A Grape In Trouble

The Arbois AOC is in Jura, in the French hills north of Revermont. Jura gets its name from the Jura mountain range, which extends into Switzerland. The Poulsard grape is grown primarily in Jura's clay soil, which has a high marl content. As red grapes go, Poulsard has very low levels of the phenol containing color. This means we get a pale red wine, a rosé, or even a white wine. Don't let the lack of color cool you. Poulsard has a very vibrant flavor.

Lou Amdur, of Lou Wine Shop in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, told me that he is worried about the Poulsard grape. Once the most widely planted grape in Jura, it is now in second place. It is difficult to grow, as it tends to bud early and is susceptible to frost. Amdur says the 2023 yield was cut nearly in half due to hot weather. This fragility, combined with shifting trends in the wine industry, is what has him wondering how much longer we will have Poulsard wines readily available.

The 2023 Domaine Ligier Arbois Poulsard has alcohol at 13% abv and sells for about $25.

This wine does color up lightly, a bit darker than a rosado but lighter than a Pinot Noir. The nose is powerful, herbal and earthy, with a funky note thrown in to keep it fun. There's raspberry, strawberry, and cherry aplenty. The palate is fruity, but it has a savory edge to it. Acidity is zippy and the tannins are serviceable. I would have it with chicken, pork, even a piece of fish. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

If Mencia Wine Is From Portugal, It Must Be Jaen

The 2020 Taboadella 1255 Jaen Reserva Dao is a Portuguese gem. The 1255 on the label is a nod to the origin of the village, according to records. Some think, however, that the place dates back to the 1st century. Winemaking artifacts reveal some of the oldest wine technology in the Dao.

The wine is made from 100% Jaen grapes, a Portuguese variety which is known in Spain as Mencia. Taboadella Reserva was aged for nine months, 20% in new French oak barrels, 80% in second-use barrels. Alcohol tips 13.5% abv and the retail price is $35.

This wine is medium-dark in the glass. The nose is rich with raspberry and blueberry aromas, while the palate shows dark fruit as well. There is a touch of oak, but it is not at all overdone. The tannins are somewhat fierce upon opening, so let it breathe a bit. The acidity is mouth-watering and the finish is lengthy. Taboadella begs for a thick, juicy steak. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

Blood Of The Vines - Rooms With A View

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 make room for roomy movies. We'll make room for some wine pairings for them, too.

 From 1986 we have A Room With a View, the theatrical release, not the TV movie. Yes, but it was a British TV movie. Doesn't that count for extra? I guess not. The big screen version was nominated for a large handful of Academy Awards, but only three were bestowed upon it. Only three. One of them was for Best Costume Design. Keep in mind, for your next opportunity to gamble on the Academy Awards, if a British period piece is in the running, it takes home a costuming Oscar. Bet the screening room on it.

The film centers on a young British woman's trip to Italy. She and her traveling companion don't like the view from their hotel room in Florence, which is handy, since it relates directly to the movie's title. But it would seem to me that if you're looking out of any hotel room in Florence, you've already got the majority of other hotel rooms beat. Even if it's not facing the Arno River.

In your pensione minibar, you won't find very many exotic choices, but often there are reliable brands in there. If you're staying in a Florence pensione, go Tuscan. You shouldn't have trouble finding Ruffino's Chianti Superiore.

The Bed Sitting Room is a 1969 British black comedy directed by Richard Lester. You no doubt remember him as the guy who directed The Beatles to silver screen stardom in A Hard Day's Night and Help! A clue to the new direction.

In The Bed Sitting Room, he employed a raft of British comedians, like Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Marty Feldman, and Spike Milligan. The movie is nothing if not absurd. Lester called the script, such as it was, "a completely lunatic sketchbook of surrealism." That really sums it up well. 

The setting is post-apocalyptic London, after a catastrophic nuclear war. The story, if we can call it that, revolves around one ridiculous idea after another. One critic of the day recommended it to fans of Monty Python's Flying Circus, although not wholeheartedly. It may well be a film representation of Magritte's The Son of Man painting. Offbeat, satirical, weird. 

I'll recommend a wine pairing, which should be consumed in full before viewing, so the humor has a better chance of hitting home. Realm Cellars has a proprietary blend called The Absurd. The winery says it may be made from one grape or five, depending on the vintage. It's a Napa Valley product, but the website leans starkly Brit. Their fascination with Shakespeare is clear, although filtered through a Picasso lens. Oh, and the bottle costs more than $150, which may be the height of absurdity.

Let's go back to hotel rooms for the 1938 Marx Brothers classic, Room Service. It's the only Marx Brothers film that wasn't written especially for them. It features two other rarities: Chico doesn't play the piano and Harpo doesn't play the harp. Don't worry, Groucho still works in plenty of his trademark one- liners. 

