Mont Gras Winery (Chile) At The Buzz

12 Wednesday Oct 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

A wonderful evening at the Buzz exploring the wines of the Colchagua Valley of Chile and the Mont Gras Winery. Overall, a high scoring wine dinner and wines. There are not many times I give a wine a score of [20] out of [20], but the wine pictured to the left is one of those. A rich, deep purple cab and wonderful bouquet of spice, pepper and huge cherry. Long lasting without the “barbs” of some cabs. This was an awesome wine. Enjoy the photos and our dinner. Especially look at the Tommy’s Meatloaf below and my comments.

Runza Pockets
(Originally an old German dish that was adopted by the settlers in the Mid-West, Nebraska. It is a meat and cabbage filled yeast roll.)

2007 Mont Gras Quatro
14.5% alc, [18], $18.00
A good wine that went very well with the cabbage of the Runza Pocket.

Ice Berg Salad
ice berg lettuce, cucumber, grape tomato, carrots, ranch dressing

2010 Mont Gras Reserva Sauvignon Blanc
13.5% alc, [15] [19], $14.00
Interesting thing about this wine. Look at the double score! In my opinion, don’t even think of drinking this without food, the [15] score. This wine went superbly with the Ranch Dressing of the salad and the raw onion, the [19] score. Just goes to show you: Drink wine with food!!!

Wild Rice Soup

2009 Mont Gras Reserva Carmenere
14.5% alc, [17], $14.00
Sorry but a carmenere is not one of my favorite wines. But still a good score.

Tommy’s Meatloaf
Scalloped Potatoes
Green Beans
Herb Biscuit
(This meatloaf, Tommy’s Meatloaf, is awesome. Joe Swan, Swan Vineyards, Forrestville, CA., once made the comment that you can not get a good meatloaf at any restaurant. I am sorry he did not get this one. Usually one compares the meatloaf that Mom made with one made in a restaurant. Tommy’s Meatloaf is very close and I suggested that they put it on the menu along with the Scalloped Potatoes. An awesome plate and it went extremely well with the wine!!!)

2009 Mont Gras Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon
14.5% alc, [20], $14.00
This wine is superb! See the description above. Think about having it with a meatloaf, beef or lamb, or a Rib-Eye or standing rib roast. Wow!

Apple Pie Ala Mode

2009 Mont Gras Bicentennial 200
14.5% alc, [19], $18.00
Another superb job of pairing a wine with the food. Cristi has done an excellent job and we look forward to the next Wine Dinner at the Buzz! You should also! See you at the next Buzz Wine Club Dinner.

Fall Happenings At The Buzz

30 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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I just received this from Cristie and Tom at the Buzz. It is their Fall happening schedule at the Buzz. If you are going to the Wine Club Dinners ($15.00/person), remember to reserve your spot. These events fill up quickly.

Welcome Fall!

The days are getting shorter and finally the air is getting a little crisp, the bountiful harvests are coming in and we at Buzz are getting ready for our favorite time of year. We look forward to seeing everyone over the next few days as fall begins around us.

October At The Buzz

Wine Club
October Wine Club will feature South American Wine; along with some traditional favorite foods. This is the best deal in Boise at $15.00 per person for dinner and wine. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED so call (208) 344-4321 or email us at buzzwine@cableone.net. The wine club for October is on Tuesday October 11th or Wednesday October 12th at 6:30PM. (Same menus and wine selections both nights.)

Music at the Buzz
We will be continuing with live music on Friday Nights in October. Musical Fridays begins at 6 with free wine tastings and music starts at 7. September 30 will feature Larry Clark, October 7 is John Cazaan and October 14 Gayle Chapman is joining us. Come by for Wine, food, music and intriguing company.

Halloween Wines
Each Weekend we will feature a different Halloween wine along with our regular wine tastings. we will start on September 30 with Spanish Devil. These wines will be available each week until they are sold out. Be sure to join us and join in the festivities of Halloween and pick out your favorites for the parties of the season.

