What does an Oenophile do at a beer fest? If you don't know...

Yesterday Hubby and I went to the 2011 Decatur Craft Beer Festival. Yep, craft beer, as in the only presence of the big advertisers was the Budweiser breathalyzer tent. Maybe they were trying to hint that their crappy beer wouldn't get you as drunk as the good stuff. I wasn't originally going to go after a miserable, freeze my butt off experience two years ago, but I figured hey, my beer palate has expanded, so why not? I wasn't disappointed.

I'll go ahead and get the complaining out of the way. No, it wasn't the drunk people that bothered me, but more the lack of water toward the end of the day (thank you to the volunteer who took pity on me and gave me his) and the cigar smoke. Seriously, Beer Fest, you had to have a cigar-seller there? I'm allergic to tobacco smoke, so I ended up with an instant headache and some other issues once the cigar smokers reached a critical enough mass it was hard to get away from them.

Okay, complaints over. I'm not a hop girl, although I do appreciate hop guys. Here's a picture of me with a couple of hop wranglers – check out the hoppy embroidery on the shirts. They were good sports. So was the Decatur policewoman who took the picture.


We mostly hung out with friends Dan Browning and his wife, famous violinist Kirsten Browning (who needs a web site to tout her wonderfulness). This was probably good for me, as they and Hubby encouraged me to try things I otherwise wouldn't.

My beer tastes run towards the malty rather than hoppy. Consequently, I'm more into Belgian-style than American style. Sometimes these parameters make things easy. India Pale Ale (IPA)? No, thank you. Dubbel, Trippel, or Quadruppel? Yes, please! Milk stout, uh… The ones I tried tended to be too bitter for me but would have been lovely with some ice cream. I suspect that other oenophiles who prefer wine over beer would also go for malty, which tends to be smoother. Think about hops as being like tannins: you want enough for structure, but too much, and the bitterness is overwhelming.

Note-taking on my cell phone got a little tricky as the festival went on, so I'll hit the highlights. Here are my awards for the day:

Best Hot Day Sipper: Highland Clawhammer Octoberfest. It was smooth, only hoppy on finish, and with sweet malt mid palate. After the random guys in lederhosen appeared, it seemed even more perfect. Oh, they weren't even the weirdest. One couple came dressed as good zombie angel ballerina, and bad zombie angel ballerina. They were both guys. I wonder if they thought the Little Five Points parade was going to leave from the Beer Fest? Although I was tempted, I did not ask them if they had new sympathy for the women in their lives after they went to the port-o-potties. Leotards can be a pain to get on and off in a confined space.

Biggest Surprise: Oskar Blues' Old Chub Scotch Ale. I thought I was going to hate it. The spot-on description on their web site says, "A head-turning treat for malt heads and folks who think they don’t dig dark beer." No, it wasn't a Belgian, but I could definitely drink it again with its malty, coffee, chocolate notes.

Hardest to tweet about after a few: North Coast Brewing's Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale. Yes, I liked it. Here is my note: "North Coast Brother Thrlonious lives up to Belgian abbey ale promise." I was doing well with my touch-screen, but having to spell Thelonious would probably be a good sobriety test. I also really liked their PranQster Belgian Style Golden Ale.


Weirdest Beer: New Belgium's lineup (the three I tried). Hubby thought I would like the Super Cru. I had mixed feelings. It had some very sour notes I didn't appreciate on their own but would have probably gone well with food. However, I did like New Belgium's dubbel-style Abbey Ale, which had a dominant first flavor of banana (weird, but good) and Trippel. Yes, it boggles me that a brewery named New Belgium only has a few beers I like.

Strange Potentially Religious Coincidence: I tried the He'Brew Genesis 15:15, a Barleywine, and the Lost Abbey 10 Commandments beer back-to-back. With the Genesis 15:15's 13.4% A.B.V., and the 10 Commandments' 9%, it's no wonder I was on the verge of a religious experience. No, I don't think there were any messages from the divine in there, but I found two beers I'd drink again.

