March 18, 2010
All there is to sip and savor in New Orleans
Happy Hour

November 2009

Fulfilling Expectations and Giving Thanks

11/25/09

Fulfilling Expectations and Giving Thanks

Here we are at that unique American holiday, Thanksgiving.

Well, actually, that is not quite true, as several countries celebrate a reason to give thanks for something, such as in Grenada, where Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in late October, and their reason is to give thanks for the 1983 U.S. invasion following the execution of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop. Not quite the Pilgrim’s Pride kind of beginning we experienced.

Incidentally, did you know that the first Thanksgiving in America was actually staged in 1565 in St. Augustine to commemorate a good harvest? I guess the Pilgrims had a better press agent as they’ve received all the notoriety since 1621.

Our Thanksgiving celebrations, held on the fourth Thursday of every November,...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 2
Being Light

11/19/09

Being Light

There is only one event in the wine year calendar that is tied to time. Think about it: Here is a product that is absolutely driven by the efforts of the sun and the phases of the moon, and nowhere, except once, is there a moment when we honor “the moment.”

Heck, every bit of produce and fruit is available only at certain times of the year, and seafood is at least better –– if not available only –– at particular seasons. But wine, a product that is made from a fruit that provides only one harvest each 12 months, does not define itself by the passage of time.

Except one time, on the third Thursday of every November.

To the phrase, “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé,” at one minute...

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Yum! No Need to Rush!

11/12/09

Yum! No Need to Rush!

The aging of wine is one of those topics that always comes up in wine reviews and when collectors gather. In fact, if you want to spontaneously pull together a group of wine collectors, the question to ask aloud is, “How long should I allow (insert name of wine and vintage here) to age?”

Like birds flocking to scattered bread crumbs in Jackson Square, collectors will gather, and each will have a different answer.

For a moment, let’s step back from the question and consider the whys of wine aging. Wine is a living thing. Over the course of its creation and continuing for all time in its life in the bottle, wine will change. The bouquet, the flavors, the tannins, the color and the fruit are on a mission of metamorphosis, and the only constant in...

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It's the Truth!

11/05/09

It's the Truth!

The recent demise of the Destin, Fla., location of Pat O’Brien’s, which followed the closure of the Memphis, Tenn., location, reminded me of the difficulty of transporting a culture.

Just about every town in America with at least one traffic light has a New Orleans-themed restaurant or bar. But duplicating what is here –– and not some faux image of what is perceived to be the “feel” of the Crescent City –– is not easy. We are a difficult place to capture when the surroundings are Dollar General Stores and fast-food drive-throughs.

And before you start writing to chastise me for being an elitist, check out the French Quarter neighborhood (yes, neighborhood because many people make their homes there, shop...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 2

About This Blog

Tim learned to appreciate wine from his wife-to-be, Brenda Maitland, and it has been a fascinating 35-year journey for the couple. Tim graduated from Jesuit College Prep in Dallas, then earned a journalism degree from the University of North Texas. He came to Louisiana because of his love of New Orleans, then fell in love with Brenda and simultaneously fell in love with all things wine.

Tim and Brenda travel the world with the grape and have made many friends because of wine. Tim is a past board member and two-term president of the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience; former officer in the New Orleans chapter of Chaine des Rotisseurs; past president of the American Wine Society in New Orleans; and, with Brenda, currently serves on the board of the Museum of the American Cocktail. Tim lectures on wine and wine history twice each year at the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Auburn University, as well as judging professional wine competitions in California and Florida.

Tim writes a monthly feature about wine and spirits for New Orleans Magazine, and is a weekly contributor, writing about wine and spirits, to www.myneworleans.com. He is also executive editor of Gulf Coast Wine and Dine Magazine, and hosts a two-hour weekly program, "The Wine Show," on WIST 690AM in New Orleans. Listen to "The Wine Show" every Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.  

Click HERE to listen to "The Wine Show."

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