Cook the Book: 'A16 Food + Wine'
In the U.S., the term road food has less-than-appetizing connotations: soggy drive-thru burgers, chicken nuggets made from meat with questionable origins, and corn syrup-infused coffee beverages.
Not so in Italy, where the Autostrada Sedici (Highway Sixteen) runs between Naples and Canosa in Puglia and is studded with rustic trattorias and local wineries. While conducting research for a new San Francisco restaurant, Nate Appleman and Shelley Lindgren found themselves cruising back and forth along the A16, which gave them "a sense of direction in the unfamiliar surroundings." So it's no surprise that they chose it as both the name of their highly acclaimed restaurant and their cookbook, A16 Food + Wine.
A16 Food + Wine begins with an exhaustive overview of Italian wines, from Campania to Sardinia, Aglianico to Vernaccia. The second half of this coffee table–worthy tome is devoted to classic recipes for rustic, approachable dishes made from fresh produce, silken cheeses, and top-quality pastas, breads, and meats. Each recipe also includes a special wine suggestion. I can't wait to try the Braised Halibut with Pistachios, Preserved Meyer Lemon, and Capers; the Pizza Pomodoro with Ricotta; or the Pork Loin Spiedino with Pine Nut, Garlic, and Currant Soffritto.
Win 'A16 Food + Wine'
In addition to excerpting a recipe each day this week we're giving away five (5) copies of A16 Food + Wine. To enter for a chance to win, simply tell us in the comments section below: What is the most memorable glass of wine you have ever had?
Five (5) people will be chosen at random from among eligible comments below. Comments will close Monday, September 8 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Comments are closed: 190 Comments:
The most memorable glass I've had was a Casillero del Diablo cabernet sauvignon while at the vineyard in Chile.
rffoodie at 1:33PM on 09/02/08
A Mommessin Beaujolais Nouveau Aventures vintage 2007 at a dinner presenting the wine that year.
LunaPierCook at 1:45PM on 09/02/08
well, I can't remember the name, but the first time I tried a sparkling red several years back, it was so out of the ordinary (for me) that I always remember it.
painterjane at 1:46PM on 09/02/08
A glass of Darioush Signature Chardonnay at the Darioush vineyard in Napa. It convinced me that I actually like white wine. The setting, though ostentatious was wonderful, and the pistachios served with it delicious.
Shelby at 1:53PM on 09/02/08
A Pomf du Moethe vintage 1987...unforgettable!
bessfour at 2:01PM on 09/02/08
I would say that my more memorable wine would be the St. Julian Merlot I had, which marked my awareness of some of the local vineyards here in Michigan.
kuromu at 2:07PM on 09/02/08
a chateau l'isolette i had at the now closed Provence restaurant.
hrwalf at 2:10PM on 09/02/08
A 2004 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon at Darioush in Napa. The Iranian in me is biased though, given the winery's Persepolis theme. A 2003 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon was delicious too.
yogurtsoda at 2:12PM on 09/02/08
A dry rose`, I had never had pink wine that wasn't sweet before! I don't remember the name unfortunately.
Elmig at 2:16PM on 09/02/08
A 1985 Cos d'Estournel at a Bordeaux tasting at K&L Wines. I finally understood what the fuss was about mature Bordeaux...
Malik at 2:17PM on 09/02/08
I had the pleasure of a glass of 96 year old Madeira at the Herbfarm Restaurant to top off an incredible Copper River Salmon dinner.
I am gluten-intolerant and they went out of their way to make sure my meal was just as complete as everyone else's...even more so.
You should have seen the look on my husband's face when I got fresh, hot cornbread and everyone else got artisan rolls...not to mention the raviolis wrapped in nettle leaves and everyone else had handmade pasta...an amazing meal and the Madeira was the cherry on top.
katwmn1 at 2:19PM on 09/02/08
Drinking Dom Perignon at sunset at Le Chateau Bordeaux on St. John, USVI for my sister's wedding rehearsal dinner. My bro-in-law gave a toast to each of us about being so happy and blessed to join our family and had all of us in tears.
The view is one of the best on St. John, as is the food. Easily one of the best dinners in my life.
bobcatsteph3 at 2:21PM on 09/02/08
Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva Heredad, and it's under $30 retail
Don Luis at 2:21PM on 09/02/08
the most memorable wine i had was a cheapo wine called Gato Negro. I remember it not because it was amazing (it was exactly what you get for $5-hehe) but because of the funny name (and the fact that i have a black cat).
Jadie15 at 2:21PM on 09/02/08
A glass of 85 Krug Clos de Mesnil at a restaurant with an old boss one night. Shockingly, earthshatteringly, priority-revisingly good.
marty mccabe at 2:24PM on 09/02/08
The first time I had a high quality grenache at Bonny Doon.
arbeck at 2:34PM on 09/02/08
The Sassaia at Franny's in Boston - an incredibly weird and good funky white wine. Hard to explain but addictive.
AnaisKoi at 2:38PM on 09/02/08
God I wish I remember the name. It was at the Boccacesca festival in Certaldo, Italy- a few friends and I pitched in and bought a great Chianti Riserva and drank it overlooking the vineyard where I like to think it was grown.
