Moyey's Wine and Travel Blog

New Site -- www.louisandlouisa.com

2010-02-09T15:26:00.001-05:00

Hello!

Thank you for visiting the this site.

After years of writing almost nothing here, I have decided to start a completely new site:

www.louisandlouisa.com.

The idea is that our travel, food, and wine experiences will now have two perspectives:

Mine (Louis) -- US-based, 56 years old, some business travel, and a taste for a little luxury on a modest budget

Louisa -- Louisa is based in the United Kingdom. She is 19, a student, and wants to see as much of the world as she can.

So, please come and visit us: www.louisandlouisa.com.

Another very exciting aspect of the site is that we will be partnering with our friend, Roni. Roni is a very accomplished blogger with sites that cover blogging, fitness, but most of all her story: one mom's journey from fat to skinny to healthy. Roni will be helping us with layout, design, and will give us advice about how to keep our blog up to-date, relevant, and interesting.

Check out Roni's sites!

http://ronisweigh.com
http://greenlitebites.com
http://skinnyminnymedia.com
http://blogtolose.com

Megabus vs. National Express: Portsmouth to Oxford

2010-02-08T09:33:00.002-05:00

I am now also going to continue the topic of surprisingly pleasant and delightfully cheap bus travel, this time from a UK perspective. I experienced my first Megabus journey on Friday afternoon, whilst travelling up to visit friends in Oxford from my home town, Portsmouth. On previous occasions, I have always used National Express funfare tickets, which only cost £6 from Portsmouth to Oxford. These 'funfares' are only available for a certain time coach journey each day, and on this occasion I couldn't make the 07 35 funfare journey time. The regular National Express fare is closer to £20, and so I sought an alternative, more economical option. My Megabus ticket, at £7 plus a 50p booking fee, seemed, for a brief moment of madness, to be unacceptably over-priced compared with my usual £6 National Express deal, but I soon came to my senses and bought a ticket for the 15 10 bus. I am glad I did.

I arrived at The Hard, Portsmouth at 15 00, and was greeted by the unmistakable, albeit mildly garish, bright yellow and blue Megabus. I presented the driver with the grubby and crumpled piece of paper I had quickly scribbled my reservation number on, and irrationally panicked for a second that I should have printed off the whole reservation summary email they had sent me, instead of merely taking note of the number, despite the fact that they informed me in the email that that would be sufficient. The driver didn't bat an eyelid, however, at my messy piece of note paper, and merely scanned his list of reservation numbers, ticked me off, and allowed me on. The interior was perfectly modern and acceptable and seemed no worse than that of National Express coaches.

The greatest disadvantage of taking Megabus rather than National Express to Oxford was probably being dropped off at Water Eaton Park and Ride as opposed to the central Gloucester Green bus station. I didn't have to wait long (10 minutes) or pay much (£1.70) for a local bus into the centre of Oxford though, so it was only a minor inconvenience.

On my return journey on Sunday, I took the £6 National Express funfare from Oxford bus station at 17 55. Once back on my old faithful National Express, I took appreciative note of a few familiar, and minor but pleasing, details- they had tucked a plastic bag for rubbish into the basket on the back of the seat in front of me, the toilet was much cleaner (Megabus' had been pretty much unusable), and the journey time was half an hour less.

All in all, National Express' small but clear benefits mean that I will definitely continue to use their funfares over Megabus when I can make the specific times. When the times aren't possible, I will most certainly use Megabus rather than pay the full National Express fare though- I am quite happy to cope with the small inconveniences for a saving of £13 per single.

There are other Megabus trip reports on the new site: http://www.louisandlouisa.com

Megabus -- Baltimore to New York

2010-02-04T08:05:00.002-05:00

Megabus

I never thought I would be talking about buses on this blog, but life has changed!

I have lived in the Baltimore/Washington area for almost thirty years, and a delightful treat has always been going to New York. So what are the options? Amtrak! Amtrak can be very expensive. By international standards, the trains are slow, terribly expensive, and customer service is hardly friendly. Going by car has its problems too. Tolls cost a lot of money these days. You have to consider the wear and tear on the car. Once my car was broken into in New York, and everything and had to drive home with a broken window. And, if you park at a New York hotel, you can easily pay as much as $50 a night.

A few years ago, we started considering the idea of taking buses to New York. One trip worked out well, and another was a disaster. Click here for an account of those trips.

More recently, a company called Megabus has begun to operate services. They stop in Washington and at White Marsh area, and we have taken them several times. I really find them to be excellent, and, in the future, this will be how I'll go to New York.

They are extremely cheap. Fares are never more than about $23 each way, and, if you book in advance, can be as low as $1 -- plus a 50 cent booking fee. In my experience, they run on time. They are comfortable, safe, and fast without being dangerous. What more could you want?

Well, you get a little bit more! They come with power outlets and Wi-Fi. So, you can use your laptop while traveling. Cool!

Our trips to New York last weekend were flawless. We were booked on the bus that leaves at 8:25 in the morning. (We arrived at White Marsh in very good time, and they let us go on the 7:55 bus.) We got to New York by about 11:30. On the way back (Sunday), we left at 4:00 pm and we were at White Marsh at about 7:15.

The Baltimore stop is in White Marsh (near Ikea). There is ample parking, but you should print out a parking pass that comes with your ticket. All tickets are electronic. All you need is the code sent to you by Megabus when you book.

Click here for help on accessing the parking pass.

This is a strongly enthusiastic recommendation. I paid my own way and do not have any connections, sponsorship, or freebies from Megabus.

This blog continues on http://www.louisandlouisa.com

Relais de Venise (L'Entrecote) New York

2010-02-03T20:26:00.006-05:00

Le Relais De Venise

www.relaisdevenise.com

590 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10154-3301
(212) 758-3989
Get directions
About two years ago, a friend of mine took me to the Paris branch of this restaurant, and I loved it. Many businesses seem to create a good business by standardizing, simplifying, and perfecting. This seems to have worked for Southwest airlines, which flies only domestically in the United States using Boeing 737s, and for McDonald's.

Relais de Venise seems to have the same idea. There is no menu for an appetizer or a main course. The appetizer is a salad in a very nice dressing with walnuts. The main course is a steak that is sliced, served in their "secret" sauce (cream, tarragon, and Dijon mustard). So the choice is bleu, rare, medium or well-done. (Ask for medium-rare, and they will repeat the options: bleu, rare, medium or well-done).

I chose bleu, and my wife chose medium. Both were cooked exactly as ordered. They arrived promptly with a generous portion of frites (french fries). As we were finishing the dish, the server offered us more. (The set menu of the salad and the steak frites costs $24.) Certainly not inferior meat, but don't let me raise expectations too high. This was a French steak frites.

For dessert, there was a selection. We chose to share a cheese, which came with a glass of port for about $9.50. A nice variety of cheese, including Brie, Camembert, a blue cheese, and a Comte.

We had a house wine -- a Merlot-dominated Bordeaux. $11.50 for the half bottle. Nothing exceptional but perfectly acceptable.

I thought it was a very nice lunch, and I'll certainly return to this restaurant. But I did wonder how much it would suit an American clientele. We started our meal at about noon, and the place was practically empty. I also noticed that many of the customers were Europeans. But within about half an hour the place filled up. So perhaps it will appeal to New Yorkers after all.

This restaurant does not take reservations.

This is an enthusiastic recommendation. I paid my own way and do not have any connections, sponsorship, or freebies from Le Relais de Venise.

This blog continues on http://www.louisandlouisa.com

Waldorf Astoria Hotel, January 29th to January 31, 2010

2010-02-02T21:30:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful room with plenty of space to sit, read, relax and talk!

The bed was simply superb!

A first rate hotel with rough spots! (Room 2727)

The Waldorf=Astoria
301 Park Avenue
New York, New York U.S.A.10022
212-355-3000
212-872-7272 fax
Waldorf_Astoria@hilton.com

There is something very special about staying at Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York. This hotel has so much history behind it, and the list of famous guests is amazing. The present hotel is now managed by the Hilton and is considered the flagship of its luxury brand, the Waldorf=Astoria collection.

The building is lovely and well kept although there were a few signs of shabbiness in the room suggesting a renovation may be needed.

My verdict on the hotel is that it has many of the attributes of a first-rate luxury hotel, but some of the staff seem to have missed the training. Sometimes they will give you the idea that no request is too much trouble, that they are willing to stretch to accommodate you if your plans are a little different from normal, and that your stay should be remembered as a special occasion. Others seem not to care at all. With this uneven service, I would rather stay at a Ritz Carlton instead where the service is unfailing.

Our reservation was handled quite nicely, and we were welcomed very courteously although we were told that check-in time was 3:00, and we had arrived at about noon. I still find it curious that a hotel of this size cannot stretch a point for a Gold member in the Hilton HHonors plan!

It also is a little disappointing that although we had a "standby" certificate for a Towers room, which gives you access to an Executive Lounge and a separate exclusive entrance. They said that there were rooms available in the Towers, but we would have to pay an extra $100 a night. What do these certificates mean? What time do you have to arrive on a freezing cold weekend to make sure you get the standby? Anyway, we were given an outstanding room as you can see in the pictures but not the one on the eStandby certificate.

This is the second time I have had an eStandby upgrade from a hotel in the Hilton group, and it is the second time that it has done nothing for me. As this link suggests, the eStandby upgrades are intended to increase revenue rather than build customer loyalty. This will be a discussion in a futrue article.

HHonors members with Gold status also supposed to get breakfast, and we were given coupons to use the Starbucks, which is on the premises. So, in the morning, we went down to Starbucks. Well, Starbucks is Starbucks, and there was none of the attention or welcome that one would expect in a first class hotel. The coupon offered us a pastry, a juice, and a drink (coffee, etc.). The surly server announced that he was out of pastries but I could have one of the (inferior) croissants if I wanted. I asked for a porcelain (as opposed to a paper cup), and was told that it would be possible only if I bought one of the cups he had for sale. Hardly the gracious living experience one would expect from staying at a hotel of this caliber!

We had to go back to the desk for a second coupon for our second night. When I talked about how disappointed I was with our Starbucks experience, a delightful person gave us coupons for Oscar's, one of the cafes in the hotel that has a breakfast buffet. She acted in the way you expect in the best hotels.

Another rough edge happened when we came back to the hotel at about six in the evening on the second night. We were planning to see a show and had a couple of hours to rest before leaving the hotel. The room was in exactly the same state as we had left it in the morning. I phoned housekeeping, and there was no apology or anything. Rather, the person handling the call positioned my call as a routine request to have the room serviced. The person responsible for doing this appeared promptly and she serviced the room beautifully but this left us with nowhere to go while she was working except the crowded and bustling main lobby. We asked an employee if we could use the Executive Lounge while we waited for our room to be fixed and he pointed at some chairs and said we could sit there. Then he pulled out a handkerchief and noisily blew his nose!

Breakfast at Oscar's was second rate, and I would have been seriously disappointed if I had paid the regular price of $38 for it. Again, there was nothing wrong with it,but I expect a hotel of this caliber to enhance the breakfast with a few treats that are commonly found in the best hotels (smoked salmon, mozzarella and tomatoes, beautiful displays of fruit, a variety of special cheeses, for example.) The service was excellent, though.

We had a drink at Sir Harry's. Sir Harry's is the bar at Waldorf=Astoria. As one might expect, it has a good range of sparkiling wines at Champagnes at high prices. It also offers a "house" sparkling wine, a Cava from Freixenet at $15 a glass. It offers draft Budweiser or Stella Artois at $9 a glass.

We stayed recently another hotel in the Hilton group, the Conrad in Singapore. Everything about that stay was impeccable, and I'll write about it in another posting. But it made me wonder. What would an Asian visitor have thought if he/she was used to the kind of service offered by hotels like the Conrad in Singapore?

I would be very interested to hear from readers. Did your experience at the Waldorf=Astoria meet your expectations? Or did it have some surprising disappointments?

This is not a recommendation. I paid my own way using Hilton points and do not have any connections, sponsorship, or freebies from the Hilton Hotels except for those associated with my HHonors account.

This blog continues on http://www.louisandlouisa.com

Demel -- New York

2010-02-01T17:05:00.008-05:00

New York is a wonderful place to spend a weekend , but last weekend (January 29-31, 2010) was bitterly cold! We found a wonderful place to get out of the freezing temperatures (and away from the crowds) to enjoy a delicious hot chocolate at an authentic Austrian shop.

Demel, a company founded in 1786, has a New York location in the retail complex below the Plaza Hotel.

We had the hot chocolate with whipped cream, and it was quite simply the best hot chocolate I have ever had for about $4.50. It was beautifully presented with a lovely glass of water to go with it. They also seemed to have all sorts of delicious Austrian cakes and pastries as well as an assortment of open sandwiches.

Definitely worth another visit. A lovely setting, great product, friendly service.

Demel New York

The Plaza Retail Collection
One West 58th Street

Fax +1/212/572-0989
newyork@demel.at

OPENING HOURS:
Monday - Saturday from 11.00 am - 7.00 pm
Sunday from 12.00 pm - 6.00 pm

This is a strongly enthusiastic recommendation. I paid my own way and do not have any connections, sponsorship, or freebies from Demel.

This blog continues on http://www.louisandlouisa.com

Cafe de Paris, Columbia, MD (Revisited)

2007-12-14T17:43:00.002-05:00

Cafe de Paris
8088 Center Park Drive
Columbia
MD 410 997 3904

www.cafedepariscolumbia.com

Today I visited this restaurant for a quick bite for lunch. They now offer crepes in a little cafe atmosphere. They serve the crepes with a fresh salad, and they are delicious. I had a Shellfish Crepe, and my daughter had mozzarella, tomato, and pesto. Both were served promptly. They were freshly cooked and delicious.

The total bill for the two crepes, a soda water, and tax was under $18. This is a good new addition to Columbia's options at lunch.

For a (rather old) description of my last full dinner at this restaurant, click here.

This is a recommendation. I paid my own way and do not have any connections, sponsorship, or freebies from Cafe de Paris.

This blog continues on http://www.louisandlouisa.com

MAXjet -- The Washington Route (IAD)

2007-12-04T17:52:00.001-05:00

Well, I never got to try it!

Almost two years ago, I posted a comment about MAXjet, the airline that was trying to compete on the London to Washington route flying business class-only Boeing 767s. I wondered whether the story would end in "ignominious defeat."

Business class fares on this route have always been really expensive, and I welcomed the idea of a new competitor -- particularly since they offered fares as low as $750! I also liked the idea that you could transfer on to an EasyJet flight since they flew to Stansted rather than Heathrow.

Unfortunately, MAXjet has given up on Washington. But it is hardly ignominious defeat as the airline seems to be thriving on the New York (JFK), Las Vegas (LAS), and Los Angeles (LAX) routes!

So we are left with United, Virgin, and British for our non-stop options. (They all fly into Heathrow.) So how much does it cost? According to Kayak, the site that searches for the cheapest fares, leaving on February 12 and returning one week later), you would pay $3390 on United, $4060 on British, and $4050 on Virgin Atlantic. A lot of money!

The United option is certainly the best deal particularly as they now offer lie-flat seats in Business Class with 15-inch monitors! For a description of United's new and improved Business Class, follow this link. But you should book with caution as these upgrades will not be complete for some time!

Quite often the best (but less reliable) way of getting into Business Class is to buy an Economy ticket and upgrade. I have frequently been offered a $500 upgrade -- sometimes less -- even when I have been holding a really cheap cattle class ticket.

This blog continues on http://www.louisandlouisa.com

Hampton Inn -- Bloomsburg

2007-12-01T11:18:00.002-05:00

Hampton Inn
255 Paper Mill Road

Bloomsburg

Pennsylvania

USA 17815

Tel: +1-570-380-1020

Fax: +1-570-380-1035

I have traveled frequently with my old friend and business partner, Dr. A. It seems as if he has a principle that he applies whenever he stays at a hotel: If he doesn't like it, he complains a lot. If he likes it, he complains a little. There is a rumor that hotel owners across the world have him on a watch-out list! I remember him once warning a hotel manager that he was about to instruct the head of travel of the North American division (of our then twenty-eight person) company to blacklist the entire hotel chain and expressly forbid all our (two) sales representatives from staying there!

His usual complaint used to be a lament for the basics. "Just give me a decent bed, a clean room, and an adequate bathroom, and I'll be happy," was his usual cry as we would leave a hotel. Added to his list of basics was a morning banana without which he would growl for the rest of the day.

I used to find this refrain somewhat unconvincing coming from a man whose agonies tend to be making up his mind between the Four Seasons and the Ritz-Carlton. I often used to wonder how the basics would really sit with this Lexus-driving, Perignon-drinking, foie-gras eating consumer of luxury goods and services while listening to his plea for "just the basics" typically made while sitting in Seat 2A on a British Airways transatlantic flight.

Anyway, we spent the better part of this week at a Hampton Inn in Bloomsburg Pennsylvania, and Hampton Inn really is a chain that just gets the basics right with few loftier ambitions or pretensions. And while I had some minor complaints (shower not warm enough, no signs of recognition for a Hilton Diamond member, a room with two queen beds when I really wanted a king, a rather noisy window-situated heating system), Dr. A was ecstatically happy. "Perhaps the tables have turned, and now you are the complainer," he commented as he cheerfully munched his way through his second banana.

To summarize, the Hampton Inn in Bloomsburg is an excellent basic hotel with a few minor flaws. An adequate breakfast is provided by an extremely friendly English server in the morning on, alas, disposable plates.

But for only $114 a night, you can hardly complain! In general, I really do like this chain, and I appreciate being able to get Hilton points when I stay there.

This is an enthusiastic recommendation. My employer reimbursed me for my expenses. I do not have any connections, sponsorship, or freebies from Hampton Inn or Hilton Hotels except for those associated with my HHonors account.

