Martin Wine Cellar

Ah, the holidays.  Tis the season for giving, which requires endless shopping excursions to find the perfect gifts for those special people in our lives.  Nothing warms the heart to the Christmas season more than a leisurely stroll through Lakeside Mall, combing through rack after rack of argyle sweaters, watching customers fight to get to the front of the line at Jean Therapy, or sitting through an hour long fitting at Ann Taylor to find that perfect little back dress.  If there is a hell on earth, well... look no further.

Fortunately for 65 years, Martin Wine Cellar has offered the downtrodden male the most enjoyable shopping experience of the Christmas season. Despite the pride that Aunt Fanny takes in her shrimp mold, we all know that the most integral part of the holiday menu are the bottles lined up along the bar. And no store offers a wider selection of wine and liquor to help lubricate your holiday celebrations.



Photo by renee b. photography.

In this month's issue of OffBeat Magazine, we review the deli side of Martin's, which has always been as big of a draw for patrons as the number of single batch bourbons and white burdgundies that line the shelves of the store.

Martin's deli has come a long way since the days where options were limited to either an Executive Club or the Baronne Beast (which are still crowd favorites and rightfully so).  The menu has expanded to the "bistro" category, with a daily specials menu that ranges from wild mushroom pizza to braised rabbit.  But for those just looking for a pile of corned beef or pastrami between two slices of bread, look no further than the Deli Deluxe (pictured) which includes both.

So while making your shopping rounds this weekend, keep an mind that there is at least one stop along the way where you can stock up on the essentials, all while enjoying a nice lunch and a glass of wine.  You will need fuel to help carry those bags of gifts all day.

Winesday

Rene: Pale gold in color. Get some crisp apple flavors at first glance. Don't get the bread aromas that mark a blanc de blancs, could be a blanc de noirs, which is not my preference in Champagnes. Very fine bubbles, but a little too sweet for me. Although I generally like a touch of sweetness in white wines, I like champagnes to be very bone dry. The sweetness needs something brassy to play against. Which brings to mind the lamb sliders from Three Muses with tomato chutney and herbed goat cheese. The feta fries from there also would do just fine as well.

Peter: Yeasty bouquet. Flavor profile is very dry. I would not call this a refreshing Champagne. I know that I have played this card before, but this would make for a great kir royale, the creme de cassis adding a welcome sweetener. A simple cold appetizer would do well - the crabmeat maison at Galatoire's or the the Plateau de Fruits de Mer at Luke.

Joe the Wine Guy: Most Champagnes are house blends, meaning different vintages are blended to create a house's signature style. Every now and then, when there is an exceptional year, the Champagne houses declare a vintage year - and bottle a champagne with grapes specifically from that vintage. Such is the case with this 2002 Veuve Clicquot which is made up of 60% Pinot Noir, 7% Pinot Meunier, and 33% Chardonnay. The nose is open, pure, and complex, with a mineral flavor and flowery notes of Acacia, yellow fleshed fruit and pastries (brioche, marzipan). These give way to delicately spiced aromas, followed by elegant notes of licorice and high-bred teas. On the palate, the wine has fruity and floral notes, mineral and spice tones, and menthol and toast flavors. Try it with bass tartare, poached turbot served on fresh pasta, or cappuccino of Bresse chicken with candied fruits. Keen devotees will enjoy it as an aperitif for very special occasions. You can find it at Ralph's on the Park and Martin Wine Cellar, where it retails for $79.99.

Winesday

Peter: Stuck your nose in the glass and you smell a fruit bomb ready to explode. The flavor is much softer on the palate. This is a very drinkable red wine, hardly any spice. Would go great with the veal cheeks and gnocchi on the lunch menu at Lilette. That is if I drank during lunch - which I don't.

Rene: There is a deep, woodsy aroma on the nose like breathing in a pine forest. I get a lot of spice at first and then red fruits, cherries, raspberries, and the like. This would be near perfect with the fat ribeye at Mr. John's alongside the potatoes au gratin, which as the best classic steakhouse in town could use a little bit better of a wine list.

Joe the Wine Guy: The Terrazas Cheval des Andes is a collaboration among the winemakers from Pierre Lurton, Cheval Blanc, Chateau d'Yquem, Roberto de la Mota, and Terrazas de Los Andes. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petit Verdot and is deep black cherry in color. First aromas are of dried apricots and flowers, warm tobacco scents, red berries macerated in brandy, cherry stones and house made jam, together with cedar-wood, bay leaves, and chocolate. On the palate, the wine is warm and nuanced, with fresh minerals, black currant, spices, and almond. Sweet tannins mingle with a long and elegant finish. Available by special request at Martin Wine Cellar and Wine Seller, this wine retails for $79.99 a bottle.

