tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990919529086049292024-03-18T20:05:12.306-07:00Now And Zin Winewords on wine by Randy FullerRandy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.comBlogger2863125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-11772352888783531752024-03-18T00:30:00.000-07:002024-03-18T00:30:00.141-07:00Sherry, Dry As A BoneWe can paraphrase the old saw, "dying is easy, comedy is difficult" into wine terminology: "Wine is easy, sherry is difficult." I have written, or at least attempted to write, many times about the intricacies of sherry. It is always a treat to taste one of the finer sherries, but even the bargain basement varieties offer plenty of fascination. Here is one I picked up on the cheap to use in Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-37623778065865109852024-03-15T00:30:00.000-07:002024-03-15T00:30:00.137-07:00Blood Of The Vines - Death WishesPairing wine with movies! See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies, and many more, at Trailers From Hell. This week we raise our glasses to three films which point out that, though comedy may be difficult, death is a bitch.2002's Death Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-24763814500700842192024-03-13T00:30:00.000-07:002024-03-13T00:30:00.129-07:00A Spanish White Wine For Spring, Or AnytimeIt is late February as I write this, but here in Southern California it feels like spring. Today was gorgeous, if a little cloudy, with temps in the mid 60s and barely a breeze. I’m sorry if it sounds like I’m baiting you folks who live in the north and Midwest. I’m not, really. We love our winter weather in L.A., but we pay for it in earthquakes and brush fires, believe me. As the weather Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-40869162380504447172024-03-11T00:30:00.000-07:002024-03-11T00:30:00.253-07:00Another Classic From Chianti ClassicoIf Chianti still makes you think of a lackluster table wine more valuable for the straw-encased bottle that contains it, you should sample some wines from that Italian region, especially from the subregion known as Chianti Classico. There's not a straw basket to be found. No candle wax drippings down the side of the bottle, either. Ruffino has been around for years. Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-48002365191845088632024-03-08T00:30:00.000-08:002024-03-08T00:30:00.127-08:00Blood Of The Vines - SpooferyPairing wine with movies! See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies, and many more, at Trailers From Hell. This week is all about the laffs, as we come up with wines to pair with a trio of films that take a comedic look at other genres. Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-90181472317267619092024-03-06T00:30:00.000-08:002024-03-06T00:30:00.133-08:00Washington Syrah For My Pot RoastI was shopping for the goods needed for a pot roast when I spied a wine for less than ten bucks on the top shelf at the market. That's unusual placement, so I picked it up and found that it was a Vintage Upper Left Syrah. The grapes for this wine were grown in Washington's Columbia Valley, which encompasses an enormous portion of the state. I figured I could hardly go wrong by using this wine in Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-80561047794404025142024-03-04T00:30:00.000-08:002024-03-04T00:30:00.135-08:00Bubbles From BurgundyYou likely know that Crémant is a French sparkling wine made in exactly the same way that Champagne is made, only in a region other than Champagne. That's not the only difference, though. Crémant also often utilizes different grapes than those favored in Champagne: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. A Crémant from Alsace may use Pinot Blanc, while one made in the Loire Valley may use Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-2803102852910848152024-03-01T00:30:00.000-08:002024-03-01T00:30:00.125-08:00Blood Of The Vines - Road WarriorsPairing 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 that iconic thing that goes on forever. The Road, and those who love it, travel it, Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-39073772540379826802024-02-28T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-28T00:30:00.136-08:00Cooking With AglianicoThe 2021 Epicuro Aglianico was produced by the D'Aquino family. The brand is not listed on their website, so this may be a second label from the maker. I remember reading someone's opinion, years ago, that Epicuro was a good cheap wine to look for. The grapes came from southern Italy's Puglia region. Alcohol tips only 13% abv and my bottle cost $7 at Trader Joe's. I always use an Italian Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-42832498536990400542024-02-26T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-26T00:30:00.131-08:00A Rosé From Germany When we look for a good rosé, we often rely on Provence. There is nothing wrong with that at all, of course. However, would it surprise you to find a high quality rosé that was produced in Germany? It surprised me. The 2022 Emma Reichart Rheinhessen Pinot Noir Rosé is a steal at just $5 at Trader Joe's. Alcohol sits at 12% abv. The grapes were grown in Rheinhessen, the biggest of Germany's Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-73504151285526205292024-02-23T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-23T00:30:00.208-08:00Blood Of The Vines - Happy Birthday, SidneyPairing wine with movies! See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies, and many more, at Trailers From Hell. This week we celebrate the fact that Sir Sidney Poitier walked the earth with us regular humans for 94 years. His birthday of Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-50319264238336386122024-02-21T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-21T00:30:00.137-08:00A Wow! Wine From Spain's North Antonio Díez Martín is an artisan winemaker from Spain's Ribera del Duero region. He pulls grapes from the vines in his family's vineyard, which has 100 years of grape production behind it. He sells wine through the Naked Wines network, and he credits those angels with helping him to start producing wine again after a fire destroyed his winery and back vintages eleven years ago.This 2021 Verdejo Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-50246284730395217802024-02-19T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-19T00:30:00.188-08:00Oakless ChiantiIf all you know of Italy's Chianti region is that straw-wrapped wine bottle with the