Hi all

A very good french friend of mine is cooking some Dolphin fish (Mahi Mahi)
with a herby tapenade (anchovies and olives) and pecan to celebrate his
son's 30th birthday. Said son lives in Chicago, so Francois is looking for a
place to get some suitable wine. I've suggested a not too oaky Chardonnay or
a barrel fermented Sauvignon or a top GruVe. Can I ask you for your help in
two directions.

1 Any further suggestions as to a suitable wine.
2. MOST important. What's the best place to visit to get it in Chicago.

I count on your expertise to help. François will probably be reading the NG
to collect your thoughts, and reads English well.
--
All the Best
Ian Hoare
http://www.souvigne.com
mailbox full to avoid spam. try me at website

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 16:58:55 +0100, Ian Hoare >
wrote:

>Hi all
>
>A very good french friend of mine is cooking some Dolphin fish (Mahi Mahi)
>with a herby tapenade (anchovies and olives) and pecan to celebrate his
>son's 30th birthday. Said son lives in Chicago, so Francois is looking for a
>place to get some suitable wine. I've suggested a not too oaky Chardonnay or
>a barrel fermented Sauvignon or a top GruVe. Can I ask you for your help in
>two directions.
>
>1 Any further suggestions as to a suitable wine.
>2. MOST important. What's the best place to visit to get it in Chicago.
>
>I count on your expertise to help. François will probably be reading the NG
>to collect your thoughts, and reads English well.

Chicago is a big area, and folks who say they "live in Chicago" often
don't--they live in a suburb which spreads the area still further.
That being said, and acknowledging at the outset that I grew up in
Chicago (in the city) but have avoided the place for many years, I'll
offer Sam's as probably the biggest retailer of quality wine in the
region. One shop in town on the (almost) Near North side and a new
emporium in a West suburb (Downer's Grove).

Best bet is to shop online if the drive is too far. They are an
excellent and reliable shipper and offer good prices. Knowledgeable
folks. http://www.samswine.com/homepage.asp


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com

Mark L could probably do better, but here's a couple thoughts re
stores(based on my mailorder knowledge, I'm no Chicagoan!):
1) Sam's is probably best known Chicago store, very large selection and
generally good prices.
2) Binny's is known for good prices, though I've heard questions re
storage (but probably not an issue if you're picking a recent
vintage).
3) John Hart (now known as something different- Hart-something-Hart) is
a good source for older wines, unsure re story with young stuff.

I think you're suggestions are good- big white is definitely way to go.
But I think I'd vary a bit- white Rhone would be my choice.

good luck, Francois!

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 09:16:23 -0700, Ed Rasimus
> wrote:

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 16:58:55 +0100, Ian Hoare >
wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi all

A very good french friend of mine is cooking some Dolphin fish (Mahi
Mahi) with a herby tapenade (anchovies and olives) and pecan to
celebrate his son's 30th birthday. Said son lives in Chicago, so
Francois is looking for a place to get some suitable wine. I've
suggested a not too oaky Chardonnay or a barrel fermented Sauvignon
or a top GruVe. Can I ask you for your help in two directions.

1 Any further suggestions as to a suitable wine.
2. MOST important. What's the best place to visit to get it in
Chicago.

I count on your expertise to help. François will probably be reading
the NG to collect your thoughts, and reads English well.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago is a big area, and folks who say they "live in Chicago" often
don't--they live in a suburb which spreads the area still further.
That being said, and acknowledging at the outset that I grew up in
Chicago (in the city) but have avoided the place for many years, I'll
offer Sam's as probably the biggest retailer of quality wine in the
region. One shop in town on the (almost) Near North side and a new
emporium in a West suburb (Downer's Grove).

Best bet is to shop online if the drive is too far. They are an
excellent and reliable shipper and offer good prices. Knowledgeable
folks. http://www.samswine.com/homepage.asp


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Sam's has a second store out in the suburbs. I don't recall which
suburb, but it's near Downer's Grove. It's not quite the whopping big
store they have downtown, but it still has a good selection.


