|
|
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. December 31, 2009 As I find myself this week with extra time on my hands, I started reading a book. It seems I read the most when winter’s blistery breath keeps me wrapped in sweaters in the dank third floor room. The Billionaire’s Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace looks into the fraud of collectable wines, specifically the one that fetched the highest price in history to date. As I find myself reading about wine, a Pavlovian response has me salivating like an old dog. Ding, they just mentioned Chateau Lafite. Ding, they just said Cheval Blanc. Ding…. OK I need a drink. I didn’t want a drink; it was just the solution to stop me from drooling on my sweater. Not being able to fit the urge any longer, I went to the refrigerator and grabbed the chardonnay we served a guest the night before. It was the 2008 Cameron Hughes The Flying Winemaker Chardonnay. Amazing, not the wine, but the ability for me to stop drooling while reading and concentrate on the story. Prior to the wine washing over my palate, it was like the wine words were jumping off the page hitting me in the face. I had cabernet stuck to my left cheek. I don’t want to spoil the ending but I think there was a problem with the 1787 Lafite with Thomas Jefferson’s initials. I’m just saying. I am hanging on the edge of my seat wanting to know if Kip Forbes was the highest bidder. Well that’s a wrap on 2009. Good riddens, don’t let the barn door hit you in the ass on the way out. Hey will the snow keep the old man in a diaper out of Time Square tonight? Look, his onions are already shriveled, the weather shouldn’t matter. December 26, 2009 I hope that the baby Jesus’ birthday was celebrated like mine, with good traditional ethnic food, a toast with potato distilled Polish vodka, and a raucous gift exchange. My younger brother topped the night with yet another generous, thoughtful gift of giving that kept us in stitches for over three hours. We don’t know if this one will ever be topped, but we will wait and see. I did manage two glasses of a South African chardonnay, Fleur du Cap. As our Christmas Eve banquet is meatless, this chardonnay was simple enough to work the fish and pierogis without intrusion. I was the only drinker so I didn’t have to impress myself. I just wanted a basic wine that worked well with food. At $9.99 this chardonnay is worth the price. Christmas Day had something new. A guest brought a bottle of wine and I served it. Since there was a pasta course, I opened this one to counter the acidity in the tomato sauce. It was a 2005 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti Superior Le Orme. It clocks in around $14.99. The wine’s acidity paired nicely enough with the sauce. The main course of filet mignon was met with my last bottle of the 2003 Zaca Mesa Syrah. I appreciate this wine for its deep dark fruit flavors and soft finish at a price of $15.99. The night ended with an unfinished bottle of Two Hands Angel’s Share Shiraz. Don’t worry, it goes well with turkey bacon and eggs for breakfast. Yes, I’m saying it adds robustness to the breakfast of champions. I’m thinking I probably won’t have time to drink between now and New Years….. never mind. So what was on your wine menu? December 24, 2009 On this eve of the birth of the Baby Jesus, the staff at WinoStuff.com want to take this time to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas. If you don’t celebrate the birth of the Baby Jesus, enjoy the day off. Look, I drink Pinot Noir, not because I want to. It’s part of the fabric of this job. So Happy Pinot to those not celebrating Christmas. I head to Southern NJ tonight for the traditions of a Polish Christmas Eve dinner. Again my alcohol consumption will be limited to the iced Polish Vodka toast (potato, not grain vodka) and a glass of wine. I will be obligated to attend midnight mass where I will hit the Blood of Christ line twice to catch the Midnight Mass Baby Jesus Buzz. Church is but a block away and the stagger home in the crisp air brings the holiday spirit to life. Keep me posted on your holiday drink and remember, the year of the Petite Sirah is coming to a close. Let’s see what 2010 will have in store.
December 19, 2009 Urgent - The afternoon session of the Global Warming Summit has been cancelled due to a blizzard. President Obama, please board Air Force One now before Washington DC airports are closed. Well that was interesting. A large carbon footprint and a fat check to developing nations, and no firm agreements. I wonder how the media would report that if it had been President Bush? I’m doing my part by staying home and drinking. Actually we had little to do with the decision. The heavy snow caused our plans to change. It was the annual Victorian Christmas dinner at the Park Avenue Club. We were good to go until the call at 4pm saying they had a bunch of scared drivers not wanting to brave the bad weather. Dude, that is why vehicles come in AWD. With guests in tow and cancelled plans, I convinced the crowd to stay local. We grabbed dinner at the Cloverleaf. We didn’t have any difficulty getting a table for five. I enjoyed a few Boddingtons with my ribs and then we came home, lit the fireplace and sipped cocktails as the wind and snow beat heavy on the house. I went with a simple 2007 Astica Malbec from Cuyo Argentina. My fireplace sucks so that only lasted about an hour and then I sank into a chair to watch the Dallas - Saints game. This week the Saints decided to fold and keep Dallas in the hunt. Why, Santa, why? BTW- I’d pass on this Malbec. Hey, the only way I could know it wasn’t worth it was to try a bottle. You are welcome. December 17, 2009 The dull bells ringing in my head are not Pacobells Cannon, but rather the result of a five bottle four-person dinner. An informal WinoStuff holiday festivus at Gourmet Café brought out the usual suspects, all red. As Wino Odd Job, Big Bob and I awaited the arrival of Wino John, we sipped on some 2007 Torres Salmos. Folks, it’s a well-rated Priorat, and not a Pinot. What better way to get into the holiday spirit. Finally, the way-too-busy powerful exec-o-geek, WJ arrived and the Chef-Owner Matthew Pierone could rest easy that we were going to order food. I had the special grilled polenta and sipped on 2005 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Reserva. It’s worth buying this wine just for the label. Keep this one in eyesight of your guests and they will think you have class. I brought a GOTY to end the year of the petite sirah. A tightly bound tannic, jammy, black fruit load, the 2008 The Crusher needs to settle in the bottle a bit. The conversation flowed through bottle three into four and politics from the Kennedy grassy knoll conspiracy twist to the health care debate. Bottle four was a 2001 Le Chiuse Brunello. I complimented