2010 Roadblock

Sounds like the name of a wine, but it's not.  It's the result of my lack of interest in much of anything, or perhaps my interest in so many things that I became incapable of doing much more than just dabble in a bunch of stuff.  Over the year I brewed 13 new homemade beers, mostly IPA's.  I wrote 17 new songs, 12 of which are going on my new album.  (Yes, it's a new album - even for those of you who didn't know that I had ANY albums at all.)  I began school again - yes, again.  I guess I needed to get out of my head and open myself up to new ideas, even old ones that I'd not considered. 

And I tasted some really good wine.

And I got pretty cynical about wine in general.  At what point does it really matter?  I mean, we have our individual taste buds and some of us like one thing while some of us like the other.  Take note: taste buds don't know that you have a credit card.  They can't read tasting notes.  They can't distinguish between wine of the year awards and those that are never mentioned. 

But taste buds can tell the difference between the things you've decided that you like and don't like. 

Personally, I care as much about what I don't like as what I like.  The dichotomy of these polar opposites give me perspective and reference points.  So, when I opened a bottle of Penfolds bin 128 Shiraz that I paid $18 for and find out that I like it less than the $6 Pillar Box Red, I take note of both. 

That said, my favorite wine for 2010 - the one that resonated with me the most - is the 2008 Pali Riviera Pinot Noir.  I like the price and the 'big-ness' of this otherwise delicate pinot stunned me.  It's flat out delicious. 

So is the 2008 Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet - tastes like chocolate.  I love chocolate.

The 2006 and 2007 Zaca Mesa Santa Ynez Syrah's are both magnificent.  As is the 2008 Marquis Philips Shiraz and the 2009 Mollydooker Boxer and Two Left Feet. 

The 2009 Santa Barbara County Syrah from Jaffurs in, um, Santa Barbara is a wonderful treat.   My daughter, Michelle, and I joined them early September to help with bottling.  The kind folks at Jaffurs served up a tasty Mexican lunch with many different wines before we jumped to the mobile bottling assembly line.  A very fun day!

I drank some Sea Smoke, some Williams Selyem, Mondavi, Justin, Yellow Tail, Layer Cake... found something enjoyable in all of them.

Love what Rosenblum has been doing over the last couple of years, especially in the Zinfandel area - they know what they're doing, in my opinion.

And this is all my opinion.  That's it.  Tonight I'm going to cook a steak and open a bottle of something; I don't know what yet.  I'll let the moment decide.  Meanwhile, have a great Christmas season and I'll catch you next year.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!

Orange County Home Brew Competition

I started brewing beer with a friend about two years ago.  Last November, he decided to bail on the endeavor and I kept going.  Since then I've brewed several beers and, of course, I think all are great beers - because I brewed them myself.

And truly, all are 'drinkable', most are gone, and only a couple were what I would call very tasty.  The rest were not unpleasant efforts but not something I would actually buy in a market or restaurant.  (That said, I've paid a hefty sum for some bottles in the market that weren't that good, either so, there!)

Anyway, one of my recent brews was good enough - at least in my mind - that I entered it into the Orange County Fair Home Brew Competition.

No, I didn't win, but it was fun to make something that I wasn't embarrassed to share with people I didn't know.  Note to home brewers - most of your friends will be so impressed with the fact that you pour out a beer that you brewed yourself that they'll love it even when you don't.

Today, the OC Fair held a lunch for participants and judges in the competition and announced the winners, many who brought ample quantities of their award winning brews to share.  Talk about fun!

Now, I tasted some pretty good brews today.  I met some really cool people.  I tasted a yummy sandwich.  I had a great time. 

I'd like to say I remember the names of everyone I talked with... there was Ian Akerson who won first place for his Imperial IPA.  This was the category I entered mine into and there's no question that I have some work to do.  Ian was also gracious enough to give me a few pointers on my own brew.

I also tasted some fantastic European style beers brewed by Todd Yenche - winner of 4 first place awards.

I did get into line to taste the Best In Show Baltic Porter, brewed by Jonathan Gunther but he ran out about 3 people before I could get a sample... by the amazed eyes and smiles of those who did get samples, it was clear that this was a damn fine brew... sorry I missed it.

Back at our table - heck, I don't remember all the names... there was Rich... Ian... Brian... anyway, doesn't matter at this point... but what does matter is we had some really great conversation about our collectively favorite beverages and foods to go along with them.  It was a good time all around.

I'm going to enter again next year - an award would be cool - but the people are all there to have a good time and I was caught up in it joyfully!

To those of you who at the table who take the time to read this, thank you.  I had a great time meeting you; wish I remembered all of your names and hope to run into you again soon.

To see a list of the winners, click here:

http://www.ocfair.com/competitions/pdf/results/10_homemade_beer_results.pdf

Cheers!

Dinner in Santa Barbara...

Last night, my youngest daughter, Jamie and I drove to Santa Barbara with our Honda Odyssey filled with a mattress, computer desk, clothes, etc to move my oldest daughter, Michelle into her new apartment.  One of Michelle's roommates met us at the door and soon after Michelle arrived with another friend.  The van was unloaded very quickly and food became the top item on our to do list.  We invited Michelle's roommate; her other friend left for work.

We went to Ruth's Chris Steak House at the La Cumbre Plaza and have a fantastic evening.  For one, I was in the company of three very bright young ladies who, we learned later, had garnered quite a bit of attention from the males working at the restaurant.

We were greeted by manager Kris and our very attentive and friendly server, Nicole.  Upon request, Chris was gracious enough to waive the corkage fee for the 2006 Denner Ditch Digger that we brought along.  Hospitable folks indeed!

Rather than order separate dinners, we decided to get several items and share.  This way, we could sample a variety of flavors and not walk out completely stuffed - easy to do here because the portions are very generous and the food so tasty that it's hard to stop eating it!

We started with the shoestring potatoes... a nice crunchy beginning to go with the first pour of the Ditch Digger - a fabulous wine, by the way - one that is filled with spicy, peppery, and dark fruit on the nose... tastes amazingly smooth just out of the bottle, then wham! - boysenberries and heck... I don't know... the wine simply explodes and seethes with flavors so mouth watering, almost Gothic, flavors of dark chocolate, pepper, mocha, and boysenberry pie!

Oh, back to the food.

We shared the seared ahi tuna - so tender and flavorful in a nice bed of ginger sauce... so refreshing... and a side note: the wine didn't back down for a second.

