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…you go.
I wish to suppose that I’ve lived a life with out regrets, however I actually have just a few: passing on an finish of the season dinner with my teammates once I was enjoying basketball (and generally learning) in France; not making it to Dubrovnik earlier than the warfare; and never attending my good associates’ marriage ceremony nevertheless a few years in the past in New Orleans.
Though I’ve been to 49 of the 50 states, it was not till we moved to Houston and the boys and I made the drive down from Philadelphia, that I visited New Orleans. Given my French background and my love of meals, I’m embarrassed to confess that it took me that lengthy to go to one in all this nation’s distinguished cultural cities.
Each metropolis is, after all, distinctive, however New Orleans, no less than in my view, is an outlier. No different metropolis within the U.S. has such a wealthy historical past of cultures, meals, music, and down proper craziness than New Orleans. And I actually can’t consider that I’ve not visited extra usually.
A few weeks in the past, nevertheless, I acquired a name from a very good good friend within the wine enterprise who was going to be pouring his wines at Wine Spectator’s Grand Tour in New Orleans. He indicated that he had an additional V.I.P. ticket and requested if I wished to go.
Um. Yeah.
A couple of years prior, a distinct good good friend within the wine enterprise had an additional V.I.P. ticket to the Wine Spectator New York Wine Expertise which he provided me and I gladly attended.
Whereas I’m not an enormous fan of giant walk-a-round wine tastings, the Wine Spectator occasions are totally different as a number of the greatest wines from around the globe are at all times represented. No the place else that I do know of, can one style dozens of a number of the greatest wines on the planet.
So after all I used to be going to New Orleans.
Though it was not wanted to sweeten the pot, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Pageant (or just “Jazz Fest”) was additionally that weekend and my pal prompt we may hit that up the next day as properly.
You had me at hiya.
New Orleans is a scant six hour drive from Houston with out site visitors. The Wine Spectator occasion began at 6:00 pm, so I left at 10:00 am, giving me a strong eight hours to make the drive, verify into the resort, bathe, after which get my drink on.
No drawback.
If the drive had been “with out site visitors” that’s.
I confirmed up at 5:45 and needed to climb as much as the tenth flooring with the valet to park my loaner from Tesla (Teslas use your cellphone because the automotive “key” and the loaner didn’t include a “valet key”), which resulted in me being a sweaty mess, then I needed to wait in line at verify in behind “that” man who needed to ask about 37 instances questions (the place’s the pool? ice machine? canine reduction space? how do I get a few of these beads?).
Undeterred, I discovered my room, took a fast bathe, and made it downstairs (fortunately, I had the forethought to e book a room on the “official” resort of the tasting) in time for the doorways to open.
As a rule, I hit glowing wines first at huge tastings and this Charles Heidsieck was top-notch.
And I used to be excited to see a brand new cuvée from Nino Franco, my favourite Prosecco producer.
Stopping by the Domaine Carneros sales space was a should (although my pal Remi was not there).
It’s pretty uncommon to see nonetheless rosé at these huge tastings, however when it’s Garrus in magnum, you cease and take a look at the very best rosé on the planet.
There have been, after all, a ton of reds, too, however this Corton Grand Cru was my favourite. By far.
The next day was Jazz Fest which options nice music, big crowds…
…and one in all my all-time favourite artists, Robert Cray, nonetheless killing it at 72.
My accomplice in crime was the incomparable OG, Chris O’Gorman of Rodney Robust.
After a little bit of a scramble to discover a dinner spot, we had an excellent meal with two fabulous wines.
After a stroll by way of Bourbon Avenue…
…the OG received us tickets to one of many many after Jazz Fest performances, which was headlined by Cyril and Ivan Neville. The present, nevertheless, was stollen by Huge Chief Bo Dollis. Whoa.
An enormous because of the OG for together with me! I’m already planning my subsequent journey again to the Huge Simple….
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