Jim Becker's Wine Blog

Wine Baskets

2011-09-23T11:58:00.001-07:00

Have you ever watched small children open a large gift for a birthday, Christmas, or some other event? Their faces are beaming with excitement as they tear at the wrapping paper to reveal… a box. They can hardly wait to get to the prize inside the box, for which they may require some assistance to open. Finally, they get whatever is inside the box and they jump up and down enthusiastically before commencing to play with their new toy or contraption or whatever is inside the box. This lasts for a short time, perhaps an hour, maybe more, maybe less.

Then they play with the box.

For hours!

The box becomes the main attraction. They crawl inside it, wear it, jump on it, and any other kind of activity that can be done with a box and one can only sit back and wonder if going to U-haul and buying a few big boxes would have been the smarter move.

In short, at least from the perspective of the child, the box is more valuable and more fun than the intended gift.

Lesson learned: make sure the gift is something that the recipient will find more valuable than the box.

Translated lesson: don’t make a beautiful wine basket filled with inappropriate wine.

The appropriateness of the wine requires the gift giver to know a little about the tastes of who they are giving it to. For example, the casual White Zinfandel drinker will probably appreciate a nice blush or rose and possibly a light and fruity white wine such as a Riesling. Conversely, the person who has their own collection of wines and enjoys a diverse selection of wines might enjoy some more complex and interesting reds. Finally, with respect to the individual who has an abundance of wines, it might be fun to challenge them with something really tasty and cheap that they may have overlooked, but also include a novelty such as the Vinturi aerator or some exotic chocolates. In other words, know who you are giving the basket to.

Along the lines of appropriateness, beware of giving wines to a co-worker unless you are certain that this person is into wine. There was a time when I bought wines for several co-workers during the holidays only to find out that one was a recovering alcoholic and the other avoided alcohol all together for different reasons. It was embarrassing to say the least!

Now, it’s actually very easy, especially during November and December, to find pre-made wine gift baskets at most popular stores including your local grocery and warehouses like Costco. For giving casual gifts in order to participating in gift giving, white elephant games, or for someone who you know in advance will love the give, this is a perfectly great way to give a wine basket. They are usually quite attractive with the wines displayed label up and sometimes come with some crackers or chocolate and even a couple of glasses. It’s important to note here that, if the cost of the wine basket is under $30, the individual bottles can probably be bought for somewhere around $7-10. This doesn’t mean it’s not a good gift that someone will not appreciate, of course. It’s just good to be aware of what you are buying.

Along the lines of pre-made wine gift baskets, some of the wine warehouses sell fairly high-end baskets with some very good wines. Of course, these are not baskets that can be purchased for under $30. They tend to be in the $75-150 range and I’ve seen some baskets with very rare vintages priced in the range of $5,000 or more!

Assuming that you are not in the market to spend $5,000 on a wine basket, there is another option here.

Make your own.

This is where you can exercise some creativity and be as innovative as you want to be.

Start by deciding what wine you’d like to include. I would recommend two bottles but one really nice bottle can make a great give as can three or more. The quantity is up to you. The key here is to buy wines that you are sure the recipient will enjoy.

Once you have the wine, the next step is deciding on what else you want to put into the basket. Did you buy bold, tannic, red wines that might go well with some bittersweet dark chocolate? Is it a white wine that might go well with crackers? If the person you’re buying for is only an occasional wine drinker, is it possible they might enjoy a nice corkscrew? You could also put a CD or a book in the basket as something to be enjoyed aesthetically with the wine.

Next, stand back and look at the wine bottles. What do they look like in terms of the color of the wine as well as the labels? Are they from the same region? They don’t have to be but these elements may help you coordinate the style of basket (or container as there are many items that can be used as ‘baskets’ here) and its’ color. This step in the process is simply about appearances. It’s about giving the wine basket the essence of elegance or specialty. Of course it’s special; it’s wine! Let’s just make it look that way as well.

Finally, assemble the basket by first putting the bottles inside. It might be a good idea to use some color-coordinated shredded paper to pad the bottom of the basket. Next, add any of the accessories, arranging them so that the wine labels are facing upward and easy to identify.

Complete the arrangement by wrapping in clear cellophane and tying it off with a ribbon. Adding a bow is a nice touch but not necessary if the ribbon is tied into a bow.

It’s probably a good idea to add a card or note and attached it to the tied portion of the ribbon as you would when giving any gift.

I’ve found that people who like wine, love receiving wine baskets. There’s an element of culinary artistry combined with a sense of closeness when a gift such as this is given. It is a gift that suggests good times and special occasions. It is a great gift among friends and family alike. Whether it is purchased as a complete gift or you put it together yourself, the person you give it to will remember it for a long time and appreciate that you gave it to them.

Cheers!

Navigating Wine Shipping Laws

2011-09-16T12:15:00.001-07:00

“UPS does not accept shipments containing wine to or from Massachusetts.”

This is a quote directly from the UPS webpage on Shipping Wine (www.ups.com/wine).

If this sounds simple for those who wish to ship or receive wine in any other of the 49 states, it’s not. In fact, this is probably one of the simplest guidelines, from UPS anyway, with respect to wine shipping laws that vary from state to state. Actually, FedEx does not ship to Massachusetts either, even though it is legal in the state to ship to consumers who have a permit.

For instance, in Arkansas, unlicensed individuals cannot bring wine or brandy into the state, let alone order from a winery and have it shipped to their homes.

Live in Hawaii? It’s not a problem as long as you don’t exceed 6 cases per year to your personal residence.

How about if you reside in Washington D.C.? You may buy one case per month to be shipped to your home.

Want to ship wine to a friend? It’s illegal without a permit and a federal crime if the United States Postal Service is used for shipment.

In some states, it gets even more complicated. For example, some states such as Alaska only permit wine shipments to certain zip codes as Alaska still has communities that are “dry”.

It is a felony in Alabama to have wine shipped to your home, even if there are no minors living there!

What is a bit ironic is that the United States is one of the premier wine producing nations on the planet. There are wines produced in all 50 states. There are wine drinkers in all 50 states. There are restaurants that serve wine in all 50 states. So, what happened?

In short, after the years of prohibition, laws governing the transport of alcohol were left to each state. There really isn’t a standard for all states to abide by. This leaves consumers and wineries across the country in a state of disarray when it comes to ensuring maximum flexibility for the wine industry to grow and thrive as well as the consumers’ ability to explore and enjoy wines from all over without being limited to the selections at local markets which are usually dictated by the bottom lines at major distributors.

Of course, this makes a wine drinker such as me, glad to live in California – a state with abundant wineries and a wine culture that is forward thinking and supportive of this vibrant industry. In addition, there are no volume limits in California.

The state of Oregon is somewhere in the middle which limit a wineries shipments to 2 cases per individual per month for combined onsite and offsite sales.

All told, 37 states now allow residents to order wine and have it shipped directly to their homes.

In other words, there is progress being made. And in the face of this is looming a new challenge that could affect wineries and wine lovers all over the country. I’m referring to bill H.R. 1161, euphemistically called the Community Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness act (CARE), which would reduce and, in some cases, eliminate direct to consumer shipping of wine. This would force wineries to ship through wholesalers who, incidentally, are the architects and aggressive lobbyists for the bill’s passage.

To gain some insight into the potential impact if this bill passes, look no further than the local grocery chains in your own neighborhood. Have you ever noticed how they all seem to have the same wines on their shelves with very little variation between them? Have you also noticed that it is very rare to see wines from small boutique producers on these shelves? Many of these small wineries depend to a great extent on the ability to sell directly to customers. Reciprocally, direct shipments are sometimes the only way customers are able to obtain hard-to-find wines that aren’t carried in the local supermarkets.

Can it get more complicated than this?

Of course, it can.

The nuances that already exist from state to state are cumbersome enough for the wineries. For the consumer, it’s a little simpler as one must abide and are limited by the laws where they live. In our previous example, if you live in Arkansas and try and order wine, nobody is going to legally ship it to you anyway. But the wineries and retail stores that conduct interstate shipping, they must keep track of the laws governing each state that their existing and potential customers live in so that they do not risk losing their licenses. This is why, when you go to a website the offers wine for sale and shipment, you are asked which state you live in as this determines the policies that affect both the seller and the buyer.

There are several websites with detailed information on individual states. For your convenience, I’ve provided a list of a few that seem to be well organized and updated. However, there are many more places to go for this information. Here are some of the sites I found:

Free The Grapes - http://www.freethegrapes.org

California Wine Online - http://www.california-wineonline.com/shipping.htm

Wine Institute - http://wineinstitute.shipcompliant.com/WhoShipsWhere.aspx

Wine Intro - http://wineintro.com/regions/us/

FedEx Wine Shipping Pairing Guide - https://www.fedex.com/cgi-bin/wineShipping.cgi

UPS Shipping Wine - http://www.ups.com/wine

Wine is part of the Harvard Food Pyramid. The health benefits related to moderate consumption of wine are being discovered and published regularly. The culinary aspect of wine is, at least for people who love wine, inseparable from the rest of a meal. The United States is now producing some of the finest wines on the planet. These are exciting times for wine making and the enjoyment of wine and it’s a ripe time to look toward the future and not get stuck in the past.

Cheers!

Buying Wine on a Budget

2011-09-14T08:17:00.001-07:00

My dad once said, “It’s a funny thing about wine. Once you start tasting better wines, which seem to cost more, it’s hard to go back to what you had before.”

When he said this, I couldn’t disagree. For quite some time, I loved going to places like Trader Joe’s and finding a five dollar bottle of wine to take home and enjoy with some pizza or all by itself. I thought White Zinfandel was delicious and that Barefoot Zinfandel was the pinnacle of wines. After all, how could a more expensive wine be better than these?

Then, one night while dining with some friends, they ordered a bottle of 1994 Heitz Cellars Bella Oaks Cabernet. Once taste of this wine and the light bulbs all went on at once! “Oh, so THIS is what people who love wine are talking about!!!” Everything changed.

I spent a few months after that looking for this particular wine and, after quite a few phone calls and some rudimentary web searching, I surmised that there were only 8 bottles left in the Los Angeles area. I bought three at the very big price (at the time, for me anyway) of $38 per bottle. Funny enough, I really knew nothing about wine except that this one was delicious. Of course, I began to wonder, “Could there be other wines this good out there?”

Thus, my quest began. I bought everything. I put the wine on credit cards. I did whatever I could to learn, taste, experience, and find out about the seemingly immeasurable variety of amazing wines. It was like taking a trip without ever leaving the farm.

And it was very expensive. And it probably wasn’t the best way to go about learning about wine. But it’s what I did and, I did learn some lessons. And I drank too many of these wines way too soon because I didn’t fully understand the concept of aging.

Anyway, the most important lesson I learned was that price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality and taste – at either end of the spectrum.

With this, I took on a personal challenge to find wines at lower prices that would blow my mind. Essentially, I set out to get really good wine really cheap!!!

And I was pleasantly surprised. It was a reawakening of the wine adventure! And, as someone who loves food and considers wine a necessary part of the culinary experience, I became reinvigorated about wine and the idea that there were some very good, and some great tasting wines at prices that were mind boggling in terms of the quality that I found.

It actually became a very fun challenge to set a budget for wine that was considerably less that what I was used to spending and see how much yummy wine I could buy in that range.

The question is, how does one start looking for really good wine for really low prices?

For me, there are several approaches that one can take. The positive aspect is that, because we are talking about fairly low prices, less than a 6-pack of domestic beer in many cases, it’s a bit more financially okay to take some risk and do more exploration than if we were talking about bottles in the fifty dollar range. That said, here are a few approaches, although I recommend trying any combination of them in order to learn where the deals are and get a better idea of how competition can work in your favor.

Random Selection

With this, I’ve gone to the market and simply looked for bottles that were at a certain price point. For example, if I’ve decided to spend $40 on wine, then I’ll get as many bottles as I can for $40. I might even mix them up a bit; some Australian Shiraz, Washington Merlot, California Zinfandel, and some Malbec from Argentina. Most local grocers carry some low cost wines in the $5-7 range that would enable you to pick up half a case or more for $40. I like this approach because it almost compels the buyer to explore new territory. In addition, because of the price, finding a bottle that you don’t like isn’t too big a headache. Finally, most of the wines sold in local grocers tend to be young – perfect for low cost wines that typically aren’t created for aging but for immediate consumption. Another advantage of this approach is that, with the commonality of “membership” cards, it’s very easy to spot wines that have been discounted, some significantly, enabling you to find wines that ordinarily might fall in the $10-15 range.

Descriptions on the price tag

This is very similar to simply using random selection, except it may involve reading some of the little notes that many groceries will place next to the price tag. Sometimes these descriptions will include rating information or awards won at local fairs. My only caution on this is that the vintage on the shelf might not match the vintage on the little description card. But, like our first approach, this is not too bad since we are not breaking the bank to buy the wines.

Two Buck Chuck

Trader Joe’s sells wines from the Charles Shaw Winery, more commonly known as two-buck Chuck. This is because each bottle is sold for $1.99. I’ve tried a few of them and, honestly, they tasted like two dollar bottles of wine – a bit like wine coolers without the fizz. Occasionally, however, there are surprises! I’ve tasted a Chardonnay and a Zinfandel a couple of years ago that, although not the most complex wines on the planet, were actually very drinkable and pleasant tasting. For two dollars, one’s expectations cannot be too high so it’s a nice surprise when one comes along that tastes like it cost, well, shall we say five dollars?

The Wine Warehouse

The internet is a great place to search for wines. Many wine specialty warehouses provide on-line ordering of their wines as well as the ability to search their inventory during the on-line shopping experience. This is one of my favorite approaches as many of these stores offer advanced search options which let the buyer focus on particular varietals or regions as well as price and even ratings from some of the more well-known publications such as Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. Since I live in California, some of the stores that I’ve used are KL Wines (www.klwines.com), The Wine Exchange (www.winex.com), and The Wine Club (www.thewineclub.com). BevMo (www.bevmo.com) is also a popular one. Another advantage of this approach is that the buyer can compare prices and quickly get an indicator of what is possible in terms of price points. After some research you will notice that the prices can vary from 30-40% from place to place. Finally, for me, this approach is quite fun – and somewhat educational as well!

Club Stores

Stores such as Costco and SAM’s sometimes have fantastic selections of wines, even if the number of wines is a bit limited. They have the purchasing power to have quite a compelling inventory of high end AND low end wines. They also almost always post tasting notes and rating information. In addition, the wines are usually organized by varietal and there is usually a section that caters to the buyer who is looking for wines under $10. One more thing to observe is that Costco sells its’ Kirkland brand of wines which are actually wines from known wineries bottled under the Kirkland label. They cannot disclose the source of these wines, but some are quite good and gaining respectable scores from the magazines that rate wines.

The Wine Magazines

Wine Ratings are somewhat suspect but, in general, fairly reliable in my opinion. I can’t say that a 90 point rated wine at Wine Spectator is going to taste like a 90 point wine to everyone who drinks it, since we are all human and wine tasting is a very subjective process. However, I’ve not had an experience where a wine was rated highly and it tasted really bad when I opened it. That said, I have actually opened wines that were rated in the high 70’s or low 80’s and found them to be quite good. Like the stores that have their wine inventories online, the Wine Magazines have a subscription service that is about the same as a magazine subscription which will enable you to do the same kind of searches by vintage, rating, region and even specific wineries. The prices listed are the retail prices and are not usually very practical except it might help you recognize when markets have elevated the prices beyond what the wine would be sold for at the winery in order to appear like they are giving you a good deal on something else. For example, BevMo has a 5 cent wine sale where, if the customer buys one bottle from a designated selection of wines, the 2^nd bottle is only 5 cents. However, the price of the first bottle is a non-discounted bottle so one has to average the cost of both bottles to get the per bottle cost before comparing it to prices elsewhere. Usually it’s a pretty good deal – if you want two bottles.

