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July 22, 2010 Nothing better than an executive board meeting to get the juices flowing. Officially one year in and the agreement of non-agreements no longer churns my gut. The topical discussion points sparking multiple side discussions means health. New business being old business might draw annoyance or anger, but much less when wine is involved. No, the juices I am talking about are the gem wines I enjoyed with dinner. I believe 8, 9 or maybe 10 wines passed clockwise, and I did remember to jot a few down that I will explore down the road. One little jewel was a Domaine Raymond Dupont-Fahn Bourgogne Chaumes des Perrieres. This is one of those that share a fence with the rich and famous but finds itself just outside the pedigree/price gambit. Dare not call it Meursault yet rejoice in the approachable price of $28.99. Flavors flow of peach and a hint of lime and a chalkiness that provides a charm to this wine. The embarrassing delight in public for me was the muted orgasmic sounds I bleated after inhaling the head of a 1976 BV Georges de Latour. This wine was a delight of antiquity like a worn leather wingback or a grandfather clock. The color showed age and the tannins gone enough to indicate there isn’t much time left. In fact, it may have offered up its last breath of life for our momentary pleasure. And for that, we thank you. This wine truly was a friend and confidant to my rack of lamb. The other I took note of was the Le Cadeau Equinoxe hailing from the great northwest. Oregon nurtured this fruit to develop dark raspberry, red cherry and blueberry with moments of thyme and cassis. What can I say; I am fortunate to bump up against the fences of those pedigreed wine aficionados. July 13, 2010 One (that would be me) must realize that a bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, a 2005 Alto Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2005 Callabriga Douro Red and a 1997 Plumpjack cab, when taken together, do not pair well with a screen door. In what could have been a youtube viral video, I managed to overstay my welcome at the Wino John palatial estate when a quick trip back from the bathroom left me blind to the sliding screen door. Fortunately for me (but not for the door), my knee was the first of my body parts to force its way through the woven mesh. Had my stride been different, I would have been wearing a screen door custom fit mask. And we were having such a good time to that point. I believe my visa to the private town owned by WJ has been revoked and my car will not be allowed to exit the highway on any road that would lead to the estate. Fortunately for me, I had eaten a steak the size of a small dog. Had the screen incident happened prior to dinner, I would have been relegated to the truck stop on the highway for dinner. To that point, I had been enjoying a fine Cuban cigar and finishing a South African cabernet. Then I had to go to the bathroom. Oh boy, getting in was fine, but getting out proved confusing. Boy, was that a long ride home. Anyway, I did want to say thanks to Wino John for his hospitality, as he is no longer taking my calls. 2005 Callabriga Douro Red
$ (19.99) 2005 Alto Cabernet Sauvignon
$ (14.99) July 11, 2010 I found something interesting, as I was f’ing around the Internet. This isn’t exactly wine related but it ain’t a political bitch session about how screwed we small business people are either. For those science dweebs, I found a density chart for liqueurs. Why do I need a density chart, you ask? Hey, when you are having a crazy dinner party and want to make those floaty after dinner drinks, you may need this information. You know, those drinks that are layered with different liqueurs that combine in your mouth to taste like something else.
So remember, like a good free mason, the foundation is the most important. Lay in the densest syrupy, sweet crap liqueur first. Then take a well-chilled spoon, holding the concave side up, allow the next, lighter liqueur to spread out evenly. It amazes your guests, making you seem like a professional alcoholic. I am thinking a Kahlua, white crème de cacao, Tia Maria. I don’t know what that might officially be called but my mouth just started watering. I do think I had something called a bloody eyeball. I will have to spend the night reconstructing it from this chart. Have at it. July 10, 2010 I received an email today and the subject header read, PS, I Love You. Dude, Wino Bob gets these all the time. OK, maybe not. So you could imagine how excited I was thinking I finally had an adoring fan confessing her love for the Wino. Damn it! I opened the email to find a flyer announcing the 8th Annual Petite Sirah Symposium being held July 27th at Concannon Vineyards. What caught my attention was the topic for the panel discussion, Can Petite Sirah become the next Pinot Noir. Let me save you the time and money. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was going to end this entry there but I guess I need to bolster my position. The simple reasoning behind my point is that petite sirah is too bold for the nuanced palates of the pinot nuts. There is too much 'in your face' fruit and not enough “subtle complexities” for the crowd. Second, PS is not as food friendly as PN. For me, I would make petite my meal so I fill my stomach with whatever the table has to offer. For those pedantic enough to spend their life chasing the terrior of Burgundy, they will never convert to tougher skinned grapes. I say Petite will convert merlot drinkers, is a nice change up for syrah lovers and will amuse cabernet lovers, but will never ever replace the pinot. Besides, that panel is hosted by a guy calling himself Dr. Vino. What good could come from a guy that hides behind a self-appointed made-up casual wine-related name. The nerve of some people trying to be hip and educational at the same time. What does he say, take two pinots and call me in the morning? Just so we are clear, the WinoStuff copyright stamp reads 2000. Dr. Vino’s copyright on his blog reads 2002. Dr. Vino is located in the NY area. Wino, Vino, you be the judge. I think I should email my input to the panel discussion so they know what position to take. July 9, 2010 This year is going down as the year of least number of new wines written about by me. I got in a rut this year and started buying more than one bottle of each wine. Thursday night TV has me drinking from the same case and limiting what I can write about for this page. It’s back to one bottle of each for a while so I can get back to basics. Last night, I was able to find a wine I haven’t had before. You can imagine my excitement. Whoopee, a new experience. As I was glued the television awaiting the big announcement (no, not where in the world will LeBron go), who is the snake in the BB House. Actually Thursday night doesn’t hold my attention, until this fall when The Big Bang Theory moves from Mondays. Thank God for DVRs. I filled my glass with a Portuguese red and sat down to watch a Buster Keaton silent movie called, The General. I agree, a far fall from nights of dining at Bacchus or crazy cabfests. A quiet night with a black and white silent movie. It happened to be Buster’s last independent before he was part of a large studio and lost some of his control. I guess my New Years pledge of not writing about current events has lessened my verbiage. 2005 Quinta de Cabriz Reserva, Dao
$ (15.99) June 26, 2010 I don’t know what September held for young love but it turns out that the three Musketeers of the Wino community have birthdays between yesterday and today. Look, the economy sucks so here is your present from me. Happy birthday to Wino Odd Job, Big Bob and Wino Rocker. I wonder if their parents were hippies or something and there was a big rock and roll drug orgy weekend that culminated in wino soup. (I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.) What better way to celebrate than a Pig Roast? OK, it wasn’t actually in their honor, but we didn’t tell them that yet so we will keep this just between us. Back when we picked the date for the roast I had no idea it was such a special date. Not to worry, I will have forgotten it by next year. I am really not much of a birthday celebrator. But the weather couldn’t have been nicer. The pig, which slept two days in a citrus vinegar marinade and slow cooked for 8 hours, was incredible. The meat was soft and moist and flavorful. The skin was crisp and baconesque. I followed the teachings of Andrew Zimmern and asked the chef to carve out some cheek (facial, not ass) for me to try. The meat was darker than the rest but soft and buttery. I wasn’t going to push it and ask for snot, I was tempted but passed. The warm weather was ripe for a crisp rose and we served