tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63103162011-11-23T16:00:56.227-08:00Wine Gab for the Peopletajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.comBlogger1591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-12730772951566901122008-10-31T08:49:00.000-07:002008-10-31T08:56:36.369-07:00

Welcome to the Cork and Demon, the most famous defunct wine blog in the whole history of ever.I haven't written in this blog in a long while, but if you're a fan o' the vino, there's a lot of wine reviews, interviews with wine makers, and travel notes within. Ooh, and pictures--lots of bitchin' pictures. Have at it.If you're fond of my writing, I have a new blog on wordpress called Texistential

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-19934456636480320302007-07-24T06:59:00.000-07:002007-07-24T07:09:33.377-07:00

Got an email from a nice guy in Edmonton, Alberta with a couple o' helpful viddies:Removing red wine stains:How To Remove Red Wine Stains - The best bloopers are a click awayAnd a clever MacGyver trick for when you've got no corkscrew:Open A Bottle Of Wine Without Corkscrew - Click here for this week’s top video clipsBoth quite handy little bits. Sorin, the maker, would just adore some feedback

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-52987443470128766522007-07-16T15:49:00.001-07:002007-07-16T17:00:11.922-07:00

Bottle: Bodegas Ateca 'Garnacha Del Fuego' 2006 Old Vines GarnachaPrice: $7.99Movie Match: GladiatorMusic Match: 'Red, Red Wine' by the Replacements (not the ubiquitous version, now a popular ringtone)So my buddies and I are making a mean meat manicotti for din-din of a Sunday and I'm sent off to the store for the appropriate vino. Money's a titch on the tight side and I wanna come back with

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-70058393994459741462007-05-14T15:14:00.000-07:002007-05-14T16:11:11.246-07:00

Revisiting Piedmontese wine is like popping in an old CD of some incredible musician you've forgotten about and saying to yourself: maaaan, this is a-freaking-mazing! Why do I even listen to all that other shite? Like, say you've been tripping on the Raconteurs for weeks now, then you get bored, dig up your Ella Fitzgerald and swoon with reverence. That's what it's like for me. Listen to me

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-58462854001770073392007-05-05T12:20:00.000-07:002007-05-05T13:08:23.918-07:00

Why is it that wine brings out the snotty stepchild in people? Oh, I'm totally including myself in that category.So on a recent trip to Phoenix I spent an evening with friends at Postino Wine Cafe and was given an ironic taste of my own medicine regarding the act of sending flawed wine back. I ordered a glass of Verget GSM. It came to the table smelling like a cardboard box soaked in clorox,

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-5074743876847124232007-02-24T06:45:00.000-08:002007-02-24T09:54:44.749-08:00

"I was born the son of a Texas Moonshine maker. My Father, Sue, was considered by many to be the finest Moonshine maker in all of Texas, because of the fine grains he used to make his corn whiskey. My Mother Elbessie, along with her brothers and sister, made wine from the various fruit we grew."Okay: Best. Winemaker. Story. Ever. Do you not hear the harmonica and guitar playing a warmhearted

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-36371014665663745322007-02-06T23:13:00.000-08:002007-02-08T20:14:53.712-08:00

Now people---lemme tell you, in case you was wondering, what's so damn cool about being part of Austin's wine-n-food community: chance meeting with big players in the wine world who, regardless of the price thier bottles command in the marketplace, turn out to be right fun fellows.So I stroll into Wink wine bar tonight, feeling a little down, knowing instinctively that my evening will be

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-54872201026717792232007-01-30T08:35:00.000-08:002007-01-30T09:21:58.013-08:00

There's nothing that makes me quite as giddy as opening a wine list to see a large, eclectic list of carefully chosen wines available by the glass. I'm a kid at the candy store, wanting to try every last thing, wondering whether this chablis or that flute o' bubbles would work with my lovely salad. Restaurants, wine bars and bistros who take the time to craft their by-the-glass lists with the

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-55246562607073168162007-01-13T10:30:00.000-08:002007-01-13T11:01:43.305-08:00

What is it with life, always wanting to nudge its way into your blogging time? Doesn't it know that Mankind has spent centuries trying to get to a place where one can just sit around and gratify oneself with one's own musings? The very idea that things like divorce, changes in financial status, the holidaze and switching jobs might interfere with this noble pursuit is a damn shame.Be that as it

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-56365217596985303602006-10-07T09:34:00.000-07:002006-10-07T09:59:06.971-07:00

What makes a wine bar whip ass? Before I even get into the answer, let's talk about what it takes for a body to open a neighborhood wine shop at all.You gotta make sweet love to the Neighborhood Association, convince 'em you're not a nightclub drawing in frat boys who will puke in their yard. Then there's licensing and the great row of hoops to jump through with various ordinances.

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com85tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1158357874358955452006-09-15T13:58:00.000-07:002006-09-15T15:04:34.493-07:00

As my good friend Will and I placed our yellow roses below Ann Richards' portrait in the Capitol rotunda, something heartbreaking occured to me:what a shame it is to forget about a hero until you've learned they are gone. Even though I knew of her illness, her passing threw me for a loop. Will and I had been in the middle of one of our notorious email political debates, this one about whether

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1156870839457834602006-08-29T08:06:00.000-07:002006-08-29T10:00:41.613-07:00

Nothing thwarts travel and the desire for wine like triple digit heat. I hope you'll forgive me for my month-long lag. Apparently, I'm not the only one having trouble keeping up: the informative Texas Wine Trails website seems to have signed off as well. I'm in the process of finding out what happened.There were a couple of wineries up on the Tarantula Trail that I neglected to mention, and I

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1154460597579843192006-08-01T09:30:00.000-07:002006-08-12T13:56:58.950-07:00

