taragon. I'm not a huge fan of raw celery (okay, I hate it) but this was quite light and refreshing. And it paired nicely with the last sips of our rose sparkler.

The first course of the 5-course chef's tasting menu was a salad of razor-thin shaved fennel, citrus fruits, pomegranate seed and tahini sauce. I've had numerous fennel/citrus salads before, but what really made this one special was the creamy tahini that provided a perfect balance to the tart citrus. It was expertly paired with the 2009 Champ du Roy Blanc de Coupe Roses, Cotes de Brian AOC; a minerally blend of Viognier, Muscat, Grenache Blanc and Marsanne.

Since I am allergic to shellfish, I was presented with a plate of chestnut flour hushpuppies while the rest of the party enjoyed a seared day boat diver scallop. This was paired with the rich, butterscotchy 2008 Terredora Dipaolo Loggia Della Serra Greco di Tufo DOCG. I'm not sure exactly how good hushpuppies can be, but these were pretty damn tasty. Everyone else at the table agreed that the scallop was the best that they had ever had.

Next came one of the most amazing small tastes that I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The warm potato and white truffle soup with black malt powder and fresh chives is presented in a shot glass and paired with the ubiquitous NV Veuve Cliquot brut, Champagne. Although the Champagne was strangely oxidized, but potato soup was, in a word, sublime. Words really can't describe the silky richness and deep, earthy flavors. I'm not ashamed to admit to taking a butter knife to my shot glass and scraping out the very last small drops! A truly amazing moment.

The first meat course was the breast of local bobwhite quail (grilled over wood, of course) with dried cranberries, roasted cauliflower and sunchokes. A streak of "liquid sweet potato pie" adorns the plate and balances the salty, smoky game. This course was matched with the 2008 Jean Francois Merieau Gamay, Touraine, AOC. This Gamay had an herbal pepperiness that spoke of Touraine, yet retained a lot of the bright raspberry/cherry fruit that one would expect from a Gamay from Beaujolais. A very nice pairing with the quail.

When we made reservations at Woodfire almost nine months ago, I was just hoping for one thing: a chance to try pork belly prepared by Kevin Gillespie. I had seen him do pork belly a few times on Top Chef and this is the one thing I really, really wanted out of my experience at Woodfire. And the fourth course did not disappoint. It was smoked belly and loin of Berkshire pork served with farro risotto and a smoked onion vinaigrette. Of all the things I've had to eat over the past 41+ years, I think this ranks at the very top of the pyramid. The belly was so incredibly tender and rich that a 2" cube was more than enough. I'm not sure exactly how Gillespie accomplishes this texture, but I suspect it is smoked and braised before being seared just before service. Something that simply must be tasted to be believed. The ever-faithful 2009 Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha, Campo de Borja DO displayed all of the beautiful raspberry and vanilla flavors that I've come to expect from this wine. Another very nice pairing.

To be honest, I thought the dessert course was something of a throwaway. The maple mascarpone and chocolate sorbet were tasty enough, but they were sadly overpowered by a dense chocolate graham cracker crust. A small glass of the delicious Quady Elysium Black Muscat, California would have probably been enough for dessert.

As great as the food was, I have to say I was a bit disappointed by the service. It seems like we had a different team of servers present each course to us. And one more than one occasion a server would have to go back to the kitchen to get the details of a dish or answer a question we had about it. (That being said, I appreciate that more than a server who makes up a lie to cover for his lack of knowledge of a dish.) And the server who poured the wines for us made numerous factual errors in presenting the wines. He gave us the wrong blend of the Champ du Roy, told us about the "great" 2010 Beaujolais Nouveau rather than mentioning anything about Gamay grown in the Loire, didn't know the grape that goes into Greco di Tufo wines (hint: Greco is the grape and the name of the region), etc. Yes, I understand that 99% of the people dining there probably don't care about stuff like that, but as a wine geek, I appreciate the attention to detail.

