Rose of the Day

While I may not be able to manage one a day, I am on some kind of rose mission. Most places only carry a single still rose, and I believe each choice can be used as a representative analogy for each establishment's understated personality or agenda. I'm still debating on how to approach the brut roses, but let's test the hypothesis starting with the stills.

I have two with which to begin:

I have stopped on occasion by The Brickyard on Union on the way home from work, both times to gather my senses after some spontaneous shopping nearby. The bartenders have both been super knowledgable and accessible women, if dressed a bit too casually. Torn denim minis, t shirts, bra straps. Not for me, really. But beyond that they've provided excellent service. Particularly the young lady that poured me an extra "halfie" at no charge.

The Sedna Rose of Syrah from Kate's Vineyard in Napa has stolen my heart. I am a complete wine dilettante, but have been exposed since I was a teen to better wines through my sommelier sister. As I develop my palate and vernacular, I'm understanding that I'm very comfortably and predictably lodged in the New World. I'm okay with this, I have no agenda for pretense. I like "soccer mom chardonnays" just fine, but prefer them on the more complex side such as the 2008 Dutton Goldfield Chardonnay. That said, the Sedna's dark, ripe fruit and vanilla wrapped me in a warm blankie despite the condensation on the glass. So far, this is my winner. But what does it say about The Brickyard?

From my short involvement, this would give me the impression that this poshly sparse and rustic sports bar with healthier food would understand its clientele. The surrounding Marina folks are most likely about on par with me as far as wine knowledge, and I noted the healthy stock of Miller Lite in the can in addition to the city's usual PBR and Tecate fare. This actually raised my opinion, as I am from Mobile, AL and have a deep appreciation for beers meant for high volume consumption.

My next rose of note I tried today in my neighborhood gem, Local Mission Eatery. As I reveled in my baby arugula and grapefruit salad, and downright cried over the stupidity of my open faced asparagus and poached egg sandwich on house made brioche with brown butter hollandaise, I enjoyed a fine rose. My allergies are interfering today, as spring has sprung like an MF up in here, but my overall palate said YES to the 2010 Donkey & Goat Grenache Rose from Mendocino. I'm going to venture that the main nose was all about strawberries, and the perfect medium acidity made it very versatile. Killing with the grapefruit as well as the asparagus-- not an easy feat with this much flavor. I may have to revisit with a clearer nose one day, though.

And what does this say about Local Mission Eatery? That they know a lot about simple food with fine ingredients, duh. With the local trend of comfort food with a flair being the most prominent, finding the balance of familiarity and slightly obscure is where everyone is aiming. In the land of the smug and full-circle uberhip-to-unhip-to-hip-again, I am delighted to test the waters.