Blend Your Own Wine (Then Take it Home!)

Why in the world is there a video of Letterman and Homer on the BIN 36 blog? Truthfully, it's been my dream to have these two guys associated with the restaurant some how, and this was my way to do it—that, and we put together our own top ten list, and really, is there anyone better at it than Dave?

Our own top ten list. Yup. We went there. And why?

Well, we're kind of excited for the upcoming Harvest Event this Sunday at BIN 36. We're expecting a couple hundred of our friends to hang out with us, as we all dip our hands into the world of blended wine. Literally. Vineyards are harvesting their grapes left and right in California this week, and this shindig is our way of getting in on the action Chicago style—by blending and bottling your own wine, and then taking it home to save and drink later on!

Honestly, how many people can say they've ever done that before? Up until we started this, we couldn't either.

Barrel blending by bigred925's photostream.

So, that top ten list? 

TOP 10 REASONS TO ATTEND THE 8TH ANNUAL BIN 36 HARVEST EVENT

10. Understand the differences of some key grape varietals.
9. Learn the art of blending, mixing, and experimenting.
8. 'Cause you can always TIVO the Bears game, this event only happens once a year!
7. Eat some yummy BIN 36 grub, not to mention some delicious artisan cheeses.
6. Uh....hello? You get to drink a lot of our BIN 36 wines.
5. Purchase your very own hand-blended wine.
4. No need to run out an buy "Menage a Trois" or "Fat Bastard Wine" just because you like the label - come up with your own witty and personalized label as part of the deal!
3. A FAN-freaking-TASTIC gift for the holidays for under $17.
2. Meet and mingle with other wine geeks and oenophiles.


(said in the voice of Dave) And the number one reason to attend the 8th annual BIN 36 Harvest Event is...


1. All this for only $36 a person, Click here to purchase tickets.

The Driving Force of a Restaurant: Its Staff (and this is an ode to ours)

By Shelu Bhandari

Going over new cheese and dessert menus with Chef Caputo and Dan.

Front of the house at BIN 36 and their extensive wine and food knowledge ...

Before I became a part of the restaurant industry, I was always curious about bartenders and the service staff at fine dining restaurants. They were generally very courteous, charming, and bright. They were hip and knowledgeable and their memories spot on. But, I had lingering questions: did they like telling strangers about food? How did they maintain their cheery personalities after being on their feet most of the day and dealing with the inevitable grumpy customer? How did they stay motivated pursuing a part-time serving career while also pursuing their dreams on the side? And most of all, how did they know so much about every item on the menu?

Muriel Montgomery and Michele Burford.

I figured out it’s not as effortless as they make it seem. Take the BIN 36 menu—it’s broad, and with a ton of detail. First off, the wine: wines from different regions, varietals, and varying vintages. There are 48 wines by the glass, not to mention the highly allocated and more exclusive wines on our bottle list. Then the cheese—another 48 of those to learn, and I'm just thinking about how hard it was to learn the fifty states as a kid—cheeses from all over the world from different animals, with different textures, smells, and of course, tastes.

And finally, the BIN 36 menu: from snacks to charcuterie to entrees. The servers feverishly take notes during menu changes, painstakingly study the menu and attend mandatory wine class every week taught by our in house wine and cheese savant, Jan Henrichsen. The owner, Dan Sachs, recently dropped a pop quiz on the staff and actually graded their answers as well as their performance. If you thought being a server was “taking the easy route to fast cash,” think again. You need a wealth of knowledge about really obscure items. I mean, really, who knows about a "marjolaine cake" or a “banoffee purse?” Well, our staff studies it.

Roberto Izquierdo.

And just like in the movies, every day at 4:30pm, either Jan or Dan sits down with the staff and a representative from the kitchen (either Sous Chef Alec Walker, Chef de Cuisine Willy Hewitt, or Executive Chef John Caputo). The chefs present the off-menu specials and the ingredients and methods of cooking are discussed. The manager on shift carefully matches a wine pairing based on the flavors of the meal and which wine would best finish each bite. Once presented, everyone digs in so that their palette is acclimated with the new dish, complete with its wine pairing. So if you’ve ever wondered how the server is able to describe the potential dining experience of what you may order, it’s because of the routine pre-shift meeting that they attend.

Billy Henderson.

