Mills Fine Wine & Spirits

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.

Just in time for the traditional January 25th Robert Burns Supper, a 21-year old ban on Scottish Haggis imports has been lifted!

For the past two decades, Americans of Scottish descent ‑ of whom there are at least 6 million ‑ have been forced to celebrate Burns’ night without a true haggis, much to their distress.
There are stories of Scots smuggling in a haggis for their starving cousins, risking deportation in the process. Others are said to have secretly tried to create homemade, bootleg haggis, desperate to sample that particularly peppery concoction.
Meanwhile, butchers in the US have tried, and failed, to make their own versions of the pudding without using the vital ingredient: sheep. “It was a silly ban which meant a lot of people have never tasted the real thing,” said Margaret Frost, of the Scottish American Society in Ohio. “We have had to put up with the US version, which is made from beef and is bloody awful.”

You can read the entire article here.

That’s all well and sonsie, but what the hell is Haggis really?

Haggis is essentially sheep’s offal; the lungs, heart, and liver – minced with spices, mixed with oatmeal or breadcrumbs as a binder, stuffed into a sheep’s stomach and boiled in stock.  It’s traditionally served with tatties (potatoes) and neeps (turnips) and lashed with black pepper.  It tastes, well, it tastes a bit like how you would expect.

In culinary school, I stumbled upon nothing short of a black market Haggis-making operation.  In a tiny kitchen in the school’s cellar, a handful of chef instructors and advanced students were making a dozen illicit haggis for a Burns supper with the school brass.  I blew off the rest of the day’s classes and joined in, mixing a confidential spice blend into the raw, gamy meat with my hands, trying desperately not to tear the stomach as we filled it up with the mixture.

Late that night, along with copious drams of Highland Park, I had my first taste of Haggis.  It tasted of blood, meat and pepper.  Men in kilts gave toasts and speeches long into the night.  For skipping class to take part in the supper, I was docked a day’s points, but my instructor gave me a half-finished bottle of 18 year old Highland Park to take with me on the long train ride home.  It was as much a thank you as it was an initiation.

“And there is a hand, my trusty friend!
And give me a hand of yours!
And we will take a right good-will drink,
For old long past.”

If you don’t have any sheep offal laying around, you can make a pretty tasty vegetarian variation.  I’ve made this a couple times at home, it’s easy and makes a great wintertime supper.  You can find a great recipe here.

Ben Haggis, Offal, Robert Burns, Sheep

Today at work we had a long conversation on the sad state of the modern bar. I don’t mean the bar you go to after work or to watch the game; I mean the bar connected to your kitchen, dining room, or den. Our grandfather’s and father’s generations respected the bar. A well stocked bar was requisite in any good home. And equally important, people knew how to make cocktails. Sadly, this is no longer the case. We live in the time of flavored vodkas and pre-mixed drinks. While these have their place, we can do better.

This year, I’ve made it my resolution to drink better wine, but I think I need to add something – build a better bar. It doesn’t have to happen all at once; stock your cabinets with one staple at a time. Find the right vodka, a good gin, really get to know your whiskeys. Moreover, I think every month you should learn to make a drink that doesn’t go by the name “liquor and mixer”. This is the year we should cut our own limes, muddle our own mint, and use our own shaker. Cut out the bar from your weekly budget by starting one. Believe me, this won’t kill your social life; if anything you’ll throw more parties and attend better ones.

Come down to Mills, we’re ready to work with you and find out what you like and what you need to have a bar worthy of your father and grandfather’s respect.

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Anyone who knows me well will tell you how crazy I am about organic food!   Nowadays,  organic food is readily available but good organic wine is hard to come by.  It’s an area in wine that is just starting to come around as the demand for organic and biodynamic wines increase.   It’s my intent to take some of the guess work out of finding good organic wines and explain some terms.

There really is some confusion about organic and biodynamic wine.  Technically, the Bureau of Alcohol,  Tobacco and firearms does not allow the term “Organic Wine” to be used on wine labels.  Often,  you will see such terms as , “Grapes organically grown” or “Organically processed”.  (More on these terms later)  Some wineries have been practicing organic and biodynamic methods for decades and there may be nothing on their labels to indicate so.  I know….even more confusing!   Mendocino County in California, for example, has the largest percentage of  organic vineyards of any county in California.  Often you won’t see anything on their labels because for these wineries and vineyards, this is a moral way of life.  It’s an issue of supporting and respecting our mother earth.

If you are interested in organic wine then it’s just a matter of doing your research.  Don’t hesitate to google your favorite wineries and check out their websites.  Often they will share their philosophy of making wine and if organic or biodynamic is important to them.

Some terms to know:

Organically grown grapes: Grapes that have been grown without the use of chemicals,  pesticides or fertilizers.

Organically processed: Wine that can’t have any sulfites added during winemaking.  Sulfites occur naturally in wines and are also often added to preserve.  Some organically processed wines are filtered and fined until no sulfites are detected.

Biodynamic: Developed by Austrian philosopher Rudolf  Steiner in the 1920′s,  It involves delving  deeper than just using organic grapes in such that it is a holistic system of  “living agriculture” where the soil is nurtured in rhythm with the alignment of the planets and cosmos.  Natural animal and plant matter are used.  These wineries are completely self sustainable.

Demeter: The only certification for Biodynamic products made world wide.  On their website,  www.demeter-usa.org,  they state, “As a non-profit organization,  Demeter’s  mission is the improve the health of the planet and it’s people by providing certification of products whose ingredients are grown and processed according to the highest agricultural and environmental standards.  ”

Vegan: No use of animal products may be used in the winemaking process.  Many wineries use some animal products in fining and filtering wine.

