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The Best ofBob’s WiningsTasting Notes from a Beer Drinker
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This page contains Winings from the 4th Quarter of the year 2000.
To contact WinoBob, click here
12/31/00
As New Jersey got caught with the worst snowfall since 1996, I spent all day yesterday shoveling snow. Yes, living on a corner lot, I have the pleasure of two long sidewalks and a deep driveway to clear. Living near a school, the town pays special attention to my sidewalk.
As 9:30 AM turned into 4:00PM, I loaded my shovel into my truck and headed to clean the sidewalk in front of my office. This 6 mile drive was the most serene I have ever taken. The streets were white, the Holiday decorations were aglow, kind of reminding me of the scene in It's A Wonderful Life. Then reality set back in when I started shoveling what now was well-packed snow that was beginning to freeze. With another 2 hours of shoveling under my belt, I headed towards home.
As I looked out my side window about half way home, the glow of lights at Home Liquors shined like a beacon in the night. The retail stores that lined this main street through the last 2 towns were locked and dark; but Home Liquors shone like a WELCOME sign at Motel 6. I quickly backed up and pulled into their lot to venture in and see what they had on their shelves.
Low and behold,
there, in the Rhone aisle was a wine I liked with a special price staring me
straight in the eye. The post holiday
sale had come to Home Liquors and a bottle of 1996 Rhone wine I enjoy was
reduced from $64.00 to $49.99.
As I came home fifty dollars lighter, I smiled all the way telling myself what a great shopper I am. Yes, other times, I would have been sixty-four dollars lighter, but tonight, as a reward for all that manual labor of snow removal, I treated myself to only spending a fifty dollar bill.
After a nice hot meal and a hot shower,
I started a fire in the living room. As you well know, the fireplace was
well oaked. I opened this gem of a
bargain and poured it into the Riedel Rhone glass that I received from the
Christmas Elves. Let me be the
latest to submit a testimonial for Riedel stemware.
I say this without being a shill for Riedel, without receiving a free
glass for my comments (which I would have gladly accepted).
I say this from the pure love of wine, this glass gave me an experience
like I had never had before. The
aroma of this wine rose in the glass like the smoke out my chimney.
Yes, the nose, the taste, the feel of this was utopia.
Though my arm pained me with every lift to my mouth, the reward was a
pleasure that made it all worthwhile.
1996 Hermitage Monier de la
Sizeranne $$ (49.99) 
If I ever have the
opportunity to speak with anyone from M. Chapoutier, I will ask them two things.
First, I would like to know why they are the only producer to make their
labels in Braille and secondly, would you adopt me.
As I sniffed this wine in my new Riedel, an idea hit me; I should call
Hall’s and tell them to make a Chocolate Cough-drop. The eucalyptus and chocolate were dominant, but fertilizer
and saddle leather also came to mind. This
wine was a deep rich fruit and eucalyptus.
This is a wine to treat yourself to and enjoy with a fire and snow (on
the outside) and holiday lights.
12/30/00
Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I submit to you exhibit A. The reason I submit this to you at this time is due to the fact that this wine story is exactly the thing I am looking for regarding the contest I posted. As I told you, this is open until Superbowl Sunday. So then why are you posting this now you ask? I will tell you. As you read this, you will see the great time that was had with family and how central a role the 5 wines played. You will also see that the author must have read the rules of my contest after the fifth bottle.
Our own Wino Wally
wrote this great story, which clearly could have been a serious contender. If Wino Wally had read in the contest rules that he is one of
the judges, he would have known he could not win the autographed book I am
offering up. It just goes to show
you how valuable this prize is when a person ineligible would risk the chance of
illegally competing just for the book. Seriously,
Wino Wally’s great story deserves publication and you will find it below.
I hope you enjoy the story as much as I did and as much as Wino Wally
enjoyed the wine.
Regarding the contest, there is still plenty of time to get your wine stories in. I must tell you, though, there is a leader currently so the pressure is on. As you sit at work come Tuesday after New Years, and you don’t feel much like working, as your memories of the Holiday season are still fresh in your mind, take a few minutes while in front of your computer and bang out a quick story of the wine that made that memory special.
As I entered my 11th hour of shoveling the snow that dumped 25 inches in Northern New Jersey, my mind started wondering. I’m not sure if it was the bitter cold, the lack of oxygen to my brain as my heart pumped as fast as it could, or the desire to be somewhere else; but I thought how tough this contest could get if some serious wine drinkers entered it. As Robin Garr and Marvin R. Shanken have visited our site, they may want to submit a story. As Kevin Zraly knows, his book is the prize. He may set the bar by jotting down a few notes about his New Years celebration, or a lunch he had with friends at a well know New York restaurant.
Then I thought of the author whose story could not be beat. I thought of the one wine lover for whom I would have to end the contest early if he submitted a story. Yes folks, if Wino Jesus wrote about one of his special celebrations with his closest friends, I would have to send him the book right now. Now hold it right there. I know what you are thinking, "Winobob, you are off the deep end. Don’t even go there." I know, I know, and tell me you didn’t see Monty Python’s Life of Brian and laugh your ass off. Or you never rented the Last Temptation of Christ.
Now, for the record, I spent many a day at religious classes and sitting in the first pew at Church listening closely to Father Colburn. I have a cousin, who is a Brother in the Benedictine Order and prior to 11 years old when I learned about girls, I thought of becoming a man of the cloth.