All the while, Nicole mentioned that we were the fun table and the one that the male servers wished they had.  Imagine me, two of my daughters and one of their friends... and I was completely enchanted listening to the three of them converse - oh yeah, I chimed in now and then but they have such incredible imaginations and were smiling all around... this is what great meals are made of.... the food is the soundtrack to the conversation!

Three of us ordered salads, with Jamie declaring that she would just help with what we couldn't finish... smart move.  These are man-sized salads with plenty of garden fare along with some nice touches around the fringe with miniature onion rings, or even Cajun spiced pecans.  Yummy!

Then came a single - what looked like 20oz - rib eye steak and the mushroom caps.  I challenge anyone to pair something like this with a big bold and elegant red from Paso Robles, such as the Denner Ditch Digger, and not moan in ecstacy!  Unless you really need to, there's no reason to buy steaks for every person (NFL players and others who burn calories on a sub-atomic level excepted) - each bite goes a long way.  The taste is incredible... for lack of a more explosive term... culinary bliss-ness!

The grand finale?  Two desserts - Chocolate Explosion (not on the menu) - an indescribable chocolate cake oozing melted dark chocolate, decorated with caramel and vanilla ice cream.... heck, I hope I remembered it well enough... then the Cheesecake... one of the best I've ever tasted... so creamy... and with a raspberry drizzle... drizzle... drizzle... (okay, it's nine a.m. the following day and I'm ready to go back already... )

Alas, the wine was gone... the dessert half gone... the smiles still there, the conversation still there, and a wonderful sense of.... wow!  What a fantastic way to celebrate or even just hang with family and friends.  Yeah, it's about the food, but it's more about the people. 

After dropping Michelle and Arielle off at their new apartment, Jamie and I drove back to Los Angeles and got home at midnight... and that was it... lights out... sweet dreams...

And here I am writing about it.

Thank you Kris, Nicole, and Ruth's Chris for a fantastic evening. 

You rock!

Cheers :)

A really cool wine store in San Clemente, CA

On Monday, I left my daughters off in downtown San Clemente while I aimlessly strolled around looking for a place to just kick back.... this is when I happened upon the San Clemente Wine Company. 

The San Clemente Wine Company is a small store with a wonderful variety of wines and an assortment of cheeses.  In the back is a tasting bar and they offer several tasting options, each selected by one of the very hospitable and kind folks who work there.  The wines are organized by varietal and priced very reasonably; especially for a small botique wine store.

Even the tasting prices are fairly modest - right around the $10 range for a flight of 4 tastes - give or take depending on the wines in each flight.  Flights can also be 'customized' to your liking if you see something in particular that appeals to you.  That said, I encourage you to just 'go with it' and enjoy what they have to offer because, based on my experience on this mellow Monday, the people here are quite adept at coming up with flights that are sure to arouse your taste buds and appeal to your senses.

As for me, I had the good fortune of tasting the 2008 Charles Smith Velvet Devil Merlot, the 2008 High Note Malbec, the 2007 Layer Cake Primitivo, and the 2006 J. Rickards Alexander Valley Zinfandel.  Sure this is a bold set of wines for an afternoon tasting, but the flavors were wonderful and diverse.  Even the Layer Cake and J. Rickards presented a diversified cultivation of the Zinfandel grape that left me wanting more, more more!

The downtown San Clemente area is a great place to walk around, dine, and enjoy great wine thanks to the San Clemente Wine Company.  I will definitely make this one of my regular stops when I'm in the area.... heck, it's actually worth a special trip.  Hang out, strike up some great and friendly conversations with others who also love wine, and bask in the mellow and enticing flavors emanating from each glass. 

You can find them at http://www.scwinecompany.com/ or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?profile=1&id=113285644765.

Cheers!

Wild Horses.... couldn't drag me away....

The classic Rolling Stones song sings it's way through my memory as I sip the last glass of 2008 Wild Horse Pinot Noir for the evening.... Such a mellow but powerful tune... leaves an impression, doesn't it?  The same can be said for the 2008 Wild Horse Pinot.

The beauty of this wine, in my opinion, is that the Wild Horse Winery website has no information posted yet on this vintage... as of today.  Of course, the elegant and complex 2007 is mentioned as well as the 2006... guess it's a bit early in the game... like the first verse of the Stones tune.... you don't know how great it really is until you hear it over and over again... or, in this case, taste it again and again...

Wild Horses... couldn't drag me away... indeed!

I'm a fan of Wild Horse Winery and I have been for about 5 years now; especially after tasting their Unbridled Pinot.  At this point in time, however, I have to say that the last 2 vintages of the Central Coast Pinot are two of my favorites from this winery.  Very approachable... I mean, er, uh, drinkable wines.  Yes, drinkable.  Just pour 'em and drink 'em....

Childhood living is easy to do.... the things you wanted, I bought them for you... and on and on and on...

Tonight, I paired the 2008 with some bacon-wrapped sea scallops with strawberry chutney.... artichokes... romaine salad with Roma tomatoes, purple onion, orange bell peppers, and avocado... chicken skewers....

And the wine is all that I can crank it up to be... kind of cranking up the Stones... this wine is meant to be heard.  It's got all of those gentle pinot-like characteristics... the soft spice notes, the mineral-like texture, and a soft strawberry nose... but this little horse has finesse and structure as well!  Didn't break down for a moment throughout the meal.  Not for a minute.

The things you wanted, I bought them for you....

And I'm buying more.  Pure an simple.  The 2008 Wild Horse Central Coast Pinot is a fantastic bargain, and would be worth twice the price, actually.  It's not just good for the price, it's just good.

Cheers!

Some random photos....

I'm a man of few words this morning... excited about this weekend as my oldest daughter, Michelle, graduates from UC Santa Barbara.....

The pictures here include the 2009 Mollydooker Violinist, the 2007 Sea Smoke Southing, the 2006 Zaca Mesa Syrah, and the 2007 Wild Horse Pinot....

cheers!

The 20th Anniversary of my 29th Birthday.....

... is on the 4th of June but it begins at about 1:00 in the afternoon on Thursday June 3, 2010... with my daughter, Jamie, at Arnie Morton's Steakhouse on Figueroa in Los Angeles... bottle of 2007 Isosceles in hand....

First off, the hospitable folks who manage and work at Morton's Los Angeles are some of the friendliest people I've meet in any restaurant... bar none.  This is why it is also my favorite Morton's location.  There has not been a visit where our time and money spent has not been worth it and some.  With the added bonus of celebrating my birthday (now an annual tradition for me: LUNCH at Morton's), both my daughter and I felt like royalty.  I'm not exaggerating.  It was all about us.

