Everyone wants to see a good battle. The Romans had their Gladiators, America and the USSR had the Cold War and Coke and Pepsi had the Pepsi Challenge. To keep with the human spirit, I arranged a bartender battle between 18 bartenders from our many restaurants at the Cohn Restaurant Group.
The 2015 CRG Bartender Battle was held at OB Warehouse on February 9th. Pernod Ricard sponsored the blood bath. I invited several non-partisan judges from San Francisco and Los Angeles to act as our guest referees. Nikki Louie brand ambassador for Avion Tequila, Ria Soler brand ambassador for Absolut Vodka, Daniel Warrilow mixologist for Olmeca Altos Tequila and Juan Carlos Calderon from Pernod Ricard/Southern Wines & Spirits sat at the throne and tasted 33 concoctions. In attendance we had about 90 employees from our different restaurants supporting their favorite bartenders. There were a total of 18 bartenders competing in three different competitions.
Bartender Battle #1
Competitors had to make the best Absolut Vodka cocktail. The bartenders had weeks to prepare and two minutes to make the cocktail. There was a catch. They had to get creative, because they could not use the most expensive ingredients. Their cocktail had to come under a 14% pour cost. For those of you not familiar with pour cost, it is the cost of ingredients divided by the price of the cocktail. It is a challenge in any bar to make deliciously tasting drinks and stay mindful of pour cost.
Bartender Battle #2
Bartenders had 5 minutes to create a cocktail using Olmeca Altos Tequila and at least three ingredients from a secret basket of ingredients. Seems easy? Not so much. 5 minutes is not a lot of time when the ingredients are laid out a minute before. Working in a foreign well is already a challenge, but not knowing the ingredients and the limited time makes this challenge very difficult. I think of it on the same level as a Top Chef quick fire challenge.
Bartender Battle #3
The last battle was the Secret Style competition. The bartenders had full range of the bar as long as they used one spirit from Pernod Ricard. The bartenders were given the style and had 5 minutes to create a cocktail in that style. We could have picked spirit forward cocktails, sour cocktails, spritzers, martinis etc… We settled on beer cocktails.
I can go on and give you the play-by-play with results, but that would not be fun. Instead watch the video!
I am going on 6 years of holding Prime Cru wine sales. For those of you that don’t know what a wine sale is, it is the most awesome-est wine event in San Diego. The very first Prime Cru wine sale took place in March of 2009, during the financial downturn. One would have never known that our country was facing a financial crisis if they had walked into Island Prime that afternoon. There were people buying cases upon cases of 1997 Napa Cabs I had stored away for the past 10 years. To this day, the first wine sale was the most profitable where we sold $33,000 of wine in 2 hours. That is insane! Since the first sale, our Prime Cru members have asked for more. Being the softy that I am, I started hosting wine sales 3-4 times a year.
Since 2009, I’ve hosted wine sales at Bo Beau in Ocean Beach and Vintana in Escondido. The amount of time and work it goes into putting them together is mind-boggling. We clear out the restaurant’s dining room and load it with wines from our many properties just for a 2 hour wine sale. In the weeks ahead of time, I become a mule running cases of wine from one restaurant to another. I create spreadsheets upon spreadsheets all the time making sure pricing and inventories are correct. Each wine is inventoried, cataloged for the sale and priced below regular retail pricing. We take a loss on some wines just to clear out our excess inventory. The result is screaming deals for our members.
Today, I wanted you to see what goes on at one of our Prime Cru wine sales. It is a great way to spend the afternoon. People will stop in, taste a few wines, do some shopping and eat next door at C-Level. The smart ones will take one of their purchases to the table and open it with complimentary corkage. It makes for a great day on the bay. We also hold the wines sales at Vintana Wine+Dine in Escondido. Vintana also has an outside patio where you can enjoy lunch and your newly purchased wine while sitting in the sun.
It is easy to become a member. Simply click on the Prime Cru link and fill out the form. You will learn about my upcoming wine sales and other wine events that I host around town. The best part of Prime Cru is that there is no charge and no commitment. Enjoy the video and I will see you at the next wine sale.
What really goes on behind the scenes at a wine competition? Who are these people who taste wines and whose opinions get plastered all over the front of a bottle with a medal and score? Are they there to take out their aggression and pamper their egos so they feel superior to all other wine drinkers? Do they really know what they are doing? How do they go about judging so many wines and why does their opinion really matter? Is it really fair to give an award to a wine just because one person prefers it over another? Here is the frightening truth about wine competitions.