Grapevine, Texas is a small town that's slowly getting assimilated into the Dallas/Fort Worth Megolopolis, but at least it's still intact. A refurbished Victorian engine takes passengers from the famous Fort Worth stockyards to the Grapevine Towne Center where they can shoppe....er, shop, I mean. There are several wineries and a couple of tasting rooms here, and it's known in Texas wine circles

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1154112696147589472006-07-28T11:49:00.000-07:002006-07-28T12:25:44.620-07:00

Jeffery Ivy: Texas boy goes off to seek his winemaking fortune in California, and returns to make a difference in Texas wine. Now, this is the kinda story I like very much. Having started his career as a retailer in Austin, he soon found that the retailing biz was less than rewarding, and so began harvesting and cellar work for the likes of Slaughter-Leftwich, Gregory Graziano (Domaine St.

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1153785513456054692006-07-24T15:39:00.000-07:002006-07-24T17:05:04.703-07:00

Woodrose is out in Stonewall, Texas on the Enchanted Trail, quite close to the larger Becker Vineyards spread and in a very strategic place indeed. Mike Guilete, who bought the winery and its vineyards last year, plans to make it a destination rather than a casual stop just for a sip of chenin blanc. By 2008, the Guiletes plan to expand the property into a "full running resort", complete with

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1153778635883483122006-07-24T15:01:00.000-07:002006-07-24T15:04:38.103-07:00

A real quickie before I get to my interviews: a comment was posted which tells the people what they need to know, so check it out, Texas.There are more Texas wineries selling out of state fruit than we could mention here. Some are perfectly open about it, labeling the wine as "American", rather than Texas, some don't label it with an appellation at all, some are much more dishonest. And Texas law

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1153347913765230252006-07-19T14:32:00.000-07:002006-07-19T15:41:53.710-07:00

The topic of Texas wine has inspired a lot of thought and a lively conversation in the comments for the previous post, and since there is much to discuss, I'd like to clarify my own goal in this segment.As one reader said, if you look at the overall business picture---percentages, per capita production, trade magazine and wine competition feedback---you might get the idea that Texas wine is doing

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1152817260042961312006-07-13T11:30:00.000-07:002006-07-13T12:09:01.920-07:00

First, the trivia: Texas is the fifth largest producer of wine grapes after California, New York, Washington and Oregon. She has a vinicultural history that predates California's by roughly a century, and still has one winery that has been in consistent production (yeah, during Prohibition, too) for the entire time. Current vineyard acreage is around 3700, there are over a hundred wineries in

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1152307166776145482006-07-07T13:21:00.000-07:002006-07-07T14:26:48.570-07:00

I got an email from a reader asking my opinion about terroir vs. appellation, and it was getting to be such a long email, I just decided to make it a post.To be honest with you, the terroir vs. appellation arguement is a big fat word-mincing party as far as I'm concerned. Terroir is a French word which doesn't fully translate into English, but basically means all of the agricultural elements that

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1152204684436703242006-07-06T09:38:00.000-07:002006-07-06T09:51:24.513-07:00

Just in: a wiki site for your perusal: Encyclowine. Express your deep geek need to tell the world the facts by writing for or editing posts. This site was put together by a fellow Austinite, so I just gotsta spread the news. Check 'er out!I've been thinking about what to do next. There must be more to blogging than review after review, or biz talk, which bores the crap out of me...and then it

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1150939291149827562006-06-21T15:50:00.000-07:002006-06-22T08:26:40.886-07:00

Back from the tour, life and all, need a job, gotta feed the cats and replace the A/C unit. You know how it is.But The Cork and Demon is not done, oh no. She's in transition. In the meantime, here's a handy reference post of all the interviews I conducted on The Cork and Demon's Western Wine Tour. Handy for me, anyway.Thomas Qualia, Val Verde Winery, TexasVictor Poulos, Zin Valle Vineyards,

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1149889365687658092006-06-09T09:54:00.000-07:002006-06-21T14:08:25.253-07:00

C&D STATS:Miles driven: 8060Wines Tasted: 437 (approximately; counting barrel tastings)Winemakers/Growers Interviewed: 33Road Kill Sightings: 78Hot Bartenders: 1Hot Winemakers: 2Snotty Winemakers: 2Great Meals: 10National/State Parks Hiked: 8Percentage of Regret For Spending Shitloads of Money On Journey: 0.00%Here we are at long last. My journey is over, and I managed to avoid the inclination

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1149527097315655142006-06-05T10:03:00.000-07:002006-06-05T17:53:18.346-07:00

Bobby Cox and Mrs. Cooper, owner of Cooper VineyardI met Bobby Cox when I was working in retail. He was perusing the Italian whites, and all it took was for me to ask what he was looking for to start an hour's discussion on the possibilities of great wine in Texas. It was an exciting conversation for me, and I spent days afterward giddy with the prospect that my homestate could finally come

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1149352647166204572006-06-03T08:35:00.000-07:002006-06-03T09:39:33.036-07:00

Utah's liquor laws enjoy infamy all over the rest of the West. "Don't drive in craving an ice-cold brew, 'cause all they got is 3.2," was one of several warnings I got. But the whole affair is so very i-before-e-except-after-c that even the bartenders are confused. One bartender told me that she could not serve me my (near) beer by handing it to me across the bar, but had to walk around the

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1149105180639738042006-05-31T11:40:00.000-07:002006-05-31T13:33:54.776-07:00

I've made it pretty clear in the past that I'm no fan of numerical wine ratings. Seems, in fact, to be all the rage these days with us bloggers to say so as often as possible. Kinda like how it never seems to get old for everyone to sneer at oaky Chardonnay. I could type a list a foot-and-a-half long list right now on why the 100 point system is out of whack, makes retailers lazy and leads the