So let’s get back to the story. As we
all know, the Bible speaks volumes about wine and Noah is credited with
observing two goat’s playful behavior as they ate grapes that had been moldy
on the ground. I know in my heart
that Jesus would have been a reader of WinoStuff and a frequenter of the guest
book. Personally, I think Jesus was
a white wine lover, but that was nowhere to be supported by the Bible.
You know the story; Jesus would be with
his closest friends sitting down to enjoy a great meal. Wino Wally would break the news that he only had 3 clay pots
of water for the meal. As you know,
water was not very healthy back then and Ron Popel had not yet invented the
pocket water filtration system. Jesus
would have him bring the pots to him and they would snack on dried salty white
fish as Jesus blessed the pots. As
Wino Wally took the first sip, I could hear his comments. “The aroma has too
much Galilean Salt and green algae. The
taste is drinkable, but not your best stuff.” Then, it turns to nectar,
better than anything ever produced by Chateau d’ Yquem .
You know the rest; at that point, I would end the contest.
Since this will not happen, please take a moment and send us your
stories. With that I give you Wino
Wally’s Wine story for your enjoyment.
Dear Wino Bob,
As you know, Wino John and I are
brothers-in-law. Our wives are sisters and
This year, the fray was heightened more
than usual with the addition of my
From the
Bynums, we moved to Ravenswood
and sampled both the Cooke 1997
Lastly, we opened two Robert Mondavi
Zins, the 1997 and the 1998. The 1997
After sampling these six
Zins, Wino
Sharon informed us that Thanksgiving
Up to the dining room we went, armed
with a 1997 Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir
The next day, Wino Sharon sent us to
the butcher to pick up a few tenderloins
I don't know if others can top my
story, but it isn't often that you run
Wino Wally
12/28/00
On my drive home
last night, after an absolutely delicious meal with close friends, I started
thinking about the wine we enjoyed. The
trouble I have this morning in writing this review rests on the question: “Did
the wine make the dinner great or did the great time make the wine great?”
We shared two wines from the Italian
region known for producing Super Tuscans. The
wines were very high quality and from world-renowned producers, but in the back
of my mind, I am wondering did the effect of the enjoyment and laughter of the
evening make everything that much more positive.
I enjoyed a perfectly medium-rare NY strip with zesty peppercorn sauce.
We shared stories and caught up on life’s events that had us laughing
until tears rolled down my cheeks and my stomach muscles were sore.
Yet, was it this powerfully seductive Roman libation that placed us in
the mood to laugh harder and feel closer with our dinner guests; or was it the
stories of life and marriage and work and kids that uplift our minds to
associate enjoyment with all we ate and drank?
Though I will never be 100% sure of the
answer, perhaps some things are better left undefined.
What I guess I am defining here is that great times and great bottles of
wine make lasting memories. I will
never know if the great memories enhanced my impressions of the great wine, or
if the great wine made for great times. I
will always remember sitting in the event room at Bacchus, surrounded by soft
holiday music, comforted by the soft colored walls and glass window draped in
pine roping. I will feel the
texture of the linen tablecloth under my fingertips as I slowly swirled my wine
glass. I will remember the laughter
during the stories of work events and wiping tears away, I will remember the
deepening of a friendship and I will remember a bottle of 1993 Sassicaia.
1993
Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia, Toscana $$$ (58.00)
As
age in a bottle mellows a wine, this one poured a brownstone red, thin in
appearance with a berry nose and brown spice. This wine is made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15%
Cabernet Franc. The taste here was
a full-bodied fruit-packed wine with cherries galore.
Mild tannins left me thinking this one could have slept in the cellar for
5 more years. A hint of cassis on
the lengthy finish gave this structure. Do
I love this wine due to it’s rebellion for the daring way Cabernet took hold
in the region that gives us top quality Chianti?
Do I love this because of its bottle age?
Do I love this because I love Bordeaux grapes?
Or, as I asked at the top of the page, do I love this because of the fond
memories of a great night out? I
guess for any of those reasons, the bottom line is that I love this Super
Tuscan.
1997
Antinori Tignenello
$$$ (65.00)
This
full-bodied wine is 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
with intense fruit and solid structure. This blending gives great depth to this wine.
The fruit here is still cloaked in the tannins so if you buy this, rest
it for several years. To drink
today, decant and let breathe so the fruit will move forward.
You can learn about all of Antinori’s great wines at www.antinori.it.
This is a great wine that needs time to become the wine that lives
beneath the tannins.
12/24/00
This
is the interim Holiday
update as I have a moment to sip my coffee this Christmas morning.
As I slept last night all nestled in bed, visions of Wine Gods danced in
my head and as I awoke from a dream since I heard such a clatter, I dashed
downstairs to see what was the matter. There
tucked beneath my tree, was a box marked fragile with a tag, To WB.
Since I’m the only Winobob living in
this place, I quickly tore it open and a smile came to my face. For what the box held, I will cherish forever, a Riedel
Sommelier Series Rhone/Syrah stemware to drink my bottle of 1997 Beaucastle
Chateauneuf-du-Pape in. Sorry,
I got too damn excited and could not think of a word that rhythms with forever
and fit Riedel, Sommelier, of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Anyway, the wine elves have been great
so far and the day is not done. Since
I did receive a bottle of Beaucastle as a gift and the wine elves brought me the
pinnacle of stemware to enjoy it in, life is wonderful.
In addition, I received a 2001 wine calendar which features 365 great
wines, 250 of them under $10.00. Joshua
Wesson and Richard Marmet, co-founders of Best Cellars, produced this .
Could a Winobob & Wino John calendar be far behind?