The food was exceptional - Cajun Rib Eye, Crab Cakes, Grilled Asparagus.... oh, and the Morton's burger Jamie ordered - with fries.... it's like the All-American steak and potato meal - it just LOOKS like a burger!

As for the wine - each year on my birthday, I open a new vintage of Justin Isosceles.  This is truly one wine that, year after year, meets and often exceeds my expectations ever since my first taste of the 1997 vintage.  As for the 2007, this is silky smooth - can benefit from decanting up front - but it's probably the softest (not without a bunch of flavor) Isosceles that I've had since the 1999... I've got a 2nd bottle that rounds out a 6 year vertical going back to 2002.  Not sure when I'll start on the older ones, but I can hardly wait!

Friday began with a family trip to Northern California to visit some good friends in Merced.  Now don't laugh.  I like Merced.  Even living in Los Angeles hasn't jaded me to small town life.  It's just a mellow place and, when the sky is blue, the snow-capped Sierra mountains are clearly visible from our friends' back yard. 

From then until Sunday, it was food and drink.  Steaks.... shrimp... pizza... hot wings.... homemade IPA, and a bottle of 2006 Columbia Crest Reserve Merlot.  Unfortunately, there might have been a 'slight' bit of cork taint on this bottle but, after a bit of air, it softened up beautifully.

The road back home was filled with music from the Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street, Tattoo You, and Undercover.  My all-time favorite band, finishing off a very delicious and fun 20th Anniversary of my 29th Birthday.

Family, friends, food, fun.... and good wine.  It doesn't get much better than this!

Cheers :)

The Violinist... with music!

Instead of a blog, I've got some music.... recorded by my daughters Serena (on vocals) and Jamie (on violin) while I provided the guitars and production, here's a very cool version of Sheryl Crow's "Strong Enough".  I hope I'm not getting into copyright trouble here (Sheryl?) but I think it's a great soundtrack to a great and delicious wine... the 2009 Mollydooker Violinist.




Cheers!

Becker on Beckmen

It's so easy to remember a name that is so similar to mine.  And when that name is also attached to a vineyard, it's easy to remember the wine, too.  And if the with is particularly good, then it's even easier to remember it.  So, I'm writing a few words about Beckmen Vineyards.

I visited the winery yesterday after leaving my daughters off in Goleta and Solvang, respectively.  I pretty much drove by Braille knowing I would eventually find it and my instincts were on target, perhaps from a map I looked at a while back? 

No matter.  I found the winery and it's in a beautiful location.  There's a few turns to make but the rolling hills, rose-lined roads, and fantastic landscaping next to the winery make the drive a very pleasant one.  It's a very mellow location, great place to kick back, taste some really good wine, and engage in great conversations. 

The tasting room is small but roomy with a nice balcony overlooking a wide and beautiful green valley.... well, it's May, so the valley is green.

Beckmen offers three tasting options.  I don't remember all of the wines in each tasting, but I chose the premium option which gave me a chance to taste the Marsanne, the Purisima Mountain Vineyard Grenache, and three of the premium Syrah's offered at Beckmen.

To simplify my opinion, all of the wines are very good.  The Marsanne surprised me with almost a smoke and melon flavor that finished delicately.  The Grenache, blended with a small amount of Syrah, is fantastically balanced and framed in the soft peppery tannins of the Syrah.  Each of the Syrah's I tasted were unique and stood up on their own.  It wasn't much of a progression as it was a triple display of three distinctly different styles of Syrah, all delicious, all age-worthy.

Beckmen vineyards is not located amidst other wineries and could be overlooked if one isn't specifically looking for it.  I found it based on a friend's recommendation coupled with a few bottles that I tasted a few years ago - at another friend's house.  It would have been fun to taste all of the wines.

The only recommendation I would have is, instead of having 3 different tasting groups, let the customer pay a single tasting fee then select 5 or 6 of the wines.  For example, it would be fun to maybe taste all of the Syrahs, or just focus on the Grenache wines - both of which are really delicious.

There's lots of Beckmen wines to go around and, unlike some wineries that make one or two really good wines amidst otherwise average offerings, I truly enjoyed all of the wines I tasted. 

I highly recommend a visit.

Cheers!

Santa Barbara Winery

I can be skeptical.  Wineries named after the town they are in immediately conjure up images of a tourist spot first, winery second.  However, after visiting Jaffurs winery in downtown Santa Barbara a few weeks back and tasting some really great wines, I decided that the advice I received from one of the customers to also visit the Santa Barbara Winery might not be bad advice at all.

So, yesterday, I set aside some time and stepped into the tasting room of the Santa Barbara Winery.  Like my experience at Jaffurs, it's almost surreal to walk into a winery that is located amidst a semi-industrial business area instead of at the end of a winding path in the country.  It's surreal because, once I was in the doorway, I could have been anywhere. 

Stacks of oak barrels provided a serious backdrop to the rectangular tasting area that allowed customers to gather on all for sides amidst walls decorated with current and past vintages, gifts, and several awards bestowed on the Santa Barbara Winery over the years.

To start with, I love a tasting fee of only $5 - AND I get to keep the glass!  Sign me up. 

Of course, that's not the focus here but it does speak of customer service and appreciation. 

But, at the Santa Barbara Winery, it's not about the glass.  It's about the wine. 

I started the tasting with the 2008 Sauvingon Blanc - a very tasting wine with some very nice tropical fruit nuances framed in soft acidity - I got hungry the moment I tasted it.

From there, I tasted two Chardonnays - the 2008 Santa Barbara Country, fermented in stainless steel, and the 2007 Santa Rita Hills, fermented in oak.  The SBC Chardonnay was crisp and fruit-forward with a very delicious toasty vanilla note on the finish.  The SRH had similar characteristics but was was immediately more suited to aging and was full-bodied from start to finish. 

Subsequently, I moved on to the Reds with a taste of the 2005 LaFond Pinot Noir.  I love this style of Pinot with the slight strawberry and spice on the nose with a lively mouth feel and soft tannins on the finish.  I would have loved a glass of this to enjoy on their modest but inviting patio. 

From there, things got fun.  I love those wines that just 'go with anything' and the next taste was right up my alley.  The 2008 California ZCS (Zinfandel, Carignane, and Sangiovese) is flat out delightful.  It's a Delicious wine that doesn't need food but would pretty much go with anything you can throw on a grill.  This is the wine you want to have just lying around for everyday drinking or to keep that dynamic conversation carrying on into the night.

