Marie Brooke Dancers - Napoleon Wilkerson. Courtesy of Telfair Museum

Art & Soul: Exhibit at Beach Institute

This well-devised plan failed after only a few white wines.  (I love reds, and there were SOOOO many to choose from that I was compelled to amend my strategy.)  But I digress – let me tell you about the white I felt worthy of stealing a mouthful of my personally ascribed allotment: Vintage 59 Imports Natter Sancerre (2008).  I’m not going to say much – go get a bottle and tell me if you agree!  There were two more whites worthy of mention, however, Emmolo’s Sauvignon Blanc 2009 and Peterson Winery’s Timbercrest Farms Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc.

But my passion is Reds and several of my favorites were there: Clayhouse’s Adobe Red, importer Terra Verus’ L’Aroc Pario Rosso, Amizetta’s Complexity, W.H. Smith’s Maritime Pinot Noir, Bliss Family Vineyards’ California Zinfandel, Low Country Imports’ Vin Dillon Pinot Noir and, finally, TOG’s (The Other Guys) impressive collection: Hey Mambo Red (love it), and Plungerhead Lodi Zin and Plungerhead Dry Creek Zin.  Sticking to the plan I chose to merely nod in passing – I did, after all, have a long way to go before I finished!  Oh, wait. I actually did indulge in a few sips at one of my favorites: Four Vines. Such an incredible impressive array of wines, (not one of which I would turn down), and the opportunity to speak with winemaker and visionary, Christian Tietje, was too enticing to pass up.  Then I broke another rule and tasted wines I have in my portfolio.  Well, it seemed only polite, I told myself, to actually drink his wines while engaging in conversation.  If you know me, the names of his heralded wines beg one to take the dare and taste:  Anarchy, Loco, Heretic, Biker and Maverick, as well as the Sophisticate.  If you don’t know me, well, consider this an introduction.

I sipped my way through Spain at two different tables: Ole Importers and Spanish Wines, Inc. importer.  The young man at Ole asked a few questions on my preferences, and then poured to suit what I believed I like… and lead me in another direction … which is okay, is it not, to have one’s palate opened to new sensations?  My favorite was Paradigma 2007, followed by Brozal Red 2008.  The table for Spanish Wines was manned by Josh Hackler, a 26-year-old entrepreneur who fell in love with Spain on a family vacation at age 14.  He returned in 2005 to Oviedo on Spain’s northern coast as part of his study abroad program through U. South Carolina, and began to map out his vision – a long-term commitment to the customer, not the individual winemaker – and wine that is affordable.  My favorite at this table was the Elios Priorat, a red blend, which Josh says “walks on the meterosxual side of Priorat – it’s as though the poor soils of Priorat got a makeover in a Calvin Klein suit.”

The winner that night? Jonata (pronounced as Honata), a California winery.  Not just because they are committed to sustainability as a way of life.  Not just because they are a new breed of producers growing grapes in untraditional soil composition (I get a bit fuzzy here, but I believe he said sand!) enriched by a revolving group of livestock (chickens, pigs, sheep, goats and turkeys) that leave the proper nutrients behind once they have “lived” in an area for a while.  Let me just say the wines are elegant, remarkably complex, and stunning, a word that pops up over and over if you do any research on this winemaker.  Treat yourself to the 2006 Jonata Desafio.

Amidst all this tasting and eating (I did eat some nibbles), I rubbed elbows with a few old friends, and made some new ones.  The fun new friend of the evening was a gentleman that I knew only as Dennis – who assured me he did the hair of the (Hollywood) stars – and began touching my hair and pushing it around on my head – he loved the color, but thought I should go for a bit more length.  We finally ended up peeking into the girl’s room and finding it empty, we slipped inside where he dolloped some soap (yep) onto his palms and used it to restyle my hair, easily taking 10 years off my looks with a few tweaks and teases!  Was he Really a stylist to the stars… or had I been conned into having soap rubbed through my hair?  I tell you another time.

We would like to take this time to invite you to join us for our 4th Summer Wine Tasting and Pairing on September 18 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.  We will be joined by Diane Rousakis and Lindsay Melton of United Wine Distributors who will share with you their extensive knowledge of Red Blends (Malbec, Sangiovese, etc) and food pairings.  This tasting is available only to guests of the inn and the cost per couple is only $35 for a sampling of wines and gourmet appetizers prepared by our chef, Kolin Podell. Please register at time of booking.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The Savannah Craft Brew Fest is the area’s much-anticipated opportunity to experience a two-day festival devoted to the craft brew lover. Meet brewers from across the U.S. while tasting premium craft beer on beautiful Savannah Harbor.

The 2010 Savannah Craft Brew Fest will be held on Labor Day Weekend, on September 3-4. On Friday, September 3 at the Craft Brew Pairings Dinner, enjoy the tastes of great Lowcountry cuisine while sampling craft brews that have been chosen to enhance the flavor. This event will feature the best of Southern cuisine and craft brews from across the U.S.

The Savannah Craft Brew Fest will take place on Saturday, September 4 and will feature more than 120 different craft brews. Overlooking the Savannah River and beautiful Historic Savannah, this outdoor event will be held on the Esplanade at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center.

Azalea Inn & Gardens

susanintheskies   1 contribution

Las Vegas, Nevada

Aug 29, 2010 | Trip type: Friends getaway

Soho South Cafe

Just another sunny Saturday in beautiful Savannah! Walking around in the historic district, we (Kolin, chef at Azalea Inn and Gardens and my wife, Cami) visited some of our favorite places. Strolling down Jones Street admiring the ornate ironwork and lush gardens we worked up an appetite.  Then out of the blue, a small raincloud gathered overhead and started to empty on us. What a perfect time to duck into Low Country Gourmet Foods on Liberty Street. This place has the most excellent tasting room; we took in the aromas and sipped some fine, fruit infused Balsamic vinegars… this also helped peak our cravings for some good eats. Therefore, we continued our journey (when the sun burst through that little rain pocket again)  just a bit further down the street to 12 West Liberty Street, the home of Soho South Cafe.  

The artsy, Savannah chic lunch spot houses some great art and reading materials to browse while you wait. Yes, we did wait about 20 minutes for lunch, but it was worth it! The hostess was busy but very friendly and seemed to be able to accommodate just about any request. When we were seated at a cozy two-top, our server buzzed right over to us and took our drink and lunch order (which we had already decided upon during our wait). Refreshing sweet tea with mint and lemon for both of us. As we took in our colorful and artful surroundings, we watched as various plates were being delivered, each heaping with large portions of scrumptious looking fare… we could hardly contain ourselves when we finally saw our girl headed straight to us with our order. I decided firmly on the Grilled Salmon BLT and my wife chose one of her favorites, a classic pairing of ham, brie and granny smith apples, all melty and warm on a toasted baguette. My salmon BLT came adorned with a zesty and creamy herbed mayo, thick cut hearty bacon and fresh lettuce and tomato. The salmon was expertly grilled and the slight char along with the smoky salty bacon was utter dreaminess. Then, to just make it all go down a bit easier, they nestled all this warm grilled goodness on a buttery, croissant-like challah bun. My wife’s baguette sandwich was equally delicious. We ended the perfect meal sharing  a simple chocolate-chip cookie. Soho South is definitely an ideal lunch location for a sunny (or mostly sunny) Saturday afternoon!