Another recycle bin full of delicious memories

I always wonder...

every time I walk our recycle bin to the end of the driveway, what the trashman thinks when he makes his stop to collect our accumulated mass of bottles, that's clinking and brimming to the top.

"Damn, these people are alcoholics"

The second thought that goes through my mind is, where the hell are our neighbors buying the booze they're putting out for recycling?

They better come to Swirl!!!

Stock up for Halloween, if you dare...

Come in and get some great deals for your Halloween party.

We got it all.

Beer,

Liquor,

and a few bottles of

wine to choose from.

Party like it's 1999, again

Time to unleash 1999 again and keep the party and good times rolling. This wine just arrived, and for around $30 bucks, it makes for an impressive, eye-opening gift.

I mean, everyone is rolling into the dinner party with their current favorite 2008 and 2009 vintage wine on display, and then, all of a sudden, you shuffle in, do a dramatic twirl and dip, and showcase to everyone your prestigious Bordeaux from the previous decade. Whoa.

Chateau Simard, Saint Emilion, right-bank Bordeaux, 1999 vintage. That's right, this is the current vintage. The winery typically ages their wine for at least 10 years before releasing their juice to the thirsty masses. Aged Bordeaux, ready to be poured into your glass and enjoyed, very nice.

All the effort, time, and cellaring has already been done for you. All you have to do is drink, smile, and reminisce about the good old days of 1999.

Do you remember those times?

Here's a toast to good times ahead.

Cheers, everyone.

The higher, the better...

Higher. Our little baby wanted to go higher. The squeaking of the swing was drowned out by her little giggling, that bursted out of her in an affectation of pure excitement the higher the swing went.

Higher. That's where the pleasure is. That's where the excitement is.

It can be the same with wine.

High elevation vines pass on a flavor that not only stimulates the senses with an added flair of intensity and brilliance, but it also imparts a lingering, taste-altering performance that makes other wines pale in comparison.

This Wednesday, for our Wine Flight Weds, we'll be featuring a stellar line-up of Malbecs, with the star, the showboat, the anchor to the line-up being, Catena's Alta Malbec.

Catena's Alta Malbec is sourced from small, carefully selected estate grown lots high up in the Andes mountain range (between 3000 - 5000 feet). Altitude becomes the determining factor in obtaining grapes of intense concentration, body, and flavor. Since there's no cooling influence from the ocean to help with grape development, they rely on the elevation to provide the perfect component to producing wines of enormous magnitude.

Come try one of the elite wines produced in Argentina, and see if indeed, the higher, the better.

The Devil's in that bottle

There are some that would argue that the devil lives in the bottles that line the shelves of our shop, waiting patiently to befuddle and influence the unfortunate soul who uncorks his lair.

Is there Evil lurking inside these bottles? Hmmm, perhaps. Depending on the bottle and the hand that opens it, I guess. Given enough time, and drink enough of his wile, most will succumb to a foul thought or two.

Yet, last night, at our Wine Flight Weds, we had a lot of enchanting devils that were unleashed, free to muck havoc, but everyone enjoyed themselves immensely, with joy and laughter abound. Not a trace of evil to be found.

Yes, we shook hands and drank with the devil last night, actually the "Devil's Elbow," and here we are, this morning, talking about it fondly. We had a tasting of big, big reds (and who doesn't secretly covet a big, hulking red?), and the "Devil's Elbow" Cabernet made quite a lasting impression.

Come in to Swirl Wine, and let's find a devil in a bottle for you to take home and enjoy.

James

Women like them big

The bigger, the better...

Big, hunky, muscular. Hey, I'm talking about red wine here, and tomorrow night, for our Wine Flight Wednesdays, we'll have some big-big reds open for you to lose yourself in.

The Chippendale's of wine will be showing off their strong, hulking, fleshy, full bodies in the glass for you, so come on by and take a long sip on these gorgeous, big reds. So meaty, yes.

Come to Swirl and get your groove on.

Steak that melts in your mouth

Those dreaded words.

What are we doing for dinner tonight?

Every night, the same old frustrating question.

Blah-blah-blah, who doesn't go through the deja-vu process of a recycled weekly dinner program, right?

