Nashville Wine Press Interviews Big Kenny of Big and Rich

Big Kenny is living large. As one half of the huge country duo Big & Rich, Big Kenny is playing big arenas, writing big hits, wearing big hats, and sharing big ideas while celebrating the gift of life. But to interview him is kind of like herding cats—you just go with the flow ‘cause he knows how to bring it back home.

Jimmy Collins: When it comes to wine, are you an appreciator and student or simply a drinker of wine?

Big Kenny: I’m slowly traveling from a drinker who really enjoys it…it’s slowed me down from my Crown Royal habit. I started hanging around some friends who started teaching me about wine. On our radio tour in 2004, we were with the promotions staff at a finer restaurant and we had their credit card to use. Well, John and I thought since we had someone else’s credit card to use that, by gosh, we should take a chance to find out what really good wine is all about. I remember asking the sommelier, “What do you recommend on this list?” She said, “By all means I would have the Haut-Brion.” I think it was a 1988 or ‘89. It was off the charts. We had been drinking some good wine by then, though. When John and I signed our record deal we went over to the management office and they opened a 1988 Silver Oak. So we were slowly being introduced to some of the finer stuff. Once we were doing OK and I could pay off over $150,000 in credit card debt and buy a home with a cellar, a childhood friend started sending me wine. I got a pretty doggone good collection. I don’t know what half of the stuff is, but all I know is that it is good!

Jimmy Collins: As a consumer/collector, what style or region do you lean towards?

Big Kenny: I think the greatest thing that the French have to offer us—other than starting to step into international diplomacy, which I really appreciate—is their wine. I am totally into French wine and I think we should drink all of it. Until you’ve tasted a 1989 Chateau Lafite Rothschild from the Pauillac region, you just haven’t experienced what wine is all about. Although with an American wine, if I had my choice, I love the Opus One, but you have to hit the right years with those. I have a case or two of the 2001 in my cellar. I think it’s fantastic but that was a combination of an American vintner, Robert Mondavi, and a French vintner, Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The two came together and did something good. It’s like when Big & Rich formed—worlds collided and two forms of music were smashed together and that’s what made it successful. I also like Meritages, especially the Clos du Bois Marlstone. A friend gives me French wine and the Châteauneuf du Pape I have fallen in love with. I also have a case of different Pinots down here to see what I like. I like some Australian wines, South American wines, and I love some Oregon wines. We are making some great wines in this country, too, don’t get me wrong—Cakebread, Caymus, Insignia—there is phenomenal stuff here.

Read the entire, fun interview in the Nashville Wine Press.

Upcoming Wine Tastings in Nashville

West End Discount Liquors University Club Wine Tasting
The International Wine Tasting and Auction to benefit the Tennessee Foreign language Institute. That's on Thursday, November 8 from 5:30 until 8:30 pm at the University Club at Vanderbilt. Over 100 wines to taste and heavy hors d'oevres......Just $50.00 per person for one of the best wine events of the year292-0730 is the number to call for reservations.

http://westmeadewines.com/


12!
This is our celebrated event, 12 wines for $15! The 12 wines are FROM THIS ISSUE! It is the wines of Burgundy which is some high end juice! It's a great way to taste what you read and it is the best bargain in town.
When: Thursday, Novermber 8, 6pm-8pmWhere: Bistro 215 (In Green Hills between the mall and the movie theater)
Cost: $15!!
Call 385-3636 for more details

Cru Beaujolais tasting with Yann Bourigault of Georges Duboeuf
On Monday, November 12, you will have the opportunity to taste Cru Beaujolais from the Georges Duboeuf portfolio for only $10!! Yann Bourigault, Director of Exports for Georges Duboeuf will be on hand to be our master of ceremonies and information guru. I had the honor of meeting Mr. Bourigault this summer and we invited him back for this occasion! Village Wines, Ombi and WJ Deutsch are our co-hosts. You'll be suprised how diverse Beaujolais wine can be and yet still not break your pocketbook.

When: Monday, Nov 12 from 6pm-8pm
What: 8 Cru Beaujolais wines with Yann Bourigault
Where: Ombi Bar and Restaurant-2214 Elliston Place, Nashville
Cost: $10More info: 320-5350 (Ombi) or 383-2102 (Village Wines)

Visit Nashville Wine Press to read about wine and upcoming events.

Wine Talk with Melanie Armstrong

Great Legs

Visit her website.

See more videos of her on YouTube.

Cheese and Wine Pairings from Brett Corrieri

CHEESE AND WINE COMBINATIONS


Cheese: Blue Daisy
This is sheep’s’ milk cheese, very young, fresh, elegant flavor.

Wine: Aneri Prosecco di Valdobbiadene NV Brut
An outstanding Prosecco! This is more intriguing than most. Minerally, earthy, and elegant, but with all the ripe fruitiness you’d expect from Veneto, Italy’s premium sparkling wine.

Combination:
The earthiness from the single vineyard Prosecco (mineral, chalk) goes superbly with “ewwyness” of sheep’s cheese. (Mark begins “eww-ing”) Both the wine and the cheese have a delicate flavor and texture. We all agree: it rocks.

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Cheese: Humbolt Fog
This cheese is Humboldt County California’s second largest agricultural product. This one is a sheep’s milk cheese with a small window of time to eat it. (You know it’s perfect when the inside half looks like ricotta and the outside is runny.) The boys warned that it was “quite pungent.” The rind is completely edible.

Wine: Bertani Soave Classico 2002
This is darker and richer than typical Soave. The wine has aromas of golden delicious apple and a slightly mineral neutrality, which we all agree should be a good backdrop to the cheese. (Mark likes to say the grape name, “Gargenega…gargenega…”)

Combination:
This is a good combo. The wine lets the cheese shine, doesn’t compete.

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Cheese: Parmigiano–Reggiano Dop 2003
In cheese circles, this popular cow’s milk cheese from Emilia-Romagna, Italy, is called “il formaggio miglioe nel mondo”—the world’s greatest cheese. Brett chose to include it in the tasting “to show how versatile it is and how the taste changes.” He advises to never buy pre-shredded Parmesan: “pre-shredded versions taste like wax.” This cheese is delivered to Corrieri’s in huge, 88-lb. rolls that have already been aged for at least 24 months. Corrieri’s ages the rolls another 6 months.

Wine: Cavit Pinot Noir 2005
This is a good, solid Pinot for penny pinchers. Bright cherry and strawberry fruit with nice mushroomy/earthy undertones.

Combination:
This is definitely an instance where great cheese makes decent wine taste better. Nutty savory character in cheese (umami?) brings out the caramel hue in the wine.

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Cheese: Gorgonzola
This smells like a fish aquarium. Spicy, tingly, sharp mouth feel. Brett says there are two types of Gorgonzola: Gorgonzola Dolce (made in fall when the sheep have eaten silage, or hay, on the farm) and Gorgonzola Picante or Mountain Gorgonzola (made in the spring when the sheep are herded back to the farm and graze on wild grasses and herbs.) We tasted the latter, which has a spicy, wild flavor. (Mark says this is a great cheese for someone with a foot fetish!)

Wine: Barbera Monteforatto 2002
It’s unanimous, this wine is cool. Great aromatics. We smell violets, roses, and raspberries. It’s more perfumy than you might expect from a wine at this price point. Great zesty acidity, too, which should be a good match with the zinginess of the cheese.

Combination:
This is an awesome combination. The textures work well together (both are simultaneously velvety and zippy.) Also both are highly perfumed…YES!


Read more from this article in the Nashville Wine Press.