Good wine doesn’t have to be expensive. Occasionally, low cost wines are great and, because they are low cost, stumbling upon a bad one isn’t that upsetting and finding one that is pleasing is a wonderful surprise!

Cheers!

Hidden Wine Gems of California

2011-09-07T22:12:00.001-07:00

If you do most of your wine shopping while also buying groceries, you might notice that most of the major grocery chains seem to sell the same wines. It’s not uncommon to find respectable offerings from the likes of Columbia Crest and Chateau Ste Michelle from Washington, or Sterling and Robert Mondavi from Napa Valley, or Yellow Tail from Australia. All of the above wineries certainly have something delicious to offer for every taste; finding similar wines in multiple locations also gives you the option of comparing prices and looking for the best deal.

But, what if you want to try something new?

At this point, you have a couple of options. You can start with the internet and go to a website such as Wine.com or Bevmo.com. Surely, these sites give you some flexible browsing and shopping options as well as some general descriptions and ratings of various wines. In various regions of the country, there are some wine warehouses that also have websites. In Southern California, for example, I like browsing the inventories at Napa Cabs, The Wine Club, The Wine Exchange, and KL Wines.

There is another option as well.

Hit the road. Go wine tasting and pick something unfamiliar. Now; the upside of this approach is that you may find a wine that you never even considered and discover that you really enjoy it. The downside is that you may find some wines that you never want to taste again. Truly both experiences are possible on any wine trail.

What I’d like to do is suggest a few wineries that I’ve visited and share what I enjoyed most about their wines. Take note that these are mostly wines that you are unlikely to find in the local market, although you might get lucky shopping at a store nearby these wineries. Also, each has offerings that are only available directly through the winery. All have websites to assist you with buying wine and even joining their wine clubs in order to receive regular shipments of new releases.

In no particular order, here are some of the wineries in California that I’ve discovered; some more easy to find than others, but all with very tasty wines.

Terra Valentine (www.terravalentine.com)

Terra Valentine is located about 2,100 feet above Napa Valley. The location is quite secluded but worth the drive west of St. Helena. They only offer tastings by appointment but we were able to get a same-day appointment. They offer up an array of delicious wines including a magnificent Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Their Sangiovese just cries out for some pasta with red sauce. That said, their Cabernets are elegant and such a pleasure to taste. I’ve also had the great delight of pairing their Spring Mountain Cabernet with some grilled rib-eye steak on two occasions and I’m already looking forward to the third.

Topel (www.topelwines.com)

I discovered Topel during a visit to Healdsburg in Sonoma County. I actually found their tasting room during a walk around central Healdsburg, a very charming and even somewhat vibrant small town that is developing a beautiful blend of country living and culinary sophistication. Anyway, at Topel I found some really great wines from a winery I’d not heard of until my visit. At the winery, it was explained to me that that Topel was known for its' Cabernet. The bonus for me was tasting their 2007 Serendipity Monterey Pinot Noir. This wine tastes in two waves: the first filled with soft fruit, then 2nd wave with the spicy characteristics that give it enough structure to be diversely food friendly. They also make some very nice Syrah. Topel’s wines aren’t as easy to find as some of the others on this list, but if you are in Healdsburg, CA, it’s worth a visit.

Denner (www.dennervineyards.com)

About 2 hours south of San Francisco, west of the quaint and upcoming town of Paso Robles, are some of my favorite wineries. Many of these wineries are starting to gain popularity and you may find several wines from this region on your grocer’s shelves. Names such as Justin, Wild Horse, Tobin James, and J. Lohr are just a few of the more popular wineries. However, on Vineyard road, just about 2 miles north of Highway 46 west, is one of my all-time favorite wineries, Denner.

I cannot sing Denner’s praises enough. They wide array of varietals including Viognier, Mourvedre, Syrah, and Grenache are splendid across the board. A few of their wines have some really interesting names, such as the Ditch Digger, which is a GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) blend or the Dirt Worshipper (Syrah and Viognier). Tastings are done by appointment only, however and I recommend calling ahead. Many of the Denner wines are starting to gain recognition with several accolades in the popular wine trade magazines.

Jaffurs (www.jaffurswine.com)

Santa Barbara County is generating quite a local buzz with the quality of wines being produced there. In fact, that buzz is starting to go national. I’m just waiting for some of them to show up at the grocery store around the corner. However, the fact that they haven’t, simply means it’s another reason for a road trip.

Jaffurs makes wines in the Rhone tradition similar to those of Denner with a bit more subtlety. One of my favorites here is their Grenache Blanc with its’ refreshing and zesty tropical flavors. One cannot dismiss their Petite Syrah or Grenache – both elegant and filled with aromas and tastes of brilliant and haunting dark fruit. The structure of these wines is quite a thrill. This brings me to their Syrah.

From Jaffurs 2008 vintage, they offer up 6 vineyard-specific Syrah bottling. It is easy to find a good one because they are all good. It will be quite a bit more difficult to just walk out with one, however, Jaffurs makes this decision a bit easier by only offering them to wine club members. I assure you; once you taste their wines, the decision to be a club member will seem like a natural next step in the process.

Leonesse (www.leonessecellars.com)

About 80 miles Southeast of Los Angeles is the town of Temecula. Just East of Temecula are several wineries, many whose wines are readily available throughout Southern California. In my opinion, Temecula is an up-and-coming wine region that is still carving out its identity as a serious player in the world of wine. Clearly, they are moving closer to that with each vintage. A great example of this is Leonesse.

I highly recommend their vineyard selection Syrah offerings as well as their signature selection Merlot. Before even tasting these wines, the nose will let you know that you’re in for a treat! They also make a fantastic and surprisingly complex Zinfandel from their signature selection as well. What’s more, you can enjoy the Leonesse wines amidst a beautiful hillside setting with a scenic view of Palomar Mountain. There is plenty of room to walk around and find your own “perfect tasting spot”.

For our purposes here, I’ve only mentioned a few wineries. I discovered these mostly by accident or sheer curiosity. There are many more than this on my list of recommendations. My best recommendation, however, is to take wine tasting with a sense of adventure and discovery. Aside from drinking plenty of water, don’t rush. Give yourself time to explore and take in each wine that you taste. Ask questions. Have fun. You may just find something that you can take back home and surprise your friends with.

Be safe.

Cheers!

Wine Etiquette

2011-09-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

In the wine-infused movie, “Sideways”, one of the characters uncharacteristically tells the server at a wine-tasting bar to “hit me again”. This is because he is distraught over failing to secure a book publishing deal. When the server refuses, he grabs the bottle to pour his own glass and incites a tug-of-war with the server. When the server reclaims the bottle, our protagonist grabs the wine tasting spittoon and, in a scene that would make anyone who knows of its contents, squirm in their seat.

A less extreme example of non-etiquette involves a dinner out with my wife and another couple who also happen to be long time friends, very good friends of ours. Our friends, who I’ll call Bob and Nadine, enjoy fine dining and good wine in spite of knowing very little about wine. Like most people, they simply understand that a good wine, by definition, is one that tastes good.

For this particular outing, I brought a bottle of 2006 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir – a very nice bottle from my cellar that probably could have aged well beyond our evening out. I selected this particular bottle because it would go well with the food at this seafood restaurant. We all agreed to start with the Sea Smoke just after ordering. Our server poured glasses for each of us; we raised a toast and sipped from our glasses. Well, three of us sipped, while Bob finished about half of his glass in one swallow, followed by a second swallow that emptied the glass. He immediately exclaimed how delicious the wine was and poured a second glass, which was also gone within five minutes. Subsequently, he poured a third glass, emptying the bottle.

I didn’t want to stay anything to Bob because he simply didn’t know any better. From his perspective, it tasted good and was there for the drinking. Surely, there was no point in embarrassing a good friend who, I know, would have felt quite badly and probably bought another bottle from the restaurant. From my perspective, our friendship and ability to hang out and enjoy our time together is much more important and valuable than even the most expensive bottle of wine.

These stories bring up a question: what is proper wine etiquette? Coupled with this, at what point do the many ideas on etiquette go beyond what is necessary and appropriate in various settings?

I believe wine is there to be shared as part of the culinary experience among friends or like-minded individuals. The experience should be fun and festive, although there are times when it can also be serious and contemplative. For our purposes here, I’m going to focus on the fun and festive.

Experimentation

With all of the notes that follow, feel free to experiment. Some of the things you try will work better than others, but you will learn. You will also get educated on what you like best and what your friends and/or associates like as well.

Technical stuff

Without going into the nuances of storing wine for long term aging, I’ll just focus on a couple of simple tips. Lighter wines are typically served slightly cooler temperatures than darker wines. However, beware of the idiom “at room temperature” since, if the temperature in your room is 70 degrees F, it’s too warm for any wine to be served. Reds are served well in the high 50 to low 60 degree range while whites work well in the low 50’s. As with all ‘guidelines’, they are not scientific.

As for the glasses, clear and clean is a good place to start. Glasses for white wines tend to be a bit narrower than glasses designed for bolder or subtle and complex wines. You should note here that there are many complex white wines that can be just as bold as dark red wines. As a basic rule, the glass should hold about 2-3 times the amount that will be poured into it. It should enable people to see the wine clearly and take in its’ aromas in advance of actually tasting it. There are many glasses that will accomplish these things. As you get farther into wine, you will start discovering even more details as to glass sizes and shapes that are designed specifically for certain types of wine in order for those wines to fully be expressed and appreciated.

A topic that has come up in recent years is that of corks versus screw caps. In the past, serving a wine from a bottle that is screw capped might appear in bad taste or indicate a cheap wine. This is no longer the case as more and more medium to higher end wines are being bottled in screw caps. A few years from now, there will be very little stigma attached to screw caps.

Sharing and Pairing

First off, there’s something very tranquil about pouring a glass of wine in solitude and reading a book or just relaxing at the end of the day. In the company of others, however, wine is to be shared. Most people I know are very appreciative when offered a glass of wine. The offer doesn’t need to be accompanied by any explanation of the wine or description, unless your guest asks.

I also recommend serving a lighter wine and a heavier wine, unless a food pairing would be offensive with one or the other. If a meal is part of the gathering, it’s probably a good idea to have a ‘starter’ wine to enjoy prior to the meal and a wine (or wines) to enjoy with the meal.

It’s also a good idea, if you know that a guest enjoys a particular wine, to have some on hand for them. If someone brings a bottle, it’s also okay to ask them discreetly if they want to pour it right away or if it is intended to save for later – especially if you are among friends and family.

As for the food pairings, I love to experiment – sometimes just to find out if a particular wine can handle a certain kind of food. However, this is not something to be done in mixed company unless everyone is on board with this approach. Instead, as a general guide lighter wines (in terms of color), tend to work better with lighter colored foods. For example, serve white wines with Chicken or Sea Bass or Reds with Steak and hearty red pastas. And, remember, that it’s okay to experiment. Part of the fun with wine and food is discovery!

Restaurant wine lists

I used to be quite intimidated by wine lists. I was afraid to say the wrong thing or appear like I knew too much while appearing completely ignorant. I didn’t want to ask a stupid question or buy a wine only to find out I didn’t like it and not know what to say. What if I order something and those with me don’t like it? What if I overspend just because I don’t know any better? Is it okay to bring my own bottle? Will the restaurant be offended?

I’m going to try and tackle these questions in a basic sense.

First off, understand that any reasonable wine steward or, as they are called in the wine business, Sommelier, has already experienced customers who know very little all the way to the other side of the spectrum of those who know even more than they do. Most questions are okay. A good Sommelier will quickly recognize how to answer your question honestly and with sincere hospitality.

Second, if you are on a budget, it’s okay to ask about a wine that is in the price range you have already decided upon. This will tell the Sommelier where you’re at without having to be explicit about your spending level. The target price is up to you.

Third, if you are the one who arranged the meal outing, it’s okay to ask someone else at the table, especially if you are aware that someone is particularly knowledgeable about wine, to select a bottle.

Fourth, there are some restaurants that have a wide variety of menu offerings with which one particular wine will not always go well with. There’s nothing wrong with asking others at the table if they want to simply order by the glass. You can also ask the Sommelier advice on how best to pair wines with what everyone has ordered. Remember, a big component of enjoying wine is all about fun and togetherness. When the Sommelier comes to the table, the attention of all will probably be naturally diverted to their direction. At this point, you can ask the folks at the table their opinion. Questions like, “What do you think we should order?” are fine at this point. Most Sommeliers I’ve known love engaging in wine-related conversations – they understand the social nature of enjoying wines and usually appreciate a short question and answer endeavor if it means that they can help make your experience more enjoyable.

Finally, if you’re going to bring your own bottle, call ahead and find out if this is okay and what the restaurant’s corkage policy is. Remember that beverages are usually a reliable profit source for restaurants but customer service is their first goal. It is also advisable to bring a bottle that is worthy of the cuisine at the restaurant. In other words, a cheap bottle of wine might be appropriate for a local pizza joint but not appropriate at a world class steakhouse. Also, if you are going to bring your own bottle, bring one that isn’t on the restaurant’s list. This is usually easy to determine as many restaurants now post their wine lists on their website.

My last note on bringing your own bottle is, offer a taste to the Sommelier and, if the restaurant allows it, your server. A small bit to the floor manager is also an option. I do this every time I bring a bottle and the folks at the restaurant are very appreciative of this. Sometimes, I’ve brought something they’ve never tried before and they’ve gone as far as to waive the corkage fee. One manager brought out a complimentary glass from a wine that wasn’t even on their list!

The alcohol angle

At the risk of overstating the obvious, here it is. As amazing as wine is, it is important to remember that it is an alcoholic beverage. Some wines have quite a bit of alcohol, in fact. People who have learned to enjoy wine as part of the culinary experience understand that the objective isn’t to get buzzed any more than having 3 desserts will make you feel better at the end of the meal. It’s about the scents, tastes, and nuances implicit in the pairing of wine to the social element or to the food or both. Moderation is the key. Also, if you are looking to learn more about wines, know in advance that any level of intoxication – however mild – can impair your ability to discern and truly enjoy the subtleties of the wine and how it works with the food – never mind the impairment of motor control! Pacing the enjoyment of wine in the midst of tasty foods, engaging conversations, and most importantly, time spent with friends, will merely enhance the experience and make everyone want to come back again.

If you have any other thoughts or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you.

Cheers!

Terra Valentine

2011-08-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

Spending time with my daughter, Serena, while enjoying a wine tasting trip through northern Napa Valley is one of the highlights of my life. Our children grow up. After all, that's the idea, anyway. And, as they get older, they move on. Time spent with them is more and more precious.

Some say the time with them as really little people who are new to this world is the most precious. Yes, it's precious... but there are many more times during this stage of life than when they get older. The moments together become more and more fleeting and time with them often seems impossibly out of reach except for a few stolen conversations on the phone a midst their own lives and schedules.

So, to hang out with Serena and make some new discoveries along the way as a father daughter team-for-a-day is quite an experience. One to treasure. A beautiful treasure.

Until a few months ago, I'd not heard of Terra Valentine. A friend opened a bottle of their Spring Mountain Cabernet over dinner one night and, I must say, the wine was delicious.

Delicious.

Delicious.

Oh, it was very good, too. So, I wanted to make this our second stop - and last. I'm not a big fan of getting buzzed to the point where I cannot taste the wines.

Terra Valentine can only be visited by appointment. They don't make a whole bunch of wine and I can truly understand how they could be inundated with tourist tasters who are more interested in sucking down a bunch of vino like they were at a party instead of showcasing their wines to folks who are more serious about what they are tasting than how they are wasting away.

First off, thanks so much to Heidi for the great presentation and wonderful hospitality. As soon as we arrived, we were treated like friends invited into a home.

The winery is simple. And beautiful.

We were greeted with a generous pour of Sauvignon Blanc, a very delicious and luscious wine. This wasn't just some cheap get-to-know-you vino. This is a statement: you are going to have a very special time here and we want you to enjoy every moment.