a chilled Tuck Beckstoffer’s 2008 Hog Wash. It was a hit. In fact we sold through the inventory we brought in for the event and have orders waiting to be filled next week. This cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot blend opened several eyes with its dry finish. We had a bunch of, “Oh no, white zinfandel” comments when we were pouring. Fortunately the wine changed some minds and accomplished what we had hoped. Embrace PINK in the hot, humid summer days. The red fruits are there in a cool, light, refreshing style. This is the third event we served a Tuck property product and all have met with great value to quality comments. The true star of the day was the Raymond Vineyards R Collection Field Blend. This seven grape sonnet came up with rave reviews from the crowd. The fruit was complemented with cedar and smoke. How could this not pair well with the pig? There was raspberry, red and dark cherry and even plum polished off with a touch of currant and tobacco. This wine is a tremendous value at $13.55. We finished the dinner off with an introduction to South Africa in the form of Tamura Pinotage. Look, pinotage is a love it or hate it wine. True to form we had lovers and haters. I found the wine to show more fruit than most, but with definite tobacco and tar flavors. The crowd was kind and appreciated the exposure to this grape. The lack of purchases at the end of the night summed up the experience. I know Wino Odd Job wasn’t expecting to spend his birthday with a pig and a crowd, but at the end of the night I think all worked out. Here’s a toast to a century more fun nights with friends and food and great wines experiences. June 25, 2010 OK, so we weren’t asked to leave. Fortunately we finished our meal at Gourmet Café without incident. The locals sure weren’t crazy about our presence. It might have been the 5 bottles of wine on the table for the three of us. Nonetheless, the two wines my associates brought were delightful. My bathroom looked like the Gulf oil spill this morning, but the wines were showing elegance and maturity. These two 1997 Californians could have been the main course and dessert. I did enjoy my cavatelli with pancetta, peas and vodka sauce. I brought along two Spanish samples sent to me for review. I will dispense with them first. The 2006 Senorio de Unx Crania was a tempranillo highlighted with garnacha. It started out tight and ascorbic but settled into an OK drinking wine with dark fruit flavors and a hint of vanilla on the finish. I wasn’t unhappy with this wine but had I spent more than $12.00, I would not have given it a look. The 2006 69 de Lasierpe Garnacha-Cabernet Sauvignon was dreadful. Not one I would want to drink again. Thanks for the offer but it turned me off. Fortunately the 1997 Pine Ridge Rutherford danced around the glass with glee. The blend is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec and just passed the 75% necessary to label it cabernet. Rich black fruits dominated this wine with the presence of cassis and still-viable tannins. The color remains garnet and alive offering a treat in each sip. We finished dinner with the 1997 Conn Creek Anthology. This blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc poured with a brick color and the most enticing aromas of plum, fig, dark cherry and cedar. The mouth-feel was thick as syrup but the wine finished with the subtleness of a velvet scarf. This was dessert. This should have been plated in a crème brulee cup and offered as the God’s nectar. I believe if I filled a tub with this wine, my buoyancy would equal that of the Dead Sea’s. These two wines brought to light the reason it’s great to have friends with money and taste. I just keep wondering why they agree to have dinner with me. One topic of dinnertime conversation that I can talk about here was a new feature inspired by Wino John’s frequent trips to Asia. We will be offering wine pairings for exotic cuisine. First up is fried scorpion on a stick and white burgundy. The sweet, crab-like flavor of fried scorpion will pair well with the creamy richness of the chardonnay. The crunchy texture and the buttery finish of white burgundy show like drawn butter over lump crab meat. So next time you see the street vendor with scorpion on a stick, don’t pass him by. Break out a Montrachet and enjoy. The stingers are removed so don’t be shy. June 20, 2010 Two quick notes... First let me say to those of you that can enjoy the day with your fathers, make the most of it. It's a tough day for some cutting two ways; enjoying the benefits while remembering the loss. Second, sorry about the technical glitch yesterday. It was one of those days that were a cyber nightmare. What did become official from the glitch was the fact that yesterday was the tenth anniversary of this site. Ten years ago, I knew little about wine and much less about the Internet. Wino John grabbed the technical reigns and I found someone to help us get a domain and hosting site. Our renewal came due and I never realized it was still in the hands of the person I first spoke with. Today, I simply want to thank all those wine industry individuals, winery owners and winery employees that have furthered my wine understanding. The major shout out goes to Big Bob who put his energy into helping and probably his job on the line to invite me to many industry events. I still laugh to myself (I do that often, when I am alone, in my third floor dank room) when Big Bob sent me an email from his boss about one of my reviews of their wines. At the time I bought the wine, a Malbec, the big guy’s company was not the importer. I chuckled to myself about the argument I had with an academic from the University of Bordeaux. Mostly I laugh at the fun I have had at dinners with those winemakers or winery owners I prematurely thought had no sense of humor. Look, I haven’t hit it off with everyone and there are those who think wine is serious. I do have a nice Rolodex of friends around the globe who share a laugh and a meal and a beautiful bottle of wine when we can. Happy Anniversary to you, our readers. If we didn’t have you, I would be doing this for my personal journal. Fortunately, Al Gore invented the Internet so I can share all my thoughts with the world. Who needs flying cars in the 21st century when I can have my thoughts beamed at the speed of light to the homes of wine lovers all over the world? Here’s to my liver holding out another 10 years. June 13, 2010 Embarrassingly, I just saw the date on my last entry. I guess I am getting old and not enjoying the breadth of new wine experiences as I once did. I did attend the Lehigh Valley Food and Wine Festival last weekend but left my tasting notes somewhere other than my pocket. There were a few wines worth commenting on. The one that grabbed my attention was a private label syrah of chef and restaurateur, Emeril Lagasse. I had a preconception prior to tasting and avoided it several time. As he only makes it available in his restaurants, I figured I wouldn’t waste my time. But the clear headed Other Bob convinced me to stay open and try it. I must say, it wasn’t plonk that Emeril was just trading his name off. Unfortunately, the pourer at the table knew nothing about its price or where the fruit was from. That was a bummer. I would have enjoyed a few bottles if the price was right. I did also enjoy the 2007 Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero. This tempranillo was all about bright red fruit on the front but mellowed in the glass to unveil some blackberry and currant. A smooth finish and a touch of oak made this wine something I will be buying. I found it very food friendly for the mix of fare at the festival. On a side note, I was flipping through a Food and Wine magazine and saw a full-page ad for Silver Oak. I don’t much recall seeing them advertise like that. Is it the economy that has them splashing copy in the magazines? Does it dull the finish of their cultish position? What is happening to the wine world? May 29, 2010 This weekend officially opens the beach/summer season in New Jersey. The weather should lend itself to backyard bar-b-qs, fun with friends and chilled white wines. Don’t forget to take a moment to reflect on what we are memorializing. Yesterday, the body count in Afghanistan reached 1,000. I only heard a passing comment about it. Young men and women volunteer to serve this country and unselfishly sacrifice so we can sit home unengaged in understanding their plight. How many of our potential future leaders have abruptly been taken from their families, friends and country? Our thoughts and prayers are with the
families of the brave young men and women who have given their lives and will
never have the chance to spend this weekend grilling, or sun bathing or
partying.