Sometimes it feels like we're eating the same dish on the same night as the previous week, and watching the same crap shit on television.

We need something fresh to wake up our taste buds.

So, last night, was the time to try out a new variation, a cooking method for a steak that I haven't tried yet, but have been seeing it done in a lot of high end, celebrity-chef restaurants: butter-braised rib-eye.

Now, usually the standard method of cooking a steak would fall under the process of high heat and a quick cooking time, either on the grill, under a broiler, or a very hot skillet. But this new process, is all about medium heat in a skillet, bathed in butter, and a slower, more gradual cooking pace. The reasoning is that while high temperatures do a good job of searing the meat, it also creates burnt flavors. This more moderate approach allows for even cooking and the imparting of tremendous flavors on the steak, due in part to the roasty (non-charred) flavor and, of course, the rendered fat from the steak and the richness of the butter being reabsorbed and intensified into the meat.

Ok, let's go, good a get cut of rib-eye. Don't season it yet. Bring it to room temp. Set a skillet to medium heat and then place the rib-eye in on its fatty edge sitting upright in the skillet. Depending on its size and thickness, cook it on its side for about 3-5 mins, until it has rendered a decent amount of fat.

Then flip it on its flat side, add about a hefty tablespoon or two of butter, 2 garlic cloves, a splash of soy sauce, and then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 4-5 mins.

Now, after about 10 mins the butter has browned to a point where, if we don't do something, it's going to start imparting burnt flavors to the steak. So, before that happens, dump the cooking fat, and add another couple of tablespoons of fresh butter.

Flip the steak to its other flat side. Season this side with a pinch of salt and pepper. All the while, spoon the melted butter over the steak, and then keep basting. About 3-5 mins on that side (once again depending on your thickness, and how you prefer your meat to be cooked. I like it med-rare, so you'll have to adjust your time to your preferences).

Ok, very important. After the steak is done and removed from the skillet, you'll have to let the meat rest for at least 5-7 mins.

Oh, thank you butter for making this steak unbelievable.

So freakin good. This steak literally melts in you mouth. All you need is a good bottle of wine to accompany it, and you're set. Come see me for any questions and for a good recommendation on wine.

James

Time to go crazy!

I'm so excited.

Football is here. Thank god, we made it.

Tonight is the first game of the season, and Sunday, the Ravens play against the Steelers. That's the way to start off the season with a bang!

We have all your drinking needs here, at Swirl Wine, so come in and refuel your game-watching, tailgating supplies.

Whether you need some beer to guzzle, liquor for cocktails, or wine to pair with the meat off the grill, we'll take care of you.

Go Ravens.

There's magic in that glass

There's a wide, longing look in your eye. You've wandered through those doors searching to fill a numbing emptiness.

What is it that you need?

Do you have a desire, or a lust for something blissful?

Do you need a spark, a hint of inspiration?

Or maybe you just need a glass to help you escape.

We can help.

There is magic here at Swirl, lying dormant on these shelves. We just need to dwell around the aisles for a moment, sniff a little to the left and then back to the right, and carefully listen to which bottle might be softly calling out to you.

Shhhh. Do you hear it?

There's magic in here, waiting patiently to be poured in a glass, but you have to believe.

With each person it's different. The magic that exists in one bottle might not come alive for one person, while for another, it creates a lasting impression. It all depends on what you need and what you're longing for.

A bargain bin wine might be the perfect remedy for game night with tacos, yet another night might call for a $25 single vineyard Malbec that will create another world for you.

A little dramatic, you say?

Hey, give us a try. Trust us.

We want to find the magic for you. That's what makes us happy.

James

"Bring out your dead"

It's 4 am.

Our baby is slowly transforming us into zombies.

Must get up and answer the wailing call of the little torturer. It's so dark and I'm so groggy. I proceed to track down the source of the sobs, stepping on squeaky, rubber animals, and bumping into sharp corners of ambushing furniture.

I have become the walking dead.

"Why, baby, why can't you sleep?"

3 1/2 hours into sleep, just getting settled into a nice, cozy dream, and now here I am, abruptly changing a diaper and trying to soothe her frantic cries. Oh, I curse the fact that I had to stay up and watch that god-awful movie, and finish that bottle of wine. At least the wine was good.