I also received a preserving system to save those opened bottles a bit
longer. I know the rat that lives
in the sewer may be disappointed that I will not be spilling out as much wine
this year, but he’s only a rat.
Clinging to the
ethnic tradition my family holds so dear, Christmas Eve rituals had me drink a
white wine. A red would have overpowered the foods we enjoyed, so I dug
out a California Chardonnay that sits lonely in the white wine racking in the
cold cellar. This wine was a
delicious compliment to the dinner and, as white wines go, I enjoyed it.
1995 Grgich Hills Napa Valley
Chardonnay
$$ (26.00)
This wine poured out looking like a lager beer. The rich golden
color gave me the hint that I would find this white grape bold and big. This
wine gave me the nose of pear and fine French oak.
This was a big-full wine that weighted on my tongue.
This is a great example of California’s sculpting of the Chardonnay
grape. It was a wine that worked
well with the different styles of fish, from cooked shrimp with a zesty cocktail
dip, to beer battered haddock with a tangy tarter sauce and lemon-broiled scrod,
to the smoked white fish. A strong
backbone of oak makes this a wine for the red grape lover.
12/23/00
1996 Villa Artimino Barco Reale Di
Carmignano
$? Composed of Cabernet Sauvignon and
Sangiovese, this wine starts out wrapped in tannins. It takes a while for this to settle down in the glass to let
the fruit come out. There existed a tug-of-war with this wine on what
characteristics would win out. This
blending did come together near the end of the bottle.
Artimino has been making wine since 1594 on this estate located just
outside Florence, Italy. In 1718, Artimino was awarded the first designation of
appellation-controlled wine. In 1975 it became recognized with the
classification DOC and in 1988 it received the highest rating, DOCG.
As you know the G stands for Guaranteed.
Winos and Winettes, I write this not as a winings, but as a wish. I wish you all a happy, healthy holiday season. Most of all I wish you WINE. Yes, my wish for you is that what happened to me last year does not happen to you. Yes, after years of family and friends learning of my love of wine, they STOPPED giving me wine. Yes, last year I got 5 bottles of Sambuca, 3 bottles of Bailey’s Irish Cream and one Grappa. For some reason, people now think I am a wine snob, but as Wino John frequently reminds me in his comments, I am just an idiot. For some strange reason, people now think I have become judgmental and they will offend me if they don’t bring the right wine. Poppycock. If you look at some of the cheap crap I bought and reviewed, I would never refuse a bottle of wine as a present. Every once in a while, that cheap crap is good wine.
So this year, as you
share special times with family and friend, my wish to you is that your family
and friends don’t stop giving you wine as they visit with you this season.
You know, dare I say, that it was only 8 years ago friends of ours would
have pizza on a Friday night and we’d share a bottle of Ruinite Lambrusco.
OK, what did I know? I was a beer drinker. But now, since I can pronounce the name of a few grapes and
tell the difference between white and red wine, I am a snob?
The worst is going
to a restaurant and having the same people who don’t buy me wine anymore,
place the wine list by me and stare. This
is the most awkward feeling for several reasons.
The biggest concern is that out of 6-8 people, not everyone is going to
like the wine. That’s just they
way it goes. Then they will grumble about the cost of the wine, and as you
know, I do not control the mark-up a restaurant places on their wine.
So, do what I do. Tell them you are still learning and trying
something new is what wine is all about. Sometimes
you pick a winner and sometimes not. Most
of all, tell them for the love of your continuing education, PLEASE do not stop
bringing a bottle of WINE to the house. Besides,
it will take me a decade to drink all the Sambuca I got last year.
Happy Holidays, I wish you Good Wine.
WinoBob
1996
Guenoc Beckstoffer IV Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
$?
This
wine was a treat from a friend who understands Merry Wine for the Holidays.
Deliciously fruitful with soft tannins give this wine highly drinkable
rating. Round and soft and lengthy gets this wine on the dinner
table. There is enough fruit in
this wine to store in the cellar for years of enjoyment. Buy this one to enjoy.
12/16/00
Oh I ain’t got a barrel of money, though writing this page is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Sometimes the reviews come so easily; it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. Yet, there are times that I feel like I’m caught over a barrel.
I spend a great deal of time investigating wine and wine stuff, but I never really gave much thought to the vessel that my favorite red wines and chardonnays live in for years to impart their telltale finger prints on the liquid I consume. Today, I sat with a glass of wine and pondered this question about the profession of barrel making, cooperage, and an industry in the U.S. that is growing by the bushel due to the increased demand of wineries.
As we all know the
French have the best barrels and the French have the best labels and the French
have the best terrior, and the French have the best ménage et ... Sorry, I
digress. The French barrel
continues to be much sought after, fetching up to $650.00. Though this still
remains the most respected way to impart that woody, toasty, and vanilla flavor
to the wine. Many lesser wines try
short cuts to trick us into thinking this wine is barrel aged, therefore more
expensive, when in reality, they have tried oak-lined steel tanks, or placing
pouches of oak chips in the tank. These
alternatives save time since the surface area of chips and granules are larger
then the area of the inside of a barrel. (As you can see, that’s about as
scientific as I can get, but I’m sure Wino John will post the calculation for
determining area of a barrel- science geek, plasma proton head). More
importantly, this method allows a 7-10 dollar wine to give us a hint of toast
and vanilla.
As usual, the entrepreneurial community
in the US has realized the economic opportunity of barrel making.
As few as five years ago, the U.S. was a minor player in the industry.