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1148663365205852912006-05-26T09:55:00.000-07:002006-05-26T10:10:09.180-07:00

Some dastardly imp has wiggled into my system and taken out my Mobile Technology, dammit. But don't despair. The Cork and Demon will be home soon to fix this nonsense. I may even be able to get an adapter and post tonight after a scheduled interview today. To keep your spirits (and interest) aloft, here's a list of Coming Soons:Ron Coleman's Big Walla-licious Wines"No way is there syrah in

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1148257953736505852006-05-21T16:32:00.000-07:002006-05-23T06:59:45.933-07:00

Always wondered what this guy looked like. Back in Austin, his House Wine, a Cab/Syrah blend behind a plain white label with fat black lettering, sells out by the palletful. I'd heard some things about him: some connection to rock bands, maybe he was a roadie or something, but now he was all about syrah. Gotta check that one out.There's no worry of missing his place out on Mill Creek Road.

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1148084835409956532006-05-19T16:42:00.000-07:002006-10-15T17:19:17.641-07:00

Down the road from Pepperbridge, past an orchard of apple trees strapped to trellises is Va Piano Vineyards, where Jean-Francois Pellet has sent me to talk to his good friend Justin Wylie. I turn into the drive that runs between the newly leafy rows and here comes one of those ATV things, bright red, with a fit of dust trailing. "Park your car, and hop on, I'll take you for a tour," Justin says.

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1147918240509314272006-05-17T17:58:00.000-07:002006-05-17T19:34:53.280-07:00

Once I saw the labels again, I immediately remembered both Pepperbridge and Amavi from when I worked in retail. They were described to me as "killer" and "solid", respectively, by a co-worker, but beyond that, I didn't know them from any other of the scores of other Merlots and Cabs at the store.Let's be honest here. Knowing the story behind a wine label makes the juice inside more interesting.

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1147577203273722162006-05-13T19:56:00.000-07:002006-05-16T05:09:55.130-07:00

Over the mountains and through the high desert went Maggie and I last week to the expansive Yakima Valley. The Yakima doesn't share the press that Walla Walla gets, and that's so not fair, since a fair portion of wineries in the latter and elsewhere purchase fruit from it. It's Bordeaux variety country: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc a-plenty. But, who's that, hiding in the corner

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1147451401079680632006-05-12T08:51:00.000-07:002006-05-13T10:23:27.073-07:00

You gotta start somewhere. For many winemakers I've met, that meant having a lot of clams to buy a nice spread, the Tuscan Villa mockup and the $800 barrels. For a couple o' nice boys from Seattle, you just need to know the right people.These guys are true garagistes: what the rock stars to-be playing in the basement are to music, these guys are to wine. Their neonate label O'Shea and Scarborough

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1146959119439155152006-05-06T16:25:00.000-07:002006-05-13T10:31:40.523-07:00

I'm here to testify today: Not only is the Inn at Ship Bay on Orcas Island a suh-weet vacation destination, but chef/gardener/proprietor Geddes Martin and crew do killer springtime salads, first courses and entrees that make the whole Orcas Island thing complete.Now, the caveat of this article is that I'm a little prejudiced, since my buddy Luke is the innkeeper and all, and I stayed for free.

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1146869884819067932006-05-05T12:12:00.000-07:002006-05-05T15:58:06.373-07:00

For many small Pinotphile winemakers in the Willamette, the grape is a like a puzzle that can be put together many different ways to achieve different pictures. Choice of clones, in which chunk of land to grow those particular clones, out of which block of that chunk of land to harvest, and which of the wines from the particular block in the specific chunk of land to choose to bear the label.This

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1146712452107150782006-05-03T17:01:00.000-07:002006-05-05T12:03:01.096-07:00

Carolyn at Chehalem made a phone call for me after I'd tasted through the Chehalem lineup, and gave me directions to a white barn. "You'll like this guy," she said. "He's a good guy and he makes great Pinots."I found the white barn easily, surrounded as she said it was by hazelnut trees. An open barn door revealed stacks of white cases, the only visible clue that somebody was in there making

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1146507052818473192006-05-01T10:30:00.000-07:002006-05-02T12:23:50.746-07:00

C&D ROAD STATS:Miles driven: 4876Winemakers/Viniculturists Interviewed: 25Wines tasted: 370Percentage of Jaw-dropping scenery in Willamette Valley: 99%The name Harry Peterson-Nedry goes down in the Cork and Demon Hall o' Fame under the category 'Most Willing to Shave Off a Chunk of Time Under Pressure'. He met me over a cup of joe on his way to a very important-sounding meeting in Portland, yet

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1146338780086945932006-04-29T09:53:00.000-07:002006-04-29T12:26:20.243-07:00

See this stellar photo? James Cahill wasn't sure if I should take it or not. "The building is a mess right now," he insisted. I guess he meant that orange construction fence in front...see it? Yeah, neither did I. I was too busy taking in the bucolic splendor of the Yamhill-Carlton district. A bit of farm equipment, an old car or two, and an orange fence aren't close to

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1146170402236695742006-04-27T13:07:00.000-07:002006-04-27T13:40:02.253-07:00

When I realized I wasn't going to get a chance to meet Luisa or Dick Ponzi, I was disappointed, but thought I'd at least swing by the Ponzi tasting room to check out the current lineup. Plus I was super hungry, and had been told that the adjoining Dundee Bistro was not to be missed.A quick power tasting before lunch allowed me to try the lineup of the least bombastic Pinots I've had to date.