Over my years at BIN, the staff has had relatively low turnover. There have been some staff members that have been here for 10 years or more—Roberto Izquierdo and Sergio Gomez, our breakfast managers and banquet servers. Jimmy Baclig, a BIN 36 bartender favorite, has been taking care of guests and mixing up a ready drink at the bar for years. There are also the part-timers who pursue acting careers like Muriel Montgomery who has a gig at Second City and Billy Fenderson who is always growing a moustache for his latest part in a local play. And the adorable and bubbly Michele Burford, who is also crafted in the gift of party giving, as an event coordinator. Each one of our staff is filled with character and knows the BIN menu like the back of their hand. So, feel free to ask lots of questions on your next visit to BIN 36—our staff is up for the challenge.

Sergio Gomez and Roberto Izquierdo.

That, and you never know if you're talking wine and cheese with the next Vince Vaughn or Kate Winslet...

(Shelu Bhandari writes the checks at BIN, and is that glue that helps hold us all together—and and she likes to drink wine! A perfect fit.)

The Challenge: More Cheese!

Taking flight with the cows via DIGISEA's photostream.

I don't know if you can tell or not, but I really like writing about cheese—but I still like eating it more. That's why, when I was talking about one of our flights the other day with the wait staff, I had the idea to approach this flight as an educational flight. I know, you just left the classroom or office and you don't want to participate in any kind of educational endeavors—heck, you think I wanna 'teach' all over again!?!? Well, endure we both shall, because doing so will lead to nothing but pleasure, especially if you back up this flight with a glass of wine!

The flight in question? The Cows through the Ages flight. It's simple what we're doing here: trying to show how a milk ages in a cheese, based on their rind (or lack of) and the time it is allowed to age. The rind is that sometimes moldy, sometimes stiff, sometimes even cloth exterior to the cheese. And yes, some cheeses have no rind at all. With me so far?

A love sight. Mozz via Kilo 66's photostream.

Our first cheese is our Cow's Milk Mozzarella. Made in New Jersey (and in your head I know you're thinking, quality comes out of the Garden state?), this is a fresh cheese with no rind. You will find this cheese absolutely fresh tasting, full of sweet milk flavors and a nice tangy acid which is common in non-aged cheese.

Morbier via gabo_'s photostream.

Next is the French Morbier. This is a washed rind cheese, semi-soft aged at least forty-five days and up to about two months. The interior paste as it ages will become softer, more runnier.

Grayson via artizone's photostream.

Next is another washed rind cheese called Grayson. It is also a semi-soft cheese, but is a much more typical washed rind cheese in that it is very assertive in aroma and flavor. This comes from the process of literally washing the exterior rind of the cheese on a daily basis with a wet brine, with cultures added. This usually develops a reddish brick colored rind which gives the cheese it's identity, which usually turns out to be a stronger smelling and tasting cheese. In the case of the Grayson you will find it to have a sweet beefy flavor with nutty under tones, which develops during it's sixty days of aging.

That's the goods. Loads of Parm via Marion's photostream.

Lastly, we move up to Parmigiano-Reggiano. Aged fifteen months, you can taste the sweetness of the milk which has developed to counter-act against the salt which is needed to help age the cheese. In our case we bring in a parmigiana that comes from the Vaccha Rosa, or red cow. It is said they have a lower production of milk, but some think their milk is superior to other breeds of cattle.

And then? Well, that's it. No and then! See... a painless class that I'm guessing has your pretty darn hungry. The difference between us? The cheese is right here in front of me! So please, come taste for yourself, and savor this cow's milk goodness for yourself.

$10 Flights. Robert Camuto. And Reading up on Wine.

By Jan Henrichsen

All right. This is it. The final stretch! It's crunch time, and we learn who has the cajones to man up and finish off the wine and cheese gauntlet we've thrown down—but we're merciful, so we wanted to make it a little easier for you...

Tonight, simply by muttering the password 'CORK' to your server when ordering, you'll unlock $10 wine and cheese flights. Every. Single. One. Once again, here we go digging our own graves... And it's only good for tonight, so cancel your plans, skip the homework, and do whatever it takes to get down to BIN and finish off this challenge! Unless of course you just are insane enough to miss the chance to drink wine and eat cheese for a year, plus be bought dinner for two on us, that is.

And while you're munching on those $10 flights tonight, you may just want to pay attention to a little something else going on...

We are super excited about the upcoming visit of Robert V. Camuto.

