Domaine Robert Chevillon Bourgogne Rouge 2013

Hard to argue with red Burgundy, especially something imported by Berkeley's finest, Kermit Lynch.  Kermit owns a wine shop and importing business that focuses on natural wines, wines that come from grapes that are raised in a simple, rustic manner, and minimally processed to become wine.  He works with smaller, family producers and his wines focus on terroir.  I highly recommend his book Adventures on the Wine Route. This contrasts sharply with the vast majority of wines which are produced in industrial facilities, from grapes that are produced in larger factories.  There is plenty of manipulation, largely from chemicals and machinery that really obfuscates the terroir of the wine.  

This wine is a red Burgundy made of 100% Pinot Noir.  It is a "village" level, which is not from a named parcel of land.  The producer is Domaine Robert Chevillon.  The winemakers or vignerons are Denis & Bertrand Chevillon and they are based in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Burgundy, France.  The wine is not mindblowing in any sense of the word, but it is excellent.  Compared to a generic Pinot Noir from California that you may have tried before, this has an intensity and depth to the flavors and smells that just can't compare.  2013 vintage was nothing spectacular, although arguably better than 2011 and 2012.  The wine is lighter in color, which is typical of red Burgundy and its opacity is low.  About 30 minutes after opening, the aromas have improved substantially.  The smell is dominated by spices and red fruits, more fruit than spice.  The smell is more mercurial and interesting than a run of the mill wine, continued swirling brings out more and more perfume. The taste is more of the same, more spice than fruit to my novice palette.  The finish is medium length and extremely enjoyable.  

This is a great wine, retail price should be $30-$37 depending on which store you go to!

Review: Farnum Hill Semi-Dry Cider

My uncle gave me a bottle of this cider from Lebanon, NH based Farnum Hill.  I have had their ciders before, but not in the past 2 years.  The stuff is fairly pricey, but for a truly artisanal product, it is great value.  Made from true cider apples, grown on their own apple orchards in Western New Hampshire, and brewed using traditional methods.  Available in beautiful corked and caged 750ml bottles. 

The appearance is not so dissimilar from apple juice, but the carbonation is extremely lively.  The aromas in my tulip glass are outstanding, and feature almost a tropical fruit smell.  The sharp, bitter taste of apple is followed by a very clean, crisp finish.  This stuff is extremely drinkable, and not at all sweet like a Strongbow or other industrial cider.  It compares very favorably with a white wine or a saison.  I am going to try it with some goat cheese as I am a little hungry, but it can definitely stand on its own.  I am going to look into some other ciders that are from MA, and will report back in the future. 

This is a fantastic beer for autumn.

Life goes on

Things are moving quickly here in my world. My wife just started her first semester at a new college which is the reason we originally left Boston. I am extremely proud of her and know that she will be successful. Her school is great and I know she will be able to take advantage of all the opportunities she has available. My new job is also progressing and I have made great strides, but there are still many things I am not confident with. This month-end reporting period has been extremely painful, but I do not want to get into all the details on this blog. Suffice it to say, the person who was servicing the account before me did not run a tight ship.

My other pursuits are coming along quite well. I have been following the primal/paleo plan closely and am going on my 5th day without beer which as readers of my blog know, is quite hard for me!. I have included some pictures of my meals

breakfast = TJ's Bacon Ends n Pieces + Cage Free Eggs + Guacamole + Black Coffee

pastured pork chop fried in bacon fat with onions garlic + WFM organic frozen california mix

cage-free chicken drumsticks + tiny bit of rice and veggies + big helping of guacamole + archeo nero d'avola (yes i drink table wine in a glass like this)

I have re-started my strength training program as well, which is Stronglifts 5x5 (link for those interested) which is simple and effective, with limited B/S. I am not a fan of any kind of machines and prefer free weights, so this plan is right up my alley. I am starting low, but am already feeling stronger, and the 5x5 program encourages constant progress. I totally relish the feeling of leaving the gym after completing a taxing session in which I made some kind of gain. The gym I am going to is part of a Gold's franchise, which are quite posh. Luckily I was able to take over the subscription of a guy at my job who is moving away from the area at the bargain price of $100 and there is still a year left! One of the gyms is located .7 miles and another is 2.5 miles from my office, very convenient.


Fantasy football draft hosted by commissioner ComedyDogg is tonight at 8:30. I will post a review of the draft and my outlook on the league in the next few days.

Paleo Diet

Have been fairly busy with life, as I am no longer working at my job, and working hard to find a new one. My wife, Marina, is going to be a Francis Perkins scholar at Mount Holyoke in Western Massachusetts, north of Springfield, starting in September, so we are looking to move from the Boston area out that way, roughly a 2 hour drive. Springfield and its neighbor to the south Hartford, CT are certainly not financial powerhouses, that Boston is, but I still have some hope in finding a new job in my chosen field. Hartford is an insurance hub, and where there is insurance, there is asset management, and CT is the home of hedge funds, so both of these industries offer a number of opportunities. As far as lodging, we are looking primarily in the RT 91 corridor, south of Springfield, ideally in Longmeadow or East Longmeadow, although the Forest Park neighborhood of Springfield would be agreeable as well. I will update with more information as I come across it!

Personally, I have been trying to stick to the Paleo Diet, which focuses on eating as our ancient hunter/gatherer ancestors did. A diet primarily of meat, regional vegetables, and the nuts and seeds that we could find. The main difficulty is that grains are uniformly prohibited, and fats are to be used as an energy source, rather than carbs. Conventional Wisdom here and everywhere in the modern world says that grains should make up the majority of one's diet, but the Paleo diet, and myself take offense with that. The gluten and lectins found in grains, as well as the high carbohydrate and sugar content found in the average American diet, is certainly fattening and at worst potentially dangerous to one's health. I don't mind giving up breads, pasta, and rice, but beer is something I love, and has gluten and is mostly carbs. I have decided to limit myself to a MAXIMUM of 3 craft beers, and preferably less on days when I drink. Fortunately, red wine is allowed in small quantities, so I may shift my consumption to the nectar of the grape.

There are a number of great resources on the Paleo diet, but my favorite is Mark's Daily Apple and Nerd Fitness, both great blogs that are easily readable and the authors are likable. Check them out for their free content, as well as the premium content they offer if you are so inclined (I DO NOT RECEIVE ANYTHING FROM THESE GUYS, I JUST DIG THEIR STUFF)

Look forward to some healthy meal updates, as well as more beer/wine reviews when I get an income again!