I'm sluggish today. Exhausted and fried. Sleep deprivation is an enemy I never want to do battle with. Please, Vivian, please have mercy on us. Ha-ha-ha. Sounds funny begging, but desperation creates uneasy alliances. If you come in and see us, bleary eyed and non-responsive, don't panic, we're not zombies. Well, not the zombies that moan and seek out human brains, that is. Maybe zombies that crave a hearty Zin or a silky Albarino.

Yeah, wine zombies, I like that.

By the way, I do love zombie stories. You know, anything dealing with end of the world scenarios is fun, as long as it's purely fiction. Not ready for the real thing. At least, not yet.

If a zombie plague hit the area right now, would you be ready? It's good to have a zombie contingency plan ready to enact, just in case.

You never know. Big Pharm just might be working on some new virus killer that mutates horribly wrong, waking the dead from their restful grave and hungry for human flesh.

If that happens, don't rely on guns, oh no, too much can go wrong:

(1) run out of, or don't have enough ammo.

(2) it's not as easy as it looks to hit a moving, growling target in the head. Only head shots can bring them down, so they say.

(3) gun fire attracts more zombies. That can't be good.

(4) always have to reload at the worst times, like when they're right on top of you. Then you have to either fumble with a new clip, or load another bullet into the chamber. Stressful.

Better to have a bladed weapon, like a Katana sword. Don't have to worry about it jamming, backfiring, or reloading it. Just swing and take out your aggression, and hopefully you're in shape and have lots of adrenalin flowing to keep up with the horde of masses trying to eat you. And, hell, they just look cool. Who doesn't look like a bad ass with a Katana sword strapped to your back?

Oh, and make sure you have enough wine at home, in case of an emergency like this, because you'll need all that you can drink to get through it.

James

aka wine zombie

It taste soooo good, but so very bad

I got a craving for a chocolate milkshake.

Usually it's a constant craving that longingly aches from deep inside. You know the kind, the unrelenting digging into your core, that is never quite satiated until you acquiesce, and then you feel disgusted for consenting to its demands.

Just like they say, never give in to terrorists (unless it's an 8 month old baby, then you're at her mercy). Once you do, they know you'll be their puppet for life.

It's the same with Doritos, or as I like to call it, "Orange death." I know how bad it is for you. I know I should stay away. But once I see that bag, I am undeniably drawn to it. You start off having "just a couple of chips," and then something happens you're not aware of. Subconsciously you've already decided that you're finishing the bag, and you're not even cognizant of it. You happen to look down and notice, my gosh, the bag is empty. How did that happen? And then the guilt pangs start springing up, not to mention the stomach grumbling in revolt of all that processed food.

You do that and you can start to identify with a crack addict. That horrible need.

Let's get back to that chocolate milkshake, shall we? The other day we got lunch at Chick-Fil-A. I got the #1 meal and I upgraded my drink option to get that dubious, chocolate milkshake. Buwah-haha!

The trouble with these fast food milkshakes is the same as making a deal with the devil: you start getting what you want, but you always get screwed at the end. Upon first sip, you notice the incredibly thick and rich textured feeling of the creamy, chocolatey goodness. It almost seems too good to be true. But with each subsequent trip to the sipping straw, the flavor begins to reveal its true artificial calling. It's all synthetic. It's all processed. It's HFCS.

Check on the link to see the actual page-long list of ingredients:

http://www.foodfacts.com/food/Beverages/Chick-Fil-A%20Chocolate%20Milkshake%20Large/58671

Whatever happened to just ice cream, milk, and chocolate. I've never once made a milkshake at home, and asked my wife, "Do you know where the carrageenan and the polysorbate 60 is? I'm making milkshakes and it doesn't taste the same without them."

If you're looking for a nice, healthy alternative with your wine, let me tell you about the one we had for dinner last night: the Pircas Negras Torrontes.

Organic. Fresh. Ripe. Very tasty white from Argentina. So flavorful, yet so crisp and easy to drink, this white will quickly wine you over and become that good tasting addiction that you can feel good about (without any guilt pangs the morning after).

Come on in and try it. You'll be glad you did.

James