Date Night: Unums

As published in the 10/7 edition of the Nashua Telegraph (click link to view Telegraph version).

Like most married couples with children, my wife and I have date nights that allow us to have time for each other without the rigors of bringing along the family. This past week, we decided to take our date night to Unums.

We selected Unums because of their Wine Down Wednesday program. On Wednesdays, they open five different bottles of wine, which are normally only available by the bottle, and offer them by the glass. It is a nice way to try normally more expensive bottles without paying top dollar. They also offer a flight of these wines. Wine flights are becoming a more common, and welcomed, addition to restaurant wine experiences. A flight involves a few different wines that are served as a group in tasting portions (usually 2-3 ounce pours), to allow you to try a number of different types of wines without paying full glass prices.

We decided on a wine flight to accompany our array of appetizers. Unums has a continuously rotating menu, which allows co-owner and chef Constantine Brianas to show off his culinary repertoire. The dishes selected were the Unums Tart, Pork Medallions, and the Wild Mushroom and Spinach Gnocchi. Chef Brianas’ creations were a delicious accompaniment to our wines and his well-developed dishes, especially the Unums Tart, energized our taste buds.

The wines that were selected for the flight by co-owner and passionate wine lover, Stephen Williams, offered a delightful assortment of diverse varietals:

The Bodegas Agnusdei (Albariño), from the Rias Baixes region in northwest Spain, was a very light, crisp and smooth way to start off the tasting. For those not familiar with Albariño, it is somewhat similar to Pinot Grigio in taste. This wine had a very nice amount of pear and pineapple in the aroma and also on the palate. I give this refreshing wine an 88 point rating.

To continue our progress from light to heavy, we had the Villa Di Corlo Giaco (Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot) from Italy, which offered a nice transition into the reds. The aroma of smoked cherry was mirrored on the palate, along with the typical dark berries imparted by the Cabernet/Merlot blending. The unique element in this wine was the subtle hint of eucalyptus (yes, the same leafy greens that koalas enjoy). Although the finish was somewhat short, this was a lovely wine. I rate this at 88 points as well, as it was a very good wine.

Staying in Italy, we partook in a Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva (Sangiovese) as the third tasting. It was a dry wine with blackberry on the palate and nose. Its tannins offered a little spike, which allowed it to stand up to the food we were eating. The Felsina was a very agreeable wine. I give this an 89 point rating.

The next wine was my favorite of the flight, a Michael & David Phillips Petite (Petite Sirah). Personally, I like my wines bold with a nice level of complexity. This Petite Sirah offered both characteristics. The aroma and taste shared notes of blackberry and currants. However, it was the familiar taste of cigar that made this wine memorable. Some slight peppery notes, which my wife accurately pointed out, rounded out this very good wine. It is deserving of a 90 point rating.

The final tasting in the flight was the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis (Cabernet Sauvignon). This was a pleasant wine to drink and it offered a very good amount of well developed blackberry and currant. It had a nice medium to medium-heavy body. I would give this wine 87 points because it was one dimensional, yet essentially pleasant. I am a huge fan of Stag’s Leap’s slightly older vintages (2000 and earlier), but recently I feel they have fallen from great to good. Again, this is all personal preference and my wife certainly enjoyed this wine.

Overall, Unums provided a wonderful escape from reality for a few hours. Stephen and Walter, our waiter, were very gracious with their knowledge and caring conversation. I would highly recommend Unums for your date night and hope you share a similar experience.

Information about Unums
Location: 47 E. Pearl St, Nashua
Phone: 603.621.6500
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 5:00-Close
www.unums.com

About Wine Ratings
95-100 Classic: A Phenomenal Wine!
90-94 Outstanding: A wine of excellent character and style
85-89 Very Good: A wine with some special qualities
83-84 Good: A solid well-made wine
< 83 Why bother?

Date Night: Unums

Welcome to my wine world!

As published on 9/23 in the Nashua Telegraph (click link to view Telegraph version).