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1145994198896512542006-04-25T10:36:00.000-07:002006-04-26T10:45:21.606-07:00

From just about anywhere in the Dundee Hills of the Willamette Valley, you can see a vineyard that depends on Allen Holstein's care. The wineries that source from them include some pretty big names in Willamette---Stoller, Domaine Drouhin, Argyle. Most of the 450 some-odd acres he maintains are Pinot Noir and various clones of Chardonnay, both of which adore the cool climate and sun. Even

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1145770017741454552006-04-22T19:59:00.000-07:002006-04-22T23:24:57.283-07:00

After a spill in Napa that caused a minor concussion, I wasn't sure if I had it in me to drive all the way out to Sebastopol, about ten minutes west of Santa Rosa. It seemed so far removed from I-5, the ostensible route north for the next leg of the tour in Portland, but the day was bright and relatively clear after many days of gloom, and you just can't waste those kinda days laying around

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1145631604420300132006-04-21T08:00:00.000-07:002006-04-21T17:26:12.976-07:00

I have a special place in my heart for a winemaker with a classic Pixies concert flyer framed above his desk. It tells me a lot about the guy. For instance, I now know that while he has built a successful career, he's still in touch with his inner slacker, which in turn means to me that he's not all caught up in the silly world of ego-stroking that one can easily find in the Napa Valley.

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1145486194598931582006-04-19T14:44:00.000-07:002006-04-20T15:25:57.020-07:00

One of the things I dig on this trip is having people contact me and invite me to talk to them. Although having them within twenty miles of my epicenter is nice. Jeremy Bivins was out near Davis, roughly an hour's drive east from where I was, and I realized it would be a trek. But what the hell, I thought: I can go walk around the UC Davis Campus and make faces at the law students.Before the

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1145217555811798432006-04-16T12:02:00.000-07:002006-04-20T15:18:35.133-07:00

As Will Bucklin, Tom Wark and I slogged through the thigh-high mustard, rye grass and legumes, Tom teased Will: "He's given every one of these vines a name." I asked Will if that was true and he said no, not all of them. I told him I was going to call this one Miss Bertha, and he said, "She?""Yeah, she," I said. "Look at those curves. You're gonna tell me that's a boy vine? Please."God, I love

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1145116956481576102006-04-15T08:10:00.000-07:002006-04-16T11:59:51.813-07:00

In the Sonoma Valley, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Mayo Family Winery tasting room. There are four total, and I passed two on my way to their latest venture: the Mayo Reserve Room. Open for about a year now, the room sports an in-house chef who serves tasty little bites that pair with seven wines, a nicely put together atmosphere, and as you can see, fancy pointy dishware.I was

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1144791833899932982006-04-11T13:18:00.000-07:002006-04-20T15:28:23.683-07:00

Allen Price and I arrived at the front of the little yellow tasting room at Casa Nuestra winery at the same time, both in rain gear, and both probably equally annoyed at the persistence of this unseasonable downpour. "This stuff is supposed to be over British Columbia this time of year," he says as we quicken our pace toward the cellar. "It's a fluke. Some think it's global warming, but that's

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1144434543656595892006-04-07T10:36:00.000-07:002006-04-20T15:29:44.460-07:00

Hell no. It seems like every time I mention Bonny Doon, someone's got to moan about them "going corporate", as though they've sold out completely and the magic's all gone.Aw, c'mon, people...so what if they pump out all that Big House juice? It's not horrible stuff, and I can think of a lot of other shite in that price range that people could be drinking. And yeah, it's a little spooky, the fact

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1144114557470850522006-04-03T17:24:00.000-07:002006-04-06T09:34:55.353-07:00

Have you ever heard of Mega Purple? Me neither, but I just read about it on Annette Hoff's wineblog. It's a color additive that some winemakers add to jack up the hue and body of their wines. Now, that's just nasty. What if you found out that your porterhouse had been soaked in Mega Brown or your allegedly fresh 'n' healthy broccoli in Mega Green? Yack. That is some serious cheating, people. If

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1144036529444341062006-04-02T19:44:00.000-07:002006-04-06T09:36:08.896-07:00

Okay, to be fair, I spent my time in the west side of Paso Robles, the uppity side; from what I understand, they're trying to break away into their own appellation. As you can see from this loverly picture, it's bee-yotiful country, disected by windy roads, dotted through with orchards, farms and (my favorite) spotty moo-cows.You know, I'm a little sheepish about even posting a "roundup", because

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1143920718214496732006-04-01T11:40:00.000-08:002006-04-01T11:45:18.240-08:00

I know, I know, I promised I'd set y'all up with a Paso Robles Roundup. And I shall. But a girl cannot live by wine alone. She must have the Ocean, the Redwoods, the distant sprays of whale spouts. In the meantime, how 'bout checking out Cocktails With The Noonday Demon, for a wrapup of my Hearst Castle and Big Sur adventures? I think you should. Clinkies.