New Menus
Beginning in October we will be unveiling our new menus. These will focus on healthy tasty options to add to our current menus. We will begin with our breakfast menu and then progress to our evening appetizer and wine menus. Stop by and check out the enticing new meals that we will have to offer.

We, at the Buzz, are very excited by the events coming up. Please include us in your plans throughout the holiday season and feel free to let us know of any needs you have, wine, catering or assisting you with your events through the holiday. Looking forward to helping out in any way the we can.

See you soon. Thanks for Everything,

Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine | 2999 N Lakeharbor Lane | Boise | ID | 83703
EMail

August At The Buzz!

31 Sunday Jul 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food Festivals, Wine Dinners

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Here we are again in another month. Did you go to the last Wine Club Wine Dinner at the Buzz? $15.00 per person – 5 course meal and 6 – 8 wines. Here is the latest information about the events at the Buzz for August. Don’t miss these and call now for reservations. Robin and I usually go on Tuesday nights – suits us best. Cheers and see you there! From Cristi and Tommy and the Buzz:

“Hope that the warm weather and midsummer excitement is finding everyone well. This weekend July 29 and 30 we, at Buzz, will be hosting music both Friday and Saturday Nights. On Friday we welcome Pat Faulkner and her musical talents on the guitar. And on Saturday, we will enjoy the musical talents of Tomorrow Never Knows. This is a local duo who focuses on the sounds and songs of the Beatles. Both nights music will begin at 7 PM. As usual we will host a wine tasting beginning at 6 PM on both nights and will feature a dinner special both nights. Also enjoy a dessert special both nights.

Wine Club
Wine club for August will be the nights of August 9 and 10 at 6:30 each night. We will continue to feature family owned wineries with a visit from Trio out of Washington state. I am waiting to hear if Karen the winemaker/owner will be able to attend the dinner with us. We will keep you posted. But either way get a group together and enjoy the best bargain in Boise wine dinners. $15.00 per person for dinner and wine. Make reservations soon (208) 344-4321 or buzzwine@cableone.net.

News from the Buzz
Watch for coming information on our new home delivery meal system. We look forward to seeing you this weekend or at the wine club in August help us make Trio Winery feel welcome in Boise. Be safe and have fun. Remember Buzz is your place for everyday wines everyday.

Sincerely,
Cristi and Tommy Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine “

July Wine Dinner At The Buzz

13 Wednesday Jul 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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July 12th found us again at the Buzz in Boise and another great Wine Dinner. This time, they featured Tertulia Cellars, Spanish for “a social gathering of friends”. The vineyards that they use to produce their wines can be found in the Columbia Valley and the Walla Walla Valley of Washington.

Here are the wines we had and my score in [20], twenty being the highest. Enjoy the photos and the comments. The wines listed with the entrees are the ones matched with that dish. There are some really very good wines here and well worth your trying them. Cheers!

2009 Torrontes NBed 2gether (Argentina) 100% Torrontes [18]

2008 Cycles Gladiator Belle Epoqoc 13.5% alc [17]

Two bottles we bought
2008 Tertulia Excelsior 14.9% alc [19] $28
2010 Tertulia Viognier 13.9% alc [17] $16

Tarrali and Fennel Tuna
2010 Tertulia Viognier 13.9% alc [17] $16

Teriyaki Pork
2010 Tertulia Rose du Syrah 12.1% alc, [15] $15

Mushroom Salad
with
Balsamic Vinaigrette
2007 Tertulia Sobra 14.5% alc [18] $18

Chicken Machacha
Mama’s Papas
Drunken Beans
2007 Tertulia Cabernet Sauvignon 14.5% alc [ 18] $30

Chocolate Cheesecake
2008 Tertulia Excelsior 14.9% alc [19] $28

Idaho Wine Dinner, Cottonwood Grille, Boise

04 Saturday Jun 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Cottonwood Grille, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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It never fails, we always have a wine dinner to go to here in Boise. And tonight, was no exception. A great location and super talent was displayed out of the kitchen of the Cottonwood Grille. And I must thank Dav Fairchild, Cottonwood Grille Manager, for taking some of these photos. The photo on the left is the entrance to the restaurant. The three, very talented Idaho wineries showcased tonight, were Vale Wine Co., Fraser Vineyards and Syringa Winery. Enjoy the photos. Left-Click any photo for a Full Screen view.

