From Georgia With Love

Georgia has been a wine producing country for some 80 centuries. Eight thousand years. That's 3,000 years before humans started writing. That's how long Georgians have been making wine. 

Many of the country's producers still use techniques that have been around almost as long, like natural fermentation and the use of qvevri, large, earthen, egg-shaped pots in which the wine is vinified and aged. 

Dugladze Winery is located in the Kakheti region, in the eastern part of the country, in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains overlooking the Alazani River Valley. The 2020 Dugladze Saperavi Muscat is a semi-sweet red wine which combines the robust Saperavi grape with the aromatic Muscat.  It clocks in with alcohol at 14% abv and costs around $14.

This wine is medium-dark ruby colored. The nose is quite aromatic, full of dark fruit like plums, blackberries and black cherries. There is also a significant earthiness about it, reminiscent of a wine made from a North American grape, but not that extreme. The palate is semi-sweet and fruity. There is a savory aspect to it and the tannins are very soft, almost unnoticeable. The wine would pair well with cheese or a fruit tart, and it sips wonderfully on its own. I'd like it with a turkey or ham sandwich, too. 

Teliani Vineyards seems to be known as Teliani Valley on the label. Their 2022 Semi-Sweet Red Wine is made from Saperavi grapes which were grown in the specific area of Kakheti known as Kindzmarauli. They thrive in the warm clime of Kindzmarauli. The wine has alcohol at 12% abv and sells online for $18.

This wine is a brilliant purple in the glass. Its nose smells like blueberry, blackberry and currant, as sweet as you think fruit should be. The palate offers a semi-sweet taste, full fruit flavors, with a racy acidity and a firm set of tannins. This wine will pair well with a meat dish, particularly pork or ham. It's not a bad choice for the holiday meal, either.

Now for dessert. The 2022 Dugladze Khvanchkara is a semi-sweet red wine served up in a tall, slender dessert wine bottle. It is a blend of two indigenous grapes, Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli. Alcohol is low, at 11% abv and the price for the 375 ml bottle is $25. 

This wine is a bit on the sweet side, but not completely dessert wine sweet. It is dark purple in the glass and smells of plum and currant. The palate offers those dark fruit flavors, with little else to get in the way, save for an earthy note that drapes over them. I would pair this wine with a fruit and cheese plate, or a pork dish in a sweet glaze. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

If you've made the leap to BlueSky, I'm there, too.

Blood Of The Vines - 3 Great Westerns

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  This week, we toast to a little Americana. A trio of great movies that feature the American West, in all its rip-roarin', six-shootin', horse ridin' glory. 

When I was a kid, my mom was a night owl. She stayed up late and watched TV until the stations went off the air. Yes, Virginia, there was a time before 24/7 television. The local station played an old movie every weeknight after Johnny Carson. Look it up, Virginia. The station was cheap, and they bought only enough movies to last a month before they repeated them. I remember my mom, about halfway through the summer, bitching endlessly about having to watch Taras Bulba and 3:10 to Yuma over and over. The way she threw her whole being into the word Yuma was hilarious. Occasional viewings were okay with her, but not once a month. 

3:10 to Yuma is from 1957, the year my sister was born. Maybe that was a trigger for mom, I don't know. Glenn Ford and Van Heflin star in the film, which was based on a short story by Elmore Leonard. Ford is a bad guy and Heflin is the good guy charged with taking the captured murderer to justice. There is only a trace of Mr. Eddie's Father in Ford's performance, and it comes at the end of the movie. No spoilers. 

The dusty desert setting calls for a wine that can wet a whistle.  Arizona Stronghold takes the names for their wines from Native American legend - Tazi, Nachise, Lozen - which conjure up images of a saguaro cactus and a guy waiting for a train as the tumbleweeds blow by.

Stagecoach is a 1939 classic from the archives of both John Ford and John Wayne. Ford directed Wayne as the Ringo Kid, and both cemented their legendary status with their work. Stagecoach is one of the most lauded films of all time, and you don't have to take it from me. Orson Welles said he watched it dozens of times when he was preparing to make Citizen Kane, although I don't recall too many cowboy hats in Citizen Kane. No stagecoaches, either. 

The story involves a few characters sharing a stage traveling through dangerous Native American territory. Okay, a boozer, a hooker, and a whiskey salesman, if you must know. Which sounds like the setup to a joke that carries the punchline, "How far is the Old Log Inn?" 

I mentioned that the film has many laurels on which to rest, but the depiction of Indians as ruthless savages is a bone being picked harder harder than your Thanksgiving turkey's wishbone. Since all turkeys have wishbones, did no turkey ever wish to not be decapitated and cooked? Just something that bobs up in my mind this time each year.

For this wine pairing, I'm just going to go generic and let you choose one in your price range. Keep it in mind for Christmas. Sauvignon Blanc goes well with turkey, and maybe you have a few turkey sandwiches left on the platter. Chardonnay will be fine if you have bolder tastes. 

1959's No Name on the Bullet finds Audie Murphy playing the heavy, for a change, as a hired killer.  He never did any alcohol or tobacco commercials, fearing he'd be a bad example for the youngsters.  That's my job.

So, advertising for beer was bad, but playing a murderer was okay?  Whatevs.  Anyhow, No Name on the Bullet is a film which has been lauded for its chin-stroking metaphysical side, even though Murphy, in the film, does not play a game of chess with death.

19 Crimes wine has the most bizarre backstory of any bottled beverage.  The various bottlings are dedicated to British criminals who were sent to live in the Australian penal colony.  Conviction of any one of 19 specific crimes earned the luckless lawbreaker a spot on the ship.  Among the crimes were stealing fish from a pond or river, bigamy, and impersonating an Egyptian. Professional murder was not one of the punishable offenses.  If you get bored with the movie, the criminal on the label tells his or her story through the magic of modern technology.

Follow Randy Fuller on X or BlueSky

...But I Kinda Like Rioja

As the song says, "I've never been to Spain, but I kinda like the wines from there." That's close, anyway. A slight paraphrase. I was given a few Spanish wines to sample, and it is always my pleasure to do so. In fact, my introduction into wine came as a result of a tasting event featuring Spanish wines. I've been hooked on Spain ever since.

Raventos Codorniu is fully committed to sustainability. Not only do they grow organically, but they use a lot of recycled packaging material, they have the lightest wine bottles out there and they even make 12.8% of the energy they use. They're eco-overachievers. 

Today's wine comes from Bodegas Bilbainas, which resides under the RC umbrella. The 2017 Viña Pomal Rioja Reserva is made with the aforementioned organic grapes, 100% Tempranillo. The wine was aged for at least a full year in American oak. It carries alcohol at 14% abv and sells online for around $20.

This wine is medium-dark garnet in the glass. The nose gives off a beautiful bouquet of flowers in addition to the fruit. Aromas of plum, blackberry, cassis, coffee and vanilla abound. The palate offers dark fruit with a slightly savory side. Notes of earth, oak and mocha join the fruit. The soft tannins make sipping it a breeze, but there is enough fight there to handle a steak. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Sting Your Lips With A Picpoul

If you love exploring grapes that are new to you, you might get a kick out of a Picpoul de Pinot wine. Picpoul means "lip stinger" in French, a nickname the wine earned through its racy acidity. 

The 2023 Foncastel Picpoul de Pinot is made from 100% Picpoul grapes grown in the region of Languedoc, in the south of France. Vinification took place in steel tanks, so the wine is completely oak-free. It has alcohol at 13% abv and it runs $9 at Trader Joe's. 