I just finished judging the 32nd annual San Diego International Wine Competition. The SDIWC is the child of the grand papa of wine competitions in San Diego, Robert Whitley. I spent the weekend with fellow judges judging 1000 wines on Saturday and another 500 on Sunday. I got up close and personal. I infiltrated the competition and posed as a judge to bring you the truth about wine competitions. The truth is… they are a lot of fun!
Let’s answer the questions posed. First of all, who are these people? The SDIWC had judges from all walks of life within the wine world. There were winemakers like Vernon Kindred from Fallbrook Winery, Carlo Trinchero from Taken Wine Co. and Adam LaZarre from Lazarre Wines. Their were wine personalities & wine writers (story tellers) like Tim McDonald from Wine Spoken Here and Wilfred Wong from Wine.com. There were judges representing wine distribution companies such as Mark Deegan and Kevin Walsh. And there were sommeliers, the Motley “Cru” I run with like Brian Donegan, Paul Kirkorian, Tami Wong, Lisa Redwine, Molly Brooks-Thorton and Rebecca Turpin. So many more to mention, but the ring leaders were Robert Whitley, Rich Cook and chief judge Michael Franz, the editor of Wine Review Online who kept all of us hooligans in line. These are the people who get the last say. Their taste preferences are marked on bottle in the form of numbers, oval medals and gold stickers. I can’t speak for their egos, but they are all pretty damn cool.
Do they know what they are doing? Well that is a loaded question. Half the time I don’t think they know what they are doing. But when it comes to wine, they know exactly what they are doing. I can’t say that I would like drive behind Joe Hart, winemaker for Hart Family Winery. Or for that matter, I don’t think I would like to take any psychological advice from Ron Rawlson, but I do want to know what they think about wine. So yes, they know what they are doing. Let me clarify, they know what they are doing when it comes to judging wine.
How do they go about judging so many wines? The answer is “very carefully”. Most people think that if you drink so many wines you get drunk or even worse palate fatigue. This is why they are the chosen judges. They learned to spit, all except for George Skorka, but he seems to exist on another plane from most humans. (Those that know him will tell you that he is Buddhist-like, Christ-like and cannot get drunk.) Yes the palate can get fatigued, but a bit of sparkling water, a cracker or roast beef and they are back in the saddle again.
Why does their opinion even matter? Oh it matters! These judges will sacrifice their entire weekend tasting hundreds of bad wines to get to the few good ones. That is die-hard. I respect the opinion of someone who will go through the torture of tasting a flight of medium dry red blends from unknown parts of the world just to get to that one stand out. It is easy to judge Barolos and $100 Cabernets, but to have to judge fruit wines from the latest genetically modified fruit, that is a true professional. It’s like confiding in the Lexus car sales rep who drives a Lexus. I would rather confide in the sales rep that sells Lexus and drives a Kia. That rep would have a better point of reference as to why Lexus is worth the price. That is who these judges are. They taste the hundreds of pink to bright fuchsia colored wines to get to the Barolos. At home they drink good wine at a good value.
Is it fair to give an award to a wine just because one judge thinks it deserves that award? Nope. That is why at the SDIWC the judges have to come together and agree on the award. It takes time to get everyone to agree, and can be tricky because egos can get bruised. The solution was to leave the egos at the door so that the wines received the proper award. I had the pleasure of judging with Wilfred Wong and George Skorka. Remember I told you that George was from another plane? Well he is. When he tastes a wine that has funk on the nose, he literally drools and tries to push us into adoring it. However, the moment we tell George the wine might be off and to come back down to Earth, he obeys and his Christ-like ego says “thank you gentlemen, let’s give it an 87”.
The hard work that goes into these competitions is mind-blowing. Robert found judges with good palates and can work together. Volunteers have to categorize thousands of entries. They work around the clock polishing thousands of glasses. The shear number is ridiculous. The hours of data entry will cross the eyes of any Microsoft coder. Managing all the entries, volunteers and judges has to be insane. With so many moving pieces, Robert Whitley is the best at making it look so easy.
I hope I was able to give the inside scoop on the frightening truth about wine competitions. Actually, better than reading all this garbage why not watch the video and see for yourself.
This past year my area of focus took me in different directions. Although my job still requires I taste and select wines, I also need to stay on top of the latest trends in spirits and beer. Last year I posted the top wines of 2013, this year I want to share some of my favorite wines, beers and spirits from our family of restaurants at the Cohn Restaurant Group.