He has written a fantastic, informative book on sicillian wines, and the people who make them.

Inspired by a deep passion for wine, an Italian heritage, and a desire for a land somewhat wilder than his home in southern France, Robert V. Camuto set out to explore Sicily's emerging wine scene. What he discovered during more than a year of traveling the region, however, was far more than a fascinating wine frontier.

There will be a tasting of the exclusive Italian wines tonight from 6:30-8:30pm in the BIN 36 market and a chance to meet and chat with the author, Mr. Camuto, along with a wonderful selection of BIN 36 artisanal cheeses. 

This book is so much more than just a travel book...I am pretty convinced that in a couple of years, many of these wines are going to be sought-after, hard to find cult classics.

As well, special visitors from the wineries will be present, like Frank Cornelissen & Alberto Graci. Of Frank Cornelissen, Matt Kramer of Wine Spectator says, "Winegrowers like Mr. Cornelissen are now stretching our understanding of 'greatness.' Mr. Cornelissen's best red wine, Magma, is like no other version of Nerello Mascalese, nor any other red wine of my experience." Really, if you are interested in the future of Italian wine, love reading about wine, or just love to drink and eat...you shouldn't miss this event.

And finish that Challenge!!!

Changes to the List and Even More on the Challenge

By Jan Henrichsen

Changes in the season mean changes in the wine...
via koffiejunkie's photostream.

The Challenge:

I'm thrilled to see some of our regular customers break out of their routine and try new things as part of our Flight Challenge. I think it's a really cool aspect of the Challenge. The white wine drinker trying reds, or the cheddar lover branching out after trying four different blue cheeses.

I've had some cool discussions with our guests in the past week. Some have been surprised, some have found new favorites...and some haven't, but all have pushed their boundaries a little bit, and isn't that really what a challenge is?

*     *     *

Fall Changes.

We've been tasting away for months, looking for the best wines to showcase on our by the glass list. This week is our last big push to find the very best for fall. Many folks are curious as to how we make the choices we do, so I thought I'd give you a list of some of our criteria.

1) The wine must be well made. Period. We look for wines of quality, no matter what the flavor profile.

2) The wine should be food-friendly. We are, after all, a restaurant.

3) Does the wine have personality? Does it over-deliver?

These are the two qualities that can not be under-estimated. That is what separates the "fantastic" from the "meh."

Lastly, very few people are going to love every wine on any list, but we try very hard to make sure that there are a wide range of flavor profiles, weights and textures...I want to make sure that there's something for everyone.

I'm looking forward to cooler weather, richer foods, and gorgeous, opulent wines. I hope you are too.

(Jan Henrichsen is Beverage Director for BIN 36 and hosts the mini-bin classes. After years spent at Pastoral, Jan has a bevy of knowledge on cheese and wine: the heart of BIN.)

Guest Post: Paige Worthy, "I'm Challenged"

By Paige Worthy

Love me those Gougeres!

I can't resist a good challenge.

I've faced a few doozies in the very recent past: instigating a breakup, hurrying through a move across town after living in the same place for three years, quitting my job to become a full-time freelancer.

Those are the kind of challenges that really test who you are as a person. For some, the kind that could drive you to…drink. Or eat a lot of cheese.

But for some others, the drinks and cheese are a challenge in themselves. For those strong-willed go-getters, there's the BIN 36 flight challenge, which began August 15 and continues through September 18.

The gist—which you already know if you've read this blog before—is simple but breaks down into three parts:

1. Drink all 12 wine flights. Get one free flight every month for the next twelve months.

2. Eat all eight cheese flights. Get one free flight every month for the next twelve months.

3. Do both of these things, certifying yourself a lush and a fat kid (or, in my case, obviously, a true lover of BIN 36). Enjoy all the aforementioned perks, plus a $100 dinner for two.

I read BIN's initial blog posting and immediately started polling my friends: Who could I count on to embark on this epic challenge with me? Who would be at my side on August 15 to start strong and finish…well, probably more than a little tipsy?

I attempted a full-blown tweetup, but in the beginning, there were only three: My friends Owen and Douglas joined me. We were a ragtag group: a music lover from New Zealand who knows his Kiwi wines, a guy who got into wine because it was a better way to meet women than beer was, and a girl from Kansas who…just outgrew drinking $4.99 André sparkling wine a few years ago.

Good times.