This wine is golden in color. Aromas of lemons and limes dominate the mineral-laden nose. The palate offers a rippingly fresh acidity, and flavors of stone fruit and citrus appear abundantly. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Blood Of The Vines - Apes Of Wrath

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  This week, a simian trio of films. Big screen apes, and the wines to make them more palatable. 

Monkey Business, the 1952 screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks, is one of those hard-to-believe-yet-kinda-funny-in-a-way movies. That's the textbook definition of a screwball comedy, by the way. You could look it up.

Cary Grant plays an absent-minded chemist, and the laughs are welling up already. He has invented a youth elixir, but hasn't tested it yet. Here comes the monkey, so fasten your laughter harness. One of his chimps gets loose in the office and pours the fountain of youth into the office Sparkletts dispenser. You can almost hear the audience giving forth with an expectant, "uh-oh." 

Well, everybody and the monkey's uncle unwittingly drink the concoction, sending them into a second childhood. Things get even wackier when an actual baby is thrown into the screenplay. What else could one expect when you keep chimps in your workplace? For laughs, you can't beat this stuff. In addition to Mr. Grant, you get Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe, so the giggles get girly, too. 

We haven't sampled an Arizona wine lately, so let's dip into a barrel of Cheeky Monkey Sauvignon Blanc, from Elgin Winery and Distillery. It's a $25 investment, and they say it's dry. Unlike this film's humor. 

The Banana Monster was originally titled Shlock when a very young TFH Guru John Landis made it in 1971. He also starred in it, wearing a gorilla suit designed by none other than seven-time Oscar winner Rick Baker. Landis explains that after his success with Animal House, the distributor revived Schlock with the new title. People didn't like it under either name and stayed away in droves. It is notable mainly for Landis being perhaps the skinniest gorilla you have ever seen. Jump cut to the drinks.

Banana wine is an obvious choice here, but you apparently have to make your own, as nobody seems to sell it pre-made. Hmm, I wonder why? Here's an idea: Banana Schnapps. Listen, it was good enough as barf fuel for your high school hip flask. Anyway, you're watching Schlock and complaining about drinking Schnapps? A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, you know.

From 1943, Captive Wild Woman features Acquanetta as the Gorilla Girl. Acquanetta had nothing to do with Aquanet hair spray. John Carradine is seen in what is probably not one of his more memorable roles. If you like finding 1960s TV actors in movies that gave them a leg up, you'll love seeing Milburn Stone in a role other than "Doc" on Gunsmoke.

This movie spawned a couple of sequels in Universal's Cheela, The Ape Woman series, one of which is labeled by TFH Guru Joe Dante as one of the worst horror films ever made. But we live for bad horror films, don't we? Don't we?

Denver's Infinite Monkey Theorem is a winery named after the notion that if you turn an infinite number of monkeys loose in a vineyard, somehow wine would be made. Or something like that. They specialize in canned wine with inventive names like "White Wine" and "Red Wine." It's your choice. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

A Supermarket Chardonnay Worth The Sale Price, And More

I love finding a bargain on supermarket wine. This 2022 Vinaforé Napa Valley Chardonnay is a pleasant surprise. Marked down from $25 to $14, the price is certainly right. Even at $25, this wine is worth the cost. 

It was aged for ten months in new French oak, underwent full malolactic fermentation, and got the sur lie treatment at 50% for extra creaminess. Made by Albertsons (!) for their Vinaforé Collection, curated by Curtis Mann MW, in partnership with DC Flynt MW. Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv and I snagged it on sale at Pavilions supermarket in West Hollywood. Great wine department there.

This wine has a light straw-yellow color. The nose features peach and pear aromas, with some tropical citrus and minerality. The mouthfeel is full and acidity is bright. The flavor of stone fruit is surrounded by sweet oak spice. The finish is long and bears apricot and lemon notes. I want this with risotto and shrimp. I'd have it for breakfast with eggs and Boursin cheese. I mean, why wait? 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Italian Rosso To Cook With, And To Drink

I found myself looking for an Italian red for cooking. This 2019 Piccolo Fiore Terre Siciliane Rosso did the trick. Like Julia Child always said, only use a wine for cooking which you would drink on its own. 

It was fermented in stainless steel, which I love to see in a red wine. The grapes in this wine are Syrah and Nero d'Avola.  The Bronco Wine website shows no mention of oak, but I think there was oak aging. Alcohol is somewhat restrained at 13.5% abv and it sold for $9 at Whole Foods Market.

This wine is medium dark. The nose is savory, full of tar, earth, tobacco, licorice, plums and raspberries. The palate is similarly dark and savory, with sweet tannins and good acidity. I made a pasta sauce with my first pour, then enjoyed the second pour while it cooked. It was delightful. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Blood Of The Vines - Akira!

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  This week, a visit to the Far East for some Japanese film treasures, all directed by the great Akira Kurosawa. We also have a wine pairing for each movie. 

First of all, a tip of the green visor to the Trailers From Hell gurus, who named this week's feature Akira! The single word and the exclamation point really make one think of a Japanese monster movie. Godzilla! Rodan! Mothra! Lost in Translation! Well, I let myself go a little too far there. It's not the first time.

I discovered the pleasure of watching Akira Kurosawa's films long before I discovered the pleasure of sipping a good wine. It was in college, a film appreciation class. I remember one criticism which went, "All I got from Rashomon was a stiff neck and a sore butt." That's how I rolled in college, anything for a joke, even one fueled by Annie Green Springs. I was actually criticizing the accommodations at the student center film viewing room. I really liked the film, but there was a joke to be made. I'm still trying to grow out of that habit. Thankfully I did grow out of sipping Annie Green Springs while viewing Kurosawa's treasures.

Maybe the best known Kurosawa film is from 1954, The Seven Samurai. Later translated into English as the western, The Magnificent Seven, this movie has been reimagined more times than A Star is Born. 

A village of farmers hire a samurai warrior to help them battle a band of thugs who plan to attack after harvest and steal their crops. This was harder back in the 16th century than it is today. With TaskRabbit, a good and dependable samurai is just a click away. Back then you had to know somebody. 

The samurai assembles his team and they go to work protecting and serving like the LAPD can only dream about. Muskets versus swords may not sound like a fair fight, but the bandits only had a few guns and the good guys stole one of them. Also, samurai are fairly good with blades, so the edge was actually theirs. 

The villagers who hired the septet couldn't afford to pay much, so in honor of them, let's splurge on our wine for The Seven Samurai. Black Samurai Cabernet Sauvignon hails not from the mountains of Japan, but from the valley called Napa. Hey, it's a cool label. If you can find it, it will cost about $200. There's no discount if you happen to be a samurai, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. 

Kurosawa's Rashomon is the 1950 examination of how the teller tells the tale. Four people give very different accounts of a crime, their stories filtered by their own perspectives. Toshiro Mifune stars as a robber who murders a samurai, if that's what you want to believe. His performance is powerful, a modern masterpiece of acting. During my college days, I briefly tried to emulate Mifune's vocal mannerisms. After a few blown job interviews, I decided to give it up. However, John Belushi used those mannerisms to great effect in his brief career.

The technique of investigating what people say, and how they say it, was later used to a lesser degree in The Conversation. Gene Hackman discovers that the couple on whom he is eavesdropping are not in fear for their lives, they're plotting a murder. We should employ this sort of discretion when listening to our politicians tell us how great they're going to make America. 

