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