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.
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.
Where: Jayne’s Gastropub, San Diego
What: Piedmont tasting (Cogno, Giacosa, Produttori oh my!)
Who: Jermey “The Jar” Parzen, Jon “Stylin’ & Profilin’” Erickson and Whitney “The Only Gal” Adams (almost exactly half of the famed, revered and feared blogilicious Barbera 7)
First things first- a little love letter to Jayne’s Gastropub. It is a thing of beauty, carefully and thoughtfully designed by owners Jayne Battle and Jon Erickson. The restaurant is beautiful, the food is beautiful, they are like the most beautiful couple ever… tons of beauty all up in there. I highly suggest you get your butt to San Diego and pay them a visit. Now on to the vino!
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Every wine lover and/or professional has their own method of taking notes… or rather, not taking notes. I take notes as often as I can but am constantly disappointed in myself for not being more detailed and consistent. Especially after big tasting trips like my most recent in Asti, I realize so much of the wine gets lost in the shuffle. The shuffle of having fun. With long tasting dinners, vineyard visits and luncheons I spend my time enjoying the wine and the conversations about the wine. While in Asti at the Barbera Meeting a few weeks ago, I met a super cool Chinese wine writer/educator named Denis Lin, otherwise known as the honorary 8th member of the Barbera 7. He has also become my note-taking mentor, my spirit guide of wine notation, my vino scribing guru.
Yes, that is a Denis original hand drawn sketch. He has dozens of moleskin journals full of all the great wine he has tasted. When a bottle is opened (usually at one of his weekly tastings with friends), he sits with a glass and the bottle. He draws the label down to the finest of details and also writes his tasting notes. Color, body and aroma, acidity…by writing and drawing and thinking- the intimate relationship with that wine is formed. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s drinking some really great stuff.
Do Bianchi posted about Denis here, but I just had to give my own personal shout out. You have inspired me Denis. Thank you!