my tilapia smothered in lump crabmeat with several glasses of this wine. The raucous conversation thinned the patrons so we invited chef-owner Matt over for a glass of wine. It was the only way we were allowed to stay long enough for Wino John to get his chocolate fix for dessert. I think the owner-chef was actually coming to our table to ask us to leave but the sharing of wine always turns things around. I am recommending that the senate drink in a few cases of Barone Ricasoli and who knows what may come out of the healthcare bill. Since we couldn’t leave as Wino John was making love to a double chocolate mousse something or other, we cracked open a 2005 Page Proprietary Red, a Bordeaux blend heavy on the cabernet franc and supported by merlot, petite verdot, Malbec and cab sauv. As the wait staff milled around our table trying to get us to leave, it was only the fifth empty bottle that did it. A fun night and great way to end the crappiest of years. We toasted out '09 and wished each other a better '10. The book closes on the first decade of the century and I trust this next ten year period will bring better days, more raucous nights and a great deal of exciting wine. December 14, 2009 The economy has me looking at the bottom shelves of wine stores. And what better way to drown the hurt and pain of a young receiving corp that let Eli down last night. This $4.99 wine from Portugal matched the disappointment of the game. The 2005 Bairrada Primavera Red was part of my journey around the wine regions of Portugal and left me concluding that this was not a shinning star. Now I have a dull headache. Though I am not sure if its from the cheap juice or the gloating Eagles fan that edits and posts my drunken rambling. Hope is not lost, just placed on the bottom shelf of the play off picture. What the hell is going on with those getting paid big money to catch a ball? (Editor's note: Gloating Eagles fan? I think not... I simply enjoyed a nice quiet Sunday evening with an old friend who stopped by, Mr. Dom Perignon. We thought about cracking open a wine from a small producer in California called Screaming Eagles, but I found my cellar was completely depleted of this wine. I guess I really dropped the ball on that one... Hehehe... ) December 4, 2009 Not much longer, people, and this God-forsaken year will be over. This year has been so bad for business that I got a call from a creditor. He informed me that my credit identity had been stolen. It seems my credit is so bad that the thief wants to give it back to me. I said no backsies. It’s your poor credit score now, tough guy. I think that means I have no credit, which is a hell of a lot better than the crappy credit I had. Fortunately, last night was our Essex County Wine Society night. Putting the credit issues on the back burner, I went to sip champagne with the social elites. I was like Chaplin’s Tramp at a black tie affair during the depression. My shoes were stuffed with newspaper to keep the rain out of the hole in the sole while sipping bubbly. Damn wealthy people know how to live. I think I learned enough about champagne to sneak into the next White House party. My main take away from last night is that the process of making champagne manipulates the juice to the point it is difficult to discern 100% chardonnay champagne from 100% pinot noir champagne. Forget trying to identify the blends. We tasted through a flight of NV champagnes as a warm up and then moved to a flight of the good stuff. Overall, I am not sure if I will start collecting champagnes, but I am glad I got the chance to see some different styles. Flight 1
The Duval-Leroy left a major yeasty impression on the nose and palate and from this flight was not in my top three. The Cedric Bouchard had a petroleum hint on the early nose but settled in nicely and turned out to be my favorite of the flight. Flight 2
In this flight, the first two champagnes were ok, nothing exciting but yet nothing off-putting. However, the Ulysse Collin, mother McCrae, that carried the oddest of nose and flavors. Our table broke it down to wet leaves, bananas, whiskey and citrus. Unlike any other, it carried odd flavors also. After learning the still wine was kept in oak for at least 10 months, I’d say they were buying used barrels from Jack Daniels. Definitely unique but not my style at all. The last two stood out and I found the handy work from the old Benedictine monk refined and silky against the Bollinger. It turned out to be my favorite of the night. Next on the list, California syrah. Finally, they are coming around…… November 27, 2009 I have an idea, let’s just skip the days of preparation and overeating and simply declare the third Thursday in November, National Sit In Front Of TV With Pants Unbuttoned Day. Face it, if your Thanksgiving is like mine, there are four trips to the food store, two trips to the liquor store, food for a small country and its all over in 40 minutes from the dinner bell. The rest of the day is spent in front of crappy football with a bloated stomach and pants that are cutting off blood flow to my upper organs, Yes my ankles swell unless I undue the pants. The crowd is mostly non-drinkers so the wine is more about me then anyone else. This year, for the first time in what memory I have left, my younger brother shared a glass of wine with dinner. Appalled with the prices of Beaujolais Nouveau, I went with a simple rose from Provence as a starter. The 2008 Chateau Routas Rose was $8.99 and is made from a blend of 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 30% Cinsault. Brilliant bright red fruit, clean, dry, crisp finish and a nice way to work into the main red wine for dinner. Chilled, this wine is refreshing and supportive of appetizers. I highly recommend this one for simple nights and hot summer days when the weight of red is too much but you want the flavors of raspberry, bing cherry and dark cherry. When we sat down to dinner, I had my Grapevine Decanter filled with the 2008 Two Hands Angel’s Share Shiraz. With a $20.55 price on this wine, I love it. Facing the other side of the red wine spectrum, this wine was jammy with blackberry, plum, blueberry and currant flavors and a mocha finish. Pleasantly powerful but not hot or harsh. Maybe it wasn’t the best wine to blend with marshmallow bourbon sweet potatoes or cranberry sauce, but it delighted my palate. Let’s face it, that’s what its about anyway, my palate. I was quite pleased with my wine choices though it wasn’t like I had a committee to clear. Maybe I am getting the Obama administration. Please oneself first... November 24, 2009 Here’s wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving. Honestly, the way business was, I am most thankful that 2009 is almost over. I am looking forward to a robust 2010, though my hopes are not that high. Hopefully your 2009 was better than most. Grabbing a “business” lunch with Wino John, before the