My first flight was the "Express Yourself," a sweet foursome of Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Vouvray and Riesling. The nicest little Riesling you'll ever try, as a matter of fact: Dr. Loosen, from Germany, is just what the doctor ordered.

Flying in style...

Throw a basket of gougeres into the mix, and this girl is feeling all right.

Sipping flights in the company of serious oenophiles can lend itself to great wine talk. In the end, our flight sipping lent itself to…an entire bottle. Owen and Douglas, not as serious about the challenge as I am, quickly tired of hopping from wine to wine. We split a bottle of rosé and called it a night.

Wimps.

I've returned two more times in pursuit of victory, once on my own after work, and once with my friend Adrienne. Adrienne and I dove into the cheese portion of the challenge last weekend, but I'm not sure how strong I am. (Also, having just quit my job, I'm a little low on cash. I will consider sponsorships from the right organization. Inquire on my site, www.paigeworthy.com. No, really.)

All this being said, I'm not a wine person—in that I wouldn't know a floral nose or note of black fruit if it came up and punched me. So I'll just tell you what I've had so far. And you can assume that I liked it, because I trust Brian and the BIN team. You should too.

· Well Traveled Whites

· Habla Español

· Sexy Reds

· BIN 36 Flight

Five down, seven to go. I already know how I'll wrap up the challenge: the Bubbles wine flight and the Fat Cats cheese flight. (I'm crying for that Brillat Savarin right. now.) Now that I'm "working from home," I'm considering turning one of those sweet sofas into my office for the next couple of weeks…

Headed to BIN? Send a tweet—come flight with me! I'm @paigeworthy.

(Paige Worthy—yes, that’s her real name—writes in Chicago. A refreshing blend of New York sass and Midwest sweet, she was blogging before everyone was doing it, eating obsessively before “foodie” was a thing, and overanalyzing life and love long before Carrie Bradshaw made it sexy. Love her as much as she loves you? Read more at paigeworthy.com.)

The Challenge: Wine and Cheese Found, via Craigslist

By Shelu Bhandari

Bourdain via sammo371's photostream.

Don’t know much about much, but I know now that I love wine and cheese….

Three years ago July, I was introduced to the wonderful world of the restaurant industry. Fully disenchanted with the corporate world, I was perusing Craigslist ads for off-beat job opportunities and came across an ad that requested a purchasing manager with computer skills, particularly Microsoft Excel. The qualifications fit my background and so I sent my resume and shortly thereafter met Chef John, Dan, and the wonderful world that is BIN 36. A few months later I found myself smiling at the customers at the front of the house and cursing with the cooks in the back of the house, but best of all, titillating my taste buds with foods and cheeses and wines that I may never have experienced had I not been offered this unique job opportunity.

Within weeks I was speaking with cheese makers in Montreal and interacting with wine distributors purchasing highly allocated wines. I was able to chit chat with family and friends about grape types and aged cheeses. Instead of eating a slice of processed cheese I was more interested in nibbling away at 10-year cheddar. I was more interested in drinking wine that didn’t come in a box or massive jug. It seemed absurd that just a minute ago I was satiating my appetite with the nearest, sloppiest fast food joint. Let’s be honest, this is how most of us spent our twenties and perhaps early thirties: eating crappy food and getting loaded on whatever was convenient. We ate. We drank. We drank. We drank more. Then we ate again.

Spotless aprons, dirty mouths. The cook's way via willvelarde's photostream.

As we mature, hopefully our tastes refine. We are curious and interested in things we haven’t tried. The media has encouraged us to explore the unknown. Anthony Bourdain tells us to and we believe him. Gordon Ramsey has us intrigued. Top Chef has glamorized the kitchen. And it’s all true. The restaurant business is wild, in all ways good. The passion of the chefs, the madness of the kitchen, the part-timers who are pursuing acting careers, the quirky and informed restaurant managers, the hard working immigrant laborers, the afterhours partying after the hard day is done—it’s all for real. Quite frankly, it’s a cultural experience we should all expose ourselves to because it helps us appreciate the hard work that the business requires. It is truly magic how the back of the house chaos arrives to you in a beautiful plate and a luxurious libation with restaurant chatter and music in the background.

But I digress. The refined palates of the BIN 36 resident experts are something we all must enjoy. They have made this easier by presenting us with flight after flight of wine and cheese in a thoughtful, less threatening, and affordable manner. I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to try every single wine flight and cheese flight. It is a cultural experience that BIN 36 provides remarkably well. And one that I have come to experience now, because I didn’t know any better before.