DanielJ at 2:43PM on 09/02/08
The only time I went to Stars restaurant in San Francisco, I had Edna Valley Chardonnay for the first time. Not the most obscure wine now, but at the time, it was a revelation to me.
jocelyng at 2:52PM on 09/02/08
I couldn't tell you the name but it was at TRU in Chicago.
elysek at 2:54PM on 09/02/08
It was a glass of Zinfandel from a winery in Paso Robles that went out of business. It was so easily drinkable and didn't punch my senses with that alcohol zing. We were on a girls trip through the Central Coast and we were having so much fun. I still kick myself for not stocking up on a case of that wine!
threedogkitchen at 2:58PM on 09/02/08
The 2006 Torii Mor Olsen Estates "Old Vine Reserve" Pinot Noir on a recent trip to the Willamette Valley. The finish was nearly five minutes long (!!).
dylinw at 2:58PM on 09/02/08
ABC Pinot Noir - wish I remembered the year. It was a friends birthday dinner at Bay Wolf in Oakland and was accompanied by an absolutely delicious filet mignon.
Up until that point I was very anti-red, drinking mostly viogniers and sauvignon blancs... but I didnt want to commit wine blasphemy at such a nice place so I asked the server for her recommendation. I swear it changed my life and I've been a pinot fan ever since!
hmneilson at 2:59PM on 09/02/08
It was a glass of cabernet sauvignon at Tra Vigne in St. Helena in Napa Valley. Can't recall the name as it was a few years ago but it was absolutely superb!
ilovewine at 3:03PM on 09/02/08
Cusumano Nero d'avola. with friends.
lavenhouse at 3:05PM on 09/02/08
a grenache from the Texas hillcountry vineyard - Becker Vineyards. Fabulous stuff, and wonderful day
nichole at 3:08PM on 09/02/08
I don't know the name of the red wine, but we were in a small restaurant in Milan, Italy and they had to move our table so they could raise the entire floor to reach the stairs going down to the wine cellar to retrieve it.
toastworthy at 3:11PM on 09/02/08
Fracchia Voulet Casourzo 2007, I just love sweet wine...this is a sparking, yummy, red Italian. I also recently tried a Sarracco Moscato d'Asti that was a delicious sparly white Italian. Yum!
pequenalooloo at 3:24PM on 09/02/08
I don't know the name, but it was very sweet. It was in Napa.
MajaMeza79 at 3:25PM on 09/02/08
Captain's Reserve Chardonnay at the Rubicon Estate in Napa Valley
gkstratos@yahoo.com
gkstratos at 3:25PM on 09/02/08
I don't remember the label, but it was an insanely priced Cotes du Rhone that was shared by great friends at a private wine tasting hosted by Gary Vaynerchuk. Amazing
dishingupdelights at 3:28PM on 09/02/08
The most memorable wine I've ever had was a glass of Chassagne-Montrachet to celebrate a wedding anniversary.
BostonDiner at 3:30PM on 09/02/08
I recently had a bottle of Corison Cabernet Sauvignon, from 2000. Lower alcohol than most Napa Cabs (about 13% ABV as I recall), and beautiful soft tannins from the fermentation process and 8 years of aging. Definitely no over-the-top fruit aromas and acidity. Not that there's anything wrong with the bright, high alcohol, fruit-bomb style, but it seems to completely dominate the American market these days. This wine was a nice change of pace from that.
I'm going to save the other bottle I have for the end of the current semester.
Nicholas H at 3:35PM on 09/02/08
Chassagne-Montrachet at the Ocean House in Dennis, MA.
kdjmom3 at 3:39PM on 09/02/08
Had a delicious bottle of Amarone with dinner at Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles. Complemented all the amazing dishes perfectly! I had never had Amarone before and fell in love.
bianca34dw at 4:00PM on 09/02/08
It wasn't just a glass; it was a whole bottle of Thunderbird fortified wine consumed one fateful night at an ocean park--my freshman year in high-school. I was a tea-totaller until well into my majority years after that night. Nowdays, I'm rather fond of late harvest Modre Portugals that are vinted in the Czech Republic.
czken at 4:00PM on 09/02/08
It was a glass of Muscat de Rivesaltes during our first trip to Paris. Up to that point, I had no idea a wine could taste sweet without being sickly, and it had the most unforgettable scent of flowers. It's been a dozen years or more, and I still can imagine it.
anitaepler at 4:01PM on 09/02/08
It was at a celebration dinner with my husband. It was at dessert, a glass of Muscat. I love sweet wine. It was so romantic.
cdziuba at 4:03PM on 09/02/08
It was a bottle of muscadine wine found in an old barn. Probably a holdover from the Ford Administration. It was delicious, unexpected and probably more vinegar than wine. But it was great.
bobdobalane at 4:14PM on 09/02/08
Some Taittinger champagne at a recent birthday. Not so much for the wine (though excellent) but for the amazing company!
mozart23 at 4:22PM on 09/02/08
A 1955 Petrus...Robert Parker came into the restaurant I was working in, many years ago, presenting the bottle with great flourish to impress his date. He had all of a glass and a half of it over dinner, made some chitchat with my co-captain and myself, and, when they finished and stood up, he left us the balance 'to enjoy'. And we certainly did...we spent two hours talking about that wine afterwards, as we took these tiny, starburst sips.
bdown68 at 4:28PM on 09/02/08
A 2002 Riesling from Esk Valley, a New Zealand vineyard. Dry, crisp and refreshing with the most articulate notes of lime, peaches and pineapple I have ever experienced. Perfect on a spring or summer day.