Overall, I would give the food here 5 stars (out of 5) and the service 3.5 stars. I highly recommend reservations here if you are in the Atlanta area. And I don't think $90/person for a 5-course meal and 5 glasses of wine is outrageous for this kind of quality and originality.

2008 Bennett Lane Turn 4 Cabernet

We have a family tradition of spending New Year's eve at home playing games and just enjoying time with each other. Tonight it was a cutthroat game of "Life" on the Wii with an assortment of cheeses, sausages, crackers, etc. The kids drank milk while the Mrs. and I enjoyed the 2008 Bennett Lane Turn 4 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. Fantastic color with a pretty magenta rim. Very expressive nose of licorice, graphite, black fruits and French oak. Quite full on the palate with moderate tannins and fierce acidity. Framboise and oak flavors dominate with a long, buttery finish. Packs quite a wallop for $20. Drinks well now, but has aging potential as well.

2008 Treasure Hunter Cabernet Sauvignon

Okay, folks, I have to be honest here. When I saw this wine come into the store I was more than a bit hesitant. I've been a big fan of the monster Cabs from Napa Valley's Diamond Mountain District for some time now; particularly those from von Strasser. But most Cabernets from this notoriously rugged volcanic soil retail from $50 to well north of three digits. So I looked at this wine for a few days wondering to myself how on earth someone could possibly release a decent Cabernet Sauvignon from Diamond Mountain for a mere $25. This wine simply had to be either total plonk or one of the steals of the year....

Don't let the straight-out-of-Pirates-of-the-Caribbean label fool you. The 2008 Treasure Hunter Radio Caroline Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District is a seriously good Cab-ARRGH-net Sauvignon. Jet black in color, the wine features aromas and flavors of tar, mineral, dry cocoa powder and rustic, briery black fruit. You can almost taste the rocky, volcanic soil the wines struggle to grow in. Fiercely tannic with screeching acidity, I have little doubt this wine could easily age a decade or longer.

Treasure Hunter is a negociant operation that cellars and bottles a myriad of wines including a number of Napa and Sonoma Cabernets, a Grenache from Santa Barbara, a couple of proprietary red blends and even an Alexander Valley Chardonnay. If all of their wines are as good as the Radio Caroline, then it is worth keeping an eye on this winery.

2009 Sean Minor Pinot Noir

The 2009 Sean Minor Four Bears Pinot Noir, Carneros is just another in a long line of unbelievable values from this producer. Pretty, clear ruby-magenta color. In addition to the black cherry and vanilla, the nose reveals a note of sweet herb (thyme, lavender) that I have not noticed in previous vintages. Subtle usage of French oak is appreciated. On the palate, it is medium-bodied by Pinot Noir standards with beautiful berry flavors and tangy acidity that makes you crave the next sip. Moderate tannins and a charred note on the finish. Amazing Pinot Noir for $15.

I'm quickly running out of superlatives for this, my favorite value brand in all of California. I cut my teeth on wine in the early-90s when $15 would buy a solid bottle of Cabernet from Markham, Chateau Souverain or Beringer. It's nice to see someone still making quality for for the same price nearly 20 years later.

I would love to see what he could do with some Zinfandel, Syrah or Grenache....

2007 Bourgeois "Cuvee Stephi"

Enjoyed the inexpensive little 2007 Bourgeois Family Cuvee Stephi Grenache Syrah, Roussillon tonight. Very decent cranberry color. Nose of cranberry, raspberry, lavender and maybe even a hint of meat. Tart cranberry/raspberry fruit on the palate is supported by sweet herbs. The purity of the Grenache fruit really shines through as this wine is not aged in any oak. Syrah adds body and a bit of peppery spice on the finish. Would make a nice partner for grilled sausages, ratatouille or other hearty Mediterranean fare.