Holiday Inn, Athens, Greece

2007-10-27T15:38:00.000-05:00

The top floor of the Holiday Inn in Athens

Holiday Inn

50 MICHALACOPOULOU ST

Athens

Telephone 30-210-7278000

Hotel Fax: 30-210-7278600

I never used to stay at Holiday Inns. They seemed a little "basic" for expense account travel and a little expensive for personal travel. But I have changed my opinion somewhat, and they fill a very useful niche for people traveling with families in Europe. Most of the big chains don't allow you to put four people in a room, and that is how we have made many of our trips affordable. Holiday Inn is the exception to the rule, and that was why we chose to spend the first couple of nights at the Holiday Inn in Athens.

The rooms were comfortable, and the price was right -- about 140 Euros (including tax) for a room for four. It is really easy to get to this hotel from the airport -- just take the metro. The people at the front desk were really friendly. The rooftop pool looked lovely, but it closed early in the evening so we were not able to use it.

The only little shock was the price of a club soda in the bar, which was about 6 Euros! But these prices are typical of Athens, which is now an expensive city!

Greece

2007-08-11T10:49:00.000-05:00

This picture is just an apartment block, but it is the site of where of the British Embassy school, where I went in about 1959.

My relationship with Greece has three chapters. The first was when I was very small. We moved to Greece when I was two and stayed there until I was six. Of course, those memories are more about early childhood and don't have a lot to do with Greece. Like all early memories, you can never be sure whether you remember the story or you remember the actual event.

But I remember my mother complaining to my father that he ran over her toes in our driveway, and I believed it. I remember thinking that didn't seem to harm her all that much and I was tempted many times to stick my toes under the wheels of cars to see what it was like. Fortunately, I never did! I remember not wanting to go to Rafina because once the see was rough and I thought that must be why it is called Rafina. I remember my friend, Andrew. His father came back from a business trip by plane and promptly went to bed with the flu, and I assumed that the flu was the consequence of flying. I remember my brother misbehaving at school, and the nuns but him in a cupboard with frosted glass. He wailed and waved his arms behind the frosted glass, and I wanted to rescue him, but I couldn't! That chapter ended in 1960.

The next time I was in Greeece was in 1981. I hitch-hiked from England to Brindisi, and got on a ferry from Brindisi to Patras. After sleeping on the deck for the night, I awoke to find the boat had stopped in the bay at Ithaca. I had never seen anything quite so beautiful in my life. I just had to get off, and I spent a few days there. Then, on to Athens! Athens seemed hot, dusty, unfriendly, and after a couple of days, I went to Lesbos, where I spent two glorious weeks in Molivos or Mithymna as it is more formally known. I was impoversished at the time, but Greece seemed to be such good value, and I was determined to return.

In July of 2007, I went to Greece with the family, and it was the best holiday we have ever had. But Greece had changed. Athens was a modern city with a wonderful metro system. The only disappointment was that the country did seem to be a little spoiled by the millions of tourists (like us!) who have discovered Greece. On my trip in 1981, I often found a bottle of Retsina placed on my table in the bars -- by a friendly local, who wanted to welcome a scruffy tourist. This time it really did seem as if the hospitality industry was determined to make you part with just a few more Euros! The prices seemed to be extraordinarily high, but, if you go to one of the most beautiful countries in the world, what do you expect?

We decided to visit Athens and only two islands. First, we went to Santorini, where we spent about a week. Then we went to Paros. The views in Santorini are absolutely extraordinary, but if I were to do it all over again, I think I would not spend as much as a week there. Santorini is just too overrun with tourists for my taste. Paros was perfect -- developed enough to provide a wide choice of restaurants, but not quite as crowded as Santorini!

No more amenity kits -- Singapore Airlines -- Business Class

2007-05-26T09:41:00.001-05:00

One of the nice little comforts of business class travel is the amenity kit. Waiting on your seat in a sealed bag, this little gift provides you with toothpaste, eyeshades, lip balm, and other little in-flight necessities.

I use these bags to carry around my electronic toys. I suppose that if I were a true road-warrior on long-distance flights every week, I would quickly tire of these novelties, but I fly rarely enough that I still get a kick out of them. (Actually my dirty little secret is that I have a sad habit of collecting them, and I have even been known to buy these things on e-bay.)

Funnily enough, Singapore Airlines, the airline that seems to lead the way in making customers happy, seems to have abandoned the practice of handing out these little bags. Although, according to their website, they provide a "range of branded toiletries such as eau de cologne, aftershave, and moisturising lotion" in the lavatories, the individual bag handed to you at your seat seems to be a thing of the past.

I would have thought these days, with liquids being a cause for suspicion, these little goodie bags would be even more important to the traveler seeking comfort in the air!

This blog continues on http://www.louisandlouisa.com

Cafe de Paris, Columbia, MD

2007-05-25T12:03:00.001-05:00

Cafe de Paris
8088 Center Park Drive
Columbia, MD

410 997 3904

www.cafedepariscolumbia.com

This restaurant used to be in a rather dreary shopping mall in Laurel, and I have always liked it. Last night I went mostly because I had heard that the chef, Marc Dixon, at one of my favorite restaurants, The Iron Bridge, had moved here.

Three of us had dinner. Two of us started with the excellent foie gras that was accompanied by a superb salad. Tony declared that his starter, the smoked salmon, was good but not excellent.

For our main courses, Clayton and I had the lamb chops, which I like very much although they were a little over done for my taste, and we were never asked how we would like them. Tony had a "special" of grouper, which he liked very much.

The desserts were outstanding, particularly the tarte tatin and the profiteroles.

As for wine, we had the Menage a Trois from Folie a Deux. This wine is an interesting blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Saugignon, and Merlot.

The bill was about $71 each, including tax, two bottles of the Menage a Trois ($26), and coffee, but not the tip.

An excellent meal that was well served!

This blog continues on http://www.louisandlouisa.com

Charles Bove — Vin Mousseux de Qualite

2007-01-08T08:34:00.001-05:00

This post was posted on my other site: www.louisandlouisa.com on December 31, 2006.

Charles Bove — Vin Mousseux de Qualite

This is a Chenin Blanc-based sparkling wine from the Loire Valley. Although described as Brut, it is just a little bit sweeter than you would expect. It is refreshing, fruity, and delicious. Best of all, it is only about $10.00 a bottle — about a third of what you would pay for Champagne.

We will be using our Charles Bove to ring in the New Year. A Happy New Year to all!

I bought it at the Iron Bridge Wine Company. For their address, click here.

Paris or London; Orbitz or Hilton or YTB?

2007-01-06T00:13:00.002-05:00

Paris or London; Orbitz or Hilton or YTB?

I put this posting on my new site: www.louisandlouisa.com

I am always shocked by how much it costs to be in London these days. With the dollar worth just a little more than fifty cents, everything seems to be so expensive. Even beer does not seem to be the bargain it was just a few years ago.

I was recently planning a trip, and wanted to stay the last night near an airport so I went to Orbitz (www.orbitz.com) to check out the price of the airport Hilton in Paris and the price of the airport Hilton in London. The result was not exactly surprising — London was much more expensive than Paris. The Hilton at Heathrow was $363 a night, and the one at the airport in Paris was $202. (I was booking for the night of 3rd March, 2007)

But the surprising thing about this exercise was when I decided to compare the rates offered by Orbitz with the rates at the Hilton site (www.hilton.com). The Paris airport Hilton was only $130, and the London Hilton was $372.

While Orbitz seemed much higher than using the Hilton site, I did find the same rate at YTB. For the sake of full disclosure, the person who runs this business is a good friend of mine, a person that I have known for a number of years and would recommend very highly.
It really pays to shop around!

One other tip — look carefully at the rates. Hilton quotes the prices in pounds and euros. Getting that wrong could turn out to be an expensive mistake!

Finally, if you are staying at a Hilton, make sure you get points and miles. You don’t get many miles if you are staying just a night, but it can be a clever way of breathing new life into miles on an airline you don’t use anymore. (Miles expire after a certain period if there is no activity in the account.)

Singapore Airlines -- SQ 25 from New York to Frankfurt

2007-01-04T13:28:00.001-05:00

Also posted on my new blog site -- www.louisandlouisa.com

Singapore Airlines runs several flights from the New York area to Singapore. There is a non-stop, SQ 21, which goes out of Newark on an Airbus (340-500), and also service from JFK on a Boeing 747-400, with a stop in Frankfurt. (Interestingly, both SQ21 and SQ22 run eastbound so the traveler on this route will go round the world without really stopping!)

All airline adventurers should at some stage of their lives experience the joys of flying one of the better Asian airlines (Cathay, Thai, Singapore, etc.). SQ 25 provides an opportunity for you to experience Singapore Airlines even if you are planning to spend your miles on a European trip.
Here is an example. I once wanted to travel from Washington to London using miles in my Mileage Plus account. The obvious way to travel would have been on any of United’s three non-stop flights from Dulles to Heathrow. As someone whose goal is to travel on as many airlines as possible, I decided to use United’s service from Dulles (IAD) to New York (JFK). I took SQ25 from JFK to Frankfurt (FRA), and then used Lufthansa to get from FRA to London (LHR). The price of this route in miles was the same as if I had taken the non-stop routing.

Next summer, I am going to use SQ25 again for a family trip to Athens. Using United miles my route will be Washington - New York - Frankfurt - Athens - Frankfurt - London - Washington. The last leg will be on United, but I could not avoid that if I wanted to spend a few nights in London on the return trip.

Mileage Plus seats are limited on SQ25 so the traveler really needs to make plans in advance. With careful planning, this is a good way of experiencing what is arguably the best airline in the world.

Using Delta Miles

2007-01-03T21:49:00.001-05:00

The days of free travel are numbered. It is becoming more and more dificult to get miles; airlines want more miles for flights; and some airlines (USAirways and Delta, in particular) are changing the rules about how long miles can lie dormant before they expire.

With this in mind, I decided to use up my Delta miles on a trip to London. Booking using Delta airlines, it seemed as if I would have to take a very circuitous route to get to London. (From Washington, one route involved going from BWI to Atlanta to Cincinnati to London’s Gatwick airport, which is inconvenient for me.)

But there is an alternative. In the end I got a much better route — Washington to Paris to London for exactly the same number of miles on Air France. Plus that puts me into Heathrow. And, Air France still serves free drinks in Economy.

When you are using your miles, consider using an alternative carrier. Delta belongs to Skyteam, and you can use the Skyteam site (www.skyteam.com) to figure out what your options are. Delta alternatives include Alitalia and Korean. With United miles, you can fly on Swiss, Lufthansa, Singapore, Thai, and SAS!

Is it really cheaper or am I just splitting fares?

2006-12-27T20:34:00.001-05:00

I am continuing to post here, but my main site is now: www.louisandlouisa.com. Come and visit!

Picture this scenario. You live in the Washington area, and next summer you would like to spend a few days in London, and then you would like to fly on to Greece. The plan looks like this. You will leave Washington on July 14, 2007. Then you will travel to Athens on July 21. You would like to stay there until August 5. There is a late flight out of Athens on August 5, and you can take the onward leg back to Washington on August 6.

Using the BA site and selecting the lowest possible and most restricted fare, This journey will set you back $2,294, and that includes $341.81 in taxes. Quite a lot!

Now there is nothing you can do about these dreadful taxes, but there are a few tricks you can do to play with the fare. Try this. Still using the BA site, book the Washington to London flight as one trip picking the very same flight, and the trip to London will cost $985.71, including taxes of $288.71. Then buy another ticket and book exactly the same flights to and from Athens. The total fare for the Athens trip will be GBP (British Pounds) 168.20 or $328.64 in US dollars. So the total for your trip will turn out to be $1,314.35 — a total savings of 979.65!

And if you worry that British Airways will use their computers to track you down and hate you for ever, you could always use another airline for the London to Washington leg. There are all sorts of airlines offering low cost trips out of London to many European airports.

For example, using EasyJet (www.easyjet.com), the trip to Greece from London’s Gatwick airport would cost GBP 150.52, and that includes a travel insurance policy as well as taxes.

Good luck searching for cheap flights. And remember that two tickets are often cheaper than one!

Redeeming miles on British Airways Executive Club

2006-12-04T17:55:00.001-05:00

A slightly more detailed version of this post is posted on my new site:

http://www.louisandlouisa.com.

Another work in progress on the new site is that you will be able to filter postings. For example, you can see only the airline-related postings.

This posting is probably useful only to British Airways Executive Club members who live in the United States.

Back in the “good old days,” it was pretty easy to rack up miles on British Airways.
First, they had household accounts, which allowed people living at the same address to pool their miles into a single account. As a result, even people who hardly ever traveled could collectively earn a free ticket.

Secondly, it was pretty cheap to buy tickets with miles. For example, 40,000 miles would buy a ticket from anywhere in the United States to anywhere in Europe. I once went from Washington (IAD) to Istanbul forjust 40,000 miles. I also once had a fabulous trip in First for 120,000 miles. My route was Washinton to London; London to Dubai; Dubai to Tehran; Tehran to Dubai; Dubai to London; London to Manchester; Manchester to London; London to Washington.

Third you could accumulate miles really fast using a Diners Club card. For every dollar you spent, you earned a mile. And every summer, British Airways used to have a two-for-one offer.
These happy days are over. British Airways now gives you only 25% of miles flown if you use a discount ticket. The number of miles required has risen massively. And the Diners Club offer in the summer gives you only 1.5 miles to the dollar. We are going to book some tickets to southern Europe sometime this summer (probably Athens), but each ticket is going to cost 65,000 miles.

It almost looks as if British Airways wants to hide free tickets on its web site. They advertise deals that allow you to pay part cash and part miles, and these are easy to find. They also seem to hid the chart that tells you how many miles you are going to need.

So here is the link for members (with a number/userID and PIN/password) wanting to get free tickets for their miles.

New Website!!! www.louisandlouisa.com

2006-12-01T18:24:00.002-05:00

Well as you may know, I have been really busy with other stuff. But one thing that I have accomplished is to establish www.louisandlouisa.com, and that is where I will be blogging in the future.

I have teamed with my niece, Louisa. The idea is to try and provide travel, food, and wine information from two entirely difference perspectives.

Wine Spectator -- Wine of the Year

2006-11-16T17:53:00.001-05:00

Well, I think in the future that I should stick to predicting the past. It is so much easier!

The Wine Spectator came out with its top (most exciting) wine of the year last Friday. Earlier this year, in this post (Click here) I predicted that Chateau Leoville Barton (2003) wouild be chosen as the Wine Spectator's wine of the year. But I was wrong. Leoville Barton came in as number three. Casanova di Neri, Brunello di Montalcino (2001) won the top spot with Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon (2003) coming in second.

With 98 points, Leoville Barton scored more than the Casanova (97) and Quilceda (95). And the only other wine scoring 98 was Krug Brut Champagne, 1995 with a price tag of $224!

You can see the whole list by clicking here.

I am still glad to have several bottles of the Leoville Barton lying around. I have not tried it yet.

The Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing

2006-10-31T22:36:00.002-05:00

I have always thought that one of the many joys of wine drinking is finding special wine that tastes much more expensive than the price suggests. For those of you who read my last posting about the Guardian Peak SMG, there is an amazing story. A friend brought it for us to have over dinner all the way from the winery, where he paid about $20.00 for it. But we discovered it here for only $9.99! (We had it special ordered from Paul's in Wisconsin Avenue in DC.) I have always known that it can be a bit expensive to buy at the winery, but this seems extraordinary!

While on the subject of price, a lot of people suggest I am missing the point in my proposed scoring system for airline wine service that I described on http://louisandlouisa.com. The suggestion is that I know the "price of everything and the value of nothing" as Oscar Wilde would put it. But actually I want to discover the bargains, and however good the wine is, I don't want an airline to go bargain hunting on my behalf when I am sitting in an airline seat.

I absolutely love Tesco Champagne, but if I am in Seat 2A on Singapore Airlines, I want to have the choice between my Krug and Dom Perignon. When I am back on terra firma, then I want to be the one discover the Tesco Champagne and tell how I got my six-pack for only GBP 78.03!

The opportunity to taste these very expensive and sometimes overpriced wines in the air is also a good benchmarking opportunity. It is nice to compare your steals with the expensive stuff that you cannot usually afford.

I no longer post to this site. Click here to access my new web site: louisandlouisa.com.

Guardian Peak SMG, 2004

2006-10-08T11:47:00.001-05:00

Long boycotted during the apartheid era, South African wines are something of a mystery to me although I am beginning to be very interested in them for two main reasons. First, they seem to represent excellent value for money. Second, they seem to do very well with a grape I like very much, Chenin Blanc, which is usually called Steen in South Africa.

Last night we had something completely different while we were waiting for dinner. One of my friends brought Guardian Peak SMG 2004, which we drank before dinner with cheese (Manchego, Cheshire, and Irish Cheddar). As you might have already guessed, SMG stands for Syrah (54%), Mourvedre (36%), and Grenache (10%). With an alcohol level of 14.5%, this is certainly not a wimpy wine, and it is a little bit "in your face" with deep and rich plummy stewed fruit flavors with sweet cherry notes. This wine does not lack subtlety though, and the blend gives it a degree of spicy vanilla cedary complexity. I wondered how it would taste after a few years in the cellar.

This is a wonderful wine, and I strongly recommend it. My friends brought it back from South Africa, but I saw it on Wine Searcher for just $9.99. If this wine can really be had for that price (or anything less than $15.00 for that matter), I would dash out and buy all I could afford!

Hanna, Cabernet Sauvignon, 1988

2006-10-01T09:29:00.001-05:00

Hanna, Cabernet Sauvignon, 1988

This wine was in my cellar for one only reason. The youngest in our family is called Hannah, and 1988 was the year of her birth. The Hanna winery also holds a special place in our hearts since we had a lovely visit there when we staying in Calistoga a few years back. Last night, Hannah was back home visiting from college so we decided to celebrate with a bottle of Hanna.

But I did not really expect much from Hanna. First 1988 was really not a particularly good vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon in Northern California. Second, everyone tells you these days that most wines are intended to conumed upon release, and a wine is far more likely to show badly if it is drunk too late than if you drink it too soon. Finally, I had a problem with the cork, which broke while I was trying to open it. I finally managed to remove it fairly cleanly, and although the top part of the cork was broken, it looked as though the bottom part of it had maintained a good seal. There was a considerable amount of sediment so I poured it through a filter into a decanter.