start of this Thanksgiving break, I was searching for something I might want to
Happy Thanksgiving!!! November 20, 2009 As the Panther game was pissing me off, I flipped through the HBO selections last night. They have some great movies on right now. As Flash of Genius, which obviously has relevance to me, was in progress, I DVR’d that and watched The Changeling. The take away from the movie; forget the long history of LA’s police force not getting the job done. I saw it as a precursor to the OJ trial. My big take away was that Mira Loma was called Wineville until the chicken coop murders. See, there is a redeeming value to television. While I was watching, I was sipping. Since it was a Thursday night, I had a bottle of Trentadue Old Patch Red 2005 from Sonoma County. I also call that area Wineville. This blend of 70% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Sirah, 5.5% Carignane, 4.5% Syrah clocks in at 14.9% alcohol and could be a nice warm up for the Thanksgiving Day feast. The wine comes out jammy and peppery with black cherry, plum, an earthiness and herb nose and a pleasant finish. I didn’t mind replacing the screw cap and popping it in the fridge for finishing tonight. Nice weekday wine. November 18, 2009 Wino John stocked up on a boatload of wine yesterday and he needed someone to load his truck. Seeing my “will work for wine” sign hanging around my neck, he dangled a powerful zinfandel in front of my nose. In a flash, I was in. We headed up to High Point Wines and fire-brigaded cases and cases and cases and cases of juice into the extended bed Explorer. Wow, that was just for this week. Exhausted and wanting payment, we headed over to a Thai place in Pompton Plains. Wino Odd Job joined with a great bottle of white from Kelham Vineyards to start our feast of spicy dinners of fish and chicken and duck, and I think cat. Look, with enough curry, cat and chicken are hard to tell apart. I kid; I didn’t order the cat this time. I needed an excuse to go back. I will have to see if red curry or green curry goes better with feline. I am sure I can Google it. The zin, which I did not get the label information, was hot. Not in the Sarah Palin running shorts hot, rather in the high alcohol per centage hot. The label, which at one point I did read, boasted a whopping 15.3% alcohol. It’s almost a fruit killer at that point. Fortunately we kept refilling our glasses and some of the alcohol blew off. We did find wine under the hood. I brought a bottle of S.P Drummer red. It was only 14.2% alcohol and blended from cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. The wine could have toned down a bit of the woodiness from the oak aging. The black cheery and plum were inviting but I found the finish less than exciting. Good thing the conversation was lively and before we realized all three bottles were empty and the proprietor was showing us to the door. (Editor's note: The Zin was from Neyers Vineyards in Napa Valley. It was a Cellar Selection from the private cellars of Wino Wally. Thanks, Wal !!!) November 13, 2009 I was bored last night. I wasted time flipping through the channels. Just before settling in on a movie on IFC, I grabbed a glass of Fetzer Zinfandel and a plate of cheese and crackers. When it comes to cheese, I like Swiss on my sandwich, cheddar on my eggs, and a host of others for crackers. As I started munching away, a thought hit me; how do you know when cheese is bad? I think I ate some cheese last night that was moldy, had the stench of dead fish and was priced just short of a precious metal. I know the difference between bad wine and wine I do not like. But when it comes to cheese, I just can’t figure it out. When I have a chunk of cheddar and I see mold, I toss it. But if I have Stilton or bleu cheese, the mold is the key to its pleasure. Leaving milk out for three days is bad, putting sour cream on your baked potato is delicious. I think I threw out a twenty-five dollar hunk of a prized cheese, but I was so turned off to the smell I just couldn’t get it into my mouth. Most times with wine, I like the nose and get disappointed with the taste. Fortunately, I tough it up and drink the wine that offends me. I just haven’t gotten to that point yet with cheese. Who the hell said wine and cheese was a perfect match anyway? I bet it was those French. Son-of-a bitch... November 11, 2009 On this Veteran’s Day we go no farther than Fort Hood to find fallen heroes. We honor those whose lives were cut short by an enemy from within.
November 8, 2009 Recovery is just around the corner. My hands only shake once an hour now so I think I can start drinking again. Just a small follow up to the Turkeyfest. I was visited today by the good folks of the ASPCA and PETA as someone in my neighborhood found five fowl carcasses in my trash can. They wanted to know if we were holding some kind of cult ritual and sacrificing birds as part of the ceremony. After an intense one-hour interview, the pictures of the fest and the 11 empty wine bottles convinced them it was not a cult, just a small gathering of winos. I told them I would be happy to appear in the nude with Pamela Anderson for their next PETA promotion. They told me my Pinot wasn’t big enough to hold an audience and went away muttering under their breath about an Alcoholic Anonymous PSA they would recommend for me. Mrs. Wino Bob is a saint but was glad the boys had their fun. She doesn’t get the 'wake up and leave' thing and told me my hosting skills suck because I wasn't up early offering breakfast to the crowd. That’s just not how the fest thing works I informed her. She volunteered to make sure next time….. Hey what the hell is Wino Rocker still doing walking around my house in his bathrobe? Dude, the party is over, go home. And no, you can’t stay here again tonight and head to work in the morning. Caution to the next fest host; make sure someone else drives Wino Rocker to your house, otherwise one never knows what day he might decide to leave. Thanks to all who cooked, cleaned and participated in a fun night. November 7, 2009 In what I might describe as the mix of an episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy and a hot air balloon launch, The Other Bob marveled us last night with his culinary talent. Turkeyfest 09 saw gallons of oil bubbling over blazing propane tanks and pounds of foul. Having one time to get the most out of this, we added a duck, a chicken and two Cornish hens in addition to the turkey. Hey, once the oil was hot we decided to deep-fry anything not nailed down. We even threw in a few Nathan’s hot dogs. TOB made his famous fried onions and I added some falafel just for kicks. As my shaky, hung over fingers keep hitting the wrong key, it would take me a week to write a thousand words. But this will do...