I can’t tell you which wine or cheese flight is my favorite. The flights are set up for you to experience a series of flavors in a way that each selection has been rightfully showcased. They have been meticulously paired and presented on the menu in a way that no other restaurant has quite done. In the end you will leave learning something new about your palate and hopefully a new item to add to your own kitchens. We challenge you to try every wine and cheese flight in these final weeks of summer. Sitting down to a plate of cheese with the fig puree, the crispy house made crackers, the house mixed nuts, and washing it all down with just the perfect glasses of wine will not be disappointing. I promise.

That said, I will share 6 cheeses and 6 wines from my BIN 36 everyday-layperson's must-not-miss list:

Cheese – Regale de Bourgogne, Burrata, 10-year cheddar, Sophia, Barely Buzzed, Tartufo.

Wine – 2007 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Fattoria Laila, 2007 Pinot Blanc, Chateau D'Orschwihr, "Bollenberg," 2007 Chardonnay, BIN 36, 2007 Pinot Noir, BIN 36, 2006 Proprietary Red (Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah/Petite Sirah/Petite Verdot/Merlot), Duncan and Sachs, "D&S," 2008 Barbera/Dolcetto/Nebbiolo, Montaribaldi, "Tres Stelle,"

We challenge you to be disappointed!

(Shelu Bhandari writes the checks at BIN, and is that glue that helps hold us all together—and and she likes to drink wine! A perfect fit.)

Reds, Cheddars, Bubbles, and Fat Cats!

(By Jan Henrichsen)

Working through the Challenge requires a song and dance,
I'm thinking something like Dorothy once sang... via Nick Owens.

One thing I've refused to take for granted since we started the Challenge is that this isn't going to be easy. Without a doubt, people are going to be drinking a heck of a lot of wine and eating a heck of a lot of cheese, and somewhere along the way, they're gonna find stuff their palette may just not agree with. Especially when drinking a wine flight and eating a cheese flight at the same time...

And that's why I've come here to share some flight pairings—which, let me say, is not necessarily the easiest thing to do. With such a variance in wine types within each wine flight, and so many of our cheese flights displaying different milk types and styles from around the world, it's really just a big mish-mosh of wine and cheese, isn't it? Kind of hurts my head just writing about it!

But I was able to sort through the chaos and came up with two different flight pairings to start. I know some of you are well in to the Challenge now, so I'd love to hear your thoughts on pairings, too. What have you had together? What's worked? What hasn't? And what do you think of the pairings below?!?

Cheers, everyone!

We know that oysters and bubbles go well, but so
does this... via Cornichon.org

Bubbles and the Fat Cats

The bubbles flight is a delightful selection of sparkling wines from around the world. From light bodied crisp prosecco, to a rich, full bodied California rose made especially for BIN 36.

What all these wines have in common is a beautiful, mouth-watering acidity that makes this flight a perfect pairing with the fat cats flight.

The fat cats flight is four rich, creamy cheeses with opulent buttery textures and flavors. Pairing wines with these cheeses is tricky business. Big, tannic full-bodied reds often overwhelm the delicate flavors, and many whites don't have enough acidity to provide contrast to the cheeses...that can lead to palate fatigue, and we don't want that.

Our goal is to keep your senses engaged through all four wines and cheeses!

Though it's an older flight, can you spot the cheddar
in this pic via jeffdenapoli's photostream?

BIN 36 Reds and the Cheddar Flight

All four reds on the flight have been carefully crafted by the dynamic duo of Adam Lazarre and Brian Duncan, and all four reds are big, full of ripe fruit and chocolate...and utterly silky.

Texture is a big deal when pairing reds and cheeses of all kinds, but firmer cheeses, like cheddars, are pretty demanding. They need and want full-bodied reds with smooth tannins, and that's exactly what we provide.

The cheddar flight showcases all the different sides to this style...from a goat's milk cheddar, to a classic bandage wrapped cow's milk cheese, to an American cheese maker who decided to cover the outside of his cheddar with coffee!

Versatility is one thing you should always find in a flight—and you're finding it here!

(Jan Henrichsen is Beverage Director for BIN 36 and hosts the mini-bin classes. After years spent at Pastoral, Jan has a bevy of knowledge on cheese and wine: the heart of BIN.)