As I was pouring, it became clear that we were in for something of a treat. A delicious aroma of blackcurrant came up from the wine as I poured. The color was a deep crimson with perhaps some degree of lightening but certainly no browning. The taste was concentrated deep fruit with some cedar with sweet vanilla overtones from the oak. A delicious wine that really seemed to have derived benefit from eighteen years in my cellar.

Sushi King, Columbia, MD

2006-09-30T17:47:00.000-05:00

Sushi King
6490 Dobbin Road
Columbia, MD
21045

Monday - Saturday

(Lunch 11:30AM to 3PM)

(Dinner 5PM to 10PM)

Sunday Closed

Phone: 410 997 1269
Fax: 410 997 1266

For a Google map, click here.

For Sushi King's website, click here.

Two Japanese restaurants in Columbia have very high ratings in the Zagat guide. One is Sushi Sono (Click here for my comments), and the other is Sushi King where we had lunch today. Sushi King is located in a rather dreary strip mall next to the handy express Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office, where you can renew registrations and drivers' licenses without the fuss of going to Glen Burnie. The restaurant is decorated in that typical Japanese bamboo style with little cubicles where you can eat in privacy.

Eating off the lunch menu, we had bento boxes, and two of our party of four were not particularly hungry so we only ordered three of them. Mine came tempura -- two large shrimps and vegetables, rice, an order of California rolls, and a nicely dressed salad ($9.50). The other came with Tuna rolls and Chicken Teryaki ($9.50). Miso soup was included.

The Miso soup was very nice. It seemed slighly sweeter than most. The tempura items were obviously freshly cooked, and the California Rolls tasted very fresh. The food was definitely above average.

Although the food was good although not spectacularI must say that, given the choice, I would prefer to go to Sushi Sono. The service here has been friendly in the part. I am not sure if they resented two of us sharing a box, but the server seemed rather unfriendly. (She presented only three bubble gums at the end of the meal!)

Although Sushi King serves alcoholic drinks, we did not have wine with our meal, and the bill for three lunches (but four people) was about $35, including an extra order of California Rolls to go. Very good value!

Moet & Chandon White Star

2006-09-24T20:40:00.000-05:00

Well I acquired this bottle out of spite. A couple of weeks, I was about to buy a bottle of Korbel, but suddenly felt irritated that it called itself Champagne. (If you are interested, click here to see that discussion and Korbel's defense.) So I spent three times as much money -- about $30.00. And I wound up with this delicious bottle of White Star from Moet & Chandon.

They always say that if you spend a little extra, the first thing you forget is the price, and I liked this Champagne very much indeed. It is made with both red grapes (Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier) and white grapes (Chardonnay). It is less dry than most Champagnes sold in the United States, which are usually Brut. This Extra Dry Champagne is considerably sweet. It is a kinder, gentler Champagne that would go well with anything. (I don't find Brut Champagne works very well with desserts although it served so often with wedding cakes.) It has nice beedy little bubbles, and is fruity in a way that is not often found in Champagne -- peaches! Very nice indeed.

Pistachio Nuts, B.F. Skinner, and Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

2006-09-23T11:11:00.000-05:00

For people seeking the short story on 2001 Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is simply extraordinary. I bought it a few years ago at the King's Contrivance Liquor Store in Columbia. (Click here for the posting on where I get my wine.) This wine had a dark berry flavor. It was surprisingly sweet, dark, and extremely intense. You could certainly taste the oak that provided soft vanilla overtones to the flavor. Simply stated, this wine was delicious. Although the price was $16.49 on the bottle, I think it was on sale and I paid about $12.00 for the bottle. Keeping it for a few years really paid off.

Now the long story...

(If you have the time, follow the links. It might be fun!)

In an earlier post, I suggested that some of the fun about wine drinking is about finding a wine where the quality seems to bear little relationship to the price. When I drink wine like the perennially good Petite Syrah from Bogle at around $12.00, I feel that I have somehow beaten the system! The Ancient Vines Zinfandel (around $12.00) from Cline gives me that same smug satisfaction.

But there is another joy of drinking wine that is linked to a theory, which is totally devoid of any research basis, that I have about pistachio nuts. Put a bowl of pistachio nuts in front of me, and I cannot stop eating them until the last one has gone. Other people often seem to have similar weaknesses.

(By the way, if I am drinking wine before dinner, I usually avoid peanuts. I don't consider them very wine friendly.)

Apart from unrestrained gluttony, I believe that this compulsion to keep eating is related to the behaviorist idea that habits are more strongly reinforced if the reward for a behavior is given randomly. So, if you eat thirty pistachio nuts, you are likely to find twenty six good ones, one little stinker, and the remaining three will simply sing in your mouth. Seeking the reward of that perfect pistachio, you just keep on and on eating them.

The pistachio nut enthusiast probably knows that the best pistachio nuts in the world come from Iran which, according the article in Wikipedia on the subject, produces more pistachios nuts in the world with 38% of the world's production. You can usually tell an Iranian pistachio nut just by looking at it. They tend to be much larger than most, and they simply taste better. (Avoid pistachios that are dyed red. They are rarely any good.)

Readers in Maryland can buy Iranian pistachios at Sizar's food market:

6955 Oakland Mills Rd
Columbia, MD 21045.

For a Google map, click here.

(They are not quite as good as getting them from a firend traveling to Iran, but they are still pretty tasty! Sizar's is a nice little Persian grocery store with not just food from Iran, but all sorts of food from the Middle East and the Mediterranean. You can also get Indian food there, including chutneys curry paste, and so on.)

So what has all this got to do with Geyser Peak? Well, I wanted a red wine for dinner on Friday night. We did not have guests so I was not looking for one of my better Bordeaux, but I wanted something a little bit better than an $8.00 "everyday" wine. I also wanted to drink up any potentially "over the hill" wines in the cellar. So that was why I picked the Geyser Peak -- not too expensive, possibly aging, and, without guests, the risk of disappointment was low.

This wine was my unpredictable reward. I hoped for "good" and would have been satisfied with "okay," but I never expected extraordinary. It reminded me of much more expensive wines, and I began to think of Silver Oak. It was so dark, dense, and the blackberry/cassis fruit was marvellous. The oak provided a rich vanilla almost creamy! Although probably mature, it was clearly not in decline, and I would venture to say that it was at its peak. I have one bottle of this wine left. I will drink it soon but on a very special occasion!

I have had a lot of good luck from Geyser Peak, and this experience will keep me coming back again and again to seek that perfect reward!

The winery's notes on this wine are below:

Vintage: 2001
Appellation: Alexander Valley

Grape Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Storage/Type: 100% American oak barrels: 20% new oak; 80% a balanced mixture of one-, two-, and three-year old oak
Maturation Time: 15 months

Production Comments: A portion of the fruit for this wine was processed through our rotary fermenters. These innovative tanks enable maximum desirable extraction with only four or five days of on-skin fermentation, and minimize extraction of harsh, undesirable tannins.

Bottling Information & Analysis: Bottling Date: 06/03

Release Date: 12/03

Cases Produced: 49400

Alcohol 13.5%

pH 3.72

Acid 0.60

R.S. Dry

Wine Description: Classic Alexander Valley aromas of sweet blackberry fruit and cassis burst out of the glass on this wine. The vibrant intensity of the fruit aromas is typical of Geyser Peak's style, as is the restrained oak, which supports the fruit without dominating it. Ripe raspberry, blackberry and black cherry flavors harmonize on the wine's rich, juicy mid-palate with toasty oak notes. Typically Alexander Valley tannins come to the fore on the finish, which harmonizes persistent fruit flavors with fine-grained tannins.
Recipes: Black Olive Tapenade Crostini, Fabulous Flank Steak, Grilled New York Steaks with Cabernet Reduction Sauce, Pork Chops a La Piacenza, Rack of Lamb with Red Wine Jus, Red Wine Braised Oxtail

Hampton Inn, Lexington Park

2006-09-19T18:33:00.000-05:00

The lobby at the Hampton Inn. Breakfast is served here.

Hampton Inn
22211 Three Notch Road
Lexington Park, Maryland
United States 20653

Tel: +1-301-863-3200
Fax: +1-301-863-7865

For a Google map, click here

There is an old principle in writing about hotels, planes, and restaurants. Don't judge them by how they perform when things are going well. Reserve judgement until things go wrong. I remember trying to take an old TWA flight from JFK to Madrid shortly before TWA disappeared. The flight couldn't leave, and we were told to go away and come back in 24 hours. Accommodation? Find your own. Can you guarantee us a seat on tomorrow's flight? I can't even guarantee we will be here tomorrow. Shortly after that TWA disappeared. And I was glad!

Anyway, we arrived late at the Hampton Inn in Lexington Park to check into our room, and we were told we had the last room. When we went upstairs, we found the key would not work so the very nice person at the desk came to help. Even his new key would not work so he went to get a "hard" key, a metal one that you use the old fashioned way. As he tried to turn the key, a sad voice from behind the door politely asked if there was any reason why we trying to get into his room.

The desk clerk immediately apologized profusely, and we went downstairs. The first thing he did was to phone the sad man and tell him that there would be no charge for the night. Then he found us a room and said there would be no charge for us either.

I was so pleased that they seemed so anxious to please, and the next day the new person on duty at the desk apologized too and freely admitted that it was her fault.

In every other way, the stay was excellent. This hotel is well appointed with a very comfortable bed, a good large bathroom. Breakfast in the morning is included, and it was quite nice with good coffee.

As I have mentioned before, I really like Hampton Inns, and this was a great example of them going out of their way to please.

I only wish they would not use stryrofoam so much for breakfast!

Our room for the night, if we had not been given the free room, would have been about $95.

The Hot Noodle, California, MD

2006-09-18T17:56:00.000-05:00

The Hot Noodle
22576 Macarthur Boulevard
California
Maryland 20616

A Google map can be found here.

Telephone: 301-862-9188

When I see a restaurant that serves many different kinds of cooking, I often walk in another direction. It irritates me if a restaurant seems to be unable to make up its mind about what kind of food it wants to serve. But if I applied that principle to the Hot Noodle, I would miss out on some really very good food.

This restaurant, which is convenient to people visiting Patuxent Naval Air Station or St. Mary's College of Maryland, is located in a little strip mall in an area with offices that seem to feed off the Naval Air Station. Advertising that you can have "The Great Taste of Asia All Under One Roof," The Hot Noodle is a place where you can get Chinese Potstickers ($5.95), Pho ($6.95), Pad Thai ($7.45), or Korean Short Ribs ($13.95). I think the owners are probably Vietnamese so I usually stick to Vietnamese dishes, but friends and family have had food from all over the map. I cannot remember having a bad dish here. And this restaurant offers really good value for money in a nice comfortable setting.

I usually start with the Spring Rolls (3 for $4.95) or the Shrimp Summer Rolls (3 for $4.95), which are "freshly sliced shrimp, lettuce, island mints, carrots, cucumbers, vermicelli noodles, and bean sprouts, hand wrapped in cool rice paper, and served with zesty peanut sauce." The peanut sauce is just wonderful!

The excellent Vietnamese Steak ($10.95) is made of tender cubes of very good beef cooked in a wok and served with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions with a lime and pepper sauce. It is my favorite dish in the restaurant.

There is a wine list, but I have always been traveling so I have never has any wine here, but they serve very nice limeade. The portions are generous, and I have always been too full for dessert.

My only gripe here is the way they print the menu. Red text on green is barely legible to most people, and would probably be a nightmare for people with color perception difficulties! Some of the writing is in small print over pictures, and that is difficult to read too. But I hear they are changing their menu. I only hope that means the presentation rather than the dishes.

Dinner for eight last Saturday (September 16, 2006) was only $113 the other night. We had shared starters, a main course, and soft drinks. An exceptionally good restaurant with excellent value for money!

Château Langoa Barton, 1996

2006-09-04T18:16:00.000-05:00

We had a bottle of Château Langoa Barton, 1996, on Saturday night, and I was hoping for something very special, and it wasn't.

I found it hard, very tannic, and there really was not much sense of fruit. It seemed as if this wine was in a period where it had lost the fresh initial fruit of a young wine, but had not yet softened its tannins and gained complexity.

After a little, it seemed to open up a little, but overall this was a disappointment. Perhaps we should have just kept this wine longer!

Westin Hotel, Port Royal, Hilton Head, South Carolina

2006-09-04T17:48:00.000-05:00

We stopped for drinks at the very well appointed Westin Hotel in Hilton Head. It was delightful watching the sun go down as we had drinks by the pool. (Be prepared for plastic cups, though!.)

As we drank, we decided that renting in our apartment (See my notes on Sunset Rentals) was a much better way to stay in Hilton Head than to stay at a hotel.

But having drinks by the pool was a lot of fun, and the nachos were great. The restaurants in the hotel looked wonderful too, and we meant to return for dinner but never did.

For people who compile lists of the world's best loos (bathrooms), this was top class with nice soap from Molton Brown!

Château Musar is doing OK!

2006-09-04T10:43:00.000-05:00

During the recent troubles, I worried that one of my favorite wineries, Château Musar, in the Bekaa valley, might suffer losses.

It has always amazed me that they have managed to produce wine year after year. (They have only missed three vintages, 1976, 1984, and 1992, and 1992 was because the grapes were not up to standard.)

Anyway, I decided to write to them to see if they were all right, and got the following answer:

Many thanks for your very kind thoughts and concern.We are deeply grateful for your prayers and your messages of support. All Chateau Musar's team are well and continuing their great work. The winery and the vineyards are doing well and we expect a very good crop for the 2006 vintage.
Best regards

Château Musar

Keep these folks in your thoughts!

For people who are having difficulty locating their wine in the United States, you might want to contact the importer:

Broadbent Selections, Inc
2088 Union Street
Suite 2San Francisco
CA 94123

Telephone: 415 931 1725
Fax: 415 921 0596

(Broadbent Selections was nominated for importer of the year by the Wine Enthusiast last year, and the other selections are really interesting too!)

And visit their blog at www.vilafonte.com.

Korbel Responds

2006-08-28T13:02:00.000-05:00

The following posting came from Paul Ahvenainen, Korbel's Director of Winemaking, in response to my posting, in which I suggested that the Champagne should be used only by wine producers in the Champagne area of France. In his response, Mr. Ahvenainen suggested that this is the view of the self-righteous. My position is that when we receive accurate information from wine producers, everyone, including the producers, is better off.

There is an interesting article that deals with the subject in depth in Wikipedia. Click here to read it.

While I do not agree with his position, it seemed to me to be fair to give the "other side" visibility in this debate.

Mr. Paul Ahvenainen's comments follow:

God I just love the web! Anyone can say just about anything and actually have it read. Unfortunatly, the web hasn't figured out a way to filter for accuracy.

Here I am on a Monday morning, pressing a few hundred tons of chardonnay for future Korbel champagne, and up pops another blogger verbally wagging his self rightous finger at me and all the hard working people here at Korbel.

Everyone is entiled to thier opinion. Let's at least get a few facts straight.

1. The question of regional place names growing into common usage goes far beyond champagne or other wines. Take the term cheddar, is it a place or is it a style of cheese? I think that most sensible people would say that once a term like cheddar comes into common usage to represent a particular style of cheese, regardless of where the cheese was made, it is available for usage. I don't think the US consumer is clamoring for Kraft to drop cheddar from its cheese line anytime soon.

Ask yourself this question: If, without saying anything, a friend at a party hands you a traditional flute of pale fizzy wine as you walk in the door, in your own mind, what did you just recieve? For 99% of people, the honest answer is, "a glass of champagne". Clearly the term champagne refers to a style of wine, not just a place.

2. Korbel's use of the term champagne is permited by both US and EU regulations. The French don't like to admit it, but they just signed a treaty within the last several months, clearly (however relucantly) acknowleging the long usage of the term champagne outside of the Marne Valley. Essentialy, the EU is agreeing that the term is in common usage now, but are trying to bring the usage back under thier control. That's just not going to happen. Cheddar will always be a style of cheese. Wine with bubbles will always be champagne.

3. Don't buy into the Moet & Chandon propaganda machine. This isn't about wine or small growers toiling in the soil. It's about a competitive market place, major corporations and MONEY. I have seen reports circulated in France that converts "California Champagne" sales into euros, very large numbers of euros.

You did'nt also buy into Moet's Dom Perrignon fairy tale, did you?

4. Korbel has been using the term "California Champagne" for over 120 years. Nobody cared until we became a major player in the US market in the 1970's.

5. I have been associated with Korbel for over 20 years. In that time, I have never met a consumer who was confused about the origin of our products. Our identity is firmlly based as an American / California producer.

We are proud to offer the US consumer a choice, and a great value.

Too bad about the White Star, your loss.

Paul Ahvenainen
Director of Winemaking
Korbel Champagne Cellars
Guerneville CA, USA

Moet 1 - Korbel 0

2006-08-27T15:42:00.000-05:00

That's right. The winner is Moet. Korbel just lost a sale

I have just bought a bottle of Moet & Chandon White Star. Actually, I was looking for a bottle of California sparkling wine, but I decided not to because I became irritated by Korbel.

I have had Korbel's sparkling wines before, and I have enjoyed them. But today I noticed that they continue to mark their offering with the word, Champagne, in addition to indicating that they are made in the methode champenoise. I carefully looked at all the other bottles, and I noticed that all the respectable companies in California (Piper Sonoma, Gloria Ferrer, Codorniu Napa, Mumm) call their wines in this class sparkling wine. The exceptions to the rule tend to be at the very low end of the market, including some of the wines from New York State. It seems to me to be silly that Korbel wishes to join the ranks of Cooks, Totts, Taylors, and Great Western.

So to express my irritation, I decided to buy a bottle of the real thing!

I would be interested in comments from readers. In my opinion, there is no need to call a wine Champagne when it clearly does not come from the Champagne area. Let me know if you agree, and if you do, please boycott these wines! If you don't please let me know. I would be interested to hear from you. In the meantime, I am looking forward to drinking a wine that truly deserves to be called Champagne.

In my previous post, I noted how much information Ridge gives to its consumers. I wish Korbel would give us the same respect!

