September 2025 Newsletter
New Wine Club | Braised Lentils Recipe | Milano-Tornio Cocktail | Old Bordeaux
I’m headed back from an extended long weekend in Montreal with friends. We ate and drank well, as expected. I’ll be putting together another From the Table report for you in a couple of weeks.
In the meantime, here’s my August recap:
OLD BORDEAUX, NEW PERSPECTIVE
A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to taste two of the oldest wines I’ve ever poured: a 1964 Château Beychevelle and a 1965 Château Lafite-Rothschild. These are legendary Bordeaux estates making them always a rare treat, but tasting them at nearly 60 years old made it something truly special.
Both bottles showed minimal ullage (loss from evaporation), which gave us hope that the corks had held. We used the always reliable Durand to gently ease them out. There’s no sense gambling with wines like this.
We started with the Beychevelle. The 1964 vintage was stronger on the Right Bank, but Left Bank producers like Beychevelle in Saint-Julien had a tougher time due to harvest rain. Some producers picked early; others waited it out. As soon as we poured it, the color alone told a story through a still healthy red in the decanter. The wine was ethereal. Of the two, it had the more aromatic nose: rose petals, dried raspberries, forest floor, and a whisper of tobacco. It was a reminder that great wine doesn’t always shout. Sometimes, it just lingers in the air.
Next up: the 1965 Lafite-Rothschild. The cork crumbled on opening, but we filtered it carefully through a decanter and kept the cork bits out of the glass. 1965 was a challenging vintage because it was cooler, rainy, and often dismissed. But this bottle proved how misleading generalizations can be. The nose was more restrained than the Beychevelle, but the palate was a level up. Elegant, alive, and still very much in motion.
Both wines had the hallmarks of aged Bordeaux: mushroom, leather, cigar box, dried herbs, and earth, with fruit that had long faded into dried raspberry and floral notes. The oak? Barely there and fully integrated, as it should be. What stood out most was the acidity. These wines weren’t built on power or ripeness. They were balanced, fresh, and structured in a way that let them survive and thrive for nearly six decades.
It made me think. Today’s top Bordeaux estates often lean into ripeness, with alcohol levels creeping north of 14%. Power is in. But will these modern, more extracted wines age as gracefully? I’m not so sure. These so called “less desirable” vintages, like 1965, might have lacked early hype, but here they are still standing, still singing.
Something to consider next time we write off a vintage or chase scores over structure.
MILANO-TORINO COCKTAIL
You all know how much I love a good Negroni, and just about every riff out there. That bitter orange backbone, balanced by sweet vermouth and a strong spirit, hits perfectly. But sometimes, I’m not in the mood for the punch of gin or fizz. Sometimes I just want something deeply Italian, all bitter herbs and citrus, with nothing to distract from the core ingredients.
Enter the Milano-Torino, or Mi-To.
This simple, pre-Prohibition cocktail is the predecessor of both the Negroni and the Americano. It takes its name from the origins of its two ingredients: Milano (home of Campari) and Torino (home of sweet vermouth). That’s it, two ingredients, one perfect balance.
MILANO-TORINO (MI-TO)
1½ oz Campari
1½ oz sweet vermouth
Orange wheel, to garnish
Build it in a rocks glass over ice, give it a quick stir, and garnish with an orange wheel. No soda, no spirit, just pure, classic Italian bitter herbal elegance in a glass.
BRAISED LENTILS RECIPE
I make this lentil dish all year long, adjusting the aromatics and add-ins to match the season. At its core, it’s a simple pot of lentils gently simmered with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and herbs. Nothing fancy, just real, honest flavor. It’s the kind of side I love with roast chicken, fish, or thick-cut pork chops.
In the summer, I’ll toss in tomatoes and sweet peppers. In cooler months, I lean into mushrooms or even a bit of smoked bacon. I also filmed a quick version of this dish for my TikTok, where I walk through the steps casually.
Ingredients
1 cup green or brown lentils
1 bay leaf
1 carrot, peeled and halved
1 celery stalk, halved
1 small onion, peeled and halved
2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
1 small sprig rosemary
A few sprigs thyme
4 cups water (or enough to cover lentils by 2 inches)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
In a medium pot, warm a generous drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and smell fragrant but haven’t browned.
Add the lentils and bay leaf to the pot. Stir to coat in the oil and aromatics for about a minute. Pour in enough water to cover the lentils by about 2 inches (roughly 4 cups). Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30–40 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape. Add more water during cooking if needed to keep them barely submerged.
Discard the aromatics of bay leaf, rosemary, thyme sprigs, and large vegetable pieces if desired. Season the lentils generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in a drizzle of good olive oil.
Fold in any cooked seasonal add-ins like sautéed mushrooms or crisped bacon. Let the lentils cool slightly on a wide plate or tray to allow the flavors to settle. Just before serving, finish with another drizzle of olive oil.
WINE DIVE + KITCHEN WINE CLUB
For my friends here in Kansas, this one’s for you. I’ve been working on launching a wine club for months now, and we’re finally ready to go live.
Every bottle is hand selected by me and curated with care. We’ve kept the price accessible at $55 per person, and you can choose from three options:
• White
• Red
• Sommelier Choice: My personal picks (a mix based on what I’m drinking and loving right now)
Pickups will be available at the Wine Dive + Kitchen location of your choice: Wichita, Manhattan, or Lawrence. And if you feel like dining in when you grab your wines, there’s no corkage fee on pickup day.
Here’s what you get as a member:
Unique monthly selections you won’t find just anywhere
Surprise perks and special dining discounts
A deeper connection to what’s in your glass
Details:
Pickup on the 1st of every month (starting October 1)
Hassle free billing on the 15th. Cancel anytime
No corkage fee when enjoying your wine in house on pickup day
Sign up at: club.winedivekitchen.com
Whether you're a seasoned wine drinker or just starting your journey, this is your monthly passport to new discoveries.
That’s it for now. More updates coming soon