Statti Arvino 2008 - A Classic Calabrian Wine

The Statti 2008 Arvino out of Calabria is a superb red.wine with rich dark fruit, nice complexity on the nose, spices, a touch of chocolate and a hint of leather. The tannins are smooth with a bright acidity. Terrific flavor. The finish is polished and very enjoyable. This wine stands out with finesse, complexity and richness at 14% alcohol.  It is a blend of the local Gaglioppo grape (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%).  Statti has created an excellent product in this 2008 venture.  Statti also puts out a 100% pure Gaglioppo which I am ready to try.  Arvino is a great food wine with all that vibrant acidity and smooth but not too heavy texture.  You can pair this with meats, especially veal or just about any traditional southern Italian dish.

2008 Arvino

The Gaglioppo grape was previously thought to be of Greek origin.  But recent DNA profiling has determined that it is from Italy. It's probably closely related to Sangiovese and some other undetermined Italian grape. Gaglioppo is able to withstand drought conditions and generally produces a rich, full bodied wine. It's a hardy grape and rather durable.

Statti Winery, Calabria

Like so many southern Italian wines, the price is astoundingly low for the quality attained.  I picked up the 2008 Arvino on sale for about $12.00.  I can't imagine a better, more enjoyable wine for the price.  It's a gem.   I've embedded a Gaglioppo wine review from Plonk Wine Merchants.  Enjoy!!!

Anarkos - A Wine Against

For our traditional Labor Day party at our place in Floral Park, Long Island, I chose an interesting offering from Puglia, Italy. Anarkos wine has a unique cultural context that is just as interesting as the wine.  As far as I can tell, Anarkos wine is produced by an anarchist commune of sorts that is decrying the misuse of the traditional grapes from the "lands of Puglia." To quote from the Anarkos web site, which is rather explicit:

"The Sacrifice of Millions of Rare Alberello Grape Wines, the third millenium Capitalistic Colonization of the lands of Puglia, the Expoitation of its vineyards and wines, the northern regions Bellicose Take Over of Puglian planting rights, the Complicity and the Factiousness of the European Community Laws of agriculture, cultural Oppression which influences the consumption of wine, the Annihilation of tradition, the Dominance of the market.  Accademia says: no!"

The alberello is a small hardy vine with minimal need for water.  This vine is very effective for use in southern Italian regions that have very little rain fall.  Alberello is also a traditional way of making wine or vinoculture that enables an increased density per hectare.  In the past twenty years many have abandoned the traditional ways of producing wine in Puglia and have used Palmetta or Cordon vines.  However, these vines suffer greatly from the long hot southern Italian summers.

Beautiful Puglia

The Anarkos website alludes to the exploitation, by capitalist concerns, of the old ways.  Capitalists and their  embrace of the market have been destroying the traditional alberello system of wine making.  The Anarkos group is attempting to restore the tradition before it is totally annihilated.

Since our friend Ed was coming over for dinner, and has leftest sympathies, Anarkos seemed to be a perfect match for the festivities.

I decanted the wine, which was a 2011 Anarkos, an hour before drinking.  I had tried to find a 2010 vintage but could only come up with a 2011.  This may be too recent a vintage to get a realistic tasting.   The wine is a blend of the traditional grapes Primativo, Negro Amaro, and Malvasia. At first taste, I was struck by the texture, smooth and silky, almost gooey.  I felt it was coating my tongue.  It wasn't very dry and not much acidity.  The flavors were deep plums and fruits, probably cherries.  It had a succulent, rich feel.  My daughter-in-law, Angela, thought it was sweet.  I believe her sensation stemmed from the very forward fruit.  The alcohol content is 13%.  Over time, sitting out in the back devouring barbecued meats and veggies, I found the fruit moving more forward and dominating.  I would say that Anarkos is a mix of old traditional wine making and new, more current methods.