Sitting: Vicki Danielson and John Danielson – Winemaker Vale Wine Co.
Standing: Dav Fairchild – Manager Cottonwood Grille

Bev Fraser
Bill Fraser, Winemaker Fraser Vineyards

Bill Fraser, Fraser Vineyards
Mike Crowley, Winemaker/Owner Syringa Winery

Bev Fraser and daughter Shelley

Some of the crowd that were there.

We, the people, Salute the Chefs for the following Menu. Salute!

The Menu

The Chefs. Great job!!!

Smoked Fish Platter
Trout, Scallops and Escolar
delicately smoked and served with a creamy dill sauce, onion confit and watercress oil

2009 Syringa Sauvignon Blanc
great paring

Warm Goat Cheese Salad
grilled goat cheese on mixed baby greens with strawberry balsamic vinaigrette

2010 Vale Viognier
superb paring

Monkfish Donostiarra
filet of monkfish roasted till tender, topped with garlic and olive oil
Fresh Asparagus

2008 Vale Merlot
big chocolate on the nose; super with the garlic and fish

Petite Fillet Mignon
grilled perfectly and serve with fresh morel sauce
Potatoes Rissolette

2009 Fraser Petite Verdot
superb match but needs much time. lay this one down for 5+ years. 3% Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Syringa Cabernet Sauvignon
young, still needs time, tannins, needs food

French Silk Chocolate

2009 Fraser Petite Sirah
huge, big, great paring

And as the sun sets in the West, and the delicious dinner settles, we stop and reflect on the awesome treats we have just devoured. The meal was superb and we salute the Chefs from the Cottonwood Grille on a job well done. The wine parings were also superb. All of these Idaho wineries have done an excellent job in producing superb wines. Cheers!

Chilean Wine Dinner

11 Wednesday May 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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On May 10, 2011, the Buzz Coffee and Wine in Boise held another fantastic monthly Wine Club Dinner featuring wines from the Santa Rita Winery in Chile. The wines were good as was the dinner of Chilean inspired dishes – some of the recipes taken directly from the wineries web page. To quote some information on the Santa Rita Winery, “Santa Rita was named Value Brand of the Year 2010 in the June issue of the distinguished US wine magazine Wine and Spirits, which honored the company for having one of the best price/quality ratios among wineries worldwide.” The following photographs of the dinner selections and discussion on the wines is a testament to the evening. My scores are in [20], twenty being the highest. The scores were really grouped tightly. Cheers!

Cristie’s Choice
2008 Tapeña Garnacha
13.0% alc, $12.00, celery, tar, tobacco [14]

2009 MontGras Reserva Sauvignon Blanc
13.5% alc, $12.00, bright and crisp, [19]

The people at our table:
Ed, Joe, Mary, Mazie (Jan) and Robin

Mary

Crab Casserole
2005 Santa Rita Reserve Chardonnay
14.1% alc, $14.00,not quite bold enough for the crab, [14]

Spicy Slaw
2010 Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc
13.5% alc, $10.00, good flavors but the spices out shined the wine, [14]

Cebiche with Dill Sauce
2008 Santa Rita 120 Merlot
13.5% alc, $10.00, good balance and went well with the cebiche, [17]

Baked Chilean Pork Ribs
Chile Mashed Potatoes
Tangy Marinated Tomatoes
Zesty Corn Salad
2008 Santa Rita Reserve Carmenere
13.5% alc, $14.00, outstanding with this dinner plate, held up well [18]

Summer Fruit Crostata
2007 Santa Rita Medalla Red Cabernet Sauvignon
14.0% alc, such a delight with this dessert, [18]

The scores of these wines reflects the grouping of the wine flavors and the consistant quality of the wines. But remember, wine judging is a very subjective activity … What I like, you may not. That’s why there is more than one type of wine. Cheers!