Week in Preview

At Blackened Out we are happy to promote any and all dinners, tastings, and other events that help further New Orleans as one of the premier fun-loving, food-centric cities in the country. This week, the Big Easy is bursting at the seems with myriad of opportunities to taste a bit of controversy, praise all things pork, and enjoy some of America's best roadside eats, plus a whole lot more.

Your faithful bloggers have a personal stake in two events this week - the Encore of Gabrielle in Purgatory on Thursday night and Hogs for the Cause on Saturday. We hope to meet and greet many of our readers at both of those events. But in any case, whether you are a cheese lover headed to St. James or a wineaux looking forward to Once Upon a Vine, this week we encourage everyone to get out there and taste what New Orleans has to offer. Remember that everywhere else in the world, it's just another week in March.

Tuesday

• Cafe Degas 25th Anniversary Dinner - Join Cafe Degas in celebrating their 25th Anniversary with a food and specialty cocktails pairing menu.
• Opus One Wine Dinner (SOLD OUT!) - The French Quarter Wine Festival dinners kicks off with one of Napa's elite wineries.

Wednesday

• Wine Sense - Cork & Bottle's wine tasting series continues with a tour of Southern Italy led by Italian wine specialist Antonio Molesini.
• Cakebread Cellars Dinner (SOLD OUT!) - Chef Michael Farrell creates a multi-course dinner paired with wines from one of The Pope's favorite California producers.
• St. James Cheese School - Our favorite cheese mongers are teaming up with New Orleans winemaker James Moises for a cheese tasting featuring his Oregon pinots.

Thursday

• Gabrielle in Purgatory - Encore! - A second chance to taste crowd favorites from the Sonniers' beloved Mid-City restaurant
• An Edible Evening - The Edible Schoolyard New Orleansand FirstLine Schools present the Second Annual "An Edible Evening" garden party under the stars.
• Abita Beer Dinner at Coquette - Chef Michael Stolzfus cooks up a special 5 course menu served with a different Abita beer to complement each dish.
• St James Cheese School - Another opportunity to taste the wines of James Moises and a selection of cheeses to match.

Friday

• Taste of the Town - The Louisiana Restaurant Association holds its annual culinary event at Lafreniere Park.
• Oysters, Cocktails 'n Cracklins - The New Orleans Roadfood Festival kicks off with this cocktail party at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum.

Saturday

• Hogs for the Cause - The Gulf South's premier pig cookoff explodes onto City Pork with plenty of live music and the crowning of the High on the Hog Grand Champion.
• New Orleans Roadfood Street Festival - Six blocks of Royal Street are overtaken with vendors cooking up some of America's best roadside grub, plus the world's longest oyster po-boy will be built.
• Taste at the Lake - The Lakeview Civic Association hosts this inaugural celebration of food, wine, and neighborhoos strength.

Sunday

• Once Upon a Vine - Martin Wine Cellar takes over the Pavilion of the Two Sisters for a tasting featuring over 150 wines and a grazing buffet from Martin's catering kitchen.
• New Orleans Roadfood Street Festival - The good times continue on Royal Street with a whole other day of roadside specialties and the beignet contest between the New Orleans Police and Fire Departments.

Best Places to Buy Wine

The blog drinks a lot. Between studying and having to chase after The Pope, we work up quite a thirst. We quench that thirst with all manners of adult beve leges (as said by a kind checkout worker at Winn-Dixie recently). But wine, well that is our most dangerous habit.

Buying wine, especially for novices like us, always presents a unique set of challenges: How do I pronounce sauvignon? What do they mean by fruit?, etc... But it shouldn't cause you any apprehension. Walk into a reputable wine merchant, strike up a conversation, tell them what wine you like, what wines you don't like, maybe a bottle you remember, tell them what you want to spend, what is the occasion, and what you are serving for dinner. Trust us they love doing this. Develop a relationship. It will pay off for you in many ways. Liked a wine, but can't remember what it was? Their computer will remember what bottle you liked better than you will.

Trust us, buying wine should be enjoyable. Thus, we present to you the Blackened Out List of Top Places to Buy Wine For Your Crunk Cup. Go to one of these spots, test out the above, and savor the results.

Hopper's Wines & Spirits - This is the spot for you if you like producers of Old World wines who are focused on quality in the style of Kermit Lynch. Ric Hopper has an incredibly vast knowledge of all things Burgundy. Also a great place to stop in and chit chat and likely spy some of your favorite chefs and restaurateurs. Located in the Uptown Square Shopping Area, which allows you to pick up a bottle of something nice for Grandma at Lambeth House. Bonus: Tuesdays after the CCFM, swing on by and pick out a Summer wine. We like the Clos St. Magdeleine 2007 Cassis Blanc right now.