The label is attractive and provocative.  The wine is very enjoyable but not totally to my liking.  Too much fruit, too fruit driven. However, my guests fully enjoyed it and gave it a high rating.  Anarkos is worth purchasing.  You can pick it up for about $14.00 or less on sale.

Enjoying Bermuda's Cuisine

My wife and I recently went to Bermuda on vacation. The island was very beautiful and relaxing. The beaches were clean and enjoyable.

You can't find a view like this in New York!

I'm writing this post to tell you about the food in Bermuda, not the amazing views. Bermuda really does not have much of its own cuisine. Most of its food is English, American and Caribbean in origin. All of which you can get here in the States. However, there are two food items and a drink that I want to mention. The two dishes we both tried were fried Conch fritters and Bermuda fish chowder soup. We were going to have the Wahoo fish but the restaurant didn't have any available at that time. Bermuda is known for its rum. The popular drink in Bermuda is the swizzle. But first, the fried Conch.

The fried Conch is the meat inside a sea shell. Below is a photo of the Conch Shell.

I wouldn't particularly eat Conch because the texture is like a clam, which I'm not fond of. But since we ordered fried Conch fritters I just couldn't resist. The fritters were shaped like balls and breaded on the outside. The Conch meat was minced, had carrots and maybe potato. The fritters came with lemon and a very delightful tartar sauce. My wife doesn't like tartar sauce but she liked this one. See the fried Conch fritters below.

The Bermuda fish chowder was surprisingly good. I thought the soup was going to be very fishy and creamy. When I tried it, the soup was not fishy or creamy at all. Actually there was tomato sauce in the soup which gave it a rich red color. The texture of the soup was not watery, it had some thickness. There was definitely fish stock used in the soup. The fish was very tender as it seemed like the fish had been cooking for a long time. The soup contained Grouper, Wahoo, Halibut and Hake which were shredded and reminded me of shredded pork. You may also add a sherry pepper sauce and black rum which makes the soup taste a little more bitter. My wife preferred the soup without the sauces. See the Bermuda fish chowder below.

Bermuda is known for its rum. But there is one drink in particular that is very popular on the Island and considered its national drink. The Bermuda Rum Swizzle is a great tasting drink even if you are not a real rum drinker. Depending on where you get the swizzle, the recipes can change slightly. We had one which contained pineapple, mango, lemon, angostura, orange juice and black rum. The drink had a thickness to it, which most likely came from the mango juice. We were still able to taste the rum but there was so much flavor from the other fruits that it made the drink delightful. 

Bermuda is not known for its own cuisine but it was nice to taste some different foods and have a drink that you really don't see very often. If you ever go to Bermuda, make sure to have a Bermuda Rum Swizzle and eat some of its enjoyable dishes! 

David John Oliva

Edi and The Wolf - Austrian Brunch Menu

Edi and the Wolf Exterior

On a recent Saturday morning, my wife and I had some errands to run in the East Village. Having never been in that area, we wanted to go to a nice brunch spot. We were both in the mood for steak but also wanted breakfast food. We decided to go to a restaurant called Edi and the Wolf. This is a Austrian restaurant serving lunch and dinner during the week and brunch/lunch/dinner over the weekends. The photo to the left is the front of the restaurant. It has a very charming rustic look. The plants give the feel of going into an oasis in the middle of the New York City.
Photo Source: Yelp.com

  Decor

Edi and the Wolf Interior

The photo to the left was taken from the bar which is located in the rear. In reviews that I have read about this place, the wood paneling on the floors, walls and ceiling are from an old Wisconsin barn. The seating against the wall has rocking chair like cushions and are very comfy. The place is cool even though the temperature was 100 degrees outside and they had opened up the garage door in the front. The lighting was low, the tables and chairs made of wood.  Awesome blues music playing in the background created a very relaxing atmosphere and certainly made me calmer after walking in 100 degree heat!  Oddly, for an Austrian restaurant I did not get an Austrian feel. It felt more like Louisiana! But honestly, I'm not that familiar with Austria or Austrian restaurants.  