The script was based on a play, and the scribes of the day felt the Marx Brothers didn’t add much to the experience, but admitted they didn’t hurt, either. You can expect the usual round of Marxist humor, by which I mean slapstick and farce, based on plenty of confusion and deception.

Is it worth a viewing? Did you shoot an elephant in your pajamas? How that line got in my copy, I'll never know.

Do Not Disturb Wines won't be hanging on your room's door handle. The Room Service Pinot Noir will, however, connote the laissez faire attitude of the winemaker. The grapes come from a Sonoma County vineyard, on the eastern edge of Dry Creek Valley, if you want to get finicky about it. It sells for a little under $30.

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

Cookin' With Aglianico

Here's yet another of those bargain wines from Trader Joe's. Julia Child once said that one should never cook with wine you wouldn't drink on its own, and that's a great rue of thumb. I think it was W.C. Fields who said "I cook with wine, and sometimes I add it to the food." Today, it's the 2024  Epicuro Aglianico Puglia IGP.

Freshness and ripeness comes courtesy of the aging process in steel tanks rather than oak. I bought this wine for cooking, but I enjoyed some while the sauce was simmering. I always try to have a red Italian wine on hand for pasta sauce. Alcohol checks in at 13% abv and the price can hardly be beaten, $6 at Trader Joe’s.

This wine is fresh and fruity. The medium ruby tint looks like Pinot Noir. The nose gives red and black fruit aromas, while the palate brings cherries, blueberries, and blackberries to the forefront. It is a clean sip, with no oak coloring the fruit and gentle tannins that make for a nice wine to chill, if you want. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

A Spanish Rosado, Redux

Today, we will revisit a Spanish pinkie. And no, I'm not referring to a member of Spain's Communist Party. It's a pink wine, y'all. 

I had an earlier vintage of the El Terrano Garnacha Rosado about five years ago. One of the Whole Foods beverage guys called it one of the choice wines from the Whole Foods "rosé garden."

Produced as a Vino La Tierra de Castilla, this pink wine is composed of mostly Garnacha grapes. They are grown in Cariñena, in the Aragon region of northeast Spain. Traditionally, the wines in that area were heavy on the alcohol, but winemakers began to go more for balance a couple of decades ago. This entry comes in at 12.5% abv and it sells at Whole Foods for about ten dollars.

The Spanish wine has an elegant copper-pink color. The nose is not exactly overpowering, but offers up some pleasant strawberry and cherry aromas. There's a slightly funky herbal tint, too. On the palate, the medium weight is abetted by an acidity that is a bit brisker than I remember it being. Red fruit flavors ride out front, while a barely chalky minerality makes things a little more complex. It serves well as an afternoon sip or a companion to a salad or sandwich. It will be a great pair with some leftover ham or turkey sandwiches on Black Friday. Stock up. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

Blood Of The Vines - Claudia Cardinale Week

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 remember another fallen great, Claudia Cardinale.

Cardinale starred with Burt Lancaster in The Leopard, a 1963 epic historical drama about the turbulent times in Italy during the 19th century. When a film is called "epic," it means it's really long. 

When director Luchino Visconti hit the stopwatch after the credits, it read 3:25. That's hours and minutes, by the way. He said, "Whoops," or whatever whoops is in Italian, and trimmed ten minutes off. Like that made a big difference. I mean, there's a 46-minute ballroom dancing scene! Oof, madone!

Every time someone takes control of the reels of this movie, another ten minutes disappears, like witness protection. I think it's down below three hours now. Don't let that cable sports channel get hold of it. They condense Dodger games down to an hour. Come to think of it, trimming a Dodger game so the bullpen doesn't appear is not a bad idea.

Well, so it's a long movie. That means all the more time we get to look at Claudia Cardinale, so I'm not complaining. I hear that some people really like the way Burt Lancaster looks, too.

If it doesn't seem like you've been sitting down for three damn hours, it may be because the film is so damn beautiful to look at. One of our more enlightened TFH gurus said, "Every frame is a painting." At least not one of those paintings with eyes that follow you around the room.

The Leopard is set in Sicily, so you can probably guess where my wine pairing is headed. About a year ago I had the pleasure of sipping the 2020 Regaleali Lamùri Nero d'Avola, made from Sicilian grapes, dark and powerful, for just $16. 

1968's Once Upon a Time in the West was directed by the great Sergio Leone. Not only do we get Claudia Cardinale here, we also get a soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. Finest kind. 

Uh oh, another epic movie. It's more like epic-lite. The Italian version of this one clocked in at nearly three hours, but the American release was just over two hours. There's probably no intermission, so let's all go to the snack bar before we take our seats.

The wine pairing for Once Upon comes from the wild west of Italy. At least the wild northwest. Riva Leone's Barbaresco has its Nebbiolo roots in Piedmont. Retail: $25.