Tapas Night at Le Café de Paris, Boise

04 Wednesday May 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Tapas, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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YUM-O! Here comes another fantastic Tapas night at Le Café de Paris in Boise. Tomorrow night , May 5 – Cinco de Mayo – and the theme is Portuguese Tapas and Wine Tasting. We made reservations for ourselves for 7:00pm. Anyone want to join us? This will be an awesome night and I have been informed that the dessert is “out of this world!” Here is the menu and the prices. Cheers!

PORTUGUESE TAPAS and WINE TASTING

Bonjour Mes Amis,

First Thursday in May brings us to Portugal with classic tapas and wines from the area. Wine tastings from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., and tapas all night. Come out and try some interesting cuisine, and share a bottle with friends. Reservations are not required, but can be made by calling 336.0889. Bon Appetit!
A Bientot!
Mathieu

All Tapas $4
Choose 5 for $18
Choose 7 for $25
Choose 10 for $35

Clams Alentejo
linguica sausage, cilantro, peas, wine

Queijo de Portugual
Portuguese cheese

Bifanas
marinated pork tenderloin

Caranguejo e Abacate
crab and avocado croustini, peppercorn aioli

Marinated Olives

Salmão Ahumada
smoked salmon, arugula, pears, capers, tomato dijon-vinaigrette

Camarroes piri piri
sauteed shrimp, black pepper sauce

Alcatra
red wine and garlic marinated beef

Gazpacho

Bolo de Bolacha Maria
Portuguese Cookie Cake
(There are several variations of this delight. This is but one and I found this on the web. The one served may not look like this, but you get the idea!)

OK, chow hounds! Here’s your opportunity to imbibe in an awesome night of food and wine! The wines will be hand selected to match perfectly with the tapas. Did you notice all that seafood? Hope to see you there. Cheers!

Easter Dinner Wine List

22 Friday Apr 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Lamb, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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I said in the post, Easter 2011 Roasted Lamb with Mint Sauce that we would be selecting the wines to accompany the dinner later. It is later! Below you will find the list. They probably will not be served in this order. These are all from our cellar. Cheers!

1970 Château Moulin du Cadet
$97.50

2007 Cinder Rosé
$25.00

1971 Petrus Pomerol Grand Vin
$2,398.00

2002 Estancia Paso Robles Meritage
86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
$28.00

2000 Royal Tokayi
Hungary. “…The worlds first great sweet wine, famous in the courts of Europe as ‘the king of wines and the wine of kings.” Produced from the Aszu grapes of the varietals Furmint, Hiarleveli and Muscat de Lumel.
$68.00

New Restaurant Opening In Boise: "Salt Tears"

14 Friday Jan 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Adventures, Local Markets, Restaurants, Salt Tears, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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In the IdahoStatesman and Michael Deeds’ column Words and Deeds this morning, there was an article called Ex-Milkyway Owners Open Salt Tears Cafe and Noshery about Andrea and Mitchell Maricich, previous owners of the awesome Milkyway Restaurant in Boise, opening a new restaurant.

The good news for restaurateurs Andrea and Mitchell Maricich: They live just a few blocks away from their new cafe, Salt Tears Coffeehouse and Noshery, 4714 W. State St., so commuting will be a breeze.

The bad news? Salt Tears plans to open daily at 6:30 a.m. “I’m a night owl. It’s so scary,” Andrea Maricich admits with a chuckle. “I’m trying so hard. I set my alarm for 6 yesterday and I couldn’t even do it. I couldn’t get up. I slept till 7.”

Beginning Monday, Jan. 17, you can bet that Maricich’s kitchen-operating blood will have her bouncing out of bed. That’s when Salt Tears opens next to 20th Century Lanes bowling alley in Boise. It’s the first eatery the Mariciches have launched since closing their upscale MilkyWay restaurant Downtown in 2008. Salt Tears will not be a MilkyWay II, Maricich said.

