Blood Of The Vines - Carquake

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're in the driver's seat for three films that owe their existence to the auto industry. We have wine pairings for each film, although we encourage you to wait until you're safely home before uncorking the bottle. Or unscrewing the cap. Or tearing open the box.

The Italian Job is a 1969 British caper with laughs. Michael Caine and Noël Coward got plenty of bravos for their parts as crooks trying to steal a truckload of gold bullion in Italy. It's worth remembering while dealing with explosives, that "you were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off." If you want more laffs, there is a wealth of comedic talent in the cast, including Bennie Hill.

The often copied Mini Cooper car chase should be used for entertainment purposes only. Do not try it at home, No matter how good a driver you think you are. You're not.

The wine pairing for a movie about Italian criminal activity should be one that was the subject of a crime, right? Several years ago, some nefarious types passed off cheapo wine as 2015 Bolgheri Sassicaia. A bottle costs close to $500. Just pray it hasn't had the doors blown off it.

In 1971's Vanishing Point, a stock car driver takes a bet to deliver a white Dodge Challenger R/T from Denver to San Francisco in 15 hours. If that sounds too easy, imagine doing that task with a police chase behind you. It doesn't sound like easy money now, does it?

It's said to be one of Steven Spielberg's favorite films, and it inspired Edgar Wright's 2017 car-a-palooza, Baby Driver. Vanishing Point vanished after only a couple of weeks in release, but it has since become a cult classic. It's an especially big trunk full of muscle car fun for people who go to the Friday Night Car Show at Bob's Big Boy.

Adobe Road Wines of Sonoma County has a full line of racing themed offerings. Their Redline Cabernet Sauvignon goes fast for $48.

The star in 1977's Grand Theft Auto is Ron Howard, who also directed it. But the big co-star is a Rolls Royce, which takes a beating throughout the film, a beating that's usually reserved for a demolition derby. Uh, spoiler alert. There is a demolition derby. The Rolls carries a young couple as they elope to Las Vegas, where there will be plenty of time for wine. 

A tip of the headset to the late L.A. legend The Real Don Steele, who has a role in the movie as, wait for it, a radio DJ. 

There are more Master Sommeliers in Sin City than in any other city in the world, so getting a recommendation shouldn't be a problem. Ordering that wine in a restaurant, if you're someone who looks a lot like Opie, means you'd better have your ID with you. For the Rolls Royce, only a Dom Perignon Champagne will do. At least at first. As the wear and tear on the vehicle mounts, you'll be looking for something cheap, maybe in a box. The Franzia Dark Red Blend is priced at $16 for a five liter box.

Nowadays people know GTA as a game, and in the GTA V edition, there is a virtual wine called Costa Del Perro, which translates to "coast of the dog," but you can only have that wine virtually, as a player in the game. 

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Wine Tasting In Los Olivos - St. Avalo Wines

It was a cold and blustery day in May, the threat of rain hanging in the dark clouds above Santa Barbara County. I was looking for the tasting room of Bien Nacido Wines, but found that they had closed up their Los Olivos shop and were now pouring at the winery in the Santa Maria Valley. Fortunately, their spot was now occupied by the tasting room for St. Avalo Wines.

Their vineyards are in the Santa Ynez Valley, just a couple of miles away, but my visit to the tasting room held many pleasures. The wines I tasted were of the 2022 vintage except the rosé, which is 2025.

My host Oliver, and his dad, are co-owners of the estate. They bought the property in 2007 and went full estate with their grape selection in 2015. Their wines are delicious and the tasting experience is a fun time. 

Their Sauvignon Blanc has a funky, floral nose and a fresh fruit palate. Pinot Grigio is not a grape to which I gravitate, but the St. Avalo version was striking. A totally earthy nose brought the funk, while the stone fruit on the palate was savory.

The rosé was made from Tempranillo and Grenache grapes, grown in nearby Foxen Canyon. Light extraction brought a pale pink color. The Gamay Noir was aged for a year in neutral French oak. It presented a nose that was earthy, barnyard, even. The palate, however, was light and fresh. The St. Avalo Pinot Gamay saw 24 months in new French oak. Big cherry notes on the nose and a bright and breezy palate with an herbal touch. 

The St. Avalo Dornfelder - yes, they grow Dornfelder - has a huge nose with prominent clove and eucalyptus. The palate is tartly cherry and somewhat minty. 

Their Sangiovese was oaked for two years but still has a light cherry nose and a candied palate. The tannins are nice on this CalItalia bottling. Their Nero d'Avola shows extreme earth on the nose while displaying a sweetly herbal palate.

The Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas that range from herbal to chalky. There is a minty note on the palate here as well. Aged in new French oak for 36 months. 

The wine I was most attracted to was the St. Avalo 2022 Vermentino, Santa Barbara County, Los Olivos District. Alcohol sits at 12.3% abv and it retails for $35. The wine was aged for eleven months in stainless steel tanks, unstirred.

This wine is the color of yellow straw with a hint of green in it. The nose has the aroma of white flowers, nectarine, mango, and a salty mineral aspect. I don’t smell the ocean as I do with Sicilian Vermentino, but it’s nearly a match. The palate shows stone fruit, a touch of tangerine, and a streak of salinity. The acidity is mid-range and the finish is long. There is a nutty flavor that lingers after the sip. This is a beautiful wine. 

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