That would best describe our weekend, as Saturday and Sunday were sandwiched between two wine events, both in Raleigh.

Friday’s was an industry-wide tasting with representatives of several distribution houses and winemakers from across the country. Monday’s event was a warehouse sale at Juice’s wine center.

By Monday, we were smart enough to have a designated driver, as we felt somewhat fortunate to have made it home alive Friday night. We had been invited to Friday’s event by Wisdom Beverage, and, not really knowing what it was about, Joel and I decided to go since we knew, at the very least, there would be some wine to taste.

Well, an event that should have lasted six hours was packed into two, and we tasted about 29 wines (at least that is how many are in my notebook). We nibbled a little cheese and bread along the way, but found the need to stop on the way home for cheeseburgers and milkshakes…something a little more absorbent.

We were greeted by our girl from Juice, Amanda, when we arrived at the show, and soon found that there were representatives from throughout the industry showcasing their wines. So we tasted some stellar stuff, including Relic, Morlet, Larkin, Realm, Dr. Stephens, Reynolds and Trefethen…to name just a few.

I tried to write some notes on the way home, but, for the life of me, I can’t make out what they say (although the word “help” seems to appear more than once…).

Anyway, we had a decent weekend, with a lot of new people coming in to try the food. Some from as far as L.A. (that’s “Leland Area”), who saw the article in the newspaper a couple weeks ago. On Sunday I did a real nice shrimp and grits, and made some more mousse.

And then there was Monday, and another 22 wines into the notebook (that’s 51 in two days, for those of you scoring at home!). Juice has an awesome portfolio, as they are small enough that Don can cherry pick wines that he likes. They bring us such favorites as the Tin Barn wines, Prisoner, Domaine de la Solitude, Plungerhead and Elyse.

That is usually Joel’s wine philosophy. He is a saver. Some might even call him a hoarder (“some,” meaning “me”). In fact, when we were getting ready to open the shop, we each sacrificed our personal wine refrigerators for the common good of the shop. Since they contained wine we had not purchased through the approved wholesale channels, we had to drink it.

That is what we do for our customers. We drink wine. For you.

Anyway, long story short, Joel’s fridge was chock-full of wines he had been collecting over the years. Some of which he had purchased out from under me (I learned quickly not to tell Joel about good wines I had found, because he would immediately go out and buy them all up…hence, a hoarder). But we had to drink it. All of it. So, while we worked on the shop, getting ready to open, we supped on some of the finest wines we had yet collected.

Little has changed since. But that is not a complaint, because I am usually a beneficiary. Most recently, we got to sample some Burly wine one of the superstar Cabs from last week’s Choice wine show. Joel bought two bottles, one of which he was going to save. But he didn’t. Because we drank it. And it was good.

Back to the story. Where we left off last week, we were waking up after the Choice show and an amazing dinner compliments of Abriana’s excellent staff. In the fridge we had eggs and bacon, as well as leftover salmon, crab, lobster and spinach from dinner. So I made omelets (although there was one with just cheese...Joel doesn’t eat seafood!).

There was about a half glass of Merlot from the night before sitting on the coffee table, and I took a taste of it while I was cooking. It had not survived the night, and I was forced to do the one thing that hurts me most…pour it down the sink.

But breakfast was delicious, and before we knew it we were on the road to Myrtle for the hospitality trade show. For or après breakfast wine, we started with the always delightful Seghesio Zinfandel. Delicious, but I found it was not a good mix with the white pants and light-colored shirt I was wearing. Joel hit a bump, and I spilled about a half a glass into my crotch. It looked like I had been shot. And it hurt almost as much, because it was such a lovely wine.

I sacrificed my last BenMarco for this trip, which followed the Zin quite nicely, and before we knew it we were at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Last, it seemed like the show was a lot more restaurant oriented.

I suppose it is a sign of the current economy, which has seen so man restaurants fail, that made this show more hotel-centric.