VoraciousMatt at 4:32PM on 09/02/08
I don't remember the specific wine, but it was my introduction to Rhone wines at the now defunct restaurant Avenue 9 in San Francisco. Their regular wine dinners in the late 1990s encouraged my husband and I to try many new varietals and move out of a chardonnay and pinot noir rut.
Catherine at 4:39PM on 09/02/08
Don't remember the name, it was while I was still living in NYC, Fall of 2004, me and some pals we're fortunate enough to find ourselves at Babbo, and we had some reds from Fruilli. Damn tasty.
spanklin at 4:47PM on 09/02/08
I don't remember what it was--a red of some kind. It was Easter and I was visiting my Aunt and Uncle. For some reason the wine made me fall asleep in the middle of Easter dinner! I still laugh about it. It was good wine, though.
kroehl at 4:49PM on 09/02/08
The most memorable was Adelsheim rose.
SEFB9118 at 4:53PM on 09/02/08
the champagne served at my wedding reception.....it's the occasion more than the label.......
starsmom at 5:13PM on 09/02/08
A great Dr. Loosen Riesling. This was very good wine, not spectacular but taught me a very important lesson: riesling goes with pretty much everything.
Josh Baugher at 5:17PM on 09/02/08
Most recent: a bottle of Ceretto Blange shared with friends atop Sobranes Peak in Big Sur after work last Tuesday. Served with prosciutto, mozzarella, basil, juicy tuscan melon, & Belle Vue olive oil from Carmel Valley. The sun was dropping over the Pacific and life was very very good.
CentralCoastContessa at 5:20PM on 09/02/08
i had a bottle of silver leaf or something like that in california. it was a very expensive bottle of wine. it was very good but not worth the money to me personally
imicindy at 5:33PM on 09/02/08
We had just moved into our house and were working on renovations nonstop, and our neighbor brought us a bottle of wine. It was a fantastic sangiovese which is a favorite of mine. Taking a break from a lot of hard work to enjoy that wine was the best.
lisal at 5:34PM on 09/02/08
At a German bar on the Lower East Side, on a bad date... the second white on the list, which I stupidly failed to write down or remember. But DAMN that wine was good.
surplusj at 5:38PM on 09/02/08
The bottle was nothing fancy, and it fact we didn't even have real glasses. But sitting on some secluded steps in an alleyway in the middle of Rome with five great friends made it memorable. We had just escaped the crowds of the Trevi Fountain, and we sat in the lovely evening weather watching the sunset over the rooftops.
jenberger at 5:50PM on 09/02/08
darn...I don't know the name, but it was at a wine tasting and was also the most expensive wine I've ever had.
sharlynn at 5:51PM on 09/02/08
it wasn't expensive but my friend and i had just arrived in paris and were sitting in a park with a cheap bottle of rose, carpaccio and a baguette - heavenly!
PoignantTuna at 6:17PM on 09/02/08
the wine wine we toasted at our wedding i forget the name
mverno at 6:21PM on 09/02/08
The most memorable glass of wine I ever had was a glass of Champagne I shared with my husband on our wedding day more than 30 years ago.
CarolHarrity at 6:31PM on 09/02/08
Chateau Petrus 1966. It was "Fantabulous", and not because it's my birthyear.
ike66 at 7:12PM on 09/02/08
Definitely the Ruinart Blanc de Blanc my husband surprised me with immediately after proposing :)
TheDistrictDomestic at 7:16PM on 09/02/08
Verranzano Chianti --on the estate of the Verranzano vineyard in the Chianti hills of Italy--we were there for our 25th wedding anniversary and we had to pinch ourselves to believe we were there with all the beauty surrounding us. It was a full-bodied red that we adore!
bajjmayer at 7:37PM on 09/02/08
It was called Fat Cat and it is amazing.
agordon10 at 7:44PM on 09/02/08
an amazing aglianico @a16 that opened my eyes to a new region of wines
jutta at 7:46PM on 09/02/08
the best glass has so far been a Michel Picard Burgundy. very mellow and balanced but turned very complex as the night went on!
hoff_83 at 7:49PM on 09/02/08
I wish I remembered the name. Do I still quality to win the book? ;)
alixwall at 7:51PM on 09/02/08
The best wine I ever had was a Merlot on a picnic with my boyfriend. It wasn't the wine-but the company that was so wonderful!
susanchester at 8:05PM on 09/02/08
A wonderful sangiovese blend at our wedding, too bad I don't remember the name...
madball911 at 8:13PM on 09/02/08
have not had an orgasimic wine yet as they say- when I do I will let you know
sandy89 at 8:18PM on 09/02/08
For me it is the pitcher of Sangia that was served at the Columbia Restaurant. The combination of the wine mixed with fruits was awesome!
cherierj at 8:32PM on 09/02/08
It's pretty obvious I'm not a big wine drinker because I have to say it was a cheap glass of merlot.
miamia at 8:58PM on 09/02/08
It was a glass of this cabernet sauvignon from Silver Deer or something like that.