When I first proposed writing a wine column to the Telegraph, I did so for a few reasons.

First, as a restaurant/personal wine consultant, I hold a firm belief that wine has a way of elevating life's special moments. This belief may sound overly romanticized, but hear me out.

Have you ever had people over for dinner, or gone out to dinner with someone special or a group of friends? Of course you have. Now have you noticed how those same occasions are noticeably different when a nice bottle of wine is served?

Catch my drift?

Wine has special qualities that elevate a family meal into a feast or a chat around the table into a brainstorming session about fulfilling your dreams.

The second reason is to counteract what I have experienced from the beginning of my own wine journey. Wine has been the object of some very pretentious people who make it far too complicated. My goal is to show you that wine is simply wine – and it is meant to be enjoyed by all. The appropriate level of involvement is up to you. Never let anyone who thinks he or she knows more about wine make you feel inferior for not knowing!

Finally, there are truly special things going on in our neck of the woods regarding wine. My intent is to introduce, or re-introduce, you to local wine-related gems and review some of the restaurant wine experiences available in the area. No need to worry, restaurateurs! (Well, no need to worry if you offer a good experience for your patrons.) I will also be sharing my perspective on goings-on in the wine world, including some delicious and not-so-delicious reviews of readily available wines. I will also be offering practical advice for those who appreciate and/or collect wine.

Let me begin by offering the review of a wonderful wine that I recently enjoyed: 2006 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon - $44.

Domaine Drouhin has a very rich background. It is the product of the expansion of French wine houses into the new world. Maison Joseph Drouhin, of Beaune, France, had been producing celebrated pinot noir since the 1880s. In 1987, it sought to pursue its own expansion when it purchased 225 acres of what was then a Christmas-tree farm.

The 2006 Domaine Drouhin is one of my favorite pinot noirs. The aroma is of beautiful rich cherry that is mirrored on the palate along with a hint of spice. The tannins are noticeable; however, they are well integrated and somewhat delicate. This is a very thoughtfully made, well-crafted wine that is confident in structure and complexity. It is very much a Burgundy-styled Pinot Noir.

Wine ratings issued by a reputable publication serve as a barometer of the quality. As you will find out, I don't normally fall in line with the Wine Spectator reviews a majority of the time. I feel they are tightwads in some instances, but then again, it is only one person's rating/analysis. WS gave it a 90 for the 2006 vintage, and I almost feel slighted for them! This wine is very comfortably a 92 pointer – 90-94 points indicate a great wine – and I think this will only get better with time. Wine & Spirits gave the DD a 93. I think this illustrates that ratings are highly personal! I hope you have a chance to enjoy this terrific wine.

All of the wines featured in ongoing reviews are readily available at the New Hampshire Liquor Store off Exit 6 behind the Nashua Mall.

Until next time, cheers!

Welcome to my wine world!

A Glass Half Full

Today, the Nashua Telegraph announced the launch of my bi-weekly wine column A Glass Half Full. It was announced both in print and on the web in the Feast section. You can view today's announcement entitled New Wine Columnist to Debut by clicking the link.

Mark it on your calendars, my first column will run on Wednesday, September 23rd and will be an introduction of things to come.

Thank you for your continued support!

A Glass Half Full

A great way to learn...occasionally pick at random

This past weekend I happened to stop into Wine Society to pick up a couple bottles. Wine Society has a nice selection and offers labels that are not readily available anywhere in the area. While meandering around the racks, looking for a Spanish wine, I spotted a bottle of Portuguese wine. At $12 a bottle I figured it was worth a try.

The bottle selected was from Douro, a world famous wine region, but not for the typical wine that most are accustomed. Douro is the home of Port, which is a heavily aged and fortified wine. For many years, Port dominated the grape demand in this region (mainly Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca and Tempranillo, known in Portugal as Tinta Roriz). This left only leftover grapes for the unfortified wines. Times and tastes have changed. With the recent influx of capital, many Port producing wineries have given unfortified wines a more prominent place in their portfolios. This move has proved beneficial, as Portuguese wines are an ever improving value offering in foreign markets.