The trip was not a total loss, however, as we did get to lunch at P.F. Chang’s, which means a lot of hot saki.

Home again, home again, to Thursday and an awesome wine tasting! We only served that many plates one other time, on New Year’s Eve! Teresa kicked ass, as always, but I had to get back there and help, and for two solid hours we were putting out plates!

Wow!

A decent weekend, lots of food, and here we are again, getting ready for another weekend. Sweet Liza will be doing this week’s tasting, which will include a lovely Pinot Noir and a delicious Cab from Cali. Don’t miss it.

OK, and don’t forget Valentine’s Day. So far, I have narrowed it down to chocolate mousse and almond Champagne. Still thinking about the main course. But, of course, it will be delicious. We will have music and a gypsy fortune teller, so make your plans now.

I suppose that is enough for now, so come on down to The Treehouse Bistro, and let the 2 Wine Guys at The Grind pour you a glass and fix you a plate.

Shawn

What a week! From last week’s food crowd to this week’s trade shows, we have had an eventful one at The Treehouse!

It all started Saturday, when winemaker Scott Harvey came for lunch, bringing several from his selection to share, including his Zin, Barbera, Syrah and a couple blends – along with a lovely rose and a fantastic Riesling (Scott learned to make wine in Germany). In fact, when he returned from Germany, he bought the acreage from his grandfather, who made wine using an old steel milk container and a baseball bat.

When Scott started making wine, an old pickup truck pulled up to the winery one day, and it was grampa, who said if Scott was going to make the wine from now on, he should have all of the winemaking tools his grandfather used…so he dropped off the milk container and the bat! No word from Scott on whether he actually used them.

Incidentally, Mr. Harvey said his favorite wine was whatever his wife wanted to drink that night…if you know what I mean.

The owner, chef and other staff from Aubriana’s joined us for lunch, and made the mistake of inviting us to their restaurant for dinner after the Choice trade show. An invitation we would not pass on!

After we tasted his, we opened up a few of our own, including BenMarco and Loco (from Joel’s private stock). In all, we killed 14 bottles…

Anyway, Tuesday rolled around, and it was to head to Thalian Hall to taste wine. We decided we should eat something first and carbo-loaded at Slice of Life, on pizza and Front Street Brewery’s Scotch Ale. By the time we left, the show had about four hours left. There were 250 wines to taste, and we had four hours to do it. Once I calculated that out to more than one wine per minute, I knew we weren’t going to get through them all, so I decided to pace myself.

My notes indicate I tasted 48 wines, not including the last glass of Pomerol I poured for myself (a generous pour, I must say). Looking at the price sheet today, I see that this lovely French wine was more than $55 wholesale. Mmmm.

We left sometime after five, and headed for Circa, where we had cappuccino and pot du crème, and then got back into the wine with a glass of the Rosso Piceno, some spring rolls and tuna sushi. There is way more to this story, but since this is a family blog, we will save that for another time, after the kids go to sleep…

Then it was on to Aubriana’s, for an amazing meal, good wine and camaraderie. I did not take notes on the wine we drank with dinner, so I am really not even sure how many bottles we drank. I do know we started with Tin Barn Syrah, because there is a cork print in my notebook. After that, I’m not sure. Although I do remember, at one point, there were two full decanters on the table, and they were emptied and refilled…at least once.

I had an amazing veal chop, some awesome mussels, and some crostinis with filet and blue cheese. I don’t know what time it was when we finally departed, and headed back to our riverfront condos, but I do know we were the last people there.

We finished the night with a glass of the Cote Sud Merlot, and then slipped off to slumbertown.

Wednesday morning would begin another adventure, but we will leave that for next week, as we are already running long.

Coming up on Valentine’s Day, we will have some specials for you and your sweetie, or if you are just on the prowl, and looking for a valentine, we may be able to help there, too (no promises!). We will have Lisa and Galen playing our Jazz Brunch on the 14th, then Galen will return for dinner to play jazz guitar, while Lisa will don her gypsy garb, and do some fortune telling for the ladies. We will do some food and wine specials as well…although I haven’t decided what they will be as of yet…I will update later.