Finally, I tasted the Primitivo.  As a tenacious fan of Zinfandel, I loved this wine.  It sailed through from start to finish with those fantastic spices and fruit that are truly food friendly but with a structure that will only evolve over the next few years.  Delicious!

This is where I stop.  My appreciation to the fine and friendly folks pouring the wine and engaging in very enthusiastic conversation about their wines and even pulling out a map to show me where the grapes came from.  It was fun.  And whether I was a tourist, a blogger, or just someone looking to taste some good wine, I can truly recommend a stop at the Santa Barbara Winery. 

Hang out. 

Chat.

Taste.

Enjoy.

Cheers!

No Right Foot

Three nights ago, I embarked on a mission. I wanted to see if I could 'break' the the 2008 Mollydooker Two Left Feet.  In other words, I wanted to see if I could cook up something bold and spicy just to find out if the Two Left Feet would hold up.

So, I cooked up some Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce in a crock pot and added 6 spicy Italian sausages from a local market. I cooked this for about 6 hours and served it on top of spaghetti noodles. To top it off, I added a romaine salad with purple onions, orange bell peppers, vine-ripe tomatoes, and Italian dressing.

The Two Left feet didn't even blink when it came to the spaghetti. Even with the slight red-pepper spices in the sausage, this very versatile and full-bodied wine survived very nicely... all the way to the end of a very long finish.  I've overwhelmed many Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah/Shiraz in the same price range - usually unwittingly, but not this bad boy.  The wine is at 16% alcohol, which can sometimes be a bit much - sometimes masking flaws in an average but over-the-top wine.  However, I found that the heat of the Mollydooker was an asset in this meal as it took a bit of the edge off of the red peppery spices while leaving the dark fruit flavors and leathery tannins to sail on until the end.
For ‘fun’, I save the salad for the 2nd course. I will say that the salad was almost a bit much, especially following such an intense main dish, but again the Two Left Feet survived the abuse. I’m thinking that, next time, I’ll eat the salad first and pair it with a nice pale ale and THEN open the wine.... more on that later...

Anyway, I completed the evening a couple hours later having a small glass of the Two Left Feet…. We’ll call it dessert! It was ffabulous.  I didn't even need a chunk of dark chocolate to pair it with, although that would have been a perfect combination.

.... soooooooooooooooooooo.... that took care of half the bottle and half the adventure.

The next evening, I made a pizza.  I make my own crust using basic ingredients - flour, salt, sugar, olive oil, and just a touch of crushed basil leaves.  On any given night, I'd also use olive oil instead of Tomato sauce.  However, I was on a quest!  So, I used some of the leftover spaghetti sauce (now full of spice) on the pizza and topped it with mozzarella, pepperoni, sun-dried tomatoes, and a bit of medium cheddar.  The salad was the same as the previous evening, but this time I used a balsamic vinaigrette for dressing.
 
The wine was even better the second time around.  After being opened for 24 hours (spending much of that time in my little Vinotemp fridge), the Two Left Feet softened up very nicely and lost absolutely nothing in terms of nose, flavor, or finish. 
 
I ate the salad first.  I washed it down with a glass of the Two Left Feet and, once again, this wine didn't even blink.  If this vino from down under can handle this, I thought, then the pizza will be a breeze.

And it was.  In fact, it was phenomenal.  The complexity of the Two Left Feet - laced with dark berries, mocha, black licorice, and a hint of pepper was perfect for the pizza.... and after my 2nd (and last) slice of the evening, I finished the wine and smiled.

I smiled because I've had this wine with numerous foods... steak, blackened salmon, and now spaghetti and pizza.  And I loved it every time. 

Now, where is the chili cheeseburger?!!!

Cheers!

Oyster Bay

I tasted my first Oyster Bay wine last night.  Specifically, a friend brought a bottle of the 2008 Oyster Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir to our home and we paired it with grilled mahi mahi, steamed rice, and a romaine salad. 

I looked up Oyster Bay's website and read the following "Elegant, fragrant, and subtle wine"... I would say it's more than that.  For me the wine had me at hello.

This is a wine that is both gentle and filled with wonderful cherry and spice aromas, with just enough acidity to make it quite a bit more versatile that most Pinot Noir's I've had in this price range - under $20. 

It's a pet peeve of mine that it's really difficult to find truly satisfying Pinot Noir in this price range as so many are laced with Syrah or who knows what else to prop up an otherwise dismal wine.  In other words, they cheat.  This is particularly noticeable when that classic hint of white or black pepper finishes off the so-called "Pinot".

Conversely, I could not detect anything but Pinot in this Pinot!  It's almost velvety smooth with tannins that are quite nicely rounded and gentle - framing a complete wine-drinking experience.  I keep going back to the price and I'm pleasantly proud to recommend it, even if it were a bit more expensive.  I've tasted Pinot that hovers in above the $30 and $40 mark that does not have the structure and appealing array of flavor that I found in the Oyster Bay.

Notes from their website say that Michael Ivicevich is the Chief Winemaker. 

Micheal?  Are you listening?

Nice work.

But you already know that.

I'm buying more.

Cheers!

I'm quoted on Mollydooker.com

Imagine the smile on my face when I received an e-mail from Victoria Savage at Mollydooker wines asking if they could quote me on their website!  Of course, my response was that they could use anything they wanted from my blog.  Their wines are spectacular year after year, both elegant and very fun to drink as well as being some of the most food friendly wines I've ever had - pairing well with a variety of foods - even spicy bar-b-que stuff. 

I would definitely call myself a fan and encourage anybody reading this to become one too.  Just because a wine is full of big flavor, doesn't mean it's not also complex and subtle.  For me, that's the definition of a great wine. 

And Mollydooker makes great wines.

Click here to read the quote

Not Wetzel's Pretzels

There are very few wine experiences that rival a full bodied and complex Cabernet Sauvignon.  The numerous nuances that excite the senses are so enjoyable that, once experienced, it's not easy to accept something less.

Of course, I have to check myself sometimes to see if I'm falling into a trap of equating a full bodied Cabernet with an equally full bodied price range.  I'm sure you would agree, it's not often that a truly enjoyable Cabernet is found say, under $10 per bottle.  By enjoyable, I don't mean just acceptable.  I mean truly enjoyable with complexity, depth, and a fantastic food-friendly finish. 

This is my quest: to find a wine such as this within this price range. 

Part of this curiosity drove me to buy a couple of bottles of Alexander Valley Wetzel Vineyard Cabernet - 2006 and 2007. 