Martin's Wine Cellar- A legend. This spot has been around forever. More than just a wine shop, this is the spot to pick up a chicken salad sandwich, one of the best burgers in town, a tub of orzo, a six pack of Hoegarden, and a bottle of Black Currant Vodka. With multiple locations around the Greater New Orleans Area(this includes Baton Rouge and Mandeville), finding a Martin's should not be a challenge. The wine selection is incredibly immense spanning the globe from Chile to Long Island. This spot is the Harrod's of food and wine only if Harrod's was on Veterans.

Elio's - If you can fight off the Tulane kids purchasing kegs of Abita Amber, a conversation with Elio or his son's will deliver results. Tell them what you like and let them guide you through their selection. They always have one or two deals, and once you become an insider, they will tip you off to spectacular savings. A case of Moet&Chandon Rose for $150? We will take two. Located on Calhoun and Claiborne around the corner from Bud's Broiler, Elio's offers a convenient place to pick up some wine and head to the Fly. This is the place if you like big California wines.

Cork & Bottle - Jon Smith, aka Bloggle, has assembled a crack-pot team of wine investigators. Although their selection covers all areas of the world, the main emphasis is on finding a $15 bottle of wine that drinks more like $30 bottle. Which in this economy is a recipe for success. Located in the American Can Company, a vibrant Thursday afternoon Farmer's Market couples fresh food with free wine tastings. Plus, the recently opened Clever (next door) serves up classic and inventive cocktails from the deft hand of the General, Kimberly Patton-Bragg. Their Wednesday Wine Sense series is a good way to gain some knowledge and taste new wines. The hardest thing about visiting Cork & Bottle? Leaving.

Dorignac's - The dirty little not so secret among all wine drinkers in the city is that some great wines are to be found here at good prices. While you may not be able to get the service at Dorignac's that you can at say, Martin's, if you know what you like this is not a bad option. Plus, the old ladies who work the counter won't card you, they just ask to squeeze your butt.

Birthday Dinner and After Work Today...

One week from today, next Friday, November 21st, Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse will turn 10 years old. Although the restaurant is not old enough to legally drink, you can celebrate with $10 bottles of DB Cabernet. Also, the restaurant is running a Blackened (out?) Prime Rib Dinner for $19.98. So if you wanted to go out to lunch/dinner, but lost your shirt, pants, tie, socks, and shoes in the market, go to Dickie Brennan's and eat like a king for a pauper's ransom.

But get a reservation. To do so, call 522-2467.

This deal will be available all day long. I may go for lunch, if you would like to join shoot me an email. Dinner is out of the question, as the Chairman of the Bored has decided to get married that night. His fiancee refused to move the wedding for this event, what a brat.

Photo courtesy of the internet and google.

Ok, so it is a Friday Night and you just found your Montell Jordan CD. Now often when we speak of wine and food pairings, the food comes first. Usually you order a dish or decide what you are going to cook and then decide on a wine. Well, tonight, why dont you do this. Go to one of the many wine shops in the city: Martin's, The Wine Seller, Dorignacs, the Co Nah Store, it doesnt matter. And pick out something to drink. It does not have to be wine, it could be beer or booze.

Usually on Friday afternoon, any self-respecting wine shop will have a free tasting. I know The Wine Seller is having a tasting of Punt Road wines from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Find something new and then cook around it. Shrimp is plentiful right now should you go the white route. Or if you choose a red, a grilled steak will always help you kick off the weekend.

For Brunch This Weekend...

Though he originally became famous for his voluminous selections of vino, Mr. Cedric Martin quickly became well known around town as one to put out a great sandwich. Now the Martin Wine Cellar in Metairie is quickly becoming a favorite spot to grab Sunday brunch.

On my last visit I had the above pictured tournedos with sunny side up eggs, potato hash, and crispy ribbons of fried sweet potato. Grits and grillades is a mainstay on the menu, but the other selections change from week to week. There are always an eggs special, soup, quiche, and pancake or french toast to choose from. If the bananas nut foster pancakes are an option, your decision has been made for you.

But the best part of dining at Martin's is browsing through the aisles while you wait for your food. Need some cheese, truffled sea salt, or an '82 Bourdeaux? You have come to the right place. Last week I watched some guy load up his cart with more wine than is served at all of the masses in the Archdiocese of New Orleans on a Sunday. As I heard the clerk tell the man, "Your total is $1431.45," I told The Folk Singer: "That is what The Pope will be like in 30 years."

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Then I thought to myself: "Wait. That can't be right. Why would The Pope pay when he can turn water into wine?"