In the legal world, the Rashomon effect is the name given to the explanation of how different people give differing testimony of the same event. If your lawyer is basing your case on the Rashomon effect, you're probably screwed. 

Kurosawa Sake is no relation to the director, but details like that have never stopped me before. Kurosawa Junmai Kimoto is a craft sake, if you will. If you won't, we'll call it an artisanal rice wine. The kimoto style of sake differs from the big brands in that it requires more work, takes longer to make, and costs more. My wife would love it! You can find it for under $30 in a lot of liquor, beer and wine outlets. 

George Lucas says he drew heavily from Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress for his Star Wars juggernaut. The 1958 adventure centers on two paupers who agree to help get a man and a woman across dangerous territory. What they don't know is that he's a general and she's a princess. They're helping the couple for money, so they don't really care who they are as long as they get paid. I'm sure you can relate. 

Fortress did quite well in Japanese theaters, where movie-goers eat puffed rice, not popcorn, and they eat it from a bento box, not a crinkly paper bag. They were also too polite to talk to the screen. American audiences were spoiled by the grandeur of Rashomon and The Seven Samurai, and were not so inclined to applaud. When they talked to the screen, it was not so much to ask for a refund on the ticket price as it was to ask for directions to where Cat on a Hot Tin Roof was playing. Today, Fortress is regarded as another Kurosawa masterpiece, and it garners as many rotten tomatoes as you can throw. 

Fortress Winery of California’s North Coast wine region puts out a namesake Bordeaux style, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Merlot grapes. It's not hidden, and this Fortress sells for about $30. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

If you are making the leap over to BlueSky, I'm there, too.

Cava Is Spanish For Sparkling

As the song says, "I've never been to Spain, but I kinda like the wines from there." That's close, anyway. A slight paraphrase. I was given a few Spanish wines to sample, and it is always my pleasure to do so. My introduction into wine came as a result of a tasting event featuring Spanish wines. I've been hooked on Spain ever since.

Codorníu is the oldest winery in Spain. They started mashing grapes in the 16th century, that's how old. Their Cuvée Clasico Brut is a sparkling wine, a cava in España. This one is made from Spanish grapes - about a third each of Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada - all organically grown. Vinification was done in the traditional method, alcohol is fairly low at 11.5% abv and the retail.

Raventos Codorniu is fully committed to sustainability. Not only do they grow organically, but they use a lot of recycled packaging material, they have the lightest wine bottles out there and they even make 12.8% of the energy they use. 

This fizzy Spanish wine is straw yellow in the glass. The nose hits me as unusual for a sparkling wine, no doubt due to the indigenous Spanish grapes used, about a third each of Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Instead of citrus fruit aromas, I get stone fruit, nectarine, dried apricot, some pear, and a healthy dose of minerality. There is a conspicuous earthy element as well. The palate has great acidity, with flavors that remind me of a white wine made from North American grapes. A yeasty, toasty flavor is present, too, and persists on the rather lengthy finish. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Organically Grown Albariño

As the song says, "I've never been to Spain, but I kinda like the wines from there." That's close, anyway. A slight paraphrase. I was given a few Spanish wines to sample, and it is always my pleasure to do so. My introduction into wine came as a result of a tasting event featuring Spanish wines. I've been hooked on Spain ever since.

Raimat practically shouts that they have been doing "sustainable wine growing for over 100 years." In their Albariño wine, the grapes were harvested separately from two separate organic vineyards in Costers del Segre. A small percentage of the wine was aged for ten months in oak barrels. The 2023 Raimat Albariño has alcohol hitting 12.5% abv and the price I see online is just $10. 

This wine has an iridescent yellow color in the glass. Its nose is flinty and mineral driven, with a hint of floral and herbal notes. Those minerals lead the way on the palate, with a flavor of lime buried deeply in the profile. Acidity is refreshing, if not razor sharp, and the finish is medium long with an herbal sensibility. Mediocre  Albariño reminds me of gussied-up Pinot Grigio. This wine, though, has the complexity that lifts it above the ordinary. It is a great aperitif, and will pair well with crab, lobster, oysters, anything in a shell, really. Clams Casino? Sure, why not. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Blood Of The Vines - Murder Will Out

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  This week, our three films are simply killer. So are the wine pairings that go with them.

From the title, we can assume that 1965's How to Murder Your Wife is a black comedy. We can also assume that the title probably read a lot funnier in 1965 than it does today. 

Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi star. He's an avowed bachelor and she's the person he winds up marrying during a drunken evening. The couple are introduced when she jumps out of a cake at a bachelor party. Talk about a meet-cute. Yes, kids. That's how grammy and pop-pop met before there was Tinder. 

With cake in mind, let's pair this film with a nice Cakebread Cellars Grenache. It pairs well with this movie, and it could pair well with a wedding cake. Unless, of course, it's a cake that someone is hiding in until everyone is drunk.

Now it's dark. Murder By Contract is a 1958 film noir which has held a lot more sway than its initial reception would suggest.  Martin Scorsese has hailed the movie as an influence on his style of filmmaking.  Vince Edwards stars as a hit man who carries no gun, has no conscience, and takes a little too much pride in his work.

He routinely kills men at the request of his bosses - guys with names like Mr. Brink and Mr. Moon. However, he experiences angst when an important witness in a big case is targeted, and it turns out she's a woman.  Nah, he's not the hit man with a heart o' gold.  He simply thinks women are too unpredictable to make good targets.  He thinks they're trouble. He finds out that in his case, they are.

San Diego County's Cheval Winery has their Bullet Cabernet Franc on offer for $77. It could be an offer you will refuse at your own peril.

Alfred Hitchcock was always pouring drinks down the throats of his characters. The director used alcohol as medicine in many of his films, particularly as a cure for the nervousness his suspenseful storylines caused. If a character survived a near-death experience with a homicidal maniac, a vehicle, or some birds, the next thing heard was likely to be "Here - have some brandy."

In Dial M For Murder Hitch really put drinking on a pedestal. Ray Milland must have had Lost Weekend flashbacks during the filming of this 1954 classic. He suggested drinks to everyone except the key grip, and that offer may have ended up on the cutting room floor.

Thanks to Milland's character, Grace Kelly and Bob Cummings are always drinking. "Have a drink!" "Let’s meet for a drink!" "Sell the ticket and have a drink on the proceeds!" "She's a filthy cook. Let's have a drink!" "Dahling, you framed me for a murder??" "Yes, dear. How about that drink now?"

By the way, have you ever been bothered by the key-in-the-handbag thing? Grace Kelly had just one key? Really? Having just one key represents a rather uncomplicated life. It's hard to imagine a one-key person getting involved in this sort of intrigue.

Further, Milland just reaches into Kelly's handbag and pops the key right out. What else was in there, just a pack of gum? Have any of our gentlemen readers ever tried to find something in a lady's purse? How quickly did you give up?

Another sidebar: The depiction of the rotary phone and its creepy analog workings take on an almost steampunk quality in today's digital atmosphere.

With all that off my chest, let's fire up the movie machine and have a drink! "Won’t you join me?" "I’m afraid it's too early for me." "What's the harm in just one?" "Well, alright..."

Since brandy seemed to be Hitchcock's favorite drink, at least in the movies, let's pair this elixir with Dial M. Most brandy is distilled from grapes, so it's sort of a half wine. Remy Martin VSOP Cognac is made from primarily Ugni Blanc and Colombard grapes. I see it selling online for anywhere from $25 to $80, much more if it comes in a fancy bottle.