Wino Odd Job had a special request to deep fry the turkey neck, see plastic bag lower right. The food was outstanding though not an easy operation. The 13-pound turkey took about 45 minutes. The key being not to let the oil run too hot or too cool. If I wore a hat, I would tip it, or better yet I would say hats off to the yeoman’s job the chefmeister general did. The best part is he brings all the special tools necessary for success. I stand corrected; the best part of the night was the fact that my house wasn’t burned down with two hot oil pots blazing away for hours. (Editor's note: Our sincere thanks to Mrs. WinoBob for allowing us to make a complete mess of her house while also making a huge racket into the wee hours of the morning all while she remained peacefully withdrawn to the upstairs quarters of the WinoBob estate. You're a saint...) And what would a fest be without the true stars of the night. Winos and Winettes, I present the line up. Another thousand words…
As the labels might be too hard to read, I list for you the bottles that gave up their holdings for our enjoyment. In no particular order; we drank through the following.
There was a surprise from Wino John for the night, a white Burgundy. That’s right folks, WJ is all about white Burgundy with his bird.
If you noticed, we fell short of out two bottles per person requirement. I am saying we are getting old. That’s all for now as I need to rest from the strain of typing with a hangover. Maybe more to follow when the brain, hands and stomach are back in sync. November 6, 2009 Let me open with a birthday shout out to my younger brother who is developing a classic palate. It saves me money on a card. Last night I had the pleasure of seeing old friends. OK, I consider them friends, they consider me H1N1. It was Drouhin night at the Essex County Wine Society and you know my history with the Drouhins. Forget their prominence in Burgundy, they hold the distinct honor of the only brother/sister wine barons to choke me in public at two separate events. I know that there is an entirely new crowd reading the page so I ask you to search out my entry of February 11, 2003 when all of this was made possible by Big Bob inviting Wino John and I to a Drouhin dinner at CK’s Steakhouse. As I am a bit hung over, I was going to repost that entry but no, that would NOT be the quality entertainment you come here for. For you too lazy to go into the archives, that night was the first encounter of the WinoStuff crew and Veronique Drouhin. For me, it was the launching pad of my renown wine writing career. (Or more realistically it fueled me enough to writer better stuff). Also check out March 5, 2004, and Old Breaking news.
Last night we tasted wines from the 2006 vintage and worked our way south to north. Laurent and the affable Nicole from Dreyfus Ashby delivered stellar insight into the world of pinot. I’m still not a convert but I drank very hard last night in an attempt to merge the educational input of Laurent with my nose and palate. Admittedly, I am not elegant and I am OK with that for now. I have been looking at blousy shirts and toying with lavender in my wardrobe so there might be hope for me to understand those feminine, elegant, Burgundies. In a nutshell, I liked the more masculine and the bold wines, but that is no surprise. I listened to the members at my table to try and open up. Here is the line up from last night.
I am digging the terrior thing better as Laurent was specific on the soil structures from each of their properties and the differences in the wines we compared. As for the nuanced elegance, I am still searching. My personal favorites were the Vosne Romanee and the Charmes Chambertin. I had the most trouble with the Clos des Mouches and the Chambolle Musigny as thin and neutered came to mind. But hey, who am I? Oh yeah, Wino Bob, the world renounced writer at WinoStuff.com. November 2, 2009 Exciting day in the wine world yesterday for me. Fellow ECWS member, Lyman Dally kicked off his art exhibit Imagination Uncorked. It is running through early January at the Gaelan Gallery East in West Orange, NJ. Hop on http://www.oentourage.com to check out Lyman’s perspective of wine and life. Personally, I like his Gothic Pour and Eau d’vie Eau d’mort. Move over Thomas Arvid, there is a fresh, creative artist on the scene. I find my art in the bottle; Lyman finds his inspired by the bottle. Best of luck in your new career. October 31, 2009 Is it wrong to offer kids wine when they come to the door? Just asking... I don’t have any candy at the house. I bet a kid would rather get wine than what we had to deal with. Our trick-or-treating held rumors of apples with razor blades, candy bars with pins and the dreaded bag of pennies from the old lady around the corner. Her house was creepy everyday of the year. I understand there are sections of Newark were the concept of tricks for treats has an entirely different meaning. So I am sitting here in the dark, pretending I am not at home and wishing away the time for this doorbell to stop ringing. It actually affords me some research time as I have begun a personal endeavor to better understand the wines of Portugal. NO, not port wines, I am talking about the still wines that come from the 13 wine regions of the country.
