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Tropical Drinks Will Refresh You at The Mermaid LA

Journey under the sea at Little Tokyo's newest bar, The Mermaid LA. Tucked among Japanese restaurants and next door to a cleaners in the Honda Plaza in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, The Mermaid is a tropical themed bar serving cocktails and food in a sort of underwater oasis.

The long rectangular space is outfitted with dark wood and rich leather banquets. The sunken bar runs along one parallel wall. Overall, there is a somewhat old-school feel to the space. And, at the far end of the bar is a portal window with a mermaid swimming and smiling at you.

16 August, 2018

Cru Wines Exemplify the Diversity of Tuscany

It is easy to think that all Tuscan wines taste similar. But recently, I had lunch with Nicolò D’Afflitto, the winemaker for Frescobaldi Toscana who shared the Cru wines from the most prized vineyards in the Frescobaldi portfolio. In my column in the Napa Valley Register, reposted below, Nicolò D’Afflitto shared his thoughts about terroir over variety as we tasted his wine. “A variety can be from anywhere. I sell terroir,” said winemaker Nicolò D’Afflitto as I sat down to have lunch with him.

D’Afflitto is the director of winemaking for Frescobaldi Toscana. The 700-plus year-old Frescobaldi family owns seven estates in Tuscany that cover 1,400 hectares (3,560 acres). He oversees all of the Tuscan estates and, as he believes that the quality of the wine begins with the vine, he manages each of the vineyards as if they were his own children. “I know each vineyard, the rootstock, the clones,” he explained.

D’Afflitto grew up on a farm and studied in Bordeaux. He moved to the U.S. and worked in Monterey before returning to Tuscany to consult. In 1991, Nicolò joined Frescobaldi, working at Castel Giocondo and by 1995 he was overseeing all of the estates.

14 August, 2018

Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Signorello Estate

Less than a year ago, fires ravaged Napa and Sonoma. Thousands of acres burned, homes were destroyed and lives were lost. As we watched the news from afar, we received messages about wineries burning down. When the smoke began to clear (both literally and figuratively), we saw that most of the wineries remained standing. Less than a dozen of the hundreds of North Coast wineries were destroyed and one of them was Napa Valley's Signorello Estate. [gallery ids="19212,19213,19214"] Ten months later, the remains of the fire in Napa can be seen by the burned trees and charred land. But businesses are running and wineries are getting ready for another harvest. And, that includes Signorello Estate. Because of their strength, resilience and overall positive attitude, Signorello Estate is the Please The Palate pick of the week.

11 August, 2018