Consistently Good Award: Unibroue I've loved Unibroue since I stumbled (not literally) upon them at a beer festival in San Francisco last year. I realize it wasn't very adventurous, but I cozied up to the table and enjoyed their Fin du Monde, Maudite, and Trois Pistoles. Since their A.B.V. (percentage of alcohol) across the three beers are 8-9%, that pretty much finished me for the day. I'm glad I saved them for last. This is a girly thing to say, but they also have the prettiest labels. This one's for the Trois Pistoles:



Beer geeks know that I.B.U. stands for International Bitterness Units. The threshold for being able to distinguish it is 90. From the web sites I could pull up, the I.B.U. of the beers I liked were 25 and below. Fellow oenophiles who dislike bitterness and like geekery may find this a good place to start. I dare you to ask the bartender what the I.B.U. of the beer he/she is pouring you is. The only one I know up to the task would be The Marlay House's Andrew, who educated me on I.B.U.'s and gave me the 90 I.B.U. taste threshold tidbit. That factoid won my team some beer at a trivia night.

So, is there a place for an oenophile at a beer fest? Definitely! It's a great place to hang with friends and try beers you'd never order. I found some that I want to try again, with food and without. You can take the oenophile away from the pairing...

By the way, I'm drinking Viognier today.

Test driving the new chef at Feast: Villa Maria Wine Dinner

When you buy a new car, you get to take a test drive with a hopeful salesman beside you. When you buy a house, you get to visit it with a hopeful realtor and have it inspected by a professional. But what about when one of your favorite restaurants gets a new chef?

Sure, you hope he or she has been thoroughly vetted by people you trust, but the consumer's test drive takes place over multiple visits. It takes time to see how a new chef handles beloved menu items, specials, and timing. We got to do our test drive of Feast's new Chef Rich Velazquez recently at the Villa Maria wine dinner, where we got a preview of his creativity and ability to handle dinner for twenty-five.

In spite of its Italian-sounding name, Villa Maria is actually a New Zealand winery. I wasn't disappointed – a cute winemaker with an accent is a cute winemaker with an accent, no matter where he's from, and Simon Fell is definitely that. Hubby and I hadn't tasted any of their wine before this night, and we were on the fence about the dinner until we saw the food menu. It got our attention better than a car dealer's jerking plastic giants ever could (srsly, what's up with those things?).

There were six courses, so I'll hit the highlights. This chef test drive was particularly effective because we got to see how he'd handle some potentially tricky food and wine pairings. For example, the first course was paired with the Cellar Selection Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand Sauv Blanc is known for its distinct bouquet, which can range from grassy to cat pee, and undertones that can get pretty odd to sensitive palates. This wine thankfully did not make me think of a litter box, but it did have a certain funkiness that some compared to ripe papaya, and tinned asparagus came to mind for me. Chef Velazquez opened the dinner with roasted cauliflower soup with butter poached lobster and chive oil. The food cut the funkiness and brought out the fruit. My only complaint was that I got two shell bits among the tender, sweet lobster.

My favorite course, and one that our end of the table was clamoring to be added to the menu, was the second one, diver scallops with white truffle mousseline, tomato fondue, leeks, and port wine. It was paired with the Single Vineyard Taylor's Pass Sauvignon Blanc. This wine was more crisp than the previous one, and the acidity played very well with the smooth texture and flavors of the scallops. I made a note that this course was "perfect," and I could have drunk the wine on its own.



The wine highlights for me were the reds. My favorite of the evening, the Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir, had some coffee on the nose, a lot of good fruit, and silky tannins. In other words, it was a BIG Pinot, and one that shows how New Zealand won this year's Pinot Smackdown. It went well with the fennel coriander lamb loin, kalamata olive and goat cheese farro, oyster mushrooms, and blueberry jus. Another highlight red was the Esk Valley Merlot/Cabernet/Malbec. The fruit in this Bordeaux blend tangoed with the spice of the dark coffee black peppercorn rib loin, horseradish, chive potato puree, asparagus, and rosemary jus.

One odd tasting note for those who like them… The Cellar Selection Marlborough Riesling tasted good and went well with the cheese course, but it had a bouquet of freshly opened pool toys.


The chef and kitchen had the good pacing we've come to expect from Feast, and we left impressed with his creativity. We look forward to returning for more wine dinners as well as to see how Chef Velazquez uses his Latin background to spruce up the menu for fall and winter. Overall, I would say the test drive was a success. I should've figured – owner Terry Rogers seemed more excited-hopeful than nervous-hopeful.