I have enjoyed several wines from the Douro, and Alentejo regions and recently purchased a bottle from Dao and Bairrada that I am interested in opening. I have only had a few white wines from Vinho Verde, which were simple, inexpensive wines with not much for me to be excited about. The other night I had a bottle of Quinta de Carmo Reserva from the Alentejo Region produced by Les Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite). The wine was made from Aragon 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Syrah 20%, and Trincaderia 10%. It started tight and needed time out in the fresh air. Reasonably priced it had nice fruit, the cabernet came out up front while tobacco, coffee and eucalyptus washed through the back palate. The hunt is on for the next few months for me to locate those finds. I will let you know as I progress. Send me suggestions and I will be glad to learn more. October 24, 2009 I realize that Thanksgiving is right around the corner and the time-worn discussion of what to service with dinner creeps into the wine writers’ minds. If all goes well, we have a chance to Turkeyfest early. This will give us a chance to find wines that will deliver at the table. I wanted to start sampling a bit early and grabbed a zinfandel for fun. It was the 2007 Dancing Bull from Rancho Zabaco. Their story follows:
Aside from sounding like the next cult commune to find an alternative route to heaven, I like the quality and value of their wines. The inexpensive zin provides a very approachable wine boasting flavors of blackberry, blueberry and a vanilla spicy finish. As their low end, its not the main meal possibility but it is easy to drink, a bit less in alcohol then their single vineyard stuff and can act as the perfect warm up act for the serious stuff. I like this wine for what it is. Look, at $8.99 this wine is worth trying. October 18, 2009 Flamboyant as a red polka dot dress? I guess the person making the label had run out of terms worthy of a wine. At $6.99 this wine was like a polka dot dress at a formal affair. This wine stood out, but not in a good way. Even at sub ten dollars, I am saying this was a bust. The 2008 Tapena is 100% garnacha but gravely suffers from flamboyance and flavor. I found no whispers of white pepper nor velvety finish. I give the writer for the label a B for trying to put lipstick on a pig, but the disconnect between the product and words was too large to be ignored. I think this wine could be used for cooking a simmering puller pork. Not a good way to start a weekend of drinking. I came a bit closer on this bargain but at the end of the weekend I was 0-2 sitting like the Angels at Yankee Stadium. This red from Douro strung me out to extra innings but at the end broke from the correct choice and errantly went awry. A 2006 Lavradores de Feitoria Douro Tinto brought some plum and raspberry but in the end was thin and short. I spent a whopping $10,00 on this wine. Not what I had hoped for from my Portuguese friends. OK, I’m Jonesin' for some good stuff. The hope that gets me up in the morning is the arrival of the Esprit de Beaucastel I ordered through High Point Wines after our tasting at the ECWS. I should have that this week and I am shaking like a newborn in anticipation of cracking my first bottle and washing quality juice over my taste buds. October 13, 2009 Oh no, my second NYC wine event in less than a week. Am I becoming that which I make fun of? Have I entered into a level of chic Manhattan socializing? OK, I was a guest both times and since "Wino Bob" appears in the W section of everyone’s address book, the A-V crowd must have had other plans. Saturday was the Food Network’s Grand Tasting at the Pier and had I reserved a park bench to sleep on that night, I would have tasted my way through the wines and spirits thrust upon me as I walked from stem to stern. It was a beautiful early fall day with blue skies, a mild cool breeze and an airplane-free Hudson River. I did find out that the 2005 Zaca Mesa Syrah is not as robust as the 2003 we enjoyed at the last wine tasting at The Tree Tavern. In my spirit samplings, all the vodka I tried was grain-based. I’m thinking there is a discrimination against the potato. Why? Because the potato is starchy and white? My Polish roots take offense to that. Even the Irish vodka was produced from grain and those people eat potatoes with everything. What’s up with that? Last night my younger, hipper, Manhattan-living brother invited me to the Columbus Day Wine Down. I learned that the Wine Down is a monthly event hosted by the President and Creative Director of the Liquid Assets Consulting Group, Michael Green. Mr. Green, until recently, consulted and wrote about wines and spirits for Gourmet magazine. I am wondering since WinoStuff is still in publication and Gourmet Magazine is not, if Mr. Green would be interested in ruining his reputation by writing a guest column for the not defunct WinoStuff.com. We creators of content need to stick together. The theme of the tasting was Wines of the USA in celebration of Columbus Day. Though when I think of Columbus Day I think of the West Indies, small pox and pillaging. It must have been the public school text books I read. Secondly, I think of Spanish wines since Spain financed Columbus. Thirdly, I think of Italy so Italian wines come to mind. The Wine Down thought made in the USA. I guess my creativity drifts. There were wines from Delaware, Virginia, Long Island, Oregon and California. I tried most of the reds but sadly California captured my attention with the Salvestrin Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the Rockpile Zinfandel and the Belle Glos Pinot Noir. Yes, I said Pinot. Judging by the crowd, I would say that the California table was most popular. It also turned out that the person pouring at the table was well versed in her knowledge of the wines she offered. Her pitch was smooth and informative immediately enhancing and engaging my interests. Though I probably won’t be a regular at the Wine Downs with my commitments to ECWS and the NNJ Wine Meetups, I look forward to attending from time to time. For those interested, the Wine Down’s next event is December 2nd at BLVD on the Lower East Side. October 10, 2009 With a need for a meeting, the triumvirate met for dinner at Penang, a favorite place to meet in East Hanover. It was a working dinner so no time to sip and savor, we were on a mission. I brought a bottle of Summers Charbono as a warm up. Wino John treated us to a wine he brought back from his recent junket to France. The 2005 Chateau L’Escadre Major was very approachable and turned in a new world style. We completed diner with a Frog’s Leap Zinfandel. Clearly the topics of the meeting were blurred by the third bottle and who remembers if we even discussed anything we were supposed to? Let’s face it, we meet to drink; anything else is a gain. I think its time for another meeting. October 9, 2009 Last night, driving home from the fist tasting of