PattyCho at 9:32PM on 09/02/08
I found a wonderful Eos cabernet at a wine tasting a couple of years ago... that is only rivaled by sipping champagne at the Sydney Opera House. I have no idea what label the champagne was, but under those circumstances, who really cares?
fangirl at 9:35PM on 09/02/08
Smashed Grapes at the discount grocery for 2.99.
idahomom at 9:39PM on 09/02/08
It was a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon with friends
susan1215 at 9:53PM on 09/02/08
My first glass of wine after moving to NYC: a glass of Shiraz at a sidewalk café in Astoria near my friend's apartment. I don't remember the label or year, but it was fantastic - if only because of the thrill of actually being in New York (yes, Queens is part of the city) on a warm summer night.
piccola at 10:04PM on 09/02/08
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay back in 1978. Probably was a '76. Tasted the way Chardonnay should taste and I haven't had one as good since.
lucylucy at 10:15PM on 09/02/08
A 2003 C'est Syrah Belle from Walter Dacon in Shelton, WA. I had not been much of a wine person until that moment.
kalajo at 10:29PM on 09/02/08
Canadian ice wine my then-boyfriend (now husband) bought for my birthday :)
mrsbao at 10:48PM on 09/02/08
don't know the names of the wines, but during
my first trip to Europe/student days:
my friend and I saved up for a memorable meal in Paris
We loved the food, but didn't have enough money to order wine...some business folks at an adjoining table ordered amazing wines for each course of their elaborate meal, and kept sending us the half-finished bottles.
Memorable wines and a memorable experience.
gorzd at 10:49PM on 09/02/08
Ceretto Blange at a friends house
chromiumman at 11:13PM on 09/02/08
iced wine while traveling through Canada
zekks at 11:25PM on 09/02/08
A Meursault after our wedding 24 years ago.
tcjanes at 11:30PM on 09/02/08
A vintage dessert ice wine I tasted at a wedding when I was 14.
Apparently it was really expensiiiivvve. I don't recall; I thought it was disgusting.
I'd really like to try it again now, however, and see how it measures up to memory.
jazzinx at 1:03AM on 09/03/08
A Reisling that I had a Emeril's NOLA restaurant in 2003. I lost the name of it and have (unsuccessfully) tried to track it down ever since
*sigh*..The one that got away!
Erinay77 at 1:18AM on 09/03/08
Two come to mind. Years ago at a restaurant dinner party I enjoyed Stag's Leap Chardonnay, it was exquisite. Can't remember the food but I always remember the Stag's Leap. My dad took me to lunch a few years ago and he ordered Loimer 2003 Langenlois Reserve, the one and only Reisling I've ever liked -- liked it a lot.
ride&cook at 3:04AM on 09/03/08
After my husband proposed we had a glass of Dom Perignon.
LindaA at 7:26AM on 09/03/08
a 2000 touriga nacional... with some rosemary aged manchego
portuguesegirl at 7:56AM on 09/03/08
The most memorable glass of wine I ever had was a 1991 Silverado Merlot Reserve. It was so good that when I visited the winery six years later and went for a wine tasting, just mentioning it to the vinter kept him in conversation with me for over an hour. Yes, it was that good.
AsTheNight at 8:13AM on 09/03/08
Long ago, my friend took a bottle from his father's collection. It was a Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon, believe it was a '64. His father had been saving that bottle for a specific special occasion and was heartbroken. We were left with guilt and headaches. Though it was enlightening the difference between that bottle and the $1.99 Spanata we'd been using for our spritzers.
OliverRanch at 11:15AM on 09/03/08
Meerlust Merlot, with chocolate truffles, overlooking Camp's Bay in Cape Town, South Africa.
hungryinhouston at 11:19AM on 09/03/08
I don't remember the name, it was a bottle we were given to replace a nice one that my roommates had drank not realizing that we were saving it for a special occasion. While not the traditional champagne, that bottle of red whatever-it-was that we drank one New Years Eve is still the best glass of wine I've ever had.
blossomtostem at 11:26AM on 09/03/08
A marsala wine.
gkran at 12:51PM on 09/03/08
My husband's boss gave him a bottle of Chateau Margaux that was the most amazing wine either of us has ever tasted! We opened it on our wedding anniversay, and as it was worth several hundred dollars at the time, we almost couldn't bring ourselves to open it.
amylou61 at 12:54PM on 09/03/08
A Pino that really blew my socks off.
dove1960 at 1:12PM on 09/03/08
Gato Negro; I'm a sucker for a good name.
dwarzel at 1:36PM on 09/03/08
It was 2006. The sun was beginning to set on 14th Street as I slowly drifted along. A sweet breeze blew in the warm summer air. I noticed, up ahead, a crowd had gathered and seemed to be buzzing with unbridled excitement. Naturally, I glided toward them to see what the electricity was about...it was the opening of an exotic new boutique wine store. I was drawn in like a moth to the flame - before I knew it, a dazzling, sparkling display had attracted me like a sultry lover. I picked up a bottle, made a transaction, and flew home in what is only a blur in my mind. I rushed to the kitchen, tore off the casing, and popped the cork. The nectar that touched my tongue was like none other I had ever experienced, and may never again.