Today, the top six coopers sell approximately 180,000 American oak barrels
annually. American oak has enjoyed
this increase due to the fact that top wineries in California have used them in
their finest wines; names like Caymus, Silver Oak and BV.
But as with everything these days, controversy prevails and the
winemaking community feels that American oak imparts too much personality into a
wine. Therefore, those fleshy, more delicate wines like Pinot Noir and
Burgundian-style Chardonnays would be stepped on.
Today, French barrel production output has not changed much since 1990,
yet the demand is up by 60%. Are we
to sit back and let our syrah, Shiraz, kick-ass Cabs and Chardonnays go naked?
Hell no, I say let the games begin.
We have the technology, we have the manpower. American oak, stand
tall and tell those fleshy wines we will rock your world…. Spain and Australia
love American oak, as well as our Kentucky sipping whiskey manufacturers.
All this barrel talk made me look into
the barrel making process and in a very brief outline, this is the process:
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Select the finest white oak the world has to offer, primarily French, Midwestern U.S., Hungary, Slovenia and Russia.
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Split wood, mill into staves, air dry for 2 years
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Pick the best staves; align them in a metal jig
-
Hammer successive rings around staves
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Heat barrel over small open fire
-
Wet wipe barrel inside and out
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Arch staves and tighten into place
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Toast barrel for 20-45 minutes- this allows vanilla flavor to develop
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Trim stave ends and groove for barrelhead
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Hand fit barrelhead
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Place final hoops
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Check for leaks
A side note, cooperage was a craft started thousands of years ago as a means of preventing boats from leaking.
Caymus
Conundrum- Are these grapes for real?
Wino John, I know
why Caymus shunned us. Yes folks,
they haven’t sent any wine for us to try.
Caymus ignored our web page, Caymus hasn’t called.
You know why? They are too
busy in court. Yes, Caymus is in
legal action against the largest supplier of grapevines in Sonoma County.
And what do we do when we are sued?
That’s right, we turn around and sue someone else.
In a nutshell, it turns out that this vine company is claiming to have
purchased vines from the guru of Rhone style wine, Randall Grahm, owner of Bonny
Doon Vineyards. It seems that
Caymus has been developing a release under the Mer Soleil label of a high end
Roussanne. Roussanne is a
delicately perfumed white grape used in the Rhone Region of France.
But testing shows that these vines were actually Viognier.
The Viognier as we learned from last class provides a peach and apricot
nose, not the floral scents and finesse of the Roussanne.
So once this 7 million dollar lawsuit concludes and if Caymus prevails,
I’m sure they will have a few bottles of wine for us to try, even if it is a
Viognier.
12/14/00
Winostuff.com is being called the Matt Drudge of the grape vine. Yes folks, in this month’s issue of Wine Enthusiast, the Vine Cuttings discusses a subject that Winostuff.com spoke out on months ago; “Cork, What The Future Holds For Wine Closures.” Who was the first to bring you the 42 facts of the cork? Yes, Winostuff.com. Folks, this is testament that we are on the cutting edge, ahead of the curve of wine stuff. Bob Woodward move over, we don’t even need a stinking Deep Throat! Ah, hum, never mind.
OK, so no one is
crediting me with anything and no one called me the Matt Drudge of wine and no
one probably even read my page on the Cork.
But you see, Geyser Peak is looking seriously into that thermoplastic
fake cork stuff. Really seriously. And since they are real wine
people, Wine Enthusiast interviews Daryl Groom, the winemaker at Geyser about
the cork controversy. I wonder if
Joan Sullivan is a fan? I guess
I’ll never know.
1997 Quintessa $$$
(79.00)
This wine is crafted by wine mogul,
August Huneeus, whose credits include Franciscan Estates, Estancia, Mt.
Veeder, Pinnacles, and Veremonte.
Quintessa is his Ultra Premium Meritage comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Rich,
dark cherry fruit and a balance of tannins make this a wine that can be savored
now or cellared for years to come. Depth
is the reason I prefer blends and this echoes when you lift your glass. This is big league, but not affordable for everyday winos.
Treat a close friend or relative to this gem.
1998
Trapiche Malbec
$ (11.99)
(I decided to post
this pretentious review first and then explain below.) I was reading a book that listed the language of wine and
thought I would throw in a few words to make me sound more sophisticated.
As you can see, awkward is more like it.
Below I will define the words that I tried to use in the review:
Closed
- Wine whose smell and flavor are hard to discern
Nose
- A wine's smell, including both its aroma and its bouquet
Aroma
- Describes fresh, grapey smells of a young unbottled wine
Bouquet
- The smell of a wine maturing in the bottle. Can also refer to
the smell of wine generally
Dilue
- Wine lacking concentration because of over cropping or a rainy harvest
Feminin
- Delicate, light wine
Flabby
- Wine lacking acidity, which will further deteriorate over time
Short
- Describes a wine whose flavor fades fast
Friand
- Wine, of any age, with good fruity balance of ripeness and acidity.
So
there you have it, a small set of wine words-of-the-day that you could now work
into your conversations to impress the hell out of your beer-drinking friends,
not to be confused with friand. Unfortunately
for me, I probably will never use any of those words again. That’s what separates me from the real wine reviewers up
and down the Internet and in bookstores and on T.V.
Oh well, I guess I better keep the day job.
1992
Gallo Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon
$ (11.00)
1998
Cline Ancient Vines Mourvedre $ (15.99)
I found this wine to be a wonderful olfactory sensation.
From the time I uncorked this wine, there was a cornucopia of aromas
wafting in the glass. As I smelled the cork, a strong cinnamon scent struck me.