Ridge Vineyards 1991 Santa Cruz Mountains, Cabernet Sauvignon

2006-08-27T10:10:00.000-05:00

If you were to ask me which were my top ten American wine producers, Ridge would definitely be in the list, and it would probably be near the top.

Although I have more experience with their Zinfandel based wines, I have always enjoyed their Cabernet very much indeed too. But I must admit to approaching this bottle with some trepidation. Although, I had kept it in good condition, the recommended "bottle age" was "five to ten years" so I was afraid I would be drinking it after its expiry date. This fear increased when the cork broke as I was opening it. But I was able to salvage it without dropping a single piece of it into the dark red liquid.

To the nose, you could immediately tell that this was a rich, long, deeply-flavored wine that would refuse to "go away" even if you wanted it to. The flavors were deep cherry and cassis with a hint of cigar box and tobacco. The presence of a little Merlot and Cabernet Franc were suggestive of a Bordeaux although the richness and a tiny bit of sweetness distinguished this wine as distinctly Californian.

I absolutely loved this wine, and comments from all who tasted it about its silky smooth finish suggested we were drinking it at absolutely the right time. A very well rewarded wait!

I once visited the winery in Cupertino. After a long drive up the mountain, you are welcomed to a friendly tasting room with well-informed presenters. I remember being very amused when the mail man dropped off his letters and was rewarded for his pains with a sip of Cabernet Sauvignon. I remember thinking how very civilized that was. And how European!

One of the marvellous things about Ridge is how well they document their wine both on their website, and also on the bottle. The text on the bottle is below:

1991 SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS CABERNET SAUVIGNON
82% CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 15% MERLOT, 3% FRANC

SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS

ALCOHOL 12.9% BY VOLUME

PRODUCED AND BOTTLED BY RIDGE VINEYARDS, INC. BW 448817100 MONTE BELLO RD, BOX 1810, CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA 95015

91 Santa Cruz Mountains Vineyard, bottled March 1993

On Monte Bello Ridge, our vines are divided between two vineyards—Santa Cruz Mountains and Monte Bello. The former extends from the thirteen hundred foot elevation upwards and includes the old Jimsomare Ranch, as well as those vines higher on the ridge which typically produce more supple, less tannic wines. The 1991 was initially aged in new, air-dried, american oak and finished in two-year-old barrels to maintain the balance between spicy oak and berry fruit. The inclusion of merlot and a small amount of franc added further complexity. A lovely wine, enjoyable now, it will develop more fully with five to ten years of bottle age.

Sunset Rentals -- Hilton Head

2006-08-25T18:59:00.000-05:00

The living room
View of the beach from the balcony

We rented an apartment for a week in Hilton head from a company we have used before, Sunset Rentals. The cost for the week's rental in August was approximately $1,200, and that included everything (tax, clean up, and cancellation insurance.) The fourth-floor apartment was in South Forest beach and had a master bedroom with bathroom, second bedroom, second bathroom, kitchen, dining/living room, and a balcony. We could see the ocean from the bathroom and the master bedroom. There was a telephone set up for local calls only.

Sunset Rentals was really efficient. They send you e-mail with codes that allow you to get in, and you never have to see anybody.

When we arrived the apartment was in perfect working order with shampoo and other amenities in the bathrooms, toilet paper, and other "starter items." There was also high speed Internet available in the apartment although that was what I wanted to get away from!

Sunset Rentals is recommended, and we were able to do all transactions across their website.

Click here to go to their site.

Hampton Inn, Florence, South Carolina

2006-08-22T18:55:00.001-05:00

Hampton Inn Florence-North
1826 West Lucas Street
Florence, South Carolina
United States 29501

Tel: +1-843-662-7000
Fax: +1-843-661-5150

For a Google map, click here.

I suppose you could say that we went to the wrong Florence! The drive from Maryland to Hilton Head is long and dreary. Traffic can be horrendous in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, and the door-to-door journey from our house in Maryland is 630 miles. Quite often we stop on the way. And there aren't many interesting places unless you stray a long way from I-95, the interstate that runs from top to bottom along the east coast of the United States.

This time we decided to stay in Florence. We did not come to Florence to see the Ponte Vecchio or the Uffizi Gallery. Rather this town is just across the South Carolina border, and we felt that crossing the border would create a sense of accomplishment. We would be in the same state as our beloved Hilton head. This is the third Hampton Inn where we have stayed recently. Our rate was only $66.00, and I have to say that I have been very impressed with this chain every time I have stayed at one of their hotels.

Our room accommodated all four of us in two double beds although Iran thought our bed was just a little narrow. Shampoo and lotion were provided and the bathroom was excellent. The air conditioning worked well. The bedding was good too. We had a perfectly adequate breakfast in the morning, which was included in the price of the room, and we got a newspaper in the morning. A final touch is that we got Hilton points and British Airways miles. And the person at the reception desk was really nice and very helpful!

For the price and the location, I don't think you could expect much more! Incidentally, it was much nicer than a horrid Holiday Inn, where we stayed in the other Florence a couple of years ago!

I no longer post to this site. Click here to access my new web site: louisandlouisa.com.

Hilton Head, South Carolina

2006-08-21T19:01:00.000-05:00

The beach at Hilton Head

We have just come back from a week on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. We have been here several times before, but it reminded me what a wonderful and relaxing place this is.

There are twelve miles of beautiful beach. There are good restaurants, and excellent golf courses.

Gruet -- Blanc de Noirs, NV

2006-08-20T17:46:00.001-05:00

After a recent post about Blanquette de Limoux, a good friend of mine, Suzy, suggested I try a sparkling wine, Gruet, from the state where she lives, New Mexico. So I was delighted to find Gruet's Blanc de Noirs when I was shopping at Balducci's in Alexandria recently.

Made in the traditional methode champenoise, this is a remarkably refined sparkling wine. It has the tiny persistent bubbles that characterize very good bubblies. It also has that attractive toasty flavor with red berry notes -- something between strawberries and raspberries. Its color is typical of blanc de noirs. Made mostly with Pinot Noir, this wine has a dark straw color with a suggestion that, if it blushed a little more, it would become pink -- in the sparkling wine world, people talk about salmon!

This is an exceptionally nice sparkling wine at a very fair price (about $15.00). A highly recommended low-priced alternative to Champagne!

Thank you, Suzy, for such a wonderful suggestion!

Connexion by Boeing

2006-08-20T14:41:00.000-05:00

I read recently in the Financial Times that Boeing has decided to stop its Connexion service on flights.

This service, which is offered by several airlines (including Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, El Al, Korean Air, All Nippon Airways, Scandinavian, and JAL) allows passengers with Wi-Fi on their computers to connect to the Internet during a flight. And, based on my experience, it was wonderful. I am so disappointed that they have decided to discontinue the service. And I am surprised that they cannot make money out of this service. (According to the Financial Times, it costs $500,000 to equip a plane for this service.)

I was even able to write on this blog while in the air!

British Airways -- Baggage Allowance

2006-08-20T14:19:00.000-05:00

Passengers on British Airways should note that BA will be reducing the amount of luggage that passengers can take with them free of charge. To see the new policy, click here.

The policy, which becomes effective on October 11 of this year, includes a charge of GBP 120 for extra bags on long haul flights. These charges are reduced by 20% if you pay in advance on line.

Whenever companies begin to offer less service or want to charge more, I find the way they sugar coat the changes especially irritating. Here is their expanation:

British Airways is introducing changes to baggage policies to make them easier for passengers, reduce queues at the airport and to bring them in line with Department for Transport recommendations and requirements of the UK’s main airport operator, BAA.

And, just in case you were hoping for a free upgrade on your next BA flight, there is a new notice at the check-in desk that advises passengers looking for extra comfort to ask about an upgrade. This makes it very clear that BA is willing to upgrade -- but for a price.

Singapore Airlines -- First Class Wine Service

2006-08-20T13:57:00.000-05:00

I recently proposed a scoring system for rating airlines on their wine service. The system is based entirely on price, and, although it is certainly flawed in many ways, it should give the traveler a sense of whether the airline considers offering top wines to first and business class passengers a priority.

For example, if a wine lover has a choice between flying United and Singapore Airlines, the fact that Singapore spends more than twice as much on its wines should help.

I ranked a few airlines, but a reader recently discovered a silly mistake I had made when trying to rate Singapore Airlines. The score, which is the simple sum of the value of its Champagne, its leading white wine, its leading red wine, and its dessert wine should have come to USD 280 rather than USD 250.

With this correction, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific are equal in spending more on wine for their first class passengers than any airline I know of.

I would love to hear from readers, who have airline wine lists so that I can add to the airlines I have scored. (I wonder what kinds of wines Emirates is offering these days in First Class!)

To see my scoring system, click here.

To see my score of Singapore Airlines, click here, and for Cathay Pacific, click here. And click here, for my report on United's First Class.

Levante's, Dupont Circle, Washington DC

2006-08-05T18:37:00.000-05:00

Levante's
1320 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036

For a Google map, click here.

Levante's is a very nicely appointed Eastern Mediterranean restaurant in the Dupont Circle area in Washington, DC. We decided to stop for a beer and an appetizer before taking the metro home today.

Once we got settled at the bar, I began to wish that we were here for more than just an appetizer. I was pleased to see that they have several beers on tap although Sam Adams is the only one I would not be a little ashamed to drink. The wine list includes offerings from Lebanon, Georgia, and Greece amongst others.

Since we were here for only an appetizer, we decided to have a plate that included an assortment of their cold appetizers ($11.95). This generous plate included Baba Ganouj (pureed grilled eggplant with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil), dolma, feta cheese, tzatziki, hommos, tomatoes, lettuce, and other stuff that I can't remember. It was all fresh and delicious. I particularly liked the Baba Ganouj that tasted smoky from the wood burning grill. This whole dish came with plenty of Levantine bread that is made on the premises.

Other items on the menu include Lamb Shish Kebab ($17.95), Salmon Fillet ($18.95), and Moussaka ($10.50). They have a happy hour from 4:00 to 7:00 pm on weekdays. Drinks and appetizers are at reduced prices (wine, $3.00, calamari $3.95,and hommos ($2.00).

This is a friendly place with good service and very fair prices. They have another branch in the Woodmont Avenue of Bethesda. Recommended, and we will certainly go back for a full meal.

Clay Station, Viognier, 2004

2006-07-30T22:38:00.000-05:00

Clay Station, Viognier, 2004

This wine is delicious, and excellent value for money at around $9.00. It has complex flavors of honey, and butterscotch. The fruit is marvellous with notes of peaches, apricots, and passion fruit. I simply love this wine, and will seek it out in the future.

Isabella's, Frederick, MD

2006-07-30T19:46:00.000-05:00

42 Market St
Frederick, MD 21701
301-698-892

For a Google map, click here.

Frederick has become a great town to wander around. The building around the canal is just lovely, and we decided to have lunch at Isabella's, a Spanish tapas restaurant right in the center of town. It was perhaps a little unfortunate that we visited Isabella's just a week after going to Jaleo in Bethesda. The food here is certainly adequate to good, but we did leave feeling that is was not nearly as good as Jaleo. Click here for my comments on Jaleo.

We had fried asparagus in a tomato mayonnaise, which were a little greasy, and for around $6.00, it seemed that the profit margin was excessive. We also had a chorizo made of wild boar. It came on a bed of garlic mashed potato in a Rioja sauce, and it was delicious. The were obviously frozen and a little tasteless and chewy. The best dish was a shrimps in a very rich sauce of fava beens with calamaresjamon serrano, Spain's delicious equivalent of prosciutto. A dish of asparagus with crab was also a little greasy, and the crab was not especially tasty.

For dessert we shared a passable chocolate mousse pie surrounded by good fresh berries.

This restaurant serves sangria, but today was very hot so we had mineral water and a couple of beers from their excellent selection of draft beers.

I have had good food here before, and I will probably come back. This was, however, certainly not a special meal, and not nearly as good as Jaleo. The bill with plenty of food for three was about $56.00, and I added $10.00 in recognition of the friendly service with perhaps a few too many enquiries about whether we liked it.

St. Hilaire, Blanquette de Limoux, 2003

2006-07-30T19:26:00.001-05:00

I very much like bubbly wine, but frequent drinking of Champagne can get very expensive very quickly. But the alternatives often seem disappointing. I rarely enjoy Spanish Cava, and I have been disappointed by a number of Australian sparkling wines. So when I am in the mood for a sparkling wine, but want to spend less than Champagne, I usually seek out a Californian. (I like the products from Mumm, Chandon, and Piper Sonoma, for example.) An alternative that can be a little bit more difficult to find is Blanquette de Limoux.

I also have a very special affection for this wine because when I was about 12 years old, we took a holiday in the Carcassonne area, and we visited many of the Blanquette makers. So these wineries were the first I ever got to visit!

Last night we had a bottle of the St. Hilaire, 2003. It was simply delicious. Very dry, with apple, pear and citrus flavors. It seemed a little fuller-bodied than I expected, and I wondered whether that was because of the intense heat wave in France in 2003. Highly recommended at only about $10.00 a bottle, and very different from Champagne. (Blanquette de Limoux must be made of at least 90% Mauzac, and the balance is usually Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc while Champagne can be made in any combination of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.)

It is so interesting that the monks in this region claim to have invented what is now called the methode Chamenoise so many years before Dom Perignon came along!

For an account of the carnival in Limoux, take a look at this article.

Jaleo, Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda

2006-07-23T19:29:00.000-05:00

Jaleo
7271 Woodmont Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
Tel (301) 913-0003
Fax (301) 913-9137

For a Google map, click here.

During the 25 years that I have lived in the Washington area, Bethesda has really changed. Whereas then, it had the atmosphere of a suburb, today the downtown area is lined with modern restaurants. The weather was gorgeous today, and all the restaurants seem to have facilities on the sidewalk.

I am a little suspicious of tapas bars outside Spain. Often a restaurant that can command about $16.00 a plate will divide the portions into four and charge $8.00, thereby doubling revenue. Sometimes, these tapas have nothing to do with Spain. This place is so good, however, that they can be excused! Besides, the food is genuinely Spanish.

Partly because we had a surfeit of food at home, we stopped just for a couple of tapas. I had a cochinillo ($8.95), a tenderloin of suckling pig surrounded by mushrooms and dried fruits. We also had a Patatas Brava ($4.95), fried cubes of potatatoes with two sauces -- an aioli and a spicy tomato sauce. Terrific bread and olive oil was thrown in and so was a very nice dish of olives, cornichons, and pickled onions.

We washed these tapas down with a very good sangria. Our total bill for the two tapas and half a jarra of Sangria was $25.00

Other items on the menu include croquetas de jamon y pollo ($5.75), pato con peras (duck in a pear sauce) ($7.50), pollo al ajillo ($5.50), and chorizo casero tradicional ($6.50). Go to Jaleo's website for a full list.

I have lived in Spain and traveled around it for years. The food here really tastes like you are in Spain, and the atmosphere is great. On Monday night, they have Sevillanas dancing, and on Tuesdays they have other music. We will definitely return here for a longer and more complete meal.

They have an extensive range of good Spanish wines, including an old favorite Prado Muga Enea, 1995 ($75.00). They have thoughfully sorted their Riojas into Rioja Modernos and Riojas Tradicionales to help diners know whether to expect the traditional light syle of heavily oaked Rioja like Muga or a CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva, 1981 ($95) or a more fruity, full bodied wine, such as the Flor de Pringus, 1996 ($82).

Just in case, this seems that all their wines are on the high end, I did notice that they were selling Las Rocas de San Alejandro. (Click here for my comments) for $32.

They have other branches in Washington (480 7th Street, NW) and in Crystal City. I have been to the one in Washington, which is equally good in food, service, and atmosphere.

This restaurant is highly recommended. Great food, genuine Spanish food, and great fun!

The Queen Bee, Vietnamese Restaurant, Clarendon, Virginia

2006-07-17T17:04:00.002-05:00

Queen Bee
3181 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA
703 527 3444

For a map, click here.

Vietnamese steak is a wonderful dish. There are tender pieces of high quality steak surrounded by lettuce, onion, and coriander. I always order mine rare, and it is consistently delicious at this restaurant.

The cold summer rolls can be ordered with or without pork

The crispy Vietnamese rolls are wonderful. They come with a plate of fresh coriander, and are delicious when wrapped in the herbs and dipped in the fish sauce.

I discovered this neighborhood over twenty years ago when I had an old 1977 Volkswagen Rabbit. We had a wonderful mechanic who was honest, creative, and intelligent. But time was not his thing. As often as not, when you would show up at the appointed hour in the evening to pick up your car, he would need "just another hour," and Iran and I remember long evenings wandering around this Clarendon neighborhood discovering the restaurants. By about 1985, it became known as Little Saigon, and we began to enjoy going to the Queen Bee. The food has always been good here, and it has always been good value for money.

Five of us went out for lunch. The Spring Rolls and the Summer Rolls are memorable, and we were able to order the Summer Rolls without Pork to accommodate Mr. B, who does not eat meat. Four of us ordered the Vietnamese Steak, which consists of chunks of high quality tender beef served in a very light wine reduction. Mr. B ordered shrimps. Our total bill was slightly less than $80 for five of us. (We did not order any alcoholic drinks.)

I have tried some of the many other Vietnamese restaurants in this area, but I keep on going back to the Queen Bee. It is a very nice place with friendly service, low prices, and good food.

I no longer post to this site. Click here to access my new web site: louisandlouisa.com.

Vintage Wine by Michael Broadbent

2006-07-02T11:17:00.000-05:00

Vintage Wine
Fifty Years of Tasting Three Centuries of Wine
Michael Broadbent
Harcourt, 2002

I used to read books about wine all the time, but, more recently, I have tended to read the Wine Spectator to try to make sure that my information about wine is up to date. I was recently at Daedalus Books, a wonderful bookshop (with mail order service) in Columbia, MD, and I found Michael Broadbent's book for only $10.00. I bought it, and it has given me more pleasure than any book that I have read for a long time. (I went to Daedalus yesterday, and noticed one copy left on the shelf. You can also get it from Amazon for about $37.00

Originally trained as an architect, Michael Broadbent entered the wine trade in 1952, but he is most famous for starting and running the wine department at Christie's, the auction house. During the fifty years between his start and 2002, more value must have passed through this man's lips than almost anyone in the world!