May 22, 2010 I’m just sayin’. No, really. The social lubricity of wine made last night’s supper series a road trip through the canyon of funny. Though it was a smaller, more intimate evening than last month, it allowed personalities to shine and storytelling to take center stage. Fortunately for us, our newest member to the group knows 83 per cent of the population of New Jersey. Officially bequeathing him the moniker 'Wino Jimmy', from this day hence there will never be a pregnant pause of uncomfortable silence during the evening. If Wino Jimmy doesn’t know you, he knows your cousin, your aunt or your grade school neighbor. Like the sun in our planetary structure, his gravitational force drew in the heavenly bodies and asteroids alike (Wino Rocker was the asteroid). I simply put it out there that if you attend at an upcoming event, by night's end, you will identify a friend or family member that has at one point elliptically orbited the Jimmy universe. For that there will be no darkness for years to come, I’m just sayin’. Dining on homemade lasagna and tenderly moist meatballs, we enjoyed several Italian wines. The first, a white blend from Veneto that drew the elegance of the spring evening into the restaurant. The 2009 Maculan Pino & Toi was refreshingly floral without being offensively sweet. The blend boasts Tocai, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio. I know that’s a lot of Pinot for a guy to be writing about but for a summer white wine there’s nothing wrong with that, I’m just sayin’. The second wine was the 2008 Di Majo Norante Sangiovese. This wine hails from the southeastern part of Italy and paired well with the marinara atop the meatballs. But the night was graced with the 2005 Barone Ricasoli Rocca Guicciarda Chianti Classico Reserva. At one point, I overheard Mike commenting that he smelled leather and licorice but it turned out to be Darius’ underwear and not the nose of the wine. This wine could have simply been called a side dish as folks got up from the tables, filled a glass and strolled around the landscaped backgrounds of the Tree Tavern property. The wine was a course unto itself. With the risk of Wino Rocker drooling over his keyboard as he reads this, I dare say that next month’s pig roast will be an event. The event already is half filled and we just announced it. Those wishing to attend can go to the www.highpointwines.com web site and order tickets from the front page. The wines for the evening are also featured there. Though the pig will be marinated for two days prior to the event, I plan on being stewed half way through it, I’m just sayin’. May 11, 2010 I wasn’t quite sure how to post this one so I will simply state that the 1994 Kalin Chardonnay Cuvee W is excellent.
I will also say that the 1977 Dow Vintage Port makes one not need anything after a great meal but a simple plate of assorted cheese. And in conclusion I will just say I was disappointed in my chance to drink the 1990 Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere. I say no more to ensure the black helicopter doesn’t follow me down the street. I am not looking to be asked to get into a dark late model van and driven anywhere to answer for what usually is a lengthy write up. I kind of said all I might say at this time. The true statement of bearing witness to my own words was the volume of these three wines that were or weren’t left in the glass at the end of the night. Did I just hear tires squealing around the corner? Hey gotta go… May 10, 2010 I don’t know if numbers mean anything but I thought 5-10-10 was cool. Not at much as 10-10-10 will be. The date is definitely not as scary as 12-21-12 will be. Hey all you Bordeaux collectors, I am telling you now, starting in January, I will be over to start consuming your wine. Why hold onto any of the good stuff? As you know, the earth, sun and the center of the black hole in the Milky Way Galaxy will be in perfect alignment on that date. I am sure the gravitational forces will suck us into the hole. Then you will be sad you never had the chance to enjoy your collection of great wine. I will start taking appointment to assist in consuming collector’s cellars in September. I would like to start with large format collectors first and work my way down to the 750mls. To make sure I have the proper time available, I will not be consuming Burgundy wines. (Except maybe to rinse between Cult California Cabs and Priorat Especials.) I plan on being shit-faced with a crazy straw in a case of Lafite when the earth starts wobbling off axis and, by the time we are hurling towards the center of the galaxy, I will be bathing in Haut Brion and shampooing with Grange. I had made arrangements for an enema of Screaming Eagle just as we start to boil from the ever decreasing distance from the sun. Let me think about that, would the sun get pulled in first so we will actually freeze from the sun being farther away, or will we be pulled towards the sun first then get sucked into the black hole? Where is Sheldon when I need him? Maybe Wino John can do the math on that and let me know if I should pack shorts and a T-shirt or my snorkel jacket as I set out on my Mayan Wine Consumption Tour? Hey, I think there is something to a civilization that didn’t have indoor plumbing yet was able to calculate the exact year the winter solstice would end life as we know it. I call "Mayan End of the World Fest". Who’s with me? April 30, 2010 I can tell you this, it wasn’t Ole Black Water in my glass but it did keep on rollin'. It was dark and inky and happened to be the 2004 B.R. Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection. In an intimate setting of twenty-two for dinner, Dan Campbell, eastern regional manager from B.R. Cohn, presented the best they had to offer. Chock full of anecdotal musings, Mr. Campbell held the crowd while I drank the fruits of their labor. As a social lubricant, we warmed up with the 2008 Sangiacomo Chardonnay. This low production wine was bright and lightly oaked making its structure supportive of food and not overbearing. We moved into the 2007 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir full of bright red fruit and a hint of earthiness on the nose. Nice balance and food-friendly acidity. At this point I dug into the Peppercorn Encrusted Beef Tenderloin sweet demi glaze. Pleasantly there appeared a glass of 2007 Sonoma County Zinfandel. At one point, I wasn’t sure if I smelled the peppercorn or the wine. I do remember not having to use a knife on the zinfandel. Though not overbearing, it boasted a 15.1% alcohol. I was hoping for a doggy bag. But the night was not over. I still got to enjoy a glass of the 2007 Silver Label Cabernet Sauvignon followed by the 2004 Olive Hill Cabernet. OK, so now my taste buds are humming China Grove and singing Takin' It To the Streets. I’m Doob’d up, in the groove; realizing life doesn’t suck right now. Conversation at the table is flowing, Wino John is connecting and running down the list of every B.R. Cohn wine he has ingested since 1998. I did see Dan’s eyes glaze over and roll to the back of his head twice while Wino John was chatting. It kind of looked like when a shark gets ready to attack when they show all white of their eyes. I was kind of scared for a moment. The Felix-the-Cat moment came when Pam LaBell of Lauber pulled out the bottle of Special Selection. Let me tell you, that wine still has time to rest in the bottle and soften the edges of the tannins. Great bottle of wine and very well priced for its pedigree. As I blissfully made love to my glass of Special Selection, a bottle of Syrcab and a glass of 2007 B.R. Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Port danced about the plate of chocolate mousse cake. The best part was that no Doobie was hurt during the making of this great wine night. Unfortunately, a nasty rumor was circulating that they are not really brothers. I vehemently defended the fact that if it’s their name for all these years they must be brothers. April 24, 2010 I must say, the Tree Tavern was rocking last night with a near capacity crowd for the Back to Basics Supper Series. From the first pour of the Est. 75 Sauvignon Blanc to the fireside chat with the 2006 Faithful Hound, there was a buzz and excitement about the night. Maybe it was the warm weather, maybe it was the medium rare beef and mashed potatoes, or maybe it was the flow of well-crafted value wines. The simple fare let the wines take front and center stage. Mike and I were happy to hear the amount of positive comments we got on the Scott Family Estate Pinot Noir. Several people expressed that they were not big fans of pinot but the Scott really opened their eyes. For me, it was the first whiff of its bouquet that had me intrigued. At $18.55, I say this is a very good value. I believe we opened some eyes with this wine. The star of the night was the Lummis Stratton Cabernet Sauvignon. A Napa cab for just under twenty bucks? NFW! Way, wino boy. This cab showed well and delivered the right amount of dark fruit flavors to lift the beef onto its shoulders and carry it to the dessert platter. Though I didn’t have the chance to experiment, a few winos said the cabernet offset the sweet carrot cake very well. The supper series is starting to take hold and we are learning with each event. Our aim is to host a Friday and Saturday night event once a month. In addition, there are some special events. I am looking forward to next month’s supper series though we don’t have a menu yet. I am sure Mike will come up with something special. See you there. April 23, 2010 Life is pretty good when you can go out to dinner once or twice a week. I had the occasion to dine out twice this week. So life must be pretty good. Wednesday evening, I joined Mike to taste through some wines. There were several worth adding to the cellar but the wine I was most impressed with was the Terlato Cardinal’s Peak. An Angelina Jolie of a wine. Very well put together like in the movie Gigi. Wowzers! A Bordeaux-style California wine that impresses from the first whiff of the heady aroma. Mike also put the Terlato Stag’s Leap cabernet sauvignon into inventory. I can’t wait to try that puppy. At dinner last night, I had two wines I never heard of before. One was a 2006 Robert Karl Claret. How smugly British. The winery says this:
I appreciate the blend but the wine did not have the robustness one comes to expect from claret. Then again, I am not much up on boutique wineries from Spokane, WA. In fact, I am not very knowledgeable of Washington State wines at all. As of right now, I am not jumping onto the wagon. The second wine was the 2005 Showket Vineyards Asante Sana, a Tuscan-style wine from Oakville. This wine had a brighter nose of dark cherry, plum and an herbaceous hint. What I could not figure out was what the supporting grapes were for the sangiovese. I even went as far as clicking on the winery’s web site. It did say that 'Asante Sana' means, “thank you very much” in Swahili. I guess I will have to have another bottle to see what else I can find in the mix. Tonight is Supper Series night and it is looking like a sizable crowd. Hopefully the guests will enjoy the wines as much as Mike and I enjoyed selecting them. April 19, 2010 If my math is correct 134 cases of wine is equal to 1608 bottles. Since I now am the proud owner of 2 bottles of the 1608, I control 0.0012437 per cent of the 2006 Mastery Wine allotment. The second release of Las Vegas Master Sommelier Kevin Vogt is resting comfortably in my rack.