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1143658065042232412006-03-29T09:09:00.000-08:002006-03-31T05:21:54.186-08:00

Gary Carmody believes there's a turning point coming for California wine: a thunderbolt of interest in how the whole picture of terroir--not only climate, but soil composition--works to improve the potential of the grapes.Terroir is a hot topic, to be sure. Recently, UC Davis hosted the Terroir '06 Conference this last week, a rather large to-do with some of the big players on the California

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1143606826653529522006-03-28T20:17:00.000-08:002006-03-28T21:24:03.463-08:00

The weather is sooo not cooperating with me. Even the locals are puzzled at this freaky late March rain and cold. How's a girl supposed to enjoy Morro Bay when it's all Scotland outside? No matter, still tasting the vino, still enjoying the bejeezus out of this trip. I've already been through as much Edna Valley and most of the west side of Paso Robles. Before I move on to my interview with

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1143507043941342472006-03-27T13:22:00.000-08:002006-03-27T17:00:00.073-08:00

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know I'm a firm believer that wine lovers love red and white wine. There's a whole world of interesting, charming white wines out there that're just dying to wash down that bite of tasty luncheon.I discovered Claiborne and Churchill's dry 'Alsacian Style' Gewurztraminer a few months ago, and immediately stuck a pin in the Edna Valley

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1143351009541272722006-03-25T20:48:00.000-08:002006-03-27T12:55:29.576-08:00

Ah, Santa Barbara County. I miss you already. Your green hills, so soft you could pull them apart like fresh bread, your Pinot Noir, your spotty moo-cows, your strange Danish towns, your pea soup.Before I leave this grand land of butterific Chardonnay, I want to mention a couple of places I thought were damned fine:Stolpman Vineyards has a tasting room in Solvang I highly recommend. They have a

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1143157096606804192006-03-23T15:17:00.000-08:002006-03-23T20:41:15.836-08:00

The first detail I noticed as I waited for Chrystal Clifton to appear was that one of Palmina's wine labels looked...well, like a real Italian wine label. A solid, simple white background with a black band across the top, the name of the winery, the proprietary name of the wine with vintage, and the seal. Period. This little touch was enough to convince me that I'd found something I'd so hoped to

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1143041324984037252006-03-22T07:28:00.000-08:002006-03-22T20:08:26.976-08:00

Over a century ago, a settler/farmer nestled himself into the snug, lush Gypsy Canyon and planted some vines, probably to make wine for his own family. Other than a few incomplete clues in local records, that's about all we know. Those vines survived, uncultivated, long after their original tender passed, under a thick layer of brambles and brush.Deborah Hall and her late husband, William,

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1142961509822457942006-03-21T09:18:00.000-08:002006-03-22T20:12:17.426-08:00

Morgan Clendenen thrives on chaos, although you wouldn't know it unless you saw her in action. Her new tasting room in Los Alamos was jam-packed on my first visit last Saturday, and still she took the time to take my card with a smile and show genuine interest in meeting with me later.The way people praise her Viognier, you might forget you're in the smack-dab middle of Chardonnay country. She

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1142864395387763412006-03-20T06:19:00.000-08:002006-03-20T08:44:54.893-08:00

Ken Volk and his rolling barrelsBefore I visited Kenneth Volk wineries, I knew about the trouble with TCA, or "cork taint", that nasty stuff that makes your sixty dollar Brunello taste and smell like a bleach spill in a cardboard box, but I didn't know exactly what it was. Something about mold, something about chlorine. Ken Volk explained TCA me in such a way that made it perfectly clear for the

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1142795369483649712006-03-19T10:30:00.000-08:002006-03-19T22:27:25.190-08:00

C&D ROAD STATS:Miles Traveled: approx. 1950Wines Tasted: 154Winemakers/Growers Interviewed: 9Soundtrack Selections: Beck--Sea Change; William Orbit, a Selection of Seventies Roots PunkI'm currently wrestling with Blogger, which refuses to upload all my fabulous pics, including what is the best Vineyard Dog Pic I have so far. 'Tis a pitfall of blogging, I'm afraid. So for more beautiful Santa

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1142614719061444652006-03-17T08:55:00.000-08:002006-03-19T08:48:45.303-08:00

Finally out of the desert, thank God. Not that it wasn't lovely and all, there's just only so much vast rolling desert and Hank Williams you can handle without feeling so lonesome you could die. Then there was that snowstorm in the Cleveland Forest (damn you, Grover!). By the time I drove into the steep, granite boulder studded mountains toward the fledgling Ramona Valley AVA, I needed the color

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1142482677594272542006-03-15T19:58:00.000-08:002006-03-15T20:17:57.666-08:00

Greetings from Corona Del Mar/Newport Beach, land of the fresh sea air, tranquil rolling waves immaculately trimmed lawns. So nice to be among The Beautiful People, the ones who remind us that you haven't really lived until you've paid eighteen bucks for a martini. Which brings me to an important point about said beverage: bartenders of the world, please learn how to make them like I like 'em.

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1142276339143346352006-03-13T09:43:00.000-08:002006-03-13T11:00:39.683-08:00

Dr. Dutt has an ingenious way of dealing with one of the greatest threats to his Arizona vineyard.Ever since Sonoita vineyards lost almost everything to Pierce's disease a few years back, he's had to fight the zillions of sharpshooters--nasty little insects that spread the disease--by turning their love of fruit against them.See, the only thing the little bastards seem to love better than grapes

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1142184751675713992006-03-12T09:27:00.000-08:002006-03-13T09:14:45.803-08:00

There's a sign by the road, once you get close to Sonoita/Elgin, that says 'Entering Wine Country'. But there's no vines to be seen. Scanning the vast plains of straw colored dead grass, I'm thinking, okay, I see lots of country, so where's the wine?Another turn, another country road, a bend to the left and another to the right...I'm looking for what Kent Callaghan described as "a tan building".