Appetizers
Let's take a look at their brunch menu:

(Click on menu to enlarge)

Source: ediandthewolf.com

The prices are a little high considering we went for brunch.  We were pretty much set on steak and eggs as soon as we saw the menu. The steak and eggs come with potato pancakes, a sunny side up egg, greens (arugula), croutons and creme fraiche. Different types of bread were served. There was a mini croissant, whole wheat, thick white bread toast and regular Italian bread. The waitress said the butter was homemade. It was sweet, very smooth in texture and not very salty. It was a good change compared to supermarket butter. There was also homemade peach preserves on the table that was very sweet and good. The cold water was served without ice. Having no ice is good except it was so hot outside that some ice would've been nice. 

My wife ordered a mimosa. The mimosa was strong with just a little orange juice. Nothing like a stiff mimosa for brunch!

We received our steak and eggs!  

 

My wife had her steak medium rare which is what you see in the the photo above. I ordered mine medium well. The meat was cooked to our liking, tender and juicy. We received four thick strips of steak. The eggs were perfectly done and served with green onion shavings. The potato pancake resided underneath the steak. The potato was shredded, browned perfectly and absorbed all the juices from the plate. I actually enjoyed the potato the most. The flavor from the food made it into a super potato. I was dunking everything into the creme fraiche. It was cheesy and spicy. It complimented everything on the plate. The arugula had a Ceasar like dressing and was very good.

After we were finished eating, we didn't feel overly full. The portions were just right. We were able to sit and chat comfortably. The staff didn't  rush us out of the place at all. 

We're looking forward to eating at Edi and The Wolf once again!

Overall, I loved the decor and food! One drawback was having to walk about a mile to the closest subway. We will definitely go again. I highly recommend going to Edi and The Wolf!

Scale 1-10 (1 is gross and 10 is stupendous)

Location: 7
Décor: 9
Food: 9.5
Service: 9
Price: 6

Overall: 8

David John Oliva

Edi & The Wolf

102 Avenue C, New York, NY

(212) 598-1040 ‎ · ediandthewolf.com

View Larger Map

Excellent Summer Whites Part 2

I know you will be shaking your heads in disbelief, but it is true.  All three wines I am reviewing in this post were purchased at Stew Leonard's in Carle Place, Long Island.  I get it that Stew's is not the most high brow wine emporium.  I get that there are tons of awful wines filling the rows.  But it must be said:  there are some good wines in the mix and at excellent prices.  Here goes.

Chateau Magence Graves 2010

This is a very nice, if funky, Bordeaux white that is a great and inexpensive pop and pour.  The nose is a floral and citrus blend that is quite appealing.  The wine is crisp and refreshing with notes of lemon, lime apricot and pear.  It possesses a well balanced acidity and goes wonderfully when paired with cheese, especially a good French cheese.  White Bordeaux is a generally overlooked wine by the general public.  The Chateau Magence Graves 2010 is worth a nice long look on those hot summer days. Its acidity adds an uplifting character to its charm.  Great QPR.  If you are going to purchase a white wine that is inexpensive but offers good complexity and a sensual dimension, Magence Graves is it.  You can pick this wine up for about $11.00 at Stew Leonard's.


The Seeker Riesling 2009, Alsace France 


Another Stew Leonard's find is this Alsacian Riesling.  The Seeker is a company that sources grapes from around the globe and markets them under a centralized name.  I get it that this approach is not well received by many in the wine world.  But this wine is good.  The Seeker has a great series of labels, copies of old prints of airships from the past. The Riesling itself is very dry.  I mention this because Mary and I, especially Mary, are on a constant and relentless search of the perfect bone dry Riesling.  The Seeker Riesling is not the most dry we have every discovered but it's close.  It has peach, honeysuckle and nice minerality.  It is very refreshing and bright even mouthwatering. It's great with summer salads, shellfish and even heavier foods.  The Seeker Riesling can be purchased for $10.00.  A great guy!