CCOF: Stands for California Certified Organic Farmers.  This is a certification agency that requires both the vineyards and the winery be certified organic in order to carry their seal.

Following are some organic wines that are stocked in our store that I highly recommend.

Orleans Hill line of wines are stamped USDA Organic.  This is possible because there are no sulfites detected and no sulfites added.  If a wine is stamped USDA Organic it can not have sulfites dectected or very little detected.

Orleans Hill Alexandria White:  $12.99

A blend of muscat and French Colombard.  Simple,  refreshing and aromatic with notes of pear and mango.  Pair it with fresh pasta,  light cheeses,  seafood,  salads,  mixed veggies or chicken.

Orleans Hill Our Daily Red:  $9.99

Easy drinking red blend of  Cabernet,  Syrah and Carignan.  Bursting with strawberries and vanilla.  Pair with berries,  poultry,  cheese,  pork,  lamb,  tuna or salmon.

Orleans Hill Cote Zero 08:  $9.99

A red blend of Grenache,  Syrah and a bit of Voigner.  Tart cherry flavors and mellowest from this line.  Pairs with poultry,  pork,  lamb or fatty fish.

Orleans Hill Cabernet 08:  $10.99

A chewy Cab with the classic green olive aroma followed by enough tannin to stand up to hearty meals.  Drink now or cellar for a few years.

Macon Loche:  2007 $17.99

This wine is stamped with the demeter symbol indicating it is biodynamic.  It’s an excellent Chardonnay from Burgundy.  Youthfully fresh,  crisp and dry and has never touched oak.  Great lingering finish and great with meat and seafood.

The Yorkville line of wines are grown in Mendocino County in California

Yorkville  Eleanor of Aquitaine White 05 $24.99

Complex and full bodied 50/50 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion.  Aged for 10 months with the majority in French oak.

Yorkville  Semillion 06 $19.99

Dry and light to medium full bodied with a little oak and spice.  Blended with 23% Sauvignon Blanc.

Yorkville Malbec 05 $21.99

Medium bodied with red and black berry and plum.  Smooth and balanced.

Tre Fili Pinot grigio $14.99

Made with organically grown grapes, it’s simple,  dry and easy drinking with a clean finish.

Girasole Vineyards wines are made from certified organic grapes grown  in Mendocino California.  These wines are stamped with the CCOF symbol and are also vegan.

Girasole Chardonnay 2008 $13.99

The 08 Chardonnay is fresh and lively with aromas of lemon,  lime,  vanilla and custard.  Flavors include,  lemon zest,  nectarine and toasted grahm crackers.  Smooth,  creamy and balanced fruit and oak.

Girasole Pinot Noir 08 $15.99

Fruit forward and medium bodied with hints of cranberry,  cherry and roasted nuts,  this wine will pair well with anything  from salmon to pork to grilled vegetables.

These wines are all excellent choices.  We also have several others in our store that I will be tasting soon.  It’s great to see times change as people become more aware of what we put into our bodies.  I’m glad to see these wineries doing their part to help our environment.

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It wasn’t until I moved to Maryland that I made the acquaintance of real beer geeks. Like the most serious wine collectors, these guys search high and low for the rarest of the rare, the most micro of the micro brew, the scarcest of the imports. At a shop I worked at prior to Mills, I would get strange phone calls asking about the arrival of certain seasonal beers. The following day a group of young men sat in their cars outside the shop until the beer truck came for our delivery. They lined up at the register and bought every case of beer off the truck.

It’s hard to find the right soil and climate for making good wines, but good beer can be made just about anywhere. Because of small batch productions and lack of distribution in different parts of the country, networks of underground beer traders have been formed on the internet. People buying their local favorites to trade with others and then posting photos and tasting notes of their trades online.

Some of the most highly-sought after beers are fairly hard to come by in the state of Maryland. However, we’ve managed to put together a pretty solid beer collection that will no doubt please the hardcore beer geek as well as the every day folks who just want to suck some tasty suds.

Here are a few you might want to try;

Ommegang Brewery Biere de Mars, Cooperstown, New York
(rate beer 96 points)
Ommegang Biere de Mars is a fine Belgian-style amber ale with a bit of magical space dust woven in: Brettanomyces Bruxellensis, a wild yeast which imparts added tartness, extra zing, and a touch of funk – while dry hopping enhances the hop aroma.

Stone Brewery Russian Imperial Stout, Escondido, California
(Beer Advocate “outstanding”)
One of the finest American-made Imperial Stouts. Thick and rich aromas and flavors of roasted malt, coffee and chocolate but still retains a hoppy bitterness on the finish. A fantastic beer for winter.

Jolly Pumpkin “Noel de Calabaza”, Dexter, Michigan
(rate beer 96 points)
Jolly Pumpkin is very hard to come by, but we were lucky enough to get a case of their Christmas beer. Even though Christmas has come and gone, it’s a perfect time to enjoy this dark and oh so rich ale. (or stash some away in the cellar!) Woodsy and smokey with hints of black currant, raisin, and cherry. It’s aged in oak barrels, so it has a lot of nice toasty oak on the finish. Delightfully different and delicious.

Deus Brut de Flandres
(Beer Advocate “Excellent”)
Brewed in Flanders and then sent to France where it is polished into a bright and brilliant Champagne-styled beer. Bloomy aromas of spice, hops and apple and creamy layers of fruit. An exquisite and rare treat.

Ben, Uncategorized