It would be great if 8 ½ was the middle part of Federico Fellini's Numbers Trilogy, the one between 8 and 9, wouldn't it? But I'm not allowed to just make up stuff here. Who am I, Il Presidente?

The film was shown at Cannes in 1963 to what is described as "almost universal acclaim." Almost? I guess he got screwed by the fascist judge. 

Fellini used this film as a mirror, albeit a sort of funhouse mirror. It's a movie about making a movie, but the movie they're making is the one you're watching. Always remember, if you want people to think you're a genius, make yourself as incomprehensible as possible.

Varvaglione 12 e Mezzo Primitivo Salento, a bright red wine from Puglia, the sun-soaked heel of Italy's boot. Twelve e mezzo is Italimerican for 12 ½, which makes it the biggest stretch yet for a wine and movie pairing in this space. But records are made to be broken. Drink it, dream it, get lost in it. It's a $15 trip.

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Wine

I love an unusual wine. I don't really care what makes it unusual, just as long as it offers me something different.

Tim Fulnecky, of the Paso Robles winery Mr. Brightside, is following his heart and making unusual wines. First, he exclusively uses Gamay Noir grapes grown in Monterey County's Arroyo Seco AVA. Second, they aren't all red wines. 

I picked up the 2023 Mr. Brightside Gamay Noir, Blanc at Joan's on Third in Los Angeles. I knew nothing of the winery, but I bought it specifically because it was different. A white wine made from Gamay grapes? I had to find out what this even was. Or, as the kids say today, what even this was.

Here is what Fulnecky says on his website about making Gamay Noir, Blanc: "I practice minimal intervention winemaking with all of the wines I make. These grapes were harvested and brought directly to the winery to be pressed onto dry ice. After settling the juice, it was gravity racked to a stainless steel tank to ferment. It was a slow and naturally cool fermentation that lasted for 19 days. After fermentation it was immediately racked to stainless steel drums and sulfured to inhibit malolactic fermentation. It aged in stainless steel for 6 months before being bottled."

Just his description of the winemaking process tells us that we are in for something that's off the beaten path. And that's where I like to live.

Previous vintages had alcohol just over 13% abv, but the 2023 vintage is marked at 12% abv. The wine cost $28.

This wine has a yellow-gold color in the glass. The nose shows earthy notes of apricot and peach, with some Bosc pear appearing. On the palate, that fruit is dressed in salinity and abetted by a healthy zing of tangy acidity. It reminds me a bit of Trebbiano or Garganega wines, but with more character.

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

A Bargain Orange Wine

Here is another bargain wine I spied when I was distracted while shopping for peanuts or chips. The Puppet is labeled as a Skin Contact Wine from the Central Coast, 2024 vintage. It "boasts the fragrance and elegance of a white wine with the texture, richness and depth of a red wine." The label offered a relative wealth of information, a nice surprise for a bargain wine. 

This array of grapes was fermented on the skins for 10 days, which is where the pink color originates. The grapes were grown in American Canyon, in southern Napa County. They are 33% Grenache Blanc, 25% Pinot Gris, 17% Pinot Blanc, 15% Chenin Blanc, 6.5% Grenache Gris, 2% Orange Muscat, and 1.5% Vermentino. That’s quite a roster, there. Alcohol hits only 11.5% abv and the cashier rang up $8 at Trader Joe's. 

The name, by the way, seems to come from the drawings of hand shadow puppets that adorn the label. It seems a curious way to catch the eye, but it worked.

This wine has a nice, rich color. It’s orange in copper kind of way. The nose is somewhat muted, but traces of cherry, lemon, tangerine, and peach are in there. The palate has a fresh acidity and centers the flavors on citrus minerality. It is a hearty rosé, and one that will pair nicely with a variety of meats and cheeses. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

Blood Of The Vines - Robert Redford Week

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 remember Robert Redford, the guy every guy's wife says she would have married had she had the chance.

One of Redford's better films, which is a high bar, is The Candidate, from 1972. The dark political satire features Redford as the son of a former California governor who is thrown to the wolves. He is chosen to run against a formidable Republican opponent in what is considered an unwinnable congressional race. The steep odds make it unnecessary for him to cater to public opinion, so he gives California voters a piece of his mind. And they like it.

The political consultant who pushed him into the race now sees a possible win, so the candidate's message is pushed into the center. To everyone's surprise, Redford wins. At the victory party, he urgently asks his consultant, "What do we do now?" That's how the sausage is made, folks.  

The Jeremy Larner script won an Oscar, and prompted a later real-life candidate by the name of Dan Quayle to say that he patterned himself after Redford's character. Larner's open letter to Quayle explained that the movie "is not a how-to picture, it's a watch-out picture. And you're what we've got to watch out for." It’s too bad they don't give Academy Awards for open letters.