Follow Randy Fuller on X

From Argentina Without Oak

The wines of Argentina are some of the more special new world offerings. I was told once by a small Argentine wine producer that many wineries the size of his can't afford to buy oak barrels for all the wines that they make, so they do Cabernet Sauvignon in steel while using that precious wood for Malbec, considered to be the king of grapes in South America.

I don't know if that’s true for a great number of winemakers, but it did make for a refreshing experience in the world of Cabs. Recently, I was given a sample of Septima Organic Malbec to try, and it was the other way around. The wine was apparently aged in steel, not oak.

Septima falls under the corporate umbrella of Raventós Codorníu. They have vineyards not only in Argentina, but also in Spain and California. All their vineyards are fully organic. The 2022 Malbec I tried was made in the shadow of the Andes, in Mendoza, a huge wine region in Argentina. The Ugarteche subregion is located in the southern part of the Lujan de Cuyo region. The 2022 Septima Organic Malbec has an alcohol content of 14.5% abv and sells for a modest $14.

This wine is colored medium red. The nose gives aromas of red plums, raspberries and blackberries. On the palate, there are those same fruits, presented in fresh fashion without oak aging. Tannins are medium firm, but the acidity is fresh and tingly. Tart fruit lingers on the finish. I had mine with a vegetable soup I made. I used it in the soup as well. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

A Lodi Rosé That's Thanksgiving Ready

A sample of this wine came to me with a recommendation that pouring pink is the thing to do for Thanksgiving. I have long been in favor of rosés for the holiday feast. Turkey, ham, and a variety of vegetables all pair perfectly with rosé. But wait, save a bottle for Black Friday and those day-after sandwiches.

AVIVO founder Ridgely Evers feels that his rosé "has the depth of flavor to complement the richness of the meal, along with crisp, refreshing acidity."

The 2023 AVIVO Rosé is made from 95% Sangiovese and 5% Syrah grapes harvested from Ledbetter Family Vineyards in the Lodi appellation. The plots are certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers, and biodynamically farmed by the AVIVO crew. Winemaker Daniel Fitzgerald produces the AVIVO wines with no additives or added sugars. He uses minimal intervention winemaking techniques to allow the terroir to shine. 

Lodi folk rave about the 2023 vintage, marked by early rain and a cool growing season which made for plenty of hang time. The grapes were whole cluster pressed and vinified in a tank. Aging took place over five months in French oak barrels. Alcohol checks in light at 12.8% abv. The retail price is $24.

This wine is a copper colored rosato style of pink, slightly effervescent in the glass. The nose is fully ripe, the sweet strawberry and bright cherry aromas tinged with tangerine and lime. The palate is loaded with those red fruit flavors, a trace of spice and a refreshing acidity. Bring on those turkey sandwiches. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Two New Chardonnays From Sonoma-Cutrer

Sonoma-Cutrer is bringing out new vintages of two mainstay Chardonnay wines. The Sonoma County grower and vintner always shines a light on their Chardonnays, due to the wines' consistently high quality and extreme popularity. 

Director of Winemaking Cara Morrison puts her name on the labels. That's how proud she is of the juice she helps craft. I was provided with samples of these wines, and here are my thoughts. 

The 2023 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay was made with 100% Chardonnay grapes. Seventy-five percent of the wine was aged eight months in oak, while the other quarter aged in a steel tank. The folks at Sonoma-Cutrer say that this wine is the number one ranking Chardonnay in the $20-plus range. Alcohol sits at 13.9% abv and the retail price is $25.

This wine has a yellow-gold color in the glass. The nose has plenty of citrus mineral aromas with a blast of apple, pear and pineapple smells. The palate is full and fruity, with enough oak spice to make one think of old time California Chardonnay. There is not enough to make one think too long about it, though. The acidity is sharp and the finish is all lemon. 

The 2023 Russian River Ranches Chardonnay is Sonoma-Cutrer's flagship wine. The winery reports that this wine is the leading by-the-glass Chardonnay in the nation's restaurants. It is a cuvée made from the six Sonoma-Cutrer estate vineyards as well as some select grapes from outside growers. 

As with the Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, the Russian River Ranches wine is 100% Chardonnay. Three-quarters of the wine was aged in oak, while the remainder aged in the tank. The alcohol content is 13.8% abv and the retail price is $31.

This wine is straw yellow in color. Its nose gives aromas of pear and apple, with lemon coming in behind. There is a hint of oak in the bouquet. The palate brings the citrus minerality to the forefront to play with the fruit flavors. Acidity is bright, but not overpowering. The wine finishes a bit oakier than the nose would have suggested, but it is a pleasurable hit of oak spice. I paired mine with buttery potato pierogies and a carrot risotto dish, and was quite pleased. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Blood Of The Vines - The Body Politic

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  This week, we have a trio of films to remind us that November 5th is Election Day. Vote, please. And enjoy the wine pairings for each movie.

There are some places in the US where a person cannot get a drink on Election Day. Prohibition-era laws are still on the books in Alaska, Massachusetts and Puerto Rico that prevent people from buying alcohol on the same day we vote for president. That's the day we may need it most. The ban resulted from politicians who tried to buy votes with free booze. Today, politicians try to buy votes with promises of tax cuts and big, beautiful walls. And tariffs. Tariffs? You expect to get votes with tariffs? Whatever works. 

The Best Man is a 1964 political film written by Gore Vidal, who also wrote the stage play. It's not about the guy standing next to the groom at a wedding. It's about which man is best suited to be president. It was 1964, so the thought of a woman running for president was only for little girls playing with their D.C. Barbies.

Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson play the candidates here, a principled veteran and a smarmy upstart, both vying for their party's nomination. We don't know which party, because way back then, there actually were principled people on both sides. 

Kevin McCarthy is in the movie, but not as a candidate. However, his real-life cousin Eugene McCarthy would run for president in 1968. Remember that great McCarthy scene at the end of Invasion of the Body Snatchers? He screams at the camera, "They’re here already! You're next!" Could the pod people have been the beginning of the MAGA movement? Seems a little far-fetched, but then so does the MAGA movement. 

Lodi's Michael David Winery has a Bordeaux-style wine called Politically Correct Red Blend. It's a speak-no-evil concoction that sells for $50. Enjoy it before it gets canceled. 

From 2005, Good Night and Good Luck brought us a reminder of what can happen when unprincipled people gain power. US Senator Joseph McCarthy was a howling lunatic, and I hold papers in my hand which prove it. You know I'm lying because how could I type while holding papers in my hand? He fooled a lot of people with that gambit though. 

Joe McCarthy was no relation, by the way, to Senator Eugene McCarthy, although the two did debate each other on TV in the early 1950s. That must have been confusing for the moderators. "The next question is for Senator McCarthy, er, Mr. McCarthy, er, oh hell, the guy on the left."

George Clooney played CBS News exec Fred Friendly, and David Strathairn's Edward R. Murrow had me believing that the venerable newsman had been resurrected, complete with a pack of Rod Serling smokes. 

Hope Family Wines makes the Troublemaker Red Blend. It takes grapes from the Central Coast, from Paso Robles down into Santa Barbara County. Odd pricing: a bottle is $20, a 3-liter bottle (4 regulars) is $100. I guess the huge bottle is worth something. 

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was directed by the great Frank Capra and starred Jimmy Stewart as senatorial neophyte Jefferson Smith. He wants to take a piece of land and do good with it, while an elder statesman wants to make money with it. Let the clashing begin.