Consider for a moment that he sold a bottle of 1787 Lafite, which was owned by Thomas Jefferson, at auction for $105,000. Although that particular bottle became damaged "due to the heat of spotlights" in the Presidential Memorabilia section of the Forbes Museum, Broadbent has tasted this particular vintage of Lafite twice, and he describes the second tasting as "tawny, no red, a dark brown flaky sediment; nose was restrained and although oxidised opened up quite richly with residual fruit traces; a touch of sweetness on the palate and acidic, acetic finish." If you like this kind of stuff, this book draws from 85,000 notes that meticulously describe the wine, the occasion, and an interesting cast of wine drinking companions. No wonder calls Broadbent "a more diligent wine archivist than we wine lovers deserve."

This is the ultimate wine blog and reading it really is a humbling experience for little bloggers like me. Broadbent has had the discipline to make and keep notes thousands of times during a period of fifty years. Another thing that sets him apart is that people like him have the talent, which combines an outstanding palate and extraordinary power of written expression, to document their impressions of wine at the first tasting. In contrast, I rarely feel confident about putting my thoughts about wine into written form until I have tasted a wine at least three times.

Broadbent tastes the best, and he makes no apology for doing so. He explains himself by telling his readers, "My wife, Daphne, and I drink wine every day. Life is short, we do not waste our time on bland indifferent wines; we would rather share half a bottle of something with character and quality than share six bottles of plonk."

A gratifying thing about the book is that Broadbent seems to admire the kinds of wines that I like. The chapters of the book are organized into the major regions of the world with three chapters devoted to single producers, Chateau Musar, Vega Sicilia, and Mas de Daumas Gassac. Like me, he seems particularly fond of that wonderful wine from Lebanon, Chateau Musar, which he describes as "excellent, and distinctive, albeit idiosyncratic."

His amusing anecdotes describe encounters and tastings with the rich and famous, and he provides a list of people at the end of the book for people who have not heard of his friends and professional associates. Like a litany of famous wine lovers, this list includes (among many, many other famous people) Anthony Barton, (owner of Leoville Barton), Jancis Robinson (my favorite wine writer), Andrew Lloyd Webber, Georg Riedel (maker of the famous Riedel glasses), and Robert Mondavi.

The stories include personal moments such as the time he toured Germany on a Vespa motor-scooter with a "laudable ambition, at that time, to make love -- necessarily furtively, and at night -- in a famous vineyard." They also include moments, where, as an honored speaker, he has had to describe horrible wine with tact and diplomacy, such as when he had to talk about Chateau Lafite, 1864, in Memphis, Tennessee:

On decanting, it became obvious that the wine was indeed 'pricked'. In order to save the situation, I smelled the wine and nodding sagely, handed it to my host, John Grisanti, for the first sip. He nodded as if approvingly. I then said: 'This is a very old wine. The grapes for this wine were picked during the autumn of 1864, which was when General Sherman, whose troops were based in Memphis, went marching across Georgia leading his Union troops into battle with the Confederates." I added: "Tonight you are tasting not just wine, but history."

I wondered where he would stand as a British critic and member of the wine trade on the apparent rivalry between the Americans, who favor scoring wine like college essays, and the British, like Hugh Johnson, who always suggest that these scores are absurd. With characteristic tact, Broadbent simply says that the "100-point rating system is flawed because it is inflexible and does not allow for bottle variation and context." He does, however, make a jab at the fashionable cult wines that inevitably suggest some of the wines from California:

Oscar Wilde defined fox hunting as "the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable." A propos certain 'cult' wines and modern 'global' reds, I am inclined to change the last word to "undrinkable."

Is Broadbent talking about Parkerized wines here?

I adore this book, and I admit to being a bit of an oddball in my passion for wine, but, if you think you might enjoy going through notes of the world's ultimate wine written by the world's ultimate critic, you must buy this book.

Airline Wine Report : Continental Airlines (Business) Class scores 62

2006-06-30T16:41:00.000-05:00

This report uses the approach to scoring airline wine service described here.

These were the leading wines served in Business Class on Continental during June, 2006.

Champagne: Charles Lafitte NV $30
White wine: Chateau Lapugeau $14
Red Wine: Chateau Lalande, 2002 $8
Dessert wine: Quinto do Noval $10

Total Score: 62

I must admit that I have not flown Continental in years, and I based these scores on information on their web site. I had not heard of many of their wines and could not get prices on them. Usually, I regard an airline's Bordeaux wines as their "leader" but I could not get any information on their red Bordeaux.

This is the lowest score I have made since looking at this issue, and, based on this information, I would avoid flying Continental.

Incidentally, Continental uses the spelling Bourdeaux on their site. Everybody has typographical errors, but I suspect that this one reflects their interest in wine.

Mount Washington Pizza, Indian Cuisine

2006-06-28T21:40:00.000-05:00

Mount Washington Pizza
1620 Kelly Avenue
Mount Washington
Baltimore, 21209

410 664 1111

For a Google map, click here.

If you asked me where you could get a good Indian meal to take away in Baltimore and I sent you to Mount Washington Pizza, you might think that I had not heard the question.

But the truth is that you can get very good Indian food from this busy pizza shop. They have good vegetable samosas ($2.25), but I find the meat ones ($2.95) a little bit dry.

The Shrimp Masala ($12.45) is very good indeed. Other dishes that I have enjoyed include Lamb Shahi Korma ($11.45), Lamb Vindaloo ($11.45), Chicken Korma ($10.95). The portions are enormous and rice is included. You can also get papadams ($1.00), Raita ($1.95), and Vegetable Pakora ($2.25).

You can sit down and eat, but this restaurant is not big on atmosphere. I usually call my orders in and pick it up.

They also seem to have a thriving business in pizzas, subs, and hamburgers, but the Indian food is so good that I always ignore that part of the menu.

Recommended.

It's only a drink!

2006-06-24T11:36:00.000-05:00

If you want to hurt a wine lover, interrupt a discussion about wine, and remind them that "it's only a drink." This will offend a wine lover very deeply; you will never be forgiven; and it will be decided there and then that you are a complete idiot.

At a certain moment in their lives, wine lovers have had a mind altering experience, and they make a vow to revere and honor this wonderful liquid for ever. (I almost wrote drink.) Imagine a friend that you have not seen for a long time, and when you meet you find (s)he has fallen in love. One of your first questions is how they met. So it is with wine. The Wine Spectator regularly publishes a column where they interview a celebrity who loves wine. The response is almost predictable, and it almost always goes something like this:

Well, I was a beer drinker, and then I was at this dinner given by Even More Famous Person. They were pouring Chateau Mouton Rothschild, 1959. [Robert Parker rates this with 100 points!] And that was a turning moment for me. And since then I have built a cellar with probably more wine than I can drink in my lifetime.

People sometimes ask me why I am so fond of Bordeaux in general, and of the wines of Pauillac in particular, and it all goes back to my own turning moment in about 1972. I had received one of my first pay checks, and decided to celebrate with a nice bottle of wine. So I went to Berry Brothers & Rudd in St. James's Street in London. A very helpful assistant talked to me about wine for about half an hour, and he finally sold me a bottle of Chateau Batailley, 1966.

And when I shared the bottle with some friends, I almost went into a swoon. I marveled at how fruit could be turned into such magical liquid. Like a drug addict looking to recreate that first "high", I live for the moments that approximate the taste of that Batailley.

Although this was certainly a good wine, it certainly was not a great wine. Batailley was classified as a fifth growth in the classification of Bordeaux in 1855, and it is generally agreed that it is consistent and reliable, bur not a wine that bowls you over. Like most wines in the Medoc, the vineyards are dominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (70%). The balance is Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (3%), and Petit Verdot (2%). But this was my first experience with serious wine on which I really focused my attention.

I was reminded again of the Chateau Batailley because I decided to spend an hour this morning browsing around that excellent bookshop in Columbia, Daedalus Books. I came across a really interesting book by Michael Broadbent, a Master of Wine, and for years the head of the wine department at Christies. The book is called, Vintage Wine, and it intrigued me because it collects notes accumulated through "fifty years of tasting three centuries of wines," and I wondered what he wrote about the 1966 vintage of Batailley.

Always dependable, certainly very good, possibly at its best in 1966 beause its comfortably fruity style enriches the leanness of the vintage. Still fairly deep; a leafy arboreal nose -- or perhaps it was the influence of Hugh Johnson's arboretum -- which opened up deliciously. Rich and moderately mouthfilling, with attractive Cabernet Sauvignon to the end taste.

Certainly it was not the 1959 Mouton, which he describes as "magnificence piled upon magnificence," but Chateau Batailley was the wine that changed my life, and I have been a devoted follower of the grape ever since.

Incidentally, in 1972, I paid 1.95 UK pounds for the Batailley, which seemed like an enormous amount then particularly if you consider that a pint of bitter at the time cost around 12p. So I was paying about the equivalent of 16 pints for my bottle of Batailley. Today a pint of beer goes for around 2.50 UK pounds, and Berry's sells half bottles of the 2000 vintage at 12.77 UK pounds, the equivalent of 25.33 pounds a bottle. So, even though we all complain about the price of wine today, it costs only the same price as 10 pints of beer, a bargain compared to the 1972 price! Interesting!

I would love to hear about readers' magical moments. What was the wine that turned you from being a wine drinker to a wine lover determined to spend the rest of your life in pursuit of that perfect glass? Or is wine, for you, just another drink?

Mas Amiel Maury Cuvée Speciale 10 ans d'âge

2006-06-18T19:17:00.000-05:00

It was the last day of a wonderful vacation. We had flown from the United States to Nice, where we rented a car. Then we went to Cinqueterre in Italy, where we met our dear friend, Mr. W. After about a week of wandering around Cinqueterre, we spent a few days touring Tuscany. We spent a couple of days in Florence, and then headed back to Nice.

I spent the last day of the vacation with my younger daughter, H, who was about 14 wandering around Nice. We spent the last night at the wonderful Hotel Atlantic. In Nice, we discovered a great wine shop, where I explained to the owner the wine I wanted to take back home to America. The wine should not be too expensive; it had to be interesting; and it had to be something that was not easy to find in the United States. At the time, I was interested in discovering sweet wines, but I was not especially interested in Sauternes because that is easily found at my local liquor store in Maryland.

The owner of the shop was a wonderful man and obviously passionate about wine. He seemed impressed that I liked some of the less famous but wonderful wines from France like Bonnezeaux. But his main concern seemed to surround H's eating habits.

I know you live in America, he said, but I hope you do not feed this child at McDonald's. I assured him that I did not, and he asked H what kind of food she liked, and when she admitted that she was partial to seared foie gras, he roared in approval.

I will never forget this man because he really educated me by selling me a bottle of the Mas Amiel Maury Cuvée Speciale 10 ans d'âge, which I kept carefully stashed away until last Saturday.

Eat this with a very good chocolate cake, my new friend instructed. It is not often that there is a good chocolate cake on the table, a group of people interested in trying something completely different, and enough people to consume a full bottle of a fairly strong dessert wine. (Mas Amiel is 16.5% alcohol.) But all those stars were in alignment of Saturday, and we opened the bottle.

This wine is very different from almost anything I have ever had although if I were forced to compare it with anything, it would be Port. The wine comes from Maury, which is not far from Perpignan. Fermentation is arrested through the addition of grape spirit, which accounts for the high alcohol content. The grapes used are about 80% Grenache, and the balance is Mourvedre and Syrah. It starts life with a year in large glass demijohns, called bonbonnes, and then it goes into barrels for nine years. There is no vintage date on the bottle.

It had a mahogany color, a thick texture, and very luscious cherry flavors. There were also subtle cocoa, coffee, caramel, spice, and wood flavors, and you could still taste the tannins in this wine. It had a good long finish and the tast lingered on.

I have not seen this wine in America, but I believe that it can be found, and it costs around $22.00, which is a bargain for such a good and interesting wine. If you see it, buy it and then go and find the chocolate cake!

Le Mannequin Pis, Olney, MD

2006-06-18T18:29:00.000-05:00

Le Mannequin Pis
18064 Georgia Avenue
Olney, MD 20832

301 570 4800

For a Google map, click here

Don't be put off by this dreary strip mall on the intersection of Georgia Avenua and Route 108. The front of this restaurant does not look like much, but, in many ways, this is the closest you can get to a real European restaurant in the Washington, DC area. Perhaps it is the combination of wonderdul food with something of a "take it or leave it" attitude, but once you are inside this restaurant you feel transported to another world.

It specializes in Mussels, which are cooked in 16 different ways plus a special of the evening. You get a kilo of them, and they are accompanied by delicious frites ($16.95). (The menu reminds you not to even ask for any substitutions.) For my main course, I had a delicious beef stew braised in Belgian beers with another order of the frites (($17.95). The others both had steak, which was also excellent (and served with frites!) The specials offered more adventurous food than we ate (skate, bison, etc).

An amazing finale was the pot au chocolat, which all three of us shared. It was dense, dark, rich Belgian chocolate, and totally magnificent.

We did not have wine, but chose terrific Belgian beers from their long list. (Alas, they do not have a draft beer).

The menu announces that they do not aim to cater for vegetarians or children although we did see some happy looking children here. They also say that they do not allow people to use cell phones in the restaurant. And another note in the restaurant apologizes for the high prices of drink, which they blame on Montgomery County.

This is a lovely restaurant. Highly recommended. The bill without tip for three including an orangina and three beers was $113.

Airline Wine Report : United Business scores 85

2006-06-10T18:40:00.000-05:00

This report uses the approach to scoring airline wine service described here.

A more complete description of this flight can be found by clicking here.

These were the leading wines served on Flight UA925 from London (LHR) to Washington (IAD) on February 12, 2006.

Champagne: Duval Leroy NV $30
White wine: Laboure Roi, Chablis (Vintage not written on menu) $15
Red Wine: Chateau Lalande, 2002 $23
Dessert wine: Sandemans Founder's Reserve $17
Total Score: 85

This is in line with the score given to Virgin Atlantic, which got 82 for its Upper Class product. I had some difficulty figuring out the price on the Lalande, which I disliked. Also, the Chablis (delicious) was hard to price.

On this flight, I really did not like the Lalande very much, and find its description very strange:

"Bordeaux remains the emblem for elegant red wine and finesse is its hallmark. The 2002 vintage is a far better example of that ability than the more famous 2000 and 2003 vintages, and Chateau Lalande has crafted a powerful but stylish wine."

Despite the higher score, I think the wine esperience on Virgin would have been a better one because I think the wines seemed more cleverly and imaginatively chosen. It just shows the limitation of numerical scores!

Also, compare the scores with Singapore Airlines, which got 121 for its Business Class product.

Airline Wine Report : Singapore Airlines Raffles (Business) Class scores 121

2006-06-10T16:48:00.000-05:00

This summarizes the wine served aboard a flight from the United States to Singapore (stopping in Frankfurt) in December, 2005. The class of service was Raffles, Singapore Airlines' brand name for its Business Class.

The score is based on the criteria described in this post. Over the next few months, I hope to collect data on more of the major airlines.

Champagne: Charles Heidsieck, 1995 $50
White Wine: Laboure Roi, Montagny, 2002 $26
Red Wine: Chateau Cissac, 1998 $28
Dessert wine: Taylor's Late Bottled Vintage, 2000 $17

TOTAL SCORE: 121

I found it a bit difficult to price the Montagny and the Cissac in the United States so I used figures from wine merchants in the United Kingdom. (This is not an exact science!)

I have often heard it said that the quality of Singapore Airlines in Business Class exceeds that of United Airlines in First. This score seems to support that position. United scored 116 in First Class while Singapore gets 121 for its Business Class. Singapore's First Class got 250.

The top scorer is Cathay Pacific in First Class with 280.

Airline Wine Report: Singapore Airlines First Class (SQ) scores 280!

2006-06-10T16:03:00.000-05:00

I originally posted this with a silly mistake in the total. A kind reader corrected me. The revised score of 280 positions Singapore Airlines equal in first place to Cathay Pacific.

The following report is based on a flight SQ25 from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) which I took on December 7, 2005. Comments on this flight can be found by clicking here.

Again, I am applying the same approach that I described in my earlier post. (Click here to see the approach.)

Champagne: Krug Grande Cuvee $140
White Wine: Joseph Drouhin, Meursault, 2000 $30
Red Wine: Cos d'Estournel, 1998 $60
Dessert wine: Warre's Twenty Year Old Tawny. $50

TOTAL SCORE: 280

Singapore Airlines, which is often regarded as the "gold standard" for a First Class airline product scores a very good 280 This is oustanding, and it places SQ in first place equaling Cathay Pacific's score.

I really appreciated being offered Dom Perignon and Krug on this flight and enjoyed tasting them side by side. I concluded that I much prefer the Krug.

Leoville Barton, 2003 -- Found!

2006-06-10T15:47:00.000-05:00

Some readers may remember that I put a bet on Chateau Leoville Barton (2003) becoming the wine of the year in 2006.

The Leoville Barton was released at about $75 a bottle, and, predictably, prices have doubled. But the Iron Bridge wine company had a case this morning.

Eight bottles have gone (I wonder where!), but if you jump on it you could get the remaining four bottles of what promises to be a wonderful wine.

For directions to the Iron Bridge, click here. (You definitely want to phone first to see that it is still in stock.)

For my previous comments on this wine, click here.

And if you get to taste this wine, please leave a comment. I would love to hear what you think of it.

Airline Wine Report : United First Class scores 116

2006-06-10T09:46:00.002-05:00

The top wines served on a flight UA925 from London (LHR) to Washington (IAD) in February 2006 in United's First Class cabin included:

Champagne Deutz Brut, 1998 $49
White Wine Chateau de Davenay, Montagny, 2003 $25
Red Wine Bouchard Pere & Fils, Monthelie, 2002 $25
Dessert Wine Sandema's Founders Reserve Port $17

TOTAL SCORE: 116

Note that the prices are my best guess as to their U.S. retail value. (Corrections are welcome. They are used to derive a score to help travelers figure out how seriously airlines are taking wine in the premium cabins.