Lodi's Michael David Winery has never missed a gimmick label, so, we naturally turn there to get a pairing for The Candidate. Politically Correct is a blend of Bordeaux grapes grown in dear ol' California. In addition to the wacky label, the wine's good, too. At least it better be, at $50. 

It would happen this way: You may be walking one day and a car will slow down beside you. A door will open and someone you know - perhaps someone you trust - will smile and offer you a bottle of wine...

Redford may not be the spy in Three Days of the Condor, but he sure has the thrill-a-minute life foisted upon him. This guy can't pick up the mail without dodging bullets. 

Redford's character - a CIA researcher - wants to come in from the cold, only to find he's already in, and the air conditioning is stuck on 32. He's so cold he has to open the fridge to get warm. It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you.

Redford's code name is "Condor," and the tactics the government uses in trying to keep him quiet sure have him feeling like an endangered species. Things do heat up a bit for Condor when Faye Dunaway realizes things could be worse than playing hostage to a guy who looks like Redford.  

Now the car slows down, and the smiling man offers a refreshing drink of wine.  

Condor's Hope Vineyard is named for its location in Santa Barbara County where condors are released into the wild.  The winery releases big Zinfandels and Shiraz into the wild, but only 400 cases at a time.  Most of their wines sell for under $20.  They might be a little hard to find, but that's how condors are.  If you order some, you might want to get it sent by FedEx.

 In 1972's The Hot Rock, Redford starred in the story of a diamond heist which keeps going south, showing that even the best-laid plans can always blow up in your face. Take the making of this movie, for example. The critics thought it was good, but not great. The director, Peter Yates, said that despite an interesting story and a wonderful cast, the butts just didn't get into the seats. It's happened to the best of them.

As a tribute to the movie, punk rockers Sleater-Kinney named one of their albums after it, although I feel the film's catch phrase, "Afghanistan banana stand," would have been a more memorable name.

For The Hot Rock, let’s pair 19 Crimes wine with the film, since it seems like the band of criminals needed 19 chances to pull off their heist. They have a line of Snoop wines, Cali Red and Cali Rosé. The latter looks a lot like gin and juice.

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

The Two Sides Of Lustau Vermouth

Vermouth is not just a bottle one waves over the glass for a dry martini. Lustau vermouths are blends of fine sherry wines, infused with carefully selected plants and botanicals. As such, I like to sip them on their own. You can mix them with gin or vodka if you like. 

Lustau's Red vermouth, Vermut Rojo, is a mixture of a dry, nutty Amontillado and a sweet Pedro Ximénez. The company lays out the botanicals they use: sage for subtle spiciness, gentian for added astringency, aromatic coriander, wormwood for bitterness, and orange peel for freshness and a blast of citrus fruit. Alcohol sits at 15% abv and it sells for around $25.

This vermouth has a bourbon brown color in the glass with red tones appearing. The nose is quite aromatic, full of botanicals, cilantro, oranges, and a prominent floral note. On the palate, a bright acidity carries the herbal flavors along in a refreshing way.

The dry Lustau vermouth, Vermut Blanco, is produced by mixing a crisp Fino sherry with a sweet Moscatel. On the botanical menu: marjoram, for citrus and balsamic notes, astringent gentian, rosemary's herbal note, along with wormwood and chamomile for bitterness. Alcohol rests at 15% abv and the retail price is around $20. 

This vermouth has a lovely golden color in the glass. Aromas of almonds, candied orange peel, and some spice adorn the nose. The palate shows a package of flavors that include orange zest, herbs, white balsamic, and a savory lanolin twist. The acidity is tingly and the finish is lengthy.

I don't sip vermouth often, but when I do, this pair from Lustau is a winner. I'm going to make it a point to have some for the holidays. I may even get a bottle of gin to keep them company. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

Alpine Freshness in Italian Pinot Grigio

Northern Italy is known for its crisp, mineral laden white wines, especially Pinot Grigio. Mezzacorona has been turning out the taste of terroir for more than a century. 

The 2024 Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie is grown on the limestone slopes of the Dolomite Mountains. The delle Venezie DOC covers a huge wine region which includes Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, and the province of Trento. This Pinot Grigio has alcohol at the usual 12.5% abv and retails for $11.

This wine has a pale green-gold tint in the glass. The nose shows pear, green apple, and floral aromas, while the palate brings a lot of citrus minerality. The acidity is fresh and lively. If it’s too late for summer weather where you are, don’t worry. This PG will do just fine on the holiday table, especially if you do a seven fishes meal. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

Blood Of The Vines - Playing With Reality

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 look at what is real and what is not, with an emphasis on what is not. There will be a wine pairing for each of the three films, if you choose to believe it.

F for Fake is Orson Welles' 1973 documentary about art forger Elmyr de Hory, if that is indeed his name. De Hory could spin a tale. He lied about his name, his age, his upbringing, and his police record. His entire existence was pretty much fabricated out of thin air. His hopes of making a living as an artist during the Great Depression indicate that he wasn't too sharp a tool in the first place. Oh, but he figured out how to make art pay. Turn it into crime.