Nobody could do an impassioned speech like Stewart. His verbal takedown of the bad pol in the chamber is a classic. You haven't seen such sweating on the Senate floor since Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings. 

The movie was criticized at the time by politicians. You had to see that coming. They said the film cast Washington in a bad light. Reading that sentence in today's political climate is cause for guffaws. What kind of light do you have that will make Washington look good? A magic lamp? If you turn it on and a genie pops out, ask it for some principled Republicans and a nice bottle of Chianti. Sim sala bim. 

Master of Wine Tim Atkin writes that when politicizing wine, the big, bold reds are usually favored by conservatives, while more restrained efforts capture the hearts of liberals. I don't know about that, but from France, where they never accepted the idea of Freedom Fries, comes Château Haut-Bages Liberal. It's a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend that sells for around $50, depending on the vintage. Liberal, by the way, is the name of a previous owner of the estate a couple hundred years ago. Just goes to show, if you get your name on a French wine, it stays there. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

A Gifted Brunello, 2005

The 2005 La Velona Brunello di Montalcino is 100% Sangiovese at 14% abv alcohol content. I don't know how much the bottle originally cost, but it sells now for around $35, according to Wine-Searcher. 

It was a gift from a friend of ours who culled it from her mother's home when mom had to move to a smaller place. It was nice of her to think of her friendly, neighborhood wine writer.

This wine has some years on it, and it shows. In the glass, the ruby core goes to brick red along the edge. The nose has savory notes of forest floor, tea, tar, and thyme. The palate is a bit thin. Tart, red fruit has faded over the nearly two decades since its vintage. There are still spices, and some herbal elements to be enjoyed. The tannins are firm enough for food, yet gentle enough for sipping. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Blood Of The Vines - Halloween Haunts

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  This week, we scare up wine pairings for three movies that fit right into Halloween week. 

Eye of the Devil is a British horror film from 1966 starring Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Donald Pleasence and Sharon Tate. Wait, did you say Donald Pleasence? Well, that's how we know it's a movie fit for Halloween. Who could forget Dr. Loomis in the Halloween movies? Not to mention, he was Blofeld for Bond's sake! I will always have a special place in my heart for his portrayal of a sniveling POTUS in Escape from New York. I'm sure I'm not alone there. 

The story of Eye of the Devil is a real horror tale for a wine lover. A Bordeaux vintner's grape vines stopped bearing fruit three years ago. *GASP* Not that! Believe it or not, it gets worse. The old chateau is hella creepy, but aren't they all? They're all old, too. Nobody's making any new chateaux. 

When a dead dove falls at your feet as you step out of the car, and the bird gets sacrificed at some sort of altar, logic would intervene and tell you to get the hell out of that creepy, old chateau before you become an appeasement. But is that what happens? Nooooooo, it's not. He thinks he'll beat the odds after a couple dozen estate owners before him have died mysteriously. Ask any gambler: the chateau always wins.

The magazine Wine Enthusiast is enthused this year with haunted wineries. One of them is in Napa Valley. At Trefethen Family Vineyards, a thief was reportedly caught red-handed about a hundred years ago and hung from the rafters. They say his shadow still swings to and fro when the light is just right. Trefethen's Oak Knoll District Red Blend goes for the swingin' price of $85.

The Evil Dead is a 1981 horror film directed by Sam Raimi in his first outing behind the lens.

Five college kids are having a holiday at a cabin in the woods. Uh-oh. A cabin in the woods. That's bad news. How many horror films do you have to see that center on a cabin in the woods before you start looking at better accommodations? "No, let's hide over there, behind the chain saws!"

Anyway, this is the film that put the character of Ash Williams on his way to being a franchise. Five films, a TV series, a video game, and comic books; this movie hit the jackpot. 

The kids find a cassette tape, and when they play it all hell breaks loose. Like, literally. It was a mantra in the '80s: "Always know where that mixtape came from." Inevitably, a bloodbath ensues, most of it caused by Ash. A superhero walks among us. As the last eye has been gouged out and the Tibetan Book of the Dead thrown into the fireplace, all is quiet on the woodsy front. Or is it?

The Beringer estate in Napa Valley says the halls of the Rhine House echo with whispers. Hopefully, none of those whisperers are giving away any trade secrets from the 1880s. If any of those ghostly apparitions are whispering that they are "not drinking any f*cking Merlot," pour them a glass of Beringer's Winery Exclusive Merlot for just $35 a bottle.

In 1977's The Sentinel, we see a woman renting a room in an old house that's been divided into apartments. As it turns out, it's owned by the Catholic Church, and it contains a portal into hell. Is anyone surprised at that?

What have we told you about creepy, old houses? Was the fact that one of the tenants is a blind priest not plain enough for you to see? Look, if you insist on ignoring all the signs that you're in a horror movie, we're just gonna have to let you go.

The portal to hell is a regular Penn Station for demons. They're coming and going, inviting others to join them, seemingly having a grand old time. Grand enough for demons, anyway. "I'll see you in hell" isn't part of an Irish curse for these demons. It's their way of saying "au revoir."

Demolition and reconstruction of the old brownstone isn't enough to take care of that doorway into Hades. The building may be newer, but now the resident on the top floor is a blind nun. To whom, presumably, a nod is as good as a wink.

The Winery at Marjim Manor claims to have five people and a dog haunting their space in upstate New York. No demons reported, but what's that portal there in the cellar room? They have a four-bottle package called Ghost Story Gift Pack for just under $50, if you order before midnight tonight. Operators are standing by. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Brunello Di Montalcino Is How You Say Sangiovese

Castiglion del Bosco has been the home of Tuscan luxury since the 13th-century. The estate was acquired in 2003 by Massimo Ferragamo. It's in Montalcino, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Val d'Orcia. The estate went to organic farming in 2016. 

The winery boasts that Cecilia Leoneschi has been their winemaker at since Massimo took over the estate. "Having devoted much of her career to understanding the complexities and nuances of the sangiovese grape," they say, "Cecilia continuously works to hone the vinification and aging techniques" for that variety.

The influences of the sea are felt in this area. Hot, dry summers and constant winds remove moisture. The "galestro" stone in the soil gives the wine its unique aroma, complexity and structure. 

The 2019 vintage featured a dry winter with below-average rainfall, which was then largely restored in the cool and rainy month of May. Summer was in no hurry to arrive, but the July heat eventually came. The rains returned in late August, followed by a cool, breezy September that gave the grapes plenty of time for optimal ripening.

Once vinified, the wine aged for 24 months in French oak, 20% new, then another two years in the bottle. Alcohol resides at 15% abv and the retail price is $65.

This wine has a dark garnet color in the glass, with a bit of brick red around the edge. Dark fruit dominates the nose, with aromas of cherry, black cherry and plum. Notes of tar, anise and sage adorning the fruit. The palate offers a savory mix of minerals, spices and cedar. The acidity is brisk and the tannins are firm. A medium-length finish highlights the savory aspect of the wine. It is a very smooth sip considering the 15% alcohol.  

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Blood Of The Vines - FEMJEP: Women In Trouble

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  This week, we pair wines with three films about women in various kinds of danger. 

In Kinky Friedman's detective novels, he and his posse had a code to use in instances when one of them needed help. MIT stood for Man In Trouble, and it carried the same effect as 911 does today in a text. There is a well-worn film trope to add suspense to a script: put a woman in trouble. Would that be WIT? Well, I guess it would be FEMJEP in this article. Let's roll with that and get to the good stuff.