As I swirled the glass, burnt wood, vanilla and a dried summer grass
scent came to mind. A spice rack,
with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, a song all ran through my head. I was
captured by the scent and spent a great deal of time just swirling the glass and
smelling the explosion of great scents. I
even smelled the scent of evergreen. Then
I tasted this, and I was lost. It
did not have length and the dark cherry flavor was a bit thin.
I can understand how this grape adds depth to the Rhone blend, but as a
stand alone, I was not that impressed.
12/12/00
I begin today’s notes with a confession. I feel guilty calling today’s writing Winings. Today, my fellow winos and winettes, was a wine day. Many a time, people have said to me, “WinoBob, it’s the little things in life that count, now go read pages 3-6 in See Spot Run.” Yes, Mrs. Prindle, God rest her soul, knew from first grade that I would eventually grow into her nickname for me, WinoBob. As that fat critic, Wino John, has told you, we do this for the love and not the money, since there is no money.
I came back to my office this afternoon and found two,
two?; interesting wine items for today. First
and foremost, do not even question Wino John’s statements regarding the
connection with technology and winos like us.
Today, my bible, the Wall Street Journal, had a front page story on the
cottage industry of small vineyards in Silicon Valley owned by those that have
helped you get on the internet faster, find porn in Technicolor and watch clips
of Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee. Oh,
like I’m the only loser on those sites! I see the hit counters, it’s
not just me. Sorry, anyway, yes,
the Gobs of cash that techno geeks have made with this computer technology have
them planting vines around their palatial estates because of their connection to
wine. Wino John could have
submitted his introduction page to the WSJ and been ahead of those credible
journalists. Unfortunately, they
read the part where Wino John just makes shit up and they figured they had to do
some research.
Then, out of the goodness of her heart and the love of a
great boss, my office manager gave me a small book called, “Wine Spectator’s
Little Book of Wine”. This was a
most thoughtful gift, though she only spent $4.95, which leads me to believe
it’s not the gift but the thought that counts.
And if I may quote from a page that beautifully transitions into my third
wine moment for today: “Every serious
wine lover becomes a wine taster at some point.
To fully appreciate wine, you need to learn to taste it, not just drink
it.” - Marvin R. Shanken. Admittedly,
I don’t know who Mr. Shanken is but anyone who uses his or her middle initial
must be important.
As some nights find me aimlessly roaming Northern NJ
seeking warmth and shelter for the night, I wandered into a land of wine utopia,
where I sat and ordered a glass of Pinot Noir.
Yes, yes, I know you are questioning my wits at this point. You must be asking, "WinoBob, were you cold and
delirious at this point? Had hypothermia caused you to lose your way to
the nectar of the Gods, those deep, rich Rhone’s you love so much?"
Then, out of this bright white light, I heard a voice that said, "Come
back. You must come back. And there before me was a Petite Sirah,
bolder, firmer, and deeper in intensity. I
shook my head and wiped my eyes, but still could not make out the figure with
this golden halo and wings of pure white. As
I felt my body warming and my head clear, another glass was served before me,
which snatched me from the throws of Pinot Noir and jolted me back to the grape
I pray to. This savior in white
robes was no other than Joe the Wine Guy and he brought me back with a Shiraz
whose weightiness pressed my tongue to the floor of my mouth and whose aroma
reminded me of the heavy, hazy late August summer days in NJ, where the humidity
is so high you can chew the air. This
Shiraz carried that full-bodied, heavy cream weight and rich deep flavor.
I was myself again, awakened by the mother’s milk that my thinned blood
needed to survive in the arctic climate hitting NJ at this time.
1998
Ramsey Pinot Noir $ (14.00)
Not being a Pinot Noir guy, this wine started off very acidic, but after
oxidation, this wine softened and drank fine. Not very fruitful, not much
on the finish.
1998 Pedroncelli Petite Sirah
$ (15.00)
This was
a wine that is very hard to find in NJ, but I had the pleasure to taste.
This has a good nose with solid fruit and a smooth finish.
Enjoy this one with a friend over dinner.
A good value wine.
1997
Chateau Tahbilk Shiraz $ (13.00)
I went to the Language
of Wine section and these words fit this wine well: meaty, animal, voluptuous.
This wine had weight and density and texture and chewiness. This is a Rhone lover’s wine.
Smokey leather and blackberry fruit gave this wine its structure.
Find this wine, drink this wine, it won’t disappoint.
1997
Pepi Two Heart Sangiovese $ (14.00)
This fruity little firecracker wine has soft tannins and a load of black cherry
flavor. This wine comes from the
heart of Oakville, California and is silky smooth.
Good value wine.
12/8/00
Winos and Winettes, if you are like me, heaven forbid, you have read all
the recommendations regarding starting your wine cellar.
The experts have these pie charts and bar graphs that tell you what type
of wine to start your cellar with.
Recommendations talk about per cent by regions, per cent by price
point… One cellar plan I read said we should start with a $2,000 to
$3,000 investment which will enable you to purchase 12 to 15 cases of wine in
the $15 to $20 price range. These are wines that will be consumed within 3-5
years. Hell,
3-5 years, that’s 3-5 months at the rate I’m going.
Did you get all that?
Then the above average
plan talks about a $10,000 investment, which is an additional 25 cases of
wine and needs 5-10 years (hell I may be dead by then).
These wines sell between $30 to $40 range.
Finally, for the BIG SPENDERS amongst us, and you know who you are, buy
the big wines that need 20-30 years napping in the cave.