Charles Shaw, "Chuck" as some of your other admirers say, I will always remember you.
savecara at 1:42PM on 09/03/08
So far, Scholium Project's Cena Trimalchionis. The stuff is insane. Some of the best wine I've ever had I've long forgotten though. Such is the nature of the beast.
simon at 1:44PM on 09/03/08
a fantastic pinot that smelled lovely and just went down beautifully
Poorfoodee at 1:48PM on 09/03/08
I learned to love red with a Rioja -- I think it was Bodegas Muga. It was in Madrid sitting outside in the Plaza Santa Ana and eating a huge hunk of manchego.
megannesta at 1:55PM on 09/03/08
night train 1992.
paper bag.
sitting in barton creek, getting drunk in the dark,
with the dude I didn't know who I harassed into buying some booze for me from Mr. G's convenience store.
I let him choose the vintage.
what can I say? I don't drink much wine
intheyearofthepig at 2:08PM on 09/03/08
I took a weekend trip to Johns Pass at Madeira beach. There is a winery there so we sampled several wines. It is there I came upon the best wine I've ever had - Key Lime Wine. Bought a bottle then and get one every time we visit again. Mmmm.
DePro1 at 2:26PM on 09/03/08
I haven't had it yet. I'm hoping someday to drink a glass from a bottle without a screw top!!
delilahhhhh at 2:28PM on 09/03/08
A 2001 Houge chardonnay pared with peach sorbet and dark chocolate. The combination was fantastic (and the company was pretty good, too).
jenilowrance at 2:29PM on 09/03/08
the bottle of wine we as a big family shared, following a beautiful wedding on Magens Bay in St Thomas USVI
doodle423 at 2:35PM on 09/03/08
A '96 Chambertin at Louis Jadot winery in Beaune, poured by M. Gagey himself.
suthungirl at 2:56PM on 09/03/08
Shenandoah Vineyards Zinfandel 2004 Paul's Reserve. We were in Amador County, CA a few years back and stopped at one of the prettiest vineyards. We paid our customary fee to get the etched glasses and snuggled up to the wine bar.
We spent a little extra to taste the reserves. This one knocked-our-socks off! It was deep and bold, the jammy fruits went down like honey! "That's it", I said, "Let's buy a bottle!" That was just before the airlines changed their rules on flying with liquids.
We dragged a mix-and-match hodgepodge of 34 bottles home with us...carry-on! We saved that bottle for our anniversary. The aroma was intoxicating when we popped the cork. We let it breathe a bit, poured a sample, swirling and sniffing. We closed our eyes, took that first mouthful and held it in, swishing it around our mouths. All at once, the two of us opened our eyes and oohed and aahed together. The sounds we made as we drank the rest of that bottle most likely sounded vulgar to anyone within earshot, but we didn't care. When the last drip was squeezed from the bottle, we both had a bittersweet moment of sadness. This perfect bottle was gone. We had only brought back only one. To be honest, we really did have moist eyes!
While we were visiting family out-of-state a year and a half later, we found a store that carried wine from the same vineyard. We didn't care what it cost and ordered a case of 12. Each time we open a bottle, we close our eyes and see the vineyard, smell the dusky foliage and dream of Amador County. As I write this, there are still 3 bottles with dust on them, waiting for more memories. That's MY favorite wine moment! Now, where did I put that corkscrew?
cruisingkitty at 4:00PM on 09/03/08
So far, 2005 Koehler Granache from Santa Barbara...amazing!
amaLosAngeles at 4:17PM on 09/03/08
Rioja Reserva-especially when it was cheap.
elliepayson at 4:24PM on 09/03/08
I really need to learn about wines and would love this book. The most memorable wine I had was a wicked Shiraz from Australia. Wicked because after several glasses I was only able to decorate one Christmas ornament. Good stuff, but deadly. Thank you so much!
Tina12312 at 4:40PM on 09/03/08
It would have to be my first glass. Chateau St. Michelle Gewürztraminer. Not particularly expensive but it was sweet, fruity and when paired with a small roll-up my boss prepared they both danced in my mouth. I've been trying to recreate that sensation ever since.
bobfole at 4:41PM on 09/03/08
Pindar's Winter White from Long Island
LIDARKSIDE at 4:47PM on 09/03/08
Harlan/Bond
pjlein at 5:01PM on 09/03/08
At a family christmas party someone brought a bottle of riesling, first wine I ever had that I liked.
catalu at 5:20PM on 09/03/08
I had this glass of yuzu wine at my favorite sushi joint that I can't get out of my head. Normally I'm all about big reds, but this was a sweet white. The flavor was so odd, but so pronounced and interesting. I have no idea where to get this crazy wine, or if I would even like it again...but I certainly did with that lovely dinner.
ironstef at 6:04PM on 09/03/08
Dinner at Charlie Trotters in Chicago
rockymountainmarta at 6:07PM on 09/03/08
99 Masi Vaio Armarone. Words can't describe it.
practicallydone at 6:25PM on 09/03/08
No clue what the actual wine was, but it was pretty exciting to be at a winery and tasting wines with the intention of buying a case or so. Having the owners of the winery talk about the products and see what I liked, and allowing me to sample them was fun, and particularly so the first time around. This wasn't a big or fancy winery, and it wasn't in what you'd consider wine country. This was a tiny winery in a suburb of Chicago.
dbcurrie at 6:47PM on 09/03/08
Cakebread Chardonnay, at the Cakebread vineyards. I normally don't like Chardonnays, but this one was a revelation. I dragged as many bottles home with me as they would allow! Since then I don't buy it that often but I'm always looking for it at a good price.