Well, they were on sale at Von's and I figured, how could I go wrong at $9 per bottle? 

Okay, I cut to the chase.  The wines weren't bad.  The 2006 was light but pleasant with just enough tannin to go well with the spaghetti we were eating.  There wasn't much depth or complexity to the wine.  It was soft, with some nice floral and earthy tones, some light berrie nuances, and a slightly bitter (but not unpleasant) finish that actually worked nicely with the sauce.

The 2007 was a bit better.  I still have half a bottle left.  I opened it last night with some Cajun grilled salmon and a romaine salad topped with an Italian dressing.  It worked just fine with this meal. 

The wine was light, but so is Salmon.  With the Cajun spices on the salmon, the wine was able to meet the dish halfway and actually compliment the meal nicely.  I'm not sure if the wine would have held up to something more robust, such as a New York steak, but it was a decent pairing.

A light Cabernet with a light meal.  Is it possible?  Yes, and it worked.  But I don't think I could have planned it if not first tasting the 2006 and figuring that the 2007 couldn't be much different.  I was right.  The meal was delicious.  The wine was just the right fit and the price was right. 

Not bad.

Not bad at all.

Cheers!

Fantastic Wine in Santa Barbara

I'm an optimistic skeptic. I’m also a creature of habit. When I find something I like, I latch onto it and sometimes, prematurely I admit, discount things that I’ve not tried yet. Like going to Temecula and assuming that the wines will be as unsatisfying as a previous experience only to find that there are some great wines being produced in that area or assuming that the tasting rooms north of Santa Barbara in the Los Olivos and Santa Ynez areas must be showcasing better wines than would be found in a tasting room located in downtown Santa Barbara.  Or downtown anywhere, for that matter.  What is visiting a winery if you're not winding your way up a hill to a fantastic building with a spacious and elaborate tasting room?

Yeah, I have my moments of being ridiculous.

Enter my trip to Santa Barbara last Saturday. I wanted to try new wine and pulled up a map of tasting rooms in the city. I then looked up each winery on Wine Spectator and decided to start with the winery that had the highest ratings. I was the only reference point I had at the moment and seemed like a fine place to start, however arbitrary.  I’m going to use this approach again.

I drove on Milpas Street and turned on Montecito. About a block ahead on the right, I found Jaffurs Winery.

If the roll-up warehouse door had been closed and had I not seen a pretty small sign on the wall, I might have assumed this to be some generic business operating in a fairly non-descript stucco building. But my quest was wine. And Wine Spectator says these are really good wines.

They are really good wines. I think they are great wines. I think Jaffurs has a new fan.

My tasting started with the 2008 Grenache Blanc. This was only the second time I’d tried such a wine, the first being the night before at Vinatero’s in Whittier. One sip and I wanted to taste more. I was hooked. I figured that, if Jaffurs could do a Grenache Blanc that was so soft and silky, with a finish lingering several seconds on my tongue, what did the rest of these wines taste like!

Well, the 2008 Viognier was a lovely white with a beautiful balance of bright acidity and peach. That’s what I got from it anyway. Then I moved on to the reds.

The 2007 Grenache is fabulous, one of the more highly structured and complex that I’ve tasted anywhere. This wine is so delicately balanced while being a full bodied wine that I started to get hungry… but tasted more wine instead. The talented and friendly folks at Jaffurs poured a taste of the 2007 Mourvedre and I was quickly looking around for a BBQ putting the fire to beef ribs. A touch of Syrah added a slight but mouth-watering touch of black pepper on the finish. Yum.

Next I tasted a couple of the Syrahs, starting with the 2008 Santa Barbara County Syrah and moving on to the 2007 Larner Vineyard Syrah. Folks, these are great wines. I struck up conversations just to make the tastings last as long as I could. These wines are powerful but not overpowering. They are so elegantly balanced that I could keep drinking them until I became elegantly wasted. I mean that in the most affectionate terms.

Finally, I my tasting finished with the 2008 Petite Sirah, a single-vineyard wine (as is the Larner Vineyard Syrah). I find it cliché and almost piteous almost to say that this was the best Petite Sirah I’ve ever had…. Truly. It was the best Petite Sirah I’ve ever had. The deep and bold fruit flat out morphed into a fantastically rich and tannic finish while dark spice flavors nestled their way deep into my taste buds and wouldn’t let go. This culminated one of the most enjoyable tasting experiences I’ve had.

But it isn’t just the wine that made the experience enjoyable. The good folks at Jaffurs are very willing to talk about their operations and exhibit a passion derived from being directly involved in every phase of their little company, albeit one that makes big and beautiful wines. I found them to be gracious and very hospitable when answering questions and sharing the passion and enjoyment of their craft.

I left with a smile on my face and a lingering sense that Jaffurs is a winery poised for greatness. I drove out of the small parking lot, not down a winding road through green hills and vineyard-laden landscapes, but merely turned left on Montecito and then a right on Milpas on my way back to the 101 freeway. It was almost surreal. For a little over an hour, I was transported by my encounter with fine folks who make great wine and love what they do almost as much as they love seeing others enjoy their wines.

I’m going back.

Cheers!

The Terrific Tastes of Temecula

Yesterday, on a cloudy Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, my wife and I decided to go wine-tasting in Temecula, located about 100 or so miles east of where we live. I don't have the exact number but I believe there are between 30 and 50 wineries there. It's the closest collection of wineries to Los Angeles next to Santa Barbara and up the coast of California.

We visited Temecula a few years ago and tasted some wine... and didn't like it. I don't remember what vineyards we visited but I concluded that, unless they figure out better farming techniques or hire better winemakers, they're not going to be selling much more than something slightly more flavorful than 2-buck chuck.

Maybe we visited the wrong wineries back then.

Yesterday, after a stop for lunch at Miguel's JR in Corona, we visited three wineries: Leonesse, La Cereza, and Mount Palomar.

La Cereza did not impress us, although we may have offended them when we asked to taste only one wine instead of the whole lineup.  I suggested they recommend the wine and they served a Cabernet in a plastic cup that was priced around $24 but tasted like something we'd find for about $5 at the grocery store. It was wimpy and absent of just about any character. It wasn't 'bad' tasting, just not very good.  A side note to La Cereza - even if someone asks for a freebie, give it to them in a nice glass.  You never know what they're going to do with that experience.

Not the same for Leonesse and Mount Palomar.