Make
sure you have claret style wines, big Rhone Reds, wimpy fleshy reds, hearty
whites and dessert wines and ports.
Can
you tell I have been watching a lot of MSNBC, making sure I lay the foundation
of my argument before the Supreme Court? Two
years ago, when I realized I wanted the social lubricant at my finger tips, I
went to the stores, chart and calculator in hand, dividing the price by style,
multiplying by the region and betting $20 on Red, so let it ride.
As the wine clerk snickered at my 15 dollars selections, my ego began
guiding my hand to show this twenty-something stock boy that I had money to
start my cellar. Without a true
plan, I went down the top ten list like Casey Kasem on a Sunday morning, packed
my car up and headed home. After the dust settled and the reality of the investment set
in, I quickly segregated the drink 'em now from the hold 'ems.
This is the long story of how last night with dinner I enjoyed
14-year-old California Cabernet that still has me holding my bladder so as not
to let any of this fine wine out before the rental price made it a frivolous
purchase.
1986
Caymus Special Selection $$$$$$$$$(235.00)
This,
my friends, is a beautiful wine. With that said, I am going to lay it on
the line. I
will not spend that amount of money on a bottle of wine again.
This wine needs a large amount of time for the air to let it unfold.
I swirled and swirled and swirled to untie the tannins and bring the
fruit to its berry best.
Glass one was tough, but this dropped all pretence during the second
glass and brought out a deliciously full-bodied Cabernet that lives at the top
of the food chain.
However, the cost of this is far beyond what the rest of my cellar
contains. This
is a once in a lifetime wine, the apex of California’s Cabernet.
12/5/00
Yes someone was nice enough to respond to my Thanksgiving question, though it’s December 5th. Maybe the wine has just worn off. I submit for your approval, the first, the only to date, viewer feedback. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Hi
there WinoBob. First off, let me tell you that as someone who sees
Anyway, Thanksgiving day wine feedback - I, like you, was searching everywhere to see what I was supposed to be serving with a big turkey and stuffing meal. Someone told me that it doesn't matter because nothing goes with that meal. This wouldn't do, so I trudged on. I heard about Beaujolais, Riesling, chenin blanc and pinot noir. To each his own, I suppose.
We finally decided to have a Riesling with all of our apps and into the meal. About the time the turkey hit the table, we moved on to an Oregon Pinot Noir and it seemed to work OK. Neither were spectacular with the turkey but here is the key to wine on Thanksgiving........Just serve enough so that you are so bombed that it doesn't really matter what you are eating or drinking.
Have
a good holiday season and I look forward to more updates and reviews!
12/04/00
I have been thinking a great deal about Wino Wally. Sorry, I mean I have been thinking a lot about the passion Wino Wally has for wine and golf. And, I have been thinking about the movie Night Shift. Did I tell you I invented the first wine by a golfer; but they already had it. Note to self; call Caymus, "Feed the wine to the golfer…"
This weekend I was out to dinner with friends and had a
superbly prepared peppercorn ostrich in a mushroom reduction sauce, a special on
the menu at Bacchus.
The other couple we were with are golf enthusiasts, so we found on the
wine list a bottle of wine by the Great White Shark, Greg Norman.
Since he hails from the land down under, I had to try his Shiraz.
1998
Greg Norman Estates Limestone Coast Shiraz $ (15.00)
I
come from the land down under, and I am a big bold Red Grape that is not for the
light-hearted. This is a
collaboration of the Golfing Great and the Mildara Blass Winery.
My understanding is that Greg tasted his way from east to west to
discover the “best” wine in Aussieland.
This wine showed good potential, it took a while for the fruit to come
forward. I would let this open in
the glass for a while before I tried this on, otherwise brace yourself for the
tannin rush that presents itself at first.
11/26/00
1998
Penfold Bin 2 $ (9.99)
Since
I could not get the Cline Mourvedre, I found this blend which is 75% Shiraz and
25% Mourvedre. This is a big, bold,
deep ruby wine with a strong aroma that makes your mouth water as you sniff the
glass. The weight of this
full-bodied wine presses your tongue to the floor of your mouth. The downer for this wine is that it’s tannins push out the
flavor and leave you smacking your lips searching for saliva. This wine, I hope, with bottle age will cause the Rhone
lovers in us to salute. Buy it, at
9.99, buy a case and see what it yields next year.
That is what I am doing.
11/25/00
The beauty of life is that we learn something new everyday. Though some days, my stubbornness overpowers the lesson of the day.
Feeling compelled to try the Mourvedre (Moor-ved’r) that WinoDean recommended, I stopped into several local wine shops. As I researched this grape, it seems that Cline controls about 90% of the 300 acres planted in California and not one of my local shops had a bottle. I am still in search.
The interesting discovery I made, and forgive me for taking so long to
find this out, was a bottle of Chile’s grape.
"What? Chile’s grape?"
you say.
Yes, like Zinfandel is to California, Tempranillo is to Spain, Shiraz is
to Australia, and Pinotage is to South Africa, Carmenere is to Chile.
As I read up on this grape, it seems that it once held high honors in
Bordeaux back in the 1800’s and survived the blights in 1890 in the remote
area of Chile.
Bordeaux replanted the heartiest of the vines and moved forward with
Merlot and Cabernet.
But for the grace of God, the Casablanca Valley of Chile stuck with
Carmenere.
Today, carmenere is flourishing in Chile as a varietal, no longer blended
and no longer confused with the Cabernet or Merlot grape.
So as any good student, I became a participant in my education by
purchasing this bottle of wine and drinking it.