I have it on good authority that is wine stands toe-to-toe with Insignia. As a premature uncorker, I have been instructed to wait six months before officially tasting my first bottle. I hope I live long enough to try this wine. I here by declare a BLOTY-fest on October 19th. I hope that’s a Friday night. In this case, I will make an exception and drink on a weekday. Only this time. If any one has enjoyed the 2005 release, please let me know your thoughts. April 15, 2010 Ouch! Tell me, how much wine do I need to consume to stop the pain? Tax day, my God in heaven. Wow, I might not be able to sit for a week. So what does one consume on Tax Day? Anything. Red, white, blush and gin might be a start. Well it wasn’t a crazy night, just a simple bottle of California cabernet. I needed something to keep the faith in America. The wine had a subtext of BLOTY being comprised of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc, 2.5% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Tannat. OK, the Tannat adds a new twist. Though Tannat has yet to receive official recognition from the BATF, it adds a smoky plum tone. The wine, 2005 Simi Landslide Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, uses a touch. As a friend to a medium rare steak, this wine delivers black cherry, plum and mocha with a hint of cassis. There is a hint of caramel on the finish. Simi has a long history in Sonoma.
Hey sorry, too depressed to add more. I need to meet the punt and drown my misery. I wrote the check and sent it off and now have nothing left for wine purchasing. I will be drinking swill or something someone gives me or water for a while. Hopefully, before the end of 2010, I will be able to buy some wine and write something new. How does water taste? If only someone can help me change water into wine I’d be all set. April 10, 2010 Not too often in one's life can you say you were there for the end of an era. Last night was one of those rare opportunities for me. Taken completely by surprise, I am shaken to the core. Yes, friends, the convenience of me buying food and wine at the local Kings abruptly ended last night at the stroke of 10pm. No longer will I be able to save time and gas while purchasing a lamb shoulder and shiraz. Now, for the remaining days I have on this earth, I will be forced to make two stops on a Saturday. Worst of all, I will be forced to shop at Shop Rite with their crazy layout and no wine. The traffic might be too much for me to handle, forcing me to eat the wild greenery from my lawn as salad. In tribute, I purchased some fresh seafood for this evening’s dinner and a bottle of Australian cabernet to settle my nerves. The devastation to my system continued when I saw the leveling of Milan. The memories of cigar dinners, great pasta and enjoyable entertainment are left to mounds of dirt and rubble. It’s happening folks, it’s the new world order. The Obama administration is changing everything that was good in my town. First mandatory healthcare and now a separation of wine and couscous. The horror of it all just might be too much for me to bear. I feel a grass roots wine movement stirring inside me, or maybe a wine and eggplant rollatini stirring inside. At this point I can’t tell the difference. As far as the wine, it was a 2008 Woolundry Rd Cabernet Sauvignon. For $9.99 it wasn’t bad. I am glad I ended on a good note. Mind you, it wasn’t a great note, but for an easy drinking casual red, I will drink it again. So I bid adieu to the good life and now must search the neighborhood for a new place to shop. Damn you, socialism!!!!! April 6, 2010 I guess I don’t get it out here. Geek world convention is Las Vegas with a bad economy. I am having a hard time with the wine by the glass at our hotel bar, it’s outrageous. I know some people come to Vegas and let it all out but $20.00 for a glass of Geyser Peak cabernet sauvignon? Come on, people. The economy is still bad. Why not bring people in and allow them to enjoy a drink or two? Blue Moon is giving me a beer gut. I am afraid to walk past the mini bar in the room in fear that the motion sensor will go off and I will be billed for the bottle of Patron in the glassed casement. It's not very busy in the hotel where the convention is held. Maybe it was Monday night. Maybe people are in old Las Vegas where you can find a dollar crap table. I would think a hotel would rather have people playing at a $5.00 minimum table than not playing at a $10.00 minimum. But I’m no Bugsy Segal. After all the time out there, I only had one dinner that included wine. We ate at the Daniel Boulud restaurant in the Wynn Hotel. Interesting how well Vegas and Disney can create artificial environments that envelop you to the point of altering reality. We dined on the deck near the pond and enjoyed the large frog that sang, I Got Friends In Low Places. Our host selected a bottle of 2005 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon. Hailing from the Stag’s Leap district, this bottle paired well with db’s short ribs. A jasmine and pepper nose immediately filled the bowl and the dark fruit bumped around soft tannins to elevate the food. I haven’t seen the Lede around my wine shops but I will be on the lookout. One note, Vegas sure puts a red-hot poker up your keister with over charging for bottles. I am glad I wasn’t ordering the wine or paying the bill for that matter. And do I really need a salad for $19.00. Is the lettuce treated any differently than the lettuce I get for $6.00 at other places? April 1, 2010 As I predicted, six weeks ago Wino John came out on a Saturday night, now it’s spring. Actually, even if it were the dead of winter, Wino John would have joined me for our 1989 Bordeaux tasting at the Essex County Wine Society. I think he can smell barnyard funk from two miles. Seriously, this was no April Fool’s prank. We did taste 1989 Bordeaux and Wino John did come out of hiding. We were able to grab a quick dinner at Raymond’s on Church Street in Montclair, comfort food for the trendy. WJ started us off with a 1989 Carruades de Lafite. Nicely played. We finished up and had time to grab the aperitif at the tasting. Then we settled in at a back table to enjoy the festivities. The wines were divided into three flights. Like Goldie Locks, the first two flights had a wine that was off, a wine that still had a future and one that was just right now. Flight 1
Flight 2
The third flight brought tranquility to the table and all agreed it was the top flight of the night. Though we differed in which we liked best of the three, they all had class and pedigree. Flight 3
That may be my only time to drink 1989 Bordeaux and I am glad to have had the opportunity. Pricing is off the hook and I won’t be going to any auctions in the near future. So for now, I register into my mental databank the pleasure of these wines and look forward to next season to see what else we have in store. Spring dinner is around the corner, should be fun. March 27, 2010 OMG! I thought I would throw in a bit of the current culture to show I’m old but hip. I just realized that 'hip' is an old word so it cancels out the current part. Anyway, last night we embarked on our supper series journey to the frightening site of a bear, or a yeti, or Wino Rocker coming out of the hot tub at the Tree Tavern. The sight nearly scared off three guests. Personally, I am scarred for life. The fare was Middle Eastern and there were things I still can’t pronounce on the buffet table. Be that as it may, the stuffed grape leaves were delicious. The lentil rice with mint yogurt was outstanding. And no one left without tasting the baklava. I dig hummus and the way Julie enhanced it made my tummy smile. I doff my fedora to her. Wino Odd Job and I struggled with the wine selections for the dinner. Fortunately, from the feedback we received, most people were gracious in their comments. We lubricated the crowd with a clean crisp Cava 2006 Raventos I Blanc Cava Brut "L'Hereu”. I found it very open to food and was told by one of our regulars that he found it to be the best pairing of the night with the flavors of the fare. At $17.55 a bottle, I could enjoy this sparkler as a warmer-up at a dinner party. I would have no problem bringing it to a dinner party and having the host serve it while I was still in the room. That’s confidence. We then opened up the surprise of the night, 2007 Victory Zinfandel Parcel 31. This Zin is only 13.8 per cent alcohol so it doesn’t come out hot. The fruit is there from the start and the finish is OK. The surprise is that this wine is $8.55 and was positively commented on before the price was exposed. Let me suggest this one to pull from your rack when you are just kicking around or you have already-drunk buddies show up trying to raid your cellar. For Big Ass Zin lovers, this one is not for you. With the Zin being the turn, the 2007 Syrocco Syrah was the river. This wine hails from Morocco, made old world style by a French producer from the northern Rhone. It comes in