Looking for Mr. Goodbar is the 1977 film that was based on the real-life murder of a woman. Diane Keaton played the role to the hilt. She was a nice girl in the daytime and a sexual thrill seeker at night. Spoiler alert: her taste in men was her downfall. This character wrote the book on "good girls like bad boys."

Her string of one night stands was adventurous, if maybe ill advised. If you're looking for Mr. Gere, you'll find him as one of her dangerous liaisons. In theaters, you could hardly hear the dialogue over the audience collectively muttering, "Girl, get outta there."

The film was the talk of the town that year, but Keaton did not get an Oscar nomination for her performance. That's because Annie Hall happened. That movie not only brought her a nice piece of hardware, it let her play a character who was a lot less likely to die during sex.

As luck would have it, there is a wine called The Keaton Red Blend. It is a combination of Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petite Sirah sourced in California's North Coast area. It sells for around $20. If you can't find it, keep looking.

When I started researching Private Parts, I thought, "Wait a sec. How much danger was Robin Quivers actually in?" Oh, right. The 1972 Private Parts was less funny and much scarier than the 1997 affair, unless you're not a big Stern fan. In which case it was funnier and not so scary. 

In this horror flick, the character Cheryl runs out on her roommate and goes to a creepy, old hotel full of weirdos and peepholes. Again, we mutter, "Girl, get outta there." But this time, it's not just FEMJEP, it's EVERYBODYJEP. 

I never had a life size, blow-up doll I could dress up in lingerie. It's one of many things for which I am thankful in my life. I never lived in a creepy, old hotel full of weirdos and peepholes. More thankful. Even without those touchstones, I could see the end of this movie coming during the lingerie modeling session. The twist, however, was interesting.

In France's Loire Valley, there is a spooky, old château known as the Château de Brissac. They say the place is haunted by a woman killed there centuries ago by her jealous husband. Haunted it could be, but it doesn't stop them from making wine there. Their Cremant de Loire is a Chenin Blanc sparkler that sells for less than $20. 

Caged Heat is the 1974 women-in-prison epic in which Jonathan Demme popped his directorial cherry. If the mere phrase, "women-in-prison," makes you think of producer Roger Corman, you are correct. You get slightly fewer points if you had to sneak a peek at the tagline: "WHITE HOT DESIRES MELTING COLD PRISON STEEL!" All caps and an exclamation point, please. 

The women who are the titular caged heat are set against a sadistic warden, the part for which Barbara Steele was born to play. Multiple jailbreaks, shock therapy, various forms of assault and plenty of vehicle chases deliver all the action the film's title promises. In some corners, Demme's direction was hailed for stylishly lifting a sleazy exploitation film to the level of a feminist manifesto. Cheers.

The Prisoner Wine Company has red and a white for a prison film, and both are far better than pruno. You've probably had the red blend. It's very popular. The Blindfold Blanc de Noir is a white Pinot Noir. They have the set for about $80.

Follow Randy Fuller on X

One Lucky Syrah

Wild Diamond Vineyards of Napa, CA produces a beautiful Syrah, a full varietal wine, grown in Lake County vineyards. Wild Diamond gets its name from the pieces of quartz in the soil, which originated from the volcanic activity in the area.

We have Mount Konocti to thank for that volcanic terroir at a high elevation. Most people consider the volcano to be extinct, but the United States Geological Survey does not, and I'm siding with them. 

The 2018 Dumb Luck Syrah is 100% Syrah grapes which were aged in 30% new French oak. The alcohol hits the expected 14.5% abv and the retail sticker is also up there a bit, at $48.

The winery recommends having it with a blue cheese burger or cider-maple pork chops. That sounds like a great idea. I'll start with the blue cheese burger.

This wine is dark in the glass. Its nose gives plenty of dark aromas, like blackberry, black plum and cassis. There is also a slight whiff of anise and a cedar note. The wine has an almost perfumed bouquet. One the palate, dark fruit dominates, but there are savory flavors of white pepper and thyme. The tannins are firm and the acidity makes the mouth water. This is a lovely Syrah that makes me think of holiday meals. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Chardonnay From The Heel Of Italy's Boot

The 2023 Varvaglione 12 e Mezzo Chardonnay is a Puglia IGP wine. "12 e mezzo" is Italian for twelve and a half. The name refers to the wine's alcohol content, which is lower than many of its Pugliese counterparts. 

The Chardonnay grapes are organic, grown in the Taranto province of Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot. The stainless steel production means you get to taste the grapes, not the oak. Alcohol, as mentioned, rests at 12.5% abv and the retail price is $17.

This wine's color is a pale yellow, tinted green. The nose is rather muted, but it displays the best of the unadorned grape, without the oak. Citrus aromas dominate, with a healthy minerality, and a sweet floral note adds complexity. The palate has a lemon flavor with a strong element of salinity. It's a great wine to pair with crab or oysters. The acidity is medium strength and the finish highlights the mineral aspect. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Blood Of The Vines - Make It Again, Sam

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  This week, we have wine pairings for three films that are into recycling. 

Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within is a 2010 remake of the 2007 original. It's a Brazilian action film, which may explain why you didn't see it. That may explain why you didn't see the original, either. Everybody in Brazil saw both of them. Where were you? At a soccer match?

The script concerns the laughs and loves of the Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. You can call them PMERJ for short, although it could be the worst acronym ever devised. It's easier to acronymize Park Reverse Neutral Drive Low into PRNDL. In the movie, they sidestep this awkwardness by calling the special ops group BOPE. It still sounds dumb, if you ask me. 

The film's story is incredibly dense. I would love to have listened in on the pitch meeting. "Think Serpico meets The Godfather!" "Which Godfather?" "Doesn't matter." I shouldn't poke fun. It was the biggest box office smash ever in Brazil. 

The action is beyond realistic. One scene, filmed in a residential neighborhood, included 80 real cops, two helicopters and a boatload of badass artillery. The neighbors were ducking and covering. It would have been nice had the producers dropped leaflets first. 

Let's have some wine. North Carolina's Duplin Winery has an Armed Forces Wine, as well as a First Responders Wine. They're made from Muscadine grapes, so let the buyer beware. Since the PMERJ dates back to the Portugal days, try a nice Portuguese grape. Miolo makes a Touriga Nacional in Brazil. If my conversion app is correct, it sells for around $15.

Guess what genre 1984's Ninja III: The Domination falls into. That's right, it's a martial arts film. That's not the reason I like it, though. I like it because James Hong appears in it, like he has in *checks notes* a million other movies and television episodes. Hong is the hardest working man in show business. 

Ninja III follows Enter the Ninja and Revenge of the Ninja in the Ninja trilogy. In this one, a dead ninja takes over the body of a good looking, big haired aerobics instructor. It's a 1980s time capsule, is what it is. She should have used a Thigh Master in her aerobics class.

The call goes out for a Japanese exorcist, which is where Hong comes in. He explains that only a ninja can destroy a ninja, so he leaves an invoice for his services and a ninja's phone number and exits, stage left. There's a lot more ninja action, but you probably won't keep watching this long. Nobody does. 

South African producer Testalonga has an odd line of wines under the El Bandito banner which include I Am the Ninja and I Wish I Was a Ninja. They are sparkling wines, one made from Chenin Blanc and the other made from Colombard grapes. The most interesting thing about these wines may be that the label of one features a dog and the other features a guy in a swimming pool. You'd think one of them would have James Hong's picture on it.