Picking a bottle at random can be a rewarding or awful experience. So where does this experience fall?

2007, Castello D’Alba Colheita, Red Blend, Douro, Portugal - $12

The Colheita was a medium-full bodied wine that exhibited a very clean, almost shimmering, ruby red complexion. The aroma was of earthy dark berries with an undertone of oak. The palate was fresh and lively with plum and cherries dominating with very good acidity. The wine possessed very pleasant warmth towards the end.

It is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca. There is very little information about this wine available, but I was happy with the selection and would rate it at 87 points. It is a very pleasant sipping wine and would go well with pasta or leaner cuts of meat.

If you are ever in the area, stop by Wine Society (Amherst St in Nashua, NH) for a unique bottle of wine. Being random is a great way to learn new things about different regions and your tastes!


Source:
- Johnson, Hugh; Jancis Robinson. The World Atlas of Wine: Sixth Edition. Mitchell Beazley. Pgs. 216-218.

A great way to learn...occasionally pick at random

Unums: They totally get it!

As many of you know I have launched a business venture to try to improve the quality of restaurant wine offerings and service. The goal of Senel Wine Consulting is to help restaurants select quality wines at each price point to allow patrons to have an exceptional restaurant experience.

This past Saturday my wife and I had a chance to get out on a date night. We decided to go with somewhere which we have not been previously. We went to Unums in downtown Nashua and immediately I knew we made the right choice.

Co-owner Stephen Williams greeted us at the door with a handshake and escorted us to our table. From there on we had a terrific culinary experience. We decided on going with three appetizers instead of entrees so that we could sample some of Chef Brianas’ creations. With a line-up of fresh gnocchi & shrimp in a peanut sauce, a red pepper stuffed with mozzarella and sausage, and finished it off with baked brie & fruit plate how could we go wrong?! FYI – the portions were very generous!

We accompanied our meal with a bottle of 2005 Robert Stemmler Nugent Vineyard Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. It was a very fragrant Pinot and went well with all three dishes. It had a smoked cherry nose and led to cherry and an earthy/smoky note on the palate. The tannins were mellowed out by the meal. It was elegant and complex with a very nice balance and pleasant finish. It is almost up there with the Domaine Drouhin, however the Drouhin inches it out in terms of finesse and complexity. Still a terrific wine! However, on its’ own merit I am scoring this a solid 91.

For dessert we enjoyed a glass of 1999 Felsina Vin Santo from the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany. This was a very interesting wine due to the fact that it had such strong cognac features, yet once I had a chance to look it up (although the information was minimal) it does not seem to be fortified. Hence the nose was of very rich butterscotch similar to cognac. The palate however was very appealing with a lot of fleshy fruit and some honey going on, with the most memorable of the fruits being apricot. This is certainly a slow sipping wine and very fun to try on special occasions. I am by no means a dessert wine expert, however I found the butterscotch scent to be somewhat overpowering. Overall, I would score this wine an 89. It was very well crafted, but my aversion to cognac may have swayed the score slightly lower (don’t forget, every person’s preferences are different!).

Back to Unums!

Stephen and our waitress, Kira, were exceptionally gracious and attentive, yet not overbearing in the slightest. We were there for about three hours and it truly felt like they enjoyed us hanging around. Stephen and I had a chance to talk about the wine offering and also recommended some of his preferred wines. He also shared with me his ambitious endeavor to further improve the wine list and attempt to obtain Wine Spectator recognition. Considering his passion for enhancing his patrons’ experiences and love for well-crafted wine I believe he will certainly obtain this.

The owner, staff, atmosphere, food and drinks, brilliant! In the past I believed that Michael Timothy’s offered the best total dining experience in Southern NH. In my opinion they better stay on their game, because I can definitively say that Unums proudly rivals any New Hampshire establishment for culinary supremacy!

Unums: They totally get it!