Jeana at 6:56PM on 09/03/08
I once had a glass of red that completly filled my mouth with chocolate and cherry (a combination that nomraly makes me gag) that was so sublime. To this day I do not know what the wine was but I remember being completely focused on that mind-blowing taste.
Colengal at 7:06PM on 09/03/08
Riunite lambrusco. Not the best wine I ever had, but it was the first I ever tried.
flourgirl72 at 7:50PM on 09/03/08
I don't remember the name but it was at a B & B me and my husband went to a few years back. It was kind of sweet but I liked it that way.
steevee at 8:00PM on 09/03/08
A 2001 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Cannubi. The most precise and elegant nose I had the pleasure to experience.
poodle at 8:16PM on 09/03/08
i hope i win
tiacarter at 9:43PM on 09/03/08
The most memorable glass of wine I ever had will be the one I am having tomorrow...
aburke at 9:44PM on 09/03/08
A glass of Robert Modavi Merlot Reserve at a special wine tasting at the vineyard in 1986. Bought one bottle to take home with me. Could never find the same after that.
slcrose at 10:35PM on 09/03/08
The most memorable for me was my first glass of Madeira. We splurged on a 250 pp set price 9 course meal, and the meal ended with a teeny bit of pricey Madeira, and I was amazed how delicious it was, made the meal complete.
gibbylet at 10:46PM on 09/03/08
When I wasn't yet a teenager my dad let me try his glass of wine. I distinctly remember it being an Amarone, and I knew at that time I'd always love red wine!
Littlebluesiren at 11:42PM on 09/03/08
the glass of champagne I had on new years eve 2000. I was only a young teenager and my parents generally let us drink wine with them at home, but it was the first time they let me drink in public!
banana at 11:50PM on 09/03/08
What's the word?
Thunderbird!
jd7979 at 9:09AM on 09/04/08
Wine tasting in Oregon.
kevlney at 9:59AM on 09/04/08
AN AOC Cote de Rhone, obtained by some obscure cousin of my next door neighbor. Magnifique.
gregsmom at 10:04AM on 09/04/08
My most memorable wine experience might be the time my then-fiance and I went to Vegas. We had dinner at Aureole and ordered one of the least expensive bottles on the menu, a $35 white 2001 Bordeaux. It was AMAZING. Then we went to the Belagio poker room and I won two large and tipsy hands. My playing went south as I sobered up, but it was a good night indeed.
Stufsocker at 10:26AM on 09/04/08
ah, boon's farm...i tease.
i had a beaujolais village once that was spectacular.
couldn't tell you the year of it tho.
gastronomeg at 11:34AM on 09/04/08
First red wine I ever liked....Yellowtail Shiraz.
We went to a church where the children's ministry director had a mom's night out a couple times a year, appetizer potluck and she provided the place and beverages. Her husband worked for Chrysler and they entertained for business frequently, so she had a very complete wine selection to choose from.
Also large balloon wineglasses for the red wine...I think one glass was probably 8-10 oz. =)
akk328 at 12:56PM on 09/04/08
an haut brion rose that I had on my 30th birthday (back in 1995). I don't remember the vintage.
karen r at 1:04PM on 09/04/08
a 198-something Chateau Margaux at my friend's wedding.
michellelikestoeat at 1:09PM on 09/04/08
2000 Ridge non-zin blend
stevebillings at 1:40PM on 09/04/08
that first sip of pinot at an anniversary dinner.
Poorfoodee at 1:42PM on 09/04/08
I agree with some of the other posters - the first time I tried Proseco, that sparkling, fizzy delight in a glass, I was so taken by it!
Bria at 1:42PM on 09/04/08
In 2004 my wife and I went to Napa and got engaged. We visited several wineries, including Coppola's. We had a rose, named "Sofia," after Francis's daughter. We took several bottles him with us and this past July, while my wife was pregnant with our second child, a daughter, we were looking at the "Sofia" bottles and settled on a name. Sofia Lynn was born August 2 and we opened one of our Sofia bottles after we got home from the hospital to celebrate.
davidnj at 1:48PM on 09/04/08
My very first sip of Riesling... and I was in love :D
Seina at 2:09PM on 09/04/08
Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill. You did say memorable, not favorite or best. I'll *never* forget that taste *shudder*.
jymbrittain at 2:14PM on 09/04/08
After my did died I cracked into a bottle of his home-made wine - oh MAN was it ever awful! He was a great guy, but that wine went straight down the drain ...
kylad at 4:02PM on 09/04/08
a glass of krug champagne in La Paz, Bolivia at 12,500 feet above sea level. I got extra tipsy!
