This past weekend I had such an experience when it came to my morning coffee routine. For years now, my brewing method of choice has been the French press. If I were to be completely honest, I’ve always believed this method to be the high form of the coffee experience. That all changed over the last few months thanks to Aaron Blanco at Brown Coffee Company here in San Antonio.

Aaron is first and foremost a micro-roaster – selecting farm-specific coffees from around the world. What does that mean? That means his beans are not “Colombian” or even something a little more specific like, “Sulawesi.” Aaron’s coffee beans tell you the farm and country of origin of the beans. Then he tells what roasting process was used to fully express the flavor of the coffee. Finally, each bag show the date the beans were roasted (rarely will you find one older than a week).

Brown Coffee Company is one of a small number of coffee band of outsiders in the U.S. They are artisans, honing a craft. And their brewing methods come in several shapes and sizes. Coffee practiced at this level still welcomes the utility of the French press (whew), but I have been introduced to some new brewing methods that really take coffee to new heights. The top of that list, at least in the context of morning coffee, is the chemex. The chemex is basically a glass pitcher, with funnel at the top. A specific filter sits in the funnel, where specifically measured coffee is poured. The brewing time is about the same as a French press (4-5 minutes). Some hot water is poured on the fresh grounds to start the “bloom.” After a minute or so, the remaining proportion of hot water is poured onto the grounds in a circular motion. The funnel works its magic, significantly reducing any bitterness in the coffee and maximizing its sweetness. Coffee is a fruit, so it should never taste bitter. The result is a great cup of coffee for the morning routine. And the only cleanup required is a toss of the filter and a wash out of the pitcher – much easier than the French press.

My recommendation for a fun 2011 New Year’s resolution: up your morning coffee routine! Start with buying a little better coffee (FYI Aaron ships his coffee all over the US). Then explore with a new brewing method, like the chemex. To make getting started a little easier, check out the great iPhone app from another excellent coffee company out of Chicago, Intelligensia.

Enter Torrontes, the white wine that Argentina has begun to hang their hats on.  It has some of the light crisp characteristics of Albarino’s and Sauv. Blanc’s, but is very much its own varietal.  Some of the most interesting stuff I’ve found is grown at high altitude – over 5,000 feet – in the Calchaquíes Valleys of the North.

Here is a previous review – Nomade Torrontes.