Featured User: Al Shikoh

Al Shikoh is originally from Kentucky but now lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee with his wife Kelly and 1 year-old English Golden Retriever Luna. He has practiced in Chattanooga as a Gastroenterologist for 23 years. Al and his wife have been blessed to raise 3 wonderful sons into adulthood. He loves music and is an avid fan of Kentucky basketball and football, as well as Steelers football. Food and wine have always been a big part of his life. Al and his wife love to travel and visit various wine regions, but they appreciate how opening a special bottle of wine can transport them to a different place and time in the midst of a busy work week. Delectable: What sparked your passion for wine? Al Shikoh: I would say my passion for food came first. I’m an adventurous eater and enjoy a wide variety of cuisines and flavors. I love to pair wines with my meals and this led to an ongoing fascination with the aromas and flavors of wine. D: What wine region are you wild about right now? AS: Although I’m a big fan of traditional wines, especially Napa Cabernet , Barolo , Champagne and Burgundy , I’m really excited about the “New California Wine” movement going on now as chronicled by John Bonné in his book “The New California Wine”. I find the experimentation and innovation of this new generation of producers endlessly fascinating. D: What is the most unusual wine you’ve ever tried? AS: Although some of Abe Shoener’s Scholium Project wines could fit in this category, I’d have to say the most unusual tasting wine I tried was a Shiraz from the Nashik Valley in India produced by Sula Vineyards and founded by the “Mondavi of Mumbai” Rajeev Samant after he studied engineering at Stanford and worked at Oracle. It will be interesting to follow the wines coming out of India. D: What is your golden rule for wine? AS: To trust my own palate and not be ruled by the tastemakers, as well as to always seek out the new and different in addition to enjoying the familiar. D: Say you’re not allowed to have wine, what is your second option? AS: Probably just sparkling water. I wouldn’t want to envision a world without wine. D: Choose a movie, book, quote, or song and pair it with a wine AS: I have very eclectic tastes in music but have always been a fan of the Eagles and their 1977 album “Hotel California”. Lyrics like “So I called up the Captain, ‘Please bring me wine’” and “Mirrors on the ceiling, the pink champagne on ice”, seem to cry out for a bottle of my birth year vintage, 1966 Dom Pérignon Rosé ! D: If you were a wine, what wine would you be? AS: I come from two ethnicities with a mother from Kentucky and a father who was born in Pakistan. Although I don’t know if there is a wine scene in Pakistan, I’ve always felt an affinity for the Lebanese producer Château Musar . If I were a wine, I’d be a bottle of 1966 Musar Rouge, still hopefully improving with age.

Lingua Franca

Estate Eola - Amity Hills Pinot Noir 2016

vivid ruby; muted aromatics, red berries, cherries, potpourri, dusty earth, pine needles; very tart red fruits, prominent minerality on the finish; medium body, high acidity, prominent fine grained, 13% ABV; first vintage sourced from their estate vineyard, 25% whole cluster inclusion, aged in 25% new French oak for 12 months and then 4 months in tank; still a bit tight at this point but suspect it will reward long term cellaring; $50 — 4 years ago

Josh, Bob and 8 others liked this

Carlisle Winery & Vineyards

Sonoma County Petite Sirah 2014

inky black color; dark chocolate, plum; blackberry cobbler, spice, great concentration and length; full bodied and tannic but velvety texture, medium+ acid, 14.7% ABV; blended with 8% Syrah, sourced primarily from Rossi Ranch in Sonoma Valley (89%) with some fruit from Rosella’s Vineyard in Santa Lucia Highlands (11%); should have good aging potential; $34 — 5 years ago

Shay, Peter and 1 other liked this

The Hilt

The Vanguard Chardonnay 2013

medium lemon yellow; lemon curd, pineapple, brioche, white flowers, hint of smoke; medium body, medium+ acidity, 13.2 % ABV, lovely balance; sourced 56% from Sanford & Benedict and 44% from Solomon Hills, aged 11 months in 90% new French oak, 50% malolactic fermentation — 5 years ago

Ira, Shay and 2 others liked this

Tyler

La Encantada Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013

medium ruby; dried leaves, potting soil, sage, violets; dried cherries, mushroom; medium body, medium+ acidity, soft tannins, 13.1% ABV, good length; winemaker Justin Willett was former assistant winemaker at Arcadian; $57 — 5 years ago

Shay and Ira liked this

Carlisle Winery & Vineyards

Rosella's Vineyard Syrah 2014

opaque violet, prominent tears; very floral and aromatic, lavender, licorice, blueberry compote, hints of black pepper; plush, round, blue fruit, feminine; full bodied, medium acidity, tannins have resolved, 14.8% ABV; sourced from Gary Franscioni’s Rosella Vineyard, 25% whole cluster inclusion — 4 years ago

Severn, Bob and 4 others liked this

Brooks Winery

Old Vine Pommard Pinot Noir 2015

medium reddish purple; bing cherry, rhubarb, dried rose petals, vanilla, Christmas spices; dark berries, sugar plums, orange peel; medium body, medium acidity, very soft tannins, 14.2% ABV; sourced from a single block of own rooted vines in Brooks Estate Vineyard all planted to Pommard clone, old vines planted in 1973 and 1974 and farmed biodynamically, winemaker is Chris Williams Jimi Brooks’ former assistant, 18 months in French oak; $55 — 5 years ago

Severn, Sharon and 2 others liked this
Severn Goodwin

Severn Goodwin Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Al Shikoh Congratulations on your Delectable Feature! Welcome to the Team 🤓🍾
I also enjoy Brooks, we're aging several of their Riesling's, the Pinot's are also great but harder to come by in the Northeast.
Sharon B

Sharon B Influencer Badge

Congratulations on your feature!

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Red Wine 2014

dark violet; blackberry, cocoa powder, vanilla, violets; blackberry cobbler, sweet dark fruits; full bodied, medium+ acidity, fine grained tannins, 14.5% ABV; blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Malbec, aged 24 months in 100% new French oak; $220 — 5 years ago

Shay, Romain and 5 others liked this

Kimsey Vineyard

White Wine 2015

medium yellow with pale watery rim; aromatic, slightly cloying, honeysuckle, lemon, chamomile, beeswax; slightly viscous mouthfeel, long finish; medium body, medium+ acidity, 13.7% ABV; blend of 60% Roussanne and 40% Viognier; $60 — 4 years ago

Bob, Severn and 2 others liked this
Sharon B

Sharon B Influencer Badge

Congratulations on your feature!

Larkmead Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

dark, inky black violet; blackberry, black cherry, lavender, menthol, graphite; blue and black fruit, minerality; medium weight, dusty tannins, 14.7% ABV; made from blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3 % Cabernet Franc planted in combination of gravel, sand, and clay soils, aged 19 months in 65% new French oak; Larkmead’s base cuvée, has the balance to drink young; $125 — 5 years ago

Shay, Ira and 9 others liked this

Martha Stoumen

Teal Drops Zinfandel Rosé 2017

peach colored, coppery highlights; peach skins, musky floral notes; orange rind, lovely texture from aging on the lees in barrel a year, super crunchy, nice grip on finish, 12.4% ABV; made from 100% Zinfandel grown sustainably in King Vineyard in Suisun Valley; $32 — 5 years ago

Ira, Mark and 2 others liked this