I mentioned last year that its is impossible to pick a favorite. Everything tastes different from day-to-day. Our mood and our environment are important factors in the way we perceive flavors. The slightest change in our mood or environment can make what was divine one day rather uninteresting the next. When I put this list together, I could not say that the winners were absolutely the best I had tasted all year. However, I could say that my choices were some of my favorite and most consistent wines, beers and spirits of 2014. I hope you get a chance to try them.
Coincidentally, you will notice this year I went back to my Mexican roots.
Wine of the year: Delgadillo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. One of the best events of the year was held back in July when I had 8 Mexican American wine makers from Napa Valley at Island Prime and Vintana. They told their stories of making their way from the vineyards to the cellars. These fine wine makers have heart and soul, something that has been lost by others in Napa. Delgadillo Cellars showed their latest release, a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. Finally, a wine released when it is ready to drink. You can find this wine at Vintana and Island Prime, but hurry, last I saw supplies were dwindling.
Beer of the year: Stone, Chris Banker and Insurgente Brewing XOCOVEZA Mocha Stout. It was available for a short time at OB Warehouse, but it is no longer available. However, I was in Tijuana this past week visiting Insurgente Brewing and they are planning on releasing their version of Xocoveca in January. Xocoveza is a mocha stout brewed with Chocolate de Abuelita. This new version will have a lower alcohol and will be lighter than the collaboration verision with Stone. If my grandma were still alive, I know she would have sipped on this instead of hot chocolate. The guys at Insurgente are from my high school Alma Mater, St. Augustine. It was an honor to support them and carry their beer at OB Warehouse. I can’t wait to see the new version, I hear that Insurgentes will be available in the USA this coming month.
Thank you to the SD Reader for the image.
Cocktail of the year: Sledgehammer at OB Warehouse. This year we opened several restaurants with a cocktail focus. The one cocktail that stood out was the Sledgehammer. I guess it stood out because I love Tequila and I love beer. I drank it with my flat iron steak one night and it was delicious. The Sledgehammer is a beer cocktail made with IPA, Cazadores Tequila, Ancho Chile Liqueur, Agave Syrup, Lemon juice and a spray of Laphroiag Scotch. It has a balance of bitterness from the IPA, sweetness from the Agave, sour from lemon, smokiness from scotch and the deliciousness from the Tequila.
Spirit of the year: Olmeca Altos Reposado. It is not the greatest Tequila I have ever tasted, but it is the best value out there. Olmeca Altos is made in the traditional Tahona process which gives it delicate fruity flavors. I chose this tequila because, I can sip on it and enjoy the sweet agave fruit aromas or mix into a cocktail. Either way you serve it, it is a solid tequila.
Runner up wine of the year: Volcan Cellars Napa. It too was part of the Mexican Winemaker’s event, however; the Delgadillo won the top slot since it was ready to drink. The Volcan is incredible, but it does need some time to soften up. I cannot wait to see it again 5 years down the road. It too is available at Island Prime, Vintana and at the new Indigo Grill.
Runner up beer of the year: Duchesse de Bourgogne Flanders Red. I tasted so many great beers this year. It is hard to remember them all. I chose the Duchesse de Bourgogne, for several reasons. First of all, I am a wine guy and this beer taste like wine. Secondly, I did a lot of beer training for our restaurants this year and each time we got to the sour beer part, this beer was my go to. Each time I tasted it with the staff, I was always impressed. Thirdly, sours are coming in a big way, and if you have not tried them yet, start with this beer. It is the way a sour should taste. You can visit Bo Beau Kitchen & Garden in La Mesa, they will surely have a glass for you.
Runner up spirit of the year:La Venenosa Raicilla “Maximillian”. You are probably wondering what I am talking about. I will reiterate, I am a wine guy so there for I am a big fan of agave based spirits. They are vintage harvested then crushed and pressed to release their nectar. Finally, they are fermented and distilled. Agave spirits are unique in flavor and aroma and are a far cry from grain based spirits. To get even geekier, I chose Raicilla, a Tequila/Mezcal-like spirit from the region of Tequila. The agave used for this spirit grows in the mountains where the farmers have to ask for permission from the narco-traffickers to enter the jungle and harvest these massive agave plants. The result is a handcrafted, smooth agave spirit separating itself from the hot burning flavor of Tequila and smokiness of Mezcal. It just made its way into the USA this year. Keep an eye out for it, we will have plenty on hand at our new restaurant opening this summer, Coastera.