the Essex County Wine Society, I had a Chateauneuf du Pup Tent in my shorts. I was close to a plane between euphoria and orgasmic. Maybe I am premature in my Chris Matthews leg thrill as the 2007 CDPs are supposed to be better than the 06 we tasted. This was a rather unique tasting, first because of the role I stepped into at the last minute. I was the head cheese cutter. I had to arrive early and cut the cheese for the event. It was only because the assigned cutter of the cheese flew off to France for some R&R and he dubbed me the cheese cutter stand in. I must say I filled the role of cutting the cheese brilliantly. The ten Chateauneufs had a murder mystery theme with twists and turns and a surprise ending. The presenter should write for CSI Miami. The first three wines were presented as a mini vertical of Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe La Crau. The 1998 was still full of life, the 2000 was OK and the 2006 was surprisingly approachable. I was amazed that the 98 still is tannic and chewy and could bottle age for quite some time. We then shifted to the following Chateauneuf de Papes, all 2006 vintage:
As you can see the presenter placed a great deal of thought to make this interesting and informative. Kudos to Gary. I look forward to many more presentations by this member. Next month, Laurent Drouhin graces the stage and treats us to an inside baseball look at wines of the Drouhin properties. OK, it’s Burgundy, but I look forward to seeing Laurent. October 2, 2009 It has been awhile since the Northern Jersey wine meetup group got together. Last night ended the dry spell. Held at the Tree Tavern in Wanaque, guests sampled from 28 wines, snacked on a variety of cheeses and mingled for more than three hours. I manned one of the tables and Big Bob handled the other. I poured a host of white wines, a rose and several reds while the popular table offered all reds. The crowd started with the whites to warm up but fancied the reds. From the selection, the star of the white wines was Sonoma Cutrer followed closely by the Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc. The rosé was sparsely touched. As for the reds at my table, the Turnbull Old Bull was a hit. I understand that the Chateau Siaurac and the Mollydooker Two Left Feet garnered great reviews. The night was capped by a sampling of Gaja’s Promise Super Tuscan, Banfi’s Brunello di Montalcino and the Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon. I did dip into the Chalk Hill. Carrying a 2005 vintage, I found it seductively mellow. Reasonabley priced at $55.55, I say this was impressive. It was a pleasure meeting many of the new faces and it was a delight to see several of the original crowd but it was the support of the Winsters from the Wanaque Reserve that brought the troops. Kudos to Wino Barry for rallying the gang. Looking forward to the next meetup and bringing more new faces to the group. September 29, 2009 Next time you want a liquid dessert, try the 2008 Mollydooker The Boxer. It as a glass full of brownie topped with blueberry, with a hint of vanilla and cedar. The Mollydooker brand has found it’s following through catchy names, cartoonish labels and youtube. Welcome to the twenty-first century for the oldest libation in recorded history. I think the Mollydooker "shake" video is intriguing enough to bring it out of a crowded pack of Australian offerings. (No kangaroos, lizards or koala bears helps!) The breadth of their offering, from mid twenty dollars to the one hundred plus Velvet Glove, covers a wide range of the economy. Most important of all is good product, and that they have. Call me a follower of trend but the Marquis combo delivers. OK, Sarah Marquis delivers in the "shake" video... Need I say more? At $25.00 this wine will be enjoyed by your guests. September 27, 2009 What a great day the weather provided yesterday. I was able to do more yard work. Actually, my yard work the last few weeks has consisted of cleaning all the broken branches and dried stalks. The key has been my Madden-recommended Ace Hardware purchase of a portable fire pit. What was once a hibachi now comes with a wire mesh cover and bam, instant fire pit. Now I can uncork a bottle of wine and sit in my Adirondack chair feeding the beast. Twig after twig and branch after branch, I cleaned a large patch of debris and enjoyed a great bottle of wine. If all yard work can be accomplished with a cigar and a big red wine, call me José. To get in my frame of mind for the process, I grabbed a red from Chile. It wasn’t just any red, it was a Migual Torres Conde de Superunder. This blended red boasts 50% tempranillo supported by cabernet sauvignon, monastrell and carmenere. The 2001 has bright red fruit deliciously suspended in a spicy oak barrel. This wine really should be savored with food and not the smoky accents of a fire pit. It brilliantly made the lawn work all the more enjoyable. Take my advice, this is a wine to impress your friends with at your next byob. September 25, 2009 In the span of two days, celebrations abound as The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, turned 60, my late father would have been 75 and our own Wino John turned…let’s just say, old bastard. And who was conspicuously missing from our celebration of his said birthday? No, Bruce would have been there if he wasn’t busy with his upcoming concerts in Giant Stadium. It seems that WJ found a better offer minutes before I ordered an appetizer. Undaunted, The Other Bob and I continued and hardly noticed WJ’s absence. We both brought California Cabs for the dinner, as it would have been Wino J’s first choice. I went quirky, TOB went classy. I found out last night that classy rules. Enjoying the fare of owner/chef Matt at Gourmet Café in Parsippany, I had the mussels appetizer that was worth sobbing the sauce with good Italian bread. For the main meal, I enjoyed the chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and spinach over herb and tomato risotto. My quirk wine was B Side cabernet sauvignon which showed bright promise in the nose and during its initial journey to the palate. Unfortunately the wine seemed thin and lacked a robust finish bringing disappointment and consternation to my high hopes. I was counting on this being a find, but at the $34.99 pricing, I have to say I will not be buying this one again. There was one positive note, a great bottle, the true star of the night, accented by a great conversation with chef /owner Matt. THe star was the 1999 Simi cabernet sauvignon that TOB brought. Allow me to borrow from Borat for the moment, wa wa wee wow!!!! This wine was in its sweet spot and had a formal tails finish. Elegant and classy with soft and silky tannins that allowed the wine to last for what seemed like hours. We should have bailed on the B Side halfway through and savored the Simi. We toasted to WJ and lamented him not being there to enjoy the treat, then we spent the rest of the night polishing off the bottle. Happy