Oh, and the wine? Except for the first Sauv Blanc and maybe the Riesling, I would have drunk any of the ones poured on their own. I was particularly impressed with the reds. For me, a good wine goes well with food or by itself, and several of these satisfied this requirement. I'll be looking for Villa Maria on wine lists since their test drive was a success, too.

Fellow attendee and blogger Dan Browning about to dive in to the rib loin:



Disclaimer: We paid for everything, so I have nothing to disclose.

Metapost: Attention Ladies of Decatur (Georgia)!

Greetings, Ladies of Decatur!

Sorry to have disappeared this summer, but it was a little busy between work and vacations and post-vacation catch-up at work. Now that we've gotten back into the swing of the school year (if that applies to you), and you've probably had a hectic Labor Day weekend, it's time to par-tay without the significant others or little ones! I've been avoiding Leon's because it seems like it would be super crowded on a Friday evening, but I'm thinking that since the weather's supposed to be nice by then, we could try for a spot on the patio and dare each other to order some of Miles' creative cocktails. So, here are the details:


Date: Friday, September 9
Place: Leon's Full Service
Time: 6:00 p.m.

Please comment or tweet back at me so I know approximately how many to expect. I look forward to catching up with everyone!

Tasting Notes and Winery Reviews: Nelson County, Virginia

So, yeah, this is only about four weeks late, and that's being overly generous with myself. I've been doing a lot of thinking since the Wine Bloggers' Conference, and I got stuck in think mode rather than write mode. Oh, and there's that whole writer's block thing that's finally lifting. Before this year, I didn't believe in true writer's block, but I do now!

Hubby and I were on Bus Two, which went to the following Nelson County wineries: Flying Fox Vineyards, Cardinal Point Winery, and Afton Mountain Vineyards. When they were telling us where we were going, I at first thought it would be the critter tour, but Afton Mountain doesn't have an animal in the name. We later found out that Cardinal Point is not named for the bird (although they have a cardinal head as their logo), but for a military exercise. Flying Fox is named for the fox atop their weathervane, so it's not a true flying fox, either. Oh, well.

Several of the other inhabitants of Bus 2 have blogged about the wines themselves, so I'm going to talk more about visiting the tasting rooms. Yes, I realize we were in unusual circumstances, but I think it's telling how a place handles a big crowd. First, I'd like to point out evidence that, being one of the original thirteen colonies, Virginia has had plenty of time to perfect its lawyering, even to the point of making wine tasting sound like a potentially dangerous activity:



We started at Flying Fox Vineyards, which had set up its tiny tasting room to accommodate our group of twenty-ish. Although it was snug, it felt more cozy than claustrophobic, kind of like if I had an American grandmother with a winery, and she had the extended family over. I did feel bad for one non-blogger couple who showed up to taste. They seemed more bemused than annoyed, and they agreed to wait for the twenty minutes or so for us to finish the tasting. At some point, it occurred to me that we were those annoying bus people who drive around and crowd tasting rooms, but only temporarily.

Flying Fox had some lovely Viognier, but the highlight of the visit was the vertical Petit Verdot tasting. I found the 2006 and 2007 vintages to be a little tart. The 2008 seemed a little rough around the edges, but I liked it the best of the three. It would be great with barbecue.

At this point, I get to curse technology because I took my notes about Cardinal Point on my phone, and they're gone. I have no idea what happened to them, and of course it's been too long for me to remember specific wines. Lesson learned.

The tasting room at Cardinal Point looked familiar, so Hubby pulled up a blog post from our first visit to Virginia. We'd been there and to Afton Mountain but hadn't been impressed. I'm happy to say that both wineries have improved a lot since that first trip.

I do recall winemaker Tim Gorman bringing out a Cabernet that was almost old enough to drink itself but had more smoothness than most late adolescents. Almost as many pictures were taken of that bottle as of the cat Aubie (named for Aubaine, an alternate name for Chardonnay), who totally mugged for all the cameras:


Yes, the winery dogs and cat make a visit to Cardinal Point fun, but the wines make it worth it.