It has been burned into our consciousness that crime itself does not pay. That's debatable. Welles has Clifford Irving as one of the people describing de Hory's life, which is a neat trick. Irving was the author of the supposed autobiography of Howard Hughes, a bit of deceit for which he spent time behind prison bars. Welles himself was a master faker with his War of the Worlds radio broadcast. That Halloween staple was created from fake news, back before the term had been co-opted to mean "uncomfortable truths."

Turns out F for Fake is fake itself, with Welles turning the documentary genre on its head. He creates a fictional story from real events, you know, like filmmakers do. Martin Scorsese borrowed the technique for his Rolling Thunder Revue movie. 

There's a company called Faux Wines which sells non-alcoholic wines for about the same price as a mid-range regular wine. Does that sound like a deal to you? Isn't non-alcoholic wine just called grape juice? Infamous wine-forger Rudy Kurniawan would probably beg to differ. Check out the doc Sour Grapes for his story. 

For F for Fake let's pair an actual wine, as far as we know. Could any wine from Forge Cellars be called a forgery? If we wanted to get cute, I suppose so. But this winery in New York's Finger Lakes region, Lake Seneca to be precise, specializes in real, honest-to-goodness Riesling in the $25 range.

With news you can trust, I guess, there is American Movie. The 1999 documentary follows Mark Borchardt as he tries to raise money to make a film. The task is made harder by the Midwesterner's incompetence and various personal problems. It's hailed as a hilarious picture, although I think some of the humor would be lost on anyone who has tried to get a film financed. 

The story told by the doc is true, and it's rather heartwarming, in addition to being pretty funny. When Borchardt's one pet project falls apart, he bounces to another in an effort to raise money to finish the first one. When you hear the phrase "the truth hurts," you might think of American Movie. 

The film won a documentary award at Sundance and is listed by the New York Times as one of the thousand greatest movies ever made. That may sound like an easy list to make, but some of my favorite movies aren't on it. 

Borchardt is from Wisconsin, and so is our wine pairing. Wollersheim Winery is run by a winemaker who escaped Beaujolais for the cold, American midwest. The Wollersheim wines focus on the Marechal grape, which is more like a Côtes du Rhône than a Pinot Noir. It sells for about $25. 

The Italian documentary, Mondo Cane, was considered shocking back in 1962. Its depiction of different cultures from around the globe exposed audiences to a pastiche of perversion, a smorgasbord of sensationalism, a wide world of weirdness. The depictions of racism and cruelty are still hard to watch today. However, many of the scenes were staged or taken out of context to provide maximum titillation. 

The film was so popular around the world that others followed in its exploitative footsteps. The genre of sensationalist pseudo-docs is now known as mondo films. The shock effect goes further than blending Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon. How dare you! And you call yourself a Super Tuscan.

The Antinori Solaia is such a super wine, blending Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc with Sangiovese. Artificial Intelligence tells me that Solaia translates from Italian as "loft," or "attic," or "sunny vineyard." Or it could be a typo. I love the AI adventure. These grapes grow in soils which originated in the Pliocene period. That may not matter much to you, but when you pay $350 for a bottle of wine, you expect all the bragging rights that go with it.

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

Dog Is My Copilot Chardonnay

I read about this wine, available at Trader Joe's for a song. The 2023 Copilot Chardonnay hails from the Carneros region of Napa Valley. The label shows a dog with flying goggles pushed back on his head. I wonder if a dyslexic winemaker is suggesting that "dog" is his copilot. That remains a mystery. Alcohol hits 14% abv and it is a bit of a bargain, at just $8. 

This wine has a greenish gold color to it. The nose offers citrus, minerality and oak spice. The oak shows on the palate, too, along with lemon, pear, apple, and apricot notes. It is a bit oaky, but not too much so. The acidity is brisk and finish is long, with minerals and citrus lasting the longest. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky 

Wine Shopping With The Wife

I usually make my own selections while shopping the wine aisles. However, I like it when my wife is with me and she takes part in the process. She has great taste, a brilliant palate, a keen eye, and an incredible sense of which wines will be a hit at home. I have a tendency to get stuck in a rut, as enjoyable as my wine rut is, and Denise brings a different perspective to the table.

Recently, while having lunch at Joan's On Third in Los Angeles, she drifted over to the small shelf of wines near our table. One of her selections was a non-vintage, fizzy wine from Liguria, in northwestern Italy. The region is named Colline Savonesi, while the grape that makes up this wonderfully refreshing wine is the Lumassina. Alcohol is quite low, just 11% abv, and the price tag says $28. That’s a bit more than I like to spend on a "fun" wine, but this one offered some complexity and scored well at a party. Punta Crena wines are imported by Kermit Lynch. 