Interestingly, United had almost a tradition of serving Dom Perignon in First Class back in the "good old days." Also, it was interesting to see that there was no red Bordeaux on this wine list. Almost evert First Class product offers a red Bordeaux as one of the options.

Using the same analysis Cathay Pacific, scored 280, and Virgin Atlantic Upper Class scored 82.

My method is provided on the link below:

Scoring Airlines for their wines in First and Business Class

And my report on Virgin is here.

Le Provence, Vienna, VA

2006-06-09T19:20:00.000-05:00

Le Provence
144 West Maple Avenue
Vienna, VA 22180
(703) 242-3777

Mon-Sat 11:30am-2pm (L), 5:30pm-9pm (D), Sun closed

For a Google map, click here.

This small French restaurant in Vienna is a very nice place to have dinner. There is a fixed price menu for about $22 with a choice of fish (tilapia), chicken, and pork. Starters included Caesar Salad or soup. The soup was quite tasty, and the pork was beautifully presented with a delicious sauce. It was also surrounded by nice, fresh vegetables. There was a range of choices for dessert, including passion fruit mousse, creme caramel, creme brulee. I had the passion fruit mousse, which was full of flavor and beautifully presented.

There was a good wine list although many of them seemed rather expensive. (I think Chateau Gloria was priced at $85.) We had a louis Latour Ardeche and a Cote du Rhone.

The total bill, including tip, for a party of six with two bottles of wine was about $265. Recommended if you are in the area.

Best Western, Fairfax, Virginia

2006-06-09T00:03:00.000-05:00

Best Western
3535 Chain Bridge Road
Fairfax City
Virginia
22030-2703

Phone: 703-591-5500
Fax: 703-591-7483

I used to avoid Best Western hotels, but after staying in a couple of nice ones, my mind opened on this chain. Now, my mind has closed again. The Best Western website provides the following description of this property:

Welcome to the suburbs of Washington D.C. and the heart of Fairfax, Virginia. We are a boutique property in a quiet, peaceful setting with the largest outdoor pool in our area, which shines like a fountain in winter.

Admittedly, the pool looks quite nice. And they do provide wireless Internet service, but everything else about this hotel is not particularly pleasant. The rooms are dismal, and they smell of mildew. These motel-style rooms overlook balconies so that, if you open the curtains, everyone can see into your room. If you don't the room is dark and dreary.

There was a restaurant on the premises, but that has now closed so that you can't even get breakfast here!

The public areas are badly in need of renovation. The staff are not particularly friendly. When I asked them to credit my Best Western Gold Crown Account for the night, they told me that they would because I was "not paying for my stay." Now that is a wonderful incentive for the business traveler to return! And return to this hotel is something I would never do.

This is an expensive area. When I compared its prices to other hotels in the area, this hotel seems to be fairly reasonably priced at around $140 a night.

Airline Wine Report : Virgin Atlantic Upper Class scores 82

2006-06-08T18:01:00.000-05:00

Using the analysis I applied to Cathay Pacific First Class, I scored the wine list from Virgin's Upper Class 021 in February 2006. (This is the London to Washington flight.) I gave the wine list a score of 82.

As I said in my earlier post, this is really not an exact science, but it is pretty clear that Virgin spends much much less on its wine than Cathay Pacific, which score 280.

Click here to go the article that describes my criteria for scoring wines on airlines.

Of course, this does compare a Business Class product to a First Class one.

Also, I could not get a US price on Berry's White Burgundy so I used the price at Berry's shop in London.

Finally, remember that this scoring scheme is like Oscar Wilde's auctioneer, who knows "the price of everything and the value of nothing." Berry's does an extraordinarily good job of selecting wines, and I am sure that you could have a very enjoyable wine experience on this flight.

Here are the wines, and my best guess at what the retail price would be in the United States.

Champagne: Laurent Perrier Brut nv $30
Red Wine: Chateau Lucas, Lussac-St. Emilion, 2002 $19
White Wine: Berry's Own Selection White Burgundy, 2003 $13
Dessert: Graham's Port $20

Total Score: 82

Airline Wine Report: Cathay Pacific First Class scores 280!

2006-06-06T22:28:00.000-05:00

This is the first airline that I have tried to analyze based on the criteria described here. And I have a funny feeling that no airline is going to beat this amazing score!

Krug Grand Cuvee ($140)
Puligny Montrachet Les Grandes Marches, 2002 ($25)
Chateau Lynch Bages ($85)
Ramos Pinto Quinta de Ervamoira 10 Year Old Tawny Port ($30)

(Wouldn't you have loved to be a passenger on that flight!)

Total Score for Cathay Pacific in First Class would be 280!

Bear in mind that very few airlines, if any, are going to get a score as high as Cathay Pacific, which offers about the best First Class service of any airline in the world. (Also, I took a wild guess at the value of the Puligny Montrachet.)

Scoring Airlines for their wines in First and Business Class

2006-06-05T21:44:00.000-05:00

I have been reading wine and travel magazines for longer than I care to remember, and I have never seen anyone do a thorough job of analyzing the quality of wines that are served by airlines in Business and First Class.

In the next few months, I am going to put up a few airline wine lists and I propose a score that is based solely on price. Generally speaking, an airline will serve four classes of wine: Champagne, white table wine, red table wine, and a dessert wine.

What I propose to do is to take the most expensive wine in each category, get the best estimate of its retail value in the United States, add the four numbers together, and that will be the score. (If an airline does not serve Champagne or a dessert wine, it will receive zero for that category.)

Is this perfect? Not at all. For example, Virgin Atlantic is doing clever stuff these days. They have engaged the services of Berry Brothers and Rudd to select its wines, and many of the wines they serve are interesting wines from southern France. They are often wonderful wines, but the retail price is low so that will be reflected in the score I give.

Another flaw is that the plan is regrettably US-centric, but it is a world that I know. Also, the United States probably still offers a wider selection of wines than anywhere else in the world so it will be relatively easy to find the price although some wines will be hard to find at the retail level. (In Europe, it is hard to find good American wines, and countries that produce good wine tend to dominate their domestic markets.)

But at least it will allow readers to gain a general sense of how much an airline is putting into its wine selections. An airline that spends $250 on its top four wines is likely to be taking wine matters more seriously that an airline spending only $50.

Comments are invited as I would welcome the thoughts of anyone who can think of a better way of doing this.

I would love to hear comments on this approach.

As a matter of interest, when Bordeaux was classified in 1855, the only criterion used to rank the wines was price.

Sushi Sono, Columbia, Maryland

2006-06-04T17:30:00.000-05:00

Sushi Sono
10215 Wincopin Circle
Columbia, MD 21044-3408
(410) 997-6131

For a Google map, click here.

Sushi Sono has one of the highest Zagat ratings for food in the Baltimore area. It also is in a nice setting down by the lake in Columbia, Maryland.

We went there for lunch. The menu is a relatively predictable lunch menu for a Japanese restaurant in North America. We started with very good miso soup with the tofu cut into tiny pieces. Then we all had bento boxes for the main course. I had California rolls, tempura shrimps and vegetables, and rice. The food was freshly cooked, and the service was friendly. My guests had similae boxes with triyaki chicken. All the lunch dishes were between $9.00 and $12.00.

This is a nice place for lunch, but there was nothing extraordinary about it. Perhaps I should return in the evening to give them the opportunity to really show off their cooking. Also, I am sure that tasting this restaurant's sushi would also provide that opportunity. In that respect, this is a somewhat incomplete report.

Chateau de Fesles, Bonnezeaux, 1997

2006-06-03T11:06:00.001-05:00

Two Botrytis-affected Loire wines in as many weeks! Life does not get much better than that. Chateau de Fesles makes a marvelous sweet wine, which we had it with an assortment of fruit pies.

Made entirely of Chenin Blanc, this wine is highly concentrated, but the balance of relatively high acidity keeps it fresh and lively. I last had this wine a couple of years ago, and it has become noticeably darker during this time. Just in case you wondering about its condition, it was stored in a wine refrigerator at a constant 55 degrees (12.77 degrees Celsius). There is some taste of apple, honey, and a wild flower perfume to this wine, and it was very far from fading. They say that you can easily keep this wine for 20 years and it just grows in complexity.

It is absolutely delightful, but, sadly, this was my last bottle of this precious liquid. Although this wine is hard to find and pretty expensive ($35 or so for a half bottle), I can think of no dessert wine that I have enjoyed more than this one. Outstanding!

I wish I had been able to taste it next to the to this wine:
Domaine de Baumard, Quarts de Chaumes, 2001.

Ridge Lytton Springs, 2000

2006-06-02T18:40:00.000-05:00

Ridge Lytton Springs wine is very much an old favorite of mine, and it is a little different every year. The 2000 was made with 80% Zinfandel and 20% Petite Syrah. It has smoothed out with time, and is an exceptionally well balanced wine rather than a stereotypical "in your face" over-alcoholic California Zinfandel. It has notes of blackberries and dark cherries with relatively gentle tannins. The oak was present, but it was certainly not overdone.

It seemed like this (summer of 2006) was the perfect time to drink this wine. Priced at slightly over $30, I like to buy some of this wine every year. It always satisfies!

Non-stop flights from Washington (Dulles) to London

2006-06-02T10:57:00.000-05:00

This was revised on September 3, 2006. Note that starting on October 1, the MAXJet flight will leave at 20:15 (8:15 in the evening.) Click here for details.

The traveler looking for a non-stop flight from Washington Dulles (IAD) has a variety of options. Here they are with a few comments:

Flight: BA 224 (British Airways)
Departure: 08:05
Arrival: 20:15
Flight Time: 7 hours 10 minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 777

British Airways offers four classes: First, Club World, World Traveller Plus, and World Traveller, which mean First, Business, Economy Plus, and Economy respectively. The First Class product is outstanding. Business Class offers a completely flat bed. World Traveller Plus gives you a significantly better seat than World Traveller, but there is no difference in the food and wine service.

It is rather nice to be able to leave the United States and arrive in the United Kingdom last thing at night, and frequently there seems to be great availability of this flight. Free drinks in all classes.

The serious shortcoming of British Airways is that, if you fly on a discounted ticket, they reward you with only 25% of actual miles, which means that you need to fly 50 times before you get a free ticket!

British Airways uses Boeing 777 on this flight, which is a good modern plane.

Flight: UA 922 (United Airlines)
Departure: 09:28
Arrival: 21:45
Flight Time: 7 hours 22 minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 767

The other morning flight. United has really become a little bit spartan during these troubled times, and they no longer server caviar and Dom Perignon in first class. Business class is OK although, unlike much of the competition, it does not offer flat beds. And you have to pay for drinks in Economy. Economy Plus gives you more leg room, but the seat and the food are the same. You usually do not have pay for Economy Plus as this is one of United's ways of rewarding its elite members of the frequent flyer plan, but they seem to be experimenting with charging passengers to sit in this area.

You earn miles in United's Mileage Plus program, and you can spend these miles on any Star Alliance flight. If you are Premier Executive you can earn a free transatlantic ticket with just 11 flights. (That is why I fly United rather than BA.)

The 767s are becoming a little old, and I see that as a disadvantage of this flight.

Sometimes I have found it easiest to get the deepest discounts on this flight.

Flight: UA 918 (United Airlines)
Departure: 18:03
Arrival: 06:20
Flight Time: 7 hours 22 minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 777

My previous comments on United apply here, but note that UA 918 is on a 777, which is much nicer than a 767. Economy seats on United's 777 at 2-5-2. Unless you get stuck in the middle of the center aisle, which has never happened to me, this turns out to be a pretty nice arrangement. For me, I dislike the timing of this flight because you cannot get a full day's work done and then travel, In other words, it combines the disadvantage of an overnight flight without the benefit of being able to do a day's work.

Flight: UA 920 (United Airlines)
Departure: 18:28
Arrival: 06:55
Flight Time: 7 hours 32 minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 767

Too early in the day, and a Boeing 767. Avoid this flight.

Flight: BA 216 (British Airways)
Departure: 18:35
Arrival: 06:55
Flight Time: 7 hours 20 minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 747

Although I have not taken this flight for some time, I am beginning to find 747s a little bit too old for my liking. And I don't like the time of this flight. Avoid.

First and Business Class passengers have the advantage of being able to use BA's wonderful arrivals lounge at Heathrow, and they can eat in the lounges at Dulles Airport before they leave.

Flight: VS 022 (Virgin Atlantic)
Departure: 18:40
Arrival: 07:05
Flight Time: 7 hours 25 minutes
Aircraft: Airbus 340

Virgin does everything a little bit differently. The Upper Class is quite an experience, but passengers need to remember that it is a Business Class product -- not First Class, although it beds are certainly comparable to first class beds, the food and wine are not. Two wonderdul features in Virgin's Upper Class are the on-board massages and the bar.

The departure lounges and arrivals lounges are outstanding

Passengers who accumulate miles on Continental and Singapore Airlines will be happy to know that this flight runs as CO 8242 and SQ 2522. (However, although you can fly on Singapore Airlines using United miles, they will not let you book flight SQ 2522 using Mileage Plus miles. A pity!)

Flight MY 200 (MAXjet Airways)
Departure: 19:30
Arrival: 08:30
Flight Time: 8 hours

This seems like a very interesting way to get to London, but I have never been on this flight. You pretty much get Business Class quality at highly discounted rates. The lowest available fare at the moment seems to be $2,503 including all taxes. Note that this flight arrives at Stansted Airport (STN) and not Heathrow (LHR). This is a disadvantage for travellers wishing to go to the West End or west London, but it could actually be good for people wishing to make connections on discount airlines like EasyJet to the rest of Europe. People on this flight get to use the Northwest Lounge in Terminal B. Reports say that there are some beverages, but little food.

I have never traveled on this flight, reviews of this flight can be found here.

Flight: UA 924 (United Airlines)
Departure: 21:53
Arrival: 10:00
Flight Time: 7 hours17 minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 777

Nice aircraft. Good frequent flyer plan. And you can do a day's work and then fly. This is the flight I usually try to take.

Flight: BA 292 (British Airways)
Departure: 21:55
Arrival: 10:10
Flight Time: 7 hours15 minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 777

The timing of this flight suits me, and I like British Airways. The only bothersome thing is their frequent flyer plan if you are flying on a discounted seat in economy. I have been on this flight all of BA's four classes. First was the best!

They also gave me a bottle of the delicious Louise Champagne from Pommery as a gift at the end of the flight!

Thai Restaurant, Baltimore, MD

2006-05-30T22:34:00.000-05:00

Thai Restaurant
3316 Greenmount Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21218

410-889-6003

For a Google Map, click here.

I love the name of this restaurant. It is simply called Thai Restaurant. It offers standard Thai fare at reasonable prices (Pad Thai, Yellow Curry, Red Curry, etc). The soup is particularly tasty. Most of the dishes at lunch cost around $8.00. The ingredients are fresh, and they will make the food hot or mild according to your wants. The bill for two was about $24.00 including tax and tip. Prices are higher in the evening although I have not been.

This restaurant offers good food, and I would recommend it for the occasional lunch if you are in the area.

Domaine de Baumard, Quarts de Chaumes, 2001

2006-05-28T16:13:00.000-05:00

I love sweet wines, and some of my favorites come from the Loire Valley. Made with the Chenin Blanc grape, Domaine de Baumard Quarts de Chaumes (2001) is an outstanding example of just how wonderful these wines can be.

It is relatively dark in color for a relatively young wine. The taste combines honey, caramel, toffee, orange, and other exotic tropical fruits. Don't think of this as a sickly sweet wine because the intense fruit and sweetness is balanced by high acidity.

This wine would be the perfect companion to foie gras. Although $30.00 is quite a lot of money for a half bottle, compared to sweet wines of equivalent quality from Sauternes, Germany, or Niagara, the Domaine de Baumard Quarts de Chaumes is a relative bargain.

Although this wine definitely tasted more mature than I expected, there is no reason that this wine should not drink well for fifteen or more years.

Domaine de Fontsainte, Corbieres, 2003

2006-05-28T09:58:00.000-05:00

I have a friend who rarely drinks Californian wine. Too many of them taste the same, he says. And they are too expensive. As if he was trying to prove his point, he pointed my nose in the direction of Paul's Wine and Liquors, an excellent wine shop in Washington DC, where a case (including tax) of Domaine de Fontsaite, 20003 was just $120.

This brambly wine (Carignan, Grenache, and Syrah) is definitely different. It is packed with black currant and raspberry fruit with the herb overtones that evoke the South of France. The wood gives it a cedar almost smoky flavor. The Wine Spectator gave this wine a score of 86, which means "Very Good."

Check out the wine maker's philosophy on their website. There are interesting comments about not being a technology-driven wine although they still aspire to being modern. Perhaps this is how they can truly take advantage of their terroir and microclimate to make a wine that stands out as being different from the rest.

Recommended.

Paul's Wine & Liquors

5205 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC

(202) 537-1900

House of India, Columbia, MD

2006-05-27T15:11:00.000-05:00

House of India
9350 F2 Snowden River Parkway
Columbia, MD 21045

For a Google map, click here.

We have tried all the Indian restaurants in Columbia, and we have found this to be the best. It serves a good buffet on the weekends for about $8.00. They usually include Goat Curry, Chicken Tikka Masala, Tandoori Chicken, Palak Paneer, and a few other vegetable dishes. There is always a starter (pakora or something similar). Naan is brought to the table. There is also a salad and dessert.

For people who travel, this is by no means an outstanding Indian restaurant, but if you want to have an Indian lunch, and you are in Columbia, this restaurant is probably the best in the area.

House of India sells alcoholic drinks, including Indian beer.

Babich, Hawkes Bay, Chardoonnay, 2004 New Zealand

2006-05-25T08:50:00.000-05:00

Babich, Hawkes Bay, Chardoonnay, 2004 New Zealand (Unwooded)

For people, looking for the short version, go for it! It's great. For people, who also want reflections on Chardonnay, and a bit of a diatribe, read on.

All people who love wine have a few raw nerves. There are just things in the wine world that iritate us. For me, one of my hot buttons is a blind prejudice against Chardonnay.