There was a short tour - a walk around the building and into the cellar where the barrels and mechanics of wine making take place, past the employee patio area, complete with a barbecue and a view, then back upstairs to the tasting room - more of a banquet room.

Fireplace. Stained glass windows. Long table. Wine glasses. Wine bottles.

Each person gets their own little cheese platter adorned with fresh rosemary and some locally made chocolate.

Then we got down to business. The business of fun!

There were 6 of us in that room, besides our gracious host and wine facilitator. (That's my term at this point.)

The Russian River Pinot Noir is... wonderful? Hmmm... no, that's not it.... amazing? Yes, but that's not it, either.... I think I remember saying that I wanted a room in my house to smell like the Pinot Noir. It's that good. This isn't a Pinot that Terra Valentine makes because, "well, we should do a Pinot". This is a serious wine for people who love great wine.

The Amore Sangiovese is succulent and made me hungry. Hungry for anything with some spices and seasonings and pasta and sauces... and.... and....

Then we tried two Cabernet Sauvignon's. Wurtele and Yverdon. Same grapes. Same aging. Same harvest. Same everything except where they are grown. Different elevations.

Different wines. Both great. Really great.

Serena and I kept looking at each other with these goofy "I'm having a great time, are you" smiles on our faces. How cool is this. How cool is this!!!!!

The tasting ended with a bit of the Estate Riesling - consistently as good as everything else.

My jaw had dropped. What an incredible find!

What a wonderful day.

Thank you, Terra Valentine for being a part of my day out with Serena. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Cheers :)

Chateau Montelena

2011-08-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

The first time I tried a wine from Chateau Montelena was at the Madison Steak House in Long Beach back in 2000, or 2001. I don't really remember. What I do remember is that we ordered steak and a bottle of 1997 Calistoga Cuvee, which is basically a really amazing Cabernet. I remember tasting the wine and flipping out.

You see, I was new to wine. This was only the second really good bottle of wine that I'd ever tasted, the first being a 1994 Heitz Bella Oaks Cabernet. It was these two bottles that got me started on a journey of wine exploration that still continues today.

I remember looking for Chateau Montelena on the web. The internet was somewhat rudimentary back then, at least when compared to the dynamic content on most websites today. I found them and saw a picture of this stone chateau with much greenery around it and on it.

I wanted to go there.

A couple of weeks ago, I got my chance.

My lovely daughter, Serena, invited me up to Berkeley to hang out with her - daddy daughter time - and, one of the endeavors she included in our bonding time was a wine tasting trip to Napa. Excited as I was, I decided to schedule our tasting, starting with Chateau Montelena.

Serena and I love the movie, Bottle Shock.

The movie doesn't do the winery justice, although it is a very fun film.

The winery is simply beautiful. It's nestled of a small back road north of St. Helena, cut into a hill ripe with greenery and what appear to be natural springs. Even if they are fountains, I'll call them springs.

However, there is a fountain. It's located at the entry way to the tasting room. The foyer is the kind of place where one could imaging pulling up a cot and sleeping under the stars while the rustling water trickles over moss-covered stones nearby.

Of course, this would be enhanced with the lovely wines of Montelena.

There's a reason that this is a well-known winery. The wines are really good. The people are really friendly and, after some quite in depth conversations about wine and the fantastic environment that is Chateau Montelena, it's clear that they enjoy their work immensely as well.

I want to talk about the wine. It's subtle. The style of wine making at Chateau Montelena is unlike so many of the over-the-top approaches taken by many successful wineries in California.

The folks at Chateau Montelena are making wines for consumption today perhaps, but more than that, wines that one can see as an investment in a future experience.

The Riesling and Chardonnay are wonderfully delicate with equally as wonderful texture and taste.

The Zinfandel is a work of art. I expected a fruit bomb. What I got, instead, was a very refined interpretation of this Californian that is approachable today and will be for some time.

The Napa Valley Cabernet (what used to be the Calistoga Cuvee) is brighter than most Cabernet's but not so that the structure and dark fruit is compromised.

The Estate Cabernet speaks for itself. We were fortunate enough to taste both the current release of this exquisite wine and some of the 2004 that just 'happened' to be open.

Okay, enough of the wine.

Good wine is easy to find. Amazing people who pay attention to your questions and answer them honestly and respectfully is not as easy to find. And people who do this with a genuine affection for the craft are rarer indeed.

Serena and I both experienced a warm welcome at Chateau Montelena - we truly felt like guests - and walked away with big smiles on our faces - not from the alcohol - not our style.

It was from the experience of being in the presence of people who are passionate and enthusiastic about what they do and love nothing more than sharing that passion with you.

Thank you Chateau Montelena. You helped make this day with my lovely daughter very special.

Thank you.

The flavor of love

2011-06-20T19:29:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Father's day and a great day it was. All that was needed to complete it would have been this presence of my middle daughter, Serena and my wife, Eva. Alas, had a terrific time with Michelle and Jamie. Watching them talk and get on like... well, like very close sisters made me proud to be a dad. Top that off with Michelle being of legal drinking age and we now have an outing that includes wine tasting... And picking blueberries.

There is a blueberry farm just south of Buellton on highway 101 where you park, get a bucket, and walk out to the massive rows of blueberry plants and fill your bucket with the freshest tastiest blueberries this side of South America. look up www.santabarbarablueberries.com for more information.

But this was AFTER tasting some very good wines from the very talented and hospitable folks at Foxen winery.
Make no mistake about it. Foxen makes great wine. Actually... They make great WINES!!!

Their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and their Sangiovese blend (which one person who worked the called a great pizza and pasta wine -- we agree)... Are all very noteworthy and would pair well with such a variety of foods that one could conceivably run out of culinary ideas along the way. At this point I would recommend just drinking the wine. Food will eventually work its way into the scene as biology takes over.

No matter.

That's not my point.

Great wine.

Great blueberries.

Great times with daughters.

These experiences don't just show up and say hello. If they do, you better fucking listen because it ain't happening again.

Because usually it involves an investment.

Not of money, although that might be a footnote, it's not a requirement.

I am talking about time. It means taking time to nurture and participate and listen and love.

Speaking of love. Yesterday was filled with it. It was evident in thwarting conversations between the three of us... Me and Michelle and Jamie.

It was evident is the wine. Great wine, like great family ties, doesn't come without the joyous and ambitious and loving investment of time.

It was in the blueberries. Fields of this delicious and exotic fruit beckoning one to taste and sample along the quest to fulfil a basic primal need to gather food. Talk about a bucket list!

You can taste it. You can touch it. You can feel it. You inhale it.

It fills your senses with joy.

Great music does this.

Great wine does this.

Great food does this.

But most of all, a father experiencing all three with two reasons he loves being a Father in the first place, well... You can insert the tears of joy right here.

Serena we missed you.

Eva we missed you.

Love love love.

Cheers!

Wilfred Wong and the BevMo 5 cent wine "sale"

2011-06-08T09:46:00.001-07:00

Do you ever wonder how BevMo is able to sell wines at a nickel? Do you ever wonder why so many of these wines are rated in the high 80's and low 90's by Wilfred Wong?

Let's start with Wilfred. He works for BevMo. His job is to help them sell wines. Occasionally, his ratings will appear next to comparable ratings from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Advocate, or others. However, very often, wines rated lowly or not at all on these reputable publications seem to be disproportionately rated high by Mr. Wong.

For example, the 2009 Zynthesis is rated 91 points by WW. Wine Spectator rates the same wine at 82 points with a release price of $11. Normally, BevMo sells this wine for $10.99. However, with the 5 cent sale, they have jacked the price up to $16.99, almost six bucks higher than the winery price!

Another is the 2010 Tapiz Malbec. Again, WW rates this at 91 points. Although I cannot find this vintage rated on the major publications, BevMo's regular price is $10.99 but the "Sale" price is $17.99 - a $7 increase.

Again, we have the 2009 Santa Rita Carmenere 120. WW rates this 90 points but the same wine is rated 84 at Wine Spectator with a release price of $8. I also know from experience that this wine can be bought at Trader Joe's for $5.99 on a regular basis, sometimes $4.99. BevMo's sale price is $9.99.

Finally, check out the 2005 Bodegas Muriel Ciranza, normally $9.99 at BevMo, the price is jacked up for this 'sale' to a hefty $17.99. While WW gives the wine a strong 90 point rating, the Wine Spectator rating was a dismal 68 points and compared the wine to shellac. Yes, that's shellac - as in paint!!!!

Now, one can do the math and figure that, if two bottles are purchased - even if the first is at an inflated price, the overall deal per bottle is decent - but not so much that the price can't be beat elsewhere.

My recommendation is: know your prices. Check Costco, Trader Joe's, World Market, and even your local grocery chains that often discount wines for folks with their rewards cards in hand.

It's also probably a good idea to just buy one bottle somewhere else and try it. Wilfred Wong is in the business of selling wines. He rarely if almost never rates anything under 80 points - a good wine by the standards of most publications. This is very telling.

Be smart... drink well... and cheers!

Brussel sprouts

2011-05-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

We didn’t go to Morton’s steakhouse in Anaheim for brussel Sprouts. However, I remember growing up, and my mom would put brussle sprouts in a pan with butter and lightly grill them, then sprinkle salt before setting them in front of us as a side dish. Actually, for us, there were times when the sprouts were the main course.

It isn’t the brussle sprouts that make the memory so delightful; it’s the whole environment. Mom made these because she really wanted to make something special for us. In our corner of the universe, small town Americana, anything but meat and potatoes for dinner was considered exotic. It is also the fact that we had all the time in the world to eat. And, contrary to rural mythology, it wasn’t because we weren’t allowed to leave the table until we finished our brussel sprouts. It was because we were at home in a warm kitchen with the smell of butter in the air and this really unique flavor on our plates.

Fast forward a number of years and we are sitting at Morton’s steakhouse in Anaheim, CA. By ‘we’, I mean my wife of 22 years who is celebrating her birthday, two of our daughters, and friends of ours who are also celebrating a birthday. There are seven of us and I’m sitting in a way that allows me to see the classic chalkboard menu and the kitchen just to the right. I see a whole bunch of steaks and some of the most competent people at mixing meat and fire around.

And while we have ordered steaks, salmon, vegetables, salads, potatoes, appetizers, drinks, and desserts, the subject of brussel sprouts surfaces. It’s such an oddity, I think. This is when, Jabe Amato explains to me the difference between the way he learned of brussel sprouts and the way they are prepared at Morton’s. Now, forgive me at this point since this conversation took place 2-3 glasses of wine after we sat down but, as I recall, it involved grilling, bacon, onions and a suggestion from Jabe that we try them.

This is where I pause to reiterate those dinners of my youth where time was not important. It is the same at Morton’s. To say we felt welcomed into this restaurant is an understatement. From Nathan’s greeting at the door to the friendly handshake from Patrick to Jabe’s natural hospitality, we truly felt like the table we occupied was ours and ours alone. The feeling was pretty much like being invited into someone’s home: a pleasure and honor at the same time.

This is why brussel sprouts make sense. It’s down-home food. It’s comfort food. And, when I think about it, much of what Morton’s has to offer falls along these lines. Yes, there are the more exotic fare such as crab or soufflé or sea bass, never mind the number of preparation options available, but this is a steakhouse: steaks, potatoes, and vegetables. It’s a place where a bottle of wine or two makes perfect sense. It’s a place where dinner conversation over a round table evolves with smiles, reflection, and celebration. It’s a place where we enjoy the best hospitality this side of mom’s kitchen. It’s a place where one can enjoy a prime cut of Cajun-spiced rib eye steak, a salad, hash browned potatoes, a glass of wine, and brussel sprouts.

It’s a place where birthdays can be celebrated.

It’s about the feeling.

It’s about the experience.

It’s why we keep going back.

Cheers!

P.S. special thanks to Jaffurs Winery in Santa Barbara for their amazing 2008 Petite Syrah and to Rosenblum for their 2007 Rockpile Road Zinfandel.... wonderful!

Everybody must get stoned

2011-04-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

It's 4/20 and, whenever I hear that Bob Dylan song I think back to how I thought it was a literal celebration of the joys of marijuana. Now, I think it might have been about human rights abuse and the barbaric practice of stoning. Either way, makes me wanna light one up.

But, I don't do that anymore. The last time was about 14 years ago after seeing the Rolling Stones at Dodger Stadium. I got home and burned a fattie with my father in law.

Yup. My father in law. One of the coolest dudes on the planet. A man who welcomed me into his family without hesitation, even though I was dating his daughter. A man who let me hang out with him next to the BBQ at family gatherings and we would drink beer and sample the meat off the grill before anyone else got a taste. A man who never hesitates to encourage and stand by those around him. A man who appreciates good times, good food, good drink, and a good buzz. A man with soul.

Which makes me wonder.

Are we heading toward some far-right-morality swing? I hope not because I don't think people who talk about morality are that moral in the first place. I think they're full of shit. If you're one of them, you need to read this MORE than the choir I might appear to be preaching to.

You see, 4/20 is special to me, even though I don't smoke pot anymore. I don't even have the desire to do it. But 4/20 is all about freedom of choice. It's bigger than just a few plants being harvested for a good buzz. It's about being able to choose your buzz OUTSIDE the realm of corporate control. Alcohol is corporate controlled. Cigarettes are corporate controlled. The food we eat is corporate controlled, unless we buy it from a local farmer before it hits the corporate controlled marketplace.

Unless we grow it. Like marijuana. Who has the self-delusional right to tell you that you can't grow something in your own backyard for personal consumption? Nobody.

And yet, there are people with enough money and influence to create laws that accomplish just that.

But the revolution has begun. And those of us on the side of free choice have to win. We have to win all over the globe if only to spite barbarians who are bloodthirsty for control and money. These people will preach religious peace out of one side of their mouth then kill you for not submitting to their version of peace.... or their version of the 'peace' of the pie.

And don't get me started on the thought police. You see, 4/20 is all about controlling your thought. Because, when you alter your own perspective, independently, and freely, and openly, you see things from a perspective that those living under the illusion of power cannot grasp. You have taken yourself outside the realm of their influence - which is all around you on billboards, TV, radio, computers - and into the realm of introspection and thought. This is a place they cannot touch. This is a place where new ideas come about. This is a place where you can just be free.

And if you grow your own, it's damn near free. It's about as free as it gets.

This is why I brew my own beer. After I spend a nominal amount on all-natural ingredients, I can brew something specifically to my liking and the corporate beer-mongers get nothing. Nothing.

You are told that you need to consume. Even the drug dealers masquerading as pharmaceutical companies want you to consume what they are selling. The thing is, they can't control pot. They have no say so. They can try but they can't stop it. And rightly so. They inflate costs at random, pump billions into lobbying and advertising to get you hooked on their product.

Ladies and gentlemen, if more of us smoked pot, fewer of us would be looking to these clown-suits for solutions. We'd solve them ourselves.

Oh, pot doesn't solve the problem. But pot does put you in a mental place where you can digress from the bullshit and then divorce yourself completely from it.

You wake up the next morning... walk past the TV remote without even blinking... (except for the occasional cartoon).... grab some cold pizza, and ice cold beer, and beckon a new day full of possibilities and new ideas and you are beholden only to your family and friends.

Social Darwinists, fuck off.

Cheers and happy 4/20!!!!!

Wine Fucking

2011-04-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Stay with me on this one as I'm really intoxicated and may not be speaking clearly... even though I'm not technically speaking at all.. I'm writing... no, that's not it... I'm TYPING. And I can type whafuckerthe hell I want.

Okay..... whew.... as if I've got alot of integrity anyway.... huge number of followers... thank you. All 4 of you. This is for you.

Shit. The room is spinning. Okay... whew!!!.... Shit... still spinning.. I'm serious about this one.

Okay.

Brewed my own beer tonight. This is something I usually do every 4-5 weeks. I love doing it and, after about 18 months in the trenches, I can honestly say that the beer doesn't suck. It's quite good actually. I'd pour it against most American ales at this stage of the game.