We first stopped at Leonesse and paid $12 for 6 tastings, which we shared. We started with the 2008 Viognier and 2007 Vineyard Selection Chardonnay for starters. Both are yummy wines with the Vionier having surprising body and boldness. The Chardonnay is oaky and filled with pineapple and melon nuances.

So far, so good.

We moved on to the reds. So much for my Temecula history! Leonesse definitely knows what they are doing. We chose to taste the 2006 Meritage, a Merlot-based wine that manages to be bold and delicate at the same time with a wonderful cherry finish wrapped in soft tannins. It reminded me of some of the finer blends coming out of the Paso Robles area. The 2007 Zinfandel was probably our least favorite but more on that later. The 2006 Syrah was pleasingly complex with a nice balance of dark fruit and, one my favorite characteristics found in a good syrah - black and white pepper. Although the tasting notes only identify the black pepper, I personally tasted white as well. The 2007 Syrah was a younger version of the 2006 but with similarly pleasant flavors.

At this point, the kind folks behind the tasting bar broke out their 2007 Vineyard Selection Syrah and the 2007 Vineyard Selection Zinfandel. Both are single vineyard wines. The Syrah was an elegant and bold wine laced with black cherry, chocolate, blackberry, and a fantastically soft finish. It's also got a bit more alcohol than the cellar selection Syrah tasted earlier. This wine should age nicely but can drink nicely now - I recommend decanting.

The 2007 Vineyard Selection Zinfandel was more to our liking than the cellar selection mentioned earlier. We both agreed that the cellar selection was a decent Zinfandel but it didn't blow our minds like the Vineyard Selection did. This wine just jumps from the glass with cherry, cola, coffee, clove and nutmeg nuances... all the fruit and spiciness I've come to love in a yummy Zinfandel.

Before I move on, one more note - the folks at Leonesse are clearly exited about their wines and passionate about their customers enjoying the experience. It's a fun place to visit and it's in a beautiful location. If we didn't have places to go and things to do, we could have stayed all afternoon.

But we did move on... detouring at La Cereza before landing at Mount Palomar - a rustic winery that looks as if it's all set for a party with live music and free flowing vino for all!

Our tastings began with their 2006 Sangiovese - a medium bodied wine that was loaded with cherry flavors and a nice finish. We followed this with the 2005 Trovato, a Tuscan style wine that was quite complex and yummy. The Trovato left me wanting for a place of spaghetti with Italian sausage and a robust tomato sauce. Are you hungry yet?

The 2006 Meritage was 50% Merlot and very pleasant to drink. At this point, it was my wife's favorite at Mount Palomar. But, of course, we moved on and tasted the 2005 Syrah - the only one on the list that left me wanting for a bit more robust flavors; although my taste buds could have been conditioned by this time. Anyway, the stars of the Mount Palomar tastings were the 2004 Cloudbreak, a Meritage style blend that was big, tannic, and cried out for a grilled T-Bone or Rib Eye steak, and the 2005 "Best of Vintage" Charbono. The Charbono, we were told, is a grape from Argentina although there is some speculation as to its origin. I'd never tasted a Charbono before and this was lovely. We both agreed that it's a wine that can be enjoyed with or without food - it's got enough backbone to hold up under some pretty bold dishes but is smooth and complex enough to enjoy by itself.

Alas, it was time to go home. We talked at some length about our experience and decided to come back. We will definitely return to Mount Palomar and Leonesse and allow for more time to visit other wineries in Temecula as well.

I imagine at one youthful time, Napa Valley and Paso Robles were poised for experimentation and probably some trial and error along the way before blossoming into wine regions with their own identities. Temecula will get there. If Leonesse and Mount Palomar are any indication, they are well on their way.

Dinner

Sometimes it just comes naturally... yes, I'm bragging. Tonight, my daughter, Jamie and I decided to have a nice dinner. We had a great show last night at Moctezuma's in Whittier - our vocals were right on the money and the energy was good. We felt like we earned it. So, tonight, we created a meal of Pepper-Bacon-Wrapped scallops, Grilled Portabella Mushrooms with Red Onion, a Romaine Salad with Yellow Bell Peppers, Tomatoes on the Vine, and Avocado from our backyard tree. The main course? USDA Prime Sirloin steak rubbed in mildly spicy Cajun seasonings.

The wine? 2008 Mollydooker Shiraz. Yes, it does come naturally - or seemingly so, with the good folks at Mollydooker. Yeah, they come from the land down under but, tonight, I felt like I lived on the land up above. Not because of the mellow feeling after enjoying such a meal... but because the taste pairings all around... the 'flow' as it is, was perfect.

It might be an easy assumption that the appropriate wine would be one of the Cabernet selections from Northern California and, I would agree - it would be hard to go wrong. But, this wasn't a meal short of diverse flavors. I'm not really sure that a California Cabernet short of $100 would have held up under the weight of the spices, peppers, and, did I mention, balsamic vinaigrette dressing?!!!!

The 2008 Mollydooker Shiraz is a natural. This is a wonderful wine... filled with bold flavors of blackberry, black licorice, and black cherry.... drank very nicely with the blackened steak!

Now I don't presume to have the most discerning palate. I'm not a sophisticated wine drinker by any means. I drink what I like so that I like what I drink. That's it. But I think my taste buds are in tune even if my mental arsenal of adjectives is not. I still taste the wine... it's amazing. After all of this food, you'd think my taste buds would be dead. Not so. And there's still more wine left.

The 2008 Mollydooker Shiraz is flat out delicious. It's a natural. Just go with it.

Pillar Box Red

2007.  Wine Spectator 83 points. Not bad.  Not great.  Tasty.  Bold.  Goes great with Pepperoni Pizza.  $5.99 at Costco.   Jumping Jack Flash it's a gas gas gas!

Shoofly

Put it simply, I love finding a great deal on good wine.  Then again, if I can find a great wine for a good deal, that's even better. 

If the good deal means I pay less than ten bucks for a delicious bottle of wine, then sign me up now!

The 2008 Shoofly Australian Shiraz fits in that really good under $10 bottle.  Like I've said before, this is always a cool thing when I find something that could easily pass for a bottle two to three times the amount (never mind those chain restaurants that sell $10 bottles for $40)...

This wine kicks ass.  It's got great dark berry fruit, a nice peppery finish, enough acidity to enjoy with pizza, spaghetti, burgers, or just drink on its' own. 

Did I mention a hint of black licorice... my favorite? 

This stuff is pretty easy to find, especially if there's a World Market nearby.  Look it up.  Buy a case.  Just have it around... well, just in case.

Shoofly.  A really good wine at a great price!

Cheers!

