do bianchi

What’s for Sipper, Jon Erickson?

by whit on September 22, 2011

I first met Jon last year at the Barbera Meeting in Asti, Italy. My first thought: that is one handsome, seriously stylish dude. Second thought: Is he married? Kidding. Sort of. The answer to that question is YES. To a woman, whom is every bit as (or more) beautiful/stylish/talented, named Jayne Battle. And together they own Jayne’s Gastropub in San Diego. The food is ridiculous, the design is spot on and I can think of no other place I’d wanna hang while in San Diego.

Let’s get to know Jon, shall we?

Name: Jon Erickson Hometown: Westport, CT  Location: San Diego, CA

Favorite seasonal beverage: The Pimm’s Cup works all summer long, especially here in San Diego where it never ends.

Favorite cocktail or spirit: The Corpse Reviver #2 is an incredible cocktail.  Equal parts gin, Lillet, fresh lemon and Cointreau with an absinthe rinse, shaken with ice into a chilled glass with a single Luxardo maraschino cherry.

Favorite place to grab a drink: The Turf Club in the Golden hills neighborhood is a great place to drink.  You grill your own $7 steaks and get stiff drinks in a dark, un-renovated 1950′s bar.  There are better cocktails to be found in SD, but the faux prohibition suspenders and $14 drinks grow tiresome.

Favorite toast: Jayne’s favorite toast is one from her hometown of Liverpool: “Get it down yer neck.” {ed. note: I LOVE this. I’m stealing it.}

Favorite post-dinner quaff: Something sparkling, preferably Bollinger Brut Rosé Champagne

Favorite food & beverage pairing: Pizza pairs well with traditionally made high acid, tannic Nebbiolo.  Try the entry level Langhe Nebbiolo from Produttori del Barbaresco.

If you could travel to one region of the world right now for its food and/or drink where would you go? I would head straight to Cal Pep restaurant in Barcelona for some Pan Con Tomate and their cast iron skillet, made to order Tortilla Espanola washed down with a glass of Spanish beer with lemon.

What’s for sipper? I will be drinking a glass of Kabaj Rebula from Slovenia.

That’s a photo I took last year of Jon’s car. Yeah…

And if you want to see a photo of Jon disgorging a bottle of Movia Puro, check out this Do Bianchi post and also mine (with appearance by Anthony Wilson!) The man knows his way around some Puro.

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For Your Reading Pleasure

by whit on September 15, 2011

I read stuff on the internet. Clearly you do too. ‘Cause you’re here. Right now. How about you come along and read this other stuff with me?  I promise it will entertain/educate in things of the edible/drinkable variety.

  • Speaking of Bourbon, how about some Bourbon soaked peppercorns to grind over your next steak? Or, um, seitan. The beer and vegetarian friendly guys over at Hot Knives, Alex and Evan, have been posting as of late about their journey of creating a cookbook.
  • A wine rep, I’m guessing a woman (based on the most recent post), is writing an anonymous blog called Dear Wine Buyer. It’s funny. *Side note: this is me writing a blog within a blog called Dear Christopher Guest. First post titled “Please Make a Movie About the Wine Business.” Spit Bucket, coming to a theater near you Summer 2013.

  • My pal and Italian wine EXPERT Jeremy Parzen of Do Bianchi makes us all salivate on his recent babymoon trip with gorgeous, expecting wife Tracy to Frasca in Boulder, CO. I am jealous of all of these things: getting to eat at Frasca, getting to hang with Lachlan and Bobby, drinking bomb ass Friulian wine and being crazy in love.

Jealousy! Isn’t that, like, the key to good blogging?

Top photo by Margaret Houston for Garden &Gun. Middle photo from NYPL via Eater. Bottom photo by Jeremy Parzen for Do Bianchi.

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What’s For Sipper, Do Bianchi?

by whit on September 9, 2010

In the 3rd installment of What’s For Sipper?, I dive into the philological brain of one Mr. Jeremy Parzen. I first met Jeremy back in March in Asti when he so kindly invited me to join him and some other rockstar wine dudes for a Barbera extravaganza. I became one of the Barbera 7. And my life changed. No- not really. But we had one hell of a fun time. He continues to impress with his linguistic acumen, musical skills, undying love for wife Tracie P. and knowing actually everything about Italian wine. I bow down to you.

Name: Jeremy Parzen, PhD. aka Do Bianchi aka Jar

Hometown: La Jolla, CA. Current location: Austin, TX

Favorite  beverage: Nebbiolo, practically anything from 1989.

Favorite cocktail or spirit: Vodka (Absolut) martini, dry and dirty.

Favorite place to grab a drink: Train station in Vicenza, Italy.

Favorite toast: Melba and/or L’chaim.

Favorite post-dinner quaff: Bourbon (Basil Hayden).

Favorite food & beverage pairing: Lambrusco and zampone.

If you could travel to one wine region of the world where would you go? Valdobbiadene.

What’s for sipper? Tonight is erev Rosh Hashanah so probably some Manischevitz (for the nostalgia and ease of it). On any other night this week, Pichierri Tradizione del Nonno by Vinicola Savese.

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On The Road with the Barbera Boys (& Gal)

by whit on March 8, 2010



Day 1. After 60 plus barbera wines under our belt, we hit the road for a mini tour of Asti wine country.

wheels on the bus

The guys doing what they do best. Jeremy- talking, Fredric- being a stone cold motha, Thor- smirking and Jon- looking like a Tom Ford model. First stop- a tasting of barbera senza solfiti (without sulfites) at Azienda Paolo Marcarino.

glasses

saignee

vino

We tried a barbera that was blended with 20% dried grapes…a bit reductive and amarone like, otherwise known as bit “too much wine” via Cory. Also tasted was an extremely gulpable cortese (aka “grandpa wine” as says Jeremy) straight from the tank. Lovely little amaretti cookies were served with our final wine, a moscato d’asti, the region’s golden child.

amaretti

the sauce

Thor and the barbera soaked mouth of Mr. Stuart George.

dilap

barrel

As our little bus worked its way up the hills, blankets of snow crept onto the vineyard slopes. We reached the cellar  at Il Falchetto for more barbera. And more moscato. A surprise hit was their “Lurei” 2007 Barbera D’Asti which that morning wasn’t as well received in the blind tasting for whatever reason. The mysteries of the palate and the bottle…

snow vines

cork

barbera

snow

As evening approached, it was time to hit the road again. We had another 37 producers to work through- before dinner.

open

menu

Bread was broken and wine was shared with the winemakers spread throughout the dining room and around our tables. After dinner, the boys hit the town for an ice cold beer- a welcome change of pace for their wine drenched palates. This gal decided to call it a day and hit the hay. Today- another full day of barbera. Giddy up!

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Barbera Bonanza!

02.19.2010

// // Me? I am a lucky son of a gun. In 2 weeks time, my nose will be deeply planted into a glass of Barbera. Not in my living room. Not in my kitchen. Not at a wine bar in LA. Not even in my bed (which may or may not have happened one [...]

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