ANYWAY, I'm boiling the grains and decide to invoke the pleasures of an Arrogant Bastard.... lovely beer... no, fuck that. Not lovely. Kick ass!!!!! This fucker has hops and malt and grains and hops and alcohol.... too much alcohol. But I don't care. (damn, thank God for the backspace key!!!!)

ANYWAY #2.... I grill a steak. I have a decanter of Rosenblum Syrah that I paid about $45 bucks for a few months back... can't remember the vineyard... Rosenblum always designates their wines from a particular vineyard... the reserves, anyway...

ANYWAY #3... this wine was sitting in a decanter for about 48 hours.... it was too ripe, fruit forward, and all that crap. It tasted like grape juice.. IF I WANT FUCKING GRAPE JUICE I'LL BUY WELCHE'S THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

ANYWAY #4... Over the last few days, I've also opened a bottle of Red Lion Cabernet (don't ask) and a bottle of Marquis Philips Grenache... please hold your questions until the end.

(shit, I can't even type... my fingers aren't responding to what my brain says to respond to... etc etc etc....)

ANYWAY #5... My Rib eye steak is USDA Prime from a local market (Orchards Fresh, but I'm not mentioning names).... and It's tender, and juicy... and I decide, rather than open new wine, I'll just see what I can do with what I have.

ANYWAY...

whatever.

The Rosenblum is too over-ripe. The Grenache has some nice light licorice and acidic qualities but can't hold up... The Cabernetl, in spite of being a wimpy cab... has some tannic structure to it....

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

I blend a 4 oz concoction of the Cab and the Syrah.... the tannins actually offset the over-ripeness of the fruit in the Rosenblum...

THEN, I mix (same ratio) the Syrah and the Grenache.... EVEN BETTER!!!! The Grenache makes up for what the Syrah does not have and vice versa vice versa, etc cte.... whatever.

Of course, I need to mix the Grenache and Cab... shitty. Two bad wines don't make a good wine.

BUT, I've settled on the Syrah-Grenache blend... it's good. Dark fruit mixed with mid-level fruit, some light licorice hints, and balances nicely with the grilled Rib-Eye steak.

FINALLY!

I pour the Grenache and Cabernet into the decanter with the remaining Syrah and discover something along the way....

I'm fucked up.

That's it.

So , I call my daughter on the phone and talk about Android and iPhone apps until I can see straight.

Then I decide to write this.

And it doesn't matter. I'm squinting right now just to read the words I'm writing on the computer and if it wasn't for spell checking... Id eb srewcd rghit nwo.

That's it.

Csheers....!

Live from LA.... Fleming's Steak House!

2011-01-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

On the corner of Olympic and Figueroa in Los Angeles is one of the finest steak houses I've had the pleasure of visiting. In fact, about 10 days ago, my wife and I visited after receiving gift cards from her dad. He said it was a great place for steak.

It IS a great place for steak... and wine... and dessert.... and hospitality... and in a great location for a special and memorable evening out in one of the greatest cities on the planet.

It's hard not to write something like this and have it sound like a restaurant review of sorts but, in a way, that's what it is. An it's also a bit of a journal entry - for two really great nights out.

Our first night was scheduled to coincide with a Prime Rib dinner offering that Fleming's is promoting during Sundays in January only and it's quite the deal. It included a salad, a 12 oz cut of Prime Rib, a Side and a Dessert all for under thirty bucks. Here's the deal - my wife and I could have shared one and been completely satisfied. That is how much food this amounts to. But we each ordered our own. And took home leftovers. And ate them the next evening.

We brought our own bottle, as is usually the case; a bottle of 2006 Sea Smoke Southing to be specific and it worked perfectly with the food - and the seasonings. Our server was Elizabeth - a genuinely friendly individual who welcomed us as if we were a guest in her home. We were also greeted by David Shelton, who usually manages at the El Segundo store but happened to be standing in during this particular evening. If the friendly professionalism of David and Elizabeth are an indicator, I would stand here and recommend any Fleming's to my readers.

The first experience was so delightful, that we invited friends to join us again this week. We were greeted, seated, and again made to feel right at home by Kent - a person who paid close attention to every detail in our experience but also ensured that we had the space to enjoy our evening as if there was nobody else in the room. We were also visited by Michael DiGiambattista, an operating partner, and whose name I recognized from his signature at the bottom of an e-mail thanking us for joining the "Friend of Fleming's" club. Michael was hospitable enough to thank us for coming back - acknowledging that we had visited previously just over a week before. The warm greetings and friendly, top notch service set the tone at Fleming's.

The food kicks things to another level altogether.

I'll be brief and to the point.... Salads... Oysters... Fillet Mignon... New York Pepper Steak... Lamb Chops... Mac and Cheese (yup), Mushrooms.... Chocolate Lava Cake... Creme Brulee... Espresso... Cappuccino... all paired wonderfully with the two bottles we brought with us: the 2008 Denner Syrah and 2007 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet.

Are you hungry yet?

To top things off, the receipt had a web link to a survey at the bottom and the customer receives a $25 credit toward their next visit just by completing it. And it only takes about 5 minutes.

Fleming's is a place that seriously wants its' customers to come back again and again. And they live up to their own high standards by making frequent visits very enticing and something to look forward to.

We'll be back.

Cheers!

2010 Roadblock

2010-12-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

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

2010-07-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-07-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

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....

2010-06-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

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....

2010-06-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

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.....

2010-06-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

... 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!

2010-05-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-11T15:28:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-02-01T10:41:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-01-31T12:38:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-01-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

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....

2010-01-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

... 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....

2010-01-14T08:45:00.000-08:00

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!

Wine for Christmas

2009-12-14T21:48:00.001-08:00

Yup... forget Holidays.... Labor Day is a Holiday... Memorial Day is a Holiday... New Year's Day is a Holiday.... Christmas is Christmas....

Then again, I guess you could technically call any day that you get off work a Holiday...

Then again, any day can be an even better Holiday with some nice beverage... i.e. wine.

Over the last 5 months, I've written all kinds of posts to this blog and I don't think anyone is reading them. I may as well be writing in a little journal or diary and tucking it neatly into a night stand before crashing each evening.

Oh, well... doesn't matter. I think this is my first post in about 7-8 weeks. And it's all about getting pleasantly toasted for Christmas.

Perhaps this is because I've had a nice 22oz bottle of my home-brewed IPA tonight and 3 glasses of 2006 3 Rings Barossa Shiraz - one of my favorites. Or maybe it's because I found a bottle of 2008 Yellow Tail Shiraz for $4.99 at Target this afternoon. Or maybe it's because my Rosenblum Red Rangers shipment arrived last week. Or maybe it's because I've been expounding all year long about the merits of buying Columbia Crest wines only to watch its' 2005 Reserve Cabernet top Wine Spectator's Top 100 list for 2009.... or maybe it's just because I like to drink.

It doesn't matter, does it? I mean, whatever is your liking, enjoy it. Whether it's a Holiday or Christmas or both.... all I know is that Jesus turned water to wine... and in the movie "Bottle Shock", it is quoted that wine is the perfect blend of sunlight and water... or something like that... I was drinking when I watched that, too.

Well, in these recessive times... to hell with all of you who think that a $500 bottle of wine is better than a $27 dollar bottle just because it's really cool to brag to all of your Lexus-driving friends that you can match your monthly lease payment on grape juice.... to hell with you. Why? Because if it tastes good, the rating doesn't freaking matter. If it tastes good, raise your glass and say.... with a big healthy intoxicated smile across your beaming mug....

Cheers!

I remember that!

2009-11-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

It's been about 6 weeks since I last contributed to this little series of wine exploits... somewhat because I'm a bit discouraged. I have no idea how to market this or what to even do with it! I love wine and think it would be fun to work around it in some capacity. However, the only credentials I have are pretty much self-learned or gleaned from the expertise of friends. Truly, some of these friends are very knowledgeable about wine and hold fairly high level positions in the wine industry. I've learned alot from them. But, I also pretty much "wing it" when it comes to my wine selections.

Oh, I do the basic stuff like red wine and red meat, white wine with white meat, etc... then I go off and have red wine with a burger or fish, or white wine with tacos or hot wings, then have another red wine to finish things off. It's fun to experiment and I really don't have any boundaries for this. Once we drank a Petite Sirah with sushi! Did the stuff match? Not at all. But the wine tasted good and the food tasted good and that's all I cared about.

Recently, we opened a bottle of 2001 Justin Isosceles at the Melting Pot in Santa Barbara. It worked great. Of course we tasted all kinds of different things... fish, chicken, beef, cheese, bread, veggies, etc... so, the food was all over the place - not to mention the spices and sauces. The wine held up fine. In fact, after sitting out and breathing for about 30 minutes, it softened up into a phenomenally smooth wine but still had the structure to maintain its elegance in spite of the onslaught of flavors circulating the table.

Other wine I've tasted over the last month include the 2006 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet (needs to sit for a while... it's far gentler than the robust 2005)... 2006 3-rings Barossa Shiraz, 2005 Zaca Mesa Syrah, 2006 Rosenblum Rockpile Road Zinfandel... heck, can't really remember them all.

No matter. I'm not really sure what the purpose to this blog is at all, except perhaps a casual journal that I might look upon one day and say... Hey... I remember that!

Cheers!

2 glasses of wine....

2009-09-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Last night, I did some music at JT Schmids in Anaheim in the open air patio.... during the evening, I decided to try some wine by the glass.

The first was an Acacia Chardonnay... filled with oak, some nice pear and peach nuances... it was served in an appropriately tall glass with about 7oz of drink. It was also served chilled. This gave the wine a slightly harshness that dissipated as the wine warmed up.... then the rough edges smoothed out and it was really delicious!

The 2nd was the 337 Cabernet from Lodi.... ordinarily, I'm not big on this wine, but, last night - served in the same type of glass as the Chardonnay (a non-crystal glass about the size of the average Bordeaux glass from Reidel)... this wine tasted quite good. Perhaps it was because I followed the oaky Chardonnay, but the 337 had some nice berry fruit with a bit of tobacco and coffee notes on the finish... yeah, the finish was relatively short, but it was not unpleasant at all.

Bottom line? Sometimes it's just nice to get a glass of wine and not overly intellectualize it... just drink it.

After all, it's still grape juice!

Cheers :)

Miscellaneous Wine and Beer Stuff

2009-09-21T10:58:00.001-07:00

It's been about a month since I last posted something here and there's a good reason for it. I've had nothing to say.

Yeah, I've enjoyed some nice wines during that time... the 2006 Justin Cabernet, the 2007 Concha Y Toro Cabernet, 2005 Zaca Mesa Syrah, 2007 Mollydooker Syrah... and I've tasted some good beer.... Bear Republic's Racer 5, Stone's Arrogant Bastard, and Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA....

And I've come to a conclusion. I'm currently bored with wine. There's nothing really exciting to me right now in terms of tasting something that gives me the sensation of WOW! In other words, in my budget... say... $7 - $30 per bottle, I've probably spent around $30,000 in the last 7-8 years...

So, I've tasted a lot of wine. And - nothing blows me away anymore. Yeah, there's some good tasting stuff and rarely do I taste something that I simply do not like - however simple the wine is.... but, really.... it's still just grape juice.

I've actually been navigating over to beer.... the problem is it's so freaking filling and I'm not a sipper when it comes to beer... I like to DRINK it! So, it goes quickly and sits on my waistline. Not good.

But my taste buds say different. My taste buds don't care about my waistline or my budget or my opinion. And I've found that, at least for now, beer is more interesting than wine.

Wine notes from the road....

2009-08-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

Let's start with a visit to Barnes And Nobles in Chico, CA... walking around during a rare visit with mom... not because mom and I aren't close, but because of geography... I find the Twinkies Cookbook. Something is very wrong here!Anyway, later that evening, I visited my dad... and we grilled up some rib-eye steaks - purchased at Costco for the bold price of only $7.99/lb. I've not found better meat at a lower price anywhere.

The wine we enjoyed was the 2007 Mollydooker Two Left Feet. I really like this wine and wanted to turn my dad onto it as he's a big fan of Australian Shiraz - the cheap stuff - because it's good and cheap. The Mollydooker is bold and full of flavor... dark berries, licorice, mocha, and holds up very well rib-eye steaks. Oh, did I mention that we cooked over oak and manzaneta?

Well, my journey had a few other detours as well. I had the distinct pleasure of visiting The Wine Room in Paradise, CA. This is a charming little boutique with quite an inventory of gifts, cards, and various trinkets that my wife might be more familiar with than I am.... but they have a very nice little wine inventory.... in fact, I found the magnificent 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet here and bought one.... I think they have 3 or 4 left. It paired very nicely with grilled slightly Cajun-spiced salmon - again cooked over oak.
Of course no visit to the Chico/Paradise area is complete without a stop by the Sierra Nevada Brewery. Dad and I enjoyed a nice lunch - a nice hoppy Torpedo IPA - and a small tour of the facility. If you're ever in town, visit the Sierra Nevada brewery. The food is great, the building is beautiful, the people are honestly friendly, and the concert hall deserves a peek as well. Oh, the tour area smells like fresh hops!

After leaving Paradise, I made my way down to Moss Beach to visit family and enjoy more wine and food. The Seal Cove Inn is a wonderfully charming chateau located within walking distance from the ocean, a bunch of seals, and a fantastic sunset! Looking over this while enjoying the 2006 Rosenblum Lyons Reserve Zinfandel from Napa Valley is a pleasure all by itself.

Well, two days at Moss Beach and we were back on the road, stopping in Paso Robles at the Denner Winery to check out their new member facility. It's beautiful. The view is sensational. The people are very nice. The wines are great. Enough said.

The trip culminated with a visit to friends in our local area to enjoy some homemade pizza and a nice bottle of 2004 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Reserve. Well, we also opened a bottle of 2005 Turnbull Cabernet and a bottle of 2006 Provenance Cabernet and.... needless to say, we slept very well that night.

When all is said and done, a couple of nights ago, an old friend visited and we duplicated menu items from the Morton's Steak Bible - bacon-wrapped scallops, Cajun rib-eye steaks (I'm a big fan of rib-eye)... their signature spinach salad (in the cook book but no longer on their regular menu)... and washed it all down with a bottle of 2005 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir and a 2006 Justin Isosceles.
It's been a great month... a tasty month.... and one filled with good food, tasty wine, and, most of all, great friends and close family. It doesn't get much better than this.

2005 Rosenblum Sonoma County Hillside Vineyard Syrah

2009-08-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

I love finding new wines... new for me, I mean. Of course, I have varietals that I love more often than others.... Syrah being one of my favorites.

Last night I opened a bottle of the 2005 Rosenblum Sonoma County Hillside Vineyard Syrah and enjoyed two glasses with a Grilled Bacon Cheeseburger.... no ketchup or mustard... just lettuce, a thin slice of tomato... that's it.

And, damn, if this wine didn't just hold up but the flavor just kept coming and coming... hints of dried cherries, blackberry pie, mocha, and the unmistakable finish laced with soft tannins and white pepper.

This is a wine that just keeps on giving.

Enjoy.... Cost Plus World Market currently has a great deal on this wine. One of the best deals around on any wine in this price range!

Cheers!

Concha Y Toro 2007 Cabernet

2009-07-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

2 nights ago, we had a few friend over for dinner.... grilled some steaks, salmon, made a salad, and dined. Unusually, there weren't very many wine drinkers among us this time so I made margaritas for those who still wanted something to drink.

Me, I opened a bottle of Concha Y Toro Marques De Casa Concha 2007 Cabernet. It paired very nicely with my grilled Rib Eye steak. The wine was still young, however and - although I should have decanted, I opened the bottle after the steaks were done and we were seated. So, there wasn't much time.

I had a couple of glasses and re corked the bottle, only to open it up again last night. NOW the wine had softened a bit... I could taste yummy notes of dark chocolate and mocha or cocoa powder and there was a nice cedar and spice note to the nose.