Sea Smoke on the Water

I remember hearing the Deep Purple classic back in 1973 or so in junior high school. We had a dance and the opening chords of this song infiltrated my brain and I was an instant fan. My next album was Machine Head. It rocked. I decided to buy more Deep Purple albums after that.

They were good.

But they weren't Machine Head.

I was unable to recreate the same feelings and reaction that I had when I first heard Smoke on the Water.

I had a similar experience with Sea Smoke Southing. The 2005 and 2006 were incredible. I couldn't get enough. These wines had the depth and structure of cabernet. Intense. Full bodied. I figured that I would just keep buying Sea Smoke wines forever and ever.

I bought the 2007 last year.

It's not as good.

We opened it last Saturday night and it's not great.

I expect greatness for $50 per bottle. Plus Tax. Plus Shipping.  I have a right to.

It's not great.

It's good... but has almost no depth. It's not unpleasant tasting but it's wimpy. Like if Deep Purple started covering Barry Manilow songs.

We drank it anyway. Because it cost $50. Plus Tax. Plus Shipping.

But it wasn't worth it.

After, I plucked a 3-day old bottle of 2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet.

It walked all over the Sea Smoke.

The fog cleared. The $7.99 bottle was better than the $50 bottle. And I didn't have to pay shipping.

I'm not disappointed, though. It's like music. Just because an album is great doesn't mean the next one will be. Except it's not like music.

Once you drink the wine, it's gone. You can't go back and drink it again.

But I can go back and listen to Machine Head over and over again. And enjoy it with several bottles of $7.99 wine.

And I won't miss the Sea Smoke at all.

But I'll have Smoke on the Water.

And, at least this year, that is even better.

Cheers!

Linne Calodo

It's clear that I enjoy many wines from the Paso Robles area. Most of the wineries I like best are on the west side of highway 101, although there are a couple on the east side that I like as well.

A few years back, my wife and I stopped by the Linne Calodo winery. It was more of a barn, really. Nothing fancy. Dirt Road. Big wooden doors. Not the shiny kind.

Tasted two or three wines. I don't remember.

And they were fantastic. So, we bought one bottle. The Outsider. A blend of about 63% Zinfandel, 20% Syrah, and 17% Mourvedre.

And I put it in my Vino Temp. Until last night.

We opened it as part of a home cooked Valentine's dinner. Shrimp Alexander. Baby Greens Salad. Grilled Cajun Prime New York Steak.

And The Outsider. The wine was fantastic. It had amazing structure. The nose was intoxicating. The food pairing was perfect.

The bottle was gone in less than an hour.

That never happens here. It usually takes 2-3 hours.

We couldn't get enough of it.

I'm going back for more.

Cheers!

Denner

Paso Robles would be nothing but a roadside truck stop if not for the wineries and vineyards there. And it would be just a bit more than nothing if the wine wasn't any good. Fortunately, neither is the case.

I know there are people who pride themselves on finding those subtle little wines whose flavors and nuances are buried beneath the surface and are more difficult to detect than Waldo but I'm not one of 'em.

I like flavor. I like complexity. And I'm of the opinion that if I have to spend minutes trying to figure out the little essences that make a wine special, then it probably isn't very special and I'm diluting myself into believing that the price I paid for it was justified.

This is why I like Denner. They make great wines. They make flavorful wines. They make complex wines. They make several wines that age nicely. They make wines that I keep coming back to.

They make wines that taste like wine. These wines have fruit flavors without being overly ripe and obvious but generously enough so that I don't have to hunt and peck to taste them. These wines also finish nicely.

And the go great with food.

I'm not going to go into many details but the Ditch Digger, Dirt Worshipper, and Syrah are fantastic. And, although I tend to focus on reds more often than not, their Theresa and Viognier are wonderful.

For the person used to dropping $10-15 per bottle on wine, Denner might seem a bit pricey, generally falling between $30-45. But I've paid $70-80 on wine that isn't even in the same league as the Denner wines.

Of course, we're not talking about everyday drinking wines (although to drink them everyday would be a distinct pleasure). We're talking about wines for special occasions, friends coming over for dinner, Valentine's day, birthdays, graduations, etc. (College graduations that is)

Denner. It's one of the reasons that Paso Robles is much more than a truck stop. It's one of the reasons that I keep going back to Paso Robles.

Cheers!

Obsessed with Columbia Crest

I write much about the Columbia Crest wines. In this recessive economy, there's nothing like finding a really good wine for under $10.

I don't mean to disrespect those that make really expensive good wines, some of them great, in fact. But high price doesn't mean the highest quality.

Let's start with the ratings.... most of the Columbia Crest wines, year after year, garner between 85 and 90 points on Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. Even that corporate guy at Beverages and More rates these wines in the same range. This includes the Two Vines, Grand Estates, and, of course, their consistently wonderful reserve wines.

How do they do it? Did they just pick a great location, start growing grapes, and hit the lottery?

They produce an incredible amount of wine. You can find them everywhere - groceries, discount warehouses, wine warehouses.... even Rite Aid!!!

And their wines drink like they came from small boutique wineries.

They're good. They're easy to find. They're affordable.

They make enough varietals to keep things interesting... Cabernet, Cab Franc, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah... name it, they pretty much do it. I just haven't found a Tempranillo yet.

The 2007 Columbia Crest Grand Reserve garnered 89 points from Wine Spectator. I thought it would get about 92... it's that good! I've not had a bottle of Cabernet under $10 with this kind of depth and complexity... yeah, like lots of flavors.

So, I've bought some. And I'm going to buy some more.

And I'm going to drink it. And I'm going to share it with friends. And I know they will love it too.

These guys know what they're doing up there in Washington State. Much more than the guys in Washington DC.

Cheers!

More on Fess Parker...

It's easy to disrespect any Hollywood personality who decides to make wine... dismiss their efforts as over the top or too commercial.

This is the reputation I've heard attributed to the Fess Parker wines. Big name - bad wine.

Perhaps this was once the case. I don't know. I hadn't tasted the Fess Parker wines until last year. I saw them around now and then but hadn't tasted them.

Now I have. And they're good. Some of them are really good. And a couple of them are flat out great.

During a recent visit to Fess Parker, we tasted several of their wines. A nominal $10 fee was charged and we kept the glass. A nice glass. Reidel.

The 2007 Chardonnay "Ashley" was nice.... the tasting notes matched our taste buds on this one.... and the 2008 Viognier "Santa Barbara County" was equally as good - a bit sweet, perhaps, but tangy enough for balance.