at $16.55 and is not the fruit bomb of the land down under. It needs time to evolve in the glass and bring out its beauty. Look, I’m not saying I am running off to Rabat, or doffing a fez (note to self, stop using the word 'doff') but the wine was interesting enough to see what else Morocco has to offer. Thanks to all that came out last night for the Supper Series at the tree tavern. Lent is over so next month, back to a carnivore’s orgy. Stay tuned. March 23, 2010 As a young wino, I often pondered what the world would be like after I left this earth. In my short lifetime thus far, I have seen tremendous advancements in technologies. I won’t enumerate them but some highlights are 500 channels of home-shopping in HD, a phone that interrupts you in a quiet restaurant, cars that defy stopping, a man on the moon for awhile, and the ability to see German chicks do strange things with farm animals on a personal hand held device. It would disappointment that one day I would miss all the continued advancements. But today I realized I have seen the apex of this great lone superpower. The destruction of this great nation was not from an invading army, not by the strafing from enemy aircraft or the launching of a nuclear warhead. No, the monumental fulcrum of this great land was the simple flow of fountain ink from a pen onto the bill nicknamed Obama Care. Unlike the thunderous clap of a bomb or the percussion of a shell, it was the almost silent scratching of a name on a piece of paper. From this point forward, we have lost our position as the lone super power and will settle three decades from now with the ranks of a Eurocentric culture where VATs are necessary, unemployment is normalized at 11% and we get enough to keep us suckling the nipple of Government. So I say as the media fiddled while Rome burned, I am reinstating the Bacchanalian Orgy as the way to block from my mind, the crumbling of our civilization. It was a good run. We stood tall against the British oppressors only to find ourselves two plus centuries later becoming what we disdained. I am sure with dental care not part of the process, our teeth are headed back to the crooked, lock-jawed setting of the pub Englishman. We will find ourselves decades from now working like the French, eating like the Germans and paying taxes like the Brits. I will be partying like the Romans until Bacchus himself calls me to sit beside him. Let the wine flow and the orgy begin. No sense in trying to be entrepreneurial any longer, that too will be outlawed one day. March 20, 2010 Wow, were we pounded with rain last weekend. There are still trees down blocking side roads. The Passaic River is maintaining a strangle hold on Willow Brook mall and the surrounding neighborhoods. My neighbors are just getting their power back. But worst of all, it took me an extra fifteen minutes to go from my house to JR’s for a lunch meeting. How inconvenient. When will Eagle Rock Ave and River Road be open? The horror of it all... Seriously, I saw an above ground pool in a back yard topped by two feet of the river. They are hoping by today, the river and deck around the pool will be even. Just a hint to the Wayne, Totowa and Little Falls areas; I have lived in this part of New Jersey for half a century and that river has been flooding those homes ever since I was a young Wino. If the house you want to purchase has plants growing out of the baseboard and smells like damp cardboard, take a pass. Tired and worn out, I finally did make it to JR’s for a chat and a bottle with Wino John and the Other Bob. I arrived first and looked through the staling choices on their shelves. Hasn’t been much new in their inventory for months. Dare I say we might have to drink Merlot or, God forbid, Pinot Noir next time just to have something different? After the harrowing ride, something subconsciously drove me to grab a Meritage. I guess it was fitting to be the 2004 Geyser Peak Reserve Alexandre Meritage. That year, the blend was 51% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 19 % Malbec, 4% petite verdot and 1% cabernet franc. Happy BLOTY (Blend of the Year). Price tag came in at $$ (44.00). The wine showed a deep rich color and a hardy mix of blackberry, currant and dark cherry. The finish was draped in satin. Please, God, no more rain this weekend. Let the rivers retreat below their banks so next time I am not inconvenienced. And so those people get their pool back. March 10, 2010 Thank God I recovered from Saturday night. I am not sure which shocked my body more, the Bordeaux blend from Italy or Wino John popping over on a Saturday night. As you can tell from the frequency of his updates, Wino John is not one for having frivolous time on his hands. That is why when the backdoor knob jiggled, I thought it was Wino Rocker. All that guy has is time. Though scarce, WJ is generous with the wine. He combined two of his three favorite wine regions in his gift. Make no mistake, California Cabernets rule his universe, but second place is split between his love of Bordeaux blends and his enjoyment as a “Boot Head”. Let me be clear, lest any of yous guys think I said that. Wino John coined the term “Boot Head” for his love of Italian reds. As only fitting, when the ground hog comes out of his burrow, we ordered up the finest of local Italian take out and cracked open a bottle of 2006 Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove. Again, it isn’t me saying “Boot Head”. I put it in quotes as a verbatim statement from said Wino John. The wine is comprised by 50% merlot, 35% cabernet sauvignon, 9% cabernet franc and 6% petite verdot. It shows black cherry, raspberry, cranberry and a dusting of black pepper topped off with a hint of toffee on the finish. Nice wine, out of my price range but I guess that is the spoils of a high-powered techno-geek. This wine is young and has plenty of time it can sit in the bottle. I appreciate the BLOTY (Blend of the Year) but more importantly, Wino John did not see his shadow. It could have been due to the fact it was night, but hooray, spring is right around the corner. March 5, 2010 I am saving the corny, "don’t cry for me Argentina" line and I'm going to stay the course. Last night was the ECWS’ foray into the world of Argentinean wines. I am a Malbec fan and always felt they stand up well to those cigars that invade late drunken nights. I pride myself on the off-beat unique wines, but last night I fell into the trap. The wine I enjoyed the most was crazy expensive and influenced by the California hand of Paul Hobbs. It kind of defeated my purposes. But this wine stood head and shoulders above the rest and I believe was voted best wine of the night by the crowd. Honestly, I would not spend the $165.00 for that wine as much as I enjoyed it. I would however spend the $39.95 for Bodegas Caro’s cabernet/malbec blend Caro. No, I am not stuttering. (BTW- if you repeat your typing what is that called?) This wine comes from the JV of Barones de Rothschild (Lafite) and Nicolas Catena. What a wine snob, I like the most expensive California style and the one with 50% cabernet sauvignon from the left bank. Having said that, these 10 wines come from around the Mendoza region and were arranged in two flights.
2004 Vina Cobos Cobos- not knowing this was $165.00, I found this wine to be a vision of soft, voluptuous and proportioned quality similar to Bo Derek in the movie 10, except for the beaded hair, that wouldn’t have been good. I found the Clos des Andres to be the Dudley Moore of the night, club-footed and clumsy. Next month we venture into the world of 1989 Bordeaux. I may have to drink them nude just to allow all my senses to envelop the etherealness of the heady bouquet that will be wafting through the room. March 4, 2010 So what does a fallow vineyard yield? First, I had to go to the dictionary and research the definition of the word 'fallow'. Second, the reason I had to was that I received in the mail a bottle of 2009 Trefethen Fallow. Third, I didn’t get the joke at first. It has been awhile since a box arrived for Wino Bob addressed to WinoStuff.com. I am not sure how I got on Trefethen Family Vineyards radar or mailing list. Even after I glanced at the sell card contained in the package, I still was at a loss: Alcohol 0.0%, Composition 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% argon and trace elements. What finally registered was the side label that reads:
First off, I do not have an April Fool’s dinner, we do lunch. I don’t drink at lunch, much. Second, why do they keep using words I need to look up in the dictionary? I looked up the word ethereal and it says- extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world. Ergo Trefethen’s fallow is a light, delicate, extremely delicate and light object. Either it’s crazy delicate or redundant. I guess I will find out when I taste it. Note to Trefethen, now that you have my address, feel free to send a bottle of Halo, I will be happy to review it along with the Fallow.