The Golem Riesling 2010, Australia  


The Golem Riesling is put out by the Misfit Wine Co. in Australia. In Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being, created entirely from inanimate matter. In some legends it is evil while in others it is not. I've yet to discover the link between the Golem legend and the wine.  This particular wine seems to represent the changes Australian wine is undergoing. There are more bold and snappy brands emerging for every level of taste and pocket book.  Granted, Riesling is not a traditional Australian wine.  But with The Golem I found a crisp,dry and vibrant wine that is superbly refreshing. It has nice citrus notes with a light menthol finish. There's green apple and honeydew, as well.  The Golem can run between $15.00 and $20.00 or as low and $10.00.  


I hope you enjoy these wines over the long, hot summer.  Don't be fooled into thinking you can only find good wine at high prices! 

Excellent Blended Whites for Summer

On the hutch in the dinning room sit eight empty wine bottles. They are the result of a two month long binge with white wines from various parts of the world.  My wife has finally put down the gauntlet: the wine bottles must go. So, before they meet their fate I will do some quick reviews of the wines in a short series of posts.  I'm hoping I can keep up with our consumption of whites. It's now summer and most reds will be stored until the fall, at least for the most part.  New whites seem to come out of storage every other night or so.  So here goes.

The first wine is from Portugal, Espirito Lagoalva 2010. This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (25%), Alvarinho (20%), Verdelho (20%), Fernao Pires (20%) and Arinto (15%).  13% alcohol.  It's grown in the Lagoalva region which is known for its sandy soils and is about 100 km northeast of Lisbon.  Lagoalva uses modern wine making technology for both its indigenous and international varietals.  Blends seem also to be a distinguishing character of Lagoalva.  We found this blend to be quite good with lots of kiwi and melon flavors topped off with a fine, lively finish.  The acidity is fresh and pleasing.  It was splendid before dinner with some light cheeses.  I recommend this wine for summer drinking.  It's very enjoyable, very fresh, light and gives a sensuous mouthwatering feel.  It goes for about $12.00.  It's worth the cost.

The second wine is another blend from neighboring Spain, Rios Baixs, DoZoe 2010, produced by Adega Marea Alta. The blend consists of 52% Albarino, 21% Treixandura, 11% Caino Blanco, 8.5% Loureiro, 7.5% Godello.  13% alcohol.  It hails from Galicia in Northwestern Spain.  This is another great summer wine.  It has a bright, fresh tropical nose with some mouthwatering fruit flavors on the palate. It's dry and aromatic with a distinctive crispness and an attractive elegance.We had it with light fish.  The pairing was excellent.  I can see it going with skewers of shrimp and other sea food. I can't recall exactly what the price was. I think it was a tad more than the first wine.  It may have gone for$20.00. But I'm not sure. It's worth the price.  We fully enjoyed the tasting and admired its fragrance and natural pairing qualities. 

Our third wine for today is Donnafugata Anthilia 2010 from Sicilia, Italy.  This is also a blend or 51% Catarratto and Ansonica, Viognier and Chardonnay.  It's 12.24% alcohol.  This is a very distinctive Sicilian wine.  Much more to our taste than most Sicilian whites we have experienced. We fully enjoyed this one.  It comes across with peaches, flowers, perhaps grapefruit and pear all blended superbly.  I found it mouthwatering and with a firm body and excellent minerality.  This wine will reach its peak in a year or two.  Hold on to it, it will get even better.  The blend is well done.  I'm sure this would go with salads, seafood, cheese, etc.  It's a very enjoyable and high quality wine. Don't pass this up. You should be able to get it for $12.00 to $14.00.   


All three whites have a great QPR.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.  


Next time I will review a few more of our favorite whites.