Then we tasted the Pinot. The 2006 Rio Vista was gentle but not wimpy. The 2006 Bien Nacido was fantastic... reminded me of some of the more stellar Pinot Noir we've had recently from places like Sea Smoke and Foxen.

The 2006 Syrah "American Tradition Reserve" had some of the bold and jammy quality I've come to expect from Central California Syrah - as I do with many Australian Syrah.... fortunately, this was balanced with a nice tight peppery finish and soft tannins. I can say the same for the Rodney's Vineyard Syrah, although it was a bit bolder with fruit characteristics that were a bit more ripe than the ATR... and delicious in its own right.

To top everything off, we tasted the Big Easy Syrah. Game Over!

The Big Easy was every bit the big ass Syrah from California. Big to the taste and Easy to drink. A great wine.

And a great place to spend a cool and sunny Saturday afternoon.

Cheers!

North of Santa Barbara...

Yesterday, Jan 30 2010, my wife, Eva and two of our daughters, Michelle and Serena, drove up past Santa Barbara to Highway 154 where we detoured onto the Foxen Canyon Road. There we stopped for a picnic at Fess Parker Winery and capped off the afternoon at Zaca Mesa Winery.

Fess Parker is a fantastic place for a picnic. The lawn is about the size of a football field with picnic tables, trees, and ample room to play catch with a football or just kick back.

For us, it involved a football, a picnic basket filled with assorted cheeses, cold cuts, salad... and wine glasses.

Of course, we supplemented our experience with a shared tasting from the winery and purchased a bottle of 1999 Fess Parker Syrah - a wine that has mellowed over the years and turned from a fruit bomb into a peppery wine with nice acidity and fruit to perfectly compliment our picnic.

The folks at the winery were their usual hospitable and fun selves! Not only did we taste some of their newly released Pinot Noir (delicious wines) and their Syrah (delicious also), we got to keep the glass. Well, Michelle got the glass.

From there we drove up around the bend at Zaca Mesa and stepped past the very fun concrete chessboard... about the size of an average kitchen and into a very festive and full tasting room, where we enjoyed some more very delicious Syrah (2003, 2005, and 2006 Estate) as well as a fantastic Grenache!

After hanging out on the patio and playing half a chess game, we drove away with smiles on our faces through that beautiful countryside, culminating with some very tasting and budget-friendly sushi in Goleta.

This isn't so much a review, as you can see, as much as it is just a reflection on a great afternoon. Watching my wife and our girls laugh, talk, discuss 'boys', etc etc... was pure joy.

The wine was just an accessory. And a good one at that.

Cheers!

Regional favorites...

I love trying new wines. I wander aisles at various stores - grocery and wine warehouses - looking at labels, reading the tasting notes, ratings, etc... and comparing prices...

The underlying question I usually have is, how much great wine can I get for the least possible price?

This line of thinking clearly eliminates such gems as Insignia and Opus One. But it also eliminates such wimps as Charles Shaw and... well, plug in most under $4 bottles of wine here.

I also look at where the wines are from and I find that I have favorites from general areas, new world specifically, that I enjoy frequently and trust for quality while remaining somewhat within my budget.

For your amusement (and possibly mine as well) here's a short list. This is always subject to change and just happens to include wines that I'm thinking of now....

Washington State - Columbia Crest
Oregon - Ponzi
Napa Valley - Mondavi
Sonoma - Rosenblum
Paso Robles - Denner
Santa Barbara County - Sea Smoke
Lodi - Michael David
Chile - Concha Y Toro
Australia - Mollydooker

Of course, there are many more from these areas that I really enjoy.... but these are what come to mind today....

Cheers!

Que Syrah Shiraz....

... whatever will be will be... etc etc...

This is the feeling I get when drinking wine... good wine... tasty wine... wine that says 'drink more'... no, not to get drunk.

It just tastes so good! Note that I left out the f-word for those of you who like the movie Sideways. I still don't think Miles knew much about wine.... hence his ongoing dislike of Merlot and Cab Franc.

Anyway.

Last week, while visiting an old friend (and former boss - how many of you can say that!) we found, in his son's cellar, a 2006 Mollydooker Shiraz...

Temptation and a love for wine as it is, we opened it. And drank it. And wanted more. It's good... really good. The 2007 is good too. The 2008... haven't tried it. Want to.

Monday this week, I opened a 2006 Columbia Crest Shiraz. It was $7.99 at Bevmo. Good incentive. Columbia Crest wines are very reliable.

The CC Shiraz is tasty... a bit of pepper on the finish.. almost a white pepper, I think... and a caramel mouth feel...

Then, tonight, we open a bottle of 2005 Zaca Mesa Syrah. I've written about this before. It's good. Really good.

It reminds me of some of the best in Australian Shiraz that I've had... deep dark fruit... black licorice... cocoa... and a black peppery finish laced with soft tannins.

Never mind.

It's freaking good. Like the Mollydooker. Like Henry's Drive. Like Andrew Murray. Like Denner.

So, whether you speak Syrah or Shiraz... doesn't matter. Give these wines a test drive and you'll find yourself casting away the day and relishing in the sensations that only a yummy wine like these can deliver.

Cheers!

Charles Shaw and other cheap wines....

Keith Richards had a band in the 80's called "Keith Richards and the Expensive Winos"... makes me wonder... does Expensive Wino mean that they only drink expensive wine or does it mean that they are expensive musicians who happen to be winos?

I'm a wino. I love wine. Can't freaking stand Charles Shaw.... I try it now and then and find myself taking a sip and pouring the damn bottle out. I won't even cook with it. Won't pour it on anything except the drain. It's awful. With one exception - the Chardonnay. It's not awful. It's not good, but it's not awful.

Usually, cheap wine has no character. But it has alcohol. If the objective is a cheap buzz, then I guess it works. But I'd rather drink much less quantity of good wine than more quantity of bad wine.

Bad wine gives me a headache. It doesn't go well with food. Hell, it makes reading a book painful. It's distracting, not enhancing. Bad wine sucks.

Most cheap wine is bad wine. Then again, some expensive wine is also bad wine.

Now and then, something comes along that is really good and really cheap. But not two dollars cheap. Five dollars.... maybe. Seven or eight dollars, reasonably possible.

My favorite wines in the bang-for-the-buck category usually are priced between $10-20... there's some great wines in this category.

I'd rather drink one good bottle that costs $24 than a whole case of Charles Shaw at the same price.

And, if only Charles Shaw is available?

Pass the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Cheers!