Word: wine
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...Islington. These newcomers are challenging GBK's dominance with Scottish, grass-fed, additive-free beef. For Atkins dieters who still want to indulge, the chefs will omit the bun, but carbo-loaders can feast on the "proper chips, never frozen." You can also get the vegetarian options, milkshakes and wine that GBK pioneered, and with speedy service. Lovers of burger kitsch will be glad to see the traditional tomato-shaped ketchup bottles adorning every table...
Sometimes you have to travel to a wine's home in order to understand its character. Last fall, after the harvest in Italy, I stood atop the ruined fortress that looms over the ancient town of Montalcino, the birthplace of Brunello, just 40 km southeast of Siena. From the fortress, I devoured the panoramic view of the Tuscan countryside. In the distance, the grapevine leaves were as colorful as New England's autumnal best. Clumps of olive trees and upright cypresses were shadowed by the brooding Monte Amiata. The whole ambience was distilled in the Brunello I was drinking. Seeing...
...hormones?it's bigger, bolder and pricier. The Biondi-Santi winery in Montalcino is credited with making the first Brunello around 1888, and the firm still produces a glorious version. But it took two winemaking brothers from Long Island, New York, John and Harry Mariani, to raise the wine to fame. In the late 1970s, the Marianis bought a medieval castle in the Montalcino area, Castello Banfi, started growing Sangiovese Grasso grapes on some of the surrounding 2,800 hectares and began making their own Brunello. Thanks to their efforts, the quality and reputation of the local wine whooshed upward...
...covered the labels on 12 bottles to make sure we tasted without prejudice. During the tasting, two wine styles emerged. One was marked by a bright red color, had flavors and aromas of toasted cherry vanilla and was kind of clunky in the mouth. While this modern style of Brunello is flashier and gets more of the attention, all my friends preferred the more traditional style. Its color was brown tinged and its texture more supple. Flavor and aroma observations that we shouted out included black olive, summer cherry, cedar and forest honey, but to me a wonderful Brunello will...
...Speaking of sage, I encouraged my friends to pick a few fresh sage leaves to clean the red-wine residue from their teeth. If they couldn't travel to Montalcino to soak in the wine culture, the least I could do was to bring a little Montalcino to them...