1998
Primus Veramonte $ (20.00)
Wow,
this wine pours out blurple (that’s black and purple).
It is thick and full like a blackberry brandy.
I have never seen a wine so dark. The
aroma was very fruity and did remind me of a lightly oaked cabernet.
The first taste of this wine was wound tighter than the rubber band on my
balsa wood airplane, but time allowed this to reveal its beauty.
Full-Bodied Red winos, find this grape.
This wine will coat your mouth and teeth and throat with thick syrupy
nectar that dances between a Merlot and Cabernet with rich intense fruit and
tannins that greet you but do not stay to ruin the party.
This wine is 85% Carmenere and 15% Cabernet and should be on your list
for BIG RED WINES. Do not serve
this to the Pinot Noir fans, they will ask you for a steak knife to cut through
this wine so they can chew it into the tiny portions they are used to.
Pour it an hour or two before serving and tell your guests to buckle up
in your dining room chairs. Red wine, not for the faint of heart.
1998
Giovanni Viberti Barolo ?$ (It was served
at a friend’s house)
I
must confess, this wine followed the Primus and my pallet was still coated from
the tar-like nectar from the bottom of the bottle. Barolo wines are the big, bold Nebbiolos that fetch top
dollars next to the Super Tuscans; yet this wine took a long time to develop.
Faint at heart with not much of an exciting finish left this wine
disappointing to me. To be totally
fair, I will follow up with a tasting of this wine at the start of my evening so
I can judge it on its own merits and not have the memory of a bolder wine in the
forefront of my mind.
1998
Ca Del Solo Big House Red $ (9.99)
The
label on the back of the bottle amused me enough to purchase this wine.
The ransom-style lettering reminded me a Patty Hearst letter home.
More intriguing is the variety of grapes used to concoct this wine.
Listed like an all-you-can-eat $3.99 buffet at a Vegas Casino, this wine
has "sangiovese, carignane, zinfandel, Mourvedre, voldiguie, barberre and
too many others to mention".
Awaiting a chewy, full-bodied red, this wine didn’t do it for me at
all. I
will stick with the dominant grape, since they make great wine and great wine is
made from dominant grapes.
1998
Parallel 45 Cote-du-Rhone $ (7.99)
A great value wine that does have the chewiness and body one wants from their
Rhones, even if that one is me.
The wine, for the price, is a good solid red that the majority will
enjoy. I
got spice, I got body, I got the aroma of my humidor and the wine was good, too.
Keep bottles of this on hand and you won’t go broke as your friends
come over to drink you dry.
Drink this for fun, no heavy client meetings, just Friday night with
friends.
Who invented French? If I believe the Discovery Channel, the human race began on the continent of Africa. We left the trees, learned to walk upright, and sought vacations in the northern land mass. From this migration, life has become what we know of it today. As part of this development, we moved from pointing and grunting to clicking and clucking sounds that became a verbal communication pattern. As the vacationing caveman found new areas, they developed nuances for these clucks and clicks that became words. Then, thank God, Webster came along and made things easier to understand by writing every word in a book in an order that made sense. (I know all you linguists are screaming at me right now because I skipped ahead so quickly). Remember, this is not a thesis, just my wino thoughts, so sit back, sip your wine and follow me on this one.
Having
read the dictionary, I now have read every novel written, I just have to
unscramble it. I digress, now this
is where I have the question of who invented the French language.
As I remember my own development, born in 1960, as I went through school,
they made us use this method called inventive spelling.
Being a practical kind of guy, I would write stories using inventive
spelling with sentences like this: “ The butifull red rose bush lined the way
to the manshun.” Economy of
letters to get the thought across was my aim, since I was graded on the ability
to convey my ideas and not the technicalities of the spelling.
So you can imagine the sheer panic I face in reading a French wine label
and writing, half sauced, about wine from the Mecca of this vice I love so much.
Did some chucking French caveman send his tongue into somersaults to
develop the words Nouveau Beaujolais? Did
he get paid by the letter or was he playing scrabble and wanted to be the Al
Gore of the class? Let me see, I
have seven letters a,e,o,u,u,v,n. Can
I spell something nu? Hell, that is
only 5 points. Let me think, boy this shato LaFeet is great, just another
sip, hey what a minute, look, N-O-U-V-E-A-U.
What? That is not a word! Take that off the board. No,
it is a new word, meaning…. “NEW”. There,
22 points, I win. Go back to Bocastle and crush grapes……
As
you can see, I have had some wine today and wanted to share my thoughts after
these French wines and, lest you think I sip and spit, the above should prove I
drink my wine.
2000
George Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau $ (6.88)
I
selected this wine since George is credited with saving the Beaujolais business
in the 1960’s from the fate of mere jug wine.
This wine delivered a light, raspberry aroma, but high acidity on the
pallet that killed any fruit flavor. Has
this year’s crop lived up to the criticism of the snobs that nouveau is rushed
to market in haste to line the pockets of the winery owners?
The strong alcohol scent lead me to believe that cellaring this
Beaujolais will reap a more enjoyable wine in the future.
1996
Louis Latour Chassagne-Montrachet $$ (30.00)
Selecting from a region that has a reputation for great whites, full of
flavor, was a complement to my turkey dinner.
This wine gave me a scent of toasted marshmallows and caramel.
The wine was full and creamy, but had a bit more acid than fruit for
making this a great wine. The
mineral flavors over-powered the richness of the chardonnay grape.
Good, but not great, as a complement to dinner. Maybe I am just a red wine guy.