candle drippings down the side from your college dorm, you need to know more. First of all, they dispensed with the straw baskets years ago. Second, the area has undergone a complete transformation since those days. It is now home to some of Tuscany's best wines.Ruffino was founded in 1877, whenRandy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-4620150567714784782024-02-16T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-16T00:30:00.137-08:00Blood Of The Vines - Creature ComfortsPairing 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 creature features, the stuff we stayed up late to watch on Friday nights. Maybe we still do.Oh Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-46282502860965311612024-02-14T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-14T00:30:00.247-08:00A Classic From Chianti ClassicoThe Sangiovese grapes for the 2020 Il Grigio da San Felice Riserva Chianti Classico were grown at the San Felice estate vineyard in Castelnuovo Berardenga, Siena. That is the part of Chianti Classico where it is said the wines are the ripest and richest in the region. It was a mild winter in the 2020 vintage, but a freeze in the spring lowered the yield of the Sangiovese grapes. Lower yield Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-86685957930414679272024-02-12T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-12T00:30:00.130-08:00Pour Some Chardonnay On My PopcornCalifornia Chardonnay- big, bombastic white wines full of oak and all that implies - is a style many wine drinkers have been shying away from in recent years. The swing toward unoaked - naked, if you will - Chardonnays which emphasize the flavor of the fruit and the effect of the earth has left many old-line California Chardonnays holding the oak.I'll admit: I love the purity and mineralityRandy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-73133506700316302662024-02-09T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-09T00:30:00.191-08:00Blood Of The Vines - Soul MusicPairing wine with movies! See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies, and many more, at Trailers From Hell. This week we put on the headphones/earbuds and let the music wash over us. Are we high? If not, we have some wine pairings to go Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-38886995124212675282024-02-07T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-07T00:30:00.146-08:00Pink Wine From Monterey County The Seaglass Wine Company is based in St. Helena, California, while making wines from vineyards south of Napa, in the state's Central Coast appellation. They notably pull fruit from the Los Alamos Vineyard in Santa Barbara County, but for their Rosé they went to Monterey County for the grapes.The 2022 Seaglass Wine Rosé was made from 53% Grenache grapes, 23% Pinot Noir, 19% Syrah and 5% Viognier.Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-42475718041348562302024-02-05T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-05T00:30:00.137-08:00Too Big, Too Bold, Too Brawny: Bogle's Not-So-Essential RedThe Bogle family has farmed the California delta region for six generations, 50 years now in the effort of growing wine grapes. Like a lot of farming families in the area, they started out selling their fruit to others, then got wise and started turning their grapes into wine themselves. The 2020 Essential Red is a California red blend of four grapes: 53% Petite Sirah, 23% Syrah, 16% Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-22709893618654557552024-02-02T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-02T00:30:00.136-08:00Blood Of The Vines - Tortured ArtistsPairing wine with movies! See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies, and many more, at Trailers From Hell. This week we examine three films dealing with the downside of being a fine artiste.The 1986 biodrama, Caravaggio, is an Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-41593302455282763442024-01-31T00:30:00.000-08:002024-01-31T00:30:00.132-08:00Big Enjoyment From Cheap LambruscoNotte Rosso is likely found on the bottom shelf of your grocer's wine aisle. It's an inexpensive wine, but is it a bargain wine? We'll find out here and now. The Notte Rosso winery is located in In Salento, in Italy's Puglia region, in the area known as Primitivo di Manduria. The Notte Rosso Lambrusco, however, is from the Emilia region, in Italy's north. The wine has a very low alcohol Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-79703440045993184792024-01-29T00:30:00.000-08:002024-01-29T00:30:00.152-08:00A Classic From Chianti Classico San Felice is an Italian winemaking company which is located in the Chianti Classico area of Tuscany. Their history includes the fact that they were on the leading edge of the development of the Super Tuscan style, decades ago.Their 2021 Chianti Classico comes from the rolling hills of the Castelnuovo Berardenga area in Chianti Classico. The sandy soil soaked in minerals is good for growing Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-26188133563015435732024-01-26T00:30:00.000-08:002024-01-26T00:30:00.126-08:00Blood Of The Vines - Hauntings 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 hope you are ready for some ghost stories. We have wine pairings for three movies featuring spirits, which are easierRandy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-8899811404474909192024-01-24T00:30:00.000-08:002024-01-24T00:30:00.132-08:00Value Wine When Price Is On The LineLine 39 Wines lies, not unexpectedly, near the 39th parallel which runs through Lake County, California. They operate under the umbrella of St. Helena-based Cecchetti Wine Company. I discovered Line 39 when a friend called one day, excitedly telling me that their Cabernet Sauvignon was on sale at a wine shop we both frequented. "This wine is good," he said, "and it’s a great value because Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999091952908604929.post-31246671572229591232024-01-22T00:30:00.000-08:002024-01-22T00:30:00.133-08:00The Dirt Is In The WineZinfandel is considered by some to be the official heritage grape of California, and that is fine with me. There are some Zins I look forward to each vintage, like the ones from Dry Creek Valley. The one that holds the most appeal for me is the one from Ancient Peaks Winery. I took a fascinating tour of Ancient Peaks and their estate vineyards near Paso Robles some 15 years ago. Randy Fullerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17269134879428155175noreply@blogger.com0