AnnArtiste at 4:27PM on 09/04/08
My first glass of Conti Capponi Villa Calcinaia Chianti Classico with my History of Tuscany professor, Niccolo Capponi, this past spring.
Sidebar, I know he was pompous, but has anyone else ever had this wine? It's one of the most amazing reds I've ever tasted and I highly recommend it.
kfarrel3 at 5:02PM on 09/04/08
Last night's glass of Merlot on the riverside at sunset with my true love and a great friend.
raspberrypicker at 5:47PM on 09/04/08
I have 2 killer memories - 1998 Lewis Syrah!! and Grey Wolf "Soulmate" 2 killer wines - The soulmate was one that when I was dating my hubby we bought and saved and drank it on our wedding night and aged amazing and was off the charts good...
Cheers
Cathy
Wheresmydamnanswer at 6:14PM on 09/04/08
I remember my first sip of Gewurztraminer. I was at a hip restaurant with my sister and decided to try a new wine. I nearly spit it out! I couldn't believe it was supposed to taste peppery. When I told the server it tasted peppery, he said, "Yeah, isn't it a great example of a Gewurz?" It was the beginning of my understanding and appreciation of wine.
scaevola at 7:22PM on 09/04/08
Petit Meunier, Chandon in Napa, 2000.
GregWA at 7:30PM on 09/04/08
It was a Renwood Zinfandel that I had at my wife's aunt's house. We had been dating for around a year and I was never really into wine. I took one sip and it was so good. I couldn't get over how complex and delicious this was. I finally saw what the appeal of good wine was.
I think from that moment on I became more aware and interested in wine, so much so that last year, we planned a whole vacation around wine in Napa and Sonoma...and to tie it to the A-16 book, on that same trip we were supposed to eat at A-16 there one night but something came up and we had to cancel our reservation. :(
EatWisconsin at 9:31PM on 09/04/08
Have had a number of memorable wines, or wine drinking experiences, the first of which comes to mind is at the John Ash restaurant in northern CA, where the sommlier recommended a wine from the J vineyard.
Faither at 7:32AM on 09/05/08
A glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo which made me realize why people love red wine!
Annek at 9:59AM on 09/05/08
My most memorable glass of wine might be Pike’s 2004 Dry Riesling. While at the Disney EPCOT Food and Wine Festival last year I attended a seminar on Australian wine regions and we discussed the Clare Valley region. The presenter said in his opinion you can never go wrong with any Riesling that is grown in the Clare Valley. Being a Riesling gal I asked him afterwards what his favorite was and he suggested the 2004 Pike’s. It’s a screw top wine and runs about 18-dollars locally. It was one of the best non-German Rieslings I have had…crisp with a bite to it. It was amazing with an asparagus risotto that I made once. It is now one of my most favorite Rieslings to purchase!
Flutter_Bee at 12:29PM on 09/05/08
manischewitz extra heavy malaga
tracker at 1:12PM on 09/05/08
I see into the future to the day we pop open the bottle of Cristal in my fridge to celebrate the thing its being saved to celebrate.
oneperfectegg at 1:32PM on 09/05/08
A wine that was made with Chancellor noir grapes, I have yet to find the like again.
HelloChris at 2:52PM on 09/05/08
I can't say I really have had any memorable wines, but I really want that cookbook, so I'm commenting anyway!
Tactful_Cactus at 3:11PM on 09/05/08
We had very little $ for our little house wedding...so we bought Sutter Home White Zinfandel..and this was my most memorable glass...it was what we had a toast with, to each other, after my husband and I got married
mama43 at 4:06PM on 09/05/08
New Gruner Veltliner at a Heuriger in Austria
PeanutButter at 5:06PM on 09/05/08
The glass of wine I drank when my now husband proposed. I honestly have no idea what it was, but the moment made it the most delicious thing I had ever tasted.
blgrimes at 9:56PM on 09/05/08
Picking one wine - is it the Leonetti Merlot that I had with my wife on our anniversary, the '89 Drouhin Montrachet at dinner with Frederic Drouhin, the Barbeito Madeira that was as long-lived as me on my 50th birthday, the Valdelana Agnus in the heart of Rioja or the Billecart-Salmon Rose that rings in each New Year. In the end I would have to pick the '98 Rousseau Clos-St.-Jacques that made my wife utter "so this is what Burgundy is all about."
Oenonome at 11:39PM on 09/05/08
A glass of Los Carneros Chardonnay with my soon to be wife at a roof top Italian restaurant in Carmel, Ca. BTW, I'm a red guy and would almost go so far to say "ABC".
RobertL at 12:57AM on 09/06/08
A Sean Thackrey Pleiades from a few years ago.
dikaryon at 9:07AM on 09/06/08
1994 Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon
It was memorable in many ways. It was my first time buying wine in earnest and not just grabbing any bottle in the grocery store. Some place in town was having a buy a bottle get a bottle for a nickle sale, and I went crazy. I didn't know where to start knowing very little about wine, except pat advice given me by friends and family in the past. I asked an employee to help me pick out some. One bottle I bought because the lady next to me told me to. I had however, read in some free weekly publication that the 1994 California cabs were great, so I set about looking for at least one. I got confused by the sign, and thought I was buying a much cheaper bottle. I didn't realize the price was the computed total after the sale.
