Monthly Archives: November 2008

Pizza Beer and Wine – Chapter 2

Posted on November 19, 2008 | 4 Comments

Tonight’s Pizza:  A bit closer to our “normal” homemade pizza routine.  We have TJ’s crusts again, because I remembered just as I was about to fall asleep that I should have made crusts last night.  Given that making a batch of crusts is an hour-long process (though 45 minutes of that is waiting), I settled for asking Liz “any chance you could stop by Trader Joe’s tomorrow and grab crusts?”  Since we have crusts, I assume she answered in the affirmative.  We are, however, back to whole milk mutz/Parmagiano-Reggiano combo for the cheese, fresh Italian sausage (spicy) from Viviano’s, and homemade pizza sauce from San Marzano tomatoes, Kim’s homemade red wine vinegar, salt and oregano.What's with TJ's crust and huge bubbles?

Tonight’s Beer:  Riffing off a suggestion made by Mike over on Stlhops forum, I decided to pour a Schlafly Oatmeal Stout.  I have this on draft right now, and have enjoyed some similar beers with more traditional pizza before, New Belgium’s 1554 springing most readily to mind.  Schlafly’s Oatmeal is not too roasty (which can easily clash with the acidity of the tomatoes), and has a slickness of body from the oatmeal that I’m interested to pair with this pie.

On its own, this one has a roasty, grainy nose.  It’s nice and malty on the palate with a slight touch of fruitiness from the yeast.  Good length too.  I find this seems (for no reason based in reality) to have a bit more body on draft than it does in bottle.

Tonight’s Wine:  2001 Nino Negri Valtellina Superiore Inferno.  This should be a serious pizza wine contender here.  Seven year old mostly Nebbiolo (just a touch of Pinot Noir and Pignola Valtellinese) from a Northern Italian region known for its elegance, finesse and acidity.  I’ve not had this particular bottling before, so there is a touch of uncertainty here.

This is a very pale clear burgundy with the slightest touch of browning.  Very floral nose backed up by some acidic blackberry notes.  Surprisingly delicate in flavor but with great length.  It’s deceptively light and lively.

Tonight's contenders.

How’d it work out?:

Well, the wine was a clear winner for me this time.  It was just one of those magical wines that seems to refresh and energize with each sip.  It cut effectively through the richness of the cheese and sausage without pushing them completely off the palate.  Instead it left a lovely synergy of fatty goodness, tingly acidity, and just a blush of fruit.  There is a scratch of tannins left in this wine that come out when one drinks it just with the crust.

The beer fares better than most in my experience.  It doesn’t actively clash with the pizza as so many do, but it doesn’t compliment it either.  Going from pizza to beer is like changing the channel – there’s something completely different on the palate all of a sudden, and no pizza remains.  It does manage my typical beer/pizza reaction when I get down to the crust – the roastiness becomes actively bitter and the alcohol, depsite being half of what the wine has, is suddenly center stage.  This round goes to the wine for my palate.

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Posted in Beer, Pizza Beer & Wine, Tasting Notes, Wine

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An old friend returns.

Posted on November 12, 2008 | 8 Comments

One of my first exposures to domestic craft beer, along with Bell’s, Anchor and Sam Adams, were the products of Anderson Valley Brewing Company.  For some entirely unclear reason, bombers of AV’s Poleeko Gold, Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout and Boont Amber were available in Michigan way back in late 1992 and early 1993.

These were halcyon days for me, as I had decided to graduate early from the University of Michigan, rather than stick it out for another semester in hopes of completing a second major before heading to graduate school at Washington University in the Fall of 1993.  Instead, I worked two jobs – one of which was cashier/late night beer cooler guy at the Ann Arbor landmark, The Village Corner.  VC was the good booze high water mark in Ann Arbor (and most if not all of Michigan at the time).  It had the state’s largest wine selection, a full time wine staff of three (Rick, Dick and Rod – later to be joined by Jorge, who was a manager at the time), a huge beer cooler that spanned the entire back of the store, and a daunting selection of distillery and independent bottlings of single malts at a time when you were lucky to find Glenfiddich in a “good” liquor store.  At that time, VC had literally hundreds of fine craft and import beers (along with plenty of cases of frat-favorite Busch Light, and stacks of Kurt the beer buyer’s favorite – Moosehead -  which, when it was as fresh as VC got it, was a delighful light lager).

One of the nice things about working at VC was their generous employee discount.  At its least generous, we received a hearty 20% off beer and wine, and it was not at all discouraged to have a beer on your break.  Bombers were a popular choice for the lunch/dinner break, and after their arrival, Anderson Valley’s offerings became an employee favorite.  My usual choice was the Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, but my most vivid memory is of my first bomber of Poleeko Gold.  Sitting outside at the mudbowl (not during the game, just at the space) in the warm Michigan sun (it rarely gets “hot”) and drinking deeply of that golden ale – lightly fruity, lightly hoppy, but with an incredibly long, lingering bitter finish.  I don’t know that I’d had a beer that bitter before, but certainly not one I’d enjoyed so much.  This was my “bitter is good” moment.  Oceans of IPAs, DIPAs, IIPAs, Maibocks and other hoppy goodness later, I still have a soft spot for Poleeko Gold.

I don’t think I’ve had it since I left Ann Arbor back in the Summer of 1993 though, so it was with some trepidation about damaging its Proustian place in my beer heirarchy, that I picked up a six pack earlier this week.  The Anderson Valley beers have just begun to be distributed in Missouri, and I’m happy to report that the first bottle didn’t disappoint.  It was quite delicious.  It may not have matched my (probably horrifically incorrect) memory on the nose, but that defining backbone of bitterness was very much in evidence.  An American Pale Ale with a real spine to it.  Welcome back, old friend.

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