Keep in mind, this wine is still just a baby... it needs to cellar for a while... I'm going to pick up a few more bottles - love those $14 prices at Costco - and lay 'em down... I think that, by late 2010 to mid 2011, this wine should be phenomenal and will probably only get more phenomenal as the years go by... probably good for 8-10 years.

Cheers!

Zaca Mesa Syrah

2009-07-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

Last night, we had a couple of friends over for an impromptu dinner - grilled burgers seasoned in sea salt, whole wheat buns, avocado, grilled white onions, lettuce, tomato, and the rest of the usual burger suspects... oh, and some BBQ chips to round things out.

Since we had already finished our Racer 5 and Arrogant Bastard, we decided to open a bottle of 2005 Zaca Mesa Syrah. Damn, I love this wine. It's the 3rd or 4th bottle I've tasted in the last 6 months and, today, I'm off to pick up some more - because it's delicious and that was my last bottle.

This wine is so smooth... so velvety, with soft white pepper on the finish, but not after being hit with wonderful blackberry, licorice, and mocha notes... very nice wine... love it.

And, it went well with the burgers!!!! Pickles and all. We held our glasses up to the sky, looked through the bottom of the glasses and, except for the edges, the wine was almost completely opaque. See the wine notes from Zaca Mesa: http://www.zacamesa.com/pdf/wineNotes_syrah2005.pdf.

I'm ready to see what this thing will do with a Cajun Rib Eye steak at Morton's Steakhouse.... salivating already.

Cheers!

We're only in it for the money...

2009-07-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

There was a Frank Zappa album that came out in the late 60's called "We're Only In It For The Money" - a parody of the Beatles' Sgt Peppers album. Most of the record was filled with random sounds, musical instruments occasionally playing in time or harmony with each other... it was brilliant satire. It was also clearly as noncommercial as music could get - on an intentional level. That was the pitch, really - to say you're only in something for the money implies that you are going to create something that is very middle-of-the-road - something for the masses to easily grasp and enjoy. The irony is that the Zappa album was actually the opposite... hence the fun!

For me, wine is like music. White Zinfandel is a tasty little bugger - and there's simply not much difference between what each winery makes in this regard. It's fruity, food friendly, tasty when chilled, and appeals to a wide audience. I can't tell you how many times I've been in the grocery store and watched people buy White Zinfandel. It's like getting a kid an iTunes gift card. It's so generic that the kid will find something to love with it.

So the question for me is, do winemakers create wine for money or is there something more? It's probably both. I have a friend who makes amazing beer. I know it's amazing because I've tasted it. I've also tasted other folks homemade brews and, for the most part, they suck. I've taken my friends beers and shared them with other folks - 'serious' beer drinkers who can't stand Budweiser but love a nice robust Arrogant Bastard or Racer 5. These folks love my friend's beer. I asked him if he was interested in marketing it; making it for sale. His reply was no. He's not interested in making money - even though, if you are a beer drinker and tasted his brews, I'm certain you would also buy it at the market or order it at a restaurant. It's that good. But my friend is perfectly content making 5 gallons of very high quality brew for his own enjoyment and to share with friends. The end result is satisfaction enough.

I have another friend who loves wine as much as I do. He's a bit more knowledgeable about wine making than I am - he's growing his own grapes to make his own wine. He hasn't mentioned selling it. He only mentions how excited he is to make his own wine - and do everything he can to make a great wine! The rationale? If he can make a great Syrah or Zinfandel, then he doesn't need to pay someone else to do it. Bottles that might cost him $50 or more can be enjoyed in abundance in his own home... with the pride and satisfaction of knowing that he did it himself.

But, I wonder, what if my friend decides to sell a few bottles.... and people like it and ask for more... then, he has a problem. He either continues to make it for himself and forget the money-making possibilities, or he decides to take a chance on a new business endeavor: one that was born of a passion to make and enjoy great wine only to become a business filled with the technical and financial realities that come with having to produce, have quality control, sell, market, etc etc....

I just wonder when the passion dies and gives way to trying to compete. When does even enjoying a glass at home become a test marketing comparison as the mind starts seeing everything in a financial light? At what point is it time to either move on or just accept that what started as a passion and love of craft becomes just a job and daily quest for survival in a very tough industry?

Thinking of Frank Zappa again, I think Charles Shaw wines are mildly drinkable, most are awful, and some are just this side of good but not delicious by any stretch. However, many people buy this wine because they just want a wine that doesn't cost much. Last I heard, Mr. Shaw was making a ton of money on this wine. His challenge seems to be making wine that even the two-buck customer will appreciate and not be offended by. Mr. Zappa made an album that implied mass appeal but, as any Zappa fan of that time will tell you, the goal was never being in it for the money. It was about making great music. Just like my friends' goals of making great beer and great wine.

Someone once told me that, if what you do causes you to say fuck humans, then get out. Make loving those that you love the thing you are best at - above all else. I want to extend that into love of craft... if you do not love what you do, think about this: you're going to die. You will. We all will. And between here and there, do you want to leave behind a legacy of making money or making something memorable, lasting, and special? We will all forget how much money you made. But, pour out a great wine that you put your heart and soul into while we celebrate that special conversation with a friend or loved one, and we will never forget you.

Cheers!

Finding a good wine...

2009-07-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

Some wines really taste great... some are okay... some are awful. Not everyone who makes wine does a good job of it and many must be in it for the money only because the quality is 'just enough to pass for wine but a nice ice tea would probably have more depth and complexity than these pretenders.

Conversely, some wines are a complete experience themselves.... these wines hit the taste buds and don't go away... and you really don't want them to. The wines are so delicious that you want to keep drinking... caution - intoxication on the way... it's still alcohol. But getting buzzed is merely a side effect to a really great bottle and, hopefully, some cool conversations with a fellow wine-lover.

Both of the above are somewhat rare - at least in my price range.... I don't buy $4 bottles of wine since a really great micro brew is a much better buy. Where most wines fall for me - in every price range - is that drinking them is a very subjective experience. It depends so much on what you've had to eat - that day or, even the day before - or what else you've had to drink.... do you have a cold (stuffy noses affect taste buds, dude - or dudette)... or maybe you're just looking for a particular flavor and the wine you open either matches that expectation or doesn't. This is not reflective on the quality of the wine but merely the situation.

When I first got into wine, I figured that the more I spent, the better the wine. Then, more recently, I started looking at the wine ratings from the vino rags, choosing the higher rated wines - a little better than just looking at price. Both of these assumptions are not grounded in experience but consumer gullibility. Even though, often, I find myself in agreement with the wine ratings, it comes back to the moment - because, when you drink the wine, that's the moment that the ratings count - not the ratings from the magazine or website, but YOUR ratings!

Bottom line, if you like the wine, then for you it's a good wine. Enjoy, drink up... don't drive... and be adventurous!

Cheers!

Nice family dinner.... with wine, of course

2009-07-14T08:29:00.001-07:00

Last night, I decided to try something different.... BBQ spaghetti. Well, not entirely... I took a pound of extra lean hamburger, seasoned it up with lots of garlic salt, and put the whole slab on the BBQ. I turned the slab about every 2 minutes until it was cooked almost all the way through.... then I took it from the grill and moved it into a frying pan, chopped up the slab, and added some sliced spicy Italian sausage. I continued grilling the sausage and chopped beef and, as the sausage became dark around the edges, I added basil tomato sauce and some chopped onion. Then, I let the whole thing just simmer for about 20 minutes while I boiled the spaghetti noodles, heated up some bread, and tossed a baby green salad.

While I cooked, I enjoyed a nice cold bottle of Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA. Delicious beer.

With dinner, we opened a bottle of 2005 Columbia Crest Two Vines Vineyard 10 Red... a deliciously mid-fruity and mildly spicy red blend that worked very nicely with the spicy spaghetti.

Final thought - doing the BBQ added nice flavor, but it also dried the meat out a bit. Oh well.... didn't matter. We enjoyed the dinner complete with the wine, and I crashed around 9:30 last night... game over.

Cheers!

Justin Malbec

2009-07-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

I love the Justin wines, for the most part. The good stuff is really freaking good. I mean, world class good. The Isosceles is year by year one of the most consistently good wines I've ever had... and I've been drinking every vintage 9 years running.

Their reserve wines... especially the Savant (Cab/Syrah blend) and Cabernet, are simply wonderful, as is the Justification. If you know anything about Cheval Blanc, taste the Justification - Merlot/Cab Franc.... wonderful wine with amazing structure, tannin, and dark fruit.

The Justin white wines... well, I'm not going to focus on these... that's not what they really do best.

But the reds.... that brings me to the 2007 Malbec. We opened a bottle last night with some DiGiorno pepperoni pizza (I always add more cheese and pepperoni) along with a nice romaine salad... and the wine was perfect! It has luscious fruit - blackberry, boysenberry, with some nice cocoa power and mocha on the finish. Great wine - especially for the $20 that it's easily worth.

Congrats to Justin again for a job well done.

Cheers!

2007 Sea Smoke Southing

2009-07-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my wife and I celebrated our 21st Anniversary at Arnie Morton's Steakhouse in Los Angeles.... for lunch!

We love this particular location - not only because the food is as good as any we've tasted, but because the folks there are some of the friendliest people we've met at any restaurant - bar none. From management all the way through the ranks, we are greeted with smiles, treated warmly, and provided with an experience - every time - that gives use one more great memory of Morton's.

Yesterday, we brought our own wine... a brand new bottle of 2007 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir. As soon as I dropped my nose into the glass, I could tell this was a winner. The semi-sweet raspberries and cranberry aromas were soft and... well... were kind of like foreplay. The wine tasted.... incredible. This is a very BOLD.... BOLD Pinot. It's got the kind of structure one would expect from a Cabernet or Syrah (Please don't tell me that Syrah is added to this wine)... and the finish has incredible acidity and minerality...

Enter our food - I had the Morton's Cheeseburger.... with grilled onions, mushrooms, horseradish cheddar, and fries.... my wife had the Rib eye and mashed potatoes....

And the 2007 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir handled the whole thing!!!!! The wine didn't weaken or faint once... in other words, if the food was the stage, this wine pole-danced all around it... naked and alluring, sultry, full of style and substance....

Okay... when is the last time you heard of a wine being compared to a stripper?

Take the cork out of this one and drink up... but save 1 or 2 for aging... this wine will last 3-5 years easily.... on my scale... it's a bold 95 points.... but, then again, with wine this freaking good, who's counting?

Cheers!

Santa Ema

2009-07-09T12:44:00.001-07:00

I opened this bottle of 2005 Santa Ema Reserve Cabernet from Maipo Valley in Chile about 6 days ago. It paired very nicely with the Cajun Rib Eye my wife and I shared but was still a bit over the top on the fruit... medium berries overwhelmed the tannins... so, I corked it and put it in the fridge.

Yup... the fridge.

Then I opened it again 2 nights ago and WOW! Thinking back, I probably should have decanted this thing... what a wonderful dark and rich Cabernet this turned out to be. For fun, I corked it one more time and put it back into the fridge until last night... damned if the wine wasn't even more balanced! This after 6 days... 6 days!!!!

Now - before you assume that I drank it too cold, I didn't. I let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before pouring. There was no chilling-green effect. The wine was simply delicious.... and all for $9.99 at Cost Plus World Market.

Cheers!!!!!

I can't say enough about Columbia Crest wines

2009-07-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. I'm looking and cannot find a wine under $10 that I like as much (let alone more) than the Columbia Crest Grand Estates wines.... especially the Cabernet and Merlot. The 2004, 2005 and 2006 vintages of these wines are up to the task of many wines I've spent over $20 on over the years. In fact, in many cases, it's not even close.

For example, the 2005 Beaulieu Rutherford Cabernet sells for between $18 (costco) to around $30 (markets) and starts nicely out of the glass but finishes thin and weak. By contrast, the 2005 Grand Estates Cabernet is a bit softer up front, but finishes with nice tanin and structure to pair well with grilled meats that are rubbed and spiced up.

In fact, in a test that I recently did, I opened the BV and the Columbia Crest, and drank both over a 3 day period. I ended up pouring out the BV on day 3 and finishing the Columbia Crest. The temperature conditions and timing of bottle opening were virtually identical. But, after 3 days, the Columbia Crest was still drinking heartily and full of dark fruit flavors.

As for the Columbia Crest Merlot.... the 2004 was incredible. The 2005 is a bit more earthy and darker but has a bit more body than the 2004. The 2006 is much like the 2004 and I'm anxious to find out how it holds up into 2010 and 2011.

These days, value is important. There are many overpriced products out there, products that are priced according to reputation and name value. But I don't care about name value. I care about taste... I care about flavor... and I care about getting the best wine for the least amount of money.

Columbia Crest wines kick ass. Whatever is going on up there in the state of Washington is a fine benchmark for others to follow. Create a great product, don't insult the customer's wallet, and keep 'em coming back for more.

Cheers!

Central Coast Musical Road Trip

2009-07-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, I can't visit the Central Coast of California without thinking about wine. Everywhere I go, drive, walk, stay, there are reminders of the rich winemaking that exists all up and down highways 101 and 1 - extending from Santa Barbara up to Paso Robles and everywher in between. Hotel lobbies are full of brochures on wine trails and vineyards that one can visit. There are simply too many to catch in one day... or one week.... I estimate it would take 2-3 years for a serious wine lover to vist all of the wineries in this area.... over 500 of them.

Thing is, we weren't there for the wine... we were there for the music. My daughter, Jamie and I perform as The Beckers - a Rockin' Family Friendly Father Daughter Musical Duo. We performed at Bernadette's on July 4, Last Stage West on July 5, and returned to Los Angeles for a show that happened to be cancelled at the last minute. This didn't matter... we had a great trip, met some really cool people, and tasted some good food! Also, thanks to Hotwire and Priceline, we were able to get some semi-premium lodging at rock-bottom prices.

Along the way, however, I did manage to have some wine. We stopped in the Olive Garden in Santa Maria on Sunday night and I had a glass of the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot... 2006, I think - anyway, this is a great wine. After two days of bbq food, burgers, ribs, etc, I settled on their breadsticks and salad bowl. My daughter (who is only 14) had the Poratabella Mushroom Ravioli.... she shared a bite with me and I washed it down with the merlot.... very nice!

This stop was after a 3 hour show at the Last Stage West in Atascadero... if you're ever in the area, stop by, have some incredible slow-cooked baby back ribs and say hello to Tom. The folks there are more hospitable than many that I've seen at fancier places, and the food is simply fantastic! Tom also has a small wine selection from local vineyards in Paso Robles - diverse enough to please anyone who likes wine with bbq.

On Monday morning, we drove down Highway 1 through Lompoc and stopped at the warehouse at 333 Highway 246 to pick up my 2007 Sea Smoke purchase. I can hardly wait to open one of these bottles. It's one of my favorite wines a few years running and I've no reason to believe that the 2007 will dissapoint. Although I believe there's been some personnel changes at Sea Smoke, the location of their vineyards and the high expectations will make the production of top notch Pinot a mere link in a very successful chain of great Pinot from Sea Smoke.

Well, I realize this is a bit incoherrent, but I don't really care. It was a great weekend.... some wine, lots of music, and good times with Jamie and my wife, Eva. Heck, even Michelle and Kristna joined us from UCSB on Saturday at Bernadette's.

Cheers!

2009-07-01T10:50:00.001-07:00

The schedule....

2009-07-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

For the next several days, I'll be immersed in music for The Beckers! This is the band I have with my 14 year old daughter, Jamie.... we've got tons of stuff going on! I've added the calendar to my page in case you're interests. Looking to make a Temecula wine trip next week and have some new pics and wine blogs.... meanwhile.... Cheers!

Two great beers...

2009-06-29T11:33:00.001-07:00

Forget the wine today.... I want to talk about Bear Republic Racer 5 and Stone Arrogant Bastard.

These beers eclipse the mainstream stuff. Heck, just two years ago, a cold Sam Adams was amazing to me... so was the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale... they seemed so flavorful with nice sweet and spicy aromas....