Anyway, I obviously did not get this out before I went out of town, but c’est la vie! I will be doing tonight’s tasting, and then we are back into the weekend again!

So, come on down to The Treehouse Bistro, and let the 2 Wine Guys @ The Grind pour you a glass and fix you a plate!

Shawn

Yes, Valentine’s Day is almost here. Fellas, you have three short weeks to get your you-know-what together, or else spend the rest of this long, cold, dark winter doing manual labor. If you know what I mean.

Let me see if I can help. Sure, jewelry is always nice, but, in his economy, who can afford diamonds for some random “holiday,” made important by some fat sot of an English poet named Chaucer? Chocolate is always nice, and is a sweet symbol of love. And, what goes better with chocolate than wine? Specifically, a nice Syrah.

Speaking of Syrah, this Friday will be our first “Friday Night Ladies’ Flight Night,” featuring, you guessed it, Syrah. A beautiful grape, showing excellent fruit, balance and structure. One of a number of nearly ancient French varietals, we will be showcasing Syrahs from Washington and California. For $20, you will taste three Syrahs, get a full glass of the one you liked best, and a dinner special specifically created to pair with the wine.

Festivities begin at 7 p.m., and if you think you might be interested in attending, shoot me an email so I can gauge how many people might show. And, yes ladies, if you want to bring a male friend, we will allow it (but they will have to sit off to the side, and be on their best behavior!).

OK, back to daily business. We tasted over a dozen new wines over the past week (well, most were new…some we had tasted before, but we kept mum so the vendors would keep pouring!), as well as a couple bad boys compliments of our boy Jeremy. Monday was The Mayor’s birthday (he may look good, but he is getting old), and there was a small celebration Sunday with cake and wine. One of our customers made the cake for Joel, which is unbelievably nice. She also made the “2 Wine Guys” cake for our anniversary last May. Have I mentioned that we have the best customers?

We tasted a dirty, dirty French blend of Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc and Petite Verdot, along with an exceptional Pinot Noir and a Seghesio Sangiovese. Seghesio is an old Italian winemaking family from Sonoma, and, if you pay attention, I have written about their Zinfandel before. All of their wines are exceptional.

Anyhoo, Esther, from Ararat, will be pouring some South Americans this Thursday. Some nice red blends and a Chardonnay. Don’t be late!

Next week, I will have to try to get this newsletter out early as we have a wine trade show Tuesday, and a restaurant trade show Wednesday. I will be out of commission both days, for obvious reasons, so I hope to have this out Monday. We will see.

OK, enough information for now. The weather is beautiful, we are at the beach, and we have wine. Soooo, come on down to The Treehouse Bistro, and let the 2 Wine Guys @ The Grind pour you a glass and fix you a plate!
Shawn

I have long said we have the best customers. I mean, not only do they come in regularly for wine, coffee and food, but, essentially, they built us a kitchen. Sure, they want their money back, but is that really all that unreasonable?

Well, maybe a little. But we can live with it.

One of those investors, though, has not only become a good friend, but has been entirely ruined. He and his lovely bride used to drink cheap Chianti. Chilled. Seriously. But they closed us down our first night open many moons ago. Recently, those same (previously) cheap wine drinkers came in with a couple Saddleback Cabs, including a Venge Cab from the same winemaker, a 1999, for us to taste. I have been told, before, that we create wine snobs…well, the proof is in the decanter.

Yes, that 1999 was one of the best wines I ever tasted. From Oakville (a small corner of Napa, known for excellent Cabs). All my notes say is this: “Oh my God!” Enough said.

And this was followed by Robert Craig Affinity (a personal favorite), and then BenMarco Expressivo. You know, some nights really are better than others. Robert Craig has long been on my top five list, and I was reminded why that night. After tasting an amazing, huge, full-in-your-face Cab, old Bob came through with elegance and style, fruit and tannins gently balanced in a dance across my palate worthy of the Bolshoi’s prima ballerina.