This wine is almost clear in the glass. The bubbles come up quickly and disappear soon, too. The nose is yeasty and earthy, with a big mineral aspect. It’s rather like an off-the-beaten-path Champagne. The palate shows Meyer lemon, zest, and that yeasty note. It’s a festive wine, and a tasty one, too, with plenty of pairing appeal. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

Blood Of The Vines - Fatal Femmes

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 spotlight some not-so-ladylike ladies, and offer a wine pairing for each film.

I should apologize in advance for all the nasty things we’ll be saying about the following women. In film noir, the double standard is alive and well. A man can be a "playboy," while a woman exhibiting the same qualities is branded with a more insulting term. Me, I'm just a writer, unless you see me as a hack. In which case, I’m just playing the cards I was dealt.

You may think we had bigger worries in 1960 than The Leech Woman, but you’d be wrong. No, she’s not a gold digger. Nor is she an ex-wife with a large alimony payment. She's just a middle-aged woman yearning for her lost youth. Like some sort of scientific vampiress, she gets her vim and vigor by taking it from the men she kills. The more, the merrier. 

At some point, she runs out of men and has to extract the life potion from a woman. That’s when things get all topsy-turvy for her. What is it women say? "Never trust another woman with your anti-aging regimen?" I think it goes something like that.

A NYC movie review rag, Harrison's Reports, called this strip of celluloid "very good." I don’t know if the review had anything to do with it, but HR was out of business less than two years later. The quote may be out of context, taken from a sentence like, "This movie is not very good." But I’m not making any excuses for an eight-page newsletter put together with staples.

There was once a thing called Bald's Eyesalve, made from wine, leeks, garlic, and cow bile. I don’t think this is what's in the eyedrops they use at the Stein Institute, but don't quote me on that. The pairing for The Leech Woman is Beach Leech, from Pool Wines of Australia. It has to be better than the name sounds. It’s a full-blooded Marsanne for less than $30. 

1959's The Wasp Woman must have thrown entomologists for a loop.  Our lovely vespula germanica was also known cinematically as The Bee Girl and more generically as Insect Woman. But what's in a name, eh?

The film was produced and directed by the great Roger Corman, who knew how to squeeze the sting out of every last dollar. The Wasp Woman is about a lady, and we use the term loosely, who owns a cosmetics company. Her customers notice the wrinkles starting to increase, so she dips into the wasp jelly in the research lab. She finds her fountain of youth, but it comes with a hefty retail sticker, even for cosmetics.

The secret formula does take years off the appearance of our B-girl, but it does not convey the gift of flight, something that would have come in handy in the film's final scenes.

If you find a bottle of wine with drowned wasps floating in it, the maker was probably trying the same trick our femme fatale used. Alcohol infused with wasps are thought to carry health benefits. It's definitely an under-the-counter concoction, though.

Wasps are essential for spreading the natural yeasts which are needed for making wine. The Fableist Wine Company of Paso Robles gets it. Their line of Aesop-inspired wines has in it a nod to The Butterfly and the Wasp. Look not at what you were, but at what you are. This $25 rosé is made from Grenache and Blaufrankisch grapes. The alcohol is kinda low, so you will have to drink a lot of it to get, uh, buzzed.

Beverly Michaels gets the starring role in 1953's Wicked Woman. She plays a waitress who aims to take the place of her employer's drunk wife. When their little secret gets out, well, you know what they say about the best laid plans - and the best planned lays.

Let's refer to the one sheets: "She’s nothing but trouble… every voluptuous inch of her." "She uses sex the way a hoodlum uses a loaded gun." "She lives up to every scarlet letter of her name." "They called her wicked, but they didn’t know the half of it." Any blurb writer will tell you, it's more fun to write about bad people than good ones.

One of those publicity photos shows this femme fatale with an almost sympathetic face, as if she regrets in advance what she is about to do. The working title of the low-budget noir was Free and Easy. This gal may have been one, but not the other.

Clouds Rest makes a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir which bears the name Femme Fatale.  Be warned, it’s expensive - as is any femme fatale worth her one-sheets. The 2017 vintage runs $100. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

Bring On The Vermentino

I'm a sucker for a good Vermentino. The 2023 In Cantos Vermentino di Sardegna is on that list. Made by Cantine di Dolianova in southern Sardegna, the 100% Vermentino wine was vinified in stainless steel and aged in the tank, on its lees. Alcohol sits a bit low, at 13% abv, and it cost about $20 at Eataly in Los Angeles.

This wine has a yellow-green tint in the glass. The nose is full of minerality, with lemons and a sea breeze leading the way. The palate shows citrus, too, and it carries along that wonderful salinity. The acidity is zesty and bright. Pair it with crab, shrimp, or any sort of seafood, really.  

