Vin Rouge, Vin Blanc

I subscribe to an email newsletter called My Little Paris, a once-a-week missive about happenings in the City of Light. (Who doesn't need a little escapism these days?) I was intrigued by the one I received this week (see below), because I thought that picking the right wine was just part of a French person's DNA. Apparently they need help, too! It's kind of a relief to know that they don't necessarily know everything. Maybe they're just better at faking it.

Wine tasting 101
November 26, 2009
Why they always ask you to taste the wine, you have no idea. Every single guest at the table is staring at you, waiting for you to take a sip. Can’t they tell that you are completely clueless when it comes to wine? You take a shot : “it’s perfect, thank you”. And then you pray to Dionysus, the god of wine, that it is indeed at least drinkable.
This is not a nightmare, it happens to the best of us. And thanks to Joël, it won’t happen again. Built like a rugby player, he shows up in the middle of your dinner party at home and teaches you the ultimate French skill: wine tasting. For Joël, it’s all about plaisir. From his mysterious briefcase, he extracts tiny aroma bottles that he gently slips under your ignorant nostrils. Delightful fleeting sensations appear on the tip of your tongue. The lesson begins. A sweet buttery flavor in your mouth? A Chardonnay from Bourgogne. The smell of honey, honeysuckle and acacia? A great Chablis. Enough inhaling, let’s move on to the serious stuff. Tasting. Cold cuts and selected wines from small producers from all over France.
You now have a real nose for wine.

Joël:00-33-6-13-17-45-58
Association Terra Vitis
Price : from 30 to 60€ per guest depending on the number of participants and the number of wines that you wish to taste

Film Plus Feast

Bobby and I met up with our newly unemployed friend Patrick the other night. First we saw "A Serious Man," the latest from the Coens. It is seriously worth seeing: a vivid story, economically told, with great dialogue and an amazing ending.

Afterward we dropped in at one of our favorite Hell's Kitchen spots, Five Napkin Burger. That eponymous dish has become Bobby's No. 1 burger in the city, even beyond Peter Luger's. Patrick and I both got the veggie burger, which I've had on several occasions. It is huge and tasty; FNB always has the ripest tomatoes, even in the winter -- a rarity in these parts. The burger itself has little structural integrity (I have been known to describe it as "fall-y apart-y" -- they're not kidding about the five napkins), but it is extremely satisfying. The fries are crisp perfection, too.

So what did we drink? I ordered a 2005 Zuccardi Tempranillo (Mendoza, Argentina) that had a note of raspberry and a slightly smoky quality. It was well-balanced and full-bodied (14 percent alcohol). And, at $38, not bad for Midtown.