WRONG. It's about the evolving tastes... once you have something really good, it's hard to go back.

Yesterday, we opened a bottle of Racer 5... this beer was like having a snack... it was full, robust, sweet but not fruity... nicely balanced with pine-scented hops... talk about a delicious beer!

After some music rehearsal, we opened a bottle of Arrogant Bastard... DAMN! I've had it before but in the 90 degree heat poured into cold mugs, it was not only refreshing, but the flavors were so rich and full - the finish like candy - it only left me craving more.

Alas, that's all we had - so we opened a bottle of Rosenblum Rockpile Zinfandel and dove into a pizza....

Cheers!

California Road Trip

2009-06-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

I've been saying that being an unemployed musician who loves wine has been the best thing to happen to me in a long time! While taking my job for granted - assuming it would always be there - I began to develop some fear about not working... or at least not working at the job I'd become so used to. Interestingly enough, so many great things have happened since then, I wouldn't go back. Time is more valuable than money.

With that, on Sunday Morning (June 21), I left with my daughter to drive her back to Berkeley... she actually has a job... and help her into her new apartment. Our time together is precious and, not possible on the level it has been had I been in the precarious position of asking someone (i.e. a 'boss') for 'permission' to leave for such an important endeavor. Again - time over money.

After moving into the apartment (thanks for your help, Jacob) - we digressed toward Moss Beach to hang out at the Seal Cove Inn with family. This is a beautiful bed and breakfast that I highly recommend to anyone who has an affinity for the coast of California.

That evening, we promptly opened a bottle of 2006 Denner Ditch Digger while my brother-in-law, Ray, grilled some redskin potatos and tri-tip marinated in some Basque Norte sauce. The Ditch Digger - a GSM from Paso Robles, was so delicious and refreshing. It's a very flavorful wine that is like a vocalist with a 3octave range.... nice acidity, great structure, and a fantastic finish. But, that was just the warm-up!

During our meal, we opened the 2006 Fetish Watcher Barossa Shiraz. I love this wine. It's just delicious - and, being a big fan of black licorice, well - talk about a terrific pairing with the tri-tip!

Of course, we ran out of wine just as dinner was finished. There's only one solution when that happens - get more wine! So, we drove across the street (PCH to be exact) and picked up a bottle of 2006 Rosenblum Heritage Clones Petite Sirah. Because our wine consumption progressed from gentle to bold, we thought we'd just crash and burn like Led Zeppelin and down the Rosenblum - think Kashmir on 10!!!! This wine rocks.... a lot of bang for the buck.

After watching Bottle Shock (see it!) while enjoying our Rosenblum, the evening ended with a very nice crash on the sofa.

Monday began early with driving my daughter back to Berkeley so that she could go to work, and running some errands for her before her noon lunch break. We spent lunch at Crepes a GoGo on University Avenue in Berkeley. This place does a great job on their Crepes... and the variety pretty much can cover all three meals - Breakfast, Lunch, and - if you like - Dinner!

After lunch, I took her back to work and got on the freeway... North to the 101 toward Healdsburg. I had no plan in mind except to check out this little town. No exit strategy... just running on gasoline, ambition, and curiosity.

I arrived in Healdsburg around 3:00 p.m., parking on the street in the downtown area near the very charming and quaint tree-lined park in the center of the city. My goal was to first visit Murphy Goode.... very easy to find. In fact, finding places to eat or taste wine in downtown Healdsburg is so easy, for someone like me, it's tempting to never leave. I was 5 minutes into my visit and ready to call my wife and tell her to rent a u-haul, empty out the house, and come up. The people in this town are not only friendly, they are warm and hospitable to the point where I felt immediately like I was among old friends.

At Murphy Goode, Kim welcomed me with that Healdsburg warmth and, of course I immediately agreed to the $5 tasting fee. Never tasting their wines before, I was pleasantly surprised and the variety of tastes I encountered. Buying a couple of cases would have been easy but it was warm outside and I would be doing much driving for a couple of days. Not wanting to cook an investment in wine, I opted for a single bottle of the 2004 Adams Knoll Cabernet. This is such a soft and balanced cab, I'm looking forward to some fillet Mignon or grilled salmon to pair with it.

During our conversation, Kim and I arrived at a mutual taste for Syrah. At this point, she immediately recommended that I walk to the opposite corner of the 'square' and visit Topel.

I was greeted by Ryan - not only a genuinely friendly chap but, I found out, a fellow musician. Check out his stuff here: http://www.myspace.com/livingamongtrialsmusic. Anyway, Ryan explained that Topel was known for its' Cabernet, but we opened the tasting experience with their 2007 Serendipity Monterey Pinot Noir. This wine tastes in two waves... the first filled with soft fruit, then 2nd wave with the spicy characteristics that give it enough structure to be diversely food friendly.

I enjoyed all of the wines that I tasted at Topel... and, yes, the Syrah was very good! Kim and I do share the same tastes in Syrah. Alas, however, I bought the Pinot. I was unique enough to stay with me throughout the other wines.... but I'll definitely be back to buy some of the others when the weather is cooler.

I left Topel and walked across the street to.... Rosenblum! I immediately called Ray at the Seal Cove Inn and told him where I was - at which we both had a good laugh because of our encounter with the Petite Sirah the previous evening. Anyway, I was once again warmly and heartily greeted, this time by Sean who invited me to taste the Rosenblum reserve wines.

I'm a fan. I love Zinfandel and Syrah and Rosenblum is not short on either, although Zin is their specialty. They even had 4 displays of spices and aromas matched with 4 of the wines that I tasted - this was a great idea! It enabled me to more definitively identify some of the characteristics of their wine and appreciate their subtlety even more. What I was most impressed with was Rosenblum's ability to create wines that are typically fruit bombs, but do so in a subtle and complex way. These are wonderful wines and for one winery to produce such a large number of great tasting varietals - not to mention the numerous Zinfandels - all of which stand on their own unique character is profoundly impressive!

I left Rosenblum with more wine and decided it would be good to eat before driving to a cousins' house in Santa Rosa. Ryan recommended the Bear Republic Brewing Company for it's great selection of micro brews and their fantastic burgers.

I agree. They have great micro brews and fantastic burgers. I had Racer X and a bacon cheeseburger with garlic fries. How's that for ending an excursion?

The next day began with a road trip south... across the golden gate bridge, through San Francisco (what a beautiful city), and back to Berkeley to once again enjoy lunch with my daughter before heading back home.

I left Berkeley around 1:30 and, after gassing up in Gilroy, I headed down the 101 merrily... excited about my road trip. Just south of Gonzalez, I saw the Blackstone Winery and decided to stop in. I tasted 4 wines - 2 Pinot Noir's, 1 Zinfandel, and 1 Syrah. C'mon Blackstone - you can do better than this. Don't blend your Pinot with Syrah or anything else.... your Zin is okay and the Syrah is typical middle of the road Syrah with some nice peppery spice to round it out but, you're the only game within miles of Gonzalez.... take your time. You could be a great place to stop - but folks are not going to come back to taste if the competition north and south of you continue to make far better wines.

I left Blackstone and drove south... south... south, stopping in Buellton to consider perhaps staying for the night... it was now almost 7:00 and I was a bit tired. I also had my Sea Smoke order to pick up in Lompoc.... but I was ready to go home and didn't feel like staying alone in a hotel room... even for $59 via hotwire.

I got home at around 10:30 p.m. and my wife asked "More Wine????" I said yup... and loaded up the vinotemps with my new familial additions. I grabbed a beer, sat down and watched some mindless TV, and went to sleep.

Cheers!

My unedited Murphy Goode Video...

2009-06-20T11:55:00.001-07:00

Personally, I'm not sure that I even have a shot... that said, even long shots must be taken to keep hope alive.... you never know... anyway, I had to edit the original video (shot by my 14-year old daughter Jamie on her little Canon camera - the best we have in our household) down to 1 minute for the application... however, I figured I'd put the whole 2+ minute video here... it's nothing fancy, but it's honest.

Denner Syrah.... Ruth's Chris Anaheim...

2009-06-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

What a combination... last night, one of our daughters flew in from Berkeley to be with her sisters for the youngest 8th grade graduation.... upon leaving the airport, we stopped at Ruth's Chris in Anaheim....

And I just 'happened' to have a bottle of 2006 Denner Syrah with me.... go figure!!!

First off, high compliments to the folks at Ruth's Chris.... we arrived at 8:30 p.m. and didn't leave until almost 10:30.... and, amidst what was obviously a very busy evening at the restaurant, the level of service and hospitality bestowed on us was top notch all the way. Not to mention the wonderful food.... shoestring potatoes, grilled ahi tuna, new york steak, stuffed mushrooms... and on and on... the flavors were incredible....

... and the 2006 Denner Syrah went perfectly with the meal. It's such a big jammy wine that, at first, one might wonder if there's anything but an over the top fruit bomb... but the finesse is exemplary... the finish just keeps on giving... delicious!

Kudos to both Ruth's Chris and Denner Vineyards for contributing to a wonderful evening out for our family.

Cheers!

Bring your own bottle... find out who has the best corkage policies!

2009-06-17T12:53:00.001-07:00

GoBYO--Quick-Find Restaurant Finder

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A darn good dinner at home....

2009-06-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

Last night we had an amazing home-cooked meal... with some fantastic wine. I'll make it short.

I grilled some salmon that was glazed in lemon olive oil and Cajun spices... right on the grill... grill marks and everything :)

With that we had a baby greens salad and some baked potato.

The wine? 2005 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir.

Enough said.

More on Murphy Goode...

2009-06-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at the videos from folks trying to get their feet in the door at Murphy Goode... (www.areallygoodejob.com) and I have to say.... some of the videos are flat out overwhelmingly good. I'm not sure I can compete with these.

I heard about the position and thought I'd put something together - I guess I still have until this Friday to do so.... in preparation, I visited the website and reviewed about 50-60 videos... and saw the same recurring themes: I Love Wine, I have media experience, I love nature, I'm the one you want, etc etc....

The thing is, only one of the many folks applying is really 'the one'. I'm not sure what they are looking for but, if it's someone with extensive media experience who has already worked in a winery or for a major magazine or whatever, then I don't stand a chance - neither do 95% of the other applicants. Hell, some of these folks are so darn good looking that I forgot what they were talking about!!!!

That said, this is not a glamour job - it's a tough (interesting and fun - at times, I'm sure) and intense job - companies don't just pay $10,000 per month plus housing for someone to kick back and drink wine all day. This is a serious position for the right person with the time and effort to drop everything else in their life and focus on Murphy Goode for 6 months.

And then walk away.

Cheers!

Mark West Pinot....

2009-06-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

I love cheap Pinot... not cheap tasting... cheap price tag. So many Pinot's are simply overpriced. Although Pinot can sometimes become my favorite wine... i.e. the 2003 Fort Ross Symposium - mentioned in an earlier blog or 2.... but many are simply disappointing... not because they are bad wines... no! Many are really good.... but not worth even $50.

For example.... on New Years Eve, we opened a bottle of 2005 Archery Summit Red Hill - $80. It was good... very nice wine. Worth $80? Hell no. If I had paid about $25, I'd have been happy - good bang for the buck at that price level. By contrast, about 10 days ago, we opened a bottle of 2005 Torii Mor.... about $44.... much more depth and balance than the Red Hill... at about half the price.

This is where the cheap Pinot comes in.... I love Pinot from Carmel Road, Mark West, some of the Castle Rock, etc. Do they blow my mind? No. But I love the way they taste - simple, slightly elegant, and food friendly with many dishes... most have just enough acidity to provide balance at dinnertime - and enough fruit on the nose to round things out.

Yeah, I know some of these have just a bit of Syrah and I mention this in one of my earlier blogs - that Syrah should be listed on the label much the same way that Shiraz/Viognier is labeled. That said, I just assume that the cheap pinot may have a bit of syrah, give up my need for self-congratulating wine snobbery, and just pour the darn thing into a glass and enjoy it.

Cheers!

Some more good wines....

2009-06-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here are 4 delicous Pinots.... From left to right... Patz and Hall 2006 Sonoma Coast, 2005 Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee, 2006 Sea Smoke Southing, and 2006 Williams Selyem Sonoma Coast...

Below, in the 2nd photo, are 3 really good wines from Mollydooker... The 2007 Two Left Feet.... the 2007 Boxer Shiraz.... and the 2007 The Maitre 'D" Cabernet.

Justin and Denner...

2009-06-11T09:44:00.001-07:00

Hi. Just for fun, I thought I'd take a couple of pictures for this post.... a 6 year vertical of Justin Isosceles - 2001-2006.... and 4 of my favorite wines from Denner... The Dirt Worshipper, Ditch Digger, Syrah, and Zinfandel...

Murphy Goode... A Really Goode Job

2009-06-10T14:28:00.001-07:00

Today a friend calls me and says that the Murphy Goode Winery is looking for some to help with their outreach on the web... i.e. Twitter, Blogs, etc. and that it pays $10K per month for 6 months.

Sounds like my kind of job! I called the winery to make sure this was for real and they confirmed it. The job is based in Healdsburg, CA and the application process requires a video posting on a website designed for this purpose: http://www.areallygoodejob.com/.

I think this is a really cool idea. Video has opened up an entirely new arena in the job application process - employers can screen credentials, personality, and communication skills before even inviting people into the door. The only bummer is if you're a good presenter but camera shy; or not fully adept at speaking into a lens as if it were another human being sitting across from you.

That said, I've never tasted Murphy Goode wines... but I'm about to.

Cheers!

Barrel tasting...

2009-06-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

I love opening a bottle of wine... tearing away the material over the top of the bottle... unveiling the cork... easing the corkscrew in... pulling the cork out.... seeing the first coloration of the cork by the wine... is it light? dark? To me it doesn't matter; I just like to see it.

Then... seeing the liquid hit the bottom of the glass and swish and swirl as the desired amount is poured out... setting the bottle down .... and lifting the glass to my nose.... smelling the wine... sometimes just enjoying it - other times trying to pick out various scents.... then drinking...

Okay, okay... sounds a bit like wine foreplay, doesn't it?

Sometimes, it's fun just to drink the wine - enough of the romantic nuances that easily surround the experience. Enter - barrel tasting!

There's something pure about pulling a stopper out of the barrel and dropping a turkey baster into the barrel, squeezing the plastic top and sucking the wine from the barrel.... dropping it into a glass..... and drinking it.

It's a pure experience - the wine hasn't been in a truck, grocery shelf or stocking cart... it's like listening to a master recording before it becomes a CD. You get to experience it before anyone else.

Cool, huh?

Cheers!

FIFE....

2009-06-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

This will be short blog. Two weeks ago, our local Trader Joe's was selling FIFE wines for $6.99 each. Most were 4-6 years old.

Cautiously, I bought a bottle of the 2003 Napa Valley Zinfandel.

We opened it last night and it was really good. The wine was a bit lighter in color than I expected but the flavor was all raspberries and cinnamon with a slight floral character on the nose.... damn thing smelled like spicy flowers!

We washed down some smoked salmon and BBQ chicken and the bottle was gone before we knew it.

I'm going back for more.

Cheers!

Oregon Pinot... overrated?

2009-06-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

The first time I visited Willamette Valley, I was stunned and blown away. I visited Ponzi, Archery Summit, Domaine Serene, Domaine Drouhin, White Rose.... I think there were a few others as well.

I couldn't believe the diversity in Pinot that I tasted that day... and, as usual when tasting a lot of wine in one day, the wines just keep getting better and better. It also helped that it was a beautiful May day and everything was so green... much greener than in most of Southern California, where I live.

I singed up for all kinds of wine clubs... I couldn't wait to tell everyone I knew that was into wine how this new discovery had opened my eyes. Within the next 4-6 weeks, a UPS truck was at our house at least 2 times a week delivering more of this wonderful wine. At that point, I looked at my AMEX bill and decided it was time to quit the wine clubs.

But now I had a lot of Pinot! Pinot! Pinot!