We don't have to tell you what came before Exorcist II: The Heretic. The sequel to that iconic horror film has been described in terms that would make a sailor blush. One critic slammed Exorcist II as "a piece of sh*t," "a f*cking disgrace," and "one of the worst movies ever made." And those comments came from the director of the original Exorcist, who said he'd rather watch a traffic accident. John Boorman, the guy who drew the short straw and had to direct II, wanted the film exorcised from his IMDB page. When they made Exorcist III, they pretended that II had never happened.

When it comes to Exorcist II, the sooner we start drinking, the better. Manos Wine has two California Cabs in etched Exorcist bottles, $74 for the pair. Some customers say they have yet to open the bottles and are using them as decor, which may be the best advice we could give you. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

A Sicilian Wine For Come Over October

Come Over October is a campaign dreamed up by a wine writer and a couple of publicists. The idea is, share wine with friends and family during the month. It is an admirable aspiration, if a little bit pedantic. Who do they think I'm drinking with during the rest of the year? Total strangers? People I don't like very much? Maybe, but they had better bring their own bottles. 

Seriously, it's a nice promotion to further the conviviality of wine consumption. Hopefully it will move a few more bottles off the shelves. Also hopefully, it will prompt folks to drink wine with people they like. It's much more enjoyable that way.

My friendly neighborhood publicist jumped on the opportunity created by this movement, and sent to me a bottle of a Sicilian wine. It was an offer I couldn't refuse.

The 2020 vintage of Tenuta Regaleali Lamùri Nero d'Avola was produced by Sicily's Tasca family. They have been making it for six decades now, so you can be sure they know what they are doing. 

Tenuta Regaleali is the family's flagship estate, located in the highlands of central Sicily. How high are the highlands? About 1800 feet, I'm told. March of the 2020 vintage was very rainy, which is good since the spring was hot and the summer dry.

The 100% Nero d’Avola grapes were grown on five estate vineyards, fermented in steel tanks and aged half in stainless steel and half in large Slavonian oak barrels for just six months. Alcohol checks in at 13% abv and the wine retails for  $16.

This wine is quite dark in the glass. Its nose is powerful, loaded with dark notes like black cherry, tar, leather, and tobacco. The palate is just as dark, with brambly cherry and plum flavors and a heavy dose of earthy minerality. The finish fades more quickly than I would like, because a savory delight is left behind after the sip. I would have this with a lamb burger or Italian sausage and be very happy with the pairing. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

St. Francis Merlot Goes Sideways

It was 20 years ago this month that the movie "Sideways" was released, unleashing a world of hurt on producers of Merlot wine. Paul Giamatti's character, a hard-core Pinot Noir lover, has a fit when the prospect of ordering Merlot in a restaurant is offered. "If anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any f*cking Merlot!" Well, that quote got traction and sales of Merlot wines tanked, while the sales of Pinot Noir went through the roof. 

Clearly, that character was a little too into his Pinot. Today, the sales of Merlot are still recovering. There are plenty of wineries that believe in the Merlot grape and which are producing bottles of magic with it. Sonoma County's St. Francis Winery and Vineyards is one. 

St. Francis winemaker Chris Louton says his 2021 Sonoma County Merlot "captures the depth of flavor, abundant aromas and luscious finish" that the often overlooked grape can achieve.

The grapes for this full varietal wine come from the St. Francis estate vineyards in the Sonoma and Russian River valleys, as well as from growers elsewhere in Sonoma County, like Alexander Valley and Rockpile. 

The 2021 harvest started on August 18th. Limited rainfall during the growing season produced slightly lighter crops but brought intense, concentrated flavor and color. Temperatures remained fairly even through the summer, which is good for fruit acidity, brightness and balance. The last grapes were picked in mid-October.

The St. Francis Merlot spent 14 months in French oak barrels for aging, hit an alcohol level of 14.8% abv and bears a retail price of $23. Many say it drinks well north of that price.

This wine is quite dark in the glass. The nose brings a powerful whiff of dark fruit and earth, with a hint of smoke behind it. The palate offers a rich, full mouthfeel, with flavors of plum, blackberry, and black cherry out front. There is a mineral-laden earthiness to the taste, a savory herbal streak which always attracts me. The finish is medium long and serves as a reminder of the darkness in the sip. Tannins are semi-smooth and acidity is refreshing. The alcohol certainly doesn’t seem like it's almost 15%. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Blood Of The Vines - Biopix

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  This week, we have wine pairings for three films which the Dewey Decimal System would categorize under 921. 

Inquiring minds want to know. That's why we people-watch. Why else would we care about what other people are doing, except to satisfy our own curiosity? When I see a bottle of wine in someone's shopping cart, I'm curious about it. I crane my neck to see what wine this person is buying. I spin a tale in my mind about why that person chose that wine. Sometimes I'll even ask, which usually gets a mind-your-own-business stare directed at me. Biographies satisfy our craving to look inside the lives of famous people. They also give us an opportunity to have a glass of wine, which is always appreciated. 

From 1994, Ed Wood takes a lighthearted look at the filmmaker who gave us Glen or Glenda and Plan 9 from Outer Space. What a cast! Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Bill Murray, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lisa Marie and Patricia Arquette, to name more than a few, all tug on the heartstrings with comedic chops. 

Director Tim Burton says he made the movie because he's an Ed Wood fan. That's why there is so little snark in it. It was made from love. Wood might be known as the King of the B-movie, if not for his films ranking several notches below B.

It's the one-word quotes from Ed Wood that resonate with me. Murray's laconic "Sure," in response to whether he had accepted Jesus as his savior. And I love Depp's answer to his crew when they ask him what to do as they see the cops coming toward their unpermitted street filming: "Run!"

Forget Bela Lugosi's "No. I never drink… wine" comment. We have two wine pairings for Ed Wood. The film's star, Johnny Depp, reportedly doesn't drink any more. Try to resist the cheap "but he doesn't drink any less" gag. When he did drink, though, you see where all that pirate money went. He had a taste for Bordeaux, namely Château Cheval Blanc and Petrus. If you don't happen to have a few grand lying about for those sorts of purchases, we'll scale it back some. Le Petit Cheval is Cheval Blanc's second label wine. It goes for right around $200, so drink up. 

1964's Becket is more a British historical drama than a biopic. And we all know what a basket of laughs those British historical dramas can be. Just kidding. I'll watch anything starring Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton and John Gielgud. Just have them read the phone book and argue over it.

I'm a little light on my British history, but Thomas Becket was a pal of King Henry II. They probably drank mead together, but they drank something, that's for sure. Henry relied upon Becket to run his court, get him women, be Lord Chancellor, get him women, go hunting with him, get him women. 

The high and mighty behind the king took a genuine dislike to Becket, what with him just being a Saxon and all. The king, a bit drunk at the time, wondered aloud if he'd be better off with his friend-turned-enemy dead. The high and mighty do the honors at Canterbury Cathedral. It's one of the Canterbury Tales. You could look it up.

Hundreds of years later, in the 16th century, an "a" got slipped into his name, making it Thomas a'Becket. Somehow, that was supposed to make him more palatable to Protestants. I don't know how that works. It must have been in the British history book I never read. Anyway, I only bring it up because…

The wine pairing comes from a'Beckett's Vineyard. Seems there's an extra "t" in there, too. Ah, nevermind. The Langham family makes a nice his-and-hers English sparkling wine duo, a brut and a rosé from the soil of Wiltshire. Cheers. 