Birthday big guy and you too Wino John, you old bastard. September 20, 2009 OK, here’s one for the books... a supper club in Manhattan that has a shooting range in the basement of their building. Guests, after enjoying a cocktail and a few bottles of wine, are invited downstairs to shoot. OK, it’s a .22 rifle, but if not for the long history of the club, I could not imagine going to NYC’s ABC with a license application to combine a rifle range and a broad C permit. I guess I am saying bring back the good old days. With a gin gimlet and two bottles of Ferrari Carano Siena under my belt, I took aim at the..., wait for it..., the Osama target for my 5 rounds at 20 yards. OK, maybe alcohol does alter one's capabilities to focus, use fine motor skills and to see more than one of something. I will say I hit the target 4 out of 5 five times, unfortunately it was the target belonging to the guy next to me. Bully for the right to honor the second and twenty-first amendments while enjoying porcini ravioli in truffle cream sauce and delicately refined Chilean Sea Bass. I say we need more establishments that combine alcohol and guns allowing you to hone your skills on a full belly. Lord knows alcohol and guns lead to many accidents. I say the more training we can obtain for the proper use of firearms and weaponry, the better. Not to worry, I have not been asked to join, especially after this past Friday evening. Even if I was, I couldn’t afford the bond let alone the monthly mandate. Most importantly, I wouldn’t join as they did not have the first wine I selected for the table and embarrassingly had to make another choice. I will join no club that doesn’t cellar what it claims to have. I would like to be invited back to shoot some more, but as far as a member, that would be preposterous. September 16, 2009 Wino John has the server farm fixed and is back from the NORAD-like bunker, I’ll drink to that. Actually, I was drinking before he fixed the Uber-server. And what was I enjoying while he sweated and toiled day and night? A had me a Chilean, a nicely made cabernet sauvignon from Colchagua Valley. It was a 2088 Luis Felipe Edwards Reserva. This is a great TV wine for a week night. (Oh, like you don’t drink on week nights.) OK, call me a wino, thank you. This one cost me $10.99 and has rich fruit, slight oakiness and a vanilla finish. Thanks for fixing the servers, Wino John, and allowing me to do what I do best. Hey, pass me the cork screw, I’m working here. September 14, 2009 After a long summer, I am so glad the season has officially started. All the preparations, all the hard work and the much-anticipated kick-off dinner finally arrived. Yes, I said dinner. The 09-10 Essex County Wine Society tasting season got off to a rousing start last night. I think the wine tasted better since the Giants took their game over the Skins. While Manning was testing out his receivers, we were testing out the culinary expertise of Fascino in Montclair. Our first quarter started with a Duval Leroy NV Champagne while snacking on Jonah Crab Cakes, Pomegranate Chicken Skewers and Endive Spears with Red Beet Goat Cheese. We then headed into the dining room to feast on the decadent offerings of Chef/Partner Ryan DePersio. Our first course was a 2005 Theirry et Pascale Matrot Meursault which we balanced with a yellow fin tuna rollatini. The wine was delightfully buttery but was dampened by the sesame vinaigrette washing the shaved fennel and cucumber internal to the tuna. The second course was a lovely 1999 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino suited to a ricotta gnocchi, sweet sausage Bolognese and shaved pecorino romano. Say little; savor this match made in heaven. The star of the night was a 2000 Ridge Monte Bello sharing a huddle with tangerine honey-glazed rack of lamb, garlic-braised broccoli rabe and potato fingerlings. You know I am a lamb head. Unfortunately, the two chops I had on my plate served more fat than meat. The little meat I had was tasty but sparing. The Monte Bello served up more to this course than the food and that was fine with me. We ended with a 2005 Domaine des Baumard Coteaux de Layon Clos de Sainte Cathrine that would have been enough. We were treated to a mela crocante, which turned out to simply mean hot apple crisp alamode, but mela crocante carries more penache. Great food and a fun table. That reminds me, if you are looking for a way to start the holiday season, mark your calendar for November 1st. The wine-related art works of my tablemate, Lyman Dally, will be on display at the Gaelen Gallery East in West Orange. His show is titled Imagination Uncorked and you can see his artwork at http://www.oentourage.com. October 8th is our first tasting of the season at ECWS and we will be enjoying the works from Chateauneuf du Pape. Count me in! Front row please. September 11, 2009
Remembering Those Who Died on 9/11/01 September 8, 2009 What happened? It was just September 1st and now, a week later, everything changed. The weather has been cool and the "drive safely" signs have been hung like Christmas ornaments on the telephone poles and school buses are back clogging traffic. Yesterday, the Wino Rockers came for the grilling of meats and a few last summertime sips of wine. The coolness in the air allowed post dinnertime enjoyment of a very red wine and the inaugural burning of the outside fire pit. Yes, in what I hope will be within a month, every twig, dead branch or weed will find its way into keeping me occupied while I drink. The mess that has been collecting for years is now being returned to ashes and dust from whence they came. There is nothing more enjoyable then seeing well-seasoned wood burning while sipping a nice red wine. Save snow, I am thinking I might have enough crap on my lawn that will allow this event to take place well into February. Yesterday, as the hamburgers and Nathan’s dogs grilled for the final summer bbq, Wino Rocker and I burned the brush and cleared new space next to the shed. To fuel the action (ours, not the wood), we enjoyed a well-polished 2005 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon. Not an everyday wine for me at a $39.99 price tag. Yes, Wino Rocker, I said FORTY DOLLARS. So it’s not the estate cab, but this wine had great blackberry, currant, and spice with a classy finish. A nice way to close out the summer. (I am talking about the wine, not the wino. He will be here year round...) In an unrelated note, what has become of the Jerry Lewis telethon? I was settling down around 6:45 pm yesterday to sip the last droplets from the Montelena bottle and I switched to My9. There was only a local metro NY feed with local totals and no Jerry singing at the end. I know Ed couldn’t be there but I missed any of the earlier stuff to see if Jerry was on a different channel. At five till seven pm, Gary US Bonds was joined by Tony Orlando to sing off the event. So with another $60 million, are we going to have any major breakthroughs next Labor Day?