It's all gone now... along with a bunch of other Pinot that I've had over the last 2 years while comparing wineries, vintages, and regions... you can add Sea Smoke, Williams Selyem, Sanford, Castle Rock, Carmel Road, Domaine Alfred, Flowers.... a whole bunch of Pinot People to the list...

And, my favorite so far?

The 2003 Fort Ross Sonoma Coast Symposium... about $30. I like it better than all of the above. Too bad I only bought one bottle.

Cheers!

My self education in wine...

2009-06-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking... I don't have any wine-education degrees... nothing in agriculture, nothing in the culinary arts, no experience working in a wine store, wine warehouse, picking grapes (except at my Grandma's house)... I have helped a friend make beer....

No. Instead I've spent a small fortune (fortune meaning a lot of money for a middle-class guy who's now unemployed for the moment...) on exploring wines.... making lots of mistakes along the way, finding some amazing fermented grape juice, acting like I knew what I was doing, trying to impress friends, etc etc...

Now, I've just come to the conclusion that there are two credentials that qualifies me to speak intelligently about wine - I like the stuff and I've enjoyed enough wine over the last 20 years to have a good conversation about wine with just about anyone with any degree of wine 'knowledge' and continually learn in the process.

I've also decided that as much as me or anyone else 'knows' about wine, like I've mentioned in many earlier blogs, wine knowledge is very subjective... wine appreciation is personal, and wine consumption is fun and over consumption can get you buzzed and dry your tongue out to the point where you can't tell what you're tasting anyway.

Cheers!

Cost Plus World Market

2009-06-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

I love this store. There's one within walking distance of my home and, whenever I'm nearby, I stop in - even just to browse the wines. Usually, there's a great deal on something going on and I unexpectedly surprise myself with a buy on something unanticipated.

For instance, two days ago, I stopped in and found the 2007 R Wines Luchador Shiraz. I love this wine - being a fan of big bold Australian reds... darn thing only cost $15. I like that.

Next to the Luchador was the 2006 3 Rings Shiraz for $18. If I didn't already have 2 bottles at home, I'd have bought a couple of these as well.

Then, I found a Santa Ema Cabernet - WS 90 - for only $11. Yup. Bought it.

What I like most about Cost Plus World Market is that their wine selection contains many that cannot be found in the local supermarkets - all of which seem to have the same wine buyer... Yes, I like BV, Sterling, Kendall Jackson, Mondavi, and Yellow Tail... but COME ON! It's nice to find wines from Waterbrook, Heitz, Yalumba, Four Vines, and Marquis Philips in my neighborhood.

Cheers!

Because it's my Birthday...

2009-06-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

I'm 48 today... Yup. I love it.

Got up this morning to a great breakfast made by my wife, Eva and, as our youngest daughter, Jamie, joined us, we enjoyed omelets, bacon, coffee, orange juice, blueberry muffins, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and bananas.... anyway...

Meandered through the morning and decided to treat myself to a great lunch... at Arnie Morton's on Figueroa in Los Angeles... not only a great steakhouse but, you REALLY NEED TO TRY THEIR MORTON'S CHEESEBURGER!!!!!

Of course, add a bottle of 2006 Isosceles, some Beefsteak tomatoes, and carrot cake dessert... not to mention the after lunch drinks... and... well, my near abstaining wife drove us home safely.

Oh, and the Justin Isosceles.. paired with the Tomatoes, and the Cheeseburger - topped with mushrooms and grilled onions, didn't miss a step. This is a serious freaking wine... serious... worth every penny and as versatile as anything I've ever had.

Happy birthday to ME... and cheers!

Free dinner and a bag of pasta????

2009-06-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, I got this white paper bag from Carino's restaurant (www.carinos.com) that provided for one free create-your-own pasta dinner (value $9.99) and the restaurant would fill the bag with one pound of uncooked pasta. Not a bad deal.

So, I went to the local Carino's here in Whittier and - yeah - brought my own bottle - a 2007 Justin Cabernet. I've been wanting to sample the wine anyway and figured a pasta dinner would be a good pairing.

I was right. I ordered bow tie pasta with a spicy marinara sauce and meatballs. Simple.

First off, the food was actually quite good. There was just enough spice to give the dish a kick; the pasta was cooked just the way I like it - slightly firm... and the meatballs were yummy.

The Cab was very nice; the 2007 Justin Cab is a bit more... dare I say it... 'refined' than some of the prior vintages... I like this one... it's not a fruity beast as many Paso Robles cabs tend to be. Instead, it's got lots of medium berry fruit with almost a dusty cocoa powder finish, all wrapped neatly in soft tannins...

No, didn't finish the whole bottle... or the whole meal, for that matter. Got leftovers! Besides, I want to see how the cab tastes tonight after being open for 24 hours...

That's my story.

Cheers!

Great tunes with 'wine' in 'em

2009-06-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

I was thinking, what songs go good with wine? Then, I thought, what songs actually mention wine in their lyrics or title? Here you go:

Spill the Wine - Eric Burdon and War
Sweet Virgina - The Rolling Stones (... thank you for your wine, California)
Red Red Wine - UB40
Champagne Supernova - Oasis
God Of Wine - Third Eye Blind
Elderberry Wine - Elton John
Bottle of Red Wine - Eric Clapton
Bitter Wine - L7
Champagne and Reefer - The Rolling Stones and Buddy Guy
Little Ole Wine Drinker Me - Merle Haggard
Old Red Wine - The Who
You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Rolling Stones (... a glass of wine in her hand)
Hotel California - The Eagles (... pink champagne on ice)

I know there are many more.... but, I thought this was a good start. Now, for your convenienced, I've added a link to an iMIX that I created on iTUNES with all of the above tunes. It's an easy way to download these songs, open your favorite bottle, and rock out!

Click Here For the iTUNES Wine Mix

Cheers!

Too much wine...

2009-06-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

I'm not a doctor - let's be clear. I'm not a medical professional and I've still developed my own opinions about personal health. So, if anything I suggest here doesn't work for you, don't go off and say "well, I read it at 976wine and Beckerjim said...". Following anyone's advice is still your responsibility. Do your own research. Come to your own conclusions. Own your decisions!

Is it possible? Can someone who really loves wine - the flavors, the romanticism, the food pairings, etc, overdo it? Is it possible to enjoy it so much that... well it stops being enjoyable?

I wonder about this from time to time. Alcoholism is serious business. When one's body is unable to metabolize alcohol, the effects are simply deadly.

So, I look to what I've heard and learned from alcoholic friends what to look for; and I turn those insights inward.

For example, I'm told that alcoholics, once they start drinking, cannot stop until they're too drunk to drink. I always make it a point to stop - intentionally to make sure that I CAN stop!

I'm also told that alcoholics, because of their inability to properly metabolize alcohol, get wasted very rapidly... okay - so, I check to see if I'm getting really buzzed on one or two glasses.... and NO, I don't keep drinking until I find my buzzed threshold... (disclaimer - yeah, I've been drunk before - it's no fun... even worse the next day.)

Finally, what's the quality of life outside alcohol? Does alcohol have to be part of every activity? To me, there's a thin line here - for example, I enjoy wine every evening with dinner. It's part of the meal. Conversely, it's very rare (one-two times annually) that I'll have wine with lunch, although it can sometimes work nicely.

Can you just give up drinking for a few days and give your body a break? It can't hurt. Let's say you drink 2 glasses of wine each day. If you go 2 days without wine (i.e. Monday and Tuesday), you've cut your consumption by 28%! If you go 4 days, you've cut consumption by 56% - imagine only having wine on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday....

Or, here's another perspective. Let's say you have 3 glasses every day and cut to 2.... that's a 33% cut.

Then again, it tastes so damn good! Moderation is the key. When moderation becomes increasingly difficult to maintain, try some of the methods I use to start: cut back - replace the wine with a nice glass of ice water or even tea or coffee. If you are able to do this without going through some kind of anxious withdrawal, you're probably okay. If not, well, you may need help.

Finally, get your blood checked now and then - if the liver is functioning normally, that's a positive sign. If it's not...

Like Mr. Eastwood said "A man's gotta know his limits".

Cheers!

Denner Zinfandel.... boom!

2009-05-31T10:25:00.000-07:00

I opened the 2007 Denner Zinfandel 2 nights ago. The nose, smell, aroma, whatever... was sweet and spicy... nutmeg? cinnamon? not sure.. but it was very pleasant.

I swirled my glass a bit... and the wine coated the inside of the glass like lacquer... paint...

I tasted it.

I digress here: this wine is 16% alcohol. 16%. It's freaking HUGE! And here I was trying to drink it without any food pairing....

I've had port wines before... liked 'em. The Denner Zinfandel needs food... or 99% Cacao. So, I broke out the darkest chocolate I could find.

.........aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah..... much better.

This wine is not for the faint of heart. It's bold, fruity, spicy, and it will get you freaking wasted if you sit down and drink the whole bottle. It's good that it's such a full-bodied bold and fruit-forward wine... you don't need much... a glass or two will do it.

I'm thinking it's a nice wine to pair with the Arnie Morton's Hot Chocolate Cake... but that's just my opinion.

Not what I expected but, delicious all the same!

Cheers!

Damn good deal on Columbia Crest at Ralph's....

2009-05-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

Okay. Right now... until the end of today (I think), Ralph's Grocery is selling all Columbia Crest Grand Estates wines for $7.99 per bottle.... the Two Vines and Vineyard 10 are only $5.49. If you buy 6, you get an additional 10% off.

By taking advantage of this (which I did this morning), you can buy highly rated wines for a great price:

2006 Grand Estates Cabernet - WS - 89 points
2005 or 2006 Grand Estates Merlot - WS - 88 points
2006 Two Vines Cabernet - WS - 87 points
2006 Grand Estates Chardonnay - WS - 90 points
2005 Vineyard 10 Red - WS - 88 points

I challenge you to find a better deal on better wines.

Cheers!

I like screw tops but I SAVE CORKS

2009-05-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

There. I said it. I like screw tops. I like cork, too. Actually, it's the stuff in the bottle that I like the most.... funny thing though - the wine doesn't last, the screw top - along with the bottle get tossed.... but, I SAVE CORKS!!!

My goal is to make a coffee table with a sheet of glass over the corks - neatly arranged with the winery name facing up... I don't know if this is bragging about all of the different wines I've tasted or if it's confessing to how much alcohol I've consumed.

The timeline for my cork collection is not up for discussion.

That said, I like corks - I like the way they look - I'm still trying to figure out how those little logos get printed on them and why some corks are harder to put back into the bottle than others.... before drinking wine, I thought cork was cork.

Now, after this little discourse on how much I like cork.... unscrewing a cap, although not with the same kind of romantic element of anticipation as a cork, is simple and the wine gets out of the bottle faster.

Cheers!

Location, Location, Location

2009-05-23T10:36:00.001-07:00

Why are wine grapes grown in amazingly beautiful areas? Is it the grapes over rolling hills that create the majesty or are the vineyards merely an enhancement to a beauty that is already there?

One of my favorite things to do is drive the back roads at Paso Robles, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, or Sonoma County. Although Napa certainly is beautiful, the other areas I mention are predominately made up of winding roads through hills and valleys... sharp turns... actually, quite fun... and beautiful.

For me, this adds so much to the romanticism that I associate with enjoying fine wine or even just tasting... it's almost like disappearing into another time and space.

You see, I grew up in a town called Paradise, CA... a place with rivers, trees, and - you got it - winding roads... roads that don't even have yellow or white lines dividing opposing traffic. However, for the last 25 years, I've lived in Los Angeles. Living in the city has given me a perspective on the areas where what I call the blood of the earth grows.

We keep saying that, someday, we're going to live in one of these areas... or nearby. That hope and dream is still alive and I give it over to timing as several family schedules and educational/graduational events need to coincide for the timing to be right. But, when those planets collide, we're there.

The wine is wonderful. The locations are beautiful. The experience is unforgettable.

Paso Robles.... quick trip...

2009-05-22T08:28:00.001-07:00

Okay. Visited Denner Vineyards on Wednesday. I had much driving to do so I decided that one wine-tasting visit was all that was appropriate... stopped at Denner and tasted their 2007 Zinfandel, 2005 Syrah, and 2006 Ditch Digger.

Damn, these guys do a nice job! The Zinfandel is phenomenal... just wildly spicy and filled with wild berry flavors... and the finish hung around like someone in line for ride a Disneyland. Exciting wine!

From there, I dropped off a couple of bottles (from my cellar) as a gift to a friend, and continued my journey to Berkeley to pick up my daughter.

That's it. I love what they are doing at Denner; if you're in the Paso area, check 'em out.

Cheers!

Passing through Paso...

2009-05-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

This week I drive up to Berkeley to pick up my daughter.... this is always a joyful occasion as we are a very close family and we're looking forward to a few days together. Meanwhile, driving from Los Angeles to the Bay Area also presents another opportunity... to cruise on up the 101...

This charts a course through Santa Barbara and Paso Robles... certainly presenting opportunities to stop in and see what's going on at some of the local wineries...

On this trip, I will most likely stop at Denner and Justin... two of my favorite wineries. The folks there are as hospitable as can be and the wines are always fun and tasty. It's also possible that I'll make a stop in Los Olivos... perhaps taste some Andrew Murray (in the words of Miles from Sideways, "Well Okay").

The highlight, of course, is picking up my daughter. But along the way, stopping by wineries is much more fun than just cruising non-stop on the freeway.... maybe I'll check hotwire.com or priceline.com and book a room - turn the whole thing into a mini-vacation.

Cheers!

More on wine shopping....

2009-05-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

In a recent post, I listed several wine stores that I frequently shop at. Most were large warehouses that typically have large inventories or buy such large quantities of wine that they are able to discount prices significantly... this is great, especially when I'm looking to buy a few cases of the stuff.

However, I don't want to discount (pun intended) the local small wine stores. There's something very cool and personal with the little neighborhood wine store. For one, they are usually a bit nicer and friendly than the folks moving large amounts of merchandise. Second, they tend to make honest attempts at stocking wines that can't easily be found elsewhere... they are especially good places to avoid all of the big name popular brands that are typically found in every major supermarket. (Side note - ever notice how Ralph's, Von's, Safeway, Albertson's, etc all have the same wines?)

One of my favorite local stores is Vinatero in Whittier, CA. Lisa and Ernie are two of the kindest and hospitable folks you're likely to meet. They also have a passion for wine and even a greater passion for helping their customers enjoy their wine experience to its' fullest. They have a very nice inventory - diverse both in varietals and in price. For instance, you can find wines from Kosta Browne, Justin, and Sea Smoke as well as wines from Mollydooker, R Wines, and Poppy. It's a fun place for good conversation, a nice tasting menu, and good tunes piped into the store.

Perhaps you have a store near you like Vinatero... I'd like to hear about it. Cheers!

I don't care about the Lakers

2009-05-17T10:26:00.001-07:00

What does this have to do with wine, you might ask? Everything, of course!

Today, a good friend who happens to be trucking across the country will be rolling into town today. Omar also happens to be a drummer in my band, The Barnburners of Los Angeles (look us up on iTUNES and myspace). When he arrives, we're going to visit for a bit then head out to the garage-studio to jam - me on guitar and vocals, Omar on drums, and maybe my daughter Jamie on vocals as well. It's really a great way to spend the afternoon....

As you can guess, the Laker game will be happening at the same time... a game 7... whoopee do! I don't care. It's irrelevant.

Instead, we're going to make really loud rock'n roll. When we're done, we're going to fire up the barbecue and grill some burgers with sea salt and cheddar... maybe some bacon... and open up a bottle of Four Vines Zinfandel. When that is done, we'll open another bottle yet to be determined.

And we will not care what the Lakers did.

Trust me... I'm a doctor

2009-05-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

Last week, I googled "How many ounces of wine are in a glass?" The answer was pretty much universal - about 5 oz. Doing the math - a 750 ml bottle contains about 25.2 oz. So - there are 5 glasses of wine in a bottle. Medically speaking.