We ended the excursion at Afton Mountain Vineyards, which has great views from, well, everywhere. Owner Tony Smith met us at the barrel cave, where we escaped the heat and tasted the 2008 Tête de Cuvée, their sparkling. In 2010, the tasting room moved to a newer building further down the slope, and we ate a lunch provided by a local restaurant while looking over the vineyards and lake. Tony and his wife Elizabeth bought Afton Mountain after our first visit, and their enthusiasm for the wine and the land itself is evident. They admitted that the lifestyle of a winemaker is tough with all the uncertainty, even with their ideal growing location. Like the parents of a cranky toddler on a rough day, they smiled tiredly and said it's worth it.

The highlight for me was the 2009 Festa De Bacco, their super Tuscan.



Although I was originally annoyed that the excursion took me to two wineries I'd been before, I'm glad it did because it shows how dynamic the wine industry in emerging states can be. Cardinal Point has found its stride, and Afton Mountain, under its new owners, has become both more interesting and more welcoming. I would definitely like to return to all three of the wineries in the future.

Wine Bloggers' Conference: The Existential Aftermath & a Quiz

This is my fourth attempt at writing this blog post. Yes, it's been about a month since the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference, but I needed some time to gather my thoughts. I'm an introvert – we do that. Also, Hubby and I went on vacation the week after the conference, and I enjoyed a week of geeking out about American colonial history and North Carolina wine, all of which will make for good posts for both blogs. And then, after a record busy week at work, we went to the beach!

Hubby and I noted in the car on the way to Williamsburg from Charlottesville that we were left with a sense of negativity that hadn't been present during or after the previous conference in Walla Walla, our first. Over the weeks since the conference ended, I've seen a lot of complaints, both about the event and the complainers themselves. To respond, I've decided to take keynote speaker Jancis Robinson's advice to heart and try to bring my unique perspective to the topic.

To this point, I've been somewhat secretive about my profession in my social media life, not because I don't want my fellow oenophiles to know what I do, but because I was trying to keep my professions separate. However, with what amounts to almost three jobs, it's gotten impossible. So, I'll out myself here and do a longer post later on the new direction of the Random Oenophile blog.

Hi, my pen name is Cecilia Dominic, and I'm a psychologist. Yep, I'm a full-blown, over a decade of higher education, achievment junkie, Ph.D.-level helper of the depressed, anxious, and sleepless. I spend my days asking probing questions (but not literally probing – eww!) to help people clarify their thoughts, attitudes, and problems.

So this is where I'd planned to pose some of the probing questions I'd come up with, but really, who wants to read another thoughtful WBC11 post? Consequently, I've already decided to put aside the serious part of my profession and come up with a little women's magazine-style quiz to help you figure out what kind of wine bloggers' conference attendee you were: wino, oenophile, wineaux, or whino/drama queen?

1. When I heard the wine bloggers' conference would be in Virginia this year, I thought…
a. They make wine on the East Coast?
b. Yay! Something new and different.
c. I'll be able to score some good Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, and Viognier.
d. They make drinkable wine on the East Coast outside of New York?

2. The sponsors' reception on Friday was…
a. Lots of free wine.
b. A great chance to catch up with people and introduce myself to Twitter friends, and oh, crap, we were supposed to get lunch on our own???
c. A great chance to connect with industry people and score promises of samples.
d. A great chance to show off my tasting/slurping/spitting technique.

3. When I heard they'd continue with the Monticello reception in spite of the heat, I thought…
a. It'll be hot, but who cares? Free wine!
b. It'll be hot, but who cares? I get to drink wine at the house of the father of American wine. Cheers to you, T.J.!
c. It'll be hot, and I'm worried the wine won't show well.
d. What the hell are they thinking? It's never this hot where I'm from!

4. The relationship I have with the wine industry is…
a. Cordial. I hold out my glass, and they provide the filling.
b. Educated consumer.
c. Associated professional or wannabe associated professional.
d. My blog and opinions are so important that they bow to my whims.

5. The number of letters I have after my name is:
a. Who needs letters after their names to taste wine? I'm done with school!
b. Two or more, not wine-related.
c. Two or more, wine-related.
d. Sommelier counts as nine and an honorary doctorate.

6. I can't go wine tasting without my:
a. Woozie. They look cool.
b. Water and crackers.
c. Orange hipster glasses.
d. Foofy little dog.

7. To me, the number of sponsored events was…
a. Perfect. Free wine!
b. More than I would have cared for, but understandable considering they have to pay for the conference somehow. It's not supported by a professional organization, and registration fees are really low.
c. Just right. Show me the vino! I’m a thirsty catfish!
d. Excessive. Free wine, especially from the Southeast, can't really be that good.