2008 Enkidu Cabernet Sauvignon

As a huge fan of Enkidu's Rosso Fazekas Sangiovese blend, I was quite excited to get my hands on a bottle of their Cabernet Sauvignon last week. The 2008 Enkidu Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley displays a very dark color with a more than a hint of unfiltered cloudiness. there isn't a whole lot of fruit in this wine. Once you enjoy the whiff of plum and loam on the nose, the wine quickly delves into secondary, oak-driven characteristics of licorice, roasted coffee and dry cocoa. Medium-full-bodied with grippy tannins and nice acidity. Finishes with a long, buttery, coffee-like flavor. Delicious; provided you aren't averse to a lot of oak. Drink now.

First egg...!!!

We found our first egg in the chicken coop yesterday afternoon! Hooray! I guess that means we're "official" now.

The coop is in a state of transformation right now as we've removed all of the wooden wine boxes and burned them. Turns out that while the wood crates looked pretty cool, open top roosting boxes simply aren't practical for raising chickens. Apparently, if the chickens aren't busy laying eggs, they prefer to spend their time perching and pooping. And with no tops on the boxes, the boxes were quickly being filled with poop. And the fact that they were screwed into the wall made them difficult to take off and clean.

So we've now purchased a commercial grade steel and plastic nesting station with 6 stalls with removable floors. And the roof is sloped; discouraging perching on top. So while I'm in the garage yesterday afternoon putting this thing together and freezing my fingers off, my wife shows me the egg she just found in the coop.

Its brown and pretty tiny - maybe half the size of an egg you'd get in a grocery store. But we're pretty excited about it. The chickens are a week shy of 6 months old; the age at which they are supposed to start laying. I guess I'll spend my afternoon affixing the new roosting set-up to the wall. Hopefully we'll have plenty of more eggs soon!

2003 Paul Blanck Pinot Gris

Dinner tonight was my take on Jamie Oliver's Turkey and Sweet Leek Pie. I couldn't find any chestnuts here in the greater Paola, KS area so I had to make do with an unadorned puff pastry crust. And I used the last of my pheasant breast (poached in pheasant stock all day long) in place of turkey. The pie was, in a word, ridiculous. So delicious and rich with the flaky crust, tender pheasant breast, fresh herbs and decadent gravy. The perfect, steamy dinner to warm the cockles of my heart when it's 16 degrees and snowy with a steady 30 mph wind.

The wine I opened wasn't a perfect match. In fact, it was far from perfect as it was much too sweet to pair with the savory, upscale pot pie. But on its own, it was delicious. The 2003 Paul Blanck Pinot Gris, Alsace shows an advanced, golden color - but nothing unexpected considering the wine's age. The nose is alive with a veritable fruit cocktail of sweet fruits: pear, apricot, peach and more than a hint of petrol. The palate is oily and thick with flavors of petrol and ripe apricot. Acidity is fading, but still lively. Suffers a touch from a bitter, clipped finish. Considerably sweeter than I had hoped for. At this age, I think this would be a tremendous wine with seared foie gras or a simple cheese plate. About $24.

2008 Wallace Brook Pinot Gris

Enjoyed the delicious 2008 Wallace Brook Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley tonight with a homemade pizza inspired by internet acquaintance Mel Hill. Mel, a professional photographer, featured a picture of a pizza he topped with creme fraiche, melted leeks and diced steelhead tout on his Facebook page and I knew I had to try my hand at duplicating it. To no one's surprise, there was no steelhead trout or leeks at Wal*Mart the other day so I made do with salmon and scallions. In a word: stunning. What a great pizza. The crust was cracker thin (I think the creme fraiche had something to do with that) and the diced salmon, placed raw on the pizza, was cooked perfectly after 10 minutes at 500 degrees. I'll definitely be making this one again. Maybe next time I'll lightly smoke the salmon beforehand.

The pizza in the background, by the way, was made with fresh pesto, mozzarella, leftover shredded chicken and red onions. This one is already in the regular rotation.

The wine was a great partner with the pizza. Beautiful aromatics and flavors of fresh pear, granny smith apple, lemon and mineral. Medium-bodied with just a hint of yeast and smoke. Bracing acidity keeps everything lively. Rumor has it this is declassified Pinot Gris from Adelsheim. A ridiculous value at $11 or so.