I say medically because most of what I read when it comes to wine and health is that, on average, 2 glasses of red wine a day for men and 1 for women, seem to have - in some cases - significant health benefits. The key for me is coming up with what that really means....

I mean, have you seen those birthday cards with a picture of a woman drinking one glass of wine... and the glass is about the size of a gallon milk jug? I've also been in restaurants where wine ordered by the glass is poured out in about 7 oz increments. Doing the medical math, this would equate to one glass per day and not two.

Here's my dilemma... with 5 glasses per bottle... and 2 glasses per day.... at the end of the 2nd day, there's going to be roughly one glass - 5 oz - remaining. Do I save it for tomorrow, when I open another bottle to glean a mere 5 oz off the top for my 2nd daily glass? Heck, the bottle's been opened now for over 24 hours assuming that I opened it last night when I had my first 2 glasses.... (the likely case)....

Well, assuredly - I will probably have 3 glasses tonight - two with dinner and one more a couple of hours later... or I'll just drink 'em all with dinner....

Wait a minute... who needs dinner?!!!!

My Favorite (somewhat) Cheap Wines...

2009-05-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

Not much comment here... just a list of wines that are usually (as long as the store you buy them at doesn't overprice them) about $20 or less... some quite a bit less... some not...

Marquis Philips Sara's Blend - about $12 at Costco
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet - about $8 at Trader Joe's
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot - about $8 at Trader Joe's
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay - about $8 at Trader Joe's
Pillar Box Red - about $10 at Cost Plus World Market
ERATH Oregon Pinot Noir - about $14 at Costco
Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir - about $15 at Costco
Mondavi Napa Cabernet - about $18 at Costco
Vina Santa Rita 120 Cabernet - about $6 at Trader Joe's
Concha Y Toro Puente Alto Marques De Casa Concha Cabernet - about $15 at Costco
Sterling Vintner's Cabernet - about $11 at Cost Plus World Market
Carmel Road Pinot Noir - about $15 at Wine Exchange
3 Rings Barossa Shiraz - about $16 at Costco
Kim Crawford Sauvingon Blanc - about $17 at various stores

There's much more but, these are wines that I tend to keep around on an ongoing basis.... they aren't mind blowing but they're all very good in their own way. Drink up!

Cheers :)

My favorite places to shop for wine...

2009-05-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Being in Southern California (heck being almost anywhere in California), there's plenty of wine around. The key, for me anyway, is finding the wines that I want at the prices I want to pay.

Interestingly, wine shopping is one of the only times I'll actually 'shop'. I'm not into clothes, shoes, or just browsing stores until I find something that interests me... unless it's wine. Most, if not all other purchases, I know in advance what I want, I go straight to it, buy it, and get the hell out of dodge. But wine....

Just looking at the labels is fun. So, whether I'm at Ralph's, Albertson's, Cost Plus World Market, Rite Aid, Bevmo, or one of the big wine warehouses, I can just look at wine bottles. This is not, however, without some ulterior motive: I'm also making notes of prices so that when I do my buying, or need a bottle in a pinch, I know who's selling what at the best price at that moment.

Okay... here's the places I shop most:

Wine Exchange - www.winex.com
The Wine Club - www.thewineclub.com
KL Wines - www.klwines.com
NapaCabs - www.napacabs.com
Beverages and More - www.bevmo.com
Cost Plus World Market - www.worldmarket.com (cool website, but I shop in store)
Trader Joe's - www.traderjoes.com

If you shop at the major markets, look for discounted wines with 6-pack discounts... this is a great way to buy wines like those from Columbia Crest on the cheap!

Got other places you recommend? I'd like to hear from you.

Cheers!

More on Wine Ratings....

2009-05-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

When I think about rating wine, my first thought is - what did the person (or people) who taste the wine have for breakfast.... or dinner the night before.... or do they have a cold or hay fever... etc etc... anything that could affect their perception of the wine...

Also, I wonder if price has an effect... or if it's totally erroneous. In my previous blog I alluded to two 95 point wines from Wine Spectator - the 2005 Screaming Eagle Cab and the 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cab.... the Screaming Eagle comes in at $750... the Columbia Crest at about $25. Are you going to tell me that the quality of these wines is equal? If so, Screaming Eagle can fly off as far as I'm concerned. (Unless of course you are one of those shallow people who brag about how much you spend on pointless purchases just to impress those around you.)

Here's a couple of other examples... WS rates the 2005 BV Rutherford Cab at 88 points - about $27. At the same time, the 2005 Magnificent Wine Company House Red also gets 88 points - priced at $10... as did the Grace Family Cabernet - about $225. If all of these wines are equal, why not stock up on the MWC House Red and spend the rest on some great prime steak?

You see where I'm going with this; it's all so subjective. I mean, sure - there are wines that really suck. I'm sorry, but you know they do - you open the bottle and, as soon as you taste the wine, you realize that a cupful of white wine vinegar would have been smoother! And, I'm not talking about 'cooked' or 'tainted' wine. Some wines just are better than others.... but when it comes to rating systems, we are treading into very subjective territory.

Now... can anyone tell me why the 2006 Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet - about $27 has not yet been rated at WS? Did it come in at 98 points - well ahead of Mondavi's more expensive bottles? I ask because I think this cab is phenomenal... I've had about 5 bottles under different scenarios and this wine is a freaking beast! And it's the first Cab from Mondavi that has not been rated at WS in a few years... Wine Enthusiast gives it 95 points... I would agree - but, perhaps the rater and I unwittingly ate the same food before tasting the wine.

That said, I'm still a sucker for wine ratings - they certainly affect what I buy - and sometimes I agree with them, sometimes I don't. Ratings add a dimension of fun for me.... but I do get a bit suspicious when something isn't rated or a particular vintage unexpectedly varies greatly in score from other vintages from the same winery.... different winemaker, maybe? different climate, perhaps?

Or maybe that balsamic vinegar dressing and garlic and roasted onion pizza from last night is still coming out of your pores as you ponder that really bitter $500 dollar bottle of meticulously crafted Bordeaux.

What if it's just grape juice?

2009-05-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, while I'm drinking wine, I think.... this is just crushed and fermented grapes. Or to put it more cynically, rotten grapes.

It's really funny when I think about it; I used to love that purple juice in the Welch's jars... it was so sweet and washed a bologna and cheese sandwich down perfectly. If I didn't know better at the time, I'd say that Welch's and a bologna sandwich exists in a parallel universe to Cabernet and steak. Or peanut butter and jelly... or beer and hot dogs....

Last year, while looking at the highest rated wines in one of the wine rags, I noticed that those in the 96,97,98... and even 100 point rating range were also priced accordingly.... I think the cheapest of the 8 100 point wines was about $200 per bottle.... coincidence? I think not.

The rags say that price has no bearing on the ratings system. But, price has to be related to quality at some point, doesn't it? Or is it just a gimmick? I mean, is a $750 bottle of Screaming Eagle noticeably better than a $150 bottle of Insignia... or a $25 bottle of 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cab? After all, the 2005 Columbia Crest got a 95 point rating... the exact same rating as the 2005 Screaming Eagle Cabernet, while the 2005 Insignia received a 'lowly' 92 points.

Hmmm... let's see.... $25 or $750.... both 95 points... both cabs.... Where's my Welch's!!!!!

If u like it, it's good

2009-05-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

I don't consider myself a wine snob; there's still too much I've yet to learn. That said, there are some wines that I've found I just don't think are that good.... for anyone to drink. But, it's all about perspective.

Several years ago, I was pouring some pretty good Cab from Paso Robles (Justin, I think) and one of my wife's friends arrived and asked for a glass. Being one who believes that wine should be shared, I poured "Grace" a glass of cab. A few minutes later, Grace was in the kitchen dropping ice cubes into the wine glass.

My jaw dropped.... I asked why she was doing that and she replied "it's too strong and not cold enough...". After telling her that this wasn't an appropriate way to enjoy a good Cab, I quickly figured that she'd made up her mind. The wine was better with ice in it.

A few weeks later, I was at Trader Joe's and I thought of "Grace". I picked up a bottle of Charles Shaw Chardonnay. Now, I've tasted this wine before - to me, it's kind of like a wine cooler without the fizz. Not awful tasting but....

Anyway, I tasted it once I got home, then corked it and waited.

The re-corked bottle remained in our refrigerator for about 6 months before "Grace" showed up again and... after the usual hello and how are you chit chat, she asked if I had some wine. I said "YES!".

I went to the fridge, and pulled out the 6-month old bottle that I had been saving for such an occasion. Was this mean?

I don't think so. Once sip and she exclaimed... "Oh, this is delicious! Thank you!"

She was pleased, I was pleased; it's all good.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

Okay... if you're a mother, had a mother, will be a mother, know a mother, have been called a mother.... Happy Mother's Day!

If not.... well, how did you get here?

I know this has nothing to do with wine, but if I mention the word 'wine', doesn't that make this a blog related to wine?

Okay, it's weak, but that's all I got today. So, find a great bottle of wine, sit down with mom, start pouring and have that conversation y'all have been wanting to have but never seem to find the time for. Throw away the cell phone, disconnect, the land line, shut off the computer... and just have a conversation. Life is short.

Cheers!

No rules for wine pairing

2009-05-09T23:40:00.001-07:00

Here we go. Today, I tossed two chicken breasts (bone-in) into a crock pot with KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce and about a tablespoon of Cajun spices. That was about 9:00 this morning.

The chicken slow-cooked until 6:00 p.m. when I took it out and, along with a tossed salad, dinner was prepared.

Then I re-opened last night's bottle of Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Shiraz. There was about half the bottle remaining (well, not anymore) but that's beside the point.

You know those people who say white wine with chicken and fish, red wine with red meat? There are no rules as far as I'm concerned.

You know, when you eat Chinese food - especially those really cheap and greasy buffets...? You get all kinds of flavors... sweet, sour, spicy, etc etc.... and it doesn't matter. Sometimes, I pair my wine the same way - with no regard to how each dish and the wine compliment each other. It's just one more flavor to enjoy.

Granted - this meal tonight might not have worked so well had the wine been a wimpy one... but the Jim Barry is robust enough and peppery enough to fight its' way through that Cajun infused BBQ sauce for one delicious combo.

No rules... except what your taste buds tell you.

Beware of that discounted wine....

2009-05-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

There I am, walking down the aisle at some market... pick one - cost plus, Ralph's, Von's, etc - doesn't matter - and, eventually, I find some wine marked down from $20 to $10.... well, actually from $19.99 to $9.99.... sometimes, it's a wine I've heard about or enjoyed in the past - so, I think - hmmmm..... looks good!

When I see this, I'm cautious, so I'll ask someone why it's marked down.... I'm told - this is a really good wine that we just can't move for some reason so we're discounting it.... or, this is the last of our stock and we need to clear the shelves for new arrivals.... whatever.

Usually, the wine sucks. It's either cooked, old, tainted, or just no good. I've poured more of these down the drain after a few sips (yeah, I'll decant, or let it 'breathe' before kicking the wine off the island)... and, no, I don't save it for cooking. If it isn't good enough to drink, it's not good enough to cook with.

Sometimes, there are good deals... buyer beware.... know your vintages and the aging potential of the wine.... it's true that some stores simply need to move merchandise and will offer special discounts across the board. But, if it's just a handful of discounted bottles, chances are there's another better wine at regular price that is still cheaper than the discounted one.

Mixing wine at home...

2009-05-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

I was visiting a friend a few months ago who works for a winery in Paso Robles... he showed me something that I never considered but have since done many times - he took 2 bottles of wine and mixed them together to create his own 'blend'. The wines? Syrah and Cabernet... about 50% each.

It's interesting because both wines were from the same winery so it was a bit of an experiment, I'm sure. But, later he told me that he took a very fruit-forward Shiraz from Australia and mixed in about 30% of a more spicy and peppery Syrah from Paso to balance it a bit.... he said the result was great.

So, what did I do? I went home... grabbed a bottle of 2005 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cab and a bottle of 2005 Grand Estates Merlot and started doing my own experiments.... not only was it fun, but I started gaining a bit of appreciation for how a slight adjustment in the blend can have a much greater impact on the overall flavor of the wine. My favorite blend of these two? 75% Cabernet and 25% Merlot.... but I've also tried 50/50, 80/20, etc....

It's fun and ads a new interesting dimension to enjoying wine.

Is that really Pinot?

2009-05-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

I've tasted it... and had no idea what it was. At first, I thought it was just a really bold ten dollar pinot noir. It wasn't unpleasant... heck, wine has to be really bad to actually be unpleasant... like that two-buck stuff.... oh well.

I love pinot. It's probably my favorite wine - but it costs so darn much. So, I'm always glad to find that one of the wine mags has rated an under $15 bottle in the high 80's.... gives me hope. So, I usually go and buy one... or two... and usually enjoy them as well!

These "low end" pinots aren't the most complex of wines... not a whole bunch of finesse or elegance... but they're tasty. And some are a bit bolder than their more expensive counterparts... recently, I found out where those dark berry and sometimes peppery nuances were coming from..... Syrah.

Yeah, like Viognier is added in 5% lots to some Australian Shiraz (and recently the Denner Dirt Worshiper), I learned that some pinot has been 'enhanced' by the addition of 3-5% Syrah. Does it taste bad? No... but Syrah is such a bold grape, it somewhat distorts the more delicate flavors of pinot.

I was disappointed to learn this.... mostly because, when I buy pinot, I've been naiively believing that it was 100%. Darn.

Now here's the solution... like those Aussie blends, why not sell these Pinots as "95% Pinot Noir, 5% Syrah". Nothing like truth in advertising, huh?

Where does this wind up? I have no idea. It just added a bit of cynicism to my enjoyment of relatively cheap Pinot.... but, then again, I'm a bit of a purist. If you say it's pinot, then it's pinot. If you blend it.... well, as much as I enjoy guessing games, this isn't one of 'em.

Shiraz and Pizza

2009-05-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

Got home from northern California yesterday and re-heated some store-bought pizza... pepperoni... medium crust... actually quite tasty.... and, of course, the thought came to my mind: what wine would go with this? That thought quickly became: what wine do I want to drink?

The question changed because I realized that how the wine tasted was more important to me than how the food tasted. If the food didn't compliment the wine, I would grab something that would.... twice-reheated-pizza anyone?

Just kidding.

I opened a bottle of 2006 3 Rings Barossa Shiraz... one of my favorite deals in Shiraz. I love this wine. It's especially good when your local Costco sells it because their price is usually a couple of bucks less than anyone else - even the big wine stores. Anyway - not much description here... it's a big-ass Shiraz with lots of blackberry and spicy vanilla and.... oh, whatever. It tasted good, went with the pizza, after which we digressed to watching a couple of "House" episodes.

Nice way to top off our trip, don't you think?

Tobin James... Rock on!

2009-05-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

If there was a winery that has a rock'n roll edge, it's Tobin James - located on Highway 46 East in Paso Robles, CA. It's a fun winery to visit.... looks almost like a roadside bar from the highway and once inside - you almost expect Lynyrd Skynyrd to be playing in the corner while frosty long necks are served near the pool tables.... alas, I don't remember seeing pool tables, or hearing Free Bird for that matter, but the setup is much like an old tavern... complete with some video games in the corner and a really cool tasting 'bar' that sits in the middle of the room. It's fun.

As for the wines, I really like 'em. There's lots of fruit-forward wines here - Syrah, Cabernet, Zinfandel (kicks like Jon Bonham's bass drum)... but they're not without style and finesse... thing is, I find myself wanting to drink them now. Kind of like being at a great concert and you're not leaving until the last note of the final encore hits your eardrums.

Here's a thought.... grill a burger with sea salt only.... lay some cheddar on it, maybe some avocado and grilled onions. Skip the ketchup and mustard and pickles.... and open a bottle of the 2006 Tobin James Notorious Cabernet.... then put on Led Zeppelin's The Song Remains The Same.... and rock out.