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

A White Spanish Wine Made For Pairing

The Viura grape, indigenous to Spain's Rioja region, is one of my favorites to pair with food. In my early days of evaluating wine, I paired a Viura with a bite of bleu cheese on a Triscuit cracker. I thought it was just about the best food I had ever tasted. I've had better since, but every time I have a Viura I think about that Triscuit and cheese with a Viura.

The 2021 Ontañón Viura Rioja is a raging winner. It was made fully from the Viura grape, fermented in stainless steel vats and aged on its lees in American oak barrels. Alcohol is restrained at 12.5% abv and it retails for $50. It's worth it, and Triscuits are only about five bucks. Imported in the US by Vino del Sol.

This wine has a rich yellow-gold color. The nose is powerful, loaded with Meyer lemon, apricot, an earthy herbaceous essence, and a wonderful salinity. The palate shows big fruit flavors of lemon, lime, and apricot, a big earthy edge, all draped in a deliciously creamy savory note. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

Blood Of The Vines - Hope Springs Eternal

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 movies featuring ol' Ski Nose himself, Bob Hope. 

Road to Utopia was released in 1946, but it was filmed three years earlier. It took so long to hit the silver screen that narrator Robert Benchley died before it was finally released. It wasn't the delay that got him, it was cirrhosis of the liver. The film's release may have been held back by the studio. Bing Crosby had another picture in the works in which he played a priest, and the two roles would have clashed with one another. Turned out to be a good call. He won an Oscar for Going My Way.

Hope, Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour star in this Road film, as they do in two of the other three. I love that Benchley narrates the movie. He is a lifelong favorite of mine. I know for a fact I was the only 6th grader at Robert E. Lee Elementary School checking out Benchley's books from the school library. Yes, Robert E. Lee. In Jefferson County, Texas. As in Jefferson Davis. Where I grew up, they thought that Civil War thing was rigged. Kinda makes me wonder how Robert Benchley made it into that school library.

In Utopia, two vaudeville entertainers… guess who… are headed to Alaska to make a fortune. All they need is some sort of a treasure map. Well, whadda ya know? Here's one right here. And that, my friends, is how a script comes together. 

The critics loved Utopia, as did the public. The film got rave reviews and it did boffo box office. There must have been plenty of Champagne corks a-poppin' at Paramount after someone went out and got the papers.

For pairing with Road to Utopia, we sure could use a wine that has a fabulous trio headed up by Hope. Well, whadda ya know? Here's one right here. Austin Hope Rhône Blend, a Paso Robles concoction starring Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, one of the more fabulous trios in the wine world. It sells for about $60.

The Ghost Breakers is a 1940 horror-comedy starring Hope and Paulette Goddard. The movie has an accidental stowaway, a haunted house, a secret passageway and a zombie. What more do you want from a horror-comedy? It was well received by critics and ticket-buyers at the time, although some of the humor definitely hasn't aged well. 

In this film genre, the laughs don't get in the way of the screams, they feed off one another. Nothing makes it easier to laugh than a good fake scare. Actually, alcohol makes it pretty easy to laugh. That's why comedy clubs have a two-drink minimum. 

Let's pair a wine from Silver Ghost Cellars with Ghost Breakers. I know, I know. Rule #1 in horror movies is don't go into the cellar. However, if that's where the wine is, that's where we're going. Silver Ghost makes a really decent Napa Cab. The $45 price tag shouldn't scare you.

Road To Morocco is another Hope, Crosby, and Lamour vehicle. Jokes, songs, camels, and Dorothy Lamour in 1942. It was destined for greatness

Speaking of Camels, the show opens and closes with shipboard explosions caused by cigarette smoking. One of the great things about movies is that you can survive all the explosions they throw at you, as long as you are the star of the picture.

You know, when I think of Morocco, I often think of Morocco Mole, Secret Squirrel's sidekick. With the fez and smoking jacket, he was a dead ringer for Peter Lorre. Voice artist Paul Frees did a pitch perfect Lorre impersonation. Which makes me think of Peter Lorre saying, "Help me, Reeek! You must help me!" That’s a whole 'nother movie, though. *singing* Allons enfants de la Patrie…

The 2014 Ouled Thaleb Moroccan White Blend is made from 60% Faranah grapes and 40% Clairette, aged in stainless steel tanks.  The Faranah grape is indigenous to Morocco, but the Clairette is French, probably a holdover from the country's days as a French colony. A Moroccan wine with a French pedigree, for only $14. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

Spanish Pink Delights

Founded in 1970 by Enrique Forner, Marqués de Cáceres is now run by his daughter, Cristina Forner, the fourth generation of the wine family. The bodega is located in the community of Cenicero in La Rioja Alta.

The 2024 Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Rosado is made from Tempranillo grapes. Earlier vintages had a splash of Garnacha Tinta. Alcohol clocks in at 13.5% abv and sells for around ten bucks. It isn't a terribly complex rosé, but it is quite tasty and ready to be chilled for picnics and barbecues.