2008 Viu Manet Reserva Carmenere

Carmenere is a grape that was one widely planted in Bordeaux. But due to disease and ripening issues, it is no longer found in the Medoc. But it thrives in Chile today where it is used in red wine blends as well as varietal bottlings. I don't claim to have a whole lot of experience with this grape, but the ones I've had have mostly left me rather unimpressed. Not surprisingly, this example fared no better.

The 2008 Viu Manet Reserva Carmenere, Colchagua Valley has a pretty, medium crimson color. Very reminiscent of a Chilean Merlot, the nose features aromas of green tobacco, bay leaf and tart red fruit. The palate is dusty and tannic with tart red fruit, tobacco, sage and hickory flavors. Although this wine may appeal to fans of "value" Bordeaux and Merlot, it is just too unripe and green for my palate. I would recommend drinking this now; assuming of course, this is a flavor profile that you enjoy.

That being said, it may do a fine job of accompanying something like stuffed peppers, fish coubillion, fajitas or another dish featuring bell peppers

2003 Terry Hoage "Hedge" Syrah

I had the day off today so, after doing some chicken coop cleaning duties, I had plenty of time to smoke a rack of babyback ribs for dinner. With smoky, spicy foods, I always reach for a big, fat California Syrah or Rhone-style blend and tonight I was inspired to open the last of my 2003 Terry Hoage Vineyards The Hedge Syrah, Paso Robles. I've been following Terry's Central Coast efforts since he was supplying grapes for Mat Garretson's Bulladoir Syrah. This particular bottle is inky-black and cloudy (obviously unfiltered) with notes of blackberry, mulling spices, French oak and considerable alcohol on the nose. The palate is dominated by murky berries, pencil lead and the aforementioned mulling spices. Very low acid. Tannins suggest aging a few more years, but I wonder if there will be any fruit/acid left. Perfect pairing with the BBQ ribs. About $30 upon release.

As nice as this wine was with the food, it reinforces my notion that these wines are not built to age. Enjoy these Central Coast Syrahs in their youth for all their glorious fruit, spice and tannins, but drink them up young with appropriate cuisine.

After removing the membrane I rubbed the ribs down with a home made rub and smoked them over a combination of hickory and apple wood for about three hours. At the table, I hit them with a little bit of Meat Mitch Whomp! BBQ Sauce. This was from a sample bottle that was dropped off at work last week. It's very sugary sweet with upfront cherry/raspberry fruit that quickly turns very spicy and peppery. Too spicy for my kids, but just right for me. Really needs one of these fruit-forward Paso Robles wines to balance that heat.

2006 Tobin James Petite Verdot

Dinner tonight was one of my favorite meals. A little something I call "mixed grill" that consists of Italian sausage and whatever veggies I can slice up and throw on the grill. I ended up with squash, zucchini and eggplant tonight. When everything is done, I slice the sausage, pile everything on the plate and dress it with a bit of olive oil, a pinch of chili flakes and some fresh herbs. Naturally, the dish calls for a rustic wine.

The 2006 Tobin James James Gang Reserve Petite Verdot, Paso Robles fits the bill perfectly as a deeply-flavored, rustic wine that matches perfectly with the grilled sausages. Fantastic color with aromas and flavors of tart cranberry, intense licorice and American oak flavors. The American oak, thankfully, fades into the background the longer the wine is open. Massive tannins, of course, are an indication of why winemakers like to add a bit of this to Bordeaux-style blends that need a little more body. But my favorite thing about this wine is the texture. It's rich without being heavy and it has this fabulous chalkiness that just coats your entire mouth and sticks around seemingly forever. Worth every penny of $38.

Overall, I don't think Paso Robles is a great place to look for Bordeaux varietals. When I was there about 18 months ago, I fell in love with the Rhone varietals and Zinfandels. But in addition to the stunning Cabernets from Dunning and Adelaida, Tobin James has really hit a home run with this underrated grape. Bravo!