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1141962418200971502006-03-09T18:10:00.000-08:002006-03-09T19:55:06.526-08:00

I must now back up from Arizona, where I am now, and cover one last New Mexico stop I waited to post until I got my Wine Blogging Wednesday post in on a Rhone producer.So the story begins: an adventurous Northern Italian son decides to leave the family wine business and pursue the glorious promise of a rich future in...Deming, New Mexico.Er, that's an odd choice, you might think. Nothing against

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1141875580001016202006-03-08T18:58:00.000-08:002006-03-09T06:29:15.440-08:00

Everyone loves birdies.That's right. I said Arizona. And I'm not playing, no sir, no ma'am. This here's the real thing. You want Rhone? I'll give you Rhone.Actually, Mr. Bob Johnson of Colibri Vineyards will give you Rhone. And freakin' how.Mr. Johnson didn't tell me I'd be better off in a Ford F-1500 getting to his place, and I cursed the whole way. My little car was not built for the primitive

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1141748885488851332006-03-07T07:29:00.000-08:002006-03-07T08:28:05.596-08:00

So last post, I interviewed Victor Poulos from Zin Valle, and he mentioned "a guy he trusted who's been in the wine business" that told him to start small. That guy is just down the street from Poulos, who insisted I go talk to him. I wasn't sure I'd catch him on spur of the moment, but I did.Ken Stark's La Vina Winery is an impressive spread, designed to host festivals, weddings and the like.

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1141692173139639182006-03-06T16:42:00.000-08:002006-03-06T17:52:35.270-08:00

C&D ROAD STATS, Day Six:Miles Traveled: approx. 866Wines Tasted: 20Soundtrack: Air--Talkie Walkie, 10,000 Hz. LegendZin Valle Vineyards, Canutillo, TXVictor Poulos, WinemakerBefore we get started, I want to say that I'm no pro journalist, so here's my disclaimer: I edit for length with the goal of preserving the integrity of the questions and answers. I might change my own stuff (i.e. a statement

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1141496707481836062006-03-04T08:54:00.000-08:002006-03-04T17:23:08.903-08:00

I don't want to speculate as to why Mr. Johnson wasn't able to keep our appointment. When I arrived at the vineyard site for the interview, the gate was shut tight and an outdated message was the only answer on the phone. When I called again today, just to see what had happened, Mr. Johson's succinct proclimation that the winery was closed until further notice concerned me. I wish the Johnsons

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1141323988728563632006-03-02T09:35:00.000-08:002006-03-02T10:31:03.776-08:00

C&D ROAD STATS, DAY ONE:Miles Traveled: 480 in eight hoursWines Tasted: 9Soundtrack: Calexico-Convict Pool and Feast of Wire, Boards of Canada-The Campfire Headphase, Brian Jonestown Massacre-Tepid Peppermint Wonderland, Volume TwoVal Verde Winery, Del Rio, TexasThomas Qualia, third generation winemakerFirst off, can I just say that there's wireless internet coverage now in the most obscure

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1141147727370503902006-02-28T08:55:00.000-08:002006-02-28T09:31:37.120-08:00

I can't believe it's actually here. I'm so freaking excited I could just...what's that? You don't know about the Cork and Demon Western Wine Tour 2006? Wow, are you outta the loop. Lemme bring you up to speed.At 4:30 am Wednesday, March 1st (which at the time of this post is about 17 hours nigh), I'm leaving Austin and driving West. My goal: to hit as many of the AVAs in the American west as

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1140927028082702022006-02-25T20:07:00.000-08:002006-02-25T20:10:28.093-08:00

I...I don't know what to say...except that I had no idea what a playa Mr. Parker was....Naked Came the Vintner

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1140732633582846152006-02-23T13:46:00.000-08:002006-02-24T12:53:14.583-08:00

So I was in my old place of employment picking out a white burgundy for someone special when...oh, is that a vendor tasting wine? Don't mind if I do. Today's sampling: a selection of kosher wines from the Abarbanel Wine Company in Cedarhurst, purveyors of kosher wines that aren't your Grandmother's Manischewitz.A year ago, I couldn't help but notice the seeming lack of kosher wines around

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1140364102791308402006-02-19T07:35:00.000-08:002006-02-19T19:02:03.276-08:00

I've seen a lot of news lately about producers in all areas of Italy butting heads over traditional vs. modern styles. For the geek in you, it's an interesting fight. I come up on the traditional side 99% of the time, but I've also had wines in the modern style (a brunello comes to mind) that I thought were very well done. Kinda like this: I'm not a Jerry Bruckheimer movie fan, with all the

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1140198715725797602006-02-17T09:16:00.000-08:002006-02-17T10:00:43.200-08:00

This morning I woke up very anxious about the wine tour* I'm about to take. An interesting moment came to mind: when I was in Dallas recently, meeting the father of a friend and his wine-and-car enthusiast friends, one of the gentlemen had an unexpected reaction to hearing about my blog. When I told him that I reviewed wine, he said, "Wow, you must be really confident of your expertise to put

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1140053507434563792006-02-15T16:08:00.000-08:002006-02-15T17:33:09.336-08:00

Ten years ago...well, hell, two years ago, there was no wine bar that had come close to surviving in Austin. There'd been a couple that had sprung up, nosedived, and faded into obscurity. People just weren't into it: if they wanted to drink, they went to a bar, and if they wanted to eat, they went to a restaurant. If they wanted a good glass of wine, they went to the restaurant bar. It's only

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1139859416978765592006-02-13T11:00:00.001-08:002006-02-14T07:53:05.076-08:00

Oh...you are a naughty little Spanish wine, aren't you? Two freaking weeks to go before the Cork and Demon leaves to explore the wild West! Aren't you excited?!? Don't forget to check in while I'm on the road. I'll be posting at every opportunity, and at least twice a week, with interviews, tasting notes, smartass quips, and pictures of adorable vineyard dogs. Hey man, just remember: this great

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1139536303161042622006-02-09T17:28:00.000-08:002006-02-09T17:53:43.303-08:00

You're probably thinking one of two things, depending on your love of Italian wine: A) Hey! This isn't an Italian wine! Keep writing about those, or B) Thank the Christ Child this woman is over the Italian wine streak!Either way, you ought to hear about this wine.I'm back on syrah, baby, and mama LOVES her some syrah. Even a massive, voluptuous syrah like this makes me happy. This Colvin weighs