I frequently hear people make a blanket pronouncement that they don't like Chardonnay very much -- sometimes they go so far as to say that they actually hate Chardonnay! When I hear that, I get a little bit cross because the assertion fails to recognize so many great wines that are made from this wonderful grape. Encouraging these folks to approach a Montrachet with an open mind is a rather expensive experiment, but it is worth reflecting a little what provoked the prejudice in the first place.

(Some Chardonnay bashers are not even aware that Chardonnay is the only grape used to make Chablis, Montrachet, Meursault, and Pouilly Fuisse. And, of course, it is the only white grape used to make Champagne.)

I am pretty certain that your average Chardonnay hater has only limited exposure to Chardonnay. Typically, they have tasted cheap generic Chardonnay in a pub or a restaurant where Chardonnay is one of the "house wines." Often, this drink, which is sometimes simply called "Chard," is served at the wrong temperature in a horrid glass. And this generic Chard often tastes of oak rather than wine, which might appeal to a woodpecker rather than a wine lover.

As I said the alternatives (Chablis, Montrachet, etc.) are often a bit expensive, but Babich Chardonnay (2004) from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand is a terrific opportunity to really taste the fruit at a reasonable price. This dry wine, which has had no exposure to oak whatsoever, has tastes of crisp apple, melon, and peaches, and it has a nice clean finish. It is very highly recommended.

The Wine Spectator gave this wine only 85 points, with the following comments:

“Tart, with intensity and vibrancy to green banana, green pear, lime peel and honeysuckle flavors that will show best with food. Drink now."
I agree with the "Drink now" bit! (If forced to score this wine, I would have given it 90. And there was no green banana there for me although the citrus bit is on target.)

If you are looking for oak and butter, though, stay away from this wine!

Like a lot of wines from New Zealand, this wine comes with a screwcap. For a Wikipedia article on screwcaps, click here.

I bought this wine at The Iron Bridge Wine Company in Maryland. It was one of their monthly specials in May, and was priced at $12.00 a bottle. (I usually buy a case of their monthly specials, and this gave me a 20% discount.)

Parking at BWI

2006-05-23T16:01:00.000-05:00

It is not often that things get better and cheaper, but this has actually happened with parking at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. (I think BWI has the longest official name of any airport I know!)

For years, there was parking available very close to the terminals, but the price crept up to $30.00 a day, which seemed too high even when traveling on an expense account. The satellite lots were too far away and, after digging my car out of snow after a winter trip, I began to seek alternatives.

From the Columbia perspective, Columbia Cabs provide service that is only barely acceptable. Previous problems include arriving late, drivers who talk loudly on the cell phone while driving, and drivers who find their credit card facilities are not available despite assurances to the contrary when making the reservation.

Columbia Airport Shuttle has provided me with good service (click here fore a description) although I have used them only when I have traveled out of Dulles Airport (IAD).

But I have recently had two good parking experiences. The first was on a recent business trip to Boston. I was in a hurry, and it was a two-day business trip. I got an on-line coupon here, and was able to park in the hourly lots right next to the terminal for $15.00 a day. These spaces are also sheltered in case you are anticipating snow.

Another experience was a trip where I was paying for myself. I used Econopark Express. (A coupon from this site allows you to park for $5.75 per day; otherwise you pay $6.75.) As soon as I arrived, they told me the exact spot where I could park, and the bus was at that spot ready to whisk me off to the terminal. On the way back, I called their number from my mobile phone. A friendly driver was where I needed him within five minutes, and I was taken back to my car. To make matters even more pleasant, the bus had a cooler full of bottles of water to refresh the weary traveler. Good value and friendly service!

If you want to get to the Econopark lot, and you are traveling on I-195, make a right (Exit 1-B) and go south on Route 170 (Airport Loop). After about one mile, make a left. Follow the signs to the employee parking, and the Econopark lot is just to the right of the employee parking lot. Click here for their directions.

Hotel @ MIT

2006-05-19T14:49:00.000-05:00

The bedcover is decorated with physics formulas!

The huge and very comfortable bed

Stylish bathroom!

The Hotel @ MIT seems to really understand that some travelers need to work!

Hotel @ MIT
20 Sidney Street
Cambridge, MA 02139

General Comments

This is a really nice stylish hotel with a modern hi-tech decor. The staff are really helpful, efficient, and welcoming. It creates an MIT theme very effectively. The bedcovers have physics formulas on them.

The Hotel @ MIT is a Doubletree so you get Hilton points and miles if you stay here.

Pluses

Clever decor and use of the MIT theme
Really comfortable beds
Good bar and restaurant (See review of the Sidney Grille)
Internet connectivity (Ethernet and wireless) for free
Ability to send print jobs from the room to a printer at the front desk (free)
Nice pen! (How many hotels provide nice pens?)
Attractive stationery in the room -- MIT-themed cards with transparent envelopes.
Excellent work space in the room
Good public lounge
Good bath robes (dressing gowns)
Nice rosemary/mint Aveda shampoo and conditioner
Self-service business center with free facilities (photocopier, fax, computers, etc.)
The bedcovers -- you can solve formulas as you go to sleep!

Minuses

Some "old fashioned" stuff that was inconsistent with the "hip," modern theme. (A clunky analog thermostat, old bath fixtures, old fashioned television.
No body wash -- a hotel of this class should offer liquid soap as well as the solid kind.
No mouthwash -- ditto!
No on-site pool (but you can use the MIT sports facilities for a fee.)

Recommendation

Stay here if you ever get the chance. It is a really special place.

Cost

$204 plus $11.63 State Tax, $8.16 city tax, and $5.61 city tax. A lot of taxes!

Sydney's Grille, Cambridge, MA (Revisited)

2006-05-19T14:43:00.000-05:00

After my disappointing meal at the Royal Bengal, I went back to the Hotel @ MIT to have lunch at Sidney's Grille where I had this delicious plate of scallops. The brown bits are portobello mushrooms. I had a very good white bean and chorizo soup to start with.

For my other comments on this very good restaurant, click here.

Royal Bengal, Cambridge. MA

2006-05-19T14:39:00.000-05:00

Royal Bengal
313 Massachusetts, Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

This restaurant in the MIT area looked rather intriguing, and there were some good reviews of it. And, the buffet lunch was only $6.95. I went in, and helped myself to the appetizer of pakora and samosas. They were cold, dry, and greasy. So I decided I did not want the rest of the meal. I looked at the other dishes, but they really did not look very nice. I paid my bill and was not even asked if I had enjoyed my meal! A disappointment.

So I wound up going back to the Sidney Grille at Hotel @ MIT.

Stata Center at MIT

2006-05-18T22:53:00.000-05:00

The Stata Center at MIT is wonderful We were told that it was designed to reflect the social habits of baboons!

They do their social stuff on the ground -- the labs and so on are on the lower floors. When they want privacy, they climb. The offices are on the higher floors. Check out the center's website.

Drinks at the Zephyr Room, Hyatt Hotel, Cambridge, MA

2006-05-18T20:33:00.000-05:00

The Zephyr Room at the Hyatt Hotel is a nice place for drinks in the evening in Cambridge.

You can get draft beer ($5.00), some interesting wines, including Beringer Knights Valley ($12.00) by the glass, and all sorts of cocktails.

Also you can sit outside and watch the people doing rowing practice on the river.

View of Boston from Cambridge

2006-05-18T17:50:00.000-05:00

Strangers in the Night

2006-05-18T02:21:00.000-05:00

Whether it is a Hilton, an Embassy Suites or a Doubletree, there is a new kind of clock radio. It is pretty good and easy to set. It also has one touch tuning and a connection so that you can plug in your MP3 player.

But more than once, I have found that they have stirred me in the middle of the night.

If you are staying, make sure that someone has not set the clock. And, if you have that kind of sense of humor, set the clock for the next occupant!

2006-05-17T20:52:00.000-05:00

Atasca
50 Hampshire Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
617 621 6991
FaxL 617 621 6992

For a Google map, click here.

This is a superb Portuguese restaurant. It serves mainly seafood in an authentic Portuguese style. I had a cataplana ($16.95), which is a dish consisting of mussels, shrimp, clams, onions, red pepper, prosciutto, and linguica sausage steamed and served in a copper dish (called a cataplana). It was served over jasmine rice. It was freshly cooked and simply delicious. I also appreciated the fact that the shrimps came with their heads on, which is hard to find in the United States.

Very good little black olives were put on the table to start with. They also provided olive oil with herbs and roasted garlic to dip the (passable) bread into. (The bread was not crusty enough. I sometimes wonder whether American restaurateurs fear that their customers will sue them if they break their teeth of crusty bread. Hence, the floppy dough!)

The wine was a dry Muscat from Joao Pires, and excellent value at $25.00.

Other dishes at this restaurant included Bacalhau de Cebolada (baked dry salt cod with caremelized onion and roasted peppers) ($15.95), Galinha a Verde (14.95) (Boneless breast of chicken cooked in Vinho Verde with artichokes and roasted peppers), and Caldeirado de Marisco ($24.95) (Seafood stew).

The service was attentive and friendly. I would definitely return to this highly recommended restaurant.

Sydney Grille, Hotel @ MIT, Cambridge, MA

2006-05-17T13:34:00.000-05:00

Very rare tuna with fennel and roasted tomatoes

The Sydney Grille has an interesting, modern, hi tech design

Sydney Grille
Hotel @ MIT
20 Sidney Street
Cambridge, MA 02139

For a Google map, click here.

This is a nice stylish place for lunch. The food is well cooked, fairly imaginative, and the setting in this hotel with a hi-tech MIT theme is nice. I had Skillet Roasted Rare Tuna ($15.50), which was served with braised fennel, roasted tomato, and a good crisp salad with small olives. Other lunch dishes included Peppered Strip Steak ($13.00), Spiced Maine Scallops ($14.00), and Grilled Atlantic Salmon ($13.00). They also have salads, including a Maine Lobster Sandwich ($17.00). I had sparkling water with my lunch, but there is a good choice of beer on tap.

Recommended if you are in the area or staying in the hotel, but not worth crossing town to eat here.

Flight Report: Baltimore (BWI) to Philadelphia (PHL) on USAirways Express

2006-05-17T10:23:00.000-05:00

Embraer 140/145 at BWI

Baltimore Airport (BWI) shortly after take off

Baltimore's Inner Harbor

A farm in Pennsylavania

Final approach into Philadelphia (PHL)

USAirways
Flight US 3042 Operated by: Chautauqua
Baltimore (BWI) to Philadelphia (PHL)
Depart: May 17 2006 at 09:30 PM (local time)
Arrive: May 17 2006 at 10:20 PM (local time)

This was a pleasant and punctual flight on an Embraer 140/145. I sat in Seat 5A, which is nice -- a window and aisle seat as this plane has single seats on the left side and pairs on the right. Of course, no drinks, no food, no amenities, but a friendly flight attendant and a clean, modern regional jet.

Indigo Landing, Alexandria, Virginia

2006-05-06T22:51:00.000-05:00

Indigo Landing
1 Marina Drive
Alexandria
Virginia
22314

Phone: (703) 548-0001

Hours of Operation:
Monday - Thursday: 11:30AM - 10:00PM, Bar Menu until 11:00PM
Friday - Saturday: 11:30AM - 11:00PM, Bar Menu until 12:00AM
Sunday: Brunch 10:00AM - 3:00PM, Dinner 4:00PM - 9:00PM, Bar Menu until 10:00PM

For a map, click here.

Here is a reliable rule when choosing a restaurant. Buy a view or buy good food. Nobody offers both! There are countless restaurants with spectacular views of water and poor food served by surly staff. Now, if you would like to prove me wrong on this point, do exactly what Mr. and Mrs. P did tonight. Take me to Indigo Landing in Alexandria, Virginia. Actually, I still maintain that it is pretty useful rule, but, there are some exceptions. Indigo Landing really breaks the rule. It gave us more pleasure than we have had for a long time!

This new restaurant is on Daingerfield island just south of National Airport (DCA). It is on Daingerfield Island, which is a lovely park with spectacular views of Washington, and, if you like seeing planes coming and going, the setting is perfect. When we arrived, it was still light, and the sun set during dinner.

For readers, who want the view, but not the restaurant, the park is a terrific place to just watch the world go by. And there is also a fast food restaurant that sells food to people who do not want a "fancy dinner." (This would be a perfect restaurant for visitors to Washington, particularly people with a plane to catch since the airport is only about a mile away.)

The "fancy dinner," though, really is a very special experience. The cooking is modern "southern Low Country" with an emphasis on seafood. Although I was tempted by the confit of duck with foie gras and the hangar steak, I felt that I would best sample this restaurant's cooking if I stuck to seafood. Any prejudice that southern cooking is crude and unsubtle should be left at the door!

Our first course was a "tower" of seafood ($65.00), which looked so precarious when it arrived, we suggested that "Seafood Pisa" might be a suitable name for it. It was quite extraordinary. Although $65.00 sounds a lot for an appetizer, the tower left our party of four people wondering whether we would have any room for our main courses. It consists of chilled seafood on plates of ice. It includes crab claws, enormous shrimps, mussels, crab meat wrapped in smoked salmon and lettuce, lobster tails, clams, and oysters on the half shell. The oysters were absolutely perfect, and the three non-oyster eaters in our part all pronounced that they were perfect.

Then we had a baby Boston lettuces with a great dressing, mandarin oranges, and roasted pecan nuts. One of our party ordered the she-crab soup with sherry. It comes with a little roll of crab meat that you are supposed to swirl in the soup. The person in our party, who ordered it, thought it was just a little too rich, but I suspect a little bit of food fatigue after the dazzling seafood tower. I tasted it and it was perfect to my taste!

Then we had the main courses. I had a Fried Skate. The breadcumbs were light, and it was not at all greasy. Two of the others in the party had Grouper, and one of us had Rock Fish, which I tried (and liked very much). All the main courses were in the $21 to $25 range.

After the main course, we all had had more than enough to eat, but that did not stop two of us ordering the marvelous Raspberry Fool ($7.00). I had a Pecan Tart with Bourbon and Vanilla ice cream ($7.00). Indigo Landing also managed to produce a cup of coffee that conforms to my exacting standards! (For a diatribe on that issue, click here.)

Finally, the wine! There was an excellent wine list with a number of interesting and tempting offerings at very fair prices. They even offer Chateau Musar ($85), the unusual and wonderful wine from Lebanon! As our first wine, we had an excellent Chenin Blanc/Viognier blend from Pine Ridge ($29). This wine has very interesting tropical fruit tastes and was served cool but not too cold. Our second wine was an Alamos Viognier from Argentina, which was also very good indeed.

The service was nothing short of outstanding. Everyone was kind, attentive, and knowledgeable. And they knew how to avoid getting in the way. A friendly touch was to change the napkins as soon as we sat down to match our clothes.

This restaurant is highly recommended, and I will certainly return. Next time, I will bring my camera and notebook to provide a more detailed report.

Is George W Bush really a saint?

2006-04-29T11:42:00.000-05:00

I am afraid I am breaking a rule again. Only matters related to food, wine, and travel belong here. But I find the present regime in the United States so outrageous that sometimes all we can do is laugh even though what is happening is really not funny. Anyway, a friend sent me this joke, which I think is wonderful!

President George W. Bush was scheduled to visit the Catholic Cathedral Church outside Washington as part of his campaign to restore his poll standings. Bush's campaign manager made a visit to the Bishop and said to him, "We've been getting a lot of bad publicity lately and we'd like to overcome that. We'd gladly make a contribution to the church of $100,000 if, during your sermon, you'd say the President is a saint."

The Bishop thought it over for a few moments and finally said, "the Church is in desperate need of funds and I will agree to do it."

Bush pompously showed up looking especially smug, and as the sermon progressed the Bishop began his homily: "George Bush is petty, a self-absorbed hypocrite, and a nitwit. He is a liar, a cheat, and a low-intelligence weasel. He has lied about his military record and had the gall to put himself in a jet plane landing on an aircraft carrier, posing before a banner stating 'Mission Accomplished.' He invaded a country for oil and money and is using it to lie to the American people. He is the worst example of any human being I've ever personally known.

But, compared to Dick Cheney and the rest of his cabinet, George Bush is a saint."

Don't Attack Iran

2006-04-23T13:14:00.000-05:00

I resolved with this blog to restrict my thoughts to food, wine, and travel. As the country seems as if it is heading in the direction of another disaster, I think it is important that we stand up and just say no.

It is important for the country to learn from the mistakes it has already made. It would be a disaster to attack Iran!

Please sign the petition at www.dontattackiran.org.

Grand Cru, Wine Bar, Baltimore, Maryland

2006-04-22T15:59:00.000-05:00

Grand Cru
518 E. Belvedere Avenue, Suite 203
Baltimore, MD 2121
410-464-9773
410-464-6229 FAX
For directions, click here

This wine bar is part of the Belvedere Square complex, and it is delightful. There is a wide selection of wines that is available through those hi-tech dispensers. And if you don't like any of the available wine, you can drink a bottle. Corkage is $5.00 for a full bottle, and $3.00 for a half (375 ml) bottle.

Most of the wines are interesting, hard-to-find wines. For example, the whites by the glass include (Austrian) Loimer Gruner Vetliner, 2004 ($7.00); (New Zealand) Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc; and (Alsace) Albert Mann Pinot Blanc, 2004 ($9.00).

The reds include Quinta Quietud (2004) from Toro in Spain ($18.00); Guigal St. Joseph Guigal (2001) for $12.00; and Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel (2004) for $8.00. (Of course, the Cline is not hard to find, but it is one of my favorites and extraordinary value for the money!)

We were in a bit of a hurry so I just had a Chimay Trappiste Belgian Ale in the "Monk Size" for $8.00. Belgian beers on tap are not easy to find so this was nice.

This place is a discovery -- I will be back!

Koco's Pub, Baltimore -- Revisited

2006-04-21T20:32:00.000-05:00

Koco's Pub
4301 Harford Road
Baltimore, MD 21214
410 426-3519

For a Google map, click here.

Mr. H took me out to Koco's Pub for lunch today. The quality and friendliness is consistent with notes from my previous visit, which can be found here.

