Justin Time for Dinner

You know the shakes? When it seems like your body is physically rebelling against your decision to stay up way past your bedtime drinking booze to good to pass up, when the next morning your breath is hot, your palms clammy, and your head pounding? Don't you secretly love that feeling? If you come to that realization one morning chances are you had the distinct pleasure of getting drunk the night before. If feeling like a hungover bum, twittering and shaking as you try to walk down the hall is all the penance for the other night, consider me ready to do it again. Which I guess makes me a recidivist.

Wednesday night, Lindsay and I went to the Justin Vineyards Wine Dinner at Cochon. Now, I like Cochon and think it is great; so it is saying a lot that I found the food to be the third most interesting thing. The company and wines took center stage.

Justin Vineyards is located in Paso Robles. Despite the name, that is in America; in a place called Cal Uh For Knee Uh. In one of the informational brochures we were given, it was revealed to us that the winery has a basset hound named Churchill. That got Lindsay jazzed and caused our two slugs to ask when we got home, "Why don't we get to live on a vineyard in California?"

Master Sommelier (there arent many of them), Joseph Spellman, dined with us. What a treat it was to listen to Joe and Jon Smith, owner of Cork and Bottle, discuss wines, wineries, and the people behind them. Sure at times it was like eavesdropping on the Ruskies, but I have never not had fun doing that.

Sauvignon Blanc-bright, crisp, tart with a lingering, but clean finish. Lindsay's favorite, one of mine as well

Chardonnay- Ok. Little heavy.

Syrah-Was expecting a bigger hit of fruit, but instead flavors were just a tad muddled. However, I could be wrong. Certainly spicy.

Cabernet- This puppy howled. I loved this wine, nice assertive fruit up front, almost chewy. Everything you expect from a Cabernet but with such a smooth finish the polished wood was jealous. I will order some of this jazz.

Port- Ohhh, Ohhhh, Ohhhhh Ohhhh Sweet Child of Wine. Sole purpose of that awfully lame line was to get you ready for the release of Chinese Democracy, and that song stuck in your head. Yes, I am an adult.

Food: Boudin Balls-I have many beliefs but one of them is this: there is no heavenly reward, no weight loss promise nor health benefit, no ethical concern, no reversal of global climates that could make me give up pig, or really meat.

Andouille, sweet potatoes, and marinated mushrooms-this was pretty good, lots of garlic in the andouille. Wood Fired Oysters, small but that sauce is pretty killer, intense red pepper and butter. Reminds me of shucking down an oyster while licking a bowl chicken wings were tossed in; now that is a mental image. Might it be time to put them next to Drago's Chargrilled Ersters?

Fried beef jerky, lemon, and mint salad. Kerplunk. Very salty, hard jerky, and the mint did not refresh the palate as one had hoped. Parsley would work better and the lemon took a leave of absence. Need to retool this dish. Hen and andouille gumboo brought forth a delicious, thick roux, nice pepper level, garlic notes, gelatinous stock. This coupled with cool weather announced the arrival of gumbo season.

Wood fired redfish, Lindsay got this and thought it lacked seasoning and was a "little fishy." When I told her, "well it is fish," she responded with "well you are an ass." I went with the brisket and grits. Good once again. Fatty, tender brisket paired really well with the cabernet.

Dessert was a chocolate gateau with cream cheese frosting and honey. Overall not bad but palate fatigued at this point.

Stayed around drinking and chatting way to late. Finished the night off with 4 Pappy Van Winkle's, because five would have been too much, some Catdaddy Moonshine, and some funny stories. I love this town, don't you?