Question
of the Day
What
wine do you serve at Thanksgiving. I
watched a segment on TV this morning where some “expert” was telling me what
wine I should serve with the turkey. He
suggested the following: Albrino, Riesling, Zinfandel, Chianti, or a Sparkling
wine.
11/19/00
BACCHUS,
the God of wine has been brought to life in a
restaurant in Northern NJ.
Last night I dined at Bacchus
Chop House and Wine Bar, on Passaic Ave. in Fairfield, NJ.
This newly opened eatery caught my eye with their Bacchus fountain and
wine-friendly message on their sign.
Over
dinner I got to chat with Joe Iurato, the sommelier, about their wine offerings
and future plans for those of us who go to places to eat the food but love the
wine. Joe has set up a program to
encourage experimentation into new wines with their wine-by-the-glass selection.
Larger than most restaurants in the area, they will change the selections
frequently to attract you to their cellar.
They have a good selection of reds, though I told him- MORE Rhones…
The
most exciting aspect of this new restaurant is the tasting and wine class program Joe
is designing. They have a room
designed for cooking and wine pairing classes that will be scheduled in the near
future. I will post those schedules
when they become available. Good luck
Joe, you have brought the winos of North Jersey a unique experience.
As
you can see, I haven’t even mentioned the food… the NY strip, medium rare
with the house special Bacchus sauce; a spicy barbecue base was the perfect
compliment to my syrah.
Now
back to the wine. I did not get the
chance to walk in the wine cellar so I mention this with a caution, from what I
saw and heard, most of the wine is from vintages 1996 to the present.
I will correct this if this is not the case.
The only other comment I will make is that the pricing structure on some
of the lower end wines was a bit high.
Make
reservations, this place was packed on a Saturday night.
1998
Liberty School Cabernet
$ (22.00)
Still
tightly wrapped in the bottle, this cab was harsh and tannic, which totally
overrode the fruit. Half way
through, this wine showed signs of the positive qualities of the grape that made me
order it. This needs plenty of
oxidation for enjoyment so open it, pour it, and let it breathe long before you plan on bringing
it to your lips.
1998
Stone Haven Shiraz $ (11.00)
If you see this wine, run away.
This is not a syrah with any of the flavors or aroma of a beautiful, full
bodied Rhone. This was an
imposture. I will try different wines for the good of the web site, but I do not
have to finish the glass.
J.
Lohr Syrah
$ (14.00)
This
was enjoyable as it opened up. A
strong syrah aroma had me sniffing my glass frequently.
Although, this wine did not have the length and back draft to keep me
interested in this as a "must have".
It’s OK to complement cheese and conversation on a light Saturday night, but it would
not pass my Lamb test. The spicy
meat quickly separates the boys from the men and Lamb would over rule this wine.
11/15/00
Listening to your comments, I have gotten the message. WinoBob, you have totally neglected the grape that the US of A has made famous. You have not been doing your job; you have tasted the minor Gewurztraminer but have nothing on the Zinfandel.
Now
for you beginners amongst us, Zinfandel is a red grape. Unfortunately Sutter
Home has molded many minds of mush into apoplectic twitching when they first
pour a Zinfandel and see that dark red color.
I admit up front that Zin’s are not deep in my knowledge bank so I
bought a few this weekends.
1997
Rombauer Zinfandel $$ (26.00)
This wine has a heady aroma and, as you will find out,
a kick-ass alcohol content. Soft,
spicy and smooth came immediately to mind.
This was full bodied but did not have the finish that I had hoped for
upon sniffing this beauty. The back
draft was tannic which stepped on the otherwise pleasant experience this wine
brought to my glass.
1997
Zebra Zin $ (18.00)
A medium-bodied harshness assaulted my mouth as I drank this wine.
A pleasant aroma was present as I lifted the glass to my nose, but the
drinking was not fun. I still have
a half-opened bottle at the house if anyone wants a taste.
I tried, but this is not one I would bring to friends.
11/11/00
Rhone Ranger, Rhonie, Rhonophile, call me any of those names and I will smile and graciously accept the compliment. I love wine from the South of France, but continually support the hearty band of US vintners who have been planting and promoting the varietals of The French Rhone Valley. To me, they have the full body and rich, dense red flavor that I look for in my wine. The grouping of grapes give depth from the time the wine first touches my tongue, to the back draft (for the firefighters in the audience). Back draft that forced bit of air that runs through your sinus cavity after swallowing. Back draft, the finish of the wine that tells me if this has length, or tannin or depth of fruit.
Well, last night, I had my second favorite California Rhone; only upon
my deathbed will I be able to crown my favorite of all time.
And yes, while drinking this, I did help keep the plant safe from flying
saucers. FLYING
SAUCERS- "what have you been smoking?", you ask.
Well this wine I enjoyed was named to honor the village Council of
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, who in 1954 passed an ordinance prohibiting the landing of
flying saucers or flying cigars in their vineyards.
The ordinance further stated that any flying saucer or flying cigar, if
landed would be immediately taken to the pound.
Thank God the ordinance is on the books and by my drinking the dark ruby
nectar, I continued the enforcement of protecting the vineyards from flying
saucers. No
thanks are necessary, I do this for the good of the website.
1997
Bonny Doon Vineyards Le Cigare Volant $$ (26.00)
From stem
to stern, or should I say from stem to juice, this luscious ruby-red nectar
could not hold one more grape in the bottle.
The blending of 40.2% Grenache, 39.5% Syrah, 13.6% Cinsault and 6.7%
Mourvedre is like a symphony on your pal