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1138920847999740692006-02-02T14:03:00.000-08:002006-02-09T17:57:10.990-08:00

High on the list of Things That Keep Me From Flinging Myself Off a Bridge is meeting very handsome Northern Italians who make and sell amazing wine. The Hub was showing these gentlemen around his accounts, and since I'd previously reviewed one of the labels, he invited me along. Despite his initial concern, two of us gals decided that we simply could not miss these guys trying on real Texas

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1138317421696504792006-01-26T13:32:00.000-08:002006-01-30T13:49:44.700-08:00

It may seem, if you've been keeping up with my teeny little blog, that I've been on an Italian kick. Well I have. Italian wine effin' rules.Ever had an Aglianico before? Please do. Aglianico is one of those ancient grapes that hasn't yet been yanked out of the ground and replaced with Chardonnay. It's Southern Italy's answer to Barolo, and while it shares little of the international limelight, it

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1138129652485560552006-01-24T11:06:00.000-08:002006-01-24T11:07:32.503-08:00

I emailed a friend to ask her something that's been bothering me since I started looking at the southern New Mexico leg of my tour today: once in El Paso, should I tack on several hours of driving time and hit Carlsbad caverns, or should I stick to The Plan, which is to travel on a winery-finding route, and not diverge?She thought this was such a non-question. You've wanted to see Carlsbad and

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1137788643518206842006-01-20T11:56:00.000-08:002006-01-20T12:57:58.336-08:00

The story of the Tenuta I Quaranta estate is the story of a lightning strike, of love at first sight...Reading the brief biography of this super-amazing woman (a car designer who cured her ennui with a degree in onology) will make you wonder aloud, "Jeez-o-Pete, what have I done with my life?" Or, maybe, like me, you'll wonder, "How can my skin look that fantastic at forty???" Either way, both

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1137457465557639542006-01-16T15:38:00.000-08:002006-01-16T16:37:33.523-08:00

Okay, so before I taste this wine, I have to ask: have you ever had potluck anxiety before? See, today was a busy-ass day, and I didn't get the message until today that a potluck was happening tonight. Not being in the mood to show off my cooking skills, I...should I even admit this?...I made tabouli. From a box.Now, before you go all phreeky on me, I do want to say that I spent ample time

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1136989795342769832006-01-11T05:51:00.000-08:002006-01-12T06:02:34.556-08:00

I don't know if I want to admit what I was thinking I'd find in Nashville, it being my first time and all. I had already decided against the Opry, since recent reviews had declared it "tired", and the only piece of country music culture I wanted was a whip-ass Scully shirt to add to my collection. While I didn't find the shirt of my dreams, I did find the kind of grub I was looking for: straight

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1135794987612879852005-12-28T09:05:00.000-08:002005-12-28T14:04:15.266-08:00

For your perusal, I present the smartest-ass wine list ever, the Cork and Demon's Top Tasty Juices 2005. It's a sampling of wines that I liked very much and can actually remember well enough to write about. Many of them were my 'convert wines', that is, wines I used to pry people's hands off the Smoking Loon with. Enjoy!Da Bomb Whites of 20052005 La Yunta Torrontes ($9)Region: Famatina Valley,

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1135033014286080802005-12-19T13:01:00.000-08:002005-12-20T04:10:23.606-08:00

The Hill Country's fairest season is June, but even December has charm to a Texas girl. The peach orchards are bare and their stands boarded up, the fields of lavender and wildflowers fallow, but the evergreen cedars are striped through with the brilliant red of autumn oaks and mule deer graze brazenly close to the highway. People raise all manner of beasties out here, and as you zip down 290

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1134606652628527832005-12-14T13:50:00.000-08:002005-12-15T08:58:08.446-08:00

I've been reading all day about the state of the Texas wine industry. We get a lot of haughty haw-haws from wine snooties down here; mostly people who actually live here. Trouble is, sometimes the wines really are crappy. But sometimes they're not.Texas ranks third in the nation for wine consumption and fifth in production. That ranking is in part thanks (er, thanks?) to a French company called

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1134409243040800592005-12-12T09:21:00.000-08:002005-12-12T09:40:43.070-08:00

As you may have read already, I'm hitting the road. I'm taking my blog on a journey west from South Texas in search of as many unsung, low-production, just hatched and best-kept-secret wineries on the route up the Pacific Coast to Vancouver. I'm doing this because I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I can always come back to town and get the kind of job I had before; and this road

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1134142356663216962005-12-09T07:21:00.000-08:002005-12-09T07:32:36.676-08:00

I have to take a quick moment to encourage you to trip on a website that's getting wayyy too little attention for the quality of writing. Mascorrolandia is written by a radio announcer/engineer for a Texas public radio station. Her audacious writing style and Mucho Vasto knowledge of music, cultural icons, movies and politics is amazing. Please check out Mascorrolandia today. Like, right now.