Isadora is the 1968 biopic of dancer Isadora Duncan. She gained worldwide fame as a dancer, someone who created beauty yet suffered unimaginable pain during her life and died tragically at only 50 years old.

We all know what happens to free-spirited artists who seem to have things going along too nicely. That's right, torture. This film covers Duncan's too-short life in all the detail that fits in nearly three hours. Over the years the running time has been altered several times. So you may miss a few highlights. Save your tears for the right times. And do not cut any of Vanessa Redgrave's lines!

Duncan lost her two children when the car they were in drove into the Seine river. An automobile figures prominently in her own death, too. She took a ride in someone's Bugatti convertible in Nice. Her long scarf - flapping in the breeze behind her - got tangled in the car's wheel and strangled her. I must admit, that is a bit more tortured than I want my own demise to play out.

The Wine Collective, out of Baltimore, has a rosé named after Duncan. Isadora is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Manseng and Merlot grapes that were grown in Virginia. Having had good experiences with Virginia wines, I can venture that sipping this one will be nothing close to torture.

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Patagonian Terroir In Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Friends of mine were recently in Patagonia, and they were kind enough to tell me how good the wine was there. Happy to hear it! They travel to places like Patagonia, Portugal and Pakistan as easily as most of us make a trip to the big box store. Me, I went to Patagonia courtesy of a bottle from Bodega Otronia. 

They like to say they are at the edge of the world, the 45th parallel in the southern hemisphere, the globe's southernmost winemaking outpost. Juan Pablo Murgia, Otronia's head winemaker, says he uses the long hours of summer sunlight in the southern extreme of Argentina to enhance the natural strengths of the terroir and craft distinctive wines. I was given two samples of their wines to try.

The 2020 Otronia Pinot Noir is made from grapes grown in special plots of their Paico and Sierra Silva vineyards. The wine was fermented in concrete and placed in French oak barrels after malolactic fermentation had taken place. The aging lasted 18 to 20 months in the untoasted oak. Alcohol sits at 13% abv and the wine retails for $79.

This wine has a ruby tint with purple notes in the glass. The nose offers strong earthiness and notes of cola, coffee, herbs and tobacco. Its delicate palate is loaded with tart, red fruit. A full mouthfeel is joined by a fresh acidity. The tannins are quite smooth and the finish is lengthy and full of the earthy aspect of the wine. 

The 2020 Otronia Chardonnay comes from two special plots - III and VI - of the Paico Vineyard in  Sarmiento, Chubut, Argentina. Aging occurs in French oak over the span of 18 to 20 months. Alcohol comes in at 13.5% abv and the retail price is a lofty $80. 

This wine has a pale greenish tint. The nose displays a basket of fruit aromas, like lemon, peaches, pears, melon, along with a hefty whiff of minerality. The mouthfeel is quite full. There is a noticeable oak effect on the palate, but it treads softly. The fruit flavors come through without much difficulty and the acidity is refreshing. A lengthy finish centers on the minerality. It is a very nice Chardonnay, although I feel it's a tad overpriced. But if your budget allows it, it rivals many Chardonnays from Sonoma or Napa. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Wine: Cook With It, Drink It, Repeat

Here is another one of those wines I picked up at Trader Joe's with the intent of using it in a short rib recipe. To paraphrase W. C. Fields, I believe, I used this wine while cooking, and even got some in the food. 

Truffaut Cabernet Franc 2022 is a Pays d'Oc wine, from the south of France. Its alcohol content is 13.5% abv and the price was cheap at Trader Joe’s. I’m talking less than $10. 

This wine is medium dark ruby in color. Its nose presents dark fruit - blackberries, black plums - in a spicy setting. The notes of black pepper and anise are joined by an herbal aroma. The palate is soft and fruity with mild tannins and a moderate acidity. I did use it for cooking, but it served admirably as a sipper while I stirred the pot. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X

Blood Of The Vines - Babs

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  This week, we have wine pairings for a trio of films featuring everyone's favorite Babs.

Up the Sandbox, released toward the end of 1972, had Barbara Streisand as a New York City housewife and mom who escapes her mundane existence through wild fantasies. Already caring for two kids and a husband, she finds that she is pregnant again. Her eventual awakening: "You can either like me the way I am, or shove it."

Everyone liked Streisand in Sandbox, but the movie didn't exactly burn up the box office. The film was seen as fun, as opposed to "funny." Babs herself opined, after the fact, that America didn't mind seeing her as a housewife. They simply wanted her to be a funny housewife.

As Fidel Castro says to Streisand's character in a fantasy, "Would you like for some wine?" For a sandbox, why not Sand Castle Winery? It’s in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and is more centered on weddings than wine, but they have rosé for $19 and Pinot Noir for $33. The countryside is beautiful, there are not quite as many Trump yard signs as in other parts of NEPA, and they offer helicopter rides to the tasting room from anywhere in the northeast. Babs would like that. I'm guessing there is an additional charge to get a chopper to the tasting, discounted if you have a wedding there. 

The version of A Star Is Born which hit the screens in 1976 was a remake of the 1937 original. It was the second of three remakes, but who's counting? The story has Janet Gaynor, er, Judy Garland, er, Lady Gaga… I'm sorry, I've got my remakes mixed. What's the name of this piece? Oh, yeah. Babs. The well-trod story has Streisand as the up-and-coming singer who hooks up with a big star and passes him on his way down. 

Sadly, we lost the male lead this week. Kris Kristofferson was 88 when he passed on Saturday. His absence may be felt more in the music world than in film, but he did a fine job as the falling star here, and also played well in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. He will be missed by many. 

Babs is featured musically, of course. The film's love theme, "Evergreen," was a giant hit. The lyrics, (love, soft as an easy chair) always made me want to get teary and violently ill, at the same time. That Paul Williams really knows how to churn out a tune. He won a Grammy and an Oscar for that one. No doubt, it paid for a lot of lunches at The Ivy.

Conveniently, there is a Barbara Streisand wine, a Chardonnay offered by Celebrity Cellars. The fact that it is a 1996 vintage is puzzling. Either they were incredibly judicious about doling it out over the decades or it didn't sell well at all. You can find out which it is, for $40. Or, you can pick up a wine from Barbara's neighborhood, Malibu. Saddlerock Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is available in various vintages for less than $60.

In 1972, director Peter Bogdanovich asked the celluloid question, What’s Up, Doc?  Bogdanovich called it a "screwball comedy, something like Bringing Up Baby: daffy girl, square professor, everything works out all right." I'm sold. Streisand was the daffy girl, Ryan O'Neal was the square professor, and all was well in the end. That's the first law of the romantic comedy. All has to end up well.

The San Francisco chase scene reportedly cost a million dollars to shoot - a quarter of the film's budget.  The title was borrowed from the Warner Brothers cartoons.  "What’s up, Doc?" was Bugs Bunny's signature line.  Look it up, youngsters.

The sorely missed Los Angeles restaurant, Cube, had on its marquee the phrase "what's up D.O.C.?"  Their partiality to Italian wines spawned that little vino pun.  D.O.C. means Denominazione di Origine Controllata, a classification of wine regions in Italy.  So let's pair a wine from the Veneto D.O.C. with What’s Up, Doc?  You can pick a Valpolicella for red lovers, or a Soave for white grape fans. Or, the Ruggeri Valdobbiadene winery makes a very fine, extra-special Prosecco from the tiny Cartizze region of Veneto. Even though it is very fine and extra special, it costs only about $20. Sure that's double the price of the Prosecco you get from Ralphs, but it's still just $20. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X