This dependable rosé is a rich, pink salmon color, with a mineral-laden nose featuring lemon, strawberry, and cherry aromas. The palate is dry, fruity and laced with minerals. A good level of acidity provides for excellent food pairing and a refreshing demeanor on its own. There's a touch of orange peel on the finish. 

The wine is a great chilled sipper, but also pairs well with spring salads, summer grilling, or paella, if you're up to it. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

A True Bargain From The Rhône Valley

The Perrin family, of Château de Beaucastel fame makes La Vieille Ferme Blanc. We're now seeing the 2024 vintage on the shelves at Trader Joe's, for a pittance.

The brand was started 45 years ago. This bottling is a Vin de France, made with four Rhône Valley grapes: Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Ugni blanc, and Vermentino. The latter is sometimes called Rolle in the Rhône Valley. If you have a Beaune to pick with that terminology, I'd advise you to Rolle with it. The wine is a great bargain, has alcohol at 12.5% abv, and goes for $7 at TJ's.

This wine has a light golden tint in the glass. Its complex nose smells of apples, pears, ripe nectarines, and Meyer lemon. The palate shows off that fruit admirably. The citrus minerality comes through like gangbusters and the acidity is as fresh as it gets. Despite the tingly acid, the mouthfeel is full and rich. It’s the best of two different worlds. For $7, it's amazing that I ever buy anything else. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky

Blood Of The Vines - Fording The River

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 a trio of movies directed by John Ford. 

A 1960 movie that centers on race relations in America and stars an African-American actor? Yep, that's Sergeant Rutledge. Viewing it is like discovering a grape or a wine area you never knew about. It leaves you feeling good about yourself for having watched it.

Rutledge was one of the first American films to deal straight-on with racism. Ford directed the courtroom drama, with Jeffrey Hunter as the defense lawyer and Woody Strode in the title role. Strode recalls that the studio wanted Sidney Poitier or Harry Belafonte to play Sgt. Rutledge. Well, who wouldn't? Oh, Ford wouldn't. He didn't think either of them was tough enough for the role, and tapped Strode for it.

Strode, speaking of groundbreaking, was also one of the first Black Americans to play football in the NFL. Even before Dubya Dubya Two, he was playing for the Hollywood Bears, in case you'd like to have a T-shirt made. 

I'd like to pair a Woburn Winery wine with Rutledge, but the place closed after John June Lewis, Sr. passed away. He was credited as the first Black American winemaker, since he opened the winery in 1940 in Virginia. But, let's not forget about the wines made on Thomas Jefferson's estate, produced through the labor of slaves working in his vineyards. 

We can go with another African-American winemaker, Theopolis Vineyards in the Anderson Valley. The grounds are owned and operated by Ms. Theodora Lee, known in wine circles as Theo-patra, Queen of the Vineyards. Her Cortada Alta Vineyard Pinot Noir sells for $50, but her estate Petite Sirah is calling my name.

The soundtrack of 1959's The Horse Soldiers rides in on the strains of "Dixie" and out to "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." You not only get a western, you get a Civil War movie, too. And John Wayne's in both of them.  

Heck, you even get Ford directing at no extra charge, and a story that was ripped from the headlines of the Vicksburg Post, circa 1863. A western? In Mississippi? That's right, pilgrim. Mississippi was once The West. The Duke plays the railroad-builder-turned-Yankee-Colonel who is sent into Mississippi on a mission to blow up a railroad. Now that's iron horse irony for you.

Besides Wayne and Ford, you have fantastic character actors like Ken Curtis, Denver Pyle, and Strother Martin. That's the hick trifecta, right there - a dialogue coach's dream, a speech therapist's nightmare.  

Wild Horse Winery, just south of Paso Robles, advises us to "Live Naturally, Enjoy Wildly."  Their 2006 Cheval Sauvage not only means "wild horse" in French, it's the kind of masculine Pinot Noir John Wayne might share with his brave steed after a tough day of breaking the Confederacy.

Drums Along the Mohawk is the 1939 story of trying to stay alive in the new American nation. It was no easy task in the Mohawk Valley, what with British Loyalists attacking the farm and those pesky Native Americans trying to regain the land that was taken from them. You say you want a revolution? This is how it's done.

Henry Ford is the sodbuster and Claudette Colbert is his perpetually pregnant wife. With the farm in ruins and the proud farmer reduced to sharecropping, one might think about giving up. But giving up doesn't play here. Besides, I think the cavalry's on the way.

The Mohawk River Valley may have the drums, but the Hudson River Valley has the barrels. Benmarl Winery actually had them first. It is the oldest vineyard in New York. The Benmarl Cabernet Franc is estate grown and sells for $40. 

Follow Randy Fuller on X and BlueSky