MOSCATO WITH UMAMI BURGER

Umami Burger has been all the rage among Los Angeles foodies.  It's been getting so much hype generated for the chain's five locations scattered about town that every time I drove by looking to try it out for myself, there was a line out the door and down the block waiting to get in.

I don't like waiting in line, especially long ones. That's why I hardly ever see a popular movie the weekend it's released.  That's why I don't go to the grocery store in the early evening when everyone else is there.  That's why I don't go to the DMV if I can help it.

I happened by the Studio City location - they call it Umami Valli - one Saturday around lunchtime and was stunned to see nobody waiting to crowd inside.  Peering in, the place didn't seem too busy at all. My Umami time had arrived.

In case you don't know about umami, it has been recognized as the fifth taste our palates pick up.  All these years we got along with only sweet, sour, salty and bitter.

Umami is the taste described as "savory."  Don't ask me why they didn't just call it "savory."  I hope this doesn't mean they're going to change sweet, sour, salty and bitter to Japanese words.  I have a tough enough time remembering English.

I sat at the bar - red leatherette chairs - to look over the menu, and immediately felt the need for a nice, cool glass of Moscato.  It's a feeling that doesn't come over me often, so I thought I'd indulge.

I noticed that behind the bar there were MAS wines on tap, right from the mini tank.  I asked the bartender about one selection on the list and was told "we don't carry that anymore."  My Moscato request took a while to fulfill, as the bottle was empty and he couldn't locate the corkscrew.  A bar without a corkscrew is in pretty sad shape.  After a few minutes the only corkscrew in the place was found and the wine was poured.  My bartender offered an apology and said, "somebody must have felt like they needed it."

I had the Mezzacorona Moscato 2010 Vignetti delle Dolomiti.  Grapes for this wine come from an area near Lake Garda in Northern Italy.

Pale in the glass, the nose is fruity with pears in the forefront.  The wine is off-dry and minerals and white peaches grace the palate.

I "went the other way" with my pairing, and had the Port and Stilton burger.  To my surprise, going the other way wasn't a bad idea.  The earthy cheese and Port-carmalized onions went together extremely well, and the wine added a touch of sweetness which really set off the umami.  Oh, so THAT'S what umami is!  And THAT'S why the line is always out the front door!

This Umami Burger location is loud and a bit warm.  The burger preparation goes on right in front of you and the kitchen heats up more than the meat.  The burger was $10 and the glass of Moscato cost $6.



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HALF A MOSCATO AT CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN

Wine bars sometimes offer options to the by-the-glass purchase of wine for those who don't want a full glass - say, at lunch - or those who would like to try two or three wines without having to down several glasses at one sitting.  I don't see tasting options very often in chain restaurants, but I came across one the other day.

California Pizza Kitchen offers half-glasses on their wine list, at half the price of a full glass.  I tried this option at lunch, witha half-glass of Jacob's Creek Moscato. The three-ounce pour cost $3.50.

Jacob's Creek has been making wine in Australia's Barossa Valley for over 160 years.  This Moscato is produced using two grapes, Moscato of Alexandria and Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.

It's very pale in color, and a slight effervescence is visible.  Minerals make a big play on the nose and I pick up an almost-petrol type of aroma.  The taste is sweet and fruity, with pears and peaches coming forward, but the minerality is pronounced as well.

I like the half-glass option at CPK.  It's a trend I hope to see develop at more restaurants.



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MOVE OVER WHITE ZINFANDEL - MOSCATO HAS ARRIVED

A recent article in The Wine Economist explored a question that's always on the minds of those interested in wine - what's the next big thing?  Figures cited in the story - taken from another article in Wine Business Monthly - show that sales of Moscato wines increased by about 91% during 2010, when overall wines sales only grew by just under five percent.

The Wine Economist speculated that some White Zinfandel drinkers may be moving over to Moscato, as sales of White Zin have fallen off a bit.  The originator of White Zinfandel - Sutter Home - produces a Moscato Alexandria, while the article also cites Moscato entries from Robert Mondavi Woodbridge, Barefoot Cellars, Columbia Crest and other wineries.

In the comments to the article, a reader suggested much of Mocasto's newfound popularity may be due to hip-hop artist Drake, who sang about the grape variety in his 2009 single called "Do It Now," in which he raps for "lobster, shrimp and a glass of Moscato."

Popular culture has certainly affected the wine industry before.  Rapper Jay-Z put an obscure Champagne by the name of Armand de Brignac on the map when he featured it in his 2006 video for the song, "Show Me What You Got."  Now, reportedly, the French producer can't make enough of it. 

The 2004 film "Sideways" was credited - or blamed - for ruining the market for Merlot.  One of the movie's characters had a decided bias against that particular grape, preferring Pinot Noir.  Sales of Pinot Noir went up in the "Sideways" aftermath.