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1133999713018305592005-12-07T15:55:00.000-08:002005-12-09T11:18:59.586-08:00

Here's a label for ya: one that lures you in, makes you want to hold the bottle close to your nose and figure out what's up with all the leeetle-beeety squiggles. Are they little dancers? Are they birds?Actually, they're teeny vines. But I had to call Bonny Doon to find that out.The label is an original work by Christine Colin, wife of beloved Alsace producer, Andre Ostertag. The green and red

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1133110313114344012005-11-27T08:39:00.000-08:002005-11-28T06:58:09.430-08:00

What better to drink with a Romanesque holiday feast than wines that look and taste much like they did during the reign of Augustus? While I roasted up the nerf-sized turkey breast and whipped up wacky ancho-bock beer mashers, the hub and I popped a couple of obscure Italians that only a true geek would love.I found these two bottles on a lark; the likelihood of my finding and being able to

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1132754389573861932005-11-23T05:28:00.000-08:002005-11-23T16:10:16.530-08:00

Above is a rather fuzzy photo of a piece of cheese I bought on my first visit ever to a Dean and Deluca store, in St. Helena, CA. I took the picture for two reasons. First, because it says 'made by monks raw milk', which is hilarious, and the other to remind myself of the price I paid for it.I purchased it after the woman at the counter singled it out as one of her favorites and extolled the

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1132466761573049882005-11-19T21:28:00.000-08:002005-11-19T22:06:01.623-08:00

If you're a movie lover, you've got that list of movies you haven't seen that you've meant to check out. Mine is long, and grows ever longer with the passage of time, and God Bless Netflix for easy browsing and reminders. One flick long on my list has been The Eyes Of Tammy Faye, which came out forever ago and kept falling into the 'Yeah, yeah, I'll get to it" category. Faced with an evening of

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1132270288458090532005-11-17T14:51:00.000-08:002005-11-18T06:25:37.696-08:00

What will the Italians call Tocai Friulano when they can no longer use the term 'Tocai'? It will be called 'Friulano', which doesn't really have the same ring to it. 'Tocai' sounds like something your hot, half-dressed lover whispers in your ear. Why the Hungarians got to be so stingy with it? There's enough words for everyone to share, people. But never mind that now.Let me reiterate: if you're

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1131852970776350932005-11-12T19:21:00.000-08:002005-11-12T20:34:05.133-08:00

Call me easily amused, that's fine, but I swear to you, this little ten dollar shiraz delivers. It has the bit of meatiness. It has the black pepper. Is..is that a touch of stony minerality I detect? No way! It has the rich black fruit that's not all up in your face screaming "ME! I'M A BIG FAT JUICY BLACKBERRY! ME!"Dude. Put down the freakin' Yellow Tail crrrrrap and step da hell up.

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1131038081942267592005-11-03T08:42:00.000-08:002005-11-03T09:14:41.993-08:00

What is this prevailing insistence among my customers that if you like red wine, you're a "red wine" person, and therefore eschew all white wines? Or that if its coming up on cool weather (which in my part of the country, translates to "not as hot") then white wine is sooo, like, bad form?People, if you fall into either of these anti-white wine categories, I feel sorry for ya. You're missing some

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1129991027103019202005-10-22T05:58:00.000-07:002005-10-23T07:42:25.260-07:00

Maggie over at The Wine Offensive (Have you not checked this site out yet? For real--try to keep up, man) has tagged me thusly:Go to your 23rd post, reprint your 5th sentence, and expound. Forward to 5 other people.My 23rd post is a little diddy called D'accord, nous n'allons vous montrer aucun vin francais!which is one of my favorites because the title makes me look like I speak French. Which

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1129660339485441082005-10-18T09:10:00.000-07:002005-10-21T12:34:19.686-07:00

It's about an hour before I leave work, and my boss grabs me by the arm and demands I go with him to a Grateful Palate portfolio tasting dinner, immediately. "Like hell am I going to Mars in my undershirt!" I said. Nor was I in the mood; a spontaneous event where I would have to be "on" for another few hours? Forget it, I was too tired, free dinner or not.But then I remembered the last trip to

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1128992570497834862005-10-10T17:21:00.000-07:002005-10-11T06:58:54.196-07:00

I'm in the middle of an obsession with syrah. That in itself isn't very weird for me. But check this: me, Little Miss Old World, has fallen for a California syrah. I have already been chided for this by my workmates, who point out past railings against fruit-driven styles of wine. But here's the thing, see: I realize that my personal adventure in vitis vinifera would be rather stifled if I

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1128514888377230172005-10-05T04:53:00.000-07:002005-10-05T05:21:28.413-07:00

It's just shy of 7 a.m., and even before my precious life-giving Coffee, I have tasted this wine. Why? Because I am dedicated to bringing the people the wine information they crave. And I fricking forgot it was WBW until like, a half hour ago. I bolted up out of my warm nest and got to slurping.Is this the best time to taste a wine? I've been told: first thing in the morning, before your

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1128082326170037322005-09-30T04:11:00.000-07:002005-09-30T05:32:34.546-07:00

On my recent trip to San Francisco (pre-hurricanes; seems like years ago), my solution to the maximum-grub-for-minimum moolah equation was to do lunch instead of dinner at a couple of the most suggested spots. Turned out to be a fabulous idea. Even better that we were the first guests of a Sunday at Limon, a knockout Peruvian restaurant nestled comfortably among the eclectic storefronts of

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1127762620233387552005-09-26T10:19:00.001-07:002005-09-26T14:33:01.776-07:00

I owe you an apology for my incompetence a few days ago. I know now that it was wrong to assume that just because I had explained the reason your wine is not available at the right price once before, apologized, and gave my word I was on top of it, that you should remember this information four days later. I can see why my Day Four update on Jug Wine Crisis 2005 was inadequate; while progress

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310316.post-1127053296617947582005-09-18T06:53:00.000-07:002005-09-18T07:24:52.773-07:00

Louisiana's Abita Brewery, famous (or infamous) for brews like Turbodog and Purple Haze, is releasing a special 'Fleur-de-lis Restoration Ale' this October to benefit the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation. A buck per six-pack and 100% of proceeds from merchandising products will go to the foundation, whose mission is to provide both immediate assistance and long term restoration aid to LA

tajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15274553453395967333noreply@blogger.com4