March 12, 2010
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UPCOMING
EVENTS
 
WINE DINNER AT MEZZANOTTE
Tuesday March 16 at 7:00 PM
$55/person
Reservations required 
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ENTERTAINMENT
THIS WEEK
 
AT MEZZANOTTE
 
KARENNA LEE
Friday 3/12
7 to 10 PM
 
Kareena Lee 
Karenna moves easily between jazz, blues, caberet and pop.
Her versatile style and extensive repertoire includes romantic ballads to latin favorites and  broadway tunes. Her very entertaining and dynamic style are a welcome treat to a relaxing dinner on a Friday night. She is a must see!!
 
JEREMY GARCIA
Saturday 3/13
7 to 10 PM 

Valiente

Originally self-taught, Jeremy later earned a Bachelor's degree
in Classical Guitar Performance.
He also studied with Robert Guthrie at SMU where he completed a Master's Degree in Classical guitar.
He has also received flamenco guitar instruction from
several renowned maestros.  Jeremy maintains a busy performance schedule and we love having him perform at Mezzanotte. Don't miss him.
PROMOTIONS
 
Don't forget Monday and Tuesday nights 20% off at Mezzanotte - just tell your server you read about it here.
 
Any day 20% off coupon for Capriccio below.

CAPRICCIO TAPAS

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In This Issue
Upcoming Events
Promotions
Wines from Friuli
Argentina 2010 Tour
What's the Deal with Oak?
WINES FROM FRIULI, ITALY, AT MEZZANOTTE
Next Tuesday we will be having an exciting evening of wines from the Italian region of Friuli.
 

Friuli-Venezia Giulia is an autonomous region of north-eastern Italy, bordering Austria and Slovenia, a crossroads of the Latin, German and Slavic cultures. In the North there are the Alps, while the territory along the coasts is mostly plain.  The economy is largely based on agriculture, the main crops being maize, sugar-beet, wheat, soy beans, and on the production of renowned wines. There are also many medium- and small-sized industries in the chemical, textile silk, paper and furniture sectors.

Though the wines produced in this region represent only two percent of Italy's production, to some they are comparable in quality to wine produced in Piedmont and Tuscany, the two most celebrated wine producing regions of Italy. The main difference between the regions is that Friuli- Venezia Giulia wines are mostly white, though some exceptional reds can be found as well.

 

The local wines are remarkable for the number of grape varieties that are used in their blends. In addition to the native grapes, different varieties have been introduced over time. Add to this the winemaking skills of the Friulani, and the result is the creation of exceptional wines.

 

The foremost white wine produced in this region is the Friulano.

Other local whites include Chardonnay, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Ribolla Gialla, Riesling Italiaco and Riesling Renano, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer Aromatico, Verduzzo and Malvasia Istriana. This last one is a somewhat metallic wine that complements wonderfully the Adriatic seafood recipes. It should not be confused with the Malvasia produced in Sicily, which is a totally different wine.

 

Among the red produced in Friuli - Venezia Giulia are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Collio and Collio Cabernet, Merlot, Pignolo, Pinot Nero, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Schioppettino, Tazzelenghe, and Terrano.

 

On Tuesday we will have the opportunity to try 2 indigenous wines: the Friuliano (white) and the Refosco (red) along with outstanding Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a surprise white dessert wine!

 
Cheers

ARGENTINA 2010 IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING
I can't believe how time passes so quickly. It feels like is was only a couple of weeks ago when we went on our trip to Tuscany.  But it is March already and our late April departure to Argentina is coming up fast. I have put together a great program (of food and wine, what else) starting in Buenos Aires on April 24 and moving to Mendoza 3 days later.
 
We still have space for one more couple so please let me know ASAP if ypu are interested and will give you more details.
WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH OAK? (Part 2 of 2)
Last week we covered some basics as to what is the meaning of "oaky" in a wine and why is oak used in the production of wines. This week we conclude with a discussion on new versus old oak, toasting of oak and the use of oak chips in wine production.
 

What's the Big Deal with "New" Oak?

The newer the barrel, the more concentrated the oak's influence will be on the wine. As vintages wear on, the oak barrels will have less flavor to offer an upcoming wine. For instance, take a tea bag, picked right out of the box, and you'll get a full-flavor infusion after steeping in hot water, but use that same teabag another time or two and each successive cup of tea will be weaker on the flavor scale. Similarly, after four or five vintages, the barrel may still be used as a "holding" container, but little flavor is expected to be imparted to the wine. You'll see wines that state that a third of the wine was aged in "new" oak, to impart flavor and increase the wine's complexity, but keep in mind that the other two-thirds of the wine was aged in older oak and then blended back together prior to bottling. This effectively saves on the barrel costs, while still adding some oak character to the wine.

 

Toasting Oak

After the type of oak is chosen a winemaker will decide on what degree of toasting is appropriate for the wine's style. Barrel toasting can be light, medium or heavy, with a lighter toast retaining some of the oak-based character for the wine and heavier toasting or charring giving rise to more oaky and smoky nuances in the wine. By increasing a barrel's toasting, you'll effectively increase the oak's influence on the wine's color, aroma, flavor and overall style.

 

A Word about Oak Chips and Wine

It is not uncommon for winemakers to skirt the barrel altogether and use "oak chips" to "season" a wine. These chips dramatically cut costs and can be utilized in either the fermentation or aging phase of the winemaking process. The oak chips come in a variety of forms and flavors and will actually speed up the oak flavoring process due to higher oak concentrations and more surface area contact with the wine. Oak chips are placed in a mesh-like sack and then "steeped" (again similar to a teabag) in a tank. It's only been since 2006, that oak chips have been legally permitted for use in Old World winemaking practices.

 

Oak plays a pivotal role in the winemaking process for many favored varietals and wine blends. However, one of the best ways to see the influences of oak is in a side-by-side comparison wine tasting. Chardonnay is one of the easiest varietals to do this component tasting with, as many winemakers utilize a good bit of oak to bring out the toasty, buttery notes that many consumers have come to expect from Chardonnay. Just grab a bottle of well-oaked Chardonnay and an "unoaked" Chardonnay (typically labeled as "unoaked" or "naked" Chardonnay) and do a side-by-side taste test. With the oaked version, you should be able to see the oak's dominant influences in the smoky, toasted notes often leading to a full-flavored, buttery finish. With the unoaked version of Chardonnay, you will see pure varietal fruit dominate - likely brimming with peach, apple or pear and warmer tropical fruit if sourced from a warmer region.

 

The whole subject of wine making is fascinating and I hope that the 2 parts article on oak usage gives you something else to think about when you taste your next bottle of wine.

 
Cheers

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Please help us evaluate our new menu at Capriccio. Bring this Gift Certificate for a 20% off  your entire bill (food and wine). This is our way of saying thank you for giving us your thoughts.
Offer not valid in conjunction with any other promotions and/or lunch discounts.
Expires: March 30, 2010