I was, however, not able to enjoy all these delicious wines, as we had a dinner rush, so I was pushed back into the kitchen, and forced to prepare food. OK, so I am exaggerating. We did have customers, but I was actually thrilled to go back into the kitchen and cook. Which, incidentally, I love to do. But walking out onto the deck, looking in the window and seeing customers eating, drinking and laughing…well, that just does my heart good. It tells me we are on the right track.

And, if you saw last week’s review, it appears one of the Star-News food writers agrees. We had a fair number of people – some old, some new – come in to try our butternut squash ravioli after it was featured (in full color) in Thursday’s newspaper.

I think I will add it to my new Food Network show pitch, “Cardiac Cooking.” Everyone is doing healthy food these days, I think someone needs to get on there and show people how to eat! Butter is your friend. Julia Child ate a stick every day, and drank wine, and lived into her 80’s. Yes, she is my role model! If you have not seen the move “Julie & Julia,” Meryl Streep does Julia great justice, but, more importantly, the cookbook upon which the movie is based is one of my personal favorites, and one that I have had in my collection since I was a young whippersnapper. There is no better Coq Au Vin recipe, and the roast chicken that comes out of your oven from her first book, well, it is other-worldly.

Anyway, I am pouring wine at the Chamber social this week (at the Aquarium), and will be pouring at tomorrow’s tasting as well. And then, we are right back into the weekend (it is a vicious cycle!). Teresa has come up with a few new desserts, and we are revamping our menu to include some of the specials that have been very popular.

So, come on down to The Treehouse Bistro, and let 2 Wine Guys @ The Grind pour you a glass and fix you a plate!

Shawn

I keep saying our food is good…looks like someone agrees!

Wilmington Star-News coverage of the Treehouse!

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20100105/ARTICLES/1054005?p=1&tc=pg

Well, if New Year’s Eve is any indication, this could be a great year for The Treehouse Bistro. December 31 was the single biggest day we have ever experienced at our little shop, as we fed people all day long, and had an awesome crowd for the Champagne tasting and dinner – many of whom lingered to watch the midnight fireworks from our deck and toast 2010. We had Galen playing awesome jazz guitar, which helped set the mood for a cool New Year.

Our man Lee, from Ocean South, and soon-to-be sommelier Liz, brought us a bottle of Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve to toast the New Year. A beautiful, delicious Champagne, which made the end of the year even more memorable.

New Year’s Day, I started my Cabernet Sauvignon, which is currently in the middle of its primary fermentation. I drank a bottle of BenMarco Expressivo and Seghesio Zinfandel while I started the process, and can only hope my wine turns out to be a fraction as good as either of those delicious offerings.

The evening also brought us a blue moon, so I am torn as to what to call the Cab. We had settled on Wrecking Ball, but I may divide the batch, put one in the barrel and the other straight to bottle. The unoaked would be the Blue Moon Cab, and the barrel-aged would be the Wrecking Ball. We will see how I feel as it comes along.

The hydrometer reading gave me an estimated alcohol level of 10.1% before the first fermentation, so it will likely ring in at about 13.5-14% by the time it is all said and done. Again, we will see. That is assuming I actually did everything correctly, and followed directions…which I am certain I did not. But that is why we try…to learn.

Anyway, one of the things we will introduce this month is a “Friday Night Ladies’ Flight Night.” For a set price, you will get to taste three samples of the same varietal, get a full glass of the one you like best, and a food item to pair with the wine. If you think you might be interested in participating, hit me back and I will see what kind of response we get.

I will be doing the tasting this week, as everyone starts to settle back into their normal, post-holiday schedules. You bought the new iPod Touch for little Timmy, so it is time to do something nice for yourself…maybe a little wine, a little nosh…you know what you like.