I think some people doing Internet searches have had trouble tracking Koco's down because of the spelling. Note that Koco is the correct spelling (not Coco's, Koko's, Cocoa's, or Coko's.)

This place is just wonderful!

Stolen Article -- Blanquette de Limoux

2006-04-20T22:25:00.000-05:00

I stumbled across this article on site, Basic Juice. I love Blanquette de Limoux, and I have been meaning to write a piece on it for some time, but this article says exactly what I wanted to say in a more eloquent way! It came with an invitation to steal it. And that is exactly what I did. Thank you, Mr. Jarvis!

What follows is "stolen" content:

Steal This Article

Editor's note: Steal this article! Whether you publish a paper, magazine, blog or scribble on the bathroom wall; fresh (& free) content is always welcome, no? Feel free to grab this article and use it to spice up your publication. Do with it what you will - so long as you mention that the original comes from The Juice. Now go forth, and copy & paste.

First in Bubbles

Picture this: You’re a 16th century monk who is lucky enough to live in an abbey surrounded by vineyards. Aside from an abundance of peace and quiet, you enjoy looking after your beloved bottles of fermenting wine in the subterranean cellar. Spring has sprung and it’s time for you and your fellow monks to find out if that special miracle has occurred for a second straight year. You and the brothers anxiously descend the stone stairs. Being the nimblest monk, you reach the bottles first and carefully pick one up. They’ve appeared again! Hallelujah and praises be. The tiny bubbles have returned. The others offer prayers of thanks, while you perform a decidedly non-pious jig. Reverence can be temporarily cast aside; this abbey is rocking with sparkling wine.

Chances are, if you had to guess at the geographic location of this historical flight of fancy, you would say the abbey was located in France’s Champagne region. That’s where bubbly was invented, right? Yet you, and about 99% of all wine enthusiasts, would be wrong. While Champagne represents the epicenter of modern sparkling wine, it was not the first region to produce bubbling wine in a bottle. Evidence suggests that this honor, albeit one borne of sheer geographic luck, belongs to the unassuming community of Limoux in southern France.
Now how did little old Limoux come to claim the first-in-bubbly crown? While Limoux lies in the otherwise toasty south of France, it’s situated in the Pyrenean foothills – not far from the Atlantic coast. Due to its altitude and cool sea breezes, the climate of Limoux is decidedly non-Mediterranean. In fact, the weather around this community more closely resembles the cool climate mountain villages in France’s southwest. So, what does this have to do with bubbles?

The answer is: everything.

Let’s go back to our 16th century abbey. In autumn the monks harvested Mauzac grapes, a naturally acidic grape variety redolent of very-ripe apples. The grapes were pressed and the must began to ferment. Due to the abbey’s high & cool perch, winter often arrived early, and the rapidly dropping temperatures halted fermentation. As spring arrived, the fermentation process began again. Up until the early 1500’s, wine was stored in wooden casks, and thus, carbon dioxide gas produced during this second fermentation escaped unnoticed. However, beginning in the 1530’s the monks of Limoux began wintering their wine in new-fangled glass bottles stopped with cork plugs – courtesy the nearby Catalonian cork oak forests. The monks now noticed this second fermentation as evidenced by the miraculous spring bubbles. In fact, some even hailed presence of these tasty bubbles as evidence of divine intervention by the Big Wine Maker in the sky.

Over time, bubbly from Limoux came to be called, “Blanquette de Limoux” (Blanquette means ‘white’ in the Occitan language). This soft, creamy sparkling wine gained a global following. None other than the famous Francophile, Thomas Jefferson, loved this wine. At the time of his death, it was discovered that Blanquette de Limoux occupied approximately 10% of Jefferson’s cellar real estate. In fact, Blanquette was the only sparkling wine T.J. kept on hand. Methinks Mr. Jefferson was on to something.

Modern Blanquette de Limoux must contain at least 90% of the traditional Mauzac grape. This is normally blended with a little Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc. The result is a delicate, slightly sparkling wine that hovers between dry and off-dry. It’s perfect as an aperitif or at the table with Sunday brunch. When purchasing Blanquette de Limoux, it pays to inspect the label. Another sparkling wine produced around Limoux is called, “Crémant de Limoux.” This wine is generally more similar to modern sparkling wines such as Cava or French bubbly from regions outside of Champagne. Crémant de Limoux also contains higher proportions of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. In other words, while tasty, it certainly isn’t as unique as Blanquette.
If you’re interested in introducing your tongue to the soft tickle of Blanquette de Limoux, you might have to do some searching. Fortunately, while relatively scarce, this wine is usually quite affordable.

A few Blanquettes to bag:
Domaine Collin Blanquette de Limoux ($12-$15)
Le Berceau Blanquette de Limoux ($15-$17)
Bernard Delmas Blanquette de Limoux ($17-$19)

Once you get your Blanquette home, take a moment to look at the inviting bubbles and picture that 16th century monk - amazed that divine providence touched his humble bottle of wine. Cheers.

Help Wanted! Writers for Wikipedia

2006-04-20T16:55:00.000-05:00

One of the most fascinating phenomena to emerge from the Internet age is Wikipedia. Many readers know that Wikipedia is an on-line encyclopedia written by its readers for other readers.

If you find an article is missing, you can write one. If you don't like an article, you can edit it. There are plenty of instructions to help novice Wikipedia writers learn how to edit and create contributions.

When I first heard about it, I thought it would be awful, and that there was no way that the general public could create a good on-line encyclopedia. To my astonishment, if you look up the articles on almost any subject, the content ranges from very good to excellent. There are well over a million articles in the English edition.

Unfortunately, there is not very much good information in Wikipedia about wine. There are probably few writers who have been willing to spend the time organizing the information and writing about wine. So this is a little appeal to readers of this page. Many of you know a lot about wine, so would you please spend a little time to make Wikipedia a better authority on wine-related issues.

You will notice if you look at the entries on Bordeaux, Sherry, Rioja, and a few others that I have begun to leave my mark. But I have not had very much time, and a lot more effort is clearly needed. Please help!

(Even people who don't consider themselves to be experts on wine can help. Many of the articles simply need editing!)

This is a good opportunity to make the world a slightly better place!

Crystal Inn, Denver, Colorado

2006-04-17T22:42:00.000-05:00

The lobby of the Crystal Inn, Aurora, Colorado

Crystal Inn, Aurora, Colorado

Crystal Inn
3300 North Ouray Street,
Aurora
Colorado 80011

Phone: 1-303-340-3800

Toll-Free: 1-888-890-3800
Fax: 1-303-340-3808

Email: res.dia@crystalinns.com

General Comments

This hotel was booked for us because United Airlines could not get us back home tonight. Although it is an "airport" hotel, like many of the Denver airport hotels it seems to be miles away and in the middle of nowhere. I was really not expecting much but, this is a very comfortable and well appointed hotels. It offers spotlessly clean rooms at very reasonable prices.

Don't expect to walk out of the door, though, and be able to "hit" all the bright spots of Denver. Right opposite there is a reasonable truck stop kind of restaurant, and that's it!

Crystal Inn seems to have a small number of properties across the country, including Maryland, Montana, Mississippi, and several hotels in Utah.

Pluses

Close to Denver Airport (DEN) (relatively)
Very friendly staff
Efficient and rapid check in
Swimming pool
Computers with Internet connection
Wi-fi access
Very good cooked breakfast
Newspaper delivered to your room

Minuses

Miles from everything else!
It feels as if it is in the middle of nowhere, but I would be the first to admit that I do not know the area well.

Cost

Nothing for me! United Airlines paid for this room as I was delayed from a flight. I tried booking it to see how much it would be and a double/double seems to be $68 yo $75 a night.

Recommendation

I would not go out of my way for this hotel, but for a good functional hotel, it is definitely above average. I would put it in the same class as Extended Stay America. Certainly, if I needed a bed and I was in the area, I would repeat the stay.

Flight Report: LAX -DEN on April 17, 2006

2006-04-17T20:47:00.001-05:00

United Airlines
Flight 864
Los Angeles (LAX) to Denver (DEN)
Depart: April 17 2006 at 2:37 PM (local time)
Arrive: April 17 2006 at 5:48 PM (local time)

This flight was somehow not meant to happen. I was traveling with one of the young Moyey's, and we really wanted to have a bump. We almost got one, but someone dropped out at the last minute.

Hannah and I had Seats 9B and 9C, which are the best seats on United's 757s. There was a grumpy old man in 9A, and there will be more about him a little later.

Anyway, just as they were about to shut the doors, they announced that we would all have to leave the plane while they sorted out a mechanical problem. They also instructed people with tight connections to go straight to the United service counter to get help with connecting flights. Since we were supposed to be on a flight back to Baltimore (BWI), we went straight to the long line, where things were just a little chaotic.

Then the person at the counter suggested that people with mobile phones should phone United's reservations agents, which I did. They told me that the flight was on time, and that, if I wanted to make any changes, I would have to pay $100. Needless to say, I decided that was not a good idea.

Then we were told to get back on the plane and take our seats again. Mr. Grumpy, in 9A, who has probably never been entrusted with any management responsibilities in his life, suddenly decided that he knew how to run an airline. Rudely, he told the flight attendants that "this is ridiculous," and "why don't we go right now." Perhaps, he expected them to say "What a good idea. We had never thought of leaving. Let me go to the cockpit and tell the captain to ignore all safety requirements and forget about air traffic control!" I hate people like that. People who cannot face little changes in their travel plans should not be allowed to travel.

After that it was a pleasant flight, and the flight attendants gave us free drinks to "make up" for the delay.

Mr. Grumpy got ratty with Hannah. As she was getting down her case, which she always does efficiently and quickly, he declared. "You're in my way!"

Anyway, we arrived late in Denver. We went straight to the United Service counter, and we were given a voucher for the night at a hotel, vouchers for dinner and breakfast, and boarding passes in First Class for the remainder of our journey.

The test of an airline is how well they handle things when they go wrong. I think they did fine for us! But Mr. Grumpy will probably tell a different story on his blog!

Flight Report: CLD - LAX on April 17, 2006

2006-04-17T12:32:00.000-05:00

Southern California's coast

A Korean Air Boeing 747-400 landing at Los Angeles airport. The LA airport Hilton is in the background.

Approaching the LA metropolitan area

Shortly after take off

Passengers boarding the United Express (SkyWest) Embraer 120

Embraer 120 at Carlsbad (CLD) Airport

United Airlines
Flight 5744 Operated by: UNITED EXPRESS/SKYWEST
Carlsbad (CLD) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Depart: April 17 2006 at 12:42 PM (local time)
Arrive: April 17 2006 at 1:20 PM (local time)

The pictures really tell this story. It was a lot of fun to take off from the tiny McClellan-Palomar airport at Carlsbad and fly the little hop into Los Angeles. Needless to say, there was no food, no drink, and no amenity kits! Just a spectacular view from a tiny plane that took off and landed on time. Great flight!

Another nice thing about this trip was the way we returned the rental car. We went to the Holiday Inn where we had picked up the car. The car rental agent drove us right up to the airport. Really smooth and easy!

Cafe de La Flor, Tijuana, Mexico

2006-04-16T08:07:00.000-05:00

Coffee at Cafe de la Flor -- This is what a cup of coffee should look like!

Cafe de la Flor
Pasteleria

69 Avenida Sonora,Tijuana, Mexico

There are not many things that I get upset about, but coffee is one of them. First, consider what coffee is not. Coffee should never be lightly flavored hot milk covered with cinnamon even if you do call that cappuccino. Coffee should not be flavored with silly extracts of artificial flavors like almonds. Increasingly, cafes simply do not get it! Coffee also should come in ceramic cups.

End of diatribe!

One place that really does get it is the delightful Cafe de La Flor in Tijuana. In a nice little neighborhood, round the corner from Tijuana's Grand Hotel, this little cafe offers all meals and an array of delicious cakes.

I had a wonderful cooked-to-order breakfast here accompanied by one of the best coffees I have had in my life. The price for the full breakfast and the coffee was about $6.00.

It seems a pity that you have to Cairo or Tijuana to get a decent coffee!

La Espadaňa, Tijuana, Mexico

2006-04-15T21:18:00.000-05:00

La Espadaňa cooks delicious meats over a flaming grill

La Espadaňa
Av. Gral. Rodolfo Sánchez
Zona Rio
Tijuana, BC
Mexico

Telephones: 634-14-88, 634-14-89, 634-14-83

This is a very pleasant place for dinner. There were no tourists in this well-appointed restaurant. The meat was delicious! I particularly recommend the carne asada, which comes sizzling on a hot metal plate.

For starters, we had a corn-based soup, which I found a little too thick, sweet, and starchy -- I should have had the salad.

The total bill including liberal and frequent Matgaritas, a bottle of L.A. Cetto, Petite Syrah, tax, and tip, was about $170.00.

Authentic Casar Salad, Caesars Sports Bar and Grill, Tijuana, Mexico

2006-04-15T14:46:00.000-05:00

The finished product -- the genuine, authentic, and real Caesar Salad!

Serving the final product

Renee, our waiter, putting the salad together

Viagra and antibiotics are not among the ingredients, but you can buy them next door.
Prescriptions not rquired!

Caesar Sports Bar and Grill. We did not go in, but had a pleasant seat outside where we could watch the world go by.

The magic ingredients

Most foodies know the origin of Caesar Salad. It was invented by an Italian American called Caesar Cardini in 1924. A chef and restaurateur,who lived in San Diego, but worked in Tijuana to avoid prohibition, Signor Cardini created the first Caesar Salad. So naturally, walking by a sign on the Avenida Revolucion, we were attracted by a sign that told us that we would get the authentic and original salad.

When we asked, we were promised that this was definitely the place, and that if we went to hotel on the next corner, they would certainly claim authorship. However, they were liars, and this was the real thing. Satisfied with that categorical assurance, we sat down and had lunch. Thank goodness we escaped the Caesar Salad imposters!

The Caesar experience is designed to be a culinary lesson as much as a gastronomic experience. Our waiter Renee prepared the concoction at our table, and produced the meal shown above.

As far as the feeling of doing the real thing in the real place, I would not have missed this experience for the world. But it was not the best Caesar Salad I have ever had. I like my croutons to be golden brown and toasted under the grill after being spinkled with good extra virgin olive oil and no silly seasoning. I like a couple of anchovies to be visible guests at this feast, but it seems that the authentic recipe calls for them to be ground into the sauce. And big dry slabs of Parmigiano Reggiano are, to my taste, preferable to the cheese served in Tijuana.

But you should go for the experience. I don't have all the directions, but if you walk down the Avenida Revolucion, you will find Caesar's bar. Just make sure you don't get fooled by the liars on the corner.

The cost of this experience is very high for Mexico -- about $6.00 for the salads, and quite a lot for the Margaritas that wash it down. But this is one of those experiences that must be done at least once in a lifetime.

Grand Hotel Tijuana, Tijuana, Mexico

2006-04-14T22:59:00.001-05:00

The heated outdoor pool was really nice!

The golf course at the Grand Hotel Tijuana

Grand Hotel Tijuana
Blvd. Agua Caliente #4500
Col. Aviación C.P. 22420
Tijuana B. C., México.

General Impressions This is a five-star hotel with all the amenities that you would expect from a first-class hotel. It has a golf course, a swimming pool, an executive floor, and a highly-rated restaurant, which was closed for the Easter weekend.

Pluses

This hotel is run with friendly efficiency. It is conveniently located about 15 minutes from the International Border, but it is away from the mobs of drunken teenagers who haunt the area around Avenida Revolucion. Nice heated pool!

Minuses

You don't know you are in Mexico! But if you seek out a modern five-star hotel, what do you expect?

Cost

$75.00 per night. This rate was the AARP rate. (Yes, Moyey is over 50!) Good value.

Recommendation

I would stay here again if I were in the area. It's fine!

Tijuana -- Why Tijuana?

2006-04-14T21:45:00.000-05:00

We decided to spend two nights of this trip in Tijuana, Mexico. A lot of our friends wondered why. Well...

I like to leave the United States every few months even if it only for a little.
I wanted to discover the "other Tijuana." I have seen the Avenida Revolución, but felt there must be other stuff to see.
I had previously had good food experiences in Mexico, and I wanted to repeat them.

Los Arcos, Tijuana, Mexico

2006-04-14T20:12:00.001-05:00

Los Arcos
Salinas Blvd., at the corner of Escuadron 201 Ave. in Colonia Aviacion
Tijuana
Mexico

Telephone : 01152-664-686-4745

This is a lively restaurant with a very attentive staff. In the evening, there was a pleasant Mexican band playing Mexican and other music (The Beatles!)

When you arrive, they put caramelized onions and peppers on the table. For my first course, I had ceviche ($9.00). Mrs. Moyey and the young Moyey shared an avocado stuffed with shrimps ($8.00). We were most grateful to the waiter, who advised them to shared the dish. This was good advice as it turned out to be enormous.

I had carne asada ($13.00) because I am a big fan of Mexican beef, but I really should have had seafood although the carne was great -- it's just that Los Arcos specializes in seafood. Iran and Hannah were both pleased with their salmon ($12.00) although we decided later that local seafood would have been a better choice.

We drank Bohemia beer ($3.00), and the young Moyey had a non-alcoholic cocktail ($2.80).

This is a very pleasant restaurant, and I would probably go back. But next time, I would stick to seafood. It also seems to be off the normal tourist track, and most of the other customers were Mexicans. It was within easy walking distance of The Grand Hotel.

"Los Arcos" has other branches all over Mexico, including:

Tijuana
La Mesa - 4200 Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Blvd
Mexicali
454 Calafia Street
Culiacan
Blvd. Xicotícatl & Lago de Cuitzeo
Guadalajara
4539 Calzada Lazaro Cardenas
Guadalajara
5050 Ave. Acueducto, Suc. Acueducto
Juarez
2220 16 de Septiembre
Mazatlan
Ave. Camarón-Sábalo
Mexico City
330 Torcuato Tasso, Polanco
Mexico City
215 San Jeronimo Ave, Pedregal
Mexico City
104 Suarsal Niza Liverpool
Monterrey
244 Ignacio