Over the last two weeks I have done the unthinkable: I’ve had a good wine experience in the state of Florida.
The state normally reserved for golfing retirees originally from New Jersey has a few bright spots, other than its abundant winter sunshine and famous Cadillac Escalade accidents.
The foremost of these is definitely Bern’s Steakhouse, in Tampa of all places. Before discovering this ridiculously bodacious wine list the only thing Tampa had going for it was a Superbowl victory and a series of summer concerts featuring country artists renowned throughout central Florida.
Despite waiting an hour for a table (we had a reservation but showed up a wee-bit early) and food that is heavily priced yet moderately delicious, the journey is well worth it just for the wine. Being on a winemaker’s budget I went with a 1985 Chambolle-Musigny from a negociant for $60. I would have preferred a premier cru from a small grower, but drinkers can’t be choosers, and an aged Burgundy from the Cote d’Or (and a great vintage none-the-less) shouldn’t be seen for under $200 in a restaurant this side of the Atlantic. The wine was good.
Oh, and just for good measure I ordered a split of a 1980 Cornas for $17, and then we paid that much for a dessert-sized serving of a 1978 Sauternes and a 2000 Tokaji with five puttonyos. I counted them, and there were five.
Alas, my deeply southern journey had to come to an end, and that is happening as I type. Currently I’m flying over some oily-coated seafood just south of the Bayou at 36,059 feet. Before take-off, however, I made a jaunt into a great little wine bar in Fort Lauderdale with the male parental unit known as The Grateful Palate (that’s the bar, not the dad). While the bottle of 1985 La Tâche on the counter had already been consumed, we still had a great experience featuring a nice Brunello, Dolcetto d’Alba, and a crazy-ass South African wine.
This wine, the 2008 Chakalaka, is a seemingly normal Southern Rhone blend save for the inclusion of Souzao. That alone was enough to make my head spin, but the Cointreau house-made ice cream succeeded in popping it like a Touriga Nacional berry under a nude Portuguese man’s foot.
In a few hours I will be back in San Francisco, and back to the daily wine life style. There are going to be some changes to the Terroirists in 2011, one of which won’t be blogging from 36,059 feet again. At this altitude I’m literally high on life, and way too over-the-top as a blogosphere contributor. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some famous Virgin America hot tea to consume.