February 27, 2010 "Neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night will keep a wino from his/her appointed rounds.” OK, its not the postman’s motto officially either so I figure Mr. Franklin wouldn’t mind. Boy that guy was into everything! He also said wine was good to cure the gout. Big Bordeaux-head that Ben. Lucky for me, the 8 hours of shoveling ended in time for me to head up to the Tree Tavern. Fourteen other brave souls joined me and we were treated to a variety of Indian cuisine. The down side of the bad weather was that the belly-dancing instructor didn’t show up. Wino Rocker was so excited about the possibility of belly dancing with an exotic woman of seven veils that he shaved his back for the occasion. I understand Mrs. Wino Rocker now has a nice throw rug for the TV room. We wanted to see what wines paired with the fare so we picked three contenders. For opposites we served a 2007 Carl Graff Riesling, for the complement we offered a 2007 Axis Zinfandel and for wine lovers, a 2005 Stratton Lummis Cabernet Sauvignon. I overloaded on the garlic naan with coriander chutney and potato and pea samosas. I went right to the reds and delighted in the nose of the Axis zinfandel. A winner of a wine for my taste. The wine showed a blackberry and blueberry jamminess with a spicy-cedar and toffee finish. My favorite was the 2005 Stratton Lummis cabernet. The wine had dark cherry, red cherry and blackberry flavors with cassis, white pepper and floral notes. I really liked this wine. Really, but than again, so did many others as this wines was number 27 in the top 100 restaurant wines of 2008. I will have to pay closer attention to the wine lists at some of the places I eat. I don’t recall seeing this on many menus but across the nation, it is a winner. The evening was topped off with Ras Malai for dessert and the delight in knowing we didn’t have to look at Wino Rocker’s shaved back. Don’t worry Wino Rocker, the back shaving was not wasted. Speedo season is just around the corner. Next month we will taste the treats of Middle eastern food. Now where did I place my Macedonian wines? February 23, 2010 Mike and I had the pleasure of drinking some of Tuck Beckstoffer’s wines yesterday with their eastern regional manager, Estelle. The 2007 Victory Vineyards Parcel 31 zinfandel interested me not only for its great value but for a zin, this wine is only 13.4 per cent alcohol. The heat was off and the fruit comes out quickly. Light in the glass and with raspberry and spice on the palate, this is an easy drink. I think we found a new everyday drinking red. The other wine we enjoyed was the 2007 The Sum. This wine comes out of the Seventy-Five Wine Company’s portfolio and is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, syrah, petite sirah and a host of supporting cast grapes. Bold, black fruit and blueberry made this a lush wine in the glass. I trust five years from now, this will be a wine that significantly increases in price from this initial release. I’m buying some of this for my retirement fund. February 12, 2010 Hey, just a thought..., to the candidates that throw their hats into the ring for President in 2012, it’s a hard job. Please don’t go into it thinking that getting elected is the end of the process. And whining is unbecoming. Did Roosevelt whine? Did FDR whine? Did Truman whine? John F. Kennedy did not write Profiles in Whining. Wino John and I had a bottle of Duckhorn’s Decoy last night with dinner. We had to make some minor adjustments, which put us in a foul mood. Yet we didn’t whine, we stood up to the challenge. It seems Penang is doing some kind of work and they failed to call us and inform us not to stop by. Fortunately, this is northern New Jersey and you could hit three other restaurants from the doorstep of a restaurant. I figured their closure was due to a broken pipe caused by the cold weather; Wino John clearly stated it was George W. Bush’s fault that Penang was closed. Either way, we found the Indian fare of Spice Grill just across the parking lot. I enjoyed a boatload of naan and the lamb korman. At least I think it was lamb as this dish was offered in the goat or lamb version. Both animals being tremendous resources for the Indian culture, a source of clothing, a source of food and most important, a source of romance when the wife is bitching. This was one time the food out did the wine. 2007 Duckhorn Decoy Napa Valley Red Wine
$$ (25.99) February 10, 2010 I had some bidness to attend to at the Tree Tavern last night. Of course, what starts out as serious discussions and market planning morphs into 'market research' which is another phrase for 'heavy drinking'. Mike is always on the lookout for great finds and last night I got to taste the second product of the Scott Family Estate wines. The pinot we tasted last Friday is a steal at $18.55 and the chardonnay we enjoyed last night is delicious. The chardonnay is fat but not planked in oak, flavors of green apple, butterscotch and pear tumble in the glass. The winery is under the holdings of the Rutherford Wine Company.
I doff my derby to Mike for bringing these two wines from Scott into his inventory. February 6, 2010 I had the opportunity to sit in on a distributor tasting at the Tree Tavern. Mike is on a quest to find those offbeat great value wines. Two of them were interesting and I am sure will be finding their way into his inventory. I am not a big Pinot Noir guy as well documented, but the nose on the 2006 Scott Family Arroyo Seco Dijon Clone...
The second wine that caught my attention was the 2005 Stratton Lummis Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. This wine comes from the very heart of the Napa Valley. It is a blend of Oakville and Rutherford fruit. In the glass you are treated to concentrated perfume of cassis, violets and tobacco complimented by rich French oak. The 2005 artist series cabernet’s label is a piece by California artist Diane Stevens. Stay tuned for more on these two wines. February 5, 2010 Hey, what wine goes with groundhog stew? Might I suggest a South African blend? OK, so I am bracing for the 8-12 inches of winter that Punxsutawney Phil guaranteed after seeing his shadow. Good thing I have enough wine in the basement to help me get through the blizzard. Last night was….sorry, let me start again. I attended the Essex County Wine Society’s tasting or murh..., merlomo..., mammalot…, merlot tasting. Damn it, merlot! OK, merlot, merlot, merlot! To ensure I could get through the tasting, I lubricated the pipes with a nice bottle of wine with a dear friend at Fascino in Montclair. I enjoyed an appetizer of mushroom and goat cheese stuffed ravioli in black truffle sauce and the grilled salmon. Wowzer, my taste buds danced the happy dance. The wine was: 2002 Vergelegen
Vergelegen (no I’m not
stuttering). $$ (49.00)
Then it was off to the Montclair Woman’s Club building to meet the merlots. My arrival was just under the wire and I missed the aperitif. That’s OK, I had my share of warm up wine so I found a seat in the back and settled in for an education. The ten wines were divided into three flights. The first four wines had three from Long Island, NY and one from Bordeaux. Even to my novice palate, the Chateau Gazin 2000 stood out because of the tannins and structure of the wine. The Long Island wines were interesting but still not up to the quality of the others. A side note, Chateau Gazin bumps up against the property of Chateau Petrus. I had to say the Gazin had little in common with Petrus.