And then from Salt Tears Facebook page,

Salt Tears Coffeehouse and Noshery is our café and coffee shop showcasing unique sandwiches, soups, salads, breakfast bites, as well as “snacks” or “noshes” (as we say) to accompany a unique selection of beer, wine and occasionally cocktails later in the day. Salt Tears will serve a simple breakfast, the best coffee in town and have an all day menu serving until evening. You are sure to find many “happy places” on our menus! The concept has been developed and brought to fruition by us, Andrea and Mitchell Maricich, formerly of The MilkyWay in Downtown Boise; our focus is on simple, high quality café food and coffee, at comfortable prices.

Salt Tears Coffeehouse and Noshery is about community, creativity, quality and comfort. Our cuisine will have a strong focus on straightforward, perfect offerings made by hand with love. Were going back to the basic dining, delicious food, featuring seasonal ingredients using local, natural and organic products whenever possible…

Breakfast will be easy and fun with five or six or maybe seven items that will hit the spot. For lunch the focus will be on lighter, delicious, homemade baguette sandwiches, fresh salads and daily soup specials. In the evening stop by for a small bite and something to wet your whistle or you can mix it up after breakfast, we have an all day menu.

We’ll have a small, but clever wine list, that will change frequently based on great values along with chalkboard offerings every day. We will be featuring house wines by local winemaker, Angie Riff of Periple Wines. Other awesome selections will be offered, by the glass, carafe, in-house bottles and retail to-go. We will also have a great selection of micro brews, domestics and imports, from near and far, and homemade sodas. The selections will be fun, interesting and reasonably priced too!

Great prices: we will strive to make wonderful food and beverages at reasonable prices. We will keep plate prices down while sticking to an exceptional level of quality, not leaving anything to be desired.

Fun Happenings: Salt Tears Coffeehouse and Noshery will be a hot spot in Boise. We will have a really interesting and ever changing calendar of events including beef cheek dinners, live music, guest featured bartender nights (yes, we will have a liquor license), wine fight nights and pairings, whole roasted pig nights (yep), cooking classes (maybe) and whatever else suits our fancy, or yours!

So there you have it. We will be trying this out when it opens. Hope you will, too! It looks like they are goingt to have an adventuresome event list and maybe menu. Cheers!

"the Buzz" Season Opener

12 Wednesday Jan 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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“For the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen, I neither expect nor solicit belief. Mad indeed would I be to expect it, in a case where my very senses reject their own evidence.” (“The Black Cat”, Edgar Allen Poe)

And to that end, I submit this prose about the Torres Family Wine Dinner held at the Buzz last night. But first, I would be remiss if I did not tell you the schedule for the Buzz Wine Dinners and events. At least for January. The overall program this year will feature family run wineries.
(1) January 15 – 4th Anniversary Party. Happy Birthday to the Buzz!
(2) February 6 – Super Bowl Party with a Taco and Nacho Bar.!
(3) February 8 and 9 – Wine Club Dinner – Indian Creek Winery, Kuna, Idaho

But for tonight, we had some really fantastic Torres Family Winery selections. And Debbie did another awesome job of pairing the food with the wine. The photos below are of the dinner and the wines that paired with the selection. My scores are (20), 20 being the highest. Cheers!

Puff Pastry Salmon Buddies
2008 Torres Family Vina Sol, 11.5% alc, (17), $13.00

Shrimp and Sausage Cioppino
2007 Torres Family Sangre de Toro Tempranillo, 14% alc, (17), $13.00

Curried Cous Cous Salad
2008 Torres Family Vina Esmeralda, 11.5% alc, (19), $15.00

Stout Marinated Steak
Mom’s Vegetable Medley
Spicy Roasted Potatoes
2004 Torres Family Gran Sangre de Toro, 14% alc, (18), $16.00

Poached Fruit Over Ice Cream
2006 Torres Family Gran Coronas Cabernet, 14% alc, (20), $22.00

Hope to see you at the next dinner – don’t forget to call your reservations in – and/or special event. This will be a fun year with the theme of Family Wineries that Cristi has planned. Cheers!