September 6, 2009 Happy poor working man’s weekend. To all of us who wake before the sun, toil hour upon hour just so the government can come and grab our hard-earned dollars and give it to those who sleep till noon and work the system, enjoy our day of recognition. The chill this morning hints of an early fall. Last night, I enjoyed a bottle of 2002 Vigneti del Sol Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Refreshingly bright red fruit and nicely balanced acidity. Last night was a great weather night for the Montepulciano but this morning I am thinking a heavier red will help warm this cool start. Today is ripe for a cigar and fire pit and bold red to sit outside and watch the leaves turn as we enjoy the calendar end of summer. Happy Labor Day
August 31, 2009 When you don’t like a wine, no problem, open a different bottle. That was what redeemed my faith in Malbec. This Malbec, 2007 Doña Paula Los Cardos Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina was complex with depth and aromas of violet and blackberry and serious flavors of mocha, blueberry, sweet licorice and red plum. Unfortunately, I was not able to get a gnat test on this wine, but the Wino Bob test likes this one. I am saying, cigar 1, Malbec 1 at this point. At $8.99 this does rank in the “will drink again” class.August 30, 2009 With summer screaming to a close, I had a few hours today to sit on the porch and enjoy the refreshing breeze, low humidity, a cigar and what I hoped would be a stand up Malbec. The weather and the Opus X redeemed the day. The Malbec left me disappointed. I am a big proponent of Malbec as a cigar companion, but this one will not be on my recommendation list. I was hoping it would be a sleeper but it would better serve as a base for salad dressing. The wine was a 2006 El Malbec de Ricardo Santos that I bought for $8.99. The color had me excited, it was a deep rich red/purple. I should have known something was up when the gnat died instantly when it flew into my glass. Usually a gnat will swim for awhile if the wine is good. Hell I saw a fly backstroking in my silver oak one night. If a wine doesn’t meet bug standards, I figuring it best be left out of my cellar. At least the Opus X has flavor and richness and for a few bucks more is worth the investment. Cigar 1 malbec 0. To those of you headed back to school, I am sure glad I don’t have to worry about that anymore. Be safe, study hard and make something worthwhile with your opportunity lest you be relegated to smoking cigars and drinking wine and trying to run a goofy web site… August 25, 2009 OK, I have been traveling and neglected to write in my wine journal. I haven’t gone crazy with wine but I did enjoy a few glasses of Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon at the hotel bar in Chicago. I got mad at the sommelier at Stetson’s Chop House for charging 92 dollars a bottle for The Prisoner. I told him I would have ordered a bottle with dinner but it was a rip off. He didn’t come back to the table after he brought the Justine Cabernet Sauvignon. I guess he shouldn’t have asked me if I had any questions... Last night I was in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin and sipped a glass or two of 2005 Climbing Shiraz while I enjoyed the Lake view. I never thought there was anything 55 miles north west of Green Bay. I found out differently. I laughed entering Egg Harbor, Wisconsin as the sign read "Population 250". But the most surprising to me was the number of wineries in that part of Wisconsin. Hell, I didn’t know there was any wine at all there. I didn’t get a chance to drink any local grape. I hope it wasn’t all cheese-flavored. The countryside was painted with dairy farms so I hope that run-off doesn’t taint the wine. If I get a chance, I will be hunting down a bottle or two from here. I am on the outlook for some Door Peninsula Winery Leon Millot or Marchel Foch. Move over Jersey, French hybrids are on the loose. Lake Michigan influence might just be the answer. Gotta run. More later... August 19, 2009 “I’m sorry Mr. Berra, but no autographs right now, I’m eating dinner.” OK, that’s what I was saying in my head. Actually that’s what I was pretending as me and the Yogster ate dinner two tables away from each other at Bistro 18 last night. I think I could take him if he got wise, but his table remained in control, no roughhousing. We on the other hand were drinking some great stuff that I neglected to write down. I do remember having my first white rioja which was a blend of seven grapes, few indigenous to Spain. And a Tablas Creek "Esprit de Beaucastel Rouge" Paso Robles. Tablas Creek Vineyard has a history that is firmly rooted in France's Rhone region and a present and future that are being fully expressed in the Central Coast of California. The Perrins of Chateau de Beaucastel and Robert Haas of Vineyard Brands have joined together to bring the vision of Tablas Creek Vineyard to life. I am a big fan of the Beaucastel and this California Rhone blend is very appealing. We also enjoyed a Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This Washington state cab was impressive but far too expensive for my change purse. I will scramble to get the names of the others we enjoyed. I had a sea bass special that was top shelf. This is my second time there and so far I am impressed with the food. But, if you do see me eating there please, no autographs. That even goes for you, Yogi…August 15, 2009 Last night, the three Amigos met the three Musketeers somewhere between the Tree Tavern and Yasgur’s Farm. As the fest consisted of only middle-aged white guys, there weren’t any drugs. Except for the small incident Big Bob had with the lamb, there wasn’t any other sex. But there was plenty of wine with our rock and roll. As the spirit of the late sixties took control of the night, we weren’t going to conform to the “man” and drink our wines from light to heavy. No, these six wannabe hippies were drinking what we wanted when we wanted. It was, dare I say, a free-spirited drunkfest. The usual suspects showed up, some Bordeaux wines, some California Big Ass Cabs and some newbies. I happened to see a Chateauneuf in the mix and a Chapoutier Cote Rotie Les Becasses. |
,
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