We then traveled to Walla Walla Washington and tasted two from the great Northwest. 1. 2003 Northstar Merlot 2. 2005 Leonetti Cellars Merlot - I found this to be nicely crafted, supple and fruitful. It did contain 8% cabernet sauvignon and 7% petite verdot. Onward and upward we hit three California Merlots and an Australian. I found the Aussie wine quite easily as it was sweeter, with fig and plum flavor. The hotter temperatures and the red soil of Barossa Valley gave this one its distinctive flavor profile. Or it was dumb luck; I chose the former. My tablemates just said I was dumb. 1. 2005 Swithback Ridge Petersen Family Vineyards Merlot 2. 2001 Haan Prestige Merlot - my pick of the night though $55.00 is crazy. 3. 2004 Blankiet Estate Paradise Hill Merlot 4. 2005 Lewis Cellars Merlot - if the Aussie wine wasn’t in the flight, I would have voted this my wine pick of the night. So there you have it. I checked this morning and I still have hair on my ass so I guess an occasional merlot won't make my boys turtle into my abdomen. January 30, 2010 Neither bluster nor dark of night shall keep a wino from a wine event. Last night we held the inaugural Supper Series wine dinner at The Tree Tavern. Thanks to the souls who braved the bitter night air to sit in the warmth of a fire-lit dining room in Wanaque, New Jersey. The chill soon broke as 21 strangers mingled over a selection of wine and cheese at the bar. As the libations flowed, we moved to the tables and continued friendly conversation in anticipation of the culinary offering from PartyConnictions chef, Julie. Our hosts and proprietors of the Tree Tavern made the setting so comfortable that it was more like having dinner at a friend’s house than being out at a restaurant. The selected wines were reasonably priced and eclectically offered. The warm up was a 2007 Alois Legeder Pinot Bianco. I must confess, I have only had two Pinot Biancos prior to last night. The wine offered a clean, crisp Granny Smith apple in the glass and finished brightly. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. As for red wines, we switched between the 2007 Yalumba Organic Merlot (yes I said merlot) and the 2005 Castello del Poggio Barbera d’Asti. Both being food friendly wines, I enjoyed the bolder Barbera d’Asti with my dinner. Julie pleased the palates of the crowd with a beautifully prepared green salad with cranberries and walnuts. The main was chicken Marabella, sided with wild rice pilaf and mixed vegetable. Dinner with topped off with homemade crème brulee. I believe I cleared three of those by myself. As the night wore down, and the group dwindled to the stools at the bar, Big Bob entertained the crowd when he brought out an essence kit. Ten of us stressed our olfactory senses with scents offered in the kit that are contained in wines. Trust me, it ain’t easy; educational yes, but not easy. As in most cases, it was Caroline’s immediate identification of the scent of leather that stunned us. A vivid, long term memory experience made that a very identifiable aroma to her. If only I stayed long enough to hear the story behind that one. We look forward to next month’s dinner. As the menu and wine selection is developed, I will post it for the group. See you there. January 24, 2010 I feel it creeping. Sorry, The Jersey Shore characters have placed the words "creeper" and "creeping" into my head so now, unless I use it, I can’t find different words. You know what I’m sayin'? I have hit a saturation point in my French wine consumption that it has triggered another French-pedantic affliction. I have officially started collecting art, kind of. I will admit, I do not know much about art and artwork. I can see something and know in my head that it interests me, but ask me why and I couldn’t find a word to explain it. Maybe it just creeped me. Recently I picked up a shipping tube at my PO box. In it was an experimental first print of a Lyman Dally original oil painting. My humble roots leaves me thinking a wine bottle Christmas tree and a signed Jackie the Jokeman poster is art. Today I will be framing and hanging a signed, 1/1 experimental print of the painting below.
Eau d'vie, Eau d'mort When I saw this at the art show, I commented to Lyman that I found this piece interesting, as wine is my elixir of life and probably the liquid of my death. As I wish nothing but meteoric fame and fortune to Lyman, this will one day be my first collector piece of artwork. Hey, which Forbes kid is responsible for their collections? I’m thinking he and I are now peers. I could also tell the Forbes guy that I have a bottle of 1996 Lafite with Thomas Jefferson’s initials on it. Wow, one piece of artwork and I am rubbing elbows with an entirely new stratum of people. The third floor room just got a bit less dark and dank. January 22, 2010 Sorry, I have to do some housekeeping. It’s not that I haven’t had some wine lately. Mostly that I am still recovering. Recovering from the shock of a Republican winning in Massachusetts. Keith Olbermann is in complete meltdown. Air America officially shut their doors and the only legislation that out-going New Jersey Governor John Corzine could pass on the way out the door of Drumthwacket was to legalize medical marijuana. I think I feel some glaucoma coming on. As with global warming, the world is readjusting. By the way, I am typing with fingerless gloves in my dark, damp and now cold third floor room. The crazy thing is that the Democrats still have a 59-seat majority but they are so disorganized that they can’t get their shit together to move anything forward. But most shocking to me thus far is that pizza has gone the way of the martini. I had my eyes opened last night when I went into Fortes and looked over the pizza by the slice offerings. I guess it has been awhile since I ordered a pizza. I was shocked that they make something called a 'chicken, bacon and ranch pizza'. Is that pizza? Just as they are calling these fruit-infused concoctions "martinis", pizza has now been bastardized in my mind. I saw a cheese steak and a Caesar salad pie sitting there also. Thank God we have the decency for the pedantic French view of wine keeping most of the world’s offerings sane. Save NJ, with cranberry and blueberry and any other produce-to-juice they think of, the rest is still, simply wine. I guess I have to get out more. Dough, cheese and sauce seem to be the minority in the world of pizza pie. Of course this shock sent me to drinking, or rather finishing open bottles of wine that have been lingering on my counter or in my refrigerator. Here are several I have enjoyed over the past week or two. 2007 Notro Tinto de Montana - this Argentinean blend of sangiovese and bonarda was cheap and drank so. I had higher hopes for this wine but take my advice and pass on this one. 2005 Montevina Terra d’Oro Syrah - OK, but no tingles up my leg on this one. It handles a Tuesday night in front of the TV, but I would not bring this to dinner with friends. Enemies maybe, but not friends. 2003 Callaghan Vineyards Syrah - A treat I brought back from my last visit to Arizona, it was a pleasant surprise. Simple and not too deep in complexity, it offers black fruits, spice and a hint of mocha. Give the region 20 years and Arizona might be a place I will be drinking through. 2007 Tangley Oaks Rose Lot #3 - yes I said rose, damn it. This rose is all Napa, at 14.1% alcohol. Sorry, not in my rose. Just leave it on the skins and give it the color to make what I think you were going for. I must be getting old. That would have been four different entries years ago. Now, like my prostate, things seem to dribble out from time to time. Next month, back to basics. January 21, 2010 Wow, is this month flying. Last night I stopped into the Park Ave Club to check on a potential upcoming event I need to plan and ran into the new Executive Director. He used to own my second home; Bacchus. After asking for back rent for time spent in his wine cellar, we had a great discussion about the exciting wines and events the club is planning. It turned out that they have a tasting going on featuring some additions to their wine menu. I crashed the party and was treated to the educational tasting notes of Wendy Tate (sommelier) and Troy Titus (Beverage Director). The list follows:
Hey, no grape of the year, what’s with that? The club is growing in wine events and in their wine list. It is nice to see new regions and a broader selection. Hey guys, I am available for consult…. I can see it now, the club’s wine list being turned over to Wino Bob. I accept the challenge. C'mon, Michael, if it wasn’t for my Bacchus escapades you wouldn’t have that fat 401K. That’s my hard-earned cash. January 9, 2010 I grabbed a glass of wine the other day with Bob. No, not Big Bob, the other Bob. As this is the year of the blend, I picked a 2002 Origin Napa Valley Heritage Sites Red. Well-played, Mr. Holmes, a somberly complex Bordeaux blend. This merlot-heavy blend offers dark cherry, black currant and raspberries on the first heady whiff. The more you swirl, the more that comes out, like eucalyptus and herbs. The finish is soft tannins that give this one some more time to bottle age. I really am liking the blends and it was a brilliant move on the part of WinoStuff to name it this year’s grape of the year. For the record, the winery does not belong to the Meritage association so it’s simply classified as a "Bordeaux style blend". That is all right by me. The price came in at $31.00, which is a bit more than I usually spend but hell, I’m worth it. January 8, 2010 My 'entry number 9' problem was far different than Elliot Spitzer’s 'client number 9' troubles but it still might put me in a heap of trouble. Not salacious, sorry, I don’t have hooker money. My number 9 was a hot, bold, seductive Aussie. Unfortunately, it was an outlier in a California syrah tasting. OK, so during the Southern Rhone Chateauneuf du Pape tasting, I select the California Rhone wine and in the California syrah tasting I pick the Australian shiraz. This might be grounds for me turning in my gold plated taste-vin to the society. It turned out to be a fun night as we had a “professional taster” at the table. I could tell by the way she concentrated on the bouquet of each wine before tasting. Hell, I finished off all five of my first flight wines before she tasted her first. Her note sheet was voluminous but the real key was that she spit out the samples. Unlike the lush I am, knowing these California syrahs offered from 13.9-16.3% alcohol, I was in it for the buzz. Turns out we had a wine consultant/educator in our midst. Unfortunately, my inane drunken comments had her looking for a different table mid tasting. She tried to scoop up all ten glasses, the cheese plate and a water pitcher and relocate, but the place was full. Fully cocked, I forgot to take the final sheet but here is what I do recall, to the best of my memory, so help me God. Flight 1
Flight 2
It turned out that the presenter for the night owns a winery in Temecula, California, so I say to Lisa and Darcy, "there really are only 2 degrees of separation." I look forward to an upcoming interview with the winemaker at Monte de Oro Winery on 2degreesradio. Next month, dare I say, we will be tasting merlot……I think I feel a cold coming on. January 2, 2010 It will take awhile to get the 2010 thing down. I hope you had a happy, fun, safe celebration. I decided to spend the night with a bottle of Meritage and the digitally remastered HD Three Stooges marathon. My Cablinasian wine was the only way I see fit to ring in what I expect to be a better year. If not, I will be bringing back the “Will Work for Wine” sign. So I shot the last wad of 2009 on a beautiful bottle of the BOTY. I found $42.99 a bit more than I normally spend but enjoyed the special treat. A 2006 Rodney Strong Meritage Symmetry Alexander Valley.
