5ive Steak, Jet Blue Terminal 5 at JFK Airport

Once upon a time, I was a ‘professional’ career woman (as opposed to my ‘professional’ lush status now) and spent lots of time going to and fro in airports around America. Much unstructured time in these airports was spent studying dining options on the directory board trying to judge which spot may might pour a decent glass of wine (i.e., something beyond Sutter Home White Zinfandel or Robert Mondavi Coastal Selection anything). On one particular bad day I remember whining to a bartender that all I wanted was a friggin’ glass of Champagne! Geeze, I’ll take a Prosecco!! Is that so much to ask??

He offered to shoot some club soda into a glass of Chardonnay for me.

Anyhootle, imagine how disoriented I was this week to stumble into the sidewalk café-esque scene that is the new Jet Blue terminal 5 at JFK airport. I had less than an hour to grab a glass and a bite, so in lieu of investigating my options (which all looked so grown up anyway), I settled into 5ive Steak because they had a huge artistic display of wine bottles on the wall.

The wine list, while overpriced (eh, it’s an airport) was actually interesting with many solid selections from the old world and a slight emphasis on France and Spain. d’Yquem pre-flight? Perhaps you’re more in a Chateau Trotanoy mood. Maybe a Domaine l’Arlot ‘Clos des Forets’ St. Georges? ’99 Petrus? For real?

There was even a notable selection of half bottles, and the bartender said he’d be happy to sell me a bottle and a go-cup for the flight. I hate to sound so gee-whiz, but how cool is that? I was seriously debating a half bottle of Dönnhoff Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Auslese 2006 for the flight.

Despite about 25 by the glass selections, I settled for a glass of Gruet Brut NV (a nice, simple bubbly, yes, but the CO2 allows alcohol to enter your bloodstream faster, so it was consumed for medicinal purposes).

Away from wine, they provided a good cocktail list with both the recognizable (margaritas) and the less-familiar (that cursed cocktail called Blood & Sand). They also featured four American whiskeys and a domestic rye. All bottle beers offered were well-known.

I didn’t have enough time to check out the other restaurants, but Jet Blue said they the new Terminal 5 has 400 wines available by the bottle, 150 by the half bottle, and 200 by the glass.

We’ve come a long way, baby.

Seven Spice Sour

Togarashi-infused sake (Momofuku private label honjozo), yuzu/lime juice, and simple syrup. Created by the amazing Don Lee for Ma Peche.

While you're there, dig into the Cotes de Porc - pork ribs from Newmans Farms in Missouri with a lemongrass caramel glaze that plays well against the spicy cocktail. Or vice versa.

Cork USB Drive

Ahem, my birthday is next month.




You could also show off your mad skillz and DIY with a cork from the Pol Roger rosé you’re going to open with me.

The Crusher, ‘Grower’s Selection’ Petite Sirah 2008 (Clarksburg) $13, 13.5%abv

Happy Singles Awareness Day.

I was looking through my cellar for something to pair with my special Valentine’s Day chili (it has lots of beans), and I found this guy, brought to you by the same negotiants who bottle Pepperwood Grove and Smoking Loon. Nielsen reported that Petite Sirah is among the four most discussed grapes on the internet, so let’s see what the fuss is all about.

The wine is a saturated inky purple. Aromas and flavors were predominantly dark jammy plums and red liquorice but there was also an intriguing white pepper note. The intensity of aromas was a little shy of medium, even after letting the wine warm up some from cellar temperature. The texture on the palate was medium-bodied and soft finished by a small amount of drying tannins.

So far from being The Crusher I was thinking of (i.e., my last trainer at Equinox), this was a good everyday wine for its interesting aroma profile. I think I might seek out another Petite Sirah in the near future.

The Long Thirst: Prohibition in America 1920-1933 by Thomas M. Coffey

I'm a sucker for used book stores, and I picked up this one on my most recent visit to Paris. Published in 1975, it's the story about prohibition woven from the point of view of a whole (real) cast of characters from both sides of the Volstead Act during it's 13-year validity.

It's written like a novel, the author not getting too deep, so it's a pleasant little read. On the back cover, the Chicago Tribune says "It is a story told in terms of colorful individuals who move in and out of an elaborate gallimaufry of rascality and foolishness."

Yea.

What he said.

What I'm most amused with right now is that I'm drinking a domestic Pinot Noir while reading a book about prohibition!! That almost qualifies as ironic!

Or maybe it's just the 14.5% abv talking...

Meet my latest crush, Tong Magazine

As if I don’t have enough unread wine magazine subscriptions stacked up on the floor (effectively acting as fortresses for my dust bunny army), I gave in to the WSET discount and signed up for this quarterly publication that is Flemish for “tongue”.

I love this magazine.

First off, there is no advertising. There are no wine reviews. There are no lifestyle articles. There is no discussion of hot new chefs. There is no editor telling me what they drank last week. There is no industry news. There are hardly any pictures.

The magazine is a themed journal with well-chosen topics that get back to the basics written by specialists in the field.

The Winter 2009 issue is dedicated to Champagne. The magazine is brief (48 pages), and contributors include two MWs, Champagne-expert Tom Stevenson, and several scientists. My favorite articles were focused on Champagne’s expansion progress, a look at the he trend of single-vineyard Champagne, the mechanics of autolysis, and the science behind CO2 formation (by a cross-disciplinary team of scientists). With no advertising, it’s not cheap (€100 for four issues annually), but there’s a discount if you’re a member of the WSET’s global campus.

This is only their fourth issue, and I’m tempted to buy the back issue on Terroir. Adding to anticipation, I don’t see anything telling me what the upcoming issues will cover, but there’s a free newsletter to sign up for (here) to hold me over in the mean time…

Gristina Vineyards, Merlot 1995 (North Fork), $NA, 12% abv

My friend insists the best burger on the North Fork of Long Island is at Jamesport Country Kitchen. A charming little café on the Main Road, their wine list emphasizes local wines, including the largest collection of library Long Island wine I’ve ever seen. Two local red wines from the mid-90s were even offered by the glass.

I ordered a glass of the 1995 Merlot from Gristina out of morbid curiosity: Gristina Vineyards have had two more owners since this wine was made. I don’t have a lot of experience with older Long Island wine but I’m happy to commit to a glass.

While it was open, Gristina’s wines garnered attention from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and Robert Parker. Gallucio Family Wineries bought Gristina in the summer of 2000 and continued to co-opt the Gristina name for a short time. Gallucio planned to expand production but was advised against it by his Bordeaux consultant Michael Rolland right before September 11th happened.

The property was on the market for a few years before Macari Vineyards bought half of it in late 2007 (the other half was sold to the Peconic Land Trust earlier in the year.)


This 15-year old wine was medium (-) intensity of garnet with a little bricking showing on a thin rim. The aromas were medium intensity and included dried plums, raisins, green herbs like parsley, and then a slight dank earth & cinnamon. The aromas didn’t evolve after the first five minutes, though that was partly because the day’s special was a fried flounder sandwich so when that arrived to the table next to me, all I could smell was Long John Silvers.

The flavors were dominated by sour dried plums, cocoa, and bitter espresso beans, with a somewhat short finish. There was a low amount of stalky tannins still in the wine that were a bit distracting. Acid was a little less than a medium amount, so I suspect the tannins from the stalks (or maybe there was some barrel age?) was what was helping to hold this wine together through the years.

The burger was interesting. I had the ‘Jamesport Burger’ which comes topped with Boursin Herb Cheese (the Velveeta of France, no?), a vaguely Dijon-mustard flavored sauce, and served on a pizza-slice wedge of Focaccia Bread. The fries were crisp, hot, and perfect.