Regards,


Kent Feiler
www.KentFeiler.com

Ian Hoare > wrote in
:

> Hi all
>
> A very good french friend of mine is cooking some Dolphin fish (Mahi
> Mahi) with a herby tapenade (anchovies and olives) and pecan to
> celebrate his son's 30th birthday.
To keep with the general tener of the meal, perhaps a Chateauneuf du Pape
Blanc?

Salut/Hi All

I know it's infra dig to reply to your own post!!

Firstly, the subject line is wrong, it should have read

"Urgent. Please help re Chicago area"


le/on Mon, 14 Mar 2005 16:58:55 +0100, tu disais/you said:-


Thanks to all who have replied so far. I have gathered your suggestions and
posted them to François, in case he doesn't manage to find a way of reeading
us here, and will continue to do so. So please, keep 'em coming.

Many thanks.

--
All the Best
Ian Hoare
http://www.souvigne.com
mailbox full to avoid spam. try me at website

"Ian Hoare" > wrote in message
...
> Salut/Hi All
>
> I know it's infra dig to reply to your own post!!
>
> Firstly, the subject line is wrong, it should have read
>
> "Urgent. Please help re Chicago area"
>
>
> le/on Mon, 14 Mar 2005 16:58:55 +0100, tu disais/you said:-
>
>
> Thanks to all who have replied so far. I have gathered your suggestions
> and
> posted them to François, in case he doesn't manage to find a way of
> reading
> us here, and will continue to do so. So please, keep 'em coming.

Ian,

I know you may be inclined to think "what the hell would a NZer know about
supplies in the Chicago area" - but I must really throw a strong
recommendation for Sam's.

The most esteemed Prof. Lipton arranged for a couple of bottles of Zin to be
dispatched from Sam's (in Chicago) to myself (in NZ) - and they arrived, in
perfect condition, delivered to my office, customs cleared within ***36
hours***!!!!!!!!

That is sensational service in any man's terms - both from the retailer and
courier company.

Don't discount mail order (US interstate transshipment laws permitting!!)

--

st.helier

Ian Hoare wrote:
> Salut/Hi All
>
> I know it's infra dig to reply to your own post!!
>
> Firstly, the subject line is wrong, it should have read
>
> "Urgent. Please help re Chicago area"
>
>
> le/on Mon, 14 Mar 2005 16:58:55 +0100, tu disais/you said:-
>
>
> Thanks to all who have replied so far. I have gathered your suggestions and
> posted them to François, in case he doesn't manage to find a way of reeading
> us here, and will continue to do so. So please, keep 'em coming.
>
> Many thanks.
>

Ian,
Sorry for weighing in so late on this topic. Yes, Sam's is the
clear leader for selection & price. They have a decent selection of
GruVe's at any given moment, a decent selection of NZ SBs, and a good,
if pricey collection of wines from Alsace. However, they are a bit weak
in their selection of wines from the Loire (IIRC, though, they do have
some '02 Huet LHL demi-sec right now). For unoaked Chardonnay, they had
-- and may still have -- a fair number of '02 Chablis from Verget [is it
unoaked? I cannot say] and Boudin.
As Dale mentioned, another interesting store in Chicago is
Hart-Davis-Hart (née John Hart Fine Wines). They started their
existence as a dealer in older, grey market wines, but have gradually
moved into new releases as well. They usually have a very enticing
selection of White Burgundies and White Rhones. If your friend wanted
to get a Beaucastal Roussanne V.V., that would be the place I would send
him (caveat: this establishment is as far from the usual caviste as one
is likely to find; they have office space on the 5th floor of an office
tower, with cellars in the lower depths. Visitors to the office see no
wine at all and must order online).
As for what I'd serve with the fish, the saltiness of the tapenade
would steer me to something off-dry, like your top GruVe or a
Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris (Indice 2-3) or how about a good Provençal rosé?

Relevant hyperlinks:
http://www.samswine.com
http://www.hdhwine.com

HTH
Mark Lipton

wow - a guy that really OWNED a restaurant in france???? that must make him
some kind of celebrity. there are very few places to purchase wine in
chicago - 'good thing you planned ahead for such an important event.

if the guy wants to get some in chicago, i'd recommend rush street. if he
just wants wine, he might try a wine shop.