Stark at first, due to the 15.3% alcohol; then in a classy move, this wine settles into a majestic display of chocolate and black fruits. The finish was as interesting as the revealing of a satin garter and silk stocking under a classy evening gown. Thank you, Rodney, for starting the year with a solid entry into the pleasure of the grapes commingling in a Meritage orgy. Happy FN ’10. January 1, 2010 As I sit here this New Years Eve in my dark, dank third floor hovel, I marvel at the fact that we are entering into the 10th year of WinoStuff. I also marvel at the fact that ten years ago, my computer, clock, microwave etc., didn’t blow up as double zeros in my computer’s brain meant sure disaster. Ten years into the 21st century and my car still doesn’t fly. Ten years into writing wine reviews and I am still banned in most California wineries. Ten years of drinking wine for this site and my liver still resides inside me. Could this be the year of the liver? Will David Crosby take over for me? Will WinoStuff.com continue to blaze the trail for all the other wine web sites on the internet? As I do every year, I have thought long and hard about my duty of naming the Grape of the Year. (Yes, I said duty and even while typing it, I chuckle to myself). Besides, what else do I have to do sitting alone in a third floor room as the frosty wind whistles through cracked window glazing? Let’s say the year of the Petite Sirah went about as well as the first year of the Obama administration. Hauntingly prophetic in that call. Yes, it has been a long time since I have commented on the current affairs of this nation. How’s that worked out? I think the White House would have benefited from our criticism thus making their first year better and hence making our year better. The year rode in on the promise of 'Hope and Change' when there will no longer be red states and blue states but one purple country. As purple liquid is my favorite color, I was optimistic. Unfortunately, polls show that we are more divided as a nation now than a year ago. I only bring this up as background for this year’s final decision. I also was intrigued by Tiger Woods' disclosure this year. A person that presented to the public a promise, an image, a barrier-breaker in a sport where the ball was not the only white thing dominant at the Club. As we end 2009, I can’t help but think about Tiger and Barrack. What could this mean to 2010 and how could the GOTY be significant? So, I was thinking, Barrack and Tiger both are products of a mixed racial genetic soup. Tiger had a penchant for mixing with women of many ethnicities. Barrack transcended the politics of a two party system making the left wing and right wing come together in a harmonious voice of opposition. (OK, the last one is weak since he was more polarizing than homogenizing but let’s be like the mass media and ignore the facts and not dig too deeply when it comes to the President.) Then, in the flash of genius synonymous with Hawking, Copernicus, and Carl Weinke (look him up for yourself, I don’t have time to spoon feed you), there is only one possible outcome for the 2010 Grape of The Year. Winos and Winettes, I proudly declare 2010 the year of the: BLEND This year, we recognize the Cablinasian mix of grapes that bring us delight from their harmonious compliments. At the recent Grape of the Year Determination Luncheon, members of WinoStuff's Executive Subcommittee on Grape Varietals and Viticulture presented numerous options for the actual blend to be honored. We considered the blends of the Southern Rhone, the wines that had me intrigued enough to cause me to study what wine is all about back as a novice imbiber. We also considered the Super Tuscans and Australian GSMs but, in the end, it was unanimous. We opted for the blend that has defined premium wine for generations. This year's Blend of the Year is....
The Bordeaux-Style Blend
The Bordeaux-Style blend or Meritage is typically a blend of five different grape varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot. I offer the Bordeaux wines as the only thing French, besides the kiss, that Wino John will open his mouth for. But most of all, I call 2010’s GOTY, the BOTY for the beautifully crafted Meritage offerings from the good ole USA. (Any of you homos call it "meritauge" or something else French-sounding, I’ll kill you.) For the record, the word comes from 'merit' and 'heritage'. As far as the country and the world, we all need a little more mixing and blending instead of clashing and fragmenting. As the great orator Rodney King once said to the vines, “Can’t we all just get along.”? I have been a long time proponent of the blend. Each year it offers consistency despite world climate change. Many times the sum is greater than its parts. Hey, call Stephen Hawking; we may have just created matter. Please hop on www.meritage.org and see all the wineries that belong to the association. We know that Bordeaux’s pedantic arcane rules define that entire region as a blend. Here is wishing that 2010 be a great year and that the mixing of attitudes, ideologies, metaphors, races, sexual partners, and grapes enhances your life in a way a segregated selection will not. Bob's old Winings were starting to get as bloated as Bob's liver, so they were subdivided chronologically into Quarterly Reviews. If you dare, click on one of the links below to go back in time and revisit Bob's musings. Be warned however, too much Bob can be hazardous to your psyche! Q4 2009 Q3 2009 Q2 2009 Q1 2009 Q4 2008 Q3 2008 Q2 2008 Q1 2008 Q4 2007 Q3 2007 Q2 2007 Q1 2007 Q4 2006 Q3 2006 Q2 2006 Q1 2006 Q4 2005 Q3 2005 Q2 2005 Q1 2005 Q4 2004 Q3 2004 Q2 2004 Q1 2004 Q4 2003 Q3 2003 Q2 2003 Q1 2003 Q4 2002 Q3 2002 Q2 2002 Q1 2002 Q4 2001 Q3 2001 Q2 2001 Q1 2001 Q4 2000 Q3 2000 Q2 2000 Q1 2000
Bob’s scale combining cost and
taste:
$- under 20
dollars
I will use an icon,
Editor's Note: A while back, Bob went off on a
tangent and changed his icon to |
,
to rate my wines. The more icons, the better I liked it and would love
to share this bottle with some good food and my rat friends. WinoBob