Cheers!

Wine Baskets

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

“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

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

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

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

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

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

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"

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

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

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

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!

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

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

And I tasted some really good wine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!

Orange County Home Brew Competition

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To see a list of the winners, click here:

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

Cheers!

Dinner in Santa Barbara...

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

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

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

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

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

Oh, back to the food.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And here I am writing about it.

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

You rock!

Cheers :)

A really cool wine store in San Clemente, CA

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers!