So here's the bottle of wine we opened tonight:
2005 Lange Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
For those who don't know, Open That Bottle Night is an occasion to open that special bottle of wine you've been saving. It happens toward the end of February, and we were technically a day late, but Hubby went to a hockey game last night, so we were a little delayed.
We bought this bottle in October, 2007 on our trip to the Pacific Northwest. Although Lange has pretty wide distribution, the stuff at the tasting room was really good, and we fell in love with this Pinot Noir. We've been saving it because it's a bit beyond our typical price point. The nose is of currant, dark cherry, and eucalyptus, and the palate has a bit of smoke with smooth tannin, dark fruit, and a little pepper on the very end of the finish. It's an incredibly elegant wine, and I'm glad we drank it tonight.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
California, Day 2: Napa
I started this blog post yesterday with a comment about how the weather was very similar to Napa with a high in the low 50's and rain showers. Yeah, that changed today at around lunch time when big, heavy snowflakes gradually replaced the rain. Now it looks like it should be January, not March. It's a good thing we have plenty of wine in the house.
We took off from Healdsburg on the morning of February 13 -- yes, Friday the 13th -- after a very hearty breakfast at the Camellia Inn, another one of those "we liked it so much we had to do it again" places from our previous trip. Breakfast was an egg casserole with a rich, creamy mushroom topping, yogurt berry parfaits, and fresh French bread. And coffee, lots of coffee, of course. Oh, yes, I was a happy woman. I'm a sucker for a good breakfast.
I volunteered to drive the first leg, which took us through Alexander Valley, where we did not stop and taste because it felt a little too early in the morning to drink wine yet. Then we went up near or through Robert Louis Stevenson State Park with the emphasis on "up" -- yes, there was snow at the top, so maybe this post is related to the weather after all. I'm so very glad we hadn't tasted anything yet because the road twisted and turned over the mountain, and I likely would have lost my lovely egg and mushroom casserole on the other side, especially if I hadn't been driving. As it was, I had to take a moment at our first stop and have a couple of crackers to settle my stomach.
Langtry Estate and Vineyards, named for late nineteenth-century British theater actress Lilly Langtry, who originally owned the property, is actually in the Guenoc Valley AVA of Lake County. The tasting room sits high on a hill overlooking some beautiful countryside and (surprise!) a lake:
The wines were pretty good, too, and we debated over purchasing one of their excellent Petite Sirahs, the 2005 Serpentine Meadow, I think (I was not good about taking notes this trip). However, we once again came up against price point; this one was $40.00. We're not stingy about wines, but we've been doing this long enough to know that you can find a great bottle for under $30 and really good bottles for under $20. Plus, when we've had expensive bottles of wine, we tend to save them for a really long time, and I just know we're going to lose one at some point. So, we saved those coveted spots in Bertha and moved on.
Side note: Last night was Open That Bottle Night. We'll be opening ours today. I'll let you stay in suspense as to what that fabulous bottle will be. It will be one of the nicer ones we brought back from the Pacific Northwest a couple of years ago.
Back on the road with Hubby driving this time, we headed back toward Napa through Pope Valley. Being in Napa made us a little rebellious. We didn't want to go to big, commercial wineries. Nor did we want to waste time at places that had wines we could get back home. So, Pope Valley Winery seemed to be a perfect stop. The tasting room is in a little shed-type building off the main winery, which was build at the turn of the nineteenth to twentieth centuries and dug out of the hillside by Chinese railroad workers. The son of the owner poured in the tasting room as the winemaker racked the wine next door. It felt rustic, classic, and miles away from the mass-production facilities that we would pass later that day. We came away with a bottle of their 2002 North Coast Zinfandel Port and a couple of pictures:
After another fun drive over a mountain, we arrived in St. Helena in time for a late lunch. Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen is a charming restaurant in downtown St. Helena with upscale but accessible "California cuisine." I had the Chinatown duck burger with housemade shiitake ketchup and fries, and Hubby had the soup of the day, Manhattan clam chowder. Kudos to Cindy because that was the best burger I've ever eaten.
Napa Valley is, as promised, a true valley with straight roads and lots of wineries and vineyards. We started our afternoon in the Carneros region at Madonna Estate, which I had heard of and was curious about. We lucked out and found that their reserve tasting room, where they have a display about the four generations of Bartolucci winemakers, was open. Their 2005 Dolcetto earned a spot in Bertha, and we liked everything else so much that we joined the wine club.
After that tasting, we drove into Napa itself and left our car and stuff at the Cedar Gables Inn. If the Camellia Inn was a charming house in the California countryside, the Cedar Gables Inn is a beautiful manor that could have been plucked from the English Countryside and plopped in downtown Napa. It's definitely one of the prettiest B&B's we've stayed at, and my inner Gothic writer loved the setting with its rich colors and dark wood.
The weather seemed to have chased most people out of downtown Napa because the streets were fairly deserted. Our first stop was the Ceja Vineyards tasting room (warning - web page has loud music), where we tasted some good wine but nothing spectacular. Then it was on to the joint tasting room of Trahan and Olabisi, two wineries that make less than a thousand cases per year. In Napa terms, that's tiny, not just small, scale, but quality definitely outshone quantity. The wines from both wineries were excellent. We enjoyed talking to Chuck Custodio, the owner and winemaker at Trahan and bought a bottle of his 2005 Suisun Valley Petite Verdot.
By dinnertime, downtown Napa had come alive. We ate at Ristorante Allegria. I had an Insalata Mista and the Pappardelle Allo Zafferano, which is pasta with shrimp, artichoke hearts, wild mushrooms, and tossed with shrimp bisque. Everything was fresh and very good.
Next stop: Lodi
We took off from Healdsburg on the morning of February 13 -- yes, Friday the 13th -- after a very hearty breakfast at the Camellia Inn, another one of those "we liked it so much we had to do it again" places from our previous trip. Breakfast was an egg casserole with a rich, creamy mushroom topping, yogurt berry parfaits, and fresh French bread. And coffee, lots of coffee, of course. Oh, yes, I was a happy woman. I'm a sucker for a good breakfast.
I volunteered to drive the first leg, which took us through Alexander Valley, where we did not stop and taste because it felt a little too early in the morning to drink wine yet. Then we went up near or through Robert Louis Stevenson State Park with the emphasis on "up" -- yes, there was snow at the top, so maybe this post is related to the weather after all. I'm so very glad we hadn't tasted anything yet because the road twisted and turned over the mountain, and I likely would have lost my lovely egg and mushroom casserole on the other side, especially if I hadn't been driving. As it was, I had to take a moment at our first stop and have a couple of crackers to settle my stomach.
Langtry Estate and Vineyards, named for late nineteenth-century British theater actress Lilly Langtry, who originally owned the property, is actually in the Guenoc Valley AVA of Lake County. The tasting room sits high on a hill overlooking some beautiful countryside and (surprise!) a lake:
The wines were pretty good, too, and we debated over purchasing one of their excellent Petite Sirahs, the 2005 Serpentine Meadow, I think (I was not good about taking notes this trip). However, we once again came up against price point; this one was $40.00. We're not stingy about wines, but we've been doing this long enough to know that you can find a great bottle for under $30 and really good bottles for under $20. Plus, when we've had expensive bottles of wine, we tend to save them for a really long time, and I just know we're going to lose one at some point. So, we saved those coveted spots in Bertha and moved on.
Side note: Last night was Open That Bottle Night. We'll be opening ours today. I'll let you stay in suspense as to what that fabulous bottle will be. It will be one of the nicer ones we brought back from the Pacific Northwest a couple of years ago.
Back on the road with Hubby driving this time, we headed back toward Napa through Pope Valley. Being in Napa made us a little rebellious. We didn't want to go to big, commercial wineries. Nor did we want to waste time at places that had wines we could get back home. So, Pope Valley Winery seemed to be a perfect stop. The tasting room is in a little shed-type building off the main winery, which was build at the turn of the nineteenth to twentieth centuries and dug out of the hillside by Chinese railroad workers. The son of the owner poured in the tasting room as the winemaker racked the wine next door. It felt rustic, classic, and miles away from the mass-production facilities that we would pass later that day. We came away with a bottle of their 2002 North Coast Zinfandel Port and a couple of pictures:
After another fun drive over a mountain, we arrived in St. Helena in time for a late lunch. Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen is a charming restaurant in downtown St. Helena with upscale but accessible "California cuisine." I had the Chinatown duck burger with housemade shiitake ketchup and fries, and Hubby had the soup of the day, Manhattan clam chowder. Kudos to Cindy because that was the best burger I've ever eaten.
Napa Valley is, as promised, a true valley with straight roads and lots of wineries and vineyards. We started our afternoon in the Carneros region at Madonna Estate, which I had heard of and was curious about. We lucked out and found that their reserve tasting room, where they have a display about the four generations of Bartolucci winemakers, was open. Their 2005 Dolcetto earned a spot in Bertha, and we liked everything else so much that we joined the wine club.
After that tasting, we drove into Napa itself and left our car and stuff at the Cedar Gables Inn. If the Camellia Inn was a charming house in the California countryside, the Cedar Gables Inn is a beautiful manor that could have been plucked from the English Countryside and plopped in downtown Napa. It's definitely one of the prettiest B&B's we've stayed at, and my inner Gothic writer loved the setting with its rich colors and dark wood.
The weather seemed to have chased most people out of downtown Napa because the streets were fairly deserted. Our first stop was the Ceja Vineyards tasting room (warning - web page has loud music), where we tasted some good wine but nothing spectacular. Then it was on to the joint tasting room of Trahan and Olabisi, two wineries that make less than a thousand cases per year. In Napa terms, that's tiny, not just small, scale, but quality definitely outshone quantity. The wines from both wineries were excellent. We enjoyed talking to Chuck Custodio, the owner and winemaker at Trahan and bought a bottle of his 2005 Suisun Valley Petite Verdot.
By dinnertime, downtown Napa had come alive. We ate at Ristorante Allegria. I had an Insalata Mista and the Pappardelle Allo Zafferano, which is pasta with shrimp, artichoke hearts, wild mushrooms, and tossed with shrimp bisque. Everything was fresh and very good.
Next stop: Lodi
Sunday, February 22, 2009
California, Day One: Sonoma
Hubby and I had been talking for the past year about taking a trip out to Lodi, which is a wine-growing region about 85 miles east and slightly north of San Francisco. All of the Lodi wines we'd tasted were big and fruity, our favorite kind. I had suspected that February would be slow, and Hubby had Monday, February 16 off, so we decided to take advantage of low air fares and flew from Atlanta to San Francisco on Wednesday, February 11. Lured by happy memories of Sonoma wines, we decided to go to Healdsburg on Thursday, to Napa on Friday, and then end up in Lodi for the Wine and Chocolate Festival over Valentine's weekend.
Wine tasting during the off-season was an interesting experience. Disadvantages included the inconsistent weather. I wished several times that I had brought a warmer jacket as the wind whipped the rain at me and speckled my glasses under my hood or umbrella. On the other hand, with harvest and bottling over, many of the winemakers were around and willing to chat, and we got behind-the-scenes tours of a few places. We also didn't have to fight the crowds, at least not until we got to the festival in Lodi.
On our way into Healdsburg, we stopped at J Winery, which we had been very impressed with on our first visit in 2005. We had wanted to join their wine club then, but since they had a distributor (you can get their sparkling wine here), we were unable to. We took advantage of the laws having been loosened and signed up. Our favorite was probably the 2005 Pinot Noir from the Robert Thomas vineyard, which was smooth and nicely balanced between earth and fruit. Yeah, it's $65 a bottle. No, we didn't get any since space in Bertha the wine safe (see bottom of blog) is limited, and we didn't want to kick off the trip with such an expensive bottle.
We checked into our B&B, had a good lunch at the Healdsburg Bar & Grill, and continued our tasting with a visit to the Selby tasting room (web site is down, so link not provided). We already belong to Selby's wine club but couldn't resist a bottle of their Dolcetto. I'm afraid I can't give a vintage year since that one didn't make it back with us.
Then it was up West Dry Creek Road to taste in Dry Creek Valley, which we had not made it to on our previous visit. The highlights were Wilson Winery, where we got a bottle of their 2005 Bordeaux Blend (37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 28% Cab Franc), and then Unti Vineyards, where we had to make an appointment, but which was worth it. We came away from there with a bottle of 2006 Sangiovese blended with %15 Montepulciano and a recipe for Amatriciana sauce, which should go well with the Sangiovese blend with its smoky ("popcorn," Hubby said) nose and smooth underlying fruit. We ended the day back in Healdsburg at Longboard Vineyards, where we bought a bottle of 2006 Old Vine Carignan.
Our theme of revisiting favorites continued that evening as we went to Zin Restaurant and Wine Bar for dinner. We both elected to do the tasting menu -- as if we hadn't had enough wine, right? -- wherein wine was paired by the chef with the first and second courses. We both had mixed green salads for our first course, and then I had the "Blue Plate Special" of spaghetti and meatballs, and Hubby had chicken with mole sauce. The harried server only gave us a brief glimpse of the wine menu and what we were drinking, so I'm afraid I don't remember, only that we didn't finish it. Oh, and dessert was an incredible and decadent chocolate brownie sundae.
We stayed the night at the romantic Camellia Inn.
Wine tasting during the off-season was an interesting experience. Disadvantages included the inconsistent weather. I wished several times that I had brought a warmer jacket as the wind whipped the rain at me and speckled my glasses under my hood or umbrella. On the other hand, with harvest and bottling over, many of the winemakers were around and willing to chat, and we got behind-the-scenes tours of a few places. We also didn't have to fight the crowds, at least not until we got to the festival in Lodi.
On our way into Healdsburg, we stopped at J Winery, which we had been very impressed with on our first visit in 2005. We had wanted to join their wine club then, but since they had a distributor (you can get their sparkling wine here), we were unable to. We took advantage of the laws having been loosened and signed up. Our favorite was probably the 2005 Pinot Noir from the Robert Thomas vineyard, which was smooth and nicely balanced between earth and fruit. Yeah, it's $65 a bottle. No, we didn't get any since space in Bertha the wine safe (see bottom of blog) is limited, and we didn't want to kick off the trip with such an expensive bottle.
We checked into our B&B, had a good lunch at the Healdsburg Bar & Grill, and continued our tasting with a visit to the Selby tasting room (web site is down, so link not provided). We already belong to Selby's wine club but couldn't resist a bottle of their Dolcetto. I'm afraid I can't give a vintage year since that one didn't make it back with us.
Then it was up West Dry Creek Road to taste in Dry Creek Valley, which we had not made it to on our previous visit. The highlights were Wilson Winery, where we got a bottle of their 2005 Bordeaux Blend (37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 28% Cab Franc), and then Unti Vineyards, where we had to make an appointment, but which was worth it. We came away from there with a bottle of 2006 Sangiovese blended with %15 Montepulciano and a recipe for Amatriciana sauce, which should go well with the Sangiovese blend with its smoky ("popcorn," Hubby said) nose and smooth underlying fruit. We ended the day back in Healdsburg at Longboard Vineyards, where we bought a bottle of 2006 Old Vine Carignan.
Our theme of revisiting favorites continued that evening as we went to Zin Restaurant and Wine Bar for dinner. We both elected to do the tasting menu -- as if we hadn't had enough wine, right? -- wherein wine was paired by the chef with the first and second courses. We both had mixed green salads for our first course, and then I had the "Blue Plate Special" of spaghetti and meatballs, and Hubby had chicken with mole sauce. The harried server only gave us a brief glimpse of the wine menu and what we were drinking, so I'm afraid I don't remember, only that we didn't finish it. Oh, and dessert was an incredible and decadent chocolate brownie sundae.
We stayed the night at the romantic Camellia Inn.
Metapost: What I did on my winter non-vacation...
I'd thought about writing a long, drawn-out explanation for why I've disappeared over the past two months, but I'd rather focus on the present and future, so I'll give you a brief overview:
Last September: Started business
Last October: Went on vacation to Belgium for family reunion
Last November: Put lots of time and energy into marketing
Last December: Business picked up - marketing worked?
In January: Still busy, got writing bug again
This month: Still busy with business and writing, but took a big hit with contract work and found February healthcare slump. Sulked a bit. Went on vacation.
Now, back to blogging. Why? Three reasons. First, I enjoy it. Second, I've let my life become unbalanced with putting so much time and energy into my practice. I notice a psychological heaviness when I'm not giving adequate acknowledgment to my creative side. This is important, especially since I'm genetically susceptible to workaholism (that's my story, anyway). Third, I have the ambition of being the invited guest for the "Not My Job" segment on the NPR quiz show, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, with the eventual goal of becoming one of the panelists. Yes, that's a random desire, but I am the random oenophile.
Also, in order to be consistent with the goal of bringing more balance to all areas of my life, I'm going to branch out occasionally and talk about my writing as well as my drinking. They go hand in hand, right? I belong to a great writing group, but I know that there are others out there with similar struggles who love wine and food, so this blog will be more inclusive of them, too.
This seems like a good time to set out some goals for me and for the blog. Why now instead of January 1? My birthday is this week -- I'm still moving through my thirties -- so that's how I set my goal years. Plus, it feels like I give myself a little extra time, just like people who delude themselves by filing for tax extensions. The government is going to get the money either way.
I'm in a profession where I help people meet goals, so here are mine, in random order:
1. Drink more French and Italian wines. After we get through some of the California ones we brought back, of course.
2. Get 25 rejections, whether from short story publications or agents, by my birthday in 2010. Those not familiar with the writing world may be confused by this one. If you're not getting rejected, it means you're not sending stuff out, and everyone has to pay their dues. That's what all the writing publications say, anyway. I've finished two novels and a bunch of short stories. It's time to stop being shy and really try to get published. I'll admit that my efforts there have been halfhearted to this point.
3. Post to the blog at least once per week, hopefully twice. My tendonitis has gotten better since I'm not hauling a laptop around all day or working on the computer so much.
4. Finish the first draft of novel #3 by June 1. There. I have a deadline now.
5. Lose 15 pounds. What? We ate well in California. Okay, not 15 pounds well, but I've been intending to lose at least 12 for a while. Don't worry, this isn't going to turn into a Bridget Jones-type blog.
Up shortly: Wine, adventure, and chocolate in California
Last September: Started business
Last October: Went on vacation to Belgium for family reunion
Last November: Put lots of time and energy into marketing
Last December: Business picked up - marketing worked?
In January: Still busy, got writing bug again
This month: Still busy with business and writing, but took a big hit with contract work and found February healthcare slump. Sulked a bit. Went on vacation.
Now, back to blogging. Why? Three reasons. First, I enjoy it. Second, I've let my life become unbalanced with putting so much time and energy into my practice. I notice a psychological heaviness when I'm not giving adequate acknowledgment to my creative side. This is important, especially since I'm genetically susceptible to workaholism (that's my story, anyway). Third, I have the ambition of being the invited guest for the "Not My Job" segment on the NPR quiz show, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, with the eventual goal of becoming one of the panelists. Yes, that's a random desire, but I am the random oenophile.
Also, in order to be consistent with the goal of bringing more balance to all areas of my life, I'm going to branch out occasionally and talk about my writing as well as my drinking. They go hand in hand, right? I belong to a great writing group, but I know that there are others out there with similar struggles who love wine and food, so this blog will be more inclusive of them, too.
This seems like a good time to set out some goals for me and for the blog. Why now instead of January 1? My birthday is this week -- I'm still moving through my thirties -- so that's how I set my goal years. Plus, it feels like I give myself a little extra time, just like people who delude themselves by filing for tax extensions. The government is going to get the money either way.
I'm in a profession where I help people meet goals, so here are mine, in random order:
1. Drink more French and Italian wines. After we get through some of the California ones we brought back, of course.
2. Get 25 rejections, whether from short story publications or agents, by my birthday in 2010. Those not familiar with the writing world may be confused by this one. If you're not getting rejected, it means you're not sending stuff out, and everyone has to pay their dues. That's what all the writing publications say, anyway. I've finished two novels and a bunch of short stories. It's time to stop being shy and really try to get published. I'll admit that my efforts there have been halfhearted to this point.
3. Post to the blog at least once per week, hopefully twice. My tendonitis has gotten better since I'm not hauling a laptop around all day or working on the computer so much.
4. Finish the first draft of novel #3 by June 1. There. I have a deadline now.
5. Lose 15 pounds. What? We ate well in California. Okay, not 15 pounds well, but I've been intending to lose at least 12 for a while. Don't worry, this isn't going to turn into a Bridget Jones-type blog.
Up shortly: Wine, adventure, and chocolate in California
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Remembering better times...when it was actually warm outside!
People who live outside the Southeast are often surprised at how cold it can get in the winter. We've also been pretty dismayed at this year's turn of temperatures. My personal indicators of "when it gets cold" -- wearing my long wool/cashmere coat, having to bring the potted plants inside at night, putting flannel sheets on the bed -- have all come earlier than in the past.
I'm not complaining about the sheets or the coat, but I wonder if my poor plants are going to make it, especially since the basil got one whiff of the below-40 temperatures and promptly died in spite of having been moved into the warmer garage. I'd bring it inside the house, but I have gourmet felines, including one who will eat aromatic vegetables and herbs. I know that basil can successfully over-winter in a sunny spot inside because a former employer did just that with a plant I gave him. It even appeared dressed up as a Christmas tree in their family holiday photo!
Hubby, who is sitting behind me at his desk and checking his email, just told me, "Hilton wants us to visit Madison, Wisconsin!" My response was a prompt, "Hell, no!" I also don't want to hear about how we're wimps from people in the northern Midwest, who are already dealing with several feet of snow. As for the Northeast, well, they now see why everything shuts down at the mention of snow or ice; you just can't drive on ice, and it makes a huge mess.
With all this talk of cold temperatures and places, I think I'll turn my mind to a warmer time: November 1 and the Decatur Wine Festival. I promised Decatur Package Store's Herb that I would write about it; sorry it took so long! The Wine Fest wasn't so warm for him and the others who had to set up and tear down because it was a clear day, cold in the morning, and then up to the mid-seventies in the afternoon. Once the sun set, the temperature fell again.
Here's a quick description for those who aren't familiar with the Wine Fest. The event takes over the Decatur Square from the area behind the Old Courthouse (where the Bandstand is) to the part of the square on top of the MARTA station. This year there were fifty tables, each from a different winery or distributor, lined up around the edges of the designated area. Some distributors bring a lot of wines and have more than one table. Several Decatur restaurants also have tables where you can try items from their menus. Often they bring signature dishes; for example, Feast is usually out there with a big pot of their famous white chocolate bread pudding.
Of course it's impossible to taste every single wine. First, the festival is only three hours long. Second, a lot of tables start to run out toward the end of the day. Third, even if you have phenomenal tolerance, you've got to pace yourself. Hubby and I have a "two sip, three strike" rule: If the wine isn't good after two sips (two to allow for the interference of previous tastes), it gets poured. If you try three wines at a table and they all suck, move on.
I thought I got a good sampling, but I'm sure I missed some good ones. Also, I also only have names since vintages were not provided for most of the wines, and things moved too fast for me to get them. For the same reasons, my notes are briefer than usual. Wines listed without any comments were checked off, which means we drank them, but they were neither horrible nor fabulous, and they're likely worth another try without so many other things having crowded our palates.
Table 10: Firestone Vineyards
Firestone Select Chardonnay: drinks like a Verdejo.
Firestone Select Cabernet: light Cab
Firestone Select Riesling: sweet, but not too sweet
Tables 11-12: Banfi
Trivento Select Malbec: Ok
Casillero del Diablo Carmenere
Banfi Sauv Blanc/Chardonnay
Principessa Gavia Gavi: like water (no, I'm not sure what this means)
Banfi Rosa Regale: a great sparkling sweet wine; Hubby and I ran to the Feast table to pair it with the bread pudding, which went well with it
Table 14: Trinchero Family Estates
The Show Cabernet
Angoves Nine Vines Rose
Table 15: Old Bridge Cellars
D'Arry's Original: Shiraz/Grenache
Innocent Bystander Shiraz Viognier
Table 16: Prestige Wholesale:
Mark West Pinot Noir: Ok
Avalon Napa Cabernet
Van Ruiten Cab-Shiraz: Light & smooth
Van Ruiten Old Vine Zin: Got a star, which means we really liked it
Tables 17-19: Quality Wine & Spirits
Sawbuck Malbec
Ercavio White: Ok
Castano Rose: Ok
Oyster Bay Sauv. Blanc
Ciacci Piccolomini IGT: Got a smiley, so we really liked it
Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz: Bleh, smoky
D'Andezon Rhone
Table 20: Unique World Wines
Zolo Malbec
Wishing Tree Unoaked Chardonnay: Wants food
Nell Pinot Noir
Tables 21-22: Grapefields
El Coto Rioja
Astica Sauvignon Blanc
Campante Vina Reboreda
Tables 23-24: Catamarca Imports
Printhie Shiraz-Viognier
Reinares Tempranillo
Mercedes Eguren Shiraz-Tempranillo
Santos Beck Torrontes
Santos Beck Malbec
Santos Beck Gran Malbec
Table 25: New World Wines
Vinas de Balbo Rose
By the time we hit tables 26 and above, a lot of them were out, and the wines had been sitting out, so we tasted fewer of them.
Table 27: Pacific Southern
Kenwood Sonoma Cabernet
NO Sauvignon Blanc: um, No
Lake Sonoma Cabernet
Table 29: Diageo
B&G Bistro Pinot Noir
Archetype Shiraz
Table 30: Centera
Monkey Bay Rose
Table 36: Sherlock's
I have to give Warner and Darryl credit here. They were aware of the potentially deleterious effects of direct sunlight on red wine and made efforts to keep it at a drinkable temperature. Still, since I'd tried many of the wines before, I limited my time there.
Nicolis Amarone Classico: unsweet raisin
Table 37: Hemispheres
Centennial Bong Bong Shiraz
Icaria Creek Alexander Valley Cab
Table 47: Treana
Liberty School Cabernet
Westside Red, Rhone Blend
Treana Red Cabernet-Syrah
Here are some survival tips for the Wine Fest. I'll post them again when it's time for the next one.
First, start with the tables over the MARTA station. The wines, especially the reds, got hot by the end of the afternoon because the area is in full sun.
Second, bring a bottle of water and/or avail yourself of the ones there, if offered. Even though there are jugs with water at the table, it's not going to be enough to stay hydrated while drinking wine, especially if it's hot and dry outside.
I'll probably think of more between now and next November.
And the best news -- the weather forecast for Decatur has us going up to 70 on Wednesday! Just ignore the rain.
I'm not complaining about the sheets or the coat, but I wonder if my poor plants are going to make it, especially since the basil got one whiff of the below-40 temperatures and promptly died in spite of having been moved into the warmer garage. I'd bring it inside the house, but I have gourmet felines, including one who will eat aromatic vegetables and herbs. I know that basil can successfully over-winter in a sunny spot inside because a former employer did just that with a plant I gave him. It even appeared dressed up as a Christmas tree in their family holiday photo!
Hubby, who is sitting behind me at his desk and checking his email, just told me, "Hilton wants us to visit Madison, Wisconsin!" My response was a prompt, "Hell, no!" I also don't want to hear about how we're wimps from people in the northern Midwest, who are already dealing with several feet of snow. As for the Northeast, well, they now see why everything shuts down at the mention of snow or ice; you just can't drive on ice, and it makes a huge mess.
With all this talk of cold temperatures and places, I think I'll turn my mind to a warmer time: November 1 and the Decatur Wine Festival. I promised Decatur Package Store's Herb that I would write about it; sorry it took so long! The Wine Fest wasn't so warm for him and the others who had to set up and tear down because it was a clear day, cold in the morning, and then up to the mid-seventies in the afternoon. Once the sun set, the temperature fell again.
Here's a quick description for those who aren't familiar with the Wine Fest. The event takes over the Decatur Square from the area behind the Old Courthouse (where the Bandstand is) to the part of the square on top of the MARTA station. This year there were fifty tables, each from a different winery or distributor, lined up around the edges of the designated area. Some distributors bring a lot of wines and have more than one table. Several Decatur restaurants also have tables where you can try items from their menus. Often they bring signature dishes; for example, Feast is usually out there with a big pot of their famous white chocolate bread pudding.
Of course it's impossible to taste every single wine. First, the festival is only three hours long. Second, a lot of tables start to run out toward the end of the day. Third, even if you have phenomenal tolerance, you've got to pace yourself. Hubby and I have a "two sip, three strike" rule: If the wine isn't good after two sips (two to allow for the interference of previous tastes), it gets poured. If you try three wines at a table and they all suck, move on.
I thought I got a good sampling, but I'm sure I missed some good ones. Also, I also only have names since vintages were not provided for most of the wines, and things moved too fast for me to get them. For the same reasons, my notes are briefer than usual. Wines listed without any comments were checked off, which means we drank them, but they were neither horrible nor fabulous, and they're likely worth another try without so many other things having crowded our palates.
Table 10: Firestone Vineyards
Firestone Select Chardonnay: drinks like a Verdejo.
Firestone Select Cabernet: light Cab
Firestone Select Riesling: sweet, but not too sweet
Tables 11-12: Banfi
Trivento Select Malbec: Ok
Casillero del Diablo Carmenere
Banfi Sauv Blanc/Chardonnay
Principessa Gavia Gavi: like water (no, I'm not sure what this means)
Banfi Rosa Regale: a great sparkling sweet wine; Hubby and I ran to the Feast table to pair it with the bread pudding, which went well with it
Table 14: Trinchero Family Estates
The Show Cabernet
Angoves Nine Vines Rose
Table 15: Old Bridge Cellars
D'Arry's Original: Shiraz/Grenache
Innocent Bystander Shiraz Viognier
Table 16: Prestige Wholesale:
Mark West Pinot Noir: Ok
Avalon Napa Cabernet
Van Ruiten Cab-Shiraz: Light & smooth
Van Ruiten Old Vine Zin: Got a star, which means we really liked it
Tables 17-19: Quality Wine & Spirits
Sawbuck Malbec
Ercavio White: Ok
Castano Rose: Ok
Oyster Bay Sauv. Blanc
Ciacci Piccolomini IGT: Got a smiley, so we really liked it
Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz: Bleh, smoky
D'Andezon Rhone
Table 20: Unique World Wines
Zolo Malbec
Wishing Tree Unoaked Chardonnay: Wants food
Nell Pinot Noir
Tables 21-22: Grapefields
El Coto Rioja
Astica Sauvignon Blanc
Campante Vina Reboreda
Tables 23-24: Catamarca Imports
Printhie Shiraz-Viognier
Reinares Tempranillo
Mercedes Eguren Shiraz-Tempranillo
Santos Beck Torrontes
Santos Beck Malbec
Santos Beck Gran Malbec
Table 25: New World Wines
Vinas de Balbo Rose
By the time we hit tables 26 and above, a lot of them were out, and the wines had been sitting out, so we tasted fewer of them.
Table 27: Pacific Southern
Kenwood Sonoma Cabernet
NO Sauvignon Blanc: um, No
Lake Sonoma Cabernet
Table 29: Diageo
B&G Bistro Pinot Noir
Archetype Shiraz
Table 30: Centera
Monkey Bay Rose
Table 36: Sherlock's
I have to give Warner and Darryl credit here. They were aware of the potentially deleterious effects of direct sunlight on red wine and made efforts to keep it at a drinkable temperature. Still, since I'd tried many of the wines before, I limited my time there.
Nicolis Amarone Classico: unsweet raisin
Table 37: Hemispheres
Centennial Bong Bong Shiraz
Icaria Creek Alexander Valley Cab
Table 47: Treana
Liberty School Cabernet
Westside Red, Rhone Blend
Treana Red Cabernet-Syrah
Here are some survival tips for the Wine Fest. I'll post them again when it's time for the next one.
First, start with the tables over the MARTA station. The wines, especially the reds, got hot by the end of the afternoon because the area is in full sun.
Second, bring a bottle of water and/or avail yourself of the ones there, if offered. Even though there are jugs with water at the table, it's not going to be enough to stay hydrated while drinking wine, especially if it's hot and dry outside.
I'll probably think of more between now and next November.
And the best news -- the weather forecast for Decatur has us going up to 70 on Wednesday! Just ignore the rain.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Sustainable Poetry?
Last night's JavaMonkey tasting was advertised as "Sustainable Wines." It turned out to be "Sustainable Wines from one particular winery in Chile." However, considering it was brought to us by the same distributor who gave Jess the 2006 cask of Nouveau for the Beaujolais release party a couple of weeks ago, I'm not going to quibble over the details. By the way, I was at JavaMonkey when the rep brought a replacement cask, yet I don't know what happened to that one. Hmmm...
We had almost a full cast of characters for this one, which made it all the more enjoyable. I'll attribute quotes where applicable. Dan suggested that those of us who had them should wear our berets from the previous tasting. Three of us did. Maybe that's why things got so silly toward the end.
2007 Natura Sauvignon Blanc Valle Casablanca, Chile:
Rating: Very Good
Funky, smoky nose with a hint of petrol, but the flavor was a citrus-grapefruit explosion on the palate. Here's how the rest of the discussion went:
Dan: "It's a little effervescent."
TheLaw (his preference, not mine): "Speak f*ckin' English, dude!"
Dan: "I can't, I'm wearing a beret."
2007 Novas Chardonnay Valle Casablanca, Chile:
Rating: Good
Metallic vanilla nose with a smoky, oaky taste. Others at the table described it as "olive juice," and "everything I hate about Chardonnay."
2007 Natura Merlot Valle Rapel, Chile:
Rating: Meh/Moo*
The wine rep described this one as having "surprising boldness." My first reaction was, "It's a bit rough." Others at the table described it as "cough drop," "could be vinegar -- it would be good with some olive oil," and "ah, the elusive eucalyptus!" (guess who that was?) It had an odd, salty finish.
2005 Novas Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Valle Central, Chile:
Rating: Very Good
70% Cab, 30% Merlot
Nice dark fruit nose and dark berry/jammy on the palate.
2007 Natura Carmenere Valle Colchagua, Chile:
Rating: Very Good
Mostly Carmenere with 1% Malbec, 4% Tempranillo, 4% Syrah, and 4% Petit Verdot
With that blend, I shouldn't have been so surprised at how dark and almost inky this was coming out of the bottle. The texture was buttery with lots and lots of dark fruit, almost like blackberry pie, but not too sweet. Dan described it as "meaty" and "unctuous." This earned him another big word reprimand from TheLaw.
2005 Novas Carmenere/Cabernet Sauvignon Valle Colchagua, Chile:
Rating: Good
This one had a stinky nose. After that, it was fine with nice berry notes in the middle, but it disappeared on the end and left a disappointing finish.
After Dan spouted impressive adjectives all night, his brain put them and other interesting words together under the beret, and he started writing out wine haiku. I responded with:
Black beret, so flat
Gives you delusions of great
Profound artistry
It devolved -- yes, there was room for things to spiral downward -- into limericks. I won't burden you with mine. Maybe Dan will post some of his at his blog.
Oh, and for those who are curious about what I look like, here's another picture:
I didn't say I'd make it easy for you!
*Wine Ratings go from Moo (very bad) to Meh to Okay to Good to Very Good to Excellent.
We had almost a full cast of characters for this one, which made it all the more enjoyable. I'll attribute quotes where applicable. Dan suggested that those of us who had them should wear our berets from the previous tasting. Three of us did. Maybe that's why things got so silly toward the end.
2007 Natura Sauvignon Blanc Valle Casablanca, Chile:
Rating: Very Good
Funky, smoky nose with a hint of petrol, but the flavor was a citrus-grapefruit explosion on the palate. Here's how the rest of the discussion went:
Dan: "It's a little effervescent."
TheLaw (his preference, not mine): "Speak f*ckin' English, dude!"
Dan: "I can't, I'm wearing a beret."
2007 Novas Chardonnay Valle Casablanca, Chile:
Rating: Good
Metallic vanilla nose with a smoky, oaky taste. Others at the table described it as "olive juice," and "everything I hate about Chardonnay."
2007 Natura Merlot Valle Rapel, Chile:
Rating: Meh/Moo*
The wine rep described this one as having "surprising boldness." My first reaction was, "It's a bit rough." Others at the table described it as "cough drop," "could be vinegar -- it would be good with some olive oil," and "ah, the elusive eucalyptus!" (guess who that was?) It had an odd, salty finish.
2005 Novas Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Valle Central, Chile:
Rating: Very Good
70% Cab, 30% Merlot
Nice dark fruit nose and dark berry/jammy on the palate.
2007 Natura Carmenere Valle Colchagua, Chile:
Rating: Very Good
Mostly Carmenere with 1% Malbec, 4% Tempranillo, 4% Syrah, and 4% Petit Verdot
With that blend, I shouldn't have been so surprised at how dark and almost inky this was coming out of the bottle. The texture was buttery with lots and lots of dark fruit, almost like blackberry pie, but not too sweet. Dan described it as "meaty" and "unctuous." This earned him another big word reprimand from TheLaw.
2005 Novas Carmenere/Cabernet Sauvignon Valle Colchagua, Chile:
Rating: Good
This one had a stinky nose. After that, it was fine with nice berry notes in the middle, but it disappeared on the end and left a disappointing finish.
After Dan spouted impressive adjectives all night, his brain put them and other interesting words together under the beret, and he started writing out wine haiku. I responded with:
Black beret, so flat
Gives you delusions of great
Profound artistry
It devolved -- yes, there was room for things to spiral downward -- into limericks. I won't burden you with mine. Maybe Dan will post some of his at his blog.
Oh, and for those who are curious about what I look like, here's another picture:
I didn't say I'd make it easy for you!
*Wine Ratings go from Moo (very bad) to Meh to Okay to Good to Very Good to Excellent.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Nouveau Riche?
Now that I've recovered from my travels to Europe and have decided to drop NaNoWriMo, I can get back to blogging. Yay!
Just in case you missed it, the 2008 Beaujolais Nouveau was released last Thursday. We and several other oenophiles celebrated with a release party at JavaMonkey. In spite of some slight snags like a cask that was 2 years old (hint: this is not a wine that ages well, especially not in a cask that's not designed to keep it for that long), the party was a lot of fun, and there were even berets for all who wanted them.
Oh, and the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau is actually drinkable this year! That's always a plus. However, I'm still mystified by the $15.79 price tag I saw on it at Publix yesterday. Sherlock's had it much more reasonably, and Decatur Package Store will have it at $10.99 starting tomorrow (Monday, November 24). I know this because Herb told me so. He'll also have the others that were poured at the praty.
Some of the very drinkable wines from the evening included the 2007 Regnie Flower Label, which I had when I arrived just after spending two hours in traffic, so I have no notes, and the Morgon Jean Descombes, which everyone agreed was all raspberry and delicious. I didn't get to try the white Jess was pouring, the 2006 Macon-Villages, Domaine Lenoir, but all those who had it said it was excellent.
Since I have a lot of catching up to do over the past month, I'll give you the highlights.
First, here are some wines from the Sherlock's tasting on November 8, "Staff Picks." I like the "Staff Picks" tastings because they often give insight into the people who picked them.
2006 L&L Pinot Noir:
Oooooh, smooooooth... This wine said "strawberries," and I said, "hell, yeah!" Paul seems like a quiet guy, but I now see him in a whole new light.
Rating: Very Good
2007 Quattro Mani Montepulciano:
Michael is from California, but he betrays his Southern roots here with this blackberry pie in a glass. "Yummy and fruity" were my comments.
Rating: Excellent
2005 Bogle Phantom:
I think that Daryl was playing "secret agent man" here with this spicy wine with dark fruit that was easy-going but also bold.
Rating: Very Good
I do have a couple of complaints. First, one person picked the same wine for this "staff picks" tasting as the last one. Uh huh. I won't mention who, but seriously, that's cheating, especially since the wine isn't that great. Also, Ann's pick, the 2005 Niner Sangiovese ran out before I could taste it. Admittedly, I arrived toward the latter part of the tasting, but still... I think someone may have made sure it was okay for public consumption. A few times.
Well, folks, it's past midnight, and I do have to work tomorrow even though I work for myself now. I will return later this week to give you a run-down of the interesting discoveries Hubby and I made in Orlando. Here's a hint: there's more down there than just the Mouse.
Just in case you missed it, the 2008 Beaujolais Nouveau was released last Thursday. We and several other oenophiles celebrated with a release party at JavaMonkey. In spite of some slight snags like a cask that was 2 years old (hint: this is not a wine that ages well, especially not in a cask that's not designed to keep it for that long), the party was a lot of fun, and there were even berets for all who wanted them.
Oh, and the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau is actually drinkable this year! That's always a plus. However, I'm still mystified by the $15.79 price tag I saw on it at Publix yesterday. Sherlock's had it much more reasonably, and Decatur Package Store will have it at $10.99 starting tomorrow (Monday, November 24). I know this because Herb told me so. He'll also have the others that were poured at the praty.
Some of the very drinkable wines from the evening included the 2007 Regnie Flower Label, which I had when I arrived just after spending two hours in traffic, so I have no notes, and the Morgon Jean Descombes, which everyone agreed was all raspberry and delicious. I didn't get to try the white Jess was pouring, the 2006 Macon-Villages, Domaine Lenoir, but all those who had it said it was excellent.
Since I have a lot of catching up to do over the past month, I'll give you the highlights.
First, here are some wines from the Sherlock's tasting on November 8, "Staff Picks." I like the "Staff Picks" tastings because they often give insight into the people who picked them.
2006 L&L Pinot Noir:
Oooooh, smooooooth... This wine said "strawberries," and I said, "hell, yeah!" Paul seems like a quiet guy, but I now see him in a whole new light.
Rating: Very Good
2007 Quattro Mani Montepulciano:
Michael is from California, but he betrays his Southern roots here with this blackberry pie in a glass. "Yummy and fruity" were my comments.
Rating: Excellent
2005 Bogle Phantom:
I think that Daryl was playing "secret agent man" here with this spicy wine with dark fruit that was easy-going but also bold.
Rating: Very Good
I do have a couple of complaints. First, one person picked the same wine for this "staff picks" tasting as the last one. Uh huh. I won't mention who, but seriously, that's cheating, especially since the wine isn't that great. Also, Ann's pick, the 2005 Niner Sangiovese ran out before I could taste it. Admittedly, I arrived toward the latter part of the tasting, but still... I think someone may have made sure it was okay for public consumption. A few times.
Well, folks, it's past midnight, and I do have to work tomorrow even though I work for myself now. I will return later this week to give you a run-down of the interesting discoveries Hubby and I made in Orlando. Here's a hint: there's more down there than just the Mouse.
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