> 2. MOST important. What's the best place to visit to get it in Chicago.
>
> I count on your expertise to help. François will probably be reading the
> NG
> to collect your thoughts, and reads English well.
> --
> All the Best
> Ian Hoare
> http://www.souvigne.com
> mailbox full to avoid spam. try me at website

Ian Hoare wrote:
> Hi all
>
> A very good french friend of mine is cooking some Dolphin fish (Mahi
Mahi)
> with a herby tapenade (anchovies and olives) and pecan to celebrate
his
> son's 30th birthday. Said son lives in Chicago, so Francois is
looking for a
> place to get some suitable wine. I've suggested a not too oaky
Chardonnay or
> a barrel fermented Sauvignon or a top GruVe. Can I ask you for your
help in
> two directions.
>
>
> snip

Help me out here Ian. A top GruVe? I am not familiar with this, and a
google search gives a bunch of garbage about raves.

Thanks

Tom Schellberg

" > wrote in news:1110854426.313772.228490
@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

>
> Ian Hoare wrote:
>> Hi all
>>
>> A very good french friend of mine is cooking some Dolphin fish (Mahi
> Mahi)
>> with a herby tapenade (anchovies and olives) and pecan to celebrate
> his
>> son's 30th birthday. Said son lives in Chicago, so Francois is
> looking for a
>> place to get some suitable wine. I've suggested a not too oaky
> Chardonnay or
>> a barrel fermented Sauvignon or a top GruVe. Can I ask you for your
> help in
>> two directions.
>>
>>
>> snip
>
> Help me out here Ian. A top GruVe? I am not familiar with this, and a
> google search gives a bunch of garbage about raves.
>
> Thanks
>
> Tom Schellberg
>
>

Gruner Veltliner, an Austrian white

Thanks

I just didn't recognize the abbreviation.

Tom Schellberg

Salut/Hi ,

le/on 14 Mar 2005 19:00:59 -0800, tu disais/you said:-

>Thanks
>
>I just didn't recognize the abbreviation.

Sorry Tom, it's a barbarism I learnt here. I thought it was current.

By the way... it appears that mother and son have forbidden white. I've
suggested that François tells them they're on their own. But if anyone can
come up with any suggestion less than frightful, I suppose it would be a
kindness.

Sigh.
--
All the Best
Ian Hoare
http://www.souvigne.com
mailbox full to avoid spam. try me at website

Ian Hoare wrote:
> Salut/Hi ,
>
> le/on 14 Mar 2005 19:00:59 -0800, tu disais/you said:-
>
>
>>Thanks
>>
>>I just didn't recognize the abbreviation.
>
>
> Sorry Tom, it's a barbarism I learnt here. I thought it was current.
>
> By the way... it appears that mother and son have forbidden white. I've
> suggested that François tells them they're on their own. But if anyone can
> come up with any suggestion less than frightful, I suppose it would be a
> kindness.
>
> Sigh.

Egad! Would they similarly balk at a rosé? If so, then *mumble mumble*
Pineau D'Aunis???

Yours sympathetically,
Mark Lipton

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 01:06:53 -0800, Mark Lipton > said:

] Ian Hoare wrote:
] > Salut/Hi ,=20
] >=20
] > le/on 14 Mar 2005 19:00:59 -0800, tu disais/you said:-
] >=20
] >=20
] >>Thanks
] >>
] >>I just didn't recognize the abbreviation.=20
] >=20
] >=20
] > Sorry Tom, it's a barbarism I learnt here. I thought it was current.
] >=20
] > By the way... it appears that mother and son have forbidden white. I've
] > suggested that Fran=E7ois tells them they're on their own. But if anyon=
e can
] > come up with any suggestion less than frightful, I suppose it would be a
] > kindness.
] >=20
] > Sigh.=20
]=20
] Egad! Would they similarly balk at a ros=E9? If so, then *mumble mumble=
*=20
] Pineau D'Aunis???
]=20

Aha! A coteaux du Loir might not be a bad match. And dark red enough
to satisfy the peanut gallery. Otherwise, how about Arbois? Or even
a chilled Bourgueil, or (dare I say it) Fleury?

Hmm, all French, they should try something American. What's a good
domestic red to reccomend with Mahi Mahi?

-E

--=20
Emery Davis
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