Is it that difficult to drink local wines? There are so many wines around the world. So many, that you will never be able to try all the wines from every region in the world. That being said, no matter what part of the world people live in, they drink their local wines. People in Croatia, drink Croatian wine. Brazilians drink Brazilian wine. Virginians drink wines from their state, Virginia. But why isn’t this the case with the wines from San Diego? People in San Diego do not drink local wines.
It seems so strange that the first grapes planted in California were in San Diego. Prior to prohibition San Diego had a booming wine culture. Wineries were sending their juice to England and consumption on a local level was huge. Then the gold rush happened, everyone’s attention turned north and San Diego was left in the dust. Shame on San Diegans who talk about farm to table and local craft beer, but do not drink local wines. Worse, is shame on the retailers and restaurants (myself included) for not featuring San Diego wines.
Temecula has received a lot more attention than San Diego. Heck, Baja California is receiving more attention than San Diego. This kind of hurts us because many of the wines that come from those regions are faulty. Temecula is hot, Baja is hot! San Diego is 10 degrees cooler, which allows the grapes to keep up acidity; the most important structural element in wine. Many of the vineyards in San Diego are of high elevation allowing for UV light to push ripeness, breezy days which help with pest control and cool nights to support acids. Many of these vineyards are old vineyards planted more than 20 years ago, some from the 1800’s. All this being the case, why do we not drink wines from San Diego?
One reason is that production is low and wines are not available to export outside of the county. Another reason might be that there still are some mediocre producers (home winemakers), which give San Diego wines a bad name. But I think the most important reason, is that nobody knows about them. About a year ago, the Wall Street Journal and San Francisco Chronicle spoke about Chris Broomell and Alysha Stehly from Vesper Vineyards. This press brought the attention of sommeliers in New York, San Francisco and LA. Today, Vesper sells more wine in New York than in San Diego. That does not make sense! San Diegans should be drinking San Diego wine. I could understand if the wines were bad, who wants to drink bad wine. But today we have a strong base of wineries producing high quality wines that can rival any other region.
This past weekend, I decided to hold a Harvest, Barrel to Bottle Festival with 11 San Diego County wineries at Escondido’s Vintana Restaurant. I held the festival on the same day as the San Diego Food and Wine Festival which is held every year on the harbor. I did it intentionally because I believe the SDF&W Festival does not showcase San Diego wineries. It brings in wineries from around California, and mostly from the large wine conglomerates. How could it be a San Diego Food & Wine Festival if the best San Diego wineries are in North County at my Harvest, Barrel to Bottle Festival? The event went extremely well!
Each winery showed samples from the 2014 harvest, barrel samples from 2013 and their latest releases. The idea was to allow guests to taste wines at different stages of development. The wines featured were:
Milagro Farm showing a bright Barbera from Ramona
Vinavanti, an urban winery from Miramar showing their 2014 Viognier, 2104 Sparkling Viognier and a Viognier port
Vesper’s mouth-watering Rose of Carignan/Grenache
Stehloen’s Sauvignon Blanc, ripe, fresh with razor acidity
Coyote Oaks showed the Mongrel Blend mostly made of Cabernet Sauvignon & Sangiovese along with 4 other grapes
Screaming Chief specializes in Cab Franc and Malbec and they showed their third vintage, the 3rd Alarm Cuvee
Spektrum’s minty Cabernet Sauvignon made by Mick Dragoo of Belle Marie Vineyards
Orfila, the largest winery in San Diego showed their deep dark fruit forward Petit Sirah
Roadrunner Ridge from rainbow showed an earthy and dusty Petit Sirah
Triple B Ranches featured a Merlot which based on sales was the crowd’s favorite
Fallbrook showed their BDX Bordeaux blend which will be bottled in December to celebrate the Centennial Anniversary for Balboa Park,
The festival brought wineries and the people of San Diego together. I hope that we inspired San Diego oenophiles to drink local wines. The door is now open and it is up to us to reach inside and make the wines of San Diego a natural choice for our next dinner. This Thanksgiving everyone in San Diego should have a bottle of San Diego wine on the table! The wines featured at the Harvest Festival are available at Vintana Wine & Dine, stop in and take a look at the retail space and pick up a local wine for Thursday’s feast.