8. My initial reaction to Eric Asimov's challenge to not write tasting notes was…
a. Good, I always skip them, anyway.
b. Relief. I always feel dirty when talking about mouthfeel.
c. Intrigue. Maybe we do need some different ways to talk about wine.
d. How can I sound like an expert if I can't reference flavors that most people have never had like cassis or lychee?



Scoring: Each (a) gets one point, (b) two points, (c) three points, and (d) four points. Add 'em up, and see where you fall below:

If you scored 8-12 points, you might be a virgin wine bloggers' conference attendee, or wino. Sure, you may have felt intimidated and over your head, but at this point, you're still flirting, and you can always go back to beer if you need to. You're also the person I 'm targeting on my blog, so please come back.

If you scored 13-20 points, you have gotten into wine, and you're in the first giddy stage of the relationship. You and wine have admitted you like each other, and now you're getting to know it. You're probably not comfortable with all the trappings and rituals like spitting, and you may snicker at the spitters behind their backs for wasting such wonderful stuff. You spend holidays hiding from family and friends who want wine recommendations because you're still low on confidence and afraid you'll screw up horribly with the wrong pairing. On the other hand, you've got enough of a knowledge base that you can really start looking into the parts that catch your interest, and you're not afraid to explore new regions or varietals.

If you scored 21-28 points, you're probably in the wineaux stage, and you've taken it to the next level. Yes, you and wine have moved in together or are talking seriously about it. Maybe you've gotten or are in hot pursuit of some wine-related letters after your name, and you might have even scored a job in the industry. You've started finding out the dark sides of being a wine lover, like maybe it squeezes the toothpaste from the middle or you spend holidays hiding from family and friends who want wine recommendations because it's starting to feel like a job.

If you scored 29-32 points, then you might be a whino/drama queen. Congratulations on your accomplishments, especially if you've made it all the way to sommelier level, but please try to remember that wine is just fermented grape juice, and everyone's taste is not yours. There is someone to love that little East Coast wine you snubbed for her uneducated accent, or "B" game, and let's not forget that hot weather makes for hot lovers. There has already been enough meta-whining (i.e., whining about the whining), so I'll just stop here.

Psychologist disclaimer: this quiz and its results have absolutely no psychometric properties, validation, reliability, or validity.

Please feel free to comment with your score or any other feedback!

Speed Blogging: Whites and Roses

Artesa Vineyards & Winery (CA): 2010 chardonnay, lightly oaked, tropical fruit, texture a little syrupy, $15-20 retail

Shindig White (Finger Lakes): 2010 vidal blanc/riesling blend, hint of stone fruit on nose, a bit acidic, crisp, $15.95 retail

Veritas (VA): 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, nice caramel overtones on back of the palate, good grapefruit and lime

Chateau Le Gay (Fr): 2009 Festival Rose, strawberry and orange, nice color, blend of merlot, cab sauv, and cab franc

Rodney Strong (Sonoma): Reserve Chardonnay, softer than the first chard, still oaky but ): good for a summer afternoon

Decibel (NZ): 2009 Sauv Blanc, very nice & crisp, a little green but not sheepy, great citrus w some pear

Afton Mountain (VA) 2008 Tete Cuvee sparkling, half chard half pinot noir, aggressive bubbles, but nice apple finish, $30 retail

Llano Estacado Winery (TX): 2009 Viviano, blend of Gewurtz, Riesling, Viognier, & Muscat Canelli, very floral with lychee

Barboursville Winery (Va): 2009 Viognier, tropical & citrus fruit, loved this one this morning & still like, $20-22 retail

Boxwood Winery (VA): 2010 rose, cab sauv & merlot, retail $14

Chateau Morrisette (VA) dry rose, buttery and a little funky, 100% Chambourcin

Tabarrini (Italy) 2008 Trebbiano Spoletino, honey & smoke (I might not have this one exactly right)

Testing: Can I do this on my Nook?

For those who follow my blog, you're in for a treat. Hubby and I are at the wine bloggers conference, and we'll be doing the live blogging today with whites and roses. Tune in today at 4:20!

And yes! I'll be using my Nook Color to post.