Wine
Continued from page 77
wines I'm about to write about is
a travesty.
WS had the gall to place a 1999
Mondavi Reserve Cab rated 94
points at No.12 ahead of a 95
point Chateau Lafite. A 94 point
Brunello ranked higher than a 98
point BrunellO listed in 22nd
place. The highest rated wine at
99 points finished in 14th place.
When queried, WS said they had
their own excitement factor which
affected the listing. While this
year's Burgundy reds have been
highly touted by many, the only
Pinot Noir to make the list were
two selections from Oregon. Cal-
ifornia zero.
Since there were no Germans or
Ports good enough to make the
.top 100 list; even though the ports
were highly rated by most this
year, I bechme curious. Research
told me that many wines that were
highly advertised in WS had
placed quite welt on the list.
Many of these I had tasted and
while they were OK, to select
them as one of the top 100 wines
in the world while excluding the
above, makes this year's list sus-
pect. Please say it ain't so, Mr.
Shanken
Next I visited Chez la Mer in
Rehoboth Beach the other night,
and learned of their tremendous
wine promo from barkeep extra-
ordinaire Tom.
Tom has been holding down the
fort at Chez for many years and
his "by the glass" program keeps
him high on my list for evening
visiting. On Mondays, Tom told
me, Chez is doing a 50 percent off
promo on all their wines con-
sumed on premise.
I always enjoy dinner at Chez
and it was nice to see that most of
the longtime staff was present.
Dan, Norman and Christine are
the servers and Patrick is back af-
ter a long stint with US Air as a
steward on their European flights.
Noel is back for his third season
as chef and is ably assisted by
Russell, Luke and Gisela. These
folks know how to welcome re-
turning clientele.
I chose to try three wines while
I sat at the 'bar and Chatted up
Tom. The first was a Porcupine
Ridge South African Sauvignon
Blanc 2002. It had a lovely fruit
Almonds: The key to a
happy marriage?
Many people have received Jor-
dan almonds as a wedding favor-
but how many know what these
sugar-coated treats symbolize?
Almonds have been a part of wed-
dings for many centuries around
the world. In addition to being el-
egant and versatile, they've come
to symbolize several aspects of a
happy marriage.
The first literary reference to
Jordan almonds comes from Italy
in the 1350s. Traditionally in Ital-
ian cultures, wedding guests had
often tried to remove a piece of
the bride's wedding attire-a
flower or bow, say-for good luck.
To discourage this tradition, fami-
lies started giving five Jordan al-
monds in a small box or bag as a
Almonds are a healthful
addition to many recipes.
good luck "favor" instead. The
five almonds symbolized five
qualities for the marriage: health,
wealth, happiness, fertility and
Continued on page 80
Open for our
lO00h Season!
::::::::
No Reeerval;ione Taken
52 Baltimore Ave. www.iguanagHII.aom
nose with citrus and grapefruit.
The wine had a lot of acid but the
fruit gave it balance and it was
very appealing. Next I tried a Vil-
la Maria Riesling 2001 New
Zealand.
Once again fruity varietal nose
and balanced wine gave the ap-
pearance of sweetness but fin-
ished cleanly and left a clean
palate. Finally a real surprise. A
Silver Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon
Barrel Select had a great Cab
nose. It showed currant and ripe
berries, good tannins and judi-
cious use of oak with a pleasing
long finish. Tom told me the wine
could be had in stores for under
$12. I'm going right out to buy
some.
Unfortunately my charming
friend and the proprietress Nancy
Wolf had left for the evening so I
missed her smiling face. I guess
no one gets the whole package.
CAPE GAZETTE, Friday, May 30 - June 5, 2003 - 79
70 Reltobot Ave. • First Street Station
Rehoboth Beach • 30226-7588
Corner of Savannah Rd. & Cape Henlopen Dr., Lewes
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best secret in great Delaware dining.
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• Deliciously creative kitchen
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2nd and Savannah
Downtown Lewes
302.645.7755
Lunch Monday through Saturday
Dinner Monday through Sunday
Brunch Sunday
www.butteryrestaurant.com