I gave one bottle as a gift to someone letting me stay at their place. I later took the other bottle to dinner with my boyfriend's family. It was the best wine I had had at that point and most likely still my favorite, definitely in the top two.
bingsy at 12:19PM on 09/06/08
1996 Georges de Latour
1997 Georges de Latour
1998 Georges de Latour
I had a winemaker dinner held at the CIA in Napa. On my right was the winemaker and he walked me through each glass of wine. Not just the tasting but the weather, the soil, mixing, etc.
Steamy Kitchen at 1:32PM on 09/06/08
1996 Philliponnat Clos des Goisses!
Gorgeous!
Silvia at 3:28PM on 09/06/08
The organic red table wine made by an Italian family I lived with in the Emilia-Romana region of Italy, just above Tuscany. I'd never tried a wine I loved until then...and we drank it at every meal. I returned to the States a happy convert.
miso at 5:04PM on 09/06/08
it was more of an entire wine experience-- my first time at citronelle, 15 course tasting menu.. i've never before and never again liked a merlot, but man, whatever Mark served us was incredible. sadly it was a little late in the tasting, and i was a bit tipsy by then, and forgot the name!
fetacrackwhore at 5:27PM on 09/06/08
The first time I tried a Malbec at a restaurant...and then realized I could afford a whole bottle at the store!
shandon at 8:52PM on 09/06/08
I can't say that I have had one yet, but would love to!
yellowlabs at 9:01PM on 09/06/08
By far the best was a glass of Cabernet that I had a small family owned and run winery in Santa Barbera.It was part of a very limited bottling done for a charity event and I shared my glass with the owner of the winery and the conversation was as good as the wine and made the experience that much better!
alycep06 at 1:54PM on 09/07/08
an australian shiraz that was to die for
sln123 at 2:12PM on 09/07/08
I don't remember the name, but I almost spit it out when my husband popped the question! That is my most memorable glass of wine.
egreca at 2:29PM on 09/07/08
Dom Perignon at my college graduation party. My parents purchased this bottle and put it away. Four years and a degree later, I sipped my first Dom Perigon with my parents and friends.
diesel51 at 3:28PM on 09/07/08
The most memorable for me was a Pino Noir that I was sipping while watching a movie with my then boyfriend who is not much of a traditionalist turned to me and asked if I'd like to call my mother and tell her we were getting married. My reply back was yes, but I'd like to finish my glass of wine first which I promptly drank rather quickly.
beausdorei at 4:28PM on 09/07/08
I am a non-drinker; I would go for a guave juice.
saturdaynightfever at 4:34PM on 09/07/08
My most memorable glass of wine was the first time I tasted my Dad's homemade wine.
steadier571 at 4:40PM on 09/07/08
My most memorable would be a St. Christopher Piesporter Qualitatswein
nicnac at 6:09PM on 09/07/08
I vividly remember this one - I took the train down from New Haven to NYC during my last week of college for a little tryst. We went to Shade (that crepe place on Sullivan Street in the West Village) and he ordered me a glass of a St. Emilion; I had never tasted such good wine (especially having been a college student and therefore accustomed to bottles of wine that was under $8) and was totally smitten (with both the wine and the guy).
charm city cupcake at 10:57PM on 09/07/08
I don't remember the name of my most memorable wine but I know it was a red wine. My aunt served it for Thanksgiving one year. I was so surprised that they let us kids have wine. It was delicious.
agsweeps at 12:30AM on 09/08/08
Certainly the most memorable glass of wine I ever had was when I went to the Biltmore estate with an old lover - the one that got away - and after just a perfect day we stopped and sipped a desert wine from the Biltmore Estate there in the garden. The sun was setting, the garden was in full bloom and intoxicating, and the win hit the spot.
skullaria at 12:55AM on 09/08/08
at a new years party, i can't remember what it was called but it was great!
samanthapayntr at 1:13AM on 09/08/08
When my oldest son was born, a friend brought a bottle of wine to the hospital and we toasted his arrival in paper cups. That was the best wine I ever had.
kathleenyohanna at 1:47AM on 09/08/08
Bishop Creek Dessert Wine from a local winery
kohndr at 3:35AM on 09/08/08
A glass or two of Santa Rita Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon while flying in 1st class on American Airlines to NYC just to have my hair cut.
atreau at 5:00AM on 09/08/08
The memorable glass of wine I had was with my friend at the opening of a pizza restaurant.
lilyk at 7:44AM on 09/08/08
Right after I was married we were wined and dined by my husband's new boss and at that meal I ordered my first ever glass of white wine. That was the best glass of wine I've ever had!
blueviolet at 9:53AM on 09/08/08
1995 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon during a small wine tasting event at the winery in Napa Valley
sdeas at 10:05AM on 09/08/08
My first taste of Shiraz at a company Christmas party almost ten years ago - Thierry & Guy Fat bastard.
schnitzel at 10:23AM on 09/08/08
A glass from a $100 Bourdeaux. I do not remember the name sadly.
hungrylikethewolf at 11:31AM on 09/08/08
Thank you for participating, and congratulations to our winners:
Stufsocker
blgrimes
cherierj
ilovewine
katwmn1
Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page.
Lucy Baker at 12:32PM on 09/08/08